Mr. Peabody Has Nothing on the Lauderdale County Commission

 

We know...you don't own it. Or maybe you do, but just don't care. Or maybe you do and are "working on it." Sorry, guys, this isn't enough.

After the recent rains and flooding, the road isn't safe. You're the only ones who can cure that winding mess whether you like it or not. Two individuals have lost their lives on Paradise Drive in the past. It's time for more than Band-Aids. (And that one warning stake is just laughable.)

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Lauderdale Commission v. West Lauderdale Water?

 

Buck passing? It should be an Olympic sport. We're pretty sure some Alabama officials would bring home the gold.

Remember Paradise Drive in Waterloo? Above is a photo of the subpar roadway. That PVC pipe? That's what brings drinking water to the local residents, courtesy of the West Lauderdale Water Department.

Why is the pipe exposed? The water company says it's the fault of the Lauderdale County Commission for not maintaining the drive. The commission says it's the responsibility of the water company since the pipe belongs to them. Responsibility obviously isn't everyone's strong point.

The county commission has also been very quiet recently concerning ongoing work to widen Paradise Drive. It was the recent scene of another accident; however, no one died...this time. 

What will it take to remedy this situation? Aren't there enough lawsuits in the world already? If anyone has any further insight into this, please contact us. We'll be doing an update at a later date.

Lauderdale County Commission Comes Through on Paradise Drive!

Blind Curve on Paradise Drive Being Widened

From Hank Thomas:

Believe it or not, after 14 years of meetings, letters and phone calls about Paradise Drive, it is being widened. Blind curves and hills are being addressed. The road department has done a great job under the direction of county engineer Eric Hill. This will make the road safer. Thanks also to the Florence utility department for moving utility poles to allow the work to be done. Commission Chairman Danny Pettus was instrumental in pushing for this road work to happen. The citizens, living on Paradise Drive are very appreciative. Thanks also to all that have supported the efforts to make this happen. A very special thanks to Doctor Gil Parrish who lost his life on this road while continuously fighting to have improvements made to Paradise Drive. I know he is smiling. Last but certainly not least. Thanks to Shoalanda Speaks, without your blog the word would not have been printed. You have kept the citizens of Lauderdale appraised about our fight to make the road safer. For this, we will be forever grateful.

We want to first thank Mr. Thomas for his kind words to us, as well as all his work to make the public aware. Second, we wish to thank Commission Chair Danny Pettus (who often has a thankless job) for his continuing efforts on behalf of the residents of Waterloo and Paradise Drive.

Waterloo Is Waiting on the Lauderdale County Commission

As this year is winding down, many of us make note of what advances we have accomplished. At this time, it's good to take a look as well at what our governing bodies are accomplishing.

One ongoing project in Lauderdale County has been the improvements to Paradise Drive in Waterloo. To make it short and not so sweet, there still aren't any. Waterloo community activist and spokesman Hank Thomas recently sent this letter to Danny Pettus, commission chair:

Danny, we have now gone almost a year with nothing being done to the defects on Paradise Drive. Dr. Parrish died on January 20, 2019 so eleven months have passed. We were told that AT&T was the holdup on work on the blind curves and hills. Then we were told the engineer did not want to move the equipment unless he could complete the job. Also the gravel to be removed was causing a problem. We drive this road every day concerned that another citizen of Lauderdale county could be hurt or killed, traversing the road. We have had 2 deaths already. When people unaware of the dangers drive the road they often times move to the wrong side of the road to navigate the curves and many times we have dodged vehicles driving on the wrong side of the road. They do so because you cannot see what is coming around the blind curves and the blind hills. We have tried since 2006 to get the defects remedied by the county and thus far to no avail. We have had more grading of the road under your leadership, but the defects noted in 2006 remain. Please look into this matter and help us open up the curves and hills that are blind to traffic. 

Danny I have also attached the letter written February 2012 before the first death in May 2012. It outlines the defects I allude to in this email and have not been addressed except for a few signs that were required by the court in the settlement regarding the young man's death in May of 2012. 

Thanks Hank and the citizens of Paradise Drive.  

What else will it take to ensure the commission keeps its commitment to improve this dangerous roadway? No one wants another death...

Signs of the Times in Sheffield & Waterloo

We laugh when we hear someone say they don't believe in coincidences. While true coincidences may be rare, they do happen. Two days ago we opened our e-mail to find a report on Sheffield signs from J. Redmon. The next e-mail came from our friend H.T. on Waterloo signs. Both towns seem to have the same problem with their signage.

From J. Redmon:

Sign? What Sign?

Oh, That Sign!

The above sign is on 32nd Street. Obviously the city inspectors aren't enforcing any vegetation laws here.

On to Waterloo. From H.T.:

The above are from, of course, Paradise Drive. We'll have more on this in a few days.

A Letter to Danny Pettus

We've recently seen several complaints about a dangerous situation with a Franklin County Road. According to residents, the county commission has not done its job in two years. What if the commission had failed to act properly in 13 years? Here's a letter to the Lauderdale County Commission from Mr. Hank Thomas of Waterloo:

Danny, it has been 7 months since Doctor Parrish was killed in an accident on Paradise Drive and nothing has been done to eliminate the cause of the crash. We still have blind hills and curves. The signs that are on the road have ivy growing on them and some are not visible. The undergrowth on the sides of the road also block views of oncoming traffic. 

You have said AT&T must move some poles, but we have curves and hills that are blind to oncoming traffic that are not in any way impacted by poles or any utility facility. Please get us some relief. 

We have had 2 deaths on the road caused primarily by the design of the road. We have asked for help for 13 years starting in 2006 and still nothing. The road was widened by a resident of the road at his own expense or it would be worse. When you were elected we thought, now some action would be taken. The citizens living on the road and those that traverse the road deserve better and safer road. 

In closing we had an accident at a construction site on Paradise Drive about 2 weeks ago, and I was told the ambulances could not make it up the road. Thank goodness the volunteer fire department had equipment they could send to assist the injured parties. Look forward to any plans the county has to correct the defects on Paradise Drive. Thanks Hank

Paradise Drive After Latest Widening Effort

And the Readers Say...

On Tom Smith leaving the TD:

I was told Tom Smith is now manager of the Lauderdale County solid waste Department. Hope he is better at managing garbage than putting it out. Puppet for Dewey Mitchell and may be how he got the county position. I noticed too at the commission meeting that George Grayban is still Emergency Management manager. I asked George on numerous occasions about the emergency management plan for the county. An outside agency was writing the plan for him and he had no details. No commissioner knows what they are to do if we have a major disaster. Sorry, we have an inept crew running the county.


On Paradise Drive:

Danny Pettus came down and he is going to have the road department take off some of the dirt on a couple of blind corners. If the band aid approach works then they will do some more corners and possibly take off some dirt on the blind hills. Danny is the only one to show an interest in trying something. Fay Parker lives in Waterloo and has done nothing. It took 10 years to get the 1981 resolution removed that prevented the county engineer from doing anything but passable maintenance to the road. (Removed last year). Joe Hackworth always defers to Fay, saying “ I will vote with Fay or support Fay” but again does nothing on his own. Danny Pettus taking some action is the best we gotten from the county.  I do not know if you remember, but the county stopped Rodney Walker from widening the road in 2009. It took them 2 weeks to even know he was working on the road. The county filed a cease and desist order against him. That is the only reason the road is 2 lane in areas is because of Rodney. The reporters that came out from the Times Daily were amazed the county had a road in this bad condition. Tom Smith had covered the road previously and Dewey Mitchell told him what to do, 


On the Ag Center/Drug Testing:

I’d rather they drug test the state legislators and lobbyists along with the members of the state executive branch. It might make a real change in Montgomery. I wonder how many people who attended the Lieutenant Governor’s party could have passed a drug test the next day? Also wondering how the Ag Center can be west of Faith Church and east of Shoal Creek?


On the Salvation Army Church (Salvationists):

Keep at them. More than one has written the FRRF about giving money to this church. And this isn't the first time the city has given money to the SA. Yet the bastards are tax exempt. We sure aren't, are we? When can we Presbyterians expect our forty thou?

Another Death on Paradise Drive

Regular readers will remember our previous blogs on the dangerous problems connected to Paradise Drive in Waterloo. Today that stretch of road claimed another life. From Hank Thomas:

Today one of the leaders who has worked over 13 years to get the many safety defects corrected on Paradise Drive lost his life in one of the defect areas in a head-on collision. Dr. Gil Parrish who has fought so hard to protect the citizens who live and drive on Paradise Drive was killed. I had sent an email on January 14, 2019 to the commission Chairman reminding him that nothing had been done to improve the safety of Paradise road since the young man's death in May of 2012. 

The Chairman called me on Thursday January 17, 2019 and advised me he would come down to view the road in a week or two. I encouraged him to bring the road engineer and anyone else he wished to bring. Dr. Parrish and I had made plans to be available when the Chairman makes his visit. Today I sent an email advising the Chairman of Dr. Parrish's death on the road and assured him I still wanted to meet ASAP. Thought you would wish to know.


We realize that progress takes time and that many of the initial holdups on the Waterloo situation can be placed at the feet of former commission chair Dewey Mitchell. Let's not let Dr. Parrish's death be in vain. The economy is on an upturn, and revenues are available for this project. 

Thanks to Mr. Thomas for persevering with this unfortunate situation and our sympathies to the family of Dr. Gil Parrish.

Paradise Drive/Recycling

From a Waterloo Resident: We got good news, the commission decided Monday 9/11/17 to remove the 1981 resolution keeping Paradise Drive from being maintained as all other county roads were maintained. We have tried to get this resolution removed since 2006. The county has also settled a lawsuit for the death that occurred on Paradise Drive in 2012. We will now, hopefully get this dangerous road maintained and made safer for the citizens of the county. The previous Lauderdale County Commission and their Chairman, would never consider to do this, nor put the removal of the resolution to a vote. We appreciate what the new Chairman through his leadership accomplished for Paradise Drive.

The removal of the resolution will not cost the county any money. The only costs it will occur is if and when the county road engineer decides to make improvements to the road. With the resolution in place he could only do "Passable Maintenance" to the road. The removal now removes the excuses used by the previous chairman and commissioners.

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Note to Casey Glover of the Florence Fire Department: If our house burns down, please don't identify the papers and plastic bottles by the back door as "trash." It's called recycling and something your employer (the city) encourages. 

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Tomorrow we'll have a new guest editorial on the financial situation at UNA. It's another doozy, so stay tuned.

Another Accident on Paradise Drive

From Hank Thomas:

Paradise Drive saw another accident today. Three young ladies who were driving slow when they drove past my home, were drawn into a ravine when their Jeep would not brake on Paradise Drive due to loose gravel. The loose gravel made their Jeep continue to slide down a hill while they were trying to stop. 

They were very fortunate that the Jeep did not roll over and all were wearing their seat belts. The road right now is very dangerous. I tried today to pull a trailer up one of the hills and could not get enough traction to make the hill and then my SUV and trailer slid backwards down the hill while I attempted to get it stopped. I finally stopped braking and put my SUV in reverse to drive backwards down the hill. 

Someone not experienced on driving Paradise Drive could  have easily been in a ravine or ditch. I have copied Tom Smith of the Times Daily, Danny Pettus County Commission Chairman on this email . I also contacted the county road department by phone. We had a young man die because of neglect on this road in May of 2012. We need the road addressed before another death. Please let your voice be heard by calling the road department and your County Commissioner. West end Commissioners are Fay Parker and Joe Hackworth. 

*****

Previously: Still No Action on Paradise Drive 

We understand the county took Paradise Drive into its system on the understanding that it would remain a gravel road. Did the county make a mistake? Yes, it was tantamount to adopting a damaged child. What are the county's obligations? There are legal responsibilities and moral responsibilities. We suggest the commissioners consider the latter.

Still No Action on Paradise Drive

From Hank Thomas of Waterloo:

See attached letter (below). The original letter was written in February 2012 and in May 2012 a young man was victim of a crash and died. I have sent a follow up letter every year since 2012 to no avail. County presently in lawsuit over the death. Still no action on the road. Hopefully the new County Chairman will address the situation, since the outgoing Chairman never did anything for the citizens using Paradise Drive:

On February 9, 2012 I wrote and you each received, with the exception of Mr. Garner a letter outlining in detail defects on Paradise Drive in Waterloo Alabama. No action was taken on the defects mentioned in the letter. The county engineer did have two signs installed indicating steep grade and curve on the road with each being placed some distance from the gravel portion of Paradise Drive.

Since the letter was received we have had a death occur on the road due in part to the defects pointed out in the letter and still no action. The death occurred in May of 2012. Mr. Mitchell pointed out in the minutes of December 10,2012 that when the commission is made aware of defects, by citizens, that action must and will be taken by the commission to prevent liability on the part of the commission and the citizens of Lauderdale county. This statement was in conjunction with the removal of the "Ghost  Bridge". I concur with Mr. Mitchell on his statement, but wonder why he has not applied this logic to the defects on Paradise Drive even after the death on Paradise Drive.

The commission is presently being sued for negligence as it relates to the defects on Paradise Drive and the death caused in part by the lack of attention to the defects. Still no action from the commission or the county engineer to correct the defects. I have never received an explanation for why no action is taking place nor non-planned .Different department heads point to one another as perhaps needing to provide the answer. As pointed out in the previous letter the standard of care which is the duty of the county "is to keep it's roads in a reasonable safe condition for travel, and to remedy defects in the roadway upon receipt of notice"  The county commission in my opinion has not only failed to act on this matter, but have shown contempt towards citizens voicing their concern regarding the defects. I feel State Law 23-1-80 is not being followed by the county commission on the defects on Paradise Drive.  

Please consider this letter and the attached letter of February 9, 2012 notice of defects on Paradise Drive Waterloo Alabama since no action has been taken on the February 9, 2012 letter. I contend that the first letter is still valid as a notification and this letter is to put the commission on notice that this is a continuing problem. My hopes are that we will not have to suffer more deaths or injuries to get the commission to use their role as commissioners of the people to instruct and oversee that the defects are corrected as quickly as possible.

I would appreciate a response to my letter outlining the county commission's position as to why no action will be taken or a plan of action to correct the defects on Paradise Drive.

Hank Thomas

*****

The ongoing situation on Paradise Drive was recently brought to mind by the proposed housing projects on North Shore Drive. If developer Will Andrews thinks the county will step in and bring that street up to scratch, he's bound to be disappointed.

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The Truth About Paradise Drive?

Paradise Drive in Waterloo never gets any good press. The street is steep, treacherous, and graveled. Lauderdale County says the much maligned roadway is safe. Most residents say it's not. Now with two suits pending, one civil, one criminal, a judge may make the final decision.

On May 30, 2012, Cole Sellner was a passenger in a vehicle operated by Derek Ray Clayton, 28. Clayton lost control of the vehicle, and Sellner was killed. Sellner's mother is suing Lauderdale County and its Commission:

Sellner Family Sues

Now the Lauderdale County District Attorney's office has brought charges of criminally negligent homicide against Clayton, whose blood alcohol content was over the limit. Clayton's arrest photo for this charge is at right; at left in another alcohol related charge in Huntsville from 2011.

Clayton's attorney Tony Hughes has said there was nothing criminally negligent even though his client Clayton was drunk at the time. Alas, the reporter who wrote the article didn't ask Hughes just how he figured that after three years of law school and all.

Which suit will be held first? If Clayton is convicted will that adversely affect the Sellner family's civil suit? Will Paradise Drive ever be safe? We hope the answer to the latter question is "yes."



Shoalanda

Sellner Family Sues Lauderdale County

December 4, 2012

Today, December 4, 2012, Laura Ingram, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Cole Sellner, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Lauderdale County Commission and its Commissioners in their official capacities. The lawsuit was filed due to the death of Mrs. Ingram’s son, Cole Sellner, in a single-vehicle accident that occurred on May 30, 2012, on County Road 109, otherwise known as Paradise Drive, in Waterloo, Alabama.

Cole Sellner, age 21, was killed when a vehicle in which he was a passenger lost control, ran off a steep embankment on Paradise Drive and overturned. His death was preventable. Paradise Drive is in terrible condition. It is full of potholes, loose gravel on steep grades, and has no guardrails to prevent vehicles from running off the steep embankments.

For years, residents of Paradise Drive have complained about the dangerous conditions of Paradise Drive. One resident even tried to grade the road himself to make improvements and was told to cease and desist. Several Lauderdale County residents have attended Commission meetings and written letters to the Commissioners about the condition of the road, including the fact that it is poorly maintained, is full of loose gravel, has no guardrails, and has no warning signs of dangerous conditions. The residents feared that someone would be killed. Tragically, one of those letters was sent to the Commission only three months before Cole Sellner’s death.

Commissioner Faye Parker and former Commissioner Rhea Fulmer tried to convince the County Commission to fix the road, but were unsuccessful. Mrs. Ingram hopes this lawsuit will serve as the final catalyst in making this road safe, not only for those residents who live there, but for all travelers. Paradise Drive is a public road, and as such, the Lauderdale County commission has a public duty to make it reasonably safe.

Mrs. Ingram and her family pray that the County Commission will finally take the proper steps in making Paradise Drive safe by paving or grading the road, installing guardrails, and posting signs to warn travelers of the dangerous steep hills and sharp turns. The Lauderdale County Commission should have taken these steps before a young life was lost due to their indifference and lack of concern for the citizens of Lauderdale County and travelers of Paradise Drive.

For more information, you may contact:

Willson Jenkins, Esq.
R. Willson Jenkins, PC
P.O. Box 1061
Florence, AL 35630
256-766-4840
willson@bunchandjames.com

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This is an extremely sad case. Is Lauderdale County totally at fault? We appreciate any comments.

Shoalanda

Paradise Drive Doesn't LIve Up To Name

Since a fatal accident on Paradise Drive in Waterloo, discussion of what repairs are needed to make this road safe have increased. From a reader:

The death that occurred in Waterloo is on the same road the county commission has refused to make safe. The county commission voted 3-2 to leave the road as a 1981 resolution had said with minimal maintenance only. Fay Parker and Rhea Fulmer voted to eliminate or change the resolution, but D.C. Thornton and Larry Irons voted to leave the 1981 resolution in place and the tie was broken by Dewey Mitchell voted to leave it in place.

I also sent the commission and the road engineer a Notice of Defects on February 10th 2012, and they have taken no action to correct. One of the defects is lack of adequate signage and guard rails. Both may have prevented this accident from occurring.

We realize the commission cannot turn all Lauderdale County roads into a California freeway; however, one needless death is one too many. Kudos to Fulmer and Parker for at least attempting to rectify the problem and sour lemons to the Thornton, Irons, and Mitchell.

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On Monday, our friend Amy Collins wrote her last regular blog. We will leave the link in our sidebar for those who would like to look back over her profound and humorous observations.

In the mean time, she will continue with Brave Mable on Fridays. The Brave Mable line is available at several outlets in the Shoals. As Mable would say, "Buy Local!"

Note to Amy: We just wish we had thought of your "wordless" catch phrase before you did...

Shoalanda

Joe Walters Put Tuscumbia Residents First

When current Tuscumbia superintendent Joe Walters took office in 2007, as many as one-third of the students entering Kindergarten were from outside the city. Due to proration, Walters put a stop to non-resident students. Now at least one source states this may have cost him his contract renewal.

Tuscumbia is a small town with relatively little in the budget for the superintendent's salary. When they last interviewed four years ago, several applicants asked to be taken out of consideration when they found out just how little the demanding position paid. It will be interesting to see who now applies for a job with so little security.

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If brother kills brother over an air conditioner, as has happened more than once in Alabama, we can only imagine what the theft of beer would produce. Tony Curtis Wilson states his brother stole his beer and he retaliated by attempting to burn the house down. Wilson apparently isn't very good at impulse control, having a 2005 arrest for shoplifting meat from Hometown Market in North Florence and several arrests for burglary, not to mention a domestic violence charge in 2009. We wonder what it will take to keep Wilson in prison.

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We sympathize with those residents living on unpaved gravel roads, but there is humor in their story. Who names a narrow gravel road "Paradise Drive?" We see fodder for Jay Leno...

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It's the 31st anniversary of Larry Fisher's 39th birthday. Happy birthday, Larry!



Shoalanda