Gadsden highlights arts and community fundraisers after busy autumn

Mayor Craig Ford used the Mayor’s Minute to recognize a series of recent arts and community events, thanking organizers and noting strong public turnout.

Ford thanked Councilwoman Dixie Menacher for her leadership on Arttoberfest and congratulated the board and staff of the Ritz Theater for work on a new sign and programming. ""We want to thank the board or directors and the people all associated with the Ritz Theater and how they have spiced that place up and the entertainment that they offer as far as in theater plays,"" Ford said.

He also described a Forest Cemetery walk-through that drew what he called perhaps the largest crowd in recent memory after a rainy morning. Ford thanked Michael Rogers and the cemetery board for organizing the event and said it showcased the history of people buried there. Separately, he said the Sunset Sips fundraiser organized by Kay Moore and Downtown Gadsden Inc. sold out and is a major fundraiser for the organization.

These remarks were recognition and promotion rather than policy actions; Ford encouraged residents to attend local theater and community events.