NEWS ARCHIVE
2003
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NEWS ARCHIVE |
2003 |
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Redevelopment of 317 West Hill Street Town Hall Meeting - posted November 7th, 2003 The 317 West Hill Street redevelopment will create 12 new condominium units in Oakhurst. The current structure will be demolished and a new one built in its place. Town Hall meeting will be held on Saturday, November 8th at 1pm, in front of 317 West Hill Street. Please see our InFocus section for information on the project. Questions? Bart Lester and Lee Lester are the developers BLester@eastdil.com, lee@lester.net Redevelopment of 317 West Hill - posted October 25nd, 2003 The non-historic but never the less old building next to the Solarium is the subject of a much needed redevelopment effort. The redevelopment will create 12 new condominium units in Oakhurst. The current structure will be demolished and a new one built in its place. The below text and above artist rendering were provided by the local developers Bart Lester and Lee Lester. A presentation will be made to the Oakhurst community at the ONA meeting Monday October 27th. Plan on attending for more information. Halloween Party! - post updated October 25th, 2003 Bring the kids and join your neighbors for a Halloween party on the grounds of the Solarium (321 West Hill Street). Trick-or-treating will follow the party, so be sure to put this flyer on your mailbox and leave your porch light on to indicate you will be participating in the festivities! There will be games like Bobbing for Apples, Musical Chairs, Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin as well as a costume contest and snacks. The party will begin at 6pm and run until 7:30 with trick-or-treating in the neighborhood to follow. In the event of inclement weather, the party will be held inside the Solarium. Dress up in your best costume and join your friends for a fun-filled Halloween Party! For questions, or to volunteer or contribute, please contact Beth Thompson at 404-377-2552 or Beth_Thompson@yahoo.com OWLS Halloween Safety Tips - posted October 22nd, 2003 Halloween
may be a fun holiday for kids, but for parents, trick-or-treat time
can be a little tricky. But not to worry! To make Halloween a treat
for all, follow these safety tips: 1) MAKE SURE YOUR KIDS DRESS UP SAFELY A) Check that the costumes are flame retardant so the little ones aren't in danger near burning jack-o-lanterns and other fire hazards. B) Keep costumes short to prevent trips, falls, and other bumps in the night. C) Try make-up instead of a mask. Masks can be hot and uncomfortable and, more importantly, they can obstruct a child's vision, a dangerous thing when kids are crossing streets and going up and down steps. D) Make sure kids wear light colors or put reflective tape on their costumes. E) Trick-or-treaters should always be in groups so they aren't tempting targets for real-life goblins. Parents should accompany their children when trick-or-treating, even the older children. 2) MAKE
TRICK-OR-TREATING TROUBLE FREE B) Have your kids trick-or-treat while it's still light outside. If it's dark, make sure someone has a flashlight and select well-lighted streets. C) Make
sure kids know not to enter strange houses or stranger's cars. CONSIDER THIS Parents
and kids can avoid trick-or-treating troubles entirely by organizing a
Halloween costume party in your own home with treats, games, contests,
music and much more. Make your Halloween party the place to be! TREATS Halloween
can be a lot of fun for parents and kids alike if everybody remembers
the tricks and the treats of playing safe. Remember, the safest
Halloween party is in your own home!! DRESSED UP AND DANGEROUS? Halloween blood and gore are harmless stuff for the most part but sometimes dressing up as a superhero, a swash-bucking pirate, or an alien, coupled with the excitement of Halloween, can bring out aggressive behavior. Even fake knives, swords, guns, and other costume accessories can hurt people. If these objects are part of a child's costume it should be made from cardboard or other flexible materials. Better yet, challenge kids to create costumes that don't need weapons to be scary and fun. "Meet and Greet" with Julie Rhame - posted October 17th, 2003 Oakhurst's own Julie Rhame is running unopposed for the District 2, South Decatur seat on Decatur's School Board. The College Heights community is cordially invited to a "Meet and Greet" for Julie this Sunday, Oct. 19, at MoJo Pizza, from 2-5 pm. She wants to hear about your concerns and the issues that affect you the most regarding our school system. Please join her at this informal gathering and grab a slice or two! Also, please feel free to contact Julie at her home number, 404-377-0976, or at rhame@mindspring.com. School Board Candidates' Forums - posted October 17th, 2003 There will be a couple more candidates' forums this month, so get your questions ready and plan to attend!
Dancing at Renfroe - posted October 17th, 2003 We're tapping into neighborhood e-mail lists to make sure parents and kids are aware of the first Renfroe dance of the year on Oct. 24th. The dance is an especially big treat for sixth graders. So, please mark it on the calendar. The dance starts at 7:30. We also need Renfroe parents to volunteer at the dance, decorating the cafeteria, collecting tickets, selling snacks and chaperoning. If you can help, please call either Julie Rogers-Martin (373-5412) or Maureen Downey (378-8445/ mdowney@ajc.com) We're both Winnona parents and this year's co-chairs of the Renfroe dances. Thanks. Comparative Crime Analysis by Zone for September - posted October 6th, 2003 Continued good news for the SW (that's us)!
Oakhurst parade a rousing tribute to soldier - posted September 23, 2003 By DAVID
SIMPSON Lt. Dan Wingate isn't one to make a big deal out of his time in Iraq. "It wasn't bad," the 25-year-old Army intelligence officer said. Sure, some people shot at him and his buddies in the 3rd Infantry Division as they drove toward Baghdad. He described them as "twosies and threesies" and people "firing as they ran away." But his family and friends back in DeKalb County were not about to let their low-key lieutenant return to duty at Fort Stewart without making a fuss -- which is why Wingate found himself in the back of a convertible in the place of honor last week for an evening parade of two blocks through Decatur's Oakhurst business district. Several dozen people turned out for the parade and quickly enlisted the sidewalk diners at Mojo's Pizza, where Wingate once worked. Flags and red-white-and-blue leis were distributed to give onlookers a properly patriotic look for the parade, which featured flair over floats. A woman with a huge American flag was trailed by five children with a banner saluting Wingate. His mother, Deborah Palmer, walked by throwing candy into the crowd. State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, a family friend, and Palmer's husband, Jay Palmer, were next, closely followed by eight members of the Seed and Feed Marching Abominable Band. The musicians, who heard about the parade and thought it should have a beat, wore their trademark outlandish costumes and generated a full marching band's volume as they belted out patriotic tunes. Wingate waved from the back of the yellow Mustang, red-faced and perspiring in his full uniform, but smiling. As the procession, sans police escort, crossed East Lake Drive, the at-first-startled outdoor patrons of the Universal Joint restaurant broke into applause, and one ran out to shake Wingate's hand. Then it was three quick turns through a parking lot, past the puzzled shoppers at a convenience store and back to Mojo's, where Wingate was serenaded with "America the Beautiful" as comically dressed "majorettes" linked arms with him. Wingate grew up in the Decatur and Tucker areas, attending Briarlake and Snapfinger elementary schools and Westminster junior high and high schools. He attended Davidson College on an Army ROTC scholarship and graduated in 2000. The next year, he entered the Army. After military intelligence training, he joined the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart. On Nov. 24, 2002, his 25th birthday, he went to Kuwait as the assistant intelligence officer for Task Force 464, a battalion-size element of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team. By the time the task force entered Iraq, he was the primary intelligence officer, charged with giving the commander information on enemy strength and estimates on how the enemy would resist. "We moved constantly from the day we crossed the border," he said, recalling 36 hours of a continuous push to Iraq's western desert before bad weather halted the drive for two days. He spent much of that time in a windowless, rolling armored command post, which he described as "aluminum foil over a minivan." He later switched to a soft-top Humvee. "As an intel guy, all you need is a bunch of radios and your computer," he said. He credited his training for his cool reaction to being under fire. "It's supposed to happen and it makes sense," he said. "You deal with it and move on to the next thing. "It wasn't until I got back here and started thinking, 'Hey, there were some dangerous things back there . . . ,' " he said. At the time, he felt "very safe." His comrades in arms also played a big part: "You get so close to the guys. That's how you get through it." After the fall of the Iraqi government, he worked on keeping the peace in Baghdad and other cities. He found Iraqis welcoming and appreciative, even though many also were eager to see the Americans leave. Hearing their stories of brutality under the old regime, he said, gave him a "sense of justification" for his presence. He made friends among the Iraqis. "I don't think enough people realize that they're just average people like the average folks over here," he said. He returned to Fort Stewart early on an August morning. His mother, looking at a snapshot of her reunion with him as they sat in her Oakhurst living room last week, said, "I could hardly breathe when I saw you." Palmer said she coped with his wartime service by avoiding newscasts. It wasn't until she saw him safely back at Fort Stewart, she said, "that I realized just how frightened I'd been." Wingate had 30 days' leave. He spent much of it touring New York state with girlfriend Sunny Bowles, a Westminster grad from Sandy Springs who now lives in New York City. He has 1 1/2 more years to serve and hasn't decided what will come next. He could stay in military intelligence, but he also is interested in teaching. He majored in classics at Davidson and was a substitute Latin teacher at Westminster while waiting to go into the Army. For now, it's back to work. He reported to duty at Fort Stewart at 6:30 a.m. Monday.
"Woof, woof, bow wow, grrrr" ... where’s my own park? - posted September 22nd, 2003 Greetings All: For some of you, it has been a while since you have heard from me regarding the Oakhurst Dog Park. We were in a holding pattern pending the Recreation's department assessment of a comprehensive study that was completed of the entire city's recreation system, and that study has provided guidance regarding several park issues, one of which is the dog park concept. It was determined that dog parks are an important part of Decatur's future, but the challenge is obviously a lack of space. The immediate plan is to form dog park areas at Adair and Glenlake (see email from recreation director Mary Miller, pasted below), with an eventual plan to create one at Oakhurst Park. The timing and particulars of these dog parks is unclear, but a series of meetings is ongoing to allow for community input on this and any other recreation matter. For Oakhurst Park, that meeting is scheduled for: Tuesday, September 23, 2003, 7:00 p.m., Oakhurst Elementary School, 175 Mead Road Please come and let your opinion and voice be heard. If you cannot attend, you may email me your thoughts and comments and I will pass them on to Decatur Parks and Recreation, or you may email Mary Miller directly at MMiller@dectaurga.com (please copy me on any correspondence so I may keep a comprehensive file on the matter). I do not believe I will be able to attend the meeting due to a work conflict, but I will be in frequent contact with the Recreation department to learn of the input. I believe the City is making an effort, but to ensure that the dog park concept does not sit on the back burner, we need your input. Feel free to contact me with any ideas or questions, and I will send an update after the community meeting series has concluded and the Recreation department has some more concrete plans in mind. Please feel free to forward to anyone else who may be interested. "We have funds in the budget for 3 parks. Plans now are for the upper area at Adair Park, the upper field at Glenlake and "god only knows where" on the south side. We would like to eventually put the dog park in Oakhurst, but some stuff needs to happen first. We'd like to move the two baseball fields to another location, get the softball field built and use the remainder of the property that was formerly baseball fields for a dog park. I think the Boys Club idea won't work, however, we have approached the new school superintendent about putting a temporary park at Fifth Avenue School. Didn't get too far with that but are continuing to work on it. Hope to have at least one in by end of school, a second in by June 30th and find a spot somewhere on the south side in the meantime. I wish I could be more encouraging about a dog park right in the park, but will just have to keep at it. We did get it in the budget. We've been thinking about our dog owners but we have to make a some things happen before we can get an adequate fenced area for dogs into Oakhurst. We're trying." Mary Questions: Adam Corder abcorder@comcast.net They Caught the Guy - posted September 12th, 2003 Due to some diligent investigative work and support from the Uniform Patrol and Investigations Divisions, a suspect was arrested late this morning in connection with the recent home burglaries. The suspect was initially identified from a fingerprint on a window screen recovered from one of the burglary locations on Barry Street. In addition to locating the suspect, we also recovered Gardner Neeley's automobile. The suspect was living on Fairview Street and has a criminal history. The Decatur Recreation Department has included the Solarium and Community Center - posted September 12, 2003 Please consider taking one of the classes at the Solarium beginning next week. Registration and specifics on classes can be found at the Rec Dept. located at 213 Sycamore St. 404-377-0494 Ballroom Dancing/Wednesday's 6:00-7:00 pm Swing Dancing/Wednesday's 7:00-8:00 Yoga/Wednesday's 7:30-8:30 Adult Art Class/Thursday 7:00-9:00 Youth Art Classes/Monday's 2:30-3:30 3:45-5:00 WILD THINGS! - posted September 12, 2003 Nature Classes for Toddlers at Oakhurst Community Garden Project Oakhurst Community Garden is pleased to present Wild Things! at the garden this fall. We will see, touch, interact with, embody and become local creatures in their natural habitats including worms, frogs, bees, chickens, fish, bunnies, peers, and MORE! Dates: September 16 – October 23, 2003 Cost: $60 for 6 sessions. Tuesdays Wild Things! 10 am – 11:15 am for 2 to 3 ˝ year olds accompanied by their a parent or guardian Thursdays Wild Things! 10 am – 11:30 for older 3 ˝ to 4 year olds unsupervised REGISTER NOW! Space is limited. To register, please call the Decatur Rec Center at (404) 377-0494 or for more information call OCGP at (404) 371-1920 We are looking forward to the participation of Oakhurst in this exciting pilot program to make our garden a more sustainable venture! Sincerely, Claire A. Miller Education and Programming Coordinator The Oakhurst Community Garden Project 529 Adams Street Decatur, GA 30030 Ph: (404) 371-1920 Fx: (404) 371-8448 ocgp@bellsouth.net www.oakhurstgarden.org The Corner Pub Opens on College Avenue - September 4th, 2003 "My aim with The Corner Pub is to create a neighborhood gathering place. A comfortable place serving good food with nice drinks. The neighborhood itself will make a lot of the decisions about what kind of place it is going to be. I'll provide the space and we'll see what comes of and from it. Kind of the 'Build it and they will come' idea. We'll see. Drop by sometime." - Joshua Elrod Sweet Devil Moon in top 100 - September 4th, 2003 Sweet Devil Moon is very proud to announce that Atlanta Magazine has named us amongst the Best 100 restaurants in Atlanta. We are proud to share this honor with some of the most prestigious Restaurants in the city. Thank you Oakhurst, Thank you Decatur, Thank you Atlanta. Starting in September Sweet Devil Moon will be open for lunch and brunch 7 days a week!! Mayte Vinces Sweet Devil Moon 404-371-3999 Peruvian Tapas Bar & Vinoteca, 350 Mead Road, Historic Oakhurst, Decatur Coming Soon, Intown Acupuncture - September 4th, 2003 Intown Acupuncture will be relocating to Oakhurst in late September/early October. They have been located in downtown Decatur for the past 2 1/2 years and are delighted about making this move to Oakhurst. The new address is the 340 Mead Road building that Peach State Realty recently vacated. Contact: Kimberly Bonde, Lic. Ac., RN 404-226-0708 www.intownacupuncture.com Decatur To Host Meetings On Planned Park Improvements - September 4th, 2003
Playground Equipment to be Replaced in Six Parks The Decatur Recreation & Community Services and Facilities Maintenance Departments will host a series of informational meetings related to upcoming playground improvements in existing city parks including Scott Park, McKoy Park, Ebster Park, Glenlake Park, Adair Park, and Oakhurst Park. The City designated $162,000 in its current budget to replace aging playground equipment in these parks. The meetings will be held in various locations to outline the playground plan and receive input from citizens with regard to design for the individual parks. The meetings are open to the community and interested individuals are invited to attend. The meeting schedule is as follows. All meetings will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, September 4, 2003 Place: College Heights Elementary School, 917 S. McDonough Street Topic: General information and McKoy Park Tuesday, September 9, 2003 Place: Ebster Recreation Center, 404 W. Trinity Place Topic: General information and Ebster Park Tuesday, September 16, 2003 Place: Glennwood Elementary School, 440 E. Ponce de Leon Avenue Topic: General information and GlenLake Park Thursday, September 18, 2003 Place: Westchester Elementary School, 758 Scott Boulevard Topic: General information and Adair Park Tuesday, September 23, 2003 Place: Oakhurst Elementary School, 175 Mead Road Topic: General information and Oakhurst Park For more information contact Mary Miller 404-377-0494 mmiller@decaturga.com or Chris Usry 404-377-5571 cusry@decaturga.com. Comparative Crime Analysis by Zone for August - September 4th, 2003 Southwest Decatur (that's Oakhurst folks) slipped a bit this month to 3 out of 4. This only underscores the need for participation in our OWLS program. Thanks to Juanchella Grooms Holt of the Decatur Police Department for keeping us up to date.
Volunteers Needed for Oakhurst Festival Latino - August 20th, 2003 Please
consider offering two hours of your time to help out our neighborhood!
The Festival Latino is a fundraiser sponsored by ONA and the Community
Center of South Decatur to help fund a new pavilion in Harmony Park.
The festival hours are 11am-7pm. We are scheduling volunteers in
various areas in 2 hour shifts. (Beer truck, volunteer check-in,
children's area, music, setup, ID checking, salsa dip contest, etc)
Please email Kathy Kearney at klkearney@comcast.net to set up your time slot to volunteer. She will also need your name, address, day and evening phone, and preferred email. Hint: we especially need volunteers for the Children's Area (4 people each 2 hour shift). The kids will be coloring and making paper ponchos, in addition to whacking a few pińatas! Southwest Decatur, Lowest Crime Rate in Decatur for July - August 9th, 2003 Southwest Decatur (that's Oakhurst folks) once again lowest in crime statistics. Thanks to Juanchella Grooms Holt of the Decatur Police Department for keeping us up to date.
Want to ride in a police car? Without your hands shackled behind your back? - August 8th, 2003 The Decatur Public Safety Department is gearing up for its 13th Citizens Public Safety Academy (CPSA) and still has 8 openings for September's class. If you are interested in taking the class please contact Juanchella Grooms Holt at (404) 370-4161.
Juanchella Grooms Holt
Call to Salsa - August 8th, 2003 Bring it hot...bring it mild...bring it any way you like it...just bring your salsa dip! Announcing the Salsa Contest at the First Annual Oakhurst Festival Latino, Saturday, September 13, 2003! Restaurants and individuals will compete head to head for the coveted Best Salsa Sombrero and gift certificates to local businesses. The two categories, Hot and Mild, will be judged by the Festival Latino attendees. Great marketing opportunity for restaurants! Bragging rights for individuals! The entry fee is only $15.00, and proceeds will help build the gazebo in the newly renovated Harmony Park. Bring two gallons of salsa and a serving bowl on the day of the contest to the festival, which will be held in the Oakhurst Business District. Chips and tables will be provided. Please make out your check to the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association and send to the Oakhurst Festival Latino, c/o Jill Alikonis, 321 W Hill St Suite 7A, Decatur, GA, 30030. Deadline for entry fees is September 10, 2003. Send questions to Jill at latinfestival@theseengallery.com. Sponsor the Festival Latino - August 8th, 2003 Festival Latino will raise money to directly fund future improvements in the Oakhurst business district, including a Harmony Park pavilion. This is the first event of its kind in Oakhurst and the ONA needs financial support to make this happen. The Oakhurst Neighborhood Association is looking for sponsors to receive high visibility during this event. We are expecting 1,500 visitors to enjoy our community that day and want to promote your business. The Community Center of South Decatur has offered its support as a non-profit so that all donations made are tax deductible, permits and police are more affordable and to enhance the community connection. Please review the attached sponsorship levels and determine if you will be able to help. We appreciate your support! Send questions latinfestival@theseengallery.com or call 404-931-9932. An interesting Oakhurstian - August 6th, 2003 There is an announcement in Wednesday’s paper (Atlanta and the world) about a drama, "The Island", that is being performed at the Rialto this weekend. It is about 2 men imprisoned on South Africa's Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held. After the performance on Saturday, there will be a talk back session led by "former South African leader Sipo Mzimela, who helped create a new government in South Africa after the fall of apartheid." Sipo and his wife, Gail, live on Jefferson Place. You can also read more about the play at www.theatricaloutfit.org Tour of Homes Committee looking for a few good folks! - July 24th, 2003 The Candlelight Tour of Homes will be held on December 5 and 6. The committee would love to expand with a few good folks that can help make the tour a success. The committee meets about once a month at noon and provide lunch. Even if you cannot attend the meetings, "House Captains" for the weekend of the tour are needed. An evening meeting usually closer to the event will be held to go over details with the captains. Captains are basically "in charge" of the home- they act as a contact for the homeowner, they help to answer questions and solve problems that may occur, they decide how many volunteers the home will need, how many luminaries the homes will need, be responsible for putting out the luminaries for the tour and being sure that the volunteers show up, etc. Please consider helping out if you have the time and interest. Thanks , Cheryl Cheryl A. Burnette, Special Events Coordinator, City of Decatur Phone: 404-371-9583, Cell: 404-310-3928, Fax: 404-371-9696 cburnette@decaturga.com Dr. Albert Rauber to speak on "The Civil War in Decatur" - July 27th, 2003 The DeKalb History Center will present an exciting and memorable program for families and history lovers on the Civil War. Theatre Gael, an inter-Celtic arts organization dedicated to producing and preserving history through storytelling, music, dance and plays will present "Gone For A Soldier" - a recollection and personal narrative drawn from letters that chronicle the experiences of two friends during the period prior, encompassing and immediately after the Civil War. Dr. Albert Rauber will give an insightful talk on the "Civil War in Decatur" that will be followed by a short walking tour of notable historic sites featured throughout his lecture. This event is open to the general public and is free. Donations will be kindly accepted. Membership is strongly encourage to help support the DeKalb History Center in its mission to "collect, preserve and share the history of DeKalb County." WHEN: Sunday, July 27, 2003: 1st performance from 2PM - 2:45PM, 2nd performance from 4PM - 4:45PM; Lecture at 3PM. WHERE: Old Courthouse on the Square in downtown Decatur. Address: 101 East Court Square, Decatur, GA 30030. WHY: This event is part of the Heritage Education series - a monthly educational and historical look at DeKalb County by noted professionals and authorities. The program is sponsored by the DeKalb History Center. CONTACT: Sue Ellen Owens, Executive Director of the DeKalb History Center or Catherine Morris, Marketing Manager at 404-373-1088 or catherine@dekalbhistory.org Decatur Intersection To Close For Drainage System Improvements Work To Begin Saturday - July 26th, 2003 The
intersection of S. Candler Street and E. College Avenue will be closed to
assess drainage system improvements beginning at 7 a.m. on Saturday, July
26, 2003. The work is being done by Georgia Department of Transportation
to determine how drainage improvements for that intersection can be
designed. The work will continue around the clock until completed. Detour
signs will be posted routing northbound S. Candler Street traffic down E.
Davis Street and onto S. McDonough Street. Westbound traffic traveling
down E. College Avenue will be routed around Commerce Drive. Local traffic
will be allowed on S. Candler Street and E. College Avenue to the
businesses located at the intersection including Trackside Tavern, Hair Werks, Oz Pizza, and Wing Factory. Parking behind those businesses will be
open and available for patrons. Residents will be allowed to use S.
Candler Street to travel to their homes but the street will be closed to
through traffic. For more information call John Madajewski at 404-377-6198
or visit the City of Decatur website, www.decaturga.com
Oakhurst Parties at the Annual ONA Picnic - July 19th, 2003 The Oakhurst Neighborhood Association held their annual Oakhurst Neighborhood picnic on Saturday July 19th in front of the Community Center of South Decatur. The annual picnic is open to all Oakhurst residents free of charge. Hot Dogs and Hamburgers were grilled by the dozen for the enjoyment of those in attendance. Brownies, cookies, and pie were home baked to perfection. If you didn't come this year ... the ONA hopes to see you next year.
Oakhurst residents participate in the Decatur Pied Piper parade July 4th.
Oakhurst Salutes Community Leaders - July 4th, 2003 Longtime Oakhurst community leaders Mary Whitehead and Louise Jackson enjoying the band concert on the Square, after appearing as ONA's honored guests in the July 4th Pied Piper Parade.
Oakhurst Parent Coalition Picnic - June 21 ,2003 At the first annual Oakhurst Parent Coalition picnic, approximately 75 Oakhurst kids and parents enjoyed the food, festivities, and the nice summer breeze under the trees at Mead Road Park, adjacent to Oakhurst Elementary. The adults got to socialize and scarf down some food while the kids were entertained by the wonderful Decatur Recreation staff. The kids enjoyed such activities as parachute games, soccer, basketball, sidewalk art and face painting. Many thanks to Robin Hentz for coordinating this fun event.
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