About fifty residents from all walks of life joined the LePageville Memorial Cemetery, Inc. in a light rain as it held an unveiling ceremony on Saturday, April 2, 2016 at 11 a.m. to mark the installation of the new LePageville Drive street sign. The sign is located off President Street, between Parker’s Market and Dollar General. Chatham County Commissioner, James J. Holmes (District 2), presided and traced his connections to LePageville. On hand to lend support were County Commission Chairman Al Scott, Alderman John Hall (District 3), School Board member Connie Hall (District 3), and former city councilman Ellis Cook. About 25 descendants of LePageville, an African-American community of railroad workers dating back to 1885, attended and assisted with the dropping of the ceremonial black covering.

Program participants included the Southern Bones Band, Rev. Jimmie Mikell of St. Thomas Missionary Baptist Church (originally LePageville Baptist), President Kenneth Rouse, and Vice-President Larry Washington.

Paul Mazo donated the expenses to cover the cost of the official LePageville street sign to the LePageville Memorial Cemetery, Inc., and Greg Parker, CEO of Parker’s Convenience Store located next to the cemetery, gave permission to re-name its service street LePageville Drive. Commissioner Holmes called up Dan Fischer of EMC Engineering to be recognized for his valuable technical and professional support as a board member of LePageville.

Several students from Savannah State University, led by Sierra Walton and Shayanna Bonner, were also on hand to represent their chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and to see the results of their media work for the event. Professors Julianna Trammel of Journalism & Mass Communications (PRSSA Advisor), Daryl Thompson of Fine Arts & Humanities, and Pat West of English, Languages, and Cultures (SSU liaison to LePageville) were there to bolster the university’s involvement in the project.

By Prof. Patricia West