May 20 is an odd date for a US or state election so pollsters are anticipating "low turnout". So every vote will carry more weight.
I was going to write up a litany of candidates in the Republican primary that are getting my vote tomorrow (no listing means my thinking is still in progress) but I would be repeating what some of my neighbors are saying. So I'll include links to their thoughts and you'll get the gist.
State School Superintendent - Nancy Jester
I supported Nancy from Day One in her campaign for school board and have never regretted it. The only way to get any improvement in systems in crisis is to put officials in place who call a spade a spade and aren't cowed by the inevitable slings and arrows from the sectors clawing their way up to the status quo. I'm relieved that Stan is running unopposed for District 1 of DeKalb Co. Schools
Dunwoody Talk on Nancy
State Representative - Tom Taylor
I had no idea who Brad Goodchild was until I started getting stark campaign letters with vague positive language and no specifics. Which immediately buried the needle on my personal BS detector. Then I saw Erika Harris' letter in rebuttal to a campaign letter I had not yet seen. I've met Erika briefly when she was discussing GLASS at one event or another. I completely agreed with her points as I've heard Tom speak directly to what was at stake with his local school district bill and how difficult it would be to get it into law. But surely, she was exaggerating, right? Who could be that silly to call Tom's bill "DOA"?
Then I received my copy in the mail today. The articles were not an exaggeration.
I roll my eyes at a lot of campaign materials, even those for our own City Council. (Sorry, guys.) I was utterly offended by this one. You don't accuse someone of "just showing up" and then fail to show up in any public venue to promote yourself and your ideas. You don't campaign for a seat in one of the biggest shark tanks in the state and then refuse a community-level candidate forum over alleged lack of fairness. (You want to see "unfair"? Sit on that floor for an hour and watch the rhetoric, then watch the local media spin at 11 PM. Now that is unfair.) You REALLY don't criticize a long-haul effort for reform in educational structure without knowing what was happening any step of the way. Even an elementary school chess club knows that to secure an advantage and win a battle you have to move your pieces backwards and sideways in your strategy.
Anywho, Erika's words speak to my thoughts in the link above. Goodchild doesn't have a pot to piddle in compared with Taylor
State Senator - Fran Millar
Believe me, I do not sit around agreeing with Fran on every little detail. No question the man is a politician and good at that role. But has he performed in any way in the State Senate than warrants broad spectrum attacks from Dick Anderson? Not that I can see. Fran hasn't deviated from the Constitution (state or federal) so that someone has to come in and "return" to it.
Commentary from Bob L including observations of this race.
Now I'm hitting the hay so I can get to vote ASAP in the morning. Make the time to vote - it's always worth it.
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.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Happy Mother's Day
Reposted from "The Time Warp Wife" blog.
Read the entire article at: http://timewarpwife.com/?p=3120
The best Mother's Day tribute I've ever read because I've been through quite a few of these.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To those who gave birth this year to their first child—we celebrate with you
To those who lost a child this year – we mourn with you
To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day and wear the badge of food stains – we appreciate you
To those who experienced loss through miscarriage, failed adoptions, or running away—we mourn with you
To those who walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with pokes, prods, tears, and disappointment – we walk with you. Forgive us when we say foolish things. We don’t mean to make this harder than it is.
To those who are foster moms, mentor moms, and spiritual moms – we need you
To those who have warm and close relationships with your children – we celebrate with you
To those who have disappointment, heart ache, and distance with your children – we sit with you
To those who lost their mothers this year – we grieve with you
To those who experienced abuse at the hands of your own mother – we acknowledge your experience
To those who lived through driving tests, medical tests, and the overall testing of motherhood – we are better for having you in our midst
To those who are single and long to be married and mothering your own children – we mourn that life has not turned out the way you longed for it to be
To those who step-parent – we walk with you on these complex paths
To those who envisioned lavishing love on grandchildren -yet that dream is not to be, we grieve with you
To those who will have emptier nests in the upcoming year – we grieve and rejoice with you
To those who placed children up for adoption — we commend you for your selflessness and remember how you hold that child in your heart
And to those who are pregnant with new life, both expected and surprising –we anticipate with you
This Mother’s Day, we walk with you. Mothering is not for the faint of heart and we have real warriors in our midst. We remember you.
Read the entire article at: http://timewarpwife.com/?p=3120
The best Mother's Day tribute I've ever read because I've been through quite a few of these.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To those who gave birth this year to their first child—we celebrate with you
To those who lost a child this year – we mourn with you
To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day and wear the badge of food stains – we appreciate you
To those who experienced loss through miscarriage, failed adoptions, or running away—we mourn with you
To those who walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with pokes, prods, tears, and disappointment – we walk with you. Forgive us when we say foolish things. We don’t mean to make this harder than it is.
To those who are foster moms, mentor moms, and spiritual moms – we need you
To those who have warm and close relationships with your children – we celebrate with you
To those who have disappointment, heart ache, and distance with your children – we sit with you
To those who lost their mothers this year – we grieve with you
To those who experienced abuse at the hands of your own mother – we acknowledge your experience
To those who lived through driving tests, medical tests, and the overall testing of motherhood – we are better for having you in our midst
To those who are single and long to be married and mothering your own children – we mourn that life has not turned out the way you longed for it to be
To those who step-parent – we walk with you on these complex paths
To those who envisioned lavishing love on grandchildren -yet that dream is not to be, we grieve with you
To those who will have emptier nests in the upcoming year – we grieve and rejoice with you
To those who placed children up for adoption — we commend you for your selflessness and remember how you hold that child in your heart
And to those who are pregnant with new life, both expected and surprising –we anticipate with you
This Mother’s Day, we walk with you. Mothering is not for the faint of heart and we have real warriors in our midst. We remember you.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
History Alive! from the Dunwoody Preservation Trust
Thursday, MAY 8TH @ 8PM
Dunwoody United Methodist Church
Activities Building – Upstairs – Fellowship Hall
1548 Mt. Vernon Road, Dunwoody GA
Second in our History Alive! Series, Dunwoody Preservation Trust is bringing to you Dunwoody’s own, Dr. Seymour Goodman who will be discussing the Human Toll of the Civil War in the South. The event will be held at the Dunwoody United Methodist Church, 1548 Mt. Vernon Road, Dunwoody GA. Thursday, May 8th at 8PM.
(Enter the Activities Building from the rear of the church– upstairs in the Fellowship Hall)
Dr. Goodman is professor of International Affairs & Computing at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and the College of Computing at Georgia Tech. He also serves as Co-Director of the Center for International Strategy, Technology & Policy and the Co-Director of GA Tech’s Information Security Center.
Dr. Goodman is also interested in case studies of how scientists and engineers work in the context of intense national security pressures, and the roles of science and technology in large-scale conflicts. The latter include the American Civil War, World War II, the Cold War, and conflict in cyberspace.
Dr. Goodman’s has been a speaker of the Smithsonian Institution’s Civil War Sesquicentennial Symposium, C-Span & is a member of Atlanta’s Civil War Roundtable and this evening will examine the human costs of the Civil War.
Join us on Thursday, May 8th at 8pm while we learn about the Human Toll of the Civil War from this fascinating local speaker!
Dunwoody United Methodist Church
Activities Building – Upstairs – Fellowship Hall
1548 Mt. Vernon Road, Dunwoody GA
(Enter the Activities Building from the rear of the church– upstairs in the Fellowship Hall)
Dr. Goodman is professor of International Affairs & Computing at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and the College of Computing at Georgia Tech. He also serves as Co-Director of the Center for International Strategy, Technology & Policy and the Co-Director of GA Tech’s Information Security Center.
Dr. Goodman is also interested in case studies of how scientists and engineers work in the context of intense national security pressures, and the roles of science and technology in large-scale conflicts. The latter include the American Civil War, World War II, the Cold War, and conflict in cyberspace.
Dr. Goodman’s has been a speaker of the Smithsonian Institution’s Civil War Sesquicentennial Symposium, C-Span & is a member of Atlanta’s Civil War Roundtable and this evening will examine the human costs of the Civil War.
Join us on Thursday, May 8th at 8pm while we learn about the Human Toll of the Civil War from this fascinating local speaker!
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Opportunity Knocking: Lots of Openings for Business Sponsorships
Are you a small business owner looking for a combination of advertising and community support? Or the "go-to" person for a civic group or other not-for-profit? There are several sponsorship opportunities that are right up your alley to promote yourself in front of thousands of Dunwoody eyeballs throughout the summer.
Food Truck Thursdays
The Dunwoody Homeowners' Association new signature event is looking for sponsors each week from now through October 30. For costs and further information, please contact Bill Grossman at the DHA: http://www.dunwoodyga.org/Contact (The office address is no longer valid, so email - don't drop by.)
Adopt A Bench
The new initiative from the Dunwoody Woman's Club aims to place park benches in parks throughout Dunwoody. For $1,000 you can place your four-line text message on a plaque that will last for years.
More information and contact info on this printable flyer.
Dunwoody 4th of July Parade
Back again is the Georgia's largest July 4th parade. Sponsors of the parade will have a captive audience over over 30,000 along the parade route. Grab some employees, make a banner, and march! Prices for sponsorship levels and further information are on this printable flyer.
Food Truck Thursdays
The Dunwoody Homeowners' Association new signature event is looking for sponsors each week from now through October 30. For costs and further information, please contact Bill Grossman at the DHA: http://www.dunwoodyga.org/Contact (The office address is no longer valid, so email - don't drop by.)
Adopt A Bench
The new initiative from the Dunwoody Woman's Club aims to place park benches in parks throughout Dunwoody. For $1,000 you can place your four-line text message on a plaque that will last for years.
More information and contact info on this printable flyer.
Dunwoody 4th of July Parade
Back again is the Georgia's largest July 4th parade. Sponsors of the parade will have a captive audience over over 30,000 along the parade route. Grab some employees, make a banner, and march! Prices for sponsorship levels and further information are on this printable flyer.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Help Senior Connections win a grant for their Meals on Wheels program
From my email today:
Senior Connections is a finalist to win $25,000 from State Farm though their Youth Advisory Board Grant program.
To win, they need to be one of 40 causes that garner the most votes through their Facebook Campaign.
The contest goes through May 16 and you can vote 10x per day, please vote as many days as possible for our cause “Meals on Wheels”.
To vote go to
· https://apps.facebook.com/sf_neighbor_assist/
· Accept the app confirmation (so they can make sure your votes are valid)
· Once in, click the vote button to enter.
· Search “meals on Wheels” and click the link that will pop up.
· Check the box and click vote!
· Share on FB and Twitter with your friends, family, co-workers, everyone!
This $25,000 will mean a lot for Meals on Wheels program and help better serve the senior community.
Senior Connections is a finalist to win $25,000 from State Farm though their Youth Advisory Board Grant program.
To win, they need to be one of 40 causes that garner the most votes through their Facebook Campaign.
The contest goes through May 16 and you can vote 10x per day, please vote as many days as possible for our cause “Meals on Wheels”.
To vote go to
· https://apps.facebook.com/sf_neighbor_assist/
· Accept the app confirmation (so they can make sure your votes are valid)
· Once in, click the vote button to enter.
· Search “meals on Wheels” and click the link that will pop up.
· Check the box and click vote!
· Share on FB and Twitter with your friends, family, co-workers, everyone!
This $25,000 will mean a lot for Meals on Wheels program and help better serve the senior community.
If you have any questions about Meals on Wheels, please contact Grant Yarbrough (info below)
For updates check out www.facebook.com/seniorconnectionsatl
Grant Yarbrough | Grants Manager
Senior Connections
Tel 770-455-7602 ext 112
Fax 770-455-8157
Web www.seniorconnectionsatl.org
Help us "Pack the Car" and raise $12,000 for 2,000 Meals on Wheels!
For updates check out www.facebook.com/seniorconnectionsatl
Grant Yarbrough | Grants Manager
Senior Connections
Tel 770-455-7602 ext 112
Fax 770-455-8157
Web www.seniorconnectionsatl.org
Help us "Pack the Car" and raise $12,000 for 2,000 Meals on Wheels!
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
DHA Hosting Candidates Forum April 24
The Dunwoody Homeowners Association is hosting a Candidate Forum on April 24th from 6:30-8:30 at the Kingsley Swim Tennis Clubhouse. Both Republican and Democrat candidates running for State House District 79 and State Senate District 40 will attend to present their views on a variety of issues. The tentative schedule is as follows:
6:30-6:55 - Candidate Meet and Greet
7:00-7:30 - Democrat Candidate Debate
7:45-8:3 0 - Republican Candidate Debate
Dick Williams from The Crier will be the moderator for the forum. The primary election is May 20. The address for Kinglsey Swim Tennis is 2325 North Peachtree Way.
6:30-6:55 - Candidate Meet and Greet
7:00-7:30 - Democrat Candidate Debate
7:45-8:3 0 - Republican Candidate Debate
Dick Williams from The Crier will be the moderator for the forum. The primary election is May 20. The address for Kinglsey Swim Tennis is 2325 North Peachtree Way.
Friday, April 11, 2014
Dunwoody Preservation Trust Schedules Cleanup for New Hope Cemetery
From the Dunwoody Preservation Trust:
Saturday, April 19, 2014 from 8AM – Noon
Dunwoody Preservation Trust (DPT) will be working to clean up the NEW HOPE CEMETERY located 5695 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody GA (across from Publix center, behind the Kindercare).
We currently have teams from Caldwell Banker Realtor – Dunwoody, Berkshire Hathaway Dunwoody/Sandy Springs, and Boy Scout Troop 764 working to assist with the Clean-up. Kris Turnbull and Erik Christensen, Owner, BullDog Movers will be leading the efforts on behalf of the DPT.
If you are interested in joining the clean-up efforts, we are accepting additional Volunteers.
You may so to our website: http://www.dunwoodypreservationtrust.org/Cleaning-of-the-New-Hope-Cemetery for more information.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Zoning Retrospective: Group Homes, The Neighbors, and Federal Law
During one of our evening Sounding Board sessions, we had to discuss how to regulate group homes - residential facilities where unrelated people live together for some kind of supervision and/or medical care.
"Can't we just ban them? It would make this a whole lot simpler."
"No. It's against the law to ban group homes. You can regulate them the same way you regulate anything in a residential district but they can't be banned."
"Then it almost doesn't matter what we put in the Zoning code, because the minute anyone wants to establish a group home, the neighbors are going to go ballistic."
An evening's worth of Googling brought me to the law being referenced: the federal Fair Housing Act. Enacted in 1968, the Fair Housing Act was created to prevent racial, ethnic or religious discrimination in selling or renting homes. In 1988, the Act was expanded to include all with disabilities (which includes those requiring any additional medical care, including mental health) and further solidified in 1990 with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
In 1999, the DOJ issued a statement regarding how the FHA viewed group homes. In short, the conclusion was what I learned in a Sounding Board meeting: you can't ban or otherwise regulate a "group home" to a greater degree than you would any other household of unrelated persons as this would constitute discrimination based on disability.
Please note, dear readers, that the federal law predates the City of Dunwoody and anyone working for it in any capacity by several decades. This has nothing to do with Mike Davis. Whether you like Mike, whether you hate Mike, whether you think Mike should fall off the planet tomorrow, his hands are tied by this federal law. Ditto for anyone else, past present or future, whose backside has warmed one of the seven chairs behind the big desk in Council Chambers. Ditto for anyone whose name plaque has been applied to a cubicle in City Hall. Any administrative decision, zoning change, or council vote has to be consistent with the FHA or the financial and legal consequences to the entire city will be devastating.
So if you find yourself in a position where you feel a burning desire to protest against the establishment of a group home, get your poop in a group and your facts straight. Your "feelings" about this type of establishment are not only not relevant, they could be used against you should you lawyer up and head to court. The links above are what you are up against. Make sure you have documentable facts to support your protest. Otherwise you are out of gas - the DOJ takes a dim view of NIMBYs.
Here's some of the more pointed tidbits from the Q&A section of the second link:
The Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful --To utilize land use policies or actions that treat groups of persons with disabilities less favorably than groups of non-disabled persons. An example would be an ordinance prohibiting housing for persons with disabilities or a specific type of disability, such as mental illness, from locating in a particular area, while allowing other groups of unrelated individuals to live together in that area.
To take action against, or deny a permit, for a home because of the disability of individuals who live or would live there. An example would be denying a building permit for a home because it was intended to provide housing for persons with mental retardation.
To refuse to make reasonable accommodations in land use and zoning policies and procedures where such accommodations may be necessary to afford persons or groups of persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to use and enjoy housing.
Q. Who are persons with disabilities within the meaning of the Fair Housing Act?The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicap. "Handicap" has the same legal meaning as the term "disability" which is used in other federal civil rights laws. Persons with disabilities (handicaps) are individuals with mental or physical impairments which substantially limit one or more major life activities. The term mental or physical impairment may include conditions such as blindness, hearing impairment, mobility impairment, HIV infection, mental retardation, alcoholism, drug addiction, chronic fatigue, learning disability, head injury, and mental illness. The term major life activity may include seeing, hearing, walking, breathing, performing manual tasks, caring for one's self, learning, speaking, or working. The Fair Housing Act also protects persons who have a record of such an impairment, or are regarded as having such an impairment.
Current users of illegal controlled substances, persons convicted for illegal manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance, sex offenders, and juvenile offenders, are not considered disabled under the Fair Housing Act, by virtue of that status.
Q. What kinds of local zoning and land use laws relating to group homes violate the Fair Housing Act?Local zoning and land use laws that treat groups of unrelated persons with disabilities less favorably than similar groups of unrelated persons without disabilities violate the Fair Housing Act. For example, suppose a city's zoning ordinance defines a "family" to include up to six unrelated persons living together as a household unit, and gives such a group of unrelated persons the right to live in any zoning district without special permission. If that ordinance also disallows a group home for six or fewer people with disabilities in a certain district or requires this home to seek a use permit, such requirements would conflict with the Fair Housing Act. The ordinance treats persons with disabilities worse than persons without disabilities.
This excerpt is the biggee
Q. Can a local government consider the feelings of neighbors in making a decision about granting a permit to a group home to locate in a residential neighborhood?
In the same way a local government would break the law if it rejected low-income housing in a community because of neighbors' fears that such housing would be occupied by racial minorities, a local government can violate the Fair Housing Act if it blocks a group home or denies a requested reasonable accommodation in response to neighbors' stereotypical fears or prejudices about persons with disabilities. This is so even if the individual government decision-makers are not themselves personally prejudiced against persons with disabilities. If the evidence shows that the decision-makers were responding to the wishes of their constituents, and that the constituents were motivated in substantial part by discriminatory concerns, that could be enough to prove a violation.
Federal Law: learn it, know it, live it, love it. Keep your case factual, document your facts with more facts and evidence, and check your personal emotions and feelings at the door. Then you'll have a much stronger case should you wish to protest this type of situation.
Addendum, 4/8/2014
I've been accused of being too subtle. Fair enough.
Below is a comment in response to a question where this post was added to my Facebook timeline.
This is about a proposed group home for minors w/ eating disorders on Manget Way. I don't know if the homeowners involved have hired an attorney yet, but they would be wise to start zipping their lips. The comments made in the Crier articles and on Crier website/FB can be used as proof of discrimination. The links to the DOJ website in the blog are the most important. I sent an email to the Exec Board of DHA advising them to tread carefully. it's going to take more than a bunch of angry yelling to get your way on this one - you have to *prove* that your complaints/concerns are legitimate and not NIMBY-ish. I'm worried that the DHA will become the usual pep rally (my words, from the email) and people will be more concerned with yelling whatever pops into their heads rather than actually winning their case. I see a federal judge in the future.
Addendum, 4/8/2014
I've been accused of being too subtle. Fair enough.
Below is a comment in response to a question where this post was added to my Facebook timeline.
This is about a proposed group home for minors w/ eating disorders on Manget Way. I don't know if the homeowners involved have hired an attorney yet, but they would be wise to start zipping their lips. The comments made in the Crier articles and on Crier website/FB can be used as proof of discrimination. The links to the DOJ website in the blog are the most important. I sent an email to the Exec Board of DHA advising them to tread carefully. it's going to take more than a bunch of angry yelling to get your way on this one - you have to *prove* that your complaints/concerns are legitimate and not NIMBY-ish. I'm worried that the DHA will become the usual pep rally (my words, from the email) and people will be more concerned with yelling whatever pops into their heads rather than actually winning their case. I see a federal judge in the future.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Greater Perimeter Business Expo Welcomes Local Entrepreneurs
For the 3rd year, the Dunwoody and Sandy Springs Chambers of Commerce are putting on the Greater Perimeter Business Expo to showcase the business community that supports our tax base.
This year, there is an extra emphasis on local enterprises. Dunwoody is home to a long list of start-ups and entrepreneurs. Over 80% of licensed businesses in Dunwoody alone have fewer than 10 employees; many of these are family-owned and operated. Locally-owned businesses play a big part in building and preserving Dunwoody's character now and in the future.
If you are an entrepreneur or family-owned business, take this opportunity to showcase your locally "grown" business. Home business owners are welcome too! Small businesses can get a booth or table together to share costs. Call the Dunwoody Chamber office for more info at 678-244-9700
Visit the Expo at www.gpbe.org to register as an exhibitor or for the luncheon or after hours event.
This year, there is an extra emphasis on local enterprises. Dunwoody is home to a long list of start-ups and entrepreneurs. Over 80% of licensed businesses in Dunwoody alone have fewer than 10 employees; many of these are family-owned and operated. Locally-owned businesses play a big part in building and preserving Dunwoody's character now and in the future.
If you are an entrepreneur or family-owned business, take this opportunity to showcase your locally "grown" business. Home business owners are welcome too! Small businesses can get a booth or table together to share costs. Call the Dunwoody Chamber office for more info at 678-244-9700
Visit the Expo at www.gpbe.org to register as an exhibitor or for the luncheon or after hours event.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Create. Set. Go - Social Media Innovation by a Dunwoody Mom
Dunwoody is a city of entrepreneurs. You can't walk around a corner without running into a home or strip-mall office with a locally grown business born from a Dunwoody resident's idea. Kristalyn Mumaw is a Dunwoody mom like others who invented the next big idea to bring together other like-minded entrepreneurs and inventors to make the most of their concepts.
Kristalyn and I kicked around this idea over coffee at Crema and I offered some technical tidbits and SEO pointers. I couldn't be more proud of my friend, colleague and most of all - fellow Dunwoody Mom launching her enterprise on the world.
Atlanta, GA (March 27, 2014) – ---Former Silicon Valley marketing strategist, Kristalyn Mumaw, today unveiled www.createsetgo.com, a collaborative community and discussion website. Create.Set.Go, a single-purpose social network, enables users to freely interact with each other to share, discover and engage in unique conversations around new ideas and areas of common interest.
Create.Set.Go’s topic-focused format provides unique opportunities for one-on-one and group discussions, feedback, and collaboration, as well as encouragement for users to broaden their collaborative circles, instead of relying on existing social circles or on geographic proximity. Initial topic categories include: Technology, Fitness, Apps, Music, Sports, Baby/Kids, Pets, Apparel/Accessories, Environmental, Entertainment, Art, Community Movement and much more.
“For example, say I thought it would be a great idea to make a dog collar that contains cooling gel to help keep dogs comfortable in hot weather. I can post my idea within Create.Set.Go’s pet topic section and open the discussion to others who share an interest in pet care. The richness of Create.Set.Go is the ability to discuss one’s idea with anyone from another pet owner, to a pet care specialist or even specialty product designers on the other side of the country.”
“We want to help people with ideas engage with each other around shared-interest discussions,” said Mumaw, Founder and Community Innovator. “By bringing people together, Create.Set.Go provides a social platform to bring new ideas to life, broaden relationships, and foster a culture of innovation.”
Unlike other social networking sites that serve up an array of disconnected content, Create.Set.Go’s topic-based format allows users to maximize their online productivity without disruptive off-topic commentary or intrusive advertising.
“One of the founding principles of Create.Set.Go was to create a community with a conscience,” states Garland Duvall, Co-Founder & Luminary. “Community users will find a reward indicator next to the comments section in the site. This feature will be active soon, allowing an idea poster to reward an idea commentator points for useful or productive feedback. These accumulated reward points can be converted to real-value rewards in the Create.Set.Go reward store in a future release.”
“We hope the reward system serves as a catalyst to creating a community focused on usefulness in their interactions,” continues Mr. Duvall. “As well, it is in place to establish Create.Set.Go as a community specifically designed to reward helpfulness and minimize bullying, an issue that plagues so many social sharing sites and apps these days.”
Create.Set.Go is the brain-child of Kristalyn Mumaw, Founder & Community Innovator. Joined by technical gurus, Garland Duvall, Co-Founder & Luminary and Tim Morris, Senior Luminary, the Atlanta-based team enjoys a shared mission of providing a focus to social sharing, facilitating interest-based collaboration and promoting responsible social networking.
“Seeing double-digit growth in the use of social networks during 2013 and similar growth projected for 2014, we strongly believe people with ideas need the creative and collaborative focus and options provided by Create.Set.Go,” says Ms. Mumaw.
Visit www.createsetgo.com to start getting social around your ideas and interests. Registration is free.
Kristalyn and I kicked around this idea over coffee at Crema and I offered some technical tidbits and SEO pointers. I couldn't be more proud of my friend, colleague and most of all - fellow Dunwoody Mom launching her enterprise on the world.
Social Sharing Site Create.Set.Go Launches with Unique Focus
Niche-Focused Website Catering to People with Ideas Delivers Focused Discussions
Create.Set.Go’s topic-focused format provides unique opportunities for one-on-one and group discussions, feedback, and collaboration, as well as encouragement for users to broaden their collaborative circles, instead of relying on existing social circles or on geographic proximity. Initial topic categories include: Technology, Fitness, Apps, Music, Sports, Baby/Kids, Pets, Apparel/Accessories, Environmental, Entertainment, Art, Community Movement and much more.
“For example, say I thought it would be a great idea to make a dog collar that contains cooling gel to help keep dogs comfortable in hot weather. I can post my idea within Create.Set.Go’s pet topic section and open the discussion to others who share an interest in pet care. The richness of Create.Set.Go is the ability to discuss one’s idea with anyone from another pet owner, to a pet care specialist or even specialty product designers on the other side of the country.”
“We want to help people with ideas engage with each other around shared-interest discussions,” said Mumaw, Founder and Community Innovator. “By bringing people together, Create.Set.Go provides a social platform to bring new ideas to life, broaden relationships, and foster a culture of innovation.”
Unlike other social networking sites that serve up an array of disconnected content, Create.Set.Go’s topic-based format allows users to maximize their online productivity without disruptive off-topic commentary or intrusive advertising.
“One of the founding principles of Create.Set.Go was to create a community with a conscience,” states Garland Duvall, Co-Founder & Luminary. “Community users will find a reward indicator next to the comments section in the site. This feature will be active soon, allowing an idea poster to reward an idea commentator points for useful or productive feedback. These accumulated reward points can be converted to real-value rewards in the Create.Set.Go reward store in a future release.”
“We hope the reward system serves as a catalyst to creating a community focused on usefulness in their interactions,” continues Mr. Duvall. “As well, it is in place to establish Create.Set.Go as a community specifically designed to reward helpfulness and minimize bullying, an issue that plagues so many social sharing sites and apps these days.”
Create.Set.Go is the brain-child of Kristalyn Mumaw, Founder & Community Innovator. Joined by technical gurus, Garland Duvall, Co-Founder & Luminary and Tim Morris, Senior Luminary, the Atlanta-based team enjoys a shared mission of providing a focus to social sharing, facilitating interest-based collaboration and promoting responsible social networking.
“Seeing double-digit growth in the use of social networks during 2013 and similar growth projected for 2014, we strongly believe people with ideas need the creative and collaborative focus and options provided by Create.Set.Go,” says Ms. Mumaw.
Visit www.createsetgo.com to start getting social around your ideas and interests. Registration is free.
###
FURTHER
INFORMATION
For
additional info, including interview requests and images, direct enquiries to:
Contact: Kristalyn L Mumaw
Phone: (678) 310-4522
Twitter: @StrategyPeach
Monday, March 24, 2014
Warren Huttmacher Quits??
From Facebook tonight
Did Warren quit during City Council and I just missed it??
A new city manager for Johns Creek was appointed tonight.
Warren A. Hutmacher will be Johns Creek's new city manager. Council members and mayor unanimously appointed him at tonight's meeting.
Hutmacher is currently the city manager for Dunwoody.
He begins his new duties in Johns Creek April 29.
He's a man of upstanding value, said council member Kelly Stewart.
Update: Warren made his announcement at closing public comment after the news was distributed via Facebook and Twitter.
Did Warren quit during City Council and I just missed it??
A new city manager for Johns Creek was appointed tonight.
Warren A. Hutmacher will be Johns Creek's new city manager. Council members and mayor unanimously appointed him at tonight's meeting.
Hutmacher is currently the city manager for Dunwoody.
He begins his new duties in Johns Creek April 29.
He's a man of upstanding value, said council member Kelly Stewart.
Update: Warren made his announcement at closing public comment after the news was distributed via Facebook and Twitter.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
So You Want to Go Back to Egypt....
From the AJC - New debate over Dunwoody cityhood
So you wanna go back to Egypt, where it's warm and secure.
Are you sorry you bought the one-way ticket when you thought you were sure?
You wanted to live in the Land of Promise, but now it's getting so hard.
Are you sorry you're out here in the desert, instead of your own backyard?
Eating leeks and onions by the Nile.
Ooh what breath, but dining out in style.
Ooh, my life's on the skids.
Give me the pyramids.
Well there's nothing to do but travel, and we sure travel a lot.
'Cause it's hard to keep your feet from moving when the sand gets so hot.
And in the morning it's manna hotcakes. We snack on manna all day.
And they sure had a winner last night for dinner, flaming manna soufflé.
Well we once complained for something new to munch.
The ground opened up and had some of us for lunch.
Ooh, such fire and smoke.
Can't God even take a joke…Huh?….(NO!)
So you wanna go back to Egypt, where old friends wait for you.
You can throw a big party and tell the whole gang, that what they said was all
true.
And this Moses acts like a big-shot, who does he think he is.
It's true that God works lots of miracles, but Moses thinks they're all his.
Well I'm having so much trouble even now.
Why'd he get so mad about that cow, that golden cow.
Moses,he seems rather idle, he just sits around.
He just sits around and writes the Bible.
Oh, Moses, put down your pen.
What…Oh no, manna again?
Oh, manna waffles….
Manna burgers...
Manna bagels...
Fillet of manna...
Mannacoti...
Bamanna bread!
Writer: GREEN, KEITH GORDON / GREEN, MELODY
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All kidding aside, gang...
Here are the key reasons for all of the conflicts exploding in Dunwoody
1) Bad advice in the form of "when you make your decision about what should be in the zoning code, think about what you would want to live next to." I blogged on this one some months ago during the Zoning Rewrite. Dunwoody is not now and has never been one big homogenous group of people who all think the same things about all issues. There has always been a broad diversity of thought that wasn't obvious when we were all huddled together in the same foxhole, fighting DeKalb County. All of the organized groups and professional complainers are what you get when you encourage the populace to judge what's best for all of the city based on individual preferences. How's that working out for you, Denny? Not so great anymore, huh?
2) There is no attempt at coexistence between any of these factions represented in the opinions flying around. Further, city council from Day One has chosen to lead by deciding which "quality of life" standard is acceptable and which is not by personal fiat from their chairs. Now you have widespread civil disobedience in addition to open warfare in council chambers. If the populace is encouraged to think "I want the city to legislate my personal choice of life in my home and to hell with everyone else - they should be banned," what else do you expect to get but endless infighting. In the future, I will be looking for leadership that encourages tolerance and coexistence between different lifestyles, even if they disagree with some personally.
There's always going to be someone looking for a reason to be unhappy. You won't get 100% buy-in. But you can reduce the conflict with good leadership. Will we get a council that can, collectively, take this leap? Time will tell.
Are you sorry you bought the one-way ticket when you thought you were sure?
You wanted to live in the Land of Promise, but now it's getting so hard.
Are you sorry you're out here in the desert, instead of your own backyard?
Eating leeks and onions by the Nile.
Ooh what breath, but dining out in style.
Ooh, my life's on the skids.
Give me the pyramids.
Well there's nothing to do but travel, and we sure travel a lot.
'Cause it's hard to keep your feet from moving when the sand gets so hot.
And in the morning it's manna hotcakes. We snack on manna all day.
And they sure had a winner last night for dinner, flaming manna soufflé.
Well we once complained for something new to munch.
The ground opened up and had some of us for lunch.
Ooh, such fire and smoke.
Can't God even take a joke…Huh?….(NO!)
So you wanna go back to Egypt, where old friends wait for you.
You can throw a big party and tell the whole gang, that what they said was all
true.
And this Moses acts like a big-shot, who does he think he is.
It's true that God works lots of miracles, but Moses thinks they're all his.
Well I'm having so much trouble even now.
Why'd he get so mad about that cow, that golden cow.
Moses,he seems rather idle, he just sits around.
He just sits around and writes the Bible.
Oh, Moses, put down your pen.
What…Oh no, manna again?
Oh, manna waffles….
Manna burgers...
Manna bagels...
Fillet of manna...
Mannacoti...
Bamanna bread!
Writer: GREEN, KEITH GORDON / GREEN, MELODY
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All kidding aside, gang...
Here are the key reasons for all of the conflicts exploding in Dunwoody
1) Bad advice in the form of "when you make your decision about what should be in the zoning code, think about what you would want to live next to." I blogged on this one some months ago during the Zoning Rewrite. Dunwoody is not now and has never been one big homogenous group of people who all think the same things about all issues. There has always been a broad diversity of thought that wasn't obvious when we were all huddled together in the same foxhole, fighting DeKalb County. All of the organized groups and professional complainers are what you get when you encourage the populace to judge what's best for all of the city based on individual preferences. How's that working out for you, Denny? Not so great anymore, huh?
2) There is no attempt at coexistence between any of these factions represented in the opinions flying around. Further, city council from Day One has chosen to lead by deciding which "quality of life" standard is acceptable and which is not by personal fiat from their chairs. Now you have widespread civil disobedience in addition to open warfare in council chambers. If the populace is encouraged to think "I want the city to legislate my personal choice of life in my home and to hell with everyone else - they should be banned," what else do you expect to get but endless infighting. In the future, I will be looking for leadership that encourages tolerance and coexistence between different lifestyles, even if they disagree with some personally.
There's always going to be someone looking for a reason to be unhappy. You won't get 100% buy-in. But you can reduce the conflict with good leadership. Will we get a council that can, collectively, take this leap? Time will tell.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Community: Life or Death
Food for thought for your Friday.
Back in 2002, I attended the annual convention of the Association of Clinical Research Professionals in Toronto. Lots of keynote sessions and seminars and roundtables about the laws governing and best practices of carrying out research in human patients.
The one standout session was an address by Dr. Jerri Nielsen. Dr. Nielsen gained notoriety in 1999 for treating her own breast cancer while stationed at a South Pole research outpost - during the Antarctic winter.
That means that the 40-odd people of all shapes and sizes have to get along with each other. Conflicts ranging from the self-centered snit to the all-encompassing blowout had to be resolved to everyone's mutual satisfaction or they weren't going to survive. You can't have "I win, I get my way, so you lose" as the standard for your conclusion. You have to build true peace in the community even as there's disagreement or disapproval over the problem du jour.
Dr. Nielsen had lots of anecdotes about how to adapt. Basically, she had to learn that the environment was going to change her life, no matter what man-made constructions had in mind. She'd put some gear down in a particular place and, because of the snow underneath the building constantly compacting and shifting, the gear would end up sliding over to a wall. After moving it around a few times with the same result, she decided to let the gear store itself where it landed because it wouldn't move any further.
There were stress-relieving traditions that awakened with the polar sunrise. The most daring souls joined the "200 Degree Club" when the outside temperature rose (!!!) to -100 degrees Farenheit. It involved running from a +100 degree room inside the complex, out the dome, a couple of laps around the ceremonial South Pole marker and back inside wearing only heavy boots and (for men) a blue baggie that comes with a bottle of Crown Royal.
It had to be pretty tense in there for anyone to think that was a good idea. Dr. Nielsen shared that she was a proud 200 Degree member and did it without the Crown Royal baggie.
But the true test of the community's character came when Dr. Nielsen realized she had cancer and couldn't hide it from her crewmates. It was winter and night - all six months of it. The other crew members needed to help but none of them were oncologists or surgeons - how could they help? Nielsen was the only doctor and was in the wrong place at the wrong time and the crew were the "wrong" people for a cancer patient.
Or were they?
First step was to communicate the medical emergency to McMurdo Station on the coast. Messages were relayed up to the USA. Medical supplies including IV kits, surgical kits and chemotherapy agents were airlifted. (Remember, no landings for six months....) Medical personnel were not part of the airlift; a communications relay was set up to talk the crew through the procedures Nielsen needed, from excising lymph nodes to hooking up an IV and hep-lock to mixing a chemo dose and adding it to the bag.
Step two: decide who would perform the biopsy. Of all of the PhDs and other advance-degreed personnel, which of them would perform the most difficult part of the treatment. None of them. Because in their minds, the PhDs weren't qualified. The minor surgical procedures attempted were performed by a welder from the machine shop. Said Dr. Nielsen, "A welder knew best how to take a material apart and put it back together again." They could follow verbal technical directions and pick up new hands-on techniques on the fly. It's so simple that it's not obvious to anyone who isn't living under life-and-death conditions.
Nielsen wasn't passive in all of this. She was the team's doctor. Her morale, her choices in how she mentally dealt with the situation had downstream effects on the psyche of every other member of the team. She described her self as "introverted", shy, even "mousy". She had to dig down deep and find some guts she didn't know she had not just for her survival but everyone's well being. The members of the community were all that deeply connected at the station. They had no choice other than dying out.
The instant the sun rose and the iced runway was safe to use, a flight landed at the Pole with a replacement physician and Nielsen was on her way back to the US to complete treatment she started herself.
The take home lesson Dr Nielsen wanted the audience to have was the lesson she herself learned at the station:
In any community, all members are needed, no matter who they are, or what they do. It's important to accept people as they are. You never know when someone's greatest weakness will become their greatest strength.
Back in 2002, I attended the annual convention of the Association of Clinical Research Professionals in Toronto. Lots of keynote sessions and seminars and roundtables about the laws governing and best practices of carrying out research in human patients.
The one standout session was an address by Dr. Jerri Nielsen. Dr. Nielsen gained notoriety in 1999 for treating her own breast cancer while stationed at a South Pole research outpost - during the Antarctic winter.
While a researcher herself, her talk wasn't about research. Her talk was about life in some of the most extreme conditions ever experienced by people.
The research station buildings were all covered by an environmental dome as added protection from the elements. Unlike most of the world that can travel almost on demand, travel is restricted for half the year at the South Pole. You can't leave during the winter. Aircraft can provide dropped supplies in an emergency but there are no landings. Or takeoffs. There's nowhere to go. If anyone tries to travel outside the dome after the sun goes down, they're dead.
Not uncomfortable. Not inconvenienced. Dead.
And their body won't be recovered until sunrise, if at all.
That means that the 40-odd people of all shapes and sizes have to get along with each other. Conflicts ranging from the self-centered snit to the all-encompassing blowout had to be resolved to everyone's mutual satisfaction or they weren't going to survive. You can't have "I win, I get my way, so you lose" as the standard for your conclusion. You have to build true peace in the community even as there's disagreement or disapproval over the problem du jour.
Dr. Nielsen had lots of anecdotes about how to adapt. Basically, she had to learn that the environment was going to change her life, no matter what man-made constructions had in mind. She'd put some gear down in a particular place and, because of the snow underneath the building constantly compacting and shifting, the gear would end up sliding over to a wall. After moving it around a few times with the same result, she decided to let the gear store itself where it landed because it wouldn't move any further.
 |
| Amundsen-Scott Station at the South Pole - how it looked when Dr. Nielsen was stationed with its crew. A new station was completed in 2010 and the dome removed that same year. |
 |
| A key element of the 200 Degree initiation. The dome mentioned above is in the background. |
But the true test of the community's character came when Dr. Nielsen realized she had cancer and couldn't hide it from her crewmates. It was winter and night - all six months of it. The other crew members needed to help but none of them were oncologists or surgeons - how could they help? Nielsen was the only doctor and was in the wrong place at the wrong time and the crew were the "wrong" people for a cancer patient.
Or were they?
First step was to communicate the medical emergency to McMurdo Station on the coast. Messages were relayed up to the USA. Medical supplies including IV kits, surgical kits and chemotherapy agents were airlifted. (Remember, no landings for six months....) Medical personnel were not part of the airlift; a communications relay was set up to talk the crew through the procedures Nielsen needed, from excising lymph nodes to hooking up an IV and hep-lock to mixing a chemo dose and adding it to the bag.
Step two: decide who would perform the biopsy. Of all of the PhDs and other advance-degreed personnel, which of them would perform the most difficult part of the treatment. None of them. Because in their minds, the PhDs weren't qualified. The minor surgical procedures attempted were performed by a welder from the machine shop. Said Dr. Nielsen, "A welder knew best how to take a material apart and put it back together again." They could follow verbal technical directions and pick up new hands-on techniques on the fly. It's so simple that it's not obvious to anyone who isn't living under life-and-death conditions.
Nielsen wasn't passive in all of this. She was the team's doctor. Her morale, her choices in how she mentally dealt with the situation had downstream effects on the psyche of every other member of the team. She described her self as "introverted", shy, even "mousy". She had to dig down deep and find some guts she didn't know she had not just for her survival but everyone's well being. The members of the community were all that deeply connected at the station. They had no choice other than dying out.
The instant the sun rose and the iced runway was safe to use, a flight landed at the Pole with a replacement physician and Nielsen was on her way back to the US to complete treatment she started herself.
The take home lesson Dr Nielsen wanted the audience to have was the lesson she herself learned at the station:
In any community, all members are needed, no matter who they are, or what they do. It's important to accept people as they are. You never know when someone's greatest weakness will become their greatest strength.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
The SLUP process has always been wrong for regulating home occupations
Karma is a b***h.
Less than five months after Heneghan, Deutsch, Bonser, and Shortal gutted the carefully-crafted permitting process for home occupations (with attention to every detail to avoid blatant nuisances while making the law internally consistent) a SLUP application has shed light on their hasty decision and the problems created in its wake.
First some background.
In spite of the widespread practice of home occupations in Dunwoody with very few confirmed complaints, Dunwoody leadership has broken away from other cities and imposed a grueling public process. The first time a SLUP for a home occupation with customers was pursued, it was a disaster, both for the applicant and the membership numbers of the HOA involved. City government didn't come out of it looking too good, either.
Next came the zoning rewrite. Home occupation regulations were on the agenda because those trying to drum up opposition to them made it a "hot button'. It really isn't a hot button, but Heneghan and Deutsch and their friends insisted on beating the drum.
During the zoning rewrite, the sounding board realized that the purpose of a SLUP (Special LAND Use Permit) could be misused for home occupations. SLUPs were intended to change the development character of a lot. Home Occupations, in the original zoning rewrite, are only intended to allow business activities by the full-time occupant of the property as long as they do NOT change the character of the neighborhood, or generate activity beyond what is considered normal in that area. Totally different things. So the consultants developed a permitting process that would have made it simpler for home business owners to comply, without the public dog-and-pony show that leads to the histrionics and slander that the first applicant endured. The added benefit of the permitting process is that it could be modified to include whatever limitations you wanted: time limits, public notifications, periodic reporting - anything! Plus the public was still to be notified within a certain radius, comments both pro and con could be submitted and considered, anonymous complaints could be filed to Code Enforcement, the whole nine yards. All the while, the same stringent standards of home occupation regulations were in effect: certain occupations were banned outright, noise and smoke and the like were banned - nothing on that end was loosened, in fact, they were more clearly defined for better regulation.
The new code was passed unopposed by Community Council and Planning Commmission. There wasn't even any discussion on the matter.
But at City Council itself, the political machine was grinding away. Everyone expects Shortal to try to ban acknowledgement of home businesses outright, he's the only one whose ideas of a "neighborhood" are consistent, even if they are outdated. Heneghan and Deutsch knee-jerked to that one element: they didn't bother to acknowledge that the type and operations of home businesses were still very strict. They objected only to the permitting process. They demanded that the dog-and-pony SLUP for home businesses be maintained with absolutely no changes at all. I'm not convinced they even read it. Further, these same council members demanded that city staff research the home business regulations of other cities to see how Dunwoody matches up. That research showed that most other major cities that permit home occupations (some comprising as much as 50% of the commercial base) had far fewer regulations in place with no degradation of "community quality.) The "research" was discarded as it did not support the foregone conclusion.
On top of that, a member of Community Council deliberately misrepresented the content and intent of the code to smear home business owners and inflate opposition.
To add to the irony, these are the same people who think back yards should house farm animals without the homeowner having to submit a single piece of paper and that complaints about animal nuisances should require several signed statements from neighbors, instead of anonymous reporting for other code enforcement problems. That's what we call a "double standard".
Upon this action, I had a conversation with a couple dozen fellow home business owners about the outcome. (Only a small fraction of the several hundred in operation but it was the best one person could do, informally.) All of them were disappointed that even though they get on with their neighbors, they are considered "nuisances" by definition. They all decided that they would simply carry on with business as usual and refuse to comply - employees, contractors, customers, or whatever. None of them have had a complaint lodged against them.
That brings us to the present day. A potential home business owner has filed a SLUP to operate a very small scale home daycare center to supplement her income while being a full time parent and to serve her local community. I find it miraculous that anyone would voluntarily enter this process considering its history.
So what's the problem? The process so far has not seen too many of the mistakes that were made the first time around. (I've been withholding commentary on the process as I am not living in the neighborhood and therefore not impacted by it and I wanted to see what would happen before analyzing it here.)
The problem is that the Planning Commission (the first official committee to publicly review the application) asked the applicant to accept a 10-year limit on the permit. She readily agreed, as well as answering all concerns that were brought to the meeting by nearby homeowners. According to city legal counsel, SLUPs can't be time-limited. And wouldn't you know it, Heneghan is all freaked out because his ASSumptions about being able to limit the time frame of SLUPs isn't legal.
This is what happens when certain council members do not consider the outcomes of their decisions before implementing them. This is what happens when you make assumptions about the future without talking to your lawyers. This is what happens when you discuss or enact legislation that you haven't read, or are trying to manipulate by talking out of both sides of your mouth.
John - this snafu is your fault. You were so eager to keep home occupation SLUPs in place that you didn't stop to consider that they regulate property use the wrong way - SLUPs regulate the land, not the full-time occupant. The Zoning Sounding Board and Community Development tried to circumvent that problem while "preserving neighborhoods" and you totally blew them off. You threw some of your "friends" under the bus and for what? Your decision wasn't legally sound or even consistent with your previous actions or other legislations you want to see enacted. A true epic fail. I hope the first comment you make on March 24 is that you own up to your mistake and revisit the administrative permitting process that was recommended in the initial rewrite.
Try to make a decision that mitigates the impact of a use, and doesn't pass personal judgement on the alleged intention of a homeowner. Try really, really hard.
Less than five months after Heneghan, Deutsch, Bonser, and Shortal gutted the carefully-crafted permitting process for home occupations (with attention to every detail to avoid blatant nuisances while making the law internally consistent) a SLUP application has shed light on their hasty decision and the problems created in its wake.
First some background.
In spite of the widespread practice of home occupations in Dunwoody with very few confirmed complaints, Dunwoody leadership has broken away from other cities and imposed a grueling public process. The first time a SLUP for a home occupation with customers was pursued, it was a disaster, both for the applicant and the membership numbers of the HOA involved. City government didn't come out of it looking too good, either.
Next came the zoning rewrite. Home occupation regulations were on the agenda because those trying to drum up opposition to them made it a "hot button'. It really isn't a hot button, but Heneghan and Deutsch and their friends insisted on beating the drum.
During the zoning rewrite, the sounding board realized that the purpose of a SLUP (Special LAND Use Permit) could be misused for home occupations. SLUPs were intended to change the development character of a lot. Home Occupations, in the original zoning rewrite, are only intended to allow business activities by the full-time occupant of the property as long as they do NOT change the character of the neighborhood, or generate activity beyond what is considered normal in that area. Totally different things. So the consultants developed a permitting process that would have made it simpler for home business owners to comply, without the public dog-and-pony show that leads to the histrionics and slander that the first applicant endured. The added benefit of the permitting process is that it could be modified to include whatever limitations you wanted: time limits, public notifications, periodic reporting - anything! Plus the public was still to be notified within a certain radius, comments both pro and con could be submitted and considered, anonymous complaints could be filed to Code Enforcement, the whole nine yards. All the while, the same stringent standards of home occupation regulations were in effect: certain occupations were banned outright, noise and smoke and the like were banned - nothing on that end was loosened, in fact, they were more clearly defined for better regulation.
The new code was passed unopposed by Community Council and Planning Commmission. There wasn't even any discussion on the matter.
But at City Council itself, the political machine was grinding away. Everyone expects Shortal to try to ban acknowledgement of home businesses outright, he's the only one whose ideas of a "neighborhood" are consistent, even if they are outdated. Heneghan and Deutsch knee-jerked to that one element: they didn't bother to acknowledge that the type and operations of home businesses were still very strict. They objected only to the permitting process. They demanded that the dog-and-pony SLUP for home businesses be maintained with absolutely no changes at all. I'm not convinced they even read it. Further, these same council members demanded that city staff research the home business regulations of other cities to see how Dunwoody matches up. That research showed that most other major cities that permit home occupations (some comprising as much as 50% of the commercial base) had far fewer regulations in place with no degradation of "community quality.) The "research" was discarded as it did not support the foregone conclusion.
On top of that, a member of Community Council deliberately misrepresented the content and intent of the code to smear home business owners and inflate opposition.
To add to the irony, these are the same people who think back yards should house farm animals without the homeowner having to submit a single piece of paper and that complaints about animal nuisances should require several signed statements from neighbors, instead of anonymous reporting for other code enforcement problems. That's what we call a "double standard".
Upon this action, I had a conversation with a couple dozen fellow home business owners about the outcome. (Only a small fraction of the several hundred in operation but it was the best one person could do, informally.) All of them were disappointed that even though they get on with their neighbors, they are considered "nuisances" by definition. They all decided that they would simply carry on with business as usual and refuse to comply - employees, contractors, customers, or whatever. None of them have had a complaint lodged against them.
That brings us to the present day. A potential home business owner has filed a SLUP to operate a very small scale home daycare center to supplement her income while being a full time parent and to serve her local community. I find it miraculous that anyone would voluntarily enter this process considering its history.
So what's the problem? The process so far has not seen too many of the mistakes that were made the first time around. (I've been withholding commentary on the process as I am not living in the neighborhood and therefore not impacted by it and I wanted to see what would happen before analyzing it here.)
The problem is that the Planning Commission (the first official committee to publicly review the application) asked the applicant to accept a 10-year limit on the permit. She readily agreed, as well as answering all concerns that were brought to the meeting by nearby homeowners. According to city legal counsel, SLUPs can't be time-limited. And wouldn't you know it, Heneghan is all freaked out because his ASSumptions about being able to limit the time frame of SLUPs isn't legal.
This is what happens when certain council members do not consider the outcomes of their decisions before implementing them. This is what happens when you make assumptions about the future without talking to your lawyers. This is what happens when you discuss or enact legislation that you haven't read, or are trying to manipulate by talking out of both sides of your mouth.
John - this snafu is your fault. You were so eager to keep home occupation SLUPs in place that you didn't stop to consider that they regulate property use the wrong way - SLUPs regulate the land, not the full-time occupant. The Zoning Sounding Board and Community Development tried to circumvent that problem while "preserving neighborhoods" and you totally blew them off. You threw some of your "friends" under the bus and for what? Your decision wasn't legally sound or even consistent with your previous actions or other legislations you want to see enacted. A true epic fail. I hope the first comment you make on March 24 is that you own up to your mistake and revisit the administrative permitting process that was recommended in the initial rewrite.
Try to make a decision that mitigates the impact of a use, and doesn't pass personal judgement on the alleged intention of a homeowner. Try really, really hard.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Dunwoody's Teachers of the Year
The Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce celebrated its area teachers by naming a Teacher of the Year from each of the Dunwoody feeder cluster schools.
Most of Dunwoody's elected officials and the Chamber's board members have children in area public schools. Ensuring quality education and supporting our teachers is not just a political issue. It's personal.
View the list of winners with their school and grade/subject.
Candle in the Rain
Congrats to Stan Jester, running unopposed for DeKalb County School System's District 1.
You know that the Central Office is nervous about this outcome when one of their lackeys posts to DeKalb School Watch 2 expressing hope that Stan "understands his role".
If you're on the straight-and-narrow, "Fred", you have nothing to worry about.
Don't forget to Vote Jester for GA State Superintendent of Schools
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Dunwoody Building Code Point & Counterpoint
The next City Council meeting on March 10 will include discussion on building ordinance changes.
Let's see if the link to SIRE on the city's website works.
Bottom line, the proposal on the table is to guarantee that any building over 3 stories tall must be built with fireproof materials (concrete, steel, etc). Anyone who has seen a news report with an apartment fire in DeKalb County can see the logic here. This type of construction is supposed to slow the decline in value that apartments always seem to face.
Counterpoint: the construction industry is not too happy with this.
In a recent Constant Contact mail, the Council for Quality Growth spelled out their opposition to this requirement. Essentially it would make construction of apartments and similar sites prohibitively expensive to build.
The incentive for this amendment came out of the plans for the "senior living" apartments presented to the DHA on Sunday. The representatives stated outright that their complex is to be "stick built" - that is with wood, rather than concrete/steel.
Some random thoughts:
Check out the comments in the link to the DHA meeting above. Interesting point that "Dunwoody doesn't want apartments - unless it's built for seniors, then that's OK." Not the first time we've seen plans edited because "Well, we want plans that accommodate my lifestyle and choices, but not for anyone else." Don't get me started down that road. Any council member who talks out of both sides of their mouth on any part of the municipal code is playing with fire come election time.
To the Council for Quality Growth and its friends: Dunwoody incorporated because so many apartments were being thrown up (so to speak) and the homeowners felt their quality of life threatened. Many long time Dunwoodians don't want to see more apartments built in this city. Take. The. Hint.
I've been hearing about the "high demand" for these types of developments from different directions. Does anyone have any numbers to back that up?
Now you know the issues and the players. If you have something to say, you know where to be on March 10.
Let's see if the link to SIRE on the city's website works.
Bottom line, the proposal on the table is to guarantee that any building over 3 stories tall must be built with fireproof materials (concrete, steel, etc). Anyone who has seen a news report with an apartment fire in DeKalb County can see the logic here. This type of construction is supposed to slow the decline in value that apartments always seem to face.
Counterpoint: the construction industry is not too happy with this.
In a recent Constant Contact mail, the Council for Quality Growth spelled out their opposition to this requirement. Essentially it would make construction of apartments and similar sites prohibitively expensive to build.
The incentive for this amendment came out of the plans for the "senior living" apartments presented to the DHA on Sunday. The representatives stated outright that their complex is to be "stick built" - that is with wood, rather than concrete/steel.
Some random thoughts:
Check out the comments in the link to the DHA meeting above. Interesting point that "Dunwoody doesn't want apartments - unless it's built for seniors, then that's OK." Not the first time we've seen plans edited because "Well, we want plans that accommodate my lifestyle and choices, but not for anyone else." Don't get me started down that road. Any council member who talks out of both sides of their mouth on any part of the municipal code is playing with fire come election time.
To the Council for Quality Growth and its friends: Dunwoody incorporated because so many apartments were being thrown up (so to speak) and the homeowners felt their quality of life threatened. Many long time Dunwoodians don't want to see more apartments built in this city. Take. The. Hint.
I've been hearing about the "high demand" for these types of developments from different directions. Does anyone have any numbers to back that up?
Now you know the issues and the players. If you have something to say, you know where to be on March 10.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Google Fiber: Is anyone reading the fine print?
Who wants the fastest internet connection possible? Everybody, right??
Google is evolving from a mere search engine into an ISP with its new uber-high-speed fiber optic Internet network. Google Fiber is live in Kansas City, Austin, TX, and Provo, UT. The Metro Atlanta area is next on the agenda for expansion. Dunwoody filed a joint application with neighboring cities to be part of the new project from Google.
This was in 2010. It is now 2014 and Google is in talks with specific ATL areas into which they are considering expanding their network. Bottom line: not Dunwoody, as far as anyone can tell.
So naturally, now there are drumbeats of "I WANT MY GOOGLE FIBER!" But aside from the promises of internet speeds that leave both Uverse and Comcast in the dust, what exactly is in this deal?
Hmmmmmmmm.......
Let's look at Google's own documentation. What is required of those who want Google to be their ISP?
The Terms of Service indicate that the homeowner has to pay for the installation of the fiber optic cable. Depending on the area of town, that means they will be working on local poles, or digging through rights of way to add the cables. Not bad, so far - that's the same standard for any internet/cable TV provider. Most of the rest of the terms are standard boilerplate for ISPs.
There are two items that should raise yellow flags.
First: payment
Google is evolving from a mere search engine into an ISP with its new uber-high-speed fiber optic Internet network. Google Fiber is live in Kansas City, Austin, TX, and Provo, UT. The Metro Atlanta area is next on the agenda for expansion. Dunwoody filed a joint application with neighboring cities to be part of the new project from Google.
This was in 2010. It is now 2014 and Google is in talks with specific ATL areas into which they are considering expanding their network. Bottom line: not Dunwoody, as far as anyone can tell.
So naturally, now there are drumbeats of "I WANT MY GOOGLE FIBER!" But aside from the promises of internet speeds that leave both Uverse and Comcast in the dust, what exactly is in this deal?
Hmmmmmmmm.......
Let's look at Google's own documentation. What is required of those who want Google to be their ISP?
The Terms of Service indicate that the homeowner has to pay for the installation of the fiber optic cable. Depending on the area of town, that means they will be working on local poles, or digging through rights of way to add the cables. Not bad, so far - that's the same standard for any internet/cable TV provider. Most of the rest of the terms are standard boilerplate for ISPs.
There are two items that should raise yellow flags.
First: payment
Billing and Payment
You may need to utilize Google Wallet for certain payment transactions relating to the Google Fiber Services. Your use of Google Wallet is subject to its Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (which incorporates the Google Inc. Privacy Policy by reference), to which you must agree to utilize Google Wallet’s services.
This means that not only is Google selling you internet and TV services on Google Fiber, but they will be processing their payments internally. Google Wallet isn't even an *option* as a bill payment system - it's required.
When using a payment processing provider such as PayPal or WorldPay, or even some bank services, the sensitive financial information is kept completely separate from the vendor. For example, when PayPal processes a transaction, the vendor receiving the funds never sees the bank account or credit card information. With Google Wallet (and by extension, Google Checkout for ecommerce, which I *never* use) your financial information is now part and parcel of Google's database. Right along with everything else about you on Google.... More on that later.
The last item in the terms of service is this:
The last item in the terms of service is this:
Businesses
If you wish to subscribe to any Services on behalf of a business, please contact Google Fiber directly. Additional terms of service apply to use of the Services by a business.
So if you telecommute for your job, or you work from home - and you only contact your customers via internet - you're not eligible for Google Fiber in your home. So even if you don't engage in the dreaded "customer contact" at home, or you're a telecommuter, or you're an elected government official working from home on some days, you're not eligible for Google Fiber if you're using it for business from your residence. That's not a small item to note: a large segment of the people who will be most interested in high-speed internet of this caliber are going to be using it for work. Of course, "don't ask, don't tell" is pretty standard in Dunwoody daily life so you could try that approach too.
Next there's the Privacy Notice.
The Privacy Notice in short promises that personal information about your account is not shared without your consent. On the surface that sounds just great. However...
Even if you consider that Google is collecting info on your computer, TV, shows you watch, mail you send, etc. "But Adrienne," you may ask, "Uverse and Comcast collect TV usage data too, so they can collect aggregate data for marketing. What's the big deal?" The big deal is that Google realigned all of their systems, including those of their acquisitions, like YouTube so they are easier to cross-reference related information. Google Plus was more than just a new social network: it was a means of creating a "unique identifier" that tied all of your online information together in Google's database. Your activity online can be cross referenced with all of your other information indexed by Google, along with your financial information on Google Wallet and Checkout. Other ISPs do not have this inherent ability.
"But Adrienne, the privacy policy is legally binding. We're protected from that kind of data mining." You're protected from honest employees under optimal circumstances. The privacy policy is useless against criminal hacking (like the Target debacle last year). The privacy policy is useless against disgruntled employees (does the name Snowden ring a bell?). The privacy policy is useless against something as simple as human error.
The questions of data collection of your TV/internet/mail usage aggregated with everything else on Google is not just me and my tin foil hat percolating over conspiracy theories in a corner. PC World magazine raised the question a year and a half ago in their analysis of Google Fiber services. (Example of Google data breach in the UK via PC World.)
Then there are other realities. Like - what kind of speeds are we talking about? Can they deliver as well as they say?
The only subscriber agreements available are for Kansas City and Provo. Here's Kansas City as an example, along with all of the costs for each level of service. The top speeds on the Internet are 1 gigabit per second, both upload and download. That's fast enough to watch a video on YouTube without buffering or stalling. A great promise but as a failsafe, the Network Management page states the following:
CONGESTION MANAGEMENT
In the unlikely event that users' aggregate demand exceeds the available capacity of the network and creates acute congestion, Google Fiber will employ various techniques to ensure that subscribers continue to have a positive experience. In times of acute congestion, Google Fiber Internet service bandwidth will be fairly allocated among subscribers without regard to the subscribers’ online activities or the protocols or applications that the subscribers are using.
That's a process called "bandwidth throttling": the deliberate slowing down of internet traffic speeds. In Google's case, they promise to only do so in cases of extreme usage (which isn't defined specifically), although in other countries with more restrictive governments, throttling can be used to inhibit information altogether.
Finally, each subscriber (that is, each household) has to register and pay for installation of the fiber optic. These are individual choices. So if some homeowners have Google Fiber available and purchase it, there's going to be a whole lotta climbin' and diggin' in the infrastructure. But if it's optional, others will opt out and may be inconvenienced by any "infrastructure improvements" related to GF. And how does Dunwoody handle disagreements over infrastructure? Hmmmmm........ Here's an example. And another.
Does Google know that there's a lot of squabbling over infrastructure in Dunwoody? Well, there's enough Town Hall and City Council meetings on YouTube, so I'm guessing that would be a "yes". I think it would be naive to imagine Google doesn't consider internal conflict resolution in a decision to expand, especially when the evidence is voluntarily dumped onto their servers.
But to end on a positive note and not be a total buzzkill, Dunwoody should consider its lack-of-place on the ATL expansion list as an opportunity rather than a slight. If Google Fiber does expand into Atlanta, Avondale Estates, etc, Dunwoody has the opportunity to watch what happens. How long does construction take? Are there any hidden costs? How do the neighbors manage the inevitable inconvenience of installation, especially if they're not going to sign up? Does the service deliver what they say? Dunwoody can learn the answers to these questions without making the commitment up front. Let someone else be the guinea pigs and work out the problems. Then Dunwoody can make a more informed choice about whether to get on board with Google Fiber and how to work out the agreements to our advantage.
Here's to watching the experiment without being a guinea pig.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
The Corner at Orchard Park...
... the former site of Timmy's Pub and the Flat Iron Grill (from 10 years ago!) is supposed to be....
(drumroll please...)
A dentist's office.
This according to the fine gentlemen I happened to meet on the construction site while running into Kroger.
Orchard Park is shifting to more professional offices with fewer restaurants. (Starbucks was replaced by an optometrist's shop.)
Whoever occupies the space, I hope they make that corner a success. The location and layout are great, I'm amazed the previous enterprises weren't successful and the space has been vacant for so long.
(drumroll please...)
A dentist's office.
Orchard Park is shifting to more professional offices with fewer restaurants. (Starbucks was replaced by an optometrist's shop.)
Whoever occupies the space, I hope they make that corner a success. The location and layout are great, I'm amazed the previous enterprises weren't successful and the space has been vacant for so long.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
All Winter in a Day
Preserving the good memories of SnowJam 2014 as the flowering trees begin blooming in Dunwoody.
Snow midget building a snow midget? ;-)
MUSH!!!
Look closely. You'll see two very cold and pissed bluebirds.
Remains of the last snowman.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Sunday, January 26, 2014
EAT ME!! Taste of Dunwoody 2014 Recap
The Crowne Plaza Ravinia should be the official home of Taste of Dunwoody from this moment onward. The larger venue and more parking allowed for more mingling, more eating, more dancing, and less feeling cramped. It was a almost-miss-people-you-know-because-you-rarely-see-them-dressed-and-made-up (sorry Amy....) and party-until-you-fall-asleep-in-your-makeup kind of night.
As the night got started the sponsors gathered in front of the stage with Yacht Rock Revue for a group photo.
(Jill.... Thanks for following up on that photo. This is where it's going!)
Food highlights, because I arrived hungry. (If I make a mistake with the restaurant names or can't remember one, someone post a correction in the comments)
The theme of the night was ahi tuna - many restaurants presented a variation including tuna tartare on fried plantains, seared ahi, and Legal Sea Foods had a tuna sashimi with pickled greens and ginger.
Most unusual sampling of the night that was still successful and unlikely to incite someone like Gordon Ramsay into a profanity-riddled rage goes to the salmon sashimi with chocolate (!) basalmic dressing and micro greens. (Yes, I tasted it, it worked, it was creative, amazing and I went back for seconds and thirds.)
Best italian: Brio for the gnocchi with bolognese featuring braised short rib.
Marlow's won Battle Shrimp-n-Grits. Again.
Best fusion: Tin Lizzy's with their Korean-inspired spicy beef and veggie taco
Best Chowder - do you have to ask? (Legal Sea Foods)
Most Deliciously Evil: the deep-fried lobster and gouda nuggets, which was next door to Cafe Intermezzo's Oreo Cookie Cheesecake.
My three kids are the pickiest eaters on the planet so any night with creative food is a night in paradise.
Now for the visuals:
More silent auction and restaurant sponsors from the POV of the bar line as my other half and I burned through drink tickets.
As the night got started the sponsors gathered in front of the stage with Yacht Rock Revue for a group photo.
(Jill.... Thanks for following up on that photo. This is where it's going!)
Food highlights, because I arrived hungry. (If I make a mistake with the restaurant names or can't remember one, someone post a correction in the comments)
The theme of the night was ahi tuna - many restaurants presented a variation including tuna tartare on fried plantains, seared ahi, and Legal Sea Foods had a tuna sashimi with pickled greens and ginger.
Most unusual sampling of the night that was still successful and unlikely to incite someone like Gordon Ramsay into a profanity-riddled rage goes to the salmon sashimi with chocolate (!) basalmic dressing and micro greens. (Yes, I tasted it, it worked, it was creative, amazing and I went back for seconds and thirds.)
Best italian: Brio for the gnocchi with bolognese featuring braised short rib.
Marlow's won Battle Shrimp-n-Grits. Again.
Best fusion: Tin Lizzy's with their Korean-inspired spicy beef and veggie taco
Best Chowder - do you have to ask? (Legal Sea Foods)
Most Deliciously Evil: the deep-fried lobster and gouda nuggets, which was next door to Cafe Intermezzo's Oreo Cookie Cheesecake.
My three kids are the pickiest eaters on the planet so any night with creative food is a night in paradise.
Now for the visuals:
Feeling the love!
The night begins! Prime time for the best sampling when the doors are now open to the public and dinner is served. Get used to this ballroom: the State of the City will be delivered here in March.
Sound check must have been earlier in the day. Yacht Rock showed up in their performance duds and we all got to mingle before they took the stage at 8 PM.
Smile for the blog! A rep from Marlow's shows off Shrimp and Grits. I took this picture with sauce dripping from my chin. (Psst - Marlow's has a coupon deal for Chamber members. Don't miss it!)
Lobster and Gouda Man! Needless to say, they had run out of food by the end of the night!
Another friend with a duck pate and microgreens canape. Dude had me at "duck".
The girls from Tin Lizzy.
Yacht Rock Revue takes the stage.
Very kind of them to leave the Captain & Tenille divorce story alone for the night and just crank out the tunes.
Silent auction and bar area.
More silent auction and restaurant sponsors from the POV of the bar line as my other half and I burned through drink tickets.
The obligatory self portrait next to the sponsors listing.
The alcohol has worked its magic and the dance floor fills as Yacht Rock returns from their break.
But seriously, folks....
The most frequent words of the night were "thank you". Terry made it a point to visit each of the restaurant reps and thank them for being a part of Dunwoody. CHOA's development team made it a point of thanking all of the sponsors for their support in making the event happen at all. It's too easy for Dunwoodians to go for the jugular at the slightest (lack of) provocation. Don't forget to acknowledge the positive; it's good for you.
This flyer was distributed at the sponsor seating areas highlighting the work that CHOA does in the areas receiving funding from last night. In case it's hard to see, even on the full-size image, the key details are:
CHOA had almost 850,000 patient visits last year alone. Some of them might have been kids of the folks reading this post right now.
CHOA counted almost 150,000 inpatient stays last year alone.
The Marcus Autism Center, one of the projects benefiting from the gala, treated 5,400 children from 140 countries around the world in 2013.
The downstream impact of the Marcus Center is far beyond kids with autism. Everything the center learns from teaching autistic children can be applied eventually to youth with a host of other conditions that are unrelated, but involve compromised sensory processing - including:
- ADHD
- Brain injuries
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
- Other childhood developmental delays without a definable cause
- Genetic anomalies, including mitochondrial disease
- Stroke
- Treatment to restore hearing (cochlear implants, etc)
Because of the funding raised by Dunwoody Friends and Taste of Dunwoody, there's an entire population in Atlanta and beyond who have a chance to be as happy and enjoy life as everyone did last night.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Dunwoody Businesses - Are You Looking For a Few Good Interns?
The Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce is looking to pair up area businesses with second-semester seniors from Dunwoody High School. As part of the new Education initiative by the Chamber, the Internship program will help Dunwoody High School seniors get the introductory work experience they need to become successful in careers over their lifetime.
Area businesses who have internship openings are welcome to contact Sarah at the Chamber office (678-244-9700) for more information. The internship program is a unique opportunity for the business community at all levels to contribute to and reinforce the relationship with the youth and families of Dunwoody.
The Education Initiative information will be posted to the website in the near future. (I'm standing by waiting for the call to assist when the committee is ready.)
Here's the original email from the Chamber:
Area businesses who have internship openings are welcome to contact Sarah at the Chamber office (678-244-9700) for more information. The internship program is a unique opportunity for the business community at all levels to contribute to and reinforce the relationship with the youth and families of Dunwoody.
The Education Initiative information will be posted to the website in the near future. (I'm standing by waiting for the call to assist when the committee is ready.)
Here's the original email from the Chamber:
|
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)