News

Friday, January 08, 2010

Commissioner Rader Reports on Greenspace

Commissioner Rader Reports on Master Plan for Greenspace in DeKalb County (Excerpt) Full report available at:
http://www.commissionerrader.com/news/news298.html

by Commissioner Jeff Rader

This month, a new director, Roy Wilson, takes the helm of DeKalb County's Parks and Recreation department. The hope is that the new director, like the New Year, marks the beginning of a new era for the department.

But a new face in the same place by itself does not ensure a new direction. Rather, personnel change needs to be supplemented by a forward-looking strategy for the department that fulfills the county's goals in line with the department's resources.

That strategy is already on the table thanks to the completion of a new 10-year master plan for the county's parks and recreation department. A 408-page comprehensive plan was presented this summer by an outside firm hired by the county.

Perhaps the best feature of the master plan is that it provides objective and quantifiable measurements of the county's assets for parks and recreation. It also establishes baseline standards for quantity and quality of current and future assets. (Links to the report are at end of this update.)

The report recommends the county strive to have 18 acres of green space per 1,000 citizens. Based on the county's population, that goal amounts to almost 13,000 acres of parkland, but the county currently has less than 6,000 acres. By that same benchmark, District Two would have about 2,500 acres of parkland, but currently it has about 400 acres.

District Two not only is badly lacking in green space, it also is woefully inadequate compared to other county districts. Based on the report's inventory listing, the approximate breakdown by district is as follows (in descending order): District Five, 3510 acres; District Three, 1005 acres, District Four, 751 acres, District One, 598 acres, and District Two, 362 acres.

Additional information is available:
Green Space Acquisition Report (October 2009)http://www.commissionerrader.com/issues/issue48_files/GS_Acquisition_Report_(10-2009).pdf

Parks & Recreation Master Plan (Executive Summary)Note: Large File Size: 7 MBhttp://www.co.dekalb.ga.us/parks/pdf/DekalbParksRecMasterPlan_ExecutiveSummary.pdf

Parks & Recreation Master Plan (Entire Plan)Note: Large File Size: 20 MBhttp://www.co.dekalb.ga.us/parks/pdf/DekalbParks&RecMasterPlan_Complete.pdf

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Crime Preventions Meeting Jan. 13th

There will be a Crime Preventions Meeting on January 13th at 7 pm at the clubhouse.



As most of you are aware, in the last few months we have had a number of incidents of criminal activity within and around our neighborhood, and suspicious vehicles continue to cruise our streets. In an effort to inform our residents how to more effectively deal with these problems; the LCPHCA has invited the DeKalb County Police Department's Community Policing Unit to speak to all interested Leafmore residents on January 13th at 7 pm at the Clubhouse on Altamont Drive. The subject will be Crime Prevention at home and tips for personal safety. Their presentation will run about a half hour, and they will be available for questions. We will adjourn no later than 8:30 pm.


This is open to ALL RESIDENTS in Leafmore-including non-members of the Association and renters. If you have any questions about improving home security, defending yourself and property, or how to protect yourself when out on the streets; the police have many useful recommendations. This will be the only agenda item, so this will be a more complete presentation than the abbreviated version they made to the Association members in October.



Please mark your calendars, and we will look forward to seeing you on the 13th.

Best Regards in the New Year to you and yours!
LCPHCA Officers and Board

Friday, October 09, 2009

Leafmore Crimestoppers

DeKalb County Police spokesperson, Janean Hightower and Community Enforcement Officer Obester, spoke to our Civic Association on October 6, 2009 to address the increasing crime in the area; they made many very helpful, common sense and doable suggestions on how to help avoid having problems. Their recommendations include:

1. Talk to your neighbors; keep current with what is happening on your street; keep your neighbors informed of any criminal activity by posting information on your neighborhood Google group.
2. Call 911 anytime you see something suspicious. A panel van parked in a neighbor’s house when they are not at home is a huge ‘clue’! Get a description of vehicles and perpetrators, note license plates if possible.
3. Tell your neighbors if you will be away from home, and ask them to keep a look out for you. This may be more effective than the other precautions.
4. Practice Deterrence: a large dog may be better than a security system!
   
5. If you have a security system, USE IT-even if only leaving the house for a few minutes. Make sure your system has a battery back-up, includes motion detectors in the house, can communicate WHERE the break-in occurred, can call the monitoring company using cellular technology even if the telephone lines are cut, has loud audible sirens inside and outside, and arrange it so that the police are called before they call you. Best of all, have a sound monitor, so that your security company can hear what is going on inside your home during a break-in.
6. Check to make sure your windows are secured: the latches are in good working order and they are reinforced by pins placed in the window frame (drill a small hole through the inside frame and partway into the outside frame, and place a stout nail in the hole. Do this off to the side.)
7. Install good locks.
8. Check to make sure your door frames are in good shape. Ninety percent of break-ins occur from a thief kicking in the back door. The lock holds, but the frame gives way. In 50 year old houses like ours, the frames may have deteriorated over time.
9. Petition the county to install additional street lighting.
10. Install motion-detector flood lighting all around your house. It may not be so good for your electric bill, but it will deter thieves.
11. Do not leave valuables in plain view from someone looking through a door or window. If needed, close the drapes so they can’t see your big screen TV and computers (flat screen TV’s are the hottest property right now for thieves)
12. Same goes for cars: lock them and set the security system and NEVER leave valuables in the car.
13. The crooks do not want to encounter anyone at home, they want to break in, grab your stuff and leave without a confrontation if they can avoid it (most break-ins occur between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm by unarmed individuals who RUN if encountered)
14. When you plan to be gone overnight or longer, put some lights on timers in the house, have your mail and newspapers picked up, and keep a radio talk show on at a level that someone at the door can hear talking, but not make out that it is coming from a radio: NOT a music station, a 100% talk show station.
15. Maintain a file of serial numbers from your electronics or engrave it with a special code (first four digits are your street address; last four digits are the last four digits of your telephone number) so that it can be returned to you when the thief is caught.
16. Photograph your jewelry when you are wearing it.
17. Get involved in a Neighborhood Watch program, and/or get volunteers for the Volunteers In-Patrol program.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Agenda for Fall Meeting and LCPHCA Membership Application Form for 2010-2011

The next general meeting of the LCPHCA membership will be October 6th at 7:30 at the clubhouse on Altamont.

Here is a short form of the agenda for this meeting:

7:30-Call to Order
7:35- Officers Reports-Treasurer, Grounds, etc.
7:40-Old Business
1) Entrances
2) Williamsburg Update
3) Grounds
4) School Redistricting/military school
5) Cookout Report
6) Lavista Intersection Improvements: Frazier and Oak Grove
7) Mason Mill Park path entrance at Spring Creek-update
8) Village Market-new businesses
9) Costco Update at North DeKalb
10) ARC funding approved for N. Druid Hills LCI study
11) Northlake and Mason Mill library branches now open
12) Water restrictions
13) Toilet rebate program
14) Over story trees

New Business
15) Pete Patterson as new VP, to take over in Spring 2010
16) Lifelong Communities-Aging In Place
17) Crime-Burglaries In Leafmore (Police have been invited)
a)Volunteers In Patrol Program
b) Off Duty Patrols option

Reminder: recent burglaries during the day at Wood Leaf and Vista Leaf and River Oak. YOUR BEST DEFENSE IT TO INFORM YOUR NEIGHBORS WHEN YOU WILL BE AWAY FROM THE HOUSE.
18) Q&A
8:45-Adjourn

This Fall is also the kickoff for our biennial membership drive for 2010-2011. Every household will be receiving a newsletter in the next few days with a membership application form. A copy of this form is available below. Just copy and paste and send in. Thanks!

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM

To join the LCPHCA for the next two years, please fill in the form below and mail in your membership check made payable to the Leafmore Creek Park Hills Civic Association or LCPHCA. Mail this form and check to our treasurer, Rick Hollahan at 2691 River Oak Drive, Decatur, GA 30033. (Email addresses remain confidential).
Thank you for your contribution of the stamp and envelope!

Name:__________________________Address:_________________________________

Phone:_______________________Email:______________________________________
Membership Levels: Patron-$100, Regular-$50, Senior-$25

We have standing committees that can use your help. Please circle the name of any committee you would like to join: Grounds, Distribution, Zoning, Website, Traffic, Safety, or Welcoming. The committee chair will be in touch.

BENEFITS-Broadcast emails with information, a listing in the next LCPHCA Membership Directory, and making new friendships (the best benefit of all)!

Friday, July 10, 2009

Mission: Destroy Invaders

From CHCA member Suzan Rowe:

Is your yard overrun with English Ivy or Honeysuckle? Do you have a Mimosa tree that seeds out all over the place or privet shrubs that you’d like to remove and replace with plants that provide food & shelter for birds? Following is a brief summary of methods for eradicating these invasive exotic species and links to more information.

Because most invasive exotic plants are perennials with extensive roots or runners, eradication can be labor-intensive and costly. Prevention is the best defense against nonnative plant takeovers. Early detection and treatment will minimize the amount of effort and cost involved but if an infestation exists then it’s important to aggressively treat with the proper measures in order to keep it from spreading.

Mechanical Methods - Small infestations can be handled by one of the methods below. Mechanical methods are the quickest and easiest way to prevent a full-blow infestation.

• Pull seedlings and small or shallow-rooted plants when soil is moist.
• Dig out larger plants taking care to remove the roots system.
• Vines can easily be cut away to prevent flowering, seed production and damage to the tree. If vines are very large and growing up trees, cut the vine at the base of the tree and at shoulder height then remove the vines from that area and a swath around the base.
• Cut off flowers, seeds or fruits of ornamental plants before they ripen to prevent spreading.
• Trees can be cut down or starved of water & nutrients using a technique called “girdling”: cut through the bark and growing layer all around the trunk, about 6" above the ground. Girdling is most effective in spring when the sap is rising, and from middle to late summer when the tree is sending down food to the roots.
• For ground covers, mow or cut back the plants at least 3 times a season to deplete plants' store of nutrients, reduce seed formation, and kill or minimize spread of plants.

Unfortunately, some mechanical methods remove only the parts of the plant that are above ground and do not kill the roots. For this reason, these methods are often used in conjunction with herbicides. For example, string trimmers or mowers can be used to thin growth and damage leaves so that herbicide uptake and effectiveness will be improved. The stumps and stems of trees, shrubs, and bamboos can be treated with herbicides immediately after cutting to kill roots.

Chemical Methods - Effective herbicide applications can kill the roots without leaving bare soil that invites reinvasion or erosion. Damage to surrounding native plants can be minimized by using selective herbicides that target specific nonnative species and by applying the treatment while the desirable plants are dormant. For example, it’s best to apply basal sprays to the bark of invasives in late winter before most other plants emerge, or foliar spray evergreen or semi evergreen invasives after surrounding plants have entered dormancy. Timing is also an important factor in getting the best results for a given treatment. Ivy or kudzu should be sprayed late in the season when nutrients are being carried back to the roots rather than early when energy is going outward for growth. Selective application methods include directed foliar sprays, stem injection, cut-treat, basal sprays, and soil spots. If you are considering chemical methods, make sure you use only FDA approved herbicides, read and follow the directions completely, and use the least aggressive/most specific herbicide possible. For detailed information on methods herbicides and recommended methods for specific invasive species, go to http://www.invasive.org/species/weeds.cfm .

Once the invasive species have been eradicated, an important nest step is to rehabilitate the area immediately. This will prevent any surviving nonnatives from re-establishing themselves, stabilize the soil and prevent erosion. Next issue we will discuss rehabilitation strategies and present native plant alternatives to invasive exotics.

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Sign up for Periodic E-mails from Comm. Jeff Rader

Comm. Jeff Rader invites all Leafmore homeowners to sign up for periodic emails from his office relating to the county budget, the environment, PDK airport and taxes. Please follow the instructions below to sign up for this public information on issues that affect all of us in DeKalb.

This is an invitation to you and members of your homeowners association to sign up for my e-mail updates related to DeKalb County.

The intent of the e-mails is to inform and educate citizens about county government, because its activities have a direct impact on the quality of our lives.
To sign up for the updates, go to my web site: www.commissionerrader.com. From there, click on the "Stay Informed" link near the upper right corner.

Once or twice a month, I've been sending out e-mail updates. To read past updates, go to the web site and click on the "Issues" link near the top. At any time, you can unsubscribe from the e-mails.

I welcome your feedback on civic issues. If you need help in dealing with the county government, my office staff is available to provide guidance.

Thank you.

Commissioner Jeff Rader
DeKalb County Commissioner
District Two

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The Lakeside High School Foundation presents

Denim and Diamonds

an auction, dinner & dancing benefit

Friday, May 1st, 2009

The Old Decatur Courthouse On the Square in Decatur, GA

6:30pm - Silent Auction and Party Begins

9:00 pm - Auction Ends

7:30pm - Enjoy music provided by The Reputations

Dress is Denim and Diamonds, of course!

$50.00 per person ($25.00 is tax deductible)

Includes buffet dinner catered by Bada Bing, and one drink ticket.

Don’t miss the New Design and Jewelers One carat diamond giveaway.

Buy a glass of champagne for $50 and see if the stone attached is a

ONE CARAT DIAMOND!

Only fifty glasses will be sold! First come, first served. Must be present to win.

Please RSVP by April 20th.

Mail your check along with the completed reservation form.

If you will be using PayPal to purchase your tickets,

please be sure to fill out the RSVP form by April 20th.

The Lakeside Foundation offers financial support to academic, athletic and artistic LHS groups through grants, scholarships and recognition awards.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Want to Start a Backyard Vegetable Garden?

Have you ever wanted to grow fresh vegetables in a plot in your own back yard? The DeKalb Extension Service is sponsoring a class on the "Basics of Home Vegetable Gardening" from how to start to how to maintain and harvest.

When: March 17
Where: DeKalb Extension Training Center Auditorium, 4380 Memorial Drive, Decatur GA 30032

Instructor: Bob Westerfield, UGA Extension Specialist
Cost: $7.00

To Register call: 404-298-4080

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

LEAFMORE CREEK PARK HILLS CIVIC ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

www.leafmore-creekpark.org
Leafmore Creek Park Hills Civic Association Year in Review, 2008

The bare trees and brown lawns of winter remind us that another year has come and gone in Leafmore Creek Park Hills. The economy has many of us worried about our financial futures, and the world continues to face many daunting problems. Fortunately, those of us living in LCPH have the support of good neighbors and a quality of life that is the envy of many. We all have our fair share of difficulties; but as we face a New Year, we need to remember that we also have so much to be thankful for!

As homeowners, we’ve survived another year of drought by putting in rain barrels, conserving water and gardening with drought resistant plants. Our very own Grounds Committee has led the way by incorporating such plantings in our entrance flower beds every spring and fall. A special thanks to them and the volunteers!

On a related note, after some years of thoughtful consideration regarding renovating our various entrances, it looks like we are “almost there.” The final design decision will be made at the April 7th, 2009 annual meeting of the Civic Association. The upgrades will be financed through a variety of fundraisers.

There will be a neighborhood-wide cook out on May 9th, sponsored by the LCPHCA and open to all residents. Whether you are an association member, non-member or a renter, you are cordially invited to meet and greet your fellow neighbors and the officers of the Civic Association. We will provide hot dogs, chips, drinks and a dessert from 4 PM to 7 PM at the clubhouse. More details will be announced via broadcast email and the Leafmore Google group. A small model of the new entrance design will be on display.

You have also noticed the wonderful street sign toppers installed this year that identify us as a “neighborhood.” Rodger and Rick put this together.
Along with our neighboring civic and homeowners associations, the LCPHCA has continued to sponsor election year “candidate fairs”. State and local candidates for public office are available for a “meet and greet” with interested residents of central Dekalb. Sue is our liaison for these fairs.

Maintaining and growing our bond with other neighborhood groups is especially important, as banding together is the surest way to protect our quality of life. Numbers do count when it comes to influencing local and state government officials.

One example of the benefits of such a bond is multiple-neighborhood support for the Sagamore Hills Civic Association in its legal actions against Club Pure. This club relocated to the Williamsburg Shopping Center from Buckhead after the Atlanta City Council tightened up on the “last pour” hours for nightclubs. Additionally, the DeKalb Commission has addressed the inherent conflict between the growing influx of nightclubs to our county and the residential areas they impact (Dekalb county now has the most liberal “last pour” schedule in the Metropolitan area). Commissioner Jeff Rader sponsored legislation that beefs up the county zoning code with specific language indicating where nightclubs and late-night establishments may be located.
Another example of that expanding central Dekalb neighborhood bond is the number of civic associations keeping a watchful eye on builder plans to replace the Williamsburg apartment community for seniors with a large mixed use development. We are charter members of a new group called the Toco Hills Area Alliance, formed as a 501-c3 non-profit corporation to become proactively involved in area planning.

You are familiar with the Carey Hansard Park at Clairmont and Lavista. The PARC board is comprised of members from several neighborhoods who have managed this property for the last 12 years without any individual contributions since the initial community funded purchase. We recently contributed to their maintenance overhead and support their efforts to preserve this passive green space. We will also help them with funding in future years.

Another item of local interest is North Dekalb Mall. The owner signed a contract with Costco in June and hopes to have them in by late 2009. The owner is also looking at a major mall redesign that eliminates enclosed areas and creates a central drive arrangement with store fronts.

Back to our own neighborhood issues: the LCPHCA has created a letter that will be sent to all homeowners in our neighborhood who are preparing to move away, asking them if they would like to make a financial gift to the Association. The goal is to raise enough funds to permanently endow the Association with the financial resources to maintain and improve the visual appearance of the neighborhood, the entrances and deal with other quality of life issues. Contributors will be permanently listed on our website in the Hall of Fame.

A school redistricting proposal is up for consideration that would put all of Leafmore into the same high school and middle school district (for HS we are currently split between Lakeside and Druid Hills). Vera Kornylak is working with a non-civic association consortium of parents who are in favor of the reunification of the neighborhood.

We are working with the owners of the Oak Grove shopping center to cut down on littering along Oak Grove Road. We all need to do our part and dispose of trash properly. We do not want trash in our yards, so please don’t throw it on your neighbor’s lawn either.
There is a leash law in DeKalb. A loose dog tipped over a stroller with a baby in it! Fortunately no one was hurt. On a related note, we continue to hear many complaints about failures to ‘scoop the poop.’

The DOT will begin working on straightening the Lavista/Oak Grove intersection in the near future. This will make the intersection more pedestrian safe and friendly, and improve the traffic flow along Lavista. We have also been told that the Clairmont/N. Druid Hills intersection improvements are finally in the works. With the county’s budget issues, we’ll have to wait and see.

We are working with the county on a new ‘master plan’ for Mason Mill Park. They are looking at renovating the tennis complex, improving the trails, and building a new senior facility on the present site of the Mack Love center. We have requested that a boardwalk be constructed that will allow pedestrian and bike access from our entrance at Spring Creek Road that will tie into the trails at Mason Mill. This recommendation is now on the master plan drawings, and will give our residents easy access to this beautiful green space.

Save your LCPHCA newsletters! Real estate agents have pointed out that living in a neighborhood with an active association is a plus. Informing potential buyers about the issues facing the neighborhood and the association’s actions can make a difference and help you sell your house. We only focus on projects and issues that will improve our neighborhood.
Our next biannual membership drive for 2010-2011 will officially kick off in the Fall of 2009. The 2008-2009 drive was very successful, and dues and member donations paid for the many accomplishments listed above.

A note to all who have not joined the LCPH Civic Association, or would like to be more involved. Everyone who lives here has ideas, talents and abilities that would benefit all of us! As members we are united by our common interests in protecting and improving our neighborhood. This has led to new friendships among the members that will last a lifetime. Your financial support is also appreciated and essential. Your inclusion in our membership gives us a louder voice in our never ending conversations with county officials. BEING A MEMBER MAKES A DIFFERENCE, and can lead to great personal rewards as well!

Lastly, we want to thank some of those who should be recognized: Alison and Lee for their work on Grounds and new entrances, Kerry and Tom for their entrance design concepts, Vera for her involvement in school issues and zoning/land use, Pete and Angie for serving with PARC and on our board with sage advice, Rodger for his tireless support on every project (fairs, sign toppers, entrances, Mason Mill, zoning, and countless meetings), Sue for the Candidates’ Fairs and being the Association Secretary, Rick as Treasurer (can’t do it without him), Aryeh, Kurt, Reid, Rob, Mickel, the Zoning Committee, and the many others that space prevents us from mentioning.

Best Wishes to all for a safe and prosperous New Year!
LCPHCA Officers and Board of Directors

Friday, November 21, 2008

Run-Off Early Voting

Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, the results of the run-off for the US Senate seat between the incumbent, Republican Saxby Chambliss and Democrat challenger Jim Martin, could be the tipping point for total Democratic control of Congress. Other races to be decided include seats on the Board of Education and the Georgia Court of Appeals.

In DeKalb, Early Voting will be from 8 am to 7 pm
November 17 - 21 and November 22-24
4380 Memorial Drive
Decatur, Georgia 30032