Last year, residents of Tyrone saw their small town move into the big leagues as new restaurants and a performing arts center moved into town.

But the year got off to an auspicious start in January as an F2 tornado roared through Tyrone and South Fulton County.

“I think this is the worst disaster we’ve ever had in Tyrone,” Smola said.

Damage from the twister was more than $2 million and the tornado cut a seven-mile path along Ga. Highway 74 in Tyrone to South Fulton County. One of the hardest hit areas in Tyrone was the River Oaks subdivision, where several high-priced homes were damaged.

After the town cleaned up from the destruction, the town’s leaders shifted focus towards the future of downtown.

For years, Tyrone officials have discussed trying to create more of a downtown atmosphere along the town's older business corridor on Senoia Road,

Councilman Paul Letourneau, who has been a big backer of trying to get more businesses in the downtown area, said the time was now to start trying to refurbish the area.

"We need more restaurants in the area. I'll vote against any more commercial development on Hwy. 74, because I think it needs to go downtown," he said.

But Councilman Grace Caldwell said she had not fully decided on what the best vision is for the aging business area.

"I have a lot of mixed feelings about downtown. A lot of people want to maintain a country lifestyle," she said.

Councilman Gloria Furr was quite clear about her feelings.

"I will never vote for sewer coming through downtown Tyrone. I think the plan to redo downtown last year was done the wrong way," she said.

In addition to focusing on downtown, the town also undertook the task of updating its 20 year comprehensive plan.

In March, the town’s leaders were told that the plan process involved three components, including a community assessment, a citizen participation plan and the community agenda. The assessment will be completed by consultants and will include the inventory of a mass of data for plan categories that include population and economic development, housing and transportation, natural and cultural resources, land use and intergovernmental coordination. The participation component included citizen advisory meetings, presentations to the council and planning commissioners and a community visioning workshop for residents in September. Many in the group were adamant that a methodology be developed to include direct citizen input into the plan.

Consultants solicited and received input on a myriad of main issues to be addressed in the final plan. The exhaustive list included downtown development, transportation and traffic, approaches to zoning, density, crime, recreation, the aging population, mass transit, water resources protection and the impact of Ga. Highway 74 on downtown commercial activity. Other issues included infrastructure, public services, farmland preservation, a plan to maintain quality rural life, a methodology to pay for needed improvements and the character of the town in 2027.

The town also saw two new celebrations kick off during the year.

Town Councilman Grace Caldwell late in the spring that the town would stage a celebration for the country’s biggest patriotic holiday on July 4. The event was in Shamrock Park and the town followed that celebration up with a Christmas parade in December.

Two of the biggest events that lured residents and visitors to Tyrone was the opening of a restaurant and a performing arts center. During the last half of the year, the Sun-Dried Tomato opened its doors on Ga. Highway 74 and Dogwood Trail and received rave reviews from the county’s food lovers.

In November, the Legacy Theater opened just off Hwy. 74 and became the county’s first full-time professional theater. The center’s first-class exterior and opulent interior is already getting a thumbs-up from culture lovers.

And finally, after years of negotiation, the town and the Fayette County School System agreed on a deal that will allow the town to take over the school system’s wastewater treatment plant on Jenkins Road.

The school system will hand over management of the Jenkins Road facility, which provides sewer to the three schools. The school system will also build a pump station and sewer lines. The town will pick up approximately 45,000 gallons a day from the school system, which should help let the town reduce its rates for existing customers.

“The rates were projected on 250,000 gallons a day capacity. On an annual basis, we’re using about 79,000 gallons a day,”Amos added.

In 2007, the town’s leaders are expected to sign off on the comprehensive plan and deal with the continued growth in the area.