May 31, 2010

Quiet day at home celebrating Memorial Day and helping Deborah make sandwiches and cookies for tomorrows sale of food and coffee at the Chickasaw polls located in the Civic Center. Don't forget to show up and vote or you can't complain who is running in November. Have a relaxing day, my friends.

May 30, 2010

Saturday's and todays rain did not stop forty or so Memorial Day vacationers from having a good time on the ChickasawBogue. Even though the water level was high enough that, where to back your boat trailor was anybody's guess, everyone seemed to be having a good time. It was between showers when we visited and some folks were up under the gazebos eating fried chicken. But that wasn't the case this morning at church. It was really coming down and Father Saucier asked me if I would inquire of the Historical Society if he

could build a covered portico to let parishioners load and unload vehicles when it was raining. I assured him that I would submit his request to Teresa Goolsby or Jennifer White.

May 28, 2010

The 2010 Founders Day Committee met tonight to discuss parking and logistics for the October event. I am in charge of entertainment and will be contacting several group names given to me by committee members. After the meeting I hurried to the Chickasaw Theatre where I was late to fulfill my duty of working the boxoffice. Thank God Nedra Bloom was able to step into my tardy absence and handle the bulk of the theatregoers. I called Deborah and she met me for the show. South Pacific is playing and it was packed out. We had to sit in folding chairs, but the performance was great. If you haven't seen it at the Chickasaw Theatre, Sunday is the last day.

May 27, 2010

A scary incident in front of Dunhill at the Port Of Chickasaw today. About 1:00 PM, a tank car derailed on the tracks, apparently due to a mistake during the "switching" process. While no leaks were visible from this cameras viewpoint, proper precaution was exercised and the Chickasaw Fire Dept. along with the Saraland Hazmat Team were called in. A railroad or truck driven crane will be brought to the scene to place the tank car back on the tracks. This is an example of the potential problems that could possibly occur at the Port. If a derailed railroad car is blocking the the spot where Viaduct Rd. crosses the track and an explosion or fire starts beyond that point, it would be almost impossible for emergency vehicles to service that event. (camera shot by Sher Graham)

May 25, 2010

This morning we met at the Library to kick-off the successful receipt of the roof repair grant which will basically save our valuable books from further rain damage. We heard from the Mayor and our librarian as well as James Kimbrell, former teacher and principal here at our school. Representative Randy Davis also presented a $5,000. check to Michelle Adams principal of Chickasaw Magnet School. After the event Ms. Adams invited us to P. J. Clark School, which is in the process of being renovated and will house all her students in the fall. The school will have "smart" boards, science labs and a new Elmo Video Projection Board which allows tiny specimens or objects to be displayed on a white screen. Later this evening a short council meeting adopted some new ordinances and heard complaints about the Civic Center kitchen.

May 24, 2010

Kiwanis Monday and we reviewed the Chickasaw 5K Freedom run held on May 15, 2010. After expenses, we should have several thousand dollars to contribute to Womens and Childrens Hospital in Mobile.. We also voted to move our meetings back to the Auditorium due to current guesswork on determining the number of meals needed for each meeting.. I picked up the application and plans for our new Huddle House to be voted on June 1, at 7:00 PM at City Hall`
We will convene both the Industrial Board and the Commercial Board for purpose of voting that evening

May 23, 2010

We were invited to the Spring Banquet of the Chickasaw Womans Club last night which was very well attended. The dinner was catered by Lisa with some very tasty roast beef and chicken. At the end of the dinner we heard interesting stories by Ervin Dailey, who then swore-in the upcoming tableau of officers. My bride, Deborah, will be serving as Vice President to the clubs new leader, Barbara Pulliam. Then outgoing president, Betty Sheffield, thanked everyone for their help in making the last two years extremely successful.

May 22, 2010

Today was the Community Yard Sale and it was hot. . . How hot was it? You don't even want to know. There weren't as many booths as last October, but everyone seemed happy. Deborah sold almost everything she took to the sale, so I didn't have to take over and close up. Instead, I sat under a tent in the shade talking with Margaret and Charles, Jennifer, her mom and Corrinne.

Steve and Lisa Warren showed up in time to buy dog treats and a Doo-Rag. Funny!

May 21, 2010

I had to apply for a performance bond today on a job I am doing. With that out of the way, I went over to Miller Park to help Jennifer White set up the booth space marking for tomorrows Community Yard Sale. We were joined by Jenny, Margaret, Charles, Woody and Karla. Everyone should have fun getting rid of their "priceless, but no longer needed" items.

Just when you thought I wasn't going to bombard you with anymore grand daughter photos, here she is "playing the ponies"!

May 20, 2010

Todays Chamber Of Commerce meeting gave us cause to celebrate one of our young, Peter Jo Hamilton students, Diamond McMillan, an exceptional student. She was accompanied by her parents, her teacher: Lynissa Newsome and her principal, Lynda Allender. Diamond received a $50 savings bond and her teacher was given a $50. Walmart card for school supplies. The Business Of The Month award went to Compass Bank for their work in the community and their kind sponsorship of the Chamber. Due to an emergency, Mark Erwin was unable to attend, but his competitor for the republican position of District Attorney, Ashley Rich, gave an impressive list of her accomplishments and asked for our vote on June 1. This afternoon I will attend a meeting of the community ambassadors for Shell Chemicals at Saraland Community Center.

May 19, 2010

Today I attended a meeting at the mayors workplace with the police chief, and grant writer. We were there to answer questions by Cathy Jumper from the Mobile Press. She was interested in our Commercial Boards strategic plan for the city, being facilitated by the Auburn Planning League. When Deb and I were in Atlanta, we stopped by the "world famous" Varsity for lunch

You just can't beat those chili dogs and onion rings. What'll ya have?

May 18, 2010

If you've missed my blog for the last four days, so have I. Being careful to take my laptop computer to Atlanta for our trip I only made one mistake. I forgot the charger and when we tried to use it, of course the battery was dead. But I will try to fill you in on what we saw and did. We stayed at the La Quinta in Alpharetta and were amazed at how nice the rooms and grounds are kept. They offer a nice complimentary breakfast of waffles, eggs, bagels and cereal

along with coffee and OJ. The next day the big event was Debbie Jo's birthday held at a local tea room. Our daughter invited many of our grandaughter's friends and their parents so we all enjoyed a great afternoon celebrating. You won't believe how many gifts were given to my spoiled grandaughter. More to follow.

May 13, 2010

I have spent a good portion of the day getting new "run-flat" tires for the Miata and let me tell you, they are not cheap. I also corresponded with the Mayor, a Councilman and the Code Inspector about the nasty habit some people have of parking road machinery and extra-long RV's in their front and side yards. I will be pushing for strict enforcement of our ordinances. Tomorrow we leave for Atlanta and our wonderful neighbors will be looking after the house while we are gone. Hope to blog while on the road. Til then.

May 11, 2010

A ten o'clock meeting with Sam Rawls, Carnes Craig, Byron Pittman and Rory Cassedy gave us an opportunity to discuss an industrial undertaking for the city. We grabbed a bite of lunch at Mings and I was off to get table cards printed for next weeks Chamber Of
Commerce meeting. Corresponded with several board members this afternoon and will be attending the council meeting tonight.

May 10, 2010

Monday is always Kiwanis lunch and today we got to see the prizes being awarded to the May 15, 2010 Freedom Run 5K event which starts at 8 AM Saturday morning. Eagles, brass medallions and composite medallions make up the different class awards. The one mile "Fun Run" starts right after the 5K. There will be pizza and rice & beans served after the races. See

first place cast plaque pictured, held by Ervin "Kris-Kringle" Dailey. We also voted to present a check for $1,000. to Cathy Couey to help hire assistance for her summer sports program.

May 9, 2010

Mothers Day 2010 and the Knights Of Columbus showed the church mothers some TLC by cooking them a pancake, sausage, orange juice and coffee breakfast. Fifty to sixty people attended between the 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM mass and enjoyed their meal. It was kind of funny having eight to ten men in a kitchen, blowing fuses because too many pancake griddles were plugged into one outlet breaker. Then Frank Coate, an electrician ran extension cables to different wall receptacles and made everything work. All churches need a resident electrical technician. Cleaning up was the hardest part, since we had been criticized for leaving the facility dirty at past events and this time we really gave it a thorough inspection. Good

job guys! . . . Oh yes, and the Ladies Auxiliary helped with the cleanup too.

May 8, 2010

This morning I was invited to the Shell Chemical site in Saraland for their 35th anniversary celebration. We toured the plant including the crude "crackers" or distilleries where they pull off deisel, kerosene and jet fuel as well as gasoline. The entire process is pressure monitored and when any limit is exceeded it is automatically diverted to a "burn-off" stack where a pilot light ignites and burns away the over pressure substance. Shell was giving away tee-shirts, safety glasses, ear protectors and first-aid kits. Some delicious hamburgers, hotdogs and potato salad were served along with ice cream bars and iced tea. Many of the employees brought their children who had a great time playing on inflatable toys and getting a clown to make them baloon animals. Pictured is a portion of the plant and one of Chickasaws Chamber Board, Ed Baxley.

May 7, 2010

Today was an office day for me, with exception of my trip to Hall-Namie to pick up twenty pounds of sausage for the Knights Of Columbus Mothers Day breakfast at the church Sunday.

I communicated with Councilman Adam Bourne, Commercial Boardmember Margaret Czajkowski, and Mayor Byron Pittman about our need for an ordinance in the city to prohibit the rental or sale of property without complete disclosure of non-functioning infrastructure such as faulty plumbing or broken HVAC. For the most part, we live in a community of honest people.

But there are always a few whose intent is to bamboozle the public into signing a long term lease on substandard commercial sites. We have an old fast food restaurant that hasn't been rented in 9 years because the owner won't repair a leaking, defective roof. What is eventually going to happen is the property will be condemned and the demolition bill will be attached to the owners property tax. Serves them right. . .

May 6, 2010

I ran into one of the Council while checking my mail at City Hall and we discussed the new Founders Day website. This afternoon I had an appointment with a lady who wishes to open an alteration shop at 100 Kansas Street. There is just no reason why landlords refuse to bring their property up to code. This guy took the lady's money for a 400 square ft. space which has a non- functional air conditioner, a bathroom with no sink to wash your hands and a bladeless ceiling fan. The city is going to have to get tough on questionable landlords. The prospective client is Ethel Holmes and she wants to name the business: "Custom and Fit"

May 5, 2010

Feliz Cinco de Mayo! Donde esta el cafe con Margaritas? Why it is about a mile and a half up Highway 43 at La Cazaulla. The Mrs. got off early today and we just had to celebrate Mexican Independence Day. OK, now that we helped you celebrate, would the illegals among you please return home with our blessings and thanks. We have been trying to set up an appointment to show the W. Lee Street "Yesterdays" to a great Mobile restaurant chain today, but couldn't get through to our potential client. Tonight we have a Parish

Council meeting tonight at St. Thomas so I need to prepare my paper work before I leave.

May 4, 2010

Today was a busy one for the "Tom-Meister". It was my turn to give the program at the Garden Club, so I spoke about wildflowers and azaleas in Southwest Alabama. Everything from the 300 varieties to the low pH needed for the soil. Then after I had baffled them with brilliance, I came back two hours later for the Chamber's Small Business Workshop. Tom Siegwald from the Center For Entrepreneurial Excellence gave us a short course in preparing a business plan and the importance in doing so. An hour and a half well spent.

May 3, 2010

Kiwanis Club today was our first of the month business meeting. We discussed and voted on the design for the tee-shirt and decided on awards and food for the run. It was also our quarterly presentation of the Police Award. Shawn Chapman was given a plaque for his handling of two illegal aliens from the Dominican Republic. He had heard about them stowing away on a ship docked at the Port Of Chickasaw. When his neighbor called him on his day-off to inform him that two men had just entered his backyard greenhouse, Shawn surprised the men and placed them under arrest. One of the men escaped, but his quick thinking helped round up and deport the other alien.

May 2, 2010

Last night we attended the finale for the Mobile Symphony classical offerings. The pre concert party told us how to interpret Strausses "Don Juan" with all it's fast passages depicting his many fabled romances and the 8 bars of silence at the end when an outraged husband takes Don Juan's life. Then we were treated to Pable Sainz-Villegas, a remarkable flamenco guitarist. (second picture. As we entered the Saenger Theatre there were tango dancers (similar to portal dancers you would expect to see at a Grateful Dead concert) The last half of the evening, Pablo performed "Capriccio Espagnol" by Rimsky Korsakov and earned several encores.

May 1, 2010

A very damp and early 8 AM Saturday morning, the mayor and council met to cut the ribbon officially opening the new Dollar General to Chickasaw. There were at least sixty or seventy people lined up around the store waiting to receive a FREE $10. gift card. The only problem was that the card was going to be given out to the first 50 only. The ensuing disturbance started when number 34 or 35 let five of his friends break into line right before the ribbon cutting. The police were called, but everyone settled down; the ribbon was cut, the Chamber Of Commerce presented a token of welcome to the city and a great first Grand Opening Day began. We are sure that Chickasaw will support this fine retail facility.