Neighborhood events & news, Oct. 20, 2011

Mason Mill neighbors -

Although we temporarily overshot autumn and awoke this morning to winter temperatures, we've still got some fine fall weather ahead. We hope to see you at our fall picnic and our general meeting in the coming weeks!

Here are a few event and news items for you:

• Please mark your calendars for our fall picnic, which will take place next weekend, Sunday, Oct. 30, from 4:00-7:00pm. You should have received a mailbox flyer as a reminder, but you're welcome to RSVP via email to: MasonMillCA@gmail.com. Please indicate how many will be attending, whether you'll be bringing a main/side/dessert, and whether you can help with setup or cleanup.

• Our fall General Meeting will be on Sunday, November 13, at Intown Community Church. The business meeting - during which we will discuss all the usual agenda items - will start at 2:30pm. However, at 2:00pm we will be holding a "pre-meeting briefing" on traffic calming, intended for anyone who has *not* already been to one of our traffic calming events (any of last year's general meetings, a traffic committee coffee gathering, or a street-walk). During the business meeting from 2:30-4:30pm, we will be providing an update on the progress of the traffic calming initiative, but we will *not* be starting from the beginning. If you are unfamiliar with the background and the traffic proposal itself, please join us at 2:00pm for a briefing; if you're already familiar with the initiative, please join us at 2:30pm for the latest news and next steps on the project.

• The Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative will be holding a *final* open house on Oct. 25, 5:30pm at the Emory University Conference Center. For the past few years they have been engaging with the community to develop a preferred proposal for connecting our part of the city with the rest via mass transit. They have concluded that the best chance of doing so would be light rail running along the CSX right of way, linking Lindbergh to Morningside to Sage Hill to CDC/Emory to Emory/Clairmont/VA to North Decatur to Dekalb Med. Center to Avondale. If you're interested in this dialogue, learn more at the meeting: http://gallery.mailchimp.com/a804613b8cccee6286d4bfc9f/files/CliftonCorridorFinalOpenHouse_.jpg

• Our friends and neighbors in Victoria Estates are holding a multi-home yard sale this weekend, Saturday Oct. 22, 9am-1pm. All participating neighbors will have a balloon on their mailbox.

• Yerkes Primate Center is planning an expansion. Jesse Gould was among the neighbors who attended a recent briefing on the project, and he reports: "The new structure is to be located on the west side of the complex, in a little pocket between other buildings. It won't expand the perimeter of the complex. The intended use is transplant research and study of immune system function. The Yerkes director told us they are very concerned about limiting noise and environmental impact, both during and after construction. They will adhere to DeKalb County's rules regarding construction noise. One interesting design feature is that there will be a middle floor level (three levels total but built into a steep hillside) that will be dedicated to mechanical systems. That keeps all pumps, motors, blowers, and compressors within the walls of the building. It also makes servicing equipment easier without going on the roof or entering occupied space." Thanks, Jesse!

• We are continuing to update our database of the neighborhood, to make it easier for us to communicate with each other. If you haven't already done so, please help us link our email list with actual names and addresses by sending your preferred contact info to MasonMillCA@gmail.com

• If you didn't send in your 2011 dues earlier this year, please support the work of the Association (still the best deal in town, at $10/year) by mailing a check payable to Mason Mill Civic Association to our Treasurer, Pat Brittain (856 Vistavia Circle, 30033).

Thanks to everyone who volunteers to make our neighborhood such a great place to live.