What Do You Do With A Stale Donut?

A few years ago we began a list of local eyesores. Our intention was to limit the list to ten, and as one was (hopefully) corrected, insert another less than appealing sight. The first eyesore on our list was the Knight-Humphries donut on East Tennessee Street.

Knight-Humphries Building Showing Donut Sign Under "E."

The corner building now home to a local real estate company has been occupied by many businesses over the years, and while we are only guesstimating, we believe the donut shop was in business in the 1960s. The Florence sign ordinance was adopted in the early to mid 1970s.

The building was home to Trailways after the donut makers folded their aprons and drove into the sunset. It's possible there have been others forgotten over the years. Now we've been contacted by a representative of Knight-Humphries who believes the City of Florence owns the sign. Why?

The sign does appear to be on the city's right-of-way and, if so, was placed their illegally; however, the owners of the donut shop obviously paid for the sign (at least we hope the City of Florence didn't) and it would have been transferred to each subsequent owner.

We've contacted Dick Jordan, the councilman for the downtown area, to get his take on the best way to remove the sign. Should taxpayers pay for having it removed when it does belong to Knight-Humphries, but is on the city ROW?

Feel free to offer your takes on this, and we'll publish them.



Shoalanda

Amanda Duboise Watkins Bipolar?

Was Amanda Duboise Watkins in the midst of a bipolar manic episode when she allegedly performed fellatio on a 15 year-old former student? The one-time junior high English teacher and her defense attorney Ralph Holt may well run this scenario up the flagpole. According to one psychiatric journal:

People with bipolar disorder experiencing hypersexuality may:

• Have multiple sex partners
• Think about sex constantly
• Have one-night stands
• Be more interested in pornography
• Notice a difference in their sexual behaviors
• Engage in other reckless behaviors like driving too fast or gambling

It's a pretty good guess the state's psychiatrist will play down any manic behavior in Watkins' past.

Related Posts: Delmer & Amanda Duboise Do...Their Students

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TVA NOTICE MUSCLE SHOALS RESERVATION REDEVELOPMENT

COLBERT COUNTY, ALABAMA

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has completed the draft environmental impact statement for the proposed disposal and redevelopment of 1,400-acre of its Muscle Shoals Reservation. We invite your comments on it; comments should be submitted by February 28, 2011. Copies are available at public libraries in the Muscle Shoals area and online at www.tva.gov/environment/reports/muscle_shoals/index.htm.

See the website for more information on the proposal, instructions on submitting comments, and how to request a copy of the document. You may also contact:

Stanford E. Davis, Senior NEPA Specialist Tennessee Valley Authority
400 West Summit Hill Drive, WT 11D
Knoxville, TN 37902
Phone: 865-632-2915

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Eyesore of the week: Travel east on Tennessee Street, enjoy the mix of old and new, stop at the traffic light on Poplar Street. The first five seconds are enjoyable. You're looking at the Knight & Humphries Real Estate office, a very attractive office. The second five seconds at the red light are less enjoyable. What's that rusted sign in front of the Knight & Humphries building? Is it a donut?

Yep, that's a rusted donut left over from the 1970s...or was it the 1960's. This sign is even more hideous than the WVNA white elephant adjoining McFarland Park. Surely Knight & Humphries can either find a fitting sign for their business or, if not, simply remove this monstrosity from the streetscape. Considering the work put into making their offices attractive to the passing public, they have to know this past its prime pastry is no selling point for their business.

Shoalanda