History of Alford Community Organization

7/17/08

Contributed By: Peggy Yon Mills, ACO President
In realizing a need for revitalization of our town, its spirit and pride, I invited concerned and committed citizens to band together to form Alford Beautification Organization. Seven-teen people met at Alford Community Center January 23, 2007 for our first meeting. We changed our name to Alford Community Council March 5th, however, Alford Town’s Council rejected our name March 6th. We changed to Alford Community Organization (ACO) April 16th by member votes. We chose to work with Alford Town Council in place of applying for a Charter. We are a non-profit organization.
ACO’s main goal is to enhance and beautify the Town of Alford while making it a safe, friendly and family oriented place to live. Additional goals are: plant trees and flowers, secure new city limit signs with a town slogan, and provide a yard of the month sign. ACO will back The Town of Alford in getting property owners to clean up overgrown property, do away with non-tagged vehicles, useless junk, keep streets free of litter, and help in the purchase of new Christmas Decorations so Alford will sparkle brightly during the upcoming Christmas Season and throughout the year.
Meetings are the 3rd Monday of each month and members pay $10 yearly dues. We seek members from The Town of Alford and surrounding Communities to join our organization. Please contact Alford Community Organization officers: Peggy Y. Mills, President (850-579-4482), J.W. Dilmore, Vice-President (579-4871), Faye Melvin, Secretary (579-4310), or Charlene Smith, Treasurer (579-0199) for additional information.
Help is desperately needed to improve our town. When people visit in Alford, they take notice of the overall appearance of the different properties. Our goal is for people to view well groomed yards free of junk, overgrown weeds/brush, and garbage. A majority of Citizens of Alford and the joining Communities take pride in our homes and strive to keep our property clean. However, this must be everyone’s goal. All renters and property owners must embrace this goal.
Alford has the potential of becoming a quaint, beautiful town. Alford can and must change so people will desire to buy property and build homes in our town and Communities. Pride in one’s community will help foster a desire to volunteer to work in CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS thus ensuring continuing and steady progress in our town and surrounding areas.