The Observer 06-16-2022 E-edition by OpelikaObserver

Thursday June 16, 2022

Vol. 14, No. 36

Opelika, Alabama

Covering Lee County, Alabama

An award-winning publication created 'For local people, by local people.'

Local Lake Causing Earthy Smell in Drinking Water

Lee County PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER

to Celebrate Juneteenth BY KENDYL HOLLINGSWORTH KENDYLH@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

Saugahatchee Lake

Opelika Utilities assures customers that water is safe to drink CONTRIBUTED BY OPELIKA UTILITIES

OPELIKA — Algae growth in lakes, especially during warm weather months, is a common problem in lakes across the country. Officials with Opelika Utilities reported that Saugahatchee Lake, one of the two lakes in the region that is used to provide drinking water for Opelika

citizens, is experiencing higher than usual algae growth this year. Those so-called “algae blooms” are resulting in an earthy taste and odor in tap water. While the taste and odor are unpleasant, the water is safe to drink and use for cooking and bathing. Water from Saugahatchee Lake goes through significant treatment and testing process-

es to ensure it meets all public health standards. Opelika Utilities is working with scientists and other water experts to evaluate and determine the best and most cost-effective long-term solution. “Our approach is to address the cause and prevent or minimize future algae growth, rather than spending millions on new treatment tech-

Judge Declares Opelika Man Guilty in 'Flowers' Case BY KENDYL HOLLINGSWORTH KENDYLH@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

AUBURN — An Auburn municipal judge found Winston “Winchester” Hagans guilty June 9 of criminal littering for leaving flower boxes on his fiancée’s gravesite, which is owned by the fiancée’s father. Though the judge suspended the 30-day jail sentence, Hagans faces a criminal littering fine of $50 plus court costs in the amount of $251. The defense will appeal

the decision, according to Hagans’ attorney, Jeff Tickal. “I’m paid to rule on law and the facts,” said Judge Jim McLaughlin. “…Whether [the flower box] is pretty or not is not a consideration of this court.” He called it a “clear case” based on the evidence and testimonies. “It is a simple personal property right,” he added. The “flowers on the grave” case gained international attention earlier this year after news of the formal complaint

and subsequent arrest circulated on social media. CONTEXT Hagans, of Opelika, was engaged to Hannah Ford for about a month before she was killed in a car accident on her way home to Montgomery on Jan. 17, 2021. The couple had just picked out a wedding venue that evening. Hagans later created a flower planter box with their engagement pictures on the sides, which he left on her gravesite at Auburn’s Memorial See HAGANS, page A3

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nology at our facilities that may not be effective with varying types of algae,” said Dan Hilyer, Opelika Utilities general manager. “It’s a complex challenge, and we want to get it right while minimizing the cost to our customers.” When cooler weather returns and the algae blooms decrease, so will See WATER page A2

LEE COUNTY — The county is gearing up for a weekend of celebration in recognition of Juneteenth. A combination of “June” and “nineteenth,” Juneteenth serves as a day to commemorate the emancipation of slaves in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865. Two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation became official, it was one of the final acts

to end slavery in the United States. Juneteenth remains the “oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States,” according to www.juneteenth.com. “Juneteenth means a lot to me,” said Auburn Ward 1 City Council Member Connie Fitch Taylor. “It is a day of freedom for the African Americans. It’s a day that we, as African Americans, can celebrate the fact that we was actually free ... It’s a See JUNETEENTH page A4

GoodwillSR Donates Funds For Humanitarian Aid For Ukrainian Citizens CONTRIBUTED BY GOODWILLSR

COLUMBUS — Goodwill Southern Rivers (Goodwill) June 2 announced that it is donating $30,000 for humanitarian aid to Ukrainian citizens in response to what has been reported as one of the largest and fastest displacement crises since World War II. The donation is the result of a recent campaign whereby Goodwill donated a portion of weekend sales along with Goodwill customers rounding up their purchases at the register. "Over six million people have fled the

Ukraine as a result of the conflict with Russa, and countless others remain trapped there under extremely dangerous and dire circumstances," said Goodwill President and CEO, Jack Warden." Images of families fleeing their homes have been deeply disturbing to all of us here at GoodwillSr. "It is our hope that this donation will help alleviate, at least in part, a portion of the human suffering that we see

happening. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Ukraine.” ABOUT GOODWILL SOUTHERN RIVERS: Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers (GoodwillSR) is one of 156 independent, community-based Goodwill nonprofits across the United States and Canada. Headquartered in Columbus, Georgia, GoodwillSR serves 50 counties throughout See GOODWILL, page A3

CONTENTS

OPINION ..................... A4 ENTERTAINMENT ........... A7 OBITUARIES ............... A12 RELIGION ................... A13 COMICS ....................... A16 SPORTS ........................ B1 POLITICS ...................... B9 CLASSIFIEDS ................ B14 PUBLIC NOTICES ........... B14 PUZZLES ..................... B15

A2 June 16, 2022

City of Smiths Station Names New Planning and Zoning Administrator

the Planning Commission, among many other responsibilities. “As a Smiths Station High School graduate, it is an honor for me to take on this new role and continue working in my hometown,” Verbowski said. “I’m very excited

to see what the future holds and be a part of the continued growth of Smiths Station.” Kami Billingslea will assist in the day-to-day operations of the Planning and Zoning Department and take over as the city’s IT administrator. She will also be assisting Verbowski with stormwater inspections, data entry and permit review. Billingslea will continue in her role as Mayor F. L. “Bubba” Copeland’s executive assistant. Morgan Bryce, who currently serves as city clerk, will add the title of communications director to his job responsibilities and will be the main point of contact for local media on behalf of the city.

in-line carbon water filter on your faucets or a carbon-filtered water pitcher. Learn more about recommended filters and how often to replace them here: https://www.nsf. org/consumer-resources/ articles/changing-water-filters For more information, visit https://www. projecth2opelika.com/ tasteAndOdor. ABOUT OPELIKA UTILITIES

Opelika Utilities provides clean, reliable drinking water to serve a population of over 130,000 people in Opelika, Alabama and surrounding communities. We have the capacity to treat and deliver up to 24 million gallons of drinking water per day. For more information, visit OWWB.com or download the Opelika Utilities mobile app.

CONTRIBUTED BY CITY OF SMITHS STATION SMITHS STATION —

Effective June 9, 2022, Taylor Verbowski assumed the role of Planning and Zoning Administrator for the city of Smiths Station. Verbowski has spent the last year as an assistant to the Planning and Zoning Department and last two years as the city's event coordinator, experience that led to her promotion to this position. Responsibilities for Verbowski’s new position will include approval of permit applications to her department, stormwater infrastructure inspections in ongoing developments around the city, and advisor to

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the taste and smell issues. Until then, here are some tips to help reduce the taste and odor: • Run the tap for a bit before using • Refrigerate water in an open pitcher • Add a slice of citrus or cucumber • Use an NSF/ANSI-approved activated

VERBOWSKI

Forward Opelika — Investing in the City

BY HANNAH LESTER HLESTER@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

OPELIKA — The Opelika Chamber of Commerce is aiming to provide more business help with its new project, Forward Opelika. President and CEO of the chamber, Ali Rauch, appeared with the Chairman of the Opelika Chamber of Commerce, Sheriff Jay Jones, at the last Lee County Commission meeting of May to discuss the initiative. “For those of you unfamiliar, the Opelika Chamber is the champion for the business community here in our area,” Rauch said. “We represent 92 businesses and close to 20,000 employees in the region and are considered to be the top 3% of chambers nationwide. “We operate with excellent standards and are a trusted entity within this community; we’re celebrating 81 years.” The Forward Opelika initiative is a project to help meet new needs for those 92 businesses, Rauch said. “As representatives of the business community, when there are challenges that we face, as a business, it is our job to adapt and adjust and take on new responsibilities to ensure that our business

community and their needs are being met,” she said. “That is what Forward Opelika is.” One of those problems includes filling open positions in Opelika and Lee County. “There are more than 1,000 jobs currently open among our top 20 employers,” she said. This includes industries, the hospital, mom and pop shops, etc. “For us, I believe that we cannot continue to thrive as a community unless we have someone focused on filling those jobs, day in and day out,” Rauch said. Current employees have problems, as well, she said. “The Lee-Russell Council of Governments did an assessment and found out that 26% of the average household income is what people are spending on childcare and that’s incredibly out of whack so we need to find some solutions for that,” Rauch said. Other challenges include housing and transportation needs. “I’m not saying that the chamber is going to come in and solve those right off the bat, but we can get the right people around the table to build a plan and executive to solve those challenges,” she said.

Another goal for the Forward Opelika initiative would include training to help business owners move their businesses toward their goals. There is also some training already available that people aren’t utilizing, Rauch said. Forward Opelika is a five-year plan to raise $2.77 million, she said. “The execution of this plan will be a joint effort among all of our engaged partners, yourselves [commission] included,” Rauch said. “And it will provide the leadership and direction that we need to ensure we as a region continue to grow, and grow in the same direction as needed to solve those challenges.” The first step would be to hire employees for the unfilled jobs through a new director of workforce. “We’ll also create task forces to solve those barriers that we were discussing, like affordable housing and childcare,” Rauch said. The chamber will be utilizing a new building soon — the former Lewis Cooper Jr. Memorial Library. And within this new building will be a business incubator, Rauch said. “The city has agreed to give that to us in a See OPELIKA, page A4

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A3 June 16, 2022

Family Amusement Park and Go-Kart Track Coming to Opelika in the Fall OPELIKA — Auburn and Opelika will always be considered college towns before anything else. The downtown areas of both are primarily targeted for college kids and adults. For many local parents, there isn’t much to do for their kids under the age of 18. That will be changing in just a few months. Coming soon to the Opelika area: Playday Karts,

a family amusement park unlike any other in Eastern Alabama. With a targeted opening date in mid-August, Playday Karts is sure to have it all. Located on a six-acre plot of land next to the Opelika RV Center on US-280 E., the future amusement park will open in phases, starting with the newly constructed go-kart track. The track will start with 17 karts in total, five of which are double seaters for parents with young kids.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER

BY JUSTIN TRAUSCH FOR THE OBSERVER

Owner and proprietor of Playday Karts, John Blount of Opelika, has always felt that there are not enough attractions for younger

kids and families in the Auburn-Opelika area. He thinks this is a huge untapped market that is ready for something new.

“I grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, and there we had go-karts, arcades and things like that,” he said. “Down here, there’s really not much of anything for kids.” Of course, an amusement park wouldn’t be such with only a go-kart track. Blount plans on putting in many other attractions to accompany the headliner including an arcade, virtual reality games, an axe-throwing area, inflatable bounce houses and even a putt-puttgolf course.

“I’m just really wanting to create a family fun environment,” Blount said. “That’s the whole thing I’m going after. Go-karts was always a fun thing to do when I was growing up, so I figured it could do well here.” If you’re thinking about planning a birthday party for you, your child, or a friend in the fall, then look no further than Playday Karts. It’s sure to be an exciting experience for the whole family.

GSF Foundation Awards Grants to Local Food Banks Through May Initiative Total will provide the equivalent of 734,000 meals for children and families around the United States

OPELIKA –– GSF Foundation, the nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and families in need in the areas where Golden State Foods (GSF) associates live and work, engaged in the “Focus on Food” initiative in May to support local food banks in their efforts to alleviate hunger for children and families struggling with food insecurity. Nineteen local Foundation committees made a grant to eligible 501(c)(3) food banks through an expedited process with matching national GSF Foundation donations up to $5,000 per local food bank grant. This year’s total of $170,000 in grants to food banks will provide the equivalent of 734,000 meals

HAGANS >>

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Park Cemetery in May 2021, the same month they were to be married. He soon found that the box had been discarded, a pattern he would experience in the following months. Hagans said previously that Hannah’s father, the Rev. Hayden Thomas “Tom” Ford III, did not approve of the relationship. On Jan. 4, 2022, Ford filed a criminal complaint against Hagans for criminal littering. Hagans was arrested later that month and saw that Ford had signed the warrant for his arrest. Hagans claimed the Ford family never reached out to him directly to ask him to stop placing the flowers at Hannah’s grave. However, he allegedly vowed on social media to continue placing flowers there as long as they would continue to be thrown away, according to the complaint. A municipal judge heard a motion to dismiss the charge in March, but the motion was not granted. TRIAL The bench trial on June 9 saw several family members from both sides in attendance. Hagans pleaded not guilty and

for children and families all around the United States. For children who count on their school cafeteria for regular meals, summertime can bring heightened hunger and anxiety into their lives. Instead of having fun in the sun and taking an enjoyable break from the school year, many families struggle with tough trade-offs between food and other necessities in the challenging summer months. Community food banks provide a lifeline for food-insecure families with nowhere else to turn. “Our local GSFF committees around the U.S. have come together to make a focused impact on food insecurity in the communities where our associates live and work,” said Vanessa Hugon, programs and development manager,

stood silent throughout the proceedings. Tickal argued the flower boxes did not fit the definition of “litter” as outlined in the Code of Alabama. The judge ruled that it did, falling under the category of “foreign substance.” Ford and City Prosecutor Justin Clark noted 10 separate instances of finding a flower box at the grave and discarding it. Ford claimed the first box was “rotten” and falling apart when he picked it up. He said he also noticed a surveillance camera in a nearby tree when he discovered the second box. Ford testified he took ownership of the plot May 14, 2021. It previously belonged to his brotherin-law. The prosecution called Sari Card, an administrative assistant for Auburn Parks and Recreation, as a witness. Card testified that she had interacted with Hagans on multiple occasions regarding the gravesite and advised him not to keep placing the flowers at Hannah’s grave, noting Ford might take legal action. She said Hagans responded that he “didn’t care” and would put more. Tickal later argued the presence of several other similar flower boxes

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER

CONTRIBUTED BY GSF FOUNDATION

GSF Foundation. “From grant-making matches to volunteering with food banks, associates teamed up to help end hunger as part of our Foundation’s core programming.” A leading supplier to the foodservice industry for 75 years, GSF today feeds more than one billion people worldwide every day. Associates across GSF’s food manufacturing and distribution businesses have a deep connection to fighting hunger. Since 2002 when the GSF and other items at other gravesites in the cemetery gave “implied permission” for Hagans to do the same. Card confirmed the presence of these items. Tickal then asked Ford if he approved of his daughter’s relationship with Hagans, to which Ford said he “certainly [did] not.” However, Ford said his decision to take legal action “had nothing to do with the relationship or anything else.” The defense made a motion to dismiss the case “not on facts,” but because of a “defective complaint.” Tickal argued the complaint did not allege that Hagans “actually did anything,” and it did not focus on a particular instance. He also pointed out an incorrect date in the documents, calling it a “fatal error” that did not get fixed when he brought it to the city’s attention. The judge denied the motion and delivered the judgement, advising Hagans to pay tribute to Hannah somewhere else. Tickal had no statement following the trial. Clark said he cannot comment since the decision is being appealed. The defense has 14 days to file an appeal, according to McLaughlin.

Foundation formed 20 years ago, associates have donated millions of meals to vulnerable community members and volunteered their time shelving donations in food pantries, gleaning produce from fields, and distributing groceries to neighbors in need. ABOUT GSF FOUNDATION The GSF Foundation is a nonprofit organization, dedicated to improving the lives of children and families in need in the areas where Golden State Foods

GOODWILL>>

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east Alabama and west Georgia. We provide employment readiness training, computer access, educational assis-

(GSF) associates live and work. Established in 2002, the Foundation is a natural extension of Golden State Foods’ values-based business. Funded and run by GSF associate volunteers and supported by its business partners, community partners and customers, the Foundation operates under the direction of an executive board, which includes national representation from local GSF volunteers. Uniting their hearts and hands for good, as much as 80% of GSF associates actively support the Foundation through personal involvement and contributions in 28 local committees across the United States. 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.

tance, skills workshops and more to spur job placement and economic stability in the communities we serve. We can provide these and other programs thanks to the continued donations of giving patrons. We use

the revenue generated in GoodwillSR stores to fund the majority of our community services. For more information about Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers, visit www.goodwillsr.org.

TEXTILE MILLS ASBESTOS CLAIMS If you began working in a Textile Mill, Tire Plant, Paper Mill, Steel Mill or any other industrial setting before 1980: You may have a claim against the asbestos manufacturers.

Call now for your free evaluation. 1-(888)432-6020 Asbestos Claims, LLC, Jubal L. Hamil Attorney at Law ARPC 7.2.(e) “No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.”

A4 June 16, 2022

Thank You

SEAN DIETRICH

just wanted to say thank you. Thank you. That’s it. You don’t get thanked nearly enough for all you do. And I’m here to correct that. Even if only for a few moments. I hope you know how grateful we all are. And by “we all,” I mean us. The whole human race. So thank you. We appreciate you. Thank you to the old man in Walmart who was in the self-checkout lane when he paid for a young Latina woman’s groceries after her card was rejected. Thank you to the teenage boy who bounced his screaming baby sister on his hip while paramedics

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day of remembrance … of the things that we, as black people, should be and are thankful for.” In 1980, Texas became the first state to recognize Juneteenth as an official state holiday. More than 40 years later, on June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed into law the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act to establish Juneteenth as a federal holiday. It will be observed this year on Monday, June 20. Ahead of the federal holiday, the county will offer four big chances this weekend to join in celebration. Saturday, June 18, the Lion Tamers Social and Civic Club will host its annual Family Fun Day and Juneteenth Celebration at the Covington

loaded his mother into an ambulance on the interstate. I passed the accident on the way home. It was awful. Police cars everywhere. Thank you to the officer who took the crying baby into his arms and held her against his chest while the teenage boy crawled into the ambulance with his mother. Thank you to the elderly man who helped change a flat tire for six older men stranded on I-285 outside Atlanta. The man who changed the tire never knew he was helping a carload of six former inmates who recently moved into transitional halfway housing; who, even though they are now Recreation Center. This year’s theme is “Stop the Violence, Save Our Children.” From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., attendees can expect games, activities, health screening and a “gospel explosion” hosted by Sylvester McPherson and featuring the Gospel Aires and others. A free picnic on the lawn will be provided at 11 a.m. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, St. Luke A.M.E. Church will celebrate Juneteenth with a free community event featuring food, music, local vendors and more. The event will take place on the grounds of the church, and in the event of rain, it will move indoors. The historic church is located at 1308 Auburn St. in Opelika. Saturday will also feature a Juneteenth celebration and “Unsung Heroes” event at Auburn’s Martin Luther King Park beginning at 10 a.m. All are

sober, law-abiding citizens, are unemployed, and largely unimportant to those around them. Thank you, whoever you are, for faking like you’re in a good mood for your kids, even though your heart is broken. Thank you for caregiving for your husband/wife/mom/dad/ son/daughter/relative/ stranger. God bless all who change the diapers of adult patients in nursing homes, and do it in such a way that there is no loss of dignity for either party. Thank you for supporting your local musicians. Thanks for ordering an extra beer and placing an extra tip in the jar before requesting “Freebird” as a joke because you think you are being original. Thank you for tipping your waitress. You might have no idea what it’s like to live on tips. You might have no clue what it feels like to be forced to reduce yourself to being cheerful toward restaurant customers in hopes of earning enough ones and fives to pay

invited to attend the free event, which will include food, music, games, step shows, softball, surprise guests and more. A ceremony will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Taylor and Dr. Terrance D. Vickerstaff are slated as guest speakers. Taylor said the Unsung Heroes event was previously held in May 2021, but as a council member, she hopes to continue combining it with Juneteenth each year. This year’s theme is “The Legacy Continues,” and Taylor said there will be some local “legends” present. “These are legends that come from our community and that people don’t really know, so that’s part of this celebration is to celebrate those people because there were some people before them that led the way for them,” she added.

your bills and, God willing, to send your daughter on her senior class trip. Thank you all who helped your communities in the aftermath of the mass shootings that received less coverage than the Uvalde disaster. Thank you to the people the world never saw on TV. The people that John Q. Public forgot about. To the hometown preachers in Buffalo, New York, who were called upon to deliver eulogies, sermons and homegoing services for the 10 who were killed. To the local government employees who cried behind closed doors because they cannot unsee the grisly images they spent all day looking at in Tops Supermarket on Buffalo’s East Side. Thank you to the crime-scene workers in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who picked up the pieces in the wake of a shooting which killed four — three of whom were hospital staffers. Thank you to the funeral homes who handled final

Opelika will host another Juneteenth celebration at Courthouse Square on Sunday, June 19, at 3 p.m. The free event will feature live music, including a performance by American Idol’s Lady K, a freedom march on social injustice, food vendors and a Father’s Day barbecue cookoff. Event Organizer Janataka Holmes said she is grateful for the city’s “Together, Opelika” initiative and to see Juneteenth recognized as a federal, state and local holiday. “The Juneteenth celebration was once a dream for someone, but it’s came to reality,” she said. “… (Opeilka) City Council was very supportive this year. Mayor Fuller did a proclamation for us at city council, and so it’s just looking forward to a grand time.” Holmes — who continues to work with Tiffany

preparations for Dr. Stephanie Husen, Dr. Preston Phillips, receptionist Amanda Glenn and William Love, who lost their lives when a gunman entered Saint Francis Hospital. Lastly, thank you to those in Uvalde who helped their neighbors during a hailstorm of anguish while we Americans were busy arguing with each other. Thank you to the people at Uvalde Memorial Hospital. To the doctors, nurses, medical staffers, cafeteria workers, cooks, dishwashers, delivery drivers, hospital custodians, maintenance persons, medical receptionists, volunteers, chaplains and everyone else who keeps that place running. Thank you to Uvalde’s EMTs, first responders, fire-medics, deputies, peace officers, dispatchers, traffic directors, squad-car mechanics, Border Patrol agents, FBI workers and all the faceless cops who worked triple, quadruple and quintuple shifts, operating on no sleep and intravenous caffeine.

Gibson, Henrietta Crittenden-Snipes and Alabama Rep. Jeremy Gray to host the celebration — highlighted the freedom march as a staple of the event. “We definitely want to keep all of that in the forefront of our minds and on our hearts ... We definitely continue to march on social injustices and to make people aware that it still happens, but we just want to be a city that remains exempt from it happening.” Both Taylor and Holmes said Juneteenth and the county’s celebrations are a chance for the community to come together in unity. “You know, we can come together as a community, and we can really, really have a great time,” Taylor said. “It’s just not for the Black people; it’s for everybody who wants to come and be a part of this celebration.”

NAMI MEETING NAMI East Alabama, the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), will meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, NAMI supports families dealing with mental illness through mutual support, education and advocacy. There will be a time for sharing. The public is invited.

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

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To local mothers who watched neighborhood kids, while kids’ parents worked overtime to help their little town. Thank you to all who were charged with the awful task of using mops and buckets to clean up the crimescene aftermath at Robb Elementary. To the gophers who picked up takeout pizza for all the emergency workers. To the people who did their work for no attention, no vainglory, no media exposure and who chose not to allow their faces to be plastered all over social while they dutifully practiced their goodwill. And thank you, whoever you are. Thank you for waking up today even though you didn’t sleep great last night. Thank you for doing your work, and doing it well. Thank you for loving your neighbors, your coworkers, your townspeople, relatives and enemies, even when you don’t feel like it. You might never know how lovely you make this world simply by being in it.

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long-term lease rate of only $1,000 annually for the next 20 to 40 years,” she said. “So they have invested in us in that manner by providing us the space.” Renovations are necessary for the space to utilize it how the chamber wants, Rauch said, which includes the business incubator, office space and a visitor center for Lee County. “I’m here with you today because it is very important for us to have the support of both the private and the public sector,” she said. “We plan to raise that and get the investments of that $2.77 million, the vast majority of that is going to come from the private sector. Our businesses are investing in us. “We have just gotten a $250,000 investment from one of our lead industries — the Glynn Smith Chevrolet group has invested to pay for the visitor center.” Rauch asked the commission for funding as well, however, $250,000. The commission made no decisions at that meeting.

Protect with 3! ✔ Tdap ✔ HPV ✔ MCV4 Protect your patients against vaccine preventable diseases.

As healthcare professionals, it is up to you to ensure your patients remain up to date with their vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) recommend the following vaccines for adolescents: • • • •

Tetanus, Diptheria, Pertussis Human papillomavirus Meningococcal disease Influenza

For more information, please visit alabamapublichealth.gov/imm

A5 June 16, 2022

LCLC, OLLI Partner To Increase Literacy CONTRIBUTED BY LCLC

find innovative ways to engage, educate and empower adult learners. The beautiful spaces at Sunny Slope will provide an optimal

ing options in reading, writing, math and GED preparation. OLLI offers member-centered courses, hands-on learning experiences,

50. Experienced volunteer instructors lead not-for-credit courses in a variety of subjects and settings. For information about OLLI pro-

social interaction and opportunities for volunteerism for people over

grams and scholarships, call Barbara Daron at 334-844-3102. Read-

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER

AUBURN — Lee County Literacy Coalition continues its efforts to increase access and leverage technology to meet the demand for adult literacy services. More than 43 million adults in the United States lack basic work skills like literacy, numeracy and problem-solving. One in four Alabamians is functionally illiterate with over 24,000 men and women in Lee County alone. Increasing literacy rates in the state requires advocacy, intention and thought leaders as champions. Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI)

at Auburn University and Lee County Literacy Coalition (LCLC) will partner to create spaces where individuals can experience the power of literacy. Literacy changes how we move in the world around us. OLLI will provide classrooms and gathering areas at their headquarters at Sunny Slope at 1031 S. College St. in Auburn. Small group sessions run by LCLC will engage learners for short term learning or while waiting to be paired with a tutor for one-to-one sessions. This summer pilot program will foster a collaboration where both agencies will

LCLC and OLLI staff members

environment to inspire learning beyond the basics. LCLC offers tutor-

ing lifts us out of our comfort zone, allows us to consider possibilities beyond our imagination and fundamentally helps us to navigate daily. LCLC and OLLI are excited about this partnership and the barriers it will lessen for adults struggling to improve their literacy. Both organizations share a commitment for diversity and inclusion in learning initiatives with a collective goal of bridging the gap for lifelong learning opportunities. For more information about getting involved, visit www. leecountliteracy.org or call 334-705-0001.

A Part of Opelika's History: The Renfro House OPELIKA — Standing stately as a reminder of early history in Opelika and East Alabama, the Renfro House has survived tornadoes and hurricanes that destroyed the oak, pine and pecan trees that once stood on the grounds. The house remains much as it did when built in 1900 by Frank Monroe Renfro that became home to the family for generations, as they left a lasting mark on their beloved community. Renfro and his brothers Peter Forney and Noah Parker were well known in the mid to late 1800s, owning various business interests in Opelika, including an opera house, a bank, Spring Villa, grocery, lime kiln, farming land and a fertilizer plant, among others. The brothers were also community leaders serving in various offices as mayor, probate judge and on the city council. While the saga of the Renfro family intertwines with the history of Opelika spreading to East Alabama, their pilgrimage southward began many generations earlier. Most of the Renfros or Renfrew who immigrated to America came from the royal burgh of Renfrew in Renfrewshire County, Scotland, having been there since at least 1296. In 1404, King Robert III erected the Barony of Renfrew and bestowed it on his son James I of Scotland. Prince Charles of England carries on the title, Baron of Renfrew. The common variant of the name Renfrew today is Renfro. The Renfros arrived in America in the 1600s and settled in Virginia, as documented in various texts. William Renfro, who was born in 1734, grew up on the farm next to the Washington family. George Washington and William played together as children, fishing and hunting at the farms. They both wanted to become surveyors and learned the trade from William’s brother James. Following his friend Washington into adulthood, William fought Indian battles to protect early settlers in outlying areas. He became a surveyor along with his brother James, who worked with Daniel Boone to settle

Tennessee and Kentucky. William spent the winter at Valley Forge with Washington and was present at the surrender of General Cornwallis at Yorktown. William died in 1830 at age 96. His descendants and other members of the Renfro family were also surveyors and land speculators, as they traveled as a clan and joined the Donaldson Expedition, exploring in flat boats on what they called the Great River. Native Americans attacked many times, and several were killed. The clan settled in Kentucky in what is still known today as Renfro Valley. After the Revolutionary War, many of them went west. Born in 1781, Bartlett Renfro and his cousin John were the only ones to come south. Bartlett and John were circuit riders, and the places they stopped to preach were called Renfro Stations. Bartlett and his family settled in Anniston while Native Americans were still in the area. Bartlett’s seventh child, Noah Parker Renfro, settled in Cusseta where he was a farmer and rural mail carrier. After his death at a young age, his wife Nancy brought their children, Peter Forney, Franklin Monroe, Mary Selinah Jane and Noah Parker Jr. to Opelika. Frank was born Benjamin Franklin, but when he was only eight years old he went to the Chambers County Courthouse and had his name changed to Franklin Monroe. No one knows exactly why he wanted to change his name. He was known as someone who was always interested in helping others. During the Civil War, when Frank heard his brother Peter and other soldiers stationed at West Point were hungry, he filled a bag with potatoes and took them to the soldiers. Frank married Mary Ida Traylor, and they had two children, Mary Elna Renfro (Mrs. Charles V. Ingram Jr.) and Forney Renfro Sr., who all grew up in Opelika. The Renfro brothers first entered the grocery business. Later they expanded to include the Chewacla Lime Works at the old lime kiln south of Opelika, Spring Villa, and had farming interests in Mt. Jefferson.

PHOTO BY ANN CIPPERLY / FOR THE OBSERVER

BY ANN CIPPERLY FOR THE OBSERVER

They were also owners of the Renfro Opera House. Old newspaper accounts tells of young ladies from Salem giving a grand concert at the opera house July 27, 1877, when it was called the Broadway Hall. It is recorded that Gov. Bobby Taylor of Tennessee spoke at the opera house. Maps dated 1893 list the opera house as a stage and scene (not in use) with a bank on first floor. When the brothers ended the grocery business, they founded Renfro Brothers Bank. It is also believed that the brothers owned stock in the railroad since they always had a free pass. They also owned a business in West Point, and many other businesses were associated with their name. In 1886, Frank and Noah founded the First National Bank of Opelika. Frank was president, while Noah was vice president, later becoming president. As well as being businessmen, the brothers were interested in the community. Peter served as mayor of Opelika, Frank was probate judge for Lee County, while Noah was a member of the city council. Frank had a white steamer and a car he called the “Jackrabbit.” For years he would pick up children on Sunday morning in the Jackrabbit and take them to Sunday school, and then take older people to church. (Years later the cars were sold to be part of a collection belonging to an actor in Hollywood.)

In 1900, Frank built the Renfro house on North 10th Street with 18 rooms and 11 fireplaces, each one different. The downstairs features excellent woodwork of oak and heart pine floors. Upstairs the woodwork and floors are both pine. The house has brilliant stained glass and the original light fixtures. When Frank built the house, he was a widower with two teenage children. The beautiful house across the street had been built earlier by Noah and had more “feminine” touches than what the family fondly called “The Big House.” At one time, a circus was held in front of both Renfro houses. Noah’s house was later torn down, and the chandelier was moved to Frank’s house. Joe Renfro was Frank’s brother Peter’s son. Joe had the first residential telephone exchange in the area, which he sold in the early 1900s to Southern Bell. Afterwards, Joe went into the ice manufacturing business, dividing the town into four sections with each one having a horse and wagon. Children would follow the ice wagon on summer days and hold their hands out when the ice was broken to catch the cold shavings. After Frank’s son, Forney, went to work at the bank, he became president as well as a representative in the state legislature. Forney and his wife Alberta lived in the house and had five children born in the downstairs bedroom. Their

second child was Forney Jr. Alberta was deathly afraid of thunderstorms. During storms, she would gather the five children around a piano in the downstairs hall to sing hymns. The Renfro family would only drink Spring Villa water. When Forney Jr. was a small child, he would ride with a workman in a mule drawn wagon to Spring Villa to get drinking water. The trip took all day. They brought water back in five gallon bottles, which were filled in crates. When needed, the bottles were inverted into a frame that held ice and had a spigot. The bottle and frame rested on a marble shelf in a downstairs hallway. After Forney Jr.’s father died, he went to work at the First National Bank. He left to serve in the armed forces and returned to the bank in 1953. He stayed there until he retired at the end of 1977 and became the third member of his family in succeeding generations to have been president of the bank. Forney Jr. and his wife Eloise moved into the Renfro house on North 10th Street in 1953 and raised five children. Forney was involved in many civic organizations. He served as mayor for one term. Since the house stayed in the Renfro family, it changed little. In the mid-1960s, Forney Jr. and Eloise had part of the porch removed and replaced the wooden railing with iron. The kitchen

was rearranged, and a bath was added upstairs. Forney Jr.’s sister Ruth (called Rudy by the family) had her wedding reception in the house, as well as three of the five Renfro children. After the children married or graduated from college, they moved away. Anne Renfro Fish lives in Birmingham, Lynn Renfro Krome is in Huntsville, Julie Renfro resides in Kentucky and Forney Traylor Renfro ande Amy Ruth Renfro live in North Carolina. In 1988, Annette and Terry Andrus, who was president and CEO of the East Alabama Medical Center, purchased the Renfro house where they raised their three children. The Andruses updated the kitchen and bathrooms. The house was sold in 2018 to St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Today, the house looks much the same as when constructed with heart pine floors, oak mantels and staircase gleaming with a rich patina. The stately house continues its place as a historic landmark with each unfolding chapter in the history of Opelika and East Alabama. PUBLISHER'S NOTE Plans to demolish the house have been discussed by the church, but at this time, those plans have not been finalized. Due to a change in leadership of the church taking place later this summer, the church has decided to address the issue with the new leadership.

A6 June 16, 2022

LCAR Announces 2022 Award Winners

Realtor of the Year, Good Neighbor Award, Rookie of the Year Among Awards Given CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER AUBURN –– The Lee County Association of Realtors® (LCAR) is proud to announce its 2022 award winners among the organization’s membership. Ryan Roberts of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Preferred Real Estate was awarded

Lee County Realtor of the Year for 2022. This award recognizes the realtor who has contributed the most to the real estate profession on a local level, to fellow realtors and to the community at large during the career of a nominee. Points are awarded based on realtor professionalism, civic activities, local board activities and business

accomplishments. Emmy Sorrells of Three Sixty {real estate} was presented the Lee County realtor Good Neighbor Award for 2022. This award is intended to recognize individual contributions as opposed to association or company-wide efforts. It is not necessarily an annual award, but is awarded as merit dictates to a recipi-

ent who has demonstrated outstanding service to the community. The award is modeled after the National Association of Realtors Good Neighbor award, and as such Sorrells will be nominated for the national award. Kayla Martin with Acuff Weekley GroupEXP Realty is the recipient of the Lee County Rookie of the Year

Award. This is a local award based on achievements and contributions by a realtor who has been licensed two years or fewer. Points are awarded based on realtor professionalism, local board activities, civic activities, AAR/NAR activities, education and training and production. The Lee County Association of Realtor congrat-

ulates these outstanding realtor and commends their continued commitment and dedication to the community. For more information, please contact Jamie Sergen at 334-321-0606, or email jsergen@leecorealtors.com. For more information about the Lee County Association of Realtors, visit leecorealtors.org.

East Alabama Arts Announces “All In” Lineup for 2022-23 Season BY KENDYL HOLLINGSWORTH KENDYLH@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM OPELIKA — East Alabama Arts announced its lineup June 3 for the much-anticipated 2022-23 performance series, which will focus on being “A Season for All” and “All In for the Season.” “The original intent was for this series to be something that appeals to a broad range of interests,” said Phillip Preston, director of the Arts Association of East Alabama, also known as East Alabama Arts. “… Everybody has certain things they like. They’re Broadway enthusiasts,

they’re dance enthusiasts and opera and choral enthusiasts … The bigger benefit will be to provide a broad range and to put it into a subscription form so that everybody experiences all kinds of different things through the course of a season.” This season will run from August 2022 through March 2023 at the Opelika Center for the Performing Arts. The lineup is as follows: “We’ll Meet Again” musical by James R. Harris – Aug. 30, 2022 Mariachi Henrecia de México, “Cuando México Canta” – Oct. 5, 2022 Kyiv City Ballet, “Swan Lake” – Oct. 20,

2022 Ranky Tanky (South Carolina-based quintet) – Nov. 14, 2022 “The Aluminum Show” – Jan. 25, 2023 Orpheus Chamber Orchestra ft. Alessio Bax – Feb. 23, 2023 Chanticleer (vocal ensemble), “The Best of Chanticleer” – March 2, 2023 Gentri, “The Gentlemen Trio” – March 30, 2023 The series opener, “We’ll Meet Again,” has major ties to Opelika, according to Preston. Not only does the writer and his family have deep roots in Lee County, but the musical focuses on the life of beloved

city leader Henry Stern, whose family escaped the Holocaust with the help of his uncle, downtown Opelika merchant Julius Hagedorn. “I think it’s a very heartwarming story, and it speaks a lot about how Opelika has always been seen through the years as a welcoming place and a place to connect with people,” Preston added. Preston said he is also excited to host Kyiv City Ballet. The company has been touring France and the United Kingdom since the recent war in its home country kept it from returning. Following the European tour, Kyiv City Ballet

will begin a tour of the United States, which will include a four-night residency in Montgomery and Opelika. Patrons will be able to purchase either season subscriptions or individual show tickets. While costs continue to rise each year to book shows and host these events, Preston said EAA has worked to keep ticket costs as low as possible. “The idea is that everybody buys in, and then it’s a community experience that we all share, and the variations make the experiences richer,” he said. Preston added that subscriptions help offset the cost of holding these

performances more than anything else. The cost of these subscriptions, as well as individual tickets, will remain the same as in 2020 before the initial COVID shutdown, but the discounts will help make the shows more affordable for more people. Every week through the beginning of August, EAA will announce a discount for subscriptions. However, Preston noted that the earliest discounts will offer the most savings. For more information on East Alabama Arts or the performance series, or to purchase a subscription, visit www. eastalabamaarts.org.

SURGE Hosts Hop With Cops Event PHOTO BY ALLIE FOX / FOR THE OBSERVER The Opelika Police and Fire Departments partnered last weekend with local trampoline park "Surge" to host "Hop with a Cop" — a community event that allowed people to jump around with city police and fire officials. The Punishers Motorcyle Club, made of local officials and military, served food and drinks

E vents, Food, & SocietyNews

UPCOMING EVENTS:

JUNE 16: HOMETOWN HEROES AT AUBURN PUBLIC LIBRARY, 2 P.M. JUNE 17: FLOAT-IN MOVIE AT OPELIKA SPORTSPLEX, 7 P.M. JUNE 20: ROOTED IN MUSIC, 9 A.M. AT KREHER NATURE PRESERVE

Eddie Smith Shares Thoughts On Being A Father, Grandfather PHOTO BY ANN CIPPERLY / FOR THE OBSERVER

Ann Cipperly

Southern

Hospitality

s Father’s Day approaches, Eddie Smith gives his thoughts on being a father and grandfather. While he has dealt with health challenges over the years, Eddie has been determined they would never prevent him from being the best father and husband to his wife Dawn, as well as excelling in his work at AuburnBank and serving the community on the City Council. As Eddie looks at being a father, Dawn is sharing family favorite recipes they enjoy with their children,

Edward and Ashley, and their families. Ashley Smith Durham and her husband James live in Houston, Texas, and have three children, Raleigh, 12, Rivers, 9, and Rose, 7. Edward and his wife Katie reside in Birmingham and have one son, Ward, who is 9 months old. “Being a father is one of the greatest things that has happened to me,” Eddie sayd. “First of all, being saved and a Christian, and second, the honor of marrying Dawn, having children and being able to raise them in a household with

a mother that is awesome has made my job as a father really easy. “One of the things that was challenging for me to be a father was the fact that I became paralyzed in 1990,” Eddie said. “I was concerned about how I was going to manage being a father and do all the things that I intended and expected to do. My son Edward was two years old when I became handicapped, and he has never seen me walk.” Eddie is thankful his children have never had an issue with his

Eddie Smith of Opelika has faced health challenges but never let them stop his desire to do his best as a husband and father. He shares thoughts on his role as a father and grandfather as well as offering advice to young fathers. Pictured at a family get together are, from left, James Durham, Ashley Durham, Ward Smith, Katie Smith, Edward Smith, See CIPPERLY, page A10 Rosie Durham, Rivers Durham, Raleigh Durham, Dawn Smith and Eddie Smith.

Lake Martin Now Has 1-Hour Alcohol Delivery CONTRIBUTED BY FETCHME AUBURN — Fetchme announced on June 7 the launch of alcohol delivery services for three of its newest cities in Alabama: Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and Lake Martin. FetchMe is committed to making alcohol delivery incredible, enjoyable and amazingly convenient for all customers older than 21 years. Alcohol delivery will be made available for consumers in time for the kick off of the summer season. FetchMeAlcohol is a service designed to uplift local package stores, distilleries, wineries and breweries owned by local entrepreneurs.

Through FetchMe, local alcohol businesses are empowered by giving them important online resources, education and digital capabilities to

creating notable good paying job opportunities for residents,” said Harrison Evola, president and CEO of FetchMe. “By expanding alcohol

bring their alcohol products to market for online distribution at fetchmealcohol.com. “Local businesses generate a substantial amount of economic return for Alabama communities, while also

delivery to alcohol stores across Alabama, we are equipping local business owners with additional digital capabilities to become more digital-ready and create an even stronger relationship See MARTIN, page A11

Springer Opera House Concludes 150th Anniversary CONTRIBUTED BY SPRINGER OPERA HOUSE COLUMBUS — The Springer Opera House presents the Tony award-winning Broadway musical, The Color Purple, June 16 through 26, featuring a joyous Grammy Award-winning musical score featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel, African music and blues. The Color Purple spotlights Celie, a young woman whose person(Left to right) Shuga Henry as Sofia, Jael B. Gadsden as al awakening over the Celie, and Chelcy Cutwright as Shug Avery course of 40 years forms the arc of an epic story classic tale as a “ravthe 2016 Tony Award of hope and the healing Winner for Best Revival. ishingly reconceived power of love. The New York Times The Color Purple is hails the re-imagined See OPERA, page A9

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A8 June 16, 2022

Making the Grade: Beyond the Wok PHOTOS BY MIKE WALLACE

STACEY PATTON WALLACE

ast week, I polled some of my female relatives and friends to prove a theory I have. I asked them the following question: Did you eat less when you were a single woman on a date than you do as a married woman? I wasn’t surprised when most of them answered, “Yes.” As Erma Bombeck once said, “Single women go out to dine. Married women go out to eat.” My unofficial poll seems to back up that idea. In fact, back when I was in high school, a friend told me that she’d eat just a little on a date. When she returned home, her mother would ask her, “Did you have a good time?” However, she’d say, “I’m starved!” and head directly to the refrigerator. Even I, as a “Poohsized” nerd, ate less on a date, not that I dated much. I guess that most women want to appear dainty in their eating habits. Thankfully, that habit seems to fall away after marriage. Maybe it’s because

you’re comfortable with your spouse, so you feel fine mowing down your supper and taking a bite or two of his as well. When Mike and I were dating, I ate less, too. Now that seems silly because I didn’t become a “Pooh-sized” woman from eating small portions. Once we fell in love and got married, my appetite asserted itself, unfortunately. On one of our first dates, Mike took me to a Chinese restaurant

AlabamaUnites.com.

in Columbus. Since we taught at the same school in LaGrange, we went out to Columbus, Auburn or Opelika so that our students wouldn’t know that we were dating. Obviously, we didn’t want them giving us a hard time at school by writing, “Mr. Wallace loves Miss Patton,” on our blackboards. The plan worked for almost a year, but that’s another story. Since those dating days, Mike and I have enjoyed eating Chinese

food quite a lot. Therefore, about a week ago, we dined at Beyond the Wok at 339 S. College St., Suite F in Auburn. Since Beyond the Wok is on campus, the restaurant has plenty of Auburn pictures, which was fine with this Auburn alumna. Yang, our server, was very sweet, helpful and attentive. For our appetizer, Mike and I chose the crab Rangoon. The wonderful smell of the food got to me, and I bit into the crab Ran-

goon before Mike had a chance to photograph it. Ever the professional, Mike managed to hide the bite marks and took his picture. Our appetizer was delicious, warm and crispy. We also ordered pork egg rolls. They were quite tasty, too; I liked that they were narrow because they were easier to bite. For his entrée, Mike chose the Mongolian chicken with fried rice. Mike said, “You can tell that this was cooked fresh.” He really enjoyed his meal. I ordered my favorite Chinese dish, sesame chicken with fried rice. It was also very good. Besides our delectable dishes, Beyond the Wok offers diners an extensive menu of chicken, pork, beef, lamb and seafood entrees. Some of them include: orange chicken, Kung Pao chicken, salt & pepper pork short ribs, farmhouse smoked pork, Mongolian beef,

sliced beef with garlic sauce, sliced lamb with cumin sauce, General Tso’s shrimp, sweet & sour fish and broccoli shrimp. The restaurant also serves dry pots, sushi, sashimi and a wide variety of rolls. Believe me, you will find something to love at Beyond the Wok. Beyond the Wok is open on Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Beyond the Wok makes the grade with an A+ from this retired English teacher. Remember, “Pooh-sized” people NEVER lie about food. Enjoy! Stacey Patton Wallace, who retired from teaching language arts for 30 years, is a professional diner. Her column, “Making the Grade,” will appear each week in The Observer. Stacey may be reached at retiredlangartsteacher2020@ gmail.com

A9 June 16, 2022

Opelika Police Dog in Semifinals for National Award BY KENDYL HOLLINGSWORTH KENDYLH@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

OPELIKA — One Opelika canine is running with the big dogs as a semifinalist in the 2022 American Humane Hero Dog Awards. K9 Bane, one of seven dogs in the Opelika Police Department’s K9 unit, is up against Wisconsin’s K9 Riggs and Georgia’s Jerry Lee for the top award in the Law Enforcement and Detection Dogs category. Dogs are nominated for the award and advance in the competition based on the number of public votes they receive. “To make it into the semifinals is awesome,” said Bane’s partner, Detective Jacob Taylor. “Our K9 unit works hard every day training and utilizing our canines. The public’s perception of canines can be skewed into thinking of them as

OPERA >>

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attack dogs or only used in apprehension, however, we feel like this nomination has allowed us to share more about how important our canines are and the many ways they can be utilized.” Bane came to OPD wright as Shug Avery, Shuga Henry as Sofia, Joel PE King as Mister, Ari McClean as Nettie, Jabriel Shelton as Harpo and Ometrise Richmond as Pa. “This show is a celebration of life, a full life and everything it emcompasses — the ups, the downs, joy, the pain, the laughter, the tears," said McCoy. "Life is beautiful, sometimes tragically beautiful, but for our main character, Celie, those experiences turn her into someone who has an abundance of love, empathy and strength. I’m hoping our audiences leave the show feeling more love and empathy towards others because it’s something our world is lacking.” The Color Purple was slated to open back in February at the Springer, but due to the rise in local Covid infections at

in 2020 from another agency, Taylor said. The agency determined it wouldn’t be able to keep Bane and reached out to Assistant Police Chief Kasey Brown, who is a certified K9 trainer, to see if OPD could take that time, the Springer made the decision to reschedule the show until June. Ticket holders who had tickets for the February show dates can call the Springer box office at 706-327-3688 to exchange their tickets for the rescheduled dates or make other ticketing arrangements. The Color Purple is showing June 16, 17, 18, 23, 24 and 25 at 7:30 p.m. and June 19 and 26 at 2:30 p.m. Discounts are available for students, seniors 65 and older, military, public servants and groups of 10 and more. For more information, call 706-327-3688 or visit www.springeroperahouse.org. The Color Purple concluded the Springer’s 150th Anniversary season. Season tickets for the Springer’s upcoming season are on sale now with single tickets going on sale July 6.

in January 2022, Taylor and Bane would put their teamwork and training to the test in an incident with a felony suspect. According to Bane’s nomination, Taylor attempted to conduct a traffic stop involving the suspect before the suspect fled in his vehicle. The suspect then attempted to flee on foot as Taylor warned multiple times that he would release his dog if the suspect did not surrender. Taylor released Bane as the suspect continued to flee, but once Bane reached him, the suspect placed the dog in a headlock and began striking him in the ribs. In the process, officers noticed the suspect had dropped a pistol. With Bane’s help, the detectives were able to apprehend the suspect. The suspect admitted he would have shot at the officers if Bane had not been deployed, according to the nomination. Taylor and Bane each

received a Meritorious Service Award from the city in March 2022 for their actions. “What people may not understand about canines is they will put their life on the line to save someone, regardless of who they are,” Taylor said. “There is no hesitation. Not everyone can say that about their partner, so the bond between a handler and their dog is unlike any other relationship. “Bane saved several lives that day by simply doing what he is trained every day to do. If he would have hesitated or second-guessed his training, the outcome could have been very different.” Anyone may vote for Bane to advance in the American Humane Hero Dog Awards at www. herodogawards.org/ dog/2022/law-enforcement-detection/bane. Voters can submit a vote once every 24 hours until July 22 at 2 p.m. CST.

Habitat for Humanity Holds Flag Day Ceremony at House Dedication PHOTOS BY ROBERT NOLES / THE OBSERVER

production that is a glory to behold.” Based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and the Warner Brothers/ Amblin Entertainment motion picture, The Color Purple is adapted for the stage by Tony- and Pulitzer-winner Marsha Norman with music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. Produced on Broadway by Oprah Winfrey and Quincy Jones, The Color Purple is a triumphant theatrical treasure. The Springer’s production of The Color Purple is directed and choreographed by Keith McCoy, with musical direction by Debbie Anderson. The cast features Jael B. Gadsden as Celie, Chelcy Cut-

K9 BANE

him in. “They knew we ran a tight and professional program and wanted to know if our department would be interested in taking Bane, as they were not able to keep him at their department,” Taylor explained. “Bane was only 2 years old, and due to his training, he couldn’t just be given up for adoption.” Once Brown and OPD’s K9 handlers began working with Bane, they saw he was well trained and could realize his potential with a handler who could help control his natural drives. Taylor, who also works with narcotics dog Roger, “immediately” formed a strong bond with Bane when they began working together. In February 2021, Taylor and Bane became a certified team through Alabama Canine, a police dog training facility located in Tuscaloosa County. Almost a year later,

THE MARKET AT AG HERITAGE PARK Every Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. at AG Heritage Park located at 620-A S. Donahue Dr. in Auburn O GROWS FARMERS MARKET Every Tuesday from 3 to 6 p.m. outside the Southside Center for the Arts located at 1103 Glenn St. in Opelika.

SUMMER SWING - EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT Opelika's Summer Swing is back! June 21 - Route 66 Concerts are held at Municipal Park at 7 p.m. Hamburgers and hotdogs provided by Opelika Band Boosters and lemonade provided by SouthState Bank will be available from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m.

Camp Hill Marketplace

Come out and buy your fresh produce, honey, jams and hand-crafted items at the Camp Hill Marketplace, a state-certified farmers market Every Thursday, 8 to 11 a.m., June 2 through Oct. 20, rain or shine, at Mount Lovely Baptist Church at 21900 Senator Claude Pepper Dr., Camp Hill, (AL Hwy 50). Potential vendors contact Sharon at 256-749-5100 to apply to join.

COFFEE & CONVERSATION WITH VFW POST 5404

VFW Post 5404, 131 E. Veterans Blvd., Auburn (next to Ray's Collision off of S. College St.) will be open on Wednesdays 0800 1100 with coffee, donuts, cake and conversation about service and benefits for all veterans and spouses to stop by. LEE/RUSSELL COUNTY LOW VISION SUPPORT GROUP will meet every month on the third Wednesday from 1:30 to 3 p.m. The meeting will be held at the AIDB-Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind Opelika Regional center on 355 Dunlop Dr. in Opelika. Every month there will be different topics discussed to make life more manageable living with low vision.

“Alone we can do so little: together we can do so much.” –

Helen Keller Contact: Shiquita Fulton, M. ED/Vision Rehab Therapist for additional details at 334-705-2024, Melody Wilson, Case manager for the blind at (256)-368-3258

A10 June 16, 2022

CIPPERLY >>

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handicap. “It was more worrisome and concerning to me, not to them,” he said. “When we went somewhere, they made sure it was accessible and did whatever was necessary to make sure I was able to participate in everything. “I think one of the things it taught my children was to be understanding of people with challenges. I think in its own crazy way it was a blessing to raise them and have them understand that some people have bigger challenges than others and not to take anything for granted. I was so fortunate that I have some abilities to do things, which included going to dance recitals for 20 straight years and then coaching baseball for a long time, doing travel baseball and being involved in those things.” Eddie feels fortunate that the disability did not prevent him from doing those things, but it was not easy. “My kids are reflective of the fact that Dad was always there to encourage them and to coach them, and hopefully lead them in the right direction. “It has been a highlight of my life to have children, to raise them and see them start their own families and be happy.” Now that Eddie and Dawn have grandchildren, he feels it is even better than having

CIPPERLY RECIPES >> SHEET PAN SHRIMP BOIL 1 lb. baby Dutch potatoes 6 pieces corn on the cob ¼ cup butter, melted 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning 1 lb. raw medium shrimp, not peeled 12.8 oz. pkg. smoked sausage, sliced 1 lemon, cut into wedges for serving 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley leaves for garnish In a saucepan, add potatoes to boiling salted water. Cook just tender 10-13 minutes. Cook corn in water 8-10 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil baking sheet. Combine butter, garlic and Old Bay Seasonings. Place potatoes, corn, shrimp and sausage in a single layer on baking sheet. Stir in butter mixture and gently toss to combine. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges and garnish with parsley. KEY LARGO LIME CAKE 3 oz. lime Jell-O 2 cups all-purpose flour 1½ cups sugar 2/3 tsp. salt

children since they can spoil them, letting them do what they want, then send them home. Since Ashley and her family moved to Houston earlier this year, it has been challenging getting to see them. As James was getting promotions and flying back and forth to Houston from Opelika, they decided to make the move, and Ashley is now a stay at home mom. Eddie’s advice for young fathers is not to miss any opportunity to be with their children and be involved with whatever their children are doing. “Always be available to them when they need to talk and when they need to cry or when they need to vent. Don’t always be opinionated to the point that you are not listening. I think that when you listen to them, you can hear what their issue is, then you can give them better advice.” Eddie joined AuburnBank in 1999 and is the Opelika president/ senior vice president at the bank and is president of Opelika City Council. He has served as president four of the five terms he has been elected to serve Ward 4. Eddie has received numerous awards for serving the community he loves. “Being a paraplegic, I have to stay very busy,” he said. “To be part of the community in the banking and government business has allowed me to keep my focus on those things and not be caught up in ‘woe is me.’

Anything I have done is because people were gracious enough to let me have those roles. I have been blessed that the people of Opelika chose me to be a council representative, and my peers have allowed me to be the president of the council.” Looking back over his life growing up in Opelika, Eddie played football at Opelika High School and was active in Key Club, graduating in 1975. He attended Auburn University on scholarships while working at West Point Pepperell part-time. In the summer of 1976, he began having loss of feeling in his legs. His family doctor sent him to see a neurosurgeon in Montgomery. After testing, the doctor discovered he had a tumor inside his spinal canal, which was rare, that he had had since birth. Eddie had surgery to remove the tumor. When he recovered, Eddie thought that health problem was over. He returned to Auburn and was the first in his family to graduate from a fouryear college. After graduating with a degree in finance, Eddie went to work at the First National Bank in various positions. He furthered his education by enrolling in the School of Banking of the South at LSU. In 1981, Eddie and Dawn married. Ashley was born a year later, and then Edward was born

several years later. Eighteen years after having the surgery to remove the tumor, he began having problems again in 1995. The tumor had grown back. “If I didn’t have surgery,” Eddie said, “there was a 100% chance I would be paralyzed, and if I had surgery, there was a 75 percent chance. Being a mathematician, I figured the odds and had the surgery.” At first, he thought the surgery was a success, but when the doctor told him it was time to get out of bed, he could not sit up. He tried to stand but couldn’t. Since then, he has been paralyzed from his chest down. When he left the hospital, he was on forearm crutches and pulled himself along, which turned into a walker and then a wheelchair by 1997. “At that time I had to make a decision on how I was going to let the paralysis define me,” Eddie said. “My choices were sticking my head in the mud and being a cry baby about it, or trying to live my life as normally as I could. The fact that I was blessed with a wife and two children and in other ways, I didn’t see an option except for me to take it and do the best I could with it. “I made up my mind I would never let being in a wheelchair be an excuse for me not to be the kind of father I should be, the kind of husband I should be or the kind of employee I should be.”

He has been active in the community over the years and continues to be involved. He was active in the Opelika Jaycees and in the Kiwanis Club, serving as president. He became involved in the Opelika Chamber and served as president, then served two terms as chairman of the board. He was a founding member of Envision Opelika that led to the development of the Miracle League and the Miracle Field. One of his most rewarding volunteer work was serving at the Lee County Youth Development Center for 20 years, he said. Upon his retirement from the board, the administration building was named in his honor. His list of honors and awards is extensive. “I still have days that are harder than others to get up out of bed and realize I have to deal with this,” he said. “I still have to get in the wheelchair before I can do anything else. “I didn’t know God was going to pick these pathways for me, but I do think a lot of what we have gone through, good and bad times, have been a God thing. No one could go through those things if they did not have God on their side to assure them that things are going to be alright, and they have worked out alright.” Eddie feels blessed to have a supportive wife that has allowed him

to be the leader of the home as their children’s father. “It is the greatest role I have ever had, and second, to be a husband to Dawn. It has been an honor to have our children and now grandchildren.” “My Daddy is a picture of grace and love,” Ashley said. “As a father, he holds high standards that are unquestionable, but he also shows mercy that imitates that taught by Jesus. Daddy always makes sure we know we are loved unconditionally, protected at all cost and cared for deeply. He has always taught us, by example, the difference between right and wrong, with no grey areas. While we didn’t always follow his instruction, we always received his grace when we came back to correct ways. “My Dad is the definition of resilience,” Edward said. “Throughout his life he has overcome obstacles, some physical and others emotional, but never changed his perspective amongst it all. He has always loved the Lord, his family, his friends, his business customers and the public he serves through any and everything. “His ability to enjoy his life and the people that surround him is truly admirable. For those reasons, and many others, I’m honored for my son to call him Pops, and for me to call him Dad!”

1 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. baking soda 1 and 1/3 cups oil ¾ cup orange juice 5 eggs ½ tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. lemon extract Frosting: 2/3 cup fresh lime juice Juice of 1 lemon (can use All Lemon juice) 2/3 cup powdered sugar Whipped cream for serving, optional Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To make cake, combine all dry ingredients. Combine liquid ingredients except for flavorings and add to dry ingredients. Beat eggs in and then add flavorings. Coat a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Pour batter into pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until center is set. Do not overbake. Allow cake to cool for 15 minutes. Using a fork, prick halfway through cake. Completely cover cake with frosting (will be thin). Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until ready to serve. Can be made at least a day ahead. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

broken into bite-size pieces 1 can Le Sueur very young small peas, drained ¾ cup celery, chopped into small pieces ¼ to ¾ cup onion, chopped into small pieces 3 Tbsp. sugar, optional 1 cup mayonnaise ½ to ¾ cup Parmesan cheese In a trifle dish, layer lettuce on bottom, then layer peas, celery and onion; sprinkle sugar over top. Spread mayonnaise over salad to cover completely. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Place in refrigerate. Toss before serving.

2 small cans white shoe peg corn, drained 1 bunch green onions, chopped 1 tomato, chopped 1 container crumbled feta cheese Combine together. When ready to serve, add marinade and stir. Marinade: 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup oil 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar Salt and pepper to taste Combine all ingredients.

Remove from oven and carefully wrap pork in two layers of heavy-duty foil. Return pork to rack and cook until it reaches internal temperature of 190. Let rest 30-35 minutes. Shred and serve with your favorite barbecue sauce.

the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch pan, coated with nonstick spray, for the crust. Spread ice cream over crust. Sprinkle remaining vanilla wafer mixture over ice cream. Freeze. When ready to serve, cut into squares and drizzle chocolate sauce over top. Chocolate Sauce: 1 cup sugar 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour ¼ cup butter 5 Tbsp. cocoa 1 cup milk Combine and mix ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened. Keep hot in double boiler or reheat in microwave when needed.

GREEN PEA STACKED SALAD 1 head of iceberg and leaf lettuce,

ASHLEY’S BLACK BEAN SALSA 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

RALEIGH’S FAVORITE GREEN BEANS 2-3 cans green beans, drained Peeled whole sweet onion 6 beef bouillon cubes Potatoes, optional Place beans in a large pan or Dutch oven. Put onion in center of beans and cover with water. Add bouillon cubes. Cook on top of stove 45 minutes to an hour. Can add peeled potatoes.

OVEN BAKED BOSTON BUTT 5 -6 lb. Boston butt Your favorite barbecue sauce Rub: 1 Tbsp. kosher salt 1 Tbsp. light brown sugar 1 Tbsp. paprika ½ to 1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes 1 Tbsp. ground cumin 1 Tbsp. coarsely ground pepper Combine rub ingredients and spread over pork butt, completely covering. Lightly wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Heat oven to 250 degrees. Place wire rack in roasting pan. Place pork fatty side up on rack. Roast uncovered until exterior is crisp and dry and internal temperature is 170. Can take 4 to 8 hours.

GRANNY’S POTATO SALAD 5 lb. Idaho potatoes, cut up 1 jar dill relish 1 Tbsp. mustard Salt and pepper to taste ½ to 1 cup mayonnaise Chopped onion or onion powder to taste Boil potatoes until they are “over boiled” a little past being tender and a little mushy. Drain. Add dill relish and then other ingredients; stir well. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. MARY’S ICE CREAM DESSERT WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE 1 lb. box vanilla wafers, crushed 1 cup chopped pecans ¾ cup butter, melted Half gallon ice cream of choice Chocolate Sauce for topping Combine crushed vanilla wafers, pecans and butter. Press half of the mixture into

BAKED CHICKEN Chicken breasts Sauce: ½ cup orange marmalade ½ tsp. curry powder 1 tsp. salt 2 Tbsp. flour to thicken Place chicken in a greased casserole dish. Combine sauce ingredients and spread over chicken. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. LAYERED SPAGHETTI CASSEROLE WITH CHEDDAR CHEESE 1½ lb. ground beef, browned, rinsed and drained 1½ jars Ragu traditional pasta sauce

A11 June 16, 2022

PHOTOS BY ROBERT NOLES / THE OBSERVER

Home Is Where the Art Is

The Opelika Art Haus hosted its Art Market Saturday, June 4. The event featured several art vendors, food trucks, flowers and fun for the whole community.

CIPPERLY RECIPES >> Mix Ragu sauce with ground beef and simmer 15 to 30 minutes. Set aside. 16 oz. box thin spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained 2 cans cream of mushroom soup Mix hot spaghetti noodles with the two cans of mushroom soup. Set aside. 2 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided Coat a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Layer half

MARTIN

FROM A7

between local businesses and consumers residing in Alabama.” “I partnered with FetchMe to offer my most popular inventory of alcohol spirits, beer, wine and snacks at fetchmealcohol.com,” said Tom Hayley, owner of eight package stores in Auburn and Lake Martin. “This is a moment where I was able to help curate a better experience and

of noodles and mushroom soup mixture, half of the ground beef mixture and half of the cheese. Repeat layers ending with cheese on top. Bake at 325 for 35 minutes.

SUSAN DAVIS’ CHICKEN AND RICE SALAD 1 box chicken Rice a Roni 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 12 sliced olives Green onions, chopped

more convenience for my customers, especially for those who expect to learn more about an alcohol product prior to a purchase — FetchMe's product ratings and planning capabilities will allow me to get more of my customer favorites products to them, thereby allowing us to better help our customers with their needs.” By partnering with FetchMe to sell our spirits through fetchmealcohol.com, we will be able to reach more new

2 chicken breasts, boiled and chopped ½ cup mayonnaise 1 tsp. curry ½ bell pepper, chopped Don’t put butter in Rice a Roni when cooking as directed on the box. Add curry to mayonnaise before mixing with other ingredients. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

EASY BRUNSWICK STEW Jane Wilson 1 large onion,

chopped 2 large cans Swanson white chicken, drained 2 cans Castleberry Stew (or use your own Boston butt with barbecue sauce) 2 large cans tomatoes, mashed 1 can shoe peg corn 1 frozen roll white corn, thawed ½ bottle hot ketchup 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce 2 Tbsp. lemon Juice Brown onion in a skillet. Mix onion with other ingredients

customers and diversify our revenue streams in a more effective way," said Jimmy Goji, owner of Highland package store in Birmingham. " We’re happy that FetchMe is creating Fetchmealcohol. com to help local business owners reach their goals and generate more revenue.” About FetchMe Alcohol: FetchMe is an online ordering, delivery and marketing company dedicated to supporting local area restaurants, brew-

eries, package stores, distilleries, their customers and the communities at large. Online orders for food from local restaurants can be made at FetchMeDelivery.com. Online orders for alcohol beverages can be made at FetchMeAlcohol.com. Customers now have the ability to place an online order to be delivered within one-hour. Customers can choose their preferred beverages online from select alcohol retailers on the FetchMeAlcohol web-

and cook in a crockpot until ready to serve.

STRAWBERRY BANANA SALAD 3 (3 oz.) pkg. strawberry flavored Jell-O 1 cup boiling water 10 oz. pkg. frozen sliced strawberries, thawed and not drain 15 ¼ oz. can crushed pineapple, not drain 3 bananas, sliced 2 cups sour cream, divided ½ cup chopped pecans

site delivery platform. Their order will then be scheduled for delivery and a FetchMe Fetcher, certified to safely and accurately deliver alcohol, will bring the items directly to their door. FetchMeAlcohol will continue to expand alcohol delivery to include additional alcohol products and alcohol retailers in Alabama, giving customers access to even more products. Retailers interested in alcohol delivery in Alabama should go to FetchMeAlcohol

Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water; stir in strawberries with juice, pineapple and bananas. Pour half the mixture into an 8-inch pan and chill until firm. Store remaining gelatin at room temperature. Spoon 1 cup sour cream on top of congealed mixture and then pour remaining Jell-O mixture over top; chill until firm. When set, spread remaining 1 cup sour cream on top. Sprinkle pecans over sour cream. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

for more information. FetchMeAlcohol Customers must be at least 21 years old to order or accept alcohol deliveries and will be required to present identification upon delivery. Fetchers who wish to deliver orders containing alcohol will complete a training program approved by the Alabama ABC Board on topics like identifying underage individuals, intoxicated persons and fake or altered identification.

A12 June 16, 2022

A SummerNight Downtown Art Show was On Fire! PHOTOS BY JOHN HILLSMAN / FOR THE OBSERVER Saturday, June 10, the city of Auburn hosted its annual SummerNight Downtown Art Walk. The free event in Auburn's entertainment district transformed the streets into a canvassed art exhibit. Merchats and restaurants stayed out late as the work of local artists were featured. Children's activites, street performers and live musicians encouraged all walkers to take advantage of this great opportunity to shop, dine and relax while enjoying the arts in downtown Auburn.

Lee County Rallies in the Name of Preservation PHOTOS BY KENDYL HOLLINGSWORTH / THE OBSERVER

More than 20 volunteers from Lee County spent their Saturday morning, June 11, working to help clear brush and rubbish at Sites 1, 2 and 3 of the George and Addie Giddens Cemetery on Frederick Road in Opelika. The service project brought volunteers from Opelika City Council, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Auburn United Methodist Church, East Alabama Jaguars and others in the community. Landowner Shey Knight and Lee County Cemetery Preservation Commission President Carmilla Tindal also participated in cleanup efforts. Tindal shared some of the cemetery’s history and explained the research process to volunteers. The next service opportunity will be July 16, according to Dr. Robert Bubb, the lead researcher and preservationist for the Giddens Cemetery.

A13 June 16, 2022

Belonging Matters

WALTER ALBRITTON

RELIGION— hree of my siblings were born in a hospital. My sister Neva and I were born at home, a humble home in the country 12 miles from the small town of Wetumpka, Alabama. Eventually I would be the oldest of the 45 grandchildren of my mother’s parents, Neva and Seth Johnson, my mother being their oldest child.

I grew up knowing that I belonged to the Johnson family. Even more important to me was the awareness that I belonged to Caroline and Walter Albritton. I took pride in hearing someone say I was “Mr. Walter’s boy,” though I had no idea then how important it is for a child to have a sense of belonging to a family. The one radio in our home was our source of entertainment. I remember our family gathering around the radio listening intently as Joe Lewis knocked out another of his opponents. It was the radio that provided me with my first hero, the Lone Ranger, and the pride I felt in joining by mail the Lone Ranger Safety Club. That certificate

of membership hung on my bedroom wall for many years. I may have been a country boy living so far out in the woods they had to pipe in sunshine, but I belonged to my hero’s Safety Club! Starting to elementary school in 1938 I belonged to Mrs. Oakley Melton’s class. In the years that followed I would belong to the Glee Club, the Thespians and the athletic teams known as the Wetumpka Indians. It meant so much to me to suit up and run out on the football field or the basketball court with teams to which I belonged. In my teen years, I began to learn what it means to belong to God, and gradually

that became the most significant relationship of my life. The Bible is all about belonging to Jesus. For example, Paul writes in Romans 8:1, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (NLB). Paul affirmed this again in 14:8 when he said, “If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, then, whether we live or whether we die, we belong to the Lord.” When Peter tried to stop Jesus from washing his feet, Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” Peter wisely responded, “Then, Lord, not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” (John 13:8).

That’s what you and I would have said. To belong to Jesus is the key to victorious living. The Bible teaches it. Some of our songs of faith confirm it. I love Norman Clayton’s song, “Now I Belong to Jesus.” If you get depressed sometime, the words of this song will cure you: “Jesus, my Lord will love me forever, from Him no power of evil can sever, He gave His life to ransom my soul; Now I belong to Him. Now I belong to Jesus, Jesus belongs to me, not for the years of time alone, but for eternity. Joy floods my soul for Jesus has saved me, freed me from sin that long had enslaved me, Now I belong to Him.” Like icing on the

cake is the further good news that when we belong to Jesus, we belong to each other in the fellowship of believers. Paul explains it this way in Romans 12:5, “So we, many as we are, are one body in the Messiah, and individually we belong to one another.” Unrivaled is the thrill of belonging to the greatest team on earth — the Servants of Jesus! A long time ago the Lone Ranger gave this young boy the joy of belonging. Then came Jesus, who forgave my sins and gave me the supreme relationship — the joy of knowing I belong to Jesus “not for the years of time alone, but for eternity.” Beloved, belonging matters!

OBITUARIES JAMES “EDD” EDWARD WILLIAMS

James “Edd” Edward Williams died on June 2, 2022. He is preceded in death by his parents, Shirley Elaine Williams and James Edgar “Jim” Williams. He is survived by his wife of 28 years Demeta Williams, sister Wanda (Horace) Clanton, daughters, Nikki Patterson and Tabatha (Brad) Lunsford, 7 grandchildren - Alana Patterson, Ty Boyd, Cameron Satterwhite, Miles Patterson, Ian Lunsford, Eli Lunsford, Caden Lunsford and nephew Austin (Whitney) Clanton. Edd worked for D and J Enterprises for over 35 years and will be

greatly missed by his family and his extended work family. Graveside services were on Saturday June 11, 2022 at 5 p.m. at Loachapoka Cemetery. Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home directed.

EVELYN BELL HANSARD Evelyn Bell Hansard, 97, of Auburn, Alabama, passed away on June 6, 2022. Evelyn was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to the late Cecil Ernest and Katie May Shields Bell on August 20, 1924. She graduated from Valley Head High School and attended University of Chattanooga. She worked at Dupont and later as the headmaster’s secretary at

Girls’ Preparatory School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She returned to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga graduating with a BS in elementary education, teaching first grade at Valley Head Elementary School. She was a member of the Beta chapter of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, a troop leader in Girl Scouts, an avid gardener, a voracious reader, a dedicated Braves baseball fan, and a lifelong member of the Methodist church. Evelyn was preceded in death by Henry Orval Hansard and William Overton Davenport, Jr. (the father of her children). Evelyn is survived by Margaret Davenport Martin (Dwight) of

Fort Payne, Alabama; Patricia Davenport Johnson (Sam) of Montgomery, Alabama: and Elizabeth Davenport Long (Raymond) of Auburn, Alabama. Grandchildren are Will Martin (Julie); Libby Pope (Jonathan); Joe Johnson (Jan); Courtney Johnson (Burt); Wes Long (Cory); and Katie Long. GreatGrandchildren are Meg Martin, Lily Martin, Charlie Pope, Liz Pope, Kayleigh Greer, Shaina Greer, Lux Richie, Perrin Long and Ivy Long. Private funeral services will be held in Valley Head, Alabama, at a later date. Memorials may be given to the United Methodist Church or a favorite charity.

MILTON P. LAWHORN

Milton was born in West Point Georgia on Aug. 5, 1942, and passed away June 8, 2022. He loved is family especially being a Grandaddy/Googa to his Grandchildren. Million was a longtime active member of Providence Baptist Church. He never met a stranger and loved making people laugh & smile. He was a truck driver for over 50 years until his retirement. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Lawhorn and 3 infant children; parents, W.V. and Lanelle Lawhorn. He is survived by son Mark (Kim) Lawhorn, daughter

Angela Lawhorn (James), grandchildren Joshua (Amanda) Lawhorn, Andrew (Mackensie) Lawhorn, Caleb (Kirsten) Lawhorn, Ethan Smith, Elizabeth Lawhorn, Lydia Lawhorn and great grandson Luke Lawhorn. Visitation was held Saturday, June 11, 2022 at Providence Baptist Church East Campus. The funeral service followed at 11 a.m. with Dr. Rusty Sowell officiating. Interment followed at Providence Baptist Church Cemetery. Daddy will be truly missed by so many, but we take comfort in knowing he is with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and is reunited with Momma at last. We love you Daddy.

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A14 June 16, 2022

Some Thoughts on Fathers

BRUCE GREEN Teaching Minister at 10th Street Church of Christ in Opelika

RELIGION— ost of us know (with or without a little prompting) that the third Sunday in June is Father’s Day. And despite the commercialism that is attached to the day, it nonetheless remains a grand and glorious idea. For whatever reason (and there are many candidates), the

importance and image of fatherhood has drifted from where it needs to be in our culture, and its effect upon us has been staggering. In far too many minds, fathers are viewed (and sadly sometimes act) as little more than the suppliers of genetic material. No one is under any illusions that honoring fathers on the third Sunday in June is going to make everything right or solve all the issues related to our families, but it does hold up a standard before us we cannot afford to lose sight of. Honoring the ideal of fatherhood (and the men who are our fathers) is something we need to do because it is beneficial to all of us. As a minister for over forty years, I’ve seen a lot of fathers. I’ve watched how they interacted with their families. While there have been no perfect dads, there

have been many who were excellent fathers. What made them that way? The first thing was they had a relationship with their heavenly Father. God was more than a word to them and being a follower of Jesus meant just that. One dad told me that when his kids were quite young, he had let his relationship with God go. He encouraged them to follow God, but he didn’t lead the way. Then one day his fiveyear-old son told him that he wasn’t following God if his father wasn’t. Dads, we can tell but never teach until we practice what we preach. Another thing I’ve observed about strong fathers is they love and honor their wives. They let their children know the family doesn’t revolve around them — it revolves around mom and dad. After all,

mom and dad were there before the kids came along and they’ll be there after they leave. Children need to know they are not the center of the universe and home is the place where it starts. Children raised in this environment will have healthier relationships and greater security since they are anchored in something bigger than them. They also learn some great things about the marriage relationship. Effective fathers know their children. They know their strengths and weaknesses, their likes and dislikes, their fears, and dreams. There’s only one way to do this — that is by spending time with your children. Love to our children is spelled T-I-M-E. The last thing I’ll share is that strong fathers persevere. They are a loving and

ABOUT BRUCE GREEN responsible throughout all the seasons of life. Sometimes they feel like they’re doing a great job and other times they’re clueless. Most of the time, they’re somewhere in between. But no matter where they are, they remain committed to their family. And they understand that being a father doesn’t end when your child leaves home. Once a father, you’re always a father. Your adult children don’t need you in the same way they once did, but they still need you. Happy Father’s Day, dads. Your family needs you, as does your community and your country. We won’t be everything we can be without strong fathers. You can find more of Bruce’s writings at his website: a-taste-of-gracewith-bruce-green.com

You can find more of Bruce’s writings at his website:www. a-taste-of-gracewith-bruce-green.com

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BIBLE VERSE OF THE WEEK The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son delights in him. — Proverbs 23:24

CHURCH DIRECTORY

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

APOSTOLIC HOLINESS God’s House of Prayers Holiness Church 301 Highland Ave., Opelika 334-749-9672

334-887-8506 Friendship Missionary Baptist Church 3089 Judge Brown Rd., Valley 334-710-2117

334-749-0461 CHURCH OF CHRIST Church of Christ at Cunningham 2660 Cunningham Dr., Opelika

BAPTIST Bethesda Baptist Church 201 S. 4th St., Opelika 334-745-7528

Greater Peace Missionary Baptist Church 650 Jeter Ave., Opelika 334-749-9487

10th Street Church Of Christ 500 N. 10th St., Opelika 334-745-5181

Beulah Baptist Church 5500 Lee Road 270, Valley 334-705-0538

Green Chapel Missionary Baptist 390 Lee Road 106, Auburn (334) 749-4184

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship 128 East Glenn Ave., Auburn

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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.

High Hope Baptist Church 227 Lee Road 673 334-524-8750

Church Of Christ 2215 Marvyn Pkwy., Opelika 334-742-9721 Southside Church Of Christ 405 Carver Ave., Opelika 334-745-6015

Pepperell Baptist 2702 2nd Ave., Opelika 334-745-3108

COMMUNITY OUTREACH Good Sheperd Anglican Church 3015 Opelika Road, Opelika

Providence Baptist Church 2807 Lee Road 166, Opelika 334-745-4608

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

Union Grove Baptist Church 4009 Lee Road 391, Opelika

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 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 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

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A15 June 16, 2022

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A16 June 16, 2022

COMICS

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

INSIDE B1 - B8:

• AUBURN CITY SCHOOLS • AUBURN UNIVERSITY • COMMUNITY SPORTS • LEE COUNTY SCHOOLS • OPELIKA CITY SCHOOLS • SUSCC

On Title IX spending numerous years as an educator and coach. Vickers said the bill contained only 30-plus words, but was huge for females. The AHSAA recognizes multiple female sports including, cheerleading, cross country, volleyball, E-sports, basketball, softball, track and field, golf and soccer. Vickers deserves to be the associate director because she carries a tremendous amount of knowledge of the bylaws and rules of the AHSAA. Being a female had nothing to do with her being promoted by former Executive Director Steve Savarese. Savarese hired Kim as an administrator during his tenure and watched her work her way up the latter by doing the job the right way! Current AHSAA Executive Director Alvin Briggs hired former OHS girls’ basketball coach Devin Booth as one of the assistant directors with the AHSAA. Booth was very successful as a basketball coach and continues to do a wonderful job in her new career. Vickers and Booth are wonderful examples of women earning the positions they hold by hard work. Title IX opened the door for many females, including Vickers and Booth. I See SPORTS, page B4

company were picked by many to finish under .500 in conference play,

AUBURN — Fans of the Auburn University baseball program were sent through the ringer in 2021; their beloved Tigers stumbled their way through both conference and non-conference play, pitching was spotty at-best and it felt like Butch Thompson’s squad found a new way to blow a lead Auburn first baseman Sonny DIchiara at bat against Oregon State every night. At that in the Cornvallis Super Regional point in time, it was in sports as a whole and near the bottom in all logical to assume that offensive categories and the program was simply should never be used in dissecting any program dead last in the SEC headed in the wrong West. Naturally, this on the Plains. direction. Thompson and group hosted an NCAA There is one fallacy

regional, defeated the No. 3 Oregon State Beavers in the super regional round and is headed to Omaha, Nebraska to compete in its second College World Series in four years. Over the course of the past five months, the Tigers have successfully convinced their fans, opponents and record-number of season ticket holders that they deserved to compete on the national stage; this group has no intentions of backing down. Throughout the duration of the NCAA See TIGERS, page B2

Local Athletes Selected to AHSAA North-South All-Star Teams BY THE OBSERVER STAFF

(Opelika, softball); and Amiya Brown (Opelika, girls’ soccer). The athletes will compete in the AHSAA North-South AllStar Sports Week

Four tennis players for the Tigers — Bankson, Jeong, Kirkland and Bosman — were selected to the South team. Bankson and Jeong finished as No. 3 doubles

LEE COUNTY –– Eleven Lee County student-athletes were recently selected to the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s North-South All-Star teams. The AHSAA All-Star teams are comprised of 2023 rising seniors who excelled in their respective sport last season, each selected by a coaches committee. The local athletes selected include: Connor Cosby (Auburn, baseball); Chapman Marlow (Auburn, boys’ soccer); Hannah Arnal (Auburn, Opelika rising senior girls' soccer player Amiya Brown girls’ soccer); Claire Bosman (Auburn, girls’ runners-up in the state July 18 through 22 in tennis); Lanier Bankson, championship, Kirkland Montgomery. Luis Jeong and Kaleb won his sectional and Auburn High School Kirkland (Auburn, boys’ Bosman captured the 7A received the most selections, with six different tennis); Jackson Williams girls’ No. 1 singles state student-athletes being (Smiths Station, golf); title. named to five different allBrandy Phillips (Beulah, “Overall the best thing star teams. softball); McKay Yountz as a group that they bring

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER

OPELIKA — here is not much to report in the Opelika Athletic Department. Athletic teams at Opelika High School are starting summer workouts. Each sport has certain days to either workout, participate in team camps or engage in 7-on-7 events. Last week, I wrote about the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Super 7 Football Championship being held in JordanHare Stadium on the Auburn University campus. The Super 7 Football Championship is one of many championship hosted by the AHSAA. Kim Vickers, associate director of the AHSAA, joined me as a guest on my sports show "On the Mark" , airing weekdays 6a.m. to 9 a.m. on FOX Sports the Game 9101310 AM. This is the 50th anniversary of the passing of Title IX. Vickers is the first female to hold the title of associate director of the AHSAA since the organization has been in existence. Vickers was invited to be the keynote speaker for the Alabama State Games in Dothan last Friday night. Part of her speech was about Title IX, passed 50 years ago, and what it meant for female athletics and in the business world. Vickers worked her way up the ranks with the AHSAA after

— however — in that ideology: the term ‘logical’ is seldom applicable

PHOTO FROM SEC MEDIA

D. MARK MITCHELL

OPELIKA: JUNE 24 AT 4:30 P.M. AUBURN: JULY 12 AT 6 P.M. LEE COUNTY: JULY 12 AT 6 P.M.

A Team of Destiny? Why the Tigers Have A Legitimate Shot in Omaha BY HARRISON TARR FOR THE OBSERVER

ON THE MARK

SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS

is intensity,” said Auburn boys’ tennis coach Matt Hooper. “They are very competitive. Individually, they worked hard. They are the most fun group of guys to be around.” For soccer, Marlow and Arnal each helped the Tigers to successful seasons. Marlow, the only winger selected to the boys’ South team, said “for me to make the team, it just shows the hard work and dedication I have put into this season.” Although he normally plays out wide on the right, Bill Ferguson, Auburn girls’ and boys’ soccer coach, said Marlow can play anywhere across the front of attack. “He’s a quick player,” he said. “He has good vision, good service nad scores a lot of goals for our team.” Arnal said the selection See AHSAA, page B4

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B2 June 16, 2022

Stone Martin Builders Renovates West Ridge Park’s Softball Fields Local Alabama homebuilder project refurbishes softball dugouts and field

OPELIKA –– Stone Martin Builders (SMB), one of the largest home builders across Alabama and the region, recently partnered with the city of Opelika to refurbish the Westridge Softball Field’s new dugouts. Softball teams will be able to regroup with coaches and cheer their teammates on the field from the new dugouts.

“We are honored to have had the opportunity to work with the сity of Opelika and provide upgraded amenities to our community,” said Frank Plan, CEO of Stone Martin Builders. “The Westridge Softball Field have been a staple to the city, constantly providing a safe, fun space for our families to enjoy themselves year round.” The park is located at 1600 Covington Ave. in Opelika. The park is home

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER

CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER

to multiple baseball fields, softball fields, playground areas and fitness stations. The six-month project benefits softball teams around the state who compete at

West Ridge Park for tournaments and championships. “We cannot be more excited for the upcoming softball season to see the new dugouts and field

filled with players. The softball teams are going to experience a beautiful area to practice and play on,” said John Vawter, superintendent at Stone Martin Builders. “This was an incredible project for our Stone Martin Builders team to be a part of. We don’t just build dream homes; we build stronger neighborhoods.” About Stone Martin Builders Based in AuburnOpelika metro area, Stone Martin

Builders is dedicated to developing aspirational communities throughout the state, including Columbus, Athens, Huntsville, Prattville, Montgomery and Dothan. Since its establishment in 2006, the company has quickly grown and in 2020 was ranked as one of the 100 largest home builders in the U.S. by Builder Online. For more information, visit stonemartinbuilders.com

OHS Swim Hosts Second Summer Meet PHOTOS BY ROBERT NOLES / THE OBSERVER

The Opelika Swim Team hosted a meet with Auburn and Prattville on June 9. The team is gearing up for the state championship on July 22 and 23.

TIGERS >> FROM B1 tournament, Thompson’s offense has been lighting up opposing pitchers from nearly every slot in the lineup. This group hung 51 runs in just three games in the regional round, winning each contest seemingly effortlessly and displaying confidence at the plate. It’s difficult to not think of Sonny DiChiara when the term ‘offensive

production’ is brought up; the co-SEC player of the year has given plenty of reason to stay fresh in fans’ minds, going yard in four of the Tigers’ six postseason games and finding his way on base in each at bat in the group’s elimination game against Oregon State. DiChiara has been Auburn’s go-to guy for offensive sparks all year and the graduate transfer has shown no reason to doubt his abilities now. On the other side of

the field, the orange and blue have — in-large — done all that is necessitated. Senior outfielder Kason Howell has drawn attention through his continual flashing of the leather, forcing opponents to adapt their plate approaches in effort to slash the ball to portions of the field he can not reach, if such places even exist. Howell has not been alone in standout defense, however. Junior catcher Nate LeRue’s

efforts behind the dish can only be depicted as ‘lights-out.’ After tossing out a pair of runners in the regional round, LeRue has earned the respect of opposing managers and forced baserunners to take a more conservative approach when it comes to stealing. From a pitching standpoint, one figures that Auburn is in its best shape since the one-two punch of Casey Mize and Tanner Burns.

Sophomore Joseph Gonzalez has been remarkable all year, Mason Barnett has nearly developed into the pitcher many figured he could be and Tim Hudson’s bullpen is firing on all cylinders. After a tough start from junior Trace Bright in game one of the super regional round, the Auburn bullpen threw eight and one-third innings of one-run baseball, fending off the Beavers and eventually

earning its team the win. Baseball is a game of patience, strategy, skill and — most importantly — determination; the 2022 Auburn Tigers have been, and continue to be, determined to prove to the rest of the college baseball world that they belong in Omaha. Logic tells us that Auburn’s odds are slim. But then again, the words ‘logical’ and ‘Auburn’ just don’t belong in the same sentence.

B3 June 16, 2022

Auburn Bass Fishing Team Finishes Second in Nation After Stellar Season Parks, Smith take runner-up honors at nationals

CONTRIBUTED BY AUBURN UNIVERSITY BY NEIL REID

Auburn’s Dontavious Hill Claims High Jump Bronze at NCAAs

EUGENE, ORE. — Auburn senior Dontavious Hill had an outstanding performance en route to a third-place finish in the men’s high jump at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Friday. He became the first Tiger male since Ryan Fleck in 2009 to earn a medal in the event at outdoor nationals. The 2022 NCAA Indoor bronze medalist, Hill was the lone competitor of the 24 in action to cleanly clear the first four bars on their first attempt, making it over 2.10m, 2.15m, 2.18m and 2.21m. Hill had three good attempts at 2.24m but was unsuccessful on each attempt. “I feel really good,” Hill said. “I just did what my coaches always tell me to do, stay clean early on and just get the job done.”

A Mobile, Alabama, native, Hill established himself as one of the all-time high jumpers in program history. He became the first since Donald Thomas in 2007 to make the medal stand at NCAA Indoors and Outdoors in the same season. Hill was just the third Auburn athlete ever to earn a top-three finish in the high jump at outdoor nationals, joining Fleck who was a runner up 13 years ago and Thomas’ third in 2007. “It’s been a team effort between me and my coaches and Auburn as a whole,” Hill said. “Just trying to make sure I stay consistent at practice every day and going to each meet and treating it like it’s the big show every time” NCAA OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS FRIDAY, June 10 3. Dontavious Hill 2.21m/7-3

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fishing the Collegiate Bass Trail with a second place at the natty is pretty special, too. We gave it our all and left it all out on the water on Day 2. Tucker and I had an incredible day and one that

Auburn University’s bass fishing team earned its best-ever finish in the final collegiate rankings, taking second place behind the University of Montevallo. The Tigers qualified five teams for the national championship tournament, with two of those two-man tandems finishing in the top 10 at nationals.

Auburn career with a strong showing. “It was an incredible experience fishing my last collegiate bass national championship,” said Parks, a supply chain management graduate. “I would have loved to bring home the win, but to end my five years

we won’t soon forget. “It was one of the most fun days I have ever had on the water. I am thankful for my time at Auburn and all of these incredible experiences the Auburn Bass Team has brought me. I am excited to see what this team accomplishes over

the next few years.” Smith, who just completed his sophomore year on the Plains, echoed his teammate’s sentiments. “The Collegiate Bass National Championship was a fun one for sure,” Smith said. “We ended up in second place, right behind two of our good buddies. It was one of the most exciting tournaments I have ever had, so that makes me not as upset we didn’t pull off the win. “All I know is that Logan and I had a blast and caught them, but just didn’t catch them quite good enough. Make sure to tune into the College Collegiate Bass Show to watch us crush them — we got it all on camera.” The BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops will be televised on the Outdoor Action TV app later this summer, and episodes featuring the championship will be available on Outdoor Action TV in mid-to-late July. Anyone interested in donating to the Logan

Parks Bass Fishing Endowed Scholarship may do so via: https:// alumniq.auburn.edu/ giving/to/loganparks. 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.

Welcome to the Show: Davis Daniel called up to Angels CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER LOS ANGELES — Former Auburn pitcher Davis Daniel was called up to the Los Angeles Angels Saturday, becoming the 57th big leaguer in Auburn history. Daniel is the sixth former Tiger and fifth pitcher since Aug. 19, 2020, to get called up to the big leagues. He becomes head coach Butch Thompson’s 20th MLB pitcher, including his 14th since 2014. Daniel was Auburn’s Opening Day starter in 2019 but pitched only 2.0 innings before being shut down with an injury. However, he went on to be selected by the Angels in the seventh round of the 2019 MLB Draft. The Montgomery, Alabama, native made 17 appearances and 16 starts as a freshman in 2017 before making 19

PHOTO COURTESY OF MLB PHOTOS

CONTRIBUTED BY AUBURN ATHLETICS

qualified for nationals and finished 63rd in the final standings. Parks, who with Smith was named the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Team of the Year, was thrilled to finish his

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY AUBURN UNIVERSITY

AUBURN –– Auburn University’s bass fishing team capped a historic season with its all-time best finish at the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops by taking second place in the final season team standings after the twoday event concluded on May 27. The Tigers landed two teams in the top 10 and four in the top 41 in the culminating event to finish the 202122 season with 18,080 points in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia standings, just behind the University of Montevallo’s 19,275. A total of 211 colleges and universities competed in the collegiate ranks at more than 60 bass fishing events during the season, and this year’s runner-up finish bests the Tigers’ fifth-place result from a year ago. Recent graduate Logan Parks and Tucker Smith — who won the

$1 million first-place prize at the Bass Pro Shops US Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championships in November — finished second in the two-man tandem standings as well. Parks, who established the Logan Parks Bass Fishing Endowed Scholarship with part of his winnings, and Smith finished with 44.69 pounds of bass at Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama, just behind the team of Bryar Chambers and Client Blackwood of Wallace State University. Auburn’s Garrett Warren and Hayden Marbut finished ninth at nationals with a final weight of 33.56, making the Tigers the only team with two tandems in the top 10 at the two-day event. Auburn’s teams of Carson Maddux and Rob Cruvellier (34th) and Connor Jacob and Sam Smith (41st) also had solid performances at the season-ending event, leaving Auburn as one of two schools with four teams among the top 41 finishers. Sam Hanggi and Sam Hoesley also

appearances and 10 starts in 2018. As a sophomore, Daniel was instrumental in the team’s first super regional appearance since 1999 as he allowed just five earned runs and struck out 25 batters in his last six relief appearances and 18.1 innings pitched, including 5.1 scoreless innings of relief in the decisive game three of the Gainesville Super Regional.

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Daniel made 37 career appearances and 27 starts for the Tigers, posting a 7-7 record and 5.37 ERA to go along with 135 strikeouts in 139.0 innings. After rehabbing from his aforementioned injury, Daniel made his professional debut on May 9, 2021, and moved quickly through the Angels farm system, finishing his first professional season

with the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees. He has started nine games for the Bees in 2022 and is 3-1 with a 3.64 ERA in 47.0 innings pitched. In 32 minor league appearances and 31 starts, the right-hander is 7-8 with a 3.84 ERA and 192 strikeouts in 161.2 innings of work. Daniel wore No. 78 as the Angels took on the Mets on June 11.

B4 June 16, 2022

Community Foundation Receives Check in Honor of Auburn High, University Baseball Alum OPELIKA – On June 8, 2022, the Joe Beckwith Golf Tournament Committee presented a check to the Community Foundation of East Alabama, Inc. in the net amount of $60,000.00. Funds were raised through a golf scramble held on

Tuesday, May 24, at Saugahatchee Country Club to support the Joe Beckwith Scholarship Endowment Fund. Over 96 local golfers participated. Beckwith was a local baseball star who started a pitching career at Auburn High School followed by four years at Auburn University. He went on to spend a seven-year career in the major

PHOTO BY ROBERT NOLES / THE OBSERVER

CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER

The Community Foundation of East Alabama received a check from the Joe Beckwith Golf Tournament Committee June 8.

leagues. Joe was part of two championship teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981 and the Kansas City Royals in 1985. Over one year ago, Beckwith lost a twoand-a-half-year battle with cancer and as part of his legacy, he wanted to offer an annual scholarship to a senior baseball player at Auburn High School. Following his demise, many donated towards

the scholarship. His friends and fans continued to honor him by participating in and donating through the Joe Beckwith Golf Tournament. The Joe Beckwith Scholarship Fund is one of the many funds managed by the Community Foundation of East Alabama, Inc. For more information go to www.cfeastalabama.org.

Auburn closes NCAA Outdoors with 11 All-America Honors CONTRIBUTED BY AUBURN ATHLETICS

EUGENE, ORE .— Auburn senior Joyce Kimeli earned her fourth outdoor AllAmerica honors as she finished 12th in the 3000m Steeplechase Saturday on the final day of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field. Junior Maura Huwalt, competing in her first championships was 17th in the discus throw. The NCAA runner

AHSAA >> FROM B1 was “a huge honor,” even if it came as a surprise to the rising senior. Her coach, however, knows what she brings to the table. “She is a very vocal leader,” Feguson said. “[She has] great leadership and stability from the back line.” Cosby rounds out the selections for the Tigers, as he was a key piece to Auburn’s semi-final state tournament run this past season. “He got us going a lot,” said Auburn head baseball coach Matt Cimo. “He is a really good baseball player. I wasn’t surprised he made it.” Opelika was the Lee County school which received the second-most all-star selections. An all-female cast of Brown and Yountz earned the honors this year. Under the tutelage of head coach Jaclyn Button, Brown engrained herself as a key cog in the Opelika soccer machine. “I’m ecstatic that she was [selected],” Button

SPORTS >> FROM B1 can't imagine where we would be today without it. In other news pertaining to the AHSAA, Birmingham's Bill Harris Arena will host a basketball regional in 2023. The regional that was played at Montgomerys multiplex will be moved to Bill Harris Arena. Montgomery will continue to host a regional at Garrett Coliseum.

up a year ago, Kimeli led alongside BYU’s Courtney Wayment through the midway point before Wayment pulled away to win in a collegiate record time. Kimeli finished in 9:41.48, the fifth fastest time in school history. Huwalt, the SEC Champion in the discus a month ago, had her best mark of 50.10m/164-4 on her second of three attempts. The South Park, Pennsylvania, native earned honorable mention All-America

honors. Auburn closed the championships with 11 All-America honors including two first-team honors from high jumper Dontavious Hill and hammer thrower Madi Malone. Kimeli joined seniors Ashley Carter and Asia Jinks to receive second team All-America accolades. Carter was 12th in the javelin throw and Jinks was 13th in the 400m Hurdles on Thursday. The Tigers finished with six points on the

said. “She’s really come a long way. I started with her as a seventh-grader and kind of brought her up to varsity. She’s definitely gotten a lot of experience and playing time on the varsity level. With her senior year coming up, I feel like she’s a great representation of how hard work and persistence pays off.” Brown accredits her personal development to more much than her own hard work; her teammates — and mother — have been there every step of the way. “I don’t really have a lot of confidence in myself as a player but my team really supports me and motivates me to be the best player I can be for them,” Brown said. “I was just really excited to know that my hard work Is paying off. “I want to thank my mom. Her taking me in, pushing me to be the player I am today, she’s always supported me and comes to every game. I really want to thank her for pushing me.” Yountz was Opelika’s best pitcher in head coach Jessica Thornton’s first year at the helm of the

program. She helped lead the senior-less Bulldogs to an area championship. Rounding out the local selections is Beulah’s Phillips and Smiths Station’s Williams. Williams is one of five 7A level athletes to be selected to the South golf team, and the lone local selection. His 74-shot round in sectionals earned one of the two Class 7A, Section 2 individual qualifying sports at sectionals this season. Phillips, a pitcher, was part of a Beulah team that made it all the way to the Class 3A State Championship. The rising senior is excited about the opportunity to represent the Bobcats. ““It’s actually really exciting,” Phillips said. “I actually did not think that I would get it until the day that it was announced. “It feels really nice to represent my school in that way,” Phillips said. “I really give it all to my coaches and everyone because they’re the ones that got me to this point. So I’m really glad that I get to go out there.”

The high school baseball championship could return to Oxford/Jacksonville, or Montgomery's Patterson Field and River Walk Stadium. No decision has been made at this time. The baseball playoffs were moved out of Montgomery because MLB could not work out an open week at River Walk Stadium. Stay tuned for more updates. SOFTBALL FIELDS The city of Opelika continues to work on turfing the second field

at West Ridge Park. Crews are working each day to have the second field completed prior to school starting in August. The field that is completed is beautiful and gives OHS a softball surface that is top notch.

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 Boys Baseball state director.

men’s side to tie for 46th place, while the women scored one point, good for a 62nd place tie. NCAA OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS SATURDAY, June 11 - Women’s 3000m Steeplechase — 12. Joyce Kimeli 9:41.48 - Women’s Discus Throw — 17. Maura Huwalt 50.10m/164-4 FRIDAY, June 10 - 3. Dontavious Hill 2.21m/7-3 THURSDAY, June 9 - Women’s

Javelin Throw — 8. Madi Malone 69.22m/227--1 - Women’s 3000m Steeplechase Semifinals — 7. Joyce Kimeli 9:42.27 (Q) - Women’s Javelin Throw — 12. Ashley Carter 53.26m/174-9 23. Shaniya Holley 48.26m/158-4 - Women’s 800m Semifinals — 17. Presley Weems 2:04.65 - Women’s 400m Hurdles Semifinals — 13. Asia Jinks

57.52 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8 - Men’s Hammer — 19. Kyle Brown 66.59m/218-5 -Men’s Pole Vault — James Courson - No Height - Men’s Decathlon, Day 1 — Alex Spyridonidis - DNF 100m - 11.23 Long Jump - 6.98m/22-11¾ Shot Put - 14.04m/46-0¾ High Jump - DNS 400m.

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B5 June 16, 2022

Auburn School Resource Officers Receive Awards from State Association

City partners with Southern Union to Offer Machining Operator Course

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER

CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER AUBURN — The city of Auburn is partnering with Southern Union State Community College to support an Introductory Computer Numeric Control (CNC) Operator short course for those interested in the machining field. The course will be held in-person on Monday, Tuesday and

Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. from June 20 through Aug. 1. Course slots are limited and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Each individual will be awarded a sponsorship through the Industrial Development Board of the city of Auburn. Upon completion of the class, participants will be guaranteed interviews with a group of Auburn-based companies.

To register, contact Michelle Etris at metris@suscc.edu or 334745-6437, ext. 5490. For further questions about this partnership or the course, contact Amy Brabham at 334-501-7301 or abrabham@auburnalabama.org. A digital version of the flyer can be found here: https://static.auburnalabama.org/media/apps/www/workforce/CNC-OperatorTraining.pdf

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From left to right: Fant, Bryant. CONTRIBUTED BY THE CITY OF AUBURN AUBURN — The Auburn Police Department would like to congratulate two of its school resource officers for receiving two awards from The Alabama Association of School Resource Officers (TAASRO) 23rd Annual 2022 Safe Schools Conference. Both officers were recommended for the TAASRO awards by their supervisor, Sgt. Charles “Bud” Nesmith. School Resource Officer Justin Fant was presented with the TAASRO 2022 “Above the Call of Duty” Award. Each year, this award is given to one school resource officer in Alabama who made a positive impact in their schools and community. Fant is the first to arrive on his assigned school campus and works long into the night most days of the week. He always seeks opportunities for increased school safety and often uses his expertise in technology. He developed an identification card program to increase school campus safety and programmed all of the school resource officer entry key fobs. Fant is always willing to meet with students, families and faculty to build positive relationships and assist in any way he can. His vast understanding of the law and his policing experience assists the school administration in doing what is right for students who have made poor choices.

Fant started his career with Auburn Police Department on Aug. 2, 2010, and became a school resource officer for Auburn City Schools on Aug. 24, 2015. Fant is also a K9 handler with the Auburn Police K9 Unit. School Resource Officer Lavareis “LB” Bryant was presented with the TAASRO 2022 “Valor” Award. Each year, this award is given to one school resource officer in Alabama who showed courage in the face of danger. Bryant was recommended for the “Valor” Award for his heroic actions shown during an incident earlier this year. On the morning of Feb. 3, 2022, Bryant was working at the Richland Elementary School car drop off line when he observed multiple vehicles and a school bus come to a stop in the road way, blocking traffic. He observed a male exit his truck and approach the vehicle in front of him, and arguing ensued

between the two drivers. As Bryant approached the two subjects, he heard a single gunshot. He ran to the scene and placed himself between the threat and the school. Bryant detained the suspect with the gun and rendered aid to the subject who had been shot until additional officers arrived on the scene. He discovered a 3-year-old was in the vehicle of the subject who had been shot, and removed the child from the scene, placing the child in secure care. Bryant took control and showed outstanding courage during the situation. Bryant became a certified police officer in July 2009. He was hired with the Auburn Police Department on April 1, 2015, and became a School Resource Officer for Auburn City Schools on Aug. 6, 2018. Bryant is motorcycle certified and is a field training officer. He and his wife, Becca, have three children. Learn more about The Alabama Association of School Resource Officers at taasro.org.

B6 June 16, 2022

Lee County Crowns its 2023 Distinguished Young Woman LEE COUNTY –– The Distinguished Young Woman (DYW) of Lee County 2023 was named June 11, 2022, at the local DYW program while awarding over $580,000 worth of scholarships to the participants. Anslee Tatum, DYW 2022, presented Keely Rider of Opelika High School as the 2023 winner. Susannah Couey of Opelika High School was awarded first runner-up and Holly Roberson of Auburn High School was awarded second runner-up. The DYW program awards scholarships in each of the categories including scholastics (25%), interview (25%),

talent (20%), fitness (15%) and self-expression (15%). The participants submit an essay on the "Be Your Best Self" tenants and one winner is given a cash scholarship though this is not part of the overall scoring. The participants select a member of this year's class as the "DYW" spirit winner. Category winners were: Scholastics: Shivani Babu, Keely Rider Interview: Susannah Couey, Holly Roberson Talent: Emma Childs, Keely Rider Self- Expression: Shivani Babus, Keely Rider Fitness: Keely Rider, Holly Roberson Be Your Best Self

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER

CONTRIBUTED BY DYWLC

Essay: Holly Roberson DYW Spirit Winner: Caroline Glennon Keely Rider, Distinguished Young Woman of Lee County 2023, will compete in January for the title of Distinguished Young Woman of Alabama.

The Distinguished Young Woman Program, originally called America's Junior Miss, was founded in 1958 in Mobile, Alabama, in an effort to provide higher education scholarships for young women.

Tatum, Rider.

Lee County Schools Offering Free, Daily Summer Breakfast/Lunch Certain days from June 6 – 30, 2022. Dates: June 13 to 17; June 21-24; June 27-30. Participating Schools: Beauregard Elementary School; Beauregard High School; Beulah Elementary School; Loachapoka High School; Smiths Station High School; East Smiths Station High School. Breakfast: 7:45 to 8:30 a.m. CST; Lunch: 10:30 a.m. to Noon CST. Transportation must be provided to and from the location for the children unless they are enrolled in the summer program at these sites. Contact each school for any additional information.

FunCarts of Opelika 0660 funcart.opelika com

CLIPPERS

B7 June 16, 2022

Cow Kids 'Saddle Up' PHOTOS BY TAMARA WARD / CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER

The Lee Chambers Cow Kids is the children’s division of the Lee Chambers Saddle Club whose mission is to serve the next generation of cowboys and cowgirls through fellowship, education and encouragement. On Saturday, June 4, 2022, the Lee Chambers Cow Kids hosted their first Fun Show at The Cowboy Church of Lee County. Families gathered from near and far for some friendly competition on horseback and to celebrate the hard work and dedication these children put into their passions. This event was made possible by Direct Auto, JW of the Cowboy Church of Lee County and the committed parents and volunteers from the club. Its next event, “The Glow Show,” will be held Friday, September 9, 2022. It will entail a glowin-the-dark barrel race. The equestrian community is invited to participate, and the entire community is invited to attend for free. The concessions are delicious, and the entertainment will be priceless. For updates, visit any of the following pages: The Cowboy Church of Lee County, The Lee Chambers Cow Kids and or The Lee Chambers Saddle Club for updates.

B8 June 16, 2022

Welcome Summer 2022 To Lee County

BETH PINYERD

elcome Summer 2022! Our community is thriving as we embark back on many of our community traditions and activities. Our churches and volunteers have opened their doors to celebrate Vacation Bible School! The themes this year are so exciting for children from celebrating the lives of Bible heroes and traveling to different countries virtually to learn about the countries as well as their animals and ways of life. I LOVE to go volunteer at the different Vacation Bible Schools in our area. The fellowship is wonderful in socialization and coming to teach young children about God’s truth. From morning to evening Vacation Bible Schools in our area, are just so much fun for children, youth, and we adults. Meals,

snacks, Bible stories, music, dancing, crafts, etc. teach children what life is all about and give them hope. Our local libraries have opened their doors for exciting summer programs. The library staffs are so helpful in finding resources for your families to have a reading enriched summer. Library staffs have gone the extra mile in meeting community needs. Use The Observer to find out about different events happening in our community. Our local newspaper is so community and family friendly in finding out what is going on in the county that may be of interest for families at attend and enjoy. When my late husband and I were in graduate school he introduced me to the creeks of Lee County by taking his Old Town or Blue

Hole to float down the streams of Lee County. Growing up in Opelika I had always admired the different creeks by looking at them when my family drove over them but I had never swam in the creeks or streams or canoed down them. So my husband had a whole lot to teach me about canoeing. In the summer our canoe remained a permanent fixture strapped down with Bungy chords on top. Being students, our summer get-aways were definitely on a shoestring financially. We could not afford seaside beaches but we truly enjoyed sandy beaches by streams and creeks. I love the way these local streams open up to our beautiful state rivers. Our community has always been so good in teaching young children to swim. The local recreation centers and the different camps do such a wonderful job in providing lessons. Spending time in teaching children to swim spells life saving and love. Grandparents, one event we can provide for our families is fun time spent with them. A camp which richly warms my heart with warm memories and encouragement is “Cousin Camp” at my grandparents’ home in Salem, Alabama. My grandmother and grandfather had a thriving vegetable garden every summer. We grandchildren would help my grandmother as best we could with

shelling butterbeans and peas, shucking corn, and she would allow us to help her can fruit jelly as best as our little hands could do. I truly loved the savoring smells of homemade scuppernong jelly, apple jelly and applesauce. My favorite memory was to go help my grandparents on Saturday evening to clean the church nursery and sanctuary at Salem. We grandkids loved to polish the pulpit and pretend we were preaching. Too, we loved making the pews shiny. In the summer we had to lay out the cardboard fans at the end of the pews. My grandmother had so much patience with her grandchildren in teaching all of us how to do things around the farm and in the kitchen. Their home had happy hearts, the door was always open to all, memories were created, and LOVE always endured. We always had a blast of fun doing the very simple things at “Cousin Camp”. Too, this summer, families can plan to have a vacation atmosphere in their homes. Pick up your family’s favorite video, DVD, plan to have fun family picnics-let the children help you “no matter how messy the sandwich”, pull out favorite board games such as “Boggle”, Checkers, puzzles, etc. Camp out in the backyard or spread a tent out inside. This can even be done with making tents out of bedsheets. In keeping children in my

home during many summers, bedsheets can also serve as a playhouse or circus tent to do a lot of pretend play for hours inside. Another summer favorite is to safely observe different summertime insects. I know we all remember the days of chasing “lightning bugs”- fireflies and safely observing rolly-polys, ants, etc. for hours. Summertime too has nature sounds’ choirs such as croaking frogs, peepers, katydids, and birds chirping in the morning and evenings. You and your children can listen to the different sounds and identify them. I love early in the morning walking my little dog Cookie and listening to frogs croaking in nearby ponds and creeks and being met by the cheerful chirping of birds. Every year, I have my little bird friends build their nest right in the ceiling of my patio. Opening up my back door, I am welcomed every morning by the happy singing of “free renters”! My feathery friends provide some wonderful truths that God tells us not to worry about what we shall wear or eat. I love looking at the parent birds bringing their young babies worms and other foods. Too, their colorful feathery coats are beautiful clothes. These are God moments of slowing down and looking at HIS world and too teaching children life truths. Another daily activity

that young children love to do during the summer is to watch the weather. One observation that young meteorologists love to do is to watch the formation of clouds. Guide your child’s eye to identify three different kinds of clouds. Cirrus clouds are feathery clouds that look like they have a curl. I tell young children they look like pulled cotton candy. Usually cirrus clouds are associated with fair weather. Cumulus clouds are heaping clouds! They look like pillows you can jump on. It’s neat to point out to your child these clouds building up for a summer afternoon shower. Too cumulus clouds are the ones we usually can look at and make shapes. Stratus clouds look like layers or blankets and produce rain and drizzle. They are dark and usually produce lightning and thunder. I hope these few simple ideas help parents to plan a simple, fun filled summer. I will try to help parents by suggesting activities for your children to enjoy through Classroom Observer this summer. Too, to end a good summer day after summer showers, be sure to look for those beautiful arching rainbows! Remember your child is a promise to you! Savor the moments to enjoy each day.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/

files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20 P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-50811-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 6329992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by: 1.mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or 2.fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 6907442; or 3.email: program.intake@usda.gov This institution is an equal opportunity provider. 05/05/2022

Classroom Observer Beth Pinyerd

L ee County & A labama Politics

Nov. 24, 2021

Thursday, June 16, 2022

Inside the Statehouse Katie Britt Favored to Capture Senate Seat

STEVE FLOWERS

OPINION — atie Britt is headed to a likely victory to fill our U.S. Senate seat in next Tuesday’s June 21 runoff. The 40 year old, first time candidate garnered an amazing 45% of the vote against two major candidates on May 24. She finished far ahead of second place finisher Mo Brooks at 29% and third placeholder Mike Durant at 23%. She almost beat them without a runoff. Britt carried 62 of the 67 counties in Alabama and barely lost the other five by a slim margin. Britt won overwhelmingly in most of the populous GOP counties in the state. As excepted, she ran very well in her native Wiregrass receiving 63% in her home county of Coffee. To the contrary, her opponent in the runoff, second place finisher Mo Brooks, barely carried his home county of Madison by a 39 to 36 margin. In adjacent Limestone, a suburb county of Madison, the vote count was 7,130 for Brooks to 7,100 for Britt — a 30 vote margin. In short, Brooks lost his own congressional district to Britt. It appears that home folks know you best. Those of us who have followed politics in Alabama and especially in southeast Alabama have watched Britt grow up in Enterprise. We have all said she has had governor or senator written all over her. She has been a leader her entire life. She was the leader of everything at Enterprise High School, she was governor of Girls State, then she was president of the Student Government Association at Alabama. Soon after graduating from law school, she went to Washington and served five years as chief of staff to

Sen. Richard Shelby. She is about to take that seat in the U.S. Senate. She is scripted for the role. Britt will hit the ground running and will be an effective, conservative voice, and advocate for Alabama. One of the primary reasons Britt won so overwhelmingly is that she outworked all of the others. She started over a year ago, and worked all 67 counties in the state – especially the rural counties. She won the endorsement of the Alabama Farmers Federation the old fashioned way. She got out and earned it. She started early and stayed late. She built a grassroots organization throughout the state, and it propelled her to a tremendous lead on May 24, and it will carry her over the line next week. Britt’s opponent, Brooks, is a colorful character almost comedic. During his almost 40 years in Alabama politics, he has built a legacy as a right-wing, ineffective, ideological gadfly. He has never passed a bill in his 16 years in the legislature or 12 years in Congress. He is unbelievably unashamed of his lack of effectiveness or achievement. He likes the mantle of being a right-wing ineffective nut. Brooks and I served together in the Alabama House of Representatives for 16 years. He was immediately recognized as someone who wanted to accomplish nothing for his Huntsville district but wanted to sit on the back row and keep our voting record and rank as us on how conservative we were based on his criteria. You can only imagine how popular he was in the Alabama House. Brooks could not have passed a bill or gotten anything done for Huntsville if he had wanted to. In fact, if we had a bill to pass we would quietly say to him, “I’d like for you to vote for my bill, but please don’t speak for it.” Brooks has built on his reputation as an ineffective right wing nut during his tenure in Washington. They have written him off as a crazy gadfly. Both the Republican and Democratic U.S. Senate leadership in Washington would put Brooks off in a corner and laugh at him. This would not be good for a state that depends on federal defense dollars See FLOWERS, page B10

County Designates More ARPA Money

Commission continues discussion on ARPF; allocating for broadband and water BY HANNAH LESTER HLESTER@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

LEE COUTNY — The Lee County Commission designated $700,000 of the county’s $10 million revenue replacement funds during its meeting Monday night. They additionally designated percentages of the county’s remaining $21.9 million American Rescue Plan Act funds. District 1 Commissioner Doug Cannon asked to be placed on the agenda to approve 58% of the funding toward water and 20% to broadband. “Here a while back we had a work session on the ARPA funds and had a discussion at the last meeting on the broadband and water,” Cannon said. “At that time we discussed 58% toward water and 20% toward broadband.” The other unofficial budgeted items include 4.64% of that $21 million funding for the Investing in Alabama Counties fee, $1.3 million for ventilation in the Justice Center, 5.92% to ventilation in the Highway Department Complex, 1% to ventilation in the Deed Room of the County Courthouse, 2.9% to EMA communications equipment/ response and 1% for metal detectors with temperature readings. The $700,000 from the revenue replacement will be used toward an access road

NOW OPEN

for the Beauregard Park. “So, we also discussed the ARPA money, the $10 million we set aside as revenue replacement and we had discussed designating $700,000 from that side of the money to the Beauregard Park access road,” said County Administrator Holly Leverette. “And I wanted to verify with the county engineer that that was going to be the amount we were going to need for that. “And upon verification of that, now I’m ready to ask the commission to actually designate that $700,000.” The funding will be used to create the new access road and turn lanes. The road is half a mile in length from LR 400 to the intersection of LR 431, said County Engineer Justin Hardee at Beauregard Elementary. “I’m trying to understand how half mile is costing that much,” said Probate Judge Bill English. The topography of the road is also in “swamp land” Hardee said. For more information on the ARPA funds, see the previous stories here: www.opelikaobserver.com/commission-creates-working-arpa-budget/ www.opelikaobserver.com/lee-county-sets-work-sessionon-arpa/ www.opelikaobserver.

com/10-million-arpafunds-to-be-classifiedas-revenue-replacement-funds/ OTHER BUSINESS: - The commission heard a presentation from the Rape Counselors of East Alabama. - The commission heard an update on the new maintenance shop and engineering facility. - The commission approved the final plat approval for the Gentry-Lee Road 37 Subdivision. - The commission heard the second reading for the East Alabama Health Care Authority Board. - The commission approved the Senior Mapper/GIS position for the appraisal department. - The commission approved an educational reimbursement request for Sheriff Jay Jones. - The commission approved an easement for the relocation of a power line at the new maintained shop and engineering facility. - The commission voted to clear land for a training area at the National Center for Asphalt Technology facility on Lee Road 151. - The commission voted to enter a lease agreement with Bancorp South for solid waste vehicles. - The commission heard a report from Environmental Services Director John McDonald on bulk pickup rules and regulations.

Indoor shooting range is open to the public

2195 FIRST AVENUE • OPELIKA

B10 June 16, 2022

50 Years On, Wallace Shooting Brings Discussions

GREG MARKLEY but instead defeated. Even a reprehensible politician like Wallace should be part of the “marketplace of ideas.” Hopefully, people will reject their views and they will leave the stage. “In a very real sense, the event that took place a half-century ago resulted in two distinctly different George Wallaces — the one who lives pre-shooting and the other post,” wrote George Wallace Jr., his son, in a commentary published in many newspapers on the anniversary date. He continued: “Perhaps the change was best illustrated one night when we watched television together as I sat beside his bed. Knowing he had twice won a Golden Gloves championship as an amateur, been

his determined outlook. Being at an outdoor mall is a wise idea for politicians when they don’t have many followers with them. Wallace was surrounded by maybe 1,000 people, but some were only at the mall by happenstance. Who would know? “Until now, Gov. Wallace was riding a new crest of influence in his maverick political career,” wrote William Greider of The Washington Post. “He had won three presidential primaries so far in 1972, was favored to win today in Maryland and Michigan, and is expected to have at

Would constituents who liked his openly racist style still support him? How many African American votes can he earn? Would voters not feel he could do the job, with his paralysis? Were there new politicians that could upset Wallace’s plans? Is there still such a thing as a “sympathy vote” for a politician who has been shot and suffers residual pain daily? Well, Gov. Wallace would remain Gov. Wallace. I don’t have the totals for blacks supporting Wallace, but in a five-candidate Democratic Primary he received 65%. He beat his closest competitor by PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER

OPINION — y spring 1972, the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Sen. Robert Kennedy were four years in the past. JFK’s murder was nine years back. So as I edged to my birthday in May, I was pleased that the 1972 election did not have another national tragedy. Then came May 15 and news of the wounding of Alabama Gov. George Corley Wallace in Laurel, Maryland. At age 15, I had never been to Alabama so knew Wallace mostly from his presidential campaign. His racism repulsed me, but when he was shot I rooted for him. Candidates should not be shot for their beliefs,

captain of the University of Alabama boxing team and loved his sport his entire life, I turned on a prizefight between two ranked contenders. ‘Son, I don’t like to watch two people hurt each other,’ he said while asking me to change the channel.” The shooting happened May 15, at around 4 p.m. at Laurel Shopping Center in Laurel, Maryland. Loner Arthur Bremer shot at Wallace’s abdomen with a .38 revolver. Wallace was hit four times, but he fought for life at a hospital and survived. He was permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Three others were

Former Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace shot, but they too recovered. Radio and TV broadcasters suggested that the 52-year-old Alabama governor survived based on his earlier athleticism and

least 10% of all delegates at the Democratic National Convention in July.” When Wallace ran for a second successive term in 1974, the questions were:

more than double. In the general election, Wallace beat his GOP opponent, 83% to 15%. In 1982, he gained 42% in the Democratic Primary,

and almost lost the nomination to lieutenant governor George McMillan in the runoff. In November, he defeated Montgomery Mayor Emory Folmar, 58% to 39%. Amazingly, this former segregationist captured more than 90% of the black vote. His renouncing of a negative racial approach in 1979 was widely publicized. I once worked for a guy who said one day: “Tomorrow is a wonderful day that I recall having with my wife.” I said, “Oh, good. Your wedding anniversary?” No. “Is it your wife’s birthday?” No, he said. “It’s my divorce anniversary. That’s special for me. I always celebrate the day it was finalized!” May 15, 1972. The day of an attempted assassination of George Wallace was one he did not want to remember. It was a harsh event, like the final legal separation of my friend, above. For history’s sake, good and bad sides must be available for people to judge themselves about this complex man and his times. 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 .

Summer P-EBT Benefits Coming to Families with Eligible School Children CONTRIBUTED BY ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES

MONTGOMERY –– The Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) has received federal approval to distribute Summer Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) benefits to an estimated 485,000 children who participate in the National School Lunch Program. The benefits will help feed children enrolled in the program, which provides free

FLOWERS >> FROM B9 to endure. He would be an albatross for our state. When asked about our U.S. Senate race a year ago, when Brooks' looked like a player, the witty and wise Louisiana Republican Senator John Kennedy quipped “A U.S. Senate Seat is a terrible thing to waste.” Folks, under the entrenched Senate Seniority system, Alabama would probably be better served with a 40 year old vibrant, able and conservative senator who can build power and seniority than a 69 year old gadfly relegated to the corner of the Senate, who would continue

and reduced-price meals at school. Eligible families will receive $391 for each child in the program. The benefits are expected to start rolling out later this summer. “Hunger doesn’t take a summer break,” said Alabama DHR Commissioner Nancy Buckner. “These Summer P-EBT benefits will provide financial flexibility and promote continued food security for students as they transition between school years. We are grateful to our federal

and state partners for their ongoing support of our efforts to meet the nutritional needs of young Alabamians.” Although all public school children could access free meals during the 2021-22 school year, Summer P-EBT benefits are limited to those who participate in the National School Lunch Program by application or through either the Community Eligibility Provision or a Provision 2 school. Families with questions about eligibility

should contact the schools their children attend. Summer P-EBT benefits can be used to purchase SNAP-eligible food items at stores that accept Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. Households with eligible students who received P-EBT benefits previously will access Summer P-EBT benefits on their existing EBT cards. Those who are new to the National School Lunch Program will receive EBT cards in the mail. All recipi-

to vote against Alabama interest like defense and agriculture. Brooks allegiance would be to the clandestine, right-wing Club for Growth rather

than the interests of Alabamians. 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.

ents should keep their EBT cards in case additional benefits are added in the future. To become eligible for Summer P-EBT, families may apply for the National School Lunch Program by contacting their local schools no later than Aug. 31. Eligible families are encouraged to monitor dhr.alabama. gov for additional updates, including information about a timeframe for the arrival of benefits. DHR oversees the

distribution of Summer P-EBT with assistance from ALSDE. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service administers the program at the federal level. Support specialists are available to answer questions about P-EBT by phone at 1-800410-5827 and online at dhr.alabama.gov/ food-assistance/ from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

ANGEL’S ANTIQUE & Flea Mall

Got Clubs? Now Offering Gift Certificates

Treat Your Dad This Father’s Day 334-745-3221 • www.angelsmall.info 900 Columbus Parkway, Opelika, AL 36801 HOURS: 10 to 6 Monday - Saturday 1 to 5 Sunday

B11 June 16, 2022

ON JUNE 21, RE-ELECT

ROBERT HAM Keep Robert Ham working for the people

Ham has lived in Lee County since 1973, as a servant for the people of District 4. When the 2019 Beauregard Tornados devastated the county, he took seven months off work to help his community. Ham is a conservative Christian who has been self-employed in Lee County for over 40 years. He is the developer of Meadow Lakes Estates, Sam’s Club and the Sports Academy Complex. His interests include traveling, golfing and racing. “I am very pleased to have served as your county commissioner for the past 12 years and I am asking to serve you for four more years with your vote on June 21. I have attended 260 Lee County Commission meetings in person and only missed 11 meetings , which gives me a 96% attendance record. My opponent has never attended a county commission meeting in person. If you have any problems that I can help you with please call me at 334-319-0691.” — Robert Ham.

Ham’s list of service opportunities and accomplishments in office include: • Led the process of building the Beulah Senior Center, the Beulah Recreation Park and the Beauregard Recreation Park • Started the spayed and neuter program seven years ago Co-Founder and current Board Member of Mercy Medical • Co-Founder and current Board Member of Northridge Shelter for Women • Co-Founder of Friends of the Community • Past President and Treasurer of Lee County Kawana’s Board • Executive Board Member of the Alabama County Commission Association. • Executive Board of the Alabama County Commissions Association three times

B12 June 16, 2022

Letter to the Editor

OPINION — o Alabama Republicans Understand the Stakes? As primary voters head back to the polls on Tuesday to determine various runoff winners, there is a prevailing sense among some engaged conservatives that the results in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate

are likely to disappoint once again. Corporate lobbyist Katie Britt received former President Trump’s endorsement after he rescinded his initial support for Congressman Mo Brooks. The former president dropped support for Brooks after the Freedom Caucus stalwart committed the unforgiveable sin of suggesting it’s time for Republicans to move on

from the 2020 election and instead focus on taking back both houses of Congress from an increasingly radical Democratic Party. That’s the kind of rational, totally-not-insane steadiness we have all come to expect from the former president. After all, it’s not like Trump’s support for failed and highly flawed candidate Roy Moore cost Republicans

a Senate seat in 2018. And it’s not as if the former president’s post-election rantings kept Georgia conservatives at home in that critical runoff, propelling radical leftists Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to the Senate from a state that, contrary to desperate wish casting from Democratic strategists, remains red. No, certainly not. Apologies—allow me a moment to wipe the sarcasm

off my keyboard. The reality is that Alabama Republican voters are on the precipice of sending a big-spending moderate to the U.S. Senate to replace another big-spending moderate. But Britt, who cheerily lobbied to successfully increase our gas taxes by $300 million, has convinced large swaths of voters that she is a conservative because she wears

a cross around her neck and cut a campaign ad holding a shotgun. She, like her former boss, retiring senator Richard Shelby, is a diehard supporter of spending all our money and handing it out to her corporatist, big business friends. That is the entirety of her very thin professional resume:

Legal Run 06/02/2022, 06/09/2022 & 06/16/2022 ----------------

VIRIGINA B NELMS, DECEASED CASE NO. 2022-300 NOTICE OF HEARING TO: Gregory Nelms, Thaddeus Menifee. Tonya Nelms Johnson all address's unknown and any unknown heirs of VIRGINIA B. NELMS, deceased Notice is hereby given that a Petition for Letters of administration of the Estate of VIRGINIA B. NELMS, deceased. A hearing has been set for the 28th day of July, 2022 at 10:00 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 of the Estate of VIRGINIA B. NELMS, deceased. Judge of Probate, Lee County, Alabama Legal Run 06/09/22, 06/16/22 & 06/23/22 ---------------

See LETTER, page B13

PUBLIC NOTICES ORDINANCE NO. 012-22 AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE ZONING ORDINANCE AND ZONING MAP OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council (the “City Council”) of the City of Opelika, Alabama (the “City”) as follows: Section 1. That Ordinance 12491 entitled “Zoning Ordinance City of Opelika, Alabama”, adopted on September 17, 1991, and the Zoning Map of the City of Opelika provided for and referred to therein, as previously amended and/or modified, be and the same is hereby amended by rezoning or redistricting the parcel of land hereinafter in this section described, so as to change such parcel from one class of district to another class of district as follows, to-wit: From a R-4M, GC-P District (Medium Density Residential, Gateway Corridor Primary Overlay District) to a C-2, GC-P District (Office/Retail, Gateway Corridor Primary Overlay District), the parcel of land hereinafter described: A parcel of land in Section 23, Township 19 North, Range 26 East Lee County, Alabama containing 10.1 acres more or less being numbered 4 on Plat of Survey made by Ralph O. Bush, Surveyor 1447 in October 1957 said proerty being more particularly described as follows: Beginning at the Northwest corner of said Section 23, and run thence East for a distance of 1562.5 feet; run thence South 05 degrees 52 minutes East for a distance of 846 feet; run thence south 00 degrees 36 East for 460 feet: run thence East for a distance of 1282.5 feet to the Northeasterly corner of said Lot 4 to the POINT OF Beginning of the parcel of land herein described and conveyed; from said point of beginning, run thence South 00 degrees 30 minutes East for a distance of 1219 feet to a public highway; run thence along said highway, South 73 degrees 45 minutes West for a distance of 154.8 feet; run thence south 72 degrees 02 minutes West for a distance o 204 feet; ; run thence North 00 degrees 30 minutes West for a distance of 1323 feet; run thence East for a distance of 343,5 feet to the POINT OF BEGINNING. This conveyance is subject to that right-of-way granted to Alabama Pawer Company. LESS AND EXCEPT THEREFROM: Commencing at the Northwest corner of Section 23, Township 19 North, Range 26 East, Lee County, Alabama ; run thence East for a distance of 2582.1 feet ; run thence South 00 degrees 30 minutes East for a distance of 2045.0 feet to an iron pin and the POINT OF BEGINNNING of the parcel of land herein described and conveyed; from said point of beginning, run thence North 72 degrees 02 minutes East for a

distance of 150 feet; run thence South 00 degrees 30 minutes East, for a distancer o 580.8 feet to a point on the Northwesterly margin of said lee County Highway No. 42 (now known as Frederick Road) ; run thence South 72 degrees 02 minutes West , along the Northwesterly margin of said Lee County Highway No. 42 for a distance of 150 feet; run thence North 00 degrees 30 minutes West for a distance of 580.8 feet to the POINT OF BEGINNING and being further described on that certain Plat of survey prepared on 06/14/66 by Noah L. McCrory, Ala Reg. Land Surveyor No. 2596, a copy of which is attached to warranty Deed dared 08/23/66 of record in Deed Book 737 at Page 362 in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Lee County, Alabama. ALSO LESS AND EXCEPT THEREFROM: Commencing at the Northwest corner of Section 23, Township 19 North, Range 26 East, Lee County, Alabama; run thence East for a distance of 2582.1 feet; run thence South 00 degrees 30 minutes East for a distance of 2045.0 feet to an iron pin and the POINT OF BEGINNING of the parcel of land herein described and conveyed; from said point of beginning, run thence North 72 degrees 02 minutes East for a distance of 150.0 feet to an iron pin; run thence South 00 minutes 30 minutes East for a distance of 580.8 feet to an iron on the Northerly margin of the 100 foot right-of-way of Lee county Highway No. 42 (Now known as Fredrick Road); run thence North 72 degrees 02 minutes East along the Northerly margin of said highway for a distance of 54 feet to a concrete right-of-way marker Station -P.C. 201+05.4; run thence North 00 degrees 30 minutes West for a distance of 650.4 feet to an iron pin; run thence South 72 degrees 02 minutes West for a distance of 204.0 feet to the OINT OF BEGINNING, containing 1.0 acres more or less and being further described as as Parcel “B” on a Plat of Survey prepared on 06/18/76 by Noah L. McCrory, Ala, Reg. Land Surveyor No. 2596, a copy of which is attached to Warranty Deed dated 07/27/76 of record in Deed Book 975 at Page 627 in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Lee County, Alabama. The above-described property contains approximately 7.0 acres and is located in the 2500 block of Frederick Road, Opelika, Alabama. Section 2. Any ordinance or part thereof in conflict with provisions of this Ordinance be and the same are hereby repealed. Section 3. This Ordinance shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the City of Opelika, Lee County, Alabama. ADOPTED AND APPROVED this the 7th day of June, 2022. /s/ Erica Baker-Norris PRESIDENT PRO-TEM OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY

OF OPELIKA, ALABAMA ATTEST: /s/ Russell A. Jones, CMC CITY CLERK TRANSMITTED TO MAYOR on this the 8th day of June, 2022. /s/ Russell A. Jones, CMC CITY CLERK ACTION BY MAYOR APPROVED this the 8th day of June, 2022. /s/ Gary Fuller MAYOR ATTEST: /s/ Russell A. Jones CITY CLERK Legal Run 6/16/2022 --------------NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned intends to sell the personal property described below to enforce a lien imposed on said property under The Self Service Storage Act. The undersigned will sell at public sale by competitive bidding on Thursday the 30th day of June, 2022 at 10:00 AM on Lockerfox.com. Said property is iStorage, 3806 Pepperell Parkway, Opelika, AL, 36801 Tyson, TyKia 91 Canning Supplies Luggage Folding Tables Misc Household goods. Purchases must be paid for at the time of purchase by cash only. All purchased items are sold as is, where is, and must be removed within 48 hours of the sale. Sale is subject to cancellation in the event of settlement between owner and obligated party. Legal Run 6/16/2022 -----NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned intends to sell the personal property described below to enforce a lien imposed on said property under The Self Service Storage Act. The undersigned will sell at public sale by competitive bidding on Thursday the 30th day of June, 2022 at 10:00 AM on Lockerfox. com. Said property is iStorage, 501 North 26th St, Opelika, AL, 36801 Goodwin, Darnisha 2101 mattress, box springs, two couches, boxes, table and dryer. Lisa Simmons 2052 2 Chairs, Assorted Household Items, Table Lamp, Bags, Boxes. Lisa Simmons 2092 assorted of misc boxes and bags. Purchases must be paid for at the time of purchase by cash only. All purchased items are sold as is, where is, and must be removed within 48 hours of the sale. Sale is subject to cancellation in the event of settlement between owner and obligated party. Legal Run 6/16/2022 --------------NOTICE TO CREDITORS Take Notice that LETTERS TESTAMENTARY of the Estate of CAROL FIELDS are hereby granted to Holly Elizabeth Fields Eaton and Sidney Lewis Fields, III, as Co-Personal Representatives on the 1st day of June, 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 (Lee Co. Probate Case No. 2022-299). Legal Run 6/16/2022, 6/23/2022 & 6/30/2022 --------------IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF DAVID LEE RIVENBARK, DECEASED IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA CASE NO. 2022-295 NOTICE TO CREDITORS TAKE NOTICE that Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to David Lee Rivenbark, Jr., on the 23rd day of May, 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 the time allowed by law or the same will be barred. BILL ENGLISH, PROBATE JUDGE Legal Run 06/02/2022, 06/9/2022 & 06/16/2022 ------------IN THE PROBATE COURT FOR LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF DOROTHY JEAN COCHRAN, deceased Case No.: 2022-297 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Take Notice that LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION of said deceased having been granted to Marcus Phillip Cochran on the 25th day of May, 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. MARCUS PHILLIP COCHRAN Legal Run 06/02/22, 06/09/22 & 06/16/2022 ------------IN THE PROBATE COURT FOR LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF RUDOLPH JEROME SHORT, Deceased Case No.: 2022-298 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to Jeremy Keith Short, Personal Representative on the 25th day of May, 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. JEREMY KEITH SHORT

IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN RE: The Estate of Joshua Ransom Vinson, deceased Case Number: 2022-208 NOTICE TO CREDITORS TAKE NOTICE that Letters of Administration have been granted to Michael Vinson as Administrator of the Estate of Joshua Ransom Vinson deceased, on the 20th Day of May, 2022 by the Honorable Bill English, Judge of Probate. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that all persons having claims against the said Estate are hereby required to present the same within the time allowed by law or the same will be barred. Michael Vinson, Personal Representative of the Estate of Joshua Ransom Vinson Legal Run 06/09/22, 06/16/22 & 06/23/22 --------------IN RE: THE ESTATE OF DOLORES A. VAN WETTERING, DECEASED IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to the undersigned on the 2nd day of June, 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. GUY PARKER VAN WETTERING TAD PARKER VAN WETTERING Legal Run 06/09/2022, 06/16/2022 & 06/23/2022 --------------IN RE: THE ESTATE OF EMMA G. GOODEN, Deceased IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA CASE NO. 2022-320 NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to the undersigned on the 2nd day of June, 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. SANDRA HENDERSON – Executrix Legal Run 06/09/2022, 06/16/2022 & 06/23/2022 --------------IN THE PROBATE COURT FOR LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN RE: THE ESTATE OF

NOTICE TO CREDITORS ESTATE OF MARIA A. HIGGINBOTHAM, DECEASED PROBATE COURT LEE COUNTY CASE NO. 2022-237 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Take Notice that LETTERS TESTAMENTARY of the Estate of MARIA A. HIGGINBOTHAM are hereby granted to Jon M. Shaw on the 26th day of April, 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. Jon M. Shaw Legal Run 6/9/22, 6/16/22 & 6/23/22 --------------IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN RE: THE ESTATE OF JERRY WAYNE WHITE, DECEASED. TAKE NOTICE that Letters Testamentary having been granted to Sandra Jean White, a/k/a Sandra Johnson White, as Executrix of the Estate of Jerry Wayne White, deceased, on the 7th day of June, 2022, by the Honorable Bill English. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that all persons having claims against the Estate are hereby required to present the same within the time allowed by law or the same be barred. Sandra Jean White, Executrix Of the Estate of Jerry Wayne White, Deceased Marrell J. McNeal, Attorney at Law, PC PO Box 308 Opelika, AL 36803 334-745-7033 Legal Run 06/09/2022, 06/16/2022 & 06/23/2022

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FROM B12 shilling for big business and spending working people’s tax money to grease the skids for her next career move. If elected—and it appears likely following the Trump endorsement—she will disappear in the D.C. swamp for roughly five years and then come back to Alabama and run the same cross-wearing, gun-toting playbook to convince everyone that she is one of us. Republican voters will likely go along with it, underscoring the state’s biggest political problem: voter behavior. If that sounds a bit condescending, so be it. No apologies will be offered. Deep blue states like Vermont and Massachusetts send far left radicals like

Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to Washington for life. And the response from a deep red state like Alabama is to send former Democrat-turnedmoderate Republican Richard Shelby to the Appropriations Committee for life to cut deals with them and explode our national debt. If you ever wonder why things never seem to improve in Washington D.C., this is a good place to start. It’s not just Shelby, either. Congressman Mike Rogers is consistently one of the least conservative Republicans. He is a reliable vote to increase the debt ceiling and pass multi-trillion-dollar spending bills. And he, like Senator Tommy Tuberville, voted to draft our daughters in the defense authorization markup last year. After all, there’s nothing more conservative than

drafting 18-year-old girls to potential frontline combat duty against battle-hardened Russians, communist Chinese, and fanatical jihadists, am I right? Even here in Lee County, the low expectations and voter lethargy play out. It took 12 years for Republicans to oust longtime Democrat Tom Whatley from the state senate. Whatley consistently raised our taxes, spent our hard-earned money, donated thousands to Barack Obama and Al Gore, and was among the most corrupt hacks in the state legislature. He lost by only one vote. Do better. Demand better. Pay attention. The hour is late in our republic. It is imperative that the good people in Alabama elect principled and genuine fighters to defend the values that will keep us free. Katie Britt will not do that. Alabamans still quaintly

prioritize a candidate’s demeanor whereas Texans, for example, prioritize a candidate’s spirit. Candidly, it’s why Texas often sends better people—actual fighters—to Washington. And as the left’s woke radicalism metastasizes throughout every facet of our society, Alabama voters must adjust their behavior and what they value in a candidate. The nation needs us to do our part to stop this radicalism before it’s too late. My hope is that one day Alabama will be capable of sending a Ted Cruz, a Chip Roy, or even a Jim Jordan freedom warrior to Washington. Sadly, that day is unlikely to come soon enough. Drew White is a federal policy analyst and former U.S. Senate staffer. He lives in Auburn with his wife and two kids.

Opelika Kiwanis Stays Busy PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER

LETTER >>

The Opelika Kiwanis Club recently hosted Dani Nelson and Leif Espelund (pictured top) , owners of the Heritage House. They spoke on the history of the house and discussed the services they offer. They also hosted Robert Norton (pictured on bottom) who discussed national security and the training of dogs.

B14 June 16, 2022

PUBLIC NOTICES ORDINANCE NO. 013-22 AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE ZONING ORDINANCE AND ZONING MAP OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA - BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council (the “City Council”) of the City of Opelika, Alabama (the “City”) as follows: Section 1. That Ordinance 124-91 entitled “Zoning Ordinance City of Opelika, Alabama”, adopted on September 17, 1991, and the Zoning Map of the City of Opelika provided for and referred to therein, as previously amended and/or modified, be and the same is hereby amended by rezoning or redistricting the parcel of land hereinafter in this section described, so as to change such parcel from one class of district to another class of district as follows, to-wit: From a R-4M, GC-P District (Medium Density Residential, Gateway Corridor Primary Overlay District) to a C-2, GC-P District (Office/Retail, Gateway Corridor Primary Overlay District), the parcel of land hereinafter described: Lot Number One (#1) in the Subdivision of the Frisbie Tract of Land of Pepperell Manufacturing Company as shown by map or plat thereof recorded Town Plat Book 3, at Page 16 in the Office of Judge of Probate Of Lee County, Alabama. The above-described property contains approximately 6.0 acres and is located at the intersection of Old Opelika Road and Frederick Road, Opelika, Alabama. Section 2. Any ordinance or part thereof in conflict with provisions of this Ordinance be and the same are hereby repealed. Section 3. This Ordinance shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the City of Opelika, Lee County, Alabama. ADOPTED AND APPROVED this the 7th day of June, 2022. /s/ Erica Norris PRESIDENT PROTEM OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA, ALABAMA ATTEST: /s/ Russell A. Jones, CMC CITY CLERK TRANSMITTED TO MAYOR on this the 8th day of June, 2022. /s/ Russell A. Jones, CMC CITY CLERK ACTION BY MAYOR APPROVED this the 8th day of June, 2022. /s/ Gary Fuller MAYOR ATTEST: /s/ Russell A. Jones CMC CITY CLERK Legal Run 6/16/2022 --------------CITY OF OPELIKA NOTICE OF PLANNING

COMMISSION MEETING AND PUBLIC HEARINGS TO: RESIDENTS AND PROPERTY OWNERS OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA AND ALL OTHER INTERESTED CITIZENS - NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Planning Commission of the City of Opelika, Alabama will hold a regular meeting and will be conducting public hearings on Tuesday, June 28, 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: I. Some items at this meeting will have a designated public hearing (noted below). Individuals are limited to one 5-minute comment period per public hearing. II. Approval of Minutes III. Update on Previous Planning Commission Cases IV. New Business A. Plat (Preliminary only) – Public Hearing 1. A public hearing on a request by Daniel Holland, authorized representative for Holland Homes, property owner, for preliminary plat approval of the Foxrun Phase 2 subdivision consisting of 123 lots accessed from Village Drive. B. Plat (Preliminary and Final) – Public Hearing 2. A public hearing on a request by Blake Rice, Barrett-Simpson, Inc., authorized representative for The Estate of Armetta Johnson, property owner, for preliminary and final plat approval of the Armetta Johnson Estate subdivision consisting of 2 lots accessed at 709 Martin Luther King Boulevard. C. Master Plan Revisions (Minor) and Preliminary and Final Plat – Public Hearing 3. A request by Blake Rice, BarrettSimpson, Inc., authorized representative of 280 Land Company, LLC property owner, for Minor Amendments to the Hidden Lakes PUD Master Plan, Lakeview Drive, consisting of removal of 12 townhome units and add 7 lots for Rear Alley Entrance Cottages. 4. A public hearing on a request by Blake Rice, Barrett-Simpson, Inc, authorized representative for 280 Land Company, LLC, property owners, for preliminary and final plat approval of the Hidden Lakes Cottages subdivision consisting of 7 lots accessed from Lakeview Drive. D.Final Plat 5. A request by Vic Patel and

Arthur R. Nettles, authorized representative for VAH Investments. LLC, property owner for final plat approval of Opelika Marketplace, Redivision of Lot 5-A-3-B-2 Second Revision of Lot 5 subdivision consisting of 4 lots accessed from Parker Way. E. Master Plan Revisions (Minor) 6. Ballfields PUD Master Plan, Minor Amendments to Master Plan, North 30th Street and Pepperell Parkway, Blake Rice, Barrett-Simpson, Inc., Removal of 168 apartment units and add 32 townhome units. F. Conditional Use – Public Hearing 7. A public hearing on a request by Blake Rice, Barrett-Simpson, Inc., authorized representative for Martin Burdette, property owner, for conditional use approval for an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) sales lot and maintenance shop in the C-3, GC-P zoning district accessed at 4800 Birmingham Highway (NW corner of Birmingham Hwy & Grand National Parkway) 8. A public hearing on a request by Blake Rice, Barrett-Simpson, Inc., authorized representative for McOne Development, LLC, property owner, for conditional use approval for 5 townhome units in the C-3, GC-S zoning district accessed at 807 Torbert Boulevard. 9. A public hearing on a request by David Slocum, P.E., authorized representative for J & G Properties, LLC, property owner, for conditional use approval to increase the size of a proposed climate control miniwarehouse in the C-2, GC-P zoning district accessed at the 3500 block of Birmingham Hwy (Hwy 280). 10. A public hearing on a request by David Slocum, P.E., authorized representative for Hayley Investments, LLC, property owner, for conditional use approval for 18 cottages (condominium units) C-2 zoning district accessed at 1110 – 1190 Fitzpatrick Avenue. 11. A public hearing on a request by Howard J. Porter, authorized representative for PFI, Ltd., property owner, for conditional use approval for distribution warehouses in a C-3, GC-P zoning district accessed at 95 Orr Avenue. 12. A public hearing on a request by Foresite Group, LLC, authorized representative for Bush Properties, Inc., property owner, for conditional use approval for the Gateway Car Wash in a C-2, GC-P zoning district accessed at 2015 Gateway Drive. G. Rezoning and Conditional Use – Public Hearing 13. A public hearing to consider a recommendation to the City

Council on a request by Brandon Hays, authorized representative of William P. Johnston, Jr., John B. Kirkland, and Edwin Whatley, property owners, to rezone 3.14 acres at 3373 Society Hill Road from R-1 to C-2, GC-P. 14. A public hearing on a request by Brandon Hays, authorized representative for William P. Johnston, Jr., John B. Kirkland, and Edwin Whatley, property owners, for conditional use approval for an office of contractor without equipment and material yard (no outside storage) in a C-2, GC-P zoning district at 3373 Society Hill Road (Approval is pending on rezoning property to C-2, GC-P). H. Rezoning – Public Hearing 15. A public hearing to consider a recommendation to the City Council on a request by Blake Rice, Barrett-Simpson, Inc., authorized representative for Capps Family Partners, LTD, to rezone 40 acres accessed at the 2900 block of Society Hill Road from C-2 and R-1 zone to C-2 zoning district. V. Old Business I. Conditional Use – Public Hearing 16. A public hearing on a request by Blake Rice, authorized representative for Brookhaven Property Group, LLC, property owners, for conditional use approval to add 36 apartment units to Pinehurst Apartments in the R-4 zoning district accessed at 1500 Pinehurst Drive (700 block West Point Parkway). (This item was tabled at the February 22nd PC meeting at the applicant’s request.) 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 06/16/2022 --------------ORDINANCE NO. 014-22 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO AMEND SUBSECTION 9.5.24(1) “CHANGEABLE COPY SIGN”; TO AMEND TABLE 9.7(2) “SIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR OTHER PERMITTED TYPES OF TEMPORARY SIGNS”; PROVIDING A REPEALER CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE - BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council (the “Council”) of the City of Opelika, Alabama (the “City”) as follows: Section 1. Amendment of Subsection 9.5.24(1). That Subsection 9.5.24(1) “Changeable Copy Signs” of Ordinance No. 124-91 entitled “Zoning Ordinance of the City of Opelika, Alabama” adopted on September 17, 1991, as further amended (hereinafter referred to as the “Zoning Ordinance”) is hereby amended to read as follows: Sec. 9.5.24 (1) Changeable Copy Signs. (a) As part of a permitted freestanding sign or wall sign and notwithstanding Section 9.4: Prohibited Signs, or any other provision of this Section IX to the contrary, a changeable copy sign, manual or electronic (LED), may be installed. The changeable copy sign shall not occupy more than fifty percent (50%) of the total sign area of the freestanding sign or wall sign. (b) Notwithstanding Section 9.4: Prohibited Signs, or any other provision of this Section IX to the contrary, the static display time for each message on a changeable copy sign shall be at least ten (10) seconds, and the time to change from one (1) message to another shall be no greater than two (2) seconds.

(c) In no event shall the message scroll in any direction. (d) All changeable copy signs shall be subject to the illumination standards of Section 9.5(5). Section 2. Amendment of Table 9.7(2). That Table 9.7(2) of the Zoning Ordinance is hereby amended to read as follows: SEE TABLE BELOW Section 3. Severability Clause. If any section, sentence or phrase of this ordinance is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, said holding shall not affect the remaining portions of this ordinance. Section 4. Repealer Clause. All former ordinances or parts thereof conflicting or inconsistent with this ordinance are repealed. Section 5. Effective Date. This ordinance shall become effective and enforced immediately upon its passage and publication as required by law. Section 6. Publication. The City Clerk of the City of Opelika, Alabama is hereby authorized and directed to cause this Ordinance to be published one (1) time in a newspaper of general circulation published in the City of Opelika, Lee County, Alabama. Section 7. Codification. Codification of this ordinance in the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Opelika is hereby authorized and directed. ADOPTED AND APPROVED this the 7th day of June, 2022. /s/ Erica Norris PRESIDENT PROTEM OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA, ALABAMA ATTEST: /s/ Russell A. Jones, CMC CITY CLERK TRANSMITTED TO MAYOR on this the 8th day of June, 2022. /s/ Russell A. Jones, CMC CITY CLERK ACTION BY MAYOR APPROVED this the 8th day of June, 2022. /s/ Gary Fuller MAYOR ATTEST: /s/ Russell A. Jones CITY CLERK Legal Run 6/16/2022 ---------------

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