Have Breakfast with Santa in Johns Creek

Breakfast with Santa
Join Recreation & Parks for "Breakfast with Santa" on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010 at the Newtown Park Community Clubhouse.

Enjoy music, gingerbread cookie decorating, holiday crafts, and have the opportunity to write a letter and hand-deliver it to Santa. Parents have an opportunity to take photos of their children with Santa.

Registration deadline is December 6, 2010.

Date: Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010
1st Seating: 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
2nd Seating: 10 - 11 a.m.
Location: Newtown Park Community Clubhouse in North Fulton
Cost: $15 per child
Directions: http://bit.ly/Directions-NewtownPark

Foreclosure Process Under Review

There has not been much good news lately. This latest wrinkle in the foreclosure mess had got us talking to ourselves.

"A top federal bank regulator said Thursday that he has directed seven of the nation's largest lenders to review their foreclosure processes after learning about the widespread mishandling of homeowner evictions by the industry." [Washington Post]

These are some of the banks contacted by regulators. J.P. Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Citibank, HSBC, PNC Bank, U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo. GMAC put a hold on foreclosures in 23 states.

We heard news stories last week where bank employees signed off on documents without reading them. They were likely told by the boss that they had to keep it moving along and are buried under a pile of what they call "files" and what we call peoples homes.

Foreclosures are on the rise again. The foreclosures that have been in the pipeline are starting to hit the local market which is bad news for most but bargains for some. We're sure when the smoke clears it will be found that some mortgages were foreclosed upon unlawfully. Ponder this: what will happen to the people who now own the homes if they were taken back by the bank and then sold again. Title insurance is likely to offer protection.

"Old Republic National Title Insurance told agents Friday it would stop insuring homes foreclosed by JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N), The New York Times reported Saturday, citing a company memo." [Rueters News]

With all that has happened in the last few years involving mortgages and foreclosures nothing surprises us. We have worked fairly closely with some banks these past years. When we see it all up close and personal our impression is that no matter how much it costs the bank their preference is to foreclose on the delinquent mortgage! We would not have sais this two years ago but it must be so because we have seen several cases where both banks and home owners would have come out ahead with a short sale or a loan modification....and the lender still foreclosed.

We can't prove it with numbers other than our own and those of our fellow associates at this point, but loan modifications are almost unheard of and there are far too few short sales that actually result in a closed sale. The programs set up to help distressed home owners don't seem to help any of them, hardly ever. They may provide some counseling and maybe give money management advice to struggling home owners but in most cases people will not be able to pay their mortgages with advice or counseling they will need more money. (reposted from the St. Paul Register)

Bridge Repairs in Johns Creek

Bridge repairs mean
quicker Fire Department
responses, strengthening
spans could shave off minutes
posted on 10/5/2010






Johns Creek has bolstered eight of its bridges so that fire trucks can cross them, speeding response times in emergencies.

"This is really good news," said Fire Chief Joseph Daniels. "This could cut response times in some parts of the city by one to three minutes. This work by the Public Works Department could make a real difference in making people safer."

A survey by the state last year showed that eight bridges in the city were potentially unsafe for fire trucks. The Fire Department re-routed some of its trucks to be on the safe side.

In dire situations, fire officials would use some of the bridges but make the fire engines stop, halt traffic, and then creep across. Ladder trucks had to avoid the bridges altogether. Pumper trucks can weigh up to 19 tons and ladder trucks can weigh 39 tons. A World War II Sherman tank weighs about 33 tons.

Now, pumpers can roll across the bridges without worry.

In all, 10 bridges received various improvements at a cost of about $641,000. All of the bridges pre-date the incorporation of the City in December, 2006.

In repairing four spans on Bell and Old Alabama roads, crews this summer scraped off up to six inches of excess asphalt layered over the years. The asphalt weighed tons, which limited how much more weight the bridges could handle.

Repairs to bridges also included tightening and adding bracing to beam-supports, fixing guardrails, removing debris from the streams, and placing rip rap to prevent erosion.

The bridges are now refurbished, stronger and safer.
Repaired Bridge Locations:

1.Bell Road over Cauley Creek
2.Bell Road over Chattahoochee River Tributary
3.Old Alabama Road over Johns Creek Tributary
4.Old Alabama Road over Johns Creek
5.McGinnis Ferry Road over Caney Creek
6.Barnwell Road over Hogan Creek
7.Parsons Road over Johns Creek
8.Brumbelow Road over Chattahoochee River Tributary
9.Buice Road over Johns Creek
10.State Bridge Road over Chattahoochee River (Westbound approach slab only)