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Boaz councilmen take a field trip downtown
Published March 26, 2009
Boaz City Council members took a field trip to the nearby downtown Mall Monday night during a City Council work session.
The trip, made with councilmen, city Building Inspector Don Bouldin, city attorney Danny Smith and engineer Chris Ross, included discussing plans and options to revamp the Mall area, opening it up to one-way traffic and angle parking on both sides of the street.
The city holds a $618,000 grant earmarked for the renovation project, but construction must be under way by January 2010 or the city will lose the funds.
Walker’s primary concerns are ripping out existing, leaking fountains, cracked sidewalks, overgrown trees with roots that are leading to the cracked walkways and tearing down awning and posts over most of the storefronts.
Once completed, Walker hopes to install new lighting and landscaping, angled parking and decorative planters all in an effort to attract more businesses, such as physicians, attorneys, specialty stores and restaurants, to the area.
“Something has to be done or there won’t be anything left,” Walker said.
During the tour, councilmen pointed out parts of the city’s history, such as the former Gillespie’s Drug Store, the first air conditioned building in the city.
The downtown Mall is home to the city’s annual Harvest Festival. Over the years, the once-burgeoning area has steadily lost retail and professional businesses.
In other business, the council also proclaimed April 17 as Relay for Life Day.
The annual Relay for Life event will start at 6 p.m. at the Boaz Middle School track with opening ceremonies and a cancer survivor victory lap.
To learn more about the event or to purchase a luminary for the luminary ceremony, call Renae Mosley at 593-3481, ext. 1111, or through e-mail at rmosley(at)boazk12.org.
The council also:
• learned opening ceremonies for youth baseball and softball will be April 24 at 5 p.m.
• heard a report from Councilman Tim McRae regarding the recent Sand Mountain Pottery Show at the city’s library.
McRae said more than 500 people had registered as visitors and 20 people had pottery displays set up during the event.
“It was a huge success,” he said. “Thanks to Eddie Scott for organizing that and to the library staff who went above and beyond to make sure it went off without a hitch.”
• approved hiring several area students as temporary employees for summer recreation programs. All were hired unanimously. Councilman David Ellis abstained from the vote for concession stand employee Whitney Ellis.
Those hired included Paradise Park concession stand employees Aleshia Arreguin, Rachel Arrington, Ryan Gaskin and Cory Bunn; Paradise Park scorekeepers Brittney Wiseman, Eric Stevens, Holly Watkins and Hope Watkins; lifeguards Erin Clark, Aja Davis, Nick Graves, Justin McCormick, Matthew Simons, Caitlin Whitt, Brianna Pullen and Joseph Wright; pool concession stand employee Hillary Camp;
Boaz Youth Sports Park concession stand employees are Whitney Ellis, Jade Sanders, Lacey Cullom and Jensen Kilpatrick; Boaz Youth Sports Park scorekeepers Cy Smith, Mason Rogers, Zach Parrish and Tyler Cofield; field crew workers Zane Pullen, Erin Franks and Terry Langley; and swim team head coach John Holcomb and assistant coaches Anna Reeves and Sam Bates.
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