THE FIRE ON UNIVERSITY CIRCLE
On February 15th, as every University Heights resident is probably well aware, the house at 290 University Circle caught on fire. Shatala Tucker had moved in with her three boys and her friend Brittany Elder just a few weeks before, and many of us were very glad to see this family in a house that had stood vacant for quite some time. Then, around five o’clock that Thursday afternoon, something ignited on the kitchen stove while Shatala was away for a moment looking after one of her boys. When she returned, the kitchen was ablaze, and she quickly got everyone out of the house. No one was hurt, but the fire department, for reasons that are still unclear, seems to have gone to the wrong address initially, and so lost precious minutes while the house was gutted by the fire. Almost everything inside the house was destroyed or ruined by smoke, and both cars parked in the garage were incinerated.
The corner of University Circle and Spalding Circle was crowded with fire trucks, emergency personnel, and our neighbors. Most had not come just to see what had happened; they wanted to help. These offers of assistance at the scene only multiplied when our neighborhood web address found its way to the front page of the Athens Banner-Herald, which in the following days and weeks generated a deluge of phone calls and emails. Money, clothes, and other goods were collected and donated, over half from University Heights residents. Some local businesses, unsolicited, offered to help, including Scott Hatchett from the College Station Kroger, Steve Middlebrooks of Heyward Allen Toyota, and Jim and Sidney Waters of Mama Sid’s (and of 225 Spalding Circle). The Sparrow’s Nest on Prince Avenue and the First Assembly Church of God, where we have held neighborhood meetings many times, offered to collect donations. The author apologizes for any omissions in this list, but all of us can be proud of the response of our community to this tragedy.
The family has expressed their gratitude numerous times for the assistance from University Heights residents. They have made steps toward recovering from this terrible incident, but it will take time. They recently moved into an apartment of off Whit Davis Road but are still having some trouble with transportation and are in need of furniture as well as other household items. If you can help, please call (706) 714-7417.
We have been in contact with the property owner and understand that, pending negotiations with the insurance company and relevant contractors, the house is to be demolished and the lot possibly put up for sale.
Information on how to be prepared in case of a house fire is available online at www.athensclarkecounty.com/fire. Make sure you are adequately protected!
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM
The Neighborhood Watch Program is a partnership between residents of University Heights and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department. The Police Department will provide a number of services as part of this program, but residents do have some important responsibilities. Knowing your neighbors, being familiar with their automobiles, and not hesitating to call 911 when you see or hear something that seems suspicious or out of the ordinary are a crucial part of what makes the program effective.
Ms. Katie Jones, Neighborhood Services Officer for Crime Prevention, is the assigned agent between the Police Department and our community. She can be reached at (706) 613-3358 Ext.230.
Services:
Reverse 911 The Police Department has been supplied with phone numbers of University Heights residents (Have you given your phone number to the University Heights Association?), and in the event of a crime in the neighborhood, residents will receive a call informing us of what happened, when, and approximately where.
Signs There are already Neighborhood Watch signs at both ends of College Circle, and two more will be provided at the remaining entrances to our neighborhood, identifying University Heights as part of the Neighborhood Watch Program.
Engravers The Police will loan engravers to residents to engrave valuables such as computers, lawn mowers, etc. This will provide a means of identification if such valuables are stolen. It is suggested that you can use a birth date or part of a name as the identification. Engravers can be secured by contacting Ms. Jones. The Police Department suggests that pictures be taken of valuables that cannot be engraved and these pictures be placed in a secure and safe area.
Log The Police Department suggests that residents record valuable purchases and develop a log, which includes major headings such as electronics, tools, etc., and identify each item by color, serial number, and date of purchase.
Ride-by Service or House Check Upon request, by calling Ms. Jones, the Police Department will ride by your residence to do a house check if you are on vacation or after a police-related incident. You may also request a house check to identify speeders. This service has a 30-day limit, but upon request can be renewed.
The Next Step: Captains and Block Captains
Individuals are needed to volunteer as a Captain or Block Captain. Duties are to collect information and identify issues or problems that may be resolved by the Police. Please call Carolyn Lehr at (706) 549-2280 if you are willing to volunteer.
A LOCAL HERO AMONG US
The incident at Clarke Middle School on the first of March was widely reported and discussed throughout Athens. A man enters the school on a Thursday morning, tries to assault a girl in the bathroom, and is chased and apprehended by school staff. One of those who pursued and helped to restrain the attacker was Dr. Jim Waters, better known as Papa Sid to many of us, who along with his wife Sidney has lived here in University Heights for 30 years at 225 Spalding Circle.
The incident at Clarke Middle was a frightening one, but the response by the staff, including Dr. Waters, was exemplary. Having been trained at the beginning of the school year in the procedure for locking down the school in case of an intruder, the school was secured in under 3 minutes. Twenty minutes later, classes resumed.
For 24 years, Mama Sid’s has been an institution on the Eastside, and it has remained in the Waters family, as their son Shaun took it over 6 years ago. The Waters also have a daughter, Laurie, married to Chris Camp, both of whom are band directors in Clarke County Schools. Sidney Waters is a member of the Clarke County Board of Education, and Jim has been teaching Special Education for 6 years at Clarke Middle School.
On March 8th, Dr. Waters received the Hero Award from the Clarke County School District.
RENTER’S INSURANCE – YA GOTTA HAVE IT
In light of the recent fire on University Circle, and given the number of rental properties in our neighborhood, we thought we should mention to all of our renters that you need to protect yourselves with renters insurance. There are two big myths about renters insurance: first, that it’s too expensive, and second, that it isn’t really needed. For less than $200 a year in many cases, you can protect your valuables from loss by fire, theft, wind and water damage. As a renter, all of your belongings are at risk if they are not insured. Personal legal liability coverage is usually among the benefits included in a renter’s insurance policy, since you can be liable for an injury suffered by someone else on the property you rent. Of course there are many variables you will need to discuss with an agent, but just remember, you may not own the building you live in, but you still should have insurance to protect yourself and your property.
GOVERNMENT UPDATE: ISSUES AFFECTING UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS
A Park-and-Ride Lot for the Eastside
The Athens-Clarke County unified government is considering locations for a 300-500 space park-and-ride lot on the Eastside. U.S. Reprsentative Max Burns, who formerly represented Athens, earmarked a grant of $2,750,000 back in 2004 through the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). Congressman Burns expressed his desire to see the lot built within the cloverleaf at College Station Road and Loop 10.
The stated purpose of such a lot, according to the local government’s Public Works Department, is to reduce in-town traffic, reduce on-street parking in neighborhoods near UGA and downtown, increase alternative transportation by better linking parking areas with corridors served by frequent bus service, and to target the College Station Road corridor in particular.
Athens-Clarke County Public Works is now spending $50,000 to complete a site selection study. Five potential areas are being considered:
- First Assembly of God church property on College Station near University Heights
- the College Station Shopping Center (corner of College Station and Barnett Shoals)
- Willowood Shopping Center (corner of Lexington Highway and Gaines School Road)
- the cloverleaf at Lexington Highway/Oconee Street and Loop 10
- the cloverleaf at College Station and Loop 10
Many local commissioners have expressed their displeasure with the College Station-Loop 10 site for a variety of reasons, such as destruction of trees and a nice landscape, increased asphalting, and proximity to UGA and downtown; they are not interested in it becoming a student or tailgating parking lot.
According to recently-elected District 8 Commissioner Andy Herod, the first two study sites are non-starters, as the owners of those properties (the church and the shopping center) are not interested in selling their land. The USDOT grant requires the money to be used to buy, and not lease, the space needed for the lot.
A public forum concerning the proposed park-and-ride lot was held at Fire Station #7 at the end of January. About twenty residents made it quite clear that they are opposed to any such lot built on the Eastside. However, local government officials stated that it has to be built on the Eastside because of the initial intent of Congressman Burns. And at least one commissioner has stated that Athens-Clarke County will not give the money back.
The proposed time-line:
- January-April 2007: Site Selection Study
- May 2007: Mayor and Commission approve site
- May-December 2007: Engineering and Environmental Permitting (with final Commission approval in December)
- January-June 2008: Right-of-Way Acquisition (if necessary)
- July 2008-December 2009: Construction (grant expires at the end of 2009)
What you can do:
- Stay informed! Links to information from ACC Public Works, including their criteria for site selection and a feedback form, as well as to an ABH story about the Park and Ride are on the Community Forum page of our web site at www.universityheightsathens.com. (The ACC link is
http://www.athensclarkecounty.com/documents/pdf/publicworks/parkride/park_ride_meeting.pdf - Note the feedback form lists a February 9 deadline, but since the site study is still occurring, it is not too late to fax it in.)
- Contact your three local representatives, District 8 Commissioner Andy Herod (andyherodathens@yahoo.com), District 10 Commissioner Elton Dodson (elton@dodsonlaw.com), and Mayor Heidi Davison (mayor@athensclarkecounty.com), and let them know how you feel.
- Keep an eye out for another public hearing to be held when Public Works completes the site selection study. Attend the meeting to learn more and express your views.
N.B.A.F. – N.I.M.B.Y.?
NBAF, the National Bio- and Agro- Defense facility is a new concept. In 2006, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sought proposals for a new national facility dedicated to research that protects humans and animals from infectious diseases, whether they occur naturally or are deliberately released. On the other hand NIMBY, or “Not In My Back Yard” dates back to about 1980 to describe efforts to prevent hazardous, potentially hazardous, or perceived hazardous facilities from being established in certain communities, towns and cities.
The Georgia Consortium for Health and Agro-Security, led by Governor Sonny Perdue, responded to Homeland Security with proposals to build the $6 billion NBAF near the University of Georgia. The University has offered to donate a $13.3 million, 72-acre nature area between the North Oconee River, a federal poultry research laboratory, and the Richard B. Russell Research Center just off of College Station Road; in other words, virtually next door to the south side of University Heights. The Georgia Consortium has also proposed a secondary site near the intersection of the South Milledge Extension and Whitehall Road.
NBAF will conduct research on zoonotic diseases – animal diseases that can be transmitted to humans. The purpose of NBAF is to develop new ways of detecting these diseases in humans, wildlife and domestic animals, and to develop vaccines and treatments for them. Diseases that may be studied include West Nile virus, avian influenza (“bird flu”), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), anthrax, and BSE or “mad cow” disease.
There are four biosafety levels (BSLs) that define proper laboratory techniques, safety equipment and design. NBAF would have BSL-4 labs, the highest level. BSL-4 labs are used to study agents that pose a high risk of life-threatening disease for which no vaccine or therapy is available. Lab personnel are required to wear full-body, air-supplied suits and to shower when exiting the facility. BSL-4 labs are located in several cities in the U.S., including at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Georgia State University in Atlanta.
NBAF timeline:
- January 2006: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a notice of request for proposals
- March 2006: The Georgia Consortium submitted two proposals to DHS
- August 2006: DHS narrowed the list from 29 sites to 18 sites in 11 states
- February 2007: Additional information due to DHS
- March 2007: DHS conducts reviews
- March - May 2007: DHS site visits and final recommendations
- June 2007: DHS releases a short list and begins environmental assessments of those sites
- October 2008: DHS completes announces site selection
- November 2008: DHS begins detailed design
- FY 2010: DHS begins construction
- 2013 - 2014: Facility operational
Other stiff competition for the site includes the University of California, Texas A&M, and the N.C. State University/Research Triangle. UGA President Michael Adams has told the Board of Regents that Georgia ranks among the top three proposals. Others have commented that NBAF locating in Georgia is still a long shot.
Obviously as with any such facility there are pros and cons:
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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What you can do:
- Learn more about the NBAF and the Georgia proposals on UGA’s web site, where you can join the NBAF-Georgia listserv, look for community meetings, and look at a map of the proposed College Station site:
- Pat Allen, UGA Director of Community Relations, has expressed interested in keeping the University Heights community informed about the NBAF proposal. Feel free to contact him to ask questions and provide feedback:
706-227-7151, patallen@uga.edu
- Contact your elected officials at all three levels of government (Athens-Clarke County, Governor Sonny Perdue, state legislators, U.S. representatives and senators) to express your support for or opposition to NBAF in Athens.
ON THE DARK SIDE OF THE STREET? LIGHTEN UP!
Street lights are provided as a joint service by the county and Georgia Power. The rule of thumb is that there should be a street light on every other utility pole. If you are interested in having a street light added on your street, please email michelle@michelleroche.com to have your request passed on to our new 8th District Commissioner, Andy Herod.
ATTENTION SPEEDERS
The speed limit in University Heights
is 25 MPH. Please...slow down!
Annual dues for the UHCA are only $10! Checks should be made out to “University Heights Community Association” and can be mailed to our treasurer:
Paul L. Walker
265 Spalding Circle
Athens, GA 30605
Thanks!
We need your help! The UHCA is more than a few board members and a name – it’s all of us, working together to make our neighborhood a better place to live. If you would be willing to help by welcoming new arrivals to our community, organizing neighborhood events, becoming a Street Captain, or just want to pitch in, please come to our next meeting or get in touch with us – there’s plenty to do!
If you have any suggestions, complaints, comments, or problems, please contact one of your UHCA board members. We want to hear from you!
We want to keep in touch with you – about upcoming events and meetings, and about issues that affect our neighborhood – but we can’t without your contact info! So please call or write to our secretary, Pete Gess, at 706-613-6361 or pgess@mindspring.com and let him know the best phone number and/or email address where you can be reached. Thanks!
Your neighborhood web site is at www.universityheightsathens.com, and has all kinds of information, from how to get a street light fixed to what was discussed at our last meeting to the latest 8th District newsletter from our Commissioner. You can also read and post to our Community Forum, list your event on our Neighborhood Calendar, contact the UHCA, and much more!
Your UHCA board members are:
Michelle Roche, President 706-353-3244 m.roche@charter.net
Peter Gess, Secretary 706-613-6361 pgess@mindspring.com
Paul Walker, Treasurer 706-714-7417 paul@neatstripe.com
Sander Heilig 706-353-2248 sanderheilig@charter.net
Andy Kavoori 706-354-4549 akavoori@yahoo.com
Carolyn Lehr 706-549-2280 clehr345@charter.net
Cyndi Logan 706-202-3974 cyndilogan@charter.net
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear Neighbors,
Springtime is finally here! I don’t think there is another time of year that reminds me so much of why I love University Heights as I walk along the streets and see all the established dogwoods and azaleas in bloom! It has been great to see so many folks making improvements in their yards and to their homes. Let’s hope that trend continues.
The University Heights Community Association has had a busy year, building our neighborhood directory, creating a website (www.universityheightsathens.com), establishing a Neighborhood Watch, and more. There is so much more we can do, but we need to hear from you. This is your association. We need your input and your help to continue to make this organization really work for University Heights.
Our congratulations go out to Andy Herod in his new position representing the 8th District. I really hope you will make it out to meet him on April 23rd, as I sincerely feel he is open to hearing from all you and that he will really work hard to protect all our interests to the best of his ability.
Please reach out to us via phone, e-mail or through our website. We desperately need volunteers, so if you have some time let us know. Also, we still need e-mail addresses for a lot of you, so please get those to us.
Let’s all make an effort to reach out to our neighbors, both new and old, to make this great community even better.
Michelle Roche, President
University Heights Community Association
Come meet the our new District 8 Commissioner, Andy Herod
Discuss issues specific to the Eastside, affecting University Heights residents and landowners! All welcome to attend!
Monday, April 23rd at 7:00 PM
First Assembly Church of God
1225 College Station Rd @ International
