See the Candidates at First Friday

 

First Friday begins tonight at 5:30. Tonight's street fair not only has arts, crafts, and music, but also candidates standing for the August municipal election.

Have your questions ready as you grab a bumper sticker. See you there tonight!

First Fridays? Time for a Second Look

Downtown Florence is home to First Fridays approximately eight months out of the year. It's come to be known as a family oriented and quality event. Yet several of our readers see problems with the institution.

It's designed to be something more than just a common sidewalk sale, but many vendors no longer participate. Complaints continue when the FPD utilizes horses. Now there are concerns about a lack of public restrooms and parking.

Certainly restaurants may wish to prohibit public parking; that's to be expected. How about restroom use? As we understand it, if other facilities are available, no store is required to offer use to non-customers. But what if the Subway sends individuals to Fred's, while Fred's simply sends them back to the Subway? We understand that is happening. We also understand that during the last event, a small child who had fallen and was bleeding was turned away from Fred's. Why isn't there a first aid station handy?

If you know of other problems, send us a report.

*****

We understand that changes are coming to the Florence Animal Shelter. 'Bout time!

New Revelations About First Friday Incident

Assuming yesterday’s public statement by Florence chief Ron Tyler is 100% correct, we offer the following observations on the recent attack in Wilson Park:

1. The incident happened around 9:40, at least forty minutes later than reported originally. (This would explain a lack of more witnesses.)

2. The injury to the face of the 14 year-old son was caused by a “friend,” not a random attacker. (This indicates some problems were brewing before the father arrived.)

3. No racial slurs were made; however, one “remark” was directed toward a woman. (The mother?)

4. The father received a facial fracture, but needed no medical treatment. (Really? The last we had heard from family, they were going to consult a plastic surgeon.)

5. The attack involved a stun gun, not a Taser.

We’re sure more information will come to light later. Thornton is no angel. A 28 year-old who attacks a 14 year-old is a bully among other things, but did he commit a felony?

Isiah Thornton Jr.

This whole incident is what’s known as a mare’s nest. Let’s be thankful the tales of out of control gangs have been greatly exaggerated.



Shoalanda

The First Friday Attack & the State of Denmark

We have no doubt that two members of the Kevin Dawes family were attacked by someone at the last First Friday, as well as their van. We do have questions about this attack. There are a number of oddities about the family’s statements--all of which may have logical rationales. Let’s look at them.

1. A group of 20 to 30 black youths are alleged to have attacked the father & son in Wilson Park between 8:30 and 9:00 on a First Friday. It was dark, but wouldn’t others leaving the event also have been walking through the park? Goodness knows enough people saw the (different) crowd at the deli half an hour later.

2. The gang yelled, “Get that white!” Really? Is that what they say in the ‘hood now? Not “cracker” or even the old standby “honky?” Not even one vulgar adjective thrown in? Anyone else out there think that’s pretty odd?

3. The gang had an expensive Taser? We’ve previously commented that we doubted that, but most recent reports from the family indicate that Mr. Dawes had burns from seven Taser hits. A stun gun theoretically won't leave burns, but Tasers do. Seven hits? And no one saw anything?

4. The attack, the mother has reported, was a “gang initiation.” Is this how it’s done now? 20 or 30 initiated at once? And just who in this lovely group took the time to utter the words “gang initiation?” If that isn’t bizarre, we don’t know what is.

5. The gang ran when they heard sirens? (The latest update indicates the mother called 911 immediately.) Two things come to mind here. First, weren’t any of the officers one block away on Court Street and on foot called to the scene? Second, why couldn’t any of the officers catch just one of the 20 to 30 running from the park? If any responding officers even saw one of these youths, he hasn’t made a public statement.

6. Why has no one come forward to offer any eye-witness information on the youths? Again, look at the Subway incident. Facebook and our mailbox were full of witnesses reporting what they saw.

There may be perfectly reasonable explanations for these discrepancies. In the mean time, every uber right-wing (read: hate) site on the Internet is running a story on the out of control black gangs in Florence.

Totally true or patently false, this incident is a black eye on the Renaissance City.



Shoalanda

Take It With a Grain of Logic

Whatever happened Friday night was not good. There was an alleged gang attack at Subway and in Wilson Park. But what actually happened? We don't know. Logically, if a Florence Police officer was attacked on Court/Tuscaloosa, it should be major news. Yet many aren't looking at this logically.

1. Call it a "hate crime?" Only a grand jury can do that. The city has no hate crime statute. It's simply assault until it becomes a felony.

2. The sheriff isn't doing his job? Our sheriff has nothing to do with it if it happened inside city limits.

3. There was a Taser attack? Tasers go for at least 390.00. Pretty rich equipment for a street gang.

4. It's obviously a cover up? Why? The park episode wasn't reported until much later. The FPD doesn't have a clairvoyant on staff.

5. It happened between 8:30 & 9:00 and no one reported it? If true, a lot of people have a lot to answer for (and apparently have nothing in common with our neighbors who have a hotline to the police).

***** 

Just saw this on FB: I was going to watch an old sitcom, but decided to watch the local news. I think the news is going to turn out to be funnier. An armed man robbed a drug store and took everyone inside hostage. The reporter explained it was drug related. She also said he will be facing charges.



Shoalanda

The Sweetwater Mansion Debacle - Part IV

The Sweetwater Mansion Debacle - Part IV

A Guest Commentary By

Sarah Savant

Things actually went very well for the living history event, and some of us decided to spend the night at Sweetwater. There were only volunteers present, and we were having fun playing with some of the ghost hunting equipment. At least it was fun until two of the committee members got into an argument that turned nasty very quickly.

One of the two involved was my friend who had helped me with Sweetwater's history. She resigned the next morning and most of us were extremely upset. We thought that Cynthia Johnson as director should do something about it. Instead, Cynthia acted as if nothing odd or out of the way had happened. I then decided to distance myself from the project, only dropping by if someone I knew well was going to be there.

Some time later I received a phone call from this friend who had been "thrown under the bus." She had heard that someone was taking up money for Sweetwater at First Fridays and asked that I go with her to the next event and see what we could find out. Before we could go, I heard that Cynthia was accusing me and still another former committee member of being the ones who were collecting the funds. I decided to call Cynthia to ask why she was accusing us. She told me she had received a description of the pair and they sounded much like my male friend and me.

I still love Sweetwater and want it to be restored. I don't know what it will take, but I honestly and sincerely believe that Cynthia Johnson is holding the project back. Volunteers don't stay long and no real work is ever done. If exposing what is really going on at Sweetwater will help, I feel that I have finally accomplished something.

*****

This concludes "Sarah's" account of her experiences volunteering for Sweetwater. We want to commend her for her attempts to help the once great mansion and her coming forward to reveal the truth about the supposed restoration.

Tomorrow we'll have some questions, answers, and other comments about the events that have taken place over the past two years at Sweetwater. Please feel free to send us any questions you may have.



Shoalanda

Ya Gets What Ya Pays Fer

We hope the reader who sent this item to us will forgive us using his line as our title today. It seems to fit both his news item and ours. From the regular reader:

A Birmingham based security company was recently in the Shoals area recruiting applicants for a security job at a local defense contractor. The positions require that the security officers placed must be able to possess a TOP SECRET security clearance. That's totally understandable, especially considering the nature of what is being made at the site. What ISN'T understandable is the rate of pay for these TOP SECRET security clearance positions: $8.35/Hr.

*****

Now we'll venture to Sweetwater Mansion, whose Facebook page had a busy weekend. Dorcas Bowers, the Sweetwater media committee member, is now warning attendees at First Fridays not to donate to those taking up money for the mansion's renovation--according to her, they aren't connected to anyone at Sweetwater.

Since one must have a permit to set up at First Fridays, it should be easy to narrow it down as to who is "illegally" collecting funds, if anyone. Our sources tell us that July was at least the second or third month at which collections jars/buckets were set up. It's nice to know that some of the Sweetwater committee wishes to know where this money is going, but they do not reveal how the money they collect is being used. We have had some interesting reports on this and will offer a blog in the near future. Those who have contacted us are concerned that the renovation is almost non-existent. Yes, Ya gets what ya pays fer.

*****

It's no secret that we here at Shoalanda are good friends with several local bloggers not connected with our own political blog. One of our favorite blogs is O.B.'s Corner. We have him linked and doubt that we have missed any of his offerings so far. So it comes as a shock to learn that the Sweetwater media czar, Dorcas Jane Bowers, has accused our friend of mentioning her 89 year-old mother in one of his columns. It also came as a shock to O.B. who knows nothing of Ms. Bowers' mother and states he has never referred to her in any manner.

Again, as much as we would like to see Sweetwater restored and in the right hands, we can't ethically promote the current committee who oversees the work, including fund raising. Ya gets what ya pays fer...and apparently that's not much. Apologies from Ms. Bowers are in order.



Shoalanda

May Day and First Fridays Converge

Few of the lesser holidays bespeak our British heritage like May Day. Children in the South still make May baskets for their mothers and dance around May Poles (even if every year there's one ne'er-do-well who insists upon dancing in the opposite direction from his schoolmates). We wouldn't even be surprised to see the appearance of Hawthorne wreaths upon local doors. After all, on May 1st, many of us proclaim our Druid ancestry as vocally an an Irishman on March 17th.

This year May Day falls on Friday, making it even more special. This will be the second First Friday of the year (the events are not held in January, February, or March) and what better way to start the month than with food, art, and song. If you're looking for pottery (pictured above), paintings, or just some delicious food and entertainment, meet us next Friday at 5:00 p.m. on Court Street. If it should be your first time, we can promise you it won't be your last.


What's up with this: While downtown, check out the UNA-themed TimesDaily vending machines. Why is the rest of the area deprived of this purple and gold artistic touch?