Thanks to Emory Volunteers Scott Garden Has Been Transformed

Kathy Hightower gives thanks to Emory Volunteers:

In 3 hours on Saturday, November 10, Scott Garden (behind the City of Decatur Recreation Center) was transformed from a spooky, weed-encrusted ghost of a garden into a freshly weeded, pruned and prepped garden, near ready for spring planting. Twenty Emory student volunteers along with a half-dozen DeKalb Extension Service Master Gardeners and city volunteers raked, pulled and chopped away mountains of weeds that had accumulated in the almost two years that the garden has been closed while the city’s recreation center has been under a major renovation. 

 Scott’s gardeners and the city are extremely grateful to the Emory students who donated their time and energy on a beautiful autumn day to spiffing up this garden. It was dirty, dusty work and the spirit of the volunteers was always cheerful and industrious. The gardeners will be planning their spring plantings soon and this extreme volunteer effort will give them a head start for a successful season. 

The community garden is under the auspices of the Decatur’s Active Living department with each of two dozen beds maintained by a city resident. The gardeners grow their own selection of annual and perennial vegetables, flowers, roses, shrubs and herbs. Several areas are maintained   by the Master Gardener program as demonstration beds for native plants, a butterfly garden, and composting. 

This is a DeKalb County Extension Service sponsored site with four Master Gardeners assigned to manage the community garden and lead educational efforts. DeKalb’s Extension Service sponsors some 20 Master Gardener sites in the county.

 

Are You a Team Decatur Grand Slam Champion?

To all those walkers and runners out there who participated in Team Decatur in 2012:

Did you participate in three of the participating Grand Slam Run/Walks and the KP Corporate Run/Walk in September? If the answer is YES, then you are a Grand Slam Fitness Champion!! Congratulations!!

All you have to do is fill out the form located here and send it to Cheryl and you will receive an award at the annual Run With the Dogs race to be held on January 12th. We must have the form and information no later than November 30 as we will be ordering your great prize!

Participating race/events in 2012  were: 
Run With the Dogs in January
Tour deCatur in March
Take Back the Night in April
KP Corporate Run/Walk in September**  (this is mandatory)
Oakhurst Arts Run in October
Run for Justice in November
One month of Walk for Lunch

Didn’t make it this year? No fear- we will be offering the challenge again in 2013 with a couple of new run/walks to choose from. Make plans to start 2013 on the right foot  at the Run With the Dogs on January 12th.

For more information on Team Decatur and the GSFC click here and read all about it. Plan to join us in 2013!

Be sure to keep up with Team Decatur news and photos by liking us on Facebook. 

The first group of Grand Slam Fitness Champions at the 2012 Run With the Dogs pose with their awards.

Healthy Monday: Deter Diabetes

Diabetes is becoming an increasingly deadly problem for adults and youth alike. You can reduce your risk for diabetes by being physically active, eating more fiber (vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts, and seeds), consuming 100% whole grains over refined grains, and maintaining a healthy weight.
 
Make at least one small goal for each day this week that incorporates the above guidelines. For example, schedule in a 30-minute exercise session, or make a whole grain, fiber-rich meal. By focusing on your health earlier, you can prevent the negative consequences of diabetes.

For more information from he Monday Campaigns, click here.

Stay Active This Weekend!

There are many ways to get out and about in Decatur this weekend. Consider walking or bicycling to one of these:

Saturday, November 10
Run for Justice:
The Atlanta Legal Aid Society Run for Justice will be on Saturday. Registration begins at 7:45am and the run/walk begins at 9am. Information here.

Kidical Mass (Information in previous blog post): Kidical Mass is a family-friendly law-abiding bike ride with the purpose of teaching children, parents and caregivers safety skills. Information here.

Intro to Group Riding will be on Saturday at 1:30 beginning at Glennwood Academy. This is free and lots of fun. (I have attended a couple of these and learned a lot as well as had fun). Just show up in the parking lot and the leaders will take it from there. Sponsored by the Southern Bicycle League.

Basketball Parents Meeting at Ebster  Gym, 1pm.

Decatur Arts Alliance Yard Sale: The Decatur Arts Alliance is cleaning out the “Art Shack” for a move. Stop by and buy a piece of history (and other assorted items that have to go!) The sale is at the corner of Bell Street and Church Street (back entrance to the Decatur Cemetery). Begins at 8am so get there early!

Stories in the Woods at Woodlands Garden, 10-11:30am: Mia Manekofsky, children’s librarian at the downtown Decatur location, will at Woodlands to read two stories. Just in time for Thanksgiving, we’ll hear I Know an Old Lady who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson, and we’ll have our own lady who gets stuffed with food.
There are plenty of yellow (and red and orange and gold) leaves at Woodlands this week, so the other book, The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger, and the accompanying art project will be quite seasonal, too.

 A walk in the woods with Woodlands guides will complete the day, and a roaring fire in the Pavilion will keep us warm. We hope you can join us. Please contact Ruby now to add your name to the list.  This event is designed for children ages 4 and up, accompanied by an adult. 

Smores 4 All  at the Wylde Center, Saturday 6-8pm: They  need bags of leaves (no sticks) neatly placed in the driveway against our bee mural for our signature MOUNTAIN OF LEAVES from now until Sat 4pm.  Please contribute and jump in on Sat. Thanks! More info at  http://wyldecenter.org/events/smores-for-all-102012-111012/

Sunday, November 11:
Tweed & Vintage Ride: Join Houndstooth Road and Decatur Active Living for the first Autumn Ride. (details in previous blog post). The ride starts at 2pm, but we are gathering at Sq/Ft on the Square at 1:30pm to take advantage of some discounted shopping! The off to Oakhurst for tea at Kavarna and then on the The Marley. Wear your best vintage or tweed and join us for lots of fun.

Jumping in the leaves at the Smores 4 All event

Bicycling for the Children: Kidical Mass on Saturday

Join us for the Houndstooth Autumn Tweed & Vintage Ride

Houndstooth  Road and Decatur Active Living invite you to join us for an Autum Tweed and Vintage Ride on Sunday, November 11. Hop on your two wheels and join us for a lovely autumn afternoon with kindred spirits. Gather at the new Sq/Ft Boutique at 149 Sycamore Street in Decatur by 1:30pm and we will depart at 2pm on our journey to Oakhurst and Kavarna for a warm beverage and then we will return to downtown Decatur to end our ride at The Marley House  located at 426 W Ponce de Leon Ave.

You are encouraged to dress in the spirit of the occasion with your finest autumn tweed or vintage looks. Let’s have fun and show Decatur some stylish pedaling!

Gentlemen, you can find some ideas for your dress here.

Ladies, you can get some great ideas here .

Photos from a Tweed ride that might give you ideas are here.

Supermarket Tour November 10th

Register today for the Supermarket Tour to be held at the Publix at Emory Commons. The tour is on Saturday, November 10 from 9:30 until 10:30am and is led by a Nutrition Graduate Student from Georgia State. Learn about shopping healthy, how to read labels, and  more. The tour is free, but you must register as it is limited to 6 peeople. Information and registration 678-553-6541 or cheryl.burnette@decaturga.com.

Run for Justice November 10

Atlanta Legal Aid Society will hold its annual Run For Justice on Saturday, November 10. The 5k race is held in Oakhurst and begins at One Step at a Time, 650 East Lake Drive in Decatur.  Walk up registration begins at 7:45am and the run/walk starts promptly at 9 am.

The Run for Justice is a qualiflying run/walk event in the Team Decatur Grand  Slam Fitness Challenge.

Register online at http://runforjustice.atlantalegalaid.org. More information at rungeorgia.com or 404-327-7738. Register by November 4th to receive the early bird rate.

Running strollers and dogs are welcome!

Ball Field Light Construction Underway at McKoy Park

Daveco Electrical has begun construction on taking down the old wood poles at McKoy Baseball/Softball Field.  The 1975 wood poles are going away and will be replaced with steel poles and improved lighting.  The pictures below were captured when I stopped by the field on yesterday.

   

Scholastic Chess Club at Decatur Active Living

Your children can learn to play chess or improve their game with Championship Chess at Decatur Active Living! We are excited about offering our new classes at the Decatur Recreation Center and welcome your participation. Championship Chess builds chess skills through instruction, guided analysis and fun play.  Research shows that the study of chess improves math, reading comprehension and problem-solving.

 Day/Time: Mondays after school from 4:00 to 5:00 pm for grades 2-5, 5:00-6:00 pm for Middle and High School (grades 6-12)

Location: 420 W. Trinity Pl., Decatur, GA 30030. Parents will need to provide transportation to and from The Decatur Active Living at Beacon Hill Complex.

Dates: Fall session classes begin Monday, November 5 and continue to December 17.

Who can play: Any child grades 2-12. Younger students are welcome if they know how to play.There will be a group for children who play, and a group for those who are beginners. To make, each group requires at least 10 registered players

Cost:  Fall session is    Residents: $100          Non- Residents: $115

Registration begins on Monday October 22nd / Registration ends on Saturday November 3rd.

Online Registration on the Decatur Active Living Website, click on Webtrac

Grades 2-5      Reg. # 242010-60

Grades 6-12    Reg. # 242010-61

 

 For more information contact Lee Williams at Decatur Active Living (678-553-6551). You can also stop by 420 W. Trinity Pl., Decatur, GA 30030 to register in person.

 

Championship Chess Staff and Methods

Coach Steve Schneider has been a teacher and chess coach for over 25 years. Championship Chess teams have won local, regional, state and national tournaments. Championship Chess coaches utilize our complete curriculum introducing, reinforcing and improving chess skills and strategies

Questions? Email Coach Steve at chess@championshipchess.net or Coach Dennis Jones dj@championshipchess.net or call (770) 572-7605

For more information: www.championshipchess.net and click calendar to keep up with upcoming chess events. Follow us on www.facebook.com/championshipchess