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Archive for the ‘Community’ Category

In Decatur Authors Are Rock Stars

Posted in Community, Events, Uncategorized on June 7, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

And today Decatur’s brightest rock star is Natasha Trethewey – named 2012-13 U.S. Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry by the Library of Congress.  Natasha is not new to rock star status as she received a Pulitzer in 2007 for her work “Native Guard.”

Decatur is thrilled to celebrate this achievement with a toast in the Community Bandstand from 5 – 6:30 p.m. today.  Come join the community fun that is co-sponsored by the Decatur Downtown Development Authority and the AJC Decatur Book Festival and features refreshments provided by Eddie’s Attic.

Decatur is full of rock star writers and we congratulate Natasha on her newest awesome achievement.

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Glenlake Pool Closed Thursday and Friday

Posted in Community on May 30, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Update 6/1/12: Repairs were completed earlier than expected on Thursday. The pool is open today, June 1, from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Glenlake Pool will be closed on Thursday, May 31 and Friday, June 1 for repairs on the filtering system.  In the interim please visit the two City of Decatur pools at McKoy or Ebster.  Glenlake pool will reopen on Saturday, June 2 from 10am-6pm.   For additional aquatic information please call 404-377-7231.

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DeKalb Library Vacation Reading Program

Posted in Community, Events on May 24, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Our Children Youth and Services director, Claire Miller, asked me to do a post on DeKalb Library’s summer reading program. I was more than happy to oblige for two reasons:

1.) As a kid I loved participating in the summer reading programs and went to the library at least once a week. Yes, I am was a nerd and proud of it!

2.) It’s a rare opportunity to be able to post a video with puppets on this blog – what a treat!

DeKalb Library Vacation Reading Program:

DeKalb County Public Library has teamed up with the Center for Puppetry Arts to let children know it’s important to continue to read during the summer months when school is out.

The Vacation Reading Program runs from Saturday, May 26 through Tuesday, July 31. To promote it, DeKalb County Public Library is having three kick-off programs – including one in Decatur. The three events will include magic, crafts and other activites as well as provide and opportunity to sign up for VRP.

  • Saturday, June 2, 10 a.m. at the Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore Street.
  • Monday, June 4, 2 p.m. at the Tucker-Reid H. Cofer Library, 5234 LaVista Rd. in Tucker.
  • Monday, June 4, 6 p.m. at the Stonecrest Library, 3123 Klondike Rd. in Lithonia.

It should also be noted that summer reading at the library isn’t just for children and teens. The library also has a program for adults. It runs May 29 to September 4 and offers those 18 years and older the opportunity to read good books, share opinions about what they have read and win great prizes.

For more information, check at your local branch or visit www.dekalblibrary.org. For children, click “Kids,” then “VRP.” For teens, click “teens,” then “Own the Night.” For adults, click “More,” then “Shelf Help,” then “Summer Reading for Adults.”

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UGA Student Commencement Speaker is Decatur High Graduate

Posted in Community, Uncategorized on May 22, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Decatur High School graduate Peter J. McDonald delivered the Student Commencement Speech at the Spring Commencement Ceremony at UGA – to a crowd of 50,000 graduating seniors.  Peter graduated summa cum laude from the UGA Honors Program and as you can hear (& see) on the video, he presented an eloquent, inspiring talk using his work as a City of Decatur summer camp counselor as a shining example of the difference that can be made for at-risk youth.

It makes me proud to be a Decatur High graduate (albeit many years before Peter) and especially proud of the heart and soul of the people that make up our community.  Great job Peter and thanks for the shout-out!

The video is well worth listening to the entire eight minutes – I promise.

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Budget meeting at City Hall

Posted in Budget, Community on May 4, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

The City of Decatur is hosting the last Community Budget Gathering of the year on Tuesday, May 8th from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at City Hall, 509 N. McDonough Street. Join Assistant City Manager Andrea Arnold and others interested in learning about the city’s budget process.

This is your chance to find out how the budget process works and give your input. Click here to find the current 2011-2012 budget.

We would like to know who’s coming so sign up today with Andrea Arnold, andrea.arnold@decaturga.com or call 404-370-4102.

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Congratulations 2012 Decatur 101 Graduates

Posted in Community, Uncategorized on April 16, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Congratulations Decatur 101 graduates!  The 2012 classes had a total of 70 participants who completed the 5-week class – 34 in the morning class and 36 in the evening class.  Decatur now has a total of 721 Decatur 101 graduates overall.

Participants toured city buildings, learned how each department works and what they do, decided how they would spend a city tax dollar, participated in a mock planning commission meeting, learned some of Decatur’s history from Walt Drake, heard from a variety of non-profit organizations about how they can get involved in the community, took a Smart Growth Walking Tour, completed a citywide scavenger hunt, had a Q&A with the Decatur City Commission, and more.

One participant said, “This program made me a better informed and educated resident…but even more, it gave me a real sense of pride and connection to my community.”  Another noted, “We are recommending this course to all our neighbors…you have developed a unique way to inform our community…it makes us proud to be a part of Decatur.”

Look for all of these informed folks to get involved in the community and ask them about their experience!  If you are interested in the 2013 classes, sign up today – we usually have a waiting list.  Email linda.harris@decaturga.com for details.

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Decatur's Kitchen Garden Turns 3 Weeks Old

Posted in Community, Sustainability on April 6, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Mayor Bill Floyd cutting the ribbon for Decatur's Kitchen Garden on March 14, 2012.

Decatur’s Kitchen Garden, located at the United Methodist Children’s Home, broke ground on March 14, 2012. With the help of some dedicated partners and volunteers, amazing progress has been made in only 3 weeks!

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Gerry Knotts, Decatur Grounds Supervisor, helping to prepare the garden for planting.

“Gerry Knotts and the rest of the Decatur Public Works crew did an amazing job with those machines! They created swales to capture and manage water, tilled up the annual beds, and secured & deposited compost and wood chips through out. It was a lot of work, and it’s deeply appreciated,” said Susan Pavlin of the Global Grower’s Network.

The design for the paths and beds of the garden, developed by Edible Yard & Garden, is an adaptation of a pattern called ‘Keyline Design.’  Using the contours of the land, the design will have the effect of completely stopping rainwater runoff and erosion and distribute rainwater throughout the land passively.  Strips of fruit trees and perennial vegetation capture runoff nutrients and allow them to be recycled back into the annual vegetable beds, as well as providing many kinds of fruits, culinary and medicinal herbs, and perennial vegetables.  For more information on Keyline Design, visit the Edible Yard & Garden website.

This market garden was created as a partnership with the United Methodist Children’s Home, Oakhurst Community Garden Project, and Edible Yard & Garden, with support from the City of Decatur and DeKalb County Board of Health.

Want to Volunteer?

Global Growers Network needs volunteers to help with our Seed Starter event. We are creating seed packets, that when distributed to our producers, will supplement their seed collections in preparation for growing crops this Summer. We need people to help weigh, package and label seed packets that we will distribute.

Join us on these dates:

Monday, April 9 from 4-6pm

Tuesday, April 10 from 1-6pm

Wednesday, April 11 from 3-6pm

Friday, April 13 from 3-6pm

Location: Bamboo Creek Farm, 1763 Big Valley Way, Stone Mountain, GA 30083

Please contact Angela at angela@globalgrowers.net or (404) 907-0133 and let her know you would like to volunteer.

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And the Winner of Southern Living's Tastiest Town is….

Posted in Community on March 15, 2012 | Leave a Comment »


Not Decatur. Boo hiss. Decatur was robbed! Robbed of our Tastiest Town title!

I kid, of course. It was all good fun and we’re so grateful that Decatur was even on the list to begin with. Plus all the shout-outs and support we got from all of you just proves how awesome and foodielicious Decatur is.

Lafayette came in first. Uh huh. Decatur came in 8th place with 10,588 votes, which considering that we only have about 19,000 residents, that’s not too shabby! And we still get a write-up in Southern Living, plus this sweet pic (above) of Kristin and Billy Allin of Cakes and Ale.

A big thank you to everyone who voted for Decatur!

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Zoning Task Force Seeks Public Input

Posted in Community, Meetings, Uncategorized on March 12, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

The Zoning Task Force (appointed by the Decatur City Commission) has been busy studying the recommendations of the 2010 Strategic Plan that relate to sustainable development, alternative transportation, enhancing the commercial tax base, housing options, and becoming an aging in place or lifelong community.

Now they are seeking public input to review their work to date and provide your thoughts and ideas.  Drop in to the open house on Wednesday, March 14 between 6 p.m. & 8 p.m.  The open house will focus on the following:  parking requirements and the creation of a parking district, accessory buildings & dwellings requirements, expansion of the special pedestrian area, expansion of urban gardening opportunities, and the creation of light manufacturing & artisanal uses.

This is the first of many public input sessions to be held throughout the year as the work continues.  For more information contact Planning Director Amanda Thompson, amanda.thompson@decaturga.com.  And, if you want more information on the charge of the Zoning Ordinance Update Task Force, click here.

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New Fitness Classes in Decatur

Posted in Community on March 6, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

You’ve probably read about these offerings on the Decatur Active Living blog, but they’re worth a second mention here.

CORE offers “Fun, Fitness & Dance” Classes at CORE Studios
Over your lunch break and after work, CORE is offering a variety of classes for you to jump in to and get a workout. Members of CORE Performance Company and some other CORE friends will be teaching classes. Drop-ins are offered at a rate of $15. Classes include Rumba, yoga, hip hop, Shake It & Stretch It Workout, Dance Sampler, and Go Girls! Click here for more info.

Fitness on Track Classes at Beacon Hill
Ready to start working out? Basic step aerobics, cardio-strength and Zumba classes are being offered at the Beacon Hill Center. Drop-ins are welcome. For more information visit www.fitnessontrack.com or contact the instructor, Brenda Roberts, at fitnessontrack@comcast.net.

Walk for Lunch: Tuesday/Thursday
Walk for Lunch is back. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the lunchtime fitness program, it includes power walking and intervals of strength and body toning exercises taught by certified fitness instructors. Walkers will check-in at noon on the square every Tuesday and Thursday beginning March 13 and ending May 31. To register, click here.

Jazzercise
For the month of March, Decatur’s Jazzercise studio located on New Street in East Decatur Station, is offering free classes on Friday and $25 off registration. For more information and a complete schedule, click here.

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