First, mea culpa for the annual Christmas letter being a bit late. Every time I sat down to start writing another woman was identified as one of Tiger Woods’ doxies and I got distracted. And I am not one of those people having fun at Tiger’s expense.
Anyhoo, it’s been quite the year here in Sandy Springs; we’ve been busier than Tiger Woods’ social secretary. Sorry. That one slipped.
Locally, following a great deal of debate the mayor and City Council voted to allow the Church of Scientology’s request for the rezoning of a building at Roswell Road and Glenridge Drive, without allowing the church to expand the building.
The decision did not sit well with the church or the neighborhood groups in opposition — both are talking lawsuits — so it must have been good. I had a professor who said that any time we were asked to mediate a dispute, find a solution that annoys each side and we could consider our efforts successful.
On the other side of town work has begun on the expansion of Abernathy between Johnson Ferry and Roswell Road. The homes that had been vacant for months were finally torn down and at this writing the project has reached that stage where a great deal of heavy earth-moving equipment sits idle in large plots of exposed red clay.
The street along that corridor has also gotten roughed up which has no doubt been a blessing for those in the auto alignment business. But when all is said and done — and I wish there were more doing and less saying — I’m sure it will be a peachy way to navigate that part of town.
We had a big rain a few months back that got the attention of FEMA, which made me wonder if we were going to see those mobile homes the agency stranded in Arkansas rolling in. A number of folks had their homes flood and turned to FEMA to see what their country could do for them.
One neighbor said he went online and filled out a form to get the right paperwork he would then fill out to possibly get some assistance. In spite of requesting the English-only version of the hard-copy forms he was also sent a version in Spanish.
In the end the response was: “You certainly have a problem but there’s nothing we’re going to do.” No free mobile home. Not even a “buena suerte.”
For only the second time in our brief history we had elections, but for the first time we had incumbents on the ballot. The Honorable Eva Galambos was re-elected mayor, nailing down 84 percent of the vote. Some politicians who run unopposed don’t get that.
And here at the Osterman ancestral mansion all is well. In spite of the economy I try to remember to count my blessings. We’re all healthy and happy. I have a roof over my head and food in the cupboard. And for the first time ever I’m having a better year than Tiger Woods.
Jim Osterman lives in Sandy Springs.
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