Public Restrooms To Be Built in Rear Of Founder’s Park

The courthouse square in downtown La Grange is going to get some public restrooms.

In a unanimous vote Thursday morning, Fayette County commissioners voted to approved a bid from J.B. Locke Construction of Giddings to construct restrooms in the Founder’s Park area of the square on Colorado St.

The restrooms will be in the rear of the park area, leaving the open Founders’ Park space.

Commissioners had considered two other plans which would have called for additional office space to be built into the park as well, but those plans were rejected.

The project will cost about $250,000 with the cost shared between the county and the city of La Grange.

Currently there are no public restrooms on the square. Sometimes the courthouse has been opened after-hours when events are in the square for restroom use, and sometimes portable bathrooms are rented for weekend after-hours events on the square.

Opioid Settlement

Fayette County will get a share of millions that have been allocated to the state as part of the Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council and Settlement Allocation.

Blake Watson of the Fayette County attorney’s office informed the commissioners court Thursday that the county is in line to get about $95,000 spread out over the course of several years, but the county could also get more in grant funds available for projects related to the opioid drug crisis.

The money comes from lawsuits against opioid distributors and manufacturers.

Czech Heritage

Commissioners signed a proclamation designating October as Czech Heritage Month in Fayette County. Several of the commissioners expressed their appreciation to a large contingent of Czech descendants who attended the meeting and took a photo with the proclamation.

In part the proclamation read: “Fayette County and Texas is a better place because the Czechs decided to come here ... Fayette County is considered to be the cradle of Czech immigrants to Texas and the Czech citizens of this county are proud of their heritage.”

“Thank you for recognizing us,” said Retta Chandler, President of La Grange’s Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center. “Next year will be the 25th year since our founding (of the TCHCC) and we are still growing.”