Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Rebate

Here's one rebate most of you probably wish the county had.

Right now a lot of areas--City of Atlanta, City of Dallas, City of Hapeville, City of Roswell, Cherokee, Clayton, Coweta, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, and Henry Counties, are offering a toilet rebate.  If you replace your old toilet, which uses a lot of water per flush, you, depending on which toilet you buy, get either a $50 credit or a $100 credit on your water bill.  Unfortunately, the county has not chosen to participate in this program.  I emailed the people in charge of the rebate program and they said the county MIGHT participate if they get a lot of emails about it--so email the Douglasville-Douglas County WSA at askwsa@ddcwsa.com

You can find out more information about the rebate at http://www.northgeorgiawater.com/toiletrebate/

Monday, July 14, 2008

Tomorrow: Go Vote!

I'm not going to tell you who to vote for and I'm not going to tell you who I'm going to vote for.  All I'm going to tell you is to make sure who you're voting for has the best interests of this county in mind and doesn't have a hidden agenda once they're elected.  Vote for the person who you think will do the best job, not who has NOT been doing a good job.

Golden Rule BBQ To Come To Douglasville

From al.com:

"New Golden Rules will roll out by year's end in Las Vegas and Douglasville, Ga"

Golden Rule is a BBQ restaurant, and though it is a chain, their website at http://www.goldenrulebbq.com/index.php states the restaurant has been in existence since 1891.  They offer catering services as well.   They opened their first location in Georgia in Columbus in 2004.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

DC Goverment Adds Superior Court Page

I don't know if they had a page on http://www.celebratedouglascounty.com before about DC Superior Court, but in the past few days the website has received a facelift and now you can go here and see the trials that have been going on, who was involved, and what they did.  All the files are in the right-hand column.  Since I can't listen to the scanner 24/7 (and since my class starts on Monday, I'll have less time to listen) this is a great way to see the kinds of crimes that have happened in DC recently.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Bourbon Street Restaurant's Latest Inspection Score

I just upgraded to high speed internet at the house and watched the latest (July 3) restaurant report from CBS 46's Adam Murphy.  Bourbon Street's latest score is a 66.  Inspectors found chicken and potato salad at unsafe temperatures and there was a roach crawling on the kitchen floor.

BOC Verbally Attacks Neighbor Writer

I could be nicer regarding the headline, but the BOC certainly were not when they wrote the letter to the editor that was published in today's Neigbor. The bottom line is that Worthan does not want to lose the race to Malanchuk. Worthan apparently thought Stephanie Siegel's July 2 article regarding the information Malanchuk posted in his blog was going to be damaging to his campaign. They even admit this in the letter, though not in those exact words.  I think the damage has been done, and this, in my opinion, only makes Worthan look like someone who is stamping his foot because he's not getting his way as to what goes in the local papers.

And, if the BOC says planning is not going on, why is there an entire page devoted to the new jail on the Douglas County Sheriff's Department website?  You can see it here-- http://www.sheriff.douglas.ga.us/newJail.html .  It has been there for quite some time, about a year, but if the jail is not in the planning stages, why has this page not been taken down??

Also, they say the mobile home park was disassembled.  This is not true, because last week I heard on the police scanner that three people were vandalizing trailers in the park.  They mentioned the park by name.

You can see the article the BOC is talking about at http://www.neighbornewspapers.com/articles/2008/07/03/318/10308333.txt

The letter is presented below in its entirety:

Jail Construction Story 'Inflammatory'

Dear editor:

One of our most cherished rights is that of a free press.  It is one of our most fundamental beliefs, and one that we work to protect.

However, when the free press decides to take information that it knows is not correct to create a news story that is inflammatory and presents it in a fashion as to make it seem factual, the free press has lost its way.

Newspaper reporters should report the news, not create the news.

Newspaper reporters should be impartial and report all sides of a story, giving ample time to all sides to answer questions and make statements.

Newspaper reporters should not have a political affiliation that is reflected in their work.

Newspaper reporters should not allow personal opinions to guide their work.  Opinions should be reserved for Letters to the Editor and Editorial Columns, not presented as front-page news.

In her July 2 article headlined "Douglas Jail Construction Planning Continues,"Douglas Neighbor Staff Writer Stephanie Siegel violated these standards.

The headline alone is inaccurate and misleading.  No planning is currently going on for the construction of a new Douglas County jail.  Ms. Siegal was told this in unequivocal terms by Douglas County Seriff's Department Chief Deputy Stan Copeland on Monday, June 30.  Chief Copeland stated to Ms. Siegel that the jail was a "dormant" issue at this time, and no planning or other activities were going on.

However, Ms. Siegal decided to use documents and information provided to her by a candidate for office to develop an inflammatory story that stated the exact opposite of what Chief Copeland stated to her.  These documents and information were taken completely out of context, as some were over two years old, and some did not present a total picture.  Ms. Siegel did not obtain these documents herself from the County.  They were brought to her and she cooperated with the candidate to create the story.

This obviously was an intentional effort of Ms. Siegel since the candidate for office who provided them to her had previously also put this information out to the public and did not correctly address the issues.

Ms. Siegel's intentions are obvious and purely political.

Ms. Sigel's July 2 story is irresponsible.

It is true that the former Flagview Village Mobile Home Park is a prospective site for a new Douglas County jail.  In the 2006 SPLOST referendum, the citizens of Douglas County said that they did not want the current jail to be expanded on the current site, and during community meetings, stated that a new jail, whenever constructed, should be located out of a residential area and closer to the Douglas County Courthouse.  At this direction from the citizens, the Board of Commissioners looked at many properties, and negotiated to purchase the Flagview Vilage Mobile Home Park.

Ms. Siegel's article states that the land was valued at $3.9 million by the County's Tax Appraisal Department, and $5.7 million by Bass & Associates  What Ms.Siegel didn't include in her article was that the purchase of the land included the purchase of a business must include the consideration of the monies made by that business as income and profit, and the Flagview Village Mobile Home Park was a for-profit business.  The county purchased the business, as well as the land, and that is the $8.5 million cost.

Ms. Siegel convieniently leaves out this information, implying that the County paid more than double what the property was worth, and leaving the impression that this is an irresponsible act of government.  Ms. Siegel is wrong.

The county contracted with Richards' Advantage Housing LLC to handle the management of the park and the removal of the homes.  Ms. Donna Richards personally managed the disassembledge of the park, offering free moving of mobile homes to associated parks, giving tenants bonuses for early moving, and assisting other tenants to find suitable housing.  There is a a deadline date of August 31, for Richards to have the park vacated because the county is not in the business of operating a mobile home park.

No master plan has yet been developed for the 36 acre property, including where the jail would be if it is located there.  There have been many discussions during District Town Hall meetings, Chat with the Chairman meetings, Commission work sessions and other meetings wher the public is present, of the need for other County services to locate near the Courthouse.  The Board of Commissioners recently employed Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum as a consultant to determine a short- and long-term space needs for the courthouse since a second State Court is imminent, and a fourth Superior Court most likely will be created by the General Assembly in its next session.  These courts will displace current county departments, which will have to be housed somewhere.  An administration complex on the 36 acres is possible, as are other county facilities, not just a jail.

However, Ms. Sigel decided not to also include this information in her article, leaving the impression that the land purchase was for a jail onl and that it was a done deal.  A new jail may indeed be located on this property in the future, but there are no plans in place, no planning being conducted, no funds with which to build the jail, and no decision as to its location at this time.  There is a need for a new jail, but the subject is dormant at this time.

The HOK study is for Courthouse needs at the present time.  After the needs analysis is completed, HOK will look at the 36-acre site and give the Board of Commissioners options for its consideration.  However, with no determination of needs, no decisions made, and no funding, any development on the 36-acre site is purely hypothetical at the present time, including the location there of a jail or any other facility.

"Douglas jail construction planning continues" is wrong.  Ms. Siegel knew that it was wrong, and her headline article was inflammatory and designed to influence the upcoming July 15 primary in which the provider of information to her is a candidate.

Ms. Siegel's statement that "calls to Worthan and to Douglas County project manager Wayne Watson were not returned" is a total cop-out.  The Douglas Neighbor's press deadline is Monday noon, and this story was conspired and written well before then.  It was already Monday afternoon when Ms Siegel called and left messages for Mr. Worthan and Mr. Watson.  These were given to Douglas County Communications Director Wes Tallon, who contacted Chief Copeland to respond to Ms. Siegel's questions.  Ms. Siegel has often been told to contact Mr. Tallon if she needs any information from any elected official or employee of the county.  She disregarded that source.

The political view of Ms. Siegel are reflected in her reporting, and this is not free press.  It is biased press, and her comments and opinions do not belong on the front page of the paper.  If the Neighbor newspapers desire her biased reporting to continue, her writings should be limited to the editorial page and labeled as personal opinions.  Freedom of speech is also a wonderful thing, and we encourage its use--just not thinly disguised in a total misrepresentative headline article on the front page of a weekly newspaper.

DOUGLAS COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

 

If anyone would like to comment, please do not hesitate to do so.

Home Invasion, Shooting Tuesday

Home invasion, shooting investigated

By Winston Jones
Staff Writer




The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office was investigating two separate shooting incidents Tuesday afternoon, one a home invasion and the other a possible accidental shooting.

A 17-year-old boy reported to the sheriff’s office that two male suspects tried to enter his home on Fall Creek Trace off Cave Springs Road at about 3 p.m. A shot was reportedly fired by one of the suspects, and the resident hid in the bathroom, according to Chief Deputy Stan Copeland.

“Nobody was injured, nothing was taken and the suspects fled the scene,” Copeland said.




In another unrelated shooting, a 15-year-old boy shot his 19-year-old brother with a handgun on Simon Road around 2 p.m., Copeland said.

“It appears to have been an accidental shooting, but we’re still interviewing witnesses,” Copeland said. “We’re not sure right now if they were playing with the gun or unloading it. It (the shooting) doesn’t appear to be intentional.”

Copeland said the wound didn’t seem serious. He said officers were still searching for the weapon Tuesday afternoon “because one of the brothers apparently tried to get rid of it.”



He said although the shooting is believed to be accidental, charges could still be filed on other issues.

The investigation in both cases was continuing late Tuesday afternoon and Copeland did not release any of the victims’s names.

Kroger to Build In Other Location In Bill Arp

The word was that Kroger would build where Dowda Equipment is now...turns out, according to a real estate agent, it will be built in the vacant lot across the street where the "Future home of Dowda Equipment" sign is.  Apparently there are 30 acres back in the woods behind the lot.

If you live in the Bill Arp community and don't want a Kroger in your neighborhood, please sign my petition.  It's in an earlier post.

County Libraries Getting Wi-Fi

Charlotte Hurt, the librarian at the Douglas County Library, says wi-fi will be available there in the next two weeks.  Both libraries are currently installing it.  For those who were looking for a good place to use their laptops. this will be a great place.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

City, County Have Differing Views On Transportation Plan

From today's Sentinel:
City, BOC to work on differences over 25-year transporation plan

By Bobby Moore
Staff Writer




The Douglasville City Council Monday unanimously passed a resolution opposing the draft of the Douglas County Transportation Plan presented in a June 26 public hearing at the Douglas County Courthouse but also announced a meeting with the county to work on a resolution of the city’s complaints.

The 25-year plan, presented at a June 26 public hearing at the Douglas County Courthouse, is a blueprint for county wide transportation development for the next quarter century. The plan looks at current and future needs based on projected growth in Douglas County, including the cities of Douglasville, Austell and Villa Rica.

Wilbur Smith Associates is the agency preparing the plan with Steve Brown as project manager.



According to the resolution, city officials feel city road projects outside of Interstate 20 interchanges were either given low priority or not listed at all in the proposed plan.

City Manager Bill Osborne said Monday city officials and the City Council will meet with county officials and the Board of Commissioners Monday, July 28, to work on possible solutions to the city’s complaints.

If a compromise between the county and city is not reached by early August, Osborne said the city may pursue having its own transportation plan constructed by an outside firm.


In other business, the council granted a 7.5 percent adjustment to Waste Industries for commercial front-load waste collection services in the city. The increase will help cover the rising cost of diesel fuel.

The council accepted by a 5-1 vote a recycling trailer, portable bins and promotional materials from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) as part of an Away-from-Home turn-key recycling grant.

The lone opposing vote was cast by Councilor Callye B. Holmes.

There was some debate over accepting the grant prior to Monday’s meeting because all artwork options for the trailer depict people sporting pro-recycling tattoos.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

New Businesses

New businesses coming soon to Douglas County:

Another Bright Creation Early Learning, 4482 Hwy 5
Apollo Hospitality, Inc.  3400 Chapel Hill Rd Ste 302
Consumer Forclosure Svc 3400 Chapel Hill Rd Ste 100
Healing Hands Massage 3417 Hwy 5 Ste G & H

No new restaurants.

Business Closings

The Newnan Times-Herald is reporting that TGI Friday's and Chili's have closed in Newnan.  The nearest TGI Friday's to Newnan is in Douglasville.  However, in recent weeks, four new restaurants have opened (or will open within the next week or so) in Newnan.

Goody's filed for bankrupcy recently and announced they're closing stores in Austell, Hiram, Kennesaw, and Newnan, as well as several other stores in GA.  The Douglasville location has been spared...for now.

Starbucks announced yesterday they are closing 600 locations.  Douglasville has two locations.  The stores they are closing are currently underperforming.  It seems like the the location on Chapel Hill might be the busier location of the two.  The CEO of Starbucks said in a press release that each of the 7,200 locations will know by mid-July as to whether their location will be closing.

If anyone knows of any other business that is closing (or opening), you may post a reply here.

Douglasville Teen Arrested In Robberies

From the AJC.com:

Teens arrested in Silver Comet trail robberies


The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/02/08

Four teenagers have been arrested in Cobb County on charges of robbing cyclists on the Silver Comet trail near Austell, police said.

Three juveniles and 17-year-old Isaac Lee Kemp of Douglasville were charged with aggravated assault and robbery by force, Sgt. Dana Pierce, a Cobb police spokesman said.

The robberies occurred in mid-June on the popular biking and jogging trail near where it passes under Austell Road. Both victims were men — one 49, the other 62 — and were not seriously injured, police said.

Pierce said the four youths would block the path, then knock the rider off the bike and go through his pockets.

The three juveniles — two 14 and one 15 —lived near the trail. They were released to relatives after being charged. Kemp is held on $25,000 bond at the Cobb jail, Pierce said.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Police Scanner

6:03pm 10-28
6:05pm Intoxicated driver on Chapel Hill Road past Publix.
6:09pm Loose pit bull.
6:12pm One by name and DOB.  Out of state.
6:12pm 10-28
6:13pm Domestic problem reported.
6:14pm Accident with injuries near Brickleberry Way
6:14pm People vandalizing Flagview Mobile Home Park.
6:17pm People asked to leave (didn’t hear from where) and they won’t.
6:18pm Assault reported.
6:19pm Accident on Hwy 92 in front of Auto Glass.
6:20pm Someone stole a purse from a vehicle.
6:20pm 10-28 (out of state)
6:22pm An officer is directing traffic.
6:23pm Kids on Bright star trying to collect money for baseball apparently in the middle of the road.
6:24pm Officer says kids on Bright Star are not in road.
6:25pm Wrecker needed for a vehicle on Chapel Hill.
6:25pm 10-27, name and DOB. (out of state)
6:27pm 10-28
6:29pm Domestic problem at Red Lobster.



9:45pm Someone apparently wanted is in a hospital.
9:46pm BOLO lookout for three subjects wanted out of Douglas County poss. heading to Atlanta.
9:47pm BOLO reckless on I-20 near Fairburn Road.
9:48pm Suspicious people on a street.
9:49pm 10-28
9:49pm BOLO intoxicated driver.
9:51pm Intoxicated driver almost hit several cars.  Person is following vehicle updating police of location.
9:55pm Intoxicated driver exiting interstate and entering Hwy 5 and took a left.
9:56pm Person following vehicle decided not to follow them off the interstate.
9:59pm 10-28 (out of state)
10:03pm Someone’s been arrested.
10:06pm Reckless driver on Hwy 92.  Different one than earlier.
10:11pm 10-27 & 10-29
10:11pm Someone’s been arrested.
10:17pm Juveniles playing with fireworks or starting a fire.