New Site!

This site is now defunct.  Check out the new and improved Decatur Metro at www.decaturmetro.com!

Here’s the rss feed too, in case you need to update your RSS reader.

Decatur Aquatics

Active Living Director Dan McGee writes in to let us know that the city is offering a smorgasbord (my word, not his) of new aquatics programs this summer.  Click the poster below for details on all of this year’s adult and kid classes along with info on pool memberships, fees and rentals.

Dan also notes that in addition to the Glenlake bathhouse opening next Friday, improvements are also coming soon to Ebster pool – the only city pool with a diving board and deep end!

Switching Servers This Weekend

Lord help me, I’m going to try to move DM to a new server this weekend.

In order to accomplish this, I’m going to have to redirect the url “decaturmetro.com”.  This might take a day or so according to the powers that be, so if you get to DM – as I assume most of you do – by typing in “decaturmetro.com” you might not be able to access the site this weekend.

The alternative, and original url for DM is decaturite.wordpress.com and that should still work to access the old version of the site.  Once the url is redirected to DM’s new home, the old site will be abandoned.  If and when that happens, I’ll make sure to write up a post that redirects you to the new site.

So please, if you’re checking in this weekend, have patience.  Things might not be working properly.

Why move? Well, I’m pretty limited with what I can do with the current site in terms of themes, plugins and layout right now.  The new site and server should allow me more flexibility with the site in the future.  Once we’re at our new home, you begin to see gradual improvements to the site.  But don’t worry, my one vow is to keep it relatively clean.

Wish me luck.  I’m gonna need it.

Emory BP Station Closes June 1; Roundabout Construction Should Begin in August

For all my talk about mass transit, I, like most people, still use a car on an almost daily basis.  And the Emory BP has been my go to station.  Close and relatively cheap compared to everything else in the vicinity.

Welp, it looks like I’m about to start paying more to fill up.  Maybe this is a sign that I should finally go diesel/bi0-diesel.

A reader sends in parts of a note that was just sent out to Emory staff…

“… the BP station in Emory Village has been sold and will close as of June 1, Emory University did NOT purchase it, … did not know what plans have been made for that property.”

Just wondering if you have any leads on who purchased this property and what the plans are?

Also, fyi, here is the remainder of the email detailing the Emory Village project and future plans for this summer and the rest of the year:

“…The water line project in Emory Village is complete. Georgia Power will now begin the process of burying overhead utilities, including electricity, cable TV, and telephone. This phase is expected to begin in June and extend into fall, perhaps through the end of the calendar year. The work is scheduled to take place mainly between 8pm and 5am, but will nonetheless be disruptive. DeKalb County has gone to bid for construction of the roundabout, with an anticipated start date in August, and a one year duration. So it looks like Emory Village will be a mess for another year…”

Oakhurst’s Fire Station 2 Grand Opening

Linda Harris sends in this snazzy announcement…

But will there be flaming shots?

As a self-certified, fake journalist, I promise you an answer to this most pressing of fake questions.  I swear on my diploma from Blogger University.

Upon Reinspection, Taqueria del Sol Gets 93A

Since I gave the last score such prominance, it’s only fair to give the reinspection the same.

Steve from Taqueria writes in with word that upon reinspection Taqueria got a 93A by the health department.

Very glad to hear it!

Twist & Scoot Victim of Smash and Grab

Mark wrote in earlier this morning inquiring about a police car and a smashed window down at Twist & Scoot.  I was trying to be a “journalist” and get details from DPD before posting, but Rebecca wrote in with the details before I received any response.

Twist n Scoot got hit this morning at 4am with a smash and grab. They used a huge rock to get in the front door, and only took their computers.

May Restaurant Blurbs

A few notes from around the city…

• According to the Decatur Minute, Leon’s Full Service is now open for lunch daily at 11:30a (except Monday).
• Also from the Minute, Greene’s is offering 40% off all in-store purchases today in honor of one of the owners birthdays.
• As was noted in a recent post, Cafe Cliche is now open for business in the old Indie Coffee & Books space and is serving Button Cakes Bakery cupcakes.
• Next Stop notes that Bistro in a Box will have weekly food and wine tastings on Saturday from 12p-6p.  “Some of our usual offerings include basil crusted chicken, peppercorn flank steak, hummus, a cheese display, spinach and artichoke dip, and other menu items that we are developing. It is all free and open to anyone.”
• According to Daily Candy, The Cookie Studio has new weekend hours (Sat 12p-5p)
• Tastings will be featuring live music on Saturday nights from 8:30p-10:30p.  This Saturday Jeff Soileau will be playing ambient instrumental acoustic guitar.

Anything else?

A Familiar Face at the Pharmacy Passes

James writes in about the sudden passing of Quincy, who worked regularly behind the prescription counter at Decatur’s downtown CVS pharmacy.   According to James, Quincy died from an asthma attack this past Sunday in Augusta while visiting his mother.  He continues…

He was peculiar in how genuinely positive and nice he was, and the only reason my wife and I were willing to keep filling our prescriptions there. Everyone in the pharmacy had stunned looks on their faces yesterday evening, and the person I asked about what had happened practically broke down when telling me. She commented that he was the only reason she continued working in that location. I asked her to find out from his mother whether there was some place a donation could be made in his name. She’s going to look into it.

Obviously, his day job was only one facet of his life, but probably how most people in town would have known and recognized him.  Hopefully we can learn more about him as the day continues.

Deepest condolences to Quincy’s friends and family.

MARTA & GA Lawmakers Get Bailed Out

Today, the ARC voted in favor of their plan to redirect $25 million in federal stimulus dollars to help bridge MARTA’s crippling budget shortfall that threatened to close down services for entire days of the week.

In doing so, ARC came to the rescue of not only MARTA and it’s riders, but also inadvertently Georgia lawmakers , who’s inability to pass a number of important measures this session was just beginning to gain some serious traction in the press behind this massive MARTA fumble.

Not only were rail-noodling Dems up in arms, but so was all of Atlanta’s business community, who knew full well the importance of public transportation if Atlanta (and Georgia) wished to compete in something we like to call “the global economy.”

It was just getting good.  Pissed lawmakers were giving the inside scoop on committee meetings,  MARTA was calling for special sessions, we had the House Majority Leader on record saying he went to Disney World more often than he rode MARTA (and therefore couldn’t see the benefits to his Isle of Retirement (St. Simons.)

Those were the days.  We were all pissed and we could smell the blood.  It was going to be an embarrassment to end all embarrassments.  One that might actually shame the legislature into action – since rational argument had long ago stopped having any effect.

But then ARC made their announcement that they had figured out a way to help MARTA through the year with the help of stimulus funding and all the press simply…vanished.  The hounds were called back to the house, the horses led back to the barn.

Now, as the ARC votes in favor of formalizing the MARTA bailout by giving it $25 million for “preventive maintenance” (which MARTA will repay with $25 million in “capital improvements” around MARTA stations), transit advocates are cheering with a pit in their stomachs.

Happy the city isn’t being saddled with a public transportation system that keeps the hours of a Chik-Fil-A, everyone is now wondering if the legislature learned it’s lesson.  Or have they instead learned that when they do nothing, someone else will clean up their mess?

With its generally spoiled 4-year old mentality, I’m going with the latter.