Do you vote in City Council and Mayoral elections? YOU SHOULD…HERE’S WHY!
The city council and mayor set the policies and the priorities that touch your daily life:
- Housing — What gets built and where; housing costs, zoning, construction and land use
- Traffic — Congestion, control and synching of the traffic lights
- Public Safety – Keeping our city safe; Hiring and training police officers and firefighters
- City infrastructure – Roads, bridges, sidewalks and trails
- Business licenses and economic development
- Parks and recreation – Playgrounds, walking paths, community entertainment, free or discounted activities at the Village Green and other parks
- MARTA – Collaboration and coordination with other mayors on public transit
- Federal Dollars – Creating “shovel ready” projects to receive millions of federal funds
PLUS, MUCH MORE. From summer camp programs for kids to dog parks for your pets. When something goes wrong, WHO DO YOU CALL?
FIRST, be sure to register by October 4. It is simple and easy…download the app and register.
THEN, find your council district here.
NEXT, FIND the list of qualified candidates for city offices and follow your candidates.
FINALLY, vote! Early voting runs Oct. 12 – Oct. 25.
North Fulton Annex location is open from 9-6 p.m. For a complete list of early voting locations, go to My Voter Page.
Join our email list to stay-up-to-date.
My Experience: Sandy Springs Citizens Police Academy
Editor’s Note: Sandy Springs Together periodically publishes letters or comments from community members who raise a concern we feel should be considered by the broader community.
Please let us hear your thoughts.
By Melody Kelley
I was pleased to learn that part of the Sandy Springs Police Department’s (SSPD) nearly $23 million dollar annual budget gets poured back into the community through programs like the Citizens Police Academy (CPA), Citizens on Patrol (COPS), and a range of other volunteer and training programs.
I recently took advantage of SSPD’s nine-week CPA course – the first cohort since COVID disrupted operations. Held on Tuesday evenings, I and 12 eager members of the community gathered in person (socially distanced, of course) for an intimate and in-depth look at where much of that $23 million dollars is spent.
I highly recommend this experience to all residents of Sandy Springs and here are 3 reasons why:
- The Information: Did you know that Sandy Springs has one of the few full-service police departments in the area? Or that our Belgian Malinois K-9s actually come from Belgium? Each week is jammed-packed with facts, figures, and hands-on learning experiences. You even get to fight crime (virtually) in a Firearm Training Simulator (F.A.T.S.).
- The Ride-Along: The CPA experience isn’t complete without the much-anticipated ride-along. Each participant gets to choose their preferred shift in the patrol unit. While those who long for action opted for evenings, I chose a quiet Saturday morning because above all else, I desired conversation and connection. I split my shift between the North and South districts getting to know officers Davis and Sangster, respectively. I walked away feeling fortunate to have officers that care about the community they serve and wondering how 6 hours passed so quickly.
- The Dialogue: The CPA offers weekly access to the leaders in our department. But it also offers a safe space to interact with them. From social justice to the personal lives of officers, no conversation was off-limits. Questions were encouraged and addressed in a tone that I can only describe as professional transparency.
- Bonus Reason: Chief DeSimone’s (corny) jokes- have you heard the one about his zipper? HILARIOUS!
In our current hyper-political climate, the value of programs like the SSPD’s Citizen Police Academy cannot be overstated. I entered the program with a combination of curiosity and frustration as it relates to law enforcement. I left with a stronger sense of community.
For more information, please reach out to Sgt. Mendel Stafford, mstafford@sandyspringsga.gov.
Reflecting on The Year That Was and Looking Ahead to a Brighter Day in 2021
A new year is (finally) right around the corner.
Let’s face it: this year wasn’t the greatest. For many, this was the most challenging and unstable year of their lives.
As we all reflect on this past year, take some time to pay respect to all who lost their lives this year and keep their loved ones in your thoughts.
Equally, it’s also important to say thank you to all of the essential workers who risked their lives every single day to serve and protect our community. We will never forget.
Though this year was undoubtedly dark, we must keep our spirits bright and look forward to what a new year can bring us.
If 2020 has proven anything, it’s that a lot can change in just a single year.
We’re more confident than ever that if we continue to work together and support each other through difficult times, 2021 can be the best year yet.
In fact, things are already looking up!
We’ve seen our city come together like never before through volunteering, help from non-profit organizations, action from the city and so many simple, but important, acts of kindness from neighbors and members of the community.
We look forward to the day when we can all safely get back out into the community and shop the incredible local businesses we love and dine-in at our favorite restaurants.
If we all continue to do our part, that day will be here before we know it. But, until then — continue to stay safe and follow safety guidelines. We can do this.
Holiday blessings to you and yours!
Let’s Celebrate Hanukkah by Saying Thank You to Our Dedicated Essential Workers
Today marks the beginning of Hanukkah, a joyous eight-day celebration for so many right here in Sandy Springs, around our country, and across the globe.
Whether or not you join in the celebration of Hanukkah this year, we wanted to share a quick reflection with you, in light of the challenging year we have all faced.
Did you know that Hanukkah translates to “dedication” in Hebrew? We found this translation to be especially fitting as we reflect on the year that has been.
So many dedicated essential workers put their lives on the line to keep us safe, healthy and informed this past year. Their sacrifice will never go unnoticed, nor will it be forgotten.
And while it isn’t much, we just wanted to say thank you.
Thank you to the dedicated nurses, doctors, EMS workers and first responders who found themselves on the frontlines of our country’s response to this pandemic…
…to the dedicated hospital housekeepers and sanitation workers for doing incredible work in keeping hospitals as clean and healthy as possible…
…to the dedicated medical technicians and pharmacy technicians for helping to make sure our medical offices kept running as efficiently as possible…
…to the dedicated grocery store cashiers, delivery personnel and stock clerks for making sure we were all able to keep our families safe and healthy at home…
…and to the dedicated senior caregivers and bus drivers for helping to take care of our most vulnerable populations.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for everything you have done, are doing and will do.
We are forever grateful for your dedication this year and always.
Happy Hanukkah, everyone. Blessings to you and yours.
A Big Thanks to All of Our HEROES
On this Thanksgiving Day, we want to take a moment to thank all our first responders, healthcare providers, grocery clerks, bus drivers, teachers and others who have been on the front lines this past year helping to keep our community working and keeping us safe, our shelves well stocked and our community healthy.
We also want to thank our Mayor and City Council for their leadership by getting out in front of the pandemic in August and issuing a mask mandate in public spaces. We are also grateful to the city allocating hundreds of thousands of dollars of CARES Act funds to our local non-profits who are caring for our neighbors experiencing extreme hardships due to COVID-19.
And we’re sending thanks to the legions of volunteers and donors who have supported all of the food distribution and rent assistance programs offered throughout the city by our untiring non-profits such as Community Assistance Center, Los Niños Primero, Sandy Springs Mission and Solidarity.
There are literally thousands of people who donated their time or money.
To all of you, we appreciate your dedication and efforts to keep our city healthy, safe, and functioning.