THE CLARION IS PRINTED O N R E C Y C L E D P A P E R .

October 2015 The Lake Claire Neighborhood Newspaper • www.LakeClaire.org V.23, #10

TheLakeClaire ClarionTheLakeClaire Clarion

Let’s Party!! Lake Claire is Invited!

The Annual Harold Avenue Street Dance will be Friday night, October 9. Music and dance is on Harold, between Marlbrook and Harriett. Harold Avenue in that block will be closed to traffic by police permit, with a security offi-cer, and the music (always great) will be from 7 p.m. to midnight. ‘Hair of the Dog’ and ‘Expand Band’ with our own Bill Fleming on Steel Guitar. See you there, neighbors!

Annual Elections – Come to the October Meeting

The annual election of of-ficers for 2016 of Lake Claire Neighbors (LCN) for 2016 is coming up! As most of you know, LCN is the neighborhood asso-ciation of Lake Claire. The all-volunteer offices are President and various vice presidents—as listed on the Clarion masthead on Page 2. All nominations, in-cluding self-nominations, for 2016, must be made before or at the October meeting, Thurs-

day, October 15. The election is at the regular meeting in No-vember. To serve, one must have attended at least four meetings during the calendar year.

**Please see the official slate of nominations for the LCN executive committee on the neighborhood website. And again, the final time for all nominations is at the regu-lar LCN meeting on Oct. 15.**

Whenever any Lake Claire

neighbor (small “n”) has informa-tion or concerns for the neighbor-hood, please come to the regular meetings (3rd Thursday of each month) or contact president@lakeclaire.org. Our friend the Frazer Center kindly provides the meeting space, and there is always a reminder in the Clari-on. The agenda is posted on our website, lakeclaire.org.

The Frazer Center Invites Lake Claire

“All Abilities” will be a spe-cial exhibition of Frazer Center adult program portraits, Octo-ber 8, 5:30-8 p.m. Admission is free, but online registration is re-quired at www.frazercenter.org/portraits. In partnership with Scott Lowden Photography, each of the 27 portraits shows that a Frazer adult is a person who just happens to have a disability. En-joy hors d’oeuvres, and celebrate the benefits of diversity.

Coming Saturday, October 24:

Annual Lake Claire Halloween Parade and Party

One of Lake Claire’s signature parties of the year, The Annual Lake Claire Halloween Parade and Party, is coming! It has been co-hosted annually by the Lake Claire Parents Group and the Lake Claire Neighbors, and has traditionally been a fund-raiser for Lake Claire Parents group (often using the proceeds for an ice cream social in warmer climes). Most important, it gives kids (and adults!) a chance to pa-rade (costumed or not) through the streets of Lake Claire, ending up in Lake Claire Park for treats and more. This year’s party is Saturday, October 24, one week before Halloween.

Bring your little pirates, prin-cesses, super heroes, monsters,

witches, and others to join the parade at the intersection of Ridgewood and Marlbrook at 5:00 p.m.! The parade will end, as always, with fun in Lake Claire Park. (Please, leave the doggies at home.)

We need more volunteers and sponsors! Please write to orga-nizer, Emily Oppelt, at hallow-een@lakeclaire.org, to volunteer. Closer to the date, please visit our neighborhood website, lake-claire.org, or contact Emily, for up-to-date information. Since this Clarion went to press the last week of September, there may be tweaks to the logistics when you are preparing for the party.

Join this wonderful kickoff to the Halloween week! And re-

member, volunteering is a perfect way to meet and re-meet neigh-bors and help make this wonder-ful Lake Claire event even more super spooktacular.

Where in the Heck is Lake Claire?by Boyd Baker

Sooner or later you’ll probably hear that question if you live in this beloved neighborhood. I learned many years ago to say we’re next to Candler Park or between Little Five Points and Decatur. Few, even in our neigh-borhood, know that Clifton Road is the Mason-Dixon line that di-vides us from Candler Park. So I say, “Let’s do something about this!”

I’m not talking about having a major festival in Lake Claire or putting up a neon sign. Think-ing maybe something subdued and classy. Maybe it isn’t even super obvious but it’s something unique. My idea is to “highlight” our neighborhood so that folks know it when they see it, at least in spring, by planting daffodils.

Imagine it. You turn off of Ponce or Dekalb heading down Clifton. All of a sudden your eyes are dazzled by row upon row of brightly colored flowers on one side of the street. In front of each house, at least in the grass between sidewalk and road, are beautiful welcoming yellow daf-fodils. How cool would that look each spring? And it’s virtually labor free since once you plant them, daffodils don’t need any real tending. On top of that, they should multiply on their own. On top of that, they pop out BEFORE your grass really grows so they’ll disappear with your spring’s first

Cont. on p.7

Highlights of this issue

2 Monthly calendar

3 Focus on Education

4 Security Issues

7 Lake Claire Land Trust

8 Lake Claire Kids’ Corner

From Frazer Center Portrait Project

Creative costumes always abound! (“Leave me alone with my Cheetos”)

Lake Claire Clarion @ www.LakeClaire.org October 20152

OCTOBER1-31 Georgia State Parks’ many events: gastateparks.org/

calendar#sd=10/01/2015

1 Elise Witt’s CD & Book Release Concert, Oakhurst Baptist Church (see article on Page 5)

3-4 Candler Park Fall Fest, 5k, great music, food, home tour. See fallfest.candlerpark.org

3 & 17 Land Trust Drum Circle, sunset to 11:00 p.m. Pls walk, bike, or carpool.

6 & 20 Lil Bugs Afternoon Out,” a Miss Ladybug event, 4:15-5:30 p.m. (see article Page 7)

7 International Walk-to-School Day!8 Frazer Center “All Abilities” Portraits Exhibition 5:30-8 p.m.) –

see article, Page 1

9 Harold Avenue Street Dance – see Page 1; Informed Consent at Horizon, runs through Nov. 8. www.hori-

zontheatre.com; AND Grady High Home Game (see Grady website for times)

10 Art on the Beltline, at Piedmont Park. Lots of Beltline stuff:: check out art.beltline.org

AND Lake Claire Land Trust Community Work Day, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (see article Page 7)

13 The Sierra Club, 2nd Tuesdays, sierraclub.org/georgia/at-lanta

14 Mary Lin (8:15-9 a.m.), Opening Ceremonies kick off for Oct. 23. Details on Page 3.

15 and every 3rd Thursday, Lake Claire Neighbors Meet-ing, The Rose Room at The Frazer Center, 7 p.m. socialize, 7:15 meeting. Nominations for 2016 officers will be made at this meeting. Pizza provided free from Savage (THANKS, SAVAGE)

18 The Atlanta Beltline & Atlanta ContactPoint - Free Play Day at the Old 4th Ward Skate Park on the Beltline, 1-5 p.m.” www.atlcp.org/events/play-day-h4w-skate-park

23 Little White House, “The Women in FDR’s Life,” gastateparks.org/LittleWhiteHouse

AND Mary Lin O-Lin-Pics (9 a.m.-Noon) in Candler Park – See details on Page 3.

The Clarion Newspaper (including its predecessor Neighbors Monthly Newsletter and its predecessor Lake Claire Neighbors Flyer) has been written, edited, and distributed by volunteers since 1989.

Lake Claire Officers for 2014President: Joe Agee, president@lakeclaire.orgVP Finance & Treasurer: Andrew Sherwood, treasurer@lakeclaire.orgVP Planning & NPU Rep: Carol Holliday, npu@lakeclaire.orgVP Zoning: Robin Singer, zoning@lakeclaire.orgVP Environment: Christiane French, environment@lakeclaire.orgVP Safety: Kathie Ryan, safety@lakeclaire.orgVP Communications: Nancy Dorsner, comm@lakeclaire.orgVP Fun(d)raising: Sara Rockaway, fun@lakeclaire.orgEducation Liaison: Annsley Klehr, education@lakeclaire.org.

Clarion Newsletter StaffEditor: Beth Damon, editor@lakeclaire.orgAdvertising: Pat Del Rey, advertising@lakeclaire.orgDistribution: Alicia McGill, distribution@lakeclaire.orgLayout: Roshan Antia & Véronique Perrot, layout@lakeclaire.orgWebmaster: Will Burke, webmaster@lakeclaire.orgContact Lake Claire Neighbors at PO Box 5942, Atlanta, GA 31107, 404-236-9526 or www.lakeclaire.org.

The Clarion is published monthly. The deadline for advertising and editorial consideration is the 15th of the month preceding pub-lication. Letters to the edi-tor should be limited to 300 words or fewer. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and not those of Lake Claire Neighbors, Offi-cers, or the Clarion Staff.

Cover banner photo by Sarah Coburn

Deadline Imminent For Georgia Voter Registration

The November election is fast approaching, and residents of Georgia have until October 5 to register to vote

in the November 4 general election. Early voting is set to start on Oct. 12 and will continue until Halloween.

Frazer Center Fall Fest this November

Please join your neighbors for Fall Festival fun on Sunday, No-vember 8,  2-4 p.m. Storybook hike through the Frazer Forest, Bouncy house, Pumpkin Smash, Carnival games and face paint-

ing are just a few of the activi-ties.    See details and pre-pur-chase tickets www.frazercenter.org/FallFest. Tickets also avail-able day of the festival. $5/person or $20/family.

24 Lake Claire Halloween Parade and Party, see details Page 125 Pumpkin Carving at the Land Trust, 5 p.m. Pumpkins pro-

vided, bring knives, see Page 7.

Help us fill it out! Deadline, October 15 to editor@lakeclaire.org.

Lake Claire Clarion @ www.LakeClaire.orgOctober 2015 3

Notes & News about Some Lake Claire Kids’ Schools

We love Drew Charter, which is a STEAM school. Our older daughter developed and built a soap box derby car, and traveled to Ohio with her school to race it. Maddie is in the 8th grade and in her 3rd year of honors harp; Della is a 6th grader and also reaping the benefits of a STEAM-based pro-gram. They are getting an amazing educa-tion at Drew Charter. See www.youtube.com/watch?v=urMx7XvcjLs&sns=em

– Shannon Goines

The New School, an independent high school in Inman Park, focuses on experien-tial, project-based education, offering stu-dents a rigorous college-prep academic cur-riculum that connects the classroom and the city. Students tackle real-world problems alongside passionate and accomplished com-munity partners. Parent tours available dur-ing the Fall semester. Information Session on October 27 at 6:30 p.m. at Horizon Theater. Sign up at www.tnsatlanta.org

–Mary-Campbell Jenkins, The New School

The New School. Two of our kids attend-ed Grady, and their experience was mostly positive. Our youngest child, however, was getting a little lost in public school. She wasn’t interested in her classes, and the staff didn’t have time for her questions. She thrives on touching and feeling and discuss-ing the world around the core topic for all subjects. Comprehension comes with see-ing the full picture, and we think The New School will provide that for her. We chose the New School because we knew Cari would get more attention, but we also are excited about project-based learning, the experiential na-ture of much of the curriculum, the regular visits out in the community, their efforts to dig deep into the why, and their emphasis on analytical thinking. We are still new at The New School, but we can already tell that Cari is far more engaged with her education than she has been in years. 

– Jeannie Ericson

Mary Lin is going for the gold. Mark your calendars for some major fun and excitement in October. On October 14 (8:15-9 a.m.), the PTA will be holding Opening Ceremonies to kick off the 2015 Mary Lin O-LIN-PICS. Kids will be entertained with athletes demonstrat-ing Olympic sports. The O-LIN-PIC games for students will be held on Friday, October 23 (9 a.m.-Noon) in Candler Park

– See details on Mary Lin website or contact Lisa Milko at lisamilko@me.com.

Inman: School clubs, music, and fall sports are in full swing at Inman. A Journalism Club is forming with help from Lake Claire resident and fabulous ELA teacher, Wendy Baker, and other awesome volunteers. It is exciting to see our Lake Claire kids so active in extracurricular activities at Inman; we have football players, cheerleaders, robotics club members, cross-country runners, ulti-mate Frisbee players, basketball players, mu-sicians, and more! Inman has received more than $15,000 in donations to the annual fund and appreciates your support (donations on-line at www.inmanmiddleschool.org).

Grady: While the year is off to a great start, you may have heard about the terri-fying shooting that took place right outside the Cluster Night football game. Students, teachers, players, children, and families are not likely to ever forget that night. An ex-cerpt from a neighbor’s experience is on this page.

Druid Hills Preschool (DHP) has been a wonderful nurturing community for me and my children. Their talented group of teachers engage children in learning through play and hands-on interaction.   – Sam Heys

DHP currently has openings: one pre-k (4yrs turning 5) spot that just opened up, a spot for a 3-year old turning 4 & two spots for 2 year olds turning 3.  See druidhillspre-school.org 

–Linda Green, Assistant Director

Mary Lin Construction and Playground Developmentsby Annsley Klehr, Lake Claire Education Chair

Slow and steady gets the job done. Hogan Construction is running a bit behind sched-ule as you can see if you have passed by Mary Lin Elementary. It’s still a fun place to bring kids who love diggers! September 30 is the promised date that construction will be done.

For now, Hogan will sod the area that will eventually become the playground. The play-ground, too, has had some unexpected twists and turns. Thanks to Jane Smith who has spearheaded the whole initiative and got-ten the approval of the Atlanta City Public Schools, progress is being made. The play-ground will be handicap accessible. As for its developments… the first round of playground equipment (think swings and spinners) is scheduled to arrive towards the end of Sep-tember; the second round of equipment comes in two pieces which were salvaged from the old playground. Hogan will be responsible for reconditioning and reinstalling them. Keep your fingers crossed for them to be in place by the end of October. There are no hard and fast dates yet as construction takes on its own timeline.

Hopefully the students will be able to play

on these few equipment pieces while the other half of the playground breaks ground, i.e., a slide mountain, paths, etc. From there, landscaping will happen in phases all year long, and VOLUNTEERS will be needed to help make that happen. If you are interest-ed, please e-mail Jane Smith: jane@apprais-alsmith.com. Stay tuned for more exciting progress!

Lake Claire Needs an Education Com-mittee:

WHO: If you are interested in education, discussing education, having an opinion, or merely want to stay abreast of what’s going on, this committee is for you. All ages wel-come!;

WHAT: To discuss relevant (and irrelevant) education issues affecting Lake Claire;

WHEN: Will require very little time com-mitment, perhaps once a quarter or less. First meeting TBD;

WHY: We need to have a neighborhood voice in education. Our kids’ futures are af-fected, and so are our property taxes

HOW: Please email me at if you would like to be on the committee.

Shooting at Grady Cluster Night Football Game:

United We Playby Carrie Shevlin

One night in mid September, my family and I experienced one of the most frighten-ing 40 minutes ever. It was a beautiful night, and we were enjoying high school football at Grady. My husband Will and I sat in “the old folks section,” while Lily (14 and JV Grady cheerleader) and Benton (12) hopped in and around the “student section.” My heart was full with thoughts of their having an experi-ence as sweet as mine was as a child. A cool fall breeze, the sound of the calls from the sidelines, bad popcorn that tasted fantastic, kids coming and going, an amazing view of the Atlanta skyline… It was a perfect night.

In the middle of the 3rd quarter, suddenly that all changed. Twenty-one shots rang out just outside the stadium fencing near where we sat. In that split second, that Friday night became one like I had never experienced growing up in a small, quiet town in Pennsyl-vania. Forty minutes including taking cover, collecting kids, and the communicating to other adults through frightened eyes.

When back in the safety of the Candler Park/Lake Claire neighborhood, my thoughts turned to the leadership of Atlanta Public Schools: What would our response be to this tragic event? Would our board members and

F • O • C • U • S O • N E • D • U • C • A • T • I • O • N

Soap Box Derby Car by Maddie Goines

Cont. on p.6

Lake Claire Clarion @ www.LakeClaire.org October 20154

Coan Park SPLASH! PadFree, public water recreation

for Atlanta-in-Dekalb residents is limited. A Coan Park SPLASH! pad would provide water play for children of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to enjoy.

Coan Park, centrally located in Atlanta-in-Dekalb and close to Lake Claire at 1530 Woodbine Avenue SE, 30317, offers proxim-ity to existing play structures and restrooms plus shade and line of sight for parents. A SPLASH! pad would also complement the adapted sports and therapeutic

programs offered through the park’s rec center as well as the existing Boundless Playground®.

We need your support!  Please visit CoanSPLASH.org to learn about specific ways you can help. Visit and “Like” our Coan Splash Facebook page.

We appreciate the support of Lake Claire and look for-ward to working with you as Coan SPLASH! moves forward. Thanks! – Earl Williamson, Kirkwood Neighbors Environ-mental Chair

Candler Park/ Lake Claire Security Patrol:

More than 200 neighbors have joined the CPLC Patrol! Please continue to encourage your friends to join to help us reach our goal of at least 350 members. Visit our website www.cpclpatrol.com, and check out our FAQs for more information. Each mem-bership is a step toward a safer neighborhood. Please join the CPLC Patrol today. 

The Clarion Keeps An Eye on the Crime and the Time:Lake Claire Security Report, August 2 through 29 (4 weeks)Auto Theft

2000 block Palifox Drive, 8/19/15, 1995 green Jeep GCH stolen. Victim reported that the key to the vehicle was sitting on the driver’s seat.300 block Southerland Terr. (attempted), 8/24/15, 2007 blue Dodge CVN damaged, no prints.Other Larceny1800 block McLendon Ave., 8/6/15, 2 Trek bicycles stolen from front porch; the lock on one of the bikes attached to a wood post was cut.1900 block McLendon Ave., woman’s 26” Kawasaki 18 speed bicycle taken from unlocked area.Theft from Vehicle300 block Southerland Terr., 8/8/15, cell phone, wallet containing credit cards and driver’s license stolen (car was left unlocked).1600 block McLendon Ave., 8/12/15, Apple MacBook Air taken and left passenger window broken.

Hampton Terrace Presenting Five New Lake Claire Homes 

 from the Mid‐$800s Exclusively Listed by Charles Moore, Newport Realty Associates 

For more information, go to www.hamptonterrace.info Call 678‐656‐9346 for a Showing Appointment 

Lake Claire Clarion @ www.LakeClaire.orgOctober 2015 5

International Songstress Elise Witt Launches “We’re All Born Singing”

Elise Witt will appear in con-cert Thursday, October 1, to launch “We’re All Born Singing,” her 12th recording on the inde-pendent EM World Records label. The concert begins at 7:00 p.m. at Oakhurst Baptist Church, 222 East Lake Drive, in Decatur.

Lake Claire neighbors know Elise for her Impromptu Glori-ous Chorus™ community singing classes and workshops, which she has taught in our neighbor-hood since she moved to Atlanta in 1977 as a founding member of the Theatrical Outfit. Currently, Elise is teaching at the Candler Park Yoga Studio, and the next 6-week session runs Monday eve-nings 7:30 – 8:45 p.m., Oct. 12 – Nov. 23.

In addition to being an inter-national songstress, she is the winner of the William L. Wom-ack Creative Arts Award. Bobby McFerrin’s Voicestra founding member Rhiannon calls Elise’s new CD “brave and beautiful!” We’re All Born Singing is a wild departure from the 11 previous recordings. Spoken word, cho-ral pieces, and soundscapes join with an array of lush arrange-ments celebrating the power of music, especially singing, to vi-brate us body and soul and bring us together as community.

Collaboration is the name of the game for Elise’s new songs. And because the theme of the music is centered around the human voice, there are some wonderful singers adding their voices to the mix. At the concert and on the

CD, expect a stage full of singers including Gayanne Geurin, the Dean Brothers (Tommy, Britt & David), Sonia Osio, Sara Moylan, Ann Connor, Rebecca Keel, Sara Gregory, and students from the Global Village Project, a school for teenage refugee girls in Deca-tur, where Elise is the director of Music Programs. And if you sing in a choir or chorus, you will be happy to know that you can get choral arrangements of Elise’s music. They are available for women’s, men’s, and mixed voices in the Elise Witt Choral Series.

The solid band for the concert, also featured on the CD, includes Mick Kinney (piano, vibraphone, octave fiddle, slide guitar), Ken Gregory (trumpet, guitar), Tom-

my Dean (bass), Dub Hudson (tenor sax, flute), and cross-cultural per-cussionist Beverly Bots-ford, leading an eclectic rhythm section.

Elise told the Clarion, “Perhaps my favorite in-strument on the CD is the Glass Harp. Atlanta’s Brien Engel travels all over the world with 50 glasses sized from a gi-ant brandy snifter to tiny shot glasses. The Glass Harp appears on the songs Bees Make Honey and Amoeba. By the way, Brien also plays Mbira (Zimbabwe thumb piano, which you will hear on I See You With My Heart

one of several musical language collages).”

The CD was co-produced by Elise and Terry Garthwaite from the iconic San Francisco Bay Area band Joy of Cooking. Terry adds her bluesy vocals and solid guitar rhythms at the concert and on the CD.

Admission for Elise Witt’s Oct. 1 CD & Book Release Concert at Oakhurst Baptist Church in Decatur is by donation at the door, sliding scale $10-85, with the suggestion to “be affordable and generous.” The new CD & Book will be for sale at the con-cert and online at www.EliseWitt.com. If you order online, you can pick up your copies right in the neighborhood at Candler Park Flowers, 1395 McLendon Ave., at the corner of Oakdale.

October into November in the Gardenby Elizabeth Knowlton

If you have just moved to your house, I urge you to tread softly for the first year. Unknown to you, there may be beautiful spring shrubs and perennials out there that look like nothing now. Your garden may appear very shady at the moment since Oc-tober mimics February as far as the sun’s rays. By all means mow whatever grass you have and feel free to cut down dead branches and limbs, but wait to see what emerges during this next year before any wholesale changes.

In addition to the annual and biennial vegetables I nag you all to plant each fall, like beets, Brussels sprouts, onions, parsley, parsnips, and especially spinach, consider some perenni-al vegetables and herbs. I have had a sage plant in the corner of a raised bed for about ten years now. All I do is cut back the dead parts in April and dead-head the flowers when I think about it so that growth will go to the leaves we harvest. One year I planted sorrel in a flower bed, and it last-ed several years, unbothered by the cold, probably because of its deep root. A small amount of sor-rel, which contains oxalic acid, peps up any salad, especially in early spring, plus it is an attrac-tive plant to grow among flowers.

Two perennials I have nev-er yet grown are sea kale and lovage. The former is related to the cabbage family, while the lat-ter is a six-eight foot herb with yellow flowers that you can locate at the back of any area, perhaps beside the Jerusalem artichokes that I harvest so easily each fall. These are not the green globe artichokes with which you may be familiar but a type of sun-flower that blooms here in Sep-tember and produces knobby, ed-ible roots. I dig them when frost hits. Since any stray piece of root grows into a plant, they never disappear; and the only chore is to weed out unwanted shoots the next spring

Finally, there is rhubarb, be-loved of every Northern garden-er. After killing a dozen plants over the decades, I finally had success in 2014 by planting on a hillside that was shaded in the afternoons, thus providing good drainage in our clay soil plus a slightly cooler temperature. I

also threw a bucket of water over the three plants every single day. From this we got two rhu-barb pies and some stewed rhu-barb (mixing it with strawber-ries as well as sugar brings out the flavor while making it sweet enough to eat). Only the stalks are eaten because the leaves are poisonous. Alas, this year the two largest plants slowly died in early summer even though I dug out privet roots that had in-vaded the bed (the privet provid-ing needed shade). The smallest plant’s leaves are riddled with holes from some unknown pest, but it is ALIVE and perhaps will revive after another winter.

This is the month to plant the seeds of annual poppies and sweet peas. The reason is that these delicate late spring plants cannot grow large enough to give strong bloom if planted in early spring, even February. Sure there may be unusual cool springs that allow them to make a good show, but the best suc-cess I have ever had occurs when I plant the seeds in early Octo-ber, make sure they get a little water if weather is dry, push a light mulch of small or ground up leaves around the seedlings by November, and then forget about them until spring. Other flow-ers that may survive during the winter to cheer you in spring are sweet alyssum, English daisies, calendula, dianthus, snapdrag-ons, and wallflowers. Although I plant the sweet peas and poppies directly into the ground, you may want to start the others in pots indoors and gradually accustom them to our strong autumn sun-light before setting them in the ground. Try to use fresh seed. I often find the store seed packets to have low germination by fall. And another tip is to put seed in the refrigerator (not the freezer) for a few weeks before planting in order to simulate a winter fol-lowed by spring.

This is also the season for planting trees and shrubs. A re-cent article by Jeff Cox in Hor-ticulture magazine reminded me again how important it is to plant native trees to support our birds and insects. We all love birds but sometimes fail to understand that even our insect

Atlanta’s Elise Witt

Cont. on p. 6

Lake Claire Clarion @ www.LakeClaire.org October 20156

pests are what sustain them. Did you know that it takes six to nine thousand caterpillars “to raise one clutch of chickadees”? And insects tend to feed on na-tive plants rather than the Asian ornamentals that fill our yards. I am as guilty as anyone with my crape myrtles and non-native

azalea. Cox recommends Living Landscapes: Designing for Beau-ty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden by Douglas Tallamy. I wonder how many native plants are packed into that little block of DeKalb Ave. between Nelms and Clifton, a “vacant lot” packed with insect and bird life.

And hang onto the veg-etables still thriving in your garden until they are done in by frost: cherry tomatoes, egg-plant, slender sweet peppers, a couple of butternut squash twin-ing through the privet, and, best of all, the okra that is churning out its green or red pods in both my garden and the Land Trust plots. For those who profess to dislike okra or find it hard to cook, I include an easy recipe from my silent partner: 2 Tbsp. oil, ½ medium onion, chopped , 1 Tbsp. minced garlic, ½ jalapeno pepper, minced (or to taste), 2 cups sliced okra, Salt and pepper. Heat oil in wok or large skillet. Sauté onion until beginning to soften, then add garlic and jala-peno and sauté for another min-ute. Add okra, salt and pepper to taste, and 2 Tbsp. water. Stir well, lower heat, and cover.  Cook for approximately 5 minutes—or until okra is crisp/tender.

Judi Horn (Nov. 17, 1950 - Sept. 13, 2015)by Miriam Herberts

Farewell dear friend, your memory will long live in our hearts.

Judi moved to Arizona Avenue in 1988 with then 8-year old Tess, her beloved daughter. Judi was born in Alaska and lived in Ha-waii, New York, New Jersey, Can-ada, and Alabama. Although she was away in Dothan, Alabama caring for her elderly father for a number of years, the place where she felt most at home was Ari-zona Ave. Judi was a part of the Lake Claire Community Land Trust, the neighborhood gourmet club, and Stitch and Bitch.

Before her stint in Dothan, Judi was a tireless, dedicated em-ployee at Amnesty International, where she worked long, hard hours for human rights cam-paigns and causes. Patti Rich-ardson remembers Tess staying with her, Abi, and Burgess on some of those nights when a cri-sis occurred and Judi could not leave.

Judi’s life-long friend arrived from France the night before Judi died. Suzanne helped cre-ate a quiet, peaceful space with incense, chanting, and flowers for Judi to repose and for a medita-tive environment for the friends who visited.

Judi was a quilter, avid reader, crossword puzzler, gardener, and made the best fried potatoes in town. She had a laugh that could fill a room. Judi’s artful quilt making will long be treasures for all those who possess any of her art.

Tess and husband John Mickle-son will return to the homestead to live. We are so happy to have them back in the neighborhood.

A pot luck roast celebration of her life combined with Tess‘s 35th birthday will be held at their place on September 26. All are welcome to this party. Please bring a story and a dish to share.

In the GardenContinued from page 5

United We PlayContinued from page 3

relatively new Superintendent release a statement, or would the incident go unmentioned in an effort to distance our district from negative press?

The public actions that Dr. Carstarphen, our School Board Members, and senior APS Lead-ership took over the next sev-eral days communicated to me that this was a different APS…a welcome change for me…for us. Under Meria Carstarphen’s leadership, APS took swift ac-tion—focusing most immediately on the safety of those attending games the next morning and on the longer-term development of a plan to keep our families safe at future games. This plan fo-cuses “on enhanced standards of behavior in and around APS sporting venues, including crowd management, ticketing, traf-fic and parking, and emergency planning.” I strongly encourage you to read the entire APS state-ment announcing our “United We Play” Campaign and to join in as an active member.

I realize that a clever slogan

and flashy posters are not all that we need to keep school fami-lies safe. I do believe that this is the continuation of a new cul-ture at APS. Growing and im-bedding that culture in our daily lives depends on us. What we teach our kids…how we act…the examples we set. Let’s work together to make Grady football games THE place to be on crisp fall nights. Let’s put on our Gray and Red and try not to embar-rass our kids—together…United as Grady…United as APS. Let’s make “United we Play” a way of life at Atlanta Public (and all At-lanta) Schools!

I am looking forward to fu-ture Grady High School Football games and our next home games October 9 and 23. I hope that you and your family will join Will, Lily, Benton, and me. We will be there: Will and I will be at about the 50-yard line, and the kids will be slightly away from us pre-tending that we don’t exist. The popcorn is on me! See you at the game!

Judi (2015)

Judi and Tess in earlier life

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Lake Claire Clarion @ www.LakeClaire.orgOctober 2015 7

Working Together: The Heart and Soul of Communityby Stephen Wing

“Community” is the sense of be-longing so many people yearn for in our transient, techno-centered age. The experience of commu-nity goes back to our oldest roots as humans: the clan, the tribe, the village. It hearkens to a time when working together was the only way humans could survive. Eating together, celebrating to-gether, culture, and conversation all play a role in community. But working together is its heart and soul.

Working together is still the quickest way to experience, learn, and build community. Taking on a common project has not only accomplished many a milestone in human history—it also gives us a satisfying sense of shared purpose, and adds a quiet depth to our relationships. Teamwork breeds camaraderie in sports; working together in a worthwhile cause brings that same spirit to everyday life.

The Land Trust was founded by a group of neighbors who re-dis-covered this ancient truth, and the land has been maintained, developed and beautified ever since by people working together. What you see as you walk the

paths is not just greenery, seren-ity, kids at play; it’s community in its visible, tangible form. The original Trustees disagreed about many things, and spent many a meeting arguing. But they were united by the common tasks they had taken on—clearing kudzu, digging garden beds, building an amphitheater or a gazebo. The result of their shared labor still shines, years after the sound of argument has faded away.

The Land Trust is now in its

30th year. The community centering on this 1.5-acre patch of green has expanded far be-yond the neighborhood of Lake Claire. But still the work needs to be done: spreading wood chips on the paths, holding back the weeds, picking up litter. And still the act of working together is what defines our community.

Please come and experi-ence it in person on Saturday, Oct. 10. Projects to be tackled

include staining picnic tables; repairing gutters; cleaning rain barrels; digging up old electric wiring; building a small bridge; installing a stone stairway, and more. Pizza will be served when we finish. There is absolutely no fee for this invaluable “work-shop.” Bring work gloves if you have some, and be prepared for some hard, sweaty community-building! Pass the word! Bring a friend! Join our community!

Where the Heck is Lake Claire? Continued from page 1

lawn mowing!This is a Community-based-

crowdfunded kinda project. If a decent number of us make an effort this fall and plant some bulbs, each year more and more folks will join in. Here’s what you do:

• TELL YOUR NEIGHBORS (not everybody will read this story);

• Buy daffodils bulbs now at gar-den/hardware store (whatever variety and as many/few as you like);

• Plant them between your side-walk and street (put them in your flower beds too if you like them). Dig a hole, put fat end down, cover with dirt. Simple. Wait for spring

So easy! Then, in Spring, when they come up, decide where more daffodils would look nice. May-be you add bulbs to an elderly neighbor’s yard (with his or her OK, of course) or an unattended strip around Lake Claire. In a few years, we’ll have quite a spec-tacle each spring and a source of quiet pride in our neighborhood. Now go get some bulbs—and share them with your neighbors!

Daffodil, Narcissus, Jonquil —which is right? Narcissus is the botanical genus. Daffodil is the

common name. Jonquil is a species name of specific types of daffodils—usually those that have multiple smaller flowers

on each stem.

Join us at the Land Trust for our latest community-building workshop: Community Work DaySaturday, Oct. 10, 10:00-4:00 p.m. (concluding with pizza)

Lil’ Bugs Afternoon Out: Learning with Miss Ladybug

Ladybug Events and Home-stead Atlanta have teamed up at the Land Trust to bring you family fun enrichment that will spark and nurture the seeds of stewardship in your child’s heart and mind. Join Miss Ladybug and friends on the first and third Tuesdays of October and Novem-ber for enchanting gardening, homesteading, and nature explo-ration! All ages welcome. Chil-dren under 4 must be accompa-nied. You can register at lcclt.org/all-together-now-family-fun-enrichment-series.

Tuesday, Oct. 6: Lil Bugs Af-ternoon Out: Enchanted Gar-den Teatime, 4:15-5:30 p.m.

As we sip on homemade iced tea, we will learn about easy to grow & dry herbs, and to make yummy teas to share. Each par-ticipant will take home 3 re-us-able tea bags full of goodness and the knowledge to make more tea at home.

Tuesday, Oct. 20: Lil Bugs Afternoon Out: Farm & Gar-den Decoration Station/Hal-loween Fun, 4:15–5:30 p.m.

Miss Ladybug’s favorite thing to do is dressing up with nature and decorating the home for Oc-tober 31! Create costume acces-sories using local chicken (and emu) feathers, paint jack-o-lan-terns on rocks, and drink spiced apple cider! Face painting; take-home art and fun wear!

Tuesday, Nov. 3: Beleafs in Faeries—Shadow Hunt & Fa-erie Home Construction (see website for details)

Annual Pumpkin Carving at the Land Trust• Sun. Oct. 25, 5:00 p.m. • Pumpkins provided • Bring knives and candles •

Details of L.T. events are on the calendar Page 2 • Check lcclt.org!

Lake Claire Clarion @ www.LakeClaire.org October 20158

This Time of Year in Lake Claireby Emma Sullivan

Hi, I’m Emma Sullivan, and I am in the 2nd grade at Mary Lin. I love school, especially art in the brand new art room. I also take an art class after school at Mary Lin on Mondays. My hobbies are collecting Shopkins, Lego’s, and Our Generation doll accessories.

I love this time of year because I am about to turn 8 years old on September 24, and I can’t wait for Halloween because I get to dress up as “Disgust” (from the “Inside Out” movie). And then we get to have Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I am going to ask Santa for as many Shopkins as his sleigh can hold.  

I live with my mom and my

dad and my fish, Percy Jackson, on Arizona Avenue. I love all my friends here in Lake Claire, like Lauren, Margot, Amelia, and Harper! We have the best neigh-borhood!

CONGRATS!to Tegan and Gideon Brace

and to Emma Sullivan, who tied as our first place winners in our contest of finding the Supreme Court Justices. Tegan and Gideon live with their parents Jessica and Roger on New York Avenue, having moved here 1½ years ago. While currently with-out pets of their own, they enjoy all the cats and dogs in the neigh-borhood. Tegan is 6 and is in Ms. Ashworth’s first grade class at Mary Lin. Gideon is 4 and is in his pre-K year at IPCP. They love to ride bikes up and down NY Avenue (they say: New York Ave. Rules!) This summer they discovered that they both enjoy and are good at hiking (without parental assistance), so now the whole family can enjoy the great outdoors without back pain!

Emma Sullivan of Arizona Avenue, who tied with Tegan and Gideon, also told us that there are nine supreme court justices, so she won the bonus prize of being our featured writer this month (see her article to the left). Congrats and thanks to Emma, Tegan, and Gideon!

We hope this series is fun and a way for young Clarion read-ers/writers/artists to partici-pate. This month’s featured writer is Emma Sullivan, who is eight years old and a second grader at Mary Lin Elemen-

tary. She lives with her mom (Shannon) and dad (Patrick). Emma loves art and drawing, reading, playing with Legos, and basketball.

Hey there, let’s hear from more Lake Claire kids—we

want your creativity on this page. Submit articles, poetry, drawings, your original puz-zles, etc., to editor@lakeclaire.org. We’d love to hear from you.

Hey there, let’s hear from

more Lake Claire kids—we want your creativity on this page. Submit articles, poetry, drawings, your original puz-zles, etc., to editor@lakeclaire.org. We’d love to hear from you.

Lake ClaireKIDS’ CORNER

Emma Sullivan

Tegan and Gideon Brace

NEW CONTEST: HELLO, KIDS: In our Clarion

tradition and in the spirit of

Halloween, find the hidden

Stay-Puft Marshmallow

Man with some Lake Claire

Halloween attendees. He is

the one who has led throngs

to Lake Claire Park at the last

couple of years’ Halloween

parties. Hint, sometimes

he disguises himself as

Mr. Olson on Leonardo.

The winner will have your

name and picture in the

next Clarion. To win, send

an e-mail with the page it

is on, to editor@lakeclaire.

org. Any Lake Claire child

is eligible, except that you

can’t win two months in

a row. Hurry and look;

competition is always stiff

for this coveted prize.

by Anna Trodglen, Biscuits & Bellyrubs Series

Hello…Safe Journey— Skiing in and around Lake ClaireBirthdays:

October 2: Margaret Witten, Tuxedo. Hap-py b’day! Now it’s as it should be, you older than DPS.

October 4: Richard Harvey (Ellenwood)—one of our mail carriers and an honorary Lake Clarion. He loves and reads the Clarion every month, knows everyone on his route. Happy birthday, Richard!

October 19: Boyd Baker—Happy b’day! (Leonardo)

October 23: Izzy Kaiser—Happy 8th birth-day! (‘dorf)

October 25, 1924: Margaret Gossett – Hap-py NINETY-FIRST (Harold)! Congrats and happy day. (Margaret has been featured in Beth Damon’s “30+ Years in Lake Claire” series, see www.lakeclaire.org/clarionar-chives/2013/2013-10.pdf.) AND, Margaret, though you turn 91, the new hip is—a baby! Feel well, soon.

Belated congrats:9/7 Isaac Cook born, to Jonathan and Re-

becca Cook (Connecticut, in CoHousing)5/28 Sophie Jane Mawson-Puckhaber,

born to Amy Mawson, James Puckhaber, & big brother Luke! (Palifox)

Sad news:September 13: Judi Horn, long time resi-

dent of and beloved in Lake Claire (Arizona), passed away. Please see Page 6.

Sophie Jane Mawson-Puckhaber