Mayor's weekly blog
Friday, December 28, 2007 – Friday, January 4, 2008
I bring greetings to you from the mayor’s office. We are now in
a new year, and business is going on as usual, but it still is a
bit slow. I don’t think it will be too long before we are in
full swing with projects and events that help to shape our
community.
Friday evening Kay and I went to Domino’s for a pizza, rented a
movie next door, and went home for a quiet evening. The movie
was “The Kingdom”; a real action movie about a team of FBI
agents on a mission is Saudi Arabia. I think you would like this
movie.
Saturday morning we did a few chores, and we attended the
funeral of Jessica Elkins at Athens High School. Rick Camp,
former Youth Director of First Baptist, Aaron Johnson, former
Pastor of First Baptist, and Edwin Jenkins, current Pastor,
spoke at the service. All three had very positive things to say
about Jessica, and had very good messages for those attending,
especially the young folks. Jessica’s cheerleader friends read a
memorial to her that I thought was very fitting. There was a
huge crowd of people there to grieve with this fine family, and
many of them were at her burial in the Roselawn Cemetery.
Sunday morning Kay and I attended Sunday school and Church
services. We had good attendance at both services, and our choir
sang two songs that we performed at our Christmas program.
After Church, our bunch decided to go to Charlie Gee’s for
lunch, but when we got there they were closed on Sunday. We came
back down and ate at the new Jack’s on Highway 31 North. We sat
next to Pete and Carolyn McAlister as we ate, and enjoyed our
visit with them. Pete and I lived next door to each other on
Coleman Hill many years ago. We talked about old times.
We had a lazy Sunday afternoon, and watched the Alabama/Colorado
game tonight. I thought the way it began, Bama would beat them
by forty points, but Colorado finally caught on fire and made a
game of it.
Monday morning City Hall was open for business.
Kay and I went to Huntsville on business at lunch and ate with
our son Daniel while we were there. He later called us and told
us they had taken Jillian to Crestwood for an x-ray on the left
leg, because she has been limping badly.
We went to my Mama’s house tonight for a party in the big
basement. Joan and Jimmy have completed a lot of work on the
basement, and had it ready for the party. Daniel and his family
didn’t get to attend, but the rest of us did. Jimmy’s family all
attended and we had Roger and Marcel Leopard as guest.
Roger and Marcel started a game of dominoes at about 11:00 p.m.
and we played until after 2:00 a.m. This is not the regular game
of dominoes, because it has many more pieces, and the object is
to play out and catch the other players with a lot of points in
their hand. Everyone had a good time even though we all stayed
up too late for old folks. Kay and I got home and to bed around
3:00 a.m.
Tuesday morning we didn’t get up until around 9:00. We were
having a light breakfast when Charles called and wanted to know
when the hog jowl and black-eyed peas would be ready. We had not
planned to have lunch, but Kay dispatched me to the grocery
store to get the fixings. They were out of hog jowl, so I got a
big package of smoked bacon. Kay, Dinah, and I made cornbread,
bacon, slaw, and mashed potatoes for lunch. Whitney and her
family, and Daniel and his folks showed up around 2:00 for a
real good meal.
We had a long and lazy afternoon watching ball games and taking
naps in the recliner. I woke up one time and Whitney’s husband,
Allen, was asleep on the couch beside my chair. I couldn’t find
anyone else and figured that the rapture had occurred and left
Allen and me behind.
Everyone left around 6:00 p.m., and Kay watched a movie. I went
to bed before she was finished with the movie, but I couldn’t
stay up any longer.
On Wednesday morning, the wind was so cold you would look to see
if you forgot to put on your pants. Things were slow at the
office but business was on-going.
We have received notice of change in the location of the City of
Athens District 3 Voting place. The District 3 voters have been
voting at the Seventh Day Adventist Church on Brownsferry Street
in Athens, and the new location will be the St. Mark Primitive
Baptist Church at 740 West Sandifer Road. This is a beautiful,
new building which will accommodate everyone, and it is heated
and air conditioned. The Board of Registrars will notify all the
registered voters of this move. The move has been approved by
the United States Department of Justice.
I went to Wal Mart today for a purchase and saw Kenneth Smith
and Dwight Bates having a conversation. They were classmates at
Athens High School, class of 57, and were trying to remember who
was still alive and where they were living. I haven’t seen
Dwight for some time, and I have always loved him as a brother.
He and my brother Bobby were best and closest friends growing
up, and he is like one of our family members.
Speaking of voting places, Probate Judge Mike Davis told me
there will be six elections for us in Athens this year (2008).
The elections are as follows:
February 5 – Presidential Preference Primary
June 3 - State and County elections
Senator, Congressmen
2 County Commissioners
2 County School Board members
July 15 – Run-off election, if needed
August – City Elections
Mayor
5 City Council Places
October – City Run-off election, if needed
November 4 – General Election
I went home for lunch today. I am trying to follow the South
Beach diet for a while in order to get my diabetes under
control. This doesn’t seem to be too bad because you get a good
bit of food. I think the idea is to learn to stay away from the
bad carbohydrates that affect the diabetes.
I went to Choir practice tonight, and we began work on learning
new songs for the up-coming festival in Decatur during March. We
had a good practice. Ryan Leffel told us a hilarious story about
his and Kelly’s trip to Montgomery with their new son who was
beginning to be sick. The story involved the baby’s sickness, a
flat tire, State Trooper assistance, and Ryan getting sick. I
said it was a hilarious story to the choir, but I’m sure it was
a horror story to them.
The City of Athens and Limestone County, in cooperation with the
local chapter of the NAACP, will observe the annual Martin
Luther King Jr. Holiday on Monday, January 21, 2008. All
citizens are invited to meet at the south side of the Limestone
County Courthouse at 9:00 a.m.., and march to the Limestone
Veteran’s Museum at the Pryor Street/Railroad intersection. The
public is invited to participate in the march, and attend the
program. The program will begin at the Veteran’s Museum at 9:30
a.m.
Thursday morning I was busy at the office. I met with a
representative of a company that may present a proposal to the
Mayor’s office regarding retail sales. We are interested in
looking at ways to increase business in our community,
especially with the annexation that is occurring outside the
city.
I met with a citizen who had a request for my assistance with
one of our Departments.
Kay and I had lunch at home. I have been cutting back on the
food intake this week, and so far it has not been a problem for
me. I am determined to keep on with this because of the
knowledge I have gained about the devastation of diabetes upon
one’s health.
The afternoon at the office was busy with correspondence and
routine work. I found that one of our ladies at City Hall is
leaving her job, and will be moving to Mississippi and getting
married. I have tried to talk her out of this, but to no avail.
Kay and I went to Ryland this afternoon after work, and brought
Luke and Jillian, our grandchildren, home to spend the night
with us. After we got home, Alex and Asa came over to play and
spend the night with their cousins.
Friday morning I attended the pre-bid meeting for the new
Limestone County Health Department. This allowed the contractors
who will bid on this building to meet with the Architect and the
State Health Authority to obtain information about the project.
Later I met with David Seibert, local Health Department
officials, the Health Authority, and our Utility personnel talk
about this project.
Kay and I carried the kids to Dub’s for a hamburger lunch. Dub’s
was running over with customers today, and people were wolfing
down the burgers like there was no tomorrow. Kay took the kids
to the movie after lunch.
We are still trying to find a solution to the interruption of
transportation services for the local Kidney Association. This
is really a crisis for the Association, and I have not found a
solution. We have about twenty-five citizens who rely on this
transportation for trips to the Dialysis Center. This is a life
and death matter for these folks, and I hope a solution can be
found. If you or anyone you know is interested in working with
this fine organization, please contact me.
I guess this is enough for this time, so take it easy, be
careful, and I’ll see you next time. mayordan
