Shawn Bennett addresses the Hanceville City Council and meeting attendees. / W.C. Mann
HANCEVILLE – On Thursday evening, the Hanceville City Council welcomed Shawn Bennett and other downtown Hanceville merchants, who came to share a vision for the future of the area. Bennett, a Cullman native, is relocating his antique, art and home decor shop, Too You-Nique, from Hartselle. The shop originally operated in Cullman from 2010 to 2014.
Bennett offered ideas for special events that he said will “bring community back to the community” and help fund city development and beautification, including: Easter egg hunt, nighttime painted rock hunt using fluorescent painted rocks, street dinner in the business section of Commercial Street, with building decorations and live entertainment, St. Patrick’s Day celebration, featuring an Irish beer tasting, local business sidewalk sale days, community Christmas ornament making and decorating, Charles Dickens themed Christmas festival and merchants’ street market, art competition, dance competitions and classes , and a week-long county fair-themed fall harvest festival
Bennett hopes to create a merchants’ association that will encourage people to come from outside Hanceville to visit and shop in the city, by promoting it as a place of wholesome and traditional values.
Said Bennett, “What I’m talking about encompasses the basis of what this community is: values, goodness, neighborly love . . . I think Hanceville can become a beacon of light. What I mean by ‘beacon of light:’ a place for a model community, if you will, and I hate to say, somewhat like a Hallmark story, but I’m going to use that. This is a town that’s very much like what you see in a Hallmark movie, and it is a community effort.
“That’s what we need to do here, and we need to keep these values, instill these values in the children and the people that are going to be working with us, and become a shining light and a beacon for all of north Alabama, a model community for people to follow and to be inspired by. This is something we can do.”
The council listened to Bennett’s detailed presentation, but took no action. The ideas were presented for consideration for next year, though Bennett did request that the council consider a Christmas event for this year beyond (though still including) the already scheduled parade and fire station open house.
Other council business
The council voted to renew its agreement with the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce, at a cost of $619.
The council rescheduled its second November meeting from Nov. 23, which is Thanksgiving Day, to Tuesday, Nov. 21.
Mayor Kenneth Nail and Councilman Charles Wilson added events to the existing community calendar. Upcoming events include:
Hanceville Quarterback Club Turkey Shoots start this Saturday, Oct. 28, at 8 a.m. in the field just south of Domino’s Pizza on Highway 31
Hopewell Baptist Church 175th anniversary celebration, Sunday morning, Oct. 29
Community Fall Festival, Sunday, Oct. 29, 4-6 p.m.
Christmas tree lighting, Nov. 18, 5 p.m.
Christmas parade, Dec. 2, noon
The next Hanceville City Council meeting will be Thursday, Nov. 9, at 6:30 p.m. in the city hall auditorium, with work session at 6 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
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