Just Who Is Craig Construction Using to Build New $38 Million Dollar School?

Say 38 million and most of us think more money than we could ever imagine in a budget. Say Craig Construction and most of us think of a local Florence firm established over two generations ago. Now think sub-contractor. Now think sub sub-contractor...yes, it's not that uncommon. 

If you had asked us to consider a sub sub-contractor, we would have immediately thought of the roofing business where competing companies like to accuse their rivals of using substandard, or even illegal, labor. Yet, it's not that uncommon in all phases of building and remodeling.

Is Craig Construction using sub-contractors to build the new Florence Middle School? We're sure it is since that's the norm in today's building world. Is the company using illegal or shady sub-contractors? That we don't know, but we do know that someone in the Tampa area wants locals at least to think so.

Roberto Cantu-Meza

Cantu-Meza has published messages on a Facebook site seeking two relatively unskilled welders/ironworkers to make about 15.00 an hour to "weld decking" on the new Florence Middle School. He goes as far as to mention Hispanics specifically. Looking at Cantu's FB page established in 2007, we infer that he's probably not Hispanic himself, but a Latino who isn't above hiring illegals to make a quick buck. Nice, huh?

So, is it a joke this man plays in order to stir up controversy in building trades around the southeast? We don't know, but do know the Florence School Board and Craig Construction would do well to find out quickly.

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Hermitage Drive: The Good, the Bad, & the Insipid

Many things are capable of speaking for themselves; however, few of them ever get to if there's a politician around. On Tuesday, the Florence City Council approved $13,000.00 for flashing signals on Hermitage Drive. The purpose of the signals--to remind motorists to slow down near Florence Middle School--is certainly good and long overdue.

From the July 22nd TimesDaily:

Parents have complained that drivers used the road as a short cut. It passes Florence Middle School. “People didn’t realize the school was there until they were right up on it,” said Mayor Bobby Irons.

Hermitage Drive has existed in some form since 1813. Originally the path that Gen. Andrew Jackson forged to New Orleans was called Jackson Military Road. Added amenities turned the road into Jackson Highway before its name was again changed in the 1950s to its current designation of Hermitage Drive. In the early part of this decade, the northern stretch of Hermitage received still another designation when Florence declared it part of the newer Darby Drive. Many, including local historian William Smith, disagreed with this arbitrary name change. At best it was unnecessary, and at worst a bad example for future generations.

For decades, Hermitage Drive has been a major artery linking Cox Creek Parkway/Darby Drive to downtown Florence. When it became downgraded to a "shortcut" is anyone's guess and probably only existed as such for a brief moment in our mayor's mind as he sought to dramatize the situation.

That brings us to the Florence Middle School that "people don't realize is there." The building was constructed in 1948 to house Coffee High School. If most motorists don't know it's there by now, we're not sure if flashing lights will be of any help to them.

Perhaps Mayor Irons is so accustomed to having to defend his actions, as well as those of the council, he seeks to rationalize them to the point of insipidity. Then again, perhaps he's just a politician and can't help it.

Pictured: Pope's Tavern & Museum on Hermitage Drive


What's up with this: Will Stutts has announced the cancellation of the Smothers Brothers' Summer Theatre series performance. Obviously he's correct that just too many activities were scheduled in the Shoals for July, but we have it on good authority that some entities work with each other to avoid such conflicts.