The Department of Watershed Management released a statement today concerning recent billing issues:

 

"...With more than 150,000 accounts in the system, it is inevitable that mistakes will occur on occasion. The service terminations in question do not appear, upon investigation, to fall into that category. The Department is confident that the VAST majority of customers whose service was interrupted were, in fact, delinquent in their payments....

...Recently, the Department discovered that the rate increase passed by the City Council in June and effective as of July 1 had not been applied to the July water/sewer bills. Ignoring the discrepancy was not an option because, under the City's bond covenants, the Department must collect all money owed for services rendered. To address the issue, the Department back-billed in the December bills the amount of the rate increase that should have accrued to the July bills. Most customers noticed a few dollars added to their bills listed as "adjustment." For a small number of customers, those charges were inadvertently considered past-due amounts. However, we are not aware of any service terminations that could be attributed to this back-billing..." To read the full statement, click HERE

To read the AJC article on the issue, click HERE.

 

The East Atlanta Business Association (EABA) is looking forward to 2009 with some great initiatives as we continue our mission to build awareness of the commercial district and deliver on our unique promise of East Atlanta Village as the only authentically unique, robust and diverse community of venues, bars, restaurants and retail shops in the Atlanta metro area.

We are also striving to add a number of professional services to the district and a great example is the new law firm of Larsen and Teusink, who just opened their firm within the village.

 

EABA ended 2008 with 37 paid members, roughly double what we had in 2007.  The events we held, such as the Taste of East Atlanta and EAV-O-Ween, also doubled in the number of attendees coming to the district.  We held a Chili Cook-off in conjunction with the Farmer's Market and put up the Holiday Tree and participated in the Earth Day Cleanup.  2008 also
saw EABA develop a marketing strategy and public relations plan aimed at keeping the East Atlanta Village, and the many positive things about it, in the news and top of mind for Atlanta metro residents.  We've also managed to get Wi-Fi access available throughout most of the district by partnering with a local tech company called SkyBlox. 

 

2009 initiatives are starting to take shape right now.  We realize this is going to be a challenging year for businesses in the area so we're looking to improve our organization and communications

internally.  We are also partnering with SouthStar CDC and the Good Samaritan house on initiatives to maintain the cleanliness and look of the Village via a grant from the East Atlanta Beer Festival.  Another task we're going to attempt to accomplish is to get a sign on I-20 at the Moreland Exit telling the thousands who drive past every day that we're right here  (reinforcing that East Atlanta's not just a direction anymore!).  Of course, we'll continue to market the Village and the businesses - and a grant from the EA Strut and an even closer partnership with EACA will help us out in that arena. 

 

So take a stroll around if you haven't been to the Village in a while.  You'll be surprised at the variety of products and services offered by people who live and work in your neighborhood.  And please make sure to support the businesses that support the East Atlanta Village. 

 

Marc Takacs

EABA President

marc_takacs@hotmail.com
________________________________________________________________________________

The law firm of Larsen & Teusink, P.C. is proud to announce that it is now open and is ready to serve you and your community.  Larsen & Teusink, P.C. is located in the SunTrust building at the corner of Flat Shoals and Glenwood Avenues and is within the Living In Town Commercial Property office.  Larsen & Teusink, P.C.'s founders, Todd Larsen and Eric Teusink, chose the East Atlanta Village for its vibrant atmosphere and strong community identity.  Additionally, Todd and Eric wanted to be able to provide a level of personal service to their clients akin to a small-community law firm that is much absent from many of the ivory tower firms in Midtown and Buckhead.

Our firm's practice areas include those of Wills, Trusts, and Estates, Tax Planning/Litigation, Small Business Formation/Planning/Litigation, Civil Litigation, Real Estate, and Criminal Litigation.  If you ever need our assistance, please feel free to contact us and we will be more than happy to provide you with a free consultation.  Our physical address and contact information are:

Larsen & Teusink, P.C.
514-B Flat Shoals Avenue
Atlanta, Georgia 30316
Telephone 678-553-2923
Fa csimile  404-549-4396
E-mail:  info@larsenteusink.com

During the coming years, as the Village and the surrounding area continues to thrive and develop, we look forward to growing with you to meet your needs and to serve your community.

Todd Larsen and Eric Teusink
Larsen & Teusink, P.C.

The Graveyard will be throwing an Anniversary party Friday, January 16th.  There will be an open bar and passed hors d'oeuvres from 8pm - 9pm.  Preston Craig will be providing the music for the evening.  Come celebrate the success of the past year of The Graveyard Tavern!  The Graveyard loves and appreciates our customers!

Beginning in January, the Atlanta Charter Middle School (ACMS) will launch its enrollment season for the 2009-2010 school year.  Interested families can visit the school's website at www.atlantachartermiddle.com and click on "Enrollment Information" link to find out more about the enrollment process, upcoming information sessions, and visiting the school.

Imagine Wesley will be hosting Open House meetings and campus tours on the below dates from 6:30-8:30 p.m.:

• Thursday, January 29, 2009
• Thursday, February 12, 2009
• Thursday, February 26, 2009

2009-2010 registration has begun and the list of information needed to submit an application can be found here on the Imagine Wesley website.

Georgia public schools can increase the number of students in most elementary and middle school classes by two children next school year under a cost-saving plan state Board of Education members unanimously approved on January 8th.

State officials said bumping up maximum class sizes -- just for the 2009-10 school year -- could save about $200 million on the cost of hiring new teachers.

Currently, school districts must add another class and teacher if the number of students in a class exceeds a set number. By increasing the maximum number, schools will not have to hire as many new teachers to replace those who retire and move. The decision to increase class sizes or hire new teachers is up to the discretion of each school district.

Kindergarten increases to 20 students; grades 1-3 increase to 23; and grades 4-8 increase to 30.

State schools Superintendent Kathy Cox said increasing class sizes could prevent systems from eliminating some positions, suc h as paraprofessionals and others who support classroom teachers. Read more HERE...

 

 

The Atlanta Education Fund (AEF) is holding several small community discussions throughout the City of Atlanta to talk about Atlanta Public Schools.

Objectives of these small community discussions include informing parent participants about the performance of APS schools, using the district's performance metrics/data; and also soliciting ideas and suggestions about how to best increase meaningful community and parent engagement/involvement in APS.

For further information about the event and on the Atlanta Education Fund, click here.

 

If you have additional questions, please direct them to securitypatrol@eaca.net, or call EACA Public Safety Chair Myron Polster at 404-429-8815.

Check a New Year To Do off your list and join or renew membership in EACA today! (Or at the monthly EACA meeting on Tue, Jan 13th).

Annual dues are $10 per household. With your EACA membership, you can vote at EACA meetings on topics of interest within our community. Additionally, there are numerous local business who offer discounts to EACA members. See the official list of EACA member discounts and take advantage of them by showing your 2009 membership card throughout the Village.

You can sign up for your 2009 EACA membership and order EACA Yard Signs on-line! Pay electronically through your online banking site or via Paypal HERE.

 

Contact Information:
E-mail: newsletter@eaca.net
Website: http://eaca.net

Submissions:
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.