BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) — Several potholes are showing up around the Panama City area, and some residents have found a way to turn a negative situation into something positive.
Cove community residents said numerous potholes are hazardous. Still, they have decided to make light of the situation and decorate barricades in the holiday spirit in Christmas decorations.
“Deep and dangerous,” said resident Melissa Grabner-Hagen.
Although she did not play a part, Grabner-Hagen said maybe it would help to have decided to grab the city’s attention so they can come down here and fix them sooner.
“They were kind of put up there for different reasons, hoping that the lights and the big gaudiness of it detracts or stops people from trying to run over them and I guess to be safer on the roads,” said longtime Cove resident Sean Brosnan.
Brosnan even dressed up as Uncle Eddie from the holiday movie favorite “Christmas Vacation.”
City officials applaud residents for being resilient and getting involved.
“However, we have to caution people that these barricades have reflectivity material attached to them and that it shines at night when your headlights shine on it,” said Panama City Public Works director Johnny Sims. “So we don’t want to block the material from being visible for people at night.”
Sims said it is quite a lengthy process filling in these potholes and doing it safely. But if you do spot a pothole, decorated or not, call the public works department so they can get a head start on road repairs.
