“The Verdict” is in, and the food is good – or at least that’s the general consensus of those visiting the Court Square’s newest restaurant.
Located in the Prestwood Building, The Verdict is owned by Christy Cartwright of Gantt and features both a lunchtime and nighttime menu.
Cart-wright’s husband, Rick, is the chef.
“Christy had the idea (of opening the restaurant) because there wasn’t a lot of variety of things to eat near the Courthouse,” Rick said. “So far, business has been brisk, so she must’ve been right.”
There are daily lunch specials offered, like today’s meatloaf, he said. Other favorites include traditional lunch fare such has hamburgers and sandwiches.
The dinner menu includes steaks, seafood and pasta, he said.
“My specialty is the Bourbon Street rib eye,” he said. “I can’t describe it – all that seasoning. It’s just wonderful.”
Also, many may remember the couple’s son, Gordie, who was dubbed the “Cornbread King” after winning the national 4-H Cornbread Cook-Off last year.
Gordie will also be trying his hand at the grill, Rick said.
“He says he wants to be a chef,” he said. “We let him try it out when we’re not too busy. He’s pretty good, too, if I do say so myself.”
The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. until 9 p.m.
City officials said Monday that area senior citizens are being targeted with a direct mail campaign selling water line insurance.
While the direct mail piece says the insurance is offered by an independent company, Andalusia Utilities office manager Cathy Alexander said she has received numerous phone calls from local residents who believe they’re being encouraged by buy the insurance by the city.
“We want to make sure people know it is not from us,” she said.
Friday was the big finish for the LAAC’s summer theater camp. Taught by Cathy Powell, there were 20-plus children attending the weeklong session, which ended with a production of ‘Bebop with Aesop.’ Above: It really was a big finish for those attending this week’s camp, which included Holly Majors, Will Shay, Ava Bailey, Ashlan Nall, Cameron Woodard, Callen Woodard, Katherine Finley, Audrey Danford, Michaelyn Russell, Skylar York, Katelyn Pettie, Holly Taylor, Anabell Bryant, Mary Taylor Seymore, Alyssa Kilgore, Clorissa Morgan, Courtney Bulger, C.P. Wossilek, Blakely Hammond, Sam Dalton, Drew Griffin, Peyton Cannon and Alex Barnes.
Construction could begin at the new Andalusia High School athletic facility in as little as three weeks, said project engineer Joe Dofrono at Monday’s board of education meeting.
The announcement came after board members awarded the project bid to low bidder Bay Shore Construction of Bay Minette. The award was for the base bid and add alternate one. Cost of the project is set at $2.308 million; however, Dofrono said he will work with contractors “to get that price down even more.”
The company will have 365 calendar days to complete the project.
“It’ll take about 10 days to get the contract and do the paperwork,” he said. “We could turn dirt three weeks from today. It’ll take a bit to mobilize, but we’re going to kick it into high gear.”
Nine construction companies submitted bids to construct a new physical education facility at Andalusia High School Thursday afternoon.
Architect Joe Donofro, of Donofro Architects, said that the board has a $2.3 million budget and would take the base bid plus any “add-alternates” up to the budgeted amount.
Plans for the new facility, which have been developed by Donofro, include a new 26,174-square foot physical education facility, a new 6,818-square foot boys’ PE facility, renovations to a 5,949-square foot girls’ PE facility, renovations to the 630-square foot shop building and miscellaneous site work on the AHS campus.
“Add-alternates” include items such as metal liner panels, field turf, parking and drives, a cupola, girls locker room and other items.
At the end of the bid opening, Donofro said it appeared the bid award would be between two companies – Bayshore Construction Co. and First Team Construction Co.
Bayshore Construction submitted a base bid of $2.025 million.
First Team Construction submitted a base bid of $1.995 million.
Both companies submitted bids for the “add-alternates,” which included the metal liner panels, field turf, parking and other items.
Other companies that bid were Bullard-Cook Inc., Catrett Construction, G.R. Harvill Inc, Hyperion Construction LLC, Lewis and Associates General Contractors, Southern Structures Corp. and Zedot Construction Inc.
Board president Dr. Bill King said the board will probably award the bid at its Monday night meeting.
“We are enthusiastic at the number of bids we received,” he said. “We are excited about being able to improve our facilities.”
The board was notified nearly a year ago that it would receive $2.5 million in Qualified School Construction Bonds for the project, and the Andalusia Bulldog Foundation agreed to give the board $8,000 to pay closing costs for the project, as well as bridge any loans necessary until the school board pays off its debt for Andalusia Elementary School.
Donofro said that he anticipates once the board lets the contract that they will “turn dirt” in three or four weeks.
The board meeting will be Mon., July 18, at 6 p.m. at the board of education.