Let's Revisit the City Dump Cum Country Club

This is not about Florence purchasing the land--it already has. It's not about creating a dump from pristine and landscaped acreage--that will obviously come later. It's about money, land, the university, and is the current plan of the Florence City Council some slight of hand designed to fleece the citizens of Florence.

Previously on As the Dump Turns:

* Florence Golf & Country Club decides to sell its entire facilities--a club house and 157 acres (sometimes described as 154 acres), including golf course.

*. City of Florence, University of North Alabama, and Lawrenceburg developer William Keelon all express an interest in the property.

* Only Florence and Keelon offer actual bids.

* Florence wins property with a bid of $2,030,400.00.

* UNA offers Florence $1,200,000.00 for 60.5 of the acres--presumably the acreage on which the club house, golf course, and other amenities now sit.

* Assuming the sale if finalized, the City of Florence will be left with approximately 95 acres of land in which it has $830,400.00 invested.

Now the question seems to be: Did Mayor Bobby Irons or anyone else orchestrate the purchase of the entire country club acreage in order to give UNA a "sweetheart" deal on just the land the university wanted, leaving the city holding 95 acres which would never be of use to Florence or its citizens?

Those who read us regularly know how we feel about a dump being placed so closely to Cypress Creek. Just because Florence has always had its own dump doesn't mean it should continue to have one in the 21st Century. That is, of course, a subject for another day.

The second salient question now seems to be: Just what will Florence do with the remaining 95 acres if not use it for a dump?

We appreciate all our city council and mayor, even when we don't agree with them. We do wish they would provide a monthly, or even quarterly, question and answer session for the public. It might clear up some great and long-held misconceptions about our local government.

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This October, First Friday in Florence falls on the first day of the month. What more fitting a way to celebrate this magical fall month than an excursion to downtown Florence. After looking at the array of artists and craftsmen set up on Court Street, you still have time for the season's first Ghost Walk.

The walk will begin at 7:30 p.m. Meet Shoals historian Debra Glass, BA, MA, at the Handy statue in Wilson Park. The trek is about one mile and lasts approximately 90 minutes, so wear some walking shoes and enjoy. The tour is $10.00 for adults or $8.00 for children under 12. You may bring along the family ghost for free.

More info here: Link

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Above is the Jefferson Hotel--sorry this post card isn't available on eBay, but is in the UNA collection. The Jefferson was succeeded by the Negley Hotel, which was razed to make room for the current Florence Municipal Building.

We understand once The Connection is finally launched, it will be publishing several articles on the Negley family in Florence. Translation: We can't wait to see it!


Shoalanda



Connecting October 7th. This time we mean it!

Mercy?/Deshler High 1990 Football Team!

Holland Noah Elkins and Mercy

A Guest Commentary By

J. J. Ray

With great interest, I read the comment from the individual who had judged and sentenced Mr. Elkins. Does he wish to be the executioner also? Mercy is a strange concept for many because justice and mercy are at odds with each other. On one hand, society demands justice for the offended and yet the accused begs for mercy.

William Shakespeare wrote: The quality of mercy is not strain'd, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. Matthew 5:7 teaches, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."

A. W. Pink asks and answers. What is mercifulness? It is a gracious disposition toward my fellow creatures and fellow Christians. It is that kindness and benevolence that feels the miseries of others. It is a spirit that regards with compassion the sufferings of the afflicted. It is the grace that causes one to deal leniently with an offender and to scorn the taking of re­venge.

There is an enormous difference between revenge and justice Those who seek to revenge themselves often regret the effort. Can we temper justice with mercy? The answer is simple. For those that choose to continue a way of life that affects society in a negative and harmful manner, justice appears to be the only answer. In order to receive mercy one must show mercy. Robbing banks and inflicting pain and suffering on society on a consistent basis is not showing mercy.

Yet, it is not up to us as individuals to decide innocence or guilt, justice or mercy; it is reserved for the court system. We are a nation of laws and must depend on those elected to mete out justice sometimes tempered with mercy. This question of mercy versus justice has been argued since the time of Plato and Aristotle but there does not seem to be a solution.

All we can do as a society is to depend on our laws. True, there will be mistakes but our system of justice is far better than anywhere else in the world. If Sharia law were used, he could have his hands cut off, be hanged or stoned to death. That would be justice but where is the mercy?

Would justice be served if Mr. Elkins were once more turned loose on society? Is he a sociopath that cannot be cured? We do not have these answers. After all he was granted mercy once, is twice too much. Only our creator knows for sure.

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Did you attend Deshler High School? Did you graduate in 1991? Were you a member of the 1990 State Championship football team? If you answered yes to all these questions, you are indeed a prize-winner.

According to the Alabama High School Football Historical Society (and who even knew we had one of those?), Deshler fielded its first team in 1923. The 1990 4-A State Champions were the first team in school history to go 15-0. How about that?

Deshler's homecoming will be October 15th, at which time the entire 1990 team will be honored. Honorees are asked to meet at the Chappell Stadium Field House at 6:30 p.m. If you have any questions, please contact The Geddon Report. Geddon has asked that I remind everyone that streaking is optional.

We'll be having a followup report on the homecoming activities before the big day. At that time, we will also be publishing Geddon's Tiger Beat photo. You don't want to miss it.

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Can't wait for The Connection to finally publish its premiere issue? According to the publishers, the launch was a definite go for September 30; however, we all know how life's surprises can set us back, even the good ones. The debut of the Shoals Internet magazine is now set for October 7th. We're told it will be a work in progress for the first few weeks, then prepare to be amazed and amused.

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For the 1990 Deshler Football team:




Shoalanda



Connecting October 7th. This time we mean it!

Need a Job? Here It Is...

For those who find the Alabama Employment Service JobLink hard to navigate, you may wish to check out this Twitter site. MyAlabamaJob posts new jobs in the state on an hourly basis...and, no, we didn't see any for the Barton rail car plant.

MyAlabamaJob

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Did the Wilson Dam Road landowners refusing to sell their land for the widening of Hwy 133 cause a fatal accident? The TimesDaily recently broached this subject, but failed to mention which property owners are still holding out. We've heard the State has managed to purchase the Gene Crump estate property at a price agreeable to both sides. With apologies to Lewis Grizzard, if the Alabama Department of Transportation had been in charge of World War II, Germany and Japan would still be in the running.

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Only in Alabama: As if the November elections aren't bizarre (or bizaree as they say on the Sweetwater Mansion Facebook page) enough, this year we have Drama, Strange, and Young Boozer on the ballot.

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Food for thought on immigration: Among Hispanic Indian/Latino immigrants, the high school graduation rate in Alabama is only 33%. We assume this includes those immigrants from south of the border who speak a native language other than Spanish. It would be interesting to see these stats broken out before Roger Bedford buys the bi-lingual JumboTron scoreboard.

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Remember the Sheffield Centennial in 1965? Catch these items on eBay: Link




Shoalanda



Connecting on Friday!

Skippy Musket, Susan Leigh Smithson, & the Missing Jewels

Skippy Musket--doesn't that moniker conjure up images? The name has been used in romance novels and in appellation dropping conversations, but perhaps many in the Shoals have never heard of the Atlanta jewelry store. Yet, for years Skippy Musket, Inc., was a fixture in the Buckhead area where it sold antique and vintage jewels--very expensive jewels.

In 1997, Susan Leigh Smithson's store Miz Scarletts occupied the same Phipps Plaza shopping center as Skippy Musket. We're unsure how well Ms. Smithson knew the owners of Skippy Musket, but in December of that year she requested a loan of over one million dollars in jewelry to adorn her models in a private fashion show to be held at her Rivers Road home in northeast Atlanta.

The December 14th fashion show featured a live band along with the jewel bedecked models, including Smithson, who mingled with the guests. By December 19th, all the jewels had been returned to Skippy Musket with the exception of the four items worn by Smithson, who informed the upscale jeweler that the high-end pieces were missing.

Gone were:

One diamond necklace valued at 175K
One diamond/platinum ring valued at 57K
One diamond/gold ring valued at 165K
One pair of diamond earrings valued at 27.5K

A December 20th police raid of Smithson's home uncovered the missing jewels secreted in a closet. Susan Leigh Smithson was promptly arrested for theft by conversion in connection with the 424.5K of missing Skippy Musket inventory.

The jewel theft occurred over 12 years ago; is it relevant to the Susan Smithson of today? If there had been no other brushes with the law, we would say no. We hope that each of us is a wiser and better person than we were 12 years ago--that's the way life is supposed to work.

However, in 2000, Smithson was again involved in a civil lawsuit over the disposition of sample dresses used in her store. A quick Google of Miz Scarletts turns up more recent suits over bad checks in payment for inventory. In other words, there seems to be a lifelong pattern here.

That brings us to today and her ongoing renovation of Sweetwater Mansion, a property that she for many years attempted to sell for much more than it was worth. We hope Ms. Smithson remembers that her home is still private property and subject to income tax on all funds the property produces from tours. Ideally, Sweetwater should become a public trust, but we're not holding our breaths.

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A Lauderdale based attorney tells us that the July 2009 robbery charges against Holland Noah Elkins have apparently been settled--either dropped or plead down to a youthful offender charge. Since other sources indicate his December 2008 home invasion charge has not yet come to trial, his arrest last week in Florence may be treated as a first offense.

We've received many e-mails concerning Holland, most hoping he will receive leniency and the help he obviously needs. Tomorrow we'll feature J. J. Ray's take on the most recent events.

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Coffee High School is technically gone and F. T. Appleby Junior High School is literally no more, but you can buy a piece of their history on eBay: Link




Shoalanda



Connecting on Friday!

Sweetwater & G.H.O.S.T. Non-Profit?

Let's utter a collective sigh for Sweetwater Mansion; we're sure if she could speak she would elect to bemoan her fate with stronger words than we choose to publish here. After a forty year period of neglect, the Weeden Home is beginning to show signs of new life, but at what cost?

The above advertisement invites us to tour the home this year, but according to sources in Bob Leyde's office, the Florence City Clerk has refused to issue a business license for these interior tours. Sweetwater has yet to be certified as a tax-exempt non-profit entity due to a lack of bookkeeping--that and the fact Sweetwater remains a private home owned by Susan Leigh Smithson of Atlanta.

We may assume that the organization Ghost Hunters of Southern Territories (G.H.O.S.T.) does possess a business license for the paranormal investigations it proposes to lead within the mansion. G.H.O.S.T. is the brainchild of Robert Simone who calls himself "investigator, supervisor, founder" of the organization. His Facebook page also references a non-profit group called Alabama Ghost, but a click on that link brings us back to the homepage for G.H.O.S.T.

Simone charges a $35.00 minimum for a one-person tour of the haunted domiciles he represents. His organization may be non-profit due to lack of customers, but we doubt it's for lack of trying.

What will happen if those currently in charge of Sweetwater Mansion attempt to open next Friday without a business license? If the psychic from last year returns, perhaps she can tell us. Otherwise, we're sure the ensuing brouhaha will be covered by local television stations.

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Humor is where you find it (or how to make Tomlinson-Sims cringe). From the above ad:

All money raised goes to renivation of Sweetwater Mansion.

We will except professional paranormal investigations at Sweetwater also.

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Tomorrow: Susan Leigh Smithson and Skippy Musket

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The quality of mercy, from our e-mail bag:

Your an idiot wrapped in a moron! This THUG, Holland Noah Elkins needs to be sent to prison for a long long time. He IS a violent criminal who has committed armed robbery on several occasions including armed bank robbery. How can you even dare to ask for mercy for someone like this?... Now you plead for mercy and forgiveness for someone who has went on a crime spree with at least three armed robberies in less than two years.....that we know about! Innocent people could have been killed by Elkins just so he could obtain drug money. I only hope I end up on the jury for his trial.....My verdict....hang that bastard, TWICE!

What an interesting comment from someone who represents himself as an acquaintance of Holland Elkins. We find nowhere in yesterday's blog did we suggest Holland not receive the appropriate punishment; we did state that the young man needs help. Perhaps it is too late for that now...and that is something we should regret rather than rejoice in.

Shoalanda



Connecting on Friday!

Holland Noah Elkins Needs Help

Early in the morning of December 3, 2008, Holland Noah Elkins and two other Florence youths broke into a Colbert County home. During the failed robbery attempt, Elkins and one of his confederates were shot multiple times with a nine millimetre handgun. Sources at Huntsville Hospital predicted that Elkins' companion would never walk again, but Holland was luckier--he soon recovered and was dismissed from ECM hospital.

Our blog was less than two months old when the home invasion occurred, and the Elkinses had been family friends for years. We briefly touched on the incident and asked for prayers for the family. When Holland was arrested in July 2009 after a second burglary, we were more than shocked. How could someone who had almost lost his life during the commission of a crime return to a life of theft?

When Holland's grandfather Stanley died in January of this year, we heard many reports that the young man had at last turned his life around. Holland Noah Elkins was going to live up to the promise he had shown early in life. Now Holland, who turned 21 on September 16th, has again been arrested for armed robbery.

Holland, along with two others, attempted to rob Bank Independent Wednesday as late night tellers left the Darby Drive location. All three have been charged with first degree robbery and sources say the charges could be upgraded from state to federal. If this should prove the case, the trio will be rearrested and held in Huntsville.

We know that Holland has a grandmother and an aunt and uncle who love him. We know many in Florence and the entire Shoals area are willing to do whatever it takes to help Holland. We're just not sure what that is at this point. This is the third strike for a young man who has only just reached his majority. Unless he was given youthful offender status in the home invasion, and we would find that highly unlikely, he could now face a sentence of life in prison as a habitual offender. Considering that at least two of these crimes could be classified as violent, he may be left without even the chance of parole. For what?

Holland's Facebook page lists his favorite things as "money, clothes, and girls." Certainly, we may assume drugs are also on this list, but how does an upper middle class youth fall so far so quickly? Our thoughts turn back to John Forrest Parker; at least if Holland Elkins looses his freedom, no one has lost his or her life because of him. Let's continue to pray that God will give Holland what he needs.


Quote of the day from Sam Pendleton: Open public discussion on all issues involving the public and its resources must be like bleach, may not smell good…but makes you clean.

Shoalanda



Connecting in ten, nine, eight...

Colbert County Commission Feels Betrayed by Helen Keller Board?

Commissioner Troy Woodis stated yesterday he felt betrayed by the actions of Helen Keller Hospital's 12 member board. Imagine that. The board met only briefly before voting to "give" the medical facility to the powers that be at Huntsville Hospital. Why did the board not see the need to consult with the Colbert County Commission first?

Possibly because the commission previously had nothing but praise for the board even when it refused to meet with representatives from RegionalCare. You remember RegionalCare, don't you? That was the entity that actually offered Keller cash money for the hospital. Why would the Helen Keller Board turn down such a huge sum, a sum that would have paid off its debts and left it with 30 million in change? Can we say the river runs wide and spite runs deep.

Can the Colbert County Commission legally negate the deal? We're told the commission's attorney has a conflict of interest. Reports are still coming in. Stay tuned...

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The Connection? The new Internet magazine is still set to launch--just a few days later than planned. Be sure to become a fan: Link

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Looking for something positive about Cherokee? Here it is--the Cherokee Community News. Like The Connection, this site is just getting started, and we predict it will become an important asset to the small West Colbert town: Link

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Notice the nip in the air these recent mornings? You know what that means...Christmas decorations at Wal-Mart. Actually, to many of us it announces our favorite season and one of our favorite holidays. For those who may have missed it last year, we're linking the Halloween short story A Limestone Haunting by Shoals author "Mystery." Enjoy.


What's up with this: Ads for Sweetwater Mansion's 2010 ghost tour taut over 200 years of ghost stories generated by the 1828 home. Did someone say math was hard?


Shoalanda



Connecting in ten, nine, eight...