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East Atlanta Community Association Newsletter Weekly Update
December 1, 2008
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New This Week
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Don't forget to vote tomorrow. It seems that everyone is eager to see the race for Senator decided, as the amount of money spent by both sides has been off the chart.
The East Atlanta Business Association will be holding its 2009 elections at their meeting this coming Wednesday at 2:00 at the East Atlanta Library. Anyone interested in running for an elected office is invited. If you wish to learn more in advance, contact EABA President Marc Takacs at marc@mdteam.net.
Please be sure to take advantage of the chance to meet DeKalb County police officials this week. See below for more details.
We will be publishing a special issue of the EACA Newsletter later this week. The focus will be on upcoming events, including the EACA Potluck, EACA elections and upcoming holiday activities in the East Atlanta Village. |
Annual EACA Potluck Dinner
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The EACA holds its annual Potluck dinner on December 9th at 7:00 p.m. Please join your neighbors for a holiday meal that immediately follows our brief monthly meeting. You are encouraged to bring your children or any other members of your household (except pets).
To help get the meeting started promptly, we encourage you to bring a dish to share shortly before 7:00, so that all the food can be ready to eat at the conclusion of our meeting at 7:30. While attendance is usually around 75 people, you don't have to cook for that many! A dish that serves 5-10 people is more than adequate. Items such as side dishes, salads, main courses and desserts are all acceptable. If you can tell us early what you'll be bringing, we'll publish a list later this week and next Monday so that we don't end up with 25 batches of cookies. Just drop a note to newsletter@eaca.net with the item you intend to bring. Please bring any bowls, plates or utensils that are needed to serve your dish, as well as any condiments that might be appropriate.
The EACA will provide forks, spoons, knives, napkins, plates and drinks. Happy Holidays, and we'll see you on December 9th!
As part of the EACA holiday potluck, we are inviting people to bring some canned food to donate to the Kingfisher Academy food drive. The shelves at the Atlanta Food Bank are in desperate need of food. It's a rough time for even middle class families and the need for more canned food is tremendous. The kids at Kingfisher will be doing a house to house collection on an upcoming Saturday and are hoping to kick off their food drive at the EACA potluck.
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EACA looking for new leaders in 2009
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EACA is actively seeking new leadership for next year. Current President Myron Polster and Vice-President Heath Turner are not eligible to return in those positions in 2009, and Sarah Palin is back in Alaska, so we need some new blood at the top. This is a great chance to improve your neighborhood in areas such as Public Safety, Code Enforcement, Land Use and Zoning, Education and Transportation to name just a few. Elections will be held at the December 9th EACA meeting for all four officer positions, including Secretary and Treasurer.
To learn more, contact one of the nominating committee members, either Henry Bryant at 404-377-6148 or Dennis Madsen at 404-577-8656. |
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The Return Of East Atlanta Santa!
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East Atlanta Santa's back!
Save a trip to the mall and benefit a great local organization by bringing yourself, your children and your pets to Joe's Coffee (510 Flat Shoals Ave.) on Saturday, December 6, for pictures with Santa. Update: Because of demand, Santa also will be at Joe's on Sunday, December 7, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Reservations are available in 10-minute increments from 10 a.m. until
3 p.m., with Santa and the elves taking a break from 12:30 until 1:30.
Walk-ins will be fit in as time allows. For $15, you'll get a CD burned on the spot with the best shots. All proceeds benefit East Atlanta Kids Club. Joe's also will be sponsoring a craft fair that day, so you can grab a coffee while you watch the Santa fun and shop around. For more information or to make a reservation, contact Michelle Rice at 4chisos@comcast.net.
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Toys for Tots in the East Atlanta Village
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The newly formed Decatur Chapter of Kiwanis International has partnered with the United Sates Marines this holiday season to host a Toys for Tots toy drive in Decatur, East Atlanta Village, and surrounding communities.
The mission of our Toys for Tots campaign is to collect new, unwrapped toys during the months of November and December for transfer to the local US Marines Reserve Unit for distribution as Christmas gifts to needy children in the Atlanta area.
The primary goal of this campaign is to deliver, through a shiny new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders. Various businesses in the East Atlanta Village will have drop off bins so make sure to keep an eye out as you're doing your holiday shopping and enjoying the festivities of the season.
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Imagine Wesley International Academy Announces Open House Dates
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Join Imagine Wesley International Academy at an Open House Meeting. 2009 is sure to be another exciting and great year for Imagine Wesley International Academy - A Tuition-Free, Public Charter School. Settling into our new state-of-the art educational facility and serving students kindergarten through eighth grade, in a single-gender classroom setting, parents in the Atlanta City school district have an exceptional educational choice. Open House meetings, with campus tours, will be held on Thursdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. beginning December 11, 2008. Registration begins in January. A schedule of Open House dates is listed below.
Open House Dates:
December 11, 2008
January 8, 2008
January 29, 2008
February 12, 2008
February 26, 2008
Prospect Parent Information Meetings Imagine Wesley strives to meet the specific needs of the families it currently serves and will serve in the future. As such, those interested in hosting a Parent Information Session in their home, for a church, community, feeder schools, civic and private organizations/businesses, let us know immediately. To ensure proper scheduling and adequate accommodations are made, please contact the Prospective Parent Chairperson, Lawanda Holliman, by email at LawandaHolliman@Talkamerica.net or phone at 770.309.8777. |
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District 3 - Police Meet & Greet
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DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson is sponsoring a meet and greet with the Police for all of District 3. The event will be held on Tuesday, December 2nd at 6:30 p.m. at St. Philip AME Church on Candler Road. Police Chief Terrell Bolton and the command staff from South Precinct will be on hand.
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Foot Patrols Return to Zone 6 and East Atlanta
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As part of legislation passed by Atlanta City Council, new APD officers are required to begin their service with foot patrols in the city of Atlanta. For the next eight weeks, a number of new officers will be walking around Zone 6, including two at the Edgewood Retail District and two in East Atlanta.
Zone 6 commander Major Propes has control over where these officers are deployed, but can't decide to put them in a patrol car if she thinks that's in our best interest. With all Zone 6 officers working 10% fewer hours through at least June of 2009, you may wish to consider if this legislation by City Council is truly in our best interest, or if we wish for APD to decide how best to utilize their limited resources. |
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October Crime Reports
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We have posted the October crime report, crime maps and year-to-date statistics for East Atlanta. Click on the associated links to access the following:
As you read many of the detailed crime reports, you may notice that many of the victims of residential burglaries are out of town when the crimes occur. APD offers directed patrols for any resident who will be out of town, and all that is required is faxing a form to Zone 6. Please be sure to take advantage of this service, as your beat officers will make use of these forms as they patrol the neighborhood.
If you have any questions, or would like to get involved with the EACA Public Safety Committee, contact Public Safety Chair Ed Gilgor at publicsafety@eaca.net.
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The East Atlanta Security Patrol is an effort to provide additional police patrols for both residential and commercial properties here in East Atlanta. Currently the Security Patrol is providing about 30 hours per week of coverage, mostly on days and times where we're experiencing the highest dates of residential burglaries. Coverage is focused on our member households, with extra emphasis for residents who are out of town. Time spent near any given member household is also adjusted based on current crime patterns. Additional foot patrols are provided in the East Atlanta Village, with the number of hours dependent on the contributions of member businesses.
If you wish to join the Security Patrol, be certain that you live in the city of Atlanta, and within EACA borders. The patrol does not currently extend to unincorporated Dekalb County since it is staffed by off-duty Atlanta police officers.
If you have additional questions, please direct them to securitypatrol@eaca.net, or call EACA President Myron Polster at 404-429-8815. |
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Atlanta Citizen Review Board
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On November 13, 2008, the Atlanta Citizen Review Board held its monthly meeting and considered its first seven complaints. The Board voted unanimously to seek further investigation or information concerning three of the complaints and to refer two of the remaining four complaints to the Atlanta Police Department Office of Professional Standards. The remaining two complaints have already been investigated by the Office of Professional Standards.
The ordinance requires complaints be filed within 180 days after the incident and that the complaints fall into six specific categories of alleged misconduct. The categories include abusive language, false arrest, false imprisonment, harassment, excessive force, and serious bodily injury or death which is alleged to be the result of a sworn employee of the police or corrections departments. The four cases that were dismissed were either untimely or did not fall into the classifications authorized by the Ordinance.
The Atlanta Citizen Review Board was established by the City Council to investigate allegations of misconduct by police and corrections officers and to advise the mayor, the president of council, council members and the chief of police and the chief of corrections on policies and actions of the police and corrections department with the purpose of improving the ability of police personnel to carry out their duties and to improve the relationship between the department, corrections and the community.
The Board meets on the second Thursday of each month and over the past 18 months has become fully functional. It consists of eleven volunteer members who were selected by various stakeholders, including Neighborhood Planning Units, the League of Women Voters, the Atlanta Bar Association, the Gate City Bar Association, the Atlanta Business League and city officials.
Members of the Board and the Executive Director are available to address community groups. For Further Information please contact, Cristina Beamud, Executive Director, Atlanta Citizen Review Board, 404-865-8628.
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East Atlanta Meetings and Deadlines ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NPU-W Land Use & Zoning Committee Meeting
Tuesday, December 2 - 7:30 pm
Georgia Hill Center (250 Georgia Avenue) For more information, contact NPU-W Chair Ed Gilgor at npuw.chair@comcast.net
East Atlanta Community Association Monthly Meeting
Tuesday, December 9 - 7:00 p.m. Branan Towers (1200 Glenwood Avenue) For more information, contact EACA President Myron Polster at president@eaca.net. For a copy of the October meeting minutes, click here.
NPU-W Transportation Committee Meeting
Thursday, December 11 - 7:00 p.m. Martha Brown United Methodist Church (468 Moreland Avenue) For more information, contact NPU-W Transportation Chair Russell Baggett at inspired_by_design@hotmail.com.
Branan Bingo for Seniors - Holiday Edition!
Tuesday, December 16 - 6:00 p.m.
Branan Towers (1200 Glenwood Avenue)
NPU-W Monthly Meeting
Wednesday, December 17 - 7:30 p.m. Martha Brown United Methodist Church (468 Moreland Avenue) For more information, contact NPU-W Chair Ed Gilgor at npuw.chair@comcast.net
If you're interested in submitting an article to the EACA weekly newsletter, send it to newsletter@eaca.net by the end of the day on Friday. Include relevant dates, times, locations and contact information, as well as details of the event or announcement. If you're interested in submitting an article to the Porch Press, the deadline is the 25th of each month, for inclusion the following month (the issue usually appears around the 15th). Proofreading/Paste up is always the first Monday (unless there is a holiday or crisis). You may submit your articles to eaveditor@theporchpress.com. Don't forget that the next deadline to submit articles is January 25th, as there will not be a January issue. The next issue will come out in mid-February.
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Local Events
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First Friday
Friday, December 5th - All Day
East Atlanta Village
Urban Gardner
Holiday Wreath-making Workshop * Join Robin for a fun time and make your own custom holiday wreath * You will design and assemble your own custom wreath for your home * All Materials will be provided * Refreshments will be served * Only $35.00 Space is limited and filling up fast Thursdays Dec. 4th, 11th, 18th 7-9 P.M. Sunday Dec. 14th 5-7 P.M. To Register call 404-529-9980 ORGANIC GARDENING WORKSHOP Want to learn how to grow your own food the all natural way? * We are offering a 6 week intensive workshop at our farm in Stone Mountain starting February 1st. * This is an intensive hands-on workshop covering all aspects of organic gardening. For more information go to http://tinyurl.com/funnyfarm or call 770-527-0395 |
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Second Sundays at Kirkwood Station
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"Second Sundays" at Kirkwood Station is the latest open air market to be hosted by the Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces. The Market will feature art, handcrafted items, organic foods as well as participate with the businesses currently located at Kirkwood Station. Approximately 24 merchant participants are expected. This monthly market will be held on the second Sunday of each month. Remaining dates for 2008:
Sunday, December 14, 2008 from noon - 5:00 p.m.
The Market will re-open in 2009 from March - December. For more info on the Artist Market visit www.affps.com |
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Local News
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Councilwoman shifts $140,000 to help with budget crisis
Pulse of Progress - November Edition |
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Guide to Georgia Planning and Land Use Law Published
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A new handbook for citizens and elected officials on planning and land use laws and practices in the state of Georgia has been developed by the Livable Communities Coalition, a group of organization supporting smart growth and development in the Atlanta metro area.
The guide features an overview and history of planning in the state; frequently asked questions about land use law; population and demographic trends affecting future development; techniques for shaping growth, such as transportation corridors and brownfields development; and best practices in citizen engagement.
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