Delegation seeks new four-way stops in northeast Cairo

A delegation of northeast Cairo residents, led by Kay David, appeared before the Cairo mayor and council Monday seeking relief from heavy truck traffic and speeders in their neighborhood.
Mrs. David, a retired teacher, described her neighborhood, which includes eight blocks between 20th Street N.E. and Hall Road, as a “family friendly neighborhood.”
She said the city had installed “no truck” signs at each end of MacIvor Drive N.E., but she claims that truckers ignore the signs and vehicles using the street as a cut through from 20th Street to Hall Road or vice versa were driving at speeds of 50 to 60 mph.
Mrs. David said that many of her neighbors walk, run, bike and push strollers in the neighborhood. “I have had to jump into the ditch to avoid being hit by a speeding car,” she told the city council this week.
As a proposed remedy for her “safety” concerns, Mrs. David requested the council consider establishing four-way stops at the intersection of MacIvor Drive and 24th Street N.E. and 26th Street N.E.
Councilman James H. (Jimmy) Douglas, a resident of Mrs. David’s neighborhood, said he was not in favor of the two four-way stops, but he requested City Manager Chris Addleton talk with Cairo Police Chief Keith Sandefur to increase patrols in the area to crack down on speeders and to research the number of accidents in that area.
Councilman Douglas disagreed with Mrs. David concerning the amount of heavy truck traffic. “There are a few from time to time and they are usually lost,” Douglas said.
“I walk every morning and that street was not designed for foot traffic. There are no sidewalks out there,” Douglas said.
In other business Monday night, the council:
Heard a follow-up from the Easter Jam held recently at the Cairo Municipal Airport. Fixed base operator Stephen Bible and Courtney Cannon gave an overview and shared some of the plans to improve the event in the future. Mayor Booker Gainor thanked them both for their involvement and thanked the council for allowing the event to be held at the airport.
Discussed overtime expenses with the city manager. “Either we are doing a poor job of budgeting or a poor job of managing the budget,” Councilman Jerry Cox said in regards to the amount of overtime used by city departments.
Heard a request from Councilman Bobby Gwaltney to purchase or relocate a trash can closer to the playground at Davis Park in hopes of eliminating discarded waste from people who eat meals at the park and discard their scraps on the ground near the playground.