Vanderlyn Neighbors Vote NO on Public Park

 The year is 1988.  There is no City of Dunwoody.  Dunwoody is an affluent, quiet bedroom community.  Schools were some of the best in the state.  Crime was low.  Some consider the 1980's-90's peak Dunwoody.

A year earlier DeKalb voters passed a referendum to fund parks throughout the county, including Dunwoody.  Ideally, DeKalb would have taken this opportunity and purchased land for parks in the Dunwoody area.  Instead, DeKalb did direct some funds into the rare Dunwoody parks, including the Dunwoody Park (Nature Center).  One idea was for $180,000 to be spent to improve the playground at Vanderlyn.  Spoiler alert - it did not happen.  Follow along in the documents below.  (Note: The Crime Stopper's Journal is worthy of it own post - anyone know the author?)

First Annual Dunwoody Arts Festival 2010

 The first annual Dunwoody Arts festival, May 2010

DeKalb Leading Ladies 1984 and Dunwoody Garden Club

 Joyce Amacher, State Rep Eleanor Richardson, Anne Sanders.

Dunwoody Chili Cookoff 1989

Dick Drake earned top honors for his chili back in 1989.  The contest was held at the home of Arthur and Carolyn Jones.

 

Dunwoody Community Garden Beginning

 When it was announced Dunwoody would become the new city and eventually take over the parks, a couple of people took quick action to secure a section of Brook Run Park for a community garden.  Farmer Bob (Bob Lundsten) had great connections at the county level and things moved quickly. 

I believe that part of the reason DeKalb County approved the garden was actually a snub to the DunwoodyYes crowd.  DeKalb was making one last move on Brook Run.  This is similar to when CEO Vernon Jones decided Brook Run and DeKalb needed a dog park.  Dog parks are harmful to the environment and a horrible use of limited park space.  Dunwoody has such little acreage for parks, it's a waste to dedicate a chunk of it to dogs.  The dogs from metro Atlanta run around and piss and poop everywhere, occasionally biting each other, and yapping all day.  As a bonus, the dog park was named for Vernon Jones' dog, Henry.  King John wrote about it back in 2008.  Dunwoody residents were not screaming for a dog park or a skate park, but we got both.

So back to the community garden.  A piece of dirt in the middle of the park was secured for a community garden.  I believe the location was and still is a bad choice.  The garden location really prohibits other amenities in the middle/back area.  The garden should have been in a corner of the park.  

After the garden was built, we received permission from the city to restore the greenhouse.  A few of us were heavily involved.  My father-in-law and I built a bunch of tables for plants.  Large casters were added.  This was 12 years ago and last time I peaked in the greenhouse, some of these tables are still in use.  The swamp coolers were the hardest thing to get working.  I believe our old farmer friend  Rod got them working.

I was homeschooling my kids back then, and I still recall going to the garden to pull weeds, water the plants (back then there was no in-ground irrigation system), and harvest the goods with my kids.