Members of area school fishing teams pose for pictures with pro fishermen and representatives of Major League Fishing, along with local officials, after the announcement on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019 that Cullman and Smith Lake will host Stage Five of the 2019 Major League Fishing Bass Tour from April 30 through May 5. The event will coincide with a “festival-style fan experience” in downtown Cullman’s Depot Park and Festhalle. (W.C. Mann for The Tribune)
This profile was part of The Cullman Tribune's special "Community Matters" section on March 19, 2019.
CULLMAN, Ala. – If you want to know what’s good about Cullman, Mayor Woody Jacobs won’t hesitate for a moment to tell you.
Jacobs shared, “It’s an exciting time to be mayor of the City of Cullman! Cullman has a lot to offer its citizens and visitors, and there are many new and exciting things are happening in our community.
“Our community is strong! We have several annual festivals including the Strawberry Festival, Oktoberfest and Christmas in the Park that are always well-attended and loads of fun for everyone. We’ve added a new festival this year: The St. Patrick’s Celebration on March 16, 2019! These events and many others throughout the year take place in our beautiful, historic and thriving downtown area.
Continued Jacobs, “Cullman is the most family-friendly town in Alabama. We also have one of the best school systems in the state, as well as several excellent private schools. Our medical foundation is strong as well. Cullman Regional provides our city and surrounding area with top-notch healthcare. Through the leadership of the hospital, we have been able to see great progressive medical growth from infrastructure expansions to the new Da Vinci surgical robot. Our character, schools, medical care and parks allow our citizens to have a great quality of life.
“Through Heritage Park, the Field of Miracles, and the Cullman Wellness and Aquatics Center, we have a wide variety of sports and recreational activities available for our citizens of all ages and abilities. Our smaller community parks include such amenities as picnic tables, pavilions, traditional and specialized playground equipment, splash pads, and more to provide great free entertainment options for the whole family. The planned creation of more tree-lined parks and walking trails throughout downtown Cullman will provide even more recreational opportunities for families. The unbelievable park system that we have been blessed with, combined with our top notch lodging options, allow our parks department the ability to really focus on sports tourism with tournaments all year round; thus making Cullman one of the best tournament destinations in the state. This year, we will also be hosting the Major League Fishing (MLF) Stage Five of the Bass Pro Shop Tour (Smith Lake). This will occur the first week of May, and will provide a festival type atmosphere centered on professional fishing.
Jacobs is excited about economic development happening in Cullman as well.
“Business is booming in Cullman! New restaurants and retail establishments are opening all over town, existing industries expanding, and new industries are interested in Cullman. We are a business-friendly community with an economic development team that is dedicated to helping our local retail and commercial businesses thrive. Recently, Technology Village Cullman (TVC) was created to help innovators develop and succeed in Cullman, because entrepreneurship is also a vital part of our economic development ecosystem. This allows Cullman to be one of the hallmark areas of the state that can capture all areas of economic development: industry, retail and entrepreneurship.
“Cullman has an excellent location along I-65 and along several major highways, and our proximity to Birmingham and Huntsville is a plus, as well. We have an outstanding regional airport that is continually growing to serve the needs of its clients and our community.
Jacobs believes improvements to the city’s infrastructure benefit everyone.
“Many improvements have recently been made or are underway. These improvements include: the recent paving of Main Avenue from U.S. Highway 278 to U.S. Highway 31, the planned repaving of Main Avenue from U.S. Highway 278 to Cherokee Avenue, the replacement of the bridge over Bridge Creek on Eva Road, and improvements to streets, water and sewer lines, and storm drains throughout the city. However, the biggest thanks goes to the U.S. Department of Transportation for selecting Cullman as the recipient of the BUILD (Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development) Grant; the long-anticipated improvement of Alabama Highway 157 to a four-lane highway. Other improvements are planned for the future, as well, including improvements in broadband coverage.
“I am excited about what’s happening in Cullman. Cullman is a great place to live, work and play. And we have all the qualities necessary to encourage success in business, as well. I am proud to serve as mayor and am thankful for the support and encouragement of the city council and our community.”
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