Dear editor,

I thought I would start the day celebrating some of the good news of Selma.

— A new movie theater — The Walton Theatre is a lovely cinema offering an enjoyable evening or afternoon of entertainment for families, children and adults. It’s great to have that option here in town.

— A new Riverwalk — The Riverwalk is a lovely place to view the Alabama River and some of the historic buildings of Selma. It is well landscaped and offers some great views of the sunset.

— The new Phoenix Park — We can now enjoy an evening of jazz or gospel music in downtown Selma and get to know one another.

— New track improvements to Memorial Stadium — Our city offers all the local school and colleges a great space for sports events, while also providing the city with revenue. The newly upgraded track helped bring the Alabama High School Athletic Association state track meet to the city, with accompanying tourist revenue.

— New welcome center — Putting a bright face on Selma, the new welcome center features local art and friendly greeters, proving that Southern hospitality is a reality.

This is not all the good news. Our housing market is improving, the 10-day Operation Alabama Black Belt provided free health care and dental treatment to more than 15,000 people in three communities. There’s a new recycling program, upgrades to Water Avenue, along with the new Interpretive Center, the saving and stabilization of the historic YMCA downtown, and best of all, a spirit of cooperation and collaboration between the public and private sectors.

All of this is possible with leadership from Mayor George Evans, who not only models good communication and cooperation, but also oversees and facilitates putting together projects that make Selma a community you want to come home to. Let’s keep him in office and keep Building Bridges Together.

 

Jim Stallings

Selma