CULLMAN — Cullman Mayor Max Townson can still remember the emotion of April 27 like it was yesterday, as he stepped out of city hall to find entire blocks of downtown gutted by fierce winds.

“I remember coming out of city hall and I was in shock, but when you go through that, then you have to have hope,” he said. “When I was in pharmaceutical sales I never thought much about how city councils or a mayor functioned, I just thought things went pretty well. But, after that storm, I saw people working around the clock and I am honored to be associated with this council.”

The defining moment of 2011 for most Cullman residents was also the lead point for Townson’s annual state of the city address, hosted by the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce Friday, as he discussed the city’s response and the ongoing reconstruction process.

He praised the efforts of city workers and volunteers alike, and said he believes the citizens responded as well as they possibly could to the tragedy.

“I remember we had our disaster relief team, with the police chief, fire chief, public relations officer Dale Greer and Tom Charney, with public safety, and we handed it off to them, and they ran with it,” he said. “There were volunteers everywhere, and the churches got involved and were cooking for everyone. All you could hear were chainsaws, and smell charcoal.”

In the wake of the tornado, Townson noted the city pushed up an existing program to provide facade grants to revitalize downtown, so the funds could be offered to damaged businesses.

“We are in the downtown healing process now,” he said.

The mayor also touched on another major happening in the city this year, as land acquisition for the Duck River Dam beginning in earnest. Approximately 67 percent of the property needed to create the proposed water source is complete.

“We want to ensure future generations for 75-100 years will have ample water in our community,” Townson said. “You can’t recruit retail, or industry, without an ample water supply. We’re very proud of this project.”

He went on to note how every wholesale area water customer has signed on in support of the project, which will serve all of Cullman County.

“This is not just for the city, but for every water system in the county,” he said.

Though 2011 may be defined by many by the tornadoes that hit the city and county, Townson said he hopes residents will also remember some of the good things that occurred, as well.

The city parks department received numerous state and national awards, being recognized for quality of life and overall excellence.

“Our park and recreation department is second to none,” he said.

Cullman was also named the best place in Alabama to raise children by Bloomberg Businessweek, based on local school ratings and the relatively low crime rate.

“They only verified what we’ve known all along,” he said.

Townson also touched on the 2011 edition of the annual Cullman Oktoberfest event, which broke attendance records and was the first festival to offer alcohol sales.

“It was one of the biggest crowds we’ve ever had, and it was one of the top 25 events in Alabama,” he said.

All of these events and accomplishments play a role in tourism, Townson said, which he believes will be a key factor in the coming years as Cullman continues to recover from the economic recession.

“Tourism is great, and we’d rather pick pockets with tourism than pick cotton,” he joked.

The past year also brought several industrial announcements, which Townson noted.

“Topre announced a $109 million addition and 200 new jobs,” he said. “Yutaka...Royal Technologies...and Rehau all had expansions, and Cullman Casting reopened this past year.”



* Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 220.