By Gary Wirth of Dawson County 

As I have been driving past the new apartments being constructed along Dawson Forest Road between Hwy. 53 and Hwy. 400, I have tried to imagine the mom walking along the road shoulder with one child in the stroller and one in hand, on her way to Walmart or Publix.  Unfortunately, all I see is a potential tragedy.

I have called the Public Works Department about this and was told that it's too late to require the developer to put in a sidewalk and that some of the adjacent properties are privately owned.  Therefore the county is unable to do anything about my concern.

Perhaps bringing together the apartment owner, the other adjacent property owners, the nearby credit union, as well as the owners of the Walmart and Publix shopping centers, a solution that benefits everyone could be found for the quarter-mile stretch.

I also believe that the liveability and accessibility of Dawson County would benefit as well.