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WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 13, 2019
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
Vol. 30, No. 7
$178K approved for fuel tank bid By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Working to meet the latest regulations set forth by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, the Elmore County Commission approved Monday a bid of $178,360 to complete work on the county’s diesel and unleaded fuel storage tanks. County officials said $125,000 had
initially been budgeted for the project but all four bids the county received exceeded it. Commission chair Troy Stubbs said this was potentially due to a number of other counties trying to have the same work done on their tanks. With this in mind, the commission accepted the low bid of $178,360 from MECO Inc. of Montgomery to have the project completed. “This is the last step in the process to being compliant,” Stubbs said.
In order to complete the project, the motion included necessary budget amendments to the county gasoline fund to cover the excess cost. The county commission also approved declaring equipment from the county highway department surplus and approved the Elmore County Sheriff’s Department declaring as surplus a new vehicle to sell it to the Wetumpka Police Department, which lost five vehicles in the Jan. 19 tornado.
“This is a good example of the sheriff’s department working with the city police,” Stubbs said. The ECSD has already taken delivery of the new patrol vehicle. The surplus equipment from the highway department includes two Jeep Patriots, a Ford F-450, a Ford F-150 and a Terex 100G skid steer loader cab. A school bus the department acquired several years ago from the Elmore See FUEL • Page 2
County art guild preparing for annual show By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Local art lovers will have the opportunity to admire the latest works from area artists beginning Friday as the Elmore County Art Guild opens its 35th annual show at PrimeSouth Bank on Highway 231 in Wetumpka. Scheduled for Feb. 15-22, the show will feature a wide range of artworks for the public to enjoy. “This is all about promoting the arts,” guild president and show chair Shirley Esco said. “This is our biggest event of the year.” After holding the show at the Wetumpka Administrative Building for the past few years, Esco said this year’s show will return to the PrimeSouth Bank lobby. Studies of traffic at the bank estimate around 4,000 people come through the bank during the show to admire the artworks on display, according to Esco. “We love getting the exposure,” Esco said. “We have display screens the bank is allowing us to put up for the artwork.” Last year’s show featured 125 entries, which Esco said was a record. On average, she said there are a little more than 100 entries each year. The show is divided into five categories, including sculpture, See ART • Page 2
Ron Colquitt / For The Observer
Above: Couples take to the floor during a Friday night dance at the old Red Hill School building. People of all ages attend the dances weekly.
People of all ages enjoy spins on floor at Red Hill “I like the music and the people are nice,” said Bowden, who grew up listening to country music and rock and roll. “I was raised on it.” Chris Gregory, 16, said he has helped repair the old school olks attending Friday night dances at the old Red Hill School building range from teenagers to octogenarians building. “My dad comes up here every once in a while; that’s how I and all will say it’s a fun time regardless of age. Ben Bass, 93, is a regular at the dances and selects started coming up here,” he said. “My friends live just down the a different dance partner each time the band strikes up road and we all come up here and listen to the music. I know some of the older music.” a tune. Anna Bowden, 16, and other teenagers also attend. See DANCE • Page 5 By RON COLQUITT For The Observer
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County tech center holds first employer showcase
Students at the Elmore County Technical Center listen to a representative from Wind Creek Hospitality during Friday’s employer showcase.
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Elmore County students who attend classes at the Elmore County Technical Center had the chance to visit with and learn more about potential future employers Friday during the center’s first employer showcase. “We have a variety of employers in our lab spaces today,” career coach Lindsay Jordan said. “All of our students have the opportunity to attend two sessions today. These sessions all relate to what they are studying.” Among the companies and organizations in attendance were representatives from several aviation companies across the River Region, the Alabama Career See EMPLOYER • Page 5
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Obituaries Annie Ruth Alexander Strength Strickland Annie Ruth Alexander Strength Strickland of Tallassee, passed away Saturday, February 9, 2019, in Lake Placid Florida at the age of 85. Graveside services will be Wednesday, February 13, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. at Rose Hill Cemetery with Rev. Tom Skeen officiating. Mrs. Strickland is survived by her husband of 39 years William “Bill� Strickland; her son Billy W. (Toni) Strength of Tulsa, OK, her daughter Ann (Mitch) Childers of Liberty City, AL, and step-daughter Rene Ireland of Converse, TX; grandchildren April (Charles) Cartwright of Tallassee, Rusty (Darcee) Hale of Pace, FL, Michelle Bilby, Leslie (Corry) Patterson, Brandon Strength all of Tulsa, OK; great grandchildren Pashen Cartwright, Caylin Hilton, Cheyenne Bilby, Kaleb Patterson, Jacobe Patterson, Arieanna Patterson, Presley Strength and Grasyn Strength; one great great grandchild Aiden Hilton; and her brothers Travis (Pam) Mask of Eclectic, and Jerry (Carmen) Boswell of Montgomery. She was preceded in death by her parents James Ruth Alexander and Annie Jewel Boswell, her brothers Bobby Alexander and Paul Alexander, and great grandson Cameron Bilby. Ruth served her country as a military wife for over 34 years and served 22 years as a Red Cross volunteer and Pink Lady. She was always helping others. She will be missed. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org. Send condolences at www.corbittsfuneralhome. com.
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Commission awarded to assist domestic violence victims STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded more than $333,000 to assist victims of domestic violence while ensuring that those committing the crimes are held accountable. Funds are being provided to agencies that provide shelter and other services for victims and to law enforcement agencies that work to arrest offenders and ensure they are brought to justice. “Domestic and sexual violence are serious offenses that can destroy lives and leave long-lasting mental scars,� Ivey said. “I am so appreciative of the organizations that help victims and our law enforcement agencies that work tirelessly to ensure offenders are brought to justice.� Ivey awarded grants to Montgomery Area Family Violence Program will receive $40,083. Also known as the Family Sunshine Center, the agency provides shelter and other services to help victims a 10-county region including Autauga, Butler, Chilton, Crenshaw, Dallas, Elmore, Lowndes, Montgomery,
Perry and Wilcox counties. The center also conducts awareness training and educational programs. Elmore County Commission will receive $153,583, which will be used by the District Attorney’s Office in the 19th Judicial Circuit to arrest and prosecute sexual assault and domestic violence offenders in Autauga, Elmore and Chilton counties. Lighthouse Counseling Center Inc. will receive $10,906. These funds will be used to assist those who have been traumatized by domestic abuse and sexual assault including hospital accompaniment, providing sexual assault units and specialized nurses, counseling and legal advocacy. Lighthouse serves Autauga, Butler, Crenshaw, Dallas, Elmore, Lowndes, Montgomery, Perry and Wilcox counties. Montgomery County Commission will receive $91,563 in funds that will be used to support the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Violence Against Women Prosecution Unit that is aimed at preventing sexual assault and prosecuting offenders.
Crenshaw County Commission was awarded $37,172. The Crenshaw County Sheriff’s Office will use funds to provide special resources toward investigating domestic violence offenses and arresting offenders. The office works with the victims and several advocacy groups to ensure services are provided. In addition, the Sheriff’s Office conducts educational and awareness programs. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available to the state from the U.S. Department of Justice. While the grants provide an important resource to the service agencies, they still rely heavily on locally generated donations to operate. “Gov. Ivey and ADECA are committed to working with these agencies to help victims overcome abusive situations,� ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, victim programs, economic development, water resource management, energy conservation and recreation.
Fuel
continued from Page 1
County Board of Education was initially included on the list. However, commissioner Bart Mercer requested it be taken off and approved in a separate surplus motion. Since the bus was damaged by the tornado, Mercer suggested declaring it as surplus separate from the other vehicles and selling it to the Elmore Volunteer Fire Department for $1 to be used for training. The council approved amending the surplus request, then approved the pair of surplus motions. The commission approved a resolution supporting efforts by the ACCA (Association of County Commissions of Alabama) to seek additional revenue for maintaining Elmore County’s 1,000 miles of roads and 123 bridges. “This is about all 67 counties acting with one voice,� Stubbs said. Mercer added, “The revenue stream for this has not been adjusted
since 1992. We are looking to see about adjusting the revenue.� The Elmore County Commission also: • Approved a motion to move the voting location for precinct 261, traditionally located at the Fain Center, to the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Center due to the destruction of the Fain Center. Stubbs said officials from the probate judge’s office have visited the MLK center and deemed it sufficient as a polling location. • Approved a pair of resolutions regarding work on roads within the county. The first resolution will allow the county to widen, level, resurface and stripe Deatsville Highway from the Millbrook city limits north to Alabama Highway 143, a distance of 5.5 miles. The second will allow the same work to be done to Foxwood Road from the border with Autauga County to
Deatsville Highway. • Approved a motion from the Elmore County and Tallassee City school boards to set a special election for April 23. The referendum will ask voters to approve a renewal and continuation of the current school tax millage collected in the jurisdiction of both districts. • Approved a memorandum of warrants between Jan. 24 and Feb. 1 totaling $701,000. • Approved a motion advertising a change to local legislation concerning modernizing and updating some of the language describing the duties of the county engineer. • Approved the consent docket, including a travel memo and a Family Medical Leave Act request. The next meeting of the Elmore County Commission will be at 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 25 in the courtroom of the Elmore County Courthouse.
Art
continued from Page 1
photography, textiles, paintings under glass
(watercolors and other similar mediums) and
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paintings not under glass (oils and acrylics). Esco said each artist can submit four pieces, giving them a chance to demonstrate their talents across several mediums while allowing a multitude of artists to be showcased. Along with the show, the art guild will hold a reception and awards presentation at the bank on Feb. 17 beginning at 2 p.m. In a press release, Esco said she hopes the guild will exceed last year’s prize money amount of $3,500 handed out to 19 winners. Esco said many of the artworks on display during the show have been made available for purchase, with at least six businesses and individuals, including the Jackson Hospital Foundation and a local attorney, having already selected a piece for the purchase prize amount of $300. Esco said many attendees have stated how amazed they are to see the quality of the artworks in the show and the talent level of the featured artists. “We’re excited for the show,� she said. “It’s a lot of work but it’s worth it.�
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FEBRUARY 13, 2019 • PAGE 3
Drug task force continues work from temporary HQ By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
While individuals and companies throughout Elmore County have been working to restore everything damaged by the Jan. 19 tornado, the Elmore County Drug Task Force is continuing its mission to keep illegal narcotics off the streets despite losing its facility. “We were using a building near the industrial park,” said Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin, who noted the building was essentially destroyed. Within a couple hours of the tornado passing through the Wetumpka area, Franklin said 11 officers and civilians with ties to law enforcement were at the site working to remove evidence and other equipment from the structure. Franklin said it was fortunate an excavator was in the area around the task force building, as it made the removal process easier. These items have been taken to a secure location, according to Franklin. Franklin said some of the task force’s equipment, including high-tech items, was lost due to damage from the storm. However, he hopes insurance will help the task force purchase replacement equipment. Franklin said the task force has moved to a temporary headquarters while a permanent facility can be secured. Franklin did not reveal the task force’s current location. “We realize things like this happen,” Franklin said. “We will get on from this. We’re going to be OK and we will be able to carry on. We are making it work.”
Submitted / The Observer
February is Foster Care Awareness Month Representatives from the Department of Human Resources and several local foster parents met with Wetumpka Mayor Jerry Willis Monday morning to recognize February as Foster Care Awareness Month. Willis had a proclamation prepared for the occasion. Pictured are, from left, Jessica Gibson, Cathy Tylicki, Colleen Blecher, Stacy Reed, Carter Taunton, Michelle Wood, Willis, Karla McGhee, Davidra Bowman, April Powers, Brianna Juarez and Ariel Wedgeworth.
Amateur radio society to hold license class By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
The Elmore County Amateur Radio Society is gearing up for its latest licensing class, scheduled to begin on Feb. 21. Running for six weeks, the class will allow students to be ready to take the test administered by the Federal Communications Commission in order to receive an amateur radio license. “We try to do this at least two to three times a year,” Peter Carroll with the Elmore County Amateur Radio Society said. “The class reviews everything you need to pass the licensing exam.” The class begins Feb. 21 and runs through March 28. Meeting once a week on Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m. at the Elmore County Emergency Operations Center on Highway 231 in Wetumpka, Carroll said the class will go over all of the information and questions that may be asked on the FCC exam, including rules and regulations regarding operating an amateur radio. During the class, students will be reviewing a book containing approximately 450 questions, of which 35 will be pulled and asked during the test. Along with the book, Carroll said the students can reach out to instructors with additional questions through a special Facebook page set up just for the class. “The book we study has all of the questions in it,” Carroll said. Following the conclusion of the class on March 28, all students will be able to take the FCC exam on Saturday, March 30. The test will be given at noon at the Emergency Operations Center. Carroll said everyone who has taken the class has passed the exam and received their Technician license, the most basic license an amateur radio operator can hold.
The class costs $35 and covers the instruction, the book and special informational handouts. When the class concludes and the test is administered, Carroll said there is an additional $15 fee to take the exam. A minimum of six people must sign up for the class to be offered, and Carroll said there are usually
around 10 who register when the class is available. “Everybody who has taken the class has felt they have got something valuable out of it,” Carroll said. “I believe it will continue to be a success.” For more information about the class, Carroll can be contacted at kf4qoe@gmail. com.
Dr. Gary Harrelson will begin seeing patients (ages 5 & older) on January 3, 2019 at Tallassee Family Care located at 115 Herren Hill Road, Tallassee, AL 36078. Dr. Harrelson graduated from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in 1981 and completed his Family Medicine Residency in 1984. Before relocating to Tallassee, he practiced in Auburn, AL, caring for patients from the tri-county area. With more than 37 years of Family Practice experience, Dr. Harrelson looks forward to serving our community and meeting the healthcare needs of your family.
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Central AlabamaWorks names new director STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
The non-profit organization Central AlabamaWorks announced on Feb. 6 Gindi Prutzman has been named its new executive director. Prutzman will work with the organization’s staff and board members to bring practical workforce and industry education and solutions to central Alabama. Having recently served as the president of the Dothan Education Foundation, Prutzman joins Central AlabamaWorks with more than 15 years of experience in the non-profit sector. “I am so thankful for the opportunity to impact the workforce of Alabama,” Prutzman said in
a press release. “The vision of AlabamaWorks is to be proactive in educating our workforce, and I am extremely passionate about that work, specifically for our region of central Alabama.” Central AlabamaWorks is a non-profit organization established to work throughout Autauga, Bullock, Chambers, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Montgomery, Perry, Russell and Tallapoosa counties. The agency works alongside Gov. Kay Ivey’s statewide AlabamaWorks Success Plus initiative to facilitate a system that provides business and industry with job seekers who have received the education and training that aligns with their needs.
Steve Baker, Publisher Jimmy Wigfield, Managing Editor Opinions expressed in guest columns and letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the management of Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc.
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What does evidence say on border security? R
ight now, there’s been no shortage of arguments on border security. Each party has drawn a line in the sand saying we must have a wall, or there should not be a wall. We even had a painful government shutdown for a month over it. Most of the debate is based on opinion — what our gut, friends and family and the news channel we watch say. Sometimes you hear a quote claiming to cite statistics, which may not be accurate. It’s no wonder this is such a thorny issue. So my students and I decided to look into it. Rather than focus on the rhetoric, we looked at the evidence. We looked at a number of cities, either on the border or a large city within driving distance of the border. We wanted to see if border fencing would work or not. First of all, there were the fence success stories. San Diego got a fence near a port of entry during the Clinton Administration. Crime went down after the fence was put up in the 1990s, one of my students found. It’s also remained low as the Fence Act went through, another discovered. Eagle Pass, Texas, had a low crime rate before the fence, and it remained low when its fence was built. Douglas, Arizona, got a fence in the late 2000s, and crime went down there as well. Although not on the border, Tucson, Arizona, also experienced a drop in crime after that border fence was built at the Douglas crossing. Brownsville, Texas, has a fence; its crime rate is right about the
JOHN TURES
Columnist national average, as well as the Texas average. Las Cruces, New Mexico, is a fair-sized town, not far from the Mexican border. It doesn’t have a wall or fence in the area, and it’s got a very high crime rate (although it declined in 2017). This all sounds like a strong case for a border wall, of course. But there are also a number of cases where a fence was built, and it had the opposite effect. San Ysidro, California, had a border structure built, and the crime rate went up there. It’s the same story with El Paso, Texas. Even though President Donald Trump claimed El Paso was one of the most dangerous cities in America until the wall was built, the facts don’t support that argument according to an ABC News story. El Paso was not a high crime city, and the wall did not reduce crime. In fact, crime went up after the wall was built. Moreover, there are also towns that rejected building a wall, and the crime rate stayed low and remained low, as my students found. These cases included Presidio, Texas, as well as McAllen, Texas; Laredo, Texas; Del Rio Texas; and
Sunland Park, New Mexico. In fact, McAllen’s crime rate is much lower than Tucson’s, a purported success case. And there’s no evidence that these crimes were all committed by someone here illegally. So we have seven cases show fences generally work or at least don’t make things worse, and seven that show they don’t work or aren’t needed. This is unlikely to please the most die-hard supporters of both parties. But maybe what we should be doing is looking for patterns in what works or doesn’t work, seeing why the fencing isn’t working in some place and why it works in others. And maybe there are places where building a wall makes no sense, both in small towns and remote areas. These aren’t politically popular arguments, but we have to ask ourselves if we should be scoring political points or developing the best border security policy. John A. Tures is a professor of political science at LaGrange College in Georgia. He can be reached at jtures@lagrange.edu. His Twitter account is JohnTures2. His class includes Devin Andrews, Troy Bradley, C.J. Clark, Baley Coleman, Casey Evans, Nick Harris, Ben Hays, Jacob Hester, Dillon Knepp, Blake Konans, Porter Law, Alanna Martin, Jessica Noles, Wade Rodgers, Damir Rosencrants, Payton Smith, Lawrence Terrel, Caleb Tyler, Andrew Valbuena, Benjamin Womack.
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Great nations don’t quit wars before they prevail
“G
reat nations do not fight endless wars,” President Trump declared in his State of the Union address. It was a line that could have been delivered by President Barack Obama, who in 2015 memorably said, “I do not support the idea of endless war.” Just a few days before Trump’s address, his own party delivered the president a stinging rebuke when Senate Republicans passed a resolution opposing his Syrian and Afghan withdrawals by an overwhelming bipartisan 68-23 vote. Trump’s defenders say: That’s just the foreign policy establishment advocating “forever war.” When, they ask, will these wars end? When will we be able to declare victory and go home? These are fair questions, and they deserve serious answers. In traditional wars, defining victory is easy. Victory comes when the enemy surrenders and lays down its arms. But this is not traditional war. We are not fighting nation-states with defined borders and armies, navies and air forces. We are fighting radical Islamist terrorists who are engaged in what Osama bin Laden called “a war of destiny between infidelity and Islam.” There will be no signing ceremony on the deck of the U.S.S. Missouri. They will never lay down their arms. In this war, victory for the United States is every day that passes without a terrorist attack on American soil. And that daily victory is made possible because the men and women of the U.S. military are hunting the enemy in faraway lands. America’s enemies have a very clear definition of victory. For them, victory comes when we give up the fight before they do. We
MARC THIESSEN Columnist know this because they have told us so. The 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed told his CIA interrogator, “Americans don’t realize we do not need to defeat you militarily; we only need to fight long enough for you to defeat yourself by quitting.” That is how the terrorists see Obama’s withdrawal from Iraq in 2011 and Trump’s planned withdrawals from Syria and Afghanistan: America defeating itself by quitting. It is understandable, after 18 years, Americans want the war to end. But what we want is irrelevant. We don’t get to decide unilaterally the war is over. The enemy gets a vote. Just because we have tired of fighting doesn’t mean they have. Here is the hard truth: We don’t get to choose when the war ends, but we do get to choose where it is fought. It can either be fought over there in the deserts of Syria and the mountains of Afghanistan, or it can be fought over here – on American streets and in American cities, as it was on Sept. 11, 2001. It’s up to us. Trump deserves enormous credit for taking the gloves off in the fight against the terrorists. He was absolutely correct when he declared in the State of the Union address, “When I took office, ISIS controlled more than 20,000 square miles in Iraq and Syria. Today, we have liberated virtually all of that territory from the grip of these bloodthirsty
monsters.” But the Islamic State is not defeated. It still has tens of thousands of fighters under arms and, according to one estimate by the Institute for the Study of War, as much as $400 million it smuggled out of Iraq, which is money that can be used to sustain its movement and plan attacks across the world. In Afghanistan, U.S. intelligence estimates there are about 20 terrorist groups – including al-Qaeda and the Islamic State affiliate known as Islamic State Khorasan, or IS-K - who would immediately gain an uncontested sanctuary from which to plan new attacks if America withdraws. Jan. 28, the New York Times reported that a 2017 intelligence assessment, renewed last year, “says a complete withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan would lead to an attack on the United States within two years.” Right now, the U.S. military has its boot on the terrorists’ necks. They are focused on survival, not on launching faraway attacks. Take that boot away, though, and the terrorists will get up, dust themselves off, regroup, rebuild and go back to trying to kill Americans in the United States. In his address, Trump praised the heroism of the men who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. “They did not know if they would survive the hour,” he said. “They did not know if they would grow old. But they knew that America had to prevail.” The same is true today. Great nations do not quit before they prevail. Follow Marc A. Thiessen on Twitter, @marcthiessen.
THE ECLECTIC OBSERVER
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FEBRUARY 13, 2019 • PAGE 5
Employer
Center System, Mercedes-Benz, the healthcare industry and branches of the United States Armed Forces. Although this is the center’s first showcase, Jordan said a number of companies have approached the center to talk to its students and share valuable information. “We decided to do this to devote a full day to this,” Jordan said. “We have 15 groups on campus today and multiple employers.” As the students made their way from one station to another, center director Jimmy Hull said he received a lot of good feedback from students and organizations in attendance. He also mentioned how Friday’s event may not have been possible without Jordan. “This event was pretty much all Lindsay’s vision,” Hull said. “She’s outstanding.” Hull said the event was designed to connect students at the center with the needs in today’s industry. By holding such events, Hull said students and employers can focus on their respective needs. While Jordan reached out to the organizations in attendance, Hull said she and the center were not starting completely from scratch to put the showcase together. “We have a number of advisory councils for our programs,” Hull said. Hull said he wants the event to grow into a recruiting showcase with more companies taking part in the future and giving students more options to learn about potential careers. At the same time, Jordan hopes to see the showcase become a signing day-type event to benefit employers and students. Jordan and Hull said the event was a positive experience for everyone involved. “Today has definitely been a huge success,” Hull said. “We hope we can gain some attention for this so it can grow and continue.”
Ron Colquitt / For The Observer
Above: Shirley Rambo, left, and Ben Bass take a spin on the floor during a Friday night dance at the old Red Hill school building on Jan. 26. Right: Jimmy Day plays the guitar on Jan. 26.
Dance For some of the older dancers, it’s a chance to stay active. Art Linkletter’s popular book “Old Age is Not For Sissies” advises those who are aging to straighten up, keep their shoulders back, sharpen their sense of humor and take control of their lives. Upwards of 60 senior citizens follow Linkletter’s advice on dance night when band members are playing and there’s a lot of grinning as couples crowd the floor. Local musicians and singers vary each week, according to Paula Castleberry, the president of the Red Hill Historical Preservation Association Inc. “It’s not an official band,” she said. “It’s just whoever wants to play and sing. We collectively call them the ‘Red Hill Renditions’ because they play their rendition of popular music. It’s a little bit different every Friday night.”
continued from Page 1
continued from Page 1 The participating bands play country, rock and roll from the 1950s and 60s and some of Elvis Presley’s hits, Castleberry said. “Every now and then somebody comes in and sings Patsy Cline or Loretta Lynn,” she said. Castleberry said the Friday night dances began about 16 years ago. In the early days, 160 people showed up but the numbers slowly dwindled because “a lot of the originals died off,” she said. Rosalinda Crum, 68, a native of the Philippines, can be seen many Friday nights on the dance floor with different partners as the band changes songs. “I really enjoy the people; they are so nice,” said Crum, whose late husband was a country music fan and got her interested in that genre and the dances. Those gathered on a recent Friday night sang “Happy Birthday” to Bass to honor his 93rd
birthday. Bass has been attending the dances for about three years and never misses a chance to select different partners and hit the floor. “It’s good exercise and dancing with the women is fun,” Bass said with a big grin. Castleberry said, “I’m 83 and he’s 93 and he can dance more than I can.” Jimmy Day, 74, said he considers it a privilege to pick a guitar and sing at the dances. “Those old folks out there are very special to me,” he said. “They just bring out a lot in me. It’s just a ministry type thing to me. No, I don’t preach; this is just my ministry.” Day’s daughter Cammy, 56, sang while her father played and other band members backed her up.
“It’s just fun,” she said. “I love being with my daddy. … It’s just so much fun trying to keep something alive that would have died out a long time ago. It’s the people, being able to come out and have somebody to dance with and have fun with. It gives these people something to get dressed up for every week, something to look forward to. It’s just sheer joy.” The dances are from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Castleberry said admission is free but donations are welcomed to help “keep the lights on and the water flowing.” People also bring an assortment of food and snacks that are shared with those in attendance.
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“This project was supported by Subgrant #16-VA-VS-076 awarded by the Law Enforcement / Traffic Safety Division of ADECA and the U.S. Department of Justice.” The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice or grant-making component.”
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NOW HIRING!!!
We Are Looking to Fill the Following Positions: 1. RN/LPN Nursing Supervisor 2. Caregivers Provide appropriate care and supervision to Elderly and Disabled individuals. Call us at 256-342-5222 or email: aohcs08@gmail.com
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Birmingham,AL based Transportation Company looking for Class-A CDL-Drivers ‡$YHUDJH PLOHV ZN ‡0XVW EH DW OHDVW \UV ROG ‡6WDUWLQJ SD\ DW PLOH LQFUHDVH WR LQ PRQWKV ‡ PRQWKV GULYLQJ H[S &DOO ([W RU (PDLO UHFUXLWLQJ#FKXUFKWUDQVSRUWDWLRQ QHW
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The Learning Tree, Inc. is Accepting Applications for 2nd, 3rd and Weekend shifts for Direct Care Applications can be picked up at: 101 S. Dubois Street Tallassee, AL 36078 Or contact Shatia Carr (334)252-0025 Ext. 101 Email: Scarr@learning-tree.org Sell your home in the classifieds call 256.277.4219.
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PUZZLES & HOROSCOPE ARIES (March 21-April 19) Speak your mind rather than act out. You will create a better understanding if you talk rather than react. You could waÉ&#x160;e from one type of behavior to another. Look to eÉ&#x2C6;ective communication, and you will not go wrong. Tonight: Join a buddy for munchies. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) You might feel the need to go over certain points and facts. Do nothing halfway, especially if eyeing a Ă&#x201E;nancial decision. What you hear might confuse you, which indicates that you need to learn more and ask more questions. You could be weighing this feedback for a while. Tonight: Relax. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Your personality is ablaze. Others cannot get enough of you. You easily could be delighted by all the attention, but you might not have time to seriously respond to each person. A message could get lost on your active admirers. Tonight: Catch up on what you missed. CANCER (June 21-July 22) You get a demonstration of how angry another person could become. Give some thought to how you would deal with this type of rage if directed at you. Confusion can easily ensue. Listen carefully to what is being shared. Tonight: Do not take anything for granted. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Your personality draws in others. The reactions you receive could be diÉ&#x2030;cult to understand. Look positively at what you hear and see. What sounds like a grumpy comment might simply be meant as teasing. You could be confused. Do not worry. Tonight: Where the crowds are. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) You experience a change in your work or your community. Several people spot you while out and about. Some want advice. Another person might ask you to take charge of a project where you had maintained a low proĂ&#x201E;le. Recognize what is possible with your schedule.
Tonight: Think before you leap. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) You might be challenged by someone who thinks diÉ&#x2C6;erently and presents situations in a new light. Sometimes, you might have diÉ&#x2030;culty understanding the basis of this personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thinking. Try to identify with where he or she is coming from. Tonight: Read between the lines. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) You view an interaction, relationship and/or agreement through very diÉ&#x2C6;erent eyes than the majority of people. Someone might not be as authentic as you would like. Ask questions and test out ideas to see where this person is coming from. Tonight: Change interests and topics. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Try to keep an even response to someone who tests your ideas, limits and choices. The more careful you are, the less conĂ&#x201E;dent the other party becomes. Steer away from a misunderstanding. Tonight: Change gears. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Your willingness to put in extra hours to understand where another person comes from guides you to success. You might not be sure of what you are hearing. ConĂ&#x201E;rm statements, if need be. You still might not be sure after conĂ&#x201E;rming what has been said! Tonight: Call it an early night. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You might see a situation as humorous whereas others see it as very serious. Try a more appropriate attitude when dealing with these people. Otherwise, you will not make headway. Ask questions when needed. Tonight: Wear your playful attitude out. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Your sense of priorities surrounds the completion of a matter involving your home or those you share your home with. You need to feel together or centered about this area of your life in order to Ă&#x2026;ow elsewhere. Tonight: Order in and relax.
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FEBRUARY 13, 2019 â&#x20AC;˘ PAGE 7
Jones says he supports Trumpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s AG nominee By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) feels William Barr, the nominee to succeed Jeff Sessions as U.S. attorney general, fulfills the standards for the position. During a conference call with state media outlets last Thursday, Jones said he has been working with due diligence to better understand Barr, who served as attorney general in the early 1990s during George H.W. Bushâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s administration and is President Donald Trumpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice to return to the post. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I spent two months looking at his record,â&#x20AC;? Jones said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I met with him and with others in the Justice Department. I feel confident Barr is well-qualified to fill the position.â&#x20AC;? While Jones has a positive about Barr, he said he has heard concerns from several civil rights groups. Although
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he believes a few of these concerns may be fear-based, Jones said he has listened to those organizations and respects what they said. Jones said Barr expressed a commitment to upholding the law and guidelines he must follow and said he believes transparency and the public interest during the ongoing investigation into Russia and the 2016 election is important. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I look forward to working with him,â&#x20AC;? Jones said. Jones also addressed tariffs on imports, saying he joined with Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) to reintroduce legislation which would include shifting the power to declare certain things a threat to national security from the Department of Commerce to the Department of Defense. Jones called the bill a â&#x20AC;&#x153;common sense stepâ&#x20AC;? for not only the Trump administration but administrations to
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to reintroduce legislation aimed at studying chronic wasting disease and finding ways to combat the condition. As hunting is beneficial to Alabamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy, keeping chronic wasting disease out of the state is imperative, as is finding a way to keep it from spreading elsewhere. In prepared statements, Barrasso and Bennet expressed similar beliefs, as Colorado and Wyoming both enjoy significant economic boosts from the outdoors. Jones said he isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sure the controversy surrounding Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam allegedly wearing blackface in a medical school photo will hurt Democrats nationally. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Seeing this hurts on an emotional level,â&#x20AC;? Jones said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do believe this will hurt the party
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more proactive in finding solutions to many of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s problems. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I believe people are going to get more engaged,â&#x20AC;? Jones said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You may see Congress trying to take back some of the power it has ceded over the years.â&#x20AC;?
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come. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a bill going forwards, not backwards,â&#x20AC;? Jones said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It seems like this bill may get some traction in the finance commitBarr tee.â&#x20AC;? Since tariffs imposed on automobile parts imported into the U.S. for use at manufacturing centers could have a negative impact on the automobile industry, Jones believes a solution is imperative, especially since Alabama has become a hub of automotive manufacturing and a number of Alabamians work in facilities in neighboring states (Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Kia in West Point, Georgia, for example). He added auto manufacturers have been virtually united in opposing the tariffs. Jones said he has joined Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Michael Bennet (D-CO)
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Caleb Turrentine / The OBserver
CALEB TURRENTINE Sports Writer
Elmore County’s Garrett Moseley finished in fourth place to qualify for this week’s state championships in Huntsville.
Which league has the best all-star game?
T
his is a debate which comes up a few times a year among sports fans. Every league constantly is looking for ways to improve its all-star weekend but each of them still has its flaws. With this weekend bringing us the NBA All-Star Game from Charlotte, North Carolina, I decided it was time to figure where each professional league’s all-star events rank against each other. And we will start at the very bottom with the most unnecessary Sunday of the year. The NFL Pro Bowl used to be exciting and it used to matter to the players. However, with the new concerns over player safety and long seasons (which are legitimate and I agree with them), the game has lost its luster. The NFL has tried to throw in some fun games and skill showcases throughout the week but this is a Sunday when most people take a week off from football to prepare for the Super Bowl. This isn’t taking anything away from the players, as I’m sure making a Pro Bowl is still a big honor; but you can name an all-pro team without playing a meaningless game which is exciting for no one. In fourth place, we are going to list the NHL All-Star Game. As a mostly casual hockey fan, I usually take this event off anyway but I know several fans who dislike this one more than the Pro Bowl. The NHL has gone through plenty of ideas similar to the NFL, trying to set up skills competitions and setting up more opportunities for legends and celebrities to get involved with the events. It still has not peaked my interest and cannot match the excitement of the postseason so I will just wait until April. Next up is the MLS All-Star Game, which sets up one of the top clubs in Europe against the top players in the MLS. This is just a unique event and has been fun to watch over the last few seasons. American stadiums are always looking to bring in audiences for international soccer teams and this event does not try too hard to sell itself. It has some of the best talent in the world on the same field for a 90-minute match. And that’s all it needs. The NBA All-Star Game takes second place but usually sits closer to first than third place. The whole weekend is exciting to watch but there have been some years where each event falls flat. However, when it is at its peak, the all-star events are must-watch television. Between the celebrity game, the 3-point contest and the dunk contest, there is entertainment for all basketball fans. Then they cap off the weekend with a game filled with little defense but plenty of competition once the fourth quarter begins. While the other four events can move within the standings from year to year, the Midsummer Classic is going to be the best year in, year out (except for that ridiculous tie in 2002). The Home Run Derby will get you out of your seats in your living room on the first night, especially with the power the game has right now. With the best players in the world taking the same field, the MLB AllStar Game may be the best Tuesday of the year every single year. I already have July 9 circled on my calendar for this season. All of these games are worth your time to at least try to see if you enjoy it. There will be some duds in between the great ones but I have never regretted tuning in to see the talent on hand at these events. Caleb Turrentine is a sports writer for The Observer.
LUCKY NUMBER 7 Panthers qualify 7 wrestlers for state meet By CALEB TURRENTINE Sports Writer
Elmore County wrestlers put together a strong performance over the weekend at the AHSAA South Super Section in Montgomery. The Panthers finished in sixth place in Class 1A-5A while qualifying seven athletes for this week’s state championships in Huntsville. “I was really pleased with the weekend,” Elmore County coach Jared Jones said. “Everyone on the team got at least one pin. We were
hoping to get eight to state if we had a really good day but we still got seven so I’m pleased with that.” Chayanne Sanchez and Jacob Taunton both finished in third place for the highest finishes of the competition for the Panthers. Sanchez went in as the fourth seed at 145 pound and had a chance to participate in the firstplace match but a one-point decision went against him in the semifinals. It did not take long for Sanchez to recover from the defeat, winning the final
two matches in the consolation bracket with pins. He finished with four pins on the weekend, improving his record to 45-7 on the season. “I really wanted first place so that was tough to bounce back,” Sanchez said. “I was telling myself to keep my head up and that’s what I did. I won the match.” Taunton, who wrestled at 126, shook off a decision loss in the semifinals as well before winning his final two matches to earn the thirdplace medal. He was happy with the result but he was
more impressed with the team’s performance as a whole. “We have gotten a whole lot better since November,” Taunton said. “I can’t explain how happy I am with the team. This is the most we’ve ever taken so we’re going to put in some work and try to get to the top.” Elmore County got contributions from all 11 of its wrestlers at the competition and finished with 148 points for the sixth-place finish. On See WRESTLING • Page 9
Area rivals prep for battles on the pitch By CALEB TURRENTINE Sports Writer
The high school soccer season begins this week but most teams are still finding the right formula on the field before area play begins. Elmore County, Holtville and Tallassee will be competing in Class 4A-5A Area 4 and all of the teams are focusing on those top two spots to secure a spot in the state tournament. “Everyone is pretty excited,” Elmore County boys coach John Hilbish said. “We have a young team but I think we’re playing well right now. Our primary focus is on winning the area.” The Panthers competed in the referee’s clinic last week and Hilbish said he was pleased with the performance. Elmore County grabbed a win and a draw in three matches at the event. Hilbish will be looking to his group of five seniors to lead the team after winning just three games last season. However, the Panthers will have to start the season without some key players due to the wrestling state championships, including seniors Chayanne Sanchez and Jason Aguilar. Despite the missing players early in See SOCCER • Page 10
File / The Observer
Elmore County girls basketball coach Amy Rachel, far right, said she was proud of her team despite the season-ending loss Monday night against Childersburg.
Elmore County downed by No. 3 Childersburg By SHANE DUNAWAY The Daily Home
Childersburg’s girls basketball team held off Elmore County 58-41 on Monday night to advance to the Southeast Regional Tournament in Montgomery.
The Lady Tigers, ranked No. 3 in Class 4A, got off to a hot start, building a 31-12 lead with 5:36 in the second quarter before the Lady Panthers found the will to fight back. “We’re going to have to get a lot better if we’re going to get to See BASKETBALL • Page 9
Panthers look to aces for success on the diamond By CALEB TURRENTINE Sports Writer
File / The Observer
Elmore County’s Maci Curlee returns as one of the team’s top pitchers this season.
Despite falling short of the postseason for the last three seasons, the Elmore County baseball team is entering 2019 with high expectations. The Panthers saw glimpses of their potential during their 10-13 season a year ago but coach Michael Byrd said he has seen big improvements during the offseason. “I think everyone would be disappointed if we didn’t make it to the playoffs and win a series or two,” Byrd said. The Panthers will be led by a strong duo on top of their pitching rotation. Austin Downey returns as the staff’s ace and will be joined by Edgewood transfer Landon Maynard. Downey, who recently signed Elmore County’s first-ever Division I baseball scholarship, started seven games last season after transferring in during the middle of the season. He See PANTHERS • Page 10
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TheWetumpkaHerald.com
FEBRUARY 13, 2019 • PAGE 9
Elmore County Player of the Week
CJ Weldon hits milestone, leads Wildcats to Elite Eight By CALEB TURRENTINE Sports Writer
The Edgewood girls basketball team saw its fair share of struggles on the offensive side of the court during the regular season but the Wildcats came alive in their first do or die game of the year. Guard CJ Weldon knocked down five 3-pointers and scored a season-high 21 points to lead the Wildcats to a 56-34 win at Hooper last week to send Edgewood to the quarterfinals of the AISA state tournament. She is the Elmore County Player of the Week. “We really executed in the first half against the man defense,” Edgewood coach Jay Adams said. “We got a lot of our baskets in the paint and that opened up looks for CJ on the outside. She’s one of these players that leads with her effort. They look to her to be the heart of that offense and when she’s on, we’re on.” Weldon got off to a
File / The Observer
Edgewood’s CJ Weldon (10) is the Elmore County Player of the Week after scoring her 1,000th career point last week in a victory over Hooper.
slow start on offense, not scoring during the opening quarter of the game, and it may have been due to a little bit of nerves. Entering the night, Weldon needed just 11 points to reach 1,000 for her career but the slow start made her shift her focus to keeping the season alive.
“It was a little nerve wracking because it took us a while to score,” Weldon said. “I didn’t score until the second quarter so I was started to think I wasn’t going to get it. I just had to focus on wanting to win first and then worry about getting my points after.” It did not take much
longer for Weldon to find her rhythm on offense. She got her first points in the second quarter and helped lead Edgewood to a nine-point halftime lead. The big moment came in the third frame when Weldon knocked down a 3-pointer to reach her milestone. Adams said
they were trying to keep the moment out of the minds of the players but the reaction was immediate from the bench and the fans. “We had people jumping around and swinging towels on the bench,” Adams said. “Every kid in those stands knew she was 11 away so they were keeping track of it.” The Edgewood boys team already received a bye into the quarterfinals and was on hand for the game at Hooper. Adams said it was a special moment to see the two programs come together as the boys team joined the student section in celebration when Weldon surpassed the mark. “It’s cool any time a player hits a personal accomplishment in a team sport like that,” Adams said. “It’s been fun to watch her develop as a shooter but to get to 1,000, she needed to develop as more than a shooter. She’s a competitor.” Weldon has been the focus for opposing
Panthers fall in Wrestling area tournament championship STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
Elmore County got the win it needed in the first round of the area tournament to extend its season but the Panthers could not knock off Handley in the championship game. In the opener, Madison Traylor scored 27 points to go along with 16 rebounds and four assists as the Panthers knocked off Booker T. Washington 45-42. Elmore County lost both of the regular season matchups to the Eagles but flipped the script when it counted. Traylor followed up her performance with another double-double in the area championship but it was not enough as the Panthers fell to Handley 78-54. Traylor led Elmore County with 20 points, shooting 8 for 13 from the field. Madison Britt recorded her fourth double-double of the season, scoring 11 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. It extended her 10-plus rebound streak to six games. After scoring six points in the first round, CK Bolton added 13 points on 5 of 8 shooting in the championship game.
Basketball
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Birmingham,” Childersburg coach Gavin King said. “Our defense is too relaxed at times. We’re not getting enough pressure on the ball. They had too many open looks that they converted, and we almost let the game slip away right there.” The Lady Panthers (16-11) put together an 11-5 run to cut the Lady Tigers’ advantage to 36-23 at halftime. “We just couldn’t quite get over the hump or get out of the hole that we dug ourselves into,” Elmore County coach Amy Rachel said. I’m proud of the effort that my girls gave. Childersburg is a phenomenal team, a wellcoached team and a well-rounded team.” In the third stanza, both offenses stalled, each mustering just four points in a four-minute span. After an Elmore County timeout, Lady Panthers freshman CJ Thornton drained a 3-pointer to pull her team the closest it would get — a 40-30 deficit. Childersburg entered the final period ahead 48-34 and managed to drain the first two minutes and 15 seconds off the clock before Ke’Asia McKinney scored on a successful layup. The Lady Tigers held their final possession of the game for more than a minute and a half. “That was good for us to be able to run some clock,” King said. “We got to work on some man plays and not really shoot the ball for a while there. That might help us down the road. We were able to cut their possessions down in the fourth quarter so we could keep our lead. We had a little bit of foul trouble, so cutting the number of possessions down that were in the fourth quarter was really good for us. I was proud of the way we executed some of the style offense there.” Childersburg senior guard Jailah Swain led her team with 20 points, while McKinney finished her night with 12. “It’s hard to focus in on one thing when you’re trying to defend them because they have so many weapons on the offensive end,” Rachel said. “Things just didn’t quite work out how we were hoping tonight.” Elmore County senior Madison Traylor churned out a 16-point effort despite being held scoreless in the first quarter.
top of the two third-place wrestlers, the Panthers added two fourth-place, two sixth-place and one seventh-place finish. “It means a lot to the program,” Jones said. “I’m more impressed with our team finishing sixth than the two guys we had finishing third. Scoring 148 points and getting to scoreboard watch with the team was fun. Finishing sixth out of 33 teams is a big deal and we all realize that.” Garrett Moseley, who leads the team in individual wins, finished in fourth place at 195, earning 20 points for his team. Moseley advanced to the semifinals with two first period pins but had his toughest match of the season up next. Alexandria’s Chrstian Knop, who is 67-0 on the season, pinned Moseley in just 32 seconds. It was the quickest defeat of the season for Moseley. “The first loss we knew would be tough,” Jones said. “We were a little disappointed in the second loss though. Garrett had him on his back but couldn’t get the pin.”
defenses all season and it has limited her opportunities from long range during her senior year. She had to find different ways to score and Adams said Weldon had been working hard on it all year. “That’s all you can ask for as a coach,” Adams said. “Find that one thing you’re good at and work hard to improve what you need to improve on.” Weldon and the Wildcats faced Monroe on Tuesday in the AISAAA Elite Eight but last Tuesday’s win over Hooper is a moment the program will not soon forget. If the pressure of a playoff game and a personal milestone was not enough, Weldon had another pretty big obstacle she fought through to earn the Player of the Week honors. “I think I handle the pressure well,” Weldon said. “I actually wasn’t feeling well but I just had to push through it for that game. I went to the doctor the next day and I was told I had the flu.”
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Caleb Turrentine / The Observer
Elmore County coach Jared Jones directs his wrestler during an elimination match on Saturday.
Moseley won his first match in the consolation bracket to set up the third-place match with Montevallo’s Rankin Allen. After taking control in the first period, Moseley was pinned 17 seconds into the second period and finished in
fourth place. “That could really motivate him not, especially when he knows now how that guy wrestles,” Jones said. “After the meet, we were all eating and Garrett was already pointing out some things he thought he
could do better.” Moseley still qualified for the state meet in Huntsville this weekend, along with Taunton and Sanchez. Jeffrey Purcell, Matt Brown, Stone Svencer and Matthew Thornton all qualified as well.
Returning core key to Tigers’ success in 2019 By CALEB TURRENTINE Sports Writer
After winning 28 games during the regular season, the Tallassee softball team could not find a way to get past Holtville in the area tournament or the regional tournament as its season came to a disappointing end. The Tigers move up to Class 5A this season and are hoping the change of scenery can get them over the hump and into the state tournament. “The ceiling is very high for this group,” Tallassee coach Pat Love said. “They can be as good as they want to be.” Tallassee is returning several key players this season, including five of its top six hits leaders from a year ago. Chloe Baynes finished the year with a .518 batting average, leading the Tigers with 72 hits and 58 runs. Belle Haynes led the team with five home runs last season and finished with a .659 slugging percentage in 156 plate appearances. Haynes only struck out six times, the lowest of any Tiger with more than 20 at bats last season. While the Tigers are expecting big things on offense, Love said he wants to find improvements on defense. The team made 118 errors last season which led to 77 unearned runs. “Our focus has been on pitching well and playing good defense,” Love said. “We hit really well last year but we gave up runs and had miscues on defense. We want to limit that to no
File / The Observer
Sinclair Cole should be a strong asset for the Tallassee softball team this year.
more than one error per game this year. If we can do that, I think we can be really good.” Jordan Walters returns as the team’s ace after allowing just 33 earned runs across 118.1 innings last season. Sinclair Cole only threw 34 innings
last year but Love said she is going to be relied on more during her junior season. Tallassee’s new area consists of some familiar faces, including Valley and Beauregard. Despite entering as See TIGERS • Page 10
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Panthers
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had four wins, including one shutout, and posted a 1.87 ERA across eight appearances. “Honestly, I think he’ll be a little bit better this year,” Byrd said. “He only had one outing with more than two earned runs and I think if we can improve on defense, that will help him out a lot.” Maynard is an Eclectic native and chose to return closer to home to finish his high school career. His fastball sits in the high 80s but he is also a threat at the plate. Byrd said Maynard could be Elmore County’s top power threat this season. Even though the Panthers have the talent on the mound, Byrd knows the pressure is on the defense. The team struggled at times in the field last season but Byrd is hoping to see improvements this year. “Defensively, we can be the best we’ve been in a while,” Byrd said. “We have two really good arms and three or four guys who are going to contribute a lot on the mound.” The Elmore County softball team is also hoping to find improvements in the field this season after averaging more than three errors per game in 2018. The Panthers allowed 135 unearned runs and finished with a 13-26 record last year. Coach Kim Moncrief said a lot of the focus
during preseason practices has been on fielding drills. Shortstop Ebony Pearson returns this season after missing last year with a knee injury and Moncrief believes her presence can make a difference. “Having a true shortstop will help,” Moncrief said. “It’s about repetition mostly but hopefully she’ll help lead the infield. We had to just throw someone in last year so we’re looking forward to seeing what she can add to our team.” Maci Curlee returns as the team’s top pitcher after leading the Panthers with 152 2/3 innings pitched last year. She posted a 5.73 ERA with 83 strikeouts. “She’s been working on different type of pitches,” Moncrief said. “She’s increased her speed and you can already tell that she has improved a lot.” Madison Britt was the most consistent hitter last year, racking up a batting average of .479 in 112 plate appearances. She had 35 singles, seven double and three home runs and also led the team with 39 RBIs. ‘We’re expecting her to have a good season,” Moncrief said. “She loves the sport and she’s worked really hard at it. She’s hitting better and she’s stayed in shape. She already had good skill but she’s still getting faster and stronger.”
File / The Observer
Elmore County’s baseball team is looking for continued improvement under the direction of head coach Michael Byrd, left.
Always treat your coaches with respect
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Elmore County is hoping to turn things around this year after winning just three games last season.
Soccer the season, Hilbish knows the focus of the season will be on competing in area play. The Panthers will begin area play with four consecutive road matches over an 11-day stretch at the end of the month. “We set up the schedule so we would have plenty of games before area play,” Hilbish said. “Once we get there, we think we’ll be able to field 11 very good soccer players.” The Panthers hope their defense can be a strength this season and at the heart of it is junior Keith Ballard. Hilbish said his soccer IQ and leadership ability will be a key to the team’s success. “He’s one of our team captains and just a great defender,” Hilbish said. “He’s got great soccer skills and knows the game very well.” Holtville is coming off one of the most successful regular seasons in the program’s history but a 2-0 loss to Trinity in the first round left an asterisk on the year. Bulldog boys coach Robby Broom enters his 21st season at the helm and knows that’s not an easy loss to recover from. “That loss was hard on us and it showed,” Broom said. “It took us until the end of summer to get over. But we can’t let that sit on our mind because we have to get there first. Our goal is to beat our average number of goals scored and average goals against.” The Bulldogs lost nine seniors off last year’s team, all of them from the starting lineup. Despite the roster turnover, Broom is confident Holtville will not miss a beat this season.
continued from Page 8 “We lose players every year,” Broom said. “Each year, it’s just someone else’s turn to step up. There isn’t going to be a lot of difference in how we prepare for this season.” Broom said he has a lot of confidence in the roster the team is entering the season with. While each position is not set in stone yet, Broom said he has a lot of interchangeable players who can play in multiple positions when needed. The Bulldogs will start their season at the Capital of Dreams Tournament in Montgomery this weekend. Broom said he wants to use the tournament as preparation for the season with area play being just two weeks away. “I want to see our guys play hard,” Broom said. “That will give us a good gage of where the players are right now and their conditioning. It will also tell us if some of those younger guys are ready to play on the varsity level.” Broom said the Bulldogs may be behind the rest of the area right now and named Tallassee as the favorites entering the season. The Tigers are coming off a 6-5-2 season which they lost in the first round of the playoffs to LAMP. Tallassee has nine seniors on its roster this season, including returning starters Quinton Jeter and Fernando Marcos. On the girls side, Holtville and Elmore County may be chasing Marbury for the area title. Panthers coach Angie Simmons said the area looks pretty even but Marbury is the most concerning because the team did not lose any seniors. Elmore County has won just two
Tigers the likely favorites, Love said there are new challenges that come up with a new year. “I’m not really sure honestly,” Love said. “I’ve never seen Brew Tech. I think Valley will be a force again and Beauregard beat us last year so I think right now it could be anybody.” Tallassee’s baseball team finished 16-14 last season but made it to the state tournament for the fourth consecutive season. The Tigers will need to replace several big contributors from last season, including all-state player Casey Baynes and all-metro infielder Jake Burton. “We’ve still got a good group of kids,” Tallassee coach Adam Clayton said. “They work hard and they come to practice ready to work for each
File / The Observer
matches over the last three seasons and is coming off a 0-9-1 year. The team allowed 3.5 goals per game and did not keep a clean sheet all season but Simmons is setting expectations higher this season. “We feel like we have a better grasp on things than last year,” Simmons said. “There’s still a lot to learn but our skill level is improved.” The Panthers will need to improve defensively to have some success but Simmons believes they have the right cast for the job. Faith Crozier is one of six seniors on the roster and will looked at as the leader of the backline. “She’s got amazing footwork and she can play up if we need her to but her main job will be at center back,” Simmons said. “She knows she’s allowed to push up when she sees an opportunity though.” Joya Kiwele played center back for the Panthers last year but could be moved up to midfield this season. Rainey Jones, an eighth-grader, could fill the role on defense but is expected to contribute at several positions. “(Defense) was our biggest weakness last year so I’m excited to have it as a strength,” Simmons said. “I think it’s very important to have experience on that backline.” The Holtville girls team made it to the state tournament last season but lost 10-0 to Trinity and finished the year 3-9-1. Bulldog girls coach David Lovring, who has more soccer experience, will be in his first year in charge of the program.
continued from Page 9 other.” Jackson Gantt returns as the team’s top hitter and starting middle infielder. He finished the season with a .394 batting average and plays multiple positions for the Tigers. Reese Graham returns as the starter behind the plate while Dylan Turner will move to first base. Clayton said Will Blockner and Jake Justiss will be the team’s two biggest power threats but the Tigers will rely more on the small-ball style of play. “Most of our guys will be base-hit guys at the plate,” Clayton said. “Just like most Tallassee teams in the past, we’re going to lean on pitching and defense. That can carry us this year but I do think we can improve offensively.” Tallassee will have to face new chal-
lenges in the area this year after finishing second in its area at 4A last season. The Tigers will have to get off to a quick start in area play or they could be on the outside looking in when the postseason arrives. “It’s going to be very competitive in the area,” Clayton said. “All four of us made the playoffs last year. Every series will be important.” The Tigers start their season with a double header at home on Monday. They will open against Dadeville at noon before wrapping up the day with a game against Clay Central. “We’re looking to play a lot of guys early on,” Clayton said. “We want to continue to evaluate the players and see where we are as a team in all three phases of the game.”
ometimes your coach is going to do something you don’t agree with. Maybe he’ll take a timeout at an inopportune time. Or maybe she’ll single you out even though you think a mistake on the court wasn’t entirely your fault. LIZI LI IZI Heck, perhaps a coach is ARBOGAST just going to make a misSports Editor take. Many times, he or she will own up to it. I don’t know how many coaches have told me throughout my career as a sportswriter, “That’s on me. That was a bad coaching decision.” Regardless of what happens on or off the court, coaches deserve respect. First of all, coaches are your elders, so it’s just the polite thing to do. Secondly, he or she has likely been in your shoes. They’ve almost certainly played the sport they’re coaching, and they’ve learned from their mistakes as a player. Most importantly, though, your coaches have your back. Your coach wants to see you succeed. Whether that translates into wins or losses may not be controllable, but a coach doesn’t want her players to fail. A lot of times if a player isn’t getting enough time on the court or is benched midway through the season, you’ll hear parents say, “Well, the coach just doesn’t like my kid.” I’ve never seen a coach actively dislike a player he or she is coaching. A coach may not always agree with a player’s decision or he may get frustrated when he can’t seem to get a certain message across to a student-athlete. But actually disliking a player? I doubt that’s ever been the case. It’s true sometimes coaches are hard on players. I’ve walked many football sidelines and been at many baseball practices and know emotions are high, competitive juices are flowing and sometimes things are said that may not have been otherwise. I’m not saying there can’t be exceptions to the rules. Of course there are times when coaches take things too far. But that being said, coaches are supposed to be hard on players. Coaches are teaching student-athletes about more than just a sport. They’re teaching them life lessons — how to not give up even when it seems like all the chips are against you, how to be there for your teammates and how to work toward a goal and how to achieve it. Every coach will tell you when his or her student-athletes graduate, they want them to be not only better athletes but better people. And I guarantee coaches aren’t benching people because of personal feelings. Maybe a starter isn’t playing that night because he didn’t show up to practice the day before. Maybe a kid isn’t getting as much playing time anymore because another kid beat him out for a starting job. Whether coaches are making decisions because they are trying to set a standard or because they are trying to win, I can tell you they’re not making them based on how much they like or dislike a player off the court. Lastly, coaches put in a lot of work. They’re usually not paid much, and they’re sacrificing a lot of time away from their own kids to help yours become better. While it’s the players who execute on the court, coaches put in a lot of sweat, tears and hard work getting there too. They deserve to be treated as such. And one more thought on that note: If you’re not a starter, please stay engaged. I was so proud of the Central Coosa boys basketball bench Thursday night. The Cougars’ five starters played 95 percent of the game, but never once did the bench look bored or disinterested. Those players were cheering and chanting and seemed just as hyped as the ones on the court when a Cougar would swish a 3-pointer or drain a hard layup. As a “benchwarmer,” you never know when your moment may come, and I’m sure your coach will tell you you’re just as much a part of the team as anyone else. Lizi Arbogast is the sports editor of The Observer.