Free-For-All Friday 8/1/14
Decatur Metro | August 1, 2014 | 8:24 amFeel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not yet discussed here over the past week.
Comments close on Monday.
Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not yet discussed here over the past week.
Comments close on Monday.
Chadwick Stogner
JC
Bulldog
At Home in Decatur
DEM
DawgFan
FM Fats
lumpintheroad
macarolina
Champs Al Says
Brad
Rival
Looking Back: The 2011 Atlanta Snowpocalypse
meanwhile, somewhere in Decatur
BTW, can’t believe no one’s said this yet, but this made me holler! Hilarious.
I am so happy I watched this. Thank you Rick for posting and thank you Cuba for the nudge.
“Their turkey meatballs are a REVELATION!!” LOOOOL!
Blast from the past. Who can remember the names of the grocery stores that once occupied Suburban Plaza? One where Hancock Fabrick is now, one where the Last Chane Thrift Store was, and two in the large building closest to North Decatur and Church? Bonus points if you can name the two drug stores that preceded the mattress outlet, AND the two drugstores that occupied the west end of the Big Lots strip mall.
one of the grocery stores was Winn Dixie
I remember the A&P that used to be there. When we had that big snow in 1993, I was living on Forkner Drive and we walked to the A&P for groceries and beer. (I also remember the Kroger and Blockbuster that used to be at what is now Patel Plaza.) I remember the Eckerd Drugs that used to be at the Scott Blvd. end of the shopping center, and I remember another drug store that used to be near where Big Lots is now, but don’t remember its name.
Save Rite. And they had the best Save Rite brand diet cream soda. Miss that stuff.
I remember that we ALMOST had a Piggly Wiggly when Super Giant Foods closed.
Belk
Suburban Theater was in the parking lot
Big Apple was the original supermarket where Last Chance was located. Winn Dixie was located at the end of the strip where Hancock Fabric is now. At the other end of the strip was a Rexall Drugs. Kresge’s was in the middle, with Belk next door (with a basement level). There was a movie theater approximately where the Save Rite/Winn Dixie (2nd version) store was. A Western Auto was in the space occupied by the saree store. Oslen Electronics was in the space the trophy shop was located. I took a few music lessons in the piano shop near the Rexall.
i want your memory. impressive.
In fairness, he does have maps. And bikes.
At one time we had a Big Star grocery store at one end and a Food Lion at the other. The one where Hancock Fabric is now was hit by a tornado around 1984.
The drug store in the middle at one time was Reed Drug store, later Big B Drug store. When CVS took over, they moved to the location across from the hospital.
Big Apple, Food Giant, you can count on us! I can still hear that jingle in my head. I spent many hours grocery shopping at the Food Giant on Buford Highway.
How long until Decatur goes down this road that Raleigh is currently going down.
We kinda already have with the tree ordinance.
I can’t wait till the next city elections.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/13/opinion/sunday/is-an-ugly-house-grounds-to-sue.html?_r=1
http://www.ncmodernist.org/2014oakwood.htm
Not sure if we’re allowed links, so if they are removed just google “Louis Cherry and Marsha Gordon House, 516 Euclid, Raleigh NC”
But the obnoxious part of this story isn’t Raleigh or its Historic Preservation Commission. They both approved construction of the house in contention. What’s happening now is a jackass neighbor suing someone who broke no laws or committed any infractions because she doesn’t like the view out her window. How will our pending elections address something like that? Elections don’t stop neighbors from being a**holes to each other.
Elections remove the cowards in office who won’t stand behind their prior approval.
On the flip side, while I do have sympathy for the affected couple, it appears they didn’t wait until the statutory appeals period ran before commencing construction.
“Through a series of protracted appeals, the neighbor has been successful in getting the city to reverse its approval of Mr. Cherry’s permit.”
To me it sounds like the city gave in to the crying neighbor after already giving a building permit to the architect. Kinda like Decatur bending because some homeowner here was crying cause their neighbor took down a tree on their own property.
The potential ability for neighbors to delay a demolition permit for up to 90 days (as proposed in the new UDO) provides too big of a tool to disgruntled neighbors at the expense of a property owner. If this provision isn’t modified during this comment period, residents will know where commissioners stand on preventing (or not) big neighbor on neighbor drama & cost.
Exactly. The 90-day delay, which can be initiated by ANYONE requesting that the homeowner and city explore alternatives to the planned project, is guaranteed to cause drama and conflict. No unintended consequences here, as there’s no way anyone can look at the current climate surrounding demos and renovations and think otherwise. As someone planning a renovation, my question is not whether a neighbor will create a headache for us, but rather WHICH neighbor will be the one to do so. Ugh.
can i register a preemptive protest re: your renovation? regardless of your plans, and despite the fact you live on the other side of the tracks, i just wanna see you squirm.
Believe me, Rick, it’s not me that you’d need to be worried about if you did that. Mrs J_T would hunt you down and make you pay. You are forewarned!
I live in not-Decatur. I’m going to see if there’s anyway I can file a complaint.
I’m sic’ing Mrs J_T on you, too, dude!
I don’t disagree with any of the finer points here. My point was simply that, whatever form of government you have, whatever level of regulation you put in place — from very loose to very restrictive — you cannot affect the pettiness potential of the human heart. It festers in every climate.
Absolutely, then it comes down to whether or not your elected officials have the spine to tell the NIMNBY’s (Not In My Neighbors Back Yard) to mind their own business.
Raleigh’s does not. I fear ours does not as well.
NIMNBYs. And then there’s the busybodies. But that’s a whole ‘nother thread.
And the logical extension of the NIMBY is the BANANA: Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything.
Hmm. I’ll bet you’ll wish otherwise when your neighbor builds a 36 foot tall manse 5 feet from your property line.
I don’t think it was A&P, since we had a huge A&P where the Publix is now. It seems a little close to have one here too. That was not on my list at any rate.
I woke up this morning and 3 days before school starts had a message in my in box that The 4/5 Academy @ Fifth Avenue will be in session for 7 hours from 7:45 am until 2:45 pm. Can anyone tell me if there was any prior notification or discussion of this? What is the justification for additional time in school? F.AVE is a school that does not recognize the importance of physical activity and play for children. The children were only given 15 minutes of recess during the 6 1/2 day. Children need time outside of school for the movement and activity that contributes to cognitive development. Unless the time is being added for recess, I have trouble imagining what would require it.
Decaturish posted that it was a typo.
But the school day is still 15 minutes longer than last year isn’t it? I though they went 7:45-2:30 last year.
Didn’t the 4/5 used to be 7 hours when they had connections but when they reduced the hours they stopped doing them?
It would be nice if they could bring back the connections
Its festival month – t-minus 15 days or 2 weeks from tomorrow the 14th annual Decatur BBQ Blues and Bluegrass Festival will be here! – pre-event tickets are $10 click on link
https://www.xorbia.com/e/rk/decatur-bbq-blues-bluegrass-2014
Anyone know what the plan is for the old Fernbank Elementary school site? Lots of activity there this week. Thanks.
They are building a new school there. Currently students are temporarily (2 -3 years) relocated to the old Avondale Middle.
For all Greg Germani admirers and well-wishers: there is a fundraiser on August 2 at the Star Community Bar on Moreland Ave. (7pm and on) and a trust fund (for medical bills not covered by insurance) has been created and is accepting donations. This link has info on both: http://www.medlockpark.org/search/label/Greg%20Germani
Went to MAKAN last night and really enjoyed it.
Staff was great too. We’re looking forward to another visit.
Thanks for sharing – I’d been waiting to hear, and am eager to try it for myself.
Is it pronounced like the Georgia city or like the shoe store?
Ooooh. Their menu has honeysuckle gelato on it. Hello, lover …
Any one know what is going on with the repaving of clairemont?
It looks like they got 1/4 done, went on break, and never came back.
I am guessing that the current repaving project is a bare-bones cost-saving measure–just repave the worst parts of lanes and leave the so-so and acceptable part alone. Seen this in other states. This has been done on N. Decatur past DeKalb Ind. Blvd and E. Ponce.
However, on the stretch of Clairemont Ave between Emory Commons and Scott, they paved only one inside lane, leaving the north and south bound outside lanes un-resurfaced. Those are much worse than the inside lanes.
Excellent piece in Creative Loafing.
http://clatl.com/atlanta/atlantas-not-a-world-class-city/Content?oid=11821628
Partly interesting and insightful. Mostly silly developer-bashing.
I disagree. The primary bash-ees are the city leaders who consistently get hold of the wrong end of the stick with regard to how to develop and sustain a truly world-class city–or even one that lots of people want to live in as well as visit. Developers are going to develop, it’s their role in the circle of life and nothing about it is categorically evil. But it’s not city leaders’ job to be unconditional cheerleaders for whoever comes up with the biggest-budget, most glamorous scheme. It should be their role to create frameworks (conceptual and regulatory) that guide development in ways that benefit the community and not just a handful of investors. Not to stifle development but to guide it in ways that yield win-win-win-win-win-win outcomes (instead of win-win-whatever-sorryaboutthat). A fatal flaw in the soon-to-be-abandoned Turner Field is its isolation in a sea of surface parking. Well, let’s wait and see what the area around the new Falcons stadium is like in, say, 2020.
I think the headline is supposed to be an attention grabber, but it isn’t really for anyone who’s done much traveling. Atlanta is obviously not a world class city (and, yes, I know Delta is ready when I am).
If you’re the parent of a first- through fifth-grade boy, come join the madcap Scouting fun that is Decatur Cub Scout Pack 134!
We’ll be hosting our annual back-to-school pool party on Sunday, August 10th, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Glenlake Pool. Come meet our Scouts, parents, and adult leaders, and learn what our Pack is all about. We’ll have free watermelon and ice cream, too. See you there!
Offer a keg of beer for the adults and you’ll triple attendance.
If your timing is just right, you’ll also have unprecedented success enlisting parent volunteers for the coming year.
Oakhurst Community Choir is an independent, non-audition choir welcoming all adults and teens. The first rehearsal of our fall 2014 session will be on Wednesday September 3rd at The Solarium, 321 West Hill St from 7pm-8.30pm. Rehearsals will be held at the same time each Wednesday, and this semester we will be learning a selection of traditional Christmas carols and other holiday songs to be performed a cappella at the tree lighting in Oakhurst Village in December. The choir is led by Holly Scarborough, music teacher and Decatur resident.
The membership fee is $50 for the 12-week session, which includes all your sheet music. To register, or if you have any questions, please email [email protected] . The deadline to join the bulk music order is Friday August 22nd.
I miss our Mellow Mushroom.
Anyone know if there’s any hope of its return?
It sounds as if the local Mellow will not be revived. I ran into a former employee who indicated that the owner had sold the remaining assets to DaVinci’s Pizza. I don’t have direct experience with DaVinci’s but they have two outlets- Symrna and Midtown. On a positiive note it sounded as if all of the employees landed on their feet pretty quickly….a number of them would like former patrons to swing by Graveyard Tavern and say hello.
We just moved here and need to have a yardsale, but wanted to check to see if there was any Community yard sales planned close by so we could have it on the same day/weekend. We don’t live near downtown and I’m afraid signs around our streets will attract non-yardsale’ers.
Most of the community yard sales in these parts are in the spring and fall. That said, you should post your approximate location. Decatur is fairly neighborhood-oriented.
You can make an announcement on Craigslist. That usually generates traffic.
I want to put some flowers in a 10′ by 4′ area in front of my condo. It is full sun and all other flowers have just fried. Any suggestions for types and best time to plant?
It’s hard to go wrong with marigolds, but they need to be planted in the spring and will bloom until the frost date. Then, when things start cooling off, you plant pansies for flowers during the winter. The pansies won’t survive the heat. Be sure to dig deep, mulch, fertilize and occasionally water.
Have you tried lantana?
Yes and failed.
For a sunny area that bakes, it’s hard to beat Gaillardia. It’s a perennial, and is highly drought resistant: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaillardia#mediaviewer/File:Gaillardia_x_hybrida_Kobold.JPG
Gerber daisies do well, too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerber_daisy#mediaviewer/File:Gerbera_bloom_closeup02.jpg
Both are members of the sunflower family
Plant Milkweed and help the Monarch butterflies. That’s the only plant they will reproduce on and more is desperately needed.
Lavender and rosemary do very well in full sun. You have to keep showing them who’s boss, though.
We have had good luck with shasta daisies and salvia–both perennials! We don’t water and they have no shade.
Full sun? At least 7-8 hours per day? Roses.
Does anybody know when the Fresh2Go is now slated to open? I read somewhere that they’d planned for the end of July, but looks like they’ve got a bit to do before that’ll happen…
Decaturite Mom made me wonder with the blast from the past question.
What was on the cvs site pre cvs? That was before my time but it looks somewhat new (last 10 years anyway)
Does anyone remember when Atlanta ave actually connected downtown to DeKalb ave?
Anyone remember the school that was torn down to put the post office in?
Anyone remember Decatur pre commerce dr tearing up downtown?
If anyone had pics I bet DM would post them! Just love hearing about the history and experiences of life here days gone by.
1. Car dealership, I believe.
3. I don’t remember it, but I’m pretty sure my mother went there.
CVS was the parking lot for the Southern Star greasssssssssy spoon, which was adjacent to the car dealership (then technical school) Siv mentions.
Before Southern Star was there, it was Royal Oldsmobile on the east half of the block and Leiphart Chevrolet on the west half.
And Ponce de Leon School sat where the Post Office is now. The old Post Office building is still on Trinity at Church, with the classic marble façade, and now houses Greene’s Fine Foods.
+1 (to both of you)
And before that, it was Callaway Olds and Southern Chevrolet. My father took me with him car shopping to both dealerships back in the 60’s. We bought our first ever new cars at both dealerships. (A ’66 Delta 88 and a ’68 Chevelle) Exciting times for a 14 year old!
Did you learn to drive in one of those cars? I learned in a ’66 Buick Skylark. There’s nothing like a coupe with a V-8 engine, unencumbered by a catalytic converter (or an air conditioner).
I did indeed! The Delta 88 in the parking lot of Columbia Mall when I was 14. (Columbia and Memorial – There’s a Walmart there now) It was a Sunday afternoon, my father and I were coming back from some errand, and he pulled into that empty parking lot and said to me, “Do you want to learn how to drive this car?” That was a day I’ll remember forever!
STG, we have to get together for a martini sometime. Isn’t it funny how the people on this board you’ve never met you seem to have known your whole life?
+10
Here’s a photo of the lot in question! http://www.decaturnext.com/timeline/cvs-development-challenges-assumptions/
Bonus points to anyone who remembers where the Cadillac dealership was. Hint: It was used in the movie Driving Miss Daisy, after the dealership closed and just before the block was razed.
It was where the parking deck for the 101 West Ponce Building is now, east of the old Marshall St. It was across from the service department of Al Means Ford, now occupied by the parking deck for West Court Square. I believe it’s last life was as a Toyota or Nissan or Datsun dealership but not sure.
This is an earnest question. I’d love feedback from anyone who’s vacationed in the Florida Panhandle in the past 2-3 years, between May and September, especially along Hwy 30-A in Walton County.
Are you aware that stretch of coast is an important nesting area for several species of sea turtles? Have you noticed any information provided to visitors about how to help protect turtles and their nesting sites? If yes, where did the information come from? From a visitor’s perspective, what would be a good way for Turtle Watch to share interesting and helpful information with the public?
Just posted a response on the other thread where this question appeared.
The last 2 years, I’ve spent time on the beach in Pensacola and Ft. Walton Beach – Destin and points in between. Not Walton County, but my take as an avid saltwater fisherman / ocean addict: I’ve noticed some informative plaques at various pull-offs along Gulf Blvd / 98 / 30A, but not as prevalent as on the Atlantic Coast, e.g., I just returned from St Augustine Beach, where many of their beach access boardwalks (St. Augustine Beach, Crescent Beach, Marineland, etc. down A1A) mirror what I’ve seen in Central and South Florida about various local fauna, ie Right Whales, Sea Turtles, etc. Overstated and preachy won’t get you anywhere, but tasteful, well-placed, casual signs might help.
Given the absence of sea grapes in the region, one suggestion is to create alternative activities for the families that go “crabbing” on the beach at night during the warm months, ie families using headlamps, nets, and buckets to scour the beach for a couple hours in the dark, trying to net ghost crabs so they can release them. Besides not seeing the point, the headlamps can distract the sea turtles and the hatchlings from the moon’s reflection, which guides them toward the ocean.
Also, maybe they could partner with some of the numerous sea turtle conservation groups to promote education about turtles, sponsorship of “residents”, etc, e.g. the Gulfarium has CARE, Univ. of Florida the Whitney Lab in St. Augustine, there’s the Sea Turtle Preservation Society in Indialantic, the Marathon Sea Turtle Hospital, etc. For example, I’ve sponsored Bender in Marathon for years, maybe leading a sponsor drive among locals or tourists would promote knowledge.
I just returned from St. George Island, a little bit east of the area you’re referring to, and the beach house we rented included instructions to close the blinds after dark so as to protect any possible sea turtle nesting sites. This was in a part of the island mostly operated by a resort, so my guess is that they were responsible for the notification.
Anyone got an update on the aborted residential construction on East Lake near Second?
I heard an interesting and tantalizing rumor about it recently. But I’m not in the business of spreading such unsubstantiated information…
Trader Joe’s?
I like you, but you are a monkey poker.
A Yerkes satellite, then?
The construction on Clairmont near Scott seems to have stalled as well.