Hokes Bluff to dedicate municipal building to former mayor

According to a Gadsden Times article written by Katherine Poythress, the Hokes Bluff City Council will dedicate the city municipal building next weekend in honor of former Mayor W.A. Smith, whose six terms in office encompassed the 1971 construction of the building. Smith's mayoral tenure lasted from 1964 until 1988. The last two terms he served from his wheelchair after a fall that left him a paraplegic. During his tenure, Smith established the Hokes Bluff Police Department, the sewer system and garbage pick-up. He also helped improve quality of life in the city by overseeing the addition of a swimming pool, tennis courts, ball fields and a community center, a press release from the city said. A public dedication ceremony will be at 10 a.m. Aug. 29 at the municipal complex, which houses City Hall and the fire department. Masons will set the building's cornerstone, donated by the Hokes Bluff Lions Club, and a brief ceremony will follow in the council chambers.