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 was previously owned. I figure let someone else buy it new, eat the initial new car expense, and then when I buy it a year later gently used… Continue reading →

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 special emphasis on his home base here in the Porch Press area. In last month’s paper he had an article “Civil War Trenches” that contained several errors.

Readers were… Continue reading →

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 follows:

The Corporation is a neighborhood newspaper that is published by a volunteer staff representing the East Atlanta Community Association, the Grant Park Neighborhood Association and South Atlantans for Neighborhood… Continue reading →

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 residents drive by to enjoy the show and pull to the side of the road on the wide pavement to take it all in without blocking traffic.

This year… Continue reading →

Dear Porch Press,

I’m excited to see how bicycles have really integrated to become part of the transportation make-up of our neighborhoods. East Atlanta has begun hosting bike races, and here in Grant Park we have two bike shops and a non-profit to teach bike repair. Loose Nuts is the oldest shop in the area and located on Cherokee Ave. The newest, Sopo, a bike cooperative, is open to teach bike repair.

It is a very positive change to see so… Continue reading →

By Penny Luck

Do you find this paper boring, hackneyed and past its prime?  I do. And I want to do something about it and am asking you to help me. I have worked on this paper for lo, maybe 20 years, and do love its mission—which is to get neighborhood news to the three neighborhoods of East Atlanta, Grant Park and Ormewood Park. But, I think those of us on the staff (and we have all probably been on… Continue reading →

By Duncan Cottrell

Building on our intrusion-prevention experience in the unique milieu of the Deep South, The Entry Enforcer is proud to introduce our foolproof, patented, copyrighted, and plagiarized anti-burglary technique, fine-tuned for this locality. We call it The Redneck Home Security System.

1. Get an old pair of men’s size 14 work boots from Freecycle or Value Village
2. Sit ‘em on your front porch beside a copy of Guns & Ammo magazine.
3. Put some big, messy dog bowls next to… Continue reading →

By Bill Ericson

At Christmas dinner in 2010, my partner Tom began to feel very ill. He had been experiencing flu-like symptoms for a few days but then realized he was extremely fatigued, not even being able to stand for more than a minute. He rested that night and we headed to the Edgewood Clinic on Sunday morning. His blood pressure had sunk to a dangerously low level and we were rushed off to Emory Midtown and then Emory Hospital,… Continue reading →

By Dionna Littlejohn

It is my love–and dare I say awe–for my Grandma Alice that drew me to the work of Adopt-A-Grandparent. The organization provides companionship to many of Atlanta’s elderly citizens, who need to feel connected, less isolated, or just want to talk to someone. The mission of Adopt-A-Grandparent resonates so well with me because whenever I visit Grandma Alice she shares so many of her wonderful memories with me, including how the Atlanta heat used to “take her… Continue reading →

By Scott Petersen

Many of my older friends and neighbors lament, “What happened? This age thing has slipped up on me.” Aging in Atlanta does offer some resources and options.

Located in Grant Park is the AG Rhodes Nursing home. For those who need skilled nursing care, it offers a high quality of care. It is part of the Wesley Woods system.

The basic cost of care is about $6,000 per month, or $72,000 per year. Physical therapy is extra,… Continue reading →