Midway native son delivers $2 million check for recreation center renovation and expansion

Last week, United States Representative Al Lawson visited his hometown of Midway to present a $2 million check.

The money will be used to expand the Eugene Lamb, Jr. Recreation Center.

“This is progress that will benefit all of the citizens of Midway,” Lawson said during a check presentation ceremony in front of the recreation center on Thursday, April 14. “The fact that our children in Midway and surrounding areas, with our seniors, families and working individuals will have a nice facility to accommodate recreation, play, learning, enrichment activities, community gatherings and a multitude of events is progress.

Russ said the community center expansion will drive growth in Midway.

The Eugene Lamb, Jr. Recreation Center, located at 420 Palmer Road, in Midway, will soon undergo a renovation and expansion process.

Mayor Ella Parker Dickey said she’s lived in Midway all her life, and she is ecstatic about the community project being funded

Eugene Lamb, Jr., who the recreation center is named for, said he and Lawson once attended school together where the center now sits.

Lamb and Lawson are long-time friends.

“It’s such a good feeling to know that Midway now has the funds to renovate and add to the beautiful facility on this ground here,” Lamb said. “This is where Al Lawson and myself went to elementary school up to the eighth grade.”

“When we’ve gone through Coronavirus vaccinations, and we’ve gone through other events, we had no place to hold important and critical functions, so I think it’s indeed what the citizens deserve, and I think it’s a step in the right direction to making the quality of life improved for the citizens of Midway.”

- Former Midway City Manager Linda Dilworth

The two also played basketball together at Havana Northside High School.

United States Rep Al Lawson holds a $2 million ceremonious check while surrounded by Gadsden County and Midway city officials on Thursday, April 13.

“It’s such a glorious time for us to see such a beautiful building renovated and added to, for the citizens of Midway to enjoy themselves,” Lamb said. “Please citizens, use this building when it’s completed.

Lamb also thanked the city council for all they have done, including applying for the funding.

Old friends Eugene Lamb, Jr. and Representative Lawson smile for a photo while holding a $2 million ceremonious check that Lawson delivered to Midway for the expansion of the local recreation center that is named after Lamb.

Lawson, who has been a United States congressman for six years, said when he first got to Washington he went there to let the federal legislators know how important community projects are.

“Obama ended community projects, but it took four years to convince people that we need to restore community projects because you can make a direct impact on your communities and enhance the opportunity for them to grow and to improve and give them resources that they normally cannot get.”

Lawson said in his district, District 5, community projects stretch from the Chattahoochee River to Jacksonville.

“Ladies and gentlemen, when you come from where we started – here walking to school barefoot, down that road when there weren’t any buses, looking at where the house was over here where we got candy from time-to-time, and when Coca Cola was only 5 cents, we certainly have come a long way,” Lawson said,

Former Midway City Manager Linda Dilworth, who aggressively went after the funding from the very beginning, said she is elated that the monies were awarded.

“I’m elated because I believe the citizens of Midway deserve more than what we have here,” Dilworth said.

Dilworth said in a listening session with citizens, they told officials they needed facilities.

“Look at the facility that’s here; that’s all we have.”” Dilworth said. “When we’ve gone through Coronavirus vaccinations, and we’ve gone through other events, we had no place to hold important and critical functions, so I think it’s indeed what the citizens deserve, and I think it’s a step in the right direction to making the quality of life improved for the citizens of Midway.”

Dilworth said the plans for the site have not been finalized but a portion of the funding allocated be used for the plans and architectural drawings.

Erin Hill - erin@gadsdencountytimes.com

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