Can Clayton lure new businesses?
A few new businesses are trickling into Clayton County. At a time when much of the attention is focusing on problems in the school system, it’s refreshing to learn new jobs are being created. Read my latest blog entry on Wordpress
Home > Clayton.Talk > Archives > 2007 > April
April 2007
Do you appreciate your child’s teachers?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The 15th annual 2007 Teacher Appreciation Week runs May 6-12, and National Teacher Appreciation Day falls on May 8.
It’s easy to say teachers receive a paycheck so there is no need to show extra gratitude. But educators are obviously not in that line of work for the high pay, benefits and/or perks. Most people want to be recognized for their hard work and a job well done, why should teachers be any different?
The teacher appreciation’s website suggests giving a small gift every day during this week. One friend, her child and a few classmates baked their favorite teacher a cake. Even donating much-needed school supplies to your child’s classroom would be a nice gesture and ease personal expenses for that teacher.
There are also plenty of ways to show appreciation free of charge! Send an e-mail or e-card of thanks or better yet, thank educators in person! Have your child create something unique for the teacher, such as a drawing or a poem. Also, don’t forget the Sunday School teachers if your child attends!
Yes, I realize Clayton county schools are not top notch at the moment. There is plenty of blame to go around for that, and our educators are not solely responsible. But hopefully the dedicated teachers here will get recognized for their efforts, whether it be during Teacher Appreciation week or any other time during the school year, and continue to work in our school system. Clayton can’t afford to lose any more good educators.
Parents: Is there a teacher who has made a difference in your child’s life? If so, please share that teacher’s name, the school he/she works at and feel free to publicly thank them here. Will you or your child bring a gift for any teacher?
Teachers: Is Appreciation Week and/or Day celebrated at your school? Do you care about receiving recognition, or is teaching and watching children progress thanks enough for you?
Permalink | Comments (12) | Post your comment | Categories: Kimberly Allen
Fences don’t always make good neighbors
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After living in our home for well over two years, I finally had a conversation with one of my neighbors last month. I’d always given the obligatory nod and/or wave to these particular neighbors, as my husband had already met the family and told me about them. I have no complaints, just never made the extra effort and that was definitely my loss. They are wonderful people and excellent neighbors.
During the summer of 2004, my parents visited and wanted to take a look around our subdivision. We took both vehicles out, as we were about to do some serious shopping. My husband pulled out last, forgetting to close the garage door behind him. The route we took ensured that we drive back past our house, and that’s when we saw a group of teens scoping out our garage.
As we approached, our neighbor was already on the scene, questioning them. Once my husband confronted them, the kids left without incident. Who knows what could have happened if we didn’t drive past our house again or, even worse, if our neighbor didn’t care enough to make that effort.
How we met our other neighbor was much different. He approached us during our house inspection. Very nice person who gave us plenty of insight on Clayton county and the neighborhood. We exchanged contact information not long after moving in. Thankfully, he also looks out for us — as we do for him.
Our homes have no fences and kids are always using our backyards as a shortcut from one street to the next. We’ve even had to stop adults from doing this! We are so tempted to get a fence, but love the open space not having one provides. So between all three homes we have managed to at least slow that traffic down, but it’s definitely been a team effort and a work in progress.
We feel very blessed to have great neighbors on either side and pray they never move! Another plus is that we all own our homes (a rarity it seems in Clayton county), and the care shows in how we deal with each other and our properties.
Do you know your neighbors? Did you make an effort to meet them immediately? Did you luck out and get good neighbors, or do you have neighbors from hell? What stories can you tell about interacting with your neighbors?
Permalink | Comments (33) | Post your comment | Categories: Kimberly Allen
What have your representatives done for you lately?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last week a bill sponsored by state Rep. Roberta Abdul-Salaam (D-Riverdale) requesting that a portrait of Coretta Scott King hang in the state Capitol was rejected. Abdul-Salaam plans to take this bill to Gov. Sonny Perdue and obtain an executive order to accomplish her mission.
My intent is not to personally attack or single out this representative, but to ask: what does any of that have to do with the city of Riverdale or any of the issues that need to be addressed there? No disrespect to the King family, but the Riverdale residents I know would prefer to see their representative discussing quality of life issues on the evening news.
Before you ask, no, I do not live in Riverdale. But I do travel through, shop in and frequent the area regularly. We have friends who live there who feel their elected officials should be concentrating on solving the city’s problems. Further, we should all care about what goes on in and around this county, regardless of whether we live in the affected area or not. One day, it could be your part of town that needs fixing.
At least for me this begs the question of ALL of Clayton’s residents: what has your representative done in your district lately? Who is your district representative? Are you satisfied with what he or she is accomplishing in your section of Clayton County, or are you patiently waiting to vote them out?
If you are a registered voter unsure of which district you are in, go to: http://www.sos.state.ga.us/cgi-bin/locator.asp for more information.
If you are unsure of who your representatives are or how to contact him/her, go to http://www.co.clayton.ga.us/officials.htm to find out.
If you want to see what types of bills your representative is sponsoring or supporting, go to http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2007_08/house/07alpha.html, click on your representative’s “Fact Sheet” and then click on “Legislation” under his/her photo.
Permalink | Comments (13) | Categories: Kimberly Allen
Is you subdivison in “Code Red” status?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Do you get nervous when you see a group of kids hanging around your subdivision doing things you know they shouldn’t be doing? Your community can now send a message to those kids and, more importantly, their parents.
“Code Red” is a joint effort among the Clayton County Juvenile Court system, Clayton County police and homeowner associations. It is specifically designed to address parents not properly supervising their children. So if your child is accused of any criminal offense, both parent and child can be brought to Juvenile Court immediately. Once in court, the judge will take the appropriate action specific to each individual case.
“The essence is to try to get the parents who are not controlling their kids into court either immediately or within 24 hours, depending on the time of day,” Judge Steven Teske said. “We see many issues with some of the more troubled youth coming into court because parents are not adequately supervising or controlling their kids.”
Back in November 2006 the Judge ordered a 15-year-old girl fighting with another child within a Riverdale subdivision permanently removed. The girl, who had no family or adult supervision there, was sent to her mother’s Ellenwood subdivision. Teske advocates accountability by parents and child, not banishment. “We look at the parents asking if there’s any connection to parental supervision, or lack thereof, and the child’s actions. The best probation officer is still the parent,” he says.
The judge favors a program managed by the mental health department called “Parenting With Love and Limits.” “I like this because its not the same old parenting program. It works with the child and parent at the same time and we’ve had a good deal of success with it.” But make no mistake, if harsher action is called for the judge will act accordingly.
There are now five subdivisions participating, and one more in the works. Judge Teske recently received a letter from a participating homeowner association thanking the Judge and Police Chief Jeff Turner for their involvement in Code Red. “That subdivision has not had a single incident in their subdivision since Code Red went into effect there,” according to Teske.
Adds Chief Turner, “From the police side, this program has been effective. Once we start making examples of kids who live in these communities, it embarrasses the parents and forces them to be responsible for their children’s actions. Parents become more vigilant in knowing where their kids are, what they are doing and who they are hanging out with.”
Even if you have no children Code Red can be beneficial, especially if you own property here. “We want to make sure that property values remain intact,” says Teske, who has lived in Clayton since he was 14 years old and isn’t going anywhere. “I refuse to be one of those who abandons Clayton County, it’s been my home and if you call it your home you have to act like it’s your home, and you shouldn’t be abandoning your home or your neighbors.”
Will you attempt to implement Code Red within your community? If you are living in an area that already has Code Red, what effect has it had on your neighborhood? Do you see changes? Please share your stories!
Have your Homeowner’s Association email Sharion Washington, Chief Probation Officer of the Juvenile Court of Clayton County for more information if your subdivision is interested in participating in the Code Red program: Sharion.washington@co.clayton.ga.us
Permalink | Comments (7) | Categories: Kimberly Allen
Are you embarrassed to say you live in Clayton County?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Before moving to Georgia, we asked opinions on where to live. We stayed in Fulton for awhile and scoped out various areas.
We knew people who liked living in Clayton County. Yes, there’s crime, but no one could name a “crime free” county for us to consider. No young children, so schools weren’t a big factor at the time. We got a great deal on a home toward the end of the housing boom and decided to give Clayton a chance, hoping the negatives would eventually work themselves out.
I asked anyone who’d listen what they knew about the area. Between news reports and nervous neighbors predicting the worst, I worried we’d made a bad decision. There was really no justification for feeling that way because nothing negative has ever happened to us here. Yet I still got license plates that didn’t have the county name so assumptions wouldn’t be made based on where we lived. Every time the news came on I prayed Clayton wouldn’t be the lead story (still do!).
I didn’t enjoy our new home as much as I could have initially because I listened and reacted to negatives instead of focusing on and looking for positives. When talking with others about where we live, I’d sometimes notice a slight wince, or get an “Oh … OK” type response. But contrary to popular belief, every metro Atlanta county has some type of problem. Nobody’s immune.
Despite Clayton’s image, I do enjoy living here. I like the new businesses that are going up (but not the influx of newly built strip malls, town homes and subdivisions when there are plenty sitting empty — that’s another blog for another day). Everything we need is a short ride away. Now if we could only get a Dillards here, I’d be sooo happy. We’re also blessed to have good neighbors on either side who look out for us and vice versa, as well as living in a subdivision that cares about the neighborhood and county issues.
What do you enjoy about living in Clayton County? How long have you lived here and are you embarrassed to say so because of the county’s current image? If you had to do it all over again, would you choose Clayton?
Permalink | Comments (94) | Categories: Kimberly Allen
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