It was June 21, 2001 when the City of Lithia Springs was officially falling apart at the seams when Judge Emerson issued a dissolution order to begin the ending of the city’s existence. A day prior the City had already turned over its assets to the County in anticipation of the order. Eight months later the last mayor to serve for Lithia Springs called for the State to set the record straight by officially dissolving the city.

Then in April of 2002 Georgia Senate Bill 571 appears before the General Assembly in order to repeal the charter that recreated the City of Lithia Springs in 1999. The Bill swiftly went through the Senate with an approval before reaching the House of Representatives where the Bill would fail. Afterwards all remained quiet on the bitter political front lines that dominated the atmosphere in Lithia Springs.

But something was not right. The Bill was never successfully passed leading to the question whether or not Lithia Springs was still a city? In an obituary way, yes.

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The historically rare Praray designed Georgia Western Cotton Mill seemingly has no future near downtown Douglasville as the mill deteriorates into a state of disrepair. Long ago the mill was a prosperous icon becoming a community of its own, employing local residents in the busy world of textiles. Throughout time the mill would change names and owners numerous times, its red brick exterior covered in yellow paint, the three-story front tower removed, windows boarded up.

Then in 2001 a small hope of life was breathed into the mill as it was considered to become a retail center of a mastered overhaul of downtown Douglasville, but to no avail that too would be exhaled partly to location, feasibility and cost. However prosperity is on the rise as the future will bring Highway 92 next door to the mill.

What if, by chance, the mill could return to serve as an alternate motive that could not only support both the City of Douglasville and Douglas County, but the whole West Georgia region?

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Shortly after uploading the Anneewakee Creek photo set from the archives one of the photographs was selected as Flickr’s Best – an invite only group for only the best pictures on Flickr. The honor came as a surprise and it is well accepted for not only a personal achievement of my craft, but shows that there are parts of Douglas County untouched.

This particular photograph was captured on an island in the creek just downstream from Anneewakee Falls. Hiking there is no small feat either in regards to increased development from Anneewakee Trails along the majority of the creek. Starting from a cul-de-sac in Chaparral Ridge, a pathway is present that follows a sewer line before coming to a fork. Once past the silt fences a real hiking trail can be picked up all the way to the sharp bend in Anneewakee Creek.

Here the current begins to rush around a rock-covered jutting. The trees create a canopy over the whole bend making it a cool resting spot and to change out footwear – from hiking to hip waders. Crossing the creek at its lowest spot one can recognize where deer, raccoons and other wildlife has crossed the same path as footprints are riddled on the sandy banks.

After scouring up a hill to circumvent a small set of rapids, the creek reappears into a fantastic site with the tree canopy beginning to open up as the falls lie ahead. This is another point in the creek where passing is feasible, but becomes tedious as moss covered rocks hamper stability, lessening any short of traction.

But it is also here where the photograph was taken on a small island that rises out of the creek bed with a single tree rising out of it. Once again the spot is a nice place to rest, letting your feet hang over the edge as the cold waters move swiftly past. Anneewakee Creek is remarkably clear, has a rich history and defines one of the five valleys that dominant the landscape of Douglas County.

Last week at the Impact Fee hearing for the City of Douglasville, Robert Reynolds, Director of the Douglas County Development Authority, spoke to residents during a presentation in correspondence to the Impact Fee Coalition, a local group of businessmen against impact fees. Part of the presentation included an example about if a Super Target was seeking to build in Douglasville, impact fees would likely force the development to Villa Rica where there are none.

In reality there may be more truth to that example than previously known. Losing Georgia has learned that both Wal-Mart and Target are looking within the Douglas County market for another location to facilitate one of their “super” centers. There are already two Wal-Mart Supercenters in the Douglasville city limits, Thornton Road and Highway 5, but there is not a Super Target, the closest one being in Hiram, only a regular Target store on Chapel Hill Road.

Currently the western portion of Douglas County is being considered due to growth in Villa Rica, most notably the Mirror Lake region. The likelihood of a third Wal-Mart Supercenter is skeptical in relation to the political tensions that is in the government atmosphere and that there already is a Supercenter in Villa Rica on the Carroll County side.

However there is more leverage for Target to expand its footprint in West Georgia taking into account that the only other Target store in the area is in Carrollton. Whether Target decides to develop a standard store or Super Target is still in the air; then again Target may not even build in the county at all. This issue was discussed earlier on the website about a major grocery store chain looking to build in the Bill Arp community.

The outlook is questionable as impact fees come to closer becoming a certainty. There is no definite answer whether Wal-Mart or Target will go through with development in the county. If the City of Douglasville and Douglas County adopt impact fees, this would not affect the Cities of Villa Rica and Austell, even though they are located within the county, pushing development into those areas and maybe further west along I-20.

Is Bremen the next city in West Georgia to experience the rapid growth and associated problems like that of Douglasville?

With the donations provided this month the Losing Georgia Project is now in the process of backing up pictures on Flickr using a Pro account. This opportunity allows anyone to view pictures associated with the Project as well as see never-released images that have been kept in the archives. All images will be mapped on Yahoo! Maps to further enhance the educational aspect of the images.

Currently I am working out the details of each new set as it is uploaded. Some of the places that have been documented are in need of research and anyone can leave comments (so as long you have a Yahoo! Account). Also photos from the sedimentation packets and Veterans Memorial at Hunter Memorial Park will be included, having notes to point out key areas in the photographs.

I would like to thank those again who made a donation, it is greatly appreciated. The navigation bar has been edited to where now anyone who clicks on Gallery will immediately go to Flickr. A new Flickr RSS feed is available in the sidebar showing the latest photos added.

About two weeks ago the Piggly Wiggly grocery store closed at the Midway Village shopping center on Fairburn Road. Today the windows are lined with white sheets of paper, signs made with permanent marker saying the store is closed and to shop at the Piggly Wiggly in Villa Rica, and inside the store the cash terminals are quiet next to empty shelves and filtered sunlight.

The Piggly Wiggly served as the anchor for the shopping center, attracting customers to the area and providing business to the other smaller shops. Before Piggly Wiggly there was Save Rite and Winn-Dixie, all three grocery store chains that compete at the mid-level. Douglas County has faced shopping centers that have lost their anchor store, leaving many tenants struggling with the idea to stay or leave.

The impact of the widening of Highway 78, the Highway 92 Relocation Project, and the I-20 HOV Project will directly affect all businesses on Fairburn Road. Today I spoke with a few business owners at the Midway Village shopping center to understand their view.

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After a year of pursuing information and three months of looking over historical texts and maps, almost 100 historical places have been engineered into the latest build of the Interactive Tour, stepping up the version to 2.2. The Historic Douglas County map, by the Historical Society of Douglas County, provided the stepping stone of documenting locations early on last year.

It was discovered then that the historical map was somewhat inaccurate. Through a little guess work, late nights and luck, Losing Georgia is providing a fairly comprehensive list that pinpoints historical places to their true geographical location and photographs depicting each site (more photographs will be added).

Currently the areas of concentration are urban/rural Douglas County, the former City of Lithia Springs, and the City of Douglasville (limited). Information provided includes a National Register of Historical Places Number (if applicable), Georgia Historic Resource Number (if applicable), architectural style (if applicable), street address, brief history and resources sited.

Eventually I would like to include the City of Villa Rica, correctly locate each site with GPS coordinates and expand the historic record to include the original Campbell County. The main difficulty with the historical section of the Project is gaining access to historical sites that are on private land. I hope everyone enjoys this edition of the Interactive Tour; it has been a very educational experience.

This month some residents made donations to the Losing Georgia Project and I can not thank you enough. It is very fulfilling to know that there is support for this project and reassures that I need to keep focusing on one of my many passions – creating more awareness in Douglas County. Whatever doubts I had about continuing the project are withdrawn in hopes that I can prolong the documentary for another year.

Now you may ask yourself where the money will be going, but rest assured it will be put into good use. Below is a list of items that will be purchased from the donations. One again I can not thank those enough who donated, I truly appreciate the contribution.

• Server Payments
• Notebooks - Can’t have enough when taking notes in the field
• Out-of-Date Text - Copies of out-dated local documentation and out-of-print material
• North Across the River - A history book about what happened during Sherman’s March at New Manchester Mills
• Flickr Pro Account - Photography back-up and dynamic photo albums with geographic positioning
• Digital Voice Recorder - Able to record interviews for the first time

Note: I know there haven’t been many posts this week - I have been working double shifts while my time is being occupied on all fronts. Hope to have more updates after the weekend.

Earlier this month the historical Chapel Hill Courthouse underwent some renovation with a new set of stairs at the entrance and new rails near Chapel Hill Road. Also the hedges were finally trimmed down to allow the sign that signifies the famous courthouse made visible. LosingGeorgia.com reported in December of 2006 about a minor repair to a broken window and the rotting staircase at the historic landmark.

The renovations are a welcome sign that some improvements are being done to preserve the historical aspect of the courthouse. However this does not permits a reason why the courthouse is being used as a type of storage shed versus a representation of historic value to the community. In reference to the 1999 Douglas County Historic Resources Survey (PDF), the courthouse may have met guidelines to be on the National Register of Historic Places.

Last night was the City of Douglasville’s mandatory impact fee hearing on the possible implementation of impact fees and to gain feedback from the public. Upon entering the conference center two documents were handed out: an agenda and a list of rules. Both documents were released on the City’s website, however the proposed impact fee schedule was included at the hearing.

Promptly at 6:30 p.m. the meeting began with City Manger Bill Osborne briefly going over the agenda and list of rules. Osborne explained that approximately a month later a second hearing would be held to adopt an ordinance for impact fees, before giving a presentation on the City’s progress on impact fees since last year.

Originally there were three sections in which funding from impact fees would support: Road/Transportation, Parks and Recreation, and Public Safety (Police). A draft of the Capital Improvements Element (CIE) was submitted to the Atlanta Regional Commission and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (GDCA) for approval. The State’s DCA questioned parts of the CIE, further delaying impact fee hearings and possible implementation.

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