By John Brice
Correspondent
Community leaders, local officials, members of the media and area residents gathered for a city welcome sign reveal ceremony on Highway 50 adjacent to New Mount Sellers Missionary Baptist Church during the late morning hours of Thursday, June 27th of 2024.
Some of the notable guests included Mayor Kenneth Vines, Councilman for District C Toney B. Thomas, Representative for District 37 Bob Fincher, Alabama Senator for District 13 Randy Price, Commissioner for District 2 Douglas Jones, Jr., Commissioner for District 3 James “Moto” Williams, Chambers County Sheriff Jeff Nelson, Fire Chief James Doody, LaFayette Main Street Director Deanna K. Hand, Chambers County Development Authority Executive Director Chris Busby.and Executive Director of the Coosa Valley Resource Conservation and Development Council Ciara Turner. Director Hand began the ceremony by welcoming the attendees and Commissioner Jones led a prayer before the first remarks began.
Hand started off by remarking to the crowd “Many thanks go out to Coosa RC & D that made this happen. Since last year we have been working to get this project implemented and for our city to enjoy some vibrancy and some new change. Main Street Alabama, Main Street America and our goals at Main Street are to continue to revitalize and preserve the historic district of downtown. So I just want to say thank you so much to Coosa Valley RC&D for everything that you have done for us and for awarding us this grant. It is a wonderful honor and we are very appreciative. So, thank you again. I would like to now let our mayor, Kenneth Vines, say a few words if he doesn’t mind.”
Mayor Vines then spoke when by commenting “Good morning, I would just like to thank each and everyone for attending this great event. A sign reveal. As usual, I always say, first time here in the City of LaFayette raise your hand. Welcome to the City of LaFayette. We take great pride and pleasure in our city and as you all know, each and every day we are trying to grow. Just look around, from past experience and look at it now today. A lot of it is coming together, working together, being of one accord. Great things happen when everybody comes together and works together. Main Street, ourself, along with my official staff, the city council, our clerk and the citizens. You all just coming together, trusting in us to do a great job. You put us into office to do a great job and that is what we are trying to do. Sometimes, we kind of bump our heads a little bit. But at the end of the day, we come together to get the job done. Because it is all about you all, it is not about us. It is all about you all, and that is what we are doing and this is part of it. For years, when you are coming up highway fifty and you look there and you see ‘Welcome to the City of LaFayette’ and you see that sign. All this time it just kind of got to me. So when Director Hand, she was saying about the plan I was like ‘first place to put it, highway fifty’. So, she made it happen. Again, welcome to the CIty of LaFayette. I am just so excited to see each and everyone here this morning. Let’s go ahead and reveal this sign.”
Following the end of Mayor Vines remarks, the veil was lifted from the sign to fully reveal it. Further speeches were given by Senator Price, Representative Fincher, Coosa Valley RC&D Director Turner and Board Member Chris Langley as well as Commissioner Jones and CCDA Executive Director Busby. Special guests and members of the community then stood together to pose for a large group portrait.
