Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Some suspicious of school budget and cuts

From ajc
Those are among the sentiments of parents, teachers and taxpayers in DeKalb County who learned in recent days just how financially damaged their school system is.

While hard times have hit most school systems in metro Atlanta, none has been hit quite as hard as DeKalb. Most districts could turn to cash reserves to cushion the blow of declining tax revenues and increasing costs. In DeKalb though, officials expect to finish this fiscal year in debt. The dire situation and the resulting deep cuts have left many feeling that mismanagement, is to blame.

"It's ridiculous how much money does not make it into the classroom," said Bill Armstrong, a parent at a public Montessori school who expects to see teachers eliminated as part of the cuts.

Armstrong was among the lucky dozens who got a chance to speak Wednesday night at the DeKalb County School District's second and final public hearing on the fiscal 2013 budget. Such hearings are usually quiet affairs that attract some staffers and a few gadflies, but this one drew a spillover crowd of over 200.
read more

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Peachtree Hills Festival of the Arts - Free Event - June 9-10

 From : Kathy Fox

I wanted to take this the time to thank you for posting information about our past art festival event and to share with you some information about our award winning Peachtree Hills Festival of the Arts – Celebrate Summer in Style! on June 9-10, 2012. There is plenty to see and do with 150 artists and artisans lining the festival route, plus children’s area, gourmet foods and local acoustic music. The event is easy to find from Peachtree Rd. or Lindberg Marta Station. There is plenty of parking, and is free to attend.

Visitors will enjoy fine art and crafts, children’s area, Street Market and local food and beverage concessions including “gourmet” food trucks. There is plenty of parking and local sites, and best of all; it’s free to attend. This event is organized by the Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces and volunteer artists to benefit the local community.

Location: 285 Peachtree Hills Rd., Atlanta, GA 30305
Times: Sat., June 9, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Sun., June 10, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Music: Acoustic music only
Admission: Free to attend
For more info:  peachtreehillsfestival.com

Monday, May 28, 2012

Decatur McDonald's Drive Thru Window

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At the Downtown Decatur McDonald's Restaurant  Drive Thru, Ronald McDonald keeps his eye on Decatur's Fidelity Bank.

Decatur Scene in the Round


Sunday, May 27, 2012

Laurel & Hardy dance Santana

Easy Living Pedicabs get you to where you are going.


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--  Decatur Art Festival-goers take advantage of Easy Living Pedicabs.
A great way to get around Decatur, check out their web site.
below is info from website.

Look for our bright yellow pedicabs next time you're in downtown Decatur and Oakhurst Village. It's the affordable, fun and environmentally-friendly way to get around. We are out most evenings and at local festivals. We are always available by appointment. Let us take you from here to there – from the east side to the west side, from the north side to the south side – and back again.

froyolo FROZEN YOGURT to Open Next Week

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Post card given out at Decatur Arts Festival reads: Come celebrate our Grand Opening. 14 delicious daily flavors. over 40 toppings available come and create your own masterpiece. It's simple as.. 1. grab a cup 2. fill 3. create 4. weigh 5 pay and enjoy LOCATED ON THE SQUARE.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Do You Like the new Georgia License Plate ?

From city-data.com

Comment from vince217

I've seen some cars on the road with the new plates. it doesn't look too bad

but it sure looks cheap because the characters aren't raised anymore.

Will the specialty plates (save wildlife, uga, gt, breast cancer, educators, etc) be replaced with the new design within a few years too?

Read more: http://www.city-data.com/forum/atlanta/1362363-your-new-georgia-license-plate-8.html#ixzz1vplloYve

DeKalb History Center exhibits during The Decatur Arts Festival

From: clairmontheights.org
New Exhibits during the Decatur Arts Festival
Highlights from the Guy Hayes Collection: 
Food, Fun & Fashion in the Modern Era
This exhibit represents a small selection of black and white photographs from the Hayes collection and provides a unique view of food trends, clothing styles and recreational diversions of the 1950s and 1960s.

Guy Hayes was a professional freelance photographer from 1944 - 1983. He graduated from Clarkston High School and served in the Navy during World War II. After the war, he settled in Avondale Estates. Hayes was a regular contributor to The Atlanta Journal, The Atlanta Constitution and The DeKalb News/Sun. Over 11,000 of his original negatives were donated to the History Center in 1984. A grant from the Decatur Beer Festival helped us to begin digitization of these negatives in 2010. Although very little documentation accompanied this collection, Hayes' artistic work reveals a prolific talent with an incisive eye.
read more .
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All of our exhibits are located on the main floor of the Historic DeKalb Courthouse at 101 E. Court Square, Decatur GA 30030. They are open to the public free of charge. Our regular gallery hours are Monday - Friday from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. We are closed on Federal holidays.
 
Special Hours during the Arts Festival:
Saturday, May 26, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 27, Noon - 5:00 p.m.
 

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Did You Say Beach Party ? Yeah... June 15th

From The Decatur Minute:
It’s almost time for the annual Decatur Beach Party!
Friday, June 15th on the Square in downtown Decatur
5:00-11:00pm
$10 adults, $5 children (includes all games and activities), Kids under 2 free. Online presale tickets are $7.00 adults, buy online here
The Beach Party welcomes headliner Yacht Rock Schooner to help Beach Partiers “get smooth” and slip into a gentle groove for dancing and relaxing on the plaza. And don’t forget all that SAND on Decatur Beach!!

 photo from  McDonough Street Market 2008

Decatur Art Walk!

Some images to tempt you-- --
Decatur Art Walk!
From: Mingei World Arts
Dear Mingei friends--

Please join us Friday evening,
May 25, from 5-10pm,
for our annual spring Art Walk!

This year, our featured artist is Arturo Salome Huali, a third-generation Peruvian gourd artist, now living in metro Atlanta.  He will be here with his brother, Necker,
 showing and selling their beautiful work,
and demonstrating their craft.
Drop by for refreshments and a visit!

We'll be open Saturday from 10am-9pm and Sunday 12-6pm, but Mingei will closed on Monday, May 28th, while we are at home resting with our families.
Enjoy your holiday weekend!

From : Mingei World Arts

Monday, May 21, 2012

Family Dollar to Open in Oakhurst mid-summer

From decaturpatch.com
Family Dollar store will open in mid-summer in a retail space being renovated in Oakhurst, a spokesman for the retail chain said.
The store will operate out of the small shopping center at 630 East Lake Drive, where the Big H store used to be.
Oakhurst Church now occupies the middle section of the building. The other end of the building, where Mulligan's Restaurant and Sports Bar used to be, is empty.
The Oakhurst store will be part of a companywide expansion, Family Dollar spokesman Josh Braverman said Friday.
Family Dollar will open about 500 new stores this year, with several  in the Atlanta area. The Charlotte, N.C.-based company has about 7,200 stores in 45 states.
Family Dollar picked Decatur because it looked like a good market, Braverman said.
"Our model is to put stores where people live," he said.
Family Dollar stores typically employ eight to 10 people, Braverman said. The Oakhurst location will be about 7,700 square feet in size.
Family Dollar stores sell food, clothing and assorted household products. Though not everything costs a dollar, the price point is never very high.
Braverman said Family Dollar stores typically open on a Thursday with kind of a grand opening on the following Saturday.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Dekalb Day of Play

fROM: accessatlanta.com
Saturday, May 19 10:00a to 3:00p
at Exchange Park and Recreation Center

2771 Columbia Drive, Decatur, GA, 30034
Price: Free
Age Suitability: All Ages
Stepp Stewart, Producer of The Atlanta Fit Fest, will host The Dekalb County Day of Play, presented by Stepp It Up Kids. Mr. Stewart is best known as the on air personality & Dance Fitness Guru for The Dr. Oz Show. This FREE event focuses on children and indoor/outdoor fun, and physical activities that they can do everyday. Featuring free Cardio Dance taught by Stepp Stewart, line dancing for all ages, Jamie Duke's Chachersize, Zumba, and football drills with former NFL player David McMillian.

Saturday, May 19 10:00a to 3:00p

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Street Scene

The Little Wine Shop in Avondale

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

The Solarium 9th Annual Patio Party Fundraiser June 3rd

 Over at The Decatur Minute Catherine reminds us of The Solarium 9th Annual Patio Party Fundraiser that takes place on June 3rd . 5pm to 8pm


From:https: www.xorbia.com A lively auction featuring birdhouses, mailboxes, yard art and found art for the home custom-crafted or decorated by local artists and famous Decatur personalities. The bidding will be hot for these one-of-a kind masterpieces lead by our local favorite emcee! Other highlights include a raffle, kids' activities center and live music by Jeff Holt. Guests will also enjoy wine, beer and fabulous food showcasing The Solarium's preferred caterers. Have a great time with your neighbors and friends while supporting the mission of the Community Center of South Decatur and The Solarium, which help suppport programs and events within the Decatur community. For more information visit www.thesolarium.com or email us at contact@thesolarium.com. See you there!

You scream, I scream for Ice Cream ... but not in DeKalb

 Photo credit: flickriver.com
From ajc 

By April Hunt

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

What would summer be without the tinny jangle of the ice-cream truck? Answer: DeKalb County.
No, county leaders don’t hate cool treats. Or children. It’s just that county code makes it illegal to sell any food – ice cream is specifically listed – from any cart or vehicle on county streets.

Not that anyone seemed to know until one ice-cream truck driver complained to commissioners  last week that police had cited him twice for daring to offer Nutty Buddys, Push Up Pops and Screwballs (there’s a gumball at the bottom!).

Said Commissioner Larry Johnson, “Is that why I never see the ice-cream truck anymore?"

In a word, yes. And although County Commissioners agreed Tuesday to take up the cause – and also consider allowing food trucks while they’re at it – it will be officially summer by the time things are sorted out.
full story at ajc

Sunday, May 13, 2012

AMC Theatre at Phipps Plaza to get $1 Million Renovation

From whatnowatlanta.com
Movie theatre slated for $1.2 Million facelift.

AMC Phipps Plaza 14 is undergoing a $1.2 Million renovation, according to an application for a building permit filed with City of Atlanta on April 25.

The movie theatre located on the third floor of the luxury Buckhead mall announced its plans for the renovations in a press release Wednesday.

“For the last several years we’ve worked to bring our guests a number of different moviegoing improvements to help get people excited about coming to the movies, and we’ve had great success with a variety of enhancements at locations around the country,” Mark McDonald, executive vice president of Global Development at AMC, said in the release.

When finished, the theatre will feature stadium-style seating instead of the current sloped floors, according to the release. The seats will be converted into “power recliners with footrests.”

In addition, AMC plans to install a MacGuffins bar (named after a term coined by famed filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock) allowing guests to order a beer, wine or cocktail at the theatre.

AMC’s concession stand will be remodeled into The Marketplace. Instead of waiting in lines to order, the concessions are laid out at convenient stations, allowing guests to choose what they want, before proceeding to the checkout area.

Other modifications to the theatre include a renovation of the theatre’s restrooms, as well as changes to the box office and lobby area.

“These innovative renovations to AMC Phipps Plaza are going to take moviegoing in Atlanta to an entirely new level,” Dewayne Herbert, mall manager at Phipps Plaza, said in the release. “We are thrilled with this announcement, as it complements other recent additions to the mall — such as the opening of LEGOLAND Discovery Center — in establishing Phipps Plaza as an entertainment destination.”

Construction will begin at AMC Phipps Plaza this summer and the theatre will remain open during the renovations, which should be complete by the end of 2012.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Kudza Antiques to Open 2nd Location in Roswell

From : http://www.tonetoatl.com
Kudzu Antiques is opening a second  location in Sandy Springs on Roswell Road.  Kudzu will open a 29,000 s/f  store later this fall in the former Red Baron Antiques.  Having been in Decatur for more than 30 years, Kudzu is a local favorite for hard to find antiques, folk art and even movie props.  The store moved from its original Decatur location at N. Arcadia  and East Ponce Avenues a few years ago and its former property is now a Progressive Insurance office. Kudzu's current location is 25,000 s/f and is open 7 days a week. 

h/t decatur metro

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Decatur Arts Festival, Meals on Wheels Looking for Volunteers

From the decatur patch
http://decatur.patch.com/articles/volunteers-needed-for-arts-fest-meals-on-wheels
Volunteers Needed For Arts Fest, Meals on Wheels
Lee Ann Harvey, the volunteer coordinator for the City of Decatur, says these opportunities are now available.

Decatur Arts Festival – Memorial Weekend

There are still volunteer opportunities available set up and close down of the Artists Market, Artists Helpers, Kids & Teens Arts Festival, Silent Auction, and Theater & Literary Arts.

Volunteers receive a Decatur Arts Festival T-shirt. The deadline to choose your T-shirt size for volunteering at the festival is Wednesday, May 9. After that date, you will receive a T-shirt but size choice is not guaranteed.  We especially could use lots more volunteers for Close Down on Sunday evening. Close Down volunteers will receive a special thank you gift in addition to the volunteer T-shirt. Visit http://decaturartsfestival.com for more information.

To obtain a volunteer signup form or details about volunteer opportunities, contact LeeAnn Harvey, volunteer coordinator at the City of Decatur, at leeann.harvey@decaturga.com or call 678-553-6548.
read full story : decatur.patch.com

Decatur Street Scene


Monday, May 7, 2012

Fire Hydrant Tests

From decaturga.com
photo credit: Nextstopdecatur.com 

Fire departments across the country are required to service fire hydrants twice a year, usually in the spring and fall. NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) and ISO (Insurance Services Office) require that this inspection be done to ensure the hydrants have proper water pressure and operate as they are designed.

The Decatur Fire Department will test fire hydrants in April, May and June.
Please Note: During the pressure-testing and flowing of the hydrants household water can become cloudy due to disturbance within the water pipes. This condition is temporary and usually clears up quickly.

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Question: Does the cap painted green mean something special ??????
Answer: Yep it does mean something.
Update:
 
Do you ever wonder why fire hydrants are painted the colors they are?  The lower part of fire hydrants a reflective silver to assist the Fire Department in locating them, especially at night. The tops of the hydrants were color coded based on the flow of the hydrant under normal operating conditions expressed in gallons per minute.
  The National standard for the body colors of the hydrants is a chrome yellow; however, silver is still recognized as a standard color. Therefore, municipal hydrant body color will continue to be silver. The tops or caps of the hydrants are going to change and will be painted according to flow on the hydrant at 20 pounds per square inch of pressure (psi).


I like when the fire hydrants are painted all silver or all Yellow.  The one above is in front of Greenes Fine Foods 

The 2012 Decatur Arts Festival Poster

 From: decaturartsfestival.com
This year’s Decatur Arts Festival poster design is by Lonnie Selph, a sophomore studying graphic design and illustration at the Art Institute Atlanta-Decatur.
Lonnie is a United States Marine from Griffin,Georgia, who served two years in Iraq and is currently serving with the reserves. He was a finalist in the competition held for the poster design at AIA-Decatur and worked with the Decatur Arts Alliance board committee to create this year’s vibrant image of celebration and creativity.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Trinity Mercantile & Design



Trinity Mercantile & Design
As their web site says:  Fun Fabulous retail store in downtown Decatur Georgia. We can help! If you need design services, or you just want to come in and pick out your own style! Designer resource to the trade...if you know what we mean. We have tons of resources for custom upholstery, casegoods, lighting, rugs, carpeting, window treatments, accessories, gifts! If you are high style, traditionalist or somewhere in between, we have it covered.
http://www.houzz.com/pro/131trinity/trinity-mercantile-design


Contact:
Lisa,Wallace & Mike
Type:
Interior Designers
Address:
131 East Trinity Place, Decatur,
Georgia, United States, 30030
Phone:
404-378-0197
Website:
www.131trinity.com

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Bike Valet Service for Decatur Arts Festival May 26 and 27

From: decaturartsfestival.com

New this year is a free bike valet service. A valet attendant remains on duty to park and monitor bikes during the event.
Park your bike and enjoy the festival knowing that it will remain secure. Look for signs to direct you to the bike valet area.
The Decatur Arts Festival worked with the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition to provide this service. We hope to reduce the event’s impact on traffic congestion and carbon emissions by supporting the bicycle transportation alternative. The bike valet service is sponsored by Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and Bicycle South.

Kentucky Derby Favorites

--  From: www.kentucky-derby-online-betting.com
For this running of the Kentucky Derby sit back with this classic Bourbon made in Kentucky to help get you in the mood. This way, no matter how much you bet, you will be calm as a cucumber while watching the races and drunk off of fine Kentucky bourbon.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Cinco de Mayo celebrations

-- Cinco de Mayo celebrations
from: ajc
by Jon Watson
Every year on the 5th of May, in honor of the Mexican army’s victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, revelers flood the streets of America in droves in search of cheap margaritas and bottles of lime-stuffed beer. And, fortunately for most of us, this year Cinco de Mayo falls on a Saturday, leaving us with plenty of celebrations to choose from. Here is a roundup of some of Atlanta’s best Cinco de Mayo celebrations.
Here is the list from:  http://blogs.ajc.com/food-and-more/2012/04/27/cinco-de-mayo-celebrations/

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

The 2012 Decatur Arts Festival Poster Unveiling May 3


  From : decaturartsfestival.com

Be the first to see this year’s poster for the festival. Enjoy drinks and small bites before and after the poster is unveiled.

Where: The Old Courthouse on the Square
When:  May 3 at 5 pm

Read about the 2012 artist for poster @ http://decaturartsfestival.com