Posted by eagle1 (anonymous) on July 21, 2009 at 6:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Maybe they will do ok. New face, new place, selling the same "sub-standard quality" GM vehicles that bit the dust in 2009 and needed a boost from the "taxpayer's" to be bought out by a "foreign" auto maker, so they could learn how to build a decent vehicle. Well, once GM gets the riff raff vehicles out of the way, maybe they will replace shine and glitter with stand-up quality.

Posted by TheDude (Michael Wells) on July 21, 2009 at 6:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Ah noticed the Pontiac insignia still on front of the new Stokes dealership. Wonder if that's coming down?

Posted by TheDude (Michael Wells) on July 21, 2009 at 9:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)

When I go to a dealership to "possibly" buy a new vehicle, the only thing I want them to be sure and have is a drink machine and a bathroom. I could care less about all those other bells and whistles.

Posted by rclgel1 (anonymous) on July 21, 2009 at 8:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Is it progress to add another empty building to the inventory on 31. Let's see if I can remember them all. There is the old supermarket and CVS. There is the old motel. There is the old antique store. The soon to be empty clothing stores. Then there are all the empty buildings next to Fred's. Real progress would be new business in town. Oh wait. There is a new business. There is a new Jack's across the street from the old Jack's. Why can't we attract a Lowe's, Home Depot, Publix, movie theater,

Posted by TheDude (Michael Wells) on July 22, 2009 at 7:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)

SNORE .... Reminiscing again. steve ... kw's record is stuck again.

Posted by steve42 (anonymous) on July 22, 2009 at 9:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)

That's ok. I just can't believe he typed that many words in a row without reminding us of his six figure UNION job.

Posted by TheDude (Michael Wells) on July 22, 2009 at 9:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)

OHH! NOOO!! ... I wadn't gonna mention that :)

Posted by steve42 (anonymous) on July 22, 2009 at 1:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Kwsr, my "overpriced rat wagon" cost me less than $4000 5 years ago and it now has 275,000 miles on it. As for my grass... it gets mowed every week with a tractor I paid cash for from a local tractor dealer who was glad to accept it. Sometimes my wife mows the lawn because it gives her time to be alone with God and nature, sometimes I do it, and sometimes my oldest child does it. I've got more coming up who are chomping at the bit to be able to mow.

I have no reason to be jealous. I have a well paying job that I got based on my reputation, and I got a raise this year for doing it well, and it allows me to be at home every night. I have a family that loves and respects me. I have a roof over my head and two cars in the driveway, and most of all, I have a Savior who provides it all.

If you resent the fact that He used you to provide things for me in my time of need, then for that I am truly sorry. I'll still pray for you and your family, as we have so many times during YOUR hardships.

That is all.

Posted by getbizi (anonymous) on July 22, 2009 at 4:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Graves, you need to have another meet and greet breakfast at The Carriage to let folks see you as a real person, man. We can't really understand the face behind the postings.Hee, Hee!

Posted by gkeys (anonymous) on July 22, 2009 at 9:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I’m not the one responsible for your narcissism :-)

By the way, who tried to "rough you up"?

Posted by bamamom (anonymous) on July 23, 2009 at 1:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Hey Debbie, Started a new Job today still too excited to sleep and we had a wonderful lady's bible study this afternoon. Don't leave

Hijack " Growing up our favorite eating place was the "Dairy Kream" on Higgins Ferry Road where you could get 10 baby burgers for a dollar. Aunt Sara Nell would take me to Kounty Kichen when I cleaned her house to order Chicken livers for we both liked them for she had a accident at Keystone. One of her hands were cut off. and last Driver's BBQ were you blowed the horn and they come and took your order on roller skates. I still remember some place living in the East side of town,,,, that's were I was raised.

Posted by TheDude (Michael Wells) on July 23, 2009 at 6:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Hold on there a minute, Dr! I ain't ever said nuthin' derogatory against you! What's the deal?

Posted by davyhay (anonymous) on July 23, 2009 at 11:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I I hope everyone will pardon me for skimming past all the bickering. I did, however, stop and look at some of the old business locations. The thing is, these changes did not come about over the past 50-75 years—I remember 90% of these changes coming to be within my 30 years in Clanton. A couple others that I recall and they may have been mentioned. I hated when they built the Peachtree Bank because that is where Ms. Donaldson’s restaurant was. My grandparents, R.W. and Lois Hay used to take me there nearly every weekend. Also, where the Ford tractor place used to be, was there not also a mini golf course around there at one time? Oh yeah, Pig Headley’s grocery store began on the corner where the Alfa office is today, beside First Baptist. And, lets not forget that, where the abandoned building is, across from Bennett’s, used to sit Bell Hardware. My dad worked there part-time until I was 6 or 7. He used to take me with him to work on Saturdays. Also, a long time ago, right beside Bell Hardware was a book and comic store. I can not remember the lady’s name that ran that.

The one thing that I am a bit torn on, after reading what I did of the preceding comments, is the use of the word “progress.” There was a litany of business changes that were cited as a means of propping up the assertion of progress in Clanton. Honestly, this can not be considered progress. A business being where another sat is change—not progress. And, any time you mention on of these changes where a local-owned business used to be and there now sits a chain business; you are talking about regression not progression. Also, don’t confuse the fact that Clanton’s town footprint has grown with the notion that Clanton has progressed. Progress happens at the core, and from the core moves outward. The city center has become diffused and businesses have moved to the periphery. Once again, this is change, not progress.

I have spent several years studying the condition of sprawl in this country. Sprawl is a bad thing and as fossil fuels become more and more scarce, it is going to cripple this us as a nation. The Clanton of 30 years ago was a very viable small town. It was a town built around the railroad, when owning a car was far from the norm. It was built in a manner that allowed people to walk from their homes to the store and to their jobs. There were two story businesses that lined the streets that were not encumbered by modern use zoning, and allowed store owners to live above their businesses.

Imagine if you will: For whatever reason, you had no choice about living in Clanton—you were stuck there. Also, imagine that every drop of fossil fuels vanished from the face of the earth. Would you rather be living in Clanton today or Clanton from 30 years ago? Personally, I would much rather walk the few blocks it took back then to do all or my daily errands rather than the miles and miles it would take today.

Posted by gkeys (anonymous) on July 23, 2009 at 11:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)

“You were THE instigator!” What?

Don’t know “B”? However I did hear of a “C” and “D” incident AFTER the fact. I knew nothing of nor instigated anything even resembling that prior to the fact. The story/reasoning that I got after the fact was that YOU were instigating!

Posted by TheDude (Michael Wells) on July 23, 2009 at 4:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

YAWN ... SNORE! ...