Fairhope, Alabama thefairhopetimes.blogspot.com
PLACE FOUR
Howell Gibbens has qualified as a candidate for city council place four, as he did in the 2020 election.
From his campaign announcement:
My
name is Howell Gibbens and I am running for Fairhope City Council Place
4. I was born in New Orleans in 1965; my parents met at LSU. We moved
to Fairhope in 1978, and into our current house in the Fruit and Nut in
1980. I’ve had a long and successful career as a motion picture sound
designer. I rode a R1200GS motorcycle solo from Tokyo to London via
Rome, and spent the last few years working as a manual machinist at
Marine Exhaust Systems of Alabama on Nichols. As of May 2024, I’ve been a
stay-at-home dad. My wife, Olga, works in Mobile doing IT. We attend
St. Lawrence Catholic Church.
Five years ago, I ran for City Council because I didn’t like the rate of change in our town. My slogan then was “Let’s Slow Down.” Today the problem is the same and so is my slogan. There are plenty of families like mine in Fairhope who live in modest 800 or 1200 square foot houses. These citizens need a voice. There are also quite a few people here who don’t like having to live in one of the fastest growing cities in Alabama, and who believe “If you’re not growing, you’re dying” is nothing but a worn-out phrase made famous by Tony Robbins. That cliché has no relevance for a small town with a rich history, character and charm. Some say that slowing our growth is hard, and that pushing back against powerful, well funded interests will take enormous will and determination. Our little town is worth such effort.
There is much more to discuss, such as the library brouhaha, the ongoing infrastructure projects, traffic, parking and other quality of life issues, but for me it all starts with slowing down.
Comments
Good luck to these candidates that want to slow down.