It was shoulder-to-shoulder traffic at Wednesday’s Halloween on the Square event in Andalusia.
Duke Smith with the city’s department of leisure services estimated the crowd at 10,000.
“It was a great night,” Smith said. “There were a lot of folks there. I stood in the Square, in the center, and looked down toward CCB Community Bank, and the road was covered with people. Everything went fine. Crews spent (Thursday) morning cleaning up, and we’re back to normal.”
Local merchants handed out candy left and right as area residents made their annual trek around the Court Square. Some 28 businesses participated, pulling out all the stops in decorating for the night.
The first place award for the best booth space went to South Alabama Law’s tribute to “Alice in Wonderland,” complete with a Red Queen sitting on her throne and the Mad Hatter. Second place went to the Andalusia Police Department for their “Happy Haunting,” featuring Dispatcher Susie Fannin and her creepy channeling of a wicked witch who enjoyed a good leg bone now and then.
Entertainment for the night was Keith Williams and Second Nature, who at one point,, was joined by a dancing Freddy Krueger.
“Our businesses went all out,” Smith said. “I was glad the weather hung in there, too. It was nice and cool, but not too cold. All in all, just right.”
A dedication ceremony for the Alatex Monument Park and the Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce’s new home in the former Alatex corporate headquarters is today at 10:30 a.m.
A dedication ceremony for the Alatex Monument Park and the Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce’s new home in the former Alatex corporate headquarters is set for 10:30 a.m. Thurs., Oct. 25.
Former Alatex president Fred H. Rhinehardt will be the special guest speaker.
Alatex, which once owned factories in Andalusia, Troy, Crestview, Elba, Opp, Brantley, and Panama City, Fla., was organized by John G. Scherf in Andalusia in 1923.
Thousands of people worked in the textile company, which through the years produced work and military shirts, pants and underwear. But its primary product was dress shirts, produced for Arrow and for department stores. At its peak in 1971, the company produced more than 10 million shirts.
Alatex was acquired by Cluett, Peabody and Co. in 1968, and went through several mergers and acquisitions in the ensuing years. Biderman, S.A. closed Alatex operations in Andalusia in 1992.
Twenty years later, the corporate headquarters has been restored a public-private partnership between the City of Andalusia, which owns the building, and the Chamber of Commerce, which helped renovate the facility and will occupy it.
The site includes a memorial brick walk, and will be home to a monument to the many textile workers once employed there – a giant starched white shirt fabricated by William Merrill of Metal Fabrication. The shirt is to be set in place on Monday.
A history of the company has been prepared by Bill Hamiter, a former vice president of operations for Alatex who chaired the memorial committee.
The magazine-style history will be available at Thursday’s event.
Andalusia City School System parents are being asked to complete an online survey to assist in the system’s accreditation process.
Superintendent Ted Watson said Wednesday notices were sent home this week asking parents for their help.
“Every four years, we have to go through the Advanced Ed Accreditation process,” Watson said. “And what we have to do is collect data, and some of that data comes in the form of a survey. We really encourage parents to fill it out.”
Accreditation is a voluntary method of quality assurance developed more than 100 years ago by American universities and secondary schools, and designed primarily to distinguish schools adhering to a set of educational standards. The accreditation process is also known in terms of its ability to effectively drive student performance and continuous improvement in education.
Watson said the survey can be found by visiting the system website at www.andalusiacityschools.net. Pop ups must be enabled for the survey window to appear. A link is also on the Andalusia Middle School Facebook page.
It takes about five minutes to complete the 35-plus question survey.
“We need a certain percent of parent participation in this survey,” Watson said. “Obviously, accreditation is an important part of the education process. It validates the job we do as educators. By going through with the process it says, we meet the level of excellence that is measured by those standards.”
Halloween is nearing and local parents may be wondering when they can take their little ghosts, goblins, Big Birds and princesses out for candy.
There are several options spread throughout the county, beginning Oct. 25 with Lockhart’s Fun in the Park, which will be held from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Longleaf Pine Memorial Park. The event is sponsored by Florala’s Kiwanis Club of the Tri-Cities.
On Halloween night, there will be trick-or-treating in Florala from 4:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.
Additionally, the city of Andalusia will host its 13th annual Halloween on the Square event, which is sponsored by area merchants.
The event is for children 12 and under and will run from 5:30 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Live entertainment will be by Keith Williams and Second Nature on the Square from 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m.
In Opp, the fifth annual downtown fall festival will be held Halloween night.
“We had over 600 kids last year,” said Debi Richburg, co-organizer. “It gets bigger every year.”
Richburg said there will be a costume contest with trophies in four ages groups and live music for entertainment by the Back 40 Band.
Games, cotton candy, popcorn and Little Hugs juices, along with trick or treating will be available for children 12 and under
“We would like to encourage every merchant to come and help us and enjoy the fun,” Richburg said.
Any merchant who would like to participate or anyone with questions may call Richburg at 488-3555 or Sue Bowdoin at 493-4539.