2014 Combined

WEEK OF _________

sports at every age, art gal leries, concerts or music fes th dis or even the tradition of a Saturday morning drop-in jam ession. Infrastructure that "upports the e activi ties include: cmimming pools, parks, tennis courts, golf course , trails, am phitheaters, community cen ters, senior centers and libraries. Again, Decatur is well on its way to providing these amenities. Think ofwalki1lg areas, smaJI businesses and cul tural activities as a tbree leggecl stool that supports all the other basics of a town's infrastructure which in cludes access to jobs, afford able housing, reliable utilities, low taxes and good schools. In planning for the future, Decatur will be con sidering all these factors. One day, don't be surprised if •.-ve appear on one of those "best places" list. The Fa.rebook page this week i .ECCC at facebook.com/Ea.stCen tralCC for the latest on foot ball scores and other events. Send me yow· Decatur news. W1·ite Catherine Hep nel' at production@newton couJJty11ppe8.l.com or the newspaper office in Union at 601-774-9433.

around the pond behind the ECCC sports fields and a quaint strip of storefront in to\'\TI. Tho e who want more outdoorsy walking can go to Turkey Creek Water Park. Sure we need to do a little more in the future. \\'e ne<'d to continue to work on ·ide- \Val.ks and make sure they connect th.rough town. But we also need to recognize all those town partners who have done so much to im prove our sidewalks. When people can accom plish most of their chores close to where they live, whether that be grabbing groceries for dinner, seeing their doctor or dropping off the dry cleaning, they feel more "at home··. Decatur does well in this area, esp~ cially in terms of boutique<; and banking. Hopefully, as the economy improves, more small businesses will come in and those empty store fronts will fill up. People are looking for en tertainment and this week end's homecoming activities at ECCC are a good example of what can be done. They planned activities for early morning, mid-day and later in the evening. Soon Decatur will have "Treat Street" and tqe Christmas parade that will also draw people lo downtown in the evening. We have already tried or ganizing a farmer·s market but that is never easy to get off the ground. People look for street fes tival , opportunities to play

Decatur From 18

Thi was especially true for people ·who had a four year college degree. How ever, among the young adults I interviewed, the ma jority replied they looked to live near other people their age. ln a way, this is good news for Decatur. We know that ECCC draws a large percentage of their employees from out side of the area but they aJso draw a large percentage of their students from outside of Newton County. Those -tudents get a chance to see what life in Decatur is all about. While some of them will move away to pursue an advanced degree, some of them may also consider moving back. Decatur has a lot to offer current residents and those who are looking for a friendly small town atmos phere. Tbe Money Magazine article emphasized three core amenities that make for a great small town: walkabil ity, small business variety and culturaJ activities. Decatur bas a good foun dation in all these areas and seems well on the way to d~ veloping these further. People like to walk through neighborhoods, pass torefronts, alongwa terway and through parks. Decatur doe., well in this area "ith lbe walking trail

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NESHOBA DEMOCRAT ____ scan COUNTY TIMES---- WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL __ CLARION-LEDGER ______

CARTHAGINIAN ~~~~~~~~- NEWTON COUNTY APPEAL ___

SPIRIT OF MORTON -------- MERIDIAN STAR ~~~~~~~~-