Join the American Legion Auxiliary Harold Byrd Unit 66, along with American Legion Post 66 and the Friends of Decatur Cemetery to commemorate Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11 at 11 a.m. In compliance with City of Decatur directives, attendees should wear masks and seating will be distanced around the Memorial Stone near the Church Street entrance. Also, to comply with social distancing, the traditional placing of flags by volunteers on each veteran’s grave will be replaced with a display of flags at both the Commerce Drive and Church Street entrances.
Saint Thomas More Catholic School will participate in an online program, during which all servicemen and women and veterans affiliated with the school or church will be invited to join the students online to honor them for Veterans Day on November 11. Students have collected and displayed photos of veterans on the school bulletin board and will sell flags displayed on the front lawn of the church. The proceeds from this flag sale will raise money for Spikes K9 Fund, spikesk9fund.org.
Decatur’s Core Dance is using its Sycamore Street storefront as a screening room for REEL ART: Speak, a series of film and video works highlighting and magnifying the voices of Black and indigenous artists of color. The outdoor screenings can be viewed responsibly, recognizing social-distance guidelines. Speak is on view outside of the Core Dance studio, 133 Sycamore St., throughout the weekends until Nov. 15, starting at 7 p.m. each Friday night. For a list of works currently on view, visit coredance.org/reel-art.
The Community Center of South Decatur and the Solarium are partnering with LifeSouth for another community blood drive. The event will be held on Saturday, Nov. 7, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. All donors will receive a complimentary COVID-19 antibody test, cholesterol screening and promotional gift with their donation. Visit donors.lifesouth.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/676757 to schedule your donation and help save the lives of people right here in our community.
On Saturday, November 7 L’Arche Atlanta will be giving out more than 70 CONNEXIONS tote bags full of items for their virtual CONNEXIONS weekend events! The community is invited to join the virtual Gratitude meet-up on Sunday, November 8 at 2 p.m. Visit larcheatlanta.org/connexions for more information.
The Dalton Gallery at Agnes Scott College presents the Searching for Home Art Exhibition open 10 a.m.-4 p.m through November in the Dana Fine Arts Building at 141 East College Ave. The exhibition, made possible by the Margaret Virginia Philip Art Endowment Fund, will be available virtually and in-person by appointment. Searching for Home is on view through December 12. Find more information and book your visit today at daltongallery.agnesscott.org.
Clue Town designed an all new full-length puzzle hunt in Downtown Decatur as part of American Lung Association’s (ALA) annual LUNG FORCE Run/Walk. The ALA Puzzle Walk is available now through November 30th. The hunt takes 75-90 minutes to solve, and it is packed with fun facts about lung health! The ALA Puzzle Walk is available for download exclusively through ALA’s website, and the money raised will fund efforts to end lung disease. Breathe in the experience before it’s too late!
Decatur will hold its annual Holiday Ornament Unveiling from the store window of Wild Oats and Billy Goats, 112 E. Ponce de Leon Ave., on Thursday, November 5 at 6 p.m. Two parking spaces will be closed off in front of Wild Oats so there will be room to safely remain socially distant. Ornaments will be on sale outside and inside the store. Follow @visitdecaturga social media channels for more details or email sherry.jackman@decaturga.com.
Are you registered for the next installment in the 2020 Anti-Racism Speaker Series? Make sure you’re registered for this Friday, November 6 at 6 p.m. to hear from Andra Gillespie, Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the James Weldon Johnson Institute at Emory University. Visit decaturga.com/speakerseries to register for this session.
Different Trains Gallery, in Decatur’s Old Depot District, has curated two new art exhibitions featuring Harry Underwood and Ruth Franklin. Also, 4.6 miles west in Inman Park, at the WADDI they’re showing 40 works by Ab the Flagman, Eben Dunn, Ruth Franklin, Gary Goodman, Michael Jackson and Marek Tobolewski. Click the pictures to look online at differenttrainsgallery.com, or schedule an in-person, private visit by calling 404-939-2787.
Maybe you’ve seen these yard signs around Decatur? The 2020 Strategic Plan update, Destination 2030, is back in full swing, and we want to hear from you! A lot has changed since Opening Night back in January, when we launched the Roundtables process in a room of 600+ people, full of hope for the new decade. Halfway through those discussions the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic put us on hold while civil rights demonstrations unfolded here and around the country, highlighting challenges and inequities that we aim to address in our emerging plans.
In September we wrapped up the remaining Roundtables. Now we’re diving into their biggest topics: Equity and Racial Justice, Climate Change, Civic Trust, Housing, Transportation, and Economic Development. You can use the QR code or short link to visit our Virtual Street Forums to submit ideas, add photos and answer a few questions about each topic.
The November test of the Tornado Outdoor Warning Siren System will happen tomorrow, November 4, at 5:00 p.m. The test should last approximately one minute. Should the weather become inclement, the test will be postponed until Thursday, November 5.
If you have questions or want more information about the siren system, check out the Siren page on the City’s website or contact Police Lt. Barry Woodward at 404-373-6551.
Election Day is tomorrow, Tuesday, November 3. If you have an absentee ballot, you may deposit into the ballot drop off box outside of Decatur City Hall (509 N. McDonough St) or visit one of the nearby boxes located at DeKalb Voter Registration & Elections (4380 Memorial Dr) or Fire Station 3 (100 Clarendon Avenue, Avondale Estates.) The locations of additional boxes is listed here. Final pickup is 7 P.M. on Election Day.
The DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections strongly urges voters who’ve requested absentee ballots, but would now rather vote in person, to cancel their absentee ballot now. You may cancel your ballot by calling or emailing the Elections Office at 404-298-4020 or voterreg@dekalbcountyga.gov. Election officials will email you an affidavit to cancel your current absentee ballot. Taking this step will assist in keeping in-person voting lines moving on Election Day. Or if this isn’t an option, make sure to bring your absentee ballot with you to the polls.
The DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections has approved the following polling place changes for the November 3, 2020 General Election and any following Runoff elections. These changes are necessary because the regular polling locations for these precincts are not available or are no longer able to accommodate indoor social distancing requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you are planning to vote in person, you should confirm your polling location before going. You may do so at the following link – https://www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.do. Polling places are open 7 A.M. to 7 P.M. on Tuesday, November 3.
Still have questions or need additional information? Contact the Elections Office at 404-298-4020 or voterreg@dekalbcountyga.gov.
Lane closures are expected on West Ponce de Leon Avenue between Ponce de Leon Place and Fairview Avenue beginning 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 4, 2020, to accommodate DeKalb County Watershed crews working to repair a leaking water line. Motorists and MARTA passengers should expect delays.
How to manage
Signs and detour routes will be posted to assist motorists in moving safely around the lane closure. Construction crews will work diligently to minimize the length of impact to residents and motorists.
Strolling around Decatur? Take your drink with you! On Fridays and Saturdays (starting this weekend) take your beer or cocktail to go within our five business districts – Downtown Decatur, West Ponce, East Decatur Station, Oakhurst, and Old Depot District. Alcoholic beverages will be served in official Keep It Indie-catur cups on Fridays, 4 p.m.-1 a.m. and Saturdays, 3 p.m.-1 a.m. Patrons must stay within these designated business districts. Visit decaturga.com/woco to read the official ordinance.
Tropical Storm Zeta came through the area with a vengeance on Thursday and it is continuing to wreak havoc around the City today. Over 30 trees came down during & after the storm and city crews & Georgia Power crews are doing their best to clear the debris and restore power.
We understand your frustrations if you are still without power or if there is a tree blocking the roadway preventing you from easily getting through the City. Please be patient and do not attempt to remove any part of the tree yourself. If the tree is still there, it is likely that a live power source is on it and it is not safe to touch. The City is working with Georgia Power to address these areas. Use this time to check on your neighbors and help us get the word out about staying safe.
DeKalb County announces its Arts and Culture Relief Grant, funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to support professional artists who have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson allocated $250,000 to launch the program which will provide grants of up to $20,000, based on documented financial impact.
The Spruill Center for the Arts and the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center will manage the program for the county’s Community Development Department and District 3.
The grants are limited to professional artists who reside in DeKalb County, who are at least 18 years old, in any artistic disciplines which includes, but is not limited to music, dance, drama, theater programs, creative writing, painting, sculpture, literature, architecture, folk arts, visual arts, media and other major art form.
Online applications will be available beginning Oct. 19 on the websites of Callanwolde Fine Arts Center (www.callanwolde.org) and Spruill Center for the Arts (www.spruillarts.org).
For more information, contact one of the following:
• Alan Mothner, 770-394-3447, ext. 233, amothner@spruillarts.org • Andrew Keenan, (404) 872-5338, akeenan@callanwolde.org
