From: Bugge, John M
Sent: Thursday, October 18,20129:23 AM
To: Lorena, Barbara
Subject: Code violations at 1840 Mason Mill Road
Dear Ms. Lorena,
I am writing as the President of the Mason Mill Civic Association, whose membership is made up of residents who live on, or on streets adjoining, Mason Mill Road in DeKalb County. Our hundreds of members are essentially unanimous in hoping that something can be done about the deplorable situation at 1840 Mason Mill Road, a property where the owner has filled his front yard with huge inflatable balloon characters, hung tasteless and offensive signs from large trees, and erected crosses with toy monkeys hung in nooses from the horizontal members.
This ongoing display -- it only seems to get more flagrant as time goes on -- is a clear safety hazard for motorists passing along Mason Mill, as many drivers will come to an abrupt halt in front of the property to look at the weird figures and signs. Drivers following behind down the steep hill at this point are in danger of rear-ending the stopped cars.
Of even more concern to our civic association, the bizarre display at 1840 Mason Mill has made the immediate area less attractive to prospective home buyers and renters. The elderly couple directly across the street (at 1841 Mason Mill) have moved to a retirement home, but still cannot sell or rent their house because whenever people come to look at their property they cannot fail to see what is just across the road. And they have invariably said that, no thanks, they wanted no part of what they saw there.
The owner of the property, Mr. James Edward Avery, should at the very least be legally enjoined from continuing with these displays, and immediately.
More important, perhaps, he should be required to submit to psychological or psychiatric therapy. There is ample eVidence, which I won't go into here, that he is severely mentally disturbed and(apparently by his own admission before a DeKalb County judge) a user of illegal drugs. His internet blog, which is available for anyone to read, contains disturbing suggestions about his possibly violent intentions toward his neighbors and the community at large. And his behavior to some of those same neighbors has seemed at times borderline psychotic.
It is the duty of the County government to take action in this case for the common good, and before the situation escalates.
Yours sincerely,
John Bugge
Professor Emeritus of English
From: Noonan, Patrick S.
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2012 10:40 AM
To: Lorena, Barbara
Subject: RE: Code violations at 1840 Mason Mill Road
As Immediate Past President of the Mason Mill Civic Association, and as a 14-year resident of that neighborhood, I want to weigh in with my solid support for what John has said in his note to you.
We have tolerated this situation for a long time, and our association does not take lightly the issue of infringing upon neighbors' rights to free expression and free speech. However, as these expressions have become steadily and increasingly offensive and intrusive to others' equally-important rights, and as evidence mounts that the resident in question has become a potential danger for hurtful actions and not just hurtful speech, we must insist that the County take steps necessary to right the situation.
I ask you to please expedite the appropriate actions to end the most visible affronts to the neighborhood, and to ensure the safety and well-being of the people of the County by addressing the competence of and risks posed by the neighbor in question.
Thank you most sincerely for your urgent attention to this matter.
Patrick S. Noonan, PhD
Professor in the Practice of Decision & Info. Analysis
Associate Dean, Management Practice Initiatives
Goizueta Business School, Emory University
From: Gary, G Robert [ggary@emory.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2012 3:07 PM
To: Lorena, Barbara
To: Lorena, Barbara
Cc: Gary, Janet S.
SUbject: Complain against Jim Ed Avery
Dear Officer Lorena,
I am George Robert Gary Sr. my spouse, Janet S. Gary, own the house at 1841 Mason Mill Rd. Decatur, Ga. 30033. My phone # is 404-634-9865.
I want to present some important information to you regarding Mr. Avery. Is it more effective to speak with you by phone or email to you a number of concerns that are detrimental to the property value of our house. We are trying to rent 1841 for almost a year. At least ten families have loved our house but the subject of the weird house across the street always comes up. We tell them the truth of the situation and answer their questions.
DeKalb County Court granted us a Protective Order against stalking against Jim Ed Avery. He continues to stalk through all the signs and inflated animals. He has been seen in his yard with his rabbit ears on when people come to see ourhouse. People with children were afraid of him.
Please give us some direction on how best to get our concerns before the appropriate people.
Thank you,
Robert Gary
From: Gary, G Robert [ggary@emory.edu]
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2012 8:29 PM
To: Lorena, Barbara
Subject: RE: Complain against Jim Ed Avery
Dear Officer Lorena,
I am Janet S. Gary, wife of George Robert (Bob) Gary, Sr. who wrote to you earlier in the day. We own the house at 1841 Mason Mill Rd., directly across from Mr. Avery's 1840 Mason Mill House.
My husband and I have been increasingly harassed by Mr. Avery ever since an incident when he came to our house during the Thanksgiving holidays, 2010. Bob was not home and I, not knowing Mr. Avery's mental state, let him in. He stayed and hour or more, rambling, saying he was a crackhead, wanting to establish a "Trinity" with me and my husband. I told him I couldn't understand him and that he needed help, which only increased his rambling, attempts to persuade me, etc. I told him I needed to go take my Parkinson's medications and he still wouldn't leave. I then just left the room, told him I was going upstairs to take my meds and couldn't listen anymore, He said "Okay, but I am leaving my stuff (a basket full of rubber duckies wirh names.)" I said no, to take them with him I was afraid to tell him directly that he should leave, because I did not know what kind of reaction he would have. I went upstairs and heard him leave then locked the door,
When my husband came home, I told him about it .When Jim Ed came back, they had a confrontation and Bob and I followed up with an email telling him he should not return to our house again. He did not respect that, leading to our getting a protective order against him. He violated it with an email, and we had him arrested. He was let out on bail and that case is pending. Dec. 11 iis the date.
We feel that what Mr. Avery is doing now in his yard and on his blog are aimed directly at us and at his next-door neighbors with whom he is also angry. His blog has become threatening. We have moved out of our home into a retirement community and are trying to rent our house. When people who are initially enthusiastic see the yard across the street and ask us about it, we tell the truth and we believe it is the main deterrent for a number of people who looked at our house.
I will be happy to tell my story to the judge, if allowed to do so!
Sincerely and hopefully,
Janet S. Gary
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2012 8:29 PM
To: Lorena, Barbara
Subject: RE: Complain against Jim Ed Avery
Dear Officer Lorena,
I am Janet S. Gary, wife of George Robert (Bob) Gary, Sr. who wrote to you earlier in the day. We own the house at 1841 Mason Mill Rd., directly across from Mr. Avery's 1840 Mason Mill House.
My husband and I have been increasingly harassed by Mr. Avery ever since an incident when he came to our house during the Thanksgiving holidays, 2010. Bob was not home and I, not knowing Mr. Avery's mental state, let him in. He stayed and hour or more, rambling, saying he was a crackhead, wanting to establish a "Trinity" with me and my husband. I told him I couldn't understand him and that he needed help, which only increased his rambling, attempts to persuade me, etc. I told him I needed to go take my Parkinson's medications and he still wouldn't leave. I then just left the room, told him I was going upstairs to take my meds and couldn't listen anymore, He said "Okay, but I am leaving my stuff (a basket full of rubber duckies wirh names.)" I said no, to take them with him I was afraid to tell him directly that he should leave, because I did not know what kind of reaction he would have. I went upstairs and heard him leave then locked the door,
When my husband came home, I told him about it .When Jim Ed came back, they had a confrontation and Bob and I followed up with an email telling him he should not return to our house again. He did not respect that, leading to our getting a protective order against him. He violated it with an email, and we had him arrested. He was let out on bail and that case is pending. Dec. 11 iis the date.
We feel that what Mr. Avery is doing now in his yard and on his blog are aimed directly at us and at his next-door neighbors with whom he is also angry. His blog has become threatening. We have moved out of our home into a retirement community and are trying to rent our house. When people who are initially enthusiastic see the yard across the street and ask us about it, we tell the truth and we believe it is the main deterrent for a number of people who looked at our house.
I will be happy to tell my story to the judge, if allowed to do so!
Sincerely and hopefully,
Janet S. Gary
Rub-a-dub-dub,
three men in a tub,
They all jumped out of a rotten potato
***
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