Friday, April 26, 2013

Starbucks who?

There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth when the Orchard Park Starbucks location closed.

But a new banner announces a new tenant for JavaU New York Butcher Shop that little spot on the corner between Jett Ferry and Mt. Vernon.


A Google search didn't turn up anything about this particular company so comments are welcome with more info.  Such as, is this a local shop, a local chain, or a growing regional/national chain.

Let's not forget Dunwoody Bakery also has high-end coffee available in a very comfy setting with all the amenities you need to go along w/ your cup 'o joe.  I snapped this shot below while looking for zucchini bread.  


While on the subject of coffee, I can't help but think of breakfast.  Saturday mornings.  And not having to trek into Sandy Springs or Norcross for chicken biscuits that my husband kids beg for.  The coffee isn't bad either.  The building is finished, the staff is hired, the Facebook promotions are rolling ahead.  The finishing touches are being added to the exterior as of this morning.



New pavement without crumbles, check.  Double drive-thru without taking over the entire parking lot, check.  Clear pedestrian crosswalks, check.  The beginnings of al fresco dining, check.  Spiffy new landscaping, check.  New Chick-fil-A location in Dunwoody's Williamsburg shopping area without having to brawl over zoning designation:  gold star.  Grand opening on May 2.  I'll be picking up chicken biscuits and big coffees in my slippers and pajama bottoms first thing on May 4.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Electronic Billboards are Coming to Dunwoody

Despite legal action and community fights, Dunwoody is about to receive electronic billboards all over the city.

In fact, many Dunwoody-area businesses have already started using them for advertising.


Ta-daaaaa!  (Gotcha!!!)
Miniature billboards such as the one above found in SOHO Office in Orchard Park are the brainchild of Chuck Renfroe, an advertising and traditional billboard specialist who found a way to place billboard advertising at a level where consumers will see it, without violating zoning ordinances or pissing off neighborhoods.

My first reaction, one day, when I stopped off to check my mail, was, "Hey wow!  What is that???"  The little screen was captivating and it sat discreetly on the service counter at the back of SOHO Office.  Apparently, a number of brick-and-mortar storefronts are hosting these billboards and the buzz is growing.


I immediately snapped the two pictures above, went straight home, blew off my "to do" list and got right on the phone to Chuck to learn more.  Chuck has mini billboards all over the North Atlanta metro region with rates and packages affordable for anyone.

In fact, I rented space in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs myself, almost on the spot.


Contact Chuck at dunwoodybillboards.com for information on how to create an advertisement for his billboard network, or to host a billboard in your establishment.  Tell him I sent you and I showed him some love on the DWG blog!

Friday, April 12, 2013

Fundraiser for Tripp Halstead in Brook Run Park in Dunwoody

Cornhole Tournament at Brook Run Park on April 27  11 AM to 3 PM

Registration Information

Registration Fee: $60 per team
Limited to the first 32 teams, each team has 2 players
Double Elimination Tournament

First Place Prize
Weekend Stay at Loews Hotel Midtown Atlanta
$85 dinner coupon at the restaurant Eleven at the Loews Hotel plus $100 cash.

Raffle
We will be having a raffle throughout the day of the event with several prizes to be given away. This list will be growing over the next few weeks.

Prizes
A one night stay at Atlanta Hilton and breakfast
A custom set of cornhole boards

Where

Brook Run Park, Dunwoody GA
4770 North Peachtree Road
Dunwoody, Georgia 30338

Driving Directions

Contact

Claire Smith
Sunshine on a Ranney Day
Claire@sunshineonaranneyday.com
Phone: (770) 364-6740
http://www.sunshineonaranneyday.com

Bill Williams
Bill's Woodworks
http://www.bwwoodworks.com


Like many moms and dads, I've been following the progress of Tripp Halstead, who had a traumatic brain injury when a tree limb fell on him at his daycare during Hurricane Sandy.  My son is Tripp's age, I can't help but stay up to date with him via Facebook and pull for him too.

The Halsteads have benefited from the organization Sunhine on a Ranney Day.  They have been hosting local fundraisers to assist the family with astronomical expenses.

My cornhole skills stink but I'm taking my family out to Brook Run on April 27.  Let's show some Dunwoody support for this family fighting for their son because it's what we would want our community to do if we were saving our own children.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKING: ABC's "Shark Tank" to hold open auditions in Atlanta

Dunwoody has its fair share of entrepreneurs and this casting call could be your big break.

Based on the BBC and NTN hit, "Dragon's Den", entrepreneurs try to persuade millionaire investors to buy in on their product or company.  Whether they gain the trust (and investment) of the "Sharks", participants are guaranteed a huge nationwide audience.


CASTING CALL AUDITION SCHEDULE:

SUNDAY, APRIL 14th

THE FOX THEATRE

660 Peachtree St. NE

Atlanta, GA 30308

11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. -- Numbered Wristbands Distributed

12:00 p.m. -- Interviews Begin

More info from the show's official site is here:  http://abc.go.com/shows/shark-tank/casting
(Especially read the terms of use - very important when discussing your invention or business idea before a national audience.)

Who's going to represent Dunwoody to the Sharks?

Monday, April 8, 2013

INTRODUCING: 2013 Greater Perimeter Business Expo


The Greater Perimeter Business Expo is back for 2013 and is again a joint effort between the Sandy Springs and Dunwoody chambers.  Sponsorships affordable for a wide range of businesses are still available, as are display booths in the ballroom at Crowne Plaza Ravinia.  This Expo is one of the best annual networking events in the area.  You learn a lot about your neighbors and the city around you when meeting them in a business environment, eye-to-eye.

This website is a significant upgrade from the original launched last year.  First, it is the Dunwoody Chamber's first step into Drupal 7.  Drupal is an extraordinary powerful open-source content management system (CMS) whose advantages include fine granularity of permissions.  (That means you can set up your site so each user or group of users you designate has different abilities to access different functions, or to have different experiences with content.)  This latest stable version of Drupal has built-in code that makes slideshows (like the sponsor filmstrip above) easier to install and maintain.  Unlike most Joomla and WordPress extensions/plugins, it isn't hard to have more than one slideshow or other animated feature.

The other major improvement is the site design:  it still reflects the original, but was updated to the most current design trends.  This theme is optimized as much for a tablet/iPad as for a desktop or laptop.

Finally, I didn't forget the smartphones!  It's not enough to design for horizontal rectangular screens anymore. Site visitors may use anything from an iPhone to a 60-inch TV screen.  There are several ways to accommodate this wide variety of screen sizes and proportions.  In this site, I used the latest technique called "responsive design".  That means the server where the site resides can "read" the screen size that is viewing it, then rearrange the elements and font size to fit.  You can access all of the same information and function as comfortably on your phone as on any other device.

Here's a simulation of how this same site looks on an iPhone:


The following is intended for my fellow web geeks and ChamberMaster users.

As of this date, ChamberMaster's SEO-optimized content modules are not compatible with Drupal 7.  D7 has javascript libraries included in core that make image/content sliders easier to install and optimize jQuery animated navigation associated with mobile devices.  However, there's a trade-off:  It is no longer possible to copy/paste or otherwise insert JavaScript of any kind into a Drupal page.  Not even one little line, even from Google or similar libraries.    So ChamberMaster's SEO-optimized modules will end up breaking your theme and navigation entirely, because they function by inserting JavaScript into the page.

Adding additional JavaScript requires including the script in an external file and declaring it in a theme, or referencing it in a module.  You can declare a javascrript in either the theme's .INFO file, or in the functions.php directory, to load the script on every page.  Or, download and install the "Javascript Libraries" module and your javascript can be called on a per page basis.  With the module, you can even load the script after the footer and speed up your page load time.

I've already been on the phone to Micronet to explain the conflict and the solution.  (SamC.?  Buddy?  You listening?)  To make ChamberMaster modules compatible with D7, the javscript will have to be exported to external files and referenced in the integration code.  Then the user would need a list of those scripts and reference them in their site's theme (or the Libraries module) while following the usual ChamberMaster page integration instructions.  I tried this with individual "plugins" like the search function and main business directory and it works when you edit the inserted code individually and build/reference your own .JS files.

Sitting in my chair, it's simple, if detailed, but I have no idea what Micronet would have to go through to modify their code for Drupal compatibility without fouling up another internal function on their side.  In theory, this should work equally well on Joomla, WordPress, SiteFinity, Expression Engine, and other CMS.  Those would not have to have the javascript referenced in their theme, as long as the ChamberMaster module references the location locally.

BTW - how did I get the event registration integrated into the GPBE site?  IFrame tags on the main registration page, lightboxes for breakfast and lunch registrations.  Not the most elegant solution, but it does work.  And with the new color/style management system in the admin side of ChamberMaster, it matches the rest of the site easily enough.  The Drupal 7 upgrade of the Dunwoody Chamber website is on hold until this conflict is resolved.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Birth of a New Dunwoody Tradition?


The Dunwoody Preservation Trust washed the Farmhouse in blue in honor of Autism Awareness Month.

Why should the Empire State Building have all the fun?  Like Light Up Dunwoody, and the Fourth of July parade, our City's icon can be used to celebrate all kinds of events and commemorations that bring our diverse community together.

Is there any chance the DPT can make the Farmhouse lighting a regular event?  Red, white, and blue for July 4 and other national holidays?  Yellow for Lemonade Days?  (Only half kidding....)  With some forethought and planning the Farmhouse, a symbol of Dunwoody's past, could be used to make relevant statements about Dunwoody today.

Great idea, DPT!