A Reader on Ben Graves/Yeezy?

From a reader:

Shoalanda, you must be slipping because you really blew it with your comments on Ben Graves. Did you read his bio at all? He has only TWO years of law practice experience and says he came home from Bay Minette due to his grandfather’s illness. In other words he didn’t come home because he wanted to be here at all. Then he has THREE years experience as municipal judge. Five Years in all, three of them working two days a week. So yes my family and I will be voting for William Smith for Circuit Judge. You got that one right!

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We reread the statements of both candidates and will add that Mr. Graves is also guilty of failing to use the Oxford comma. Shame, shame! (Sorry, Ben, the Grammar Nazi in us couldn’t resist.)

In all seriousness, while we believe Ben Graves is an honorable man, he doesn’t have the experience to perform the duties of circuit judge. Every action of a judge is closely examined in criminal trials, and Lauderdale County doesn’t have the funds to waste on retrials when there is a judicial error.

Three places where experience counts the most? The cockpit, the operating room, and the court room.

*****

From Tuscumbia Muskrat:

So who is to blame for the carnage that was once known as Tuscumbia’s Spring Park Fountain Show?

For the sake of argument I know that everything on this earth will face the bashing of mother nature and father time. However, if you don’t provide proper maintenance then the results could lead to costly consequences or irreversible damage.

So let’s begin by dissecting the events that bring us to where we are today:

April 2002 – The newly renovated Spring Park offers its first Fountain Show. The Fountain Show was one of many city renovations provided by the generosity of Harvey Robbins.

Under the original Robbins’ Project management the park attractions and fountain show operated with minor hiccups and like clockwork everything was ready to operate each Spring.

2005 – The City of Tuscumbia assumed some of the Robbins’ projects. (Including the Fountain Show)

2007 – The Robbins’ Projects are almost fully transitioned to the City of Tuscumbia. Also the Robbins’ Project's original personnel transferred under the City of Tuscumbia. The nonprofit Tuscumbia Railroad still operated the Old Depot.

2010 – The City of Tuscumbia takes full ownership of the Railway Company assets.

Three Months later – City announces that it brought in $40,000 from ticket revenue from rides since taking ownership of the Railway Company assets.

October 2010 – City announces a 3 percent pay raise due to the increase in the year’s budget.

Summer 2012 – Concerns of employee(s) stealing Spring Park ticket money.

Fall 2013 – The last of the original personnel from the Robbins’ Project are no longer employed with the City of Tuscumbia

December 2013 – More missing ticket money (around $2,000). Investigation started. Suddenly investigation stopped.

May 2014 – The Waterfall is broken. Blamed on muskrats.

June 2014 – The Waterfall is working again just before the Helen Keller Festival.

Summer/Fall 2014 – The Fountain Show is working on and off. The park train is operating with less compartments.

April 2015 – Fountain Show is not working and thus, not ready for Spring Park’s Spring opening.

April 2015 – Local citizens question the conditions of Spring Park’s poor condition. (i.e. the rotting of the Tree Indian Carving, peeling paint of the carousel horses, missing boards on the railroad bridge, a large hole in the women’s restroom door, missing train compartments, etc.)

Spring 2015 - A group of citizens form “Friends of Spring Park”.

June 2015 – A community clean-up is scheduled at Spring Park.

June 2015 – A group of people try to salvage the Tree Indian Carving. (Unfortunately it is eventually removed from the park)

February 16, 2016 – An expert reveals the huge estimated cost to overhaul the Fountain Show.

2015 / 2016 - Many individuals are removing their privately loaned collections from the depot museum and park.

So what do I expect in the next couple of months? Why of course....More EXCUSES! I think we are long past due on seeing the real cause of concern. We are witnessing the collapse of our Spring Park attractions. Our Park Manager does not have a handle on the situation. Plain and simply put, he doesn’t know what he is doing. However, I can't let the Park Manager take all the blame. Of course the mayor will look the other way and deny the facts. I don’t know if Mr. Shoemaker understands that his mayoral legacy is riding the coat tails of delusion. The Mayor and Park Manager have proven that they cannot take care of what Harvey Robbins built. I really hate to grasp at straws but I'm hoping the mayoral election will provide a person who will be strong enough to make the personnel changes that we desperately need... or is it too late?

*****

We see that part of Coffee Cemetery is again being referred to as the “Servants’ Cemetery.” No, it was the Slaves’ Cemetery. The individuals buried there had no choice but to labor for the Coffee family. They weren’t servants who could negotiate better employment in the next county. By this feeble attempt to whitewash history, the TD is actually minimizing the great tragedy that was slavery and the lives that slaves were forced to lead.

*****

Yeezy Does It

First he was Jesus, now he’s Uncle Walt.

But don’t be too harsh; it’s really not his fault.

So don’t diss his music or his lack of class;

All he needs is a Taylor Swift kick in the a**.



Shoalanda