Q&A with Marshall Olson

The Champion has an interview with Marshall Olson, our newly elected representative to the DeKalb County School System's Board of Education [term begins Jan. 1, 2012]:

... there has been a lack of clarity on an agreement of the mission of the school board, which you think would be pretty simple: it’s about making sure every child has a chance to get a high-quality education...

...We have this great disparity between a handful of schools that are performing very well and a large number of schools that are falling very short of delivering a quality education. We need to figure out what the components of  high functioning schools are and what we need to do develop that.   Continue reading @ The Champion 

The Champion promises additional interviews with other newly-elected board members, so stay tuned.

Used book sale at North DeKalb Mall [Sept. 8]

Saturday, September 8, 2012
10:00am – 6:00pm 

North DeKalb Mall Macy’s Wing 

North DeKalb Mall will host a Used Book Sale on September 8th to give the shopping center’s neighbors an opportunity to sell books from their collection. The sale provides an opportunity to buy and sell at reasonable prices. Books and other forms of media, such as CDs, DVDs, and VHS tapes will also be available. Categories ranging from children’s books, textbooks, religion, art, drama and more, provide a wide array of choices for those who love to read and widen their horizons. The sale affords vendors and customers alike to share their love of reading. Vendor tables may be rented for the reasonable price of only $20.00. Come out and enjoy the fun by sharing with other avid readers, or start a new hobby – reading! 

For more information, call 404-235-6444.

Neighbohood watch recommendations

We had a wonderful Neighborhood Watch meeting on August 16. Ms. Hightower (Public Education Specialist for the Center Precinct) and Officer Anderson did DeKalb County Police proud with their informative and engaging presentations.

Ms. Hightower ran through a series of questions that had been submitted earlier this year. Officer Anderson expanded on some of these as well. Here's a summary of answers as well as information offered to clear common misconceptions [with extra information or clarification in brackets]:

• could not make a comparison to state whether crime is up or down because the county's data system is being upgraded but as soon as the information can be accessed, will share with the Neighborhood Watch coordinator for release to the community
• commended our neighborhood for having an organized Neighborhood Watch, calling in suspicious behavior and sharing information with one another
• DeKalb County police is divided into precincts, and we are in the Center Precinct.
• patrol requests: these are relayed to police units in response to calls reporting suspicious behavior
• there are crimes that are typical for shopping centers and they rarely bleed over onto the neighboring community, however, avoid creating "window-shopping" scenarios for criminals who may be nearby. Do not leave "stealable" items in plain sight. This could be purses/computer bags or GPS units in cars, or wide-screen TVs visible through windows. If you can't park the car so it is out of sight, remove all items and lock the car. Some owners leave cars unlocked thinking this may prevent damages, but some thieves cause damage if they don't find anything to steal, so it's best to lock the car.
• when to call 911: "if your gut says something is wrong" and if the matter is not a civil issue [FYI: here is a list of criminal offenses]. Per DeKalb County, all of the following are 911 calls: crimes in progress, public safety, life-threatening siutations, fire and medical emergencies, all violent crimes, domestic violence, vehicle crashes.
• General calls to the County should go to the Citizen Help Center at 311. Examples: animal control problems, garbage pickup, abandoned vehicle, pothole repairs

Image from http://www.co.dekalb.ga.us/311/311vs911.html 

• calling 911 with a suspicion of criminal activity gives the responding officer probable cause that can justify questioning, detention or arrest. [To expand on what was said at the meeting: officers already have the option to stop and talk to any individual, but would require probable cause to search the individual or his/her vehicle, make an arrest, etc.]
• DeKalb County's policy is that patrol cars only have "lights and sirens on" in situations when someone's life is in danger. The correct response for drivers is to move to the right and allow the patrol or emergency vehicle to proceed.
• 911 calls go the precinct, and the precinct is divided into beats. The call center prioritizes the call and broadcasts the information so patrols can respond. "Life in danger" situations such as accidents, robberies and assaults have first priority. A call about a suspicious drive-through would have lower priority if higher priority events are in progress. Because the police force is stretched thin, response times will vary depending on the availability of officers.
• Gather as much information as possible to share during your 911 call. [Take photos if safe, write down license plate numbers; note as many identifying characteristics about suspicious individuals and vehicles as possible]
• Ms. Hightower estimated that response time for a high priority call is 7-8 minutes assuming there are available patrols. However, the typical kick-in-door-grab-things-and-go robbery takes 5-10 minutes. 
• Officers do not have citation quotas to fill. Because the police force is stretched thin due to budget cuts, they spend most of their time handling urgent calls. If there's a lull (meaning, no 911 calls), then they can switch to monitoring traffic violations. A lot of arrests (of suspects involved in other crimes) are made as part of routine traffic patrols.
• A responding officer should have a name badge as well as a shield that shows the officer's unique identifying badge number. 
• Combined, an officer's vest and belt weigh in at around 35 pounds
• in addition to what they can see from outside (e.g., large-screen TVs), thieves look for clues about what may be inside the house to steal: think of what information you are giving them. Some examples discussed where shoes (size and style says something about the residents; children's toys may suggest video games; dog toys say something about the presence and size of the family pet)
• Door-to-door sales require a permit from the County; the permit includes the person's name, photo, and a signature of the Chief of Police and DeKalb County seal. This permit requirement applies to individuals who are selling anything, whether a product or service, in exchange for money. There are very few exceptions. [See Municode website for details]
• When someone knocks on your door, look first to decide if you will answer. Ask the person to identify themselves. Ask them to show their permit. 
• Be aware of scams that are going around, share this information with your neighbors, in particular the elderly. Look out for one another!
• For local crime statistics, see Crimemapping.com 
• close your blinds pointing up--go outside at night and see how much you can see through blinds when they are closed "down" vs. "up"
• when you get home, look at your house from the end of your driveway. What vulnerabilities do you see?

Several handouts were distributed at the meeting. These are now posted in the Neighborhood Watch Page.

Updates on Hannah's health and ways to help

As you may know, our neighbors Hannah and Mark Rinehart need our support:

Click on the image to visit http://www.hannahrinehart.org/ for updates on Hannah's health.

If you would like to help, here are FIVE ways to do so:

1) Contact the Gwinnett County Board of Education (MySchoolBoard@gwinnett.k12.ga.us) to encourage the Board to allow fellow teachers to voluntarily donate sick leave so that Mark can remain by Hannah's side. The decision is entirely up to the Board. You can also watch a report on this issue at the WSBTV website.

2) Make a donation: within http://www.hannahrinehart.org/, you can find a direct link to Operation Appreciation, a nonprofit that helps support National Guard members and their families (Mark is in the Georgia National Guard).  You can also reach the donation button directly through the Operation Appreciation website.

3) Sign up to prepare meals for when Hannah comes home. Per a post in the Hope4Hannah Facebook page, you will need to email meals4hannah@gmail.com to get a security code that will allow you to complete the Care Calendar form. Care Calendar is "is a web based system to organize meals and other help for families during a time of illness or life changing event..."

4) September 29 fundraiser: save the date! UPDATE: read the fundraiser letter (also being coordinated via Operation Appreciation). See the Hope4Hannah Facebook page for instructions on how to donate items.

5) UPDATE: October 6: Support Hannah Rinehart Yard Sale: to take place in the Medlock Park neighborhood, 8 am - 3 pm. Follow this link for additional information.

T-SPLOST redux

Every which way but loose?

As the results of the July 31 T-SPLOST vote percolate, many wonder about Atlanta's transportation future.

Emory University asks "What's next for the Clifton Corridor?" According to Betty Willis (Sr. Associate VP for Governmental and Community Affairs), the Clifton Corridor light rail project "is further along than other transit projects in the region" and "remains a top priority in the ARC and MARTA regional transportation plans for the future." With Governor Deal in charge of prioritizing regional transit projects, and his stated interest in the Clifton Corridor as an employment and research center, VP Willis conveys hope that Clifton Corridor projects are delayed rather than throttled. VP Willis was also interviewed by the student newspaper.

The "What's next..." article encourages alternative transportation whenever possible, and highlights Zimride, a "private ride-sharing network" that serves specific work hubs. Emory,  GA Tech and Kennesaw State are part of this project; all validate user identity via their respective .edu emails.

In Advice for Passing a Massive Infrastructure Referendum, The Atlantic Cities notes that Atlanta's transportation shortcomings are shared by other cities, and extends comparisons to how other cities (e.g. Denver) adopted different strategies to advance transportation overhauls that initially faced T-SPLOST-level defeats.

The Atlanta Regional Commission website does not volunteer a post-mortem, but their Plan 2040 (pdf) is available online.

Neighborhood Watch Meeting [Aug 16]

Neighborhood Watch Meeting

Thursday August 16th 7 pm 

at North Decatur Presbyterian Church (611 Medlock Rd.)

Ms Hightower from Dekalb County will be there to answer questions and concerns.

Volunteers needed @ Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve

Individuals interested in helping maintain the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve, please contact Chris Beck directly:

The Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve has been an asset to the Medlock neighborhood for many years.  At the Preserve, we are taking a new approach to volunteer days.  Rather than having monthly work days, we are asking community organizations, churches, university groups, etc to volunteer and organize a work party one or two months out of the year.  For example, volunteers from the Rollins School of Public Health come every August and volunteer at the Preserve.  The larger Emory community volunteers at the Preserve in November. I am writing to see if MANA would be willing to organize a work party at least one month out of the year.  The day and time would be up to MANA.  MANA would just be responsible for finding 10 or more volunteers for the day. A member of the Nature Preserve board would be on hand to help supervise.Please let me know if this is something that MANA would consider or if you have any questions. Thanks,Chris BeckPresident, Clyde Shepherd Nature PreservePhone: 678-951-0105information@cshepherdpreserve.org