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New chamber scholarships honor Vivian Gilmore
Chamber exeecutive director Cheryl Horton made the announcement at Tuesday's annual meeting of the chamber. Horton called Gilmore "one of Grove Hill's biggest advocates." Vivian Gilmore opened Wyman's Jewelry and Gift Shop in 1970. The store closed earlier this year. During her years in business, Gilmore was a constant advocate for the community and even today, Horton noted, her old store sign urges, "Shop Grove Hill." Gilmore has health problems but had planned to attend Tuesday's dinner meeting at the Magnolia. Bad weather kept her away at the last minute but her daughter-in-law, Cindy Gilmore, thanked the group for the recognition and said it was appreciated. The amount of the scholarships was not announced. A sparse crowd enjoyed a free meal, provided by the chamber, prior to hearing speakers and electing officers.
Leigh Perry Herndon, communications director for the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, told the group about growth in the Port City and the region. "Clarke County," she said, "is posed to take off and never look back." She detailed the opening of the new RSA Tower in Mobile, the opening of the Battle House Hotel and renovations at the Adams Mark Hotel downtown as well as Mobile's success in the cruise ship business. A Carnival cruise ship sails regularly out of Mobile, bringing 125,000 people annually to the city, she explained. Herndon told of new companies locating in Mobile, including the $3.7 billion ThyssenKrupp steel mill that will locate on the Mobile- Washington County border at Calvert. The project will employ 29,000 construction workers and create 2,700 permanent jobs when it opens. More importantly for the region, she said, 38,000 to 52,000 indirect jobs are expected and that brought her to a pointed question: "What do we do about it in Grove Hill?" She said Grove Hill and Clarke County must work to secure a portion of the benefits that ThyssenKrupp will bring. She said it was important that the region work as a team so that all can benefit. Herndon suggested three areas to work on: (1) Focus on your own. That is, work with existing industries and businesses that could expand and grow. (2) Recruit to your strengths. Target sectors that play to your natural assets and what you have to offer. (3) Focus on infrastructure. A positive business climate is important but so are highways, water systems and other infrastructure needed to support new business, industry and residents. She concluded by saying the region would never be the same and that local leaders must work to benefit from the change. "Tomorrow the community and business leaders in this town should start preparing for it," she urged. Wireless plans Danny D'Andrea told of plans to provide wireless Internet service to most of Clarke County. D'Andrea is manager of Alabama Power in Thomasville but serves as chairman of Clarke County Wireless, a non-profit agency dedicated to implementing the service. The group is working with the five municipalities in the county. Antennas will be erected on municipal water tanks to transmit wireless Internet signals. The service will be free to schools, police and fire departments and local governments. It will be available for $15 a month to residents and $20 for businesses. D'Andrea said plans are to have the system running by the fall. He said individual town meetings would be held in the county in late July and August to allow people to sign up for the service. A challenge in Grove Hill is to provide service to Clarke Prep School, he said, because of its distance from a water tank. The organization has promised it will serve every school in the county. Immediate countywide coverage won't be available but he said he hoped that within two years service will be extended past municipal limits. Thirty-five percent of any profits will be reserved for system upgrades. Thirty percent will be used to fund countywide community projects and 35 percent will go to education needs. Mayor's report Mayor Lamar Hudson said the town has received $1,370,000 million in grants or donations in the three years he has been in office to fund various projects. That includes funds for a new addition to the library, a grant for a senior citizen center, water tank and sewer system improvement grants, funds for emergency generators and landscaping funds. The town will soon purchase a full size street sweeper to help keep up the town's appearance. A grant for a streetscape project for Main Street between Town Hall and the courthouse was not funded this year but will be reapplied for in September, he said. Hudson said it is important that Grove Hill gain new residents. "You have to have people before you can do anything else," he observed. A portable housing project has just been approved for Carter Drive, he said, and a subdivision is being developed on Highway 84 West that will offer 24 three-acre or larger lots for homes. Other projects are on going in the county seat including the new courthouse annex, a new high school, new health department and a new baseball-softball complex. Clarke-Mobile Gas has purchased Spence Walker's old law office on Main Street and will renovate it for an office and appliance showroom, he said. Needs for Grove Hill include a sewer lift station for the Hebron Road area to serve the south end of town. It will cost $1 million. A municipal industrial park is also needed. Attitudes are good in Grove Hill, he asserted. "We are well on our way to becoming a residential community. Who knows what we can springboard to from that," he concluded. Officers and directors The meeting concluded with the election of officers. Emily Steadham was reelected president. Mary English was elected president; Sharon Reynolds, treasurer; Cheryl Horton, secretary; Kerry Reid and George Jones, directors.
Directors continuing for another year are Lynn Allday and George McIntyre.
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