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The

CITIZENS REVIEWVol. 20 Newsletter of the Mt. Paran-Northside Citizens Association, Inc. September 2004

Democracy Is Not A Spectator Sport

Nevertheless the majority of registered voters did not par-ticipate in the summer elections. Voter turnout at JacksonSchool was about 30% for the July 20 Primary and SpecialElection compared to a citywide turnout of 30.65%. Turn-out at Jackson was 18% for the August 10 Runoff Electioncompared to an overall turnout of only 17.31%. Its notsurprising that Secretary of State Cathy Cox asked this

unsettling question: Was there an election today?The lack of voter participation is perplexing. Even so, wewill continue to provide information on future electionswith the expectation that more citizens will become en-gaged. The General Election will be held on November 2.The ballot will include elections for President, U.S. Senate,U.S. House of Representatives, State Senate, State Houseof Representatives, District Attorney, Clerk of SuperiorCourt, Solicitor General, Fulton County Sheriff, FultonCounty Tax Commissioner, and Surveyor. The ballot willcontain Constitutional Amendments and other questions.

If you cant get to the polls on November 2, there are otheropportunities to cast a ballot. You can vote absentee bypicking up absentee ballot applications at the CountryStore, the fire station at the corner ofNorthside and West Conway, thepublic library on Northside Parkway,or online (see below). You can alsovote early (advance voting without areason) from October 25 through Oc-tober 29 from 8:30AM to 5:00PM atthe Fulton County Government Cen-ter, 141 Pryor St. (404-730-7020) or

the North Annex at 7741 Roswell Rd.(770-551-7676). On October 30 andNovember 1 you can go to one of thegovernment centers above to voteabsentee on the spot; however, youmust give a reason why you cantvote on November 2. You can goonline (myfultoncountyga.us orsos.state.ga.us) to register to vote,request an absentee ballot application,view a sample ballot in mid-September, find out what district you

Voter Apathy at Alarming Highs in Summer Vote

live in and the names of your representatives, learn aboucandidates and much more.

October 4 Deadline to register to voteNovember 2 General Election (7AM to 7PM)

November 23 Runoff (if necessary)

Apathetic Voters Need ProddingBy ROBERT TRIMCobb County Political Consultant

I am a campaign consultantone of the many people re-sponsible for the telephone calls, advertisements and mail-ers that I hear so many complaints about. If the whinershave a better method of reaching voters, let me know. Thefact is, potential voters don't come to forums and rarelyattend neighborhood socials to meet candidates. The ma-jority never even bother to vote. State and legislative racesare seen as a low priority and not worth the time. Voterscan't be bothered. Worse, many only bother to vote for can-

didates at the top of the ticket when they do feel so movedto go to the polls. Unfortunately, this cavalier, uninformedattitude is just the problem we in politics are trying to over-

come. It is the local politician whotruly affects your drive to work, yourclassroom size or your tax bill. Thesepositions don't pay much, and althoughthey are called part time, they don'tend when the legislative session isover. Folks, if you are going to registerto vote, I would hope that you wouldwant to be educated about the issues

and candidates you have to choosefrom. As for the complaints aboutcampaign literature and telephonecalls, maybe if more people wouldchoose to become engaged in the po-litical process, less indirect contactwould be needed. The problem withpolitics and government is the same aseducation. We have citizens who can'tbe bothered to skip Starbucks one dayto go vote, but always have time tocomplain. Get over it and go vote.

Your support is appreciated...

but thisis the

only poll

thatcounts!

GOP

DEM

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Due to the tiered rate structure, the 2004 rate represented aweighted average increase of 38.7% over 2003. When we firststarted pursuing the sales tax, it was estimated that the nextincrease of 37% in 2005 could be reduced to a 10% increase

with the implementation of the sales tax. Now we are hearingeven better news. Based upon the sales tax revenue forecastsfrom Georgia State and the projections of a consulting engineerwho conducted a financial feasibility study of the system, the2005 rate increase could actually be cut to around 3.5%.

The rates adopted earlier this year also included increases pro-grammed for 2006, 2007 and 2008, although these rate in-creases were substantially lower than those for 2004 and 2005.The actual rates needed for those years will be determined later,but clearly the sales tax will reduce the need for these increasessubstantially; how much will depend on actual tax collections.

Grants that Atlanta might receive from Washington would alsobe used in future years to take down the increases. So hopefully

increases like the 2004 increase will not be seen again.

Although we will be able to give substantial rate increase reliefin 2005, there are several proposals pending that may be fac-tored into the rate for 2005. We are studying the issue ofwhether residential buildings on single meters are treated fairlywith the new rates because individual units do not have the op-portunity to get a lower rate by conservation. There is anotherproposal held in committee that would give a greater discountto low-income seniors. There is also a proposal to remove theminimum charge for water. Any of these proposals, if ap-proved, could influence the manner in which the rate increasewill affect individual water system customers.

I am sure everyone is aware that the City of At-lanta raised the rates for water/sewer service inJanuary of this year. The increased rates werenecessary to pay for a huge sewer upgrade man-

dated by the Federal courts after Atlanta wassued for violation of the Clean Water Act. TheClean Water Atlanta plan, estimated to cost over

$3 Billion, must be completed by 2014.

The rates approved in January estimated increases of 45% in2004, 45% in 2005, 11% in 2006, 11% in 2007 and 11% in 2008.

These increases are huge. Atlanta has been lobbying diligentlyfor Federal grants to help offset them. Boston, San Diego andother cities have received Federal funds for sewer fixes and weare hoping Atlanta can also receive grants. Unfortunately, as ofJanuary, we had only received about $2 Million in Federal grantsand rates had to be put in place to continue the program and avoiddelays and fines such as the fines placed on Atlanta in the 1990s.

Atlanta lobbyists were told many times in Washington that ourGeorgia delegation expected the City of Atlanta to increase ratesprior to consideration of Federal grants. We also heard manytimes that our Georgian delegation expected the passage of asales tax like the SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option SalesTax) that Columbus, Georgia passed to pay for their sewer up-grades in the 1990s.

Unfortunately, a SPLOST must be put on the ballot by a county(Columbus-Muscogee is a consolidated government so did nothave this problem) and Fulton County refused to allow the ques-tion to be put on the ballot for the voters. Atlanta, with bipartisanhelp, was able to get the General Assembly to approve a new

kind of sales tax, a MOST (Municipal Option Sales Tax), whichcould be put on the ballot by a city for the voters to approve.

The MOST legislation from the General Assembly specified thatAtlanta could put the question on the ballot to add a penny to thesales tax for a period of four yearsbut it could be renewed bythe voters. Only two additional four-year periods could be author-ized by referendum under this new law, for a total of twelveyears. (NOTEthe school sales tax will expire June 30, 2006 sothe City of Atlanta will be at the 8 cent sales tax level for only 21months. The Atlanta Public School administration says that theywill not try to get their penny renewed by the voters.)

It was estimated that if Atlanta could levy a penny sales tax forsewers, that approximately 40% of the tax collected would come

from visitors or workers who do not live in Atlanta. On July 20,2004, the question of adding a penny sales tax was approved bythe voters of Atlanta by 75% to 25%.

The increase in the sales tax goes into effect in October, 2004.The City will not receive its first check from the State of Georgiauntil mid-December. The new rates for 2005 will be adopted bythe Council in early December, which means that we will nothave any sales tax history upon which to rely. The sales tax willbe factored into a rate adjustment using conservative forecastsperformed for us by Georgia State Universitys Fiscal ResearchCenter. What this means is that we dont know right now howmuch we can reduce the next increasebut it will be reduced.

Outdoor Watering RestrictionsFulton County residents must water according to their address,in accordance with the Drought Management Plan of the Geor-gia Department of Natural Resources. The plan eases outdoorwatering restrictions Fulton had in place for residents in unin-corporated areas, by eliminating the time-of-day limits.

Residents witheven-numbered addresses canwater on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

Residents withodd-numbered addresses canwater on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

No watering is allowed on Friday.

Ratepayers Will Get Help from Penny Sales TaxBY CLAIR MULLER

Atlanta City Council Member, District 8

Exceptions include any water use necessary for businesspurposes, such as professional landscaping, irrigation con-tractors, nurseries and garden centers, and commercial carwashes. Watering violations should be reported to the FultonCounty TELL line at 404-730-TELL. Violations of restric-tions can result in fines up to $1000.

For more information on the water restrictions and exemp-tions, call 404-730-7400. For the state water conservationplan, check the website of the Georgia Environmental Protec-tion Division at www.ganet.org/dnr/environ

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as the best way to enhance investment in existing greenspaceexpand the number of public parks, and ensure a consistent com-mitment to greenspace management. Fundamental to this newapproach would be the creation of a sustainable public-privatepartnership. However, the proposal was met with considerableresistance by the City Council for various reasons which in-cluded both substantive and technical objections.

The impetus for the disagreement between the Council and theMayor actually originates with a state law that only allows the

state legislature to create a quasi-governmental authority, even ifsuch entity has purely a local purpose. The park authority legisla-tion as initially drafted included several appointments by stateofficials to the park authority board, and no such appointmentsby the Atlanta City Council. Many Council Members felt thatbeyond being dubious policy, the creation of a park authority wasessentially a landand powergrab on the part of State govern-ment. Other Council Members, including myself, while havingsome concerns regarding the role of State government, did noascribe purely untoward motives to the drafters of the park legis-lation. We objected on the grounds that the creation of an Au-thority for the purpose of owning, controlling, managing andexpanding our parks is a policy issue of seismic proportions, and

as such should be the subject of extensive education, discussioninput and debate on both the City Council and neighborhoodlevel. Plus, there were simply too many unanswered questionsand unexplored options. For example, is a park authority neces-sary, or would a parks foundation or citywide conservancy suf-fice? Could we utilize the Atlanta Development Authority or theAtlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority to accomplish thesame purpose? Would a business enterprise or special revenuefund within city government meet our needs? Needless to saythe Council sent a clear message by flatly rejecting the proposalas being at least premature, even over the Mayors veto.

But should the half-baked discussion have ended in an apparentstalemate? Absolutely not. As policy makers we owe the citizens

of Atlanta much more than the spectacle of uninformed diatribeWe are obligated to hear the arguments, understand the issuesask the right questions, and devise opportunity-based policyPlus, we must include citizens in the process.

Toward this end, I convened a number of neighborhood activistsgovernment officials and business leaders to take a trip toChicago in order to learn more about park authorities first handMy goal was to resuscitate the policy discussion related to ourparks in a manner indicative of Atlantas collaborative and inclu-sive spirit. Just recently, this same group, which has become asteering committee of sorts, met to begin the process of devisinga plan of action for engaging City Council and the community in

a productive parks discussion. This group has committed towork aggressively over the next several months to take this issueto the people. I predict that this groups efforts will prove usefuas we create concrete measures and methods for better managingand expanding our citys greenspace.

The stakes are high. Cleaner air, clearer streams and higher qual-ity parks for Atlantas citizens all weigh in the balance.

So stay tuned.

Whats At Stake?Parks, Parks and More Parks!

BY CEASAR C. MITCHELL

Atlanta City Council Member, Post 1 At-Large

First article in a three-part series

Great Parks: Good Medicine For Youth

second in seriesnext issue of Citizens Review

Ceasar C Mi tchell by Jenny Boone

As a young boy growingup in Atlanta, parks werecentral to my existence.Parks were spaces whereorganized sports pro-vided me with physicalactivity, a sense of team-work, and a feeling ofaccomplishment. Parkswere also the placeswhere I swam in publicpools almost every otherday during the summerTucson Park on thewest side and CandlerPark on the east side. Ohthe joy! During theschool year, West Manor

Park and Recreation Center was my babysitter from 3:00PMto6:00PM. My father was an Atlanta Police officer and mymother was an Atlanta Public Schools teacher. Both were dedi-cated to their calling, and neither was reluctant to go the extramile for the citizens they served. That meant long days forthem. So West Manor Park was my parents best friend. Parksactivities kept me and my brother engaged, away from the nega-tive influence of the streets, and safe from mortal harm. They

were at the center of my world as a youth. As an adult, parksstill are important to me as they are a place to congregate withfamily, be entertained, and engage in physical activity. Atlantahas a number of great parks and recreation centers. But as At-lanta continues to grow, we must commit to making a greaterinvestment in these public assets, and initiate a plan to createmore of them.

Atlanta ranks near the bottom tier of comparable cities in termsof the greenspace amount reserved for parks. From an environ-mental standpoint, Atlanta has been designated as a non-attainment area by the Environmental Protection Area. Also, itis painfully clear that we remain squarely in the crosshairs ofour clean water obligations. Further, our Department of Parks,Recreation and Cultural Affairs has an annual budget of ap-proximately $10 million dedicated specifically to the mainte-nance and operations of our parks and recreation centers. Com-pared to the City of Chicagos Park Authority with an annualbudget of nearly $350 million, our entire general fund budget ofjust over $450 million appears laughable in comparison. Theremust be a better way.

In 2002, Mayor Shirley Franklin astutely convened a well-intentioned group of greenspace experts and business leaders toevaluate and make recommendations to improve our citysparks. This group recommended the creation of a park authority

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HelpWanted To design a new Mt. Paran-Northside Citizens AssociationsWebsite or maintain the current site throughwww.neighborhoodlink.com/atlanta/mountparan

If you are interested in helping with thisworthwhile neighborhood project,

and having a lot of fun, please emailIt can be what

you make it!

They cannot fly. So they must have walked the 1/4 mile throughthe homes on Harris Valley and onto the lake. We have no ideawhy they would leave since they are being fed here.

We wanted to alert the neighbors that they do walk across streetsas they cannot fly. Please do not feed them in the hopes that hun-ger will bring them back to us. They are used to people but arenot entirely tame. They are not viscous and won't attack anyone.Swans sometimes have that reputation.

They may be looking for a nesting site. If they make nest itwould be a four-foot square patch of messy pine straw on the

ground. We would want to know if they have made a nest. Weare told we could grab their eggs and bring the pair home. Thiswould probably keep them home.

The biggest risk to them would be dogs, foxes, coyotes and largesnapping turtles. The female was almost killed last year by athirty-pound turtle that we captured.

We miss them terribly, and just ask that people leave them alone,don't feed them, until they decide to come home. Please contactus with any news or concerns about them (or any ideas on thisweird behavior). If we get them home and you ever see themwandering, please shoo them back across the street to us. Callme at (

My husband, Jay,purchased a pair ofwhite mute swans twoyears ago as a thirtiethanniversary presentfor me. They havesuccessfully and hap-pily lived on the lakebehind our house onHarris Trail. I knowmany of you have

enjoyed watching them from our street.

For the second time in a month, they have wandered off andhave taken up temporary residence in the Klaus/Kuranoff lakeat the end of Monte Carlo.

A year ago, they were spotted in that lake, but apparently re-turned home on their own. We didn't know where they hadbeen. Last month they disappeared again, and after talking toseveral neighbors, we got a tip about their new temporary resi-dence. They had been gone about a week. We captured themwith great difficulty, at our expense. They were thin but healthyand hungry. We brought them home and fattened them up (wefeed them daily). But nowa month laterthey are gone again.

By Susan Smith

Swans by Susan Smith

We reported in June on the ecological disas-ter that occurred at 1175 West Conway inFebruary. The Civic Association had formeda Task Force (Alan Leet, Lynne Moscow,Sheldon Schlegman, Brenda Smith) to work

with the City to address this troubling situa-tion and to investigate how it was allowed toever occur. We believe that the propertyowner has violated a number of city ordi-

nances and state law, and created an environmentally and struc-turally dangerous situation by bringing hundreds of truckloads ofgravel on to the property to elevate and widen a driveway.

The Atlanta Tree Conservation Commission has ordered recom-pense in the amount of $49,320, and the City is pursuing otherlegal action against the property owner. Councilwoman ClairMuller is working diligently on our behalf to encourage the re-sponsible City departments to compel the property owner toremediate this property. However, the wheels of the legal system

are turning very slowly. Our Task Force is concerned that thissituation is doing environmental damage each day it is allowed tocontinue. We are hopeful that the City will act with the appropri-ate degree of urgency, and that we will be kept advised of thestatus of this matter so we can then share that information withthe neighborhood. We hope to have some good news shortly orwe will be requesting community wide involvement as we seekto have this property restored. Laws were violated leading to themassive destruction of trees and property in our neighborhood,and we want to ensure that it does not happen again.

Update 1175 West Conway

Neighborhood Briefs

The Department Public Works continues ex-panding its curbside recycling program.Mixed paper is the latest addition. Residentscan now recycle magazines and catalogs,junk mail, office paper and envelopes, tele-phone directories, boxboard. Residents areasked to put mixed paper in a large envelopeor brown craft paper grocery bag to keep it

separated from newspaper. Please be sure that your recyclingbin is covered before putting it on the street. Newspapers andother debris blown by the wind from bins that are left uncov-ered regularly "trashes" the neighborhood.

City Continues Expansion of Recycling Program

Why Did the Swans Cross the Road?

Signup for NYO Girls Fastpitch Softball andBoys Baseball is the first week of November andthe first of December at the Dowis Building. Call(404) 256-1483 for specific days and times.

Northside Youth Organization

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September 2004

Security Patrol Information

The Mt. Paran Security Patrol isa neighborhood-funded patrolstaffed by retired Atlanta police

officers. The officers patrol ourneighborhood and the RandallMill Civic Association neighbor-hood Monday through Friday andadditional weekend hours as crimepatterns dictate.

The patrol checks doors and win-dows daily while you are out oftown and picks up newspapers.The fee to join the patrol is $150 a

year and covers the time periodfrom January 1 to December 31.The fee for new residents will bepro-rated. Subscribers receive amailbox decal, telephone stickersand access to the security hotlineas well as daily surveillance ofyour house and property.

For information on joining, orto meet the patrol officers, call

(404)310-7361. Be sure to leavea message during off-duty hoursand either Officer Cole or Offi-cer Hendrix will call you back.

Logged 5808 miles patrolling our neighborhood Made 2236 house checks for traveling subscribers Responded to 61 alarm calls Investigated 18 suspicious persons or autos Investigated 3 break-ins (house under construction) Investigated 2 incidents of vandalism Investigated 1 incident of larceny Found 2 open doors

May: Someone threw a large rock into the rear window of aparked car on Davis Drive.

June: For about two weeks neighbors on several differentstreets reported seeing a bobcat (lynx). The owner who lives

off West Paces Ferry Road eventually captured the animal.

Three nude males were reported ringing doorbells in theearly morning hours on Broadland Road. They disappearedby the time police arrived.

July: Burglary on Harris Glen while homeowners were outof town. A front bedroom window was broken out. Someitems were reported missing but there are no suspects.

Burglary on Regency Road (off Randall Mill) around 11:30AM. The rear window of house was smashed in but nothingof value was taken. A neighborhood workman saw the sus-pect leave in a green Toyota truck with GA plates 553 ZLG.The truck was stolen out of Cobb County.

August: Burglary on Sentinel Post Road before Noon. Awindow was broken out of the sunroom on the side of thehouse. The perpetrator then broke out a window in a Frenchdoor to gain entry to the house. The homeowner arrivedhome to find the truck described above in the driveway withthe motor running. After turning off the alarm, the home-owner was confronted by a black male who ran from the

Continued on Page 2Crime Report

Security Patrol ActivityDuring the months of May through August,Officers Doug Cole and Jim Hendrix

The Crime ReportThe Mt. Paran-Northside Citizens Association produces this public safety report for the benefit of

our neighborhood. If you see suspicious activity, or are the victim of a crime, call 911 and then reportthe details for this newsletter to our Security Patrol (404)310-7361 or Jo Ann Rau (

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City of Atlanta Code of OrdinancesARTICLE V. OFFENSES BY AND AGAINST MINORS

Sec. 106-227. Curfew--Authorized.

It is unlawful for any minor 16 years of age or younger to loiter, wander,stroll or play in or upon the public streets, highways, roads, alleys, parks,playgrounds or other public grounds, public places, public buildings, placesof amusement, eating places, vacant lots or any place unsupervised by anadult having the lawful authority to be at such places between the hours of11:00 p.m. on any day and 6:00 a.m. of the following day; however, on Fri-days and Saturdays, the effective hours are between 12:00 midnight and 6:00a.m. of the following day; and provided, that the provisions of this sectionshall not apply in the following instances:(1) When a minor is accompanied by such minor's parent, guardian or otheradult person having the lawful care and custody of the minor.(2) When the minor is upon an emergency errand directed by such minor's

parent or guardian or other adult person having the lawful care and custodyof such minor.(3) When the minor is returning directly home from a school activity, enter-tainment, recreational activity or dance.(4) When the minor is returning directly home from lawful employment thatmakes it necessary to be in the places referenced in this section during theproscribed period of time.(5) When the minor is attending or traveling directly to or from an activityinvolving the exercise of first amendment rights of free speech, freedom ofassembly or free exercise of religion.(6) When the minor is in a motor vehicle with parental consent for normaltravel, with interstate travel through the city, excepted in all cases from the

curfew.(Code 1977, 17-7002)

Sec. 106-228. Same--Responsibility of parents.(a) Generally. Itshall be unlawful for the parent, guardian or other personhaving custody or control of any child 16 years of age or younger to permitor by insufficient control to allow such child to be in or upon the publicstreets or any other places listed in section 106-92 within the city between thehours of 11:00 p.m. on any day and 6:00 a.m. the following day, or on Fri-days and Saturdays, between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m. thefollowing day, except in circumstances set out in subsections (1) through (6)of section 106-192.(b) Violation. Upon conviction of violation of this section for the first time, aperson shall be given a warning citation. Upon further convictions, a personshall be subject to a fine not to exceed $1,000.00 and costs, or imprisonmentin the city jail for not more than 60 days, or work on the public streets orwork on the public works of the city for not more than 60 days, or be subjectto any one or more of the punishments, subject to all limitations contained inthe Charter of the city. Each violation of this section shall constitute a sepa-rate offense.(Code 1977, 17-7003)

If You Are a Victim ofIdentity Theft Call:Equifax1-800-525-6285Experian1-888-397-3742

Trans Union1-800-680-7289

More Crime News: Know the law about teen curfew

Continued from Page 1 Crime Report

Security Patrol Activity

scene and sped away. The home-owner gave chase but the suspect gotaway.

Chattahoochee river park off ofWhitewater Creek Road: A womanwalking her dog along the riveraround 8:30AM encountered a blackmale rummaging through her carwhen she returned to the parking lot.She turned the dog loose and theperpetrator ran to his vehicle and

sped away. The vehicle is describedas a black pickup truck with a silvertoolbox in the back. There is a yel-low scrape mark on the passengerside. This is the second time thewoman has encountered this man inthe parking area. City of Atlanta po-lice have made the park rangersaware of these incidents.

Update: According

to the Mt. Paran

Security Patrol,during the last week

of August the Ros-

well police captured

the suspect described in

the burglaries above

while he was burglarizing

another house. They also

recovered the stolen Toyota truck.

Atlanta police detectives are work-

ing with Roswell police and expect

to clear the burglaries that occurredin this area.

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Only the Latest New Scam

A friend was called from VISA, and his wifewas called the next day from MasterCard.The scam works like this:

The person calling says, "This is ,and I'm with the Security/Fraud Departmentat VISA. My Badge number is 12460. Yourcard has been flagged for an unusual pur-chase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. Thiswould be on your VISA card which was is-sued by bank. Did you purchase anAnti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 froma marketing company based in Arizona?

When you say "No", the caller says, "Then,well be issuing a credit to your account. Thisis a company weve been watching, and thecharges are always just under the $500 pur-

chase pattern that flags most cards. Beforeyour next statement, the credit will be sent to(tells you your address), is that correct?"

You say, "Yes." The caller continues..."I willbe starting a Fraud investigation. If you haveany questions, you should call the 1-800number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security.

You will need to refer to this Control #. Thecaller then gives you a 6 digit number andasks you to repeat it back to him.

Here's the important part of how the scam

works. The caller then says he needs to verifythat you are in possession of your card.

He'll ask you to turn your card over and lookfor some numbers.

He says, "There are 7 numbers; the first 4 arethe last four of your card number andthe next 3 are the 'Security Numbers' thatverify you are in possession of the card.These are the numbers you use to make Inter-net purchases to prove you have the card."Read me the 3 numbers." After you tell thecaller the 3 numbers, he'll say, "Thats cor-rect. Do you have any other questions?" Afteryou say, "No" the caller then thanks you andstates, "Don't hesitate to call back, goodbye."

You actually say very little, and they neverask for, or tell you, the card number.

But after my friend was called, he called the1-800 number on his card within 20 minutesto ask a question. Is he glad he did! The realVISA Security Department told him it was alla scam and that a new purchase of $497.99was charged on his card in the last 15 min-utes! The moral: Never tell anyone yourcredit card security numbers on the phone.

More Crime News: Be Careful Now, Not Sorry Later

You look around your house and it looks pretty good but

some freshening up would help. There is a knock on thedoor. Before you is an individual telling you that they areprepared to perform "handyman work," including paint-ing. The question is, do you hire them or not?

Perhaps the best advice to be given about painting yourhouse or getting work done is to stay away from the"knock on the door" contractor and deal only with reputa-ble companies, including those referred by or associatedwith established businesses such as Sears, Home Depot,

Lowes, etc. home improvement divisions. This is not to recommend any particularcompany. But to proceed outside established channels can be risky.

Before you decide to allow the individual knocking on your door to perform work

for you, you should seek to find out if the contractor has any references. Do youknow anything about the background of the individual(s) who have asked to dowork at your house? Have they had issues with others for whom they have per-formed services? The best approach is to speak to several references. Ask the con-tractor for references at his last several jobs performed in the neighborhood, to-gether with names and phone numbers of those for whom the jobs were performed.Then, consider whether the individual who is asking to do work in your house hasbusiness licenses to perform the work they are being asked to do. Also, considerwhether they are insured in the event they cause an accident on your property.

Even with the above said, if you determine to hire the people who knock on yourdoor, carefully consider the question of any advance payment. For example, it isnot unusual for a contractor who is hired after a knock on the door to request anadvance payment for "materials." It is foolish to provide money directly to the con-

tractor. While Georgia law makes it a crime for a contractor to divert money paidto them for materials from one job to another, nevertheless, criminal prosecutionon this point may not get you your money back, get the job done, and certainly isnot time-effective. So, if you decide to hire someone who knocks on your door andthey need money for materials and you subsequently decide to advance the money,at least never advance it directly to them. Instead, have them go to the paint store,etc. and have the paint store representative etc. contact you directly with the sup-plies to be purchased and the amount to be paid. Then pay the paint store directlyby credit card, avoiding the money sifting through the hands of the contractor.Even at that point, however, remember the contractor has the supplies and you arehoping they return to your house with them.

Assuming the contractor returns to the house with the purchased supplies (yourchances of having this happen are better if they have a job that they expect to get

paid for), the next question becomes future payment of the contractor for servicesrendered. It is ill-advised to let one of these contractors knocking on your door getout in front of you on payment. Frankly, it is best to avoid advancing a fraction ofthe payment equal to the fraction of work done. It is always better to hold moneyback to assure they return, complete the job and complete it satisfactorily.

Remember also that people who you have invited into your house or onto yourproperty to perform a service have opportunity to do harm. Theft is possible. It isfoolish to give the contractor keys to the house or allow open access throughoutyour house. Confining contractors to selected areas while you are present is yourbest policy. Keep an eye open for things that may be missing (from jewelry to li-cense plates off your car). Unless you catch them in the act that which they takewith them when they leave the property, may never return.

The Neighborhood Handyman

By JAMES J. SCAVO, ESQ.

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Fire Side ChatBy CAPTAIN KEITH SCHUMACHER

FIRE STATION #27 B-SHIFT, 4260 NORTHSIDE DRIVE

A big thank you to those in our community who supported the2004 Atlanta Fire-Rescue Boot Drive. City-wide efforts broughtin over $90,000 which was divided between the Georgia Fire-fighters Burn Foundation (www.GFBF.org). The Sickle CellFoundation (www.SickleCellAtlaGa.org) and the Muscular Dys-trophy Association (www.MDA.org).

We are still seeking vacant buildings and houses that are sched-uled for demolition in the Northwest Buckhead area. Thesehouses are an excellent chance for your firefighters to practice

rescues and firefighting tactics. If you know of any house that isabout to be razed, please let us know.

As always, please feel free to stop by and see us. We are here toserve you and it is nice to spend some time with our customerswhen there is not an emergency. Take care and STAY SAFE!

I am a neighbor on Musket Ridge. I am very involved with ourMetro Atlanta American Red Cross. I am a disaster team mem-ber who responds to local emergencies such as home fires, stormand tornado damage, flooding, etc., and a community disasterEducation speaker.

Please pass along the message that September is National Pre-paredness Month. We are encouraging families to make theirhome safety and emergency plans, prepare a kit with emergencysupplies, and practice these plans with their families. House firesare the number one disaster for which Red Cross is called, andfar too often people are injured or killed because their homesafety equipment did not work properly or there wasn't anyPeople are also frequently killed or injured because they go back

into a burning building to rescue someone else, without knowingthat person was already safe. I have seen this many times in ourlocal area, in homes and apartments ranging from the very poorto the very rich, and it is always tragic.

The American Red Cross website www.redcross.org hasdownloadable brochures in multiple languages for people to useas guides in their planning. Open the website and select the barthat says "Together We Prepare". You'll find links to manydifferent brochures. For those who have physical limitations orare older, the "Emergency Checklist for People with MobilityProblems" is especially helpful. There is also a very good bro-chure specifically on disaster planning for homes with pets.

For any group of neighbors, schools, PTA's, churches, busi-nesses or other organizations, the metro Red Cross can provide acommunity disaster education speaker to present a seminar onpreparedness planning and answer questions, as well as demon-strate sample emergency and preparedness kits. We try to pre-pare each presentation to meet the specific needs of the group;for example employees or residents of high rise buildings, fami-lies with small children, tornado season, etc. First Aid and CPRclasses are available on a regular basis at the Chapter.

If you would like further information on any of these services orabout the Red Cross in general, call (404) 846-8794 or email meat

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to keep you informedabout what is going on at Station #27 and within your fire-rescuedepartment. We are continuing to have some very positive

changes.You may notice some dramatic change in our uniforms. FireChief Dennis Rubin has implemented very positive changes inour uniform policy. We have introduced the use of shorts, polotype shirts and detail (tee) shirts with the daily Class C uni-form. This brings us more in line with other fire service agenciesnationwide. These uniform changes have caused a dramatic im-provement in morale and are more practical and functional forfire rescue work. Also, all members must now wear the officialAtlanta Fire-Rescue identification while on duty. These changeswill also result in a cost savings to the citizens of Atlanta.

Recently, a camera crew from the Fire and Emergency Televi-sion Networkspent time with Engine #27. FETN is available by

satellite to fire departments nationwide for training and up todate technical information. FETN was here to produce a specialpresentation on the use of our Hose Tender truck and the specialconsiderations of firefighting in the types of homes in our com-munity. The FETN crew was able to get footage of several longdriveways, bridges, gated properties and large homes. Onehomeowner was nice enough to let us take video inside of herhome, under construction. This was an excellent opportunity topoint out many of the considerations that are not found in mostcommon homes. The program should air in October on FETN.

Atlanta Fire-Rescue broadcasts programming on Comcast chan-nel #20 within the city limits of Atlanta. This channel is primar-ily used for training directed at the on duty personnel in the firestations. Due to agreements with FETN, the signal is scrambledto homes when FETN is being broadcast to the stations (sorry).Each day from 7AM to 9AM, and again from 4PM to midnight,programming on AFD-TV 20 is directed toward you, our cus-tomer. These programs are intended to keep you informed ofwhat is going on within our department. Mr. Dana Wright is ourCable Programming Manager and he does an excellent job withhis very limited budget. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin even has hisown show where he explains the latest news from Headquarters.Please tune in to AFD-TV 20 and check us out.

We encourage those who use electric security gates to invest inan emergency access rapid entry system. Valuable time can belost while a security gate locks out emergency crews. For infor-mation about the system that we use, visit www.knoxbox.com

Snakes alive ... No, really! The beautiful Mt. Paran-Northsidecommunity is the perfect environment for many of our slitheringfriends. Recently, a resident came to Station #27 seeking to iden-tify a snake that he had caught in his yard. Upon opening a foamcooler, the snake was immediately identified as a copperhead.The copperhead is a venomous pit viper, which can inflict anextremely painful and damaging bite. They are very common inthis area. A local snake expert was contacted who responded andcollected the snake. Please do not try to catch or kill a snake ifyou do not know what you are doing. For more information, visitwww.reptileeducation.com

Get Prepared for Emergencies

By ANN LUKENS

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More Neighborhood Briefs

Editors note: special thanks to all the contributors in this issue.

Email with ideas, events, tips and photos for

the next issue of The Citizens Review.

If you are a golfer or businesspersonwho would like to support the fire-fighters of metro Atlanta, please con-sider sponsoring or playing in the FifthAnnual Fire Emerald Society Golf

Classic. The FESMA Classic will beheld on Wednesday, October 13 at

Wolf Creek Golf Club. $65 per player includes lunch. This fund-raising event helps FESMA continue their work of taking care offirefighters and their families. For more information emailwww.FireEmeraldSociety.com about playing, sponsorship oppor-tunities and team applications. Captain Keith Schumacher

Have Fun While Supporting Your Firefighters

We are saddened by the recent deaths of two members of theMt. Paran-Northside Citizens Association board of directors.

Bob Hurst served as president in 1995 and 1996. ClausHalle was elected to the board in 2000.

We will miss these two fine community leaders and offer oursincere condolences to their families on behalf of the Mt. Paran-Northside neighborhood.

In Memoriam

Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections needsmore poll workers, especially in the northern part of the county.Upcoming elections include the November 2 General Election,and the November 23 General Election runoff (if needed). Pollworkers must be county residents; at least 16 years old; and ableto read, write and speak English. Also, attendance at a trainingclass is required before the election. The election workday be-gins at 6AM and ends about 8:30PM. A clerk earns $100, anassistant manager earns $120, a provisional manager earns $120,and a chief manager earns $190. If interested call 404-730-7020.

Poll Workers Needed for North Fulton Precincts

Great Food, Fine Wine and an Evening of Fun

Spend an Evening in Brittany at the FourSeasons Hotel on Friday, October 15 tobenefit the Atlanta Chapter of the March

of Dimes. Event Chairperson, and TheHighlands neighbor, Debbi Scarboroughhas planned the event around four Master

Chefs from the Brittany region that Delta Air Lines will bebringing to specially prepare chosen courses. The evening willalso feature both a fabulous live and silent auction hosted byWXIAs Wes Sarginson.

Guenter Seeger will be this years recipient of the Culinary Sa-lute. This salute annually honors an outstanding citizen who hasdisplayed distinguished leadership and devoted service to theCulinary Community. For Tickets & Sponsorship information:contact Tracy Wilbanks, The March of Dimes, 404-350-9800ext. 221; ticket prices begin at $250. Debbi Scarborough

Our Neighborhood Hosts 2004 Christmas House

The 2004 Christmas House,an annual benefit for theChildrens Alliance Thea-tre, is located at 979 CrestValley Drive. A new home

built for Mr. & Mrs. BobFaircloth, designed by Harrison Design Associates, the housewill be open for touring from November 20 until December12. The Preview Party will be Friday, November 19. ClosedMondays and Thanksgiving Day, the hours are Tuesday throughFriday, 10:00AM5:00PM, Tuesday evening 6:00PM8:00PM, Saturday 10:00AM5:00PM and Sunday 1:00PM5PM. Parking will be at the Mt. Vernon Baptist Church. Ad-vance tickets are $12.50, and $15.00 at the door. Please supportthe Childrens Alliance Theatre with your patronage or by vol-unteering at this years Christmas House. For more information,email Jan Coton atjancoton@ aol.com

The Georgia Holocaust Commission, in conjunction with the

KSU Foundation and Kennesaw State University, has brought toGeorgia the internationally acclaimed, award winning exhibitionAnne Frank in the World: 1929-1945. This important free ex-hibit, attracting school children as far away as Alabama, is ac-cepting applications for volunteers and docents. For further in-formation please call (678)797-2083. Esther Margol

Looking for a Special Volunteering Experience...

Events and Activities at Chastain Horse ParkThe Third Annual 24 Carrot GoldDinner, a gourmet sensation preparedby six of Atlantas premier ExecutiveChefs will be at the Chastain HorsePark Clubhouse Friday, October 1 at6:30PM. Benefiting Chastains thera-

peutic riding programs for students with physical and mentaldisabilities and children-at-risk, this Dinner continues to serve ahigher purpose than to leave long-lasting memories. ExecutiveChefs participating are Jamie Adams of Veni Vidi Vici, GaryMennie of Canoe, Richard Blais of Bazzaar, Julie Busch of dickand harrys, Tom McEachern of Horseradish Grill, and Joshua

Perkins of Brasserie LeCoze. Space is limited to 88 guests. Formore information, call (404) 893-5738.

Save the date for Miracles Happen V, a black tie/blue jeanaffair to be held on Saturday, March 19, 2005.

Chastain Horse Park wishes to express its deep appreciation tothe many neighbors who have supported our programs by con-tributing to the horse parks annual fund. We have been in-stalling the brass plaques on our fence line at the Powers Ferryand W. Wieuca Road intersection, and we hope to see manymore over the next several months. Please stop by and take alook! For information on putting your name on the fence line,please contact Kathy Farrington at (404) 252-4244 ext 32.

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September heralds the first of aggressive new measures that willimprove Atlantas quality of life. Illegal signage in the publicright-of-way will become a punishable crime. This summer Dis-trict 6 Councilmember Anne Fauver authored legislation that

fines violators $100 per sign or imprisonment for a term notexceeding five days. A violator is defined as the primary benefi-ciary of a sign. A sign is defined as any handbill, poster, paperor written communication, and public right-of-way means thearea within ten feet of public streets and sidewalks. This lawapplies to signs affixed to utility poles as well as signs stakedinto the ground. This amendment to City Code 138-13 wasunanimously approved by City Council and Mayor Franklin.

Councilmember Fauver sponsored thislegislation as a response to the publicoutcry against the proliferation of thesesigns in Atlanta. Earning the pejorativesof street spam, vertical litter, and

bandit signs, these signs are major con-tributors to the visible pollution blightingAtlantaindeed, the American land-scape. As innocuous as a lost doggie orestate sale sign may seem, its presence

on a utility pole or staked into the right-of-way invites moresignage. In addition, these signs are potentially dangerous dis-tractions to drivers.

Like me, there are many civic-minded Atlantans who snarl andgrow fangs and claws when they see these signs. Access SteveGowers webpage Watching the Neighborhood to learn howhe leads Midtown against illegal signage. Peggy Denby, a fel-low Keep Atlanta Beautiful Board Member, boasts a sign-free

Ponce de Leon and environs because of her aggressive efforts.Chris Touchstone makes a daily 5AM sweep in the Lindberg-Piedmont Road area. In our neighborhood, there are Carol andPaul Muldawer, who remove scores of signs weekly.

We give our tacit approval of these signs when we do nothing toremove them from the right-of-way on our property and fromthe utility poles on our property. Is it too much to ask that we

call the violators and inform them of the law? If you need en-couragement, put street spam into Google and read how citi-zens nationwide are working with local governments to de-spamtheir communities.

On a broader scale, you ask, what does illegal signage have todo with green space, the concern de jour? A lot. In the long run(which really is not so long when you consider the populationgrowth in Atlanta and major U.S. metros), we needcommunalgreen space before the next generation asks, Why didnt you?Our leaders are forward-thinking: Mayor Franklin has said thatshe is committed to parks and civic pride as ways to improveAtlantas quality of life, Councilmember Lamar Willis took thegraffiti bull by the horns and conquered it with cogent legisla-tion, Former Govenor Roy Barnes green space initiativeawarded Atlanta $5.4 million to save disappearing landscapes,and the Arthur Blank Family Foundation has pledged $7.6 mil-lion in 26 grants for parks and green space inside I-285. Butwhat soothing escape from the hurly-burly of city-pace is green

space if it is littered with commercial signage? One questionsthe meaning of green space if it is bestrewn with the black,white, and offensive multi-colors of signage. Thanks to AnneFauver, this issue now looks to law enforcementand our citi-zen-level on-going commitment.

Councilmember-at-Large Mary Norwood has a host of projectsunderway that are aimed specifically at improving Atlantasquality of life, among which is her SUPERB Project. She re-mains our major tour de force in her indefatigable energy, multi-tasking intelligence, and undaunted commitment to A BetterAtlanta Is a Cleaner and Safer Atlanta. Keep Atlanta Beautifulseeks to work with City Council, Atlanta law enforcement, theDepartment of Transportation, public and private schools, andcorporate and non-profit enterprises in accomplishing long-term, systemic and sustainable solutions to Atlantas visiblepollution. Through education, ownership, and enforcement, weaim to create a city-wide attitude of Wow! Thats MY city!Stay tuned and become involved. You WILL see commitmentsmade manifest in a cleaner, more beautiful Atlanta. Contact meif you want to become involved. Floyd3@mindspring.com

By Mary Louise FloydBoard of Directors, Keep Atlanta Beautiful

Oh, Where Have All the Illegal Signs Gone?

Lisa Borders in each photo with neighbors by Sheldon Schlegman

Nearly 100 neighbors attended a June event on Garmon Road to meetLisa Borders, candidate for Atlanta City Council President. In a field

of four candidates, Lisa made the runoff with the most votes. She wonthe August runoff election by 1229 votes!

Lisa possesses a strong business background along with a unique com-bination of focus, vision and leadership qualities. We wish her greatsuccess as she strives to meet the many challenges that lie ahead.

Meet Lisa Borders Our New City Council President

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September Gardening Tips

September is a transitional gardening month. Although the fallseason is on the horizon, it does not officially arrive until Septem-ber 22. The first part of the month usually remains hot, humid andsummer-like. As fall progresses, air temperatures mercifully be-

gin to cool. This is good news for gardens and gardeners alikebecause fall is an ideal time to plantjust about anything. Thatlittle nip in the air is invigorating and makes working in the land-scape a lot more comfortable. Shrubs, trees, perennials, cool sea-son annuals and vegetables, spring blooming flower bulbs, fescueseed and ryegrass seed will all flourish when planted in the fall.

Lets take a look at this months gardening calendar:

After the 10th of the month, renovate your fescue lawn. You canstart from scratch and plant your entire yard with fescue seed oryou can overseed an existing fescue lawn to fill in bare spots orthinning turf. Improved turf-type fescues like a special AtlantaBlend performs best in the southeast. It will take about 14 daysfor the seed to germinate.

Apply a winter conditioning fertilizer to established fescuelawns after the 15th This type of plant food fortifies the grass andhelps to prevent winter injury. If you sow fescue seed in the fall,use a starter fertilizer instead. Starter fertilizers encourage vig-orous root growth and quick greening.

Towards the end of the month, apply a pre-emergent product(crabgrass preventer) to your lawn to prevent poa annua (annualbluegrass) and certain other winter weeds. If you plan to sow fes-cue seed this fall, do not use a pre-emergent. It will prevent boththe weed seeds and the grass seed from germinating.

September is a great time to apply lime to all types of turfgrasses except Centipede. Test your soil annually to determine

the pH level. Our clay soil is naturally acidic. Lime decreases theacidity and helps to correct pH levels. The correct pH levels al-low grasses and other plants to obtain the nutrition they need for ahealthy existence.

Plant cool season vegetables in late SeptemberBroccoli, cab-bage, cauliflower, collards, lettuce, spinach and more will beavailable for fall planting.

If you have houseplants or tropical plants outdoors, wash theplants with an insecticidal soap solution and apply a systemicinsecticide to the soil before moving them indoors for the winter.This should take care of any lingering pests.

Fertilize rose bushes to encourage a final flush of blooms.

Cooler temperatures often revive rose bushes. They produce newleaves and blooms that can last until first frost.

Plant chrysanthemums for fall color. Perennial garden mumsare available in a wide array of colors and sizes. When massedtogether, they produce eye-catching color in the fall landscape.

Buy spring flowering bulbs after LaborDay. Store them in acool, dry location for several weeks, like the fruit/vegetable com-partment in your refrigerator or a cool basement. Do not storebulbs in plastic bags or they may rot. Use paper or mesh bagsinstead. Plant the bulbs when soil temperatures are in the 60s orless. This usually occurs around mid-October.

By PIKE FAMILY NURSERIESThere are 946 homes in our association database, and 573 paidmembers. Membership Chair Debbie Goot depends on currentmembers to help keep her informed and the database up to date.If you see new homes being built or have new neighbors mov-ing onto your street, please take a minute to introduce yourselfand get contact information to send to Debbie Goot at

Shell send them a

welcome to the neighborhood letter with information aboutour Association and Security Patrol. If you are not a currentmember and would like to join, send $25 to the Mt. Paran-Northside Citizens Association, with the form below. The As-sociation maintains a large email list so our neighbors can beinformed immediately of important issues and crime alerts.

Email addresses are protected and will not be shared.

Help Needed to Update Database

Check one: __Address Correction or __Annual Dues($25)

Please email form information to or send toDebbie Goot , Atlanta, GA 30327

Last Name_________________First Name(s)_____________

Address___________________________________________

Telephone _____________Email_______________________

New Officers Take Reigns of Garden Club

Mt. Paran Woods Garden Club officers for 2004-5 are JudyJones, President; Olivia Evans, Vice President; SusanMcCaffrey, Treasurer; Suzanne Waring, Recording Secretary;and Juli Owens, Corresponding Secretary.

Angi Evert and Ann Woodruff are Landscape Chairmen.

Mt. Paran Woods Garden Club is a non-profit, communityservice organization which designs and maintains ourneighborhoods three pocket parks. Contact MembershipChairman Sally Hanna (4 if interested in joining.

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MT. PARAN-NORTHSIDE CITIZENS ASSOCIATION, INC.P.O. BOX 724153 ATLANTA, GEORGIA 31139

OFFICERSPresident/Brenda SmithVice President/Communications/Jo Ann Rau

Vice President/Membership/Debbie GootVice President/Security/Angelia EvertSecretary/Jean SmithTreasurer/Jim Carter

BOARD OF DIRECTORSSandra Adair, Yolanda Adrean, Sharon Giles, Al Goodgame,Greg Lyles, Dick Perkins, Alan Leet, Pamela Tremayne, DanaScavo, Glenn Sturm, Karen Swim, Marci Vincent, RichardWilson.

EX-OFFICIO (PAST PRESIDENTS)Lynne Moscow, Sheldon Schlegman, Robert Hurst (d), EdwardFloyd, John R. Martin (d), Robert Miller, H. Clay Moore, Jr.,J. Martin Turbidy

Editors: Lynne Moscow and Jo Ann Rau

Design & Typeset: Jo Ann Rau

WEB SITE

www.neighborhoodlink.com/atlanta/mountparan

Pre-SortedFirst Class Mail

U.S. PostagePAID

Atlanta, GAPermit No. 3207

Return Service Requested

Association Newsletter and Crime Report Inside

Youre invited to a Neighborhood Celebration

Sunday, September 26, 2004 5:00 - 7:30 PMat the home of Crissy and Chris Klaus

1330 Monte Carlo Drive, off Garmon RoadTo reserve your place, please send a check for $15 per person by September 20,

payable to the Mt. Paran-Northside Citizens Association, and mailto Marci Vincent, 1266 W. Paces Ferry Road, Suite 552, Atlanta, GA 30327

Space is Limited, Reserve Early!

Adults Only