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Eclectic Observer Page 4
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The
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THURSDAY • JULY 28, 2016
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
Vol. 27, No. 29
Special town council meeting slated for tonight By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
A special called town council meeting is scheduled for Thursday night at the Eclectic Senior Center to discuss an issue which has been discussed at multiple council meetings and resulted in heated arguments over the use of a local ball field. At the last council meeting three items dealt solely with Aaron Park. Representatives of the Eclectic Youth Ball League
spoke to council members about details involving the lease of the park, which was soon to expire. The council decided to table the issue for Thursday’s special meeting, where members from “both sides,” the ECYBL and a traveling softball team, could be heard, said Eclectic Mayor Gary Davenport. “Basically what we’re going to do is discuss redoing the contract for the ball park, Aaron Park, listening to both sides of the story from the travel ball and ball league and then decide how we’re going to pursue on that,” said Davenport in a phone call on Wednesday.
At the council meeting on July 11 to the other two items relating to the park on the agenda, one was called only “Thunder Cats” while the other was regarding lighting issues that were said to be at the park. Team officials and members alike from the Thunder Cats travelling team were present to discuss their desired access to the park, which was denied by the ECYBL. Davenport said at the meeting it was not a public
Hymn to remain in football lineup
Commission approves courthouse annex bid By WILLIAM CARROLL Managing Editor
The Elmore County Commission sprinted through its regularly scheduled meeting Monday completing the work and business sessions of the agenda in about eight minutes, however they did take time to award a bid for the annex to the Elmore County Courthouse to the tune of $2,749,089. Five bids were submitted to perform work on completion of an annex to the Elmore County Courthouse. The bids were Bear Brothers, with a base bid of $2,474,000; Construction One, with a base bid of $2,377,096; Central Contracting, with a base bid of $2,530,000; Holley Henley Construction, with a base bid of $2,655,000 and See COMMISSION • Page 3
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See COUNCIL • Page 5
Decision met with criticism, approval by lawyers, advocates
Corey Arwood / The Observer
It was nearly standing-room-only at the first Wetumpka Unity Forum, where Elmore County residents met on Tuesday to ask questions to law enforcement officials regarding policing policies and procedures, as well as to discuss universal issues with local agencies.
UNITY MEETING Mutual respect despite brief exchange between PD chief , NAACP By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
A community forum convened Tuesday in which Elmore County residents and citizens of Wetumpka stood before representatives from nearly every agency of local law enforcement to ask questions and voice their concerns regarding policing policies at home and across the nation. A number of people took to the microphone before the panel and directed their comments and questions to the officials throughout the nearly three-hour event. There seemed to be an overall atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding between the audience members themselves, who, at times, seemed to go out of their way to make themselves understood, both to other audience members as well as the panel of officials. Despite the sensitive nature of the subjects discussed, there were even minimal outbursts between audience members. A local man spoke who said his brother was killed by local law enforcement in 1966 and talked about the fears of “driving while black.” The local family of Gil Collar, who was shot and killed by police in 2012 at the University of South Alabama, asked that lethal force be a last resort, while at the same time expressing their gratitude to local police in a tearful exchange. The event began around 10 a.m. and was largely directed by Wetumpka Police
Chief Danny Billingsley. Early on, Elmore County School Board Superintendent Andre Harrison made a brief announcement, and spoke about the importance of education, mentioning what he called his own recent “fights,” saying it was important to have a strong leader in place. Shortly after, Billingsley talked about some of the programs the WPD sponsored, looking for ways to do more and said the WPD was open to talk at all times. He then passed the microphone to Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin, who admitted he had not necessarily come prepared to speak, but then launched into what he said made the ECSO successful in its efforts to reach out to those in its jurisdiction. He said his method was to have an “open door policy,” in which he directly handled communications. “Well I felt like that’s what I had signed See MEETING • Page 3
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In a recent switched decision and with a newly aggressive tone The Elmore County Schools superintendent put “Amazing Grace” back on the Holtville High School band’s lineup and has vowed, in a recent statement, to defy “adversaries,” even at the risk of future legal actions to keep the 18th century hymn playing at football games. Asked whether HHS students could possibly fall into the category of “adversary” Andre Harrison would only say he stood firmly with his decision, and when asked whether it was worth it the risk of costly legal actions he said it was “worth it to fight.” He said his decision was confidently swayed by learning more about the law through the school board’s attorneys, regarding the issue of playing one of the most See HYMN • Page 2
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Enslen account of events verified by attorney By WILLIAM CARROLL Managing Editor
An area attorney has confirmed the version of events told to the Wetumpka Herald last week, further bolstering the testimony of Elmore County Probate Judge John Enslen. Attorney Bob Morris, who represents Elmore County School Superintendent candidate Richard Dennis, said that the version of facts presented by Enslen and former Chief Clerk of the Probate Office Brent Helms to the Wetumpka Herald last week was accurate, further calling into question the veracity of a recent television news story See JUDGE • Page 3