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(08/29/14 7:30pm)
Cliff Hare and his wife Emily closed up shop at their business, Auburn Art, 40 minutes before kickoff Nov. 30.
They sprinted through downtown and across campus, making it to the stadium just in time to see the Iron Bowl begin. One second before the game ended, Chris Davis ran back a missed field goal 109 yards to give Auburn the win, 34-28.
Ready for the influx of business Cliff knew what was coming, he and his wife sprinted back to open the shop again.
After the success of last season, Cliff and other downtown businesses are preparing for another big year on The Plains.
"It turned out to be such an incredible year, we almost weren't prepared for it," Cliff said. "So this year we are trying our best to be prepared for anything and hope that we have a repeat of last year."
City revenues see a notable spike during football season, according to Auburn Public Affairs director David Dorton.
Like the businesses, Auburn public safety officials are preparing to handle the traffic flow and influx of people brought in Saturdays. But the preparations are more than just getting ready for money.
"Football season is not just economics," Dorton said. "The whole community loves our football."
In 2011, after Auburn won their second national championship, there was a big increase in business, said Aaron Kelley, assistant manager of 17-16. This year, he is expecting the same thing.
17-16 has been stocking up on beer, liquor and ice, and making sure the employees are ready for game days this past week. They are also adding amenities to their renovated back bar area.
The investments in business return well, and Kelley estimates nearly half of their business comes from game days.
"During the offseason we're pretty busy as well," Kelley said. "But game days are just an extra bonus."
In the back room of Auburn Art, paper-wrapped rectangle packages and boxes crowd an already full storage room. Cliff is unloading more inventory, finding nooks and crannies for the art and memorabilia that will later be on the walls of Auburn fans.
Cliff is an Auburn businessman. He understands how important game days are for the students and fans, and how important the football season is for the local economy.
Despite the majority of the year's income for downtown businesses coming from the end of August to the end of November, Cliff said many of the downtown businesses collaborate to give the Auburn Family prices they can all afford.
"We are in the mindset that we would rather everyone have art and enjoy it, rather than us make a killing off of everybody," Cliff said. "I think that downtown contributes to that, and we do a lot of special things that you don't see in other college towns. We have a special touch that we try and do for everybody."
(09/21/15 10:21pm)
Councilmember Arthur Dowdell was defeated by challenger Clemon Byrd in the Auburn City Council election held Aug. 26.
Dowdell, who has served four terms on the council since 1994, only garnered 147 votes to Byrd's 246. Dowdell announced his intention to dispute the results.
"We are going to file a lawsuit against Clemon Byrd, because Clemon Byrd is not a representative of this district," Dowdell said. "Clemon Byrd has committed a crime, he signed his declaration, but he's not in this district."
Dowdell also said there was voter fraud. He claimed a woman named Ann Torbert was turned away because someone had already voted in her name.
Torbert, when reached by phone, claimed someone with the name Tarbert had voted in her place.
"The poll worker had scratched out my name and respelled it," Torbert said, "And there wasn't even a Tarbert anywhere else on the list."
Despite the irregularity Torbert said she was allowed to cast a vote.
David Dorton, director of public relations for Auburn, confirmed that a poll worker had crossed out the wrong name, but both voters were registered to vote.
After the vote was announced at city hall, a female Dowdell supporter confronted Byrd's wife and shouted at her. The supported was removed from city hall by police, and Dowdell left with her.
Byrd said he was not surprised by Dowdell's dispute of the election results.
"It won't be the first time," Byrd said referring to Dowdell's potential lawsuit. "If he wants to file another one, let him go ahead and file another one. The facts are going to remain the same."
Byrd said he was unaware of any voter fraud.
"I'd like to thank everyone for their support and I look forward to working with the students of Auburn," Byrd said. "I'm ready to roll up my sleeves and work hard for Ward 1."
The biggest win margin of the night came in Ward 5. Recently retired Wrights Mill Road Elementary principal Lynda Tremaine received 84 percent of the vote over incumbent Robin Kelley.
Kelley was running for his third term.
Tremaine has never served in politics before, but said she is confident she will make a smooth transition into office.
"I've got a lot to learn," Tremaine said. "I know I do."
Tremaine said she feels like she is a quick learner, and "like I've got my foot in the door with understanding how the city is run."
A total of 886 people turned out for the Ward 5 elections, which was a higher turnout than Carolyn Carr, voter inspector for Wards 5 and 6, expected. More than twice the amount of people voted in Ward 5 than any other wards with elections.
The closest election was between Beth Witten and Wendell McLain. Witten won with 55 percent of the vote.
"It was a roller coaster day," Witten said. "It was hot, it was breezy it was nerve racking. Moments of not sure who is voting for who. Just knowing that all of our hard work has paid off is fantastic."
While people were casting their ballots, McLain said the people of Ward 3 would be in good hands no matter who won.
"I think the Ward will be in good shape," McLain said after the results were announced. "Beth Witten will make a fine council person."
In Ward 6, incumbent Dick Phelan won with 62 percent of the vote against Brad Donnelly.
Although the election is over, disputes over Ward 1 will continue.
"We're not going to give up," Dowdell said. "We're going to file a lawsuit. We're not done with this election."
(08/24/14 6:00pm)
Residents in Wards 1, 3, 5 and 6 will vote to elect their representatives for the Auburn City Council for the 2014-2018 term on Aug. 26.
Clemon Byrd, Ward 1
Byrd is a graduate of the Alabama Military Academy and an Afghanistan War veteran. He spent 15 years working with the Auburn Police Division as a police officer, corporal, training officer, police sergeant and D.A.R.E. school resource officer.
Byrd graduated from Auburn High School in 1995. He received his B.S. in criminal justice from Faulkner University. He is also a graduate of the Montgomery Police Academy.
If elected, Byrd would like to develop mentor programs for Auburn's youth, build a positive relationship between residents of Ward 1 and public safety officials, create a job fair for the community and start a gun turn-in program to assist removal of illegal guns.
Arthur Dowdell, Ward 1
Dowdell is running for re-election for Ward 1. He was first elected in 1994 and has represented Ward 1 since then for every term except one.Dowdell is an Auburn native and served in the Army.
While serving on City Council, he helped create student communications during City Council meetings.
"We want to continue that rapport because it's the best way to know what the students want," Dowdell said.
Dowdell is a minister and civil rights activist. If re-elected, he hopes to improve the relationship between the police force and residents, work toward the city hiring more minorities and ensure that students are safe downtown.
Beth Witten, Ward 3
Witten has lived in Auburn since 1997 and is the managing partner of the marketing and event management firm Blue Turtle Creative.
Witten serves on the Auburn Chamber of Commerce board. She also coordinates the Auburn-Opelika Air Show, honoring veterans and raising money for aviation education.
If elected, Witten said she would focus on funding for facilities and resources at Auburn City Schools. She would also like to take the steps needed to create more historic preservation areas and recruit more retail businesses.
"We need a stronger partnership with the University and student organizations," Witten said. "I think we have a good base for a relationship, but it could be stronger.
Wendell McLain, Ward 3
McLain is a retired Brigadier General with the Alabama National Guard and a veteran of the Gulf War. He worked for Alabama Power for 38 years and received his B.S. from Jacksonville State University and his master's degree from Troy University. If elected, McLain said he would improve handicap accessibility around Auburn, improve streets and infrastructure and recruit new industries and jobs by partnering with small businesses.
McLain has three children that graduated from Auburn University and six grandchildren in the Auburn public school systems.
"The city and Auburn University have had a long, good relationship," McLain said. "We want to make it easy for students when they come here to get relocated and settled in."
Robin Kelley, Ward 5
Kelley is running for his third re-election for Ward 5 and has been a representative of the wardfor two terms.
Kelley received his B.A. in political science and government from Virginia Wesleyan College.
He recieved his master's in public administration and master's in community planning from Auburn University and his Juris Doctorate at the University of Alabama.
He is bar certified in both Alabama and Georgia.
Kelley has also served in the Army Reserve for eight years.
If re-elected, Kelley said he hopes to continue improving the quality of life in Auburn and make it a better place for students to stay and raise a family. He also wants to improve outdoor recreational activities for the city and inlcude more family-friendly events.
Lynda Tremaine, Ward 5
Tremaine is a fifth-generation Auburn resident.
She was a teacher for 24 years and recently retired after serving as principal of Wrights Mill Road Elementary for 16 years. She said her experience as an educator has prepared her for a seat on the council.
If elected, she would like to work on getting more retail and businesses to move into downtown Auburn.
She would also focus on ensuring the city's growth doesn't affect the efficiency of its public safety officials.
Tremaine owns and rents three houses to Auburn University students.
She said she believes the city needs to work more closely with the University. Tremaine said she believes working with the University is important because it is central to the city's economy.
Brad Donnelly, Ward 6
Donnelly is an Auburn native with a long history in public safety. He has worked for the Auburn Police Department, the Lee County Sherriff's Department, the U.S. Secret Service under President Ronald Reagan and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Donnelly also has a strong connection to Auburn University. His father was a professor and researcher in plant breeding for 40 years and his son recently graduated in criminology.
According to Donnelly, residents have been telling him the current City Council is like "the good ole' boys." He said he believes this is because they have no opposition.
If elected, he would like to fight for a two-term limit in City Council, encourage business growth, balance the budget and stay better connected with his constituents.
Dick Phelan, Ward 6
Phelan is running for re-election.
He has served on City Council for 12 years, and served as mayor pro tempore for the past eight years.
He graduated from the Naval Academy, served as a Navy pilot and was the Commanding Officer of the Naval ROTC Unit at Auburn University.
He is currently a financial planner for Wilson Investment Group.
Phelan said he believes his years of experience with City Council will benefit the citizens if he is reelected.
"It takes a couple years to get oriented," Phelan said. "I believe my history has really helped me with that."
Phelan would focus on bringing in new businesses, as well as making Auburn an attractive place for businesses to stay.
(08/21/14 12:00pm)
U-Haul and Penske trucks navigated Auburn's streets and filed into town the second week of August as students moved into their new apartments. The residents in Building 2 at 319 Bragg, however, are unable to set up their new home.
Roommates Ashley Burrow, senior in graphic design, and Ashley Brasfield, senior in special education, received an email July 15 from 319 Bragg stating they were not able to move in as scheduled.
They received another email Aug. 5 that 319 Bragg had to put them in a hotel until the apartments are completed. On Aug. 11, Burrow and Brasfield learned their apartments was not going to be finished by the scheduled move-in date of Aug. 15.
"The pool is done, the tanning beds, the study rooms, the weight room, the lobby and the offices are done," Burrow said. "But the apartments aren't done."
According to a statement made by Lauren Melby, member of 319 Bragg's marketing and public relations firm, construction was delayed because of weather conditions last winter.
"We are in the process of finishing the final components of the interior of the building," Melby said.
When signing their lease, Brasfield said 319 Bragg did not guarantee the apartments would be completed on schedule. They did, however, state that only under strange circumstances would it not be done and the apartment complex would handle all rooming accommodations.
319 Bragg is paying for rooms for residents who are still waiting for their building to finish at Home-Towne Suites of Auburn. The hotel is 3 miles from campus near the Village Mall.
"During their time at the hotel, the residents of Building 2 are living rent-free, have access to the Auburn transit line, are able to take advantage of all of the amenities offered in Building 1 and were able to move all of their belongings into Building 2 so that once the second building is complete, it will be a smooth transition into their new home," Melby said.
Burrow and Brasfield chose to stay with a friend instead.
During a phone conversation with Laura Burrow, Ashley's mother, 319 Bragg told her it could be another four weeks. Brasfield called 319 Bragg and was told it should be done in two weeks, according to Burrow.
"We went there last Friday, and they said that they couldn't give us a date because they didn't want to give us wrong information," Brasfield said.
Officials at 319 Bragg are working to keep their current residents happy.
"After seeing their future home and everything that they have to look forward to," Melby said in an email, "our residents have been very understanding and are just excited to live at 319 Bragg. We have already started a wait list for Fall 2015."
Burrow's belongings are in her friend's apartment she is staying at. Brasfield's belongings are at her home in Birmingham. Both said moving during classes will be difficult, and they are trying to get out of their contract to live somewhere else.
"Seeing as I'm living out of a suitcase with no books or anything, that's affecting my classes," Burrow said.
(05/22/14 3:00pm)
Freshman year of college can be intimidating. Maybe it is because of being in an unknown area, or because friends from back home have all split up. Or, maybe, it's the dorm-life horror stories that get passed around.
Auburn University offers four on-campus housing areas for students; the Hill, the Quad, the Village and South Donahue Residence Hall. The buildings are co-ed, but genders are separated by floor level.
Each hall has a Resident Assistant, or RA, who helps students that live on their floor.
"We are the providers of free food," said Carol Linde, junior majoring in political science and psychology and RA in the Quad's Dunn Hall. "We are the ones who are going to come downstairs in the middle of the night when you lock yourself out. We, generally speaking, have some discretion on when its quiet hours, and what is quiet."
Linde saw many different problems freshmen had as an RA for the 2013-2014 school year. Despite those problems, she said one of the best ways to get involved in the Auburn community is to get involved with the people living on your hall.
The majority of residents that live on campus are freshmen who choose to live with a random roommate, according to Linde.
Colby Stevens, sophomore in pre-business from New Hampshire, chose to live with a random roommate his freshman year.
"My roommate, Will Martin, and I were randomly put together, and honesty I lucked out," Stevens said. "I couldn't have had a better year. We may not see as much of each other recently, but I'm still close to him."
As well as making a new friend, Stevens said that living close to the dining halls and being able to sleep in longer before class were the best parts of living in an on-campus dorm.
Dorm life is a big transition for many students.
Linde said bathroom issues are usually the hardest adjustment.
Residents in the Hill and the Quad share a bathroom with their roommate and their two suite mates. In the Village and South Donahue Residence Hall, each bathroom is shared by two people.
"Most people have not shared a bathroom that is, like, the size of a closet, with three other girls in my case," Linde said. "I know for girls sharing a bathroom that tiny is a major issue. Even people who get along with their suitemates and stuff, bathrooms are just a very big problem for them."
Communication with roommates is the key to survival in the dorms.
"Communicate with your roommate; you're living with this person," Linde said. "It doesn't matter if you hate them, it does not matter. You have to find a way to live with them, and that's a good life experience if you have to figure out how to live with them."
(04/25/14 9:00pm)
When I first tell people I am a journalism major and write for the school newspaper, the general response is something along the lines of, "Good luck finding a job."
It's an easy line of thought to fall into.
Spending the past year writing for the community section, however, has allowed me to expand my response about what my future looks like.
I still can't tell people what magazine or what newspaper I plan to write for after I graduate. I can't even tell them with all certainty if my favorite magazines and newspapers will still be printed by the time I graduate.
I can tell them I will be telling the stories of the common person, like I do every week for the community section of The Plainsman.
In my first month on the job, I was assigned to do a profile story about the owner of U&I Boutique, Maya Ozokur. She is a Bosnian refugee and escaped from an internment camp at the age of six with her family.
It was a heavy subject. It took me more hours to write than I would like to admit; partly because I was still new to writing stories, and partly because the burden of asking about and telling the story behind someone's most personal life experiences was something I was still uncomfortable with.
Then, after the story was published, I saw that people were interested in it. Most importantly, Ozokur was interested in it.
I got faster at writing and better at gathering the right information with each passing week, but those new skills weren't the best part of writing for The Plainsman.
There is something about seeing your story and pictures printed on a newspaper, or posted on a news website that brings a genuine smile to the subject's face.
I got to see that smile on a clown-puppeteer turned entrepreneur, the daughter of a famous Boston boxer who had been on the run from the mafia and a bail bondsman who helps bail out Auburn students.
I've gotten to tell the story of the underground skateboarding culture fighting to make their mark on Auburn.
I've attended city council meetings and informed the public about those in power.
While working for the community section I developed a reputation. I became the person people came to for information. Even if I wasn't the person reporting on the story, I knew things other people were curious about.
That's what writing for The Plainsman, and writing for any newspaper or magazine, is about.
I don't write, or want to write, for money or fame. I'm not entering the journalism field because it's a growing job market. I do it because people need to know what is going on around them and who the people in their community really are.
By writing for the community section this past year, I grew up. I learned every person has their own private story that is truly amazing. I learned the Auburn community is small in size, but everyone here has a unique past.
Most importantly, I learned how critical it is to follow the news and learn about the people around you, because if it wasn't for The Plainsman, getting stuck in the Auburn bubble would be too easy.
(04/20/14 7:05pm)
Heritage Road is similar to many other residential roads in Auburn.
The quiet is only broken by the chirps of birds playing on carefully manicured lawns. Relatively few cars drive by, all of which are driving slower than the speed limit.
A bright yellow plastic child holds a flag to warn vehicles that there may be children playing near the street.
Instead of children, two college kids on skateboards blur past, polyurethane wheels making a sound unlike many others as they roll across the smoothly paved gravel street.
Will Goodwin, senior in biochemistry from Fairhope, and Richie Kesseli, senior in chemistry from New Hampshire, are part of Auburn's skateboarding subculture.
They are members of the group Auburn Downhill Campus Outlaw Circuit and compete in races across the Southeast.
Auburn Downhill's Facebook group currently has 105 members. Kesseli posts when local and regional races will be and encourages letting other members know about impromptu skate sessions.
The group also holds races of their own.
"We were getting good turnouts," Kesseli said. "Maybe 10 kids or something like that. That's really good. Recently, it's been kind of hard."
Many of the original members of Auburn Downhill are nearing graduation, and there aren't many people left to carry on Auburn's skating culture.
"It's hard to find dedicated people to skate in Auburn," Kesseli said. "To actually go and longboard. I know that you'll see a lot of kids pushing around on campus going to class and stuff, but to get kids out and actually come and skate with us is pretty hard. We really just have our solid group of like five or six kids that are always down to skate whenever."
At 223 N. Gay St., at the end of a driveway between a white mansion and the Circle K, stands Pop Love-It Skate Shop.
The small white building with a yellow trim has a bench made partly with skateboard decks and a waxed concrete block to skate on in the parking lot.
The walls are lined with racks of skateboards, brightly colored wheels and a small shoe selection. A muted television plays a skateboarder's highlight video, and rock music is played from the computer.
Behind the counter Josh Loveland, owner, employee and everything in between, understands first-hand how small Auburn's skateboard culture is.
"It's very much underground," Loveland said. "We have no skate park or physical evidence that we're here."
The closest thing Auburn had to a skate park was taken down to build a senior center in 2012.
Loveland opened his business in 2010,
now, nearly four years later, Pop Love-It remains the only physical location for Auburn residents to purchase skateboarding equipment.
Loveland is also the biggest factor in petitioning Auburn city government to decriminalize skateboarding as a means of conveyance in downtown Auburn.
The petition, Four Wheels Down and skate park initiative, has more than 350 signatures.
"I want to get skateboarding decriminalized by working with the city," Loveland said. "I would also like to build a community park."
Walking up the road they had just raced down, Kesseli and Goodwin are breathing heavily. Depending on the road, Kesseli said, the skateboarders can reach speeds ranging from 30-50 miles per hour.
Goodwin is part of Auburn Downhill for the thrill and because he wants to keep the skating culture alive in Auburn.
"Everyone's always chill and welcoming," Goodwin said. "No matter what skill level you're at, everyone is understanding. They're just excited that there's people out there skating."
(04/16/14 3:10am)
Questions about the safety of several railroad crossings were brought to attention at the Auburn City Council meeting on April 15, five days after a train and 18 wheeler collision.
The railroad crossings in question were worked on by the CSX Corporation in March. Councilman Arthur Dowdell raised the concerns.
"We have been in close contact with CSX," City Manager Charles Duggan said. "Actually, they are coming back to work on those crossings. I believe two trucks have been hit by trains thus far, and several of them have gotten stuck."
Auburn has notified local industries to inform truckers about railroad crossings that may be difficult to cross, and warning signs have been put in place. Duggan stated that he is not aware of any legal actions taken against the city or CSX.
The City Council also took further action in the Downtown Parking Phase 2A Project. The College Street and Magnolia Avenue alleyways were given to the city by Lipscomb Investment Company, Ltd. for the project.
Auburn intends to work on the project during the summer, and have it completed before football season begins in the fall, according to Duggan.
The original proposal for the project covered the parking area between the parking deck and the buildings that front college street. Currently, the project managers are concentrating on improving the alleyways.
The city was required to scale back because funds were needed to address the over-population of the city schools.
"I hope that sometime this spring, before June, we'll have proposals before the council and the school board for future building and future funding for the school system," Duggan said.
(04/02/14 3:04am)
Two members of the City Council, including Mayor Bill Ham, made it clear they will run for reelection this year at the City Council meeting on April 1.
Elections for Auburn city government officials are held on even-numbered years on the fourth Tuesday in August.
Councilman Arthur Dowdell prefaced his reelection announcement with a concern that he heard from a local preacher.
"I was in a meeting the other day and it was brought to my attention that someone had written to preachers in our community," Dowdell said. "I won't say the preacher's name, but they contacted me that someone from the city council has went in our community where I serve, asking people to run against me."
Dowdell promised that his supporters will "turn out in large numbers in every facet" on election day.
"You thought they weren't going to tell me?" Dowdell asked. "Since that happened, we are going to have the largest turn out in our community ever, you will see it."
Dowdell left promptly after the meeting adjourned, and could not be reached for further comment at the time of publication.
Ham, who has served as mayor for 16 years, was considering focusing on his business interests instead of running for the mayoral position again. He decided to run after a large group of business people in the community asked him to consider it.
If reelected, Ham wants to focus on the Renew Opelika Road project, the Downtown Master Plan project and school expansion.
"My biggest driving force is the schools," Ham said.
The number of students at Auburn city schools has doubled in the last 12 years, and is currently getting around 500 new students per year, according to Ham.
"A lot of people don't realize how important that is to the stability of the community," Ham said. "I pledge to find the solution."
A 9-mill property tax increase to fund a new high school failed in September of 2013.
If this is Ham's last time running for mayor, he doesn't know it.
"Well," Ham said. "I've learned never say never."
(04/02/14 4:45pm)
According to Auburn Planning Department principal planner Justin Steinnman,
the plan proposes to make improvements from the start of Opelika Road on Gay Street to the road's city limits.
Changes include making the street more aesthetically appealing, friendlier to pedestrians and bicyclists and more attractive to new businesses.
Opelika Road has been broken up into three areas for the plan: from Gay Street to Dean Road, Dean Road to East University Drive and East University Drive to the city limits.
One way Renew Opelika Road is trying to attract new businesses is by updating the zoning code. The zoning code dictates what type of buildings can be built in certain areas of the city.
"Right now, the zoning only allows, in pretty large portions of the corridor, commercial development," Steinnman said. "It doesn't allow mixed use development. It has pretty stringent set backs, especially on the front [near Gay Street.]"
Mixed-use development would allow a combination of residential, commercial, cultural or industrial uses. This zoning would reduce distances between housing, workplaces and retail businesses.
The first projects under Renew Opelika Road will bookend the street, focusing on the section between Gay and Ross streets, and the East University Drive-Opelika Road intersection near the mall.
"We're really looking at doing two projects on either end of the corridor to help improve traffic flow on the Opelika side," Steinnman said. "But also to make aesthetic improvements and pedestrian improvements on both areas to help demonstrate some of the things we would like to see on the corridor."
The city is working with individual business owners to make a positive impact.
There are currently 23 acres of vacant buildings and 64 acres of vacant land the project plans to fill, according to the Renew Opelika Road Corridor Plan on the city's website.
Mekenzie Hargaden, sophomore in pre-vet who lives in the off-campus housing complex Creekside on Opelika Road, is excited about the idea of new businesses that may come with the Renew Opelika Road project.
"We go to Chili's a lot, and Cancun's," Hargaden said. "If there were more restaurants and stores conveniently on Opelika, yeah, that would be great."
The community can expect some lane closures, but there will not be any four-lane closures that require detours, according to Steinnman.
On April 8, the city will have a public meeting to review the proposed changes to the public.
(03/27/14 6:15pm)
As the Auburn Downtown Master Plan is nearing completion, Auburn residents should expect to see renovations before the end of summer.
Citizens gave their input over a course of meetings starting last August and ending March 11. The Auburn Planning Department is working on including input from the general public, business owners and the University into a final plan to implement in downtown Auburn.
Mayor Bill Ham and the Auburn City Council will discuss the plan in April, take it to a public hearing in May and finally put it to a council vote in June, according to Forrest Cotten, director of the Auburn Planning Department.
The master plan will serve as a general guide to the growth of downtown. It will include allowing business growth by setting aside more areas for commercial use through zoning code changes.
Alleyway renovations and streetscape improvements, such as planting new trees and making the sidewalks and streets more pedestrian and biker friendly are also included in the new plan.
The majority of these improvements will be located in the Urban Core District.
The Urban Core is intended to be the retail, financial, service, historical and religious districts of Auburn.
"Right now, the zoning outside the Urban Core proper wouldn't allow downtown to grow in a way that matches the existing Urban Core," said Justin Steinmann, principal planner with the Auburn Planning Department. "A lot of our work on the regulatory side will be trying to adjust the zoning code to encourage the type of development that we want to see."
The plan proposes expanding the Urban Core approximately 40 acres, which is around the same size as 40 football fields, to the east and the south.
The renovations will be funded by the city's general fund.
Auburn City Council members will decide how much money from the general fund to put toward capital projects.
According to Steinmann, the funding availability for the Auburn Downtown Master Plan varies depending on other expenses that draw from the master fund, such as road re-pavement and new vehicle purchases.
(03/21/14 5:00pm)
Editor's Note: The pet owners' names and residence location have been withheld to protect their privacy and security.
(03/18/14 1:34am)
Two individuals have been taken into custody in connection with a shooting in Auburn on Monday afternoon, March 17, according to Auburn Police Capt. Lorenza Dorsey.
(03/05/14 8:15pm)
Corey Marmaduke watched as a bullet shot in his direction and passed through a bathroom door.
He had been an Airborne Army Ranger more than 20 years ago, his tight crew cut a remnant of his past. In this instance, however, he wasn't fighting in the Gulf War.
Marmaduke broke through the lock, apprehended the drug addict who shot at him and then took him to jail. Marmaduke doesn't take "no" for an answer when you don't pay your bail bond.
Bad Boyz Bail Bonds, off Frederick Road, blends the hard-nosed attitude necessary with a mom-and-pop atmosphere.
Janet Marmaduke is an Auburn native and the motherly figure to the business. Her dark-rimmed glasses hold her hair back, and her pink fleece vest matches her pink Bad Girlz business cards. The license plate of her white Corvette with two red racing stripes down the middle reads "BADGRLZ." It is obvious that Bad Girlz is as much a part of the business as Bad Boyz.
Janet said the mom-and-pop atmosphere is what sets them apart from other bail bond companies. That, and the catchy name their 23-year-old daughter came up with.
"I've been here all my life," Corey said. "I know a lot of people. I know the judges. We cater to the students, and we are probably the easiest bail bond company for a student to go through because we're mom-and-pop owned. I don't have anybody to answer to."
Janet worked as a psychiatric nurse for East Alabama Mental Health before she started helping with the business. She admitted it is hard to find employees, but with future expansion it is necessary to hire more people.
Corey started his bail bonds business 19 years ago after he was raised in Hillsboro, Mo.
If a person out on bail does not appear at his or her court date, the court gives the bail bond company 30 days to return the person. If that fails, the bail bondsman must pay the full price of the bond.
Corey has been across the United States chasing people who fail to appear. He has made trips to Illinois, Ohio, Virginia and Florida.
Pursuing a college student who failed to appear at court, Corey said he drove his white customized Chevrolet Tahoe to Las Vegas. It isn't hard to spot. An oranged-out rear window displays the company information, and the side is adorned with a blown-up picture of the company logo: a thick-necked, broad shouldered man with a crew cut: a caricature of Corey Marmaduke.
One day before Bad Boyz was going to have to pay the forfeiture of the bond, Corey returned his client to court. He apprehended the student in a casino and returned him in two days. In the past 19 years, Bad Boyz has been able to find all but five people.
"My husband drove out to Las Vegas mostly for general principle," Janet said. "It cost us just about as much to get out there and get him to come back as the $3,000 bond."
The workday for a bail bondsman is not 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. While not in the office, the Marmaduke's answer their phones regardless of the time. It is hard for Janet to remember a Christmas that Corey hasn't had to get up from Christmas dinner to bail someone out of jail.
The only thing the Marmadukes don't do is leave their Sunday service at the Cowboy Church on Highway 280.
Corey carries a gun with him at all times, but has never drawn his weapon on anyone while working at Bad Boyz. Janet is licensed, but has never carried a gun on her.
"I think everybody should be able to carry a concealed weapon," Janet said. "There's no law for criminals that carry the weapons, that are illegal. I'm going to protect myself. I think if you're a registered gun owner, you're in the right. You're on the good side."
The Marmadukes are in business to help their clients. They prefer not to, but Corey said he is not afraid to chase down people when he needs to.
"That's not the way I want to do it," Corey said. "I'm a big boy and I've been doing this a long time, but I have a wife and daughter and I'm going to make sure I come home at night."
(02/27/14 2:00am)
Irish boxing legend Tommy Connors had a reputation of being tough both inside and outside of the ring in South Boston's "Southie" region. It was a necessary character trait in a neighborhood dominated by Irish mafia, and one his daughter proved to have inherited as she fought adversity to start a business in Opelika.
Lisa Ditchkoff spent her childhood on the run. Shortly after Ditchkoff's mother, Judy Connors, divorced Tommy, and while she began dating another man, black flowers were laid on their doorstep with an ominous note that read, "Just a warning. Keep Judy away from that biker."
Judy knew how life worked in Southie. She knew if a hit was placed on her and her new boyfriend, she did not have long to escape.
Judy moved her family to Tulsa, Okla. She was constantly looking over her shoulder for any hit men that might have followed her family halfway across the country.
Ditchkoff has moved far from her childhood, now. After having her first child at 15, Ditchkoff turned her life around. On her 40th birthday in 2010, she opened the Event Center Downtown in Opelika, following her dream to own a unique venue.
In the heart of downtown, the center holds Wine Down Wednesdays. This weekly event is part of Ditchkoff's plan to make a place for the community where everyone has a friend.
"It is quiet, relaxed and intimate," said Clemon "Bird man" Byrd, director of entertainment. "It's a wine-down time."
Ditchkoff, an entrepreneur, author, mother of two and self-described "service person," capitalized on the struggles of her past to make a gathering place for locals to share their own life stories over $5 glasses of wine.
For the regular patrons of Wine Down Wednesday, the ambiance provides the unique experience that Ditchkoff was aiming for.
"It's a different atmosphere that you can't get at the bars in downtown Auburn," said Dave Herbert, a frequent patron.
Wine Down Wednesday is one of three weekly events at the Event Center Downtown. All Songwriters Night with Marc Kenney is held every Tuesday at 7 p.m., and Byrd plays the saxophone with his band, Satin Soul, on the first Friday of every month at 9 p.m.
Byrd said he has seen first-hand the transformation of the old Coca-Cola bottling building into a local hang out and event center.
"It used to look like walking into a big attic," Herbert said.
The upstairs room of the event center looks far from an attic today. Wood floors and a full bar have replaced the storage boxes and old machinery. A patio over looking scenic downtown Opelika is used during the warmer months, complete with the backdrop of small-town city lights and elaborate church rooftops.
First-time visitors get to sample Ditchkoff's signature martini, the Caterpillar 'Tini, which draws its name from her autobiography, "The Girl With the Caterpillar Eyebrows."
Ditchkoff's Wine Down Wednesday attracts a wide variety of patrons.
"We have a very diverse group of people that come," Ditchkoff said. "From a woman who carries her walker up the stairs to 21-year-old students."
The diversity of people isn't the only quality that makes Wednesday nights in the Event Center Downtown unique. Each customer knows Ditchkoff by name, and new visitors quickly realize this isn't a place to be shy.
"Lisa, I see you dancing," one patron yells as the song changes. "Come here and take a picture with us. You always have to be the one behind the camera."
As the night nears 8 p.m., and people begin to file out, each person says their goodbyes to friends, old and new.
Ditchkoff personally walks each customer out and ends the night in a warm embrace. An embrace carrying with it a feeling of closure.
In 2004, after 27 years of hiding, Ditchkoff reunited with her father. Tommy was still tough despite being retired from his old life, but Ditchkoff instantly reconnected with him. They continue to see each other, and Ditchkoff said she visits him in Southie.
(02/19/14 11:00pm)
Tucked away off of Exit 62, a puppeteer sits outside of his business chatting with a customer from the clothes outlet next door.
Dance music thumps from inside, punctuated by the dinging and roaring of arcade games lining the side wall around an 18-hole mini-golf course.
George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Teddy Roosevelt look over the American-themed course from their place on the miniature Mount Rushmore. Themed holes play off of landmarks such as the Washington Monument, the Gateway Arch and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Owner and puppeteer Doug Long purchased Scutter Putters, previously USA Mini Golf, June 1 of last year.
Since then, the business has seen new purple and glow-in-the-dark paint, a re-vamped party room and a wall of arcade games. These additions are only a piece of Long's vision since deciding he wanted to take a break from the traveling life of a puppeteer performer.
Long is a self-taught puppeteer and ventriloquist. He worked at Disney World on the Lion King puppet show and with the Henson Company in New York. He toured the states east of the Mississippi River with the Granpa Cratchet Puppet Company for three years.
In 2006, Long started his own puppet show starring Rowdy Rooster. Long and Rowdy travel with fairs performing shows, but the Opelika native was ready for a change.
"I just got tired of the travel, pulling the trailer up and down the road," Long said. "I figured I would like to stay home, but still wanted to stay in kid-related entertainment. That's when I found this place."
Learning that the previous owner was looking to sell, Long saw the potential.
"Back when I walked in here, I envisioned what it could be for kids all the way up to college-age and adults," Long said.
Scutter Putters is the only completely indoor golf course in Alabama, according to Long. It has drawn not only locals to the store, but also families from Montgomery, Columbus, G.A. and Ft. Benning, G.A.
Currently, Long is trying to break away from people's impressions of the golf course before he became the owner.
"We've been really trying to reach the students [in Auburn]," Long said. "Because if you're not in the party scene or club scene, you're looking for somewhere to go besides that. Several students who have found that I'm out here come out Friday and Saturday nights."
Friday and Saturday nights are black-light nights at Scutter Putters. Glow-in-the-dark balls and holes are used to light the course, and a mirror ball, fog machine and laser lights add to the atmosphere.
Jacob Clemmensen, junior in bio-systems engineering, said he did not know about Scutter Putters.
"If I was looking for something else to do in Auburn," Clemmensen said. "I would definitely consider going there."
Long said the biggest struggle that he has faced was getting the name out there, but that he is looking forward to the potential the business has.
"I saw the potential right when I walked in," Long said. "That is what I started working toward, the potential for what this place could be for the community, for all of Lee County. There's a lot of people in Lee County that don't even know it is here."
Golf costs $7 for one round, or $10 for unlimited. Long also offers a $2 student discount with a student ID.
Long has not stopped his career as a puppeteer throughout the process of making a new business. He will be doing more shows with Rowdy Rooster in fall, and is working on another show with a new character, Agnes Fitzgerald, who is a former performer from Las Vegas.
Eventually, Long said he believes the building could house both of his businesses.
"It's not unfeasible to make a little theater in the back," Long said. "Looking down the road, if I had to put it all together, I would have a puppet theater in the back where you could bring kids in on Saturday, then do a college or older themed show Saturday night."
The 18-hole tour of America started as a dream, one of many Long has.
"You know, dreaming doesn't cost anything," Long said. "I don't really look at myself as the entrepreneur. I just look at myself as a person who loves doing what I do. Entrepreneurs are the people with those big offices. I'm just a little person from here that just has dreams and always had dreams."