Dunwoody Police Black Friday Tweet-a-thon

On November 29^th starting at 6:00AM the Dunwoody Police Department will be tweeting all calls for service during a 24 hour period.  Follow us @DunwoodyPolice on Twitter and you can keep track of all the action on the busiest shopping day of the year. 

Follow @DunwoodyPolice from the comfort of your home or follow us while you shop to check on crowd and traffic conditions to optimize your time.  Dunwoody Police will have officers on patrol and on hand at several department stores to help ensure a safe Black Friday.

If you have any questions, please contact Officer Tim Fecht at timothy.fecht@dunwoodyga.gov or (678) 382-6917.

Christmas for Kids - help Dunwoody’s under-privileged children by offering a gift.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR CFK PROMO VIDEO!

The Dunwoody Police Department Christmas for Kids (CFK) program began in 2009 with the goal of bringing our community together to collect new and unwrapped gifts for Dunwoody’s under-privileged children between the ages of newborn to 15 years old.

Once gifts are collected, the Dunwoody Police Department invites members of the community to join our CFK team for a "Wrap-Up Event" in early December to personalize a bag of individually wrapped gifts for each of the 60 or so children who are honored at a private Christmas party later in the month. Santa himself (along with his Elves and perhaps a Toy Soldier or two!) appears at the private event to spend quality one-on-one time with our honored guests and to distribute the gifts personally.

CFK is unique in that the Christmas party is an intimate affair for the pre-registered children and their parents only. Keeping the party private allows our CFK team to focus only on what’s important – the children and the joys of giving.

Christmas for Kids is a community effort and is only made possible by the generosity of our citizens, businesses, and other local organizations.

Important Dates in 2013:

OCT 25-DEC 5, 2013: CFK FAMILY REGISTRATIONS

• Registrations must be in person at iCare Atlanta located at: 5879-B New Peachtree Rd, Doraville, GA 30340. For questions regarding eligibility contact: Stephanie Stevens or Judith Fletcher at iCare Atlanta, 678/615-3341.
• NOTE: Family registrations for the private Christmas Party will CLOSE once we reach our 60 qualified children maximum; however, we will continue to accept applications for qualified families through Dec. 5, 2013 for gift assistance (only) subject to gift availability.

NOV 1-DEC 5, 2013: GIFT COLLECTIONS

• Gift collections (toy drive) at participating CFK Gift Drop sites (see list below). If you are a business interested in participating as a CFK Gift Drop site, please contact Deborah Parsons: deborah@fba.org or 770/234-8347.

DEC 14 2013: CFK WRAP-UP EVENT, 2:00pm-4:00pm

• Join the CFK Team at First Baptist Church Atlanta for our Wrap-Up Event. Individual and group volunteers are welcome to share some holiday cheer while we "wrap-up" our collected toys for each and every CFK registered child. Contact Deborah Parsons for more info: deborah@fba.org or 770/234-8347.

DEC 23, 2013: EXTENDED GIFT COLLECTIONS AT DPD HQ

• Dunwoody Police headquarters will continue to collect CFK gifts for families in need through Dec. 23, 2013. Stop by 24/7 to drop your new, unwrapped gifts in our lobby gift drop box.

2013 Participating CFK Gift Drop Sites

• Another Broken Egg Cafe
• Crossroads Church of Dunwoody
• Cutie Pies Children’s Boutique
• CVS Pharmacy
• Dentistry with a Difference
• Dunwoody Elementary School
• Dunwoody Nature Center
• Fidelity Bank (Dunwoody Village Pkwy)
• Kingsley Charter Elementary School
• Mellow Mushroom Pizza
• Nancy’s Hallmark
• North Atlanta Memorial Park (Doraville)
• Peachtree Charter Middle School
• Picayune Toys
• Starbucks (Ravinia)
• Tilted Kilt (Sandy Springs)
• Vanderlyn Elementary School

Christmas for Kids Past Highlights:

Thanks to each and every one of our volunteers and sponsors for your endless generosity and dedication. The CFK program would not be possible without all of our hard-working volunteers each year including the many members of the Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce, Dunwoody Chamber in Heels, Dunwoody Woman’s Club, First Baptist Church Atlanta, I Care Atlanta, Mitzvahman Photo, Douglas Photography and City of Dunwoody staff as well as many other volunteers representing families, businesses and other organizations within Dunwoody.

 

Christmas for Kids 2012

CLICK HERE to see our 2012 Sponsors
 

 

Christmas for Kids 2011

CLICK HERE to see our 2011 Sponsors

Happy Thanksgiving & Happy Hanukah

Thank you.

 Happy Hanukah

In preparation for the celebratory holiday of Hanukah, the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA) is pleased to present several community-wide Hanukah programs, at various locations across the city. Visit www.atlantajcc.org for a complete schedule of activities.

Restaurants in Dunwoody available on Thanksgiving

Step away from the stove and enjoy dinner in Dunwoody at one of the many restaurants that will be serving Thanksgiving feasts and fancies. Visit their landing pages to make a reservation today. You will be thankful you did!

Cafe Intermezzo

Chequer's Seafood Grill

Maggiano's Little Italy

McCormick & Schmick's Seafood

McKendrick's Steakhouse

Mimi's Cafe

Season's 52

Taco Mac

The Bird Rotisserie & Sports

The Capital Grille

The Viceroy Royal Indian Dining

Wright's Gourmet Sandwich Shoppe

Celebrate and Shop Local this holiday season in Dunwoody

It's no secret that Dunwoody is home to great shopping! With Perimeter Mall located right here and dozens of surrounding nationally-known favorites, we have an abundance of shopping selections. But, hidden in between are local gems that can't be found anywhere else. This holiday season, make a stop to shop and support these local businesses!

H. Stockton

Lola's Boutique

Spruill Gallery Holiday Artists Market and Gift Shop

Bellissimo Accessories

Consigning Women 

Cutie Pies Children's Boutique
The Enchanted Forest

Fab'rik Boutique

Nancy's Shoppe

Picayune Toys

Dress Up Boutique

Final Report - Proposed Dunwoody Independent School District Financial Feasibility

Full Report

Introduction and Summary of Conclusions

This report on the financial feasibility of forming a Dunwoody Independent School District was commissioned by the City of Dunwoody, through the Dunwoody Parents Concerned about Quality Education, a community group formed in 2013 to explore opportunities to improve public education in Dunwoody.

Dunwoody’s public school students (6,082 students in 2012) attend one of the seven public schools located within the city limits. All of these schools are currently under the management and supervision of the DeKalb County Public School District (97,297 students in 2012). Together, the seven Dunwoody schools comprise a relatively self-contained cluster that could conceivably be operated as an independent public school district.

The report is specifically designed to assess whether educational services provided to the recently founded City of Dunwoody by the DeKalb County School District could be provided more efficiently with a leaner organizational form. The question is whether a Dunwoody Independent School District (DISD) can potentially manage a single ‘cluster’ of Dunwoody schools (one high school, and ‘feeder’ middle school and elementary schools) and deliver the same or better district educational and management services at lower cost.

 Such organizational reform may be not only financially prudent but would facilitate the classroom-centered and child-centered operations without the organizational encumbrances of a district organized to serve 98,000 children. Significant changes in information technology have substantially altered the economies of scale arguments that previously argued for larger school districts. Smaller districts are consistent with educational reform that emphasizes child-centered education.

This report assesses the financial feasibility of a smaller Dunwoody Independent School District with analysis of the most detailed and accurate available data. We reallocate the sources of revenue and allocations of cost from the current consolidated DeKalb County School District (which now supervises Dunwoody schools) to project revenue and cost allocations as if a separate and independently controlled Dunwoody School District (DSD) had existed in 2012. We also reallocate resources based on the number of students who would transfer into schools within the new boundaries as well as students who are expected to move from private schools into the new DISD.

The Dunwoody schools are currently managed and controlled under the operational and financial umbrella of the DeKalb County School. If the Dunwoody cluster of schools were managed under a separate and independent school district, some current sources of revenue would follow students and schools to the new Dunwoody Independent School District (DISD). Other revenues would remain allocated to what we term the deconsolidated DeKalb County School District (DDCSD). The allocation of 2012 revenue to either the independent Dunwoody district or the deconsolidated DeKalb district depends on detailed and specific characteristics of the two student populations, supporting communities, and the experience and educational profile of the assigned teachers.

Likewise, the analysis reallocates the consolidated DeKalb County School District 2012 costs between an independent Dunwoody district and a deconsolidated DeKalb district. Using line-item cost detail, we calculated those operating costs of the DISD that are required for each new school, classroom, and student. These estimates of various fixed and variables costs allowed us to project cost shifts for students who would transfer to new schools across new boundaries and student currently in private schools who are projected to transfer to DISD.

This reallocation of revenues and costs (including projected costs of a new Dunwoody Independent School District central office) allows the conclusion that deconsolidation and formation of an independent school district is financially feasible for the City of Dunwoody. In fact, projected revenues for a separate Dunwoody Independent School District from local property tax allocations, state funding, and federal funding would have been $78.7 million in 2012 (based on student and community characteristics, teachers’ profiles and current laws and regulation). Costs of $37.8 million in 2012 would no longer have accrued to a deconsolidated DeKalb County School District, but would have fallen to a new Dunwoody district. Costs for operation of a Dunwoody central office and services are projected to be $10.3 million. On net, revenues for operations of an independent Dunwoody school district would exceed school and district operating costs by $30.7 million annually.

Reallocation also has consequences for a deconsolidated DeKalb School District. After significant wealth-reallocation transfer by state and federal authorities, a deconsolidated DeKalb would lose $77.3 million in revenue (out of a consolidated total of $863.6 million) and $50.5 million in costs. A loss in local revenues of $57.2 million is mitigated as state and federal funding grow as a share of total funding. The net reduction in resources available to DeKalb after deconsolidation is $26.8 million. This is the equivalent of $293 per student per year.

The detailed 25 page report can be found here.

Kelly McCutchen and Prof. Christine P. Ries1
November 18, 2013

Light Up Dunwoody this afternoon at 3 pm at the Dunwoody Farmhouse

An Annual Community Event to Welcome the Holiday Season

Sunday, November 24, 2013; 3:00 to 6:00pm

An annual community event to welcome the holiday season, Light up Dunwoody Christmas Village opens at 3:00 pm and concludes with the lighting of the tree at 5:45 pm. The ceremony will include a Hanukah song and remarks from Rabbi Brian Glusman from the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta.

A cozy warm atmosphere is supported by vendors offering treasures and refreshments.

The Cheek-Spruill Farm House is the center of activity Santa and elves will welcome children on the front porch reindeer with a Santa sleigh will be available for more photo opportunities. Bring your own camera!

Everyone is invited, and there is no cost to participate in this family friendly festival.Everyone is invited, and there is no cost to participate in this family friendly event.

For volunteer opportunities, please contact Pam Tallmadge at 770-393-9647 or pam@tallmadgega.us.

Thank you to the sponsors of Light Up Dunwoody!

Deck the Halls Sponsors

Jingle Bells Sponsors

Santa's Helpers

Dunwoody HS Band Silent Auction ends tonight at 9 pm - Great deals to be had!

It's Auction Time!
The Dunwoody High School Band Needs You!

Video

Our award-winning band continues to experience growing pains. Your participation in our 2nd annual auction will help provide support to a wonderfully enriching organization for the kids!

In addition to the ongoing cost of managing the band (band camp, game day meals, scholarships, etc.), we are hoping to replace a number of aging instruments — some as old as 1972!

Thanks to so many incredible donations from around the Dunwoody community, we have been blessed with a wide variety of exciting auction items — over 150 items with a value over $13,000 !!. Please wander through everything! Then make a bid. Remember, all proceeds directly benefit the Dunwoody High School Band, so don’t hold back!

Dozens of fabulous items to be auctioned include:

Box seats to a 2014 Braves Game
Walt Disney World Tickets
Dinner for 10 at Brio
Wine Tasting Party for 20
Guitar Lessons
Massages and Tanning Sessions
Manicures and Haircuts
Introductory Flying lessons or Aerial Sightseeing
VIP passes to Studio Movie Grill
Unique Custom Gift Items
Professional Organizing Services
Gift Certificates to Many Local Restaurants and Businesses

And LOTS more!!

Auction ends: Sunday, November 24th at 9 pm

Register for your FREE account and bid on items at:

http://auctions.readysetauction.com/dhsband/

State Farm has numerous jobs available in Dunwoody

Trust me when I tell you that State Farm job opportunities in Dunwoody will be numerous in coming years and if you want to get in on the ground floor of explosive growth, start looking now.  All of the positions below are in Dunwoody and several of them are for more than one position, for example the "User Experience Researcher" has 11 positions to fill.

http://www.statefarm.com/careers/index_emp.asp

Public Meeting/Open House for New 5-acre Park in Dunwoody: Tuesday 11/19 7pm at St. Patrick's Episcopal Church

The City of Dunwoody will host an open house to gather feedback on a rendering for the 5-acre park to be located at the corner of North Shallowford Road and Pernoshal Court. The park is part of the 19-acre property in the City’s on-going Project Renaissance redevelopment initiative. The park concept is based on desirable park elements as brainstormed by the community in the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan as well as meetings and a charette held September 2012. Key features of this 5-acre park include an amphitheater with terraced seating, two playgrounds, a multi-purpose sport court, and passive recreation and picnic areas.

In addition to the traditional open house, a brief presentation on the timeframe for the new park development will be delivered to attendees at 7:15 p.m. The goal of the open house meeting is to share the updated park concept with the community and garner feedback. Community feedback will be shared with the Mayor and City Council at theDecember 9, 2013 City Council Meeting.

Council notes regarding park @ http://www.reporternewspapers.net/2013/11/13/residents-can-weigh-new-park-plan-nov-19/

http://www.dunwoodyga.gov/Files/Project%20Renaissance/Updated%20Concept%20plan%20Visual%20for%20ProjRen%205%20acre%20Park.PDF

Various Dunwoody Updates, Monday meeting, website, animals, electronics and park design.

An extraordinary amount of poise and class was exerted by the Chesnut Charter Elementary students who each came to the podium to exalt the benefits of city wide emergency sirens.  Sadly the same can't be said by some others who were in the room and should have been taking lessons from these kids.

In many ways Monday's meeting was like many others, we listened to various presentations, reviewed and voted as needed.  Strong opinions filled the air, some factual, some emotional - all valid to the person expressing the opinion and we listened to what was being said.  The streaming video kept being knocked off line but there are seven segments that were recorded and they can be found here.

One of the items presented to Council was the webpage redesign presentation whereby at the December meeting there will be a contract presented to the winning firm of Jesse James Creative, Inc. and here is a copy of the powerpoint outlining the proposal and our request. If you are in web design please feel free to comment on the proposal and the firm's work.

The firm provided a few examples of their work and I see a few nice touches but also some limitations.  Everyone of the pages has a search bar so I searched "Jesse James" looking for their contract or city council action and only found limited information at best.  The backend of the city will still be tied to SIRE for documents as will the video streaming and it is my hope that the last five years of documents will be indexed and searchable through the new front end being designed by Jesse James.  I am also told that Sire may be upgrading the Video package in January that might be moving away from Silverlight?

http://visitpagosasprings.com

http://edinamn.gov

http://www.cityofcheney.org

http://unicefinnovation.org

Do you remember the discussion on the total number of animals to be allowed in the home?  Here is the proposed replacement ordinance which I believe hits to the heart of the problem attempting to be solved.

As far as animals, I received an email this evening with a photo showing a coyote wandering around on Andover Dr in Dunwoody North so please take appropriate action.

As I will be stepping away from the computer for a few days... On Saturday there will be an electronics recycling event, then on Tuesday there will be a meeting as to what amenities should be included in the park at Shallowford and Pernoshal.  I think a few active basketball courts would work well as we tore down one hoop to build out the 16 acre pipefarm.  The park will be situated on the Brook Run Trail immediately between two playgrounds made for children therefore I would like to see some amenities that are not available at the other two parks.

Also on Saturday, Ms. Bobbi Sedam of the Friends of Brook Run Park Dunwoody will be conducting a work day at 10 am to meet at the entrance to the multiuse trail off the parking lot behind the skate park at Brook Run. Bring your hoe, rake, gloves, water bottles, clippers if you have them and your terrific selves. She will bring hot apple cider, hot chocolate, pumpkin bread and Kleenex......it will be cold.

DeKalb County's unilateral decision against Druid Hills Charter Cluster forces fight to Georgia Legislature for independent school systems.

Next round will be fought here at the Capital.

As per Maureen Downey of the AJC, In a contentious 5-4 vote tonight, the DeKalb County Board of Education rejected the Druid Hills Charter Cluster petition.  The "no" vote followed about four hours of tense debate. Those voting for the cluster were Thaddeus Mayfield, John Coleman, Marshall Orson and Jim McMahan.

The charter petition would have put Druid  Hills High School and six feeder schools under the management of a nonprofit organization and freed them from the reach of the central office. The cluster of schools would have its own administrators and board of directors. The petition, the first in Georgia involving the conversion of a cluster of traditional public schools, had to win the blessing of the school board to proceed as there is no appeals process in the state law. 

With no other options, the fight for an independent school system moves to the State Legislature where HR 486 presented by Representative Taylor of Dunwoody offers options for new local school systems.  

House Resolution 486

By: Representatives Taylor of the 79th, Jacobs of the 80th, Riley of the 50th, Wilkinson of the 52nd, Dudgeon of the 25th, and others

A RESOLUTION

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to authorize any municipality created on or after January 1, 2005, and any municipality which is contiguous to a municipality created on or after January 1, 2005, irrespective of whether such municipalities may be in different counties, to establish individually or collectively by local law an independent school system; to provide for related matters; to provide for the submission of this amendment for ratification or rejection; and for other purposes.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

Article VIII, Section V of the Constitution is amended by revising Paragraph I as follows:

"Paragraph I.

School systems continued; consolidation of school systems authorized; new independent school systems prohibited. Authority is granted to county and area boards of education to establish and maintain public schools within their limits; provided, however, that the authority provided for in this paragraph shall not diminish any authority of the General Assembly otherwise granted under this article, including the authority to establish special schools as provided for in Article VIII, Section V, Paragraph VII. Existing county and independent school systems shall be continued, except that the General Assembly may provide by law for the consolidation of two or more county school systems, independent school systems, portions thereof, or any combination thereof into a single county or area school system under the control and management of a county or area board of education, under such terms and conditions as the General Assembly may prescribe; but no such consolidation shall become effective until approved by a majority of the qualified voters voting thereon in each separate school system proposed to be consolidated. No independent school system shall hereafter be established; provided, however, that any municipality created on or after January 1, 2005, and any municipality which is contiguous to a municipality created on or after January 1, 2005, irrespective of whether such municipalities may be in different counties,  may establish individually or collectively by local law an independent school system."

SECTION 2.

The above proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be published and submitted as provided in Article X, Section I, Paragraph  II of the Constitution. The ballot submitting the above proposed amendment shall have written or printed thereon the following:

"( ) YES or   ( ) NO

Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to authorize any municipality created on or after January 1, 2005, and any municipality which is contiguous to a municipality created on or after January 1, 2005, irrespective of whether such municipalities may be in different counties, to establish individually or collectively by local law an independent school system?"

All persons desiring to vote in favor of ratifying the proposed amendment shall vote "Yes."

All persons desiring to vote against ratifying the proposed amendment shall vote "No" If such amendment shall be ratified as provided in said Paragraph of the Constitution, it shall become a part of the Constitution of this state.

Dunwoody Veterans Day Ceremony at 10 am and local businesses pay tribute to those brave men and women who have served.

Date: 11-11-13
Time:10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Location: Brook Run Park (Veterans Memorial)
4770 North Peachtree Rd.
Dunwoody, GA

Every year on Veterans Day, Americans pay tribute to those brave men and women who have served or are currently serving in our armed forces. “USA Today” wrote on Nov. 10, “Savvy vets and active military can eat their way for free through Veterans Day this year.” As updated by The Military Wallet on Nov. 9, the Veterans Day free meals and deals are numerous this year. Veterans Day 2013 freebies include not only free food, but also free haircuts, discounts and more on Monday, Nov. 11.

Free Veterans Day Dinner at Chic-fil-A on Jett Ferry in Dunwoody from 5 to 8 pm.

Free Veterans Day Meal at Applebee's
Last year, Applebee's served more than 1,000,000 free meals to military veterans and active service members. It’s is again offering a free meal to military veterans and active duty service members on Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 11. There will be seven entrées to choose from including Fiesta Lime Chicken, Three-Cheese Chicken & un-Dried Tomato Pasta (new for 2013), Double Crunch Shrimp, Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger, 7-oz. House Sirloin, Chicken Tenders Platter, and Oriental Chicken Salad. For more information, head to the Applebee's website.

Free Veteran’s Day Meal at Chili’s
All military past and present receive their choice from a special Veteran’s Day menu that includes Oldtimer with Cheese, Chicken Crispers, Margarita Chicken, Classic Turkey Sandwich, Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Soup & Salad Combo, Full Flatbread, Pizza, or a Lunch Combo (during lunch hours). The meals are available for free on Monday, Nov. 11. Dine-in only; beverages and gratuity not included. In addition, Chili’s will donate 10% of its net sales on Sunday, Nov. 10 to the Wounded Warrior Project. For more information, visit the Chili’s website.

Free Veterans Day Meal at Olive Garden
This Veterans Day, all vets and current service members will receive a free meal on Monday, Nov. 11. Options include unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks, Sausage & Peppers Rustica, Seafood Alfredo, Chicken Parmigiana, Cheese Ravioli, Spaghetti with Meat Sauce or Venetian Apricot Chicken. All free meals include garlic breadsticks and choice of soup or salad. Free Veterans Day meals are available all day during business hours on Monday. In addition, all current military service members and their families will be treated to a 10% discount all November in honor of Military Family Appreciation Month.

Free Veterans Day Pizza and Beverage at California Pizza Kitchen
On Monday, Nov. 11, all veterans and active duty military will receive a free pizza with proper I.D. To RSVP, head to the specially designated Veterans Day Facebook page.

Free Veterans Day All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Meal at Denny’s
To thank America’s heroes for their endless dedication and service, Denny’s is giving away never-ending stacks of its famous buttermilk pancakes to active, inactive and retired military personnel on from 6 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 11. For more information, check out the press release.

Free Veterans Day Lunch at TGI Fridays
From 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Nov. 11, TGI Fridays is offering a free lunch to all vets and active duty military service members. Head to the restaurant’s website for locations and more information.

Free Veterans Day Meal at Hooters
On Monday, Nov. 11, Hooters invites all veterans and current servicemen and women to enjoy a free meal, up to $10.99 in value with any drink purchase, by presenting a military ID or proof of service at any Hooters location across the country. For more info, check out the official press release.

Free Veterans Day Doughnut and Coffee at Krispy Kreme
Present your military ID or wear your uniform to receive a free doughnut and small coffee on Nov. 11 at any Krispy Kreme location in the U.S. No purchase necessary and no coupon is required.

Free Veterans Day Tall Coffee at Starbucks
On Nov. 11, all veterans and active duty military will be treated to a free tall (12 oz.) hot coffee for them and their spouse at Starbucks.

Free Veterans Day Bagel and Shmear at Einstein Bros. Bagels
Einstein Bros. Bagels and Noah’s New York Bagels will offer a free bagel with any topping to all active, inactive and retired military personnel on Nov. 11 from 5:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Free Veterans Day Haircuts at Great Clips
Military members who visit Great Clips on Nov. 11 will receive either a free haircut that day or a free haircut card to redeem by Dec. 31. Click here for more information.

Nancy Jester for State School Superintendent and the possible Future of Education in Georgia

Please join Dunwoody resident Nancy Jester for her campaign kick-off! Monday, November 11th, 3:30 p.m. Brook Run Park playground in Dunwoody.

http://www.nancyjester.com

The State of Georgia spends around $20 Billion per year, with more than half of that money spent on education. If you do the math, no pun intended, reason dictates that the State Superintendent has the responsibility to spend more than $10 Billion a year. Not exactly the job for a “Edu-crat.”

Former DeKalb School Board Member Nancy Jester will make her candidacy for Georgia State School Superintendent official tomorrow afternoon in Dunwoody.

Greg Williams of Greg’s List had the opportunity to catch up with Nancy at the Dekalb County GOP Headquarters opening on Sunday, November 10 for a unscheduled Q & A. He had the chance to ask Nancy a few pertinent questions about her candidacy so check out Greg's site.

http://gregslistlive.com/2013/11/10/nancy-jester-for-ga-school-superintendent-exclusive-q-a/

Finally the other big news in education is the DeKalb school board is scheduled to vote Monday on the petition to put Druid Hills High School and six feeder schools under the management of a nonprofit organization. The cluster would operate under its own administrators and board of directors.

If approved by the board Monday and the state board later, the Druid Hills charter cluster will be the first in Georgia.

Read AJC columnist, Maureen Downey for more details.

Dunwoody commemorates milestone of 5 miles of sidewalks.

The City of Dunwoody commemorates another infrastructure and paving milestone with the completion of the city’s 5th mile of sidewalk paving.  The city hosted a commemoration and ribbon cutting event at the corner of West Fontainebleau Court and Happy Hollow Road in Dunwoody to observe the sidewalk paving landmark.

Work continues on several critical sidewalk projects as part of the city’s sidewalk improvement plan created to provide an objective process to prioritize the city’s sidewalk projects.  The city has identified over 21 miles of future sidewalk improvements and 87 future ADA-compliant sidewalk ramps.

Following the completion of this year’s sidewalk construction, the City will have invested nearly $1,000,000 and completed roughly 5.4 miles of new sidewalk infrastructure since 2009, making Dunwoody a safer, healthier, and more enjoyable community for all.  This has been accomplished in a relatively short timeframe with no tax increases and no need to borrow money.

The city continues its commitment to maintain and improve its roads by investing over $2,000,000 in paving this year which is more than 40 percent of the city’s entire 2013 capital budget.  Since 2009, including this year’s investments, the city has spent more than $6,500,000 paving the city’s estimated 306 total lane miles of roads in Dunwoody.

Initial plan released for Dunwoody's next new park located at Shallowford and Pernoshal.

Design Plans

The City has released plans for a New Park / Playgrounds / Amphitheater / Picnic Shelters / Open Green Space connected on the Brook Run Trail at the corner of Shallowford and Pernoshal.

What do you want to see in Dunwoody's next park?   Please review the complete document and give us your thoughts.

I see that the current plan states that it has a hard surface multi-purpose sports court (to accommodate volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, etc ???) but it to me it is missing a dedicated basketball court.

To the best of my knowledge the city does not have a single outdoor basketball hoop on public grounds anywhere within the city limits (except for a few semi unlawful ones placed in culdasacks) and every elementary school has removed all hoops from their outdoor playgrounds.   Looking at the drawing above it appears to me that an additional basketball court could be added to the right of the multi-use court above.

Several years ago, a basketball hoop was installed by residents in the middle of the 16 acre pipe farm and there were people playing playing there on a regular basis. The additional full size regulation court could be used by teenagers and adults whereby I am guessing that the multi-use court would be utilized mostly by kids.

Following Council review and discussion on Tuesday, staff recommends a public meeting to share this updated park concept with the community. The public meeting is being planned for the week before Thanksgiving, tentatively November 19, 2013. Staff will then bring back any revisions to the plan to the Council in December.

Brook Run Trail Phase II completing loop in park up for December approval.

Memo for December Contract Approval

Brook Run Trail Phase II Bid

Brook Run Trail Phase II Plans (Large File - 28 MB)

Phase III crossing creek at back of Brook Run to join new park will be coming soon.

Dunwoody City Council Agenda for Tuesday, November 12th

Tuesday, November 12th
Dunwoody City Hall
41 Perimeter Center East

Dunwoody, GA 30346

5:00 pm - Exec Session

7:00 p.m. - Voting Meeting

Watch Live at 7 pm

Agenda

Administer Oath of Office to Officer Jeremy Massengill.

Proclamation - Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month.

YTD Financial Report for September 30, 2013.

Updated Concept Plan for Renaissance 5 Acre Park on the 19 Acre Property.

Update on the CAD-to-CAD Interface Project.

Discussion and Approval of Amendment of City Position Allocation and Compensation Chart
Related to the Detective, Crime Analyst and Deputy Court Clerk Positions.

Discussion and Approval of Fiscal Year 2014 Budget for Convention and Visitors Bureau of
Dunwoody.

Discussion and Approval of Resolution Appointing Members to Serve on Dunwoody Alcohol
License Review Board.

Discussion and Approval of Appointment of Members to Serve on Dunwoody Construction
Board of Appeals.

Discussion and Approval of 2014 City Council and Community Development Boards Meeting
Schedules.

Approval of Agreement with Georgia DOT for Perimeter CID Bike Plan.

Discussion of Contract Award ITB 13-09 Brook Run Park Multi-Use Trail Phase II.

Discussion of 2014 Website Redesign Contract Award.

FIRST READ: Discussion of Amendments to Chapter 6, Animals - Nuisance.

Mt. Vernon / Dunwoody Club Blockbuster Video to become a Chase Bank

I started getting questions late this afternoon about fences going up around the long vacant Blockbuster Video Store on Mt. Vernon as people were excited to know what was going on.

After I informed them that another bank was entering the community, the excitement usually faded. 

The property is zoned neighborhood shopping / commercial and the owner of the land can develop it as he sees fit within the allowances of the zoning code and a bank is an allowable use for the area.

Dunwoody United Methodist Church - Holiday Festival on Saturday 9 am to 4 pm

 Dunwoody United Methodist Church

1548 Mt. Vernon Road
Dunwoody, GA. 30338

Holiday Festival Webpage  

Over 130 Artisans • Book Nook • Huge Silent Auction Attic Treasures • Gourmet Shop • Casseroles to Go Photos with Santa • Kidz Zone with Games, Activities and Crafts Festival Fudge • Live Entertainment and Petting Zoo!

Silent Auction closes at 1:00 pm

Photos with Santa available by appt or walk-in, bring your own SD card for high quality digital images. 

Nava/Breffle Wrestling Club of Dunwoody open to children from ages 6 - 14 and trains at Dunwoody High. Registration Now Open

 

 Louis Nava & Doug Breffle Photos

 http://www.navabrefflewrestling.com

Our club was started to honor the memories of Louis Nava and Doug Breffle. These young men were Dunwoody High School students who loved the sport of wrestling! You can read more about the club in these articles at The Dunwoody Crier and The Dunwoody Patch.

Purpose:

 

The purpose of our wrestling club is to introduce and teach the sport of wrestling to children in the Dunwoody area from ages 6-14. The club offers various opportunities for the differing levels of competence. Children will develop as they advance in the sport. It will also prepare middle school children for their entrance into the high school wrestling experience. In addition to actually teaching the sport, we will provide a positive environment to teach the values of team, self-discipline, and a strong work ethic. These are essential skills for success in wrestling, academics, and life.

Requirements:

 

All wrestlers and coaches will be required to have a USA Wrestling Card to participate in the club. Cards are purchased online from the Team Georgia Web Site. Dues for the club are $75.00. Payment should be made through Paypal via the registration portal.

If you do not have a USA Wrestling Card, you will not be able to participate

NO EXCEPTIONS!

Organization of the Club:

 

Gary Hammond and David Bertrand will be the the Head Coaches for the 2013-2014 season. The Breffle and Lynn families, along with Dunwoody varsity coach Luke McSorley, will be assisting in the running of the club. Parent volunteers are always welcome — please feel free to contact the club; use the contact us button above to send us an email directly. We look forward to working with your children and sharing with them the exciting sport of wrestling.

The MJCCA Book Festival is going on nightly in Dunwoody

22nd Edition of the Book Festival of the MJCCA
November 2-17, 2013

Book Festival Brochure 'Flip Through' or Download

For 21 successful years, the Book Festival of the MJCCA has provided our community with a literary extravaganza featuring an exciting lineup of the year's most exceptional authors, speakers, and celebrities. Please join thousands of your fellow book lovers to listen, meet, and interact with your favorite authors in a variety of forums, including author meet-and-greets, book signings, a community read, and panel discussions.

• Tickets on sale now! Get your tickets today >
• Download the 2013 Book Festival of the MJCCA Brochure >
• A Cappella Bookstore Hours >
  

Congratulations to Dunwoody Councilmen Shortal, Riticher & Thompson

Denis Shortal & Doug Thompson

Jim Riticher

 

 

Shortal, Wescott and Thompson for A Better Dunwoody on Election Day.

http://www.abetterdunwoody.com/2013/10/our-picks.html

Tuesday is election day here in Dunwoody and I hope you make it to the polls before the 7 pm closing time.  Predictions are that turnout will be low therefore just a few votes could swing these contests in either direction.

As a resident of Dunwoody for the last 15 years and as a member of the City Council since inception, I am very proud of the many accomplishments that we as a community have collectively made in making this a better Dunwoody.

I have done my best to provide you the information on the candidates, in a positive manner without going negative in anyway.   Unfortunately I can't say the same with all aspects of this election and hope that we can put this behind us to move our great city forward. 

With one guaranteed Council seat change, I am looking forward to the new member adding positive energy into discussions that we have been missing for awhile and if the other two seats had the incumbents returned I would be overjoyed as they have served us well.

I would like to thank all eight of the candidates for submitting their names forward for elected office and no matter who is elected at the end of the day, I hope that everyone will stay engaged to add value to our community.

As a member of Council, I have a very an active desire to know who will be sitting with me and where they stand on the various issues.  I have done my due diligence on that subject as I have attended (and filmed) the Political Forums, read all candidate statements, articles, letters to the editor, private emails, blog and Facebook posts to find out about the candidates.   For me a top three have emerged far above the others and the excerpts of the article below closely mirrors my thoughts on the positive aspects of the three recommended.

The power is in your vote, please use it govern the future of Dunwoody.   Thank you.

We believe in a Better Dunwoody and do not think we need to save Dunwoody, except from those who think we should freeze time or look backwards.  We think the city is doing a good job at transparency and asking for public input. - although in order to give input you do have to attend meetings.  Is the city staff and council perfect?  No, but we do believe they have the city's best interests at heart and look at the big picture.

District 1- Denny Shortal (incumbent) will get our vote on Tuesday.  Denny surprised us at the DHA forum with his complete understanding of the various vendors the city uses for services.  We liked his suggestions to tweak some of the service levels.  Denny supported the Village Parkway Plan and the Brook Run trail system.  At the same time, he is the first to question costs and unnecessary spending.  Denny fully supports keeping Austin as a community school in the same location.

District 2 - Heyward Wescott will get our vote on Tuesday.  Heyward's positive attitude, involvement in many different community organizations and proven leadership will make a great contribution to the council.  Truthfully we hope he runs for mayor in the future.  We think his perspective as a small business owner add to his qualifications.  He is the only candidate from District 2 to support Project Renaissance.  As noted in another post, this project took foreclosed land zoned for 300 apartments and turned it into a city park and single family residential homes.

District 3 - Doug Thompson (incumbent) will get our vote on Tuesday.  At the DHA forum we were delighted with his understanding and commitment to District 3 issues.  His candor about city issues  helped provide some insight to decisions made over the past few years.  The loudest applause at the forum was Doug's closing statement when he said, "I don't understand when people try to tear this city down."  He almost had a standing ovation for that statement.

Facts over FUD - 6,000 apartments are not currently approved for Dunwoody

An email sent by Tammy Anderson, the wife of the former City Attorney Brian Anderson hit my inbox several times this evening by residents asking my opinion of what was written.  The letter is posted down below for all to see but it also mimics Ms. Anderson's question at the Political Forum for Young Families therefore I will use it and the answers provided by Candidates Heyward Westcott and Doug Thompson as both were spot on as far as the "Grandfathering" is concerned.

Zoning entitlements can not be taken away as Tammy states and the email miscommunication on her part almost seems deliberate.   When attempting to sway last minute public opinion (like in this election), there is a tactic to use what is called "FUD" which stands for Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt to influence perception by disseminating negative and dubious or false information.   The "Clean Slate" platform has little substance and few facts in which to have a real platform to move this city forward therefore we are witnessing that a negative campaign is now being waged.

Video

Please allow me to raise several facts.

Fact - 6,000 apartments are not pre-approved in Dunwoody and to verify my statement pull up this link and follow the directions.  Second, while looking at the pre-approved entitlements on the City of Dunwoody GIS System, remember that State Farm just bought the Novarre Site that is kiddy corner from the Dunwoody Station therefore say goodbye to those possible 900 condos that were pre-approved because State Farm will only want office space.  Click everything that is red on the city site and you will have a very hard time finding much residential except for the High Street project.

Fact - the current City Council has worked to limit residential density for years by modifying every master plan to almost specifically state that. Below are a few articles I posted.

Residential density in the City of Dunwoody
Tonight is the Public Hearing on the Dunwoody 2030 Comprehensive Land Use Plan

Facts on the High Street Development

High Street has the zoning entitlement rights to install a very large mixed use development with office, retail, hotel and residential.  The residential aspect includes 1,500 condos and 1,500 apartments but as the two candidates stated, it will be the negotiation process where these numbers will be lowered.

Location:    Hammond Drive and Perimeter Center Parkway (NW Corner)
Entitlements:    400,000 square feet of new office (235,000 square feet of existing office space), 400,000 square feet of retail, 400 room hotel, 1,500 condos, 1,500 rental units

Notes    SLUP 07-13538, Z 07-13537 (previously Z 07-4251), A 07-14012

Finally the negative campaign is now being documented by various Dunwoody Blogs that I think you should read.  The first is Former Candidate, Bob Fiscella who wrote an interesting article entitled;

Teddy Roosevelt Says Sweep Aside The Clean Sweepers

then there is Farmer Bob's take

The Smear Campaign: Cleensweep Campaign Sinks or Stinks To A New Level of Negative Campaigning


Finally below is the letter from Ms. Anderson that she sent far and wide in the Dunwoody Community.  Please don't be afraid of the letter as you now have the Facts over FUD.

Subject: Fwd: Stop 3,000+ apartments from being built in Dunwoody

Hey all,

I am sending this out to you because you are the movers and shakers in
your neighborhoods. This is crucial information for anyone voting on
November 5th.

Please, no matter who we like or who we are neighbors with, this election is
about who will vote to change our zoning to stop Projects that don't
have Vested Rights. Please send this out to anyone who cares about our
schools.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION - DUNWOODY CITY COUNCIL ELECTION – TUESDAY
NOVEMBER 5

Very few homeowners are aware that just 10 days ago on October 21 the
Dunwoody City Council voted to approve the zoning code re-write that
included “grandfathering” variances and allowing up to 3,000 apartments
in a project called High Street and up to 6000 new apartments across
the city.

The proposed High Street development project located at Perimeter
Center Parkway and Hammond Dr. would add up to another 3,000
apartments/condos and increase the overall number of apartments in
Dunwoody by 30%. This will dramatically affect our schools and traffic
infrastructure. Since there are roughly 10,300 single family homes and
10,300 apartments in Dunwoody equaling a 50-50 balance, another 3,000
apartments will significantly upset this balance.

This election is pivotal. If the zoning code is not changed, Dunwoody
will become an apartment community versus a single family home
community. The impact on schools and infrastructure will be devastating.

The Dunwoody City Council claims they cannot change the zoning code to
address this apartment “grandfathering.” This is absolutely false – the
Dunwoody City Council has the authority to address this problem. Sandy
Springs immediately and effectively used zoning, code enforcement and
impact fees to control development in their new city. The Dunwoody City
Council did just the opposite by taking 5 years to pass a zoning code
re-write that allows the very apartment development they promised to
control when becoming a city.

The November 5th election is crucial and the choice is clear. Stop
“grandfathered” DeKalb County apartment projects.

VOTE  YES - FOR  DUNWOODY

VOTE  YES  - FOR  HENLY SHELTON,  DISTRICT 1

VOTE  YES - FOR  JIM RITICHER,  DISTRICT 2

VOTE  YES - FOR  SAM EADS, DISTRICT 3

VOTE  YES - FOR TAKING  BACK  DUNWOODY

Thanks,
Tammy Anderson