The Alexander City
Council has given permission to the ABC Adolescent Center (AAC) to use the
Alexander Community Center (old city hall) at no charge for its new summer
feeding program for Alexander children. The program is similar to an
after-school program started in 2014.
During her presentation
to council members AAC representative Bobbie Fourche said, "From June
24th, 2014 until present we fed 10,126 meals to the City of Alexander."
The after-school program
provides Alexander children with meals and help with their homework Monday
through Friday. ABC Adolescent Center is working with five local churches and
the Department of Human Services to provide the food and volunteers.
The new summer feeding program starts June 1. Children will be provided
both breakfast and lunch.
The decision occurred during the May 18 regular council meeting. All
seven council members attending the meeting voted "Yes." Jeff Watson
was the only alderman absent from the meeting.
Fourche also asked the council to approve the use of a section of the
city park for a community garden. She said the AAC has already received a grant
for the project.
"We noticed there are a lot of hungry children in the community,"
she said. "We are trying to make sure when they don't have food when they
go home from us, our site, they at least go home with a bag of fresh, fresh
veggies."
Alderwoman Andrea Bearden requested the proposal be put in writing. She
asked the proposal include items such as liability for injuries, getting water
to the plants, who will clean up property after harvest, and how will
volunteers be selected and managed? Fourche agreed to comply with the request.
City Recorder Sharon Bankhead served as acting mayor during the council
meeting. Mayor Paul Mitchell was required to attend a hearing in Mississippi
earlier in the day and couldn't return in time for the meeting. The hearing
involved the city's repossessed fire truck. Alderwoman Andrea Bearden served as
acting recorder.
The next regular meeting of the Alexander City Council will be held
Monday, June 15, 6 pm in the courtroom at city hall. Regular meetings are held
the third Monday of the month. The public is invited to attend.
I object to the park being torn up like that. It is a place for children to play, family get-to-gethers and such functions. If we are going to plow it up, do it up by the road and let the park be the park.
ReplyDeleteCommunity gardening is a nice thing, but it has to have some security, some rules, not just the normal 'council' "pie-in-the-sky" no rules - "jump in - pay later" attitude.
That s what we face with the community center mess.
What about using the property across from Fire House-2/Street Department (Downtown), where the park use to be? Or, is that too shady?
ReplyDeleteWho owns that property, that sounds much more convenient as well as less encroaching.
ReplyDeleteAs I said, it use to be the city park so I guess the city owns it.
DeleteThe city does not own that property on 2nd St. although they have held events there in the past. There is another lot not far from there that some residents prefer that might be a good option. We are checking for the owner.
DeleteMost people I have had an opportunity to talk to really like the idea, but not in the park.
JoAn Churchill
Did the city own it when it was a park?
Delete