Latest news with #SherrySullivan
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fairhope Pier temporarily closed for construction — what to know
FAIRHOPE, Ala. (WKRG) – It's an unusual sight at the Fairhope pier: no crowds, no fishing poles, just a construction crew and a sign that says it's closed for renovations. Theodore family shocked after lightning strike leads to surprise discovery Starting Monday, the Fairhope Municipal Pier and Park is closed for two days. It's part of a bigger plan for some much needed renovations of the bayfront. 'Because there's so much vehicular traffic and pedestrian traffic down at the pier, it just made sense for us to just close it for these two days and make sure we can get all the work done really quickly, really efficiently,' Fairhope's Mayor Sherry Sullivan said. It's a part of the city's Working Waterfront Project that started last fall. It's a $6.2 million dollar effort to improve the pier and bayfront with new sidewalks, drainage, better shoreline protection and more. City officials confirmed that the bulk of the work is set to be complete just in time for the city's annual 4th of July celebration. 'This is one of the most iconic spots in town, if not the most iconic,' Sullivan said. 'It's Fairhope's gathering place. It's our town square. So, I really wanted to make sure that we maintained the charm that people see when they go down there again.' This is the first time they have had to close the pier during these renovations, but there were things that needed to be done. 'Specifically, the seawalls needed to be rehabbed and that's a multimillion dollar project,' Sullivan said. 'The handrails on the pier needed to be redone, we needed new lighting. And all that's been able to be done.' Margaritaville Resort Orange Beach groundbreaking set for May So yes, the pier might be closed, but at the end of the day, the breathtaking view will always remain the same. The pier and the restaurant down on the pier, The Blind Tiger, are expected to reopen to pedestrian and vehicle traffic by Wednesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama city bemoans ‘rogue' library and 'woke' city council over sexually explicit books on library shelves
Residents of a city in Alabama are pushing back against what they deem sexually explicit books being shelved in areas reserved for children and teens. In a vote on April 21, 2025, reported that Fairhope Public Library will keep two books in the teen section, including "Sold," which covers sexual slavery in India, and "Grown," which is about sexual said they were concerned about the placement of the books, and want them to be moved from the children's and teens' areas to the adults' section. 'Woke' Hospital Could Be In Crosshairs Of Trump Admin After Scathing Complaint Alleges Dei Discrimination On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order prohibiting federal funds to agencies that promote "gender ideology." "You are not on board with the Trump agenda," Brian Dasinger, a Fairhope attorney, said Tuesday during a meeting with the Fairhope City Council. According to reports from Dasinger said the city council was "worthless." The local coverage also reported that "The library board critics also called the board 'rogue' and the city council 'woke,' while city officials defended board members as unpaid volunteers who do not have a political agenda." "The six of you should not be called 'worthless' and not be threatened," Emyle Mann, a Fairhope resident, said, speaking of the five council members and Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan. "It's unfair and unprofessional." Read On The Fox News App "There are two books they are leaving (in the teen section)," Sullivan said. "There are some people not happy about that decision. They feel there is sexually explicit content in them. But our library board has reviewed that and didn't feel that way." Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture Sullivan also reportedly said that the library is reviewing an additional 12–14 books, and has transferred six other books from the teen section to the adult area. Fairhope City Councilman Kevin Boone thanked the residents who waited until the meeting had concluded before leaving. "After listening to both sides of this discussion, I'm not real big [on] people coming up giving their one side and walking out the door and not listening to what anyone else has to say," Boone said. "We need to be here listening to both sides." Fairhope resident and library supporter Jeanine Normand said, "The world is watching." Another supporter, William Henry of Fairhope, said, "Please don't be bullied by these people to do their agenda. They have shown their true colors and it's political." Wendy Pickering of Orange Beach said that "We are not asking books to be burned or banned. We are asking them to be properly shelved." Fox News Digital reached out to the Fairhope City Council, Fairhope Public Library, as well as Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan for comment. Corey Martin, who is serving his first term on the city council, told Fox News Digital in a statement that "The council listened to both sides of this argument. The process to identify books that are concerning to any parent is in place. This process has been in place from the beginning. What was added was a tiered identification card for each adolescent that has to be signed off by the parent." Martin added that "There has been at least six books that have been placed in the adult section that our librarians and board decided on. There are two books that the librarians and board, after review, decided that these books were not inordinate to the law. We as a council and the Mayor will follow up with the state to try and create alternate review board/ committee on books that are opinionated on both sides as to whether these books have artistic or literary value. All sides are in agreement that no one wants any child to be exposed to something that is not appropriate for their cognitive aptitude or maturity level."Original article source: Alabama city bemoans 'rogue' library and 'woke' city council over sexually explicit books on library shelves
Fox News
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Alabama city bemoans ‘rogue' library and 'woke' city council over sexually explicit books on library shelves
Residents of a city in Alabama are pushing back against what they deem sexually explicit books being shelved in areas reserved for children and teens. In a vote on April 21, 2025, reported that Fairhope Public Library will keep two books in the teen section, including "Sold," which covers sexual slavery in India, and "Grown," which is about sexual said they were concerned about the placement of the books, and want them to be moved from the children's and teens' areas to the adults' section. 'WOKE' HOSPITAL COULD BE IN CROSSHAIRS OF TRUMP ADMIN AFTER SCATHING COMPLAINT ALLEGES DEI DISCRIMINATION On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order prohibiting federal funds to agencies that promote "gender ideology." "You are not on board with the Trump agenda," Brian Dasinger, a Fairhope attorney, said Tuesday during a meeting with the Fairhope City Council. According to reports from Dasinger said the city council was "worthless." The local coverage also reported that "The library board critics also called the board 'rogue' and the city council 'woke,' while city officials defended board members as unpaid volunteers who do not have a political agenda." "The six of you should not be called 'worthless' and not be threatened," Emyle Mann, a Fairhope resident, said, speaking of the five council members and Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan. "It's unfair and unprofessional." "There are two books they are leaving (in the teen section)," Sullivan said. "There are some people not happy about that decision. They feel there is sexually explicit content in them. But our library board has reviewed that and didn't feel that way." Sullivan also reportedly said that the library is reviewing an additional 12–14 books, and has transferred six other books from the teen section to the adult area. Fairhope City Councilman Kevin Boone thanked the residents who waited until the meeting had concluded before leaving. "After listening to both sides of this discussion, I'm not real big [on] people coming up giving their one side and walking out the door and not listening to what anyone else has to say," Boone said. "We need to be here listening to both sides." Fairhope resident and library supporter Jeanine Normand said, "The world is watching." Another supporter, William Henry of Fairhope, said, "Please don't be bullied by these people to do their agenda. They have shown their true colors and it's political." Wendy Pickering of Orange Beach said that "We are not asking books to be burned or banned. We are asking them to be properly shelved." Fox News Digital reached out to the Fairhope City Council, Fairhope Public Library, as well as Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan for comment. Corey Martin, who is serving his first term on the city council, told Fox News Digital in a statement that "The council listened to both sides of this argument. The process to identify books that are concerning to any parent is in place. This process has been in place from the beginning. What was added was a tiered identification card for each adolescent that has to be signed off by the parent." Martin added that "There has been at least six books that have been placed in the adult section that our librarians and board decided on. There are two books that the librarians and board, after review, decided that these books were not inordinate to the law. We as a council and the Mayor will follow up with the state to try and create alternate review board/ committee on books that are opinionated on both sides as to whether these books have artistic or literary value. All sides are in agreement that no one wants any child to be exposed to something that is not appropriate for their cognitive aptitude or maturity level."
New York Times
04-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Utopian Dreamers Founded This Alabama City. Now, a Fight Over Books Is Dividing It.
The public library is one of the biggest civic buildings in Fairhope, Ala. Almost every day across its 40,000 square feet in the heart of downtown, retirees gather for book club in the auditorium, teenagers play chess upstairs, and toddlers learn their letters at story time. Its light-filled reading room features a vaulted ceiling that rises above a stained glass depiction of two owls poring over a book. The library records more than 180,000 annual visits, one of the highest figures in Alabama, in a city of 25,000. It has been called Fairhope's Taj Mahal. Now, it is also a battleground. Residents have packed meetings of the City Council and the library board, debating books with sexual content or L.G.B.T.Q. themes. Some demand that those books be moved to the adult section. Others argue that amounts to censorship and discrimination. The acrimony resembles fights playing out in libraries across the country, as conservative parents and activists challenge such books. In March, the conflict in Fairhope escalated when the state's library board voted to pause funding to the library unless it moved certain books. Although some localities and counties in the country have moved to defund their own public libraries, the decision in Alabama may have been the first time a local public library was targeted for defunding by a state government, said Jonathan Friedman, who directs U.S. free expression programs at the nonprofit PEN America. The conflict has created a heated divide in the city, which is about a half-hour drive from Mobile in Baldwin County, on Alabama's gulf coast. 'We have people who are passionate on both sides of this topic — on a lot of different topics, to be honest,' Mayor Sherry Sullivan said. 'And I think when they're passionate about what they do, they don't really give up.' The fight in Fairhope is particularly charged given its history. The city was established in 1894 with the aim of creating a utopian community. Fairhope's founders were devotees of Henry George, a 19th-century economist who saw private land ownership as the driver of economic inequality. They established a colony in line with his proposal for land to be owned by the community and leased to residents, businesspeople and farmers. They wrote and received so many letters that their post office was known for handling a heavy volume of mail. And they opened one of the first public libraries in Alabama. Today, Fairhope votes Republican in deeply red Alabama — President Trump won more than three-quarters of the votes cast in the city in November. But the settlers' belief in the value of public goods and embrace of independent thinkers remain woven into the character of the city, which continues to attract artists, eccentrics and writers. One local novelist, Sonny Brewer, insists Fairhope claims more published authors per capita than anywhere else in America. Fairhope's library battle began about two years ago, when some parents became concerned about a display of books for Pride month in the teen section. Conservative groups organized and people began submitting forms asking for a review of titles like 'Water for Elephants,' 'Parts and Hearts: A Kids (and Grown-Ups) Guide to Transgender Transition' and 'The Kite Runner.' Brian Dasinger, a co-founder of the Faith Family Freedom Coalition of Baldwin County and a leading critic of the library, sees the city's progressive founding as largely irrelevant today and said it was twisted logic to think that 'because Fairhope was founded upon freethinkers, that we're supposed to allow our children to look at sexually indoctrinating and sexually explicit material. The Baldwin County chapter of a group called Read Freely Alabama organized supporters to make sure they were heard at public meetings, too. Elizabeth Williams, who leads the group, found inspiration in the story of Marie Howland, who established Fairhope's first library in her home in 1900 and who wrote a novel that was banned by the Boston Public Library. 'I represent the side of intellectual freedom,' Ms. Williams said. 'We are firmly for parental rights, in that we believe every parent has the right to decide what's appropriate for their child, but not to decide that for others.' The City Council never took up a resolution Mr. Dasinger proposed, which would have prohibited the purchase of books 'containing any content of a sexual nature' unless they were restricted to the adult section. The library's director considered requests to move 36 books and decided not to in all but a handful of cases. The books stayed on the shelves. But opponents found a more receptive audience in front of the Alabama Public Library Service board, which administers state and federal funds. 'I think we absolutely have a duty to make sure that our children are safeguarded from sexually explicit material and that we do put parents back in charge,' said John Wahl, chairman of the board who also leads the state Republican Party. Last year, the board approved code changes prohibiting libraries from placing any material that is 'sexually explicit' in sections accessible to minors. Critics say that label is subjective and vague. In February, after Mr. Wahl criticized the Fairhope library as 'out of control,' more than 100 Fairhope parents wrote in a letter that efforts to force the library to move certain material were 'antithetical to the spirit of Fairhope,' whose founders 'were inspired by an idea they read in a book.' At the state board's meeting in Montgomery in March, Rebecca Watson, a Fairhope parent who leads the local chapter of Moms for Liberty, a conservative political organization, passed out excerpts from books that she said violated the policy, including 'Sold,' a novel about a Nepali girl forced into prostitution. 'This book gave me nightmares last night,' Ms. Watson said. 'I stayed up almost all night reading these books, and I can't imagine a child reading this in our library.' The board voted 5 to 1 to pause the Fairhope library's funding, about $20,000 for the rest of the fiscal year. Although that amount represents only a fraction of the library's roughly $1 million budget, nearly 90 percent of which is covered by the city of Fairhope, many parents were furious. An online crowdfunding campaign drew national attention and quickly raised roughly $40,000 to cover the state funding. 'I don't like the fact that someone, just anybody, can go to Montgomery and make some comments and cause a pause in our funding, without some further investigation,' Jack Burrell, the City Council president, said at a council meeting after the state library board vote. 'That's not America.' Weeks after the state board's decision, Fairhope remains split. Carlie Maridakis, 41, doesn't bring her 4-year-old and 6-year-old to the library much anymore, in part because she wants to take a stand. She worries that her children could encounter sexual material while browsing and is particularly concerned about books that include L.G.B.T.Q. themes. She feels that the library has ignored parents like her. 'It's pretty much been, for them: 'Open and shut, this is a nonissue,'' she said. Mr. Dasinger said in an interview that Fairhope's presidential election results indicate that most of the community wants the cited books to be moved. But some residents see no contradiction between their vote for Mr. Trump and their support for the library. One of them is Catherine King, 71, a director of the Fairhope Single Tax Corporation, an entity that owns around 4,000 acres in town valued at more than $800 million, carrying on the legacy of the city's founders. The corporation deeded land to the city to create Fairhope's crown jewel: a sprawling waterfront park, where children splash in the murky waters of Mobile Bay. Ms. King said it comes down to basic responsibility. 'Don't tell me I can't read something,' she said. 'I'll make that decision for me and my child.' After the funding pause, Mr. Wahl asked the library to move books with sexual content to the adult section, specifically citing eight titles that parents had described at the state board meeting. If the state board is satisfied with the decisions, it could restore funding at its July meeting. The Fairhope library board maintains it is in compliance with the state code. At its regularly scheduled April meeting, the members discussed two challenged titles, including 'Sold,' which was on Mr. Wahl's list. They voted to leave the book in the teen section.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan seeks second term
FAIRHOPE, Ala. (WKRG) — Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan said she will seek another term. From addiction to hope: Meet Fairhope's Dancing Queen 'When I decided to run for mayor in 2020, I made a commitment to restore respect and civility to our city government, create a stable work environment for the employees and focus on growth and infrastructure, and I feel that we are making Fairhope better than ever,' Sullivan said. Sullivan noted the many accomplishments during her term as mayor, including: More than $60 million in infrastructure investments and improvements, including drainage projects, traffic improvements, electric substation upgrades, replacing outdated cast-iron lines in the city's gas system, underground electric projects, sewage lift station upgrades and new water wells and lines; Worked with the city staff and council to put in place moratoriums and ordinances in an effort to control growth; Helped develop an updated comprehensive plan for the city; Invested more than $5 million in an effort to recruit and retain high-quality city employees; Added new recreational opportunities including four new baseball fields, a new track, new restroom facilities, new pickleball courts, Quail Creek Golf Course updates and planned expansions and upgrades to the Mike Ford Tennis Center and Barnwell Football Complex; and Increased the city's Rainy Day Fund by $3 million while maintaining low debt limits and obligations. Saraland man accused of leaving state after unfinished work 'With all of our great City employees and with a solid City Council, the past five years have shown that we can make a positive difference. It takes all of us working together to make things work well, and I want to continue to be the leader of that team by serving as your mayor for the next four years,' Sullivan said. She said public safety has been a top concern and will remain that way if she is elected. 'In the last five years, we have opened a temporary police precinct on Highway 98 and will start a permanent facility next year,' Sullivan said. 'We have new fire trucks that will be added to our fleet next year and have already located and secured land for a much-needed new fire station on Highway 181. Public safety is the most important part of what government should do, and I am proud of our police department and our fire department for how they serve and protect our wonderful city.' Sullivan noted 'quality-of-life projects' that have taken place or are planned. 'I am excited that we will officially open the first phase of the Flying Creek Nature Preserve and John Martin Nature Center and break ground on our renovation of the historic K-1 Center property this summer, and we will also do the dedication of the newly revamped Pier Park and Rose Garden area later this year,' she said. Despite all the accomplishments she said have been made during her first term as mayor, there is still a lot to be done. 'There is still work to do – we still have water wells and tanks to build, more cast iron to replace and more recreation facilities to construct,' Sullivan said. 'And I think people will agree that four more years will only make Fairhope even better than it is today. I ran to make a difference and to leave my hometown and OUR HOME better than I found it, and I know we are doing just that.' 3 people killed in multi-motorcycle crash in Wilmer: ALEA Sullivan will host a re-election campaign kickoff Wednesday, April 30, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Provision in downtown Fairhope. The public is invited. For more information on Sullivan's re-election campaign or to get involved, email info@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
