Phyllis Linton: Liars Figuring

The Florence School Board has again heard from Rogers Kimbrell and Phyllis Linton, two (perhaps the only two) proponents for using Powell School instead of building a new modern facility on the old Coffee property. A reader asked if we were sure Linton meant not just the property, but her recent comments definitely indicate she wants the 1958 era school used instead of building a modern edifice for our youth.

One of Linton's main points has been that there were only two bids submitted for the construction of the new middle school. Linton apparently thinks the public has such a short memory that it won't remember there were originally four bids, but two companies withdrew their bids after Kenneth Kitts threw such a tantrum about the new school's location. If Linton wants to blame someone for only two bids, she should be sitting on Kitts' public paid for doorstep.

Again, where were Linton and Kimbrell when the public meetings were held on this three years ago? They were well publicized. We're not sure of Kimbrell's connection to UNA, but Linton has admitted being a current instructor at the university. 

For any who say let's not build a new school close to Royal Avenue because it has Section 8 housing, we say why a middle school almost at the intersection of Darby Drive and Florence Boulevard. Such a location wasn't a problem in 1958; it definitely would be now. 

Why is Rogers Kimbrell Lying?

Rogers Kimbrell of Florence has now become a well know shill for the University of North Alabama. Most recently he's been touting the "advantages" of the University of North Alabama taking over property belonging to Florence City Schools.

Obviously, many of the "facts" being bandied about by individuals are nothing but opinion. Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion on any subject, and we support them in their right to espouse it. What we do not support is a person offering lies as facts.

A recent letter to the TimesDaily from Kimbrell enumerated several "facts" on the contentious issue. We're going to address only one of them -- the one that we know is an outright lie. Kimbrell wrote:

The high school band director was told by the school board they were going to build a new bandroom. It hasn’t been built. Instead, they built a 273-space parking lot behind the high school that only 24 to 36 students use daily.

We have no information concerning the band room, but we certainly do relative to the parking lot. We invite any of our readers to drive by the campus during school hours. Look at nearby businesses; how many have been forced to restrict student parking in front of their establishments? Several business owners purchased their own yellow paint to mark curbing so that students wouldn't obstruct access to their storefronts before the parking lot was built.

So why is Rogers Kimbrell lying about this? We don't know. Again, his veracity in this is easy to check out. Are some of his other "facts" just as dubious?

Want more information? New Florence High Parking Lot