Shopping square footage showdown

Altanta Tomorrow's News Today has an update on the renovations/expansion at the Kroger (corner of North Decatur Road and DeKalb Industrial): "half of the store is to be complete by the end of August, the other half by September, 2015" to fit the Kroger Marketplace format.

In a previous report, Tomorrow's News Today noted that the expansion will offer a drive-through pharmacy, a larger Starbucks, additional self-checkout lanes, expanded health foods, school supplies and kitchenware sections, and two additional gas pumps.

Our area retailers are certainly bullish on growth!

Store	Current Footage	Future Footage
Kroger (2875 North Decatur Rd.)	63,419 sq ft	110,000 sq ft
Walmart (at Suburban Plaza)	(under construction)	149,000 sq ft.
Your DeKalb Farmers Market	140,000 sq ft	500,000 sq ft of retail (and over 800,000 sq warehouse) over the next 10 years

Fire Department helps collect school supplies for DeKalb elementary school kids [ends Aug 4]

Our closest fire station: 3858 North Druid Hills Rd.
near the Shamrock Plaza Publix.

Click to enlarge the Chief's letter.

Darnell D. Fullum, Director/Fire Chief of the DeKalb County Fire Rescue Department, invites us to donate school supplies to benefit DeKalb County elementary school children.

You may drop off supplies at any DeKalb County fire station. Supplies must be delivered by 5pm on Monday, August 4.

Our closest station is Fire Station 9, located at 3858 North Druid Hills Rd. For a list of other County locations, click here.

To ensure the supplies are a good match, please refer to this wish list:

1. Backpack
2. Elmer’sschoolglue
3. Gluesticks
4. Blunt safety tip scissors
5. Number 2 pencils–NOT mechanical
6. Highlighters
7. Dry erase markers
8. Washable markers
9. Coloring pencils
10. Pencil pouch with zipper
11. 24/32/48 count crayons
12. Large erasers
13. Ruler
14. Wide ruled notebook paper
15. Black and white composition books
16. Construction paper
17. Spiral notebook
18. Index cards
19. 1.5 inch binders with pockets
20. 3 prong folders with pockets
21. Hand sanitizer
22. Anti-bacterial hand soap
23. Box of Kleenex
24. Paper towels
25. Zip lock type bags – sandwich/quart/gallon

Printable list after the jump...

Greg Germani Trust Fund

For updates on Greg's condition and to contribute, go to

http://www.gofundme.com/GregGermaniTrust

This is for our neighbor Greg! Please go to http://www.gofundme.com/GregGermaniTrust to make a donation. 

"On the evening of June 9, while cycling home from work, Greg was viciously, intentionally run down by a driver and left for dead. Thanks to the help of fast-acting strangers and the amazing work of doctors at Grady Hospital, Greg's life was saved that night. 

Greg has received outstanding medical care every step of the way. Seven weeks after the attack, however, Greg is facing a long road to recovery. He has suffered multiple injuries, the primary one being a severe brain injury from the impact of the incident. (Importantly, he was wearing a helmet.) There is so much unpredictability about a brain injury, but the consistent word is that Greg will recover on his own timetable... 

Contributions made via GoFundMe (or otherwise) will go to this third-party special needs trust, and those funds will only be used to meet Greg’s health care needs not otherwise covered by insurance or other means in accordance with the terms of the trust."

This fundraiser was also covered here: http://www.cbs46.com/story/26162211/fundraiser-set-up-for-atlanta-man-injured-in-hit-and-run 

Delicious Tuesdays: Fresh produce @ North DeKalb Mall

"An outdoor produce stand will be selling the summer crop on Tuesdays from 3 pm to 7 pm through September 2nd. It will be located between Bank of America and Macy's Auto Center on the southeast side of the mall. (Cash only.)"

See more about the North DeKalb Mall community garden at http://www.northdekalbmall.com/#!community-garden/cpdm

Plantings include: "eggplant, tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, peppers, okra, bush beans, French marigolds, African marigolds, sunflowers, zinnias, mustard, watermelon, cantaloupe, basil and others) plus varieties of kale, Swiss chard, butter crunch lettuce, watercress, mung beans, pole bean varieties, southern peas, tomatillos, collard greens, radish varieties, carrots, broccoli, onions, lavender, mint, chocolate mint, parsley, cilantro, chives, cone flowers, peonies, gardenias, coreopsis, larkspur, linaria and more."

According to Patch, there are plans for fall/winter crop sales too.

Lost dog (Scott Blvd.)

This little rascal busted out the front door last evening (July 26)...

Benefit for Greg Germani [Aug 2]

Join this Facebook page to stay informed!

Last June, neighbor Greg Germani was victim of a hit-and-run that left him with substantial injuries. This benefit will help cover costs of a long recovery.

Saturday, August 2at 7:00pm - 11:45pm
Star Community Ba
437 Moreland Ave NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30307

featuring the talents of

Ghost Riders Car Club

The Blacktop Rockets

Caroline and the Ramblers

Mystery Men?

Julea Thomerson

AM Gold 

Slim Chance and the Convicts

Grinder Nova

Troops (of mushrooms) at the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve

One early morn' this week at the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve, snow on the ground? Not quite; it was mushrooms, lots of them (Marasmiellus albuscorticis perhaps?). Whatever their name, they love to grow on twigs and are delicate and orderly, often appearing in rows.

Tee hee hee, we climbed on a twig!

Nom nom, these tasted good to some little critter.

Some looked like perfect parasols. One half-expects to find a tiny winged fairy napping underneath...