Free-For-All Friday 4/21/17
Decatur Metro | April 21, 2017 | 8:50 amFeel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not yet discussed here over the past week.
Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not yet discussed here over the past week.
I love Super Trash Day. Amazing how much junk I find tucked away in the attic and basement. Anyone need broken baby toys or a tarp with big holes in it? 🙂
Agreed! It is my second favorite day of the year. Love it!
I saw yesterday that the old Roly Poly has been demolished. Does anyone know what’s happening there?
The entrance to the cemetery is going to be improved (no, really).
That’s good news. People are dying to get into that place.
lol
Now that City of Decatur has begun the process to purchase the Children’s Home property, I am wondering if this opens the door to more people asking the city to annex their homes. I’m wondering if people who live in the subdivisions along Katie Kerr Dr. will be able to ask to be annexed because their property will abut the Children’s Home or if Katie Kerr Dr is an obstacle to anyone trying this idea?
I am guessing anyone adjacent to the city limit CAN ask. Hopefully, the City says NO.
If their property is contiguous to the city, they may ask on an individual basis. If they don’t ask, things don’t change.
So does the fact that Katie Kerr Drive lies between the Children’s Home and an individual property owner potentially wishing to be annexed mean that property is not contiguous?
I live along Katie Kerr and I do not want to be annexed. I think a lot of my neighbors feel the same way.
I live along Katie Kerr and I DO want to be annexed. I think that lot of my neighbors feel the same way.
My 2400 sq/ft 4bd/3.5ba sells for a whole lot more just 1/8th of a mile from my location when it’s in the school zone. OR – Let let the AMAZING park get built, stay un annexed, have my property value skyrocket and my taxes stay well below those in school zone. Buy a boat?
I wonder, will “Decatur” residents place a locked, barbed wire, chain link fence around the park like our neighbors in Avondale?
TEARS Rock & Walk at the Decatur Toy Park Tomorrow!
Hello everyone! If you’re looking for something to do (and to help a good cause) tomorrow, the TEARS Foundation is hosting their annual fundraiser at the Decatur Toy Park (off Ponce in downtown Decatur) this Saturday, April 22nd from 10am to 1pm. It’s open to the public, and walk ups are more than welcome.
The TEARS Foundation’s mission is to assist families with financial and emotional support after the loss of a baby. TEARS has been established in Georgia for two years and has paid for over 70 infant funerals and provided emotional support to over 100 families who could not otherwise afford these services.
This fundraiser, The Rock & Walk, is a family friendly community event with food, music, a silent auction, children’s crafts, face painting, and walking. If anyone would like to join us at this event and help raise funds for a great cause we would love to have you participate with us. Below is a website where you can register to attend the walk or just donate to one of the Teams fundraising online. All money raised at this event will stay in Georgia to help local families in need. (And all donations are tax deductible.) And again, you don’t need to sign up to attend — you can just swing by any time from 10am to 1pm. Thanks for your support!
https://www.crowdrise.com/georgiarockandwalk
Hiya,
Anyone know why the affordable housing apt. building In Oakhurst (at Oakview & Maxwell- just down from Oakhurst Center) is all closed up? Pardon if I missed some news about it earlier.
It is slated to be replaced by a 34 unit 3 story apartment building, funded through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program. I believe that the residents of the existing apartment building have been relocated to the new buildings at Trinity Walk.
Thanks for the info. Telemachus,
Hope there are some single and older people included in the folks who’ll be living there. 34 units with kids is at least two more, “portable classroom units” full!
I hope Decatur Housing Authority continues to focus on it’s mission of helping people in need period. Not in helping people in need who don’t have school age kids.
Totally agree Smith and I apologize. I was being selfish but never meant to be callous.
I welcome diversity and the support of families in need in our city. I suspect that overcrowding of our schools comes from way more from new housing sources other than & not from subsidized housing.
I think we should rally for impact fees for new housing created within the city. This seems only fair, given the tremendous and unpredictable financial burden we are absorbing. I work in commercial development, and we are assessed impact fees in due course for all of our projects nationwide. It just makes sense. The schools, roads, water, sewer, power, gas etc. all are impacted. And our City and County foot the bill for maintenance, security etc. etc. Let’s think about this realistically Decurites. Uncontrolled and unregulated development has a cost to the community. This cost should be quantified.and offset to at least some degree by municipal policy.
Forgive this bit of self promotion on Nick’s site, but I hope you will take a moment to learn a bit more about Louis Pichulik who passed a way recently. As former mayor Floyd put it, Decatur does owe him a debt for his passion and vision. He was a landlord for many of the restaurants that have made Decatur a destination. I regret not having the opportunity to meet him.
http://www.decaturish.com/2017/04/the-man-who-created-decatur-louis-pichulik-remembered-as-a-visionary/
He was a nice guy.
Decatur’s count of Honda Odysseys has just increased from 1,000 to 1,001. Does anyone have a recommendation for where to get a Honda serviced around here? Bonus points for Marta convenience, double bonus points for convenience to downtown Decatur (although I’ll sacrifice convenience for competence and trustworthiness). I’ll miss LexTechs. Thanks everyone!
I take our Odyssey to Avondale Independent on College. Actually went there this morning and walked to Avondale Marta station. The walk is a little long, but manageable. Have been there 2x for regular maintenance. Very professional. They advertise as being honda and acura experts.
Pete’s Import Garage on Dekalb Avenue. Note: there are two Petes that run the place so technically, the name should be Petes’ Import Garage!
Ah!!! It actually IS Petes’ Import Garage. I’m so glad you told me there are two Petes, as I always assumed it was one, with poor grammar. It drives me nuts every time I drive past. Thank you!
Ha! Never too busy to correct grammatical mistakes, even on a rushed commute!
Quantum Mechanics has never done us (or our Odyssey) wrong.
Summit Auto Repair
I’d say Quantum is sort of in the same “mold” as LexTechs. Bit of a “premium” experience and pricetag, but with the knowledge and reputation to back it up.
Dekalb County managed to open fewer early voting sites, including none at all within the district for the first part of early voting, during the recent primary for the special election in GA-6. Somega folks are headed to the County Commission meeting on Monday (10 am) to ask that this be fixed.
I’m sure a phone call to Commissioner Rader (404) 371-2863 or Commissioner Gannon (404) 371-4909 would help, too.
Rep. Scott Holcomb has written a letter officially asking Maxine Daniels for additional early voting sites.This would have to be approved by the Election Board, and hopefully will be.
https://brookhavenpost.co/2017/04/21/state-legislator-urges-dekalb-provide-more-early-in-person-voting-locations-for-6th-congressional-district-runoff/
What up with the strange landscaping along the bike lane in front of the high school? I am guessing it is some kind of storm water collection thing, but it looks really odd, like big doodle bug traps. Wonder how they will actually hold up and keep them from filling up with debris. My high schooler reports they are about to start on the other side of the street. If they ever have to dig that street up again in the future to fix another pipe, it will be a disaster.
They do look odd, and maybe a bit treacherous to pedestrians at night?
I suspect these baskets will eventually be buried underground with rocks and gravel etc. as wastewater catch basins you won’t even know they are there. They will filter runoff from the roads and other sources and help filter the media entering the storm drain system. Can I get a witness on this? I am pretty darn sure that The City would not allow public human bug traps along one of our main corridors!
I’m looking for a decent appliance repair person – the last thread on this topic was from 2010… so, I thought I’d see if anyone had a more recent recommendation. Thank you
Only used them once, but I had a good experience with Mr. Appliance. 404-994-4390.
Appliance Services of Georgia – Jerry Jenkins. 678-492-8311. Worked many years as a Sears appliance repairman. One-man operation, but excellent, honest, and reasonable. Used him twice.
Hello Decatur World!
Today is Confederate Memorial Day. There was a time not long ago where most Southern towns and cities remembered this day with memorial services but now, you don’t see much of this. In Decatur, a few Confederate graves are identified with the battle flag. Someone always decorates the grave of Mary Gay with a flag and as long as I can remember (since the 1960s), the family plot of Robert E. Jones, just north of the well house in the old cemetery, has flags this time of year. Interesting that a present day descendent of the Jones family still remembers his service more than 150 years since the Civil War don’t you think?
I have written before about some notable Confederate veterans, Jimmy R. Jones, Addison Wier and others. Buried in the old cemetery a few feet north of John Alston is the final resting place of John Cunningham, one of the last Confederate commanders of Savannah. He was a leading citizen and businessman in Savanah before and during the war, owning a wholesale groceries office on Factors Walk. One of his trading ships was seized by the Union Army. In 1860, he purchased lots in the Laurel Grove cemetery that became the “Sailors Burial Ground” for seafarers who died while in Savanah. A Georgia historical marker identifies the site today. How and why John Cunningham made his way to Decatur must be an interesting story (You can find more about Cunningham, Mary Gay, Jones and Weir at findagrave.com.
The City of Decatur recently received a grade of “A” for diversity from Niche (Interesting that this company, located in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, appears to be all white millennials but that is a different post). For Niche, diversity is mostly about race but for me, it includes remembering those from the past who served their country and state when asked to do so. I hope you take the time to stroll through the cemetery soon and find some of these famous Decatur citizens and pause for a moment to reflect on their sacrifice.
A point well worth a pause for reflection is that, whatever they thought they were doing, they sacrificed themselves for a cause that was evil.
The confederate solders did not serve their country. They committed treason. New Orleans is removing monuments to these traitors. I would like to see other cities do the same.