Q&A Friday on Monday

Ok, so it's not really Friday (sorry to break the news) but since the campaign tour last week bumped our weekly blog features we are playing catch up with our Friday Stockton Landmark District Q&A today. Trivia Tuesday will return tomorrow. Just about 3 weeks to go! The finish line is in sight and we need your help in these final weeks to tell as many Alabama voters as possible why they should vote YES for Amendment 3 on November 6th. Keep sharing the link to the blog, we will be updating it more frequently as the election approaches. Have a great week, ya'll!

Question 1: Why is it important that Amendment 3 passes on November 6th? Why not just wait until if and when a neighboring municipality attempts to annex Stockton?

Answer: Remember the old Ben Franklin quote, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?" Amendment 3 simply puts in place a protective barrier around Stockton. It is a precautionary step that will be so valuable to our residents if and when another municipality proposes annexation. As the law stands today, a larger municipality can annex unincorporated areas without a vote from the area's residents as long as the Alabama Legislature approves it. If this happens,  the annexed community's only recourse is to fight the annexation in court which can be very costly not to mention extremely long and tenuous. Ft. Morgan, located at the very bottom of Baldwin County, has been in a legal battle with its neighbor, Gulf Shores for years over the same issue. Another example in Baldwin County is the Malbis Plantation. This area located just down from the Eastern Shore Center in Spanish Fort was a very integral part of Greek history and culture in South Alabama. It has been completely annexed into Spanish Fort and Daphne. Newcomers to the area and younger people do not even know that there was a Malbis. They just see a pretty Greek Orthodox church and a few big houses along the road on their way into Daphne. What a devastating scenario this would be for Stockton, the oldest community in the county. 

We need to act now to give our residents a vote in the future. Amendment 3 is our best shot. Please vote YES on November 6th!

Question 2: Which party supports Amendment 3? Is this a partisan issue?

Answer: The Stockton Landmark District is a completely non-partisan issue and is not backed by any party. Amendment 3 is supported by Alabama voters from all party affiliations and independents. We visited numerous Democratic and Republican Headquarters on our statewide campaign tour last week and overwhelmingly the consensus from both parties was, "this amendment just makes sense." Amendment 3 isn't really about politics. It is about preserving the history and heritage of Stockton and giving residents, many who can trace their roots back over 200 years in the community, a vote. No one wants to wake up one morning to find that the town their families have called home for generations is no longer on the map. Visit Why Should I Vote Yes? for more info.

Landmarkers Return!

It was a strange feeling this morning, not waking up and heading out the door to stop at every newspaper and campaign headquarters between here and the next town. In 3 days we covered 965 miles, stopping at 35 places around Alabama. We visited 12 restaurants and stores, 5 newspapers, 2 television stations, 1 radio station, 4 Democratic Headquarters, 8 Republican Headquarters, 1 Chamber of Commerce, 1 Junior League, and gave 1 interview with the Associated Press. We feel pretty good about what we accomplished in just a  few short days. We have a GREAT state. Every single person we spoke with was receptive to learning about Amendment 3. People are confused by most of the amendments. If they aren't from that area, oftentimes they just don't vote. When we explained to them about what Amendment 3 will do for Stockton, the response was "that just makes sense." People appreciate history and the importance of preserving an area and giving its citizens the chance to vote on its future. We returned from our trip feeling energized about our state and the election on November 6th.

Here is just a brief re-cap of each day and finally some photos!

Day 1 (Stockton--Florence): I'll be honest, at first the idea of just going up to strangers in restaurants was a little intimidating. We weren't sure exactly the best approach for this tour so we just jumped in. Day 1 was about getting our feet wet. The more people we spoke with and the more positive feedback we received, the easier it it became to tell anyone who would listen why they should vote YES for Amendment 3. We drove from Stockton to Florence taking only the back roads. In Tuscumbia, we met Tori Bailey at WZZA radio, the "The Soul of the Shoals" and she provided us with some excellent advice and contact information for some very influential folks in Montgomery. Another BIG thank you to her!

 Our Place, Evergreen, AL

AJ's Restaurant, Monroeville, AL

 JJ's Bait & Tackle, Monroeville, AL

Thomasville Times, Thomasville, AL

 Demopolis, AL

Tuscaloosa County, Republican Headquarters, Tuscaloosa, AL

Tuscaloosa, AL

 WZZA Radio "Soul of the Shoals" Tuscumbia, AL

Day 2 (Florence--Auburn): By day 2, we were getting into the groove and realized that we needed to talk to people who could really amplify our 3 voices. We focused on Republican and Democratic Headquarters (this is a completely non-partisan issue), newspapers, and TV stations. We really felt good about these stops and met many helpful Editors and other folks. The Chamber of Commerce in Decatur was extremely helpful and welcoming to us. We are excited to be mentioned in their upcoming newsletter!

Times Daily, Florence, AL

Morgan County Chamber of Commerce, Decatur, AL

Decatur Daily, Decatur, AL

WHNT 19 News, Huntsville, AL

Democratic Headquarters, Huntsville, AL

Democratic Headquarters, Huntsville, AL

Day 3 (Auburn--Stockton): By Day 3, it seemed like all roads led to Montgomery so we focused our final day of the tour in and around the State Capitol. Andy Powell at the Gadsden Times had given us a contact at the Associated Press which resulted in a great meeting and interview. We hope this will lead to bigger publicity for Amendment 3. We also were given the names of some influential political leaders who are sharing our information with their parties and organizations. We returned to Stockton in the early evening tired but VERY encouraged about the election and the wonderful people of our State!

Associated Press, Montgomery, AL

Montogomery County Republican Headquarters, Montgomery, AL

Alabama Democratic Party State Headquarters, Montgomery, AL

Again, we want to thank every one who we met during our state tour for giving us a few minutes out of their day. We hope they will help us inform their communities about the Stockton Landmark District and Amendment 3.  We greatly appreciate and need their support!

We have just a few more weeks to go before November 6th. Please keep helping us inform voters across the state to support the Stockton Landmark Distric, Amendment 3 and not to ignore it! Thanks for following our blog and sharing it with others! 

Day 2!

Well here we are, another 13 stops down and finally here in Auburn! Gale really hit a home run with tonight's accommodations at Fountainview Mansion, such a perfect way to end an incredibly successful day! I'm keeping it short tonight with just a quick recap of today's stops. Wow, we have met so many wonderful people and are overwhelmed by their support for Amendment 3! Tomorrow we are setting our sights on Montgomery. Look for a much lengthier post with photos once we return to Stockton tomorrow evening. Until then, keep on helping us spread the word about Stockton, and thanks so much for following our travels!

Florence: Lauderdale Co. Republican HQ, Times Daily Newspaper Decatur: Chamber of Commerce, Republican HQ, Decatur Daily Newspaper, City Cafe, Curry's Restaurant Huntsville: WHNT 19 News Station,  Democratic HQ, Republican HQ, Fox 54 News Station Gadsden: Gadsden Times Newspaper, Republican HQ

Campaign Tour Day 1

Greetings from the road! We are settled into our hotel in Florence, AL (we HIGHLY recommend the Residence Inn here) and are really looking forward to a good night's rest. Whew, today has been a whirlwind but it has been such a successful day. We have been to restaurants, bait and tackle shops, Democratic headquarters, Republican headquarters, local newspapers, and even a radio station on our trek northward- 14 stops total! Stockton Landmark District fliers and signs are now sprinkled through western Alabama. We spoke to almost 100 folks along the way today and hope that they will tell their communities about the Stockton Landmark District and Amendment #3. Thanks so much to all of them for the warm welcome and for giving us a few minutes out of their day. I had planned to post photos but my iPad is not cooperating. I will post a few on the Facebook page and try to get them on the blog soon. I've listed today's stops along with links to their websites or other information. We will be traveling across the top of the state tomorrow and begin heading south, ending up in Auburn tomorrow evening. Look out for another post then and also watch the Facebook page for updates from the road. Sweet dreams!

Evergreen: Conecuh Sausage Company, Our Place Restaurant Monroeville: Huddle House, AJ's Restaurant, J&J Bait & Tackle Thomasville: Thomasville Times, People's Corner Restaurant, Gaston's Grill Demopolis: Demopolis Times, Mr G's Restaurant Tuscaloosa: Republican Headquarters Russellville: Republican Headquarters, Democratic Headquarters Tuscumbia: WZZA Radio "Soul of the Shoals"- A BIG thank you to Tori Bailey, General Manager of the station, for the great advice and support!

Friday Q&A

It's Friday again, folks and maybe, just maybe it's starting to feel a little like fall in Stockton which means Nov. 6th is just around the corner- 1 month from tomorrow to be exact! There is still plenty of time left to inform Alabama voters why they should vote YES for Amendment 3. We've updated a few things on the blog today and added some new tabs located above this post. Take a minute to explore them. We've also added some new photos. Check out our weekly Q&A about the Stockton Landmark District below. Have a great weekend ya'll!

Question 1: If Amendment 3 passes on Nov. 6th, will the Stockton Landmark District place restrictions on how we can use our land in Stockton and/or re-zone our community? Is this amendment going to require me to pay more taxes?

Answer: NO! Amendment 3 will do none of these things. Unfortunately, many voters are conditioned to think state amendments are going to place restrictions or call for more money. Our amendment does none of that. It actually provides our residents with increased freedom. As a Landmark District, residents will vote if another municipality attempts to annex Stockton into its borders. We do not have this freedom today. As for what you do with your land in Stockton, that is entirely up to you. This amendment has not affect on your rights as a property owner. 


Question 2: Why doesn't Stockton just incorporate?

Answer: Stockton actually was incorporated in the 1830s. At that time, it was second in size to Mobile and was a thriving river town. At the present, Stockton doesn't have a commercial base for such a venture. As the community continues to grow, re-incorporation could become a possibility. If Amendment 3 passes next month, it will protect Stockton and place it in a better position for incorporation in the future. Of course, this would only happen if the citizens of Stockton choose to do so.  

The Answer!

Trivia Tuesday Question: What was the original name given to Stockton by its earliest settlers in the mid 1700s?

The Answer: In early history, Stockton and the area to its north was referred to as "Tensa." It was named for the Taensa Indian tribe whose principal village was located in the area. There have been many spellings and variations of the "Taensa" tribe from Taensa, Tensa, Tensau, and finally Tensaw. The community north of Stockton is known as Tensaw today. Prior to the withdrawal of the French around 1765, there were a number of settlers living along the riverbanks in addition to the Taensa Indians. 

The Tensaw settlement, of which Stockton was apart, was settled long before Baldwin county or other communities in our area were established. This fact is lost on most who pass through our sleepy little community today. People have called Stockton home for well over 200 years and many of our residents can trace their ancestry back to its early settlers. Our history and heritage entitles us to have a say in our future. Amendment 3 will ensure that we will! Please vote yes for Stockton!

We also wanted to share with you a few photos from the re-opening of Live Oak Landing on Tuesday. This Landing was such an important part of Stockton for many years and it has been closed to the public for the last decade. We are thrilled that the county has made this beautiful place accessible to us again. Stockton hasn't been the same without it. Welcome back Live Oak!

SLD Trivia Tuesday!

Just to keep things fun these last few weeks before November 6th and to share some fun facts about our community, every Tuesday we are going to ask a trivia question about Stockton on the blog! Comment below with your guesses or email them to stocktonlandmarkdistrict@gmail.com. We will reveal the answer tomorrow evening!

Question: What was the original name given to Stockton by its earliest settlers in the mid 1700s?

Any guesses?

P.S. We just discovered that a few of our tabs linking to the Facebook pages and a history of Stockton were not functioning properly- problem solved! Please explore the additional links to resources on the blog. Much more information and photos coming soon! Thanks so much for continuing to share our site with your contacts around Alabama! Every vote really does count!