Straight From the Mike…Maybe It’s Just Me

Ah! Spring has sprung. The trees are budding; more daffodils are coming forth in yellow, orange, and white splendor. Unfortunately, we will soon really be paying attention to the elevated pollen levels with interest and concern for the irritations being ignited. 

So now with that picturesque backdrop, I want to share my recent experience that may be just eye-catching to me.

A very dear friend of mine, Steven Lee, is in the Georgia State House race for District 60. He invited me to a town hall meeting in Atlanta, and of all places, a neighborhood barbershop. Like at the salon, it is quite a popular place on Saturdays.  

It was a lovely afternoon, a day before official spring. As I traversed from Cobb County onto Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd., pleasant thoughts and visions were in my mind. However, it was not long before I began to notice that with each city bus stop I passed, the amount of trash and litter got progressively more abundant as I got closer to my destination. This experience gave me pause. It got me to focus on a few interesting points. First, the feeling of appreciation for how good a job we do in our county of  ‘Keeping Cobb Beautiful’.

Secondly, we are so fortunate to have the leadership and a ‘boots on the ground’ community network led by Director Kimberly White and ‘Mr. Adopt A Mile’ himself, Barry Krebs. 

And thirdly, it brought back to mind the angst expressed over the years of how in cities across this nation, with streets named after the esteemed Dr. King, the conditions of those avenues, streets, and boulevards simply do not do justice to the memory of the man. It is clear to me that the City of Atlanta, in addition to several other challenges, needs to add these eyesores to the list.

I can recall when the plans were being discussed to rename Bankhead highway to that of the late attorney and civil rights legend, Donald Lee Hollowell. It was reported that while alive and made aware of the planned honor, expressed reservations because he was concerned about how it would be maintained. 

The subjects of sustainability and our environment have long been deep interests of mine. The conditions of a community mirror the values of a community. Clean streets, thoroughfares, parking areas and yes, bus stops too, should matter to all of us. Unlike the City of Atlanta, it should be common knowledge that Cobb County does not have a sanitation department with a staff dedicated to patrol our public areas. Our Code Enforcement team does a superb job of being responsive to complaints and keeps an eye for illegal dumping, as well. Nevertheless, it is all part of the ongoing challenges in a growing county.

In some areas, it just seems to me that somewhere along the way too many key people, in key positions with two eyes like we have, have turned a blind eye to vivid pictures of neglect and examples of indolence. It was particularly disturbing to notice, at some stops; even the refuse containers were full and overflowing.

Thankfully, we live in a county that with a few exceptions, takes its
challenges seriously, and adheres to its motto, “Expect the best”. The slogan “see something, say something,” should lead one to ‘do something’ to ensure that we maintain the key pillars of a quality of life structure we enjoy.

 The German writer and poet Goethe expressed it well, “Let everyone sweep in front of his own door, and the whole world will be clean”.

And so it is…

 Until next time… 

Michael Murphy