http://www.piedmontheights.org/

Piedmont Heights Neighbors: 

In partnership with the City of Atlanta, Trees Atlanta is offering free front yard trees for city residents. Don't miss out! 

We'll be planting in Piedmont Heights on Saturday, October 26th.

The program’s intent is to lower summer temperatures and reduce energy consumption by investing in tree canopy cover for neighborhoods in Atlanta. Urban trees decrease energy bills for residents, absorb pollutants, reduce maintenance costs for streets and storm water infrastructure, increase property values by making neighborhoods more beautiful, walkable, and desirable places to live, and combat the urban heat island effect.

Please review the program guidelines below, and visit our website for more information:

- Limit 3 trees per yard
- Must be a City of Atlanta resident
- Shade trees cannot be planted to meet city recompense requirements
- You agree to maintain any trees planted in your yard

Interested in a yard tree (or three)? Fill out your request form here! 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScTMJxeKvFOZhQg9yLr7kutOYJxNCcRE7jKtH7kzipLH_zhIA/viewform

If you have any questions, please email Cate Hughes, NeighborWoods Supervisor, at cate@treesatlanta.org. Looking forward to hearing from you! 

Cate Hughes NeighborWoods Supervisor

404.681.4890 || cate@treesatlanta.org

www.treesatlanta.org || 225 Chester Ave. SE 30316

AIRLINE BELLE

08/20/19

The Airline Belle was a train which ran through Piedmont Heights, then known as Easton, from 1879 until 1931. The rail line was originally intended to connect Atlanta to Norcross but over time it was extended north to Toccoa, passing through dozens of small towns and communities along the way. Its tracks lay in today’s BeltLine corridor behind Ansley Mall until they were taken up only a few years ago.

The little two-car passenger train made as many as 39 stops along its daily 93 mile route, some at little towns and some merely at locations where locals knew they could catch it. It took only three hours to make the entire trip and the Airline Belle averaged fifty miles an hour between stops. In the mornings it delivered commuters to Atlanta by 7:50 a. m. and departed at 5:20 p. m to take them home again. Most of the passengers knew the engineer and crew by name and the conductor knew his regular passengers personally. Easton residents particularly loved it because they didn’t have to ford Clear Creek in bad weather to get to Atlanta.

The train became so popular that it needed a name. The wife of railroad superintendent Colonel Fouracre suggested calling it the Airline Belle and the name was soon known all over Georgia. The “Belle” was noted for its punctuality, had a sterling safety record and during its 52 years of service had only one accident. Engineer Ike Roberts drove the train many years until May 15, 1929 when he collapsed at Terminal Station in Atlanta and died of a heat attack.

After the Airline Belle’s demise Southern Railroad trains running between Atlanta and Washington took over its route, still delivering its passengers on the same schedule.

-Bill Seay

With the continuing instances of active shooter situations in the U.S., it is increasingly important for all of us to be AWARE or our surroundings at all times. That does not mean we need to be afraid, just AWARE.

Awareness of surroundings means many things, including: Being aware of drivers texting instead of watching where they are driving.

Being aware of kids playing ball near the street.

Being aware of the driver who does not see the light change.

Being aware of unknown individuals apparently soliciting in your neighborhood.

Being aware of the emergency exits in a movie theater or restaurant in case of fire.

Even being aware of where rest rooms are, just in case.

Be aware of your environment and any possible dangers When you visit a building such as a shopping mall or healthcare facility, school or church, take time to identify two nearby exits. Get in the habit of doing this. With that awareness ingrained by making it a habit, in an active shooter situation, the three things all agencies recommend and in the order they should be considered are:

RUN: Getting away from the shooter or shooters is the top priority. Leave your things behind and run away. If safe to do so, warn others nearby.

HIDE: If you cannot get away safely, find a place to hide. Hide in an area out of the shooter’s view. Block entry to your hiding place and lock the doors. Stay very quiet. Silence your cell phone and/or pager

FIGHT: As a last resort and only when your life is in imminent danger. Attempt to incapacitate the shooter. Act with physical aggression and throw items at the shooter.

WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT ARRIVES: Remain calm and follow instructions. Put down any items in your hands (i.e., bags, jackets). Raise empty hands and spread fingers. Always keep hands visible. Avoid quick movements toward officers such as holding on to them for safety. Avoid pointing, screaming or yelling. Do not stop to ask officers for help or direction when evacuating. Remember responding police officers first responsibility is to get to the shooter, not assist victims.

There are a number of websites for more information on how to survive an Active Shooter Situation. READY.GOV has a lot of good information, including short videos. There are many resources available to help organizations plan for all hazards, including active shooter situations. If your organization wants assistance, please contact me for more information.

Jim Hardy Public Safety Chair, NPU-F

jedhardy@aol.com /770-713-8283

active-shooter-pocket-card-508.pdf

active-shooter-pamphlet-2017-508.pdf

JEAN JOHNSON- PIEDMONT HEIGHTS ICON

07/19/2019

Piedmont Heights will soon see the departure of one of its most illustrious residents, Jean Johnson. Jean bought her house at 512 Rock Springs Road in 1972 and joined PHCA a few years later. She has served on its Board of Directors for the past 34 years, chaired and served on many committees and task forces, never seeking high post nor personal recognition. She was the calm voice of experience and reason, never excited nor angry, and could always be counted on for wise counsel. Jean will still be close by, however, in north Buckhead at the Renaissance on Peachtree, a full-service “independent living” high-rise. She spent two months there last year recuperating from surgery for a broken femur and made several friends, so will be an easy transition. Her apartment will be on the 12th floor with a grand view of downtown. Jean says she will maintain ties with Piedmont Heights through her memberships in the Piedmont Heights Bridge Club (which she founded), the Piedmont Heights Luncheon Club, and relationships with old friends. During her career Jean worked for three educational organizations in Atlanta starting at the Southern Regional Education Board, next for the Southern Education Foundation, and then for the Atlanta office of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges. She returned to the Southern Regional Education Board where she finished her career as Director of Human Resources, retiring in 2000. Jean’s dedication to public service extended well beyond the neighborhood. She served many years as PHCA’s representative to Neighborhood Planning Unit F. She garnered much professional recognition and received an Atlanta Planning Advisory Board Award for the City of Atlanta’s Neighborhoods Matter in 2016. When asked what the highlight of her life was, however, Jean responded without hesitation friends made and her many years of service to Piedmont Heights. In 2013, to recognize Jean’s long service to our neighborhood, the PHCA Board created and awarded her the “Jean Johnson Award” which since has been awarded annually to a PHCA board member for outstanding service to Piedmont Heights. Jean’s many friends in Piedmont Heights will sorely miss having her in their midst. We all thank her from the bottoms of our hearts and wish her a fond farewell and Godspeed in her future endeavors.

By Bill Seay , Rock Springs Rd

"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can."

Arthur Ashe

We are coming to the end of an amazing era for fitness in Piedmont Heights. For the past five years Karen Argrett Richardson, one of our neighbors on Rock Springs Rd in Piedmont Heights has hosted Zumba classes for residents of Piedmont Heights and surrounding areas in Midtown. Karen is a certified Zumba, Zumba Gold instructor. Karen and her husband David Richardson are leaving for new adventures out of state this August. Her Zumba workouts transformed and had a positive impact on the lives of attendees, two days each week at our local Loudermilk Center. Her classes never feel like a workout, they are always fun and filled with laughter. One of her favorite pieces of advice for new members " There are no mistakes at Zumba, just keep dancing and have fun"

Karen was a founding member of the Piedmont Heights Business Alliance and continues to be a supportive member today.

Thank you Karen for providing a valuable health and fitness option for women, men and children in Piedmont Heights. We wish her well in all of her future endeavors!

You can still follow Karen via her website and her Facebook page where she will continue to be a valuable resource for health and fitness.

https://www.facebook.com/getfitwithkrich/?tn-str=k*F

https://www.zumba.com/en-US/profile/karen-argrett-richardson/823093

#zumbarocks#zumbafitness#piedmontheightsatl

Class Schedule - Only 3 more classes this year - July 24th, July 27th and July 31st ( First class is free)

Wednesdays - 7 pm to 8 pm

Saturdays - 9:30 am to 10:30 am

Zone 2 Assistant Commander Captain 

Piedmont Heights Security Patrol 

APD PROUD: Hats off to Atlanta Police Zone 2 Assistant Commander Captain Tony Singh for arresting a car break-in suspect attempting to flee from officers near 2274 Peachtree Road NW in Buckhead.

Capt. Singh is a member of our Command Staff, responsible for leading and creating strategies to reduce crime in the Buckhead and Northeast Atlanta area that encompasses Zone 2. Springing into action to make an arrest shows the dedication of our leadership to the residents of the City of Atlanta. Even in the high-level position Capt. Singh holds, he will always be a police officer. 

On June 29, 2019, officers responded to 105 Peachtree Memorial Drive NW in reference to suspects looking into to vehicles. Officer Steven Randerson noticed a stolen silver Honda Accord attempting to flee the area, but the suspects decided to exit the car and run. Sgt. Dana Primo was able to catch up to one of the running suspects and make an arrest. A second suspect was involved in a foot chase with Officer Terrell Simmons which ended in the arrest by Capt. Singh and Officer Simmons. We are incredibly proud of Capt. Singh and his officers for nabbing two suspects involved in car break-ins at 68 Peachtree Memorial Drive NW, 136 Peachtree Memorial Drive NW and 115 Peachtree Memorial Drive NW. #WeCatchBadGuys

ROCK SPRING CEMETERY BY BILL SEAY 

The historic Rock Spring Presbyterian Church is a well-known historic landmark in Piedmont Heights, but the small adjacent cemetery receives scant notice. The one-acre plot was donated by church member Daniel Liddell Plaster shortly after the founding of the Church in 1870. The exact date is lost, but the oldest gravestones are dated 1874. It is said that the cemetery was “given” to the church, but there are no records to that effect. The 84 plots in the little cemetery are all privately owned.

For the first 90 years of its existence, the cemetery was voluntarily maintained by the church’s parishioners, although haphazardly and only on infrequent “clean-up” days. Over time it became so badly overgrown with weeds, shrubs, and vines that one could hardly distinguish the individual grave sites or read the markers.

In 1961 the Rock Spring Cemetery Association, Inc., was founded and a trust fund established to insure its preservation, beautification, and upkeep. The surrounding wrought iron fence was repaired where it had been damaged by cars and the City agreed to fund half the cost of installing curbs and sidewalks along the adjacent streets. Nevertheless, over time maintenance slowly declined once more until the Association was revitalized in 1999 and a self-sustaining, permanent year- round maintenance program put into place. A small plot in the back of the cemetery was also set aside and dedicated as a Memorial Garden for the interment of ashes of the deceased. The little cemetery currently contains approximately 550 graves plus an unknown number of unmarked burials.

Northside-Northeast-Study-Group-Northeast-Trail-Design-6.25.19 (1).pdf

Your Piedmont Heights Civic Association (PHCA) Board is a group of very dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly for you, the residents of Piedmont Heights.

Recently, several Allen Road, Piedmont Way and White Oak Hollow residents in our neighborhood have complained about significant flooding caused by storm water runoff from the Hedgewood Rock Spring development next to the Rock Springs Presbyterian Church.  Those residents sent the PHCA a letter asking for our assistance.  A number of those residents spoke to our May 7 PHCA Board Meeting voicing their concerns.  Don Donnelly from Hedgewood was also there.

Based on information from that meeting, observations of the culverts and evidence of inadequate drainage, and several videos of storm water runoff on Allen Rd, the PHCA Board believes there is a significant problem caused by the Hedgewood development's drainage system and lack of adequate City of Atlanta storm water drainage in that area. We sent a letter to Don Donnelly of Hedgewood, Neighborhood Planning Unit F (NPU-F),

Council Member Jennifer Ide and City Planning Deputy Director Doug Young in addition to the residents who made the complaints. We asked for NPU-F, Council Member Ide and City of Atlanta assistance in getting this issue resolved. Since the letter was sent, we've talked with Council Member Ide’s Office and met again with residents and Hedgewood to discuss this situation.  At the May 20 NPU-F Meeting we introduced Piedmont Heights residents and Don Donnelly who presented the problem to the NPU.  NPU-F unanimously passed our motion to work with PHCA, Hedgewood, affected Piedmont Heights residents and the City of Atlanta to get an equitable solution to this problem. A proposed solution is to build an approximate 600 foot storm sewer connecting the Hedgewood development and the existing City storm sewer which has its first intake at a low point in Allen Rd, about 600 feet from the end of Allen Rd. 

Council Member Ide’s Office has met with representatives from the affected area and is pushing City of Atlanta Watershed Management to help get this significant situation resolved.

Your Board is dedicated to helping resolve this and other significant problems facing your neighborhood. We need your help by joining and being involved in the Association; volunteering to work on the Board or PCHA Committees; identifying issues the Association should address and keeping this “Small Town in a Big City” a great place to live.

Jim Hardy, Piedmont Heights Civic Association President

www.piedmontheights.org

DOING “BUSINESS” IN PIEDMONT HEIGHTS - NEW AND IMPROVED

03/25/19

DOING “BUSINESS” IN PIEDMONT HEIGHTS 03/26/19

Piedmont Heights began almost 200 years ago as a little country town around a grist mill on Clear Creek. The residential area didn’t really begin until the 1900s and today is only half the community; the remainder is a wide variety of businesses.

In 2012, to anticipate the impact of the Atlanta BeltLine, the PHCA created a master plan to guide future development. Because funding for the plan came largely from business owners, PHCA formed a Business Committee to give them a greater voice in neighborhood affairs. Membership grew rapidly and two years later the committee evolved into the Piedmont Heights Business Alliance. In 2018 the name was tweaked again and became the Greater Piedmont Heights Business Alliance so that businesses adjacent to our neighborhood could participate. The expanded group is now restructuring itself into a professional organization with a board of directors, president, and non-profit status to be eligible for City grants and other funding for neighborhood improvements.

Examples of similar associations exist in Midtown, West Midtown, and the Old Fourth Ward. The important difference with ours, however, is that it will partner with the Piedmont Heights Civic Association and the Community Improvement Foundation to create a unique and powerful triumvirate for positive change.

Bill Seay, Piedmont Heights Historian and Architect 

Visit our GPHBA page to learn more, join us!

http://www.piedmontheights.org/Business-Alliance