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LANETT — Two golden roosters on Gilmer had reason to crow on Cinco de Mayo.

The two golden roosters would be a business on Gilmer Avenue in Lanett that had their retail liquor license approved by the Lanett City Council on Monday. The business is located in house that’s been painted a bright orange color and located across from Kroger on a heavily-traveled portion of Highway 29. The business is named Taqueria 2 Gallos de Oro LLC. Translated from Spanish, that means “the two golden roosters taco shop.”

The alcohol license request came up at a previous council meeting in April but was put on hold to find out if there was adequate parking outside the building. There was some concern customers could park across from the business in the Kroger parking lot and walk across the very busy highway to taco shop and then walk back after having consumed alcohol with their meal.

City inspector Johnny Wood was present at the Monday meeting to explain that there was adequate parking on the taco shop’s side. He said that there’s four spaces on the side of Taqueria 2 and two more in the back. A business located across lightly-traveled South 14th Street on the same side of the highway has given permission for customers to use eight more spaces. That makes 14 in all, plenty for a business that has space for 24 customers.

Council Member Tony Malone asked if the city had a copy of a signed agreement between the two business owners permitting parking for the taco shop. Wood said they did. “According to our ordinance, 14 parking spaces is enough for a restaurant with 24 seats,” he said.

Police Chief Denise McCain told the council that she had expressed reservations about the request at the previous meeting over the parking issue but was satisfied that it would be okay with Wood’s report. “To me the whole issue was safety,” she said. “I am now satisfied there will be adequate parking on that side of the highway.”

The request was put to a vote and was approved unanimously.

The two golden roosters then had reason to crow. It was very appropriate to celebrate, given that it was Cinco de Mayo. The local Mexican restaurants were packed on a date that has long been a national holiday in Mexico. It has been celebrated there since the Battle of Puebla in 1862, which marked a symbolic victory for the Mexican people over an invading French army. It boosted Mexican morale, galvanized national unity and helped prevent France from supporting the Confederacy in the Civil War.

In other action at the Monday council meeting, three Lanett High seniors were recognized for honors they have earned heading into graduation. Plaques were presented to the class valedictorian, Dominique Thompson, salutatorian MaKiah White and Mr. LHS Christopher King. Since she’s also Miss LHS, Miss White received two plaques.

Following high school graduation, Miss Thompson will attend Alabama State University, where she will major in computer information systems. Miss White will attend her parents’ alma mater, Auburn University. Her mother is Jaunelle White, Point University’s first female athletic director. Her dad, the late Marcus White, played football at Auburn. He died in 2022.

Mr. LHS Christopher King will be attending Iowa Western Community College, where he will major in business administration. Iowa Western is located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, which is on the Missouri River and not far from Omaha, Nebraska.

“I want to thank each of you on having been high achievers in school,” said Mayor Jamie Heard. “I’m really proud of you, especially since you are some of my former students.”

Thompson is graduated high school early. She was double promoted from the sixth to the eighth grade. She thanked the mayor and council for recognizing her and her two classmates at the meeting. “I also want to thank my family and friends who are here with me today,” she said. “It’s a very special time in my life.”

Known to friends and family as MK, Miss White thanked the council for its recognition. “My family and I haven’t been here all the way through my school years,” she said, “but you have taken us in and made a good home for us here in Lanett.”

“MaKiah is my neighbor,” Mayor Heard said with a broad smile.

In presenting him his plaque, Council Member Ronnie Tucker told Christopher King that the fun in life begins when you graduate from high school. “Congratulations to all of you,” he said.

“The best is yet to come,” Council Member Tamalita Autry told them.

“All of you have done great work,” said  Council Member Angelia Thomas. “We are proud of what you have accomplished at Lanett High.”

The council approved a resolution recommended by Johnny Wood declaring 32 properties in the city to be in violation of the city’s weed ordinance. The owners of these properties have 21 days to have high weeds cut or the city will do it for them and place a lien on the property to recover its cost. “Some are vacant lots with high grass and some are occupied properties,”: Wood said.

Each property owner will be notified before the city takes action.

The council approved a resolution to accept a grant from the Alabama Fraternal Order of Police that will cover the cost of getting ten Level II body armor suits from Municipal and Commercial Uniforms, Inc.

Some city equipment was declared surplus. These items include a 2007 GMC Sierra, a roller, cement mixer, a scrap peak shaving system from the Public Works Department and and an ice machine from the Nutrition Department.

Another resolution approved on Monday informs the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) that the city has reviewed ADEM’s annual municipal water pollution form and has agreed to rebuild a pump, to replace another pump and to install a VFD control at its wastewater plant.

The city renewed its dispatch service agreement with Chambers County 9-1-1, which will receive 12 monthly installments from the city of $13,267.55 for the service it provides to the city.

Lanett will also participate in this year’s Back to School Sales Tax Holiday, which will take place the weekend of July 18-20.

 

LHS STUDENTS HONORED — Three Lanett High students received plaques from the Lanett City Council on Monday. They were being honored on having been named the class valedictorian, the salutatorian and on having been named Mr. LHS and Miss LHS. Shown above, from left, are Council Members Tony Malone and Ronnie Tucker, Class Salutatorian and Miss LHS MaKiah White, Mr. LHS Christopher King, Class Valedictorian Dominique Thompson, Mayor Jamie Heard and Council Members Tamalita Autry and Angelia Thomas. Not shown is Council Member Tifton Dobbs.