East Atlanta Community Association
Newsletter
June 28, 2010 
In This Issue
Sopo Volunteer Opportunity
What has EACA been doing?
Early Voting for DeKalb General Primary Election
Brownwood Park Recreation Center
B*ATL Gala
Neighborhood Day
Keep DeKalb Beautiful
Kindergarten "Class of 2012" Playgroup forming!
2010 Neighborhood Summit
East Atlanta Security Patrol
EACA Public Safety Crime Reports
Join Our Mailing List!
Quick Links
 Greetings!

EACA  Logo

Hello,


Happy Monday! 

Please read on for a summary of what EACA has been doing over the last six months as well as other East Atlanta happenings.


Enjoy this week's newsletter!
Sopo Volunteer Opportunity
Our mission...is to create equitable access to cycling by providing affordable bicycle maintenance, services and education.

Our shop...provides a central forum for sharing equipment, materials, and expertise, and facilitates affordable, practical, hands-on support for cyclists of all ages and skill levels.


Want to be a volunteer? Are you a current volunteer who hasn't been to orientation yet?  This is for you!  Find out how the shop works, how to help people the Sopo way and how to make the shop a friendly place for all.  It's getting hot here in Atlanta and more of our friends are on their bikes.  This means the shop needs more help than usual.  Come to the shop at 7 pm this Monday, June 28th.  For more information on what Sopo is please visit our website.

See you there!

What has EACA been doing?
EACA is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to making this neighborhood great.  Below is a summary of what EACA folks have been up to.  We'd appreciate your feedback on what we're doing, how we're doing it and whether you think we're making a difference.  In the past six months, EACA has:
  1. Produced 26 newsletters (including this one), which reach 1,087 people and have covered over 150 unique stories since January 2010. Newsletters always contain continuously updated crime reports, meeting dates/times/locations, and a touch of humor!
  2. Hosted five Beautification Committee clean-ups with 55 volunteers helping out.
  3. Held six Monthly Meetings with 18 featured guest speakers, outside of the usual reports from APD and EACA Officers.
  4. Received 75 new memberships and sold 12 yard signs.
  5. Coordinated, along with her family, a tree planting in honor of the late Ms. Georgia Gay also known as Ms Georgie, a dedicated neighborhood leader who died in 2009.
  6. Sponsored a community meeting with Interim Chief Baker to get answers about neighbors' concerns about the new fire station (which, at the time, was not realizing much progress).
  7. Sponsored a Public Safety Day and met DA Gwen Keyes Fleming and Judge Tangela Barrie at the DeKalb County Courthouse.
  8. Planted trees with a $2,000 grant received from the City of Atlanta.
  9. Worked continuously with the City of Atlanta, the Federal Communication Commission, Branan Towers, and the State Historic Preservation Office to oppose a cell tower at 469 Metropolitan Place.
  10. Co-sponsored, with several other Southeast Atlanta neighborhood, a community dialogue with Mayor Reed.
  11. Insured its officers.
  12. Received $1,000 from Councilmember Archibong for community projects.
  13. Designed and funded yard signs to announce EACA meetings (seen throughout the neighborhood).
  14. Advocated successfully, along with SAND and NPU-W, for the Atlanta Regional Commission to remove Glenwood Avenue in East Atlanta as a designated regional freight route.
  15. Formalized a partnership with Neighbor in Need, a local nonprofit that makes emergency home repairs for fixed-income seniors.
  16. Raised over $1,000 flipping burgers and making pretzel necklaces at the East Atlanta Beer Festival.
  17. Launched new website.
  18. Welcomed the East Atlanta Parents Network as an official initiative of EACA.
  19. Signed an agreement with the East Atlanta Kids Club, creating the Brownwood Park Recreation Center Coordinating Committee -- a body that will decide on activities and events at the local rec center.
  20. Co-sponsored with the other neighborhoods of NPU-W to publish 11 months of The Porch Press neighborhood newspaper and mail to every household in East Atlanta (and NPU-W).


Early Voting for DeKalb General Primary Election
DeKalb County Board of Registration & Elections is encouraging voters to cast ballots early for the General Primary Election on July 20.  Early voting in person is available now without having to providing a reason. The Absentee Poll at 4380 Memorial Drive is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for Early Voting. 
 
During Advance Voting Week, July 12 - 16, extended hours of 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and four additional sites will also be available for voting before Election Day. 
 
The additional Advance Voting locations are: 
Voters who wish to vote absentee by mail can submit their request now.  They should note on the application that it is for the July 20 General Primary Election and remember to mark party preference. 
 
For additional information, visit www.dekalbvotes.com or call 404-298-4020.

 

Brownwood Park Recreation Center
Checklist ImageDid you know that our very own Park includes a Recreation Center that is open to the public? People can play pool, ping pong, board games, or just sit and relax and enjoy the a/c.

The Rec Center is now open on Saturdays from 1 pm to 5 pm.

People can also access the restroom and water fountain whenever staff are present, which is generally from 10am to 5 or 6 pm, Mon-Fri, 10:30am - 5pm on Saturday.  Children must be supervised.

Scheduled activities (besides Kids Club) now include yoga and strength training classes led by FitWit on Saturdays and Wednesdays, mornings and evenings.  Check the bulletin board outside the Center for class schedules and instructor info.


In addition to the Kids Club website you can now find the Rec Center's calendar linked on the EACA website
B*ATL Gala
July 22nd will mark the 145th Anniversary of the historic Civil War Battle of Atlanta.  To commemorate the important event, the neighborhoods in Atlanta's 5th Council District have teamed up to organize B*ATL on the weekend of July 24th. This will not only be an event of remembrance but also one with fun for everyone including: Gala dinner, 5K run, van and walking tours, re-creation of the front lines with re-enactment soldiers and artillery, Civil War village, historic music concerts, shopping and dining in East Atlanta and Kirkwood and more!!

Kicking off the festivities is The B*ATL Gala at 7pm on July 23 at the East Lake Golf Club.  Relax on the terrace as you enjoy great food and a cash bar, Whoa Nelly Bluegrass and a special musical presentation by acclaimed soloist Sam Hagan.  A silent auction during the dinner offers fun and bargains from local companies.   

BATL organizers are making a special discount block of 20 tickets available to EACA members for $40 ea. (Reg. $50).  If interested please email Ralph Green, EACA Treasurer, at ralphgreen@aol.comGet them before they're gone (or July 1st) whichever comes first.  Join the fun folks at the East Atlanta Table.

Neighborhood Day


Ormewood Park Presbyterian Church Parking Lot and fellowship Hall



Activities:     
  • yard sale
  • raffle
  • bake sale
  • crafts 
  • neighborhood organization information tables
  • fun for kids
  • giveaways and prizes
  • entertainment
Saturday July 10, 9-5
( Rain Date  July 17)
 
More Info:  Contact  Bo Mays 
                   404.216.3861, cell   
Keep DeKalb Beautiful
Checklist ImageKeep DeKalb Beautiful is having a litter campaign slogan contest, and needs your help! 
 
Please see the attached flyer for exciting details about this contest.
 
We look forward to seeing your ideas and responses by July 16th!


Kindergarten "Class of 2012" Playgroup forming!
Checklist ImageDo you have a child born between 9/1/2006 and 8/31/2007 and wish to connect with other parents and children of the same age in the neighborhood?  EAPN is starting a playgroup for the Kindergarten class of 2012, and hope you are interested in joining!

Since this is a new group day, time and frequency of the playgroup have not yet been determined, and will be worked out among its participants.  Playgroup members can either take turns hosting at their homes, or at kid-friendly venues (like a park or the zoo).

If you are interested in joining the playgroup, please email our new "K-12" coordinator, Debbie Cartee, at dcartee@gmail.com.  She will then email you an invite to join a Google group created specifically for this playgroup.

Class of 2014 (formed earlier this year): "K-14" coordinator, Julie Cureton, aria1600@yahoo.com.

Playgroups for the other age groups will hopefully be forming soon.  If you are interested in coordinating one of these groups please contact EAPN.

2010 Neighborhood Summit

The Civic League for Regional Atlanta presents 2010 Neighborhood Summit. 

Saturday, September 25
The Loudermilk Center, 40 Courtland Street, Atlanta, GA  30303

Join more than 700 neighborhood leaders, community activists, neighborhood associations and concerned community members for the 2nd annual Neighborhood Summit on Saturday, September 25th.  Representatives from 10 counties in the Atlanta region will participate in this unique two-way dialogue to strengthen civic ties, discuss regional issues, and form relationships with others committed to regional collaboration.

Early bird half price special, May 1 - July 1:
Online registration is now available -- just click here.  
  To register by mail with a check or money order, download the printable registration page, complete and mail the form to the address indicated.

For additional information please visit Neighborhood Summit website.

 East Atlanta Security Patrol
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 404-954-1568.

 EACA Public Safety - Weekly Crime Report
The weekly crime reports for weeks 21 -24 are below:
May Crime Report
May Trends


Week 25 was not available by press time.
Upcoming Area Meetings
Atlanta City Council
Meetings: 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month (07.05), 1:00 pm
City Hall, 55 Trinity Ave SW, Atlanta
 
Neighborhood Planning Unit, NPU-W, Land Use and Zoning Committee
Meeting: 1st Tuesday of the month (07.06), 7:00pm
Martha Brown United Methodist Church, 468 Moreland Ave SE
 
East Atlanta Business Association (EABA)
Meeting: 1st Wednesday of the month (07.07), 2pm
East Atlanta Library, 400 Flat Shoals Ave. SE

South Atlantans for Neighborhood Development, Inc. (SAND)
Meetings: 2nd Thursday of the month (07.08); 7:30pm
Beulah Heights University Student Center, 892 Berne Street

2010 EACA Membership

Join EACA 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.  Email questions to membership@eaca.net.
 
You can sign up for your 2010 EACA membership and order EACA Yard Signs on-line!  Pay electronically through your online banking site or via Paypal
HERE.
 
East Atlanta on Facebook/Twitter
If you're a Facebook member, be sure to become a fan of both the EACA Fan Page and the East Atlanta Village page, too! Click on links below to take you directly to each.
 

 
 
 
 


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