IrishFest Atlanta featuring Music, Dance & Culture - Friday & Saturday at the Doubletree on Chamblee Dunwoody Rd

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IrishFest Atlanta has something for everyone!
Concerts, Workshops, Dance Performances, Lectures and much more.
Shop the IrishFest Marketplace featuring vendors while enjoying free entertainment and special youth programs.
 "IrishFest Atlanta is where Ireland meets Georgia - a match made in heaven."

http://www.irishfestatlanta.org

DoubleTree by Hilton Atlanta Perimeter Dunwoody
4386 Chamblee Dunwoody Road (just inside 285)
Brookhaven,Georgia, 30341

Do the DeKalb County Grand Jury presentments show probable cause on the entire DeKalb criminal justice system?

Several months ago I was looking on-line for DeKalb County Grand Jury Presentments and couldn't find them, therefore, I requested the last year and a half from District Attorney Sherry Boston and she provided me what I requested.  Sherry is a former City of Dunwoody municipal judge who is coming up on her one year anniversary of being our County D.A. and I think very highly of her and the difficult job she does for all the citizens of DeKalb.  Ms. Boston who champions government transparency has stated that they are redoing the D.A. website and she will consider posting these important documents on line every other month as they come available.

DeKalb citizens are asked to serve on a grand jury for several months for little pay, in what appers to be uncomfortable circumstances and are asked to make tough law enforcement decisions where they are sometimes very ill-informed to do so.

By these reports written by everyday citizens of this county, it appears that all aspects of our criminal justice system in DeKalb County may be underfunded, may need better oversight and various process changes to improve its efficiency and effectiveness.

I am publishing these presentment reports not to embarrass any one aspect of the criminal justice system in DeKalb but to bring these issues to light so that our DeKalb County Commissioners and the CEO can set proper funding for long-term improvements in the police, the jail and the court systems.   I raise these issues so the Grand Jury members time and efforts are not wasted in vain, so that the world is aware that these common citizens have requested in-depth investigations be made into possible improprieties in various DeKalb Departments and that the lack of funding in some aspects of the DeKalb County Criminal Justice System could almost be considered criminal.

Date	Item	Issue
5/1/2016	efficiency	Large Map of DeKalb is needed on wall for jury reference
5/1/2016	efficiency	improve the lighting in Grand Jury Room
5/1/2016	efficiency	wireless mics need to have batteries replaced
5/1/2016	efficiency	Grand Jury needs more training on probable cause
5/1/2016	Water Dept. Fraud	Further investigation needed
7/1/2016	efficiency	Shoplifting - 3 times is a felony
7/1/2016	efficiency	first time offenders with family violence should go to counseling
7/1/2016	efficiency	Grand Jury is using outdate manuals
7/1/2016	efficiency	wireless mics need to have batteries replaced
7/1/2016	Ethics Board	Reviewed Dept. and were satisfied that changes will improve DeKalb
7/1/2016	Jail pay	higher caliber of employees
7/1/2016	Jail suicides	DeKalb PD should investigate - still not happening?
9/1/2016	pay	Trial jury pay raise from $25 to $40 per day
9/1/2016	pay	Grand jury pay raise from $40 to $50 per day
9/1/2016	efficiency	Shoplifting felonies trial needs to be more efficient - like traffic court
9/1/2016	gang violence	Underfunded DeKalb County Gang Unit severely ill equipped to handle gang violence rising to level of Chicago.
9/1/2016	Racial Profiling via tags	manual tag runs vs ALPR (Automatic License Plate Recognition Scanning)
9/1/2016	Jury exemption request	After grandy jury service - some jurors request to be exempt from future service for a number of years.
9/1/2016	Jury Notice Request	Request certified mail
9/1/2016	Police Training	More training is needed on mental illness
9/1/2016	Oversight of Sheriff's Office	External oversight committee is needed to check Sheriff's department
9/1/2016	Inmate visitation	By videoconferencing only - needs to be reviewed?
9/1/2016	Jail pay	higher caliber of employees
9/1/2016	Jail Officer training	more training on conflict prevention
11/1/2016	pay	Grand jury pay raise from $40 to $50 per day
11/1/2016	efficiency	wireless mics need to have batteries replaced
11/1/2016	efficiency	Jury seats are uncomfortable
11/1/2016	efficiency	What is DA doing about the backlog of cases?
11/1/2016	Oversight of Sheriff's Office	Special investigation of sheriff's office requested.
1/1/2017	efficiency	Grand Jury is using outdate manuals - law handbook.
1/1/2017	efficiency	clear process needs to be explained when Grand Jury wants to remove charges.
1/1/2017	efficiency	Why is the Grand Jury told the race of the defendant - is it needed?
1/1/2017	efficiency	Grand Jury  needs more training on probable cause and less on guns and drugs.
1/1/2017	efficiency	Why does the Grand Jury hear cases that do not need to be heard - sex offenders not registering is one sided.
3/1/2017	efficiency	clear process needs to be explained when Grand Jury wants to remove charges.
3/1/2017	efficiency	Grand Jury  needs more training on probable cause
3/1/2017	Racial Profiling via tags	Updated presentation given - made this jury happy.
3/1/2017	pay	Grand jury pay raise from $40 to $50 per day
3/1/2017	efficiency	Jury seats are uncomfortable
3/1/2017	Jury selection	Suggestion to offer to volunteers and salaried workers as hourly may not be paid.
3/1/2017	efficiency	Why are some defendants (Gov Employees) allowed in Grand Jury and others are not - unfair?
5/1/2017	Jury selection	Only picked willing people?
5/1/2017	jury pay	Grand jury pay raise from $40 to $50 per day
5/1/2017	efficiency	Jury seats are uncomfortable - need clipboards and pens
5/1/2017	efficiency	install large screen display for jurors
5/1/2017	efficiency	jury needs availability of snack machine
5/1/2017	Jail	Emergency water source needed as jail can not operate with out it.
7/1/2017	efficiency	Teenagers need to be educated on laws effecting them - outreach needed.
7/1/2017	efficiency	Why is the Grand Jury told the race of the defendant - is it needed?
7/1/2017	pay	Grand jury pay raise from $40 to $50 per day
7/1/2017	efficiency	jury needs availability of snack machine
7/1/2017	efficiency	better temperature control in room
7/1/2017	efficiency	keurig coffee machine needed for room
7/1/2017	efficiency	Jury seats are uncomfortable

2016GrandJury0506.pdf
 

2016GrandJury0708.pdf
 

2016GrandJury0910.pdf

 
2016GrandJury1112.pdf

 
2017GrandJury0102.pdf
 

2017GrandJury0304.pdf
 

2017GrandJury0506.pdf

 
2017GrandJury0708.pdf

Dunwoody's Best Neighborhood for Trick-or-Treating, Briers North off Tilly Mill - Tuesday 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM

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The Briers North Subdivision invites you and your children to visit and enjoy the yard decorations, costumes, and trick-or-treating!

• The street opens to trick-or-treaters at 6:00 PM
  
• Candy distribution begins at 6:00pm.
  
• No admission after 8:30pm.
  
• NO PETS are allowed. Please don't bring your pet as we hate to have to disappoint you by refusing admission. 
  

• We close the subdivision to automobile traffic at 5:45pm and it does not reopen until 9:30pm.
• There is NO parking inside Briers North. If you park outside, please do so legally.
• Crossroads Church of Dunwoody at the corner of Tilly Mill & Peeler typically allows cars to park in their parking lot. If they do so again this year, please help them with a donation.
• Trick-or-treating in Briers North on Halloween is AT YOUR OWN RISK. This is a public event on public streets and is NOT sponsored by any association or group. Briers North assumes no liability or responsibility for visitors.
  

Please make a donation on-line or at the entrance to help defray the cost!
Have fun, and thank you for visiting!

Early Voting starts Saturday at the Dunwoody Library - review the ballot in advance.

The City of Dunwoody has contracted (and paid) to have the Dunwoody Library be an early polling place for this election and intends to do so for all future elections.  Early voting starts Saturday 9 am at the library and it is then available from 8 to 5 Monday through Friday.

There are two main items on the ballot, first is the election of your local district city council seat. 

The City of Dunwoody is broken into three voting districts with the lines running North / South, whereby we have District 1 on the far West Side of the city, District 2 in the middle & District 3 on the East side of the city.  Each district has two elected representatives, one elected by only the residents voting in the local district (that is happening this year) and the other elected citywide or at large.  I believe this system works wonderfully as every resident votes for the Mayor and four of the six other city council members.  Four of the seven of us always have to think & vote on issues from a city wide perspective yet there are representatives who are more focused about the specific communities they represent.

In District 1 the election is between the incumbent Pam Tallmadge & Joe Hirsch.
In District 2 the election is between the incumbent Jim Riticher & Bobby Zuckman.
The election in District 3 is between Henry Bierenfeld & Tom Lambert to fill the seat being vacated by incumbent Doug Thompson.

The Dunwoody Crier & the Dunwoody Homeowners Association held a forum where all candidates attended and answered questions - there is a recap here. 

The second item on the ballot is a series of three referendums that when put together, raises sales tax a penny on items other than food and medicine, it lowers our property tax bills, increases money for transportation and it makes permanent the homestead tax freeze.   Mark Niesse of the AJC does a comprehensive overview of the items and I know Senator Fran Miller worked hard with the DeKalb County CEO to put these compromise measures together for the benefit of all jurisdictions and he has an overview in The Crier.

To obtain a sample ballot for yourself to read all of the measures that you will be voting on please visit here or if you would like to see what my ballot (District 3) looks like including all of the referendums, click here but know if you reside in District 1 or 2 your city council choices will be different.

Peachtree Charter - CV Classic 5K to run through the streets of Dunwoody North on Saturday 8:00 am

Neighbors - Forget traffic issues for short race and cheer on the runners!

Join the Dunwoody Rotary, Tuesday October 24, 7 p.m. at the Dunwoody Nature Center to Celebrate World Polio Day

The Rotary Club of Dunwoody Presents: Candle Light Vigil

Oct. 24 - 7:00 PM

Dunwoody Nature Center

On Tuesday, October 24, the Rotary Club of Dunwoody is hosting a Polio Candlelight Vigil at the Dunwoody Nature Center – starting at 7:00 p.m. We are inviting the Dunwoody community, and hope that you can join us with your family and neighbors. The public is welcome to join the Vigil, learn about the history of Polio eradication, be updated on current results, and find out what they can individually do to help in the worldwide effort to eradicate this devastating disease.

Rotary International has been focused on polio eradication since 1985, when they started the Polio Plus initiative. In 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was created, with Rotary partnering with the World Health Organization, the CDC, and UNICEF. A few years ago, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation offered to match 2:1 all funds raised by Rotary – and they renewed their commitment at this year’s Rotary International Convention. Donor governments have also contributed to the efforts to eradicate the disease. The mass vaccination of children, performed by Rotarians and health workers side-by-side around the world, has resulted in a 99.9% reduction in active cases since the 1980’s. To date, Rotary has donated more than $1.7 billion and countless volunteer hours to immunize more than 2.5 million children in 122 countries.

The rate of infection has dropped from 1,000 per day to just 37 cases in 2016. That number is now ten for 2017. As a result, polio is “This Close” to being eradicated. But as long as there is a single case of the live polio virus, no nation is safe. A recent 2017 discovery of a case in Nigeria verified the need for the Initiative to continue its work with a vengeance. Mass tools of communication have been designed to reach persons in areas isolated by conflict, geography, or poverty.

Charter member Bob Mingus was the first Dunwoody Rotarian to donate $1000 to Polio Plus and since then, the Club and Dunwoody Rotarians have donated $111,273 to help eradicate this crippling disease. Robert and Charlene Hall, Roy Wise, and Laura Kann have all been part of national immunization days in India – and it’s exciting to know that India has been six years polio-free. A portion of the funds raised by this year’s RunDunwoody will be used to support Rotary International’s End Polio Now campaign – and we’ll be talking more about how you and the community can be part of the fundraising to finish this important initiative and declare the world Polio Free.

Please think about Donating Today if you are able - Thanks!

Your donation helps Rotary and its partners reach every child with the polio vaccine. Thanks to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, your contribution will be tripled, getting us even closer to a polio-free world.