xxxx KITTY STONE ELEMENTARY VETERANS DAY PROGRAM FRIDAY AT 1:45Center P.M. COMING UP FEBRUARY 28: Annual Black History Program at the Bethune RECIPES / COMMUNITY, 4
BASKETBALL / SPORTS, 7
HEATHER JACKSON WANTS TO BE THIRD GRADE TEACHER
SPRING GARDEN, PIEDMONT HOOP ACTION
The Piedmont Journal www.thepiedmontjournal.com
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WEDNESDAY // FEBRUARY 5, 2014
COUNCIL
Utility bills will be smaller
Officials want to make it more affordable for residents to heat homes during colder weather LAURA GADDY Consolidated News Service Officials in Piedmont are charging utility customers less money for gas and electricity this month to make it more affordable for residents to heat their homes. Piedmont Mayor Bill Baker told council
members Tuesday night that the change was applied to utility bills that were billed Feb. 1. He said the city may also decide to extend the temporary rate cut to customers next month as well. “If we can give them a break and still pay our bills, my feeling is we still need to do that,” Baker said. “It’s been a hard winter, it’s been a cold winter.”
The city supplies both electricity and gas to customers. It pays suppliers for the gas and electricity and resells them to Piedmont customers. Piedmont gave its residential electrical customers a 10 percent discount this month, and it gave its residential gas customers a 12 to 17 percent discount, officials said.
A SNOWY LOOK DOWNTOWN
Even with the discount, residents’ bills are higher than usual because more gas and electricity has been used to heat homes during recent cold snaps, officials said. Jesse McKnight, superintendent of the city’s Water, Gas and Sewer Department, said gas customers’ discount, like their ■ See COUNCIL, page 5
SUNDAY ALCOHOL SALES
Officials surprised by wording in Sunday sales bill Proposal gives state lawmakers, not council, final vote LAURA GADDY Consolidated News Service
Trent Penny / Consolidated News Service
Winter storm Leon came in quickly and left quite a punch. ABOVE: A snowy look in downtown Piedmont Tuesday afternoon.
SEE MORE SNOW PHOTOS ON PAGE 12.
At the request of Piedmont’s City Council, the Legislature may soon consider a bill permitting Sunday alcohol sales in the city, though local officials say they’re surprised at the bill’s wording. Sen. Del Marsh introduced the bill last week. It’s worded to make legal the sale of alcohol in Piedmont on Sundays as soon as it becomes law. But Marsh and Piedmont Mayor Bill Baker said they thought Piedmont’s bill left the ultimate decision-making authority up to the council. That was the case last year with bills passed on behalf of Anniston and Weaver. Weaver Mayor Wayne Willis said state lawmakers typically prefer such wording. “It makes it considerably easier for them to pass because they’re not making the decision at Montgomery’s level,” he said. “No one knows what a community wants better than the people that live in that community.” Piedmont’s city attorney, Ron Allen, helped draft the legislation, and he said city officials knew about the bill’s wording. “They wanted it,” he said. “There wasn’t any reason in their mind to revisit it.” Piedmont’s bill also takes away the council’s authority to ■ See BILL, page 5
16th ANNUAL PROGRAM
City readies for Black History Month Program will be Feb. 28 at Bethune Center MARGARET ANDERSON Journal Correspondent
Tiny Lewis not only directs daily events at the Bethune Center, she’s also in charge of the Black History Program that is held there every February. This will mark the 16th year for the program to take place in Piedmont. This year, the program will be at 6 p.m., on Feb. 28 and will feature two speakers. It is partially sponsored by the Piedmont Parks and Recreation Department. One of the speakers, Carlos Houston, is a former : 666000999999 PU Piedmont resident. He now lives in Atlanta. MAG 80 NBAR .0104 BWA -0.0015
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The second speaker, Elder Q. Hughley, is a resident of Gadsden but attends St. Luke’s FBH Church here. Lewis said both these men have made major contributions to Piedmont, and she thinks those attending the program will enjoy hearing what they have to say. Piedmont’s youth won’t be left out. A group from Mount Pleasant CMA Church will perform as will the Praise Team from Thankful Baptist Church. “We like to have our young people involved in this program every year,” said Lewis. “We want ■ See BLACK HISTORY, page 5
File photo
This group of singers took part in last year’s Black History Program at the Bethune Center.
THE PEIDMONT JOURNEL
VOLUME 33 | NO. 6
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OBITUARIES See page 3
•Charles ‘Lindy’ Law, 86 6
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