That's funny. You read my last paragraph about the therapy thing and so you thought you would make the same joke but turn it on me and people wouldn't notice how unoriginal you are. Good one.

Can you be specific about the Lakeside bullies? How are you being bullied? I'm not arguing, just want to get info I don't have.

Cheryl, Cell Towers are not bogeyman and the Lakeside Alliance is simply an exploratory effort. Cell Towers are access points to mobile networks. When there are more access points "More Cell Towers" every tower and cellular device can operate at lower power levels. That is a fact! So the idea of reducing and restricting Cell Towers is counterproductive to your concerns in two ways. This is because fewer towers force both the tower owner and every cellular user in range to produce more power to maintain an operating connection. This is the reason I installed a cell tower access point in my home and offices. Having them close actually reduces both the RF and EMF and provides much better connections. Half the facts lead to half truths and bad strategies. So before you make any more bogus, rambling and imaginary charges concerning the Lakeside Alliance exploratory mission you may want to work on finding out the whole truth and minimize your continuously unfounded speculations. That is what an intelligent person would do!

I watched the video and understand complaints about cell towers. Is it cell towers that caused you to remove your child from public school?

Prior comment not aimed toward Tom Doolitte. I respect his opinions and actually like his idea of a Northlake district as he has put considerable time and effort into the research of it. My "sexism" comment was directed at the comment that suggested that I am experiencing some sort of illogical fear because I have chose to speak up for the rights of homeowners to protect themselves against unwanted intrusions by big business seeking tax shelters, profit and to violate county ordinances. And I am speaking up for parents who may know that cancer runs in their family and might not be comfortable with putting a 4 year old pre-K student in a school right next to a large cell tower for 5 - 8 or more hours per day every day when the radiation it emits constantly is considered to be a class 2b carcinogen by the World Health Organization and the FCC has admitted that current standards to regulate it are based on the absorption levels in a 230 lb. male adult, not a child who has a much thinner skull and still-developing nervous system and rapidly dividing DNA, which the RF radiation is believed to be able to interfere with at a cellular level. Or, parents who do not want HAZMAT materials, found at the base of every cell tower as a necessary component to their operation, next to their child's classroom or cafeteria which could create a serious disaster if an electrical fire were to break out, which does happen. There are many rational reasons to oppose cell towers.

You're right. I have been hyper-sensitive to the issues in our schools, so I may have assumed that was the driving force behind the large turnout for this meeting. And I thought that this group was attempting to capitalize on the school system's demise without actually offering any viable solutions to that main issue.

I'm just from a different school of thought that says that "together we stand, divided we fall" or something like that. I forgot ... Lakeside's schools are just fine and they do things for their own reasons that are unknown to people like me. That just how they roll.

Actually Cheryl, we'll see how important the school is to folks when the anticipated barrage of charter schools open up. Its a new day--my guess is that we'll get back to defining "schools" in the whole corridor as the "nearby opportunities in schools"--all current school zones within a few miles of charters, privates and special public programs like IB's.
A new day that gives us all a chance to be part of the same schools community. (the downside of course will be the throngs that may choose the "choices" over the traditional neighborhood schools).

A blog is an opinion piece, not intended as your source of news. If my credibility has gone down with you, then I'm flattered you have read enough of my posts that I had any level of credibility with you to begin with. I will work to restore it just as soon as someone runs the fact checker on the folks who are touring our county encouraging everyone to draw lines in the sand and start randomly deciding who is "in" and who is "out." My blog is featured on the Tucker Patch because I wanted to make sure my Tucker community was aware at this attempt to claim half of our beloved area as being part of something that has nothing to do with us.

I'm just really tired of the comments that imply I am "afraid" of something. The information I have presented on cell towers in an effort to do the right thing for my community and others has been factual and has covered a variety of topics, not solely related to health concerns. My motivations are on the side of what's in the best interest of the public, the property owners and the children. And, even if fear was a factor, it should not be a reason to discount the truth or dismiss the rights of a citizen or a child.

For example, I know that radiation from the sun can cause cancer. I know because I have had skin cancer that developed from this source. If I put sunscreen on my child because I'm afraid the same might happen to her, would you think my comments on the need for sunscreen should be blown off or discounted? If what I am saying rings true, why do my motivations for speaking up even matter if I'm alerting you to something that could affect you, too.

If men are supposed to protect the weak, afraid women and children, why are more of them stepping up to criticize rather than defend? It gets frustrating, but don't take that to mean I'm emotional about it. That, too, would be a reason to call me out for being female. (ha ha! I do try to poke fun as often as possible, so don't take me too seriously on these side topics. My focus has been and continues to be stopping the cell towers from coming to our schools and so far we've done a good job, I hope.)

Not sure how you got that impression Brett. I responded to one of the numerous comments that men have made in their attempt to silence me on this issue. They want to appear to be some kind of crazy, fearful woman instead of someone who makes sense. Rather than question my motivations, we should be looking at theirs. AT&T Mobility is headquartered in DeKalb County. I'm not saying those facts are related but it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to believe it.

I agree and that may explain the urgency in all these cities popping up. But, $30K for a study when Oak Grove just did the same one? And Tucker didn't have enough revenue base in Tucker, with Tucker's businesses, so how could Lakeside do better with less? Unless they are planning a larger area than stated?

yes--a little more please. I haven't followed the individuals on the school board very closely. You hear bad things about everyone. All of these people have their power bases and I suppose someone always gets screwed by the deals they make with each other.
BTW--as far as the school system and Dekalb Govt go, Tucker does pretty well--that one I'm still vague on.

Tom, what do you mean by "Tucker does pretty well" in terms of the school system and DeKalb. We pay the same high taxes as everyone else, yet we are saddled with schools that most people I know do not want to send their children to because the neighborhood has been driven away so that other kids can be bused in. I don't think that is good for the community on either the sending or receiving end. I guess it is good for bus drivers and football teams. This is not something I'm making up. It is in the SACS report. As for DeKalb gov't, we had 50 year old decaying waste water pipes still in the original concrete form and our property values have plummeted in the past two years. If it were not for the fabulous neighbors, we would have moved some time ago. The people are trying to hold the neighborhoods together, but without our schools, that will be harder and harder to do.

I understand how the radiation works. I just don't want one near my child's school or my house. I understand how cars work, too, but I don't want a gas station at the school, either. I like for the toilets to flush, but don't want a sewage treatment plant in my back yard. You can talk about the needs of the industry that provides an optional service or you can talk about the rights of homeowners and parents to decide what they want next to their homes or children. Pick a side and put yourself in that position and it is pretty clear that there is a "right" and "wrong" here. Cell phone companies have other options of where to put their towers. Children are forced by law to go to their designated school. If Lakeside cannot get their phones to work with 129 towers / antennas in a four mile radius, they need to call the phone company, not the school board.

Hi Ralph:
Briarcliff is an interesting suggestion. If you look at maps, Briarcliff is shown as an area in font that is one size below Tucker. It generally represents the area that is Briarcliff Woods neighborhood, but looks to run all the way to Shallowford. Northlake has never been represented on maps, although I worked with a map company once to get it on his maps, but only for commercial purposes.

I think Tucker's font size is the one they use for official unincorporated communities, like Sandy Springs was--even though Tucker isn't officially one of those. Tucker is definitely an anomaly in so many ways. It will be the place to live in the future. Wonderful place, wonderful history and mythology.

Naming it after someone is a good idea. That's why Tucker was named Tucker.

Ralph... I was changing the subject to something more important than creating another city in an area with enough government to go around. There has to be avenues already in place that can be utilized.
More importantly you should look up:
1. Ex. Order 11110, (signed by Pres. Kennedy) ...etc.
2. Georgia Guidestone, March 22, 1980/...G.H.W.Bush's Skull & Bones 322...etc.
3. poormansnews2, Brett Simpson...etc
4. Freedom From War... State Dept. Memo 7277, Sept 1961,
(infowars.com,alexjoneschannel)....and you don't think the 2nd Amendment is in
jeopardy.
5.Good luck with that police presence. The bad guy just waits until the cops leave then it's "Oh wait Mr. Bad Guy...let me dial 911 before you stick that illegle gun in my face..." blah blah friggin' blah.
Like I would tell anyone who believes Oswald shot Kennedy, we landed on the Moon and their Mom and Preacher never lied to them....wise up, pal. Now is NOT the time to be churnin' up votes for a new city.

I like "Tucker". People know Tucker. I've told people who know vaguely know the Atlanta area I live near Northlake Mall and they may or may not recognize it. More people know what I'm talking about when I say Tucker. If I get desperate I say near 285/85 junction.
Anyway, the name Tucker conveys precisely what I like about the area--small town, history, its own identity, quality of life even hasn't gotten lost in the Atlanta burbs.
I can promise you, Tucker and all small towns and enclaves will be the preferred places to live in the near future--just like they were 40/50 years ago.

BTW--as you read, I've been trying to "brand" Northlake for a dozen years. Put a train station there and the name will stick.

Thanks for making the point as to why Lakeside should not include Tucker or Northlake Mall in its plans. You don't like the name Tucker and don't patron the mall, so back off! Tucker has a history of how it evolved. Read about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tucker,_Georgia#History. "Tucker is a census-designated place in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 27,581 at the 2010 Census... It also has been designated with its own ZIP code of 30084.... The community was named for a leading Southern Baptist, Henry Holcombe Tucker... If incorporated, Tucker would be the third largest city in the county after Brookhaven and Dunwoody."

I always thought that after Sandy Springs, Tucker made the most sense for incorporation (before Dunwoody). Tucker may have actually been more "organically" suited than Sandy Springs, given its central "town" core and something that most people have completely waved off--and industrial base.

Note--regarding shaping the "misshapen" suburban stretch into a central town--Sandy Springs will invest $85 million (just the current estimate--it will grow) to build what Tucker already has: a town center,

The amount of investment that suburban stretches will have to make to "become" towns will be astronomical--as well as spending on infrastructure that the county will no longer be obliged to pay for--as well as upkeep of infrastructure that the law has foced counties to cede to them for pennies on the dollar.

Tucker is ready and can be patient and call the play. The rest of us are all "retrofit"--very expensive.

Ralph...Oswald acted alone?????? Have you seen the video where a Secret Service is being told to stand down shortly before the shots were fired???? He's hlding his arms out in the "WTF" position....
Ralph...Read the book Mortal Error. An agent in the car behind the Kennedy limo fired an accidental shot....
Ralph....Whle you're at it look up.... Moon Landing Hoax...surf around...see what you can find.
Good luck, Ralph....

Brett, just changing the subject Pal.There are more important things going on in these United States that the creation of a new city in an area that has enough municipalities.
FORGET ABOUT CREATING A NEW FRIGGIN' CITY!!!!.....forget about CELL TOWERS.....
Look up:
1) Exectutive Order 11110....a PRIVATE BANK is STILL ILLEGALLY PRINTING OUR MONEY.....JFK was going to put a stop to this. The NEW WORLD ORDER GHW Bush referred to is REAL and COMING FOR US ALL!!!!! They need us in a bind and a 16 TRILLION DOLLAR DEBT sure fits the bill. John J. McCloy, Pres. of the Federal Reserve Board was on the WARREN COMMISSION!!!!! Look it up.
2) FREEDOM FROM WAR...State Dept. Publication 7277 released Sept 1961...
Complete disarmament of the U.S. ....Look it up.
3) Georgia Guidestone....March 22, 1980.....(Look it up) coincides with
4) Skull & Bones (322).....the 322 meaning March 22...of this year which occurs during the United Nations meeting in NYC about the Arms Agreement Obama is supposed to sign off on...(See #1)....
5).....or not......go ahead.....sweat the load about your new city and your cell towers....you won't be able to enjoy any of it after they herd you into an "internment camp!!!!!" (Googal this, too!!!!)
6) Get your heads out of your collective asses......( "off your meds"...J.H.Ke-ryst)
7)poormansnews2/.....Brett Simpson
8)freedomandtruth4all
9) How 'bout THEM apples, folks!!!!! ML OFF-LINE

Mathew,

Why don't you worry about who shot JFK, the new world order, Skull and Bones, and being placed in an internment camp, and I'll give some thought to the formation of a new city. See? There's plenty of issues to go around!

I was not trying to be taken seriously, as I did not expect for the Lakeside City movement to be too serious either, but it appears to be going forward. I did not mean to offend, but you have to understand how much abuse I have received on this site since I started writing on the subject. I have only good intentions and the desire to warn people about something underhanded that I found out the school board was trying to do. I have never expressed any of my own personal reasons for being against the cell towers at all. I have only provided a lot of reasons why we should not want them near our children at their schools. People can decide for themselves, but the public was being prevented from even being able to have a voice in the process. I had to be extreme to get noticed, but I did it for the right reasons.

I do admit the word "Lakeside" strikes a particular sour note with me but that is because I had my life turned upside down due to a request that supposedly came from "Lakeside" (names never provided, of course) As it has turned out, they never wanted the towers for themselves, just for the other schools so they could get the benefit of the money. Not nice. Now they want to take half of Tucker's businesses to claim the money for themselves. I didn't start any of this particular feud, but I don't want to watch as my community gets walked all over, either. What would you suggest I do? I started out being neighborly and trying to warn others. Now, I'm accused of being some irrational "fear monger." It doesn't really matter to me as long as people are informed and have a voice. That's what the Patch is all about. I'm glad it was here when I needed it!

Hey Brett, I owe you an apology. I didn't see the JFK references above and thought you were trying to compare me to a JFK conspiracy theorist for some unprovoked reason. You are right to object. I'm sorry.

Half truths? What the heck is a half-truth? Is that like the 50/50 chance that a cell tower can cause a child to get cancer that Jay Cunningham said the cell tower research presented to the board showed?

By the way, my "entire argument" hasn't been presented, RandyRand so your complete misunderstanding about the topic of this blog is duly noted. By the way, we're talking about a school touted as one of the premier schools in DeKalb that has lost its long-standing board member who was probably the most corrupt of the entire bunch. He didn't get suspended because he lost his bid for re-election and now the people who voted to keep him are being sore losers and they want to take all their marbles and play by themselves. Maybe you can comment on that subject rather than giving us the dribble about cell tower transmissions that your boss makes you say when he pays you to troll the blogs.

Yes, I know. The tower was for an elementary school. They don't use cell phones. Your explanation doesn't apply. Next?

If you think it is safe, then go right ahead and hold that phone up to your head for as long as you would like, but you might want to rethink who you are calling a nut job if that's the case. And, unless you are stalking elementary school children, the towers in question would not do nothing to help you or them. This is metro Atlanta. You are not out in the woods with a prehistoric cell phone that can't find a tower to connect with. It isn't about coverage. It is about money. You are either not paying attention or not getting the big picture about the corruption within the school system. You want to go ahead and justify another way to line the pockets of the very people who are dragging down the entire county, then go ahead, but don't do it at the expense of my neighborhood or my child's school.

"But the same underlying question remains at the county level: are we getting what we are paying for?"

I think that's one of many questions people have that lead to the New City-Making. It's a good one, but like most, complex under different premises of government.

First, your property tax argument may more reflect the problems with property taxes in general over alternatives like sales taxes. Also, it may well be that even higher valued property taxpayers than your example may NEVER "get" their taxes worth in services, even if a city is formed. Also, those above US 78 may actually be getting their taxes worth, but those below are getting twice theirs.

For some, we live in a commonwealth, where we all support common assets. Under that concept, we all go to the same parks, for instance, whether a reality or not. (I won't argue that point, its just a premise that your argument doesn't consider).

So, it is about the schools? That's what my article was all about. But, the Lakeside City Alliance and some on this blog conversation have stated that the cityhood idea has nothing to do with the school system. In fact, no new school systems are allowed in Georgia under the state constitution. Dunwoody wants to change that, but the rest of Georgia will be very unlikely to vote in their favor. Did the Dunwoody folks bring up the idea of cityhood so that "Lakeside" would support their bill for their own school system? Do you really think they will stick around to help you once they get what they want out of it?

Now you are saying that the schools ARE the reason behind the Alliance. Are you off YOUR meds? Believe me, I get it. You made an investment that you want to protect. Me, too. A failing school will affect your property value. That's exactly what I am saying. Cell towers reduce property values. That's a fact. When we bought our home 10 years ago, we bought into an area that had good schools, just like you did. Median income, Demographics, Commute to downtown all the same. The failing school system, which is state-run, by the way, has affected all of us who live here. But, fighting each other does nothing. The solution is to band together to protect the schools and children from the influence of politics and big business, not create another layer of it. It does not matter what you believe about a cell tower and whether or not it causes cancer. The issue is about property rights, the same issue you are raising about not getting what you have paid for. You don't like me telling you that Lakeside cannot claim the businesses of Tucker? I don't like Lakeside telling us that we should have a cell tower so you can have an outdoor pavilion. Neither of these arguments will help do what we really both want - a better school system. And, fighting each other is exactly what the board members have successfully made people do here for 10 years while "someone" stole our money and shortchanged the kids.

Randy, I've made my case and done so very clearly in writing, in speech, in person, in the media, in the legislature, in the schools and here for you and anyone else who cares.

But, what's your case? That we should just let the corrupt school board do whatever they want to our neighborhoods? That Tucker residents should sit back and shut up? That creative writing should be stifled if it strikes a cord in the opposition's camp? You are arguing for argument's sake and that's beginning to bore me.

"out of control politics":
The state legislature is allowing const amendments that only affect local issues. White legislators in black-led counties have proposed:
(1) North DeKalb/Fulton/(one Gwinnett) "new cities only" to create city school systems
(instead of the whole state)
(2) No public money to be used for constitutional challenges (of any sort? c'mon)--no matter what the issue is nor how it affects local governance--a statewide law solely to conduct a vendetta against DeKalb School Board
(3) The state-wide city-making law enacted for Sandy Springs is really only for North Metro--note who's using it.
(4) The law providing statewide power to the Governor to intervene in local school boards is really for three jurisdictions.
(5) there's more that goes back more than one year...but WTF

(Note where all of these bills authored--North, North, North Metro)

The point is, maybe some of us benefit--more are hurt--even just with these arbitrary North/South laws. However, note they are only quick-fix "emergent" (expedient) laws BECAUSE the legislature didn't do its job 10-12 years ago.

...and the problems with these decisions will not only cause further laws to be needed to compensate for unseen circumstances, but also more Supreme Court decisions.

BTW--this is what happens when one political party approaches and reaches a supermajority.

This is well state--and something I should have at least considered in the political environment. Two observations as an adjunct:
(1) an answer to your question--its politics out of control times with a variety of supporting factors--yours being one. The attack on the Constitution using amendments is an aggressive yet low-risk strategy (for legislators anyway)--but will lead to a mess that Democrats will inherit eventually;
(2)The current tactics resulting in regime change for Fulton and DeKalb waited for the right time--note them ignoring and just complaining instead of acting 8 to 10 years ago when school system had obviously become a disaster--timing now is calculated and so is the myth of "emergency" in property values propogated by a media strategy (show me numbers on the specific property value impact in affluent areas granted primacy more thru location than schools)--note that property values have gone up in the post-2007 era south of Druid Hills Rd.
(3) The judicial system has been enrolled as "agent", again deflecting responsibility and risk from legislature--and where was it when the even more corrupt Vernon Jones presided--and why has it taken three years (and counting) bring C Lewis to trial? Again--timing is calculated.
(4)Certainly other obvious incidences that add up to calculation and "activism" by the Leg, no room here to recount

Appreciate yu noting we have varied school choice here--which can be used to deflect the PR impact vs pub sch problems.

Late to that party. Kids are already hooked --waaayyy before high school. You'll find out for yourself in a few very short years.

A Morse Code response to Cheryl Miller : -.-. .... . .-. -.-- .-.. -- .. .-.. .-.. . .-. .-- --- ..- .-.. -.. .... .- ...- . -... . . -. .- -. - .. - . .-.. . --. .-. .- .--. .... .. -. - .... . .---- ---.. ----- ----- ... - --- ---

Nope. Just saying you're about to get a big old dose of reality. This cell phone thing among kids is way bigger than some Podunk school official can drum up. It's all about peer pressure. And that starts much younger than you think. Also, it doesn't help if mommy or daddy holds a cellphone up to their own ear all day.

Nope. Just that it's not a real influence. Kids don't want the Firefly, which was designed for kids. They want the smart phone that mommy handed them to keep them quiet when they were 3 -- the one all their friends have. The real enemy isn't the person supposedly in power. It's at home or playing next door or sitting in the desk across the aisle. The one that's really hard to fight.

TruthWillSetYouFree, We have all been all been waiting months for you put the weed down, and get into the conversation. The above garbage which Cheryl spewed months ago was a conversation then. She continues to be discredited and is now on the outs with most readers and including reasonable Tuckerites.

TWSYF, You seem to have the same problem with Facts that Cheryl does, you get a little info and begin making crazy assumptions which are 180 degrees from reality. For example; I do work to help global companies outsource, but 100% of the work comes to the USA, thus creating many new jobs. My work also involves helping the Red Cross collect donations and provide assistance during major catastrophes… Katrina, Sandy, to name a few!

TWSYF, you assume that I want white people in charge, WRONG! I want smart, proven, and experienced people in charge. Perhaps you have seen me take it to Mary Margert Oliver.

TWSYF, When the LCA cityhood study goes through, and it will, I will have supported an effort I believe in and on the backend I get what we all get: an opportunity to read and digest a cityhood feasibility study and become better informed.

Becoming better informed, that is something both you and Cheryl really need to work on!