Sunday, January 31, 2010

JP 2.0: give your ideas

A new Web design is underway for the Jefferson Park Hub
The goal is to add some new features that will keep Park-ers informed about the neighborhood and things happening in nearby East Point.

If you have ideas about features you'd like to see on the news blog, please let me know. I have a few ideas, including an events calendar, a photo gallery, links to social media, ability for neighbors to post photos, news items, etc.

If you have something else in mind, please comment.  

Friday, January 29, 2010

Community meeting about the Main Street Academy Charter School

More than 300 people are expected at a community meeting focused on opening a charter school here. Folks will be talking at the Saturday meeting about everything from uniforms and curriculum to parental involvement.  The 'principal designate' will also be there. 

The meeting is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Georgia International Convention Center. See map below.

From David Shaginaw, a leader in the effort:
Please join us tomorrow from 10-2 at the GICC in College Park for TMSA’s 1st 2010 open community meeting. To date over 340 supporters have RSVP’d for our event. Tomorrow will offer you the chance to pre-enroll and learn about our location, curriculum & school structure, uniforms and required parental involvement. EdisonLearning, along with county BOE and state DOE representatives will be there with TMSA’s founders and governing board. You will also have the opportunity to meet TMSA’s Principal designate, who will help lead our school this fall. Take the time to learn about our 2010 plans and how you can get involved and contribute to TMSA’s successful launch this fall. This is your chance to stake your claim at The Main Street Academy. I look forward to seeing you there. Thanks for your time. 
To learn more, go to The Main Street Academy website.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Lost dog - UPDATE No. 2

From Jennifer:
Hey Andrew, just wanted to let you know that the little dog was reunited with her owners yesterday.
Jennifer suggested I post this link to the Southern Hope Humane Society and it's 'Don't Get a Dog if' campaign. It gives the unvarnished truth about who should and should not get a dog and caring for the pet. Take a look at its message.



Same meeting, two reports

The same city council meeting with two different point's of view.

The AJC's April Hunt wrote:
East Point started out the current fiscal year in yet another deficit, though one smaller than in years past.
The $2.2 million hole in the city’s general fund was among several findings an outside auditor presented during a 90-minute City Council meeting Monday night.  That counters months of claims that the city ended the year with a surplus.
Details, though, are unclear. City attorney Nina Hickson refused to make the draft audit public.
Read more here.

Ward B Councilman Lance Rhodes emailed this message:
Just a quick note to let you know that the auditor meet with the Council last evening and confirmed the financial condition of the city. As I have been advising for the past two years, we are on our way to recovery. Every statement made through the City Manager's office has been correct. Mr. Jones has done an outstanding job in addressing our recovery. It is an exciting time for East Point.


While we are excited about our improvement, we are still far from being stable. My greatest fear now is the attempts of some Council Members to begin a spending spree. This improvement should not be a license to spend but a reminder of the need to continue our recovery plan.


Our goal is to work over the next two years to be able to operate without the use of a tax anticipation note. I believe the use of the TAN is a solid financial approach. However, it certainly is a sign of improvement when the use of a TAN is optional and not necessary for general operation.


We have gone from a 22 million dollar financial challenge 8 years ago, to a 14 million dollar TAN to only needing an 8 million dollar TAN this year.


We have cut the budget, increased revenue, completed major CIP improvements, addressed the Consent Order issued through the EPD, paid a 16 million dollar debt to Atlanta and the list goes on.


Bottom line is............."what we are doing is working". Please encourage the Council to continue our recovery plan. In addition to this focus, we must now search out new development and retain present business.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Add your voice to city boards

There are many opportunities to serve on city boards, helping to set priorities for parks, guide ethics issues and other important functions. 



 Ward Councilman Lance Rhodes posted this email: 
Council Person Hubbard is seeking appointments for the following listed Boards/Commissions. You can learn more about these on the city web site. I can also give you my appointee's contact information (email) if you would like to talk to someone about the Board/Commission.

If you are selected, I am sure you will enjoy having Council Person Hubbard's support.

I recommend that you reply to "all" on this email with your contact information and any additional information that you would like to be considered (such as resume, experience in the area covered by the Board/Commission, and ect). I would also recommend you list all of the Boards/Commissions you may have an interest.

Thanks

Ethics - They meet as needed

East Point Building Authority- They meet quarterly

Civil Service Board of Appeals- They meet as needed

Cultural Enrichment - They meet on the 1st Tuesday of each month.

Municipal Utility Advisory Commission - They meet as needed

 And another opportunity: 
Council Person Bennett has an appointment he needs to make to the Parks and Recreation Commission. If you have an interest in serving, please send me your contact information. Thanks

Meets every 2nd Thursday at 7 pm Parks and Recreation Administrative Office, Jefferson Station, 1526 East Forrest Avenue, Suite 400
Councilman Rhodes can be contacted by email

Monday, January 25, 2010

Found dog, recognize it?--UPDATE

Here's an update from Jennifer:
I brought her to the vet’s to have her scanned for a microchip and while she was chipped, her owners never enrolled and provided their contact information. Come to find out she’s been reported found a couple of times, and the last time was by PAWS Atlanta, the shelter. So seeing as how she may be spending the night with my family, I gave her a bath and trimmed off the matted fur. Here is an updated picture of her. The microchip company is trying to find out from the shelter where I should bring her, but in the meantime, if anyone knows her family, please call me: 678.360.6084.

And a new photo of the dog:

After:






Before:



From a reader:

This little dog followed us home during our morning walk, and I thought maybe you could put her on your blog? She clearly belongs to one of our neighbors, and I feel like I’ve seen her before but I can’t place who her owner is. She knows basic commands, is very playful, etc. so I’m 100% certain she isn’t a stray.

My own dogs are going nuts with her in the backyard, so I have to locate her owners soon – I hate to take her to Fulton Cty Animal Services, but that’s what I’ll have to do if I don’t find her humans.



Contact Jennifer Cobb if you recognize the pooch.
404.965.7530 (w) / 678.360.6084 (c)

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Week in Review

The Jefferson Park Hub spotlighted these different stories this week:
  • Police told the neighbors association to be on the look out for two men. Read it here.
  • A new online tool that allows residents to report non-emergency issues. Read it here. 
  • If you want a new exercise routine, a walking group has started. The group meets at the Tri-Cities High School before heading out on its routes. Read it here.

The Jefferson Park Hub is always looking neighborhood news. Please e-mail story ideas.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Crime report from January neighborhood meeting




 From Dustin Miles, the JPNA president:
From Tuesday's meeting:

We have not had any house burglaries in the past 45 days BUT we have had several car break ins.  The police know the 2 people who are committing the break ins and ask us to be on the look out.

  • Black male, approximately 6 feet, 180 pounds, in his 40's.  Wears a black jacket, blue jeans and a skull cap.  Can be seen riding a bicycle around the neighborhood.
  • Black male, approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall, wears a dark jacket, blue jeans and a hat, probably in his 50' or 60's.  He walks door to door asking residents to give him money for his sick sister. 
The police have asked us to call them if we see either of these individuals.  The police also suggest that we leave nothing in our cars that can be visible....not even gloves on a seat.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Walking group steps off

A walking group started recently, just one of many opportunities around the neighborhood to get in better shape. 

Organized by Bryan Avenue resident Stacy Fizell, the group sets off Monday to Thursday  at 7 p.m. with folks walking between one and three miles. It meets at the entrance of Tri-Cities High School at Harris & Jefferson.

Here's what Stacy wrote to The Jefferson Park Hub:
  • Why did you start this? What was your goal?
I started the group in order get some exercise and get in shape. Several of us had been talking about doing something for awhile and I figured starting out at the beginning of the year we be a good way to start the New Year.
  • How far do you walk and how much time does it take?
We have one group that walks approximately 3 miles at a pretty good clip around the perimeter of the neighborhood and another group that is starting out with a mile that is a route down Winburn Dr. from the High School and back up Jefferson to the starting point.
  • If a person cannot make all the walks, is that alright?
The group is open to all whenever they can make it. I set up a page on Facebook and post each walk as an Event so people can accept or decline the walks. This makes it easy to keep up with who and how many we should expect. No one wants to walk alone after dark so we want to make sure there will always be someone there to walk with. If anyone has any questions they can e-mail me at: stacyfizell@comcast.net or call me at (404)408-8535
  • If a person isn't in the best shape, is that OK?
Yes! We have actually had several different paced groups that do the full 3 miles: one group that walks pretty fast, and another that follows closely behind.
We also have one group that is starting out with a mile for now and working themselves up to the 3 miles.
  • How many people have been showing up?
We have had anywhere from 3 to 8 people. It's a good group that talks and cuts up most of the walk which makes it go by really fast.
  • How long have you lived in the neighborhood? What street do you live on?
I have lived in the neighborhood 7.5 years and live on Bryan Ave. People that don't know me personally may know us as the Halloween House on Bryan......we have gone all out decorating and dressing up for Halloween for the past 5 or 6 years. This year several other neighbors joined in....we got 300 kids!
 PS: we have had several ask if dogs are welcome and the answer is yes!  But remember this is a fitness group so if your dog is slow and meandering like my Beagle you may want to leave him or her at home. 

An East Point Fitness Initiative is being kickstarted by the city's Park and Rec Department. You can try out a class of Cardio Blast, karate and F.I.T.T free. Also, see all the other recreation programs here.

The department is hosting an open house:
  • Wed., Jan. 27, from noon to 2 p.m. 
  • Sat., Jan. 30, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. 
  • Call 404.270.7054 for information.
The renovation of Brookdale Park here in the neighborhood continues. Work on  replacing the tennis and basketball courts could begin in a month's time. Ward B City Councilman Lance Rhodes said the council awarded the contract at this week's meeting. And swings should be installed by the weekend.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Be the journalist at tonight's neighborhood meeting

Jefferson Park Neighbor Association holds its January meeting at the Jefferson Ave. Baptist Church at 7 p.m.

Here's the agenda from Dustin, the new president:
Meeting Agenda:

- New Officer Introductions
- Treasurer's Report and other business
- Other Officer Reports (current projects)
- Captain Pritchard (East Point Police Department)
- Cheryl Naja from Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission
- Open Floor Speakers
- Close

 

Work prevents The JP Hub from attending. So if any faithful readers are attending, lets talk. Email me. 

Monday, January 18, 2010

Poll questions





New tool gets results

Sunday evening The Jefferson Park Hub reported a broken lamp using the SeeClickFix tool and less than 12 hours later it was reported to the authorities hopefully to get repaired.

What I reported: 
The stone marker here has a decorative lamp on top of it. But the lamp is broken. 2476-2522 Milledge St,East Point,GA 30344,USA
Response:
Thanks for the heads up on the issue with the lamp. I just wanted to let you know that a new public watch area has been created for the city organization Keep East Point Beautiful and that they have been notified.
        ---Andrew Samuel



To report your own non-emergency concerns, see the box to report issues on the right side.


PS: The JP Hub uses a Mac and Firefox 5.0. I am having difficulty with the SeeClickFix widget. I have emailed SeeClickFix company.  If anyone else has a problem, please let me know.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Nifty way to report neighborhood problems

The Jefferson Park Hub joined with SeeClickFix, an advocacy Web site, to encourage community members to report troublesome neighborhood issues directly from our site.

SeeClickFix allows anyone to report and track non-emergency issues in Jefferson Park via the Internet. It empowers allows all of us improve the neighborhood. It is only as good as people using it, so we encourage people to use the program. To find it, look on the right column on this site.

The software was recently promoted in the New York Time. Read about how neighborhoods are using it here.
SeeClickFix users post a complaint about problems that occur within a set of boundaries on a Google Map, like graffiti at a bus stop or potholes on a busy street, and the site communicates the problem to the appropriate government agency and marks the problem on the map.


seeclickfix_logo

 This is another step toward JP Hub 2.0. First was a new Web address and in the future, The JP Hub will have a new layout.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Do the Right Thing


It's a new year making it a good time to adopt new habits.

If one of your resolutions is to volunteer more, the upcoming holiday honoring Dr. Rev. Martin L. King is the right time to fulfill the resolution.

Wondering where to start?  How about here at Service.gov? You enter the community name or zip code and - boombadabing- a list of programs in need of assistance.

Give it a shot. 

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Business makes a good neighbor gesture--UPDATE with photos


A tractor-trailer truck is the likely suspect behind the damaged Oakleigh Drive neighborhood marker. In a gesture of being a good neighbor, a local trucking company is stepping forward to help shoulder the cost of the repairs.

Four brick markers border the neighborhood at key intersections. Residents dress them up in the spring and fall with flowers, adding a nice touch to the community.




Oakleigh Drive, on the north side of the neighborhood, is a major route used for experienced truckers making deliveries to the warehouses, there as well as student truck drivers sharpening their skills. On Sunday morning, it isn't usual to see trucks practice backing up near the marker.

City Councilman Lance Rhodes said the truck drivers are private contractors, which makes it difficult to find the culprit.  But he said Atlas Trucking Storage, which has no connection to the privately-owned trucks, is stepping up to cover the cost of the damage.




The Oakleigh marker has suffered damage before. Rhodes said he is talking with other businesses to see if landscaping could prevent future problems.

The map highlights the location of the markers and the popular truck route. 




View Welcome markers in a larger map

Monday, January 11, 2010

JP Hub 2.0

Readers will see changes in the weeks ahead as the Jefferson Park blog evolves.

First up will be a URL change. If all goes well, the new url will simply be JeffersonParkHub.com. The change will be make it easier to get the word out and improve its branding.

The blog now is a single column format. I am kicking around different themes to adopt from Word Press. The new format should continue to be reader friendly and showcase  photos, a calendar and other additions.

I am also looking into starting a conversation using Google Wave. The idea is that one day a week, for 15 minutes or so, a new Wave could be focused on Jefferson Park. Are there Google Wavers among Hub readers?

Survey results. 
Eight people took the time to respond to the Survey Monkey poll. Tip of the hat. (Except for the jokester who wrote in response to the question: "What would make The JP Hub more helpful to the neighborhood?" "Everyone loves stunts."  Very funny.)

Marketing/Awareness
Seven of you heard about it from me.  One from Google. Booyaaah. 
If you like this blog, please tell your neighbors and others.

Type of stories.
Three types of stories tied with the most votes: In Person, the people profiles; events happening around town; photos.
One person suggested a 'vent' section. I am looking into something like that.
I am keen on developing the In Person features. If you know of someone who you think would be interesting to others, let me know. On photos, there is a Jefferson Park Hub group on Flickr, so send in pictures.

Social media.
The vote was evenly split with a Facebook page. And six people said no to Twitter.
I will be posting at the Jefferson Park Facebook page instead. But if there are Twitter folks out there, find JPHub and follow. 

Sunday, January 10, 2010

City moves ahead to borrow money

The AJC's April Hunt again reported on the city finances:
East Point's mayor won’t veto another move by the City Council to borrow money to keep the city running this year.


But after getting an overview of city finances from an outside auditor Saturday morning, Earnestine Pittman said she would prefer the city borrow only enough to pay $6 million in bond payments due next month.
Read the rest of the article here.

The council may take up the issue at its meeting this week. Also on the agenda is
   Authorization to award a Contract to Better Homes Bureau, LLC., for the Construction of Two Tennis Courts and One Basketball Court with Lighting at Brookdale Park (Parks and Recreation)

Saturday, January 9, 2010

JP coucil member looks ahead


Ward B Coucilman Lance Rhodes this week moved into a leadership role on city council. 

The board elected Rhodes to serve as mayor pro tempore, putting him in line behind Mayor Earnestine Pittman to preside at the council if she cannot attend a meeting. He was elected to the post earlier this week when Pittman and other council members were sworn in. Rhodes has served on the council since 2004 representing the neighborhood.


For his efforts in local politics, Georgia Equality issued a press release applauding  Rhodes' leadership.  Late last year, Rhodes wrote a new local law to provide employment protections to gay and transgender employees.

Rhodes answered questions from The Jefferson Park Hub about future goals as elected city leaders start to guide the community:
What are your three priorities in the year ahead for Ward B and how will you achieve them?
  • Controlling and building our budget. We must focus on building a reserve fund balance while controlling our spending and increasing our revenue.
  • Responding to the "Penny for Your Thoughts" program. I received over 55 ideas ( from over 125 citizens in ward B ) and I will work to address each item on the list. If you do not have a copy of this, let me know and I will send it to you.
  • Development
  • You asked for three but there is a fourth that I must mention. Being responsive. I can not state the importance of responding to emails and calls from citizens. I will remain committed to be responsive. I would even go so far as stating this is my major priority.  
Overall, what challenges do you think the city faces in 2010?
  • One challenge is to enable our Building, Industrial and Development Authority to complete their mission to develop our down town area.
  • Secondly, we must be creative in providing service delivery while continuing our work on balancing the budget. While I support the need to improve services, I believe that the "Band-Aid" approach to service delivery has been part of what has caused the city so many financial difficulties. We need to improve service delivery but in a fashion that will be long term. Temporary improvement only serves to drain our financial resources and end up being a disappointment to our community. 
  • Thirdly, we must remain committed to our financial recovery plan. I am fearful that there will be a "spending" frizzy among our Council. A slight improvement should not be mistaken for a complete recovery. We still a few years before we can stand as a city that recovered from the past 20 years of financial abuse. 
Downtown East Point appears to have ‘good bones,’ with a mix of community institutions, the MARTA station and library, and a dining district, from Thumbs Up and sports bars to the vegan restaurant. Are you satisfied with East Point’s downtown? If not, what needs to happen?
  • Complete our Transportation grant program to beautify the down town area. The role of the BIDA needs to be a priority on Council. Business owners should be invited to be more involved in our development. Incentives to retain business must be a corner stone to development improvement.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Snow scenes

The snow hushed traffic this morning as the icy, frigid weather closed schools and delayed the opening of businesses.

Some photos of the neighborhood taken around 8 this morning when the Weather Channel reported it 'felt like' 8 degrees.  Few dog walkers were spotted this morning. Go figure.






Contribute your own snow photos to the Jefferson Park Hub flicker set.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

East Point charter school awaits state decision

Supporters of a new charter school in East Point are hosting a meeting later this month to update the community. 

Leaders with the Main Street Academy are scheduled to answer questions at the Jan. 30 meeting. It is being held at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park.


On the agenda is a discussion about: 
  • Pre-enrollment 
  • Uniforms 
  • Curriculum 
  • Location
TMSA folks discussed the project with state education officials last month, after receiving the okay from Fulton County education officials.  The Georgia Education Board will need to sign off on this before it can move forward. A decision by the state board is expected in February or later. 


Meanwhile, the charter school supporters working on hiring a school principal.


Two fundraisers are scheduled for January: Monday, Jan. 11, at Oz Pizza; Jan 26, Chick-fil-A, Cleveland Avenue. 


For more information: http://www.tricitiescharter.com/






Wednesday, January 6, 2010

City Council, Mayor disagree about finances

The city council and new mayor got off to a rocky start on Day One.

According to the AJC, Mayor Earnestine Pittman threatened her first veto over a measure dealing with the city finances. 


AJC reporter April Hunt reports:

Minutes after a swearing-in ceremony filled with promises of cooperation and unity, East Point’s City Council and mayor were at loggerheads Monday night that may shatter the city’s frail financial stability.
At issue is $8 million that staff recommends the city borrow to run operations for the coming year – and to pay a $6 million capital bond next month.

Read the rest here.

Lost animals UPDATE



UPDATE - Jan. 6


Lost Dog
This pooch remains missing. If you spot it, contact the owner at the number below.


 I have had a great response, however only one dog is home.  This is a
picture of One, he is 12 yo, red leather collar, FT MacPherson and Fulton
Co. tags.  Can you send this photo out for me, it would be greatly
appreciated.  In addition, I would like to thank everyone that has called
with dog sightings.  My phone is 404-840-3199.  Renice

---



Two alerts about missing pets recently went out. If you have seen any of them, the pets are missed at home.
My pups have been missing for over 24 hours; they got out when Mom tried to bring them in the house yesterday before the rain.  I have driven around the neighborhood calling their names and gone to Fulton County Animal Control with no luck. Can you please forward this to our neighbors for me. We live over on Jefferson Terrace
The Dogs are :

1. Sienna- 1 yo german shepherd mix, medium size, very fearful dog, has a blue collar, Fulton county tags, brown with black markings, curled tail and droopy ears
2. One- 12 yo large, golden dog with white/age related muzzle, curled tail, semi-erect ears with droop on the tips, will come if called, red collar with FortMacpherson tags and Fulton County tags.

Thanks for any help by forwarding this on to the neighbors.
You can contact Renice Washington at rwashi10@gmail.com or 404-840-3199


 Missing cat:



Missing my little buddy.
Male, declawed and neutered with a brown leather collar. 

Last seen on December 29 around 2:00 PM near his home on E. Woodland Circle.
If you know of his whereabouts please call Jim at

404-290-3206 or 404-762-5068



Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Pizza poll



What toppings taste surprisingly good on a pizza? Send us your wildest pizza topping combos via comments.

Words from the new neighbor assocation president



From left, Clay, the 2009 president, and Dustin, 2010 president.  


Jefferson Terrace resident Dustin Miles, the new JPNA president, sent out greetings today.


Hello everyone,
Happy New Year to all! I just wanted to send you all a quick message letting you know that the email, e-blast, and all other JPNA President duties have now officially been turned over. Please don't let that scare you, as I will do my very best to continue the great job Clay has done. I must ask, however, for your patience while I get this whole email system figured out; if I send out blank or really messed up emails, I apologize in advance. I'll get it eventually, I promise.

Please don't hesitate to let me know your suggestions and concerns for anything related to JPNA. I'd love to hear the things you like about JPNA and the things you dislike (or would prefer done differently).

Lastly, I just want to say that this is one of the greatest neighborhoods I have ever lived in and I want to do my best to keep it that way. Everyone I have met so far has been so nice and friendly; it's a real relief to know that these neighborhoods still exist. Jefferson Park has a little bit of everything and I, personally, love that. If I have met you already, I look forward to seeing you again in this new year; If I have not met you, I hope to do so soon. Have a great week!

Dustin

Beat the post-holiday blahs by recycling your Christmas tree




Seeing a discarded Christmas tree in the gutter waiting for trash pickup only deepens the post-holiday blahs.
So instead of that fate, the once glorious tree that made your home beautiful for the holiday can be recycled to dress up your garden.

The Keep East Point Beautiful organization is running a chipper Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., to  to turn trees into mulch. The drop off is at the Recycling Drop Center, next to the East Point Historical Society on Norman Berry Drive and Lester Street.  Also, trees can be dropped ahead of time at East Point Hardware Store, 2891 Church St. 

The same day is an electronic recycling day. Start 2010 by getting rid of dated, broken electronics. What is accepted?

Computers, monitors, laptops, servers, keyboards and mice, MP3 players, cell phones, PDA’s, fax machines, small copy machines, UPS batteries, over head projectors, type writers, scanners, VCR players, office shredders, tape players, telecommunication equipment (telephones, network switches, antennas, etc.) AC adapter, power supplies, surge protectors, switch boxes and calculators, wires and cables, docking stations, internal and external hard-drives, tape drives, external modems, electronic motors, transformers, sound equipment (such as receivers, amplifiers, CD/DVD players, etc), computer network equipment (hubs, routers, etc) banking equipment (such as counters, magnetic card readers, check printers, etc.) test equipment (oscilloscope, voltmeter, amp meter, power meter, voltage generators, etc.)

The is a $5 fee to get rid of TV because they have funky metals that need to be handled differently.

Volunteers are needed to help out. Please contact by phone or email:
404-762-5326 or email fkennedy@eastpointcity.org.



View Recycle your Christmas tree in a larger map



Photo from Creative Commons. It isn't the East Point drop off.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Take the JP Hub survey and you win the lottery*

If you are a regular reader of the JP Hub, many thanks for stopping by.

Please fill out the survey, if you haven't already. (Tip of the hat to the four people who have and wag of the finger to the dozen or so daily readers who haven't yet. And you know who you are.)




Updates and new features are in the works.

(*but only if you buy a ticket and pick the winning numbers. Taking the survey does not in fact up your odds of winning big.)

New starts in East Point--UPDATE

UPDATE -- Jan 8:  Things are looking up at Tri-Cities High School.
The AJC profiled its principal Eldrick Horton. 
The 1,800-student school this year met federal testing goals; SAT scores have increased 72 points over the last two years. From the Horton-instituted "welcome desk" out front -- where no visitor waits more than five minutes to get an answer -- to newly organized teacher, parent and student resource rooms, the man spends 12 or more hours a day on campus and says he wouldn't trade it for the world.

Read more here.



--
East Point news owned the front page of the Metro section of Monday's AJC.

On the politics beat, Mayor-elect Earnestine Pittman comes out with a take-no-prisoner's stance:
"A new mayor and new direction for East Point begins Monday night in East Point.
Candidate Earnestine Pittman was openly critical of the financial recovery plan touted by then-mayor Joe Macon and city Manager Crandall O. Jones.
As mayor, Pittman is expected to touch on her doubts about the success of that plan – which city officials last week showed would put the city in the black for 2009 – following a swearing-in ceremony tonight.
“I really do not have faith in the financial reports that are being given,” the 63-year-old former math teacher said. “I am waiting for the reports from outside auditors to get a real idea of what is going on.”


To keep your finger on the pulse of city politics news, read the rest here.

The new city council and mayor take the oath of office and hold its first meeting today at 6:30 p.m. at Tri-Cities High School.

On the education beat, there is a new attitude at the high school in the neighborhood's backyard. There is a profile of the principal of Tri-Cities High, Eldrick H. Horton. The school has recently seen an upswing in SAT scores and improved morale among parents, faculty and students. (I'll post the link when if it goes online.)

Saturday, January 2, 2010

On the Ninth day of Christmas ...





 The Bobo children show off their Christmas gifts, courtesy of the Lottie Maynard Fund of the Jefferson Park Neighbors Association




Jennifer Cobb, the organizer of this year's Lottie Maynard Fund, forwarded this note about the project:

Above is a picture of the Bobo children, our 2009 Lottie Maynard recipient family. Ms. Bobo wanted to thank everyone who helped and donated over the past year to ensure she and her children had a great Christmas. The family received new clothes, toys, movies, bedding, and kitchen items, all made possible by the generous neighbors of Jefferson Park.
Jennifer would like to thank all who helped, including Lisa Landers, Tracy Smith, Janee Barrett, Clay Davis, and a special thanks to Mark Sorak and Linda Sheldon for their generous personal donations.

Inaugural ceremony for East Point

East Point’s 21st mayor, Earnestine Pittman, takes her oath of office on Monday, along with other elected officials.
The swearing in ceremony for Mayor-Elect Pittman and other city leaders is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 4, at Tri-Cities High School Performance Art Center, at 2575 Harris St.

There will also be the first city council meeting of 2010.




View Tri-Cities High School in a larger map