Stanley Hides Behind Sanford; Ian Contradicts Himself

 

An Actual Sheffield Pothole from March 2018

Did Steve Stanley defend himself at the latest town council meeting? No...he had Ian Sanford speak for him. This is a new one on us. Who will be speaking at the next meeting? Andy Betterton?

The powers that be knew to circle the wagons at the meeting; Sheffield citizens would be attending in record numbers. Their solution was to have a former mayor speak to calm the natives? Where was Steve Stanley during all this? Hiding in the men's room?

Sanford at one time stated the current Meal Barrel location was being used rent free. Then he announced it was actually being rented out at $100.00 a year. Which is it?

While we admit that a C-note isn't much these days, the next time we see Ian with his latest squeeze (they come and go) at a local restaurant, we're going to pretend to be his server just for the tip.

Then Ian really put his foot in his two-sided mouth when he stated the Meal Barrel served many who didn't live in Sheffield, so the City government shouldn't be expected to provide or help search for a facility. In case anyone doesn't know, Sheffield has the lowest yearly income and highest unemployment of any of the Shoals' four largest towns.

Sheffield, your leadership is non-existent. How many lawsuits does it now have filed against it...and the police department?

Make some noise!

Updates on Sheffield Lawsuit/Chris Balentine

First we have a correction/addendum from a confidential source regarding the Tammy Holden termination hearing:

The council did see the emails but Steve Baccus said they were irrelevant to the case. Underwood had asked that Ian Sanford be a witness and be cross-examined which Baccus and the council said they would not do. Ian was called as a witness which the city council overrode. He was not allowed to be cross-examined by Holden's attorney. 

Ian was also asked to recuse himself from voting because of the hostile environment, emails, and recorded statement from him saying Holden's attire was appropriate. Sanford initially said he never said that, but acquiesced when he heard the secretly recorded conversation.

We also want to add that Streets & Sanitation Department head Bradley Bump's wife now works for the Tuscumbia Parks and Recreation Department. Somehow that doesn't sound less stressful.

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Meanwhile in Lauderdale County, we hear that Muscle Shoals Coach Chris Balentine's wife has filed for divorce. 

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Also in Lauderdale, Mackenzie Crosswhite remains missing. This is her second bunk, and we commented on a linked article that she should be grounded for life. Some felt she was the victim in all this. We have no idea what her emotional problems may be, but we do know her father is extremely worried about her. She's 17; she has to know what kind of impact this kind of thing has on others, as well as her own education (how much school has she missed?). Above all, we hope she is found safe. Here is a link to information concerning Mackenzie; it contains an updated physical description and more on the man the teenager is believed to have left with.

Mackenzie Crosswhite Missing

Shoalanda

Mr. Mayor, 99.99% Don't Want to See What You Sent!

When we first heard about the racial and sexual nature of the e-mails in question in the latest lawsuit against the City of Sheffield, we weren't sure what to think. Two city officials were guilty of this, according to the attorney quoted in the TD article. Who were they, and what did they send?

Later we were informed via a confidential source that one of the misguided department heads was Dewey King, a man whom, judging from our e-mail over the years, no one likes for more reasons than we can count. Who was the other?

Let's digress here for a minute. This is a political blog, and we try to be fair. If we supported you in past elections and later you take out half your constituents with an Uzi, we're going to report on that. Our citizens deserve better. As a woman writing this blog today, I can say that women deserve better treatment than they receive in the workplace.

That being said, Mr.Mayor Ian Sanford, no female working for you (at least the ones I know) want to see a photograph of a penis. I don't care how funny the joke is; BTW this one wasn't funny. We've read some of the other jokes you have sent to employees...and some were funny, but as mayor should you have sent them to ANY employees? What were you thinking sending one whose punch line was the photo of a penis? (No we're not going to publish it here, but it will be in Colbert County court records soon enough.)

We've said it before and we'll say it again here. Whistle blowers get no respect. People have to work for a living and put up with quite a bit from supervisors, usually those with a high school diploma and five ex-wives, but from a college educated male who holds the respect of the community?

We're sad to publish this today.



Shoalanda

Keller Attorneys Sink to New Low

The comedy show at the Marriott is now in its second week and promises a lengthy run. Perhaps comedy isn't the word...how about dramady? No? Let's just say down right asinine and be done with it.

According to Keller's legal eagles, the cardiac program at ECM will be short lived since one of the surgeons is 67. No...wait...make that 62. Well, hey, that's still only eight years until retirement. After all, isn't Dr. Athanasuleas the only cardiac surgeon in the U.S.? And just what does the cardiac program have to do with the number of beds in the replacement hospital? Looks like more than deerslayers utilize the smoke and mirrors routine.

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Our friend Steve Wiggins of the Quad-Cities Daily has interviewed Sheffield Mayor Ian Sanford concerning Greg Ray's civil service board victory:

Ian Sanford on Greg Ray

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Very unusual postcard from Tuscumbia:

It can be yours for only $35.00 - Link



Shoalanda

TimesDaily Seeking New Reporter

In case you missed it in the TimesDaily classifieds, our local rag is seeking a new reporter to join their ever changing stable. Is someone else leaving or is the TD simply looking for someone to replace Cathy Wood or Michelle Eubanks? Let's look at the ad:

1. Excellent writing skills are required. - For the TD? Since when?

2. You need a reputation for quality and integrity. - Do the two go together? As for quality, see above.

One word of advice to Mike Goens--please try to find someone who can write an entire sentence without using the word "which."

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Sheffield Billiards - Photo by M.C.

We're adding Sheffield Billiards to our list of Shoals eyesores. This vision has to make Sheffield mayor Ian Sanford wince every time he drives by.

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Russellville Post Office c. 1949: Link

Shoalanda

Who Thinks Sheffield Can?

A show of hands, please--who really thinks Sheffield can return to its former state of prosperity? Okay, I see Steve Wiggins' hand. There's another one; no, that one belongs to Steve's brother Rick and he lives in California, so he doesn't count. Hmmm, okay, now I see Ian Sanford's. Anyone else?

We here at our blogging group would also raise our hands, but none of us lives in Sheffield either; however, we're going to make ourselves honorary citizens of Sheffield for the day and give some pats on the back. First, we're sure it wasn't easy to just say no to storefront churches in downtown Sheffield. Early Christians met in homes, so we're not of the belief a church building must have stained glass and a steeple. We do believe that buildings built for business should house enterprises that engage in commerce of some form and return tax dollars to the city in which they are built. Kudos to Ian Sanford and the town council for enforcing this law.

Automotive repair shops downtown? Yes, they do pay taxes, but they do not bring in as much out of town traffic as other retail establishments. Florence long ago rezoned that fair city and, for the most part, made a variance as rare as a six-toed cat. That brings us to Steve Wiggins and his stand against such establishments. Steve has vision. He sees the forest. It wouldn't hurt to listen to him.

Photo: Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in1970s


For your enjoyment: If you haven't seen Steve Wiggins' film City Hanging Over a Cliff, here's your chance--link.

Shoalanda

The Old Railroad Bridge

In 1839, the first local span across the Tennessee River was opened for traffic. Originally the bridge served wagons and livestock, as well as trains. Much of the bridge's history is lost to time, but we do know that in 1864 Union Gen. John Thomas Croxton placed his men at each end of the edifice in order to prevent Confederate soldiers and supplies from crossing the river.

A streetcar line opened in 1904 and crossed the bridge until 1933 when Wilson Dam siphoned most of the traffic from the older structure. L&N Railroad continued to use the bridge for the larger part of the 20th century, but abandoned the structure over 20 years ago.

At that time, local residents banded together to form the Old Railroad Bridge Company, an organization dedicated to saving the historic span. Among the members over the years have been Ray and Charlotte Lawson, their daughter Annette Faulkner, Billy Don Anderson, Kevin Bardon, James Bedsole, and current president Rilly Winkle. Despite the money and effort put into the project, L&N decided to remove the rotating span that reached from Patton Island to Florence, leaving only the Sheffield-Patton Island link standing.

In 2005, the City of Sheffield officially leased the bridge from the organization; now the Old Railroad Bridge Company is asking the town to purchase the structure and add it to their stable of parks. Sheffield is the most financially strapped city in the Shoals, but the purchase of the bridge is not an offer the town should refuse. Once Sheffield takes total control of the edifice, the state Historical Commission has promised a grant to build an observation platform at the Patton Island terminus.

Ownership of the bridge will also give Sheffield the legal footing to arrest and prosecute those responsible for recent graffiti and other vandalism to the structure. Currently, only video cameras donated by Tim Zuelke offer any protection against those who have repeatedly vandalized the Ashe Boulevard entrance.

It speaks well of Sheffield Mayor Ian Sanford that he is willing to work to make this purchase possible. With the coming of the new river walk, the 170 year-old Railroad Bridge will be another jewel in the crown.

Our sympathies to the family of Doyle Truitt.

Historic Sheffield Potholes

Since the leaders of Sheffield have announced that their fair city is about to embark on a new era, I will suggest they take advantage of one of their historic assets--potholes in almost every downtown street. I can see the blurb: Visit Sheffield, the pothole capital of the world.

With Ian Sanford the mayor-elect and a new golf course complex in the works, Sheffield is about to take a leap into the 21st century. No town can be expected to keep streets in excellent repair when there are no tax dollars coming in, but we do hope the powers that be will make street maintenance their top priority when these expected windfalls do make an appearance.

Congratulations to Ian Sanford on his recent election. It's a marked improvement, and we wish him the best.


What's up with this: What North Alabama community is about to go to war over the issue of incorporation? Remember, a mayor does not a metropolis make.