Mason Mill Park attracts young and

By Martha Nodar

Located just steps away from the DeKalb County Toco Hills-Avis G. Williams Public Library branch, the Mason Mill Park complex attracts families with children, single adults of all ages and seniors from the community.

Lindsey Glover from Echo Hills said she brings her two small children to the park at least twice a month.

“I like the park because it is so nice and safe,” she said.

With its walking trails, covered picnic areas, fenced playgrounds, and ample free parking, the park is an oasis waiting to be discovered. That was the case with Toco Hills area resident Suellen Kirwan.

“I had no idea this park was here,” Kirwan said. “This is a really nice park. I like it because they have small swings for my one-year-old granddaughter, which are hard to find.”

Kirwan said she first learned about the park when she came to its recreation center to take aerobic classes. Adjacent to one of the playgrounds, the center hosts classes, meetings and English country dancing.

On the third Sunday of every month English Country Dance Atlanta offers dancing in the center from 2 to 5 p.m. No partner is needed. Beginners are

Old

encouraged to arrive at 1:30 p.m. for a dance lesson, which is included in the price of admission ranging from $7 to $10 per person depending on whether the music is recorded or live.

Music teacher Mary Ellen Doughty said it was her neighbor who got her interested in English country dancing and she has been a regular at these dances in the center for 11 years.

“If you can walk, you can Englishcountry-dance,” she said. “I hope I’ll be dancing in my 80s. Dancing keeps you young.”

Doughty said many of the pieces played at these dances are timeless and remind her of the Regency era—the time when early 19th century British novelist Jane Austen was attending dances herself with family and friends.

“The music is beautiful and feeds my soul,” Doughty emphasized.

Karen Hudlow, Doughty’s friend said she always liked to dance, thus, she jumped at the chance when she heard about these dances at the park. Hudlow said it was by attending these dances that she met and became friends with Doughty. She refers to the English dances as “elegant.”

Alice Adler, a fellow senior from the Toco Hills area, said she participated in those dances several years ago. Adler is now the president of Egress, a group for single adults 55 and older and those who are widowed regardless of age. Egress members meet on the second Sunday of every month in the park’s recreation center at 1 p.m. for lunch and fellowship.

Mary Jones, Egress’ first vice president said she has been an Egress member for almost 15 years.

“I love it,” she said about the group. “We have experienced some of the same things; it’s a healing process.”

A respite to a world saturated with technology, the Mason Mill Park offers a chance to enjoy nature and social contact.

“This park is a happy little haven,” Doughty said.

Founded in 1822, the City of Decatur predates Atlanta by 15 years and could have become the region’s largest city if not for concerned early settlers who did not want the town to become a major terminal on the Western and Atlantic Railroad. Instead, surveyors looked west and created Terminus, the forerunner of Atlanta. Still, Decatur has thrived and is now known for its college town atmosphere, vibrant downtown, leafy neighborhoods and a dining scene to rival Midtown and Buckhead. It’s also home to the AJC Decatur Book Festival, which draws 80,000 literature lovers every Labor Day weekend. Pictured clockwise from above: families enjoy music at the bandstand on the Decatur Square; Brick Store Pub is a favorite downtown hangout; poetry readings at Java Monkey Coffee House draw regular crowds; Agnes Scott College’s beautiful campus; bellying up to the bar at the Kimball House restaurant.