The City of Sandy Springs is working in three areas that felt the impact of the September torrential rains and subsequent flooding. They are as follows:

Peachtree-Dunwoody Road at Nancy Creek Bridge (as of 10-28)

The Peachtree-Dunwoody Road bridge will be replaced by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) using emergency replacement funds available from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The bridge plans were advertised the morning of Monday, October 26th.  GDOT will open bids on Monday, November 2nd, and if acceptable bids are received, the project will be awarded that day or the next day. A preconstruction meeting is planned at GDOT's District 7 offices for Tuesday, November 3rd at 2:30 p.m. A public information open house was hosted by Councilmember DeJulio the evening of Wednesday, October 14th at the Church of the Atonement. The current bridge plans call for 14' wide lanes with 5-1/2' wide sidewalks on both sides. The bridge will be lengthened to 120'. The construction is scheduled to be complete and the road open to traffic by April 2010.

Riverside Drive at Marsh Creek Bridge (as of 10-28)

The Riverside Drive bridge will be replaced by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) using emergency replacement funds available from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA.) The bridge plans were advertised the morning of Monday, October 26th. GDOT will open bids on Monday, November 2nd, and if acceptable bids are received, the project will be awarded that day or the next day. The construction is scheduled to be complete and the road open to traffic by April 2010. A preconstruction meeting is planned at GDOT's District 7 offices for Tuesday, November 3rd at 3:30 p.m. A public information open house was hosted by Councilmembers Fries and Paul the evening of Monday, October 26th at City Hall. The current bridge plans call for 14' wide lanes with 5-1/2' wide sidewalks on both sides. The bridge will be lengthened by approximately 5'. The vertical elevation of the bridge will increase slightly by approximately 0.5'.

Glen Errol Road (as of 10-28): 

Public Works staff continues to work on easement and utility issues associated with the scope of work to repair Glen Errol Road. The required excavation will be in excess of 30 feet in depth, which will have an impact on adjacent properties. Waterline issues have been resolved, but natural gas and fiber optic telecommunications infrastructure (multiple owners) remain concerns associated with the deep excavation needed for construction.  Overhead utilities (power, telephone and CATV) are also affected. Construction documents are being finalized for the City to issue requests for bids.

Nominations are open for the Sandy Springs Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award. The award will go to a person distinguished for humanitarian contributions to society in his or her business, profession, volunteerism or philanthropic life's work. Individuals may nominate a living resident of Sandy Springs who instills pride within the community and inspires others. Each nominee must have been a resident of Sandy Springs for the past three years or longer and should embody the spirit and philosophy of Dr. King. Current Sandy Springs staff and elected officials are not eligible.

A nomination form, available for download here, includes a space for a 100-word summary outlining why a nominee should be considered for the award. Forms are also available at Sandy Springs City Hall, 7840 Roswell Road, Building 500. They are due December 4, 2009.

The City of Sandy Springs is embarking on a visible address program that will involve both residents and businesses to ensure all property is clearly marked with a visible address. This will aid the City of Sandy Springs Police and Fire Departments when making emergency calls to property within the City. As it stands now, many properties are unmarked or marked with numbers that do not comply with the City's standards.

"During an emergency, it takes valuable time for personnel to find the exact location of a call, when the simple solution could be to have numbers that are six inches high for businesses," said Sandy Springs Fire Chief Jack McElfish. "While we have GIS mapping systems that get us in there, there's nothing like visual confirmation that we are in the right place. Numbers are key."

For more information and guidelines, click HERE.

The Recreation and Parks Department will conduct a Kids and Arts program during the 2009/10 school year at several public elementary, middle and high schools located in Sandy Springs.  Funding for this arts program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Futon County Arts Council and the City of Sandy Springs Recreation and Parks Department. This year, the Fulton County Arts Council is also celebrating its 30th anniversary, a milestone that is definitely something to appreciate and be delighted about. 
The funding will be used to provide art assemblies, workshops and residencies booked through Young Audiences Woodruff Art Center, a leading provider in arts-in-education programming. The Kids and Arts Program presents a way into the arts for children who may never, perhaps, be naturally inclined to the arts.

The Recreation Department is pleased that students of Woodland, Lake Forest, Ison Springs, Dunwoody Springs, High Point Elementary, Sandy Springs Middle and North Springs High schools can be a part of the program. The Kids and Arts program will open up doors for the Recreation and Parks Department and the public school system to work together in developing cultural and creative practices by increasing community access and inclusiveness. The Kids and Arts program will introduce more than 4,200 students to a variety of artisans working in visual and literary mediums during the 2009/10 school year.  

All boys and girls grades 2nd - 5th are invited to participate in the Recreation Department's inaugural City-wide youth recreational basketball league. Registration is currently underway and will end on November 30th.  The fee is $25.00 per player and includes a game jersey.

Team practices and games will be held at local schools and the program's goal is for teams to be formed at each elementary school. This will make it convenient for practice schedules and team divisions.

A Pre-Season Information Meeting will be held at the Woodland Charter Elementary School Cafeteria on Tuesday, November 10th at 6:00 p.m. Anyone interested can register on this night or sign up now online at www.activenet.active.com/sandyspringsga.  

Visit www.quickscores.com/sandysprings or the Recreation and Parks page of our Web for additional information.

Registration is underway for the Recreation Department's youth wrestling program. All boys and girls grades 1st-8th are invited to be a part of the oldest sport in history. The program cost is $25.00.

A Parent's Information Meeting will be held at the Hammond Park Community Building on Monday, December 7th at 6:00 p.m.  Anyone interested can register on this night or sign up now online at www.activenet.active.com/sandyspringsga.  

Heritage Sandy Springs is hosting a salute to our men and women who have served our country on Sunday, November 8th from 2:00-4:00 p.m. The festivities will be held at Heritage Green on the Sandy Springs Society Entertainment Lawn (6110 Bluestone Road next to CityWalk).

For more information, visit www.heritagesandysprings.org.

Republished with permission from http://www.mercola.com

You can keep yourself safe by following seven simple safety rules.

1. Be alert
Pay attention to what is around you. Keeping yourself safe is a matter of paying attention to possible danger and avoiding it.

2. Use your senses
Centuries ago, human senses were essential survival tools. Smell could signal the approach of a dangerous animal, or lead to a food source. Hearing could alert you to a predator creeping up, ready to attack. Taste could discern poisonous food. Never listen to music while walking -- stay alert to your surroundings.

3. Notice anomalies
Predators often behave in odd ways. Look for odd behavior such as a couple or small group coming towards you whose attention is on you, and not on each other, or people lurking or loitering without visible reason. The best way to stay safe is to spot oncoming danger and avoid or evade it.

4. Avoid angry scenes and ugly crowds
If you are at a club or a party and aggravation builds, leave the place immediately. If you are in a large crowd and the mood turns ugly, quickly move to the edge of the crowd and leave the area.

5. Keep together
Lions hunting in the wild never attack the leaders of a herd. They attack the stragglers. Human predators follow the same strategy; they target people who are on their own.

6. Look big and show confidence
If you are feeling threatened, walk fast and confidently. If you are lost in a foreign city, never stop and study a map under a street lamp -- it marks you as a possible victim. Always appear in charge of your actions.

7. Treat people well
If you are aggressive or nasty to others, they may respond with aggression or even violence towards you. Your best defense against danger is to be a friendly and helpful person.

Dr. Mercola is the founder of the world's most visited natural health Web site, Mercola.com.