Albany Reflections

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ALBANY  REFLECTIONS.....A  NEWSLETTER

... by Henry Duggan, native Albanian

8 / 07 Third In A Summer Series

TO..... 90 friends direct + AHS Times' friends .......

Want to step back into 1950's atmosphere ? Here are five good spots .......

  •   Try Restaurant phenom Aunt Fannie's on Byron Rd., off of Pine. Nothing jazzy about the neighborhood or the decor inside, but the food is fabulous home-style Southern cookin' . Crowds flock to breakfast and lunch. But don't get caught without cash, as I did, 'cause they don't do plastic.

  •   Former peach-packing shed --now Giles Builders Supply @ Pine and Gillionville is a laid-back delight. Both the old-store aura and the friendly personnel will take you backkkk.

  •    Hayman's Garage @ 1207 N. Slappey Blvd (turn at adjacent alley), will take you back to childhood -- all grease, no AC, no "waiting room", but replete with pinup girl calendars and mechanic tools all around, the prices are good and the ethics are excellent.

  •    Martin's Classic Cars, across the street from Hayman's -- think that's a late ' 50's Caddy, pink and with HUGE tail fins-- sitting on the lot. (courtesy Russell Martin -- ex-banker, and ex-Pine Avenue car dealer).

  •    The ole swimmin' hole?  Drive out Radium Springs Rd to Mitchell Co. line, go under THE ARCH, and turn into Flint River Outpost, go behind it to the river at the Mitchell Co. Park on the bluff.  Plenty of clean green shallow eddy water in which to swim. Took the grands there and they loved it ! Boat ramp + "beach".

Cypress Pond, aka Bonnie Brae Plantation to generations of Albanians, can be acquired for $21 mil. Out Old Pretoria Rd., it's worth a ride-by just to admire the 1851 Greek Revival architecture. Comes with almost 1800 acres + several more houses, great hunting and a 100 acre pond, which yours truly has had the pleasure of fishing in years past. Owner -- Gerald Lawhorne.

Retirees ! A great place to spend the afternoon -- Albany's libraries -- cool AC plus mags and newspapers, including even the AJC, albeit a few days old.  Looking for new "Rhodes Furn" facility soon -- for NW branch.

Darton's fabulous gym and pool - all yours for free if 62 and above. Don't get no better.

Up @ 6 A.M.?  Try 1590 AM for our newest local talk show -- Wake Up Albany -- till 9 A.M. every morn. Matt Patrick has elected officials and personalities on to discuss whas' happenin'. i.e., DA Ken Hodges discussed recent underage alcohol sales sting --- caught about 30 of 70 licensees selling illegally. Vows to keep the pressure on ..........

Changing demographics in Albany ? ...yup , it's happening......

Elsewhere also......

Check this out --- high school friend Jimmy Langley lives in San Francisco Bay area of Walnut Creek -- Concord, 250 M souls ... breakdown .... White 50 % Asian 30 % Hispanic 15 % Black 5 %

Concerned Taxpayers of Dougherty County ... liked their observations in a recent ad ... want contributions (432-2060) ..... but WHAT will they do for us? ... and who's involved ?

New "intown" subdivision planned: Will Gee, CPA, young scion of old Albany family, has bought about 20 acres of woods between Lake Park and Merry Acres. Plans to develop an upscale single family gated subd., with access from the far east end of Robin Hood Dr.  Sounds good!

Want to rent a truly historic Albany home?  Try Russell Martin's 1840-ish 2 story restored Carpenter Gothic @ 1128 Valley Rd. , off Dawson Rd. Delightful!

Dawson Rd Watch...

  • 1124 Dawson Rd ... lot has sign -- "Parking $5 "..... (what ?)

  • 1300 Block... Beautiful former Gunnels-Burgess stucco home...now a business address ... south side, middle of block .. U-SAV-IT...... looks good ..... and helping to "enrich the block".... corner of Baldwin .. uh oh...cleaners vacant awhile...

  • 1400 Block...Dozier's back to "square one" with sale of all hotels but original Merry Acres.. a local institution if there ever was one ...... and 2007 Quality Inn of the Year by Franchisor...

  • End of 1800 block .... next to grand "Shackleford" mansion,  Frances and Larry Patrick have restored the quaint "Bill McKnight cottage" into a very presentable photography studio. Heritage Photography- Larry takes good shots and can also tell funny jokes.

Vacancies....former >> Viddles, Boxers, Finchers, Rocket, Harvest Buffet restaurants + The Athletic Shoe............should be opportunities for somebody..

Voting....we know for whom the Dems will vote, but what about the Southern Republicans and Independents?

Hunter (who?) Brownback (who?) Huckabee (who?) Thompson (hmmmm...)

IN MEMORIAM.....Morgan M. Murphy great guy great leader great friend

"Mailbox Rule"? -- ever notice how a nice-lookin' one always seems to reflect a well-maintained house and yard?

Thot......"You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar"

Ponder....What's your favorite Elvis song ?
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End of Summer sign-off ............. it's been fun ........ thanks for indulging me ........ (plus it's time to work on my novel) .... Henry
 

    

ALBANY  REFLECTIONS.....A  NEWSLETTER

 JULY   2007

++  As you ride east on Pine Ave., a few blocks before arriving downtown, gaze far ahead, and you can see the trees lining the river..........quite a sight !
 
++ Speaking of downtown, remember when the  100 - 400 blocks of Pine Ave. were, as Fred Sumter says, " Albany's Wall St."?  Soooo many banks, law offices, stock brokers, insurance agents, and accountants were there, or nearby.
 
++ The Quickie Restaurant did a booming business.
 
++  Somehow, even with so many of the above moved, along with the retail, downtown still seems to have a lot of traffic --- governmental, Board of Education, WGL, Herald, Library, RiverQuarium, Riverfront Hotel and parks + nearby DFACS, Albany Towers, car lots, etc........
 
++ Interesting sights downtown.......
  •  Restoration of the Bridge House ...for  $1 million plus.....wow...lotta guvment money ...
  •  Broad St. Grammar School with a For Sale sign.......first time for everything ...
  •  Trumpet of God Ministries Church on Pine in restored Wallace Chevrolet bldg.....large Sunday attendance ...
  •  July 4th flotilla of canoes and kayaks floating Flint through downtown .... yours truly included .... isn't that what we're supposed to do in the Summer?
++  Still sounding nostalgically from downtown since 1857.. daily train whistles ...
 
++ Two landmarks need funds...Lake Loretta (c/o Bobby Hinman @ Hinman Pools) ... and our RiverQuarium (tell our  Commissioners) ... don't want either one to "dry up"....
 
++ Traffic in Albany---seems it's increasing exponentially .... well, in the 1960's America had 74 million vehicles on the road ..... now we have 250 million ... almost 3 1/2 x, certainly more  % increase than the pop.
 
++ Old Albany Lighting on N. Slappey being razed.......here comes Walgreen's...!
 
++ Need a room @ Morningside Assisted Living? .... a long waiting list no less....
 
++ Like to dine out?  Albany has 190 restaurants listed and more on the way --like Mellow Mushroom and Chili's, in the Nottingham / Ledo area, which has become our 2nd shopping "mall"... although, to see someone familiar, I usually have to go to either Garganos or Corner Cafe ...
 
++ Real Estate.....
  •   Check out beautiful Hilltop Dr >>> 7 homes for sale in the 1200 block +  next block (combined)...
  •   Prefer to have your kids and grands "play in the street" in a quaint cul-de-sac ? Two homes for sale in the south end of Pendleton Dr (west Doublegate) ... both beauties ... one around $300 M &  one around $400 M ... woods behind each.... 
++ Perry and Walters ... Albany's oldest law firm? Anyway, it's growing, as former Mayor Tommy Coleman and group moved in...........fine bunch are they all ! 
++ Shank's Mare ... car in shop, so hoofed it to YMCA from Lake Park via Gillionville Rd .... cars whiz by @ 45 mph, and there is an uphill grade, but nice sights...
                                                   hawk soaring
                                                   white egrets over Percosin Creek
                                                   lavender-colored Wild Ageratum wildflowers
                                                   red + lavender "bugle" vines
                                                   Kudzu

 

                             Thot......."sometimes, people that deserve
                                           love the least,
                                           need it the most............."
 
                            Ponder.....which moment from your life would
                                           you choose to relive if you could ? 
                                           
                                                HENRY  C. DUGGAN. III
                                                                 ALBANY NATIVE              
 feedback  welcome....+ p/a if need to cancel future newsletters... Alapahahcd@bellsouth.net

ALBANY  REFLECTIONS........a   newsletter

                                                                     JUNE   2007
 
** Took a ride across our Broad Ave bridge recently---boy, could it stand a cleaning !  Plus a coat of  white paint would  let it sparkle.
 
**The river looked great down below, and with the car windows down you could even hear the rapids singing their song.
 
**After crossing, you can see  really old brick pavers to the left, marking the location of the old roadway on East Broad, which lined up with the current 1920's bridge's predecessor.
 
**Turtle Grove Park surely looked active in the morning--attests that kids are out for the Summer.
 
**Auction signs abound downtown noting Beauchamp properties to be sold by Todd Auction Co. @ the Hilton on June 20. Should be interesting. There's even a riverside site included--yep--right next to the Broad Ave. bridge approach --east side.
 
**Speaking of R.E. for sale -- the 1863 Greek Revival Keaton House in the 500 block of Broad has a FSBO out front.......it's a beauty.
 
**This is the neighborhood where HONKY TONK ANGELS is playing to Albany throngs. A fun-fun country musical, with Jennifer Varnadoe and two equally talented ladies.
 
** Noticed the new large elementary school going up out Gillionville Rd ...  across from the YMCA Sports Park............that should generate some residential R.E. activity in the area. Nothing like a neighborhood school...........
 
**What's with Dawson Rd. and restaurants.................? no go for Vittles, near Lake Loretta............ditto Finchers BBQ near Phoebe NW.......same for The Rocket across from Target................. 
 
** And will Boxers survive the hundreds of police calls......................?
 
** West Meredyth Dr.....wow......CVS---if you build it, they will come ... + Flint Bank, all the medical and now Orthopedic Assoc. going up nearby.. plus don't forget well-located Millsbee Village Subdivision behind it all....
 
** Just floated the Kinchafoonee from US 19  to a friend's house a mile downstream...muddy water from the rain  but  still great sights---heron, wildflowers, turtles + grandaughter and her friend squealing and swimming from a small handy beach half-way down ...

 Summertime .. & the livin' is easee ..... 

 
** How nice to be only a half-day's drive from the beach......what are we waiting for?
 
REMEMBER...IT'S BETTER TO TRY  AT SOMETHING , THAN NOT TO TRY AT ALL
BESIDES.......THERE ARE NO REAL FAILURES IN LIFE---JUST LESSONS.
 
        feedback welcome.......................

 

                    HENRY  C. DUGGAN, III
                    Alapahahcd@bellsouth.net
 
p.s.  ** Bought a watermelon in the 400 block of Pine .. $4 for a small one...the vendor said "prices were up !"

 

 

 

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