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September 2008 Battle Cry
PBA VOTE SECURES PRIVATE SECURITY PATROL
We did it, thanks to 301 neighborhood residents who voted “YES!” on the PBA Neighborhood Security Patrol Preliminary Registration Form circulated in the June Battle Cry. More than 75% of the 2008 membership of the Peachtree Battle Alliance, which represents the majority of homes in our neighborhood, have voted to hire a private neighborhood security patrol, joining the ranks of other neighborhoods in the area that enjoy this added level of protection.
The June survey asked residents to vote on whether or not they would pay $255 in 2009 annual PBA dues to cover costs of a private security patrol and other services already provided by the Alliance. With the majority affirmative vote, the Peachtree Battle Alliance neighborhood will start seeing officers patrolling our streets on November 1st. The PBA Board of Directors will fund the first two months of the patrol (November and December) out of budget reserves and will begin funding the patrol in January from 2009 dues, payable beginning in October. Plans are underway to have neighborhood signage to publicize the patrol as well as mailbox stickers for PBA members who subscribe to the patrol by paying their annual dues.
The 2009 annual dues payment of $255 is a comprehensive fee covering all Peachtree Battle Alliance programs and projects: private security patrol at $155 and other services through the remaining $100 portion which covers many items in the busy neighborhood agenda such as the new directory, social events; traffic calming initiatives; landscape maintenance to enhance City work on community green spaces; communications tools including the Battle Cry, flyers and the www.peachtreebattlealliance.org web site.
There is no opt-out provision in the comprehensive dues structure for either security patrol charges or association fees. All dues paying members of the Peachtree Battle Alliance will be subscribers to the security patrol and eligible for special property services including: a contact number to alert officers when you leave town; driveway and home perimeter checks by the patrol to determine if anything is out of the ordinary; pick up of flyers and newspapers (but not mail) when neighbors are out of town. These services are offered in addition to the normal schedule of patrols which provide for an armed, uniformed, off-duty Atlanta Police Officer to drive the streets of the Peachtree Battle Alliance neighborhoods for five hours a day, five days a week.
Please stay tuned for further developments. Thank you again for all of your support! Julia Smith, Crime Watch Committee; crime@peachtreebattlealliance.org PBA BOARD NEWS
The Fall Party (September 28 on Manor Ridge) usually gets things off to a great start for the PBA and this year, the Annual Meeting (October 14 at Bobby Jones Clubhouse) will follow closely behind. We wanted to change the Annual Meeting a little bit to allow some time for socializing and questions. Please plan to attend. You will hear about many interesting and exciting things going on in the neighborhood and have a chance to meet some of your neighbors.
The Annual Meeting will signal a new PBA Board term for some and the end of a big commitment for others. Without the work of numerous dedicated volunteers, the PBA would cease to exist. We truly are a neighborhood alliance working on behalf of the entire neighborhood. Three board members have terms that expire this year.
On the ballot for the new slate of board members, are the following neighbors:
· Roxanne Smith, 2405 Woodward Way, who very ably chairs the Zoning and Variance Committee and serves on the Parks Committee, has agreed to a second three-year term. · James Worrell, 556 Peachtree Battle Avenue, has served continuously and effectively on the Traffic Committee as well as having previously served as Chairman of the PBA Board and will be returning after a hiatus. · Marsh King, 183 Nacoochee Drive, will begin his first term on the Board and will serve on the Parks Committee. · Ken Kraft, 2412 Woodward Way, will be serving his first Board term (bringing another legal mind to the group) and help where needed. · Mitzi Michelson, 240 Nachoocheee Drive, who has been on the Crime Committee, has agreed to serve as the Chair of that committee for her first Board assignment. · Jennifer Sandburg, One Peachtree Battle Avenue #11, has been a member of the Traffic Committee and will continue to do so after she joins the Board.
Many thanks to these neighbors and to those of you who volunteer endless time and effort to our many Committees. In the next Battle Cry, we will acknowledge all of you. UPDATE: PEACHTREE CREEK GREENSPACE INITIATIVEThe Steering Committee has made significant progress over the summer in its efforts to create a park at 473 Woodward Way, as described in the last Battle Cry. Jack Gilbert and Susan Patterson of the Trust for Public Land (TPL) were kind enough to conduct a feasibility study on our behalf to determine potential sources of support. This valuable study revealed favorable interest in the project, and was done at no cost to the PBA. Through the generosity of an anonymous individual neighbor, an independent appraisal was obtained. With permission from the PBA board, we have now engaged TPL formally as our partner and advisor and asked them to move forward in an attempt to secure a contract with the owner at a fair and reasonable price. This also means fundraising efforts can now begin in earnest. The Steering Committee has set its sights on an ambitious Phase I goal of up to $525,000 to cover purchase, demolition, initial site planning, and other costs associated with this effort. At a later date, with a much smaller Phase II goal, we will raise funds for equipment for the park based upon plans yet to be developed in consultation with the larger neighborhood. We are thrilled to announce that the effort has already yielded two major commitments. Both the Sara Giles Moore Foundation and the Exposition Foundation have expressed a strong willingness to offer two grants of $100,000 each ($200,000 total) to challenge the rest of the neighborhood to raise the funds needed to complete Phase I. Although no PBA dues will be used for this project, the board’s support and endorsement were vital in encouraging the progress to date. We will be relying heavily on the contributions of individual members and neighbors to meet this generous challenge, so please contact us if you have ideas or suggestions, or if you wish to make a commitment. We expect to provide more detail at the September 28 Fall Party, and you will be hearing from us more directly in the months ahead. Thank you for your interest in this exciting opportunity. To date, the Steering Committee is made up of the following volunteers, but we would certainly welcome any others who would be interested in helping. Please join us in expressing appreciation to these individuals for their efforts to date.
Virginia Almand John McCollum Nancy & Dameron Black Tracy Monk Kappy deButts Judith Norback Susan Dickerson Keith Sanders Lewis Glenn Sarah & Mike Stashak Sara Hehir Marion Smith Roxanne Smith Roxanne Smith and Susan Dickerson, Co-Chairs, Zoning & Variance Committee - varianceandzoning@peachtreebattlealliance.org PARKS COMMITTEENeighborhood Tree Canopy Project: Barbara Slick and Tina Maddox will begin working this fall with Landscape Architect Spencer Tunnell of Tunnell & Tunnell Landscape Architecture and ArborMedics owner Chris Hastings to establish a plan to address the aging neighborhood tree canopy in Peachtree Battle Alliance neighborhoods.
Gunnison Tree Specialists: Matt Cathell, President of Gunnison Tree Specialists, has generously offered to remove the dead trees in Sibley Park that fell across Woodward Way during the last storm as well as the two dead crabapple trees in the Habersham Memorial Garden at Peachtree Battle Avenue and Habersham Road. This work will be done pro bono as a service to the neighborhood. Many thanks to Matt, who grew up on Dellwood, and to his crews for their generosity. Fall Planting and Clean-up: The Haynes Manor Garden Club will have their annual fall planting and clean-up day in the Peachtree Battle Avenue median parks on Friday, October 24th. For four years, garden club members have performed this service for the neighborhood. Thanks HMGC. Topographical Study: In 1989, registered land surveyor Charles Worthy (now deceased) donated to the PBA a topographical and horticultural survey of the Dellwood median park on Peachtree Battle Avenue. This survey was part of an endeavor to improve the median parks undertaken by the PBA Board and volunteers with expert planning and design by esteemed local landscape architect Ed Daugherty. To this day, Mr. Daugherty continues to offer generous guidance with this ongoing effort. The survey was not found in old Alliance files; however, with the help of Spencer Tunnell, Landscape Architect, and Tom Bostwick, of Bostwick Duke Worthy & Harper, Inc., a copy of the original study has been located. This survey will be valuable in future projects along the parkway medians.
PATH / Sewer Work: Sewer work has started along the PATH trail at Northside Drive between Peachtree Battle Avenue and Sagamore Drive necessitating removal of several trees. The Parks Committee will work with the contractors and with PATH to ensure that the area is reforested and that the construction site is cleaned up. Once the work is complete, the Parks Committee will work with PATH to make sure that appropriate landscape improvements are provided at both entrances to the trail.
Elizabeth Pritchard, Chair, Parks Committee -- landscaping@peachtreebattle.org CLEAN WATER ATLANTA UPDATEClean Water Atlanta’s SSES/Sewer Rehabilitation Program continues to improve the sewer infrastructure in the Peachtree Battle Area. As reported in the July 2008 edition of the Battle Cry, the Clean Water Atlanta program is using trenchless cured-in-place pipelining (CIPP) and pipe-bursting to repair the sewer lines in the area. Pipe-bursting is a process that uses a hydraulic “bursting head” to expand and break existing pipe while pulling a new pipe in place behind it. Pipe-bursting is trenchless, but workers must dig entrance and exit pits as well as sewer service reinstatement pits.Currently, pipe-bursting is taking place in Haynes Manor Park (along the walking path) between Peachtree Battle Avenue and Sagamore Drive. Crews are working to upsize the current sewer line from a 10-inch to a 12-inch diameter line. The work is expected to take one to two weeks, with restoration to be completed shortly. Any damaged trees will be replaced this fall. Additional work in the area includes a point repair on Woodward Way (between Oldfield Road and Northside Drive) and final cleanup and restoration of previously affected areas. CIPP installations are typically completed in a single day, since crews use robotic methods to restore active house connections from within the pipe. This quick and non-disruptive process allows our crews to work safely and efficiently. The traffic impact in the community is minimal and will result in single lane closures on the following streets:
· Peachtree Battle Avenue · Dellwood Drive · Woodward Way · Peachtree Memorial Drive [south of Peachtree Creek, west of Peachtree Road by Panera]
You may see DWM crews or other contractors out spraying fluorescent paint near the sidewalk curbing or in the right-of-way. This process is used to identify and locate various underground utilities before construction takes place. The paint will wear away over time.
Sewer rehabilitation construction is scheduled through the end of the year with street and lane closures subject to change. For more information about the Clean Water Atlanta program, please visit our website at www.atlantawatershed.org or call the Project Helpline at (404)-529-9211 Deanne A. Titus, Public Information Manager,North Area, SSES/Rehab Program, DWM-- Deanne.titus@awsip.orgTreasurer’s Report – August 31, 2008The Profit & Loss statement below shows the following information:
We are anticipating showing a budget surplus of $8,040 for calendar year 2008. This is approximately $1,690 greater than the May 2008 estimated surplus. The budget surplus will be used to cover the November and December 2008 security patrol amounts due to assist our neighborhood with launching this new and exciting service.
Please feel free to direct your questions or comments on the 2008 financial information to Mark Rainosek at treasurer@peachtreebattlealliance.org. PBA NEIGHBORHOOD HISTORY…SIXTIETH ANNIVERSARY: E. RIVERS SCHOOL FIREAt 3:10 p.m. on Friday, September 17, 1948, just five minutes after 821 students had been dismissed for the day, flames engulfed and destroyed E. Rivers School at the corner of Peachtree Battle Avenue and Peachtree Road. City and County fire equipment helplessly battled the blaze for three hours but were unable to contain the fire which shot flames upward 100 feet high and left only a shell of granite walls. The $250,000 fire gutted the thirty-one year old school. H. F. Landers, an employee of the Fulton County school system, was attempting to destroy a wasp’s nest when the fire erupted. “Using a long pole with lighted wads of paper on the end as a torch, Landers was stabbing at wasp nests in the eaves of the building when the flames burst out in the terra cotta roofing on the edge of the structure. Gaining rapid momentum, the blaze quickly flamed into a roaring inferno that defied firemen. Intense heat, coupled with falling fragments of roofing, drove them back a short distance as they turned all available hoses onto the conflagration.“(Atlanta Constitution 1948) The idea of a neighborhood school, “a valuable improvement”(Atlanta Constitution 1914), was promoted in an E. Rivers Realty Company advertisement in 1914: “Recognizing that North Atlanta has grown to where a modern public school is essential, the Peachtree Heights Park Co. has decided to give the county free of cost, two acres of its property for school purposes, worth at regular prices $15,000 to $20,000.”(Atlanta Constitution 1914) “Messrs. Clark Howell, E. Lee Worsham, Robert F. Maddox, Walter P. Andrews and Shelby Smith have been appointed a committee to select two acres in the most conveniently located section of Peachtree Heights Park, for a school house for North Atlanta. Rapid residence development throughout this section makes the establishment of the right sort of school house imperative. This one is going to be the right sort…. The school building will be in keeping with the property and with the north side development...modern and up-to-date in every respect. “(Atlanta Constitution 1914) The driving force behind the establishment of a neighborhood school was Eretus Rivers (1872-1932), president of the E. Rivers Realty Company and developer of early garden suburbs in Atlanta including, among others, Peachtree Heights (1908) on the east side of Peachtree Road and Peachtree Heights Park (1910) on the west side. “Mr. Rivers perceived early the need of a school, but it was with some difficulty that he convinced the county school authorities it would be needed.”(Atlanta Journal 1926) Mr. Rivers was known as “a capable and efficient businessman” and “one of the best known men in Atlanta…prominent in real estate and banking circles.”(Atlanta Constitution 1932) Rivers served terms on the Fulton County Board of Education, the Board of Founders of Oglethorpe University, was president of the Atlanta Boys’ Club, president of the Atlanta Joint Stock Land Bank, and member of the executive committee, vice president and business manager of the Stone Mountain Confederate Memorial Association. E. Rivers was active in many civic, social and fraternal organizations of the day, on the governing board and president of the Capital City Club, member of the Piedmont Driving Club, and, with his wife Una Sperry Rivers, a devoted member of North Avenue Presbyterian Church. On the day of his funeral in 1932, “the E. Rivers school was dismissed Friday morning as a mark of esteem for the man who had made it possible through untiring efforts and donations.”(Atlanta Constitution 1932) In November 1915, the Fulton County Board of Education announced construction of a “modern,
seven grade school on Peachtree Battle avenue” on land donated by the Peachtree Heights Park Company. “Many
prominent citizens interested in Peachtree Battle avenue section appeared before the board to plead for the school project,
among whom were Robert F. Maddox, Clark Howell, Shelby Smith, Cam Dorsey and E. Rivers.”(Atlanta Constitution 1915) The announcement
came just four years after the first auction of lots in Peachtree Heights Park. By June 1916, a rendering
of the new schoolhouse for North Atlanta was prominently pictured in the Atlanta Constitution.
“The imperative need of a school house in this section has long been felt by the county board of education, but
it has been unable until now to supply a building in keeping with the architecture of this attractive and growing residence
section…The board would have been unable to do so today but for the fact that the land upon which this school house
will stand, and the stone, the cement and sand of which it will be built, have all been donated free of cost to the county
board. Those interested in the erection of this school house in Peachtree Heights Park to supply the Buckhead section, made arrangements for these gifts in order that the school board might be able
to furnish a building that should be second to none in the state.”(Atlanta
Constitution 1916) Architects J.C. Battle and A. Barili drew
the plans, utilizing materials of Stone Mountain granite, terra cotta tile roofing, with the building facing north and sited
“upon an eminence in Peachtree Heights park…about 800 feet from The Lodge at Peachtree.” “The
building and its equipment will be modern in every respect, steam-heated throughout and as near fireproof as it is possible
to make it.”(Atlanta Constitution 1916) An article described the new schoolhouse as “dignified and elegant…a social center
as well as a school, [which] will promote a lot of good undertakings in the neighborhood.”(Atlanta Constitution 1916) The school “served
patrons from the City Limits out Peachtree; Peachtree Hills, out to Lindberg Dr., north on Peachtree to Wesley Road, and included
Loring Heights, Haynes Manor and other fashionable areas.”(Atlanta
Constitution 1948) Construction of the school by contractors Donaldson & Pierson began in January 1917 at a projected
cost of $20,000. A news article of the time announced that noted Philadelphia landscape artist Robert B.
Cridland would prepare “the execution of an imposing landscape design.”(Atlanta
Constitution 1917) Cridland wintered in the South and was responsible
for projects around Atlanta including Tuxedo Park and Druid Hills. The plan, if actually drawn, was lost
and never implemented. The school opened in the fall of 1917 as Peachtree Heights School with a stated goal by the new PTA
to improve the schoolyards that “are in such condition that it is impossible for the pupils to have their recess out
of doors.”(Atlanta Constitution 1918) Within a few years, the thriving Peachtree Heights School was described as “the center of
one of the most prosperous sections of Fulton County and numbers among its patrons many of the prominent families of Atlanta.”(Atlanta Constitution 1922) In 1923, Eretus Rivers donated use of the Lodge, his Peachtree
Heights Park real estate office at the abutment of Peachtree Road and Peachtree Battle Avenue, for a Kindergarten under the
direction of Mrs. Mary Hardwick Bloodworth. In 1926, the Fulton County Board of Education changed the name
of Peachtree Heights School to the “E. Rivers School” in appreciation of numerous contributions made by Mr. Rivers
to the development of the school plant and curriculum.”(Atlanta Constitution
1926) Over the years, several expansions and renovations were undertaken
with additional donations of land from the Rivers family. Just before the 1948 fire, the school had been
refurbished again at a cost of $20,000. Twenty-two teachers and 821 students occupied the 24-classroom
building. Among the thousands of spectators at the fire was a young matron who said “This ends a tradition with my family…My
mother attended that school. I went to E. Rivers, and my little boy just started this week.”(Atlanta Constitution 1948) Within a short time following the devastating fire, arrangements
were made by the Board of Education to conduct classes at The Temple and at Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church.
Architects Stevens and Wilkinson, known as early advocates of the “modern aesthetic in architecture”, drew
plans for the new school building in 1949 and classes began in 1950. E. Rivers Elementary School was considered
architecturally noteworthy and published widely. The school brought numerous other commissions to the firm. (New Georgia Encyclopedia) Reporter
Doris Lockerman from The Atlanta Constitution visited the school in 1950 and wrote: “They
were ready to lay the cornerstone at E. Rivers School Tuesday when they took me to visit it. There isn’t
a gargoyle in sight, an arch or turret to be seen. There is nothing but clean brick, soft vibrant color.
Winter sunshine, polished windows and floors, and a playful breeze as decoration…here at last is one place we
have not done a second rate job.”(Ann Boutwell, Atlanta 30305, April 1996) Sixty
years after the fire, E. Rivers Elementary School and the Lodge, structures from two eras in architectural design, flank the
entrance to Peachtree Battle Avenue, still promoting “ a lot of good undertakings in the neighborhood.”(Atlanta Constitution 1916) Thanks to neighbors David Kulman and Elizabeth
Rubenoff who witnessed the fire and shared stories and photos as well as to Sandy Wagner, E. Rivers Media Specialist, for
historical articles. Judy Tindel, judytindel@aol.com Construction of the school by contractors Donaldson & Pierson began in January 1917 at a projected cost of $20,000. A news article of the time announced that noted Philadelphia landscape artist Robert B. Cridland would prepare “the execution of an imposing landscape design.”(Atlanta Constitution 1917) Cridland wintered in the South and was responsible for projects around Atlanta including Tuxedo Park and Druid Hills. The plan, if actually drawn, was lost and never implemented. The school opened in the fall of 1917 as Peachtree Heights School with a stated goal by the new PTA to improve the schoolyards that “are in such condition that it is impossible for the pupils to have their recess out of doors.”(Atlanta Constitution 1918) Within a few years, the thriving Peachtree Heights School was described as “the center of one of the most prosperous sections of Fulton County and numbers among its patrons many of the prominent families of Atlanta.”(Atlanta Constitution 1922) In 1923, Eretus Rivers donated use of the Lodge, his Peachtree Heights Park real estate office at the abutment of Peachtree Road and Peachtree Battle Avenue, for a Kindergarten under the direction of Mrs. Mary Hardwick Bloodworth. In 1926, the Fulton County Board of Education changed the name of Peachtree Heights School to the “E. Rivers School” in appreciation of numerous contributions made by Mr. Rivers to the development of the school plant and curriculum.”(Atlanta Constitution 1926) Over the years, several expansions and renovations were undertaken with additional donations of land from the Rivers family. Just before the 1948 fire, the school had been refurbished again at a cost of $20,000. Twenty-two teachers and 821 students occupied the 24-classroom building. Among the thousands of spectators at the fire was a young matron who said “This ends a tradition with my family…My mother attended that school. I went to E. Rivers, and my little boy just started this week.”(Atlanta Constitution 1948) Within a short time following the devastating fire, arrangements were made by the Board of Education to conduct classes at The Temple and at Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church. Architects Stevens and Wilkinson, known as early advocates of the “modern aesthetic in architecture”, drew plans for the new school building in 1949 and classes began in 1950. E. Rivers Elementary School was considered architecturally noteworthy and published widely. The school brought numerous other commissions to the firm. (New Georgia Encyclopedia) Reporter Doris Lockerman from The Atlanta Constitution visited the school in 1950 and wrote: “They were ready to lay the cornerstone at E. Rivers School Tuesday when they took me to visit it. There isn’t a gargoyle in sight, an arch or turret to be seen. There is nothing but clean brick, soft vibrant color. Winter sunshine, polished windows and floors, and a playful breeze as decoration…here at last is one place we have not done a second rate job.”(Ann Boutwell, Atlanta 30305, April 1996) Sixty years after the fire, E. Rivers Elementary School and the Lodge, structures from two eras in architectural design, flank the entrance to Peachtree Battle Avenue, still promoting “ a lot of good undertakings in the neighborhood.”(Atlanta Constitution 1916)
Thanks to neighbors David Kulman and Elizabeth Rubenoff who witnessed the fire and shared stories and photos as well as to Sandy Wagner, E. Rivers Media Specialist, for historical articles.
Judy Tindel, judytindel@aol.com TRAFFIC CALMING COMMITTEE
The Traffic Committee continues its work to improve traffic in our neighborhood. Here are the highlights since our last update.
Peachtree / Peachtree Battle Ave. / E. Rivers Intersection: We moved from completing the traffic study to engaging the City on possible options for the intersection. The City has engaged their own Traffic Engineer to study the intersection and they have come back with two proposals that reconfigure the area. This was at the request of the Traffic Committee and Claire Muller. The recommendations made by the City provide an idea on what is possible in that area. The next steps are to get together with a larger group made up of representatives from the City, Carter & Associates, E Rivers, DOT and the neighborhood to discuss a process for integrating the requirements of the various constituents.
New Speed Humps: The City of Atlanta has recently installed new speed humps in the area, paid for through Quality of Life funds: Westover Drive, NW between Northside Drive and West Wesley Road; Woodward Way, NW between Habersham Road and Peachtree Battle Avenue. This initiative shows that the City is willing to support neighborhood requests to improve the traffic situation. If there are other areas of PBA that have interest in similar traffic calming changes, please contact the Peachtree Battle Alliance leadership or Traffic Committee.
Improvement Process: Everyone on the Traffic Committee and PBA Board is very aware of the pace of improvement being made on Traffic Calming issues. It has been a while since the overall design was completed and major changes have been slow in coming. There are a number of reasons for this pace, some of them in our control, but many have been out of our influence due to other factors.
For the areas in our control, there has been some progress:
Out of our control are the resources and City/State funding for various projects that we would like to see completed. With the Connect Atlanta analysis and planning coming to closure, the next phase of prioritizing and funding will begin.
So while there is progress, we all feel that we can do more. In the next few weeks some members of the committee will be meeting with the Executives from the Perimeter Community Improvement District – PCID. This organization was created to manage similar issues and has been extremely successful. Here is a brief snippet from their Charter: The PCID's have achieved unparalleled success in leveraging federal funds and state dollars for projects aimed at relieving traffic congestion, improving access, and encouraging 'Walkability'. The Dekalb and Fulton PCIDs have maintained their competitive edge in leveraging these funds since their inception in 1999 and 2001 respectively. Along with over $6.5 million through the Livable Centers Initiative program, they have managed to secure over $500 million from various federal, state and local funding sources.
While their effort was on a much broader scale, there is much we can learn from them to help us reach our goals. Jeff Hehir, Chair, Traffic Calming Committee--
traffic@peachtreebattlealliance.org
PBA NEIGHBORHOOD NOTES…information and events of interest to PBA residents
HABERSHAM GARDEN CLUB HOLIDAY GIFT SHOW The Habersham Garden Club will hold its third biannual Holiday Gift Show at the home of Daphne and Boyd Eaton on Tuesday, October 14th from 10:00 until 4:00, 2887 Howell Mill Road. Halycon Oaks was built in 1921 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. This lovely estate is the perfect setting for selling a wide selection of jewelry, purses, children's gifts, men's accessories, monogrammed items, Atlanta china and much more. Get a head start on your holiday shopping in an historical and lovely environment. The Habersham Garden Club has an 80-year association with the Peachtree Battle Alliance neighborhood. Elspeth Willcoxon, president of the club, stated in a September 3 article in the Neighbor Newspapers: “Our garden club was formed in 1928 on a screened porch of a home on Habersham Road. We’re into our third and fourth generations of members right now.” In 1932, the club decided to take on development of an “undrained bog of 8000 square feet” in the median park at Peachtree Battle Avenue and Habersham Road. The landscaping and maintenance program for the new garden began in 1933 and has continued uninterrupted ever since. According to the Neighbor Newspaper article, “Over the last year, the club commissioned Ivan Bailey, an architectural metal worker from Jasper, to hand-forge the hand rails leading into the garden. Club members gave the garden a face lift this year: pruning, weeding and planting new trees, flowers and shrubbery.” Ms. Willcoxon indicated that the club’s work on the Habersham Memorial Garden is “our pride and joy.” Drivers and pedestrians who pass the garden daily would add that we all appreciate and enjoy the Memorial Garden. Please support the Habersham Garden Club Memorial Garden by attending the Holiday Gift Show on October 14. KUDOS TO BOBBY JONES GOLF CLUB!This year’s Annual Meeting (Tuesday, Oct. 14) will be held at Bobby Jones Clubhouse instead of E. Rivers School. In an effort to provide more opportunities for neighbors to get to know one another, the PBA Board decided to change the venue of the meeting so that it would be more conducive to conversation and questions. As a result of the change, beer and wine will now be offered and time will be provided for neighbors to socialize. Many thanks to Justin Bennett, General Manager of Bobby Jones, for donating half of the space rental fee to the PBA. Neighbors are encouraged to support our neighborhood golf course. Justin wants Battle Cry readers to know that: “The course is in great shape. Lessons are available from our PGA Professional, Chris Knobloch, who can be reached at 770-402-8749. Chris also specializes in Juniors and is available all year round.” For further information, contact Bobby Jones Golf Course, (404)355-1009, FAX (404)355-2764, gm@bobbyjonesgc.com, http://bobbyjones.americangolf.com
PEACHTREE BATTLE FRIENDS The annual Halloween Party for Peachtree Battle Friends, a neighborhood fundraising group for Children’s’ Healthcare of Atlanta, is Friday, October 31st at 5:00. So bring the kids and grab a hotdog for this fundraiser for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Look for a flyer in your mailbox soon.
POST YOUR CALENDAR INFORMATION…in the Battle Cry with dates and events of interest to the community- email battlecry@peachtreebattlealliance.org.PBA MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
As of August 28, 2008, we have received dues from 369 neighbors, who represent approximately 63% of the neighborhood. Streets with the highest participation:
Nacoochee Place 100% Nacoochee Drive 93% Manor Ridge 76% Westover 75% Woodward Way 71% Alton 71%
Not sure if you paid your membership dues? Please check the latest Paid Members List on the Peachtree Battle Alliance web site at: http://www.peachtreebattlealliance.org/id68.html. We will be starting our 2009 Membership Drive at the PBA Fall Party on September 28th. Thank you for your continued support,
Susie Cogan, PBA Membership Chair- membership@peachtreebattlealliance.org E. RIVERS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Events and Activities- 404.802.7050
September 13-October 5 Children’s Fall Soccer Program September 19 Fall Family Picnic- 5:00 pm- BBQ honoring Eretus Rivers, who loved to entertain friends at barbeques at his home at Roxboro September 24 PTA Lunch and Learn in Auditorium- 12 noon · Q & A with Principal White- Parents and neighbors welcome October 3 Wellness Fair – Open to the community · Cholesterol Checks · Doctors on hand · Information about all health and wellness issues October 11 PTA Fall Grounds Clean-Up and Planting Day 9:00- 12 noon Parents and neighbors welcome October 16 Prospective Parent Evening 6:00-7:00 pm Come check out your neighborhood school! November 3-10 Community Outreach Project November 4 Election Day- No School November 5 PTA Lunch and Learn with Katy Pattillo, Atlanta Board of Education Patents and neighbors welcome November 26-28 Thanksgiving Holiday December 5 – 7 Annual Christmas Tree/Bake and Bow Sale December 16 and 17 School wide performance of “The Nutcracker” FROM BATTLE CRY ARCHIVES… “There is one gracious example of a fine old tree that I want to mention but can’t because, well, I don’t know its name...Let me give a tribute to this mystery tree anyway. It is a wonderful tree that stands at the corner of Dellwood and Woodward Way and towers there so powerfully, yet so gracefully. I wish I could greet it by name. I hope you can…If you see me out walking, and you know the name of the mystery tree, please introduce us.” Excerpted from “Trees” by Nancy Dutcher, Woodward Way: Winter 1994 Battle Cry Fourteen years after Nancy’s plea for an introduction, Chris Hastings, owner of ArborMedics, has solved the mystery of the grand old tree for us all. Chris writes, “The tree in front of Armand Estroff's house is an American Elm--probably the second largest in the state of Georgia. I have worked on the largest and I think this one is better but the formula didn't agree.” Populations of the American Elm (Ulmus americana), once considered the best shade tree for city streets, were wiped out by the Dutch Elm Disease (DED), a parasitic wilt fungal blight carried by elm bark beetles that arrived on wood imported from abroad in 1930. The disease killed over 100 million elm trees by 1960 by spreading through the root systems of closely planted elms. Only limited populations of resistant trees, including our tough old resident, remain in the landscape. Monoculture plantings of elms in many towns caused a general failure of all street trees due to the transmission of the blight from elm to elm through interlacing roots. The variety of tree species planted in the Alliance neighborhoods over the years has offered protection to the Dellwood elm from the effects of DED. In recent years, nurseries have introduced new resistant strains of the American Elm that may herald the reemergence of this graceful street tree in the future. The neighborhoods of the Peachtree Battle Alliance enjoy a stunning array of magnificent trees. Do you know their names? THE BATTLE CRY NEEDS YOU! Please help enhance communications in Peachtree Battle Alliance neighborhoods by volunteering. Contact battlecry@peachtreebattlealliance.org
NEW EDITOR NEEDED The Battle Cry is looking for a new editor starting with the December issue. The current editor Judy Tindel will be taking on new committee responsibilities within the Peachtree Battle Alliance. Contact president@peachtreebattlealliance.org.
ALLIANCE NOTES…PBA MATTERS!
PBA CALENDAR
PBA Fall Party Sunday, September 28th - 4pm–7pm -- Location: Manor Ridge and Dellwood
Bring the family! Snow cones, horse rides, bouncy slide, live music and dinner by Mrs Winners!
PBA Annual Meeting Tuesday, October 14th - 7pm --Location: Bobby Jones Golf Course Club House PBA members: Come and socialize with your neighbors and learn about all the great things your Peachtree Battle Alliance is doing for the neighborhood.
SEEKING OLD PBA RECORDS Can you help? We are collecting old issues of the Battle Cry and copies of PBA records. The association, was first established in the mid 1960’s, with bylaws drawn up in 1974. Please contact Judy Tindel at judytindel@aol.com. |
