By G0BjE2ASAR on Thu, 04/26/2018 - 00:00

    EDITORIAL

    If it has looked like there’s been a slight holdup in Rockdale’s new police station project at the corner of Cameron (US 79) and Green, there’s a good reason for it. There’s been a slight holdup in Rockdale’s new police station. As so often happens with these kind of things, situations crop up that local officials can’t do anything about. This was one of those. The new PD will have electricity, of course, and the city doesn’t generate electricity, it buys it, just like we all do. The juice arrives on wires, the wires are strung on power poles and all that is in the power distribution company’s domain. Turns out one old Oncor pole needed to be removed because it was in the PD footprint. So the city, and its contractor, simply had to wait until the old pole was removed. That has now happened. Oncor also has dug holes for, and installed, new power poles which will serve the facility. So the project is ready to get rolling again. Then next visible sign of progress at the site will be a big one. The police station’s slab is expected to be poured soon. Obviously, that’s a big milestone. After that point the area will look more like a construction site, and it opens up the way for much more work to get done. However, speaking of things beyond anyone’s control, we are also heading into the most unstable weather month in our little corner of the world. Tuesday is the first day of a month which around Central Texas can be known as “May or May Not.” Storm that is. Three years ago, May brought storms, flooding and a North Milam tornado. A repeat of that could cause more delays, although once the slab is poured the recovery time from significant rainfall will be lessened. The PD is going to be part of a major new look for downtown. It should be taking shape just as two more projects kick in, an extensive US 79 renovation and eye-catching new sidewalks. Bottom line. The police department project is underway again and there’s going to be some visible signs of that pretty soon. It has already come a long way. There’s, obviously, still a long way to go, too.—M.B.