Weekly Letter Friday, May 23, 2008 – Friday,
May 30, 2008
I bring you greetings from the Mayor's office. I
hope you and your family have had a good time
this week and that you have a lot of fun things
lined up for this weekend. Maybe the rain will
relent and let us get some things done outside.
The damp weather certainly has made my metal hip
give me a few fits the past few days.
Friday night Kay and I carried our children,
Dinah and Charles, to have dinner with us at
Stanfield's in Rogersville. We met Larry and Kay
Burlingame, and B.L. and Linda Griggs leaving as
we were being seated. We talked about how this
restaurant needs to have a location in Athens. I
hope that may be possible for them to do at some
time.
Saturday morning I spoke to the Retired Federal
Employees at the Veteran's Museum. They had a
good crowd out for breakfast at 9:00 this
morning. I talked with them about what is
happening in Athens, the projects that have
recently been completed, and those that are
currently in progress. They also had several
questions to ask about situations in our city.
Judy Wilson is president of this group.
Kay and I did a few chores to get ready for the
Holiday weekend, and later went to Stan's
Restaurant near Columbia, Tennessee, for lunch.
Whitney and Allen went with us and we enjoyed
our lunch and driving around that area.
Sunday morning we attended Sunday school and
Church. The attendance was down because of the
holiday, but our class and our worship service
were very good. Brother Edward had an excellent
sermon on prayer.
We had lunch at home with our kids except for
Charles and Daniel and his family. Charles and
Kelly are in the Chattanooga area either
white-water rafting or canoeing for the weekend.
We had a bad water leak in the Briarwood
neighborhood reported to me this afternoon. This
was a broken service line that was pouring a lot
of water into the curb and storm drain. Locates
for all the utility lines had to be made, and
the repair was later made early Monday morning.
Sunday night Kay and I went to Logan's with the
Harper's for dinner. This was our first time to
eat there, and Kay and I shared their three
small hamburgers made on their dinner rolls. The
burgers were very good and were just enough for
a lite supper. We met the manager or this store
and found him to be a very pleasant person. He
lives in Florence and is excited about the new
store in Athens. I like the fact that they still
have the peanuts to eat while you wait on your
food. Kay and Vonnette find it difficult to put
the hulls on the floor.
Monday morning I went to the Veteran's Museum at
10:00 for our Annual Memorial Day Service. Dick
Neal, the local Veteran's Officer, was the emcee
for the program. The Athens High School Junior
ROTC posted the Colors for the ceremony. Several
wreathes from the different Veteran's
Organizations were posted by their
representatives. Lt. Col. Cheryl McAuley was the
speaker for the occasion. She has served
stateside and overseas in the Joint Task
Force-Horn of Africa for 28 years. She had an
excellent address about Memorial Day.
Grover Gardner read the names of local veterans
who have passed away in Limestone County since
last year's program. There were about 150 names
on the list.
Jerry Barksdale read the Recessional, by Rudyard
Kipling, and after this reading the twenty-one
gun salute was given, and Taps was played by a
senior from Ardmore High School.
I left the service and went to Athens City
Cemetery and placed flags on the graves of two
of my cousins who served in the Navy during
World War ll. Hollis Hicks was killed on June
17, 1944, off the coast of Saipan, when his ship
was hit by a torpedo dropped by a Japanese plant
attacking his convoy. He and fourteen other
sailors were killed. His body and one other were
recovered from the sea. The following morning,
they were buried at sea, and their ship was
exploded and sent to the bottom because off the
damage it had received. Hollis was nineteen
years of age.
My other cousin, Charles Vinson was on a
mine-sweeper that was blown out of the water in
the South Pacific, and he spent several hours in
the water before being rescued. He survived, but
later died in a car crash in Michigan in 1956.
He was again in the Navy at the time of his
death, and was thirty years of age.
I went home and assisted Kay and Dinah in
preparing lunch for our kids. We grilled
hamburgers and made a freezer of vanilla ice
cream, and Daniel made a freezer of Cherry-Lemon
Sun Drop ice cream. Kay also made a Sun Drop
cake that was delicious. I've got to get back on
my diabetic food tomorrow. My sister, Joan, and
her family, with the exception of Della and
Brian, came for lunch. Joan brought plenty of
goodies, and we enjoyed visiting and watching
videos of our grandchildren when they were very
small.
Tuesday morning a much-needed rain was coming
down when I awakened. Things were very quiet at
City Hall due to the rain.
I went to the regular radio talk show at WKAC
this morning. I usually go on the day after the
Council meeting on Monday night, but this was
off-schedule because the meeting was delayed due
to the Memorial Day Holiday.
The City Council met in regular session tonight
and the following items of business received the
attention of the Council:
1. Approved an Ordinance to approve rezoning for
Athens Hotel Partners, LLC, located at Kelli
Drive. This will allow the new Hampton Inn to be
built.
2. Appropriated $5,000 for the remainder of the
fiscal year to the Spirit of Athens Committee.
This is contingent upon the County Commission
appropriating the same amount.
3. Approved an agreement concerning Limestone
County Parks and Recreation and its Rails to
Trails Extension. This will allow the City to
provide water connections for this park area.
4. Approved the sale of alcohol for First and
Last Stop located at 19017 Highway 127. This is
a simple change of ownership.
5. Approved a Resolution to approve an
appropriation for Highway 251 12-inch water line
extension for the Water Department.
6. Approved a Resolution to approve an
appropriation for Linton Road Trunk Sewer.
7. Amended the Liquor Ordinance relating to
specialty wine and beer.
8. Approved the construction of a public walkway
joining Birdie Thornton School and Jimmy Gill
Park.
9. Amended an Ordinance related to the schedule
of fines for Athens Municipal Court.
10. Approved an Ordinance relating to
dangerous/vicious animals.
11. Amended Ordinance 888 establishing a
classification list and pay plan for classified
employees and unclassified employees.
12. Approved a Resolution to adopt revised job
descriptions for Water Services positions.
13. An Ordinance to de-annex property for Tim
Baugher of Robinson and Baugher located south of
Newby Road did not receive a motion, thereby
failing.
14. Appropriated funds for the re-imbursement to
the Meres Subdivision Developer, Mr. Russell
Strickland.
15. Amended the Street Department sidewalk line
item budget by increasing it $15,000.
16. Set a public hearing for Ross Anderson to
rezone property located at the corner of West
Hobbs Street and Tiffani Lane.
The Council accepted a petition from citizens
living in southwest Limestone County, including
Houston Place and Black's Landing which are
located in the city limits of Athens, requesting
assistance with fire protection and assistance
to lower their homeowner's insurance. The
Council told the group that this subject would
be discussed with the County Commission during
the next quarterly meeting.
The Council also passed resolutions of
congratulations to the Athens Bible School Girls
Softball team and the Boys Baseball team for
winning the State of Alabama 1-A Championships
this year.
Wednesday morning I received an e-mail from
Captain Eric Waddell, one of our Public Works
employees, who is serving in Iraq. I want to
share his mail with you. Eric is one of the
finest young men that I know, and I hope you
will pray for his safe return to his family and
us. Please pray for all our troops, wherever
they are in our world today.
Mayor Dan,
I hope this finds you well. We are fully engaged
here in the everyday Engineering activities that
you were accustomed to all those years as a 1SG.
The BDE has big work to do here in the Baghdad
Province. I am assigned to the S4 section as the
Engineer Equipment officer responsible for the
readiness of all the various pieces of
engineering equipment we have here. It’s a lot
but I have a good MSG and CW3 that takes care of
the lion’s share of it. Probably the most
important job I have is being the Barrier
Manager for 3rd Infantry Division here in
Baghdad. I am responsible for all the barriers
that are being used throughout the city to
ensure safe neighborhoods, roadways, municipal
and government buildings and force protection.
This is a big job and very contract intensive as
we are utilizing Iraqi companies to supply the
products that are being utilized. We are trying
to give this an Iraqi face.
You may see some of our soldiers on the news as
it refers to the Sadr city and surrounding
Baghdad as they are cleaning up the streets and
markets. There is a big push to turn much of it
over to the Iraqi people, again giving this an
Iraqi face.
We have very good living accommodations here and
the food is very good. Not like the last time I
was here. Everyone here lives in hard buildings
or trailers. We still have Porto-lets but there
are shower trailers that are sufficient. Beats
the burn-out latrines from 2003.
Well I should go back to work, I have been told
that it never ends. I am pretty lucky to only be
working 12-14 hours daily. There are many
working more than that.
Tell everyone I said hello, I hope to be home
sometime late September for leave.
V/R
CPT Erik S. Waddell
MND-B Barrier Manager
Engineer Equipment Officer
The rain is still coming down this morning. I
have heard reports of flash flooding in the
areas on the west side of the state. I heard
someone this morning call the type rain we have
had the past two days, "a million-dollar rain."
I think they were referring to the slow, soft
rain falling over several hours. Whatever we
call it, it is refreshing to our depleted water
level.
Eric Thornton and I attended a luncheon in
Huntsville today with a group of people
interested in transportation problem solving in
the Huntsville metropolitan area. The meeting
was at the Holiday Inn downtown. Three other
folks from Athens attending were Joe Anglin,
Bill Strain, and Marlon Anderson.
We drove over near the the Huntsville dog park
and the skateboard park to see how they had set
up these facilities. These facilities are
located together in the area under the cluster
of Interstate bridges, near the historical old
Railroad Depot. The skateboard park has been
there for several years, and is a bowl-shaped
facility with the skating jumps and rails set in
concrete, and are unmovable. The dog park is
adjacent in the fenced-in area under the
bridges. They have a puppy play area for dogs
under 25 pounds, and a separate area for larger
dogs. They have rules posted, but I didn’t see
any area for sitting and socializing. Maybe I
did not look far enough.
I spent the afternoon with administrative
activities necessary in replacing members of our
Industrial Development Board.
Kay and the granddaughters prepared a delicious
dinner tonight at our house. I went to choir
practice tonight, and we are re-learning our
music for the up-coming Heaven concert which
will be in Decatur in July.
I heard tonight about the death of Mike Adams in
the crash of an ultra-light aircraft at his home
around 4:00 p.m. Mike owned a tree business, and
did much of the tree trimming and removal in the
community. He had several planes and a strip or
runway at his home on Highway 251. I have known
him for several years, and he has been in my
office numerous times discussing business, and
many times to just visit and talk. His dad,
Brother James Adams, is a well-known retired
Baptist preacher, who lives in the Elkmont area.
I hope you will remember this good family in
your prayers during this terrible time of loss.
Thursday morning I attended the Chamber of
Commerce monthly board meeting at the Chamber
building. Dr. Denver Betts assumed the
presidency of the board today, and we expect a
lot of good things to occur this year under his
leadership. He is a VP at Athens State
University. We also have several new board
members this year. It is good to see several
young folks participating this year, and I know
they will bring a lot of new and fresh ideas to
our efforts.
Several subjects were covered at today's meeting
including the BRAC move from Virginia to
Redstone Arsenal. Private jobs coming to
Huntsville and surrounding areas because of
decisions to move military work here could soar
well past the 10,000 mark estimated. But
military jobs coming here don't necessarily mean
that people will move in droves from northern
Virginia, where the jobs are now.
However, more than half of those applying for
the relocating positions come from areas outside
Huntsville, such as California, Florida and the
Northeast.
Congressman Bud Cramer has said companies are
cold-calling his office now about the potential
of moving their work or expanding into defense
industry opportunities.
They see this area as a growth potential and, an
easier place to develop that kind of industry.
Small businesses in New York and California
contacted his office because of the 2005 Base
Realignment and Closure Commission decisions to
move about 4,700 military jobs to Redstone
Arsenal. The cost of living and wages are higher
in those states than in Alabama, and it makes
sense that they can perform this work, or expand
into it, cheaper. He said large companies like
Raytheon, Northrop Grumman and Boeing are
already moving people and jobs here in the 50 to
60 number ranges, and that could grow.
Another 10,000 jobs are estimated to follow the
military work, but those don't include business
interests in Redstone. That 10,000 figure is
really a conservative one. It could be up to
twice that number before the BRAC move is over.
It is estimated 20 to 25 percent - or just over
1,000 - of the 4,700 people now holding the
relocating jobs will actually move to the
Tennessee Valley.
I spent time in the office this morning getting
things ready for two meetings later today with
the City Council.
I attended the Annual Meeting of the Limestone
Economic Development Association at the Athens
State Ballroom at lunch today. Bill Ming was
elected as the new president for the coming
year, and a new slate of directors were selected
to serve for the coming year. Tate Godsey of the
North Alabama Economic Development Association
in Decatur was the speaker for the luncheon.
The City Council met at 2:00 this afternoon in a
special meeting to close a deal with Custom
Polymers to lease/purchase our Spec building in
the Elm Street Industrial Park.
The Council also met in a special meeting today
at 5:00 at the fire station on Freeman Drive.
The Council had to meet to approve the sale of
the property after the auction took place. The
property was sold for $242,000 and was purchased
by Mark Coleman who is associated with T&C
Stamping that is located next door.
I came home to a quiet supper with Kay, and I
was tired after a long day dealing with the
business of the city.
Friday morning the weather seemed to be better,
and it looks as if the weekend may be clear.
I spent most of the morning completing business
related to the activities that occurred
yesterday. I talked to Senator Arthur Orr about
our commitment to an industrial project that
will probably locate here in Limestone County,
and bring good jobs and positive changes to our
area.
Here is the Chamber of Commerce schedule of
events in our community that will be coming up
this weekend and during the month of June:
Notice: The Athens Lions Club Kiddie Carnival,
at the corner of Forrest and Beaty Streets in
Athens will begin June 26 and run every weekend
through August 9th. Hours are 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm,
with rides, concessions and bingo. Open
Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights June
26th-July 25th(closed July 3rd & 4th) and Friday
and Saturday Nights August 1st-9th.
This weekend:
31-May at 10 AM- 2 PM - Strolling garden tour in
historic downtown Athens, Hosted by Friends of
the Athens Limestone Public Library to honor
Mary Hand, 256-732-4641. Tickets are now on
sale. Homes featured include: Nelson-Murphy
House, Woodroof-Bartlett House, Beaty-Mason
House, Sanders-Show House, Hudson House,
Vasser-Lovvorn House, and St. Timothy’s
Episcopal Church.
31-May - Yesterdays Showband dinner variety show
featuring 3 of the regions premiere vocalists,
Kevin Adams, Roberta Silva, and Alabama Music
Hall of Fame member Travis Wammack at Yesterdays
Event Center at 6:30 PM. Reservations are
required through the website, all show tickets
$10, available dinner $7.95,
www.yesterdaysevents.com
31-May at 7:00 PM – Country Music Variety Show
at the Athens Opry featuring The Pioneer Drive
Band and special guest Kristy Garrison. For a
complete list of all the entertainers email
George at gwh228@aol.com. Athens Opry Event
Center is located on Airport Road, Athens. $5.00
admission at the door.
31-May - Tickets for the inaugural
Athens-Limestone Friends of the Library Garden
Tour are now on sale. Join us for the day
visiting beautiful Athens gardens on Saturday,
May 31st. Tickets are $15 each and are available
at the Athens-Limestone Public Library. Proceeds
benefit the Friends of the Library and their
support for the quality library services. For
more information telephone the library at
232-1233.
31-May – Jun 7 – 5-6 Year Old County Baseball
Tournament at Johnson Elementary School,
Admission $3.00, 256-874-0713 or 256-233-3912
31-May at 8 AM – 1 PM – Keep Athens Limestone
Beautiful Household Hazardous Waste Collection
day. For complete information visit
www.keepathenslimestonebeautiful.com or call
233-8728, kalb@pclnet.net
Next Week:
3-Jun – Athens-Limestone Public Library Summer
Reading Program Registration at the library,
www.athenslimestone.lib.al.us or 256-232-1233
3 Jun at 9 AM – 12 Noon - Athens Art on the
Square Children’s Art Camp at Big Spring
Memorial Park pavilion, Athens, AL. Children
grades 1-6 are invited to attend. $25.00 fee.
Snacks will be provided to each student. Local
artists will be the instructors. The children
will learn basic art techniques. Celia
Rossignolo
Loucel37@aol.com
June 5, 6 & 7 at 7:00 PM – The King and I at
Julian Newman Elementary School. Tickets are now
on sale at the school or on line $8 adults, $7
students, $6 children 12 & under, $5 senior
citizens, under 3 years free,
www.footlightstheater@yahoo.com, 256-777-0822
6-Jun at 1:30 PM – Limestone County Sports Hall
of Fame (LCSHOF) 4-Man Scramble Golf Tournament
at Canebrake, Athens, $100 per person. Lunch
will be served at 11:00 AM. Proceeds go to
LCSHOF Scholarship Fund. Hole-in-One wins
automobile. John King at 256-233-8171 or Barry
Devine at 256-732-9313
6 & & June at 10 AM – 5 PM – 2-Day Camp “The
ABC’s of Communicating with Your Horse” at K-1-N
Stables and Arenas, Athens. $5.00 admission,
bring your lawn chairs, 256-874-6781,
www.kinstables.com
7 Jun at 1 –5 PM – The Friends of Ardmore Public
Library Flower Garden Tour. Advance Tickets ($8)
are on sale at the Ardmore, TN city hall, The
Myrtle Tree, Ardmore First National Bank and
Main Street Gifts and Boutique, efhand@ardmore.net
7 Jun – Clements High School Color Guard and
Majorettes Yard Sale at the school. Items are
needed for their sale. 256-431-2362
June 7, 14, 21 & 28 – Free Saturday walking
tours (Historic Downtown Athens, Washington
Street and City Cemetery and Athens State
University and Alabama Veterans Museum) will be
each Saturday during the month of June at 10:00
AM. Meet at the Limestone County Courthouse
Annex Parking Lot at 9:45 AM to meet up with the
guides, Buzz Estes, Richard Martin, Billy Ward,
Bill Swindell, Tom O’Hara or William Pepper.
Each tour is approximately one hour long. There
are three different walks ((1) Historical Square
Walk, (2) Washington Street, City Cemetery & Big
Spring Memorial Park, and (3) Athens State
University & Veterans Museum) for which to
choose. If you walk three Saturdays, you will be
able to experience all three. 256-232-5411
Events to look forward to:
10-Jun at 12:00 PM - Athens Ladies Civitan 1st
Annual Golf Classic 3-Man Scramble at Canebrake,
Athens, $65 per team, 256-216-1513
13-Jun at 5 AM – 6:30 PM – Limestone County
Severe Weather Radio Early Warning Project Kick
Off at Wal-Mart Shopping Center, Athens, WHNT-TV
19 personnel will be programming radios,
256-232-2631
15-June at 2:00 PM, the Sunday Band of the 151st
Army Band (located in Union Springs, AL) will
perform at the Alabama Veterans Museum and
Archive. The band consists of a concert band,
marching band, jazz band, combo, show band,
woodwind quintet, brass quintet and other
combinations required to accomplish the musical
mission. The band performs throughout the US for
military and civilian functions. 256-771-7578
19 Jun at 5:30 PM – Interview Skills program at
the Athens-Limestone Public Library. This
program is designed to give teens an edge in the
job market. 256-232-1233 or
www.athenslimestone.lib.al.us
20-Jun at 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM – Singing on the
Square featuring Rusty Bay and Barry Kay. Bring
your lawn chair and join us on the East side of
the square. 256-232-5411
22-Jun at 8 AM – 3 PM – Indian Artifact Show at
Athens State University Ballroom, Athens,
256-232-0698 or 256-702-7947
28-Jun – Ardmore Boys and Girls Club and Ardmore
Lions Club Lawnmower Race at the Ardmore, TN
John Barnes Park, rainey@pclnet.net
28 Jun at 10:30 AM – 4:30 PM – Anime Fest at the
Athens-Limestone Public Library for eight years
and older. Admission is an Athens-Limestone
Public Library card and one canned good. All
canned goods will be donated to the local food
bank. 256-232-1233 or
www.athenslimestone.lib.al.us
I guess this is enough for this letter. Take
care and I’ll see you next time..