East Atlanta Community Association (EACA) Minutes 4/10/07
7:32 P.M. Meeting Called to Order
Opening Comments - Myron Polster, EACA President
• New date for Beltline 2nd Quarter briefing: Tuesday April 17, 6-8pm at City Hall.
• Need EACA Treasurer – 2 hours commitment a month – volunteers encouraged.
• East Atlanta Farmers Market to begin on May 3
• Fire station slated to be completed by next spring.
• Need volunteers on Earth Day, April 21
• Introduction of New Neighbors
• Thanks to all who have filled out the online EACA Survey. Thus far, feedback shows desire for earlier start time (7pm), and shorter meetings, which will both be initiated over the next few months. Moving the meetings to the library, as some suggested, won’t work for logistical reasons, so meetings will likely continue at Branan Towers indefinitely. There were very few responses indicating childcare at meetings should be a priority, so this will not be pursued (though you are encouraged to contact Myron about this if it is important to you—if there is enough post survey interest in it we can readdress). In response to comments on the online newsletter, a new format has been initiated making it much easier to navigate, jumping from link to link so regular readers don’t have to scroll through ongoing items they’ve read in past issues. Everyone is encouraged to submit items and pictures to the online newsletter at newslettereaca.net. Other survey comments included the desire for EACA to be more proactive. EACA is inviting everyone to come forward to volunteer—even a few hours—which will enable more proactive addressing of the issues that interest our community. Lastly, many survey respondents expressed an interest to continue to diversify membership and participation and EACA is already working on strategies to do this.
Crime Report - Ed Gilgor (for Jen Murray)
• Crimes went up slightly last month and one strategy to address this is to focus on arresting and incarcerating the recurring offenders—the relatively few people who are committing most of the crimes—and keeping them locked up longer. Major Propes and the Public Safety committee have been working w/the DA’s office to ensure higher bonds on these offenders and to begin prosecuting repeat offenders more diligently. Also, calls and emails from community members have been quite effective in keeping specific offenders incarcerated. Ed promised to notify citizens (perhaps through the EACA online newsletter) with contact information on who to call or send email to in Dekalb County to attempt to assure proper sentencing for these criminals. Contact Ed if you’d like to help out and be part of the network communicating arrests to the public: edwardmgilgorcomcast.net.
NPU-W Report – Ed Gilgor
• The new bar/restaurant “The Glenwood” is seeking their alcohol license and has agreed to sign a good neighbor agreement. Members voted to grant a license, 28 in favor with 2 abstentions.
• The Brownwood Park Bike Rally (June 9) will require closing off vehicle traffic around the north side of Brownwood Park for bike races and events. Motion approved 32-0-0.
• Still working on compiling the “Top 10” codes enforcement locations in East Atlanta and need more input from community. Please submit any properties or houses that are a danger or threat, such as vacant structures with broken windows and doors, etc. Send property addresses (and pictures if possible) to Ed at edwardmgilgorcomcast.net.
• The next NPU-W Meeting will be held Wednesday, April 25, at 7:30pm at Martha Brown United Methodist Church..
• The East Atlanta Beer Festival will be held May 12 from 1-6 pm on the Gordon School Grounds. Entrance will be on Metropolitan between the school and Martha Brown Church. See Beerfest website at eabfonline.com for more details and to volunteer.
• Beltline TAD district comes all the way down Glenwood to Moreland so the Beltline could have a nice impact on our neighborhood so all are encouraged to get involved in the planning and shaping of the Beltline.
Police Report – Sergeant Poole (for Major Propes, who was ill)
• The increase in burglaries at the beginning of March has since tapered off. Police arrested repeat offender Theodore Lockwood, who was caught in act of burglary and is now in the Dekalb County Jail. Poole encouraged citizens to keep emailing and calling to keep him and others in jail—he reiterated how effective this is. Another offender, caught red-handed trying to steal a truck on Brownwood Avenue recently has also been incarcerated. Last Friday the chase of a man wanted for murder occurred through parts of the neighborhood. The pursuing officer had a heart attack and is in intensive care, though it looks like he’ll be OK.
• Motion was made to send the officer flowers, food or some other type of thank you. Myron Polster said there was money in budget for such things and assured this would be done.
Special Reports
East Atlanta Village Farmer's Market - Jonathan Tescher
• The EAV Farmer’s Market will be held every Thursday starting May 3 in the parking lot between the Antiques Bazaar and The Earl from 4:30 pm to dark. First Thursdays, local restaurants will be doing cooking demos; 2nd Thursdays will feature art demos; 3rd Thursdays will be “constituents’ corner,” where elected officials will be given a table to come out and meet the public; last Thurs will feature live music. SOPO Bikes will organize a monthly bike ride (a non-Moreland Ave route) to the market from Sevananda in Five Points.
• See the Farmer’s Market website (farmeav.com) for schedule and for contact information for local elected officials so the public can email them to ensure they attend “Constituents Corner.”
The March 2007 meeting minutes were approved by unanimous voice vote w/ one correction: My Sister’s Place has not yet applied for its liquor license, yet the minutes erroneously reported the license had been approved.
Nominations to Porch Press Board - Myron Polster
• Taking nominations for the East Atlanta opening on the Porch Press Board. Mark Takacs was nominated (not present but had agreed to the nomination before the meeting) and was approved by hand vote.
Earth Day – Melissa Debraski
• April 21 Earth Day activities in village will include picking up garbage and planting flowers in front of Mary’s. The cleanup in Brownwood Park will include stream beds, refreshing the flower beds by Rec Center, adding wood chips around trees, etc. Meet in Brownwood Park from 9-11—lunch will be served afterwards, and T-shirts will be given to volunteers.
• Ongoing clean-ups are held the 4th Sat of every month.
Read and Feed – Henry Bryant, Friends of East Atlanta Library
• On April 21 from 12-3 Friends of the Library will be cooking recipes from library cookbooks for tasting--tickets are $2.
• B*ATL Update: To commemorate the Battle of Atlanta, the major Civil War battle fought in the East Atlanta area on July 22nd 1864, this year’s B*ATL Celebration will be held on July 21 and events will include re-creation of trenches; reenactments, neighborhood tours, a Friday night GALA fundraiser, a 5K race, and entertainment in the village, including “Gone With the Wind in 20 Minutes” at a Village venue TBA. For more go to www.batlevent.org.
Burgess-Peterson Playground - Jennifer Mullins and Coach Betty Jackson Burgess-Peterson Academy
• The recent bake sale raised over $800 dollars; the additional Village bake sale raised over $200 plus a $250 contribution from Traders, who hosted the sale. A KABOOM matching grant for $5,000, has been awarded and we are in the final round to receive an even larger Kaboom Grant if we raise a total of $15,000 from the community (we have $3,236 so far). The East Lake YMCA donated $500 toward the playground.
• Next fundraiser: Rummage sale at Burgess-Peterson on April 28th—everyone is encouraged to donate, volunteer, and shop. Next planning meeting for playground is April 17 at 7:30pm at the Burgess-Peterson Media Center.
East Atlanta Business Association - Jonathan Tescher
• Cenci, The Glenwood, and My Sister’s Place are all opening soon.
• As part of a US Social Forum in June a community mural will be designed and installed in East Atlanta. Public meetings will be held to generate ideas for the mural: April 14 at 11am and April 17 at 6:30pm at Sabra Gallery, and April 24 at Joe’s
• Taste of East Atlanta Saturday will be June 2.
Brownwood Bike Rally - Jill Sieder, Director & Kevin Banks, Program Manager of East Atlanta Kids’ Club
• The Bike Rally is the biggest EAKC event of the year and includes races for kids and adults all morning and into early afternoon. Most events will take place at the north end of Brownwood Park. This year vendors will be invited and food will be sold. There is no charge to vendors, so they’re calling for interested folks to contact them to participate. They’ve added two races this year with an off-road component—one for “semi-pros” and a “B-level” version for all levels of riders. Prizes and trophies will awarded. They need 125 volunteers to make the day a success. All are invited to the next planning meeting at LaCasita—see the website eastatlantakids.org for more details on the meetings and volunteer opportunities.
Committee Reports
Transportation - Larry Johnson
• Larry’s song this month was sung to the tune “ In the Jailhouse Now”.
• Crosswalks – District 7 Traffic Operations decided not to repaint the crosswalks after repaving Glenwood and Moreland; but after pressure was applied by Robbin Shipp and others, Bryant Poole, district engineer for District 7 Traffic Ops came for a walk-thru of the area and seems open to our suggestions on repainting cross walks we feel are most important. Ken Rose has compiled and submitted a list of suggested locations. Hopefully we will get a response quickly.
Membership – Myron Polster (for Heath Turner)
$10 for new members and to renew—can do so at meetings, by mail or online at eaca.net.
Security Patrol - Myron Polster
New members have been signing up—$50/quarter to have off duty APD officers patrol member households 20 hours per week during day. See eaca website for more info.
