Neighborhood Watch Newsletter [Feb]

Please follow this link.

"Right to Grow" Rally - why you should care about House Bill 853 [Feb. 28]

What passes for an egg-laying hen around these parts... lousy producer, by the way.

There is a rally to support House Bill 853 and timing is critical. The bill is currently gummed up in the House Rules Committee due the Chair of the Rules Committee's refusal to add it to the calendar. If not on the calendar, the House can't vote on it, which means it will never make it to the Senate.

If not added to the calendar by Feb. 28, this bill is as dead as your 2012 dream of fresh eggs. The ag experts at UGA recommend "3- 31/2 square feet of floor space for each bird you intend to keep for egg production" which means that pretty much any property in our neighborhood can accommodate a couple egg-producing hens. Another UGA publication entreaties local governments to adjust archaic and excessive setbacks that disproportionately hurt small family operations. The Chicken Little arguments put forth by lobbyists such as the GA Municipal Association fail the test of logic (never mind proof) in the face of successful urban agriculture ordinances in high-density locations such as City of Decatur and Atlanta.

Why Should DeKalb Care?

Food insecurity, as defined by the USDA, relates to individuals who experience "reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet" and may or may not include "disrupted access" to food (aka hunger). Another context of food security relates to a community's access to food in case of emergencies; it deals with food sources, distribution, and availability. Looking at USDA's Food Desert Map, vs. a google map outlining county limits, it is apparent that DeKalb has food security problems. Why not make it easier for people to provide for themselves? 

DeKalb Co. outline (left) and the food desert areas within it (pink overlay), per the Food Desert Locator (USDA)

If you wish to support House Bill 853 (see text here), see http://northeastcobb.patch.com/articles/letter-to-the-editor-right-to-grow-rally and the Georgia Right to Grow Facebook group.

While in the House of Representatives, real-time updates on the status of this bill can be obtained by contacting the Clerk of the House at (404) 656-5015. And contact John Meadows (R - Calhoun), Chair of the Rules Committee.

Remember: this bill is not just about eggs, it's also about access to quality local honey and the elemental comfort and peace of mind of growing your own vegetables at home and living in a community where neighbors have the resources to help one another in the case of an emergency.

p.s.
For more fun with USDA data, check out their Food Environment Atlas.

p.s.s.
Per the above Facebook group page, the Georgia Realtors Association supports this bill. And you just know they would not support a measure believed to hurt property values...

Around the neighborhood...

Briefly, as the sun set on Feb 22.

And down by the creek at Medlock Park...

Downy (or hairy?) woodpecker taking a break. Notice other woodpecker work on that tree.

Feeling a little flaky?

I think that river birch is one of many planted as part of a restoration project back in 1993?

Mason Mill Park: volunteers needed for wildlife habitat restoration

more from CHCA...

From Dave Butler, long time local resident and county greenspace environmental manager: 

The DeKalb County Natural Resources Management Office (NRMO) is a partner with the Atlanta Botanical Garden (ABG) in a grant to restore wildlife habitat in two county parks including Mason Mill Park. This is a two-year initiative and will include the removal of invasive plant species and the reintroduction of native species along the boardwalk trail in Mason Mill Park. This work will add to what was done 3 years ago with members of CHCA [Clairmont Heights Civic Association] and the community clearing invasive plants from a section of the park along the PATH [aka South Peachtree Creek trail]. Interpretive signage will be developed and installed along the boardwalk. ABG is purchasing native plant materials soon to be planted along the trail. The plants were chosen after evaluation by ABG staff, the Atlanta Audubon Society (another grant partner), and NRMO for their benefits to wildlife, their visual appeal, and their suitability for the steep, rocky slope along the trail. 

Help from volunteers from the community is critical to the success of this project. Please call Dave Butler at NRMO at (404) 371-2540 or email dabutler@dekalbcountyga.gov if you want to be part of this rewarding project.

2nd Annual Embrace our Green Space Race [Mar 24]

thanks CHCA for the heads up!

March 24, 2012 at Oak Grove United Methodist Church at 10AM. It is finally here! The Second Annual Embrace Our Green Space Race to benefit four local parks is happening again on Saturday, March 24th at Oak Grove UMC starting at 10AM. We have an event for everyone: 2K walk for seniors and kids, 5K run/walk, 10K run, 10K skate, and 20K bike ride. All routes are well marked and wind through area neighborhoods, and police are posted at busy intersections and volunteers at major turns. The cyclists will start promptly at 10AM, followed immediately by the skaters, then the 10K runners, 5K runners and lastly the 2K walkers. All events will be completed shortly after 11AM. These events are non-competitive so everyone is invited to come out for some fresh air and exercise, meet new friends, tour local neighborhoods and support our local parks! Great post race snacks provided by local restaurants. All proceeds beyond the cost of staging this event will go to these deserving friends of park groups: Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve, Kittredge Park, Mary Scott Nature Park and the new park on Lavista Road near Oak Grove. Park Pride Atlanta is providing financial management of the funds.

On Druid Hills Patch...

... summary of Good Growth Dekalb meeting last night.

Neighborhood Watch Alert: Neighbor Robbed [Feb. 22]

From the Neighborhood Watch:

Wednesday Feb. 22, around 4 pm, a neighbor was robbed, not forcefully. Please beware of the seniors in your grid and keep them informed as many of them do not email.

Here is the info: 

A new black truck with 3 or 4 men in it claimed to ring the front door bell. When there was no answer, they went around to his carport door, which he keeps propped wide open with his interior door open and entered his kitchen. The owner was in the back, came out into the carport to confront one of the men in his kitchen. The man stated he had rung the bell, then came to look for him to see if he wanted them to clean his gutters. Eventually he agreed they could. They offered to do it for $40. They asked him for a hose, a nozzle, then told him they needed many containers of boiling water. (It seems to me that they were keeping him looking for stuff and keeping him busy and not noticing that they were scouting out his house and its contents). 

 Once they got him boiling the water, the one man said they had to go get some more of the special cleaner they use and they all got back in the truck and never came back. The owner went back to his bedroom where he tossed his wallet on the dresser and it was gone along with other valuables. He can't describe the men except to say he thinks they were Hispanic, but they spoke English well. He says he didn't spend a lot of time looking directly at them. 

The homeowner is not hurt and a police report should be filed soon.
 Please be aware of people that you do not know, asking to do work, solicitors and do not let strangers in your home. 

Keep your doors looked at all times and please inform your neighbors about these issues.