East Atlanta Community Association
  Newsletter
April 13, 2009 
In This Issue
CHRIS Kids Groundbreaking
Friends of Brownwood Park Benefit Show
EABA - Business Briefs
LEAP 2009 Education Survey
Brownwood Park Rec Center Survey
E-Waste Recycling Day - April 18th
Earth Day 2009 - Sign Up Now!
Upcoming East Atlanta Area Meetings
EACA Public Safety
EASP News & Information
2009 EACA Membership
Join Our Mailing List!
Quick Links
 
 Greetings!
EACA Logo
As a reminder to all, this week is EACA's monthly meeting (April 14th) and our featured agenda item will be a re-presentation of Brownwood Park's Master Plan - including successes and actions to date.
 
The brief Brownwood Park Recreation Center survey (linked below) closes after this week, so please take 2-3 minutes to complete it. Also, please see LEAP's education survey link below and take the time to complete this as well.
 
CHRIS Kids Groundbreaking!
 
CHRIS Kids LogoThis Wednesday, April 15th, CHRIS Kids, Inc. and Mayor Shirley Franklin will host a groundbreaking for CHRIS Kids' new building in East Atlanta.  The project will create an EarthCraft-certified supportive housing community through rehabilitation of four buildings and construction of a new building.  These buildings will be for homeless youth and youth aging out of foster care - ages 17 to 24 - who have mental health needs.  The second phase of their campaign will include a LEED building for services and a mental health clinic for the community: The CHRIS Counseling Center. The event will be at 2:30 pm at 2045 Graham Circle SERSVP to [email protected].
 LEAP's 2009 East Atlanta Education Survey
Dear Parents,
 
East Atlanta Community Association's LEAP (Linking Education and the Public) Committee is conducting a survey on attitudes toward education in our community.
 
LEAP works to educate the community about East Atlanta area schools and daycare options and also sponsors activities for children.  It is part of LEAP's ongoing mission to bring families together and build the relationships necessary to support the changes needed in area schools. The results of this survey will be used to guide LEAP's priorities and efforts in the coming year and will be presented in full to the community at May's LEAP meeting.
 
This online survey will be open until May 1st and should take you 10-12 minutes to complete. Please click on the below link to access the survey:
 
http://tinyurl.com/LEAPsurvey2009
 
 Brownwood Park Recreation Center Survey
Revenue shortfalls have closed 23 of 33 City of Atlanta Parks and Recreation Centers, including our own in Brownwood Park.  The Department of Parks and Recreation is open to the idea of establishing a contract that would allow community stakeholders the ability to reopen the Brownwood Park Recreation Center. 

The Friends of Brownwood Park group is conducting several surveys over the next few weeks to help develop a clear definition of how to make this building a community center. If you've felt this building is under-utilized or inaccessible, this is your chance to speak up. 

Please share your voice by clicking HERE to complete a 10 question survey.
 
 E-Waste Recycling Day - April 18th - Hosted by City Council Member Carla Smith
The City of Atlanta will host an electronic waste collection this Saturday, April 18th, from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm at Turner Field's Orange Lot.

Please bring analog television sets, old computers, and other household electronics to be recycled. This year  lead batteries - including automotive batteries - will be accepted with the help of the event's newest national partner, Advance Auto Parts. Tires will be collected on site as well.

For further details, click HERE.
 Sign up now for Earth Day Activities in East Atlanta!!
East Atlanta's Earth Day recognition will be this Saturday, April 18th. This year we have three concurrent efforts where volunteers can contribute as a part of Earth Day. Read through the options, determine your preference, and then please e-mail the appropriate coordinator to sign-up!!  We need over 100 volunteers to make Earth Day a success!  You are encouraged to bring your own yard gloves.
    1. The largest project will be sponsored by the Friends of Brownwood Park.  From 9:00 am - 1:00 pm, volunteers will help plant the Recreation Center beds, install a wood fence around the HVAC units on the back of the building, and replace the structure of the existing flower bed that marks the park entrance at Emerson and Brownwood.  Plantings around the Recreation Center are funded in part by the Park Pride Community Grant, and your help is vital to contributing matching funds in the form of volunteer hours.  We need 75 volunteers to help us reach our goal of 300 volunteer-hours.  If you would like to help with this project, please e-mail [email protected], and let us know we can count on you this Saturday
    2. In the Village, from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm, there will be a significant face-lifting and re-work of the "Welcome to East Atlanta" sign and surrounding greenspace -- painting, plant installation, etc. Additionally, we will work on clean-up efforts in the Village: picking up garbage, removing posters/stickers, and putting in additional plantings.  We'll meet at Joe's Coffee Shop at 8:45 amE-mail [email protected] if you're interested in volunteering for this project in the Village.
    3. Through the entire East Atlanta neighborhood, we will conduct a Tire Round-Up from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm.  Volunteers for the Round-Up need to be able to lift tires and unafraid to get dirty.  We are also seeking folks who have pick-up trucks to aid in the collection of the tires.  E-mail Michelle Rice at [email protected] if you're interested in volunteering for this project.
 Upcoming East Atlanta Area Meetings
EACA Monthly Meeting
Tuesday, April 14th - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Branan Towers
For more information, contact EACA Vice President Austin Dickson at [email protected]
 
Atlanta Board of Education Community Meeting
Monday, April 13th - 6:00 p.m.
Location: Atlanta Public Schools Center for Learning & Leadership
For more information, click HERE.

NPU-W Monthly Transportation Committee Meeting
Thursday, April 16th - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Martha Brown United Methodist Church
For more information, contact NPU-W Transportation Chair Russell Baggett at [email protected]
 Friends of Brownwood Park - Entropy Benefit Show @ The EARL
The Friends of Brownwood Park is hosting a benefit show featuring the funky sounds of  "Entropy and Friends" at The Earl on Thursday, April 30th, to raise funds to match a Park Pride Community Grant for park improvements. All funds raised will be used for the implementation of the first phase of the park's Vision Plan.
 
The East Atlanta community, with the help of Park Pride, developed the Vision Plan over a year-long period through a series of public informational meetings. To view the Plan, visit www.eaca.net. Some of the park improvements include new trails, more drinking fountains with dog fountains, an extended playground area, landscaping, and much more.

Purchase tickets in advance ($8) at www.badearl.com or at the door ($10).  If you can't attend and would like to donate to the effort - click HERE.
  EABA - Business Briefs
Bound to Be Read Books
Bound to Be Read Logo
Book Club - Watchmen by Alan Moore, art by Dave Gibbons
Thursday, April 16th - 7:00 p.m.

The book club selection for April is Watchmen (DC Comics, 1995, 334 pp., pbk., reg. $19.99; sale $15.99).

It all begins with the paranoid delusions of a half-insane hero called Rorschach. But is Rorschach really insane or has he in fact uncovered a plot to murder super-heroes and, even worse, millions of innocent civilians? On the run from the law, Rorschach reunites with his former teammates in a desperate attempt to save the world and their lives, but what they uncover will shock them to their very core and change the face of the planet! Following two generations of masked superheroes from the close of World War II to the icy shadow of the Cold War comes this groundbreaking comic story-the story of the Watchmen.

No membership required.  This book club meeting is open to all.
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Dance411 Summer Camp and Class Offerings
Checklist Image

Dance 411 is offering dance camps this summer for children ages 4-13. Additionally, there are various $7 and $12 classes (from salsa to hip hop) available during the rest of April. Click HERE for more details on both.

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Traders (& AREA) Present the Ugliest Sofa in Atlanta Contest

Is your sofa just WRONG?Checklist Image
 
Enter it in our search for the UGLIEST sofa in Atlanta and you could win $1000 towards a brand new sofa!!! Submit a picture of your "ugly" and it could win!
  • Entries must be in a reasonably good, clean and useable condition
  • Entries must be currently in use and photographed in customers' home
  • Sofa's will be judged for overall WRONGNESS in both style and fabrication
  • Customers must reside in the Atlanta Metro Area
  • Winning Sofa's will become the property of AREA & Traders and will be displayed in each store as "The Ugliest Sofa in Atlanta"
  • Winners agree to be photographed in their homes with their "Ugly" sofa and with their new sofa they receive from AREA or Traders
  • AREA & Traders will have the rights to those photo's to be used in their advertising and web sites
  • One entry per Household
  • Entries must be received by May 15th, 2009
  • Entry Photos and applications must be submitted in person at either AREA or Traders
  • Entry Photos will be posted on www.tradersatlanta.com
  • For more information, contact Traders at [email protected] or 404.522.3006
 EACA Public Safety - Crime Reports
The weekly detailed crime report for March 30th - April 4th.  Also, the monthly crime trends.
 East Atlanta Security Patrol News & Information
EASP Logo
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 [email protected], or call EACA Public Safety Chair Myron Polster at 404-429-8815.

  2009 EACA Membership

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.
 
Contact Information:
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://eaca.net

Submissions:
If you're interested in submitting an article to the EACA weekly newsletter, send it to [email protected] 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.