Sunday, March 17, 2019

MANA Membership Renewal

Why MANA Matters
We’re celebrating our 15th birthday! The Medlock Area Neighborhood Association's (MANA) membership runs from January through December of each year. If you’ve not paid in the last several months, please renew your MANA membership or join before April 1. You can go to medlockpark.org for details, including a link to PayPal at http://www.medlockpark.org/p/membership-donations.html. Our dues are only $25 per household. 

If you need to know why MANA matters, please read a bit about our history in the neighborhood.

MANA was incorporated in January 2004. According to the first issue of Medlock Matters, our newsletter, the organization “began with interest in community issues, such as traffic calming measures, signage ordinance for nearby businesses, and neighborhood involvement at Medlock Elementary School.” (An informal core group had actually formed in 2002 to oppose the erection of what was considered an intrusive sign on what is now the Subaru dealership that would decrease the quality of life and home values.) And there was an early initiative to get speed bumps on Medlock Road.
For less than 7 cents/day, 
your annual dues say 
"Thank you, MANA!" 365 times!

MANA has essentially continued to fight those same issues with varying degrees of involvement. In addition, it provides ways for neighbors to get to know each other.

MANA Highlights 

For those who are new to the neighborhood here are some highlights of our history; for old-timers, this list is a reminder of some of the activities of MANA volunteers led in the last few years:
  • Supported the Medlock Floodplain Coalition in working to protect the lands around the South Fork of Peachtree Creek, which runs through the park and significant portions of the neighborhorhood 
  • Upon the closure of Medlock Elementary School (now ICS), participated in successful opposition to the proposal to install a cell phone tower on that property. 
  • Created a Neighborhood Watch, which evolved into the independent Medlock Paid Patrol, LLC.
  • Created and conducted a door-to-door survey of neighborhood preferences about remaining in unincorporated DeKalb County; as a result, we fought against new cities, as well as attempts by the city of Decatur to annex adjacent businesses and their revenue without taken a relevant number of residents. MANA officers continue to monitor developments in these areas by attending various governmental meetings. 
  • MANA volunteers played a leadership role in the formation and work of the DeKalb Cross-Neighbors Council, which interacts with developers to provide feedback on proposed plans and negotiate quality-of-life concessions for the community. With the virtual explosion of new developments in the area the involvement of dedicated MANA members has intensified. 
  • MANA maintains contact with our elected leaders and County officials so they don’t forget our concerns and needs. For example, we monitored and attended meetings to pressure the County and contractors to complete the long-delayed splash pad at Medlock Pool. These folks know Medlock and that MANA will speak up for our neighborhood. 
  • Volunteers organize an annual summer pool party and in conjunction with the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve, a fall Haunted Trail event. 
  • Volunteers also dress up all intersections with wreaths or bows each year.
    Best holiday wishes to all!
    Seasonal sheep accent courtesy of 
    the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve.
  • To promote safety, volunteers conduct neighborhood roadside and sign clean-ups. We hope you agree that this partial list is quite impressive. However, we need your support to continue working to preserve the quality of life and integrity of our neighborhood.
Our major expenses include the printing and delivery of the our Medlock Matters newsletter, published three times a year, and liability insurance to protect our board as we work with developers, plus miscellaneous expenses, like an honorarium to North Decatur Presbyterian Church for use of their space.

Please join or renew! $25 is a very reasonable amount to support MANA's many ways of engagement, all to the benefit of our community.