2009 News Archive 

Subscribe

Public Works educates, entertains at open house

From the road surface under their tires to the traffic signals over their heads, it takes a lot to keep drivers moving along the streets of Johns Creek.

The City's Public Works Department demonstrated to citizens and elected officials just how many people and what kind of equipment it takes to achieve that goal at their first-ever open house May 18, part of National Public Works Week.

Public Works Director Ken Hildebrandt and his staff toured City Council members through a variety of displays set up in the City Hall parking lot featuring equipment ranging from riding mowers used to keep medians and rights of way neat and trimmed to massive earth graders and machinery used to mill old asphalt off the road prior to resurfacing.

For the kids attending though, it was not so much learning what the equipment actually did but rather the opportunity to climb on and inside it. They also had a chance to play with toy versions of some of the same machinery, testing their skills at loading, moving and dumping for a chance to win prizes. And then there was the temptation to sample the odd-look but intriguing (and delicious) "road kill cake" - a red velvet "possum" complete with tire track across its back created by Transportation Engineer Cindy Jenkins.

The combination of education and fun is exactly what the American Public Works Association had in mind when it instituted the week-long observance in 1960 to call attention to the importance of public works in community life.

"We had a great time," said Amanda Jones, who attended with children Christopher and Aidan. "Each worker from the city and contractors made a tremendous effort to educate us on the equipment and have fun with the parents and the children. We appreciated that they would stay late after working a hard day and share their experience with us."

This year's National Public Works Week theme is "Revitalize, Reinvest, Renew." For more information, visit www.apwa.net.