Thursday, August 05, 2010
Alarm company asks city to change rules
By Michele Gerlach
Andalusia Star News
A representative of APX Alarm, a Wyoming company that wants to sell alarm systems door-to-door in Andalusia, on Tuesday appeared before the city council to question a 1968 ordinance prohibiting such sales.
Jay Sallan, who described himself as a legal clerk for APX Alarm and a law student, told the council he feels the ordinance in unconstitutional and asked not only that ordinance be changed, but that the city make a special exception for his company until such time as the ordinance can be changed.
Sallan cited several court cases, and said while the city “is free to place restrictions on the practice of door-to-door solicitation, it may not enforce an ordinance which completely bans the practice.”
Mayor Earl Johnson explained to Sallan that he, too, is an attorney and that he is aware of court rulings in other cases.
“This is an old ordinance and a lot has changed since that time,” Johnson said. “Frankly, no issue has been brought up about it here, so we haven’t reviewed it.”
Johnson assured Sallan that the council will review the ordinance and bring the local laws in line with court rulings.
“And we’ll do it in a timely manner,” he said.
Johnson explained to the council that there are a number of things they can do in crafting a new ordinance to limit door-to-door solicitation.
“You’ve heard of a do not call list, we can craft our ordinance with a do not knock list,” Johnson said.
In other business, the council:
• Agreed to join the Utilities Board and the city Industrial Development
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
By Michele Gerlach
Andalusia Star News
What has long been a dream for many is about to come true.
The Andalusia City Council on Tuesday authorized the letting of bids for renovating the historic Church Street School, which will become a cultural arts center. The project is being done in partnership with the Andalusia Ballet Association, which is providing $500,000 for the project and will be the managing tenant once the project is done.
Mike Hamrick, an architect with the firm of Goodwyn Mills and Cawood, attended the council’s workshop meeting.
“This is a fantastic building, with great history and culture,” Hamrick said. “The city is fortunate to have it, and it will be good to see it occupied.”
Hamrick said he has worked closely with Meryane Murphy on the plans.
City Clerk John Thompson said city employees already have done most of the demolition work inside the building in preparation for the project, and the city is working toward having the project completed by the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year,
“We’ve been looking at this building for more than eight years now, and we are so excited to finally be at this point,” Murphy said.
“We believe this will be a showplace for Andalusia and whole surrounding community,” she said. “We will make you very proud.”
Mayor Earl Johnson pointed out that the major portion of the building has basically been empty since 1999.
In April 2009, the council committed to a formal agreement with the ballet, which will occupy a third of the building, in exchange for the organization’s commitment of financial resources toward the renovation of the building. At the time, the city expected to contribute up to $1 million for the project. Until bids are received, it is unknown what the city’s portion of the renovation will cost.
Johnson said Tuesday that the ballet will occupy the main floor of the Church Street Cultural Arts Center, and the top floor will be “roughed in” so that it could be customized for future tenants.
Work should begin this fall.
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Published Saturday, May 1, 2010
Monday, Census takers will begin knocking on the doors of Covington County residents who have not mailed in their 2010 Census forms.
Nationwide, the push is set to begin today with an estimated 635,000 temporary census takers fanning across America to begin conducting personal interviews of roughly 48 million households.
How-ever as of Friday, Dr. Darryl Lee, Census partnership coordinator for Alabama and Northern Florida, said local census officials were still preparing work assignments.
“We’re not disclosing the number of workers that are going to be in your area because we’re in the process of doing work assignments,” he said. “But I can say that these employees will be working out of the local census office, which is in Phenix City, so they will be working all of those counties.”
Census records show there are 11 southeast Alabama counties covered by that office – including Covington.
“I can also say because of the size of the area, there’s going to be a good number (of Census takers) out in the field,” he said.
Lee reminded residents that census takers are easily identifiable by their census badges and official Census canvas bag.
“Remember, too, that a census worker will never ask to enter your home,” he said.
Lee said if no one is at home at the time of the visit, a door hanger with a contact number on it will be left, and residents can use that number to call and set up an appointment.
“A Census taker will visit the home three times and attempt to reach someone by phone three times,” he said.
“We do need residents to cooperate,” he said. “Open the door and answer the questions. We say, ’10 questions, 10 minutes.’ That’s all.”
According the most recent numbers from the U.S. Census, county participation has leveled off, with most municipalities seeing only a one percent increase from last week’s numbers.
Currently, 63 percent of Covington County has mailed in their Census forms. That’s a 2 percent increase from the final 2000 Census count.
Now, municipal participations rates range from 49 percent in Florala to 77 percent in Opp and 72 percent in Andalusia.
It is estimated 635,000 temporary census takers will fan across America to begin conducting personal interviews with roughly 48 million households that did not send back a completed census form in mail census areas or who did not receive a form at their home.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Air shows, performances, civic projects on tap for event
Published Thursday, April 29, 2010
The committees organizing the components of Andalusia’s Homecoming 2010 celebration have lots of things planned for Andalusia in November – from little details like planting yellow pansies throughout town to big events expected to draw a crowd of 15,000.
The celebration, part of the state Tourism and Travel’s 2010 celebration of Small Towns and Downtowns, centers around the county’s annual Veterans Day celebration and includes a musical program, a street dance, air show, civic project, quilt show and a gala.
Veterans programs
On Veterans Day, Thurs., Nov. 11, the community’s traditional parade and ceremony at the Veterans Memorial Park will be followed by an outdoor reception “under the big top” and the placement of a historic marker at city hall, formerly East Three Notch School. The marker is being provided by the state of Alabama.
Civic project
The civic project for Homecoming 2010 is the improvement and expansion of Andalusia’s Dream Park, located on the campus of LBWCC. Lisa Patterson reported for the Dream Park committee, and said the new build is scheduled for Oct. 20-24.
“Our kickoff is May 14 at Superior Bank,” Patterson said.
“We’re going to raffle off a Big Green Egg with all proceeds going to the Dream Park.”
The Quilters Guild also is going to raffle a quilt with all proceeds going to the Dream Park, she said. As in the original build for the Dream Park, the fundraising effort will include handprints ($25), and supporters may also buy pickets for a new fence ($50).
The handprints and pickets will be pre-sold beginning May 14, and children will be invited to make handprints at a later date.
Billy Bimbo is chairing the fundraising for the project, Patterson said.
A dedication or ribbon cutting will be held during the homecoming weekend, Nichols said.
Andalusia in Review
On Thursday evening, there will be a free performance at the LBWCC Dixon Center, “Andalusia in Review.”
Paula Sue Duebelt and Sue Bass Wilson are putting together the show.
“Sue and I have eight pages of script, going back to Indians, whom we believe were here first,” Duebelt said.
The program will include music appropriate for the history.
“Like when the settlers are coming, it might be ‘Wait for the Wagon,’ “ Wilson said.
“There’ll be some group singing, individual singing,and dancing.”
Open houses, book signing
On Fri., Nov. 12, daytime events will include open houses in the city schools and a book signing by local authors at the Andalusia Public Library.
Street dance
Martha Duggan is chairing the committee staging a street dance on Fri., Nov. 12, between the old Andala and the current CenturyLink buildings. Perfect Image from Mobile will entertain from a wide musical repertoire, she said.
Air Show
Jed Blackwell reported that the David Schultz Air Show has been contracted to stage an air show, which will begin at 1 p.m. on Sat., Nov. 13.
“We already have 22 vendors on board,” Blackwell said.
“There also will be a car show that will coincide with this event.”
The last air show held at the South Alabama Regional Airport, held in 1991, drew 9,000 people, Blackwell said
“We’re setting a goal of 15,000, which would be a crowd similar to attendance at the Rattlesnake Rodeo.”
Like most of the Homecoming 2010 events, the air show is free.
Other events
Other events planning during the extended Homecoming 2010 weekend are a quilt show hosted by the Covington Quilters Guild at Johnson Park.
“Visions of Thread and Fabric” will be open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Both First Baptist Church and First United Methodist Church have agreed to host welcome centers for visitors who need a place to rest and refresh between events.
A juried art show is also in the works, organized by Dot Burkett.
Saturday’s events will be end with a gala at the Kiwanis Center.
The four-day Homecoming event is being organized by the city’s Tourism and Relocation committee and chaired by Barbara Nichols