Clayton Talk

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As if kids don’t deal with enough negativity on their own time, a love letter involving a trio of educators posted on Facebook by Rex Mill Middle School teachers literally thrust personal drama into the classroom.

So-called “professionals” fighting (be it physical or verbal) and using profanity on school property in front of students is unacceptable. Of course, women clashing over men isn’t a new phenomenon, and I am in no way absolving parents of their responsibilities or implying kids don’t use foul language themselves. But with such a horrible example(s) being set by these teachers in front of very young, impressionable students, it’s no wonder kids believe they can get away with anything, anywhere and anytime they see fit because there appear to be no …

Continue reading No winners when teachers fight »

Halloween rarely falls on a Saturday, and there’s plenty of fun stuff going on in Clayton this year. The best part for families is most county events are FREE.

The city of Morrow and its Police Department co-host their traditional Safe Halloween festivities (6-9 PM) at Olde Town Morrow (adjacent to Southlake Mall), providing a safe environment for kids to enjoy the holiday.  Activities include inflatables, games, entertainment and of course, trick or treating.  They have also partnered with a student group from Clayton State University who will host a haunted house inside one of the homes.

Although admission is free for the Safe Halloween events, three new restaurants will be making their Olde Town Morrow debut: Maguires, an Irish pub and restaurant; City Harbor, a seafood restaurant, and for dessert, Incredible Southern Poundcakes.

Clayton County International Park will host its First Annual Fall Festival (FREE admission AND parking; 3-9 PM). There will be music, games, …

Continue reading Halloween fun in Clayton »

C-Tran riders vowed to fight the Board of Commissioners’ decision to end bus service, and they aren’t wasting any time.  A protest will take place on Oct. 24, led by a Marietta-based activist group called the New Order National Human Rights Organization.

I realize this opinion may not be popular, but I believe those four Commissioners did the right thing by ending C-Tran service.  Financially speaking, it needed to happen as the county was hemorrhaging money to fund it.  Unlike many other states, Georgia does not subsidize local public transportation.

Chairman Eldrin Bell was the lone holdout to keep C-Tran, and stated publicly he will use all resources at his disposal to keep the system running.  This includes asking the state to allow an airport sales tax increase that could bring in $3 million annually.  Other options are to ask the legislature and Clayton voters to support another penny tax to fund the system, or unite with MARTA.  But according to various news …

Continue reading C-Tran protest in vain? »

The Clayton County Board of Commissioners recently voted unanimously to ban solicitation of donations on county roads and highways.

According to the Clayton News-Daily, the new ordinance states “no person shall stand in or enter any street, roadway or highway for the purpose of soliciting money or anything of value.”  Exceptions are solicitations made by uniformed public safety officials, such as members of the fire, police and sheriff departments.

I am sure I’ve just been lucky, but I have not encountered solicitors much in my area of Clayton.  Or maybe I tend to tune certain things out given my origins (any New Yorkers out there remember the squeegee guys?).  The one time I gave someone train fare, I watched him immediately turn around and continue soliciting others for money, so that did it for me.  Now if I’m unsure of where the money will end up, I don’t even pay attention to the pitch.

But the BOC was right, this practice wasn’t safe for anyone – the …

Continue reading Clayton’s quality of life improving in small doses »

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Financial miscalculations in the Clayton County budget could force C-Tran out of business come March 2010. According to MARTA CEO Beverly Scott, the budget presented was $1.3 million short at the onset despite a 50-cent fare increase.

C-Tran has been operating in the red for awhile now. As per the AJC, the county spends about $10 million per year to operate C-Tran, but only collects $2.5 million in revenue.

With only five routes running, fare hikes and temporary surcharges are imminent, service will most likely be reduced across the board and there is talk of discontinuing the airport loop (Route 500) bus completely. Many residents depend on C-Tran as their sole means of transportation, as well as elderly riders who utilize para transit services. Sixty-one percent of Clayton’s residents ride the bus to work, and 10 …

Continue reading Is C-Tran dying a slow death? »

School dress codes are a subtle way to prepare our children for the real world where they must dress for success. As I pass by at least six school bus stops every morning, it’s nice to see our kids looking so good out there these days as opposed to when it was sometimes hard to tell the parents from the students.

Initially, many were against school uniforms for various reasons. But there has been little fanfare from parents about the expense, nor from students about the willingness to wear them. Even based on this petition seemingly geared towards high school students who are at least 18 years old, with only 1,758 signatures (from both parents and students), the majority aren’t opposed.

I stopped by a couple of the bus stops in my area, and while a few kids admitted they don’t mind wearing uniforms, none wanted their name attached to that statement in print. But they all begrudgingly acknowledged that the new dress code has made their lives a little easier. And …

Continue reading Loving school uniforms yet? »

While other counties are fighting to preserve what water they do have, this is one natural resource that Clayton residents don’t have to worry about.

Although the Clayton County Water Authority has consistently received various “water smart” awards for many years, they recently collected another from conservation nonprofit American Rivers for its “green” water recycling system.

“The [CCWA] uses an innovative water recycling wetland system to bolster water supply and has undertaken a number of water quality and efficiency initiatives,” says American Rivers. “The use of recycled wastewater provides a consistent drought-resistant supply of water, while the wetlands gradually release water over time, reducing vulnerability to droughts.”

I remember last summer when friends and family from out of state were offering to find ways to get us water after hearing about Georgia’s drought via news reports. It was nice to tell them that my area didn’t have this problem …

Continue reading Clayton quenches its own thirst »

During these financially difficult times, it would have been very easy for the Clayton County Board of Education to accept our share of the government’s economic stimulus package and worry about how it would be paid back later. Instead, they did the fiscally responsible thing by turning down money it knew they couldn’t afford to repay and remain out of debt.

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The Qualified School Construction Bonds allocation would have added almost $14 million to the CCPS coffers for construction projects. While some residents probably would prefer they have accepted this loan instead of extending SPLOST III, monies to repay this loan were not included in the original SPLOST’s estimates and the money would have had to come from somewhere else. According to news reports, CCPS has managed to stay out of debt since 1997 and if it can continue to stay that way, all the better for our …

Continue reading No stimulus money for CCPS »

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Clayton County Public Schools is asking residents to vote for an extension of SPLOST III (expiring Dec. 31) for another five years to help fund various school projects. A SPLOST tax has been in place since 1997 here, which adds one penny onto every dollar spent on taxable items.

According to the ballot, SPLOST IV will pay for “…the costs of acquiring, constructing, and equipping one new 6-12 charter school and nine new auxiliary gymnasiums (each for an existing high school), the costs of completing one new elementary school currently under construction, the costs of acquiring land for future schools, new school buses and upgrades to existing school buses, and instructional and administrative technology improvements for existing schools, the costs of adding to, renovating, replacing, repairing, improving, and equipping existing school buildings, existing stadiums, and existing …

Continue reading SPLOST, take IV »

If you have questions and/or concerns about anything regarding Clayton County Public Schools, here is another opportunity to bring them directly to the source.

Superintendent Edmond Heatley is hosting a series of public forums throughout September. The purpose is to give attendees an opportunity to interact with, voice concerns, ask questions of and make comments directly to the Superintendent. “I really want to know what our residents have to say about public education in general and our school district specifically,” says Heatley.

The first will be held this Thursday, Sept. 3 at Mundy’s Mill High School (9652 Fayetteville Road, Jonesboro) and the remaining schedule is as follows:

• Thurs. Sept. 10 at Charles Drew High School (6237 Garden Walk Blvd., Riverdale)
• Wed. Sept. 23 at Morrow High School (2299 Old Rex Morrow Rd, Morrow)
• Wed. Sept. 30 at Mt. Zion High School (2535 Mt. Zion Parkway, Jonesboro)

Each forum runs from 6-7:30 PM and interpreters will be available.

Will you …

Continue reading Have your say with Superintendent Heatley »