December 22, 2012

Christmas Lights in Oakcliff 0

by Joseph Geierman • Doraville Spotlight, Midcentury Architecture

Photography by Ashley B.

After seeing our previous post about Christmas Lights in Doraville’s mid century Northwoods neighborhood; Ashley B., a resident of Oakcliff (one of Metro Atlanta’s first split level subdivisions), sent in some Christmas light photos from her own side of Doraville.

Lots of great displays here – great to see families continuing the traditions started in the 60s when the neighborhood was founded!

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And it wouldn’t be Doraville if there wasn’t someone doing something cool with their mailbox… our Christmas winner of the Doraville Mailbox of the Week:

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December 15, 2012

Christmas Lights in Northwoods 0

by Joseph Geierman • Doraville Spotlight, Midcentury Architecture

Northwoods, Metro Atlanta’s historic neighborhood of mid-century ranch homes, knows how to do Christmas right. Neighbors Charlene Fang & Tim Snyder snapped pictures of many of the fantastic light displays that have been put up in the neighborhood. These are great shots – and many of the displays accentuate the “California Modern” features of the homes.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!

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Photography by Tim Snyder

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Photography by Tim Snyder

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Photography by Tim Snyder

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Photography by Charlene Fang

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Tim Snyder

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Photography by Tim Snyder

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Photography by Tim Snyder

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Photography by Tim Snyder

Angels

Photography by Tim Snyder

December 11, 2012

Northwoods Curb Appeal Project: Late Fall 2012 Edition 0

by Joseph Geierman • Doraville Spotlight, Midcentury Architecture • Tags:

Photographs by Dana Clark

Once a quarter, members of Doraville’s Northwoods Area Neighborhood Association (NANA) get together to conduct a “Curb Appeal” project.  During the event, residents of the mid-century community who are incapable of maintaining their yard to the level they’d like  get landscaping help from their neighbors.

This month’s project helped Millie Fadden, one of the original Northwoods pioneers.  Mrs. Fadden has a beautiful home, with many of its original mid-century touches. She has been very active in the neighborhood over the years, serving in many capacities over the past 55 years.  Now at age 85, NANA members are happy to be able to help her with her yard.

Mrs. Fadden’s yard “Before” the curb appeal crew got to it

Mrs. Fadden’s daughter, Sue Randolph, who grew up when Doraville was still new, came with her husband Cleve to help along with the rest of the Curb Appeal Crew.

Mrs Fadden (center); her daughter Sue Randolph (right), son-in-law Cleve Randolph (left), and Sasha the dog

The crew was extremely lucky to have the help of Mark Taylor – another individual who grew up in the neighborhood and still lives there today. Mark is a professional landscaper, and brought several blowers and other equipment that he let the team use.  Without him, the whole project would have gone much more slowly.  He’s a great landscaper and available for those who would like to hire him for their own yard-care needs.  Mark can be reached at 678-856-0974.

Mark Taylor, blowing leaves

Overall, Mrs. Fadden’s yard was in pretty good shape. Most of what the Curb Appeal Crew did was bag leaves, trim hedges and spread pine straw.  She has a beautiful big magnolia, which shed a lot of really big leaves! Lots of them!

Cindy Bradford, bagging leaves

Bonnie Grey Flynt and Joseph Geierman – Bagging leaves

Group shot of the Curb Appeal Crew

By all accounts, this Curb Appeal project was a success. Mrs. Fadden’s daughter, Sue Randolph said,

There were a total of 30 bales of pine straw put down. There were several bags of leaves toted off + 16 bags of leaves are at the curb + 2 trash cans full of leaves! Lots & lots & lots of leaves!!! The Northwoods crew were amazing!  Moms yard looks amazing, & she is so happy it was done for her. A wonderful fun morning spent with beautiful people. :) you live in an awesome ‘neighborly’ neighborhood!

Northwoods is truly a great place to live – not just in Doraville, but in Metro Atlanta. Dana Clark, who organized the curb appeal project and took most of these pictures, has done a great job of making these volunteer efforts happen.

“After” the Curb Appeal Crew came through

 

 

November 18, 2012

Doraville’s Unity Garden 0

by GuestAuthor • Doraville Spotlight

Written by Heather Isaacson
Photographs by Heather Isaacson, Susan Fraysse  and Joseph Geierman

In early 2009 talk began on transforming some parts of the Doraville area for Gardens. Susan Crawford was the voice behind the Oakcliff movement and Dick Suever was the one behind the Northwoods garden. During the Spring and Summer a group began to form to ask the City Council to help us create these Community Garden locations. On June 1, 2009 the City issued a motion to create the group that became known as Doraville Unity Gardens (DUG). In July 2009 we had our first work day to plant at both the Oakcliff and Northwoods sites. Susan & Ben Crawford, Susan Fraysse, Chris & Carol McNair, Yajaira Weiner-Huice, Lee Flier and Heather Isaacson were the original group that started the gardens. Lee Flier, our resident Doraville permaculturalist, was instrumental in getting us started. She helped lay out the swales that were created at the Oakcliff site and provided oversight as we designed the bed layout at Northwoods. Ben Crawford & Tim Isaacson built the first beds at the Northwoods site.

Heather Isaacson, Doraville Mayor Donna Pittman, Yajaira Weiner-Huice, Susan Fraysse

In March of 2010 we held our first event at the Northwoods site with “Foster a Seed”, where kids in the neighborhood were encouraged to come and plant a seed that they could take home and nurture. They then brought them back at the end of April for planting at both garden sites. The Oakcliff site produced some amazing plants that summer, but unfortunately no produce! In August of 2010 we had another event at the Northwoods site to repair the beds that were run over by a vehicle and to plant a Fall crop. We let both gardens go dormant for the Winter. In 2011 we began to focus primarily on the Northwoods site. The Oakcliff site could not be seen from the road and it was more difficult to get the neighbors involved. The Northwoods site was more visible and there were a number of families from the neighborhood that were participating regularly. We have many neighbors who have invested in the Northwoods Garden. Lou Jenkins provides us with Sweet Potato slips, Chris Avers has given us many plants and advice. Evelyn Whalen provided heirloom tomato plants. Nancy Hamman has hauled more water than any of us can imagine! Trudy Dean generously gives us many plants that she germinates at home.

Morning view of the Doraville Unity Garden in Northwoods – taken Early November, 2012

In the Fall of 2011 we were contacted by the Dekalb County Board of Health. They had heard about our fledgling group and wanted to help us work towards getting a grant. We did not succeed in getting the grant, but it did lead to a proclamation by the City of Doraville and our participation in International Food Day. We had our first Picnic with Scarecrows in honor of Food Day. Various civic groups within the community made and displayed scarecrows at the Northwoods site. We gathered and enjoyed a treasure hunt of digging up sweet potatoes with a number of children in the neighborhood.

Neighborhood kids taking part in pumpkin crafting – Fall, 2011

In 2012 we focused on finding a water source for the Garden. Since its inception we had relied on neighbors taking turns filling up gallon milk jugs to provide water for the plants. Nancy Hamman was able to find some abandoned containers that could be used for storing rain water. Richard Weiner and Tim Isaacson hauled them to the site. Bruce Herr finally got them to work about mid summer. It was another step in making the garden sustainable. Bruce also gave many hours to the garden this summer and tended a very fun pumpkin patch for us all to enjoy.

Caedmon & Fisher Isaacson looking at the sweet potato harvest – Fall, 2011

2012 also brought us Nelle Couret, a PhD student at Emory and a resident of Northwoods. She approached us about using the garden site to conduct an experiment on the Kudzu bug. We were excited to partner with her. She added 4 new beds to the site and provided an educational opportunity for all of us. We look forward to hearing the results of the study in the next few months.

Scarecrows created by neighborhood kids guard the garden – early November, 2012

Our family moved to Northwoods in 2008. The Community Garden has been a great way for us to meet our neighbors and work alongside them. Our sons have learned invaluable lessons planting, caring and harvesting at the garden. It has taken many people along the way to make this work. Some put a lot of effort into helping us get started, others have worked to sustain it. Yajaira Weiner-Huice, Susan Fraysse and myself have greatly enjoyed seeing DUG neighbors come together and create something beautiful in the community. Every year we take it a little bit farther. We look forward to seeing what our next planting season will bring.

Yajaira Weiner-Huice, Lee Flier, and Kaysel Weiner-Huice at Doraville Days in 2009.

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