Splish-Splash: Rogersville Takes a Bath

Quick: Which serves more citizens, a civic center or a splash pad? It’s not rocket surgery as Dr. Walt Duncan would say. So which is the town of Rogersville getting?

Even though many thinking citizens of the town have objected to the expense (part of which is funded through a grant), Rogersville is getting a splash pad that will be open approximately three months of the year--undoubtedly much more important than a civic center open 12 months of the year serving the entire populace.

Where do Rogersvillians currently hold meetings? We’re guessing rented church fellowship halls and the library conference room. The next time anyone holds a meeting, we suggest someone with an iota of common sense give out flyers concerning your government’s lack of foresight…and accountability to the voters.

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Bids for the splash pad were requested beginning July 1st. The design group for the project is one of those concerns with multiple offices across the Shoals. Kelley Group lists offices in Florence and Tuscumbia. We’re guessing a Tuscumbia mailing address makes them more palatable to those in Colbert County who seek to use their services.

This type of architectural planning is exempt from bid laws, so just how the town of Rogersville found the Kelley Group is anyone’s guess. It might be worth looking into.

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We just love new names for old things/concepts. After all, isn’t fiber so much nicer sounding than the word “roughage” many of us grew up hearing in school? How about undocumented alien? Let’s not call anything illegal.

We see the Kelley Group is using such a term: placemaking. Don’t know what it means? Apparently it describes organic architecture. In other words, design a home/office building/splash pad to fit with the area. Why not just say organic? We have an idea that the Kelley Group feels it can charge more or hold its corporate nose a little higher when it utilizes the term “placemaking.”

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A little father to the west, the race for Florence District Six city council member is heating up. Jim Fisher’s campaign slogan? “Think Nerdy.” Unfortunately, Jim, expecting most office holders in the Shoals to think at all is a little overly optimistic.