Kathleen writes in that at the next Oakhurst Neighborhood Association meeting, on Monday December 9th at 7p, Oakhurst residents can submit their names to serve on the association’s board in 2014.

As the post title says, there are currently three open slots on the neighborhood association’s board that need to be filled.

UPDATE:  Fox5 also covered the meeting – which includes part of some opening remarks from Mayor Pro-Tem Cunningham – in a segment that you can view HERE.

The Decatur Police Department spoke to a packed room  of around 130 people at the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association meeting last night to discuss the recent increase in crime in the city and surrounding area.  Keith summarized the meeting thusly in a comment last night…

…it was a very good session. With representatives there from APD, Decatur, and Dekalb I came away with the feeling that they truly are working together and that it is a strong working relationship.Chief Booker kicked things off and then Detective (I think) Richards who heads up criminal investigations spoke about the number of events. Then Sgt. Jennifer Ross gave us some details on the robberies before Deputy Chief Lee explained what they were doing about everything. It sounds like most of the juveniles involved in the crimes are from Zone 6 in Atlanta and mostly from right up Hosea a half mile or so from the police station. Sounds like they have lots of intelligence and so far they are not releasing sketches from the robberies because they think they have enough without making them public. It they hit a roadblock, then they’ll go ahead and release sketches to get some help from the public.

Patch also reported that the police said at the meeting that they “had some strong leads and hope to make arrests soon”. Also discussed at the meeting was the resurrection of the Oakhurst Owls community watch program, which has been inactive for several years.

DPD posted the above video message from Decatur PD Chief Mike Booker on YouTube yesterday.

Just posted on the Oakhurst Message Board…

The Oakhurst Neighborhood Association, and the City of Decatur Police Department would like to invite all neighbors to a special meeting about the stray dogs in the neighborhood. Several officers will be in attendance, along with having an informational agenda / presentation that’s educational. Please join us for this informational session held at Solarium on Monday December 7th at 7:00PM.

Allison Adams sends in this press release announcing three new endorsements for Patti Garrett’s District 2 city commission campaign.

October 20, 2009 – Decatur, GA – As Decatur’s election season heats up, increasing numbers of residents are gaining opportunity to meet, consider and choose their candidates. As they do, city commissioner candidate Patti Garrett is proud to confirm endorsements from three former Oakhurst Neighborhood Association (ONA) officers, including two presidents.

Speaking of her many hours spent working on ONA activities, former president Patrick Putnam summarized, “When I served as the President of the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association, Patti Garrett was one of our most active and involved volunteers. She regularly attended and contributed ideas during the ONA Meetings and volunteered to assist with virtually every event that the ONA sponsored. As I am certain that her proven dedication will continue on the City Commission, I am pleased to support Patti Garrett for City Commissioner.”

Brian McGonegal, who has also led the ONA, agrees. “I had the privilege to work with Patti on numerous events,” he said. “I have never seen anyone so committed to the community in which she lives. She and her husband Gary have an unbridled appreciation and enthusiasm for the Oakhurst/City of Decatur community. Patti is a role model for any community and would be an ideal candidate for City Commissioner.”

Read the rest of this entry »

In a press release sent yesterday, District 2 candidate Kyle Williams announced that he has received the endorsement of former Oakhurst Neighborhood Association President Michael Gaertner.

From the release…

Gaernter served as Oakhurst Neighborhood Association President in 2007 and 2008 and was recognized as a 2007 Decatur Hometown Hero award winner for his work with the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association, Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Project, and the OWLS (Oakhurst Watch Local Safety) committee. Gaernter helped form OWLS, which has been instrumental in decreasing the crime rate in the Oakhurst neighborhood by increasing community awareness and promoting cooperation between citizens and the police.

“Kyle Williams will use his experience as a member of the Decatur Zoning Board of Appeals and his training as an attorney to fight for us on the City Commission. Kyle has built strong relationships on the county and state level that will serve Decatur well. We need Kyle as our City Commissioner,” Gaertner said.

Read the rest of this entry »