Playing Possum

By Jeremy Varner Baby possum fur is incredibly soft. I had the opportunity to hold one a while back when a baby possum came by our compost pile one evening. The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) aka “possum” is the only marsupial that lives in the United States and Canada. That alone is a cool fact,…
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Bridging Our Neighborhoods: The Atlanta Beltline Southeast Connector Trail

By Brent Huff Exciting momentum is building for neighborhood connectivity in Southeast Atlanta. The South Moreland Avenue Working Group (SMAWG) recently met with representatives from the PATH Foundation and Halidom/IST Systems to discuss key progress on the Atlanta BeltLine Southeast Connector Trail (ABSECT)—a transformative infrastructure project that will connect five SAND neighborhoods to the Atlanta…
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Save the Date: Grant Park Candlelight Tour of Homes, Dec. 12 and 13

By Kristen Watts Grant Park’s favorite holiday tradition is back! Get ready for the 2026 Grant Park Candlelight Tour of Homes Saturday, December 12 and Sunday, December 13. The committee is putting together an exciting lineup, reflecting the character and charm of one of Atlanta’s historic intown neighborhoods, where beloved Victorians and distinctive single-family homes…
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Stacey Abrams Endorses Grant Park Neighbor

By Sydney Sevdalis Stacey Abrams has endorsed Grant Park resident Rohit Malhotra in his campaign for the Fulton County Commission. Malhotra has centered his campaign on elections, public health, safety and access to county services. “Rohit represents the bold, smart, and courageous leadership we need in this moment for Georgia and for Fulton County,” Abrams…
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Local Election Information

By Paul Bolster Early voting starts Oct. 13 and ends Oct. 30. The closest early voting locations in NPU-W are: Beulah Heights University, 892 Berne St. Joan P Garner Library, 980 Ponce de Leon Ave. Metropolitan Library, 1332 Metropolitan Pkwy. High Museum of Art, 1280 Peachtree St. Grant Park Election Day voting locations: Ormewood Park…
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SAND Meeting Minutes – Thursday, September 10, 2026

Opening remarks – The meeting was called to order at 7:31 p.m.. SAND’s boundaries, speaking protocol, and voting eligibility rules were reviewed. August 2026 meeting notes were approved without objection. APD Zone 6 Update – Lt. Andrew Smith: Crime Statistics – Crime is down 16.35% year-over-year. As the community heads into the holiday season, Lt.…
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GPNA Meeting Minutes – Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Time: 7:30 p.m. – 9:15 p.m. Location: Oakland Visitor Center (2nd Floor) & Zoom CALL TO ORDER: President Robert Selby called the meeting to order at 7:34 PM. He thanked the Historic Oakland Foundation for hosting the meeting and welcomed both in-person and online attendees. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes from the July 2026 General…
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Do You Have a Plan to Vote?

By Valerie Wolny Do you have a plan to vote in the upcoming election on November 3? The focus of the next “No Kings” day on October 17 is to support community gatherings that encourage early voting. Voting in Georgia is easy and convenient, so make a plan now. Early voting starts October 13 and…
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Halloween in Ormewood Park

By Jay Burchard When my husband and I were working with our real estate agent, and now friend and neighbor, Paula Thomas of Paula Properties, to purchase a house, we looked at neighborhoods throughout Atlanta. Like most Atlantans, we had our own algorithm for determining “the best choice for us”: location, commute to work (and…
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Local Group Seeks to Connect Neighbors to Work on Issues Affecting the EAV Community

By Lyn Hillman The East Atlanta Village Neighborhood Assembly (EAVNA) is holding monthly meetings to discuss several issues of interest to the community. EAVNA is a grass-roots organization that is working to identify issues of importance to residents of the East Atlanta neighborhood and beyond. The group held its initial meeting this past February in…
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In Memoriam: Jay Botwinick, Grant Park Family Man, Entrepreneur, and Respected Community Member

Obituary Originally Posted by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care Jay David Botwinick, age 66, passed away peacefully at home on August 7. Born on September 11, 1959, Jay was the son of Jerome and Joan Botwinick of Patchogue, NY. He graduated from Patchogue-Medford High School and Emory University. He met his wife Michelle during the first…
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A Cleaner Neighborhood, One Hour at a Time

By Leslie W. Colley Every day there seemed to be more trash on the sidewalks. An East Atlanta resident watched her aging dogs, who were losing their ability to walk, stumble into it on their daily walks. She thought about parents with strollers trying to navigate around the piles. And she kept asking herself the…
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Monday Night Singing at Ormewood Church

By Sophie Cox Do you like to sing? A small group of neighborhood people gather informally once a week to sing together. We sing a variety of songs including traditional rounds which make learning and hearing harmonies easy. Please join us for an hour of relaxed, uplifting, and easy singing. All are welcome! Time: Monday evenings…
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East Atlanta Library Programming Gets a Boost

By Shannon Sanders The Friends of the East Atlanta Library (FEAL) and the library staff work hard to make the library a great resource for the community. The new branch manager, Hannah, and the relatively new youth librarian, Eden, are offering programming for all ages. FEAL supports their endeavors where needed financially and in promotion…
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Fall Planting in Atlanta

By Sydney Sevdalis By late August, many Atlanta gardens look finished. Tomato plants are struggling from heat and disease, squash vines have summoned every squash bug in the neighborhood, and gardeners are tired of watering a desert. Yet this is also the beginning of one of the region’s best planting seasons. Atlanta’s relatively mild winters…
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Zesto, Zesto, Zesto!

By Tom McGowan As you can see from the title, I can’t say enough about this iconic hamburger and ice-cream emporium. There are only two locations left in Atlanta: one in East Atlanta at the corner of Moreland Avenue and United Avenue, and the other in Forest Park. Per their website (zestoatlanta.com), Zesto’s history starts…
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Posts published by “Jay Burchard”

Halloween in Ormewood Park

By Jay Burchard on October 13, 2026

By Jay Burchard When my husband and I were working with our real estate agent, and now friend and neighbor, Paula Thomas of Paula Properties,…