Mayor Looks At 2006 Area Improvement
The city's top official is planning a number of projects for the coming months. The scope of the plans extend from recreation to housing.
In the downtown area, Mayor Charlie Fagan will be looking at two issues. The first will be the improvement of some business houses. He said he plans to urge repairs and remodeling that will make some of the older buildings suitable for commercial sites.
Owners may have to spend some money to make these repairs, but by doing so, they could begin receiving income from business tenants, he said. The mayor said he looks to inspecting downtown buildings this summer and meeting with owners to discuss possible improvements.
Another piece of commercial property, formerly occupied by the Guttery Insurance Co. West Ladiga Street location will be awarded at no cost to the company or individual submitting the best plan.
Fagan said he had noticed a number of sub-standard mobile homes throughout the community. He said the old mobile-home ordinance stated that if the old home was removed, another could not be replaced. The new zoning ordinance grants a great deal of latitude to mobile home owners.
According to the mayor, the owner of a substandard home can replace it with a newer manufactured home that meets all building requirements. Fagan said this would save the homeowner in repair costs and utility bills. He predicted this summer as the period of inspecting homes.
The summer months will also see the city encouraging downtown building owners to remodel second and third stories into loft apartments or second-story businesses. There are several two-story buildings in the downtown area, and Fagan said he would like to see them converted into commercial or residential use. Loft apartments and offices are allowed under the new zoning ordinance.
A new jail may be in the city's future. The health department and other state agencies have all but condemned the present Public Safety Building jail. One site under consideration would be near the old National Guard armory. The mayor would not limit the sites to this location, but said it was one that is being considered.
Fagan said bond financing may be required to build the new jail, but that would come only after careful review of current municipal bond indebtedness.
Early in his administration, Fagan expressed an interest in "permanently fixing" a number of the drainage ditches in Piedmont. At the time, he proposed the installation of large pipes in all the ditches, but last week he modified that plan.
The mayor said he had seen a number of ditches in the Gadsden area that were line with concrete. The reinforced concrete could be adopted for use in a number of drainage ditches in the area. He said the lined ditches might outlast the pipes, would provide fewer problems and would be less expensive.
Fagan said he was determined to continue to expand and improve Chief Ladiga Trail and its surrounding area. One of these projects will be the construction of a campground at the Sports Complex.
He added that he would also support any move to assist Cleburne County in the completion of the section of the trail from Piedmont o the Georgia state line.

Natural Gas Prices Drop, but another Hike Is Possible
With area customers still reeling from their high utility bills, the wholesale price of natural gas appears to be lower, but this may be a false indicator.
According to figures at the mayor's office, the cost of a decatherm has dropped from an all-time high of nearly $16 to $8.46. Mayor Charlie Fagan said, however, it may climb back into the double digits this month as colder weather hits. "I look for it to go up," Fagan noted. He said that only a year ago the cost was only $5.
A decatherm is the amount of natural gas necessary to generate 1,000 BTUs of heat.
While moderate temperatures prevailed for most of January, meters were read at varying times of the month. This means that the bill received on Feb. 1 could have been for gas and electricity used in the colder December periods.
Residential bills of $400-$500 were not unusual, the mayor said.
Fagan had warned of the impending rate hikes in early fall, as all indicators pointed to the higher prices. He cautioned area residents to take every precaution to offset the higher costs. His predictions came true, but the city has continued to try to save on energy costs.
Before the end of the year, the council voted to join a Tennessee consortium that seeks the lowest natural gas prices, buys gas in bulk and distributes the gas and the savings to its members. The savings, however, will probably not be realized until next month.
In another move to protect customers from high utility bills, the city has purchased computer software to include a version of levelized monthly billing. This will allow customers to pay an average bill each month, rather than the actual usage. While it will prevent extremely high bills in the winter, fall and spring bills will be somewhat higher. According to officials, the billing system will allow residents to alter their budgets to accommodate the cost of all utilities.
Last week, the mayor urged all local customers to take every step possible to avoid wasting heat and higher utility bills. His recommendations included caulking and sealing windows, installing more insulation, slightly lowering thermostats and placing timers on water

No Injuries, no Other Dangers Reported After Interior Building Wall Collapses
The partial collapse of one of Piedmont's oldest business houses, Wednesday, is an item of interest, but the circumstances surrounding the aversion of a catastrophe is the real story.
Carolyn's and Tammy's a consignment and used furniture shop, occupies the old Fair Store building at the intersection of Center Avenue and Main Street. The shop operates from the portion of the building that once housed the Fair Store men's department.
Carolyn Freeman normally opens the store at 10 a.m. Mrs. Freeman is currently being visited by her mother who requires a companion while Mrs. Freeman is at work. Last Wednesday, the companion was five minutes late. Even with a late start, Mrs. Freeman said, "Something just told me to stop by Charter and pay the cable bill." The delay may have saved her life.
Witnesses say they heard a loud noise erupt from the shop at 10:05 a.m. Mrs. Freeman arrived at 10:10 to find a large, steel I-beam had fallen, and the north wall of the building had collapsed. The majority of the brick and steel fell on the area where Mrs. Freeman's desk is located. This is where she would normally start her day.
Quick action by several city departments averted another potential disaster. There was a large gas heater mounted on the ceiling at the scene of the collapse. It was ripped from its mounting, and natural gas soon filled the building. Danny Freeman, Carolyn's husband, immediately notified the city. City Clerk Bill Fann said the Fire, Police, Electrical and Gas departments were dispatched to the scene. The electricity and gas were immediately turned off, large fans cleared the gas from the building, and police cordoned the area to prevent any trespassing.
"Our people followed the standard procedures," said Fann, adding that the employees' professional action had the situation under control only minutes after they arrived on the scene.
The Solid Rock Cafe is adjacent to the damaged structure's north side, but the buildings are not joined. They are separated by a common stairway. It was feared that the collapsed wall might have caused damage to the cafe's building.
Thursday, a building inspector arrived from Montgomery and pronounced the cafe safe and unharmed. The Solid Rock opened for business as soon as the inspector made his report. Thursday morning, Freeman was at the store when a Journal-Independent photographer. "Come one in," said Freeman. "I want to show you haw close I came to losing my wife."
The Freemans are moving the shop to another building on South Center Avenue, and they say the store will reopen as soon as possible.
Both the damaged building and the new location for Carolyn's and Tammy's are owned by Harlan Lambert, a local roofing contractor.

Strictly Personal
isn't Defending Your Home and Property A Right?
Everyone would like for violence and killing to stop, whether it be on the battlefield or on the streets, but the fact is, they won't.
U.S. and NATO troops are using deadly force to protect the peaceful residents of some Middle East nations. Police sometimes find it necessary to use deadly force to protect the residents of a city. In Alabama it is legal for the resident to protect his home when he feels threatened by an intruder...but for how long.
An issue was raised in the Legislature to do away with this right. Somehow, the removal of a person's right to protect his home and family seems to be the violation of a basic American right.
For the sake of argument, let's say you were and your family had retired for the evening, but about midnight you hear something. On investigation, you find someone has broken into your home.
Let us also make some basic, logical assumptions. First, we may assume that the person who has entered your home is not there on a social call. Let us further assume that the intruder is not a good, law-abiding citizen. A third assumption would tell us that he intends to commit a crime in your home.
If I were in this situation, I would assume the intruder would commit violence to prevent anyone from interfering with his intentions.
I would feel threatened. I would give the intruder an opportunity to surrender, but if he did not I believe I would be entitled to take whatever steps necessary to protect the house and family.
What would be the alternative? Lets say our lawmakers strike down this right. In the foregoing scenario, I would go to jail if I shot the intruder, but how are we supposed to conduct ourselves if we are not allowed to protect our home?
If you suddenly become aware of an intruder in your home in the middle of the night, would you be expected to get up, stumble to the telephone and call the police. If the intruder were deaf, that might be an option, but it sounds like a good way to get beaten or killed.
In this same instance, should you react by turning on all the light in an attempt to frighten to intruder away? Folks, this guy had the nerve to enter a private residence at night. Do you think a light would frighten him? For all we know, the man could be armed. He might be under the influence of some drug. He might be mentally deranged. I don't believe turning on the lights would do anything but give the intruder a better target.
I doubt that any threatening remarks would be in order. After all, the intruder is the criminal, and you or I would only be allowed to become witnesses to robbery, vandalism or even murder.
About the only thing left would be to put on a pot of coffee and invite the intruder to late supper or early breakfast.
In most cases, I would agree with the life-before-property theory. If a mugger takes a few bucks, don't blow his head off. If some guy steals you car, don't put him in the gas chamber. If some two-bit punk steals your lawnmower, he would not deserve a life sentence.
These are petty crimes, most of which are covered by insurance and they usually involve no injury to anyone. They also take place outside the sanctity of a home.
I cannot fathom the rationale of anyone who would even consider removing the right of a person to protect his home with whatever means are available to him. This is not taking the law into your own hands, nor would you be turning yourself into some sort of vigilante. You would only be protecting your family and your property, not running wildly into the streets and acting irresponsibly.
The last I heard, those that proposed striking down the right to defend one's home were not meeting with much support. I hope it stays that way.
I don't remember the exact quote, but I believe it was Will Rogers that said something like, "Neither a man's family, home, property, family nor money are safe when the legislature is in session." Amen.