Archive for October, 2009

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? »