tra X
APRIL 4 - APRIL 10, 2018
TIMES-HERALD
➤
calendar of events inside ➤ page 6
free
Fiberglass farm animals arrive for pickup,
your weekly connection to local news & entertainment
➤ page 4
Local designer’s clothing line showcased in national department store
BY MELANIE RUBERTI
melanie@newnan.com Ve r o n i c a R a m i r e z has an eye for fashion. T he 26 -yea r-old Sha r psburg woma n is so ta lented, her sketches a nd d rea ms of becoming a fashion designer are coming to life. T h e “ Ve r o n i c a Ramirez” clothing collec t ion i s now bei ng s h owc a s e d a n d s old in select Belk departm e n t s to r e s n a t i o n wide. Her designs will a lso be feat u red a nd sold online. T he 26 -yea r-old entered the Southern Desig ner Showca se l a st ye a r. A f ter pre sent i ng her clot h i ng line before a panel of judges, Veronica was chosen as one of f ive winners from dozens of competitors. “ I cou ld n’t bel ieve it ,” s he s a id . “ I wa s i n s ho c k . I wa s pict u r i ng my n a me a nd my clothing in a Belk store a nd it blew my mind.” The Southern Desig ner Showca se provides emerging desig ners t he opportunity to ref ine their de sig n s , lea r n about production at sca le and experience in-
PHOTO BY MELANIE RUBERTI
Veronica Ramirez sketches out a new idea for her clothing line, “Veronica Ramirez.” The Sharpsburg woman said she’s wanted to be a fashion designer since the age of 14. Veronica’s parents renovated their garage into a design studio for their daughter.
DESIGNER , page 2
Market Day returns April 7
NTH FILE PHOTO
Locals enjoy last year’s Market Day on the courthouse square, which features local vendors with homemade products.
BY KANDICE BELL
NTH FILE PHOTO
More than 30,000 new residents will call Coweta County home in the next 10 years, according to latest data provided by the Newnan-Coweta County Chamber of Commerce. That population growth is in addition to the 140,000 residents who live in the county now.
Ready or not :
COWETA TO EXPERIENCE POPULATION ‘EXPLOSION’ WITHIN NEXT 10 YEARS BY MELANIE RUBERTI
melanie@newnan.com More than 30,000 new residents will call Coweta County home in the next 10 years, according to latest data provided by the Newnan-Coweta County Chamber of Commerce. That population growth is in addition to the 140,000 residents who live in the county now. Wit h g row t h comes change - and portions of Coweta County are a l re ady ex per ienc i n g increased construction and plans for restructuring to accommodate the influx of people. The population surge
w i ll eventua lly a ffect all areas of the county, from ma nufacturing a nd bu si ne ss to education and healthcare, traffic, real estate, tourism and the cultural arts communities. O ne of t he bi g ge s t cha nges in Coweta County will occur later in 2018 when the entrance and exit ramps at Interstate 85 and Poplar Road open up. This will bring more traffic, people and business to the southern end of the county. “The mixed-use development at Lower Fayetteville and Newnan Cross-
ing Boulevard appears to be a huge project , along with all the Poplar Road development with medical, retail, and housing sprouting up at the new interchange,” sa id Joh n Ha ll, President of the United Bank, Newnan Division. “This is an exciting time to be in Coweta county and be in business.” The Coweta County Development Authority is busy with several manufacturing projects and a distribution project that could possibly bring more than 1,000 jobs to Coweta. But the county won’t be the only area to expe-
rience growth, so will the cities of Newnan and Senoia.
Senoia
Suzanne Helfman is the chairman of the Senoia Downtown Development Authority. She said two large residentia l developments h ave been approved recently, and those new residents will need services. Com mercia l g row t h is also continuing along H w y. 1 6 , a s w e l l a s downtown.
POPULATION , page 3
kandice@newnan.com Ma i n Street New na n’s m ont h ly M a rke t D ay s e a s on w i l l k ick off a rou nd t he Newnan Court Square on Saturday, April 7. Ma rket Day is held t he f i rst Sat u rday of the month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature more tha n 50 spaces with handmade, homemade and homegrown products, from loca l ly sou rced vendors. Each mont h offers new vendors and new products. Market Day favorites include fresh, locally grown produce, honey, jams and jellies, salsa, pottery, art, handmade c h i ld ren’s c lot he s , h a nd-woven ba skets , leather products, fresh ly ba ked goods , h a nd m ade f u r n it u re, handmade birdhouses, wood-a r t, f iber-a r t, wreaths and f loral desig n , a mong m a ny other items. “We are very excited to k ic k of f t h e 2 0 1 8 season,” said Newnan Main Street Manager Cour tney Ha rcour t. “ We w e l c o m e t h e com mu n it y to st rol l t h r o u g h t h e c o u r thouse until December for a t r u ly loc a l experience. The Mar-
ket Day i s a n excellent showplace for our local craft industries, farmers and artists.” All products sold at the market are handm ade , homem ade , or home grown, and the e ve n t s e e k s to p r o mote loca lly sourced supplies to match the needs of a com mun it y c u s tom e r b a s e , according to Harcourt. Pickin’ on the Square is held simultaneously each month during the Market Day. Local musicians with acoustic instr uments are invited to play a rou nd t he courthouse. F r e e p u b l i c p a r king is available along downtown streets and in the numerou s of f-st reet lot s located on the corner of LaGra nge Street and Spring Street, F i r s t Av e n u e a n d Spring Street, East Broad Street and Perry Street and East Washington Street. Market Day is open to the public and admission is free. For more i n for m ation, contact the Main St reet of f ice at 7 70 253-8283 or visit www. mainstreetnewnan. com .