DeKalb Board of Education under scrutiny from SACS

Today's AJC reports that...

An accrediting agency wants the DeKalb County school board to answer allegations that it has mismanaged its oversight of the system and ignored key financial responsibilities. 

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools said it’s received dozens of complaints from a broad spectrum of people in DeKalb. Parents, public officials and school staffers have alleged everything from financial mismanagement to undue influence in hiring — all while the school system faces a financial crisis... Read on @ AJC

Possibly rabid raccoon at Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve

ALERT from the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve:

For folks living near the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve (Pine Bluff, Harrington, Schoel, Wood Trail), please be aware that a raccoon was sighted within the preserve this morning exhibiting possible signs of rabies infection. DeKalb Animal Control has been called to remove the animal, but if sighted again, please keep a healthy distance!

The county's website for rabies control is http://www.dekalbhealth.net/envhealth/rabies-control/

UPDATE:  DeKalb County Animal Control has made a site visit and was unable to find the oddly-behaving raccoon. They advise anyone seeing it in the next few days to call 911 and request an officer to respond (and please stick around, at a safe distance, so that you can point out the animal to the responding officer).

Suburban Plaza Redevelopment: August update

from Theresa Same, MANA Zoning Chair

Our cross-neighborhoods committee continues to meet with Selig to discuss the evolving design and future plans for Suburban Plaza. Selig Enterprises has been receptive to feedback from both the committee and the community. We will continue to provide regular updates throughout the design and construction of this project and look forward to your feedback and ideas.

It has come to my attention that in previous updates, I did not properly introduce our cross-neighborhoods committee.  The committee was formed from residents who were actively involved in the stakeholder meetings/contract negotiations with Selig and Walmart in November and December (2011).  While MANA was the only neighborhood organization both able [i.e., incorporation status in place] and willing to sign a contract with Selig and Walmart, many other neighborhoods were identified as stakeholders and represented in our negotiations.  I am joined on the committee by Nancy Ciliax (Clairmont Heights), David Duncan (Medlock Place), Todd Link (resident of Springdale Heights), and Deanne Thomas (Decatur Heights).  I am eternally grateful to find myself working with such a thoughtful and dedicated group of people. We remain committed to working with Selig to shape the best development we can for our community. Selig is represented by Scott Selig, Bill Stogner, Kevin Curry and Greg Catoe.

Design – Selig continues to work with architect Roberto Paredes at Associated Space Design (ASD) to refine the design of the façade and add improvements that will create a “sense of place” within Suburban Plaza. Two design elements have been added to advance this goal are:

1) commissioning a local artist to create custom-painted graphic walls.  Instead of having a long expanse of wall, we have an opportunity for public art at the shopping center.  

2) adding two community kiosks.  These will be permanent structures which will allow for the temporary sale of items such as girl scout cookies, works by local artists, food, etc.

Selig and ASD have been refining design details such as choice of building materials and a color palette.  At our meeting last week, Selig shared samples of the variety of materials under consideration (some are noted in the rendering that appears below).  We were all happy to see that Selig plans to use color and a variety of materials on the renovation that harmonize with Suburban Plaza's surroundings.  We were gratified to learn that Selig plans to use sustainable materials such as resysta.  Resysta has the look and feel of wood, but is made of rice husks, salt and mineral oil.  It is resistant to weather and requires minimal maintenance.

Click to enlarge.

Detail (from image above).
Click to enlarge.

Many people have asked for specific information on which buildings will demolished at Suburban Plaza. The site plan below shows the new Walmart overlaid on the existing buildings at Suburban Plaza.  The blue dotted line represents existing buildings to be demolished to accommodate Walmart, whose footprint is highlighted in yellow.

Demolition plan shown relative to Walmart footprint.

Click to enlarge.

Selig is also working closely with Bilson and Associates on plans that will greatly increase the landscape and greenery that currently exists at Suburban Plaza.

Walmart has not released their plans for their building, but has stated a desire to create a cohesive look with the rest of the mall.

I want to remind everyone again that the design process is always mutable and that changes should be expected as the plans are further refined.

Permitting and Scheduling – Both Walmart and Selig are in the permitting process for the redevelopment of Suburban Plaza.  They are having ongoing meetings with various departments in DeKalb County.

Demolition and construction are still estimated to begin in the first half of 2013.  Selig anticipates that all construction will be complete by fall of 2014.

Leasing – Selig is in serious negotiations with several tenants.  We will release the names of the new or remaining tenants as soon as I have them.

Traffic and Transportation – At the request of the community, Selig has hired a traffic engineering firm to study the intersection of Scott Boulevard, North Decatur Road and Medlock Road.  The engineering company is tasked with identifying operation adjustments that might enhance safety and efficiency; specifically, they will address the interaction between vehicles and pedestrians at the intersection and how crossings can be improved without impacting traffic flow (a Georgia Department of Transportation concern). The firm’s traffic engineers will work closely with both Georgia Department of Transportation (since Scott Boulevard is a state road) and Dekalb County engineers to formulate recommendations.

I hope these updates help better visualize the changes coming to Suburban Plaza. If you have questions or feedback, please forward them to medlockassoc@gmail.com.

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.