BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH GOOD DESIGN! March 30, 2009

This past Saturday Jamila, Eugene and I attended Park Pride’s Annual Community Design Clinic. Thanks to Lynn and Brian for drafting a wonderful design which incorporates many different concepts-previously discussed at our Friends of the West End Park meetings.

 

Design Overview

The workshop was so much fun! When we finished, I was so excited and inspired I could hardly wait to share it with all of you. I’ll definitely bring the drawing to our next Friends of the West end Park meeting (April 15 @ 7pm)-in the meantime I thought I’d post pictures for you to see.

 

The theme of the park is SUSTAINABILITY and EDUCATION, we hope to provide environmental education, cultural and art-related activities that facilitate learning through positive experiences for park-goers. There’s a strong emphasis on children. We want to create interactive spaces where children can learn about the environment through topics such as growing food, harvesting water, wetlands, composting and understanding seasons in relation to vegetation. 

Children's Garden

The Children’s Area unites the existing playground to a Children’s Garden-where children can dig holes, make mud-pies, have their own planting events and grow sunflowers, herbs and other wonderful plants that children love. The areas are united by a maze this adds interest and keeps the children engaged. The area is circled by a path (made of recycled/sustainable materials), children can ride tricycles and bikes. The little squares represents a buffer (either posts or retaining wall) to protect the area from cars.

 

Harvesting Rain

The pink circles that go around the park are flowering trees that provide ongoing blooms throughout the different seasons. Of course, in this dream design the sidewalks are repaired by the City!!! The basketball court has gutters added to the roof to collect water via rain-barrels. On the other side the water is directed to a mini-wetland that is part of our educational theme. We talked about converting that baseball field into a soccer field but still need to assess community preference.

STATE of GEORGIA WILL VOTE AGAINST KINDEZI SCHOOL March 28, 2009

The Kindezi School will not open in the fall.

This unique charter school would have been a wonderful addition to our educational institutions (here) in the Historic West End.

Many educators and community members worked VERY HARD to make The Kindezi School a reality.  After being approved by Atlanta’s Public Schools, everyone was certain that the school would open this fall. Administrators had secured funding, hired teachers and began to enroll students-only to find out that the Department of Education (STATE) took  a conservative stand on the schools democratic management structure and planned to deny the school’s charter. This is particularly ackward after the City’s approval.

Dozens of community members showed up to the State Board’s hearing to support The Kindezi School but they’re plead was ignored by the Board.  The  Kindezi School will have to withdraw the applicaton prior to the negative vote next Wednesday. If you’re available attend the GA State Education Board Hearing on April 1st. 

If you’d like to call the State Board of Education here’s their info, let them know how disappointed you are that they’ve denied the West End an opportunity to host The Kindezi School!

Lynn Roberts
Administrative Assistant to the State Board
2053 Twin Towers East
205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive SE
Atlanta, GA 30334

Tel:  (404) 657-7410

I  hope we move towards better days in Georgia, it’s clear we need to change the politics of this state…talk about ‘government’ respecting the needs and opinions of local communities-the West End is continuously short-changed!

Thanks to all the wonderful individuals that continue to work hard to make this a great community despite the lack of collaboration and support from the city and the state!