Author: On Common Ground News

By Ruth A. Wilson | Rockdale Clerk of Courts The Rockdale Clerk of Courts Office Real Estate Division has a new state-of-the-art tool to make the job of land surveyors much easier. Now, surveyors can print previously illegible plats 16 times larger than in the past, thanks to the new large format printer / plotter. A “plat” is a plan, map, or chart of a piece of land with actual or proposed features (such as lots) and also the land represented, especially as used in construction site mapping.  A plat map includes a description of the land and everything…

The Rockdale County Stormwater Department announced that it has closed the following road segments listed due to stormwater infrastructure or projects. Ebenezer Road, between 2140 and 2240 Ebenezer Road SW Closed on May 6, 2019. Construction underway. Reopening September 2019. Goode Road, near 193 Goode Road SE Closed April 19, 2019. Reopening Spring 2020. Saxony Drive, near 1309 Saxony Drive SE Closed April 19, 2019. Reopening Fall 2019. Wendwood Road, near 5301 Wendwood Road SW Closed April 19, 2019. Under evaluation. Rolling Acres Drive, near 2450 Rolling Acres Drive SW Closed January 6, 2014. Reopening Winter 2020. Gwen Road, near…

Gabrielle Noel Huff (left), Southwest DeKalb High School Class of 2019 magnet valedictorian and sister, Hannah Ciara Huff, Southwest DeKalb High School class of 2016 valedictorian By Mackenzie N. Morgan Last week, Gabrielle Huff, 18, turned in her final high school assignment—the 2019 Valedictorian speech she will give at the Southwest DeKalb High School graduation on Sunday, June 2, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. “I plan to thank my parents and hope to inspire my classmates to work hard and remind them that nothing good comes easy,” said Huff, who earned magnet valedictorian with a…

The City of Stonecrest plans to continue repaving its roads, tackling three of the city’s major thoroughfares—Rockland, Salem and Thompson Mill roads, utilizing a portion of the city’s special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST). In a 5-1 vote at its May 28 meeting, the City Council authorized city staff members to release an invitation for contractors to bid on the next round of road resurfacing projects. Councilwoman Diane Adoma cast the dissenting vote. “We don’t have a comprehensive process to continue to bid out work,” Adoma said in defending her vote. Mayor Jason Lary said he is confident the…

Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Center, 3787 Klondike Road, Stonecrest, is celebrating National Get Outdoors Day by hosting a Fun with Fireflies family hike on June 8, 7:30 to 9 p.m. Children of all ages can enjoy the family-friendly night hike. The goal of the day is to create a healthy, fun day of outdoor adventure aimed at reaching first-time visitors to public lands and reconnecting children to the outdoors. Bring a flashlight, refillable water bottle and wear closed-toe shoes. For more information, contact LaShanda Davis, Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs public relations specialist, at lsdavis@dekalbcountyga.gov.

Dads and their children are invited to a “Fishing with Fathers” excursion on June 16, 8 to 11 a.m., at the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Center, 3787 Klondike Rd., Stonecrest. DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs welcomes children of all ages to participate in the fun-filled, relaxing morning of fishing in the park. Participants will learn the basics of freshwater fishing with their fathers at their sides. Light refreshments will be served prior to departure to the lake. Supplies are limited and may be rented on a first-come, first-serve basis. Participants are encouraged to bring their own fishing gear. For…

The DeKalb History Center will present Laurel Wilson, MHP, who will discuss the “African American Heritage of Decatur” at its June 11 Lunch & Learn. The free program, open to the public, will be held from noon to 1 p.m.at the DeKalb History Center, 101 E Court Square, Decatur. Wilson will share her research on “Section 6” of the Decatur Cemetery. Attendees may bring their own lunch to the program.  

DeKalb County Sanitation Division’s Operation Spring Clean Sweep 2019begins Friday, June 7.The initiativeincludes free residential curbside collection, paper shredding, litter collection and roadside enhancement activities. The campaign will feature residential bulky item curbside collection activities on Fridays and Saturdays from June 7 – 29. Curb bumping, streetscaping, litter collection and grass mowing activities will occur in predetermined areas throughout the month of June. A free paper shredding event is also scheduled for Saturday, June 15. Events and activities are free and only open to residents within the DeKalb County Sanitation Division service area. Proof of residency may be requested for…

Antioch A.M.E Church, 765 S. Hairston Road, Stone Mountain, will host a free dinner and premiere of the documentary film, “Rigged: The Voter Suppression Playbook,” on Friday, June 14. Dinner will begin at 6 p.m. and the film will start at 7 p.m. The documentary, narrated by Emmy and Tony Award winning actor Jeffery Wright (“Shaft”), discusses voter suppression in the United States including removing voter rolls and violation of voter ID laws, creating new barriers to voter registration and more. There also will be a panel discussion featuring community leaders following the film.

The Greater Hidden Hills Community Development Corporation (GHHCDC) in partnership with DeKalb County Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson launched the Your Community, Your Litter – Pick It Up!campaign in March to encourage DeKalb residents to clean up their communities and eliminate litter throughout the county. As of part of the campaign, a jingle contest and video contest were held to build litter awareness and promote community pride. Students from DeKalb County were invited to participate and develop original content supporting the campaign theme. The winning jingle, “Stop, Drop, Pick It Up,” was created by Victoria Waterman and Mieya Moore, students at Eldridge…