Organizers of the Decatur District 1 Candidates Forum are seeking questions to pose to and topics of conversation to discuss with Greg Coleson and Scott Drake at this Saturday’s Forum and Meet & Greet.  You can post your questions/topics below or email them to Junderscoret@gmail.com.

What would you like to hear discussed?

Deanne sends along this announcement…

City of Decatur District 1 Commissioner Candidates
Forum and Meet & Greet
Saturday, March 9, 2013 at 3:30PM
The Church at Decatur Heights, 735 Sycamore Drive Decatur, GA 30030

All City of Decatur residents are invited to come hear from candidates Scott Drake and Greg Coleson on key topics of interest to our community. A Meet & Greet will follow.

For information on the candidates, please visit:

http://www.coleson.org/

http://decaturfordrake.com/

This free event is an effort of residents from across District 1 with Geoff Koski, Jeff Lell, and Deanne Thomas serving as organizers. Special thanks to The Church at Decatur Heights, 2012 City of Decatur Hometown Hero, for providing the space and event support.

The City of Decatur’s Linda Harris informs us that only two Decatur residents, Greg Coleson and Scott Drake, have qualified for Bill Floyd’s vacated District 1 City Commission seat.

The special election will take place on March 19th.

Break out the bunting, book the brass band, register the SuperPAC, and hire the press secretary. The first candidate for the soon-to-be-vacated commission seat currently occupied by The Great Bill Floyd(tm) has announced his intention to run. This just in from Decatur scion Scott Drake:

Although I knew we could not keep Mayor Floyd forever, I was reluctant to accept the idea that he would one day leave his seat on the Commission. Mayor Floyd’s shoes will be difficult to fill, but his approach, personality, actions, and service will provide a valuable footprint to follow for years to come.

After much thought and conversation among family and friends, I have decided that I would like to take this opportunity to serve the Decatur community and run for the District 1 Commission seat. Over the years I have had the pleasure of working closely with most City departments, the City Commission and City staff members. From projects in my professional life, service on many community and non-profit boards and service as President of Decatur Business Association, my interactions working with the City have been ones of professionalism mixed with small town sensibility.

As a City of Decatur business owner, a parent with two daughters in our fine school system, and with deep roots in the community, I feel this is an important opportunity for me to give back and help shape our future. I ask for your support in this time of transition and if given the opportunity to serve on the Commission, I hope to continue building on the foundation which so many in our community have contributed over the years.

It sounds like former President of the Decatur Business Association and well-known Decatur resident Scott Drake was more affected by the recent East Coast earthquake than the rest of us.

According to NJ.com, the G.G. Green building in Woodbury, NJ, which has been long-neglected and suffered damage by the earthquake will likely have to be torn down.  And though it is certainly not the only historic building who’s demise has been sealed by a rare East Coast quake, this one has a strong Decatur connection.  Here ’tis…

Scott Drake, great, great grandson of Colonel George G. Green, the building’s namesake, has been keeping tabs on the building’s status, though he lives in Georgia.

“A lot of the historic buildings around here from the 1800’s were taken down and I think there’s a lot of regret now,” Drake said of his town in Decatur, Ga. “It’s building’s like (G.G. Green) that make towns unique; architecture like that isn’t around anymore.”

Drake wished something could’ve be done with the building, but sees on both sides of fence.

“I think if my great, great grandfather were around, he would hope that everything would be done to preserve history, so I hope it’s studied to the fullest extent before tearing it down,” Drake added.

It looks like there was once a redevelopment project in place for the Green building, but I guess nothing ever came of it.