Street Captains Help Keep Residents Safe and Connected
By: Eleanor Barrineau
Some of VaHi’s Street Captains pose for a group photo at a recent meeting.
Did you know that Virginia-Highland is one of the few neighborhoods in Atlanta – maybe the only one – that is connected by a network of Street Captains for almost every street? It’s our own unique version of a Neighborhood Watch. Each Captain passes along John Wolfinger’s safety reports, serves as a focal point for addressing safety concerns, helps coordinate block parties and other get-togethers, and welcomes new neighbors. In providing input for the neighborhood Master Plan that is under development, Virginia-Highland residents said they wanted to “Be known as a neighborhood that values and cares for its neighbors.” Interestingly, this stated goal of “neighborliness” has not often been listed as a top priority in other neighborhoods’ Master Plans. There are many ways in which our neighborliness manifests itself, and our Street Captain network is one of those.
Some recent examples of activities coordinated by Street Captains:
- A street-wide yard sale held annually and coordinated by Rosedale Drive Captain Kay Stephenson (this year’s sale is coming up on March 29th and will include Rosedale Road and Arlington Place as well – check it out!). These yard sales are a great opportunity for folks to get out of their houses and catch up with neighbors while also searching for bargains.
- Two of our Captains have been involved with cleaning up the alley between St. Charles and Ponce – Brian McGuire of St. Charles Avenue has organized clean-ups of the paved portion (Maiden Lane) and Angela Sturdivant of the 737 Barnett condos has helped coordinate recent clean-up efforts in the unpaved portion now called Maiden Trail.
- Neighbors on Highland Terrace, well organized by Captain Deirdre Fleming, are planning another Block Party.
- One of our “Street Captain Heroes” is Jo Ann Zyla of Elmwood Drive. Jo Ann not only helps keep tabs on parking issues surrounding Piedmont Park events, but also coordinates get-togethers and maintains a street directory for use by the residents. As John Wolfinger said, “she has just become the mama for the whole street.”
These are just a few examples – thanks to all of our Street Captains for their efforts to keep us connected and improve our safety and quality of life.
Don’t know who your Street Captain is? Contact [email protected] to find out.
Although we have most streets covered, we still need Captains for most of Ponce Place and for the stretch of Monroe that falls in Virginia-Highland (10th to Amsterdam). Contact the email address above if you live on either of those streets and are interested in finding out more about being a Street Captain.
Also, Street Captains love it when others on the street pitch in – so please let your Captain know if you can help!