By Fred Guarino
The Lowndes Signal

Home improvements and a possible new local transportation system will be focus of upcoming meeting to be held in White Hall.

White Hall Mayor James Walker announced at last Thursday’s regular council meeting that on Monday, April 14, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. a USDA Outreach Meeting will be held at White Hall Town Hall. And, he said, a local transportation meeting is set for Thursday, April 17 at 7 p.m. also at White Hall Town Hall.

According to Walker and USDA, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Mid-South RC & D Council, Rural Development and the Farm Service Agency, which has a local office in Selma to serve Lowndes and Dallas counties, will sponsor the Outreach Meeting.

“I’d like to encourage all citizens to come (to the meeting) because there is something for everybody in the community,” Walker said. “If you need home repairs there is someone you can talk to about that.”

According to USDA, attendees will learn about programs and services for such things as High Tunnel Houses (a form of greenhouse), home improvement and repair, environmental quality incentives, forestry programs, as well as educational and business programs.

Among those scheduled to attend are State Rep. David Colston, James Chambliss, vice chairman of the Mid-South RC & D Council, moderator Shaurice Carr of Mid South RC & D, Pete Wheeler, National Resources Conservation Service district conservationist, Perry Woodruff, county executive director for the Farm Service Agency, and Nivory Gordon of USDA Rural Development on single family housing.

As to a local transportation system, Walker said he has been working with the Tent City Empowerment Group, Tuskegee University, Alabama State University, West Alabama Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a transportation system for the towns of White Hall, Mosses and Hayneville.

He said the upcoming meeting on April 17 will be about how the system will work and who it will serve.

Walker said the system would benefit the three communities to transport citizens to wherever they need to go with a proposed route from Selma, to Montgomery, to Hayneville.

“If someone needs to go to the doctor, they don’t have to wait until their brother gets off to take them,” he said.

Walker said buses would be running similar to the Montgomery Transit System and will tie-in to that system at some point.
He also said there will be shed-stops in the community and, “It actually is a public system.”

Walker said he strongly encourages all citizens from the community to provide as much input as possible for number of busses, stops, and locations the system will need.

He said the new system would be federally funded. And, “We need the house full at this meeting to get input from the community.”