The Shoals is Not the Many/Go with Mo?

We haven't yet endorsed any candidates beyond a local level. We will state that as honest and brilliant a person Dr. Parker Griffith is, Mo Brooks has made things happen. He will be our personal choice tomorrow. Starting over every two years is not the way to make things happen for us on a national level.

But what of the presidential race? We see that our friend Justin has put in a plug for Santorum. We're still not sure if that is humor or not. Romney seems the lesser of all the evils floating about in the Republican flotsam, but should we lose sleep over our choice?

The Shoals is a very small frog to any presidential candidate. We're sure each of them, if here, would speak with great fervor of what he planned to do for this area. We're also sure that six months later, that candidate would say, "Muscle Shoals? Is that in Georgia or Florida." No, we can't compete with New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago; however, the way things are looking we may soon be able to give Detroit a run for its money.

We'll come back to another of Justin's comments. He feels we are to care for all who come to us for aid, but we ask how can we? It has always been our belief that if each community makes the most of its resources, those communities won't need the state except in dire emergencies. If states put an honest effort into recruiting industry, they won't need the Federal government to assist in local projects.

It begins here in the Shoals for us. It begins with such individuals as Mel Grimes and Keith Coillier Jr. who have proved themselves in other areas, who have no personal agenda. If we continue to vote vipers in, we can't expect to receive anything less than venom from our elected officials.

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A few have asked about Lane Roland's current involvement with the North Alabama Gas District, if any. We have been unable to contact Mr. Roland; however, one reader who knows Mr. Roland personally has stated he doubts that Roland remains as a consultant. In this day of social media reign, this is a perfect example of why Facebook should be a must for every candidate.

We'll add a humorous note that Roland's opponent for the Colbert County commission seat, Troy Woodis, has not answered The Connection's article concerning his recent financial problems. Several readers have mentioned Kilgore Hardware has made copies of the piece and is passing them out to customers. Well...we do believe in being politically proactive. Link: Troy Woodis
 

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Our poll on linking a blog showcasing a sex offender has ended. Over three hundred votes were cast, and by a small margin, readers have asked that we not link the blog to ours. We appreciate those who do send us links to local blogs. We can't promise to link all of them, but we will try to find room for those that promote the growth and safety of the Shoals area.




Shoalanda

Franklin County?/Two Days & Counting

A few readers have asked why we haven't endorsed a full slate of candidates in Franklin County, as we have in Lauderdale and Colbert. Franklin traditionally has a larger ballot, featuring some offices that don't exist in the other two counties. We've also received much less input, either good or bad, from Franklin County concerning what might be termed lesser offices.

We have noticed a candidate named Randy Hargett running for the county commission. We know nothing of Mr. Hargett, either positive or negative. His name did remind us of a problem former Franklin County District Attorney Chris Hargett encountered while in office. At that time he was continually asked if he was related to then police officer Chris Hargett. The latter Hargett is now police chief in Russellivlle. D.A. Hargett never failed to answer in the negative and placed strong emphasis on the fact. We do wonder if candidate Randy Hargett is claiming kin to either?

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A few words from two endorsed candidates in the last days of the campaign:

From B.J. Tully -Thank you for your endorsement in the Lauderdale County Commission Dist. 1 Republican Primary. I have always put the citizens first and will continue to do so when elected commissioner

From Mel Grimes - It is my hope that within the next few years Lauderdale County will be well on the way to becoming a template for county governments everywhere. To achieve this goal, our community must establish the following priorities:

1. A love for God, our country and our neighbor.

2. We must find ways to mitigate the devastating effect of crime on life and property.

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A guest commentary:  I know that Shoalanda Speaks primarily addresses what could be termed the tri-county area, but I also know that many readers come from Limestone County. Limestone has a growing Republican vote, and for those voting in the Republican primary this Tuesday, I'm asking that you vote for Brad Curnutt for Circuit Court Clerk. The three needed attributes for any office are honesty, ability, and experience. Brad certainly has the first two, and I believe his record shows he also has the third. Thanks for your consideration.

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Tomorrow will be our last blog before our state's Super Tuesday. If you have any comments, please send them now so that we may publish them tomorrow as early as possible. Thanks to all our readers.

Shoalanda

Mel Grimes: The Dem to Beat for Commission Chair

If you live in the western end of Lauderdale County, you know the east gets the gravy. If you live in the eastern end, you know the west gets preferential treatment. Hmmmm, both statements can't be true. Actually, neither is true. If you think the long running feud between Lauderdale and Colbert Counties is the only one going, you haven't talked to those who reside in Waterloo or Rogersville.

Unlike other large counties, Lauderdale has only two districts, therefore a certain amount of polarity is inevitable. The eastern end of the county is also more populous, giving it the edge in voting. Sadly, it may come down to this mini-geographic divide to decide the new office of County Commission Chair.

Three Democrats are vying for this part-time job: Dewey Mitchell, Mel Grimes, and Candy Haddock. Haddock, judging from a previous local run, would seem to be the dark horse. A strong businesswoman, she has little political experience and would be a long shot to win the nomination. Obviously the Democrats are seeking a candidate that can beat Republican Quinton Hanson.

Dewey Mitchell may be seen as something of an incumbent since he is retiring as county probate judge. One Florence city council member has called Mitchell the worst probate judge in the history of the county. Others have taken issue with his less than tactful approach concerning day to day problems inherent in the office.Perhaps the most unsettling accusation concerning Mitchell is that he has chosen to run in order to secure a certain Lauderdale site as the location of the new hospital.

That leaves relative newcomer Mel Grimes; just what does he stand for? A member of the Waterloo town council, Grimes has proved popular with voters in the eastern end of the county. Even more importantly, he has stated he looks forward to improving the county using the intellectual support of individuals who actually have expertise in the areas currently affecting Lauderdale County.

Mel will be giving us a statement in the next few days. We happily endorse Mel Grimes for the Democratic nominee for Lauderdale County Commission Chair.

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We've had several questions lately concerning what can be done to stop convenience stores from selling tobacco products to underage youths. If you have seen such sales, first contact the manager/owner of the retail establishment. Note the time of the sale and the name of the offending clerk.

If the problem still continues, contact the ATF of Alabama at:

Huntsville Satellite Field Office

ATF NCETR

3750 Corporal Road

Redstone Arsenal, Alabama 35898 USA

Voice (256) 533-8880

Fax (256) 533-8881

The agents in charge will either put you in touch with local authorities or handle the matter themselves. Good luck.



Shoalanda