EACA Newsletter for March 21, 2011

Community engagement has been the cornerstone of our Facility Master Plan, and we are requesting resident input on the 8 new libraries and 2 expanded libraries that make up Phase I of the Library Building Program. The design portion of this program begins later this year, so we want to hear from you.

Please attend one of the meetings, and help us in letting others know about these opportunities for input.

If you are not able to attend, input can also be submitted in the following ways:

Online survey: www.afpls.org, see "Building for the Future"
Email: librarycomments@fultoncountyga.gov
Fax: 404.335.5291
Mail: Branch Services, Central Library, One Margaret Mitchell Square, Atlanta, GA 30303

Call 404.730.1777 with any questions about the public meetings.

Neighbor in Need Poker Tourney Fundraiser

Calling all poker players!! Are you looking for a way to help your community, and have a lot of fun? Please put March 26th at 10am on your calendar because Neighbor in Need, in coordination with The Midway , is hosting a poker tourney to support the wonderful help that is being given in our community to help those needing emergency repairs but cannot afford it.

Sign-up sheets will soon be available at Midway and on Facebook. Email Neighbor in Need's chairperson Jeff Whitehouse at neighborinneed@eaca.net for more info.

$50 buy in all with a $500 first place prize.

EACA's initiative to complete emergency home repairs for East Atlanta neighbors, Neighbor in Need, will be holding its next committee meeting March 24th at The Midway, 7pm.

Burgess-Peterson Academy K-5 Open House

Tuesday, March 29th, 9am - noon.

480 Clifton St., the corner of Glenwood Ave. and Clifton.

Please come out and see the hidden gem that is Burgess-Peterson Academy (the APS elementary school for which East Atlanta is zoned). Among the highlights of the school:

An organic gardening program integrated throughout the curriculum, one that attracted enough attention to earn a visit from First Lady Michelle Obama this spring!
A facility that was completely renovated less than ten years ago, and which has a state of the art computer lab, dedicated science lab, secure internal courtyard, and many other building highlights;
A creative and accessible principal who has come from the popular Mary Lin Elementary School, and who has developed a rigorous curriculum with a math/science foundation;
A low enrollment that has resulted in very favorable student/teacher ratios;
An active and engaged parent group that works closely with the administration;
One of the highest performing schools in the system, consistently meeting and exceeding state-wide AYP goals.

For more information please see the attached flyer.

Upcoming EACA Beautification Days

Great turn out today for the EAV planting with about 45 wonderful neighbors. Many, Many thanks to all the folks that came out as well as Joe's for the use of their water for the plants.

Your next opportunity for helping to create a more beautiful place to live is below.

East Atlanta Village Clean Up

Sunday Afternoon March 27th

Start Time: 3 pm- 5 pm

Meeting Place- In Front of Joe's Coffee

Supplies, Drinks, & Snacks Provided

To volunteer or to ask questions please contact the Beautification Committee Chair Kevin Spigener at 678-438-6462 or email beautification@eaca.net.

APD Beat Redesign Meetings: Venue Change

Please note venue change.

The Atlanta Police Department announced a series of community meetings intended to inform city residents on changes to its six geographical patrol zones.

The APD embarked on a study a year ago, examining its police beats with the goal of ensuring that its resources and response times to calls for service were maximized.

The resulting plan retains the department's six zones, though some geographical boundaries have shifted. Department leadership believes the plan will increase police visibility by boosting the number of beats throughout the city and balancing out workloads in each zone, allowing for improved response times.

The meeting for Zone 6 is Thursday, March 31 at the Entrepreneurium, 1599-A Memorial Drive SE at 7:00 PM.

For more information to include copies of the zone maps, a Power Point about the plan and other documents please visit here.

Run Before You Crawl 5k and Pub Crawl

The Run Before You Crawl 5k and Pub Crawl is Atlanta's premier race slash pub crawl. In fact, we are fairly certain it is Atlanta's only. This second annual event will take place in and around the East Atlanta Village on April 9th. The race begins and ends in beautiful Brownwood Park. In between you will meander through the East Atlanta Business District

Because this 5K is aimed at people with a proclivity for drinking we have elected for the race to begin at 9:00 am. The Pub Crawl will begin at 10:30 am. We realize this is early, but just think, it will be 11:30 in Nova Scotia, and that's nearly noon. The Pub Crawl will visit five to seven of the village's finest dram shops.

The Run Before You Crawl 5k does not discriminate on the basis of age or physical fitness (or on any basis for that matter). For that reason you are welcome to register for the pub crawl or 5K individually. Entry are $25 for the 5k, $10 for the pub crawl, or $32 for both. Just because we choose not to discriminate on the basis of age, does not mean that the State of Georgia will not. All pub crawl participants must be at least 21 years of age. Register online at www.runbeforeyoucrawl.com.

The average person burns 1500 calories in the average 5K. [Warning: This is a fabricated self-serving statistic] Why not throw those calories right back on by drinking a beer or seven.

All proceeds from this event to end all events goes towards the East Atlanta Village and making it a safe place to shop, dine, and drink.

Burgess-Peterson Academy Tours

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

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

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

OK, here's your last hint. If you live in East Atlanta, your elementary school age child is guaranteed a spot in the school. And it's FREE. Come see why parents and First Lady Michelle Obama are buzzing about East Atlanta's public elementary school!

Burgess-Peterson Academy will host tours for prospective families on Wednesdays: April 13, and May 18 at 9 a.m.

BPA is located at 480 Clifton Street at the corner of

Glenwood and Clifton, less than a mile east of East Atlanta Village.

Tours also available on request. Email bpatours@yahoo.com for more information.

The Language Garden and Oakleaf Mennonite Farm Spring Fling

The Language Garden and Oakleaf Mennonite Farm want to help you and your garden get ready for spring. Join us; Saturday April 16^th from 9am-2pm for our Spring Fling Fundraiser.

Rummage Sale
Plant Sale
Raffle
Live Band
Activities for Children

For more information, visit us online at http://www.thelanguagegarden.com/ or http://oakleafmennonitefarm.wordpress.com/

1088 Bouldercrest Rd. SE Atlanta, GA 30316 ▪ 404-244-0289

East Atlanta Security Patrol Update

News Updated March 18 (from EASP website)

It's been a very quiet week for crime for the week of March 13-19. The lack of crime since the arrest of Detric Walton on March 9th at 9:35 am appears to indicate that he was involved in most if not all of the burglaries in early March. A big thanks to our EASP officer for being first on the scene and making the arrest of Mr. Walton and his juvenile buddy, who was turned over to his Grandmother. Police don't feel that the youngster is much of a criminal and that Mr. Walton is the one responsible for multiple burglaries. The one significant crime this week occurred on Sunday evening March 13th. A woman was robbed in her driveway around 10:50 pm on Hilburn. This has been an ongoing problem area for this type of crime, and APD seems unwilling or unable to address this issue. The EASP has been exploring options to deal with these armed robberies, and will be putting its plan of action into effect in April. We expect a noticeable reduction in this type of problem going forward.

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 8-11 are below:

The weekly Significant Arrests Reports for weeks 8-11 are below:

February Crime Report

February Trends

Upcoming Area Meetings

Atlanta City Council

Meetings: 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month (03.21), 1:00 pm

City Hall, 55 Trinity Ave SW

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners

Meetings: 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month (03.22), 9:00 am