From stream cleanups to public transportation
Even though the pollen count is up and growing by the second as we get deeper into May, I'm outside more than in previous months. What a crazy weather year this has been and we are almost half-way through it all. We were colder than usual in this first half of the year, then suddenly it feels like we went straight to the heat.
In addition to outdoor running, I'm typically mowing two lawns every other week. I'm making up for lost outdoor time that happened during the winter. While that one is a long story, I am exposed to more pollen than ever. The good news is that I'm getting some nice outdoor pictures out of the deal. Wildflowers are blooming. Chipmunks are frolicking on top of my patio and burrowing under its edge. The deer are using my backyard as a mattress. Most of all, the felines are visiting more than ever.
For those not-in-the-know, the governor signed a bill that will allow 13 metro Atlanta counties to raise sales taxes to fund public mass transit options. If voters approved the idea, then Gwinnett could get in on expanding the MARTA train Gold Line from Doraville to Jimmy Carter Boulevard while expanding the county's bus service. In this deal, the county could also opt officially join the MARTA agency or not.
I spent time volunteering to clean up Crooked Creek, a local stream where a portion of it runs through Peachtree Corners. This is an initiative organized through the Peachtree Corners Green Committee. Luckily, I have had the chance over the past few years to do some volunteer work. This experience rates as one of my favorites. Helping with this clean-up initiative has become eye-opening for me. Waterway waste and other build-up is a fundamental problem.
Anything from shopping carts to tires can be found in these streams at any given time during the year. What's more concerning is the amount of runoff that these waterways fall victim to over the years. Before the group started the clean-up, organizer Bob Howard provided background information and the history of Crooked Creek. The talk was fascinating. Along with his wife Lori, Bob has been at this effort for three years now. The turnout for the event was excellent. Including myself, some Peachtree Corners residents and employees of companies like Verativ and Jacobs were on hand to clean up Crooked Creek. If I can help to make a difference, then I know that in some way I did my part to make the community a better and hopefully, safe place.
It's awesome that cities like Peachtree Corners has a Green Communities Program. Here is more information about that program.
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