Opelika Observer 06-10-2020

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

VOL. 12, NO. 36

pelika Observer O

Opelika, Alabama

• EVENT VENUE • CATERING • WINE SHOP Weddings & Receptions | Private Parties Exhibitions & Trade Shows Trainings & Seminars

HISTORIC DOWNTOWN OPELIKA

bottlingplanteventcenter.com | 334-705-5466

“By local people, for local people.”

Opelika Giving Day 2020 raises nearly $40,000 Special to the Opelika Observer The Community Foundation of East Alabama recently hosted its 2nd Annual Opelika Giving Day on June 3, bringing in a total of $39,430.09 through 348 individual donations.

Twelve non-profits throughout Opelika were selected to be highlighted during Opelika Giving Day 2020, and they were all tasked with campaigning and raising awareness on social media.

Todd Rauch the vice president of the Community Foundation of East Alabama, said, “the role of the Community Foundation leading up to Opelika Giving Day was multifaceted. We wanted to give

Photo submitted to the Opelika Observer

Wake for Warriors holding event on Lake Harding

By Will Fairless Associate Editor

each organization the tools and recommendations they needed to succeed in reaching their goal, as well as teaching them useful practices they could implement

on social media to continue engaging with their donors after Opelika Giving Day concluded.”

Rauch explained that he hosted Zoom video teleconference meetings with all

the organizations and provided them with step-by-step methods on how to schedule posts through Facebook, as well as how to use Facebook’s

This weekend, Wake for Warriors will be holding one of its watersports therapy programs on Lake Harding in Georgia.

This weekend’s wakesurfing event will include about 15 disabled veterans, whose lodging and food will be provided by Wake for Warriors.

Dave Deep founded the organization in 2012, and they’ve since held events such as this weekend’s in Georgia,

See GIVING DAY, page A3

Alabama, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, Texas, Washington state and North Carolina.

Deep served as a Marine, and he said of watersports, “It was my way that I would be able to relax, getting behind the boat. That was my getaway.” He founded Wake for Warriors so that he could share this form of therapy with other veterans, particularly those who were injured while serving.

The therapeutic benefits of the program See WARRIORS, page A1

Tony Cochran talks small Heritage House opens business recovery last week under new ownership

By Will Fairless Associate Editor Tony Cochran, chairman of the Alabama Small Business Commission, was the guest speaker for last Wednesdayʼs Business over Breakfast meeting of small business owners.

Mackenzie Kayler, manager of programs and events at Opelika Chamber of Commerce, hosted the meeting, which was held over Zoom instead of their usual

TONY COCHRAN in-person format.

Cochran spoke to the 20-odd small business

owners in attendance about the history of the commission and how itʼs trying to help small businesses in Alabama. In 2019, the Alabama Small Business Commission went dormant before it was moved from the oversight (in both senses of the word) of the Governor's office to the direction of the Lieutenant Governor's.

Under the Governor, See BUSINESS, page A3

By Will Fairless Associate Editor The Heritage House has come under new ownership and is now open for reservations.

Dani Nelson and Leif Espelund purchased and refurnished the property, and it will serve both as a bed and breakfast and as an event venue.

Nelson, an Alexander City native, and Espelund, originally from Oregon, met in Seattle

Photo submitted to the Opelika Observer

and lived there for the past few years. They decided they wanted to acquire a property like

the Heritage House and began searching all over the country See HERITAGE, page A5

Index OPINION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A4 SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY. . . . . . . .A9 RELIGION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A11 CALENDAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A13

COMICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A14 SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B1 PUBLIC NOTICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . B5 POLITICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B7

Alabama Statewide COVID-19 statistics as of June 9 20,594 Cases / 714 deaths | 594 Cases in Lee Co. / 34 deaths

A2 June 10, 2020

Opelika Art HAUS to host “UNO” Art Workshop

Photo special to the Opelika Observer

By Wil Crews Opelika Observer Do you love to paint?

Are you an aspiring artist looking to further better your craft? Or are you just looking to test the waters of a potential new hobby?

If any of these statements apply to you, the “UNO” Art Workshop, sponsored by the Sarah Carlisle Towery Alabama Art Colony, might be an event for you.

The full day workshop is being held at the Opelika Art Haus at 500 N. Railroad Ave., June 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“We invite anybody that’s inspired,” said Barbara Calhoun Grimes, marketing and public relations director for Alabama Art Colony. “They don’t have to be a professional, they can just be someone who loves art and loves to grow.”

For $95 participants can learn to paint fish with watercolors from “ONE artist in ONE day.”

The fee covers all paints and paper, the instruction and a lunch sponsored by Opelika’s O-Town ice cream shop and eatery.

Kathleen Cottrell Bossell will be conducting the class this year. She is an experienced art teacher who grew up on the waters of LA (Lower Alabama), giving her a penchant for marine life and fish in particular.

The workshop will be adequately social distanced as seats are limited.

Reserve a spot today at alabamaartcolony. org/uno-art-workshop.

Payment can be made via PayPal on the website or sent through the mail.

While “UNO” is only a day-long event, the workshop is actually a scholarship fundraiser for the week-long “2020 SCT Alabama Art Colony” being held Oct. 2 through Oct. 7.

This event is held at Children’s Harbor on Lake Martin and features renowned artists from across the country who will give students one-on-one instruction to heighten their skills and provide fresh motivation.

Art Colony is for more serious artists who would participate in a summer-campstyle retreat where they eat, sleep and learn to paint from professionals for five

pelika Observer

O

Phone: 334.749.8003 editor@opelikaobserver.com Michelle@opelikaobserver.com

days –– all while staying on site at Children’s Harbor, surrounded by tremendous views of nature and the lake.

“We try to educate the artist and inspire them,” said Grimes.

This year’s featured instructors include: • Stan Kurth, an award winning artist, working with predominantly mixed media and Watermedia who is returning by popular request.

• Perry Austin, a member of Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society and Plein Air Painters of the Southeast.

• Muir Stewart, who taught design drawing and watercolor at Auburn University and has worked across the globe in Italy, Scotland, England and France.

The cost is $700 and encompasses lodging, workshop, three meals a day and other special activities.

Registration is open now at and ends Aug. 14.

For more information about either events, contact Barbara Calhoun Grimes at 334-546-2233.

Publisher: Michelle Key Associate Editor: Will Fairless Marketing: Woody Ross Photojournalist: Robert Noles Sports Writers: Rick Lanier and D. Mark Mitchell

w w w . o p e l i k a o b s e r v e r. c o m 216 S. 8th Street, Opelika, AL 36801 Copyright 2009. All right reserved. Opelika Observer is published weekly by Opelika Observer, 216 S 8th St. Opelika, AL 36801. Periodicals postage is paid at Opelika, AL. USPS #025104 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Opelika Observer, 216 S. 8th Street, Opelika, AL 36801

Chicken Salad Chick’s Ali Rauch receives national recognition

By Wil Crews Opelika Observer Everyone loves food. And while it may be beneficial to our waistlines, a new socially-distanced normal has left consumer cravings untamed.

But aside from the convenience of takeout and the insatiable sound of rumbling in our bellies, the effects of COVID-19 have left many restaurants vulnerable, limiting the amount of customers they can serve and negatively impacting profit, leaving the U.S food industry in unfamiliar territory.

To pivot the industry from the brink of crisis and to restore the thriving gathering places that diners know and love, it is going to take an inventive and conscientious approach.

Luckily, QSR Magazine recently published an article titled "15 Young Restaurant Leaders to Watch," that highlighted 15 foodservice leaders with the ingenuity

ALI RAUCH and dedication to move the industry forward.

In fact, one of the recognized leaders is proud Opelika community member and Director of Marketing for Chicken Salad Chick, Ali Rauch. “[Opelika] is my home,” said Rauch.

“I grew up in the Midwest… but Opelika is my love and I am going to be here forever.”

Rauch, 33, started with Chicken Salad Chick in

2012, joining the team when it had just five restaurants. Now there are 160, and Rauch is the longest tenured employee apart from founder Stacy Brown.

Rauch has been instrumental in developing the company’s online platform –– and loyalty program that goes with it –– along with launching delivery options and See RAUCH, page A7

Subscribe to the Opelika Observer Today!

SPECIAL OFFER - 90 DAY SUBSCRIPTION - $7.50

Name: Address: City:

State:

ZIP:

Phone number: Email address: Payment Type (circle one): Check / Credit Card Visa or Master Card # Exp. Date:

/

Security Code:

Amount Paid:

CORRECTIONS

• $32 for 1 year (inside Lee County) $42 for 1 year (outside of Lee County) •

The Opelika Observer will correct any errors, omissions or inaccuracies deemed to be substantive. Corrections may be

SPECIAL OFFER - 90 DAY SUBSCRIPTION - $7.50 Return to: Opelika Observer, 216 S. 8th St. / Opelika, AL 36801

requested by contacting the Editor at (334) 749-8003.

Please do not send cash through the mail.

A3 June 10, 2020

City of Smiths Station holds Peace Walk on June 4

country.

“This is encouraging to the heart. We’ve got a way to go. We’ve got things to correct and…

I think everyone wants to do better. This is the kind of event that we need to have to call attention to the issues that we need to solve.

We need to take care of business.” Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones said.

“From a law enforcement standpoint, public safety, you know, we’re public servants. It troubles me greatly, I [am] profoundly sad at the events that occurred in Minneapolis. That is not who we are. We serve at the will of the people, not the other way around.”

“We have a beautiful county and a beautiful

city here, and what we have got to do is to continue to work together as one. And if we continue to do that and I know that you have the leadership on your city council and your mayor has pledged to do that,” Alabama Senator Randy Price said. “It is an honor to be here today. God is good. God is good all the time.

Thank you for what you are doing. Let’s work together to make Lee County better and [to make] Smiths Station what we all want it to be.”

“We are here right now for peace in a time of pain. George Floyd could have been my cousin, my uncle, could have been my dad. We must all come

together for what is right. Those who knew George Floyd said that he was a peacemaker.

We should all strive to be peacemakers within Smiths Station.

I will continue to use my peaceful platform to spread unity and awareness among my peers. Racism is a fight we all have to come against. In order to take over racism we have to acknowledge and be aware of it’s existence in this world,” said Grace Allen, a senior at Smiths Stations High School, as she addressed the crowd.

“Our community came together last year after the March 3 tornadoes, and we need to come together now as a city and community to take a stand against racism and division, because the recent acts of violence that have occurred in our country are not reflective of the beliefs and values that we hold here in Smiths Station,” Copeland said in a press release before the event. “We want to show that we are a united front, regardless of our gender, race or sexual orientation.”

The event closed with the crowd singing “Amazing Grace.”

For photos from the event, turn to A8.

of Opelika raised $11,700, with a goal of $10,000 • O-Grows raised $2,555, with a goal of $2,500, and • The Opelika Bicycle Advisory Committee, a newcomer to Opelika Giving Day, raised $1,165, with a goal of $1,000.

In addition: • The Arts Association of East Alabama raised $5,739 • Flags for Vets raised $4,140 • Circles of Opelika raised $4,105 • The Community Foundation of East Alabama raised $2,825 • Haddie’s raised $2,575 • The Knee High Foundation raised $1,566 • Friends of the Wood Duck Heritage Preserve and Siddique Nature Park raised $1,305 • L.E.A.P.S. Mentoring raised $1,045 and • Opelika Main Street raised $700.

“I want to personally thank all of the organizations for their hard work leading up to Opelika Giving Day,” Rauch

said, “but most importantly I want to thank everyone that took time out of their day to donate and spread the message of Opelika Giving Day.” If you missed your opportunity to donate this year during Opelika Giving Day, the next Opelika Giving Day is planned for the first week of May 2021.

For more information visit www. opelikagivingday. org or email at info@ opelikagivingday.org.

About the Community Foundation of East Alabama The Community Foundation of East Alabama was incorporated in 2007 as a 501 (c)(3) taxexempt organization.

As a local center for philanthropy, the Community Foundation works with individuals, families, corporations, private foundations, and nonprofit organizations to help them carry out their

By Michelle Key Publisher Smiths Station Mayor F.L. “Bubba” Copeland and members of the Smiths Station City Council, along with a contingent of local African American figures and community leaders, participated in a Peace Walk on June 4 at 6 p.m. More than 250 people turned out to participate in the event.

Vincent Hunter, who helped Copeland organize the event, made the following statement at the beginning of the walk. “We are out here simply to show love to our community.

There is too much division going on in our country right now, and even though we are a small city in the state of Alabama, our voices can still be heard. Our voices can still make an impact.”

“We just want God’s people to come together and bring about change.

God’s greatest commandment was to love, and that’s our job - to show love to our neighbors. This feels like love,” Hunter said.

The walk began at Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church and ended in front of the flagpoles at the Smiths Station Government Center. Once all walkers had assembled, there was a time for thoughts and prayers offered for peace and unity in the city, county and

GIVING DAY >> FROM A1

advertising platform.

With the goal of succeeding despite the turmoil currently impacting our nation, the Opelika Giving Day website was launched one week early, allowing people more time to become aware, spread the word and give.

Before the official kickoff on June 3rd, 86 individuals had already contributed, which gave the Community Foundation just over $12,000 to kickstart the day. One of those early donors was the Opelika City Council. “I can’t say thank you enough to Mayor Fuller and the Opelika City Council,” Rauch said, “this year the Opelika City Council continued their support of Opelika Giving Day and collectively donated $100 to each of the non-profits we highlighted.”

Three organizations exceeded their goals this year; • Creekline Trails

Photo by Morgan Bryce/City of Smiths Station

HPV VACCINE FACTS:

Prevents 90% of HPV Cancers.

HPV 4 out of 5 vaccine can people will prevent get HPV in at least 6 their lives. types of cancers.

HPV VACCINE IS CANCER PREVENTION!

alabamapublichealth.gov/imm

Photo submitted to the Opelika Observer

BUSINESS >> FROM A1

the commission was getting lost in the shuffle of that very busy office, so the move was meant to get the commission operating effectively.

There are 26 members of the commission, all of whom were appointed last November. Their first meeting came just before the coronavirus pandemic shut down businesses in Alabama.

“All of a sudden, COVID-19 hit us,” Cochran said, “We scrambled ... to find some help for small businesses because we all knew and could feel the pain and the agony that our fellow small business owners were having.”

Cochran and the rest of the commission were frustrated that they seemed constantly to get blocked by the Alabama Constitution in their efforts to relieve small businesses. “We would like to get a change to the constitution that would allow the state of Alabama the power to make decisions,” Cochran said, “Just put it in their hands, put that tool in their toolbox, to help small businesses.”

At the same time that

charitable objectives and address emerging community issues. Donors to the Community Foundation also benefit from the Foundation’s combined assets which greatly reduce investment and administrative fees.

The five-county region includes Lee, Chambers, Macon, Russell, and Tallapoosa Counties.

The Community Foundation is administered by a governing body

it is trying to effect that change, the commission is working to create a cabinet-level position for a small business advocate.

Cochran said that the coronavirus exposed the stateʼs lack of a group or individual dedicated to small business ownersʼ interests.

The commission is also lobbying for Alabama small businesses to get their share of $300 million of federal money designated for business owners, individuals and nonprofits in Alabama.

The commission hopes they wonʼt encounter the same hurdle they did in their earlier efforts because this is federal money, not state.

Lastly, there is a proposition for an additional sales tax, the revenue from which would be earmarked for small businesses.

Ideally, Cochran said, Alabama small businesses could benefit from larger companies' (e.g. Amazon's) sales.

The Chamber of Commerceʼs small business of the quarter is Mama Mochaʼs Coffee.

Kayler said that she hopes next quarterʼs meeting will be in person and will fulfill both of its eponymous components.

of East Alabama citizens committed to building a vibrant community foundation. Through the generosity of people in East Alabama, the community foundation will continue to grow.

Through grant making, they look forward to a brighter future by giving back to the place they call home.

Visit www. cfeastalabama. org for additional information.

The Department of Labor can help WORKERS and EMPLOYERS with

Unemployment Claims related to COVID-19.

File claims and get more information at

LABOR.ALABAMA.GOV

LABOR.ALABAMA.GOV Funding provided by the USDOL, ETA, Federal WIOA. An Equal Opportunity Employer/Program.

Auxiliary aids and services available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

pelika Opinion O

A4 June 10, 2020

To Love or not to Love, that is the question

W

ell, we thought COVID-19 was bad, until we saw the events unfold recently around race, our police officers and everything in between.

Sadness and anger have overwhelmed our country.

I have mentioned before my love of the classic southern novel “To Kill a Mockingbird.” In this book the most profound thing I recall is when Atticus Finch says to his children, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

This was the only thought that rolled through my head like a film for days. I began to imagine myself in the skins of others. Some I knew well, and some I didn’t know at all.

I also began to wonder how the ideas and realities of race and justice in a book published in 1960 still look the same today. This is an idea I cannot fix. I can-

By Bradley Robertson not change people, but what I can do is show others how to love.

Like most writers, I slipped into bed one night, and, as a dialogue started in my mind, my soul began to process the suffering I saw and felt. And by no prompting of my own, my mind began to recall every black human whom I loved and who had a positive influence on my life…

I began to imagine Miss Phyllis, who cared for me when I was 3 and 4 years old.

I recalled perfectly her great big cheeky grin. I remember her genuine love and adoration for me while I was her daycare room every day. I

could still see her smiling at me and calling out my nickname, “Hey BJ!”. For my parents often called me Bradley Jean. One knows how honored they feel when receiving a nickname.

I was honored by her calmness and care for my life. She held me and loved me every day I knew her. Miss Phyllis showed me the value of human warmth and joy.

I remember a young girl in that same daycare named Kristy Jackson. She was a spicy little friend. One who made me laugh and made me feel right at home. She was a tad bit larger than me and her skin was not the same as mine, but we never minded. We were buddies. She was silly and sassy, and I have no clue what I offered this friendship. Many years later, we were in high school together. We still grinned and laughed at one another often, for when you connect with someone at a very tender age, that someone is always special. Kristy taught me the value of See ROBERTSON, page A4

Hurricane season “Squalls out on the gulf stream Big storm's comin' soon" Jimmy Buffett “Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season”

H

ere they come again.

Hurri-

canes.

Tis the season.

Though many of you are far from the coast, you need to keep in mind that those storms can have an enormous, tragic impact inland.

Well, if you get one, I hope you have someone to call, someone like “Doll Baby.”

Let me explain.

First, don't let the name fool you. In his prime "Doll" (as friends call him) was much a man. Well over 6 feet tall, with bulk to go with it, he lived in South Alabama and like so many folks

down there, Doll has made his living in the woods. Well, back in 1990 Doll and his wife Wanda were driving through South Carolina’s Frances Marion State Park, a couple months after Hurricane Hugo. Trees were still scattered every-which-a-way.

Trucks couldn't get in to clean up without tearing up what was left. Seeing the mess, the Alabama couple stopped at the Ranger Station and told the attendant, in so many words, "what you need is mules." And since Doll had some, a deal was struck.

So he went back home, rounded up a crew, loaded up the mules — Linda and Lisa, Mutt and Jeff, Maude and Rock — and headed out to Carolina where they snaked logs until the weather got too hot for man and beast.

In the process, Doll and his mules became celebrities — newspapers wrote about

By Hardy Jackson them, students from a nearby college "studied" them and a kindergarten class visited them. The local TV station sent out a young female reporter young female reporter to interview Doll, who took time from his work to show her the ropes — a little too much time, Wanda said.

Personally, I figure he was just being nice.

Of course folks down Doll’s way know about hurricanes. Living some 80 miles above Mobile, they count on getting the backwash from storms nearly every fall. Usually there is a lot of rain, See HARDY, page A6

The death of Western Civilization courses leads to ‘buyers’ remorse’

T

he lead article in the current National Review is “Why We Must Teach Western Civilization,” a plea that is late but heartfelt. Andrew Roberts is a British historian and Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution. The sub-head is: “The legacy of our culture is unsurpassed in human history; to ignore it is an act of rank self-hatred.”

This should matter especially in Lee County where we have

I

t is a spring evening in West Florida. Humid. The sun is low. I am watching three old men strum guitars and sing “We Shall Overcome” on their front porch. They are singing through a small amplification system for the neighborhood.

“We shall overcome, some day…”

It is a tense world we live in right now, filled with protests, riots, flames and surgical masks. So while these men play and sing, I close my eyes.

The old men are completely tone deaf.

But they make up for it with sincerity.

They are ex-hippies with longish hair and sandals. And they have drawn a small crowd.

We are all social-distancing, listening to their impromptu jam session.

An older couple sits

By Greg Markley a major public research university and a community college.

All future undergraduates will be affected by whether they are mandated to take

Western Civ. classes or not. Roberts notes that in 1964, 40 of the top 50 American colleges required students to take such classes, which meant reading Homer, Plato, Milton, Voltaire, and more. “…The legacy of Western culture, in terms of both its sheer quality and its quantity, is unsurpassed in human history,“ he wrote. “We are deliberately underplaying many of the greatest contributions made to

poetry, architecture, philosophy, music and art … often simply in order to try to feel less guilty about imperialism, colonialism and slavery, even though the last was a moral crime committed by a minority of few people’s great-greatgreat-grandparents.”

As I thought about merits/demerits of Western Civilization courses last night, two words came to me: Fob James. Yes, that’s right, the two-time governor with family

and business connections to Opelika and Auburn. James drew negative press in the late 1990s when he suggested state government should be run like Waffle House: “You get fast, friendly and good service.”

James was concerned with productivity among the bureaucracy.

Taking the longer view, I wrote an editorial for the daily noting that the governor was on to something.

Government services

should be streamlined and the public should be grateful to state employees when they perform well. Likewise, in Western Civ., students should get solid information. The challenge: because of the way the world has evolved beyond the white-male-dominated West, you must spend time on other areas and topics too.

Remember, as well, that whether a Western Civilization or any history undergrad

to attend church like mine did. He wrote, “Take your Burden to the Lord and Leave it There,” and “We’ll Understand it Better By and By.” Charles was the son of a slave, born in Maryland, before the end of the Civil War. He was raised in an world.

He was a large man, with hands like bear claws, wide shoulders and a concrete jaw.

And he was completely self-educated. From childhood, he began piecing together his own education like a mismatched jigsaw puzzle. He taught himself to read, and how to compose music.

As a young man, he wanted to learn Hebrew, so he could translate biblical manuscripts. He went to a local synagogue and begged the old men to teach him. Soon,

Charles was reading Hebrew better than the rabbis. Then, just for the heck of it, he learned Greek, too.

Later in life, he got a job working as a janitor at a church on Bainbridge Street, in Philadelphia. It was an unpaid position, so he took another part-time gig, carrying bricks.

Eventually, he applied for ordination. A lot of people said this was a silly idea, since Charles was a manual laborer with no formal education. Still, the Methodist Episcopal church finally agreed to let him take the entrance exam. His test scores were off the charts.

After he was ordained, his life took off like a steam engine. He cared for orphans, fed the starving and helped the destitute along the Eastern Seaboard.

See MARKLEY, page A6

MUSIC MAN in a driveway across the street. A young family sits on a blanket in their front yard.

Kids linger on bikes, eating popsicles.

“We shall overcome, “We shall overcome, some day...”

Two older ladies on a porch swing sip from wine glasses. They wear medical masks.

One woman spills wine all over her shirt. She laughs, hiccups and keeps on sipping.

Baby Boomers.

The guitarist speaks over the microphone: “I remember going to civil rights marches with my dad. My dad was a Methodist minister. We stood arm-inarm with people of all colors in Birmingham, we would sing this song.”

They sing again: “We shall overcome, “We shall overcome, some day...”

The song itself has

been used by billions all over the world. It was once invoked upon the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, by a crowd of 300,000. Martin Luther King Jr. recited it in his final sermon, only hours before he was shot.

But this song is a lot older than that. And I wonder whether anyone listening tonight knows how old this song truly is. I happen to know.

To be fair, the only reason I know the history of this song is because I had to write a college paper about it once.

Well, technically, if we’re splitting hairs, my wife wrote the paper and I just put my name on it.

I was an adult in community college.

The assignment was to write on ‘60s protest music. So I asked my wife to help me. She

By Sean Dietrich agreed, but only if— this is true—I would pay her $200. In most states, this is called extortion.

What I learned was that “We Shall Overcome” has a few versions. But it officially dates back to 1900. An African American minister, Charles Albert Tindley, wrote a tune named “I’ll Overcome Someday,” which became the basis for the song.

You might not know Charles Tindley, but I’ll bet you know his music. Especially if your mother forced you

See DIETRICH, page A5

A5 June 10, 2020

Tree identification book from the Arbor Day Foundation helps people identify tree species Special to the Opelika Observer The Arbor Day Foundation has a book that helps people identify trees in a simple, step-by-step process. The book, What Tree Is That?, is available for a $5 donation to the nonprofit tree-planting organization. What Tree Is That? is a fun, easy-to-use tree identification guide

so users can make a positive species identification in a few steps.

The Arbor Day Foundation offers this book to

help people identify trees throughout the Eastern and Central regions of the United States.

What Tree Is That? uses a unique step-by-step approach for identifying the species of each tree, explaining what to look for in the shape and arrangement of the leaves, differences in the leafstalks and specific characteristics of fruits, flowers, buds and

bark.

“Our What Tree Is That? pocket guide is an ideal resource for developing a greater appreciation for trees,” said Matt Harris, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “The Arbor Day Foundation strives to help people enjoy and appreciate trees, and we feel our pocket field guide will do just that.”

What Tree is That? is also available as an online interactive version at arborday.org. To obtain a tree identification guide in full color, visit arborday. org or send your name, address, and $5 for each guide to: What Tree is That?

Arbor Day Foundation 100 Arbor Ave. Nebraska City, NE 68410

filled the house under previous ownership was sold as part of a deal that eventually fell through (save for three pieces, one of which, because of its size, will be there as long as the building is).

The house is now furnished with a combination of authentic, antique pieces and new furniture that

matches the period and aesthetic of the rest of the house.

This marriage of new and old is reflected throughout the house, from the extensive rewiring of lights and additional outlets to flat screen televisions and wireless-charging alarm clocks in every room. These modern amenities donʼt overshadow, but complement, the period-appropriate furniture and decor (such as a baby grand piano and bookshelves stocked with hardcovers and yellowed pages) that are the stars of the show. “We both love these historic things, and weʼre very novice, but we also

really love modern conveniences,” Nelson said.

Each of the five bedrooms has its own subtle theme, such as the “Carriage Suite,” which is a dog-friendly room, as it has access to the lawn. The Carriage Suite is decorated with Opelikaʼs railroadtown history in mind and has a separate room serving as a study, complete with a vintage Underwood typewriter (because a Royal simply wouldnʼt do, said Espelund).

The house is geared toward weddings and wedding-adjacent events, but the parlor and lawn could accommodate cocktail parties, anniversary

parties and any number of other community events, as can Nelsonʼs and Espelundʼs experience in, respectively, event planning and marketing.

“We both enjoy charitable organizations; the arts is more where my heart lies,” Nelson said, “Already I have heard that the local theater group does murder mystery dinners.”

The Heritage House looks like something out of an Agatha Christie novel, and Nelson has started thinking about hosting dinner theater and murder mystery parties.

The two are very excited to be part of

the Victorian Front Porch Tour this winter, among other Opelika festivities. “Next year weʼd love to participate in [the Songwriters Festival] and have this be a place where people come and do some concerts on the lawn,” Espelund said.

Besides wanting to be involved with the community for the sake of hosting events, they would like to fi nd local farmers and restaurants whose food they can serve in their dining room (the tables in which are currently spaced six feet apart).

For more information about Heritage House or to book a reservation, visit heritagehouse1913.com or call 334-552-3052.

friendships.” Then they do it all again the next day.

Deep said the feedback he gets from the participants is great.

They report feeling relaxed but challenged and making strong friendships as a result of the relationshippressure-cooker weekend. “The coolest thing is that you get these three or four people, who most likely have not met each

other and have never done this before, on a boat,” Deep said, “and within 10 to 15 minutes, they’re all cheering for each other, encouraging each other.”

The benefits of the program are not limited to the weekends of the events any more than they are to the time on the water. Deep said the Wake for Warriors family is a tight one, in which the members take care of each

other, particularly by sharing information on counseling and other programs that might be helpful. “We get a lot of positive feedback,” Deep said, “even, ‘I was thinking about doing something really dumb, and this has encouraged me to keep going.’”

Wake for Warriors is a nonprofit, and it’s run completely by volunteers. These weekends rely heavily on the generosity of

their host communities.

For example, this weekend, the participating veterans will stay in the homes of people living around Lake Harding who’ve volunteered that service. Some food will be provided by local restaurants and catering companies. A local gas company will be providing 100 gallons of gas to help keep the boats running all weekend.

Anyone can donate at wakeforwarriors. com, which donations go to travel, lodging, fuel and food costs. The money also helps Wake for Warriors provide special apparatuses so that veterans who use wheelchairs can enjoy the watersports as well as the rest can. Sign-up forms for future events can be found at the same website.

felt every day or what he went home to, but I know that he held high a standard of love, for this was his offering to us every Sunday.

I remember my fourth-grade teacher Mrs. Sweeney. She was kind and always dressed to the nines.

She had big hair that complimented her big grin. She wore bright red lipstick and had a kindness about her that rippled into her classroom every morning.

I felt safe with Mrs. Sweeney. I felt smart.

I felt at home. I felt as though she cared for my future, and I’m very sure she did.

Mrs. Sweeney taught me leadership. She showed me that I can do great things and do

them well. She taught me that smarts and kindness go hand in hand, along with a little lipstick.

I remember my principal from the 7th grade, Mr. Stinson. I’m pretty sure he did not know my name, but I recall returning from school after having broken my foot. I was wobbling down the hall on crutches, alone, and my principal passed me by and said, “What up, cryp?” I was so shocked I stopped, in motion and we both began to laugh. I don’t remember our words exchanged, but he patted my back, and we grinned and both went about our business. I think he wanted to make me feel at ease. I think he

knew I was not happy in my situation, so he made it a little lighter.

He taught me that we don’t always have to be so serious. He taught me that a quick, funny comment can help settle a soul. He didn’t just pass me by, he showed up for me. He taught me to pay attention and that little details can make big impacts.

I remember when I worked at the club house at Robert Trent Jones. We had two vivacious funny cooks in the back, Willie and Theresa. They were full of laughter, and yet their work was the best around. They stayed on it. They stayed calm and cool when the other staff got overwhelmed.

They kept smiling and

cooking when it got wild and busy. They never let off the gas.

They were happy rollers, working harder than hard to provide for their families. I loved them. They showed me that joy and work go together. They taught me not to let chaos take over and to remain in your lane. Keep doing your thing well and we’ll all end well together.

Today, I think about my friend Michelle. She is one glorious, anointed woman. She knows more about me sometimes than I sometimes know about myself. She is kind and giving. She has discernment that I can only dream of. She can laugh up a space and she cares for people in deep corners of their

own heart. Michelle is heaven sent. She has taught me to be still and listen. She has taught me to go forth and do likewise, in love and genuine concern.

There are many, many more people I can share about. But what is true for all these folks is that they chose to love.

Should we not all do the same?

Do we not all have black and white brothers and sisters who have had a positive impact on our lives?

What have they taught you? What have they showed you?

Perhaps, if we got into everyone’s skin, whatever the race, we would feel and see that what we all simply need is a little extra love.

think about it. He took his wife by the hand, whisked her back to Philadelphia, and that was that.

In a matter of years, the small congregation of 103 exploded into 10,000. It became one of the largest multi-racial Methodist congregations on the East

Coast.

They say the crowds were something else, often overflowing into the chilly streets of Philadelphia, huddling together, clustering on sidewalks, just to hear the giant man preach, sing and speak about overcoming.

On the day of his

funeral, there were so many people gathered in attendance that the building’s foundation almost cracked.

Today, Tindley’s church still holds regular services. If you’re ever in the area, stop by. You can’t miss it.

It’s the building that’s named after him.

The old ex-hippies finish their musical set.

We applaud. They take a bow. I look into the sky. The sun is setting and the crickets are out.

I wonder if Charles can see us from where he is. I wonder if the humble man has been listening to us sing. We

are a bunch of average people in an ordinary American neighborhood, singing words he wrote 120 years ago.

Because in spite of our faults, we believe them.

If he can’t hear us tonight. He will. Some day.

that features hand-drawn botanical illustrations highlighting the distinctive characteristics of many tree species.

Nature lovers and professional arborists alike have called this pocket field guide a must-have, user-friendly resource.

Its beautiful, full-color illustrations are in precise detail and depict natural colors, shapes and textures

HERITAGE>> FROM A1 for one.

When they fi rst visited the Heritage House, it satisfied most of their criteria before they even got to the front door. “[Itʼs] near a really interesting downtown area and walking distance to restaurants and bars,” Espelund said, “and itʼs obviously a very beautiful, interesting and eye-catching property.”

The couple came down to Opelika this January and have spent the time between then and now furnishing the house and getting it ready for business.

The furniture that had

WARRIORS >> FROM A1

go beyond those found on the water. After a day of boating and wakesurfing (breaking only to refuel the boats and participants), the group of veterans gathers for dinner and conversation. “That’s where the magic happens,” Deep said, “People start connecting and building those

ROBERTSON >> FROM A4

laughter and of being a real friend.

I remember a man named Roy who used to serve my family sweet tea and water at the Elks Lodge. He is the kindest man I recall at that and, and I looked forward to seeing him on Sundays more than fried chicken or chocolate pie. He knew us by name. He knew what we wanted to drink before we sat at our table. He was gentle.

He was humble. My family adored him, and I believe we all showed up simply to check on Roy. Roy taught me what true service and humility look like. I don’t know what Roy

DIETRICH>> FROM A4 Until one day he got a letter in the mail.

The church on Bainbridge Street—where he’d once been janitor—asked Charles to be their preacher. He didn’t even have to

A6 June 10, 2020

USDA highlights programs to support rural housing Department promotes resources and opportunities to help rural residents

Special to the Opelika Observer

T

he U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary, Bette Brand, kicked off National Homeownership Month June 1 by highlighting USDA’s ongoing role

in supporting rural homeownership.

President Trump issued a proclamation on May 29 recognizing June as National Homeownership Month.

“Promoting rural housing programs affords Alabamians the opportunity to reach the American Dream,” said USDA Rural

Development State Director for Alabama Chris Beeker.

To assist homeowners facing current hardships, USDA is offering payment moratoriums and modified application processes. USDA Rural Development is also working with new borrowers and their

lenders to make special accommodations based on local needs and restrictions.

For the most up-todate information on Rural Development’s response to COVID-19, visit rd.usda.gov/ coronavirus. Updates are also distributed via Twitter @usdaRD. In Alabama, USDA

invested over $434 million to help 3,191 families and individuals buy homes. The state also provided $458,776 for home repairs for 71 very low-income rural residents.

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and

create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure mprovements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas.

For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.

Farming Feeds Alabama Photo Contest Seeks Submissions Written by Marlee Moore Special to the Opelika Observer The Alabama Farmers Federation is searching for a bumper crop of snapshots depicting the state’s No. 1 industry through the Farming Feeds Alabama Photo Contest.

Entries are accepted at AlfaFarmers. org/PhotoContest between June 1 and Nov. 15, 2020.

“Alabama farmland provides the perfect backdrop for amateur photographers in the Farming Feeds Alabama Photo Contest,” said Jeff Helms,

HARDY >> FROM A4

some strong gusts, a few trees down and not much more. But in 1969, Category V Camille tore into the Mississippi Gulf Coast and its counterclockwise winds caused damage deep into Alabama.

Mr. Buster was at home when the wind began to pick up.

Now Mr. Buster and his wife Mrs. Margaret

MARKLEY>> FROM A4 survey course interests or excites you depends a lot on the professor.

Emeritus history professors Joseph Kicklighter and Wayne Flynt were sought out by many students no matter what history class they taught.

Western Civilization classes at schools such as community colleges may be taught by inexperienced grad students or by amazing veteran history professors.

Herbert London, a prolific conservative writer, wrote a widely read article in NewsMax in 2011 on “How Western Civilization Disappeared from College Campuses.”

He noted that Western Civ. survey courses

the Federation’s Public Relations and Communications Department director.

“The diversity of Alabama agriculture includes wideopen fields, pine plantations, livestock, horticulture, hay and so much more, not to mention the farm families who make it all possible.

We’re excited to see the snapshots our members will capture, all of which promote our $70 billion industry.”

Submissions will be accepted in three categories – farm life, crops and animal agriculture. Entries will be judged by a panel of experts.

First-place winners in each category receive $150, second place receives $100, and third place $50.

The public will also vote for a People’s Choice Award on Facebook.

The photo with the most “reactions,” regardless of category, wins.

The Farming Feeds Alabama Photo Contest album will be on the Alabama Farmers Federation Facebook page later this year. The People’s Choice Award winner receives $150.

were among my family’s closest friends.

Their farm and our farm shared a fence.

They lived in a log house that had once been a stagecoach stop between Grove Hill and Coffeeville.

The logs were long since boarded over and metal covered the shingle roof. It was solid.

Yet, as the wind increased, the downbursts from Camille

no longer exist at universities and were replaced with courses “that either undermine traditions in the West or balkanize the curriculum.” A National Association of Scholars report in 2011 showed that only 2% of colleges required these courses.

“This survey course covering classical antiquity to the present was the glue, the all-embracing narrative, that gave coherence to everything else the university taught,” London explained. “At the very least, these students came away from this course with a partial recognition of their civilization and its monumental achievements.”

Western Civilization courses were doomed

Farming Feeds Alabama Photo Contest winners will be notified

by Nov. 20. They will be recognized during the Alabama Farmers Federation’s 99th annual meeting and in Neighbors magazine.

Contest rules include: • Photos must have been taken in Alabama in 2020 and must be original, unpublished content.

• All photos must relate to the contest categories in some way.

• Each

photographer may enter only one photo in each category.

• Minor adjustments of color/ contrast, sharpening, spotting, dodging and burning are accepted. Photos may be color or black and white.

• Photos with embedded text or logos or watermarks will not be accepted.

• Shoot photos at the maximum resolution and submit that original without cropping, compressing or reducing the file size. Photos taken with cameras and camera phones are acceptable, as long as quality and resolution are not affected.

• Photos must comply with safe farm practices.

Photos exhibiting unsafe behavior will be eliminated.

• Entries must include the photographer’s name, county, contact information, a photograph title and brief description.

• Alabama Farmers Federation staff and their immediate families are prohibited from entry. Questions?

Contact the Federation’s Marlee Moore at mmoore@ alfafarmers.org.

Submit entries through Nov. 15 at AlfaFarmers.org/ PhotoContest.

began to shake it.

Mr. Buster was concerned.

Then the wind grew stronger and he got frightened. Finally, when a gust tore loose a corner from the roof and it began flapping loud, he got scared.

So, he went to Miss Margaret who was sitting in the living room and announced that he believed it was time to pray.

Although Miss Margaret was not a woman often surprised, this was not what she expected. Though Mr. Buster was as good and decent a man as ever walked on this earth, he was not known for spontaneous religious ceremonies. So, she followed him to the bedroom where he knelt, clasped his hands, looked up at the vibrating ceiling, and began:

“Oh Lord, this is Buster.”

“It's over now,” Miss Margaret sighed. “You done told him who you are.”

Undeterred, Mr. Buster continued, and after asking the Almighty to get them through, he and Miss Margaret went back to the living room, where they weathered the storm together.

And in this hurricane season, if storms do

come, may we weather them together as well. And when they have passed, if you need help I hope you can find someone like Doll, and his mules.

Harvey H. ("Hardy") Jackson is Professor Emeritus of History at Jacksonville State University and a monthly columnist for Alabama Living. He can be reached at hjackson43@gmail.com.

when Eurocentrism became a prevalent worldview, starting in the contentious early 1970s and heightened in the 1990s. Eurocentrism means that the focus is the historical West. The idea is that bias leads to these courses giving non-Western nations less recognition.

The decline of compulsory Western Civilization courses came in conjunction with demographic changes among society and the student body. African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and other groups wanted to have history courses show the under-appreciated aspects of their race or ethnicities. To me, that is understandable not only in terms of more accurate history but so students can

learn about heroes that look like themselves.

But where do we stop? Western Civ. books are derided by many students as “too long, too boring, and too confusing.” It’s true that ANY survey course, whether history, English literature, etc. has a rough challenge: to touch upon so many people, places, and things from so many epochs and genres. I read a survey class textbook that had just two sentences on aviator Charles Lindbergh.

Think about this: Lindbergh, at age 25, went to huge fame and respect by surviving a nonstop flight from New York City to Paris. Riding alone on the 1927 flight, he covered the 33 1 ⁄ 2 -hour, 3,600-statute-mile

flight in a specially built, single-engine monoplane, the now-legendary Spirit of St. Louis. It was the longest transatlantic flight by 2,000 miles, earning Lindbergh the Medal of Honor.

The book I read skipped two more developments. First, Lindbergh’s long plane ride created interest in commercial flights and bringing air mail. Second, after the awful incident in March 1932, in which Lindbergh & #39s infant son, Charles Jr., was kidnapped and murdered, there was a major legal consequence. Congress made kidnapping a federal crime when a kidnapper crosses state lines with a victim. But a reader of many textbooks would

not learn any of this.

I have no gripe with Western Civilization courses, but only so long as changes are made to include the currently left-out people and their accomplishments as part of the fabric of civilizational studies. This all will take creativity and tight editing. It looks like Waffle House and Gov. Fob James may have to wait a bit longer to be featured in these books.

Greg Markley has lived in Lee County for 19 of the last 24 years. An award-winning journalist, he has masters degrees in education and history.

He has taught as an adjunct in Georgia and Alabama.

A7 June 10, 2020

Drive-thru Art Show draws crowd

Photos by Robert Noles/Opelika Observer

RAUCH >> FROM A2 growing the chain’s promotions and brand.

All totaled, the loyalty platform grew to 15% of brand sales, and the company saw a 23% increase in average daily sales in 2018.

“I really have been able to build everything from the ground up from a marketing perspective,” said Rauch.

Well, she’s built it well.

Satisfied customers and QSR Magazine have noticed.

This year the company ran a promotion for teacher appreciation day.

One teacher per location, around the country, received free chicken salad for a year.

They also do a huge Mother's Day celebration each year along with a guest appreciation day every January, where free scoops of chicken salad are given out like Moonpies at a Mardi Gras parade (no they don’t throw them at

customers).

“It’s all just a way to celebrate and reward our loyal guests,” said Rauch. “Because people who love Chicken Salad Chick, LOVE Chicken Salad Chick. What better way to say thank you?”

Quite frankly, customers could be thanking Rauch. Her handprint is on many, if not all the promotions that Chicken Salad Chick runs.

Nevertheless, Rauch humbly accepts the acknowledgment from QSR. “I’m very thankful to be included,” said Rauch.

“I’ve been working really hard at ‘the Chick,’ and I have poured my heart and soul into it for the last eight years, so to be recognized for that is very gratifying.”

All this success does not come easy however; don’t let the fancy, fruity and alliteration-filled chicken salad names fool you.

It took collaboration and resilience to take

Chicken Salad Chick from an at-home kitchen to locations in 17 states from Florida to Illinois.

Just recently, Rauch and Chicken Salad Chick’s resilience was tested facing possibly their biggest obstacle yet –– COVID-19.

Rauch and her team immediately began thinking of new ideas.

By launching delivery, curbside pickup and capitalizing on the freshmade bulk order “Quick Chicks,” that can be taken home and kept in the fridge, Chicken Salad Chick still managed to serve their customers.

“The first two weeks when COVID-19 hit, I had never worked harder,” said Rauch.

But the work paid off.

The company was able to keep workers employed and still managed to drive sales. For that, Rauch is due credit.

According to restaurantbusinessonline. com, in 2019 Chicken Salad Chick ranked 215th in the top grossing chains

in the U.S. To some who may think that number is low, perhaps reconsider –– the business only started in 2008 and just announced their 16th consecutive quarter of same-store sales growth in February 2020.

Additionally, their ranking bested those of other popular restaurants such as Taziki’s Mediterranean Café, BurgerFi and Cook-Out. As far as Chicken Salad Chick’s potential, Rauch is not reticent about her aspirations.

“I think we’re the next Chick-Fil-A,” said Rauch. “We put such a heavy emphasis on having a great quality product and the experience you get at Chicken Salad Chick is unlike anywhere else.”

She may work for a chicken restaurant but Rauch is not afraid of a challenge.

Her personal mantra is to stay positive, work hard and make it happen.

“You got to power

through things, and if you do those things with a positive attitude and focus on working hard, you can do anything,” she said.

That said, what does Rauch think of her own potential?

“I’ve learned so much at Chicken Salad Chick, I just want to be proud of what I have accomplished,” said Rauch. “I think the opportunities are there and I don’t know, the sky is the limit.”

Regardless of where her opportunities take her, Rauch carries with her the prestige of a marketing expert.

Her [expert] advice for someone starting a business in the food industry: make sure people know who you are.

“Making sure that your address, hours, phone number, how and where to order is accurate on everywhere that’s out there,” said Rauch.

Secondly, Rauch says you have to be honest

with yourself. “If the product is good, then it will sell itself,” she added.

Well, Chicken Salad Chick is good. And so is Rauch. The recognition is well deserved.

Ali Rauch serves as the Director of Marketing for Chicken Salad Chick. She earned her Associate’s Degree in Communication from Lake Land College.

She also earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations, Summa Cum Laude, from Southern Illinois University. Rauch and her husband Todd have lived in Opelika since 2009 and enjoy spending time with their dog Forrest.

Rauch’s go-to Chicken Salad Chick order: A trio. Fancy Nancy (their best-seller named America’s best chicken salad by Southern Living) with broccoli salad and grape salad.

“But sometimes I just need some mac and cheese.”

A8 June 10, 2020

“THIS FEELS LIKE LOVE”

Photos by Morgan Bryce/City of Smiths Station

Opelika E vents, Society, & Food

UPCOMING EVENTS • AACT Musical Theatre Experience - June 15 to 26 • OTC Summertime Showcase - Aug. 15

Lenda Jo Connell enjoys teaching granddaughter how to cook

Southern

Hospitality

W

ith children being out of school early, parents and grandparents have been helping children with educational projects. Lenda Jo Connell has been teaching her granddaughter, 8-year-old Bentleigh Peters, how to cook.

“For a lot of reasons,” Lenda Jo said. “I was challenged how we could spend our time together and include learning experiences.

Bentleigh loves to cook.

It seemed a perfect way to combine math, science and art.

“Cooking includes the

math of learning how to do fractions and how proportions interact with each other,” Lenda Jo added. “There is science involved in cooking and art with plating the food and making it look pretty.”

Bentleigh started cooking with her mother, Laura Leigh Peters, and then with her Nana.

Last summer, Bentleigh attended a cooking camp at AUM and learned how to cook pancakes and muffins, as well as how to crack an egg.

Lenda Jo and Bentleigh have been cooking

throughout spring since she has been out of school. They create dishes from scratch and also use brownie and cake mixes.

They have been making mini cakes using a Jiffy cake mix that makes one layer. Instead of using the cake batter in a 9-inch cake pan, the batter is baked in six-inch cake pans to create the mini cakes.

They may buy frosting or make a simple butter cream frosting which can be colored with food coloring.

See CIPPERLY, page A12

Opelika Theatre Company: Summertime Showcase

By Natalie Anderson Staff Reporter The Opelika Theatre Company is planning a fundraising event to be held August 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Southside Center for the Arts. The event, “Summertime Showcase,” will be a featured showcase held on the front lawn area of the Southside

Photo special to the Observer Lenda Jo Connell is enjoying teaching her 8-year-old granddaughter, Bentleigh Peters, how to cook. Lenda Jo (Nana) is sharing a variety of easy recipes that mothers and grandmothers can use to teach children cooking skills over the summer months.

AACT Academy Goes Online for Musical Theater Experience 2020: June 15 to 26 Special to the Opelika Observer

Center for the Arts and will highlight music, acting and more.

OTC alumni who have completed a show, are See SHOWCASE, page A10

Join Auburn Area Community Theatre for a whole new camp experience. Even in a pandemic, the show must go on-line.

Through daily zoom calls that will be organized by age group, all campers

ages three to 18 will have a curated experience with small group voice and acting coaching, one on one sessions, weekly musical theatre history scavenger hunts and camp-wise game nights for the whole family! ACT Jr (ages 3 to 5) will be making a music video, ACT I

and II (ages 6-8 and 9-12, respectively) will be performing a play designed for online production, and ACT III (ages 12-18, 12-yearolds having the choice between II and III) will be putting together numbers as of AACT’s COVID Cabaret.

ACT I; II campers See AACT, page A10

A10 June 10, 2020

OBITUARIES Robert V. Alford (Mr. Bob)

Lakeview Baptist Church Special to the Opelika Observer Lakeview Baptist Church is hosting a ‘Take Home VBS.’ The event is for all boys and girls entering

K5 – 6th grade in the fall. This year the VBS will be at home through a livestreamed assembly, bible study videos and take home bags. The take home bags can be picked up on June 15.

It's Free!

Everyone is welcome.

More information is available at lakeviewbaptist.org/ vbs and interested parties can register at lakeviewvbs.com.

Robert V. Alford (Mr. Bob) went to be with the Lord on June 1, 2020. He was born in the Ramer, Alabama community on Dec. 23, 1931. He was the son of the late Corinthia McMoy Alford and Raymond Talmadge Alford. He was preceded in death by his first wife Mary Alice Hicks Alford, brothers Raymond T. Alford, Jr., William D. Alford, Edward B. Alford, Jack Alford, Thomas Alford and Sina May (Buffington) Hutchens Sina May (Buffington) Hutchens, 75, died June 1, 2020, at Arbor Springs Health & Rehab in Opelika, after a prolonged illness from COVID-19.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 43 years, Willard Owen Hutchens Jr. She is survived by family: children,

SHOWCASE >> FROM A9

AACT >> FROM A9 will need to submit a video audition by June 12 so that parts can be determined. For full and complete details including expectations, technical requirements, pricing, as well as to register and pay, please visit www. auburnact.org.

(Select Children’s Theatre at the top of the webpage and then select Summer Camps) Sibling discounts, full-tuition scholarships, and “pay what you can” options

will be available to anyone who needs it.

That information can also be found on the website.

Stay tuned for information about Telling YOUR story – Pandemic Experiences from 2020: July 6 to 17.

Details will be made available soon.

Auburn Area Community Theatre is a non-profit organization that exists to serve the Auburn/ Opelika Community.

Its purpose is to provide an opportunity for education and participation in the

world of theatre and present a quality, entertaining and thought-provoking theatre experience.

AACT is actively soliciting new members who have an interest in helping the growth of community theatre.

AACT members and the community-atlarge are encouraged to participate. For more information please visit www. auburnact.org.

currently in rehearsals for a show or have done a murder mystery show with the theatre will be involved with the showcase.

Due to social distancing, the audience is required to bring their own chairs or blankets for the performances that will be held outdoors. Both solo performances and group numbers/scenes will be keeping a safe distance during the show.

Although there will be no fee for admission for the showcase, donations will be accepted.

“The money raised

sisters Lillian Alford Duffell and Laure Alford.

He is survived by his wife Mildred Sharpe Alford, son Robert V. Alford, Jr. (wife Sara Alford) of Augusta, Georgia. Grandsons Robert V. Alford, III and Ryan Thomas Alford, brother Jimmy Alford (wife Madelyn) of Montgomery and sister Joyce White (husband Jim White) of Crestview, Florida.

Mr. Bob graduated Ramer High School then went on to serve in the Korean War. He faithfully served with the Opelika Civitan

Club for over fifty years and also was a member of Opelika First Baptist Church for more than 50 years.

Visitation was at 10 a.m. on June 4, 2020 at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home in Opelika followed by graveside services at Garden Hills Cemetery at 11 a.m.

Honorary pallbearers were John McCollum, Gary Miller, Jim White, Butch Alford, Glen Spivey and James Duffell.

Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home and Crematory directed.

Teresa McBride, Lisa Wilton (Chris), Jeffery Hutchens; sisters, Sue Lankford (Glenn), Nancy Self (James); and several grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Sina was born in Gadsden, Alabama, on May 30, 1945, and graduated from Emma Sansom High School in 1963. She was a longtime member of Gallant First Baptist Church, Gallant, Alabama. Sina was a loving mother,

daughter and wife who approached life with kindness and an incredible sense of humor. Sina loved her family but may have loved her Auburn Tigers even more.

A memorial service will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to MANNA of Gadsden, a food delivery charity for the housebound. https:// mannagadsden.org/

from this performance will go to a number of things for OTC’s future productions including sound equipment, set building and more,” stated the OTC’s official Facebook page.

OTC is currently looking for individuals who are interested in performing or interested in working tech. Those interested can direct message the Opelika Theatre Company on Facebook or Instagram or email them at opelikatheatrecompany1@gmail. com. “Please give us an idea of what you would want to do, [e.g,] singing a solo, singing with a group, doing a monologue, doing a

scene, doing a dance solo, playing an instrument, reciting poetry, original work, etc.”

“Songs, monologues, scenes, dances, etc., will be assigned and approved by our creative team,” added the official Facebook page. “All preparation will be done on your own. We will provide two 30 minute coaching sessions per piece two weeks prior to the performance.”

A dress rehearsal will take place the morning of the performance on Aug. 15 at the Southside Center for the Arts.

For more information, visit facebook. com/opelikatheatreco/.

A11 June 10, 2020

P

art of Israel’s preparation for leaving the wilderness was the extensive warnings Moses gave them concerning idolatry.

As soon as many hear the word idolatry, they immediately tune out everything that follows because they have no desire to bow down before a likeness of anything.

Never have, never will, end of story.

They want to be left alone so they can hurry back to their gluttonous

Church Calendar • Church of Christ at Cunningham - meeting at their building at 9:30 a.m. for Bible class, 10:30 a.m. for worship, 5 p.m. for evening worship and 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.

• First Baptist Church Of Opelika - continuing online streaming services; “FBSCO will be deliberate but diligent as we begin to meet in person again.” “I would project that a FBCO’s return to corporate worship and ministry opportunities will be strategic.”

• St Mary’s Catholic Church - No public masses yet, but there will be live stream Masses on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in English and 7:00 p.m. in Spanish. Distribution of Holy Communion will be on Sunday’s 9 to 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. People can call the office at 334749-8359 or go to the parish website for more information stmaryopelika.org.

• First United Methodist Church Of Opelika - The, bishop has asked for all United Methodist churches in our conference to suspend in-person gatherings through June 1.

There is a COVID-19 task force that will help make decisions about June/July and work out those logistics.

Always Remember Rule #1 entertainment, spirit-numbing materialism, technological addictions and social media obsessions.

All the while they are assuring us that idolatry isn’t a problem in the developed world. It’s only a str uggle for people living in primitive cultures, you see.

There’s more to idolatry than they think. Idolatry includes, but is not limited to, bowing down before an idol.

It can be taking a good thing (like the

By Bruce Green Teaching Minister at 10th Street Church of Christ in Opelika

bronze ser pent on a pole) and turning it into a bad thing by elevating it to a place it doesn’t belong. The rich, young r uler did this with

his possessions. It’s immaterial that he didn’t literally bow before them. He placed his wealth before God and that’s where it didn’t belong. In doing so, he bowed down in his heart before it.

Anything can become an idol when we elevate it to a place it doesn’t belong—our marriage, family, job, possessions, relationships, etc. We can even make an idol out of worship when we are more concerned

ABOUT BRUCE GREEN about how it makes us feel than venerating God. The silver lining of having been in the pandemic wilderness is that it forced us to step back from life as we knew it and think about what is important and what is just froth and bubbles. As we head out, we would be wise to carry that perspective with us.

Rule #1 is never make God #2.

Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. (1 John 5:21)

You can find more of Bruce’s writings at his website: atasteofgracewithbrucegreen.com.

Hunley Group Lambert Transfer & Storage An Interstate Agent for North American Van Lines 1102 Fox Trail Opelika, AL 36803 745-5706

Verse of the Week “To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but [a]giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.”

1 Peter 3:8-9

Church Directory APOSTOLIC HOLINESS God’s House of Prayers Holiness Church 301 HIghland Ave., Opelika 334-749-9672 True Deliverance Holiness Church 936 N. Donahue Dr., Auburn 334-502-4700 BAPTIST Beulah Baptist Church 5500 Lee Road 270, Valley 334-705-0538 Cooperative Baptist Fellowship 128 East Glenn Ave., Auburn 334-887-8506

ANGLICAN Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd 2312 Center Drive Unit D 334-758-6749 ASSEMBLY OF GOD Bridge Church 1000 Lee Road 263, Cusseta 334-742-0144 AME Mount Zion AME Church West Point Hwy 334-749-3916 St. Luke AME Church 1308 Auburn St. 334-749-1690 St. Paul AME Church 713 Powledge Ave. 334-745-6279 Thompson Chapel AME Zion 187 Columbus Pkwy 334-749-8676 BAPTIST Abundant Life Baptist Church 1220 Fox Run Ave. Suite B 706-4421464 Airview Baptist Church 2301 Airport Rd. 334-444-5148 Antioch Baptist Church 605 W. East Morton Ave 334-742-0696 Bethesda Baptist Church 201 S. 4th St. 334-745-7528 Bethel Baptist Church Hwy. 29 Sasser Rd 334-745-4865 Central Baptist Church 1611 2nd Ave. 334-745-2482 Community Baptist Church 154 N. 16th St. 334-745-6552 Cornerstone Missionary Baptist 500 N. Railroad Ave. 334-742-2008 Eastview Baptist Church 1208 Spring Dr 334-749-9595 Farmville Baptist Church 3607 Alabama Hwy N. 334-887-7361 First Baptist Church of Opelika 314 S. 9th St. 334-745-6143 First Baptist Church 301 S. 8th St. 334-745-5715 First Baptist Church Impact

Green Chapel Missionary Baptist 390 Lee Road 106, Auburn (334) 749-4184 Lakeview Baptist Church 1600 E. Glenn Ave., Auburn 334-887-7094 Pepperell Baptist 2702 2nd Ave., Opelika 334-745-3108 Providence Baptist Church 2807 Lee Road 166, Opelika 334-745-4608

10th Street Church of Christ 500 N. 10th St., Opelika 334-745-5181 COMMUNITY OUTREACH Changing Hearts of Destiny Ministry 936 N. Donahue Dr., Auburn 334-502-4700

CHURCH OF CHRIST Church of Christ at Cunningham 2660 Cunningham Dr., Opelika

METHODIST Auburn United Methodist Church 137 South Gay St., Auburn 334-826-8800 Beulah United Methodist Church 5165 Lee Road 270, Valley

709 Avenue E 334-741-0624 First Freewill Baptist Church 103 19th St. 334-703-3333 Friendship Missionary Baptist 432 Maple Avenue 334-742-0105 Greater Peace Baptist Church 650 Jeter Ave. 334-749-9487 Heritage Baptist Church 1103 Glenn St. 334-363-8943 High Hope Baptist Church 227 Lee Road 673 Love Freewill Baptist Church 1113 Frederick Ave. 334-745-2905 Ridge Grove Missionary Baptist Church 1098 Lee Road 155 - 334-745-3600 Northside Baptist Church 3001 Lafayette Hwy 334-745-5340 Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Uniroyal Rd 334-749-2773 Purpose Baptist Church 3211 Waverly Pkwy #704-0302 St. James Baptist Church 1335 Auburn St. 334-745-3224 Union Grove Missionary Baptist 908 Huguley Rd 334-741-7770 BUDDHIST Buddha Heart Village 3170 Sandhill Rd. 334-821-7238 CATHOLIC St. Mary’s Catholic Church 1000 4th Ave. 334-749-8359 CHURCH OF CHRIST Church of Christ 2215 Marvyn Pkwy 334-742-9721 Southside Church of Christ 405 Carver Ave. 334-745-6015 CHURCH OF GOD Airview Church of God 3015 Old Opelika Rd 334-749-9112 Church of God 114 17th Place 334-749-6432 Tabernacle Church of God 3 Oak Court 334-745-7979 CHURCH OF NAZARENE Opelika Church of Nazarene

1500 Bruce Ave. 334-749-1302 EPISCOPAL Emmanuel Episcopal Church 800 1st Ave. 334-745-2054 HOLINESS Eastside Emmanuel Holiness Church 86 Lee Road 186 JEWISH Beth Shalom Congregation 134 S. Cary Dr. 334-826-1050 LATTERDAY SAINTS Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints 510 Groce St. 334-742-9981 METHODIST First United Methodist Church of Opelika 702 Avenue A 334-745-7604 Hopewell United Methodist 1993 Lee Rd 136 334-745-0460 Pierce Chapel United Methodist 8685 AL Hwy. 51 334-749-4469 Pepperell United Methodist 200 26th St. 334-745-9334 Trinity United Methodist Church 800 Second Ave. 334-745-2632 Wesley Memorial United Methodist 2506 Marvyn Pkwy 334-745-2841 PENTECOSTAL Full Gospel Pentecostal Church Hwy. 29, PO Box 1691 334-741-8675 Gateway Community Church 2715 Frederick Rd 334-745-6926 PRESBYTERIAN First Presbyterian Church of Opelika 900 2nd Ave. 334-745-3421 SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST Outreach Seventh-Day Adventist 1808 S. Long St. 334-749-3151 NON-DENOMINATIONAL Apostolic Holiness Church 610 Canton St. 334-749-6759 Auburn Opelika Korean Church 1800 Rocky Brook Rd 334-749-5386 Beauregard Full Gospel Revival 2089 Lee Road 42 334-745-0455 Christ Church International 1311 2nd Ave. 334-745-0832

334-745-4755 NON-DENOMINATIONAL Church At Opelika 1901 Waverly Pkwy., Opelika 334-524-9148 St. Ellis Full Gospel Church 5267 US Hwy 80W, Opelika 334-298-4319 PRESBYTERIAN Trinity Presbyterian Church 1010 India Road, Opelika 334-745-4889

Church of the Harvest 2520 Society Hill Rd 334-745-2247 East Congregation of Jehovah Witnesses 1250 McCoy St. 334-737-1488 Emmanuel Temple of Deliverance 207 S. Railroad Ave. 334-745-6430 Faith Alliance Church 3211 Waverly Pkwy 334-749-9516 Faith Christian Center 600 S. 8th St. Faith Church 3920 Marvyn Pkwy 334-707-3922 Family Life Christian Center 601 S. 7th St. 334-741-7013 Father’s House Christian Fellowship 214 Morris Ave. 334-749-1070 Fellowship Bible Church 2202 Hamilton Rd 334-749-1445 Ferguson Chapel Church 310 S. 4th St. 334-745-2913 First Assembly of God Church 510 Simmons St. 334- 749-3722 Garden of Gethsemane Fellowship 915 Old Columbus Rd #745-2686 Grace Heritage Church Opelika #559-0846 Holy Deliverance Church 831 S. Railroad 334-749-5682 Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses 1250 McCoy St. 334-737-1488 Living Way Ministries 1100 Old Columbus Rd 334-749-6241 Move of God Fellowship Church 1119 Old Columbus Rd 334-741-1006 Connect Church 2900 Waverly Pkwy 334-749-3916 New Life Christian Center 2051 West Point Pkwy 334-741-7373 New Life Independent Church 10 Meadowview Estates Trailer 334-741-9001 Opelika’s First Seventh Day 2011 Columbus Pkwy 334-737-3222 Power of Praise, Inc. Church 3811 Marvyn Pkwy 334-745-6136 Shady Grove Christian Church West Point Hwy 334-745-7770

Place your ad here!

Fresh Foods...And A Whole Lot More!

Catch ‘On the Mark’ with D. Mark Mitchell and Jeff Sasser weekday mornings from 7-9 a.m.

603 Pleasant Drive Opelika, AL 36801 749-1333 Mon- Sat 7am-8pm Sun 12pm-6pm

Email: editor@opelika observer.com Call: 334-749-8003

A12 June 10, 2020

CIPPERLY>> FROM A9 Bentleigh does the frosting using frosting bags and assorted tips to decorate the cakes.

Another cooking project has been making homemade pizza. Lenda Jo uses a bread machine for making the dough.

Children can also learn how to make pizzas using a purchased pizza crust. After the crust has risen, they spread tomato paste over the crust.

Bentleigh prefers a cheese pizza, while Lenda Jo enjoys a Hawaiian style with pineapple chunks and ham. The pizzas are garnished with fresh oregano and

RECIPES BASIC VANILLA CUSTARD See how to create Individual Trifles below.

2 cups milk 2 Tbsp. cornstarch 1/3 cup sugar 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 tsp. vanilla Have eggs ready in a bowl and set aside where it will be within reach.

Using a whisk, combine milk, sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan over medium heat on stovetop. Allow milk to scald (heat to the point when tiny bubbles form around edges of pan).

Whisk occasionally to prevent cornstarch from clumping on bottom edges of pan.

Remove milk mixture from heat, preferably to a burner that’s turned off.

Mix about 2 tablespoons of scalded milk mixture into eggs using whisk, then add eggs into milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking milk mixture constantly.

Immediately return pan to heat and whisk gently until custard thickens, another two or three minutes. Do not allow to boil. (If you find that you have egg white strands in custard, pour it through a fine-mesh sieve into a different bowl now.)

Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla. Makes 3 cups.

Individual Trifles Layer custard in tall glasses with pound cake and fresh fruit and garnished with fresh mint for a lovely summer

basil from the herb garden outside her kitchen.

Lenda Jo slices canned pineapple chunks for her pizza.

She recently sliced a fresh pineapple to show Bentleigh the difference between canned and fresh. Instructions for cutting a fresh pineapple attached to the fruit allow Lenda Jo to teach Bentleigh about fractions as the pineapple is reduced from a whole piece to halves, quarters and smaller pieces.

The Impossible Cheeseburger Pie is another dish children enjoy and can help prepare. It goes together quickly.

During summer, the Southwestern Pasta Sal-

dessert. Pound cake can be homemade or purchased.

IMPOSSIBLY EASY CHEESEBURGER PIE Get all the great taste of a cheeseburger magically baked in a pie.

1 lb. lean (at least 80%) ground beef 1 large onion, chopped (1 cup) ½ tsp. salt 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 oz.) ½ cup Original Bisquick® mix 1 cup milk 2 eggs Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9-inch glass pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.

In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in salt. Spread in pie plate.

Sprinkle with cheese In small bowl, stir remaining ingredients with fork or wire whisk until blended. Pour intope plate.

Bake about 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

MOM’S CHERRY CHEESECAKE 1 (9-inch) prepared graham cracker crust 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk ⅓ cup lemon juice 1 tsp. vanilla extract

ad is a favorite and also easy to assemble. “The art comes in making the salad look attractive,” Lenda Jo said.

While the Basic Vanilla Custard is a wonderful dessert for summer on its own, Lenda Jo uses it to create a trifle-type dessert that Bentleigh can help assemble. The custard is layered in tall glasses with pound cake and fresh fruit and garnished with fresh mint for a lovely summer dessert.

Pound cake can be homemade or purchased.

Another summer favorite is the Tomato Pie. After watching the tomatoes grow, Bentleigh is ready to see how they

1 can cherry pie filling Place softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl; add condensed milk, lemon juice and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Pour mixture into the pie crust. Chill for 5 hours.

Do not freeze.

Pour cherry pie filling on top of pie.

Serve. Chill leftovers.

can be cooked. Lenda Jo suggests patting the tomatoes very dry before adding them to the pie.

The 4-H Good Chicken is popular with their family and has been a standby for quick meals over the years. The crispy chicken recipe is from the Alabama 4-H Center.

Lenda Jo and Bentleigh recently enjoyed time together at the beach. Bentleigh’s favorite beverage for cooling off after time at the beach is the Cherry Limeade. The refreshing drink is versatile and also good with ice cream added to it on a hot summer day.

When making her mother’s Cherry

ing. Makes 6 servings.

CREAMY SOUTHWESTERN SALAD DRESSING 8 oz. container nonfat sour cream 16 oz. jar mild thick and chunky salsa ½ tsp. ground cumin 2 gloves garlic, minced Combine all ingredients. Chill. Makes 2 /3/4 cups.

SOUTHWESTERN PASTA SALAD 1 (16-oz.) pkg. penne pasta, uncooked Creamy Southwestern Salad Dressing (recipe follows) Lettuce leaves 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 (8 ¾ oz.) can whole kernel corn, rinsed and drained 1 sweet red pepper, chopped 3 green onions, sliced ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro Fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish, optional Cook pasta according to package directions; drain, Rinse with cold water and drain.

Combine pasta and 1 and 3/4 cups Creamy Southwestern Salad Dressing; toss gently.

Chill.

Spoon pasta mixture onto a lettuce- lined serving platter. Top with black beans and next 4 ingredients. Garnish, if desired. Serve with remaining dress-

TOMATO PIE 1 pie crust 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, divided 6 to 8 Roma tomatoes, sliced Basil 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 1 cup mayonnaise Bake pie crust for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Then sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese over crust. Pat sliced tomatoes dry with paper towels and place on top. Sprinkle garlic and basil on top of tomatoes.

In a separate bowl, mix the mayonnaise, remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese together. Spread on top of everything else. This will be the top layer.

Place pie on a cookie sheet to bake. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 35 to 40 minutes.

Cheesecake, Lenda Jo uses the time to tell her granddaughter about when her great-grandmother made this dessert that is now made by four generations. “When you cook with your grandchildren,” she says, “you can share generational family stories help the next generation understand their family history.”

Lenda Jo has had much experience in teaching. After receiving her graduate degree at LSU, she came to Auburn University to teach and then earned her doctorate while at Auburn. She taught apparel design for 42 years in the College of Human Sciences.

She is sharing easy recipes that mothers and grandmothers can use for cooking with children and grandchildren.

Lenda Jo feels it is a blessing to teach her granddaughter. “We are supposed to teach the generations that come after us,” she says.

“That is our job as parents and grandparents.

It is a blessing to be a grandparent and share your family history and the things their mothers and fathers loved when you were cooking for them.”

“It is fun to cook with Nana,” Bentleigh says with a big smile.

Ann Cipperly can be reached at recipes@ cipperly.com

4-H GOOD CHICKEN

Cherry Limeade Float Add two scoops vanilla ice cream to a tall glass.

Pour in limeade to fill glass.

Chicken breasts, cut into strips ¾ cup Parmesan cheese 2 cups breadcrumbs ¼ cup parsley ¼ tsp. pepper 2 tsp. salt Mayonnaise or melted butter 1 tsp. garlic Combine Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley, pepper and salt. Dip chicken in mayonnaise or melted butter mixed with garlic. Then dip in breadcrumb mixture, and coil them in a spiral and secure with a toothpick.

Place in baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE 1 cup packed brown sugar ¼ cup light corn syrup 1 Tbsp. flour 2 Tbsp. water 3 Tbsp. butter or margarine 1/2 cup half & half Combine all ingredients in a 4-cup measure or 1 1/2-qt. mixing bowl.

Microwave at high 3 minutes. Stir. Microwave 4 to 6 minutes more until slightly thickened. Beat well.

Serve warm over ice cream or other desserts.

Makes 1 ½ cups sauce.

CHERRY LIMEADE 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice 1 cup sugar 2-liter bottle lemon-lime soda 5 oz. jar maraschino cherries Thin lime slices for garnish Chill all ingredients before using. Everything needs to be cold. When cold, add lime juice to a pitcher, then add sugar and stir well.

Add lemon-lime soda. Then add a bunch of cherries. If you prefer a light pink drink, drain cherries before adding.

Pour over ice in tall glasses. Garnish with cherries and lime slices.

HOT FUDGE SAUCE 1 cup sugar 4 Tbsp. cocoa 1 Tbsp. flour 1/8 tsp. salt 3/4 cup milk 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine 2 Tbsp. light corn syrup 1/2 tsp. vanilla Combine dry ingredients in a 4-cup measure or 1 1/2-qt. mixing bowl.

Stir in milk. Add butter and syrup. Microwave at high 3 to 4 minutes until thick, smooth and a rich chocolate color. Stir in vanilla, mixing well. Serve hot or cold.

TIP: To reheat, microwave at High, 15 to 30 seconds for each 1/2 cup of sauce.

Makes about 1 ½ cups sauce.

AU’s Market at Ag Heritage Park is open

By Kristen Bowman Special to the Opelika Observer After a delayed start due to COVID-19, The Market at Ag Heritage Park opened last week. The Market is open from 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays.

The Market is an openair, growers-only farmers’ market that operates each Thursday through the first week of August at Ag Heritage Park on the Auburn University campus next to Ag Heritage Park’s Edward L. Lowder Red Barn at 580-B South Donahue Drive. The entrance is on

South Donahue, near the intersection of South Donahue and West Samford Avenue.

Hosted by the College of Agriculture, it features area vendors offering fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables, herbs, ornamental plants and cut flowers, as well as locally produced jams and jellies, baked goods, soaps, honey, goat cheese and more.

“It’s been going on at least 10 years,” said Mark Foshee, research assistant in the Plant Science Research Center at Auburn.

“This is the university helping facilitate local farmers and growers, as well as the

public or the consumer— creating an avenue for the two to meet.

“We have a set of parameters we operate by, including that people have to grow what they sell. There are often vendors who attend a farmers’ market who didn’t grow anything; they bought wholesale at an Atlanta market and resell to the public. That’s not what we’re about. We want the local community to be able to buy local produce from Lee County and surrounding counties.”

To ensure the health and safety of the community, shoppers will be expected to observe social-distanc-

ing standards, which will be posted throughout the market. These include leaving pets at home, sanitizing hands before entering and leaving the market, keeping a distance from others in line, knowing what to purchase before getting to the front of the line and not touching any products that have not been purchased.

Foshee said The Market is “always a good time,” and will continue to be under the new standards.

Because it is limited to locally grown produce and locally made goods, the merchandise changes throughout the summer,

making each week a little different from the last.

The reopening of The Market marks one of the first public activities from the university since it adjusted to new operations following the COVID-19 outbreak in March. Foshee said he is excited to see activity on campus again and confident the event can run each week in a safe manner.

“We know that our community knows what’s out there, and they are smart enough to know how to handle themselves in an open, outdoor arena like this,” he said. “We’re really excited for the farmers too,

to be able to make their money. When COVID-19 first came around, our gut instinct was to take a year off. But this market is, for some of these farmers, one of their main forms of income for the year. So we realized we needed to try our best to get it open.

I think the university’s done an extraordinary job facilitating that, and the farmers are excited to be coming back—for a lot of them, this is home. They're geared up and ready, as we are.”

More information about The Market is available at agriculture.auburn.edu/ the-market.

A13 June 10, 2020

Wilton’s Catering and Red Clay Brewery to Hold Fish Fry Saturday

By Will Fairless Opelika Observer Wilton’s Catering will be holding a fish fry this Saturday at Red Clay Brewing Company in recognition of the community opening up again and in support of Alabama Catfish Producers.

“We just wanted to let people know we’re back open,” Chris Wilton said, “Why don’t we come outside, get some sunshine, do some stuff in downtown Opelika?”

Wilton’s will be frying Alabamafarmed catfish on site

and will serve hush puppies, Wilton’s baked beans and creole potato salad. As if that spread needed any supplementation, Red Clay Brewing Company and John Emerald Distilling Company will have drinks for sale, and O Town Ice Cream will be serving dessert.

This will be Wilton’s Catering’s fi rst open event of the summer, and they ask all attendees to observe social distancing and act in compliance with the CDC’s and Governor’s recommendations. “I

know some people are still anxious about the coronavirus,” Wilton said, “but we just want people to be comfortable to come out and grab something to eat and be a part of the community again.”

The fish fry will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are available online, and Wilton’s asks that people who plan to attend buy their tickets in advance to help keep arrivals spread out through the day. For more information or to buy tickets, go to Wilton’s Catering on Facebook.

The Irritable Bao opens in downtown Auburn last week

By Natalie Anderson Staff Reporter The Irritable Bao opened its brand new storefront location in downtown Auburn last Friday with a soft opening featuring buffalo chicken dip bao, a spicy and sweet chicken box, chinese street brussels, iced passion fruit tea and more. Whitley Dykes and his wife Kunyu Li first began their business with their food truck, “Dumps Like A Truck,” that focused on overseas donations by giving a portion of the profits and cash tips. After four months of having their food truck, the couple opened their first storefront space near the Goal Post.

With that storefront location closed since the end of April, followers of the restaurant have been eagerly waiting for their favorite meals and to see the new location that is conveniently located near Auburn’s main campus.

“We have designed our new space with promoting community and forging friendships at the heart of it all, so when you walk in you will see a community lounge area and two 10-seat community tables, along with a variety of other seating options, (with) about 40 seats in total,” said Dykes.

“This summer, we will carry over our abbreviated hours from the old storefront and will continue with occasional dumpling

pop ups and new latenight window options.”

The storefront and restaurant will hold its official grand opening during the fall when the students arrive back to the AuburnOpelika area.

“Paying attention to our moves on Instagram or Facebook during the summer is crucial to staying in the know on things,” added Dykes. “For example, you will never know what the menu is for the day or if we are doing special pop ups unless you check in, and we don’t want you to miss out.”

For more information on The Irritable Bao, follow them on Instagram @dumpslikeatruck_ irritablebao for hours, updates and daily menu specials.

Photos by Natalie Anderson/Opelika Observer

A14 June 10, 2020

COMICS

“Life is worth living as long as there’s a laugh in it.” ― Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

S

S

• June 9 - Lee County School Board Meeting at 6 p.m.

Inside • opelika schools • lee county schools • community sports

• June 23 - Opelika City Schools Board Meeting at 4 p.m.

OHS football players resume practices with early morning drills

On the Mark

By D. Mark Mitchell

OHS Football discusses workout plans

O

pelika High football team started summer workouts this week. Head coach Erik Speakman’s team planned three days of workouts:

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. (June 8 to 10) This is the first time the team has worked out at OHS since spring

Photo by Robert Noles/Opelika Observer

Opelika High School football players started the week with early morning drills. Practices resumed on Monday morning around 6:30 a.m. Players and coaches worked to follow strict guidelines to maintain safety standards for COVID-19 prevention.

See SPORTS, page B3

Two Auburn City School teachers named as Auburn Public Library finalists in ‘Teacher of the Year’ competition begins Summer Learning Challenge Special to the Opelika Observer

Auburn City Schools is proud of Kathryn Knorr and Jessica Bowlin for both being selected as finalists in the 2020-2021 Alabama Teacher of the Year competition, one of the state’s oldest and most esteemed awards programs!

This year’s “Sweet 16” finalists emerged from a group of more than 140 highly-skilled educators from each district across the state.

Representing District 2 in both the elementary and secondary categories for this prestigious honor, Knorr (Ogletree Elementary) and Bowlin (Auburn

Photo provided by City of Auburn Ashley J. Brown Special to the Opelika Observer

The Auburn Public Library’s Summer Learning Challenge (SLC) began on June 1 and will run through July 31. The SLC is simple. Sign up on the

library’s Beanstack App then read 20 minutes a day until you reach 20 hours of reading.

Did you know that with just 20 minutes of reading a day you can maintain your literacy skills? If one stops See LIBRARY, page B3

Photo submitted to the Opelika Observer

Pictured are: Sharon Higgins, Ogletree Elementary Assistant Principal, Kathryn Knorr, and Caroline Raville, Ogletree Elementary Principal

Photo submitted to the Opelika Observer

Pictured are: Laura Bailey, ACS Career Technical Education Director, Jessica Bowlin, and Dr. Shannon Pignato, Auburn High School Principal

High School) have proven their ability to reach students in the classroom and to engage families to support student achievement at the highest levels.

The pool of outstanding educators will be narrowed down to the top four, and the 20202021 Alabama Teacher of the Year will be announced in August.

The overall winner

will spend the majority of the school year serving as a full-time ambassador for education and the teaching profession as well as presenting workshops to various groups and participating on the national level.

We celebrate Kathryn and Jessica!

ACS is proud to have two candidates in the Alabama Teacher of the Year competition.

B2 June 10, 2020

COVID-19: Educators preparing next generation of teachers amid pandemic

By AU Communication Services Special to the Opelika Observer

of the 21st century, and I believe our students are well prepared to meet the challenges.

Auburn University’s College of Education, long a pioneer in the realm of online instruction, is preparing the next generation of educators amid changes posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Humana-GermanySherman Distinguished Professor of Special Education, Rehabilitation and Counseling Caroline Dunn and Christopher Clemons, an assistant professor of Agriculture Education in the College of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Teaching, describe how instructors are implementing new techniques to deliver lesson plans to students and what the future of teaching may hold for K-12 educators.

What does this mean for students who want to be K-12 teachers? Will they need/want to implement more online instruction once they’re out in the workforce?

Dunn: I don’t know that future teachers will want to implement more online instruction once they’re out in the workforce, but there will likely continue to be a need.

Our students pursue a career in special education because they want that face-to-face interaction and connection with students.

Many students with disabilities, however, have underlying health conditions that could prevent them from attending school physically in the near future until a vaccine is developed. So, yes, there will likely be a need to continue with online instruction, as well as instruction in the schools.

For our current students, I think this experience has the potential to make them stronger educators. Not only have they learned new technology for teaching and connecting with students and parents, but they also have developed a greater awareness and understanding of the challenges that some students face and the inequity in our educational system.

Combined, this has the potential to transform the education and services they provide

Do you think circumstances brought about by the pandemic will change the way professors train future K-12 teachers?

Will it change how we teach teachers to teach, so to speak?

Dunn: I definitely think these circumstances will influence how professors prepare their students in the future. Our job is to ensure students who graduate from our program are well-prepared for their future roles as special education teachers. When K-12 schools open in fall 2020, they are going to look very different than they did in fall

CLEMONS

DUNN

2019. There will be new ways of doing things like organizing classrooms, managing students and delivering instruction, which must be reflected in our curriculum. So, of course, our content will need to reflect the changes in K-12 schools. But, these circumstances also underscore the need for our students to be able to problem solve, be flexible and be proactive. As such, I think we will also have that in mind as we refine program standards and develop future assignments.

We’ve also learned about new ways of doing things. I think some of these will remain and become part of how we operate in the future. For example, with the uncertainty for fall, we’ve had to consider what we will we do if schools have to transition to online again in the fall.

Nothing can compare to real-life experience with K-12 students; however, we’re exploring the use of virtual environments that simulate human behavior, cognition and emotion. As we’ve considered this, we’ve realized that this has the potential to be very beneficial for all students throughout their

program, not just toward the end of it and not just in non-clinical courses. Additionally, some of what faculty have learned as they have engaged in a range of professional development opportunities related to meeting the challenge of delivering instruction fully online and the current and future context of K-12 education will likely become a part of their future practice.

Clemons: The inevitability of COVID-19 outcomes will have a profound and lasting impact for current and future generations of school teachers. The graduating class of 2020 has experienced domestic and global events which have shaped our world before they have led their own classroom. These experiences develop rigor and perseverance in the professional and personal lives of our teachers. The rapid structure of new teaching protocols, maintaining personal communication with students and families and digitally managing classrooms of children are all framed in proven instructional teaching philosophies and methods. Adaptation is going to be the new educational hallmark

to their students with disabilities.

Clemons: The calling to be a professional educator has always been grounded in a desire to serve the greater well-being of our society. This ideology is ever present in the pragmatic approach of teacher educators and classroom instructors.

Future teachers will reflect on the events of 2020 through a historical educational context, just as current and past generations of educators remember the events that shaped their ethos.

Classrooms across the country have implemented various levels of web-based instruction in their curricula. Software platforms such as Google classroom, Microsoft Teams, Edmodo, etc., have streamlined how children complete assignments, receive formative evaluation of their work and the means to access lessons after they leave the schoolhouse gates.

COVID-19 accelerated a distance-based approach, although we cannot replace the physical presence of the teacher and students at all levels of public and private education. Learning does not exist in a vacuum.

We understand a lot remains to be seen as the months click by, but what other observations have you had as a result of the pandemic regarding how it will affect the world of education in the future?

Dunn: I’ve been reading a lot about

predictions for how education will be different in the future and how schools are responding to the pandemic. I think there are going to be a number of changes, some we haven’t even thought about yet. One of my greatest concerns is the potential effect some of these changes could have on the teacher shortage in special education. I’ve seen some teachers posting on social media that they think it is now time to retire or find another job. Conversely, some of the positive things I’ve seen in some systems give me hope.

There are examples of more personalized learning, more authentic experiences, greater connection of content to real-life experiences and increased collaboration and coordination among agencies that serve students with disabilities. Being an optimist, my hope is that we can take what we have learned and transform our practices to create an educational system that will be more effective and equitable for all students.

Clemons: We really are in a “wait and see” approach regarding education returning to the physical classroom.

Many of the routines and day-to-day activities may change, and while change instills some apprehension, not all change is counterproductive. Schools have changed dramatically since the first schoolhouse was established. We changed because of education’s See EDUCATORS, page B4

McCormick named interim dean of AU’s College of Education Special to the Opelika Observer

Auburn University has appointed Theresa McCormick, associate dean for academic affairs and an elementary education professor, as

the interim dean of the College of Education, effective July 1. She succeeds Betty Lou Whitford, who announced her retirement last fall after serving as dean for 10 years.

McCormick, who

came to Auburn in 2004, brings a wealth of administrative experience to the position, including serving as associate dean for academic affairs since 2017, as both assistant and interim head

MCCORMICK of the Department of Curriculum and Teaching from 2014-17, and as program chair of the college’s elementary education program from 2007-14. As interim dean, McCormick will oversee more than 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students, nearly 200 faculty and staff, seven academic units and a robust research and outreach portfolio.

“Dr. McCormick brings strong experience and enthusiasm to the role of interim dean,” said Provost Bill Hardgrave. “Especially as our university continues to navigate the challenges presented by the COVID-19

pandemic, I am confident that she will continue to promote the college’s goals regarding scholarship, instruction and outreach.”

Through her leadership roles, McCormick has worked to advance the college’s mission of preparing the next generation of teachers by ensuring Auburn students participate in experiential learning opportunities and engage in a variety of research- and evidence-based instructional strategies. Her steadfast commitment to students served her well as associate dean, where McCormick was the lead administrator for the Office of Student Services, the assistant dean of Assessment and Certification Officer.

In addition, she coordinated undergraduate student development, graduate student services, clinical experiences and oversaw academic advisors in the college.

“I am extremely honored to be asked

to serve in this interim role as dean of the College of Education,” McCormick said. “I have been impressed by the resilience and creativity of our faculty, staff and students during the COVID-19 pandemic over the last three months. As the university moves toward finding a ‘new normal,’ I am deeply committed to advancing the college’s strategic plan, as well as supporting the mission of the college in the areas of exemplary teaching, impactful research and outreach.”

As interim department head, McCormick oversaw one of the college’s largest units that offers undergraduate and master’s-level teacher preparation programs, as well as advanced graduate programs. Working with faculty, McCormick promoted academic partnerships with other colleges and schools and supported the international engagement See MCCORMICK, page B4

B3 June 10, 2020

Dismissing Fear with Love and Attention

arents and grandparents have been hit pretty hard and quick on life changes over the past few months. In touching base over the past few months with families, they are adjusting well with physical need reminders of washing hands and not touching the face; maintaining social distance when out in public; and finishing up on school subjects at home. The children are meeting the physical and academic needs, but how can we as parents address emotional needs of our children if we see symptoms of anxiety, fear or worry?

Children are very

good observers of parents and teachers. You simply cannot fool them. I know when I was teaching second grade on 9/11, our principal quietly called the teachers in the hall to let us know of the tragic news. She told the teachers to try to remain calm and continue on with instruction until further notice. As I walked back into the classroom the assignment of maintaining composure in front of my young students was a difficult one. One little fellow raised his hand and asked, “Mrs. Pinyerd, why do your eyes look worried?”

Wow! Young eyes do

observe closely. I was relieved when my principal came into the classroom and explained to the children what was happening and assured them they would be safe.

Being calm during this season of stress can be very difficult. We have to be patient with ourselves during this time. We as adults don’t know what to expect, but one truth our children can observe and witness is that we are walking by faith and trust in God. Take time to explain to your children what is happening in our world in a way they can safely understand. Share age- and developmentally-appropriate information and facts with your children.

Let your children know that during this time it will be a challenge, but it is a helpful outreach we can extend to everyone by staying home, social distancing, washing our hands and following what our health leaders are telling us to do. Encourage your children to know that we are helping other people.

With your babies, toddlers and twos, keeping the environment as

SPORTS>>

players and one coach) for indoor and outdoor workouts and will be assigned a weight rack to use for the entire month of June. Players will maintain a six-foot social distance between them.

Two groups will work out inside and two groups outside on the field. The group inside will move to the outdoor field before the next group is allowed inside, in an effort to maintaining a six foot distance.

After indoor workout groups finish workouts, they will exit through the back doors of the indoor facility. Outside groups will exit through the visitors side gate.

No one will be allowed to congregate around cars in the parking lot.

Groups arriving after the 6 a.m. start will remain outside until the indoor facility is cleared and cleaned. Coaches will open doors and allow the group inside the facility. Players are urged to maintain a six foot distance while waiting and are not allowed to open doors.

Players who do not drive will be dropped off in the front of the indoor facility while pickup will be in the parking lot behind the stadium in the north end zone. Those driving will park in the visitor lot at Bulldog

Stadium. Studentathletes will have no access to the locker room and must arrive dressed for workouts.

(Athletic shorts, shirt and running shoes; no cleats are needed at this time) No cell phones are allowed in the weight room, so they should be left locked in your car.

There will be nowhere to lock up the phones inside.

Players must bring their own water bottles with identity labels on them because water fountains are closed until further notice. The only restrooms that will be open are those by the home side concession stand. Doors will be open to prevent touching the handle.

OHS will furnish face coverings.

I will update you on the procedures for workouts beginning July 6 in the coming weeks.

Obviously, coaches across Alabama are taking every step possible to follow procedures and guidelines for summer workouts in an effort to play games in the fall. Nothing is guaranteed, but OHS appears to have a good plan in place for those student-athletes playing football. Opelika will begin workouts with around 100 players.

P

FROM B1 break, when school was suspended for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year. The workout schedule is for three weeks: June 8 to 10, June 16 to 18 and June 23 to 25. The team will be off June 29 to July 6.

Each group will have a different schedule for the first three days. Coach Speakman appeared on my morning sports radio show “On the Mark” (Fox Sports The Game 910-1310) last week to explain the guidelines and procedures in place for the first three weeks.

The following is a summary of the Procedures and Guidelines set by OHS Football.

Players will enter through the main entrance of the indoor football facility. Doors will remain open, so no one will touch the door handles. Their temperatures will be taken and will be given hand sanitizers to use as they enter. Players will report to the turf area and maintain a six foot distance. Doors will be closed and locked after all players arrive. No one but players, coaches and essential personnel will be allowed in the indoor facility.

Players will be divided in their groups (eight

LIBRARY >> FROM B1 reading altogether, literacy skill loss will occur in as little as one month. Let’s make sure we continue learning this summer by

reading at least 20 minutes a day.

Those who complete the challenge by July 31 will win a T-shirt (while supplies last) and will be entered to win a $25 gift certificate to an Auburn business.

The library will give away 25 gift certificates in total! T-shirts

normal as possible is a high priority at home.

They can easily sense emotional upset through facial expression as well as our reactions.

Three-year-olds through kindergarteners will verbalize more what they see and feel. Be ready to spend time really listening to your children at this age and what they are expressing.

With your first through sixth graders you have to be transparent. Children these ages will see your insecurities whether you admit them or not. Do not try to hide your reactions, but instead respond to children this age with honesty on what is happening and that we have to take it day by day.

Providing a home that is a safe haven is to keep your children on a normal schedule and routine. Children love to know what we are doing next. A schedule provides a safe security blanket. But at the same time be sure to check in with your children, especially your older children, to see how they are doing. It is good to address how they are feeling emotionally by

listening to how they are expressing themselves. Keep in mind we families are confined to our homes right now with several different personalities who need their space. Giving children their space provides support and encouragement.

Watch what young children are looking at on television. When television is on, young eyes are looking. Young minds process information differently than we adults. We don’t want young minds to be filled with fear. During this time it is good to spend time with our children.

Try to celebrate each day in a special way. As teachers we look at creative resources on special dates to celebrate.

This coming Sunday, June 14, is National Flag Day. As families we can celebrate the Stars and Stripes in so many ways. You can review the history of our flag, acknowledging Betsy Ross who history says made our first American flag. Remember the red stripes show courage and valor. White stripes symbolize innocence and purity of a new nation born. The stripes together represent the

original thirteen colonies, and the stars represent the number of states. The blue star field on which the stars sit represents justice and perseverance. This is such a good way to celebrate intergenerationally with the family.

It doesn’t matter how old we are; making or cheaply buying patriotic pinwheels is such a fun activity! Having the children help you hang up the flag in your home and singing flag songs like “You’re A Grand Old Flag” while marching with little flags or homemade flags provides exercise and recreation whether in the home or outside. Too, the red, white and blue food recipes make good, edible teaching lessons.

Families can find so many good recipes online for Flag Day. One of my summer favorites to feed my young students is to use a simple graham cracker, spread with cool whip for white, lay a layer of blueberries, then a layer of strawberries for a wonderful red, white, and blue nutritional treat that can be enjoyed by all!

Classroom Observer Beth Pinyerd

PAT DYE By now you know Coach Pat Dye passed away early Monday morning less than 24 hours after being moved from EAMC to the Bethany House.

Coach Dye was a true “AUBURN” legend and a good man as well. I was blessed to have crossed paths with Coach Dye in the early 2000s. No question he was one heck of a football coach, hard nosed, demanding and strict.

Like most of us, Dye had a soft side, which was hidden due to his coaching tenure. Coach Dye took time to help me during a scary time in my life after I developed Non Alcoholic Cirrhosis Disease. Early on, a liver specialist at UAB believed I needed a liver transplant to survive.

Many factors were involved, including the 35 plus surgeries I underwent after 1992.

Longtime friend Bub Langford knew Dye well and asked if he would mind reaching out to me for encouragement since he went through a Liver problem, Hemochromatosis among other issues.

Coach Dye reached out and spent a long time listening to me and giving me words of encouragement.

Our relationship grew over the last 11 years to

a personal friendly relationship. Coach Pat Dye did not have to talk to me nor follow up to check on my status, but he did!!

I can’t explain in words what that conversation and his friendship meant to me. I kept up with Coach Dye’s health problems over the last 6-8 months. He struggled at times but not many knew. He kept active and fought until the end.

I will miss his Monday morning calls on my sports show, “On the Mark.” Heck, I have missed them for the past few months when he was not feeling well.

Coach Pat Dye was much more than a football coach, he was a “Damn good man,” a phrase Coach Dye used to reference people he liked, including former Alabama coach Gene Stallings.

Rest in Peace Coach...I Miss Ya! OPELIKA DIXIE BASEBALL/SOFTBALL

West Ridge is one of the best complexes in Alabama.

PLAY BALL!!!!

CORRECTIONS

can be mailed to winners by request, just email libraryevents@ auburnalabama.org, or they can be picked up at the library after July 6.

For more information, email libraryevents@auburnalabama. org or call 334-501-3296.

Opelika Dixie Youth, Dixie Boys, T-ball and softball returned to West Ridge Park this week! Teams will practice for two weeks then play games. I appreciate Opelika Parks and Recreation, Dixie Youth and ESG Team Opelika for making this happen.

I made a typo last week when writing about the All-Sports Booster Club. The money collected by the ASBC is NON-PUBLIC Money instead of Public Money. The State Ethics laws require different ways to handle Public and Non Public funds.

Non-Public money must have non-school employees making decisions on the way this money is spent.

Opelika High keeps these funds in a separate account at the school. This money was moved to OHS after the passing of longtime Booster Club treasurer Margaret Askew.

School employees are not allowed to spend the money without the Booster Club Board members agreeing.

Public funds come from taxes, the State of Alabama, etc.

I also made an error three weeks ago; I wrote Lewis Washington was the last African American head basketball coach instead of Tony Hoyett.

I apologized to Coach Hoyett for the error.

Vehicle Title Problem?

We have a Solution!

Unclaimed/Abandoned Vehicles, Mobile Homes & Surety Bonds

We’re Alabama’s #1 Vehicle Title Problem Experts!

We can help with most Titled Vehicles in Alabama, including Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles, RV’s & Trailors by phone or online!

Free Phone Consultation Call 1-205-267-5735 www.JasonSteward Enterprises.com

B4 June 10, 2020

CARTT to conduct workshop for ASD caregivers Special to the Opelika Observer

This summer, the Center for Autism Research, Treatment and Training (CARTT) will be conducting a free caregiver training workshop online that is open to all caregivers of children aged two to 12 years old with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis. The deadline to register for this workshop has already passed but interested parties should still contact CARTT for more information because if there is enough interest, they will consider a second workshop later this summer. They would like to reach as many families in the area as possible.

• The content is aimed at primary caregivers of children with ASD. • This workshop is not for those individuals that work with children with ASD. If they have enough demand from teachers and others working with children with ASD, they could offer another workshop with

information tailored for them • The workshop will be delivered via Zoom — one hour weekly group sessions during which clinicians deliver core content and 15 minute individual weekly consultations during which clinicians will interact with individual caregivers • In addition to the sessions with clinicians, CARTT will provide participants with written materials, which will be mailed to the home address before the start of the workshop • The workshop will require commitment to participate in weekly sessions for 9-10 weeks.

The day and time of the weekly group sessions have yet to be determined and will depend on participants’ availabilities Before and after the workshop, participants will be asked to fill out a survey online that will provide CARTT with information about the caregiver and whether the workshop had a positive impact for the family. This

information is important because it allows CARTT to continue to provide high-quality services to families and individuals with ASD in the local community.

For more information or inquiries regarding CARTT’s services, contact them by phone at 334844-6691 or email ABAclinic@ auburn.edu.

About CARTT: The Center for Autism Research, Treatment, and Training (CARTT) is part of the Auburn University Psychological Services Center and serves as a training clinic for students in the Behavior Analysis Program in the Department of Psychology.

CARTT is an intensive preschool program that uses behavioral, research-based instruction to address the individual needs of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the AuburnOpelika community. We also offer a range of behavioral consultation services to individuals and schools in the surrounding area.

Troy University freezes tuition for second year in a row Special to the Opelika Observer

Troy University trustees on Thursday voted to freeze undergraduate and graduate tuition for the second straight year.

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am pleased to announce for the second straight year Troy University will not increase undergraduate or graduate tuition rates.

Many of our students and their families face

economic uncertainty, therefore we believe this is a prudent decision,” said Chancellor Jack Hawkins, Jr. “Further, with student debt in America approaching $1.7 trillion, it is important for us to make the university experience affordable for the

students we serve.”

The current undergraduate tuition of $325 per credit hour in class and $338 per online credit hour, and the general university fee of $42 per credit hour will remain the same for in-state students in the coming academic year. Tuition for outof-state students and TROY Online students will also remain the same. Graduate tuition rates will remain at

$425 in-class and $494 online.

Trustees did approve a recommendation to increase tuition for doctoral-level degrees to $550 in-class and online.

Hawkins cited good stewardship, cost-savings in expenses and sound financial management, in addition to slightly higher state support, as reasons for being able to hold the line on tuition costs.

TROY offering Civic Heroes free virtual summer camp for kids Special to the Opelika Observer

Troy University’s Office of Civic Engagement is offering a free superhero-themed virtual summer camp for upper elementary school students starting June 22.

The camp, called Civic Heroes, is aimed at students entering fourth through sixth grade and features virtual games, activities and civic lessons for children.

Campers will meet online twice weekly June 22 through July 9 to share and learn with

MCCORMICK >> FROM B2 of faculty through their teaching, research and outreach, something she looks forward to continuing as interim dean.

Within the research community, McCormick’s scholarly efforts have focused on advancing pre-service and in-service teaching experiences for history and social studies educators in K-12 classrooms. Her research, teaching and mentoring efforts have been recognized with a variety of awards, including the Gerald and Emily Leischuck Undergraduate Teaching Award, the Auburn University Alumni Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Award, being named as Outstanding Faculty Member by the

staff from the Office of Civic Engagement. Between sessions, campers will be assigned challenges and activities to complete on their own time.

Each participant will receive a hero pack containing materials for activities.

“During the camp, participants will learn about their communities, government and citizenship, all while developing the building blocks to create their own community,” said Lauren Cochran, Coordinator of Civic Engagement. “We’ll be using Zoom and Google Classroom to

Student Government Association for two years and serving as a participant in the Library of Congress Summer Teaching Institute. In addition to her administrative roles, McCormick has either chaired or served on more than a dozen doctoral committees and maintains a robust research portfolio of published chapters and scholarly research papers.

McCormick holds a doctorate, education specialist and Master of Education degree in elementary education from the University of Alabama, as well as a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Jacksonville State University.

Founded in 1915, the Auburn University College of Education offers more than 60 degree options in teaching, special education,

collaborate as we educate students on how to be superheroes in their communities.”

In order to participate, campers must have a computer or tablet, an internet connection, a parent or guardian’s permission and a hero pack, which will be sent out a week in advance of the camp.

June 12 is the deadline to register for the camp, which is offered free thanks to a partnership with the David Mathews Center for Civic Life.

For more information and to register, visit spark.adobe.com/ page/YA4wg5F6Nlqdz.

educational leadership, kinesiology, counseling, adult education, educational technology and educational psychology. All of the college’s educator preparation programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, or NCATE, and approved by the Alabama State Department of Education, or ALSDE. Programs in counseling and rehabilitation are accredited by the American Psychological Association, or APA, and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, or CACREP, and music education shares the National Association of Schools of Music, or NASM, accreditation with the College of Liberal Arts.

EDUCATORS >> FROM B2 integrated role in the domestic and global narrative.

It is invaluable to maintain and adhere to the best practices established through research and practical application. However, education has always looked to the future to better meet the changing needs of our students and families.

Education will adapt to the demands of our reality and, as always, the Auburn University College of Education will be frontrunners in the preparation of 21st century educators.

About Caroline Dunn: Caroline Dunn is a HumanaGermany-Sherman Distinguished Professor of Special Education, Rehabilitation and

UA Student Christine Allen of Auburn Receives Fulbright Scholarship Special to the Opelika Observer

Eleven University of Alabama students were chosen as Fulbright Student Award Winners for 2020-2021.

Among them is Christine Allen of Auburn, a leader in Model United Nations, an experienced debate tutor, chief justice of the Academic Honor Council, Honors College member, fellow of the Blackburn Institute and 2019 summa cum laude graduate in political science and environmental policy with advanced competency in Spanish language, who was chosen to teach in Spain.

“We applaud every Fulbright 2020-2021 student applicant for their interest in furthering the Fulbright mission of mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and the people of other countries,” said Dr. Teresa Wise, associate provost of international education and global outreach.

“As the world unites in solving the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19, that mission is more important than ever.”

The highly competitive Fulbright Program selects about 1,500 award recipients from over 11,000 applicants each year. UA has received national recognition as a Top Producing Institution for Fulbright U.S. Students four of the last five years.

“We congratulate our awardees and know that they will represent UA and the U.S. with distinction in the coming year,” Counseling in Auburn University’s College of Education. She received her Bachelor of Science from Miami University of Ohio and her Master of Education from the University of Texas before teaching in Houston and Austin City Schools from 1984-86. Dunn earned her doctorate in special education from the University of Texas in 1991, the same year she became a professor at Auburn. The widely published Dunn focuses on secondary curriculum and transition programming for students with disabilities, outcome studies and postsecondary supports for students with disabilities in STEM college programs.

About Christopher Clemons: Christopher

ALLEN said Wise.

The Fulbright Program is the most prestigious U.S. international exchange program, offering opportunities for students, scholars and professionals. The Fulbright Award of the U.S. Department of State offers oneyear grants for independent study and research, and for English teaching assistantships overseas.

Alternates may be brought forward to serve at any time should winners be unable to travel to the designated country or if additional federal funds become available.

The University of Alabama, the state’s oldest and largest public institution of higher education, is a student-centered research university that draws the best and brightest to an academic community committed to providing a premier undergraduate and graduate education.

UA is dedicated to achieving excellence in scholarship, collaboration and intellectual engagement; providing public outreach and service to the state of Alabama and the nation; and nurturing a campus environment that fosters collegiality, respect and inclusivity.

Clemons is an assistant professor of agriscience education in the College of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Teaching. He received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Education from Southern Illinois University while teaching agriscience education in Highland, Illinois. Clemons completed his doctorate in Agriscience Education and began as an assistant professor at Auburn University, earning an Education Specialist degree. An Auburn graduate, Clemons’ multiple publications focus on teacher success and classroom longevity in agriscience education, and he has been a professor at his alma mater since 2016.

B5 June 10, 2020

PUBLIC NOTICES IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA HARDWOOD, LLC, Plaintiff, V. A Parcel of Real Property described as: Lot 11 Block 216 of Totten’s Official Real Estate Map of The City of Opelika, Alabama according to and as shown by that certain map or Plat of record in Town Plat Book 2, at page 9, in the Office of The Judge of Probate of Lee County, Alabama, Defendant.

CASE NO. CV-2020-900166 NOTICE OF ACTION To: All Defendants herein, whose whereabouts are unknown and which cannot be ascertained after the exercise of reasonable diligence. You are hereby notified that on the 31st day of March, 2020, a complaint to quiet title was filed in the Circuit Court of Lee County, Alabama, and the following are the names of all parties to the action: Hardwood, LLC, as Plaintiff; A Parcel of Real Property, described below, as Defendant; and unknown heirs of Mary Charles Mathews, who cannot be ascertained after the exercise of due diligence, and which are believed to have claimed some right, title, interest or claim in and to the property described as follows: Commence at the Northwest corner of Section 35, Township 18 North, Range 29 East, and run North 86 degrees 57 minutes East for 655.45 feet; thence South 03 degrees 09 minutes East for 1301.82 feet to the Southern margin of McBride Road; thence 101.42 feet Southwesterly along a curve the radius of which is 1874.49 feet; thence South 03 degrees 37 minutes West for 79.38 feet; thence South 14 degrees 58 minutes East for 123.41 feet; thence South 16 degrees 25 minutes West for 86.86 feet; thence South 03 degrees 24 minutes West for 161.06 feet to the point of beginning; from said point of beginning run North 53 degrees 10 minutes East for 174.24 feet thence South 36 degrees 50 minutes East for 175.0 feet; thence South 53 degrees 10 minutes West for 174.24 feet; thence North 36 degrees 50 minutes East for 175.0 feet; to the point of Beginning. Compromising of 0.70 acres, more or less.

All persons having an interest in said lands or any portion thereof, claiming any title thereto or any encumbrance or lien thereon, are hereby directed to plead, answer, or otherwise respond to the Complaint on or before the expiration of 30 days after the last publication of this notice, or thereafter suffer judgment by default to be rendered against them, it being intended that this notice shall be used to perfect service against all parties who cannot be personally served with a copy of the Complaint.

Done this the 20th day of May, 2020. /s/ Mary Roberson Mary Roberson Circuit Court Clerk, Lee County J. Brandon Rice Of Counsel, Davis, Bingham, Hudson & Buckner, P.C. 324 East Magnolia Avenue Auburn, AL 36830 Legal Run 05/27/20, 06/03/20, 06/10/20, 06/17/20 ------------IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF EDWARD LEON WHITMAN, Deceased PROBATE COURT LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA CASE NO. 2020-140 NOTICE OF PROBATE OF WILL Notice is hereby given to Floyd Whitman, whose whereabouts is unknown and to any and all heirs of Edward Leon Whitman who passed away on March 1, 2020 that a petition to probate the last will and testament of Edward Leon Whitman has been filed in the probate court of Lee County, Alabama and that Kathleen Whitman has requested court to appoint her as personal representative of said estate. Said petition will be heard on the 28 day of July, 2020 at 10 a.m.

Any heir who wishes to contest such will or the appointment much appear on said date.

Legal Run 05/20/20, 05/27/20, 06/03/20, 06/10/20 ------------IN RE: THE ESTATE OF JOSHUA P. ADAMS IIN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA NOTICE TO CREDITORS TAKE NOTICE that Letters of Administration having been granted to Rachel Adams, as Administratrix of the Estate of Joshua P. Adams, deceased, on the 21st day of May, 2020, by the Honorable Bill English, Judge of Probate.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that all persons having claims against the said Estate are hereby required to present the same within the time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

RACHEL ADAMS Administratrix of the Estate of Joshua P. Adams, deceased Legal Run 06/03/20, 06/10/20, & 06/17/20 ------------IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE ESTATE OF: MERRILL BAKER, Deceased.

Letters Testamentary of said deceased was granted to ROBERT ANTHONY BAKER on the 26th day of May, 2020 by the Hon. Bill English, Probate Judge of Lee County. Notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate that they are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

ROBERT ANTHONY BAKER, Executor Margaret A. Mayfield Attorney for Estate P.O. Box 809 Opelika, AL 36803 Legal Run 06/03/20, 06/10/20, & 06/17/20 ------------IN THE PROBATE COURT FOR LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF BILLIE JOE PORTER, Deceased Case No. 2020- 079 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to Donna P..McGee, Personal Representative on the 22nd day of May, 2020,

by Honorable Bill English, Judge of Probate Court of Lee County, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

Donna P. McGee Legal Run 06/03/20, 06/10/20, & 06/17/20 ------------Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: Extra Space Storage 1242 North Dean Road Auburn, AL 36830 6/25/2020 at 10 am Andrew Tomlinson Unit# 200 8355 Lee Rd 390 Lot 86 Montgomery , AL 36804 boxes, electronics, paintball equipment Quincy Robinson Unit# 230 106 OldField Dr Montgomery , AL 36117 electornics speaker and equipment, clothes Cordelria Dmarcus Barnett Unit# 231 650 N Ross St Apt C2 Auburn , AL 36830 couches, end table, kitchen table Sheila Lett Unit# 97 7376 Society Hill Rd. Auburn, AL 36830 household items Sheila Lett Unit# 558 7376 Society Hill Rd. Auburn, AL 36830 household items Margo Veal Unit# 603 707 York Apt 1123 Towson, MD 21204 Boxes, bikes, and garage items The auction will be listed and advertised on www. storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

Legal Run 06/03/20 &

06/10/20

------------IN THE PROBATE COURT FOR LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA PROBATE DIVISION IN REL ESTATE OF JOHN E. BURKHALTER, Deceased Case No. 2020-158 NOTICE TO CREDITORS TAKE NOTICE that Letters Testamentary having been granted to Jeanne Burkhalter as Personal Representative of the Estate of John E. Burkhalter, deceased, on May 8, 2020, by the Honorable Bill English, Judge of Probate.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that all person having claims against the said Estate are hereby required to present the same within the time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

Jeanne Burkhalter Personal Representative of the Estate of John E. Burkhalter, deceased Legal Run 06/03/20, 06/10/20 & 06/17/20 ------------IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF PATRICIA T. BROWN, DECEASED IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Case No: 2020-164 Letters Testamentary on the estate of said decedent having been granted to the undersigned on the 27th day of May, 2020, by the Hon. Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

CLAUD H. BROWN, III Personal Representative Robert H. Pettey Samford & Denson, LLP P.O. Box 2345 Opelika, AL 36803-2345 (334) 745-3504 Legal Run 06/10/20, 06/17/20 & 06/24/20 ------------IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF BENNIE G. ADKINS, DECEASED. IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Case No: 2020-179 Letters Testamentary on the estate of said decedent having been granted to the undersigned on the 22nd day of May, 2020, by the Hon. Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

MARY ANN BLAKE Personal Representative Robert H. Pettey Samford & Denson, LLP P.O. Box 2345 Opelika, AL 36803-2345 (334) 745-3504 Legal Run 06/10/20, 06/17/20 & 06/24/20 ------------IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF DELORIS KINDRED, DECEASED. IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Case No: 2020-096 Letters Testamentary on the estate of said decedent having been granted to the undersigned on the 22nd day of May, 2020, by the Hon. Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

MARILYN KINDRED Personal Representative Robert H. Pettey Samford &Denson, LLP P.O. Box 2345 Opelika, AL 36803-2345 (334) 745-3504 Legal Run 06/10/20, 06/17/20 & 06/24/20 ------------NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT ESTATE OF ODESSA HARPER TAYLOR COURT OF PROBATE Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to the undersigned on the 27th day of May, 2020, by the Hon. Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court of Lee County, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are

hereby required to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

Witness my hand, and dated this the 27th day of May, 2020.

CHARLES EDWARD HARPER Legal Run 06/10/20, 06/17/20, 06/24/20 ------------INVITATION TO BID BID# 20027 Sealed bids for the construction of the CityWide ADA Improvements Project shall be received at the Opelika City Hall Council Chamber, 204 South Seventh Street, Opelika, Alabama, until 2:00 p.m., local time on Tuesday, June 30, 2020, and then publicly opened and read aloud. All interested parties are invited to attend.

Only bids from competent general contractors will be considered. At the time of contract award, the successful bidder must be a properly licensed general contractor.

No bid will be accepted from anyone except a qualified Contractor licensed by the State Licensing Board for General Contractors.

Principal items of work include but are not limited to: removal of existing sidewalk, ramps, storm inlets, and curb sections; preparation of sub-base; installation and finishing of new ADA compliant ramps and sidewalk; installation of storm inlet units and tops; and restoration of adjacent right of way. All work shall meet ADA requirements.

Work will be prioritized into four zones and a “Notice to Proceed” will be issued for each zone based on schedule and budget constraints. The final zone is not guaranteed to be ordered under the Contract. Work shall begin within 10 days of each “Notice to Proceed”. The completion time for each zone is 90 days from the commencement of work. The total contract length shall not exceed 540 calendar days.

Drawings and Specifications may be examined at the Office of the City Engineer located at 700 Fox Trail, Opelika, Alabama. Phone number: 334-705-5450 Bid documents may be obtained from the Office of the City Engineer at no charge as an electronic file if the bidder supplies a storage drive or as an email attachment or electronic drop box.

The bidder’s proposal must be submitted on the complete original proposal furnished to him/her by the City of Opelika. All information in the proposal must be completed by the bidder for the proposal to be accepted.

A Bid Bond in the amount of five (5) percent of the bid amount made payable to the City of Opelika must accompany each bid.

Performance and Payment Bonds for the full contract sum will be required of the successful bidder. The right is reserved by the Owner to reject all Bids and to waive irregularities.

Envelopes containing bids must be sealed, marked, addressed as follows, and delivered to: Lillie Finley, PurchasingRevenue Manager, City of Opelika, 204 South 7th Street, P.O. Box 390, Opelika, Alabama, 368030390. Attn: City-Wide ADA Improvements Project LILLIE FINLEYPURCHASING REVENUE MANAGER CITY OF OPELIKA 204 SOUTH SEVENTH STREET (36801) POST OFFICE BOX 390 (36803-0390) OPELIKA, ALABAMA PH: (334) 705-5120 Legal Run 06/10/20, 06/17/20 ------------CITY OF OPELIKA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Opelika will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers of the Municipal Building, 204 S. 7th Street, Opelika, Lee County, Alabama.

PURPOSE The purpose of said Public Hearing will be to consider

the adoption of an ordinance to amend Ordinance Number 124-91 (entitled “Zoning Ordinance of the City of Opelika”) adopted on September 17, 1991 and the Zoning Map. At said Public Hearing all who desire to be heard shall have the opportunity to speak for or in opposition to the adoption of the following ordinance: ORDINANCE NO. ________ AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE ZONING ORDINANCE AND ZONING MAP OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council (the “Council”) of the City of Opelika, Alabama (the “City”) as follows: Section 1. FINDINGS. The Council has determined and hereby finds and declares that the following facts are true and correct: (a) DiBenedetto Enterprises, LLC, an Alabama limited liability company, (the “Company”) is the owner of record of that certain real property consisting of approximately 25.76 acres located at the intersection of Waverly Parkway and Veterans Parkway. (b) The Company heretofore submitted to the City a development plan for a planned unit development (“PUD”) consisting of approximately 25.76 acres. (c) The proposed development is a mixed-use development consisting of seventy-two (72) town home units and twenty (20) single-family lots with significant recreational areas, water features and open space. The proposed density is 3.57 dwelling units per acre.

(D) The Planning Commission heretofore conducted a public hearing on the proposed development and referred to the City Council its recommendation to approve the proposed development.

(E) It is advisable and in the interest of the City and the public interest that the property described in Section 3 below should be developed as a mixed use planned unit development.

Section 2. APPROVAL OF THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN. The Development Plan as submitted for review is hereby approved and affirmed as required by Section 8.18N of the Zoning Ordinance of the City.

Section 3. DESIGNATION OF A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT. The official Zoning Map is hereby amended and the zoning classification for the following parcel of land shall be changed from a R-1 District (Low Density Residential District), R-3 District (Medium Density Residential District) and C-2 District (Office/ Retail District) to a Planned Unit Development (PUD) on the official zoning map of the City.

Commence at the SW corner of the Northwest Quarter OF Section 11, Township 19 North, Range 26 East, Opelika, Lee County, Alabama, locally accepted being marked by a 1/2” rebar with cap stamped #28447; thence N 31 0 50’18” E a distance of 280.17 feet to a 1” open top pipe on the North right-of-way line of Waverly Parkway (80’ R/W) and also being the POINT OF BEGINNING. From said POINT OF BEGINNING; thence along said right-of-way N 64 000’44” W a distance of 253.34 feet to a 1/2” open top pipe; thence N 64 0 00’11” W a distance of 520.96 feet to a 1/2” rebar with cap stamped PLS CA#1067-LS; thence N 500 34’02” W a distance of 178.22 feet to a 1/2” rebar with cap stamped PLS CA#1067-LS; thence in a curve to the right having a radius of 542.96 feet an arc length of 362.10 and a chord bearing and distance of N 230 38’45” W, 355.43 feet to a 1/2” rebar with cap stamped PLS CA#1067-LS on the East right-of-way line of Veterans Pkwy (150’ R/W); thence along said right-of-way in a curve to the left having a radius of 1220.92 feet an arc length of 182.29 feet and a chord bearing and distance of N 04 0 42’34” E, 182.12 feet to a 1/2” rebar with cap stamped PLS CA#1067-LS; thence leaving said rightof-way N 88°53’38” E a

distance of 135.16 feet to a 3/4” crimp top; thence N 00 0 21’22” E a distance of 93.10 feet to a 1/2” rebar with cap stamped PLS CA#1067-LS; thence N 88°26’42” W a distance of 24.74 feet to a 1/2” open top pipe; thence N 00 0 24’13” E a distance of 133.99 feet to a 1/2” rebar; thence S 89 0 58’58” E a distance of 29.91 feet to a 1/2” open top pipe at the southwest corner of Lot 13 OF QUAIL HOLLOW SUBDIVISION as recorded in Plat Book 16, Page 127, Lee County, Alabama; thence along the south line of QUAIL HOLLOW SUBDIVISION S 89 0 13’14” E a distance of 99.61 feet to a 1/2” open top pipe; thence N 89 0 58’40” E a distance of 99.99 feet to a 1/2” open top pipe; thence N 89 041’40” E a distance of 100.18 feet to a 1/2” open top pipe; thence N 88 0 50’15” E a distance of 94.45 feet to a 1/2” open top pipe; thence S 89 0 12’23” E a distance of 105.64 feet to a 1/2” open top pipe; thence N 89 0 56 ‘05” E a distance of 100.03 feet to a 1/2” open top pipe; thence N 89 043’49” E a distance of 59.91 feet to a 1/2” open top pipe; thence N 89 047’23” E a distance of 688.47 feet to a 1/2” open top pipe; thence S 41° 52’01”W a distance of 111.59 feet to a 1/2” crimp top, thence S 31 046’29” W a distance of 141.63 feet to a 1/2” crimp top; thence S 29 0 08’34” a distance of 162.26 feet to a 1x1 metal bar; thence S 30 0 04’18” W a distance of 286.01 feet to a 1/2” rebar with cap stamped #33949; thence S 32 0 34 ‘41” W a distance of 87.80 feet to a 3/4” open top pipe; thence S 25 040’42” W a distance of 250.99 feet to a 1/2” rebar with cap stamped #33949; thence S 14 0 14’50” W a distance of 72.80 feet to a 1/2” rebar with cap stamped 33949; thence S 63 045’40” E a distance of 148.62 feet to a 1/2” open top pipe; thence S 35 0 35’52” W a distance of 200.62 feet to the point of beginning. said parcel lying in and being a part of the Northeast Quarter of the Northeast Quarter and the Southeast Quarter of the Northeast Quarter all in Section 10, Township 19 North, Range 26 East and the Northwest Quarter of the Northwest Quarter and the Southwest Quarter of the Northeast Quarter all in Section 11, Township 19 North, Range 26 East, Lee County, Alabama, and containing 25.76 acres, more or less.

Section 4. RETENTION OF COPIES OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN. Copies of the Development Plan shall be maintained in the office of the City Clerk, City Planner, City Engineer and Building Official and shall be open for public inspection.

Section 5. REPEALER. Any ordinance or part thereof in conflict with provisions of this Ordinance be and the same are hereby repealed.

Section 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Ordinance shall become effective upon its adoption, approval and publication as required by law.

Section 7. PUBLICATION. This Ordinance shall be published one (1) time in a newspaper of general circulation in the City of Opelika, Lee County, Alabama.

All interested persons are invited to attend the public hearing and be heard. Written comments concerning the above matter may be mailed to the City Clerk at P.O. Box 390, Opelika, AL 36803 at any time prior to the public hearing and may be further submitted to the City Council at the meeting and the public hearing.

Please contact Kevin Rice, the City’s ADA Coordinator, at 334-705-2083 at least two (2) working days prior to the meeting if you require special accommodations due to any disability.

WITNESS my hand this the 4th day of June, 2020. /s/ Russell A. Jones CITY CLERK OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA, ALABAMA Legal Run 06/10/2020

See PUBLIC NOTICES, page B6

B6 June 10, 2020

Auburn physics professors receive nearly $900k in federal funding to develop fusion as energy source

By Maria Gebhardt Special to the Opelika Observer

A worldwide effort to make fusion a reliable energy source could move closer to reality with the help of two Auburn University physics professors who were recently awarded nearly $900,000 in research grant funds from the U.S. Department of Energy.

David Ennis and Stuart Loch from Auburn’s Department of Physics in the College of Sciences and Mathematics, or COSAM, have been selected as recipients of a competitive $879,826 grant from the Department of Energy that will run through June 30, 2022. The project is a collaboration between Auburn plasma physicists and the DIII-D National Fusion Facility, located in San Diego, California, designed to develop fusion energy by utilizing ultraviolet spectroscopy to accurately measure the amount of tungsten in the plasma edge.

Fusion is the mechanism that powers the sun, and the DIII-D experiment is part of an

increasing effort across the globe to harness that power as a sustainable source of energy. One key requirement for future fusion reactors is to ensure that material from the walls of the vessel does not erode into the plasma volume where fusion is occurring.

“The element tungsten is a leading candidate for a first-wall material in future fusion reactors because it has the highest melting point of all metals, but it can still be eroded and decrease the overall performance of a plasma,” Ennis said.

The research combines multiple areas of expertise existing within the Auburn physics department, including experimental plasma physics, atomic physics predictions and spectroscopic interpretation, to inform experiments being conducted at a large-scale national facility.

The project originally began with support from the Auburn University Intramural Grants Program, which led to the work becoming federally funded by the Department of Energy.

“The Auburn internal

Photo courtesy of Auburn University.

Auburn Professor Stuart Loch, left, and Curtis Johnson stand in front of a full-scale model cross-section of the DIII-D plasma experiment.

grant supplied funds to purchase an ultraviolet survey spectrometer that yielded pilot data for a full grant proposal,” Loch said. “Thus, Auburn funding was key in launching this project to obtain DOE funding.”

The new federal funding will allow Auburn researchers to permanently install a new ultraviolet spectrometer

with much higher precision on the DIII-D tokamak experiment.

Plasma physics is the study of the fourth state of matter, composed of highly energetic charged particles.

Auburn is known internationally for faculty, postdocs and students conducting research in the field of plasma physics, both on the Auburn campus and

at facilities around the world.

According to the Department of Energy, the DIII-D tokamak is the largest magnetically confined plasma facility in the United States, providing physicists with the opportunity to investigate plasmas heated to extreme temperatures.

“The acquisition of a high-resolution spectrometer, along with the addition of a new Auburn postdoctoral researcher to be stationed full time at the experiment, will immediately strengthen the collaboration between Auburn University and the DIII-D plasma experiment,” Ennis said.

In addition to experimental work, largescale calculations were completed on Auburn University’s ‘Hopper’ supercomputer. These computations helped the project secure the first round of federal funding, and now the collaboration is receiving a second round of almost $900,000.

“While the initial spectroscopic measurements better informed the supercomputer calculations, the predictions from those

computations in turn informed the design of the new high-resolution spectrometer,” Loch said. “Therefore, the project represents a very productive synergy between experimental and theoretical efforts.”

Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification, life-changing outreach with Carnegie’s Community Engagement designation and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs.

Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact.

Subdivision Rules and Regulations of the City of Opelika, as amended, is further hereby amended to read as follows: A. General The final plat shall conform substantially to the preliminary plat as approved and shall be submitted to the Planning Commission in quadruplicate (4) at least twenty-one (21) calendar days prior to the meeting at which is to be considered; one copy of which shall be the original drawings.

Final plat approval shall not be given at the same meeting as preliminary plat approval unless the plat does not involve the construction of any public improvements. When public improvements are constructed, a minimum of twenty (20) days shall elapse between preliminary and final approval.

• That subsection 4.11, of the Subdivision Rules and Regulations of the City of Opelika, as amended, is further hereby amended to read as follows: SECTION 4.11 ADMINISTRATIVE SUBDIVISION • Purpose. For the purpose of this section an administrative subdivision is re-subdivision involving not more than four (4) contiguous lots fronting on an existing street, and which requires no new streets or public infrastructure; and when in the opinion of the City Engineer no engineering service is required. Except as otherwise specified the re-subdivision and plat thereof shall conform to all requirements of the Subdivision Regulations of the City of Opelika, adopted September 24, 1991.

• Submission.

• No preliminary plat or engineering plans are required to be submitted of an administrative subdivision. However, the subdivider should consult with the Engineering and Planning Staff, and with other appropriate officials, prior to formal submission.

• A final plat shall be submitted which conforms to all requirements and provides all information specified for a final plat as described in Sections 4.3, 4.4, and 4.5 of the Subdivision Regulations of the City of Opelika, adopted

September 24, 1991.

• Since the plat is approved administratively, the certificate for approval by the Planning Commission shall not be required.

• Review and Approval.

• Formal submission and approval by the Planning Commission shall not be required for an administrative subdivision. Formal approval can be granted by the Planning Director and City Engineer where a proposed re-subdivision upgrades or maintains relatively constant lot sizes or conditions, the City Planner and City Engineer may, after investigation, approve said re-subdivision for immediate recording.

• Such action shall be reported at the next regular meeting of the Planning Commission.

• The City Planner may require that an administrative subdivision be presented to the Planning Commission for consideration for approval.

• Approval of the Administrative Plat by the staff shall be null and void if such Administrative Plat is not recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Lee County within twelve (12) months after the date of the approval, unless an application for an extension of time is made in writing and is granted by the Planning Director and City Engineer during this twelve (12) month period.

4. This resolution shall take effect upon adoption and publication as required by law.

• This resolution shall be published in the Opelika Observer, a newspaper published in and of general circulation within the City of Opelika, Alabama.

6. The Secretary of the Planning Commission is directed to file a certified copy of this resolution with the Probate Judge of Lee County, Alabama.

ADOPTED AND APPROVED this the 26th day of May 2020. /S/ Lewis Cherry CHAIRMAN OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA, ALABAMA LEGAL 06/10/2020

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES >> FROM B5 ------------CITY OF OPELIKA NOTICE OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING AND PUBLIC HEARINGS TO: RESIDENTS AND PROPERTY OWNERS OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA AND ALL OTHER INTERESTED CITIZENS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Planning Commission of the City of Opelika, Alabama will hold a regular meeting and will be conducting public hearings on Tuesday, June 23, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. in the Meeting Chamber at Opelika Municipal Court located at 300 MLK Boulevard, Opelika, Alabama. The purpose of the public hearings is to receive public comment on the following: • A public hearing on a request by Harris Gray, LLC, authorized representative for Paul Brumfield, property owner, for preliminary and final plat approval of the Subdivision Plat for Paul Brumfield subdivision, 3 lots, accessed from at Lee Road 266 & 267.

• A public hearing on a request by Harris Gray, LLC, authorized representative for Clayton Scott Dean, property owner, for preliminary and final plat approval of the Boundary for Clay Dean subdivision, 2 lots, at 501 Morris Avenue.

• A public hearing on a request by James McCrory, authorized representative for W. Banks and Margaret S. Herndon, property owners, for preliminary and final plat approval of the Homestead Farm subdivision, 4 lots, accessed at 3000-3200 Oak Bowery Road.

• A request by Mike Maher, authorized representative of Upward Properties, property owners, for preliminary plat approval of the Global Impact subdivision consisting of 9 lots accessed at 1203 Crawford Road.

• A request by Mike Maher, authorized representative of Retirement System of Ala-

bama, property owners, for final plat approval of National Village Phase 1 Section subdivision consisting of 20 lots accessed from Robert Trent Jones Trail.

• A request by Blake Rice, authorized representative for W.S. Newell & Sons, property owners, for final plat approval of Towne Lakes Phase 4B subdivision, 40 lots, accessed from Towne Lake Parkway.

• A public hearing on a request

by Blake Rice, authorized representative for BC Stone Contracting, LLC, property owner, for conditional use approval for a townhome development, Morris Avenue Townhomes, 18 units accessed at 307 Morris Avenue.

• A public hearing on a request by the Foresite Group, Inc., authorized representative for Century Park Apartments, LLC, property owner, to amend a conditional use approval for a townhome development, Century Park Townhomes, 51 units accessed at 1901 Century Boulevard.

• A public hearing on a request by Howard J. Porter, Jr., authorized representative for Hopo Realty Investments, LLC, property owner, for conditional use approval for a canine training center at 215 Williamson Avenue.

• A public hearing on a request by the Bradley W. Flowers authorized representative for MIHADA, Inc., property owner, for conditional use approval for a climate control self storage units and outside storage at 720, 804, & 808 Columbus Parkway.

11a. A public hearing to consider a recommendation to the City Council on a request

by Hi Pack QOZB I, LLC, property owners, to rezone 34.8 acres at 3000 & 3001 Hi-Pack Drive from a M-1 & R-5 zone to a PUD zoning district.

11b. An agenda item related to the rezoning request concerns an amendment to the Future Land Use Map for the 34.8 acres at 3000 & 3001 Hi-Pack Drive from a manufacturing & high density residential category to a planned unit development. If the Planning Commission votes

to send a positive recommendation to the City Council to rezone the property and Council approves rezoning, then approval of said amendments to the Future Land Use map will be approved.

• An agenda item to consider a recommendation to the City Council on the request by Rickey & Cynthia L. Wilson, property owners, to annex a 25,700 square foot lot into the City limits located at 4002 Marvyn Parkway; zoning request, R-1.

• A public hearing to consider a recommendation to the City Council on proposed text amendments to the Zoning Ordinance: Amend Section 2.2 Definitions: add Consumer Shopping Goods, Small Box Discount Stores, Grocery Store; Amend Section 7.3, C. Use Categories (matrix table) adding Consumer Shopping Goods ‘Small Box Discount Store’ Grocery Store; Add a new section, Section 8.28 ‘Standards for Specific Land Uses’ and add sub-section 8.28.1 ‘Small Box Discount Store’ All interested persons are invited to attend the meeting/ public hearings and be heard.

Written comments concerning the above matters may be mailed to the Planning Director at 700 Fox Trail, Opelika, Alabama 36801 at any time prior to the meeting/public hearings and may be further submitted to the Planning Commission at the meeting/ public hearings.

The Planning Commission reserves the right to modify or alter any of the proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinance and to make its recommendations accordingly to the City Council.

Please contact Kevin Rice, the City’s ADA Coordinator, at 334-705-5132 at least two (2) working days prior to the meeting if you require special accommodations due to a disability.

PLANNING DIRECTOR Legal Run 06/10/2020 ------------RESOLUTION NO. 001-20 A RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE SUBDIVISION RULES AND REG-

ULATIONS OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA BE IT RESOLVED by the Planning Commission of the City of Opelika as follows: • That Section 4.3 of the Subdivision Rules and Regulations of the City of Opelika, as amended, is further amended by adding subsection E. Effect of Approval, which shall read as follows E. Effect of Approval.

Approval of a Preliminary Plat shall not constitute acceptance of the plat of the proposed subdivision but shall be deemed only as an expression of approval of the plan submitted as a guide to preparation of the Final Plat, which Final Plat will be submitted for approval and recorded upon fulfillment of the requirements of these regulations and the conditions of tentative approval. Approval of a Preliminary Plat shall be effective for 24 months, unless, upon application by the Subdivider, the Planning Commission grants an extension. If the Final Plat has not been submitted for final approval within this time limit, the Preliminary Plat shall again be filed for tentative approval; provided, however, that if a Final Plat of a part of the subdivision shall have been submitted and approved within the 24-month period, the tentative approval of the Preliminary Plat shall automatically be extended for a period of 12 months from the date of approval of such Final Plat of part of the subdivision, and the same automatic extension shall govern in subsequent cases of submission of a Final Plat of part of the subdivision; provided, further, that at any time after the expiration of the initial 24-month period during which the Preliminary Plat approval is effective, the Planning Commission may notify the Subdivider of changes it will require to meet new or changed conditions.

A corrected Preliminary Plat with all conditions fulfilled shall be submitted prior to the construction or installation of any improvements.

• That subsection 4.4, subsection A. General, of the

Opelika, L ee County & A labama Politics

B7

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Inside the Statehouse

Senate runoff resumes with Trump, Sessions in a Twitter battle

T

he U.S. Senate runoff between former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions was put on hold by the coronavirus. The original primary on March 3 had Tuberville and Sessions in a dead heat. The runoff was scheduled for March 31.

However, the pandemic shutdown placed a freeze on everything politically. The runoff is now set for July 14.

The epidemic hiatus began to melt a little around Memorial Day, and it started with a meltdown between President Donald Tr ump and Jeff Sessions. Tr ump, our tweeting President, blasted Sessions for the umpteenth time for recusing himself from the Russian politically-based probe while he was Attorney General.

Sessions, being the honest person he is, refused to do Tr ump’s bidding that would have been

STEVE FLOWERS illegal.

Legality, honesty, truthfulness and integrity are not Trump’s forte. He thinks his tenure as President is an extension of his TV reality show, The Apprentice, where he was famously known for See FLOWERS, page B8

Local citizens voice concern regarding recent events across the nation

By Natalie Anderson Staff Reporter

During last Tuesday’s Opelika City Council meeting, the board heard from concerned residents about a range of topics from property, overgrown land and most importantly the recent events occurring in our country. Starting with a joint prayer, local ministers Hamlet Barnes and Kevin Flannagen encouraged unity.

“Like you, I was shocked, angered, saddened by the tragic and needless death of George Floyd,” Mayor Gary Fuller said.

“Every Opelika police officer that I’ve spoken with feels as I do.”

“Now is the time for our community, state and nation to choose love and tolerance along with kindness

and understanding,” Fuller added. “I want to commend the organizers of the demonstration last Saturday at the Courthouse Square and the folks who attended. It was peaceful, and I believe the message was well received by our community.”

Opening the citizens communication session, senior at University of Alabama in Birmingham and Opelika native Natalie Simpkins offered suggestions on how to help Opelika’s racial progress. Such ideas included residents having access to training materials from the Opelika police department, allowing high school students to register to vote at their schools the day they turn 18, having city employees undergo

bias training and encouraging law enforcement to actively engage and communicate with minority groups in the community.

“I’m encouraged today to see a diverse set of people willing to see change,” Simpkins said. “I want Opelika to be a beacon of light.”

Opelika resident Izaak Standridge also voiced concern and spoke to the council about the role of policing in the community and city budget.

“I want to start by saying that I believe that budgets are a reflection of our values and goals.

After reviewing our (city’s) budget I was surprised to see that our largest expenditure is public safety, coming in at around 29% of the See CITY COUNCIL, page B8

The Republican Women of East Alabama Lee County Commission receives complaint on COVID-19 policy organization holds virtual meeting

By Michelle Key Publisher

By Natalie Anderson Staff Reporter

Last Tuesday, the Republican Women of East Alabama met virtually to conduct their regularly scheduled June meeting. During this meeting, three local representatives were present and discussed topics including COVID-19 relief, house bills and the future of education. Representatives Chris Blackshear, Joe Lovvorn and Debbie Wood addressed local and statewide efforts throughout the meeting.

Joe Lovvorn of District 79 discussed funding increases throughout the state and within the local community. “If we’re going to move forward as a state, we’re going to need to show we can move forward as a legislature,” Lovvorn said. “As a state, we’re in a good position, and going forward, a priority of the legislators is for educators to be properly See WOMEN, page B12

Open Interviews

Every Thursday at Auburn location 3pm-5pm Hiring for all positions and all locations Apply in house or online at niffersplace.com

The Lee County Commissioners met Monday night for their regularly scheduled meeting. During the meeting the commissioners received a complaint from Auburn resident Nancy Shields regarding the county’s COVID-19 policy as it pertains to access to county buildings. In a letter addressed to the commissioners, Shields expressed her concerns over what she sees as a waste of county resources plus the required temperature check and the mask requirement, issues that Shields

Photo from live streamed video

by Lee County Commission Office contends are violations of her constitutional rights. “My concern here is that there is an overreach of power and control by the Board of Commissioners being put on the people if we simply want to obey the law and buy a tag, get a marriage license, file a legal document, etc.,” Shields wrote in her letter

to the com­mis­sioners.

Shields declined to attend the meeting, and District One Commissioner Shelia Eckman addressed the commission on Shields’ behalf. Another one of Shields’ concerns pertains to how she can receive her car tag without having to come See LCC, page B12

B8 June 10, 2020

Spending Rules for PPP Loans Changed by Congress Special to the Opelika Observer

Congress has passed the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020, HR 7010, a bill supported by the National Newspaper Association (NNA). The President is expected to sign the bill today and to put it into immediate effect.

How does this impact businesses’ PPP loans?

• “Covered Period” is now 24 weeks, or Dec. 31.

See PPP LOANS, page B11

CITY COUNCIL >> FROM B7 budget,” Standridge said.

“In regards to domestic violence, what if there were resources for individuals experiencing abuse at the hands of their partner that would allow them to meet a professional at a safe place to discuss their options?”

In other business, the council: • approved a request for Collinwood Christmas luminaries on Dec. 18 • approved a bid for

vacuum excavation and utility daylight services for OPS • approved a bid for substation U bushings for OPS • approved a resolution to designate city personal surplus and authorize disposal • approved a refund of building permit fees to Maurice Ward • approved a contract award for a city wide paving project to East Alabama Paving Co. Inc. • approved a contract award for general

roadway improvements to Robinson Paving Co. Inc. • approved an amendment to project development agreement with 280 Land Company, LLC. and • accepted dedication of right-of-way of Lowe’s drive.

The character trait for the month of June is “cooperation,” and the next city council meeting will be held on June 16 at the Municipal Court located at 300 Martin Luther King Blvd.

Rebecca Rice Cell: 334-703-0801 rebecca@johnrice.info

Located in Historic Downtown Opelika

334-745-4618

FLOWERS >> FROM B7 the phrase “You’re fired!” He fires anyone associated with him who will not concede to this egocentric bullying, the same way he fired Sessions for not breaking the law.

Trump’s tirade of tweets on Memorial Day weekend were vitriolic and juvenile, as is customary for the king of latenight tweeting. Much to folks’ surprise, Sessions tweeted back. The mild-mannered/choir boy/ Eagle Scout Sessions fought back for the first time. He and Trump exchanged tweeting volleys all weekend. It was quite amusing.

It remains to be seen what effect this war of words between Trump and Sessions will have on the Senate campaign and Sessions’ hopes to reclaim his seat. Sessions may not have been the most effective U.S. Senator during his 20-year tenure, but he probably was the most honest. If it were midnight in the smallest town in Alabama and there were no cars in sight, Sessions would not jaywalk.

In every tweet, Trump endorses Coach Tuberville over Sessions for

obvious reasons.

Historically, in Alabama politics, one politician endorsing someone in another race has been the kiss of death. It has consistently backfired.

However, my guess is that Trump is so popular among hardcore Republican voters in the Heart of Dixie that this endorsement of Tuberville will propel him to victory.

Tuberville’s entire campaign calling card has been, “I’m a Trump man.” Trump applauds total allegiance and loyalty. Therefore, the Trump endorsement of the Coach is quite understandable.

Whichever one wins will take back the seat for the GOP in the fall. However, he is going to face some devastating financial problems when he arrives as a freshman U.S. Senator in January.

The coronavirus epidemic has crippled our nation economically for decades to come.

Either Tuberville or Sessions will be an irrelevant, freshman senator who will be saddled with a government that is facing a staggering national debt.

The U.S. government has written $3 trillion in bad checks with no money in the bank to pay the

insurmountable debt back. We had an enormous deficit even before the trillions of dollars added by printing of red ink federal dollars for the pandemic bailout.

A trillion dollars is a lot of money. That is Trillion with a capital “T.” It reminds me of one of the great quotes of all time. The late, great Republican U.S. Senator from Illinois, Sen. Everett Dirkson, was attributed with saying after the passage of a pork-filled Democratic budget, “a billion here and a billion there and pretty soon you are talking real money.”

Henry Kissinger, in a “Wall Street Journal” article, called this unprecedented, unimaginable U.S. national debt a fundamental realignment where we are so weakened by this debt that we lose inf luence and power in the world.

I am optimistic that we can persevere for three reasons: our farming, our military and our technological superiority.

See you next week.

Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist.

His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www. stevef lowers.us.

B9 June 10, 2020

Ceremony held at Courthouse Square in memory of George Floyd

Photos by Will Fairless/Opelika Observer

City Council President Pro-tem Patsy Jones hosted a wreath-laying ceremony at Courthouse Square Monday to honor the memory of George Floyd. Opelika, Auburn, Smiths Station and Lee County officials participated.

Local community rallies for change

Photos by Wil Crews/Opelika Observer Sunday afternoon, hundreds of people from the Auburn - Opelika area flocked to the historic Toomer’s Corner with a common goal of peacefully protesting police brutality and supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. The protesters marched from the intersection of College Street and Magnolia Avenue to the newly developed city police station. There, the protesters knelt in place to observe an eight minute and 46 second moment of silence in remembrance of George Floyd – the man who died while a Minneapolis police officer who a knee to his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds. The protesters then returned to Toomer’s corner to hear speeches from event coordinators. The event was coordinated with police and all intersecting streets were blocked off for the duration of the protest. The peaceful event, coordinated by Auburn Students and Community for Change lasted about two hours.

1 OUT OF 10

ELDERLY PERSONS AND ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES ARE BEING:

Abused, Neglected or Exploited

LOCAL CLASSIFIED ADS HIGH SPEED FIBER OPTIC INTERNET UP TO 1-GIG OPELIKA ONLY. DROP CABLE TV AND START STREAMING. SAVE UP TO $700/YEAR!!

FOR SPECIAL DISCOUNTS AND FREE INSTALLATION CALL DARRYL (334)319-8977 ------------HELP WANTED: Maintenance Mechanic Opelika Housing Development, Inc. is currently seeking highly motivated, experienced, and trustworthy candidates to fill the Full-time position of Maintenance Technician for

properties in the Opelika, AL. . area. Duties will include, but not be limited to: · Promptly handle unit and facility work orders · Complete repairs in a consistent and correct manner · Provide excellent customer service · Work well with other team members · Willing to clean grounds as needed · Be well organized to coordinate and perform unit and site inspections · Able to complete makeready of units proficiently Ideal candidates should have at least 3 years of experience

in apartment maintenance (or similar skills). Candidates should have an understanding of and repair capabilities in HVAC, plumbing, electrical, painting, appliance repair, and/or other tasks related to maintaining the communities in excellent condition. HVAC Certification not required, but preferred. This position will offer competitive pay and benefit package.

Education: · High school or equivalent (Required) License or certification: · Driver’s License (Required) · HVAC Certification (Not required, but preferred)

To apply please visit our office, located at 1706 Toomer Street, Opelika, AL 36801 or complete an application on-line at http://www.opelikaha.org/ Default.asp?ID=123&pg= Employment+Opportunities ------------Project Manager (Opelika, AL) needed to manage factory automation engineering projects. Req. BS in Mechanical Engineering or closely related & 5 yrs of progressive engineering experience in automotive industry. Resume to Hana Factory Automation, 304 Fox Run Ave. Opelika, AL 36801

If you suspect this is happening to someone you know, please report it to Adult Protective Services by contacting your local DHR office or calling the

ADULT ABUSE HOTLINE at 1-800-458-7214

HELP STOP THE ABUSE

IF YOU SEE IT, REPORT IT

There’s no excuse for

ELDER ABUSE

“This project was supported by Subgrant #16-VA-VS-076 awarded by the Law Enforcement / Traffic Safety Division of ADECA and the U.S. Department of Justice.” The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice or grant-making component.”

ALASCAN CLASSIFIEDS ALABAMA CONSTRUCTION JOBS LEARN MORE about high-demand skilled

trades and construction positions. Begin your construction career with Go Build Alabama.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES CONSTRUCTION TRAINING SKILLED APPRENTICESHIPS

A P PLY TODAY

GoBuildAl.com

SERVICES ADVERTISE STATEWIDE & Regionally in over 100 Newspapers, reaching over 1 million readers each week!

Run your ad in our Classified Network for just $210 per week! Make one call to this newspaper (participating Alascan newspaper) or call 1-800-264-7043 to find out how easy it is to advertise

statewide!

BEST SATELLITE TV with 2 Year price Guarantee! $59.99/mo. with 190 Channels and 3 months free premium movie channels!

Free next day installation!

Call 1-855-943-1314.

SECURE YOUR home with Vivint Smart Home technology. Call 1-844-2235761 to learn how you can

get a professionally installed security system with $0 activation.

INSTRUCTION COMPUTER & IT Training Program! Train online to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now!

Now offering a $10,000 Scholarship for qualified applicants. Call CTI for details! 1-844-218-4255 (M-F 7am-5pm) TRAIN ONLINE To do Medical Billing! Become a Medical Office Professional online at CTI! Get Trained, Certified & ready to work in months! Call 1-844-2184255. (M-F, 7am-5pm) INSURANCE SAVE BIG on Home Insurance! Compare 20 A-rated insurance companies.

Let us do the shopping & save you time & money.

Get a quote within minutes.

Average savings of $444/ year! Call 1-888-674-0779.

(M-F 8am-8pm Central) HEALTH/BEAUTY ARE YOU or a loved one suffering from Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, Bipolar Disorder, Addictions or other mental or behavioral disorders? Our inpatient treatment services can help you reclaim your life and get back on track. We work with most PPO insurances. Please call 1-855-549-0035 ATTENTION DIABETICS! Save money on your diabetic supplies! Convenient home shipping for monitors, test strips, insulin pumps, catheters and more! To learn more call now 1-855-5049031

OXYGEN - ANYTIME. Anywhere. No tanks to refill.

No deliveries. The All-New Inogen One G4 is only 2.8 pounds! FAA approved!

FREE info kit: 1-844-3229935 FINANCIAL SERVICES ATTENTION WARTIME Veterans and surviving spouses. Qualify for up to $2,266.00 per month for Home Care, Assisted Living, and Nursing Home Costs. Free Evaluation 1-334-275-5227. www. alabamaveteransaid.com DONATE YOUR Car to Charity. Receive maximum value of write off for your taxes. Running or not! All conditions accepted. Free pickup. Call for details.

1-844-810-1257 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

BECOME A Published Author! We edit, print and distribute your work internationally. We do the work. You reap the Rewards!

Call for a Free Author’s Submission Kit: 1-888-2834780.

WANTED TO BUY FREON WANTED: We pay $$$ for cylinders and cans. R12 R500 R11 R113 R114. Convenient.

Certified Professionals. Call 1-312-584-1728 or visit RefrigerantFinders.com.

MISCELLANEOUS WANTED 10 Homes Needing Siding, Windows, Roofs. Starcraft is opening a branch office and will use these homes for advertising.

Save Hundreds! 100% financing. 1-888-878-6443 www.starcraftindustries.net

B10 June 10, 2020

Like crossword puzzles? Sudoku?

Play online at www.opelikaobserver.com/puzzles/

B11 June 10, 2020

SiO2 Materials Sciences job fair seeks to hire hundreds

By David D. Dorton Special to the Opelika Observer

SiO2 Materials Sciences Company is growing and ready to hire! While many companies have experienced starts and stops with the onset of COVID-19, SiO2 has experienced record growth as the company has increased its production of innovative products for the medical industry. As a result, SiO2 is hiring several hundred employees at its Auburn facility.

SiO2 and the City of Auburn’s Economic Development team are partnering to hold a job fair on Wednesday, June 10, and Thursday, June 18, from 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. to recruit highly skilled manufacturing professionals to join their team.

The SiO2 manufacturing team is looking for individuals interested

in being a part of an advanced group of experienced professionals working daily to advance products and technologies in the medical manufacturing field.

SiO2 Materials Sciences creates engineered containers for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. These containers typically take the form of syringes, vials and cartridges.

The company’s patented technology applies a unique glass-like barrier onto any plastic surface.

SiO2’s products have the durability and dimensional precision of plastic with the physical and barrier properties of glass.

SiO2 is looking for those with manufacturing experience, motivation to succeed, the desire to be a part of a growing team, a

medical background or the desire to work in a technologically advanced facility.

WHAT: Job Fair for SiO2 Material Sciences WHEN: Wednesday, June 10, 9:30 a.m.4 p.m. & Thursday, June 18, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. WHERE: Auburn Center for Developing Industries, 1500 Pumphrey Ave., Auburn, Alabama 36832 POSITIONS: Production Technicians Maintenance Technicians Molding Technicians Quality Inspectors and Lab Technicians Quality Engineers Supply Chain Manager Mechanical Engineers HR Generalist Payroll & Benefits Specialist Front Desk Receptionist Those with questions can contact Workforce Development Director Amy Brabham at abrabham@auburnalabama.org or visit sio2ms.com/contactus/ join-our-team.

PPP LOANS >> FROM B8 • Required payroll ratio is lowered to 60% (from 75%) • Up to 40% allowed for utilities, mortgage interest, etc. However, the bill does not change the categories of allowable spending for forgivable loans, and it does not address the deductibility of payroll and other covered expenses. Senate leaders in their floor statements on June 3 said they are committed to continuing to work on other legislation to fix flaws in the program.

• Removes forgiveness reduction for businesses that were unable to rehire employees or hire new employees to return to pre-disaster employment levels.

• Extends the loan term to 5 years at 1%.

• Borrowers have 10 months from the end of the covered period to submit a forgiveness

application.

• Owners can receive PPP and are still allowed to defer payroll taxes.

Note: As of May 30 more than $120 billion is still available for businesses that want a PPP loan. The bill applies only to the period for spending the funds. No new applications will be accepted after June 30, 2020.

Money remains available for businesses that have not yet applied. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate is committed to replenishing funds if the money runs out before June 30.

The Alabama SBDC is working on a forgiveness application walk-through that reflects the new PPP guidelines.

The bill also does not make clear whether a business may opt to wrap up its spending period and apply for forgiveness before Dec. 31. The NNA expects further information on this option from the Treasury Department soon.

We look forward to brighter days ahead. The Observer remains committed to serving the needs of a stronger, tighter and more connected community.

B12 June 10, 2020

Robert Lofton running for Ward 3 City Council seat

By Natalie Anderson Staff Reporter

Robert Lofton, a retired veterinarian, is running for the Ward 3 City Council seat of Opelika. Lofton grew up in Louisiana and attended Louisiana State University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree before attending Auburn’s School of Veterinary Medicine.

Lofton has been married to Lela Melson Lofton for 48 years, and the two reside in a 100-year-old home as the third generation in the family in downtown Opelika. Lela is a graduate of Opelika High School cand

LOFTON Auburn University.

The two have one son, Jesse, who works in the EMS at East Alabama Medical Center while attending Southern Union.

The couple are members of First Baptist Church Opelika, where Robert teaches a Sunday Bible Study class. Robert is also involved in a number

of community service projects such as My Jerusalem, Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief and Samaritan’s Purse.

He also serves on the advisory committee for Circles Opelika, which is a part of Envision, and is a member of the Chamber of Commerce. Lela is a member of Master Gardeners of Lee County, serves on the Keep Opelika Beautiful Board, sings in the FBCO choir and is involved with other community services.

“I am retired from my profession as a veterinarian and am now involved in managing personal rental

property along with volunteering within the community,” said Robert Lofton.

“I have served in local, state and national veterinary organizations. I consider myself to be a problem solver as well as a hard worker. I have had training in communication skills, which has taught me to be a good listener.

I believe that what people say is important. My core values include integrity, honesty and financial responsibility. I have the desire and the time to serve the residents of Ward 3 and the Opelika community in whole,” added Lofton.

For more information on how to vote in the upcoming election being held on Aug. 25 and find which City Council member represents your Ward, visit opelika-al.gov.

WOMEN >> FROM B7 funded and paid.”

Lovvorn also encouraged all citizens to complete their 2020 censuses. “[These are] strange and challenging times, and I think what we’re learning is that we’re finding new ways to adapt and stay connected,” said representative Chris Blackshear of District 80.

Blackshear encourages everyone to shop local, spend local and go to local businesses. “Our economy in the state is

Elliott & Associates Insurance Agency Opelika - (334)745-0888 elliottinsuranceagents.com

LLC >> FROM B7 into the courthouse as she was told that she could not do it online since the courthouse is now open.

After a discussion, the commission decided that no action was to be taken to change the policy at this time.

In other business, the commission: • approved the minutes of commission meeting held on May 26, 2020 • voted to ratify and approve claims and procurement card transactions • read the first reading of two vacancies coming up on Lee County Communications District (E911) Board - citizen interest forms and letters of recommendations from Mary Henry and Robert Holley were received • voted to approve temporary COVID-19 Policies • approved a resolution to issue a Confirmation of current sales tax levy for the county school system stronger than it has ever been… the governor has a great staff around her, and she is a great listener and is willing to take advice and feedback from people around her.”

Representative Debbie Wood of District 38 presented the progress of “Exton’s Law,” which prevents people with disabilities in need of organ transplants from being discriminated against.

Exton’s Law passed with a favorable report and is out of the house and in the senate. Wood also praised the Opelika citizens for their passion for the community

TEXTILE MILLS ASBESTOS CLAIMS If you began working in a Textile Mill, Tire Plant, Paper Mill, Steel Mill or any other industrial setting before 1980: You may have a claim against the asbestos manufacturers.

Call now for your free evaluation.

1-(888)432-6020 Asbestos Claims, LLC, Jubal L. Hamil Attorney at Law ARPC 7.2.(e) “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.”

This week’s puzzle answers:

debt issuance • approved a resolution to reduce the speed limit on Lee Road 260 from 45 mph to 35 mph • approved an AdoptA-Mile Application for a section of Lee Road 73 • received an update from Lee County’s Emergency Management Agency Director Rita Smith regarding Smith’s first 90 days as the new director.

Some of the important points discussed were: - COVID-19 Pandemic response and support - Search and Rescue operation - Strategic Planning Committee meeting - Fire Rehab Support Units - Fall Community CERT Class - New EMA team members - Inventory and identification of agency needs.

The Lee County Commission meets on the 2nd and last Mondays of every month at 5 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for June 29. concerning the quarry earlier in the year. “[I’m] praying for freedom and peace for the six months left of the year,” said Wood. “We’ve learned so much from this pandemic. We’ve learned our children can learn at home… I think if we can concentrate on what we’ve learned, we can put a different twist on where we’ve been.”

The Republican Women of East Alabama organization is at its highest member count with a total of 37 members.

During COVID-19, the organization and its members were able to offer support to East Alabama Medical Center by providing local meals for the staff along with making homemade cards with scripture and words of encouragement.

The organization also donated $300 to a school supply drive hosted by BigHouse Foundation.

While there’s no meeting organized for July, further information will be provided about whether the August meeting will be held in person or virtually.

For more information, visit their “Republican Women of East Alabama” Facebook page or email leevanoy@yahoo.com.