VALLEY — A Fairfax community native who began a successful business at an early age and ran it for almost 40 years was honored by the Valley City Council as a valued member of the community.

Bobby L. Reid, owner/operator of Reid’s Cleaners, was recognized by a mayor’s proclamation at Monday’s meeting of the city council. “This is very well-deserved,” said Council Member Jim Jones. “I lived in the same neighborhood with Mr. Bobby when I was growing up. I’ve never met anyone who was harder working than him. He has been an asset to our community for years. I’m proud to say he’s a friend of mine.”

Reid said he very much appreciated the award.

His wife, Bobbie Monagan Reid, thanked the council as well.

“I have lived in Valley for 77 years,” she said. “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Thank you for this. It means so much to us.”

Reid opened his dry-cleaning business in 1963.

Two years later he married Bobbie, who’s been his faithful life partner and working partner for 54 years. They have five children, Bobby Jr., Larry, Marlin, Marcia, and Windy, ten grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

The mayor’s proclamation noted his long-time commitment to his church and community.

“He has been a member of Rehoboth Baptist Church for 71 years, becoming a deacon and serving as a church treasurer for 40 years,” it reads. “(He) was a member of the Valley Tree Board and a member of Fairfax Masonic Lodge No. 876 and served as its treasurer.”

“Through his work ethic, his family life and church life,” it continues, “he has set an exemplary example of service to and giving back to one’s community.”

Also on Monday, the council approved a proclamation recognizing the week of Feb. 16-22, 2019 as Arbor Week in the city. This observance began in Nebraska in 1872 with the planting of more than one million trees in the Cornhusker state. Arbor Week recognizes the role of trees in reducing erosion, how they reduce heating and cooling costs, moderate the temperature, clean the air, produce oxygen and provide habitat for wildlife.

Mayor Leonard Riley announced that 62 trees had recently been cut along one side of Valley Industrial Drive and that they will soon be replaced by new trees. They will be on both sides of the road from one end to the other. The new trees going in will be rather large in size, as transplanted trees go and will be similar to the oak trees along Fob James Drive at city hall.

4In other business, the council suspended the rules and adopted on a first reading an ordinance to annex the Fairfax fire station property into the city. The property had previously been in the Fairfax Mill industrial park. The fire station site is owned by the East Alabama Water, Sewer and Fire Protection District.

“We have had a good working relationship with East Alabama, and we want to continue that,” Riley said.

“The fire station has been a great addition to the Fairfax community,” Jones said. “This area will be even better when we get the mill property cleaned up.”

The portion of the mill property that’s owned by the city was previously annexed. Another piece of land in this area, a parking lot across from Fairfax Elementary School, is owned by the Chambers County School District and could be annexed in the future.

The council unanimously approved a resolution to award a police department badge and service weapon to Capt. David L. Smith, upon his retirement from Valley Police Department. This is done in appreciation for years of faithful and dedicated service as a police officer.

Public Works Director Patrick Bolt reported to the council that his department was getting close to uprooting all the stumps on the recently-purchased Burney property on the north side of Fob James Drive. The land is being cleared in preparation for possible development as industrial or commercial sites.

Work will soon begin on the first major upgrade of the CV Railroad Trail since it was built in the 1990s. A total of 120 new signs will be going up.

“We will be doing everything but the paving,” said Mayor Riley. “We have that bid out.”