AJC - 11-19-2009 - The Georgia Urban Forest Council, a Decatur-based council recently awarded the Atlanta Botanical Garden and Arborguard Tree Specialists an award for their efforts in preserving dozens of trees during ongoing expansion of the Midtown attraction.  The Outstanding Urban Arboriculture Grand Award was for development of the Southern Seasons Garden, which opened in May just outside the new Hardin Visitor Center, set in the rear of the garden and overlooking Piedmont Park.The garden hired Arborguard to help protect native trees, some more than a century old, during construction of its expansion's first phase. 

Arborguard is the tree specialist company that takes care of the trees in Bellewood.

 Mr. Clean and Shine is a locally owned company that cleans windows and gutters.  They also provide other services such as cleaning chandeliers and changing out light bulbs in tall ceiling areas.  The owner, Steve Langell lives in Dunwoody.  He has offered to give a special price to all Bellewood residents.  His e-mail address is steve@mrcleanandshine.com.  His phone number is 770 804-8498.  His company web site is www.mrcleanandshine.com.

If anyone in Bellewood would like to recommend another service or vendor...someone who is willing to offer a "neighborhood discount", please send an e-mail to Nancy Dreisbach at ndreisbach@bellsouth.net.

CRIER - City of Dunwoody officials have invited the community to an annual open house event to be held at the new Dunwoody City Hall on Aug 17 from 4-7PM.  The residents of Dunwoody are cordially invited to tour the administrative offices, the police department, as well as the municipal court and city council chambers.  City staff will be on hand to meet and greet all who attend.  Light refreshments will be served and attendees are encouraged to stay for the City Council meeting which will begin at 7 PM.  

Dunwoody City Hall is located at 41 Perimeter Center East, Dunwoody, GA 30346.  For more information, please visit the city website at www.dunwoodyga.gov or call the main office at 678-382-6700.

Perhaps some of you have noticed that there is a small metal tag attached to the Willow Oaks and the Chinese Elms throughout the neighborhood.  PLEASE do not remove these tags.  ArborGuard has placed these identification tags on our signature trees as part of the comprehensive report they are preparing for us. 

According to Kevin Carnes, our arborist, the tags will correspond to specific trees in the inventory report.  They will be useful down the road, when referencing specific trees on the property, and help with communication both on our end, as well as Bellewood’s end.   Ex.    Bellewood:  “Kevin, we are concerned about the Willow Oak No. 14”.   I can not only use that to help locate the precise tree in question when I inspect the property, but can reference back to the original inventory to check for changes in condition, notes, etc.  The tags will not hurt the trees.

Kevin also adds - All the field measurements have been collected.  A portion of the resulting report will depend on environmental data from the U.S. Forest Service.  We have submitted the info to them and expect it returned within 6-8 weeks.  We will finalize the report within days of the return, and provide copies to all the residents.  

Message from Dunwoody Homeowner's Assoc - The US Postal Service has announced plans to close the Dunwoody Post Office in the heart of Dunwoody.  Should that occur, it would move the post office from its central location to the fringe of the city.  If you want the post office to remain in Dunwoody Village, the DHA is asking that you become an activist and write or fax (no e-mails) your congressional representatives, the Governor, and the Postmaster General of the United States.   State clearly your objection to the Dunwoody Village Post office closing and request that service levels be reinstated and upgraded.  The DHA will take a similar position with the same officials.  The address for the Postmaster General is:  Jack Potter, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20260-0010. The address for the Governor is:  Gov. Sonny Perdue, 203 State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334 and the address for Congressman Tom Price is 424 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515.

AJC - The U.S. Postal Service intends to close one of Dunwoody's post offices.  Postal service representatives will discuss the plan and take questions from the public at 6 PM Monday at the City Council chambers, 41 Perimeter Center East, Dunwoody. The post office at 1551 Dunwoody Village Parkway is to be closed and sold.  Services will be moved to the Carrier Annex at 4444 N. Shallowford Rd.  (Turn left onto Mt. Vernon.  Turn right onto Chamblee Dunwoody.  Continue onto N. Shallowford for approximately 1/2 mile.  Carrier Annex is on right before you get to Cotillion Drive.  Google maps estimates an 8 minute trip from Bellewood.)

While pruning our trees last week, our arborist noticed that many of the oak trees have scale on their limbs.  These insects live under a tiny "shell" like a turtle and suck the sap from the tree. This will weaken the tree and can, at the least, cause growth loss.  The HOA has asked Arborguard to apply both a systemic and a spray treatment to help control the outbreak.

In addition, the Chinese Elms in the parks have been dropping their leaves due to a fungal infection brought on by the unusually wet weather.  The fungus causes the leaves to drop prematurely.  Arborguard will be spraying the elms with a fungicide. Both treatments will be done in June.