February 25, 2013 

The DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management will host a Rain Barrel Workshop for DeKalb County citizens on Wednesday, Feb. 27th from 7 - 8 p.m. at the Wylde Garden Center, 435 Oakview Road, Decatur, GA 30030.

 

Collecting rain water in rain barrels for use during dry months is an excellent way to conserve water and reduce your water bill. During the workshop, citizens will be instructed on rain barrel maintenance and the importance of water conservation.

 

The workshop will be open to the first 20 DeKalb County residents who sign up. This is a "hands-on" workshop where residents will make their own rain barrels with assistance.  The cost of the workshop is $40 and will include all the materials to make a barrel. For more information, contact Michael O'Shield at msoshield@dekalbcountyga.gov or 770-724-1456.

This time of the year after the holidays, the shelves at the Atlanta Community Food Bank are looking bare.  Yet many in our community remain hungry.  No one should have to choose between paying the rent, paying for their prescriptions, or paying for food.

 

Commissioner Kathie Gannon from Super District 6 and Solicitor-General Sherry Boston are asking for our help in donating food to the Atlanta Community Food Bank today through Thursday, February 28th.  Donations can be dropped off at several locations in downtown Decatur, including the Maloof Building, the Courthouse Tower, Clark Harrison, the Tax Commissioner's Office, or the Clerk of Superior Court Office.

 

Requested food items include canned tuna, peanut butter, fruit juices, canned vegetables, whole grain cereals, macaroni & cheese, canned fruits, and paper products.

 

Thank you for your generosity to those less fortunate, and thank you for helping the hungry in our community.

The Burgess Peterson Academy PTA is joining forces with EACA and Shoebox Recycling to collect gently used shoes and raise money for BPA.

 

In addition to raising money, the shoes will be distributed to needy children around the world.  Donations can be dropped off at the school, or you can arrange pick-up by contacting Maki Echols.

 

Please donate your gently used shoes (excluding flip flops) and support BPA!

On Saturday, March 9th from 12  to 10 PM, Living Walls is taking art to the streets of the East Atlanta Village.  The East Atlanta Block Party, which will be the culmination of the Living Walls "Concepts Volume 9" project, is being held in partnership with the East Atlanta Community Association and the East Atlanta Business Association, and is a free public event with something for kids, families, and bar-goers alike.

 

The event will include artist talks, an arts and crafts market at Midway Pub (12-6 PM), a kids craft corner hosted by the East Atlanta Parent's Network (12-3 PM), and a film screening of the Living Walls Concepts Volume 9 documentary.  East Atlanta bars and restaurants will also be providing specials for the event, and entertainment will be happening at venues throughout the Village.

 

Additional details are available on the EACA website.

Atlanta City Councilmember Natalyn Archibong and DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson invite you to attend the 12th annual Focus Upon Senior Services (F.U.S.S.) seminar at 10 AM on March 9th.

 

Representative will be on hand to answer your water and sewer billing questions, share how recycling can save you money and the environment, and discuss homestead exemptions, senior discounts, and other services for senior residents.  

 

The seminar will be held at Drew Charter School.  Light refreshments will be provided.  

 

For more information, contact Councilmember Natalyn Archibong at 404.330.6048 or narchibong@atlantga.gov. 

On Sunday, March 10th, The Indigo Girls will play a benefit concert for The Friends School of Atlanta on the school's campus at 862 Columbia Drive in Decatur. Showtime is at 4 PM, doors will open at 3 PM. Ticket prices are $100 for the Front Row; $60 for the next six rows (already SOLD OUT) and $40 for the remaining floor and balcony seats. Seating for all ticket levels is first come, first served. All proceeds from the concert will benefit The Friends School of Atlanta.  Tickets can be purchased here.

 

For more information about the event, please contact Nancy Bent, Director of Advancement: 404-373-8746 x8135; nancy.bent@friendsschoolatlanta.org.  

 

The Friends School of Atlanta, offering a pre-K - 8th grade program, has a mission to provide challenging academics in a diverse environment, drawing on the Quaker values of a simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and stewardship to empower students to go out into the world with conscience, conviction and compassion.  For more information about the school and admissions, visit www.friendsschoolatlanta.org or contact Waman French, Head of School: 404-373-8746 x8136; waman.french@friendsschoolatlanta.org.

The Burgess-Peterson Academy PTA will host a community-wide yard sale on March 23rd and 24th from 10 AM to 4 PM.  100% of the proceeds from the yard sale will go to the PTA. 

If you have items to sell, we'll be accepting them at the school from March 18th to 22nd. To make this event a success we will need the help of ALL BPA parents, faculty and staff! To volunteer you can find sign-up sheets in the BPA office, at the 21st Century sign-out table, and at the Tardy Table (but don't be tardy!). Or email makiechols@bellsouth.net or call 404-825-4813.

The following items will be accepted: Art, jewelry, antiques, movies, music, books, used school uniforms, gently used clothes, shoes, household items, appliances, electronics, toys, and furniture.

DeKalb County seniors and low income citizens are encouraged to take advantage of this free Federal and State income tax e-filing service.  No appointments - first come, first served.  The service will be provided at the Clarkston Library, 951 N. Indian Creek Drive in Clarkston, Mondays and Tuesdays through April 15th, from 12 - 4 PM.  Click here for important documents to bring with you.

For more information about AARP Foundation Tax Aide, click here.  For those who prefer to do their own, there are FREE e-filing softwares available here.

Call 404-508-7175 for more information.

Pure Tennis will be conducting group tennis lessons for children ages 3.5 - 14 at the Grant Park Tennis Courts for the Grant Park, Glenwood Park, Ormewood Park, and surrounding communities this spring beginning the week of February 11th.  

 

Lessons run for 8 weeks and are offered on your choice of Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday afternoons.  We will also be offering "Cardio Tennis" for adults on Saturday morning along with a popular new program, "Tennis Fit for Kids."

 

For more information, visit the Pure Tennis website.

The Department of Public works is committed to serving the residents and visitors of Atlanta in a timely and efficient manner.  Please let us know how we may be of service to you.

 

Send comments or concerns related to Transportation Services, Solid Waste Services, Illegal Dumping, Water/Sewers, Parking Meters, etc. to publicworks@atlantaga.gov

The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department is urging residents and employees to register for Smart911, an enhanced 911 information system available for City of Atlanta residents, and which is being used by emergency dispatchers.

 

How does it work?  Users enter as much personal information as they feel comfortable sharing via online registration, including home or work address, information about disabilities, medications, alternate contact numbers, pictures, automobile descriptions, and other information that may be pertinent for first responders during an emergency.

 

Anyone that lives, works, or plays within the City could potentially benefit from first responders having the pre-registered information available. Additionally, when traveling, any jurisdiction that utilizes Smart911 will have your information readily available, making registration a win for everyone.

 

To register, simply visit www.smart911.com to create your personal safety profile.

The Highlander School will be opening soon in the East Atlanta Village! We are a nature centered learning community that fosters collaboration and a celebration of childhood! The Highlander School will provide progressive early care and education for young children, infants to five. We are located right behind the East Atlanta Library at 1212 McPherson Ave, Atlanta, Ga. 30316, in a facility that has operated as a daycare center since 1974. Over the next couple of months, we will be transforming the building into a beautiful and inspiring space for young children and our community. So please look out for us! For information on enrollment, or to learn more about our program and philosophy please visit our website, thehighlanderschool.com or Facebook page.

Registration for the 2013-2014 school year at Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School (ANCS) will run from February 11th - March 11th, and will be open for all those who are interested in applying.  

 

An information meeting will be held on Saturday, March 2, 2013 at 6:30 PM for Elementary School (K-5) families at the Elementary campus located at 688 Grant Street.  An information meeting for the Middle School students and families (6-8) will be held on Saturday, March 2, 2013 at 10:00 AM at the Middle campus located at 820 Essie Avenue.  The lottery will be held on Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 6:00 PM at the Elementary campus.   Applications for enrollment can be found on our website, www.atlncs.org, or at each school location, along with additional information on the enrollment process.

 

ANCS is a K-8 charter school with two campuses formed by the merger in 2011 of two successful charter schools that have been operating in the Grant Park / Ormewood Park neighborhood over the past decade. Neighborhood Charter School (NCS) opened in 2002 serving K-5 students. Atlanta Charter Middle School (ACMS) opened in 2005 serving 6-8 students. ANCS is a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools (www.essentialschools.org) and is committed to the CES common principles.

Winter is upon us and it's a great time to deliver a meal to our local firefighters!  Providing a meal means having a meal, already cooked, to hand over to the firefighters at Station 13 on Friday evening. The Firefighters request food without pork.  A full kitchen is available to them at the Fire Station and they can heat something as needed.  Delivery of meals is usually between 5-5:30 PM.

Sign up here (pw: friday) to see what dates are available for meals.  You might think about sharing different parts of a meal with friends. For example:  One or two people might provide the main meal, another could provide bread or a side dish or dessert.

Please call Beth-Ann Buitekant (404-455-8746) for information or with questions. 

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

Submissions:
If you're interested in submitting an article to the EACA weekly newsletter, send it to newsletter@eaca.net 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.