Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not yet discussed here over the past week.
January 9, 2015 Free-For-All Friday 1/9/15 (86)
February 13, 2015 Free-For-All Friday 2/13/15 (155)
January 16, 2015 Free-For-All Friday 1/16/15 (46)
AMB
At Home in Decatur
At Home in Decatur
jbgotcha
LOL
Jeff Boatright
Nancy Wilkinson
Sara
smith
poster
poster
Maineratheart
Snow Bunny!
The rain must have everybody sleeping in if I’m the first.
Can anyone tell me if there was a restaurant in the top of the WellsFargo bank building at some point in the past? It seems I remember people talking about one when I moved here back in the early 90’s.
Yes, it was mainly a private club. Long gone.
It was called the Sky Room and it was built by Decatur Federal as part of the original construction in 1962. It was available to reserve by any group at no cost as a service to the community by Decatur Federal. There was also a restaurant on the ground floor called the Miami Buffet which served as the main kitchen for the Sky Room. Before the renovation that replaced all the glass on the building, there were balconies off the Sky Room. The balconies were removed in the 80’s as part of the renovation. It had tall windows and high ceilings and a stage on the south end. The space spanned the full width of the building so there were great views in both directions. The architecture firm, RL Brown,occupies the space now.
I heard some famous chef is opening a meat-and-three restaurant in Decatur. I wonder if kids will be allowed. And what the meat loaf will cost.
That right there is called poking the bear.
I’m really looking forward to this new endeavor. I can’t wait to let my kids run loose in the place.
The plans call for a patio with plenty of loose gravel AND a “thunderdome” type arena in which patrons are to settle their disputes.
Two Decaturites enter, one Decaturite leaves!
And the dinner show will be the daily stoning of a naughty child’s parents–selected by a majority of the child-free diners.
Ain’t we a pair.
…raggedy man.
Who you calling a bear?
Hey Junderscore, you can hit Revival before the Marc Cohn show at Eddie’s in May if Gillespie gets it open in time.
Only if there’s a half-off Scoutmob deal.
I heard the meatloaf is going to be so good that it will make you want to slap a momma
Dekalb wants to move county government offices out of Decatur, leaving an entire city block of land downtown available for redevelopment. Am I the only one who thinks this is prime property to develop a new school or campus? Converting it from county government to city schools won’t have an affect on tax revenue since neither pay taxes. Wouldn’t this solve our school crowding issue without having to resort to annexation?
Good point although I’m not sure that COD can count on the County to follow through. Also, CSD’s issue is space, COD’s issue is apparently about increased revenue.
That is an outstanding idea, PJ!
Why not tear the Maloof building down and put in a 10 story building with retail all along the sidewalk from the gazebo to Trinity?
Does anyone know what the registration/lottery process is for College Height’s Pre-K *aftercare*? I heard it was a separate process, but can’t find any information online.
There are very few open spots. It isn’t a lottery. Last year, I believe registration opened at 4:00 PM but if you weren’t in line by noon at College Heights, you were out of luck. Some people were in line at 8:00 AM (or earlier, I’m sure). I recommend emailing Sarah Garland (Google search for college heights web page – contacts) for more info on when this opens.
Last year’s was heroic levels of bullshit. Yeah, people showed up at 8 AM for the 4 PM registration. I got there at noon and was one of the last ones to make it. Ironic how the people who need the childcare most are those who are least capable to drop everything and go sit in the library for eight hours….
Here’s the information I have, from a phone call last month with the administration at College Heights:
–it IS a lottery, even for those currently attending CH
–registration begins Feb 2 and continues until the lottery (maybe in March??)
–you can check online that day/evening (not positive you can actually register for a slot online)
–thus, your chance of getting a spot is the same as currently enrolled preschoolers
Significant changes since last year. Thanks for the update.
My understanding is that if you are currently in preschool at College Heights, you are guaranteed a spot into pre-K AND aftercare. Crossing my fingers that this is correct.
That is not what I was told. I was told that everyone went into the lottery. I questioned this, and the woman told me I had the same chance of getting in to preK as those already attending.
I don’t have it in writing, though….
From CH’s website:
College Heights preschool students are automatically placed in the Pre-K program and, if needed, the after-school program
Cable- Has anyone ever had success keeping their promotional rates after it was supposed to expire with Comcast or Dish?
New tires- Where can you get a discount for buying 4? Will drive for discount.
Thanks!
Yes on keeping “promo” rate with Comcast. Call them up when your price goes up. Tell them you need a better rate or you will fire them. I have had success using that method.
Don’t know about a discount for 4, but I get great service and prices at Discount Tire (several locations around town, I go to the one on Lawrenceville Hwy, 25 miles from my house). They have an $8 warranty that will replace your tire no matter what happens to it, which I just utilized to my great pleasure for a brand new tire.
+1 for Discount Tires. We are very loyal longtime happy customers.
My brother (a mechanic) swears by ordering tires from tirerack.com and having a shop mount them for you.
My husband does too. More involved process, but you can save some pennies.
Yup. I’ve done this. Just have the tires shipped to your mechanic. (Of course, you’ll want to contact your mechanic beforehand to make sure it’s ok and to know to expect the shipment.)
Shop on-line at http://www.tirerack.com, you can pick a local installer or use a print out of the order to negotiate. Don’t forget to add in the shipping costs. If have taken Tire Rack prices to the local installer and got a better deal. It works best with tires the local guy has in stock. At a minimum it’s a good place to research prices.
I call them up, simply say, “Hi, I need to cancel my service,” and they ask me to hold and connect me to their retention department, which offers me a similar or better deal. Works every time.
FWIW; this works for Sirius satellite radio subscriptions too.
if you wait long enough, eventually Sirius will pay you to listen. Almost.
Don’t know about a discount for 4, but Costco has good prices on good tires, though the brand selection is limited to two or three.
Edit: Right now Costco has a sale on a set of 4 Michelins.
Lots of siren noise this morning. Seems like more than normal. Anyone else notice or know what may be going on?
Sorry. Was celebrating.
Does anyone know what was being filmed at the Hess Academy yesterday morning?
A Paul Ruud/Selena Gomez movie called The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving.
No way is it called that.
{looks up title on imdb}
Huh, whaddaya know….
I am curious to know why the crosswalk across Clairemont at Wilton was never repainted after the paving of Clairemont. The pedestrian walk signals and buttons still function, just no crosswalk lines painted. Some drivers are obviously not aware that is (was?) a crosswalk.
Send an email to David Junger. [email protected] His folks would be the ones painting, I think.
I just did this. Thank You.
Being an unabashed lover of year-end lists, I’m surprised it just now occurred to me (after putting on Fink’s “Sort of Revolution”) that there was not a Favorite Music of 2014 poll here.
Anyone been to the Kimball House lately on a Saturday night who can tell me how insanely crowded I should expect it to be, and how long we may wait? We haven’t been yet, which is killing me, because we are afraid…
I don’t know if this is an option, and now that I’m writing it, it does seem a bit ridiculous, but the wife and I just show up when they open at 5:00. That DOES make for quite an early supper, but we generally do cocktails and oysters first, so we don’t begin eating our entrees ’til at least 6:00 or so. Works for us, and never a wait. You’d probably even be okay getting there at 5:30 or so. Plus, the oysters are half price from 5 to 7!
+1 on the getting there early. That’s the key to easily getting a table or seat at almost any popular restaurant, especially on weekends. One of the perks of getting older.
Also, like The Luggage, my wife and I tend to take out time with drinks and apps before ordering dinner. We also usually sit at the bar at most places that have a decent sized one. We much prefer the bar at Kimball House, Iberian Pig, and 246 to the tables.
Go across the street to Twisted Soul.
If this a repeated question, my bad. What is being built beside the Patel Plaza on Chuch?
http://www.decaturmetro.com/2015/01/19/330-apartments-rising-as-church-street-redevelopment-continues/
Am I the only parent in Decatur who wishes the Rec would quit giving kids soccer trophies every fall and spring? So much plastic waste–make it stop! Kids don’t need a prize for having fun in a non-competitive league.
All the leagues seem to do it nowadays. I would much rather they give something small like a patch that you could sew onto a sweat jacket (or keep in a shoebox) or a ribbon if they must give a token.
Decatur Rec girls lacrosse doesn’t do trophies. They do fun knee socks instead. That is at least 1000 times better than a trophy. And everyone needs socks.
Boys Lacrosse also tries to do something different each year.
From my experience, the folks at the Rec are open to new ideas – however it falls to the coaches to decide and help organize. If all the youth soccer coaches got together and wanted to do something else I’m sure the Rec would listen to their ideas
Thanks Steve….kinda figured.
Anybody been to Slice & Pint in Emory Village? Likes/dislikes?
We have been there a number of times because we have so many good memories at Everybody’s … But honestly Avelino’s is much better than S&P and closer. Although S&P has a s’mores pizza dessert that we want to try if we ever have a group of kids with us.
Been there for lunch 2 or 3 times. Good food, generous portions, house made soft drinks as well as their beer.
With MM gone, this is our only go-to place for upscale pizza. Their beer ranges from good to outstanding — never bad and typically excellent. House-made sodas are a plus. I often wonder why the place isn’t packed every night, but I’m certainly not complaining when I can almost always get a table.
Just noted this morning that the For Lease sign is down at the former Chocolate Bar. Anyone got the scoop on who’s moving in?
Smoothie King shop. Really.
Where, oh where can one buy good pastrami locally?
I think most folks would say General Muir.
Or Palookaville.
Do they make their own?
General Muir and Pallokaville both make their own. General Muir’s is excellent. Pallokaville’s seems to be more hit or miss, but is also excellent on a “hit” day. Bagel Palace does not make their own but they do get a decent brand from Long Island.
The best homemade by-the-pound is at Patak Meats in Austell.
The spousal unit just bought some Patak salami at YDFM yesterday–maybe YDFM carries other Patak meats, too.
It does — quite a bit actually. Several different types of Patak salami plus several types of sausages. Can’t recall having seen Patak pastrami there, though.
Twain’s used to have home made pastrami, but I don’t know if they do any more.
I have a past memory of Twain’s advertising specific “pastrami days” where they have it until it is gone. I think there was a pattern to when (like Nth Sunday of the month) – call them.
Maine is considering having hospitals, charities, and for profit colleges pay property taxes. May be time for Georgia to consider that.
Start with the megachurches.
+1
Why? Is it because you would rather they pay taxes instead of wasting their money on helping the marginilized, providing space for community meetings like AA, running free CPR classes, holding coat drives, providing shelter, feeding thousands with their soup kitchens, providing international relief, teaching finances to the needy, or partnering with hospice services?
+1. Not to say it’s not abused in some cases but the property tax break for churches is rooted in the social contract implied by their role in the community. Government, who would otherwise find themselves (reasonably or unreasonably) on the hook in the absence of providers, is essentially outsourcing social services to the faith community and offering a tax benefit to help make those efforts viable. I’ve always been of the mindset that the price tag to provide all the services now being covered by churches would dwarf whatever’s being lost in property tax revenue. To me, it’s the better deal.
I”m fine with a church being exempt if they can show that the majority of their revenues goes toward these charitable functions you mention.
So now the government is going to put conditions on the taxation of religious institutions? Do A and you will be taxed, do B and you will not. How can that possibly be squared with the 1st Amendment?
Where does the First Amendment say freedom of religion equals freedom from taxation?
It doesn’t say that, but you are suggesting that taxes be made conditional. Governments cannot regulate religion through the tax code, which is exactly what conditional taxation would do.
They don’t have to be exempt from tax.I don’t know of any ruling that says the Constitution exempts churches from property tax. But if they want to qualify for tax-exemption, they can follow the same rules as other non-profits (BTW, some churches do this voluntarily).
Hideously awful idea for too many reasons to list.
Not sure about hospitals,etc. but it’s definitely time to consider that for faith-based institutions. Remind me again why churches don’t have to pay property taxes?
Your answer was provided, at least in part, by the Supreme Court in Walz v. Tax Commission of NY. That case challenged the provision of a tax exemption for churches on grounds that the exemption all but amounted to a state endorsement of religion. No, SCOTUS said, the exemption keeps government out of religion, whereas taxing religious organizations is far more likely to intertwine the two. I am of course over-simplifying for present purposes, but that’s the gist of it.
Imagine the spectacle, as only one example, of local governments competing for large religious institutions via tax credits, much as they now do for corporations.
“Imagine the spectacle, as only one example, of local governments competing for large religious institutions via tax credits, much as they now do for corporations.”
I don’t follow this. We’re only talking about property tax. And why would local municipalities want to attract them anyway?
Say a “megachurch” is going to relocate or build a vast new property somewhere. So it sends out what amounts to an RFP to 6 different cities, saying, in essence, we will build X facility which will generate Y jobs in your area plus bring in Z attendees every week who will spend money in your city. But we want your best offer on property taxes. Cities respond with all sorts of incentives including tax waivers and exclusions to attract the development. This is exactly what goes on now with respect to businesses. It would be the same for at least some developments by religious institutions.
“Cities respond with all sorts of incentives including tax waivers and exclusions to attract the development. This is exactly what goes on now with respect to businesses. It would be the same for at least some developments by religious institutions.”
It seems to me THIS is what would be barred by the First Amendment, churches receiving any preferential tax treatment beyond what any other non-profit has to qualify for under state and federal law. But that’s just my take on it.
Maybe, but megachurches don’t exactly strike me as significant job creators (don’t know about the churchgoers spending money, but I guess it would have some impact). It occurs to me that a partial explanation for Alabama’s revenue problems and high sales tax rates is that seemingly half of the non-residential property consists of churches (and the other half pays very low rates anyway).