Abbeville, Alabama | City of Dogwoods | A Quarterly Newsletter | December 2012
Mayor Jim Giganti
exploring various avenues of reducing costs
of operations with some
of these recently being
implemented. We will
continue this effort until
our city is once again as
strong financially as it
was only a few years
ago.
This being my first article
for Abbeville Matters
since I was elected, I
want to express to each
and every one of you
how humbled and honored I am to be able to
serve as your mayor for
the next four years. I will
not take the duties of
this office lightly and will
serve to the best of my
ability.
My initial plans to advance the fiscal and
physical aspects of our
city remain unchanged.
Those are to maintain
services to our residents
without any increase in
tax revenues while retaining our current municipal workforce.
In the meantime, the city
council and I are already
Our long range objective
is to create an environment that will attract industry and retail establishments while complimenting those already in
existence. We want to
create jobs and bring
your standard of living to
higher levels than you
have witnessed for quite
some time.
Again, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve, and with
your prayers, we will be
able to reach our goals
for a better lifestyle
within a relatively short
period of time. The City
of Abbeville is our home,
and we as a council
want the very best for
the residents of this
beautiful city.
Jim Giganti
Mayor
Yatta Abba—April 20, 2013
Mark your calendars
now for Yatta Abba Day,
Saturday, April 20,
2013. Work has already
begun in preparation for
our annual Yatta Abba
Festival. The committee
is hard at work recruiting
new vendors, scheduling entertainment, and
working to make this
years’ event a memorable one.
Anyone desiring to be a
food or craft vendor may
download the appropriate forms now. Simply
go to:
www.cityofabbeville.org
and click on the Community tab. On the drop
down menu, scroll down
to Yatta Abba. There you
will find the necessary
forms to get ready for our
2013 festival.
You may also contact the
Abbeville Chamber of
Commerce for additional
information at
334.585.2273 or via
email at: [email protected] .
If you have any suggestions to improve our
event or would like to
help on one of the various committees, please
contact us as the Chamber office.
See you April 20, 2013
on the square in downtown Abbeville!
Page 2
Test Your Water Knowledge...
1. True or false? Sound travels faster through water than air?
2. Water is made up of what two elements?
3. What is another name for a tidal wave?
4. True or false? The Indian Ocean is the biggest ocean on Earth.
5. The solid state of water is known as what?
6. Can the average human survive without water for a few days or a few weeks?
7. True or false? Pure water is tasteless.
8. Nimbus, cumulus and stratus are types of what?
9. True or false? Water is an example of a chemical element.
10. Does water cover more or less than 50% of the Earth’s surface?
11. True or false? Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit).
12. When water is cooled, does it contract or expand?
13. Water freezes at what temperature?
14. True or false? Water is easy to compress.
15. What is the chemical formula of water?
16. The deepest point in all of the world’s oceans is named what?
17. True or false? The consumption of bottled water has risen significantly over the last few decades.
18. Pure water has a pH level of a around what number?
19. What is the longest river on Earth?
20. True or false? Ice sinks in water.
Senior Living
Depression in Senior
Citizens
Depression is a medical
condition that is characterized by feeling down, depressed, or hopeless; low
self-esteem; and loss of
interest in things one used
to enjoy. Senior citizens
are prone to life-altering
changes that can lead one
to feel depressed. Dealing
with the trials life throws at
us such as, loss, change,
loneliness, or a chronic
medical condition can be
quite overwhelming. Still,
depression is not a
"normal" part of aging. Like
heart disease or diabetes,
depression is a medical
condition and it can be
treated with medication
and therapy. (Winter Seasonal Depression in seniors and Fighting Holiday
Blues are also common
this time of year.)
It is important that senior
citizens and those providing their elder care understand the symptoms of depression. If you think you
or someone you know may
be suffering from depression, identify your symptoms. Then, if necessary,
seek assistance. For senior
citizens, the most frequently used resource is a
family doctor. Bringing a
trusted friend or relative
may help ease any anxiety
when going to an appointment.
may affect mood. Talk with
your doctor about each of
the medications you are
taking. Be sure to include
all over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal
supplements to minimize
the chances of having side
effects.
If you, or someone you
know, is spending much
time alone, please call
Abbeville Senior Center.
We have a great program
for anyone sixty years of
age and older. Sometimes
it helps to surround yourself with others dealing
with the same issues or
simply to have something
to look forward too.
Check your medications.
The Abbeville Senior CenSenior citizens often take
ter always has something
many medications. Some
for every senior! Come and
medications, including
those for sleep, blood pres- be a part of our family.
sure, and nervousness,
Sincerely,
Amanda Gamble
Center Director
Abbeville Senior Center
334-585-5900
*********************
DOMINO CHAMPIONS!
Abbeville Senior Center
would like to congratulate
Everette Oney and Thomas
McCoy on winning 1st place
in Dominoes Double Competition at the MASTERS
GAMES OF ALABAMA!
Page 3
Abbeville Recreation
The Parks and Recreation
Department is working
hard to maintain and improve the City parks. The
following work has been
done to do just that:
Girard Park fencing around
the old baseball field was
removed due to safety issues with the fence.
At ARC, ball park playing
surfaces were resurfaced
with new clay to fill in
eroded areas to make our
playing fields safer.
Currently, we are in the
process of refurbishing the
lighting at the ARC fields.
New Policy
A new park policy for ARC:
the gates will be locked
from dusk to dawn. Any-
one needing to use the
facilities will need to sign
out a key from the City of
Abbeville Police Department. We apologize for
any inconvenience, but this
policy was put in place due
to vandalism of the park at
night.
Sports Program News:
We would like to invite everyone out to support our
City League Basketball
Program this season. A
schedule of games will be
posted on the City Website
soon.
Thank you for your continued support of our recreational programs.
Danny Creel
Parks and Recreation Director
Employee
Recognition
Have you had exceptional
service from an employee
or employees in Abbeville?
If so, let us know. We want
to express our appreciation
for exceptional service.
Find an “Employee Appreciation Form” on line at the
City’s website or call us
and we’ll take your information over the phone at
334.585.6444.
The Mayor,
City Council and
Employees wish
you and yours a
Merry Christmas
& Happy New
Year!
Help us to recognize our
valued employees!
Street & Sanitation
The Sanitation Department and Street Department would like to thank
you for your cooperation
and support. Most residents are in compliance
with the way we handle
trash pickup. I still would
like to address the issue of
trash pickup, i.e., limbs,
construction debris, household furniture, appliances,
TV's and computers. By
doing so, we can ensure
we are on the same sheet
of music.
We have to dump debris at
the county landfill, which is
managed by Henry County.
Household trash such as
food, plastic, paper items,
computers, TV's, and
treated lumber cannot be
taken to the dump. Treated
lumber and treated plywood cannot be taken to
the dump at all. The home
owner is responsible for
disposing of these items
themselves. Homeowners
can take small amounts of
treated lumber to the transfer station, which is located
on county road 86 which is
north of Abbeville, off of
431 towards Eufaula. I
have a list of items that can
and cannot be picked up. If
you contact me I will be
more than happy to get you
a copy. To help you understand our requirements,
The City of Abbeville has
created door hangers that
will be placed on your door
when there is an issue with
any of these conditions or
any other conditions that
are stated on the door
hanger. All other items
must be set out with your
regular trash for pickup on
your regular trash day. Remember if your regular
trash pickup falls on a holi-
day, your trash will be
picked up the next day.
curb by 7:00 a.m. on your
scheduled day of pickup.
As a reminder to our residents, if you hire lawn
crews, tree services or any
other contract work; the
work crew is responsible
for removing all debris from
your location. They are not
allowed to place the debris
next to the road. You, as
the homeowner, need to be
clear with the contractor or
work crew that debris removal is their responsibility.
Please help us as we help
you. All loose household
trash must be in a 30 gallon
trash cans or plastic bags.
Please make sure your trash
cans are in good working
condition. If trash cans are
split to the point where they
will not hold trash, they will
be disposed of. I believe that
if we work together, we can
accomplish this. If you have
any questions, feel free to
contact me. My email address is
[email protected]
or call city hall 585-6444 during business hours - Monday
through Friday 8:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m. Thanks in advance
for your cooperation.
Now that leaves are falling,
and people are raking them
in piles it would helpful if
residents not put them in
the street, but behind the
curbs. This will help with
pickups and also will help
keep drains from clogging.
Please have all trash at the
Robert E. Wright
Sanitation/Street
Superintendent
Beyond the Shelves
Page 4
Abbeville Memorial Library spent much of
2012 making upgrades throughout the library
facility as well as making upgrades in technology and increasing our large print and
audio book collections.
On October 4th, the library had an Open House/ Mural
Reveal to share with the community the results of our
labor. Mrs. Paulette Riley’s mural is a wonderful addition to our Juvenile Department!
In the Adult Department, our new seating is quite comfortable for reading the local paper or browsing through
a magazine.
So what could Abbeville Memorial Library possibly be planning for 2013? LOTS! Oh yes, our patrons and visitors to
the community can look forward to the following library wish
list becoming a reality in the new year:
1. An active library webpage
2. E-books
3. Updated non-fiction collection (medical, science, technology, etc.)
4. Ancestry.com access
5. New programs for adults, teens, and children
A database for our local history room documents. (longterm project)
**Library Quotes:
“Libraries promote the sharing of knowledge, connecting people of
all ages with valuable information resources. These dynamic and
modern institutions, and the librarians who staff them, add immeasurably to our quality of life. “ - Former President George W. Bush
“A library is not a luxury but one of the necessities of life.” - Henry
Ward Beecher
HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!
From the Library Ladies,
Ms. Debbie, Library Director
Ms. Annie, Librarian Assistant
Miss Stephanie, Library Aid
**Abbeville Memorial Library will be closed for the following holidays:
DECEMBER 24th - CHRISTMAS EVE DAY
DECEMBER 25TH – CHRISTMAS DAY
JANUARY 1ST – NEW YEAR’S DAY
JANUARY 21- MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY
Training Your Dog - Lesson Three
We have covered the “sit command”
in a previous newsletter. Hopefully
you and your dog have mastered
this one and are ready to move on to
the “down command”. This is an
important part of your overall dog
obedience training program. It provides the foundation for many other
advanced commands and establishes you as the leader in the relationship you share with your dog.
The reason for this is the down
position is a submissive and vulnerable position for your dog to be in.
This command can be one you will
come to rely on in many situations.
When you are in the learning phase
of teaching the down command,
start out by making it very simple for
your dog, then slowly progress to a
more difficult level such as moving
your training sessions to a public
place, increasing the time you keep
your dog in the down position and
creating distractions such as a
bouncing ball or scattered treats.
What you are trying to achieve with
the down command is to have your
dog quickly get down into the laying
position, belly touching the ground
and front legs extended out in front.
Page 5
Begin in a familiar environment to
your dog with no distractions.
Let’s get started with Down Command – Off Leash:
*Put your dog into a sitting position.
*Get your dog’s favorite tasty treat
and hold it a couple of inches in front
of his/her nose. Move your hand
straight down to the ground. Your
dog should follow it down. Be sure to
encourage him as he goes down. As
soon as his belly is on the ground,
with legs out in front, give him plenty
of praise and a treat.
* Repeat this action
over and over in short
training sessions.
*When your dog is
going down right
away, you can add
the verbal part of the
command, which is
“down”. Add your
command just before
you start to move the
treat towards the
ground. This step is
all about building an association in
your dog’s mind between the verbal
“down” command and the act of him
lying down.
*After plenty of repetition and praise
your dog will only require the verbal
command and not the treat in your
hand to lure him down. Also in time you
will be able to start the command not
only from a sitting position but from
standing and in any situation you and
your dog are in.
*When your dog is responding well to
your verbal command, try the “down”
command as you go about your daily
business around other people or dogs
and increase the duration of the command.
Now let’s try the Down Command – On
Leash:
*Put your preferred collar
and leash on your dog.
*Place your dog into the
sitting position and stand
or kneel right next to him.
*You are trying to guide
your dog into the down
position. How you do this
depends on the size and
cooperation of your dog.
*Always say your “down”
command first, then immediately guide your dog in
the lying position. Take hold of the
leash and gently pull your dog’s head
down, at the same time guide him
down by pressing down between his
shoulder blades with the palm of your
On the Beat...
aren’t home.
When you buy items that
come in boxes, put the boxes
in your trash can or trash bags
before you put your garbage
curb side. Just
putting the empty
boxes at the curb
advertises what
cool, new toys and
gadgets you received for the holidays.
When walking back to your
vehicle as you leave the shopping malls, try to walk with
someone if possible and al-
ways try to park in a lighted
location preferably directly
under a parking lot light.
When returning to your car,
always carry your keys in
your hand. This way if you
are frightened, you can set
the alarm off in your car to
scare them off. You also
won’t be standing by your car
digging for your keys and be
distracted enough not to notice your surroundings.
Be safe and be alert of your
surroundings always!
Happy Holidays,
Chief Mike Jones
WATER QUIZ ANSWERS:
1. True
2. Hydrogen and oxygen 3. Tsunami
5. Ice
6. A few days
7. True
9. False
10. More - Around 70% 11. True
13. 0 °C (32 °F)
14. False
15. H20
17. True
18. 7
19. Nile River
These are the months for giving and receiving gifts. Make
sure when you purchase gifts,
if possible, to put them in the
trunk of your vehicle where
they will be out of sight from
the people that are looking for something to steal.
When you arrive home
and wrap your gifts,
place them under
your Christmas tree
but make sure to put
your Christmas tree
someplace where the gifts are
not viewable from the outside.
For instance, in a window area
is fine as long as you can
close the curtains when you
hand. You can also lift up your dog’s
front legs and extend them out in
front of him. Find the method that
works best for you and be sure to
encourage your dog all the way
down. Then of course as soon as he
is in the down position give him
plenty of praise.
*After lots of repetition your dog will
respond to your verbal command
only. Try this command when your
dog is in the standing position also.
You may add some distractions and
increase the time he is required to
stay in the down position.
Whichever method you choose to
teach your dog the down command,
be consistent and remember repetition is important.
When you are happy with your dog
getting into the down position you
will probably want to add a release
command to it, which means when
you issue your down command, your
dog goes straight down and is not
permitted to get up until you issue
another command. You can use
“away” or “off you go” for this purpose.
Vicki Bedsole
Deputy City Clerk
KNOW YOUR
EMERGENCY SIGNALS!
The City of Abbeville will do
monthly weather siren testing
at 10:00 a.m. on the first
Thursday of every month.
This test is to ensure that
back up power systems and
sirens are properly working.
In the event there is inclement weather, there will be a
silent test. We are making
every effort to ensure our
emergency systems are in
good working order for our
residents.
4. False - Pacific Ocean
8. Clouds
12. Expand
16. Mariana Trench
20. False - It floats
Grounds & Maintenance
We have to face the
facts: driving or riding in an automobile is a risky business. It has
been proven that wearing a seat
belt reduces the possibility of injury
or death. America’s roadways are
busier than ever before and drivers
deal not only with more traffic, but
more distraction. The distractions
could be talking on cell phones,
tuning the radio, smoking, eating,
putting make up on, or talking to a
passenger in your vehicle. The
demands on driver attention are at
an all time high.
Failure to wear a seat
belt contributes to more fatalities
than other single traffic safety related behavior. Sixty-three percent
of people killed in accidents are not
wearing seat belts. Approximately
35,000 people die in motor vehicle
crashes each year. About fifty percent (17,000) of these people could
be saved if they wore their safety
belts. Of every 100 children who
die in motor vehicle crashes at
least 80 would survive if they were
Page 6
properly secured in an approved
child safety seat or safety belts.
In 1996, more than sixty percent
of the occupants killed in fatal
crashes were unrestrained. If
ninety percent of Americans
buckle up, we will prevent more
than 5,500 deaths and 132,000
injuries annually.
The deaths and injuries
caused by drivers and occupants
not wearing their seat belt is $26
billion in economic cost to society
annually. On average, inpatient
hospital care costs for an unbelted crash victim are fifty percent higher than those for a
belted crash victim. Society
bears eighty-five percent of those
cost, not the individuals involved.
Every American pays about $580
a year toward the cost of
crashes. If everybody would
buckle up, this figure would drop
drastically. Seat belts save society an estimated $50 billion dollars annually in medical cost. By
reaching the goal of ninety per-
Abbeville Receives Grants
inmates, planted the roses which
were purchased from McCoy's
Feed & Seed in Abbeville.
Parks & Recreation Director
Danny Creel also received a
grant from the RC&D for several
pieces of equipment used to
maintain and groom the ball
fields.
Congratulations to both departments for seeking grant opportunities to improve our city programs.
Abbeville was recently awarded a
grant from the Wiregrass Resource
and Conservation Council to plant
roses around the memorial cross at
the Abbeville Memorial Cemetery
East. Abbeville’s Grounds and
Beautification Department headed
by Billy Wayne Bedsole and assisted by Terry Creel and several
Grateful appreciations is expressed to the Wiregrass RC&D
Council for awarding these
beneficial grants to the Grounds
& Beautification Department and
Recreation Department.
cent seat belt use, and twentyfive percent reductions in child
fatalities, we could save an additional $8.8 billion dollars annually. For every one percent in
safety belt use, one hundred
seventy-two lives and close to
$100 million dollars in annual
injury and death cost could be
saved.
The safety belt will trap
me in a burning or submerged
vehicle or maybe it is better if I
am thrown from the vehicle. Less
than one-half percent of injury
producing collision involves fire
or submersion. If we don’t wear
our safety belts, and are thrown
out of our vehicle, we have a
very good chance of being
knocked unconscious and not
responding. If we don’t wear
safety belts, and are thrown out
of our vehicle, our chances of
being seriously injured increases
twenty-five percent and our
chance of being fatally injured
increases six percent. In 2005, of
the fatalities that occurred in rollover crashes in rural areas seventy-seven percent of the occupants were unbelted and sixtyeight percent of the SUV occupants were not wearing a seat
belt.
Wearing seat belts is still
the most effective thing we can do
to save lives and reduce injuries
on America’s roadways. Remind
everyone in the vehicle to buckle
up. Make sure children ride properly restrained in the back seat in
a child restraint seat or properly
secured with the a seat belt. Remember that seat belts are your
cheapest form of insurance. So
remember next time you get in a
vehicle, buckle up.
Billy Wayne Bedsole
Grounds & Beautification Director
Abbeville Privilege Licenses Due Soon
Businesses in Abbeville will begin receiving their renewal notices for their Privilege Licenses in December.
Rates for licenses have not increased. However; the
issuance fee has been increased by the State of Alabama from $10.00 to $12.00 per license.
Abbeville...First in the nation
City of Abbeville
101 E. Washington St.
P O Box 427
Abbeville AL 36310
Phone: 334.585.6444
Fax: 334.585.6982
E-mail:
We are on the web at
www.cityofabbeville.org
Documents
News & Events
Newsletter
Contact Information
Community Calendar
Page 7
Community Calendar

City Council Meetings are held the 1st and 3rd Monday of
each month at 6:00 p.m. in City Hall. Please join us and become an active participant in how your city government operates. To be on the agenda, contact the City Clerk no later than
the Wednesday prior to the meeting at 585.6444.

The Abbeville Chamber of Commerce meets the first Thursday
of each month at the Great Southern Conference Center on Kirkland Street at noon.
Please contact the Chamber at 585.2273 for your lunch reservation.

Abbeville Historic Preservation Commission meets quarterly (January, April, July & October) on the second Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.

The Water Works and Sewer Board of Abbeville meets the fourth Monday at 5:00 p.m. in
City Hall.

Planning Commission meets the fourth Thursday of each month in City Hall at 6:00 p.m.

Christmas holidays will be observed by city employees on December 24th and 25th.

New Years holiday will be observed by city employees on January 1, 2013.

Martin Luther King holiday will be observed by city employees on January 21, 2013.
Increasing Our Knowledge…
Our Mayor, City Council and employees are constantly working toward improving their skills which enables them to perform their
jobs more efficiently, safely and professionally. The following is a list of education and practical training they have completed over
the last few months:

Councilman Brent Murphy, Councilman Eddie Jones and Clerk/Treasurer Pam Ward recently attended an all day Orientation
Training sponsored by the Alabama League of Municipalities.

The following individuals completed the Alabama Municipal Insurance Corporation and Workers Compensation Fund Proactive
Driver Training: Danny Creel, Mike Jones, Eric Duhaime; Ronnie Moody, Jimmy Carruthers, Brandon Helms, Tim Ingram, and
Colt Ludlam.

Melissa Cheek completed training in basic Excel program.

Water Board Chairman Billy Helms and Pam Ward attended the annual “Decision Makers Training” sponsored by the Alabama
Rural Water Association.