CONTACT......EVENTS......RESTAURANTS......ANTIQUES - KUDZU ANTIQUES & DECATUR ESTATE ......EDDIE'S ATTIC
Get out and see a Movie: AMC North Dekalb Mall & The Plaza Theatre
Get out and see a Movie: AMC North Dekalb Mall & The Plaza Theatre
Sunday, June 16, 2013
"Ponce - Gateway to Decatur" - The Best Pulled Pork in Midtown
"Ponce - Gateway to Decatur" is a new feature for Next Stop..Decatur. Images of Ponce de Leon Ave. You never know what you will see or find.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Decatur Beach Party this Friday June 14 - 5-11 PM
Over at The Decatur Minute they remind us of the
Decatur Beach Party this Friday .
and after it's over you can take some of the sand home for FREE.
----
From: http://www.ticketalternative.com/Events/22931.aspx BUY TICKETS HERE
Head to downtown Decatur on Friday, June 14 from 5-11 pm for the annual Beach Party, brought to you by the Decatur Business Association. Celebrate the start of summer at the famous Ponce de Leon Beach with 60 tons of sand, a kids board walk with all kinds of fun games, live music, dancing on the plaza, a food court, cold beverages and guaranteed great times for all ages!
Decatur Beach Party this Friday .
and after it's over you can take some of the sand home for FREE.
----
From: http://www.ticketalternative.com/Events/22931.aspx BUY TICKETS HERE
Head to downtown Decatur on Friday, June 14 from 5-11 pm for the annual Beach Party, brought to you by the Decatur Business Association. Celebrate the start of summer at the famous Ponce de Leon Beach with 60 tons of sand, a kids board walk with all kinds of fun games, live music, dancing on the plaza, a food court, cold beverages and guaranteed great times for all ages!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Do you believe in UFO's ?
Click here for some MORE UFO pictures
------------------
Also see this related video
Very strange. ???
Thursday, June 6, 2013
"Ponce - Gateway to Decatur"
"Ponce - Gateway to Decatur" is a new feature for Next Stop..Decatur.
Images of Ponce de Leon Ave. You never know what you will see or find.
Click image to visit Paris on Ponce.com
Click image to visit Paris on Ponce.com
Bowling and Beer = FUN
From East Cobb Patch
Brunswick’s, a new upscale bowling and entertainment center with the full-service Tavern ’45 restaurant, will open its first two locations this summer in the East Cobb area and Norcross.
Brunswick’s will cater to adults. The Marietta/East Cobb location will open in mid-June at 2749 Delk Road. It currently is the site of a Brunswick Zone facility that is being renovated for the expanded facility.
“We designed a place where guests will want to socialize and connect with family and friends through group activities while enjoying great food, craft beer and exceptional service,” Brunswick Bowling Retail president Jim Fox said.
The 40,000-square-foot location on Delk Road will feature remodeled interiors, plush furnishings and mood lighting as well as upgraded bowling equipment. The location will feature 40 lanes.
Read full story
Brunswick’s, a new upscale bowling and entertainment center with the full-service Tavern ’45 restaurant, will open its first two locations this summer in the East Cobb area and Norcross.
Brunswick’s will cater to adults. The Marietta/East Cobb location will open in mid-June at 2749 Delk Road. It currently is the site of a Brunswick Zone facility that is being renovated for the expanded facility.
“We designed a place where guests will want to socialize and connect with family and friends through group activities while enjoying great food, craft beer and exceptional service,” Brunswick Bowling Retail president Jim Fox said.
The 40,000-square-foot location on Delk Road will feature remodeled interiors, plush furnishings and mood lighting as well as upgraded bowling equipment. The location will feature 40 lanes.
Read full story
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Studio Movie Grill Big Hit for Duluth
WELCOME TO STUDIO MOVIE GRILL
Studio Movie Grill is the pioneer of the in-theater dining concept offering up first-run movies and alternate programming alongside an American Grill menu and full service bar. Visit any one of their locations for unmatched food and beverage service and the very best viewing experience available. Reserve your seats now with QuickTickets system or browse all content using the Browse By Movie feature.
From http://www.studiomoviegrill.com/
Studio Movie Grill is the pioneer of the in-theater dining concept offering up first-run movies and alternate programming alongside an American Grill menu and full service bar. Visit any one of their locations for unmatched food and beverage service and the very best viewing experience available. Reserve your seats now with QuickTickets system or browse all content using the Browse By Movie feature.
From http://www.studiomoviegrill.com/
Monday, June 3, 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
DECATUR Beach Party Friday June 14
From http://www.ticketalternative.com/Events/22931.aspx---BUY TICKETS HERE
Head to downtown Decatur on Friday, June 14 from 5-11 pm for the annual Beach Party, brought to you by the Decatur Business Association. Celebrate the start of summer at the famous Ponce de Leon Beach with 60 tons of sand, a kids board walk with all kinds of fun games, live music, dancing on the plaza, a food court, cold beverages and guaranteed great times for all ages!
The Beach Party welcomes headliner A1A, “the original and official Jimmy Buffet tribute band,” dancing and relaxing on the plaza. And for the younger set, Douglas Brake and the Sizzle, Hiss, Pop Band return for a special kid’s concert.
*Friday June 14th, 5-11pm*
General Admission: $7
Children (3-12): $5
Children under 3 are admitted without charge
Read more at The Decatur Minute
Head to downtown Decatur on Friday, June 14 from 5-11 pm for the annual Beach Party, brought to you by the Decatur Business Association. Celebrate the start of summer at the famous Ponce de Leon Beach with 60 tons of sand, a kids board walk with all kinds of fun games, live music, dancing on the plaza, a food court, cold beverages and guaranteed great times for all ages!
The Beach Party welcomes headliner A1A, “the original and official Jimmy Buffet tribute band,” dancing and relaxing on the plaza. And for the younger set, Douglas Brake and the Sizzle, Hiss, Pop Band return for a special kid’s concert.
*Friday June 14th, 5-11pm*
General Admission: $7
Children (3-12): $5
Children under 3 are admitted without charge
Read more at The Decatur Minute
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
"Ponce - Gateway to Decatur"
Virginia-Highland 2013 Summerfest June 1-2
From http://vahi.org/summerfest/
Saturday/Sunday Events Are Open to General Public.
Free Admission, Donations Greatly Appreciated. Here is a video from Summerfest 2010
Saturday June 1, 2013 | 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. (Artist Market closes at 6:30 p.m.) |
Sunday, June 2, 2013 | 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. |
Free Admission, Donations Greatly Appreciated. Here is a video from Summerfest 2010
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
The 2013 Decatur Arts Festival Poster
Galina Herndon, 2013 Poster Artist
From: decaturartsfestival.com
This year’s Arts Festival poster features a painting by Galina Herndon of Roswell, Georgia. Born and raised in the Ural Mountains of Russia, Galina began oil painting in 1999, following in the footsteps of her artistic parents and grandparents. She worked for 14 years producing technical illustrations from the digging sites on various archaeology expeditions across the former Soviet Union.
After creating technical work for so long, Galina enjoys creating curves in her drawings of cityscapes and landscapes. She uses warm colors in her paintings because she wants to convey a sense of happiness to contrast the cold of Russia and the rigid political landscape in which she was raised. Galina has an art studio at Elegant Attic in historic Roswell, where her art is showcased.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Friday, May 17, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
20 Story Ferris Wheel Coming to Atlanta
--
From 11alive
ATLANTA -- Monday, the Atlanta city council will vote on whether to allow a private developer to build a 20-story ferris wheel in a parking lot adjacent to Centennial Olympic Park.
The ferris wheel would come by way of France, where it operated across from the Louvre in Paris. It would be called SkyView Atlanta. It most recently operated in Pensacola.
Its backers are picturing an iconic presence on the Atlanta skyline, something a little akin to the Eye of London.
"St. Louis has its arch, San Francisco has the Golden Gate bridge," said Jason Evans, spokesman for the St. Louis-based developer pitching the project. "I don't want to be so presumptive as to think this is going to be one of the iconic images of Atlanta, but I think this will have an impact on the skyline."
The project would be located in a parking lot on the same city block as the Tabernacle, a downtown concert venue.
The developer is hoping to tap into the tourists that now throng attractions like the Georgia Aquarium, also located alongside Centennial Park. Evans said the ferris wheel would have six-seat climate-controlled gondolas. Tickets, he projected, would cost $13.50 for adults and 8.50 for children.
read more
ATLANTA -- Monday, the Atlanta city council will vote on whether to allow a private developer to build a 20-story ferris wheel in a parking lot adjacent to Centennial Olympic Park.
The ferris wheel would come by way of France, where it operated across from the Louvre in Paris. It would be called SkyView Atlanta. It most recently operated in Pensacola.
Its backers are picturing an iconic presence on the Atlanta skyline, something a little akin to the Eye of London.
"St. Louis has its arch, San Francisco has the Golden Gate bridge," said Jason Evans, spokesman for the St. Louis-based developer pitching the project. "I don't want to be so presumptive as to think this is going to be one of the iconic images of Atlanta, but I think this will have an impact on the skyline."
The project would be located in a parking lot on the same city block as the Tabernacle, a downtown concert venue.
The developer is hoping to tap into the tourists that now throng attractions like the Georgia Aquarium, also located alongside Centennial Park. Evans said the ferris wheel would have six-seat climate-controlled gondolas. Tickets, he projected, would cost $13.50 for adults and 8.50 for children.
read more
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Ponce - Gateway to Decatur
"Ponce - Gateway to Decatur" is a new feature for Next Stop..Decatur.
Images of Ponce de Leon Ave. You never know what you will see or find.
Images of Ponce de Leon Ave. You never know what you will see or find.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Decatur's Two new Mexican Restaurants to Open
From : http://decatur.patch.com
Decatur's two new Mexican restaurants will open soon -- Hola! on May 13
SEE MENU
and Mar sometime in mid-May.Update: Mar Grand Opening is May 24
Hola!, occupying the Decatur Diner spot at East Ponce and Church Street, will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week co-owner Mike Brosius said.
The menu will be based on Mexican food, but non-Mexican dishes will be available, too.
read more at decatur patch
Decatur's two new Mexican restaurants will open soon -- Hola! on May 13
SEE MENU
and Mar sometime in mid-May.Update: Mar Grand Opening is May 24
Hola!, occupying the Decatur Diner spot at East Ponce and Church Street, will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week co-owner Mike Brosius said.
The menu will be based on Mexican food, but non-Mexican dishes will be available, too.
read more at decatur patch
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Charlie Daniels Band Scheduled to Rock Stone Mountain Park's Memorial Day Weekend Salute The Troops Event
Charlie Daniels Band Scheduled To Rock
Stone Mountain Park’s
Memorial Day Weekend Salute The Troops
Event
Summer Kicks Off with Live Music, Free Tickets for
Military and Special Patriotic Fireworks
Memorial Day
Weekend Dates/Times: May 25-27; 10:30
a.m. to 8 p.m.
Charlie
Daniels Band Concert: May 26; 7:45
p.m.
Special
Patriotic Fireworks; Directly After
the Lasershow
Stone
Mountain, Ga. – Stone Mountain Park (SMP),
Georgia’s No.1 attraction, kicks off the start to summer with the Charlie
Daniels Band and other patriotic activities Memorial Day Weekend, May 25-27.
New for 2013, The Charlie Daniels Band will perform a
free concert on the main stage at the base of Stone Mountain on Sunday, May 26.
The legendary band is best known for their signature song “The Devil Went Down
To Georgia,” a staple in the park’s popular Lasershow
Spectacular in Mountainvision®.
Photo credit: http://artandseek.net
Photo credit: http://artandseek.net
Decatur Green Fest is Saturday at Courthouse Square --- 3-10pm
From decaturgreenfest.com
Headlining this year will be Ed Roland, Atlanta native and heart of the band Collective Soul, featuring his new band currently recording its debut album for release in 2013. Decatur Green Fest welcomes to the Tree Sound Solar Stage ...Ed Roland and the Sweet Tea Project !!!7-9:30pm
Monday, May 6, 2013
50 Years of James Bond Coming to The Plaza Theatre this Summer
This Summer Bond is Back ...Starts July 1st - The Plaza Theatre is the first theatre in the country to do this!
Friday, May 3, 2013
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
What makes "Shaky Knees" Festival Different
From Atlanta Magazine
Tim Sweetwood, organizer of the event debuting at Historic Fourth Ward Park this week, talks about what makes "Shaky Knees" different.
By Richard L. Eldredge On May 4 and 5, Westminster Schools grad and the Masquerade music hall promoter Tim Sweetwood will bring twenty-eight bands—including the Lumineers, Band of Horses, and Drive-By Truckers—to three stages in the Historic Fourth Ward Park for the city’s inaugural Shaky Knees Music Festival. Before soundcheck, we talked with Sweetwood about why the city needs another music festival and what he hopes will make his different. How did you arrive at Shaky Knees as the name for the festival? It’s from a My Morning Jacket song. I wanted something that wasn’t “The Old Fourth Ward Music Festival.” It was just a cool lyric from my favorite band that was inspirational. From your job at the Masquerade, you watched as that old parking lot on North Avenue transformed into a city park. Did observing that revitalization help inspire this new festival? Definitely. It’s the right place, right time—not only for me and where I am in my career as a booker, but where this neighborhood is right now. It’s all come to fruition over here. Everybody wants to throw an event in that park right now, but since we’re the neighbor that sits right on top of it, it made logical sense that we would partner with the park space. read full post.
----
Shaky Knees‘ inaugural lineup will feature headliners The Lumineers and Band of Horses as well as Jim James, Drive By Truckers, Gary Clark Jr., Lucero, Dr. Dog, Delta Spirit, The Antlers, Kurt Vile & The Violators, The Black Angels, The Joy Formidable, Heartless Bastards, Oberhofer, Frontier Ruckus, Murder By Death, Shovels & Rope, Moon Taxi, GOAT, Hanni El Khatib, The Orwells, J. Roddy Walston & The Business, Vintage Trouble, Robert Ellis, You Me & Apollo, Roadkill Ghost Choir, T. Hardy Morris and Death On Two Wheels.
By Richard L. Eldredge On May 4 and 5, Westminster Schools grad and the Masquerade music hall promoter Tim Sweetwood will bring twenty-eight bands—including the Lumineers, Band of Horses, and Drive-By Truckers—to three stages in the Historic Fourth Ward Park for the city’s inaugural Shaky Knees Music Festival. Before soundcheck, we talked with Sweetwood about why the city needs another music festival and what he hopes will make his different. How did you arrive at Shaky Knees as the name for the festival? It’s from a My Morning Jacket song. I wanted something that wasn’t “The Old Fourth Ward Music Festival.” It was just a cool lyric from my favorite band that was inspirational. From your job at the Masquerade, you watched as that old parking lot on North Avenue transformed into a city park. Did observing that revitalization help inspire this new festival? Definitely. It’s the right place, right time—not only for me and where I am in my career as a booker, but where this neighborhood is right now. It’s all come to fruition over here. Everybody wants to throw an event in that park right now, but since we’re the neighbor that sits right on top of it, it made logical sense that we would partner with the park space. read full post.
----
Shaky Knees‘ inaugural lineup will feature headliners The Lumineers and Band of Horses as well as Jim James, Drive By Truckers, Gary Clark Jr., Lucero, Dr. Dog, Delta Spirit, The Antlers, Kurt Vile & The Violators, The Black Angels, The Joy Formidable, Heartless Bastards, Oberhofer, Frontier Ruckus, Murder By Death, Shovels & Rope, Moon Taxi, GOAT, Hanni El Khatib, The Orwells, J. Roddy Walston & The Business, Vintage Trouble, Robert Ellis, You Me & Apollo, Roadkill Ghost Choir, T. Hardy Morris and Death On Two Wheels.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Sunday, April 28, 2013
I SPY.....Something from the 50's
-- "I Spy" is a family friendly game that is mostly played by children and can be enjoyed by anyone. It's a great car game while traveling long distances.
Seen here is a 1954 Chevy Belair
Friday, April 26, 2013
FUN SATURDAY EVENT
Fun Saturday Event
This sent in by Ellie
Hey there!
Super last minute but I wanted to reach out and say hello!
I'm actually holding a fantastic event this Saturday where a bunch of Decatur lovers :) are going to 8 restaurants around downtown.
The event actually is donating a portion of the proceeds to the Break Thru House. You can check it out here . We just held another event with the Iberian Pig and others which was uber amazing!! Well, Hello! And, I wanted to share with you a promo code for families and friends alike as it'll be such an amazing and food focused event. If you'd like to use or share the code: decaturkids I would love to see you there! :) Ellie
I'm actually holding a fantastic event this Saturday where a bunch of Decatur lovers :) are going to 8 restaurants around downtown.
The event actually is donating a portion of the proceeds to the Break Thru House. You can check it out here . We just held another event with the Iberian Pig and others which was uber amazing!! Well, Hello! And, I wanted to share with you a promo code for families and friends alike as it'll be such an amazing and food focused event. If you'd like to use or share the code: decaturkids I would love to see you there! :) Ellie
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Decatur Tennis Tournament May 13 - 19 at Glenlake Tennis Center
From Be Active Decatur
The annual Decatur Tennis Tournament will be held May 13 - 19 at Glenlake Tennis Center. Tournament play begins on Monday, May 13 at 5pm. USTA rules and "the code" will govern play. Interested? For more information and to enter, click here.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Neil Diamond Leads Fenway Park Crowd in Singing "Sweet Caroline"
From CBS: BOSTON (CBS) – Neil Diamond made a surprise appearance at Fenway Park Saturday afternoon. Diamond flew into town on his own and asked the Red Sox if he could sing “Sweet Caroline” as a live performance. The song is an eighth inning tradition at Fenway Park that’s been adopted by teams around the Major Leagues this past week to show their support for Boston. As Diamond left the field, the crowd chanted “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
MAR Now Hiring Kitchen and Bar Staff -- Opening Soon
UPDATE FROM: atlantamagazine.com See inside photos
--MAR sent me a Facebook note :
MAR
so close! opening in next few weeks! now hiring for kitchen and wait staff
MAR is located at 314 E Howard Ave. Decatur. GA Read more of this article at www.atlantamagazine.com
MAR
so close! opening in next few weeks! now hiring for kitchen and wait staff
MAR is located at 314 E Howard Ave. Decatur. GA Read more of this article at www.atlantamagazine.com
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Buffalo Exchange Now Open
--
From : http://www.buffaloexchange.com/
Buffalo Exchange is unique because clothing and accessories are bought, sold and traded locally with store customers. Bring in your former favorites for trade or cash on the spot! Our ever-changing inventory includes designer labels, vintage, jeans, leather, current basics and one-of-a-kind items. You'll also find brand new merchandise and accessories.
Our clothing is by the community, for the community. Buffalo Exchange stores are located in the heart of progressive, urban neighborhoods, minimizing pollution, congestion, habitat loss and urban sprawl. 80% of our clothing and accessories are bought directly from local customers. Buffalo Exchange offers clothing for both men and women and is more fashionable than your regular thrift store. At the buy counter, we hand pick the most desirable items from the public that can be resold. Our prices range widely depending on the label, style, condition and other factors. Many items average around $15. Designer jeans are higher in price, but our prices are far lower than retail.
From : http://www.buffaloexchange.com/
Buffalo Exchange is unique because clothing and accessories are bought, sold and traded locally with store customers. Bring in your former favorites for trade or cash on the spot! Our ever-changing inventory includes designer labels, vintage, jeans, leather, current basics and one-of-a-kind items. You'll also find brand new merchandise and accessories.
Our clothing is by the community, for the community. Buffalo Exchange stores are located in the heart of progressive, urban neighborhoods, minimizing pollution, congestion, habitat loss and urban sprawl. 80% of our clothing and accessories are bought directly from local customers. Buffalo Exchange offers clothing for both men and women and is more fashionable than your regular thrift store. At the buy counter, we hand pick the most desirable items from the public that can be resold. Our prices range widely depending on the label, style, condition and other factors. Many items average around $15. Designer jeans are higher in price, but our prices are far lower than retail.
"See Rock City" Sign Saved
From : myfoxatlanta.com
CUMMING, Ga. - A Forsyth County man who's been battling with the government over a large sign on his property is claiming victory on Thursday.
Ben Morris was facing possible jail time after restoring his 90-year-old barn and the "See Rock City" sign on its roof. Forsyth County code enforcement called it a violation of the county's law regulating large signs.
"It's a victory for the citizens of our county, that we the people will not tolerate unnecessary interference in our lives and the erasing of our history from unelected bureaucrats," said Morris.
CUMMING, Ga. - A Forsyth County man who's been battling with the government over a large sign on his property is claiming victory on Thursday.
Ben Morris was facing possible jail time after restoring his 90-year-old barn and the "See Rock City" sign on its roof. Forsyth County code enforcement called it a violation of the county's law regulating large signs.
"It's a victory for the citizens of our county, that we the people will not tolerate unnecessary interference in our lives and the erasing of our history from unelected bureaucrats," said Morris.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Decatur Green Fest Saturday May 11, 2013
From www.decaturgreenfest.com
Headlining this year will be Ed Roland, Atlanta native and former heart of the band Collective Soul, featuring his new band currently recording its debut album for release in 2013.
Decatur Green Fest welcomes to the
Tree Sound Solar Stage ...
Ed Roland and the Sweet Tea Project !!!
7-9:30pm
Sunday, April 14, 2013
"SEE ROCK CITY" Sign Sparks modern debate over Law
From: forsythnews.com
Ol' time sign sparks modern debate over law
Photo credit: D.G. Whitefield for Next Stop...Decatur
“Sign, sign,everywhere a sign
Blockin’ out the scenery,
breakin’ my mind
Do this, don’t do that, can’t
you read the sign?”
The Five Man Electrical Band, whose anti-establishment hit “Signs” rocked the music charts in the early 1970s, was a Canadian group, so odds are its members didn’t grow up with “See Rock City” signs dotting the roadways on barns scattered across the rural countryside.
But a lot of us here in Georgia did, which is why the current brouhaha over such a barn sign, and the citation of the barn’s owner for violating county laws, strikes such an emotional chord.
Beginning in the mid-1930s, a creative marketing genius decided the best way to draw attention to the Rock City tourist attraction in north Georgia near Chattanooga was to make it famous by roadside signage. Over the next 25 years or so, some 900 barns in 19 states across the nation, primarily in the South, were used to invite folks to “See Rock City.”
The advertising campaign became famous in its own right, eventually becoming as much a part of the rural Southern way of life as red tractors and spotted hens. But times change, and “See Rock City” went from being an advertising slogan to a nostalgic reminder of a simpler time, when Sunday drives on lightly traveled rural roads bereft of billboards were common.
As the saying goes, that was then and this is now.
In the process of renovating an old farm site into a car lot, Ben Morris decided to return an old barn to the traditional red and black colors of an early generation, and to once again invite the world to “See Rock City” via bold white letters against a black roof.
Morris says he was simply repainting a sign that had been there in the past but had faded to the point of being virtually impossible to see. If that’s the case, county officials say, then the sign can be grandfathered in under the county’s sign ordinance and allowed to remain. But if not, it’s a violation of the ordinance as an unpermitted roof sign.
Morris has beaten an Americana drum and rallied support to his cause. The county finds itself trying to defend a portion of its sign law that it likely never expected to be a problem. County officials say they can’t ignore the law just because they like what a sign says, and they have to enforce it the same way for everyone.
Here’s hoping that someone can step forward with solid proof that the barn in question was, indeed, once painted as an advertisement for a most unique tourist attraction, and that this particular piece of historic Southern culture can remain as a reminder of simpler days.
Lacking that, surely those entrusted to write and enforce county ordinances can find a way to allow the preservation of a bit of history that doesn’t open the door to a future of neon lights and day-glow paints atop the roofs throughout the county.
--------------------------------------------
Ol' time sign sparks modern debate over law
Photo credit: D.G. Whitefield for Next Stop...Decatur
“Sign, sign,everywhere a sign
Blockin’ out the scenery,
breakin’ my mind
Do this, don’t do that, can’t
you read the sign?”
The Five Man Electrical Band, whose anti-establishment hit “Signs” rocked the music charts in the early 1970s, was a Canadian group, so odds are its members didn’t grow up with “See Rock City” signs dotting the roadways on barns scattered across the rural countryside.
But a lot of us here in Georgia did, which is why the current brouhaha over such a barn sign, and the citation of the barn’s owner for violating county laws, strikes such an emotional chord.
Beginning in the mid-1930s, a creative marketing genius decided the best way to draw attention to the Rock City tourist attraction in north Georgia near Chattanooga was to make it famous by roadside signage. Over the next 25 years or so, some 900 barns in 19 states across the nation, primarily in the South, were used to invite folks to “See Rock City.”
The advertising campaign became famous in its own right, eventually becoming as much a part of the rural Southern way of life as red tractors and spotted hens. But times change, and “See Rock City” went from being an advertising slogan to a nostalgic reminder of a simpler time, when Sunday drives on lightly traveled rural roads bereft of billboards were common.
As the saying goes, that was then and this is now.
In the process of renovating an old farm site into a car lot, Ben Morris decided to return an old barn to the traditional red and black colors of an early generation, and to once again invite the world to “See Rock City” via bold white letters against a black roof.
Morris says he was simply repainting a sign that had been there in the past but had faded to the point of being virtually impossible to see. If that’s the case, county officials say, then the sign can be grandfathered in under the county’s sign ordinance and allowed to remain. But if not, it’s a violation of the ordinance as an unpermitted roof sign.
Morris has beaten an Americana drum and rallied support to his cause. The county finds itself trying to defend a portion of its sign law that it likely never expected to be a problem. County officials say they can’t ignore the law just because they like what a sign says, and they have to enforce it the same way for everyone.
Here’s hoping that someone can step forward with solid proof that the barn in question was, indeed, once painted as an advertisement for a most unique tourist attraction, and that this particular piece of historic Southern culture can remain as a reminder of simpler days.
Lacking that, surely those entrusted to write and enforce county ordinances can find a way to allow the preservation of a bit of history that doesn’t open the door to a future of neon lights and day-glow paints atop the roofs throughout the county.
--------------------------------------------
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Decatur High School circa 1942
In 1942 this was the Decatur Girls High School. The Boys High School was two doors down to the right on other side of the old Auditorium.
Photo from 1942 Decatur Girls High School Yearbook.
Photo from 1942 Decatur Girls High School Yearbook.
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