EACA Newsletter for March 1, 2010

Hello!

Please note a new update for Fire Station 13. As this issue is very important to the East Atlanta community EACA will continue to update as new information becomes available.

Also, in this issue are multiple ways to help the community including a benefit for EASP and Park Pride, searching for downed utility lines and letting MARTA hear your voice.

All that and we haven't even spoken about The Atlanta Preservation Center's 7th Annual Phoenix Flies for those history buffs out there.

Enjoy!!

Fire Station 13 - Update

Fire Station 13 - Update

On Wednesday, February 24, EACA and Council-member Natalyn Archibong hosted a community meeting featuring Interim Chief Joel Baker and other members of the Atlanta Fire Department at the East Atlanta Library. Chief Baker again apologized to the community for not effectively communicating the announcement about the temporary transfer of Station 13 firefighters and staff to Station 10 in Grant Park. He also discussed matters related to the new fire station at Flat Shoals and Metropolitan Avenues. He stated that he's in the process of scheduling a meeting with the owner of the construction company involved (Moody Construction), COO of the City of Atlanta (Peter Aman), Compliance Officer (Hubert Owens), and Lt. Daws (AFD Project Manager for Station 13).

In the meantime Chief Baker is now in direct communication with the leadership of EACA and NPU-W, and as EACA knows more information, so will you. By next week's newsletter Chief Baker's office will have supplied EACA with a
street-by-street analysis of those households not reachable within a four-minute reponse time, during this interim period with the old station closed and the new station yet unfinished. More information on timelines will also likely be available. At the insistence of EACA, NPU-W, and Council-member Archibong, Chief Baker has put DeKalb County on notice, so if needed, DeKalb County will be called upon in an emergency.

East Atlanta CourtWatch Kickoff

EACA's Day in Court

On Friday, February 26, members of EACA and other Atlanta-in-DeKalb residents met at the DeKalb County Courthouse in downtown Decatur. DeKalb County District Attorney Gwendolyn Keyes Fleming, Assistant District Attorney Jill Polster, Community Prosecutor Dana Lawrence, and the Superior Court Judge Tangela Barrie met with residents to discuss their concerns about the judicial process and how community members can get more involved. This meeting was the first step in a CourtWatch program for EACA. The CourtWatch effort includes following cases throughout the judicial process, as well as appearing in court when we believe it can positively impact the outcome of a criminal proceeding. If you wish to participate, please contact Public Safety Chair Myron Polster at publicsafety@eaca.net, and we can add you to the CourtWatch e-mail list. No upfront committment of time is required, so you can keep up with what's going on and get involved as your schedule allows.

All crimes committed in East Atlanta are handled in the DeKalb County judicial system, whether committed in the City of Atlanta or Unincorporated DeKalb County. For more on the emerging CourtWatch program in East Atlanta, or to learn more about Public Safety efforts in our community, please visit the East Atlanta Security Patrol and SAFE websites.

EASP Updated Contact Information

As part of the East Atlanta Security Patrol's efforts to improve communications with the neighborhood, we are changing our e-mail address effective immediately to easp610@gmail.com. This is part of our continuing effort to have all voicemail, e-mail and texts funneled into a single account. This makes it easier to track your calls or incoming requests, and makes all of this information easily accessible to the EASP volunteer responsible for handling communications that day. The next step will be offering chat capability, which should be available during the month of February. (Also as on ongoing reminder as of January 4, 2010, EASP has officially changed its phone number to 404-954-1568.)

Don't forget that the EASP responds to calls or contact from all community members. Whether it's a crime in progress or an ongoing issue such as barking dogs or drug dealing, give us a call and we'll involve the appropriate resources to attempt to resolve your issue. While this may seem like a disincentive to become a member of the EASP, members do receive tangible benefits such as extra patrols when out of town and patrol coverage based on the number of members in your street or area.

To learn more about the East Atlanta Security Patrol, view updated news and notes or to enroll, visit the EASP website. There is 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 easp610@gmail.com, or call EACA Public Safety Chair Myron Polster at 404-429-8815.

EACA Public Safety - Weekly Crime Report

The weekly crime reports for weeks 5-8 are below:

Week 8

February Trends

Bound to be Read Books Benefit

Inside the Writers Studio with Michael Wiley

Weds., March 10th, 7 P.M.

Benefits the East Atlanta Security Patrol

Award-winning author Michael Wiley demystifies how to write a mystery novel when he visits Bound To Be Read Books' Inside the Writers Studio. He'll explain the process he used to write his new book, The Bad Kitty Lounge.

Michael Wiley's first novel, The Last Striptease, was nominated for a Shamus Award and hailed as "riveting" (The Chicago Tribune), "delightful" (Toronto Globe and Mail), and "hard-boiled fiction with tenderness and compassion" (New York Newsday). Now he offers another exciting, fast-paced page-turner with The Bad Kitty Lounge. (A Kona pick, based on title alone.)

Bound To Be Read Books will donate a percentage of all The Bad Kitty Lounge and other book sales during this event to the East Atlanta Security Patrol.

In conjunction with the EACA meeting on March 9th and the event at Bound to Be Read Books on March 10th, the East Atlanta Security Patrol will be offering service for the remainder of March for FREE to any new members who join on these two evenings! You must sign up in person at one of these two events to qualify for this promotion.

The Atlanta Preservation Center: The 7th Annual Phoenix Flies

The Atlanta Preservation Center promotes the preservation of Atlanta's architecturally, historically and culturally significant buildings, neighborhoods and landscapes through education and advocacy.

The Atlanta Preservation Center's annual celebration of historic sites, the Phoenix Flies, will take place March 6 through March 22, 2010. During those 17 days 45+ historic sites will offer over 160 FREE events ranging from guided walking tours, bicycle tours, bus tours, to lectures and storytelling, to open houses, and more! For more information please visit The Phoenix website,
www.phoenixflies.org , or call 404.688.3353 x14.

Local events include:

Historic Sylvester Cemetery Guided Walking Tour

Take a guided tour of this cemetery that was begun in 1838. Sylvester Cemetery is the final resting place of many of East Atlanta's earliest settlers, including the Terry, Brown and McWilliams families, Civil War veterans and Fiddlin' John Carson, the father of Country and Western music.

Saturdays, March 13 & March 20, 10 am
Meet at corner of Braeburn Cir & Josephine Ave SE in East Atlanta 30316

Presented by : Historic Sylvester Cemetery Foundation, www.sylvestercemetery.org

B*ATL - Battle of Atlanta in East Atlanta

Join a guided walking tour along the front lines of the Battle of Atlanta. Stroll where soldiers fought and died. See important Civil War sites. Hear stories of the major players in the battle and neighborhood history.

Sunday, March 20, 4 pm
Reservation required: 404-688-3353 x14
Tour start location will be given with reservation confirmation.

Presented by : B*ATL - Battle of Atlanta Commemoration Organization, www.BATLevent.org

MARTA Community Forum

MARTA NEEDS YOUR HELP!

DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE AT MARTA THAT COULD IMPACT YOU!

PLEASE JOIN US FOR ONE OF THE FOLLOWING
MARTA COMMUNITY FORUMS

Monday, March 1, 2010
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Maloof Auditorium
1300 Commerce Drive
Decatur, Georgia 30030
(To date, this will be the closest community forum to our neighborhood.)

Tuesday, March 2, 2010
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Adamsville Recreation Center
3201 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive
Atlanta, Georgia 30311

Let us hear from you. We value your input!
Please call 404-848-5026 for more information.

Burgess Peterson Academy Tours

THINKING ABOUT
SCHOOLS?

Which area elementary school is designed with classrooms surrounding a secluded courtyard with a new playground, picnic tables and an organic garden watered from rain barrels?

Here's a hint. It's the same school with its own computer lab, media center, science lab and dedicated art and music rooms.

Need another hint? This school has low student-teacher ratios and state of the art interactive white boards in most classrooms.

Here's your last hint. If you live in East Atlanta, your elementary school age child is guaranteed a spot. And it's FREE.

Come see why parents are buzzing about East Atlanta's public elementary school!

Burgess-Peterson Academy will host tours for prospective families on February 24, March 17, and March 31 at 10 AM and 7 PM.

The school is located at 480 Clifton Street at the corner of Glenwood and Clifton, less than a mile east of East Atlanta Village.

Childcare will be available for the 10 AM tours.

Please RSVP at bpatours@yahoo.com.

Atlanta Charter Middle School

ACMS Registration for East Atlanta

The Atlanta Charter Middle School (ACMS) is a free public school of choice, open by lottery admissions to all students zoned for an Atlanta Public School in grades six through eight. Opened in the fall of 2005 by a group of area parents and educators, ACMS is committed to student-centered and project-based learning. ACMS is a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools (www.essentialschools.org) and follows the organization's principles of helping students to use their minds well, personalized instruction, and a democratic community. Please visit their website for more information about the school and a copy of their application. Or you may call the school at 678-904-0051.

Enrollment is open to students zoned for an Atlanta Public School. The school is in the primary attendance zone for NPU-W residents. NPU-W includes the neighborhoods of Benteen, Boulevard Heights, Custer/McDonough/Guice, East Atlanta, Grant Park, Ormewood Park, North Ormewood Park, and Woodland Hills. The deadline for submitting an application for students in NPU-W for the 2010-2011 school year is February 22nd.

All prospective students and their parents must attend one of the following Information Sessions at the school:
♦ Thursday, February 4, 2010 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM
♦ Saturday, February 20, 2010 from 10:00 to 11:30 AM
♦ Saturday, March 6, 2010 from 10:00 to 11:30 AM

The Atlanta Charter Middle School is located at 820 Essie Avenue in Ormewood Park, just a couple blocks west of Moreland Avenue.

Neighborhood Charter School, NCS

Registration for the Neighborhood Charter School is around the corner. Here are the important dates and information for your calendar: Please choose one of the below dates to visit. Attendance at one information session is a registration requirement. NCS is located at 688 Grant Street.

Saturday, February 6, 2010 9:00-10:00 am
Thursday, February 11, 2010 6:00-7:00 pm
Saturday, March 13, 2010 9:00-10:00 am
Saturday, April 24, 2010 9:00-10:00 am

PHASE 2 for NPU-W Residents - Benteen, Boulevard Heights, Custer/McDonough/Guice, East Atlanta, and Woodland Hills
Registration: March 1, 2010 - March 12, 2010
Lottery: March 18th, 2010 @ 6:30

Visit our website www.neighborhoodcharter.com/enrollment to learn more about registration, zone maps and the lottery process. For additional questions or to schedule a visit, please contact Kelly Dennis at 404-624-6226.

Sweetwater Brew Your Cask Off Benefit