I love Candler Park and I feel most people living here and reading this feel the same way.  I think of Candler Park as a haven between "big city" livin' and the small town you watched on Leave it to Beaver.  Downtown Little Five Points keeps us funky and fresh (and from saying things like "Golly!") but just a few blocks off the busy square are the patterned sidewalks, stoic trees, and old homes that are signatures of our neighborhood.  Even more of a trademark is our beautiful Candler Park on McClendon Drive.  I am fortunate enough to make it to the park about 5 days a week enjoying our fields, playground and pool.  

Though Candler Park is our largest park, it certainly is not our only park.  We're lucky enough to have so much greenspace in our neighborhood, Iverson, Freedom, Goldsboro they're all here in our little slice of the city.  Many areas of Atlanta are barren when it comes to greenspace-I guess that is one of the reasons I feel so lucky to live here-we have the opportunity to enjoy parks by walking a minimal distance from our homes.  Living in a place that values parks and the earth is so important to me.  Having greenspace accessible makes me use it so much more frequently.  I feel obligated to make a plug for Park Pride here as it does so much to advocate for our parks and remind you to stay abreast of the city's budget cuts.  Candler Park is a place that I have built my life and I hope to spend many years walking, running and swimming in one of the many things I heart about Candler Park: its Parks.  

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[Publishing note: We're always searching high and low for web site content contributions, especially editorial pieces. It can be anything at all, so long as it sorta kinda even-a-little-bit relates to our neighborhood. Thanks to JoJo Ross for her article! Just a reminder that if you have anything you'd like to post, please send it my way.  - Kate]

(UPDATE! Now June 28, not June 9)

Wednesday, June 9 June 28 at 4 pm
Justice Center Tower, 185 Central Ave SW, Atlanta, GA  30303
Fulton County Superior Court with Judge Constance Russell
Teri Stewart v. City of Atlanta Tree Conservation Commission

Teri Stewart would appreciate anyone coming down to be present to show community support.

Sending this reminder on behalf of Cherie King: The Rocket Run 5K in Candler Park, benefitting the Mary Lin Foundation, is on Saturday, June 19 -- that's two weeks from tomorrow! There's still plenty of time to sign up. See this page for details about registration and volunteering.

Wow, things got crazy, and not in a good way, at last night's Screen on the Green in Piedmont Park (not to be confused with the movie screenings in Candler Park). Read about it here.

Art on the BeltLine: Atlanta’s New Public Place, the Atlanta BeltLine’s summer-long art exhibition kicks off this Saturday, June 5 with more than 40 visual and performance pieces that will be on display through October 2010.

Please join us for the kickoff concert event this Saturday, June 5 at 4:00 p.m. in Gordon White Park (at the intersection of White St SW and Ralph David Abernathy Blvd) to hear a variety of performances created within Atlanta’s eclectic art communities. The lineup includes performances by Kebbi Williams, Klimchak, Beacon Dance, Akbar Imhotep and Adebisi Adeleke and more!

The full calendar of events and a map of all of the art installations is available at art.beltline.org.

Posted on behalf of Beth: Today a neighbor found a lost dog in front of Kashi (Nelms/McLendon). He is a rust brown mix (chow - dachshound - beagle?) and very sweet. He is wearing a southwestern style collar, has a 2009 Dekalb rabies tag, and is micro- chipped (unfortunately the owners did not register their contact info). If you or someone you know has lost this dog, please contact Neda at 404-276-0637.

I am happy to email you a photo (bellusanima@yahoo.com).

Mark your calendars! This year's Candler Park Fall Fest is scheduled for October 23-24, 2010.  The schedule of events is not yet finalized, but the music and arts festival will take place on Saturday and Sunday, the 5K road race will likely be Saturday morning, and the tour of homes will be on Sunday as in years past.

We've got volunteers signed up for the following posts:

• Sponsorships - Doug Wetzel (678-472-7589)
• Music and Vendors - Mark Clement (404-808-3635)
• Treasurer and Contracts - Dave Aynes (678-665-3283)
• Permitting - Walt Weimar (678-361-4792)
• Artists Market - Cherie King (404-786-2407)
• Tour of Homes - Mary Alice Bray (404-522-5455)

If you're interested in helping out with any of these areas, please talk to these folks. New to volunteering in the neighborhood? Don't be shy! This is a great way to get involved. Plus, the more help we get, the more we can get done and the more fun we'll have doing it.

Stay tuned for more details in the coming days and weeks...

On June 7 and 8, MARTA will hold a series of public hearings to get input on its proposed budget. Proposed fare and service changes are outlined here.  The hearings will seek comment from the community on the operating and capital budget for the 2011 fiscal year.

In addition to fare increases and service changes, the proposed plan will result in closing all public restrooms in rail stations, except for Five Points Station.

Good story about a big, empty building. Here it is.

It's official, folks! The Parks Department has confirmed that the Candler Park Pool is open starting today, and will remain open through the summer, closing on August 1. So grab your fins and floaties and head on over to the pool for some summertime fun.

The schedule is as follows:

• Mondays and Tuesdays: CLOSED
• Wednesdays - Fridays: 1:30 - 4 pm free swim, 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm pay swim
• Saturdays and Sundays: 12 noon - 7:30 pm pay swim

The charge for pay swim sessions is $4 for adults and $2 for children. Any questions, please contact the City of Atlanta Parks Department at 404-546-6788.