Former Dept. Head Critiques Betterton

 

If you've followed the checkered saga of Andrew Betterton's tenure as mayor, you'll recall that he's been out of town when any major player in city government was terminated and has been accused of hiding from those he suspected of bringing bad news. Now a former department head has offered a similar critique of our hapless mayor:

Mayor Betterton considered me difficult to deal with, because he wanted to provide feel-good information to the media and the citizens. My responsibility was not only to the Mayor and the City of Florence, but to the ratepayers. They pay for it and deserve to know not just the feel-good information, but also the pitfalls.

Yes, Handy Dandy Andy seems to be there for the ceremonies, parades, and photo ops, but how about those less than thrilling chores that come with the job? Former mayor Steve Holt was always there. We believe Bill Griffin will similarly step up when there's actual work to be done.

Will there be others who can put ego aside and govern fairly? Forty-nine weeks to go...

Hold Parents Accountable for the Threats

 

Back to school used to mean sweaters, football, and new crushes. Now it means watching your back and checking your locker for bombs. So far, the Shoals has seen two student arrests and countless rumors.

The latest? According to our readers and posts by concerned citizens on various Facebook pages, local hooligans have graduated to bomb threats to two Florence schools.

Are there any Florence students out there who have even the foggiest notion of how to build an explosive device? What are parents doing while their little darlings think up these things?

We don't know what current teacher pay is, but it's not nearly enough.

A DOG CHASING ITS TAIL?

 

Camille Bennett of Project Say Something appeared before the work session at the 09/17 Florence city council meeting. She was complaining that the council did not vote to approve the plaque she and the PSS group wanted placed on a strip of city owned land at  the Lauderdale county courthouse. She basically came off as a spoiled brat threatening to hold her breath if she didn’t get her way in this reporter's opinion. And she took up 30 minutes of valuable work session time going round and round with the council members  who tried to explain to her how democracy works. She finally ran out of steam and sat down. It is disappointing that council president Kaytrina Simmons allowed this display at the work session to happen.

Other city business seemed to be rushed in the remaining 30 minutes due to her decision to let Ms. Bennett spout off on a settled vote. What I still do not understand is her being allowed to come before the council in a work session when she had nothing to be voted on and her name was not listed on the agenda. Can anyone come before a work session and voice their disapproval of prior votes? Where does the line form, Ms. Simmons? 

In other business: Item 12 A on the regular agenda read as follows: “Ordinance to approve the Publication of Notice, approving and authorizing the execution of a project development agreement with FOFQZOBONE, LLC. Sponsored by Mayor Betterton”.  Confused yet? Maybe as a taxpaying citizen of Florence you are meant to be! This is the  long bemoaned and much talked about agreement with Eugene Sak for the city to “back” his supposed “franchise” with Hard Rock/Reverb Hotel to remodel the old Days Inn on Court St. Of course, you would never know that from the wording of the agenda item and the alphabet soup that appears as the company the city is agreeing to do business with. 

Evidently, this is one of the many subsidiaries of Eugene Sak. This is the same Eugene Sak  who owns many properties in Florence including Hearn Trailer Park on Hough Rd. The  condition of this eyesore and the negligence of Sak Properties have been the subject of much debate championed by councilwoman Michele Eubanks. But it seems all her work to expose the condition of the property Mr. Sak owns has been ignored by her counterparts on the council.

The vote on this resolution went exactly as “predicted” with all voting YES except for Ms. Eubanks. Once again, the story comes to mind of the old woman who took  in the dying snake. After she nursed it back to health it bit her. When she said: “I fed you  and nursed you back to health, why did you bite me?" the snake told her: “Silly woman, you  knew I was a snake when you took me in.” Drive through Hearn Trailer Park and you will see the snake. Michele Eubanks did. The ONLY one on the council who did or evidently even  cared. But we the taxpayers may feel the bite.

Other than this vote, remarks from the public seemed to be the only other point of interest  in the meeting. There were some interesting and very important ones on a wide variety of subjects. 

Apostle Billy Ray Simpson addressed the proposed study to complete the College St. Bridge. He complimented the progress. Then talked of racism in the city and country, a  general denunciation of hate and finished his speech advocating against animal abuse. “People need to quit sleeping with animals, sick animals especially.” I could only roll my  eyes at that statement and did not know whether he was trying to one up Donald Trump or not. Whatever he meant, he sat back down. 

A couple of citizens in the audience rose to voice their questioning and disapproval of the roundabout proposed for Gresham Rd. Every time I go around the one at Sweetwater, it  seems like a dog chasing its tail to me the way the drivers rush through it. One resident of Hunters Ridge subdivision brought up that if this construction is approved how would the residents be able to enter the neighborhood while the work is going on? There is only one  entrance and exit to the area. Another questioned the statement that studies show a traffic light is not warranted, and another stated they had a bass boat as did many others on his street and how were they going to be able to make a roundabout with a large truck pulling a boat? Jimmy Oliver, who is the District 6 councilman, basically told them to contact city engineer Bill Batson during council member remarks. 

The most compelling remark came from Mr. Jared Culwell. Mr. Culwell had with him his  son, L.J. Culwell. They live on a very busy Florence street. L.J. stood with this father at the podium and Jared explained that he had autism. He also rode the school bus every day to and from school. Mr. Culwell said that he had for years been at the curb of the road waiting with L.J. and when the bus arrived, and all traffic was supposed to stop. Invariably at least every few days there were several drivers who ran the bus stop sign as his child boarded and exited the bus. He said he had complained for years to the city of Florence and  although every now and then a patrolman was stationed, nothing has been done about the ongoing problem. He literally feared now that LJ was older and tended to roam more, he would be boarding the bus and struck by a vehicle who had ignored the stop sign on the bus. He has video footage he has posted on social media of drivers ignoring the stop signal on the bus.

Councilman Jackie Hendrix had the idea of a video surveillance system to be  installed on certain school buses with routes on busy streets and used whenever the bus makes a stop. Mr. Culwell agreed this would be a good idea but also voiced his concern that he had complained of this situation since LJ first started school as a little boy.  Standing next to his dad was a teenaged young man. It should not take that long to find a remedy for this problem it seems to me. And I am sure Mr. Culwell’s patience is wearing thin. This is his child who is in danger. Fix this Florence. Video surveillance is a start but add stiffer fines to the equation and let’s see if we cannot slow down these dangerous drivers! 

There appeared to be more input from the public than usual at this meeting. It was very  uplifting and made me feel that perhaps the work that this reporter and others are doing to get citizen participation in local government is paying off. Whether it is or not; I end with a  Public Service Announcement. SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR PETS! And pat your dog on the  head and tickle your cat’s ears. Don’t eat them or go to bed with them. Stop animal abuse!

Church of the Highlands Conspiracy Theory

 

A Worship Service or a Widespread Panic Concert?

Is the Gresham Road roundabout part of a conspiracy to donate/sell the new Ag Center to the Shoals Church of the Highlands? We had forgotten that troubling theory until yesterday's blog. Our vote is "no."

It will be interesting to see if this psychedelic congregation offers to revise its plans and build in a more remote area. How about you guys in St. Florian? Wouldn't you love to have them?

We'll give you a good deal if you also take the Salvationists in a package arrangement...

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With the holidays fast approaching, where should you give to help the most in the Shoals? We recommend your cash, clothing, and canned goods donations go to:

The Help Center

621 S Court St, Florence, AL 35630

Mailing address: PO Box 1713, Florence, AL 35630

How Long Will This Roundabout Last?

 

The City of Florence plans to build a roundabout on Gresham Road behind Target. Much of the project will be funded by a grant, but the taxpayer will still be on the hook for a great deal of cash. What's wrong with this picture?

Enter the Church of the Highlands of the Shoals. This group has daily services of some ilk, with a Sunday morning attendance of around 1,800. If the church's plans remain on track, its new home will also be in the rear of Target, at which time the roundabout will require replacing with traffic signals.

We've always had a problem with the 30 year life span of public fixtures. Are we in Florence now so rich that five years of service is acceptable? If you oppose this, write your council member or be at the next meeting on Tuesday.

Saluting April Mullins Killian

 

If the name April Mullins Killian is familiar to you, it may be because of her role as a local reporter/journalist on NewsBreak. If you download the phone app, you can follow Ms. Killian on your smartphone. 

Unfortunately, NewsBreak doesn't give that option on Chrome or Windows. Nevertheless, you can also follow April on Facebook to find her excellent linked articles on Alabama and the Southeast:

April Killian

We recently became aware that April and her son have a second interest that greatly benefits the area - Cat Houses!

These are available to those in the community who need them. The Killians do appreciate donations for materials to use in their creations:

Venmo:
April Killian @aprilkillian or
Cat Houses @kalebkillian
Paypal:
aprildirect@gmail.com
They also take checks, just pm her.

The Battle of CCHS Travel Mugs

 

In case you missed the other big controversy at Colbert County High School, all drinks brought from home must be in clear plastic bottles. Who are outraged? Not the students, but the parents who have already purchased those $35.00 mugs for their little darlings.

Does anyone really think it's over alcohol? Naive, aren't you?

Buffy: Are you really using a Hydro mug?

Sissy: Yes, I am. I like it. Besides, Mom said it was either this or an Ember.

Linzy: Really, Buffy? You surely don't think your Yeti is better than my Stanley, do you?

And that, dear readers, is why Principal Lee Craft banned the snazzy drink holders. Besides, if he confiscates enough, he can sell them to make up for the advertising money Chris Hand made him pay back.

Big Lots Safe for Now

 

We're Living in the Future.

You Ask Me How I know -

I read It in the Papers

Fifteen Years Ago.

-John Prine-

We might as well sit back and enjoy the show as we order the kitchen sink from Amazon. The past two weeks have brought more sad, but not unexpected, news.

Should we mention more Rite Aid closings? It's not as if any are left in the Shoals.

Game Stop has just made a major announcement: It's about to make a major announcement on upcoming closings. That was helpful.

Then there's Big Lots. At least there's some good news there. The retailer is immediately closing down 292 locations, but Florence isn't one of them. If you're looking for bargains, try the University Drive store in Huntsville, one of five scheduled to get the axe in Alabama.

If you're waiting for more Red Lobster shoes to drop, there have been no new announcements since July. Perhaps that's good news for the Florence location.

On a slightly related note, FAA rules for drone delivery will be relaxing next year...and they don't even expect a tip...

A Double Fail for Tuscumbia

 

Florence isn't the only Shoals town to eradicate comments on Facebook posts. We know Florence's excuse; what's Tuscumbia's?

If you look at the Tuscumbia seal, you would think Spring Park is of paramount importance to the town. Yet this blog receives almost weekly criticism of the state of the park.

Thursday and Friday are predicted to bring heavy rains to the area. At least one Tuscumbian believes the park isn't ready. Here's a snap of a clogged park drain pipe:

Why hasn't the city responded to the problem?

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Looking at Tuscumbia's FB page, we see citizens are encouraged to take part in semi-annual park cleanups. Hmmm, first citizens pay taxes to fund park employees and then they're asked to do the employees' work.

What's wrong with that picture?

Chris Hand Says No National Ads

 

 

Colbert County High School in Leighton has a jumbotron scoreboard similar to the one pictured above. For years it's been used to feature local candidate advertising. Now it's showing an ad for Trump-Vance.

After complaints, Supt. Chris Hand called it all "shenanigans" and told the school to remove the paid ad. The jumbotron is officially limited to local advertising.

Is this legal? Perhaps it was due to a lack of way to display the sign's origins? Yet we can't see how this qualifies as shenanigans. 

Can the Colbert school system now be sued? Stay tuned...

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Leighton: Birthplace of Bank Independent and Jumbotron Shenanigans!

Florence Needs to Do More to Support Huntsville

 

We've mentioned before how we view the "logic" of promoting towns that don't return the favor. Yet that is how Canada-native Ron Carnegie likes to do it. Yes, your Florence tax dollars paid for the above logo. Think that's odd? 

Fame Recording Studios is about to celebrate its 65th anniversary with a huge two-day shindig in...Huntsville. If you look carefully at the list of sponsors at the bottom of the ads, you'll see the Florence Tourism logo.

How does that work? Tourists party for two days in Huntsville and then decide to take in Florence or other Shoals towns since they have so much energy and money to spare?

Could you splain that one to the citizens of Florence as they pay that 9.5% sales tax? 

Q&A About Andy's 127K Salary

 

Yesterday we published a list of salaries for Alabama mayors. Questions...did we get questions:

1. Why wasn't Sheffield mentioned? The chart covered only the 30 largest Alabama cities.

2. Did Andy's $126,894.00 include perks? We don't have a rundown on all that was covered, but am sure the Florence mayor was also treated to many free meals and drinks along the way that don't need to be reported.

3. Would any of the currently announced candidates agree to a pay cut? How about it, Bill, Ron, Andy, would you?

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And which of the current three candidates has been actively helping the Florence animal shelter? Certainly not Andy who can't be bothered with the traditional monthly visit/photo op. How about Ron? No, haven't seen him assisting either.

That leaves Bill Griffin. Guess what...Bill has been actively supporting the shelter for some time. That makes you think, doesn't it?

Hometown Market Becomes PriceLess IGA/Salary?

 

If you're a fan of any of Hometown Market's private label products, be sure to stock up before Saturday, September 14th. At that time, the Seven-Points grocery will close for several days to remodel and restock. When it reopens, it will be Priceless IGA.

No reopening date has been announced, so North Florence residents should be prepared to drive to the Walmart Market or even farther across town to Publix. Who knows? You might even get used to a store with a deli.

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A few years ago, a local article listed salaries of Alabama mayors. Florence quickly denied the figure. Now it's popped up again.

Take a long hard look at what Napping Nancy makes for running between city hall and the government building five days a week:

Sweetwater Cleanup Saturday

 

Tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. will mark the second in a series of cleanups at the Gov. Robert Patton Home, aka John Weeden Home, aka Sweetwater. Wear work clothes and be prepared to sign a waiver.

The home is located at 1050 Sweetwater Avenue just off Florence Boulevard:

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Several have mentioned trying to propagate the buxus in the above photo. While they're certainly not ready yet, if you have any cuttings or full-grown shrubs that you would like to donate, the restoration group would be deeply appreciative farther down the road.

The hardworking core committee, local history lovers, Shoalanda, and Sweet Wolf thank you!

Russellville Woman Charged with Illegal Voting

 

An undocumented individual has been charged in connection with her fraudulent assumption of a United States citizen’s identity and her use of that identity to vote in multiple elections and obtain multiple United States passports, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Resident Agent in Charge Joseph R. Wysowaty of the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Atlanta Resident Office.

A nine-count information filed in U.S. District Court charges Angelica Maria Francisco, 42, most recently of Russellville, with false claims of citizenship in connection with voting, false statements in application for a United States passport, use of a United States passport obtained by false statements, and aggravated identity theft. A plea agreement was filed with the information, indicating that Francisco has agreed to plead guilty to all of the charges.

According to the information and plea agreement, Francisco assumed the identity of a United States citizen in or around 2011. Francisco used the false identity to obtain a United States passport in 2011. She subsequently used the United States passport to travel to and from her native country of Guatemala in 2012, 2015, and 2018. Using the same false identity, Francisco also registered to vote in Alabama in 2016 and voted in the 2016 and 2020 primary and general elections. And in 2021, Francisco used the same false identity to apply for and receive a renewed passport, which she used to travel to and from Guatemala in 2022.

The Court will set a date for Francisco to enter her guilty plea.

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Saving the American way of life one Guatemalan at a time.

Where Would Jesus Park?

 

The “new” Florence parking deck that has just been completed at the corner of Pine Street and Tombigbee cost $12.65 million Florence taxpayer dollars to build. It has 273 spaces. When you do the math, that is $46,336.99 that was spent per parking space. These must be some REALLY nice parking spaces! At the Florence city council work session on 09/03/2024 Andy Betterton sponsored item 12 A on the regular agenda which was an ordinance to allow the city to establish rates and fees for the “new” downtown parking deck. The resolution itself the council was voting on ordained the following rates and fees: Hourly and daily rates: $.50 per hour with a $4.00 maximum from 8 am to 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. a $25.00 monthly rental fee (only for businesses currently renting with the city) a $4.00 fee for card replacement and a $25.00 monthly fee for the outdoor parking spaces in the “Lot 59” which is across the street from the post office on Seminary.

There was also another item on the agenda to be voted on pertaining to the “new” parking deck. Item 11 K on the consent agenda was a contract with SWC of Decatur, to provide building materials, equipment and installation of a parking deck surveillance system. The amount was not to “exceed” $87,122.00. This was sponsored by Jack Dressler. Mr. Dressler, who is currently the department head of the IT department for the city, stated when asked (by Michelle Eubanks BTW and of course) that this was to be a camera system only. When Mrs. Eubanks asked if this system would be monitored, he said no and rather flippantly asked if she would like to monitor it herself. 

She did not take offense and laughed at the joke, but I could not help but think for the price of this parking deck and the supposed concerns for safety of individuals as a reason for it being built in the first place the least that could be done is some type of monitoring system that is tied into a live feed with the Florence police. You cannot call 911 for help if you are being held at gun or knife point in a parking deck. For the amount of taxpayer money that is being spent on this deck you would think live monitoring would be a given. Basically, the city of Florence is buying a very expensive “Ring doorbell” system for security in the “new” parking deck!

At the end of the work session before he closed, Blake Edwards (who was filling in for Kaytrina Simmons as president) asked if any of the council had any more questions. Michelle Eubanks asked Andy Betterton if there had been any discussion of allowing employees who work downtown to park during the week at a reduced rate in the parking deck. She stated that many were in the retail and service industry and made minimum wage with tips. She said that even a slight raise would produce a hardship on these citizens. “$25.00 may not seem like a lot of money to a lot of people but it can be cost prohibitive to someone who lives from paycheck to paycheck” Mrs. Eubanks said to Andy Betterton. At this, Betterton said: “Let’s just say that is an ongoing concern and we will expand upon that at a later date”. 

Mrs. Eubanks pushed back that she was very concerned about how this would affect those who could least afford it and that this was a resolution that was being voted upon TODAY. Andy Betterton seemed to not hear her make that statement and instead said that the current rates for parking in the “old” deck have not been raised in 20 years. With that Mrs. Eubanks said she understood but still had concerns as to how this would affect the employees who were living paycheck to paycheck who worked downtown. Once again, Betterton just said they would “look into it.” Of note is the other council members did not say ONE WORD!

When the time came to vote on this agenda item in the meeting, Michelle Eubanks was the only NO.

This is supposedly a very devout town. It seems like a steeple on every corner of a large church building in the downtown area. And every council member and the mayor you can be assured rarely miss sitting in a pew at one of the churches either downtown or around town most Sunday mornings. Watching Michelle Eubanks in action at this meeting, I could not help but think of the bible verse: Matthew 25:40 ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ The rest of the council and the mayor might want to reevaluate their priorities for parking for the poor.

*****

Pictured is Albert Joseph (Jack) Dressler, Florence IT manager (photo courtesy of the FPD). We're reminded of a current councilman's remark to a city department head: Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

A Reader Grasses on the Florence Tree Commission

A Florence reader has sent us some interesting info and links concerning the Florence Tree Commission. We're not going to list all his concerns here, but some of the major points that city residents should be concerned about are:

1. How many serve on the Tree Commission? The official city page states seven, but there are 11 members listed on its Facebook page. At least four of these members are officially tied to the city, while at least some of the remaining members have superficial connections to city government. Two are from the same household. Is this ethical?

2. President - Jackie Hendrix. Mr. Hendrix is also District 2 representative and the head of the Park/Recreation Foundation which he founded.

3. Vice President - Bill Jordan. Mr. Jordan is a city department head over Parks & Recreation and the son of former District 2 representative Dick Jordan. His department benefits directly from Hendrix's foundation.

4. Treasurer - Debra Anne Dombrowski Rynes Kreuzer Hendrix. Mrs. Hendrix is currently married to the commission president and keeps a record of its finances and bank account(s). She is also the official photographer for commission functions, ostensibly controlling what's published.

5. Administrator - Martha Murphy. Mrs. Murphy is the assistant to the Florence City Council and handles some of the donations to the commission.

6. Secretary - Joe McPhail. Mr. McPhail retired from Florence Utilities on August 2nd. Why wouldn't the administrator handle these duties as well?

7. Advisors - At least five members are listed as advisors. Doesn't the state extension service fulfill at least part of these services without charge?

8. Does so much money go through the commission that it takes both a treasurer and an administrator to handle it? Part of these commission funds involve donations to Memorial Grove Park which we'll cover in a later blog.

9. Only one official event is listed for the commission each year - a tree workshop held each February. Yet it also co-hosts an annual horticulture conference, expos where local businesses pay to set up booths selling their products, and various annual ceremonies. How much money does that bring in and where does it go?

It's possible that all city boards need to be audited. We recommend placing this one at the top of the list.

Labor Day 2024

 

It's time for our readers' favorite, the annual Labor Day Beauty Contest direct from Tuscumbia's Spring Park, where contestants actually bear some resemblance to the Shoals workforce.

Contestant No. One was Pukey Lukey Preen representing the Florence Fraternal Order of Police. Lukey had been slated to simultaneously play kazoo and cigar-box guitar, but sadly Ofc. Preen was disqualified when he failed to make it to the event on time. A search party eventually found Preen in Sheffield's Riverfront Park waiting for the crowd to show up.

Contestant No. Two was Belaki Beck representing the MSEA. Even though Belaki isn't officially a Trojan any longer, he demanded one last opportunity to embarrass the school system with his talent for spewing curses at city employees. The former coach was rumored to have had a competitive edge since so many were willing to declare him the winner just to be rid of him.

Contestant No. Three was Gina Clark representing the Muscle Shoals City Council who sang "I've Got Friends in Low Places." Clark had been rumored to be in the running for last place, and boos from the audience confirmed her status.

Contestant No. Four was Big.Dumb.Broad.Ski who represented the Florence Tree Commission. Like Ofc. Preen, she was disqualified when it became clear that seven veils weren't enough to cover the subject in her announced belly dance. Fans can rejoice that she plans to try again next year after Ozempic. 

Contestant No. Five was Joe Aquatic of the Shoals Pool Cleaning Union. Joe previously announced his buck dancing has a great chance of winning after the closure of several public pools gave him extra time to practice.

Contestant No. Six was Bonnie Baird, younger sister of Jeannie, representing the Animal Workers Association. Jeannie was the overwhelming winner in 2021, and Bonnie is rumored to be determined to outdo her older sibling. Young Border Collie Bonnie, like Jeannie, identifies as human and does a mean hip-hop Highland Fling. 

After approximately 10 seconds for a judges' conference, the decision was unanimous...

The Winner: Bonnie Blue Baird

Abortion Pill "Reversal" Isn't Safe!

We read several state and national publications each day in order to get a feel of the political climate. The 1819 News is the most conservative (read: far out). Its opinion columns are usually very unscientific, but one of its latest could be dangerous to the public.

We first heard of the "abortion pill reversal" about six months ago. If a woman takes the first drug mifepristone, but changes her mind, she can counter its effects with huge doses of progesterone given over a three week period. It's supposed to work in around 60% of cases.

Do many change their minds in this two day waiting period to take the second drug? Around 4 out of 10K.

What do studies show? There's been only one study conducted. It had less than 20 participants, but 25% of them had to be hospitalized with excessive bleeding. While the author of the 1819 opinion piece was surprised that a state would warn against this procedure (Massachusetts), this would seem to be the primary reason...and a very good one.

The bottom line is use birth control if you don't want to become pregnant!