Lauren Estes- Velez

Hartselle Enquirer

 The mayor and town council invited business owners and community members to an informative town meeting Thursday morning updating locals on what all has been accomplished so far this year.

Falkville Mayor Ken Winkles said many things have already been done around the town, but there are also several products planned for the future.

“Just a few things to name that we’ve done since I’ve been mayor, we have painted and redid the utility building and surplused street signs that we will sell at the fall festival,” Winkles said. “Buster Road had to be paved, we did have to reroute a water line. A culvert was sitting on top of a six inch main; Every time we do work in Falkville, we run across surprise,” he said jokingly.

Winkles said they’ve also laid out a new fence around the water tower and the fire department purchased a new fire truck for which the town donated $20,000 toward it.

“Also, we’re very happy and blessed that several Falkville churches have went in with us and put in flowerbeds around our Falkville signs,” Winkles said.

The Fall festival is coming up and we have received $4550 in donations from businesses, some have donated from town and others from out of town. Among those are Wayne farms, Mayfield Trucking, Falkville Wood Treating, VFW, Love’s, Arthur Orr, Cook’s Pest Control, Eddie Preuitt Ford, and the Morgan County Commission. We have some really good entertainment lined up for it and it will be worth staying for. We will also have a Tractor show, car show, 5k run and pancake breakfast at 7 a.m. to kick it off.”

The acts for the Falkville Festival include: Jeff Whitlow, Sweet Tea Trio, and Riley Green. Nashville building a big festival has grown to a huge event since starting by being put on by Community Pride.

“They still do Christmas in the park, but since the Fall festival has grown so much, we needed more people

Working on it,” Winkles said. “Hopefully we will pick up more volunteers in the future for it. The festival is scheduled for Sat., Oct. 14.”

Also, Winkles hit on some controversy that has hit the community: the tearing down of a local building.

“The building which was The Villa, we bought that property about 4 years ago- why didn’t up fix it-everytime I’d go in that building there was something wrong with it,” Winkles said. “The town needing the parking and on court nights is three times as bad. We just planted grass
seed on it and it’s looking a lot better. The building was in bad shape and it was condemned. Don Stisher came
In and torn us and didn’t charge is one dime. Mr. Grissom was one of my dear friends and I know that’s how he would wanted it handled. The building is gone and hopefully next year we will have 17-18 parking spots for the town hall building.”

Also, Winkles add that the yearly budget will be finished by Oct. 1.

“This will be the biggest budget we’ve ever had at $2.3 million dollars,” Winkles said. “It was around $800,000 when I was a police chief. We also have a list of 10 future capital improvements we are planning for. We have a lot of good things coming to Falkville.”