Wilson Dam Road to Death & Mayhem - Part I

Wilson Dam Road to Death and Mayhem - Part I

A Guest Commentary By

J. J. Ray

For those who have not experienced Wilson Dam Road south of Avalon Avenue, most should try it at least once, especially between Six-thirty to Eight A.M. or Three to Six P.M. The experience will be mind altering. I guarantee you maximum tribulation on a scale you cannot imagine. It makes Interstate-10 in Los Angeles at the same time look like child’s play. How many wrecks, injuries, and deaths have to occur before someone takes some initiative and stops the carnage?

Who are all the guilty parties you ask? Lets see, the state built a great six lane road from Florence to Avalon Avenue where it stops and funnels down to two small lanes. I am told there are twelve holdout property owners that want a lot more for their property than it’s worth. This has been all over the courthouse in the last few years but no resolution. Now the state apparently is going to try again in November. Why have the state officials been sitting on their duffs while the bloodshed continues?

The mayor of Muscle Shoals has done all he can do. This is a state road and he is powerless, except to increase police presence. How do you take thousands of cars and funnel them down without carnage and chaos. You don’t. The insurance rates go up, wrecker and body shop income increases, hospital, doctors and attorneys make more money, and we the citizens pay the tab. Try finding one state employee that can or will give you a straight answer. That is an exercise in futility.

Last week it took me almost an hour to go from Avalon Avenue to Old Highway 20. The frustration and road rage I witnessed should be harnessed and used as fuel. The overwhelming question is why it takes The State of Alabama so long to build a road. I have a friend that retired from the military and went to work for the state on I-65. He spent twenty years on the same stretch of road and retired again. Oh, it still was not finished.

In a lot less time, Mississippi built highway 72 from Collierville to the Alabama border. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out there’s something radically wrong with the Alabama Department of Transportation. How many times have you seen several state vehicles with a couple of men working and ten standing around? Look the next time and you will be amazed. They are burning up our tax money.

There is an election coming up and the people are angry with the state of the government. When are we citizens going to stand up and say, we are mad as hell and were not going to take this shameful government anymore? Who are these greedy property owners and why is this not public? Where is the Tri-Cycle-Daily when you need them? Waiting for the Decatur Daily to tell them what to do. Where are our state representatives? Running for office again. Had enough, remember November 2nd.

*****

Shelby endorses Mo Brooks:

Huntsville—Republican congressional nominee Mo Brooks today announced the endorsement of Alabama's senior United States Senator, Richard Shelby.

Shelby, who has represented Alabama in the Senate for 24 years, is ranking Republican on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and will become Chairman if Republicans regain control of the Senate on Election Day.

In announcing his endorsement of Brooks, Shelby said, “From health care, to national defense, and NASA, there has never been a more important time to have the right leadership in Washington. I endorse Mo Brooks for Congress because we need him on Capitol Hill to help us fight President Obama and Nancy Pelosi's leftist agenda for America.”

Brooks added, “Senator Shelby has been a tremendous advocate for America and for funding for NASA, National Defense, highways, and other Tennessee Valley needs. Senator Shelby knows both me and my opponent very well. I am honored that Senator Shelby wants me as his ally in Washington.”

Brooks, a Madison County Commissioner and former Alabama State Legislator, is the Republican nominee for Congress in Alabama's 5th Congressional District. The election is November 2nd.

*****

Sweetwater Bed & Breakfast? According to an individual requesting to be known only as Sierra, Susan Leigh Smithson will be opening up the old Weeden Home as a bed and breakfast in the summer of 2011. This would certainly be a much more fitting use for the once stately mansion, recently dubbed by a local wag as the "Susan Smithson Spook House and Reformatory for Retired Jewel Thieves."

*****

Want to learn more about Franklin County history? Here's your chance to buy this out of print volume on eBay: Link



Shoalanda



Connecting October 7th. This time we mean it!