Submitted by Alonzo Church:

The work of professional photographer and long-time Candler Park resident Ian L. Barker will be the subject of a one-man show presented by the Jill Celeste Gallery, 321 W. Hill St., Decatur, GA, July 16 - August 15, 2010.   The exhibit – “Open Spaces: The American Desert” – will feature large format photographs taken across the Southwest.

Ian’s work has appeared in over 250 calendars as well as book cover shots, brochures, and post cards. He specializes in landscape and urban and architectural studies using both black & white and color film, in large format and 35mm.  Ian is particularly interested in Texas and the American Southwest and makes annual photo shoots to chronicle the changing face of the west and the desert.

In addition to his southwestern shoots, he travels extensively across all 48 continental states and in Europe focusing on nature studies and architectural scenes.  His other interests include urban nightscape photography and the art of neon.  Ian exhibits in several galleries in the Atlanta area, and has exhibited in galleries in Asheville, NC, Christiansburg, VA, and New Orleans, LA, as well as annual art festivals across the country.

A Virginia native, Ian has lived and worked in Atlanta for many years, and began his professional photography career in 1998. 

Open Spaces:  The American Desert

Large Format Photography by Ian L. Barker

Exhibit July 16 – August 15, 2010

Opening Night Party:  Friday, July 16, 2010, 7 - 10 pm

Jill Celeste Gallery, 321 W. Hill St., Ste. 7B, Decatur, GA 30030 (Oakhurst Village)

404-373-4702, www.palatewinebar.com

A reminder from Teri Stewart:

The Granmaw Gordon court date will be held on June 28, 2010 at 4:00 pm. It will be heard before the Honorable Judge Constance C. Russell in courtroom 5B. The address for the hearing is:

185 Central Avenue, SW
Justice Center Tower
Atlanta, Georgia 30303

For all who support this cause, please try to attend the court date.

UPDATE from Teri Stewart: The court date has been rescheduled yet again for July 13. More information to come.

From Lexa King, local real estate agent and Candler Park resident:

Here are all the Candler Park homes currently for sale, including links to photos and prices.

And here's a comparative market analysis of all Candler Park homes currently on the market or recently sold.

For more information or to discuss neighborhood real estate matters, please contact Lexa King.

By Trey Long

At the Candler Park Neighborhood meeting in April, we approved money to be spent on a creeping fig vine to be planted along the concrete wall that separates Dekalb avenue with the Marta tracks. The hope is that it will improve the appearance of this area with little to no required maintenance. A date for planting has been set for Saturday, June 26. With over 800 small plants, we can use all the help that we can get. We will meet at the Candler Park Marta station near the intersection of Oakdale road and Dekalb Avenue at 8:30 a.m. I believe that each plant is 3-4 inches tall so bring small gardening tools and gloves.

What: Planting along DeKalb Avenue

When: Saturday, June 26, 8:30 a.m.

Bring: Small gardening tools and gloves

Wow, this is super exciting news: Beltline officials expect to begin construction this fall on a bike trail that would connect Piedmont Park to DeKalb Avenue; this is the stretch of the Beltline that is closest to Candler Park, so yay for us! Beltline officials accepted $5 million in checks yesterday and the trail is expected to be open to walkers and cyclicts next summer. Read the Creative Loafing article here.

Starting at 1 pm today and going until close to 11 pm, there's a great musical line-up including Better Than Ezra and The Wailers...not to mention a sports area, a family zone, and an artist's market. What's not to love? See midsummermusicfestival.com for all the specifics. Hope to see you there!

From the Little 5 Points Business Association email newsletter:

The next meeting of the Little 5 Points Business Association is next Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 10:00 in the basement of Sevananda.

There is lots to talk about so come support your neighbors and yourselves by coming down next Wednesday morning.

Please bring your checkbook to cut checks for $100 annual dues and your Police Precinct donations.

If you need to get on the agenda, please let me know. (just respond to this email)

Also, for those that did not know, the Candler Park Music Fest is this Saturday.  http://www.midsummermusicfestival.com/

If you go, please let us know what you saw down there that we can learn from to make our October Festival better.

This video of the Krog Street Tunnel's latest paint job is getting a lot of buzz.

What do you guys think?

This morning Alex, my three year old, and I went for yet another popsicle at the Candler Park Market. He got a sherbet Push-Up like he always does, I got a boatload of napkins, and we headed outside to sit at the little cafe tables in front of the market.

Much to our delight, we were treated to a bird show that included Mama Sparrow, Papa Sparrow, and at least three adorable baby sparrows that appeared to be nothing but giant mouths. They had built a makeshift nest under the eaves of the roof, and little bits of tell-tale nest material were dangling down from their perch.

In the fifteen minutes we were there, Mama and Papa Bird must have made at least ten trips to and from the babies, delivering some kind of dilectable treat, although we couldn't tell what it was. They also gave me the hairy eyeball when I tried to get close enough to take a picture.

The point of the story? Well, there isn't one. But if you like birds, and who doesn't, treat yourself to a nice snack or beverage at the Candler Park Market, and keep an eye out for our new bird neighbors.

From Dina Gunderson:

While walking to the Marta station around 8:45 this morning, I saw a raccoon running straight down the middle of Oakdale.   It veered off to the side of the road and picked up what looked like roadkill, then ran back across the street with the whatever-it-was dangling from its mouth and ran up to and through the porch of a yellow house.
 
My husband commented that unusual behavior could be a sign of a rabid animal.  I read later today that mother raccoons are known to sometimes forage in the daytime if their young need food, so maybe it’s not necessarily a rabid raccoon.  But anyway, people in the area might want to be careful.