26 MAR 09: Welcome, Doughboys
Blame it on BRAC. I heard a man say the other day the unending construction work at Interstate 185 and Victory Drive is due to base realignment. Until then, rough patches of roadway could throw your car out of alignment.
It's not clear when all that renovation will end. But when it does, I-185 and Victory Drive apparently will be the fanciest intersection in Columbus. Some new details were revealed this week at an unexpected location - WDAK radio's "Viewpoint." Yes, Mike Gaymon of the Chamber of Commerce had breaking news instead of one-liners against labor unions.
The guest on Viewpoint was John Flournoy, who is in charge of the "Gateways" program to beautify Columbus intersections. You know, the locations with landscaping so impressive that you might become distracted and miss your exit ramp....
John Flournoy said about five million dollars is being spent to beautify Interstate 185 and Victory Drive. That's higher than the estimate of three to four million which he gave to the Keep Columbus Beautiful Commission in October 2007. But then, most of it isn't Flournoy's money -- it's from taxpayers.
A mix of federal funds and private donations is improving the I-185 and Victory Drive interchange. The project apparently made the list for federal stimulus money - which is shocking, because I didn't realize the work was about to run out of funds. Now President Obama will claim he saved the jobs of an entire landscaping crew.
Some details of the interchange improvements already had been announced, but they were still new to me. John Flournoy said two 12-foot-tall statues are being cast right now in Colorado. They'll display soldiers "Old Bill" and "Iron Mike." I can't wait to see how Mike Gaymon's face looks in cast-iron.
(In a 2007 newspaper interview, the statues were described as ten feet tall. Isn't this amazing? The statues grow with the cost of the project.)
John Flournoy added the interchange will have 20 fountains - perfect for returning soldiers to throw away the Iraqi coins they can't use in this country.
But John Flournoy took care to note NO tanks will be displayed at the Victory Drive interchange. They probably won't be necessary, anyway. If gas prices jump to four dollars a gallon again, a couple of drivers will park Hummers there permanently.
John Flournoy said the goal of the 56-acre interchange project is to boost Army morale. He explained right now the Interstate 185 entrance to Fort Benning looks like "you're entering the Atlanta Federal Pen." Yet it didn't scare a few SOA Watch protesters away last November....
In another interesting tip, John Flournoy revealed the city of Columbus is accumulating land slowly around the "Spiderweb" - the messy section of Buena Vista Road which includes Andrews Road, St. Mary's Road and a railroad crossing. There might be a Gateways project in the works there someday. But there's one little problem - it would miss the planned Lonnie Jackson memorial by about a mile.
E-MAIL UPDATE: Exit west (or is that north?) on Victory Drive from I-185, and you'll come across this issue....
Richard, Just read your reply today [19 Mar] reference the ownership of the two commercial businesses at the new Infantry Museum. You stated Valley Hospitality operates the restaurant. I've been under the impression that Jack Pezold owned Valley Hospitality unless it's been sold. (That shouldn't be too hard to find out) A friend told me he ate there on opening day and the meals were $25. each. And some folks have been complaining they can't get any good restaurants to locate in South Columbus! If that really is the price they must be expecting a lot of retired Generals and Colonels to visit (and eat). By the way, are they serving alcohol?
So my original implication remains. If you are a member of the Board of Directors of the National Infantry Association or the National Infantry Foundation you may have an advantage in getting these contracts.
I wonder if both of these organizations are Non-Profits. My CPA tells me that the IRS takes a dim view of Board members of non-profits making money from them.
Thanks for prompting us to dig deeper - and indeed, John Pezold (using his proper name) operates Valley Hospitality. So it's a bit strange that the Valley Hospitality web site doesn't list him among the "team" members. Plenty of sports team owners still consider themselves part of the team -- and even get fined for getting too involved.
But remember something important about Pezold Management. If the 25-dollar dinners are too expensive for new members of the Infantry and their families, there's always the Pezold-run McDonald's down Victory Drive....
The web sites of the National Infantry Association and National Infantry Foundation's show they're both nonprofit. But really now - would the Internal Revenue Service dare to go after these boards? This is the Army, Mr. Jones (or whatever your name is). This is considered a time of war. It's easier to go after not-so-American names like Joché.
We have one more e-mail, that's a mix of invitation and something else....
Visit www.citizenofeastalabama.com and take a look at our new website. The website is in its infancy now, but we will be updating and improving it daily. Get all you East Alabama news NOW at www.citizenofeastalabama.com!
The "something else" smells to us like an attempt at free advertising. But then again, so many newspapers are in financial trouble that this one probably could use some.
The new web site looks like it will be updated far more often than once a week. For instance, the death of a former local athlete was posted there Wednesday night -- less than a day after he passed away. Compare that with the Ledger-Enquirer, which sometimes doesn't get to stories mentioned on television until two days later.
-> Our other blog starts with poker, then goes in directions you might not expect. Visit "On the Flop!" <--
OVERHEARD OVER HERE: People in a local office are talking about the Twitter phenomenon, when someone joins the conversation.
"Isn't that what you use -- like, to pluck out your eyebrows?"
While you mull over that, we'll wrap up the Wednesday news headlines:
+ The start of promised days of rain was delayed in Columbus. Muscogee County schools canceled all outdoor events for the afternoon - and the decision makers wound up looking like a shot putter who dropped the ball on his foot.
+ Executives with Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital in Phenix City warned restructuring is coming in the next few days, and dozens of jobs could be cut. I was tempted to call this major surgery - but then someone reminded me the hospital actually might keep doing that.
(A group of doctors took control of the old Summit Hospital 13 months ago. They even gained their own nice new interchange off the North Bypass. Yet now it's continuing the old ownership's tradition of cutbacks - making you wonder if they really "know Jack.")
+ Columbus Water Works issued a statement explaining a brown tint in the water is NOT from the recent sewage spill. It was blamed on a large amount of manganese in the Chattahoochee River - and this ethnic community should be warned not to ride its kayaks so often.
(What's that? What do you mean, the "manganese" isn't an ethnic community? Haven't you heard of its biggest export - Phillips' Milk of Manganesia?)
+ Mayor Jim Wetherington held a kickoff meeting with local leaders, to prepare for the 2010 Census. City leaders say it's essential that every resident is counted - if only to figure out how many more portables to order for school parking lots.
+ Instant Message to Zula Battle of Wadley, Alabama: Our apologies, and congratulations! We didn't realize you turned 107 years old last weekend. You've lived long enough to see a lot of things come and go - so which one rose higher? Income taxes or poll taxes?
The number of unique visitors to our blog is up 16 percent so far in 2009! To advertise to them, offer a story tip, make a PayPal donation or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.
BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: 754 (+ 23, 3.1%)
The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author -- not necessarily those of anyone else in Columbus living or dead, and perhaps not even you.
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