By Staff
Remember victim's family
Editor:
There was a devastating crane accident on Saturday afternoon June 16. Justin "Curtis" Self was driving that crane. Curtis was a dear friend of mine. We became friends in high school. He would do anything and everything he could to help anyone out.
If he had it and you needed it he would give it to you; if he didn't he would get it for you. You see, I know these things about him because he has done them for me. He has been there for me during some of the most difficult times in my life. He was a loving husband, an amazing father and a wonderful friend. I can honestly say all this and know it's true because Curtis was married to my best friend, Brie, who loved her husband dearly. They also have two precious little girls, Courtney, who is 7, and Katie, who is 3. They were definitely daddy's little girls.
You know, they were so excited to see their daddy and give their cards that they made for him on Father's Day. Well on Sunday, instead of getting to see him, they were told something that would change their lives forever: their daddy was never coming home.
I know as a friend we are all suffering, especially his wife, children and family. It is so hard on them and will be for a long while. He was their rock. I know by the power of prayer and thoughts that we will make it through. So if anyone out there is reading this, I ask of you please to keep Brie, Courtney and Katie and the rest of the family in your thoughts and prayers.
Love your family and friends, never take them for granted. After all, you never know what life brings tomorrow.
Katrina Stewart
Businesses not the solution
Editor:
The Hartselle City Council stresses, at every opportunity, the city's need for new consumer businesses which we are actually getting: Walgreen's, Guthrie's, Capt D's, etc. And they boast this is helping Hartselle's tax revenue. Not true. This is your typical smoke and mirror politics.
Hartselle has a relatively "fixed" consumer base, which includes Hartselle and its immediately surrounding population. New additional businesses will not grow Hartselle's existing limited tax base; therefore, no sales tax growth. Status quo is maintained, nothing more. Of course sales will be redistributed among the new and existing businesses but it will not generate additional buyers, additional revenue. To grow, Hartselle must expand its relatively fixed sales tax base by; increased population, increased sales from outside its tax base (transit sales), or retaining internal sales which routinely go elsewhere (Decatur, Huntsville).
A prime example of the latter two categories is a natural – alcohol sales. Regardless of what you are told by undisciplined, uneducated naysayers, properly governed alcohol sales is a boon, a blessing, to every community within which it exists. Perhaps the sole problem is our leaders (both elected and non-elected). Not ever having lived where alcohol sales exist, they are not capable of handling the situation. Therefore, everyone suffers because of the biased inability of a few. Another tale of the tail wagging the dog!
James L. Nix