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From the LaGrange Daily News, 1987.

Front Page News

Church Construction Boom — LaGrange is experiencing a church construction “boom” with major projects in progress for three downtown congregations.

The look of the downtown area changes almost daily as workers make progress on the new Presbyterian Church’s education building, the new St. Peter’s Catholic Church and the Christian Life Center of First Baptist Church on the Square.

Construction workers have battled temperatures as hot as “fire and brimstone” to keep the church facilities on schedule for completion in 1988. Total cost of the three projects exceeds $7 million.

Veterans Memorial Park Considered for Downtown — The LaGrange Downtown Development Authority on Tuesday established a property tax rate of two mills – the same as last year – and discussed the feasibility of a veterans memorial park on Lafayette Square.

The owners of about 212 properties in the downtown commercial area will pay the tax. It will generate more than $20,000 to go along with a current balance of $97,960.46.

Authority chairman Nasor Mansour Jr. appointed Charles Hudson, Ed Gore and Stan Crawford to study the idea of a memorial on the square to honor local veterans who died in battle, beginning with the Revolutionary War. One authority member estimated it would cost about $225,000.

Because of the expense, the City Council would be asked to contribute funds to the project.

Summertime Fun at Camp Viola — Friday was closing day for Camp Viola, now operated as a day camp by the Troup County Parks and Recreation Department. Since June 8, over 340 local youngsters have participated in the outdoor recreation experience, with attendees averaging 110 per day.

Activities at the facility included swimming, arts and crafts, sports, games, nature hikes and special events. The camp was free and open to all youngsters ages 7 to 13. Richard Jackson was camp director.

Fryer Heads State Chamber Leaders — Jane Fryer, executive director of the LaGrange Chamber of Commerce, was elected president of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Executives Association at its recent annual meeting in Savannah.

GCCEA works closely with the Business Council of Georgia and the Department of Industry and Trade to promote and sustain the economic growth and development of Georgia.

Coming Home to Salem — Homecomings are popular annual events for many local churches, bringing together on one day each year people who share common roots and interests. Homecoming traditionally means lots of homemade food, socializing and “catching up” on the past year’s events.

One rural Troup County church, 128-year-old Salem Methodist, celebrated homecoming with traditional services at Salem Methodist Church followed by a bounteous covered dish luncheon in the old Salem school building on Aug. 9, when upwards of 60 people came home to celebrate heritage and mingle with kin.

Eight Receive Lovejoy Law Scholarships — The Hatton Lovejoy Law Scholarship Committee of Fuller E. Callaway Foundation today announced the awarding of scholarship grants totaling $108,000 to eight outstanding law school students from this area.

Funds were provided by a bequest in the will of Fuller E. Callaway III, who died in 1971. Awards were based on ability, motivation, character and need. Grants vary according to need and are renewable based on the applicant’s academic performance.

Those receiving grants are David King Anderson, and Kevin Alan Hall, Emory University School of Law; Patrick B. Calcutt, Florida State University College of Law; Steven R. Escobar, Columbia Law School; Donald E. Hayes Jr., Catholic University, Columbus School of Law; Lissa G. Newman and Mary Laura Riddle, Georgia State University College of Law; and Jeffrey Marshall Todd, University of Georgia School of Law.

Editorial

Looking Good — We tend to take for granted many of the advantages that LaGrange possesses, and then along comes and outsider who is shocked by our progress.

This was brought home in a recent edition of The Charlotte Observer in Charlotte, N.C., in an article by Ken Sanford, information director at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte.

In an article about how well Charlotte measured up against other leading cities in the Southern region, he compared what some of those offered with what Charlotte offers. Charlotte has a population of 370,000.

The list of cities Knoxville, Nashville, Memphis, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Mobile, Montgomery, Atlanta AND LaGrange, Georgia.

Sanford listed the drawbacks as well as the assets of each of these communities and measured them against Charlotte.

Here’s what he said about LaGrange – “Why include this small Georgia city? It holds a lesson for North Carolina. It’s a good illustration of how enhancing a major city can cause spin-off benefits to nearby rural counties. Located about 70 miles west of Atlanta in Troup County, Georgia, it is attracting to its modern industrial park companies that want to be near, but not in Atlanta. And LaGrange, once dependent upon textiles exclusively, is thriving with a balanced economy.”

Isn’t it nice to be noticed?

Julia Dyar, a retired journalist, is active in the Troup County Historical Society.