By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
Mayor Ronnie started off our time with something that could genuinely best be categorized as a “dad joke,” and it was this: “Last two weeks have been a literal whirlwind.” I groaned, and we got started with our discussion. We spent some time looking at all the art pieces that had been submitted for the Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration by school kids from all over our area. Mayor Ronnie doesn’t do any of the judging, and he asked me if I had a favorite. There was one, and I won’t tell you what it looked like, but it was outstanding. Turns out, it was mayor Ronnie’s pick as well. “You know, the contest has just gotten so much better since we added the art,” he said. The MLK essay contest has been in place for years, and it’s always been one of the best parts of the celebration.
We both had been at the all-city prayer meeting that was held in the Launch Box on January 10, and it had been so encouraging. More on that on page three. As it pertained to the twister, the path of the storm had been strange. It literally “hopped” several times. “It is going to be a long recovery,” said Mayor Ronnie. He also said, “Disasters teach you lessons,” and I agreed. Mayor Ronnie had been very involved in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He noted that storms expose your weaknesses and strengths. We are in good shape due to the fact that we have had so many storms and we have had to learn how to handle them and work together. We talked about the tragedy of the wildfires in California, and how much they are going to need miracles to get through it. We have a GREAT group of first responders,” said the mayor, and he’s right. The Chamber of Commerce and Athens Main Street are making plans to have a fundraising concert that is going to be held in McCandless Hall. The purpose of the concert will be to help people who have been affected by the twister.
On to more positive topics. There had been a snow day, and it was just what we needed. The snow had been wet enough to make snowmen; people had a chance to play and rest. And because of the hard work that had been put into cleaning up after the “Christmas twister,” the city was in good enough shape to handle the snow without it making things worse.
There are retail projects that are coming up. On the west side of Limestone County, a Food City is going in, and it is going to be what is known as the “anchor store.” There will be other shops as well. On the east side, there will be a new Publix store, and it will be located on Mooresville Road. We shook our heads at the fact that the growth does not let up, and that’s a good thing because we are growing well. There was just one thing left to do, and that was to pray. So, we did, and then once again, it was time for Ronnie to roll.
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
January 3, 2025
