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Shawn Colvin is coming to Decatur on December 8!  The show is the fifth installment of the Eddie & Agnes Concert series and will be held in Presser Hall at Agnes Scott College.

Colvin is a Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter and  is touring in support of her latest album, All Fall Down.  Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door and are available for purchase at www.eddieowenpresents.com.

Before embarking on All Fall Down Colvin devoted much of her creative energy over the last few years to writing a memoir Diamond in the Rough, an account of her life and work to date.  Colvin is an openhearted storyteller and the publication of her memoir coincides with the release of this album.

On All Fall Down Colvin enlisted as producer her longtime friend and occasional band-mate, guitarist Buddy Miller.  The sessions, at Miller’s home studio in Nashville with its back-porch bonhomie and open-door policy encouraged drop-ins from plenty of stellar musicians including Emmylou Harris, Allison Kraus, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Jakob Dylan as well as fiddle player extraordinaire Stuart Duncan.

The material took shape with Colvin performing live in the studio, singing and playing acoustic guitar, and the tracks were subtly embellished with Bill Frisell on electric guitar, Viktor Krauss on bass, and Brian Blade on drums.

I think we are in for a real treat on December 8 – see you there!

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Calling all you folks who love Christmas ornaments and artists – the 1st annual Decatur Holiday Ornament is here!  Created by clay artist Malena Bisanti-Wall, this is the first in what will be a series of hand-crafted ornaments especially for Decatur.

The Decatur Tourism Bureau launched the series and the ornaments are available with “Holidays in Decatur” or “Christmas in Decatur” inscribed.  Each ornament is hand-crafted and each ornament is different.  The ornaments are $18 and all proceeds go toward creating the 2013 holiday ornament.

You can find the ornaments in Decatur shops including Wild Oats & Billy Goats, Little Shop of Stories, and Boogaloos.  Many thanks to Weatherly Copenhaver, owner of Wild Oats, who coordinated this first in what will be a series.  If you are interested in submitting a design for the 2013 ornament, let Weatherly know or leave a comment on this blog post.

Cute display at Little Shop of Stories

Go ahead and make your purchase now – quantities are limited and if you spend $200 in a Decatur shop in November and bring your receipts to the Community & Economic Development Department in the City of Decatur, you will receive a $20 gift certificate to a Decatur restaurant (while supplies last).  Remember to “Keep it Indie-Catur” this holiday season!

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Bean Work Play Cafe is a co-space for parents and kids – where parents can work and kids can play.  They are located at 134 New Street and are open Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.  I receive their e-newsletters and the latest one intrigued me with its special Fall Classes for kids including children’s yoga, introduction to theater, sing-along with Ms. Carol, and Exploring Art.

Children’s Yoga with Ms. Sonata is open to kids from 3 – 6 years and teaches kids to practice basic yoga poses and learn how to gain strength in using these poses in patterns and routines.  Cost is $90 for a 6 week session.

Introduction to Theatre with Shelby Hofer is an introduction to scripted text, live performance, collaborative storytelling, character development and the basics of acting.  Participants work with PushPush Theater and Film Co-founder Shelby Hofer through a series of games that are physical, loud and high-energy.  Cost is $96 for a 6 week session with a maximum class size of 6 children.

Sing-Along with Ms. Carol includes singing and musical instruments including guitar, egg shakers and more.  Song themes include the winter holidays of many cultures such as Diwali, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and more.

And, finally, Exploring Art with Ms. Kingsbury for ages 4-7 will let children explore a variety of art processes and materials to encourage and explore the visual arts.  They say children will have fun, get messy, and gain confidence in their creative choices.

Bean Work Place Cafe is an exciting new concept and well worth taking the time to visit the space.  I understand they rent out their room(s) for birthday parties also.  Even if you don’t sign up for the classes, you should stop by and just see the place.

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The ghosts and goblins were out in full force this year! Thanks to everyone who sent in submissions for the 3rd annual Decorate Decatur- Halloween edition. The winners are listed below (in no particular order)

104 Ridley Circle – Darnyl Katzinger

Nancy Wilkinson-205 Adair Street

223 Winnona Drive-Jerilynn Bedingfield, Peter Aaro-Hansen

308 Kings Hwy-Wes Cribb & Amy Chastain

Linda & David Spencer- 217 Winnona Drive

Shivani Kapoor, Alex Means, Neil Kapoor-105 Pattillo Way (Sorry, our pictures didn’t turn out well)

Greene’s Fine Foods (also not our best picture)

Greene’s Fine Foods

And the highly coveted Commissioners’ Cup goes to…

Rick Abt & Sally Hamilton- 252 Kings Highway

Thanks to everyone who decorated and sent in submissions for the contest! Decatur is full of clever, crafty, fun-filled people and we love seeing everyone getting in to the spirit.

Please remember to be safe if you are out Trick-or-Treating this evening!

 

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Recycling Crash Course

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WHEN: Tuesday, September 25th, 7-8pm

WHERE: Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore Street Decatur, Georgia 30030.
CLASS DESCRIPTION:

Recycling is one of the first steps many people take when trying to green their lives.  Come learn about how the City of Decatur’s progressive Pay as You Throw system for landfill waste encourages recycling through economic incentives.  You’ll learn what you can and can’t be recycled and what happens to the recyclable materials after they leave your home.

Presenters:
Sean Woodson- City of Decatur Sanitation Superintendent
Michelle Wiseman- SP Recycling

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Upcoming Classes:

From the Kitchen to the Medicine Cabinet
Tuesday, October 23, 2012, 7-8pm
Heal Yourself!  Join one of Oakhurst Community Garden’s favorite teachers Charli Vogt, of Beyond the Measuring Cup, and meet some of the food, herbs, and spices in your kitchen that are health inducing.  Taste and learn about food that restores health and provides comfort. Charli Vogt, RN, MN, MPH, & herbalist has a private practice in Decatur and helps many to be healthy in mind, body and spirit.

Decorating Green:  Reuse. Redo. Rethink.
Tuesday, November 13, 7-8pm
Decorating to reduce energy consumption. Furnishings that have longevity, durability and flexibility.  Planned obsolescence. or how and when to update with minimal waste. Thirty-five year decorating veteran and colorist Rebecca Ewing believes that your home is your sanctuary. She’ll talk about thread counts, rub counts, window coverings, the cost of furniture, and lifestyle choices to lighten the carbon footprint, plus the keys to making your home a beautiful and meaningful space. www.HandsOnHues.com

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For more information about this series, please visit http://oakhurstgarden.org/classes/living-green-series/ or contact Andrea Zoppo, andrea.zoppo@yahoo.com.

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Oliver House, the 2nd phase of the revitalization of Allen Wilson Terrace, a former 200 unit public housing community originally built in 1941, is ready to open.  The Decatur Housing Authority describes Oliver House as a new eighty unit elderly housing community with affordable rents as part of of the ongoing revitalization of the Allen Wilson Commmunity in downtown Decatur.

Oliver House is a “Williamsburg Style” building with 72 one-bedroom and 8 two-bedroom apartments designated for the elderly.  The 82,419 SF four-story building is equipped with two elevators and a portion of the first floor also houses the new management/rental offices and maintenance facilities for the entire Allen Wilson property.

Oliver House is named for a distinguished African American businessman, Henry Oliver, who lived in this area in the 1800s.

The revitalization planning process was designed to retain the residents in the area while constructing the new housing.  Many families were able to move directly into the new Oliver House.   The overall campus includes a 1 1/2 mile paved walking trail to provide a place for residents to walk for exercise and to socialize outdoors.

The Allen Wilson community and Oliver House are participating in Southface Energy Institute’s EarthCraft Communities and EarthCraft House Multifamily programs.  Earthcraft energy features include a 50 kWh photovoltaic (PV) solar power generating system; geo-thermal heating and cooling systems, geo-thermal water heating; rainwater harvesting for toilet flushing and landscape irrigation; and spray foam insulation in walls and attic spaces.  The Housing Authority also incorporated green building practices including maximizing natural day lighting with thermally-efficient windows and ENERGY STAR appliances, incorporating bio swales into the design to minimize storm water runoff, and using Crystal Stream fixtures to purify storm water before it moves downstream.

Phase 1 included 40 units of family housing and Phase 2 includes these 80 units of senior housing.  The Housing Authority is pursuing low income housing tax credits for Phase 3 which includes 71 units of family housing.  They hope to begin construction in January, 2013.

Phase 1 of the Allen Wilson Terrace revitalization project includes 40 units of family housing

Visit The Decatur Housing Authority website for more information.

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Sadly, tonight’s Concert on the Square has been cancelled due to rain and impending thunderstorms. Please join us again next Saturday onhe Square!

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Siren Test Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the first Wednesday of September  so we’ll be testing the tornado outdoor warning sirens at 5:00 p.m. The test should last approximately one minute. Should the weather become inclement  tomorrow, the test will be postponed until Thursday, 6 September 2012.

If you have questions or want more information about the siren system, check out the Siren page on the City’s website or contact Assistant City Manager Tony Parker at 404-370-4102.

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I posted this photo on Downtown Decatur’s wall yesterday, which resulted in a handful of people asking questions about the new courthouse lawn. So here’s what you need to know:

Construction started in July to refurbish the lawn south of the old courthouse. The ground was so compacted that it was flooding every time it rained and the grassy lawn had turned into a collection of giant dirt patches (see Google image below). Over the past month construction crews removed the compacted soil, installed a liner, new irrigation system and drain lines, filled the area with an organic soil mixture that resists compaction and installed new turf.

Work was completed this week, but the fence will be left up for the remainder of the year to allow the grass to root and prosper before next year’s event season begins.

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The blue lines give you a rough idea of where the fence is for this weekend – so you can better plan out your treks between author venues. Almost all the sidewalks are open except for the center one that connects the bandstand to the MARTA plaza and the new path on the west side. Bottom line? You’ll be able to walk all around the bandstand and square, just not on the new grass.

We added bunting and bad poetry banners to the fence for a bit of flare.

Here’s a peek through the fence at the new path and new landscaping on the west side:

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The east side was re-mulched just in time for the Kudzu reading room to be set up:

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Have a safe weekend and make sure you read all eight poems from the Bad Poetry Corner hanging up along the fence!

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We are gearing up for the AJC Decatur Book Festival.  Lenz Marketing has done a fantastic job of getting the word out about the festival so if you haven’t heard about it, seen the schedule, seen the articles and blogs, let us know!

We want to highlight the Little Free Libraries here at TheDecaturMinute because they are a really cool idea and look absolutely amazing.  Little Free Libraries let you share your surplus books and adorn your yard (or business) with a unique work of art.  They are designed to provide weather-resistant outdoor storage of books where neighbors can pick up or drop off reading material.

There are 12 Little Free Libraries available for auction.  They were designed and built by Michael Montgomery of Revisioned Furniture and decorated by a variety of well-known local artists, illustrators, and more (including Michael himself).  Come and bid on one (or more) of these unique works of art.  Your dollars go to support the AJC Decatur Book Festival which is offered free to the community.  Plus, you will join a national movement to suppplement our public libraries through sharing books in the community.

Come see Catlanta’s mark, Elizabeth Dulemba’s fanciful creation, Mike Luckovich’s cartoons, and, of course James Dean’s Pete the Cat.  They join libraries from Anita Arliss, C. Flux Sing, David Laufer, Greg Farley, Kyle Brooks, Lenz Marketing, and Nell Ruby.  AJC Decatur Book Festival board members will be on hand  at the Little Free Library tent on the MARTA Plaza to explain the project and to encourage you to bid.

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