Want to Help Your Neighborhood or Your Community?
Take part in the Great American Cleanup
March 1 to May 31, 2012

One of the ways to make a difference in your community is to take part in the GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP. The Cleanup is sponsored by Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful and will be held March 1 - May 31, 2012. You can do such things as organize a litter clean up in your neighborhood, organize planting projects, painting projects, a clean up and beautification day for the entrance to your neighborhood, help out elderly neighbors by mowing lawns, spraying weeds. Notice the QOL problems in your neighborhood and seek to remedy these. For more informaiton log on to www.gwinnettcb.org or contact Beverly Dryden, LNA Director, at kerdry@bellsouth.net.

LNA's
Community Outreach
for the neighborhoods in the
City of Lawrenceville

The Lawrenceville Quality of Life Unit, led by Lt. Tim Wallis, has been notifying the Lawrenceville Neighborhood Alliance (LNA) of specific non compliant cases where the homeowner, for various reasons, is unable to comply with the QOL regulations.  The homeowner's situation could range from lack of finances, health, age, or lack of family assistance. 

On Saturday, October 15, David Mellard, President of LNA and Scott Wilbanks, along with a group of fourteen volunteers from 12 Stone Church,  painted the house of a long time Lawrenceville resident, Marvin Griffin.  The Carver Circle area, where his house is located, was named after his late father.  Mr. Griffin is an army veteran who has lived in the house his whole life. 

View the photos to see what a difference can be made by people who care about their neighbors.  

Earlier in the year, LNA organized another community service project.  This project helped a resident cut down a large stump in his yard.

Thanks go to Officer Jamie Cabe of the Lawrenceville QOL unit and Mayor Judy Jordan Johnson, for offering assistance in finding Scott Wilbanks, volunteer member of  the 12 Stone Church.  

LNA is looking for volunteers who have time to volunteer and/or can provide donations to help with specific projects for folks within the city limits of Lawrenceville.  Please contact David Mellard, President of LNA, dmellard@bellsouth.net or by cell 404-226-0746.  

Working together for a brighter tomorrow

Sherwood Forest's Meet and Greet

Every year the Subdivision quietly tucked away into a peaceful and serene neighborhood behind a forest of trees holds it yearly "Fall Meet & Greet Cook Out". Sherwood Forest is a small subdivision of about 65 homes on large wood lots just off 5 Forks Trickum and Stone Mountain Street. Most of the residents have been a part of Lawrenceville for most of their lives, raised their families here and seen people pass through over the years. In her early days a ladies group in the neighborhood would play cards and knit, they were referred to as the "Sherwood Hookers" for their knitting abilities. Though many see each other in passing or on daily walks in the neighborhood, every year there is a "Fall Meet & Greet Cook Out".

The "Fall Meet & Greet Cook Out" is to bring the neighborhood together and share fellowship with each other. They usually grill out or everyone brings a covered dish. Every resident/neighbor is invited, along with the City/County Leaders, Quality of Life Units, Lawrenceville Police Department, The Lawrenceville Neighborhood Alliance and most importantly the Candidates running for Elected office. This allows are residents to ask the elected officials questions they may have had about Lawrenceville and what the candidates running for office believe in. It also builds a relationship with those who have been commissioned to serve & protect our community. Being involved with our neighbors and the community is something most people have forgotten to do. We have lost an innocence of "Love thy Neighbor" by being so busy with work and accomplishments we have forgotten sometimes just a simple meal and fellowship can change the world. It can change people's
thoughts that they don't belong or they are forgotten and unloved to an attitude of "look at my community and how can I get involved". This "look at my community and how can I get involved" attitude is what we in Sherwood Forest believe will save our community versus waiting on the White House to take the changes & save our community.

Sherwood Forest Subdivision would like to share our success with your communities and hope we inspire other subdivisions to organize and be more involved with the Lawrenceville community. You can also find us on facebook under Sherwood Forest, Lawrenceville Georgia to see all our pictures. Thanks for sharing.

Forest Hills and Windsor Farms Neighbors Spruce Up Cul de sac

Since the City of Lawrenceville closed Windsor Farms Drive in 2006, the Neighborhood Association has taken the responsibility of maintaining this area. Neighbors saved shrubs from the entrance along Highway 20 and then replanted them when the cul de sac was finished. The late Forrest Adair contributed Leyland Cyprus trees and the Association planted others. Neighbors contributed other plants. This was done during the years of the severe drought, so it took a long time for the plants to get established.

Now, after five years, the plants are finally growing and the area is getting filled in. On Saturday, October 22, volunteers, coordinated by Walt and Joann Reynolds, spent part of the morning spreading mulch. We received several loads of mulch from a tree removal company that was in the neighborhood.

Walt and Joan Reynolds, Steve and Christine Hart, Tom and Michael Mahoney, John and Susan Johnson, Jay Johnston, Art Tippit, and Kerin and Beverly Dryden helped make the work go swiftly. It took a little over an hour to spread the mulch throughout the cul de sac area. What a great job and many thanks to this volunteer group.

How beautiful a day can be when kindness touches it.
George Elliston

Paper Mill Subdivision-Daring to Care

“Dare to Care” is the motto of a group of folks in the Paper Mill subdivision off Paper Mill Road . Two years ago, Maureen Terry, Alicia Phillips, Derek Aycart, Tracie White, and Vera McCalla wanted to get neighbors involved in their community of 117 two story brick front homes. They set out to walk the community, trying to make contacts with everyone. They talked to neighbors about keeping their home values from not plummeting anymore, about the need to work together to make their neighborhood an eye catching place to live.

Typical House in Paper Mill

During that time, this group went door to door, asking residents about their needs and about the neighborhood needs. People were interested in helping out, wanting their homes and their neighborhood to be enriched through resident participation. The efforts were voluntary and the group decided to call themselves The Paper Mill CO-OP. People were willing to donate time, effort, and money to help out. They just needed someone to provide leadership, organize and bring a cooperative effort for individual concerns.

Thus far, the group now has 75 residents on e-mail. This effort has made a difference as people get to know each other and become interested in enriching their neighborhood. They no longer wanted just rows of houses. They wanted a community of residents who dared to care about their homes and yards.

In two years time, they have had two neighborhood garage sales, have initiated the Neighborhood Watch Program with captains for the streets, have beautified the front entrance, and are now ready to move forward with enhancing the lighting of the neighborhood and repairing buckled sidewalks.

At least 10 households took part in Saturday's community yard sale. According to Maureen Terry, one of the neighborhood's organizers, the community yard sales have brought people together.

Residents Maureen Terry and Tomas Regassa

Even teenagers are interested in their neighborhood. Central Gwinnett High School student, Tomas Regassa, is willing to lend his hand by volunteering to help in enhancing his neighborhood. He wants to make his neighborhood a nice, friendly place and wants to participate by helping to plant flowers, cut grass, and pressure wash. He also wants to help others who need help. He is a football lineman, participates in track and is a mid-distance runner.

Way to Go Paper Mill Subdivision Residents!

Camden Square residents spruce up their neighborhood entrance!

Camden Square residents got together Saturday and held a neighborhood work day sprucing up their front entrance.  The main focus was removing the evergreen shrubs that had overgrown to the point of potentially choking out their crape myrtle trees.   Neighbors trimmed other shrubs and the crape myrtle trees as well as spreading out pine straw.  Upcoming front entrance plans include: spray washing the brick walls, repainting the “Camden Square” lettering and logo, and doing some major work at the small walls as you enter the residential area.   This fall, the residents will be removing some 20+ year old Kwanzan Flowering Cherry trees that have gotten too overgrown and replacing them with Crape Myrtles.  Since Lawrenceville is known as the “Crape Myrtle City”, Camden Square residents will be doing their part to promote the city's heritage.   As you can see, their front entrance looks very nice and residents really take pride in their neighborhood. 

If you would like to highlight activities in your neighborhood, please contact us by e-mailing to:    lawrencevilleNA@hotmail.com .