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volume 8 • issue 1 • fall 2019
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CJ Harris finds a new groove
CJ Harris CJ Harris finds a new groove CJ Harris finds a new groove
/ Carter Manasco’s 50+ years in D.C.
CJ Harris finds — Coach ScottaCurd / From Bulldogs to Blazers new groove
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VOLUME 8 • ISSUE 1 • FALL 2019
FromTheStaff... MAGAZINE Established October 2012 PUBLISHER James Phillips EDITOR Jennifer Cohron ART DIRECTOR Malarie Brakefield CONTRIBUTORS Jake Aaron, Scott Eric Day Photography, Brian Hale, Nicole Smith, Rick Watson ADVERTISING Jake Aaron, Brenda Anthony, Zach Baker, Renee Holly, Liz Steffan BUSINESS MANAGER Charlette Caterson DISTRIBUTION Michael Keeton
Walker Magazine is a publication of and distributed seasonally by the Daily Mountain Eagle, a division of Cleveland Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored for retrieval by any means without written consent from the publisher. Walker Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited materials and the publisher accepts no responsibility for the contents or accuracy of claims in any advertisement in any issue. Walker Magazine is not responsible for errors, omissions or changes in information. The opinions of contributing writers do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the magazine and its publisher. Our mission is to promote Walker County and to showcase its many attributes as a quality place in which to live, to work and to play. We welcome ideas and suggestions for future editions of the magazine. Just send us a brief note via email. © 2019 Daily Mountain Eagle WALKER MAGAZINE P.O. Box 1469 Jasper, AL 35502 (205) 221-2840 email: walkermagazine@mountaineagle.com
The Daily Mountain Eagle has been telling the story of C.J. Harris since he was an athlete at Walker High School. His photo appeared in the paper on a regular basis in 2014 while he was a contestant on American Idol. After the show ended, he faded from the spotlight. The last time his name appeared in print was in October 2016 when he and nine others were arrested on drug charges. Now Harris, 28, is ready to let publisher James Phillips tell fans the truth of his story — how he lost his way and how he is finding his way back to the musical career that still seems within his reach. While Harris is the cover story, the bulk of our fall magazine is dedicated to telling the forgotten story of Carter Manasco, who represented our area in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1941 to 1949. Manasco is part of a long line of politicians with Walker County roots who spent a combined 111 years in Congress. However, he is often overshadowed by his predecessors, the Bankheads, and his successors, Carl Elliott and Tom Bevill. In fact, Manasco worked in Washington D.C. longer than any of these men, though most of it was spent as a lobbyist for the National Coal Association rather than as a politician. Fighting for coal miners was a fitting cause for a man who worked in the mines to pay his way through high school and college. Manasco lived such a full life that I struggled to recap it in a single story. I soon realized that it could be divided easily into three parts — his early life and time with William Bankhead, his service in Congress during World War II and his final act as a lobbyist. Though dedicating so much ink to one person is a little unusual for Walker Magazine, I hope our readers will find his story as fascinating as I did. I am indebted to the staff of the Bankhead House and Heritage Center for allowing me to poke around in the attic for a whole day and sort through the materials from Manasco that are on permanent loan from Bevill State Community College. Of course, no fall magazine would be complete without football. Sports writer Brian Hale caught up with former Carbon Hill Coach Scott Curd, who has made the move to the UAB Blazers football program. As always, we welcome feedback at walkermagazine@mountaineagle.com.
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OnTheCover
GetHooked!
CJ Harris plays his new single “In Love” at the Scott Eric Day Photography studio in downtown Jasper. Signature on front cover is not an actual signature.
Photo by Scott Eric Day Photography
For your entertainment we have placed this fishing hook (actual size) within the pages of Walker Magazine. This will be a permanent feature for our readers. We hope you enjoy searching for the fishing hook in each issue.
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Mayor David O’Mary District 1 Sonny Posey Inc. 1887
District 2 Danny Gambrell
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District 4 Jennifer W. Smith
District 5 Willie Moore, III
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What’sInside
08 | From The Vault Alabama Mining Museum 10 | Secretary to the Speaker Carter Manasco 18 | Wartime Congressman Carter Manasco 24 | Dean of Lobbyists Carter Manasco
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24 30 | Redemption Song CJ Harris
38 | From Carbon Hill to Legion Field Coach Scott Curd 42 | Community Calendar What’s going on in the county 44 | Snapshots Past events in Walker County
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50 | We Are Walker County Jackie Clark
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Vault From The
A labama M ining Museum Compiled by Jennifer Cohron Photos courtesy of the Daily Mountain Eagle
John (Bill) Crosby puts the finishing touches on a sign to be installed at the intersection of U.S. 78 and Walker County 81 in Sumiton in July 1983. Supporters were trying to raise $33,000 to open the museum.
The Alabama Mining Museum opened in the fall of 1984.
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The Daily Mountain Eagle announced in February 1983 that a local group was in the process of incorporating the Alabama Mining Museum. The first phase of the project was expected to include an outdoor play area, a railroad ride, botanical gardens on reclaimed lands, a reconstructed mining camp, a convention center and a motel. Randall Lawrence, curator of Sloss Furnace in Birmingham, helped the board of directors organize the museum. He had also helped organize a similar museum in West Virginia. The old Dora High School gym, built during the Great Depression with labor from the Works Progress Administration, was selected to house the museum. “In 50 years, one of your biggest assets is going to be that the museum is in that building,” Lawrence said. The museum, which opened in the fall of 1984, was funded with a $25,000 appropriation from the Alabama Legislature and $33,000 raised through local efforts.
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Middle photo: Roofers O.M. Higgins and his son Phillip raise the roof on the Alabama Mining Museum in April 1984.
Robert Harrison of Dora, right, donates a safety light and bucket to Eddie Key, president of the East Walker County Chamber of Commerce, in February 1983.
The Wyatt School, located at the Alabama Mining Museum since 1990, was built in Burnwell to serve African American students. It was declared a historic landmark by the Alabama Historical Commission in 2014.
The Alabama Mining Museum tells the history of coal from 1810 to 1940.
Charles Bishop presents a resolution designating the Alabama Mining Museum as the state’s official mining museum to board member Yerby Auxford and District Four Commissioner Andy Naramore in March 1983.
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Carter Manasco sits in the office of Speaker of the House William B. Bankhead in January 1938.
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Secretary to the
Speaker Text by JENNIFER COHRON Photographs courtesy of THE BANKHEAD HOUSE AND HERITAGE CENTER
B
uildings and institutions bear witness to the achievements of the Bankhead family, Carl Elliott and Tom Bevill – political heavyweights from Walker County who spent a combined 111 years in Congress. Rare, however, is a mention of the service of Carter Manasco, who worked in Washington D.C. for 52 of his 90 years — more than John Hollis Bankhead’s 33 years or Tom Bevill’s 31 years. Manasco served as secretary to William B. Bankhead, was a Congressman during World War II and then became one of the most well-known lobbyists on Capitol Hill representing the interests of the National Coal Association. Manasco much preferred lobbying to legislating. He not only had no regrets about losing the 1948 election to Carl Elliott but seemed eternally grateful to the voters who gave him a parole from the life of an elected official. He once told a group of hometown voters to send two policemen if they ever heard that he was running for office again. “I’d be stark raving mad,” he said. To put it more bluntly, Manasco said he would “sooner plow a striped-leg mule in a saw briar patch” than be a candidate again. Manasco, like Bevill, was from Townley. He was born on a farm settled by his great-grandfather, Gen. John Manasco, who served in the Alabama Legislature from 1845 to 1876 and was a delegate to the state’s constitutional convention in 1875. As a teenager, Manasco commuted to Walker County High School on the Frisco Railroad. The 35-cent fare was more than the family could afford. “To help get the train fare and other expenses, I worked in the coal mines Friday nights and Saturdays and in the summers,” Manasco told a Birmingham News reporter in 1967.
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Manasco served as secretary to William B. Bankhead, was a Congressman during World War II and then became one of the most well-known lobbyists on Capitol Hill representing the interests of the National Coal Association. 12
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Manasco graduated in 1920. He became a pre-med student at Howard College (now Samford) but put his dreams of education on hold because the class hours prevented him from being able to work the part-time jobs he needed to pay tuition. Manasco turned again to the coal mines, this time in Illinois. With the $300 a month he earned in the mines, he paid his way through the University of Alabama. He graduated from law school in 1929 — the year of the stock market crash. He opened a law office in the same building as John H. Bankhead II, brother of future Speaker of the House William B. Bankhead. Following in the steps of his great-grandfather, Manasco was elected to the state Legislature in 1930. In a 1979 oral history interview, he said that the campaign was meant to help his burgeoning law practice in difficult economic times because “running for office gets you before the public.” It didn’t pay enough to cover the bills, however, and Manasco cashed out his life insurance policy to make ends meet. In 1933, he and two fellow graduates of UA’s School of Law moved to Washington, D.C. with the plan of weathering the Depression by getting work in the legal division of the Internal Revenue Service. The other two did go into tax law. Manasco, however, joined the staff of Rep. William B. Bankhead, who had just suffered a heart attack and had been ordered to rest for six months. A job meant to last six months stretched seven and a half years to Bankhead’s death in 1940. Manasco served as Bankhead’s secretary. He was promoted to the position of legislative clerk when Bankhead became House Majority Leader in 1935 and secretary to the Speaker when Bankhead became Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1936. The latter required him to spend much of the time on the House floor, where he got to know members and learned parliamentary procedure. In September 1940, Bankhead died at age 66. There was speculation that his failed bid to be named vice president at the Democratic National Convention in July 1940 had driven him to his deathbed. Manasco told Haleyville’s Advertiser-Journal in November 1940 that Bankhead had not been well for a long time. “The seriousness of his condition had been kept quiet. However, President Roosevelt and others knew of his illness. Mr. Manasco thinks Bankhead probably would have been tendered the nomination had his health been good,” the paper reported. Decades later, Manasco spoke of Bankhead’s kind-heartedness to an interviewer. When it was time to appoint a postmaster, for example, he would deliberate for a month over the three names he was given and “then he’d write the other two he didn’t appoint and he’d try to help them get a job.” In late 1940, Walter Will Bankhead was elected to the seat held by his uncle with the understanding that he would serve until a special primary was held in the spring. Manasco was one of six candidates who entered the race to become the new FALL 2019
Carter Manasco poses on Capitol Hill with fellow Townley native Tom Bevill in 1967.
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Carter Manasco, second from right, speaks with Sen. Howell Heflin, right, and two other legislators at Manasco’s 80th birthday party on Capitol Hill in January 1982.
representative of Alabama’s 7th Congressional District.
the district,” the editors declared.
The presence of four men from Walker County in the race irked residents of the eight other rural counties that made up the 7th District. The Advertiser-Journal in Haleyville wrote an editorial in November 1940 titled “Does Walker County have all the talent?”
Though the Bankhead family made no official endorsement, Manasco’s ties to William B. Bankhead gave him an edge over the other five candidates. “We fully realize that we cannot hope to find a man in the District who could possibly measure up to Speaker Bankhead for he was an outstanding national figure, but we feel that Carter is better qualified to take up where he left off than any other person for he was intimately associated with the Speaker for seven and one half years and knows what the Speaker would have done for us if he had continued to live,” a political ad paid for by Friends of Carter Manasco read.
The editors of The Cullman Democrat went further in the editorial “The Seventh District’s Stepchild” from January 1941. The editors compared the “minimum of federal funds of all types” received by Cullman County to the “flood of federal funds...still pouring into Walker County,” calling it “a raw deal.” The newspaper’s leadership urged voters to “refuse to commit themselves to a candidate until they are thoroughly convinced that he will give due recognition to the interests of this county.” The Mountain Eagle fired back with an editorial denouncing anyone attempting to inject sectionalism into the race. The Eagle pointed out that Walker County had more unemployment than neighboring counties — 5,000 miners in addition to other skilled workers — and that the county had paid match money of between 33 and 70 percent on its various federally-funded projects. “The Eagle feels sure that the representatives in Congress from the Seventh District have been uniformly fair to all counties of
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When the votes were tallied on April 8, 1941, Manasco held a 1,000-vote lead over Jasper attorney and circuit solicitor Still Hunter. The two met in a runoff in May. Hunter, who won Walker County but finished second in the district, was also from Townley and had an almost identical educational resume to Manasco. In fact, the two had been roommates in law school. An article in the April 10 Mountain Eagle gloated that Trickum (a nickname for Townley) had produced a Congressman. Manasco again trailed Hunter in Walker and four other counties in the May runoff but bested him in the overall district voting by 1,500 votes. One newspaper article directly attributed the win to “the magic name of ‘Bankhead.’” •
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Wartime Congressman Text by JENNIFER COHRON | Photographs courtesy of THE BANKHEAD HOUSE AND HERITAGE CENTER
C
arter Manasco was 39 when he became a Congressman — three years younger than his former boss, William B. Bankhead, had been when he was first elected to Congress. He was both the newest and one of the youngest members of Congress when he took the oath of office in July 1941. A Birmingham News article predicted that he was better known to his colleagues than any new House member in history thanks to his seven years of service to Bankhead. He was described as “an expert on the University of Alabama football team, a connoisseur of fine cigars, a ready wit, an experienced Capitol Hill politico” as well as a “story-swapper extraordinaire.” He was also a bachelor, though he would marry by 1942. Because Manasco had to fight his way through a Democratic primary in April, a runoff in May and the formal special election in June, he arrived in D.C. behind his peers and the best committee assignments were already taken. He did receive a seat on the committee on public buildings and grounds, which had previously been chaired by William Bankhead’s father, John H. Bankhead I. He was also asked to serve on the committee on expenditures in the executive department and the committee on civil service. In August, one month into his term, Manasco took part in an historic one-vote victory in the House that tacked on an additional 18 months of service for 600,000 draftees who had already served for one year. “We had, you might say, a moral commitment to the fellows that would go in and volunteer for a year and then they’d get out, and I had a lot of editorials that I had morally violated Congress’ promise to the boys,” Manasco said in a 1979 oral history interview. “But golly, we were ill-prepared when the Japs attacked anyhow. All we had was rocks to stop them on the Pacific Coast.”
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The attack on Pearl Harbor came four months after the vote. Manasco was among the Congressmen to whom President Franklin Roosevelt characterized the day as a “date that will live in infamy” in a joint session on Dec. 8, 1941. Within an hour of the speech, Manasco participated in the almost unanimous vote that sent the United States into World War II. “I said, ‘Lord, I’ve voted for the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of kids,’ but I thought our country’s protection came before that,” he said in the 1979 interview. At the end of the war, Manasco was in London when word came that the Buchenwald concentration camp had been liberated. He flew there the next day. When he was 83, Manasco told an interviewer that the horrors of the concentration camp and the atomic bomb were the two things that he regretted having lived to see. Many of Manasco’s most important votes over the next seven years would be directly or indirectly tied to the war. He voted for the Smith-Connally Anti-Strike Act in 1943, which approved federal authority to seize and operate privately-owned industries during an actual or threatened strike that would interfere with wartime production. Roosevelt vetoed the bill, and Congress overrode the veto. “I made up my mind that regardless of the position that labor took, I was going to vote to provide the protection for those boys when they got there,” he said in 1979. In 1945, Manasco was one of the many opponents of the proposed Full Employment Bill of 1945, which sought to establish full employment as a right and mandated that the federal government work to achieve it through spending. The legislation was
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A young Carter Manasco is pictured during his tenure in the Alabama House of Representatives in April 1931.
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a response to the concern about how the economy would react when World War II ended. A watered-down version was signed by President Harry Truman in 1946. Manasco defended himself against critics from the left in a statement on the House floor in December 1945 that was reprinted in a letter from the West Virginia Coal Association.
He was described as “an expert on the University of Alabama football team, a connoisseur of fine cigars, a ready wit, an experienced Capitol Hill politico” as well as a “story-swapper extraordinaire.”
“I was born the son of a tenant farmer who had pellagra... My father lay flat on his back and my mother was keeping boarders to feed five hungry mouths and yet I am accused of being a tool of Wall Street when I get up and protect a system that made it possible for the son of a tenant farmer to be a member of Congress,” he said. 20 /
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In the 1979 oral history interview, Manasco spoke of being called on the carpet by Truman. “I said, ‘Mr. President, have you read this bill?’ I had a section of the Soviet Constitution that it was copied from except we put a period where they had a comma — ‘and each shall be paid according to his own production.’ We were going to pay them all the same,” Manasco said.
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In 1985, Manasco pointed to the defeat of the original bill as one of his most important contributions while in office, still outraged by the idea of standardized pay. “We are not all created equal. I could try the rest of my life and couldn’t make a lightbulb,” he said.
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Manasco voted for the Taft-Hartley Act, which placed restrictions on labor unions. He also opposed federal aid for education because he feared federal interference and was against a push to give surplus property from World War II to farmers for free. “I had the mistaken idea the taxpayers ought to get something for it,” Manasco said in a 1981 interview with the Birmingham News. Manasco was reelected in 1942, 1944 and 1946. He had a voting record that decades later he would describe as “too independent for the district.” Thirty-five-year-old Carl Elliott unseated Manasco in the 1948 election with a “Farm Boy to Congress” campaign. Manasco always maintained that he knew he was going to lose and didn’t waste time campaigning. When his defeat became official, Manasco turned to his wife and said, “Em, we’re finally free.” Though his initial plan was to return to Jasper and resume practicing law, he remained in Washington D.C. to serve on the first Hoover Commission. The commission, appointed by Truman and headed by former President Herbert Hoover, was tasked with reorganizing and reducing the size and complexity of the executive branch. Almost all of its nearly 300 recommendations were eventually
implemented either in part or in total. “They claim they saved the taxpayers $5 billion a year. I’ve always thought that figure was high, but even if they saved a billion, it was well worthwhile,” Manasco said in 1981. In a 1978 interview, Manasco said he was appointed because of his previous service on the House civil service committee and the committee on expenditures in executive departments. (His chairmanship of the latter, now known as the Government Operations Committee, allowed him to stymie the Full Employment Bill of 1945.) Others on the commission included Truman’s soon-to-be Secretary of State Dean Acheson and Joseph P. Kennedy, whom Manasco noted in one interview attended very few meetings but was more active in the second Hoover Commission. When discussing the commission later in life, Manasco reserved his most glowing remarks for Hoover, whom he had opposed in the 1932 presidential election. “I was out making speeches against him, but I learned to really love that old gentleman…If he had had a good PR man to let the public know what he actually did to try to get us out of the Depression, I don’t think he would have had that ignominious defeat that he had in 1932,” Manasco said in a 1978 interview. Though he lost an election, Manasco never experienced the bitter taste of defeat. By the time that his work on the Hoover Commission was done, he had moved on to his next job, which would keep him on Capitol Hill for the next 40 years. •
Manasco on Capitol Hill in the 1980s.
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Dean of Lobbyists Text by JENNIFER COHRON | Photographs courtesy of THE BANKHEAD HOUSE AND HERITAGE CENTER
W
hile a member of Congress from 1941 to 1949, Carter Manasco served alongside four future presidents – Harry Truman, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon. He narrowly missed Gerald Ford, who was first elected to the House in 1948, the year Manasco was defeated by Carl Elliott. Though the occupants of the White House changed, Manasco remained a fixture on Capitol Hill. In 1967, a Birmingham News reporter found that Manasco spent more time in the halls of Congress than some members of Alabama’s delegation. He often put in an appearance even when Congress was not in session because he liked people and he liked to work. Even after retiring in 1986, he continued to make daily trips to the Hill. “Outside Washington, (House Speaker) Tip O’Neill and (Senate Majority Leader) Robert Byrd may be better known, but on the Hill, everyone knows Carter Manasco. …He is one of the most helpful, most popular, most friendly people on Capitol Hill,” one Washington newsman said in 1979. An Associated Press reporter referred to him as “a likeable legend” who roamed the halls of Congress chomping on his ever-present cigar and regaling comrades with his stories. “His reputation is so well-respected that a branch bank serving members and employees in the Capitol will cash a reporter’s check if it’s co-signed by Manasco – a privilege reserved for a few select gallery staff,” the reporter wrote. Manasco, a longtime lobbyist for the National Coal Association, was beloved by Congressmen and the press, all of whom saw advantages to being pals with someone who had seen so much in his career. “Carter came in with the first load of cockroaches,”
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Don Womack, superintendent of the Senate Press Gallery, joked in 1981. Manasco roamed freely between the House floor (where he had access as a former member), members- only lounges, congressional offices and the press gallery (where he could sometimes be found playing poker). Everywhere he went, he picked up bits of information that could be useful for himself or someone else and passed it along without breaking confidences. “I see and hear some things in that members’ lounge that many employers and perhaps some reporters too would give a lot to know about,” Manasco said in 1967. “But I wouldn’t tell those things outside even if I felt tempted to do so, which I don’t. For the members would soon know who had done the tattletaling and I wouldn’t be welcome in the lounge anymore.” His affability didn’t prevent Manasco from speaking truth to power. A 1986 issue of the National Coal Association’s “Coal News” recounted the time that a Speaker of the House defended his position by claiming to speak for present and future generations. “Yes, and you seem hell-bent to speak until your audience gets here,” Manasco said. Manasco was drawn to people but steered clear of Congressional hearings, which he found “boring.” He viewed skipping them as “one of the benefits of retirement.” In appearance, Manasco seemed straight out of central casting. He wore a pinstripe suit, shirt, vest and tie to work each day and was never seen without a cigar. He admitted to smoking between eight and 10 a day and said that he switched to cigars from cigarettes in 1932 after he lost his voice.
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Carter Manasco takes a seat in the House of Representatives’ press gallery in May 1985.
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In appearance, Manasco seemed straight out of central casting. He wore a pinstripe suit, shirt, vest and tie to work each day and was never seen without a cigar.
Just as the job with William B. Bankhead was supposed to last six months but endured for over seven years, Manasco agreed to work for the National Coal Association for six weeks in 1949 and stayed until 1986. As a former coal miner himself, Manasco believed in the importance of his work. “We are now into nearly everything. We’ll be into the space program if they ever discover coal on some planet,” he told The Birmingham News in 1981. On battles with environmentalists, Manasco said, “Your stomach comes before your environment.” Manasco stuck to a few simple rules to become a successful lobbyist. Never lie to a member of Congress. Never ask one to vote for legislation that could get him or her booted from office. Don’t keep bothering one who has already given you a yes, and always be nice to the staff. In 1975 when Congress was looking to place additional restrictions on lobbyists, Manasco vigorously defended the profession. “Politics is not a dirty word and politicians are not all dishonest,” Manasco told the House Ethics Committee. “We have thrown the word lobbyist around for a long time now. But we should not lose sight of the fact that the vast majority of lobbyists are in the exercise of their right to petition their government — the lobbyist simply aids in bridging the over-widening gulf which exists between the citizen and his government.” Manasco pointed out the unfairness of targeting lobbyists when others held more sway in the political culture. “I refer to newspapers, editorial writers, syndicated columnists, television commentators and the like,” he said. “One well-placed editorial or slanted statement by a network newscaster can do more to influence legislation than all the business and labor lobbyists in Washington combined. If some of the so-called educational documentaries aren’t aimed at influencing legislation, I don’t know what is,” he said. In 1982, friends hosted an 80th birthday reception on the Hill for Manasco. In 1983, the National Coal Association, along with the Alabama State Society and U.S. Rep. Tom Bevill, honored Manasco with a reception marking his 50th year in Washington D.C. When he retired in 1986, the National Coal Association named Manasco an “Ambassador of Coal for Life.” The honor was bestowed “for service above and beyond the call of duty, especially considering the trials and tribulations he endured over the years” as the coal industry’s representative. “Carter Manasco set the standard by which all future coal lobbyists will be compared and measured,” National Coal Association president Carl Bagge said.
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Carter Manasco smiles for the camera during a Golden Fifties reunion at the University of Alabama in April 1983.
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Carter Manasco, right, speaks with Sen. Howell Heflin, second from right, and two other legislators at Manasco’s 80th birthday party on Capitol Hill in January 1982.
Manasco with Bevill
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It is difficult to imagine Manasco feeling at home in the divisive political climate that settled over Washington D.C. after his death. As far back as 1979, he was opining that Congressmen didn’t seem to have a sense of humor anymore. “They take themselves too seriously. When I was in Congress, you’d go in the cloakroom and they’d be rolling in the floor sometimes laughing. Now you go in there, it’s like a morgue,” he said.
Carter Manasco speaks at a fundraiser for Congressman Tom Bevill in Jasper in 1981 as Bevill, Carl Elliott and his wife, Jane, look on and laugh.
Manasco, who saw his native South swing from solidly Democratic to deeply Republican in his lifetime, also noted
a breakdown in party discipline, though his own independent streak while in office prevented him from making a true complaint. “I guess maybe in the long run, it’s better for the country because when you have two powerful political parties, one of them becomes dominant and then it leads to corruption, but if you have a good block of independents, they’ve got to kind of walk the straight and narrow,” he said in a 1979 oral history interview.
Carl Elliott, Tom Bevill and Carter Manasco reunite for a photo at Walker College in November 1981.
Manasco died in 1992 at age 90. He is buried in Jasper’s Oak Hill Cemetery, which is also the final resting place of the Bankheads, Elliott and Bevill. Together, these Walker County politicians served in the U.S. Congress for 111 years. •
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Redemption Song Text by JAMES PHILLIPS | Photography by JAKE AARON and SCOTT ERIC DAY PHOTOGRAPHY
S
mall town fame, struggle and redemption are plot points in many great stories. Most people can relate to those experiences, but not many have gone through those things in the public eye. C.J. Harris’ rise and fall from local musician to American Idol to the inside of a jail cell happened with the world watching. The Jasper artist takes ownership of his story, and he is currently writing his own “Redemption Song.” After growing up in Jasper, Harris became globally recognizable as a 22-year-old in 2014 as a contestant on the ABC hit show American Idol. His soulful tones and signature style helped him become one of the more popular contestants during Season 13 of the show, ultimately finishing in sixth place. It was after the lights and glitz of the Idol stage was over when Harris “lost his way,” as he put it. “I had a lot of people showing me attention. I had a lot of friends at that time,” he said. “I grew up in Jasper and I never thought there would be a day where I got home from American Idol and I couldn’t go out anywhere because it was literally insane. I was getting invited everywhere. Everyone wanted to hang out with me. It was a really cool experience. I mainly wanted to hang out with musicians. “Being a musician and around musicians, when it comes to doing drugs, it is tough. At some point in my life, I found out that doing drugs or whatever you are doing makes the music sound better,” Harris continued. “It makes it easier. It makes you write better. I found myself doing that. Before I knew it, it got out of control. It got to a point to where I didn’t know where I was at, what I wanted to be or who I was. This was 2015, literally right when I got home from the tour.” Harris said the substance struggles led to inner struggles as well. “With me doing the things I was doing, I felt like people were out to get me. Even though that may not have been true, my guilty
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conscience knew what I was doing was wrong. I had a lot of things that I was fighting against.” Those struggles led to the lowest point in Harris’ life, getting arrested in October 2016. He was charged with three counts of distribution of a controlled substance, including oxycodone and marijuana. He was released on a $90,000 property bond, but only a few weeks later, Harris missed his initial court date due to a mail mixup and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He turned himself in and spent nearly 20 days in the Walker County Jail while he awaited a hearing. “I hit the bottom right before I went to jail,” Harris said. “Before that, people didn’t recognize me. I was ashamed to go out and talk to people. People that believed in me and pushed me far, I couldn’t look at them, because I knew I had disappointed them. I went from having money in my pocket and a brand new car to losing everything, sleeping on the couch. I was losing everything I had to chase something that was going to put me right back in the place to where I was.” Instead of letting the arrest define him, Harris decided it was time to move forward and be the musician and person he feels he was created to be. He started working at Green Top Bar-B-Q to have a stable way to provide for his two children, Lexi (8) and Jordan (7). And then he started writing and playing songs again. “That wasn’t me. That’s the only time I’ve ever been in trouble. I always told myself that I’m a strong person. I know what I can do in life. As far as with my music and what I’m doing, I know what I’m capable of. I know where I can go. I know that I can do really big things with it if I stay focused and work hard. I have tried to stay strong, positive and keep writing music. I have kids, and one day I want them to Google something and not see all the negative things. I want to pave the road for them and be an inspiration.” Jail time was an eye-opener for Harris, saying, “If going to jail didn’t happen to me, I would probably be dead right now. I wouldn’t be in the position that I’m in today with writing music and putting it out. I would probably be in jail again or I’d be dead.” Harris said life is a gift, while talking recently at Green Top Bar-B-Q in Jasper. “I want to share that gift with others,” he said before talking about his days growing up in Walker County. He moved
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“
I know that I can do really big things with [music] if I stay focused and work hard.
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to Jasper as a 10-year-old, living with his grandparents while his mother was in prison. He immediately got involved at his grandfather’s church, singing in the choir. After getting his first guitar at 12, he started playing in churches around the county, leading worship services whenever possible.
Harris’ guitar, so he asked to borrow Roberts’ guitar. Both guys made it through to the next round. The person in line behind Harris didn’t realize a guitar could be used in the audition and also borrowed Roberts’ instrument. Those three proved to be the only people out of the 3,000 who auditioned that day to advance in the contest.
“That guitar only had three strings. I would tune it to where it would be a key I could play it in. It all started off with gospel, contemporary Christian music and leading worship,” Harris said. “If I wasn’t playing, I would sit on the front row so I could watch (the musician’s) hands. I would stay after church and borrow a guitar and play it.”
“Everyone knows what happened on Idol. I finished the tour after the show. I was playing shows for $1,000 to $3,000 per night, and then went to having nothing,” Harris said. “I swallowed my pride. I went back to work, got myself back together and got my spirit back. I’ve been writing a lot. I just released a single, and it has had a lot of positive response.”
The guitar isn’t the only instrument that Harris can play. He plays bass, drums, mandolin and even piano without having lessons. “I was playing bass in the choir at a church in Parrish when the pastor said anyone playing could come down to the altar if they needed to do that. My friend’s grandmother was playing the piano, and she went down to the altar,” Harris said. “I went over and got on that piano, and I promise that something just took over. I just started playing. That was it for me on the piano. It became natural.” Harris played gigs all over Walker County as a teenager. He tried out for American Idol originally in 2008 as a sophomore in high school. He got cut and cried all the way home. It was five years later when he auditioned again, this time the initial audition was in Tuscaloosa. The person in line before him was Dexter Roberts from Fayette, a person Harris had gotten to know after meeting him on a trip to Panama City Beach in high school. A string broke on
An unexpected writing partner may soon be teaming up with Harris on some new songs. At a recent Hootie and the Blowfish concert in Birmingham, Darius Rucker (lead singer of the band) invited Harris backstage. The two men talked for a short time. According to Harris, Rucker said, “I like your passion and everything. You are no different than when I first met you on American Idol. I want to do something for you. Our tour will be done on October 16, and I want to fly you out to South Carolina to stay a week and us write two or three songs together.” The two men played together on the American Idol tour at the Nokia Theater. Rucker also invited Harris to play with him over the last several years at the Grand Ole Opry and at a concert in Tuscaloosa. They have kept in touch since their initial meeting back in 2014. “My heart just dropped when he told me what he wanted to do for me. I haven’t discussed with him if he knew about the trouble, but I’m pretty sure he does. I think he looks at me and kind of sees himself. I think he knows all I need is the right song. I’m writing good music, but writing with him is something that is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m so thankful.” Through his ups and downs, he is thankful to call Jasper and Walker County home. “I know this town loves me and cares about me,” he said. “I appreciate the people who have had my back and have always been there for me. It hurt a lot when I would see some comments on Facebook, but those people didn’t really know me. They only knew the person they had seen on television. The people who know me and know what I’m about, they are there for me, and I know they always will be.” •
CJ Harris at work at Green Top Bar-B-Q in Jasper.
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Forward Motion Curd enjoying time as analyst for UAB football Text by W. BRIAN HALE | Photographs from DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE FILE PHOTOS and UAB ATHLETICS
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A
fter 25 years of coaching at the high school level, Scott Curd was eager to try his hand at the collegiate ranks. Following a coaching workshop early in the year, an opportunity that Curd sought came to fruition when he was offered a position on the staff of Bill Clark, head coach of the UAB Blazers. Guiding the Carbon Hill Bulldogs’ program to its most successful season since 2006, Curd was eager to give college coaching a shot, leading to his attendance at the camp. “When you spend a good length of time coaching at the high school level, there’s the question that pops up in your mind — how could I do coaching in college? I wanted to give it a try, which led to me attending the workshop on Wednesday nights,” Curd said. “One of the first questions I asked Coach Clark was how a person could get a chance to break into coaching in college, to which his response was, ‘Building relationships.’” The Blazers, fresh off an 11-3 2018 campaign that saw the program win the Conference USA Championship and a victory in the Boca Raton Bowl over Northern Illinois, were on the
lookout for analysts to assist the coaching staff in their game preparation, a position Curd found intriguing. Curd began to attend the Blazers’ spring practices and building a relationship with offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent. After a few weeks, Curd was briefed on the various duties of the analyst position and was offered the opportunity to join the staff. It was a chance he couldn’t pass up. “The key really was the rapport I built with Coach Vincent. He could see how eager I was to learn and contribute to the staff and communication flowed easily between us,” Curd said. “There were some things I had to sort out — as I was really proud of what we had built at Carbon Hill and one of my biggest priorities was having Chavis Williams, my defensive coordinator and now the head coach, be the next guy in line. That was extremely important to me — I knew the future would continue to be bright with Chavis at the helm and both the community and the team would be extremely happy with his ascension.” With the seamless transition to Williams at head coach, Curd
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was free to take the analyst position with UAB, where he is diligently helping scout the Blazers’ opponent each week. Among Curd’s duties is reviewing video of the opponents’ previous game — looking for strengths, weaknesses and tendencies. Upon the completion of his findings, Curd submits a report to the staff — in particular offensive line coach Richard Owens — on the Sunday meeting prior to the week’s practice. “The best way to describe an analyst’s job is that we are like nurses, where they gather information on the patient and present it to the doctor. We gather the information on the opponent and present it our coaching staff,” Curd said. “They then make the diagnosis of how to go about their game planning. Like anyone who has a role, you do your job the best you can and bring everything valuable you can to it and for me, it’s no different. I want to make sure the offensive staff is as ready as possible to start their planning.” Like any professional organization, the Blazers’ coaching staff has its own working atmosphere, but one Curd finds appealing. While extremely focused and driven in their pursuit of success, the analyst team and their directive coaches enjoy an easily communicative relationship, often filled with humor. “While we’re all centered on our tasks, we do have fun with the job and each other. I think the most humorous aspect for me, as well as a lot of the other guys I work with, is that most of them are between 23 to 28 years old — I’ve been coaching that long,” Curd said. “I’ve raised the average age of the analyst staff just by joining it. But I work with a really great group of guys that make it very easy to come to work.” While Curd is removed from coaching in the high school ranks, he keeps close tabs on teams throughout the area, particularly the Carbon Hill Bulldogs. “Chavis is doing a great job with Carbon Hill. We lost excellent leaders from last year’s team, but I can see week-in and week-out that they’re making progress,” Curd said. “The program will continue to ascend and I’m proud of what I’ve seen from them.” •
Top: Curd at a UAB football practice. Middle and bottom: Curd while coaching at Carbon Hill High School in 2017–18.
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Brian Alexander Broker/Co-Owner
Email: blalexander01@yahoo.com Cell: (205) 275-0602 www.brianleealexander.com
M-S 8am-8pm • Sun. 9am-8pm
504 Airport Road South, Jasper, AL 35501 (205) 295-LAKE | 205-221-8822
We’re down to earth, approachable, and best of all we know the market. Whether you’re buying or selling, we can help!
JASPER 205.384.1113 | SMITH LAKE 205.221.1221 | ALLFOUR.COM Charlotte Sherer Associate Broker, bobsherer@bellsouth.net, (205) 522-3833 Mike Morton Real Estate Agent, allfourmike@yahoo.com, (205) 275-4534 Suzy Blackwood Real Estate Agent, suzy.blackwood@gmail.com, (205) 275-3464 Rhonda Hall Smith Lake Specialist, smithlakerhondahall@yahoo.com, (256) 255-8549
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CommunityCalendar october–december To submit major community events for consideration in the next issue, send them to walkermagazine@mountaineagle.com.
October 26 TRUNK OR TREAT Cordova Fire and Rescue will host a Trunk or Treat in downtown Cordova on Sat., Oct. 26 starting at 5 p.m. in front of City Hall. Those that will be providing “trunks” should be in place by 4:30 p.m. The fire department will offer hotdogs, chips, and a drink for a donation of any amount. October 31 ANNUAL FALL BLOCK PARTY Oakman Fire and Rescue and the Town of Oakman will host the third annual Fall Block Party on Oct. 31 from 5 until 8 p.m. Various booths and games will be set up for all ages. November 2 ELDRIDGE DAY/CAR SHOW The 37th Annual Eldridge Day/Car Show will be Saturday, Nov. 2 beginning at 8 a.m. Barbecue plates will be served beginning at 11 a.m. Booths for rent $15 (No food/drink vendors please). There will be inflatables available for children. November 9 VETERANS DAY CEREMONY A Veterans Day ceremony, with a lunch to follow, will be held on Saturday, Nov. 9, at the American Legion Post 101 in Carbon Hill at 10 a.m. The event will also include a blood drive and gift bags for veterans. Call 205-269-9300 for more information.
November 11 VETERANS DAY PARADE The Jasper Veterans Day Parade will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 11, in downtown Jasper. Entries must preregister this year. For more information, call Janet Little at 205-275-6441. They may also call Lisa Myers or Brent McCarver at 205-221-2100. November 16 “SHARE YOURS” THANKSGIVING MEAL The Carbon Hill Church of God of Prophecy will offer a community Thanksgiving meal for families on Nov. 16 from 12 p.m. until 3 p.m. First come, first served. This is a free meal open to anyone in the community. If you would like to contribute or have further questions, contact Jacob at 205-300-3807. November 21–24 FESTIVAL OF TREES The West Jefferson Festival of Trees will be held at West Jefferson Town Hall Nov. 21-23 from 4 to 9 p.m. and Nov. 24 from 1 to 6 p.m. There will be over 100 decorated trees, snacks, vendors and pictures with Santa. Tickets are $3 for adults and $2 for youth age 7 to 18.
November 28 TURKEY TROT 5K & FUN RUN Walker County Coalition for the Homeless will host a Turkey Trot 5K and Family Fun Run on Thursday, Nov. 28. Registration is at 7:30 a.m., and the event will begin at 8 a.m. December 2 HANDEL’S MESSIAH PERFORMANCE The Walker County Christian Chorus will perform Handel’s Messiah on Monday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. at Jasper’s First Baptist Church. December 3 WALKER COUNTY CHRISTMAS PARADE The Chamber of Commerce of Walker County will hold its county-wide Christmas parade in Jasper on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 6:30 p.m. Santa Claus will greet children, hand out candy canes, and have his photo made with them for free, using parents’ cameras at the Jasper Civic Center from 4 until 6 p.m. Anyone with questions or wanting to enter the parade may call the chamber at 205-384-4571 or come by the chamber office at the Jasper Civic Center. December 14 JINGLE BELL RUN The 14th annual Lee’ s Jingle Bell Run will be held in downtown Jasper on Dec. 14.
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Snapshots CAPSTONE BACK2SCHOOL SUPPLY AND BACKPACK GIVEAWAY August 2, 2019 | Parrish
Shirley Ford, Lisa Bonner, Jusslyn Matteson and Cloey Ford Chris Vines and Zach Lowery of Comfort Care
Jake Hood of Desperation Church, Sheriff Nick Smith and Adam Hicks of Desperation Church Justine Irby, I’riana Tidwell and Nevaeh Stevenson
Beth Dille and Kim Carson of Camp McDowell Jake Hood, Anna Kilgore, David Pridemore, Caroline Farris and Katie Speer of Nelson, Bryan and Cross
Shawn Legg and Danielle Legg
The Capstone Back2School Supply and Backpack Giveaway is sponsored by Capstone Rural Health with contributions from local businesses to raise funds and donate supplies and services to kids preparing them for their upcoming school year. Over 700 backpacks were distributed, and visitors could receive free haircuts, health screenings, food and more.
Making sure you’re ALL SMILES all year long! (205) 384-4000 | www.coxdental.com 914 Hwy. 78 East, Jasper, AL 35501 44 /
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ADAM COX, D.M.D. JAMES COX, D.M.D.
CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR AWESOME GIVEAWAYS!
WALK FOR HOPE
September 21, 2019 | Gamble Park, Jasper
Walk For Hope is an annual event hosted by Hope For Women. The event is held in honor of those who have lost their lives and those still trapped in the vicious cycle of addiction. It included a one-mile walk around the park, free food and a balloon release in remembrance of those whose lives have been lost to addiction.
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Snapshots GRANDPARENTS DAY September 13, 2019 | Sumiton Middle School
Sylvia, Lyunnie and Janie Rogers
Peyton, Pauline and Dee Brasfield
Sharon, Joe and Michael Harrison
Donnie Burns and Bradyn Miles
Angelia and Nigel Bailey, Jalaya Jackson and Laylah Smith
Donna Smith and Julianne Kelly
Caden and Patricia Boshell
George Washington and AllyJo Griffin
Sumiton Middle School held a Grandparents’ Brunch where grandparents or honorary grandparents could come and enjoy a meal with their loved one on National Grandparents Day. SMS was one of several schools in county who invited grandparents to come and be celebrated in September.
PROFESSIONAL PET GROOMING & BOARDING FOR DOGS & CATS
Groomers
Stacy Whorton Smith & Allison Black and
Renee Herron and Jamie Jordan are also here to help with your
Owner & Groomer
Lauren Black Hyche
Furry Friends!
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1606 Hwy. 78 W • Jasper, AL • 205-295-5411 Mon.-Sat. 8am-5pm • Walk ins 8am-11am FALL 2019
GARDNERS GIN ACCESS POINT OPENING September 28, 2019 | Cordova
Drew Gilbert and Jenny Short
Kyli Blagburn, Kaleb Howell and Ethan Pickett
Larry Sides and Elyse Peters
Darren Hix and Paul Kennedy
Susan Chandler, Carter Freeman, Jessica Moore and Beth Kennedy
Rebecca and Amber Persons
The Walker County Health Action Partnership created a new access point at Gardner’s Gin Road and made many improvements at Disney Lake as part of the Walker County Blueways Project, an effort to connect 31 miles of waterways across the county.
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CHAMBER CHECKS ARE HERE! 204 19th St. E, Suite 101, Jasper, AL
TOP TEN REASONS TO BUY LOCALLY 1) Keep Money In The Community 2) Embrace What Makes Us Different 3) Get Better Service
205-384-4571 • www.walkerchamber.us
DID YOU KNOW...
6) Help Out The Environment 7) Invest In The Community 8) Put Your Taxes To Good Use 9) Quality Of Life 10) Believe In Walker County
Here’s How It Works To Give Chamber Checks:
CHAMBER CHECKS HELP SUPPORT OUR LOCAL ECONOMY BY ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO BUY LOCAL.
4) Buy What You Want 5) Create More Good Jobs
ANYONE CAN GIVE CHAMBER CHECKS
CHAMBER CHECKS ARE AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT THE WALKER COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. THEY MAKE GREAT GIFTS
1. Each Chamber Check comes in ten and twenty-dollar increments. Companies or individuals can send or bring a check for the total amount desired, along with a list of recipient’s names to the Chamber office. 2. The Chamber will print the individual checks, which will include the recipient’s name, the dollar amount, and your company/ individual name. 3. The Chamber will also provide an information brochure to give to your recipient, explaining how the program works and where they can redeem their Chamber Checks.
FOR EMPLOYEES, TEACHERS, COACHES, BIRTHDAYS, WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARIES AND MORE!
Because Chamber Checks can be used for goods and services provided by Chamber members, your recipients are able to spend the dollars however they want or need.
The Chamber of Commerce of Walker County has a unique program designed to encourage people to shop at home and pump money back into our local economy! Chamber Checks are available for purchase needs, whether it’s Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or any other special occasion.
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Chamber Checks are gift checks that may be used at any business that is a member of the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County. This gives recipients around 200 choices of where to spend their chamber checks, and fellow Chamber members will also benefit! A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE FALL 2019
Many people have
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Cameron Lee, FIC 1660 Highway 78 E. Jasper, AL 35501 B 205-221-1041 cameron.lee@mwarep.org
DOUG0312 Registered representative. Securities offered through MWA Financial Services Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Modern Woodmen of America. Member: FINRA, SIPC. FALL 2019
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WeAreWalkerCounty with Jackie Clark
“I’ve always just loved the people here and the principals have always been really good to me. It was home, and I just chose to stay here. It’s been a good 31 years. I don’t regret a minute of it, and I love the kids and they seem to love me.” Jackie Clark has worked in the lunchroom at Maddox Intermediate School for 31 years, making her one of the longest-ser ving current child nutrition program employees in the county. Clark started working as a substitute teacher at Maddox over 30 years ago and began her career in the school’s lunchroom in 1988. She said much has changed over the years, but the school’s warm spirit has remained the same. Clark is married to her husband, Ricky, and they have two grown daughters, Candace and Chaney. Although Clark will retire in May, she will continue her love of cooking at home. “I just love cooking for my family,” she said.
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nelsonbryancross.com
Jasper, AL 205.387.7777
Pat Nelson
Bob Bryan
Gina Cross
WE HANDLE THEM ALL
No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.