Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Vol. 10, No. 23
Opelika, Alabama
pelika O Observer “By local people, for local people.”
Irish Bred Pub to hold St. Patrick’s Day festival/grand reopening Saturday By Morgan Bryce Associate Editor Downtown Opelika’s Irish Bred Pub will hold a St. Patrick’s Day Street Festival this Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m. South Railroad Ave. and the segment of Ninth Street to Avenue A will be closed off until 7 p.m. for the event, which will feature food, drinks, traditional Irish dancing, fun activities for both adults and children, as well as live music.
IBP co-owner Joe Garofalo said he and General Manager/coowner Chris McBride want the celebration to not only tap into the spirit of the holiday, but serve as a grand reopening for the establishment they started together nearly eight years ago. “A pub is short for a public house, a place where people gather and congregate, which is the vibe I was going for originally (when it opened). I want this place to have
Robert Noles/ Opelika Observer
something for everybody,” Garofalo said. “Whether it’s a family, a college kid, a couple or a bunch of friends going out, I want it to have multiple atmospheres for them to feel comfortable. It’s up to us to build community, because that’s something our country is lacking in (right now).” During the last four months, Garofalo said he and McBride have been busy revamping the restaurant’s overall layout, appearance, See Bred Pub, page A7
Acre’s David Bancroft to participate in Sip and Savor event March 17 By Morgan Bryce Associate Editor March has been a busy month for defending Iron Chef winner and Acre’s Executive Chef David Bancroft.
Last Friday, Bancroft and his staff held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new restaurant, “The Bow and Arrow,” which is slated to open this fall. Describing it as a smokehouse-like es-
tablishment, Bancroft said the restaurant’s offerings will incorporate elements of both his Alabama roots and Texas upbringing. “I grew up in south Texas, so doing this kind of food isn’t
forced for me. This is how I trained myself, this is how I learned to cook,” Bancroft said. Despite vast differences in menus and cuisine, Bancroft said both Acre and the Bow and Arrow will share a
similar level of culinary excellence. “The number-one thing (on our minds) is the attention to quality and the technique,” Bancroft said. Caleb Fischer, who became Acre’s “Chef
Wes Goodson Giving life-changing hope and love to to run for Lee men and women at Harvest Evangelism County Coroner
de Cuisine” in 2015, will serve as the Bow and Arrow’s executive chef once it opens this fall. Newest cooking competition Bancroft will be See Bancroft, page A2
Opelika remembers Nancy McLeod
Shawn Kirkpatrick/ Opelika Observer
Submitted to the Opelika Observer
Special to the Opelika Observer Wes Goodson has filed qualifying papers with the Lee County Probate Office to seek the office of Lee County Coroner. For seven years, Goodson has worked as a nationally registered EMT in the EMS department of East Alabama Medical Center. He See Goodson, page A3
By Shawn Kirkpatrick Opelika Observer “Recovery is a journey, not a destination. It’s step by step, people by people, a good church, a businessman who hires you and gives you a chance, a family that helps.” That’s what Rick Hagans, pastor and founder of Harvest Evangelism, explained is part of the path to overcoming addiction. His Place, Harvest Thrift Store and Hosanna Home in Lafayette are all under the cover of Harvest
Evangelism. The His Place facility on 2nd Avenue and His Place Farm House help men recovering from addictions. “A lot of (homeless) guys just come in and want the traditional ‘three hots and a cot.’ A bed, a shower, a couple of hot meals,” Hagans said. “They can stay up to 20 days, but we try to encourage them to be in the program component of His Place, which is a 12-month residential treatment recovery program for men with
A beloved Opelika educator, Nancy McLeod, passed away in her sleep last week. She was 77 years old. An Opelika native and avid Auburn
See Hagans, page A3
See McLeod, page A7
Index OPINION.................................A4 SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY........A10 SPORTS...................................B1
RELIGION.................................B3 COMMUNITY.............................B8 ENTERTAINMENT.....................B12
By Lawton Vallely For the Opelika Observer
pelika O Observer.com