Dr. Larry Walker – Serious About Service

I am a candidate for re-election to the District 5 seat on the ECUA. In previous terms, I have sought to serve with “energy, integrity, and humility” (my formula, 1995). In 1999, the Pensacola News Journal wrote that my service on the ECUA was “a prime example of how public servants should conduct themselves” (PNJ, July). In 2008, the PNJ endorsed me, referring to my “integrity and competence” (PNJ, August). I intend to continue serving with that same integrity and competence. Therefore, I make the following pledges to all citizens:

1. I will be a conscientious policy maker. I will not put personal political survival ahead of the public interest by dodging tough issues; on the contrary, I will face head-on the most pressing issues facing ECUA and our community. I will be concerned about the welfare of our community in our time—and in our children’s and grandchildren’s time.
2. I will actively oversee the vitally important Central Water Reclamation Facility project, which is centered in District 5. I will accept responsibility for the new plant’s rapid construction and for its satisfactory operation.
3. I will be a proactive and responsible leader on the ECUA board. In that regard, I will give District 5 a representative to be proud of.
4. I will be honest. I invite citizens to hold me to the highest standards of personal honesty and ethical conduct. My honesty will extend to dealings with citizens, both collectively and one-on-one. I will be truthful. I will never deceive, dissimulate, or “demagogue.”
5. I will be a diligent communicator. I will answer or return phone calls and emails. My cell-phone number will always be 723-6094. My ECUA email address will always be lwalker@ecua.org. I will show my face widely and frequently throughout the district. After the August 26 election, I will continue my campaign website, www.larrywalker.com, as a news source about ECUA affairs.

I invite you to judge me in the future by these pledges—and, if necessary, to hold me to them.

Sincerely yours,
Larry Walker, Ph.D.

Rae’s Chapel Baptist Church

On Sunday, August 10, Larry first attended the early service at his home church, St. Luke UMC, then attended the 10:30 service at Rae’s Chapel Baptist Church at Bogia. Rae’s Chapel has a new pastor, Nathan Brown, 27, from Sand Mountain, Alabama. Larry attended the service to welcome Pastor Brown and his wife, Danielle, to District 5.

Nathan and Danielle are a breath of youthful fresh air among District 5′s clergy, as the photo of them attests. Rae’s Chapel is Nathan’s first pastorate, but he preaches with power, presence of mind, and intelligence.

Larry felt a kinship with the Browns, since both they and he are from North Alabama. Nathan and Danielle are from Jackson County in the northeast corner of Alabama, and Larry is from Colbert County in the northwest corner.

Members of Olive Baptist Church may find the Browns familiar, because Nathan served pastoral internships for two summers at Olive before accepting the call to Rae’s Chapel.

There may be a Sand Mountain pipeline for Southern Baptist ministers into Escambia County now, since Dr. Ted Traylor of Olive Baptist is also a Sand Mountain native.

In addition to Pastor Brown’s preaching, the service at Rae’s Chapel was highlighted by the church’s outstanding choir, singing from the church’s beautiful choir loft.

Larry enjoyed seeing several old friends, including Raymond Truesdale, Billy Ward, Freddie Mooney, Don Grant, Dick and Ella Moye, and Heather Leonard. Ed Brown conducted a good Sunday School class.

Pine Forest Estates Baptist Church

Pine Forest Estates Baptist Church, W. Nine Mile Road, had the dedication of its new Family Life Center on the afternoon of the 10th. The facility is a state-of-the-art structure with a very large, deep frontage that will be a beautiful landscape one day, no doubt. Inside are a spacious physical-exercise area (basketball, volleyball, and so forth), a kitchen, and several lightheartedly decorated rooms. The rooms will be used during the week by a therapy program for handicapped persons.

A dedication banquet will be held by the church at 5:00 p.m., August 23. The banquet fee is $5. Come one, come all.

Pastor Mike Davis has led the church into this new era. The Family Life Center was begun in 2004, but Hurricane Ivan destroyed the partial structure that had been erected at that time, and completion of the new center has not been without its frustrations.

Larry enjoyed seeing old friends, including Jewel and Toney Bradfield, Mr. and Mrs. Buddy Helms, Mr. and Mrs. Wilton Barnes, and former Byrneville Elementary principal Ferryn Twarkins. The highlight of the afternoon for Larry, however, was seeing three-week-old Katherine Green, daughter of Jonathon and Natasha Green, and the great-granddaughter of Toney Bradfield and the VERY proud Jewel Bradfield. Many politically active citizens of Escambia County will be acquainted with Toney and Jewel.

Naturist Jeff Perkins, a Beck’s Lake Road resident, led Larry Walker on a mid-summer 2008 search for remnants of the original Spanish Trail on property bought by ECUA for the new Central Water Reclamation Facility (CWRF). After a rough ride in Jeff’s tough Jeep and fording a clear creek on foot, Jeff and Larry found what Jeff believes to be a remnant of the Spanish Trail that led from the area of Pensacola northward into what is now Alabama.

Traces of the trail appear to be evident in the form of depressions with ancient-looking clay walls. In one photo, Jeff sits on a clay wall of a narrow depression that may have been a shortcut for thirsty travellers to reach a creek (in background of photo). Unfortunately, logging trucks had made recent use of what might have been remnants of the trail itself, obliterating most signs of the old trail.

If clear and substantial signs of the Spanish Trail had been evident, Larry intended to see to the preservation of the trail remnant as ECUA develops the CWRF property. It was Jeff and Larry’s opinion, unfortunately, that the logging trucks had left too little to preserve.

Larry Walker and challenger Barry Tweedie spoke at the Tate Band Boosters political rally, August first. Don Parker served as person-in-charge, with Bobby Gindl operating a strict five-minute timer.

Larry enjoyed reminding Don Parker and some in the audience of an audacious performance by Don as emcee of a Tate rally in 1992. The reminder produced a look of somewhat pained amusement on Don’s face.

Larry used his full five minutes to talk about the past and future of the ECUA, but said his loudest applause came when he mentioned that, because he taught at the University of Alabama in the days of Bear Bryant, his blood runs “Alabama crimson” in football season.

Thanks to the Tate band boosters for the opportunity to talk!