To the Editor,

My wife and I were sitting on the front porch the other night, and I told her to listen. She said, “I don’t hear anything.” “That’s what I’m talking about,” I said. “Isn’t it nice to sit out here and not hear the loud music (if you want to call it that) coming from the passing cars?”

I want to thank our new assistant police chief Mike Bowlan and his patrol officers for a job well done. I know they can’t be everywhere at one time, but where they are, they are making believers out of the noise makers. Officers Phillips, Curry, Watkins and Sgt. Bailey are the ones I see the most and to them, a special “thank you.”

I’ve met folks at the Wal-Mart and grocery store who stop me and tell me how much better it is in their area of town, too. Not only are our police officers writing tickets for the noise, but they are writing up the speeders as well.

Folks, this has been a long time coming, and Andalusia needed it. Because of a mayor and city council listening to the citizens, passing an ordinance and our assistant chief having his officers enforce it, our city is now safer and quieter.

I also want to thank Jim Hogg with our street department. His crew is doing a fantastic job keeping our streets and sidewalks clean of trash and garbage, which of course makes Andalusia a more desirable place to look at as you drive around town, not only for use who live here, but for those looking for a new town to move to.

We are very fortunate to not only have the police and fire protection that we have, but we have some of the best city services you could ever ask for, especially with the bad economy our nation is in.

Finally, not only an I proud to be an American, but I’m very proud to be an Andalusian as well. So, a big, “thank you,” to our city leaders and to our many city departments for a job well done.

Duane O’Neal

Andalusia