Lake Wedowee Rumors
Sep. 12, 2006
Story by: Leisel Caldwell
The houseboat ban has been discussed since early spring of 2006. The houseboat ban is tied to the rumors of a Reynold's Plantation type development coming to Wedowee. The bill has recently met with opposition from a boat dealer and other individuals on Lake Martin. Click here for more about the boat ban: http://www.dailyhome.com/news/2006/as-local-0827-cjarvis-6h26u1338.htm
A petition is currently being circulated for a wet/dry referendum to be placed on the November elections in Randolph County. Again, speculation is tied to large developers looking at Lake Wedowee.
It is being said that one or two large developers from other southeastern lakes are in negotiations with Alabama Power on land owned by Alabama Power on Lake Wedowee. Rumor has it, it is the Reynold's family who developed on Lake Oconee in Georgia and Russell Lands from Lake Martin. Both large developers who have strong ties to The Southern Company, parent company to Alabama Power and Georgia Power.
I do feel the rumors has some substance since Alabama Power just recently purchased 80 acres of waterfront property on Lake Wedowee. Why would they purchase additional land on the lake when they already own 65% of the shoreline now? Another fact supporting the rumors, Alabama Power has made a request to the Randolph County Commissioners to close County Road 90. This road dead ends into the lake just above the 48 bridge. Alabama Power states they want it closed due to it being a "nuisance area for us". In my opinion, it is another step to gain more control of the area around the 48 Bridge. For more on the road closure story, click on the link: http://www.dailyhome.com/news/2006/as-local-0824-cjarvis-6h23w0718.htm . See map below for a view of the road they want closed and the amount of land Alabama Power owns in this area.
We have so much to offer with our rural setting, clean lake and close proximity to Atlanta. More growth is sure to come. It is definitely time for this county to plan for its future. We need leaders who are forward thinking and are not afraid of change. Leaders who will not sell out to the highest bidder but look after our County's best interest.
We would like to know what others think. Please feel free to make comments.
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Alligator at Lake Wedowee!
Aug. 21, 2006
Story by: Kelly Caldwell
Have you heard that Lake Wedowee has its own alligator? Well if you haven’t you probably will, the email that was forwarded to me this week told me to send it to everyone I knew so it should arrive to you shortly.
As you know everything that comes over on email is absolute fact. No questions asked, it’s the truth… Yeah, right.
So when I came to work one day this week waiting in my inbox was an email about Lake safety. It had those three little letters that I despise in the subject line...FWD: I click on it and am informed about deer eating alligator on Lake Wedowee. There were pictures and everything. It said that the “ADNR” helicopter flying over Lake Wedowee took the following pictures.
That is when I knew something was fishy. In my past life as a newspaper reporter, we got an email saying almost the same thing, but it was on Lake Martin. We did a little digging and found the whole thing to be untrue. Thanks to my favorite website, www.snopes.com, the pictures have been verified as real, but the location is not anywhere near Lake Wedowee or Lake Martin. Actually the gator was spotted near the Georgia/South Carolina border.
I scrolled down to finish the email and saw yet another story about an alligator on Lake Wedowee. I was beginning to think we were infested with those reptilian creatures. This time the email said the creature was found near a boat dock and this time the “game warden” had to kill the animal.
The picture with it was disturbing. That gator was absolutely huge!!! The story said that Lake Wedowee homeowners Anita and Charlie Rogers discovered the creature. Only problem, there is no one by that name in the phone book or the records we have of homeowners. I again went to my favorite website and found the story almost identical to the one emailed to me, but this time it was saying the creature was captured in Texas. Alligators are not uncommon in Alabama but most of them live in south Alabama. I have lived in Randolph County for most of my life and have only once heard even a mention of an alligator and that was in a private pond. So feel safe when swimming. The fact is there have only been 5 cases of an alligator attacking a human in Alabama. While it is possible for alligators to live on Lake Wedowee, they are more common in South Alabama.
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