TD Writers & Legislators...Not Too Bright

How hard is it to read a street sign? We’re guessing for the TimesDaily’s Jennifer Edwards and Robert Palmer, it’s pretty difficult. Twice in the past month, Irvine Avenue, one of Florence’s oldest thoroughfares, has been called a street. We’ll give Palmer his due, he did correct his error in the third article about a proposed round-a-bout. If such a simple concept of street v. avenue eludes these writers, how are we to expect them to convey the intricacies of bond issues and similar financial dealings? 

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In case you’re wondering, we don’t know of anyone who blogs here who supports the medical termination of pregnancy as a method of birth control. We do support implementing some common sense in our legislature.

According to the TimesDaily: "There will also be a bill protecting medical personnel from being forced to perform abortion procedures that violate their moral beliefs."

So, when’s the last time you read of anyone putting a gun to anyone’s head to make them participate in such a procedure? If a person accepts a job at what’s commonly called an abortion clinic, just what do these people think goes on there?

We were hoping that the upcoming legislative session would focus on a budget, new infrastructure, little things like that. Guess not…

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From 20 to six, here’s the short list of candidates to replace Alabama senator Jeff Sessions:

Congressman Robert Aderholt, Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange, head of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs Jim Byard, State Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh (R- Anniston), Rep. Connie Rowe (R- Jasper), and former Montgomery-area state lawmaker Perry Hooper Jr.

A final selection could come as early as Monday. Smart money is, unfortunately, on Strange. Note that none of them is from extreme north Alabama. What? You’re not surprised?

Sheffield and Muscle Shoals Tackle Speeders

In an effort to control speeders, and since some of the local LEOs continue to show total disdain for conducting proper and effective traffic patrol, Sheffield and Muscle Shoals have chosen to take a 'novel' approach to the problem. Their approach was to simply destroy all of the railroad crossings within their respective municipalities. The long-term 'cost effectiveness' of this 'solution' may be problematic, as I am sure more than a few lawsuits will ensue over unnecessary, and utterly preventable, vehicular damage.

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We love to learn new things and we’ve just learned that the north end of the UNA campus is the terminus of Court Street and the southern end extends to Mattielou Street. At least that’s what Jennifer Edwards told her readers in the Sunday TD. Perhaps next week we’ll be introduced to new designations for right and left.

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It seems that Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire may soon be petitioning the US Congress to move from the Eastern Time Zone to the Atlantic. A large part of Tennessee is located in the Eastern Zone as is all of Georgia, and there have always been rumblings that Alabama should join them and share a timetable with that economic hub New York City.

Perhaps now it will be doable, but would it be a boon to the economy as some predict? Would anyone notice the difference locally? After all, most residents are firmly ensconced at home by eight o’clock at night anyway.

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While we don’t have a firm date, we understand that the demolition of the old Coffee High School buildings may begin at any time. If anyone wants photos of the mortar and brick that housed that venerable institution, now’s the time to take them.

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We see that Florence Mayor Mickey Haddock’s latest newsletter has placed more emphasis on the status of capital projects. (Thank you, Mayor Haddock.) We also see that many are lamenting the scaled back project to repave Wood Avenue. We agree that any new paving will indeed become patched within a few months time if water/utility lines are not replaced and brought up to date, but at least the thoroughfare will present a new array of potholes for drivers who are tired of the current ones.

Shoalanda