The City’s Casie Yoder sends along this annoucement…

Tickets are on sale now for the 2nd Annual Decatur Dinner Party!  Enjoy delicious dishes prepared by some of Decatur’s most talented chefs to raise money for Decatur’s Kitchen Garden – a Global Growers Project.  Decatur’s Kitchen Garden helps over 30 refugee families from in and around Decatur grow thousands of pounds of fresh food each season.

This limited attendance event will feature a multi-course farm-to-table meal, live music, beer, wine and a live auction. Auction items will include VIP access to local festivals, a wine and craft beer event package, and more.

Get your tickets today for what is sure to be the foodie event of the year on Saturday, September 6th, 6:30pm at the Decatur Cemetery. Tickets are $125 each, or reserve a full table for a party of 8 at $1200.  To purchase tickets visit: www.globalgrowers.net.

Former Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd and Judy Turner are Host Committee Co-Chairs along with; Neil Dobbs, John Kelley, Alan & Jane McNabb, and Peggy Merriss.

Restaurant and Beverage Sponsors:		Local Food Sponsors:
Brick Store Pub Leon’s Full Service Kimball House Steinbeck’s Ale House Cakes and Ale Chai Pani Farm Burger	Iberian Pig No. 246 Pine Street Market Sawicki’s Twain’s Billiards and TapBlue Tarp Brewery Three Taverns Brewery	Global Growers NetworkGum Creek Farms Love is Love Farm Springer Mountain Chicken White Oak Pastures

It seems like we could all really use a feel good story around here. This one comes from former Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd, who recounts a recent “Social Media Miracle” that he witnessed at the Brick Store Pub.

I am enjoying lunch at the Brick Store recently when a man–let’s call him “Tim”–walks in and asks one of the young ladies tending the bar to read the name on an American Express card he has just found on the street. He doesn’t have his glasses with him, so he needs help reading the small print. After some discussion about whether we can use the card to pay for my lunch :), Tim decides to search Facebook for the name. To my amazement, the name and a picture pop up. Tim posts a message on her Facebook page and waits. A few minutes later he decides to check in with some of the surrounding shops to see if they recognize the name on the credit card. As he walks down the street he sees a young woman with kids entering a car. He recognizes her from the Facebook picture. He taps on the window and holds up the card for her to see. She asks him, “Are you the one who just sent the message”? She has just looked for the card and has realized it is gone. The power of social media, a disaster for a young lady averted, and Tim is one of Decatur’s special Heroes!! THANKS TIM.

Scott Drake’s campaign just sent out the following announcement…

Former Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd announces his support for Scott Drake for City Commission in the upcoming Special Election. “I have worked with Scott for the past 15 years. Scott is committed to Decatur and its neighborhoods. Scott has the experience and vision our community needs to take advantage of the opportunities and meet the challenges that we will face as we move forward,” said Bill Floyd in his endorsement. Mr. Floyd resigned from the City Commission in January 2013. “Mr. Floyd’s approach, personality, actions, and service have shaped our city and we owe him a great deal of gratitude for his service. I am excited to have the endorsement of former Mayor Floyd and, if elected, I look forward to working with him, the current Mayor and Commissioners, our great City staff, and my neighbors,” said Scott Drake.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the Decatur City Commission voted for a special election on March 19th to fill Bill Floyd’s open seat.  The qualifying period for potential candidates has been set for Wednesday, February 13th – Friday, February 15th between 9a-4:30p each day.

Thus far, only resident Scott Drake has thus far has “thrown his hat” into the proverbial ring for Floyd’s open seat.

UPDATE: According to City Manager Peggy Merriss, Bill Floyd does not plan on attending the City Commission next Monday.

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Next week’s Decatur city commission meeting should be an emotional one for all involved as current Mayor Bill Floyd resigns from the commission to take a job with the Pendleton Consulting Group. A 21-year member of the commission, and a 14-year tenure as mayor, Floyd is well-known throughout Georgia and well regarded amongst a great many of his constituents.

The void he leaves will be a sizable one to fill. And it’s a two step process.

In March, the city will hold a special election to fill Floyd’s seat on the commission. But first up, this coming Monday, the Decatur city commission will vote on who will be the city’s next mayor.

Who will it be? Mayor Pro-Tem Jim Baskett (first elected 1995)? District 2 Commissioner Kecia Cunningham (first elected in 1999)? District 1 Commissioner Fred Boykin (first elected in 2001)? Or District 2 to Commissioner Patti Garrett (first elected in 2009)?

Patch reports this evening that Decatur City Manager Peggy Merriss this evening recommended during the annexation work session that the City Commission only annex two heavily commercial areas, the Suburban Plaza bright green parcel on the map and the purple Emory Commons (Publix) parcel in the northwest.

Some single-family homes and apartments are also included in these parcels, but a total count of potential new residents wouldn’t be available until Tuesday morning.  However, the CSD’s annexation study group estimated in October that it could anticipate 40 new students initially in the purple area (A) and 77 if the green area (B) if annexed.

Due to the fact that so many parcels in these two areas are commercial, the City Manager suggested that this annexation may not require a referendum.  (Think the recent College Avenue annexation.) Speaking of which, according to Patch, Mayor Bill Floyd noted that such an annexation attempt could take years considering how long the College Avenue commercial annexation took.  Of the other parcels, Ms. Merriss said that the city should annex the United Methodist Children’s home eventually and should continue to work with residents in surrounding residential areas who still desire to be annexed by Decatur.

The Powerpoint of the city manager’s presentation should be posted to the city’s website Tuesday morning.

You may have seen this blurb in the latest Decatur Focus…

Next year marks the 25th anniversary of the Decatur Arts Festival. To mark this milestone, we are planning a yearlong arts celebration. The 2010 Strategic Plan calls for expanding public art and a wider variety of art opportunities. Mayor Floyd came up with a great idea for “Sidewalk Saturdays,” featuring an assortment of informal, fun activities throughout the city’s commercial districts. We want to combine this idea with our focus on arts activities and would love your suggestions.

What type of “pop-up events” would you suggest? Are there specific art projects you want to see and would you be interested in working on a committee to implement a community celebration of the arts? Please contact us at [email protected] with your ideas or to volunteer.

Hmmm…sidewalk pottery? Mimes? Stand-up? Caricature drawings? Barbershop quartets?