Culver speaks to Rotary Club
March 11, 2008
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.“
