Gary DeToma Jr. Flower Memorial and Fund

Posted on July 16, 2010 by decaturmom

A flower memorial will be held this Friday for Gary DeToma Jr., the 5-year old son of Melanie DeToma of Decatur, who was killed on Monday. Here are the details of the memorial from Suzanne Kennedy, Principal of College Heights Early Learning Center, as posted on Decatur Metro:

In an effort to show support for Melanie DeToma and her family, but at the same time respect their wishes for privacy, a flower memorial in Harmony Park is being arranged by the community. A linden tree will be planted on-site by Trees Atlanta. Hopefully, by Friday afternoon families can begin to gather bouquets and remembrances as a gesture of goodwill for the family.

If you are able and wish to participate, simply place a suitable arrangement among the flowers in Harmony Park beginning on Friday afternoon. Please do not forget about the Gary DeToma Jr. Memorial Fund at Decatur First Bank, which is another way of showing support to the family as they get through this very difficult time.

Please also be aware that a fund has been established at Decatur First Bank to remember Gary and support the family during this difficult time.

The bank is accepting cash and/or checks-checks should be made out to the Gary DeToma Jr. Fund.

Donations can be made at the bank or mailed–The mailing address is 1120 Commerce Dr. Decatur, Ga. 30030 or 720 Commerce Dr. Decatur, Ga. 30030

Please pass this information on, and do what you can to help support the family of Gary DeToma Jr. and the Decatur community through this tragedy.

My deepest condolences go out to Melanie DeToma, her son, Will, and the rest of the family.

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Recess Monkey at Decatur Library

Posted on July 13, 2010 by decaturmom

Recess Monkey, the crazy, fun band that makes adorable children’s dance songs, is coming to the Decatur – Dekalb Library on Thursday, July 15th from 7 – 9pm.

Get there early! Seats fill up fast and you won’t want to miss the show. Here was the scene when we last saw Recess Monkey at the Decatur – Dekalb library.

DeKalb County Public Library
215 Sycamore Street
Decatur, Georgia 30030
404-370-8450

See you there!

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Reptile Day 2010 at Fernbank Museum

Posted on June 29, 2010 by decaturmom

We had a blast last year at Fernbank’s reptile day. You can view and even touch some of the coolest-looking reptiles that I’ve ever seen. The kids were fascinated by the large snakes. And there was plenty of friendly staff around to tell us all about them. Here’s more info on the upcoming event from Brandi at Fernbank:

Fernbank Museum’s annual Reptile Day will give visitors an opportunity to get up-close with dozens of lizards, snake and turtles on Saturday, July 10 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A variety of reptiles—both exotic and native to Georgia—will be on display in the Museum’s Great Hall. Members of the Georgia Herpetological Society will be on hand to answer questions and educate visitors about the importance of these exceptional animals. Some reptiles and amphibians will also be out with handlers for closer encounters.

Reptile Day coincides with Fernbank’s current special exhibition, Geckos: Tails to Toepads, where even more live animal encounters await. As visitors explore species from around the world, they can test their ability to spot some of these well-camouflaged lizards in their habitats. Geckos: Tails to Toepads is on view through Labor Day.

During Reptile Day, visitors can also head to the auditorium for “Remarkable Reptile” animal encounter shows, where experts will pack their brains with fascinating facts about reptiles as part of 97 Days (and Ways) to Play, Fernbank’s summer-long celebration of activities and events to keep entertained while school’s out.

Reptile Day and Geckos: Tails to Toepads are included with Museum admission. Museum admission is FREE for members, $15 for adults, $14 for students, $13 for children ages 3-12 and free for children ages 2 and under. Purchase Museum tickets at fernbankmuseum.org or by calling 404.929.6400.

Fernbank Museum of Natural History is located at 767 Clifton Road in Atlanta.

Photo: courtesy of Fernbank Museum of Natural History

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Decatur Beach Party 2010

Posted on June 11, 2010 by decaturmom

Bring on the sand! The bands! The food! The games! The neighbors! The fun! It’s the Decatur Beach Party!

What: Beach party with 60 tons of sand.

When: Friday, June 18th, 5pm – 12am

Where: On the Decatur Square

Tickets: $6.50 in advance, order here. $10.00 at the door. Children under 12 free.

When we moved to Decatur we didn’t realize that every June the city would bring a mini beach vacation to our doorsteps. The Decatur Beach Party is so much fun for the whole family that you won’t want miss it.

See you there!

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New City of Decatur After School Program

Posted on May 25, 2010 by decaturmom

In an effort to address the child care and education needs of the immediate community, the First Christian Church of Decatur is planning to offer an after school and school vacation program for children ages Pre-K through 5th grade starting in the Fall of 2010.

This is a grass roots effort that developed out of needs expressed by concerned parents in our community entering the CSD system with limited options for after school care and child care coverage during planned City of Decatur school vacation days.

After working with city inspectors, we were approved to use the facility at First Christian Church previously rented by the Georgia Center for Children. The facility, with a few modifications, can accommodate between 50 and 60 children between the hours of  3:00 pm to 6:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Transportation will be provided from City of Decatur schools to the facility.

The curriculum is being designed by teachers who are committed to the after school program’s success. Some of the planned program features include; an arts-focused curriculum, tutoring, music and language lessons, extended hours (7am – 6:30pm) during CSD school vacation days and a summer program.

Please take a moment to take our online survey and give us your feedback. We want to make sure that this program is a good fit for the entire community. You can even help us name the school!

If you have more questions feel free to reply to this post or contact Kiersten Pierce, Co-Chair of the Steering Committee Team at pierce0914@bellsouth.net.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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