By Kay S. Pedrotti kayp@barnesville.com If there is no saving the Lamar County Activity Center, then all the iconic buildings in the local black community will have lost their venerable grandmother. As of Friday, occupants of the former Booker High School buildings on old Highway 41 were told to move out so that in-depth environmental studies can be done under Department of Defense supervision. The facilities belong to the Georgia National Guard and a technician was on scene to determine how to secure the buildings. The primary occupant for many years has been the LCAC, where Angela Mack has directed a multi-layered program serving literally thousands of Lamar youth through the years. She said she is “very saddened” by the prospect of moving. ”I hope the LCAC board and the other entities involved can help us find a place for the present Carrera program,” she said. The teen pregnancy prevention program is in its fourth year and is funded through July 1 by the Morehouse School of Medicine. County commission chairman Jay Matthews said the county simply cannot afford the $2 million it would cost for repairs, she said. ’We’re very hopeful and will keep praying that we can find a place for our programs. This building also houses a thrift store to benefit programs for seniors and youth, and they aren’t happy to be relocating,” Mack added. She calls the 26-acre site “just ideal for youth programs.”
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