August 31, 2009

Kiwanis Club program chairman, Steve Warren, presented our Mayor, Byron Pittman as a speaker this afternoon. Byron gave a "state of the city" touching on the ongoing projects such as Viaduct Road widening, Sewer renovation and repair and some of the new business we are attracting to the city. While this is a particularly frugal season for Chickasaw, the new business
tax ordinance should make a large difference in the first month of the new year. This afternoon,
a meeting of the Coastal Clean Up Committee should get us in-line for a cleaner community.

August 29, 2009

Friday was a travel day for me with a 6-1/2 hour trip to Columbia, Tennessee where I attended Military School. I serve on the Alumni Board and the 29th was one of our semi-annual meetings to plan next years events. It is customary for us to meet at Legends Steak House for a bite to eat. (last picture) Saturday morning we met at 10:00 AM in Academy Hall to hear the new President of Columbia Academy, Dr. James Thomas, speak. (Columbia Military was purchased in 1979 by Columbia Academy, a Christian boys and girls school) Dr. Thomas wanted to seek the
old alumnus help in re-roofing Academy Hall. The projected cost is $52,000. and we voted to donate $5,000. to the Academy for that purpose. They are also going to apply for a historic grant and ask the County for help. Our group, two years ago, took on the task of completely renovating the old guard house built in 1890 and turning it into a museum. (see pictures of outside and inside of guard house)

August 27, 2009

I talked to one of the Industrial Board members today and a board member from the Chamber of Commerce called to find out where we got the "Squiggle" pens we gave away at the joint Chamber of Commerce meeting Aug. 20th. She works at Prichard Water Board and is going to buy them to give to some of the senior customers. I mentioned to her that if their water bills were as high as some of the Chickasaw citizens, it would take a lot more than a ball-point pen to make them happy. Tonight we had a short directors meeting of the 2010/Founders Day Committee to hand out flyers and discuss concessions and registration for the event. Tomorrow I leave for Tennessee for an Alumni Board meeting on Saturday morning for our next reunion.

August 26, 2009

Last night, everyone in attendance at the council meeting was delighted when a representative from Wal-Mart showed up with a 2 ft by 5 ft. check made out to City Of Chickasaw for $1,500. I knew they would reward us for all the spending Deborah and I do up there someday. The council was also presented with the new business license ordinance for next year, to review by the next session and they adopted a resolution to make the red rose the city flower. Today was a "day-off" for Deborah so we got the Mazda Miata serviced and while Dean McCrary was doing their thing, we visited an old friend, Don Cole, who was in town doing video training at Atlantic Video. Don used to work for me at my Atlanta store and sold to all the big studios such as Akon,
Keith Sweat, Doppler and Southern Tracks. We drove downtown to Serda for coffee, then over to our favorite Swiss-German restaurant: La Rose in the GM&O building. Max Zeullig (the owner) is a fun person to talk with; He was a little depressed today because Ted Kennedy had passed away and he had cooked for Kennedy and Jimmy Carter several years ago. That led me into my story about installing a sound system, purchased by President Carter for his church in Plains, Georgia and we talked for almost an hour as we "wolfed-down" our delicious veal sausage and sauerkraut sandwiches. Max had even worked for the CIA at one time, but I knew if we got into that story we would still be in the GM&O bldg.

August 25, 2009

I met this morning with Jennifer White and Judi Smith to set up a bank account to handle funds for the upcoming yard sale fundraiser for 2010/Founders Day. This Thursday the 2010 committee will meet at 6:00 PM in the Civic Center. I spoke with two of the Commercial Board members regarding businesses opening in the city without a visit from the Code Inspector or authorization from the Commercial Board and went by to visit one of them. Tonight the council meets at City Hall, 7:00 PM.

No, that is not a Chickasaw council meeting, but it darned well could be!

August 24, 2009

This was a busy morning. I was not able to attend Kiwanis because Sam Rawls and I had to meet the ADO sign-off representative for our Viaduct Rd bridge expansion project in Mobile at the Chamber Of Commerce. However, through our friend Cecilia Ann Dailey, I was able to participate in the outcome of the event and report its activity. If you were at the Chamber meeting Aug. 20th, you heard Allison Jackson and her four year old son Noah speaking about a 5K walk for St. Jude to be held at Eastern Shore Saturday Sept. 3rd from 8 AM till 10AM. A motion to write all the other Mobile area Kiwanis Clubs to participate in our efforts to raise $1,000. for St. Jude was voted and passed and will be undertaken by our secretary, Adam Bourne. Allison agreed to appear at the other clubs with Noah as part of their program if they desire. (Pictured is Allison Jackson at the Chamber meeting)

August 23, 2009

After church this morning, Deborah had to leave for work and I wanted a good cup of coffee to keep me awake through the afternoon. Usually I head for Moka in Saraland, but I felt no restraint for time, so I drove downtown to Serda's. As I was leisurely reading Lagniappe Magazine, an army Sergeant, on leave, walked in for a cup and set down at the table next to mine. It turns out he has been fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan and he had some interesting stories. The main point I took away from the conversation is that the new regime can't make up it's mind how many troops are enough and he has been caught twice with seven or eight soldiers
taking on thirty or more terrorists at one time. Fortunately air support was quick enough to keep them alive, but just barely. Does America have the stomach to clean up these 911 jerks or just cut and run? Whoops! Maybe I've had too much coffee.