Thursday March 10, 2022
Vol. 14, No. 22
Opelika, Alabama
FARRIS BONDURANT
Covering Lee County, Alabama
166 N Gay Street, Suite 12, Auburn, AL 36830 334-821-5050
An award-winning publication created 'For local people, by local people.'
Opelika Police Nominated for RISE Award
Investments | 401K Rollovers
166 N Gay Street, Suite 12, Auburn, AL 36830 334-821-5050 Investments | 401K Rollovers
Jay Jones Inducted as President of Sheriff’s Association PHOTO BY ROBERT NOLES/ THE OBSERVER
PHOTO BY HANNAH LESTER /THE OBSERVER
CONTRIBUTED BY THE CITY OF OPELIKA
The Opelika Police Department has been nominated for the 2022 RISE Agency Award which honors a public safety agency that has made strides to build up its community. The nomination highlights ‘Together Opelika’, the police department’s campaign focused on building stronger relationships within the
community. Voting for the top 10 finalists begins March 7, 2022, and concludes March 18, 2022. A panel of judges will select the final award winner, which will receive a $7,500 grant from Axon toward its nonprofit foundation or community project. If selected as a winner, the Opelika Police Department plans to use the funds for its new ‘Shop with a Cop’ See OPD, page A2
BY HANNAH LESTER HLESTER@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones was inducted as the president of the Alabama Sheriff’s Association during a ceremony last week in Opelika. “Tonight is special and our purpose is to mark
the occasion of a transfer of leadership for our, no, for your association,” Jones said. Jones succeeded Montgomery Sheriff Derrick Cunningham who had served since January 2020. Probate Judge Bill English swore in the new officers for the associa-
Community Foundation of East Alabama Awards Mini-Grant CONTRIBUTED BY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF EAST ALABAMA
Out of all the applications received, only one organization was selected this year for the Community Foundation of East Alabama’s Mini-Grant program. The grants and scholarship committee selected Girls STEPS, Inc., under the leadership of Tiffany Gibson, to receive a $500 grant. According to the application, this grant will be used to assist in providing quality programming to over 100 youth and families throughout Lee, Russell, Macon and Chamber County communities with an emphasis on marginalized neighborhoods. It will also allow the opportunity
Girls STEPS, Inc, CEO Tiffany Gibson (right) receives a grant from Community Foundation of East Alabama.
for additional students to participate in their After School Program. This is the third year in a row that the Community Foundation of East Alabama (CFEA) has been able to award these grants. There are three $500 mini-grants available
each year with applications received by Dec. 31 and awarded in early 2022. These grants may be used to support the nonprofit’s general operations. Debbie Allen, chairman of the committee, said, “the committee and the board feel that this type of grant
should be flexible and give the grantee the ability to use the funds where they are most appropriate.” The funds for these grants come from CFEA’s General Fund. “Some of our donors set up donor-advised funds with us,” Barbara Patton, president said, “while other donors choose to support by donating unrestricted dollars to our General Fund. These unrestricted dollars allow us to meet the needs of the community today and for years to come.” The Community Foundation of East Alabama is proud of the impact Girls STEPS is making and looks forward to awarding more grants of this type and other grants n the future.
CONTENTS OPINION.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 OPINION
SPORTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1
SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY. . . . . A7
POLITICS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B9
RELIGION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A14
CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B10
COMICS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A16 COMICS
PUBLIC NOTICES. . . . . . . . . . . . B13
tion, as well as Jones. Jones thanked Cunningham for his service to the association. “We’re just beyond appreciative of what you’ve done and how you’ve done it,” he said. “You’ve done well and you represent us well.” Jones introduced his family, his officers and
his team. “Our families, our staffs and those who support us,” Jones said. “Those are the folks that we owe so much to.” He took time to give credit to a mentor of his in the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Major Carey Torbert. See JONES, page A2
OPD Accepting Applications for 2022 Citizens Police Academy CONTRIBUTED BY THE CITY OF OPELIKA
Opelika’s Citizens Police Academy is now accepting applications for the spring 2022 class. The eight-week class is organized by the Opelika Police Department and begins Thursday, March 31. Each week citizens will learn about various aspects of the police department. Topics include patrol, traffic, investigations, SWAT and K-9. During week seven, citizens will have the chance to experience real-life situations using our virtual reality training simulator, Apex Officer. Classes are held every Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. There is no cost to
attend the course, and upon completion, a graduation event is held. “The Citizens Police Academy allows the community to step into the role of Police Officer in the city of Opelika,” said Police Chief Shane Healey. “You gain insight into the duties of an officer and are able to have conversations that you may not have been able to have otherwise. The relationships that are built over the eight weeks can be immeasurable.” Citizens can learn more and apply online at www. opelika-al.gov/230/CitizensPolice-Academy. The deadline for applications is March 21.
A2 March 10, 2022
Lee County United Way Exec. Steps Down CONTRIBUTED BY UNITED WAY LEE COUNTY
After leading United Way of Lee County for 25 years, Rebecca Benton will step down as executive director in June, she announced during February’s board of directors meeting. “This has been such a rewarding experience both personally and professionally,” Benton told the board. “I have had the opportunity to work with an amazing group of community leaders and volunteers.” Throughout Benton’s tenure, United Way of
Lee County has continued to fulfill the non-profit’s mission to increase the organized capacity of people to care for another by generating and allocating resources to meet community needs. In her quarter century at the helm, Benton led United Way of Lee County through the uncertainties of Y2K, the dot-com crash, 9/11, the loss of major donors in the textile industry and Uniroyal, the economic downturn of 2008, hurricanes, tornadoes and a pandemic. “Through all of the
Auburn Police Department Announces Launch of Eagle Watch Program CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER
The Auburn Police Department (APD) is excited to announce the launch of Eagle Watch, a free security camera registration program available to all residents and business owners in the city of Auburn. APD’s Eagle Watch Program is modeled after other successful video surveillance partnership programs across the country. Those successes are measured in the number of crimes solved through the partnerships between law enforcement and the communities they serve. By registering commercial and/or residential video surveillance cameras located on the outside of homes or businesses, the Eagle Watch Program will provide the location of the camera(s), owner contact information, the type of camera system and retention period of the video to APD’s Detective Section. This will allow APD to quickly reach you in the event video footage retrieval may be helpful in solving a crime in your area. Camera registration does NOT give APD the ability to access your cameras without your knowledge or permission; however, commercial camera owners have the option
to provide APD with remote access to their video surveillance system. Commercial camera owners will also be provided with Eagle Watch window and/or door decals. Owners of residential security cameras and/ or video doorbells will always be contacted by APD in the event video evidence is being sought from their area. In the event video evidence is available, camera owners will be provided a secure link, via a registered email address, to upload relevant video footage to APD’s evidence.com system. Joining the Eagle Watch Program is easy and free of charge. Visit https://bit.ly/APDEagle-Watch to fill out the initial registration form. A representative of the Auburn Police Department will be in contact to confirm your registration. APD encourages all owners of commercial and/or residential video surveillance cameras located on the outside of homes, businesses or houses of worship to register with the Eagle Watch Program. Help APD solve crimes and better protect our community by registering your cameras today. For inquiries regarding the Eagle Watch Program, please email webpubsfty@auburnalabama.org
challenges, we have persevered and continued to care for our community, loved on those who were hurting, and made a difference in the lives of the people in Lee County,” she said. While Benton is leaving United Way of Lee County, she is not planning to retire. “I don’t know what God has planned for my next chapter, but I am trusting that He will provide another area of service for me,” she said. “And if you are so inclined, I ask that you join me in praying for discernment of His
JONES >>
FROM A1
“When I first started at the sheriff’s office a couple of years ago, this fellow took me under his wing and he looked out for me,” Jones said. “Every time I got fired he’d call me and said, ‘just come back tomorrow the sheriff will forget what you did today.’ I think I got fired, what, six times, sheriff? “… He has over 50 years association with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and I’m just telling y’all right now, that man’s probably forgotten more about how to run a jail, what a sheriff does in office, than most folks will ever learn in their lifetime. He’s a special man and a truly, truly good friend. Major I’ve said it, we’ve talked about, but I’m going to say it to the public right now, like I have before. I wouldn’t be where I’m at without you, sir.” There are 900,000 peace officers in the U.S. at all levels, Jones said, city, state, county, national. But, there are only a little over 3,000 sheriffs. “We’re sheriffs,” he said. “No other position in law enforcement, but the provision of law and the insurance of public safety is as unique as the office of
OPD>>
FROM A1
program. The department plans to launch the program in December
Sports Editor: Wil Crews Live Lee Editor: Hannah Lester Phone: 334.749.8003 editor@opelikaobserver.com Michelle@opelikaobserver.com
Publisher: Michelle Key
sheriff. We share the mission of protection of our communities with our law enforcement partners, our colleagues, and cities and states, and around our country. “But none of them, I would offer for your consideration, share the exact same relationship that we do to those that we serve. We are here because it is their choice, those people that we serve. It’s not a panel, it’s not a commission, it’s not a council, but the vote of the citizens who we serve. No higher honor exists than to be hired directly by your neighbors, your friends and even people who have never met you, but they’ve heard you speak, they’ve talked to someone who does know you and decided, you know what, that you’re the one they want to be their sheriff. An honor indeed.” Jones has served as Lee County’s sheriff since 1998, but has worked with the office since 1975, while he was still an Auburn University student. “It is a privilege, and an honor, to serve as your association president,” he said. “I can’t tell you what an honor it is. I look forward to it. As a matter of fact, I am humbled to be among so many men and people that I respect. I’ll do my
best to keep us headed in the right direction.”
The department plans to raise funds for ‘Shop with a Cop’; however, the grant would allow for even more families to participate. More information about ‘Shop with
which will allow underprivileged children a chance to shop with an Opelika Police Officer at a local store to purchase gifts for members of their immediate family.
Marketing: Woody Ross Photojournalist: Robert Noles
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CORRECTIONS The Observer will correct any errors, omissions or inaccuracies deemed to be substantive. Corrections may be requested by contacting the editor at (334) 749-8003.
a Cop’ will be released later this year. The public can help Opelika become a finalist but voting daily at www.riseawards. axon.com/agency2022/ entry/241.
Subscribe to the Observer today! Name: Address:
Rick Lanier, D. Mark Mitchell
plan. The board has formed selection and strategic planning committees with target dates to post the position in March, interview candidates in April and recommend and vote on a new executive director in May with a start date in June as Benton departs. “Thank you for the support you have given me,” Benton said. “I have been blessed with the absolute best board of directors through all of these years and I am so fortunate to live and work in such a giving, caring community.”
United Way of Lee County fundraising campaigns that yielded more than $24.2 million in pledges to allocate to 51 partner agencies, programs and initiatives. “I will be working closely with our leadership team and board to ensure a smooth transition and seamless continuity in terms of our programs, agencies and community work as we prepare for our next executive director to join the team,” she said. Benton has worked with United Way of Lee County’s executive board on a transition
perfect will in the coming months.” The decision to pass the leadership baton to United Way of Lee County’s next executive director, Benton said, was not made lightly. “While it is difficult to step away from this incredible organization, I know that this is the right time,” she said. “We have a wonderful staff here at United Way that is mission-focused, and I know that they will continue to work hard to accomplish our mission.” From 1997-2021, Benton oversaw 25
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A3 March 10, 2022
Opelika Financial Health Initiative Expands
CONTRIBUTED BY THE CITY OF OPELIKA
The city of Opelika kicked off its new Opelika Financial Health Initiative (OFHI) in November 2021. The city began a partnership with Dr. Nathaniel Dunlap, Jr. of The PRF Institute to help residents of Opelika develop a healthy financial strategy to improve their life today and in the future. Most recently, the OFHI expanded to offer classes for those in need.
PRF Institute and the city of Opelika will offer several life impacting sessions during the month of March. First, in honor of Women’s History Month, PRF has partnered with the Domestic Violence Intervention Center and will be leading a four-session series called, Financial Empowerment 4 Women. This will be a closed class for women within our community dealing with domestic violence situations.
Next, the team has partnered with Pastor Derek Thomas of Global Impact Church to host PRF for a two-part training on planning and savings. The Planning During a Pandemic class will be on March 23 and the Saving During a Pandemic class will be on March 30. Registration will be required for inperson attendance and for those who want to attend virtually. The time will be 6:30 p.m. CST for each class.
Citizens can register at www.prfinstitute.org/ resources starting March 7 or send an email to admin@prfinstitute. org now. Over the past few months, the PRF Institute team has been consulting with citizens. They will resume scheduling and will begin follow-up consultations for those who have received their initial consultation. The topic of budgeting has been the greatest need for citizens;
therefore, PRF Institute has partnered with a company to provide a high-class budgeting software for FREE to all those participating in the OFHI. Dr. Nathaniel Dunlap said, “In addition, credit, debt and saving continue to be the areas where we are most helping our neighbors. We have also had a lot of conversations surrounding legacy and building generational wealth. We are appreciative to those
who have allowed us to prepare their estate planning documents for them, and look forward to helping others in the community find financial security.” For more information on how to sign up for financial health consultations, visit https://prfinstitute.org/ resources/ or contact them at 334-759-4884; or contact Jessica Samuel at Opelika Power Services at 334705-5172.
Community Welcomes New Businesses
EAGLES Program at Auburn University located at 282 Thach Concourse, Suite 136N, in Auburn
Halo Salon & Blowout Bar located at 145 1st Street in Midtown, Auburn
UrgenCare located at 2000 Samglenn Drive, Suite 200, in Auburn.
Whataburger located at 101 North College Street in Auburn
CONTRIBUTED BY THE AUBURN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Hometown Lenders located at 1943-A South College Street in Auburn (Auburn and Opelika Chambers)
PHOTOS
Home Care Assistance located at 2701 Frederick Road, Suite 303, in Opelika (Auburn and Opelika Chambers)
Take care of yourself and others with an easy test. Don’t wait. If you have symptoms, find out if you have the virus. The testing is simple, fast, and effective at identifying COVID-19. Find testing near you at
AlabamaUnites.com.
KidStrong located at 1530 East Glenn Avenue, Suite G, in Auburn
A4 March 10, 2022
Continental Breakfast
SEAN DIETRICH
T
he old man in the crowded hotel dining room was wearing dual hearing aids. He smiled and greeted me with a voice that was loud enough to change the migratory patterns of geese. “You can sit by me!” he said, patting the seat. Truthfully, I did not want to sit next to this loud guy — I didn't want to sit next to anyone. But I had no choice. There were no available tables because the room was overrun with a girl’s soccer team. Hell hath no fury like
a girl’s soccer team attacking a continental breakfast bar. The teenage girls were noisy, fidgety and flinging complimentary fruit at one another, achieving incredible distances with their cantaloupe wedges. The team’s adult chaperones wore weary looks on their faces, expressions which seemed to say: “Point me to the nearest liquor store, please?” So I sat beside the old man. I was tired. I was uncaffeinated. I was not ready for a conversation with a stranger. I tried
to send him a “leave me alone” message nonverbally. But the message was not received. “Hey, pal, wanna hear something funny?” he said. I looked at the man. I was definitely not in the mood for funny. Even so, I am the child of quiet evangelical fundamentalists; expressing disagreement is not in my repertoire. “Sure,” I said. He leaned in and said, “I have really bad gas.” I stopped chewing. “I’m sorry?” “Gas,” he said. “I have bad gas. I just had to tell someone.” I looked around the room. This had to be a prank. Allen Funt and his camera crew must have been lurking around here somewhere. But it was no joke. The old man told the entire story: He was chaperoning his granddaughter to soccer camp. Last night, as soon as they checked into this hotel, he developed
severe chest pains. He laid on his bed but the agony became worse so that he was nearly crying. So he drove himself to the hospital and walked into the local ER, clutching his chest. “I yelled for the nurses,” he said. “I told them to take me back to see the doc, I was having a heart attack. ‘Hurry,’ I said, ‘I can’t breathe!’” Medical professionals rushed him back, stripped him nude, put him in one of those check-out-mybutt gowns, and attached him to electrodes. This was not a drill. “I truly believed I was dying,” he said. The first thing he did was call his wife. “I love you,” he told her. Then he called his kids and said the same thing. Then his granddaughter threw herself onto him and wept as they wheeled him away for more tests. “I told everyone goodbye,” he said. “I just knew this was the end. My dad died from a heart attack, both my uncles,
too. I’ve been waiting my turn for years.” But anyone familiar with situational comedies knows what happened next. What happened, of course, was that the doctor walked into the exam room, brandishing charts, and told the old man that his heart was fine, his pains were due to “bad gas.” “Gas,” the old man said to me. “You believe that? I got gas.” The nearby soccer girls began to giggle. We were interrupted when his granddaughter asked how he felt this morning. “Well,” he said, “a little tired, to be honest. But mostly, I feel like I’ve been given a second chance. Last night I didn’t think I’d be sitting here today, I cried on the phone all morning with my wife, just grateful to be alive.” Then he said, “I feel like this day is a real blessing.” I tried to take it all in. This had been an
extremely weird way to start my morning. Even so, the man was right. Life is brief, which is a particular message that keeps getting sent to me over and again from someone Up There. “Wake up,” the message is always saying. “Live while you still can.” When we finished eating, the old man stood. We shook hands. I wished him well. He returned the favor. I expected him to leave me with some wise words. Maybe something poignant about living life to the fullest, or never taking a moment for granted, or remembering to carpe the heck out of each diem. Instead, the old man sincerely urged me to avoid lactose, then made a loud raspberry sound with his mouth. Whereupon 39 giggling teenage girl soccer players pressed their lips together and filled the room with exactly the same noise. Life is but a vapor. Don’t let it pass.
Auburn Number Three Best College Town CONTRIBUTED BY THE CITY OF AUBURN
Southern Living has ranked Auburn No. 3 on its list of the South's Best College Towns 2022. The article touted Auburn's
"burgeoning food scene," highlighting Bow & Arrow and The Irritable Bao. It also talked about the tradition of rolling Toomer's Corner. "And you can't talk about Auburn without mentioning
its penchant for rolling Toomer's Corner with toilet paper after any home victory,” the article said. “Homesick Tigers can even catch a glimpse of the beloved block at any given moment
via a live web stream." Read more at southernliving.com/ souths-best/collegetowns.
FREE MAMMOGRAMS AND PAP TESTS
with FREE CANCER TREATMENT AVAILABLE TO ELIGIBLE WOMEN • Breast Cancer Screenings 40-64 yrs old • Cervical Cancer Screenings 21-64 yrs old
DON’T DELAY DO IT FOR YOURSELF DO IT FOR YOUR FAMILY For a referral or more information go to: www.alabama.gov/bandc scan the QR Code below, or contact the hotline: 1-877-252-3324
“Our Mission is Your Health”
BEAUREGARD DRUGS
WE DELIVER! Piedmont Fertilizer Co. Inc. 201 2nd Ave. • Opelika, AL SINCE 1910
Nothing better for your lawn exists
• Drive Thru Only • Regular Operating Hours • Please Call Ahead on Refills to Avoid Wait
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
A5 March 10, 2022
GSF Opelika Honored With Golden State Foods’ Highest Company Honor CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER Golden State Foods (GSF), one of the largest diversified suppliers to the foodservice and retail industries, announced this week its 22nd Annual Chairman’s Challenge Award, recognizing the company’s top facility team of 2021 for overall achievements in safety, quality, customer service, associate engagement, growth, innovation, and corporate social responsibility. As GSF celebrates its 75th Anniversary year, the Protein Products team in Opelika, Alabama earned Golden State Foods’ highest internal honor. “With a keen focus on continuous improvement, our dedicated, values-driven associates in Opelika have demonstrated consistently exceptional results over the past year and have built upon their prior success in 2020, considering the many challenges and opportunities of these past few years,” said Mark Wetterau, chairman and
chief executive officer, Golden State Foods. “What a special time to recognize our Protein Products business, as GSF’s enduring legacy began 75 years ago with our founding as a meat supplier providing quality service and products to our customers—just as this award-winning Opelika team continues to do today!” During an awards ceremony held as part of GSF’s Partners’ Meeting in Southern California last week, Wetterau presented the Chairman’s Challenge Award to GSF Opelika and recognized the facility’s many accomplishments in 2021. These include improving year-over-year associate engagement; excelling in quality audits conducted internally, externally, and with customers; earning an industry safety award; maintaining active GSF Foundation associate participation and community involvement; effectively managing costs; achieving financial goals; innovating with new solutions to increase equipment
efficiencies for customers; and supporting increased customer demand resulting from competitors’ supply chain challenges. “In this special 75th Anniversary year for GSF, it is such an honor to bring the 2021 Chairman’s Challenge and Best in Class awards back to the Opelika team,”
said Nathan Murphy, Group Vice President, Operations – Protein Products . “I'm so proud of all that we accomplished together in 2021, building on our successful 2020 Best in Class Award that we received one year ago.” In addition to the Chairman’s Challenge Award, the Opelika team earned GSF’s
2021 Quality Focus Award and an Associate Survey Award for Continuous Improvement in the 2022 survey conducted last month. GSF also presented its 10th annual “Best in Class” awards in four categories—comprising the finalists for Chairman’s Challenge—recognizing large facilities (Platinum Awards) and small facilities (Diamond Awards) in distribution and food processing. The distribution category winners include last year’s Chairman’s Challenge Award honoree, QCD Orlando, for the 2021 “Best in Class” Platinum Award and QCD Phoenix, Arizona for the 2021 “Best in Class” Diamond Award. In the food processing categories, GSF’s Protein Products facility in Opelika won the “Best in Class” Platinum Award, and the company’s Produce Products team, GSF Fresh! China, earned the “Best in Class” Diamond Award.
ABOUT GOLDEN STATE FOODS Golden State Foods (GSF), one of the largest diversified suppliers to the foodservice and retail industries, feeds 1 billion people every day! Headquartered in Irvine, California, the multi-national company is values-based with proven performance in superior quality, innovation, and customer service. Established in 1947, GSF and its family of companies currently service 100+ leading brands (125,000+ restaurants/ stores in more than 50 countries) from its 50+ locations on five continents. Its core businesses include: manufacturing of liquid products, protein, produce, dairy/ aseptic, and provides custom distribution services. The company employs approximately 6,000 associates and is 100 percent management-owned and run. Golden State Foods also operates a national non-profit organization, the GSF Foundation.
Kathryn Guthrie From Worthy2 Speaks to Opelika Kiwanis Club
Kathryn Guthrie with Worthy2 spoke at last week's meeting on human trafficking. Worthy2.org has more information on how the community can help put an end to human trafficking. The speaker for March 17 will be Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller with a State of the City.
OPELIKA CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY
LEARN HOW YOU CAN HELP MAINTAIN A SAFE COMMUNITY The Opelika Police Department invites Opelika citizens to join them for an eight-week hands on learning course. Each week will cover various aspects of police work within the City of Opelika.
EVERY THURSDAY MARCH 31 TO MAY 19 6-8 P.M.
FREE 8 WEEK PROGRAM TOPICS COVERED • PATROL DIVISION • DETECTIVES • TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT • K9 UNIT • SWAT TEAM • APEX
COURT FORGIVENESS PROGRAM February 1 - March 31 MONDAY - FRIDAY • 8 A.M. - 7 P.M. 300 MLK Boulevard • Opelika • Do you have unpaid parking tickets? • Do you have an outstanding FTA warrant? • Are you on probation? • Do you have a Time to Pay (TTP) case? If so, you are eligible for the first ever Court Forgiveness Program. Only cases that have already been adjudicated by the court are eligible for forgiveness. This program does not include new drug, alcohol, firearm or domestic violence cases. To participate: • Bring a photo ID • Payments: Cash, Visa or Mastercard • Payment plans available if approved by court. • Community service or Ready To Work program in lieu of fines/costs if approved.
APPLICATION DEADLINE IS MARCH 21
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT OPELIKAPD.ORG
For more info, visit www.opelika-al.gov or call Opelika Municipal Court at 334-705-5196.
A6 March 10, 2022
Reverance & Remembrance
PHOTOS BY ROBERT NOLES / THE OBSERVER
On March 3, 2019, 23 people died and dozens were injured when an EF-4 tornado tore through the communities of Beauregard and Smiths Station. Hosted by Lee County Emergency Management (LCEMA), an event of remembrance was held at the permanent memorial remembering all 23 victims on the property of Providence Church in Beauregard. A first responders picic took place at 5 p.m. before a memorial service at 7 p.m.
E vents, Food, & SocietyNews
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day With Irish Inspired Dishes Ann Cipperly
Southern
Hospitality
T
his year, whether you are Irish or not, treat your family to a meal featuring dishes inspired from the Emerald Isle of Ireland on March 17 for St. Patrick’s Day. It can be a fun and educational treat. Ask your family to wear green for celebrating the event. My family didn’t celebrate St. Patrick’s Day when I was growing up in Opelika. It wasn’t until Don and I were married and visiting his parent in New York on March 17 that we celebrated St. Patrick. While there was a
parade, I was hoping his mother was making her scrumptious standing rib roast with Yorkshire pudding for dinner, but instead it was corned beef and cabbage. As a world traveler, she had a fondness for Ireland. Once I learned about St. Patrick’s Day, I was interested in the missionary. St. Patrick was a 5th-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland who converted the Irish people to Christianity. History records that he was born in Roman Britain into a wealthy
Romano-British family. His father was a deacon and his grandfather a priest. When he was 16 years old, St. Patrick was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Gaelic, Ireland, where he spent six years herding sheep. During that time he became a Christian. He recorded that God told him to escape to the coast to a ship that would take him home. After he became a priest, he felt his heart calling him back to Ireland to tell the people about Christ. At age 60, he returned to the north-
In honor of St. Patrick on March 17, plan a special meal or dessert to treat your family to Irish inspired dishes. Mini Fudge Brownie Bites with Mint Frosting and Andres Crème de Mint Thins Garnish are easy to assemble and make a tasty dessert for St. Patrick’s Day.
ern part of Ireland and converted thousands to Christianity. St. Patrick died on March 17 (believed by some to be in the year 460) and was buried at Downpatrick. Over the centuries, stories and legends were passed down. It is said he drove the snakes out of
Ireland, while others say Ireland never had snakes. The story of St. Patrick using a three-leaved shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity was discovered in ancient writings. In the early 17th century, St. Patrick’s Day was made an official
Christian feast day in Ireland. Over the years, celebrations have involved parades, festivals, wearing of green clothing and in some cities, dyeing lakes or fountains green. On St. Patrick’s Day, See CIPPERLY, page A10
Second Saturday Slated for March 12
Jeremy Denk Solo Performance March 13 Pioneer Park's Second Saturday will be held March 12 at 10 a.m. and will offer free, family fun. Weather permitting there will be a 'Garden Walk and Talk' with Dr. Charles Mitchell, president of the Lee County Historical Society. A St. Patrick's Day meal of corned beef and cabbage will be offered from the cookhouse.
CONTRIBUTED BY THE JAY AND SUSIE GOGUE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
The Jay and Susie
Gogue Performing Arts Center at Auburn University will welcome internationally acclaimed pianist, conductor and scholar
Jeremy Denk to the Woltosz Theatre at 2 p.m. CT on Sunday, March 13. See DENK, page A8
VIDEO GAMES • COMICS • POSTERS ART • ANTIQUES • COINS VINTAGE JEWELRY • TOYS POKEMON • MTG • SPORTS CARDS
221 9th St, Opelika • 334.741.0808
A8 March 10, 2022
Making the Grade: Ariccia Cucina Italiana PHOTOS BY MIKE WALLACE
STACEY PATTON WALLACE
B
ack when I was a young girl growing up in Alexander City (“Eleck” City to the locals), Barbara Patton, my Mama, was an extremely busy woman. She, like my Daddy, worked for Russell Mills, Inc., and was responsible for feeding Daddy, Jim and Mike, my two much older brothers, and me. Mama was a great cook, and she prepared supper every night except on Sunday, when we had leftovers from dinner and on Wednesday night, when she had her hair done — a wash, roll, set and dry. On Wednesday nights, Daddy cooked what he called “Patton’s Especial,” or hot dogs. With three children to feed, eating out was quite expensive, so we rarely went out, but we ate very well. On Friday nights in the fall, we’d get Hardee’s hamburgers to go because we were going to watch my brothers play football for Benjamin Russell High School. Also, we always ate together at our kitchen
table. I once read that one common factor shared by National Merit Scholarship recipients, no matter their socioeconomic background, was that they shared a meal together as a family. Parents and children actually talked to each other. What a great idea. Since we’ve retired, Mike and I cook a lot more than we did as full time teachers because we have less money and more free time. However, I must confess that we don’t eat at the table. Instead, we eat together while watching “Leave It to Beaver,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” and other TV classics. However, we talk to each other all day, so it works for us. Sometimes, though, I don’t want to eat at home. Instead, I feel like going somewhere special and elegant, so recently, I met my friend Leigh Ann for brunch at Ariccia Cucina Italiana. Ariccia is located in the Hotel
at Auburn University & Dixon Conference Center at 241 S. College St. in Auburn. Much to my delight, when I arrived at Arricia, I learned that free valet parking was available to people who were dining at the restaurant but not staying at the hotel. Also, Ariccia has a lovely interior. In addition, the ladies’ room had white, soft towels with which to dry your hands. Again, sometimes, you deserve to be pampered. Kaitlin, our server, was so sweet, patient and helpful. I ordered the breakfast bowl, which consisted of two eggs, Conecuh sausage, cheddar grits and micro basil. Leigh Ann chose the special,
Brussel sprouts and crispy pork belly salad. Both choices were REALLY delicious. We agreed that Ariccia’s brunch is a DEFINITE do over. Also, our meals were very reasonably priced, another plus. The brunch menu had the phrase “Buon giorno,” which is Italian for “Good morning.” Besides my wonderful breakfast bowl, the restaurant offers other delicious choices for breakfast or brunch, some of which include: the hashbrown bowl, which has two eggs, hashbrown casserole, porchetta, crispy shallots and micro basil; the Americano, which includes bacon or Conecuh sausage, two eggs and hashbrown casserole; the ber-
ry waffle, which has mixed berries, powdered sugar and bacon. Ariccia also has a variety of salads, pizzas and paninos, which are served with fries or your choice of Ariccia or Caesar salad. For dinner, Ariccia offers diners a large selection of entrees as well. Some of them include: rigatoni carbonara, bucatini Bolognese, a pan roasted 8-ounce chicken breast, pesce (grilled fish filet) and an 8-ounce filet. Corri, non camminare, which is Italian for, run, do not walk, to Ariccia. Ariccia Cucina Itali-
ana is open on Sunday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5:30 to 10 p.m.; on Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. Ariccia Cucina Italiana makes the grade with an A+ from this retired English teacher. Remember, “Poohsized” 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
DENK >>
will feature Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Well-Tempered Clavier” (Book 1) in its entirety. Considered one of America’s foremost pianists, Denk is the winner of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship and the Avery Fisher Prize. In 2016, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has performed numerous times at Carnegie Hall and in re-
cent years has collaborated with the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony and Cleveland Orchestra. Denk’s recording of the “Goldberg Variations” for Nonesuch Records reached No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Charts. His rendition of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111, paired
with György Ligeti’s Études, was named one of the best discs of the year by The New Yorker, NPR and The Washington Post. Denk has a long-standing attachment to the music of American modernist composer Charles Ives, and his recording of Ives’s two piano sonatas was featured on many “best of” lists. His latest album, a compilation of Mozart piano concertos
performed with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, was released by Nonesuch Records in September 2021. Denk also is known for his original and insightful writing on music. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Guardian and on the front page of The New York Times Book Review. His upcoming book, “Every
Good Boy Does Fine,” will be released by Penguin Random House later this month. Tickets for Denk’s March 13 solo concert can be purchased online at goguecentertickets.auburn. edu, by telephone at 334.844.TIXS (8497), or in person Tuesday through Friday from 1-4 p.m. at the Gogue Center box office, located at 910 S. College St. in Auburn. ABOUT AUBURN UNIVERSITY 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.
FROM A7
Denk, who is currently touring throughout the United States and Canada, was originally scheduled to perform in Auburn with Quebec-based orchestra Les Violons du Roy. Due to COVID-19-related touring conflicts, however, Denk will now perform solo. The matinee program
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A9 March 10, 2022 Trinity Christian School Drama Presents
• March 11: Dixon Darling performing at Resting Pulse Brewing Company
Showtimes: March 18, 2022 at 6:30 pm
• March 12: Mary Kate Farmer LIVE at Resting Pulse Brewing Company
March 19, 2022 at 1 pm & 6:30 pm
OTHER INFORMATION:
The Southside Center For the Arts
• CoLab has office work spaces readily available!
Performances at 1103 Glenn Street, Opelika Tickets on Sale NOW in the school office! Call 334.745.2464 Tickets $5
MAFFIAS ITALIAN RESTAURANT
NOW OPEN: TUESDAY - SUNDAY 11 A.M. T0 9 P.M. LUNCH SPECIALS STARTING AT $8 TUESDAY - FRIDAY 11 TO 3
A10 March 10, 2022
CIPPERLY RECIPES >> CLASSIC CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE 4 to 5 lb. corned beef brisket 1 medium onion, quartered 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 medium size cabbage, trimmed of outer leaves, cored and cut into 8 wedges Place brisket, onion and garlic in a large pan or Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover tightly and simmer for 4 hours. Skim fat from liquid. Add cabbage; cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with boiled potatoes and a horseradish or mustard sauce, if desired. Slice against the grain. KAY’S CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE WITH MUSTARD GLAZE 1 corned beef brisket - 2 ½ to 3 lb. Carrots, optional Potatoes, optional 1 head of cabbage, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 2 Tbsp. butter ¼ cup yellow mustard ½ cup brown sugar Remove corned beef from package and rinse with cold water. I throw away the seasoning packet. Place corned beef in covered casserole; add water just to top of meat. Bake at 350 degrees for 3 hours. After 2 hours, you may add peeled and chopped carrots and peeled and chopped potatoes to the meat. While meat is baking, melt butter in 3-quart covered pot. Add cabbage and onion, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until cabbage is tender. When corned beef is done, remove from oven and transfer vegetables to a serving bowl. Score top of corned beef and spread with yellow mustard and brown sugar. Put back in oven for 10-15 minutes or until the topping is browned. CORNED BEEF FOR REUBEN SANDWICHES Trudy Baker 1 corned beef 1 cup soy sauce 3 bay leaves 2 garlic buds 2-3 tsp. Coleman’s dry mustard 4 oz. jar peppercorns Dash of red pepper Water to cover Place all ingredients in heavy stockpot; bring to a boil and simmer 3 hours or until tender. Cool in stock. Remove bay leaves. The grocery story always has Murphy and David’s packaged beef. If you use this brand, wash the meat thoroughly and discard packaged spices.
CIPPERLY >>
FROM A7
it became customary to wear green clothing or green accessories, the “wearing of the green”, which is the color associated with Catholics in Ireland. Green has been associated with Ireland since the 1640s or earlier. A green harp flag
REUBEN EGG ROLLS Bobby Samford (I ordered these at McGuire’s in Destin and had to try to repeat!) 1 pkg. egg roll wraps 1 lb. thin sliced corned beef 8 oz. Swiss cheese (shredded) ½ cup sauerkraut 1 egg Vegetable oil Thousand island dressing Beat egg and a tablespoon of water together for an egg wash to seal each wrap. In each wrap place corned beef, pinch of Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut (to taste). Start rolling at a corner, folding in the sides as you roll. Seal final corner with egg wash. Do not overfill or wraps (very thin) will break open. Pour 1-2 inches of vegetable oil in skillet; heat to 350 degrees; drop in egg rolls until browned 2-3 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towel and dip in thousand island dressing. REUBEN ROLL UPS WITH THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING 1 pkg. crescent rolls ½ cup Thousand Island Dressing 4 oz. corned beef, (can use deli slices) thinly sliced 4 oz. Swiss cheese, thinly sliced 1 cup sauerkraut, drained and lightly squeezed dry Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unroll and divide crescent rolls. On each roll, place 1 tablespoon sauce, ½ oz. corned beef, ½ oz. cheese and 2 tablespoons sauerkraut. Roll up and place on a parchment lined pan. Bake 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve with extra dressing for dipping. Thousand Island Dressing: 1 cup mayonnaise ½ cup ketchup or chili sauce 1 cup or less sweet pickle relish Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Chill until ready to serve. Keeps well in refrigerator. CRÈME DE MENTHE PIE Jo Ellen James Chocolate cookie piecrust 7 oz. jar marshmallow cream 1/4 cup green crème de menthe 16 Andy’s mints pieces 2 cups whipping cream Mix marshmallow cream and green crème de menthe. Fold in candies. In a separate bowl, beat whipping cream and add to other mixture. Pour into crust. Place other broken mints on top to decorate. Place in freezer until firm.
was used by the Irish Catholic Confederation. Corned beef is the traditional fare for St. Patrick’s Day. Corned beef doesn’t have anything to do with corn. It received its name in Anglo-Saxon times when a granular salt called corn was used in processing the meat. While you may not have an Irish back-
MINT OREO TRUFFLES Lindsey Alsobrook 12 oz. Baker’s chocolate 1 (15.25 oz.) pkg. mint crème Oreos 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese 12 oz. pkg. green candy melts, optional Crumble Oreos until they are fine and there are no longer any large pieces (can be crushed in a zip lock bag or in a food processor). Mix Oreos with softened cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Roll mixture into balls about 1 ½ Tbsp. each. Place balls on a plate and freeze for 30 minutes. Melt chocolate in a deep bowl and dip one truffle at a time in the melted chocolate. Place each dipped truffle on a baking sheet to firm. Optional: Once firm, melt green candy melts and pour into a squeeze bottle and drizzle on top of each truffle. MINI FUDGE BROWNIE BITES WITH MINT FROSTING AND
ANDES CRÈME DE MINT THINS GARNISH
Brownies: 4 oz. (4 oz. box) unsweetened chocolate 1 cup butter, softened 4 eggs 2 cups sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup all-purpose flour Mint Frosting: ½ cup butter or margarine, softened 1 box 10x powdered sugar 4 Tbsp. milk 2 tsp. peppermint extract Green food coloring, optional Toppings: Andes Crème de Mint candies, cut in half Green colored sugar Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt chocolate and butter on low heat; add eggs, which have been beaten with the sugar. Stir in vanilla and flour. Coat mini muffin tins with nonstick spray. Fill tins with batter. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes or until brownies are set. Cool. To make frosting, cream butter and add sugar alternately with milk. Add extract and food coloring, if desired. Spread over cooled brownies or make a large rosette with frosting in a pastry bag with tip. Place half of an Andes candy into frosting, and then sprinkle green sugar over top. Candy and green sugar can be omitted.
4 eggs 1 cup all-purpose flour ½ tsp. salt 1 ½ cups Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup in a brown squeeze bottle 1 tsp. vanilla Cream ½ cup butter. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with chocolate syrup, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into a greased and floured 13 x 9 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes. Cool completely. (Brownies will shrink from sides while cooling.) Filling and Topping ½ cup softened butter, divided 2 cups sifted powdered sugar 2 Tbsp. Crème De Menthe 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips Cream 1/4 cup butter; gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar and Crème de Menthe, mixing well. Spread evenly over brownies. Chill 1 hour. Combine chocolate morsels and remaining 1/4 cup butter in top of double boiler; bring water to boil. Reduce heat to low; stir until chocolate melts. Spread over brownies. Chill for at least 1 hour. Cut into squares while cold
AUNT SADIE’S POTATO AND CABBAGE SALAD
Cissy Yarbrough 10 potatoes, boiled in jackets, peeled and sliced 1 head green or red shredded cabbage 1 quart mayonnaise 3 onions sliced in rings 3 green peppers sliced in rings Hard-boiled eggs, sliced Celery seed Salt and pepper Paprika for garnish In a large bowl, begin with a layer of shredded cabbage on the bottom. Add a layer of sliced potatoes, salt and pepper, celery seed, onion rings, pepper rings. Your own preference for onions and pepper will determine the amount. Add a layer of sliced eggs and then spread with mayonnaise to cover all. Start with another layer and another until all ingredients are used. End with a layer of eggs and mayonnaise. Garnish with paprika. Refrigerate 24 hours before serving.
2 carrots, diced small 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 ½ lb. ground lamb (substitute ground beef for a cottage pie) 1 tsp. kosher salt ½ tsp. fresh ground pepper 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 2 tsp. tomato paste 1 cup beef broth 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp. chopped rosemary 1 tsp. chopped thyme leave ½ cup corn ½ cup English peas In a large saucepan, sauté onions and carrots in oil over medium 3-5 minutes, until onions are tender. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add lamb, salt and pepper and brown meat over medium high. Sprinkle meat with flour and stir to coat, cook another minute. Add tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire and herbs; stir to combine. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Add corn and peas. Spread into an 11x13 dish. For the potatoes: 1 ½ lb. russet potatoes 1/4 cup half and half 2 oz. unsalted butter 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1 egg yolk 8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded Peel potatoes and dice into 1/2-inch cubes. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Cook over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, and decrease heat to maintain a simmer, cooking until tender, about 10 to15 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to saucepan, cooking briefly while stirring to get rid of excess water. Warm half and half and butter. Mash potatoes and add remaining ingredients, except egg yolk, until smooth. Mix in egg yolk. Top meat mixture with potatoes, being careful to seal edges, and bake for 25 minutes. Top with cheese and broil until lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes before serving.
LIME CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
CRÈME DE MENTHE BROWNIES
SHEPHERD ’S PIE OR COTTAGE PIE Melanie Consttance Use ground lamb for a Shepherd’s Pie or ground beef for a Cottage Pie. For the filling: 2 Tbsp. canola oil 1 cup onion, chopped
Lisa Turner’s Lime Cake makes a delicious and attractive green dessert for St. Patrick’s Day. For a darker green color, add a few drops of green food coloring to the batter and/or frosting. Cake: 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 Tbsp. baking powder ½ tsp. salt 2 sticks (½ lb.) unsalted butter 2 cups granulated sugar 6 eggs
ground in your DNA, plan a special meal in honor of St. Patrick. Following are various recipes for preparing corned beef or creating a green hued dessert. Children can help with the Mini Fudge Bites with Mint Frosting and Andes Crème de Mint Thins Garnish. They can add the Andes can-
dy and sprinkle green sugar on top. The Mint Frosting can be tinted green with a few drops of food coloring, but having raised a child with ADHD, I don’t like to use a lot of dye on desserts for children. The green sugar can be omitted. Lisa Turner’s recipe for a Lime Cake makes
a yummy and attractive dessert. For a deeper green color, add a few drops of food coloring to the cake batter and/or the frosting. Instead of preparing a corned beef, you can assemble Reuben rolls or roll-ups from corned beef in the deli section of the grocery store. You can also use the
Pat Brown was a good cook and enjoyed cooking for her family. She shared this recipe with her friends who are still preparing it. ½ cup butter, softened 1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. key lime zest ¼ cup key lime juice ½ cup buttermilk 1 tsp. vanilla flavor Note: Key limes are not the same as regular limes. They are smaller and lighter in color and have a milder flavor. They will make for a better tasting cake. However regular limes can be used as well. Lime Cream Cheese Frosting: 2 cups powdered sugar 4 oz. unsalted butter (softened to room temperature) 8 oz. cream cheese (softened to room temperature) 2 Tbsp. key lime zest 2 Tbsp. key lime juice For the Cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and prepare three 9-inch cake pans for baking by coating with nonstick spray. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside in a bowl. In a mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar together for about 2 minutes, until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. After adding all the eggs, scrape down bowl and alternate adding the milk and dry ingredients by 3rds. Mix on low until well incorporated. Add lime juice and vanilla. Fill the pans ½ to ¾ full with batter. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until thoroughly done. Place on bakers rack until completely cool. For the Frosting: Mix cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar ½ cup at a time. Add lime zest and lime juice. Add green food coloring, if desired. Note: add more juice for thinner icing or more sugar for thicker icing Ice the cake after it has completely cooled and store in a refrigerator.
BEEF STEW
Esther Marshall If your family doesn’t like corned beef, try this delectable old fashioned stew. 2 lbs. stew beef or cubed roast 1 large yellow onion, cubed 1 bell pepper, cubed 3 stalks celery, cubed 3 carrots, cubed 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 box (32 oz.) beef broth 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tsp. black pepper 2 Tbsp. dried parsley 2 tsp. dried Thyme 2 tsp. rosemary (3 fresh 4 inch sprigs) Brown onions, celery and garlic in 3 Tbsp. olive oil. Add meat; brown with seasonings. Add beef broth, and then add carrots and potatoes. Add about 5 to 6 cups water. Simmer about 2 hours until meat is tender and vegetables are done.
same filling to make sliders with small rolls. If your family doesn’t like corned beef, try Esther Marshall’s delicious beef stew. Whether you prepare an Irish meal or celebrate with a special dessert, the recipes from local good cooks will give you plenty of great ideas.
A11 March 10, 2022
A 'Pig' Deal — Community Gathers for 114th BBQ
PHOTOS BY ROBERT NOLES / THE OBSERVER The 114th annual Whatley Stew and BBQ, hosted by Alabama Senator Tom Whatley and family, saw over 1,100 people attend to eat good food and share in fellowship. With attractions for children, appearances from U.S. Senator and former Auburn Univeristy Football Coach Tommy Tuberville and the Southeastern Raptor Center, everyone enjoyed the good weather, food and fun.
A12 March 10, 2022
NAMI to host Meeting in Auburn March 15 CONTRIBUTED BY DENNIS SHANNON NAMI East Alabama, the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), will meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, 714 E. Glenn Ave. in Auburn. NAMI supports families dealing with mental illness through mutual support, education and advocacy. There will be a time for sharing. The public is invited.
“See Me” Campaign Launches CONTRIBUTED BY ACDD
The Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities (ACDD) has launched a new campaign to coincide with Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month in March. Each message features a different person with disabilities inviting the viewer to “See me as” an “equal”, “employee”, “graduate”, “neighbor”, “achiever” and more. The ACDD’s colorful and engaging messages can be seen across social media, digital ads online and outdoor billboards throughout the state. “Our survey results showed that there were several concerns among those with developmental disabilities and their families,” said Darryle Powell, executive director of the ACDD. “Many
times, the general population is unaware of the strides the disabled have made in terms of employment, educational opportunities and housing. "This campaign brings attention to their many achievements in these areas, as well as how they simply want to be seen and accepted by their fellow Alabamians. They want the same things as anyone else, to be active participants in their communities. Through this campaign, we hope to increase understanding, and for people to get to know and appreciate those with developmental disabilities.” For more information, contact the Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities at 334-2423973 or visit www. acdd.org.
ABOUT THE ALABAMA COUNCIL ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES The Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities (ACDD) is comprised of 36 governor-appointed volunteer members, including people with developmental disabilities, family members and representatives of public agencies that serve them. The organization is dedicated to the vision that all Alabamians, regardless of disability, will live, learn, work and play in inclusive communities. To that end, ACDD works towards system changes in aspects of service/support to promote better lives for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. For more information, visit www.acdd.org.
A13 March 10, 2022
A14 March 10, 2022
Swords Out!
BRUCE GREEN Teaching Minister at 10th Street Church of Christ in Opelika
T
here shall be no negotiated peace. That’s what Winston Churchill says in his address to his Outer Cabinet toward the end of the movie, That Darkest Hour. The movie focuses on the tumultuous events of May 20 through 28, 1940. England and France had previously declared
war on Germany in September of ’39 (after their invasion of Poland). However, this became known as the Phoney War, since almost nothing of military consequence took place. Meanwhile, Hitler invaded Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Chamberlain resigned as Prime Minister on May 20. Churchill replaced him, but along with Lord Halifax, Chamberlain continued to use his influence to try to pressure Churchill to pursue a diplomatic back channel with Hitler (through Mussolini). With British forces stranded at Dunkirk and the possibility of France falling, the situation looked bleak. But
Churchill was unflinching and publicly declared so the 28. “There shall be no negotiated peace.” It was clearly the right thing to do, and the world benefited from his bravery. In the same way for the disciple of Jesus, there can be no negotiated peace with sin. Sin seeks to take over our lives and establish its reign. And the path it pursues to accomplish this is to convince us to allow it to have just a small portion of our lives. Not the entirety of it, mind you. And quite agreeably many allow it just that — an area or two where no resistance is offered. After all, they will still be “in charge” everywhere else. But once entrenched, sin never wants to stop
ABOUT BRUCE GREEN
there, does it? That’s how the little drink turns into alcoholism, the glimpse of pornography turns into an addiction, harmless flirting turns into adultery, etc. Make no mistake about it, a negotiated peace is a Phoney War approach to sin. Christ told His disciples, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). His complete thought goes on to v. 39 and it’s worth your time to read it. Whatever else these words apply to, they certainly apply to sin. There can be no negotiated treat. Christ was so opposed to sin that He gave His life to end its reign in our lives — how can a
person call themselves a disciple and commit to anything less? We do sin of course. Battles are lost in any war. But they were battles. We didn’t surrender, we fought. And as Jesus’ followers, we are committed to continue fighting. Someone (maybe Churchill) said, “Success is not final, failure is not final, it is the courage to go on that counts.” Sin is a defeated foe. It was vanquished through the death and resurrection of Jesus. And one day it will be no more in our lives as well. Until then — swords out! You can find more of Bruce’s writings at his website: a-tasteof-grace-with-brucegreen.com
You can find more of Bruce’s writings at his website:www. a-taste-of-gracewith-bruce-green.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 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all of our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. — 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Got Questions? Come Study With Us
THE CHURCH OF CHRIST AT CUNNINGHAM DRIVE 2660 CUNNINGHAM DR., OPELIKA SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY 9:30 A.M. SUNDAY WORSHIP 10:30 A.M. / 5 P.M. WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY 6:30 P.M.
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
EPISCOPAL
Union Grove Baptist Church 4009 Lee Road 391, Opelika 334-749-0461
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
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
Good Sheperd Anglican Church 3015 Opelika Road, Opelika
Emmanuel Episcopal Church 800 1st Ave., Opelika 334-745-2054
METHODIST
Auburn United Methodist Church 137 South Gay St., Auburn 334-826-8800 Beulah United Methodist Church 5165 Lee Road 270, Valley 334-745-4755
NON-DENOMINATIONAL
PRESBYTERIAN
Trinity Presbyterian Church 1010 India Road, Opelika 334-745-4889
SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST Opelika Outreach S.D.A. Church P.O. Box 386, Opelika 334-749-3151
OBITUARIES MARTHA W. TUCKER Martha Wilkes Tucker passed away on March 2, 2022. She was born Nov. 1, 1936, in Headland, Alabama, and grew up in Opelika, Alabama. She is preceded in death by her son, Mylan Stephen Tucker, Jr., and her parents, Harry K. Wilkes and Martha Lillian Jones Wilkes. She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Mylan Stephen Tucker; brother, Kenneth Wilkes (Earle); children, Stephanie Tucker Guyton, Kenneth Blaine
Tucker (Elizabeth) and Kimberly Tucker Stockard; and her grandchildren, whom she whole-heartedly loved, John Randall Guyton, Jr. (Molly), Joshua Blaine Tucker, William Joseph Tucker, Abigail Neville Stockard, Bradley Evans Stockard, Jr., Charlotte Tucker Wambsganss, and Lillian Chloe Stockard. These kids often referred to Martha as “Nanya” or “Nonnie.” She was a graduate of Alabama Polytechnic See OBITUARIES, page A15
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Email: editor@opelika observer.com Call: 334-749-8003
A15 March 10, 2022
Momentous Moment in History
WALTER ALBRITTON
T
he Bible teaches us that God plans well. During the last days before his crucifixion, Jesus executed a careful plan to celebrate the Passover in secrecy with his disciples. His plan unfolds like a John Grisham novel. Peter and John are sent to prepare the room for the supper, though the location is unknown even to them. They learn the location by finding and following
a man carrying a jar of water on his head. The man led the two disciples to a home with a large upper room. Peter and John found everything just as Jesus said it would be. Preparing the meal was not an easy task. The Passover lamb had to be roasted. Unleavened bread, without yeast, (matzah) had to be baked. In addition, they had to secure a bowl of salt water (to remind them of the tears of slavery), bitter herbs (reminding them of the bitterness of slavery), a sauce made of fruit, nuts and wine (charoset). Peter may have said to John, “We could have used Martha’s help with all this!” The meal was ready when Jesus and the other disciples arrived. As
they began to eat, what Jesus said saddened their hearts. Rather bluntly, Jesus said that one of them would betray him. One by one, the disciples asked the sobering question, “Is it I?” Since none of the disciples said, “Say it isn’t so, Judas!,” we may assume they did not understand that Judas was the betrayer, even though Jesus intimated the traitor was Judas. The meal they shared that night is what the church calls “the institution of the Lord’s Supper.” Jesus takes the bread and, after giving thanks, he gives it to the disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Then he takes the cup, and again giving thanks, he passes the cup among them saying, “This is my blood of the
new covenant, which is poured out for many.” With these words, Jesus gave rich, new meaning to the traditional Passover meal. On that historic night, a new covenant superseded the old covenant. The new covenant signaled the arrival of the Kingdom, which offered a new relationship between God and his people. Jesus was the new Lamb of God; henceforth no other lambs would need be slain. Since that momentous moment in history, the followers of Christ have celebrated this meal in obedience to his command, “Do this in remembrance of me.” As Christians of many traditions, we have our differences about the meaning of Holy
Communion and the rudiments of serving it. However, without question, the Lord’s Supper remains the central worship experience of Christendom. There is general agreement that in the observance of the Lord’s supper, the living Christ is present, so we can joyfully sing, “He is here, Hallelujah!” He is the Host of the meal, and lay and clergy alike are blessed by this sweet communion with our Lord. With sobering gratitude we sing, “He took my sins and my sorrows, He made them His very own; He bore the burden to Calvary, and suffered, and died alone.” Again and again, we remember His sacrifice for our sins. Often wonderful experiences occur as we partake of the this holy
sacrament. It stirs the sensitive soul to hear, as you take the bread and the cup, the solemn words, “Jesus died for you.” Many times, as a pastor, I have had someone kneeling at the altar to look into my eyes, their own eyes filled with tears, and say words like Catherine said one time, “Please ask the Lord to heal my broken heart.” I am uncertain about some things, but I am absolutely confident that the living Christ has healed many broken hearts during Holy Communion. Believe this: Our Risen Lord is ready to graciously meet all our needs when, accepting his invitation and repenting of our sins, we meet Him at His Table.
access to nutritious foods were implemented during her 17 years of service. Mrs. Johnson was active in the Alabama Association of Child Nutrition Program Supervisors and the Alabama Council for School Administration and Supervision. Throughout her accomplished professional career, Mrs. Johnson balanced the demands of being a professional leader with her devotion as a loving and ever-present mother and wife. Mrs. Johnson was a loyal member of the Presbyterian Church USA. In First Presbyterian Church of Auburn, she served as an Elder, Sunday school superintendent and teacher, and Circle chair, in addition to many other roles in 65 years of deep commitment to the Church. Mrs. Johnson continued her devotion to the Canton (NC) Presbyterian Church, her home church, and treasured her deep family roots in Western North Carolina. Visitation was from 3 to 5 p.m. CST on Sunday, March 6, 2022 at JeffcoatTrant Funeral Home (1500 Frederick Road, Opelika, AL 36801). Graveside
services will be conducted at 1:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, March 12, 2022 at Locust Field Cemetery (Canton, NC) in the Johnson family plot, with Rev. Esta Jarrett, Canton Presbyterian Church, conducting the graveside service. Honorary pallbearers will be Gardner Johnson, Kyle Aune, Larry Mills, Gary Henderson, David Henderson, and Allen Patterson. A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date, with Rev. Kathy Reed and Rev. Nick Reed, First Presbyterian Church of Auburn, presiding. Memorial gifts may be made to either the First Presbyterian Church of Auburn (143 E Thach Ave, Auburn, AL 36830) or the Auburn University Foundation in support of the Dr. Wiley C. Johnson Endowed Scholarship in the College of Agriculture at Auburn University (visit auburngiving.org or mail to the Auburn University Foundation, 317 S. College Street, Auburn, AL 36849).
OBITUARIES Institute (Auburn University) with a degree in Education. She taught for several years before moving to Bessemer, Alabama, with her husband. Martha was a member of the Junior League of Bessemer, she loved playing Bridge, but her true passion was the love and focus she showed to her children and family. Martha’s faith was a foundation in her life, and she and Mylan were members of Dawson Memorial Baptist Church for many years. She was spirited, courageous, lively, spunky and a true joy to anyone who got the chance to meet her. She will be dearly missed. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Alabama Children’s Hospital Foundation (Donate@ ChildrensAL.org). A celebration of life was held at Dawson Memorial Chapel on Tuesday, March 8, 2022 at 2:30 pm; burial will follow at Elmwood Cemetery. ––––––– JIMMIE LOU COKER Our family sadly announces the passing of a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend Jimmie Lou Coker of Opelika, Alabama. She entered into eternal rest on Friday, March 4, 2022, at the age of 85 after battling brain cancer. She was born on July 16, 1936, in Georgiana, Alabama. She was the devoted wife of John Coker for 67 years. She is survived by her husband John Clifford Coker, who lovingly cared for her, her three daughters Janet Coker Woodhall (Mark), Linda Coker Stoker (Lee), and Candi Coker Lovelace, and seven grandchildren Nikki Adams (Tim), Kody Whitson, John Woodhall, Alyssa Woodhall, Jordan Lovelace, Jackson Stoker, and Pate Lovelace; two stepgrandchildren Joe Stoker and Samantha Stoker; and three great grandchildren Emma Rodriquez (Leo), Olivia Henry, and Kory Whitson. Jimmie is also survived by
two sisters Patsy Chojnacki of Chicago and Virginia Shivers of Mississippi and two brothers Bobby Moody of Alabama and Johnny Moody of Texas. She was preceded in death by her parents Rev. James Hamilton Moody and Mrs. Aline Blount Moody of Black, Alabama; two sisters Nell Andrews and Carolyn Peacock; and three brothers Tom Moody, Loy Moody, and James Moody. Her family will celebrate Jimmie’s life and homegoing via the viewing on Saturday, March 12, 2022, from noon until 2 p.m. at the Jeffcoat Trant Funeral Home located at 1500 Frederick Road, Opelika, Alabama 36801. The funeral service will follow the viewing at 2 p.m. Friends and family are welcome to visit and share remembrances of our lost loved one. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to the BigHouse Foundation of Opelika, Alabama or Women’s Hope Medical Clinic of Auburn, Alabama. ––––––– TERRY ALLEN FOSTER Mr. Terry Allen Foster, born on April 30, 1941 in Winfield, Alabama, passed away at age 80 on March 4, 2022 in Opelika, Alabama. Terry attended Winfield High School, worked and retired from Uniroyal. After raising his family in the Chicago area, Terry and his wife Alice relocated to Opelika and made their home in the area for the last 40 years. Terry was the beloved husband of (the late) Alice Foster and beloved father of son Mark (Leslie) Foster Sr. of San Jose, Calfornia; daughters Lee Ann Foster and Vicki Davis, both of Atlanta, Georgia. Terry is also survived by grandson Mark (Jane) Foster Jr, greatgrandchildren Joseph, Emma and Mary Alice Foster, brother James Billy (Betty) Foster and sisters Mary Box and Pam (Dale) Sullivan and many cherished nieces and nephews. He was preceded
in death by his son, William Foster; parents James Leeroy and Irene Foster; brothers Alfred and Michael Foster, and sister Betty Sumerel. Terry enjoyed many hobbies, including golf and bowling, was a dedicated Alabama football and Chicago Cubs fan, a singersongwriter and amateur writer. He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church. Terry’s remains will be buried next to his wife and son at Mount Emblem Cemetery in Elmhurst, Illinois, at a future date. The family wishes to thank Dr. Jonathan Commander and his staff, the caregivers at Bethany House in Auburn, and all those who cared for him at EAMC. No services are planned per Terry’s wishes. ––––––– ELIZABETH ANN CALVIN JOHNSON Elizabeth Ann Calvin Johnson passed away on March 3, 2022 after a long and fulfilling life. Mrs. Johnson was born on Nov. 18, 1929, in Canton, North Carolina, and graduated from Canton High School in 1947. She was the devoted wife of Dr. Wiley Carroll Johnson, Jr. for 55 years, and the daughter of Gardner and Azalea Calvin. Mrs. Johnson is survived by two sons, Dr. Wiley Carroll Johnson, III of Tifton, Georgia and Dr. Calvin Matthews Johnson (Mary) of Auburn. Grandchildren include Dr. Frances Johnson Aune and husband Kyle of Baltimore, MD, and Gardner Calvin Johnson and wife Amanda of Atlanta, Georgia, Anna Murry Johnson of Opelika and Sara Carroll Johnson of Statesboro, Georgia. Mrs. Johnson is also survived by her sister Nancy Calvin Mills and husband Charles (Bob) of Norcross, GA. She was preceded in death by her sister, Mary Joyce Henderson of Waynesville, North Carolina, and daughter-inlaw June Womack Johnson of Tifton, Georgia. She is survived by sister-in-law Jane Johnson Bird (Bill) of Waynesville, North Carolina.
Mrs. Johnson enjoyed her relationships with her many nieces, nephews and friends. Mrs. Johnson was particularly proud of her grandchildren. Mrs. Johnson was a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Greensboro in 1951 (formerly Woman’s College of UNC in Greensboro) with degrees in Institution Management, and Nutrition and Foods. Subsequently, she worked with the Raleigh (NC) City Schools. She served as therapeutic dietitian and later as supervising dietitian of Tompkins County Hospital in Ithaca, New York while her husband completed PhD training at Cornell University. After moving to Auburn in 1957 and raising her sons, Mrs. Johnson became Director of Child Nutrition for Auburn City Schools in 1969. She planned and executed a satellite food service in four elementary schools, where hot lunches were served to children for the first time. The program was innovative in Alabama and was studied and replicated by other school systems. Many other creative strategies to improve child nutrition and extend
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A16 March 10, 2022
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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INSIDE B1 - B8:
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• AUBURN CITY SCHOOLS • AUBURN UNIVERSITY • COMMUNITY SPORTS • LEE COUNTY SCHOOLS • OPELIKA CITY SCHOOLS • SUSSC
SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS OPELIKA: MAR. 22 AT 4:30 P.M. LEE COUNTY: APRIL 12 AT 6 P.M. AUBURN: APRIL 12 AT 6 P.M.
OHS Swim Team Exceeds at Southeastern Championships
ON THE MARK D. MARK MITCHELL
OHS Completes Busy Week
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were Vera Smith T (10-4), Emma Brown (11-9), Joanne Smith T (10-1) and Nicholson (10-1). Double winners: Smith T/ Kemp and Brown/Montel. Boys winners: Conner Mullins, Jake Walters, Will Fuller, Charles Gagliano, Roman Gagliano and Devam Patel. Double winners: Charles Gagliano/Roman Gagliano, Fuller/ Mullins and Walters/ Drue Gagliano. SOFTBALL The Lady Bulldog softball team (6-8) won three games and lost three games last week. OHS beat Valley (10-3), Dothan (13-4) and Park Crossing (11-1), but lost 1-0 to AHS, and lost twice to Smiths Station (5-19 and 0-13). The 0-1 loss to Auburn at West Ridge was a pitching duel between McKay Yountz and Auburn High’s starting pitcher, Roberts. Yountz pitching seven innings, allowed one run, struck out 13 batters and allowed three hits in the loss. AHS pitcher Alley Roberts earned the win, pitching five innings without allowing a run or a hit. Yountz earned the win against Valley, allowing three earned runs while striking out 13 batters. OHS recorded seven hits, two from Lyles and See SPORTS, page B2
Opelika Swim Team member, 9-year-old Max Stern, won all six of his age group's individual races at the Southeastern Championships last weekend. He was also awarded Most Outstanding Individual Performer for his efforts.
fifth overall, had four individuals place inside the top four in respective events, multiple topeight finishers and two finish in the top three. Additionally, several relay teams medaled and a number of other individuals made the podium as well. “The big highlight was our 14-and-under boys,” McGill said. “For us to be competing against teams in communities like Knoxville, Birmingham, Huntsville, Pensacola … for us to do that well in that age group was really See OHS, page B2
Lee County COVID-19 Funds Slated for After-School, Summer Programs PHOTO BY WIL CREWS / THE OBSERVER
he Opelika High School girls’ and boys’ soccer teams swept Russell County in Seale, Alabama, last week. The boys won 9-0, behind three goals from Said Rujana and two goals from Dexter Graham. The following scored goals: Geoge Meyers, Jadon Gamble, Ethan Newman and Moe Forbes. Gamble and Forbes added two assists apiece, while Luke Roberts, Newman, Nathan Faison and George Meyers added one assist apiece. The Lady Bulldogs shutout the Lady Warriors, 7-0, last week. Scarlet Posadas and Ashley Hilyer led the offense, scoring two goals apiece. Amiya Brown, Liseth Vera and Morgan Watts scored single goals. Karly Phatsadavong recoded two assists while Aimee Alcantara, Maelee Story, Diana Ramirez and Maricela Cruz added an assist. TENNIS Opelika’s girls’ tennis team went 2-1 last week, beating Smiths Station (6-3) and Wetumpka (8-1), while losing to Brookstone 0-5. The boys went 2-0, with wins over Brookstone (3-2) and Smiths Station (9-0). The following are results against SSHS: winning matches for the girls
Twenty-six athletes on the Opelika Swim Team brought home numerous accolades after traveling to Huntsville, Alabama, to compete in the 2022 Southeastern Championships last weekend. The meet featured athletes from Tennessee, Alabama and Florida; head coach and Olympic gold medalist Tyler McGill called it the biggest shortcourse meet of the year. Opelika’s 14-and-under group (called the Age Group Division) finished
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER
BY WIL CREWS SPORTSCREWS@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
Two Smiths Station High School state champion wrestlers,Steven Flag (third from right) and Kyle Watson (second from right) were recognized at Tuesday night's Lee County Schools Board meeting as “High Achievers” for their performance at the state meet.
BY WIL CREWS SPORTSCREWS@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
The Lee County Schools Board gave an update Tuesday night on how the school system plans to spend a portion of its COVID-19
American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds (ARPESSER). “Ladies and gentlemen this is … the money that we get, everybody has heard of … the millions of dollars from the
federal government to help close the gap from the COVID incidences,” said Superintendent James McCoy. According to the law, Local Education Agency’s (LEA’s) must reserve at least 20% of the ARPESSER funds
to address the instructional time lost due to the pandemic. Assistant Superintendent and Director of Federal Programs, Dr. Brad Hunter, gave the presentation on behalf of the board and explained See SCHOOL BOARD, page B6
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B2 March 10, 2022 PHOTOS BY ROBERT NOLES / THE OBSERVER
Opelika Dawg Pound Expanding, Preparing for New Season
Opelika Working Toward Becoming ‘Destination Pickleball’ BY WIL CREWS SPORTSCREWS@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
Mayor Gary Fuller and the city of Opelika’s Parks and Rec Department held
SPORTS >>
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Yountz. OHS thumped Dothan, 13-4, behind two hits from Yountz, Jones, Stringer and Thompson. BASEBALL The OHS varsity baseball team lost two games to AHS and swept two games from RE Lee last week. Auburn swept the twogame series, 7-4 and 5-2. In game one, the ‘Dogs were led at the plate by Taylor Fields’ three hits. Harrison Long and Jake Smith added two hits apiece. In game two, Brooks
OHS >>
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classifications, one of which is brand-new to the program. “We have five teams in total,” Bryant said. “This year, we’re introducing a 3- and-4-yearold flag team which is part of the league we’re in.” So far, 27 kids have signed up to be a part of the Dawg Pound’s inaugural team. “Looking forward to this year,” Bryant said. “Last year, we had four teams and we did pretty good in our first year in the Columbus youth football league. All four teams made the playoffs and the 13U, they actually won their division. “This year, we’re
trying to have all five teams make the playoffs. Hopefully win all five divisions; that’s the goal that we’re shooting for.” Although anticipation for fall football continues to build within the league, the CEO is equally as excited to see his group hit the field throughout the spring 7-on-7 season. “We’re currently in 7-on-7,” Bryant said. “We haven’t done any tournaments yet but we have a couple coming up. Two are in April and then we start league play here.” The organization’s
a press conference Friday at the Opelika Sportsplex to showcase the new expansion of the facility’s pickleball courts and announce upcoming tournaments.
The city began construction of 12 additional pickleball courts, bringing the total number to 24. The additional
Bryan belted two home runs to lead OHS, while Fields and Brody Jones added hits. The Bulldogs swept Lee, 11-3 and 14-1, last Saturday at Bulldog Park. In game one, both Bryan and Harris recorded a home run and added singles. Goodman, Fields and Chase added singles. Brantley Davis earned the win on the mound, allowing no runs on three hits and striking out 10 Lee batters. In game two, Chase led offensively with three hits, and Goodman added two hits. Ford, McArdle, Smith, Harris and Davis recorded singles. Fields
earned the win, allowing no runs on one hit. OMS SOFTBALL The Opelika Middle School Lady Bulldog Softball team finished third in the Opelika Invitational at West Ridge Park. The girls picked up three wins against Tuskegee, Prattville and Sanford. The girls lost 4-2 to Floyd in the semifinals. The defense was led by pitchers Cailyn Morgan, striking out 13, and Emily Birmingham, striking out seven. Several players contributed to the offense with big hits. Kennedy Soltau and Jasmine Smith both had six hits each, followed by Birmingham
with three, Morgan and Hannah Holley with two and Claire Barber, Mylee Bordeaux, Alaina Thomas, Erin Kem and Malia Jeter all with one on the weekend. The Lady Bulldogs dropped two games against Auburn after the tournament, but put things back together with a 13-4 win over Sanford. Morgan picked up the win in the circle recording 10 strikeouts. The offense played a big part in the win. Soltau, Smith, Birmingham and Barber all had two hits each, while Morgan, Alaina Thomas, Erin Kemp, Hannah Holley, Kinsley Norton and Mylee all had
one apiece. TIDBITS Crews have started turfing one softball field at West Ridge Park. The group will turf one field at a time, allowing OHS and OMS to continue playing on the other field. Once the first field is completed, the second field will be turfed. Mayor Gary Fuller told “On the Mark” radio show on FOX Sports the Game 910am, all the fields at West Ridge will eventually be turfed. The two Dixie Boys Fields should be the next two that are turfed. DIXIE BOYS BASEBALL Registration is underway for Dixie Boys Baseball,
ages 13, 14 and 15, at the Opelika Sportsplex through April 15. If you are interested in playing, cost is $45 if you live in Opelika and $50 if you live outside of Opelika. Every player will be on a team. Registration covers the jersey and cap. For more info, contact D.Mark Mitchell at foxonthemark@yahoo. com. 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 Dixie Youth Baseball state director.
and hopefully keep progressing, and he’s doing that,” McGill said. “So you never know what that could lead to, but he is certainly staying on the right track as of now.” McGill made sure to
shout out the performance from the senior boys’ and girls’ divisions, also. “We had several of our senior boys place in the top eight, a couple of relays that scored points in the senior division,
so, it wasn’t just the little kids,” he said. “The boys and girls did a great job.” Next for the Opelika Swim Team comes preparation for the long-course season and eventual longcourse Southeastern
Championship, which places athletes in an Olympic-sized pool (double the length of the 25-meter pool the athletes swam in this past weekend) and will test Opelika’s skills further, as they do not have a
long-course pool to practice in. McGill and the team have been pushing for Opelika to build such pool in the near future to further advance Opelika’s footprint on the Southeast and national swimming scene.
See PICKLEBALL, page B6
See NEW SEASON, page B6
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER
exciting.” The standout of the weekend was Max Stern, who competed in the 10-and-under boys group, finishing first in all six of his individual races and recording the seventh-best time in Southeastern Championship history for 9-year-olds in the 50-meter breaststroke. For his efforts, Stern was also awarded the Most Outstanding Individual Performer (for the entire meet) and the High Point Award (for his age group). Stern’s excellent performance garnered national attention from Swim Swam Magazine, which touted him “a true standout on the boys’ side of the meet.” "Every time we talk about [Stern], the idea is keep it fun and you know, challenge him,
Although football season is roughly six months away, a continued passion for the sport in the Opelika community means there is no such thing as too soon when it comes to preparing and developing young athletes who have an interest in competing on the gridiron. The Opelika Dawg Pound — a youth football league that operates in conjunction with the Knee High Foundation — has already welcomed its crop of talent for 2022. Organization CEO Anthony Bryant was pleased with the conclusion of the spring tryouts, reporting that the group had positive numbers across both football and cheerleading. “We just finished up with our tryouts,” Bryant said. “We ended up with 165 boys and 64 or 65 cheerleaders.” Following the conclusion of tryouts, participants in the annual youth league have been divided into five
PHOTOS BY ROBERT NOLES / THE OBSERVER
BY HARRISON TARR FOR THE OBSERVER
B3 March 10, 2022
Auburn Out-Hits Opelika PHOTOS BY ROBERT NOLES / THE OBSERVER
The Opelika varsity baseball team dropped back-to-back games to rival Auburn last week. The Bulldog's record now sits at 5-4 on the season, according to maxpreps. For more information on OHS basbeall, read D. Mark Mitchell's column beginning on B1.
Bulldogs Bring Down the Rams
PHOTOS BY ROBERT NOLES / THE OBSERVER The Opelika varsity softball team defeated the Valley Rams, 10-3 last week. The Bulldogs then went 2-2 in a tournament, beating Dothan and Park Crossing, and dropping two games to Smiths Station. OHS now sits at .500 with a record of 8-8, according to max preps. For more information on OHS softball, turn to D. Mark Mitchell's column beginning on B1.
B4 March 10, 2022
Panthers Tame Mustangs with Late Goals
PHOTOS BY MATT AUSTIN / FOR THE OBSERVER The Smiths Station varsity soccer team defeated Stanhope Elmore High School 5-0 last week. The Panthers are aiming to repeat as area champions and make it past the state semifinals round where they were eliminated last season.
Lee-Scott Struggles Against Springwood
PHOTOS BY MATT AUSTIN / FOR THE OBSERVER The defending state champion Lee-Scott varsity girls' soccer team and the varsity boys' team were in action against region foe Springwood at the end of February. The girls tied 1-1; the boys fell 3-0.
B5 March 10, 2022
The Future of Glenwood Baseball PHOTOS BY JERRY BALLAS / FOR THE OBSERVER
The Glenwood Middle School baseball Gators are working through their season. Photos above are from a matchup between the Gators and Calvary Christian.
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B6 March 10, 2022 PHOTO BY WIL CREWS / THE OBSERVER
Smiths Station Elementary School teacher Joshua Riles (left) was honored as Elementary Teacher of the Year at Tuesday night's Lee County Schools Board meeting.
Beauregard High School teacher Whitney Dyess (middle, with plaque) was honored as Secondary Teacher of the Year at Tuesday night's Lee County Schools Board meeting.
SCHOOL BOARD>>
schools alone service between 40 to 100 students per week in their after school programs. To adequately service the programs, payroll for 84 teachers (six per school, of which there are 14) is needed. Underneath the umbrella of the comprehensive Lee County Schools 2022 Summer Program (for which the total projected expenditure is $1.3 million) are four individual programs: Summer Learning Loss Program (K-3 Literacy), Summer Learning Loss Program (grades 7-12), Summer Enrichment Program (4th-12th) and Career Tech Enrichment Program. Budgeted for these programs is $5,500 for all schools to purchase supplies and materials for the Summer Enrichment
Program; $5,800 for Title 1 schools to purchase supplies and materials for the Summer Learning Loss Programs; $1,500 for secondary schools to purchase supplies and materials for the Summer Learning Loss Program; $5,000 for the four high schools to purchase supplies and materials for the CTE Enrichment Program; and $5,000 for parent and family engagement (for the entire school year, not just summer). “I think we have it covered in every aspect with those four programs,” Hunter said. “That’s the way we have been spending our money, totally focused either on our children … where it should be … or the people serving our children.” The employment of
retail for years. “The construction of the new pickleball courts is an investment in the future of the city of Opelika,” Fuller said. “The total economic impact for this year alone is a conservative estimate of $2 million from the tournaments the Sportsplex will be able to host.” The Opelika Sportsplex will host five tournaments in 2022, beginning with the one held this past week. The details of each event and estimated economic impact is as follows: • Paddles at the Plex, March 3 through 6, estimated 325 players. Estimated
economic impact - $154,000. • USA Pickleball Atlantic South Regional, June 21 through 26, 750 estimated players. Estimated economic impact - $625,000. • Alabama Senior Pickleball Olympics, Aug. 26 through 28, 200 estimated players. Estimated economic impact - $100,000. • APP Pro Tour, Oct. 6 through 9, 750 estimated players. Estimated economic impact - $550,000-$600,000. • IFP Bambridge World Cup, Oct. 19 through 23, 700 to 1,000 estimated players. Estimated economic impact - $630,000.
FROM B1
how the funds have been used thus far and how they will be used over the course of the next two years. “We had about 850 kids that came back to school [from virtual schooling] this year, just at the elementary level,” Hunter said. “That is a lot of children. So, this money is to be used in order to close those gaps.” According to Hunter, the school district budgeted $1,854,017 of ARP funds to after-school programs this school year — covering salaries and benefits, materials and supplies, bus drivers, replacement parts for buses and purchased services. Hunter cited that each of the county’s elementary
PICKLEBALL >>
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courts will allow the Sportsplex to increase its capacity for tournaments from 300 to 1,000. “I want to thank Point Broadband for sponsoring the construction of this 12-court expansion,” said Director of Parks and Recreation Sam Bailey in a city press release. “We appreciate the support to our community and are fortunate to have such amazing partners who love Opelika.” According to Fuller, the expansion will have a positive economic impact on area restaurants, hotels and
an estimated 22 units of personnel per school (excluding an additional three bus drivers and two multipurpose bus drivers (technicians)) will be paid for with the the budgeted funds to adequately service the summer programs. “We feel like with what we have had from after school turnout that the summer school is going to be significant as well,” McCoy said. “Parents have been very positive thus far with what we are doing with their children after school and I hope it will continue into the summer.” The programs will take place Monday through Thursday and on Saturdays from June 6 to June 30, and service students from 7:45 a.m. to noon — equaling a total of 76 hours and 30 minutes
NEW SEASON >>
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leader looks forward to what he expects to be a healthy turnout for the upcoming tournaments. “We have pretty decent numbers in 7-on-7 too,” Bryant said. “We have a 10U team, a 12 U team, a 14U team and an 18U team which is composed of the high schoolers.” With the imminent spring season comes yet another exciting opportunity for Bryant to see out another one of his program’s goals: bringing a passing league to Opelika. “Hopefully, we’re bringing a passing league to Opelika,”
NOW OPEN
Lee County bus driver Carnessa Hughley (middle) was recognized as a "High Achiever" at the Lee County Schools Board meeting Tuesday night.
of instructional time. Also at the meeting, two Smiths Station High School state champion wrestlers were recognized as “High Achievers” for their performance at the state meet; bus driver Carnessa Hughley was also recognized for her dedicated employment and recent actions taken to ensure the safety of her student passengers during a roadside emergency. Smiths Station Elementary School teacher Joshua Riles and Beauregard High School teacher Whitney Dyess were also recognized as the Elementary Teacher of the Year and Secondary Teacher of the Year, respectively. During the community speaker portion at the end of the meeting, a Lee County bus driver and substitute
teacher implored the board to look into the need for more drivers and substitutes within the school system. IN OTHER BUSINESS THE BOARD: - Approved out of state/overnight field trips for Smiths Station High School Band and Jazz Band, Smiths Station Elementary School and Smiths Station Art Club - Approved the 2022 system-wide textbook committee nominations - Heard the Superintendent’s Report from Lee County Chief Financial Officer Ken Roberts - Approved human resource recommendations. The next Lee County Schools Board meeting will take place on April 12 at 6 p.m. at 2410 Society Hill Road in Opelika.
Bryant said. “I was working out a few kinks but those are pretty much ironed out now. I’m trying to get more teams to see if they’re really interested in being part of a league.” Although certainly a point of emphasis, the newly formed passing league is not all the Dawg Pound is bringing to the community in 2022. According to the CEO, girls’ flag football is the next frontier. “We’re also introducing girls flag football to the area for sixth, seventh and eighth grade,” Bryant said. “We had 15 girls come out.” Bryant communicated that the organization’s goal is to get
young women in the community prepared for the sport at the high school level and to be successful beyond. “Our aim is to prep these girls for high school,” Bryant said. “Girls flag football in high school is about to take off. From my understanding, they’re supposed to be beginning to give out scholarships for this.” With all of the new happenings surrounding the Dawg Pound, there are plenty of reasons for the Opelika community to be excited for the direction the organization is headed as Bryant and the Knee High Foundation seem committed to creating a better place for young athletes.
Indoor shooting range is open to the public
2195 FIRST AVENUE • OPELIKA
B7 March 10, 2022
SUSCC to Recognize Distinguished Alumni
CONTRIBUTED BY SUSCC
The Southern Union Foundation will hold its inaugural Distinguished Alumni Ceremony and Dinner on Thursday, April 28, at Moore’s Mill Club in Auburn. A cocktail reception will begin at 6 p.m. followed by dinner and the awards ceremony at 7 p.m. Individual tickets are $100. Patron level sponsorships are also available. The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes a SUSCC alum who has made
significant contributions to society and whose accomplishments and loyalty to the college have honored the legacy of excellence at SUSCC. The winner will receive a medallion and special recognition during the awards ceremony. Nominations are being taken for the Distinguished Alumni Award through March 18. Nominees must have earned an associate’s degree or diploma or 45 semester hours (67 quarter hours) at Southern Union, have distinguished him
or herself through achievement or advancement in his or her career, demonstrated community involvement and shown loyalty to SUSCC as demonstrated through their interest in and support of SUSCC and
its programs. Nominations may be made by any individual, friend of the college, former student or employee or current member of the administration, faculty and staff. A nomination form is available by
clicking the link on the college’s webpage, suscc.edu. “We are striving to ensure that our 100 year celebrations highlight Southern Union’s commitment to our communities and the contribution the college has made through our outstanding alumni,” said Shondae Brown, director of public relations at SUSCC. For more information about the Distinguished Alumni Award Dinner or nominating someone for the award, please contact Brown at 256-395-2211,
ext. 5145. With campuses in Wadley, Opelika and Valley, SUSCC is the second-oldest two-year college in Alabama and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate degrees.
Opelika Hosts Winter Tennis Championships The Opelika Parks and Recreation tennis program hosted the Opelika Winter Championships on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, at Calhoun Tennis Center. The tournament was a USTA Level 6 JR tournament. The tournament had 49 players representing Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kansas and Texas. Players played in
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER
CONTRIBUTED BY THE CITY OF OPELIKA
Boys and Girls divisions ages 10 through 16. Eight players represented the Opelika Parks and Recreation tennis program in the tournament. Players representing Opelika were Abney Massey (G10’s), David Elwell (B10’s), Miles Watts (B10’s), Carter Watts (B12’s), Anderson Melnick (B12’s), Rob Pack (B12’s), Will Pack (B16’s) and Conner Mullins (B16’s). Girls 10’s Tournament Winners: 1st Place- Emme Layne Basquin, Auburn 2nd Place- Ellie Ann Jackson, Auburn Girls 12’s Tournament Winners:
1st place-Sadie Pollard Auburn 2nd Place- Kayleigh Kinser, Auburn 3rd Place- Sally Fowler, Columbus, Georgia Consolation WinnerAbney Massey, Opelika Girls 14’s Tournament Winners: 1st place- Reagan Saxon, Auburn 2nd Place- Emerson Bragga, Auburn Girls 16’s Tournament Winners: 1st place- Sadie Anthony, Leeds, Alabama 2nd Place- Trinity Drew, Houston, Texas 3rd Place- Caroline Moseley, Auburn Boys 10’s
Tournament Winners: 1st Place- Jimmy Russell, Columbus, Georgia 2nd Place- Jaxson Wise, Pensacola, Florida Boys 12’s Tournament Winners: 1st Place- Daniel Dao, Lawrence, Kansas 2nd Place- Gwon Son, Auburn 3rd Place- William Flournoy, Consolation WinnerBrannen Scarborough, Lagrange, Georgia Boys 14’s Tournament Winners: 1st Place- Harrison Tole, Auburn 2nd Place- Lawrence Dao, Lawrence, Kansas Boys 16’s Tournament Winners: 1st Place- Kautilya Manyam, Alpharetta, Georgia 2nd Place- Cooper Davis, Pike Road, Alabama 3rd Place- Samuel Hinton, Columbus, Georgia Consolation WinnerConnor Mullins, Opelika.
SUSCC Adult Education
Free Pre-Apprenticeship program
Those who enroll in the free PRE-AP will take the Ready to Work course and the MSSC Safety courses. Students who complete the free program with a 70% or higher will earn: ACT’s National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) Alabama Certified Worker Certificate (AWC) One free college course (up to 4 credit hours) College credit (3 credit hours) for MSSC
For more information, scan the QR code or email ged@suscc.edu.
B8 March 10, 2022
The Joy of Nature
H
appy Spring Break to the children, families and educators of Lee County. Our communities offer us a gift of beautiful nature opportunities for young children to engage in and explore to meet their observation, learning and interest needs. Our community has beautiful blooming f lowers, nature trails, lakes, parks, streams, animals and insects all around. With spring break taking place for Auburn this week and Opelika next week, nature vacation and lessons are right at your front door. I’d like to share a few activities with you that have been favorites with my early childhood students. Let’s go explore. You and your child will have the excitement of learning together. Spring brings out a lot of nature’s creatures for the smallest of little nature lovers to enjoy. Safely and carefully looking in the soil, under logs, fallen leaves or inside special bumps on plants can help you discover so many spring creatures. Play with doodlebugs! When I have taken my class of little folks out to the playground, we look for little clearly defined circles where we know doodlebugs reside. They are called doodlebugs because this little animal makes a track that zigzags in every direction as it crawls across the dry sand looking for a place to dig its pit. With your child,
ANGEL'S ANTIQUE
carefully slip down a long piece of pine straw into the hole, keep it down in the hole for a few minutes and gently pull the pine straw up. It is like going fishing. At the of the pine straw, you will be pleasantly surprised to see a little doodlebug curled up at the end of the pine straw. After observing the cute little doodlebug, gently lower the insect back into its hole on the piece of pine straw. During this spring break, you and your child can safely observe the busy activities of ants. We are seeing ant beds everywhere right now. Your young child can become a budding little scientist as they observe the habits of ants with the bare eye or a magnifying glass. Point out to your child that ants are insects with six legs and three body parts: the head, thorax and abdomen. Share with them that the queen ant is the largest ant. Let your child tell you what they see or let them draw what they see. Children love to point out butterf lies f litting about. In our county, we have so many different species to observe. One simple experiment you can conduct is setting up little pots or a window box with different spring f lowers such as zinnias, pansies or marigolds. Buy the f lowers and place a saucer or shallow bowl with stones and freshwater for the butterf lies to light on. I have done this
& Flea Mall
observation experiment right outside my classroom window for young students to observe the comings and goings of brilliantly-colored butterf lies. ou can do this from a child’s favorite window at home. Too, we can make this an intergenerational project by placing f lowers in pots or window boxes for residents in a nursing or assisted home facility to observe butterf lies f litting about during the day. Another inexpensive project that my early childhood classes have enjoyed is ordering a butterf ly kit so the children can observe the complete metamorphosis of a butterf ly’s life from egg to larva to pupa to butterf ly. A butterf ly release party is a wonderful learning lesson and memory maker. These kits can be found online for you to choose from and order. March is known for its March winds. Beautiful colored pinwheels can be found in dollar stores or you can make simple pinwheels with squares of paper, pins and straws. Simply attach beautiful colored crepe paper streamers to toilet tissue rolls for another way to make a wind catcher. Going out and holding up a pinwheel when the wind is blowing provides hours of joyful delight as the wind
blows the pinwheel around and around and the windcatcher shows the direction the wind is blowing from. Again, this is can be used as an intergenerational project where the old and young can come together and experience the sensory enrichment of winds blowing on their faces, arms, pinwheels and wind catchers. Wind chimes, too, make for a musical wind song that we all love to listen to. I love the poem by Christina Rosette, “Who Has Seen The Wind?” From this poem, young children learn we can see the wind passing by when we look at the leaves and the trees. Too, with a young child, just wetting their pointing finger and sticking it up in the air to feel the wind can teach them to tell you which direction the wind is blowing from. Observing cloud formations and seeing how the wind blows the clouds is another wonderful observation project for young children. Let’s not forget the free-f lowing little creeks we find near our homes or in the parks. Of course, safety is the number one consideration. Placing little toy boats, plastic bottles or even leaves into a creek is a good way for your child to learn about how water f lows. Be sure to pick up these items after your
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child is done playing. This responsibility teaches them not to be a “litterbug” and recycle. We want to keep God’s world beautiful. This is a time too, that your child may observe fish, tadpoles and other creek life. Including your child in outdoor gardening is such a wonderful learning experience. Include your young little ones in helping to dig holes by providing small shovels, trowels or even spoons to plant seeds or bulbs. This can be done outside in the yard or in pots. Explain to your child that the seeds will take time to grow and that they are to observe their gardens and look for green leaves and f lowers to pop up. I love to plant ryegrass seed in either milk cartons or Styrofoam cups with children. Make sure you safely punch holes in the bottom of the cartons or cups so the water can properly drain. The ryegrass grows quickly and it makes a good little garden for Easter crafts and projects. Setting up seed germination projects with large dry lima beans placed on a lightly wet paper towel in a sandwich bag then taping the bag to a window where the sun can shine on the bag enables a young child to see how plants grow from the seed. You and your child can record what
you see each day. Closely observing birds can be done by hanging up an inexpensive bird feeder close to a window where you and your child can see your feathery friends come and go to enjoy the seed, small pieces of bread or crackers that you have placed in the feeder. This is a good lesson on observing the different colors of birds. Pointing out that a nest is their home is something you can carefully observe on a walking field trip around your home, apartment or neighborhood. Our local libraries are outstanding in providing good age-appropriate books for young children to look at pictures of spring life. As a teacher, I love to go to the library to check out books for my preschoolers to look at. On those rainy spring days, this is an excellent avenue to engage in nature. I hope these few teacher-tried tips will nurture families to enjoy nature and to explore the beautiful place we live. On a sunny beautiful day go to one of our local parks and enjoy a simple family picnic. God has given us a beautiful and lively world to fully enjoy. Happy Spring Break! Classroom Observer Beth Pinyerd
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L ee County & A labama Politics
B9
Nov. 24, 2021
Thursday, March 10, 2022
Inside the Statehouse Incumbency Prevails in Secondary Constitutional Offices
I
STEVE FLOWERS
CONTRIBUTED BY THE OFFICE OF GOV. KAY IVEY
Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday awarded $10 million of the State Fiscal Recovery Fund from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to establish COVID recovery grants for volunteer fire departments. This program is an initiative of Ivey and the Alabama Legislature to provide support to Alabama’s volunteer fire departments impacted by the covid-19 pandemic. “Alabama’s first responders, including our community’s volunteer fire departments, are vital in keeping our state safe," Ivey said. "While
states across the country and the entire globe dealt with the curveballs the pandemic threw, our volunteer fire departments kept going. I am proud to have worked with the Alabama Legislature to direct these funds to good use as our local volunteer fire departments recover. I am pleased to support them and encourage them to take advantage of this grant program.” The state of Alabama will offer grants in an amount up to $10,320 for providers that meet eligibility requirements. The application period for the Alabama Volunteer Fire Department COVID Recovery Grant program will be open
from noon, March 7 through noon, March 25, 2022. Alabama received $2.1 million in ARPA funds, and the Alabama Legislature appropriated $136,796,346 from Alabama’s State Fiscal Recovery Revenue Replacement Fund for this program. General information and application materials is available here: www.frf.alabama.gov/ For questions, please contact the Coronavirus Recovery Funds Office at 334-353-2749 or submissions@finance. alabama.gov. Please include “Volunteer Fire Department Grant Program” in the subject line of the email.
Katie Britt Visits Lee County PHOTO BY HANNAH LESTER / THE OBSERVER
ncumbency is a potent, powerful, inherent advantage in politics. That fact is playing out to the nines in this year’s Alabama secondary constitutional and down-ballot races. Several of the constitutional office incumbents do not have Republican or Democratic opposition. Of course, having a Democratic opponent is the same as not having an opponent in a statewide race in Alabama. A Democrat cannot win in a statewide contest in the Heart of Dixie. Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth will be elected to a second four-year term without opposition. He will be waiting in the wings to follow Kay Ivey as governor. Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate will be reelected without opposition. He has done a good job in this important state post. State Treasurer Young Boozer is running unopposed for another four-year term. He does an excellent job and is uniquely qualified for the treasurer’s job. State Supreme Court Justice Kelli Wise is running for reelection unopposed. Wise is popular and is a good jurist. She is home free for six more years on the state’s high tribunal. Attorney General Steve Marshall has token opposition in his run for reelection. One Republican and one Democrat qualified against Marshall. However, he will coast to reelection. There are two seats up for election on the Alabama Public Service Commission. There are three seats on this regulatory panel. The president of the PSC runs in a presidential year. Twinkle Cavanaugh is president and pretty much runs the ship. The two incumbents are Jeremy Oden and Chip Beeker. Oden has two unknown Republican opponents. Beeker has two opponents in the GOP Primary. One has some name identification, who has run before. Beeker and Oden will probably win reelection. There are only three hotly-contested and interesting secondary statewide races. That is because these three posts are open without an incumbent on the scene. Popular Supreme Court Justice Mike Bolin, the former probate judge of Jefferson
County, is term-limited by an antiquated law that prohibits a judge from running for the court after age 70. There are two qualified candidates seeking to follow Bolin. Birmingham Defense Attorney Greg Cook is facing Anniston Circuit Judge Debra Jones. Cook appears to be the favorite to win. It is apparent that the business community in the state is backing Cook. He has also been endorsed by the Alabama Farmers Federation. The latest campaign finance reports reveal Cook has $552,000 to spend compared to Jones’ $15,000. The state auditors position is open. Jim Ziegler has served his eight-year stint. This will be an interesting three-man race for this benign position. Former Mobile State Representative and State Senator Rusty Glover is facing Muscle Shoals State Representative Andrew Sorrell and Jefferson County Pastor Stan Cooke. All three are getting out and working the state. The race to succeed John Merrill as secretary of state will be a good race. Merrill is term-limited after eight years. Ziegler is wanting to move next door to the Capitol and become secretary of state. Because of his name identification advantage, Ziegler will be favored to win the race. However, he will get a significant challenge from State Representative Wes Allen. Young Allen has been running for over a year and has a good many significant endorsements including Alfa. He has an impressive resume, having served a decade as probate judge of Pike County and four years as a state representative. He also has two home bases. He has lived and served in office in Troy in Southeast Alabama and was born and raised in Tuscaloosa where his father Gerald Allen has been a long-time state senator. Ed Packard, who has run the Elections Division of the Secretary of State’s office for decades, is also running. He is very well qualified. The aforementioned current Secretary of State, Merrill, is not seeking any elective office in 2022, even though he is still relatively young. I have said this before and it holds true today, Merrill is currently the best and most prolific retail politician in the state and one of the best I have seen in Alabama. He has a real grassroots organization in Alabama. He is literally everywhere. Even though he is not on the ballot running this year, he is outworking every candidate mentioned in this column. You have not heard the last of Merrill. 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.
Ivey Awards $10 Million for Volunteer Fire Department COVID Recovery Grants
BY HANNAH LESTER HLESTER@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
Katie Britt, candidate for Alabama senator, visited Auburn last week
to visit with constituents, answer questions and share her platform. Britt is running for senator against Nov. 8, 2022, against other candidates such as Mo
Brooks and Michael Durant. The Republican primary will be held on May 24, 2022. “I appreciate the opportunity to be in front See BRITT, page B10
Auburn Holds Trash Amnesty and Hazardous Waste Collection
CONTRIBUTED BY THE CITY OF AUBURN
Ready to clear out the clutter in and around your home this spring? Trash Amnesty 2022 will take place March 14 through April 9, allowing Auburn residents to take care of spring cleaning without paying extra fees for collection. This will mark the 18th year the city of Auburn’s Environmental Services Department has provided a trash amnesty period. Five years ago, the city held the first Trash Amnesty Month as an
extension of the weeklong amnesty period that the Auburn City Council had long designated to waive collection fees for oversized yard debris and other bulky yard waste that exceeds five cubic yards. Please follow these guidelines when taking advantage of Trash Amnesty 2022: The city will accept yard waste, appliances and bulky items for collection. Please do not include materials such as household garbage or hazardous waste. Place debris at the
curb no later than 6 a.m. on your regularly scheduled collection day. Place items at least 3 feet from mailboxes, utility boxes, poles, storm drains or other fixed objects. All items should be contained or bundled so they do not fall into the street or down storm drains. Limbs and other debris should be no longer than 5 feet. Place all items in one pile for pickup. Please note, because of the large volume of pickup expected during Trash
Amnesty 2022, residents may experience a delay in their normal collection schedule. HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE: Environmental Services will host its next Household Hazardous Waste Day on March 26, 2022, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Environmental Services Complex, 365-A N. Donahue Drive. Take advantage of this as you clean out your garage, basements and offices during spring cleaning. The free biannual event invites Auburn residents
to drop off environmentally hazardous materials that are illegal to dispose of during weekly garbage collection. Some items accepted are household chemicals, pesticides, paints, batteries, automobile fluids and electronics. Computers and electronics will be accepted, and there will be a shredder on-site to safely and securely get rid of old documents. Participants should load the materials they wish to drop off in the trunk or rear of their vehicle to ensure no contact and a quick
drop-off. City employees will remove the items from your vehicle and direct you out of the parking lot. This service is only available to residents within the city limits of Auburn. Proof of residency can be shown by bringing a recent water bill. If you plan to attend, please register ahead of time at auburnalabama.org/hhw. For registration, a list of accepted items and more information, visit auburnalabama.org/environmental-services/household-hazardous-waste-collection-day.
B10 March 10, 2022
Sarah Palin Loses Defamation Case But Tweaks NY Times
GREG MARKLEY
I
n the mid-1970s, American Express ran TV ads where someone faced the camera and asked “Do you know me?” Twelve years after U.S. Rep. William E. Miller ran on the losing Republican team for vice president, he was in the ad. It was obvious that many people did not know who the heck he was. Fame was certainly fleeting for William Miller. A New York congressman for 14 years, Miller’s
BRITT >>
FROM B9
of y’all,” Britt said. “I believe very strongly that we need to be earning the votes of every Alabamian and so I am honored to able be in front of you and to be able to deliver our message, answer questions and, of course, listen to y’all.” Britt was born and raised in Alabama, grew up in Enterprise, attended the University of Alabama and most recently served as the president and CEO of Alabama’s business council. “Both of my parents are small business owners and that is where I got my passion that the best thing that the government can do in almost every single situation is get out of the way,” she said. “Right? Just get out of the way.” She said that her parents’ business helped her realize the “American Dream”. One of Britt’s priorities is the American veteran, she said. “We need leaders
lack of enduring fame was made worse as U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater did not share much of the spotlight before they were trounced by the Johnson/Humphrey ticket of Democrats. He was the first Catholic nominated for veep by the Republicans. Recently, the first Republican woman to run for vice president, Sarah Palin, lost a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. It was a test of the landmark 1964 case, New York Times Co. v.
that will never leave our soldiers lying on the battlefield, ever,” she said. “… And when our men and women come home and they conclude their honorable service, we must treat our veterans like the first-class citizens that they are. And I hope, for those of you who serve our nation, thank you. Thank you for your service, thank you for what you gave up so that we can enjoy these freedoms.” However, the nation is failing veterans, Britt said. There were more veteran suicides over the nine-year period between 200817 than there were soldiers’ deaths in the Vietnam War, she said. The next generation needs help, Britt said. “We believe that the next generation if we all don’t get up off the sidelines and stand up for this nation, there is not going to be anything left for our children to fight for,” she said. “And folks, that is worth it. We all need to say, game on. Because we look
Sullivan, which said that a public figure must show actual malice to win the case. Editors testified that putting Palin in a bad light was not their intent. Yet, they tarnished the newspaper’s image. I thought about Miller and all the forgotten vice president candidates. Would Miller still be a public figure when the American Express ad was showing? Most people commenting on the ads didn’t know him. What is the shelf life for a high-level candidate? Are they forever protected from vicious acts against them by the press? Or will Sarah Palin, ex-governor of Alaska, be on a quiz show in 15 years with only a few viewers knowing who she is? Palin brought the defamation suit in June 2017, for an editorial accusing her of “political incitement” before the shooting in 2011 of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, a Democrat from Arizona. The editorial said that a link to an advertisement from Palin’s political action committee — which showed crosshairs against the congressional districts held by 20 Democrats, including Giffords.
around this country and we don’t recognize it.” There are crises happening in the nation and the world — Ukraine and Russia, the retreat from Afghanistan, rising gas prices, vaccine mandates and COVID-19 that Britt spoke passionately on. Britt said the senate has power over some of these issues. “Unfortunately, we have Joe Biden who is really legislating through executive order,” she said. “So there are several things you can hold accountable there.” For instance, Britt said the Keystone Pipeline should be re-opened. “We need real leaders,” Britt said. “Leaders who lead with strength … I want to fight for Alabama. Y’all we have a great state with great people and we have a great story to tell. We do have some challenges in front of us that we have to hit head-on in order to reach our full potential and I want to be a partner in that.”
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The Times did make a correction noting that “no such link was established” between the advertisement and the shooting, and indicating that what was depicted in the crosshairs in the ads were “electoral districts, not individual Democratic lawmakers.” So Palin’s 2017 lawsuit was dismissed at federal district court level. “What we have here is an editorial, written and rewritten rapidly in order to voice an opinion on an immediate event of importance, in which are included a few factual inaccuracies somewhat pertaining to Mrs. Palin that are very rapidly corrected,” explained Judge Jed Rakoff. “Negligence this may be; but defamation of a public figure it plainly is not.” After reinstatement, the case was decided on Feb. 18, 2022, in favor of the newspaper. According to "The First Amendment Encyclopedia", in a 2009 article by Stephen Wermiel, the Sullivan case reversed a libel damages judgment against the New York Times. It said the first amendment guarantees of free speech may protect libelous words about a “public official” to advance
intense debate about government issues and public affairs. This landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision originated in Montgomery, Alabama. New York Times Co. v. Sullivan arose from errors in a full-page civil rights editorial advertisement (‘Heed Their Rising Voices’) lawsuit against the newspaper. The “Sullivan” mentioned was an elected city commissioner who filed the lawsuit. Alabama law dictated that L.B. Sullivan only needed to prove there were mistakes and that they probably harmed his reputation. A jury awarded him $500,000 in damages, plenty of money then. The ad protested treatment of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. by state law enforcement. It featured names of prominent civil rights activists, including actors, ministers, musicians and other Americans. Not only are celebrities like Sarah Palin filing lawsuits, TV stations such as Fox News Channel are getting into courts, too. On Aug. 7, 2003, Fox wanted to stop comedian Al Franken from using Fox News’s trademark phrase “fair &
balanced” in the title of his book, "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced look at the Right". Fox didn’t want to be associated with “liars and lying” so hurriedly filed a court challenge. U.S. District Court judge Denny Chin denied an injunction for using the “fair and balanced” phrase on the book’s title. Chin said the case was meritless, “both factually and legally.” Thus, the 1964 New York Times Co. v. Sullivan ruling remains intact. If someone makes a mean ad criticizing Sarah Palin, for example, “actual malice” must be evident. Palin has a new lawsuit; don’t expect a different result. At least she is engaged and visible in public affairs — she would not want to be a postscript like William E. Miller, that is William who? 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 13 years. gm.markley@charter.net
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B11 March 10, 2022
Blanchard: Biden’s First Year Was One Bad Decision After Another Calls on Ivey, legislature to act immediately for Alabamians’ relief CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER
Lindy Blanchard, Republican candidate for governor, was not impressed by President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address. “Joe Biden’s first State of the Union speech was what we expected — a mix of the confused rhetoric, bad ideas and worse policies that he’s been pushing for decades,” Blanchard said. “Except, of course, for the part where he talked about building more products in America, with American workers doing American jobs. That part sounded like his speechwriters stole it from a MAGA Republican.
“Let’s be honest. Biden’s first year in office was one bad decision after another, with a few disasters thrown in just to break up the monotony. He’s given us the worst inflation in 40 years, destroyed our reputation around the globe, created an epic crisis on our southern border, watched while Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine and opened the door for Xi Jinping to take Taiwan, probably sooner than later. “Everything Biden has done has been a bad idea, badly executed, with bad outcomes for Americans. Let’s take just one example. On his first day in office, he stopped the Keystone pipeline, eliminating
thousands of American jobs. That was just the first step of a radical Green Energy agenda that cost us our energy independence and forced him to beg OPEC and Russia to pump more oil — all to satisfy the global warming fanatics in his Democratic Party. “Biden’s energy policy is pouring money into Putin’s pockets. It also lets Putin use energy as a weapon not only against Europe, but against us, because we’re now importing half a million barrels of oil a day from Russia. Putin’s getting richer, while our prices for gasoline, and food, and everything else just keep going up, and up and up. “Joe Biden just told us
that American diplomacy matters. It certainly did when Donald J. Trump was president.. Now, judging by Afghanistan and now Ukraine, I’m not so sure. “It is so important to take back Congress this November. We have to elect strong, conservative leaders who will stand up to Biden, Pelosi, AOC and all the rest of the radical left in DC. And I’m running for governor so that I can be the strong, conservative, outsider Alabama needs in Montgomery. “Until then, I call on Gov. Ivey and the legislature to stop tapping your fingers and act now to protect the people of Alabama. You should
freeze the automatic increase built into the gas tax bill, and roll back the gas tax immediately. You should eliminate the grocery tax immediately. You should ban any more illegals from being resettled in Alabama, and ban any payments to them from state money. "The legislature must pass, and the governor must sign, legislation mandating better election security before the next election. And, you must make it clear that you do all these things openly, honestly and transparently, because the people of Alabama are fed up with the corruption in Montgomery and in Washington. “There are many more issues which need to be
addressed in this session, but these things need to take priority. Joe Biden’s ‘temporary’ inflation is here to stay, and our people need relief now. “For now, I am a candidate for governor, and I will keep speaking out and speaking up for the people of Alabama. We’re doing fine, but doing fine isn’t good enough. When I’m elected governor, we can and will be our best.” Blanchard, a wife, mother, businesswoman and philanthropist from Montgomery, will face Ivey and six others in the Republican primary on May 24. For more information: Blanchard ForGovernor.com.
The War in Ukraine is a Teachable Moment Teach the next generation about the value of freedom and what it means to be a patriot CONTRIBUTED BY WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA BY JOE RAEGAN
I discuss the topic of leadership a lot in our home. It is not much of a surprise as my wife and I have multiple combat tours between us. Together, we have over 40 years of collective military leadership experience and the honor of leading troops into combat. Over the course of our careers, we have seen the full spectrum of leadership; some of the most rewarding experiences are when we observe those unlikely leaders emerge in the face of adversity. In the past few days, like so many other Americans, we have watched new heroes emerge in Ukraine, as an unjust war unfolds. We have been most impressed by “Captain Ukraine,” President Volodymyr Zelensky, a former TV comedian, who in the past few days has become a global symbol for the democracy we hold so dear. He has become not just the face of Ukrainian resilience, but also a leader that has truly united people across the globe. His words and actions have inspired and motivated world leaders, to recommit to the values of peace, unity and democracy. To our family, his courageous response to an offer of evacuation showed the spirit in which this country (America) was founded. He said, “The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.” It is this kind of “lead from the front” attitude that we feel has captivated so many of us over the past few days. Zelensky’s willingness to roll up his sleeves (when he is not wearing a T-shirt) and put himself
in harm’s way is a stark reminder that freedom is not free and that the price of freedom is commitment, perseverance and determination. He teaches a lesson in democracy that is not lost on the members of my family. It is not just Zelensky who is worthy of praise as the media reports nearly 70,000 rifles were distributed to civilians in a single day last week. The same media also quotes a Ukrainian woman as she stands resolute to defend her country by defiantly stating, “I am an adult woman, I am healthy and it’s my responsibility.” Zelensky has been the first to acknowledge that the Ukrainian people have stepped up and have been doing so since Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014 with the creation of the Territorial Defense Force made solely of Ukrainian volunteers. Just as live television allowed the Vietnam War to be brought into our living rooms, social media has put the Ukraine War into our hands. We are bombarded with traditional media and social media accounts of the war. This new age of reporting has brought an unprecedented awareness to how fragile democracy can be and as my wife and I point to the TV, cell phone or computer monitor, we try to show our children that “this is what patriotism looks like and that everyday people can be heroes if they so choose.” The news is reporting that some Ukrainian parents are sewing their child’s blood type to their shirt before sending them off to school. Other parents are packing bags for their young children so they can be loaded onto a train and taken to
RAEGAN a foreign country for safety, reassuring them that everything will be OK while silently wondering if they will ever be a family again. Other parents are pleading with doctors trying desperately to keep the youngest victims of this war alive. This is how Ukrainian children are learning about war and freedom. With everything that has transpired over the past few days, my wife and I are suddenly realizing how valuable something as simple as a family dinner can be to a nation’s democracy. As Americans, we are
grateful that we are largely free of external threats to our family and our freedoms. We should remember that the principles that the people of Ukraine are defending with their lives today are the very same principles that generations of Americans have fought for as well. Our country, despite all our self-imposed differences, needs to look at the images coming from Ukraine and bear witness to their unity, and to notice that the only division is between those who stand in defense of democracy and those who stand against it.
WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTOR Plumbing & Heating Supplies Pipes - Valves - Fittings 334.625.3384 800.625.3384 1975 MALL BLVD. STE. 106, AUBURN, ALABAMA
As President Reagan (a WW2 Veteran) once said “no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.” There is no place in the world today where this is more evident than in Ukraine. My sincere hope is that the sacrifices being made by the people of Ukraine inspire all of us to have the moral courage to recommit ourselves to the ideals we share as Americans and to put aside our petty arguments to find a way to show our families we love them and our country. Joseph Reagan is the
director of Military and Veterans Outreach for Wreaths Across America. He has almost 20 years’ experience working with leaders within Government, non-profit and Fortune 500 companies to develop sustainable strategies supporting National Security, and Veterans Health. He served eight years on active duty as an of-ficer in the U.S. Army including two tours to Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Division. He is the recipient of multiple awards and decorations including the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
Hunley Group Lambert Transfer and Storage An Interstate Agent for North American Van Lines 1102 Fox Trail Opelika, Alabama 36801 334-745-5706
B12 March 10, 2022
JOIN US FOR
e thJUNK
A community clean up and
fun day COVINGTON CENTER
MARCH 19, 2022
TRASH PICK-UP • FREE THROW COMPETITION • SLAM DUNK EXHIBITION
9 a.m. 9- 11 a.m. 11 a.m.
11- 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m.
Pick up your supplies at Covington Litter/Trash pick-up Return to Covington with trash and unused supplies Free Throw Slam Dunk Exhibition in gym John Thomas, Professional Basketball Player overseas for 17 years/Slam Ball National Champion
3 Ways to Register: • • •
Online at www.opelika-al.gov Fill out form on back of flier and return to lkrehling@opelika-al.gov Show up day of event
SEE WEBSITE FOR RULES. www.opelika-al.gov
Hotdog, Chips & Drink provided for those who pick up trash.
Prizes include an autographed basketball from AU Coach Bruce Pearl and various gift cards.
Litter continues to be a huge issue in Opelika. It’s sad to look around our city and see trash along the roadways, in parking lots and in our creeks. Litter is harmful to human health, safety, welfare and the environment. It can impact water quality and can be a fire hazard and attract rodents. It also has a negative effect on economic development. Our Don’t Be An Ope-Loser campaign and Slam Dunk The Junk event are efforts to raise awareness about litter. Soon, you will begin seeing brightly painted trash cans throughout the city with educational, fun messages about anti-littering. As a part of the campaign, we are asking that if you see trash on the ground, pick it up. It is a point of civic pride to keep Opelika clean and beautiful. Be part of the solution, not the problem. LITTERING IS A FLAGRANT FOUL! Don’t be an Ope-Loser.
B13 March 10, 2022
PUBLIC NOTICES IN THE MATTER OF THE ADOPTION PETITION OF JASON DOUGLAS KILGORE AND AMY MARIE KILGORE IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA CASE NO.: 2021-667 PUBLICATION NOTICE TO: William Kyle Payne, address unknown Please take notice that a petition for adoption was filed in the Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama by Jason Douglas Kilgore and Amy Marie Kilgore on December I, 2021, for the adoption of K.L.V., on March 4, 2014, to Veronica Ann Adams and William Kyle Payne in Carrollton, Georgia. A hearing has been set in the Lee County Probate Court, Opelika, AL 36801. Should you intend to contest this adoption you must file a written response with the attorney for the petitioner, Hon. Margaret A. Mayfield, P.O. Box 809, Opelika, AL 36803 and with the Clerk of the Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama, as soon as possible but no later than thirty (30) days from the last day this notice is published. Dated on this the l lth day of February 2022. HON. BILL ENGLISH JUDGE OF PROBATE LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Legal Ru 02/17/2022, 02/24/2022, 03/03/2022 & 03/10/2022 ------------IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT M. LOFTON, DECEASED IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Case No.: 2022-060 Letters Testamentary on the estate of said decedent having been granted to the undersigned on the 11th day of February, 2022, 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. LELA MELSON LOFTON Personal Representative PERSONAL REPRESENTATVE Robert H. Pettey Samford & Denson, LLP Post Office Box 2345 Opelika, AL 36803-2345 334-745-3504 Legal Run 2/24/22, 3/3/22 & 3/10/22 ------------IN THE MATTER OF THE ADOPTION PETITION OF SEAN PATRICK MCNAIR AND ASHLEY LYNN MCNAIR IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA CASE NO.: 2022-25 PUBLICATION NOTICE TO: Any potential fathers, address unknown Please take notice that a petition for adoption was filed in the Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama by Sean Patrick McNair and Ashley Lynn McNair on January 24, 2022, for the adoption of M.G.M., born on January 19, 2022, in Columbus, Georgia to Shannon Paige McNair. A hearing has been set for the 2nd day of May 2022 at 10 o'clock a.m. Central time in the Probate Court, Lee County Courthouse, 215 South 9th Street, Opelika, AL 36801. Should you intend to contest this adoption you must file a written response with the attorney for the petitioner, Hon. Jason C. Riggs, P.O. Box 954, Auburn, AL 36831 and with the Clerk of the Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama, as soon as possible but no later than thirty (30) days from the last day this notice is published or appear on the date of the hearing as set above to contest said Petition. Dated on this the 24th day of January 2022. HON. BILL ENGLISH JUDGE OF PROBATE, LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA LEGAL RUN 2/24/2022, 3/3/2022, 3/10/2022 & 3/17/2022 ------------NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT ESTATE OF DAREL LOUIS TROBY, DECEASED COURT OF PROBATE LEE COUNTY Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to the undersigned on the 17th day of February, 2022, by the Hon. Bill English, Judge
of the Probate Court of Lee County, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against 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 17th day of February, 2022. WILLIAM LOUIS TROBY Legal Run 02/24/22, 03/03/22, 03/10/22 ------------IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF LARRY CARROLL MOTLEY, DECEASED. IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Case No: 2022-067 Letters Testamentary on the estate of said decedent having been granted to the undersigned on the 15th day of February, 2022, 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.GLENDA M. GOODEN and ANGELA DENISE JONESCo-Personal Representatives D. Carter Weeks Samford & Denson, LLP P.O. Box 2345 Opelika, AL 36803-2345 Legal Run 02/24/22, 03/03/22 & 03/10/22 ------------SYNOPSIS OF ZONING NOTICE The City Council of the City of Opelika will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. in the Courtroom of the Opelika Municipal Court Building, 300 Martin Luther King Boulevard, Opelika, Lee County, Alabama, to consider the adoption of an ordinance to amend the Zoning Ordinance and the Zoning Map of the City of Opelika by rezoning or redistricting the parcel of land hereinafter described so as to change such parcel from one class of district to another class of district, as follows: From a C-2 District (Office/ Retail District) and a R-1 District (Rural District) to a C-2 District (Office/Retail District), the parcel of land hereinafter described: A tract or parcel of land located in Section 24, Township 19 North, Range 26 East, Lee County, Alabama and being more particularly described as follows: Commence at the southeast corner of said Section 24; thence N89°58’22”W 783.90 feet to the west right-of-way limit of Society Hill Road, the point of beginning; thence leaving said right-of-way limit N89°58’22”W 2078.79 feet to the east line of Lot 1 of Broad Metro, LLC Plat No. 1 as recorded in Plat Book 42, Page 41 and 42, Probate Office, Lee County, Alabama, thence N42°46’46”W 381.76 feet along the east line of said Lot 1; thence N38°54’12”E 736.91 feet along the east line of said Lot 1 to the southwest corner of Lot 2 of Helen Mitchell Subdivision as recorded in Plat Book 18, Page 160, Probate Office, Lee County, Alabama; thence along the south line of said Lot 2 the following bearings and distances: S88°59’08”E 478.12 feet; N88°53’53”E 237.89 feet; N88°59’08”E 291.63 feet; N88°08’11”E 500.42 feet; S89°08’39”E 89.83 feet to the northwest corner of Lot 2 of Elaine Subdivision as recorded in Plat Book 10, Page 221, Probate Office, Lee County, Alabama; thence S19°31’02”W 395.80 feet to the southwest corner of Lot 2 of said Elaine Subdivision; thence N89°04’03”E 589.63 feet along the south line of said Lot 2 to the west rightof-way limit of Society Hill Road; thence S19°28’48”W 538.21 feet along said rightof-way limit to the point of beginning. The above-described property contains 40.0 acres, more or less, and is located on the west side of Society Hill Road and north of Gateway Drive, Opelika, Alabama. Public Notice of this public hearing with insertion of the proposed ordinance was first published on March 3, 2022, in the Opelika Observer. This notice is given pursuant to Section 11-52-78 Code of Alabama (1975). All interested persons are invited to attend the public hearing and be heard. Written
comments concerning the above matter may be mailed to the City Clerk at P.O. Box 390, Opelika, AL 36803 at any time prior to the public hearing and may be further submitted to the City Council at the meeting and the public hearing. Please contact Brian Weiss, the City’s ADA Coordinator, at 334-705-5134 at least two (2) working days prior to the meeting if you require special accommodations due to any disability. THIS NOTICE is given under my hand this the 10th day of March, 2022. /s/ Russell A. Jones, CMC CITY CLERK OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA, ALABAMA Legal Run 3/10/2022 ------------IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF WILLIAM RAYMOND BARBER, DECEASED IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY ALABAMA CASE NO. Letters Testamentary on the estate of said decedent having been granted to the undersigned on the 25th day of February, 2022, 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. BETTY DUN Personal Representative Robert H. Pettey Samford & Denson, LLP Post Office Box 2345 Opelika, AL 36803-2345 334-745-3504 Legal Run 03/10/22, 03/17/22 & 3/24/22 ------------NOTICE OF COURT PROCEEDING IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Notice of the filing of Petition for Summary Distribution In the Estate of JACK HEATH MCCONNELL, deceased Notice is hereby given that a Petition for Summary Distribution has been filed in the LEE COUNTY Probate Office by Carolyn McConnell on February 25, 2022, pursuant to Section 43-2-690, Code of Alabama and that 30 days after the notice of publication hereof and pursuant to law the Court shall be requested to enter an Order directing Summary Distribution of the estate of said decedent. BILL ENGLISH, PROBATE JUDGE Legal Run 03/10/22 ------------Opelika Utilities is requesting bids for vehicles. Please Contact Andrew Alsobrook for bid requirements or questions. Opelika Utilities PO Box 1029 Opelika, AL 36803 (334) 705-5500 LEGAL RUN 3/10/22 & 3/17/22 ------------IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF MARJORIE HORNE, Deceased CASE NO. 2022-091 TAKE NOTICE THAT Letters Testamentary having been granted to Roxyeann Chambers, as Executrix of the Estate of Marjorie Horne, deceased on the 25th day of February, 2022, by the Honorable Bill English, Probate Judge. NOTICE IS HEREBY given that all persons having claims against the said estate are required to present the same within the time allowed by law or the same will be barred. Roxyeann Chambers Estate of Marjorie Horne By: Mark H. Carlton Attorney for the Estate 9 LaFayette Street North LaFayette, AL 36862 Legal Run 3/10/22, 3/17/22 & 3/24/22 ------------NOTICE TO CREDITORS ESTATE OF ROGER D. BELL, DECEASED PROBATE COURT LEE COUNTY CASE NO. 2022-083 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Take Notice that LETTERS TESTAMENTARY of the
Estate of ROGER D. BELL are hereby granted to Jean Bell Martin on the 23rd day of February, 2022, 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 law or the same will be barred. Jean Bell Martin Legal Run 3/10/22, 3/17/22 & 3/24/22 ------------STORAGE TREASURES AUCTION Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 1242 N Dean Rd, Auburn, AL 36830 Thursday, March 17, 2022 at 10:00AM Unit 249 Unit 222 The auction will be listed and advertised on www. storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property. LEGAL RUN 3/10/22 ------------STORAGE TREASURES AUCTION Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 1412 Opelika Rd, Auburn, AL 36830 Thursday, March 17, 2022 at 10:00AM Unit U 368 The auction will be listed and advertised on www. storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property. Legal Run 03/10/2022 ------------IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY ALABAMA IN RE: THE MATTER OF ROSA MAE PARKER CASE NO. 2022-062 NOTICE OF HEARING TO: ANY UNKOWN Heirs of Rosa Mae Parker Notice is hereby given that a Petition for Letters of Administration for the Estate of Rosa Mae Parker was filed on February 11, 2022. A hearing has been set for the 4th day of April 2022 at 1 I :00 a.m. central time, electronically via "ZOOM". Please contact the Lee County Probate Court at 334-737-3670 for access to the electronic hearing should you intend to take part in the hearing of the Petition for Letters of Administration for the Estate of Rosa Mae Parker. BILL ENGLISH, Judge of Probate, Lee County, Alabama Legal Run 3/10/22, 3/17/22 & 3/24/22 ------------IN THE PROBATE COURT FOR LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF: REX THUNDA SCOTT, deceased CASE NO.: 2022-104 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Take Notice that LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION of said deceased having been granted to JONATHAN R. SCOTT on the 3rd day of March, 2022 by the Honorable Bill English, Judge of Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama. Notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within the time allowed by law or the same will be barred. JONATHAN R. SCOTT Legal Run 3/10/22, 3/17/22 & 3/24/22 -------------
IN THE PROBATE COURT FOR LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN RE: The estate of Elizabeth McConnell, Deceased. Case No. 2022-058 TAKE NOTICE that Letters Administration having been granted to Melissa McConnell as Administratrix of the Estate of Elizabeth McConnell, deceased, on the 7th day of March, 2022. 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. Administratrix of the Estate of Elizabeth McConnell, Deceased Legal Run 03/10/22, 03/17/22 & 03/24/22 ------------IN THE PROBATE COURT FOR LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA; IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: MICHAEL E. LITTLEJOHN, Deceased Case No.: 2022- 056 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to Lawana Littlejohn Cowart, Personal Representative on the 8th day of March, 2022, by Honorable Bill English, Judge of Probate Court of Lee County, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will be barred. Lawana Littlejohn Cowart Legal Run 3/10/22, 3/17/22 & 3/24/22 ------------CITY OF OPELIKA NOTICE OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING AND PUBLIC HEARINGS TO: RESIDENTS AND PROPERTY OWNERS OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA AND ALL OTHER INTERESTED CITIZENS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Planning Commission of the City of Opelika, Alabama will hold a regular meeting and will be conducting public hearings on Tuesday, March 22, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. in the Meeting Chamber at Opelika Municipal Court located at 300 MLK Boulevard, Opelika, Alabama. A Planning Commission work session will be held at 2:45 pm before the regular meeting. The purpose of the public hearings is to receive public comment on the following: A. Preliminary and Final Plat 1.A public hearing on a request by Blake Rice, authorized representative for Salem 280, LLLP, property owner, for preliminary and final plat approval of the Salem 280 LLLP subdivision consisting of 15 lots accessed Lee Road 154, Lee Road 155, and Highway 280. B. Final Plat 2.A request by Doug Ransom, authorized representative for DRB Group Alabama, LLC property owner, for final plat approval of the Village at Waterford Phase 4 subdivision consisting of 202 lots accessed from Arlee Avenue, Lismore Drive, and Heathcote Drive. 3.A request by Blake Rice, authorized representative for SMB Land, LLC, property owner, for final plat approval of the Cannon Gate Phase 3 subdivision consisting of 25 lots accessed from Cannon Gate Drive. C. Rezoning and Conditional Use 4.(a) The land use category on the Future land Use map (light commercial) for this rezoning request is the same as the proposed C-2 zoning district. (b) A rezoning public hearing to consider a recommendation to the City Council on a request by Blake Rice, authorized representative for Shey & Terri Knight, property owners, to rezone 7 acres accessed at the 2500 block of Frederick Road from an R-4 zone to a C-2, GC-P zoning district. 5.A public hearing on a request by Blake Rice, authorized representative for Shey & Terri Knight, property owners, for conditional use approval for an officewarehouse development in the C-2, GC-P zoning district at the 2500 block of Frederick Road. D. Conditional Uses 6.A public hearing on a
request by Blake Rice, authorized representative for Intellivest, Inc., property owners, for conditional use approval for outdoor display of products in the C-3, GC-P zoning district accessed at 284 Columbus Parkway. 7.A public hearing on a request by Blake Rice, authorized representative for Brown Service Funeral Homes Company, property owners, for conditional use approval to add crematory services to an existing funeral home in the C-3, GC-P zoning district at 1801 Frederick Road. 8.A public hearing on a request by Steven L. Mosley, authorized representative for Candy Lanier, property owners, for conditional use approval for The Car Stereo Shop, sales & installation of audio and video lighting pertaining to the 12-volt Industry in the C-2, GC-P zoning district accessed at 2200 Frederick Road. 9. A public hearing on a request by David Slocum, authorized representative for J & G Properties, LLC , property owners, for conditional use approval for a climate control miniwarehouse in the C-2, GC-S zoning district accessed on Birmingham Highway. (Existing CU approval expired, Reapplying for CU approval ) E. Amendment to 2030 Future Land Use Map and Rezoning– Public Hearing 10.(a) The land use category on the Future land Use map (light commercial) for this rezoning request is the same as the proposed C-2 zoning district. (b) A rezoning public hearing to consider a recommendation to the City Council on a request by Alan Dorn, authorized representative for John H. Anglin and Terry L Johnson, property owners to rezone 6 acres at the corner of Old Opelika Road and Frederick Road from a R-4 zone to a C-2, GC-P zoning district. . An amendment to the Future Land Use map is not required. 11.(a) An agenda item related to a rezoning request concerns an amendment to the Future Land Use Map for 34.8 acres accessed from First Avenue from a light commercial and low density land use category to a mixed use category. If the Planning Commission votes to send a positive recommendation to the City Council to rezone the 34.8 acres and Council approves the rezoning, then approval of said amendments to the Future Land Use map will be approved. (b) A rezoning public hearing to consider a recommendation to the City Council on a request by Thomas Johnson, authorized representative for Holland Homes, LLC, property owners to rezone 34.8 acres accessed from First Avenue from a C-2 & VR-1 zone to a PUD zoning district. F. Annexation 12. An agenda item to consider a recommendation to the City Council on a request by William B. Lowe and Mary Susan Haines Opelika, property owners, to annex 32.6 acres into the City limits accessed from Lafayette Parkway (Hwy 431), R-1 zoning requested G. Text Amendment to Zoning Ordinance 13. A public hearing to consider a recommendation to the City Council on proposed text amendments to the Zoning Ordinance: Section 9.5 General Provision for Signs, 24. Changeable Copy Signs and Section 9.7 Table 9.7(2): Sign Requirements for Other Permitted Types of Temporary Signs. All interested persons are invited to attend the meeting/ public hearings and be heard. Written comments concerning the above matters may be mailed to the Planning Director at 700 Fox Trail, Opelika, Alabama 36801 at any time prior to the meeting/ public hearings and may be further submitted to the Planning Commission at the meeting/public hearings. The Planning Commission reserves the right to modify or alter any of the proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinance and to make its recommendations accordingly to the City Council. Please contact the Planning department at 334-705-5156 at least two (2) working days prior to the meeting if you require special accommodations due to a disability. PLANNING DIRECTOR Legal Run 03/10/2022
B14 March 10, 2022
Georgia ’ s Best Week of Food + Wine! M A R C H 2 4 - 2 7, 2 0 2 2 J I M R . M I LLE R PAR K, M AR I ET TA , G EO RG IA
Tickets to the Saturday main event, Savor - include a souvenir glass for over 400 varieties of wine, beer, and spirits tastings, $10 in culinary credits, and a showcase of over 50+ restaurants and artisans from all over the South. Get your tickets now!
The Georgia Food + Wine Festival celebrates the best of Georgia and the South, from its culinary superstars and beverage experts to its farmers, live musicians and more! There are events for every palate and budget!
DRINKS, MEAT ‘N’ THREE 3/24/22 BRYAN FURMAN BBQ
BEST OF COBB 3/24/22
CLASSES FROM THE GEORGIA MASTERS 3/25/22
FIRED-UP 3/25/22
SAVOR MAIN EVENT 3/26/22
SAVOR, VIP LOUNGE 3/26/22 PRESENTED BY PUBLIX
SUNDAY/FUNDAY FAMILY-FRIENDLY 3/27/22
OYSTER ROAST, VIP LOUNGE FAMILY-FRIENDLY, 3/27/22
G E O R G I A F+W F E S T I VA L CELEBRITY CHEFS + BEVERAGE EXPERTS
VIRGINIA WILLIS TV Personality/ Chef/Author
TIFFANI BARRIERE Bartender/ Influencer/ Educator
MATTHEW RAIFORD Chef/Farmer/Author
JERNARD WELLS TV Personality/ Chef/Author
MICHAEL SULLIVAN Chef/Master Butcher
MICHAEL MCNEILL Master Sommelier
ERIC CRANE Advanced Sommelier
BRYAN FURMAN Pitmaster/Chef
WHITNEY OTAWKA Chef/Author
OV E R 4 0 0 VA R I E T I E S O F W I N E , B E E R + S P I R I T S TA S T I N G S AT S AVO R! *Additional beverage participants added daily OFFICIAL BRANDS: MAKER’S MARK | RODNEY STRONG WINE ESTATES | HORNITOS SIPSMITH | KETEL ONE VODKA | BAILEYS | RON ZACAPA EXHIBITORS: BULRUSH GIN | GARRISON BROTHERS | CHATHAM IMPORTS | GHOST COAST DISTILLERY | OLD DOMINICK OLD ELK | SUGARLANDS DISTILLING CO. | WHISTLE PIG | SWEETWATER BREWING COMPANY | LAUREATE IMPORTS LEAT BRDA | ATHLETIC BREWING CO. | MACK & SCHULE | HOTALING & CO. | CATHEAD DISTILLERY | RIVULET | FREIXENET SAN SEBASTIAN WINERY | MILLER FAMILY WINE | RESCUE DOG WINES | BILTMORE WINES | TANTEO LAWS WHISKEY HOUSE | BALLOTIN CHOCOLATE WHISKEY | SQUARE ONE | CHATTANOOGA WHISKEY | TEN TO ONE OLD BRIDGE CELLARS | MICHTER’S | CROP ORGANIC VODKA | BROAD CREEK SPIRITS COMPANY | PROHIBITION POPS COBB TRAVEL & TOURISM “COBB BUBBLES & BREWS ALLEY”: VIKING ALCHEMIST MEADERY HORNED OWL BREWING | ATLANTA HARD CIDER | SCHOOLHOUSE BREWING | RED HARE BREWING & DISTILLING BROKEN ANCHOR WINERY | BURNT HICKORY BREWERY | GLOVER PARK BREWERY | TREE HORN CIDER
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B15 March 10, 2022
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B16 March 10, 2022
Lew Burdette Joins Governor Race CONTRIBUTED BY THE LEW BURDETTE CAMPAIGN Lew Burdette (R-ROANOKE) has defied big odds before. At age 15, he was abducted, then stabbed, shot, pitched in an abandoned well and left for dead. His survival was miraculous. Now his plight again is great. He is running for governor, first time out of the box. He's never sought political office. Lewin22 is becoming a byword with those who have attended one of his charismatic, warm hearted messages. In 1974, doctors gave him a 5 to 10% chance.
He walked out of the hospital two weeks later, went on to earn a finance degree and ultimately became chief operating officer at Books-A-Million. He took it from being a bookstore in Florence to a national chain, which at his departure was earning $250 million annually. During his 13 years there, he helped with the creation of nearly 3,000 jobs. Having given his soul to God, he now runs the non-profit King's Home in Birmingham that shelters abused and neglected women and children in Jefferson and Shelby counties. "There are several
LEW BURDETTE reasons I'm running for governor of this great state of ours," Burdette
said. "The main one is that I'm sick of seeing corruption seep
through its every pore. Corruption taints every facet of our political
system. I, and those who elect me to lead them, are going to put a damper on it." As if being a political newcomer weren't enough, Burdette is doing something unheard of in political circles. He is capping donations to his campaign while other gubernatorial candidates are bringing in millions. Burdette definitely felt a call to throw his hat in Alabama's largest political ring, but he said heaven forbid that he be considered one who uses his faith as a stepping stone. "And thank God," he said, "that I'm not a politician."
Hanwha Solutions, the “green energy” division of Hanwha, has acquired Cimarron Composites of Huntsville and as a result, is building a new manufacturing facility in Opelika, Alabama. Hanwha Cimarron designs, manufactures and tests composite pressure vessels for a variety of aerospace and industrial uses — including rockets (for NASA and SpaceX). Here in Opelika we’ll build all types of fuel tanks for hydrogen powered cars/ trucks, in-ground storage tanks for hydrogen re-fueling stations and other uses. We’re hiring now for all three shifts! These are direct hire positions with starting hourly rates of up to $23.00 per hour depending on experience, and include a full range of company benefits that begin on your first day of work! We're looking for talented, self-motivated individuals to join our production team in the following positions: Composite Technician – $18.00 - $23.00 per hour starting pay, DOE Logistics Operator (Forklift) – $18.00 - $23.00 per hour starting pay, DOE Quality Technician - $18.00 - $23.00 per hour starting pay, DOE
BENEFITS: • BC/BS health/dental insurance • Vision coverage • Company paid life insurance • Company matching 401k • Tuition Reimbursement • Health FSA
APPLY TODAY! Send resume to jobs@hanwhacimarron.com
THIS WEEK’S PUZZLE ANSWERS: