For those of you who may not have heard...

My girlfriend, my best friend, and I are the founding (and only) members of the AIF, the Ariton Improvement Foundation. We pull weeds, cut limbs, and un-decrepitize in general for a greater Aritonian aesthetic experience. If you happen to live in Ariton, by now you should have seen the signs on the side of the old fire station that read, "Ariton, Alabama" and "Small Town with a Big Heart." If you haven't seen or if you don't live in Ariton, I will have a picture posted up here tomorrow. The signs were originally erected in 1968 under the mayorship of Mr. Billy Clyde Herring. Their initial seat was around the intersection of U.S. Highway 231 and State Highway 123 in the area known affectionately as "Little Ariton." The signs had to be removed because of their proximity to the highway. They went behind the now rundown local grocery store and remained there until such a time as a few precocious teens decided that it was about time that Ariton began to take pride once again in being a small town with a big heart. My father and I erected the signs last Saturday. I must say, I feel more town esteem already.

The main thing that I know that most no one has heard is that I am trying to put together a mural design for the side of the Ariton Library (former Police Station). It will include pictures of a purple cat, of course; Mr. Creel Richardson, a late principal of Ariton School and local historian; the Robert Zumstein Stadium sign from end zone view; and Dean's Store, where thrift in the pre-Ariton area began. I will also probably put the names of the businesses who help out with paint and labor costs around the edges.

I am really excited about this project, and I have full faith that it will happen in the near future. Any help that my readers could provide would be appreciated.

I also want to get a festival or a jamboree started up again. In the earlier days of my youth, we celebrated the Catfish Festival every year, when the Ariton Fire & Rescue would put together catfish plates for a fundraiser. We had vendors and games: the whole she-bang! But it eventually lost its umph and fell off after Y2K. I think a festival in Ariton could make a comeback easily. We have a barbecue restaurant that is slowly but surely getting closer to opening and the owner already fills coolers up every weekend for sale on the restaurant site. I know that he could make a killing if we asked him to provide the barbecue for a big (as big as a town of 750 can muster) festival. Vendors would be no problem, I'm sure.

I'm ready for something big in Ariton. Are you?
J. Sutton