Thursday, August 05, 2010
Merchants make ready for tax holiday
By Kendra Bolling
Andalusia Star News
Local merchants said Wednesday they are gearing up for this weekend’s tax-free holiday.
Managers and employees were busy stocking shelves with the latest merchandise in anticipation of large crowds.
“We got in a shipment (Wednesday) and we’ll get another one in Friday,” Factory Connection’s Chelsa Bryant said. “Last year, we had people from all over, even Florida who came up for the tax-free weekend. We hope that this year will be no different.”
Maurice’s Amy Cooper said they too are hoping to get people from all across South Alabama.
We have tons of new merchandise for sale,” she said.
JcPenney’s Dennis Cockrell said customers respond well to the tax-free weekend.
“Customers really respond to (the sales tax holiday) very well,” he said. “It always comes at the perfect time, since it’s always the last weekend before school starts.”
In Opp, Peebles store manager Kerry Bradley said the tax-free weekend usually draws a crowd to the Opp location.
“We normally have a good turnout,” she said. “We have people come from Kinston, Geneva, Brantley, really all around. We usually get a lot of Florida traffic as well.”
Merchants are also offering additional sales that will help stretch a dollar.
“We have a huge sale so customers can save either $10 off a $50 purchase or $15 off a $75 purchase,” Cockrell said. “We call those instant money coupons and that’s in addition to the sales tax savings.
“If they’ve got a couple of kids, it’s easy for a customer to come out and spend a couple hundred dollars easily,” he said. “That’s big savings and families need that.”
At Peebles, Bradley said, they have a 15 percent off across the board sale with a coupon.
Bryant said Factory Connection’s biggest sale is on jeans, pants and capris and customers can buy two and get one free.
Some merchants are even extending their hours for the sale.
At the Shoe Department, the store will stay open until 10 p.m. Saturday and Factory Connection will be open Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
JcPenney will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Friday; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Maurice’s will have normal hours.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Ballet students hit stage
By Michele Gerlach
Andalusia Star News
Students from the Andalusia Ballet will stage “Summer Dances” this weekend, following two weeks of intense summer study.
The production is the culmination of the dance school’s annual “Summer Intensive,” a two-week workshop designed to give serious ballet students ages 8 and up, the opportunity to train intensively with not only Andalusia Ballet’s artistic director, Meryane Murphy, but also with Elie Lazar, artistic director of the Montgomery Ballet, and professional dancers from the Montgomery Ballet.
More than 60 students from across the state are enrolled in Summer Intensive, including a number who are traveling from out of town, and some who have families in Andalusia with whom to stay, Murphy said.
The summer curriculum includes ballet technique, pointe, variations, men’s classes, pas de deux, conditioning and enrichment classes.
All of the students will perform in Saturday’s show, and the professional dancers from Montgomery will perform “How Far is Too Far,” a modern piece that Lazar said “is all about relationships” and explores how far partners push each other in relationships.
When the dancers from Montgomery Ballet leave Andalusia, they’ll be en route to Italy, where “How Far is Too Far,” will be among their performances during an international dance festival, Pietrasanta.
The local performance is set for 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the Andalusia High School auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children.
Molly Wagner and Ian Morris, professional dancers from the Montgomery Ballet, rehearse in Andalusia last week. | Michele Gerlach /Star-News
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
By Michele Gerlach
Andalusia Star News
What has long been a dream for many is about to come true.
The Andalusia City Council on Tuesday authorized the letting of bids for renovating the historic Church Street School, which will become a cultural arts center. The project is being done in partnership with the Andalusia Ballet Association, which is providing $500,000 for the project and will be the managing tenant once the project is done.
Mike Hamrick, an architect with the firm of Goodwyn Mills and Cawood, attended the council’s workshop meeting.
“This is a fantastic building, with great history and culture,” Hamrick said. “The city is fortunate to have it, and it will be good to see it occupied.”
Hamrick said he has worked closely with Meryane Murphy on the plans.
City Clerk John Thompson said city employees already have done most of the demolition work inside the building in preparation for the project, and the city is working toward having the project completed by the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year,
“We’ve been looking at this building for more than eight years now, and we are so excited to finally be at this point,” Murphy said.
“We believe this will be a showplace for Andalusia and whole surrounding community,” she said. “We will make you very proud.”
Mayor Earl Johnson pointed out that the major portion of the building has basically been empty since 1999.
In April 2009, the council committed to a formal agreement with the ballet, which will occupy a third of the building, in exchange for the organization’s commitment of financial resources toward the renovation of the building. At the time, the city expected to contribute up to $1 million for the project. Until bids are received, it is unknown what the city’s portion of the renovation will cost.
Johnson said Tuesday that the ballet will occupy the main floor of the Church Street Cultural Arts Center, and the top floor will be “roughed in” so that it could be customized for future tenants.
Work should begin this fall.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Alarm company asks city to change rules
By Michele Gerlach
Andalusia Star News
A representative of APX Alarm, a Wyoming company that wants to sell alarm systems door-to-door in Andalusia, on Tuesday appeared before the city council to question a 1968 ordinance prohibiting such sales.
Jay Sallan, who described himself as a legal clerk for APX Alarm and a law student, told the council he feels the ordinance in unconstitutional and asked not only that ordinance be changed, but that the city make a special exception for his company until such time as the ordinance can be changed.
Sallan cited several court cases, and said while the city “is free to place restrictions on the practice of door-to-door solicitation, it may not enforce an ordinance which completely bans the practice.”
Mayor Earl Johnson explained to Sallan that he, too, is an attorney and that he is aware of court rulings in other cases.
“This is an old ordinance and a lot has changed since that time,” Johnson said. “Frankly, no issue has been brought up about it here, so we haven’t reviewed it.”
Johnson assured Sallan that the council will review the ordinance and bring the local laws in line with court rulings.
“And we’ll do it in a timely manner,” he said.
Johnson explained to the council that there are a number of things they can do in crafting a new ordinance to limit door-to-door solicitation.
“You’ve heard of a do not call list, we can craft our ordinance with a do not knock list,” Johnson said.
In other business, the council:
• Agreed to join the Utilities Board and the city Industrial Development