Clyde, the Orangutan

I often use Clyde the Orangutan, from the San Diego Zoo (but now living in the Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure in Kansas), as my internet avatar, largely because he is far more photogenic than I am. Orangutans are incredible animals, fully deserving of our respect and protection.  For more information check out the Orangutan Conservancy web site, here. An interesting article on Clyde himself can be found here.

Orangutans are actually Great Apes, not monkeys, a common misconception of the uninformed and uneducated. Amazingly enough, biologists have recently demonstrated that orangutans are FAR more intelligent, perceptive and empathetic than certain loud-mouth champions of the LCA. A video of Clyde after the break.

Save Tucker From Lakeside City

Or, Stupid Is As Stupid Does

Cheryl Miller, the lone administrator of the Facebook page Save Tucker From Lakeside City, seems to be very challenged by map reading. Currently on her Facebook page, she is asking for some help in deciphering a DCSD map from 2011 which indicates how the high school attendance areas were to change after the 2011 redistricting. (And YES, Cheryl, the map is quite correct.) She seems to be VERY confused about the location of the Idlewood Elementary School attendance zone relative to the Tucker cluster, and then further asks for some help in determining how the proposed City of Lakeside borders overlay the new attendance areas. A snapshot of her current posting follows (in case she wisely decides to remove it from her Facebook page.

After the break -

Tucker - Property Appraisal Maps

DeKalb County Property Appraisal Maps

When considering various questions about property types, sizes, and ownership, or when looking at potential city borders, it is sometimes very helpful to refer to the Property Maps provided by DeKalb County through the DeKalb County Tax Commissioner web page. Although very useful, these maps do not offer the wealth of information available through the County GIS Office, but they are, as far as I know, the only information available on line.

Normally to access these maps, one has to go through a somewhat tedious, but not difficult, process. After you first go to the Tax Commissioner web page, you then click on the Property Tax line on the left menu, which will take you to a new window, where you must enter limited information on either the street name, the property owner's name, or the property address. After a few more steps, and based on how detailed the information is that was first entered, this will ultimately lead you to a page with the Property Tax Information for a particular piece of property.

DeKalb Property Assessments

DeKalb County Property Assessments

On a subject dear to every homeowner's heart, here is a map, distributed last year by County Commissioner Jeff Rader, which shows the percent change in residential property assessments between 2011 and 2012. This will allow you to compare how your assessment changed when compared to your neighbors or how your neighborhood changed compared to other neighborhoods. No credit is taken on the full version of the map; presumably it was created by the DeKalb County GIS Department working with the Property Appraisal Department.

The map can be found after the break.

Scottdale

Why Scottdale?

When comparing the relative merits of the City of Briarcliff vs. the City (With No Name Yet) (as proposed by the LCA) one glaring difference is Briarcliff's inclusion of the Scottdale Community within its proposed city borders. On many of the comment threads on the Patch neighborhood news sites, the LCA's most vocal Champion, RandyRand, continuously and passionately berates the City of Briarcliff Initiative (COBI) for this decision. In general, he claims that because Scottdale is a 'SLUM', it will be a drag upon Briarcliff's city finances, will require a disproportionate share of police services, and will somehow depress property values throughout the new city. (I have included RandyRand's postings, along with other related postings from the Patch, at the end of this article.) I believe that everyone concerned about incorporation should therefore teach themselves a bit regarding Scottdale, as to be in a better position to understand the arguments.

Scottdale is clearly a challenged community, but is it a slum? I would say NO, it is not a slum, regardless of it current circumstances. I would offer that its best days are ahead of it, and maybe, just maybe, its inclusion in one of the proposed cities may just be just the spark it needs to take it there. From the Wikipedia article on Scottdale:

Neighborhood Group Calls for Cityhood Action

The Tucker Patch has posted an article written by Harry Powell, President of the Tucker Historical Society. I am reprinting it here as it seems to have slipped under the radar over on the Patch but it still has some very relevant information on the various incorporation movements and the General Assembly.

You can check out the original article here.
____________________________________

Residents are urged to speak out.

By Harry Powell, President of Tucker Historical Society

As you know, Tucker Historical Society participated in the Tucker Together community meetings to share information and help educate our Tucker neighbors regarding the various aspects of city incorporation. 

A new group, Tucker 2014, has been formed to take the next steps (feasibility study fundraising, research, committee formations, volunteers to help, etc). 

(Cont.)

Atlanta Magazine Weighs In On Incorporation

An interesting article posted a little over two weeks ago on Atlanta Magazine's Daily Agenda blog, written by Scott Henry.  The facts are a little off, but hey! - The City of Tucker Initiative got a shout out!  That's always welcome!

You can check it out here.

Tucker On 11Alive

The TUCKER★2014 kick-off meeting, held Monday night at the Greater Good BBQ,  made the 11Alive news casts on Tuesday, in articles by reporter Blayne Alexander.  Her article can be found here, and the video, featuring our very own Sonja Szubski, after the break.

Why Briarcliff/COBI Has Swayed Me

An interesting editorial on the North Druid Hills / Briarcliff Patch by Frannie D., regarding his/her preference for the City of Briarcliff as proposed by the City of Briarcliff Initiative, as opposed to the LCA's proposal for the City (With No Name Yet).

The original posting on the Patch can be found here. (As usual, a spirited comment thread follows the editorial on the Patch.)

The editorial follows after the break.

Politics in DeKalb County

2012 Presidential Vote in DeKalb County

The attached map is a graphic representation of the 2012 Presidential Vote, Barack Obama (D) vs. Mitt Romney (R), in DeKalb County.

Each county precinct is color coded to represent the percentage of the vote each candidate received. The number within each precinct indicates the percent vote received by Obama.

This is a quick and simple illustration of the political spectrum across the county. The data was taken from a report titled Statement of Votes Cast, DeKalb County, State of Georgia, General Election, November 6, 2012 taken from the Georgia Secretary of State website, which can be found here.

The map can be found after the break.

Tucker 2014 Kick-off Meeting Tonight

TUCKER★2014 Kick-off Meeting & Fundraiser Tonight

July 8, 2013, between 7:30 and 9:30 PM
Greater Good Barbecue
4431 Hugh Howell Road
Tucker, GA 30084

A Tale of Three Cities - How Things Are Shaping Up

There's been a lot of movement within the Three Cities these last few weeks.

The LCA, proposing the City (With No Name Yet), has signed a contract with the CVI for their feasibility study, and that work is under way.  So now we should assume that, with the LCA having completed their purpose, they will now be closing down and an all new pro-city advocacy group is now primed to take over.  (Most likely exactly the same folks. At least they won't have to pretend any more.) Let's hope they've got a better working name for their new city.  I also hope they come up with a better motto than "There's No There, There!"

The City of Briarcliff has come on like gangbusters, raised the funds for the feasibility study in record time, and arrangements are currently being made with the CVI.  Taking in almost all of unincorporated north DeKalb inside I-85 and I-285, their financial situation is undeniably strong, they will be taking in the prestigious Druid Hills community, Emory University and the CDC, and their cause looks inevitable.

Bringing up the rear is slow-and-steady Tucker, arguably the only community involved that has a real history going back over 100 years, and a long record of dedicated community service.  Their finances and support look solid so if their exhausted so-called community leaders will just get out of the way, there'll be no stopping them.

The LCA got out of the gate early, (before anyone even knew they existed!) and took an early lead, but they seem to be faltering and don't seem able to stand up to the unquestionable strength of Briarcliff. The common sense and history behind Tucker cannot be denied. So, all in all, there's only one logical outcome of the current incorporation movement, and the LCA will be left standing on the sidelines.

Let's Get Ready to Rummmmbbbblllle!!!!

An open invitation to the Lakeside Community Alliance (LCA) and the City of Briarcliff Initiative (COBI) to discuss the pros and cons of either proposed city.  If you have good reasons to support either the LCA or the COBI, put them in a comment here. Why is one to be preferred over the other?

As the maps for the two incorporation movements overlap by a substantial amount, only one will survive the Governmental Affairs committees in the Georgia General Assembly.  Only one will be placed before voters for approval.  The battle to be engaged will be over the hearts and minds of our Senators and Representatives in the General Assembly.  Let the debate start here!

Quae resonat in aeternum vitam!

Update: An editorial posted by Frannie D. to the Patch.