Athens Now July 17, 2020

July 17th - August 6th, 2020

AthensNowal.com E-MAIL: info@athensnowal.com ADVERTISING: Ali Elizabeth: 256-468-9425 Degan Wilder: 256-426-2493

See Our Listings Inside this edition...

Pages 25 - 32

Special Feature Premier Structures Incorporated Turns 34...

It was in July of 1986 that Will Evans and his wife, Helen, started Premier Structures Incorporated, and grew it into a multiaward winning...

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Save The Date, August 13, For The 2020 Women’s Resource Center Fundraising Banquet

By Ali Elizabeth Turner Recently, I had the great joy of getting to speak with Roland Warren, CEO of CareNet, and hearing his heart regarding what he has come

Special Feature

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Gilbert’s Jeeps: Selling Fun Since ‘86

Vinyl Revival Of Athens: From Shostakovich To Steely Dan To Sacred...

For many years, the C & R Sheet Metal shop on the Corner of Pryor and Clinton in Athens served...

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By Ali Elizabeth Turner Athens-Limestone native Grant Gilbert’s love affair with Jeep/Willys began when his trusty ’48 Willys helped him ford creeks and cover the fields of their family’s farm running herd on their cattle. “I knew from experience it was a good product,” he told me. Later on, his brother Joel bought

From The Vets' Museum The Veterans’ Memorial Mural Project...

If you have been down Pryor Street in the last couple of weeks, you have probably noticed a lot of exciting changes going on...

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Publisher’s Point Publisher / Editor Ali Turner

Copy Editor

Yvonne Dempsey

Sales & Distribution Degan Wilder

Graphic Design

Jonathan Hamilton

Web Design Teddy Wolcott

Contributing Writers D. A. Slinkard Lisa Philippart Lynne Hart Sandra Thompson Anna Hamilton Deb Kitchenmaster Nick Thomas Jackie Warner Tim Lambert Wanda Campbell Mae Lewis

Publisher’s Point . . . . . . . . 3 All Things Soldier . . . . . . . 4 Special Feature . . . . . . . . . 5 Calendar Of Events . . . . . 6 Special Feature . . . . . . . . . 7 What Makes Ronnie Roll . . . 8 Slinkard on Success . . . . . . 9 From The Vets' Museum . . . 10 PlayAction Sports . . . . . . 11 Clean and Green . . . . . . . 12 Cooking With Anna . . . . 13 Cover Stories . . . . . . . 15 & 17 Health And Fitness . . . . . . 16 Lifelong Learning . . . . . . 18 View From The Bridge . . . 19 Horse Whispering . . . . . . . 20 Mental Health Minute . . . 21 Special Feature . . . . . . . 22

July 17 - August 06, 2020

Sickness And Singing In The Summertime We have been just handed a whole new set of adventures in the form of a two-week mask ordinance that hopefully will end on July 31. I can’t imagine the level of stress that our leaders are experiencing on all levels, from the national to local.

I have been casting about with the new news, with the desire to be a positive help for myself and those around me. These are unprecedented times, and our response to them can determine a number of things, including our quality of life and perhaps our physical health.

I have always known that music has therapeutic qualities, and for a while nearly 50 years ago, considered getting a degree in music therapy. But recently I came across some interesting research that very specifically breaks down the benefits of singing, particularly with others with respect to something as stressful as cancer.

to pass the time, fight boredom, come together, and get stronger. But what is it about singing specifically that can be such a medicine? Below is a brief re-cap of a medical study of cancer patients that was conducted on the effect of singing in a choir. Obviously, all of the medical disclaimers are in place, here. No one is claiming that singing is a cure for cancer or COVID or anything. But take a look at the findings and make your own decisions. It may just be that if we do a lot of singing together in the next couple of weeks, our immune systems will strengthen, and that would be a good thing. The study was conducted at Tenovus Cancer Care in connection with the Royal College of Music, and published in ecancermedicalscience.

Singing in a choir for just one hour boosts levels of immune proteins in people affected by can-

cer, reduces stress and improves mood, which in turn could have a positive impact on overall health, a new study has found.

The research raises the possibility that singing in choir rehearsals could help to put people in the best possible position to receive treatment, maintain remission and support cancer patients.

The study tested 193 members of five different choirs. Results showed that singing for an hour was associated with significant reductions in stress hormones, such as cortisol, and increases in quantities of cytokines -- proteins of the immune system -- which can boost the body's ability to fight serious illness.

Dr Ian Lewis, Director of Research and Policy at Tenovus Cancer Care and co-author of the research, said: "These are really exciting findings.

We have been building a body of evidence

If you remember some of the award-winning home videos that were paraded on the national stage during our first round with COVID, some of the best were of families singing together. There were whole families and choreography routines that were hilarious, touching, and downright good musically. It was a great way

over the past six years to show that singing in a choir can have a range of social, emotional and psychological benefits, and now we can see it has biological effects too.

"We've long heard anecdotal evidence that singing in a choir makes people feel good, but this is the first time it's been demonstrated that the immune system can be affected by singing. It's really exciting and could enhance the way we support people with cancer in the future."

The study also found that those with the lowest levels of mental wellbeing and highest levels of depression experienced greatest mood improvement, associated with lower levels of inflammation in the body.

There is a link between high levels of inflammation and serious illness.

We’ve got a new round of something that has gotten real old to get through, and I would like to humbly suggest, as corny as it may sound, that maybe we sing our way through it. Can’t hurt…

Ali Elizabeth Turner Athens Now Information & Inspiration 256-468-9425 ali@athensnowal.com Website: www.athensnowal.com

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All Things Soldier

WW II “Sweetheart Singer” Vera Lynn Passes At The Age Of 103

by Ali Elizabeth Turner Sometimes it’s the simplest things that carry the day; in this case, it was the singing voice of a British woman by the name of Vera Lynn, who recently died at the age of 103.

Vera was born in 1917 and was already a well-known singer when Hitler attacked England in July of 1940. The legends of how

the Greatest Generation fought back and defeated him will hopefully never be removed from history, although these days, at times, it seems history itself is slated for extermination.

Dame Vera Lynn sang to the soldiers both in live performances as well as

on the BBC; she once jokingly said that, “Winston Churchill was my opening act.” Sir Winston would address the British people, and Vera’s radio show, entitled Sincerely Yours would follow. Soldiers from all over the European theatre would send in requests for various songs to be sung, and her two most popular, “The White Cliffs of Dover” and “We’ll Meet Again,” still bring tears and standing ovations.

Queen Elizabeth herself, who drove an ambulance during WWII, played “We’ll Meet Again” recently in a broadcast to the British people during this COVID pandemic to remind them that indeed they would beat back a

new enemy and be able to “meet again.” I think given what we are dealing with this summer, that was a good move, and a timely one.

What was unusual about Dame Vera was that she was one of the few women who traveled literally to the jungle to sing to the troops. She went to what at the time was called Burma, and here is her memory of those trips: “What they needed was a contact from home,” she said. “I entertained audiences from 2,000 to 6,000. And the boys would just come out of the jungle and sit there for hours waiting until we arrived and then slip back in once we’d left.”

In 2009, at the age or

92, she released a “best of” retro album entitled “We’ll Meet Again,” which topped the charts in the UK. This was no small feat, as it came out at the same time as a re-mastered album of Beatles’ music, and it beat out the Beatles!

On the 75th anniversary of Normandy, her music was played aboard the ships which retraced the voyage to the invasion. It is said that the tears flowed freely amongst the men who were on board and had made the trip the first time under truly hellacious conditions.

Here are the words to “We’ll Meet Again,” and today they are especially meaningful to me. I hope you find them to be of encouragement as well:

Let's say goodbye with a smile, dear Just for a while, dear We must part Don't let this parting upset you I'll not forget you, sweetheart We'll meet again Don't know where Don't know when But I know we'll meet again some sunny day Keep smiling through Just like you always do 'Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away So will you please say hello To the folks that I know Tell them I won't be long They'll be happy to know That as you saw me go I was singing this song We'll meet again Don't know where Don't know when But I know we'll meet again some sunny day…

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July 17 - August 06, 2020

Walgreen's Huntsville

LaFinka Mexican Restaurant

Crestwood Physical Therapy

Special Feature

Premier Structures Incorporated Turns 34

by Ali Elizabeth Turner It was in July of 1986 that Will Evans and his wife, Helen, started Premier Structures Incorporated, and grew it into a multi-award winning construction corporation that has completed several well-known structures in the area, including the pillars at City Hall in Athens and the Belle Chevre cheese-producing facility in Elkmont.

Currently, their trucks and workers can be seen completing the sidewalk project on Pryor Street in Athens; a commercial project that will house a Walgreen’s Pharmacy, a doctor’s office, and a physical therapist’s office on Winchester in Huntsville; and a commercial project in Putman Industrial Park in Madison. “COVID has not slowed us down,” said PSI President and CEO Dan Mankins.

I thought about the fact that it was a full ten years ago that I first interviewed Dan for an anniversary article.

At that time, Mr. Will had passed, and Miss Helen was

still involved in the day-today running of PSI, with Dan at the helm. Miss Helen has since “gone home,” and Dan, who kind of “grew up” at PSI, had a story that reflects the American Dream: He worked his way up and became part of a team and a vision greater than himself.

The Evanses treated Dan like family and trusted him with their legacy work; and he is determined to pass on that same legacy to others who are “coming up.” The idea of mentoring his younger crew is not completely altruistic; these days it’s tougher to find young people who have the kind of work ethic and vision to make it in the construction industry. And if Dan and his team can train them to come into their own and be their best selves, the result is far better than a well-built structure; it also includes wellbuilt people and a cohesive team.

I asked Dan what had changed the most in the ten years, and he quickly replied, “Technol-

ogy. Everybody in a supervisory position goes out to a job site with an IPad.” This makes it possible to film what’s going on and show it to Dan or other team members, no matter where they are, and makes trouble-shooting so much easier. It also facilitates the mentoring process for more team members because the boss can be available for the whole crew, if need be, and function as though he is in more than one place at a time.

Dan has a number of other “tools” on hand to build his crew. They include friendly competition, a leadership team with literally decades of experience who also share Dan’s vision, and the challenge to the younger employees to “step up and teach somebody else to do your job,” as he says.

Dan also let me know that they are hiring and are in need of about ten steel erectors. “We will train them; they just need to be willing to work outside,” he said. He then quipped, “Construction is outside work. That means it’s cold in the winter and hot in the summer.”

When I first interviewed Dan in 2010, he said the following as it applies to PSI’s working philosophy regarding constructing buildings. What is interesting is that the same approach can be applied to building people, and PSI is

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Athens Sidewalks

in a great position to do just that: “What I try to focus on is the quality and value of work that we provide to our customers.

Our customers are people, not just companies. I want our company to do what we do, the right way, for a fair price.

We don’t cut corners, we don’t do cheap work, period.

Where some companies have faltered by reducing their standards just to get jobs, we have found a way to keep our standards high and provide quality work that we can stand behind. Along with our crews, we have a great group of subcontractors that work with us. We differ from most companies where we don’t shop prices or use a lot of different subcontractors. This way we know what we’re get-

ting. Our subs know what we expect, and we know what to expect from them. I believe that doing business this way is the only real way to get what you pay for.”

PSI vets their employees and does drug and background checks. “You have to be a US citizen, and if you want to make a career out of construction with us, you can,” said Dan. Congratulations to Dan and his crew for another successful year, and thank you for all that you do in and for our community!

PSI

2311 Hine St S, Athens, AL 35611 (256) 232-2092 Page 5

Calendar of Events Summer Concert Series: Singing on the Square with Trippin' Dixie July 17

Outdoor Concert July 24

On the East side of the Limestone County Courthouse (Marion Street in Athens) from 7:00PM-9:00PM hosted by AthensLimestone County Tourism Association. Bring your lawn chair and please, social distance. Come early and enjoy a meal and shopping around the Square. Free and open to the public. Donation welcome. (The concert is subject to cancellation

due COVID-19 levels in the community and public health priority. Six foot social distancing for attendees required, same household of 8 or less, mask optional but appreciated).

Fridays After Five July 17

With Athens Main Street in downtown Athens, AL from 5:00PM-9:00PM. Enjoy dinner or dessert at one of the eateries or restaurants around the Square, peruse the stores for the perfect back-to-school gift, and bring your camp or lawn chair and nestle in on the Marion Street side of the courthouse of Athens-Limestone Tourism's Summer Concert Series: Singing on the Square with Trippin' Dixie (free, donation welcome, social distancing for attendees required).

Traditions of Athens. 22171 Traditions Way in Athens.

10:00AM with Wolfgang Moritz. The public is invited to come enjoy the music from their car at a safe social distance as residents are treated to a concert.

Christmas in July Bike Run July 25

Redstone Harley-Davidson. 15100 AL-20 or Exit 3 Greenbrier on I-565 in Madison. 10AM-5PM. New baseball gloves and bats for ages 4-74 and bat sizes 24"-34" are welcome for donation during June and July. Collected items will be delivered to the kids of The Miracle League of Huntsville on the bike run with partner Iron Legacy MC.

Drive-Up Covid-19 Testing July 30

Athens Family Health Center, 1005 West Market Street, Suite B in Athens. 9:00AM-12:00PM. Test are free for the uninsured, no copay required for insured. Test available whiles supplies last. No physician's order or appointment needed.

Harry Potter Movie Marathon Finale August 7 - 13

Harry Potter Movie Marathon July 17 - 23

Cinemagic Theatre. 1702 South Jefferson Street in Athens. From 1:00PM-11:59PM in the indoor theatres. Social distancing and other precautions will be observed. The entire series will be shown 2 per week for a month and save your ticket stubs of the first 6 movies and enjoy the Deathly Hollows 1 & 2 free (must have all tickets). Week One: HP & The Sorcerer's Stone 1:00PM & 7:00PM; HP & The Chamber of Secrets 4:00PM & 10:00PM. Special event price: $6.00 per person

With Cinemagic Theatre. 1702 South Jefferson Street in Athens. 1:00PM-11:59PM in the indoor theatres. Social distancing and other precautions will be observed. Week Three: HP & The Deathly Hollows Part 1 TBD; HP & The Deathly Hollows Part 2 TBD. If you have attended the previous 6 Harry Potter movies and save your ticket stubs, you can enjoy free admittance to the Deathly Hollows Parts 1 & 1. Special event price: $6.00 per person

Alabama Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday July 17 - 19

Veterans Post Free Veterans' Breakfast August 8

The Alabama Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday allows shoppers to purchase select back-to-school items free of state sales tax. Local tax may apply.

At the Amvets Post 21. 22769 Black Road in Athens. Enjoy a pancake or egg breakfast with the trimmings from 7:00AM9:30AM. Non-Veterans $6.00. All are welcome. For more information: 256-444-2793 or www.AmVetsAL21.com

Sunset Cruise July 19

Wheeler Lake Scenic Cruises at Joe Wheeler State Park Marina.

4405 McLean Drive in Rogersville. 6:30PM-8:00PM aboard the 36' Nautical Wheeler. Departing from JWSP Marina for a 90-minute cruise. $20.00 per person; $15.00 for 12 and under.

Seating limited, social distancing, seats sanitized and mask recommended. Weather permitting. For more information or reservations - call or text: 256-335-3187.

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IT'S BACK!!!

VVA Spaghetti Day 3rd Monday Of Each Month July 20

VVA building. Corner of Elm St. and Lucas Ferry Rd. in Athens. Carry-outs only. Cost is $8 a person, $4 for children under 12. Call ahead for large orders. 256431-3213.

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Special Feature

Vinyl Revival Of Athens: From Shostakovich To Steely Dan To Sacred

by Ali Elizabeth Turner For many years, the C & R Sheet Metal shop on the Corner of Pryor and Clinton in Athens served the people of North Alabama. They closed a couple of years ago, and the prime location corner property was just waiting for the chance to be repurposed. That objective has been achieved through the relocation from Elkmont of Vinyl Revival, a shop that carries vinyl records that range from folk to funk.

Keith Montgomery is the owner of Vinyl Revival, and is a native of AthensLimestone although he spent several years away from the area. He had a career for a while as part of a rock band during his youth. He also played bass for several cover bands, but realized once he married and had kids that it would make sense to come back home to the South. Keith also has owned a custom printing business for years, but his true joy is helping people find that rare record or analog equipment on which to play it.

Like many of us small business owners, Keith had his

own set of adventures getting through COVID, and needed to find new digs. The old C & R shop was perfect, and he has made it comfortable, quirky, inviting, and eye-catching. There are bright colors, wooden signage crafted by Keith, a small patio and place to sit, posters from Aerosmith to the Blues Brothers, a hand painted door featuring familiar icons from the world of music, and zillions of vinyl albums all neatly catalogued. He literally carries such diverse works as Shostakovich’s Symphony Number 8 to classic rock produced by Styx. Oh, and throw in several selections of

sacred music while you are at it. It’s all there waiting to be explored.

I asked Keith what was different about this shop as opposed to the Elkmont venue.

He said, “The customers are more diverse. There are more of them, and they are coming in looking for everything: jazz, classical, children’s, R & B. Two high school girls saw the shop for the first time when they drove by and came in, so excited that we are here. It is a blessing,” he concluded. While I was there a woman and her granddaughter came in, and the granddaughter was looking for classic Motown and R & B albums. The young woman bought several, including an early album by the Supremes.

Keith Montgomery, owner of Vinyl Revival

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One included Roberta Flack’s “Best Of” album which included her iconic rendition of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” and it was no problem with Keith that singing it in the store was part of the procurement process.

The young lady is interested in learning how to effectively operate turntables, and Keith promised both to help her find just what she was looking for, as well as how to get good at running it.

Speaking of procurement, Vinyl Revival garners their inventory from a number of sources. Sometimes Keith goes to estate sales, thrift stores, and yard sales. “One time a guy sold me 8,000 albums, all at the same time,” he told me. I asked Keith what was currently the most valuable album in the shop, and it is a rare Steely Dan album valued at $100. You could stay at Vinyl Revival all day and never come to the end of the treasures there. If you are looking for that special album or piece of analog equipment, try Vinyl Revival. But if he doesn’t have it, Keith will get on the trail of it for you; and if it can be found, he’ll find it.

Another feature of the shop is the “room

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next door,” which has been converted into a venue for movies as well as intimate musical performances. Soon he hopes to show art-house films, depending on COVID regulations. Keith will always have a preference for analog equipment and feels that it just sounds better. However, he is adapting to the digital age, and wants his customers to develop the same love for the oldies has he has had for decades by making it more accessible on current platforms. Keith will also help people track down analog equipment for their albums, and does a brisk business in Asia, where analog still reigns. It is clear, however, that Keith has learned that “there’s no place like home,” and being back in Athens is “just the ticket.”

If you are looking to find that special “blast from the past,” Vinyl Revival is the place to go; Keith Montgomery is the guy who loves what he does, and is ready to help every week on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Vinyl Revival 113 E Pryor Street, Athens, AL 35611 256-497-0090 groovesend@ gmail.com

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What Makes Ronnie Roll

Being A City That Helps Other Cities

by Ali Elizabeth Turner The mayor and I met by phone on Wednesday, literally moments before Governor Ivey held her press conference regarding the recent state-wide mask order. Mayor Ronnie was at a conference of cities and electrical services, and while he has devoted much press in the past to thanking our utilities workers for all they do, especially in storms, he wanted to express his thanks again even though so far that day our area was seeing a very different weather picture than the rest of Alabama. “We heard about cities helping cities, and most recently Athens helped Chattanooga,” he said. He also added that he knows other cities are ready to help us if we need it. The conference was conducted as are all public gatherings these days -everyone was sitting six

feet apart, and everyone wore a mask.

We moved on to the topic of another “storm,” and that is everything that has to do with dealing well with COVID. Over the months, and with the many conversations we have had regarding dealing with something with which no one has ever had to contend, I have never heard the mayor more concerned for the safety and well-being of our city. That clearly goes beyond the physical, but into all aspects of our lives. “We have never needed the ‘healing of our land’ more,” he said, and added, “We need to pray like never before.

People could so easily become angry and anxious, and we don’t need that.”

The mayor wanted to make sure that the people of Athens knew that there is a protocol in place for safety when it comes to utility workers and COVID. He also said, prayerfully, “I hope we don’t have serious storms during this time.” Recently, he made the utility/COVID protocol public at a town hall meeting which was open to the public and held on July 9. It can be seen in its entirety on the City of Athens YouTube channel at https://www. youtube.com/watch? v=EuQdLNGelas.

As we wrapped up our time together, Mayor Ronnie expressed his heart for the people of Athens, and elsewhere, stating, “The heart of

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Athens is her people.”

He said, “Stay wise and stay healthy. The City of Athens will do everything we can to keep us safe, provide services, and get us through this.”

I started pacing when it was time to pray, something I have done for the last near half-century when there was a need for powerful answers,

and right now. The most important thing that could be asked for by us in agreement was wisdom beyond the wisdom of human age and experience; wisdom to protect the city in all of its facets, and wisdom to get through this time, which we will. Then, as always, it was time for Ronnie to roll.

July 17 - August 06, 2020

Slinkard On Success

The Just Shall Live By Faith

by D. A. Slinkard

I want to start off by thanking the readers of this article for the kind words you have shared with me pertaining to your appreciation for my articles. I must admit there are times, especially in the world we live in, it is extremely hard to be a positive voice in such a tumultuous environment we are seeing. We recently celebrated the 244th year of independence the great United States of America has had. It was an exciting time to be surrounded with family, eating hotdogs, watching the kids shoot off fireworks. It was great because we were able to escape the realities of what is occurring around us.

Before I sat down to write this article, I was enraged to watch a video of an angry mob of people who were defiant to police officers in New York; and I became even more appalled when one of the officers was placed in a headlock. I could not help but think to myself how far our society has fallen. When our police are seen as the enemy, you know we are in some bad times. I admit there are bad police officers throughout the United States, but not every person putting on a vest and wearing a badge is the enemy. My family – we back the Blue!

do not want to be bothered with what is happening on in the world. We want our sports, we want our hobbies, we want the things that distract us from what we should be focusing on.

If Christians would get busy serving the Lord and doing what God wanted, we would see a revival take place throughout the land.

tion as terrorists.” The same should be said for the police. We need them; we need not be disrespectful to them because they put their life on the line with every shift.

If you disagree with these words, please know that you are part of the problem we are having in our society.

The next reality I have found is we have a fear of COVID-19 like no other fear I have seen. If people throughout the world would fear God the way they fear COVID-19, we would be living in a much different world. The reality is that we are a nation that is moving

farther away from God. We cannot expect His blessings until we move back towards Him. I recently heard a comedian say, “We live in a culture that cannot laugh anymore. Everybody is so thin-skinned, so sensitive; everyone is so filled with intolerance that they hate each other.”

what can we do to limit the number of deaths because of COVID-19. Sounds good – where is the outcry about the million abortions that will be performed this year?

One million babies will be murdered in the womb – what are we doing to limit the number of innocent babies being killed?

The issue we have in America is that we do not fear God. We do not fear Him when it comes to our lifestyles; we do not fear Him when it comes to obedience to God’s Word. Right now everything is about the safety of the public and

We, as a country, are facing some tough times right now, and it is not going to get any easier. It is time for Christians to stand up and stop being quiet. We need to get back to the fundamentals of what the Bible teaches.

Yet, too many Christians

I write these words, and I am not embarrassed by my acceptance that we, as a society, need Jesus; yet if you speak this too loudly, you are labeled an extremist. I just believe what God’s Word says. Romans 1:16-17 states: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

What are you living by?

What are you trusting in?

The problems we face today, can be fixed but it begins within our own homes. We must seek Jesus.

I am amazed at how because of a few bad apples, we want to ostracize the rest. There is a hatred for the police throughout our country; yet when 9/11 happened, the public outcry was, “It was just a few Jihadist Muslims and we should not lump the entire Muslim popula-

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From the Alabama Veterans’ Museum

The Veterans’ Memorial Mural Project

by Sandra Thompson, Director, Alabama Veterans’ Museum

If you have been down Pryor Street in the last couple of weeks, you have probably noticed a lot of exciting changes going on. An awesome change is coming in the form of a veterans’ memorial mural being painted on the building owned by the Beasley family.

The idea of a mural to honor our veterans is one that the museum board has been talking about for as long as I can remember.

When I started as director eleven years ago, that was one of the projects that was discussed; however, for one reason or another it just never came to fruition. Well, thankfully there are others out there who also felt we needed to have a mural, and one of those was Jamie Adams, artist and Assistant Professor of Art: Studio Art at Athens State University Center for the Arts. Jamie wanted to paint a patriotic mural to honor the military members of his family, one of which being Tyler Craig,

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a founding member of the museum. It just seemed like a perfect fit when he approached us about doing the project.

After discussing several designs, we decided on a design that would show three soldiers who could be from any era or war.

The background will be a mosaic flag made up of veterans’ photos, each of which will be hand painted by Jamie.

Since COVID-19 hit, fundraising has been challenging; so we decided this would be a great way to raise a little money for the museum and give the community something awesome in return. For a donation of $100.00 to the museum, you can commemorate your beloved veteran, in honor or memory. They do not have to be from Limestone County; we are always about honoring all of our veterans no matter where they are from.

If you are interested in

submitting your veteran(s) for the mural project, there are several ways to do so.

The payment and photo may be mailed to: The Alabama Veterans Museum & Archives/ 100 W. Pryor St/ Athens, AL 35611. You may also drop the payment and photo off at the museum, or you can mail the payment and email a copy of the photo to sndy6732@gmail. com or info@alabama veteransmuseum.com.

Once completed, we hope to submit the mural to the Alabama Mural Project,

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which is in the process of building a statewide mural trail. According to the University of Alabama Center for Economic Development, “Murals build a sense of community that drives travelers and locals alike to visit locations off the well-known tourist routes. Public art can drive significant economic impact by attracting tourists who spend their dollars locally, as well as potential new residents and business investors looking for a dynamic new place to live and work. Public art is a

great way to bring people together by overcoming socioeconomic divisions, differences in physical abilities and language barriers.” So in addition to honoring our veterans, we hope this will bring tourists to Limestone County and to the museum. We want this to be the last thing our visitors see; and hopefully it will leave such an impression they will want to return.

Please contact the museum at 256-771-7578, with any questions or for further information.

July 17 - August 06, 2020

PlayAction Sports

High School Sports To Start In The Fall With A Different Look

by Tim Lambert

Tune in for the PlayAction Sports Update, three times each weekday on 1080 AM WKAC. Visit us online at www.pasnetwork.net! email: playactionsports@hotmail.com

After high school football teams have been left in limbo concerning the start of their seasons due to the coronavirus situation, Alabama state superintendent Eric Mackey confirmed that sports will take place in the fall. In a joint press conference with state health officer Dr. Scott Harris, Mackey said extracurricular activities will happen, although they will look different as protocols

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are still being worked out.

There are some youth signups that are going on now and in the near future: the Athens Boys and Girls Football Association will be having signups from 9 a.m. until noon every Saturday through July 25 at the Limestone Water Authority on Highway 72.

For more information, call Chris Townsend at 4972648. Fall youth sports

registrations continue at the Athens Recreation Center: soccer and flag football through July 20, archery will be through the month of September.

For more information, call 256-233-8740.

We’ve included our local football schedules. See the PlayAction Sports website (www.pasnetwork.net) for our streaming schedule.

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Clean and Green

Drive-Thru Bags-N-Grabber Give-Away!

by Lynne Hart - Executive Coordinator - Keep Athens-Limestone Beautiful After 21 years, Lynne is retiring from KALB. Sadly, this is her last official article, and we are grateful for all that she has done for our community. We shall miss you, girl!

We have had so many requests for litter grabbers; however, until now we haven’t had enough that we could give them away.

Thanks to Keep Alabama Beautiful in cooperation with the Alabama Department of Transportation, we have 200 metal litter grabbers and sample boxes of GLAD trash bags to give away to Limestone County residents.

On Wednesday, July 22 from 4-6:00 p.m., Leigh and I will be handing out a litter grabber and trash bags to each car that drives through our KALB parking lot.

What we hope to see happen is that recipients use the supplies to clean up a littered area in their neighborhood

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– anywhere in Limestone County – and let us know how many bags were filled.

Letting us know about your cleanups throughout the year helps us secure more supplies.

When we provide those numbers to Keep Alabama Beautiful and Keep American Beautiful to show how our supplies are being used, we are more likely to receive additional materials.

The litter grabber will be yours to keep – hopefully, for future cleanups. KALB will provide additional trash bags as needed.

I am looking forward to seeing many of you at the BagsN-Grabber Give-Away so I can thank you for all you’ve done to support KALB during my tenure as Executive Coor-

dinator. I will be retired after July 31. Leigh Patterson will be stepping into this position as of August 3, and I have no doubt Leigh will carry on the good works of this organization without missing a beat.

What Is KALB Doing To Combat Litter?

In the past 12 months alone, KALB has encouraged and assisted volunteers in removing over 6 TONS of trash from Limestone County through the following: • Education: This is the most important thing we believe we can do. KALB provides classroom presentations from preschool to 6th grade. Sharing information on the dangers of littering and providing engaging activities allow children to think about the many ways litter affects them personally, the wildlife that share this area with them, and the environment.

• Adopt-A-Spot Program: KALB encourages individuals and groups to adopt an area to keep clean, and we provide all necessary supplies. Certain areas within the city of Athens provide cash rewards for

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keeping up with the adopted area. Ask us for details.

• Cleanup Support: KALB will support groups and individuals doing a one-time cleanup of an area in Limestone County. All supplies are provided.

• Trash Attack and Elk River Cleanup: Each year in March, KALB organizes a county-wide cleanup of roadways, waterways, and public lands. On March 14, 2020, seventy-one volunteers worked 4 hours and collected 5,355 lbs. of trash from Limestone County.

• Indorama Cash For Trash Challenge: KALB has developed relationships with area businesses who hold the same values regarding a

clean community. Indorama Ventures is one such business that partnered with KALB to offer this cash for trash challenge. Any group/individual that cleans up ½ mile of roadway in Limestone County will be entered into a drawing for $1,000, $500, $200, $100 and more! This program is ongoing through August 28. Register at KALBCares.com under EVENTS tab.

• Thank you for all that you do to keep our community clean and healthy. Remember to share your cleanup information with KALB every time you pick up trash. We have online reporting or you can call us at 256-233-8000.

Become a Fan

(256) 233-8000 KALBCares@gmail.com www.KALBCares.com July 17 - August 06, 2020

Cooking with Anna

You Old Worry Wart!

by Anna Hamilton

I’ve never considered myself a “worry wart.” I always felt like I just analyzed the situation but didn’t worry about it. Then, I met my husband. My husband is so chill. He lets things roll off his back, he doesn’t agonize over what someone said in a conversation, he does his own thing, and he is happy.

I, on the other hand, would replay conversations from the past and dissect what happened. I would think about a conversation I was going to have in the future and play out different outcomes in my mind. I would analyze, aka worry, about past and future events and it kept me from being present.

Worrying is a waste of creative energy. I had a co-worker tell me that one day, and it really hit home. Think about what all you could do if you weren’t constantly worrying about the past or what is to come. My husband plans for the future, but he doesn’t put himself in constant turmoil worrying about the future. It has been a hard life lesson for me to learn how not to worry. Worry is a joy stealer. It keeps you from truly enjoying your life and will leave you paralyzed with fear.

Let’s all be brave and stay present. We can’t change the past, and we are not able to tell the future. Live your best life every day, strive to be your very best every day, focus on your present happiness.

Yellow Squash Taco Bake

The recipe this week is a great way to use up that bumper crop of yellow squash. We always seem to have squash in the refrigerator or someone is trying to give us squash during the summer. This is a different way to enjoy this wonderful summer veggie, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:25-34

Ingredients: 2 cups summer squash, thinly sliced 14 oz. canned diced tomatoes 1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained 2 tsp. chili powder 1 ½ tsp. paprika 1 ½ tsp. cumin 1 tsp. onion powder ¾ tsp. garlic powder 1/8 tsp. cayenne Salt and pepper to taste 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add canned tomatoes and seasonings to cooked meat and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Place the sliced squash in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. .Place meat mixture on top of squash, sprinkle cheese on top.

Bake in preheated oven for 25-35 minutes.

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July 17 - August 06, 2020

Cover Story

Save The Date, August 13, For The 2020 Women’s Resource Center Fundraising Banquet

by Ali Elizabeth Turner continued from page 1

to call the “Pro-Abundant Life” message. I’ll explain more of what that means further on, but in order to understand the impact of his CareNet role, you will need to first hear his story.

Roland was a young AfricanAmerican boy who grew up in the home of a single mom, then made it into Princeton, then faced an unplanned pregnancy, married the girl (who has gone on to become a doctor) and resisted the Princeton pressure to have an abortion. The child who would have been aborted is now a Harvard graduate, and Roland’s wife, Yvette, gave birth to their second child just weeks prior to graduating from college. The Warrens are indeed proof positive that an unplanned pregnancy does not have to “ruin your life,” and their boys are the excellent evidence. Roland is going to be the keynote speaker at the annual Women’s Resource

July 17 - August 06, 2020

Center Fundraising Banquet to be held on the evening of Thursday, August 13, and I can say, from chatting with him for a little over 30 minutes, that it will be well worth your time to hear him.

Roland and Yvette were both Christians, unmarried, and young Princeton students when Yvette became pregnant. They are very transparent about the fact that they did not do things the right way, and are completely aware that they caused themselves and their families a lot of extra pressure. However, they were determined to make it, and by God’s grace and the help of the people around them, they have done just that. Yvette is a physician, and Roland spent decades in the corporate world working for IBM, Pepsi, and Goldman Sachs. He joined the National Fatherhood Initiative in 1995, and served there both as a volunteer and then as president until 2012, when he became the CEO of CareNet. It became clear to Roland and others

that men needed to be brought into the pro-life picture—the movement was not just about saving babies or supporting women through their pregnancy and beyond, it was about encouraging and equipping men so that they can step up and restore the family unit. That is the essence of Pro-Abundant Life; the John 10:10 model that contrasts the thief coming to steal, kill, and destroy with Jesus coming to give abundant life. After all, the most famous “unplanned”

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pregnancy in history (at least on human terms) is that of Mary, and it was a no doubt shocked, yet obedient, Joseph that stepped up to marry her and raise a boy that was not his own. I think we as believers can say that we are more than satisfied with Joseph and Mary’s choices.

Roland is also the author of Bad Dads of the Bible: 8 Mistakes Every Good Dad Can Avoid. As Richard Stearns, the President of World Vision, says on the front cover: “Roland Warren has a big idea in this book: help men become better fathers and we can not only change our country, we can change the world.” Fatherlessness is so powerful that it is referred to in Malachi as a curse that “smites the nation,” and Roland’s spiritual and corporate experience is here to address and help reverse that curse, as well as to save innocent lives.

For those of you who are not familiar with the services of-

fered at the Women’s Resource Center, they include pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, counseling, and pregnancy and parenting education. There is a “baby boutique” that has diapers, formula, baby clothes, strollers, and car seats. More recently there have been abortion recovery support groups for those who have had abortions, whether recently or decades ago, and male mentors have come forward to help guys learn how to be fathers and husbands. The purpose of the banquet is to help the Women’s Resource Center continue to do what they have been doing for the last 33 years -- help North Alabama make life-affirming choices, and they need your help.

To make reservations, or to find out more information, go to www.wrcathens.org/ annual-banquet or call the Women’s Resource Center at 256-233-5775.

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Health and Fitness

Building a Mindset for Success – Relentless Power

by Nick Thomas, owner of Prime Performance Training, and Certified Sports Nutritionist Reflection is an important part of success. You have to learn from your experiences both good and bad. As I prepare for another race season, one which seems to be looking much different than previous ones and delayed much longer than I would like, I have had a lot of time to reflect on the triumphs and trials which 2019 held. I have been pushing myself to the edge of my fitness level for many years, always going for more, but Spartan has really challenged me in new ways over the past 4 years. The 2019 quest for a double trifecta was on a new level and a culmination of my years of training. I want to share my thoughts with you as I reflect and prepare in hopes that they will somehow help inspire, encourage, and challenge you to get your mind right and push forward in whatever you feel led to do -- even if it looks different than you had originally planned.

Training for and competing in 6 Spartan races of roughly 61 miles and 150+ obstacles total, in a matter of months in various trying weather conditions and terrains, takes a special mindset. The unwavering ability to overcome whatever is thrown at you and maintain your composure and motivation is key.

Your mental ability eventually begins to outweigh actual physical strength, and your body begins to rely on its training memory and endurance, on what the mind tells it by blocking out the fatigue and pain. Finishing becomes a mental responsibility.

Mindset is everything, always!

These races are designed to test

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you, like so much of life, they are not designed to be just an easy medal gained for your wall of glory at home or your Facebook profile pic. Spartan is one type of race series you train for year-round. This is where the performance athletes are separated from the hobby workout gurus. This level of training is done every single day, and even more so on the days you don’t want to do it -- the times you are too sore or too tired after your daily grind. There’s no half doing it, EVER! It’s a mindset of greatness, a pursuit of absolutely being spent at the end of the last mile of your planned run and going two more. It’s training outside in the Alabama summer heat instead of inside; it’s running hills and trails instead of just the neighborhood streets.

This is next level! Just as is any new goal you set, it will take you reaching and pushing to new

heights to achieve it.

“You have to remember the task ahead of you is never as great as the strength within you.” Michael Jordan My 2019 season began in Georgia with the team sprint and then on to a brutal individual super race in Colorado, where the terrain alone was unforgiving and resulted in a pulled muscle. Next up, a few weeks later, was the team super at Fort Campbell which was truly an amazing 11.5-mile race. Soon after this, I took off to West Virginia for a 4.3-mile individual sprint only to return for the team beast just days away in North Carolina.

This particular race would prove to be the muddiest and have the most intense conditions I’ve ever raced in, not to mention hold a frustrating turn of events.

Even this high level of mental toughness is tested in instances

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such as this 15.5-mile team race.

We took on the pouring rain and cold along with inches of mud at every step, slippery cliffs with nothing to hold on to, and every single obstacle wet and caked with mud -- not to mention the freezing water obstacles to walk and crawl through. Racing with the team is something special, which I greatly enjoy, but it comes with extra expectations as we don’t strictly do everything individually. We help each other with obstacles and split-penalty burpees when obstacles are missed by any of us. After helping the others over one obstacle in particular about 1/3 of the way into the race, I started over it myself and heard a pop with immediate pain. This, I would find later, was a torn bicep and pectoral muscle. This meant more burpees than planned; it would mean more physical exertion to accomplish what should have

been easy. Helping push a team through a course physically and emotionally is a big responsibility even when conditions are perfect, but with that pop, everything changed and mental toughness had to take over.

After completing this race, I had just one individual beast race standing between me and my ultimate goal, my double trifecta, but now I was in pain and injured and would possibly risk greater injury by continuing. I most definitely could not perform the overhead obstacles, and would have to really compensate on some others and hope for the best. This would mean many more burpees than usual which also weren’t pain free at this point. I only had two weeks to rest, talk to my doctor and make a decision to complete what I started or let the whole thing go…

Spartans never quit! So off I went to Florida to finish what I had been working toward for the last four years. Completing my personal beast race that December day was an incredible blessing and a testament that by the grace of God and hard work, you can truly accomplish whatever you set your mind to do. Spartan racing and fitness have taught me so much; but ultimately it has shown me time and again that the mind is far more powerful than we give it credit for.

A positive and determined mind will lead you to your goals every time!

You will never know your limits unless you push yourself to them…now go find yours!

July 17 - August 06, 2020

Cover Story

Gilbert’s Jeeps: Selling Fun Since ‘86

by Ali Elizabeth Turner continued from page 1

a Jeep as a personal vehicle, and Grant told me, “People would stop by five and six times a day asking about that Jeep.”

Grant told me they have a saying in their family, and it’s “Point it toward the road.” The rough definition of that saying is that if you focus on having a reliable vehicle that gets you from Point A to Point B, that’s the most important, and don’t get hung up on having to have a particular make or model. That’s how it was with the first few Jeeps they sold, and they had no idea that the Jeep brand would become so popular with people of all ages. “We stumbled into the growing niche market for Jeeps, and now there is a wide band of interest all over the country for what we have to offer,” said Grant. He then added, “We have bought and sold Jeeps coast to coast.” He opened up Gilbert’s on Hwy 72 in the Clements area in 1986, and has been “selling fun” ever since.

The Gilbert family is one of the oldest in our county, having arrived on the TN/ AL line from Scotland sometime in the late 18th/ early 19th century. Grant’s great-great-grandfather, George Alexander Gilbert, settled on land in the Clements area on Snake Road.

They have largely farmed in Elkmont and the Athens area, and Grant has done everything from raising cattle to working at Steelcase to construction to fabricating custom-made utility and horse trailers.

July 17 - August 06, 2020

He grew up riding horses but not driving teams; so by watching the example of the Amish in TN as well as PA, he learned. Grant has been known to take a buggy out for a spin on some of the back roads of Limestone County. He also has a lovely collection of antique cars that can be seen at the Jeep lot, which is located at 6494 US-72 in Athens near Clements. Grant has also collected and sold antique horse-drawn hearses all over the country.

The Gilbert family has a fascinating history, as do the Jeeps they sell. In 1940, with WWII poised to change the course of human history, the US Government reached out to several automobile and equipment manufacturers to design a 4x4 that would be as reliable as a soldier’s horse or weapon had been in days gone by.

Willys won the contract, and the Jeep (which probably was the slurred version of GP, i.e. “government/general purpose”) was born. They produced a vehicle that has been

adapted to be a snowplow, handle a 50-caliber weapon, go on desert patrol, lay electrical cable, run on railroad tracks, function as a pumper truck for firefighting as well as an ambulance, and they replaced both horses as well as motorcycles. The Jeep was fitted into gliders that flew over the beaches of Normandy as part of the D-Day Invasion, and has rightfully earned the “Go Anywhere. Do Anything” moniker.

One Willys MB was even awarded a Purple Heart and sent back home to the States. General George C. Marshall, US Army Chief of Staff during World War II, described the Jeep® Brand 4x4 as "America's greatest contribution to modern warfare.” Willys/Jeep

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was the first vehicle created for wartime that transitioned into peacetime use, and there were several models to choose from to meet the needs of everyone from fun lovers to farmers to families.

I asked Grant, “Why should I come to you if I want to buy a Jeep?” The first thing he said with a chuckle was, “We don’t buy Jeeps with northern exposure.”

That is their pet name for rust. They buy pre-owned, mostly one-owner Jeeps from all over America, but they must be rust free. They ask a series of questions as part of an interview process re: any Jeep they are considering for resale, and if the seller can’t answer them to Grant’s satisfaction, it’s a no-go. The average mileage

on any Jeep they sell ranges from 5K to 150K, and Grant told me that “Jeeps hold their value better than anything on the road.”

Grant and his team work together to find, vet, buy, take delivery, make sure the mechanical passes muster, detail, and then display for sale; and their Jeeps can be described as “mechanical art.” They do not offer financing, but work with credit unions and banks in the area to help clients get the best possible financing package.

“We have eight families in their 80s who purchased Jeeps from us, and teens who want a Jeep for their first car. We love to help them all,” Grant told me. If you want to purchase a vehicle with a legacy from a local family with a legacy, then come today to Gilbert’s Jeeps and let them help you find just what you are looking for.

Gilbert’s Jeeps 6494 US-72, Athens, AL 35614 Hours: Mon-Fri 8-5, Sat 8-12 Phone: (256) 729-1980 www.webejeeping.com Twitter @webjeeping

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Learning As A Lifestyle

The 19th Amendment

by Wanda Campbell

Center for Lifelong Learning - 121 South Marion Street, Athens, AL 35611 - 256-233-8262

From the Constitution of the United States of America: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”

This year is the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. Realizing this milestone required a long and challenging struggle; victory took decades of tension and protest.

In

1878,

suffragists

Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton introduced the proposal that would become the 19th Amendment.

The National American Woman Suffrage Association was an organization formed on February 18, 1890, to advocate for women's suffrage in the United States. It was created by the merger of two existing organizations, the National Woman Suffrage Association and the American Woman Suffrage Association.

In September 1918, President Woodrow Wilson addressed the Senate in favor of votes for women. “We have

made partners of the women in this war; shall we admit them only to a partnership of suffering and sacrifice and toil and not to a partnership of privilege and right?” Nevertheless, it would take Congress over forty years to finally pass the proposal. In the meantime, women marched, protested, lobbied, and even went to jail in order to win the right to vote.

One of the biggest challenges in securing women’s suffrage was the ratification process.

For an amendment to be added to the Constitution, two-thirds of

Congress had to approve it. This means the proposal had to be approved by two-thirds of the House of Representatives and by two -thirds of the Senate.

The proposal then had to be approved by twothirds of the states.

On May 21, 1919, the House of Representatives passed the amendment, and two weeks later, the Senate followed. June 10, 1919, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin would become the first states to ratify the amendment.

When Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment on August 18, 1920,

the amendment was adopted. It would be September 8, 1953 before Alabama showed its support for women’s suffrage by officially ratifying the 19th Amendment.

Government recognition of a woman’s right to vote was an important milestone for women’s history and for America. But not all women benefited from the passage of the 19th Amendment.

Even though they were legally able to vote now, African-American women were often barred from the polls.

Native American women were also not considered US citizens until 1924 and could not vote. The fight for women’s suffrage demonstrates the degrees of the political process. It also reveals the complexity and diversity of the American people.

But more than that, it shows that voting can make a difference. The general election is coming up November 3, 2020. You need to register to vote by October 19, 2020.

The last day to request an absentee ballot is October 29, and it has to be delivered by November 2. If you have questions, please call the Board of Registrars at 256233-6405.

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July 17 - August 06, 2020

The View From The Bridge

Sharing A Secret… Food For Your Soul And Rest For The Weary

by Jackie Warner

Career Development Facilitator “Impact, Engage, Grow” Community Matters Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:12-13 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

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1 Timothy 6:6-7 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

1. Contentment comes with a rightly ordered life.

2. Be grateful for what you have today. It is not about riches and vainglory.

ever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Until Next Time, Be Sincere, Kind and Intentional

3. Take control of your attitude to find happiness in you

Jackie Warner, Community Outreach Specialist

4.

Contentment is learned and comes from experience

Email: thebridge.us@gmail. com

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatso-

Check out upcoming events: http://thebridge-us.yolasite.com/

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Horse Whispering

Horse Camp 2020

by Deb Kitchenmaster Five years ago a hand full of horse lovers who wanted to ride with friends, partnered with adults creating the possibility of their own Horse Camp. This secret society came into existence from the springboard of invaluable friendships, holistic equine passion, and being a ‘good’ NEIGHbor, while braiding safety, interest, and love together as a lead rope from one year to another.

Horse Camp 2020 presented an invitation for horse and rider to develop relationships with each other. The activities that reinforced these relationships were trail rides, a scheduled lesson with an equine instructor at an individual riding level, obstacle courses, mounted games (like a water gun fight), instruction on grooming a horse, ground work, crafts, Farrier visit, dining together, swimming together, and a whole bunch of laughter.

These campers would like you to meet their horses and enjoy what they wanted to share with you about their time at Horse Camp 2020.

Averi: This is my first year at horse camp.

I’m very grateful that my horses are boarded here…they love it.

Horse camp is fun and exciting. I get to see my friends and have a great time. We get to gallop through fields and jump big fences, go on fun

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but riding a horse is NOT easy. As someone who grew up playing football, baseball, and many other sports, I can definitely say horseback riding is one of the hardest things I’ve done. I am excited and can’t wait for camp next year.

Chloe & Summer

trail rides, and sometimes just stay at the barn or go swimming in the pool.

Chloe: I love horse camp!

It gives me a chance to get away from drama and yelling and crazy.

At home I have twentyseven chickens; they are my heart and soul. I love them deeply; they are crazy though. So horse camp saves me from that and I have time with friends, family, and horses! Horse camp is fun, but it isn’t fun with sunburn and bad falls. Horse camp rocks!

Connor: Horse camp is nothing like what I thought it would be. As a first timer at camp, I was expecting it to be easy,

Averi & Lynx

Julianna: Horse camp is an amazing experience that I’m lucky enough to be part of. I look forward to going every summer. I don’t regularly ride and am fairly inexperienced, but this gives me an opportunity to learn everything that has to do with a horse. We each usually

Connor & Kerigan

ride the same horse all week and that gives us a chance to bond with our horse and learn what our horse likes or dislikes. I have made amazing connections with my friends at camp and will cherish the memories made there forever.

Mason: I look forward to horse camp every single year. We started when I was around 10 years old because we loved horses and wanted to be with friends while

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love getting to have my horse ten feet away from me. It’s a great time to take a break from shows and always trying to look perfect for my trainers!

My last favorite thing is the comfort of being with

Julianna & Santana

we rode. This is our 5th year and it has grown so much. My favorite activity is our obstacle course which builds trust with our own horse. We learn a lot and have fun doing it.

Morgan: Horse Camp has taught me how important it is to value each other. You get to see all the differences in each other. We all get to see how our differences make us work as a group. It is so much fun to see your place in this crazy group of kids! This was my first year, but we all fit together.

Morgan & Joey

my best horse friends.

Whether it’s them saying, “The jump can go a hole higher,” or “You can do it!” we are always there to keep each other going.

Zoe: Horse camp is super important to me. I

Zoe & Gambini

Mason & Ocean

Your NEIGHbor, Deb Kitchenmaster Corral Connections 256-426-7947 Animal B.E.S.T. practitioner horsinaround188@gmail.com

July 17 - August 06, 2020

Mental Health Minute

Felt Sense

by Lisa Philippart, Licensed Professional Counselor

“Every bad feeling is potential energy toward a more right way of being if you give it more space to move toward its rightness.”

- Eugene Gendlin I recently experienced an extremely challenging and hurtful event. As I was processing what happened, my therapist friend shared with me a concept that I had never heard of before, but which perfectly described the feelings and sensations I was experiencing. The term is Felt Sense, and it is difficult to explain. Felt sense describes the internal bodily awareness that arises from the mind’s increased awareness. Philosopher Eugene Gendlin

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originally developed the idea of a felt sense, which functions as the connection between the mind and the body. People experiencing a felt sense feel more in tune with their body and bodily processes, and often even feel as if they can feel themselves within their stomach or chest. Gendlin characterized the felt sense as a combination of emotion, awareness, intuitiveness, and embodiment. It is often unclear because people can’t specifically verbalize what they are feeling. In my case, it was a vague awareness of an old psychological trauma. However, a positive felt sense could lead to the development of innovative ideas.

Neuroscience of the cerebral hemisphere suggests that whole body “knowing” is first felt and sensed in the right hemisphere as a vague

implicit awareness. This kind of knowing is bodily felt and slow to form. As it is sensed directly and felt within, our experiencing carries over or connects with the left hemisphere processing, which controls symbol formation and expression (words, comparisons, gestures, and images.)

We have all had the experience of struggling to find the right words or way to express something. I know I have said something and immediately known that it sort of fits, but still doesn’t feel right. When the right word does come, there is a bodily relief, almost like a shift in how the situation is perceived. Felt sense is therefore a freshly formed, whole-body sense of a situation that has a more-thanwords-can-say quality to it.

When our sweet dog, Dexter, died…. speaking from

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a felt sense…it felt like a pallet of bricks had been placed on my chest, on top of my broken heart.

Speaking from a felt sense presents in several ways: 1. Groping for words and then giving up, sometimes saying, “I just don’t know how to say this.”

2. Using words like “kind of” or “similar to.”

3. Gesturing or focusing on the middle of the body.

4. Becoming quiet or looking down to attend to inner expression.

Felt senses take time to form. This process of becoming is experienced in the present moment and is about a life situation that contains more implicit sensations than had been previously known. Because felt senses are so difficult to describe from a cognitive

perspective, we often have to resort to using metaphors to share what we’ve experienced in a bodily way.

When we ask inside, “How was that occurrence for me physically,” we do not discover what was already there, but rather we open ourselves to focus on something new about to take place. When we make this connection of felt sense, an intricate whole that sums up, captures, includes, and contains all aspects of the incident is able to emerge.

Next time, we will look at the therapy of felt sense: Focusing.

Lisa Philippart is a Licensed Professional Counselor, who divides her time between her own private practice in Huntsville and providing personal counseling services at Athens State University.

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Special Feature

Can Christianity Save America?

by Mae Lewis Much of the political conversation lately has been about people gathering in churches across the country. While it is an unfortunate fact that churches are not able to gather at this time, I, for one, am grateful that the church in general is being forced to stop and ask, “What is the church, and what does it look like?” The American church has been overdue for some self-reflection for a while now.

sued the power of America:

The message of the American evangelical church has changed greatly in the last 20 years. Many have lamented the loss of the millennials in the church and blame it on the culture, but I blame it on the church. The church has forgotten what they are here to do, and many of my dear friends, brothers, and sisters have been mortally wounded by misguided evangelicalism masquerading as patriotism.

• The church has forgotten that the reason man was created is to care for the earth itself, its climate, and its animals (Gen 1:24-29).

The church is at a crossroads where they must choose whether to pledge allegiance to God, or to pledge allegiance to the United States. Do not misunderstand me. I am deeply patriotic and grateful to the men and women who gave their lives for our freedoms. I am proud to be an American. I believe we are a nation blessed by God, but the church has become confused about its allegiance. The evangelical church has stopped pursuing the Kingdom of God, and instead has pur-

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• We have replaced “Christ as Lord” with the Presidential Office (1 Peter 3:8-15).

• We have replaced “love your enemies” with “the right to bear arms.”(Matthew 5:44) • The church speaks disparagingly about immigrants and refugees and forgets the welcoming of strangers. (Leviticus 19:33-34).

• The church has forgotten that ALL life is sacred, not just the unborn (Matthew 5:21-22).

• The church has forgotten that Scripture is our primary authority, and the Bible and the Constitution are NOT the same - not even on the same level. The constitution is NOT Holy Scripture.

(Mark 7:8-13) • Racism and Nationalism are SIN (Galatians 3:28), and the secular culture (not the church) is calling for a repentance of those things, and the church treats it as politically misguided.

• We have forgotten the mandate to “pray for our enemies” (Matthew 5:44), and instead join in the mud-slinging at the liberal left. In fact, we have made the individuals who comprise the liberal left the enemy of the church…for-

getting that our weapons are not “of flesh and blood.”(Ephesians 6:12) It is false to think that religion will save America.

It is false to think that Christianity will save America. Because Christianity doesn’t save nations. Christianity saves people. Christians have important obligations to do whatever they can (including through political means) to help our neighbors, but we have forgotten what the fight is really about. We have been fighting spiritual battles as though they are political ones, and completely forgetting that Christ eschewed politics. Many of the “political” problems we are facing today are a failure of the church to be the church.

The claims of Christianity transcend political order, and we have stooped

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to politics to solve eternal problems. Governments are transitory, political victories are transitory.

Our fight needs to be for the eternal kingdom.

We are at an Impasse.

Christianity is about declaring Christ as king, and is about submitting ourselves to God. Christianity in its truest nature is adverse to consumerism, since it demands surrender to God, but American culture is based on Consumerism.

Christianity by definition goes against the culture, but we no longer know where America ends and the church begins. We must decide where our loyalties lie. Do we want to be a Christian Nation?

Or a Christian Church?

How we strategically and prayerfully respond to this will determine the “new normal” in our country.

I’m not talking about how we move past the pandemic, or how we move past racism (although the church’s responses to those things are certainly indicative of our heart) I’m talking about how the church redefines itself as “the church”the bearers of truth, the light in the darkness. The church needs to repent of the jingoism which is consuming it.

The church needs another Reformation, and America needs another Reawakening, but whether or not those things happen will depend on how much we are willing to sacrifice the temporal and transitory for the eternal and lasting. Love for the Kingdom of God must replace the love of the world. Are we willing to bow our knee in repentance to Christ, our first allegiance?

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