Dunwoody Park, Update from Councilman Wittenstein, New Pastor at All Saints



Click on the photo to learn more about the plans for Dunwoody's parks.

 Update from Councilman Wittenstein

Dear Dunwoody Friends and Neighbors,
There is a lot going on in Dunwoody right now but none of it is more important than the parks master plan that was just released in draft form. This plan aims to be a blueprint for parks development in Dunwoody—which up until now has been a virtual parks desert.
The conceptual drawings can be viewed at Parks and Green Space Master Plan.
One of the most exciting elements of the plan is the proposal to build a greenway along the high tension power lines that run through Dunwoody from Sandy Springs to Gwinnett. The greenway could connect our parks into a network of paths for walkers, runners and bicyclers. Also outlined are potential ‘makeover’ plans for each of our parks with an emphasis on transforming Brook Run from a “diamond in the rough” to a jewel.
The plan is still in draft form. If you have feedback, please post it on the newly opened discussion board Dunwoody Parks Plan Discussion Board.
Not in the plan, but something we should all keep in mind, is that this would be an ideal time to acquire property for parks in those areas of Dunwoody where we don’t have park properties today. Buying new properties would require an investment but with land prices lower than they have been in years, it would be a shame not to take advantage of what is sure to be a limited window with depressed prices.

In other news, we have received revised proposals for 911 service from both DeKalb County and ChatComm. As an illustration of the value of competition, ChatComm has lowered their price and DeKalb has offered to improve their service level. The ChatComm proposal is now very close in cost to the DeKalb proposal and ChatComm is still offering a substantially higher level of service. I think this makes what was a difficult decision (to spend more to get more) an easier decision. DeKalb’s 911 service is our weakest link in the public safety response chain and I’m looking forward to our increasing our ability to respond more quickly and more consistently.
Regards,

Robert
 
New Pastor at All Saints
 
I have learned from sources that the Archdiocese of Atlanta is set to name a new pastor at All Saints Church replacing Monsignor Donald Kiernan, who retired after 25 years (but remains at All Saints in his retirement). 
I believe parishioners at All Saints will be pleased, as Monsignor Kiernan's replacement also carries the title of monsignor, and is almost as witty!   I won't let the cat out of the bag, and instead let the church make the announcement, which will likely come by this weekend.

City of Dunwoody Updates

Wondering why the cities of Dunwoody and Sandy Springs have yet to finish the Dunwoody Club Dr. repaving project yet?
The city issued a news released on Thursday, and it would like the project done ASAP as well!

Dunwoody Citizens,

We have received a few inquiries on the status of the Dunwoody Club resurfacing project that is being funded jointly by the cities of Sandy Springs and Dunwoody. The project began in late November of last year with the goal of having paving completed before the holidays. This would allow us to take full advantage of a competitive bid that was significantly below the estimated project cost. Milling of the old asphalt surface and patching of failing pavement was completed by December 10, 2010 leaving only the placement of the new asphalt for the project to be completed.
It seems Mother Nature had other plans. The contractor has not been able to complete this final phase of work due to the cold weather, snow and ice we have been experiencing since mid-December. The hot mix asphalt used to repave the road cannot be properly placed at cold temperatures or in wet conditions. Based on historical average temperatures for Dunwoody, asphalt can typically be placed through most of the month of December and the long range forecast when the project began was for a warmer and drier winter than normal.
As we are all aware, that forecast has not been accurate. We have experienced three winter storms and consistently below average temperatures since the beginning of December. Ideally, we need 4 to 5 consecutive days of warmer temperatures to complete the paving properly. Based on current forecasts it will likely be mid-February before we will begin to see temperatures warm enough to complete the final phase of the project. Even with this unforeseen delay, we expect to be completed six months ahead of the schedule in the City’s five year paving plan and at a savings of over $50,000.
We appreciate your patience as we work to improve Dunwoody’s roads as economically as possible. If you have any questions or are interested in other Public Works projects please feel free to contact me at michael.smith@dunwoodyga.gov or by phone at 678-382-6700.

Michael Smith
Public Works Director
City of Dunwoody

State of the City Address

Latest on Rezoning

Vanderlyn Redistricting Community Meeting

6:30 PM - 8:00 PM Tuesday, January 25

Vanderlyn Elementary

If you are one of those who likes to see Dunwoody at its worst, meander on over to the DunwoodySchoolDaze blogsite and read the negative comments on DeKalb County's school redistricting (at last look, there were 115 posts under the headline "Notice of Vanderlyn Meetings."
This is not a criticism of Dunwoody Mom, who does a fabulous job of running the site and keeping the community informed, instead it's an indictment of Dunwoody, as a whole.  We ought to be ashamed of ourselves to spew such venom.  I read the comments because every so often one of the anonymous writers is informative.  Unfortunately, the writers whose objective is to education rather than criticize, are few and far between.  It amazes me how much courage some people have posting anonymously, which is why I can't take these posts seriously.  For all I know, it's one or two people posting over and over. 
If anyone objects to this post, please let me know.  I'll be happy to meet you for a cup of coffee (that includes you Rick). 
I subscribe to Abe Lincoln's theory, "the best way to destroy your enemies is make them your friends."

Chamblee High Packed for DCSS Meeting; Is DeKalb Facing Discrimination Lawsuit over Redistricting?

Maybe the Atlanta Hawks are having trouble drawing large crowds, but not DeKalb County School System for its public input workshops on redistricting.  Thursday night's gathering at Chamblee High School not only filled the gymnasium, but the school's cafeteria as well.  Guessing the number in attendance is not a specialty of mine, but I'd say there was easily over 1,000, including a Who's Who of Dunwoody politicians.  State Senator Fran Miller was there, so too State Representative Tom Taylor, Dunwoody Councilors Adrian Bonser, John Heneghan and Robert Wittenstein, as well as Bob Lundsten, chief of staff for DeKalb Commissioner Elaine Boyer.  As you might expect, newly-elected DCSS board member Nancy Jester was there (Nancy seems to be Omnipresent these days), soaking up all the thoughts of her constituents.
I'll give DCSS a solid "A" grade for the workshop's format and the manner in which it was conducted.  It seemed that everyone that wanted "a say" had it, and all voices were heard (which is why the meeting extended well into the night).
The masses were broken up into groups of 8-to-10 (although a few "bleacher" groupings were of 20 or more), and after an hour of consulting with one another, each group was given 90 seconds to summarize.
Among the common themes I heard concerning the Dunwoody cluster:

• Dunwoody residents should go attend school in Dunwoody
• Elementary school attendance zones should be vertically drawn
• Multi-family developments should be equally distributed among the elementary schools
• 900 students is too much for an elementary school
• Keep neighborhoods together

A common thread countywide was that perhaps DCSS is acting too fast in redrawing lines, and needs to slow down the process.  However, it's understandable that the school system wants to move ahead, as it needs to cut the budget, as well as consolidate schools to receive more state funding. 
Lundsten had the line of the night when he said, "all will be solved when we move to Milton County."  Bob, don't we wish!

DeKalb Facing Discrimination Lawsuit over Redistricting? 

WSBTV -- A former school board member says part of the plans to redistrict hundreds of DeKalb County students to new schools could lead to a lawsuit. He says the plans divide students along socio-economic lines.

“It’s too much, too soon,” Jim Redovian told Channel 2’s Mike Petchenik.
Under two proposals set before county leaders, several hundred students would be moved from Vanderlyn and Austin elementary schools to Dunwoody Elementary School.
Click WSBTV to read the full story.

School & City Council Meetings

Nancy Jester

School Meeting

I attended the meeting at Dunwoody Elmentary School last night in which concerned parents got the opportunity to speak with newly-elected DeKalb County School Board representative Nancy Jester about the redistricting process. Nancy was gracious as she listened to the specific concerns of the parents, but did not give much insight into her thoughts on the process.  She said right now she is gathering as much information as possible.  Nancy encouraged all parents with concerns to attend the county's public input workshops.  There is one tomorrow night at 6:30 pm at Chamblee High School.
Many of the concerns expressed by the parents last night were about Dunwoody Elementary becoming a K-5 with potentially, if not likely, over 1,000 students.  One parent even said that DeKalb County's elementary schools with similar populations have not fared well (I have no idea where she got this information or what, specifically, that meant). 
Parents were concerned with rental units comprising 60 percent of the population of the proposed new school.  History tells us that there is much less PTA involvement, etc from parents who rent (whether it be rental homes or apartments, regardless of income level).
What I found interesting last night is that both teachers that were at the meeting, as well as the two principals, said that the current K-3 at Vanderlyn and the 4/5 at Dunwoody Elementary appears to be a better learning environment that a traditional K-5.  Mr. Johnathan Clark, the principal at Dunwoody Elementary, gave the example of a special ed teacher.  Instead of having to focus on all 6 grades (like in a traditional set up), that teacher now only has to focus on two grades at Dunwoody Elementary.  He said the "specials" are better served as well. 

Dunwoody City Council Meeting

I was unable to attend the Dunwoody City Council meeting last night, but thanks to Councilman John Heneghan, I am able to watch the meeting online, at my convenience.  John, as always, has his webcam running at the meeting.  He then makes the webcast available on his blogsite, http://www.dunwoodynorth.blogspot.com/. 
Click on the photo above to watch last night's meeting (you will have to first watch a 30 second advertisement).

Odds & Ends Around Dunwoody

Click on the photo to hear MLK's "I have a dream" speech.

 Today is Martin Luther King Day, which, of course, is a federal holiday (also celebrated by the State of Georgia).  Dunwoody City Hall is closed today as well.  The city council meeting that was postponed last week has been rescheduled for 8 pm, Tuesday night.  It is a work session (meaning there are no votes).  Click here to view the agenda.

There is a Georgetown/North Shallowford Master Plan Meeting on Wednesday night and a Dunwoody Village Master Plan Meeting on Thursday evening.  Click on the links for more information.  If you would like a say on how these areas are redeveloped - attend the meetings.  They are interactive.

The first DeKalb County School System Public Input Meeting on redistricting is Tuesday night at Miller Grove High School.  There is also a meeting Wednesday night at Druid Hills Middle School and Thursday night at Chamblee High School. 
There is also a Dunwoody Elementary School council meeting at 6 pm, Tuesday night in the cafeteria.  According to DES Principal Jonathan Clark, school council has invited DeKalb board members Dr. Pamela Speaks and Nancy Jester to this meeting "so they will be available for the community. At this meeting, we hope to provide what clarity we can to the information that is already posted and meet as a guiding body before the public input meetings. The DCSS meetings at the six sites are extremely important for public input, and we encourage parents to attend those as well. Please check the DCSS website for updated times and dates for these meetings."

Tom Taylor's Assignments

In case you missed it from last week, our new State Representative Tom Taylor received his committee assignments from the Republican Party.  Tom will be serving on the economic development and tourism committee (which was his first choice), regulated industries committee and MARTOC, which is the statutory committee with oversight of the MARTA budget.   Although Tom wanted to serve on the education committee, he says he's very pleased with his assignments.   Tom, of course, now occupies the seat previously held by State Senator Fran Miller, who was named chairman of the education committee in the senate.
Georgia's General Assembly is back in session on January 24.

Thoughts on a Saturday

Dunwoody Schools

The community reaction to the proposed redrawn school lines in Dunwoody by DeKalb County School System is ugly.  I can't tell you how many anonymous posts I've read on Dunwoody blogs this week that turn my stomach (I'm still curious why so many folks hide behind the veil of secrecy and feel compelled to post anonymously).
It's natural that everyone wants what is best for their own children.  I get that.  I want what is best for my children.  But let's act like civilized adults and consider all children of Dunwoody - regardless of race, economic status or dwelling.  It does the community no good to have two elementary schools of excellence and two failing schools (no, I'm not saying that any of the current proposals are setting up certain schools to fail).  Remember, all of these schools will come together for middle school and high school.
Three years ago, then-superintendent Crawford Lewis and the school board screwed up.  Dunwoody Elementary should never have been constructed at its current site, so close in proximity to Vanderlyn.  At the very least, it should not have been built as a "mega" elementary school, this while the old elementary school on Chamblee Dunwoody sits idle.  I understand that bigger schools get better funding, but at what cost?  Call it a lasting legacy from the reign of the great Crawford Lewis. 
Hopefully, at the end of the day, we can all come together, support one another, and are left with the best schools possible under DeKalb County jurisdiction.  Perhaps one day we'll be complaining about our Milton County schools!

Falcons Prediction

For 20-years I was a full-time sportscaster for CNN and FOX (click here for my old CNN bio, which is still online 9 years later).  I've been in real estate full time for the past 5 years, but still get a call once a week or so from either CNN or Comcast (CSS's SportsNite) to co-host an evening or weekend show.
I am still a sports fanatic, thus felt the urge to weigh in on tonight's Falcons playoff game, arguably the biggest game in franchise history.
It's the Falcons hosting the Green Bay Packers at the Georgia Dome, with the winner advancing to the NFC Championship Game (if the Falcons win tonight, that game would be at the Georgia Dome, as well). 
Tonight's game is going to be a battle of two teams that are very capable of winning the Super Bowl.  These clubs met earlier this season, with the Falcons winning 20-17 on a last second field goal.
I think this game will be very similar.  The Falcons Matt Ryan and the Packers Aaron Rodgers are among the best two quarterbacks in the game.  I'll be shocked if both don't have great performances tonight.  But I'll also be shocked if the Falcons don't have the better effort running the football.  And in the end, that will be the difference.  The Falcons win 21-17 (yes, they cover the spread)! 
For more on tonight's game, go to ESPN.com.  

Road Woes

I don't fault the City of Dunwoody for not having our main thoroughfares in better condition, but that Dunwoody sage Chip had some great comments in yesterday's blog that could serve the city well in the future.  Here is what Chip wrote:


Courtesy of AJC.com

 Still stuck at home in a winter, wonderland. Since I have some free time to ponder, this is what I have been pondering:
Dunwoody has 150 miles of road, about 50 of which are considered "thoroughfares" or main roads. One snow scraper moving at 25 mph would take 4 hours to clear the major thoroughfares, assuming two passes per road. Two snow scrapers, working in tandem , would take 2 hours. 3 snowplows, 2 working the really major roads like Ashford Dunwoody, Mt. Vernon, Chamblee-Dunwoody and Tilly Mill, plus the third working roads like N. Peachtree, Womack, Vermack, etc. could probably have all the city streets cleaned in 4 hours or less.
Why aren't we getting this type of service??
Oh, I know the City Manager will tell you we don't have capital equipment in the budget, but it seems to me that the prudent course would be for the City to buy three or four sets of plows that could be retrofitted onto dump trucks, and own the plows but rent the trucks. You can always find the dump trucks around, but not the plow sets.
Minimum cost, maximum results for the one or two times we need them.
Having the city essentially shut down for two days for a few inches of snow (the ice never did materialize) has to cost considerably more that 3 or 4 plow setups.
Chip

I have no idea if retrofitting dump trucks is possible, but it is definitely worth exploring and perhaps the city has already looked into the items Chip has mentioned.  With that said, Suwanee was one of the metro area cities that got ahead of the curve.  Click on AJC.com to read how Suwanee did it. 

Update from Councilman Shortal

The update below was provided by Dunwoody Councilman Denis Shortal - it was sent out last night at approximately 10 pm.  (item one is not included because it is the trash update I sent out in the last blog).

2. Road Conditions ..... Our road crew have been working long hours to clear the main roads in our City. I spent time riding with our Public Works Director this afternoon. All our main roads are passible but careful and sensible driving skills are required. The main problem we are having is that the over-night cold temperatures are causing our main roads to refreeze at night ... forecast is for 17 degree tonight and 13 degrees tomorrow night. Our neighborhood streets are getting slightly better but I would describe them as still being very treacherous. We did a few locations on neighbor streets this afternoon mainly where there was a hill involved where these streets intersected with our main roads. After we hit the main roads again in the morning we will look to expand our work on neighborhood streets. With the knowledge that the majority of our neighborhood streets are not in good condition ..... if you have a location that is extremely treacherous like on a steep hill, etc. send me an email and I will get the info to our road crews. According to the latest forecast it will be Friday before we get help from warmer temperatures. One last item on neighborhood streets .... our children, and some adults, are having the best sledding conditions in our area since 1993. Thus, pls. be careful are they are coming off hills in yards and crossing streets throughout the neighborhoods.

3. Helping Our Citizens That Need Help ... Joanne Kearney reminded me this afternoon that we all probably have some neighbors that might need our help getting food and other necessities. I ask all of you to check on you local neighbors that may need some help with the basic necessities of life and offer your assistance. We pride ourselves with being family in Dunwoody and helping you neighbor is the family thing to do. Thanks!

4. Website ... For up to date information about city work schedules, meetings, etc. please monitor our city website ..... http://www.dunwoodyga.gov. We update this website constantly. We will decide later this evening the status of tomorrow nights City Council meeting that was already rescheduled from the Monday night's cancelation .. again, check the website often. LATE NOTE ... The City Council meeting that was rescheduled for tomorrow night has been canceled due to safety considerations. The new date and time for this meeting will be announced tomorrow and listed on our website

5. Snow War ..... Yes, there was neighborhood "Snow War" in Chateau Woods on Monday. From the local reports, the best I can determine there were no causalities but a lot good ole fashion fun in the snow.

6. PCID Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) Public Hearing ..... The public hearing for the proposed 2010 PCID LCI Plan public hearing will be held next Tuesday - 18 JAN - at our Dunwoody City Hall.

7. That is all for tonight. Please pass the above information on to your friends and neighbors. For the next couple of days I recommend that you don't go out unless you really have to and if you do go out ... take your time and be extremely careful. Thanks for your support, understanding and patience during the trying times of this week.
Let Us Continue To Build Our City Together

Denny Shortal
Dunwoody City Council, District One, Post-1
Mayor Pro Tem
denis.shortal@dunwoodyga.gov
PH (O) 678-382-6700 (C) 678-246-9006

DeKalb Trash Service on Thursday

The information below was passed along to me this afternoon by Bob Lundsten, Dunwoody resident as well as DeKalb County Commissioner Elaine Boyer's Chief of Staff.

DECATUR –DeKalb County Sanitation will resume residential garbage collection tomorrow (Thursday) for residences that are on Monday/Thursday curbside service, and on Friday for those residences that receive Tuesday/Friday pickup. Sanitation will continue service on Saturday as needed to get to any areas that were inaccessible on Thursday or Friday.

Snowed In; School Update

Day 3 of Atlanta Snowstorm 2011 and the roads aren't much better than they were on Monday.  Some want to blame the City of Dunwoody for not being more prepared, but let's get serious.  This is a small city with a limited budget, and having snow plows on standby is not realistic, nor is it the best use of our tax dollars.  A couple of sand spreaders is about the best we can expect.
I was out and about on the streets on Monday afternoon, in Doraville and Norcross as well as Dunwoody, and the roads in all three municipalities mirrored one another.  And certainly the City of Atlanta, as a whole, hasn't fared any better.
The State of Georgia says it hopes to clear all major thoroughfares by the end of the business day.
The good news - the mail was delivered today - thanks Pat (best mailman in the business)!

School Update

The DeKalb County School System public input meeting that was scheduled for this week has been posponed.  Below is a look at the revised schedule.

Tue., 1/18; (Miller Grover HS)
Wed.,1/19; (Druid Hills MS)
Thur., 1/20; (Chamblee HS)
Tue., 1/25; (McNair HS)
Wed., 1/26; (Bethune MS)
Thur., 1/27; (Stone Mountain MS)

If you are concerned about the proposed redrawn attendance lines, please read the previous blog and sign the petition.  The two proposals that have been released to the public are just that - proposals.  DCSS says it will listen to input, and certainly there is strength in numbers.  Our new school board representative Nancy Jester says she wants to hear from you as well.  Nancy's email is:  nancy_jester@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us.
DCSS's two proposals have been labeled Centralized and Decentralized.  Certainly the centralized plan is more advantageous for Dunwoody homeowners, provided the plan is adjusted to relocate the Georgetown and Chateau Woods neighborhoods into Dunwoody Elementary.  I know a lot folks have said the county school system doesn't take cities into considering when drawing lines, but the fact of the matter is - it should.  It would be nice if the county could and would keep communities neighborhoods together.   That's my opinion.  I welcome yours via comments to this blog.

Thoughts on a Snowy Monday

School Petition

Are you happy with the proposals for the redrawing of the school attendance zones by DeKalb County?  Many, including myself, are not thrilled.  Aside from likely lowering the property value of homes in my neighborhood (and many other neighborhoods), I don't feel the new zones will foster a better learning environment for many Dunwoody children.  If you are not happy, please click on the link below and electronically sign the petition that will be sent to the powers that be:

School Petition

Recap of DHA Annual Meeting

The Dunwoody Homeowners Association held its annual meeting yesterday at Dunwoody United Methodist, and some great information was passed along. 

Here's the latest concerning Chick-fil-A opening a restaurant in Orchard Park:  the DHA voted down CFA's first site plan, expect a new plan to be submitted next month.  It's not that the DHA doesn't want Chick-fil-A to be part of the community, it's simply a case of doing what is best for the community, which may or may not include a CFA.
Updates from the City of Dunwoody were a large part of the meeting.  Parks and Recreation Director Brent Walker said a preliminary parks' master plan will be unveiled at a meeting at City Hall on January 27.  A final plan will be presented to city council by the end of February. 
Public Works Director Michael Smith gave an update on the repaving of Dunwoody Club Drive.  He said if not for the colder-than-normal weather, the project would be finished by now.  He said we need a stretch of dry days with temperatures, at the very least, in the upper 40's in order to complete the repaving.  Smith said the city has 150 miles of road, and the cost to repave every road would be $21 million.  The city's entire annual budget is less than $20 million.  So be patient.  The city will spend about $2 million this year on roads.
And Police Chief Billy Grogan spoke of all the programs being offered by his department to Dunwoody residents including neighborhood watches, ride-alongs and teen driving classes.
Also, congratulations to newly-elected State Representative Tom Taylor, who made his way down to the capitol today and was swarn into office!



Is it 4 or 5 inches?



Let it Snow!

It's Sunday evening at 10:30, and in case you haven't heard by now, DeKalb County School System has cancelled all classes for Monday because of the snow and treacherous conditions (treacherous for those of us that grew up in warm weather climates).
The City of Dunwoody, like all cities in the greater metro area, is not fully equipped to handle a storm of this nature.  City officials said on Sunday that they would be salting the main arteries in Dunwoody, but don't expect miracles.

In addition, MARTA has altered its schedule for Monday, for more information call 404-848-5000.

DHA Annual Meeting; Dunwoody Newsletter

A reminder that the Dunwoody Homeowners' Association holds its annual meeting at 2 p.m. Sunday at Dunwoody United Methodist's Fellowship Hall.   Want to know why you should be a member of the DHA?  Come to Sunday's meeting - it is usually well attended. 

City of Dunwoody E-Newsletter

The City of Dunwoody's Winter 2011 Newsletter has been released.  The newsletter contains information on upcoming sidewalk construction, long-range transportation and the latest on Brook Run Park.  To read the newsletter, click 2011 Winter Edition.

Dunwoody Police Remain Silent; School Meetings

Hemy Neuman

DUNWOODY, GA -- Two days after the arrest of Hemy Neuman, Dunwoody Police have shed no light on his motivation for allegedly killing Rusty Sneiderman outside a day care center November 18th.
After announcing a press conference to talk about the high profile killing, it was abruptly cancelled by police. Sgt. Mike Carlson released a statement that directed all questions about the case to the DeKalb County District Attorney.
It is a case that has been followed intently by the media despite very little information from police or prosecutors. On Tuesday police announced the arrest of Neuman, but two days after that brief news conference law enforcement has not answered the question on everyone's mind: What was the motive? "For the integrity of the case I won't be able to answer any questions," Sgt. Carlson said.
DeKalb District Attorney Robert James made a similar brief statement Thursday. "I understand there's a lot of speculation," James said. "My job is not to speculate, it's to find the truth."
Former DeKalb County District Attorney J. Tom Morgan said there's a reason for that response. "He's absolutely prohibited from saying anything other than what's contained in that arrest warrant," he said.
To read more, click 11Alive.

School Related Meetings

Do you want to learn more about the recent Dekalb County redistricting?   If you live in either the Chateau Woods or Georgetown neighborhoods, there is a meeting scheduled for 2 p.m. tomorrow at the Georgetown clubhouse. 

There will also be DeKalb County School System public input workshops at the following times and places.  If you have issues with either of the county's plans, make sure you attend and let your voice be heard!

Miller Grove H.S., Tuesday, January 11 at 6:30
Chamblee H.S., Thursday, January 13 at 6:30
McNair H.S., Tuesday, January 18 at 6:30
Stone Mountain H.S., January 20 at 6:30

The Latest on the Dunwoody Murder: Victim Allegedly Killed by Wife's Boss; DeKalb Sparks Controversy with School Lines

By Christian Boone and Craig Schneider
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution


Hemy Neuman

Rusty Sneiderman was killed by his wife's boss, sources say.
Sneiderman, gunned down outside a Dunwoody day care facility last fall, knew his alleged killer, police spokesman Mike Carlson told the AJC, adding investigators haven't ruled out the possibility of another suspect emerging in the case. "It's still under investigation," he said.
Hemy Zvi Neuman, 48, an operations and quality manager with General Electric, was arrested Tuesday and charged in the Nov. 18 murder of Sneiderman, killed moments after dropping off his son at Dunwoody Prep day care. Neuman, being held at the DeKalb County jail without bond, requested a public defender at his first court appearance Wednesday afternoon.
Neuman was engineering manager Andrea Sneiderman's supervisor at GE Energy and though they worked across the street from each other in the Wildwood Parkway office complex off Powers Ferry Road, they had met often, according to the company. They were charged with overseeing the specifications and performance standards for products ranging from nuclear reactors to turbines to solar panels, GE said.
Neuman, a father of three, grew up in Israel and wrote on his Facebook page that he attended a large residential school north of Tel Aviv. According to the Hadassim site its students are immigrants and Israeli children from disadvantaged families.
His alleged victim's father had little to say about the arrest when reached at his Ohio home.
"We talked to the police. We just don’t know enough, so we aren’t going to comment right now,” Don Sneiderman told the AJC.
Sneiderman, an ambitious entrepreneur, was a most unlikely victim. He married his college sweetheart and the couple had two small children.
Click here on AJC.com to read the full story.

DeKalb Sparks Controversy with School Lines

Centralized Option

As everyone with children who lives in Dunwoody knows by now, DeKalb County released two plans to redraw attendance lines for our schools.  Both plans calls for Austin and Vanderlyn to return to K-5 schools, with Dunwoody Elementary also becoming a K-5.   Most of those families that will remain in Austin and Vanderlyn seem pleased with either plan, while many that will be redistricted to Dunwoody Elementary are disappointed (some in Chesnut are disappointed as one plan calls for them to be redistricted across I-285).   You can click on the photo above to view the Centralized Option Plan, and click on the photo below to view the Decentralized Option Plan.



Decentralized Option

The reasons for either being pleased or disappointed are obvious (and really not worth rehashing here).   To truly make your voice heard, contact your new school board representative, Nancy Jester at nancyjester@gmail.com.