Free-For-All Friday 8/7/15
Decatur Metro | August 7, 2015 | 7:00 amFeel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not yet discussed here over the past week.
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Good morning! Interested to know the policy on managing homeless people/vagrants in the city. I feel like the police department and Marta cops do a good job in the area of the square, but there is still a presence in other areas- specifically on a bench on Dekalb Ave down from the Valero. Any insights?
There are several charities in that work to help the homeless population in the metro area and in DeKalb. The Initiative for Affordable Housing and its re:loom program is a good one. They provide homeless people with jobs and help them reenter the work force. (In full disclosure, I used to serve on IAH board.)
http://www.reloom.org/
Homelessness is not something that any one city or police force can address, and there’s nothing illegal about anyone using a public bench, regardless of socioeconomic status.
Thanks Dan! I didn’t really like the tone of Tessa’s question.
I’d be pleased to follow a conversation here about how DM readers respond to beggars in our town. I am never satisfied by my response. I feel in turn: ungenerous, like a sucker, helpless, sometimes threatened, importuned.
I’m not talking about supporting organizations that work to help those in need. I’m dissatisfied with my response at the street level.
I also feel those same emotions, but I rarely deviate from my “no cash hand outs” policy. If I happen to be walking home with dinner leftovers and the person states they are hungry, I always offer to give them my food. Some have accepted, some have not.
I’ve seen another person react to a beggar by walking into the nearest restaurant and telling the staff they want to pay for the beggar’s lunch. I was sitting at the bar waiting for my takeout and the person who wanted to pay for the lunch decided not to leave an open ended tab, but instead to purchase a gift card that could be used immediately. After her beneficiary left, the beggar came into the restaurant, said she didn’t see anything on the menu she liked and asked for cash in exchange for the gift card. Restaurant complied.
Didn’t see anything they liked on the menu? Must not have really been that hungry then. I guess in that case beggars CAN be choosers.
Well, I was there because I think everything on the menu is delicious. My guess is either she was not really hungry at all but that was her pitch, so she had to see it through until the conversion opportunity presented itself. Or, the twenty bucks GC would get her a generous lunch at that place, but $20 cash would get her several lunches at McD.
I have family who carry extra food with them to give out in their communities. I keep meaning to start doing something like this, especially with the heat. I’m thinking granola bars and bottles of water for when driving? A few extra granola bars when walking? Not sure. Need to figure out something better :/
These are great (posted them below, but my comment was a wee bit snarky, so might get lost in the shuffle): https://www.pinterest.com/explore/homeless-care-package/
My policy:
If someone is desperate enough to beg, I’m inclined to help. If they’re unthreatening and largely socially appropriate, I’ll give them cash or food. Otherwise, I react in precisely the way I would with any other street harasser, which is to walk quickly in the other direction.
I’ve had a lot of homeless folks behave really aggressively toward me. One even climbed onto my car windshield once, but I try to keep my focus on the larger issue, which is that these are people in desperate need of help, even moreso if they’re mentally ill or have behavioral issues that interfere with their ability to interact in normal society.
+1
Just burn ’em, amirite?
Seriously, what do you want them to do? Arrest people simply for not having a home? Make it a crime to sit on a bench?
Better question: What are YOU doing about this problem? Donating to homeless shelters? Offering resources? Giving out emergency kits?
https://www.pinterest.com/explore/homeless-care-package/
I don’t personally know of anyone who has been harmed by a homeless person on the streets. Although, I have noticed an uptick in the homeless population later at night in downtown Decatur. Of particular concern is quite a few appear to be mentally unstable, such as repetitive speech and unpredictable behavior. If anyone asks for help because they are hungry, I am more than happy to give them any purchases or leftovers, but not money. If food is refused, then they weren’t hungry.
My most recent experience was with my ten year old daughter. We were approached by a lady with a full cart of groceries and two small kids. She stated that she and her family had not eaten in three days, and came to the store in the hopes that people would help fill her cart. I asked her the names and ages of her kids, which she readily supplied. She also had a flyer offering her services as a home aid. I rarely carry cash, but I had some at the time, and gave her $15 and my best wishes. As we were driving out of the parking lot, I saw her with only one child, and no groceries. I stopped her and asked where my money went. She lied again (I am gullible and missed the first several lies). I was truly disappointed, as I was trying to be a good community steward in front of my daughter. I ended up showing her my dismay at how dishonest people can be. Boo!
You showed your daughter you’re a kind person and that’s what she will remember. Next time, offer to buy the food.
I’ve seen the person to whom you are referring on the bench by the bike path. I pass him on my morning run, and have wondered how and what would be the best way to offer help. I’ve thought about bringing him a meal, leaving a note with resources for help, a new blanket, etc. (He’s usually asleep when I run by). Thanks Dan for some suggestions. I can’t imagine how difficult life must be living on the street and sleeping on park benches.
Suggest you call Lt Ross at DPD.
It seems to me that the majority of them are scam artists. I have called out the ones who have hit me up multiple times with the same story, which is usually “I need to get on MARTA to get to a job interview”. The car repair story is another classic .I usually suggest that he or she ask a police officer for a referral to a social service
I would prefer to be kind, but I don’t want to take the better than even chance that i am supporting someone’s drug or alcohol habit.
after watching some of last night’s debate, just wanted to share how proud i feel to be an American‚—where regardless of your intellectual capacity, the color of your skin—be you brown, white, or orange, DSM 5 classification, or ability to answer a direct question, you’re ripe to occupy the most powerful office in the world.
(John Kasich, excluded.)
Kasich seemed the one most rooted in actual principles rather than just opportunism. So naturally he has no chance.
yes, he’s entirely too sober and lucid.
But he doesn’t have the guts to take on Trump, so the hell with Kasich, too.
I thought the first question about pledging to endorse the future nominee was silly. Maybe people with more political insight than I have can correct me, but is any member of the Republican party who is running for the nomination OBLIGATED to endorse the nominee? I know some do that, but not everyone does, do they?
Also, I think Donald Trump missed the opportunity that juncture to either point out that every person on that stage should be raising their hand since they are not so likely to endorse him if nominated, or to take the presumptive and publicly thank them for their implied future endorsement should Mr. Trump be the nomimee.
Agreed. That would have been a Trump move, and he missed it.
Loyalty oath fetishism — I guess that still plays, but it seems to me like something they should get away from.
Not directed any anyone particular, but it’s always lovely to hear the liberal wing of the web pipe up on the quality and character of Republican debates.
Especially entertaining since it’s the only party having sincere, open discussions rather than a political coronation. (Ironically, crowning the wealthiest, most money driven, corporate donor sponsored, blue-blooded exclusionist, most machine operated, inside-the-beltway croneyist person from either party.)
But, party on. Enjoy while you can.
And they’re going to nominate someone who flagrantly violated the law as Sec State, then lied about it, repeatedly. All the while getting filthy rich selling political favors to the .00001%.
Thank you for this comment.
so….if the election were tomorrow, who would you cast your vote for?
I can’t help but think that Trump is going to need a vice-president that absolutely NO ONE wants in charge.
Let’s be glad the election isn’t tomorrow, but I like Walker, Rubio, Fiorina and even *gasp* Perry and Jindal.
The Bush name carries cash and influence, but also too much baggage.
Huckabee is too religious on social issues
Paul is too….odd,
Trump is completely unelectable at any level, seriously.
Kasich is fine but not energizing,
Cruz is wicked smart but probably too combative for a general election audience (maybe a good VP chice for hispanic vote)
Carson is also smart but politically & organizationally naive
Christie just isn’t strong enough in any one area (and carries his own political baggage from corrupt, big government NJ.)
Not happy with any of them, but Rand Paul would get my vote if he were the nominee. Otherwise, back to voting Libertarian.
I didn’t watch the debate, but heard it was lively and substantive, with pointed and adversarial questions being asked. Which is good for democracy. Of course, it behooves the party to get about 2/3 of the candidates out of the picture sooner than later, so tough questioning is to be expected. The powers that be will coalesce around a chosen candidate before too long, a couple of rabble-rousers will emerge from the pack, and we’ll see how tough the questioning is then. The Republicans can coronate just as well as the Democrats — they just have to get started on it earlier in the current circumstances.
I dunno, the liberals around me are all ready for Bernie Sanders. Maybe that “coronation” is just another right wing talking point?
Uh, we are talking about the party, not individual voters. The party clearly wants Hillary, hence the lack of debates. And Hillary is still leading by a large margin, so that argument doesn’t hold up either. Your statement could not be more ridiculous.
It is highly unusual to have a debate this early, and the size of the Republican field is the reason for it. The Democrats have six debates scheduled to begin in October, itself a high number by historical standards. While I agree that the party establishment is mobilized for Hillary, lack of debate won’t be an issue. The Republican candidates spoke for an average of six and a half minutes each the other night.
Nope. And the other candidates are saying the same thing.
“Sanders and O’Malley have a point. This year’s slate is unusually skimpy and starts unusually late. There were 19 Democratic debates during the 2008 cycle, according to Larry Sabato’s team at the University of Virginia, plus other unofficial forums. There were 16 in 2004. In both cases, the summits started much earlier, too—the first Democratic debate of the 2008 cycle came way back in April 2007, and the first of 2004 was in May 2003. A shorter, later debate season is widely thought to benefit Clinton. Because she’s the frontrunner, fewer debates means fewer chances for missteps or for other candidates to chip into her lead among Democratic voters. (A counterintuitive minority argument runs that Clinton benefits from more debates, because it helps her prepare for the rough-and-tumble general election.)”
Welp, so much for relying on memory. I do agree that more debate is better, and I’d like to see (hear) more radio-only debates, which I found informative when the Dems did it in ’08.
Yes, even with DSM-5 classification we can all rest assured there will be one hell of an awesome president in office.. one that can lead a country to the best beauty pageant ever in history, one that can make facebook logos even more popular instead of working on world peace, one that can make a total mockery of the oval office born out of many wars, I am sure Joe schmo off the street could do a better job than these incredible morons. He would atleast have some street smarts and not be influenced by political money or pressure.
For Decatur Parents of 1st thru 5th grade boys, Cub Scout Pack 134 is throwing a pool party to welcome new members!
It’s at 6:30PM, this Sunday at Glenlake Pool.
Cub Scouts helps boys to learn new skills, serve their community, get outdoors and have fun.
Your boy will have the opportunity to:
– Go camping and hiking
– Learn archery
– Work with you to build and race a car out of wood
– Visit fire stations and museums
– Build friendships with boys across Decatur (which helps when he transitions from Elementary to FAVE)
– And much more!
Does anyone know when we will hear back from the county regarding property assessments that were appealed?
Also, are the appeal results communicated all at once, or is it a rolling notification as they get to each one?
Very, very rarely will they simply accept the new value you proposed as part of your appeal submission. In most cases they will send it to the board of assessors for a hearing. I’ve been told by others to expect it to take over a year from the time you appeal to the hearing date. I’m guessing there will be more appeals than normal this year, so maybe 18 months? If your appeal was based on errors (wrong number of bedrooms, etc) I would hope they’d address it more quickly.
We submitted an appeal in person, and the website has at least been updated to reflect the fact we are under appeal. No hearing date is listed, and I suspect it might be 2016 before that is scheduled.
I submitted mine online and received a reasonably prompt acknowledgement that it had been filed and that I would hear from them sometime. Based on everything I’ve heard, it can take many months to roll around, especially in view of the apparently large number of appeals this cycle.
How come nobody running on any side is even close to Presidential anymore? All sound bytes, scripts and jibber-jabber. Just awful.
Funny thing about that statement is that it holds true no matter which side you are on.
Oh no Mr. T. Please don’t be sad.
+1,000,000 for pitying the fool
Looking for driving help.
My wife has a visual disability where she can longer drive to work downtown to St. Luke’s (near Emory Midtown). I drive her a lot, friends pitch in, occasional Uber.
We use an online sign-up. so driving help can be spur of the moment.
If you drive to downtown and would like to help out for an occasional (or regular) trip, please email me. bruce @ ithou. com or contact Karen 404-290-1224
Has she thought of taking Marta? There is a station very convenient to St. Lukes. Making two round trips downtown a day would drive me crazy. Also that is very close to the Center for Visually Impaired so you could try contacting them for transportation help. They have an vast array of services which could be helpful to you and your wife.
Hey Bruce, ever looked into ICare (http://www.icareseniors.org/). I think they help organize similar arrangements.
Thanks for the suggestions. We found a decaturite who commutes to near her work.
Any recommendations for a good body shop “in the area” to (likely) replace a door? Not going through insurance with this, so cost is the biggest concern. Followed of course by workmanship and reliability…
Spivey’s Body Shop in Scottdale (just past the Farmer’s Market).
+1
What is the enrollment in each of the Decatur schools this year? I found a 2004 newspaper last night that listed enrollments, and I wondered how much they had changed.
Clairmont 184
Glennwood 191
Westchester 208
Oakhurst 165
Winnona Park 235
College Heights (including 78 in pK) 177
No info on Middle or High School in the article. Student/teacher ratios were also listed for each elementary. I found 2014 data online, but nothing for Fall 2015. Do they have the data yet?
http://www.csdecatur.net/schools/
This page was updated this week with the new principals and current enrollment totals.
We’re those the precofiguration enrollment numbers (2003-2004 school year)?
Feb 29, 2004, before the closing of Westchester and College Heights (as an elementary school), and before the reconfiguration with a 4-5 academy. At that time, they were all K-5, with pre-K at College Heights, along with the other grades. Fifth Avenue had been closed for two years at that time.
Westchester had PreK as well. I don’t know if the PreK students were counted in the total of 208 or not. Not sure if any of the other elementary schools had PreK classes but I thought some did.
The K-5 enrollment went from 1082 to 2506 between 2004 and 2015. The size of the K-5 population more than doubled.
We are pleased to announce that registration for the 5th annual Madison Avenue Soapbox Derby is now open.
The beneficiary for the 2015 Madison Ave Soapbox Derby will be Hagar’s House. 100% off all proceeds from this event will benefit Hagar’s House. They are an emergency night shelter and assessment center with support services for women with children. While participating in the program, families receive thorough assessment and crisis intervention. Hagar’s House is operated by Decatur Cooperative Ministry. To learn more about Hagar’s House go to http://www.decaturcooperativeministry.org/html/programs.php
To learn more about the Derby or to register your car go to http://www.madisonavesoapboxderby.org
Come and sing with Oakhurst Community Choir!
Oakhurst Community Choir is an independent, friendly, non-audition choir welcoming all adults and teens. We would love to see more local residents join our ranks. Like all choirs, we find it harder to recruit low voices than high ones, so guys are especially encouraged to come out and give it a go.
The first rehearsal of our fall 2015 session will be on Wednesday September 23rd at The Solarium, 321 West Hill St from 7pm-8.30pm. Rehearsals will be held at the same time each Wednesday, and we will be learning a selection of Christmas carols and other holiday songs to be performed at local events in December.
The membership fee is $35 for the 10-week session. You will also need to purchase three pieces of sheet music (we can give you instructions for doing this online). For full details, please email [email protected]
8 days and counting to this years festival. Tickets are on sale $ 10 advance only
here..
https://www.freshtix.com/events/decatur-bbq-blues–bluegrass-festival
Apologies to all for the site loading issues the last couple of weeks, especially the last two days. I think we’ve resolved the issue finally, so you can now click about freely and quickly.
What’s with the new street markings on 100 block of Adams (by the middle school).
Does this mean parking on the east side of the street is disallowed?
Well, a car was parked in the northern-bound lane yesterday afternoon, despite it being (to me) clearly marked as a traffic lane, and with every parking space empty on the other side of the street…so it either isn’t clear to others, or they are being intentionally defiant.
On a similar note, with the repainting of the lanes in the 100 block of McDonough, it is anyone’s guess as to which of the two northern-bound lanes is the appropriate one to cross the tracks and turn left onto W. Howard. It doesn’t help that the preferred lane seems to change every few years, but with the actual moving of the lanes to the west, it now seems very awkward to cross the tracks from the left lane.
It’d be nice if there were some clear signage, hanging on the traffic light cables (it’s not that helpful to have arrows painted on the road, when cars are frequently idling on top of them waiting for the light.)
And as if by magic…appropriate left turn signage appeared before today’s commute home! So at least those of us trying to do the right thing will know what it is. The rest of the drivers out there, well…
Anyone have a recommendation for an auto upholstery cleaner (a business or a product?) Liquid leaked out of my office compost container onto the front seat of my newish car. Fortunately, it was mainly coffee ground leakage (and not rotting vegetable matter) but I’d still like to give it the best shot at removal. (Upholstery is pale gray microsuede-like fabric…not exactly forgiving.)
We had a bad tomato spill in the back of my husbands truck – same color fabric upholstery. Took it to the organic car wash on the corner of Lavista & Briarcliff (next to Farmer D’s) and they did an excellent job!
Just noticed a post on the Oakhurst neighborhood group reminding people to trim the beautiful greenery that has grown out over our sidewalks during the summer as more kids and taller folk will be out walking.
Another Grenade?
Returning from my walk from the square and Farmers Market this morning, I ran into three people who were studying one of the watershed signs at the entrance to Glenlake Park. The older of the three, a man maybe in his mid to late sixties asked me, “Do you know where the waterfalls are?” Over the years, a number of people have asked me where Glen Lake is but no one has ever asked about waterfalls. He continued, “When I was a boy, there was a creek with sliding rocks and a large swimming hole somewhere around here. I want to show my wife and daughter where I played as a kid.” When he mentioned the swimming hole, I knew exactly what he was referring to. Over the years, I’ve talked to several people about a deep area of the creek just east of the old cemetery. It may not look like much today but to the kids of the fifties and sixties, it must have been a pretty cool place to play on a hot day in August. After giving them directions, the man told me that he grew up on the borderline of Oakhurst and Kirkwood and graduated from Murphy High School (now Crim High School). Inevitably when you meet someone from that generation, the conversation includes “That old Murphy neighborhood has changed a great deal” but he added, “This park (Glenlake Park) hasn’t changed a bit. It looks great. I played here a lot as a kid.” I watched the three leave following my directions.
The things that make Decatur a great place to live (and later in life when you visit) is that some places haven’t changed much. The courthouse square and the monuments surrounding it, the courting wall at Decatur High, the Old South feel of Agnes Scott College, old dirt roads and secret neighborhoods and creeks, with their sliding rocks, swimming holes and special memories. If these visitors are lucky, they may see some kids doing cannonballs. It still happens!
Not a grenade at all. Been here 16 years, but I always enjoy hearing about what Decatur was like in your youth. Your words paint a good picture. One day, maybe my kids will be able to reminisce like this with fond memories of the town they were born and grew up in.
OK, Chris. So where’s the old swimming hole?
This is my first post so apologies if I’m off-topic or not posting correctly….
Today (Sunday) we went to downtown Decatur for brunch around noon. Upon entering our usual parking lot (that’s always been free on the weekend), they are charging a flat fee of $10. So we went to a few other lots, also charging $5-$10. We only went for breakfast and $10 would be almost half our bill; incredulous, so we left and went to Wahoo where parking was easy. I DON’T BEGRUDGE a parking fee but at least offer an hourly rate. If I was a retail/restaurant owner I would be very unhappy about this turn of events in parking…we will not pay $10 and likely we are not the only people that will go elsewhere. How did this happen?
Parking is never off topic. I agree with you – $5-$10 flat rate seems high (esp $10), but there are other options. The street meters are more reasonable and there should be plenty of spots at that time. The deck behind the library is fair game when the library and Rec Center are closed (like Sunday afternoon). Maybe if nobody parks in these rip-off lots they will change their off-peak pricing. Unfortunately I think parking at peak times is going to cost. Period.
There is no charge for parking on the street on Sundays.
Just checking in to see if everything is OK in DecaturMetro world. No new posts since 8/7/2015, which is weird.
Clear the caches on your browser and reload the page. DM is having an issue with caching the most recent page.
When I use IE11, it seems to work fine. But it’s all messed up on Firefox. I sent a note to DM but haven’t heard back.
Edit: Just saw Steve’s post. That fixed it. Thanks, Steve.
Yeah sorry all. It’s been a rough couple of days with the site. It’s not all completely resolved but it SHOULD be better today. As Steve said, you may need to clear you cache for the site to show the latest posts/comments.
I use Chrome exclusively and it’s the same issue. As DM says, he’s been working on it.
Should be better now, but we’re continuing to monitor it. Thanks all for your patience.
OK, I’ll clear cache and take a look later. Thanks.
unacceptable.
i want a full refund of my annual DM subscription asap.
I think it’s fixed now.