What will this week hold?
March 10, 2008
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.
