By Staff
Our view
Autumn is a glorious time in South Alabama. The air is cool and drier, the sky is clear and the days are still long.
It makes citizens want to get outside and visit with neighbors or work in the yard, perhaps walk uptown and do a little shopping for some of the great pre-holiday bargains available.
What is really making a difference, though, is the cleaning and sprucing up that is going on all over town.
The city is to be commended for getting crews and heavy equipment out to clean the streets and gutters, mowing vacant lots and generally straightening up the place.
Where the crews have been looks great, right down to the edged sidewalks.
It increases the hometown pride that flows in the veins of everyone, not just those born here, but those who live here by choice, those who could be called 'born again natives.'
While all the work going on coincides with Williams Station Day, the equivalent of cleaning the house before company arrives, wouldn't it be great if we could keep the momentum going on our own?
The big stuff, cleaning the gutters and edging the walks and streets, has been done for us. What if now the residents on those streets made it a priority to keep them looking just as spit-and-polish as they do today?
Then city crews could continue to work around the city, moving out from the center of town, doing the same work on every block.
Think about the impression it would make on visitors coming in, perhaps to scout a space for a new business. It would definitely say 'This is a place that cares about its appearance, has pride in itself. Perhaps this would be a good place to relocate.'
As was pointed out in the five-year strategic plan, image is a self-fulfilling prophesy.
Go to homecoming
Speaking of hometown pride, we are as excited as anyone about Homecoming events at Escambia County High School.
And it isn't just at the school, either. The parade will flow down the streets tomorrow – a day earlier than usual – but there are dozens and dozens of homecomings at churches all across the area.
It seems to be the right time of year to come back, say hello to friends old and new, and look down the road to the next set of visitors, maybe family, but certainly that jolly old elf himself.
The events are here, the time is right, the weather is perfect.
Get out and see the best that our hometown has to offer.
Enjoy Atmore at her finest.