SWAT MAC Community Redevelopment

Disaster Preparedness Workshop in Southwest Atlanta

2012-10-13T13:49:00.005-07:00

The Westridge Sandtown Community Organization of Venetian Hills is hosting a Disaster Preparedness Workshop.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

11:30AM – 1:30PM

Saint Peter Missionary Baptist Church

1558 Venetian Dr SW, Atlanta, GA 30311

Contact information: wsco,venetianhills@gmail.com

The Atlanta Be Ready Workshop is designed to prepare our senior population with the tools and techniques they will need to help themselves during a disaster or emergency. There will be representatives from both the City of Atlanta and Fulton County in their various capacities to assist our neighbors in creating a plan that will help them be safe until things return to normalcy. Although we are focusing on seniors, we welcome those who are not but are willing to help their neighbors navigate during an emergency or disaster.

Be Advised - Be Informed - Be Prepared - Be Ready

Saint Peter Missionary Baptist Church

1558 Venetian Dr SW, Atlanta, GA 30311

Saturday, October 20, 2012

11:30AM – 1:30PM

Latest News On Fort McPherson

2012-03-05T09:51:00.001-08:00

Fort McPherson came one step closer last Thursday to selecting a team of companies that will redevelop the one-time Army base.http://tiny.cc/onAe2b

School Closings News

2012-03-05T09:49:00.000-08:00

Atlanta School Superintendent Erroll Davis has revealed his preliminary recommendation for closing 13 schoolshttp://tiny.cc/XKBe2b

Vote Tomorrow March 6, 2012: A Penny Spent is a Penny .....

2012-03-05T09:48:00.000-08:00

These pennies are adding up, but it may be well worth it. Vote Tomorrow http://tiny.cc/7QBe2b

2011-08-22T21:47:00.000-07:00

http://www.ajc.com/news/va-to-build-new-1131136.html

The government plans to spend $40 million transforming 10 acres and six buildings at south Atlanta's Fort McPherson into a healthcare campus that would expand services for veterans and relieve pressure on metro area clinics that now serve them

Good News In the Hills

2011-06-12T10:53:00.000-07:00

GOOD NEWS! Utoy Cemetery was APPROVED 6/10/2011 by the Georgia National Register of Historic Places Review Board Meeting.

This places the Utoy Cemetery on the Georgia Register of Historic Places, and the National nomination will be forwarded to the U.S. Interior Department, Parks Department for approval for the National Register of Historic Places.

Electric Tricycle for stabilization when Navigating around potholes

2011-05-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

I got this information from a website that sells electric tricycle.

It seems a little slow for me but, I think it is ideal for running errands, light shopping and provides independence to senior and juniors without breaking the bank. I also like it because it seems to provide stability on bike lanes on Atlanta street that are plagued with pot-holes and metal plates.

Here's the details on the vehicle and promotional information:

Electric Tricycle is perfect for riding to and from work. It has 3 wheels, so it's weight limit is 300 lbs (can carry a person that weighs up to 300 lbs). The 3 wheels are perfect for riders who are not good at balancing. It moves as fast as 15 mph and has a 30 miles of battery power per charge. So, for every 1 charge, you can ride the tricycle for up to 30 miles. The battery is a lithium-ion 36V 10aH one, NOT lead-acid. Lithium-ion batteries are lighter, carry more power, have a higher range, and is more expensive. The Cabbike 3 Electric Tricycle frame is made out of 100% STEEL for extreme sturdiness and is very high quality. The electric tricycle is an eye-catcher! You will notice that many people will gape at your Cabbike 3 Electric Tricycle. License and insurance NOT needed in all US States and Canada. Easy to use: simply turn the right handlebar to accelerate. You never need to pedal.

For a limited time only, it is FREE UPS Ground shipping. You save $100s of dollars on shipping. Take advantage of this fantastic deal now! Comparable electric tricycles retail for over $2,000!

2011-04-19T19:49:00.001-07:00

Service appears to be back as of Tuesday at 6:30pm. Next steps are to see that customer
bills are prorated

Phones are back on in Venetian Hills

2011-04-19T19:48:00.001-07:00

Service appears to be back as of Tuesday at 6:30pm. Next steps are to see that customer
bills are prorated

The Problem Remains Day 6 :Letter to the Public Utilities Commission

2011-04-18T15:02:00.000-07:00

Over 700 homes and several business have been with Land Line service for 6 days. Many of our homeowners are elderly and infirmed and most of them do not have cell phones. Telephones are a life line to these people. AT&T knew that their fiber optic cable on Cascade Avenue was cut but we customers had no idea why on Wednesday, we had no dial tone. Younger residents resorted to using cell phones but still had no idea of what was going on. Those of us who had people out of the affected area to call in to the repair line for us were told that our line would be restored on last Thursday....it is now Monday evening. AT&T should be held responsible for a strategy of communicating major outages involving their Land Lines-------it's their responsibility. Still no emergency communications strategy employed. What are they waiting for?

Venetian Hills Incommunicado

2011-04-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

Venetian Hills was cut-off from communicating with the world outside. You see, on last Wednesday, the at&t fiber optic cable on Cascade Avenue was cut leaving us in the dark, so to speak. One by one as residents and businesses realized that Land Line service was not available, we called at&t only to be told the problem would be resolved the next day. What we weren't told was the severity of the impact. The elderly (least likely to have a cell phone) remained unaware of the situation. at&t still hasn't notified the community overall about the situation.

Today, I visited several streets in the neighborhood with flyers in an effort to get the word out. Our DSL lines are on a seperate system - communication of the outage could have been transmitted via email. What happened to putting "feet on the street" going door to door and leaving notices? Are our expectations too lofty up here in the Hills.....you tell me.

2010-09-10T19:16:00.001-07:00

Well, the weather is getting just a little cooler and I'm going to enjoy my bike on the local neighborhood pathway......never mind that it only runs for a block, it's a great, safe, and pretty space in which to practice riding again. For longer trips out of the neighborhood I think I might consider the long-range electric bike in the Gizmag article republished below:

Remember when the Segway was launched in 2001? The company proclaimed that it was going to revolutionize personal transportation, but... well, although Segways are still around, they’re hardly a common sight. What could soon be a common sight, however, are electric bicycles. While a variety of styles were on display at this year’s Eurobike show, commuting ebikes were by far the most common. An electric drive makes sense on a commuter – you still get some exercise and don’t have to register it as a scooter, yet you also don’t arrive at your destination all hot and sweaty. As with all electric vehicles, however, range is always an issue. That is now being addressed, however, with ebikes that can travel up to 160 kilometers (99.4 miles) on one charge. If your commute is longer than that, you really might want to consider, you know... driving.

The tradeoff with batteries has always been one of weight vs. range. Batteries with less cells tend to be lighter and less expensive, so they’re generally the way to go, unless you want to travel longer distances. German manufacturer Kalkhoff has kept this in mind with its new line of ebikes, which was presented at this year’s show. The bicycles are available with your choice of an 8, 12 or 18 amp-hour battery. Riders who just use their bike for popping up to the store could go with the 8, while more serious riders could get up to 140 kilometers (87 miles) out of the 18.

Giant bicycles is employing a similar strategy with its 2011 Twist ebike. Instead of swapping batteries, however, the rider can add a second one, to extend their range up to 160 kilometers. This figure has, not surprisingly, been disputed in at least one review.

Back from Haitis - How many times do we have to say it

2010-06-08T17:44:00.000-07:00

I've taken a few months off from blogging to work on some other things. Well folks, once again humans have proven to be woefully unmatched when it comes to controlling the earth and her resources. Yes, I'm talking about what everyone else is talking about - the Gulf Coast Oil Spill.

I have no idea how long it will take the earth to recover from this disaster, but eventually, she will recover: she always has. As for the flora, fish, and fowl....some habitats may remain inhabitable for some time to come.

We should do ourselves and the other residents of this planet a favor and pay more attention to the systems that support life on the planet rather than supporting the pockets of a select few.

Walk More: Drive Less Support Plan for and Build Urban Transportation Systems that have little reliance on fossil fuel.

Human Car - Looks Who's Alternative Energy Now

2010-03-02T19:30:00.000-08:00

The HumanCar is the brainchild of Chief Scientist/Engineer Charles Samuel Greenwood P.E., who first hit upon the idea for a human powered car some 40 years ago. Sitting in a traffic jam in Silicon Valley in 1968 Greenwood noticed the many overweight commuters sitting in their cars breathing in noxious exhaust fumes. He was inspired to create a modest modification to vehicles that would reduce the need for conventional fuel, while at the same time providing exercise.

Searching for a full-body workout Greenwood eschewed a bicycle-type mechanism in favor of the rowing-like mechanism and developed the forerunner to the Impulse PS, the FM-4 (Fully Manual – 4 people). This was a research “skeleton” car that was built to test the concept of a human powered vehicle and the lessons it provided eventually led to the development of the Impulse PS (Power Station).

source; GizMag

Pennies From Heaven

2010-02-23T17:15:00.000-08:00

Free Water!!!
Residential water use increases 40 to 50% during summer months due to outdoor water use. Storm-water runoff is the leading type of residential non-point source pollution.

What is a rain barrel?

A rain barrel collects and stores rainwater from rooftops to use later for lawn and garden watering minimizing the negative effects storm-water run-off.

Water collected in a rain barrel is what would normally pour off your roof directly or flow through roof gutter downspouts and become storm-water runoff. Collecting water in a rain barrel can conserve this water for other uses.

Why waste a gift? Water, precious water costs you every month. Instead of looking a gift-horse in the mouth, take advantage of these pennies from heaving and start saving dollars.

Don't let your free water become stormwater runoff. Just think about it, if it were dollars falling

Depending on your yard, this runoff can travel onto paved surfaces and eventually into a storm drain.

Case for Bike Paths

2010-02-11T02:38:00.000-08:00

My 87 year-old mother is getting an adult tricycle for her birthday courtesy of her granddaughter who lives in Southern Calif. where apparently they have bike paths for their citizens to travel while picking up dry cleaning and groceries. Atlanta - more bike paths please.

Keep the Golf Course

2010-02-10T19:57:00.000-08:00

Golf Course - The Commons at Fort McPherson is the new combined community and Golfer's Club. Fort McPherson's golf course is one of the finest and most challenging 18-hole, 72-par courses in the Army. I'd like to see this stay.

Paths, Trees, Jogging and Bike Trails are Vital to the Community

2010-02-10T17:34:00.000-08:00

Here's something one of my neighbors wrote today in a discussion we had surrounding increased sightings of wildlife in the area. "my father used to see a bear cub in our yard. That was before they built the police Station and removed all the woods next to it. My point is that we have these other residents in our neighborhood and they will be displaced just like us, when they keep full clearing lots to build more ugly boxes to pack more people into them. They are here now because their territory has been removed and we still have a few stands of trees"

When I first move to Atlanta 19 years ago, much of Southwest Atlanta and South Fulton was still forested. The deforestation of the area is not only dangerous for wildlife, it's detrimental to humans. Let's stop this practice of killing the land and build communities that are in harmony with the natural topography.

2010-02-10T12:03:00.000-08:00

TREXA announces pricing details for DIY electric car

When we first looked at TREXA's open-source electric vehicle development platform late last month we were impressed by the concept, but one big question remained - how much will it cost? The answer has come sooner than expected with TREXA announcing a base price of US$15,999 for the lithium-powered, modular platform which is designed to facilitate the creation of custom "vehicle apps". Read More - source Gizmag
http://www.gizmag.com/trexa-electric-vehicle-pricing/14119/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=b2900f6e53-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email

A Great Opportunity for an Event Space

2010-02-01T19:35:00.000-08:00

The Clubhouse at the Fort Mac golf course will be closed soon with the exodus of the DOD. With the lack of such facilities in the SW Atlanta area, this would make an excellent event space in the interim..... Your thoughts?

Balanced Score Card for Neighborhoods

2010-01-31T18:41:00.000-08:00

Neighborhood organizations need balanced score card to gauge the direction and progress of their activities. So, for example if you have projects that you've done in the past that are recurrent year after year; you'd want to put that on your scorecard. If there's something new that you'd want to accomplish this year - put that on your score card and designate the quarter of the year that you plan to implement the project.

I'll be publishing our neighborhood score card in the next month to give a visual of the idea.

Nothing is as easy as it looks

2010-01-31T15:13:00.000-08:00

I knew this going in - I'm not surprised. The proponents that you thought you had either have other fish to fry or they are doing what's expected. Anyway, the M.A.C.C. (Fort McPherson Action Community Coalition) was established in December 2009. The members are working on the Community Presentation that will roll out in March 2010. I'm excited; this organization will serve as the advocate and voice of the Community when it comes to the stated Community Benefits.

Being involved in community is invigorating and empowering. I hope that all communities across the U.S. are making an assessment of their environment, health and safety, education, and transportation issues and are developing plans that will improve the lives of their citizens.

But getting back to not easy....it's been said that anything worth having is worth the trouble.

Phase I of the Community Benefits

2009-12-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

The Community Benefits for the Fort McPherson Redevelopment Project have taken shape. Now, the hard work begins.

Fort Mac Redevelpment Community Working Group

2009-11-22T15:43:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, there will be a Transportation working committee meeting at 7:00PM - This will be a conference call. If you're interested in dialing in, just hit me up.

Thanks,

City Planners Meeting on Saturday 11/21/2009

2009-11-19T20:29:00.000-08:00

The timeline was accelerated and the Planners will have the Community Benefits and related zoning wrapped up by the end of December 2009. So much to do; so little time. Up until yesterday, November 18th, most Community Members thought we had until March 31st to complete the associated tasks. Let's see what Saturday brings - until then.