Culver speaks to Rotary Club

March 11, 2008

Debbie Ingram

County Commission Chairman Mark Culver spoke to his home club Monday, the Dothan Rotary Club, and received a standing ovation along with County Commissioners Frances Cook, Bobby Snellgrove and Phil Forrester, who were also in attendance.

“That felt really good,” Culver said afterwards.

The accolades from the approximatey 150 in attendance came because of the BIG FISH the county has landed. That’s the economic development project you’ve been reading about lately known as Country Crossing which brings with it 3,000 direct jobs in up to five years, along with a $300 million investment, entertainment like you’ve driven miles and miles to see, and oh yes, bingo.

The Rotary Club is a very old organization of business and professional people and its membership includes doctors, lawyers, politicians, business owners, etc., etc. The club, generally speaking, is a conservative bunch. So was it a surprise when club member Shelton Bailey stood up after Culver’s 15-minute speech on Country Crossing and said, “I just want to say to each one of you, thanks. You have researched it pretty well and we appreciate what you have done.”

With that, most of the crowd stood and applauded.

What the county has done is work within the confines of the law to allow this Little Nashville to come in, yes, with bingo. And jobs. And tourists. Hotels and other infrastructure. And extra business. And bingo which is not without community concerns over what this “gambling” will bring with it. Addiction and crime are the most talked about.

The question repeatedly asked is why does it have to include bingo? People love Country Crossing, but bingo? Businessman Jim Whaley posed the question Monday, to which Culver replied:

“First, it adds absolutely to the financial ability to do other things. Having this revenue source makes it viable from an investment perspective. And second, that’s not our call.”

As Culver explained, when Michelin announced its location here, no one stepped forward and interjected their ideas on what sort of tires should be made there. Light truck or SUV? Ditto Sony. It’s not our call what tape Sony manufactures. We trust they know their industries better than the man on the street.

And so it goes with the investors of Country Crossing, three of whom are George Jones, Joel Katz and James Stroud. Katz is an Atlanta attorney who’s client list includes The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Buffet, Mark Anthony, James Taylor, Willie Nelson, whom he has a 35-year relationship with, Big and Rich, Alan Jackson, George Strait. George Jones and many others in country music media. He is counsel for the Grammy’s, the Gospel Music Association awards and the Country Music Association awards.

Stroud is a heavy-hitting record producer in Nashville who, it is said, has sold three production companies in his career. In his letter of support, Stroud wrote that over the past 25 years in Nashville, he has “established many successful relationships in the entertainment industry and I’m committed to the promotion and success of our Country Crossing project. Several Nashville premier artists are going to be involved with Country Crossing. As the PRESIDENT (my emphasis) and EQUITY PARTNER of Ronnie Gilley Entertainment, LLC, I couldn’t be more excited about the future of this project.”

Tidbit from story coming later this week

March 10, 2008

Lance Griffin

Just had a sit-down with Ronnie Gilley for a story later this week. Here’s a quote from our conversation:

Q: Can this project be done without bingo?

A: If you compare it to Branson, Mo., then let’s do that. Branson Mo. has been in the making for 75 years, so could we do it without the bingo? Here’s how it would work. The reality of it is with the credit market being such as it is, and with the investment market being such as it is, I might could go muster up an investor to put in a Tracy Lawrence Barbecue – it would be slim to none to making it happen in today’s climate – but let’s just say I could. That’s all I’m going to be able to get done. Then once there is a track record established with a Tracy Lawrence Barbecue and Opera House, 2 or 3 years from now maybe I can get George Jones to come in and put in his dinner theater, and in another 2 or 3 years, then maybe I can get Darryl Worley or Alan Jackson or Toby Keith or whoever it is, but it is a slow, slow, slow process, a slow buildup period which basically is not going to create any economic impact for Houston County, it’s just going to be a long drawn-out process and that’s what the bingo facility brings to the table for the overall project. It’s an economic facilitator that allows it to happen simultaneously.

Baptist disavow any connection with phone message

Lance Griffin

Should have story up any time at dothaneagle.com on the automated phone message. Spokesmen for the Columbia Baptist Association, Alabama Baptist State Convention and Alabama Baptist newspaper all say they are not connected with the message in any way.

Jerry Grandstaff, head of the Columbia Baptist Association, said he believes the reference to the Alabama Baptist was included inentionally so people would infer they were responsible for the message.

Few tidbits from over the weekend

Lance Griffin

Remember legendary Alabama and NFL football player John Hannah? Apparently he has an entertainment company that is a subsidiary of Ronnie Gilley Properties, LLC. Below is a press release announcing an event in Atlantic City.

Click here for the John Hannah Entertainment press release

Gilley has launched a Myspace page with his two new songs featured.

Ronnie Gilley’s Myspace

What will this week hold?

Debbie Ingram

The Houston County Commission meets today and they are to receive a signed committment from Country Crossing developers, pledging a minimum of $2 millon in annual charitable contributions to Houston County charities and education. These will come from profits of a charitable bingo center at the development, expected to be operational by summer 2009.

There has been a lot of talk about the money from bingo with some speculating local charities will never see the first dime. I guess this means there will be a lot of dimes going to places like Dothan City Schools, the Food Bank and Southeast Alabama Child Advocacy Center, among others. (No charities have been named; I’m just throwing those out there.) Unless, of course, these groups REFUSE the money. (I don’t see that happening.)

Also this week, Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley is a little bit overdue in announcing his property acquisition. He said the decision could come in one to two weeks from the initial announcement, made Feb. 25. We are hoping to receive that announcement this week. He was looking for 500 acres. The newspaper has actually received a call from a guy who wanted to sell Mr. Gilley his property. “Could you call him and give him my number?” said the caller. The Eagle is not in the practice of brokering land deals, so .....

But the million dollar question is, where will it go? Everybody says to the south. A 231 access, on the way to the most beautiful beaches in America, only makes sense. And how valuable will the land be in close proximity to it? Some farmers are gonna make a lot of money. And it won’t be from peanuts.

Perhaps also this week Gilley willl announce fresh committments from country music artists. I’m waiting on Alan Jackson or George Strait. With a name like that, well, wow!!!!

Mark Culver is speaking to the Dothan Rotary Club today to attempt to sway some of the business leaders in the community—some of whom came out last week in opposition to gambling, aka bingo. As has been pointed out, their fight might best be fought in Montgomery, where laws that allow bingo might be changed.

And will any kind of lawsuit be filed? This week, perhaps?

Stay tuned..... things change regularly.