By Crystal McGough, copy editor
The Pinson City Council held a special presentation in honor of the Pinson Valley High School Special Olympics team at the regularly scheduled council meeting Thursday night. Mayor Hoyt Sanders and members of the council presented the Special Olympics coaches and team members with copies of Resolution 19-22, a resolution recognizing the Special Olympians for their hard work and dedication during the 2018-19 season. The resolution was unanimously passed by the council at the June 20, 2019 council meeting.
The resolution states that “the 2018-19 Pinson Valley High School Special Olympics team and participants had an exceptional season receiving: gold medals in the long jump, softball throw, women’s javelin, 50 meter dash, 100 meter run, 4×4 Relay, silver medal in basketball, and bronze medal in the men’s javelin …”
Front row: Coach Mike Dutton, Coach Bobby Johns, Tykeria Dowdell, Victor Martinez, Camron Lyons, Coach Beth Martin, Mayor Hoyt Sanders
Back row: Councilor Joy McCain, Councilor Robbie Roberts, Councilor John Churchwell
“We had a great season this year,” PVHS Special Olympics coach Beth Martin said. “We worked hard, we added soccer to our schedule this year. We did well, we actually won first place in the county in soccer this year. So we did well there. We managed to go to state basketball again this year. We came in second in our division; we should have come in first … what happened is the other team put a goal in our basket and it should have counted for us or had been negated, and the referee refused to go back on that and do anything about it, so the score ended up with them being two points ahead of us instead of us two points ahead of them. So we should have had first, but all said and done, we had a really good season. We had a really good time and everybody qualified to go to state track and field in Troy.”
Martin coaches both basketball and track and field. The other basketball coaches for PVHS Special Olympics are Bobby Johns and Mike Dutton. The other track and field coach is Marsha Henderson.
Members of the basketball team, which took second place at state, include: Billy Sims, Lidottrick Pharris, Bradley Heard, Tykeria Dowdell, Victor Marinez, Kristen Cook, Daniel “Buddy” Garrison and Jaysone Bastien.
Track and field medalists are:
Running Long Jump – Billy Sims (gold), Bradley Heard (gold), Camron Lyons (gold), Kristen Cook (gold), Jaysone Bastien (silver)
Softball Throw – Markeith Williams (gold), Iman Thorton (gold)
Women’s Javelin – Tykeria Dowdell (gold), Kristen Cook (gold)
50 Meter Dash – Markeith Williams (gold), Iman Thorton (gold)
100 Meter Run – Billy Sims (gold), Jaysone Bastien (gold), Bradley Heard (gold), Camron Lyons (gold), Tykeria Dowdell (gold), Kristen Cook (gold)
Men’s Javelin – Lidottrick Pharris (bronze)
4×4 Relay winners – Billy Sims, Bradley Heard, Jaysone Bastien, Camron Lyons
“We represented well,” Martin said. “Our kids were super. We’ve had a super, super year; a super, super season. We’re looking forward to another good season next year.”
Mayor Sanders also swore in a new city of Pinson contract deputy during the council meeting. Deputy Brian Williams had previously worked with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department for 17.5 years, before leaving and then returning as a Pinson contract deputy.
“We are pleased that Officer Williams has actually been with us about five weeks,” Sanders said.
City of Pinson contract deputy Brian Williams being sworn in by Mayor Hoyt Sanders
In other city news, the council passed:
Ordinance 2019-13 – annexing properties at 5171 and 6807 Briarwood Circle into the city of Pinson.
Ordinance 2019-14 – annexing property at 5416 Sandi Circle into the city of Pinson.
Ordinance 2019-15 – changing zoning classifications of two properties; 6268 Spraul Ave. changed from Jefferson County District R6 to City of Pinson District RM (Residential Medium Density); 6520 Pinewood Drive changed from Jefferson County District R1 to City of Pinson District RL (Residential Low Density).
Resolution 19-22 – ordering the demolition of a building or structure located at 4794-4850 Bud Holmes Road, which had burned roughly six months ago. The resolution states the structure “is in such condition as to make it dangerous to the life, health, property, morals, safety, or general welfare of the public or the occupants.”
Resolution 19-27 – authorizing the mayor to execute an inter-governmental agreement with the Jefferson County Board of Education in regards to use of the gymnasium at PVHS by Pinson Park and Recreation Youth Sports.
“We have a great working relationship with the board using various facilities at the high school and even Rudd,” Sanders said. “This just simply codifies that and renews it.”
The council also passed a motion to purchase and install two new gas packaged HVAC units for the auditorium at the Rock School Center in the amount of $22,600. The new systems will replace the existing damaged systems and come with a manufacturer’s warranty (five years compressor, 20 years heat exchanger) along with a one-year workmanship warranty from Apex Mechanical.
The mayor additionally held a first reading for a quote on a Turfco Mete-R-Matic IV Top Dresser field maintenance machine. The quote, which came from Ladd’s, was in the amount of $10,573.
“Some of you may remember we budgeted for a top dressing machine,” Sanders said. “That would be used at Bradford, as well as to maintain our other infields and areas. But this is just a first reading.”
Upcoming events in the city of Pinson:
July 20 – Beat The Heat at Turkey Creek
Aug. 6 – National Night Out at Bicentennial Park
The next Pinson City Council meeting will be held on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019, at Pinson City Hall. Pre-council begins at 6:30 p.m. and the regular council meeting begins at 7 p.m.
Mayor Hoyt Sanders and PVHS Special Olympics coach Beth Martin
PVHS Special Olympics coach Mike Dutton
PVHS Special Olympics coach Bobby Johns
PVHS Special Olympian Tykeria Dowdell
PVHS Special Olympian Victor Martinez
PVHS Special Olympian Camron Lyons
