Tuesday, January 17, Monday, February 6, and Tuesday, February 21
City Commission meetings
7:30 pm City Hal
Jan 20-23
Georgia Municipal Association Mayor’s Day Conference
Atlanta Hilton
Jan 31
Decatur Farm to School Dine Out
Feb 18
Decatur Old House Fair
Feb 25
Oakhurst 2012 Wine Crawl
Feb 28
Decatur Business Association Meeting
At our first City Commission meeting in January, we reviewed some of the City’s accomplishments over the past year. I had to choose from a long list list – we indeed have many reasons to be proud of Decatur!
10. Decatur was designated a Tree City USA and received a Silver Walk Friendly Community designation from the Pedestrian and Bicycle Center.
The Beacon Hill Community and Civil Rights in Decatur
Tuesday, January 17, Noon to 1:00 p.m.
Old Courthouse on the Square, Second Floor, Superior Courtroom
Mayor Emerita Elizabeth Wilson will speak about the Beacon Hill Community; an African-American neighborhood near downtown Decatur which was bordered by Atlanta Avenue, Herring Street and Robin Street. Elizabeth will discuss the churches, neighborhood and the schools. She has interviewed early residents and some of their children for additional history. The segregated schools included Herring Street School (later Herring -Trinity High School) and Beacon Elementary School. Beacon is now home to the city’s police and recreation departments.
This area was re-developed beginning in 1949 in an effort to “clear slums in Decatur” and provide low-cost housing in a specifically segregated area. The city followed the practices seen across the south in the 1950s where towns tore down homes and buildings in “blighted areas.”
Elizabeth Wilson moved to Beacon Hill in 1949 and has played a key role in helping to end segregation in Decatur’s public institutions. She was elected to the City Commission in 1984 and became Decatur’s first African-American mayor in 1993.
Free – bring your lunch!
Decatur is named among the top 10 “Tastiest Towns in the South,” according to Southern Living magazine. They are asking readers to determine the winner. Help us rally around the City of Decatur and cast your vote online.
http://www.southernliving.com/travel/souths-tastiest-towns-decatur-00417000076968/
3rd annual Incredible, Edible, Grow-It-Yourself Fruit Tree, Vine and Berry Bush Sale to benefit Atlanta Local Food Initiative on January 21, 2012 from 10 am until Noon.
Don’t just grow your lawn, grow food!
Sharpen your trowels for the 3rd annual Incredible, Edible, Grow-It-Yourself Fruit Tree, Vine and Berry Bush Sale to benefit Atlanta Local Food Initiative on January 21, 2012 from 10 am until Noon. The event will be hosted by Atlanta Community Food Bank at 970 Jefferson Street, NW Atlanta, GA 30318. Order early to insure availability, visit the presale in the general store at Georgia Organics: www.georgiaorganics.org.
ALFI’s proud to offer over 32 varieties of native and hardy fruits, selected to grow well in Georgia’s climate while using sustainable techniques. This year features 8 new delicious varieties and a selection of organically grown plants. Bite into crisp, juicy apples, savor the sweetness of figs and indulge in the richness of hazelnuts from your yard for years to come!
Tuesday, January 24, 5:15pm – 7:00pm
Where: The Solarium, 321 Hill St.
Sponsored by Matador Cantina and Universal Joint Traditionally the January meeting has featured the State of the City address by the mayor of Decatur. This year the State of the City address will be held at the March meeting in the newly remodeled and reopened Conference Center in the Courtyard by Mariott – details in the March Focus newsletter.
Thursday, January 26, 6-9pm City Commission Room, City Hall
State Representative Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) and State Representative Stephanie Stuckey Benfield (D-Atlanta) will hold a town hall meeting with State Senator Jason Carter (D-Decatur) on Thursday, January 26, at 6:30-8:00 PM at the Decatur City Commission Chamber, 509 North McDonough St. All DeKalb residents are strongly encouraged to attend.
Saturday, Jan. 28, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
215 Sycamore St.
The Friends of the Decatur Library will host a book sale on the ground floor of the library. Thousands of gently used books will be available for low prices. Donations of saleable books can be brought to the library security desk until Jan. 15 for this sale. Proceeds support programs and materials for the Decatur Library. To volunteer, contact Jane Miller, j_spencer_00@yahoo.com.
Tuesday, January 31; 5-9pm
Dine out at a select area restaurant that evening and a percentage of the proceeds will be donated to Decatur Farm to School (DF2S) to sustain its mission of integrating fresh, locally produced foods into the City of Decatur school community’s classrooms and cafeterias. Funds raised will go toward supporting teacher workshops, kitchen trainings for our cafeteria partners, classroom and garden projects, and student taste tests.
Participating restaurants include Brick Store Pub, Iberian Pig, Cakes & Ale, The Yogurt Tap, Leon’s Full Service, The Square Pub, Universal Joint, Steinbeck’s, Farm Burger, McGowan’s Oakhurst Pub, Sapori di Napoli, and Mac McGee.
