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Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Project a Success

January 22, 2009 by cburnette

Some of the city employess group that volunteered

Some of the city employee group that volunteered

Decatur’s 7th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Project held in partnership with the Decatur Preservation Alliance was a resounding success! Approximately 1,040 volunteers worked throughout the weekend, including around 30 City of Decatur employees. There were 200 more volunteers this year than in 2008! Volunteers were eager to pitch in wherever they were needed and many worked multiple shifts.

Thirteen seniors’ homes were on the repair list, and an additional 17 homes received yard work. Volunteers also did yard work for the people with disabilities that live behind the Solarium. There were a total of 1200 bags of yard waste collected!

 

 

Volunteers enjoying their Chick-fil-a lunch

Volunteers enjoying their Chick-fil-a lunch

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Volunteers and several of the seniors came to the celebration dinner hosted by the Community Center of South Decatur that was held on Monday evening. It was wonderful to talk with them and hear how much it meant for them  to be helped by the volunteers. There were lots of hugs all around!

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Thanks to everyone in the community that came out to help.

 

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Photos are by Marcia Lampe.

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Volunteer for the ING Georgia Marathon at a Decatur Hydration Station

January 21, 2009 by cburnette

Photo from www.inggeorgiamarathon.com

Photo from www.inggeorgiamarathon.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ING Georgia Marathon is coming through the City of Decatur on March 29th and volunteers are needed for the two Hydration Stations located in the city. To volunteer, please go to the ING GA Marathon website www.inggeorgiamarathon.com and click on the Volunteer link on the left. The City has two groups: Hydration Station #11 located in Oakhurst and Hydration Station #13 located in downtown Decatur. The password you will need to sign in is cod. Volunteers will receive an ING Georgia Marathon t-shirt. For more information, please email Cheryl at cheryl.burnette@decaturga.com.

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Free Musical Events at Decatur Library

January 21, 2009 by cburnette

 

 

Karen Skelli, from the Decatur Branch of the DeKalb Library, sends information about FREE concerts to be held at the Decatur Library:

Photo from Kevin's MySpace page
Photo from Kevin’s MySpace page

Kevin “Kalimbaman” Spears

Thursday, January 22

Kevin is a gifted artist on the African instrument called Kalimba/Mbira. The exotic sounds he evokes from this instrument cause you to hear distant echoes of Africa, Egypt, Duke Ellington, Blues and Gospel. Kevin not only designs his own instruments but also has raised the standard for playing this simple instrument utilizing electronics and effects creating a fusion of Jazz, Rock and African music.

Photo from newmuses.com

Photo from newmuses.com

 

The Muses

Thursday, February 5th

 Returning for the third year from Colorado, The Muses, featuring Tanya Brody and Matthew Guernsey, each play a plethora of exotic instruments ranging from bohdran and concertina to harp and  hammered dulcimer; psaltery, pennywhistle, fiddle and bones to name a few.  They perform with a ferocity and strength of heart that embodies the Celtic music they love so dearly. 

 

 

 

Neshima Jazz Quartet

Thursday, February 26

 Neshima, which means “breath” in Greek, has a sound that is the result of blending classical, jazz, rock and gospel styles. Each of the performers brings something different to the “groove”. Whether jazz standards, R & B, or adult contemporary, Neshima’a arrangements put a fresh spin on tunes both old and new.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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State of the City Address to be held on January 27th

January 20, 2009 by cburnette

state-of-the-city-invitation-2009

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The Historic Decatur Cemetery

January 20, 2009 by cburnette

Photo from Wikipedia

Photo from Wikipedia

In this economic climate, we are all looking for FREE things to entertain us and our families. The Historic Decatur Cemetery is a great place to visit, take a walk  and visit the historic gravesites. The cemetery is believed to have been an old church burial ground taken into the city when it was chartered in 1823. The two oldest headstone inscriptions date to 1827 and 1828 and belong to Ann Reynolds and  David Young.  

Did you know that the poet Dr. Thomas Chivers is buried here? Dr. Chivers was a doctor who abandoned his medical practice for his poetry and is best known for his strong, but stormy relationship withEdgar Allen Poe. Chivers was perhaps the first American writer to record black language and dialect. He lived in Decatur late in life, and was buried, at his own request, at the foot of his front doorstep before retirement to the Decatur Cemetery.

Mary Gay, famous author of Life of Dixie During the War, has her final resting place in the cemetery. Her book was used as a source for Gone With the Wind. Her home, restored by the DeKalb Junior League, is on West Trinity Street.

Benjamin Swanton was an early Decatur entrepreneur who operated a gristmill, a tannery, a brickyard and a cotton gin. The Swanton House has decatur-geese1been restored and can also be found on West Trinity.

Be sure to bring some bread with you to feed the ducks and geese that enjoy sunning and swimming in the lake.    

 For more information and a brochure with a map of points to visit, stop by the Cemetery Office.

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Calling All Writers or Would-Be Writers

January 16, 2009 by Linda

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Agnes Scott College debuts “Agnes Writes” on February 2 and you are invited!  This new series of writing classes, taught by several of Atlanta’s most accomplished authors and hosted by Agnes Scott College, allows all area writers the opportunity to hear from professionals and develop your craft at the same time.

What better way to spend the cold winter evenings than hear from David Fulmer (teaching his popular Fiction Shop – an intense study of the art and craft of storytelling), Hollis Gillespie (The Shocking Real-Life Personal Essay Clinic – Your Crazy Family), Chelsea Rathburn (a poetry workshop aimed at developing poets’ voices), and Terra Elan McVoy (“Writing Like a Grown-Up, But Thinking Like a Kid” a class on writing chapter books for children).

The series is led by Daren Wang (most recently of AJC Decatur Book Festival fame but also Verb and The Spoken Word) with the collaboration of Tom Bell (also of Book Festival fame, the Duck & Herring Pocket Field Guide and Creative Loafing) and David Fulmer (Shamus Award winning author of six novels).

Most classes will meet weekly, 6 -8 p.m., for eight weeks.  Visit www.agneswrites.com for details.

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ING Marathon Community Meeting February 5th

January 14, 2009 by cburnette

ing-logoThe 3rd annual ING Georgia Marathon will be coming through the City of Decatur on Sunday, March 29th. The City of Decatur and the organizers of the marathon are holding a Community Meeting on Thursday, February 5th from 6 until 7pm in the Commission Room of Decatur City Hall. The meeting will inform citizens of route details, volunteer opportunities, and the Neighborhood Challenge. The first year of the marathon Decatur won first place for the best cheering section and a donation of $10,000 to youth sports programs. The second year Decatur won second place and a donation of $5000 to youth programs. No reason why we can’t win again and make it three in a row!

Part of our effort both years included a series of “Burma Shave” type signs posted along the route. We continue to expand the effort and need your help. Submit your ideas for Burma Shave rhymes to lyn.menne@decaturga.com.

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For those who cannot attend the meeting, but would like to stay informed, send your email address to cheryl.burnette@decaturga.com for updates and volunteer opportunites. We look forward to seeing a lot of Decaturites at our official cheering station in front of Fellini’s Pizza on March 29th.

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Sales and More in Decatur

January 9, 2009 by cburnette

It was such a beautiful afternoon, that I went for a walk around the Square to see what was going on in Decatur. If the weather stays this nice, it will be a great weekend to get out of the house and walk around downtown. There are some sales going on that you may not want to miss. Unfortunately, the 50% off sale at Squash Blossom is over, but they have another special going on. Buy one item and get another of equal value free- what a deal!

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Another store you may want to visit is Vivid, who has items at most every price point, plus has a sale going on!

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cod-plate-at-poterry-paceIf you are looking for something fun to do with your family or friends, stop by That Pottery Place on Church Street and paint a one of a kind pottery item. They have a lot of pottery items to choose from. I especially like the City of Decatur logo platter that is on display there. That Pottery Place is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 am until 7 pm, Thursday through Saturday until 8pm and open noon until 6 pm on Sunday. Check out the website www.potteryplacedecatur.com.

Walking down Church Street, I noticed that The Seen Gallery has begun to move in the space next to Two Stix. They are having a “Sneak Preview” of the new space  on Friday, January 23 beginning at 7 pm. I am eager to see the new space and welcome them to the downtown area.

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For those of you who will walk to the square and have your pets with you, stop by Worthmore Jewelers. The owners offer free treats for both pets and people, plus have a great inventory of unique jewelry and watches. If you don’t see what you want, they would be happy to order it for you.

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Enjoy your weekend in Decatur!

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January 8, 2009 by cburnette

daa_postcard

The Decatur Arts Alliance invites all artists to apply to the 21st annual Decatur Arts Festival, to be held on the Old Courthouse Square in downtown Decatur on Memorial Day weekend. The deadline for this years jury is fast approaching (January 16) so don’t be left out.

Applications are accepted through online application at www.zapplication.org. For questions about the festival, please contact the Arts Alliance office at 404-371-9583. Applications for the Fine Arts Exhibition are  available at the website www.decaturartsalliance.org. Deadline for the Fine Arts is February 13.

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Recreation Center Master Plan

January 7, 2009 by Lyn

If you weren’t able to attend the public input session for the Decatur Recreation Center Master Plan in early December, you can still submit your comments and suggestions at the city’s website www.decaturga.com.  Click on the EXTRA/ NewsFlash icon and go to bond project updates.  The survey is located at the Decatur Recreation Center Master Plan listing and can be returned to us via email or regular mail.  The site also includes plans for the existing building.   A follow up public reporting session will be scheduled later this month.

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