VIDALIA &045; When lobbying the federal government for funds for local projects, it never hurts to show your face once in a while.

With that in mind, Mayor Hyram Copeland of Vidalia and Mayor Glen McGlothin of Ferriday visited Washington, D.C., last week to meet with members of the area’s congressional delegation.

Those with which the mayors met in Washington including Sen. Mary Landrieu and Rep. Rodney Alexander.

&uot;It was a good trip,&uot; Copeland said. &uot;We went over the projects, such as the riverfront and industrial projects, that we’re working on.&uot;

Although he did not ask for any specific amount of funding for such projects &045; some of which, like industrial prospects, are confidential at this time.

Still, it never hurts to visit &uot;just in case&uot; such projects advance to the point where a specific amount of funding is needed, he added.

In addition, Copeland met with Landrieu and Alexander about the possibility of funding for a port in Vidalia.

Copeland has said he also plans to travel to the U.S. Economic Development Administration regional office in Austin, Texas, to discuss the possibility of getting grants for the project.

He has said having such a facility in Vidalia would be a boon to the area’s economy.

Copeland has estimated that the project would cost $3.5 million to $4 million for construction alone.

However, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study on the feasibility of the port has already been completed.

McGlothin was not available for comment Tuesday.