The city of Atmore will celebrate Saturday, March 28, as “Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home Day.”

During Monday’s Atmore City Council meeting, Jim Staff read a proclamation from the city declaring the special date.

“Our veterans answered our country’s call and served with honor, and on March 29, 1973, the last of our troops left Vietnam,” Staff read, from the proclamation. “Yet, in one of the war’s most profound tragedies, many of these men and women came home to be shunned or neglected — to face treatment unbefitting their courage and a welcome unworthy of their example. We must never let this happen again.”

The city held a similar event for the first time last year, on Saturday, March 29, 2014. The event was held in Heritage Park, which will also be the setting this year, and featured speakers and patriotic celebrations.

“There’s no way that we can thank the veterans enough for what they’ve done,” Staff said.

Gayle Johnson, a member of the Atmore Memorial Ladies Auxiliary VFW Post 7016, asked Monday for the city to consider making the day a permanent event, and to always hold it on the last Saturday in March.

In other business, the city:

• Approved an ABC Board alcohol license application transfer for B & J Bait and Tackle, 1005 W. Nashville Ave.

• Heard from business owner Mary Frye, who stated that she had never asked to re-open the old Chick-A-Dee Club as a lounge or night club. On Wednesday, Feb. 4, Frye had appealed the city’s decision to deny her a business license for the Carver Avenue establishment, and the city ultimately denied that appeal.

“I did not at any time ask for a Chick-A-Dee license,” Frye said. “I’ve always asked for a business license to open my building up to rent it out. At no time did I ask for any business license for the Chick-A-Dee Club.”