THE LEEDS TRIBUNE
May 9, 2019
5
Community Summer activities available in Moody BY BLAKE ELLS Leeds Tribune Staff As summer quickly approaches, there’s no shortage of ways for the entire family to stay active or to just beat the heat in Moody. The Moody Civic Center offers group fitness classes nearly every day of the week. Dance fitness takes place each Monday at 5:30 p.m. On
Tuesdays, there’s a senior session at 10:30 a.m., yoga at 5:30 p.m. and Tabata at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday offers an early morning spin session at 6:15 a.m., yoga at 5:30 p.m., a later spin session at 6:30 p.m. and dance fitness at 6:30 p.m. On Thursday, another session is offered for seniors at 10:30 a.m. Dance fitness is at 5:30 p.m., and yoga is at 6:30 p.m. Classes are $2 for Civic Center
Members and $5 per class for nonmembers. A class card can be purchased by members for $30, and each card is good for 20 visits. Youth summer camps are also open for registration now, with a volleyball camp taking place June 3-6. There’s a speed and agility camp July 8-11, and a wrestling camp July 22-25. Those camps are ages 5-12 and take place each
day from 9-noon. Registration is $60 per child. Basketball camp for ages 7-12 takes place on June 10-13, while basketball camp for ages 5-6 takes place from 13-14. The latter camp is $30. For more information on registering for summer camps at the Moody Civic Center, call 205-640-0321. The Civic Center will also be hosting a job fair on May 23 from noon-4 p.m.
The splash pad in Moody opens on May 28. Moody’s Splash Pad will open on May 28 for the sum-
mer, and it’s open to everyone.
Alabama has another shot at an education lottery BY PAUL DEMARCO It has been 20 years since Alabama voters rejected a state lottery. Gov. Don Siegelman had made a lottery his primary campaign issue, but in 1999 voters turned down the plan that would have earmarked funds to pay tuition for high school graduates at state universities.
Paul DeMarco
The opportunity to vote on a lottery may happen again in the Spring of 2020 if a bill passes the Alabama House of Representatives in the coming days. The Alabama Senate in a 21-12 vote approved a bill that would put on the ballot during next year’s primary election the question whether state voters will approve a state sanctioned lottery.
The bill will now be debated in the House and there will be a lot of questions for proponents of the legislation. If approved, proceeds from the lottery would go to paying off state debt and the general fund. As written, the bill would generate about $167 million a year. Those that oppose the bill will argue many reasons
to kill this bill. There are those that do not want the state in the gambling business period and others that want the money to go to education. There is also a question about whether this bill will lead to the state entering into a compact with the Poarch Creek Indians, which will expand their gambling operations in the state.
Legislators are just coming off of approval of a controversial gas tax, and now another high profile vote on gambling. We will soon see which direction the Republican majority legislature goes with this bill. Paul DeMarco is a former State Representative and a lawyer practicing in the Birmingham metro area.
JeffCo Sheriff Mark Pettway prioritizes solving violent crime and fiscal responsibility
Mark Pettway BY SHERIFF MARK PETTWAY The Attorney General continues to burn up the airwaves talking about how my deputies and I are not doing our jobs when it comes to shutting down charity bingo halls in Jefferson County. Let’s take a moment to
examine the facts. There currently are 19 open cases waiting to be heard in relation to charity bingo facilities that have been shut down in Jefferson County. Many of those cases have been opened since 2014. Every day, hour and minute those cases are open, is costing Jefferson County taxpayers money to store bingo machines and manage these cases as we wait for them to go to trial. Each year these cases remain idle, is a year that we lose desperately needed funding from our budget that could be used to ensure the safety of our citizens and businesses that make this county great. The cost of manpower alone to investigate, raid, confiscate machines and shut down facilities can quickly surpass $50,000. The miscellaneous cost each time we raid a bingo hall costs nearly $7,000, and this price does not include the costs of hiring moving crews and
transporting bingo machines. Storing bingo machines as we wait on these cases to go to trial costs Jefferson County tens of thousands of dollars. Lastly, in order to try a case in court Judges will typically require the prosecution to hire an expert to determine whether or not a specific charity bingo machine is legal or illegal; experts can also cost tens of thousands of dollars per case. It’s not a question of me not doing my job, it’s a question of what is the state going to do about these cases so that we will no longer incur the costs and waste the taxpayer’s money. Eight cases from 2006 to 2014 were heard in state and county courts concerning the seizure and shut down of illegal gambling operations. There are 14 cases still pending on illegal gambling operations and machines. In Redtop Market Inc. and River Auto Repair, by
and through its owner, Rickey Bolton v. State of Alabama, the case which was appealed to the Alabama Supreme Court, found that the circuit court lacked subject-matter jurisdiction to enjoin the enforcement of criminal laws. Chorba-Lee Scholarship Fund, Inc., et. al. v. Sheriff Mike Hale et al. found that the County Bingo Act which granted authority to the sheriff to regulate bingo, was unconstitutional and thus the sheriff lacked authority, either expressed or implied, to regulate bingo in Jefferson County. The court further stated that the Act was in direct conflict with the constitutional amendment that legalized bingo in Jefferson County and delegated certain regulated authority over bingo to the county governing body or governing bodies of the respective towns and jurisdictions. Meaning that in Graysville, it is the mayor’s responsibility to regulate bingo
and shut down any illegal gambling operations. We do not cross over jurisdictional boundaries, but the Sheriff’s office is available to help to any city that needs and request assistance. We have over 1,124 miles to cover in this county and our main goal is to protect and serve citizens who occupy each and every mile. Over the last 16 months, I’ve met many residents who tell me that they don’t feel safe in their own communities. From the beginning of my term, I have made a commitment to each and every citizen in this county that my top priority will be their safety. Our focus and our attention should be on violent crimes like robbery, theft, opioid abuse, larceny, murder, domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual assault; crimes voters told us they were concerned about last November, and not crossing into municipal jurisdictions through-
out the county in search of potential misdemeanors that do and would divert taxpayer money away from our main priority. Every deputy, sergeant, and lieutenant we divert away from the protection of our citizens to raid and shut down bingo halls in municipal jurisdictions is personnel that should be working to solve felony crimes and protecting you. I respect each and every police chief in Jefferson County; I do not intend to violate their jurisdictions for minor issues, unless assistance is requested. I will use the same approach for every city in the county whether it’s Trussville, Brighton, Fairfield, or Vestavia. The residents in Jefferson County need law enforcement that is focused on solving violent crimes and making every resident in every county in Alabama safer. Mark L. Pettway is Jefferson County Sheriff
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