Rauf Bolden: Affects of history on Orange Beach
Calling a politician an opportunist is redundant. History is littered with politicians, kissing the ring-of-opportunity in public even as they roll their eyes in private, and so it is with the history of political opportunities that shaped our island. Once in a generation, politicians become leaders, assisting in the development of an affluent, safe, and debt-free city with a beautiful beachscape. Piloted by captains who want to achieve a sense of well being for their people. Grasping that opportunity is another matter. Our history started with a fish, according to oral historian Gail Walker, curator of the Indian and Sea Museum in Orange Beach. Her ancestors were Creek Indians, having settled this area in the 1700s, founding the communities of Bear Point and Caswell. By the 1800s the idea of an orange beach germinated, prompting Gail’s ancestors to plant orange-tree hybrids that were a cross between oranges and satsumas, beloved for their vibrant-orange color. For Gail’s ancestors the Civil War was about holding onto their land. Her great-grandfather Lemuel, being a full-blooded Creek Indian, enlisted in the Confederate Army in Ft. Morgan when he was 14 years old and marched to fight in Tennessee. He returned with two soldiers who later died from their musket-ball wounds. They are buried in the cemetery at Bear Point. Lemuel rode his horse to Washington, DC, securing a land deed for $200, signed by President Lincoln. The Creeks in Ft. Morgan somehow avoided the Trail-of-Tears March to Oklahoma when the Federal Government rounded up the Indian Tribes in Alabama after the Civil War. The 1900s saw change. Gail’s father was born in 1910 in Caswell, inheriting his family’s turpentine business, milking the local trees for their sap, collecting it in barrels, and sailing it to Mobile where the pitch was converted into turpentine. Her relatives also owned and operated the old Orange Beach Hotel. It consisted of hand-made bricks on the walkways and in the chimney, being destroyed in 2015 to create the Coastal Arts Center. Gail’s family were fisherman, founding the island’s charter-fishing business when a chance encounter with a tourist in 1956 sent them offshore, landing a sailfish onboard a small boat, becoming the economic driver that it is today. Building on the rich history we inherited requires caring, because the history of the people is also a history of the island’s ecology. Hurting one hurts the other. We are at a point in the economic-growth cycle where roads, population and infrastructure have more political bandwidth than protecting the environment, because we are taxing natural resources in a way we cannot reconcile. This level of development has never happened before. We do not know the consequences of continued approved-by-right construction on the beach. Gail Walker’s ancestors fought to hold onto their land. In different ways the ownership of property is as precious to us today. Instead of acreage, it is development on the beach. The slices of ownership are smaller than a 1700s land hold, but the desire for ownership is part of the human spirit. With Gail’s ancestors, the stress on the land was less, and that is the key issue. The City is satisfying the developers’ desire for property ownership through planned-unit-developments, creating more intensity per acre than the beach has ever had before. Mayor Tony Kennon told Fox10 News, “You can’t stop the growth. It’s coming whether you like it or not.” Trying to find ways to create more developments, the chin strokers proceed, scratching it like a suppurating wound, finding the gray area, moving the goal posts, brow-beating the opposition into quiescence. Expecting anything different is hope over reality. Saying you can’t stop the growth, but at the same time voting to ban short-term house rentals in the neighborhoods with minimal-environmental impact is troubling, voting against the business interests of smalltime-property investors, voting against families who rent their properties for income, voting against families’ rights to seek financial improvement through property rentals, voting against customers’ rights to choose between a condo on the beach or a house in the neighborhoods is troubling. I digress. Purchasing a large stretch of beach for Orange Beach residents to enjoy with their families, reducing the environmental impact, increasing happiness, making a better quality of life for the locals who live here is something Council needs to do. Once in a generation, politicians become leaders, assisting in the development of an affluent, safe, and debt-free city with a beautiful beachscape. Piloted by captains who want to achieve a sense of well being for their people. Grasping that opportunity is another matter. ••• Rauf Bolden is retired IT Director at the City of Orange Beach, working as an IT & Web Consultant on the Beach Road. He can be reached at: publisher@velvetillusion.com.
Alabama red snapper season closes Sunday, 6 weeks early
After its first season of self-managing red snapper fishing, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) is bringing the season to an end six weeks earlier than expected. The Marine Resources Division (MRD) of the ADCNR made the announcement last week that the season to harvest red snapper by private anglers and state-licensed commercial party boats will come to an end on 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 22, 2018 due to the fact the quota of 984,291 pounds issued under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries’ Alabama Recreational Red Snapper Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) is expected to be met by the closure date. The season was originally scheduled to run through Labor Day, September 3. “Alabama anglers fished extremely hard on the good weather days during the season,” said Marine Resources Director Scott Bannon. “That level of effort, coupled with larger average-sized fish harvested this year as compared to last year, resulted in a daily harvest rate two times higher than 2017, which prompted an earlier than anticipated closure. “The purpose of the EFP was to demonstrate Alabama’s ability to establish a season and monitor landings within a fixed quota and I think we have shown we can do that,” said Bannon. The state-managed season was made possible through language authored by U.S. Senator Richard Shelby in the FY2017 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill that directed the NOAA Fisheries to develop the fishery management pilot program allowing states to direct reef fish management activities. Anglers are reminded of the following: Possession of red snapper in Alabama waters while state waters are closed is prohibited regardless of where the fish were harvested. Alabama anglers may fish in federal waters off the coast of Alabama (outside of 9 nm) and land in a state that is open to the landing of red snapper, but they must adhere to the open state’s rules and not transit in Alabama state waters with red snapper on board. The season for federally-permitted charter for-hire vessels will close at 12:01 a.m. July 22. In-season landings estimates were calculated through the use of Snapper Check, the program established in 2014 to collect mandatory trip reports from anglers, and this monitoring tool was a key component of the EFP. MRD staff will review the complete 2018 season effort and landings data to develop a plan for the 2019 season. Summary data from the season and information about the EFP can been found online here.
Martha Roby: Pro-growth policies are working in AL-02 communities
Over the last year and a half, Republicans in Congress and the Trump Administration have worked tirelessly to unleash our economy and foster growth right here in the United States. Since November of 2016, 3.7 million jobs have been created, and one million of those came after the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act became law. Unemployment numbers are at the lowest point they’ve been in decades. Job openings are at a record high – 213,000 jobs were added in June alone. Also last month, there were 6.7 million job openings, which marks the first time since the year 2000 that the number of job openings is larger than the number of people unemployed. As you may know, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act roughly doubled the standard deduction while lowering tax rates. Because of this historic tax reform, 90% of Americans have seen bigger paychecks this year. Plus, more than four million Americans have seen increased wages, bonuses, and expanded retirement options. Thanks to tax reform and our efforts to spur economic growth, Americans are working and businesses are growing – and Alabama’s Second District hasn’t missed out on the momentum. Since the enactment of our tax overhaul last year, several businesses have announced they are opening branches in our district, expanding existing ones, offering pay increases to employees, and more. I would like to take this opportunity to briefly share some of the great economic news we’ve received so far. Most recently, Alabama manufacturer Sabel Steel, which has locations in Montgomery and Dothan, announced they will provide pay increases to all employees, invest in new equipment, expand existing facilities, and hire additional workers thanks to tax reform. I believe the company’s CEO Keith Sabel said it best himself: “There’s optimism. With the previous administration, we were hammered by rule changes and regulations. It was like trying to drink water out of a firehose. The change in policy under President Trump was enormous, and the attitude among businessmen and especially other steel manufacturers has been incredibly optimistic. Tax reform and other policies psychologically have made an enormous difference.” James Hardie Building Products announced plans to open a new manufacturing plant in Prattville. This project is the largest industrial development in Autauga County in 50 years, and it will have a significant economic impact on the area. U.S. firearms maker Kimber Gun Manufacturing also announced a project in AL-02. By early 2019, the company will open a $38 million production facility in Troy that will create more than 350 high-paying jobs over the next five years. Also in Troy, Rex Lumber Co. will soon open a state of the art sawmill operation that will employ more than 100 people. This $110 million investment will create quality employment opportunities and a significant new timber market in Pike County. In Coffee County, Wayne Farms has announced a $105 million expansion at their Enterprise fresh processing facility. This investment will bring a strong economic boost to the area. Last, but certainly not least, Great Southern Wood Preserving based in Abbeville recently announced it will use savings from the tax overhaul to invest in additional employee benefits, including lower health care costs, more paid time off, and a new scholarship program. In addition, the company has given pay increases to employees across the board. So you see, thanks to our pro-growth policies and a commitment to fostering economic growth in this country, Americans are confident in our economy – and rightfully so. Hardworking people in our very own communities have already benefited tremendously as a result of these important efforts, and I am eager to see this positive forward momentum continue for all Alabamians. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama, with her husband Riley and their two children.
Joel Gilbert, David Roberson convicted in bribery case
A prominent Alabama attorney and a coal company executive were convicted Friday on federal charges involving bribery of a state lawmaker. The verdict against Joel Gilbert, a partner with Balch & Bingham law firm, and Drummond Co. Vice President David Roberson was announced after a four-week trial. Jurors found them guilty of conspiracy, bribery, three counts of honest services wire fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors said the two men bribed former state Rep. Oliver Robinson to oppose the Environmental Protection Agency’s expansion of a Superfund site and prioritizing the site’s expensive cleanup. Robinson pleaded guilty last year to bribery and tax evasion. He has not yet been sentenced. U.S. Attorney Jay Town said after the verdict that the case was not about the EPA or about pollution. “This was a case about greed at the expense of too many,” he stated in a prepared release. “The findings of guilt for these three individuals, by trial or plea, should forewarn anyone who would be corruptly motivated to act in similar unlawful interest. Voters deserve public officials who seek to represent them honestly and fairly. When elected officials, corporate executives or their lawyers violate our federal laws, they should expect to suffer the fate of these three guilty defendants. We appreciate the dedication of the federal agencies that worked tirelessly on this case.” A third defendant, Balch attorney Steven McKinney, was dismissed from the case one day before closing arguments began. U.S. District Judge Abdul Kallon didn’t elaborate on the dismissal and his attorneys were not immediately available for comment. Drummond Co. issued a statement after the verdict. “We are disappointed by the jury’s decision to convict our employee, David Roberson. While we respect the judicial process, we consider David to be a man of integrity who would not knowingly engage in wrongdoing,” it said. “When an environmentalist group raised allegations regarding our operations in the Birmingham area, Drummond responded by hiring one of Alabama’s most well-respected environmental law firms. As testimony in the trial showed, we were assured the firm’s community outreach efforts on our behalf were legal and proper.” According to prosecutors, the men formed a contract through Balch with Robinson’s nonprofit organization to pressure state officials to oppose the EPA, to meet with EPA representatives, and vote on a joint resolution in the legislature to denounce the expansion and Superfund site being named on the EPA’s National Priorities List. Defense teams for both men said Robinson acted alone, and the contract with his foundation was for legitimate community outreach work. They said Robinson’s allegations about Gilbert and Roberson shouldn’t be trusted. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
