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June 15, 2017 Vol. 125, No. 118 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
Hearing on landfill expected to be emotional City releases rules for those wishing to speak to council at Monday’s meeting By MITCH SNEED Editor
If you plan to go to Monday night’s meeting of the Alexander City City Council, you may want to come early to get a seat. The council will hold a public hearing on the proposed expansion of the city’s inert landfill facility Monday night beginning at 5:30 p.m. The city is facing a situation
where its current facility, located off North Central Avenue, will reach full capacity in less four years, according to city estimates. The Council voted 6-0 on May 15 to approve two separate items that would start the ball rolling on acquisition and testing about 140 acres adjacent to the current facility. If approved, the land will cost the city $1,400 per acre
under the agreement. The owners of the property are McGill Timber Company who holds 40 acres, while Clay Service Corporation owns about 100 acres that was planned to be another phase of the Westfield subdivision. Residents who live in areas bordering the proposed site have organized and have been vocal in their opposition, held neighborhood meetings, sought
legal advice and have been calling members of the council. They are expected to be out in force for Monday’s public hearing to make their opinions known in advance of a vote by the council on the issue. While the city promises a buffer between residences and point to the great record of the current facility, the citizens in the area still fear the impact of the facility on property values
FAMILY FUN
Jacksons Gap talks property purchase
and quality of life. The facility would not be a dump for garbage or household rubbish. It will take construction material, leaves and limbs and will be used heavily for the city’s brush pickup program. Residents say there has to be a better place. “Does this really make sense to put even an inert landfill less See LANDFILL • Page 3
County Board of Ed approves transfers, hires By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
The Jacksons Gap Town Council discussed purchasing 11 acres and a building that once housed a radio station in town at Tuesday’s council meeting to help with safety precautions for the town’s employees and to develop a recreational area for town residents. “We have got to do something to protect our employees and town as a whole,” Council member Dana Ford said while discussing how to make things safer as town employees received monies. “It bothers me. There is no security at all.” See PROPERTY • Page 3
Dadeville Council moves forward on demolition File / The Outlook
By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
A barrel racer competes in Boys and Girls Club of the Lake Martin Area Rodeo in 2016.
The planned demolition of dilapidated buildings throughout Dadeville is now able to proceed to the next stage, as the required third bid has been received. “It’s wonderful to get the third one in,” Dadeville Mayor Wayne Smith said. “When you’re dealing with items like this, it can sometimes progress more slowly. There’s a lot of bureaucracy to go through.” Now that the city has the necessary contractor bids in, City Clerk Mike Gardner See DEMOLITION • Page 9
Boys & Girls Club rodeo coming to town By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
The Boys & Girls Club of the Lake Martin Area is once again ready to host the Lake Martin Area Rodeo this weekend, June 16-17. This year, the Bar W Rodeo Company also returns as the stock contractor, supplying the event with the livestock to be used in
the various events. “We bring in the arena, the stands and the livestock,” Bar W Rodeo Company Owner Brett Woody said. Along with over 20 other rodeos across the Southeast, the Lake Martin Area Rodeo is officially sanctioned by the National Cowboy Pro Rodeo See RODEO • Page 3
During the Superintendent’s Remarks section of Monday night’s Tallapoosa County Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Joseph Windle reported that the 2016-2017 school year for the county schools had been a good year for everyone involved. Seven Advanced Placement classes were offered at the county schools: U.S. History, Biology, Chemistry, English Composition and Literature, Calculus, Language Arts and Computer Science. Approximately 150 students were enrolled in these courses, which Windle said did not exist until a few years ago. Fifty-five took dual enrollment courses offered through Central Alabama Community College and Southern Union State Community College. Students who may have fallen behind on coursework were able to use the Odysseyware program to recover those credits and get them back on track. Over 500 took part in the Access program, a state-run online curriculum, and another 15 completed the Virtual Academy, a full-time online education system. “We’re keeping the Virtual Academy enrollment small so we can keep it at a high quality,” Windle said. Several building projects throughout the county were See BOE • Page 3
Scale models a fascinating sight during summer reading storytime a kit he had purchased from Europe, he added a detailed color scheme Keeping with the theme and surrounding scenery, of “Build a Better World,” turning the model into a the special guests scheduled full-blown scene, complete for Community Builder with cars parked at the Storytime at Mamie’s Place pumps, people inside the Children’s Library include a store making purchases, and local engineer and two city even a busy street in front judges. On Wednesday, the of the station. library welcomed special The children got to take guest Thomas Bennett, a a closer look at the gas builder of scale models station model and also got from Goodwater. to admire photos of some Sitting on the stage in of Bennett’s other work, front of the assembled including an offshore oil children, Bennett placed rig, the RMS Titanic and the a model gas station he clipper ship Cutty Sark. had constructed. Initially By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Today’s
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490.62 Reported on 6/14/17 @ 5 p.m.
Also during this time, one of the librarians at Mamie’s Place read two stories to the children, one about a bug and his bee friend who build a fort together and the other about a bear who builds a cabin just the right size for him. The children also got to play Library Limbo, being led under the bar by another one of the librarians. Next week, Judge Tom Young will be the special guest for Community Builder Storytime, with Donald Campbell / The Outlook Judge Kim Taylor to follow Mamie’s Place librarian Melissa Moncrief shows Wednesday’s group of children containers of on June 28. miniature figures modelers like Thomas Bennett use in their work.
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