Even though the Town of Garyville did not become incorporated last Saturday, when the people in that area went to vote on the issue, it is clear that some real good should come from the incorporation effort.

Without doubt, the Town of Garyville has been put on the map.

Even if voters turned thumbs down on the matter of incorporating, it is clear that the parish has sat up and taken notice of the little town to the western side of St. John Parish.

Newly-elected Parish President Bill Hubbard said earlier in the year, before the incorporation effort gathered any steam, that he had some specific plans for giving Garyville the attention it deserved.

He publicly told L’Observateur about plans to work for the historic district to be revitalized, and to make sure the small community got as much attention as anywhere else in the parish when it came to services from the government.

Of course the incorporation drive got in the way of any plans that might have been in the works. Understandably, as the parish waited to see if Garyville would “secede” from the parish, any major plans had to be put on hold.

But now that the election is past, look for Garyville to get plenty of attention, and for some important improvement projects to get underway, something the incorporation committee can take credit for.

Hubbard has again stated publicly that he has Garyville right in the middle of various improvement projects. One such effort will see the major thoroughfare, Anthony Monica Drive, getting blacktopped in the coming days.

L’Observateur reported just last week that the parish has consulted with the state highway department about getting a traffic light at the intersection of Airline Highway and Highway 54.

Additionally, the Parish Council is to consider hiring a consultant who will begin to address the historic district in several of our smaller communities—Garyville included. And Hubband said there is more to come.

But overall, the effort by a small group of people in Garyville to get the small town “its due,” should result in Garyville not being forgotten by parish government.

We expect to see its fair share, and maybe even a bit extra here or there, to go to Garyville and Mt. Airy, which is something that is long overdue.