Olens, MDJ thanked for parks bond support

A letter to the editor from the Marietta Daily Journal on Thursday, December 28, 2006, by CPC founding-member Paul Paulson

DEAR EDITOR:

Much credit has been given to the efforts of the Cobb Parks Coalition in encouraging the successful vote on November's Land for Parks $40 million bond referendum. But, lest we forget, the idea for this measure came not from the grassroots. That vision of spending public funds to preserve our rapidly disappearing natural landscape was the brainchild of one elected official alone, Sam Olens, chairman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners. Without his will there would have been no way to accomplish it. We are lucky to have had the likes of him at the helm at this crucial juncture in the course of our checkered developmental history.

And, had it not been for the careful reporting and editorial support of the Marietta Daily Journal, our hometown newspaper, it's unlikely that his idea could have reached the 72 percent of voters who chose to put permanence over the temporal rewards of a few dollars saved today.

What the Cobb Parks Coalition did more than anything was to engage those professional journalists to tell Chairman Olens' story. Let it be a lesson to all citizens with a dream, or an issue about justice or the lack of it. Ours began with a simple letter to the editor last March and culminated in a community endorsement of saving what we all feel to be important; the character of our community. The MDJ is the voice of that community; without it, the people would never have known.

On behalf of the 300-plus members of the Cobb Parks Coalition, I extend heartfelt gratitude for helping make the future a better place for the children of tomorrow.

Paul Paulson
West Cobb