The latest updates from SDOC Publishing Internet Solutions for our clients, our community, and the web design field. Our Dunwoody, Georgia studio serves clients all over the United States and Canada.
Monday, February 25, 2019
New Georgia Senate bill threatens to destroy self-determination of Georgia cities
On Friday, Senate Bill SB 172 was dropped by senators from rural Northwest Georgia. This bill would set severe limits on how Georgia cities – including Dunwoody – could enact their zoning and ordinance codes.
In 2008, Dunwoody fought for the right to determine what ordinances would benefit our community without being diminished by DeKalb County. We wanted to decide amongst ourselves what kind of community to build, and to make sure that the lawmakers had to live with their decisions, just like the rest of the city. Now it’s other parts of the state that want to set their own limits on our community, where they don’t live, and they don’t care what happens.
Learn about SB 172 here: http://www.legis.ga.gov/legislati…/…/Display/20192020/SB/172
Contact Dunwoody’s State Senator, Sally Harrell and let her know that Dunwoody can determine its own ordinances. Representatives from rural Georgia do not need to diminish our city with their agendas.
Email: sally.harrell@senate.ga.gov
Phone: (404) 463-2260
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sallyharrellga/
The House of Representatives version of this bill, HB 302 is also in progress and has the same effect. The bill passed out of committee by one vote and its future is uncertain.
Learn about HB 302 here: http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislati…/…/display/20192020/HB/302
Contact Dunwoody’s State House Rep, Mike Wilensky and let him know that Dunwoody can determine its own ordinances. Representatives from rural Georgia do not need to diminish our city with their agendas.
Email: mike.wilensky@house.ga.gov
Capital Phone: 404.656.0202
Local Office Phone: 678.791.1725
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WilenskyforGA/
How else can you help?
The City of Dunwoody has lobbyists working to protect our city’s interests at the State Capitol. Our city council members have been quiet about this issue, except for a resolution on tonight’s city council agenda.
Email our Mayor and City Council and demand that they protect Dunwoody’s right for their votes and ordinances to stand without outside interference. Email all seven members of council here: CouncilMembers@DunwoodyGA.gov
Ten years ago, Dunwoody fought for the right to determine our future. Now we have to fight for the right to keep it. Make sure our elected officials fight on our side.
The next DHA meeting is March 3, 7:30 PM at the North DeKalb Cultural Center (near the Dunwoody Library). All of our elected officials will be invited to give reports on this and other legislation that directly affects our community. I look forward to hearing how they voted and what actions they are taking to protect Dunwoody, here and today!
Adrienne Duncan
President, DHA
Monday, November 5, 2018
Halloween. Is. Over.
...and the young people of my house need to get with the program so I don't lose my mind before Christmas.
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
The Human's Guide to Halloween - 2018
Be accepting. The child who is grabbing more than one piece of candy may have poor fine motor skills.
The child who takes forever to pick out one piece of candy may have motor planning issues.
The child who does not say "trick-or-treat" or "thank you" may be non-verbal.
The child who looks disappointed when they see your bowl may have an allergy.
The child who isn't wearing a costume at all might have a sensory issue (Sensory Processing Disorder) or autism.
The "too big" or "too old" child may be developmentally delayed.
Be nice. Be patient. It's EVERYONE'S Halloween.
(PS - Shrek and Fiona hand candy to anyone on the edge of the swamp. Especially if you look like a parent that works hard, is tired, but by God, you will make sure your child has a fun Halloween!)
Friday, October 26, 2018
Holy Redeemer Open House November 4
My oldest is in her next-to-last year after starting in Kindergarten.
The girls have benefited greatly from this program and I hope that their brother will too in middle school.
The girls have benefited greatly from this program and I hope that their brother will too in middle school.
Thursday, October 25, 2018
#TBT Surviving Halloween - A Day in the Life
Updated for 2018, but some things never change.
Most years, Halloween falls on a weekday. Also known as a school night. There's no doubt everyone is going trick-or-treating but there's always a question as to whether to celebrate Halloween on the actual date.
Since 2004 our family has celebrated Halloween in the way that only Briers North can - with a few thousand of our closest friends. We've taken a break here and there but the routine is mostly consistent.
It's work. And there are expenses. And planning. Lots of planning. But we've figured out how to enjoy ourselves and the day with some foresight.
Note: I'm going through a lot of "work" and thinking steps. It seems like a lot. It IS a lot. But there is such a joy to preparing your home, it's hard to put into words. You have to see it and feel it for yourself.
This narrative does not include weekend Halloweens, parties, or those years when I did the actual planning.
October 15 - the organizers have been working since August to work out large-scale logistics like police and volunteers. The parking passes and wrist bands created for each family arrived on the front porch today.
October 16 - call the usual babysitter and ensure she's available. Of course she is, she loves the event as much as we do! Hit Wally World for candy. All 1500 pieces of it. Have your explanation ready for the incredulous checkout girl who invariably has a comment.
October 19 - dig out the containers of Halloween costumes, sort the Shrek character pieces and make sure everything is in good repair. Every year I promise myself a new "Fiona" wig. Every year I wait too late. Wash, rinse, repeat.
October 21. - The Outhouse. The centerpiece of Shrek's swamp is hand-built of 2x4's and reclaimed scrap. Pat takes down the custom cut and numbered pieces from their racks in the garage and gets them assembled. The "Beware Ogre" signs copied from the "Shrek" cartoon are pulled out of the shed and set up. The front yard barrier that says "come closer but not into the yard" is made of stakes and raw hemp rope.
The next week - nothing happens. Focus is on work, school, and work. Pat schedules 10/30 and 31 off. (I get 2 hours to celebrate my birthday before it's back into the fray.) The kids are "too cool" to join the family business anymore. They used to be Donkey, Puss in Boots, and a baby dronkey back in the day. Now they're making arrangements to trick-or-treat with their own friends. (Except the second grader.) The third grader announces her friends are rocking a vampire theme. The middle schooler has settled into an "Alice Angel" groove. I'm not wild about it but that could be worse.
Tourists are making the rounds of the street. Cars are making the slow crawl down the street, snapping pictures. In 2004, the first year we saw a weekend Halloween, it took 30 minutes to drive 100 meters from the subdivision entrance to our house on October 30.
Shrek is showing on one channel or another so Pat can practice the voice, complete with obnoxious Scottish accent. It's either that or the DVD a dozen times.
October 26 is supposed to see rain. Hold off on putting up the lights.
October 29 - purple and green lights on the makeshift fence. Find a sawhorse or something similar to block the driveway. Even with barricades people will help themselves to your yard until they are politely but firmly escorted off. That's ogre-style polite.
October 30 - final build. Do an early trim on the crepe myrtle and drape the stumps in fabric tarp to simulate Shrek's house. Track down some old fence slats to simulate the door. Add Halloween lights to make it look like Shrek is celebrating Halloween.
Most years, Halloween falls on a weekday. Also known as a school night. There's no doubt everyone is going trick-or-treating but there's always a question as to whether to celebrate Halloween on the actual date.
Since 2004 our family has celebrated Halloween in the way that only Briers North can - with a few thousand of our closest friends. We've taken a break here and there but the routine is mostly consistent.
It's work. And there are expenses. And planning. Lots of planning. But we've figured out how to enjoy ourselves and the day with some foresight.
Note: I'm going through a lot of "work" and thinking steps. It seems like a lot. It IS a lot. But there is such a joy to preparing your home, it's hard to put into words. You have to see it and feel it for yourself.
This narrative does not include weekend Halloweens, parties, or those years when I did the actual planning.
October 15 - the organizers have been working since August to work out large-scale logistics like police and volunteers. The parking passes and wrist bands created for each family arrived on the front porch today.
October 16 - call the usual babysitter and ensure she's available. Of course she is, she loves the event as much as we do! Hit Wally World for candy. All 1500 pieces of it. Have your explanation ready for the incredulous checkout girl who invariably has a comment.
October 19 - dig out the containers of Halloween costumes, sort the Shrek character pieces and make sure everything is in good repair. Every year I promise myself a new "Fiona" wig. Every year I wait too late. Wash, rinse, repeat.
October 21. - The Outhouse. The centerpiece of Shrek's swamp is hand-built of 2x4's and reclaimed scrap. Pat takes down the custom cut and numbered pieces from their racks in the garage and gets them assembled. The "Beware Ogre" signs copied from the "Shrek" cartoon are pulled out of the shed and set up. The front yard barrier that says "come closer but not into the yard" is made of stakes and raw hemp rope.
The next week - nothing happens. Focus is on work, school, and work. Pat schedules 10/30 and 31 off. (I get 2 hours to celebrate my birthday before it's back into the fray.) The kids are "too cool" to join the family business anymore. They used to be Donkey, Puss in Boots, and a baby dronkey back in the day. Now they're making arrangements to trick-or-treat with their own friends. (Except the second grader.) The third grader announces her friends are rocking a vampire theme. The middle schooler has settled into an "Alice Angel" groove. I'm not wild about it but that could be worse.
Tourists are making the rounds of the street. Cars are making the slow crawl down the street, snapping pictures. In 2004, the first year we saw a weekend Halloween, it took 30 minutes to drive 100 meters from the subdivision entrance to our house on October 30.
Shrek is showing on one channel or another so Pat can practice the voice, complete with obnoxious Scottish accent. It's either that or the DVD a dozen times.
October 26 is supposed to see rain. Hold off on putting up the lights.
October 29 - purple and green lights on the makeshift fence. Find a sawhorse or something similar to block the driveway. Even with barricades people will help themselves to your yard until they are politely but firmly escorted off. That's ogre-style polite.
October 30 - final build. Do an early trim on the crepe myrtle and drape the stumps in fabric tarp to simulate Shrek's house. Track down some old fence slats to simulate the door. Add Halloween lights to make it look like Shrek is celebrating Halloween.
Still deciding on campaign signs. I still remember 2015 when some jackass jeered at us from his pickup truck over a city council-level campaign sign. Make a note to self to compose a blog post about how people in elected office are not responsible for your bad decisions, un-neighborly behaviour, or your lack of character. Anyone with more than half a skull running for office should show up to shake hands. You'll never get this kind of crowd in one place on any other day.
Install and test the flood lights that indicate when the show goes on. Take a break for a nice lunch. I'm asking for either McKendrick's or Flemings'.
Check supplies of fog machine liquid, spare light bulbs and do the shopping. Get parking passes on the cars in case the unthinkable happens and you're trapped outside of the street.
THE BIG DAY
7 AM - kids get taken to school with their permitted Halloween garb. They who are "too cool" to join the family show are not "too cool" to brag on the big event itself.
8 AM - check with teachers about homework load. Send the YouTube video from 2010 to show them you're not kidding about the night's activity. Call the tennis coach to cancel. Send the YouTube video again so he knows your daughter isn't goldbricking.
9 AM - Pick up the paperwork and random flotsam and jetsam that accumulates around the house. Even if you're not throwing a party, it's going to be bedlam and something essential WILL get lost. Plus there's always someone who shows up to say hello and the swamp is outside, not in the front door. Track down the fake Dunwoody "Stop Work Order" that Terry Nall requested from Tom LaPenna a few years ago just for laughs. Nail it to the outhouse and see who thinks it's real. (Answer: at least 10 people will think it's a real stop work order.) Test the fog machine in the outhouse. It's a key part of the act.
3 PM - pick up kids from respective schools. Both parents are available so each takes a school. (One in Dunwoody, one in Johns Creek). High tail it back home. Do not pass GO, do not collect $200.
3:30 - second grader is home first. Talk him through chores and homework before the distractions intensify.
4:00 - girls are home. Stand over their homework so the absolute essential "due the next day" stuff gets done
4:30 - get dinner started. Usually steak and french fries because they're easy to cook outside on the grill and eat on the deck while hair and makeup take priority inside.
5:00 - babysitter arrives. She knows to have her butt here well in advance of 5:30 or she's parking at Crossroads like everyone else. Dinner for all wherever you can find a seat.
5:15 - dump the candy in the biggest container we can find and keep it by the front door. Make the sign to put on the outhouse that Shrek hands out candy at 7 PM.
5:30 - the main road is closed (They advertise 5:45 but trust me, those barricades go out at 5:30.) Get kids into costumes. It's usually too hot for "Shrek" to hike around with the kids so the ogres are in street clothes. Find the candy collection buckets we forgot in the storage closet. As of now there are at least 1,000 people in the street just milling around. The homeowners collectively agree to start distributing candy at 6 PM. There has to be a limit or we'll be out there all day.
6:00 - TRICK OR TREAT! No more excuses, the candy starts flying! Kids and respective friends are matched up. Middle schoolers are read the riot act about not leaving the neighborhood. Third/fourth graders form their clique with a parent. Wristbands on all kids and babysitter: check. The second grader insists on riding on Daddy's shoulders. Great for the view, but he'll figure out there's a problem with actual trick or treating in 3...2...1.....
House to house to house to house. It's easy to clean up fast with the candy and treats.
6:40-ish - The second grader tires quickly from the crowds and excitement so it's easy to herd him back into the house with plenty of time for our own "show". Hand off to babysitter for bath and bed. Get the "Shrek" and "Fiona" outfits on and breathe. Line up the basket and wooden bucket for giving out candy. Get the giant candy stash into the outhouse.
7 PM - SHOWTIME The outhouse opens and out comes Shrek with a bucketful of candy. Shrek needs Fiona to be his eyes because it's hard to see through the mask. Dozens of bags and pillowcases come out at once. Just put a piece of candy in the bag. Say "Happy Halloween". Repeat. Quickly. Dozens of trick or treaters become hundreds in a few minutes. Every 15 minutes or so the bucket runs out. "Shrek" heads to the outhouse and sets off the fog machine. Ominous looking smoke wafts from the top of the outhouse door. "Fiona" gets sympathetic looks from the women in the crowd. A couple of minutes later the ogre opens the outhouse door with a full bucket of candy. A crowd 15-deep in the street has waited up to ten minutes for this scene.
Put a piece of candy in the bag, smile, wave to the little kids, offer candy to a tired parent who just got off work. Smile and pose for a picture from the tourists. Occasionally I hear Pat say something in Spanish, but with a Scottish accent for effect and a knot of children bounce around in glee.
The Ogre Fiona has to come out when the crowds press too close. We keep the visitors in the street for our own safety, and theirs. My worst fear is someone breaking an ankle from standing on the curb or worse - getting impaled on a temporary fence post. So Fiona has to yell at everyone to get off the curb NOW!!!!! Other times we have to stop and get the crowd to back up so "Shrek" - kneeling at the fence in a heavy mask and gauntlets and who has a hard time seeing what's in front of him, doesn't get crushed under a pressing mob.
"Hi Shrek! Where's donkey?" "Hi Fiona!" "Where's Dragon?" I swear, we need to have an inflatable or animatronic pink dragon some day.
8:15-ish - the candy is about to run out and we announce that what we have in our bucket and basket is it for the night. That's 1500 pieces of candy - one to a customer - distributed in 75 minutes. Other homes have already run out of candy and have turned off their porch lights, or the floodlights on their decorations. The front entrance will close to all non-residents at 8:30 so the timing works out just right.
Last pieces of candy are given away and we have to turn away the rest of the crowd. "Happy Halloween! Come see us next year!"
8:30, at the latest - Pull the plug on the floodlights decorating the set. Retreat to the house. Peel off the sweaty costumes in the laundry room. Replace with t-shirts and pajama bottoms. Check in with the babysitter re: second grader. If all goes well, he was asleep 10 minutes ago. Third-grader was back home by 8 pm and insists "I'm not tired" as her eyes roll back in her head. Grab an adult beverage and watch the remainder of the show from the front porch. Keep an eye out for the middle schooler who needs to be in the house by 9, or else.
8:45 - everyone's out of candy. The volunteers and police are sweeping the streets, urging everyone to the front entrance and out of Briers North. Radios are used to alert to lost children/parents. A makeshift lost and found appears at the corner of Tilly Mill.
9:00 pm - Lights Out. No, really, there's no more candy and the show has come to an end. Closing time. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here. Middle schooler scoots in the door with seconds to spare. The rest of the gossip with her friends has to wait til tomorrow.
9:15: Ghost town. The streets are literally barren. While the babysitter oversees the older kids bedtime (they both need it whether they admit it or not) the grown folks slip outside to turn on the decorative lights on the set. The street is open again and pedestrians enjoy the sets one last time.
9:30 - everyone under 18 is passed out. Driveway barricades are removed and the babysitter goes home, entertained and paid. Adult beverage #2 makes an appearance. Adults pick through the candy and lay claim to whatever a child is allergic to. Wind down time in front of the TV. Be ready to answer the door in case a friend comes by and asks "So, how did it go???"
There are social plans this weekend so we have to figure out when the sets will be broken down and hung in the garage.
Adrenaline overcomes fatigue - next year can't come fast enough.
See you on the 31st!
--"Fiona"
Check supplies of fog machine liquid, spare light bulbs and do the shopping. Get parking passes on the cars in case the unthinkable happens and you're trapped outside of the street.
THE BIG DAY
7 AM - kids get taken to school with their permitted Halloween garb. They who are "too cool" to join the family show are not "too cool" to brag on the big event itself.
8 AM - check with teachers about homework load. Send the YouTube video from 2010 to show them you're not kidding about the night's activity. Call the tennis coach to cancel. Send the YouTube video again so he knows your daughter isn't goldbricking.
9 AM - Pick up the paperwork and random flotsam and jetsam that accumulates around the house. Even if you're not throwing a party, it's going to be bedlam and something essential WILL get lost. Plus there's always someone who shows up to say hello and the swamp is outside, not in the front door. Track down the fake Dunwoody "Stop Work Order" that Terry Nall requested from Tom LaPenna a few years ago just for laughs. Nail it to the outhouse and see who thinks it's real. (Answer: at least 10 people will think it's a real stop work order.) Test the fog machine in the outhouse. It's a key part of the act.
3 PM - pick up kids from respective schools. Both parents are available so each takes a school. (One in Dunwoody, one in Johns Creek). High tail it back home. Do not pass GO, do not collect $200.
3:30 - second grader is home first. Talk him through chores and homework before the distractions intensify.
4:00 - girls are home. Stand over their homework so the absolute essential "due the next day" stuff gets done
4:30 - get dinner started. Usually steak and french fries because they're easy to cook outside on the grill and eat on the deck while hair and makeup take priority inside.
5:00 - babysitter arrives. She knows to have her butt here well in advance of 5:30 or she's parking at Crossroads like everyone else. Dinner for all wherever you can find a seat.
5:15 - dump the candy in the biggest container we can find and keep it by the front door. Make the sign to put on the outhouse that Shrek hands out candy at 7 PM.
5:30 - the main road is closed (They advertise 5:45 but trust me, those barricades go out at 5:30.) Get kids into costumes. It's usually too hot for "Shrek" to hike around with the kids so the ogres are in street clothes. Find the candy collection buckets we forgot in the storage closet. As of now there are at least 1,000 people in the street just milling around. The homeowners collectively agree to start distributing candy at 6 PM. There has to be a limit or we'll be out there all day.
6:00 - TRICK OR TREAT! No more excuses, the candy starts flying! Kids and respective friends are matched up. Middle schoolers are read the riot act about not leaving the neighborhood. Third/fourth graders form their clique with a parent. Wristbands on all kids and babysitter: check. The second grader insists on riding on Daddy's shoulders. Great for the view, but he'll figure out there's a problem with actual trick or treating in 3...2...1.....
House to house to house to house. It's easy to clean up fast with the candy and treats.
6:40-ish - The second grader tires quickly from the crowds and excitement so it's easy to herd him back into the house with plenty of time for our own "show". Hand off to babysitter for bath and bed. Get the "Shrek" and "Fiona" outfits on and breathe. Line up the basket and wooden bucket for giving out candy. Get the giant candy stash into the outhouse.
7 PM - SHOWTIME The outhouse opens and out comes Shrek with a bucketful of candy. Shrek needs Fiona to be his eyes because it's hard to see through the mask. Dozens of bags and pillowcases come out at once. Just put a piece of candy in the bag. Say "Happy Halloween". Repeat. Quickly. Dozens of trick or treaters become hundreds in a few minutes. Every 15 minutes or so the bucket runs out. "Shrek" heads to the outhouse and sets off the fog machine. Ominous looking smoke wafts from the top of the outhouse door. "Fiona" gets sympathetic looks from the women in the crowd. A couple of minutes later the ogre opens the outhouse door with a full bucket of candy. A crowd 15-deep in the street has waited up to ten minutes for this scene.
Put a piece of candy in the bag, smile, wave to the little kids, offer candy to a tired parent who just got off work. Smile and pose for a picture from the tourists. Occasionally I hear Pat say something in Spanish, but with a Scottish accent for effect and a knot of children bounce around in glee.
The Ogre Fiona has to come out when the crowds press too close. We keep the visitors in the street for our own safety, and theirs. My worst fear is someone breaking an ankle from standing on the curb or worse - getting impaled on a temporary fence post. So Fiona has to yell at everyone to get off the curb NOW!!!!! Other times we have to stop and get the crowd to back up so "Shrek" - kneeling at the fence in a heavy mask and gauntlets and who has a hard time seeing what's in front of him, doesn't get crushed under a pressing mob.
"Hi Shrek! Where's donkey?" "Hi Fiona!" "Where's Dragon?" I swear, we need to have an inflatable or animatronic pink dragon some day.
8:15-ish - the candy is about to run out and we announce that what we have in our bucket and basket is it for the night. That's 1500 pieces of candy - one to a customer - distributed in 75 minutes. Other homes have already run out of candy and have turned off their porch lights, or the floodlights on their decorations. The front entrance will close to all non-residents at 8:30 so the timing works out just right.
Last pieces of candy are given away and we have to turn away the rest of the crowd. "Happy Halloween! Come see us next year!"
8:30, at the latest - Pull the plug on the floodlights decorating the set. Retreat to the house. Peel off the sweaty costumes in the laundry room. Replace with t-shirts and pajama bottoms. Check in with the babysitter re: second grader. If all goes well, he was asleep 10 minutes ago. Third-grader was back home by 8 pm and insists "I'm not tired" as her eyes roll back in her head. Grab an adult beverage and watch the remainder of the show from the front porch. Keep an eye out for the middle schooler who needs to be in the house by 9, or else.
8:45 - everyone's out of candy. The volunteers and police are sweeping the streets, urging everyone to the front entrance and out of Briers North. Radios are used to alert to lost children/parents. A makeshift lost and found appears at the corner of Tilly Mill.
9:00 pm - Lights Out. No, really, there's no more candy and the show has come to an end. Closing time. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here. Middle schooler scoots in the door with seconds to spare. The rest of the gossip with her friends has to wait til tomorrow.
9:15: Ghost town. The streets are literally barren. While the babysitter oversees the older kids bedtime (they both need it whether they admit it or not) the grown folks slip outside to turn on the decorative lights on the set. The street is open again and pedestrians enjoy the sets one last time.
9:30 - everyone under 18 is passed out. Driveway barricades are removed and the babysitter goes home, entertained and paid. Adult beverage #2 makes an appearance. Adults pick through the candy and lay claim to whatever a child is allergic to. Wind down time in front of the TV. Be ready to answer the door in case a friend comes by and asks "So, how did it go???"
There are social plans this weekend so we have to figure out when the sets will be broken down and hung in the garage.
Adrenaline overcomes fatigue - next year can't come fast enough.
See you on the 31st!
--"Fiona"
Monday, September 24, 2018
Is it Dunwoody's Time for a Small Business Indie Award?
Dunwoody is home to hundreds of entrepreneurs and small businesses that help build our city every day. The professional advocacy group Independent We Stand supports the small independent business owner across the USA and created The Indie to celebrate their impact on local communities.
In 2011, we created the Independent Small Business of the Year Award or "Indie" to help recognize a locally-owned small business that has gone above and beyond to deliver great customer service and community support.
If you know of such a company, or own or work for such a company, please take the time to nominate that business and help us promote the importance of supporting locally owned small businesses. The winner will receive a host of great prizes provided by Independent We Stand, its sponsors and partners.
Who fits the bill in Dunwoody and deserves to be honored for the efforts? Nominate them here.
Friday, July 27, 2018
I can't take my eyes up off it, movin' so phenomenally
Dunwoody PD has taken up the gauntlet that is the Lip Sync Challenge.
Their final raw footage shooting was last night at Food Truck Thursdays, after lining up locations all over the city.
Here's what you can expect:
Part 1
Part 2
Now as much as I love me some Dunwoody cops (especially when they're waving from their speed traps on Peeler Road and not pulling me over for a ticket....) the truth is that the Pickens County, GA Sherriffs Department broke the internet with their lip sync video.
Their final raw footage shooting was last night at Food Truck Thursdays, after lining up locations all over the city.
Here's what you can expect:
Part 1
Part 2
Now as much as I love me some Dunwoody cops (especially when they're waving from their speed traps on Peeler Road and not pulling me over for a ticket....) the truth is that the Pickens County, GA Sherriffs Department broke the internet with their lip sync video.
Monday, July 9, 2018
Fly a Flag for Zachary
From the AHA Connection, plus numerous news reports
This one hit me as the mom of a boy that attends special-needs daycamp and relies on the staff and directors to help him communicate and experience camp just like everyone else's kid.
CBS46 News
Link to video if you can't see embedded video of newscast above
This one hit me as the mom of a boy that attends special-needs daycamp and relies on the staff and directors to help him communicate and experience camp just like everyone else's kid.
CBS46 News
Link to video if you can't see embedded video of newscast above
Thursday, June 21, 2018
Growing Brands: Be a Buick, Not an Oldsmobile
Every company, large and small, that has enjoyed some extended success has the same problem: staying relevant over time as generations discover new tastes and ideas. No one can afford to become "yesterday's news", "outdated", or otherwise irrelevant.
But regenerating your brand image is no guarantee. The desire to reach out to new, usually younger, customers doesn't mean they're going to bite.
Exhibit A: Oldsmobile
One of the original American auto brands, Oldsmobile was founded in 1897. Olds enjoyed success decade after decade into the mid 1980s. Appealing to new generations wasn't a major issue until they ran into new competition from Acura, Lexus, etc. By this time they had earned the stereotype as an "old people's" car. Someone took drastic action: a new campaign centered around a new generation of car buyers. Tagline: "This is NOT your father's Oldsmobile!"
Spoiler alert: the campaign bombed.
The younger buyers Olds was aiming at replied with "Yeah, right, buddy! Not in my universe!" and sales went nowhere. To make matters worse, the tried-and-true "old people" that were buying the brand responded with, "Oh, our business isn't important to you anymore? We'll just take our substantial dollars elsewhere...." Buick and Lincoln were loving this.
The campaign tanked, even with featured celebrities and Oldsmobile never recovered. They plodded along for the next 15 years until it folded in 2004.
Speaking of Buick, they're "Exhibit B".
In the beginning of the 21st century, Buick found itself in the same quandry as Olds. They were stereotyped as the "old people's" car and surviving into the future meant cultivating a younger buyer base.
Buick learned from Oldsmobile's demise and took a different route: they had a little fun at their own expense. For your consideration: "That's not a Buick!"
This one took off. Two years later the ad industry was buzzing about the success of "That's not a Buick!" campaign. (Example from AdWeek)
What was different between the two campaigns?
First, the Oldsmobile ad focused on "change" and the subjective anticipation and excitement that goes along with change. The reason it failed was that it didn't show the younger buyers what the brand was changing *to* and the older buyers were just freaked out. No sale.
Second, the Buick ad campaign coincided with the introduction of the new Enclave and four other models. AND - rather than focus on a voice-over narrative of how new it was, they just showed some funny reactions. "I don't see a Buick..." One of the commercials showed a girl looking for her friend getting into the wrong car.
So Buick used some humor in their approach, but they avoided the idea of "change". The "older" models, associated with "older" buyers (Skylark, etc) were not mentioned. No need, because they weren't "changing". Although some of them (like the Riviera and Park Avenue) were quietly discontinued. They added something new and invited buyers of all ages to rethink a brand they think they know.
The moral of the story is: if refreshing your brand means bridging a gap between generations you have to cater to both; or at the very least, avoid the message that one of them is disposable or no longer significant. Telegraphing that "old people" and their ideas are no longer important is a death sentence. Try avoiding the "change" moniker. Not all change is good and can be greeted with suspicion. What are you *adding* that is new? How does the "new" coexist with the "old"?
Oldsmobile made all the mistakes and they don't exist anymore. Buick avoided terms and scenarios that threatened their traditional base and the brand is thriving.
Be like Buick.
But regenerating your brand image is no guarantee. The desire to reach out to new, usually younger, customers doesn't mean they're going to bite.
Exhibit A: Oldsmobile
One of the original American auto brands, Oldsmobile was founded in 1897. Olds enjoyed success decade after decade into the mid 1980s. Appealing to new generations wasn't a major issue until they ran into new competition from Acura, Lexus, etc. By this time they had earned the stereotype as an "old people's" car. Someone took drastic action: a new campaign centered around a new generation of car buyers. Tagline: "This is NOT your father's Oldsmobile!"
Spoiler alert: the campaign bombed.
The younger buyers Olds was aiming at replied with "Yeah, right, buddy! Not in my universe!" and sales went nowhere. To make matters worse, the tried-and-true "old people" that were buying the brand responded with, "Oh, our business isn't important to you anymore? We'll just take our substantial dollars elsewhere...." Buick and Lincoln were loving this.
The campaign tanked, even with featured celebrities and Oldsmobile never recovered. They plodded along for the next 15 years until it folded in 2004.
Speaking of Buick, they're "Exhibit B".
In the beginning of the 21st century, Buick found itself in the same quandry as Olds. They were stereotyped as the "old people's" car and surviving into the future meant cultivating a younger buyer base.
Buick learned from Oldsmobile's demise and took a different route: they had a little fun at their own expense. For your consideration: "That's not a Buick!"
This one took off. Two years later the ad industry was buzzing about the success of "That's not a Buick!" campaign. (Example from AdWeek)
What was different between the two campaigns?
First, the Oldsmobile ad focused on "change" and the subjective anticipation and excitement that goes along with change. The reason it failed was that it didn't show the younger buyers what the brand was changing *to* and the older buyers were just freaked out. No sale.
Second, the Buick ad campaign coincided with the introduction of the new Enclave and four other models. AND - rather than focus on a voice-over narrative of how new it was, they just showed some funny reactions. "I don't see a Buick..." One of the commercials showed a girl looking for her friend getting into the wrong car.
So Buick used some humor in their approach, but they avoided the idea of "change". The "older" models, associated with "older" buyers (Skylark, etc) were not mentioned. No need, because they weren't "changing". Although some of them (like the Riviera and Park Avenue) were quietly discontinued. They added something new and invited buyers of all ages to rethink a brand they think they know.
The moral of the story is: if refreshing your brand means bridging a gap between generations you have to cater to both; or at the very least, avoid the message that one of them is disposable or no longer significant. Telegraphing that "old people" and their ideas are no longer important is a death sentence. Try avoiding the "change" moniker. Not all change is good and can be greeted with suspicion. What are you *adding* that is new? How does the "new" coexist with the "old"?
Oldsmobile made all the mistakes and they don't exist anymore. Buick avoided terms and scenarios that threatened their traditional base and the brand is thriving.
Be like Buick.
Thursday, May 31, 2018
How an Average Dunwoody Citizen Uses EMS
Earlier this spring, my husband was walking my first-grade son to school.
They fell on some broken pavement in the street.
Senior wrenched his ankle. Junior broke his arm.
Only a couple of blocks from school, a Good Samaritan stopped in the street and took them both to Chesnut ES.
Senior ignored his ankle. Junior's arm was splinted by the school nurse.
Junior's teacher packed both of them in her car and drove them home. Senior got Junior into his car and drove them both to the CHOA Scottish Rite ER.
This entire sequence, from initial accident to entering the doors of the emergency center, took just shy of an hour. That includes the Legendary Rush Hour Traffic on I-285.
In dire need, my husband was willing to get in a stranger's car for the offering. To this day, we have no idea who this stranger was. We still look forward to thanking them properly.
At NO time, did any of the people involved think of calling 911 for an ambulance.
Because everyone just knew and accepted that they would take forever, or just not show up. Meanwhile, a 7-year-old is in agony and in need of a radiologist to define the type of break, a nurse to provide pain control, and a surgeon to pin the bones together.
Yes, we are getting screwed out of our tax money that is paying the contract for these services. Yes, we have to obey traffic laws while getting to emergency care. Yes, more often than not, these are lay people providing care until arriving at the hospital and they have to "wing it" more than trained professionals.
With response times stretching north of 30 minutes, it has become common knowledge that jack-leg self-transport is better than emergency services.
The stupidity that includes responses about the "shape" of Dunwoody and the structure of the contracts don't deserve the time of day from the tax payers. We're too busy taking care of each other when we need aid.
Further commentary from Councilman Nall when asked about sharing services with Fulton and/or Sandy Springs:
Had my family been closer to the Fulton line, they might have considered this advice.
And Dunwoody's detractors wonder why we incorporated as a city and continue to demand city-operated services. This is why.
They fell on some broken pavement in the street.
Senior wrenched his ankle. Junior broke his arm.
Only a couple of blocks from school, a Good Samaritan stopped in the street and took them both to Chesnut ES.
Senior ignored his ankle. Junior's arm was splinted by the school nurse.
Junior's teacher packed both of them in her car and drove them home. Senior got Junior into his car and drove them both to the CHOA Scottish Rite ER.
This entire sequence, from initial accident to entering the doors of the emergency center, took just shy of an hour. That includes the Legendary Rush Hour Traffic on I-285.
In dire need, my husband was willing to get in a stranger's car for the offering. To this day, we have no idea who this stranger was. We still look forward to thanking them properly.
At NO time, did any of the people involved think of calling 911 for an ambulance.
Because everyone just knew and accepted that they would take forever, or just not show up. Meanwhile, a 7-year-old is in agony and in need of a radiologist to define the type of break, a nurse to provide pain control, and a surgeon to pin the bones together.
Yes, we are getting screwed out of our tax money that is paying the contract for these services. Yes, we have to obey traffic laws while getting to emergency care. Yes, more often than not, these are lay people providing care until arriving at the hospital and they have to "wing it" more than trained professionals.
With response times stretching north of 30 minutes, it has become common knowledge that jack-leg self-transport is better than emergency services.
The stupidity that includes responses about the "shape" of Dunwoody and the structure of the contracts don't deserve the time of day from the tax payers. We're too busy taking care of each other when we need aid.
Further commentary from Councilman Nall when asked about sharing services with Fulton and/or Sandy Springs:
Had my family been closer to the Fulton line, they might have considered this advice.
And Dunwoody's detractors wonder why we incorporated as a city and continue to demand city-operated services. This is why.
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Has a new restaurant been selected for Mt Vernon / Chamblee Dunwoody intersection?
This public notice appeared in the Crier on May 22. It was posted by Crim & Associates regarding the corner of Mt. Vernon and Chamblee-Dunwoody that has been a gas station, a car wash, and was supposed to be a "Rize" pizza restaurant before their financial troubles.
Crim is submitting a SLUP with requests for variances on June 5 for further development of this parcel.
Crim is also the developer investing in the "chef driven" restaurant and retail space at Dunwoody Green. Meet at the patio at Marlow's Tavern
If you're interested in seeing the evolution of the Dunwoody Village overlay district, as well as more boutique or "chef-driven" establishments, you'll want to attend this required public meeting on June 4.
Crim's flyer describing the development on their corporate website
Saturday, May 26, 2018
Over the finish line
There was "caution" tape over the middle school locker hallway this week. The admins wanted to put crime scene tape but NooOOOOOoooooo......
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Opportunity Knocking - Alexa as a city info resource
From CBS 46 News on May 15:
CBS46 News
(Link to video. Or, if you can't see it, remove the "s" from the "https://" in the URL bar and refresh the page. The video player will appear.)
This was brilliant and I had no idea it was possible!
CBS46 News
(Link to video. Or, if you can't see it, remove the "s" from the "https://" in the URL bar and refresh the page. The video player will appear.)
Anything from current traffic, to zoning information, to the next city council meeting date to job postings.
Nick O'Day, the Chief Data Officer, says not to worry, they are not recording private conversations.
"It's about being able to ask a question and get a real answer right away versus having to call somebody and the city and get passed to a planer or an engineer," says O'Day. " We cannot access their name, their location, their voices, we can't access any of that kind of stuff."
This was brilliant and I had no idea it was possible!
Because it simply responds to questions, Alexa can be used by anyone of any generation. Even people with some disabilities that make using a phone or computer difficult.
Alexa can cut down on the number of phone calls to city hall. Or frustration at the website for users unfamiliar with it.
How about running audio from city council and other meetings? Or even from the community conversations on development, like the one about Robers Drive this week?
Congrats, Johns Creek! Dunwoody - will you consider deploying this type of technology to your citizens too?
Friday, May 4, 2018
It's Official - Summer May Now Begin
After a one-week rain delay Food Truck Thursdays kicked off with a live band, courtesy of City of Dunwoody government. We're looking forward to another season, every Thursday through October, weather permitting.
A little bird told me that the rained-out Kosher food night has been rescheduled to May 17.
Weather updates will be posted to the Dunwoody Food Truck Thursdays Facebook page and copied to the DHA page. Anyone can see these updates even without a Facebook account. If the weather looks like it's changing, updates about cancellations will be here.
But wait - there's more!
Tomorrow sees the debut of the all-new Dunwoody Farmers Market. The committee has been hard at work lining up vendors, establishing some managers to oversee operations, and set up a fun communal atmosphere on Saturday mornings. DHA and yours truly will be on site with some goodies so come say hello while you shop for dinner.
And to round out the weekend.....
DHA Board meets on Sunday at 7:30 at the North DeKalb Cultural Center. Everyone is invited to be part of the conversation. There will be candidates for office introducing their campaigns and local legislative updates that will impact Dunwoody's direction. Join us on site or watch the live stream on Facebook.
Friday, April 20, 2018
Brew Pub Episode IV: A New Hope
Recently seen on the Atlanta Beer Redditt feed
I wanted to let you know Crim has just begun designing a new restaurant driven development which will be located in Dunwoody.
It’s a new development with an “old world” feel!
Our site overlooks Georgetown Park, a 1 acre City park that is available for our use-music, tastings, you name it! Also, the City will allow us to obtain an open container permit for the development!
Great spot for a brewery/brew pub!
*2,400 apartments within a 5 minute walk *126,100 people within a 15 minute drive *Avg. HH Income $123,495 within a 15 minute drive *Average age in Dunwoody- 37
Please let me know if you would have interest in discussing further.
Proposed delivery of spaces in 4th quarter of 2019.
Thank you for your consideration!
Archie C. Wanamaker Crim & Associates 678-516-6958
Don't just sit there, call the man!!!
Friday, April 13, 2018
Making WHAT Place???
This week's Atlanta Business Chronicle includes a "Dunwoody Market Report" with several major articles and op-ed pieces
If you subscribe or still have access to your complimentary content, here is the link to the section and its articles:
DUNWOODY MARKET REPORT 2018
A few things jumped out at me in the hotel-related articles.
City hotels undergoing major renovations
Dunwoody makes a place for green space
Our Convention and Visitors Bureau is using this article and other outlets to promote Dunwoody hotels and the development of greenspace features for those hotel visitors.
So what's the problem?
Last weekend I attended a major conference at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia. The leader of the host organization is a friend of mine. We talked about the hotel and amenities and other moving parts of the conference.
She had NO idea that the hotel was in Dunwoody!
During the conference, Governor Deal visited and welcomed the attendees to the "City of Atlanta".
The governor of the state of Georgia had no idea he was speaking in Dunwoody.
How is that even possible??
Let's look at the hotels section of the CVB website.
According to the Dunwoody CVB, there are no hotels in Dunwoody.
They're all in "Atlanta".
Here's a screenshot:
Three hotels are listed in this image; if you visit the page, the rest of the hotels listed also give their address as "Atlanta".
With all of the chatter about "place making" and "Shape Dunwoody" and other slogans being tossed around in press releases, would it really be so hard to get some agreement and consistency about the name of the "place" being made?
Dunwoody. D-U-N-W-O-O-D-Y.
We really need our CVB and other agencies to get on board with reinforcing the city's NAME before delving into the minutiae of academic "place making".
Earlier this month, I received an email sent to the DHA from the Convention & Visitors Bureau office about the promotional efforts their agency was making.
I replied via email and pointed out the inconsistency between their bureau and the city listed in the address of "Dunwoody's" hotels.
They didn't answer.
If you subscribe or still have access to your complimentary content, here is the link to the section and its articles:
DUNWOODY MARKET REPORT 2018
A few things jumped out at me in the hotel-related articles.
City hotels undergoing major renovations
Dunwoody makes a place for green space
Our Convention and Visitors Bureau is using this article and other outlets to promote Dunwoody hotels and the development of greenspace features for those hotel visitors.
So what's the problem?
Last weekend I attended a major conference at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia. The leader of the host organization is a friend of mine. We talked about the hotel and amenities and other moving parts of the conference.
She had NO idea that the hotel was in Dunwoody!
During the conference, Governor Deal visited and welcomed the attendees to the "City of Atlanta".
The governor of the state of Georgia had no idea he was speaking in Dunwoody.
How is that even possible??
Let's look at the hotels section of the CVB website.
According to the Dunwoody CVB, there are no hotels in Dunwoody.
They're all in "Atlanta".
Here's a screenshot:
Three hotels are listed in this image; if you visit the page, the rest of the hotels listed also give their address as "Atlanta".
With all of the chatter about "place making" and "Shape Dunwoody" and other slogans being tossed around in press releases, would it really be so hard to get some agreement and consistency about the name of the "place" being made?
Dunwoody. D-U-N-W-O-O-D-Y.
We really need our CVB and other agencies to get on board with reinforcing the city's NAME before delving into the minutiae of academic "place making".
Earlier this month, I received an email sent to the DHA from the Convention & Visitors Bureau office about the promotional efforts their agency was making.
I replied via email and pointed out the inconsistency between their bureau and the city listed in the address of "Dunwoody's" hotels.
They didn't answer.
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Retrospective
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
--George Santayana
The Life of Reason: Phases in Human Progress
Vol 1: Reason in Common Sense
As we approach Dunwoody's 10th anniversary of incorporation, here is a snapshot of the circumstances that drove the desire to form our own city. Many of today's active citizens were not residents when these events occurred and many long time residents have forgotten. There is a lot that cannot be repeated, for the sake of our future as a city.
February 20, 2007 Invasion: 4,000 Apartments on Tap
A veritable invasion of apartment developments has begun along Dunwoody’s southern boundary, one that is reminiscent of Sandy Springs’ long fight against apartment zonings there.
“We could easily end up with more than 4,000 new apartments on top of what we already have,” said Bill Grossman, a zoning specialist with the Dunwoody Homeowners’ Association.
Grossman may be understating the issue, especially since a two-year-old DHA estimate had 2,500 units zoned in various live-work-play projects within the Perimeter Community Improvement District and around the Dunwoody MARTA station. Another 3,500 units have been zoned on the Sandy Springs side of the PCID.
Jaws dropped and audible gasps were heard Sunday night when a Boston-based developer showed the board of the Dunwoody Homeowners’ Association a rendering of a mega-development it proposes for Dunwoody and the Perimeter business district.
...
Four office buildings are on the property, but much of it is vacant land. Over the 10-12-year build out of what will be called High Street, three of the buildings will be razed.
GID proposes a vast mixed-use project with a pedestrian focus to include:
a housing component of 1500 high-rise condominiums and 1500 apartments, including a 30-story condo tower.
(Editor's note: this is the "High Street" that just pulled permits to put down utilities.
Read more here. )
Read more here. )
September 18, 2007 In My Opinion: Dunwoody Needs A Mix of Lifestyles (editorial by Bob Dallas)
A basic tenet of high density residential growth is ensuring a cross section of age demographics live in the area. It is important to ensure one age demographic does not dominate the growth. The alternative result produces too many negative consequences.
For example, if all the residential units were designed for young singles, you get businesses that cater to them, namely the night clubs, bars and events that naturally go along with this market. Midtown Atlanta or Buckhead are nearby examples. When such uses dominate an area, they become incompatible for families, kids and empty nesters. They also create public safety issues, e.g. impaired driving.
Uses friendly to kids temper uses by singles and encourage uses designed for empty nesters. A mix of residential and commercial uses work together, not to the exclusion or detriment of others. Dunwoody and Perimeter attract all age groups.
The other major impact of residential growth is experienced by local schools. This has been ameliorated in part by the Dunwoody Homeowners’ Association’s insistence the majority of residential units remain owner-occupied; ensuring our new neighbors have a more than a transient interest in our community.
June 3, 2008 More Apartments Proposed Near Subdivision
If it were up to board members and those in attendance at the monthly meeting Sunday of the Dunwoody Homeownwers’ Association board, the incorporation of Dunwoody couldn’t come soon enough.
The meeting’s attendance was swelled by a contingent from the Georgetown neighborhood spurred by re-zoning signs near them.
Coro Realty, owner of the Georgetown shopping center and some property around it, has approached the neighborhoods and the DHA with a plan to raze a two-level medical building off Old Spring House Lane and replace it with more than 200 apartments.
They would be in addition to the more than 600 apartments being finished at the former Dunwoody Park site on Dunwoody Park Drive.
...
Coro Realty has told the DHA it will bring a larger site plan for its properties to its next meeting with the DHA. Jackson and a DHA vice president, Bob Lundsten, agreed that developers were encountering a tough market for owner-occupied housing and were trying to get apartment zonings into the DeKalb County pipeline before Dunwoody can become a city. It votes July 15 on incorporation.
Read the entire article here.
June 3, 2008 In My Opinion: Who Should Control Area Development? (Editorial by Dunwoody Yes!)
June 3, 2008 In My Opinion: Who Should Control Area Development? (Editorial by Dunwoody Yes!)
One major problem is the continuing proliferation of apartments in Dunwoody. The overbuilding of apartments in Dunwoody that has been allowed by DeKalb County endangers our property values and threatens to increase our property taxes due to the higher consumption of public services required by high-density, rental developments. The county code even allowed land zoned as office to be developed with multi-story apartment projects - without any zoning approvals at all. Developers were just issued building permits. The work of the Dunwoody Homeowners’ Association fixed that.
A community out of balance between owner-occupied and rental apartments is a community in deep trouble, financially and otherwise. The lack of vigilance or interest by DeKalb County has caused an excessive number of apartments in Dunwoody in relation to single family/owner-occupied dwellings, which in turn causes serious overcrowding in our highly ranked schools. If not corrected moving forward, this problem will drive up school property taxes, drive down property values, and threaten the quality of the education our children receive.
(Editor's note: at the time of these articles, no one imagined there would be a call for more rental housing from within the homeowner community!!!
According to the 2010 US Census, there were 21,671 housing units in Dunwoody. In the years of 2012 - 2016, the owner-occupied rate was 52.9% rental rate 47.1%)
According to the 2010 US Census, there were 21,671 housing units in Dunwoody. In the years of 2012 - 2016, the owner-occupied rate was 52.9% rental rate 47.1%)
September 30, 2008 Jones Still Wants Suit Against Dunwoody
There may be another vote taken on Election Day - this one on a resolution to litigate Dunwoody’s incorporation. On September 23, the Board of Commissioners deferred the resolution for the third time, postponing a decision to its November 4 meeting after a lively public hearing in which DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones blamed Crier publisher Dick Williams for promoting division in the county and called the city government “bleached” with no diversity.
Jones said creation of Dunwoody was done in an unconstitutional manner and he hoped the commissioners would go forward with litigation.
(Editor's Note: Vernon Jones is now a State House Representative and has the power to begin the process of revoking Dunwoody's city charter.)
Thursday, January 18, 2018
I CARE, Inc helps seniors. Now they need a new home
The All Saints Knights of Columbus distributed this request today. A local charity needs help finding sufficient office space to continue their work. We've got lots of real estate agents and business owners in Dunwoody. Can anyone out there make a connection for I CARE, Inc?
I CARE, Inc. a 501 (c3) Non-Profit Corporation, is looking for a new "home."
I CARE’s needs are minimal- approximately 15’ x 15’, would be sufficient to:
House two desks, file cabinet, two computers, and two printers.
Internet access (we could install our own Internet). We have our own phones to conduct business.
Additionally, we would occasionally conduct volunteer driver interviews, host meetings with funding partners, board meetings, collect mail, etc.
Volunteer/Program Coordinator, Shannon Streiter, and Director, Tom Simon, work at the office and at home, so there is flexibility.
If you know of any space that might be available to fit our needs (ideally in the Decatur area, but we are very flexible) we would greatly appreciate any insight, ideas, and thoughts. Being a small Non-Profit, FREE space would be ideal.
For more information, please contact:
Tom Simon, Director, I CARE, at 404-377-2273 or 770-378-8999
Shannon Streiter, Volunteer/Program Coordinator at 404-377-2273 /404-376-6415
I CARE, Inc. has been in business since 1998 in Decatur, providing FREE transportation to DeKalb County seniors, in order for them to get to their medical appointments and remain healthy, continue to be productive members of their community, and allow them to continue to “Live in Place” which is what all Seniors want.
Friday, December 29, 2017
Help the Bell Family recover from the loss of their home
Everyone saw the fire on Leisure Dr that consumed a family home. The story was broadcast by DeKalb Fire & Rescue via social media and on the local TV news affiliates.
If you are able, please consider helping this family start fresh in 2018 with the GoFundMe account that just started.
If you are able, please consider helping this family start fresh in 2018 with the GoFundMe account that just started.
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Friday, October 27, 2017
Surviving Halloween - A Day in the Life
Most years, Halloween falls on a weekday. Also known as a school night. There's no doubt everyone is going trick-or-treating but there's always a question as to whether to celebrate Halloween on the actual date.
Since 2004 our family has celebrated Halloween in the way that only Briers North can - with a few thousand of our closest friends. We've taken a break here and there but the routine is mostly consistent.
It's work. And there are expenses. And planning. Lots of planning. But we've figured out how to enjoy ourselves and the day with some foresight.
Note: I'm going through a lot of "work" and thinking steps. It seems like a lot. It IS a lot. But there is such a joy to it, it's hard to put into words. You have to see it and feel it for yourself.
This narrative does not include weekend Halloweens, parties, or those years when I did the actual planning.
October 15 - the organizers have been working since August to work out large-scale logistics like police and volunteers. The parking passes and wrist bands created for each family arrived on the front porch today.
October 16 - call the usual babysitter and ensure she's available. Of course she is, she loves the event as much as we do! Hit Wally World for candy. All 1500 pieces of it. Have your explanation ready for the incredulous checkout girl who invariably has a comment.
October 19 - dig out the containers of Halloween costumes, sort the Shrek character pieces and make sure everything is in good repair. Every year I swear I'm going to get a new "Fiona" wig. Every year I wait too late. Wash, rinse, repeat.
October 21. - The Outhouse. The centerpiece of Shrek's swamp is hand-built of 2x4's and reclaimed scrap. Pat takes down the custom cut and numbered pieces from their racks in the garage and gets them assembled. The "Beware Ogre" signs copied from the "Shrek" cartoon are pulled out of the shed and set up. The front yard barrier that says "come closer but not into the yard" is made of stakes and raw hemp rope.
The next week - nothing happens. Focus is on work, school, and work. Pat schedules 10/30 and 31 off. (I get 2 hours to celebrate my birthday before it's back into the fray.) The kids are "too cool" to join the family business anymore. They used to be Donkey, Puss in Boots, and a baby dronkey back in the day. Now they're making arrangements to trick-or-treat with their own friends. (Except the first grader, of course.) Only the 2nd grader has picked her costume. The other two are making it me wing it at Spirit Halloween or Party City the weekend before.
Tourists are making the rounds of the street. Cars are making the slow crawl down the street, snapping pictures. In 2004, the first year we saw a weekend Halloween, it took 30 minutes to drive 100 meters from the subdivision entrance to our house on October 30.
Shrek is showing on one channel or another so Pat can practice the voice, complete with obnoxious Scottish accent. It's either that or the DVD a dozen times.
October 28 is supposed to see rain. Hold off on putting up the lights.
October 29 - purple and green lights on the makeshift fence. Find a sawhorse or something similar to block the driveway. Even with barricades people will help themselves to your yard until they are politely but firmly escorted off. That's ogre-style polite.
October 30 - final build. Do an early trim on the crepe myrtle and drape the stumps in fabric tarp to simulate Shrek's house. Track down some old fence slats to simulate the door. Add Halloween lights to make it look like Shrek is celebrating Halloween. No campaign signs this year, although anyone with more than half a skull running for office should show up to shake hands. You'll never get this kind of crowd in one place on any other day. Install and test the flood lights that indicate when the show goes on. Take a break for a nice lunch. I'm asking for either McKendrick's or Flemings'.
Check supplies of fog machine liquid, spare light bulbs and do the shopping. Get parking passes on the cars in case the unthinkable happens and you're trapped outside of the street.
THE BIG DAY
7 AM - kids get taken to school with their permitted Halloween garb. They who are "too cool" to join the family show are not "too cool" to brag on the big event itself.
8 AM - check with teachers about homework load. Send the YouTube video from 2010 to show them you're not kidding about the night's activity. Call the tennis coach to cancel. Send the YouTube video again so he knows your daughter isn't goldbricking.
9 AM - Pick up the paperwork and random flotsam and jetsam that accumulates around the house. Even if you're not throwing a party, it's going to be bedlam and something essential WILL get lost. Plus there's always someone who shows up to say hello and the swamp is outside, not in the front door. Track down the fake Dunwoody "Stop Work Order" that Terry Nall requested from Tom LaPenna a few years ago just for laughs. Nail it to the outhouse and see who thinks it's real. (Answer: at least 10 people will think it's a real stop work order.) Test the fog machine in the outhouse. It's a key part of the act.
3 PM - pick up kids from respective schools. Both parents are available so each takes a school. (One in Dunwoody, one in Johns Creek). High tail it back home. Do not pass GO, do not collect $200.
3:30 - first grader is home first. Talk him through chores and homework before the distractions intensify.
4:00 - girls are home. Stand over their homework so the absolute essential "due the next day" stuff gets done
4:30 - get dinner started. Usually steak and french fries because they're easy to make outside while people run around inside.
5:00 - babysitter arrives. She knows to have her butt here well in advance of 5:30 or she's parking at Crossroads like everyone else. Dinner for all wherever you can find a seat.
5:15 - dump the candy in the biggest container we can find and keep it by the front door. Make the sign to put on the outhouse that Shrek hands out candy at 7 PM.
5:30 - the main road is closed (They advertise 5:45 but trust me, those barricades go out at 5:30.) Get kids into costumes. It's usually too hot for "Shrek" to hike around with the kids so the ogres are in street clothes. Find the candy collection buckets we forgot in the storage closet. As of now there are at least 1,000 people in the street just milling around. The homeowners collectively agree to start distributing candy at 6 PM. There has to be a limit or we'll be out there all day.
6:00 - TRICK OR TREAT! No more excuses, the candy starts flying! Kids and respective friends are matched up. Middle schoolers are read the riot act about not leaving the neighborhood. Second/third graders form their clique with a parent. (Something about a Descendants 2 theme this year.) Wristbands on all kids and babysitter: check. The first grader insists on riding on Daddy's shoulders. Great for the view, but he'll figure out the logistical conflict with actual trick or treating in 3...2...1.....
House to house to house to house. It's easy to clean up fast with the candy and treats.
6:40-ish - The first grader tires quickly from the crowds and excitement so it's easy to herd him back into the house with plenty of time for our own "show". Hand off to babysitter for bath and bed. Get the "Shrek" and "Fiona" outfits on and breathe. Line up the basket and wooden bucket for giving out candy. Get the giant candy stash into the outhouse.
7 PM - SHOWTIME The outhouse opens and out comes Shrek with a bucketful of candy. Shrek needs Fiona to be his eyes because it's hard to see through the mask. Dozens of bags and pillowcases come out at once. Just put a piece of candy in the bag. Say "Happy Halloween". Repeat. Quickly. Dozens of trick or treaters become hundreds in a few minutes. Every 15 minutes or so the bucket runs out. "Shrek" heads to the outhouse and sets off the smoke bomb. Ominous looking smoke wafts from the top of the outhouse door. "Fiona" gets sympathetic looks from the females in the crowd. A couple of minutes later the ogre opens the outhouse door with a full bucket of candy. A crowd 15-deep in the street has waited up to ten minutes for this scene.
Put a piece of candy in the bag, smile, wave to the little kids, offer candy to a tired parent who just got off work. Smile and pose for a picture from the tourists. Occasionally I hear Pat say something in Spanish, but with a Scottish accent for effect and a knot of children bounce around in glee.
The Ogre Fiona has to come out when the crowds press too close. We keep the visitors in the street for our own safety, and theirs. My worst fear is someone breaking an ankle from standing on the curb or worse - getting impaled on a temporary fence post. So Fiona has to yell at everyone to get off the curb NOW!!!!! Hey, she yelled like that in the movie, I'm just playing a part, right? Other times we have to stop and get the crowd to back up so "Shrek" - kneeling at the fence in a heavy mask and gauntlets and who has a hard time seeing what's in front of him, doesn't get crushed under a pressing mob.
"Hi Shrek! Where's donkey?" "Hi Fiona!" "Where's Dragon?" I swear, we need to have an inflatable or animatronic pink dragon some day.
8:15-ish - the candy is about to run out and we announce that what we have in our bucket and basket is it for the night. That's 1500 pieces of candy - one to a customer - distributed in 75 minutes. Other homes have already run out of candy and have turned off their porch lights, or the floodlights on their decorations. The front entrance will close to all non-residents at 8:30 so the timing works out just right.
Last pieces of candy are given away and we have to turn away the rest of the crowd. "Happy Halloween! Come see us next year!"
8:30, at the latest - Pull the plug on the floodlights decorating the set. Retreat to the house. Peel off the sweaty costumes in the laundry room. Replace with t-shirts and pajama bottoms. Check in with the babysitter re: first grader. If all goes well, he was asleep 10 minutes ago. Second-grader was back home by 8 pm and insists "I'm not tired" as her eyes roll back in her head. Grab an adult beverage and watch the remainder of the show from the front porch. Keep an eye out for the middle schooler who needs to be in the house by 9, or else.
8:45 - everyone's out of candy. The volunteers and police are sweeping the streets, urging everyone to the front entrance and out of Briers North. Radios are used to alert to lost children/parents. A makeshift lost and found appears at the corner of Tilly Mill.
9:00 pm - Lights Out. No, really, there's no more candy and the show has come to an end. Closing time. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here. Middle schooler scoots in the door with seconds to spare. The rest of the gossip with her friends has to wait til tomorrow.
9:05: Ghost town. The streets are literally barren. While the babysitter oversees the older kids bedtime (they both need it whether they admit it or not) the grown folks slip outside to turn on the decorative lights on the set. The street is open again and pedestrians enjoy the sets one last time.
9:30 - everyone under 18 is passed out. Driveway barricades are removed and the babysitter goes home, entertained and paid. Adult beverage #2 makes an appearance. Adults pick through the candy and lay claim to whatever a child is allergic to. Wind down time in front of the TV. Be ready to answer the door in case a friend comes by and asks "So, how did it go???"
There are social plans this weekend so we have to figure out when the sets will be broken down and hung in the garage.
Adrenaline overcomes fatigue - next year can't come fast enough.
See you on the 31st!
--"Fiona"
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Halloween Deserves its own Season in Dunwoody
Between Truck or Treat - the close of the Dunwoody Food Truck Thursday season - and actual Halloween - and the maelstrom that is Halloween @ Briers North, I wanted to post an annual reminder. At these large public events, we meet and greet all kinds of people we don't see every day. Let's use the opportunity to create some great memories for all.
With Halloween upon us, please keep in mind, a lot of little people will be visiting your home.
Be accepting. The child who is grabbing more than one piece of candy may have poor fine motor skills.
The child who takes forever to pick out one piece of candy may have motor planning issues.
The child who does not say "trick-or-treat" or "thank you" may be non-verbal.
The child who looks disappointed when they see your bowl may have an allergy.
The child who isn't wearing a costume at all might have a sensory issue (Sensory Processing Disorder) or autism.
Be nice. Be patient. It's EVERYONE'S Halloween.
With Halloween upon us, please keep in mind, a lot of little people will be visiting your home.
Be accepting. The child who is grabbing more than one piece of candy may have poor fine motor skills.
The child who takes forever to pick out one piece of candy may have motor planning issues.
The child who does not say "trick-or-treat" or "thank you" may be non-verbal.
The child who looks disappointed when they see your bowl may have an allergy.
The child who isn't wearing a costume at all might have a sensory issue (Sensory Processing Disorder) or autism.
Be nice. Be patient. It's EVERYONE'S Halloween.
Thursday, October 26 5-9 PM
Brook Run Park
Be there or be square
Sunday, October 15, 2017
The Ballad of the Underground Utilities
This ode is dedicated to all of our citizens who believe that life will be a dream if utilities are all underground. 99 times out of 100 this situation runs smoothly (unless someone makes the monthly drive into a transformer). This is the story of Number 100.
The story starts on September 3. We wake up one sunny Sunday and head out to church in the morning. Our neighbor has a new "fountain". No, they didn't install a fancy artistic bird bath; there was water bubbling up through a crack in the driveway. A 12-18-inch water main had ruptured some time overnight.
Frantic phone-calls, emails, social media posts and front-door pounding revealed my neighbors were home and were on top of the situation. Whew! By lunch time DeKalb Water had sent out a large crew with heavy equipment to turn off the valve at Tilly Mill, excavate the yard, completely rip out the irretrievably damaged driveway and remove the damaged section of pipe. Then a trailer of replacement pipe was brought in and a section welded into place. Water was back on before midnight. Every man on the job was moving like he had a purpose; no one was just standing around on a shovel. What's more, each one was a gentleman to the neighbors and kids coming out to see the excavator at work and they even refused coffee and dinner when we offered it to them.
Water pressure was priority one and treated as such. But there are still downstream (pun intended) effects. The neighbor's driveway and yard had all the curb appeal of a nuclear test site for a couple of weeks. Eventually a Dekalb-funded contractor returned and installed a new basic concrete driveway and leveled the damaged yard, making it ready for re-landscaping.
Imagine my confusion when a single electrical circuit in MY house started flickering. Not the whole house, just one circuit. Check the breaker board - all is good there. Before I had a chance to make a call a Georgia Power cherry picker is in my driveway ready to solve the problem. The power fluctuation set off an alert at the service center on Shallowford. The previous water main break and its (essential, however ham-fisted) repair had damaged the underground power conduit.
Repairing underground utilities doesn't happen in a day. The crew brought in a portable transformer to power the house. Just a hand truck with a metal box on it, with enough juice to run my abode for, potentially, years. As I mentioned to my FB groups, if your kid plays in my yard, remind them to not touch the box on wheels. Bad things will happen.
Life is going back to normal and the utility troubles are fading into memory. The spray paint appeared on the lawn this week. The red, orange, and blue segments that make your front yard look like a steer getting divided into two freezers. This is the only notice you'll get that "someone" is planning to dig. Who will it be? AT&T? Comcast? The power company? Will they be sending a company crew or a contractor?
Another Sunday morning. Not as sunny yet. Headed out the front door to Sunday School and I'm greeted by two trucks and a trailer from Georgia Power's contractor, UTEC.
"Good morning, gentlemen. Welcome to my yard. What's the plan for today?"
It's a good thing I did because there was no intention to knock on the door and announce themselves. There wasn't exactly a "plan", per se. Just some vague vision of a ditch-witch running between two houses, flying dirt, a broken brand-new driveway and a large tree falling at random.
Two hours later - back home. Parked half way up the street because the ditch thingy is in my driveway (unused) and the vehicles are still in the street (unmoved). Pails of tools dropped in my flower bed. Three guys in hard hats are sitting around having a chat. Still haven't knocked on the door because after my son goes inside, my husband comes out to see what's going on. Which means: they screwed up w/ the house "good cop". Now they have to deal w/ Pat.
I didn't hear the argument as I was on the phone with Georgia Power regarding such trivialities as, "How do you NOT send an engineer to determine the best work plan given an R-50 neighborhood and houses less than 15 feet apart?" and "Are you going to knock down the tree onto my house or maybe we'll get an arborist to do it right?" and most of all, "If you're going to rip out trees, a section of yard, and my neighbor's driveway, show me the guarantee that Georgia Power is going to pay for replacements". Little stuff like that.
A senior honcho at Georgia Power talked with the supervisor on site and decided we needed to plan this operation a little more thoroughly before going forward. Holy Common Sense, Batman. The crew wrapped and left. (Pat didn't have to tell them to "pack your s**t and get out". But he was thinking it.) Allegedly, I'm going to have an appointment from an engineer this week to review the intricacies of the site, what damage is unavoidable, and we'll go forward once I have a written liability statement in my hot little hands.
So what have we learned from this little saga?
1) Third party contractors are too often the weak link in any operation. Company staffers have more skin in the game, so they put more effort into getting the job done right. Third-partiers are too many steps removed and thus are hindered by a broken giveadamn. Where else in our municipal operations do we have third-party contractors that may not have as great a commitment as a company wo/man?
Contractors may seem less expensive in a contract but how much extra are you paying in padded hours and recovering from fouled-up work?
2) The underground infrastructure we already have is past its useful lifespan and we're all going to be playing catchup with emergency repairs for the foreseeable future. How comfortable do you feel putting anything else down there when it can be washed away at random?
3) Underground utilities require a property owner to use extensive foresight when doing anything from planting a tree to replacing pavement. When something is damaged, repairs are time-consuming and cause collateral damage in the process. The story above is about utilities between completely separate single family homes.
How do you think this emergency would get handled in one of the many duplex and townhouse developments going up in the city? There's no wiggle room. One home's utilities go on the fritz, the neighbors will suffer even more.
4) How much money and effort are the "everything underground" advocates willing to pay to create "contingency access" to utilities in case emergency repairs are needed? Because if you insist on this type of infrastructure, you have to have a way to get to it. Especially with water conduits surviving on band-aids and borrowed time.
Stay tuned, folks. It ain't over yet.
The story starts on September 3. We wake up one sunny Sunday and head out to church in the morning. Our neighbor has a new "fountain". No, they didn't install a fancy artistic bird bath; there was water bubbling up through a crack in the driveway. A 12-18-inch water main had ruptured some time overnight.
Frantic phone-calls, emails, social media posts and front-door pounding revealed my neighbors were home and were on top of the situation. Whew! By lunch time DeKalb Water had sent out a large crew with heavy equipment to turn off the valve at Tilly Mill, excavate the yard, completely rip out the irretrievably damaged driveway and remove the damaged section of pipe. Then a trailer of replacement pipe was brought in and a section welded into place. Water was back on before midnight. Every man on the job was moving like he had a purpose; no one was just standing around on a shovel. What's more, each one was a gentleman to the neighbors and kids coming out to see the excavator at work and they even refused coffee and dinner when we offered it to them.
Water pressure was priority one and treated as such. But there are still downstream (pun intended) effects. The neighbor's driveway and yard had all the curb appeal of a nuclear test site for a couple of weeks. Eventually a Dekalb-funded contractor returned and installed a new basic concrete driveway and leveled the damaged yard, making it ready for re-landscaping.
Imagine my confusion when a single electrical circuit in MY house started flickering. Not the whole house, just one circuit. Check the breaker board - all is good there. Before I had a chance to make a call a Georgia Power cherry picker is in my driveway ready to solve the problem. The power fluctuation set off an alert at the service center on Shallowford. The previous water main break and its (essential, however ham-fisted) repair had damaged the underground power conduit.
Repairing underground utilities doesn't happen in a day. The crew brought in a portable transformer to power the house. Just a hand truck with a metal box on it, with enough juice to run my abode for, potentially, years. As I mentioned to my FB groups, if your kid plays in my yard, remind them to not touch the box on wheels. Bad things will happen.
Life is going back to normal and the utility troubles are fading into memory. The spray paint appeared on the lawn this week. The red, orange, and blue segments that make your front yard look like a steer getting divided into two freezers. This is the only notice you'll get that "someone" is planning to dig. Who will it be? AT&T? Comcast? The power company? Will they be sending a company crew or a contractor?
Another Sunday morning. Not as sunny yet. Headed out the front door to Sunday School and I'm greeted by two trucks and a trailer from Georgia Power's contractor, UTEC.
"Good morning, gentlemen. Welcome to my yard. What's the plan for today?"
It's a good thing I did because there was no intention to knock on the door and announce themselves. There wasn't exactly a "plan", per se. Just some vague vision of a ditch-witch running between two houses, flying dirt, a broken brand-new driveway and a large tree falling at random.
Two hours later - back home. Parked half way up the street because the ditch thingy is in my driveway (unused) and the vehicles are still in the street (unmoved). Pails of tools dropped in my flower bed. Three guys in hard hats are sitting around having a chat. Still haven't knocked on the door because after my son goes inside, my husband comes out to see what's going on. Which means: they screwed up w/ the house "good cop". Now they have to deal w/ Pat.
I didn't hear the argument as I was on the phone with Georgia Power regarding such trivialities as, "How do you NOT send an engineer to determine the best work plan given an R-50 neighborhood and houses less than 15 feet apart?" and "Are you going to knock down the tree onto my house or maybe we'll get an arborist to do it right?" and most of all, "If you're going to rip out trees, a section of yard, and my neighbor's driveway, show me the guarantee that Georgia Power is going to pay for replacements". Little stuff like that.
A senior honcho at Georgia Power talked with the supervisor on site and decided we needed to plan this operation a little more thoroughly before going forward. Holy Common Sense, Batman. The crew wrapped and left. (Pat didn't have to tell them to "pack your s**t and get out". But he was thinking it.) Allegedly, I'm going to have an appointment from an engineer this week to review the intricacies of the site, what damage is unavoidable, and we'll go forward once I have a written liability statement in my hot little hands.
So what have we learned from this little saga?
1) Third party contractors are too often the weak link in any operation. Company staffers have more skin in the game, so they put more effort into getting the job done right. Third-partiers are too many steps removed and thus are hindered by a broken giveadamn. Where else in our municipal operations do we have third-party contractors that may not have as great a commitment as a company wo/man?
Contractors may seem less expensive in a contract but how much extra are you paying in padded hours and recovering from fouled-up work?
2) The underground infrastructure we already have is past its useful lifespan and we're all going to be playing catchup with emergency repairs for the foreseeable future. How comfortable do you feel putting anything else down there when it can be washed away at random?
3) Underground utilities require a property owner to use extensive foresight when doing anything from planting a tree to replacing pavement. When something is damaged, repairs are time-consuming and cause collateral damage in the process. The story above is about utilities between completely separate single family homes.
How do you think this emergency would get handled in one of the many duplex and townhouse developments going up in the city? There's no wiggle room. One home's utilities go on the fritz, the neighbors will suffer even more.
4) How much money and effort are the "everything underground" advocates willing to pay to create "contingency access" to utilities in case emergency repairs are needed? Because if you insist on this type of infrastructure, you have to have a way to get to it. Especially with water conduits surviving on band-aids and borrowed time.
Stay tuned, folks. It ain't over yet.
Monday, October 9, 2017
Why Facts Don't Convince People
But I'm going to keep posting them anyway.
No one can defend tribal political alliances forever.
No one can defend tribal political alliances forever.
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Candlelight Vigil for Las Vegas TONIGHT -Tuesday - in Dunwoody
Reposted from the Dunwoody Homeowners Association Facebook page.
We are all stunned by the horrific tragedy unfolding in Las Vegas last night and today.
In response and solidarity, we have secured a permit to have a candlelight vigil in Brook Run park (the front field) starting at 8:30 today (Tuesday) night.
The vigil will last no more than 30 minutes.
There will be no protests, or speakers, just a chance for our community to come together in grief.
Please invite your family, friends and anyone else who wants to feel the warmth of our community at this terrible time. Feel free to share on Social Media!
Bring:
Candles or flashlights
Weather appropriate clothing
No signs (it will be dark anyway)
We are all stunned by the horrific tragedy unfolding in Las Vegas last night and today.
In response and solidarity, we have secured a permit to have a candlelight vigil in Brook Run park (the front field) starting at 8:30 today (Tuesday) night.
The vigil will last no more than 30 minutes.
There will be no protests, or speakers, just a chance for our community to come together in grief.
Please invite your family, friends and anyone else who wants to feel the warmth of our community at this terrible time. Feel free to share on Social Media!
Bring:
Candles or flashlights
Weather appropriate clothing
No signs (it will be dark anyway)
This gathering is intended to be non-political.
Elected officials and candidates: I challenge you to actually keep your politics aside. That is far more than just repeating the words "non-political".
City Council members: your constituents are not expendable or disposable. Use this event as an opportunity to live out that standard.
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Groundbreaking Ceremony For the New Ballfields at Brook Run Park
This announcement was distributed at about 6 PM today. I've reproduced it here unedited.
Groundbreaking Ceremony For the New Ballfields at Brook Run Park
Friday September 15, 2017
12:00 p.m.
Southwest Corner of North Peachtree Road and Barclay Drive
The ceremonial groundbreaking event will celebrate the beginning of construction for the new ballfields at Brook Run Park.
Please join City of Dunwoody Council members, city partners, and city staff for the celebratory event.
The two new fields, which will also serve as the new home for Dunwoody Senior Baseball, will have rectangular multi-purpose field overlay/striping complete with a durable all-season synthetic turf. The fields will be set-up for shared use by Peachtree Charter Middle School for the school’s gym and outdoor classes. The facility will also include a new concession building, new bathrooms, a playground, bleacher stands, batting cages, and parking.
The fields will be located at the corner of North Peachtree Road and Barclay Drive, an eight acre property adjacent to Peachtree Charter Middle School. A new bus turnaround and drop off with ADA access and handicap parking will also be included at the new site.
A lunch will be served for attendees following the groundbreaking celebration.
PARKING: Please park at Brook Run Park by the pavilion (about midway down South Georgia Way in Brook Run Park) and then walk towards the multi-use trail/Barclay Drive where there is a crosswalk which leads to a paved access road/fire lane onto the site.
# # #
Groundbreaking Ceremony For the New Ballfields at Brook Run Park
Friday September 15, 2017
12:00 p.m.
Southwest Corner of North Peachtree Road and Barclay Drive
The ceremonial groundbreaking event will celebrate the beginning of construction for the new ballfields at Brook Run Park.
Please join City of Dunwoody Council members, city partners, and city staff for the celebratory event.
The two new fields, which will also serve as the new home for Dunwoody Senior Baseball, will have rectangular multi-purpose field overlay/striping complete with a durable all-season synthetic turf. The fields will be set-up for shared use by Peachtree Charter Middle School for the school’s gym and outdoor classes. The facility will also include a new concession building, new bathrooms, a playground, bleacher stands, batting cages, and parking.
The fields will be located at the corner of North Peachtree Road and Barclay Drive, an eight acre property adjacent to Peachtree Charter Middle School. A new bus turnaround and drop off with ADA access and handicap parking will also be included at the new site.
A lunch will be served for attendees following the groundbreaking celebration.
PARKING: Please park at Brook Run Park by the pavilion (about midway down South Georgia Way in Brook Run Park) and then walk towards the multi-use trail/Barclay Drive where there is a crosswalk which leads to a paved access road/fire lane onto the site.
# # #
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
SDOC recovering from Tropical Storm Irma
Just work-related info for today.
Irma's dirty side came through Metro Atlanta yesterday and power went out in our neighborhood at 2:30. Power just got back up 90 minutes ago.
SDOC's studio suffered no damage but work scheduled have been shifted due to the outage. (This is the "Acts of God" clause in your contracts, folks.) We're getting our home and helping our community get back to normal in time for work and school tomorrow.
I'll be in touch with each of you with specific new ETA's for any scheduled jobs.
Help each other through the storm damage and we'll all be better off, and soon.
Friday, September 8, 2017
Dunwoody Homeowners Association Meeting September 10
What's left of Irma is supposed to come to town Monday afternoon. We're taking care of business Sunday night. DHA meetings are open to the public. Please come be part of the conversation.
Board of Directors Meeting
Sunday, September 10, 2017 @ 7:30 P.M.
North DeKalb Cultural Arts Center, Room 4
5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd, Atlanta, GA 30338
1. Announcements and introduction of distinguished visitors
2. Approval of minutes for August 6th, 2017 meeting— Adrienne Duncan
3. Brief review of plans for city council candidate forums on October 15 – Robert Wittenstein
4. Update on Shops of Dunwoody items (Doggy day care and covenants) – Robert Wittenstein
5. Review and discuss Adopt-A-Spot at Peeler/Winters Chapel – Robert Wittenstein
6. Review and discuss proposed terms for support of Grubb Properties redevelopment plan for Perimeter Center Parkway East (Set of 3 mid-rise buildings currently housing City Hall) – Exec Committee
7. Request for sponsorship – Run Dunwoody, Rick Woods, Dunwoody Rotary
8. Request for support for Austin Elementary School Dunwoody Dash, Despina Lamas
9. Request for support for Kingsley Elementary School PTO, Erika Harris
10. Request for support for Peachtree Charter Middle School CV Classic, Allegra Johnson and Fran Bartel
11. Request for support for Spalding Garden Club Candlelight Home Tour – Mary Millar Request for support of effort to publish stories of Dunwoody centered around the life of Joyce Amacher, Lynne Byrd
12. Board only session: Votes as needed on any motions including:
Approval to proceed with Adopt-A-Spot plan ($5,000 included in budget)
Approval of sponsorship request, Rotary Run Dunwoody
Austin Elementary School request for funds ($1,000 included in budget)
Kingsley Elementary School request for funds ($1,000 included in budget)
Peachtree Charter Middle School request for funds ($1,000 included in budget)
Request for support of Spalding Garden Club (not budgeted)
Request for support for Joyce Amacher book (not budgeted)
Support or oppose Grubb Properties development of 41, 47 and 53 Perimeter Center East
Adjourn
Next meeting: Sunday, October 1, 2017
Board of Directors Meeting
Sunday, September 10, 2017 @ 7:30 P.M.
North DeKalb Cultural Arts Center, Room 4
5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd, Atlanta, GA 30338
1. Announcements and introduction of distinguished visitors
2. Approval of minutes for August 6th, 2017 meeting— Adrienne Duncan
3. Brief review of plans for city council candidate forums on October 15 – Robert Wittenstein
4. Update on Shops of Dunwoody items (Doggy day care and covenants) – Robert Wittenstein
5. Review and discuss Adopt-A-Spot at Peeler/Winters Chapel – Robert Wittenstein
6. Review and discuss proposed terms for support of Grubb Properties redevelopment plan for Perimeter Center Parkway East (Set of 3 mid-rise buildings currently housing City Hall) – Exec Committee
7. Request for sponsorship – Run Dunwoody, Rick Woods, Dunwoody Rotary
8. Request for support for Austin Elementary School Dunwoody Dash, Despina Lamas
9. Request for support for Kingsley Elementary School PTO, Erika Harris
10. Request for support for Peachtree Charter Middle School CV Classic, Allegra Johnson and Fran Bartel
11. Request for support for Spalding Garden Club Candlelight Home Tour – Mary Millar Request for support of effort to publish stories of Dunwoody centered around the life of Joyce Amacher, Lynne Byrd
12. Board only session: Votes as needed on any motions including:
Approval to proceed with Adopt-A-Spot plan ($5,000 included in budget)
Approval of sponsorship request, Rotary Run Dunwoody
Austin Elementary School request for funds ($1,000 included in budget)
Kingsley Elementary School request for funds ($1,000 included in budget)
Peachtree Charter Middle School request for funds ($1,000 included in budget)
Request for support of Spalding Garden Club (not budgeted)
Request for support for Joyce Amacher book (not budgeted)
Support or oppose Grubb Properties development of 41, 47 and 53 Perimeter Center East
Adjourn
Next meeting: Sunday, October 1, 2017
Monday, September 4, 2017
INTRODUCING: Rebecca King for Atlanta City Council District 7
My good friend and Panhellenic colleague, Rebecca King, is running in City of Atlanta's District 7 race.
My job was to get this site up and functional, pronto. There's only two months in the election season and everything has to work yesterday.
This site is going to evolve over the next couple of months as more information is available and more events are scheduled.
I was provided with a logo and color scheme and the site was built to Rebecca's specifications.
The key item now is the Donations tab. That required an e-commerce solution to accept donations, a PayPal setup, and an SSL certificate for security.
Social media is alive and kicking too. You'll see campaign events planned and statements on the local issues as well as endorsements as the campaign goes on.
If/when Rebecca gets elected, the site can easily be converted to an elected official's portal.
Enjoy, and Happy Labor Day!
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Last Call to Qualify for City Council Elections
If you're interested in joining the fray for three of our seven city council seats this November, today is your last day to get to City Hall and qualify. Get your district straight, make sure you've lived there for at least 6 months and you too can be a candidate. All of the excitement you can handle will set you back $360 for entering the race.
The rumors and backstories and questions about our current candidates are starting to fly. The DWG is staying tuned to watch how they develop. Yes the "home business activity" angle will come into the discussion. You have been warned.
Here's the lineup as of 10 AM today:
District One:
Pam Tallmadge (I) http://pam4dunwoodyga.us/ (Original campaign site from 2015)
Joe Hirsch http://www.dunwoodyjoe.com/
District Two:
Jim Riticher (I) http://riticher.com/ (Original campaign site from 2013)
Bobby Zuckman No campaign website yet. Here's his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertzuckman/
District Three:
Tom Lambert http://www.votetomlambert.com/
Henry Bierenfeld No campaign website yet. Here's his LinkedIn profile:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bierenfeld/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bierenfeld/
Friday, July 14, 2017
UPDATED: Follow up on the Manget Way group home - the status three years later.
In spring and summer of 2014, the Center for Discovery purchased a home on Manget Way in order to convert it to a treatment facility (or group home, depending upon who you ask) for teens with eating disorders.
I'll not rehash the entire controversy in this post but here are some historical references:
http://sdocpublishing.blogspot.com/2014/04/zoning-retrospective-group-homes.html
(Commentary from this blog)
From the Dunwoody Crier:
http://www.thecrier.net/news/article_95a74d8c-b99a-11e3-8672-0019bb2963f4.html
http://www.thecrier.net/news/article_a1cf7334-16b3-11e4-9da8-0019bb2963f4.html
http://www.thecrier.net/news/article_e8a04420-1c38-11e4-9c21-0019bb2963f4.html
The denoument where the City of Dunwoody settled the inevitable federal lawsuit:
http://www.reporternewspapers.net/2016/07/10/dunwoody-city-council-settles-lawsuits-manget-way-home/
It is now 18 months after this process was legally resolved.
As per my usual this time of year, I submit ORRs to do research on the status of home-based businesses. License, physical location, cross-reference code enforcement complaints, etc. As I'm going through the lists and updating the map, a couple of map points jogged my memory about this event. On the Dunwoody Home Business map, grey markers are used to note homes that have been involved in some zoning controversy but were not home businesses. (That is, the home owner does not live in the house full time and work there as a secondary use. The home was converted entirely to a commercial housing facility. ) Manget Way was one of those markers.
"I wonder what's happening there now?" I thought.
A little Google fairy dust later generated some interesting results.
The facility seems to be open for business. Here is their website with a video presentation of the homel:
http://www.centerfordiscoveryatlanta.com/location/
Note the street address is obviously Dunwoody but they list the city as Atlanta. Six of one, half dozen of the other I suppose.
Then since I had the list of business licenses in front of me for the map project, I did a search to see if there was a business license associated with the property.
There is no business license issued to the Center for Discovery home on Manget Way, or to the LLC that made the purchase, Dunwoody DV, LLC. The only licenses issued to Manget Way addresses are to other home/business owners.
Then I did a search on the LLC. There is no sign of any company called "Dunwoody DV LLC" in Georgia or any other state. There is not even a public record of the LLC being dissolved or terminated. (Another series of records I look up for the home business map.)
My previous searches on code enforcement complaints came up empty on Manget Way complaints. I have an ORR in the hopper right now and that will bring out more current answers.
So as a result of this extended legal process, there seems to be a mixed bag of outcomes. Some homeowners sold their properties and relocated when word of this facility spread. When someone sells a property, that means someone else is buying and those new neighbors don't seem to have any complaints thus far. All is quiet according to the code enforcement docket.
On the other hand, a multi-million dollar company is operating freely without a license and without paying the same business taxes that the rest of us have to pay. I'll be interested to see if our city government follows up on that.
UPDATE 7/17/2017
It came to my attention that there is some confusion about the information above.
1) The "business license" in Georgia is a colloquialism for an Occupational Tax Certificate. So when the blog states that Center for Discovery is operating with out a license, it should be understood that "license" is shorthand for "occupational tax certificate".
2) Center for Discovery is a for-profit business. There is nothing about it that qualifies as a not-for-profit that would exempt it from taxes or other regulations (Federal Fair Housing Act notwithstanding).
3) According to the main corporation's press release (http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/02/prweb14076227.htm), the opening of Manget Way was announced in mid-February of this year. There was reference to an "open house" in the blog post. According to their Facebook page, that open house was held on February 23. https://www.facebook.com/events/1360773197295404/. The ORR for code complaints covering this time period is in progress. We will find out if there were any code complaints associated with this address.
I'll not rehash the entire controversy in this post but here are some historical references:
http://sdocpublishing.blogspot.com/2014/04/zoning-retrospective-group-homes.html
(Commentary from this blog)
From the Dunwoody Crier:
http://www.thecrier.net/news/article_95a74d8c-b99a-11e3-8672-0019bb2963f4.html
http://www.thecrier.net/news/article_a1cf7334-16b3-11e4-9da8-0019bb2963f4.html
http://www.thecrier.net/news/article_e8a04420-1c38-11e4-9c21-0019bb2963f4.html
The denoument where the City of Dunwoody settled the inevitable federal lawsuit:
http://www.reporternewspapers.net/2016/07/10/dunwoody-city-council-settles-lawsuits-manget-way-home/
It is now 18 months after this process was legally resolved.
As per my usual this time of year, I submit ORRs to do research on the status of home-based businesses. License, physical location, cross-reference code enforcement complaints, etc. As I'm going through the lists and updating the map, a couple of map points jogged my memory about this event. On the Dunwoody Home Business map, grey markers are used to note homes that have been involved in some zoning controversy but were not home businesses. (That is, the home owner does not live in the house full time and work there as a secondary use. The home was converted entirely to a commercial housing facility. ) Manget Way was one of those markers.
"I wonder what's happening there now?" I thought.
A little Google fairy dust later generated some interesting results.
The facility seems to be open for business. Here is their website with a video presentation of the homel:
http://www.centerfordiscoveryatlanta.com/location/
Note the street address is obviously Dunwoody but they list the city as Atlanta. Six of one, half dozen of the other I suppose.
Then since I had the list of business licenses in front of me for the map project, I did a search to see if there was a business license associated with the property.
There is no business license issued to the Center for Discovery home on Manget Way, or to the LLC that made the purchase, Dunwoody DV, LLC. The only licenses issued to Manget Way addresses are to other home/business owners.
Then I did a search on the LLC. There is no sign of any company called "Dunwoody DV LLC" in Georgia or any other state. There is not even a public record of the LLC being dissolved or terminated. (Another series of records I look up for the home business map.)
My previous searches on code enforcement complaints came up empty on Manget Way complaints. I have an ORR in the hopper right now and that will bring out more current answers.
So as a result of this extended legal process, there seems to be a mixed bag of outcomes. Some homeowners sold their properties and relocated when word of this facility spread. When someone sells a property, that means someone else is buying and those new neighbors don't seem to have any complaints thus far. All is quiet according to the code enforcement docket.
On the other hand, a multi-million dollar company is operating freely without a license and without paying the same business taxes that the rest of us have to pay. I'll be interested to see if our city government follows up on that.
UPDATE 7/17/2017
It came to my attention that there is some confusion about the information above.
1) The "business license" in Georgia is a colloquialism for an Occupational Tax Certificate. So when the blog states that Center for Discovery is operating with out a license, it should be understood that "license" is shorthand for "occupational tax certificate".
2) Center for Discovery is a for-profit business. There is nothing about it that qualifies as a not-for-profit that would exempt it from taxes or other regulations (Federal Fair Housing Act notwithstanding).
3) According to the main corporation's press release (http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/02/prweb14076227.htm), the opening of Manget Way was announced in mid-February of this year. There was reference to an "open house" in the blog post. According to their Facebook page, that open house was held on February 23. https://www.facebook.com/events/1360773197295404/. The ORR for code complaints covering this time period is in progress. We will find out if there were any code complaints associated with this address.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)