Good morning my fellow citizens in the great city of Dunwoody, The following are some items of interest …
1. Truck or Treat … This is our annual Dunwoody City Halloween Party. It takes place this Thursday, OCT 24, at Brook Run Park starting at 5 PM until 9 PM. It is also the last "Food Truck Thursday" of the year. Bill Grossman and his team will have a great line up of food trucks to fit everyone’s taste buds. Come dressed in your Halloween costume as there will be prizes for all ages. Our Dunwoody Police will be on hand with some of their equipment and they may have a few safety reflectors, etc. to hand out. We have a great band to entertain … "The Yacht Rock Schooner” … and with a name like that you know they are going to be good. To top all that the weather is going to perfect … 67 degrees at the start with clear skies and hardly any wind. So come early in costume, eat hardy, bring your dancing shoes and be prepared for a great evening with your fellow citizens.
2. Austin Redistricting Meeting … The second in a series of three meetings on the redistricting of the new Austin School will take place tonight night, OCT 23, starting at 7 PM at DHS. The first meeting last month was well organized by the DCSS and the conduct of our citizens that attended was very respectful. Come prepared to offer some thoughtful input. The third meeting in this series will take place on NOV 20.
3. DES 10th Anniversary … One of our many great schools, Dunwoody Elementary School, will be celebrating it's 10th anniversary of the school this Saturday, OCT 26, with a “Fall Festival.” There will be food, games, contest, and even a baking contest. The event is from 10 AM to 2 PM. There will be celebrities on hand … stage star Councilwoman Pam Tallmadge, Coach Mike “Vince Lombardi” Nash of DHS fame and the amazing Matt Weber, Co-founder of the world famous podcast “What’s Up Dunwoody.”
4. Speaking of DHS Football … Congratulations to Coach Nash and the DHS football players for a thrilling come from behind victory last Friday night. The team has come a long way in the last few years since Coach Nash arrived at DHS. He is an asset to our city. The team has started the beginning of a winning tradition. We are proud of therm!
5. Boy Scouts’ Halloween Festival … This is another one of the many outstanding Halloween events over this coming weekend. This event billed as the “Haunted Farm Tour” will take place at the bootiful Donaldson Bannister Farm this Saturday, OCT 26, from 3 PM to 9 PM. The event is the work of our own Dunwoody Boy Scout Troop 477. Among the events will be a petting zoo, games, crafts and s’mores … wow, s’mores count me in/!
6. Softball Game … This annual fun game of friendly competition between Dunwoody and Doraville will take place this coming Friday, OCT 25, starting at 1 PM. The location is our Dunwoody Baseball Fields, Brook Run Park. This is the fourth year for this game with Doraville winning the first two games and Dunwoody came back to bring the trophy home last year. Come out and cheer on the team. There is also a raffle with some outstanding prizes.
7. Dunwoody Nature Center (DNC) Election Day Camp … NOV 5 is election day and it is also a day that the schools will be closed. To put a spin on the day the leadership at the DNC will have a one day Election Day Camp appropriately titled “ Vote for Nature.” The camp is open for children from age 4 through the 5th grade. Come enjoy a day of “all things nature.”
8. Townhall Meeting … My last Townhall meeting will take place on NOV 19 from 7 PM to 8:30 PM. The location will be our Dunwoody City Hall. I am going to rap up the last 11 years as to where we came from, where we are today and where I expect us to go in the future. There will be an emphasis on fiscal stewardship, physical plant, recreation, safety and citizenry. I will leave plenty of time for Q & A. Look forward to seeing you all there.
9. Brook Run Park Construction … If you have been at Brook Run Park lately you will notice there has been a lot of progress. If Mother Nature cooperates with good weather we anticipate a spring, 2020 completion. The project is being paid for with internal funds … there is no debt or bonds.
10. National Drug Take Back Day … Our Dunwoody Police Department with be participating in this National Event this Saturday, OCT 26, from 10:00 AM to 2 PM at the Police Station located in Dunwoody City Hall. They will be accepting expired and unwanted prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications. They will also accept vaping and e-cigarettes devices if the batteries are remove. Getting these items out of our homes is an important safety factor especially those of us with children.
11. Elections … November Election … Early voting started on Monday, OCT 14 and the hours of operation are 8 AM to 5:30 PM Monday thru Friday. There is NO weekend Early Voting hours in this election. The closes location for us to early vote is our Dunwoody Library. Application for Absentee Voting can be submitted now but ballots will not be sent out until OCT 14. To get an Absentee Ballot Application got to this site…. https://sos.ga.gov/admin/uploads/absentee_ballot_app_201431.pdf …. You can mail your filled out Absentee Ballot Application to, DeKalb County (DC) Registration and Elections, 4380 Memorial Dr, Suit 300, Decatur, GA 30032 or email your application to absenteeballot@dekalbcountyga.gov or fax it in to 404-298-4038. DC Elections is very good at getting your ballot sent back to you quickly. When you get your ballot follow the directions and when filled out mail it back in the envelope provided. Folks at every election I strongly encourage every American to vote. There can be some last minute emergencies that would interfere with a person voting but those are few and far between … I just don’t understand why we don’t have at least 90% of our citizens voting at each election. Our privilege to vote has been paid for by the blood, sweat and courage of millions of American Men and Women that preserve this privilege for all of us. From me to all of you … Please vote!
12. Election Ballot … You ballot will have three contested elected positions … For Mayor … Terry Nall and Lynn Deutsch; For District 1 At Large … Robert Miller and Stacy Harris; and for District 2 At Large … Heyward Wescott and Joe Seconder. This is a city wide election so every registered voter in Dunwoody can vote for all three positions. John Heneghan is running unopposed. There is one “Special Election” issue on the ballot concerning DeKalb Board of Ethics that is extremely important. It read “Shall the Act be approved which revises the Board of Ethics for DeKalb County.” I strongly urge you to vote “NO” on this issue. The rise in ethical standards in DeKalb County has made large progress in the last few years. Passing this election issue would regress us back to the days that we want to leave behind us as a County.
13. That is all for today. Please pass this on to your friends, neighbors and members of your HOA. If anyone wants to be added to my email list just let me know. Request everyone keep your email address updated with me if you wish to continue receive my updates. Thanks for all each of you do to make us a city with a family atmosphere. Let’s all work to create the mutual respect that everyone deserves! See you around town!
Let Us Continue to Build Our City Together!
Denny Shortal
Mayor of Dunwoody
C 678-246-9006
