Who Thinks Sheffield Can?

A show of hands, please--who really thinks Sheffield can return to its former state of prosperity? Okay, I see Steve Wiggins' hand. There's another one; no, that one belongs to Steve's brother Rick and he lives in California, so he doesn't count. Hmmm, okay, now I see Ian Sanford's. Anyone else?

We here at our blogging group would also raise our hands, but none of us lives in Sheffield either; however, we're going to make ourselves honorary citizens of Sheffield for the day and give some pats on the back. First, we're sure it wasn't easy to just say no to storefront churches in downtown Sheffield. Early Christians met in homes, so we're not of the belief a church building must have stained glass and a steeple. We do believe that buildings built for business should house enterprises that engage in commerce of some form and return tax dollars to the city in which they are built. Kudos to Ian Sanford and the town council for enforcing this law.

Automotive repair shops downtown? Yes, they do pay taxes, but they do not bring in as much out of town traffic as other retail establishments. Florence long ago rezoned that fair city and, for the most part, made a variance as rare as a six-toed cat. That brings us to Steve Wiggins and his stand against such establishments. Steve has vision. He sees the forest. It wouldn't hurt to listen to him.

Photo: Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in1970s


For your enjoyment: If you haven't seen Steve Wiggins' film City Hanging Over a Cliff, here's your chance--link.

Shoalanda