AMERICUS -- The local NAACP has joined the SaveGSWGreenspace.com committee in their fight to save the Georgia Southwestern University Greenspace/Walking Trail. The school plans to build a much needed Health and Human Sciences Building where the shaded, 37-year-old walking trail and its trees now stand. Everyone agrees the building should be built, but not on this precious site. Jeff Branum & Nancy Spice, spokespersons of the committee, said it seems the ongoing efforts of area residents & students of the university have been heard; just as an architectural company has been hired to design the 'Health' building, which will require the clear cutting of most of the greenspace.

Branum & Spice have been using the walking trail for four years, at least 4 times a week, attracted to the area by the greenspace. Spice said, "It was love at first sight!" "It's important to have a public space featuring native plants, for people's leisure time to enjoy today, as well as for tomorrow," Spice said. The trail is located at the west entrance corner across from the administration building at GSW.

Spice said the main reason Cody King, GSW's financial vice president, wants to build on the greenspace / walking trail is to create another 'angle', matching the positioned angles of other buildings at the inter section of Glessner and GSW State University streets.

It is a place that Matt Wright, president of the Americus- Sumter County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) also spends time exercising. He said the branch has pledged to join the crusade to save what the savethegswgreenspace.com spokespeople call the only large, shaded, and "much loved" greenspace and ½ mile walking trail that has been in continuous use for 37 years by the community at large. He said the civil rights organization fights for the rights of everyone, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation.

"We fight for the rights of all people," Wright said. "That's part of our mission." Wright, recently met with savegswgreenspace.com's spokespersons Spice and Branum at the grove on the importance of the greenspace.

It was apparent that their goals were the same. "To save this beautiful 9 acre resource for the enjoyment of students and citizens alike, now & for future generations is paramount.

GSW University wants to build an approx. 70,000 square foot Health and Human Sciences Building. However, if built on the greenspace, in addition to the space lost for the building footprint, another three acres would be paved over for parking.

Branum said according to the university master plan, there would be a new road between Wheatley, and William B King streets. "Added up, there is not much greenspace left for REAL healthy living; ironically, a building named for teaching health would take away healthy exercising. The greenspace  would be devastated," Spice said.

Branum said GSW's response to this action is to "plant two trees for every one taken down". He throws caution at the response. "They have not adhered to this rule in the recent past; and when asked of V.P. Mr. Cody King, he admitted in an email, the tree rule is only a verbal rule," Branum replied. This explains why they haven't replaced the 350 (or to double: 700 trees) they took down between the campus and the golf course earlier this year, and there's EVEN MORE trees that were taken down during building of the new dorm.

"What is the college offering as a future walking trail?" Spice said they have recently planted young trees around some of the soccer fields to encourage new walkers around the open fields, Branum added, "Where unless you had a solar shield, one would fry in the summer heat like a Southern fried chicken." Together they went to King's office in May, presenting him with another batch of signed petitions to 'Save the GSW Greenspace' and asked why he would not consider moving the angled building over to the next corner (a compromise pointed out by one of the University System of GA regents' when visiting last Jan.), he responded,

"Because I want it there". There have been 3 recent petitions drives over the last 2 ½ years. It feels that the university is not including the community- at-large in on decisions about the greenspace, which will directly affect everyone visually, physically, and spiritually. Spice added that greenspace benefits are both lifestyle and environmental. www.projectevergreen. com sights these benefits:

Lifestyle benefits are: better atmosphere for learning, health benefits in children, privacy & tranquility, lower crime, safer neighborhoods, enhanced self-esteem, green spaces create communities, stress reduction, mood enhancer, social communities strengthened, and road rage reduction. Additionally, this particular greenspace allows lower income people of all ages, access to this beautiful & peaceful resource; especially when they can not afford to leave Americus for other recreational destinations. Americus women too, are blessed with a safe recreational haven to exercise in. Some important environmental pluses cited are things like: Reduced heat buildup, cooler summer days, rainfall retention, improved air quality & climate, and reduced soil erosion.

Wright said they hope Plains native and former U.S. president Jimmy Carter's help will take the fight to keep the trail to another level, which they referred to as the original green space president. As president in 1980, Carter signed into law the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, which doubled the size of the country's national parks. Special Event: Mr. Wright wants to invite Carter and his wife, as well as area residents, to join him for a commemoration walk celebrating the 37th anniversary of the trail, to be held at the Walking Trail, Sat. Nov. 14, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.