SILVERHILL, Alabama — Members of the Military Order of Purple Heart Chapter 2206 were on hand Monday, Feb. 17 expressing appreciation to the Town of Silverhill for its support as a Purple Heart City.
“The town of Silverhill was the first to be declared a ‘Purple Heart City,’” said Silverhill resident Ed Evans, a Purple Heart recipient. “We just wanted you to know that the city of Prichard plans to declare itself a ‘Purple Heart City’ this week, at which point all municipalities in Baldwin and Mobile counties will be ‘Purple Heart Cities.’”
Silverhill voted on July 17, 2017 to declare itself the first “Purple Heart City,” in Baldwin or Mobile county.
Chartered by an act of Congress in 1958, the Military Order of the Purple Heart is composed of military men and women who received the Purple Heart Medal for wounds suffered in combat. While its membership is restricted to combat wounded, the group supports all veterans and their families.
Evans and Purple Heart member Talmadge Cain were on hand at the Feb. 17 meeting, presenting town officials with signage in their continued support as a “Purple Heart City.”
For more information visit purpleheart.org.
In other business Feb. 17, Mayor Jared Lyles asked council members to consider steps moving forward to possibly annexing the Fairhope Falls subdivision into the town’s limits.
The 100-acre subdivision is planning for 60- to 65-foot lots for smaller garden homes, Lyles said, which is not currently allowed in the town’s zoning ordinance.
“This would have to come before the Planning Commission for approval,” Lyles said. “In order to do this, I think we would pretty much need to create a new zoning designation and move forward from there.”
Lyles also gave council members an update on the use of the baseball fields at Haval Park.
Silverhill was asked to host part of a junior varsity softball tournament over the weekend because Robertsdale’s Garrett Park was unable to accommodate all teams due to construction, Lyles said.
“I think the tournament went well without any problems,” Lyles said. “Until construction at Garrett Park is completed, we have received several calls from coaches asking if they can use our fields for practice, but I don’t think it’s anything we can’t handle.”
Lyles said around 75 to 80 daddies and daughters participated in the Daddy/Daughter Dance held Feb. 15 at the Community Center.
“We were turning people away because we were reaching the capacity of the center,” Lyles said. “That’s a good problem to have.”
The dance was part of the town’s effort to host at least one community event per month. The next event will be a movie night in the park to coincide with the start of youth baseball season, Lyles said.
The town’s annual Heritage Day event will be held in April and a mother/son event is being planned for May, he said.
Silverhill Tree Board Chairman Carolyn Koch reminded council members of the annual tree giveaway from 9 a.m. to noon Friday, Feb. 28 at the Silverhill Community Center, 21918 Third St.
The giveaway includes straw magnolia, bottle brush, sasanqua and sweet olive. There will also be a tree planting for the town’s Tree City designation that day.
For more information call 251-945-5198.
Central Baldwin Chamber representative Mary deLaunay reminded council members that there will be a ribbon cutting and open house on Thursday, Feb. 27 at Service Air Eastern Shore’s new location at 14975 Silverhill Ave. in Silverhill.
A Business After Hours with the Chamber will be held March 10 at United Bank in Silverhill.
