Let’s add bicycle racks to our park! We have raised enough money! Whatta ya say???
2nd Annual West End Earth Day Celebration! April 5, 2010
The Friends of the West End Park will be hosting our wonderful 2nd Annual Earth Day Celebration!
THIS WEEKEND!!! 2nd ANNUAL EARTH DAY CELEBRATION at WEST END PARK!!!
- Participate in ‘Edible Landscaping’ project!
- Make your very own rain barrel for only $40! Pre-register by contacting Jamila: 404-693-1742
- Children activities include creating garden art, face-painting & plantings
- Build new benches for the park
- Plant new trees
- Mulch existing trees
- Clean playground mulch and overall park!
WISH LIST:
-Fruit or Flowering trees
-Gardening Soil
-Playground mulch
Starts @ 10am! Don’t miss it!
West End Park (Oak/Lucille)
I’d like to get involved, how can I help?
- Cash donations can help buy much needed supplies!
- If you’re knowledgeable in areas of reusing, gardening, water harvesting, children’s environmental education and art…consider facilitating a workshop for others. Email: yomara@9to5.org!
- Donate a tree: we’d like fruit trees but a spring blooming flower tree would bring much needed color to the park. You can even make an art plaque to label your tree!
- Volunteer: We’ll need volunteers for set-up, during the event & clean-up. Please consider picking up a shift even if it’s just 45 minutes! We need you!
For more information, to give a donation or sign-up for a volunteer shift contact:
- Jamila Norman: jamilanorman@yahoo.com
- Yomara Velez: yomaravelez@yahoo.com
This event can be a wonderful community event but we need you to get involved!
WE WAITED 6 MONTHS FOR MULCH… February 24, 2010
And this is what we got!
- Huge pieces of wood!
- Painted Wood w/ Nails!
- Rusted Nails-at that!
This was next to the playground!
This is completely unacceptable! Call Parks and tell them to remove this junk from our park: Paul A. Taylor, Tel: 404.817.6788, pataylor@atlantaga.gov
STARTING YOUR SPRING GARDEN… January 29, 2010
Starting Your Spring Garden
FROM Truly Living Well (www.trulylivingwell.com)
A local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) managed by Mr. K. Rashid Nuri…
 Mr. K. Rashid Nuri Now is the time to plan and build an organic spring garden at your home. What is the first step? Determine the best place for your garden. The garden should be located in an area that is fully exposed to the sun. You will pay more attention to your garden the nearer it is to the house. Make sure that water is readily available. The single most important factor in creating a successful garden is soil preparation. I call it dirt making. Get the soil right. If you create good healthy soil, the plants which grow in that soil will also be healthy. Healthy plants are disease resistant. Begin soil preparation by gently turning the soil. If this is the first time the land is being used to grow food, a tiller may prove helpful. Too much tillage destroys soil structure. Subsequent soil preparation can be done with a spade or garden fork. After opening the soil add copious amounts of organic material such as compost, leaf mold, well rotted sawdust or decomposed animal manure. You can make your own compost or purchase it from most garden supply stores. Compost is the key to successful gardening. Compost added to gardens improves soil structure, texture, aeration, and water retention. When mixed with compost, clay soils are lightened, and sandy soils retain water better. Mixing compost with soil also contributes to erosion control, soil fertility, proper pH balance, and healthy root development in plants. Make beds in the garden that are separated by walkways. You do not want to walk in the area that you plant with vegetables. Walking on a vegetable bed compacts the soil and retards plant growth. Utilize the garden space wisely. Select crops you will eat and enjoy. You must like what you plant or the garden space and the food will both be wasted. Decide what you want to plant and where you will plant it. Know what you will plant after the spring season crop is finished. Southern exposure has the most light. Tall crops should be planted on the north and west side of the garden to prevent shading of smaller plants. |
HAPPY NEW YEARS! January 1, 2010
Blue Moon (West End 2009). Photo by Debbie Zimmerman
Today is about reflection and new beginnings, I hope you’re all enjoying your day!!!
12 ways to live more RESPONSIBLE + LOCAL in the NEW YEAR:
- Donate to a local charity: West End Performing Arts Center, Hammond House, Wrens Nest, Friends of the West end Park, Etc. Support local institutions!
- Use the Beltline-get your bike, walking shoes and get going!
- Attend SATURDAY MORNING FITNESS CLASSES (10am) in the West End Park
- Attend Neighborhood + Park Clean ups (and Neighborhood meetings) for dates check upcoming events. Park Clean ups are usually 3rd Saturday/every month.
- Volunteer to tutor (after-school) at Brown Middle School, call (404) 756-6414
- Order your recycling bin…call 404.330.6333.
- Host a West End swap or participate in one!
- Support local businesses: Coffee Shop, Print Shop, ACE etc. We don’t want those businesses we like to close.
- Write a letter and complaint to Kroger (corporate) about our stores condition. You can do it via email by visiting: https://customer.kroger.com/comments/comments.aspx or call 1-866-221-4141 or mail letters to: 1014 Vine Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-1100. The condition of our local store is sub-standard! Visit the Edgewood store and compare! They can do better!
- Work to make our schools + local library better!
- Use our GOODWILL store wisely by donating items in good condition + shopping there.
- Participate in our West End Neighborhood Yard Sale organized by Percy (end of the summer)
- Give the West End lots and lots of LOVE!
For general tips on living green visit: http://ecogreenbags.blogspot.com/2009/12/25-ways-to-be-more-eco-friendly.htm
2009 YEAR IN REVIEW!!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! December 26, 2009
Happy Holidays West End & Friends!!!
I hope you enjoyed the day w/ your family and friends.
As the year comes to a close, please consider making a donation to Friends of the West End Park. It is tax-deductible and will help us continue our wonderful work.
Donations can be written to Friends of the West End Park and mailed to:
Yomara Velez, 9to5 Atlanta Working Women, 501 Pulliam Street SW Suite 344, Atlanta GA 30312
Our accomplishments this past year…
We created an initial plan for our park!
We coordinated monthly meetings, started this blog and held monthly park clean-ups!
Mary signs-in (our Spring Egg Hunt Coordinator)
We made improvements to our park-painted the water fountain and after some pressure the City fixed the fountain, we also painted the the tennis courts (walls)!
We mulched our trees and the playground!
We planted trees!
Beth held weekly jump rope classes (Saturday Mornings-10am) and in the Fall added an Abs Class!
We hosted an Earth Day Celebration + involved children in planting a mini-garden! Jamila helps the children plant their seeds!
And-these are the beautiful results from the picture above!
We hosted our 1st EGG HUNT/Spring Celebration!
We solidified friendships + built community!
We hosted West End's 1st FALL FEST!
We carved pumpkins and held activities for the entire family!
West End's Fall Fest involved youth in the community + gave them something positive to do with their free time!
Chin held youth soccer in the park every Saturday (Fall)!
Jamila and Chin co-coordinated the Fall Fest!
It’s been a busy but wonderful year! As I look back, I’m pleased with everything we’ve accomplished. These pictures inspire me to continue the work. I hope it reminds us of how powerful we can be when we come together to create healthier communities. You’ve worked hard and I hope you enjoy this photo essay of our past year!
In 2010:
- Jamila will help coordinate meetings for the first 6 months to give me some time to continue to strengthen the work in other areas such as fundraising and programming.
Things to look forward to in the coming year:
- Monthly clean-ups (3rd Saturday/month)
- Saturday morning fitness classes (saturdays/weekly)
- Knitting/crafting circle in the park.
- More on plan/design for the park.
- Wooden posts at the park to minimize cars on the turf.
- Continue to contact the City about the broken sidewalk.
- Community Events in the Park such as the Spring Egg Hunt + Earth Day Celebration!
- Malcolm X Festival (Friends will have a table at the event + work w/ festival organizers)
I HOPE YOU’LL JOIN US! Much love…Yomara!
HAPPY DIA DE LOS MUERTOS November 2, 2009
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 http://www.craftesania.etsy.com
INSPIRATION FOR YOUR GARDEN!
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…
Brown Middle on Urban Garden TOUR! October 8, 2009
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!
Friends of the West End Park 
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