Double Springs City Council questions Snoddy over Looney’s

DOUBLE SPRINGS - Questions in funding arose from the Double Springs Town Council concerning donations they had made and were being asked to make, to support the Looney’s Amphitheater Complex in the Lakeshore area.
So far, $2 million has been invested at the Looney’s complex, including grants from the state, other organizations, as well as community donations, according to J.D. Snoddy, president of the Winston County Arts Council, which purchased the Looney’s complex after it had been closed at least 20 years.
Town council members questioned whether they needed to donate as much as they had earlier donated toward the ongoing renovations at the complex.  The town council has made a $10,000 donation in the past.
“Are most all the other towns giving that much?” Council Member Tim Cockrell asked. The discussion that followed occurred before Snoddy came late to the council meeting.
“We gave them $10,000 last time,” stated Council Member Hobby Walker. “I think $10,000 is a little too much.”
“This is my opinion about it,” Cockrell then said. “They are doing all they can do to make something out of the place, but they are going to have to get something besides these bluegrass concerts to draw other people in, to make some money.
“There is nothing I can do about that,” Cockrell added. “That is just my opinion on it, but I am kind of like Hobby, $10,000...”
“That’s a lot of money,” Walker interjected.
“I was OK with  $10,000 the first time because they were getting started,” council member Brittney Tucker then stated.
“And we’re talking about giving these police officers a raise.  That is going to cut into our budget,” Walker pointed out.
“We haven’t done raises yet,” Mayor Elmo Robinson pointed out. “We fixing to try to do raises, so we have to watch our money.
“Y’all want to drop it down to $5,000?” Robinson asked.
“I would feel more comfortable with $5,000 right now,” responded Cockrell.
“I am not comfortable with $10,000,” Tucker added.
“They are not bringing in the middle-age crowd,” Cockrell reasoned.
“The key to all that is,” interjected Council Attorney Jeff Mobley. “You have bluegrass, that is one weekend a month. That leaves you three other weekends a month to do something a little different It’s not one versus the other.”
“I understand it costs money to get people in,” Cockrell continued.
Tucker then asked how the town’s donation would be used.
 “The last time, they were trying to purchase it,” she said. “And they were trying to build the amphitheater and do things.”
“Just getting people in, in order to draw a bigger crowd,” Mobley answered.“Also, what is the economic impact to us.”
Snoddy then arrived and walked into the meeting room.
“Don’t sit down J.D.,” Robinson told Snoddy. “We need you to explain some things to us.”
Snoddy said the arts council is working on three separate grants for Looney’s, one to complete renovations at the putt-putt golf course, one for dressing rooms to be placed at the back of Dual Destiny Theater and  the third grant for the lower area of the building housing the former Sister Sarah’s restaurant.
Snoddy explained that the Arts Council would like to have a museum  displaying donated items such as Indian artifacts, Confederate and Union soldier artifacts, as well as other items of local historical significance, as well as house a gift shop.
The old wooden stage that had rotted at the amphitheater has been removed and replaced with a concrete stage
.“When we get some more money, we are going to put dressing rooms down there,” Snoddy noted.
“That way, it will be in a position where we can have some larger concerts there,” Snoddy pointed out.
Plans are also in the works to put a new porch on the former Sister Sarah’s restaurant, now known as The Lodge. That building can be rented for reunions, showers, birthday parties and public gatherings, Snoddy indicated.
“We are allowing folks to use that for free and just give us a donation,” Snoddy said, “because the town has been good to us. The county has been good to us. The state has been good to us.
“We feel like that’s a way we can give back to the citizens, by enabling them to have a place where they can have things going on,” Snoddy continued.