By By Connie Nowlin Managing editor
Trick or treat has been set for Oct. 30. between 5-9 p.m. for the city of Atmore.
Council members decided on that date Monday so as not to cause any conflicts between the traditional date, Oct.31, which falls on a Friday, and football games. Escambia County High School is scheduled to play Northview High School that evening.
Another main event coming to the streets of Atmore is Williams Station Day, Oct. 25.
That morning, from 8-11 Main Street will be closed from U.S. 31 to Church Street to accommodate Zydeco music, breakfast and a street dance in that block. The event is sponsored by Gerlach's Casual Cafe.
In other business, the council also accepted the dates and times proposed for the annual Christmas parade.
The children's event will begin at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 6 with breakfast with Santa Claus, and culminate at 1 p.m. with the children's parade.
Floats and other participants for the city parade will line up at 5 p.m. and the parade itself will get under way at 6.
Also on the agenda was the acceptance in principle of the five-year strategic plan written by Tom Latino. That plan lays out a series of goals and a set of steps through which those goals may be met.
The goals were set by a series of meetings of the public, and as Councilman Jim Staff pointed out, the plan is not political in nature. Therefore it would not change if the administration of the city should change before all the goals are accomplished.
Council also voted to retire a series of bonds the city had floated to buy and improve industrial properties, put update on its computer equipment out for bid, and accept the resignation of planning board member Mike Johns, who has moved outside the city limits.
At the next meeting, council will entertain names for appointment to the vacancy left by Johns' resignation.
Atmore Mayor Howard Shell also asked council and those present at the meeting to make an informed decision about the Escambia County Board of Education's request for an increase in the ad valorem tax.
"Remember what they are asking for this for," Shell said. "The whole area is doing everything it can to bring in jobs, and education is one of the things we have to market this town with."