PLAINS, Ga. — The town of Plains is putting down a fresh coat of paint as it gets ready for what’s expected to be a new influx of visitors after the Carter Center announced former President Jimmy Carter would be receiving hospice care.
Channel 2′s Richard Elliot watched on Wednesday as crews restriped Main Street and on Tuesday night, the town lit up the Christmas lights.
It was all done to help cheer up the people of Plains and the people who are on their way there.
In a video posted by James Earl Carter IV, Jimmy Carter’s grandson, you can see him juggling to cheer up everyone inside the Carter home.
They didn’t show the former president or first lady, but they were there.
Barely a mile away, crews were busy trying to cheer up the town of Plains by laying down a new coat of paint. They restriped Main Street and all the parking spaces lining it.
“Because it was certainly spruced up when he was running for president,” said Jody Cripe.
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The town of plains hired Cripe’s work crew to put down the paint. He grew up in Americus and remembers coming to Plains when Carter was running for president.
He wants to make the town look like that again.
“It was exciting to know that he was a local guy, and of course, everybody local voted for him, but it was just, the world came here instead of people going to see the world,” Cripe said.
That included people like Bill and Kathi Rattler.
The couple has driven down from Grand Rapids, Michigan for six years hoping to get a glance of the former president. They never did but they’re glad they came back now.
“I want to see Jimmy Carter, that’s why. We kept coming though, and the people are amazing,” Kathy Rattler said.
Michael and Jessica Harley drove over from Columbus. They like the way the town is sprucing itself up.
“We know the city is painting lines and doing everything. I think it’s nice. It represents that the town still loves him,” Michael Harley said.
The town also started turning on its Christmas lights at night. Jimmy carter’s niece Kim Fuller said she thought it was a good way to honor her uncle.
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