November 30, 2010

This afternoon the mayor, the city attorney, the code inspector and I met with Darrell Brock about tax abatements for Arc Terminals. After that meeting, we had a town hall meeting to discuss the city's hazard mitigation plan and all it's ramifications. It drew about 20-25 interested people who want to see the plan adopted. Then home to my wife and a late dinner. (my fault, not hers)

November 29, 2010

Today the Kiwanis met at Market By The Bay In Fairhope, thanks to Horace and Bonnie Allen who personally underwrote everyones lunch. It was a good get-together with our speaker being the restaurant owner. He related the problems occuring after the oil spill getting people to trust Gulf seafood even though exhaustive tests had been run. The media in combination with the claim process created enormous headaches for business owners. And to top it all off, any proceeds from BP are fully taxable.

November 28, 2010

After church this morning, we joined the Czajkowski's for lunch at Morrison's where the ladies got to talk about retail and Charles and I figured out how we can organize a paint party for a Knights Of Columbus project. There are just too many things to be done before the first of the year. The picture in today's blog is a little fuzzy, sorry, guess we picked a crack addict to take it.

November 27, 2010

Small Business Saturday and I'm off shopping for some of my male friends and relatives. Very productive with some excellent buys. I hated to have my son leave for Utah, but it was great having him down for the Thanksgiving holidays. He was instrumental in putting new seats in the boat and fixing things around the house. Deb and I will miss him.

Black Friday; while everyone else either worked or spent their last dollar at the mall. Mark and I did some household chores (that's one of the reasons I appreciate him visiting), then went to Serda to have coffee and watch the Iron Bowl. When Deb got off work we all had a bite to eat and finish watching Auburn win in "a squeaker". Tonight we rest. . . Deb goes in at 5 AM.

November 25, 2010

Thanksgiving Day; we spent the morning making the Turkey stuffing and the Watergate Salad, putting the bird in the oven and then going next door to our neighbor, Bob and Nell Barnes, for their Thanksgiving spread. . . about 15 courses of ham, turkey, pecan pie, blueberry trifle . . . you name it!  So good, but so full, may have to run to Tuscaloosa and back.

November 24, 2010

Day before Thanksgiving and we were back at it again. Got the new boat seats installed (they fold down to make a lounge sofa) and still had time to go by Huddle House for some burgers. The rest of the afternoon was spent at Home Depot and paying some of my office bills. Happy Turkey to all of you tomorrow.

November 23, 2010

Time to work on the boat, getting it back in shape for the Chickasawbogue and the Mobile River. Earlier in the season, it was covered with a tarp and low and behold, a herd (litter) of kitties were born and raised in it. So it was time for a thorough scrubbing a a good pressure wash. A little clorox
and some rags made quick work of a slightly used birthing station.

November 22, 2010

Our Kiwanis meeting this morning gave me a chance to bring my son, Mark, back for a second visit. Mark spoke on the pharmaceutical industry and its struggle to bring new drugs to market. "Just stumbling into a new drug by random experimentation has almost come to a halt", Mark assured us and now is more dependent on molecular study. Many of the drugs advertised on television are "bandaids" and do not actually stop the disease.

November 21, 2010

Sunday the 21st is St. Thomas Church's Thanksgiving Lunch. A full Parish Hall of hungry folks putting away turkey, potatoes, salad and desserts. There is always way too much which reminds us that somewhere people are not as fortunate as we. Tonight the Community Service is at First Baptist which features all the Chickasaw pastors speaking in behalf of their church. Everyone is invited to attend this Thanksgiving event.

November 20, 2010

Bright and early (6 AM) we started setting up at the Civic Center for the Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast. As you can see, the kitchen staff were cutting up sausage and preparing pancake mix. My job was setting up the napkins, forks, knives, butter and syrup and collecting tickets until Sylvia Heard

arrived. While these pictures were taken about 7 AM,  by 8 the place was filling up. Deb and I enjoyed being present along with the City leaders for the introductory practice opening of the Huddle House last night. The staff was very attentive and Charles Saucier should do very well with his excellent location.

November 19, 2010

Last evening Deb and I went to Farm/City night at the John Archer Center. This a celebration in which our farming community of South Alabama gets together with the City folks to pay attention to the abundance of crops and animals raised in our area.  The interaction of these providers was first initiated by the Kiwanis in 1954 and is celebrated each November. Speaker  Reggie Copeland praised the many same family farms in South Alabama over 100 years in existance. Deb walked away with one of the coveted prizes. 

November 18, 2010

The Chickasaw Chamber met for its last official meeting of 2010. While Senator Vivian Figures pulled a "no-show", her replacement: Sherrie Quander was an absolute knock-out. She gave an inspirational talk on the importance of self in this world and was mobbed afterward by chamber members wanting to praise her for her effect on the crowd. The Business Of The Month award was presented to Terri Pringle accepting for South Alabama Regional Planning Commission. Catering was by Catfish Junction and the meeting was sponsored by our old friend, Gil Craig at Southern Ionics.

November 17, 2010

Today was the big guy's birthday so relaxing was the key imperative. This afternoon I worked on the Chamber Newsletter and tonight we ate Thanksgiving Dinner at the First Baptist Church. Good turkey and dressing as well as a great message from Rev. Terry Ellis. We always appreciate our friends at First Baptist including us in their activities.

November 16, 2010

This afternoon was spent at our city attorney's office with a client appearing before the Industrial Development Board. We have postponed our Thursday meeting to allow them more time to prepare their case. Tonight the Chickasaw Civic Theatre held their Wine Tasting event at "Taste" on Old Shell Road.

They gave out several door prizes and there were renditions of theatrical songs from Camelot and South Pacific. Everyone had a great time.

November 15, 2010

At Kiwanis today we voted to authorize candy purchases for the Chickasaw Christmas Parade. Our speaker today was Sherrie Graham, a contracted grant writer for the city, who also helps organize activities for the Tri City Community Outreach, a company looking to enable and endow children with meals and toys they would not otherwise be able to receive from their parents. She gave us a slide show preview of the "Pick Your Own Christmas Gift" event they hold every year.

November 14, 2010

Saturday evening was "Beethoven & Blue Jeans" night at the Mobile Symphony. If you are not familiar with the occasion, everyone wears jeans rather than the normal formal wear for the orchestra and dress clothes for the audience. The Beethoven Triple Concerto in C Major was performed by the Eroica Trio, three attractive young ladies playing piano, cello and violin backed by the symphony. The program also included a performance  of Britten's Young Persons Guide To the Orchestra which solos instruments in the woodwinds, brass, strings and percussion sections.

November 13, 2010

Last night Deb and I went downtown to the LoDa Art Walk to check out the artwork and events in the park. After having a great grouper dinner at

Spot Of Tea, we visited several galleries and stopped to hear some short stories in the park. The area was packed about 8 o'clock so we slipped on 

over to Serda for a coffee.

November 12, 2010

We met this morning at Springhill Country Club for the Kiwanis Golf Tournament around 8 AM and started the day with a complimentary breakfast of sausage, bacon, grits, eggs and bisquits. Our team, having lost a member in the last minute due to gout, consisted of past Mayor Jim Trout, his son Jay and myself. We pretty much played our standard game of "scramble" vasolating between coming in next to last or dead last. I think we shot a 90 while the winning team shot a 56. But, dagnab it, we had fun even if I did lose 4 balls.

November 11, 2010

Sent out notices about our next Chickasaw Industrial Development Board meeting and working on some projects around the house. Will be resting up for the Kiwanis Alabama Golf Tournament tomorrow morning at 8 AM. I need

to scrub the dirt off of my clubs.

November 10, 2010

We finally got the roof on our building; not an easy task. But with our boss, Frank, away on sick leave with his wife Mary Lu getting another hip replacement, it was up to me, Mike Box and Jack to finish the job. All I need to do is install the dead-bolt assembly in the door and move our gear into the room.  Ta Da!

November 9, 2010

Spent from 9 AM this morning until 4 PM this afternoon working up at the church and was so exhausted I couldn't even make it to City Council
tonight. I heard from the folks that went we raised sales tax 1/2 a percent and that a scuffle broke out in front of City Hall.

November 8, 2010

This afternoon at Kiwanis we had a program about 4H delivered by Karla Autrey and her daughter Valerie. Valerie spoke about 4H programs starting around the early 1900's to get education abouit new ways of farming to the parents through the children. 4H stands for Heart, Head, Hands and Health. Valerie did a good job and informed us that the 4H flag was taken aboard the last space shuttle flight.

November 7, 2010

I went to the Saturday night Mass so I could prepare for my Knights meeting this morning. After the service, we all went out to Catfish Junction for dinner.

Craziest bunch of folks I've seen since college. Before we ate the sound pressure level in the restaurant must have been 125 db (everybody talking at once) As soon as they delivered the eats, you could have heard a pin drop.

November 6, 2010

We are moving right along on our storage building. Couldn't work yesterday because there was a funeral at the church Roof trusses go up next.

We took a break about lunchtime and I showed up at the Methodist Church

to purchase (8) turkey dinners for all the hungry construction crew and their wives. Tonight I will go to Saturday Mass and then out to eat with

the seniors. Deb is spoiling that grandchild in Atlanta.

November 5, 2010

Is paper bingo in your future? Well, we certainly have a paper bingo parlor which has been operating in Chickasaw for over 30 years, and the machines that were placed in J.C. Davis auditorium in the spring were

paper issuing machines which we were told by the manufacturers met the Alabama law.

So, ya know, we might see some of that money going to Biloxi every day in our city treasury soon. Who knows?

November 4, 2010

The word is out! As of November 22, 2010, you will be able to cruise by Huddle House for breakfast, lunch or dinner. That is the day Charles Saucier

has predicted he will be serving the general public. The Commercial Development Board is proud to be able to say "we approved this commercial".

November 3, 2010

After lunch at Catfish Junction with a friend, I rode back to Chickasaw

and spent the afternoon at City Hall discussing the upcoming Industrial Development Board meeting and talking city business with the mayor. I   
then had to get printing done for the Church Parish Council meeting this evening and delivered one of our cars for an early morning oil change. Tomorrow may be a little less hectic, but don't count on it.

November 2, 2010

Before all that sun had a chance to turn into a rainy election day we had a opportunity to get a good start on our storage building for the Knights. Starting with a concrete anchor base which we will hurricane strap to 

the cement pad below, we plan on a 14X16 building with a tin roof. Our meeting room had gotten so loaded with gas grills and popcorn machines that we not only couldn't find anything, but it looked hideous. This will help us keep a clean, orderly Knights  room of which our members can be proud.

November 1, 2010

At our Kiwanis meeting today we honored Officer Dan Stubbs who received the quarterly Police Award for meritorious duty. Stubbs "broke" the case on the graffiti vandals that were hitting church and civic buildings. He was able to observe then tackle the pair as they tried to elude him. We admire and salute the job you are doing in Chickasaw, Officer Stubbs.