Look Back ... to a Christmas gift of recreation, 1998

Dec. 25—Dec. 25, 1948, in The Star: Christmas came to Anniston last night, marked by solemn ceremonies at churches across the city. Chimes at a St. Michael and All Angels were sounded at 10 p.m. as a prelude to the Episcopal congregation's program of carols and a service. Meanwhile, in regular services tomorrow, the Presbyterian Church will hear the Rev. John E. Stauffer, superintendent of the Presbyterian Home for Children, preach both the morning and afternoon worship. His sermon topic for the latter period will be "The Will of God in 1949." Also this date: Even as the local YMCA draws up plans for an extensively equipped new building on West 14th Street, the organization is preparing to move into new temporary quarters. The new space will be on the second floor of the building at the northwest corner of Wilmer and Tenth and will involve renovation work of plumbing, heating, painting and electrical nature. It is hoped that the usual civic clubs that use "Y" facilities will be able to do so during the first week of January.

Dec. 25, 1998, in The Star: Unable to reach a consensus a few days ago, the Anniston City Council decided to try again on Christmas Eve to pass a resolution to renovate City Hall, thereby accepting the low bid among those which were previously submitted for the job. Basically, council members who had sustained sticker-shock over that bid, $1.4 million, relented. The costly renovation is necessary to meet requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act; a July 1 court-ordered deadline already looms over the modernization plans so that at least municipal court facilities will be ADA-compliant. [The all-new offices in the former City Auditorium and other spaces would open to the public in March 2000. In November 2019 they would all be torn down to make way for the new federal courthouse. C'est la vie.] Also this date: In yet more happy Christmas news for the city, Mayor Gene Stedham shared with the City Council on Christmas Eve a letter stating that the city is now the official owner of nearly 450 acres of parkland and similar facilities at Fort McClellan, courtesy of the U.S. Department of the Interior. This includes the Cane Creek Golf Course, Guillion Field, Gordon Field — including the fort's gym and theater — and Yahoo and Reilly lakes.