Join us for our next meeting of the Friends of the West End Park @ 10:30 am on 11/28. We’ll be meeting on the park. After our meeting we’ll mulch and do a quick clean-up of the park. If you have any questions email me: yomara@9to5.org.
Hope to see you there!
Dear Friends of the West End Park,
I meant to send this letter three weeks ago, but I got caught up with life and am just sending it out. After turning in the October inspection of the park I received a call from Latosha Haney to discuss some of the concerns on the inspection. I thought that you all might be interested in what she had to say as to why some things have not been properly fixed recently.
She apologized for the grass not being cut in late September and explained that due to the numerous rain days several parks were not mowed in a timely manor. She also apologized for the lack of quality of cutting when the grass was mowed. Apparently her manager of the crew has been out for several months and she was unaware that the crew was not trimming the lawn well. She sent out a crew following our conversation to trim grass around the light posts and mow certain parts that were uneven.
In regards to mulch, she said that the playground mulch is different than the tree mulch. Playground mulch is a little easier to access, whereas tree mulch they rely on donations and have not received any lately. I think she said that we cannot use our own mulch because they prefer to know that there are not certain things in the mulch (but I will double check).
Garbage pick-up in November will turn to 5 days a week Mon-Fri. Weekend pick-up will not be available due to budget cuts. She also noted that they have had a lot of issues with the businesses across the street throwing out trash into park bins. I am not sure if this is true (as I have not noticed)…but is anyone friends with the business owners? Can there be a conversation about this?
In regards to the baseball fields. Teams are required to bring their own bases to play. I have requested twice now for the fields to be groomed. She said that she will try and look for a bench to put by the baseball field. She also said that we could build one if we wanted. Just need to run specifics by Park Pride.
In regards to the basketball courts and lines; funding fell through for this. There is also no funding to fix the lights on tennis and basketball courts. Could we fundraise for this?
Lastly, we spoke about the graffiti. She said this is a constant issue as the park, and it is difficult to get it off, especially trees! She said that they have even hired arborists to come out and try to help them figure out what to do to no avail. Other than painting…there is nothing they have had much luck with so far. They have attempted to scrub graffiti off of the sidewalks with little luck.
I am just sending the November evaluation today. If you notice anything you want me to include in the December evaluation, please feel free to give me a call or let me know at the next meeting.
Stephanie Harry
For all my treehuggers, we rock! Diego and I took pictures of our park today. The trees are looking so beautiful. His pictures are pretty good for a 4 year-old, no? Enjoy…
Altars @ Dia de los Muertos, Atlanta History Center
EL DIA DE LOS MUERTOS
Every year, on November 1st (All Saints Day) and 2nd (All Souls Day) something unique takes place in many areas of Mexico and Latin America: Day of the Dead festivities. This all stems from the ancient indigenous peoples of Mexico (Purepecha, Nahua, Totonac and Otomí) who believe that the souls of the dead return each year to visit with their living relatives – to eat, drink and be merry. Just like they did when they were living.
This may all seem morbid and somewhat ghoulish to those who are not part of that culture. But, for Mexicans who believe in the life/death/rebirth continuum, it’s all very natural. Nahua speaking peoples of pre-columbian Mexico saw the skull as a symbol of life – not death.
Altars @ Dia de los Muertos, Atlanta History Center
Altars @ Dia de los Muertos, Atlanta History Center
Here’s our altar:
My two boys and I worked our our altar today...we're almost done!
All lit up!
Buy your altar skulls at www.craftesania.etsy.com
I love saving cans. I reuse them as storage containers: pen holders, seed starters, etc. Using magnets to hold labels on your cans can help keep things organized. Magnets can add art and a unique touch to your decor.
www.craftesania.etsy.com
Here are some other creative ideas using magnets:
skull magnets for sale at www.craftesania.etsy.com
These lovely magnets look great in the living room (shelves or bookcases), kitchen, laundry room, kids room (organize art supplies + desks), entry way, etc. The magnets featured in these pictures are handmade from clay in Atlanta, GA…support local artists via Etsy.
We finally finished this outdoor xylophone for Diego’s school. It’s such an amazing way to introduce music and encourage outdoor time with your child, I thought I’d share…
for sale at inman park coop preschool auction
Other examples from the web…
www.outdoorfunstore.com
Last year, I planted tulips and daffodils for the first time in my life. I planted a couple of bulbs along our main entrance and I told myself not to be disappointed if they didn’t grow. Initially, I did worry (just a little) that squirrels would dig out my bulbs and eat them. Soon the winter months came and my focus shifted. I worked on indoor projects and hosted out-of-state family for the holidays.
Before I knew it, spring came and I began to see my bulbs sprout. I was as excited as my three year old. It was wonderful to see the tulips and daffodils grow! Truthfully, it was so easy I was shocked so if you want to treat yourself to a beautiful flower garden next spring…think now!
The bulbs should go in the ground before the first frost (which in Atlanta it is usually around mid November-last year’s date was November 11, 2008) but there were years when the first freeze was in December.
This is the perfect time to order flower bulbs, below is a table with other bulb flowers that may provide new and interesting choices. Enjoy your fall!
Other bulb and bulb like plants include:
| Iris | Plant on the surface |
| Crocus | Plant 2 to 3 inches deep |
| Begonia | Plant 2 to 3 inches deep |
| Lilies | Plant 2 to 3 inches deep |
| Ranunculus | Plant 2 to 3 inches deep |
| Gladioli | Plant 3 to 4 inches deep |
| Daffodils | Plant 3 to 4 inches deep |
| Dahlias | Plant 3 to 4 inches deep |
| Tulips | Plant 4 to 6 inches deep |
| Hyacinths | Plant 6 to 8 inches deep |
Park Pride’s Community Garden Tour
OCTOBER 10, 2009 NOON-5:00Pm
How does your garden grow? Year-round of course!
Join Pride Pride’s 2009 Community Garden Tour featuring six gardens
around the City of Atlanta. The tour will provide tips and tools on how you
can prepare your garden for the Fall & Winter months.
Cost: $10 for individuals
$15 for couples
Children 12 and under are FREE!
Visit http://parkpride.kintera.org/gardentour2009 for details!
