Briarwood Park and Recreation Center ……. Home of the Briarwood Barracudas ….. Briarwood Park Conservancy……

Tomorrow morning (Saturday Sept. 14th) we will be having a work day down at the Park. We have three more of the garden boxes to fill in the Community Garden at the Forest Patio area with dirt and then chips to spread on the paths between the boxes. And of course there are a lot of other areas we need work on too.

We will begin at 9:00 AM. Hope to see lots of volunteers. It is a great way to meet new friends and to help continue to bring the Park back to life……….

Bring shovels and wheel barrows if you have them…..as well as any other tools useful for clearing out under brush ……..

Friends of Briarwood Park and Drew Valley residents Rob Turner, Kay Spencer, and Steve Walker braved the early morning hours (4:30 AM) and joined the 11 Alive news team on their Morning Show feature where they visit and highlight cities in the Metro area. Today’s stop was the City of Brookhaven. Many different aspects of the City were highlighted on the show and in particular  Rebecca Chase Williams, City Council Dist 1, showing off the new City of Brookhaven logo and the announcement that the City  will be purchasing the Parks and taking over operations on Tuesday Sept. 3rd.

Seen here is a video clip from the show with Friends of Briarwood Park VP Rob Turner near the end of the segment   http://www.11alive.com/news/article/304243/3/11Alive-broadcasts-in-Brookhaven

A lot has been going on this summer at Briarwood Park. Most recently, the Friends of Briarwood Park in conjunction with Haven Real Estate Investments held two fundraisers to help finance the construction of new bathroom facilities at the Playground area. The first held at Pizza Shack and the second one at the Park itself, raised nearly $10,000.00. A big thank you goes out to Pizza Shack for sponsoring and to Allison Resnick and Haley Woods for organizing the event.
The City of Brookhaven has announced it will be buying the all of the Parks within the City in early September. Haven REI, who will be building the facility will apply for all of the necessary permits once the City takes over Parks operations and hope to begin construction in early fall. Donations are still needed and can be made on the Briarwood Park website, www.briarwoodparkga.org by going to the donation page and following the links. Be sure to drill down and select Briarwood Park for the recipient of a donation and in the note line indicate “for bathroom facility.” A special thanks to all the local businesses and restaurants that have donated to make the restroom facility a reality.

Other projects around the Park this summer have included re-roofing the picnic pavilion with a long lasting metal roof, painting of the pavilion and the picnic tables, installation of two new BBQ grills, creation of the gardens around the Forest Patio area, installation of an irrigation system to keep everything watered (like we have really needed that this summer !), as well as clearing out underbrush and invasive ivy and privet in the wooded areas. CPACS, (Center for Pan Asian Community Services) generously donated for the creation of raised planting beds that have been constructed and installed in the new Community Garden area at the Forest Patio. Huge thanks go out to the many local businesses that have donated time, services, and materials for the completion of these projects as well as to hundreds of hours of volunteer work by the Friends of Briarwood Park.

In other news, the Friends of Briarwood Park have prepared a Park Pride grant request for future projects including preliminary discussions and plans for a shaded off-leash dog area and establishing additional walking and hiking trails that will encompass the entire Park. A work day is scheduled in early October and will include approximately 65 volunteers from Turner Broadcasting. That should be a great day and accomplish a lot.

Thanks to Chad Boles, President of the Friends of Briarwood Park for his continuing leadership in making Briarwood Park into something our Communities can enjoy for decades to come…………

To keep up with happenings “like us” on our Facebook Page “Briarwood Park Revitalization Project” and you can sign up to “follow us” on our web site www.briarwoodparkga.org………..

See ya at the Park !!

 Attached is a preliminary computer rendering of the proposed bathroom kiosk at Briarwood Park Playground. You have two opportunities to support this project. The building will cost approximately $30,000. Construction by Haven REI will occur later this fall after review and approval by the City of Brookhaven.

 First, tonight (August 15th) from 5:30- til’ Friends of Briarwood Park in conjunction with Haven REI is hosting a fundraiser at Pizza Shack off Caldwell behind Savi Urban Market. The suggested donation for tonight’s event is $500-1000. If you only have $250 come anyway. Several in-kind donors will be there to tell their stories about why they provide generously for ongoing improvements at Briarwood Park. If you’ve sweated and toiled at Briarwood Park or provided donations, come as my guest (and big time THANK  YOU).

 The second event is a Brunch and Bounce Saturday morning at Briarwood Park, (August 17th) Playground from 10-12. Coffee, donuts and bananas will be provided as well as a jump house for the kids. Please bring whatever change you have in the couch, dollars on the credenza (did I just say credenza?) and lucky pennies you saved. Briarwood Park could use the luck and the pennies. This will also give you an opportunity to view the improvements at the Forest Patio. They include but are not limited to the renovated Picnic Area (Mayfield Signature Homes), community and butterfly garden (KH Homes, Buckhaven Construction and Lowes, Steve R. Walker Construction), irrigation system (Ferguson and Oasis Landscape and Construction), uncovered Azalea Trail and proposed Off Leash Area (BriarWOOF Park).

We’ve been overwhelmed by the local generosity provided so far to the efforts at Briarwood Park. Please join us.

Chad Boles, CFP

Friends of Briarwood Park

www.briarwoodparkGA.org

http://www.facebook.com/BriarwoodParkRevitalizationProject

To our friends and neighbors, 

We would like to make you aware of some exciting news here in Brookhaven, and invite you to be a part of the action!  As you may have heard, Briarwood Park is undergoing improvements that will allow for a safer and more enjoyable experience on the part of our children and families. 

As a part of this packet, you will find Haven REI’s detailed plans for the construction of facilities and a community bulletin board at the park.  In addition to the cost of construction materials, there will be ongoing maintenance needs throughout the park so our kids can enjoy it all year long. 

We are looking forward to breaking ground on this project, but we need your help!  That is why we are inviting you to join us from 10:00 a.m. to Noon on Saturday, August 17th at the park pavilion for a Brunch and Bounce at Briarwood Park!  We will have a bounce house and games for the kids, so come meet your neighbors and see all the work that has been done!

In addition to joining us for “Brunch and Bounce,” we would like to invite you to become either a Park Sponsor or Park Partner, and make a lasting impact on the park’s construction and maintenance needs.  Sponsors and Partners will be recognized on the day of the event, and Sponsor names will be added to a plaque in the park.  Additionally, Sponsors and Partners are invited to a Host Reception on from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, August 15^th at The Pizza Shack on Caldwell Road next to Village Brookhaven.  Your invitation to this event is also included in this packet. Please contact Haley Woods at 404-783-8140 for additional information.

 Contributions  are tax deductible and can be made online by visiting the park website at https://briarwoodparkga.org/donations/   (Please use the code “playground bathroom” in the last memo line on the contribution form.)

As a member of the Brookhaven community, business owner, and father, I am excited to be a part of the improvements being made to Briarwood Park.  I hope you will consider joining me, and I look forward to seeing you soon!

Sincerely,

Rick Glisson

Owner & General Manager, Haven REI

Saturday, June 29, 2013 was the final day of construction of the Briarwood Park Forest Patio: Phase II. The Friends of Briarwood Park, Mayfield Signature Homes, Oasis Landscape and Irrigation, Ferguson and Lowe’s Chamblee were integral parts of the successful completion of this most recent phase. In the last 75 days 16 truckloads of earth, 8 donated house landscapes, split rail fencing, grills, a metal roof, trash cans, new paint and an irrigation system were added. Along with those generous donations, over 450 volunteer hours were spent with shovels, wheelbarrows and leveling rakes. Total in kind donations and cash contributions top $25,000 to date.

Phase III will begin after some time later this summer. It will include trellis’ for the community garden, community garden boxes and redecking the river bridge. Azalea Trail will circle the entire park by year’s end.  Please utilize the attached sponsors as their donation of time, expertise and materials helped create a beautiful new space we can all enjoy.

Please cast your vote for Briarwood Park and Rec Center in the Coca Cola Live Positively Campaign. Just follow the link to register and vote. https://parks.livepositively.com/parks/index.html#findpark?searchterm=Briarwood%20Park

Grand prize is a $100K grant. Second and Third prize are $50K and $25K, respectively. There is a random drawing for the parks between 4 and 25th place for $15K. You can multiply your voting exponentially by downloading the FourSquare and MapMySpace apps.

We are shown as Briarwood Rec Center on the list of Parks.

You can cast your vote DAILY SO PLEASE RETURN AND CONTINUE TO VOTE !!

Your votes can help us continue to improve our Park !!

B Park work day .7                   Thanks to all the volunteers who made last Saturday’s workday another great success. Attached are photos of the two ongoing projects: The Forest Patio and The Azalea Trail. Last Saturday we continued clearing the trails, spreading wood chips and cleaning the picnic area. We will honor Mayfield Signature Homes (Tim Nama), Oasis Landscape and Irrigation (Kevin Paulen) and Ferguson Enterprises (Jeremy Barnes) after the completion of the Forest Patio. They have played an integral part in the success of Phase II. You’ll also notice a map of the trails running through Briarwood Park. Steve Walker and  Chad Boles will be installing the grills this upcoming Saturday.

We are currently planning a fundraiser with Haven REI  www.havenrei.com  (Rick Glisson, Allison Resnick) to supplement the cost of the playground bathroom planned for later this summer or fall. Preliminary pictures attached subject to approval. Click on the File B Park Work Day.7  at the top left corner of this post to view the renderings of the planned Rest Room for the Play Ground Area

 Our next scheduled work day is Saturday, June 29^th to assist Oasis Landscape and Irrigation with the installation of a sprinkler system. If you’d like to donate to the Friends of Briarwood Park then go to www.BriarwoodParkGa.org donation page  OR our Facebook Page  www.facebook.com/BriarwoodParkRevitalizationProject?ref=ts&fref=ts  or click on this link https://www.kintera.org/AutoGen/Simple/Donor.asp?ievent=277162&en=dwIPI6PPLcLYJgNSLbIULiN9LoK0KlPYLjIZLjMaJAL

Be sure to specify Friends of Briarwood Park before you make your donation. Also be sure and check out our Facebook Page www.facebook.com/BriarwoodParkRevitalizationProject?ref=ts&fref=ts  for promotional offers from local businesses:    Brookhaven Fitness  @ www.brookhavenfitness.com  and Blo Beauty Bar  @ www.blobeautybar.com  

Tomorrow, Saturday June 8th we will be holding another work day at Briarwood Park. Beginning around 9:30, we will be spreading mulch on walk ways and general clean up. Bring rakes for spreading chips and wheel barrels. Most of all just come out and join us as we continue our quest to beautify the Park. See you there !!

The Friends of Briarwood Park will hold their monthly meeting Tuesday June 4th at 6:30 PM at the Forest Patio Pavilion in the Park. Come out and join us to learn more about upcoming Park improvements and ongoing projects, as well as what is on tap for the Saturday June 8th work day. Hope to see a lot of folks come out and enjoy the Park as well as socialize with others interested in turning Briarwood Park into the gem we all know it can become !!