Russ Marshalek leaving Wordsmith's

Russ sent this over from Wordsmith's Books for me to post.


Associates, colleagues and friends:



With a heavy heart and a look to the future, I’m writing to inform you that, as a result of the recent heavy economic downturn, my position as Marketing and Publicity Director at Wordsmiths Books will be eliminated effective as of March 2009. During my time in this role, I’ve found your support essential in facilitating my approach to publicity and marketing in regards to authors, books and book events, and I have the utmost gratitude for the fun, massive rock-and-roll blowouts you’ve allowed me to turn author events into.



Upon my termination from my Marketing/Publicity position at Wordsmiths at the end of March, I will be relocating from Decatur, GA to New York to pursue other opportunities. I will continue to operate as a freelance writer/publicist as RussCommunications (russcommunications@gmail.com), and under that name I will serve as head of publicity for, amongst other projects, Zach Steele’s forthcoming novel Anointed, to be published in February by Mercury Retrograde Press, as well as the massive new media campaign being launched in conjunction with the book’s publication. I am, and shall continue to, entertain any and all New York-based full-time opportunities within my realms of experience in new media, publicity and marketing, as well as any freelance opportunities, and ask that I’m kept in mind should such arise. I can be contacted on a personal basis at (russ.marshalek@gmail.com).



All of that said, my time at Wordsmiths has been a simply incredible few years, and I am capping off my work here with a full February author line-up including local gay lifestyle writer Topher Payne, non-fiction writer David Hajdu and comedic fiction legend Christopher Moore, as well as the launch of the aforementioned Anointed. I look forward to, for the next month, working with your authors, publicists, writers and reporters in my capacity at Wordsmiths, and then continuing to work with you upon my relocation to New York.

Thanks, genuinely and sincerely

-Russ Marshalek


-----------

Russ Marshalek
Marketing/Publicity Director
Wordsmiths Books
545 N McDonough
Decatur, GA 30030
(404)378-7166

Trackside Tavern Fire Video

Champion Newspaper video

Read about a Fund established for employees of Trackside Tavern at Champion Newspaper

h/t indecatur

Come to Twain's for Super Bowl Sunday.

The Super Bowl
Come to Twain's for Super Bowl Sunday.

* 1/2 price off on all appetizers (including our awesome wings)
* $1 off 20 oz. Twain's Ales after 5:00

Having a party at home?
Bring Twain's wings and more to the party!
Specials on Super Bowl Platters available.
Ccontact: emily@twains.net

New at Twains!

Dark beer lovers unite! Twain's is now pouring two wonderful winterish delights. Three Lies Cocoa Stout has returned, and Thirty Days Belgian Black Ale has debuted. Check out the brewery page for full descriptions, then get down here and taste'em!

Telegram is playing at Twain's on January 24th, a rare Saturday show for this reunion show! We are very excited to be hosting these boys, and anticipate a very special night of music.

Sunday, January 25th at 5:00, get your fill of the genuine stuff as the New York Corned Beef Society returns to Twain's. Don't be late, we anticipate a big crowd for this mid-winter deli-fest!


Twain's is located at 211 E Trinity Pl
Decatur, GA 30030 (Cross Street: Church Street)

"DHS Buddies Luncheon" March 21, 2009

Jerry Andrews sends this in.

It's that time again. Our next "dhs buddies luncheon" is March 21, 2009. We will meet at the Universal Joint(see address below). We hope the weather will allow us to be outside. Pass the word and invite Decatur High Alumni. Information is also on Facebook.

Look forward to seeing a lot of classmates.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When: March 21, 2009
Where: Universal Joint
906 Oakview Rd
Decatur, GA 30030
Cross Street: East Lake Drive
Time: NOON
Who: Any Decatur High Alumni


Go BULLDOGS!!!!!!

More on Trackside Tavern

JOHN SPINK / jspink@ajc.com

The Trackside Tavern, a favorite watering hole for Agnes Scott students and other young Decatur residents, was destroyed by fire. • Story | Photo


Fire destroys Trackside Tavern in Decatur
Neighboring 5th Earl Market damaged

By APRIL HUNT

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Trackside Tavern, the Decatur watering hole that helped launched the Indigo Girls and other local acoustic acts, is no more for now.

The tavern was boarded up Wednesday, a day after it was consumed by a fire in the small commercial strip at East College Avenue and South Candler Street. A sandwich shop next door, the 5th Earl Market, suffered smoke damage.

There were no serious injuries.

Trackside opened in 1982 and, along with the Freight Room and Eddie’s Attic, became the epicenter of an acoustic music scene that flourished in Decatur.

In recent years, Trackside earned a loyal following for its laid-back vibe and late-night hours.

Some patrons have gathered on Facebook, looking for ways to help the pub rebuild. One group gathered Tuesday night at the Corner Pub, another Decatur bar that suffered a fire several years ago and re-opened with community support.

A “Soup-er Bowl” soup-off planned at Trackside this weekend will instead be held at the Corner Pub. The event begins at 3 p.m. at the bar in East Decatur Station on East College Avenue.

The Decatur Fire Department is still looking into the cause of the blaze. The owner of the 5th Earl Market vowed on the Decatur Metro blog to bring back his shop “better than ever.”

Update on the fire at Trackside & 5th Earl Market

This is posted on 5th Earl Market web site.


To Our Many Loyal Customers and Friends,

As some of you may now know, the restaurant was severely damaged on Tuesday, January 20 by a major fire that started next door at Trackside Tavern and spread into our space. Thankfully, nobody was injured in the fire; however, the damage is extensive.

Due to the condition of the building, 5th Earl Market will be closed for business until further notice.

We have already received many calls and e-mails offering support and encouragement and we wish to extend our thanks for all of these. It is our plan to re-open. We do not know when, but do know that we want nothing more than to keep serving our many wonderful customers.

See fire damage photos here.

Thank you.

The 5th Earl Market Team


No word yet on Trackside's future
I hope they come back.

Vintage Decatur Federal Katy ad

Were You Lucky Enough to see Elvis in Concert?

Enjoy.

James Blunt - You're Beautiful (Live)

Satellite Image of Inaugural Celebration at the Capitol

AP Photo/GeoEye Satellite Image

This satellite image, taken through high, whispy white clouds, shows the masses of people attending the inaugural celebration at the Capitol.

Trackside Tavern Damaged by Fire this Morning.

This is very sad news to learn.
I just took this picture last week.
See photo of damage over at Indecatur

read more about it over at Decatur Metro

see more photo at Ali Laipple's Photos facebook


Here is AJC Story
Fire destroys Trackside Tavern in Decatur
Neighboring 5th Earl Market damaged

By TY TAGAMI

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

A fire consumed a business and shut down traffic along a thoroughfare through Decatur Tuesday, but caused no serious injury.

The Decatur Fire Department responded at 5:25 a.m. to a blaze at East College Avenue and South Candler Street, and closed the intersection as the fire consumed the roof of a bar in the low-slung commercial strip.

“We had heavy fire coming through the roof when the first engine pulled up,” said Fire Chief Jerry Malone. The intersection remained closed Tuesday morningas commuters tried to get into or around Decatur.

One business, the Trackside Tavern, was destroyed. A sandwich shop next door, the 5th Earl Market, suffered smoke damage, he said. Investigators were still looking into the cause of the fire Tuesday afternoon. One firefighter bruised his arm and leg when he slipped on ice from the fire hoses in the bitter cold, but the injuries were not serious enough for hospital treatment, Malone said.

Get Your Valentine Candy at Greene's Fine Foods & Candy

Inauguration Concert 2009

The 44th Presidential Inauguration

Close Up program at Decatur High School going to Inauguration.

DECATUR, Ga. -- Students from across Georgia are getting ready to go to Washington for the Obama Inauguration, with their families, and with school and church groups.

Thirty-three of them are with the Close Up program at Decatur High School. They're actually looking forward to the cold, the crowds and even controversial demonstrations and protests.

"It's a really historic election with Obama winning, and I'm really excited to see what's going to happen," said one of the girls going on the trip.

The students will remember the year they came of age, politically -- arguiing and debating with each other about the Presidential campaign.

"There was extreme adulation for Obama," one boy said, not approvingly.

They're still debating each other -- about whether Obama's going to be able to cut it as President.

11 alive
Full story and video

h/t Decatur Metro

Update on Leon's Full Service Pub.

A new fence is being built close to the sidewalk.
Each week it looks better, I can't wait until it opens.

Church St. & E. Ponce de Leon Ave.

Update on the New Decatur High School Auditorium

Construction is starting to take shape on the new Decatur High School Auditorium.

Rod Stewart -

Have you ever seen the rain. click here

Amid slumping economy,subdivision adds cheaper homes

A sign of the times.
Decatur has always been like this, small bungalow's with big new homes built right next door. to me it's no big deal who wants to have every house to look alike, not me.
What I would like to see are new homes built like the 1940's and 50's bungalow's like the ones below.



BOB ANDRES / bandres@ajc.com
Sign for the Hays Farm subdivision advertise two different house price points.


By DAN CHAPMAN

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The for-sale signs at the entrance to Hays Farm offer the first clues that not all went as planned at the subdivision alongside Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.

The older, more weathered sign reads, “new homes … high $500s.”
The newer, shinier sign reads, “distinctive homes … from the low $300s.”

Two price ranges. Two sets of home buyers.

And one big headache for original homeowners who paid more for their homes only to see the newer, cheaper homes lower their property values. Many of these owners can’t refinance because their homes are worth less than their mortgages. And they can forget trying to sell them — they’d lose tens of thousands of dollars on homes now assessed at much lower values.

Homeowners point many fingers: at a bankrupt builder; a financially challenged developer; skittish bankers; an over-built, over-priced West Cobb housing market; and a lousy economy that’s ravaging the real-estate industry.

The Hays Farm saga, a rarity in Metro Atlanta, mimics two-tiered subdivision troubles more common in the over-heated housing markets of California, Nevada and Florida.

Full story

Highs in 40s Today; on Sunday, sleet?

On Saturday, highs in 40s; on Sunday, sleet?

By ANDRIA SIMMONS, RHONDA COOK

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution


After a frigid couple of nights in metro Atlanta, Saturday’s weather will be deceptively warmer —- with temperatures rising to the 40s -— but Sunday could bring sleet.

The Sunday forecast calls for “mostly a slight chance of rain with maybe some sleet in Atlanta,” said Robert Beasley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Friday morning lows around metro Atlanta were in the low teens, with wind chills as low as zero. Two west Georgia school systems, in Carroll and Haralson counties, canceled classes because of the biting cold. Daytime temperatures reached the low 30s.

The cold has been stretching homeless shelters to their limits.

The Atlanta Union Mission, which operates the largest shelter in the city, with space for more than 1,000 people, said it had to put cots and mats in the hallways to accommodate the number of people looking for warmth.

Grady Memorial Hospital treated no one for exposure or other weather-related problems, though there was an increase in the number of homeless people looking for shelter, hospital spokesman Sean Van Dorn said Friday afternoon.

Friday morning, an investigator with the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office said no overnight weather-related deaths had been reported.

Frigid temperatures caused a water sprinkler pipe to burst Friday morning at the Studio 6 motel on 9955 Old Dogwood Road in Roswell. The water caused part of the roof to collapse, and six rooms were damaged, hotel staff said.

The motel sustained thousands of dollars in damage, said Rick Raymond, a front desk clerk. He added with a chuckle, “I guess there’ll be no bonuses this year.”

Assistant Chief Paul Piccirilli of the Roswell Fire Department said his firefighters responded to about two houses, two apartment buildings and two commercial buildings because of burst pipes. “I’m sure there’s a lot of departments that went on a lot of calls today,” he said.

Atlanta Fire Department spokesman Bobby Stewart said investigators were trying to determine if two house fires Friday were caused by people trying to keep warm.

“Definitely, the cold weather does play a part in some fires,” Stewart said. “If people are using space heaters, we try to encourage safety. Don’t put them close to furniture, and don’t put firewood close to things that may catch on fire.”

Looking ahead to the beginning of the week, partly cloudy skies are forecast for Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, with highs in the mid 40s. Another cold front is expected to arrive Tuesday. Chances of snow are “questionable” because there may not be enough moisture in the air, Beasley said.

A Year Ago this Week Snow Covered Decatur

A year ago this week, snow covered Decatur.

Proposal would leave casinos up to counties

By LEON STAFFORD, RACHEL TOBIN RAMOS

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Just days after Underground Atlanta officials announced their hopes of bringing video gaming to the downtown attraction, a state legislator wants to offer full-fledged casinos statewide.

Rep. Roger Bruce (D-Atlanta) said Friday he plans to introduce legislation in the General Assembly next week that would allow voters to decide whether they want to bring gambling to their individual counties.
By going this route, he said, each jurisdiction will have the opportunity to plot its own destiny, instead of letting legislators decide.

“What I’m talking about doing is creating full-scale casinos or horse racing if they want them,” he said.

Gambling in Georgia has been bandied about for years, especially as states across the country have seen huge revenue gains from visitors and locals playing poker or spinning the roulette wheel.

House Speaker Pro-Tem Mark Burkhalter (R-Johns Creek) said last month most lawmakers in the Republican majority don’t support changing the state’s constitution to allow gambling. He couldn’t be reached immediately for this story.
Full story.

Decatur parents concerned about schools shift

By KRISTINA TORRES

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution



More than a dozen parents Tuesday told Decatur city school board members about their concerns for a plan that could move fourth- and fifth-graders to the city’s lone middle school.

Parents are concerned about having the younger students on the same campus as older students. Board members said they have not formed an opinion and were open to hearing other suggestions.
The board could vote on the plan in March. The move would help the small system weather an expected increase in students, particularly in elementary grades.

Over the next two months, however, expect a lot of discussion as the system holds public meetings about the proposal.

Decatur’s fourth- and fifth-graders now attend classes in a standalone school called Glennwood Academy. The proposal was among recommendations forwarded by a committee of parents and staff formed to look at enrollment options. If the move happened, Glennwood would then host kindergarten through third grade.

According to system officials, the number of students in kindergarten through eighth grade is expected to grow over the next four years from 1,897 to 2,388.

I triple-dog dare you: Boy's tongue stuck on pole

HAMMOND, Ind. — In a scene straight out of the movie "A Christmas Story," a 10-year-old boy got his tongue stuck to a metal light pole. Police said the unidentified fourth-grader was able to tell them that a friend dared him to lick the pole Wednesday night. Temperatures in Hammond were around 10 degrees at the time.

By the time an ambulance arrived, the boy was able to yank his tongue off the frozen pole.

Police said ambulance personnel explained to the boy's mother how to care for his bleeding tongue.

The 1983 movie is set in a fictional city based on Hammond, the hometown of author Jean Shepherd.

___

Information from: The Times, http://nwitimes.com

A Foggy Walk

This is a fantastic photo taken by flickr member Porpster
Church St. at night.

Shopping & Dining - Decatur GA Style

Shopping & Dining - Decatur GA Decatur’s unique and diverse retail business owners invite you to their shopping oasis, a real “mallternative.” Decatur offers charming storefronts and unique boutiques for your shopping pleasure in a small-town setting. Are you looking for whimsical folk art, contemporary furnishings, funky accents for your home, primitive antiques or the perfect creative gift? Decatur shops have it all. Your shopping experience will be enhanced by the diverse commercial districts with everything from locally-owned shops to larger commercial ventures. Shop in Historic Downtown, the Oakhurst District or along the College Avenue Corridor and you will enjoy the surroundings as much as the wide selection of available merchandise. After all that shopping treat yourself to a memorable dining experience in Decatur. From neighborhood bistros and pubs to elegant dining with a wide range of cuisine choices, you will find an interesting mix of locally-owned and national restaurants. Other options at various establishments include: outdoor dining, full service catering, live entertainment and dining in restored historic buildings.

Rock & Roll is Here to Stay it Will Never Die

Whit's End Clearance Sale

As we get ready for our Spring items to arrive in a few weeks, we need to clear out the Winter items.

This means more savings for you. Keep in mind though, that these sales are final.

Columbia fleece, sweaters, sweatshirts, shirts and jackets are now 40% off!
Prana/Kuhl/Dockers/Flyshacker fleece, sweaters, shirts and jackets are 30% off!
Toms Shoes are 25% off!
Chiliwear boxers are 10% off!

Columbia and Patagonia shoes, and Woolrich slippers, Columbia and Prana pants are SUPER discounted. (Some savings over 65% off!)

Dockers Cargo pants and Cords are now $29 (regularly $44-$55)
Dockers Chinos are $39.99 and Dress Slacks are $49.99 (regularly $50 and $70!)

There are a few gifts items, and leftover summer items that are marked below cost!

Sizes, styles and colors are limited. Sale may be discontinued at any time.

If you have any returns from items bought in December, they need to be returned by 1/15/09 for either an in-store merchandise exchange, or store credit.

See you in soon.

Jeff and Greg

Whit's End Blog

Take a tour of the Historical City Hall

Decatur's City Hall: A Historic Treasure Transformed"

Take a tour of the historic city hall in Decatur, Georgia. Originally built in 1926, the building was recently renovated and expanded, restoring many unique architectural features and creating an up-to-date work environment. The video also provides an overview of Decatur, Georgia and the history of City Hall

Short & Sweet Studios video, Decatur, Georgia - decaturga.com

Shelley Fabares singing "Johnny Angel"

Decatur Marta Station

Underground Atlanta is ready to roll the dice.

Cope Linder Architects
This is an artist’s rendering of the proposed casino and redeveloped Underground.

By RACHEL TOBIN RAMOS, LEON STAFFORD

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Underground Atlanta is ready to roll the dice.

The operator of the downtown attraction said he has brought a proposal to the Georgia Lottery Board for a casino that would fund the HOPE scholarship and bring millions in tax dollars to the city.
While the idea of a downtown casino has been kicked around for years, this is the first concrete plan brought forward by a developer and presented to an institution that can make it a reality.

In an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday, developer Dan O’Leary, who with his business partner John Aderhold, holds a 50-year lease on Underground Atlanta, outlined a $450 million proposal that would bring up to 5,000 video lottery machines, completely gut and redevelop Underground and add a new 29-story hotel.

O’Leary estimates the casino would generate gross receipts of $600 million. Half of that would go to the lottery board.

“In order to truly change the perception of Underground,” he said, “we do have to bring a very significant element to that property that it doesn’t have now — a big draw. VLT machines would be an anchor tenant that would bring folks in.”

Fellini's Pizza Decatur Ga.

Fellini's Decatur
333 Commerce Dr
Decatur, GA.
404-370-0551

First National Bank Temperature Sign

The Temperature sign was at the corner of the bank building of E. Court Sq. & E. Ponce de Leon Ave.

circa 1966

Hidden Hills residents develop green-space plan for golf course

By DONNA WILLIAMS LEWIS

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Residents of south DeKalb County’s Greater Hidden Hills community are finalizing a proposed guide for new development that envisions new walking and bike trails, architectural standards and community facilities.

The study, developed with the county Planning and Development department, includes residents’ request that the county purchase for green space a dormant 18-hole golf course that winds through the community’s center.
Jan Costello, coordinator of the Greater Hidden Hills Overlay District, said residents met a dozen times over the past year to develop a unified vision for an area bounded by Redan Road, Covington Highway, Panola Road and South Hairston Road.

“We are seeking to put concrete details in the zoning codes so that we conserve precious green space, create a walkable community with pleasing streetscapes and nature trails, and provide the guidelines for attractive mixed-use commercial areas with desirable businesses,” Costello said.

Similar studies and plans have been prepared for other DeKalb communities, including Candler Road, Scottdale, downtown Tucker and the Stonecrest area. Community input is being accepted on the Hidden Hills plan, which is expected to go before the county commission by early spring.

Hidden Hills’ draft plan calls for consideration of establishing the area as a tax allocation district, or TAD, to make redevelopment sites more attractive to investors.
AJC
Full story here.

What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

Danny & the Juniors - At the Hop

Rod Stewart - This Old Heart Of Mine

The Artisan In Decatur, Georgia

Make the next move.
The Artisan

201 West Ponce de Leon Avenue
Decatur, GA 30030
phone: 404.377.5902
fax: 404.377.4903

Driving directions to the Artisan.


Sales Office

201 West Ponce de Leon Avenue #10

Sales Office Hours:
Monday–Friday: 10–6
Saturday: 12–5
Sunday: 12–5

Agnes Scott, Emory earn ‘best value’ honors

Agnes Scott (above) and Emory University, both in DeKalb, have been ranked as being among the 'best value' private universities in the country.
By TY TAGAMI

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution



Two private institutions in DeKalb County have made a list of the 100 “best value colleges” in America.

Princeton Review, a publisher of college guidebooks, rated Agnes Scott College in Decatur and Emory University among the 50 best-value private schools for undergraduates based on cost, financial aid and academics.
Georgia Tech in Atlanta made a similar list of 50 public schools, along with the University of Georgia in Athens and Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville.

The criteria included cost, financial aid and academics, and was based on surveys of administrators and students. The results included a ranking for only the top 10 in each category. No private schools made the short list, but the University of Georgia was ranked 9th among public schools.

Agnes Scott was one of only four women’s colleges in the country to make the list. Over half the school’s students got a “hefty” financial aid package, the review notes.

Emory, meanwhile, met the financial needs for 84 percent of students who applied for financial aid, though the review says fewer than half the students there asked for aid.

The list was published on USA Today’s Web site, at www.usatoday.com/news/education/best-value-colleges.htm.

Reminder: Baths and Bedouins @ Mingei World Arts

Skin feel dry?
Want to treat yourself, help support local business women AND a Bedouin women's co-op
in Morocco?
On Saturday, January 10
we'll be previewing
Sweetie's Sugar Scrub,
a wonderful local product that will be in the
swag bags for the Sundance Film Festival
a week later!

Lavender, grapefruit
and argan oil from Morroco...
Our friend Lisa Callens, who developed the scrub, will be at Mingei from 1-4pm.
Come on by so we can wish you a Happy 2009!



Ellen and Ann
Mingei World Arts
427 Church Street
Decatur, Georgia 30030
404-371-0101

Buried baseball treasure found

CRAIG KOHLRUSS / THE FRESNO BEE Bernice Gallego of Collectique holds a rare 1869 baseball card of the Cincinnati Red Stockings that turned up at her Tower District shop in Fresno.
The strange story goes like this: Last summer, Bernice Gallego pulled an old baseball card from a box of antiques. She figured it might be worth something to someone, so she listed it on eBay.

The starting bid was $10.

But after getting a flurry of inquiries about whether the card was authentic or not, Gallego started to suspect she was holding something a little more valuable and immediately ended the auction.

Turns out her hunch was correct. She did have something more valuable. The card she found was made in 1869 and featured the "Red Stocking B.B. Club of Cincinnati," the sport's first professional team. It's considered one of the first baseball cards ever produced and its actual value could be worth more than $100,000 when she puts it back on eBay (with a higher starting price, of course).

Of course, the news that she had found a rare piece of early baseball history came as a shock to the 72-year-old Fresno, Calif., resident who said she's never been to a baseball game. Her tale, from unwitting discovery to learning about the card's history, is wonderfully captured by our old pal Mike Osegueda of the Fresno Bee. Click here to read it.

First Female Fire Chief for city of Decatur.

Toni Tolbert Dixon will be the city’s first black and first female fire chief

By DONNA WILLIAMS LEWIS

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Toni Tolbert Dixon, former deputy fire chief in East Point, has become the first black and first female fire chief of the city of Decatur.

Dixon, 40, will work alongside current fire chief Jerry Malone for the next six months. Malone plans to retire in July after 30 years of service.
Dixon leaves a department of 139 firefighters to lead a department of 40. There is one fire station in downtown Decatur and another under construction in the city’s Oakhurst neighborhood, she said.

Dixon said she plans to focus on professionalism and customer service.

“We want to be a fire department where you don’t just see us in an emergency,” she said.

The married mother of four lives in South Fulton. She got her start in the firefighting field in 1992 as a fire safety technician in the state Fire Marshal’s Office.F

Downtown Decatur circa 1964

Tatum's Drugs and Smith's Shoes
East Court Square

Decatur Recreation Center Master Plan

Decatur Recreation Center Master Plan

The City of Decatur is developing a master plan to direct future improvements to the city’s 50 year old recreation center. We invite you to think creatively and submit your ideas to the questions listed below. Forward your answers by Thursday, Dec. 31 to Lyn.menne@decaturga.com or hugh.saxon@decaturga.com or mail to Lyn Menne, City of Decatur, P.O. Box 220, Decatur, GA 30031.

What Should Our Community/Recreation Center Provide?

1. What community programs are needed?


2. What kind of visual and/or performing arts programs would you like to see?


3. What exercise or athletic programs do we want?


4. What new active adult/senior oriented activities should be provided?

5. What activities or facilities for young professionals are of interest?


6. What activities or facilities for children and youth should be provided?


7. What should the Center provide in 15 years?


8. What other ideas or suggestions would you like to add?

New Year, New Wines, New Lower Prices at Tastings

New Year, New Wines, New Lower Prices

Our customers have spoken and we have listened....for the new year we have lowered the tasting prices on all of our wines. In addition, in recognition of the trying economic times we all find ourselves in, we have reallocated our inventory to concentrate more on the high quality yet reasonably priced wines. Our current selection features over 17 wines by the taste for $2 or less and 24 wines under $10 by the glass. Of course, we will still carry the mid to high end wines for those times when you want to indulge and taste a wine that would not be offered by the taste, or even by the glass, in a restaurant.



We will continue our weekly specials: Monday - 1/2 price house wines and buy one get one free pizza, Tuesday - Trivia - $30, $20 and $10 tasting cards as prizes, Wednesday - $15 wine tastings, and Friday - $5 martinis and 1/2 price draught beer.



We look forward to seeing all of our current customers in the new year and welcoming all of you who have not been in to give us a try. We are sure you will enjoy yourselves.



Thanks,

Deb & Kelly

Children adjust to school bus cutbacks

Children adjust to school bus cutbacks

It was still dark Tuesday morning when this DeKalb County school bus departed from Oak View Elementary School. LOUIE FAVORITE / lfavorite@ajc.com
By KRISTINA TORRES

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution


It was still dark when, at 5:45 a.m. Tuesday, 11-year-old Isaiah hopped out of the family SUV and hustled toward several buses clustered together at Oak View Elementary, a DeKalb County school several miles south of Decatur.

Tuesday is the first day back to class from winter break. It’s also the first day of countywide school busing cutbacks — a midyear change made to save money.
So Isaiah, a fifth-grader at DeKalb’s Kittredge Magnet School for High Achievers, started his day like this: Get up and out the door to catch the bus at Oak View, then take that bus to a transfer point and catch another bus to school, which is more than 20 miles to the north near Chamblee.

He’ll repeat that process in reverse in the afternoon.

“It seems to be going OK,” said his mom, Vernice Robinson, as she walked behind him this morning — making sure he got on the right bus. She said his old bus picked him up about the same time, anyway. “We’re just happy they didn’t take the busing away altogether.”

The cutbacks mean fewer buses will be taking kids to school, one of several cost-cutting measures expected in DeKalb schools this year.
Full story here.

Renewal Construction Unveils New Name

Kelly Cheek sent this over to post.

Renewal Construction Unveils New Name



Jan. 1, 2009 – Renewal Construction has taken a new name – Renewal Design-Build – to more clearly reflect the scope of its services and capabilities. The award-winning home renovation firm is based in Decatur, Georgia.



“We want people to know that we do more than just construction and project management,” says Renewal CEO Peter Michelson. “We design and build a project, working with the client from start to finish. The result is a close client relationship and a smooth renovation process.”



Renewal’s design team includes renovation consultant Heather Shuster, who specializes in design and project planning. “My role is to listen closely to the clients’ needs and preferences and develop solutions that will result in a home they can be proud of,” she says. “With our skilled project designers, we use computer modeling to present the design options in 3-D, so clients can clearly see how the finished project will look well before we break ground.”



Renewal Design-Build, 124 S. Columbia Dr. in Decatur, provides complete solutions for renovations, additions, kitchens, baths, small projects and repairs.

For information, call 404.378.6962 or visit www.RenewalDesignBuild.com.

Kelly Cheek

Marketing Manager
Renewal Design-Build


t. 404-378-6962
f. 404-378-6963
m. 770-361-7878


124 S. Columbia Dr., Decatur, GA 30030
Kelly@RenewalDesignBuild.com
http://www.RenewalDesignBuild.com

Thanks Kelly for the update on the name change. I like it.

Looking Back at Buck's Decatur circa 1987

Buck's Decatur in 1987 & Parker's on Ponce in 2009

Decatur eLIFE Magazine is best video blog

I have got to hand it to Decatur's eLIFE Magazine for having the best video on things around Decatur. Keep up the great work Andrea.
Check out her site here.

Here is a little info on eLIFE Magazine

Decatur eLIFE Magazine was founded in 2006 by Emmy award-winning journalist, author and long-time Decatur, Georgia resident Andrea Berry.

We are an independent, interactive online e-publication which features interesting people, places and possibilities in and around the intown Atlanta metropolitan area city of Decatur, GA. We are pleased to add our voice to the growing number of on and offline media now chronicling various aspects of life in Decatur.

We add new features to the e-magazine every week so feel free to visit our site often! Sign up for our free email newsletter so that you don't miss any upcoming features or special announcements.

Ellis sworn in as DeKalb CEO

Jason Getz/jgetz@ajc.com
Burrell Ellis is sworn in as DeKalb County CEO by Justice Carol W. Hunstein as his wife Philippa Ellis stands by his side at Saint Philip AME Church.



Burrell Ellis, DeKalb County’s new chief executive officer, took the oath of office Monday in an unusual joint ceremony for all recently elected and re-elected county officials.

Georgia Supreme Court Justice Carol Hunstein administered the oath to all 41 officials as hundreds watched from the pews at St. Philip A.M.E. Church just south of Decatur.
Ellis took the oath last and was the only official to speak.

“We do not own the offices we hold,” Ellis said. “Instead, we are entrusted with them for what is always revealed to be a brief amount of time.”

The swearing-in was to be followed by a 5:30 p.m. inaugural reception for Ellis in the Grand Ballroom of the Holiday Inn in downtown Decatur at 130 Clairemont Ave., just north of the court square. The reception originally was planned at the Fernbank Museum, but the venue was changed.

—Ty Tagami
AJC

Help me find Good 'Diners, Drive-In's, and Dives'

Everytime I watch 'Diners, Drive-In's, and Dives' I get jealous of all that delicious looking food he gets to eat!!
Here is when they visted Matthews Cafeteria in downtown Tucker.
But I want to know where other 'Diners, Drive-In's, and Dives' are in Georgia.
Please tell me what your favorite Diner, Drive-in & Dives are in Georgia.
I'm always up for a road trip.

The Varsity! The World's Largest Drive-in Restaurant is one for sure.





Here is another youtube of 'Diners, Drive-In's, and Dives'

Cakes & Ale picked as one of top five by Creative Loafing

The top five are:

Cakes & Ale
254 W. Ponce de Leon Ave
Decatur, GA.

La Pietra Cucina
1545 Peachtree St.
suite 101
Atlanta, GA.

Craft Atlanta
3376 Peachtree Rd.
Atlanta, GA.

Sushi House Hayakawa
5979 Buford Hwy.
Atlanta, GA.

Holeman and Finch
2277 Peachtree Rd.
Atlanta, GA.

Havana Sandwich Shop reopens in new location in Canton, GA.

After fire destroyed the Buford Hwy location they decided to reopen in a new location in Canton, GA.



Debbie Benedit sits down to a Cuban sandwich with sides of rice and black bean soup at her new restaurant, Havana Sandwich Shop in Canton.
Photo by Amber M. McCloskey
By Donna Harris
Cherokee Tribune Staff Writer

A new culinary taste has come to town.

Debbie Benedit and her son, Eddie Benedit, brought their Cuban specialties that Atlantans have enjoyed for 32 years to Canton when they opened their second Havana Sandwich Shop last Tuesday.

Ms. Benedit said she and her son, who both live in Canton, thought it was time to bring authentic Cuban food to their neighborhood.

"This is home for us," she said. "They talk about Cherokee County as a place to live, work and play. We live and play here. Now we're going to work here, too."

"We've lived up here 20 years, and we decided to stop feeding strangers in Atlanta and start feeding our neighbors," Benedit added.

The pair had discussed opening a location in Canton before, but the city "just wasn't ready for it," she said.

"(Now) the timing was right," she said. "We're on the ground level for what is getting ready to happen here. We wanted to bring it here to Canton and let people experience something different. We have all the chains, but there are very, very few mom-and-pop, family-owned restaurants here or anywhere anymore."

They found an available building - the former site of Long John Silver's in front of Kmart on Marietta Highway - that was "basically set up like the one in Atlanta," and they jumped on it, she said.

"It made sense," she said. "It was such an easy decision to do."

full story here.

What was going on Today in Downtown Decatur ? Fire Trucks were out on E. Ponce

Does anyone know what was going on this afternoon on E Ponce de Leon Ave in downtown Decatur, the Decatur Fire Dept was out in full force.

1967 Photo of Decatur High School and N. McDonough St.

Photo courtesy of 1967 indecatur

40% off Coupon! for Whit's End

431 W. Ponce de Leon Ave. #2, Decatur GA 30030
404.377.3310, whitsenddecatur.com


Whit’s End

Happy 2009 Coupon!



Good for 40% off any ONE in store item.

Discount taken from original price.

(Excluding Levi’s Jeans, Photography, and DHS Spirit Wear items)





Coupon Valid January 2-4, 2009 Only

These sales will be final.

Not valid on returns.

Limit one per customer.



(Coupon must be presented) Tell them Next Stop...Decatur sent you.

Run With The Dogs - Frostbite 5K is Tomorrow Morning

About the race
Name: Frostbite 5K
Distance: 5K Run/Walk
Date: Saturday, January 3, 2009, 9:00 a.m.
Location: Decatur, Ga.
Decatur High School

All proceeds will be used by the Decatur Bulldog
Athletic Booster Club to help fun the sports program
at Decatur High School and Renfroe Middle School

Decatur High School, Renfroe Middle School, Glenwood Academy
and City of Decatur elementary school students, parents, alumni, friends,
neighbors and runners of all levels are invited to participate.

Contact
Ed Williams - 404-327-7738.

Schedule
Saturday, January 3 - rain or shine
8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. - Race Day Registration
9:00 a.m. - 5K Run/Walk.

Here is film clip from last years Run with the Dogs 5k

1956 Image of N. McDonough St. Decatur GA..

click on picture to enlarge.


Photo courtesy of 1956 indecatur
Tri-Hi-Y Members.
Left to right: P.Blackshear, A. Madden, J.Hazlerigs, Mrs E Deadwyler, E. Dale, and A. Wrighter.
Photo taken in front of Decatur High School.

Soccer Mini-Camp Jan 5th & 6th

Soccer Mini-Camp Jan 5th & 6th
AVOID YOUR KIDS CATCHING CABIN FEVER !!!

Keep your Decatur kids active over the holidays!
Play Soccer with Decatur Active Living & FC Atlanta!

We are hosting a second mini-camp for boys and girls ages 8 through 13:
Camp II: Monday, Jan. 5th & Tuesday, Jan. 6th
Location: Ebster Rec. Center & Field, 404 West Trinity Place

$40 per child per session; Please pay at the Mini-Camp site

Schedule: 8:30 - 9:00am: Drop off
9 - 9:45am: Warm up and Speed & Agility Training
9:45 - 10:30am: Technical Skill Work
10:30 - 11am: Topic of the Day/Snack
11am - 12:15pm: World Cup Tournament
12:30 pm: Pick up

For more information and questions, please contact Dan Magee,
Dan.Magee@decaturga.com or 678-553-6541.

January 1, 2009 12:00 PM

Happy New Year Decatur

From flickr member pattiedonahue