Daleville, one step closer to getting Culpepper Park playground equipment

Members of the Daleville City Council passed a resolution to begin the second phase of improvements to R.A. Culpepper Park during a Jan. 3 meeting.

Phase II will include a new playground area, or “Tot Lot,” for children ages 5 and under.

In the resolution, city officials accepted a $50,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund grant from Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs and agreed to pay 50 percent, or $50,000, to complete the project.

In other business, the council approved a proposal from Jackson Carpet and Paint, of Ozark, to replace the carpets in the Daleville Police Department’s offices for 4,333.

Jackson Carpet and Paint also replaced the carpets at Daleville City Hall last month.

The council also approved the purchase of office furniture for the mayor and administrative assistant offices.

The furniture is not to exceed the cost of $2,500 and will include file cabinets, desks, chairs and a conference table.

Mayor pro-tempore Alan Souders also announced board appointments are still available.

Board appointments available include:  Planning Commission, Board of Adjustments, Industrial Development Board, Library Board and Tree City Board. 

For more information on board appointments, call Daleville City Hall at 334-598-2345.

Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kay Kirkland announced the Chamber Banquet is set for Feb. 21.

“Our speaker is going to be really dynamic and I hope we can start talking it up now,” she said.

Guest speaker for the event will be Moore Hallmark, executive director of the Southeast Regional Office of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“He is very knowledgeable about what’s going on in Washington, so he’s going to talk to us about (the) economic situation and the impact on small businesses and small communities like ours,” Kirkland said. “I think it would be great for the surrounding communities to come and participate with us in that.”

In other news, representatives from The Lovely Touch Garden Club announced and awarded the winners of the “Light Up Daleville” contest.

Every year The Lovely Touch Garden Club hosts the event in December.

“We try to encourage people to light up Daleville and more people have done it this year,” The Lovely Touch Garden Club President Lela Smith said.

The winners for the Best Overall Home Decoration category were Joe Wissell with first place and George Babble and Bryan Henk with a tie for second place.

The Most Appealing to Children category winners were Roberto Ortiz with first place and Barry Shaw with second place.

The winners of the Best Overall Business category were Daleville Inn with first place and The Castle with second place.

“We thank everybody that did do all their decorations and lights and just remind them that the judges look for themes,” Smith said. “There was a lot of houses that had beautiful lights on the hedges and around the house, but they look for something that appeals to everybody and most particular to children.”

The Daleville City Council will meet again 5:30 p.m., Jan. 17, at Daleville City Hall.