What Makes Ronnie Roll

The “Lights” Of Athens

by Ali Elizabeth Turner

It was the first time in two months that Mayor Ronnie and I were able to sit down at the round table that is in his office. “Man, it feels good to be back here, Mr. Mayor!” I said. Being able to walk down the hall and greet people felt like a big, pos itive “step back,” as well as forward, to the “Great Re-opening.” “March 13 was the first case of COVID in the State,” he said. I then added, “And in Limestone County we have had no fatalities.” The mayor then told me about his adventures with Quinton (his grandson) the previous day, which had also been Mother’s Day. Quinton had been so excited about what he was going to give his grandmother to celebrate in her honor that he could hardly wait until Sunday. On Sunday, Ronnie and Quinton had gone for a bike ride, and at one point when they were headed back, the mayor said to passersby, with his trademark dry humor, “Would you please call me an Uber?” We then moved to the topic of how we need to proceed with the new phase of re-opening Ala bama. “We have to have

wisdom and patience,” he said. “That seems in short supply with some folks,” I responded. We talked about the things which had opened back up— barber shops, hair salons, the tennis courts, restau rants, and he added, “Everybody is learning to do more with less.” One of the things that always brings joy on a Monday morning is to talk about the special things that “make Athens, Athens.” Mayor Ron nie told of the Relay for Life event that had been held at the Courthouse on Friday night. It involved hundreds of luminarias lit in honor of those who had finished their battle with cancer. “The courthouse was lit up, everyone was spread out, and there was a parade,” he said. Speaking of parades, on Wednesday, the mayor and Holly Hollman went to Limestone Health Fa cility to celebrate in the parade that drove by the residents, who had all been brought outside. What made the event so special is that each resident had been inter viewed and asked for words of wisdom and secrets to success. They made placards that said things like, “Speak kind ly,” “Love everybody,” and “Remember God.” One of my favorites was, “Be honest, be loyal, be truthful, and be a good friend.” One woman was dancing and wanted to dance with the mayor as he drove by. The whole parade can be seen on Facebook at the City of Athens Public Relations

site. The mayor then told me a story that served to seal the theme of “lights” for the title. Someone had painted truly dreadful graffiti on the back alley wall of Sweetest Things. They asked the mayor if there was something he could do. He said he would look into it, and then had to head to a TV interview near the Ath ens Bicentennial mural. There happened to be a painting crew across the street, and the mayor asked if it would be pos sible for them to see if

they could do something about what happened to Sweetest Things. The painter checked with his boss, the boss was all over it, and as soon as the crew was finished, they headed down the alley. You had people of three colors and two genders solving the problem, and once again Athens shined brightly. I was a bit misty when the mayor told me this, and grateful that I live here. Our hour had flown, as it always does, and it was time to pray. So we did, and then it was time for Ronnie to roll.