FREE VOLUME 24 NUMBER 48
JANUARY 25, 2019
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Serving DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale Counties
Four crews deployed to pave four of DeKalb County’s worst roads
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Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary points out pothole in the Chestnut Lake subdivision. Photo provided
Stonecrest Mayor’s “Straight Talk” town hall underscores pothole dangers, work needed
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fter hearing several complaints from residents about potholes that are plaguing the city’s roads, Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary has vowed to fix the problem. “It’s not just a matter of damage to automobiles, it’s a safety issue now,” Lary said. “It’s critical. I’m going to find a way to fix these roads as fast as we can and it won’t be some cat and scratch (repairs). We have the money to fix it and I’m going to make sure that it gets done.” Resident Tammy Grimes, one of several residents who spoke at the mayor’s Jan. 22 “Straight Talk” town hall meeting, where key officials from DeKalb County Roads and Drainage joined the mayor in fielding questions, said potholes on Salem Road are posing a serious threat to motorists. “Salem Road is an imminent
danger to those of us when it dims in the evening and to those youngsters who are looking forward to getting their driver’s license. They don’t have the experience to dodge potholes that are there,” Grimes said. Dave Marcus, another resident, said that he recently was almost hit in a head-on collision after a car swerved around a pothole on Salem Road. Lary said more than 5,000 of the city’s 53,000 residents live off of Salem Road, which has deteriorated in some places to the point that the potholes have become “craters.” The pothole problems, however, are not isolated to Salem Road, residents say. Turner Hill Road, which is near the Mall at Stonecrest, Union Grove, Evans Mill and Panola roads all have deteriorating surfaces, as well as interior streets within a number of communities and subdivisions.
One resident described a street in his community as patchwork similar to a quilt. Officials blame the potholes on heavy traffic and the fact that many of the roads are outdated and constructed with clay as a foundation. Peggy Allen, deputy director of the county’s Public Works Division, said standards used today to construct roads are much different than 30 or 40 years ago. Residents had several questions regarding the time table for repairs but Allen said she did not know because of other factors including weather and severity of the problems. Lary said to assist the county in making the repairs more efficiently and expediently, the city has placed a “pothole tracker” on the city’s web site(stonecrestga.gov) that permits
SEE POTHOLE page 7
our crews are paving the first 100 miles of the worst roads in DeKalb County, using funds from the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax(SPLOST) program. The roads currently under construction include Indian Manor Drive, Brafferton Court, Fox Valley Lane and Hairston Place. Since paving began in late September 2018, crews have completed almost seven miles of resurfacing. Road resurfacing is heavily weather-dependent and may pause due to cold or rainy weather. The county kicked off the first round of SPLOST repaving projects in September 2018 by initiating the paving of 25 miles of roads utilizing Georgia Department of Transportation Local Maintenance and Improvement Grants and matching SPLOST funding. That same month, the Board of Commissioners approved a second phase of paving encompassing 75 miles with $34 million of SPLOST funding. Contracts were awarded to Pittman Construction and C.W. Matthews Contracting Company Inc. These first two projects account for approximately a third of the 300 miles where contractor crews will patch, mill, level and resurface county streets using SPLOST monies. DeKalb will receive an estimated $388 million in SPLOST revenue over the next six years to improve county roads, infrastructure, libraries, parks and public safety. For more information about DeKalb County SPLOST, visit www.dekalbsplost. com.
Georgia’s Library of the Year DeKalb County Public Library to receive double honors as state’s top library
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eKalb County’s Public Library (DCPL) system will receive double honors as Georgia’s Public Library of the Year. DCPL is being recognized for offering public programming that embraces the county’s diverse community. The Georgia Public Library Service will present an award to DCPL on Jan. 31, 6:30 p.m., at the Decatur Library’s auditorium, the main branch, located a 215 Sycamore St. DCPL also will be honored during the Georgia Council for Public Libraries’ annual Public Library Day at the Georgia State Capital on Feb. 13. The ceremony is set for 2:30 p.m. “We are pleased to present our Georgia Public Library Awards to people and places that daily champion libraries across the state,” said State Librarian Julie Walker. “Their efforts to show that libraries are the heart of their communities, where people can achieve their goals at any stage in life, has made a meaningful difference to many.” DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond praised the public library system for setting exemplary leadership. “DeKalb County is extremely proud of our
Sharkweek 2018 at DeKalb County Public Library
public library system and the critical role it plays in promoting lifelong learning,” Thurmond said. “Under the outstanding leadership of the Library Board of Trustees, Library Director Alison Weissinger and her staff, the county provides exceptional services, programs and resources to our residents.” In 2018, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners approved Thurmond’s budget
increasing funding for libraries by $2.2 million. County leadership also raised the minimum wage to $14 an hour, affecting 90 library employees. “DeKalb County Public Library is a system of individual library locations serving diverse interests and needs,” said Director Weissinger. “We created the Read More Campaign to coalesce all 22 library locations under a common goal of promotion, outreach and unity.” The campaign included promotional items such as Read More staff T-shirts, car magnets and signage, as well as integrated outreach efforts. The slogan “Read More. Think More. Play More. Make More. Get More.” highlights the many ways the community can engage with the library. Additional innovative efforts included: • PRIME TIME Preschool: Introduced children ages 3-4 to literature through storytelling techniques and playtime led by trained facilitators. • Fine Free Summer: Exempted all overdue juvenile materials from overdue fees from June
SEE LIBRARY page 5