SmyrnaBlog.com

Hi everyone,I wanted to share updates on several items of interest to Ward 3. Please feel free to pass these on to your neighbors, and if anyone would like to be added to my email distribution list, please send me an email at tlippincott@ci.smyrna.ga.us. Be assured that the emails will be used only for Ward 3 updates.* Town Hall Meeting - The City of Smyrna will host a town hall meeting on Tuesday, April 21 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Smyrna Community Center. City officials, including City Administrator Wayne Wright and department heads, will present updates and give a citywide overview of issues and actions related to economic development, parks, financial/budget issues, citizen services and public safety. Reporter Marc Pickard of WXIA-TV 11 Alive will be the moderator for the event. The presentation will include updates on Belmont Hills and Jonquil Village. In order to streamline the Q&A process and allow as many questions as possible to be addressed, and to allow for enough time for a complete overview of Smyrna¹s current situation, all questions will be held until intermission, which will take place following the presentation. At intermission, attendees may submit written questions that will be addressed immediately following intermission. Questions that are not answered that are of citywide interest may be considered for follow-up communication to those who have provided contact information. Additionally, the overview presentation will be available on the City of Smyrna website http://www.SmyrnaCity.com  following the Town Hall Meeting.* Taylor-Brawner Opening Please join us for the dedication of the Taylor-Brawner Park this Saturday, April 18, at 10:00 a.m. The park is expansive and fun, and the hospital renovation is truly impressive. Plus, Smyrna¹s own Pat Terry is performing in a free concert in the park¹s amphitheater at 7:00 Saturday night.* Silent Railroad Crossing Update Be still my heart, there¹s been progress on this project. CSX and the Georgia Department of Transportation have reached a contract agreement and I am told that wait for it! we should begin to see work begin within the next five months. The project will happen, the funds are there, and as those funds were federally allocated, they cannot be used for anything else besides the silent crossing zone.* Belmont Hills / Jonquil Village First, yes, Publix is still committed to this project. The most recent projected opening date I have is Summer 2010.I hope to have good news to share on Jonquil Village by the Town Hall Meeting on April 21. I have spoken with the developer about trying to improve the look of the site in the interim, but I am optimistic that work will resume shortly. Halpern is ready to begin demolition work on Belmont Hills as soon as possible and is working to resolve one remaining tenant issue before demolition can begin, which is anticipated to start sometime in the next few months. To answer another common question, I don¹t know when Monterrey Restaurant will reopen, but I will spread the word as soon as I learn more on its fate.* CobbWorks Mobile Career Center The CobbWorks Mobile Career Center (a very large RV) will be in the Smyrna Library parking lot on Wednesday, April22 and Wednesday, April 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The CobbWorks bus provides access to computers for resume writing and researching jobs.Professional job counselors will also be available to help plan job searches, write cover letters, and answer career development questions.This is a great resource and I hope that you will spread the word to anyone who might benefit from the service.* Windy Hill Hearing There will be a public hearing on proposed Windy Hill improvements on Tuesday, May 19 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in Room 1 of the Smyrna Community Center. The improvements include adding a median on Windy Hill Road between South Cobb Drive and Atlanta Road.There are many other happenings in Smyrna this spring, and you should have received an events brochure in your most recent water bill. I hope to see everyone soon, and please let me know if you have any questions.ThanksTeri Anulewicz404-931-8374