INTRODUCING: The new RikEmmett.com

It's been a while since I've posted - here's why.  This project was an intense labor of love.

I got a call one evening from Rik Emmett (formerly of Triumph, now flying solo) inquiring if I would be willing to assume command of his website and other online resources.

Can I get a "hell, yeah"!

Rik's site is a combination of ecommerce and social networking.  Much of his discography is available for sale via download, in addition to books and videos.  There is also a subscriber-based fan network, performance date listings and other information.

One of the rarely-discussed aspects of webmastering and website development is the fact that taking over someone else's website and upgrading it can be a greater challenge than just creating a new one from scratch.  This site is a case in point.

The original rikemmett.com went live in 1996 and had experienced three different webmasters (all major fans on a slight budget or fan-enthusiasm basis) and the presence I was to upgrade was a patchwork of different kinds of technology that evolved over eight years.  They included static HTML files, an outdated phpBB bulletin board program with many custom modifications in the source code, an obsolete mailing list code, and a very outdated WordPress installation.  The databases had not been reviewed or cleaned of old or spam data since at least 2004.  The subscription aspect of the site did not integrate with the main website, the database had become corrupted, and the program was failing - users were seeing obvious errors and security holes were allowing spammers to infiltrate.  The hosting company site wasn't what I call "user friendly", either.

Ever see one of those "Hoarders" shows?  The first step in this process is the same:  assess what's here, try to figure out what previous programmers had done, then decide (quickly, before everything caves in) what should stay, what needs a good cleaning, what should be tossed on the spot, and what should be built fresh.

The final product needed to look as similar as possible to the one I inherited, but with an updated, widget-enabled WordPress theme.  All of the old graphics were going to be retained.  Brand new highly interactive theme, essentially created from scratch, using recycled images from the previous version.  All of the page content was imported into the new install and new plugins were added to drive such features as an interactive photo gallery (as opposed to a manually-created page with pictures).  Next was an upgraded ecommerce plugin.  The ecommerce solution is unique in that "add to cart" buttons and a shopping cart can be placed anywhere within the site, not just within a designated "store".  Then the mailing list was moved to MailChimp for better maintenance and guarantee of delivery of online newsletters.

The biggest innovations I brought to the table were new membership management and integration of the bulletin board with the website.  Previously, renewal notifications and subscription expiration was highly unreliable.  The current solution displays member status and expiration dates clearly in a user panel and settings for delivering notices are managed via the main dashboard.  Subscription payments are managed through the same shopping cart that manages the digital downloads and other merchandise.

After trying Wordpress-based plugin bbPress numerous times without success, I decided to keep the bulletin board in phpBB.  I discovered a plugin that I highly recommend entitled WP United.  This plugin keeps the bulletin board and main website databases separate, but allows the bulletin board to be integrated into a WordPress page and allows for logins and other bulletin board content to appear where needed.  (see below).  The result is a useful and comfortable home page for logged in subscribers with key content included from the bulletin board alongside other members-only information.

The final result is a comprehensive system where all elements and features can be managed from one dashboard and do not require manual editing of a page's source code or separate control panels for various functions.  That means when I get a phone call or email from Toronto asking for an update, it's fast and easy to do:  the fans get what they're waiting for quickly, my boss is happy, and it costs less money to keep it maintained and updated with frequent, fresh content.

Thanks for reading!  There are more web updates on the way!

Everything I Need to Know About Working in Public I Learned From Snow White

Not all people in power are good.

Not all people in power are evil.

The difference is the good ones focus on their goals; the bad ones focus on themselves.

Getting the job done often involves putting your crown aside and doing manual labor.  Humility is not humiliation.

Don't consider any of your constituents beneath you.  You never know when you will rely on them in your hour of need.  Take good care of them.

Having pure intentions makes you a threat to the selfish.  Don't bother trying to understand that or reason with them.  Jealousy puts them beyond reason.

When an adversary is bound and determined to take you down, they may succeed.  Stay classy, no matter what happens and they will end up destroying themselves.  Retribution (or "justice") isn't worth the effort.

Happy endings do happen.  Stay true to the positive influence you want to make, even through the hard times and you'll make them happen.

Heyward, I need some of these signs.  You know where I live.  How much do you want for them?

Thank you, Nancy, for keeping your eyes on the prize of rooting out the corruption and waste in the DeKalb School Board.  It's OK if someone else takes the next step.

Nancy Jester's Resignation blog post

For clarity, I wanted to resign from the board in advance of the hearing in February, but refrained from doing so because of the pending court case. If the ruling had gone the other way, the remaining board members would have remained on the board and they would select my successor. I wanted to prevent that. I am more comfortable with the Governor and his team selecting my replacement. Additionally, it is a matter of public record that I voted “no” on February 1st, to the hiring of the attorney to pursue the board’s legal challenges in the first place. I did not support in any way, the filing of legal action and I expressed my opposition in board meetings. Because the court has vacated their previous stay, the board members subject to the Governor’s executive order are now, no longer on the board. Once the Governor appoints new members, the board will have a quorum and be able to meet. At that point, the board will be able to make decisions regarding the use of district resources.

Dunwoody Parents Concerned About Quality Education (on Facebook)

Concerned Parents of Dunwoody

Interim DeKalb Super Michael Thurmond reschedules meeting with Dunwoody Homeowners Association

Sunday, March 10, 2013
7:30 PM
Kingsley Swim and Racquet Club
2325 N. Peachtree Way
Dunwoody, GA 30338

DeKalb Interim Super Michael Thurmond will not be at DHA tonight

Update per DHA via Facebook:
Interim Super Thurmond will not be attending tonight.
Attempts at rescheduling are in progress.




Board Meeting

Date: March 3, 2013
Time: 7:00 PM

DeKalb Cultural Arts Center (Room 4)
5339 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road
Dunwoody, GA 30338

AGENDA

Announcements and introduction of distinguished visitors
Approval of minutes for February 2013
Presentation and discussion with DCSS Interim Superintendent Michael Thurmond (tentative, based on his travel plans. Will re-schedule to April, if necessary)
Presentation from Matt Hagan, Regency Centers
Presentation and discussion with Michael Starling, City of Dunwoody Director of Economic Development
Discussion of DHA Resolution to support Rep. Tom Taylor’s HB486
Discussion of Summer Concert Series
Dunwoody Preservation Trust – Lemonade Days Sponsorship Votes as needed on any motions during Board only session

Adjourn

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First, let's see if he shows up.

Second, what could he possibly say not just to DHA members' faces, but to Tom, Fran, Nancy, Terry, and everyone else willing to acknowledge that the county is a millstone around our necks, that we should trust the people who voted to hire him?

Third, show up early to get a seat.  The room is tiny and will be packed.

Schools - Now What?

GA State BOE recommends removal of DeKalb school board.  (All but the 3 most recently elected).



Public Forum: Improving Public Education in Dunwoody

Hosted by Dunwoody Parents Concerned about Quality Education, Inc.
Kingswood United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall

Sunday, March 3, 2013
4:00 - 5:00 pm

Dunwoody residents interested in improving the quality of education in Dunwoody schools will share information on accreditation, legislative efforts, alternatives to the current public school district, and potential actions. The presentation will feature representatives from city and state government, local public education advocates, and a discussion session for participants to share their ideas and concerns.

For more information, contact Allegra Johnson (ajwigwam@bellsouth.net).

DeKalb Schools and BOE: T minus 11 hours to deadline

Small Businesses Get Another Social Media Setback

You have your Twitter account.  You're using Tweetdeck or something like it to auto-post your tweets to Facebook, LinkedIn, and so on.  You can promote yourself and your business as far and wide as your ambition can go.

Then you see this in the news:

From Social Media Today:

Will New Twitter Filter Hurt Small Businesses?

"...Twitter’s streaming API will be able to rank which tweets are most important and how high they will be placed in the feed for developers. Though Roomann-Kurrik doesn’t explain how each tweet will be judged and ranked, big businesses with a large following and a high frequency of engagement will probably take over these top spots. For a company that founded itself on the notion that anyone should be able to share short, intimate, important thoughts or anecdotes, this change could leave some Twitter users feeling worthless, especially small businesses.

The new filter integration undermines the possibility to market to an endless pool of consumers, which was an action Twitter originally promoted. There’s no doubt that Twitter wants to make money, and understandably so, but this is going to hurt a lot of small businesses and possibly discourage individual users from using the site."

I intend to keep a very close eye on these developments for all of my clients who benefit from Twitter as an up-to-the-minute news and PR distribution outlet.

Like I said in an earlier post, if you're going to engage in social media for your PR efforts, be ready to change on short notice.  That includes being ready to abandon ship if a previously useful outlet becomes unprofitable.

INTRODUCING: 2013 State of the City Address

This is an unusual project for SDOC:  there was almost no screen media involved!

There have been times in the past that I have created a website, then formatted the graphics so they could be applied to printed materials.  This one is all print.

Edie gave me a call late last year and asked for some samples of how I would create invitations and signage for State of the City.  As always, the branding style guide standards had to be included and followed.  The result is shown in the invitation to the left and has been scaled up to include all of the directional signs and welcome signage at the entrance.

I got the inspiration for this look from (don't laugh....) invitations to Queen Elizabeth II's garden party at Buckingham Palace.  When it comes to print, it's OK to scale down - small, understated graphics make the greatest, most positive, upscale impression.  Dunwoody's branding graphics are already bold and modern.  So simplicity and subtlety is the key to making them appealing on a keynote event.

State of the City is not "invitation only".  The point of this event is to throw open the doors for all of Dunwoody's residents.  Come on in, have a drink, have nosh, visit with other residents and hear how Mike is going to set the tone for 2013!

2013 Taste of Dunwoody

Two words:

SOLD.   OUT.

You have to get your tickets early for this event anymore.  Part of SDOC's sponsorship is a pair of tickets so if you are a business owner in town, you may want to sponsor next year and your admittance is a done deal.

The AHA Connection has created a "trading post" if you are looking to buy or sell Taste of Dunwoody tickets.  Try your luck here.

I'm glad to help support CHOA as a sponsor again this year.  I've posted before how I worked in pediatric oncology and how I saw first hand how this type of events benefits patients and their families.  As mom of 3 active kids, it's even more personal.  Between my eldest with a nut allergy to be monitored, my son (youngest) having been diagnosed with sensory integration problems requiring OT and speech therapy, and a middle daughter who is just bound and determined to bump herself as much as she can playing on the playground at preschool, our family are now officially "frequent flyers" at Scottish Rite.   No matter what happens we're confident that the kids will always be OK because the pros at CHOA are there for advice, support and - when necessary - treatment.

If you got your tickets in advance, see you there tonight!

(BTW, I LOVE Yacht Rock Revue!)

Zoning - The Forest and the Trees

The DHA is going to hear a number of presentations tonight.  One is from Steve Dush re:  the zoning code rewrite.  Another is from Tom Taylor and Fran Millar on legislation for 2013.

Everyone's hackles go up when talk begins about the Zoning Rewrite.  Even on John's blog, he zeroed in on home businesses (not the actual ordinance, just an excerpt from the last public presentation) and ignored everything else.  Then there's arguments about bicycle accommodations.  Then there's backyard farming.  Then there's street-legal golf carts.  Then there's infill redevelopment.

All of these topics are important because it defines diverse activity that is already happening, but there have been no workable boundaries set so that our evolving community can function without stepping over each
other.  Or squabbling over the idea that someone's lifestyle is somehow different.

It's ironic that these individual foci have taken center stage in the zoning rewrite, and there has been NO attention paid whatsoever to the zoning topics that will affect each and every one of the 46K+ residents of this city.

The residential zoning regs have new elements that most take for granted.  How many of you own a boat?  Or Jetskis?  Or an RV or camper?  Or just stash your stuff in a shed you pick up at Home Depot?  How many of you have a large, extended family with numerous cars?  How many live with people you're not related to?  (That includes LGBT couples too, gang.)  How many of you have gardening equipment?    Rototillers?  Or even just a riding lawn mower to save time?  I'll bet you didn't even think of how you keep your property because you don't get complaints from the neighbors, right?

Think again.

These new regulations were composed with YOU in mind.  Forget about "commercial use" or "occupations" or "agricultural" or other niche interests.   These zoning regulations are going to dictate to you how you may keep your own personal possessions on your own personal property.  Every citizen of this community is going to be affected by these updated regs, at some point in your lifetime in Dunwoody.

From the "super module" released in January:

"Household means  a group of individuals related by blood, marriage, adoption, guardianship or 
other custodial relationship, or not more than 4 persons not so related, living together in a dwelling unit as a single housekeeping unit under a common housekeeping management plan based on 
an intentionally structured relationship providing organization and stability."

You've just been informed how you may set up your household and with whom you may live.  Say you're the Brady Bunch:  Mom, Dad, six kids, a dog, and a live-in employee.  Alice would not be allowed to live in the maid's quarters, because she is unrelated to more than 4 people in the house.  Alice would not be permitted her own apartment (w/ kitchen, etc) within the house either because only relatives may live in "in law" apartments in a single-family home.


"The parking and outdoor storage of trailers, recreational vehicles, travel trailers, campers, pickup coaches, motorized homes, boat trailers, boats and similar vehicles and equipment is prohibited in street yards and within 20 feet of the rear lot line"

I can think of three homes right off the bat who are going to have to rethink how they store their personal property.  Remember, none of this is the dreaded "commercial" use and there are homeowners who store their property happily at the moment without meeting these regulations.  To make matters worse, there are no storage facilities inside city limits that rent parking spaces.  Closest ones are in Doraville and Sandy Springs.

So you want to use PODS or a similar service to store your stuff off-property, or move from one house to another.  Can you tell which storage company meets these regulations?

"The community development director is authorized to approve the use of portable 
storage containers as a temporary use in any zoning district."

So to get a PODS to your house to get your stuff out of view, you need a permit.  Who's going to think of that when calling the company?

"Temporary portable storage containers may not exceed 8.5 feet in height or 
more than 260 square feet in area."

If you need more storage space than this, you're hosed.


Temporary portable storage containers may not be located in the public rightof-way or obstruct intersection visibility.
                                                           
Need your driveway clear while you use a PODS to move your stuff?  Bummer!


Temporary portable storage containers may not be located in side setbacks or side yards. Temporary portable storage containers may not be located in a street yard unless located on a driveway or other paved surface.

Double bummer if you have a small lot.  Or a hilly one.

Rail cars, semi-trailers or similar equipment may not be used for temporary (or permanent) storage.

Hey, guy on Tilly Mill road next to the "J" - this was written for you!

Signs on temporary portable storage containers must comply with all applicable city sign regulations

Show of hands, who is going to read the city sign code to PODS or other storage company to see if the paint on the storage containers matches the code?



So while we have to keep smaller subsections of our community in mind when crafting a zoning document, let's not overlook the basic regulations that will eventually dictate the lives of every citizen, regardless of what district they live in, regardless of what kind of home in what subdivision.  Forgetting the basics of zoning residential districts is like tripping over a $100 bill to pick up a quarter.  And it will lead to more upset red-shirts clammoring for their rights down the line.


Tom and Fran would do well to focus their legislative comments tonight on ways to extricate Dunwoody from the ever-failing DeKalb School System.  Whenever DCSS' credibility hits bottom, they start digging.  Eugene Walker should be in China by now.  We can argue and fuss and conspire and ruminate about all of the zoning in the world.  But all of that effort will be worth a hill of poop in the dog park if Dunwoody's schools are associated with a system that is all but designed to fail.

If we're going to preserve (I prefer "conserve"...) our community for future generations to enjoy and live in, let's make sure the foundations and basics of the zoning code and other legal structures are truly livable.  Worry less about the "occupations" and the "livestock"; worry more about the actual residential rules.

We haven't even gotten to the residentially-zoned stream buffers yet.

Who Wants Their Own Reality Show?

I just received this request and I'm passing it on.  There has to be at least one business owner in Dunwoody whose daily business life would make for interesting TV.

We are Leopard Films USA, a major US television production company that produces family friendly shows like House Hunters International for HGTV, as well as series on A&E, Discovery, Food Network amongst many other major TV Networks.

There are NO COSTS to any businesses to participate in this opportunity and participation could only lead to national PUBLICITY for their businesses to benefit their families and your local economy.

As you know, there certainly are lackluster reality TV series on the air today, but Leopard Films prides itself with producing only the highest quality, family friendly TV-series that always benefit any business and community involved.

All the best,

Harlan Freedman

West Coast Head of Development

Leopard Films USA

1415 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028

323-424-7300

www.leopardfilms.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Put your business on a national TV series!

Leopard Films USA (www.leopardfilmsusa.com), a major U.S. production company with docu-series on TV networks including A&E, Food, Discovery, History, Travel, and HGTV is searching for businesses that are right for their own TV series that meet at least ONE of the following criteria:

1.  Businesses that have interesting characters working there.

OR

2.  Businesses with a unique product/service or are the best at what they do.

OR

3.  Businesses that are family run (3 or more family members)

If you know of such a business, please email us TODAY to begin the FREE and easy process to determine if your or someone you know, business, should have your own TV series!

Email us today at DevelopmentLA@LeopardFilms.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zoning Sounding Board Confidential

As of last night the zoning code rewrite drafting is about 3/4 done.  Last module is going to involve the stream buffers and related issues.

When the Sounding Board was first assembled, Steve Dush cautioned all of us that discussions would be heated and there was a potential for them to get out of control.

That never happened.  We each had areas of concern and expertise, but no fights broke out.  There were no "hijacked" meetings.  Once we got to know each other in the context of the Board and its goals, once we were sure that none of our perspectives would be dismissed or censored, we came together as a group and looked for ways that all of the diverse interests of Dunwoody's many communities could be accommodated. That is, we recognized that not all districts or subdivisions, or businesses were alike.  One size fits all wasn't going to happen.  We strove to watch a code develop that would accommodate ever-diversifying interests through the next two decades of the 21st century.

We hashed through all kinds of interests.  Some of which I believe will become anachronisms in 20 years when the zoning code has to be reviewed again.  There were all sorts of groups looking to have their interests codified.  There were sloppy displays of Gluteus smoochium to the Atlanta Regional Commission. There were activities and interests I couldn't imagine myself involved with in a million years.  There were major conflicts that needed fine lines drawn.  When last night's meeting rolled around, the Sounding Board members present and reps from the City and the consultants were sitting around, agreeing with each other (!) that the current draft was comprehensive, consistent, accommodating of various interests when able and most of all, fair to the entire city,  not just one segment of it.

There are going to be individual cases to be worked out one at a time.  But the framework is in place.

The most interesting thing I learned was that it is not necessary to personally endorse an activity or perspective to accommodate it in the code.  That epiphany broke down a lot of barriers.  There were some requests and recommendations that I thought were ridiculous.  But determining their place in the code wasn't about what I thought personally.  It was about making room for as many as possible.

City staff and council members have sat in on these sessions at various times, usually without comment.  Last night Denny Shortal visited and offered his personal advice to the team.  (Unfortunately, he did so in the bottom of the 6th out of nine innings, bless his heart.)  Denny's advice was (paraphrased) to base our decisions of what the code should read based on what we would like to live next to personally.

Denny is wrong and last night's advice was bad for Dunwoody.  Here is why:

When peoples' only perception of  "the city" begins and ends at their property lines, communication becomes impossible.  Cliques form that consider other taxpaying and homeowner citizens the "foe" that they must be "protected" against.  Any step in evolution, growth, improvement is met with suspicion and hostility.  Then you see groups of grumpy red shirted-citizens opposed to any change, whatever the reason.  The impact of any previous progress is diluted.  Focusing your attention on only what you, yourself,  "like" and "prefer" pits neighbors against each other and progress grinds to a halt.  Focusing on your own likes to the detriment of others who think differently is to write a zoning code based on fear, rather than reality.  I dont' know if Denny even realizes this is what he has done.

Speaking of basing code upon fear, my colleagues and others interested in this process love to inform me how home occupations are going to be a "hot button" issue.  I can't tell if they're dreading the conflict or thriving on it.  I supposed it depends on who's doing the talking.   The number of recorded complaints regarding home occupations is minuscule compared to the hundreds of home business owners in Dunwoody. No one believes for a minute that any homeowner should put up with egregious nuisances.  There are some little red lizards running around town trying to convince you that home business owners want the right to be a nuisance  That is a lie.

Every effort was put into writing the current code to accommodate the majority of home business owners who get along with their neighbors without causing the problems that are the source of the fear.  Past incidents of code violations by home business owners were examined and the code written to prohibit those practices.  At the same time, the punitive processes were removed.  If this code is passed, home business owners will be free to come forward and be permitted by the city to see one customer at a time, without hiding from a months-long process that drags out in the pages of the Crier.   Music teachers and other tutors can receive their pupils without their parents whispering nervously about being at someone's home.   Neighbors and others can file a complaint where necessary and leave the peaceful owners alone.  Peaceful home business owners don't need or deserve to be stigmatized by the few who cannot function in their neighborhoods.

Why has this process taken so long?  Because every time this discussion comes up, the first words out of every nay-sayer's mouth is "I'm afraid."  The previous code was written in the 1970s  and is only enforced because of someone's fear, not the reality of the wide variety of activities that take place in a 21st century home.  Home business owners were considered guilty of being a nuisance before proven innocent - and they could never be innocent.  The current code draft balances the needs of home business owners and other residents fairly, without a presumption of guilt on either side.

Read it for yourself at zoningdunwoody.com.  Nothing in this process or these documents has ever been a secret.

That's just one issue that is going to come up tonight.  (We'll see if I can get over my cold in enough time to attend.)  The accommodation of bicyclists, standards in the Village Overlay District, "mixed use" districts, are all going to be major.  There are advocates both for and against these accommodation, just like for home businesses.

What's going to happen tonight?  How many attendees will open their discussion on whatever issue concerns them with "We can't do that because I'm afraid"?  How many will look beyond their own property lines and accept the different homes that make up Dunwoody and find common ground?  Or at the very least build a fair fence between them?

Take my advice - let the Angel destroy the lizard.  It's liberating to let go of the fear of the "different".  I did it myself.  The entire Sounding Board did.  It's OK to let everyone be happy citizens in their own way.

The Great Divorce

C. S. Lewis is most famous for the "Chronicles of Narnia" series of books, starting with "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."  However he wrote several other novels based on Christian theological themes.

One of his lesser-known is "The Great Divorce".  It was originally written as a serial in a UK newspaper in the mid 1940s, then published as a book, adapted as a play, and there are rumors of a film adaptation in the near future.

Like his other novels, "Divorce" is a fantasy.  The story opens with a group of people waiting at a bus stop.  Not just any bus stop.  This one is in Hell.  The people are waiting for a bus ride to Heaven.

The group is a bunch of grumbling malcontents who are not capable of being happy.  Of course, you wouldn't expect anyone to be happy in Hell.  Their bus reaches its destination.  The opening chapters describe a green paradise of eternal cool summer morning.  The residents are bright white figures.  However the bus riders are oily ghosts who are so insubstantial, even the blades of grass pierce their feet.

They escape Hell.  They arrive in Heaven.  Others urge them to stay and enjoy eternity.

They hate it!

How could anyone hate Heaven?  The answers came in the stories of each of the "ghosts" as they explored and interacted with others they knew on Earth and died like them, but went to Heaven instead.  The "diverse" bus company included an apostate pastor, a bitter conspiracy theorist/pessimist, a vain old woman obsessed with her appearance, and several self-possessed drama-queens who never realized how miserable they made their families.  They were each so wrapped up in themselves that Heaven was a miserable place and most of them returned to Hell.

Only one of the ghosts from Hell manages to stay:
______________________________________

I saw coming towards us a Ghost who carried something on his shoulder.  Like all the Ghosts, he was unsubstantial....What sat on his shoulder was a little red lizard, and it was twitching its tail like a whip and whispering things in his ear.  As we caught sight of him he turned his head to the reptile with a snarl of impatience....It wagged its tail and continued to whisper to him.  He ceased snarling, and presently began to smile.  Then he turned and started to limp westward, away from the Mountains.

"Off so soon?" said a voice.

The speaker was more or less human in shape but larger ahn a man and so bright that I could hardly look at him.  His presence smote on my eyes and on my body too like the morning sun at the beginning of a tyrannous summer day.

"Yes, I'm off," said the Ghost.  "Thanks for all your hospitality.  But it's no good, you see.  I told this little chap...that he'd have to be quiet if he came - which he insisted on doing.  Of course hsit stuff won't do here:  I realise that.  But he won't stop.  I shall just have to go home."

"Would you like me to make him quiet?" said the flaming Spirit - an angel, as I now understood.

"Of course I would," said the Ghost.

"Then I will kill him, "said the Angel, taking a step forward.

"Oh - ah - look out!  You're burning me.  Keep away," said teh Ghost, retreating.

"Don't you want him killed?"

"You didn't say anything about killing him at first.  I hardly meant to bother you with anything so drastic as that."

"It's the only way," said the Angel, whose burning hands were now very close to the lizard.  "Shall I kill it?"

..."Honestly,  I don't think there's the slightest necessity for that.  I'm sure I shall be able to keep it in order now.  I think the gradual process would be far better than killing it."

"The gradual process is of no use at all."

"Get back!  You're burning me.  How can I tell you to kill it?  You'd kill me if you did."

"It is not so....I never said it wouldn't hurt you.  I said it wouldn't kill you."

"If you wanted to help me, why didn't you kill the damned thing without asking me - before I knew?  It would be all over by now if you had."

"I cannot kill it against your will.  It is impossible.  Have I your permission?"

Then the Lizard began chattering to the Ghost so loud that even I could hear what it was saying.

"Be careful," it said.  "He can do what he says.  He can kill me.  One fatal word from you and he will!  Then you'll be without me for ever and ever.  It's not natural.  How could you live?  You'd be only a sort of ghost, not a real man as you are now.  He doesn't understand.  He's only a cold, bloodless abstract thing....I admit I've sometimes gone too far in the past, but I promise I won't do it again.  I'll give you nothing but really nice dreams...."

"Have I your permission?" said the Angel to the Ghost.

... "Damn and blast you!  Go on can't you?  Get it over.  Do whatever you like," bellowed the Ghost:  but ended whimpering, "God help me."
__________________________________________

And with that, the Angel destroyed the Demon whispering in the soul's ear.  The former Ghost became a saint and Heaven rejoiced as he entered.

The difference between the Ghost who stayed in Heaven and the rest that returned to Hell was that the one who stayed chose to stop listening to his fears being reinforced in his head.  Everyone else couldn't see beyond themselves.  Their fears and their misery were so familiar and so comfortable that it was a horror to release them - even if it meant eternal joy.
------------------------------------------------------------

In any community, including ours, there are a lot of little demonic lizards, sitting on a lot of shoulders, whispering in a lot of ears, reinforcing the comfortable fears that make even neighbors distrust each other.  To be happy, you have to choose to kill the fear.

AT&T Email and Outlook - It's not you, it's them

If your ISP is AT&T in any way, shape, or form (including Uverse) and you're getting error messages when you connect via Outlook, it's not you.  Don't waste your time uninstalling and reinstalling your entire MS Office suite.

AT&T email servers had a hacking incident recently and every geek on deck is twiddling knobs to close the new vulnerability.

Of course, that means someone twiddles the wrong knob and FUBARs authentication with 3rd-party email programs.

Use your webmail or smartphone-based mail client for a while.  Calling AT&T doesn't usually help, they just deny changing anything on their end.  Security, ya know.

I'm in this boat as well.  I'm handling all mail on my phone.  If something is mission-critical, give me a call.

State BOE Hearing will be webcast at 1 PM

The hearing for the DeKalb Board of Education will be webcast.  The state BOE will hear from DeKalb's BOE members before determining their fate.

Whether or not you have children, whether or not they live in your home, and whether or not they attend DeKalb public schools, this affects each of us.  Not just because of "home values" but because 64% of the property taxes we pay have funded the actions that brought us to this point.

The weather is a bear today so listen in online.

Viewing the webcast requires the RealPlayer plugin.  Download for free here.

1 PM  January 17
Be there or be square.

http://www.gadoe.org/External-Affairs-and-Policy/State-Board-of-Education/Pages/Live-Webcasts.aspx

Dunwoody Chamber on Business Radio X Monday Morning

Every month, the Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce is featured on Business Radio X, an Internet radio program dedicated to local business enterprises and entrepreneurs.

This month, one of the featured guests on a special edition of the High Velocity Radio show, dedicated to the Dunwoody Chamber is Dunwoody graphic designer and home business owner, Debbie Smith of DesignSeven.

If her name isn't familiar to you, her work is.  Not only has she designed a series of print graphics for the Dunwoody Chamber, (which I have had the great pleasure of adapting to the Chamber website) but she is also responsible for much of the art that you see distributed for the Sustainability Commission.  Debbie also created the new logo for the Dunwoody Nature Center, which is the cornerstone of their new branding and publicity campaigns.

Debbie is going to be talking with the host about doing business in Dunwoody and her involvement with the Chamber.

Listen in at 10 AM on Monday, Jan 14 live.  Or, check back to the Dunwoody Chamber site in a couple of weeks and a mobile-friendly file will be available for review.

Dunwoody business is not just business - it's our neighbors and our lives.  Get your neighbor's perspective this Tuesday.

UPDATE:  Debbie was a smashing success!  Access the recorded show here.
Debbie will be back in the future with a show dedicated to graphic design.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from all of us at the "home office" of DWG to all of our visitors.

Adrienne, Pat Sr, Maggie, Michelle, Pat Jr.

Thanksgiving 2012

The Pilgrims had come to America not to conquer a continent but to re-create their modest communities in Scrooby and in Leiden. ...  The Pilgrims' religious beliefs played a dominant role in the decades ahead, but it was their deepening relationship with the Indians that turned them into Americans.
By forcing the English to improvise, the Indians prevented Plymouth Colony from ossifying into a monolithic cult of religious extremism.  For their part, the Indians were profoundly influenced by the English and quickly created a new and dynamic culture full of Native and Western influences.  For a nation that has come to recognize that one of its greatest strengths is its diversity, the first fifty years of Plymouth Colony stand as a model of what America might have been from the very beginning.
By the midpoint of the seventeenth century, however, the attitudes of many of the Indians and English had begun to change.  With only a fraction of their original homeland remaining, more and more young Pokanokets claimed it was time to rid themselves of the English.  The Pilgrims' children, on the other hand, coveted what territory the Pokanokets still possessed and were already anticipating the day when the Indians had, through the continued effects of disease and poverty, ceased to exist.  Both sides had begun to envision a future that did not include the other.
In the end, both sides wanted what the Pilgrims had been looking for in 1620:  a place unfettered by obligations to others.  But from the moment Massasoit decided to become the Pilgrims' ally, New England belonged to no single group.  For peace and for survival, others must be accommodated. The moment any of them gave up on the difficult work of living with their neighbors - and all the compromise, frustration, and delay that inevitably entailed - they risked losing everything.  It was a lesson that Bradford and Massassoit had learned over the course of more than three long decades.

--Nathaniel Philbrick

Mayflower:  A Story of Courage, Community and War

Can Dunwoody Schools Be Independent?

Just when parents think they've seen everything in DeKalb County schools, Central Office comes up with new combinations of arrogance and incompetence to appall them.

No one has any business being surprised that DeKalb cities are looking for alternatives to the county-run public schools.  Communities looking to create start-up charters now have an appeal option with the State if the county-based school board shoots it down.  Arguments for "local control" only work when you're talking about extremely rural counties - which make up the majority of Georgia.  Urban and suburban counties are not going to be served well by a county-based organization.  Every news outlet in Atlanta has proof of that in DeKalb.

So what would it be like if Dunwoody were to take advantage of the ability to create a start-up charter?  This would be more likely to happen in the foreseeable future given the long road to independent school districts, or even charter clusters.

Here's a hypothetical.

Interested Parent Group (IPG for short) wants to start a new charter elementary school because their current school is overcrowded and doesn't offer the classes the parents want their children to have. These parents want to see a foreign language requirement and guaranteed art, music, and PE.

Let's assume IPG has gone through the charter application process, got shot to hell by DeKalb, appealed to the State and were approved.  They're good to go.

IPG has three key requirements to start up:  1)  Money.  2)  A location.   3)  Faculty and staff.   Needs #2 and 3 could be resolved by fulfilling Need #1.

There are three options for raising money.  IPG could apply for grants from major foundations.  Serious paydirt if you're selected but the competition process is long and the results far from certain.  IPG could pass the hat in the Dunwoody community for startup funds.  Also not impossible but how certain are we that our most well-heeled residents would be willing and/or able to write a 7-figure check?  The final option is the most expedient, the most reliable, and was used as a foil by those opposed to the state charter amendment:  private charter school providers.  Here's an example that is active in Michigan charter schools.

Let's say that our IPG has received a grant from a private foundation for startup costs.  Let's also say that they've contracted with a company like the one linked above for management.  Let's say they even found a location:  the stars aligned and, with the startup grant, they purchased the old elementary school site on Shallowford and Chamblee Dunwoody roads and are going to level the current eyesore and construct a new building and grounds.

The story looks like it approaches a happy ending with local growth and control of Dunwoody schools within easy reach of the local community.

Ah - ah - ah!  Not so fast!

The ending can't be that happy and that simple in Dunwoody.

You see, when you contract with a private company to manage your school, then it's no longer just a neighborhood school.

It's "commercial activity in a residential neighborhood."  And we all know what kind of reaction that will get.

Even if IPG managed to get their charter school property zoned as O/I (which is the closest thing the still-in-progress zoning code has to an "educational" use) it still backs up to residential properties.  Get ready for the angry mobs and the threats of lawyers.

The in-progress zoning code does not take into account the possibility off Dunwoody-controlled schools.  Zoning designations only acknowledge PRIVATE schools with lot size requirements.  (5 acres for elementary, 12 acres for middle, 20 acres for high school)  But with no standards for public schools, the loudest mob will win the day.

Dunwoody citizens dance a gleeful jig when their hostility alone blocks a day care facility.  The reaction to a K - 5 school with twice as many students and more activity is likely to be much more severe.  A school district would multiply the conflict further - more schools, more students, more to complain about.  If the reconfiguration of an insignificant side street brings out our worst, how can we expect to accommodate start-up charters?   Or manage a school system so that it can educate all of Dunwoody's children to our very high expectations while dealing with the outcry of those who can't stand having any institution other than their own home "visible from the street"?

The question is:  Can Dunwoody schools be independent?

The answer is no.  They cannot.

That has nothing to do with Georgia's constitution, that can be (and has been) changed.  It has nothing to do with the mental midgets running the DCSS Central Office.  Cut them loose and let the legal system have at them.  That fact has everything to do with Dunwoody's own citizenry, the most difficult barrier to overcome.

It's Always the Quiet Ones

Full Story

CBS Atlanta 46
DUNWOODY, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -

The city of Dunwoody announced a plan to create its own school system, separate from DeKalb County.
The issue came up for discussion at Monday night's city council meeting.

"This is good for all the students of Georgia," Dunwoody council member Terry Nall said.

Nall proposed the idea because he would like to see the city of Dunwoody take back control from the county.

"I moved to add changing the state constitution that would allow municipalities to establish independent school systems. Today over 500 cities in the state of Georgia do not have that choice," Nall said.

Nall said the city council plans to ask state legislators to consider a constitutional amendment that will give cities like Dunwoody a choice when it comes to government schools.

"Yeah, I would support that," Dunwoody school parent Marty Fritts said.

Fritts is in favor of the idea, because she was appalled at the mismanagement of funds in DeKalb County.
"I would like to say we'd have more of a voice for sure and a lot of concerned parents around here are active in the schools and we help with PTA, sports, orchestra, band - we're active," Fritts said.

Fritts, like most parents, had one major concern about Dunwoody establishing its own school system.
"I know that the funding would still be a problem because I know it's a small city, Dunwoody, so we don't know where the money would come from," Fritts said.

So CBS Atlanta News questioned Nall to find out how he financially plans to make his concept a reality.
"Where do you get the funding?" CBS Atlanta reporter Adam Murphy asked.

"Well today we're paying a very healthy millage rate to DeKalb County School system. And like when we became a city, we took the millage rate we were paying to the county in municipal services and applied it and it became the millage rate for the city of Dunwoody for our services. And I would expect a very similar situation to occur if we were to go down that path," Nall said.

This proposal is far from reality. City council members have to get state lawmakers on board and then a majority of the state house and senate would have to approve it.

Copyright 2012 WGCL-TV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.

The Old Arby's in Williamsburg will be replaced by....

Chick-Fil-A

Earlier this year, .I held an officially unofficial poll asking what the community would like to see fill the old Arby's.  After a lot of dancing around with bids submitted then withdrawn and reconsidered, and a long, awkward, silence, the majority of poll voters are getting their wish.  The temporary signs went up this week and the location is expected to start operations by the end of the year.

And there wasn't even a squabble over zoning.

On to the next question.

What would the community like to see replace the New York Butcher Shop that recently closed its Dunwoody location?  (And I am SERIOUSLY pissed about this because they had some of the best custom meat to be found in a neighborhood retail location and I'm not up for trekking all the way over to Sandy Springs for the same items, no matter how addictive their lobster salad, prime tenderloin, and lobster bisque are!)  Of course, if I happen to be in their neighborhood, I'll stop in to feed the addiction.

Comments are open.  Considerations for this location:

Forget "Williamsburg".  The structure was built by the franchisees of Java U who thumbed their noses at the architectural standard and built what they liked.  

Forget about drive-throughs.  The awkward little triangle has no room for expansion.

Great location for visibility.  Traffic - not so much.

Easily take advantage of marketing to built-in population at All Saints.  Anyone willing to adjust their hours to accommodate Sunday afternoons and evenings should do well.  The site is also poised to participate in the 4th of July parade.

SDOC Welcomes RikEmmett.com

This one is for all of my progressive rock/classic rock fan friends out there.

Effective this morning, SDOC Publishing is providing all development and back-end maintenance services for RikEmmett.com, the official website for former Triumph frontman Rik Emmett in Toronto.

You won't notice any visible changes when you visit.  The current theme by Burning Fire Design will remain.  However I'm climbing down into the back with my digital wrench and doing some major upgrades on the e-Commerce side, with upgraded capabilities for downloadable music and other products, as well as improved functionality for the fan forum and promotional newsletters and assorted other interactive features.  Some time next year, SDOC will provide all hosting services as well.

Helluva way to hit the ground running after Briers North Halloween!  Enjoy!

So Much For Code Enforcement

GOTCHA!!!

It's Halloween and we're all gearing up for a night of world-class decorations and trick-or-treating in Briers North!

You won't see anything on the news (several news agencies have been turned away already) so if you're going to visit for Halloween, here's the 411.

Some information for you if you are planning to join us:

• Halloween is ALWAYS and ONLY celebrated on October 31st.  Rain or Shine!  For 2012, this will be on a Wednesday.

• The passing out of candy begins at 6:00pm and stops at 9:00pm.  No one is admitted to the subdivision after 8:30pm.

• We start closing the subdivision to automobile traffic at 5:45pm and we do not reopen until 9:30pm. There is NO parking inside Briers North subdivision. If you park outside, please do so legally. The North Peachtree Baptist Church (corner of Tilly Mill & Peeler) is accepting donations for the use of their parking lot for anyone wishing to park there (proceeds being given to the Boy Scouts).

• Trick-or-treating in Briers North on Halloween is AT YOUR OWN RISK. This is a public event on public streets and is NOT sponsored by any association or group. Briers North assumes no liability or responsibility for visitors.

• NO pets are allowed during this time (they get scared and some of the children get scared!)

If you enjoyed Halloween in Briers North in the past, or plan to visit this year, please consider giving a small donation.  Donations help to make this a SAFE event for everyone and are gratefully received!

There is something for everyone here.  Kids, adults, whoever.  For the local curmudgeon who isn't happy unless they are complaining about something, we have Code Violation Bingo.  Lots of unauthorized construction going on so you'll rack up your bingo in no time.  The free star in the center of the card is the outhouse on my front lawn.

But seriously folks....

My neighborhood is proud to welcome so many visitors from so many places this night.  Everyone is a knight, or a princess, or whoever they want to be regardless of their walk of life.  You learn a lot about people and more about yourself when you show hospitality to people you normally don't encounter.  I ran across this piece on Facebook recently.  Please give these words some serious thought if you are tempted to get frustrated with Halloween celebrations and encountering people you are not accustomed to.

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 (SPD) or autism.
   Be nice.   Be patient.  It's EVERYONE'S Halloween.

May I Have a Word(Press)?

Almost all web development these days is based on a content management system (CMS).  The most popular currently is WordPress.  WordPress began its life as a stand-alone blogging software package but evolved over the past several years into a full-fledged open-source CMS.  WordPress users can add pages, design elaborate themes, and add all kinds of functionality - including some surprisingly robust ecommerce capabilities.

Several of my current clients requested WordPress updates this year, including Atlanta Panhellenic, COCAP, Northside Tree, and there are more in the pipeline.   Most users find it easy to use for a layperson.  But WordPress is not the only CMS out there.  How do you know if it's right for your project?

Here's the breakdown:

Pros:
Again, ease of use.  Many hosting providers, like GoDaddy or BlueHost offer "1-click" installation.  You don't have to know what you're doing, you just have to remember your username and password and the server does the rest.  Adding functionality ("Plugins") is also easy as a user can search for the right plugin through the site's administrative page and install with a couple of clicks.  You can truly get away with not knowing any code or how to interact with a server if you need to.

Flexibility.  Unlike specialized systems like Drupal or Sitefinity, WordPress will function on either Linux or Windows servers, so long as they support the PHP programming language.  99.9% of them do.

Support for non-Flash animations.  It is rare to see a WordPress site without a slideshow that is visible on tablets and smartphones.  That's because the standard WordPress installation has excellent built-in support for these functions.  Don't let slideshows fool you - they have a million moving parts and are NOT simple creatures!  WordPress has made it easy to install slideshow plugins and the plugins themselves are easy to learn.

Cons:
Quality control of "plugins".   Plugins - additional functions that extend the capabilities of a basic WordPress site - are linked from a dedicated section of the main website, wordpress.org.  However there are many duplicates and not all of them are equally useful or reliable.  Some are so generalized it is difficult to customize them to your needs and even require some coding knowledge.  That defeats the "ease of use" principle.  Others are so specialized they can't be used at all.  Further, there is no synchronization between plugin development and core evolution.  Plugins rely on community feedback to determine if they are compatible with the most recent upgrade of the standard WordPress installation, which is notoriously unreliable.  Plugins can be useful but choosing the right ones can be a crapshoot.

Little support for online communities.  Unlike WordPress' counterparts Joomla and Drupal, WordPress does not have major support for directories of users or custom profiles, or individual contact forms. Online community functions like bulletin boards are slowly emerging into sunlight.  WordPress assumes that all users with access to the admin page are there to edit content and not necessarily interact with each other.  The closest WordPress comes is a plugin called BuddyPress; however for the average user, this plugin - plus its over 300 companion plugins - is difficult to use and intended mainly for professional developers.  Most WordPress users I've encountered will use a separate bulletin board program, like phpBB as an additional installation for this purpose.

Weak internationalization.    If your target audience uses more than one language, you're going to run into problems.  Most WordPress plugins rely on automated translation (remember Babelfish?) which is never recommended by serious interpreters or translators.  If you have to have your content translated into different languages (or, if you want to deliver different content based on the audience's language) my personal favorite is Joomla with the JoomFish extension.  (I used this combo on the Cap Global Language Services site.)

When you're planning a website, make sure that you have a solid list of what you want it to do, how you want it to function, and what you want your visitors to be able to do when they get there.  That will help you and your webmaster determine the right technology and the right CMS for the job.

What fair?

It's the middle of the weekend and I just happened to see a small sign promoting this fair at lunchtime today.

Does anyone know anything or am I just the last to know?  ;-)

From the meta description:  "The Dunwoody festival & Fair is a Community Festival that celebrates the History and heritage of the City of Dunwoody."

http://www.dunwoodyfestivalandfair.com/

City Hall is Invested in Dunwoody Businesses - This Means YOU!

From this week's Crier:

Attention all 2,400 Dunwoody businesses—-the city of Dunwoody feels you are vital to the community and wants to foster your continued growth and success.
And, to help ensure local business owners and corporate leaders understand their importance to the city, Dunwoody’s economic development office recently launched a business retention “listening tour” to, in the words of one city official, “make sure businesses that call Dunwoody home are happy.”

Entire article online here.

Who are "Dunwoody businesses"?

According to City Hall's own statistics, almost 80% of these have 10 employees or fewer.  The most current numbers available indicate almost 400 of them are home-based.  (That we are sure of - many home business owners hide.  Some are deliberately trying to skirt the law.  Others feel their enterprise is so small it's not worth the effort to do the licensing paperwork at City Hall.)  That factors out to between 15-20% of your business community;  a huge amount.

It is in City Hall's best interest to pay attention to the small, local, family-owned, and home-based operations as much as if not more than the large corporations.

Why?

Because the overwhelming majority of these small business owners are Dunwoody residents.

They are businesses that can VOTE.

It wouldn't be wise to piss them off to the point they decide to vote as a block.

Contrary to the NIMBY party line, there is almost no deliniation between a business owner and a homeowner in Dunwoody.  They are not separate feudal kingdoms, eternally at war, with an alligator-stocked moat between them.  Dunwoody business owners are not out to ravage their neighborhoods (you know - the ones they LIVE in....) and transform them into polluted wastelands.  They're your neighbors.  Like 'em or not, they are the people who walk their dogs and jog and play tennis at the local club.  They're the people you buy products from.  Or who provide services in your home.  It amazes me that the occasional NIMBY uprising at some DHA meetings is so short-sighted they would alienate people they live with just for being a business owner.

But Michael Starling's office and City Hall for that matter aren't going to get drowned out by NIMBYs.  I believe that the meetings being proposed are a safe haven for business owners to say what they think without being subjected to a "Lord of the Flies" scenario by an angry, mindless mob driven by fears whispered in their ears.

No matter how large or small your operation is...  whether you work in Dunwoody Village, Georgetown, Perimeter, or at home - the invitation is out for YOU.  Take advantage of it.  Call Starling's office, make an appointment to visit, and say what's on your mind.  This is not speaking in public, so you're not going to make yourself a target by standing up for yourself, your employees, your colleagues, and your customers.

As a business owner if you want your rights defined and defended, the welcome mat is out and the next move is yours.

Mr. Starling - please check your voicemail.  I left a message for you.

What's Cooking in the Incubator?

At the State of the City address in 2012, Mike included as part of his speech the intention to form a "business incubator".

Sounds good on the surface.  With the business community paying the majority of taxes and fees to the City, and a high number of entrepreneurs creating their own jobs, who doesn't want to develop small businesses and help them reach their potential?

I wish I could say there has been progress on this, but the fact is no one knows for sure.   All inquiries into this project - including from people who have worked in these endeavors before and have experience - have gone unanswered.

No one has defined what this "incubator" is specifically going to accomplish, what business sectors are going to be targeted, what time frames are for goals, and especially - where is the money going to come from and how much.

The following commentary regarding business incubators is from a TechCrunch blog.  It specifically discusses IT business incubators but I believe the points can be expanded to any business field.

It's important because there is a perception that money is getting thrown around like confetti on non-priorities  with no reason or end in sight.  The last thing the City needs is an ultra-high-risk project with no definitions corralling it and no information distributed.

90% Of Incubators And Accelerators Will Fail And That’s Just Fine For America And The World

Key excerpts below.  Entire article in the link above.

I would like to present the claim that 90 percent of incubators will fail. By “failing,” I mean they don’t return (or don’t exceed) the money that was put into them. On what basis do I make my claim? Well, the hundreds of incubators are really startups, and the oft-cited rule of thumb is that 9 out of 10 startups fail.\ 

Is there any reason why incubators would be different from other startup spaces? Just as we’ve seen with daily deals, mobile apps and games, it’s clear only a few (maybe four or five) will become leaders in the category. The rest will absorb more capital than they can return, shut down, or pivot into something else. 

1. Too Many Companies, Too Little Mentorship
2. No Clear Funding Path After The “Program”
3.  Lack Of Business Development Resources

So - what exactly is the status of Dunwoody's proposed "incubator"?

MAJOR WATER MAIN BREAK ON TILLY MILL ROAD

January 8 story here.

UPDATE:  the break has been patched to some degree and the crew is finishing their cleanup as of now (10:15 PM)  Tilly Mill Road is back open.  There was no service  shutoff and no boil water advisory.  Dodged a big bullet there.  There's going to be some big metal plates in the road.  Heads up for those if you're passing through during tomorrow's traffic.

That growing lake at Briers North Drive is not the result of our subdivision rehearsing for Halloween.

Some time around 9 or 10-ish this morning a major water line broke under the street  just south of Briers North on Tilly Mill Road.

Tilly Mill Road is closed and Briers North Drive is closed to all non-residents.

There is no boil water advisory however if you live in the area, fill your bathtubs and stock up on drinking water.  They're expecting  repairs to be ongoing "through the night".

Just got pictures....

When we left for Mass this morning, this stream was  a small enough puddle that we thought a neighbor accidentally left their garden hose on.  Apparently not.

DeKalb County sent a crew out and they are working here to find the valve  (one of several required) to stop the water flow.  What's that in the background behind the crewman's right shoulder?

Oh, that's just the GEYSER created when the backhoe was brought in to dig into the street and find the leak.  It started as a slow-ish trickle up through a buckle somewhere down the asphalt.

Yes, this is real and when these pictures were taken was at least 20 feet high.  The water exploded through the concrete when the crew started digging for the leak.  This is at the Madisons subdivision.  Tilly Mill road is closed to all non-residents from Eidson  up to about Laurelwood.

Thank you, DeKalb on-call crew.

The scary part.  When the water burst through the paving, it literally RAINED chunks of concrete.  Right onto the crew trucks.  This windshield didn't survive.

UPDATED How NOT to add pedestrian islands and other niceties on Dunwoody streets

"Harry Pothole" has broadcast a couple of features regarding "pedestrian improvements" on streets around Atlanta.

In the clip below, the pedestrian island made the street so narrow that it was difficult for vehicles to navigate turns.  Another similar story aired today at 5 PM but isn't available on cbsatlanta.com at the moment.

Don't let this be one of the infamous "unintended consequences" of streetscaping here in Dunwoody.




CBS Atlanta 46

UPDATE:  Found it!  CBS Atlanta just posted the video from the other day.  The construction project in Midtown is *intended* to create a happy "pedestrian-friendly" streetscape.  But the construction has removed turning lanes and made the street so narrow that it is difficult to navigate.

Don't let this happen in Dunwoody.

(Here's the link in case the video doesn't appear below.)


CBS Atlanta 46

Random Samples in the Dunwoody Area

Chamblee's Own Georgetown?

Chamblee Plaza to Get Facelift

After years of decline, another major shopping center is staged for a revival.  A new owner (Trinity) has taken over Chamblee Plaza and is planning its resurrection.  A food truck rally is scheduled to become a regular event to renew interest.

Can Chamblee Plaza repeat the success of Georgetown?
It wasn't long ago that  Georgetown Shopping Center was "that other part of Dunwoody" that was just oh-so-undesirable for the "right" Dunwoodians.  With an upscale contemporary makeover of the facades, a new monument-style sign at the main entrance, a renovation of the Kroger supermarket and some new hip, trendy merchants in the storefronts, it is becoming the new must-shop part of town with a feel comparable to any of the "desirable" neighborhood shopping nodes.   There's no reason why Chamblee Plaza cannot enjoy the same success.


Jet Pizza Opening in Orchard Park (old Oscar's)

It looks like that space vacated by Oscar's Villa Capri is not going to be vacant for long.  Jet Pizza is loading in and the welcome mat is out for job applicants.  If anyone has heard of this outfit, the comments are open.








Dunwoody Nature Center Seeks Corporate Sponsors

Dunwoody Nature Center has become the extended back yard for lots of Dunwoody and regional families.  My family are members here and it isn't summer without daycamp for the kids.  If your company, however large or small, is looking for an opportunity to support a Dunwoody institution, this is your chance.  Sponsorships are affordable for any enterprise from international corporations down to local home-based operations.

Visit the Sponsorship Page for the possibilities.





Neighbors When You Need Them - Dunwoody Door Lift

I had an "oh, crap" moment the other day when my garage door opener failed.  While getting two toddlers to preschool.  And I'm late for a meeting.  And my hands are full of sh....  stuff.

When the day started to calm down I did a search for "dunwoody garage door" and found Dunwoody Door Lift, the only garage door installation and repair service in town.  With one call they had a technician out to my house the very next day and the problem was repaired within an hour.

Garage door repair isn't something you think about until you need it.  So it's easy to forget that Dunwoody Door Lift has been established in Dunwoody for almost 40 years.  It is also a  long-time home-based business that is a shining example of how home-based businesses can operate  peacefully within a neighborhood.

When it's time to repair or install a garage door or opener, please consider Dunwoody Door Lift and give them a call at 770-393-1652.