Welcome to the Porch Press, Neighborhood News for Southeast Atlanta
Front Page News
- Want to Write for the Porch Press? By Stephanie Fretwell-Hill The Porch Press is looking for contributions to keep readers up to date on anything and everything relating to life in Grant Park, East Atlanta, and SAND. All perspectives are welcome from long-time residents to newcomers alike. Do you love to write? Do you have a story to ...
- North America’s Oldest Pedigreed Male African Lion Passes at Zoo Atlanta By Keisha Hines Farasi, a 22-year-old male African lion, passed on May 6, 2013. A beloved resident of Zoo Atlanta for nearly 13 years, Farasi was the oldest male African lion living in the North American population of pedigreed cats managed by the Lion Species Survival Plan (SSP). The Animal Management ...
- APS students lead the state in Gates Millenium Scholarships By Stephen J. Alford May 2, 2013 — Fourteen Atlanta Public Schools (APS) high school students have been awarded the Gates Millennium Scholarship. APS has more winners than any other school district in the state of Georgia. “At a time when the perception of our academic programs has suffered, it is reassuring ...
- Crime in East Atlanta By Henry Bryant After two murders – one involving an armed robbery and an additional shooting – in East Atlanta during the month of May, residents there have become more concerned than usual. There also have been the usual car break-ins in the area – although maybe with a little springtime ...
- Ormewood Park Playground Receives Grant By Angela Easter ATLANTA, Georgia (May 3, 2013) – Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) and national non-profit KaBOOM! awarded five recipients, including Ormewood Park Playground, a $15,000 Let’s Play Video Contest Grant following a national voting competition. In March, Ormewood Park Playground submitted a compelling video about its playground project and was ...
- Neighborhood Editor Needed By Stephanie Fretwell-Hill Want to get involved in your neighborhood community? Have an eye for a really great sentence? Love talking grammar and syntax with fellow word-nerds? The Porch Press is looking for a new editor to represent SAND (including Benteen Park, Boulevard Heights, McDonough-Guice, Glenwood Park/Ormewood Park/North Ormewood Park, and Woodland ...
- FitTeens Off and Running at Maynard Jackson H.S. By Erin Guerrieri The FitWit Foundation kicked off its eleventh FitTeens program at Maynard Jackson High School on April 15 and the energy is contagious. Twenty students and staff are taking part in this free program that provides health and character education to the school’s students and staff. Heading the FitTeens charge ...
People and Places
- Shandy the Red Panda Passes at Zoo Atlanta Shandy, a 12-year-old female red panda, passed during the night on May 13, 2013. She had been a member of the Zoo Atlanta family since October 2008. Shandy had spent the night in the Zoo’s veterinary hospital, where she had been receiving supportive care for a sudden illness detected on May ...
- Miri the Bornean Orangutan is Expecting By Keisha Hines Miri, a 21-year-old Bornean orangutan, is expecting her third infant. The Animal Management and Veterinary Teams expect her to deliver in September 2013, marking the second birth of the year in North America’s largest zoological collection of orangutans. Miri’s first offspring, 9-year-old male Satu, was the first Bornean orangutan ...
- Coming Soon: Splash Fountain at Zoo Atlanta By Keisha Hines Summer 2013 will bring an exciting new reason for guests to stay and play in the home of more than 1,500 animals from around the world. Preliminary construction has begun on an all new Splash Fountain sponsored by the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority on the grounds of ...
- Kick Start Martial Arts Opens in Grant Park By Renard Beaty East Atlanta resident and 3rd degree black belt Renard Beaty recently relocated his martial arts school, Kick Start Martial Arts, to the former Eye Drum space at 290 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE. www.kickstartatl.com. The newly renovated space was designed specifically to accommodate the goals of the Kick ...
- Terminus Archaeological Project Receives Georgia Trust Preservation Award By Garrett W. Silliman The Georgia Trust honored a project conducted by Terminus Archaeological Research (TAR) with an award for demonstrating excellence in ensuring the preservation of a historic property. The award, presented at the 2013 Georgia Statewide Preservation Conference in Milledgeville, GA, recognized an archaeological investigation TAR conducted for the ...
- Run Before You Crawl 5K Benefits East Atlanta’s Neighbor in Need Initiative By Marc Takacs The annual Run Before you Crawl 5K may have switched locations from the East Atlanta Village to Grant Park, but the organizing board is still a great supporter of initiatives in the Village. They recently granted $4,500 to Neighbor in Need to help them continue their work keeping ...
- Red Robin Group Announces Coloring Contest Winners By Natalie Martinez Do you remember the coloring contest advertisement in the April issue of the Porch Press? Neighbors young and old were asked to use their imagination and color or craft the local real estate brokerage’s popular bird logo. Over eighty entries poured in and were highlighted in the company’s ...
Schools and Children
- Kids Build and Decorate Birdhouses in Fun-Filled Spring Break Event By Amber Rhea It was a colorful scene at the Brownwood Park Recreation Center on the morning of Thursday, April 11. During the week of Atlanta Public Schools’ spring break, local children gathered to learn about birds and create their own birdhouses. The event was led by Susie Antell of Art ...
- Summer Dancing & Acting Camps at Dance 411! By Jaime Arnall Summer break is around the corner! If your child loves to dance or act, we have the perfect camp for your little one. Dance 411 is offering fun and energetic camps for kids ages 5 to 13 from June 3 through August 9. Our teachers are performing arts ...
- Library News By Henry Bryant The East Atlanta Library has been without a children’s librarian since Heather Draft left in the fall to move back north. She had been a favorite of kids and parents since arriving a year ago. Then last month East Atlanta’s Branch Manager Librarian Kenneth Wayne Thompson tendered his ...
- Sheep Grazin’ at Grant Park Cooperative Preschool Sheep “attend” school – Photo by Rebecca Wallace By Rebecca Wallace Cats, ladybugs, swans, the Mud Monster, and now sheep? Yes, sheep. Ellie Martin, coordinator for the volunteer group, Atlanta Farm-to-School, has been introducing farm-to-preschool concepts at the Grant Park Cooperative Preschool (GPCP) where she is on staff. Ellie is the school’s ...
- Student Art from the Atlanta Charter School By Nathan Bubes, Art Teacher The Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School (ANCS) hosts a talented student body. At the middle school, students develop their skills and discover their abilities in the visual arts. To get students rolling, they start with something basic, such as letter art. Letter art is something recognizable to ...
- Puppet Show Series, Fun Bunny, and Box Tops for Schools By Marie Mower The puppet show series is successful in our neighborhood! The location moved from the Grant Park recreation center to Park Avenue Baptist Church on the corner of Sydney Street and Park Avenue. Pastor Tony Lankford offered the church’s beautiful sanctuary where everyone can sit comfortably with optimal viewing ...
- Girl Scouts Celebrate World Thinking Day By Alexandra Rowe On February 10th, at Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School, Girl Scout Troop 3107 got to explore the world in a unique way. They participated in the national event for Girl Scouts around the globe – World Thinking Day. World Thinking Day (WTD) is a day of friendship, advocacy, and fundraising for ...
Rocking Chair Reflections
- Summer is Finally Here! By Jaime Arnall Here are a few healthy tips for your summer: Laugh Out Loud – You read it right — LOL! Laughing not only eases stress, promotes social bonding and lowers your blood pressure, it may also boost your immune system. Laugh away! Eat Your Breakfast – We know mornings are busy ...
- Dog Rules Adapted by Henry Bryant from a recent blog entry There have been some discussions recently about barking dogs and the (il)legality of it. In a nutshell, any animal (bird/dog/goat/cat/etc.) making noise constantly for 10 minutes or intermittently for 30 anywhere in the city leaves the owner subject to a noise violation ...
- President of Grant Park Parents Network Resigns By Marie Mower I remember when I became pregnant and moved to Grant Park. I fell in love with the charm of the neighborhood and friendly people. Being new to the community and new to motherhood I sought other moms to share our experiences and friendships. Like so many of you ...
- Feel Good Shopping By Lauren Hise There are many things about shopping consignment stores that make me feel good. The recycling issue is high on my list. I just hate to waste anything, including money, and who doesn’t like getting a good deal. That is my favorite thing to do! Every car I’ve ever bought ...
- Trenches Correction By Henry Bryant Scott Petersen has been a regular contributor to the Porch Press over the years as well as a community activist and officer in the SAND organization. He has also done a lot of good work and advocacy for the environment and history in Atlanta and Dekalb County with ...
- The Porch Press Mission Currently the Porch Press is undergoing some organizational and staff changes. This is an appropriate time for everyone involved to take another look at the established mission of this newspaper. In the Articles of Incorporation of the Porch Press under Article III, the purpose of the organization is stated as ...
- Christmas Disappointment By Nancy Leighton Every year from midsummer on, Skip Marklein and her partner Darlene Warren work to repair and prepare their elaborate Christmas light display on East Confederate Avenue near Moreland Avenue. The display consists of a train, Santa in a helicopter, and many other whimsical characters and animals. Many area ...