The City of Heflin purchased the former National Guard Armory in December 2011 for $15,000. After nine months and an estimated $37,000 in renovations, the red-brick building on Evans Street has high expectations as a haven for the community but lacks a basic trait of most iconic landmarks: a name.
During the Heflin City Council meeting Tuesday, Councilman Ken DuHon made a motion to designate the building as the “Anna Berry Annex.” The motion was split in a 3-3 vote—two of the ‘nay’ votes cast to support the vote of Mayor Berry. DuHon said in the earlier work session that the mayor was “instrumental in getting the armory” for the city and felt she should be recognized for that achievement.
Councilmen Johnny Heard and Jerry Gaines supported DuHon’s motion while Travis Crowe and Curtis Turner rejected. Turner said to the council his vote was to “respect her [Mayor Berry’s] wishes.”
While former Mayor Berry may have played a very active role in acquiring the National Guard Armory, why should it always be a forgone conclusion that any building acquired this way should automatically be named for a politician? The purchase was paid for with money that actually came from the hard earned revenues of the citizens of Heflin, which is where much of the credit should go. Also, and more importantly, it is a National Guard Armory where some of Heflin’s finest citizens gathered to maintain their military training and to serve in protecting the freedoms we all hold so dear. Why not name the building something like, “HEFLIN MEMORIAL CIVIC CENTER” and then spend just a little more money for a plaque dedicating it to all those service men and women who spent time in that building while they served (and some sacrificed their lives) for the benefit of Heflin, Cleburne County, Alabama and the United Stated States of America?