12-30-2020 E-edition

VOL. 13, NO. 13

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

pelika Observer O

Opelika, Alabama

According to the National Weather Service, some of Alabama might experience severe storms on Thursday.

As of press time, Lee County has only a marginal risk of thunder storms on Thursday. However, residents should

“An award-winning publication for local people, by local people.”

remain aware of the potential for changes.

Goodbye 2020

Photo by Robert Noles / Opelika Observer Community members gather on the top of a parking deck to pray and show their support for EAMC staff and patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. From the April 8 issue of the Observer.

By Opelika Observer Staff Without a doubt, 2020 has been the most unusual year in Observer history.

A year that started out with promise and vision quickly shifted to confusion, fear and panic for many. March started as any other March might have — with blue skies, blooming spring flowers and a booming economy.

By the end of the month, people were hunkered down inside

their homes, schools were closed and businesses across Lee County and the nation were shuttered.

The novel coronavirus spread across the world and brought with it new vocabulary that quickly became part of everyday speech. We learned that some businesses were considered essential while others were not. “Social distancing,” “remote learning” and “curbside pickup” became common.

Businesses either had to pivot and find new ways of bringing in revenue or risk closing for good, and sadly, some ended up closing. But others — like Mama Mocha’s — found new ways to do business. The coffee shop shifted to offering the popular “iced crack” coffee in half and full gallon sizes that were available only by a no-contact pickup.

School districts had mere days to learn how to manage remote learning for

thousands of students and scrambled to ensure that students in rural areas had access to the internet.

School buses were deployed with hot spots to some areas to provide access.

Parents who were deemed essential workers struggled to find care for their now at-home children, while others, now unemployed, struggled with how to provide for their families.

Hospitals and intensive care units filled

with patients, and medical personnel quickly saw shortages of important safety equipment like gowns, gloves and masks. The community answered the call for help and bought out fabric, sewing machines and other supplies and started making face coverings by the hundreds.

Community members rallied to support healthcare workers and the sick. Meals were delivered to the hospital to feed staff, and cars filled the

parking lots at dusk shining their lights towards the hospital in show of love and support. Hands were lifted up in prayer for the doctors, nurses and patients.

EAMC’s Laura Grill was named as one of the top-five hospital administrators during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Auburn Engineering program joined the fight against the virus.

Nearly 4,800 Alabamians have died See GOODBYE 2020, page A3

Index OPINION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A4

SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B1

SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY. . . . . . . .A7

POLITICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B5

RELIGION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A11

PUBLIC NOTICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . B9

COMICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A14

CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B9

To nd out more and to stay up to date with developments sign up for the mailing list at protectbeulahstopthequarry@gmail.com

A2 December 30, 2020

Four Corners Ministries wins Holiday Decorating Contest

Photo contributed by Opelika Main Street Four Corners Ministries is the winner of the 2020 Downtown Opelika Holiday Decorating Contest.

pelika Observer

O

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

Sisters of Promise Chapter donates bike, scooter to DHR

Sisters of Promise chapter #442 Order of the Eastern star donated a bike to DHR in Tuskegee along with a scooter given by Quent Sharing and Caring Uplift Outreach run by Marquenta Barnett. The organization said that it wanted to be a blessing to families during Christmas.

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Publisher: Michelle Key Associate Editors: Will Fairless and Hannah Lester Marketing: Woody Ross Photojournalist: Robert Noles Sports Writers: Wil Crews, Rick Lanier and D. Mark Mitchell

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A3 December 30, 2020

Statewide contest for masking videos Contributed by the Alabama Department of Public Health With face masks proving to be one of the most effective methods of preventing COVID-19 transmission, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), the Alabama Hospital Association (ALAHA) and the Medical Association of the State of Alabama are sponsor-

ing a video contest for Alabamians of all ages to share why they feel it is important to wear a mask.

Until Jan. 4, 2021, entries may be submitted through the Mask Up Alabama website. A statewide panel of judges will pick the top 10 videos, and then five winners will be chosen through a public, online voting process.

The first-place win-

ner will receive $600, and the second and third place winners will receive $400 and $200 respectively.

Two other honorable mention videos will be posted online along with the winners’ videos for use by media outlets and on social media.

According to the contest sponsors, entries must be submitted by Alabama residents and should

be 30 seconds or less.

Each video needs to highlight basic information related to mask wearing and COVID-19, and applicants can utilize information from the Mask Up Alabama web page or the CDC’s webpage

(www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.2019-ncov/ prevent-getting-sick/ about-face-coverings. html).

There is no fee to enter as the sponsors are simply hoping to catch the attention of aspiring filmmakers

and increase the use of masks.

For full details, including the online submission form and release form, visit MaskUpAlabama (www. alabamapublichealth. gov/covid19/maskupal.html).

Kroger is “Standing with Our First Responders” Contributed by Kroger’s Atlanta Division Kroger’s 184 stores in the Atlanta Division, which includes Georgia, Eastern Alabama and South Carolina, are “Standing with Our First Responders.”

Kroger store associates surprised first responders, delivering specially packed gift boxes to their local fire stations and local police pre-

GOODBYE 2020 >> FROM A1

from COVID-19, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health website, including 74 people from Lee County.

Nine months later, COVID-19 is still with us, and ICUs are still full or nearly full of people who are fighting to survive the virus. Masks have not only become common but mandated. Most businesses are open again, but many are still struggling.

However, in spite of all the difficulties related to COVID-19, Lee County has proven yet again that it is resilient and strong.

Here is the Observer’s recap of 2020: Front page news: Some of the biggest headlines from our front page during 2020 included the devastating news of the deaths of Medal of Honor recipient Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie Adkins and Lee County Commissioner Johnny Lawrence, both of whom died from COVID-19.

Other front page news included the heroic actions of Kounte Threadgill, who saved his siblings from a house fire, the announcement of Ali Rauch as the new Opelika Chamber of Commerce president, record-breaking figures from the city of Opelika’s building department, the installation of the Beauregard Memorial, Rusty Sowell being named the recipient of the FBI Director’s

cincts.

Each store packed and decorated the gift boxes which contain $100 of food supplies each. This equates to more than 50,000 meals.

“Standing with Our First Responders” is a project of Kroger’s African American Resource Group, whose purpose and promise is to Feed the Human Spirit by creating opportunities

for the professional and personal growth of associates, giving back to the community and sharing ideas to enrich the lives of the people it serves.

“We know 2020 has been more challenging than any of us could have predicted," said Felix Turner, manager of corporate affairs for Kroger's Atlanta Division. "From a global pandemic to civil unrest, we have all been

affected in one way or another. Please know that we stand with you, our first responders, and are grateful for the sacrifices you make on behalf of our communities.”

The gift boxes were designed to meet the specific needs of fire stations and police precincts. Fire stations received staples for meals, such as spaghetti and spaghetti sauce as well as potatoes,

green beans, soups and even cake mix. Police precincts received “onthe-go” snack items such as granola bars, breakfast bars, coffee and water.

Kroger’s Atlanta Division African American Resource Group has a vision to foster an environment where members can connect, grow, share and feel valued, providing African American associates and

allies with professional growth, community outreach opportunities and social networking activities.

“On behalf of the Kroger Atlanta Division African American Associate Resource Group, we would like to say ‘thank you’ for the significant contributions our first responders make to our communities every day.”

Turner said

Community Leadership Award, the groundbreaking for the new $12 Million Opelika Library and not one but two fights against granite quarries, one of which is still ongoing.

New retail businesses: While this list does not include every new business that opened in 2020, it does contain some of the ones featured in the Observer: Five Below, Davis-Mann & Co., Koko’s Boutique, I’m that Mom, Loves Travel Stop, Well Red, Prewitt Pest Control, One-Stop Neighborhood Market, Robin’s Nest, Rock ‘N Roll Pinball, Willow Tree Boutique, 1010 Salon, America’s Thrift, The Tiny Closet and Z & Z Cigar Co. Society and Entertainment: Straight from the Society, Food and Entertainment section were articles published about new restaurants such as: Nu Tom Beaux, Pokemen and Takoyaki. The Irritable Bao opened its brick-andmortar storefront, and Jim Bob’s on First Avenue opened under new ownership.

Lucy’s bartender Neil Cooper was named Alabama’s 2020 Bartender of the Year.

Dani Nelson and Leif Espelund bought and reopened the Heritage House on Second Avenue. In Smiths Station the Jones Store and Museum received a historic designation, and the Ellen Show honored a Smiths Station family.

Schools & Learning: Schools saw big changes during 2020.

The 2020-21 school year started with many

students still learning at home via virtual learning or with a blend of in-person and remote learning. Temperature checks, near constant hand sanitizing and desks set six feet apart and shielded with plastic are not uncommon in this new school setting. Featured in the Observer this year were: OCS Teachers of the Year: Breeana Boyd - Elementary Teacher of the Year and Morris Avenue Intermediate Teacher of the Year; Hannah Holladay – Secondary Teacher of the Year and Opelika High School Teacher of the Year Two teachers in the ACS system, Kathryn Knorr, a teacher at Ogletree Elementary School and Jessica Bowlin from AHS were named as a finalists for Alabama Teacher of the Year.

Lee County Teachers of the Year Auburn City Schools' Tiger Mochas was selected as one of the first-ever recipients of the AlabamaWorks Innovator Awards.

The Sarah West Art Gallery created and distributed thousands of art boxes to local schools within the Lee County school system.

Alabama's first STEM Preschool debuted in Auburn.

Jean Dean RIF discontinues services OMS student Harrision Renfro was selected to attend the Presidential Inauguration.

Tragedy hit the Beulah schools when, Beulah educator David Darnell and his daughter Abigail were killed on Interstate 85 in April.

Sports: While

nearly all spring sports were cancelled during the early months of COVID-19, summer and fall sports resumed with some new procedures and restrictions.

Former Auburn Football Coach Pat Dye passed away in June, and Head Coach Guz Malzahn was fired and replaced by Bryan Harsin. Opelika High School named Emanuel Brown as the new head basketball coach, and Opelika’s Jeff Hilyer was added to the Sports Officials Hall of Fame.

Glenwood had an outstanding football season. An Opelika Middle School student and member of the Dawg Pound, Skyland Holstick, was the only student from Alabama selected to play in an international, all-star football game in February 2020 and was also selected for the academic, all-American bowl in December.

Politics: 2020 was a big year in politics, and even COVID-19 could not stop the political wheels from turning. Important local headlines this year included the election of four new city council members to the Opelika City Council and two new county commissioners. The former Lee County EMA director resigned in February, and Rita Smith was appointed the new director of the agency.

The police chiefs from both Auburn and Opelika retired, along with Jim Buston, Auburn’s city manager, Opelika’s fire chief Byron Prather, County Commissioner Sheila Eckman and long-time city council member

Patsy Jones.

Former AU Football Head Coach Tommy Tuberville defeated Doug Jones in the senate race.

Opelika created the Youth Incarceration Prevention Program in 2020 and Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes was arrested and charged with ethics violations.

Marches, protests and rallies have been held throughout Lee County this year.

Anne Grady, Opelika’s first female-elected government official, passed away on June 14 and was honored by the Opelika City Council.

In other news: Several Lee County residents and former Lee Countians published books during this year, notably: Cody Foote (“Limericks, Lies and Lunacy”), Sid Mickle (“A Backwards Glance”), Paige and Josh Wetzel ("Beautifully Broken: An Unlikely Journey of Faith"), Amanda Dodson-Gremillion (“Just Buy Her a Dress and She’ll Be Fine”), Wade Bennett (“Fearless and True”) and Lea Robison (“Liar’s Bloodline”).

Observer news: The Observer also saw many changes, in true 2020 fashion. While we never stopped reporting the happenings of Lee County, we did close our office and worked remotely for six weeks during the shutdown phase of the pandemic. We saw a complete turnover of our staff, losing both Editor Morgan Bryce and staff reporter Natalie Anderson, but gaining Will Fairless, Hannah Lester and Wil Crews. Also,

Rena Smith joined our marketing department.

We published our first magazine, called Lee County Strong, as a tribute to the memory of those lost in the 2019 tornados and to honor those who survived and are still working to rebuild their lives.

Following Lee County Strong, we made the decision to launch Live Lee — and published two issues, plus two special editions this year.

In June, we won 11 awards in the Alabama Press Association Media Awards, and this fall we were honored to receive the Main Street Hero award as part of the 2020 Main Street Alabama Awards of Excellence.

We were chosen out of thousands of entries to be the recipient of Google News Initiative Journalism Emergency Relief Funds with our proposal to give back to our community by offering small, local businesses free advertising for a period of time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 30 businesses took advantage of this opportunity.

After more than 11 years on Eighth Street, the Observer recently relocated our offices to 207 North 3rd Street in Opelika.

This is a temporary move. We are proud to announce that we will be returning to 8th Street in a new permanent location as owners of 223 S. 8th Street upon completion of the remodeling of the building.

We are excited to invest not only in our future but in the growth and development of downtown Opelika.

A4 December 30, 2020

8 Tips For Making Resolutions That Stick Contributed by Lindsay Cline

I

t was December 2018. I had been living in a place of unwellness for two years. I had not exercised, I had consumed loads of processed food and sugar and alcohol, and I was sick.

But I was spending New Year’s Eve in Eureka Springs, Arkansas – a place with a certain kind of magic. I believe that traveling has the power to induce significant lifestyle changes.

Something about the change of scenery and the anonymity reminded me that humans have the power to wake up tomorrow and be absolutely anyone they want. A new person living a new life.

Maybe it was this certain kind of Eureka Springs magic that made my 2018 New Year’s resolution to regain my health stick.

Or maybe, just maybe, I had accidentally used the perfect combination of science and

A

nameless town.

A tiny place you’ve never heard of. One without a stoplight. It’s a place so small that when you dial a wrong number they supply you with the correct one. The 2020 Christmas decorations on mainstreet have started to come down today.

Once upon a time, the beautification committee would have kept decorations up until New Year’s, but it’s been a weird year. The chairwoman decided it was time to take decorations down. The New Year needs a fresh start, she said. People are ready to forget the trappings of 2020 and remember that life goes on.

So the garland on local businesses was first to go. Then the pinery on lampposts.

The snowflake decals in shop windows came down too.

Meanwhile, across town, there is an old man sitting in his yard in a wheelchair. He wears a surgical mask and watches grandkids play with a Nerf football. He’s hardly moving after his recent stroke, which nearly killed him weeks before Christmas.

But they tell me this man is immeasurably determined, and even cheerful.

His granddaughter sits beside him, holding his limp hand. He has been through a lot, but there is no sadness in his mumbled respons-

intention to propel me into the elusive 8% of people who are actually successful in achieving their resolutions.

That’s right. A study from the University of Scranton revealed that 92% of well-intentioned New Year’s resolutioners fail ... and 80% of them fail by February.

So what was different about the words I used and the goals I set on that cold, rainy December night in Eureka Springs?

1) I was focused on the positive. One of the catalysts for my change was a steep hill right outside of the bed and breakfast where we were staying.

At the top of that hill was an amazing view, antique shops galore, the best Italian restaurant in town and the “most haunted hotel in America.” All the things I really wanted to check out required a cardio session to enjoy.

I watched other families making the trek with what appeared to be ease, and I wanted to

feel that, too. It was that hill that really made me realize just how much attention I needed to give my health. By focusing on what I wanted the end goal to be (to enjoy outdoor activities with ease) instead of the problem (I was overweight and living an unhealthy lifestyle), my mindset was immediately in the right place for success.

Rather than thinking about the unhealthy behaviors that you want to change, focus on the healthy behaviors that you want to adopt. A simple shift in mindset can have BIG results.

2) I shared my goals.

Quickly. I told my husband I was DONE, and then I blasted my journey all over social media. Sharing my experience and my goals with others accomplished more than one objective – it not only recruited an instant network of support, but it also helped me define (and redefine) what I hoped to achieve and WHY I wanted to do it.

3) I worked on small steps. I had two goals at the very beginning – eliminate alcohol and exercise 30 minutes a day. That’s it. It didn’t matter if the exercise consisted of walking, dancing, cleaning, sprinting or just doing a ton of arm circles all day. If my fitness tracker said I had accomplished 30 minutes of exercise a day, it had been achieved. And on that note…

4) I wore a fitness tracker, and it absolutely helped to turn my life around. A good tracker that gives you gentle lifestyle nudges can be an amazing assistant on your journey to health.

I had no idea just how sedentary I was without the tracker explaining to me that it had been an hour since I stood up or that I’d only burned a couple hundred calories all day.

5) I practiced radical self-forgiveness. Eat an entire bag of potato chips? Big deal. Accidentally find yourself in the drive-thru line? So

what? Even the healthiest of people eat too many chips sometimes.

The difference – they don’t do it again the next day. Forgive it and move on. And while we’re talking about this – you also don’t have to increase your workouts to make up for this kinda stuff. Just go back to normal. It’s fine.

Promise.

6) I had fun. I figured out pretty quickly that the method of exercise I had previously enjoyed was just not bringing me joy. I needed new activities, and I had fun finding them. I played around with running, walking, cycling, HIIT, group fitness workouts, yoga and Pilates – rather than sticking with just one form, I changed it up often.

7) I didn’t crash diet.

Y’all, there is one way to lose weight and keep it off. Burn more calories than you consume. That’s it. And if you try to lose it super quickly, it’s gonna be miserable, and you will quit. Go slow.

Slow is happy.

8) I put myself first. And this one is non-negotiable. Nothing – not work, not family, not friends, not anything – got between me and my workouts.

I would shift them around if necessary or move them to different locations, but they happened every day and everywhere I was.

Above all, if you choose to make health resolutions this year, remember to be kind to yourself. 2020 was rough enough without the added abuse of telling ourselves we failed. Let’s go into 2021 with the renewed understanding of just how precious and sacred health truly is.

Move closer toward that.

Lindsay Cline is an ACE-certified health coach and Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher (NCPT®).

She shares fitness and nutrition tips via her social media platforms – find her at @ TheWellLindsay.

The Old Year es, only reassurance to those he loves. His quivering lips seem to say, “Please don’t cry for me, life goes on, and so will I.” Life does indeed go on. Just like it’s doing a few houses over, where a young man who we’ll call Billy is back home.

Billy is visiting his mom for the holidays.

Billy has been sober for two years now.

Although most remember him from his former days spent on a local barstool, playing the fool. But that’s in the past now. He’s dry, and constantly recovering.

This makes his mama proud.

His mother, the former Sunday school teacher. The woman who taught the town’s children to memorize the Ten Commandments and recite the 23rd Psalm. A woman so devout that she once repented for using the 10-items-orless checkout lane to purchase one dozen eggs.

Billy’s drinking problem made her the subject of ridicule. In some circles, she was a laughingstock. But in a way, Billy’s issues also reintroduced her to beliefs she truly held dear. He retaught her things like reconciliation, non-judgement and love without a contract. Concepts she had lost sight of once. And these virtues worked. They saved Billy.

Today when she looks at her son there

By Sean Dietrich is no criticism, no recollection of grievances. Instead she thinks to herself how grateful she is that life perpetually, mercifully, moves onward.

On the north side of the city, a 76-year-old man on his porch is thinking pretty much the same thing. He still has crud in his chest from a lingering coronavirus bout. But he’s doing better now.

Thankfully, his fight with the virus was the least of his life’s troubles. This is a man who once fought in Vietnam, who returned home in shreds. Who slept outside in his own backyard for one year because sleeping indoors made his nightmares worse. He was only a teenager when he joined Uncle Sam’s cause. He saw things over there he will never unsee.

And you ought to

hear him tell the story of his redemption.

It happened in the 1980s. He was driving home one day from doing shift work at the mill. He stopped at a crosswalk near the elementary school. There, he saw dozens of children climbing from yellow school buses.

They were laughing and smiling.

This simple scene touched him so deeply that he cried behind the wheel of his idling truck until cars started honking. It was their innocence. That’s what did it. When he saw children boarding those buses, he realized that, in his own words, “Life just keeps going.”

I think I’m noticing a trend here.

Ironically, one of those same yellow buses would’ve been driven by a lady who I’ll call Mari-

lyn. Everyone knows Marilyn. She was a woman who always wore a mop of prematurely gray hair atop her head and smelled like Chanel No. 5 and Camels. She was feisty. Her house was run down, with dirt bikes in the yard. She raised four boys in that house.

When she hit her late 40s, her husband traded her in for a 23-year-old waitress.

Marilyn almost didn’t make it after that.

Her life was over, she thought. Totally over.

Insurmountably over.

Except it wasn’t.

“How’d you survive?” someone once asked an older Marilyn.

The elderly woman, with a voice full of good humor, said something along these lines: “Oh, sweetie, the world don’t stop for nobody, no matter

who you are.”

She’s a real success story. And today she stands on a ladder, removing lamp post garland alongside other members of the beautification committee.

Because in a few days 2020 will be gone. The last 12 months will be purely memory. Our entire world will reach that singular moment when two calendar years collide. “The Year That Was” will bump into “The Year That Is.” The clock will ding midnight, and we will never date personal checks the same way again.

If you stand in any Smalltown, USA, on New Year’s Eve night, you’ll hear the same distant sounds in the far-off. You won’t hear people crying. They won’t be complaining, either. You’ll hear clanging pots and pans, rifle cracks, applause, hollering, cheering and lots of singing. There will be kisses among lovers. Hugs among family. Children’s foreheads will be smeared with Granny’s lipstick.

The remnants of yesterday will vanish.

And this world will be reminded of something wonderful, something I keep forgetting. I forget that this New Year is not merely the closing of an old year.

But it is a chance for me to embrace a brand new one.

Because life, you see, really does go on.

A5 December 30, 2020

Express Feedback for Good raises funds for Lee County Humane Society Contributed by LCHS Lee County Humane Society is proud to announce a campaign with a great partner, Express Feedback for Good. The goal is for the community to come together and generate over $15,000 for Lee County Humane Society without spending a cent. Now through Jan. 14, each time you share a quality brand opinion via Express Feedback for Good, $2 goes toward saving the lives of homeless pets in our community. You can personally create up to $150 (75 opinions). Anyone in the United States ages 18+

can participate to raise money for LCHS. Each brand opinion takes less than two minutes to submit.

As of Dec. 22, this platform had broken $3,000 for Lee County Humane Society. We still have a long way to go to raise $15,000 before Jan. 14.

To get started, visit (www.feedback.hundredxinc. com/?key=c813810eb682-4244-88932811d5f739a0&utm_ medium=social) or text PAWS to 31996.

During these challenging times, LCHS’s shelter’s opportunity for adoption or fundraising events is extremely lim-

ited. It is so important for the community to support this free fundraising platform. All funds raised by Express Feedback for Good will go toward the LCHS annual No More Wasted Lives Campaign, which helps Lee County Humane Society care and find homes for the

3,000 pets it takes in every year.

Lee County Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all membership fees and donations are tax-deductible. Our mission is to advance humane treatment and responsible ownership of companion animals

through community education, animal sheltering and adoption and the alleviation of animal suffering.

Our vision is to be the leading advocate for companion animals in our community. We envision a future in which animals are valued, pet overpopulation is

eliminated and every adoptable companion animal has a loving and responsible home.

Follow Lee County Humane Society on Facebook.com/LeeCountyHumaneSociety, Twitter (@leecountyhumane), and Instagram (@leecountyhumanesociety)

Alabama Farmers Federation, Simply Southern TV seek “Bama’s Best Pizza�

Contributed by Alabama Farmers Federation It’s arguably America’s favorite food, and the Alabama Farmers Federation wants to find out which Alabama eatery serves up a pizza pie worth falling in “amore� with.

Whether it’s a fullblown pizzeria or a food truck with pizza pizazz, nominate a favorite local joint for the Bama’s Best Pizza Contest by commenting on the announcement post at Facebook.com/ AlfaFarmers. Comments must include the establishment’s name and city.

Nominations close Jan. 11. Local eateries with the most votes will face off against each other in the “Edible Eight� bracket. Matchups will be announced daily Jan. 18-21 at Facebook.com/SimplySouthernTV. Competitors with the most votes will make it into the Flavorful Four.

Judges will visit each “Flavorful Four� finalist, and the winner will be announced in early February. Along

with bragging rights, the winning restaurant will receive a plaque and cash prize and will be featured in Neighbors

1 OUT OF 10 ELDERLY PERSONS AND ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES ARE BEING:

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ADULT ABUSE HOTLINE at 1-800-458-7214

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ELDER ABUSE “This project was supported by Subgrant #18-VA-VS-050 #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.�

magazine and on “Simply Southern TV.�

Bama’s Best Pizza Contest is sponsored by the Alabama Dairy

Producers and Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, whose members grow and produce products

needed to make the perfect pizza.

Contest Schedule: • Dec. 28: Nomination period opens at Face-

book.com/AlfaFarmers • Jan. 11: Nominations close • Jan. 18-21: Daily head-to-head matchups for the Edible Eight at Facebook. com/SimplySouthernTV • Late January: Judges visit Flavorful Four to determine a winner • Early February: Winner announced Bama’s Best Pizza seeks to promote Alabama-based restaurants.

National chains will not be eligible. However, specific locations of an Alabama-based chains will be eligible to compete.

The Alabama Farmers Federation is the state’s largest farm organization with more than 350,000 member families.

For more information about sponsoring organizations, visit AlfaFarmers.org. “Simply Southern TV� is a production of the Alabama Farmers Federation with major support from Alabama Farmers Cooperative.

For more information, visit SimplySouthernTV.net.

A6 December 30, 2020

Colleen Jennings keeps Auburn beautiful with flowers

By Hannah Lester hlester@opelikaobserver.com

Would the loveliest village on the plains be complete without downtown Auburn’s hanging baskets of flowers?

Colleen Jennings is the individual responsible for keeping those flowers looking their best.

Jennings is a member of the Auburn Beautification Council and has been employed to care for Auburn’s flowers for 15 years.

Auburn has 35 baskets around town, hanging from lampposts. Twice a year, Jennings designs these baskets of flowers with seasonal plants.

“What I do, in addition to that, is keep them alive year round,” she said. “And that involves, in the summer time from like June through when we pull them out in October, it becomes a daily maintenance, you know, seven days a week.”

Picking flowers that will stay alive for their respective season is important. In the winter,

Photos contributed by Colleen Jennings

Jennings plants pansies and violas.

“In the summer time are the really fun plants, that’s when the design gets to come in if you will,” she said. “And I just use a variety of plants. I like to use lots of color, texture, heights — but mostly color. I like to put

everything that I can in there … I do a lot of pinks, reds and purples.

That’s where, when I say design, I just choose a lot of variety of plants in the summertime. mandevillas, plumbago, vinca, angelonia, joseph’s coat, cascading vinca.”

Jennings’ favorites

are mandevilla and angelonia, so take a closer look around town and you’re sure to find those in the 35 baskets.

“It is a labor of love and I really do enjoy what I do,” she said.

“I get to be outside, I get to create things that people really, honestly enjoy. I have people stop and tell me quite frequently that they really enjoy the baskets.”

Auburn residents aren’t the only ones to enjoy the baskets, Jennings said that guests have given her praise on the flowers, too.

Jennings was one of

six lamplighter award winners the Auburn Mayor Ron Anders named during his state of the city address in November.

“How much time does it take to make a city beautiful,” Anders said. “The effort to keep Auburn beautiful is ongoing … One of my favorite aspects about downtown are its beautiful hanging baskets. Always blooming.

Always communicating that Auburn is a unique village. “… Her attitude can be summed up in this quote, ‘I do occasionally

have a lizard leap out of the baskets. When one lands on me, I’ll be screaming, other than that, it’s a day in the sunshine.’”

Jennings said that while the job can be hard at times, or tedious, she loves the work.

“It’s very heartwarming to have a student come up to me and tell me, ‘these baskets are my favorite thing about Auburn.’”

This is the fourth in a series that will highlight the work these lamplighter award winners have done for the city of Auburn.

22nd Annual Dr. Martin L. King Celebration Contributed by the Dream Day Foundation

Photo by Robert Noles / Opelika Observer Community youth participate in the 2020 Martin Luther King Celebration.

The Dream Day Foundation, Inc., a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization in partnership with McDonald’s of Auburn, Opelika, Shorter and Tuskegee, Kroger, Inc., Harris Funeral Home,

Inc. and Opelika City Council, is in the planning stages of its 22nd annual celebration honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Due to COVID-19, this year’s celebration will be a virtual production for the welfare of all involved. This year’s Zoom event will be produced by community youth in safe and secure environments. The hope is that more households in and outside the Lee County area will be reached.

The organization will honor Dr. King’s legacy with the theme #URMYHERO and recognize some local heroes. A #URMYHERO will be created for young people to honor their own personal hero via Zoom.

The celebration will be held via Zoom on Jan. 18, 2021, from 11 a.m. to noon and remain on YouTube for the public to

view. A free link will be published for all who wish to join this celebration.

We will once again reveal the recipient of the 2021 Dream Achiever Award and announce the winners of our 2021 Dream Day Scholarships for high school seniors wishing to further their education.

If anyone wishes to purchase a 2021 t-shirt, they can do so by contacting Belinda Smith at 334-740-0429. The deadline to prepay for and order a t-shirt is Jan. 9. If you are interested in being a part of our annual souvenir booklet, please contact Marilyn Cochran at 334-3320118 for sponsorship.

For more information about the Dream Day Foundation, visit (www. thedreamdayfoundation. org). If you need any additional information, please feel free to contact Marion Sankey at 334663-6638.

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Opelika E vents, Society & Food

UPCOMING EVENTS Ending Dec. 31 - Christmas in Camelot - Drive-Thru Nativity on the Robert Trent Jones Trail Ending Jan. 2 - AU Gingerbread Village at the Hotel at AU and Dixon Conference Center

Celebrate New Year’s Eve with cheese boards, cheese party dishes ANN CIPPERLY

Southern

Hospitality

O

n New Year’s Eve, there will be plenty of us ready for this year to be over and ring in 2021 with hopes of it being much better. Instead of preparing a big meal, a cheese board, cheese fondue or assorted appetizers will feel more like a party for family gathered in your home. A cheese board is great for an easy appetizer, to end an elegant meal or as a light supper on its own.

While we savored superb cheeses in France and Holland, one of our favorite cheeses is made in Alabama and is maybe America’s most awarded goat cheese. The Belle Chevre Creamery and Cheese Shop and Tasting Room Café are located in

Elkmont.

A few years ago, we drove to Elkmont and visited cheesemaker Tasia Malakasis, who talked about her journey from high-tech companies to cheese making with Belle Chevre. While the goat cheese is highly rated, Tasia admits the product is better known in New York than her home state of Alabama.

Elkmont is near Huntsville, where Tasia grew up. She majored in literature at the University of Alabama at Huntsville.

“I had no idea what I wanted to do,” she said.

After college, Tasia worked for high-tech companies in the Silicon Valley, New York and Philadelphia.

When she wasn’t

working, Tasia was cooking. She took a sabbatical from her job to attend the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, New York. While she had a passion for food, she never thought about making cheese.

Her life took a turn while in New York City, shopping in Dean & DeLuca when she picked up a log of goat cheese made in Elkmont. It surprised her since it was so near where she grew up, but she had never heard of it.

“I wondered why an Alabama girl would have to come to New York to find something that was made in her backyard.”

Discovering the exceptional cheese sparked her interest to learn

Nature Made, Feed the Children Hosts Event Families receive food, essentials, vitamins and gifts during event

Contributed by Feed the Children Nature Made partnered with Feed the Children and Alabama Council on Human

Relations to bring No Hunger Holidays to 400 Auburn families during the season of giving.

The drive-thru event was held Dec. 18 at

three sites including Frankie B. King Headstart Center, Edelman Center and the Darden Center.

See HOSTS EVENT, page A13

Photo by Ann Cipperly A classic cheese board features a selection of soft ripened, semi-firm, firm and hard cheeses arranged old school style with water biscuits on the side. Today’s trend for cheese boards is to arrange everything on the board including the crackers and accompaniments. Check the article to find out about one of the best goat cheeses in America that is made in Alabama.

more about it. She discovered that the cheese, which began in 1989, had received awards and was served at the White House and famous restaurants.

Tasia quit her job and called the owner of Belle Chevre to tell her she was coming home to learn how to make cheese. She worked without pay for six months and then purchased the company in 2007.

Tasia did not change

the base recipe, which is made in the French tradition. She expanded the product and began offering Belle Chevre in fig and cinnamon for a breakfast cheese. Tasia also created goat cheese ice cream and a cheesecake, which received an award in Switzerland as the Best Cheese Dessert.

In a short time, Belle Chevre received numerous national and international awards. It has also been named one of

the 50 Best Independent Food Brands.

The company purchases goat milk from regional farms. “My passion is food,” said Tasia.

“I leave the goats to the farmers. I enjoy making the cheese.”

Belle Chevre’s newest product is “better for you cream cheese.” It is offered as original and in four flavors. The cream cheese received two See CIPPERLY, page A13

Opelika native's second book Contributed by Artemis Publishing Company Hot on the heels of her best-selling novel, Mill Village, author Lei Robison’s newest release, "Liar's Bloodline," follows the interconnected lives of two different, yet similar, women over the course of more than 40 years.

Upon hearing news of the death of the eccentric Artis Moore, the owner of the antique shop beside her boutique, Lanie Bragg

is tossed headfirst into the story of the older woman’s intriguing and mysterious life and loves from the past, culminating in a life-altering secret that is revealed, changing everything Lanie knew about her family and her life.

This touching tale of life, love and heartache, Liar’s Bloodline is an intriguing love story as well as a fascinating one, describing the connection of two women from generations that come togeth-

er in an explosive way.

The book appeals to readers everywhere See ROBISON, page A13

A8 December 30, 2020

Community delivers holiday cheer to Arbor Springs Health & Rehab Center Contributed by Arbor Springs Health and Rehab Center Despite the challenges of this year, the season of hope is in full swing at Arbor Springs Health & Rehab Center, thanks to friends in the community who have gone out of their way to raise holiday spirits for residents and staff.

• Thalamus LLC, an electrical and data contractor, arrived with a bucket truck to help Arbor Springs hang a wreath above its front door.

• Opelika High School’s horticulture program decked Arbor Springs’ halls with poinsettias that had been planted and nurtured by students since August.

• Residents at the Springs of Mill

Lakes, a nearby retirement community, sent holiday cards to Arbor Springs residents and are providing “caregiver survivor kits” for every member of the Arbor Springs staff.

The infusion of holiday cheer couldn’t be more welcome – or more timely.

While a vaccine is imminent and will soon be administered to residents, COVID-19 remains a threat and continues to limit activities residents typically enjoy at this time of the year, including visits with family, friends, church groups and other community organizations.

“We’re trying to keep the cheer level up,” said Cheri Place-Chaffin, the director of nursing at Arbor Springs. “But the staff is tired. Residents

are too. That’s why it means so much for our community to show up and remind us that we are not forgotten.”

The lit wreath above the entrance set the tone. The spot for the wreath is a little out of ladder reach, and it had been a few years since Arbor Springs had risked attempting to put it up. But, Place-Chaffin said, “We decided this was not the year to go without.”

A Thalamus employee with family ties at Arbor Springs asked his company’s owner, Allen Conradi, for help. Conradi did not hesitate. He showed up with a bucket truck and put up the wreath himself.

“We just know so many folks connected to Arbor Springs,” Conradi said. “Any way we can help and

brighten their spirits, we’re glad to do it.”

The same inspiration led Ginny Gaberlavage, who teaches horticulture at Opelika High, to offer up her students’ poinsettias to Arbor Springs. The plants are usually sold as a fund-raiser for the horticulture program.

Gaberlavage believed they would be better used this year to provide holiday décor at Arbor Springs.

“We just dropped them off because it was a terrible, terrible, terrible year,” she said. “We didn’t do it for recognition. We just wanted to give back.”

The same goal inspired residents at the Springs of Mills Lakes retirement community to rally around a project to send Christmas cards to Arbor Springs residents and

put together “caregiver survival kits” for members of the staff.

“Everyone likes getting mail,” said Christy Lucas, a Mill Lake resident who helped organize the efforts. “We all have an extra Christmas card and stamp.”

The caregiver kits for staff are filled with little gifts that carry big messages – including Lifesavers “to remind you how many times you have been one,” a safety pin “to keep you safe” and a matchbook “to light your fire when you feel burnt out.”

Lucas said the kits are an acknowledgment of the staff’s past efforts and an encouragement to keep going.

“They have been in the trenches throughout this,” she said. “I wish I had a million

dollars so I could give them everything.

But this is just a little ‘happy’ to let them know that they are very much appreciated.”

Place-Chaffin said Arbor Springs has appreciated community support throughout the COVID-19 crisis. But the touches are especially critical now, as vaccines bring welcome hope but not an immediate end to the pandemic.

“We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but the next couple of months could still be really, really tough,” she said. “We appreciate people helping us light up Arbor Springs this year and encouraging us to hang in there as we approach 2021. Next Christmas will be different.”

Photos contributed to the Opelika Observer

A9 December 30, 2020

Opelika Police spread Christmas cheer thanks to local secret Santa Contributed by OPD Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, the Opelika Police Department

handed out cards containing a $100 bill to citizens just in time for Christmas. Over two days, Lt. Kenneth Miller, Lt. Richard

Converse, Sgt. Brandon Pettaway and Officer Brandon Johnston distributed twenty cards. The cards were presented to shoppers

in local stores and used to pay for groceries at Kroger and meals at two local food service establishments. “We know 2020 has

been a rough year for many and we hope these gifts will assist families and individuals with food or presents this Christmas," Captain

Shane Healey said. "We truly appreciate the citizen who has been allowing us to continue this tradition since 2014."

Photos by Hannah Lester / Opelika Observer

A10 December 30, 2020

RECIPES CREATING A CHEESE BOARD To assemble a cheese board, place mildest to strongest flavored, such as brie, soft ripened; Parrano Gouda, semi-firm; Manchego, firm; and Parmigiano Reggiano, hard. To add a blue-veined cheese, select Roaring 40s or Blue Castello, and for a goat cheese serve Belle Chevre or Humboldt Fog. Set cheeses out at least 30 minutes ahead to reach room temperature.

A honeycomb or honey, sliced pears, almonds, walnuts, grapes and fig preserves can be added as accompaniments along with water crackers and sliced baguette.

Pair Chardonnay with brie, Chardonnay or Pinot Noir with the gouda and Cabernet Sauvignon with Manchego and Parmigiano Reggiano.

CROSTINI 1 French baguette, sliced or loaf of sourdough bread, sliced and cut into triangles Extra virgin olive oil Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Brush both sides of bread with olive oil and bake for 8 minutes or until lightly toasted.

CLASSIC SWISS CHEESE FONDUE 1 clove garlic, halved lengthwise 1¾ cups dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc, Alsatian Riesling) 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice Pinch freshly grated nutmeg ½ lb. Gruyere cheese, grated or cut into small cubes ½ lb. Swiss cheese, grated 1½ Tbsp. cornstarch Accompaniments: French bread or sourdough, cut into bite-sized cubes, and Granny Smith apple slices Rub inside of a fondue pot or chafing dish with cut sides of garlic halves, discard garlic. Pour wine and lemon juice into pot and bring to a simmer over medium low heat.

Toss cheeses with corn starch. Gradually add cheeses, a handful at a time and stir gently until mixture is creamy and cheeses are completely melted. Stir in nutmeg.

Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding a little salt, if needed.

When ready to serve, place pot containing hot fondue in its stand.

Light fuel burner and set to low heat. Serve with fondue forks and accompaniments for dipping. Serves 4 to 6.

GOAT CHEESE BALLS WITH PECANS 4 oz. goat cheese, room temperature 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature ½ cup finely chopped pecans Mix cream cheese and goat cheese until well combined.

Form small balls: roll in chopped pecans. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

HOT BRIE WITH TOASTED ALMONDS Janine Simmons 1 round brie or camembert cheese 1 pkg. slivered almonds 2 Tbsp. butter Crackers, grapes Melt butter in skillet; sauté almonds. Add cheese.

Cook turning until inside softens.

Serve with crackers and grapes.

BAKED GOAT CHEESE SPREAD Kay Harris 3 oz. log goat cheese 4 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar ¼ tsp. Herbs de Provence, optional Crackers or toasted baguettes Put goat cheese in small baking dish and press to about ½ inch thickness. Coat goat cheese with olive oil. Sprinkle herbs de Provence over cheese.

Pour balsamic vinegar around mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until cheese has softened. Serve with

crackers or toasted baguettes.

TOASTED BRIE Gina Fromhold 1 egg, beaten 1 Tbsp. water 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 1 lb. wheel brie cheese 1/4 cup vegetable oil Grapes, French bread slices, crackers Combine beaten egg and water in one bowl and breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese in another dish. Dip Brie in egg mixture and then coat with breadcrumb mixture. Chill. Can prepare up to 8 hours at this point.

When ready to serve, add oil to skillet over medium heat. Cook Brie about two minutes or less on each side until golden brown and softened. Can prepare and keep warm in low temperature oven.

Serve with crackers, toasted French bread and grapes.

BRIE WITH APRICOTS, CRANBERRIES AND WALNUTS BAKED IN BREAD LOAF Jennifer Jones 6- to 8-inch brie wheel ¼ cup brown sugar ½ cup dried apricots ½ cup dried cranberries or cherries ½ cup apricot jam ¾ cup toasted walnuts, chopped Mix ingredients and place on top of Brie. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. You may want to cut the top rind off the cheese before adding ingredients.

The brie can be baked in a round loaf of bread. Take a round loaf of bread and cut a thin slice off top.

Remove inside of bread and cube.

Press brie with mixture on top down into round bread.

Bake about 30 minutes. Serve with crackers and bread cubes.

BLUE CHEESE AND PEAR CROSTINI 4 oz. blue cheese

crumbles 6 oz. cream cheese, soften 8 slices French or other bread Olive oil 1 pear, sliced Lemon Juice Toasted walnuts or pecans, optional Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine blue cheese and cream cheese; set aside. Cut bread into strips. Brush one side of bread with olive oil. Toast about 12 minutes until brown; cool.

Spread cheese mixture on untoasted side of bread; top with slice of pear dipped into lemon juice if preparing ahead.

Sprinkle with toasted nuts, if desired.

Serves 8 or more.

BAKED BRIE WITH PRESERVES AND ALMONDS IN PASTRY Ashley Herring 1 puffed pastry from a box of frozen puffed pastry 1 round block of Brie I small jar raspberry or fig preserves ¼ cup sliced almonds Crackers or green apple slices Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take thawed puffed pastry and unfold onto greased baking sheet. Place Brie in the center, and cover top of Brie with your favorite preserves.

Next sprinkle the sliced almonds onto the preserves and fold all sides of pastry up around the Brie. Press the edges together at the top.

Bake for 30 minutes, and then take out of oven and let stand for 5 minutes before cutting. Cut into small pie shape slices and serve with crackers or green apple slices.

ROSEMARY CHEESE WITH FIG PRESERVES Earle Wilkes 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary 3 oz. log goat cheese (chevre) 2 tsp. honey 1 tsp. coarsely ground pepper ¾ cup fig preserves, chopped Process all ingre-

dients except fig preserves. Spoon into lightly greased 1 ½ cup mold lined with plastic wrap.

Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

Invert onto serving dish. Spoon chopped fig preserves over cheese.

Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs and serve with crackers, toasted French bread slices, bagel chips, etc.

Makes 2 cups.

BAKED BRIE EN CROÛTE WITH PASTRY DESIGNS Kristie Barlow You will like my foolproof technique for wrapping the cheese. Recipe from Jennifer Segal.

2 sheets frozen Puff Pastry, thawed (I use Pepperidge Farm) 2 Tbsp. honey 1/3 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped 1/4 cup chopped pecans 1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary 1 (16 oz.) Brie cheese round (about 6-inches in diameter) 1 large egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp. water Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Slice off the top rind of brie and discard.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll each pastry sheet out to a 12-inch square. Trim corners of each sheet to form two circles.

Set scraps aside; you will use those later for decorations. Put one of the pastry rounds on the prepared baking sheet.

Place Brie on top of the pastry, rind side down. Drizzle top of cheese with honey, and then top with dried cherries, pecans and rosemary.

Brush exposed edges of the pastry with egg mixture.

Cover Brie with the other pastry circle; press against sides of the cheese and bottom pastry to form a tight seal. Using a pizza cutter, cut off excess dough, leaving a generous 1-inch border.

Crimp edges firmly with a fork to seal.

Brush pastry with egg mixture. Set aside.

Using a pizza cutter or cookie cutter, cut out nine leaves (about 2-inches long and 1-inch wide) from the scraps. Use a knife to draw the ribs on the leaves, pressing down but not cutting all the way through.

Place leaves on top of pastry in the shape of a flower, overlapping them slightly and pressing them together in the center. Brush leaves with the egg mixture.

Roll up a 1/2-inch ball of dough and press it in the center; brush the ball with the egg mixture.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Let stand for 45 minutes, then serve with fruit and crackers.

Note: You can prepare this appetizer ahead of time up until the baking step; refrigerate until ready to cook.

RASPBERRY BRIE Dinah Motley 1 egg 1 Tbsp. water ½ of a 17.3 oz pkg.

Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed ½ cup seedless raspberry jam 1/3 cup dried cranberries ¼ toasted sliced almonds 1 (13 oz. – 16 oz.) round brie cheese Crackers Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Beat egg and water in a small bowl with a fork. Unfold pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll pastry sheet into a 14inch square.

Spread raspberry jam on pastry to within 2 inches of the edge. Sprinkle with cranberries and almonds. Place cheese in the center of the pastry. Fold pastry up over cheese to cover. Trim excess pastry and press to seal. Brush seam with egg mixture. Place seam side down onto a baking sheet.

Decorate with pastry scraps, if desired. Brush with egg mixture. Bake for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Let stand a few minutes before serving. Serve with crackers.

A11 December 30, 2020

C

an you imagine the social media firestorm Jesus would have instigated?

I’m referring to when he asked the man in John 5 who had been unable to walk for 38 years, “Do you want to get well?”

You can just hear some of the responses, can’t you?

• Wow, read the room Jesus! You just asked a man who has been unable to walk for 38 years if he wanted to get well. Where did you say you got your ministry degree from?

Oh, that’s right — you didn’t.

• Some tone-deaf guy up here from Nazareth just asked one of the people at the Pool of Bethesda if he wanted to get well. First

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.

• St. Marys Catholic Church/ St. Michael’s Church SMCC is having Daily Mass on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 8 a.m. and on weekends they are distributing holy Communion on Sundays from 9:30 to 11 a.m. A Mass is also held on Sundays at 12:30 p.m. at St. Michael's Church over in Auburn. For more information people can call the office at 334-749-8359 or go to the parish website: stmarysopelika.org.

• Union Grove Baptist Church In-person gathering with social distancing. Masks are available.

Sunday worship is at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Wednesday worship is at 6:30 p.m.

Services are streamed live on Facebook — the page is UGBChurch • First Baptist Church Opelika The following are held in-person and online on Sundays.

8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship and Message at The Worship Center 9:45 a.m. Sunday School Hour 11 a.m. Contemporary Service at The 3:16 Center 6 p.m. Evening Worship and Message at The Worship Center 6:30 p.m. Church on Chadwick at Chadwick Lane in Auburn To watch services online, go to fbcopelika.com/media

The Deeper Reach time in the big city no doubt.

Well, it does seem like a bad question, doesn’t it?

But let’s consider the context.

Jesus had learned something of his story (v. 6). Then of course, John has already assured us that “He knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for He knew what was in each person” (2:24-25). So, Jesus was fully aware of the man’s situation and that awareness prompted his question.

And while the question certainly does seem startling, we do know it’s true that people can sometimes become complacent about their circumstances. They give in to their situations in

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

the sense that they give up caring. They yield to hopelessness and despair. Maybe that’s what is going on here.

But we can be sure that something was happening or Jesus wouldn’t have asked the question He did.

But there’s something else to consider.

We’re told in v.

14 that, “Later Jesus found him at the temple.” The word “found” suggests He

was looking for him — Jesus wasn’t finished with the man! He told him to stop sinning or something worse could happen to him.

“Stop sinning" — we don’t know precisely what this refers to, but it’s definitely saying something more than just that he was a sinner as we all are. It sounds like he was engaged in some specific sin. Maybe he had allowed anger or bitterness to overtake him. Maybe he verbally abused others. We don’t know exactly, but there was something — and it was substantial enough that Christ tracked him down and warned him it could lead to something worse than the suffering he had experienced for 38 years.

ABOUT BRUCE GREEN

If we return to the question Jesus initially asked with this new information, it seems clear that it is capable of being understood on a spiritual level rather than a physical one.

For although He could cure the man with or without his cooperation, He couldn’t help him spiritually without the man’s participation. All of this means there’s more to this story than the physical healing that takes place in v. 8 — there's the deeper reach of Jesus when He finds the man in the temple.

It’s the deeper reach that reminds us what is most important in life (Matthew 16:26).

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

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

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

— Romans 12:21

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

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 Union Grove Baptist Church 4009 Lee Road 391, Opelika 334-749-0461 CHURCH OF CHRIST Church of Christ at First Baptist Church 301 S. 8th St. 334-745-5715 First Baptist Church Impact 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

Cunningham 2660 Cunningham Dr., Opelika 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 5165 Lee Road 270, Valley 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

METHODIST Auburn United Methodist Church 137 South Gay St., Auburn 334-826-8800 Beulah United Methodist

PRESBYTERIAN Trinity Presbyterian Church 1010 India Road, Opelika 334-745-4889

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 334-7418675 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 334-7495386 Beauregard Full Gospel Revival 2089 Lee Road 42 334-745-0455 Christ Church International 1311 2nd Ave. 334-745-0832 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 334-7411006 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

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

A12 December 30, 2020

OBITUARIES Wiley Joseph “W.J.” Cash Wiley Joseph “W.J.” Cash, 81 of Opelika, passed away Dec. 19 at Bethany House. He was born March 2, 1939 to Raymond and Ruth Cash. He was a state champion wrestler, and a football player for Opelika. Owner operator of W.J. Cash Construction and business man in Opelika since 1974.

He married Carolyn Grimes Cash in 1959 in Lee County. Mr. Cash enjoyed tending to his cattle, goats, and his property. He was larger than life and never met a stranger, had a genuine love of people.

Mr. Cash is preceded in death by his wife, Carolyn Cash; son, Ray Cash; mother, Ruth Lawler. He is survived by his children: Bobby Cash (Wendy), Russell Cash; grandchildren: Bryan Cash, Dillion Cash, Wade Cash, Alex Cash, Kayla Oliver (Justin), Kyle Cash, Lelia Cash; sister Glenda Holden.

Funeral services were held on Dec. 22 at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home with burial in Waverly City Cemetery, Reverend Gary Ward officiated.

Johnny Ray Moody A graveside service for Mr. Johnny Ray Moody, 76, of Opelika was held Monday, Dec. 21, 2020 at Garden Hills Cemetery. Mr. Moody, who died on Dec. 18, 2020, at East Alabama Medical Center, was born July 26, 1944, in Opelika. Mr. Moody was a native of Lee County, where he lived for most of his life. He worked at Uniroyal for over 20 years. He was preceded in death by his wife, Joyce; daughter, Dawn Moody; and his brother, Bill Moody. He is survived by his daughter, Felicia (James) Eicher of Opelika; grandchildren: Jasmyne, Jade, Kaycee and James Eicher, Jr.; sisters: Doris Carroll of Opelika and Ann Hardy; and a brother, Lowell Moody also of Opelika.

Jeanette Leonard Broome Jeanette Leonard Broome of Valley was born to the late James Curtis Leonard, Sr. and Addie Lee Smith Leonard on Dec. 18, 1934 and passed away on Dec. 23, 2020. She was 86 years old.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, William Mann Reeves, Sr.; daughters, Nancy L. Watson, Martha Ann Reeves, and Connie Henderson; son, William Mann Reeves, Jr.; brother, James C. Leonard, Jr. She is survived by her husband of 40 years, Larry Broome; son, James Richard Holley (Carol); numerous

grandchildren, and great grandchildren; sisters, Mary Frances Cousins, Shirley Ann Rambo; brother, Douglas Leonard; as well as numerous nieces, and nephews.

Visitation was held in the Parlor at Frederick-Dean Funeral Home on Dec. 26, 2020 and a graveside service followed at Garden Hills Cemetery with Reverend Mark Moody officiating.

The family would like to thank their caregiver, Lavelle Thomas, who was a godsend to their dad. Every day, when she showed up, he had a sparkle in his eyes.

Thank you, Lavelle. She will always be remembered as part of the family.

Visitation was held in the parlor at Frederick-Dean Funeral Home on Dec. 28, 2020, with a graveside service following at Rosemere Cemetery.

Sidney Lewis "Sonny" Fields Jr. Sidney Lewis "Sonny" Fields, Jr., 81, was born on March 28, 1939 to the late Lewis and Essie Fields, and passed away on Dec. 19, 2020 at Arbor Springs Heath and Rehab Center in Opelika.

Mr. Fields was a long time resident of Opelika and the former owner of the War Eagle Amoco in Auburn. He was a faithful member of Providence Baptist Church in Beauregard.

Mr. Fields is survived by his wife of 56 years, Sue Carol Mayberry; daughter, Holly Roberts; son, Trey Fields (Emily); grandchildren, Sydni Roberts, Justin Roberts, Trent Fields, and Taylor Fields; and sister, Betty Jean Prescott.

Funeral service was held on Dec. 22, 2020 at 1:00 pm in the chapel at Frederick-Dean Funeral Home with Reverend Rusty Sowell officiating. Interment followed at Garden Hills Cemetery in Opelika.

First Sergeant Adolph "Frank" Conway (US Army, retired) Adolph "Frank" Conway, 90, was born on June 14, 1930 to the late James Wesley Conway and Maudie Bell Moncus, and passed away on Dec. 16, 2020, at his home in Opelika.

Mr. Conway was not only a great husband and father, but also a great provider for his family.

He retired from the US Army after 22 years of service. He served three tours in the Korean War and two years in the Vietnam War. After his retirement from the military, he worked for the ABC State Store as a supervisor in northern Alabama until he retired after 20 years.

After his second retirement, he took a break for sixw months, then worked for Winn Dixie for 11 years until the store closed.

Frank was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Clara Wilma Conway; and son, Barry Dale Conway.

He is survived by his daughters, Debra Cole, and Belinda Gail DiLucchio; son, Larry Conway; granddaughters, Crystal Holiday, Melodie Hall, and Melinda Cole; great grandchildren, Zella Castaneda and Zachary Hall.

Mary Kathleen “Kathy” McKee It is with great sorrow that we announce the peaceful passing of Mary Kathleen “Kathy” McKee of Opelika at the age of 76 on Dec. 26, 2020, in her home with her family. Kathy was born in Atchison, Kansas, on February 12, 1944, and grew up in the nearby town of Everest, Kansas. She was the youngest of three children to Wesley F. and Mildred I. Simpson. She was married to William C. “Mac” McKee (Dec. 27, 1963) for 29 years until his death in 1993. Kathy worked in the bookkeeping and customer service departments of Farmers National Bank and its subsequent acquiring banks for 34 years from 1976 until her retirement in 2010. She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Wesley and Mildred Simpson; her husband, Mac McKee; and her brother, Wesley Dean Simpson. She is survived by her sister, Frances Kay Stoutenburg of Guelph, Ontario, Canada; two sons, Mike (Ginger) McKee and Pat McKee of Opelika; and one grandson, Naval Petty Officer Third Class William Blake (Emma) McKee of Norfolk, Virginia; many nieces and nephews and their families; and her best friend, Maxine Johnson of Opelika.

Kathy enjoyed sewing and doing alterations for many people in and around the Opelika area throughout the years. She delighted in her family and was a rock of strength to them.

Her funeral will be a graveside service at Garden Hill Cemetery in Opelika on Dec. 30, at 2 p.m.

Joyce Glenn Shaw Van Benthuysen Joyce Glenn Shaw Van Benthuysen died on Dec. 24, 2020 at Bethany House in Auburn from complications of the COVID 19 virus.

Joyce was born Nov. 17, 1925 to parents Luther Arastis Shaw and Mary Ethel Pearson Shaw in Tellico Plains, Tennessee. She was valedictorian at Tellico Plains High School where a teacher, seeing her potential and knowing her widowed

mother had no means, arranged for her to attend East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee. She graduated with a BA in Education in 1947. Joyce worked summers in Oak Ridge, Tennessee assisting the war effort at the secret Manhattan Project facility there.

While in college Joyce made lifelong friends that continued to meet, calling themselves the Girls of Summer. She also met her husband Robert (Bob) Van Benthuysen there and they married on Dec. 25, 1947. Joyce taught in a two-room schoolhouse while Bob completed his education. She then became a full-time mother to her four children, raising them in Fairfax, Virginia. She eventually returned to teaching, where she loved and influenced many children at Centreville Elementary School.

Joyce was a person who could and would be happy wherever life led her. From a two bedroom/ no electricity home in the Great Smoky Mountains, camping with a family of six, traveling the world with Bob, to assisted-living late in life, she found her peace and presented a joy-filled smile and patient heart to all. Joyce loved flowers, crossword puzzles, and reading all types of books. She was a talented seamstress, an excellent home cook, and loved having good times with her family. Who else has had a mother who would limbo in the living room or a grandma that played badminton in her 70s?

After retirement, Joyce and Bob spent a decade in Reedville, Virginia, then moved to Opelika. They were faithful members of the Thomas Samford Sunday school class at Trinity United Methodist Church, their home church in Opelika.

Joyce read through the bible many times and her favorite verse was Micah 6:8, “Mankind, He has told you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Joyce was preceded in death by her parents; husband Robert Nairn Van Benthuysen, Jr.; sons, Robert Nairn Van Benthuysen III, and Warren Shaw Van Benthuysen; brothers Raymond Shaw, Thomas Shaw, and Bernard Shaw; sisters Nell Frye, Mary Neal Shaw; and step grandson, John Bartsch.

She leaves to cherish her memory a sister, Ethel Luke Odom of Tampa Bay, Florida; daughters, Kristina Bartsch of Damascus, Maryland, and Melisa Love of Opelika, and their husbands, whom she loved as sons, Larry Bartsch and Terry Love; Terry’s special brother Tim Love whom Joyce lovingly assisted with care in repeated acts of

selfless service; grandsons: Mark (Connie) Shelley of Midland, Michigan, Christopher (Catherine) Shelley of Columbia, Maryland, Cary Robert (Crystal) Shelley of Catonsville, Maryland, Ryan (Molly) Himel of Mildenhal England, United Kingdom, and Adam (Kelly) Himel of Longwood, Florida; step-grandchildren Amber Love, Holly (David) Breeden, Tom (Lauren) Bartsch, Christian(Juliet) Bartsch, Will (Jamie) Bartsch, Valerie (Daryl) Marine, and Kim Bartsch; great-grandchildren: Owen, Oscar, Brenna, Nora, Evan, and Elizabeth Shelley; Ella, Leland, and Angeline Himel; step great-grandchildren Emily Love; Audrey, CJ, Isabel, Camryn, and Emily Bartsch; and loved nephews and nieces.

There will be a private burial service in Tellico Plains, Tennessee. A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date when family members can travel. Memorial gifts may be sent to: Trinity United Methodist Helping Fund 800 2nd Avenue Opelika, AL, 36801 or done online at (wwwtumcopelika.org/ give/).

Robert (Bob) Nairn Van Benthuysen, Jr. Robert (Bob) Nairn Van Benthuysen, Jr. died on Dec. 23, 2020 at The Harbor in Opelika, Alabama from pancreatic cancer after a brief illness. He died only hours before his wife, Joyce, joined him. They celebrated their 73rd anniversary in heaven on Christmas Day. Bob was born May 11, 1925 to parents Robert Nairn Van Benthuysen and Mary Rose Maflin Van Benthuysen in Yonkers, New York. He spent his childhood in Wantaugh, New York where he enjoyed time at Jones Beach and going to Radio City Music Hall and theatres in NYC with his parents. He attended Mepham High School in Bellmore and graduated from Arcade High School in 1943 while living on a farm upstate to assist relatives there.

After graduation he entered the US Army Air Force aviation cadet program. Bob was sent to East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee to get college basics prior to attending flight school in Texas. The war ended before his training did, so he returned to Johnson City, graduating in 1948 with a BS. He then completed a Master of Science at University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

While in college Bob met and married Joyce Shaw. They welcomed four children to the family, spending most of those years in Fairfax, Virginia. Bob worked as

a Contact Research Specialist with the Central Intelligence Agency and continued his military career, retiring as a Lt. Colonel in the US Air Force Reserves. He was a longtime member of the Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department.

Bob was a faithful husband and always provided for and protected his family well.

He loved good food and was an avid and successful gardener, growing tomatoes and mowing his own lawn until age 94. After retiring he added boating and crabbing to his activities when he and Joyce moved to a waterfront home near Reedville, Virginia. His grandsons have vivid memories of those years and think they had the best grandparents ever. Meanwhile Bob and Joyce traveled the world together with trips to Africa, Australia, Europe, South American, India, Russia, China and many other places.

Bob’s last major move was to Opelika, Alabama. For a decade he and Joyce volunteered at Fort Benning, GA for the ESGR, preparing reserve soldiers to deploy and then return to civilian employment. Then they took the early shift as volunteers in the heart cath lab at EAMC and assisted with projects at Trinity United Methodist Church, their home church in Opelika. There they were faithful members of the Thomas Samford Sunday school class.

Bob is preceded in death by his parents; sons, Robert Nairn Van Benthuysen III and Warren Shaw Van Benthuysen; and step grandson, John Bartsch.

He leaves to cherish his memory daughters, Kristina (Larry) Bartsch of Damascus, Maryland, and Melisa (Terry) Love of Opelika; grandsons: Mark (Connie) Shelley of Midland, Michigan Christopher (Catherine) Shelley of Columbia, Maryland, Cary Robert (Crystal) Shelley of Catonsville, Maryland, Ryan (Molly) Himel of Mildenhal England, United Kingdom, and Adam (Kelly) Himel of Longwood, Florida; step-grandchildren Amber Love, Holly (David) Breeden, Tom (Lauren) Bartsch, Christian (Juliet) Bartsch, Will (Jamie) Bartsch, Valerie (Daryl) Marine, and Kim Bartsch; and 15 loved great-grandchildren.

There will be a private burial service in Tellico Plains, Tennessee. A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date when family members can travel. A memorial gift may be sent to: Trinity United Methodist Helping Fund 800 2nd Avenue Opelika, AL, 36801 or done online at (www.tumcopelika.org/ give/).

A13 December 30, 2020

HOSTS EVENT

>>

FROM A7

During the event, each family received a 25-pound box of food; a 15-pound box of essentials such as shampoo, conditioner, lotion and personal-care items.

Families also received toys and vitamins from Nature Made.

There will be more empty plates this holiday season than ever before, and it is estimated that one in four children will be food insecure. With nearly 30% of Auburn residents living below the poverty line, holidays can be a stressful time for families.

Feed the Children, a leading nonprofit focused on alleviating childhood hunger, held its annual No Hunger Holidays campaign in order to bring awareness to the important issue of childhood hunger, as well as provide hope and joy to thousands of vulnerable families across the United States throughout the holiday season. “We believe that no child should go to

bed hungry, especially during a time full of warmth, love and sharing,� said Travis Arnold, Feed the Children president and CEO. “But the reality is, millions of children face this hardship every day. Thanks to our generous partners at Nature Made, we are able to help these families rest a little easier knowing they don’t have to worry about where their next meal is coming from this holiday season.�

About Nature Made Nature MadeŽ is the leading national vitamin and supplement broadline brand, with nearly 50 years of delivering high quality products that are backed by science. Ranked as the No. 1 Pharmacist Recommended brand* for 23 years, Nature Made was the first line of dietary supplements to earn the United States Pharmacopeia's (USP) Verified Dietary Supplement mark – independent verification that products meet stringent quality criteria for purity and potency. Visit NatureMade.com for the latest news and offerings and follow us on Facebook

ROBISON >> FROM A7

who enjoy traditional women’s fiction with a surprise ending.

Lei is available for interviews to discuss her novel and her story of love and heartache that spans a generation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lei Robison is a vlogger, blogger and author of Historical Romance.

Liar’s Bloodline is

CIPPERLY

>>

FROM A7

awards this year.

The creamery and cheese shop both offer samples. At the creamery, a video is shown, and visitors can watch cheese being made by hand through glass.

Because of COVID-19, reservations have to be made ahead for tours.

The Belle Chevre Cheese Shop and Tasting Room Cafe is quaint with window boxes filled with flowers. For lunch, the shop serves sandwiches with cheese, cheese fondue and a cheese tasting plate. The shop also offers goat cheese ice cream and the award-winning cheesecake by the slice or whole to take home.

We used to find Belle Chevre at Earth Fare, but now that has closed.

You can order it from the website at Bellechevre. com. If you can find or order Belle Chevre, it will be an enjoyable addition to your cheese board.

LEI ROBISON the second in a series of fictional novels based in her hometown of Opelika, Alabama.

A graduate of Auburn University with

While the trend for cheese boards is to arrange crackers, nuts, dried fruits and other items together on one board with the cheese, I am old school if there are several cheeses. I prefer the crackers and bread on the side in order to have space to slice the cheeses.

For just one or two cheeses, I will often place every item on the board. When you add more cheeses, be careful not to over fill or nuts and fruits will start falling off as the cheeses are sliced.

For a classic cheese board, choose a selection of soft ripened, semi-firm, firm and hard cheese and arrange on a board from mild to strongest flavors. Offer your favorite accompaniments, such as a honeycomb or honey, slices of pears, grapes, almonds, walnuts and fig preserves or dried fruits.

Along with crackers, such as water biscuits, offer slices of French baguette or sourdough.

(facebook.com/naturemade) and Instagram (@naturemadevitamins). * Based on 2020 U.S. News & World Report Pharmacy Times Survey About Feed the Children: At Feed the Children, we feed hungry kids.

We envision a world where no child goes to bed hungry. In the U.S. and internationally, we are dedicated to helping families and communities achieve stable lives and to reducing the need for help tomorrow, while providing food and resources to help them today. We distribute product donations from corporate donors to local community partners, we provide support for teachers and students, and we mobilize resources quickly to aid recovery efforts when natural disasters strike. Internationally, we manage child-focused community development programs in 10 countries.

We welcome partnerships because we know our work would not be possible without collaborative relationships.

For more information, visit feedthechildren.org.

a bachelor’s degree in education, and a master’s and specialist’s degree from Piedmont College, she retired in 2018 after thirty years in education. She now concentrates on writing and vlogging her family life and is an avid traveler and history enthusiast.

She and her husband Curt live in Northeast Georgia with their daughter, Paula. Their older daughter, Addie is a sophomore in college.

Happy New Year

cheeses filled in the board.

Photo by Ann Cipperly Toasted Brie with grapes and crostini is a delectable party dish for New Year’s Eve with family. Instead of preparing a large meal, serve a cheese board, cheese fondue or assorted appetizer party dishes to ring in the New Year.

They can be toasted for crostini. Set cheeses out 30 minutes ahead to reach room temperature.

If your budget only allows for one cheese, then make it Humboldt Fog goat cheese if you can’t find Belle Chevre (if you find it locally, let me know) or a brie.

If you select brie, you can serve it as is, or embellish it by baking it or adding a topping. Brie

cheese can be toasted in a skillet, wrapped in pastry and baked, topped with pecans and brown sugar or sliced and filled with fruit, then baked. It is a versatile cheese and good to have on hand for when you need something special in a hurry.

One of the best cheese boards we have enjoyed was prepared by family months ago when we visited them in West

Palm Beach. While we generally offer three or four cheeses, they were generous with a board providing 10 cheeses, which served as our Sunday night supper.

Three blue cheeses from mild to strong flavored were at one end, with mild soft and semi-soft at the other end, including Humboldt Fog goat cheese. A sharp cheddar and other hard

Accompaniments were grapes, sliced apples, walnuts, pecans, almonds, blueberries, fig preserves, fig butter, assorted crackers and warm bread squares. It was delicious and filling with a variety of yummy flavors.

If you are serving wine with cheese, select the lively citrus and subtle toasted oak tones of Chardonnay, which pairs well with soft and young semi-firm cheeses. Cabernet Sauvignon provides dark fruit flavors for perfect pairing with the complex tastes of firm and hard cheeses.

Whatever you serve on New Year’s Eve at your home, may you be hopeful for the best to come in 2021. Once COVID-19 ends, may we never again take for granted being with family and gathering with friends.

Cipperly can be reached at recipes@cipperly.com

A14 December 30, 2020

COMICS

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

S

S

Lee-Scott playing through the holiday season

By Wil Crews sportscrews@opelikaobserver.com

On the Mark

By D. Mark Mitchell

OHS Basketball facing COVID-19 difficulties

T

he OHS Girls’ and Boys’ Basketball Teams are having trouble playing games as scheduled due to COVID-19 issues.

The Bulldog Boys teams (9th grade, junior varsity and varsity) have cancelled or postponed six or more games on each team’s schedule.

Most of the games were not played due to quarantine on the OHS varsity team. Most came as a result of contact tracing, which included coaches.

The boys’ team has struggled and is off to an 0-5 start under first year head coach Emmanuel Brown. Opelika’s last game was Dec. 17 at Handley. The Tigers won 80-76 in a close game.

The varsity boys were scheduled to participate in the LaGrange Holliday Tournament, Tuesday and Wednesday. At press time, I had no information on these games.

OHS is scheduled to play at Auburn High School Jan. 5 at 7 p.m.

The first area game will be Jan. 12 in Eufaula.

While the boys’ season has gotten off to a rocky start, Opelika’s Varsity Girls are faring better. The girls currently sit at 4-4 after playing a very difficult schedule, including games with 7A teams Hoover, Smiths Station and Hewitt-Trussville.

Coach Devin Booth’s team traveled to Birmingham last week to play in the “Spain Park Tournament.” The Lady Bulldogs opened with a loss to Hoover, 71-62.

Kaitlyn Bryant scored a game-high 21 points, and teammate Haley Sanders added 18 points in the loss.

OHS lost 52-46 against Pleasant Grove at Spain Park High School. Sanders and Bryant continued leading the team in scoring with 21 points and 17 points, respectively.

The Lady Bulldogs are scheduled to play at Auburn High School on Jan. 5 at 5:30 p.m.

The girls and boys are scheduled to play Pike Road Saturday, on Jan. 9, with the girls kicking off a 2 p.m. matinee start. The boys will folSee SPORTS , page B5

Inside • opelika schools • lee county schools • community sports

The Lee-Scott Academy Warriors boys’ and girls’ varsity teams faced off against Morgan Academy on Dec. 22 in their last action before Christmas.

The girls played first and, in unplanned homage to the socially-distanced crowd, put some distance between themselves and Morgan Academy rather quickly. By the final whistle, the Lady Warriors had secured a comfortable 50-33 win.

The boys were in action next. It was a higher scoring affair that LeeScott had loose of control of throughout. With their advantage hovering around a secure dou-

ble-digit lead, the Warriors did enough to earn a 67-56 win over Morgan.

After the merriment-filled Christmas holiday, the Warriors were back in action on Monday and Tuesday, competing in a tournament that would see both the boys and girls play two games over as many days.

The first opponent for the Lady Warriors was a familiar foe, Southland Academy. It was a revenge game of sorts for LSA, as they fell to Southland in their matchup earlier this season.

Unfortunately, although some would say the Lady Warriors played better than in their last matchup, they were still outmatched by the class of Southland, falling 45-31.

For the LSA boys team, their first matchup of the tournament was also against Southland – and it played out in similar fashion. It was another decent offensive showing for the Warriors, but they to lost to Southland by a score of 50-39 on Monday night.

Tuesday rolled around and there was no time to sulk in the disappointment of defeat. The Warriors had more basketball to play. The second game of the tournament for both the Lady and Men’s Warriors was a border war.

LSA faced Piedmont, from Monticello, Georgia. The Lady Warriors played first, and it was another difficult game for them. The Lady Warriors struggled to slow down

the Piedmont offense all game. Having carried themselves with class and sportsmanship, it was not enough, and the girls lost, 62-42.

At last, after a disappointing run of games, some good news finally arrived as the varsity boys won a tightly contended battle against Piedmont by a score of 64-61. LSA won in part to their hot shooting, which helped them top their season average point total by 14 points.

All scores and stats were taken from maxpreps.com. According to their online schedule, which is subject to change, LSA next plays on Jan. 5 against Edgewood Academy, starting at 4 p.m.

Opelika’s Watts and Stinson earn ASWA first-team honors

By Wil Crews sportscrews@opelikaobserver.com

Opelika’s Eric Watts and Jarrell Stinson were named to the ASWA Class 6A All-State First Team along with 18 other players from schools in Lee County.

The Alabama Sports Writers Association’s 2020 All-State football teams were announced last week.

The teams are selected through nominations from statewide coaches and voted on by members of the ASWA prep committee, which also selects a Coach of the Year in each classification.

The finalists for Back and Lineman of the Year in each class are expected to be released this week.

Those winners, along with the state’s Mr. Football, will be announced in January.

Here are the 2020 ASWA All-State football players from Lee County: 7A FIRST-TEAM ALL-STATE OL: Cort Bradley, Auburn, Sr. DL: Powell Gordon, Auburn, Jr. DB: Quar Nelms, Auburn, Sr. P: Matthew Rhodes, Auburn, Sr. 7A SECOND-TEAM ALL-STATE WR: Bryson Clague, Auburn, Sr. DL: Cam Reese, Auburn, Sr. Athlete: Amaury Hutchinson, Auburn, Sr. 7A HONORABLE MENTION PK: Josh Owsley, Auburn, Jr. LB: Jordan Jones, Smiths Station, Sr. 6A FIRST-TEAM ALL-STATE

RB: Eric Watts, Opelika, Sr. DB: Jarell Stinson, Opelika, Jr. 6A SECOND-TEAM ALL-STATE DL: Trevon Moore, Opelika, Sr. 6A HONORABLE MENTION LB: Anthony Martin, Opelika, Sr. 5A FIRST-TEAM ALL-STATE OL: Eston Harris, Beauregard, Jr. 1A FIRST-TEAM ALL-STATE DB: Walter Tatum, Notasulga, Sr. 1A SECOND-TEAM ALL-STATE PK: Justin Tirado, Notasulga, Jr. DB: Rayshaun Butts, Loachapoka, Sr. 1A HONORABLE MENTION DL: Keith Heard, Nota-

sulga, Jr. LB: Jordan Holley, Loachapoka, Sr. AISA SECOND-TEAM ALLSTATE DL: D.J. Robertson, Lee-Scott, Sr. Furthermore, because we covered their 2020 football season, the Observer wants to give our own honorable mentions to players from the Glenwood Gators (Russell County) who made All-State teams.

AISA FIRST-TEAM ALL-STATE: RB: Kye Robichaux, Glenwood, Sr. LB: BJ Snellgrove, Glenwood, Sr. DB: Jackson Griner, Glenwood, Sr. AISA SECOND-TEAM ALLSTATE Athlete: A.J. Harris, Glenwood, So.

B2 December 30, 2020

2020 Johnny Ray Century Bike Ride Benefits Downtown Small Businesses Contributed by Opelika Main Street

The 2020 Johnny Ray Century Bike Ride went virtual and raised $500 to benefit downtown Opelika small businesses affected by COVID-19. Each participant rode the 100 miles safely on their

own and received a swag bag.

“The Opelika Bicycle Advisory Committee’s Johnny Ray Century ride is a great annual event in downtown Opelika,” said Opelika Main Street Executive Director Ken Ward.

“We are glad they chose to partner with

us in providing much needed support to downtown’s small businesses.”

Opelika Main Street and the Opelika Bicycle Advisory Committee applaud the small businesses of historic downtown Opelika for their courageous and creative adaptations to the 2020

global coronavirus pandemic.

About Opelika Main Street: Opelika Main Street helps Opelika thrive by promoting small businesses through exciting events, projects, economic development efforts and social media engagement.

Founded in the 1980s, Main Street has helped assist in the revitalization of historic downtown Opelika.

Learn more about Opelika Main Street by going to opelikamainstreet.org and following the organization on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About the Opelika Bicycle Advisory Committee: The mission of the Opelika Bicycle Advisory Committee is to work towards recognition as a “Bicycle Friendly Community,” promoting bike-able/walkable destinations for commerce and recreation.

Northwestern and Auburn to play in Vrbo Citrus Bowl Tigers to make record-tying sixth appearance, Wildcats to make second Courtesy of Florida Citrus Sports/AU Athletics

The No. 14 Northwestern Wildcats (6-2, 6-2 Big Ten) and the Auburn Tigers (6-4, 6-4 SEC) will meet in the 2021 Vrbo Citrus Bowl.

Florida Citrus Sports Chairman Ken Robinson and CEO Steve Hogan announced the matchup on Dec. 20 on behalf of the organization.

The 75th edition of the game will take place at 1 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 1 at Camping World Stadium and will be televised nationally

by ABC. The game will mark the second-ever

meeting between the Wildcats and Tigers and the first since Auburn’s overtime victory over Northwestern at the 2010 Outback Bowl.

This season’s Vrbo Citrus Bowl will mark Auburn’s sixth appearance in the game, tied with Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Penn State for the most alltime. Auburn is 3-2 in its five previous trips, with the most recent coming in 2006. The Wildcats are making their second Vrbo Citrus Bowl appearance and their first since the 1997 game, a loss to a Peyton Manning-led Tennessee squad.

Northwestern ranks fifth nationally in scoring defense, allowing 15.5 points per game.

The Wildcats’ pass defense is also among the strongest in the country and has held opponents to 182.2 passing yards per game, good for 14th nationally. Linebackers Paddy Fisher and Blake Gallagher lead the Wildcats defense with 65 total tackles each on the season, while Brandon Joseph, the nation’s leader in interceptions with six, anchors the secondary.

Offensively, the Wildcats are paced by quarterback Peyton Ramsey, who threw for 1,218 yards and nine

touchdowns this year while also adding two rushing touchdowns.

Drake Anderson (256 yards and two touchdowns) and Isiah Bowser (229 yards and one touchdown) lead the Wildcats rushing attack, while Kyrie McGowan (366 yards) and Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman (344 yards and four touchdowns) pace the Wildcats receiving corps.

The Auburn offense is led by quarterback Bo Nix, who ranks in the top 25 nationally and top five in the SEC in passing yards (2,123) and has 18 total touchdowns (11 passing, seven rushing)

this season. Freshman standout Tank Bigsby is Auburn’s top-producing running back with 834 yards and five rushing scores, while Seth Williams (688 yards and four touchdowns) and Anthony Schwartz (636 yards and three touchdowns) lead the Tigers wideouts.

The Tigers enter this matchup allowing an average of 23.7 points and 400.9 total yards per game on the season and have held opposing offenses to just 163.1 rushing yards per game.

Zakoby McClain leads the team with 102 tackles, while linebackers Colby Wooden (9.5 tackles for loss, four

sacks) and Derick Hall (five tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks) have also had strong seasons.

A limited number of Vrbo Citrus Bowl tickets are available at bigtime.games/tickets.

Seats are available in clusters of two, four, six or eight, with physical distancing implemented between pods.

Florida Citrus Sports and the City of Orlando are also implementing additional procedures to ensure the safety of guests and staff members at Camping World Stadium events. To learn more about these protocols, visit floridacitrussports.com/covid.

Chuma Okeke, Isaac Okoro make NBA debuts

By Wil Crews sportscrews@opelikaobserver.com

With contributions from AU Athletics Former Auburn standouts Chuma Okeke and Isaac Okoro made their professional debuts as the 2020-21 National Basketball Association season officially tipped off last Wednesday.

Okeke, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, played 22 minutes off the bench as the Orlando Magic defeated the Miami Heat, 113-107. The Atlanta native had 3 points on 1-of-3 from the floor and added five re-

bounds, two assists and one steal.

Okoro, No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, started and played a hefty 34 minutes for the Cleveland Cavaliers in their opening night victory against the Charlotte Hornets, 121-114. The Power Springs, Georgia, native had 11 points on 4-of-5 from the field, including 1-of-2 from downtown, and contributed five assists and three rebounds.

The Cavaliers and Magic both now sit at 3-0, and thanks to the contributions of Okeke and Okoro, are two of the five remaining un-

defeated teams in the NBA. In the Magic’s second game of the season against, and Okeke’s second performance of his young NBA career, the forward played 18 minutes and finished 1-of-4 from the field with 3 points, three rebounds and two assists in Orlando’s 130-120 win over the Washington Wizards. Orlando’s third game was the second of a back-to-back against Washington, and Okeke played 16 minutes but did not attempt a shot, finishing with See NBA , page B6

Photo courtesy of the Cleveland Cavaliers. (Left) Rookie forward Isaac Okoro.

B3 December 30, 2020

Home is a refuge of hope for the new year

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1.

M

y son called home from Grand Rapids, Michigan. “Mom, I am coming home to spend the holidays with you.” He is very protective of his mother during this time because of coronavirus. I have truly enjoyed having a white Christmas with my only son over the past three years in Michigan, but this year he and I decided to use wisdom and be safe by having an Alabama holiday! Needless to say my heart leapt for JOY! As we head into 2021, home has so many meanings to so many different people in different families and cultures. For some right now, home may bring on happy thoughts, and for some it may bring on sad thoughts. World travelers have witnessed many different kinds of homes from living in tents, mud huts, open-air homes, homes up on stilts, chalets or even homes on an open savanna in Africa under the stars.

Even around our surrounding area of Lee County we see mobile homes, boat homes, apartments, condos, brick homes, wood homes, log cabins, etc. Some of us live in the country, city or suburban areas. Even animals

are provided homes like nests for birds, (Psalm 84:3 says even the sparrow has found a home), dens for bears, forests for all kinds of animals, lakes, bays, oceans for our water animals. Beds of soil for ants, holes for moles, a web reflecting the morning dew for spiders. Sometimes we land in temporary homes like shelters when there are natural disasters or hard times like fires, tornadoes or hurricanes that misplace us for a while. Hospitals become our homes when we become sick.

In Deuteronomy 6:7, the Lord guides us in teaching our children all the time about His truth in the Word of God at home: “Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Normally our homes provide a place of refuge, security and peace; they are where we can sense we are loved and accepted for who we are. In 2020, home has become a place where we stay, work and do school and home has become an anchor for life as we safely separate ourselves during this pandemic. You’ve heard the

expression “home is where the heart is.” This expression means so much to a young child’s growth, development and life. Home is a place where a child can learn, grow and experience many different lessons to prepare them to live in a bigger home: our world. How can a home prepare a young child emotionally, teach new skills appropriate for their young age, teach rules of discipline that lead to a well adjusted life and respect for others and teach young children to use and recognize their gifts and talents?

1. Emotionally: Children are moldable and bendable by the words we say to them. Young children need clear lines of rules and boundaries, but they need words of encouragement in order to learn, grow and just believe and know how special they are. One of my favorite centers in the classroom is the Play-Doh center because I can mold Play-Doh. Play-Doh is just plain old fun to make different kinds of things. Like Play-Doh, children can be shaped into objects they don’t desire to be or into objects that radiate like the bright colors of Play-Doh by the words, actions and time we spend with our children. The home is the perfect environment where words of encouragement and time spent with our children are the essential building blocks in their adjustment, well being and good self esteem. Too, getting off the very busy routine at home and letting your child just unwind is very important. Free play is so important in the developmental steps of a young child. It is voluntary, spontaneous, open-ended play, with no wrong or right answers.

Home provides a safe haven to develop a good emotional foundation.

2. Learning new skills: There are so many readiness and academic lessons to be learned at home through household chores that truthfully aid in your child’s developmental learning. Sorting laundry into piles like the family’s dirty or clean clothes, they can sort what belongs to mom, dad, brother or sister.

Sorting silverware to set the table for a family meal emphasizes groups or sets. Too, children have to count and remember how many family members to set the table for, which is one-to-one correspondence. In the kitchen, have preschool children read food labels by looking at the pictures on the jars or cans. Measurement of quantities, fractions, comparison of sizes can be taught as young children help mom or dad in the kitchen. Social skills can be taught as you interact with your young child.

Too, role-playing is an excellent way to teach a child the wrong and right way. Siblings can be a part of role-playing what is right and what is wrong. Discovery skills in science can be taught by having your child observe his/her surroundings. Reading a favorite book together is an excellent way to wind down the day while at the same time teaching your preschool child new words and concepts.

3. Discipline: As parents it is our responsibility to discipline our children.

Home provides the environment to help a child learn to get along with his/ her family as well as his/her friends.

Young children are born with the

desire for parents or caregivers to set boundaries for their health and safety.

We have rules for driving on the road and being careful, as well as respecting the lives of others.

As I tell my students in my classroom, I set up rules for you to follow because I do care about and love you. I have five easy-to-remember rules for children and the consequences if they don’t follow the rules. Rules differ for each family according to their needs and lifestyles as well as cultures.

We say that if we have no rules in our classroom, we cannot learn because we would have no direction. Young children remember and follow the rules you consistently set down and expect them to follow. When discipline and rules are set at home it is important for us parents to know the child’s age and abilities. Discipline helps young children learn what is right because they want to learn what is right. It takes a lot of time and consistency as parents of young children to learn this as a lifestyle and not because they are afraid of punishment.

Consequences of disobedience should be appropriate and carried out immediately with a young child. One truth that I have always used with my students and own child is that “little obedience is no obedience." When you call your young child to come in and eat dinner or clean their room, if they are slow to come or say wait and find other things to do instead of minding their parents, they are not minding their authority. Again, it is so important for young children to have boundaries

and routines in order to be healthy and happy physically as well as emotionally and mentally. Different families and homes have different rules and consequences. There is one common thread of truth that carries through with all home and families: really understanding your own child and their need is a good basis for effective discipline that teaches and influences the adult they will become.

4. Gift and Talents: In what better environment can a young child realize that they have certain gifts, talents and unique personalities than in the safety of their homes?

Celebrating the life of your young child is so very important. Set special days within your home to spend time one-onone with your young child. You don’t have with wait till their birthdays. Stay in tune with what your child likes to do such as drawing, reading, music, building with blocks, legos, observing the world through the eyes of science, playing with mud pies or tendencies toward certain sports and games.

Spend time with your child at home on the couch, in the kitchen, bedroom or giving nightly baths to get to know the special little gal or guy you have been blessed with. They are little people too whose young lives can be molded within the home.

A home well lived in, no matter how big or small or messy or clean, is where a young child can feel loved, safe and happy.

Yes, home is where the heart is. Also our homes provide for us a refuge of hope as we enter 2021 in hope and with dreams.

Classroom Observer Beth Pinyerd

B4 December 30, 2020

Opelika Middle Schooler participating in Junior Academic All American Bowl

By Wil Crews Sportscrews@ opelikaobserver.com

Skylan Holstick is a seventh grader at Opelika Middle School.

He and 59 other middle school footballers were selected out of a pool of 30,000 players to compete in the Bret Cooper Football Junior Academic All American Bowl in Dallas, Texas.

The Bowl is unique in that it is the only game in the country that has an academic-and-character-related requirement to be an AllAmerican selection.

“Your ability to hit your opponents as hard as you hit the books will let you showcase your talents along with the very top student athletes across the country and internationally,” the Bret Cooper Football press release said.

To be selected for the Junior Academic AllAmerican Bowl, student-athletes must have a 3.0 GPA. Exceptional

on the field and in the classroom, Holstick has a 4.0 GPA. “it’s like the best of the best in the country,” said Holtick’s mom Tianna Summers.

The week-long event from Dec. 26 to Dec. 31 features high school, college, pro and ex-NFL players as coaches and has a goal of preparing players “for the next level of your success on and off the field, including thinking about college.”

The bowl is a prestigious event as the game has showcased and produced the most college D-1 and NFL football players in the last 10 years of football history.

The rosters are requested and submitted to colleges and universities around the country and also go directly to major national publications highlighting the next top recruits.

Holstick has been hard at work over the past week, practicing five hours a day to prepare for the game on the 31st. But it’s not all

Photos Courtesy of Tianna Summers strict football business.

Holstick, a 5-foot8-inch, 270-pound, 12-year-old lineman has been wined and dined to the tune of charter bus rides for team travels, team breakfasts, motivational speaker symposiums and jersey presentations from Bret Cooper (a former arena football

standout) himself.

Holstick even took part in a “big sexy linemen challenge,” the intricacies of which are is still vague, but make it sound like a must-watch event.

Holstick and his family even get to attend the Cotton Bowl Game at AT&T Stadium on

Wednesday. Summers says the recognition and invitation to the game mean “a whole lot.”

“He’s been working hard,” Summers said.

“It’s great that my son is getting this opportunity.

I’m confident that I’m able to invest in my son and support him. It’s really a blessing.”

After the week-long event ends, Holstick and his family will come back to Opelika, where he plans to continue his diligent work on and off the field. He wants to become a doctor one day. Perhaps that will follow a long, successful – and sexy – football career.

AU Men’s Basketball readies for SEC play

By Wil Crews sportscrews@ opelikaobserver.com

Losing two of their first three games, Auburn has rattled off five straight wins as they enter conference play on Wednesday with a 6-2 record. The Tigers are set to face the 8-0 Arkansas Razorbacks, who are led by freshman point guard Moses Moody.

Auburn is still without its freshman point guard Sharife Cooper, as questions about the prize recruit’s eligibility still linger. Picked to finish 7th in the SEC in CBS’s preseason basketball poll, Auburn has started the season strong.

This team is different – literally and stylistically – from most of Bruce Pearl’s Auburn teams of the past. To offset

the loss of all of last season’s starters, Pearl has enlisted the confidence of freshman point guard Justin Powell, the playmaking of Allen Flanigan and the athleticism of one of the tallest teams in the nations.

It’s taken the Tigers just a couple of years to morph from undersized and punching above their weight class in the 2019 NCAA tournament run to one of the household names in college basketball and one of the tallest teams in the nation this season. And the impressive thing is: they’ve done it without sacrificing their high-tempo, gun slinging, three-pointshooting style.

Coming into the season, it would have been easy to predict that the program that lost five seniors – six starters – from last year would

have a leadership-deprived team that is headed for an inevitable drop-off in form. Add that the Tigers were expecting to have a fivestar point guard who has now been relegated to a super-fan role at best, and one could understand if expectations were low.

But Bruce Pearl has these boys cooking.

Auburn is playing teamfirst basketball, evident in that four different players (Flanigan twice, Powell twice, Jaylin Williams twice and Jamal Johnson) have already led the Tigers in scoring in a game this season. Guys who barely saw the floor last season are making crucial impacts.

Flanigan has evolved from a raw freshman with a nervy but athletic skillset to an alpha-dog playmaker and lockdown defender. He’s made the jump from 3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game to 13.8 points and 4.4 rebounds. The biggest change has been

his aggressiveness and shooting. While taking 3.2 shots per game last season, he shot 39.4% from the field and just 14.3% from three. This year, he’s shooting and making way more often, averaging 51.4% from the field and 39% from three.

Similar to Flanigan, Williams has thrived in his expanded role, taking his averages from 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per game last season to 10.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game this year. Williams has gone from an energy guy who was overshadowed by other bigs Austin Wiley and Anfernee McLemore to a focal point in the offense. The addition of a three-point shot has helped his confidence and comfort in half court offensive sets, and he’s also a leader on defense with a team-high 1.4 blocks per game.

The shooting contributions of Johnson and Devan Cambridge do not go unnoticed – especially if the shots

aren’t dropping – and four-star freshman forward JT Thor has a kitchen-sink-skillset and, in flashes, makes plays that no one else on the team can. Additionally, freshman center Dylan Cardwell looks like he could have a career in professional wrestling with the energy he brings to the team, and he’s already earned the Pearl’s trust, evidenced by more minutes. Chris Moore looks undersized and under skilled, but that means he plays harder than anyone. And “Stretch” Akingbola went from garbage time big man to key rotational piece in a matter of months. Crucial impacts.

Finally, there’s Powell: 6-foot-6-inch shooting guard by trade who has been forced into fulltime point guard duty thanks to the NCAA’s ineptitude with Cooper’s case. He’s been a revelation. He’s earned the nicknames Vanilla Killa’ and Vanilla Bryce for his hot shooting – a ridiculous 51.4% from

Photos courtesy of Shanna Lockwood/AU Athletics. (Left) Allen Flanigan, (right) Justin Powell

three-point territory.

He’s far and away the best passer on the team.

He is a matchup nightmare for defenses as he towers over other traditional point guards.

He leads the Tigers in scoring (13.9), rebounding (6.4) and assists (4.5).

Pearl is asking him to do a little bit of everything, and Powell has been up to the task. Auburn goes as far as Powell takes them.

In reality, this team still has flaws. The rate at which three-pointers are shot will never change under Pearl, but they just aren’t falling as often. The offense stalls in the half court because there aren’t enough playmakers on the floor.

The defense struggles because the team is invariably young and lose their heads on occasion.

They miss a shameful number of free throws.

But all those things are to be expected.

What the Tigers have shown thus far is honestly the ideal pattern of development that fans will have wanted to see.

They’ve exceeded expectations – especially the likes of Flanigan and Powell – and are on a five-game win streak heading into conference play. There’s nothing too impressive with wins over Saint Joseph, South Alabama, Memphis, Texas Southern, Troy and Appalachian State and loses to No. 1 Gonzaga and UCF. But the Tigers have an opportunity to show what they are all about Wednesday against the undefeated Razorbacks at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.

B5 December 30, 2020

Pro Football Hall of Famer Kevin Greene passes away Courtesy of AU Athletics

Former Auburn linebacker and Pro Football Hall of Famer Kevin Greene passed away on Dec. 21 at the age of 58. A walk-on linebacker at Auburn, Greene was named the 1984 Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.

After playing intramural football for three seasons for the Auburn ROTC team, Greene walked on in 1983, playing special teams for the Tigers’ SEC Championship team.

The following season, he led the SEC in sacks (11) and had 69 tackles

while playing for legendary Head Coach Pat Dye. A fifth-round pick in the 1985 NFL Draft, Greene had a 15-year career with four teams: the Los Angeles Rams (1985-1992), Pittsburgh Steelers (1993-95), Carolina Panthers (1996, 1998-99) and San Francisco 49ers (1997).

Greene was a fivetime Pro Bowl selection, a three-time first team All-Pro and was the NFC Defensive Player of the Year in 1996 as a member of the Panthers after recording 14.5 sacks and 51 tackles.

Twice he led the NFL in sacks, and in 11 of his 15 years he led his

team in sacks. His 160 career sacks are third in NFL history and his 228 games played trails only four other linebackers in the league’s modern era.

Greene was voted to the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team and received football’s highest honor in 1996 when he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Greene was just the second former Auburn player enshrined in Canton, joining center Frank Gatski.

Following his playing career, Greene coached in the NFL and was on the staff of the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers.

Bryan Harsin named head coach at Auburn Contributed by AU Athletics

Bryan Harsin has been named the 28th head football coach in Auburn›s 127 year history, Athletics Director Allen Greene announced Tuesday. Harsin spent the previous seven seasons as head coach at Boise State where he compiled a 69-19 record while winning three Mountain West Conference titles.

A former Boise State quarterback, assistant coach and offensive coordinator, Harsin is 76-24 overall as a head coach – including one season at Arkansas State – and has directed his programs to bowl games each season.

His impressive resume at Boise saw him lead the Broncos to five 10-win seasons, seven consecutive bowl appearances and six MWC West Division Championships. This past season he led the program to a 5-2 mark and a trip to the MWC championship game.

In his debut season Harsin led his alma mater back to where it rose to national prominence. Boise State went 12-2 in 2014, winning its first outright Mountain West Championship and capping the campaign with

SPORTS>> FROM B1 low at 3:30 p.m.

ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ADRESS UPDATED QUARANTINE GUIDELINES

NBA>> FROM B2 one rebound and three assists.

It’s been a slow start for Okeke, who missed all of the 2019-20 season due to a ACL injury he suffered while still with Auburn in the

a 38-30 victory over Arizona in the 2014 VIZIO Fiesta Bowl.

The victory in the Fiesta Bowl was the third such win for the Broncos in the previous nine seasons. Harsin, serving as offensive coordinator in the first two Fiesta Bowl victories, has been a part of each of the school’s three appearances in the game.

The team’s victory in the 2014 Mountain West Football Championship marked Boise State’s first outright league title since joining the conference in 2011, and the first overall Photo by Todd Van Emst / AU Athletics since 2009. The only alumnus to lead the record since joining the fifth-largest margin of Broncos as head coach victory in the histoMW and earning the in the history of Boise ry of bowl games. In school’s fifth all-time State, Harsin has won 2016, Harsin guided the appearance in the Las conference championVegas Bowl. Boise State Broncos to a 10-3 reships as a student-athcord and an appearance lete, assistant coach and concluded the season in the Motel 6 Cactus ranked in both the AP head coach.

Bowl.

(No. 23) and Coaches Boise State also In 2018, the Broncos Polls (No. 22) and captured MW titles concluded the season were No. 19 in the final in 2017 and 2019, givranked in all three marankings of the College ing Harsin three in six jor polls - No. 23 in the Football Playoff Poll, seasons. In 2017, the the third-straight season AP Poll, No. 24 in the Broncos capped the Coaches Poll and No. 25 championship campaign finishing in the top 25 in the CFP Rankings. of the CFP. with a 38-28 victory The Broncos have been In 2015, the Broncos over Oregon in the ranked in the top 25 in went 9-4, climbing Las Vegas Bowl. The each of Harsin’s six seaas high as No. 20 Broncos concluded the sons, climbing as high in both the AP and year at 11-3 overall and as No. 13 in both the AP Coaches Polls. Boise ranked No. 22 in both and Coaches Polls in State capped the 2015 the Associated Press 2016, and No. 13 in the campaign with a 55-7 and Coaches Polls.

Coaches Poll in 2019, victory over Northern The Broncos went Illinois in the San Diego Boise State’s highest 12-2 in 2019, recordrankings since finishing County Credit Union ing the team’s first eighth and sixth in each, Poinsettia Bowl, the perfect 8-0 conference

respectively, in 2011.

Boise State went 10-3 in 2018, boasting the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year in quarterback Brett Rypien – one of 11 All-Mountain West honorees. Rypien concluded his career as the Mountain West’s all-time leader in career 300-yard passing games (21), completions (1,036) and passing yards (13,581). He also ranked second in league history in both wins by a starting quarterback (37) and career attempts (1,619), and tied for second in career touchdown passes (90).

Curtis Weaver made it three-straight MW Player of the Year

honors for the Broncos in 2019, following Rypien’s nod in 2018 and Leighton Vander Esch’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2017. Weaver established the MW career sacks record (34.0) in just three seasons before declaring early for the National Football League Draft, where he extended the Broncos’ streak of consecutive years with an early entrant being selected. Boise State now has seven-consecutive such seasons, one of only nine schools in the country to boast such a distinction. The list also includes Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Penn State, Stanford and Washington.

Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (2014) started the streak, followed by running back Jay Ajayi (2015), linebacker Kamalei Correa (2016), running back Jeremy McNichols (2017), linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (2018), running back Alexander Mattison (2019) and Weaver.

Vander Esch was a first-round selection of the Dallas Cowboys after foregoing his final season of eligibility.

In his rookie season, See BRYAN , page B5

Alabama State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey sent a memo to all city and county superintendents, explaining why 10 days of quarantine is important.

Dr. Mackey, following CDC guidelines, adjusted the number of

quarantine days from 14 to 10 for exposed people who have shown no symptoms. If a person, in quarantine, has no symptoms after the 10th day, he or she can return to school or work. The CDC said if a person has

no symptoms after seven days, then they can return to regular activities.

Dr. Mackey told school officials that the rapid spread of cases in recent weeks is the main reason he does not want to implement the

seven-day quarantine period. If the positive cases decline and hospitalizations drop, the State Department of Education could revisit.

The vaccine, a game-changer, should be reaching Americans

sooner than expected.

For more information, go to the CDC website or the Alabama Department of Education.

Happy New Year’s!

D.Mark Mitchell 334-787-1514

March 2019 NCAA Tournament game against North Carolina.

His fellow Tiger and Georgia native Okoro has had a better start in his first professional campaign. In Cleveland’s second game of the season, Okoro helped the Cavaliers eke

out a double overtime, 128-119, victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Okoro has immediately inserted himself as a crucial player for Cleveland, as the forward played 42 minutes and, although not registering a point, contributed with three rebounds, one

steal and a +16 plus/minus while on the court.

Okoro did not play in Cleveland’s third game of the season.

Okeke and Okoro become the 24th and 25th players in program history to play in the NBA. The duo became the first pair of former Tigers to

play in the same season since Marquis Daniels (Indiana) and Pat Burke (Phoenix) in 2006-07.

Okeke is the second former Auburn player to suit up for the Magic, joining the aforementioned Burke (2002-03).

Okoro is the fourth former Tiger to play for

the Cavs, joining Mike Mitchell (1978-82), Eddie Johnson (198586) and Wesley Person (1997-2002) Jared Harper, who made his NBA debut for Phoenix last year, made the opening night roster for the New York Knicks.

B6 December 30, 2020

BRYAN>> FROM B5

…AND THEY WILL CALL HIM IMMANUEL, WHICH MEANS

‘GOD WITH US.’ MATTHEW 1:23

Not since the beginning of humanity had God chosen to simply “be” with his people. The people of God had long worshipped the One whose name simply meant “I am.” Now, this great “I am,” the Creator of all the world and all things good, was saying “I am with you.” He had come as a man to be with us, to bear for us, and that would change everything.

As you experience this Christmas season, may you and your family remember – may you live in the reality – that He is with you, and that can change everything.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Your Friends at Point Broadband

Vander Esch was named second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press.

The Broncos have won at least 10 games in five of Harsin’s six seasons, giving Boise State 17 since joining what is now known as the Football Bowl Subdivision in 1996.

The total ranks second behind only Ohio State during that time.

The Broncos’ six-consecutive bowl appearances under Harsin runs the school’s streak to 18, tied for the nation’s fifth-longest.

For his efforts in 2014, Harsin was named a finalist for the Paul “Bear Bryant” National Coach of the Year Award, the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year Award and the Dodd Trophy, given annually by the Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year Foundation.

He was also named the nation’s top firstyear head coach by the Football Writers Association of America.

Harsin was named head coach, Dec. 11, 2013. A graduate of Capital High School in Boise, he played quarterback for the Broncos from 199599. Following his graduation from Boise State with a degree in business management, Harsin coached running backs and receivers at Eastern Oregon in 2000.

The former Bronco letterwinner began his coaching career at Boise State as a graduate assistant in 2001, before taking over the tight ends as a fulltime assistant coach from 2002-05. When Chris Petersen was hired as head coach in 2006, Harsin assumed the role of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Harsin was Petersen’s offensive coordinator for five of his eight seasons as head coach (200610) and was named a finalist for the 2009 Broyles Award, awarded annually to the nation’s top assistant coach. Boise State went 61-5 during his tenure as offensive coordinator.

With Harsin on staff, Boise State has won 11 conference championships.

Following the 2010 season, Harsin went to Texas, where he served as co-offensive coordinator from 2011-12. While with the Longhorns, Harsin helped guide the ascension of an offense that ranked 88th in scoring prior to his arrival, to No. 24 nationally in 2012 (36.1).

Harsin then earned his first head coaching opportunity at

Arkansas State in 2013, which claimed a share of the Sun Belt Conference championship and a berth in the GoDaddy.com Bowl that season.

Harsin and his wife Kes have two daughters, Devyn Lynn and Dayn Mykena, and a son, Davis.

Auburn Head Coach Bryan Harsin “I’m incredibly excited and humbled for the opportunity to be at a place like Auburn University.

I knew it would take a special opportunity to get me out of Boise and Auburn is exactly that, the chance to compete at the highest level for one of the greatest programs in college football. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the coaches and players in the Southeastern Conference, but am ready to help build a foundation at Auburn where we can consistently compete for championships. I want our program to make Auburn proud both on and off the field with consistent excellence.

I’m very grateful to Allen Greene and Dr. Gogue for this opportunity. Kes, our kids and I can’t wait to meet the Auburn family and get to work!

War Eagle!”

Auburn Director of Athletics Allen Greene “We are thrilled to welcome Coach Harsin to the Auburn family. He›s a proven winner whose record speaks for itself. Coach Harsin impressed me with his detailed plan to lead Auburn to consistently compete for championships in the Southeastern Conference. I›m grateful to Gen. Burgess, Quentin Riggins and each member of our advisory committee for their commitment to Auburn during this process. We look forward to welcoming Bryan, Kes and their children to the Plains to introduce them to the Auburn family.»

Auburn President Jay Gogue “We started the search with two goals. We want a coach who will lead our team to consistently compete at the highest levels and to make Auburn proud on and off the field.

We found both in Coach Harsin.

“Our search was diligent and thoughtful, and it is unfortunate that so much misinformation was spread in recent days about the process. I appreciate the leadership of Athletics Director Allen Greene and the hard work of members of our search advisory group. Welcome, Coach Harsin, to the Auburn family.”

Opelika, L ee County & A labama Politics

B7

December 30, 2020

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

We Lost Some Good Ones This Year

A

s is my annual ritual, my year-end column pays tribute to Alabama political legends who have passed away during the year.

Sonny Cauthen passed away in Montgomery at age 70. He was the ultimate inside man in Alabama politics. Sonny was a lobbyist before lobbying was a business. He kept his cards close to his vest, and you never knew what he was doing. Sonny was the ultimate optimist who knew what needed to be achieved and found like-minded allies with whom to work. When he had something to get done, he bulldozed ahead and achieved his mission. Sonny was a yellow dog Democrat who believed in equal treatment and rewarding hard work. He was an avid outdoorsman and hunter and mentored a good many young men in Montgomery.

Another Montgomerian who will never be forgotten was Representative Alvin Holmes, who passed away at 81. Like Sonny, Alvin was born and raised and lived his entire life in his hometown of Montgomery. He, too, was a real Democrat and an icon in Alabama politics. Alvin represented the people of Montgomery for 44 years in the Alabama House of Representatives. He was one of the most dynamic and outspoken legislators in Alabama history, as well as one of the longest serving members.

I had the opportunity to serve with Alvin for close to two decades in the legislature. We shared a common interest in Alabama political history. In fact, Alvin taught history at Alabama State University for a long time. He was always mindful of the needs of his district, as well as black citizens throughout the state. Alvin was one of the first civil rights leaders in Montgomery and Alabama.

He helped organize the Alabama Democratic Conference and was Joe Reed’s chief lieutenant for years.

Gov. Ivey extends Alabama Broadband Connectivity for Students Program Contributed by the Office of Gov. Kay Ivey

STEVE FLOWERS We lost yet another civil rights icon this year. John Lewis was born in rural Pike County in the community of Banks. After graduating from college, John joined Dr. Martin Luther King as a soldier in the army for civil rights. John was beaten by Alabama State Troopers near the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the infamous Bloody Sunday Selma to Montgomery march. He became a civil rights legend in America. He was one of Dr. King’s closest allies.

John became almost as renowned worldwide as a civil rights leader as Dr. King. John moved to Atlanta with Dr. King and was elected to the U.S. Congress from Atlanta and served 33 years with distinction.

Even though John was a national celebrity, he would take time out of his busy schedule to drive from Atlanta to rural Pike County to go to church with his mother at her beloved Antioch Baptist Church. John died of pancreatic cancer in July at age 80.

Another Alabama political legend, John Dorrill, passed away in January at age 90. John Dorrill and John Lewis were both born and raised in rural Pike County near Troy. John Dorrill went to work for the powerful Alabama Farmers Federation shortly after graduating from Auburn. He worked for the See FLOWERS, page B9

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Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday announced that she has extended the successful Alabama Broadband Connectivity for Students program into 2021 thanks to a provision in the latest COVID-19 relief package passed by Congress last week and signed by President Trump on Sunday evening.

Ivey’s goal is to ensure that the families currently benefiting from ABC for Students have continuity of service through the program, which has provided access to high-speed internet for about 200,000 Alabama students throughout the fall and was slated to end on the original CARES Act spending deadline of Dec. 30, 2020. The relief package included an extension into 2021 of

the federal deadlines for states to spend CARES Act funds allocated earlier in 2020. The current funding is anticipated to cover the costs for current participants through the spring semester of 2021.

See IVEY, page B9

A three-year career to 25 years with the city of Auburn: Jim Buston retires

By Hannah Lester hlester@opelikaobserver. com

A month from tomorrow is Jim Buston’s last day as city manager for the city of Auburn.

Buston never planned to be Auburn’s city manager — in fact, he planned to leave years ago. He worked for 25 years with the city of Auburn, but back when his career began, he didn’t even apply for the job.

“Here’s what happened,” he said. “Let’s go back a little bit further.

When I got my master’s degree here at Auburn, I had taken a course from a professor about how to teach teachers about computers. Because back in 1980, when I was in graduate school, computers

were not readily available in classrooms and things like that. They were just getting there.”

This same professor asked Buston, just a few months later after graduation, if he would join a new IT company.

Buston was in the private sector — a big jump to city government — for 13 years. He was spending a lot of time in Manhattan, where the company’s warehouse was based.

“I kind of got tired of it,” he said. “So, I knew this guy named Clyde Prather … he was the public safety director for the city of Auburn. And he had talked to me one day and said, ‘Hey, the city manager wants to talk to you. He has this idea that he wants to run

by you.’”

Dr. Doug Watson, the city manager at the time, wanted to start Auburn’s first IT department.

“I think it was because of my Peace Corp experience where I had this idea that I want to do something that’s meaningful,” Buston said.

“And I thought, ‘Well this is a good way I can contribute a little bit to my community.’”

The caveat was that Buston said that he was only going to give the city three years; three years to set up the department and then he was going to return to the private sector.

“That was 25 years ago,” he said. “So, that’s how I got in Auburn.”

Buston began his See BUSTON, page B11

B8 December 30, 2020

A

New U.S. Citizenship Test: good and not so good aspects

character in Shakespeare’s The Tempest says: “What’s past is prologue.” What is happening today follows onto what we were doing then, in preparing for good or evil. So the past is not gone in that it brought us forward to the opportunities and pitfalls of this place and time.

The recently revised U.S. Citizenship Test (or Naturalization Exam) has features of the previous one, from 2008, in questions and themes.

But the version of December 2020 has been widely panned in the media. Pundits say it has too much of a conservative bent and is designed to make passage tougher.

Simon Romero and Miriam Jordan, in an otherwise thorough article in The New York Times, were shocked — shocked — about nuanced questions such as on states' rights and the Vietnam War. They say adding a question on the Tenth

Amendment was a sop to conservatives. The 10th is oft-forgotten but still worthy of a citizenship test question, I say.

It reads: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” It is in the Bill of Rights, for gosh sakes, and gave birth to Federalism.

Don’t take it lightly. It’s okay to have two questions about it on this test.

The new question, “Why did the United States enter the Vietnam War?” has as the correct answer, “to stop the spread of Communism.”

Romero and Jordan feel “The test does not take on the issue of the vehement protests or the huge death toll stemming from the war.” That’s silly. The war was very popular until early 1966 and no one knew the death toll going in.

I wrote exam questions while teaching as

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an adjunct at two colleges. I know that usually there are two “distractors,” one almost correct answer, and the correct answer itself.

Since LBJ and key U.S. senators did promote our involvement as “to stop communism” that is the best answer.

These critics may think people seeking U.S. citizenship must have undergrad degrees in history, as a minimum.

In 2018, only onethird of Americans could answer how many justices serve on the Supreme Court. Many named three or fewer justices; yet they rail on about “judicial activism” when they don’t even consult Google about who these men and women justices are!

Meantime, immigrant advocates are concerned the new, more complex test could make it tougher for poor immigrants from non-English-speaking countries. They would need to spend more time studying, while improving their English.

By Greg Markley This may lead to fewer immigrants at polling booths. Yes, but the most diligent studiers will succeed and make great citizens.

“It’s a last-ditch effort on their way out the door for the (Trump) administration to keep people from realizing their dreams of becoming citizens,” said Eric Cohen, executive director of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center in San Francisco. But the passing rate on the previous test was 91%.

That’s not bad! Let’s hope this version gets a good rate, too.

Steven Lubet, a prominent law professor

at Northwestern University, has many qualms about the new citizenship test. One is that few historical women are cited, with plenty of men highlighted. I agree, women have been purposely underrepresented on tests such as these for decades; that must stop.

“It’s not hard to find more evidence of the test’s pronounced conservative bent,” wrote Lubet in Politico.

“There are five questions and answers that include the Federalist Papers, revered by today’s American conservatives, including the Federalist Society, a legal organization whose members have included many of Trump’s judicial nominees.”

He said there are just two questions on the civil rights movement and three about women’s suffrage. If true, then it does not reflect the achievements of either the civil rights movement or the advancement of women in America. Maybe five questions on the

Federalist Papers are disproportionate; 2 or 3 will do.

I noted above that Shakespeare, in The Tempest, wrote: “What’s past is prologue.” Now to novelist William Faulkner: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” The past is always with us, as a living memory.

So it is with the U.S. Citizenship Test. It changes sometimes, but always present is the question of whether the U.S. should make citizenship easy or difficult to obtain. In our immigrant nation, judging who can join us in our wonderful country is never easy.

Greg Markley has lived in Lee County for 21 years, on and off. He has master's degrees in Education and History.

He taught politics as an adjunct in Georgia and Alabama. He was U.S. Army Europe Journalist of the Year (1993) for articles from Croatia, Germany, and Macedonia.

B9 December 30, 2020

PUBLIC NOTICES IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ADOPTION PETITION OF JAMES AND DONNA SHORT CASE NO.: 2020-466 PUBLICATION NOTICE TO: Kristin Williams, address unknown.

Please take notice that a petition for adoption was filed in the Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama by James and Donna Short on November 6, 2020, for the adoption of J.M.S. born on June 17, 2010 in Valley, Alabama to Kristen Annette Williams and Dustin Short.

A hearing has been set for the 11th day of February, 2021 at 9 o’clock am Central time in the Probate Court, Lee County Courthouse, 215 South 9th Street, Opelika, AL 36801.

Should you intend to contest this adoption you must file a written response with the attorney for the petitioner, Hon. Ben Parr, 830-A Avenue A, Opelika, AL 36801 and with the Clerk of the Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama, as soon as possible but no later than thirty (30) days from the last day this notice is published, or appear on the date of the hearing as set above to contest said Petition.

Dated on this the 30th day of November, 2020.

HON. BILL ENGLISH JUDGE OF PROBATE LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Legal Run 12/16/20,

12/23/20, 12/30/20 & 01/06/21 -------------IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ADOPTION PETITION OF JAMES AND DONNA SHORT CASE NO.: 2020-465 PUBLICATION NOTICE TO: Torrence Terrell Avery a/k/a Torrance LerreB Avery, address unknown.

Please take notice that a petition for adoption was filed in the Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama by James and Donna Short on November 6, 2020, for the adoption of N.AA. born on February 5, 2008 in Valley, Alabama to Jessica Anne Short and Torrance Lerrell Avery, also known as Torrence Terrell Avery.

A hearing has been set for the 1 I th day of February, 2021 at 10 o’clock am Central time in the Probate Court, Lee County Courthouse, 215 South 9th Street, Opelika, AL 36801. Should you intend to contest this adoption you must file a written response with the attorney for the petitioner, Hon. Ben Parr, 830-A Avenue A, Opelika, AL 36801 and with the Clerk of the Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama, as soon as possible but no later than thirty (30) days from the last day this notice is published, or appear on the date of the hearing as set above to contest said

Petition.

Dated on this the 30th day of November, 2020.

HON. BILL ENGLISH JUDGE OF PROBATE LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Legal Run 12/16/20, 12/23/20, 12/30/20 & 01/06/21 -------------IN RE THE ESTATE OF: ELLIS CLYDE JENKINS, Deceased.

IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA CASE NO.2020-499 NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT LETTERS TESTAMENTARY of said deceased having been granted to the undersigned on the 11th day of December, 2020, by Hon. Bill English, Judge of 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 the time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

June E. Jenkins JUNE ELIZABETH JENKINS, Executrix Legal Run 12/23/20, 12/30/20 & 01/06/2021 -------------IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN RE: THE ESTATE OF SANDRA D. MCCORMICK, Deceased CASE NO. 2020-440

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT TO BE PUBLISHED

BY PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to the undersigned on the 4th day of November, 2020, by the Honorable Bill English, Judge of 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.

CONNOR DAVID MCCORMICK Legal Run 12/30/2020, 01/06/2021 & 01/13/2021 -------------IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA In the Matter of: David Sumners, an alleged incapacitated person TO: Any relatives or interested parties: Lee County DHR has filed a Petition to appoint a Legal Guardian for the person of David Sumners. It is ordered that the 26th day of January, 2021,at 1:00 p.m. be appointed a day on which to hear such a petition, at the Lee County Courthouse, 215 South 9th Street, Opelika, AL at which time all persons interested can file their notice of appearance and contest the said petition if they deem it proper.

Done this the 21 day of December, 2020.

Bill English

Probate Judge Margaret A. Mayfied Attorney for Lee County DHR Post Office Box 809 Opelika, AL 36803 (334) 745-0333 Legal Run 12/23/2020, 12/20/2020 & 01/06/2021 -------------IN THE PROBATE COURT FOR LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: CAROL MOLAND AMOS, Deceased Case No.: 2020- 520 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to Carol A. Crowley, Personal Representative on the 22nd day of December, 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.

Carol A. Crowley Legal Run 12/30/20, 01/06/21 & 01/13/2021 -------------IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF BRIAN CHIJIOKE ANYADIKE, DECEASED IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Letters of Administration

of said deceased having been granted to the undersigned on the 14th day of December, 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.

NJIDEKA C. OBIEKWE Administrator N. Riley Murphy Samford & Denson, LLP P.O. Box 2345 Opelika, AL 36803-2345 (334) 745-3504 Legal Run 12/30/20, 01/06/2021, 01/13/2021 -------------IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN RE: THE ESTATE OF SANDRA D. MCCORMICK, Deceased CASE NO. 2020-440 NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT TO BE PUBLISHED BY PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to the undersigned on the 4th day of November, 2020, by the Honorable Bill English, Judge of 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.

CONNOR DAVID MCCORMICK Legal Run 12/30/20, 01/06/2021 & 01/13/2021

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FLOWERS>> FROM B7 Federation for 43 years.

For the last 20 years of his career, he oversaw and was the mastermind of their political plans and operations as Executive Director of the Federation. He retired and lived out his final years on his ancestral home place in Pike County. John Dorrill was one of my

IVEY>> FROM B7 “Alabama has led nationally with this innovative program via CARES Act funding to ensure that students can participate in distance-learning during the pandemic,” Ivey said. “I am extremely grateful

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political mentors and friends.

Another Montgomery political icon, former Republican State Senator Larry Dixon, passed away only a few weeks ago from COVID-19 complications at age 78. He served over 20 years in the state legislature. Larry epitomized the conservative Republican, and his

voting record was right in line with his Montgomery constituency. He was known as “Montgomery’s State Senator,” but his ultimate legacy may be as a great family man. Larry was a devoted husband to his wife, Gaynell, and father to his two daughters. Larry was a good man.

Former Alabama Supreme Court Judge

Hugh Maddox recently passed away at age 90. Judge Maddox served 31 years on the Alabama Supreme Court before his retirement in 2001.

One of my favorite fellow legislators and friends, Representative Richard Laird of Roanoke, passed away last week from COVID-19. He was 81 and served 36 years

in the Alabama House of Representatives.

Richard was a great man and very conservative legislator.

In addition to Richard Laird, Alvin Holmes and Larry Dixon, several other veteran Alabama legislators passed away this year including Ron Johnson, Jack Page and James Thomas.

We lost some good

ones this year, who will definitely be missed as we head into 2021.

Happy New Year.

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.steveflowers.us.

to President Trump and Congress for including the funding extension, and most of all, I am pleased that we will continue to offer this assistance to the families who are signed up for the program. My hope is that this extension is welcome news for both parents and students during an unusual and

difficult school year.”

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is managing the ABC for Students program for the state and is working with its partner CTC Technology & Energy to notify participating internet service providers of the extension for

current program participants with the goal of minimal disruption in service. Updated information for current participants will be posted in the near future to the program website at www. abcstudents.org or they may call the tollfree hotline at (888) 212-4998.

ADECA partnered

with CTC to develop the ABC for Students program to implement the firstof-its-kind program statewide in a very short and accelerated timeframe in July and August. Back in the fall, families that qualified for the National School Lunch Program received vouchers to

cover the cost of equipment, installation and internet service through 42 providers that partnered with the state for the program. ADECA also administers the Alabama Broadband Accessibility Fund, which provides grant funding to expand broadband service in the state.

B10 December 30, 2020

Like crossword puzzles? Sudoku?

Play online at www.opelikaobserver.com/puzzles/

B11 December 30, 2020

2020 National Wreaths Across America Day sees the placement of 1.7 million veterans' wreaths Contributed by Wreaths Across America

Two weeks ago on National Wreaths Across America Day at 2,557 participating locations, dedicated Americans in every state honored our nation’s heroes by safely placing a total of 1.7 million veterans’ wreaths on their headstones and remembering them by saying each name out loud.

“The 2020 theme for Wreaths Across America has been ‘Be an American worth fighting for,’ and this year I have been

blessed to see my fair share,” said Karen Worcester, executive director of Wreaths Across America.

“The determination of the American people and their commitment to the mission to 'Remember, Honor, Teach,' made it possible for us to move forward this year, safely.

We are humbled and forever grateful for the outpouring of support from all across the country.”

Wreaths Across America would like to thank the dedicated volunteers in every state for overcoming

the many obstacles presented and remaining focused on the mission over the last year. From the individual location coordinators working with local officials on modified wreath placement plans, to the professional truck drivers who have been keeping this country moving but found time to help deliver these truckloads of respect, each person has played an important a part in the mission to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and their

families and teach the next generation the value of freedom.

Each live, balsam veteran’s wreath is a gift of respect and appreciation, donated by a private citizen or organization, and it is placed on graves by volunteers as a small gesture of gratitude for the freedoms Americans enjoy. For centuries, fresh evergreens have been used as a symbol of honor and have served as a living tribute renewed annually. Wreaths Across America believes the tradition

represents a living memorial that honors veterans, active duty military and their families. When volunteers say the name of a veteran out loud when placing a wreath, it ensures they live on in our memory. For more information, visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.

About Wreaths Across America Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at

Arlington National Cemetery begun

by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992.

The organization’s mission – Remember, Honor, Teach – is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as at thousands of veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond.

For more information or to sponsor a wreath please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.

Photos contributed by Angeline Vz

BUSTON>> FROM B7 25-year career with Auburn on May 1, 1996; his goal was to spearhead a new IT department.

“Internet was just brand new,” he said. “The world wide web was just starting.

Before that, it was the internet, and you needed a little program called ‘gopher’ in order to search the internet.”

Email was a new venture, and there was no voicemail in the city yet, Buston said.

“One of the biggest complaints the citizens had was that they could never get anybody on the phone, it would just ring and ring and ring and nobody would answer, or they would get a busy signal and they would have to keep calling back,” he said. “So one of the very first things I did was actually get voicemails for the phones.”

Buston was working to connect different buildings in the city.

“We were actually putting wire in the ground, connecting things up, seeing this network being developed from nothing, so that was kind of satisfying to actually see the results of what you were doing and see how it was being used,” he said.

Buston hit his three-year mark and pushed it up to five.

“There was always one

more thing to do,” he said.

Doug Watson retired as Auburn city manager and was replaced by David Watkins.

“When David Watkins came in, I was thinking, ‘Okay, it’s time I leave,’ but again, one thing led to another,” Buston said. “… while [Watkins] was here, my assistant in IT applied for, and got the job, as assistant city manager for David.

So when David left, after his short time here, Charlie Duggin, who was my assistant, was hired as city manager.”

Duggin asked Buston if he would serve as assistant city manager. Buston also kept his title of chief information officer, however, while he served as assistant city manager.

Buston was assistant city manager for 11 years before Duggin retired in 2016. Buston was thinking he was about ready to retire himself.

“I had planned on retiring three years ago but [Duggin] beat me to it,” he said. “He just did it.

He didn’t tell anyone that it was coming. He just announced one day that he was retiring. And so I thought, ‘Oh, crap.’”

The city asked Buston if he would serve as city manager, but he said no, he was ready to be done.

But he did agree to serve until they found a suitable

candidate through a national search.

“The applicants that they got were not to the liking of the council,” Buston said. “The council felt that they were not, again, good fits for Auburn. So they came back to me and said, ‘We did a national search. We didn’t find what we were looking for. Would you consider being city manager at least up until the new council is elected?’”

So, Buston agreed.

Duggin had retired in early 2017 and the new council election would take place in the fall of 2018. This meant Buston only had to serve for about a year and a half.

“And after the election, the new mayor, Ron Anders … he asked me if I would stay on and I said, ‘I’ll only stay on halfway through your term, within two years of your term, because I really need to retire.’”

Now, Buston is retiring. His last day will be Jan. 31.

Over his 25 years with the city, Buston said that there was always just “one more thing;” little things that could make the difference.

“You see how you can affect just little things,” he said. “If you can do something just a little bit more efficient and have

employees that are just a little bit more efficient, they are able to help someone more quickly or people are able to help themselves as opposed to having to run through all this bureaucracy to get something done. So that, just seeing where you’re making a small, little impact in the community, it’s kind of gratifying.”

One thing Buston said he realized once he moved up in city government was that the staff makes all the difference.

“The staff here, the employees that we have, they just, they really are good,” he said. “And I know a lot of people say that about their employees in different areas, but it really is true here.”

Not just with the staff, but for 25 years, Buston worked with different mayors and council members.

Former Mayor Jan Dempsey and Buston only overlapped by two years in the city government.

The majority of his career was under former Mayor Bill Ham, who was replaced by Anders in 2018.

“The mayors and the council over the time I’ve been here has been pretty stable,” he said.

“There haven’t been a whole lot of them, like the mayor, Bill, was mayor for 20-something years, almost the entire time I

was here. And even the council members were pretty stable.”

Things changed in 2018 when six council members left their office, including Ham. “That was very weird, yeah, and when you get six new council members coming in that have never been on the council, many of them have never been on any committee or board or commission at all,” Buston said. “They just were brand new, so there has been a learning curve.”

The way the city manager position works is that the manager will work closely with the council and mayors and handle the day-to-day of running a city.

The council authorizes action that Buston can take, he said, such as finalizing budgets that he works through.

He also answers a lot of questions for the council members.

Buston has talked to classes of students and has thoughts on what could make a city manager successful.

“I think a successful city manager needs to have a diverse outlook on life in general,” he said. “… they really need to read a lot of diverse literature, don’t just stay, if you like science-fiction novels, don’t

just stay with that. Read other things.

“Diversify your education, because in city management you’re going to be dealing with a diverse population, from all walks of life, all socio-economic statuses.”

Having such a diverse population also means that a city manager should try to be empathetic, Buston said.

“You have to be able to understand, at least slightly, where [a citizen is] coming from and what they’re feeling and why they want what they’re asking you to deliver for them,” he said. “And you can’t do that if you only know about one thing.”

Now, Buston said he wants to travel. Of course, because of the pandemic, his plans may be on hold.

“I really wanted to see some things that I’ve read about, some history in Europe,” he said. “I’ll spend some time in Italy, which I really like. And so my thought was, I’m going to retire and then get some place, maybe rent some place in Italy and that will be my base of operation and then I’ll just travel around Europe for a couple years and then I’ll come back. But now with COVID, that’s not so much.”

So far now, his plans are uncertain. Just like he pushed off retirement, Buston will push off travel.

But the goal remains.

B12 December 30, 2020

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