Kay Harris
The Valdosta Daily Times
VALDOSTA —
The City of Valdosta Sesquicentennial Committee is placing a time capsule in Drexel Park Friday night at 6 p.m., right before the first Valdosta Wildcats game.
The committee is working hard to ensure that the items placed inside are well preserved and are reflective of what is happening in the community in 2010. The capsule will be opened by the VHS Class of 2010 in the year 2060 at their 50th high school class reunion, which will also be the year of the city’s 200th birthday celebration.
While a lot of us may not still be around then, if we are, it will be interesting to look back on this year and see all of the changes that will have happened in the next few decades. Will John Fretti still be mayor? Will Ashley and Patterson ever become one-way streets? Or will we still even be driving cars by then? Maybe the streets will be railways and monorails. How will we communicate in the future? Will the written word be obsolete? And, more importantly to a lot of folks, will we have ever had an Olive Garden in Valdosta?
Alas, those questions are left to our future selves, but in the present, come help the city celebrate this wonderful 150th birthday year at Drexel Park Friday evening. Come to Valdosta Back to the Future 2060 before the big opening game for VHS.
Business Roundup
Busy week with openings and closings and new announcements. If you missed it earlier this week, CCA (Corrections Corporation of America) has announced that Valdosta is a site they will pitch when they bid on future prison projects from the state and federal government. Here’s hoping they’re successful. Lots of jobs, good paying ones, will come if they are.
On a more immediate note, Taqueria Sur Este has recently expanded and moved into an adjacent space so that they now have room for larger groups and parties. The restaurant is on North Oak Street Extension
Valdosta Powerhouse Outdoor equipment is moving down the block on Janet Street. Instead of facing Bemiss Road, they will now face North Ashley Street in the building where Leo’s used to be.
There’s a new Mexican themed restaurant moving in on North Ashley Street where the former Margarita’s used to be. The sign is up, but the building is still being worked on, so I am not sure when it will open.
Traditions Flooring just opened on Northside Drive. The retail location for the company is located next to Simply Silver in the Stone Crest plaza.
The Potters House has plans to expand into the mall this fall, and I should have more details soon.
There are two places in Lake Park that have closed, and I’m not sure what’s happening with them. One is the Sonic, and at first, I thought they were just renovating, but now it appears that they are closed indefinitely. The other is Nero Tires, and they are referring all their customers to the location they have in Valdosta.
And speaking of closing, Old South Barbeque on Hill Avenue is closed, but I’ve had no luck finding out if it’s temporary or permanent. Does anyone know?
To end on a more permanent note, the construction on Cheddar’s restaurant is going well for its location on Norman Drive, and the Walmart next to it has started its renovation but will remain open while the work is being done. That’s it for this week, but if there’s something I’ve missed, please let me know!
