building recreational lake

By KEVIN PEARCEY

Staff Writer

May 2, 2000 10 PM

Life-long residents of Pike County have lived with the Walnut Creek for almost three decades, but some students at TSU, who have lived in the Troy area for the past few years, can also offer some insight into the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed project.

Celeste Wyatt, a TSU senior from Greenville, said that she thinks the idea of a recreational-use lake for Pike County and the surrounding area is a great idea.

"If it doesn’t take money out of the (Pike County) school system and there is a chance that it might increase revenue in the county, then I think it’s a good idea," she said.

Some proponents of the project have argued that with the damning of Walnut Creek, Troy’s recent problem in following guidelines in accordance with the Alabama Water Pollution Control act, would go away.

For that reason alone, TSU seniors Mandy Ledbetter of Friendship and Jessica Davenport of Troy, think that the Walnut Creek project is a must.

"I think it would be a good idea, especially if it makes this water taste better," said Ledbetter.

Davenport agrees.

"First of all they need to worry about the pollution going into Walnut Creek," she said. "If damning up the creek will help that problem, then I’m all for it."

Jennifer Chesser, a Troy State senior from Georgiana, said that were the project be completed, she wouldn’t want to see it end up like other bodies of water around Troy, namely the lagoon on the campus of Troy State University.

"They’ve had to shut it (the lagoon) down so many times because of raw sewage leaking into it, it’s a shame," she said.

Some think that Troy State will benefit directly from the proposed project; namely from an increase in more students, but Ledbetter doesn’t agree.

"How is a lake going to attract more students to TSU?" She said. "People are going to come to Troy State because it’s their college of choice, not because of Walnut Creek."

Celeste Wyatt added that she didn’t want to see the Walnut Creek project end up like Shirling Lake, a recreational park in her native Greenville that was turned into a golf course.

"If the citizens of Troy want to build the lake that’s fine," she said. "But in the future, don’t let something like that come in and make it something where only the privileged are allowed in."