The Decatur Minute

There are so many things to see and do in Decatur this weekend, I probably won’t be able to list them all here! Here are the big ones:

*Little Shop of Stories 10^th Anniversary Celebration-Saturday, May 2nd 11am-4pm   Music, books, bouncy things, crafts, and a special appearance by Judy Schachner, author of Skippy John Jones series

*Beat the Street for Little Feet 5K-  Info here

*Concerts on the Square-7:00-9:30pm on the Community Bandstand featuring  The High Strung String Band

*dance, Dance, DANCE- On Saturday, May 2 from 5PM-10PM the open spaces and vacant buildings along 4 blocks of E Howard Ave (between Trinity Ave and the Ice House lofts) will be transformed into a FREE, all ages participatory dance experience: danceDanceDANCE!  East Howard Avenue will be closed between North Candler Street and Hillyer Place. Parking is available at the Decatur Recreation Center at 231 Sycamore Street. See the attached flyer for a map.

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The National Alliance on Mental Illness DeKalb County Affiliate invites everyone to gather at 7 p.m. on May 1 on the Decatur square to honor those living with a mental health condition and their loved ones. Street theater begins at 7:00 p.m. and the vigil starts at 7:30 p.m. for the Vigil. Participants are asked to wear green. For information contact 404-604-2350 or info@namidekalb.com.

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The City of Decatur offers Neighborhood Clean-Up days once a year to allow residents to dispose of bulky items that aren’t normally placed in Pay-As-You-Throw bags.  Each street in the City is assigned to one Saturday each spring, generally between March-June.  Don’t forget that Decatur also accepts bulky items year round as a part of the regular sanitation pick up!

 > Download the 2015 Neighborhood Clean Up Schedule Here

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If you have any questions, please contact Sean Woodson at sean.woodson@decaturga.com or 404-377-5571.  For more information visit decaturga.com/neighborhoodcleanup

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INSTRUCTIONS: 
All items to be collected should be placed at the curb no later than 7:30a.m. This ensures that we do not have to rerun routes for late setouts. Collections run until 3:30p.m., or until finished, whichever is sooner.

ACCEPTABLE ITEMS 
• yard trimmings
• building materials (that are not from the work of private contractors)
• tires
• furniture
• appliances (not containing Freon)
• trash that would not normally be placed in pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) bags

WE WILL NOT COLLECT: 
• liquids
• dirt
• bricks
• blocks
• stone, rocks, or concrete
• motor vehicle batteries or parts

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The Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District (Metro Water District) is encouraging Decatur residents to find and fix leaks during Fix a Leak Week, March 16 – 22. Fix a Leak Week is sponsored nationally by the U.S. EPA WaterSense program. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, more than one trillion gallons of water are wasted every year in U.S. households from easy-to-fix leaks. This amount roughly equals the annual household water use of more than 11 million homes.

Make time to check, twist and replace this week.  If you do have a leaky toilet, faucet, showerhead or irrigation system around your home, grab a wrench or contact your favorite handy person, plumber or WaterSense irrigation partner. Below are some simple steps to help you get started saving both money and water:

• CHECK for leaks. Look for dripping faucets, shower heads, sprinklers and other fixtures. Also check for toilets with silent leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring into the tank and waiting 15 minutes to see if color appears in the bowl before you flush. Don’t forget to check irrigation systems and spigots too.
• TWIST on a new aerator. To save water without a noticeable difference in flow in your bathroom, twist on a WaterSense labeled faucet aerator. Also, tighten hose and pipe connections.
• REPLACE the fixture if necessary. Look for WaterSense labeled models, which are independently certified to use 20 percent less water and perform as well as or better than standard models.

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Free tax assistance and preparation for taxpayers with low- and moderate- income, with special attention to those age 60 and older, is available from AARP Foundation Tax-Aide. You do not need to be a member of AARP or a retiree to use this service.

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers, trained in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service, offer help with personal income tax returns at various locations around DeKalb County, including the Decatur Recreation Center on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through April 15

Last year, 852 AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers in Georgia helped more than 57,000 people file their federal, state and local tax returns. The program is offered at approximately 115 sites in Georgia including senior centers, libraries and other convenient locations.

Call 1-888-AARPNOW (1-888-227-7669) or visit www.aarp.org/taxaide to locate an AARP Foundation Tax-Aide site near you.

More about the AARP Foundation:

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is a program of the AARP Foundation, offered in conjunction with the IRS.

The AARP Foundation is AARP’s affiliated charity. Foundation programs provide security, protection and empowerment for older persons in need. Low-income older workers receive the job training and placement they need to rejoin the workforce. Free tax assistance and preparation is provided for low and moderate income individuals, with special attention to those 60 and older. The Foundation’s litigation staff protects the legal rights of older Americans in critical health, long-term care, consumer and employment situations. Additional programs provide information, education and services to ensure that people over 50 lead lives of independence, dignity and purpose. Foundation programs are funded by grants, tax-deductible contributions and AARP.

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Janine Kupersmith asked me to share the following fundraiser information. Her son has been shaving his head for seven years and has raised nearly $20,000 for childhood cancer research:

Hi everyone,

As many of you know, my son Evan grows his hair out every year just to shave it off.  Why? It has to do with an organization our family has been involved with for years…St. Baldrick’s.  The mission is straightforward: Conquer Kid’s Cancer.  Over the years I have seen friends in deep pain as their children fight for their lives because of cancer.  Some have lost the battle.

Through St. Baldrick’s we can help let kids be kids. The concept is people raise money and then shave their hair in honor of the kids losing their hair during cancer treatment.  2015 marks the 7th year Evan is shaving his hair to help conquer kid’s cancer.  Please take a look at Evan’s donation page and consider making a donation.  Any amount helps, but it seems like the more money he raises the thicker his hair comes back!

https://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/748018/2015

The shaving happens on Sunday March 15.  If you are in Atlanta please come by Kavarna in Decatur between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.  Any interest in shaving your hair?  You can still sign-up! Thank you in advance for helping us wipe out this nasty disease.

If you have any questions please contact Kupe at jkupersmith@gmail.com or 404-939-5873.

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