Laura Armstrong: Cobb County making columnist, Thomas Jefferson very proud

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Sunday, July 19, 2009, by Laura Armstrong, MDJ columnist

Two hundred and four years ago, Thomas Jefferson said at his second inaugural address, "Our wish is, that the public efforts may be directed honestly to the public good ..."

He also encouraged, "Come forward, then, and give us the aid of your talents and the weight of your character towards the new establishment of (democracy)."

These days, it's difficult to pinpoint a worthy model for such high ideals in government, with honesty, civility and the "care of human life and happiness" (which Jefferson said is the "first and only legitimate object of good government") taking a backseat to power grabs and crisis-induced redistribution, i.e. change.

In many places, good people have turned away from involvement in their governments, feeling they can't make a difference.

Fortunately, Cobb citizens aren't that easily discouraged.

Consider the 2006 Land for Parks Bond Referendum, approved by 72 percent of voters and now well on its way to success in our community.

Conceived, prodded, pushed and nurtured by We the People along with Commission Chairman Sam Olens, other commissioners and county staff, this visionary move to secure more parkland should be and is in fact (I'm told) a model for others to follow. But as the City of Marietta is finding with its current initiative, making parkland happen isn't as easy as Olens et al have made it appear.

In reality, the county campaign and vote was only a miniscule part of the whole process. The untold and still unfolding story on the county level involves a whole cast of characters, from landowners to national preservation groups to dastardly developers to a coalition of dedicated volunteers. One tireless force behind the volunteer effort, aka the Cobb Parks Coalition, is Paul Paulson, a small businessman. He and other stakeholders (Paulson calls them "regular people working to save what they love") have a special interest in more than 100 pristine acres known as the Bullard Farm property, adjacent to Dallas Highway near the Avenues at West Cobb. Not the typical Cobb mover-shakers, they've come together in earnest with their representatives and already accomplished a great deal.

Refreshingly, they've not sought the spotlight, but instead have shined it on the projects themselves, putting in hours upon hours of effort to enrich our lives and those of future generations.

I tagged along last April with the group as they walked Bullard Farm with Bob Ash, head of community development, and Bob Hovey, west Cobb's planning commissioner. A conceptual plan had been drawn up and presented to the public in March by a Gwinnett-based company, but with about 250 citizens attending, staff received over 150 comments, largely critical of proposals such as an amphitheater and massive paved parking. The result was a decision to involve We The People even more, another refreshing twist, and the exhilarating walk we later enjoyed was an effort to brainstorm more suitable ideas for the land. As Paulson asked, "How do we accommodate...without compromising the beauty of the natural landscape we're now stewards of?"

And now the plan is amended with input by people such as Dan Brown, superintendent of the Chattahoochee National Park, John Pape, chairman of the citizen group charged with spending our bond funds and Kelly Gambrill, president of PLAN (People Looking After Neighborhoods). There was even a small suggestion by yours truly, the humble playground expert, which I'm told has been incorporated.

The new ideas will be revealed this Thursday evening, 7 p.m., at the West Cobb Senior Center at Lost Mountain Park. Public comments and questions are welcomed.

As the stakeholders so aptly stated, "We hope people from throughout the county will attend, not only to view the results of the public input, but to learn more about the process used by our group."

My guess is Thomas Jefferson would be proud of Cobb County, where public efforts are directed to the public good. I'm proud to be a citizen here. See you at the park.

Lbarmstrong3378@comcast.net