Historic Westside News

The Last Mile: Westview Drive

January 29, 2017February 14, 2017 adminart and entertainment, literautre, Poetry0 comment

Author: Brent Brewer Whose route this is I think I know Though we’re always busy and on the go For that long last mile before we get home We’ll soon slow down the traffic flow. Folks kept alive by affordable care Taking their pills with their daily three squares They struggle with chronic “black” diseases While driving that last mile before they sleep. The car commuters think it queer To hear bold bikers shift their gears, Zipping downtown in under thirty minutes And cycling the last mile before they sleep.…

Business & Finance

You Can Buy a House for $350

January 9, 2017February 14, 2017 admindown payment assistance, financing, home ownership0 comment

By Jesse Phillips Jesse has lived in English Ave for 4 years. He got married and bought a house last year. He owns a business selling calendars at NeuYear.net. Right now is a GREAT time to stop renting and buy a house! When you rent a home you give your hard earned money away to someone who can kick you out anytime and usually doesn’t take care of the place. The benefits of buying are huge: 1) There is up to $80,000 available as down payment asisstance if you buy…

Culture

10 Points Poem

January 9, 2017February 14, 2017 adminCulture0 comment

50 years ago Bobby and Huey met somewhere ‘round Oakland. Today I find myself writing for my community wanting to say the things we need to hear, but can’t get around the echo of these Panthers who said it first: We Want Freedom. We Want Power To Determine The Destiny Of Our Black Community. We Want Full Employment For Our People. We Want An End To The Robbery By The Capitalists Of Our Black Community. We Want Decent Housing Fit For The Shelter Of Human Beings. We Want Education For Our…

Community Community Organizations

Top-to-Bottom, Bottom-Up or … Bottom-to-Bottom for change?

January 9, 2017February 14, 2017 admincommunity organization, Historic Westside Gardens, urban gardens0 comment

Gil Frank, Historic Westside Gardens neighbor “Yes we can do head counts but we have only little knowledge if people’s lives have changed. We have ‘metrics mania and impact mania’” -The head of evaluation at a major National Foundation We are familiar with the lingo of ‘top-to-bottom’, ‘from-the-ground-up’ or ’bottom-up’ as used to define how community change is produced (or is not). It is widely accepted that community change from top-to-bottom is the least effective and many players will say that they don’t believe in it. So I will not…

Uncategorized

Gentrification-Displacement- Transformation – Opportunity

January 9, 2017February 14, 2017 admin0 comment

gen·tri·fi·ca·tion ˌjentrəfəˈkāSH(ə)n/ noun noun: gentrification; plural noun: gentrifications the process of renovating and improving a house or district so that it conforms to middle-class taste. “an area undergoing rapid gentrification” the process of making a person or activity more refined or polite. “soccer has undergone gentrification” Gentrification of urban American cities is a complex phenomenon with social, political and economic implications. It represents a double edged sword with both opportunities and challenges. The infusion of higher income individuals into urban centers generates increased renewal investments in blighted communities and…

Youth

STEAMsport, Inc. First Lego League Robotics Tournament

January 9, 2017February 14, 2017 admin0 comment

December 10, 2016 What if I told you that over 40 youth from the Westside Communities representing M. Agnes Jones Elementary, Brown Middle School and Hollis Innovation Academy competed in a tournament where they displayed their skill, hard work and dedication to their craft? What if I also told you that Westside Communities residents and stakeholders including Atlanta Public Schools, The Atlanta Housing Authority, University Choice Neighborhood, Atlanta University Center Neighborhood Association and private residents would come out on an early Saturday morning to welcome and support students during…

What’s New on the Westside Trail?

January 9, 2017February 14, 2017 admin0 comment

In November 2014, we broke ground on the Westside Trail and by next fall, we’ll be able to say it’s officially complete. Despite wild weather conditions, unexpected underground infrastructure, and a burst of other development projects demanding resources around the city, we’ve managed to keep the project on track. Concrete Progress With a large portion of the underground infrastructure and retaining walls complete in 2015, we readied the Westside Trail for an exciting, visible milestone in its construction – the pouring of concrete. This year, concrete has been poured on two…

Community English Avenue Local Governmet

"Self Determination, Mayor Maynard Jackson Legacy: The NPU Process"

January 9, 2017January 31, 2017 adminCommunity, history, Local Government0 comment

I have been a resident of English Avenue, by choice, for nine (9) years. I have been African American since I was 29 years old. I have been a descendant of enslaved Africans for 78 years. I have been a political activist for 50 years: 25 as a Marxist, 25 as a Christian. I speak on behalf of the disempowered, disenfranchised, the least, the less and the lost with a priority on the African American community. I believe that former, deceased Mayor Maynard Jackson, reigned over a City of Atlanta…

Uncategorized

Bringing Old-Fashioned Christmas Caroling to Ashview Heights

December 5, 2016February 14, 2017 adminashview heights, Christmas, Community, events, holiday, neighborhood0 comment

Author: Melody Blount Ashview Heights Community Association will host the First Annual Ashview Heights Christmas Carol Crawl on Saturday, December 17th. We will sing, fellowship, drink, eat, be merry and spread holiday cheer in this season of love by singing some of the greats from our childhood such as Jingle Bells, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and Do You Want to Build a Snowman? Oh wait, that’s from Frozen! AHCA is seeking singers, shower performers, karaoke stars, etc. to meet and greet our neighbors in Ashview Heights while providing…

Community

Shrinking Thinking

December 1, 2016February 14, 2017 adminCommunity, neighborhoods, traffic0 comment

Author: Jesse Phillips Some people say “less is more” and other people say “less is just less.” Two major roads on the Historic Westside are about to get a facelift with aesthetic and pedestrian improvements while being narrowed down from four lanes to two. Why are they doing this, and what are the implications? I spoke to some neighbors and city employees (and did a lot of googling) to find out. First, here are the projects: 1) Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Mayor Reed has said MLK Drive should…