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January 2009
Upgrade It…Does Sandy Springs need a re-do?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A couple of years ago the folks in our neighborhood noted with raised eyebrow that some of the homes that were being built in sites previously occupied by ‘50s-era brick ranch were going for $950,000.
Homes within two miles were going into seven figures.
A lot of people predicated Sandy Springs was going to become a place where only the wealthy could afford to live, as though 30328 was going to become the next 90210. To hear some tell it Donald Trump and Oprah would be Sandy Springsteens any day now.
And this inevitably led to the usual outcry over what prosperity would bring; it would force out “the little guy.” I have no idea exactly who this little guy is, but he always seems to be trotted out to bear the brunt of societal change. Are tall people and women immune to these things?
Two years and an economic meltdown later many of those pricey homes are still sitting there, waiting for their first homeowner, which leads me to believe the little guy still walks in our midst.
But it does beg the question of whether there is something wrong with our neighborhoods going through an upgrade?
I get it — when homes go up in size and price it blocks a certain segment of the population out of a community, but I don’t recall making sure everyone can afford to live in a zip code being a requirement. I know a few builders and all are in business to make money. I have yet to meet a single one whose business plan is to put up enough luxury homes in a specific area to price out a certain group.
And Sandy Springs has already survived that scenario once. When the population started to grow in the early ‘60s the city was jam-packed with young families. As the kids grew up and left for college and beyond the value of the homes their empty-nest parents remained in increased sharply. The result was neighborhoods full of high-priced homes that were out of the grasp of young families, or young adults looking for their first home.
And guess what? Sandy Springs did not find itself in a state of societal perdition. The walls did not come a’crumblin’ down.
Which begs the question — what is it about prosperity that offends and scares certain segments of the population? Why would it be a bad thing if five years from now the average price for a home in Sandy Springs was $1.5 million?
I know, I know — it would price out the little guy. But one would hope in five years time the little guy would have gone back to school, gotten a degree and built a business that would allow him to live wherever he wanted.
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Our real life heroes: Give thanks to firemen
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I was sunk deep in my favorite chair to watch playoff football convinced nothing was going to move me.
But it’s hard to care about cover-two defenses and play-action passes when your wife says: “Hey, there’s a fire truck parked out front.”
A house up the street caught fire. As this is written the cause has not been publicized and, as far as we know, no one was seriously hurt. But having our block filled with fire trucks and police cars, lights flashing, is thankfully something that doesn’t happen every day.
Indeed, I’ve been in the neighborhood since 1962 and I can’t recall any home catching fire. We’ve been blessed, especially in these old homes with old wiring. But the whole thing reminded me again of how lucky we are that there are people who run into burning buildings. I know they’re trained and many have been doing this for years but I also know that running toward a fire goes against every instinct a person has.
A few years ago I got to scuba dive, but before we were allowed to go deep we had to show we understood how the apparatus worked, especially the breathing system. That first time under water inhaling was hard. Most of the time I’ve ever spent under water the idea is not to breathe at all.
Now imagine seeing flames and heading in that direction, not knowing what you’re going to find. I have no idea if you ever get used to that.
We take it for granted that when we call 911 that someone is going to show up. The fireman, the EMT, the police officer. Yeah, I get it — it’s their job. But these people are someone’s father, someone’s wife, someone’s son — there are people under those uniforms who could be doing something else, making more money and having a much better chance of going home at the end of the day.
We pay taxes to fund their salaries, but is there something else we can do on a regular basis to express our appreciation? Is there something that can be done to make sure they know how thankful we are for those who run toward danger?
One of the worst things we do in relationships is to take our partner for granted. We’re not there — are we?
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Are you better off today, Sandy Springs?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Soon we inaugurate a new president, which for some will be a welcome sign that the election season is finally over.
No more yard signs, no more bumper sticker, not more attack ads clogging our TV’s. I can hear the collective sigh of relief.
But not so fast.
This is the year that the first duly-elected government of Sandy Springs will be contested. When they were elected as the city began they were running on what they were going to do. Now they have to answer for what they have done. So to twist a phrase from Ronald Reagan — are you better off now than when we achieved cityhood, and if not, what are you going to do about it?
This is where we, the people, have out voice. It always sounds so profound when someone looks at election results and says “the people have decided” but it’s true. If you feel strongly one way or the other about a public servant what are you willing to do to back up you convictions?
If you like someone are you willing to campaign for them. Write a check? Talk to your neighbors? Volunteer in their campaign?
And if you don’t like someone are you out looking for an alternative? Are you aware of who else might be out there? Can you articulate why you think some rascal should be voted out of office? Are you willing to really put your beliefs on the line and run for office?
One of the things that bugs me is that local elections like these often get decided by a very small portion of the electorate. There is something about an off-year election that fails to stir the people who need to be involved the most. These races do not have the sex appeal that brings voters out in the same numbers as a presidential race, but they have more to do with our day-to-day lives.
And that brings me back to the question over the quality of our lives. When the city council approved the application for a sports complex for Holy Spirit Preparatory School over the objection of the neighborhood there was a lot of talk/threats that there might be some payback come election day.
I’m not advocating any candidate get another term or be sent packing, but it you have experienced one of those moments this is your year.
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The Jake Indicator: Could be a good year
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I did a lot of reading during final months two weeks of 2008 on what to expect in the New Year and based on what I read we might all be advised to dig a hole and jump in.
The markets are volatile, unemployment numbers are bouncing like an espresso-stoked bunny, consumer confidence is shaky, etc. I didn’t see any cock-eyed optimism out there so I thought I’d stick my neck out and predict 2009 is going to be a great year.
I’m not skilled at reading the various economic indicators, I have no inside information and I can barely build a spreadsheet. I’m basing my optimism on what I refer to as the Jake index, which is predicted on attitudinal reactions to various stimuli by our dog Jake.
And I saw a few things over the holiday that convinced me that times may not be as bad as we think. For example my trips to the membership warehouse stores did not yield the sparse shopping throng I was hoping for. To the contrary the aisles were packed with people buying flat-screen TVs, laptops, iPods and other big-ticket items.
I spent a lot of time in the company of wireless phone store personnel as our son needed to get his smart phone replaced. There were an awful lot of people lining up to get the new Blackberry and those don’t come cheap.
A handful of movies made a bunch of cash at the box office, meaning someone was out buying tickets. And the line at Starbuck’s is still there.
When I traveled during the break I filled up my tank in several different locations for less than $1.40 per gallon. Indeed, I was so spoiled that when I had to pay $1.45 on the way home I felt cheated. That is until I remembered last summer when we were all shelling out something north of four bucks and there were several places around town that had no gas to sell.
I realize none of the above guarantee an upswing. I guess I’m just tired of being told how rotten things are.
There is an old adage that asks how old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were, which brings me back to Jake. Because of factors outside our control we don’t know his exact age, but the best guess is around 13; old for a dog. He has arthritis in his hips, a bum left front leg, an ear damaged by a hematoma and he’s blind.
But every day he trots out to greet the world like a kid headed for Disney World. He doesn’t know from recessions, economics, stocks, politics, etc. He just knows that every day that begins above the grass has the potential to be a good day.
Maybe we could learn some new tricks from an old dog. Happy New Year. It looks to me like it’s going to be a good’n.
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