Members of the South Alabama host team for the 12U World Series are ready to extend a warm welcome to visiting teams.
Team members are McKenzie Ladson, Sarah Langford, Hayden Willis, Colby Adams, Tiffani Dean, Katlynn Schively,
Cassie Godwin, Aaliyah Lawrence, Molly Stewart, Brentley Armstrong, Derriaunna Gantt, Bailee Boyd, Abby Walker,
Hope Ladson, Taylor McGhee and Santana Hamrac. Special thanks to the AHS cheerleaders for the welcome sign.
Today, Covington County will welcome 12 softball teams from across the U.S., their families and coaches to Andalusia for the 2011 Babe Ruth 12U Softball World Series.
The hotels are booked, and the welcome signs rolled out, event organizers said Tuesday.
“This is a big, big day,” said Dwight Mikel, Andalusia’s director of leisure services. “This is going to be an outstanding event.”
Play begins Thursday and will continue through Aug. 9 with teams from Franklin, La.; Mineral Area, Mo.; Halifax, Mass.; Othello, Wash.; Hazlet, N.J.; Fern Creek, Ky.; Lodi, Calif.; Oviedo, Fla.; East Brewton; Brewton; South Alabama (host); and Alexander City competing.
Mikel said those teams traveling by plane will arrive in Montgomery and Pensacola, Fla., and will be bused from the airport to Andalusia. The first bus is expected to roll in at approximately 2:50 p.m. Other teams will arrive throughout the night.
“We want to give these girls and their families a great experience,” Mikel said. “And with that said, what we really want to see is the stands full. Even if you don’t have someone on the South Alabama team playing, come out and support everyone.
“It’d be great if people would adopt a team and come out and cheer for them,” he said.
Admission is $5 per day for adults, $3 for students age 6 to 18.
Tournament passes are also available – $25 for adults; $15 for students; or $60 for a family pass for up to five family members. Passes are available at Johnson Park and area banks.
The Andalusia City Council agreed to sell a 2.12 acre parcel of land located on River Falls Street near Debro Hill for $42,000.
In the terms of the agreement, the city will retain right-of-way access to its old landfill.
“A boat business plans to expand,” Mayor Earl Johnson said. “This will be a big improvement.”
In order to sell the property, the council first had to declare it surplus.
Councilwoman Hazel Griffin beams after the ribbon is cut for River Falls Street. She is surrounded by Councilman Will Sconiers;
Utilities Board members Ricky Jones and Jim Smith; Mayor Earl Johnson; Rep. Mike Jones. | Michele Gerlach/Star-News
Just before the current city administration took office in late 2008, members agreed upon a number of goals for their four-year term.
Improving River Falls Street was among them. But no one was more serious about it that Councilwoman Hazel Griffin.
She walked River Falls Street, talking to business owners and promising to try to get the project done.
From November until February, Griffin asked about the possibility of doing something there at every council meeting.
That was nothing, Mayor Earl Johnson said.
“Ev-ery other day, she was in my office,” the mayor qui-pped. “You ain’t ever been under any pressure until Hazel gets after you.”
Thursday, Griffin was all smiles at the ribbon cutting, one of her first public outings since having a knee replacement.
“I was so excited I couldn’t sleep last night,” she said, smiling broadly. “I couldn’t believe it was finally here.
“We had so much help with this project, and so many people had wanted to help before we came on board,” she said. “It’s a good day.”
That’s the message the Andalusia City Council is sending those who are perpetually lax about cleaning up their property.
At present, the city’s policy is to have its abatement officer, Jim Locklier, send a courtesy letter asking a landowner to clean up his or her property. If no action is taken as a result of the letter, the city begins the abatement process, in which it demands action. Property owners have a limited amount of time in which to comply, or the city will have the property cleaned and bill the landowner.
After Locklier told council members that there are landowners who are “on” to the process, which can take weeks, Mayor Earl Johnson told Locklier, “You ain’t gotta be so courteous all of the time.”
Henceforth, the mayor and council agreed, if a property owner has been notified by letter or through the abatement process before, Locklier no longer has to take the courtesy letter step.
“Let’s speed this up,” Johnson said.
The council agreed to abate seven pieces of property which are overgrown, including:
• 500 Auburn Ave.
• 203 Railroad Ave.
• 200 Scherf Drive
• 304 Cawthon
• 213 Allen Ave.
• 208 Donald St.
• 118 Falkenberry
The council also:
• Agreed to contribute $5,000 toward the purchase of a new sign at Andalusia High School.
• Learned it received a $154,000 low-interest loan from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs for installing new, energy-efficient lighting at Johnson Park.
• Agreed to include reworking an engine in scheduled work on a firetruck. The truck recently was damaged in a wreck on East Three Notch Street. The repairs, estimated at $84,000, are expected to take three months.
In a little less than a day from now, 30 Andalusia Stingrays swimmers will compete in the Alabama Recreation and Parks Association’s state swim meet in Cullman — an event they’ve been working toward all summer.
The state swim meet will take place more than three days — today through Saturday — at the eight-lane outdoor pool. The diving tournament will take place today, and the swimming tournament will take place Friday and Saturday.
There are 1,000 people slated to attend the state meet, according to the Cullman Times.
Thirty Andalusia Stingrays qualified for state this week after posting exceeding times at the district meet July 16 in Dothan.
Approximately 12 swimmers from the 7-10 age group, and more than 15 from the 11-and-up group will participate in the meet this week.
“What you’ve got is the best in the state from all of the districts represented,” 11-and-up coach Gavin Donaldson said. “A lot of these kids are seeded well, even the ones that are not.
“I told them, ‘the qualifier was at district. These are the finals right here,’” he said. “‘You’ve got one shot, one opportunity. What you do with that opportunity is your choice.’”
Warm ups will take place from 7:45 a.m. until 9:45 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, the meet will begin at 10 a.m. with the individual medley, breaststroke and short freestyle events. An hour break will follow and medley relays will begin shortly afterward, from approximately 1:15 p.m. to 3:05 p.m.
On Saturday, warm ups will stay the same, and the meet will begin at 10 a.m. with the butterfly, backstroke and long freestyle events. An hour break will follow and free relays will begin shortly afterward, from approximately 1:15 p.m. to 3:05 p.m.
Carrie Browning, interim 10-and-under coach for Candy Parker who is on a mission trip in Haiti, said the kids are “ready” for the meet.
“I think we’re going to do real well,” Browning said. “We’ve been practicing our relays. We’ve had some good relays going.
“We think we’re going to do real well this year,” she said. “I’m very proud of all of our swimmers.”
Seven-and-8-year-old coach Andy Shaddix said he’s looking forward to seeing what the younger swimmers will do over the next two days.
“They know what’s coming up for state and they know what they need to do (to succeed),” Shaddix said. “Even though they won their races at district, they weren’t happy on their times. They’re determined to do better at state.”
Fast-paced practices and more yards swam have been a staple during practice at Cooper Pool this past week, Donaldson said.
“This team is where they needed to be two weeks ago,” he said. “Right now, the practices are what they should’ve been two weeks ago. I’m excited to see the full potential of this team here at state.
“I think there’s a lot of the team members that have an opportunity to be seeded well,” he said. “They have an opportunity to go in there to meet the challenge. I’m just ready to get up there and see what happens.”