The town of Steele hosted this month’s St. Clair County Mayors’ Association meeting at Diane’s Restaurant on Tuesday morning. The speaker was Christy Moore, director of the Eden Career Technical Center (ECTC) in Ashville.

Moore spoke about the revamped agriscience program and their new programs for the 2009-2010 year that will include Engineering Academy, Teacher Academy and the I-cademy, a joint venture with Jefferson State Community College. Other programs offered next school year include: Auto and Marine Technology, Business Academy, Collision Repair, Construction Academy—Carpentry/Welding/HVAC-R, Cosmetology, Health Science and Information Technology.

The ECTC’s goal is to “assist students in developing skills to become independent and self-sufficient adults who will succeed and contribute responsibly in a global community with a high-skill, high-wage and high-demand career.”

Blaine Galliher (R-30) spoke about the importance of places like the ECTC. “There is a lot of effort in our state to promote industrial jobs and a dire need for construction workers,” Galliher said.

Moore said she recently spoke to St. Clair County ninth- and tenth-graders and asked how many of them planned on going to college. “All of them raised their hands,” Moore said. She then said that statistics showed only 40 percent would go to college and only 12 percent would earn a degree.

After Moore’s presentation, the mayors in attendance gave their respective city updates.

* Riverside—Mayor Rusty Jessup said that they were a little closer to getting a grant to buy one of the marinas in town.

* Ashville—Mayor Robert McKay touched on the bingo issue and his frustration with the legal proceedings. “It’s coming,” he said of electronic bingo nearby. “Before Christmas, Etowah’s going to have it…. I guess they’ve got their reasons for carrying it to Montgomery. This county is run by one family judicially and everybody knows it,” McKay said. McKay then expressed his frustration with some of the local churches against electronic bingo. “Who’s recession proof? Preachers are recession proof…. I hope we win for Ashville, I hope we win for this county,” he finished.

* Springville—Mayor Butch Isley said the city would receive a stimulus grant for $381,000 that will be used to improve one block of the historic downtown of Springville. The money will be used specifically to improve lighting, landscaping and the sidewalks. He also said they were looking into a grant that could provide wireless Internet access for $9.99 a month to those within police jurisdiction and even a mile and a half beyond. He also added, “The council in Springville does not support bingo.”

* Pell City—“We’re losing Food World but we’re opening Zaxby’s,” Mayor Hereford said.

* Steele—Mayor John McHugh said the town was close to bringing in a Love’s Travel Stop. “They’re supposed to call today and confirm,” he said. Once confirmed, McHugh said construction could start as early as June.

—Jessup wrapped up the meeting and said that Leeds is supposed to host the next meeting, but since Leeds was not taking a very active role in the mayor’s association they may have to change plans.