All-County Baseball Team inside today
Eclectic native reflects on experience as Harvard intern
WPD welcomes assistant chief, farewells captain
SPORTS, PAGE B1
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THE WETUMPKA HERALD Elmore County’s Oldest Newspaper - Established 1898
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VOL. 120, NO. 29
Dozier elected as circuit clerk
By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Staff Writer
Wetumpka resident Michael Dozier was elected as Elmore County Circuit Clerk during the Republican primary runoff election on Tuesday, July 17, defeating incumbent Brian Justiss by more than 1,000 votes. Dozier received a total of 5,379 votes and Justiss received 4,078 votes. Dozier will begin his six-year term in January 2019. “I’m excited to serve the people of Elmore County,” Dozier said. “We’re just
going to do what we have to do to be fully prepared for the day that we take office.” Dozier referred to his campaign as “long and draining,” and said he is happy to have won after running for office for the first time. “It’s a lot of hard work. We went door to door, not only for the primary, but also for the runoff. It’s not cheap for sure,” Dozier said. As the son of former Elmore County Circuit Clerk Larry Dozier, who served in the office for 16 years, Dozier said his background is one of the things that prompted him to run. “I grew up in the office,” Dozier said.
When making the decision to run, Dozier said he believed that he was capable of improving “the state of the office.” “I felt like it was time for me to take a stand and try to bring the office back to where it once was and to do my part in serving the people,” Dozier said. One of the problems facing Elmore County residents, Dozier said, was the lack of timely responses to phone calls made to the circuit clerk’s office. “That’s going to be the number one thing we try to fix, immediately,” Dozier said.
Justiss said he is glad to have served his six-year term as circuit clerk and is thankful for his time in office. “I enjoyed representing and helping the people of Elmore County and providing the services I was elected to provide,” Justiss said. Out of the 55,385 Elmore County residents who are registered to vote, a total of 10,479 cast their ballots. Elmore County’s overall voter turnout amounted to 18.92 percent, with 30 out of 31 precincts reporting. Provisional ballots will be counted at a later date.
Murder suspect in Holtville homicide denied bond request
City awards streetscape project bid
By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Staff Writer
An Elmore man charged in connection with a Holtville homicide will remain in jail after a judge denied his motion to modify his bond. Efrem Edrick Brown, 56, who lists an address on Alabama 143, had sought a bond hearing to remove the cash-only portion of his $50,000 bond. Brown was initially arrested Brown and charged with the murder of 55-year-old Tony Carr of Holtville on April 25. Carr’s body was discovered by his wife and brother in the garage behind his Holtville residence between 5:30 and 6 p.m. on April 16. It is believed Carr was shot to death earlier that day. Authorities initially thought Carr died as the result of blunt force trauma, but it was later determined he had been shot in the head. Court See BROWN • Page A2
By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Staff Writer
Amalia Kortright / The Herald
Woodcarving instructor Mac Proffitt, above, works on his carving of a woman during one of the classes. Woodcarver Harold Davis’ ‘Tree of Life’ portrait, top left, carving was one of the many works of art on display for the public as part of the Southeastern Woodcarving School and Exposition.
Woodcarvers gather for classes, exposition By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Staff Writer
A woodcarver needs three basic things, according to woodcarving instructor Mac Proffitt: a pencil, a Band-Aid and imagination.
There were plenty of all three on the first full day of the 33rd annual Southeastern Woodcarving School and Exposition, which began on Friday and lasted through Sunday at the Wetumpka Civic Center. See WOODCARVERS • Page A2
‘Hands on a Hardbody’ premieres Thursday
Today’s
Weather
94 73 High
By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Staff Writer
Low
THURSDAY: HIGH 94 LOW 73
The Wetumpka Depot Players’ adaptation of “Hands on a Hardbody” will hit the stage for the first time on Thursday and is set to run through Aug. 4 at 7:30 p.m. nightly. Director Kristy Meanor said “Hands on a Hardbody” is a musical set in 1980s Longview, Texas, that revolves around 10 contestants involved in a competition to see who can keep their hands on a truck the longest. “It’s a different musical in that it’s got a lot of See MUSICAL • Page A3
a k p m Wetu
The Wetumpka City Council awarded a portion of its downtown commercial business district streetscape project to the lowest bidder, Lewis Environmental Services Inc., during a regularly scheduled meeting Monday. City Planning and Project Director David Robison said the project involves adding a sidewalk on the west side of South Main Street, spanning from the end of the Bibb Graves Bridge to “just to the south” of the Reneau and Thornton Law Firm building. When the city was first awarded this project by the Alabama Department of Transportation in 2015, Robison said its cost was initially expected to be $214,192. According to Robison, $50,000 was matched by the city. Because they received a $200,000 grant from See STREETSCAPE • Page A2
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Members of the ‘Hands on a Hardbody’ cast rehearse one of the show’s musical numbers. The Wetumpka Depot Players’ production will make its debut Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
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PAGE A2 • JULY 18, 2018
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
THE WETUMPKA HERALD
Obituaries Charlene Wilson Gross
Mrs. Charlene Ann Orsi
GROSS, Charlene Wilson a resident of Wetumpka, Alabama passed away Monday, July 9, 2018 at the age of 60. Visitation will be held Thursday, July 12, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. with the funeral services at 12:00 p.m. at Equality Methodist Church with Rev. David Jones officiating. Burial will be at the church cemetery with Gassett Funeral Home of Wetumpka directing. Mrs. Gross is survived by her children Ashley Adams (Hunter), Trey Gross (Alex), brothers, Jimmy Wilson, Chris Wilson (Pam), aunt Ann Skellie, grandchildren Baylor Adams, Baxlee Adams, and Lincoln Gross. Pallbearers will be Jonathan Wilson, Oliver Faulkner, Evin Wood, Johnny Wood, Johnny Abrams, and James Butler. Flowers will be accepted or memorial contributions may be made to Comfort Care Hospice, 315 St. Luke’s Drive, Montgomery, Alabama 36117. Online Guest Book available at www.gassettfuneralhome.net
Mrs. Charlene Ann Orsi, 44, and daughter, Cadence Rose Orsi, 12, of Wetumpka, Alabama, were received into the arms of our Lord too soon on Saturday, July 07, 2018. Charlene was born August 18, 1974, at Glens Falls Hospital to Veronica (Stevenson Richards) Aurelio and George “Jack” Richards. She married while serving in the United States Air Force in Alaska, to Robert J. Orsi, August 17, 1994. Cadence was born April 06, 2006, in Las Vegas, Nevada, to Charlene Ann and Robert Orsi. Charlene’s “I got this” belief led her from an Air Force radiologist to doing mammography to teaching. “Charley,” as her friends called her, taught third grade at Redland Elementary in Wetumpka, Alabama. She loved teaching so much and was working on her Masters. Her family was the most important thing in her life. She was filled with pride at the accomplishments of all her girls. Cadence, under the loving hand of her
Brown
continued from page A1
documents stated Brown was employed by Carr, and that Carr had told his wife, brother and best friend he would likely fire Brown. In the motion, Brown cited several personal reasons why he believed the cash-only stipulation should be removed. “My family needs me. I’m their sole provider,” Brown wrote. “My medicine is not coming in time.” The request was denied by Elmore County District Court Judge James Glenn Goggans on July 13. In June, Brown’s
attorney also filed a motion to remove the cash-only portion of his bond and to reduce the bond amount. The motion claimed that Brown was not a flight risk and has “close ties to the community.” This request was also denied, and Brown’s case was bound over to the Elmore County Grand Jury. Murder is a Class A felony, meaning Brown could be sentenced to life in prison if he is convicted. As of July 16, Brown remained in the Elmore County Jail.
mother, Charlene, loved to draw what was around her. Playing softball put a big smile on her face. She loved doing anything outside. Charlene is predeceased by her daughter, Cadence Rose Orsi; her grandparents, Clarence “Duffy” Stevenson, Florence “Honey” (Troumbley) Stevenson, Clarence “Dick” Richards, Ethel C. (Minor) Richards; aunt, Marjory E. (Richards) Pierce and Marjory’s children, Jackson Hamblin and Marnie Goodsell-Frankson. Cadence is predeceased by her Mother, Charlene Ann Orsi and her Father, Robert Orsi. Those left in disbelief of their passing are daughters/sisters, Adrianna Louise Orsi, Katherine Marie Orsi and Patricia Lynn Orsi; mother/grandmother, Veronica (Richards) Aurelio (Al); father/grandfather, George Richards (Rose); brother, Curtis Richards (Sherry); sister, Sarah Ralston (Mike); nephew, Charles Jackson (CJ) Richards; nieces, Rebecca Richards, Sophia Ralston; step siblings, Annette Smallwood (Vince), Debbie Freeman (Will) and David Aurelio; step nieces, nephews,
many cousins and extended family. Cadence is also survived by her paternal grandparents, Robert and Louise Orsi, James Orsi and Karen (Orsi) Leeds (Nathan). Memorial services will be Wednesday, July 25, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. at Mulder Memorial United Methodist Church with Rev. Matt Mobley officiating. Services will be directed by Jeffcoat Funeral Home, Tallassee, Alabama. The family would like to thank the generosity of the community for helping in this difficult time and for their continued prayers. They would also like to thank the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, the Wetumpka Fire Department and the 6th floor staff at Baptist South Hospital. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the “Loving the Orsis” GoFundMe page or Family Sunshine Center in Montgomery, Alabama. On line condolences are available at: www.jeffcoatfuneralhome.com Jeffcoat Funeral Home Directing Tallassee, Alabama
Streetscape
continued from page A1
ALDOT, Robison said part of the past three years was spent engineering the project and ensuring that it would not make a negative impact on the environment. Robison said the city also took some time to focus on its lawsuit against Alabama Power Company, BellSouth Telecommunications LLC and Charter Communication, Inc. However, Robison said the lowest bid came in at $258,763, and “maxed out” the city’s construction budget. The city still will have to pay for a professional engineer to supervise the contractor and
inspect the contractor’s work. Mayor Jerry Willis and Robison said the expenditures amounted to about $40,000, but the city is hoping to negotiate that number down to about $20,000. “The engineers and I are going to be looking, once the bid is awarded, at possibilities for decreasing some of the work, and some of the amounts and the quantities that they will need (as well as) cutting costs during construction,” Robison said. During the council’s work session, Robison said if the city did not award the bid as it was, it would have to undergo a
month-long rebidding process. “Based on the guidance I received from the engineer, that he received from ALDOT ... it is unlikely that a rebid on the project would lower the costs,” Robison said. All city council members, with the exception of councilman Lewis Edward Washington Sr., voted in favor of awarding the bid. One of the reasons Washington opposed the decision, he said, was because he felt that the city should have examined the expenditures more closely before the meeting and the city’s funds could be better allocated elsewhere.
Woodcarvers The event, co-hosted by the Central Alabama Woodcarving Association and the City of Wetumpka, featured classes on different types of woodcarving and painting. Through the classes, visitors had the opportunity to learn about numerous methods of woodcarving, including carving scenes on walking sticks, scenic pictures into blocks of wood, faces,
continued from page A1
woodland animals, house figurines, human busts, caricatures, birds and bowls. A wood burning and a painting class, as well as an introductory woodcarving class, were also offered. The work of many woodcarvers and artists was also on display for public viewing. Central Alabama Woodcarving Association volunteer Judy Brooks said the exposition also served to garner the community’s
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interest, particularly from young people. Brooks briefly stopped to admire the work of intermediate woodcarver Harold Davis, who carved a portrait entitled “Tree of Life” out of basswood. “He carved in behind it,” Brooks said. “It really has one of those ‘wow’ factors.” As with Davis’ art, Brooks said much of the woodcarvings, gourd art and folk paintings shown off at the event had special qualities to them. According to Brooks, this is the first year the event has been an exposition instead of a competition. She said
the association made the change to make woodcarvers and artists of all experience levels feel more welcome. “We wanted all woodcarvers to be able to present their pieces without feeling like they had to be experts,” Brooks said. “An exposition allows everyone to enter.” Brooks said he first day saw about 100 attendees, and the event drew a diverse range of people to Wetumpka from around Alabama and several different states. “You’ll have anything from every walk of life,” Brooks said.
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In the many years she has been involved with the event, folk art instructor Ethel Green said much has changed. When she first started, Green said woodworking was primarily dominated by men, and their wives developed competitions for things like baking, quilting and painting among themselves. “The men would come and carve, and their wives would come along,” Green said. “There needed to be something for the wives to do.” One thing that hasn’t changed, according to portrait carving instructor Dylan Goodson, are the friendships among the woodcarvers that have been established and strengthened over the years. “It’s providing an opportunity to gather and
learn new techniques and skills,” Goodson said. “Everybody gets together to see people they haven’t seen in a year.” One of her favorite things about the event, she said, is being able to see how those who have come year after year develop their art. “I get to watch their progress, and that feels really good,” Brooks said. Human bust carving instructor Ken Carter said woodcarving has a unique appeal to many people, and the deep sense of accomplishment it often comes with was evident at the event. “It’s the ability to remake something through the medium of working with wood,” Carter said. “Sometimes I’ll look at my hands, and I’ll think ‘Wow, these hands did that.’”
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JULY 18, 2018 • Page A3
Eclectic native reflects on experience as Harvard intern even before he graduated from Elmore County High School. Swicord said one of his main reasons for becoming a doctor came on his 13th birthday, when his father was severely injured in a motorcycle accident. He said his father’s recovery was only through the grace of God and the work of the doctors. While Swicord has accomplished many things since, he credited much of that to the people who mentored him during his years in Eclectic. Swicord thanked his high school AP Biology teacher, Kyle Futral, for instilling a passion for science. He also expressed his appreciation for Montgomery Cardiovascular Association President Rick Roney, who was the father of his youth pastor at Eclectic, for allowing him to shadow local doctors and giving him guidance when he needed it. “I don’t think I’ve really done anything,” Swicord said. “It’s all the incredible people I’ve been surrounded by who have pushed me in this direction.”
By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Staff Writer
As he nears the end of his time working with a prestigious eight-week internship program at at Massachusetts General Hospital, Eclectic native and recent Troy University graduate Blake Swicord said his experience will leave a lasting impression on his future medical career Swicord is one of six students from throughout the United States participating in the Harvard University Visiting Research Internship Program. The program began on June 4 and will end on July 27. Swicord described his experience with VRIP as incredible. “Basically, the program was giving me experience in these labs, showing the problems that there are in healthcare,” Swicord said. “The program has made me realize that, one day, we can solve some of these.” Swicord said he applied to the program in January because of his interest in doing
Submitted / The Herald
Elmore County High School graduate and Eclectic native Blake Swicord, second from the right, will complete his work with the Harvard University Visiting Research Internship Program. Through the internship, Swicord gained real-world experience in the medical field.
medical research outside of Alabama. “As much as I loved it, I thought I would also love some time doing research out of the state and getting out of my comfort zone,” Swicord said. As part of the program, students are paired with a
Troy University in 2017 with a degree in biology-medical science and will begin his second year of medical school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham after the program ends. Swicord said he had ambitions to become a doctor
mentor and work in labs at Harvard-affiliated hospitals. Swicord is currently being mentored by cardiologist Anthony Rosenzweig. “He’s a great guy,” Swicord said. “He’s super nice and he’s been a great mentor to me.” Swicord graduated from
Musical
continued from page A1
heart to it. There’s some meat to it, as well. It’s not all fluff,” Meanor said. “I think that’s what’s been unique about this particular process.” According to Meanor, “Hands on a Hardbody” premiered on Broadway several years ago and was based on a true story that was later adapted as a documentary. “The documentary has a huge cult following,” Meanor said. “People love that documentary because the contestants are so colorful, and they’re also very unique and passionate about winning the truck.” Meanor said “Hands on a Hardbody” was selected to match the Texascentered theme of the rest of the Wetumpka Depot Players’ shows this season. “It sort of fell into our lap. All the shows we were picking out had a Texas theme to them, so that was kind of fun,” Meanor said. “After we started one Texas-themed show, we got to thinking about ‘Hands on a Hardbody’ as a
possible musical this summer.” Perhaps the show’s most unique factor, according to Meanor, is the fact that an actual pickup truck is used onstage. While the truck is not driven during the show, Meanor said it does rotate onstage. “It really becomes the 11th character of the show,” Meanor said. She said the use of the truck in the show has been challenging for her, the cast and the set crew. In order to get the truck in the building, Meanor said it had to be transported in four shipping containers and reassembled onstage. “We knew that would be a stretch for us, but it would be something that would challenge us in a good way,” Meanor said. Another thing that makes the show stand out, Meanor said, is the diverse range of genres used in the musical numbers. “The music ranges from pop to rock to gospel to country, and we knew our audiences really dig that kind of music,” Meanor said.
Tallassee City Schools
850 Friendship Road | Tallassee, AL | 334.283.2760
Teachers of the Year! Natasha Bell Sullen named Teacher of the Year for Tallassee Elementary and Tallassee City Schools Natasha Bell Sullen will be the Guidance Counselor at Southside Middle School for the 2018-2019 school year. Before becoming the counselor at SMS, she spent 20 years at Tallassee Elementary School teaching multi-age (K-1), Kindergarten, and as a Guidance Counselor. She is currently co-director of the Extended Day Program at TES. Natasha is a native of Shorter, AL. She attended Deborah Cannon Wolfe and she graduated from Booker T. Washington High School. She received her Bachelor of Science from Auburn University Montgomery in Early Childhood/Elementary Education, Master of Science in School Counseling from Alabama State University, Certification in School Psychometry from Troy Montgomery, and her Education Specialist in Guidance Counseling from the University of West Alabama. Natasha is a member of the Tallassee Education Association, the Alabama Education Association, and the National Education Association. She has been recognized as reading teacher of the year for many years while teaching Kindergarten, Wal-Mart Teacher of the year, Who’s Who Among American Teachers, and most recently teacher of the year for TES and Tallassee City Schools.
FOOD OUTLET
Josh Taylor named Teacher of the Year for Southside Middle School Josh Taylor is graduate of Reeltown High School (2002), Auburn University (2008) with a bachelors in social science education, and Liberty University (2011) with a Masters of Arts in Religion (Christian Leadership emphasis). He married the former Laci Whitman of Notasulga in 2012 and since then they have settled in Notasulga and have two children, Cooper (2) and Carter (5 months). Josh has been employed at Tallassee City Schools for the past 4 years at Southside Middle School where he teaches 8th grade history. In addition to teaching, he has coached multiple sports for the system, been a new teacher mentor, SGA student sponsor, and a member of the Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Team.
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April Powell named Teacher of the Year for Tallassee High School April Powell is a 2000 Tallassee High School graduate; she graduated Auburn University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Secondary English Language Arts Education. In January 2005, she began her teaching career at Tallassee High School, where she currently chairs the English department and teaches AP English Language and Composition and English 12. Mrs. Powell also sponsors the National Honor Society for THS. She has created content for ACCESS and currently works with ACCESS as both a teacher and facilitator. Presently, Mrs. Powell is seeking her master’s degree.
hard.” Typically, Meanor said shows by the Wetumpka Depot Players are filled close to capacity each night, and they’re hoping each performance of “Hands on a Hardbody” is no exception. “Several colleagues of mine that have directed this show have said that sometimes, during the first week, it’s not a sellout,” Meanor said. “But after the first weekend sees it, they tell their friends, and it usually becomes a sellout by the time the show’s over because it’s a word-of-mouth kind of show.” Tickets for “Hands on a Hard Body” are $12 in advance and $15 at the door and online. Tickets may be reserved by calling the Depot at 334-868-1440 or by visiting the theatre’s website at www. wetumpkadepot.com. The Wetumpka Depot is located at 300 S. Main St. in downtown Wetumpka.
Of the 16 actors that will be performing, Meanor said she cannot find a weak link in the cast because they are all so talented. “Everybody in the show is such a strong actor, singer, dancer that I truly believe that it’s an embarrassment of riches. Sometimes it doesn’t line up that way,” Meanor said. “All just recognizable, strong talent from all around the river region that are playing all the roles in the show.” Auditions were initially held at the end of May and Meanor said they have been working on “Hands on a Hardbody” for about six weeks. “We work pretty hard. We come in and we work weeknights and weekends. We have to produce it in that amount of time, because we have four to five other productions that fall during the year as well,” Meanor said. “We work fast and
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Page A4 • JULY 18, 2018
Opinion
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As population rises, leaders ignore the obvious
T
he Washington Post recently published a column titled “Why do we need more people in this country anyway?” which is making an internet splash among stable population and true environmental advocates. Michael Anton, a former national security official, wrote his piece in the wake of the recently derailed congressional effort to pass an amnesty that would sharply increase today’s U.S. population, 328 million and rising, over the coming years. The Pew Research Center projected, chillingly, that the U.S. population will reach 441 million people by 2065, and 88 percent of the 113 million person growth will be from immigrants and births to immigrants, the result of federal immigration policies. Anton points out what slower population champions have argued, correctly but unsuccessfully, for decades — that immigration is a net benefit to the immigrants and to their cheap labor devotee employers. But as for the U.S. residents, both the native-born and lawful permanent residents, pinpointing the tangible benefit to continuously adding more than one million legal immigrants annually, and tolerating several hundred thousand illegal immigrants, is difficult. And perhaps the best reason to adopt a more viable immigration policy is that the current one isn’t sustainable and already shows signs of collapse. Drive anywhere in the U.S., and as motorists crawl along, they find themselves entrapped by road construction signs. Discount expansionists’ distracting, specious claims that
JOE GUZZARDI Columnist the U.S. is a nation of immigrants, and that more immigration reflects who we are as Americans. The reality is quite different. More people leads to, among other negatives, more strain on our already inadequate schools, our crumbling infrastructure and our delicate, overburdened ecosystem. Step back in time to President Richard Nixon’s administration. During his years in office, Congress passed the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and created the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970. Also passed were the Clean Air Act of 1970, the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The Safe Water Drinking Act of 1974 was introduced by President Nixon, and eventually signed by President Gerald Ford. But the modern immigration wave has brought 60 million immigrants since the 1970s through 2015, and their arrival has done much to negate the Nixon era’s environmental advances. Bulldozing millions of acres of prime farmland and natural habitat during the last decades to make space for development has resulted in what’s commonly referred to as urban sprawl, a term too benign to adequately describe what is widespread loss of fields, pastures, wetlands and woodlands, an area larger in the aggregate than Maryland, lost in just an eight-year period in the early
2000s to build housing projects and strip malls. More than half the lost land was in what the Census Bureau identifies as Urban Areas or, more simply stated, places where people live. Neighborhoods where families have settled and are enjoying their lives are disrupted as more people encroach on their turf. Completely missing from the effort to rein in rampant population growth are the very groups that should be leading the charge — the prominent environmental organizations that, according to their mission statements, are profoundly concerned about America’s ecological future. To the contrary, evidence points to the disturbing conclusion that these so-called environmentalists don’t value domestic ecological sustainability enough to publicly promote immigration policies that might make it achievable. Instead, they consider population as a singular global issue rather than a destructive local one. In past years, environmental groups educated the public about population growth’s inherent dangers. Even though President Bill Clinton’s 1997 sustainability task force concluded, “This is a sensitive issue but reducing immigration levels is a necessary part of population stabilization and the drive toward sustainability,” those who claim the environmental mantle continue to ignore his warning. Joe Guzzardi is a Progressives for Immigration Reform analyst who has written about immigration for more than 30 years. Contact him at jguzzardi@ pfirdc.org
We reserve the right to refuse to print any advertisement, news story, photograph or any other material submitted to us for any reason or no reason at all. •Obituaries - $.25 per word per paper. Additional $15 charge for a photo per paper. (Herald, Observer, Tribune). •Weddings/Engagements - $.25 per word per paper. $15 charge for a 2-column photo. •Birth Announcements - $.25 per word per paper. $15 charge for a photo. SUBSCRIPTION RATES (includes Wednesday) One Year in Elmore, Tallapoosa or Coosa County: $50 One Year Elsewhere: $75 The publisher reserves the right to change subscription rates during the term of subscription at any time. To subscribe or if you miss your paper, call 256-234-4281. © 2016 Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved and any reproduction of this issue is prohibited without the consent of the editor or publisher. ADMINISTRATION Steve Baker publisher@thewetumpkaherald.com David Granger, managing editor david.granger@thewetumpkaherald.com NEWS Carmen Rodgers, staff writer carmen.rodgers@thewetumpkaherald.com Amalia Kortright, staff writer amalia.kortright@shelbycountyreporter.com SALES Marilyn Hawkins, marketing consultant marilyn.hawkins@TheWetumpkaHerald.com Ext. 309
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The Resistance is a failure
ou don’t need 20/20 vision to see that whole world is waiting for the Democratic Party to push back against the tyrannical tendencies of the Trump administration. And waiting. And waiting. And waiting. Those of you with weak stomachs need to avert your eyes and keep all children sequestered behind closed doors (at least until after the midterms are over) because the current state of the American Opposition Party is… well, it ain’t pretty. These pitiable progressives have managed to combine ineffectiveness with indecision. Add a sprinkle of incipient infirmity and a soupcon of both inert and inept, and you end up with a recipe for impotency, irrelevancy and extinction. A message that their candidates are finding increasingly difficult to sell to concerned constituents. “Join the Democrats. Just like you, we’re confused too.” Watching them desperately bumble about these days is scarier than finding scorpions in your underwear. Like a letter from the IRS with a big red “Urgent!” stamped on the outside of the envelope. Or the sound of a gun being cocked in the dark. Nearby. If this current liberal narrative were being chronicled on the big screen, it would qualify as the most boring horror movie ever made -—another “Saw” sequel,
WILL DURST Columnist but one in which everyone sits around talking to their detached limbs and absolutely nothing happens. They are “The Walking Dead” without all the lighthearted slapstick. There is a growing consensus the Democratic Party should be stripped of the word “party” as it doesn’t really apply anymore. It certainly doesn’t fit in terms of celebration. There’s no frolicking or joviality or joy. Just fingerpointing, recrimination, and whining. Lots and lots of whining. “We can’t fight like him, we have morals.” Then again, if you mean “party” in terms of a gathering of like-minded individuals, that too leaves quite a bit to be desired. More like a loose collection of misfits who cluster together for the sole purpose of claiming not to like President Donald Trump. Or each other. And that’s about it. They don’t really stand for anything, not even the National Anthem. You can’t even accuse Democrats of being afraid of their own shadow, because at this point they don’t cast one. Besides, it’s
hard to see your shadow when your head is so far up your butt you can tickle your spleen with your elbow. Not only are they not in the game, they don’t seem to be aware that one is being played. The Republicans attack with torches and pitchforks and the Democratic response is to introduce legislation to reform pitchfork safety standards. “You should put corks on those. Phosphorescent for nighttime visibility. And if you insist on carrying torches, they need to be flame-resistant. At least one and three-quarters inches long. Should come in for around $12 a piece. I know a guy who knows a guy that can knock them out for six.” So if you’re waiting for Democrats to stand up to this wanna-be third world strongman and establish any sort of resistance at all, you’d best be advised not to hold your breath unless you enjoy that certain bluish look most often associated with people no longer eligible for social security benefits due to the fact they’ve become altogether much too skinny and dead. Will Durst is an awardwinning, nationally acclaimed columnist, comic and former sod farmer in New Berlin, Wisconsin. His column is provided by Cagle Cartoons, Inc.
THE WETUMPKA HERALD
JULY 18, 2018 Your community, your news ...
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JULY 18, 2018 • Page A5
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City approves alcohol sales for upcoming Brewfest By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Staff Writer
Amalia Kortright / The Herald
Main Street Wetumpka President Dennis Fain commends the city on its efforts to host and promote the first Brewfest during a public hearing regarding the sale of alcohol at the event.
During a Wetumpka City Council meeting on Monday, council members unanimously voted to approve the sale of alcohol from several local businesses at the inaugural Coosapalooza Brewfest on the following Saturday. The city approved 240 Non-Profit Tax Exempt Special Events Licenses for Gold Star Park, Merchants Alley and Orline Street businesses. While no one opposed the decision during a public hearing at the council meeting, several business leaders spoke out in its favor.
Main Street Wetumpka President Dennis Fain thanked city officials for their collaboration with downtown area businesses to make the first Brewfest successful. “We’re cutting out teeth on it, you might say. We’re learning a little bit as we go, but we think it’s going to be a good event for downtown,” Fain said. “Recently, several of the events that we’ve had and participated in have brought a great deal of increase in business to the local business community.” Coosa River Craft House Owner John Stewart also expressed his appreciation, stating he expects Brewfest will be a good opportunity
for many businesses to help make the city a travel destination. “Many times, when an area starts this, like in Fairhope or in Dothan, it’s a game changer,” Stewart said. “It’ll really get a lot of people who are not from around here to see what we all see here every day.” Natasha Graham, owner of B and B’s Health Boutique LLC, echoed the sentiments of Fain and Stewart. Graham also predicted Brewfest will serve to attract more people to Wetumpka. “I’ve seen a huge growth, and I think this is a great opportunity to bring people down here to show them what we have,” Graham said.
City discusses property ordinances By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Staff Writer
Wetumpka city officials discussed several ordinances concerning both municipal and private property during a regularly scheduled work session and city council meeting Monday night. The council held first readings on three ordinances regarding the rezoning of several properties and amendments to the city’s zoning ordinance concerning billboards. After the first readings, Mayor Jerry Willis said the ordinances will move to the next city council meeting. Prior to that, each of the three ordinances were subject to a public hearing, held during the council sessions. No one spoke in favor or opposition to any of the ordinances, and City Planning and Project Director David Robison said they each received favorable reviews from
Amalia Kortright / The Herald
The City of Wetumpka held public hearings and first readings on several ordinances regarding rezoning during Monday’s meeting.
the planning commission. The city council held a first reading on an ordinance to approve a rezoning request from Wetumpka resident Daniel Gilbert, following a public hearing. The ordinance would allow Gilbert to rezone his property on Tallassee Highway, which is currently considered
a local business, to a low-density residential property. The second first reading concerned an ordinance that would rezone property at lots three, four, five, six, seven and eight at the Industrial Park Subdivision from light industrial properties to local businesses.
The council held a third first reading on an ordinance that would prohibit billboards in the city from standing within 1,000 feet of each other in any direction and restrict billboard locations to certain “arterial streets.” The ordinance would also forbid billboards to be located within 500 feet
of any residential district or property used for residential purposes and ban electronic billboards within 1,000 feet of any residential property. All signs, including supports and lighting fixtures, would be required to be maintained “in good repair, free of rust, peeling, fading, broken or cracked panels and broken or missing letters.” Before the council adjourned, Willis moved to suspend the rules and add a public hearing and vote on an ordinance to approve an alcohol license to the owners of Coosa River Spirits, which will be located on Coosa River Parkway. No one spoke during the public hearing, and approval was granted. Willis said they had
initially planned to include the items on Monday’s agenda, but did not as the result of an oversight. “I apologize again for that being left off the agenda, but we got it done anyway,” Willis said to the owners. “You don’t have to wait two more weeks.” The city also approved a non-federal reimbursement agreement between the Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration and the Wetumpka Municipal Airport. During the work session, director Lynn Weldon said the airport is adding runway intersection lights, which have to be paid upfront by the city. Weldon said the city will be reimbursed through a grant.
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JULY 18, 2018
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‘Captain Ski’ announces retirement By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Staff Writer
W
etumpka Police Department Capt. Robert Sliwowski, affectionately known by many as “Captain Ski,” recently announced his plans to retire from the force. Sliwowski has worked for the WPD for over two decades, starting as a patrol officer and working his way up to captain. “I’ve enjoyed working with the Wetumpka Police Department and meeting the people of the city,” Sliwowski said. “It’s been a pleasure to serve the people here.” Chief Greg Benton said he is grateful for the time Sliwowski has spent with the WPD, and has been helped immensely by Sliwowski during his transition into the position of chief. “He has been, for the short time I’ve been here, my go-to guy,” Benton said. “All of the men and women of the department are going to miss him.” While Sliwowski is proud of much of the work he’s done as an officer, he said his proudest moment came almost a decade ago when he prevented a rape. Many times, Sliwowski said the police are not called until after a crime is
File / The Herald
Wetumpka Police Department Capt. Robert Sliwowski, left, goes over some paperwork with WPD Police Chief Greg Benton. ‘Captain Ski’ recently announced he is retiring from the force.
committed, which made him proud to have been able to stop a crime before it happened. “The guy was physically assaulting
a girl, and we came and stopped it. It sticks out in my mind,” Sliwowski said. “You were actually there when someone needed you. We stopped it in the act.”
Sliwowski said a lot has changed in his time as an officer. As media reports concerning police brutality have increased in recent years, Sliwowski said he has noticed the public’s perception of police lean more negatively. “In the city of Wetumpka, I haven’t seen what people say we are. For the most part, officers in Wetumpka really just try to help people,” Sliwowski said. He also said police did not carry tasers or body cameras when he started, but they did use dashboard cameras. “Now, the cameras go with you,” Sliwowski said. After his retirement, Sliwowski said he is looking forward to relaxing and spending time with his family. He said he is entertaining the idea of finding work at a place that would give him the opportunity to help make people happy, like the zoo. “As a police officer, you see a lot of bad stuff happen,” Sliwowski said. “You go to the zoo and, for the most part, everybody’s happy.” Overall, Sliwowski said he has had a great career, and is happy to be able to retire from “the best job in the world.” I really enjoyed it,” he said. “You’re not going to get rich by being a police officer, but it’s a calling.”
WPD welcomes assistant chief By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Staff Writer
New Wetumpka Police Department Assistant Chief Ed Reeves began his first day on the job Thursday, July 12. Reeves described himself as “Wetumpka born and raised,” having lived in the city his whole life. Before he was hired with the WPD, Reeves spent 17 years working for the Montgomery Police Department and said he made the commute to and from his hometown each day. “I just wanted to get back home,” Reeves said. Currently, Reeves said he is working with Chief Greg Benton to determine the WPD’s policies and the direction they want the agency to go.
Montgomery Police Department veteran Ed Reeves began working as the WPD Assistant Chief on July 12.
“I want to take time to see how everything is done before I try to make any changes,” Reeves said. Benton said the position of assistant chief had been vacant for about a month, after he became chief. According to Benton, Reeves stood out because of his experience with a larger police department. “The city needed a knowledgeable man,” Benton said. “He’s probably seen many, many things during his years in Montgomery.” Reeves said he is excited to be able to use his experiences with the MPD to help move the WPD forward. “I get to help serve and protect where I’m from and try to do everything I can for the department,” Reeves said.
Amalia Kortright / The Herald
Police Reports Wetumpka Police Department Tuesday, July 10
— SMALL CHANGE —
BIG
• There was a report filed of rape, a felony, at the 8000 block of US Highway 231. The incident was reported at a motel. • There was a report of theft of property, a felony, at the 4000 block of U.S. Highway 231. The incident was reported when a Cobolt 300-piece tool set valued at $598 was stolen from a department store. • There was a report filed of theft of property, a misdemeanor, at the 600 block
Wednesday, July 11
• There was a report filed of domestic violence in the form of harassment, a misdemeanor, at the 400 block of Broad Street. The report was filed for a residential home. • There was a report filed of theft of property, a misdemeanor. The report was filed when $174 in U.S. currency was stolen at a gas station.
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AFRICAN ANIMALS
JULY 18, 2018 • PAGE A7
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The problem of evil and the God we cannot control
T
he varieties of pain and evil in this world are diverse and, often, immense. We see tragedies occur in others’ lives, and we have tragedies descend into our own lives, and we often ask the question, “Where is God?” Hurricanes, earthquakes and tornadoes ravage cities and leave hundreds to thousands dead as well as hundreds to thousands homeless. Diseases such as cancer and dementia overtake and torture the bodies of those whom we love. Death comes too soon for many we know and love and we’re left with unspeakable grief and a million broken pieces to mend. Financial disaster strikes and we fall into despair wondering if we’ll be able to pay the electricity bill this month and put enough food on the table for the week. Relationships are ruined and left in ashes as the sins of infidelity and pride begin to reign the day at the place we call home. Betrayal of close friends reach deep into our hearts and leave wounds that we’ll carry with us the rest of our lives. Often, in this life — and often just around the corner — we are left with pain and disappointment for which we have no category. What is our response to God in the midst
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of our ruins? What do we often think of God or say to Him whenever we face such fierce varieties of opposition in this life? The many types of evil in this world, in reality, illicit so many types of responses from us that it would be impossible to detail each one and to walk through the types of questions that we normally ask God, but probably the most common questions we ask are, “Why, God?” and “Where are You, God?” For some of us, we believe in and trust in a God Who is all-loving, allpowerful, all-knowing, sovereign, in control and reigning over the universe at every second of its existence, yet we look in bewilderment at the darkness that exists within this world, and, might I say, we also look at bewilderment at the darkness that exists within us as well. God is definitely not unconcerned with our pain, nor does He turn a blind eye to our pain. He has promised to always be with us and to never leave us nor forsake us. God reigns supreme and nothing escapes His eye. If we don’t rest in these promises, then we are doomed for despair. Also, we must, as individuals, show great concern and compassion
BILLY REINHARDT Riverside Heights Baptist Church towards those who are going through such unthinkable pain. We must weep with those who weep and we must lend a strong shoulder and a listening ear to all who need one. If anything is to describe the Christian, and the God of Christianity as one of His many attributes, it must be love, especially love towards the downcast and the hurting. However, I cannot help but think of what might be lying underneath our complaints to God. There is a single question that I have meditated on recently, and I am wondering if this single concept might reveal more about what’s going on in our hearts than we realize. Here is the question: What if our disappointment with God in the midst of our trials and pain is merely a reflection of the realization that we cannot control, nor we can manipulate, God to order our lives the way that we would like? There are some who believe that we can control and manipulate God if we “just
have enough faith,” and there are some who believe that if we just “do enough good things,” then we can, somehow, avoid evil or stop evil from coming into our lives altogether; but aren’t these really just tactics to attempt to control the Sovereign Lord of the universe? In the middle of our hurting and disappointment, I can’t help but think that, at least some of the time, we are upset that we are not in control of the universe. Do we desire to assert our wisdom as greater than the wisdom of God? Do we believe that the universe, and particularly our own lives, would be “better” if only we were ordering the uncontrollable factors in our lives? Could it be that at least some of the emotions behind some of the evil in our lives is an objection to the fact that God rules everything and we don’t? Do we wish that God were “in a box” that we could move and push and dictate to do just as we will? Do we wish God were more “machine-like” to where if we just “hit the right buttons” and “pulled the correct levers” that we would be guaranteed to manufacture the precise results we desired? While it does seem attractive to want a God that we can control,
ABUNDANT LIFE Abundant Life Church 9301 U.S. Hwy 231., Wetumpka 567-9143 ASSEMBLY OF GOD Agape Tabernacle Assembly of God 1076 Kowaliga Rd., Eclectic 5412006 Bethel Worship Center
11117 U.S. Hwy 231., Wetumpka 567-5754 Crossroads Assembly of God 2534 AL Hwy 14., Millbrook 2855545 First Assembly of God 3511 Shirley Ln., Millbrook New Home Assembly of God 5620 Caesarville Rd., Wetumpka 569-2825 BAPTIST
Abraham Baptist Church Millbrook Antioch Baptist Church 1115 Antioch Rd., Titus 567-2917 Beulah Baptist Church 2350 Grier Rd., Wetumpka 5142881 Blue Ridge Baptist 4471 Jasmine Hill Rd., Wetumpka 567-4325 Brookwood Baptist Grandview Rd., Millbrook
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205 W. Bridge Street • Wetumpka, AL (334) 567-5191 SUNDAY WEDNESDAY Sunday School...................8:45 am Fellowship Meal...............5:00 pm Kids’ Activities.................6:00 pm Worship Service..............10:00 am Youth Worship..................6:00 pm Evening Worship..............5:00 pm Prayer & Bible Study.......6:15 pm Visit us at fbcwetumpka.com
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B.R. Johnson, Senior Pastor Larry Gore, Adm. & Counseling Randy Godfrey, Education Matt Fallin, Worship
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SUNDAY SERVICES Sunday School...........9:30 a.m. Morning Worship.....10:30 a.m. Small Group...............5:00 p.m. WEDNESDAY SERVICES Prayer Meeting...........6:00 p.m. Student Worship........6:00 p.m. Calvary Kids...............6:00 p.m.
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Calvary Baptist 504 W. Osceola St., Wetumpka 567-4729 Central Baptist 3545 W. Central Rd., Wetumpka 541-2556 Coosada Baptist 20 Kennedy Ave., Coosada Deatsville Baptist 184 Church St., Deatsville Eclectic Baptist Church 203 Claud Rd., Eclectic 541-4444
ARMONY H United Methodist Church
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this does nothing but diminish the true God of the Bible. A God that we can control is not a God worthy of our worship. A God that we can control is not a God, I would argue, that we can trust because he’s not a God that is all-wise and Sovereign. We have more to lose creating a God whom we can control than we have to gain by chunking the God of the Bible for one that’s made in our own image. The Living God is not a tame God, and may we find wonder and glory in the God Who is beyond our thoughts and Who is doing a trillion things that we cannot even begin to fathom in any single trial that comes our way. Romans 11:33-36: “33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways. 34 ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?’ 35 ‘Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?’ 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
306 W. Tuskeena Street •(334) 567-7865
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1025 RiÀe Range Road • Wetumpka 334.567.4458 www.mvbaptistchurch.info
Dr. Tim Thompson - Pastor Angie Gallups - Worship Leader Sunday Morning Worship............10:30 Sunday School..................9:15 Evening Worship..............6:00 AWANA (Aug.-May).......5:25 Wednesday Activities 6:00 Adults......Prayer and Message Youth/College......Bible Study Children’s..........GA’s & RA’s
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Sports
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
Visit our sister website: TallasseeTribune.com JULY 18, 2018 • PAGE B1
The
Herald
2018 All-County Baseball Team Player of the Year
Coach of the Year Baird leads Holtville deep in playoffs By GRIFFIN PRITCHARD For The Herald
Driver is key factor in Bulldogs’ success By GRIFFIN PRITCHARD For The Herald
When Elmore County coaches were polled about the 2018 All-County Baseball Player of the Year, to a man Chase Driver was mentioned at least once or twice in the discussion. And, after looking at his contribution to Holtville’s 27 wins, it’s evident the 4A All-State Honorable Mention was a major contributor to Bulldogs’ 2018 success. “Chase was a good kid,” first-year Holtville coach Torey Baird said. “He had a good head on his shoulders and did a great job of keeping us in the game with his bat and with his arm.”
The soon-to-be Central Alabama Community College Trojan, in his final kelly green season, posted eight wins on the mound with 67 strikeouts and an ERA around 2.3. “It’s always easier (for a coach) to know you have a guy like Chase up in a crucial situation,” Baird said. “You know, more times than not, they are going to come through. That helps the stress levels go way down.” And the senior — now Bulldogs graduate — came through when the big hit was needed. He batted just south of .300 and reached base nearly 40 percent of the time with a slugging percentage over .530 batting from the middle of See PLAYER • Page B2
For Holtville seniors, Torey Baird represented another baseball coaching change, their third in three years. For Baird taking over a historic baseball program with high expectation and nine seniors, he saw the opportunity to make something special happen. And it did. Twenty-seven wins and a trip to the third round of the baseball playoffs was the result and for that, he has been named the 2018 All-County Coach of the Year. “After taking the job and getting to Holtville, the first thing I knew was that we had nine seniors,” Baird said. “I was the third head coach they’d had since they were freshmen. Any coaching change is hard, especially on the seniors. My No. 1 job was to try and get these guys on board. They are a great group.” The second thing Baird noticed before the season
started was the strong work ethic possessed by Bulldog athletes. “All of them have jobs, and that’s something I had to get used to,” Baird said. “But it wasn’t just having a job, these kids work and do jobs you or I wouldn’t want to do. Their work ethic was outstanding. OK, I thought, we’ve got something we can build
on.” Baird went to work developing a program that would ultimately be successful and lived up to the legacy left by teams of the past. “They are used to success,” Baird said. “But I told them we are not cashing out in the second round. We are riding this thing as far as we can.” See COACH • Page B2
First Team Chase Sink
James Duer
Stanhope Elmore utility
Wetumpka pitcher
In the coming spring, the Mustangs are going to have a huge line-up spot to fill. Sink, who signed with Faulkner University, posted a .340 average in his final year in Millbrook. The senior rattled off 33 hits (97 at-bats) and 11 doubles for a squad that advanced to the postseason as area champions. “This was his best year,” Mustangs coach Wes Dunsieth said. “He provided leadership for a young team was key a major presence in our lineup.” Sink drove in 16 runs and scored 27, reaching base 45 percent of the time.
“When (Duer) pitched, we thought we were going to win,” Wetumpka coach Michael Dismukes said. “He was definitely our No. 1 on the mound.” Duer posted 11 wins and four saves during the 2018 campaign that took the Tribe into the postseason. He finished the year with a 1.73 ERA, fanning 70 batters. “He’s very poised and has a great work ethic. You knew what you were going to get day in and day out,” Dismukes said. “He was such a relentless competitor, he’s going to be missed.” Flipping between the three and four hole in the Tribe’s lineup, Duer posted a .376 average reaching base nearly 43 percent of the time. He rattled off 35 hits (through 93 at-bats) and drove in 19 runs while scoring 14 of his own. He also picked up the key win on the mound against Benjamin Russell to put the Indians into the playoffs.
Casey Baynes Tallassee utility The name Baynes and the sport of baseball are synonymous with success. Baynes, who will play collegiate ball at Southern Union, made the most of his senior outing. “He’s steady,” Tallassee coach Adam Clayton said. “He’s a very dependable and we are going to miss his presence in the dugout. But I definitely look forward to seeing him compete at the next level.” Baynes batted .373 with 24 RBIs and 10 extra-base hits. He also drew a team-high 28 free passes. Overall, the soon-to-be Bisons baseballer posted a .555 on-base percentage and a .554 slugging with 17 stolen bases. His on-field production earned him a spot on the 4A All-State List as an honorable mention.
Austin Downey Stanhope Elmore utility A multi-tool Panther who paced both offensive and defensive stats, Downey proved to be a team leader during a trying 2018 season. The junior right-handed pitcher — who also saw playing time in the middle infield and the outfield — started seven games (4-2 record over eight appearances) with one shutout and 40 strikeouts while posting a 1.875 ERA. “Austin has really good stuff and competes every pitch,” Panthers coach Michael Byrd said. “Our team always feel like we are going to win if he’s on the mound.” Downey posted a .289 batting average with 13 hits (45 at-bats), a trio of doubles driving in nine runs while scoring 14 on his own. He stole eight bases and posted a .441 on-base percentage.
Drew Nobles Holtville pitcher “We didn’t have an ace this season; we had a 1A and a1B,” Holtville coach Torey Baird said. “He was good for us all year on the bump and picked up his stick toward the end of the season.” Baird said Nobles biggest contribution to Holtville’s success was his play in centerfield. The junior AHSAA AllStar selection posted a .914 fielding percentage with 59 putouts. “That kid can track anything down,” Baird said. “But he’s got a great head on his shoulders, that’s what I like the best.” Nobles posted a .351 batting average. He drove in 20 runs on with 33 total hits (two triples, one home run) and scored 27. On the mound, he was Holtville’s Game 2 starter, won seven games and struck out 90 batters while working 59 and a third innings.
Jackson Gantt Tallassee utility
Jon Holbert Wetumpka shortstop
Gantt, a Class 4A All-State Honorable mention as a junior, had no problem getting on base, reaching 50 percent of the time while batting .394. He drove in nine runs and score 19 in 66 appearances. Tiger coach Adam Clayton described Gantt as “a great student-athlete. Jackson is very dependable and hard-working,” Clayton said. “He will do whatever it takes to be successful.” The junior Tiger rattled off 26 hits (24 singles and two doubles).
Indians coach Michael Dismukes referred to his senior do-everything-guy as the “type of guy you wanted in your line-up.” The recent Indians graduate batted leadoff, played shortstop and toed the rubber for the black and gold late in the season. “He’s probably our go-to-guy,” Dismukes said. “He was the one who got it started for us. He’s a very good competitor and came to work every day ready to go.” The senior L.B. Wallace signee batted .269 from the one-hole but reached base 34 percent of the time in 104 at-bats. He accounted for 24 singles and scored 25 runs, driving in 10. “Jon’s a very skilled player and a true leader,” Dismukes said. “He came on late for us on the mound. Both (James Duer and Holbert) were lights out. (As the coach) I was very confident with the way they performed on the mound and at the plate.” Holbert pitched only 32 2/3 innings late in the season and posted four wins with three saves and 29 strikeouts.
Gabe Maynard Edgewood pitcher/catcher Maynard fueled a Wildcats squad that were beasts in Elmore County but struggled outside the friendly confines. A senior pitcher and catcher, Maynard was hands down the offensive leader. The senior posted a .328 average with 39 hits (119 at-bats) and seven home runs (14 extra base hits) and a slugging percentage around .640.
Honorable Mention: Wetumpka: Stephen King, Hayden Shepherd, Payton Mixson; Elmore County: Taylor Henderson, Chase Wilson, Kadin Edwards; Tallassee: Jake Burton, Caleb Stewart, Parker Neighbors; Stanhope Elmore: Bailey Barfoot, Chase Eddings, Nate Hodge, Sully Stevens; Holtville: Hunter Martin, Alex Cantrell, Chap Wilson; Edgewood Academy: Luke Sisson, Brandon Boone
PAGE B2 • JULY 18, 2018
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THE WETUMPKA HERALD
Lake Jordan stocked with Florida bass STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
Recently, the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Fisheries Section stocked approximately 300,000 Florida largemouth bass into Jordan Reservoir in Elmore County. The May 2018 stocking is part of a continuing effort to shift the genetics of Alabama’s native Northern largemouth bass population to one with more desirable growth traits. The 1- to 2-inch fingerlings were stocked in the “New Lake” region of the reservoir above Bouldin Dam. The fingerlings were supplied by WFF fish hatcheries in Eastaboga and Marion, Ala. Florida bass have the potential to grow larger than Alabama’s native Northern strain of largemouth bass. When Florida largemouth bass are stocked into Alabama lakes they tend to crossbreed with the native largemouth population. These hybrids have shown superior growth potential in reservoirs and small impoundments across the Southeast. In recent years, WFF has concentrated stocking efforts in the New Lake area due to its isolation from the main portion of the reservoir. The manmade Bouldin Canal acts as a barrier to the rest of the reservoir making it an ideal place to stock the Florida bass and induce the desired genetic change. The New Lake area also offers extensive shoreline vegetation, which is desirable habitat for largemouth bass. Over the last three years, a total of 992,316 pure Florida largemouth bass have been stocked into the New Lake section of Jordan Reservoir. The WFF Fisheries Section will assess the stocking efforts over the next several years by collecting small fin samples for genetic analysis. If the project is successful, genetic changes should be seen throughout Jordan Reservoir as fish gradually move out of the New Lake area and anglers move fish around during tournaments. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through four divisions: Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more about ADCNR, visit www. outdooralabama.com.
Griffin Pritchard / For The Herald
High school players from Wetumpka, Stanhope Elmore, Holtville, Elmore County and Prattville all took part in last week’s soccer camp, held by Liverpool Football Club PreAcademy director Daniel Beecham.
High school soccer players get help from the best By GRIFFIN PRITCHARD For The Herald
Soccer skill camps have paid dividends for clubs in and around Wetumpka. Ken Sanders, who has been behind the organization of most of them, decided to step it up a notch this summer and bring in something a little more advanced. “(Daniel Beecham) is the coordinator for the Liverpool Academy in New Jersey,” Sanders said. “This is a tactical development decisionmaking camp. We’ve had sessions in the morning and in the afternoon. We’ve got five high schools (Wetumpka, Stanhope Elmore, Holtville, Elmore County and Prattville) involved and represented out here.” Beecham serves as the Liverpool Football Club PreAcademy Director. “I’ve been working for Liverpool for just over a year now,” Beecham said. “I’ve been in the country for about five and three of those I’ve known Ken and have come out and done various camps with him. But he’s been looking to bring something to the area that’s a little more advanced and goes into the decisionmaking side of the game rather than just footwork and foot skills.” For the soccer novices reading, Sanders and Beecham essentially described the camp as a critical-thinking camp for future players. Beecham even broke down situations and “you had four opportunities to pass the ball on that run,” or “don’t get into a one-on-one there, you had three opportunities to make a pass.” Sanders explained: “You’re a defender and I want to receive the ball: there are some tactical things I can do to create space to give me an
opportunity to receive the ball in an open area. You can have all the physical ability, but soccer is so much from the neck up. There are so many things you can do out there that requires critical thinking and the ability to make decisions quickly.” While this camp will lead into the AYSO soccer season, Sanders and league representatives were pleased with the turnout of the camp as most of the different age groups have been represented during the week-long event. Beecham, who had a vague knowledge of soccer in Alabama, didn’t really know what to expect. “I’ve seen some of the high schools play and I’ve seen one or two good players and the rest, the standards have been kind of iffy,” Beecham said. “But when I got here and worked with this older group, I’ve been blown away. There are some kids here that could walk into the Academy teams back in New Jersey where I coach and compete. “I’m looking for kids that are willing to work, compete and improve and three of the youngest kids out there (referring to the older group) are three of the best kids I’ve seen. I’ve been surprised with the standard down here and that’s a testament to what Ken and some of the coaches are doing.” He paused and surveyed the soggy pitch, newly constructed alongside the Coosa River Parkway. The field was cut in half with soccer goals set up on one side and oodles of youth football players filling the other side. “We’ve got 15 kids playing soccer and probably 30 kids playing American football. If that doesn’t tell you anything about what
the sports doing down here,” Beecham said. “It’s surprising and great to see, especially since Alabama is a football state. We are down here using half the field with the most popular sport.” Now, while the younger soccer starts, they can carry the skills learned this week into a fall season. The high schoolers will have to wait until the spring. But, as Beecham pointed out, soccer is a minimalist sport. All you need is a ball and the desire to improve. “It’s all about taking what they’ve learned here and continuing to practice at home,” Beecham said. “I tell kids all the time, you’ve been with me an hour and a half. Think about the percentage of your time, that’s less than 1 percent of your week. If you want to improve and be at the highest level, you need to be (practicing) two or three more times what you’ve done (in camp) at home. Thirty minutes at home with a soccer ball each day and you are quadrupling what you’re doing out here.” Beecham said when he was a child and was sent on an errand, he’d take a soccer ball and dribble it down to the store and back: “And now I have mastery of a ball when it’s at my feet.” “In Brazil, Portugal, they would do the same thing,” Beecham said. “When they would go to the store, they would juggle it and it wouldn’t touch the floor. You don’t need anything to play soccer. At home, we’d play Jumpers for Goalposts. Four kids and four jackets would make two goals. You can use anything for a ball, we’d use an empty Coke can. You can play it anywhere, on a gravel parking lot if you wanted.” Should they go the gravel route, be wary of the slide tackles. They might leave a mark.
Neutral-site games must be planned carefully
I
was reading a column this week on ESPN.com by Greg Wyshynski arguing the NHL should bring back neutral-site games. They do them in the NFL and college football all the time with a fair amount of success, but I personally don’t love them. In the case of the NHL, neutral-site games’ main point would be to generate new hockey fans, which I’m not entirely sure they do. For instance, if the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Dallas Stars came to Birmingham to play a regular-season game, sure, people would go. They might even sell a decent amount of tickets. But I doubt any non-hockey fan attendees would suddenly be a diehard for the Lightning or the Stars based on one Saturday night game in Alabama. For several years now, the NHL has had a few regular season games — usually at the beginning of the season — held overseas. Although
Player the line-up. During the 2018 campaign that took Holtville to the third round of the Class 4A playoffs, Driver drove in 35 runs and scored 42 with nine extra-base hits and six roundtrip blasts. “Chase did a good job leading the team,” Baird said. “If he was having a good day, we fed off him. It goes the opposite way too. But, he did a great job of keeping an even keel all year. You know when he had his stuff figured out that we were going to have a good year.” Baird — who came to Holtville after stints in Russellville, Winston County, and Deshler — has seen good baseball players and knows Driver possesses a great upside. “He’s going to go to CACC and get stronger and better and
LIZI ARBOGAST Sports Editor they have been successful and commissioner Gary Bettman continues to stress more overseas games in different places with continuity, I’m not entirely sure those games have been successful at growing the sport for non-fans. Certainly they help the development of players, but those are people who are already interested in hockey. Wyshynski argued if you’re going to host a neutral-site game, make it more of an experience than just a game. “Bring the trailer with the awards and the memorabilia,” he wrote. “Invite the local hockey community to take part in the festivities, whether it’s young players taking part in the puck drop
continued from page B1 File / The Herald
Holtville’s Chase Driver is the 2018-All County Baseball Player of the Year.
continue to develop,” Baird said. “He absolutely has a
chance to go on playing beyond CACC.”
before the game or a high-school game earlier in the day on the same sheet of ice.” While these are all fine ideas, they are once again catering to a community that already has some sort of drive for the sport. And even if you’re bringing out families with children who aren’t interested in hockey, it’s going to be hard to keep them hooked if this is a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity or event. My thoughts are neutralsite games need to be planned extremely carefully so they’re not too far away from the teams’ home sites, but they also need to be with relative consistency so it’s not a one-and-done experience for newcomers to the sport. They also can’t be every other weekend, though, as they’ll lose their flare. It’s similar to the NHL’s Winter Classic. The outdoor showcase used to be just one game per year in the NHL. It was so successful and would have NFL-sized
Coach After starting 15-2 then dealing with the fear of a team not jelling through the grind of the regular season, the Bulldogs finished 27-9 overall with an area championship and a playoff berth to their credit. In the postseason, Holtville swept Handley and needed a third game to defeat Oak Grove (winning in extra innings of the if-necessary game) before ultimately losing to Andalusia in the third round. “We just ran into a freight train,” Baird said. Starting off with 27 wins leads to high expectations for Baird in Year 2. “We’ve got a lot of key pieces coming back, but we’ve got to replace a lot of key pieces too,” Baird said. “We are losing our middle infield, the county’s Player of the
stadiums jam-packed full of NHL fans because it wasn’t something that happened all the time. It was an experience. Then the NHL introduced the Stadium Series and the Heritage Classic and watered down the thrill of the once-in-ayear Winter Classic. I also have to wonder why the NHL seems to be the only league really discussing the need for neutral-site games. The NFL plays plenty of overseas games each year, but it doesn’t seem to be pushing any further. Neither the NBA nor the MLB has neutral-site games, at least not on a regular basis, and there’s not a lot of mumbling about this changing any time soon. The NBA and the MLB are both entirely more successful than the NHL is in the United States, but neutral-site games aren’t changing that any time soon. Lizi Arbogast is the sports editor of The Herald.
continued from page B1
Year (Chase Driver) and nine seniors. I’m excited to see how the players coming in progress and grow.” Holtville returns Drew Nobles (chosen to play in the AHSAA North-South AllStar game this week), Payton Coburn, Owen Chandlee (“He’s going to be a special player for us,” Baird said), Chapelle Washam and Hunter Martin (who was an All-Metro selection by the Montgomery Advertiser as a sophomore). “Those ninth graders we have are going to be sophomores and they are going to have step up,” Baird said. “These eighth graders that we’ve got coming into ninth grade, they are going to be asked to play a big role and some of them are going to have to grow up quickly.”
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THE WETUMPKA HERALD
Hampton Inn hosts job fair By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Staff Writer
The soon-to-open Hampton Inn and Suites Hotel on South Main Street held a job fair to meet potential employees on Monday. General Manager Samantha Hall said the event welcomed roughly 200 job seekers hoping to fill one of the hotel’s many open positions — about 50 more than she had initially expected. In the week prior, Hall said she had received more than 75 applications. The job fair gave her a chance to meet with prospective employees and answer questions. Hopefully, Hall said, the hotel will hire at least half of its staff from the people who attended the job fair. Hall said the hotel is looking to hire between 25 and 30 people for both full-time and part-time positions, including front desk clerks, housekeepers, breakfast hosts, maintenance workers, front desk managers and housekeeping managers. She said people of all experience
levels were welcome to attend. “We’re going to be a very busy property,” Hall said. “We are going to be looking for anyone who has that Hilton experience, but we are willing to train anyone if they’re willing to learn.” As a newcomer from Phenix City to Wetumpka, Hall said the job fair served as a way to get her more acquainted with her surroundings. “I’m using this as a good opportunity to get to know the people in the area,” Hall said. Construction on the hotel began about four years ago, but was halted for a while. Construction resumed in August 2017. Hall said the Hampton Inn’s official opening date has not been finalized, but she hopes to open by early August. In the meantime, Hall said she is ready to focus on hiring the right people after the event ended successfully. “I have some follow-up interviews, and we may be fully staffed after that,” Hall said.
Amalia Kortright / The Herald
In order to fill open positions at the Hampton Inn, a job fair was held on Monday. The hotel is expected to open in several weeks.
Humane Society of Elmore County News: Annual auction quickly approaching By REA CORD HSEC Executive Director
Just two weeks remain until our 13th annual Wags & Whiskers Auction and your chance to find some treasures while also supporting our shelter. We hope to have a packed house at the Wind Creek Wetumpka Entertainment Center located at 100 River Oaks Drive in Wetumpka on Friday, July 27. We will start the evening with great food provided by Wind Creek, two cash bars, a huge selection of items up for auction, door prizes and more. All the proceeds go to directly to our shelter so we can continue to be a vital resource for both
our human and animal community here in Elmore County. This is both a silent and live auction and don’t worry if this is new to you – we will be happy to show you how it works. Silent auction bidding begins at 6 p.m. when we open the entertainment center doors but bidding will go on throughout the evening. Wind Creek Wetumpka will ensure a great layout of food for everyone as well as two cash bars. Scott and Michelle Williams and the great crew from High as the Sky Auction Company will crank up the live auction bidding about 7 p.m. and Kyle Kessler from Kyle-Co Entertainment will keep us informed throughout the evening
as our master of ceremonies. Silent auction bidding will continue throughout and until the cowbell clangs and our many auction volunteers will then help everyone collect their items and do the final payment processing. Parking for our auction will be in the lot across the road from the entertainment center and please refrain from parking in the gas station/store area or behind the center as your vehicle is subject to being towed. So we can prepare the printed listings for auction night, any item accepted now may be held for next year’s auction, or if used this year, will not be listed online and
may be listed in the “too-late-to-classify” section of the program. You can preview every item that will be in our auction by checking out our special auction website: www.elmorehumane. auction where you’ll find pet items, weekend hotel/resort packages, Talladega packages, gift certificates, wine and other baskets, artwork, home décor, and more. You can purchase tickets for $25 person at our shelter located at 255 Central Plank Road in Wetumpka or at the door. We also have a limited number of tables seating 10 for $300. Come to the shelter or call us at 334-567-3377 to pay for your table before they are all gone.