Decatur Focus March 2021

Focus City of Decatur

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MARCH 2021 Volume 31 • Number 7

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE CITY OF DECATUR, GEORGIA

50th Annual Writers’ Fest

Agnes Scott College invites the Decatur community to participate in this milestone literary event

ASC WRITERS’ FESTIVAL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Tuesday, April 6 Agnes Scott Students’ Reading 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Rita Dove

The Agnes Scott Writers’ Festival welcomes back Pulitzer Prize winner Rita Dove, 1992 Writers’ Festival guest, and playwright Jacqueline Goldfinger ’00, a guest of the festival in 2012 and 2018.

Building on a long tradition of inviting distinguished writers to campus to read their works, teach, and talk with students, the Writers’ Festival began in the spring of 1972 with May Sarton as the headliner. A statewide writing contest for colJacqueline Goldfinger leges and universities in poetry and fiction was the centerpiece of the event: the finalists’ works were published in the festival magazine, and the visiting writers selected the prizewinners in each genre. Readings and workshops with the visiting writers rounded out the program, which was open to the public as well as to the campus community.

Today, the festival maintains these founding traditions along with some new features: creative nonfiction and dramatic writing were added to the contest in the 1990s, an alumna writer is on the program almost every year, and one of the visiting writers gives a one-credit workshop for ASC student writers.

All events are free and open to the community. Learn more at calendar.agnesscott.edu and charisbooksandmore.com.

Wednesday, April 7 Georgia Poetry Circuit and Kirk Series feature poet Tiana Clark 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 8 Q&A with Festival Guests Rita Dove and Jacqueline Goldfinger ‘00 1-1:50 p.m.

Roundtable of Former Writers’ Festival Contest Winners 4-5 p.m.

Reading featuring Rita Dove 8-9:30 p.m.

Friday, April 9 Reading by Jacqueline Goldfinger ‘00 5-6 p.m.

Georgia Premiere of Jacqueline Goldfinger’s ‘00 play, “The Arsonists” 7-9 p.m.

CITY News Lifelong Community Board Openings The Decatur City Commission is accepting statements of interest from residents for volunteer service on the Lifelong Community Advisory Board. The board works to further establish Decatur as a place that encourages residents to age in place, and that provides the ability to age in place. The board meets on the fourth Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m.

More information about the board’s responsibilities and access to the Statement of Interest form can be found at decaturga.com/bc-lcab. You can return the form via email to City Manager Andrea Arnold, andrea.arnold@decaturga.com, or mail it to her attention at City of Decatur, PO Box 220, Decatur GA 30031.

2020 Strategic Planning Input Nears Completion From the hundreds of residents who participated in our in-person and then virtual citizen roundtables over the course of 2020, to the virtual forums collecting opinions and ideas of all types, to the more recent, topic-specific Decatur 202 sessions that drilled down on issues of mobility, housing, racial equity, and climate action, Decatur residents have been hard at work voicing their vision for the city’s next decade.

These front-end input opportunities for the 2020 Strategic Plan will wrap up soon, but it’s not too late to get your ideas on the table. Share any remaining thoughts online in our virtual forums, which can be accessed at bit.ly/300tKT6.

Calling All Decatur Youth

Focus City of Decatur

The Decatur Focus is a joint publication of the City of Decatur, the Decatur Downtown Development Authority and the Decatur Business Association. It is a newsletter intended to provide announcements and information related to events, activities, and businesses in the city of Decatur. The purpose of the newsletter is to promote the city and encourage the exchange of information among residents, business owners and the school system. Letters to the editor, editorials or other opinion pieces are not published. All press releases, announcements and other information received for publication are subject to editing. Information found in the Focus is also posted on Decatur’s official website at decaturga.com. The deadline for submitting articles, announcements or advertising is the first day of the month preceding publication. Contact: Editor, Decatur Focus, P.O. Box 220, Decatur, GA 30031, 404-371-8386; fax 404-371-1593; email: decaturfocus@decaturga.com.

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DECATUR CITY COMMISSION Patti Garrett............................................Mayor Tony Powers.......................Mayor Pro Tem George Dusenbury...........Commissioner Lesa Mayer............................Commissioner Kelly Walsh............................Commissioner

We want to hear from YOU! The strategic plan will help guide the city in deciding what’s most important to Decatur residents like you in the next 10 years. Visit decatur2030.com/resources/ and look for the youth input section to share your ideas by March 15.

Choose your response type and email your ideas to childfriendlydecatur@gmail.com. If you drew a picture, please take a photo and email it to us. Once input has been completed, recommendations will begin to emerge for public review and comment, so stay tuned for that as we move further into 2021.

BOARD

Decatur Fire Rescue Selected for Community Risk Reduction Pilot Program

Conor McNally, Chair Noah Peeters, Vice Chair Tony Leung, Secretary/Treasurer Darren Comer • Linda Curry David Harry • Lisa Turner

The Decatur Fire Rescue Department has been selected by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to participate in the second phase of a pilot program to build a digital community risk assessment (CRA) tool. Aligned to NFPA 1300, the Standard on Community Risk Assessment and Community Risk Reduction Plan Development, the tool, or “dashboard,” enables community leaders to gain valuable insights and make data-informed decisions around fire prevention and other risk-reduction activities in their communities.

The first phase of the pilot project, which included participation from 50 fire departments across the country, helped identify features of the digital dashboard that will work effectively and those that need fine-tuning. During the second phase of the program, which involves participation from 250 departments nationwide, the Decatur Fire Department will provide insights around the use of dashboard through June 2021 to help continue refining and enhancing its effectiveness. For more information, visit nfpa.org/crr.

Information for the FOCUS should be submitted by mail to Editor, Decatur Focus, P.O. Box 220, Decatur, GA 30031, or by email to decaturfocus@decaturga.com.

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Decatur Business Association

Daryl Funn....................................... President Jill Joplin..........................................Treasurer Emily Holden..................................Secretary Susan Sparks......................... Past President Design and layout: Lampe-Farley.com

CITY News

LEGACY PARK Scheduling Activities

Legacy Decatur manages the scheduling of all activities, meetings, events, film productions, and leasing at Decatur’s Legacy Park, with the exception of activities in the Legacy Park gym or on the adjacent athletic field (which are coordinated with Active Living).

Legacy Decatur is currently working to create a shared calendar to coordinate all activities at the property and manage use of the site for the enjoyment of visitors and program participants and to maintain the safety, security and character of the park.

If you wish to hold an activity, meeting, or event at Legacy Park, contact Lyn Menne, executive director, at lynwmenne@gmail.com or 404-597-3278 to confirm the space is available and to reserve the date, time, and location on the Legacy Park calendar.

Legacy Decatur (legacydecatur.com) is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization.

Volunteers work to clean up Legacy Park in January.

Legacy Park Cleans Up with Community Help Throughout January, Legacy Park was visited by members of Boy Scout Troop 175, who spent a day raking leaves, trimming shrubs (even uncovering a completely hidden granite column), removing vines on the Sheddon Cottage, and clearing debris; and by Webelos Pack 134, who logged an MLK service day removing trash around the dam at Postal Pond.

Decatur neighbor Dave Soleil does periodic trash pick-ups – sometimes alone, sometimes in coordination with others.

January’s community contributions to Legacy Park upkeep equaled nearly 200 volunteer-hours.

We thank everyone who took part and encourage all those who care about the park to find their own ways to plug in.

Are you or a group you’re involved with interested in helping out? Visit legacydecatur.com for a list of adoptable projects that need some love, along with all the info you need to get started.

Webelos Troop 134 at Legacy Park.

MARCH 2021 • Decatur Focus | 3

CITY News

Cleaning Up Our Curbside Recycling

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eginning this month, the City of Decatur will implement updated guidelines for our curbside recycling program. These updates are in response to several major developments within the recycling industry, and they are intended to support the city’s ongoing commitment to providing all residents with a sustainable, transparent, and fiscally responsible recycling service.

The most significant of these industry developments occurred in 2018, when China and several other Southeast Asian countries closed their doors to recyclable waste exports from the United States. As recycling processors scrambled to line up new buyers for their material, they found only limited domestic demand for many types of plastic waste commonly accepted in community recycling programs.

Plastics #3-7 proved especially problematic, as these items are difficult to recycle and have few buyers willing to pay enough to cover processing costs. As a result, many recycling processors began sending these items to the landfill or burning them to produce energy.

This market disruption also forced recycling processors to confront a longstanding problem across the industry – contamination in the recycling stream. On average, household trash and other non-recyclable items make up roughly 25 percent of the total volume of material collected through municipal and commercial recycling programs. Contamination undermines the profitability of the recycling industry by increasing the cost to sort and process recyclables and decreasing the value of those recyclables to endusers. In response, many recycling processors began charging municipalities for their recycling. Some municipalities, in turn, have responded by scaling back or even eliminating their residential recycling programs.

Closer to home, these changes are forcing us to rethink how we operate the city’s curbside recycling program. Our recycling processor, Conyers-based Pratt Industries, has changed what materials they recover, bale, and sell to end-users. Pratt now focuses its recovery process on commodity goods like plastics #1-2, cardboard, mixed paper, and metals, with the remaining items land4 | Decatur Focus • MARCH 2021

filled or burned in a local waste-to-energy facility. Meanwhile, Pratt recently imposed a $60/ton fee on Decatur’s commingled recycling stream to account for higher processing costs and less profitable commodity markets. A recent spot audit of our recycling stream by Pratt found a contamination rate of nearly 22 percent, so with the new recycling fee, this contamination hits each of us

in the pocketbook.

In response to these developments, the Public Works Department and members of the Environmental Sustainability Board laid out an initial roadmap to a more transparent, effective, and sustainable recycling program.

Now, we’re taking a step in that direction with our updated, simplified recycling guidelines. These guidelines reflect the ground truth of what is actually recovered from our commingled recycling stream, giving Decatur residents confidence that what they place in their curbside bins will in fact be recycled and reused.

How you can help: • Review the updated guidelines to ensure you understand what is – and is not – ac-

RECYCLING PLACE ONLY THESE IN YOUR COMMINGLED CURBSIDE BIN

Cardboard and Paper

Food and Beverage Cartons

Plastic Bottles and Jugs with Necks

Metal Food and Beverage Cans

Flatten Boxes. Empty and rinse cartons, cans, plastic bottles and jugs with necks

GLASS BIN Any color unbroken glass bottles and jars.

Emptied and rinsed

TIPS FOR RECYCLING IN DECATUR:

No plastic grocery bags – Recycle at your store collection bins No flexible plastic containers and clamshell packaging – Recyle at CHaRM, 1110 Hill St. SE, Atlanta No styrofoam – save it for Decatur’s twice-a-year recycling day or drop at CHaRM No aluminum foil and single-use trays – dispose with your trash No textiles, clothing, or shoes – donate to local charities or dispose with trash Yes to pizza boxes – recycle them at the curb with other materials

When in doubt, throw it out – Keep contaminants out of the recyling stream

Questions? Email recycling@decaturga.com or visit decaturga.com/recycling

CITY News cepted in our commingled recycling bins.

Be sure to empty and rinse all containers and remove any solid food before placing items in your bins.

• To further reduce your environmental footprints, bring hard-to-recycle materials – such as plastic bags, styrofoam, plastic clamshell containers, and other plastic food containers that are no longer accepted at the curb – to alternative dropoff points such as local grocery stores (for plastic bags) or the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM) in Atlanta.

Visit livethrive.org/charm/ to learn more about accepted materials and to make an appointment. Additional resources for hard-to-recycle materials can be found on the city’s Sanitation Services website.

• Given the growing problem of plastic pollution and the technical and economic challenges with plastic recycles, residents are encouraged to seek out more sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics such as reusable bags and refillable water bottles.

What comes next?

The Public Works Department will partner with a vendor to perform a waste characterization study of our residential waste stream.

The study will help us better understand the current composition of our recycling stream, including the volume and types of contamination, to better target our education and outreach efforts. The study will also help determine how much recyclable material is ending up in our trash instead of our curbside bins, in order to develop strategies to improve our community’s recycling recovery rate.

Later this year, Public Works and the Environmental Sustainability Board will partner on a “Tip-and-Tag” program to evaluate compliance with the updated recycling guidelines and support our effort to reduce our recycling contamination rate. Additional details on both the waste characterization study and the “Tip-and-Tag” program will be made available in the coming months. Keep your eyes on the Focus, city website, and social media to learn more.

Questions or comments? Visit decaturga. com/publicworks/recycling for more information, or email recycling@decaturga.com.

Decatur Active Living Offers Opportunities to Stay Active THE COURTS New! Outdoor Pickleball Drop-in open play pickleball at Scott Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., weather permitting.

Tennis Call the tennis center to reserve your court: 404-377-7231.

YOUTH Activities Join a virtual class in Coding and Robotics for youth this spring. Follow Active Living’s Facebook page for more information.

The Mobile Rec Center returns in March.

Check Active Living’s Facebook page to see when it is coming to your neighborhood.

Contact portia.langley@decaturga.com for information on youth programming.

Athletics Currently offering: Conditioning I, Conditioning II, All Girls Conditioning, Bubble Soccer, Lacrosse, Lacrosse Clinic, and Krazy Kids, an outdoor fun/exercise program for kids 4-6.

Contact stacy.green@decaturga.com for more information.

COMMUNITY CLASSES Yoga on the Square Tuesdays at 10 a.m. Free.

Body Positive Boot Camp Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. For all levels and all body shapes. Free.

Contact cheryl.burnette@decaturga.com for information.

MORE ACTIVITIES FOR ADULTS Wednesday Walks Every Wednesday, 10 a.m., through April; 9 a.m. in May. Meet in front of Decatur Recreation Center.

Silver Spokes Thursdays in April and May, 10 a.m.

Class culminates in senior bike rides in late April and May. Third Friday Bike Rides Join us beginning in March for this all-levels ride around Decatur. We leave from Decatur Recreation Center, 6:30 p.m., third Friday of each month.

Introduction to Dog Obedience Tuesdays, April 13-May 18, 6:30 p.m.

Held outside Decatur Recreation Center.

Dog Agility Class Thursdays, April 15-May 20, 6:30 p.m. Held at the Boys and Girls Club field.

Scott Garden Club Plots are available at the community garden behind the Decatur Recreation Center.

Contact sara.holmes@decaturga. com for more information about adult programs.

MARCH 2021 • Decatur Focus | 5

CITY News

The Facts on

Flooding in Decatur

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lthough the city is located at the top of the watershed, Decatur periodically experiences minor to moderate localized flooding. These conditions are a symptom of the fully developed nature of the city.

Documented flooding problems have occurred along Peavine Creek at a condominium complex near Coventry Road. Along Peavine Creek Tributary, two houses on the south side of Garden Lane and two houses on the south side of Lamont Drive are subject to occasional flooding. Five houses damaged by flooding at the end of Westchester Drive were purchased by the City of Decatur with help from FEMA and converted to greenspace.

Two isolated locations in the upper Peavine Creek Basin, Landsdowne Avenue at Hibernia Avenue and an area along N. Candler Street, have some problems with flood damage due to poor localized drainage. Occasional flooding on South Fork Peachtree Creek Tributary has been a continuing problem for property owners in the vicinity of Willow Lane just downstream of the Church Street crossing. In 1971, a flood on this tributary resulted in substantial personal property damage near Landover Drive and North Decatur Road. Potential for flood damages appears to be minimal in the southern half of the city, which is drained by Shoal Creek and Sugar Creek Tributary.

The lack of any significant history of flood damages to residences and other buildings along Shoal Creek and its tributaries is due to the absence of development on the floodplains in the southeastern section of the city.

Because of extensive storm drainage improvements in the past, no recent flood damage problems have been experienced along Sugar Creek Tributary.

Although damage to buildings generally is limited, ponding behind drainage pipes and culverts and flooding of streets, driveways, parking lots, and yards are a recurring concern at some locations in Peavine Creek, 6 | Decatur Focus • MARCH 2021

Shoal Creek, and South Fork Peachtree Creek Tributary basins. For example, the Peavine Creek basin often experiences flooding problems. Channel erosion and damage to drainage and bank stabilization structures are also a problem in some areas of these three basins. As a result of basin improvements, areas drained by Sugar Creek Tributary have been relatively free of ponding or erosion problems for many years.

City Flood Services Decatur’s Design, Environment and Construction Division provides general and sitespecific flood and flood-related information on property located within the city limits.

To obtain site-specific responses, individuals making inquiries must provide a survey of the specific property and elevation data relating to existing structures and site topography.

The Design, Environment and Construction Division and the Decatur Public Library also have reference documents on flooding and flood protection available for review.

A map information service is available from the division for a $10 fee. This service provides inquirers with the current Flood Insurance Rate Map information and identifies whether a property is in a Special Flood Hazard Area. An accurate street address or

DeKalb County/Decatur Tax Parcel number is needed to obtain this information. If you would like more information, contact the Design, Environment and Construction Division at 678-553-6529.

What You Can Do Several of the city’s efforts depend on your cooperation and assistance. Here’s how you can help: • Do not dump debris or throw anything into the ditches or streams. Depositing debris, trash, and other items in ditches and streams is a violation of the city’s Solid Waste Ordinance Section 82-38. Even grass clippings and branches can accumulate and clog channels. A clogged channel cannot carry the necessary volume of water. When it rains the water has to go somewhere, usually flooding yards and streets, thus damaging property and endangering public safety. Every piece of trash contributes to flooding.

• Individual property owners are responsible for maintenance of the creeks and drainage ditches on their property. Please do your part and keep the banks clear of brush and debris. In addition to maintaining the public roadways and public drainage facilities, the city can help remove major blockages from the creeks, such as fallen trees.

• Report the depositing of debris and trash into streams and storm drains and blockages to the Design, Environment and Construction Division, 678-553-6529.

• Check with the division before you build on, alter, re-grade, or fill on your property.

Such activities in floodplains are strictly regulated and permits may be needed.

• Report illegal construction activities to the Design, Environment and Construction Division, 678-553-6529.

CITY News City of Decatur Design, Environment and Construction Division 404-377-6198 • decaturga.com Floodproofing There are several different ways to protect a building from flood damage. For example, you can re-grade your lot or build a small floodwall or earthen berm. These methods work if your lot is large enough, if flooding is not too deep, and if your property is not in the designated floodway. Please note that permits are required prior to undertaking these and similar activities. Another approach is to waterproof your walls and place watertight closures over the doorways. This method is not recommended for houses with basements or if water will get more than two feet deep.

You can also consider raising the house above flood levels. You may drive by and check out the dwellings at 504 Westchester Dr. and 249 S. Columbia Dr. to see examples of elevated buildings. Many houses, even those not located in the floodplain, have sanitary sewers that back up into the basement during heavy rains. This may be due to stormwater infiltration into the sanitary sewer line. A plug or standpipe can stop this if the water doesn’t get more than one or two feet deep. These can be purchased at a hardware store for under $25. For deeper sewer backup flooding, talk to a plumber. The above measures are called floodproofing or retrofitting.

More information is available from the Decatur Design, Environment and Construction Division or the Decatur Public Library.

Please note that re-grading or filling in the floodplain requires a permit. Also, any alteration to your building or land may require a permit from the Design, Environment and Construction Division.

If you know a major flood is coming, you should shut off the gas and electricity and move valuable contents upstairs or raise items of the floor. Fortunately, the flooding experienced in Decatur is localized and most floodwaters will recede within a matter of a few hours. However it is unlikely that you will get much warning, so a detailed checklist prepared in advance will help ensure that you don’t forget anything.

Flood Insurance If you don’t have flood insurance, talk to your insurance agent. Most homeowner’s insurance policies do not cover damage from floods. However, because the City of Decatur participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and implements activities that exceed the minimum NFIP standards, you can purchase a separate flood insurance policy at discounted premiums.

This insurance is backed by the federal government and is available to everyone, even for properties that have been flooded in the past. There is a 30-day waiting period from the time the insurance is applied for until it becomes effective.

Some people have purchased flood insurance because the financial institution required it when they got a mortgage or home improvement loan. Usually these policies just cover the building’s structure and not the contents. Property owners need to verify with their insurance agent what extent of contents coverage is available. During a flood in 1990, the damage to the contents of a property near the South Fork Peachtree Creek Tributary exceeded the damage to the structure.

At last count, there were 202 active flood insurance policies in the city of Decatur. If you are covered, check out the amount and make sure you have contents coverage. Remember: even if the last flood missed you or you have done some floodproofing, the next flood could be worse. Flood insurance covers all surface floods.

Flood Safety Do not walk through flowing water. Drowning is the number one cause of flood deaths, mostly during flash floods. Currents can be deceptive; six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet. If you walk in standing water, use a pole or stick to ensure the ground is still there. Do not drive through a flooded area. More people drown in their cars than anywhere else. Do not drive around road barriers; the road or bridge may be washed out. Stay away from power lines and electrical wires.

The number two flood killer after drowning is electrocution. Electrical current can travel through water. Report downed power lines to the Georgia Power Company by dialing toll free 1-888-891-0938. If your house or other structure is flooded, contact the power company to turn off the electricity.

Some appliances, such as television sets, keep electrical charges even after they have been unplugged. Don’t use appliances or motors that have gotten wet unless they have been taken apart, cleaned and dried by qualified personnel.

Look out for animals, especially snakes.

Small animals that have been flooded out of their homes may seek shelter in yours. Use a pole or stick to poke and turn things over and scare away small animals. Look before you step. After a flood, the ground and floors are covered with debris including broken bottles and nails. Floors and stairs that have been covered with mud can be slippery. Be alert for gas leaks. Use a flashlight to inspect for damage. Don’t smoke or use candles, lanterns, or open flames, unless you know the gas has been turned off and the area has been ventilated.

Inspections – Repair and Maintenance Activities Staff from the Drainage Section of the Design, Environment and Construction Division is available to conduct site visits to review flood, drainage, and storm sewer problems and determine if corrective repair or maintenance action is the responsibility of the city or the private property owner. For more information regarding this service or to request an inspection call 678-553-6579.

Learn More For more information call the Design, Environment and Construction Division or visit decaturga.com and follow the links to the floodplain information at the bottom of the page. Copies of this document can be obtained at Decatur City Hall, 509 N. McDonough St., or the Leveritt Public Works Building, DEC office, 1st floor, 2635 Talley St.

MARCH 2021 • Decatur Focus | 7

CITY News

Decatur Improves Equality Score A Message from Mayor Patti Garrett

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he city of Decatur, Georgia, located six miles east of Atlanta, is 4.7 square miles in size with a population of 23,000. We are an urban community that values and is committed to equity, inclusion and diversity. We have worked closely with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) to understand and apply the standards associated with the Municipality Equality Index (MEI) because we believe that LGBTQ-inclusion is critical to our commitment to being a Welcoming City. We have a high population of LGBTQ residents and business owners and they are an important part of the fabric of our community.

I am proud to announce that Decatur passed a non-discrimination ordinance in November 2019. The ordinance prohibits local businesses from discriminating based on sexual orientation or gender identity, as well as race, religion, color, sex, disability, national origin, ancestry, age or military status. Discrimination is prohibited in the areas of employment, housing, and public accommodation. No federal or Georgia state law expressly prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity.

We followed in the footsteps of the city of Atlanta and four other DeKalb County cities, becoming the sixth city in Georgia to adopt a non-discrimination ordinance.

Decatur is committed to the values of equity, inclusion and diversity and the adoption of this ordinance was a tangible way to demonstrate that commitment.

In addition, we passed a resolution urging the State of Georgia to adopt a broad and comprehensive hate crimes act through prompt legislative action, stating that “the Mayor and Commission believe that such hate crimes act should protect the widest range of vulnerable persons.”

We appreciate the HRC and the MEI team working in partnership with us to modify some of the language in standards geared to large cities, in order to reach and include smaller municipalities who strive to ensure LGBTQ inclusion in all areas of community work, life and play.

Working with HRC and the MEI team, Decatur was able to identify areas to codify existing practices, pass ordinances and document our commitment and in doing so, raise our MEI score from 51 points in 2017 to 86 points in 2020. We are proud of the accomplishment!

— Mayor Patti Garrett

8 | Decatur Focus • MARCH 2021

Have a Story to Share?

Share your news in the Decatur Focus The Decatur Focus is the official newsletter of the City of Decatur. Supported by the City of Decatur, the Decatur Business Association and the Decatur Downtown Development Authority, the Focus is published 10 times per year and mailed to every household, business and professional license-holder in the city. January/February and July/August are combined issues.

The Decatur Focus publishes announcements and information about the city, including city services, downtown development, school news, business news, and news about individual residents and neighborhood associations.

The purpose of the newsletter is to promote the city and encourage the exchange of information among residents, business owners, and the school system. The Focus is also posted on Decatur’s official website.

Submissions are encouraged and should be submitted by the first of the month prior to the month of publication (i.e., information to appear in the April issue should be submitted by March 1). The Decatur Focus also accepts advertising. For information about ad rates call 404-371-8386.

Letters to the editor, editorials, or other opinion pieces are not published.

All press releases, announcements, and other information received for publication are subject to editing.

Send materials to Editor, Decatur Focus, P.O. Box 220, Decatur, GA 30031; call 404-371-8386; or email decaturfocus@decaturga.com.

Decatur Walk & Roll Superstar This month’s Walk and Roll Superstar is Pam Pryor, a native Atlantan who moved to Decatur 35 years ago. She loves to be outdoors and found a career with AT&T/Bell South/Southern Bell that lets her do exactly that.

She used to walk up and down Stone Mountain multiple times for a workout and now walks around and around it. She takes the train, walks to the festivals and events where she volunteers, and even during COVID finds herself volunteering for her church, First United Methodist in downtown Decatur.

CITY News Better Together: Trust and Community Building

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he past year has served as a poignant reminder of the importance and fragility of our communities. Those communities thriving amid this global crisis are finding creative ways to (re)connect with their neighbors and respond to their most vulnerable members’ needs.

Neighbors have developed healthy and safe ways to engage those who were previously just nameless faces. City officials have cultivated strategies to aid people in remaining socially and politically engaged while physically distancing.

Essential building blocks for community building and sustaining efforts are a willingness to trust strangers and the support of mutual aid systems. The Better Together Advisory Board recognizes the efforts put forward throughout the Decatur community.

But there is much more work to be done and it requires us to establish mutually supportive, trusting relationships.

The Better Together Advisory Board, in partnership with the Little Shop of Stories, invites you to join us in exploring how we can deepen the wells of trust throughout the city as we work to become a more welcoming, responsive, and equitable city. We believe that our journey to becoming more trusting neighbors involves: • Talking to and learning from those who are different; • Asking questions with genuine curiosity; and • Leveraging our commonalities as we pursue our community’s goals.

How did Fidel Castro fool the CIA for a generation? Why did Neville Chamberlain think he could trust Adolf Hitler? Why are campus sexual assaults on the rise? Do television sitcoms teach us something about the way we relate to each other that isn’t true?

Something is very wrong, Gladwell argues, with the tools and strategies we use to make sense of people we don’t know. And because we don’t know how to talk to strangers, we are inviting conflict and misunderstanding in ways that have a profound effect on our lives and our world.

I’m Not Dying with You Tonight

by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal (ages 12-17) An NAACP Image Award Nominee, I’m Not Dying with You Tonight follows two teen girls – one black, one white – who have to

confront their own assumptions about racial inequality as they rely on each other to get through the violent race riot that has set their city on fire with civil unrest. When both girls attend the Friday night football game, what neither expects is for everything to descend into sudden mass chaos. Chaos born from violence and hate. Chaos that unexpectedly throws them together.

They aren’t friends. They hardly understand each other’s point of view. But none of that matters when the city is up in flames, and they only have each other to rely on if they’re going to survive the night.

Nothing in Common

by Kate Hoefler and Corinna Luyken (ages 4-7) A tender and timely story of compassion and finding common ground with others. Two neighbors both love to watch the old man and his dog from their windows, but they never wave to each other. After all, they have nothing in common. But everything changes when they are the only ones who notice that one day is different – there is the old man, but where is the dog?

In this lyrical picture book, two strangers learn about the many ways the world connects us – even if the only thing we have in common is how much we care about someone else. Nothing in Common is a friendship story that reminds us to always lead with compassion.

Look for a scavenger hunt around the city later this month. Hint: it may have something to do with our Little Free Libraries.

Talking to Strangers

by Malcolm Gladwell Malcolm Gladwell, host of the podcast Revisionist History and author of the No.1 New York Times bestseller Outliers, offers a powerful examination of our interactions with strangers – and why they often go wrong.

MARCH 2021 • Decatur Focus | 9

DBA News

Easter Egg Hunt Hunt at your own pace around Decatur • Saturday, March 27-Sunday, April 4 While we are not able to have our traditional Easter Egg Hunt, there are 12 eggs hidden around Decatur. Can you find them all? The eggs are placed around town at shops, city buildings and restaurants located in the city. Check windows and doors for window cling “eggs.” For safety, the eggs are easily visible from the windows of businesses.

If you find an egg, take a picture. Be one of the first 10 families to submit all 12 eggs to fun@ decaturdba.com for a chance to win some Decatur swag and a $10 gift card to Greene’s Fine Foods. Happy hunting and we hope to see you again in person for the 2022 Easter Egg Hunt.

Find eggs like these in windows around the city.

MEETING PREVIEW Tuesday, March 23 Membership Meeting 5:30 p.m. • Online via Zoom visit decaturdba.com to register

10 | Decatur Focus • MARCH 2021

DBA News Mayor Garrett Delivers Virtual State of the City Address

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n the annual State of the City address, sponsored by the Decatur Business Association, Mayor Patti Garrett acknowledged the many community accomplishments despite navigating through a pandemic. Among the achievements she highlighted: • The continuous efforts made by the City Commission and city employees to keep the community safe; • The progress of the 2020 Strategic Planning process; • The Decatur United initiative, small business assistance program, and efforts to support local businesses; • The community painting of a Black Lives Matter street mural, the Better Together Advisory Board’s Anti-Racism Speaker Series, and the removal of the Confederate obelisk from the square; • The purchase of the Samuel L. Jones Boys and Girls Club; • The completion of the protected bike lanes and downtown cycle track along Commerce Drive; • And the partnership with Trees Atlanta for the front yard tree program.

Mayor Garrett shared the City Commission’s priorities for 2021, and encouraged everyone to remain safe and healthy by practicing the 3Ws: wearing a mask, watching distance, and washing hands. She also invited Tasha White, school board chair, to give an update on the state of the City Schools of Decatur.

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Downs Earns Decatur’s Thomas O. Davis Public Service Award During Decatur’s Virtual State of the City Address, Mayor Patti Garrett named City Attorney Bryan Downs the 2021 recipient of Decatur’s Thomas O. Davis Award for public service. The award is named for the city’s long-time city attorney.

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MARCH 2021 • Decatur Focus | 11

BUSINESS & NONPROFIT News Spring Brings Nesting Birds to Decatur Cemetery Five new birdhouses in the old section of Decatur Cemetery are “move-in” ready and waiting for occupants. The houses have been placed there by Friends of Decatur Cemetery, a supporter of the National Wildlife Federation. Activity among the nesting birds has already begun.

Waldorf School Accepting Enrollment The Waldorf School of Atlanta, 827 Kirk Rd., is currently enrolling nursery through eighth grade for the 2021-22 school year. The faculty is educating students in an outdoor learning environment on campus this year. As part of the international Waldorf movement, the school celebrated 100 years of Waldorf education in 2019. Contact Stacey Alston, enrollor 404-377-1315, take a tour of the school.

Better Living Together Fosters Neighborly Connections Better Living Together is a Decatur-based nonprofit whose mission is to create an inclusive cohousing community that includes individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, seniors, city workers, teachers, and other middle-income households. The core group is looking to expand and would like to meet others who are interested in working with us to create a community that fosters connections among neighbors.

Cohousing communities are intentionally designed with common spaces surrounded by private homes. The physical layout encourages neighbors to interact with one another and helps foster relationships. Dwellings face inward toward a common green and cars are kept on the periphery. A common house with a large kitchen and dining room as well as gardens and other spaces bring people together. Connections among future residents often develop as people come together to organize and plan the community. These bonds become stronger as residents move into their neighborhood and continue to work together to manage their community.

If you are interested in learning more about cohousing and Better Living Together’s vision for creating such a community, join the virtual meeting on Thursday, March 18, 7-8:30 p.m., or Saturday, March 20, 3-4:30 p.m. Visit Betterlivingtogether.org and register for the Zoom meeting via the events page. Contact Beate Sass at beatesass@comcast.net if you have questions.

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Decatur events

BUSINESS & NONPROFIT News

it’s a DateHistory to Stay up late!

DeKalb Center’s Book Talks

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ll Decatur residents, everybody else, too, are invited Visit dekalbhistory.org forand Zoom links to participate. to walk in the Decatur Lantern Parade on the evening of Friday, May 15. This is one of those “the-more-the-merrier” Hidden History of Old Atlanta events, so plan to participate and bevia a part of helping Wednesday, March 3 • now noon-1 p.m. • Online Zoom tomay makebethis lantern paradeAtlanta memorable.

It hard to imagine as anyMake own lantern at home or thing butyour the sprawling metropolis seen come to today, buta lantern-making the area we nowworkshop call the City in where supplies are providthe Forest has aand veryguidance long history, stretched. Find where and whenMost by visiting ing back out thousands of years. people decaturlanternparade.com. hear the term “old Atlanta” and think of participate, line up near at Color theTocity that got burned the Wheel end of Studio at War, 508 E.but Howard Ave. after 8 p.m. the Civil what came before that?

The paradeHistory steps off 9 p.m. led by The to Hidden ofat Old Atlanta brings Blackdetails Sheep that Marching Ensemble and palight have long been forgotradeincluding guru Chantelle Rytter.

The parade ten, centuries of Native Ameriwill settlements wend its wayastowell the as community can the stories and bandstandofinAfrican front ofAmericans the Old Courtstruggles and new house on the square. immigrants.

The parade sponsored bybook; Colorthe first one was Native Decatur.

This is MarkisPifer’s second Wheelserving Studio,aDecatur Alliance, After numberArts of careers throughout his life, Pifer is now an Decaturand Education Foundation, author historian, and lives inand a historic home in Decatur with his the Decatur wife and twoDevelopment daughters. Authority.

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The Jewish Community of Atlanta Wednesday, March 17 • noon-1 p.m. • Online via Zoom The Jewish Community of Atlanta details the important role played by early Jewish men and women in the building of the 21st century international metropolis we know today. Many of Atlanta’s most iconic businesses – the CocaCola Company, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Atlanta Braves – owe much of their success to visionary Jewish leaders.

While there are many stories of success and triumph, there were also periods of anti-Semitism that plagued Atlanta’s Jewish population. These periods were marked by events such as the lynching of Leo Frank, the bombing of the Hebrew Benevolent Congregation, and the expulsion of Jewish students from Emory University Dental School. Explore the evolution of Atlanta through the lens of the Jewish community.

Jeremy Katz, author of The Jewish Community of Atlanta, currently serves as the senior director of archives at the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum in Atlanta. Katz holds two degrees from Ohio State University and Wright State University.

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MARCH 2021 • Decatur Focus | 13

BUSINESSSTRONG & NONPROFIT DECATUR 2020 News Agnes Scott College To Present ‘Press Here: Atlanta Printmakers Process 2020’

ASC Brown Bag Series Event

On View through April 23 Public Programs: March 10, March 31, and April 21 at 7 p.m.

Thursday, April 1 • 11:45 a.m.-12:55 p.m.

Join Agnes Scott for a Race, Space and Identity event: “A Place called Home: Uncovering Queer Black Spaces in Atlanta.” Dr. Aretina Hamilton will use critical race theory as a framework to explore how LGBTQ blacks transformed various sites in the city into spaces of belonging and communities that validate both their racial and sexual identities. She also models how the framework of black geographies we have been studying can be used to explore how whiteness acts as a cultural practice to demarcate the black spatial imaginary of black LGBTQ people.

Hamilton is the director of DEI Programming, Education, Training and Development at Brandeis University. She is a cultural geographer who specializes in race, gender, and sexuality in the American South. To attend, visit agnesscott. zoom.us/j/95445583812.

The Dalton Gallery at Agnes Scott College is partnering with the Atlanta Printmakers Studio to bring together 15 artists for an exhibition on view through April 23.

“Press Here: Atlanta Printmakers Process 2020” is an exhibition of works that act as catalysts for conversations to help us grow, learn, empathize, change the way we see the world, and how we connect with each other. This exhibition called on artists from the Atlanta Printmakers Studio – women, printmakers, artists who use textiles in particular as a medium – to help us grapple with what has happened, to explore the impact of isolation, to examine the unseen virus that has caused so much damage, and to set intentions of hope for what is to come.

Printmaking is an artistic practice that can be used to express one’s self, but it can also be used to disseminate information and ideas quickly, broadly, and inexpensively. “Press Here” is paired with “Fashion Statements: Identity and East African Printed Textiles,” an exhibition of kangas, which are worn as a form of personal expression or to voice one’s political affiliation. They can be used to commemorate current events and holidays and to share key messages about the pandemic. Pairing visual material from Africa with the work of local artists adds vibrancy, but also fulfills a key mission of Agnes Scott College to connect to Atlanta and the global community.

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BUSINESS & NONPROFIT News Tour deCatur Is Back with a ‘Run Where You Are’ Edition Annual Fundraiser Promotes Safe Outdoor Activities that Support Decatur Students Decatur Education Foundation is pleased to announce a “Run Where You Are” version of the annual 5K Race and Fun Run on Saturday, March 27, and Sunday, March 28.

Last year’s Tour deCatur was cancelled the day before the event due to the COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders. Since it is still unsafe to gather in groups together, DEF has decided to host the event safely by having participants “run where they are” for an opportunity to enjoy outdoor exercise and support Decatur’s kids in a safe way.

For the 5K race, runners can choose their own course and run anytime on Saturday, March 27, or Sunday, March 28. Once completed, participants can upload their race times from their trackers (i.e., Strava, Runkeeper, iWatch, Treadmill). Results will be posted on the DEF website and social media.

The fun run is not a race, just a celebration of your body and its ability to move. The Tour deCatur official Fun Run will take place on Saturday, March 27, and will include a

live interactive zoom call with some of your favorite City Schools of Decatur P.E. coaches.

The link will be sent to registered participants closer to the event date. Of course you can run for fun anytime.

Although this is typically a major fundraiser for DEF, this year the goal is just to go outside and add some fun to a hard year.

Reduced registration rates do not include the event shirts, but participants can order from an online vendor linked on the registration site and have them shipped directly to their homes.

For additional information and to register, visit tourdecatur.com. Proceeds from the race benefit DEF’s initiatives, which support Decatur students, teachers and their schools.

To learn how DEF helps kids learn and thrive, visit decatureducationfoundation.org.

MARCH 2021 • Decatur Focus | 15

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