Many Reasons to be Thankful

We are entering the season of thankfulness. November is a month of family, food, and a focus on the things we are grateful for. With that in mind, I want to say “thank you” to several people for the success of our recent Mentone Fall Festival.

The festival would not be possible without the work of numerous people — too many to name. But I particularly want to highlight: Town Clerk Kristen Emory for keeping everyone organized and on the same page; Police Chief Gene McKee and Assistant Chief Mike Langston for coordinating public safety; Public Works Director Paul Nail for getting Moon Lake Campus in great shape and the roadways throughout town clean for the event; Juli Jordan and the Little River Arts Council for coordinating all the vendors and kids activities; and Deedee Morrison for leading the fundraising efforts.

The festival is more than a community celebration. Money raised from the event is reinvested into Moon Lake Campus to preserve and promote this historic property. Through the support of area businesses, elected officials, and volunteers, we are bringing new life to the campus so future generations can continue to be enriched by it.

The graphic below is the banner that appeared on the Shigley Amphitheater stage during the festival to highlight our sponsors. I particularly want to thank the DeKalb County Community Development Commission, Rep. (and Speaker of the House) Nathaniel Ledbetter, and Sen. Steve Livingston, whose support helped us bring some of the best musical entertainment we’ve ever had to the stage. First Fidelity Bank was also a major sponsor for the event. We appreciate all who supported. If you do business with or know anyone whose name is listed here, please tell them “thank you” for their support!

In other news, work continues on the sidewalk project. Crews have moved across the highway and are working in front of Camp Skyline. The new signage for Moon Lake Campus has been installed on Highway 117, at the intersection of East River Road and at the entrance road just east of Moon Lake Library. Director Kenneth Boswell of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is planning another visit to Mentone to discuss our grant for the Brow Park trail and overlook project. And we will soon be advertising for bids on renovations to the main Moon Lake building, bringing it up to code and ensuring it will continue to serve our community for generations to come.

I recently attended a workshop entitled “Local Economic Development Training for DeKalb County Municipal Officials.” It was presented by the DeKalb County Economic Development Authority and its new executive director Dr. Brett Johnson, along with the Northeast Alabama Community College Entrepreneurial Center. It covered everything from incentives and infrastructure to site selection and workforce development. It’s great to see this strong countywide emphasis on economic development, which is certain to benefit all communities in the area.

The coming year promises to be one of progress and preservation for our town — more reasons why Mentone is the greatest little community in the South!