In small cities and communities, there's always a need to look for economical ways to fund projects which may enhance their city services, build or improve infrastructure, or just improve the aesthetic quality of the city. Guin is no different in that we are always looking to improve those same areas at a very minimal cost to our taxpayers. To do this, we have to take advantage of a financial grant process setup in many governmental agencies to return tax dollars to their communities.
Grant money is basically funding for specific projects that does not have to be paid back. It sometimes requires the recipient to match a small percentage of the total project cost, generally 10% - 20%, but not always. There are a number of grants available which require no financial burden on the recipient at all. Of course, that's an ideal situation for cities like Guin in that we can fund large projects at no cost to the city. There are stipulations and requirements, though, that come along with any of these financial awards. The money granted has to be used for very specific items and cannot be redirected in any way. There are times when we would like to use grant money in areas not originally intended, but it's just not allowed. Financial awards have very specific uses and cannot be redirected in any way.
We've been blessed in Guin to have community leaders who have made the necessary connections to not only find and apply for large financial grants, but to continually bring our tax dollars back home through many large awards. Since 2003, Guin has pulled in over $3.2 million in grant money from a variety of governmental agencies, while providing matches of just over $600,000. Some of the projects funded include the water park splash pad, South Hill sewer project, sidewalk improvements, and our new senior/safe center. Just for the senior center, we received almost $900,000 in federal and state funding. Additionally, since 2000, Guin's received over $19.3 million in fully funded Alabama Department of Transportation projects. Those include our sidewalk, lighting, and landscaping projects, HWY 44 and HWY 118 widening and resurfacing projects, downtown Memorial Park, and several city street resurfacing projects. Guin also has several grant applications pending which could bring us another $861,000 in funding if approved.
So, as evidenced above, this grant process has allowed our city to make improvements we might not have made without it. The process does require a lot of due diligence for those involved, but can also require making the necessary connections with those who ultimately decide where the money goes. We've had a lot of success over the last several years in this arena and I can only hope we see the same success in the future. As with all issues, it's important for us to know how candidates stand on those particular issues and how they might handle those processes. With that knowledge, we can better determine who we want leading us in the next four years.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Wow! I Struck A Nerve.
It appears that I've struck a nerve with one of our mayoral candidates. This particular candidate believes my post on "Rumors and Lies" was specifically aimed at him and his comments. If he'll read my post thoroughly, he'll see that I never attributed the entire list of rumors/lies to just one candidate or anyone in particular. Can you say guilty conscience?
To be fair, I'll post his letter verbatim below including spelling and punctuation. My response will follow each section:
To The Great Citizens of Guin,
I've given much thought to Bobby Bellew's comments, in particular, the section--Rumor and Lies. I find it ironic that Bobbys first statement says and I quote, "It's inevitable that with any election, there's going to be some candidates who feel the need to spread rumors and lies to help themselves get elected." Excuse Me! Tell me if I'm wrong, but is that not what Bobby Bellew is doing by printing this. Who's trying to get themselves elected? Actually, I am trying to get elected to a seat on the City Council. What's ironic about that? And what rumors and lies have I actually spread?
I have not had a single conversation with Bobby Bellew in regard to any of the unfounded statements printed by him. Your information at best is second hand and makes you no better than the ignorant candidates you speak of! So, are you denying my information is accurate? My goal is to make certain voters understand the difference between fact and fiction so they may be fully educated when they go to the polls on August 26th.
I will not dignify a responce to your sad attempt to stop the winds of change by printing gossip and enuendos. You have not only embarassed yourself but this community as well, by only proving the devisive nature of this administration. So, I'm a little confused. If it didn't require a response, then what's the letter's intent?
Any citizen who wishes to know where I stand on any subject pertaining to my goals, my plans, and our city's future, need only come by my office or call.
Bobby, if you want to challenge my integrity, be a man and do it to my face; don't print out every rumor someone says I've told and attempt to make the great citizens of Guin believe your false concerns for truth! Case in Point: Your half-truth about the Mayors salary being $18,000 is not even true at this time. The Mayor is paid $16,000 now, the $2,000 raise is for the next term. I find it disappointing that you are concerned about me posting the mayor's salary as it will be during the next term, but seem to have little concern about the other points I highlighted in the post you referenced at the beginning of your letter. Also, I've never attacked anyone's integrity, but I did make the statement that if anyone is willing to withhold business prospects until he or she is elected, one might want to question their integrity given they are using those "prospects" as a way of getting elected rather than for the betterment of the city. And that still stands. So, if that claim is baseless, then no one has anything to worry about.
Bobby, I am truly disappointed that you would mislead the people who voted you into office by insulting their intelligence with this half truth. I've never mislead anyone. Actually, it's quite the contrary. I've put fact behind the untruths our citizens are getting from several candidates who believe they have to lie and mislead voters to get elected.
Not only does the Mayor receive a monthly salary from the Water Board which was set up to enhance the Mayors salary. He also receives a monthly salary from Northwest Alabama Gas. Bobby, correct me if I'm wrong thats over $30,000 a year, plus a very liberal expense account to boot. The City Council has no control over the two entities you mentioned. All we can control is what the city of Guin pays it's mayor. My question to you is - what changes do you plan to make to the above setup if you are elected mayor? Also, that "liberal expense account" you talk about is used for business purposes only. Any claim otherwise is false. All city accounts are public record and are open to anyone who wants details.
The only person who has attempted to mislead the people of Guin is you Bobby. If anyone has any concerns, it should be how many half-truths have you told the last four years. Please elaborate on these half-truths you speak of. I have a public voting record open to anyone who wants to know how I feel about the issues we've faced over the last four years. There's no half-truths there - only fact.
Yours in Citizenship,
Dr. Ken Randolph
President John Adams once said that "facts are stubborn things." He went on to say that "whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." I believe we are all passionate about our ideas and views and what it takes to move Guin forward, but that doesn't change the facts. The fact remains that there are several candidates who believe misleading others is a way to their vote. The fact also remains that the people of Guin deserve the truth. I will not apologize for my efforts to answer rumors through the posting of fact. I believe it's important for our citizens to see through those falsehoods, understand the truth, and vote for those of us who are willing to move Guin forward. I will continue to use this outlet as a way of doing just that.
I do agree with Mr. Randolph on one thing and that's the fact that our voters should discuss with each and every candidate their views on the issues facing our city today. I've always contended that we should not vote for candidates purely on coffee shop rumors, but on their actual platform for a better city. Mr. Randolph never addressed the issues I outlined in "Rumors and Lies" with his above letter, so I challenge you, as he has, to call him or visit him to find out what his views really are related to those issues. And the same should go for me or any other candidate. Let's all be educated when we vote for our future leaders on August 26th.
And, by the way, I appreciate the advertisement for my blog. I'm just disappointed the link to the site was not published on the letter.
To be fair, I'll post his letter verbatim below including spelling and punctuation. My response will follow each section:
To The Great Citizens of Guin,
I've given much thought to Bobby Bellew's comments, in particular, the section--Rumor and Lies. I find it ironic that Bobbys first statement says and I quote, "It's inevitable that with any election, there's going to be some candidates who feel the need to spread rumors and lies to help themselves get elected." Excuse Me! Tell me if I'm wrong, but is that not what Bobby Bellew is doing by printing this. Who's trying to get themselves elected? Actually, I am trying to get elected to a seat on the City Council. What's ironic about that? And what rumors and lies have I actually spread?
I have not had a single conversation with Bobby Bellew in regard to any of the unfounded statements printed by him. Your information at best is second hand and makes you no better than the ignorant candidates you speak of! So, are you denying my information is accurate? My goal is to make certain voters understand the difference between fact and fiction so they may be fully educated when they go to the polls on August 26th.
I will not dignify a responce to your sad attempt to stop the winds of change by printing gossip and enuendos. You have not only embarassed yourself but this community as well, by only proving the devisive nature of this administration. So, I'm a little confused. If it didn't require a response, then what's the letter's intent?
Any citizen who wishes to know where I stand on any subject pertaining to my goals, my plans, and our city's future, need only come by my office or call.
Bobby, if you want to challenge my integrity, be a man and do it to my face; don't print out every rumor someone says I've told and attempt to make the great citizens of Guin believe your false concerns for truth! Case in Point: Your half-truth about the Mayors salary being $18,000 is not even true at this time. The Mayor is paid $16,000 now, the $2,000 raise is for the next term. I find it disappointing that you are concerned about me posting the mayor's salary as it will be during the next term, but seem to have little concern about the other points I highlighted in the post you referenced at the beginning of your letter. Also, I've never attacked anyone's integrity, but I did make the statement that if anyone is willing to withhold business prospects until he or she is elected, one might want to question their integrity given they are using those "prospects" as a way of getting elected rather than for the betterment of the city. And that still stands. So, if that claim is baseless, then no one has anything to worry about.
Bobby, I am truly disappointed that you would mislead the people who voted you into office by insulting their intelligence with this half truth. I've never mislead anyone. Actually, it's quite the contrary. I've put fact behind the untruths our citizens are getting from several candidates who believe they have to lie and mislead voters to get elected.
Not only does the Mayor receive a monthly salary from the Water Board which was set up to enhance the Mayors salary. He also receives a monthly salary from Northwest Alabama Gas. Bobby, correct me if I'm wrong thats over $30,000 a year, plus a very liberal expense account to boot. The City Council has no control over the two entities you mentioned. All we can control is what the city of Guin pays it's mayor. My question to you is - what changes do you plan to make to the above setup if you are elected mayor? Also, that "liberal expense account" you talk about is used for business purposes only. Any claim otherwise is false. All city accounts are public record and are open to anyone who wants details.
The only person who has attempted to mislead the people of Guin is you Bobby. If anyone has any concerns, it should be how many half-truths have you told the last four years. Please elaborate on these half-truths you speak of. I have a public voting record open to anyone who wants to know how I feel about the issues we've faced over the last four years. There's no half-truths there - only fact.
Yours in Citizenship,
Dr. Ken Randolph
President John Adams once said that "facts are stubborn things." He went on to say that "whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." I believe we are all passionate about our ideas and views and what it takes to move Guin forward, but that doesn't change the facts. The fact remains that there are several candidates who believe misleading others is a way to their vote. The fact also remains that the people of Guin deserve the truth. I will not apologize for my efforts to answer rumors through the posting of fact. I believe it's important for our citizens to see through those falsehoods, understand the truth, and vote for those of us who are willing to move Guin forward. I will continue to use this outlet as a way of doing just that.
I do agree with Mr. Randolph on one thing and that's the fact that our voters should discuss with each and every candidate their views on the issues facing our city today. I've always contended that we should not vote for candidates purely on coffee shop rumors, but on their actual platform for a better city. Mr. Randolph never addressed the issues I outlined in "Rumors and Lies" with his above letter, so I challenge you, as he has, to call him or visit him to find out what his views really are related to those issues. And the same should go for me or any other candidate. Let's all be educated when we vote for our future leaders on August 26th.
And, by the way, I appreciate the advertisement for my blog. I'm just disappointed the link to the site was not published on the letter.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Journal Record Article On MCHS Distance Learning Lab
Check out http://www.myjrpaper.com. There is a nice profile article on the MCHS distance learning lab in today's edition.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Election Polls
I've setup a couple of very unscientific polls regarding our city races on the right side of the page. Of course, nothing is set in stone at this point, but I thought it might be interesting to see how people are thinking throughout the next few weeks as we get closer to our local elections on August 26th.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Guin's New Fire Truck
Today, Guin took delivery of our new firetruck. Attached are a few shots of the truck. They're not that great since the truck was parked inside, but you can get a good idea of what it looks like. The fire department has a meeting next Tuesday to begin installing hoses and other equipment and I'll try to get a full shot then and post it here. Click each picture for a larger view.
Monday, July 21, 2008
City News - July 21, 2008
A couple of quick notes from tonight's city council meeting:
Coach David Adkins will be moving to the maintenance director's position leaving his post as park director. The Park and Recreation Board has recommended moving Zane Miles to park director, but per city policy, the job will be posted in-house for 7 days to allow city employees an opportunity to apply. After those 7 days, the council may choose to accept the Park board's recommendation or interview anyone within the city who might be qualified for the position. Given Zane's background, it's likely the Council will accept the board's recommendation. Zane has a tremendous work ethic and will, no doubt, do an excellent job. If the board's request is approved as expected, salaries will be adjusted accordingly and will ultimately save the city approximately $4000 per year.
We discussed several areas of the city where illegal dumping has been a problem. One is along 13th Avenue and another along 3rd Street. These areas are becoming a nuisance and can be a health hazard. And we continue to have a problem with the old Cotton Bend Apartments. The current owner refuses to clean the grounds or repair any of the visible structural damage to the building. All of these areas are eye sores in our community, not to mention the many hazards associated with them. The city has limited resources to act upon such problems given our lack of zoning, but we will look at our options during the next city council meeting. Given certain circumstances, we may have the ability to clean up these lots and tack on the cost of cleanup to their property taxes. We have and will be contacting these owners requesting they act, but if anyone knows them, please encourage these owners to clean these lots and help keep Guin beautiful.
We distributed approximately $26,000($13k each) of our city tax money to Guin Elementary School and Marion County High School as part of the quarterly disbursement. The Council also approved $12,000 from the discretionary fund to allow the elementary school to purchase new playground equipment and another $4000($2k each) used as start up funds for the new school year. The new playground equipment will replace a piece of old equipment which had become a possible safety hazard. Mr. Nelson gave us an update on the progress they're making in several areas including our new distance learning lab. This lab will allow our students access to many opportunities not available previously, including access to a number of advanced placement courses. It's great to see our hard earned tax dollars going back to our community allowing our students opportunities they may not have had otherwise.
One final note: we are working toward obtaining ownership of the old Guin Manufacturing(Healthtex) building downtown. Once these issues are worked out, we'll be free to bring that building down and create opportunities for commercial development. There are several investors who have expressed interest in locating in the area now occupied by the Guin Manufacturing building.
Coach David Adkins will be moving to the maintenance director's position leaving his post as park director. The Park and Recreation Board has recommended moving Zane Miles to park director, but per city policy, the job will be posted in-house for 7 days to allow city employees an opportunity to apply. After those 7 days, the council may choose to accept the Park board's recommendation or interview anyone within the city who might be qualified for the position. Given Zane's background, it's likely the Council will accept the board's recommendation. Zane has a tremendous work ethic and will, no doubt, do an excellent job. If the board's request is approved as expected, salaries will be adjusted accordingly and will ultimately save the city approximately $4000 per year.
We discussed several areas of the city where illegal dumping has been a problem. One is along 13th Avenue and another along 3rd Street. These areas are becoming a nuisance and can be a health hazard. And we continue to have a problem with the old Cotton Bend Apartments. The current owner refuses to clean the grounds or repair any of the visible structural damage to the building. All of these areas are eye sores in our community, not to mention the many hazards associated with them. The city has limited resources to act upon such problems given our lack of zoning, but we will look at our options during the next city council meeting. Given certain circumstances, we may have the ability to clean up these lots and tack on the cost of cleanup to their property taxes. We have and will be contacting these owners requesting they act, but if anyone knows them, please encourage these owners to clean these lots and help keep Guin beautiful.
We distributed approximately $26,000($13k each) of our city tax money to Guin Elementary School and Marion County High School as part of the quarterly disbursement. The Council also approved $12,000 from the discretionary fund to allow the elementary school to purchase new playground equipment and another $4000($2k each) used as start up funds for the new school year. The new playground equipment will replace a piece of old equipment which had become a possible safety hazard. Mr. Nelson gave us an update on the progress they're making in several areas including our new distance learning lab. This lab will allow our students access to many opportunities not available previously, including access to a number of advanced placement courses. It's great to see our hard earned tax dollars going back to our community allowing our students opportunities they may not have had otherwise.
One final note: we are working toward obtaining ownership of the old Guin Manufacturing(Healthtex) building downtown. Once these issues are worked out, we'll be free to bring that building down and create opportunities for commercial development. There are several investors who have expressed interest in locating in the area now occupied by the Guin Manufacturing building.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Saturday Afternoon Notes
Again, it's amazing to me that candidates don't feel secure enough in their qualifications and ideas that they have to blatantly lie about issues affecting our city. I've been told by several citizens of Guin that one mayoral candidate claims that the Tombigbee Electric Cooperative will move outside the city if the incumbent mayor is elected. This claim is a scare tactic and has absolutely no foundation. A source close to the company has verified this to be just another falsehood used by the candidate as a way of scaring voters to elect him to office. Unfortunately, we've had to endure deception at many levels of government through the years, but that's not something we've dealt with in our community. Let's not start it now. Know the issues, know the candidates, and call them out when they attempt to pull you into their web of lies.
There's one point of clarification which needs to be made about the Magna project. There still seems to be confusion about the course Magna has chosen to take in relation to building a North American automobile manufacturer. Some believe that Magna chose the site in Virginia, who was our closest competitor during the site selection process, over our site in Guin. That is not the case at all. Magna contracts with several of the world's largest automakers to make vehicles that those automakers cannot make efficiently. In our current economy, those automakers have not yet signed contracts with Magna to build their products. Magna still believes that will happen, but not until later this year. So, no site has been selected as Magna is still working through those contracts. But, if these automakers do sign those contracts, there will be a need on Magna's part to be closer to their key customers and suppliers located in the northern part of the country. Given today's fuel prices, they can't justify shipping product 1200 miles across country. This has even knocked out the Virginia site as a possible location for their project. Plain and simple, the economy cost Guin an opportunity to bring Magna here. Nothing more.
Finally, thank you all for your interest in my site. There's been a lot of activity here this week and that's proof to me that you are concerned about the future of Guin. Please continue to pass a link to the site on to other members of our community so we can all share our ideas for a better Guin.
There's one point of clarification which needs to be made about the Magna project. There still seems to be confusion about the course Magna has chosen to take in relation to building a North American automobile manufacturer. Some believe that Magna chose the site in Virginia, who was our closest competitor during the site selection process, over our site in Guin. That is not the case at all. Magna contracts with several of the world's largest automakers to make vehicles that those automakers cannot make efficiently. In our current economy, those automakers have not yet signed contracts with Magna to build their products. Magna still believes that will happen, but not until later this year. So, no site has been selected as Magna is still working through those contracts. But, if these automakers do sign those contracts, there will be a need on Magna's part to be closer to their key customers and suppliers located in the northern part of the country. Given today's fuel prices, they can't justify shipping product 1200 miles across country. This has even knocked out the Virginia site as a possible location for their project. Plain and simple, the economy cost Guin an opportunity to bring Magna here. Nothing more.
Finally, thank you all for your interest in my site. There's been a lot of activity here this week and that's proof to me that you are concerned about the future of Guin. Please continue to pass a link to the site on to other members of our community so we can all share our ideas for a better Guin.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Rumors And Lies
It's inevitable that with any election, there's going to be some candidates who feel the need to spread rumors and lies to help themselves get elected. In some cases, this is based strictly on ignorance, but in most cases, those candidates know they lack the leadership skills and ideas to defeat their opponents, so they attempt to tear them down through rumors and lies. And as you may suspect or have already heard, we are no different here in Guin in that some of our city council candidates and one of our mayoral candidates have based their entire platforms on fiction.
So, as a service to voters of this city, I want to take a few moments to debunk some of the fiction you may be hearing by providing you with actual fact related to the hot rumors of the day.
Rumor/Fiction: There is money missing from the city's general fund.
Fact: We have two accounting firms who perform audits for us each year. Those audits provide us with a detailed listing of each and every asset the city has, the amount of money brought into our accounts and where it came from, and the amount of money going out of the city's accounts and how it's being spent. The mayor and city council members also receive a monthly report outlining our financial situation for the month and how we compared to the previous year. So, if there were money missing from any account the city owns, it would have been noted a long time ago.
Rumor/Fiction: As mayor, I'm going to clean house and fire certain city personnel.
Fact: In any government leadership position, there are checks and balances in place to prevent abuse of power. This would be considered one of those situations. Whether or not some of our current candidates realize it, there are certain positions within City Hall which are appointed by the city council and the mayor cannot remove those who are appointed without cause. Those positions include city clerk, city court clerk, police chief, city attorney, and fire chief. A city council may choose to appoint someone other than who is in those positions now or they may choose to keep them as they are. Either way, the mayor has no authority to fire those people without cause. Furthermore, those salaries are set by the city council and can be changed only at the will of the council, not the mayor alone.
Rumor/Fiction: The mayor of Guin is a part time mayor and his salary is too high for a part time position.
Fact: There is no such thing as a part time mayor. When a mayor is elected to office, he holds that position 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for at least four years. The mayor of Guin makes approximately $18,000 per year. Personally, given the importance of the position and the amount of work involved, especially related to recruiting industry, $18k is way less than what he or she should be paid. Unfortunately, our resources don't allow us to pay our mayor what he or she should earn. Make no mistake though, no matter who's elected to that position, I would expect that he performs those duties as Mayor Segraves has by putting his heart and soul into it and doing anything possible to move Guin forward. If a candidate feels the position is part time, he might need to reconsider his commitment to the city of Guin. At such a critical point in Guin's history, voters need to demand a mayor who is willing to give an overtime effort for a full time job.
Rumor/Fiction: I have three prospects who are interested in opening a business in Guin.
Fact: If someone truly loves this city and wants to see it succeed, he or she would not wait until they are elected to office to bring business prospects forward. Personally, that shows me a little about their integrity. They're more interested in how those alleged prospects can help them get elected than how they might help Guin grow.
So, as you can see, the rumor mill has been running rampant. Part of my goal for this blog is to do just as I have tonight and refute many of the rumors and lies you'll hear over the next month as we elect our city leaders. As I hear them, I'll bring them to this forum and will always address them with fact. If you hear more, please let me know and I'll be glad to address them as they flare up. Integrity is a characteristic we should all expect from our potential leaders. We all need to remember that anyone who would lie to you to get elected will ultimately do the same after he is elected to office. Are these the people we want directing us over the next four years? Not me.
Please feel free to pass a link to my blog on to your friends around town. I think it's important for us to inform everyone of the issues important to our community and this is my way of doing that.
So, as a service to voters of this city, I want to take a few moments to debunk some of the fiction you may be hearing by providing you with actual fact related to the hot rumors of the day.
Rumor/Fiction: There is money missing from the city's general fund.
Fact: We have two accounting firms who perform audits for us each year. Those audits provide us with a detailed listing of each and every asset the city has, the amount of money brought into our accounts and where it came from, and the amount of money going out of the city's accounts and how it's being spent. The mayor and city council members also receive a monthly report outlining our financial situation for the month and how we compared to the previous year. So, if there were money missing from any account the city owns, it would have been noted a long time ago.
Rumor/Fiction: As mayor, I'm going to clean house and fire certain city personnel.
Fact: In any government leadership position, there are checks and balances in place to prevent abuse of power. This would be considered one of those situations. Whether or not some of our current candidates realize it, there are certain positions within City Hall which are appointed by the city council and the mayor cannot remove those who are appointed without cause. Those positions include city clerk, city court clerk, police chief, city attorney, and fire chief. A city council may choose to appoint someone other than who is in those positions now or they may choose to keep them as they are. Either way, the mayor has no authority to fire those people without cause. Furthermore, those salaries are set by the city council and can be changed only at the will of the council, not the mayor alone.
Rumor/Fiction: The mayor of Guin is a part time mayor and his salary is too high for a part time position.
Fact: There is no such thing as a part time mayor. When a mayor is elected to office, he holds that position 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for at least four years. The mayor of Guin makes approximately $18,000 per year. Personally, given the importance of the position and the amount of work involved, especially related to recruiting industry, $18k is way less than what he or she should be paid. Unfortunately, our resources don't allow us to pay our mayor what he or she should earn. Make no mistake though, no matter who's elected to that position, I would expect that he performs those duties as Mayor Segraves has by putting his heart and soul into it and doing anything possible to move Guin forward. If a candidate feels the position is part time, he might need to reconsider his commitment to the city of Guin. At such a critical point in Guin's history, voters need to demand a mayor who is willing to give an overtime effort for a full time job.
Rumor/Fiction: I have three prospects who are interested in opening a business in Guin.
Fact: If someone truly loves this city and wants to see it succeed, he or she would not wait until they are elected to office to bring business prospects forward. Personally, that shows me a little about their integrity. They're more interested in how those alleged prospects can help them get elected than how they might help Guin grow.
So, as you can see, the rumor mill has been running rampant. Part of my goal for this blog is to do just as I have tonight and refute many of the rumors and lies you'll hear over the next month as we elect our city leaders. As I hear them, I'll bring them to this forum and will always address them with fact. If you hear more, please let me know and I'll be glad to address them as they flare up. Integrity is a characteristic we should all expect from our potential leaders. We all need to remember that anyone who would lie to you to get elected will ultimately do the same after he is elected to office. Are these the people we want directing us over the next four years? Not me.
Please feel free to pass a link to my blog on to your friends around town. I think it's important for us to inform everyone of the issues important to our community and this is my way of doing that.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Final List Of Qualifiers
Here is the final list of qualifiers for Guin's municipal elections on August 26th:
Mayor:
Phil Segraves
Ken Randolph
City Council:
Myself
Elaine Junkin
Phillip Garrison
Mineo Lindsey
Mike Hawkins
Cerell Metcalf
Tim Pierce
Bill Green
Steve Lolley
Brian Wideman
Boozer Pinkerton
Gary Randolph
Randall Guin
Kevin Williams
Now, it's time for the voters to decide. With each and every candidate, I believe you'll find one of two types of people. There are some who are forward thinkers and want the very best for Guin. They see the big picture and have a vision for Guin. One that allows our children and grandchildren to return home to work here and raise their families here. There are others, though, who would rather spend their time telling us what's wrong with Guin and why they believe Guin can't succeed. If you've followed me over my last four years, I think I've proven that I'm one of those guys who sees a bright future for this city and will do anything to help this community be successful. I truly believe it's important for our community to determine which of these candidates are progressive thinkers and vote them into office. If we don't, we may just watch as our neighbors take advantage of the opportunities to grow their cities along newly established I-22 while we spin our wheels over the next four years.
Mayor:
Phil Segraves
Ken Randolph
City Council:
Myself
Elaine Junkin
Phillip Garrison
Mineo Lindsey
Mike Hawkins
Cerell Metcalf
Tim Pierce
Bill Green
Steve Lolley
Brian Wideman
Boozer Pinkerton
Gary Randolph
Randall Guin
Kevin Williams
Now, it's time for the voters to decide. With each and every candidate, I believe you'll find one of two types of people. There are some who are forward thinkers and want the very best for Guin. They see the big picture and have a vision for Guin. One that allows our children and grandchildren to return home to work here and raise their families here. There are others, though, who would rather spend their time telling us what's wrong with Guin and why they believe Guin can't succeed. If you've followed me over my last four years, I think I've proven that I'm one of those guys who sees a bright future for this city and will do anything to help this community be successful. I truly believe it's important for our community to determine which of these candidates are progressive thinkers and vote them into office. If we don't, we may just watch as our neighbors take advantage of the opportunities to grow their cities along newly established I-22 while we spin our wheels over the next four years.
VW Plant Goes To Chattanooga
Volkswagen chooses Chattanooga over the Alabama site in Limestone County many thought would land the project. By the way, the site chosen in Chattanooga and the site in Limestone County were sites which Magna eliminated for their project while Guin remained at the top of the list. So for those naysayers who believe we can't compete for large industry, this is further proof of how competitive we really are.
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2008/07/update_vw_calls_chattanooga_ex.html
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2008/07/update_vw_calls_chattanooga_ex.html
Monday, July 14, 2008
Guin Park and Recreation
As I do many spring and summer nights, I spent the evening at our local park watching Heather play a little softball. While I'm normally out there myself during the summer, I decided to take a break this year to play a little more golf. It's always fun, though, to get out to the park and fellowship with others and enjoy the beautiful park we have here in Guin. There are very few cities the size of Guin who are blessed with such beautiful facilities that we have in this community.
As many of you already know, our park and recreation department services three softball fields, three baseball fields, a pool/water park, batting cages, and our newly built Collins Life Center. This also includes our beautiful high school baseball and softball fields. Through our sports leagues, camps, pool projects, and lunch programs, they are able to serve thousands of people each year affecting citizens of all ages. What many don't realize is the number of jobs the park also provides to our young adults each year. Through the years, the park/pool has employed hundreds of our youth teaching them valuable lessons they take with them as they develop their professional careers. Just this summer, the park has put approximately 55 of our young adults to work.
As a community leader, funding is always an issue we have to be concerned with and traditionally parks in small towns have never been money making ventures. Our park, though, has done well budgeting through the years and has even reduced their budgets each year over the last four years without diminishing the services they provide. While it's understood that our park will never make the city wealthy, the services they provide to our community by keeping our kids off the streets and away from so many horrible things is priceless.
I truly am proud of what we have to offer our community through the services our park and recreation department offers. If you haven't visited in a while, please take time to go take in a game or just stop by and have someone show you around. Zane, David, Lori, and others would always be willing to show you what they have to offer.
As many of you already know, our park and recreation department services three softball fields, three baseball fields, a pool/water park, batting cages, and our newly built Collins Life Center. This also includes our beautiful high school baseball and softball fields. Through our sports leagues, camps, pool projects, and lunch programs, they are able to serve thousands of people each year affecting citizens of all ages. What many don't realize is the number of jobs the park also provides to our young adults each year. Through the years, the park/pool has employed hundreds of our youth teaching them valuable lessons they take with them as they develop their professional careers. Just this summer, the park has put approximately 55 of our young adults to work.
As a community leader, funding is always an issue we have to be concerned with and traditionally parks in small towns have never been money making ventures. Our park, though, has done well budgeting through the years and has even reduced their budgets each year over the last four years without diminishing the services they provide. While it's understood that our park will never make the city wealthy, the services they provide to our community by keeping our kids off the streets and away from so many horrible things is priceless.
I truly am proud of what we have to offer our community through the services our park and recreation department offers. If you haven't visited in a while, please take time to go take in a game or just stop by and have someone show you around. Zane, David, Lori, and others would always be willing to show you what they have to offer.
Qualified Candidates As Of July 14th
With election qualifying ending tomorrow, here is an updated list of candidates for both city council and mayor of Guin.
Mayor:
Phil Segraves
Ken Randolph
Council:
Myself
Bill Green
Tim Pierce
Elaine Junkin
Brian Wideman
Steve Lolley
Cerell Metcalf
Mineo Lindsey
Mike Hawkins
Gary Randolph
Randall Guin
Mayor:
Phil Segraves
Ken Randolph
Council:
Myself
Bill Green
Tim Pierce
Elaine Junkin
Brian Wideman
Steve Lolley
Cerell Metcalf
Mineo Lindsey
Mike Hawkins
Gary Randolph
Randall Guin
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Toyota Prius To Be Built In Tupelo Plant
It's too early to tell how this might affect the number of suppliers needed in our area, but it was announced today that the Toyota plant outside of Tupelo would produce the Prius. The Toyota Prius is the most popular hybrid vehicle on the road today. Read more about it in the links below.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25621408/
http://money.cnn.com/2008/07/10/news/companies/Toyota_manufacturing.ap/index.htm?postversion=2008071010
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25621408/
http://money.cnn.com/2008/07/10/news/companies/Toyota_manufacturing.ap/index.htm?postversion=2008071010
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Qualified Candidates
As of today, there are 8 candidates qualified to run for a seat on the city council in August, while one mayoral candidate has qualified. The city council candidates thus far are:
Myself
Bill Green
Brian Wideman
Tim Pierce
Elaine Junkin
Cerell Metcalf
Gary Randolph
Steve Lolley
In the mayor's race, Ken Randolph is the only person qualified, while Mayor Segraves is expected to qualify in the coming days. There are also several other prospective council members who've been rumored to throw their hat in the ring before the qulifying deadline.
It's very important that we all know the issues affecting our community and how the above candidates stand on those issues so that we may vote intelligently and in a way that would best benefit the future of Guin. Some of us have a voting record which can give one an idea of our position on those issues, while we'll have to quiz the others to find out what's important to them and how they might move (or not move) Guin forward. Whatever the case may be, this is a critical election for Guin's future. The decisions we make in August could very well affect Guin's future for many years to come.
On another note, there is a good commentary in today's Journal Record on the Magna project and the regional cooperation that allowed us to be competitive during the selection process. It's not in their on-line version, so you'll need to pick up a copy to read it. It's well worth your time.
Myself
Bill Green
Brian Wideman
Tim Pierce
Elaine Junkin
Cerell Metcalf
Gary Randolph
Steve Lolley
In the mayor's race, Ken Randolph is the only person qualified, while Mayor Segraves is expected to qualify in the coming days. There are also several other prospective council members who've been rumored to throw their hat in the ring before the qulifying deadline.
It's very important that we all know the issues affecting our community and how the above candidates stand on those issues so that we may vote intelligently and in a way that would best benefit the future of Guin. Some of us have a voting record which can give one an idea of our position on those issues, while we'll have to quiz the others to find out what's important to them and how they might move (or not move) Guin forward. Whatever the case may be, this is a critical election for Guin's future. The decisions we make in August could very well affect Guin's future for many years to come.
On another note, there is a good commentary in today's Journal Record on the Magna project and the regional cooperation that allowed us to be competitive during the selection process. It's not in their on-line version, so you'll need to pick up a copy to read it. It's well worth your time.
Monday, July 7, 2008
City News
Tonight, we received notice of another $267,000+ in state grant money to finish our sidewalk and lighting project we've worked on over the last several years. The project will cover the area now used by the old Health Tex building. This stretch of sidewalk and lighting will finalize this phase of our downtown beautification project. We have two years to complete the project and will attempt to allow the on-going Brownsfield grant to run it's course before beginning work. Once the Brownsfield project is finalized, we should be able to remove the Health Tex building from it's foundation. When the sidewalk project is completed, sidewalks will encompass the entire downtown area giving pedestrians access to the High School on the north side, the city park, pool, and water slide on the west side, the railroad tracks on the south side, and 3M on the east side.
This beautification project has allowed more of our residents an opportunity to enjoy our downtown area and has made it more attractive to potential commercial development. Heather and I use the downtown sidewalks a few nights each week to exercise and are always joined by a number of residents who are using them for the same purposes or just out for an evening stroll.
In other news, we approved our portion of a matching grant the Marion County Drug Task Force uses each year for funding their operation. Unfortunately, we use their services more than we'd like, but they always do a great job and we are very willing to do our part. Also, in the coming weeks, look for one of our new fire trucks to be delivered and ready for use. Our volunteer fire department does an excellent job for our community and we are proud to finally bring in a new truck. And with the grant money we received several months ago, we were able to order a second new truck and new personal equipment for our firefighters.
And finally, in tonight's meeting, Mayor Segraves gave us and those in attendance a quick rundown of the sequence of events over the last two years which led us to the Magna announcement last week. Some of that's already been discussed, but I'm still amazed at how large this project was and how much work went into it. With local and state funding, there was over 50 million dollars tied up in this project. While we didn't land it, I feel confident the exposure received and the ground work we laid will ultimately payoff for this region in high paying jobs and increased revenue.
This beautification project has allowed more of our residents an opportunity to enjoy our downtown area and has made it more attractive to potential commercial development. Heather and I use the downtown sidewalks a few nights each week to exercise and are always joined by a number of residents who are using them for the same purposes or just out for an evening stroll.
In other news, we approved our portion of a matching grant the Marion County Drug Task Force uses each year for funding their operation. Unfortunately, we use their services more than we'd like, but they always do a great job and we are very willing to do our part. Also, in the coming weeks, look for one of our new fire trucks to be delivered and ready for use. Our volunteer fire department does an excellent job for our community and we are proud to finally bring in a new truck. And with the grant money we received several months ago, we were able to order a second new truck and new personal equipment for our firefighters.
And finally, in tonight's meeting, Mayor Segraves gave us and those in attendance a quick rundown of the sequence of events over the last two years which led us to the Magna announcement last week. Some of that's already been discussed, but I'm still amazed at how large this project was and how much work went into it. With local and state funding, there was over 50 million dollars tied up in this project. While we didn't land it, I feel confident the exposure received and the ground work we laid will ultimately payoff for this region in high paying jobs and increased revenue.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Journal Record Articles On The Magna Project
Check out http://www.myjrpaper.com/ for more detailed information on the Magna project. The Journal Record interviewed several of the project's major players including Neal Wade, director of the Alabama Development Office, and Mayor Phil Segraves.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Great July 4th Celebration In Guin Tonight
Heather and I enjoyed another great July 4th celebtration in Guin this evening. We're blessed to be able to enjoy such a great display each and every year. When I moved to the area 11 years ago, it was hard to believe that Guin could put on a display that competed with the larger cities around the state, but after seeing the show for the first time, I was very impressed. And it's gotten better each year.
Pyro Productions, the company who puts the show on for us, is based out of Birmingham and does approximately 50 displays around the country for the 4th of July holiday. This includes the "Thunder On The Mountain" show put on each year in Birmingham. They do a tremendous job for us. WKXM 97.7 out of Winfield also worked with the production company this year to synchronize the show with patriotic music. This was an element we had never used before, but I thought it added positively to the show and something we look forward to doing again for future shows.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
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