East Atlanta Community Association
Newsletter
February 23, 2009
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| Greetings! |
This week's newsletter is chock full of articles including:
- The announcement that APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly Hall was selected as National Superintendent of the Year
- An article describing the NPU - history, function, governance
- The 1st monthly Zone 6 Officer Appreciation Award
- Pictures and a story from the Burgess Peterson Garden Build
- Notice of a community public safety meeting with City Council President Lisa Borders and Councilwomen Natalyn Archibong and Carla Smith
Also, as a follow-up to the City of Atlanta recycling information we provided last year, HERE is the link to the City of Atlanta's Recycling informational flyer. |
APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly Hall Named 2009 National Superintendent of the Year
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SAN FRANCISCO -- The American Association of School
Administrators (AASA) Friday named APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall the
2009 National Superintendent of the Year, the top professional honor for a K-12
school administrator.
The announcement
at the AASA's National Conference on Education in San Francisco, capped a year of high-level
honors for Hall, who was named Georgia Superintendent of the Year in December
by the Georgia School Superintendents Association and one of the 100 most
influential Georgians by Georgia Trend
magazine.
The selection of
National Superintendent of the Year was based on four primary criteria:
- creativity in
successfully meeting the needs of students in the school system
- strength in
both personal and organizational communication
- constant
improvement of administrative knowledge and skills, while providing
professional development opportunities and motivation to others on the
education team
- active
participation in local community activities and an understanding of regional,
national and international issues
Under her
leadership, standardized test scores have risen, aging facilities have been
renovated and a new blueprint for business operations is being implemented.
Hall's vision is that APS will be recognized as one of the nation's
highest-performing urban school systems, where 90 percent of the
district's ninth-graders graduate from high school in four years, ready
for success in college or career.
To read the entire story, click HERE
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Fundamentals of
Neighborhood Planning Units in general and NPU-W in Particular
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By Ed Gilgor, NPU-W Chair
In the City of Atlanta
the most basic level of government is the Neighborhood Planning Unit or
NPU. If you are reading this article, the odds are very high that
you live in NPU-W. NPU-W consists of the neighborhoods of East Atlanta,
Grant Park, and Ormewood Park, Benteen
Park, Boulevard Heights,
Custer-McDonough-Guice, & Woodland Hills.
Neighborhood Planning Unit System Brief History
The Neighborhood Planning Unit System was created
by Atlanta Mayor Maynard Holbrook Jackson. Mayor Jackson created the NPU System
to make sure citizens would be in a position to comment on the governance of
their communities. To assure that this ability could not be stripped by
politicians who found an involved and engaged public inconvenient, Mayor
Jackson had the NPU System placed within the City Charter, which can only be
changed by the Georgia Legislature.
Atlanta has had a Neighborhood Planning Unit
System since 1974. There are 25 NPUs and each NPU meets once a month to review
applications for rezoning properties, varying existing zoning ordinances for
certain properties, applications for liquor licenses, applications for
festivals and parades, any changes to fees charged by the City, any changes to
the City's Comprehensive Development Plan, and any amendments to the City's
Zoning Ordinances. Once an NPU has voted on an item, that vote is then
submitted (as the official view of the community on a topic) to the relevant
body which makes the ultimate determination with regard to that issue - such as
the Zoning Review Board, the Board of Zoning Adjustment, the License Review
Board, or the Mayor's Office of Special Events.
NPU-W's System of Governance
NPU-W uses a hybrid representative form of governance.
There are three geographic areas which each select eight persons to represent
them. The areas are East Atlanta; Grant Park; and Ormewood
Park, Benteen, Boulevard Heights,
Custer-McDonough-Guice & Woodland Hills. NPU-W is unique in that the
representatives from a given neighborhood represent the people in the community
rather than specifically the neighborhood association.
The 24 representatives form the Executive Committee of NPU-W
and elect members of the Executive Committee to serve as NPU-W Chair, NPU-W Vice-Chair
and NPU-W Secretary. All 24 representatives
are expected to attend the monthly NPU Meeting which takes place on the fourth
Wednesday of the month, as well as serve on at least one Committee, and attend
those monthly committee meetings as well.
However, any resident or business owner from one of these
neighborhoods can appoint themselves to serve as an at-large delegate by
attending three meetings within a 12-month period. Starting with the
third meeting, that person is allowed to vote at NPU-W meetings. Therefore, if one is inclined to do so, any
person can be highly involved in the inner workings of NPU-W.
NPU-W Committees
NPU-W has three
standing committees, Land Use & Zoning, Public Safety, and
Transportation. Land Use & Zoning is charged with authority over all
applications for land use items as well as matters dealing with changes to the
zoning ordinance. Public Safety is charged with reviewing all festival
permits and alcohol license applications; it also deals with any matters
involving the APD, AFD, and other law enforcement entities. Transportation
handles ....transportation issues. If anyone living in any of the
communities of NPU-W is interested in participating actively in those issues,
then they should attend these committee meetings. Just as with the full
NPU, any resident can attend any meeting and on the third meeting in twelve
months, they have voting rights.
While the primary
functions of NPU-W are dealing with land use and alcohol applications, NPU-W
can and often does address whatever issues it sees fit. For example,
NPU-W has spoken out in favor of making the City Council a full time job, NPU-W
regularly comments on City Budget priorities and has been particular vociferous
on the issue of the lack of sufficient police in the City of Atlanta. The three
committees mentioned above deal with the regularly recurring issues in NPU-W,
and from time to time, NPU-W will create special committees, project groups,
task forces, etc., to address specific problems.
If you have a problem that you would like to see
addressed or for further information, then you should feel free to contact
NPU-W. The Chair of NPU-W, Ed Gilgor, can be reached at edward.gilgor@gmail.com
or by phone at 404-483-1300.
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Burgess Peterson / EAV Farmer's Market - Georgia Organics Garden Project
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By Jonathan Tescher It
would be an easy pun to talk about a project comi ng together organically when
it's about putting in a garden. Yet just
as our gardens wouldn't grow without the combination of soil, water, sun and a
little TLC, the first phase the Burgess-Peterson Academy garden was successful
because of the diversity of community that came together to make it happen.
Ever
since Coach Betty Jackson at Burgess-Peterson began coming to the East Atlanta Farmers Market in
2008 to raise money for the Kaboom! playground installed last year, she was
sold on incorporating a garden into the school.
Atlanta Public Schools Director of Nutrition Administration, Dr.
Marilyn Hughes, encouraged Erin Croom, the Farm to School Coordinator for
Georgia Organics, to work with Burgess-Peterson
Academy. Erin saw photos of a trip Coach Jackson took
with the market to Truly Living Well Natural Urban Farms in College Park and called to see if the farmers
market wanted to help with a garden at Burgess-Peterson.
The response from th e East Atlanta
community was incredible after word was spread through the East Atlanta
Community Association (EACA) and the EAV Farmers Market. It wasn't just that a number of people that
responded, but also the valuable skill sets of those who wanted to contribute. A team of people, including representatives
from Trees Atlanta and Holy Comforter's Garden Ministry, came together to meet
with teachers and students from the school to develop a plan.
The materials for the garden were procured at the cost of only the
volunteers' time and fuel to move the materials. Robby Astrove, Education Coordinator of
Trees Atlanta, provided fruit trees and numerable tools and woodchips needed
for the garden. Harvest Farms and the Brownwood Community
Garden provided wood; Farmer D
Organics donated a garden bed with compost; cured compost came free care of Dekalb County,
and East Atlanta residents filled in with
other valuable tools and expertise.
The day of the build on Sunday, February 21st
was sunny and warm. Students and their
parents, teachers and community members were all on hand to make the work light
and fun. The best part was that this was
only the start. Students and teachers
will work with the help of the community to plan and plant the remainder of the
garden. Many a math, science, and
nutrition lesson are yet to come with the aid of this garden where all will
taste the fruits of their labor.
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| Zone 6 Officer of the Month |
 The East Atlanta Village, with support from the East Atlanta Community Association (EACA) and the East Atlanta Business Association (EABA) is proud to honor the Zone 6 Atlanta Police Officer of the Month.
Each recipient of the award from Atlanta Police Department's 6th Precinct (APD) will be given $50 to dine at an East Atlanta Village restaurant and a free basic will from the law firm of Larsen and Teusink, PC. The East Atlanta Village community recognizes, that in these difficult times for the city and Atlanta Police, the officers in the trenches are asked to do more with less and this is a simple way for the community to thank those committed officers. The outstanding service in spite of ever decreasing resources and morale should be commended and the citizens of our neighborhood want to make sure our officers know they are appreciated.
This month's winner, as selected by Major Propes at Zone 6, was Officer David Villedruoin. Officer Villedruoin was on patrol in the East Atlanta area when he was dispatched to a suspicious person call on Black Oak. This street is only partially in the city of Atlanta's jurisdiction. Once he arrived and made contact with the person who called 911, Officer Villedruoin realized he would need to contact the Dekalb County Police Department (DCPD) because this suspicious person had left the city of Atlanta jurisdiction and had disappeared somewhere in Dekalb County. While awaiting the arrival of DCPD, Officer Villedruoin strategically positioned himself on the street so he could visually monitor the majority of the street. It wasn't long before Offiecer Villedruoin's maneuver paid off when the suspicious person came running out of a house. Officer Villedruoin immediately gave chase and after a long foot pursuit he was able to get this perpetrator into custody. The house he had burglarized was in the jurisdiction of Dekalb. Eventually DCPD responded and took custody of this burglar.
The subsequent investigation revealed that this perpetrator, Nathaniel Thompson, was responsible for more than 20 burglaries in the East Atlanta area. It was discovered during the debrief that he was attempting to stay just out of the jurisdictional boundaries of the city of Atlanta. You see, Nathaniel lives in East Atlanta and has been on our radar for awhile. As a matter of fact the regular beat officers for beat 610 (the East Atlanta beat) would frequently drop by his home to "visit" with him. He was purposely attempting to try and stay clear of the APD! He was only marginally successful on this day. The house he broke into was in Dekalb County but because Officer Villedruoin wasn't content to just pass the call on to the DCPD he was able to capture him! And by the way, of the more than 20 houses he burglarized it turned out two of them were in the city of Atlanta's jurisdiction.
As a small token of East Atlanta's appreciation, The Glenwood has donated a gift certificate to their restaurant and Larsen and Teusink will help to put a will together.
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Fulton County Citizen's CourtWatch Training - March 7th
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While EACA members reside in DeKalb County, the Fulton County CourtWatch training is open to all community members:
This is a unique
opportunity to learn about the criminal justice system in Fulton County.
Chief Judge Doris Downs will be speaking at the meeting, as well as District
Attorney Paul Howard, officials from the Probation Department, Parole Board, the
Juvenile Justice Center and community members who have
attended CourtWatch hearings in the past. DATE: Saturday,
March 7, 2009
TIME: 9:00 a.m.
- 12:00 p.m 
LOCATION: Justice Center Tower 185 Central Ave,
SW
Sponsored by: Fulton County
District Attorney's Community Prosecution Program
Contact Janet
Martin at 404-699-5297 or courtwatch@fultoncountyga.gov
for more information.
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Upcoming East Atlanta Area Meetings
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NPU-W Monthly Meeting
Wednesday, February 25th - 7:30 p.m.
Location: Martha Brown United Methodist Church
For more information, contact Ed Gilgor at npuw.chair@comcast.net
Beltline Quarterly Update Meeting
Thursday, February 26th - 6:00 p.m.
Location: Atlanta Public Schools, Auditorium
For more information, click HERE.
Atlanta Charter Middle School/Neighborhood Charter School - Merger Conversation Meeting
Tuesday, March 3rd - 6:00 p.m.
Location: Neighborhood Charter School
This meeting is open to all parents, guardians and staff members from each school. For more information, contact governing Board Chair Gigi Connor at gigi@adamsrealtors.com.
Community Public Safety Meeting - City Council President Lisa Borders
Tuesday, March 3rd - 7:00 p.m.
Location: First Iconium Baptist Church
Open discussion about the current crime situation within the community with members of the Atlanta Police Department, Atlanta Fire Department, 911 Center and City Councilmembers Lisa Borders, Carla Smith & Natalyn Archibong. For more information, click HERE
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Local News & Events
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EABA - Business Briefs
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Sunday, March 1st, 2:00 p.m. - Author Event - Meet Janis Owens
 Janis Owens is the author of three novels, My Brother Michael, Myra Sims, and The Schooling of Claybird Catts.
The last child and only daughter of a Pentecostal preacher turned
insurance salesman, she inherited her love of storytelling and biscuit
making from her parents. She lives in Newberry, Florida.
"Though
our roots are in the Colonial South, we Crackers are essentially just
another American fusion culture, and our table and our stories are
constantly expanding -- nearly as fast as our waistlines. We aren't
ashamed of either, and we're always delighted with the prospect of
company: someone to feed and make laugh, to listen to our hundred
thousand stories of food and family and our long American past."
Crackers,
rednecks, hillbillies, and country boys have long been the brunt of
many jokes, yet this old Southern culture is a rich and vibrant part of
Amer-ican history. In The Cracker Kitchen, Janis Owens traces
the root of the word Cracker back to its origins in Shakespeare's
Elizabethan England -- when it meant braggart or big shot -- through
its proliferation in America, where it became a derogatory term to
describe poor and working-class Southerners. This compelling
anthropological exploration peels back the historic misconceptions
connected with the word to reveal a breed of proud, fiercely
independent Americans with a deep love of their families, their
country, their stories, and, most important, their food.
With 150 recipes from over twenty different seasonal menus, The Cracker Kitchen
offers a full year's worth of eating and rejoicing: from spring's
Easter Dinner -- which includes recipes for Easter Ham, Green Bean
Bundles, and, of course, Cracklin' Cornbread -- to summer's Fish Frys,
fall's Tailgate Parties, and winter's In Celebration of Soul, honoring
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Check out the Cracker Kitchen Blog HERE.
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It offered design ideas for those of us with a
little more petit spaces. If you'd like to participate in or suggest
future workshops just stop in and let Jason, John or another manager
know.
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 Did you know the Glenwood makes its own
water? They take regular 'Hooch Tap Water and run it through an onsite
process to purify (not filter) it. For just $1 they serve it
chilled, sparkling or flat in reusable glass containers, saving a huge amount of landfill space and reducing
the environmental impact...They also have 40+ of the best wines
you've never heard of...... |
EACA Public Safety - Week 7 Crime Report
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The weekly detailed crime report for February 8th - 14th, 2009:
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| East Atlanta Security Patrol News & Information |
To learn more about the East Atlanta Security Patrol or to enroll, visit the EASP website ( http://patrol.eaca.net). The cost to join the patrol is $50 per quarter, with a 50% discount for longtime residents and those 65+. To qualify, you must have lived at the same address for 20 years or be over age 65. We also have a 20% discount for members of an APD-sanctioned Neighborhood Watch. Please contact us if you're interested in setting up a Neighborhood Watch on your street. If you have additional questions, please direct them to securitypatrol@eaca.net, or call EACA Public Safety Chair Myron Polster at 404-429-8815. |
| Local School Open Houses & Enrollment Information |
Atlanta Charter Middle SchoolRegistration began Monday, February 2, 2009 and concludes on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 4:00 PM. You must attend a mandatory Information Session if you wish to register your child. Information Sessions are currently scheduled at the school on the following dates and times (RSVP to Maria Larson at mlarson@atlantachartermiddle.com or 678-904-0051):
- Saturday, March 7, 2009 from 10:00 to 11:30 AM
For registration details and applications, visit http://atlantachartermiddle.com/content/enrollment.php
Neighborhood Charter School
NCS is a free, public school serving children in grades kindergarten through fifth grade and is located at 688 Grant Street in the Grant Park neighborhood.
The Second Registration Period is open to all families from the City of Atlanta Planning Unit W (NPU-W):
- Begins: Monday, March 2
- Ends: Monday, March 16
Lottery: Thursday, March 19 at 6:30 pm (Rosswurm Hall)
Information sessions:
- Thursday, March 12, 9:30 am (Media Center) and 6:30 pm (Rosswurm Hall)
- Thursday, Arpil 30, 9:30 am (Media Center) and 6:30 pm (Rosswurm Hall)
For more information, please visit http://www.neighborhoodcharter.com/enroll.html.
Imagine Wesley Open Houses and 2009-2010 Enrollment
Imagine Wesley will be hosting Open House meetings and campus tours on the below dates from 6:30-8:30 p.m.:
- Thursday, February 26, 2009
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2009 EACA Membership
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Join or renew your EACA membership today! Annual dues are $10 per household. As an EACA member, you can vote at EACA meetings on topics of interest within our community. Additionally, there are numerous local businesses 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. |
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.
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Village Ace Hardware held a unique event over the
weekend called the "Tiny House Workshop" presented by the 