East Atlanta Community Association
Newsletter
October 4, 2010 
In This Issue
Sopo Bicycle Co-op
Early Voting - DeKalb County
Trees Atlanta Tree Sale
What's Happening at Martha Brown
DeKalb County Code Enforcement Task Force
Friends of East Atlanta Library Annual Meeting
Support Neighbor in Need
Branan Bingo
eduKALB
Join Our Mailing List!
Quick Links
 Greetings!

EACA  Logo
Hello,

It feels like the '90s all over again with the Braves back in the playoffs.  Go Braves!

Enjoy this week's newsletter!
Sopo Bicycle Co-op
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.

Today, October 4th at the shop, is going to be our Brakes 101 Class.  Brian and Bobby will be helping you learn all about your brakes, how to keep them in good shape, change them, and tricks to repair them. Suggested donation $0-$10. The class starts at 7 PM.  


Also, email [email protected] to let us know what Maintenance 101 class you want us to put on next!!  For more information on what Sopo is please visit our website.  

 
Early Voting - DeKalb County
IN-PERSON EARLY/ADVANCE VOTING
ABSENTEE POLL OPENS FOR GENERAL ELECTION EARLY VOTING
SEPTEMBER 20, 2010
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, MON-FRI

Memorial Drive - Main Office ONLY

2010 ADVANCE VOTING SITES
GENERAL ELECTION: October 25 - 29
EXTENDED HOURS: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Memorial Drive - Main Office
Dekalb County Voter Registration and Elections
4380 Memorial Drive
Decatur, GA 30032

Decatur
Clark Harrison Center
330 West Ponce de Leon Avenue, Room A
Decatur, GA 30030

North
Chamblee Civic Center
3540 Broad Street
Chamblee, GA 30341

Northlake
Dekalb County Fire Headquarters
Training Conference Room
1950 West Exchange Place
Tucker, GA 30084

South
Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center
3181 Rainbow Drive
Decatur, GA 30034
Trees Atlanta Tree Sale
The 11th Annual Tree Sale is on October 9th!  The sale, located at Trees Atlanta's headquarters in Reynoldstown, will feature more than 1,000 native and unusual trees and plants.  In celebration of the 25th anniversary of Trees Atlanta, we will offer 25 species and varieties of trees, shrubs, and forest-safe vines never offered before at any of our other Tree Sale!   A few of these trees include bladdernut, butternut, Weeping Forest Pansy redbud, Emerald Knight fringe tree, Invincible Spirit hydrangea, and Devil's Walkingstick.  Non-invasive, unusual/exotic tree and plant varieties include Henry's Dwarf, Parrotia, Colossus Oyama magnolia, Halka Ginkgo and Arnold's Promise witch hazel. 

Trees Atlanta donors of $500 or more are invited to attend a preview shopping Friday night the evening before the Tree Sale (4pm to 6pm).  And EVERYONE is invited to the new Trees Atlanta headquarters on October 9th for the best Tree Sale in the south! 

What's Happening at Martha Brown
Community Workday:  All hands will be on deck October 9th as members of the community will be at Martha Brown from 9 - 4ish to help with some much needed sprucing up of both the inside and the outside of the church.  Lots of cleaning, organizing, landscaping, some painting, leveling, remulching the playground, etc. will hoped to be accomplished.  Come for all or part of a day.

Common Grounds
: An alternative worship service.  Good coffee, chill music, and storytelling.  Friday, October 15th at 7:00 pm.

Community Pot Luck Dinners: On the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at 6:30.  All are welcome.

All events to take place at Martha Brown, 468 Moreland Ave

If you are interested in attending events or sharing your musical talent for Common Grounds, please contact Pastor Heather at [email protected].

DeKalb County Code Enforcement Task Force
DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis recently appointed Super District 7 Commissioner Connie Stokes as chair of the newly established DeKalb County Code Enforcement Task Force.  The task force, which includes community leaders, county officials, and other key individuals, will identify and assist in the implementation of solution-driven recommendations to address code enforcement issues affecting communities throughout DeKalb.


"Commissioner Stokes has taken the lead on addressing code enforcement issues in our county, most recently with the creation of DeKalb's Foreclosure Registry program.  I am confident she will bring that same foresight and leadership to our code enforcement task force," said CEO Ellis.


The DeKalb County Code Enforcement Task Force will hold a series of meetings that are open to the public with the closest meeting to East Atlanta at the following:

 

Tuesday, October 19 at 6:30 p.m.
Cedar Grove High School
2360 River Rd
Ellenwood, GA 302949

 


Friends of East Atlanta Library Annual Meeting
Friends of East Atlanta Library raised $1441 at the Strut on Saturday!  That means that we sold over 3000 books.
Thanks to everyone who contributed or bought books as well as to the many volunteers who sorted books for weeks, moved books to the sale site, and worked at the sale itself.

Proceeds from the sale go towards providing programming at the library above what is provided by the Atlanta Fulton Public Library System.  In 2010 we have paid for Akbar Imhotep to do a children's program in January,
provided an artist's talk for students at Burgess-Peterson Academy Elem., held a well-attended art show of photographs by Lisa Tuttle, presented a travel program themed around travel books from the collection with speakers and food, contributed money for Eric Litwin's presentation to children at BATL and hosted the EABL's 5th birthday party complete with a puppet show. 

All of these events have been free to the public because of Book Sale proceeds from the previous year.  We have also paid for a program to kick off children's summer reading and provided some incentives for signing up for the program. The Friends of EA Library also paid registration fees for two of our librarians to attend the ALA Convention.  (This did not include transportation or housing, which were paid for by the participants themselves.)

Our last event for the year is the Annual Meeting on Friday, October 22 from 6 to 8pm in the Meeting Room of East Atlanta Library.  Social Hour will begin at 6pm with beer, wine and soft drinks for refreshment.  At 7pm the program will begin.  A film documentary about the life of Stieg Larsson will be shown.  Larsson is known for his trilogy: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.  

Bring your friends.  Show your support for the library!
Support Neighbor in Need
EACA's new program needs your support!  Neighbor in Need, a model developed in East Lake, provides emergency home repair for low-income, elderly residents of East Atlanta. As an initiative of EACA, Neighbor in Need is a grassroots, relationship-based, block-by-block effort; if you have a neighbor that might need some help, please contact Jeff Whitehouse, Chairperson of EACA's Neighbor in Need initiative.  All donations to this initiative are tax-deductible and go directly to the costs of labor and materials to help out our neighbors.
  • A donation of $1,000 would help cover a portion of an expensive roof or central AC repair.
  • A donation of $500 would help get hot water running again in a senior's home.
  • A donation of $250 would help a neighbor fix a broken door or window.
Contributing to this initiative is as easy as clicking the PayPal DONATE button on EACA's website.  We need your support in improving the quality of life for our long-time East Atlantans.
Branan Bingo
Do You Know About Branan Bingo?

Community volunteers from the neighborhood run a monthly Bingo game for Branan Towers' residents.  Between 30 and 60 residents turn up on the third Tuesday of every month to play about eight variations on the standard game for cash prizes, local gift certificates and Girl Scout cookies (!).
 
Scores of volunteers have participated over the years, including the local Girl Scout troop.  Most volunteers are solicited through the EAVBuzz.  In December, in addition to the games, volunteers bring food for a potluck dinner.  If you're interested in volunteering with some of East Atlanta's seniors, please sign up online or contact Dennis Madsen.

eduKALB

The mission of eduKALB is to facilitate improved school board leadership through civic engagement, community awareness and enhanced professional training. eduKALB wants to bring quality school board leadership to DeKalb County.  Through candidate forums, interviews, questionnaires, trainings, and voter education, eduKALB aims to promote school board leadership through the election of highly qualified school board members 


More than 100,000 students attend some 140 schools in the county.  For decades our DeKalb County Public Schools were a source of community pride, and often set the standard in the state.  Our children, as well as our teachers set examples that were often the envy of the region.  eduKALB is working to help put us on a path back to those days of glory...and just in case you can't remember them, we have done your homework for you.

 

Take a look..."DeKalb Schools, Then and Now" video.

 


 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 [email protected], or call EACA Public Safety Chair Myron Polster at 404-954-1568.

 EACA Public Safety - Weekly Crime Report
The weekly crime reports for weeks 36-39 are below:

A new feature, the significant arrests report for weeks 36-39 are below:

August Crime Report
August Crime Trends

(Week 39 not available at press time.)
(Week 36 significant arrests report not available from APD.)

Upcoming Area Meetings
Atlanta City Council
Meetings: 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month (10.04), 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 (10.05), 7:00pm

Martha Brown United Methodist Church, 468 Moreland Ave SE

 

East Atlanta Business Association (EABA)

Meeting: 1st Wednesday of the month (10.06), 2pm

East Atlanta Library, 400 Flat Shoals Ave. SE

 

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners

Meetings: 2nd and 4thTuesdays of the month (10.12), 9:00 am

Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Dr, Decatur

 

East Atlanta Community Association, (EACA)

Meetings: 2nd Tuesday of the month (10.12), 7pm

Branan Towers, 1200 Glenwood Ave., SE

 

South Atlantans for Neighborhood Development, Inc. (SAND)
Meetings: 2nd Thursday of the month (10.14); 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 [email protected].
 
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: [email protected]
Website: http://eaca.net