October 3, 2009, marks the University of North Alabama's homecoming. This year's theme is Leo. No, not the male lion housed with his female companion on campus, but those who have donned the lion's suit over the years. All former Leos are being asked to contact Carol Lyles for information concerning special events in their honor. We know with certainty that one Leo will not be there.
Ronnie Perryman was a Florence native who attended UNA in the early 1970s. A large, outgoing young man, Perryman was perfect for the role of the university mascot, a position he held for two years before transferring to the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
By the mid-1970s, Perryman was living alone in an apartment complex near the campus. It wasn't unusual for the sociology student to be without contact with his family for days at a time. No one knows the exact hour that Ronnie Perryman died, murdered in his own apartment. Crime scene investigators theorized he had been dead a week when his body was found.
Tuscaloosa authorities have never solved Perryman's murder, although they periodically request any new information the public may have concerning the brutal crime. Since Ronnie's death, both his parents have passed away, still waiting for some answer to their many questions. After 35 years, there may never be an answer as to who killed Ronnie Perryman. We hope he's remembered on October 3rd with the others who have played Leo over the years. He deserves no less.
What's up with this: Winner of the UNA Purple Reign contest was the Lauderdale County License Commissioner's office. One of our contributors who visited the office that day had praise for the effort, but two thumbs down for the flying feathers wafting about the building. Ah Choo!
Shoalanda 
Since tomorrow is Labor Day, we're sure many of our readers will visit the annual Spring Park celebration in Tuscumbia. While looking through images to illustrate our blog today, we found the one at right. While it's not an image of the end-of-summer get together, it's so impressive that we wanted to share it with our readers.
The artist responsible for the work is Tommy Thompson. Tommy has several blogs that feature his beautiful work; we particularly like Painting Under the Sun. According to his contact information, Tommy is a Shoals resident, and we hope to bring you more on him at a later date.
To all the working men and women of the Shoals, we wish you a happy Labor Day tomorrow. You've earned it.
Goodbye: Scott Stantis is leaving the Birmingham News after almost thirteen years as editorial cartoonist. We wish Mr. Stantis well, but fear no one else can sketch Troy King with a pompadour half as well.
Shoalanda
"Bliss Block, what a crock," the reader wrote. Our faithful follower expresses how many in Florence have felt the past few years when it became obvious the city would in all probability never recover the small fortune it had lent real estate developer Jimmy Neese.
Named for a nineteenth century attorney who practiced in the 100 block of South Court Street, the name Bliss later became primarily connected with the buildings at 101, 103, and 105 South Court. After Best Jewelers closed its doors, the building at 101 had generally fallen into disrepair, and the other two buildings were hardly in pristine condition as well; city fathers were more than happy when James Martin Neese announced his plans to purchase the properties for approximately $250,000.00 and restore them to their original grandeur.
Incorporating as Bliss Block Ltd, Neese then requested a loan from the city in order to finance the renovations to the three buildings, as well as a fourth storefront located diagonally across the street. In the last decade, it was common for the City of Florence to offer low interest loans to local businesses seeking to expand. The program itself was later found to be an illegal use of city funds, but at the time, Neese was certainly not the only local entrepreneur to take advantage of the program.
However, while the economy was growing, not every one who negotiated one of these business loans was able to repay the debt. Over the years, Bliss Block fell farther and farther behind until it became apparent the city was in danger of never recouping its loan. It seems the Florence loan was known legally as a "no recourse" loan, meaning the city had almost no legal remedy available to it. A second Neese loan of $250,000.00 from First Southern Bank of Florence, as well as another large loan from a Huntsville bank, were also in default.
After months of waiting for any payment from Neese, the City of Florence sued Neese for nonpayment in 2007, but lost the case in Lauderdale Circuit Court. No recourse meant exactly that--Florence had little hope of enforcing the contract with Neese. Neese himself was always prepared to present the books for Bliss Block Ltd, books that showed no assets, but where had the money gone?
After purchasing the Bliss Block property for $250,000.00, Neese received a $325,000.00 tax rebate for his historical preservation of the site. He also negotiated to pay off his $250,000.00 loan at First Southern Bank for only $100,000.00. First Southern, fearing they would lose the entire amount, was more than willing to settle. Coupled with the $600,000.00 loan from the city, Neese netted a grand total of $825,000.00. Certainly some of that amount was used to refurbish the three Bliss Block buildings, but Neese's company contracted with construction firms in which the realtor had a financial interest. Jimmy Neese's financial gain from these financial transactions may never be known.
There are rarely any good outcomes in divorce, but perhaps Neese's split with wife Delana Darby Blake will have a silver lining. Perhaps now citizens of Florence will know exactly where the city's money went and what it financed.
What's up with this: Work continues on the renovation of loft apartments in the 200 block of North Court Street. Thanks to those who assist in the preservation of these historic buildings--at least those who do it legally.
Shoalanda
The citizens of Florence and many others who commute through this area on a regular basis suffered for months while traveling on US 72 during the final stages of the AL 133 extension. Detours and bottlenecks were the norm on US 72, commonly known within the city limits as Florence Boulevard, yet our elected officials asked us to be patient. The end results would be worth it all.
Certainly those who can now take AL 133 from south of Muscle Shoals to Helton Drive have benefited, but what about Florence Boulevard traffic? The Alabama Department of Transportation added two signals on this much-used thoroughfare where the north and south off ramps converge with the Boulevard. Certainly, these traffic signals were needed, and even welcomed by most Shoals drivers, but what about the Tune Avenue intersection?
At one time, city and state officials had indicated they would remove the signal at the Tune Avenue/Florence Boulevard intersection. Located just mere feet east of the US 72/AL 133 juncture, Tune Avenue leads from US 72 to a quiet residential neighborhood, a neighborhood that no longer includes the now defunct Powell Elementary School--the initial and primary reason for the traffic light.
Instead, the entrance to a Florence housing project, Cherry Hill Homes, has been widened, making that junction appear to the casual eye a four-way intersection. The City of Florence has even given the widened entrance a name: Cherry Hills Drive.
It's discouraging enough to have a light remain at this ultra low-traffic junction; to have the new "street" misnamed adds insult to injury. Cherry Hill Homes development was built on Cherry Hill. Notice the singularity of hills in both appellations. If Shoals drivers are going to be forced to wait needlessly at this signal, please at least get the name of the northern approach right.
From the mail bag: "Bliss Block, what a crock." Tomorrow, more on the fleecing of Florence.
Shoalanda
Most of us in the Shoals are familiar with Jimmy Neese. For any who may not be, here's a blurb taken directly from his website:
Jimmy was honored for his community involvement and revitalization of the downtown Florence area by being voted Shoals Area Citizen of the Year for 1999-2000. He received The Capital Award, in recognition of outstanding efforts in historic preservation by Heritage Preservation, Inc. He has a strong commitment to the restoration of older buildings and the revitalization of the downtown area.
Certainly few would have argued with this description in the year 2000, but what about in 2009? During the interim, James Martin Neese has defaulted on loans from the City of Florence in the amount of several million dollars. Why? Because he has no money?
We doubt it's ever been highly debated that Jimmy Neese has personal funds; however, since the loans were contracted in the name of one of Neese's businesses, namely Bliss Block Ltd, such loans have been virtually noncollectable.
In the not too distant past, Neese married widow Delana Darby Blake, a Florence businesswoman noted for her own profitable investments. Now it seems this relatively short-lived marriage is on the rocks and Jimmy Neese has filed for divorce. Will this divorce help the City of Florence regain some of its lost money?
In all probability, no. What it will do, assuming no case records are sealed, is make public just how vast, or perhaps paultry, a fortune Jimmy Neese has. We hope our friend Wayne Nix at the ShoalsInsider will be on the spot.
What's up with this: Recently, a friend/fan requested we write less about all the "evil people" in the area and write more about the good ones. We love writing about those who enrich this area, so if you know of one who fits this description, please contact us.
Shoalanda
No, this is not a blog about Sarah Palin's "death panels." The 1973 SciFi movie set in 2022 has more than one moral for us today. If you have never viewed Soylent Green, I urge you to rent or download a copy of what became Edward G. Robinson's last film. In this futuristic masterpiece, women, or at least some women, are referred to as furniture. They are passed around and often come as standard features of certain luxury apartments. Interesting, you say, but surely no women are treated as furniture in the real 2009. Think again.
When a 15/16 year-old girl is passed around among three buddies who all live within a five mile radius of each other, it tells me that such a mentality was alive and well in 2006/2007 in Killen, Alabama. It's something all parents need to discuss with their children. Parents who fail to guide their children have to shoulder some of the responsibility for social diseases and unwanted pregnancy. Think about it...
*****
I have again been contacted by some member of Andrew Scott's family who are seeking custody of his biological child. Please remember, I have not contacted any of these people first, nor was I aware of this horrible situation until the Scott family approached me.
Upon investigation (and it's not hard, Mr. and Mrs. Scott), I have discovered much that has been published and forwarded to me concerning these adoptive parents has been false and just generally malicious. Further, one e-mail from the Scott family accuses me personally of being, as I took it, an employee of the Cramer Center who interviewed Mrs. Scott, and further accuses me of being a rape victim who has a axe of some nature to grind against those guilty of rape/statutory rape.
While I have worked in the legal world, I have never worked for the Cramer Center, nor have I met anyone from either family in this dispute. Further, I have never been raped, but I certainly support victims in their quest to punish rapists, be they either in the first or second degree. Apparently, if one looks at the facts in the case, and comes to a decision to support the adoptive parents, one is then "disturbed" to have made such a decision. These communications only reinforce my belief that Andrew Scott is being pushed by his parents into seeking custody.
My apologies to the adoptive parents for believing some of the negative remarks made online about you. Please let me know if I can help you in any way.
Thought for the day: "Just because you're a Christian, it doesn't mean you have to be anyone's doormat." Pat Starling
Shoalanda
There's a new website devoted to the Christie Bray Scott murder case, but this one doesn't question either her quilt or future eternal resting place. Created by her husband Jeremy, the site fails to provide the public with much new information or reason to believe the Scott jury reached an incorrect decision. Christie Scott Is Innocent maintains that the case against the Russellville insurance agent was an amalgam of politics and bad police work. While we doubt that politics were involved more here than in any other case, certainly the lost electrical boxes present a picture of Keystone Kops at their worst.
The basic surprises of the site are the revelation of juror misconduct and photographs of injuries Scott received from the two fire investigators who conducted an interview with the suspect two weeks after Mason's death. It seems alternate juror Sherye Price spoke openly of her opinion of Scott early in the trial, but Franklin County Circuit Judge Terry Dempsey failed to declare a mistrial due to relative certainly Price would not be among the final voting jurors in the case.
The injuries Scott received from Jay Edwards and Dalan Gasset are much more troubling. It's understandable the officers did not wish Scott to interrupt a similar concurrent interview with her husband when she demanded to leave; however, two men using strong physical force on a woman who had not yet been charged does not make for good PR for the State's case at best, and opens the county up to a serious lawsuit at worst.
Many "irregularities" in the Scott case that the site present are quite a stretch. Once section questions the validity of Terry Dempsey's election to office due to differences in notary signatures found on campaign finance disclosures. We're guessing a notary picked up the wrong seal and hurriedly decided the best way to handle the problem was to use a matching signature. Perhaps it wasn't the best thought out answer to the problem, but we doubt any such act would nullify Dempsey's claim to the judgeship.
We suggest Jeremy Scott would better utilize his time by finding a good counselor for his son whom he says is so traumatized by having a mother in prison. Noah Riley deserves to have a father who is there for him, not one who is obsessed with proving the innocence of his wife at all costs.
Correction: Our apologies to Todd Putman, whom we incorrectly identified as Tom in a previous column. Todd is a member of the Grown Folks Band--check them out!
Shoalanda
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