Greene County Democrat

Tag: Anita Lewis

  • Greene County MLK programs challenge us to vote and work harder to realize “the dream”

     

    Atty. Phyllis Craig Taylor


    Elder Spiver Gordon, Councilwoman Valeria Watkins, Anita Lewis, Director of GCHA, Mollie Rowe, Director of EHA, GCHA Boardmember Carolyn Branch and
    Professor Phyllis Craig Taylor guest speaker.

    Dr. Carol P. Zippert, Dr. Dione Edison, Dale Lanier, Lester Cotton, Gus Richardson, Mr. and Mrs. Coleman with Spiver Gordon at New Peace Baptist Church

    “Godly Men” at Unity Breakfast at the Eutaw Activity Center

    Elder Spiver Gordon presents award to
    Bishop Glen McCord

     

    The Alabama Civil Rights Freedom Movement, under the direction of Spiver W. Gordon held a series of programs during the weekend of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Birthday, to honor his legacy and challenge the people of Greene County and the western Alabama Black Belt, to work harder to realize the dream of justice and equality for Black people.
    A youth educational program on Black history on Friday, January 12, 2024, was limited because 11th and 12th graders, who were scheduled to attend, did not have school because of the weather. Several adults attended the meeting at New Peace Baptist Church and discussed the importance of reaching out to involve young people in the continuing movement and struggle.
    Two hundred people attended the Unity Freedom Breakfast at the Eutaw Activity Center, on Monday morning, January 15, 2024. Mayor Latasha Johnson of Eutaw, Commissioner Garria Spencer, Commissioner Allen Turner, Herbert Lavender of Pickens County, John Zippert, Co-Publisher of the Greene County Democrat, and Dr. Monty Thornburg were among those who gave greetings.
    Attorney Glen McCord, a native of Wilcox County, who has a law office in Eutaw, was the primary speaker. McCord said he was glad to be working in Greene County and “to be grafted in” by the residents here. He said that there was great potential for growth in Greene County because Highway 43, will soon be 4 lanes, and the double Interstate Highway of 59 and 20, that go right by Eutaw and Greene County. We have the potential to grow as part of Tuscaloosa, but we must take care to preserve our own identity.
    McCord celebrated Dr. King’s work and accomplishments. He said, “Be as humble when you are successful, as you were when you had nothing.” Gordon gave awards to group of men, who worked to support their communities and churches.
    He also memorialized a group of people, who died during the past year, “who gave time, service and dedication to support the cause of freedom, justice and equity” in Greene County.
    Gordon and a small group marched uptown, from the Activity Center to the Courthouse, followed by a dozen or more cars with people who felt too old to walk or too uncomfortable in freezing temperatures to walk.
    Another program was held at the Courthouse to mostly honor women who participated in movement and church activities. After a spirited devotion, led by women and several selections from the Greene County Community Choir, several women including Mayor Latasha Johnson of Eutaw, Carolyn Branch of the Greene County Housing Authority, Johnnie Knott, former Circuit Clerk, and leader of “Woman to Woman”, and former Probate Judge Earlean Isaac, brought greetings and spoke to the legacy of Dr. King.
    Dr. Carol P. Zippert, Co-Publisher of the Greene County Democrat introduced the guest speaker, Professor of Law Phyllis Craig Taylor, who is a native of Choctaw County, daughter of Thelma Craig and a law professor at North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC. Zippert, who has known Phyllis Craig Taylor since she was a young girl, stressed her connections to the Black Belt.
    Dr. Taylor spoke to the issue that there are “new Confederates” in America, who want to take us backwards. “We must be aware that systemic racism is making a comeback in our nation. There are attacks in every state against our voting rights. These people feel threatened by the skills, spirit and unity of Black people. They have become afraid of us, and they want to stop our progress,” she said.
    “We must do like we did in the times after slavery and in Reconstruction, when Black people bought and owned 13 million acres of land; built hundreds of schools, through the Rosenwald school’s model; and provided teaching excellence in our schools before integration. Do not underestimate our enemies. Dare to organize and invest in our communities and people. Take our voting rights back. Do not vote sometimes, but all the time, and for every office on the ballot. We must send our enemies back to the pit of darkness, where they came from,” Taylor said.
    At the end of the program, Spiver W. Gordon again gave out numerous awards and citations to women who had been active in the movement, church, and community.

  • More than 40 homes destroyed by
    tornado in Branch Heights; No fatalities,
    but more than 100 people displaced

    Mrs. Eula Lanier with Congresswoman Terri Sewell on the front of her damaged house.

    On Wednesday night, April 13, 2022 between 10:00 and 10:30 PM, an EF0 tornado, with winds of 65 to 85 miles per hour, passed through Eutaw and Greene County, Alabama. It did the greatest damage in the William M. Branch Heights community, which is a part of the city of Eutaw.

    “More than 40 homes in Branch Heights were visibly damaged and we are still discovering less obvious damage to bricks and foundations which may have been loosened and shifted,” said Anita Lewis, Greene County Housing Authority Executive Director.

    Lewis continued, “We have had more than 100 people displaced, made homeless, by this storm. Some have found shelter with family and friends but we have placed 24 families in a nearby hotel, near Greenetrack, which is  8 miles from their homes. Senator Bobby Singleton and Representative A. J, MacCampbell are seeking state resources to extend hotel stays as needed.”

    Branch Heights was built with HUD funds in the 1970’s as a major project of the newly elected African American controlled Greene County Commission. It contains over two hundred single family homes. Most of the homes are still rental units, under the control of the Greene County Housing Authority, but about a third of the homes have been purchased by the homeowners, as part of a special program, where people who had rented for 15 years, were able to purchase their units.

    Lewis said that the Greene County Housing Authority’s insurance company was still evaluating the damages but that 12 homes have only roof damage and these will be the first to be repaired, so families can return to their units. She said at least four families that owned their own homes did not have insurance to rebuild.

    Congresswoman Terri Sewell who was in Greene County, on Tuesday morning, April 19, 2022 for a town hall meeting in Boligee, said, “My team and I toured the devastating storm damage in Branch Heights which has displaced over 100 residents. It was important to me to see this damage for myself and to join with the local community as they begin to rebuild. While it won’t bring back the homes and belongings that were lost, I was honored to buy lunch for some of my constituents who were affected. We all have a role to play when our community is in need. Now is the time to lend a helping hand.”

    Earlier at the Boligee meeting, Sewell in answer to a question from Commission Chair Allen Turner, on the need to secure a FEMA disaster declaration for small areas like Branch Heights, affected by storms, said, “Congress will have to change the FEMA designation but we will work to secure SBA long term low interest loans for rebuilding homes and businesses. We will also work to identify other state, Federal and private resources that can help with rebuilding.”

    In an interview on Monday, Lewis said, “The City of Eutaw, their police and street department are involved and helping us; the County, the Sheriff’s Department are also here and working very diligently on getting things put together and assessed and also assisting with our residents. This storm has been a challenge to all of our government and private aid agencies, including the Red Cross.”

    “We had to put displaced people in hotels because we have no vacant public housing units in the area. We may have to seek help from adjoining cities like Tuscaloosa, to house our residents. Now we have to arrange food, clothing, transportation, clothes washing and other services for our people,” said Lewis

    School Superintendent Dr. Corey Jones announced at recent board meeting that he will re-route school buses to accommodate students who have been placed at local hotels and other locations. Other assistance from the school system may also be available.

    Lewis said, “We need all the help we can get for our residents here in Branch Heights, especially the children. We also need volunteer manpower to clear debris and help with rebuilding. We are at the Greene County Housing Authority are willing to accept any assistance and donations. You can call us at: 205-372-3342 or by email at:gchauth@bellsouth.net

  • Eutaw City Council appoints boards, reviews water system and handles contracts

    Greene County EMS staff demonstrate the Life-Pak/Defibrillator equipment to save lives, purchased by the City of Eutaw with CARES funds

    The Eutaw City Council held its regular meeting on February 9, 2021. Mayor LaTasha Johnson and all Council members were present.
    The Council reviewed technical assistance proposals from Water Management Services and EOS. The Council by a vote of 3 to 2 accepted the proposal from Terry Tyson, who works with EOS, to audit, review and repair the water meters. He will also help to make sure that the digital meters are communicating properly with the city’s billing computer software to help resolve some of the billing problems.
    The Council also approved the Mayor’s recommendation to employ Corey Martin as the on-site water operator for the city, which will help to get the system functioning more efficiently.
    The Council also approved March 3 as the final date for residents to negotiate a billing arrangement on paying their past due water bills before action is taken to cut off water. Residents can get an adjustment in their bills, down to 20% of the balance owed, to be paid over five months along with current billThe Council appointed the following members to the City Industrial Board: Mollie Rowe, Tommy Lee Armour, Theresa Carpenter, James Dee Powell, Hattie Edwards, Chris Beeker, Anita Lewis, Ralph Liverman, and Danny Cooper. The Council also appointed the Airport Board consisting of Joe Lee Powell, Danny Cooper, John Darden, Colin McRaye, James Carter, Reginald Cheatem and Billy Mingles.
    The Council discussed rental fees for rooms at the Robert Young Community Center (old Carver Elementary School) and decided to charge $375 per room, per month, starting March 1st.
    The Council made no differentiation between business and non-profit users, which may come back up for discussion.
    In other actions, the Eutaw City Council:
    • Approved contract with Waste Management Services for collection of garbage.
    • Approved purchase for $12,000 of a new radio communications system for the Police Department, from Collins Communications.
    • Agreed to purchase three new rotators for the city’s sewage lagoons; one large one for the City lagoon and two smaller ones for the lagoons at the rest areas on the two sides of Interstate 20/59. The cost of the rotators was $12,000 for the larger one and $6,000 each for the smaller ones.
    • Heard a report from Mr. Babb, City Engineer on steps to get maps of the city water and sewage system to develop a maintenance and repair plan.
    • Discussed getting speed bumps for Roebuck Street.
    • Urged Parks and Recreation Committee to meet to make recommendations for improvements.
    • Referred insurance claims to the company for review and payment.
    • Viewed a demonstration of the Life-Pak equipment purchased by the City for the Greene County EMS with CARES funds.

  • Eutaw City Council votes to remove Mayor Steele as Superintendent of Water System

    Central Alabama Asphalt and Construction of Tuscaloosa started resurfacing the roads in King Village April 13, 2020. A representative of Central Alabama Asphalt and & Construction, Eutaw City Councilman LaJeffery Carpenter, Anita Lewis, Housing Authority Director and Eutaw City Councilman Joe Powell were on hand to oversee operation

    By: John Zippert,
    Co-Publisher

    At its regular meeting on Wednesday, April 15, 2020, the Eutaw City Council voted 4 to 2 to remove Mayor Raymond Steele from his position as Superintendent of the City Water System.
    This decision came after months of arguments between the Council and the Mayor over the status of the water system, the condition and accuracy of new digital water meters installed as part of the upgrading of the system, software problems with the computer interface between meters and billing and problems of some customers receiving no or minimum bills and others receiving very high bills.
    The issue came to a head when members of the Council questioned Mayor Steele about some high water bills that he had adjusted and others that he did not change saying that the customer had a “leak” as the reason for a high water bill.
    Mayor Steele asserted, “We are close to resolving all the issues with the water system, incorrect meters and billing. This is a matter of day to day operations of the city and the council should not be involved.”
    Council member Latasha Johnson moved and LaJeffrey Carpenter seconded that “the Mayor be removed from his position as Superintendent of the City Water System and he no longer be paid $800 per month for this position.” The motion was approved by a 4-2 vote with Councilmembers Joe Lee Powell and Sheila Smith joining Johnson and Carpenter in the majority. Councilman Bennie Abrams and Mayor Steele voted against the motion.
    Council member Joe Lee Powell said, “Our intention is to contract out the management of the City Water Department, so we can be sure that the system including meters, computer soft wear, billing and maintenance of the pipes are correct and giving accurate readings for billing purposes. We may need to have this request for management services put out for competitive bidding at our next meeting.”
    Following this motion, the Eutaw City Council voted 4 to 2 to no longer receive cash as payment for water bills, due to the coronavirus. Some of the members of the Council had been arguing for months that the City should suspend the collection of cash for water bills to insure a clear paper trail on revenues received by the water department.

    At the beginning of the meeting, Councilman Joe Lee Powell asked permission to make a statement to the City Council as a citizen. In his statement, Powell raised some serious questions about the way the Mayor had been operating city business and urged him not to run for re-election as mayor in August.
    The most serious charges in Powell’s statement were that the Mayor Steele was conducting city business in a “dictatorial manner” and misusing city automobiles and funds. Powell questioned a number of recent personnel decisions made by the Mayor. Powell also questioned an insurance claim filed against the City by the Mayor’s wife on flooding and mold in a building that she and the Mayor own on the Courthouse Square. The Mayor submitted this claim to the city’s insurance without the approval of the City Council.
    The Democrat was unable to research and verify Powell’s charges for this article. We will continue to seek information and documentation before discussing these claims in detail.

    In other actions, the City Council:

    • approved on a 4-2 vote, the purchase and installation of surveillance cameras in Branch Heights, King Village and Carter Circle for crime deterrence;

    • questioned why the property on Park Lane had not yet been sold

    • questioned the Mayor and City Attorney on insurance claims filed against the City.

  • Water and sewage problems in Branch Heights go unattended

    Shown L to R: Anita Lewis, CEO and Spiver Gordon, Board Chairperson of Greene Co. Housing Authority inspecting raw sewage in Branch Heights yard.

    “We have four units with a total of 19 children in the 800 block of Branch Heights where there are water and sewer problems that are impacting the health and safety of this community,” said Anita Lewis, Director of the Greene County Housing Authority.
    Mrs. Lewis says that she has been trying to work with the City of Eutaw to resolve the problems but says the Mayor is unresponsive.
    “The Streets in Branch Heights belong to the City of Eutaw.
    The water and sewer flow in pipes under the streets, which are the City’s responsibility. Some of the pipes are old terracotta and are deteriorating. Since the City repaved the streets in Branch Heights this has put additional pressure on the old pipes and they are leaking,” said Lewis.
    Mrs. Lewis had a licensed plumber to come and dig down to the level of the pipes, where sewage was leaking.

         “The plumber says the blockage and the problems with the pipes, which is putting raw sewage in resident’s yards and backing up into their bathrooms, is under the city’s streets and will have to be fixed by the City or paid for by the City,” says Lewis.

    Lewis also points out that the City of Eutaw collects water, sewage and garbage fees from residents in Branch Heights, and should be responsible for repairs to their system.
    Mayor Raymond Steele said in a Council Working Session on Tuesday evening that “Water and sewer problems are our top priority and we are working with a reduced staff and old equipment, so it will take time to get to all the leaks in the city.”
    The Mayor said he is working on numerous water leaks and is aware of the sewage leak in Branch Heights. The Mayor asked for patience by the Council members and the residents, so the City could get to fixing all the leaking pipes, clearing drainage ditches and cutting grass over the coming months.
    Councilman Joe Lee Powell, whose district includes Branch Heights said, “ I will not be voting for the Courthouse Streetscape Project or other projects in other parts of the City until these critical safety hazards in Branch Heights are cleared up.”
    Mrs. Lewis suggests that the City may be facing a larger problem since it repaved the streets in Branch Heights without dealing with the aging pipes that are buried in the ground. “ I spoke to HUD, ADEM, Congresswoman Terri Sewell and others about this problem and there may be grant funds available to fix the water and sewer pipes but the City of Eutaw is the responsible party to apply for the funds. The streets and the pipes under them belong to the City.”
    “I have set up meetings with HUD, ADECA and others to resolve this problem but the Mayor has not been willing to attend