Newspaper Page Text
Page 14A
LOCAL
The Champion, Thursday, June 11 - 17, 2015
on succulents. Photo provided
Mountain Shadow Garden Club:
A garden for all
Dunwoody reaches agreement
with county on parks bond
by Carla Parker
carla@dekalbchamp.com
What started as an activ
ity for men has turned into
an organization for all that
gives back.
Established in 1973, the
Mountain Shadow Garden
Club started in Atlanta by
the late Ralph Chewing.
Chewing started the club as
an all men club under The
Gardeners of America/Mens
Garden Clubs of America.
The organization is a na
tional organization with
more than 2,800 members
in local clubs all around the
United States. The clubs
put emphasis on gardening
education and community
beautification.
Jim Tucker, who joined
the club in 1997, said Chew
ing, who lived in Smoke
Rise, later moved the club to
Stone Mountain.
“He gathered other
men to work in the garden,”
Tucker said, adding that the
garden club was active until
the 1990s.
“We needed help rejuve
nating the club,” Tucker said.
“A part of the rejuvenation
was taking advantage of the
co-ed portion of The Gar
deners of America. We were
missing out on half of the
gardeners.”
In 2001, the Mountain
Shadow Garden Club went
from an all-men’s club to a
co-ed club for those who
enjoy learning about a range
of topics on gardening and
plants. The club’s member
ship significantly increased.
“It’s a far cry from what
it was,” Tucker said about
the membership. “Once we
changed we got more people
in the club.”
Since then, the club has
become more active in the
community by having more
meetings, participating in
festivals and bringing in
speakers to talk about gar
dening.
On June 6, Kurt Straudt
was the featured speaker for
Mountain Shadow Garden
Club with a program on
succulents. A succulent is
any plant that has adapted
to dry, arid climates by stor
ing water in its leaves, stems
and/or roots.
In May, the club hosted
a program titled “The Lost
Oaks of Georgia,” provid
ing insight into the Quercus
(oak) species, according to
the club’s Facebook page.
Jim Rodgers, owner and
operator of Nearly Native
Nursery in Fayetteville, dis
cussed the importance of the
plant.
“The club always relies
on free, voluntary speakers,”
Tucker said.
The club meets at
Eastminster Presbyterian
Church in Stone Mountain.
Tucker said the club also
started a scholarship fund
and each year awards a $500
scholarship to a deserving
student attending Gwinnett
Technical College.
Erika Marion of Lil-
burn, who is studying envi
ronmental horticulture, was
this year’s recipient.
Tucker said although the
changes to the club brought
in more people—some who
are young—most of the
members are seniors who
are retired.
“More older people are
interested in gardening.
That was true back then,
and it’s still true,” Tucker
said. “But, we brought [the
club] back alive.”
After agreeing in prin
ciple to accept approximately
$4 million of proceeds from
general obligation bonds is
sued by DeKalb County as
part of a lawsuit settlement
resolution, the city of Dun-
woody and DeKalb County,
through separate majority
votes of each body, agreed to
approve the execution of an
intergovernmental agreement
for grants to implement the
terms of the settlement.
Under the terms of the
agreement, DeKalb County
agreed to pay Dunwoody ap
proximately $4 million pro
vided the city agrees to spend
the funds on specific park
improvements for the greater
benefit of all DeKalb County
residents.
The terms of the agree
ment require the city to allo
cate the proceeds of the Series
2001 and 2006 Bonds for
specified capital projects.
The specified funds al
located to projects under
the agreement include $3.2
million explicitly for the con
struction and development of
a new 5-acre park in George
town, $500,000 to update the
2011 Parks, Recreation and
Open Space Master Plan for
parks and greenspace projects
and $300,000 to be used for
construction of a great lawn
at Brook Run Park.
“We believe this agree
ment will not only fund the
construction of a new 5-acre
park but also greatly en
hance future park space and
amenities,” said Dunwoody
Mayor Mike Davis. “Our goal
throughout negotiations with
the county was to acquire
bond money which our resi
dents paid through previous
tax outlays. We view this as
a fair and reasonable settle
ment to this ongoing lawsuit
and one which will provide
residents and visitors to our
parks with tangible future
benefits.”
In 2010, the city of Dun
woody filed suit against
DeKalb County alleging
Georgia Code required the
county to remit proceeds
from the general obligation
bonds issued by the county
in 2006 to the city of Dun
woody. Over the next several
years the city and the county
engaged in negotiations, as
well as mediation sessions to
reach a settlement agreement.
Following mediation and
arbitration both parties ap
proved the intergovernmental
agreement to implement the
terms of the settlement in
their respective meetings held
May 26.
“Previously approved
budget funds allocated for
the projects now financed by
the agreement grants are now
freed up to address the top
priorities in Brook Run Park
as defined by the citizens
within the community-devel
oped 2011 Parks, Recreation
and Open Space Master Plan,”
Davis said.
June is National
Elder Abuse Awareness Month
Sherry Boston
DEKALB COUNTY SOLICITOR-GENERAL
www.dekalbsolicitorgeneral.org
404.371.2201
Please Join Us for Our 4 th Annual
Safety in Numbers Bingo Event
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
(free lunch begins at 12:00 p.m.)
Manuel Maloof Auditorium
1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur, Georgia
Limited Seating RSVPRequired
RSVP BY JUNE 17, 2015 TO:
COMMUNITY PROSECUTOR HANNAH CHUNG
404.371.2820 hychung@dekalbcountyga.gov
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AARP, WELLCARE, AND
THE ELDER & DISABILITY LAW FIRM OF VICTORIA L. COLLIER, PC