Opelika Observer 08-26-21 E-edition

Thursday, August 26, 2021

Vol. 13, No. 46

AUBURN'S CITY MARKET EVERY SATURDAY FROM 8 TO 11 A.M. O GROWS FARMERS MARKET SATURDAY - SEPT. 4

Opelika, Alabama

pelika Observer O

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

Opelika Main Street Brings Home Four Awards PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY OPELIKA MAIN STREET

CONTRIBUTED BY OPELIKA MAIN STREET

Main Street Alabama awarded Opelika four prestigious Awards of Excellence at the annual LAB conference Thursday.

During the Awards of Excellence program, Main Street Alabama honored projects and individuals that made tremendous impacts in their respective communities.

Opelika was awarded the following awards:

• Excellence in Public Relations for the downtown promotional video • Excellence in Planning/Public Space for the 1st Avenue streetscape project • Excellence in Adaptive Reuse for Whistle Stop BoZle and Brew • Main Street Hero award was given to Mayor Gary Fuller.

“These awards are a testament to the great work going on in downtown Opelika,” said Opelika Main See AWARDS, page A6

ROBERTSON

Community Mourns AU Alumna, Comedian WRITTEN BY JAY AND SUSIE GOGUE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Beloved humorist and Auburn University alumna Jeanne Robertson passed away on Aug. 21.

Jeanne was a class act with a remarkable career.

She was Miss North Caroli-

na in 1963 and was named Miss Congeniality in the Miss America Pageant. After graduating from Auburn in 1967, she taught physical education and coached basketball for nine years before going into professional speaking on a fullSee ROBERTSON, page A5

Lee County Schools to Require Masks, Together, Opelika — City of Opelika Campaign Continues SSHS to Close for Two Weeks Last week, the Lee County Schools Board and the Lee County Nursing Department decided to implement a mask mandate within its schools — something that was optional prior to the deci-

sion — and released information on its COVID-19 close-contact policies for students attending Lee County Schools in 202122. Furthermore, in wake of the recent COVID-19 policies changes, and a growing number of COVID cases within Lee County Schools, the Lee County Board of Educa-

PHOTO BY JOSH FISHER / FOR THE OPELIKA OBSERVER

tion announced Tuesday that Smiths Station High School will transition to a blended learning model beginning Wednesday, Aug. 25 and lasting until Sept. 7. The following is an update on all policies and decisions recently made by the Lee County Schools Board of Education.

Regarding Masks: Superintendent Dr. James McCoy released a letter explaining the county’s decision to revert from mask-optional standards, to mask-mandated.

In the statement, McCoy explains, “as stated on record in the Lee County Schools Board of Education meetings July 27, 2021, and August 10, 2021, a commitment has been made to closely monitor the status of COVID infections and positives testing rates in our local area … To date See SCHOOL, page A5

BY HANNAH LESTER HLESTER@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

Police Chief Shane Healey said that Opelika is going to change the world — and it’s all going to start with the Opelika Police Department.

“Together, Opelika” was formed in October 2020 — a campaign between the police department and the citizens of the city to build relationships said Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller.

“I’m proud of what we’ve done together and I’m excited about the future,” he said.

This year alone, the police department has participated in 140 community events, from National Night Out to the Game On flag football event.

The department formed a partnership

PHOTO BY HANNAH LESTER / OPELIKA OBSERVER

BY WIL CREWS SPORTSCREWS@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

Opelika Police Captain Tony Amerson joined Police Chief Shane Harley and Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller to discuss the Opelika Police Department’s “Together, Opelika” campaign, progress and goals for the future. with Critical Insights in May. “Through our work with Critical Insights, we’ve established four pillars of change,” Healey said.

“To build better relationships. To build better trust. To become better educators and to become better communicators. Our

hope is by focusing on these four pillars we can better serve our community and the city as a whole.”

Trust and relationships are built through community events and analyzing the data, Healey said.

Education is hapSee OPELIKA, page A6

Contents OPINION.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 OPINION

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

SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY. . . . . A7

POLITICS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B9

RELIGION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A13

CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B12

COMICS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A16 COMICS

PUBLIC NOTICES. . . . . . . . . . . . B12

TURN TO A15 FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM OPELIKA'S SUMMER IN THE PARK EVENT.

A2 August 26, 2021

Auburn, Opelika Chambers Welcome New Businesses

Comfortmasters Heating & Air: Experts in heating and air conditioning repair, duct cleaning and installation and much more. Serving Auburn, Opelika and surrounding areas since 1990.

Country Club of Auburn: Grab your friends and head over to Country Club of Auburn to enjoy great food and beverages, a fun atmosphere and a round of golf at the convenient location at 1120 S. College St.

Infinity Wellness: Avoid the crowds, judgement and distractions — work towards a healthier version of yourself in your own suite with your trainer. Located at 2459 E. Glenn Ave., Suite A, in Auburn.

Niffer’s Place: Celebrating 30 years and a beautiful renovation. “Eat here” for delicious burgers, salads or their famous Fishbowls and Nifferitas. Located at 1151 Opelika Road, in Auburn.

East Alabama Nutrition: Enjoy a refreshing drink that’s full of nutrition. This new, nutritional smoothie and juice bar is great for a mid day pick-me-up. Located at 1703 West End Court, Suite A, in Opelika.

The Curtis House: This organization carries on the Curtis family legacy and strives to be a safe haven for all. The Curtis House continues to change the lives of so many in our community through service projects and mentoring for overall wellness that empowers children to go after their dreams. Located at 125 Jeter Ave. in Opelika.

pelika Observer

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

Publisher: Michelle Key Sports Editor: Wil Crews Live Lee Editor: Hannah Lester Marketing: Woody Ross Photojournalist: Robert Noles Sports Writers: Rick Lanier, D. Mark Mitchell

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CORRECTIONS The Opelika Observer will correct any errors, omissions or inaccuracies deemed to be substantive. Corrections may be requested by contacting the editor at (334) 749-8003.

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PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY AUBURN AND OPELIKA CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

Pepperrell Village: This new shopping center features so many awesome new businesses for the Opelika community! Located at 2828 Pepperell Parkway in Opelika.

A3 August 26, 2021

West Fraser’s Opelika Mill Receives Safety Award The West Fraser Inc. sawmill in Opelika is the recipient of the 2020 Sawmill Safety Award in Division III, presented by the Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA).

For the second year in a row, the Opelika facility maintained a perfect safety record during all of 2020, with no lost-time occupational injuries or illnesses.

SFPA Lumber Manufacturer members are considered for the award based on information submitted regarding occupational injuries and illnesses.

The results for 2020 included reports from 43 mills that recorded nearly 14 million employee hours. Safety performance is judged by how each mill’s safety record stacks up against facilities with comparable lumber output throughout the year.

Division III covers facilities that produce over 150 million board feet of Southern Pine lumber annually.

The Opelika operation joined three other sawmills, all Lumber Manufacturer members of the Southern Forest Products Association, that received awards this year recognizing outstanding safety records during 2020.

“Safety is important in all business, and the sawmill business is no different,” said SFPA Executive Director Eric Gee. “We are proud that West Fraser’s Opelika mill had zero recordable incidences in 2020 and commend them for striving to make their workplace a safe environment.”

The award was presented during a brief, in-person ceremony at the Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Exposition on Aug. 12 in Atlanta, Georgia. Chuck Watkins, Vice President of Capital and Technology for West Fraser accepted the award on the mill’s behalf.

PHOTO BY ROBB COHEN PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO

CONTRIBUTED BY SOUTHERN FOREST PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION

Pictured (from left to right): Craig Forbes, director of Lumber Sales – the Weyerhaeuser Company and board chairman of the Southern Forest Products Association; Chuck Watkins, vice president of Capital and Technology, West Fraser Inc.; Eric Gee, executive director of the Southern Forest Products Association.

This Way For Beignets They are sugary, they are warm, they are tasty and they are in Auburn! There was nothing like this ever before in town, but now you can get a fresh, warm beignet right here in Auburn, courtesy of Mo’Bay Beignet Co. In 2016, an idea popped into Jaclyn Robinson’s mind.

Robinson, who lives in Mobile, felt so inspired by this idea that she had to pursue it.

“Come 2019, I had this moment and felt like the Lord was leading me to start Mo’Bay Beignet Company, and to do it as a fundraiser to help my daughter go to college,” Robinson said.

Thus, she started packaging up her homemade beignets and syrups and selling them under the name Mo’Bay Beignet Co. Within 24 hours of her decision to sell her tasty treats, a local market contacted her and said they wanted her products on their shelves.

Her beignets were so successful that Robinson started looking for her own storefront in Mobile.

In February 2020, the first-ever Mo’Bay Beignet Co. opened in downtown Mobile.

A year later, a second location was born in the heart of Auburn, Alabama — just down the block from Toomer’s Corner.

“Ever since I opened Mo’Bay, I just kind of knew in my gut that there would be more locations, and Auburn was definitely on my list,” Robinson said.

“It just made sense; I felt like Mo’Bay Beignet Company would just fit per-

PHOTOS BY ABBEY CRANK / FOR THE OBSERVER

BY MADDIE JOINER FOR THE OPELIKA OBSERVER

fectly right there in the heart of Toomer’s Corner. It was definitely on my list, but I never thought it would be my first location [outside of Mobile].”

Robinson, a Huntsville native, always thought Rocket City would be her second location, but things changed when Tripp Skipper entered the Mobile café one day in May 2020.

“I went down there, to downtown Mobile, to just say hello to my niece one day and I was so blown away by the product that I struck up a conversation with Jaclyn,” Skipper said.

Skipper, a Mobile native who now lives on The Plains, asked Robinson what it would take to open a Mo’Bay in Auburn.

Robinson said she would think about it and after a month decided to sit down and discuss it.

“Long story short, I agreed to take that next step and he partnered with me to get one opened up in Auburn,” Robinson said.

“It’s been really great.

I’ve loved having it there and I really think the community is enjoying having it there as well.”

The Auburn location of Mo’Bay Beignet Co. opened March 5.

Mo’Bay recently won

Best Emerging Small Business from the Auburn Chamber of Commerce.

“One of the joys that I receive is just the chance to interact with the customers,” Skipper said. “Knowing that we’re helping to kind of be bright spot in their day by serving our beignets.”

As the owner, Skipper oversees the general operations of running a business, ranging from handling finances to overseeing his 25 employees.

While Skipper has a huge involvement in the store, Lauren Orzo, the general manager, runs the Auburn hot spot daily.

Orzo started at the Mobile location as a way to jump into the food and service industry. She started as a normal employee, then worked her way up the chain, becoming kitchen manager, then general manager.

“I was looking for something part-time, just kind of like a creative outlet,” Orzo said. “And then I got there and just fell into it; I just loved Mo’Bay and everything it stood for and Jaclyn’s vision of what she wanted the café to be and what she wanted to bring to downtown Mobile.”

When Auburn’s location became a

tangible project, Robinson and Skipper needed someone to run the store, and Orzo was the perfect fit. Orzo graduated from Auburn and, to her, Auburn is a second home.

“I’m just really happy to be back,” she said.

Orzo has been the general manager since the store opened in March and said the biggest challenge has been staffing. Due to Auburn being a college town, she has had trouble finding permanent employees but hopes things improve when students return in August. Orzo said the café will be hiring in the fall and if anyone is interested, they can just stop by and meet her.

On the opposite side of things, Orzo’s favorite part has been bringing this concept to Auburn. Skipper said he agrees.

“The way I look at it is, I’m a Mobile guy bringing Mo’Bay Beignet to Auburn,” he said.

Orzo is a huge part of running the Auburn location. She runs the kitchen, does scheduling, interviewing, community relations, finds local partnerships and hires employees.

All in all, people come to Mo’Bay

Beignet Co. for the product. The beignet recipe is Jaclyn’s concotion and the company limits who has that information.

Orzo will combine the secret list of ingredients and then her employees will make the actual dough.

Mo’Bay serves the warm, sugary pastries with thre different syrup options. Customers can get buttercream or cinnamon, which are available all the time, or they can try the seasonal syrup that changes every month.

Previous seasonal syrups have been strawberry, key lime, lemon and raspberry.

The café also offers coffee, and it is known for its café au lait — coffee with milk. It also offers cold brew options. All coffee is roasted by Carpe Diem Coffee & Tea Co. in Mobile, which roasts the Mo’Bay Beignet Co. blends specifically for the café.

As the café enters its first fall, Skipper and Orzo said they are excited for the crowd that comes with August and beyond.

“Since we are on the eve of approaching our first football season, I’m really excited about that,” Skipper said.

“Since the university

has announced that Jordan-Hare will be 100% capacity and tailgating will be at 100%, to be a part of the Auburn game day experience, I think it’s going to be really exciting.”

After not even a year at the Auburn location, Robinson said the company is working to make another city sweeter very soon, and announced in July that the next location will be Tuscaloosa. To get a warm beignet, tasty coffee and sweet syrup, stop by Mo’Bay Beignet Co., which is located at 155 N. College St. Mo’Bay is opened from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 9 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information about the café or for seasonal syrup updates, follow its Instagram @mobaybeignetcoauburn.

“Thanks for supporting us, thanks for coming out to try something new,” Orzo said. “It’s a word most people can’t pronounce. I guess there is some bravery there when you don’t even know how to say the thing you’re ordering, so yeah, thanks for the support and keep coming back.”

A4 August 26, 2021

HASH BROWNS

W

SEAN DIETRICH

affle House was slow. It was late when we pulled in. We needed hash browns. Stat.

My wife and I walked into the arctic air of the tiny restaurant and slid into the same side of a booth without speaking.

Her face was tear-stained and raw. She had a dehydration headache from crying.

There was no music overhead. Which was odd. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a music-less Waffle House.

The waitress approached. She could tell something was wrong by the way my wife was dabbing her eyes.

“You okay, hon?” the waitress asked, handing us menus.

My wife nodded.

We ordered drinks, then my wife leaned onto my shoulder and tried to pull herself together, albeit unsuccessfully.

I held her and said, “Sssshhh” because this is what my mother used to say whenever I cried over a skinned knee or a busted lip. Mama wasn’t actually shushing me; I suppose it’s just what you say when a loved one sobs into your shirt.

We came to this Waffle House almost immediately after the undertaker removed the body of my mother-inlaw from her house.

It was surreal. Two men from the funeral home arrived with a stainless-steel gurney.

They wore dark suits and did their jobs flawlessly.

We removed my motherin-law’s wedding ring.

We fixed her night shirt.

They transferred the decedent with dignity, then parked the gurney in the hallway for final farewells.

The placid remains of my wife’s mother were covered in an old quilt.

It looked like one of those patchwork quilts your great-great-granny sewed back in eighteen-hundred-and-whenever. Weird what you notice during important moments.

Saying goodbye was tough. Worse than I expected. I don’t care how strong you are, watching a loved one leave home on a mortuary stretcher will break you. Until that moment, it hasn’t hit you yet. Until you see them go, it’s not real.

The men in suits rolled the stretcher away. My wife followed, speaking to her mother the way a parent might speak to a child.

“These men are going to take care of you, Mother. You’re gonna be okay. Oh, they’re going to treat you like a queen…”

The men kept the gurney moving forward.

Heads down.

My wife started crying.

“We’re gonna do your hair up real nice. You’re gonna look beautiful for your funeral. Gina’s gonna do your makeup, and oh, we’re gonna dress you in your favorite shirt and…”

The gurney neared the doorway.

My wife’s weeping kicked in double-time.

“Mother, you’re my best friend. My best friend. I love you, I love you so much. My best friend in the whole world. You’ll never know how much you mean to me…”

I watched my wife’s face bust wide open. She looked like a child who had just fallen off her bike. She glanced at the men in dark suits and half moaned: “Please... Take…

Good care... Of my mother...”

As the gurney rolled away my wife sobbed into my chest until she couldn’t breathe. My two Chicken-Little arms wrapped around her tightly, and I’ve never felt so inadequate.

“Sssshhh,” was all I knew to say. “Sssshhh.”

The suits placed the body into the back of a white van. Easy as that.

Like a couple of USPS guys delivering a parcel.

They closed the vehicle doors. They cranked the engine. They drove off.

My wife started trotting behind the van, chewing on her thumb, still speaking aloud to her mother. When the tail lights disappeared, she totally collapsed. I held her and felt like my heart was being ripped out with a pitchfork.

After that, we went out for hash browns.

We ate in silence and tried not to think.

Because after someone dies you just need a rest from thinking. It only takes the littlest thoughts to break your heart all over again.

You will be standing in your loved one’s bathroom and see their toothbrush in the stand, or when you open the refrigerator, you will see their carton of milk, half full, and you will completely lose it.

During our supper, my wife and I watched the starring cast of Waffle House put on their evening show. We saw the truck drivers

exchange jokes. We watched the cook throw chili onto haystacks of hashbrowns. We listened to the waitress call everyone “hon.” We saw a table of teens have a laughing contest. A Latino family sang “Happy Birthday” to a baby.

My wife held my hand. I could see the fault lines in her face begin to crack. It had been a long day.

“Everyone here seems so happy,” she said, sniffing.

“Yeah.”

Silence.

“I’m so exhausted,” she said.

I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I know you are.”

Marathon silence.

Then her eyes traveled to her hand. She was still wearing her mother’s wedding ring.

Her lower lip trembled.

That was all it took. In a few moments, everyone in the joint was staring at us. And by the expressions of empathy on their faces, I could tell that each of us in this nondescript Waffle House was a member of the same club.

“Sssshhh,” I said.

LITTLE BOY LOST

WENDY HODGE There is a box of treasures in my closet … things that don’t have any real monetary value.

But they’re priceless to me. Family photographs, a Bible with my name engraved on it that I got when I graduated from high school, movie ticket stubs from the 80’s, old keys that belong to houses I used to call home and a cassette tape. The tape has a purple label on it with these words written in black ink: The Kids.

I haven’t owned a cassette player in years, but I can still hear the voices on that tape. I listened to it so many times over the years that it’s almost a muscle memory. There’s my brother’s voice — deep and hardy, always laughing. My cousin Betty Anne sings an old Paul Revere and the Raiders song. My sister, Carol, tells a joke and cracks herself up.

Words can’t tell how much I miss hearing them all.

Towards the end of the tape, after more music and background laughter, there is my favorite part — my cousin, Lamar, who would have been 15 years old, is trying to make me laugh. I was the baby by

far in our stair-step of cousins. At three years old, I was everybody’s baby doll. My sister and Betty Ann dressed me up and carried me around. My brother and Lamar did their level best to be the one to make me laugh loudest.

I wish I could remember those days firsthand, but this recording is the closest thing I have.

Lamar tries playing peek-a-boo, but there’s not even a giggle from me. Then he apparently stands on his head and makes faces, but I am silent. He can be heard tickling me and then bouncing me up and down on his knee, but still, I do not laugh.

Then he says, “You leave me no choice, Wendy. It’s monkey time!” Loud chimpanzee grunts and chattering echoes from the tape. If I close my eyes, I can see Lamar jumping around, all gangly arms and legs, looking like a cross between one of the monkeys at the Monkey Park and Jerry Lewis.

And then I laugh, loud and long. So does Lamar. We laugh until we can’t breathe. Then you can hear my mother’s voice as she enters the room and says, “You kids — you’re a mess.”

And then the tape runs out.

The fall of 1993 was cold. Lamar was a police officer, a veteran detective, by then. All “the kids” were grown with kids of our own.

My sister had died the year before. We’d been living a half-life since then. I found myself liv-

ing in Maryland with a young son and a burning desire to return home where I belonged. On a cold day in October that year, I did just that. I boarded a small passenger plane and, through thunderstorms and lightning, I flew home to help bury Lamar.

Here’s the official version of what happened: Earlier that week, Officer Motley had been off-duty and headed to Walmart for office supplies. A woman had approached him saying she’d seen a boy in the back seat of a car that was parked close to the door of the Walmart.

The boy was literally sitting on top of a pile of guns and seemed scared. Officer Motley approached the vehicle and asked the driver to roll down his window.

He did so. Then, from a row of pay phones on the other side of the car, a woman pulled a gun and shot Officer Motley in the chest.

Simultaneously, the man in the vehicle shot the officer, wounding him in the arm. Officer Motley had pulled his weapon and managed to shoot at the man, wounding him as well.

The woman approached around the vehicle and fired a fatal shot into Officer Motley’s head.

The officer managed to use his shoulder radio to call for help. He died shortly after arriving at the local hospital.

Here’s what my family knows: Lamar offered to go to Walmart that day because he loved being

out in the community.

He loved Opelika and the people who live here. The woman who came up to him in the parking lot and told him about the little boy has never been identified.

I can imagine Lamar’s instinct was to help that child any way he could.

We know that the woman at the payphone who fired the first shot was a woman with a long history of arrests and rebellion against any kind of authority. The man in the vehicle was her common-law husband. Together they had blazed a trail across the southeast that left a path of stolen cars, armed robberies and violent assaults in their wake.

We know that Lamar tried his best to disarm the man in the car. We know that he knew he was in trouble and that he made a desperate call to his fellow officers for help. We know that they came racing from all over our town and the next one because that’s what officers do when one of their own needs them. We know that Lamar knew he was dying and that he looked his killer in the eye as she stood over him and took his life away.

The man and woman fled and found themselves in a standoff with police. After a few hours, they surrendered.

They faced trial, prison and death sentences. We faced shock and pain and a funeral with full honors. We were numb through the 21-gun salute at the memorial service and the fourhour drive to a tiny

town in South Alabama, with officers parked and standing at salute at every stop-light from here to there, where we huddled together under an Alabama mist at the graveside.

We learned to live with holes in our life.

My cousin lost her brother. I had lost my sister. We all had lost so much more than we could measure. Time slid by, as it always does, regardless of loss.

I found myself hungry for details about my cousin’s killers. What prisons were they languishing in? Were they showing any remorse?

Did they know what they had done to us, or did they even care? The answers to these questions weren’t satisfying, because they felt nothing. They weren’t languishing. They were taking law classes and having visits with family members. They were writing love letters to each other and planning for the day they would be released from their cells.

Members of our family took turns going to hearings and court dates. We spoke to the press. We cried together. We finally learned of an execution date for both killers. I thought that would bring relief, but it did not. In 2002, nine years after she killed my cousin, the female assailant was executed. I thought that would bring relief, but it did not. In 2005, twelve years after killing my cousin, the male assailant was executed.

I thought that would

bring relief, but it did not.

I learned this lesson: Vengeance is a lazy form of grief. Those killers deserved to die for the life they took. I believe that with all my being. But my family deserved peace. And the only way to peace is through forgiveness.

Real grief, grief that heals and brings forgiveness, is hard work.

It hurts, but it heals.

I’m ashamed to say that for years I never gave a single thought to the one person in that tragic series of events who was a silent victim.

That little boy in the back of the car. Nothing was said about him in the papers. There is no record online of where he went once that day was over. I have no idea who took care of him.

I don’t know what his life was like before that day, nor what it was like afterward. He’s a grown man now, if he has survived. What demons does he carry in his soul? Has he grieved and forgiven? If I had to guess, I would venture to say he probably doesn’t have a box of treasures with recordings of happy voices trying to see who could make him laugh the loudest.

The other day a 48 Hours episode aired.

It was on the TV as I stood in the kitchen making my lunch. It was a segment on fallen officers, and I had no idea Lamar’s death was part of the story. But then I heard his radio See HODGE, page A6

A5 August 26, 2021

The Observer Welcomes Fall Interns MEGAN MANN HARRISON TARR

BY MEGAN MANN FOR THE OPELIKA OBSERVER

else.”

Although attending Auburn was a multigenerational tradition at home, Mann’s choice to pursue a career in journalism strayed from the paths of those before her.

“I am the first journalist in my family but my sister graduated in PR,” Mann said. “Not the first liberal arts major.”

Mann noted that being the lone professional in journalism has never presented itself as an issue at home.

“I’m the only writer in my family, so that’s pretty interesting,” Mann said. “But they all think that’s actually really cool and they support me in that.”

Between the support received at home for her passions and her decision to attend Auburn University, Mann found herself excelling within the school of journalism.

“Once I got into my journalism classes at

Auburn, the difference in how I did in those and how much I love those compared to all the classes you have to take in your first year was incredible,” she said. “It didn’t even feel like work.”

Despite her confidence in the journalism field developing during her undergraduate courses, the love for writing began long before Mann’s arrival on the plains.

“I first started writing my freshman year of high school and then I got really into it around my senior year,” Mann said. “I went through a really difficult time and had a lot of trauma and grief. That was when I really dove into writing and journalism.”

Outside of the newsroom, Mann continues to express herself in another written outlet: poetry.

“I originally started doing poetry to let out my grief and anger from stuff that I’ve been through,” Mann said.

“Then it started being something I did every day. I’ll be in the grocery store or the car or somewhere and something will spark me and I’ll start writing.”

The senior notes that her love for the art has strengthened her professional skills.

“I think that’s helped me a lot in feature writing because my creative writing has expanded a lot,” Mann said. “I’m really good at describing things like that.”

After graduating from Auburn, Mann hopes to release a book containing roughly 100 pieces of poetry titled “What’s Left Unsaid.”

education. In an effort to remain open for in-person learning, at this time we must add an additional, specific mitigation strategy. As of Monday, August 23, 2021, facial coverings/masks will be required for all individuals while indoors at any Lee County Schools facility,” the statement read.

Regarding COVID-Contact: Earlier this month, the board announced that it will adopt an optional mask-wearing stance for all students this school year, except for on buses.

Despite this, the board recommended that “all employees, students and adults wear a mask while indoors on Lee County Campuses and property.”

We now know the board has reversed its stance on optional-masking, alternatively choosing to mandate them given the number of COVID-19 cases seen in the first two weeks of school. The information below, however, remains relevant for when a student contacts COVID-19

or comes in close contact with someone who has the virus.

In the open letter to parents and guardians, the board declared its policies regarding students who have come in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, stating, “Per Alabama Department of Public Health guidelines, if your child is not fully vaccinated and was not wearing a mask, he/she should remain at home for ten days.”

The statement continued to say that if your child is fully vaccinated and/or was wearing a mask when exposed to COVID-19, then he she may continue attending school, unless the following symptoms are exhibited: Fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, muscle or body aches, headaches, new loss of smell or taste, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting or diarrhea.

The statement concluded by saying, “Although these are not all

the symptoms associated with COVID-19, these are the most common.

Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure; if your child develops any of these symptoms listed above you might need to take him/her to the doctor for evaluation.

Although masks are not mandated in Lee County Schools, we urge each and every household to continue taking individual responsibility to help mitigate the spread of this virus. It is only through individual efforts that we will be able to keep the school open. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your child’s school nurse.”

Regarding Schools and Blended Learning: The board announced Tuesday that Smiths Station High School would transition to a blended learning model beginning Wednesday Aug. 25, and lasting until Tuesday, Sept. 7.

According to the Lee County Schools Board website, “all extracurricular activities will

MANN

BY HARRISON TARR FOR THE OPELIKA OBSERVER With the dawn of a new academic year, the Opelika Observer welcomes Auburn University’s Meghan Mann to its fresh crop of fall student interns.

A native of Huntsville, Alabama, Mann joins the Observer as she embarks upon her final semester at Auburn before receiving her bachelors in journalism this December.

The journey, which led the emerging journalist to the plains, stems from a family tradition of bleeding orange and blue.

“I wound up at Auburn because my whole family went to Auburn,” Mann said. “I wanted to be the odd ball out and go somewhere else so I looked at Ole Miss and USA but when I did the tour at Auburn it was home. I couldn’t imagine myself somewhere

SCHOOLS>>

FROM A1

we have incorporated many efforts to protect our students and employees, which include enforcing physical distancing expectations, improving ventilation mechanisms, encouraging frequent disinfecting and cleaning of our buildings, as well as promoting proper handwashing and respiratory etiquette.”

Despite these things, McCoy still cited that through the week of Aug. 9 to 13, the county’s schools yielded 105 positive cases of COVID-19.

The first two days of the second week yielded an additional 88 cases as well. Thusly, the board has made the decision as of Aug. 20 to mandate mask-wearing in the schools.

“The primary goal of our school system is to educate children in the safest environment we can provide. We must be open in order to provide the best possible quality

Harrison Tarr, one of two Opelika Observer summer interns, was raised in the suburbs of Gwinnett County and is currently a senior in the Journalism program at Auburn University.

Tarr did not always plan on being a journalist. He comes from a long line of engineers, in fact, but he decided to stray away from the family norm. It was during his freshman year of high school that he made the decision to be the first in his family to obtain a liberal arts degree and began his path to a career in journalism.

“When deciding what I wanted to do, I realized how much I really love writing and how it has always been a strong suit of mine,” Tarr said.

Throughout high school, Tarr wrote for his school’s newspaper. While his focus was on sports, he enjoyed many aspects of writing and often found himself writing feature stories, including the “teacher of the year” articles.

Although he grew up in Atlanta, Tarr has been cheering on the Auburn Tigers for many years.

“I first fell in love with Auburn because my best friend growing up would always invite me to football games,” he said.

TARR Tarr expressed that aside from loving the community, he came to Auburn for school because of its growing journalism program.

“I was really interested in being a part of a journalism program that is growing as fast as Auburn’s is,” he said.

“I get a more intimate experience in terms of smaller class sizes and more handson involvement so when I graduate and join the workforce, I will be able to look back and see all the progress I have made.”

Tarr’s love for sports also played a role in this decision.

“I loved sports in high school but knew I would never play on a college team, that’s when I realized I still didn’t have to give up that part of my life,” he said. “I can still be around the game,

continue,” at the school, barring any changes. The following is a breakdown of how the transition to blended learning will occur.

According to the website, “teachers will present live instruction via Zoom during regularly scheduled class times.” Those class times are: 1st block will Zoom from 8:45 to 10:15 a.m.; 2nd block will Zoom from 10:30 a.m. to noon; 3rd block will Zoom from 12:45 to 2:15 p.m.; 4th block will Zoom from 2:30 to 4 p.m.

The website goes on to say that “breakfast will be served at the back door of the cafeteria from 8:15 to 8:45 a.m., and lunch will be served from noon to 1 p.m.; the SSHS student will need to be in the vehicle for service.”

Additionally, the board announced that Beulah High School’s and Wacoochee Elementary School’s co-curricular and extracurricular school activities will be canceled through Aug. 29.

This is a developing story.

and in my opinion, I have more fun actively working at the games instead of participating. That’s when I decided I wanted to do sports journalism.”

Tarr said he enjoys being a part of the media and covering events but hopes to one day work closer alongside the players and coaches.

“My dream job would be an SID,” he added. “I want to be one at some point in my life so I can coordinate between media and student athletes, especially with the new name, image and likeness laws for college athletes.”

Tarr is slated to graduate from Auburn in May of 2022, but said he plans to stay in Auburn after graduation to further his career and connections in the journalism industry.

ROBERTSON >>

FROM A1

time basis. Jeanne served as president of the National Speakers Association and received the organization’s most prestigious accolade, the Cavett Award. (She was the first woman to receive this honor.)

“We are sure Jeanne is now telling stories in heaven ... all the angels are laughing,” her Facebook page said. Celebration of life details and an obituary will be shared on her social media and website at a later date.

“We were excited to welcome Jeanne back to Auburn as part of our 2020–21 season. Her wit and captivating personality, both irreplaceable, would have brought such light to our stage. She will be missed,” the Jay & Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center issued in a Facebook post.

The Gogue Center box office began issuing refunds to all patrons who held tickets to Jeanne’s scheduled Nov. 19 performance, Monday, Aug. 23.

A6 August 26, 2021

CONTRIBUTED BY THE CITY OF OPELIKA

Abby Bowman and Richard Kelsey with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) presented this year’s

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FROM A1

Street Executive Director Ken Ward.

“Opelika’s downtown and Main Street program are important economic drivers for our entire community.

Since 2014 downtown Opelika has seen 26 net new businesses, over 100 new jobs and over $36 million in new investments.

This represents real growth and economic opportunity for all members of the Opelika community.”

“It’s an honor to recognize these outstanding community projects, leaders and volunteers,” Wirth said. “The award winners represent the resiliency

OPELIKA >>

FROM A1

pening both internally and externally.

“We have been busy,” said Tony Amerson, captain of community relations with OPD. “In order for us to build trust and relationships, we need to do better about educating the community on our policies and procedures.”

There is a program with the municipal court about traffic stops and the courts.

The department has also created a ‘citation sticky note’ which has all the information a citizen needs about their citation. When an officer issues a ticket, the sticky note will be attached.

The department has plans for more education in the school system too — from reevaluating the roles of school resource officers to continuing with programs in government in driver’s education at Opelika High School.

“We’re not just talking about hosting

HODGE >>

FROM A4

call to his dispatcher.

I heard him call for help. I heard the pain in his voice. That same voice that made monkey sounds and made

behalf of the EARP. Opelika will use funds from this check to purchase additional carts for curbside recycling. Since the beginning of this grant program EARP has received over $1,200,000. ADEM

has played a huge part in the growth of recycling in Opelika, Auburn, Lee County and the Auburn University community.

Pictured: From left to right are: Abby Bowman, Terry White and William Stabler.

of downtown and commercial neighborhood districts in spite of a challenging year.

Main Street programs were instrumental in helping small businesses navigate through closures due to the pandemic and helping them to reopen safely with outdoor eating options, hand sanitizing stations, foot door pulls, masks and more. The effort and leadership it takes to move these projects quickly is tremendous.”

The Awards of Excellence Banquet is a highlight of LAB, a three-day conference that bolsters the efforts of communities participating in the nationally acclaimed Main Street program

or those communities interested in downtown revitalization. The eighth annual event drew over 150 community leaders from Alabama.

Main Street Alabama has 29 Designated Programs and over 30 Downtown Network Communities. One of the oldest Main Street programs in Alabama, Opelika follows the four point model of Organization, Design, Promotion and Economic Vitality developed by the National Main Street Center.

About Opelika Main Street: Founded in 1987, Opelika Main Street helps assist in the growth of historic downtown Opelika through facade

grants, beautification projects, economic development efforts, business professional development programs and various community events. Learn more about Opelika Main Street by going to opelikamainstreet.org or by following us on Facebook, TwiZer and Instagram.

About Main Street Alabama: Main Street Alabama focuses on bringing jobs, dollars and people back to Alabama’s historic communities Economic development is at the heart of our efforts to revitalize downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.

events and speaking in classrooms when we talk about becoming better educators,” Healey said. “We’re focusing on internal training too. We’re developing our officers to be certified instructors which allows our department to receive additional training in-house.”

OPD has far exceeded the state-required training.

Opelika officers have completed 10,296 hours of training, while only 1,100 are required.

Education also happens through community outreach — such as the OPD app, or community liaisons.

Each ward is set to have two community liaisons.

“The primary role of these liaisons is to listen to their community, to be a voice of their wards and work closely with the ambassador of change,” Amerson said. “We attend monthly meetings to listen, to learn, to engage with each other to see how we can work together to be more effective in our goal.”

Looking into the future, the department will launch a new program in 2022, 20 under 20 Police Explore Academy, which looks to help high schools explore their options in law enforcement.

The Opelika Police Department is not the only group striving for a “Together, Opelika”. The city, community groups, churches, schools and more are all working together for the cause.

“One of the big things that we have seen through this process of working with everybody is we’ve started to see how everybody coming together is having more of an impact on this community,” Healey said.

Healey said that “Together, Opelika” is now a city movement, rather than a police department movement.

“It’s going to continue to grow, it’s going to continue to snowball and we are going to change the world in Opelika, Alabama.”

me laugh. And it broke me. It turns out grief is a never-ending mountain trail. Sometimes there are peaks, and sometimes there are valleys. You just keep walking through it. So I’ve bought an old tape recorder online and I

will listen to those happy voices again. Maybe they will drive out the echoes of my cousin’s last recording. And I’ll keep grieving and forgiving and hoping that the little boy lost is somewhere doing the same.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

AWARDS

grant check of $24,618.00 to the East Alabama Recycling Partnership (EARP).

Environmental Services Director Terry White and Superintendent William Stabler are accepting the check on

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

ADEM Grant Presented to East Alabama Recycling Partnership

Opelika E vents, Society & Food

Aug. 28: Community Worship Night at Samford Lawn Sept. 3: Football, Fans and Feathers at Edgar B. Carter Educational Amphitheater Sept. 4: September Community Day at the Community Garden at Auburn University

Cooking is the Language of Love for Adam Pierce to Spread Joy to Others PHOTO BY ANN CIPPERLY

Ann Cipperly

Southern

Hospitality

W

ith a passion for cooking, Adam Pierce feels it is a love language for him to be able to prepare meals that bring joy to others.

Adam not only enjoys cooking for family and friends but also cooks for special events at Providence Baptist Church. When he prepares meals for large groups, his wife, Kathi, who also has a love for cooking and baking, is by his side, serving as sous chef.

Adam grew up in a family with good cooks.

His grandmother made delicious chicken and dumplings, while his grandfather and father, Walter Pierce, would bake a batch of six pound cakes at once.

Adam is still waiting for his family’s secret pound cake recipe to be passed down to him. He is planning to make a few changes to enhance it for the next generation.

Adam and Kathi both grew up in Opelika.

For his last two years in high school, Adam attended the Alabama School of Math and Science in Mobile. While in high school, Adam thought about attending the Johnson and Wales Culinary School, but he met Kathi soon afterward graduating. They married the following year.

Adam is an electronics technician with Opelika Power Services and also works part-time at Frederick-Dean Funeral Home. In his spare time, he savors being in the kitchen cooking.

Adam has been attending Providence Baptist Church for about 39 years. For 25 years, he assisted a family who was coordinating events at the church before he took over cooking. While they were not able to hold a Fourth of July event last year because of Covid, this year they held the celebration, changing the way the meat was cooked.

Over the years, it was

generally 15 to 20 men cooking the meat overnight over a pit for the Fourth of July. Adam knew he wouldn’t have as many helping this year. He cooked 300 pounds of Boston butts in a large smoker that was able to accommodate all the meat at one time. When the meat came out of the smoker, it was very tender.

The hostess committee at church coordinated preparing potato salad and baked beans to go with the meat, while the congregation provided desserts. This year’s Fourth celebration allowed life to feel closer to normal.

Recently, Adam cooked 40 pounds of Boston butt for his father’s 70th birthday party. Kathi prepared baked beans, potato salad and her homemade banana pudding. A friend brought coleslaw.

Adam watched videos and followed groups online to learn how to add flavor to meat without having a sauce. He uses

Adam Pierce has a passion for cooking and enjoys cooking for family and friends, as well as at Providence Baptist Church. Adam is pictured with a pork roast that was smoked, sliced and then seared on a flat top grill, using the reverse sear method of cooking.

the reverse sear method for cooking steaks in a hot skillet or flat top, which seals in the flavor. “If you have to put steak sauce on a steak,” he said, “it wasn’t cooked correctly.”

When cooking a pork roast for a crowd, he will use the reverse sear method. After the pork is cooked in a smoker, he slices it and then sears the chops on a flattop. It is flavorful and tender.

Adam also cooks breakfast on a flat top for a crowd. It gives him the opportunity to cook pancakes, sausage and eggs at the same time and not have a messy kitchen.

A few years ago, Providence church held a men’s breakfast on Saturday mornings for fellowship and Bible

study. Adam would like to revive that again once Covid is not an issue.

He is looking forward to being involved in cooking more at the church once it is safe.

At one time, they would cook hot dogs on Labor Day and have a fish fry at a fall festival. At Thanksgiving, he would help smoke whole turkeys to provide a meal to the church family and others in the community who did not have family locally or lacked funds.

They provided the full meal at no cost.

Adam and Kathi enjoy having family and friends in their home for meals. Before Covid, they would have about 15 people in their home twice a week for dinner.

The couple enjoy having their three grown children. Hannah, 24,

Maddie, 21 and Zachary, 19, for meals. They are learning to cook from scratch like their parents.

Kathi enjoys trying different recipes and has a passion for baking.

She gets ideas from online, Pinterest and cookbooks, then creates recipes that suit their family’s taste. Kathi is creative and works to keep meals interesting.

She has a board on Pinterest called “Kathi Tested and Family approved.”

Adams feels it is relaxing to cook, and it takes his mind off other things. He focuses on time management to be sure all the dishes are cooked in time and allows time for cleaning up.

See CIPPERLY, page A10

New Adventurefuls Girl Scout Cookie Joins Lineup for 2022 CONTRIBUTED BY GSSA

The Sound Wall: One Couple’s Musical Dreams and the Business Behind It

BY NATALIE SALVATORE FOR THE OPELIKA OBSERVER

Five years ago, one husband and wife duo took their music career to the next level by opening a multi functional recording studio.

Located in the heart of

Opelika, The Sound Wall has become an important part of the community.

Owners Jen and Rob Slocumb, known as the duo “Martha’s Trouble,” have been writing and performing acoustic music across the country

for over 20 years. Touring has brought the pair widespread recognition and extensive musical expertise. Their music has been featured on stations such as SiriusXM Coffee House’s “AcousSee SOUND WALL, page A11

Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama (GSSA) and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) announced that the new Adventurefuls cookie will join the nationwide lineup for the 2022 Girl Scout Cookie season. An indulgent brownie-inspired cookie with caramel-flavored crème and a hint of sea salt, Adventurefuls take cookie lovers on a delicious taste adventure just like Girl Scouts go on their own amazing adventures through the program. Girl Scouts in Southern Alabama

and across the United States will offer the Adventurefuls cookie next season alongside favorites like Thin Mints® and Caramel deLites®.

Every purchase of Adventurefuls, and the whole portfolio of iconic cookies, during cookie season, fuels local Girl Scouts’ adventures throughout the year: exploring what interests them, discovering their passions and taking action on issues they care about. Whether they’re using their STEM skills to solve a problem, changing a law to help their community,

having a courageous outdoor experience or starting an innovative nonprofit, Girl Scouts build a better future for themselves and the world. Through the Girl Scout Cookie Program, not only do girls become entrepreneurs as they gain hands-on experience running their own small business, but they also earn money to fuel their Girl Scout adventures, which catapult them where they want to go.

Also new this year, GSUSA recently announced new Cookie See COOKIES, page A8

A8 August 26, 2021

Making the Grade: Lucy’s

My friend Leigh Ann, like me, was born in the Old Russell Hospital in Alexander City, Alabama (“Eleck” City to the locals). In fact, we both grew up on Scott Road and became friends at Radney Elementary School, remaining close throughout our school careers.

In high school, Leigh Ann weighed just 105 pounds. However, I weighed 105 at birth. When we graduated from Benjamin Russell High School in May of 1981, our paths diverged. While Leigh Ann took some courses at Alexander City State Junior College (now Central Alabama Community College) for just summer quarter and then went to Auburn University in the fall of 1981 as an accounting major, I, being a big Mama’s girl, attended ACJC for two full years before transferring to Auburn my junior year. Leigh Ann was always great at math, and at Auburn, she took advanced math courses such as calculus, while I can only spell the word. I have never been a math fan; to me, it is simply a distasteful four-letter word. My Public Relations/Speech Communications

COOKIES

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Business badges that help girls think like entrepreneurs as they run their own cookie businesses and incorporate online sales via the Smart Cookies platform. The badges progress from goal setting and effective sales-pitching in person and online to using market research, creating business plans, and implementing digital marketing campaigns.

Available nationwide, every bite of Adventurefuls is full of indulgent brownie-inspired flavor with a combination of chocolatey and caramel flavors, and smooth and crispy textures, for an incredible taste of adventure in every bite.

Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama kicks off cookie season on Jan. 2, 2022. Visit www. girlscoutcookies.org to sign up to be notified

as soon as Adventurefuls and other Girl Scout Cookies are on sale. Find your adventure at Girl Scouts by joining or volunteering at www.girlscoutssa. org/en/about-girlscouts/join.html.

About Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama serves more than 5,000 girls, ages 5-17 and 2,500 adults who believe in the power of community, leadership, and friendship in order to change the world.

We’re the preeminent leadership development organization for girls and have been for more than 100 years.

With programming across 30 counties, GSSA offers every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventur, and success.

To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join call 800-239-6636 or visit www.girlscoutssa. org.

PHOTO BY MIKE WALLACE

STACEY PATTON WALLACE

major required either 10 hours of math or philosophy. So, yep, I became a philosopher.

Anything was better than being tortured in two math classes.

Also, Leigh Ann was more industrious than I in college. She took classes at Auburn in the summer quarters and worked at TG&Y. Therefore, Leigh Ann graduated from Auburn in December 1984, while I graduated in June 1985.

Soon after graduation, Leigh Ann moved to Texas, where she achieved a great deal of success working for the state for 34 years. Before she retired in 2019, she was the chief of tax and supervised 300 people. Her office audited businesses in Texas for unemployment tax.

When Leigh Ann decided to move back to Sweet Home Alabama after she retired, I was elated.

She is still in terrific shape and looks wonderful, but I love her anyway. Unfortunately, the sale of her house in Texas coincided with the pandemic shutdown, so the move in May 2020 was a difficult one. However, I am thrilled that my childhood friend now lives just eight miles from me.

Awhile back, I met Leigh Ann for lunch at Lucy’s, which is located at 2300 Moores Mill Road in Auburn.

I had never been there before, but Leigh Ann had, and it’s practically in her neighborhood.

Sydney, our young waitress, was an absolute delight. She was kind, helpful and charming. I predict

that she will be a success in life.

Leigh Ann and I shared Lucy’s Pimento Cheese, which had Bacon Onion Jam and was served with grilled bread. Oh, my two times. That was the BEST pimento cheese I’ve ever had at a restaurant. A DEFINITE do over. Other Shares at Lucy’s included: Truffle Parmesan Fries, Gigante Bean Hummus and Charcuterie & Cheese.

We both chose the Juicy Lucy Burger, winner of the 2019 Burger Wars. The burger had Bacon and Onion Marmalade,

Poblano Aioli and Sharp White Cheddar Stuffed. It was well named because it was very juicy and delicious. We chose fries as our side.

Lucy’s Friday lunch menu also included the following sandwiches: Grilled Walnut Pesto Chicken Sandwich, Ahi Tuna Burger, Adult Grilled Cheese and Lucy’s Reuben. Diners may choose either Housemade Sea Salt Kettle Chips or fries. Also, Lucy’s offers the Catch of the Day (market), which includes Roasted Carrot Puree, Burnt Vidalia

Onion, Community Garden Squash and Champagne Beurre Blanc.

For dessert, I tried a slice of the Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie, which had Madagascar Vanilla Ice Cream layered with Lemon Curd, Torched Meringue and a Georgia Pecan Crust. It was great.

Lucy’s is open on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m.; closed on Monday; on Tuesday-Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m.; on Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m.; on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

and 5 to 10 p.m.

Leigh Ann, I am so glad you are back home. This one was for you.

Lucy’s makes the grade with an A+ from this retired English teacher. Remember, “Pooh-sized” people NEVER lie about food. Enjoy!

Stacey Patton Wallace, who retired from teaching language arts for 30 years, is a professional diner.

Her column, “Making the Grade,” will appear each week in the Observer. Stacey may be reached at retiredlangartsteacher2020@gmail.com

A9 August 26, 2021

Back-to-School Bash Raises Money to Buy Shoes for Students

PHOTO BY ROBERT NOLES /OPELIKA OBSERVER

Cornerstone Chiropractic held its 11th annual Back 2 School Bash on Saturday. The mini outdoor canival was free to the community as visitors enjoyed rides, music, food, shopping and fun. Local businesses were present, too, and all donated funds to supply new school shoes for area kids in need.

A10 August 26, 2021

CIPPERLY

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FROM A7

Friends have talked to him about having a food truck, and that might happen one day.

For now, he is enjoying cooking as a hobby.

“I don’t want to lose the love of cooking and for it to be something that I have to do to provide for my family,” Adam said. “I look forward to cooking when

CIPPERLY RECIPES >> BACON AND HONEY BRUSSEL SPROUTS 1 lb. thick cut bacon 2 lb. whole Brussel sprouts 1 cup honey Black pepper to taste Start by cutting Brussels in half. Fry bacon on griddle or in cast iron pan until crispy, reserving the grease created. After removing bacon to drain, place Brussels in the grease and begin to toss.

Allow to sit cut side down on the griddle to caramelize the Brussels.

Cover with a dome and add water to allow steam to continue to cook Brussels until tender.

While cooking, chop bacon and mix honey and black pepper in a separate bowl. Once Brussel sprouts are tender, remove from heat and cover with mixed honey and black pepper. Toss in bacon pieces and serve.

BAKED BEANS SUPREME 1 53 oz. can pork and beans 1 lb. hamburger meat, browned and drained 1 small onion, chopped 1 bell pepper (color of choice), chopped ¾ cup brown sugar 1/3 cup yellow mustard 2/3 cup ketchup Brown hamburger meat with pepper and onion until done. Drain completely. Pour pork and beans into medium size bowl and add hamburger meat, onion, bell pepper, brown sugar, mustard and ketchup. Stir gently until combined trying not to mash beans.

Place in a 9 x 13 casserole pan and spread evenly. Cook in oven set at 375 until hot all the way through (usually about 45 minutes).

For extra fancy beans, fry and chop bacon to sprinkle across top before baking.

I can and sharing. My favorite part of cooking is doing something that makes people happy.

“I always consider food a love language that you pour your time and love into it. I have been able to cook and do something that people look forward to eating.

Food has been the way I can serve others.”

Adam is always ready to try new dishes. He doesn’t like to repeat the

BACON FRIED CORN 1 lb. bacon 24 oz. frozen yellow corn, thawed Taco seasoning to taste Cilantro to taste Red pepper flakes to taste On griddle or cast iron pan, fry bacon until crispy, reserving the grease. Remove and drain when done. Place corn into grease and stir constantly. Sprinkle taco seasoning, cilantro and red pepper flakes in as corn gets close to being done.

Remove from heat and sprinkle bacon crumbles on top before serving.

CHICKEN FETTUCINE BAKE 1 rotisserie chicken, deboned 1 lb. penne pasta, cooked al dente 3 jars of alfredo sauce 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided Mix pasta and deboned and shredded chicken in bowl. Add half of the mixture to 9 x 13 casserole dish and layer with half the cheese. Repeat.

As an added layer of flavor, you can sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top. Place in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and begins to brown. Enjoy!

KATHI’S BANANA PUDDING FROM SCRATCH ½ cup granulated sugar 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour ¼ tsp. salt 2 cups milk 4 eggs, separated 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract 1 box vanilla wafers 4 medium ripe bananas ¼ cup sugar for egg whites In medium sized saucepan, mix flour, salt and sugar; add milk slowly. Stir constantly over low heat until thickened. Stir and cook for about 15 minutes. Beat egg yolks in separate bowl and slowly

same dishes over and over. People tell him they don’t like Brussel sprouts until they try his, roasted with bacon and honey.

He has learned how to infuse flavor into the meats and other dishes he prepares.

“Food is a universal language,” he said. “You can put food out there, and people will come. It may open up a conversation and create a friendship. It is a love language

when I cook without having to say anything.

“I have been blessed. Kathi is by far my biggest access that I have. She has the same passion for food. She is always willing to help with preparation when I am cooking for a crowd.

God has given us ability and resources that cooking and sharing is our purpose.”

They hope that before long they can start

back having family and friends for dinner over a couple of times a week.

It was always good times around the table with conversations and laughter. They are missing that love language and want to get to that back again.

“Our time on earth is short,” he said. “It is hard to look back to see what I did with my time. I wonder if I spend enough time with my family and help create memories of

being at the table together.

“I look at memories from growing up and remember the food family members cooked,” Adam added. “I learned to cook by watching them. I took a liking to cooking and learned from people who have had a love of cooking their entire adult life.”

Cipperly can be reached at recipes@ cipperly.com.

stir into mixture.

Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract.

Line bottom of casserole dish with vanilla wafers and sliced bananas.

Add custard mixture to casserole dish creating layers if space allows, ending with custard on top.

Beat egg whites in chilled bowl with ¼ cup sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently spread on top of custard and bake in oven set at 450 degrees for about 5 minutes until meringue is browned.

Serve chilled.

minutes until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

While cooking, prepare glaze: 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter ¾ cup sugar ¼ cup bourbon Cook over low heat until the butter and sugar have melted. Poke small holes in the bottom of cake as it starts to cool and pour half the glaze mixture into these holes.

When cooled, turn cake out and pour remaining glaze over the top allowing it to drip down sides of cake. Enjoy with a bit of vanilla ice cream, or fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

dered sugar, close the bag tightly and shake to coat the cereal with the powdered sugar.

Once coated, pour the coated cereal onto a large cookie sheet to cool.

Store in an airtight container or Ziplock bags.

2 cloves garlic, minced Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place 1 wonton wrapper in each of 24 mini muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray, with edges of wrapper extending over the top of cup. Bake 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl. Once combined, spoon artichoke mixture into won ton cups.

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until filling is heated through and edges of cups are golden brown. Serve warm and enjoy!

KENTUCKY BOURBON BUTTER CAKE 3 cups sifted cake flour 1 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. fine sea salt 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1 ½ cups sugar ½ cup packed brown sugar 4 eggs at room temperature ¼ cup bourbon 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In stand mixer cream butter and sugars together at medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Switch to low speed and add eggs one at a time until just mixed in. In a small bowl combine buttermilk and bourbon.

Slowly add one third of the flour mixture followed by half of the buttermilk mixture to the mixer. Mix just until incorporated and then repeat.

The final third of the flour mixture should be mixed by hand to prevent over working the batter.

Prepare a Bundt or tube pan by buttering and flouring to prevent sticking.

Pour batter into prepared pan and cook for 50-55

REVERSE SEARED PORK LOIN Season with your favorite barbecue rub on a whole pork loin. Smoke on grill until internal temperature reaches about 145 degrees. Allow to rest and then slice into pork chops.

Heat large cast iron skillet and add chops to pan with a pat of butter searing each side for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

MUDDY BUDDIES 9 cups rice Chex cereal 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips ½ cup peanut butter ¼ cup butter 1 tsp. vanilla 2 cups confectioners’ sugar Pour cereal into a large bowl.

Combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a separate, small microwave safe bowl. Place the bowl in the microwave and cook for 1 minute and stir. Continue to heat in 30 second intervals until mixture is completely melted.

Stir in vanilla.

Fold chocolate mixture over cereal. Once cereal is completely covered, transfer it to a large paper bag.

Add in the pow-

SWEET POTATO PIE 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar ½ butter, softened 2 eggs, separated ½ tsp. ground ginger ½ tsp. ground cinnamon ½ tsp. ground nutmeg ¼ tsp. salt ½ cup evaporated milk ¼ cup sugar 1 unbaked deep dish pie crust Combine sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter, eggs yolks, spices and salt in a large mixing bowl; beat until light and fluffy.

Add evaporated milk; beat just until combined.

In a clean, separate bowl, beat room temperature egg whites until foamy; gradually add sugar 1 Tbsp at a time, beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into potato mixture.

Pour into unbaked pie crust.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 45-50 minutes or until set. Cool completely. Top with whipped cream to serve.

SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE CUPS 24 wonton wrappers 1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained & chopped 1 cup mozzarella cheese 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese ¼ cup finely chopped red bell pepper

HASHBROWN CASSEROLE 30 oz. bag shredded hashbrowns, thawed 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1 stick butter, melted 1 can cream of chicken soup ½ cup sour cream 1 small onion, diced ½ cup milk Salt, pepper to taste Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a 9x13 casserole dish.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir to combine. Pour it all into the prepared casserole dish and top with additional cheese.

Cook for 45 minutes or until top is light brown and bubbly.

ROSA’S DINNER ON THE GROUNDS BRUNSWICK STEW 12 lb. smoked Boston Butt, chopped 12 lb. roasted chicken, chopped 12 cans diced tomatoes 12 cans corn 3 bottles ketchup 3 bottles Worcestershire sauce Cook, debone, and chop meat.

Mix Worcestershire sauce with meat.

Add ketchup and tomatoes. Cook slowly 2 ½ hours.

Add corn and cook another hour. Slow cooking and constant stirring are key to making this stew great!

A11 August 26, 2021

Don't have time for a whole day of golf?

Join the Opelika Chamber for the Inaugural Twilight Golf Outing Teams of two will play nine holes of golf. There are a few slots still open for teams and hole sponsorships are available for the event.

Team registration costs $150 and hole sponsorships are $50.

Th deadline to register is Aug. 27.

Email mackenzie@opelikachamber.com or call 334-745-4861.

UPCOMING EVENTS Aug. 26 at 7:30 p.m. - Trivia with Caroline in The Jailhouse, “The Office” at Rock 'N Roll Pinball Aug. 26 - Live music at La Cantina Aug. 27 at 8 p.m. - Open Mic at Rock 'N Roll Pinball Aug. 27 - Cameron Dubois at Resting Pulse Brewing Company Aug. 27 - Live music at La Cantina Aug. 28 at 8 p.m. - The Flannel perform in the Jailhouse at Rock 'N Roll Pinball Aug. 28 - DJ at Resting Pulse Brewing Company

SOUND WALL >>

FROM A1

tic Covers.”

The name Martha’s Trouble is actually a Biblical reference.

“It comes from a story in the Bible about two sisters, Martha and Mary,” the couple’s website said. “Jesus came to see them one day. Martha was running around, trying to clean up and prepare food while Mary was hanging out at Jesus’ feet.

The story says Martha was ‘troubled’ because Mary wasn’t helping.

The story, the duo says, is a reminder to stop and smell the roses, the idea of keeping an eye on the bigger picture and the important things in life.”

The duo has a comprehensive discography, with over 12 albums.

Some of their accolades include winning Best Americana Album of the Year and having different albums selected for Billboard Magazine’s Top 10 Cover Songs of the Year and U.S.A. Today’s Top Holiday Albums of the Year list.

“Martha’s Trouble” started in 1996 when the couple first met at a Houston coffee shop where Jen booked bands.

Little did Rob know that this trip back home would lead him to meet his future wife.

The couple decided to settle down in Auburn for their next adven-

ture. Jen said that with this move, it was very important for them to give back to their community. Instead of using a pre-existing office building for The Sound Wall, they repurposed a 1907 historic Victorian home.

After a short year of remodeling, they opened their doors. Jen said for them, the most rewarding thing has been renovating the house. They had a vision of what it could be and took pride in actually making that happen.

“It was in such bad shape and had been abandoned for so many years — so, to see it restored back to its beauty and the life that it brings is so cool for us,” she said.

The Sound Wall has multiple functions and attributes, just a couple of the reasons this business is so versatile and inclusive of different musicians’ needs.

“We do recording projects, video projects, live intimate shows, supper clubs, produce the Opelika Songwriters Festival and host small events,” Jen said.

Their studio has a live tracking room, a listening room, as well as rehearsal space for artists to utilize. With the production suite’s equipment, plug-ins and outboard gear, producers can do their own stereo mixing or work together

with one of the studio’s mix engineers.

“Martha’s Trouble” understands the importance of putting themselves out there in the music industry, so their studio’s digital video services allow artists to create content that will help them book more shows while gaining fandom and recognition.

Links to their past video sessions can be found on their website.

The Sound Wall also has a chef’s kitchen and tree-top loft apartment to house incoming musicians looking to stop and take advantage of the studio’s many resources.

Artists can sleep upstairs and work downstairs, all in a welcoming and luxurious environment. Much like every other business in town, The Sound Wall has also been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the ongoing health situation, they have not been able to do as many things as they could before with their studio.

“We depend on the community to gather together, so with the pandemic, it’s been devastating to us,” Jen said. “We have had to get creative on doing some things virtually, but it’s not the same and definitely was challenging.”

A major aspect of their business is The Sound Wall Music Initiative that was created a few

years after opening.

“It’s a non-profit that is dedicated to promoting and celebrating the art of music in the Auburn-Opelika Community,” Jen said. “Part of the proceeds from the Opelika Songwriters Festival goes to helping with this cause. We have always believed in giving back, and it’s truly what The Sound Wall is all about.”

Funded by the Alabama State Council on the Arts, the initiative’s goal is to enhance the lives of its community members through music, providing funding for local schools and musicians, as well as artist development.

Jen and Rob’s love for music and their understanding of its value to individuals’ lives was the source of the initiative’s beginning. It helps connect those who are

passionate about music but lack the adequate resources to make things happen.

The initiative has hosted different events, such as GivingTuesday, Opelika Songwriters Night and The Sound Wall Holiday Supper Club. It utilizes The Sound Wall’s space and equipment to make all this a reality.

Community members can apply for different grants that are funded by donors. With the artist/musician grant, aspiring musicians can further their musical careers with workshops, equipment and recording services.

With the school grant, schools that need an extra boost in funding can add their own music program. This helps educate children on the value and importance of music. With

a student scholarship, aspiring musicians receive different ways to aid their own musical careers, like songwriting and funding recording sessions, alongside other learning opportunities.

The Sound Wall is located at 605 Ave. B in Opelika. Call 334-5753477 or email info@ thesoundwallopelika. com for more information. To book any of the services, visit the website at www. thesoundwallopelika.com/#intro-section.

To get in touch with The Sound Wall Initiative, call the number listed above or email info@thesoundwallmusicinitiative.com.

Community members can learn more, make a donation or leave a message on the website, www. thesoundwallmusicinitiative.com/.

A12 August 26, 2021

A Thousand Stairways into the Heart

WALTER ALBRITTON

I

used to tell a silly story to illustrate a significant truth. It was about a man who, walking home in the dark one night, fell in a well. Though he was not injured, he was unable to climb out of the well. After yelling for help,

he realized no one could hear him.

Helpless and afraid he would die in that well, he began to pray. The more he prayed, the more desperate he became. Hours passed.

No help came. Praying more earnestly, he cried out to God, “Lord, I know I have ignored you for years and I am a sorry sinner. Please forgive my sins.

And Lord, if you will send someone to help me get out of this well, I will become a Christian and live the rest of my life to please you.”

About that time a

man walking by the well heard the poor man praying and offered to help him.

Finding a rope, he used it to pull the man out of the well.

Thankful that God had answered his prayers, the man kept his promise to serve God. He spent the rest of his life pushing sinners into a well so they could get saved.

Yes, it’s a ridiculous story but I used it to make this point: It is a mistake to think that other people need to duplicate your experience of God in order to find a transforming rela-

tionship with God. That’s because God has a thousand stairways into the human heart. So when you seek Him with all your heart, He will give you your own unique experience of his life-changing power.

One day E. Stanley Jones began reading Hannah Whitall Smith’s book, "The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life".

His heart was set on fire as he read it.

He wanted to find this life of freedom and fullness. He read only to page 42 when the Inner Voice said to him,

“Now is the time to seek.” He dropped to his knees and said, “What shall I do?” The Voice replied, “Will you give me your all – your very all?” Stanley said, “I will.”

The Voice replied, “Then take my all; you are cleansed.”

Within minutes Stanley “was filled with a strange refining fire that seemed to course through my whole being in cleansing waves.”

He felt his life was taken over by Life itself and thereafter his life was “on a permanently higher level.”

I share Stanley’s experience to make this point: As wonderful as Smith’s book is, it would be a mistake to start reading it in the hope that you might experience the cleansing power of God the way Stanley experienced it. However, if you truly want God to release his refining fire in your heart, surrender to Him and ask for that cleansing. Look then for God to give you your own unique experience of inner cleansing.

That’s because He has a thousand stairways into our hearts.

‘Be Well’ With The Well Woman Brunch MEGAN MANN FOR THE OPELIKA OBSERVER

The Well Woman Brunch is an event being held in Opelika for women ages 18 and up who are looking to improve their lifestyles.

By hosting this event, The Pearls of Esther organization encourages women to “be well” and wants to open a space for women to feel motivated.

Women can learn how to be happy and healthy in different aspects of life, during the event.

Brandy Stinson, the host for the event, is an Opelika native who wants to put a focus on Women's wellness.

The day will include workshops from women including Brandy Shavon, a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW)

who will be speaking on mental and emotional wellness.

“The goal of the whole event is to equip women with the tools that they need to be whole and we’re focusing on four areas: self-esteem, financial wellness, mental and emotional wellness,” Stinson said.

Another speaker at the event will be Tiffany Gibson-Pitts, CEO of Girls STEPS Inc., a nonprofit based in Opelika. She has a specialist degree in school counseling and counseling supervision from Auburn University. The topic of her workshop will be focused on the wellness of younger women.

“We are looking at how as we become whole as women, how we can also pour into the next generation

or for the ladies who may be present that have children or nieces or grandchildren, the importance of them being well so that they can influence their families and communities,” Stinson said.

The Pearls of Esther encourages all women to come and join this event to feel empowered, uplifted and inspired to live their life to the fullest.

The event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Greater Peace Baptist church in Opelika. Tickets for the event are priced at $35 and include a meal and face mask. You can register for The Well Woman Brunch at www.pearlsofesther.com/new-products/thewellwoman The Well Woman Brunch — Pearls of Esther, Inc.

Visit Boonie Hat and try the new line of Artisan Pops.

Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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116 S. 8th Street, Opelika

334-363-0390

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Solutions for Financial Problems Gary A. Hudgins Attorney at Law For your FREE REPORT on Stopping Garnishments, Foreclosures, Lawsuits Creditor Calls and Evictions, email Hudginslaw @gmail.com or call for an appointment.

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Are you stressed out because of creditor calls, late payments, threats of garnishment or lawuits? Maybe we can help.

We are a debt relief agency helping good people recover from financial distress with Chapter 13 and Chapter 7 bankruptcy relief for more than 40 years.

No representtation is made that the quality of legal services to be provided is greater than the quality legal services provided by other lawyers. We are a Debt Relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code.

A13 August 26, 2021

Ending August on an Encouraging Note cause he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. (Luke 2:1-5) BRUCE GREEN These words relate Teaching Minister at 10th to us the familiar story Street Church of Christ of the circumstancin Opelika es surrounding the birth of Jesus. Caesar Augustus, the first emperor of Rome, orn those days Caesar Augustus dered that a census be issued a decree taken throughout the that a census should empire for the purpose be taken of the entire of collecting taxes Roman world. (This more efficiently. He was the first census was Lord, so at his that took place while word everyone proQuirinius was govceeded to register. A nondescript carpenter ernor of Syria.) And everyone went to their named Joseph and his very pregnant own town to register.

So Joseph also went wife, Mary, traveled in humble obedience up from the town of from Nazareth to Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem. It’s a jourJudea, to Bethlehem the town of David, be- ney of about ninety

I

CHURCH CALENDAR CHURCH OF CHRIST The church at Cunningham Drive are 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

miles and would have required a few days to get there. It couldn’t have been an easy trip for the two, but Augustus had decreed it and so off they went.

That’s the story from above the waterline. Below it, something quite different was going on. The Lord of the universe was using the ruler of Rome to fulfill His plan and purposes. Joseph and Mary weren’t traveling to Bethlehem to register for the census; they were going there to give birth to Jesus as the prophet had foretold (Micah 5:2). Augustus wasn’t carrying out his plans — he was carrying out God’s plans! The mightiest king on earth was being used

by God to do His bidding and prepare the

way for the One who was the true Lord and King.

Yet admittedly, it didn’t look that way at the time. It appeared to all the world that what was going on with Joseph and Mary had everything to do with Caesar and Rome and absolutely nothing to do with anything else. However, twenty centuries later all Augustus has is a month named after him while all time is dated in reference to Jesus. That sounds about right.

I think we need stories like this to help us keep things in perspective by reminding us that most of what we see is above the waterline. And in that regard, appearances can be deceiving because they don’t tell

the entire story. When all is said and done, the complete narrative is that God is working His purposes — even though at the time they are usually unknown and unrealized by us.

This ought to encourage us to continue to move forward by faith. Much of God’s work is a mystery, but we are assured by episodes like this one that He is at work, and it is glorious. As we conclude the month named after Caesar Augustus, may we remember how God was at work then and be confident that He is still working today.

You can find more of Bruce’s writings at his website: a-tasteof-grace-with-brucegreen.com

ABOUT BRUCE GREEN 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

Bible Verse of the Week

We love because he first loved us. — 1 JOHN 4:19

CHURCH DIRECTORY APOSTOLIC HOLINESS Emmanuel Temple of Deliverance Inc. 28 Sanford Ave., Opelika 334-745-0210 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 Bethesda Baptist Church 201 S. 4th St., Opelika 334-745-7528 Beulah Baptist Church 5500 Lee Road 270, Valley 334-705-0538 Cooperative Baptist Fellowship 128 East Glenn Ave., Auburn 334-887-8506 Friendship Missionary Baptist Church 3089 Judge Brown Rd., Valley

334-710-2117 Greater Peace Missionary Baptist Church 650 Jeter Ave., Opelika 334-749-9487 Green Chapel Missionary Baptist 390 Lee Road 106, Auburn (334) 749-4184 High Hope Baptist Church 227 Lee Road 673 334-524-8750 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 Cunningham 2660 Cunningham Dr., Opelika

10th Street Church Of Christ 500 N. 10th St., Opelika 334-745-5181 Church Of Christ 2215 Marvyn Pkwy., Opelika 334-742-9721 Southside Church Of Christ 405 Carver Ave., Opelika 334-745-6015 COMMUNITY OUTREACH Changing Hearts of Destiny Ministry 936 N. Donahue Dr., Auburn 334-502-4700

334-745-4755 NON-DENOMINATIONAL Church At Opelika 1901 Waverly Pkwy., Opelika 334-524-9148 Connect Church 2015 West Point Pkwy., Opelika 334-707-3949 St. Ellis Full Gospel Church 5267 US Hwy 80W, Opelika 334-298-4319

EPISCOPAL Emmanuel Episcopal Church 800 1st Ave., Opelika 334-745-2054

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

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

SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST Opelika Outreach S.D.A. Church P.O. Box 386, Opelika 334-749-3151

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OPELIKA The following are held in-person and online on Sundays: Traditional Service in The Worship Center at 8:30 and 11 a.m.

Contemporary Service in The 3:16 Center at 9:45 a.m.

Evening Service in The Worship Center at 6 p.m.

Watch services online at fbcopelika.com.

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

603 Pleasant Pleasant Drive 603 Drive Opelika, Opelika, ALAL 36801 749-1333 749-1333 Mon-Sat - 8pm Mon- Sat7am 7am-8pm Sun12pm 12pm-6pm Sun - 6pm

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

A14 August 26, 2021

Opelika Minister to Walk Across State of Ohio for Cause CONTRIBUTED

BY HARVEST EVANGELISM

Harvest Ministries Pastor Rick Hagans is setting out on his 27th annual “Pilgrimage of A Promise.”

What began as walking (barefoot) across his home state of Alabama in 1992 to raise shoes for a little boy he’d met in a Mexican city garbage dump, has become a lifetime effort for Hagans.

His first walk covered 340 miles across Alabama. He’d hoped to raise 10 pair of shoes for each mile he walked (3,400 pair).

Thanks to wonderful press coverage (including the O-A News, CNN, ESPN, ABC, NBC, CBS, even Paul Harvey News & Comments) Hagans raised over 60,000 pair of shoes that first year.

Other than last year’s COVID re-

strained year, Hagans has walked across a state(s) every year since.

He often asks people, “How far would you go to keep your word?”

Keeping his word, to bring that one little boy a pair of shoes, has pushed Hagans to walk across states, covering over 12,000 miles and raising over a half-amillion pair of shoes over the last 28 years of his life.

It has become such a part of his life, he has taken shoes to Mexico (and yes, that little boy got a pair.) Guatemala, India, Pakistan, Ireland, Sri Lanka and 49 of the 50 states in the U.S. He has been recognized and honored for his efforts by receiving the Mexican Professionals “Humanitarian of the Year” award, and in 1996, he was picked to run with the

Olympic torch as it passed through Montgomery.

To Hagans, he says the highest honor and thrill through all these years and miles is still seeing the smile on the face of a child when he stops to slip a new pair of shoes on their feet.

Something he has done many a time because he’s walked many a mile. Something he hopes this year’s walk across Ohio will enable

him to do once more.

You can follow Hagans’ walk across Ohio on his public Facebook page: Pastor Rick Hagans. You can contact him directly at rickhagans@harvestevangelism.org, or call him at 334-332-3932.

Hagans says it’s always kind of fun to talk with someone as he plods across America, “making the miles matter,” one step at a time.

Monk Aarons, Monty (Amanda) Monk, Tina (Mark) Haley, and Wendy Black; great grandchildren, Jennifer Hickman, Von Hargett, Michael Hargett, Levi Monk, Lauren Monk, Hannah Monk, Haley Monk, Meghan Shepherd, Casey Thornton, Sarah Wilkins, and Jeremy Wilkins; six great-great grandchildren as well as extended family in Manitoba, Canada.

Graveside service was held at 11 a.m.

Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021 at Hurtsboro Memorial Cemetery with Brother Chris Webb officiating.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to: Hurtsboro Memorial Cemetery, P.O. Box 535 Hurtsboro, Alabama 36860

others. Whether teaching Sunday school or serving as a deacon or an elder, he was active in churches throughout his life.

Born to the late Elsie Morrison Porter and Walter Wayne Porter in Sanford, North Carolina, he was also preceded in death by his sister, Debra Ann Porter Suggs.

He is survived by Gwen Story Porter, his wife of 51 years.

Together they have three children: Molly Elizabeth Powell (Nicholas), Amanda Kate Johnson (Christopher), and William Yates Porter; His five grandchildren, (Audrey, Owen, Henry, Ethan, and Emma) were especially loved by their "Papa". He delighted in teaching them to fish from the shore at Holden Beach, North Carolina, where he loved to take vacations. He is also survived by his sister, Myra Porter Humphrey of Lumberton, North Carolina.

He was beloved by his family and his many friends. His easy smile and generous spirit will be missed by all who knew him.

There was a graveside service at Hopewell Cemetery in Salem, Alabama on Monday, Aug. 23, 2021 at 11 a.m.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021 at Peachtree Corners Presbyterian Church, 5918 Spalding Dr. Peachtree Corners, Georgia. Visitation will begin at 3 p.m. followed by the service at 4 p.m.

OBITUARIES EVELYN MCCLENDON LAWLER It is with sincere regret that we announce the passing of our loving Mother and Mimi, Evelyn McClendon Lawler 93 of Opelika on Aug. 21, 2021. She was blessed with such a kind heart and loving soul.

God saw you getting tired and a cure was not to be - so He put His arms around you and whispered “Come to Me”.

Evelyn was born Oct. 15, 1927 in Opelika.

She was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 61 years Kemper Lawler; parents Helen and Gene McClendon; brother Bob McClendon; and many other family and friends.

Evelyn is survived by her daughter Mary Evelyn Lawler, grandchildren: Bart Russell (Ellie) and Lana Evelyn Spicer (Tim); daughter Bonnie Stinson, one grandson Dusty Stinson (Cassie), two great grandchildren: Eden and Cruz; niece Rosie Lawler Dudley; and many other family members and friends.

The family would like to express their appreciation to all the wonderful caregivers that gave such wonderful, tender care to their mother, it will never be forgotten. She loved you all so much.

Funeral services was held on Aug. 24, at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home with Dr. Rusty

Sowell officiating.

Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home directed.

–––––––

HARRY ALLEN HORN Harry Allen Horn passed away on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021 in Opelika, Alabama.

He was born in Floyd County, Kentucky, on Dec. 23, 1938, to the late Bascom Horn and Opal Sparks Horn. Harry was a proud US Army veteran having served one deployment in Korea and two in Vietnam.

After his military service he worked until retirement at Uniroyal in Opelika.

Harry was preceded in death by his beloved wife Ella Janet Freeman Horn as well as a son Mike Thompson, both of Opelika. He was also preceded in death by his brothers Arnold Horn, Jerome Horn, Harrison Horn, Darrell Horn as well as sisters Sharon Horn, Alma Jean Horn and sisters-in-laws Susan Horn and Janet Horn.

Harry is survived by daughters Jan (Steve) Lipham and Debra (Mike) Bennett, son Van Thompson and a daughter-in-law Diane Thompson.

He is also survived by grandchildren Jeff (Deana) Thompson, Carrie (Matt) Ryan, Jared (Abby) Hilyer, Shelley Young, Natalie (Aaron) Warren, and Katie Caroline (Murphy) Klumpp. His surviving brothers are Bascom

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Horn, Archer Horn and sister-in-law Kay Horn as well as a host of great and great, great grandchildren.

The graveside service was held at Garden Hills Cemetery at 10 a.m. on Aug. 24, 2021 with Reverend Earl Ballard officiating. Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home directed.

–––––––

KIMBERLY REYNOLDS EPPERSON Kimberly Reynolds Epperson, 47, of Opelika, passed away Aug. 17, 2021 at EAMC. Mrs. Epperson was born February 19, 1974 in Mobile, Alabama, to Ed and Peggy Reynolds.

Funeral services were at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021 at Trinity United Methodist Church with Reverend Sean Rezek officiating.

Mrs. Epperson graduated from Milton High School in Alpharetta, Georgia. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in early childhood education at Auburn University where she was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha. She was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church where she was the director of the preschool.

Mrs. Epperson is survived by her husband Derreck Epperson of Opelika; children: Katie Epperson, Kris Epperson, Kyle Epperson all of Opelika; mother Peggy Reynolds of Woodstock, Georgia; sister: Michelle Reynolds Albers (Paul) of Woodstock, Georgia;

sister-in-law Johanna Epperson of Jemison, Alabama; parents-inlaw Bruce and Connie Epperson of Jemison, Alabama; nieces and nephews: Miller Albers (Katie) of Columbus, Georgia, Reed Albers of Woodstock, Georgia, Annslee Albers of Woodstock, Georgia; many friends that considered her family including Heather High and a host of others that considered her “mom”.

She is preceded in death by her father, Ed Reynolds.

In lieu of flowers please make donation in memory of Kim to Trinity United Methodist Church preschool.

Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home directed.

–––––––

GLADYS T. MONK LAJAMBE Gladys T. Monk LaJambe of Hurtsboro, Alabama was born in New Brockton, Alabama to the late James and Mattie Baggett Tew on Aug. 14, 1920 and passed away at Bethany House on Aug. 18, 2021.

She was 101 years old.

Gladys was preceded in death by her husbands, S.A. "Sonny" Monk, Jr., and Walter LaJambe.

Gladys is survived by her children, Douglas Patton Monk (Judy), Paul Montgomery Monk (Rayline), and Sanford A. Monk, III (June); grandchildren, Terry (Ed) Wilkins, Ann

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“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.”

–––––––

PHILIP WAYNE PORTER Philip Wayne Porter passed away at his home in Dacula, Georgia on Aug. 17, 2021. He was 72 years old.

Mr. Porter grew up in Fayetteville, North Carolina, graduating from Seventy-First High School in 1967. After college, his career with Bell South spanned over 37 years and carried him to assignments in North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey and Georgia.

Mr. Porter was a firm believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and he loved to share his faith with

A15 August 26, 2021

Making A Splash at Summer In The Park

PHOTOS BY ROBERT NOLES / OPELIKA OBSERVER

The city of Opelika hosted the Summer in the Park for United Way of Lee County on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Municipal Park. There were fun activities including the Burgers and Badges Grill-Off, the Incredible Duck Race down the creek, rides on the Rocky Brook Rocket, a guest appearance from Aubie, the Auburn University Tiger and more. All proceeds from the event were donated to United Way of Lee County.

A16 August 26, 2021

COMICS

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

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SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS OPELIKA: SEPT. 14 AT 4:30 P.M. INSIDE • OPELIKA/AUBURN SCHOOLS • LEE COUNTY SCHOOLS • COMMUNITY SPORTS

LEE COUNTY: SEPT. 14 AT 6 P.M. AUBURN: SEPT. 14 AT 6 P.M.

Jones’ New Era at Beauregard Begins With Loss PHOTO BY ROBERT NOLES / OPELIKA OBSERVER

BY RICK LANIER FOR THE OPELIKA OBSERVER

ON THE MARK D. MARK MITCHELL

CALLAWAY SPOILS OPENER, BEATS OHS 30-21

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allaway High School (Georgia) scored nine points in two seconds to beat Opelika 30-21 in the season opening game at Bulldog Stadium last Friday night.

The two teams were neck-and-neck all game until Cavalier kicker Blake Eubanks nailed a 29-yard field goal with two seconds left in the game, giving Callaway a 24-21 lead. On the ensuing kick-off Opelika, tried several laterals in an act of desperation which resulted in a fumble, and was returned for a Callaway touchdown as time expired.

From the first kickoff, the first half was a defensive struggle. The two teams went to half with Callaway leading 7-0. CHS scored its first touchdown on a 45-yard pass from Deshun Coleman to Carlos Billingslea. It wasn’t until the third quarter that Opelika’s Jarrell Stinson tied the game, running 10 yards for a touchdown.

Charles Gagliano made the PAT. The Cavaliers answered with a 67-yard touchdown pass to Quendarious Redding.

Stinson then tied the game by scoring his second touchdown on a 22-yard reception.

Gagliano made PAT with three minutes left in the third quarter.

CHS outscored OHS 16-7 in the fourth quarter.

Kaden Cooper scored the Dogs only touchdown in the final quarter on a 20-yard run. Gagliano added the PAT. For the night, Callaway out gained Opelika on offense, 317 yards to 202 yards. CHS rushed for 105 yards and threw for 212 yards. The Bulldogs offense struggled for a good portion of the night, rushing for 64 yards and passing for 138 yards.

The Dogs were also sloppy with the ball, turning it over five times by way of three fumbles and two interceptions.

Individually, OHS quarterback Jackson Bates threw for 64 yards; Stinson added 78 yards rushing. Defensively, Taylor Love and Nick Covington recorded five tackles and eight assists.

George Meyers punted five times for a 42-yard average, with 47-yards being his longest.

OPELIKA HOST RIVAL AUBURN AT BULLDOG STADIUM Opelika (0-1) host Auburn (1-0) Friday night at Bulldog Stadium.

Kickoff at 7 p.m. The Tigers hired Keith Etheredge in the offseason as head coach after Adam Winegarden resigned to take the head job at Tuscaloosa County.

See SPORTS, page B5

A new head coach, new staff members and a new X-and-O scheme normally take time to permeate a football program.

Beauregard’s first game of the year under new management against the 6A Valley Ram’s, however, was very much undecided until late in the fourth quarter.

Ultimately, the 18-7 defeat is a positive going forward for the Hornets.

It is true that Beauregard lost the game; but it is equally true that some things were found during it. For example: the Hornet’s nest has grown substantially (84 players listed on the roster), seemingly rectifying the depth issue that plagued both sides of the ball last year; the strong-legged junior

kicker Zander Baird appears to solve the nagging kicking problems the Hornets experienced for years; the new 3-3 stack defensive look is promising; and finally, some new wrinkles on offense produced some flashes of good. All positives.

Beauregard’s new defense pressured the Ram passing game and running game sufficiently enough to hold

the Ram offense to zero points in the first half.

The Ram’s 6-0 lead at the half was compliments of a Hornet special team error that resulted in a block punt and a return for a touchdown.

The Hornet’s defensive efforts continued for much of the second half until the 5:09 mark of the third quarter, when Beauregard’s defense bit on a run

fake and was caught flat-footed on a throwback screen for the Ram’s first touchdown of the night – making the score 12-0 in favor of Valley.

The Hornets offense, sparked by some big runs from Cayden Adkins (five rushes for 20 yards), came to life and answered the Ram score See JONES, page B5

Turnovers Plague Bobcats in First Game

BY HARRISON TARR FOR THE OPELIKA OBSERVER

On a night which consisted of heavy rain, a 45 minute lightning delay and a slew of turnovers, the Beulah Bobcats walked away from their 2021 season opener with plenty of skills to improve upon following a 38-27 loss against the the Loachapoka Indians.

With kickoff taking place in the intermission of what progressed into a torrential downpour,

the gold and black were slow to build any form of momentum on either side of the ball as Loachapoka posted 14 points in the first quarter of play.

As time progressed and each squad took turns turning the ball over, the Bobcats were able to find some success in the run game, punching in a touchdown on the ground prior to an eventual delay of game due to lightning in the area.

Beulah head coach

Matthew Johnson said he was encouraged by the momentum brought forth by his running back duo of Demarion Foreman and Jacori Tarver; however, mentioned that their recurring fumbles were the team’s Achilles heel.

“We’ve got some hard fighting young

kids,” Johnson said.

“Our tailbacks are going to be really good, we just had a tough time holding onto the ball tonight.”

Following the delay in action, Loachapoka was able to find paydirt for a third time before heading into the locker room at the half. Johnson accredits the early deficit to the Bobcats struggles in the turnover category.

“We were moving the ball,” Johnson See BOBCATS, page B5

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334-749-8303 1-800-327-6519

B2 August 26, 2021

Glenwood School The entire defense, which forced three turnovers as they held Bessemer Academy to a shutout.

PLAYERS OF Southern Christian Patriots Come Up Short in Year Two Opener Junior Varsity Begins 1-0

of the

Week

BY WIL CREWS SPORTSCREWS@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

Congratulations from

Lee Co. Revenue Commissioner Oline Price Opelika 215 S. 9th St. Opelika 334-737-3655

Smiths Station 2366 LR 430 Ste. 140 Smiths Station 334-664-0296

Auburn 1266 Mall Pkwy Auburn 334-737-7298

PLAYER OF THE WEEK The City of Opelika is proud to sponsor the Opelika High School Player of the Week.

We applaud you for your HARD WORK and DEDICATION on and off the football field.

Senior RB/CB Jarell Stinson, who had two TD's, one receiving and one rushing, along with 78 rushing yards.

In its second year, the Southern Christian Patriots varsity football team began its season Friday night with a narrow 32-26 loss against King’s Way Christian from Douglasville, Georgia.

The Patriots battled back from a 18-0 deficit at halftime to pull within six points, but failed to recover an onside kick with just over one minute remaining.

The Patriots were led on offense by senior quarterback Daniel Adams, who finished the evening completing six of 10 passes for 89 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions — adding a 79-yard rushing touchdown with his legs.

The Patriots began their comeback attempt with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Adams to Levi Marchio, who added two more receptions to his resume on the night.

Marchio was also fielding kickoffs for the Patriots, and finished with 142 scrimmage yards which included a 77-yard return touchdown. His day would have been made more impressive, but an 88-yard return for touchdown was called back due to a

penalty.

Joshua Adams hauled in a 29-yard touchdown reception from his brother which pulled the Patriots within six as the third quarter closed. Josiah Frick also made two clutch receptions to keep scoring drives going for the Patriots.

Defensively, the Patriots were led by Marchio and Joshua Adams, with seven tackles each. The team captain, Frick, added four solo tackles and one tackle for loss. James Middleton made his presence known with a sack and recovering a fumble caused by eighth grader Jagger Scott.

Before the varsity took the field, the junior varsity took the field and defeated the Trinity Christian Eagles 18-0. The Eagles elected to receive the ball first but were forced to go three and out due to the Patriots’ staunch defense.

The Southern Christian offense then took the field and Scott took a handoff from quarterback Jackson Dooley and ran through several wimpy tacklers on the way to the end zone.

In the second quarter, Dooley completed a 25-yard pass to Tripp Vaughn for the Patriots’ second score of the game.

Dooley also finished the game with six rushes for

36 yards.

The final score of the day for Southern Christian came on a rush from Scott. He also led the team defensively with 10 tackles, while Brandon Williams added four tackles for loss. Jedd Scott had the Patriots’ lone interception of the game at the end of the first half.

The Patriots did try and fail all three two-point conversions they attempted, something that head coach Billie Watts said he “will try to fix” this week at practice, along with “getting the football in the hands of his receivers” after only passing the ball five times in regulation.

Watts and the junior varsity Patriots are slated to face their first ACSC conference opponent this Friday, Aug. 27 at Moore Stadium in Opelika.

They face the Lighthouse Homeschool Warriors, who lost their opener, 41-18, to the ACSC powerhouse Evangel Lightning. The junior varsity game begins at 5 p.m. CST. The varsity will be in action for the second time against region foe Lighthouse Christian on Friday at Moore Stadium, beginning at 7 p.m.

IT’S THE OPELIKA WAY.

GO DAWGS!

Sophomore kicker Matt Rolader who scored the Warriors' only points.

#myOpelika • #beOpelika www.opelika-al.gov 2018 observer

B3 August 26, 2021

THE WEEK Inconsistent Smiths Station Drop Opener to Russell County

Beauregard High School QB #12 Trent Moulton (6-9, 40 yards, 1 TD passing)

WIL CREWS SPORTSCREWS@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

Things were looking up for the Smiths Station varsity football team in its first game of the 2021 season against Russell County.

The host Panthers received the ball to start the game and, despite two momentum-stunting holding penalties, managed to put together an eight-play scoring drive, capped by a wide-receiver-sweep touchdown courtesy of junior Devyn Pearman.

As the following quarters ensued, however, the Smiths’ offense become more inconsistent, and the defense revealed its weariness from the Russell County rushing attack. The Panthers fell behind just before the half and Smiths Station ultimately fell short of its comeback attempt, losing 29-22 to the Warriors.

The Panthers were led on the night by Pearman, junior quarterback Jackson Greer and senior running back Iverson Jones. The three-headed attack accounted for over two-thirds of the Smiths Station total offense.

Issues began to arise for the Smiths Station early in the game, however.

Following their opening-drive score, and a firstdrive three-and-out from the Warriors’ offense, the Panthers amassed seven more penalties and committed two turnovers before the half.

Their second time on offense, the Panthers were driving until Greer attempted to squeeze a pass into coverage across the middle of the field and was intercepted by a Russell County defensive back.

The Warriors were buoyed by the momentum and scored a few plays later on a 45-yard touchdown pass by sophomore quarterback Robert Calhoun to

senior receiver Dammuon Griffin.

Before the next drive, a cascading downpour fell from the sky. Despite the rain, the Panthers were set up near the 50-yard-line by an excellent kick return, and were soon in the red zone. On first down from the 15-yard-line, the Smiths Station center’s snap never reached Greer’s hands and a Warrior defensive end scooped up the football amidst a dogpile of bodies, returning it to the Smiths’ side of the field.

Seconds later, the Warriors practically mirrored the fumble play as Smiths Station caught a break, picked up a fumble of its own and was back on offense. The Panthers failed to capitalize on their luck, however, and punted back to the Warriors after just one first down.

The next drive, Russell County junior running back Drew Pickett — who was the best player in town on Friday night — pushed his team to near field-goal range. This time, Calhoun found another Warrior receiver in the end zone with just 30 seconds remaining before halftime. Smiths entered the locker room down 15-8.

Russell County came out of the break and continued to apply pressure to the Smiths defense. The Warriors began with good field position on their second drive of the second half and Pickett reached paydirt with 1-yard rushing

touchdown to give Russell County a 22-8 lead.

Despite some successful passing plays on the following Smiths drive, the Panthers’ attempted response was halted by a dropped pass on a fourth-down attempt near midfield.

The rest of the third quarter went by the wayside, yet Russell County found themselves threatening again early in the fourth. This time, Pickett’s rushing worked his team within the 20-yard line before Calhoun found a receiver on a beautifully-floated fade pass for yet another passing touchdown.

Trailing 29-8, the Smiths offense had little to lose and began to air the ball out — with a great success. The Panthers worked quickly on their next two drives, scoring once with a 35-yard touchdown pass from Greer to Pearman, and again on a 5-yard scamper by Greer to make it a one-score game.

With under one minute remaining, however, it was too little too late. Having already used a timeout, Smiths was forced to attempt an onside kick. The Warriors recovered and held onto the ball until the clock hit double zero.

The Panthers will look to turn things around next week as they host Columbus High School, a Class 4A team from Georgia, at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 27 at Panther Stadium.

Junior RB/OLB Jacori Tarver, who has 90 yards rushing and one TD.

of the

Week Congratulations From the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Download the app today

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SMITHS STATION PANTHERS

Serving Lee County since 2006

Junior receiver Devyn Pearman, who had two touchdowns, 39 rushing yards and 94 receiving yards.

Serving Lee County since 2006

B4 August 26, 2021

Bulldogs Fall in Final Seconds PHOTOS BY ROBERT NOLES / OPELIKA OBSERVER

B5 August 26, 2021

Auburn Bass Fishing Team Anglers Win Team of the Year Honors CONTRIBUTED

BY AUBURN UNIVERSITY

BY NEAL REID

To say the Auburn University Bass Fishing Team had a big weekend at nationals would be an understatement.

Just days after the talented tandem of Logan Parks and Tucker Smith won the title of Carhartt Bassmaster College Series 2021 Team of the Year, four other Auburn anglers made a big splash at the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented

by Bass Pro Shops. The teams of Conner Crosby/ James Cobbs and Sam Hanggi/Sam Hoesley not only advanced to Championship Saturday at the St. Lawrence River in Waddington, New York, but finished among the top six in a battle with more than 120 college teams from across the country.

Crosby and Cobbs reeled in a third-place finish with a total haul of 59 pounds, 8 ounces, with Hanggi and Hoesley netting sixth place at 57 pounds, 11 ounces.

With the top-three finish, Crosby and Cobbs also qualified for the College Classic Bracket — a limited-field event slated for later this year that will send one angler to the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk — where they will join Parks and Smith, who qualified via their Team of the Year victory.

“I still can’t believe it, honestly,” Crosby, a

JONES

>>

FROM B1 when quarterback Trent Moulton (6-for9, 36 yards) hit a wide open Logan Ballew to tighten the score at 12-7 with 8:42 to play.

More positives.

After trading possessions, with a little over two minutes left to play in the game, the Rams scored again when the quarterback scampered 27 yards around the right end for a touchdown to put the game out of reach.

“Go hard. Do right. Expect to win (in that order)” is the new Hornet mantra.

The Hornet’s played

SPORTS

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FROM B1 Etheredge, 151-62 and five state championships, left Oxford after winning the 6A State Championship last season to take the Auburn job.

Auburn began its season by dominating Park Crossing last Friday, 45-0, at Duck Samford.

fifth-year senior majoring in fisheries, aquaculture and aquatic sciences who plans to attend graduate school after completing his undergraduate degree next spring, said.

“We just went up there just trying to have fun, and it was our main goal just to make it to that tournament. Of course, you want to do well in the tournament, but we didn’t really have any expectations.

“On the way up, I was talking to my partner and saying, ‘Let’s go catch a 20-plus-pound bag and take home some hardware.’ Something just felt right, and everything just seemed to fall in place.

Every decision we made was the right decision.”

The outpouring of support for the entire Auburn team was overwhelming for the anglers.

“It was crazy and kind of choked me up,” said Crosby, who qualified for nationals with Cobbs in the final regular-season event of the year. “On the way to the [boat] ramp at 5 o’clock in the morning — which was 4 o’clock Central time — I was getting 50 text messages from everybody on the team, all my family and friends saying ‘Good luck,’ ‘Go get ‘em,’ and ‘It’s going to happen.’

That was just the whole mind frame — if it’s going to happen, it’ll happen.”

Parks and Smith received a $2,500 check along with a boatload of prizes for being named the nation’s top collegiate team after finishing no worse than 16th in four regular-season collegiate hard – they always do – but the outcome of the game can simply be boiled down to a couple of untimely mistakes … a drive ending penalty here, a missed blocking assignment there. Those are things that can be fixed – things that you can do right. The Justin Jones era at Beauregard has begun.

Beauregard is at home next week as they take on the Golden Eagles of Booker T. Washington High School (Tuskegee) on Friday, Aug. 27, 2021.

Hornet stadium is located at 7343 Alabama Highway 51, Opelika, Alabama, 36804.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CST. The Tigers scored early and often against the Thunderbirds, coached

by LC Cole.

Opelika and Auburn will be playing for the 96th time Friday night. The series is very balanced, with Tigers holding a two-game lead historically: 47-453. The first game was in 1917, a 57-0 win for AHS. The two teams are

definitely helps prepare you for a career in fishing afterward, too.”

Auburn’s team enjoyed immense success in 2021, landing 10 two-man pairs in the field for the national championship, which ran Aug. 12-14.

Six of those 10 teams finished among the top 60, with seven ending up in the top 70 of the final standings.

This year’s accomplishments further cemented Auburn as a major player in the collegiate fishing ranks.

“We’re definitely one of the most well-known college teams overall just because of some of the famous alumni who fished for Auburn and are pros now,” Parks, who plans to become a professional angler after graduation, said. “This year, I think we have a good shot at the School of the Year title for the No. 1-ranked school in the country, because we’ve

got a lot of good guys.

We’re pretty pumped about that.”

Auburn’s high level of internal competition among team members is a great motivator for the anglers to take their skills to the next level.

“Being on the Auburn team, you’re around the best in the nation,” Crosby said. “There’s no bad people on the team, and you’ve got to bring your A game no matter what.

“I feel like that’s helped me the last two years I’ve been on the team. I feel like I became a better angler and a better person.”

The quartet of Tigers will next take on the nation’s other top four collegiate anglers at the College Classic Bracket in October, an event with still-to-be-determined dates and location that will be featured on Fox Sports 1. Auburn’s anglers are excited about the chance to win that

event and punch their ticket to next year’s Bassmaster Classic.

“That’s huge, and it’s probably the biggest win you can have in college is to win that tournament, because you get to go on and fish in the Bassmaster Classic,” Parks said. “That’s basically the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing, and you’ve got millions of fans watching that tournament. That would be huge recognition for yourself and your school if you were to win it, and to have four of the eight people competing in it, Auburn’s got a 50-percent chance of one of us getting to go. So, it’s pretty exciting.”

Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification, life-changing outreach with Carnegie’s Community Engagement designation and an undergraduate education experience second to none.

Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs.

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

Lochapoka combined for 15 turnovers in the contest; however, the Bobcat’s inability to hold onto the football eventually proved to be the team’s demise.

After going up on the Indians 27-26 late in the fourth quarter, a turnover on downs followed by yet another fumble forced the gold and black into a deficit the team was unable to climb out of.

Although admittedly frustrated with the team’s turnover struggles, Johnson sang songs of praise for his athletes, noting that senior quarterback Noah Higdon provided unmatched

effort.

“Noah Higdon played his heart out,” Johnson said. “It just wasn’t his time.”

With the opening night loss behind them, Beulah must return to work on Monday and prepare to travel to Cleburne County next Friday.

Johnson’s focus this week is what anyone would expect after turning the ball over eight times: ball security.

“We just gotta come back out Monday,” Johnson said. “We’re going to focus a lot on ball security.”

While maintaining control of the football will likely be the main focus of the

week, Johnson notes that moving on from a week one loss will be equally as important.

“We always talk about persevering,” Johnson said. “We talk a lot about adversity and we fight through a lot over this past year so this is something that’s not new to us.”

The Bobcats will travel to Cleburne County on Friday Aug. 27 in hopes to bounce back from the early season defeat; however, the Tigers enter the contest seeking to build momentum following a 43-28 victory over Ohatchee on Friday night. Toe meets leather at 7 p.m. CT.

Auburn University’s Bass Fishing Team has ascended into national prominence thanks in large part to, from left to right, Sam Hoesley, Tucker Smith, Conner Crosby, James Cobbs, Logan Parks and Sam Hanggi.

events this year at a variety of water types across the country. Parks, a senior, and Smith, an incoming sophomore this fall, won an event on Saginaw Bay in Bangor Charter Township, Michigan, in mid-June to take home Team of the Year honors by a record points margin.

“It’s pretty cool to say you’re the No. 1-ranked boat in the entire country,” Parks, a double major in supply chain management and information systems management who will graduate this December, said. “It’s a pretty big honor to be able to hold that trophy up. Being consistent is really what it’s about.

“We fished all over the country, so you have to be a diverse fisherman and can’t be just a onetrick pony. You’ve got to be able to do everything everywhere, and being able to fish all those different bodies of water

BOBCATS

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FROM B1 said. “You can blame it on the weather but they were playing in it also.”

The third quarter of play was fruitful for Johnson’s team, as Beulah found themselves within six heading into the final period of play; however, turnovers continued to plague the Bobcats even as the weather grew more favorable.

“You know we turned the ball over eight times,” Johnson said. “You’re probably not going to turn the ball over eight times.”

Beulah and 5-5 in the last 10 games, but Auburn has won two in a row and three out of the last four games.

AHS has five players starting that transferred in from other schools – all bonified moves. The offensive line may be the biggest high school front in Alabama. The AHS defense is coached by last year’s 7A Assistant Coach of the Year, Scott Goolsby.

Opelika will need to improve and not have as many turnovers Friday night in order to win the game. Most coaches will tell you, “Teams make the biggest improvement from game one to game two”.

On paper, Auburn has the edge and should be the favorite to win the game but Opelika ALWAYS plays hard against its rival, AHS. Hopefully, the

Bulldogs will play an error-free game and control both lines of scrimmage.

Fans can purchase tickets at Bubba’s Medicine Shop and Victory Design until Friday afternoon.

The Bulldog Stadium ticket office opens at 5:30 Friday night. The game will be broadcast on WKKR 97.7 Kicker FM, online at kickerfm. com or on live stream

at NFHSnetwork.com.

Visiting fans must purchase tickets online at www.gofan.co.

D. Mark Mitchell is the sports director at iHeartMedia, host of "On the Mark," Fox Sports the Game 910-1310, co-chair of the Auburn-Opelika Sports Council, chairman of the Super 7 and the Dixie Boys Baseball state director.

B6 August 26, 2021

Teacher’s Treasure Boxes

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

E

very year, early childhood teachers love to have a classroom Treasure Box full of trinkets, stickers and toys to reward good behavior, good class teamwork and individual efforts for each and every child. Too, there are other kinds of Treasure Boxes we teachers have — Treasure Boxes from the hearts of teachers to their students.

One of the special classroom centers I enjoy is seeing children rotating through the art center. A fresh white sheet of paper stretched out on an easel or table just waiting to be painted or drawn on by the hand of a young child.

The blank easel page waits for the artist’s touch. This is the way it is with a child’s life.

It awaits the touch of a parent or teacher in order to be encouraged.

Let’s see what we can

pull out of the Heart Treasure Box. In our Treasure Box of the heart we have POP — Positive, Optimistic, Peace, Play-Doh of praise and the three E’s for a brand new school year: Encouragement, Endure and Embrace.

Young children love the gift of POP. Tell them it doesn’t refer to soda pop, fireworks or even popcorn. “P” stands for being positive. Point out to your child that each day is a gift from God and is very special. Point out things as you go to school that are good and happy like the sunshine, animals, birds and fun places. As they wake up, tell them that it is going to be a very good day.

“O-Optimism,” equals hope. When we think of hope we think of faith which is the substance of things

hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Ask your child “What are some things that you hope for today?” It may be making a new friend, making a good grade on a test, enjoying the different subjects in school or having a good lunch.

P-Peacemaker: Point out to your child that it is better not to argue with family or friends but to help others and to be a peacemaker.

Peacemakers try to help other people and share with others.

One of my favorite centers in the early childhood classroom is the Play Doh center.

Just like Play Doh is bendable and moldable, young children are bendable and moldable 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 believe and know how special they are. Like Play Doh, they can be shaped into objects they don’t desire to be or into objects that radiate like the bright colors of Play Doh. It is heart-warming to see a smile or a twinkle in a young child’s eyes when they are praised or encouraged for just being who they are or what they do.

As we face a brand new school year full of hope and some uncertainty, I wanted to share three easy-to-remember WORDS to put in your pocket for those days we might feel overwhelmed. I hope these gentle reminders will help in the classroom as well as at home. They

are to stay encouraged, endure and embrace — the three E’s!

Encourage: As parents and teachers, we need to let children talk and express themselves as the year begins. Of course, this kind of conversation does depend on their age. The main truth for children young and old is for teachers and parents to make sure that they are understood and heard. We have to be active listeners. If a child’s learning will be in-class learning or at home with online learning, allowing a child to express themselves during this time instills confidence and courage as they proceed down this new path of learning.

To stay encouraged, we have to realize that a child when they are young is full of imaginary ideas. Too, childhood is such a wonderful time of growth in learning from God’s world. Children are like sponges in learning new concepts.

Sometimes, teachers and parents cannot keep up with them. So, when we share inspirational quotes with children, this encourages their minds and hearts which affects their attitudes and behavior. This interaction of listening, talking and encouraging first of all sets up the framework of hope of learning in this new school year. We early childhood teachers love to read and act out Dr. Seuss books. I love one of his quotes which I use all the time in encouraging young children to be confident in

approaching new learning tasks — “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” Each child is special and unique and what a life gift we give a child when they know they can learn and create.

Endure: I love the definition of endure which is live on, go on. This Classroom Observer had a very difficult time in learning math. Many tears over this subject. I can still reflect back and actually feel the attitude of just giving up. So, I have understood the sinking feelings that my young students have of just wanting to give up. My math teacher met with me when she saw a big wall of discouragement rising up on my face daily. Her encouragement has stuck with me with the quote, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!” She backed her words with action in that she worked with me in small steps of understanding until I understood. It was like a ladder of learning and encouragement that she used. “I can’t do it; I want to do it; How do I Do it?; I’ll try to do it; I can do it; I will do it.” She implanted a life lesson of not giving up when I hit small bumps on the road in trying to learn new concepts in subjects I am not comfortable with. Her lesson of helping me has helped me as a teacher to reach out to those students who are having a difficult time in different subjects. I know as parents and teachers we may have

students who have special learning needs and it means we may have to go over something several times. But don’t give up, God’s Word in Galatians 6:9 says, “Don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessings at the appropriate time.”

We all are teaching very special lives who have a beautiful hope and future. Thinking about that truly encourages us to endure.

Embrace: Embrace means to hold. We parents and teachers can model and embrace that each day is truly a gift from God. The joy and happiness that our children express is a good contagious spirit for adults as well.

Embracing our children means embracing everything about them, their good points and their imperfections. When I see children being hard on themselves to the point of breaking into tears if they think something is not perfect, I gently remind them that no one is perfect. Too, in embracing children during the learning process we have to look at the process and effort that they have put into trying to learn and accomplish an assignment.

We embrace the effort that they have put forth rather than the outcome.

These are a few heart felt rewards out of my Treasure Box of the heart. I hope they reward you and your child in having a very good school year.

Classroom Observer Beth Pinyerd

Auburn’s ‘Bloody Sunday’ History Project Named Recipient Of NEH Humanities Grant CONTRIBUTED BY AUBURN UNIVERSITY / WRITTEN BY MITCH EMMONS

An Auburn University multidisciplinary project focused on the infamous “Bloody Sunday” civil rights event that occurred in Selma, Alabama, on March 7, 1965, is the recipient of an award as part of $28.4 million in humanities grants recently announced by the National Endowment for the Humanities, or NEH. Co-directed by professors Elijah Gaddis and Keith Hébert of the Department of History, their project, titled “Bloody Sunday, Selma and the Long Civil Rights Movement,” is the recipient of a $189,837 award in the “Landmarks of American History and Culture”

category. One of five awards in that category, Auburn’s grant will support a pair of week-long workshops to include 72 K-12 educators in field studies that focus on the significance of Selma in the early days of the civil rights movement.

“We plan to deeply immerse workshop participants in the landscape and built environment that existed in 1965 and in learning about the participants and events that led up to and included the march from Selma to Montgomery and the clash between marchers and law enforcement that came to be known as Bloody Sunday,” Gaddis said.

Gaddis described the Auburn team as multidisciplinary. The College of Liberal

Arts, College of Architecture, Design and Construction, or CADC and the College of Education are involved.

The team’s efforts build on earlier research by Hébert and Richard Burt, the McWhorter Endowed Chair and head of the McWhorter School of Building Science in CADC. Other team members include Junshan Liu, CADC, Leslie Cordie, College of Education and Danielle Willkens of the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the team also is working with faculty from Alabama State University and a high school teacher from Selma.

“We will be using much of the work that Drs. Hebert and Burt did on documenting the historic sites from that period in Selma’s

history,” Gaddis said.

That earlier research used historical photos and video footage, photogrammetry software, laser scanners, drones and design concepts and technology to survey and map the area where the confrontation occurred.

Through those efforts, the researchers were able to identify and chart the location of everything from local businesses, vehicles parked on the road and Alabama State Troopers, to the civil rights marchers, spectators and media, including the ABC News van that captured the events as they unfolded.

“This largely recreates the scene from 1965 in the form of schematics and computerized plans in a pursuit to preserve the setting of Bloody Sunday,” Gaddis

said.

Most associate that Selma event with the well-known Edmund Pettus Bridge, according to Gaddis.

“But the confrontation did not occur on the bridge,” he said.

“Our workshop will incorporate Hebert and Burt’s architectural landscape study with other in-depth studies and information about actual participants. Moreover, the workshops will not focus only on Selma, but also on other Alabama locations that were part of this significant event in the American civil rights movement.”

The NEH on Wednesday, Aug. 18, announced the full slate of $28.4 million in grants to support 239 humanities projects across the nation.

“The grants demonstrate the resilience

and breadth of our nation’s humanities institutions and practitioners,” said NEH’s Acting Chairman Adam Wolfson. “From education programs that will enrich teaching in college and high school classrooms to multi-institutional research initiatives, these excellent projects will advance the teaching, preservation and understanding of history and culture.”

Gaddis said Auburn will begin hosting its workshops in summer of 2022 with events planned in Selma, Montgomery and Auburn.

“We will end the last day of the workshops on the steps of the Alabama Capitol Building, where the marchers ended their journey from Selma to Montgomery,” Gaddis said.

B7 August 26, 2021

Southern Union, Quality of Life Health Services Inc., Join to Reduce Spread of Covid-19

BY WIL CREWS SPORTSCREWS@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

Southern Union Community College and Quality of Life Services, Inc., are joining together and offering free vaccination clinics in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

All three Southern Union campuses will be participating in the “Sleeve Up” campaign, beginning this week. To schedule an appointment, call 256439-6404. Walk-ins are welcome. The Moderna,

Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccines are available for people ages 12 and up.

The vaccine clinic schedule is as follows: Aug. 26: Wadley campus Lakeview Room (750 Roberts St., Wadley, Alabama), 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sept. 1: Valley campus Student Lounge (321 Fob James Dr., Valley, Alabama), 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sept. 2: Opelika campus (301 Lake Condy Road, Opelika, Alabama), 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information, visit www.qolhs.org

Opelika City Schools to Give 10 Days Paid Leave to Quarantined Employees

BY MICHELLE KEY PUBLISHER

The Opelika City School Board held its reqularly scheduled board meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

During the meeting, the board voted to give employees that are required to quarantine due to COVID-19 up to 10 days of paid leave during the 2021-22 school year.

This policy was in effect during the previous school year and Superintendent Dr. Mark Neighbors explained why it was implemented last year.

"Particularly some of the young teachers don't have any sick leave [accrued] so they were starting to get docked," Neighbors said. "It has been very well received by our folks."

Neigbors added that it does not really add any additonal cost to the budget to provide that to the employees.

Other Business: • The board voted to approve several personnel recommendations.

• The board voted to approve an amendment for the budget for the 2021 fiscal year.

• The board approved a new Agriscience textbook for grades 9 through 12.

• The board approved a five-year capital plan budget totalling $23,379,350.

• The board approved a bid for upgrading the lighting system at the Opelika Center for the Performing Arts (OPAC) located at Opelika High School.

• The board approved an out-of-state field trip for Opelika High School's FFA

organization.

• The board voted to approve the renewal of the Alabama Trust for Boards of Education (ATBE) general liability and errors and omissions liability insurance coverage.

• Chris Harrison delivered a summary of the July finanical statements to the board.

• The monthly Child Nutrition reports was reviewed by the board.

• Budget meetings for the 2022-23 school year were set for Monday, Sept. 13 from 4 to 6 p.m. and for Tuesday Sept. 14 from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

The regular school board meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. following the budget meeting on Sept. 14.

Meetings are held at the central office located at 300 Simmons St. in Opelika.

Auburn Professor Details Ways Training Educators of Tomorrow has Changed Due to COVID-19 CONTRIBUTED

BY AUBURN UNIVERSITY

The education realm has been one of the sectors most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as educators, administrators, parents and students had to scramble to adjust to policies and guidelines put in place in the interest of public health.

Faced with numerous obstacles from a variety of angles, educators have had to find creative ways to reach and teach students and adjust the way the teachers of tomorrow are trained.

Auburn University’s W. Gary Martin, the Emily R. and Gerald S. Leischuck Endowed Professor of mathematics in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching, describes the last year-and-a-half in higher education and examines how and if changes made in the wake of the pandemic will affect education training in the future.

Has the pandemic changed Auburn’s College of Education curriculum or courses for aspiring educators?

Beginning March last spring, we had to go fully remote for all of our classes, and I was primarily remote for the fall semester as well. While going remote did not

change the course content, it was a challenge to get the level of interaction with the teacher candidates that is needed in the mathematics methods courses I taught, where they need to dig deeply into different methods for teaching mathematics, the mathematics curriculum they will be teaching and broader issues of equity and access.

Teacher candidates need to engage in discussions of these issues; a lecture simply would not suffice.

These discussions would normally happen in small groups, where they can talk more personally about the issues, as well as full-class discussion.

At first, it was a challenge to get this same level of discourse over Zoom. But we gradually adapted to breakout rooms in Zoom for small group discussions, and the Zoom chat feature allowed an additional mode of interaction, where they could add comments without having to wait for a turn to speak. I also found that I had to increase the time I waited after asking questions in full-group discussion to allow extra time; I jokingly refer to that as “Zoom wait time” versus regular wait time.

An additional challenge for mathematics is that we teach our

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teacher candidates to use physical materials to help students gain a better understanding of the concepts. For example, they may use plastic circles cut into wedges to model fractions.

Fortunately, we were able to find good virtual materials online, which will actually be a good resource for the teacher candidates in the future.

Has the pandemic changed the extent to which your school trains aspiring educators in aspects of virtual/remote instruction or distance learning?

We increased attention to remote instruction, as their clinical experiences in the schools often included some level of remote instruction. Teacher candidates explored the use of Apple Classroom and Google Classroom to manage instruction (including students who are not participating in real time), as well as different online interactive tools to help manage real-time virtual discussions.

For example, PearDeck allows teachers to add questions in different formats (multiple choice, short answer and other) to a presentation. The responses are shown right in the presentation, so that the students can see how their responses compare to that of other

students. And the teacher can then pick some of those responses to discuss with the class.

While it is unclear to what extent remote instruction will continue in the future, many of these tools could be useful even in a face-to-face environment.

Has the pandemic changed the extent to which your school trains aspiring educators in the use of technology and digital tools in teaching and learning?

Given that mathematics is a highly technological field, we already include a full methods course focusing on use of technology to teach mathematics. This course mainly focuses on using mathematical tools to solve mathematical problems. Examples include spreadsheets, visualization tools such as Geogebra and tools for data analysis.

While I always included some attention to using technology to support student interaction and engagement (as in PearDeck above) in the course, the pandemic has been a learning moment showing the value of these online tools for managing instruction.

Has the pandemic amplified the way you train aspiring educators about recognizing and

W. Gary Martin is the Emily R. and Gerald S. Leischuck Endowed Professor of mathematics in Auburn University’s Department of Curriculum and Teaching in the College of Education. addressing students’ wellness and concerns regarding mental and emotional health?

Attention to student wellness and mental/ emotional health has always been a part of what we discuss with teacher candidates in our coursework and practicum experiences, since students may face all kinds of challenges in their personal lives that impact their learning in the mathematics classroom.

The pandemic provided many additional challenges for students, and so we spent additional time discussing how to best support students in this environment. Again, the pandemic accentuated the need to take these issues seriously.

Has the pandemic changed how your school trains aspiring educators to recognize and address their own wellness and concerns regarding mental and emotional health?

In all of my classes, I spent time having my students reflect on how they were navigating the challenging environment. Nearly every class began with a check on “How are you doing?”

Have the ways your aspiring teachers get real-world and hands-on teaching experience prior to or as part of completing their degrees been affected as well? And are those impacts expected to continue during the coming academic year?

In normal times, we provide real-world, hands-on teaching experiences during the methods courses and a fulltime internship the final semester in the program.

In Spring 2020, those experiences came to an abrupt end at mid-semester. Schools were scrambling to figure out how to move forward, and the teachers did not have the bandwidth to deal with our teacher candidates.

Safety was an area of mutual concern since the teacher candidates would be interacting with many school-age students. It See PROFESSOR, page B8

B8 August 26, 2021

Auburn Forestry Professor’s New Book Examines Revolutionary Shifts in Forestland Ownership CONTRIBUTED BY AUBURN UNIVERSITY

BY TERI GREENE

A new book by an Auburn University professor tracks the dramatic pivot in commercial forest ownership — lands once overwhelmingly owned by integrated forest products companies that have, in the past four decades or so, become the domain of institutions.

“The transformation of commercial private forest ownership in the U.S. and worldwide is an important event in the history of forestry that has significant implications on forest sustainability,” said Daowei Zhang, the Alumni and George W. Peake Professor of Economics and Policy and associate dean of research in Auburn’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences.

Zhang’s new book, “From Backwoods to Boardrooms: The Rise of Institutional Investment in Timberland,” published by Oregon State University Press, investigates the history and economics of forest ownership and its significant implications.

The book, expected in bookstores Sept. 15, is available for preorder at most major online book retailers.

The book reaches back to the early 1900s to track two major structural changes in forestland ownership in the U.S. and other parts of the world. The first major change, taking places from 1900 to the

PROFESSOR >> FROM B7 was a very uncertain time for everyone. We devised alternative assignments in which they analyzed videotapes of classrooms and explored other facets of the classroom environment. While useful, this wasn’t the same as actually being in a classroom.

By the fall and spring semester of the past year, we were fortunate that our teacher candidates were largely able to have face-to-face classroom experiences for their practicums and internships. We had close relationships with schools in which we trusted the teachers to provide a safe environment for our teacher candidates, and they trusted us that our teacher candidates would behave in a safe manner.

Many programs around the country were not so fortunate, as schools in other states remained on remote instruction for the entire school year, although

1980s, was the accumulation of industrial timberlands mostly from farmers and other small private forest owners.

The second — and the one most emphasized — is the four-decade shift from industrial to institutional ownership.

“The scale of the change is truly revolutionary and impacts tens of millions of acres of mostly productive private landholdings, billions of dollars of investment, as well as forest sustainability,” Zhang said of the shift.

“Arguably, it is one of the top three economics and policy matters in the forest sector in the U.S. in the last 60 years.”

And while Zhang and many of his peers have observed what he calls a “revolution in ownership” and its inevitable impacts, one of the publisher’s book reviewers noted that no one had given the matter enough reasoned and thoughtful attention to tell the complex story of how it came about and where it may lead. Until now.

Researching and writing the book — in addition to his teaching, academic work and everyday life — was a nine-year process, he said.

Though Zhang had been paying attention to the transformation since 1993, it was after reading that International Paper Company — one of the largest timberland owners in the world — planned to sell virtually all its timberlands, that he conceived the idea for the book in 2005.

“My feeling then was, ‘the game is over,’ that industrial timberland ownership was coming to an end, and that there needs to be a book about it,” Zhang said. Indeed, the transformation was completed around 2010 or 2011. And now, nearly 10 years later, he has completed a book on the topic.

Zhang examines key events, economic rationale, corporate management philosophies, public policy and institutional factors through history in search of an explanation for this major shift. Assessing the impact of the ownership revolutions, he offers commentary on the future of institutional timberland investments and how they may impact global forest sustainability.

He also contributes to the assessment of timberland value — a multi-century issue that fascinates economists, forest economists and tax assessors — and the empirical examination of timberland investment returns.

“I hope the book is a useful reference for forest landowners, managers, investors and anyone who’s interested in the workings of the modern forest sector and the future of forest sustainability,” Zhang said.

Janaki Alavalapati, dean of the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, said the book ventures into uncharted territory in terms of trends in

their teacher candidates were able to help with remote instruction. But that provides a very different experience in terms of managing a physical classroom and building relationships with students. And in some cases, schools were not willing to host teacher candidates.

Even our teacher candidates who were able to have a face-to-face experience had a lot to contend with, including school-wide quarantines for a day up to a full week, classes with many students who were quarantined or chose to participate remotely and many other disruptions to what a typical school experience would be. In addition, social distancing requirements made it harder to interact with students, which increased the difficulty of forming strong bonds with some students.

Also, our mathematics program encourages student interaction, often in pairs or small groups, which also was not feasible due to social distancing requirements.

Thus, teacher candidates

had to find alternative means of increasing student engagement, including those I have already mentioned.

While I am sure the teacher candidates will find many of the methods they used last year to be useful in the future, I worry that they have not had an opportunity to develop some of the basic tools that they will need if/when things hopefully return to some semblance of normality in the coming year or two. There are things they just haven’t had the chance to experience, such as working with students in a oneto-one setting or orchestrating small group work. Even managing a full class without the restrictions of social distancing will be different.

I feel confident that our teacher candidates will be able to adapt, but it may present additional challenge in the already steep learning for a beginning teacher.

Are there other ways the pandemic has influenced or altered the training received at your school by aspiring

Daowei Zhang, the Alumni and George W. Peake Professor of Economics and Policy and associate dean of research at Auburn University’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, recently published, “From Backwoods to Boardrooms: The Rise of Institutional Investment in Timberland,” an investigation of the history and economics of forest ownership and its significant implications.

forest ownership and the changes they have forged.

“Through prolific research and thoughtful observations, Dr. Zhang has written a noteworthy book that chronicles forest ownership and its consequences, beginning more than a century ago and reaching into the present and future impacts of these significant shifts,” Alavalapati said.

Zhang has served on the board of directors of the Pinchot Institute for Conservation and as senior forestry officer and team leader for Climate Change and Resilience at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

He is a recipient of the Scientific Achievement Award of

the International Union of Forest Research Organizations, or IUFRO, and the Society of American Foresters’ Award, or SAF, in Forest Science.

He is an SAF fellow and the author of more than 130 refereed articles, books and book chapters.

The Market and Trade Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Research Initiatives Competitive Grants Program provided funding for Zhang’s earlier research on the subject, and the Bradley/ Murphy Forestry and Natural Resource Extension Trust in Birmingham, Alabama, provided financial support for further research that contributed to the book.

The Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences is a flagship institution for natural resources-based degrees including natural resource management, geospatial and environmental informatics and sustainable biomaterials and packaging.

The school serves as the backbone for Alabama’s $30 billion+ forest, wildlife and natural resources related enterprises. Its mission is to create next-generation professionals and leaders, to develop new knowledge and disseminate science-based solutions to our clientele to improve the social, economic and environmental well-being of citizens in Alabama and beyond.

teachers?

Issues of equity and access have always been an area of focus for our program, but again these issues have been heightened with the pandemic.

Many K-12 students did not have access to the technology and support needed to participate remotely when needed, which is an even bigger issue when the rest of the class is meeting face-to-face. Students who are participating remotely are already at a disadvantage, and when they can’t even do that, they are at an almost insurmountable disadvantage. Alternative approaches, such as preparing packets of worksheets, were used, but clearly that is not the same thing as being present for the class discussion. Even if they were on Zoom, some students had their cameras turned off and did not respond to any of the teachers’ (or our teacher candidates’) attempts to engage them in their lessons. Some students just disappeared into the background, and their teachers

never heard from them.

Unsurprisingly, students from less affluent homes are more likely to experience these challenges.

At this point, I really don’t know how teachers can cope with these challenging circumstances if they continue, and I am not sure how to help our teacher candidates adapt. My main advice has been to persist and not give up, to continue to try to reach out to these students who are falling behind, as well as their parents, and try to find some productive way to connect with them. However, some of this can only be addressed by a comprehensive schoolwide effort, although each teacher (teacher candidate) can advocate for that to happen and do whatever they can for their students.

A related issue is how to support these students as they reemerge into a more normal school environment, having had limited opportunities to learn over the past years. Many of the mathematics education organizations

are working to address this situation. I was a member of a writing group this summer organized by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics and the Association of State Supervisors of Mathematics, which released a document titled Continuing the Journey: Mathematics Learning 2021 and Beyond that provides valuable insights into how to navigate the current context.

My final summary is that the 15-plus months have been very challenging for educators at all levels, including those preparing teachers, who not only had to adapt to a very different teaching environment but also needed to try to support their teacher candidates in adapting to that environment as both teachers and learners. However, my hope is that we will move forward with new insights and strategies that will be useful in whatever a “new normal” might look like.

Opelika, L ee County & A labama Politics

B9

August 26, 2021

Thursday, August 26, 2021

Inside the Statehouse More Summer Political Happenings

A

STEVE FLOWERS

llow me to again open my political notebook for more summer political happenings in the Heart of Dixie.

As Labor Day approaches it looks as though the state constitutional officeholders, all Republicans, are going to escape serious or even any opposition. Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, Attorney General Steve Marshall and Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate are running unopposed. However, all three are running aggressive campaigns or, as the old saying goes, are running scared.

It looks as though State Treasurer John McMillan will not run for reelection and may opt to be head of the new State Cannabis Commission. Waiting in the wing to run for treasurer is former State Treasurer Young Boozer. He will be a prohibitive favorite. He did an excellent job as treasurer and remains very well thought of in Montgomery circles.

The secretary of state and auditors jobs are open with no incumbents able to run.

Surprisingly, state representative Wes Allen is the only one running for secretary of state.

He dodged a bullet when Birmingham businesswoman, Laura Johnston Clark, opted to not run.

The state auditor’s race has attracted several candidates. A recent entry is Mobilian Rusty Glover. He is a popular former state representative and state senator who ran statewide for lieutenant governor last time. He will be the favorite. I have never seen anyone who has ever met and visited with Rusty one-on-one who does not like him.

The big money in next year’s election will be on the state legislative races. All 105 State House seats and all 35 State Senate races will be on the ballot. All 140 seats will have new lines. They may all be similar, but all will have to deviate to some degree.

They will be drawing these new lines in a special reapportionment legislative session in late October or early November. The final census numbers just arrived within the last few days. This redistricting session is vitally important to all legislative incumbents. It is about political self-preservation.

Redistricting also impacts the impending race for speaker of the house, which will be determined shortly after the November 2022 General Election during the January 2023 organizational session.

Current House Speaker Mac McCutchen announced during the summer that he was not running for reelection. This immediately set in motion a jockeying for position to be the next speaker. The two candidates that are emerging are Steve Clouse (R-Ozark) and Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Dekalb County). The race will be decided within the Republican House caucus. The House currently has a super majority with 75% of the body being Republican. This GOP dominance will continue or may even be enhanced after reapportionment.

Clouse is a 27-year veteran of the House.

He is the powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee.

Ledbetter is a popular, folksy, keen, second-term representative, who is the House majority leader.

Both candidates start with a hard-core base of votes from legislators from their neck of the woods. Ledbetter has a rock-solid base from the northeastern corner of the state and Sand Mountain. Clouse has the steadfast support from southeast Alabama and the Wiregrass.

The race will probably be determined by the more populous delegation of legislators from the metropolitan areas of Jefferson/ Shelby and Mobile/Baldwin.

Ledbetter has the backing of retiring Speaker McCutcheon of Huntsville and probably has an advantage in the Madison/ Limestone delegation. However, Ledbetter’s ace-in-the-hole may be that as majority leader, he is helping raise campaign money not only for incumbents, but more importantly the 20 to 25 new members who are being elected next May. If it comes down to a straight, all north Alabama versus south Alabama race, that gives Ledbetter a leg up because there are more people and legislators from north Alabama because that is where the population is as the current census numbers reveal.

However, if a geographic war develops, look for the Montgomery River Region Republican legislators to side with south Alabama and Clouse.

Again, the Jefferson/Shelby and Mobile/ Baldwin delegations may very well be where the race is decided. The Jefferson/Shelby legislators from the upscale urbane districts will favor Clouse’s experience in a private vote.

This same advantage will accrue to Clouse in the silk-stocking Mobile/Baldwin districts.

Veteran Mobile legislator Victor Gaston, who is also speaker pro tem of the House, is running for reelection probably to help elect Clouse as speaker. They are very close and dedicated friends. Victor is very respected and may very well bring some Mobile legislators with him.

See you next week.

Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.

Jessica Ventiere Announces Campaign for District Attorney of Lee County CONTRIBUTED BY THE JESSICA VENTIERE CAMPAIGN

Earlier this week, Jessica Ventiere announced she will run for district attorney of Lee County. After being appointed by Lee County judges to serve as district attorney protem, Jessica was then appointed by Governor Kay Ivey as district attorney of Lee County.

“Alabama and Lee County have been good to me – giving me the opportunity to build a career, raise a family and now announce my candidacy for district attorney of Lee County,” Ventiere said.

“After spending time praying with friends and family, I feel called to step up and continue my service to Lee

County.”

A native of Enterprise, Alabama, Jessica graduated from Troy State University before earning her law degree from Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama, in 2003.

She has been a prosecutor for more than sixteen years and has tried over one hundred jury trials.

Prior to her appointment by Governor Ivey, Jessica served

as chief assistant district attorney for Lee County.

“I will ensure that the district attorney’s office serves the people of Lee County with honesty and integrity, "Ventiere said.".

I will back the brave men and women of law enforcement and never apologize for it.

I will work tirelessly to ensure that justice is rendered without partiality, but the rule of law must be upheld."

Auburn Amends Biennial Budget; How Was Auburn Affected by COVID?

BY HANNAH LESTER HLESTER@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

The Auburn City Council amended its biennial budget at its last council meeting — a process done midway through the budget cycle.

The biennial budget began during Fiscal Year 2021 (Oct. 1, 2020 - Sept. 30, 2021) and ends during Fiscal Year 2022 (Oct. 1, 2021 - Sept. 30, 2022).

“We do a biennial budget because much goes into the budgeting process,” said City Manager Megan Crouch. “A lot of big undertaking by our departments go into this and budget staff, finance staff, city

NOW OPEN

manager and we do a two-year outlook because doing a full budget on an annual basis is a lot of work and it is a lot of confusion and this gives us two years for the council to really understand what’s going on.”

So why is the budget amended? Being able to amend the budget midway accounts for unexpected changes — such as the COVID-19 pandemic, or projects that need adjustments.

“One of our challenges is you project revenues and expenditures into a budget and you’re doing a budget when you haven’t even closed out a previous fiscal year,” Crouch said. “So I start my budget presentation

talking about 2020 because how 2020 ended impacts, really, 2021.”

The budget is only minorly adjusted, with amendments to things like the Farmville Road and Ogletree Road Culvert Projects, which cost more than expected.

The money is then pulled from the reserves, or projects that weren’t started but were budgeted.

“We have high growth, which also means that things like grocery store revenue — ignore COVID and just in general — year over year those are higher than the previous year as a function of our growth so we See BUDGET, page B11

Indoor shooting range is open to the public

2195 FIRST AVENUE • OPELIKA

B10 August 26, 2021

More Words in the News: ‘Antebellum’ to ‘BIPOC’ to Zoom Fatigue’ (Part 2 of 2)

GREG MARKLEY

I

n The Deathly Hallows, a book in the Harry Potter series, a character explains something many people may not see as all that powerful.

“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic,” author JK. Rowling wrote.

“They are capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.”

In this second of two columns on new and repurposed words, I discuss words of political correctness, Zoomrelated words and aging words. Sources are AmericanDialect. org, nominations for words of the year; MerriamWebster.org., words of the year);

and Pearsonpte. com, 10 new English words for 2021.

The word antebellum, usually only bandied about by Civil War historians and reenactors, got new life last year for two reasons. First, a two-man and one woman Grammywinning band called Lady Antebellum switched their moniker to “Lady A.” “We are regretful and embarrassed that we did not take into account the associations that weigh down this word referring to the period of history before the Civil War, which includes slavery,” the band wrote in June 2020.

The second reason “antebellum” had 885% more lookups in 2020 than before was that a movie appeared that September which had the word as its title.

Another word that is not new but continues to be used is “malarkey.” It spiked 3,200% more in lookups when Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden used it in a debate. “He

(Republican nominee Donald Trump) is trying to tell us he cares about the middle class. Give me a break. That is a bunch of malarkey.”

During the pandemic, a software company named Zoom Cloud Meetings increased its reach in teleconferencing significantly. It was used for remote work, online social relations and distance education. The company zoomed into being the fifth most downloaded mobile app in the world, at 477 million downloads.

New Zoom-related words are oysgezoomt (fatigued or bored by Zoom); “you’re muted” (refrain on Zoom to remind someone to unmute when speaking) and Zoom fatigue (exhaustion gained by doing too much Zoom). A key word too is Zoombombing (disruption on a Zoom session by trolls.) A “troll” is a person who posts off-topic, inflammatory or insincere messages in blogs, etc., to create havoc.

Two words the American Dialect Society lists as Most Likely to succeed in the English lexicon, are antiracism and BIPOC. Antiracism is “actively working to prevent or combat racism.” That’s admirable, of course.

Yet you rarely see people protesting for any group other than their own. John Lewis was an exception; he fought for all races in his long civil rights and congressional career.

BIPOC is an acronym for “Black, Indigenous and People of Color.” It seems a little contrived, like POSSLQ, developed in the late 1970s for Person of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters.

POSSLQ did not catch on much, except at the United States Census Bureau which instituted it.

The Bureau wanted to better gauge the extent of cohabitation in American households.

Two words traced to 2019 seem reasonable. Awe walk is defined as “Taking a walk outside and

making an effort to look at the things around you.” It centers on respect for the natural beauty and the people outside. A recent psychological study indicated that taking awe walks makes you more positive and less stressed.

Putting away all electronic devices when walking helps too; both for you and passersby.

Another word from the pandemic era is delightful: “quarenteen.” It joins the words quarantine and teen. It is sad in that teenagers should go outside a lot, to be healthier. They are quarantined for their safety. That is a good reason, but they miss their friends and don’t like being cooped up (Neither do their parents.)

Our contemporary social distancing years led to an acronym of impact: WFH. It is an abbreviation for “work (or working) from home.” When personal computers and the Internet made transferring your

workplace from an office to your home, most people were pleased. Goodbye for a while to rushhour traffic, office politics and in-person meetings. Hello to background music at work, and to your office arrangement including a cat or dog being curled up near your feet.

JK Rowling, in connection with her Harry Potter books, launched an online reading hub for students in this crisis.

“Harry Potter at Home” offers free access to the audiobook version of the first installment.

Readers enjoy words such as the appealing new ones I introduced on Aug. 13 and today.

Greg Markley first moved to Lee County in 1996. He has Masters’ in education and history. He taught politics as an adjunct in Georgia and Alabama. An award-winning writer in the Army and civilian life, he has contributed to the Observer for 11 years. gm.markley@ charter.net .

Katie Britt: Leaving People Behind in Afghanistan is Un-American

BY KATIE BRITT

T

he Biden Administration has created a hotbed of national security and humanitarian disasters I’m sure like me, you’ve seen the horrific photos, videos and reports from Afghanistan.

The helicopter on the roof of our retreating embassy.

Those desperately seeking refuge clinging onto a plane for dear life… and then falling from the sky.

These tragic images are a direct result of the Biden Administration’s lack of a plan and a president who has demonstrated weakness to our enemy, the Taliban.

It’s a sad day for the country we know and love. I’m embarrassed. I’m angry.

And I’m hurting thinking about America’s military families, like the ones I grew up with near Fort Rucker, who are now questioning whether their sacrifice was in vain.

I cannot emphasize this enough: the sacrifice and service of our brave men and women in uniform mattered. It saved lives. It helped keep

us safe and free. And we will never forget it.

Today, my heart is with our Gold Star families and our service members who came back from Afghanistan wounded, whether visible or invisible. I think of the old saying, “Wars begin where they may but they do not end as you please.” I pray that there is peace and healing brought to every single soul that left a piece of who they were in foreign lands, surrendering their youth for the greater good.

The failure here is one of career politicians and bureaucrats, not of our incredible military.

According to Obama’s own Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, Joe Biden has been on the wrong side of seemingly every memorable foreign policy decision for the past half-century.

And what we’re seeing now is no different. Why? Simply because he is a weak president, and we know strength deters war and weakness invites it.

We all wanted our service men and women to come home. But this was

BRITT not the way to go about it.

Make no mistake: the Biden Administration has created a hotbed of national security and humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan. The American f lag has been evacuated from Kabul, while the Taliban’s f lag will f ly high on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Our weapons, vehicles and military technology have now fallen into the hands of our enemy. This was entirely avoidable and foreseeable.

At the end of the day, Joe Biden’s feckless foreign policy has put the lives of Americans still trapped in

Afghanistan at great risk and the safety and security of every American in danger in the place where the plot to kill thousands of Americans on 9/11 was hatched.

The Trump Administration had embarked on a strategic, conditions-based withdrawal and made clear to the Taliban that if they attacked, they would pay a heavy price. Biden’s precipitous exit is not what the previous administration had planned or set in motion.

Now, the people of Afghanistan have gone from the hope of freedom back to the oppression of the Taliban in the blink

of an eye. Before we ran them out of power last time, the Taliban routinely stoned and executed women in the streets.

And for what?

Because these women wanted freedom.

The Taliban doesn’t allow women to get a meaningful education, work, drive, or vote.

Likewise, thousands of Christians in Afghanistan are now faced with the very real possibility of death at the hands of the Taliban, simply because of their faith.

The Biden Administration has failed them, just as they’ve failed all of the civilians left behind in Afghanistan

who aided our military in the country.

From interpreters to vendors to missionaries spreading the gospel, there are thousands of our allies and their families abandoned on the battlefield right now. Leaving people behind is the most un-American thing we could do, and it’s a stain on everything we stand for as a nation.

We must end Biden’s weakness before it causes great harm to many more Americans.

Please join me in continuing to pray for the Americans remaining in Afghanistan; for the people of Afghanistan, especially those who aided our fight against terror; and for our incredible veterans and military families.

God Bless them, and God Bless the United States of America.

Katie Britt is a Republican candidate to serve as the next U.S. Senator for Alabama. An Enterprise native, Katie resides in Montgomery with her husband, Wesley, and their two children, Bennett and Ridgeway.

B11 August 26, 2021

Opelika Updates on Roadwork, Sidewalk Improvements CONTRIBUTED BY THE CITY OF OPELIKA

The city of Opelika recently released informational updates on construction projects in the city.

Shady Park Improvement Project Here is a quick Shady Park improvements update. We are currently waiting on asphalt to be placed on both the walking path and the parking lot. Unfortunately, the contractor has been unable to get to this project over the past three weeks, though they are currently scheduled for Monday, Aug. 23.

Once the asphalt is completed, we will have two small connectors to pour in

BUDGET >> FROM B9 still project those are going to grow more conservatively than they do because you never know.”

The major change that affected the past two fiscal years was the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the Fiscal Year 2020 budget was set — COVID was not even a part of the discussion, Crouch said.

“We see fluctuations in football revenue on Georgia and Alabama home game years versus away game years and usually, the Georgia and Alabama fiscal years, when they both used to play in the month of November, was a stronger year for us.”

When Fiscal Year 2020 began, in October 2019, those games were played on Auburn turf — which started the year off strong fiscally, Crouch said.

A few months later, COVID-19 had taken a hard swing and everything was closed down as case numbers rose.

“Before people really got worried, we had not only normal revenue,

concrete that will connect the parking area to the walking path, and the walking path to the pavilion.

Road Closure: Section Of Northpark Drive The contractor for the city has closed the section of Northpark Drive from Andrews Road to the Walmart Distribution Center for a roadway improvement project. There are message boards placed on the interstate ramps that route all Walmart and Jo Anne trucks to exit 64 and then u This roadway closure is expected to last for a couple of months and then the section of road from Walmart to Joanne Drive will be closed for repairs.

CONTRIBUTED BY THE OFFICE OF REP. MIKE ROGERS

On Aug. 20 and Aug. 21 U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, released statements expressing his concerns that President Biden has yet to produce a plan for safely evacuating all Americans from Afghanistan.

Issued Aug. 21: “Just yesterday, President Biden stood in front of the American people and said no American in Afghanistan was having trouble getting through Taliban checkpoints to the airport.

Today, Embassy Kabul is telling

American citizens in Afghanistan ‘to avoid traveling to the airport’ due to security threats outside the airport.

“President Biden also told the American people that the Taliban had not attacked Americans in Afghanistan.

When in fact, his own Secretary of Defense contradicted him, confirming that the Taliban has gone after Americans, and called it ‘unacceptable.’

“The Biden-Harris administration is failing this moment.

While Americans are trapped in a dangerous situation this administration created, the President seems unwilling to do what needs to be done to keep our

the calendar year, 2021, a 4 or 5% hit,” Crouch we had high revenue, things started shifting said. early in 20,” Crouch in January, February, Fiscal Year 2021 besaid. “So we went into when we started having gan in October 2020, it strong and that’s one restrictions lifted and right in the middle of of the biggest pieces of things were reopened, the closures and panthe story.”

Another factor in the demic. Crouch said that everything was happening. Our sales tax the city made its probudget discussion for jections conservatively, has grown tremendousFiscal Year 2020 and ly. So we’re actually Fiscal Year 2021 is that not counting on a fall seeing a more fall-like football season. there were less expen“How would we have collection now for ditures for the city.

March, April, May.” known in the middle “Our operating costs Edge said that lookof last summer exactwere much lower,” ing at Fiscal Year 2022, ly what was going to Crouch said. “We had fewer expenses because happen in the fall?” she the city is continuing its conservative trend. we were not fully open. said.

The Delta Variant is The city used its We weren’t heating and spring semester projec- prevalent and the city air conditioning all of cannot be sure what our gymnasiums in the tions for the fall, Edge will happen in the said. Normally, a fall same way we once had future. been. We were not run- would be bustling with So the projections out-of-town families ning a number of prowere made using an and guests, but there grams we expected to average of FY 2018 and was no way to know run. And yeah, we still 2019 but with a higher if football would take picked up the garbage, sales tax than FY 2021, place. we did other things, she said.

“It was lower, obvibut we were spending Ultimately adjustously, much lower, but less from an operating ments to the bienniit was not terrible,” perspective.” al budget included Edge said. “And as we On the other hand, things like increased started to getting into sales tax revenue was flat compared to fiscal year 2019, she said.

In FY 2020, the sales tax was flat, Unclaimed/Abandoned Vehicles, Mobile Homes & Surety Bonds said Allison Edge, Auburn’s finance diJSE:Alabama's Vehicle Title rector. Normally, howRecovery Service! ever, the city would We can help with most Titled Vehicles in Alabama, including Cars, have expected growth, Trucks, Motorcycles, RV’s & Trailers. Stop in, by phone or online! maybe a 4 or 5% Fre e Phone C onsu ltation increase.

Cal l 1-251-342-8538 “So you would still www.JSEAL.com say ultimately we took

Protect with 3! ✔ Tdap ✔ HPV ✔ MCV4 Protect your patients against vaccine preventable diseases.

As healthcare professionals, it is up to you to ensure your patients remain up to date with their vaccines.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) recommend the following vaccines for adolescents: • • • •

Rep. Mike Rogers Expresses Concern For Safety of Americans in Afghanistan

Tetanus, Diptheria, Pertussis Human papillomavirus Meningococcal disease Influenza

For more information, please visit alabamapublichealth.gov/imm

citizens safe. The President needs to wake up and give us a plan now for how we get our fellow Americans and allies safely out of Afghanistan.”

Issued Aug. 20: "President Biden's address on Afghanistan once again ignored reality. This catastrophe was completely avoidable had the Biden-Harris administration bothered to produce a plan.

There are thousands of Americans in Taliban-controlled territories around the country and the Biden-Harris administration cannot provide an accurate accounting of how many Americans are left. We are seeing heartbreaking video of parents handing off their children to sales tax revenue, funding theCox-Wire Roundabout through the general fund, additional expenses for the Farmville Road and Ogletree Road Culvert Projects as well as the Exit 50 lighting and landscape project and increasing the funding for thenew Environmental Services and Public Works Complex Project.

The Fiscal Year 2021 total available resources were $100,110,750 while for Fiscal Year 2022, the projection is for $101,523,132.

This includes the budgeted revenues, such as sales and use

American soldiers as Afghan allies, women and children fearing for their lives are trying desperately to f lee the Taliban. This is the so called 'America is Back' foreign policy of President Biden and Vice President Harris.

"It's time for the Biden-Harris administration to take ownership of their failure and do everything in their power to get every American home safely. It's time for President Biden and Vice President Harris to stop shirking the responsibilities of the offices they occupy.

"I will ask again, President Biden and Vice President Harris: where is your plan for Afghanistan?" tax and business license fees, as well as the other financing sources.

The total expenditures for Fiscal Year 2021 are projected at $114,030,706 while for Fiscal Year 2022 that amount is $109,736,073.

More information on where the money is headed, such as to the Auburn City School Board of Education, the Sewer Fund, Solid Waste Management Fund or special funds such as the Special Five Mill Tax Fund, read more in the city’s e-packet: https://www. auburnalabama.org/ agenda/.

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B12 August 26, 2021

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thorough knowledge of the principles, methods and practices of administration and management; ability to plan, manage and direct multiple projects and initiatives; ability to plan and supervise the work of professional and technical subordinates; ability to prepare comprehensive and accurate reports and records; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with professional and technical personnel, contractors, government and public officials, other employees and the general public.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: Attainment of a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from a recognized college or university in business or public administration, civil engineering or a related f ield and a minimum of f ive years’ progressively responsible managerial and administrative experience in the housing development, constr uction, rehabilitation or maintenance industr y; or a combination of education and experience equivalent to these requirements.

LOCAL CLASSIFIEDS HELP WANTED DIRECTOR OF MODERNIZATION & DEVELOPMENT KIND OF WORK: This is administrative work in directing & managing activities of modernization, construction, rehabilitation and maintenance projects & initiatives for the Opelika Housing Authority.

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Manages and directs all phases of construction, renovation, revitalization, rehabilitation, modernization and work order initiatives; Plans, budgets, schedules, and coordinates projects and work order initiatives; Prepares materials and equipment specifications; Prepares specifications to acquire architectural, engineering, and related professional services; Prepares specifications for contract work; Ability to perform the procurement requirements and functions for services needed;

Supervises work of contractors; Supervises the inspection of substandard housing and prepares reports for scope of work and cost estimates for repair; Performs related work as required.

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of principles and practices of construction, maintenance, and project management; thorough knowledge of labor and materials costs related to construction and repair; thorough knowledge of building codes, ordinances, regulations and standards governing construction and maintenance of residential housing; thorough knowledge of federal and state public bid laws and Section 3 requirements; working knowledge of public housing development, modernization and maintenance programs desirable;

PUBLIC NOTICES IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, STATE OF ALABAMA RE: IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF CHRISTA WALKER, DECEASED. CASE NO.: 2021-411 NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT TO BE PUBLISHED BY COPERSONAL REPRESE NTATIVES Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to Leigh Thompson and Bruce Thompson, on the 26th day of July, 2021, by the Hon. Bill English, Judge of Probate 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. BY: James E. Hall, Attorney for CoPersonal Representatives.

Legal Run 08/12/21, 08/19/21 & 08/26/21 ------------IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF CHARLES R. ROSSI, DECEASED IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Case No: 2021-425 Letters Testamentary on the estate of said decedent having been granted to the undersigned on the 6th day of August, 2021, 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.

CLAUDIA M. ROSSI Personal Representative Robert H. Pettey Samford & Denson, LLP P.O. Box 2345 Opelika, AL 36803-2345 (334) 745-3504 Legal Run 08/12/2021, 08/19/2021 & 08/26/2021 ------------IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA

STATE OF ALABAMA , COUNTY OF LEE IN RE: The Matter of KIRA NICOLE OGLE Case No.: 20 l 9-B-05 NOTICE OF HEARING Notice is hereby given that a Petition to Approve Final Settlement of the Conservatorship of Kira Nicole Ogle. A hearing has been set for the 9th day of September 2021 at 9:00 a.m. central time, electronically via "ZOOM". Please contact the Lee County Probate Court at 334737-3670 for access to the electronic hearing should you intend to take part in the hearing of the Petition to Approve Final Settlement of the Conservatorship.

BILL ENGLISH, JUDGE OF PROBATE, LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Legal Run 08/19/21, 08/26/21 & 09/02/21 ------------NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT ESTATE OF W.C. HAWKINS, DECEASED COURT OF PROBATE LEE COUNTY Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to the undersigned on the 9th day of August, 2021 by the Hon. Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court of Lee County, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

Witness our hands, and dated this the 9th day of August, 2021.

DWAYNE C.J. HAWKINS Legal Run 08/19/21, 08/26/21 & 09/02/21 ------------IN THE PROBATE COURT FOR LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN RE: The estate of Jerry Timothy Walston, Deceased Case No.2021-442 TAKE NOTICE that Letters Administration

having been granted to Ricky Walston as Administrator of the Estate of Jerry Timothy Walston, deceased, on the 12TH day of August, 2021.

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

Administrator, of the Estate of Jerry Timothy Walston, Deceased Legal Run 08/19/2021, 08/26/2021, 09/02/2021 ------------STATE OF ALABAMA CASE NO. 2021-449 LEE COUNTY PROBATE COURT ESTATE OF JUETTE EDMONDSON EVANS, DECEASED NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE Letters Testamentary of said Juette Edmondson Evans, deceased, having been granted to Patricia Johnson Evans this 12th day of August 2021, by the Honorable Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court of Lee County, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by the law or the same will be barred.

Patricia Johnson Evans, Personal Representative Legal Run 08/19/21, 08/26/21 & 09/02/21 ------------IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF CHARLES SOMERS DEAN, III, DECEASED IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Case No.: 2021-396 TO: RUSSELL DOUGLAS DEAN NOTICE: On the19th day of July, 2021, a certain writing, purporting to be the Will of CHARLES SOMERS DEAN, III was filed in

my office for probate

by NANCY BARRETT DEAN and the 22nd day of September, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. was appointed a day for hearing thereof at which time you can appear and contest the same, if you see proper.

Given under my hand, the 16th day of August, 2021.

Bill English JUDGE OF PROBATE Robert H. Pettey Samford & Denson, LLP P.O. Box 2345 Opelika, AL 3683-2345 (334) 745-3504 Legal 08/19/21, 08/26/21 & 09/02/21 ------------IN THE PROBATE COURT FOR LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: THEODORE ARMOUR, Deceased NOTICE OF HEARING Notice is hereby given that Ardella Williams has filed a petition to admit to probate an instrument purporting to be the Last Will and testament of Theodore Armour, deceased, and a hearing has been set on said petition for the 21 st day of September, 2021, at l 0:00 a.m., in the Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama.

Done this the 16th day of August 2021.

BILL ENGLISH, PROBATE JUDGE Legal Run 08/19/21, 08/26/21 & 09/02/21 ------------IN THE PROBATE COURT FOR LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN RE: The estate of Jerry Timothy Walston, Deceased Case No.2021-442 TAKE NOTICE that Letters Administration having been granted to Ricky Walston as Administrator of the Estate of Jerry Timothy Walston, deceased, on the 12TH day of August, 2021.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that all persons having claims against the

said Estate are hereby required to present the same within the time allowed by law or the same be barred.

Administrator, of the Estate of Jerry Timothy Walston, Deceased Legal Run 08/19/2021, 08/26/2021, 09/02/2021 ------------STATE OF ALABAMA CASE NO. 2021-461 LEE COUNTY PROBATE COURT ESTATE OF MARION S. MANN, DECEASED NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE Letters Testamentary of said Marion S. Mann, deceased, having been granted to George A. Moore this 19th day of August 2021, by the Honorable 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 the law or the same will be barred.

George A. Moore, Personal Representative Legal Run 8/26/21, 9/2/21, & 9/9/21 ------------IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF RICHARD E. MARLIN, DECEASED. Case No.: 20 20-041 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Take Notice that Letters Testamentary of the Estate of RICHARD E. MARLIN, deceased, having been granted to KEVIN E. MARLIN on the 7th day of February 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 such claims within the time allowed by law, or the same will be forever barred.

Legal Run 08/26/21,

09/02/21 & 09/09/21 ------------IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF JOSEPH (JOE) BARRY WILLIAMSON, DECEASED CASE NO.: 2021TAKE NOTICE that Letters of Administration have been granted to Leigh Warren as Executrix of the Estate of Joseph (Joe) Barry Williamson, deceased, on the 13td day of August, 2021 by the Honorable Bill English, Judge of Probate.

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

Personal Representative of the Estate of Joseph (Joe) Barry Williamson Legal Run 08/26/21, 09/02/21 & 09/09/21 ------------IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF CHARLES SOMERS DEAN, III, DECEASED IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Case No.: 2021-396 TO: RUSSELL DOUGLAS DEAN NOTICE: On the19th day of July, 2021, a certain writing, purporting to be the Will of CHARLES SOMERS DEAN, III was filed in my office for probate by NANCY BARRETT DEAN and the 22nd day of September, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. was appointed a day for hearing thereof at which time you can appear and contest the same, if you see proper.

Given under my hand, the 16th day of August, 2021.

Bill English JUDGE OF PROBATE Robert H. Pettey Samford & Denson, LLP P.O. Box 2345 Opelika, AL 3683-2345 (334) 745-3504 Legal 08/19/21, 08/26/21 & 09/02/21

See PUBLIC NOTICES, page B13

B13 August 26, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES >> FROM B12 ------------IN THE PROBATE COURT FOR LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF: THE ESTATE OF ALMA FLORENCE NEVELS, deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS CaseNo.:2021- 455 Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to Elizabeth Nevels Eaton, Personal Representative on the 17th day of August, 2021 by the 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.

Elizabeth Nevels Eaton Legal Run 08/26/21, 09/02/21, & 09/09/21 ------------RESOLUTION NO. 19821 RESOLUTION APPROVING THE VACATION OF A PORTION OF UNNAMED STREET LYING BETWEEN LOTS 5, 6 AND 8A OF FOX RUN INDUSTRIAL PARK, FIRST ADDITION WHEREAS, Opelika Industrial Development Authority (“OIDA”), a public corporation, is the owner of 5, 6 and 8A of a plat entitled “Revision of Lots 3,4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 & 18, a resubdivision of Lots 4 and 7 of Fox Run Industrial Park, First Revision First Addition”, a copy of which Subdivision appears of record in Plat Book 20 at Page 89 in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Lee County, Alabama; and WHEREAS, a Petition to vacate a portion of said Lots 5, 6 and 8A, duly executed by OIDA, as the abutting property owner, has been presented to the City Council (the “City Council”) of the City of Opelika, Alabama (the “City”), a municipal corporation, for the assent and approval of the governing body, said Petition with map attached being hereto affixed, marked Exhibit “A” and made a part hereof; and WHEREAS, the Petition is filed in accordance with the provisions of §234-20, Code of Alabama, 1975, which provides that any street or alley may be vacated, in whole or in part, by the owner or owners of the land abutting the street or alley or abutting that portion of the street or alley desired to be vacated; and WHEREAS, that portion of the street to be vacated is more particularly described as follows: LOTS 8A AND 9A, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT OF REVISION OF LOTS 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 & 18 A RE-SUBDIVISION OF LOTS 4 & 7 FOXRUN INDUSTRIAL PARK, FIRST ADDITION, AS RECORDED IN THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN PLAT BOOK 20, PAGE 89. BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEGIN AT A 1/2” REBAR (CAPPED “15722”) FOUND AT THE SW CORNER OF LOT 8A OF SAID PLAT, SAID REBAR ALSO LYING ON THE EAST RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF AN UNNAMED ROAD (60 FEET IN-WIDTH RIGHT OF WAY); THENCE RUN NORTHERLY AND NORTHEASTERLY

ALONG SAID RIGHT OF WAY LINE THE FOLLOWING THREE (3) COURSES: 1.)

N00°05’40”W, A DISTANCE OF 205.58 FEET TO A 1/2” REBAR (CAPPED “15722”) FOUND; 2.)

ALONG A CURVE TO THE RIGHT (RADIUS= 150.00 FEET) A CHORD BEARING AND DISTANCE OF N28°34’21”E, 143.76 FEET TO A 1/2” REBAR (CAPPED “15722”) FOUND; 3.) N57°12’47”E, A DISTANCE OF 160.39 FEET TO A 6” x 6” CONCRETE MONUMENT FOUND AT THE INTERSECTION OF SAID EAST RIGHT OF WAY LINE AND THE OUTHWESTERLY RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF FOX RUN PARKWAY (U.S. HIGHWAY 431) (ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROJECT NO. OLB-041-000-001) (RIGHT OF WAY WIDTH VARIES); THENCE RUN SOUTHEASTERLY ALONG SAID WESTERLY RIGHT OF WAY LINE THE FOLLOWING THREE (3) COURSES: 1.) S32°49’21”E, A DISTANCE OF 171.84 FEET TO A 6” x 6” CONCRETE MONUMENT FOUND AT A RIGHT OF WAY FLARE; 2.)

S44°08’51”E, ALONG SAID FLARE, A DISTANCE OF 101.65 FEET TO A 6” x 6” CONCRETE MONUMENT FOUND; 3.) S32°48’55”E, A DISTANCE OF 388.00 FEET TO A 1/2” REBAR FOUND AT THE INTERSECTION OF SAID WESTERLY RIGHT OF WAY LINE AND THE NORTHWESTERLY RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF GREATER PEACE DRIVE (60 FEET IN-WIDTH RIGHT OF WAY); THENCE RUN S57°12’45”W, ALONG SAID NORTHWESTERLY RIGHT OF WAY LINE, A DISTANCE OF 262.95 FEET TO A 1/2” REBAR FOUND; THENCE RUN SOUTHWESTER ALONG SAID RIGHT OF WAY LINE AND A CURVE TO THE RIGHT (RADIUS= 270.00 FEET) A CHORD BEARING AND DISTANCE OF S62°25’37”W, A DISTANCE OF 47.92 FEET TO A 1/2” REBAR (CAPPED “11282”) FOUND; THENCE LEAVING SAID RIGHT OF WAY LINE RUN N31°32’31”W, A DISTANCE OF 339.52 FEET TO A 1/2” REBAR FOUND; THENCE RUN S89°58’51”W, A

DISTANCE OF 136.31 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING. THE ABOVE DESCRIBED PARCEL OF LAND LIES IN THE SW 1/4 OF THE SE 1/4 OF SECTION 5, T19N, R27E, LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA, AND CONTAINS 4.79 ACRES, MORE OR LESS. Being further described according to and as shown by that certain survey or drawing attached hereto and marked Exhibit “B”.

WHEREAS, said portion of said unnamed street has never, in fact, been opened or used by anyone as a public street; and WHEREAS, the Petition for Vacation states that no property owners will be deprived of any right they may have to convenient and reasonable means of ingress and egress to and from their property as a result of the requested vacation; and WHEREAS, a public hearing was conducted by the City Council on the 17th day of August, 2021, at which all persons were given the opportunity to be heard in favor of or in opposition to the proposed right-ofway vacation; and WHEREAS, public notice of the public hearing was provided in accordance with §23-4-2, Code of Alabama, 1975; and WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that it is in the best interest of the City to vacate the portion of said unnamed street as described in the attached Petition for Vacation and the right-of-way should be returned to the abutting property owner.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Opelika that the vacation of said portion of the above-described street is assented to and approved and the same is hereby vacated pursuant to the provisions of Section 23-4-20, et.seq. of the Code of Alabama, and also pursuant to said Code in §35-2-54.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Opelika, Alabama, a municipal corporation, remise, release and quitclaim unto OIDA, whatever right, title and interest the said City of Opelika, Alabama, may have acquired in and to the above described portion of said unnamed street by virtue of the dedication or vacation of said roadway or otherwise BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Gary Fuller, the Mayor of the City of Opelika, Alabama, a municipal corporation, be and he is hereby authorized

and directed on behalf of the City of Opelika, Alabama, to execute a quitclaim deed to OIDA for the purpose of carrying out the intent and intention of this Resolution and that Russell A. Jones, City Clerk, be and he is hereby authorized and directed on behalf of the City of Opelika, Alabama, to attest the same.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Clerk will cause a copy of this Resolution to be filed in the Probate Office of Lee County, Alabama, and shall further cause a copy of this Resolution to be published once in a newspaper of general circulation in Lee County, Alabama, no less than fourteen (14) days after its adoption.

ADOPTED AND APPROVED this the 17th day of August, 2021. /s/ Eddie Smith PRESIDENT OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA, ALABAMA ATTEST: /s/ Russell A. Jones CITY CLERK Legal Run 8/26/2021 ------------Notice of Public Auction Boardwalk StorageOpelika, pursuant to the “Self Service Storage Act” (1981 Alabama Acts, Number 81-769, page 1321 and Section 1), hereby gives Notice of Sale under said act, to wit.

Notice of Public Auction.

Boardwalk StorageOpelika Will be holding a public auction online at Lockerfox.com On September 3, 2021 @11:00am This is a cash only sale - Please bring a money order All sales are final and the units must be cleaned out completely in 48 hours.

A 100.00 cleaning deposit is required and will be refunded upon unit inspection. Unit must be swept.

We currently have 5 units available: Unit AA-04 - Duke, C. = Steamer trunks, tool box, electrical cords, weed eater, tripod, electric heater, stereos, vcr’s, duffel bag Unit AA-07 - Kelly, M. = Washer & dryer, dresser with mirror, boxes, Christmas decorations Unit AA-10 - Smith, F. = Household items, boxes, baby items 334-741-9133 - 6790 US Hwy 29 N, Opelika, Al 36854 Legal Run 08/26/21 & 09/02/21 ------------INVITATION TO BID 21021 Sealed bids for the construction of the WESTSIDE

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WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IMPROVEMENTS shall be received at the Opelika City Hall 2nd Floor Conference Room, 204 South Seventh Street, Opelika, Alabama, until 2:00 p.m., local time on Monday, October 11, 2021, and then publicly opened and read aloud. Only bids from competent general contractors will be considered. The successful bidder must be a properly licensed general contractor. The attention of all bidders is called to the provisions of State law governing “General Contractors” as set forth in the Ala. Code §34-8-1, et. seq.

(1975) and rules and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto. Bidders must be licensed by the Licensing Board for General Contractors when bids are submitted.

The Project consists of an expansion of a 4 MGD wastewater treatment plant to 6 MGD and is generally described as follows: • Influent Bypass Structure • Upgrade to influent pump station.

• Upgrade to headworks structure including new screening and grit equipment.

• Modifications to Splitter Box No. 1 • Cleaning and equipment demolition of Oxidation Ditch Nos. 1 and 2 • New mechanical aeration equipment for Oxidation Ditch Nos. 1 and 2 • New Oxidation Ditch No. 3 • Upgrade to return sludge pump station.

• Modifications to Splitter Box No. 2 • Cleaning and equipment demolition of Clarifier Nos. 1 and 2 • New clarifier equipment for Clarifier Nos. 1 and 2 • New Clarifier No. 3 and return sludge pump station • Waste sludge pump replacement A non-mandatory prebid conference will be held at 2:00 p.m. local time on September 8, 2021, at Opelika Public Works, 700 Fox Trail, Opelika, Alabama. A site visit to the Westside WWTP will follow the meeting. Attendance at the pre-bid conference is not mandatory.

Bids will be received for a single prime Contract.

Bids shall be on a lump sum basis as indicated in the Bid Form. All bidders must submit with their proposal, contractor’s license number and a copy of the license. State law Ala. Code §34-8-8(b) requires all bids to be rejected which do not contain the contractor’s

current license number.

Evidence of this license shall be documented on the outside of the sealed bid. All bidders shall possess all other licenses and/or permits required by applicable law, rule or regulation for the performance of the work.

Bid documents may be obtained from the City’s website at www.opelikaal.gov/Bids.aspx. Any technical questions should be directed to the Public Works Director at 334705-5413 located at 700 Fox Trail, Opelika.

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

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

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

Envelopes containing bids must be sealed, marked, addressed as follows, and delivered to: Lillie Finley, PurchasingRevenue Manager, City of Opelika, 204 South 7th Street, P.O. Box 390, Opelika, Alabama, 368030390. Attn: Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements LILLIE FINLEYPURCHASING REVENUE MANAGER CITY OF OPELIKA 204 SOUTH SEVENTH STREET (36801) POST OFFICE BOX 390 (36803-0390) OPELIKA, ALABAMA PH: (334) 705-5120 Legal Run 08/26/21, 9/16/21 9/30/21 ------------STATE OF ALABAMA CASE NO. 2021-449 LEE COUNTY PROBATE COURT ESTATE OF JUETTE EDMONDSON EVANS, DECEASED NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE Letters Testamentary of said Juette Edmondson Evans, deceased, having been granted to Patricia Johnson Evans this 12th day of August 2021, by the Honorable Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court of Lee County, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by the law or the same will be barred.

Patricia Johnson Evans, Personal Representative Legal Run 08/19/21, 08/26/21 & 09/02/21

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B14 August 26, 2021

HERO THROW SEPT. 11, 2021

Axe Marks the Spot inaugural axe throwing competition $15 Entry Fee $150 Prize for the Winner $10 Entry for All First-Responders and Military

B15 August 26, 2021

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B16 August 26, 2021

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334-364-9993 | 334-364-9997 7667 Alabama Hwy 51, Suite A, Opelika www.beauregarddrugs.com Mon-Fri 8am–6pm | Sat 9am–12pm | Sunday Closed

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