Mayor’s Minute By Ashley Curry - February 2022

I hope that all of you had a great holiday season, and that the new year is going well for you. Hopefully your New Year’s resolutions are still intact. Given that 75% of resolutions are forgotten by February, it prompted Mark Twain to say, “Resolutions come in one year and go out the next year.”

Just when I thought our resolution to be rid of COVID-19 was possible, the new year brought us the Omicron variant of the virus. In spite of this, we will persevere and maintain city services, city programs and city projects. We will adapt, as needed, to provide services for our residents.

Some of the city’s New Year’s resolutions include completion of ongoing projects. During this year, we will be completing the Infrastructure and Community Spaces Plan.  As you have seen, road and sidewalk improvements on Crosshaven Drive are nearing completion. This should greatly reduce traffic congestion particularly at peak commute times.

The renovations at Wald Park are continuing. The council is reviewing several options for the completion of “Phase III” at Wald Park. We have received significant input from our citizens regarding issues with tennis facilities and availability of soccer fields as we proceed with the decision surrounding the completion of Wald Park.

Another resolution for the city is the completion of the new Civic Center. This is one of the most exciting recreational improvements as it will include two gyms, multiple meeting rooms and a grand ballroom with banquet-size capacity. If you drive by City Hall, you will see that completion of the walkway from the lawn of City Hall into the second level of the Civic Center is well underway.

The city is also reviewing options for the development of a “passive park” environment for Altadena Park. These park improvements include the possibility of connecting walking trails, building a parking area, pavilion and other amenities such as a canoe launch for the Cahaba River, playgrounds, and a disc golf course. This is still in the planning phase and the budget for the plan has not yet been approved by the council.

This past month we experienced wide swings in temperature. We had a sunny day with a temperature of 73 degrees. Two days later, we had freezing temperatures and approximately 1 inch of snow.  It reminded me of the old adage that if you didn’t like the weather in Alabama, stick around a day or two and it will change.  Well, we will have to see what happens on “Groundhog Day,” which is Feb. 2. Maybe “Punxsutawney Phil” will give us some indication of what to expect. We will wait to see if he sees his shadow.

I wish all of you a happy Valentine’s Day.