FRIDAY August 2, 2019 BARTOW COUNTY’S ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER 75 cents MPO prioritizes Long- Range Transportation Plan projects FIELD OF DREAMS BY JAMES SWIFT [email protected] Members of the Cartersville-Bartow Metropolitan Plan- ning Organization’s Technical Coordinating Committee had their work cut out for them at Wednesday morning’s meeting — over the course of just half an hour, they had to prioritize a three-decades-long list of road projects, com- prising more than $1.1 billion worth of infrastructure im- provements. Naturally, the task proved a bit too tall, with the commit- tee resolving to further refine the 2020-2050 Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) project list at a special-called work session on Sept. 4. They’ll get a little bit of help from residents on the assignment, considering a public informa- tion open house on the master road project list is scheduled to take place at the Clarence Brown Conference Center at 5450 Highway 20 in Cartersville from 4-6 p.m. on Aug. 20. The LRTP list, as is, currently includes more than 50 projects, running the gamut from a roughly $182,000 plan to repave portions of McKaskey Creek Road to the massive Rome-Cartersville Development Corridor, which is tabbed at the moment at more than $113 million. In between there are also projects on the docket looking to widen State Route 20 from Interstate 75 to Cherokee County ($89.7 million), widen I-75 from six to eight lanes from Glade Road to Cobb County’s State Route 5 connector ($84 mil- lion) and an estimated $102 million project seeking to widen I-75 from State Route 140 in Adairsville to State Route 156 in Gordon County — among many, many other proposals. RANDY PARKER/THE DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS “There’s obviously a lot of north-south travel issues on Bartow County Parks and Recreation Director Greg Hight looks over the new special needs fi eld at Hamilton Crossing Park. The ribbon cutting to offi cially open the new fi eld is scheduled for Saturday at 9 a.m. the interstate,” said Bartow County Transportation Plan- ner Tom Sills. “We need to get a good understanding of what those projects are … because over the next 60 days, we’re going to need to work pretty diligently to figure out which ones are the needed projects to address these issues Ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for special needs fi eld and others we’re having in the community, and winnow that down so that — at least as far as the federal funds are BY DONNA HARRIS ty’s special needs population a friendly to wheelchairs and soccer and other future sports concerned — we’ve got a balanced budget.” [email protected] “sense of pride,” Hight said. walkers and just, in general, on a field built by Shaw Sports “A home field,” he said. having a place that we can Turf Division to “meet the SEE MPO, PAGE 5A Bartow County’s special “They won’t have to look for call our own.” needs of our community and needs athletes now have a place other places to play. They won’t Robinson also added he our programs,” Hight said. of their own to play. have to be worked in. They will wanted to “offer our apprecia- “The infield is what they call The Bartow County Parks have their own field.” tion to the Bartow County Rec- a ‘TruHop infield,’” he said. and Recreation Department Coach Joe Robinson, who reation Department and Com- “It is wheelchair-friendly with will cut the ribbon on a new has co-directed the league missioner Steve Taylor, Shaw a softer surface than your nor- special needs turf field de- with coach Paul Walker for the Industries, all the people who mal turf.” signed to better accommodate past 18 years, said “Oh, I’m have helped make this field Construction on the $570,000 wheelchairs and walkers at thrilled” about the new field. come to realization [and] all of field, which was funded by the Hamilton Crossing Park at 31 “It’ll be such a blessing to our sponsors.” Special Purpose Local Option Beavers Drive in Cartersville be able to have a field that we Following the ceremony, Sales Tax, started at the begin- Saturday at 9 a.m. can call our own where we Challenger League baseball ning of May and was complet- “Every child deserves the don’t have to request a field players will try out their new ed by the end of July, according right to play and enjoy sports or to play on,” he said. “We’ll turf for the first time. to Hight. other activities,” Bartow Coun- have one that’s designated for “We’re thrilled,” said Robin- Robinson, who is assisted ty Parks and Recreation Direc- us. Not that we’ve had trouble son, who has coached baseball, by treasurer/team mom Lori tor Greg Hight said. “This field getting fields. Both rec de- football and basketball for the Satterfield, said the Challeng- will be special to every child partments, [Cartersville] city special needs population for er League provides sports pro- in our program, a field to meet and county, have been blessed 21 years. “We’re all pumped. grams for kids who “cannot their needs of our Challenger with giving us a place to play, We’re looking forward to it.” participate in a regularly insti- JAMES SWIFT/THE DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS Bartow County Transportation Planner Tom Sills speaks League program.” but it’s just going to be nice to The athletes participating in tuted program.” at Wednesday morning’s Cartersville-Bartow Metropoli- The field, which “turned have a synthetic field of our the Challenger League will be tan Planning Organization meeting. out great,” will give the coun- own that will be a little more able to play baseball, football, SEE FIELD, PAGE 6A Cartersville urologist one of DRAWING A CROWD Atlanta magazine’s Top Doctors BY MARIE NESMITH every physician in the pediatric [email protected] urology category being a member of the urology practice. In all, 21 Dr. Jeffrey G. Proctor is thrilled Georgia Urology physicians were to be recognized as one of metro selected. Atlanta’s Top Doctors by Atlanta “Part of the reason I joined magazine. In 1997, the Marietta Georgia Urology is the high level resident started the Georgia Urol- of competence among all of the ogy offi ce in Cartersville, pres- urologists at the practice,” Proc- ently situated at 970 Joe Frank tor said. “The physicians are also Harris Parkway, Suite 260. empathetic and are committed to “I am honored and touched providing the best patient care for that the physician community their patients. I’m proud to be a thinks highly of my skills as a Proctor partner at Georgia Urology.” urologist,” he said. “My patients A recipient of the Sprague are my No. 1 priority at work. consideration through both a na- Carlton, M.D., Award for Profi - Additionally, I have a wonderful tionwide survey and a peer nom- ciency in Urology, Proctor gradu- caring staff who take great care ination process open to licensed ated, interned and completed his of my patients. It means so much physicians in Carroll, Cherokee, residency at New York Medical to me to be recognized as a Top Clayton, DeKalb, Douglas, Fay- College. He also served as a Navy Doctor.” ette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, lieutenant commander and chief The Atlanta magazine’s Top Hall, Henry and Rockdale coun- of urology at the Naval Hospital Doctors offering was featured in ties. Castle Connolly’s physi- Pensacola in Florida. the publication’s July issue. cian-led team of researchers then Board certifi ed by the Ameri- According to a news release, select the Top Doctors through a can Board of Urology, Proctor is “Atlanta magazine uses a data- rigorous screening process that a member of American Urological base of top doctors compiled by includes an evaluation of educa- Association, Society for Infection Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., an tional and professional experi- and Infl ammation in Urology, established healthcare research ence.” Southeastern Section of the Amer- company based in New York, to Georgia Urology received high ican Urological Association, GAG RANDY PARKER/THE DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS assist in its annual effort. This praise from the Atlanta maga- Society and Physician National Blood Assurance Donor Care Specialist Ava, left, talks with Tracey Butler, a CT Tech at year, the publication honors 860 zine’s Top Doctors, with more Advisory Board for Elmiron. Cartersville Medical Center, during Monday’s blood drive at CMC. A total of 18 units were physicians. than 40 percent of those show- collected from 24 donors. Year-to-date, CMC employees have donated 156 units to Blood “Doctors are nominated for cased in the urology category and SEE PROCTOR, PAGE 6A Assurance. INSIDE TODAY Partly VOLUME 73, NO. 76 Family Living ........................2A Blotter ................................... 5A sunny U.S. & World .........................3A Weather ................................ 5A High 86 www.daily-tribune.com Stocks ................................... 3A Sports ................................... 1B Entertainment ...................... 4A Classifieds............................ 3B Low 69 2A Friday, August 2, 2019 • www.daily-tribune.com Local The Daily Tribune News ContactUs The Daily Tribune News Hospital worker is stunned by stepfather’s appearance Address: DEAR ABBY: I saw some- ly they would be “reunited” by wishes currently are should he a sensitive heart. Should I say 251 S. Tennessee St. thing shocking, and I need help. combining their ashes after his predecease you. He may have something? — CONCERNED Cartersville, GA 30120 While working at my job at a death. changed his mind about com- MOM hospital, I saw the man my moth- My question is, what can we do bining his ashes with hers — or Mailing Address: 251 S.