I don’t know many of the details of this, but jeez, this got ugly fast.  From the AJC…

Joe Patten, the 83-year-old known as the “Phantom of the Fox,” did not sign a new lease that the Fox Theatre’s board drew up for him Monday and likely will be leaving his apartment in the historic theater.

Patten had been living in the apartment for 30 years and planned to remain there for the rest of his life. The Fox’s board on Monday terminated that lease and offered him a new one — that said he could remain there rent-free until he needs round-the-clock care.

…”Saving the Fox was the worst mistake I ever made,” Patten said. “I made a serious mistake in saving this building. It wasn’t worth it.”

“I’m out. I’m ready to leave now,” he said. “It’s really upsetting.”

Decatur folk musician Caroline Herring announced on Facebook yesterday that she would be appearing on Prairie Home Companion this coming week when Garrison Keillor and crew are at the Fox Theater on Saturday, May 22nd. Tickets look to be sold out.

With Prairie Home regular Roy Blount Jr. as one of the other special guests scheduled to be on the show, it’s too bad that Decatur couldn’t host the event itself with all the connections!

Random Fun fact: According to Roy Blount Jr.’s Wikipedia page, he went to Ponce de Leon Elementary, which used to sit on the current site of the Decatur Post Office, and if my memory serves me, looked a lot like Clairemont Elementary.