Author: On Common Ground News

Join UGA Extension Services for a family fun event ” Fun with Fresh Food’ on Thursday, June 20, 11 a.m., at the Nancy Guinn Memorial Library, 864 Green Street in Conyers. Learn how to eat the rainbow and enjoy taste tests, demonstrations and free produce. The featured color of the week is yellow.  This is a recurring event that takes place every Thursday through July.  For more information, call 770-278-7373.

The City of Covington, Chamber of Commerce and Newton County Recreation Commission have partnered to provide “Food & Film @ the Field” on Friday, June 21, 6 p.m. at Legion Field, 3173 Mill Street, Covington. The first 200 guests can enjoy a free hot dog, chips and drink prior to the screening of “Ralph Breaks the Internet”on a large outdoor screen. This event is monthly during the summer season. For more information, visit cityofcovington.org

Kick off the summer at the Decatur Beach Party on Friday, June 21, 5 to 11 p.m., at the Olde Depot District on E. Howard Avenue and N. Candler Street in downtown Decatur. Gather up the beach toys and come ready to play in 80 tons of imported sand and enjoy a variety of kids’ activities along the boardwalk, including a toddler play area, rock climbing wall, dunk tank, and more from 5 to 9 p.m. The party will continue into the night with live music, food trucks, a beer garden and more. The event is sponsored by the…

The Fox Theatre presents the 2019 Coca-Cola Summer Film Festival with a screening and sing-along of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” for the film’s 30thanniversary. After opening night, the festival will include early and evening shows including “Saturday Morning Cartoons,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” a “Mary Poppins” sing-along, and “The Wizard of Oz” which will be celebrating its 80thanniversary. Patrons will enjoy movies under the theatre’s 26-by-56-foot screen. Advanced discount tickets are available online at foxtheater.org. For the full film festival schedule or to purchase tickets, visit FoxTheatre.org.

Join the DeKalb County History Center (DHC) for the opening reception of “Silk and Stich: An Exploration of Embellishment in Fashion.” The event is free and will be held Thursday, July 11, 6 to 8 p.m., at the Historic DeKalb Courthouse, 101 E. Court Square, Decatur. The exhibit offers a look at specific techniques of women’s fashion in DeKalb County throughout the late nineteenth to early twentieth century. The exhibit focuses on the changes in women’s fashion in response to different circumstances such as moving into the workforce and a desire for more comfortable clothing during that time. The event…

Families who are new to the DeKalb County School District (DCSD) can now access the district’s new online registration system. Parents or guardians can visit www.dekalbschoolsga.org/online-registrationnow, and navigate through a series of prompts to enter the vital information needed to ensure accurate school assignments and support services for their student. District officials said online registration currently is open to new students only. Students transferring within DCSD must withdraw from their current school and register at their new school. Parents of students returning to the same school must submit updated information to the school before the end of the school year…

Benchmark millage rate stays flat   The DeKalb County Governing Authority announces its intention to increase 2019 property taxes this year by 4.22 percent over the rollback millage rate. DeKalb County has seven separate tax levies. Two of those levies (the general and hospital funds) are used in the required calculation for the rollback rate. The other tax levies (police, fire, designated, and two bond funds), when combined with the general and hospital levies, produce the same benchmark millage rate of 20.810 mills from last year. The combined millage rate for the general and hospital funds…

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Attorney Mawuli Davis, and his wife, Jana Johnson-Davis, at the Georgia State University’s College of Law awards ceremony. Attorney Mawuli Davis of the Davis Bozeman Law Firm in Decatur is the 2019 recipient of the Ben F. Johnson, Jr. Public Service Award, the highest awarded presented by Georgia State University’s College of Law. The award is presented each year to a Georgia attorney whose overall accomplishments reflect the high tradition of  founding dean, Ben F. Johnson, Jr., Wendy F. Hensel, Dean of Georgia State College of Law, applauded Davis for his service to the…

The Sankofa Community Food Pantry is hosting a drive-through food pantry on Saturday, June 15, 12 to 3 p.m. at 1240 Sigman Road.The free food giveaway is open to the community and will feature fresh watermelon, jalapeño peppers, cucumbers, peaches, oranges, cauliflower, dried cranberries and other items. Attendees are asked to drive their grocery-ready vehicles behind the building to pick up their items. No ID required.

Stonecrest City Councilman George Turner, District 4, will hold a town hall meeting on June. 19,  6 to 8 p.m., at Salem Panola Road Library, 5137 Salem Road. The meeting will include information on the development at Browns Mill and Panola Roads intersection, the next steps regarding the SPLOST program, DeKalb’s transportation masterplan and discussion on the committee for District 4’s overlay protection. The community is encouraged to attend the meeting. For more information, Councilman Turner can be reached at turnerg1@comcast.net or 404-886-2053.