Fan Rag Evicted

Rumor has it that a publishing misstep on the part of the Dunwoody Fan Magazine may result in their eviction from the City of Dunwoody. This all stems from a recent insert to the rag, a glossy covered Dunwoody "guidebook", probably intended to grace the lobbies of hotels and businesses in the area. But for one small problem: the table of contents sports two blatant mistakes: "Featuress" and "Dunwoodt".  For avid readers of the Dunwoody Fan Magazine, "Feature" is a rather stout word, capable of standing in plurality with a single "s", and "Dunwoody" actually ends with a "y", not a "t" and not even a five point star, though the satanic allusion to a pentagram resonates.

In the absence of the recently unveiled "We're so smart. You're so not." branding campaign, this otherwise rather ordinary and all too common Fan Rag Faux Pas would pass unnoticed. But not now. Not with the entire world focusing attention on the "Genius City" of Dunwoody, breathlessly waiting for our city leaders to reveal the Grand Unification Theory. This will not pass without world notice and certainly has not eluded the folks at Smart City Hall.

A spokesman for the Bloated Yet Expanding City Attorney's Office, who cannot be named because he doesn't exist, explained the City's position:

"The City of Dunwoody finds this to be an unconscionable act of stupidity. It is wanton. It is reckless. And [pause for effect] it is unacceptable."

"This is a Smart City. In fact, THE Smart City. We all know it. We all say it. Yes, we've set the bar high, but we feel this is necessary to uphold the new tradition we've created. This blunder is incompatible with that tradition and we, as a City, must take direct and immediate action. We have therefore taken steps to ensure this offender moves out of Dunwoody."

When it was suggested this was but two words out of thousands and perhaps this was a bit of an over-reaction, the apparition continued:

"Look. Most of the content was obtained from other sources. All the Fan Mag had to do was pull it together, slap on a Table of Contents, Copy Edit and PROOF READ, and get the things printed. You ask professional journalists to do this because they are supposed to be competent, but now we know. This is a Smart City, always has been, but to keep it Smart we sometimes must ensure that those not able or willing to meet our standards find a place more suited to their kind. We're going to help them get started on that search."

Another commenter questioned the possible impact this could have on the Fan Rag's status as the City's Official Organ.

"Organ, Schmorgan. It's all on the table. Can you imagine the liability if a business or citizen posts a legal notice, but these goofballs drop it on the floor? Who's going to take the hit for that? There is not a court in this land where incompetence is a viable defense. So yes, now that there is competition we will examine all options."

So there you have it, dear readers, the latest gossip in the Smartest City. Stay tuned as the drama unfolds. Will the Fan Rag pull up and leave, or will they enjoy a forced exit? And will Dunwoody stand by its wavering, flaccid excuse for an Organ or will we man-up and embrace the new, virile option? Only time will tell.

MLK in Dunwoody

The game is afoot and Dunwoody has responded by incorporating yet another "non-profit" in an attempt to snag the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. As some may know, the GMHF has fallen on hard times and being the opportunists we are, Dunwoody is ready to pounce. The bid is in. It is stacked with two résumés for each and every member of the newly minted non-profit--a tactic clearly intended to demonstrate their incredible abilities to make a profit, yet it nonetheless makes a compelling case for relocating the irreplaceable GMHF assets from an AAM certified facility in Macon to the stock room behind an expansive gift shop in Perimeter Mall.

But they've run into a wee little problem. The tale that follows was recounted to The Other Dunwoody by a meeting attendee who cannot be named because they are not authorized to speak on behalf of the "no-pro". As it turns out, only one person is allowed to speak for the no-pro, and he speaks too much.

The meeting, held recently at an undisclosed location, was dominated by The Grand Poohbah, designated speaker, and the Purveyor of Bloated Non-Profit Salaries, also serving as Treasurer, who enjoyed the ill fate of reporting the bad news to Pooh.

"Pooh, I just got off the phone with the head of GMHF and they have a problem with the Dunwoody relo."

"Look, Purv, I thought I had this locked down. This isn't more whining about their precious artifacts being stored in...what did they call it...yeah, a "smash and grab" shopping center? Or is it that AAM certification crap again?"

"Well, those two are still on the table. Sort of."

"What do you mean 'sort of'?"

"It's like this Pooh: it seems, outside of Dunwoody proper, and you know what I mean by proper, there are lots of African Americans in Georgia. It should come as no surprise that this is reflected in the demographics of both the inductees and attendees of the GMHF."

"So? Just because Dunwoody is in Georgia, doesn't mean there's Georgians in Dunwoody. It's always been that way. Plus, this is the 'Town in Beige' not 'Somewhere Under a Rainbow'.  And we didn't paint the Farmhouse WHITE because the paint was cheaper!"

"Yeah, Pooh. I know...I know. But it's different now. Things have changed since you moved here. Now we want something from The Other Georgia and well, they want something from us. They won't even consider our bid without it."

"OK Purv. What the hell is it? Do they want more money under the table? Is this just another shakedown? Haven't  we paid them enough already?"

Purv, in a voice tinged with fear, whispered his response. "Dammit Pooh. I told you about that kinda talk. You keep it up, folks are gonna find out and you'll have us all in trouble. And NO, that's not what it is. It's even worse."

"What could be worse?"

"I'll tell you what. Turns out they've looked over every map of Dunwoody and come to find out, we don't have a street named after Martin Luther King. Not a one. Nowhere. And they'll not have the GMHF in a city without one."

"Alright Purv! I've had enough of your practical jokes and you've wasted enough of all our time. Especially mine! And who else was in on this prank? I want names. NOW!"

"Look Pooh, this is no joke. And they're not negotiating on this. There is no wiggle room. None whatsoever. Fer crissakes they're even ON Martin Luther King Boulevard in Macon. This is serious. We've gotta find a street to rename and push it through Council ASAP or Athens is gonna win with that silly 'we're the most musical city in Georgia' bullshit. And Athens has a Martin Luther King Parkway."

"OK. Fine. Let's pick a street. How about Jett Ferry? Get it? Jett?"

"Yeah, Pooh, I get it. And even if you weren't trying to be funny, you know what kind of people live on Jett Ferry. Can you see them sending out Christmas cards with an MLK return address? How about Ashford-Dunwoody? That's where it will be located and it's a silly name anyway." 

"Negatory, Purv. I've got plans for renaming that road." Nods of approval all around the room. "How about over by Winter's Chapel? Those folks won't complain, half of 'em don't even speak English. Or Tilly Mill? You gonna tell me there's folks wantin' to rename it 'Golda Lox Lane' or something?"

Purv ended the uncomfortable silence, responding in a firm, controlled voice. "Pooh, this is serious and if you can't be, then it's you who's wasting time. We gotta come up with a street and it can't be so obvious we shoved it in a corner. Get with the program."

Pooh, not acknowledging the prior offense and with more than a little anger in his voice retorted: "Don't talk to me like that Purv. I'll have your ass if you do. So what street would you pick since you're so smart? You think you're gonna rename Mount Vernon or Chamblee Dunwoody, or even Dunwoody Road?"

"Dunwoody Road is out. You can't even begin to imagine the hell we'd catch from that asshole blogger on that one." As Purv pours over an expensive GIS map of Dunwoody, he stops, looks up and says, "I've got it. This is perfect."

"Ok, so what is it?"

"Nandina!"

"Nandina? Where, or what, the hell is Nandina?"

"Nandina. It's that short piece of pavement between Mount Vernon and Chamblee Dunwoody that all those assholes use as a cut-through."

"You mean the jerks who expect the whole world to stop so they can make a left turn?"

"Those are they.  This is perfect. It's in lovely downtown Dunwoody. Folks on both major roads will see the signs and know how inclusive we are. It's close enough to the Farmhouse to be a place of honor, but independent enough that it will not evoke antebellum images."

"Purv, stop with the gibberish and speak English." Pooh leans over the map and smiles. "Ya know what? You're absolutely right, Nandina is perfect. With a name like that it can't be related to a founding father. Sounds Mexican so no Dunwoodians will object...can you imagine the uproar if we renamed a cul de sac called 'Brickleberry Lane'?"

"You can NOT name a dead end street after Martin Luther King!"

"Right. With Nandina we only have to change two signs. Not as good as one, but still not bad. And think of the money we save, when...er...if we change it back. You're a genius! But there's only one other thing."

"What's that."

"Everybody has to know it was my idea."

"WHAT!!???" It's MY idea."

"Look, Purv, you signed an IPR agreement. All ideas belong to me. That's just the way it is."

Purv, obviously annoyed, said "Fine. We're still not done Mister Idea Man. What are you gonna call it: Boulevard, Street, Road, or Lane? Or maybe you think it would be a good idea to call it 'Alley'?"

"You're about to cross a line you don't wanna cross there Purv. Anyway, I don't need to make that choice. Though I'm sure they'd rubber-stamp the idea, it's nice to throw the Council a bone every now and then. This is one of those times. Let them pick, then they're committed to it too. Now, unknot yer shorts and get the ball rollin'. We need an official Memo From The Staff signed by 5K. We need it inside the hour, so get moving. When you get that done, get those biddies over at 'Lemonade Days' started on the renaming ceremony. I'll be busy writing my speech."

There you have it Dear Readers. Martin Luther King Jr. is coming to Dunwoody and we have the Georgia Music Hall of Fame to thank for it.

Ending Welfare...

...one handout at a time.

What could welfare possibly have to do with Dunwoody? Well, quite a lot actually. Seems that many folks in our fair city have been and continue to be recipients of one of the most ill conceived government assistance programs on the books: The Mortgage Interest Deduction. The collapse of an artificially inflated real estate bubble gives this nation a clearer vision of routinely ignored bad real estate practices and policy, and offers an opportunity for action. And there will never be a better time to eliminate this disastrous tax loophole.

This particular corporate welfare has never made fiscal sense, but few things originating in the greed of narrow interests ever do. And let's be clear: that the money is laundered thru individual tax accounts does not change the fact that it is the legal firms, banks and real estate agencies that receive these benefits. This policy has artificially inflated home prices, supported an archaic, but highly profitable business model and made quite a few otherwise worthless people rich. Any buyer who has attended a closing is painfully aware of the fact that many people, none of whom contribute a tangible thing to the process, leave significantly wealthier, whilst the buyer leaves with debt and the risk associated with the underlying asset. Some seem to think the bank shares this risk, but they slept thru the brief discussion of Private Mortgage Insurance. Fact is the process of transferring a home from a seller to a buyer is extremely, and intentionally inefficient. It is simply wrong for this waste to be subsidized by our tax dollars.

It is also bad civic policy. The big reason buyers are attracted to ill-fated real estate ventures is a pervasive American desire to "screw the feds". Apparently mass delusion has taken hold and a majority of Americans think it is far better to pay a banker a dollar so they can avoid sending a quarter to Washington, than to take a hard look at what they can really afford and live within their means. As dim an opinion as you may have of the Federal Government, can anyone, outside of friends and family, really claim that bankers are a greater asset to society? Or is it the lawyers who really need this largess and the bankers are just a necessary evil?

At its very heart a real estate sale is a private transaction between a buyer and a seller. If either, or both, wish to engage third parties, inspectors, lawyers, or brokers, at their own expense, that is their choice.  For our government to get involved, with the end result of simply enriching these hangers-on, is a practice that can and should stop. Now.

TSA Compensation

No one with a brain really believes those new photo-realistic full body scanners and the hands-on junk-checks are there to improve our safety or even if that were the intent that this is in any way effective. In fact, it is much more than that--and also somewhat less.

The truth was uncovered by a service technician who spent a day repairing an airport security scanner. TSA agents have developed an uncanny means of determining who, and to what extent, members of the traveling public are "compensating". The following conversation between two TSA agents, while totally fictitious, was overheard by this technician at a nearby airport. Judge for yourself.

"Lookee here, dat small enough for a Bimmer?"

"Nah, that's definitely a 'Vette."

"What you say? Why you sure?"

"Look at dat shirt, man, half way open and the only thang he got hangin' dat disco bling. 'Vette. All the way 'Vette."

"Man, dat's cheatin'. You s'posed to be lookin' at the dude's junk, not da wrapper. You got dat one, but dis next one, lordamercy! He makes 'em happy. Whatcha think? Pickup truck?"

"Hell, yes. And he PUSHED it here. From Macon. Now look a' dis. TI-nee! Gotta be either a Bimmer...7 series, or a Benz. A big Benz. S-class."

"Nah, Johnson ain't got no hoodie. Betcha dat's a Jag."

"Well I'm gonna find out." The Traveler has moved down the line, but the TSA agent approaches, "Excuse me sir, but we just found some BMW keys and were wondering if they might be yours..."

The Traveler, with an air of indignation and an appropriately sized British accent replied, "Certainly not! I drive only Aston Martin."

Upon returning the other Agent asks, "I was right, it's a Jag ain't it?"

"Nope. His Majesty ONLY drives as-TON mar-TIN!"

"You can call me James..."

"...or you can call me Bond..."

Both: "...but ya doesn't have to call me Mister Johnson!"

Laughter all around.

Now we know: it isn't about safety, it isn't just a game of "peek-a-boo" and it sure as hell isn't about our Fourth Amendment rights. No, it's a competitive sport. And the TSA may not be able to find a terrorist, but with one look at Little Willy Winky, they know your "compensation". So if the next time you fly you see the TSA agent squinting, you just tell him the heater in your dump truck is busted.

Alison's Restaurant

Anyone visiting the Shops of Dunwoody will surely notice one business set apart from the others--Alison's Restaurant. In a shopping center littered with neon "Open" signs--even our local haberdasher has one--Alison's is notably absent. Why? Glad you asked.

Seems the "Smart People" on our "Smart City" Council have deemed neon signs offensive to their sensibilities and henceforth there shall be no new neon signs even though by the looks of it the previous policy must have required neon signs. And with their unwavering "fidelity to all things past" still intact, existing neon signs are "grandfathered" so only new businesses are at a competitive disadvantage.

If you're one of those who agree with their position regarding ticky-tacky neon you probably view this is an unfortunate consequence of an effort to upgrade the classiness of the area. Until you dig further.

As Ms. Alison herself observed in a recent encounter she could "stand out front in a chicken suit waving a placard" but she cannot have the same "Open" sign as her neighbors. Because that would be tacky. And should she embark on the chicken waving tactic she should be forewarned that she cannot use any balloons, as that is tres ta-KAY. Unless of course you happen to be her landlord, in which case you could stand outside the now closed Mudcatz in a clown outfit with balloons by the bunch. Because...that's not tacky?

Normally this is where a TOD post ends, with an entreaty to patronize Alison's as an act of courage, to join with other patriotic Dunwoodians in defiance of the draconian dictators running our oppressive government. And indeed you should, but as it happens that is not the only reason. It turns out Alison's is an excellent addition to our local dining options.

Obviously Alison's is new, not just to our community but inside as well. They have completely refurbished the interior retaining only the basic layout of the previous establishment. The cuisine is Mediterranean-Italian, the menu extensive, the prices on the moderate side and the food on the plate excellent. The atmosphere immediately impresses as upscale with linens, stainless and china. The fresh decor uses muted tones with faux stucco to subtly hint at the mediterranean cuisine, but not clumsily done as is all too common. The lighting and music are consistent with the romance of "An Affair to Remember"--sconces with a mid-century look and a playlist including Billie Holliday, Sinatra and straight ahead jazz. The main dining room is spacious, a good mix of booths and tables, and unlike another local option these booths are well suited to persons of, shall we say, a "certain gravitas". The main dining room is augmented by an outside patio to the front and opens to a narrow area at back with the bar on one side and seating against the opposite wall.

The bar is full service and the wine list offers a good selection, and while it is no challenge to D'Vine's, no restaurant should even attempt to be. The food, at least in one visit (consider this a critical amuse bouche rather than a multi-visit full-toque review), was well above average and a bargain for the price. The menu may not be as experimental or trendy as others, but few can match Alison's execution.

Their calamari is of the "onion ring" variety which would not be remarkable except that it was properly fried which based on other local offerings is not as easy as one would imagine. But what really takes this appetizer to the next level is the marinara sauce which is far better than offered anywhere else in Dunwoody. Then there is the crab cake: lump white meat, sweet and succulent and unburdened by any unnecessary ingredients. A generous portion is elegantly served surrounded by a butter sauce streaked with hot sauce, allowing the diner to dial in just right amount of heat to complement the buttery sweetness of the crab.

The Steak Alambre features marinated skirt steak that is flavorful, but not dominant. The onions are perfectly caramelized, and the bell pepper is cooked al dente, something that seems to elude even the most seasoned cooks. The Lobster Ravioli, a signature dish, was properly portioned and as with all other dishes excellently prepared. This dish boasts a vodka cream sauce and as good as the lobster is, this sauce was to die for. That in one meal, the kitchen can knock three sauces right out of the park, tells you that someone at Alison's really knows what they're doing.

The topper was an ample pair of sensuous Buttery Nipples that tantalize the tongue and sate the most ardent of cravings. There is truly no better way to round out the night.

The Next Great Brand

Dunwoody's "New and Improved!" brand simply will not work. The copy-cat scandal will not go away and is likely to expand as folks begin to notice the relationship between Sky Designs and Norcross and connect the dots between Dunwoody staff and former Norcross staff. Even if there is no formal investigation, we can hope for open records requests around how the work was bid and the results vetted.

If we're lucky, we'll also get some much needed turnover at city hall and afterwards, should it still be considered a good idea, we can expect a new brand--an original brand.

Just in case, it would be good to start early, first by looking at why the plagiarized brand works so well for its rightful owners.

Plano, TX has a problem with the sound of its name: "PLAIN-oh". Hard to miss the "PLAIN" part. Plain does not conjure images of "extraordinary", "novel", "unique" or "progressive". So how does "Plano/Smart People/Smart Place" address this? First we have repetition, "SMART" people, "SMART" place reiterates the core message--"sounds" plain, but is really "smart". The consonance, "Plano"..."People"..."Place", ties all three parts together.

For Plano, this works. For Dunwoody, not so much. Outside of a screaming need for people to think we're smarter than we so obviously are, there is nothing about a "smart people, smart place" ripoff that supports Dunwoody's ambitions. But we could take a page out of Plano's playbook.

Plano used its brand to overcome a unfortunate consequence of its name, a slightly negative connotation of the very sound of it. Dunwoody has ripened its own opportunity to do the same.

Since the days of "Dunwoody Housewife Jokes", our community has not been held in high esteem. We've been laughed at for being arrogant and elitist, for being unoriginal in our homes--Dunwoody's Beige and Brick Four Four and a Door are renowned--and for the Stepford-like lives lived therein. At their best our battles with the county seem to reflect a NIMBY mindset but always carry racial overtones of lily white suburbanites bristling at a new, largely black power structure. The large number of Yankees in Dunwoody does little to counter this view, serving mostly as proof that "liberalism flourishes where it is not challenged." These transplants are viewed as even more racist than their white Southern counterparts and their current affection for "all things that shall not be forgotten" does little to help.

Dunwoody has a hard-earned reputation as a place best avoided by anyone smart or progressive and certainly by anyone of color. We are known as a place for white folks to raise white kids. While many in Dunwoody embrace that vision apparently that is not enough for others. Hence, the reputation repairing "brand".

Ironically, this brand already exists, though followers of this blog, all three of you, will be surprised to read of it here. This is a branding that speaks to the future. That speaks to being progressive, to honoring tradition without blind adulation. That speaks to citizens pulling together to create a new, better future for themselves and their children.

And what is this brand?

Dunwoody Yes!

"Yes" is a positive assertion of action, a much needed antidote to the negative image permeating our past and clouding our future. The exclamation speaks to energy, a vibrancy that counters the impression of a staid group of bow-tie wearing George Will wannabes and blue-haired ladies in Buicks. And it starts, as it should, with that which is being branded. Unlike "Ole 5K's" obvious rationalization of the puke green on his logo, the yellow of Dunwoody Yes! and the Dunwoody street sign toppers is vibrant. And consistent--linking the tradition of the farmhouse sign-toppers with the forward looking, outward facing brand.

So there you have it dear readers. We've come full circle and found that if we must purloin someone's brand, then let it be our own. How smart is that?

It Doesn't Matter, Part Deux

If you're interested in proper redistricting of the Dunwoody cluster, or redistributing attendance to remove trailers from some schools while filling classes in others, or even dodging the the imminent loss of accreditation, then it doesn't matter who wins the upcoming runoff.

But a compelling argument has been advanced to embrace change for the sake of change. Since changing the name/face does no harm--a basic premise of bloated bureaucracy--there is no downside. But it sends a new message to those political cowards who capitulate for fear of losing re-election--you're going to lose anyway! After cycling a few do-nothings through the process someone might figure out they might as well try something if they only have one bite at the apple. And it adds a special pas de deux to the nepotism tango. Can we ignore a swelling population district employees who are relatives and near relatives of board members past and present?

So try something new for a change--vote for change. At least then you're voting for something.

BOE: It Doesn't Matter

As you head out to the polls tomorrow, probably in hopes of ending the horrific negative ad campaigns punishing our airwaves, consider this: no matter who you vote for or who wins the election to become Dunwoody's representative on the DeKalb Board of Education, it won't change a thing. Heresy you say? Well there are a couple of irrefutable reasons why this is true.

First, our public schools, DCSS in particulary, have become a bloated, self-righteous and self-serving bureaucracy that cannot be changed by the entire board let alone one individual. Administrators, Board Members and other insiders have turned the system into an urban job works program rife with nepotism run for the benefit of the few at the expense of the many. Given that Board Members already play this game, one more, one way or the other, won't make a difference. 

Closer to home, the Dunwoody cluster has long been at the mercy of the Vanderlyn School Mafia. Until someone tells this selfish group to shut up and grow up they will continue with their whisper-campaign of fear while publicly hiding behind the chimera of "property value erosion". The tragedy of the "Fourth-Fifth Academy", ironically at only four fifths capacity, exists because DCSS lacked the courage to point out that the VanderKinder won't come home with cooties because they sit in a class with apartment kids. Furthermore the VSM's isolationist doctrine will ultimately harm property values rather than preserve them. Yet no candidate has the courage to advance a proposal to put these folks in their place.

So if you think it makes a difference who wins, by all means vote your conscience. But don't drink the Kool-aid. It's goes straight to your hips.

Dumb and Dumber

Two things have the blogo-sphere all a-twitter of late:

• Some fools at City Hall floating the idea of bringing the Georgia Music Hall of Fame to Dunwoody; and
• The rather childish, but quite expensive branding effort and associated "Logo".

They speak to the same underlying issue that permeates this City: lack of character. What do these things say about our city officials, our elected leaders and the community that elected them? Not much, and none of it good.

The motivation behind relocating the Music Hall of Fame is much like that of the Richard Gere character in Pretty Woman: to sell off the juicy bits and bleed cash out of what is left. Truly a noble act.

And the "branding"? Tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars wasted on a copy-cat logo which at first glance says "Dunwoody-Village Without An Idiot" but really says "Dunwoody-You're So Dumb We Have To Tell You How Smart We Are". Arrogant, condescending and by any objective measure, untrue. But 100% unadulterated Dunwoody.

If we had a legitimate Fourth Estate perhaps we would be reading about the linkages between folks in City Hall and companies involved in developing a music venue or maybe we would find that someone's relative runs an ad agency that is in dire need of help and is, well, getting help. Perhaps not, but without investigative reporting we will never know. All we really know is something smells and we're footing the bill.

Cry No More...

...or let the tears be tears of joy.

Until recently, the view provided by the Fourth Estate into all things Dunwoody has been narrow and proscriptive as if we were allowed to look at someone else's painting and then only through a narrow, tinted lense. The Dunwoody Fan Magazine had neither the chops, nor the inclination to serve the citizens or businesses of Dunwoody. It doggedly served the purpose of promoting the Farmhouser--Dunwoody Yes! machine that ramrodded Dunwoody into cityhood and was rewarded by being anointed the "Official Organ" of Dunwoody but did little to fulfill the role of the free press in a democratic society.

Living in Dunwoody does not have to mean ignoring, or worse yet, fearing everything outside Dunwoody. And there is more to Dunwoody than a navel-gazing "I, Me, Mine" government or the rather small group of vocal and intellectually incestuous Cro Magnon's who can somehow worship an iconic farmhouse whilst denying the more agnostic their homegrown eggs. It may surprise some to learn that Dunwoody was not dropped by god, whoever she may be, as a neo-Eden in an otherwise desolate landscape. In fact, Dunwoody is surrounded by our substantially more well-to-do Sandy Springs, the progressive and hip Brookhaven and the chic and savvy Buckhead.

And that part of the Fourth Estate that has so well served our neighbors has embraced Dunwoody.

The Reporter Newspapers have come to town bringing with them a modern look both in print and on the web, a fresh perspective, and exposure to goings on in and adjacent to our community. This paper is well produced, with professional layout, excellent use of color throughout, and provides relevant content from, shall we say, "more contemporary" sources. Contrast this with the Dunwoody Fan Magazine which resembles a farmer's almanac (is there a farmhouse tie-in here?) that caters to the folks who aren't convinced Celestine Sibley has passed. The Fan rag publishes a column by Don Farmer (can we get away from that word?), whilst The Dunwoody Reporter published a piece by Rick Callihan, a local blogger who actually lives in Dunwoody and though he has reportedly been seen at the community garden that is a garden, not a farm. Perhaps the Sibley Fan Club is confused, having missed the fact that Don and Chris moved to Florida some years back, and that the dashing gent on Channel 2 News that strongly resembles Don is actually his son, not the product of Demi Moore's plastic surgeon.

The Dunwoody Reporter brings us much more than an updated look. It offers a perspective not only on Dunwoody, but on the surrounding communities of which we should increasingly become a part. The expanded vista comes in the form of improved coverage in articles and columns, and also in broader, more extensive advertising. Subscription-free papers live and die on advertising, but some do it better than others.

Because the Reporter Newspapers serve neighboring communities and thereby the businesses in those communities, they are better positioned to serve our community as well. In the past only word of mouth or the web would have led someone in Dunwoody to venture to Brookhaven to dine at Au Rendezvous or Sandy Srpings for Canton Cooks. Surely there are many in Dunwoody who would want to know there is an excellent new gun club and range offering training classes right on Roswell Road near Pitt. Now we have ready access to information about nearby products and services.

This goes both ways--expanded exposure in neighboring communities can only help Dunwoody's businesses. Could Mudcatz survive on Dunwoody alone? Perhaps, but they don't look "closed for renovations". Does anyone really believe there are no Banks and Shane fans left in Sandy Springs they could have tapped into? After all, Banks and Shane did operate a nightclub/restaurant in Sandy Springs for years. Surely being able to reach a broader range of potential customers in a high quality publication will help local businesses survive these hard times and thrive in better times.

After the war (the last we declared and won), it was said that "it's hard to keep 'em on the farm once they've seen Paree". Well, we've been held down on this farm for far too long and Paree is looking mighty fine.