MACSL members,

The City of Atlanta's long-deferred parks refurbishment means that we'll have to continue our wanderings beginning this Saturday, March 17. According to information from City of Atlanta Parks, Candler Park, our first home, will be unavailable until 15 August due to resodding. Iverson Park is scheduled for a more complete overhaul and is not slated to reopen until 20 March 2008. (See http://www.atlantaga.gov/client_resources/government/parks/parksbureaufiles/ballfield%20closing%20sched%202-12-07.htm for a complete list.) As with any city project, I suspect these dates are somewhat haphazard.

I suggest in the interim that we try some of the school facilities in Kirkwood, south of DeKalb Avenue and north of Interstate 20 (see http://sports.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/soccer_atlanta/photos/view/d27a?b=4&m=f&o=0 for the map, in the "Maps & Directions" folder).

There are two possibilities within a half-mile of each other:

1. Toomer Elementary, at the intersection of Rogers Street and Hosea Williams Drive. There are two youth-sized fields, with two sets of goals, in a sunken area south of the school building. I have played here a couple of times. The field slopes and it serves as a de facto retention area, but let's try this first on March 17, 11 a.m. Parking is just above the field, next to the school. The ground is used for pickup games on weekdays and for occasional youth practice, but I do not know its availability on Saturdays. If it is occupied (by people other than us), proceed roughly 1/2 mile west along Hosea Williams Drive, which turns into Boulevard, until you arrive at ...

2. Sammye E. Coan Middle School, across from Coan Park. There are two full-sized fields side-by-side, one marked for soccer, with regulation goals. A Latino league plays here on Sundays. There would almost certainly be ground here to play, either at the school or the park across the street. The park has a baseball field and other open space. It also is scheduled for refurbishment, but I have seen no evidence as yet.

Postgame options include Aces Bar & Grille, 1992 Hosea Williams Drive, Kirkwood, as well as a pizza place (can't remember the name of it), with outdoor seating, next door.

Obviously, let people who are off-list know of the change. We'll stay flexible and remain open to other field options.

As to the long-term possibilities for returning to Candler Park, I believe we would have to begin conforming to the Atlanta Parks' reservation system. We have dodged this part of the process until now, because who in his right mind, kickballers notwithstanding, would have bothered reserving Candler in its hardpan state? The going rates, however, are $25/hr (Atlanta residents) and $36/hr (non-residents) per each use of the facility. I suspect this is not in our budget or organizational capabilities.

Hope to see you on Saturday, as usual. If you need some more directions on the day, my mobile number is 4/441-6777.

John T.