Cedar Creek
CIVIC ASSOCIATION
ATHENS, GEORGIA
November 3, 2026
CCCA is looking for community leaders
The CCCA Board has openings for volunteer leaders for 2027. As Jack mentioned in his letter, we are looking for someone to take on the job of Vice President and of Membership Chair.
The Vice President assists the President in carrying out the duties of the President, assumes the office of President in the year following his/her service as Vice President, assumes the duties of the President on a temporary basis when the President is temporarily unavailable and has been requested to do so by the President or when the Board of Directors determines the President is unable to perform the duties of the office, and assumes the office of President in the event of resignation or death of the President, in which case the Vice President shall serve as President until election of new officers at the next annual meeting of the Association. Typically the VP attends the monthly CCCA Board meetings (2 hours on a Thursday night) and may take the lead one additional time-limited task during the year.
The Membership Chair is responsible for encouraging membership and advising the Board of Directors on issues of membership development. The Chair also coordinates welcoming new residents and acquainting them with the community. The CCCA membership chair's major time commitment takes place primarily in January and February when we recruit new members and encourage current members to renew their memberships in CCCA for the new year. This takes the form of putting out membership reminder signs and writing short reminder pieces in the CCCA's Next Door and Facebook social media sites.
If you are interested in either of these positions, contact Jack at jack.dominey@gmail.com.
"Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us daily." -Sally Koch
2026 Calendar
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November 9 - Eastside Neighbors Group Meeting, 1PM, Stratford Clubhouse
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November 14 - Landscape Crew work session, Mockingbird Circle, 10Am-Noon
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November 19 - Cedar Creek Board Meeting, 7-9PM,
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November 19 - Opening of Winter WonderLights at the State Botanical Gardens of Ga (see https://botgarden.uga.edu/wonderlights/ for dates, ticket costs, parking)
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November 21 - Responsible Gun Owner Safety Training, see article below
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November 26 - Thanksgiving Day
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December 17 - Cedar Creek Board meeting, 7-9PM, (Tentative)
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December 19 - Cedar Creek Luminaria Challenge (Tentative)
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December 25 - Christmas Day
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December 30 - Winter WonderLights last day.
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January 7-9 and 15-16, 2027 - Winter WonderLights Disco Nights
Check out the ACC Calendar of events at https://www.accgov.com/calendar.aspx
Social Security scams have become increasingly sophisticated in 2026 and continue to target vulnerable individuals, particularly retirees. Scammers impersonate officials from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and use various tactics to deceive victims. Signs its a scam -Scammers threaten arrest or suspension of Social Security numbers unless immediate payment is made, and being pressured to verify sensitive information under the guise of resolving issues with your account. Scammers are also utilizing artificial intelligence to create more convincing communications, making it harder for you to detect a scam. Know that that the Social Security Administration will never threaten arrest, demand immediate payment, or ask for personal information via phone, email, or social media. If you suspect a scam, call the SSA fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271.
Pet Safety - Christmas Trees
Holiday decorations can pose hazards to pets. Veterinary groups and pet insurers report a seasonal rise in emergency visits related to holiday decorations, so keep pet safety in mind as you deck the halls. Anchor your Christmas tree securely and fasten garlands to prevent pets from pulling them down. Avoid food-based decorations, such as popcorn strings, that pets might eat. Choose pet-safe ornaments and use ribbon loops instead of wire hooks to hang them. Keep tinsel and curling ribbon out of reach, or avoid them entirely, because pets can swallow them and suffer serious intestinal problems. A few simple precautions can help keep pets safe during the holidays. The American Veterinary Medical Association offers more tips at https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/holiday-pet-safety.
Responsible Gun Ownership Starts with Safety!
Gun safety is everyone's responsibility, and education is one of the most important steps we can take toward creating safer homes, families, and communities!
Join the Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD) for an upcoming Responsible Gun Owner Safety Training designed to educate, empower, and encourage responsible firearm ownership. Date: Saturday, November 21, 2026, Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Contact Annesia Crew, at Annesia.Crew@accgov.com or 762-400-7143
During this informative session, participants will learn about:
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Safe firearm storage practices
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Preventing firearm theft from homes and vehicles
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Georgia firearm laws and responsibilities
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Understanding where firearms may and may not be carried
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Firearm safety and crisis prevention
No firearms are needed for this training! Whether you're a current firearm owner, considering ownership (e.g a Christmas gift), or simply interested in learning more about gun safety, this session is for you!
Ongoing Issues
450 Gaines School Road - A meeting date is yet to be determined to review the proposed architecture and floor plans for the buildings proposed for this development. Ed Lane informed us that they have been meeting with developers and builders to ensure that what is proposed is something developers want to fund and builders can build. Look for a special email to the Cedar Creek community once a meeting date is agreed upon.
Gaines School Road Corridor Special District Overlay - The Eastside Neighbors Group met with Ed Lane of SPG Planners + Engineers of Watkinsville to discuss how to develop a set of goals for the growth and development of Eastside Athens, and how to get those goals implemented. At the Eastside Neighbors meeting on November 9, the group plans to formally define its mission, focus and boundaries, then spend time on their priorities for substantive programs that promote a safer, better connected Eastside with a strong sense of place. This work is foundational to the eventual revision of the Gaines School Road Corridor Special District Overlay.
CC Volunteer Landscape Crew Activities Report
The CC Landscape Crew volunteers met at Mockingbird Circle on Saturday, October 24 to remove invasive plants. Native plant specialists had marked the locations of native species that were to be preserved. Volunteers were able to remove many invasive plants by cutting stems to the ground or digging them up. We’re trying to avoid clear cutting the circle (as we usually do twice a year) and cutting down these native plants. Thus our attempt to remove invasive by hand. Thanks everyone. The Bee and Butterfly Sanctuary Gardens look good. We’ve been keeping them watered and the deer aren’t messing with them.
Our next Volunteer Landscape Crew work day will be Saturday, November 14 from 10am - Noon at Mockingbird Circle to remove more invasive plants.
What we are keeping an eye on...
Fire Station #5 - 4730 Old Lexington Road - Commissioner Davenport reports that while he expected a low impact design for the building that would blend into the neighboring agriculture area, what has been proposed, and, will likely be approved is a design similar to all other Clarke county fire stations.
Going Wild for Native Plants: #5 October, 2026 by Cathy R. Payne
Leave the Leaves! Less Cleanup Supports Biodiversity
There is a good reason that autumn is often referred to as fall. The leaves are falling everywhere! This is a mast year, too —one in which a plethora of nuts such as acorns are falling.
I’ve been filling up bags for the “leaf and limb” crew to pick up. For me, the leaves are all attached to weeds or limbs that have dropped to the ground. For others, it means raking leaves off the lawn and filling the bags. Some of our neighbors have confided to me that they grab leaf bags from their neighbors’ curbs and bring them home. Entomologist Douglas Tallamy explains why someone would do that.
Dr. Tallamy has said that “The best place to leave the leaves is under the trees that grew them.” During the winter, leaves under trees provide shelter for many insects, spiders, and salamanders. Have any of you noticed a decrease in fireflies compared to memories of the past? Or wondered why a neighbor had more fireflies in her yard than you have in yours? Many insects, including fireflies, overwinter under leaves. Luna moth cocoons hunker down in a curled leaf. Spiders and beneficial beetles seek shelter in the leaves. Birds such as Robins, Eastern Towhee, and our state bird, the Brown Thrasher, love to scratch the ground under leaf litter, searching for insects and worms.
Both removing and shredding leaves destroy the overwintering wildlife. I prefer to leave the leaves as they fall. They make my work easier because they prevent too many weeds in early spring, and they help me keep mulch costs down. There can be too much of a good thing, though. Keep your leaf piles no more than six inches deep to avoid cutting off oxygen from the insects. We want them to emerge in good shape when spring arrives. For a deep dive on overwintering habitats, check out this article by xerces.org. See: https://xerces.org/sites/default/files/publications/18-014_02_Natural-Nesting-Overwintering-FS_web.pdf
Remember never to rake or blow leaves into streets, gutters, or storm drains to protect water quality and comply with storm water policies.
President’s Letter
Dear Neighbors,
Some months I have a hard time figuring out what to write here, but this month it's more a question of what to leave out!
We had a thought-provoking presentation at the October Eastside Neighbors group meeting. Ed Lane of SPG Planners + Engineers, Watkinsville, talked to us about how to develop a set of goals for the growth and development of Eastside Athens, and how to get those goals implemented. Ed's recommendations are very much common sense: Create short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals; identify people in business and government who can help implement those goals; work with them to get things done. But the presentation got me thinking seriously about how we can avoid the reactive and adversarial approach that is typical, as when the county or a developer propose some change, we decide it's not appropriate, we push back, and at best we wind up with nothing changed. I think there is a great opportunity for residents of Eastside Athens (and Cedar Creek in particular!) to come up with real significant ideas about how this part of town will grow and change over the years. The T-SPLOST projects that Kenneth Portier helped develop are an excellent example of this kind of thing, and I believe there is room for much more. Watch this space, we'll keep you updated.
Believe it or not, November is not too soon to start thinking very seriously about 2027! Your CCCA Board is an all-volunteer group, and boy howdy we need volunteers! I have let the Board know I'm willing to stay on for an extra year as President, but I need to get a successor in place. Please take a look at the description of the Vice-President job below and give it some thought. (How hard can it really be, if even *I* can do it?). We really need a Membership chair, we would be better with a Social chair, and with a new push from ACCPD, a Neighborhood Watch chair will have some actual support from the county.
But before we get to next year, we'll be hitting the holidays! I want to wish everyone a rewarding and fulfilling Thanksgiving season, with all of you able to spend time with friends and family as you wish. I know that I, for one, will be taking a moment to be thankful for having neighbors who are as kind, thoughtful, and caring as you all.
-Jack Dominey
Pumpkin Carving Get Together Fun
Social Activities Committee
The Cedar Creek Community Association’s 2nd Annual Pumpkin Carving Get Together was a resounding success this year. Held on October 24th from 10 AM to noon at the Cedar Creek swimming pool, over 50 neighbors gathered to carve pumpkins, engage in games, and savor treats in the pleasant autumn weather. Typically scheduled the Saturday before Halloween, the event attracted a diverse crowd of neighborhood teens, toddlers, and their families and friends, all eager to spend quality time together. A special thank you goes to the Cedar Creek Swimming Pool Association for allowing us to use their facility, to St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church for the use of their tables, and to Carolyn Portier Gorman, Edie Roche, Jene Memory and Pete Nichols for running the event.
This free event was generously funded through membership dues to the CCCA and is one of its two significant annual events. The other major event, held in the spring, is the Community-wide Yard Sale. Volunteers are always needed to assist with these events. Interested individuals can sign filling out the simple form on the association website.
E-Bike and E-Scooter Risks
With Christmas coming up, parents of tweens and teens might be considering purchasing an electric bike (E-Bike) or electric scooter (E-Scooter) as a present. AAA is warning parents to consider the risks to their child’s safety before they buy. From 2021 to 2025, 45,000 injuries and over 5,400 hospitalizations were linked to E-bike accidents with 15% being to children. Head injuries predominate. There are three types of E-Bike, with only a few brands appropriate for children. E-scooters have similar levels. Do your research, require helmets at all times, provide training and set strict safety guidelines before you allow them on the road. AAA stresses that parents consider both E-Bikes and E-Scooters as motor vehicles, not toys, that require appropriate parental supervision and guidance. See: https://electricbikeexplorer.com/ebike-safety-tips-every-rider-should-know/ and https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/eScooter_SafetyAlert_v4.pdf?VersionId=NBDQrwkMdX00QHHDG90nfRsoAO8nEdQx
Q and A: Ask the CCCA Board a question and we will try to find an answer.
Q: I saw someone pour something into a storm drain. Who do I call?
Call the Stormwater Hotline at 706-614-1282 to report illegal dumping or water quality concerns. Nothing but water should enter stormwater drains. Everything else just adds to our County's water pollution.
Note that it is the homeowner's responsibility to prevent excess leaf litter and other pollutants from entering the stormwater drains. Please periodically remove leaf litter from road gutters in front of your property then bag it for Leaf & Limb pickup.
The CCCA newsletter is printed locally in Athens by Jack Jones of Duplicating Systems Inc. Thanks.
