More Pubs, More Jobs - O'Brian's Tavern

Has anyone else noticed that since our new Mayor was elected there's been a sudden proliferation of beer-serving establishments?  Hmmmmm....  Coincidence?  You make the call.  (Kidding, guys, kidding!)

There's another Tavern operated by the Dunwoody Restaurant Group opening in the Mt Vernon Shopping Center (same center as the Dunwoody Bakery, CVS, Camelot Jewelers, the old Ace Hardware, etc etc etc).  O'Brian's is opening soon and they're hiring cooks.

Check out their ad on CraigsList:
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/fbh/3063590340.html

There are similar ads for a general manager but that one's been open for a while and I have no idea if it's been filled.

So there's O'Brian's, then there's Marlow's going in the Village, the Tavern, Firkin & Gryphon and a slew of others.  Anyone have Liefmans Kriek on tap?

More Filming at Dunwoody High?

The tents, the trailers, and the cryptic directional signs are back up at Dunwoody High School.  There are also trailers hauling around 50s-era classic cars that would make the Ivy Riders drool.

Lots of scuttlebutt on IMDB and other entertainment outlets about both feature and TV movies being filmed somewhere in Georgia but there's nothing solid on this location.  Anyone have anything?  Post a comment!

Who will fill the old Arby's restaurant in Williamsburg?

At the DHA meeting last night, we learned that both Chik-fil-A and Starbucks are considering moving in to what used to be Arby's in Williamsburg.  (Bill - sorry I couldn't make it.  Work deadlines.  See ya next meeting, 'K?) You couldn't ask for a better scenario:  it's already built out for a restaurant, it has a drivethru, there are no zoning conflicts or variances needed.  So it's no surprise that there's more than one interested party.

Take the officially unofficial poll:
Which establishment would you prefer to replace the old Arby's in Williamsburg?

Diverging Diamond Interchange Video

Courtesy of the Dunwoody CVB.  Real-time view of navigating the much-touted DDI.  Even in the rain, it looks like drivers don't have much to fear.  Keep your eyes on the road, your cell phone in your pocket, and your bumpers between the lines and you're fine.

Greater Perimeter Business Expo on June 1

The Dunwoody Chamber has joined with the Sandy Springs Chamber for this year's Expo.  All of the exhibitor spaces are filled and the ballroom at Westin Atlanta Perimeter North is supposed to be packed.

Come out and see what your neighbors are doing.  Yes, the neighbors.  These are the people whose work keeps homeowners taxes down by paying the lion's share of Dunwoody's revenue.  Business people and homeowners are often one and the same in our little town.

If you are a small business owner and decided not to exhibit, there is an important place for you too:  The Expo is going to be the biggest networking event in town today.  Bring your cards, your promo items and be ready to shake some hands.  There's always time to make some new contacts.

The Expo is free and open to the public from 10 AM to 4 PM.  More info is at www.gpbe.org.  Even the parking is free.  ;-)

Take some pictures too - I expect that I'll be adding to the photo slideshow on that front page early next week!

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Water Infrastructure: Don't Let This Happen In Dunwoody

(Edited for clarity 6/1/2012)

From the Channel 46 website:

DEKALB COUNTY, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -

The pipe that caused water to flow through a DeKalb County neighborhood was on a list of pipes that needed to be replaced because they were too old.

DeKalb County spokesman Burke Brennan said more than 50 percent of the county's water and sewer lines are more than 25 years old, and about a third are over 50 .   

"These are lines that we have identified as needing to be replaced and, throughout the street within the next year or two, we're going to be replacing the entire water line," he said. "Today it's just a patch, but this is an old line. It could happen again but we're eventually going to put in a new water line off of here."

Angelo Diaz lives in a house off of Rockbridge Drive that was the most severely affected by the flooding-turned-mud.

"Yesterday as it was getting dry, I was hoping it would just be water, but then when that level came down I noticed how much mud was around," Diaz said.

A restoration crew contracted by DeKalb County was assessing the damage on Thursday.

"They didn't say they were going cover things but they did say to make a list of everything that's coming out and put a value on it," Diaz said. "I'm hoping for the best, that they'll be 100 percent responsible for it."

Brennan said that anybody with a claim can contact the county's risk management department and file a claim.

"They'll take a look at and if we're at fault we will deal with it," Brennan said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I get that the city has to be a group of multitaskers that don't have the luxury of handling one issue or problem or plan at a time.  The article above refers to water and sewer lines specifically. Dunwoody is in similar dire straits with its stormwater system that was inherited from the same county that neglected the water lines that failed in the news story.  There is similar potential for a catastrophic failure in the stormwater system as well.  The infrastructure issues identified at the beginning of this administration have not gone away and still need to be addressed even as splashier headlines get attention.

Memorial Day 2012

UPDATED: The Report is Released

No commentary and comments are closed.

Here's the press announcement.

Here's the report.

Councilwoman Bonser responds.

"America's Supernanny" is casting in Atlanta

UPDATE:  application deadline has been extended to May 30.

Shed Media US, producer of reality/unscripted shows such as "Who Do You Think You Are?"  on NBC and "World's Strictest Parents" on CMT is looking for families to participate in a new version of the "Supernanny" series in Atlanta.

Specifically, casting is looking for:

• Families with children ages 5 - 17
• Families with more than one child
• Families who are challenged with unique circumstances regarding their children and would like some extra help with addressing them and are willing to participate in a TV show.

About the "Supernanny":

AMERICA'S SUPERNANNY is looking for families that could benefit from the help of child/teen expert, DEBORAH TILLMAN. She founded and runs 3 successful full-time daycare centers in Virginia where she’s worked with children & teens for years; she regularly presents workshops on childcare throughout the country, and she’s the author of Stepping Out on Faith, a guide to operating a quality childcare center. She holds a BA in Business Administration from Upsala College, a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education from The George Washington University, and has also studied at Oxford University.
The production crew will be interviewing families the last week of May and early June, so they have requested that applications be submitted by May 25, 2012.

Get a printable application here. (MS Word)

For more information about the show or to apply online, please contact:
Casting Director Robyn Kiyomi

rkiyomi@shedmediaus.com

(323) 904-4680 ext. 1154 phone

(I spoke to Robyn earlier today on the phone and she is super-nice and easy to talk to!)


Feel free to pass this along and refer families that you think may be interested!

You can also print a flyer below for more info and contact options.

Help DeKalb Pets at Stars & Strikes this Sunday

Commissioners Elaine Boyer, Stan Watson & Sharon Barnes Sutton have joined forces to host an event on Sunday, May 20th from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM to help fund a spay/neuter program for pets of DeKalb families in need of assistance. The event is at Stars & Strikes in Stone Mountain & will include activities such as bowling, laser tag, bumper cars, video games, etc.

There are several ways you can help:

· Purchase ticketsat www.helpdekalbanimals.com. Tickets are $30 for Adults, $20for Kids under 12, or a Package of 4, any ages for $80.

· Donate items suchas leashes, collars (new or slightly used) & laundry detergent (which willgo directly to DeKalb Animal Services for laundry needs). The items willbe collected at the event.

· Circulate our website & press release to friends & family to help promotethe event.

There is much to be done to reverse the horrible situation at DeKalb Animal Services & this is a step in that direction. To help get a handle on the massive number of animals euthanized annually in DeKalb (approximately 5,000) we need to educate the public more and provide assistance to those who have good intentions, but cannot afford to fix their pets. After hearing from many concerned constituents at the commission meetings and reading the influx of emails, Commissioner Boyer wanted to do something to help. She consulted with several members of the Animal Services Task Force and the head of Animal Services and the consensus was that a spay/neuter program would go the furthest to help raise awareness and slow the inflow of animals into the shelter. The program will be implemented through LifeLine Animal Project, who is our partneron this endeavor.

Print the flyer below for more info, including sponsorship opportunities.

(Here ya go, Twinkletoes Bob!)   All of the pets I've ever had (including my current ones) have all been rescued strays so I'm glad to lend some PR for this event.

Dunwoody Village Brusters is Open!

Here's their main site:
http://www.brusters.com/localstores/index.asp?storenum=823

It's right next to (what used to be) Dunwoody Pediatrics.

Here's the page with job application info.  Apparently they like to do things offline so you can print out an application from this page, or ask for one at the store in person.

Now I just have to convince my three munchkins that having ice cream in a store like this is just as good as chasing the ice cream truck down the street.  ;-)