By LAURA BROOKHART / Community Columnist

In celebration of his birthday and the (almost) 10th anniversary of his No Sleep in Helena blog, Hal Woodman shared cake, festivities and gnomes.

When you know almost everyone in the city and everyone in the city knows you, it’s necessary to issue a blanket invitation.

An official Helena Gnome Hunt ensued on March 29 at 10 a.m. with the four hidden gnomes all found before noon. A personality quiz determined the online clue each team received during the hunt — mellow, sturdy, hardworking or happy.

Parker Wilson and her dad Dennis found two gnomes and Crystal Watford and Lauren Scarborough the other two, plus the accompanying $200 in gold coins.

His online blog was originally made to help create a sense of community in Helena.

This attitude continues genuinely every day as he announces upcoming and happening events via his blogs. Woodman won a City Council seat in 2012, and thus a more structured way to support his community.

A member of the American Bar Association, Woodman also serves on the Helena Planning and Zoning Commission, is the council liaison for the newly formed Art Council and Historic Preservation committees, as well as the Helena Athletic Association, Friends of Helena Schools, Farmer’s Market Committee and Certified Alabama Planning and Zoning Official.

“The projects and goals I would most like to see the city tackle include reviewing Helena’s 25-year plan for growth, traffic and zoning,” Woodman said.

“I am glad to see the city begin restoration on the Caboose, which is the equivalent of Helena’s welcome center, and would like to see the same for other long-neglected structures, such as the historic log cabin at Joe Tucker Park.”

“We need to establish a timeline for reviewing and repairing of city owned streets and seek more state road grants for resolving traffic congestion,” he said.

Woodman recently alerted residents to a published survey that listed Helena as the 4th smartest city in Alabama. In this survey, Helena was credited for having multiple residents with bachelor’s degrees and a 95 percent graduation rate at PHS.