According to event organizers, last night’s rally for Austin Whitten’s family raised some $18,000.

Channel 3 WRCB, 06/13/2012: “while Austin couldn’t be there to see the support, his dad is sure of what he would say if he was. ‘You’re not promised tomorrow. Take what God gives you today. Really, I think that’s what he’d say.'”

It’s good to see businesses, schools, and (especially) churches all come together in support of something, and good to see people generously give to help the Whittens.

Businesses show support for Austin on their signs, and some are taking donations for the family. LHS let them use the football field for this rally, on short notice while school is closed. And a lot of churches were represented on the field, many others cancelled Wednesday night services or youth meetings so people would go to this rally.

But it shouldn’t take a tragedy for that to happen. Imagine the impact on LaFayette if the churches (and businesses and schools) regularly got together for something like this.. Most of the churches in LaFayette have beliefs and teachings that are 95% identical to each other. Should we have to wait for this poor kid to break his neck before they can set those differences aside for a night and worship together in public?

Everyone should consider making this a regular thing, not just once a year or during a tragedy but monthly, or quarterly. Doesn’t mean we have to all agree on everything, but the small things where we disagree don’t have to keep us from worshiping together or supporting bigger goals in the same place at the same time.

Jillian Pavlica of Channel 12 is going to moderate a candidate debate Saturday at Walker County Civic Center. The debate will be six hours long, with each contested position getting thirty minutes time. It could be a significant event this go-round, and we strongly encourage you to attend at least part of it if you can.

Here’s the schedule, courtesy Tom McMahan:

Board of Education 10:00 10:30 Post 1 & 4
Judge, Probate Court 10:30 11:00
Judge, Magistrate Court 11:00 11:30
State Court Judge 11:30 12:00
Tsplost Presentation 12:00 1:00 (Pro & Con)
Sole County Commissioner 1:00 1:30
Sheriff 1:30 2:00
State Rep. District 1 2:00 2:30
State Rep. District 2 2:30 2:45
Tax Commissioner 2:45 3:00
District Attorney 3:00 3:30

According to reports, the TSPLOST presentation will be delivered by a TEA Party director, which should keep it from being a pro-tax talk.

We’re told that 22 of the 26 candidates for local election are expected to appear. We will try to have some quotes and/or video from the meeting next week.

During its retreat earlier this month, the LaFayette council made some long-term plans. Those plans include cleaning up the city’s “convoluted” codes, making every department do a five-year financial plan, market the airport and golf course to outsiders, improve customer service, and build a new City Hall with SPLOST.

A new City Hall is needed, the existing building is ugly and small. But it shouldn’t take SPLOST priority over streets and sidewalks. Get your infrastructure right first.

“The LaFayette golf course has long been a necessary drain on the local coffers, the council members agreed, as it rarely makes money but is necessary in order to attract new businesses from outside.”

At least they admit it’s a black hole for money but is it REALLY necessary for business? There are golf courses everywhere and not every business depends on golf even if the old guard of the city think they do. Seems like better streets and infrastructure, a properly run police department, some nice signage, and decent outside marketing would be more important than golf.

We’ll give credit for having some vision, if nothing else. They never even had retreats before. These plans aren’t exactly what we want, some things we can argue about, but you don’t leave meetings feeling like the whole of city government hates you.. That’s how it was with Johnnie Arnold and Tommy Freeman. There are still some elements who don’t care (the mayor being a good example) but it’s not as bad as it was and they’re trying to have some vision. Better a new city hall than a new $980,000 softball field.

That said, this does nothing to encourage us to support the 2013 SPLOST. They could do wonders for LaFayette streets and sidewalks with all the SPLOST money if it was used for them.. The last cycle it seems they didn’t spend a cent of SPLOST on the streets.

Fix streets, build sidewalks, buy up some blighted properties in town. Do some landscaping, put up some signs. THEN build a new City Hall.

WQCH Radio, 06/13/2012:

“LAFAYETTE’S DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IS PREPARING AN ORDINANCE DECLARING A ‘SLUM AND BLIGHT AREA’ ON CHATTANOOGA STREET, WHICH WILL GO BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL LATER THIS SUMMER.

?”THE AREA RUNS ALONG CHATTANOOGA STREET FROM THE INTERSECTION WITH WEST MAIN TO THE INTERSECTION WITH CULBERSON ST, BUT THE MAIN FOCUS IS THE FORMER ‘DEPOT SHOPPING CENTER’ AREA INCLUDING THE BURNED-OUT MARS THEATER BUILDING IT QUALIFIES DUE TO DETERIORATION OF BUILDINGS IN THE BLOCK.

“THE ‘SLUM AND BLIGHT’ DESIGNATION, IF APPROVED BY THE CITY, WOULD MAKE THE AREA ELIGIBLE FOR HELP FROM THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS AND OTHER AGENCIES TO RESTORE OR REHAB BUILDINGS FOR RESALE TO BUSINESS CONCERNS. ONE PROGRAM MENTIONED WOULD REQUIRE 10% OF THE RAHAB COST FROM THE POTENTIAL OWNER OR TENANT, 60% FROM A BANK OR OTHER LENDER, AND THE REMAINING 30 PERCENT OF THE PROJECT FROM A COMMUNITY AFFAIRS LOW-INTEREST LOAN.

“ANOTHER PROGRAM UNDER CONSIDERATION IS THE FORMATION OF ‘OPPORTUNITY ZONES’ WITHIN THE CITY’S POORER AREAS. OPPORTUNITY ZONES CAN ATTRACT NEW BUSINESSES WITH TAX CREDITS AVAILABLE FOR EACH NEW JOB THEY CREATE.”

It’s good the DDA is finally focusing on parts of town outside the square. But Atlanta has done this, they’ve designated areas as blighted and slummy, gotten loans together, etc. and seen nothing change. Hopefully we’ll have better luck with it here.

Seems like the biggest problem is buildings for sale that the owners are asking way too much money for (old Depot Grocery/Piggly Wiggly) or slumlord landlords who won’t do anything to improve their properties no matter what kind of loan you offer them. Not sure how that can be addressed short of outright buying the properties involved and flipping them at a loss.

It’s probably just a coincidence that new city council member Judy Meeks lives along the stretch of road being discussed.

Update from WQCH Radio, 06/13/2012:

“THE GEORGIA DOT HAS DECLINED TO ACCEPT A KU KLUX KLAN GROUP’S APPLICATION TO JOIN THE STATE’S ‘ADOPT A HIGHWAY’ PROGRAM. THE GROUP WANTED TO PICK UP ROADSIDE TRASH ALONG A NORTHEAST GEORGIA ROAD IN UNION COUNTY.

“THE DOT ISSUED A STATEMENT TUESDAY, SAYING IN PART: “PROMOTING AN ORGANIZATION WITH A HISTORY OF INCITING CIVIL DISTURBANCE AND SOCIAL UNREST WOULD PRESENT A GRAVE CONCERN” AND COULD ‘HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE QUALITY OF LIFE’ OF PEOPLE IN THE STATE.”

We discussed this at length earlier in the week.

Now will the KKK group sue as threatened, or just go away?

Changes to library operating hours will begin July 1.

Also on July 1, libraries around the state will double overdue book fees from $.10 to $.20 a day. This is in part a response to the state requiring libraries to fund costlier health insurance plans for all their employees.

Times Free Press Community News, 06/06/2012: “High school art students from the classrooms of Liz Hornik of LaFayette High and Erika Couey of Ridgeland High schools are finishing up artwork that will be a permanent addition to state Rep. Jay Neal’s office at the state capital.”

An organization called Leapfrog rated local hospitals for safety. Memorial and Parkridge in Chatt. got A’s, Hamilton in Dalton got a B. Erlanger and Hutcheson both earned C’s.

Two candidates for GA state legislature are 22 and 24 years old. They’ve been slighted because of their youth, but are running well and could actually beat incumbent politicians twice or three times their own ages.

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