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Photo courtesy of Sam Gaston.
Mountain Brook City Manager Sam Gaston, right, stands with Tuskegee City Manager Derrick Swanson, center, and interim Tuskegee Police Chief Loyd Jenkins III. The city of Mountain Brook sold a used Ford F-350 truck to the city of Tuskegee for $1.
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Photo courtesy of Public Works Supervisor Johnny Franklin.
Mark Atkins, left, and Mike Byran, two employees with the Department of Public Works, reinstall the long-popular chess set in front of City Hall after it was removed temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In recent city news, a whimsical feature of the City Hall complex was brought back.
The city tried to fill a need for another Alabama municipality.
And the Mountain Brook Police Department got creative in fighting teen drinking and driving.
Checkmate
One of the fun attractions in Crestline Village has returned after being taken down in 2020 due to COVID-19.
The oversized chess set that’s been a feature of the City Hall front lawn for many years was reinstalled by Public Works.
City officials are glad to see the activity return, City Manager Sam Gaston said.
“It is used a good deal by people of all ages,” he said. “It’s fun to watch children or teens playing with the set as well as adults with their children.”
The set originally had a plastic chessboard, but in 2013 the city replaced the plastic with pavers.
Helping out
The city of Mountain Brook recently assisted another municipality when it donated a Ford F-350 truck to the city of Tuskegee, selling it for $1.
The truck is a 1999 model with a crew cab, long wheelbase and towing package, said Shanda Williams, superintendent Parks and Recreation.
“It’s a good thing to help out our fellow municipalities when we can,” Williams said.
The vehicle has about 119,000 miles.
“We believe there are still some good years left in it and hope it serves them well,” Williams said.
Her department was using the truck to take equipment to job sites and to haul a water tank used to water flowers and new plantings.
Gaston met some Tuskegee officials and learned they needed a truck. He asked department heads if they had any vehicles to be replaced.
Gaston and Tim Mari, Parks and Recreation labor supervisor, drove the truck to Prattville to meet Tuskegee officials.
“Mountain Brook has always been generous with a helping hand if we have been able,” Williams said.
City workers spent several weeks in Fultondale helping with cleanup after the tornado there in January, Williams said.
The city also provided a drop-off point for supplies for several other cities affected by natural disasters, she said.
MBPD gets creative
Many needless deaths are caused by drunk drivers, and teenagers are a significant chunk of the problem.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 10,874 drunk driving deaths in 2017, and 17 percent of those were because of teen drunk driving.
The Mountain Brook Police Department has produced its own PSA to fight the problem.
The five-minute video tells the tragic story of some high-school seniors who drink and drive while celebrating graduation.
Police Officer George French used a basic idea he discussed with City Councilor Gerald Garner and oversaw the production, said Garner, who helped sponsor the project.
Deputy Police Chief Jaye Loggins, Police Chief Ted Cook, Fire Chief Chris Mullins and other first responders participated, as well as Weil Wrecker and Mountain Brook High School students.
To watch the video, posted May 14, go to Facebook @mountainbrookpd.
Taking a seat
On June 28, the Mountain Brook City Council approved two board appointments.
Benjamin Leaver will take a seat on the Finance Committee, chaired by City Councilor Lloyd Shelton. Leaver is the chief financial officer at Robins & Morton.
Architect Andrew Hicks will become a supernumerary of the Board of Landscape Design, a post formally held by Tommy Amason.
