By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
Over the 15 years that have passed since we started doing the Ronnie column, almost always we are able to meet on Monday mornings. This has worked well. Sermons are fresh from the day before, the week is new, and the inevitable adventures that go with being a public servant have not stacked up…yet. There are times when there are schedule conflicts, and we have to go later in the day. Those seem to be the times when things might be a bit more philosophical and perhaps curious as to next steps, the who, what, when, where, and most importantly, the why of city government. Such was this meeting. We had both been at the Women’s Resource Center annual luncheon and had heard the excellent presentation of chemical abortion survivor Rebekah Hagan. It was well attended, informative, sobering, and inspiring.
Surviving seemed to be the theme of the day, and Mayor Ronnie, had just attended Mrs. Dorothy Duke’s 100th birthday celebration at Limestone Manor. “She’s as sharp as a tack,” he said, and laughed as he told me that Miss Dorothy apparently sweetly set him straight with regard to some local history. She functions as an ambassador for Limestone Manor, and was involved in the canned food drive at the facility that was to celebrate National Assisted Living Week.
Another “National” week was tougher. It has been National Meningitis Awareness Week, and in our area, the death of Jessica Elkins, even though it was in 2007 still serves to inspire people to be aware and to work toward a cure.
The Airfest night time fireworks held at Pryor Field had been stunning. For more detail on that particular Limestone County “first,” please see Stephanie Reynold’s Tourism article on page….
Monday night, Athens City Council voted to earmark $2.1 million for paving roads as well as for infrastructure. This is what actually led to the discussion of “Balance.” Mayor Marks gestured with his hands the way you do when you are trying to illustrate the word. We talked about “revenue vs expenses.” We talked about the convenience of ordering online balanced out with a deep commitment to shopping local, and the economic impact of both. Trying to know the role of city government when wanting to build a local economy can be dicey. City Council had also earmarked funds to give a boost to businesses in District 3 and District 5, respectively, and there will be other grants forthcoming.
Finally, Mayor Ronnie told me of his days when he made several trips to Tuskegee when he worked for DHR, and once again expressed his respect for the Tuskegee Airmen, better known as Red Tails. This discussion had started by my mentioning that I was slowly reading and thoroughly enjoying Booker T. Washington’s Up From Slavery. We remarked that what had been accomplished there continues to amaze. It was late in the day and we both had more appointments. So, we prayed like we always do, and then it was time for Ronnie to roll.
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
