By MOLLIE BROWN / Community Columnist

This Thanksgiving season, let us reflect on God’s sustaining love, our country’s freedom and the many blessings we enjoy. Count your many blessings. Name them one by one, starting with the very breath in your body to the pillow on which you rest your head at night. We have so much to be thankful for each and every day.

This year brought more changes than just the changing seasons. The City of Calera’s newly elected officials took the oath of office in a council meeting on Nov. 5. Family members were present and stood alongside as they were sworn in.

Calera Municipal Judge Daniel Crowson swore in incumbent Mayor Jon Graham, incumbent Council members David Bradshaw, Chris Bunn, Ernest Montgomery, Bobby Joe Phillips and first – term Council members Alan Watts and Philip Busby.

Board appointments were made as follows: Bradshaw remains Mayor Pro-Tem; Graham and Montgomery remain on the Planning Commission with resident Randy Krueger, who was appointed to fill a six-year term position; Watts was appointed to the Sick Leave Bank; Busby will serve on the Parks and Recreation Board; Graham and Bunn will serve on the Water Works Board; Bradshaw will serve on the Historical District Plan Review Board.

City Clerk Connie Payton, Police Chief Sean Lemley, Fire Chief Sean Kendrick, Municipal Judge Daniel Crowson and City Prosecutor Casey Duncan were re-appointed to their positions.

Council sessions and meetings will continue be held the first and third Monday of each month, but with a change in time- the session at 6 p.m., followed by the meeting at 6:30 p.m. The council set 5 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to the meeting as the cut-off time for submitting items for the council meeting agenda.

The Planning and Zoning Board will continue meeting the first Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. The Water Works Board will meet the third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m.

Following the meeting, a reception was held to honor the mayor and city council.

 

Mollie Brown can be reached at dmjhb1@bellsouth.net.