Category: Rocking Chair Reflections
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That Food Desert…
By Tom McGowan When I moved to Grant Park in 1977, it was in today’s parlance, a food desert. The only restaurant nearby was the Kozy Grill. It was located on Park Avenue 200 feet south of Memorial Drive where the residential building with Doc Chey’s now stands. It was 500 square feet, if that, […]
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Nan Orrock and the 2022 Legislative Session, a Commentary
By Paul Bolster She is proof that some people get better with age. Maybe at just a few things. Nan Orrock was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1986. She was elected to the Georgia Senate in 2007 and is still there. That is a total of 34 years of experiences under the […]
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Policing Alternative Diversion Program
By John Prevost, Instructor, Dept. of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Georgia State University and Chris Newman, Public Safety Committee Chair, Grant Park Neighborhood Association Have you witnessed an individual in mental health or behavioral crisis? Atlanta now has PAD, a program to assist or relieve the police from having to intervene on many of these issues. […]
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State Senator Elena Parent Will Not Seek Re-Election
By Elena Parent, State Senator, District 42, State of Georgia and Chair, Senate Democratic Caucus In a few months, the state legislature will enter the once-a-decade process of redrawing Georgia’s political maps. In 2011, Republicans used their trifecta in the State Legislature to manipulate the redistricting process. Their priority was to increase their own power, […]
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A Letter From Carla Smith
Dear Neighbors, Twenty years as your City Councilperson: I will reach this milestone shortly. It has been one of the great privileges of my life to work for you. During these five terms, you have given me an opportunity to make a difference. Together, we made positive impacts on Atlanta and our District 1 community […]
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Who Cares About The Porch Press?
By Robert M. Sarwark I don’t mean the question rhetorically. Or ironically. Seriously: Who cares about The Porch Press? For one, I hope that you do, of course, since you happen to be reading it right now. And even if you’re not actually reading it and these pages are instead being used to, say, line […]
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Public Comment Period Open for Improvements to Boulevard
By Skyler Hassan The City of Atlanta is accepting online comments and votes through February 26 concerning possible improvements to Boulevard SE between Glenwood Avenue and McDonough Boulevard (City Council District 1). On January 21 and 23, the city held Zoom meetings about these alternatives. Hosts included Transportation Commissioner Josh Rowan, Atlanta District 1 Councilmember […]
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Tips for Navigating the COVID-19 Vaccination Process
By Joan Carson At first, finding a COVID-19 vaccine appointment was an all-consuming task for many of us. Hours on the internet and the phone rarely resulted in the successful scheduling of a vaccination. Some have found useful information through local news websites and from the Georgia Department of Public Health. And many have relied […]
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Find Your Local Little Free Libraries
Dear Neighbor, We have compiled a list of Little Free Libraries in our neighborhood for you. As you probably are aware, Little Free Library is “the world’s largest book-sharing movement.” Book-sharing plays an important role by providing access to books for people of all ages 24/7, especially during this COVID pandemic. So stop by at […]
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If You Snooze You Lose
By Tom McGowan I met J.W. Clemmons about a year after I moved to Grant Park. He ran an antique and junk shop (or so he called it) on Pearl street in Cabbagetown. My varied schedule allowed me to stop in two or three times a week to see what he had. There was a […]