Tallassee Tribune July 26 2023

Eclectic Police Department mourns loss of officer

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

The Eclectic Police Department announced the “sudden loss” of Cpl. Desmond Bailey.

The department made the announcement of Bailey’s July 19 death on its Facebook page the following day. Before working at the Eclectic Police Department, Bailey was an officer in Prattville. The department said in the social media post his colleagues

described him as courageous, selfless and fearless.

“Cpl. Bailey, you will be greatly missed,” the post said. “Rest in peace and may God welcome you home. We love you brother. We will take it from here.”

Bailey came to law enforcement after a career in the U.S. Marines and Army. He retired as a colonel and wrote the book “Recon 701” earlier this year. The Elmore County resident and Wetumpka High School graduate spoke

on the book this year at a meeting of the Elmore County Historical Society.

Bailey served in the Army for more than three decades, but the book focused on the months surrounding the capture of then-Iraq president Saddam Hussein through a unit he commanded. Bailey was part of the operation that apprehended Hussein.

“It is not a memoir of Des Bailey,” Bailey said in February. “I wanted

By ABIGAIL MURPHY Multimedia Reporter

SUBMITTED THE TRIBUNE Eclectic police

Cpl. Desmond Bailey died Thursday. Bailey came to the department after a long military career that included being part of Saddam Hussien’s capture in Iraq.

Tallassee preteen shows dedication to reading

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

There is new competition for readers in Tallassee.

Soon to be Southside Middle School sixth grader Sarah Sayers is always reading. That is nothing new to her mother Brooke Sayers.

“She just loves to read,” she said. “She has always liked to read.”

Sayers’ 11-year-old daughter was top of her class in the fifth grade with 509 Accelerated Reading program points.

This summer, Sarah enrolled in the summer adult reading program at the Tallassee Public Library while her friends were in the children’s program. The reason was simple.

“Most children’s books were too short for me or weren’t interesting,” Sarah said.

Brooke said the credit for encouraging her daughter to read lies beyond just the home.

“I really didn’t do much,” Brooke said. “It

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

This school year is a little different for the Pride of Tallassee High School marching band.

It is reminiscing on a time before any were born — the 1990s. It’s

the new marching show. While the band is preparing for the new marching season, it’s also preparing to move into a larger band room in the new Tallassee High School.

But before the move,

See BAND, Page

Police Reports

TALLASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT

JULY 24

• A suspicious person was reported on Riverside Avenue.

• Harassment was reported on Third Avenue.

• Burglary was reported on Friendship Road.

• Harassment was reported on Third Avenue.

• Animal control was requested on Gilmer Avenue.

JULY 23

• Animal control was requested on Gilmer Avenue.

• A noise complaint was reported on Second Avenue.

• A suspicious person was reported on Freeman Avenue.

• A verbal altercation was reported on Hillcrest Street.

• A verbal altercation was reported on Alber Drive.

• Animal control was requested on Gilmer Avenue.

• A civil disturbance was reported on McNeal Street.

• A white male was arrested on Barnett Boulevard.

• A child custody dispute was reported on McNeal Street.

• Assistance was given during a medical call on Freeman Avenue.

• Trespassing was reported on Kent Road.

• Assistance was given to a motorist on Barnett Boulevard.

JULY 22

• Assistance was given to a motorist on Gilmer Avenue.

• A domestic incident was reported on Wood Street.

• Assistance was given to the Tallassee Fire Department on Howard Street.

• A noise complaint was reported on First Avenue.

Street.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Gilmer Avenue.

• Animal control was requested on Lakewood Drive.

• A private property motor vehicle accident was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Barnett Boulevard.

• A motor vehicle accident with no injuries was reported on Central Boulevard.

JULY 21

• A noise complaint was reported on Third Avenue.

• Assistance was given to a motorist on Barnett Boulevard.

• Assistance was given to the Friendship Fire Department on Taylor Road.

• A domestic incident was reported on Riverside Avenue.

• A white male was arrested during a traffic stop on Jordan Avenue.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Barnett Boulevard.

• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue.

• A Black female was arrested on U.S. Highway 231.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Freeman Avenue.

• A welfare check was conducted on Freeman Avenue.

• Assistance was given to a motorist on South Tallassee Drive.

• Assistance was given to a motorist on Little Road.

• Assistance was given to another agency on Riverside Avenue.

JULY 20

• Suspicious activity was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

• Assistance was given to the Tallassee Fire Department on Hicks Store Road.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Gilmer Avenue.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Gilmer Avenue.

• An animal bite was reported on Florence Street.

• Animal control was requested on Central Boulevard

• Theft was reported on Barnett Boulevard. JULY 19

• Assistance was given to medics on Gregory Street.

• Harassing communications was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

• Criminal mischief was reported on Ashurst Avenue.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Benson Avenue.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Barnett Boulevard.

• Harassment was reported on Laurel Street.

• Trespassing was reported on Harris Street.

• Harassment was reported on South Wesson Street.

• Assistance was given to a motorist on South Dubose Street.

• Animal control was requested on Noble Road.

• An animal complaint was reported on Central Boulevard.

JULY 18

• An arrest was made during a traffic stop on Gilmer Avenue.

• Theft was reported on Notasulga Road.

• Assistance was given to a motorist on Gilmer Avenue.

• Assistance was given to a motorist on E.B. Payne Sr. Drive.

• A verbal altercation was reported on Sims Avenue.

• Gunfire was reported on Wall Street.

• An assault was reported on Fourth Street.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Barnett Boulevard.

• A welfare check was conducted on Gilmer Avenue.

• Assistance was given to a motorist on Gilmer Avenue.

• Criminal mischief was reported on Freeman Avenue.

• Animal control was requested on Noble Road.

• Drug activity was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

• Assistance was given to medics on Friendship Road.

• A prowler was reported on South Tallassee Drive.

• A white female and white male were arrested during a traffic stop on Gilmer Avenue.

• A juvenile complaint was reported on Notasulga Road.

• A suspicious person was reported on Kent Road.

• Animal control was requested on Redden Avenue.

• A Black male was arrested on Thelma Drive.

• Burglary was reported on Lower River Road.

• Burglary was reported on Lower River Road.

WETUMPKA POLICE DEPARTMENT

JULY 17

• Theft and possession of a forged instrument was reported on East Commerce Drive.

JULY 16

• Criminal mischief was reported on River Road.

• Domestic violence was reported on Outhlacoochee Street.

• Burglary and theft was reported on Cedar Court.

JULY 14

• A suspicious person was reported on Ashurst Avenue.

• Reckless driving was reported on Herd

• Assistance was given to medics on Gen. Chappy James Street.

• Unauthorized use of a vehicle was reported on Notasulga Road.

Pet of the Week - Jackson

• Assistance was given to another agency on South Tallassee Drive.

• A white female was arrested during an investigation of a call of gunfire on Fourth Street.

• Theft was reported on U.S. Highway 231. JULY 11

• Burglary was reported on Mansion Street.

Jackson is an 8-year old male Spaniel mix who weighs about 40 pounds. He is very laid back, great with male and female dogs and cats and is just a very chill fellow. Jackson deserves to be in a home watching TV with his family and not in the shelter’s kennels.

The Humane Society of Elmore County’s adoption fees are $100 for dogs and $50 for cats under 1 year old. Cats over 1 can be adopted by approved adopters for a fee of their choosing. This adoption fee covers the mandatory spay or neuter, basic immuni -

zations, deworming, microchip, heartworm check for dogs, rabies vaccination if old enough and a free health exam with your participating veterinarian. If you are interested in meeting Cola or any of the pets at HSEC, the first step is to fill out an adoption application online. Once approved, you will be contacted by someone from the humane society. HSEC is located at 255 Central Plank Road in Wetumpka. The phone number is 334-567-3377 and the website is www.elmorehumane.org.

Humane Society of Elmore County News

Adopters is what the shelter needs most

By REA CORD HSEC Executive Director

Year eight was another incredibly successful

Yappy Barkday Pawty fundraiser for our shelter by Elizabeth, Phoenix and the most awesome staff and clients at Blue Ridge Animal Clinic. With months of hard work on Elizabeth’s part and the generosity of so many wonderful clinic clients and shelter supporters, the fundraiser brought in $12,017.65 for the shelter and a truckload of food and supplies to help our pets.

We just cannot thank Elizabeth enough for honoring her love for Phoenix like this and helping so many pets in our shelter. If you happen to go by Blue Ridge Animal Clinic at any time, please give a huge thanks to Elizabeth and all the staff for all they do for our shelter and animals.

Don’t forget our Tail’s

SATURDAY, JULY 29

WATER COLORING: A basic water coloring class will be held by Anita Winter from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Tea Room at The Shoppes Downtown in Wetumpka on July 29. Winter is a self-taught artist who will teach you basic watercolor floral design along with learning the benefits of art and how it can be therapeutic to your mind, body and soul. Tickets are available online at cost $27.50.

SUNDAY, JULY 30

PRAYER WALK: Reeltown’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes will host a back-to-school prayer walk at 6 p.m. July 30. The annual prayer walk will be held to pray for both Reeltown Elementary and High schools before the school year begins. Services start at the RES gym.

BOOKBAG GIVEAWAY

PRAYER WALK: Verizon in Tallassee will be hosting its 11th annual backpack giveaway from 1 to 4 p.m. July 30. The child must be present to receive a bookbag, and it is on a first come, first serve basis. Frost Bite Snacks, Lexii’s Nutty Creations and another local restaurant will be in attendance, and there will also be a mini college fair for high school students.

THURSDAY, AUG. 3

TEAL TOWN: EXIT Realty

Hometown is hoping to raise $10,000 for the Butterfly Bridge and is hosting a networking fundraising event, Teal Town, at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 3 at the Eclectic Warehouse. The event will feature live and silent auctions, a wine pull and raffles.

End Thrift Store still has our “Christmas in July” sale where all holiday items are 50% off. Check out all the great items we have from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Saturday for shopping. And we will also be happy to receive your holiday decorations and any other donated goods as well from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday through Saturday.

We are very blessed with the incredible support we get from the community on a daily basis. If we put out a need for food or cleaning supplies or about anything, it is quickly met with multiple drop offs and deliveries from UPS and FedEx.

The shipments from Amazon, Chewy and Walmart are fantastic. But the one thing they never include is information on the donor so if any donor needs a receipt, please just con-

FRIDAY, AUG. 11

BINGO NIGHT: Eclectic the Beautiful will host its first annual Bingo Night fundraiser starting at 6 p.m. Aug. 11 at The Warehouse. The Wharf Casual Seafood and Pops BBQ food trucks will be set up. Bingo rounds will begin at 6:30 and 8 p.m. Each Bino card is $5, and there will be plenty of gifts and prizes given each session.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 23 PEP RALLY: Reeltown will play host to a community pep rally Aug. 23, the night before the football season kicks off at home against Tallassee. The pep rally begins at 7 p.m. at Nix Webster O’Neal Stadium.

THURSDAY, AUG. 31

WOMEN’S SUMMIT: The Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce will host GRIT, a women’s summit with a lineup of inspirational speakers from all over the country. Tickets are $100 for the six-hour summit, which includes coffee and networking, a women’s business expo, a gourmet lunch, a theater performance and a grand finale including amazing music. It will be hosted from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 31 at the Wetumpka Civic Center. Tickets are available on the chamber’s webpage.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 17

BARK IN THE PARK: The Humane Society of Elmore County will be hosting its 17th annual Bark in the Park from noon to 4 p.m. Sept. 17 at Fort Toulouse. Sept. 24 is a rain date. Featured will be vendors, activities, a microchip clinic, refreshments,

tact us at the shelter and we are happy to help. Thank you all so very much for your incredible support What we could use most right now is adopters. We have so many wonderful pets looking for homes and no better time to bust one (or more) of our dogs, cats, puppies or kittens out of our kennels and into the comfort of your loving home.

We have kittens galore and so many large dogs who are patiently waiting. See all of our pets easily at www.petfinder. com or www.adoptapet.com. Just search Wetumpka, Alabama, or the zip code 36092 and click whether you are looking for a dog or cat.

There are other filters you can use to further narrow your search but our pets are kept very current on these listings, so you are seeing what pets we have for adop-

demonstrations and more. Vendor spots are available.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 30

OKTOBERFEST:

Oktoberfest Wetumpka is hosted by the Oktoberfest Planning Committee in downtown starting at 10 a.m. Sept. 30. Featured will be a day of music, performances, vendors and food. For more information, email wetuoktoberfest@ gmail.com.

SATURDAY, OCT. 7

PADDLES FOR PAWS:

The Elmore County Humane Society will be hosting its first ever Paddles for Paws, a pickleball tournament at 17 Springs in Millbrook. The tournament will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 7. There is a $35 registration fee, plus a $5 service fee, and that includes one event, a tournament T-shirt, snacks and drinks. The planned format is a round robin tournament.

SATURDAY, OCT. 14

COTTON FESTIVAL: The Town of Eclectic will host the 30th annual Alabama Cotton Festival from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14. This is a family event held every year on the second Saturday in October featuring more than 250 vendors. Events and contests include the Dog Show, the Classic Car Show, the first annual cornhole tournament, the Alabama Wildlife Federation, the Bama Flying Dogs and so much more. For more information, contact 256-794-0379 or 334541-3581.

tion. Our adoption fees are $100 for dogs and $50 for cats under 1 year old; cats over 1 can be adopted by approved adopters for a fee of their choosing. This adoption

fee completely covers the mandatory spay or neuter, basic immunizations, deworming, microchip, heartworm check for dogs, rabies vaccination if old enough and a free health exam with your

participating veterinarian plus a goodie bag full of toys, treats and more.

Rea Cord is the executive director for the Humane Society of Elmore County.

Community Calendar

Tallassee Talks

Indiana Jones and the artificial intelligence

About a year ago, my website-managing partner Tommy House introduced me to ChatGPT.

Obituaries: 35 cents per word with a $25 charge for picture per paper (Herald, Observer, Tribune). Obituaries are only accepted via the funeral home in charge of arrangements. We do not accept obituaries from individuals.

Weddings, Engagements, Anniversaries, or Birth

Announcements: These significant family events or milestones are 35 cents per word and $25 for a photo and must be emailed to us at announcements@thewetumpkaherald.com. Include name and telephone number. The text for the announcement must be in the body of the email (not as an attachment) and photographs must be sent as a .jpeg attached to the email. Announcements will appear within 10 days in The Herald or The Tribune.

I had seen a report on CBS Sunday Morning about how it was set to change the world of writing. Students, it was said, could have entire term papers composed by artificial intelligence just by typing in a few keywords.

On this particular day, however, Tommy randomly selected some keywords about trailers — two of the websites we manage are for Jaco Mobile Homes in Wetumpka and Kellyton — and typed them into a window.

Within a few seconds, ChatGPT had written three paragraphs about manufactured homes in three different styles. I could choose which one I liked. From there, ChatGPT created an entire blog post with AI.

The blog post was better than anything I could have written. Cold, perhaps, but it had zero spelling or grammatical errors. In fact, the world might never know which trailer blog was written by a real person or by AI.

Artificial intelligence has been a hot topic this summer as both writers and actors have been on strike. The movie and TV studios have fought back by programming repeat television shows and non-scripted programming such as game shows and reality competitions. How does AI interfere with writers and actors?

There is a movement to replace the real writers and actors with artificial intelligence.

I saw last week firsthand how it might work in the motion picture industry.

I hadn’t been inside a movie theater since the month before Covid. It would take something pretty

amazing to get me there, considering these three years have been spent watching whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted at home.

But when Indiana Jones comes back out with a new movie, well, we have to go.

When Harrison Ford began playing the character 42 years ago, in 1981, he was already pushing 40. So to see the action hero back on the big screen in his ’80s would be interesting. I mean, even if he worked out every day, could he still do it?

The first 30 minutes of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” takes place at the end of World War II in a similar time period as the original films. Dr. Jones finds himself in the middle of an archaeological hunt for Archimedes’ Dial, an Antikythera (a Greek device that could predict astronomical positions and eclipses decades in advance).

Of course, the Nazis have part of it, Indy gets away with it and the chase is on — across continents, decades and eventually centuries.

Notice the first part of the film takes place in the same time period as the originals made between 30 and 40 years ago. How in the world did they do that?

Artificial intelligence.

Paramount Pictures had so much Harrison Ford material left on the cutting room floor from earlier Indiana Jones pictures producers could repurpose it in 2023 for these scenes. Moreover, modern-day octo-

genarian Harrison Ford is really acting out the scenes as his current self, with a lot of help from A.I. to de-age him by 40 years. It could have been off-putting and it does have kind of a video game look to it, especially when he’s hopping on and off trains and such. But — and this is a big but — for this particular story to be told, it’s what had to happen. And it is, after all, a big-screen fantasy action movie anyway. One has to suspend disbelief at some of the things we see.

The story stretches out in so many directions, but throughout the picture there are numerous callbacks to previous episodes in the series that are guaranteed to please longtime fans of these films. And with director James Mangold, we have producers Steven Spielberg and George Lucas still on board as well as composer John Williams. It’s like old home week.

Overall, however, my review of this film is it’s a very satisfying conclusion to the saga that began with Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981 and continued with the Temple of Doom in 1984. the Last Crusade in 1990 and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008. In fact, I would place it at No. 2 behind the original when it comes to map-hopping excitement and energy. It is certainly better than the Crystal Skull entry in the series, in which our main man deals with Area 51 happenings in the 1950s.

In summary, I believe AI is here to stay and we will need to learn to live with it in our blog posts, Word documents, movies and TV shows. And I highly recommend going to the actual movie theater to see the final entry in the Indiana Jones saga.

Michael Bird is a music teacher at Tallassee City Schools.

Big Jim Folsom: Alabama’s most uninhibited governor

This week begins a four-part series of stories surrounding Alabama’s most legendary colorful governor, James E. “Big Jim” Folsom.

Folsom was the epitome of unbridled candidness. Late in his second term, he had been on a week-long trip to Mobile with his buddies, but he had to come back to Montgomery to give a speech to the national convention of American Textile Manufacturers Association. It was a large and distinguished crowd of executives from all over the country and they were meeting in Alabama, so the governor was to give them his official welcoming speech.

While Folsom was vacationing in Mobile, someone in his office had written him a nice speech. Folsom had never seen the speech prior to getting up to address the audience. He started reading the speech and it sounded somewhat dry and full of statistics. Folsom dutifully continued reading, “We want to welcome y’all to Alabama. Alabama is truly a tex-

tile state. We’ve got 200,000 people employed in the textile industry, and it means $40 million to our economy. We produce four million articles a week.”

At that point, Folsom looked up from reading and said, “I’ll be doggone, “I didn’t know that.”

An all-time favorite Folsom story happened in the mid-1950s during his second term as governor, at the annual Southern Governors Conference. The assembled governors and other dignitaries were scheduled to be guests at a nearby U.S. Naval station to witness an air show. Folsom had a reputation for enjoying libations.

The governors were scheduled to gather at 6 a.m. at the waterfront,

and many doubted Folsom would make it at that hour since he would have partied most of the night before. That was indeed the case, but nevertheless he arrived at the pier on time.

It was obvious he had not slept. He was still wearing the same suit and tie; he was unshaven, and his hair was askew, but he was raring to go. The governors, dignitaries and aides were motored in small boats out to a huge aircraft carrier, which then sailed 125 to 200 miles offshore for a state-of-the-art air show previously seen by only high-ranking naval officers and cabinet members. The sky was perfect; the sea was calm; it was a beautiful day. The crowd gathered on the flight deck. An admiral gave a glowing speech about the naval aviation and how important and accident free it had become. The admiral introduced the pilot then some enlisted men went

MICHAEL BIRD Columnist

STEVE FLOWERS Columnist

Tallassee resident donates fresh eggs to food pantry

By ABIGAIL MURPHY Multimedia Reporter

The Elmore County Food Pantry now has fresh farm eggs, and a Tallassee resident is the one supplying them.

Fern Bel Compton said one thing that comes up with raising chickens is excess eggs. Some chicken raisers remedy this by feeding the eggs back to the chickens, but Compton realized she could donate the eggs instead.

“I want to encourage other people in the community that are cooking up their eggs and feeding them back to the birds — which the birds don’t really need; it’s just a treat — that they can donate their eggs to the pantry and help humans,” she said.

Compton raises a variety of chickens including Silkies, Brahma, Easter Eggers, Jersey Giants, Australorp, Barneveld and a Silver Sebright. All the chickens produce different eggs, some chocolate brown, others cream or blue in color. With each of her cartons, Compton also

includes instructions on how best to keep the eggs.

Compton started her raising with a chicken brooder, but now the chickens raise the other chickens. Her chores don’t take much more than 30 minutes. Although she does have a blind chicken that gets extra cage cleanings.

Every evening she collects the eggs and she usually has around five dozen to donate to the pantry each week. The last couple weeks, she hasn’t had as many

eggs to donate with snakes being an issue, but she continues to supply the pantry regardless.

In addition to donations, Compton also sells her eggs for $3 a dozen and tries to keep the price affordable. At one point in her life, Compton and her mom were homeless and she said ensuring people have access to nutritious food is a priority of hers. While the cost of eggs in grocery stores has gone up, she kept her price for eggs the same.

Church of

cabinets at Tallassee’s House of Love and Mercy.

SUBMITTED | THE TRIBUNE

Two decades of service and ministry rewarded

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

There’s been 23 years of love served up at the House of Love and Mercy in Tallassee.

The ministry is under the umbrella of God’s Congregation of Holiness Church led by Bishop Adolphus Gauntt. Some of the love distributed by the ministry for more than two decades was actually served back to the church itself. On July 15, a Church of the Highlands Serve Team joined volunteers from the Gauntt’s congregation to clean up around the House of Love and Mercy and install a few needed items.

“They all worked. They did an awesome job,” Gauntt said. “When they left, it looked like a totally different place.”

Pantry doors were replaced, cabinets were painted, pressure washing was completed and a ceiling fan was installed. But there was more.

“We had a back field there,” Gauntt said. “We used to be able to drive back there. They straightened that out as well. They did all the edging and cleanup. We can park

FOLSOM Continued from A4

through the crowd handing out earmuff devices to protect the observers’ hearing from the sound of the jet.

there again. We have a backyard again.”

Gauntt said the House of Love and Mercy formed as he and others were on a mission trip to Mexico.

“They have an orphanage down there of the same name,” Gauntt said. “We would go and build and support those kids in the orphanage.”

Gauntt said he felt called by God to help those struggling with a facility in Tallassee. In 23 years Gauntt said the ministry has helped more than 1,000 people get back on their feet.

“Some come in homeless, some come with addictions and some are battered,” Gauntt said. “We have had girls come from as far as Minnesota, Florida, Georgia and all around the Southeast.”

Gauntt said some of the ministry’s success stories have chosen to stay behind and currently live in the area. He said the ministry’s giving nature over the years has been rewarded through the recent help of the volunteers.

“The love and passion to assist neighbors in our community illustrates the powerful love of God,” Gauntt said.

Folsom may have looked a little funnier than the rest of the governors in his earmuffs because of his size and dishevelment. He was six feet nine inches tall. The airshow began. The jet got louder and louder as it whined down the airstrip and made a perfect takeoff. Then suddenly there was total silence. The jet flamed out; the engine quit running; the plane crashed into the water and was lost in the ocean. There was complete bedlam aboard the carrier. Sirens went off,

“I never did it for the purpose of selling eggs; I just like the birds,” she said. “They are pets, and each has their personality.”

Compton hopes more people will donate to the food pantry, even if it’s not eggs. For those who can, she said setting aside part of the grocery budget to buy food for the pantry can go a long way. The food pantry Facebook page also gives updates on what food it needs.

While Compton and her family have become part of the

community, Compton is originally from California. Her family was living in Panama City before coming to Tallassee, evacuating during Hurricane Michael.

Her husband, a retired chief from the U.S. Space Force, returned briefly to help clear fallen trees after the hurricane, but they ultimately decided to stay in Tallassee.

“We chose to move up here; it just felt more like home,” Compton said.

She and her husband

have nine children together. Compton said she knows that can sound overwhelming, but they take it one step at a time. Despite the busyness, Compton said community outreach is important to their family and donating to the food pantry is one small act that can go a long way. The Elmore County Food Pantry was started in 2008 and now helps over 520 families monthly. The pantry is located at 515 W Boundary Street in Wetumpka

Children’s library summer program a success

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

Tallassee children will celebrate today with pizza and water games for their success in the annual Tallassee Public Library Children’s Library Summer Program.

The theme “All Together Now” showed itself in many areas throughout the summer. Children were introduced to many new things through programs and reading.

“It was great. The kids had lots of fun,” Tallassee Library director Margaret Lumpkin said. “It was a fast-paced, busy summer, while they didn’t read as many books as usual, we had so many more participating.”

Lumpkin said 100 children registered for the summer program and 83 read books.

“Those who read read at least one book,” Lumpkin said.

“Twelve kids read 100 or more books. It was a good turnout. Each week we had 30 to 40 kids. Add in adults, we had 40 to 50 people in each of the two classes.”

Just about every week was a different program and Lumpkin said those were scheduled around vacation Bible schools as much as possible. Lumpkin said the children enjoyed the variety in the programming.

“We had Masterpiece classes — one was a craft designing their own masterpiece,” Lumpkin said. “We did Uniquely You where they made critters out of fuzz balls. We had two different entertainers. We coordinated with the rec department for Hoops for Fitness. They learned about hula hooping and the Guinness World Records with that. We also had animals come

divers prepared to enter the water and emergency helicopters prepared for takeoff.

Then miraculously word came that the pilot had bailed out of the plane before it sank and was not injured. He was shaken up and wet but alive.

The crowd gave a rousing cheer of relief that the pilot’s life had been spared. By this time everyone had taken off their earmuffs

except Folsom, who was still standing on the deck with his earmuffs on and his mouth wide open in amazement. He had been watching the scene in absolute astonishment. He could not believe his bloodshot eyes.

Finally, he could contain himself no longer. Because he was still wearing his earmuffs, he did not realize how loud he was talking and in a voice, you could hear for miles, Folsom boomed, “Admiral, if that ain’t a show I’ll kiss your ass.”

Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.

ABIGAIL MURPHY THE TRIBUNE

LEFT: Tallassee resident Fern Bel Compton recently started donating her fresh farm eggs to the Elmore County Food Pantry. She said ensuring people have access to nutritious food is a priority for her.

ABOVE: Fern Bel Compton raises a variety of chickens. Some including Silkies, Brahma, Easter Eggers, Jersey Giants and Australorp. All of which produce different colored and sized eggs.

A

the Highlands Serve Team paints

SUBMITTED THE TRIBUNE

Tallassee’s summer reading program was enjoyed by 100 children of all ages.

See LIBRARY, Page B3

BAND

Continued from A1

a little sweating will be involved as drill and music for the new show

“The Millennial Mixtape” are learned. Much like the new school looking like the old but with updates, the band’s fall show revisits some songs and brings new ones to life.

“We have done a show about the ’90s before,” Tallassee band director Dr. Robby Glasscock said. “It was almost 13 years ago. It was something we wanted to revisit and do it again. We have tweaked some of our arrangements from then and added a couple different songs.”

LEMONADE Continued from A1

Ethan was sick that day and missed out on selling lemonade. So, they did another lemonade stand.

This time they were invited to sell lemonade outside of Brother Bootleg BBQ in Tallassee. A couple days before, MaePop’s Barbecue reached out to ask them to swing by because its staff wouldn’t have a chance to buy lemonade the day of the stand. MaePop’s Barbecue gave Sharon a gift card for barbecue and both her kids

READING

Continued from A1

Just like the new school, Glasscock said the band’s fall show is quickly coming together.

“We have had three music rehearsals so far,” Glasscock said Friday. “Everything has gone well so far. The kids have picked up on the music pretty quickly. Most of them have heard of the music even though most of it came out before them.”

The songs were on the radios and mixtapes of most of the band’s parents long before they were thinking about families. The new show includes arrangements of “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” by Boyz II Men, “Ants Marching” by Dave Matthews Band, “When I Come Around” by Green Day and “I Want

received $100. While they were selling lemonade at Brother Bootleg on July 15, the staff gave the kids a free meal. That same day, firefighters also drove by via fire truck ready to buy some lemonade and both kids got a tour of the truck. For this second lemonade stand, they made $86.

With nearly a combined $400 raised, Stormie and Ethan went to the store and picked out some new school supplies and clothes. Fulmer said it’s all about them having fun and they want to do another one before school starts, likely back on their drive-

has been the librarians and her teachers encouraging her to read. She just loves to read.”

Sarah’s mom said her daughter has been reading adult books for at least three years and it has been challenging to keep up.

“We go to Books-A-Million and the library all the time,” Brooke said.

ECLECTIC

Continued from A1

the book to be real comments and experiences from the soldiers from when we were training up to when we first learned we were going to deploy, the good times and the hard

You Back” by NSYNC.

Glasscock said his band will be at football games and is preparing for two band competitions — Marbury on Sept. 30 and Prattville on Oct. 14. Band members will also be marching in the homecoming and Christmas parades.

The season might be full of performances but Glasscock is also looking forward to what the new band room offers.

“It is twice the size of what we got right now,” Glasscock said. “We will have more storage.”

Past band concerts required looking at weather and carefully planning to move across campus to the gym.

“We have been picking up stuff because we have like three steps into the bandroom,” Glass -

away.

“(Stormie) has already asked me if next year they can do it again and if they can do it every weekend,” Fulmer said. “I’m like, ‘Well, let’s see how it goes.’”

For this summer’s stand, Sharon paid for the ice and other supplies to make the lemonade. She said if the kids do it next year that will be part of their responsibility as well.

Fulmer said she also knows Stormie wants to expand — selling cookies, brownies and cupcakes. Fulmer wants to brainstorm with her kids some sugar-free options for

Since the end of school, Sarah estimates she has read about 50 or 60 books. She said she is limited by library rules.

“The library allows you to get 10 books per week,” Sarah said.

Sarah has nearly completed the Warrior series by Erin Hunter. Wikipedia lists more than 50 books in the series.

“I’m missing just a couple of them,” Sarah said. “It is really interesting. It is mostly fantasy.”

Reading is also a means of relaxation for Sarah.

times. The capture of Saddam and what happened afterwards, to when we redeployed home dealing with PTSD.”

Bailey said he realized the group that captured Hussein was special, and had a lesson for future soldiers. He interviewed more than 75 of his soldiers in preparation to write the book.

cock said. “Everything we ever moved we had to move up the steps, make sure it would fit through the door, then go halfway across campus to set it up in the gym for concerts.”

The new bandroom has more space but Glasscock and the rest of the band are looking forward to the new stage and the ease of hosting a performance in the new auditorium just steps away from the band room.

“It will be so much nicer than anything before,” Glasscock said. “It will be so much easier to get into. The equipment will just need to be rolled across the 8-foot hallway to be on stage. It will be so much nicer to be in the auditorium.”

diabetics — even if it’s as simple as bottled waters. However, there is one customer who gets lemonade for free and that’s the mail carrier. Both in the driveaway and at Brother Bootleg BBQ, Stormie gave the mail carrier a free glass.

“It brings that old school value to the new school,” Fulmer said. “It’s something we used to do in our neighborhood growing up. We used to have a little lemonade stand set up on the sidewalk and it’s something they wanted to try. It gives them something to tell their kids about.”

“It sort of helps take stress away,” Sarah said. “It is fun — it’s interesting. When I do read, it’s an excuse not to listen to people talk.”

The 11-year-old already has her eyes on next summer. She already knows she will do a better job keeping track of what she has read.

“I can’t really remember how many books over the summer — maybe 50, 60,” Sarah said. “Next summer, maybe I will try to beat my own record.”

“I tried to replicate the success of this unit not just because we caught Saddam, but because there were a lot of things this unit did very well throughout the tour,” Bailey said.

“As I commanded other organizations throughout my career I was trying to create the same kind of camaraderie, the perfectionism that this troupe had and I couldn’t do it.”

CLIFF WILLIAMS | THE TRIBUNE

Tallassee’s drum lines practices its marching during a band camp meeting last week.

Lake Martin’s Best Source for News and Information.

Let history speak for itself

G reetings from the corner of Bridge and Bridge. It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Our theme for Family Vacation Bible School this year was lessons from Mister Rogers neighborhood. Hi neighbor!

The term revisionist history is rearing its ugly head once again in our nation. The term is certainly not a new one. Human beings have a long history of sharing incomplete and/or distorted versions of human history.

The latest iteration relates to the history of slavery and how that topic is taught in public schools. As with most topics these days, the discussion has become politicized. Candidates for various offices weigh in on these discussions as a means of securing base supporters.

Let me begin by saying what I am about to share is in no way political or politicized. I do not take advantage of the privilege I am afforded as a guest columnist. I am not a fan of veiled commentary. What I have to share is out in the light of day observation.

When embracing the story of the founding and settling of Wetumpka, for instance, the chapter telling of the forced displacement of Creek Indians is part of the larger narrative. Wetumpka was not settled in the early 1800s. It was colonized. This land already belonged to its inhabitants before it was “discovered.”

The beloved former sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church, Wetumpka was built in 1856. The craftsmanship was outstanding and the architecture inten -

REV. JONATHAN YARBORO Columnist

tionally modest. The massive timbers used to frame the church were milled on site and put in place without machinery.

The sanctuary that stands in its place at the corner of Bridge and Bridge looks just like the old one, but it has a different story. The present one was built by craftsmen who were paid for their labor and expertise. The first one was built by craftsmen who relied on slave labor.

Why do we as people struggle so mightily to tell the truth? How can any human being observe the reality of the Trail of Tears

Tallassee Churches

and think any single element of that forced experience was a good thing? Likewise, how can anyone reflect on the history of chattel slavery in these United States and see it as a blessing for Black people? What about the role of migrant workers?

I am blessed to have studied state, national and world history at the elementary, secondary, university and theological school levels. In that time, I was exposed to a wide variety of teachers and source materials. I cannot remember a single time when any teacher intentionally ignored basic historical facts.

Native Americans were casualties of the settling of these United States. Africans were captured, brought to this country and sold into servitude in the name of domestic service and

industrial progress. Illegal immigrants are manipulated in many forms of industry and service as a means of keeping costs low and profits high. Some lives are deemed less worthy than others.

How much longer will we as children of God living in the earthly kingdom tolerate ignorance of the most basic facts of history? While our nation certainly does not have the market cornered on taking advantage of sisters and brothers in the name of amassing wealth, we are by no means immune to such behavior.

If we continue to ignore that, we will definitely repeat it. Aren’t we tired of the same thing over and over again?

Rev. Jonathan Yarboro is the Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Wetumpka.

Dalton MiDDleton SportS eDitor dalton.middleton@thewetumpkaherald.com

Burdette commits to North Alabama

By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor

Tallassee star linebacker Luke

Burdette already had his eyes set on his future in football, but then he got an offer he couldn’t turn down.

Burdette, who graduated in May, was working a construction job this summer and committed to play football at Belhaven University in Mississippi when he received a phone call from the University of North Alabama.

On that call, he received an offer to be a preferred walk on with the Lions. He quickly started setting up visits and orientation, and now he is fully on board with UNA.

“I told them I would be interested since I know some of the players up there and that was a big reason I got on board,” Burdette said. “So now I’m going to go up there to a Division I school and show my talent. I really enjoyed it when I visited and felt I could get better opportunities and be part of a better

program there.”

Former Tallassee teammate Jalyn Daniels was a big reason for Burdette quickly getting on board. Daniels was the 2022 Elmore County Offensive Player of the Year after a stellar career running the ball for Tallassee, and he signed with UNA out of high school.

When both were playing for Tallassee, Burdette played on the offense with Daniels. The two are

See BURDETTE, Page B2

TALLASSEE 13U BASEBALL FALLS IN BABE RUTH

REGIONALS

By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor

The Tallassee 13U state champion baseball team saw its season come to an end this weekend.

Playing in the Southeast regional in Camden, Arkansas, the 13U All-Stars were eliminated in the semifinals of the regional tournament.

Tallassee went 2-2 in the tournament, outscoring opponents in pool play by a combined 26-13. After earning the No. 2 seed in bracket play, Tallassee lost in the semifinals to Mid County, Texas, 9-1. Mid County went on to lose to Eagle Pass, Texas in the championship game.

“There were some really good teams up there,” Tallassee coach Tommy Burton

said. “The experience was great for our kids. They did really good and I’m super proud of them. They fought to the last out and we had a great time.”

Tallassee started the tournament off as hot as it could ask for. It opened the tournament against Camden, Arkansas, and beat the host team 17-0.

The all-stars were firing on all cylinders as Jaden Griggs and Braxton Lemley combined for a two-hitter on the mound.

The Tigers dropped their second game to eventual champion Eagle Pass then faced Mid-County in their final pool play game.

Tallassee won that one, 9-4, and clinched the No. 2 seed in the bracket play portion.

Mid-County was the No. 3 seed, and the two teams

SUBMITTED | THE TRIBUNE

played again. Tallassee couldn’t put anything together the second time around and was eliminated, 9-1.

“We made some crucial errors when it counted,” Burton said. “We made a pretty good run in pool play then had a rematch with the same team we ended pool play with and they shut us down a little bit. We had some really bad errors in that bracket play game.”

In the 9-1 loss to Mid-County, Tallassee gave up only one earned run.

The game was close before Tallassee allowed five runs in the second inning on three errors. One of the errors was with the bases loaded and all three runs scored.

See REGIONALS, Page B2

Tallassee 13U baseball players meet at the mound in one of the regional tournament games this weekend.

his final year of high school football is to bring home a championship.

By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor

Tallassee swimmer

Camden Mask earned himself a few medals this weekend.

Participating in the Alabama Recreation and Park Association swimming state championships, Mask won a state championship and finished runner-up in another race to help lead the Tallassee Tiger Sharks swimming team.

His state championship came in the 100-yard individual medley, which required him to swim 25 meters in each of the four strokes — butterfly, breaststroke, backstroke and freestyle.

The breaststroke is Mask’s best, and it came in the second half of the race. Mask made sure he did well in the first two — butterfly and back — to allow himself to stay ahead of the pack.

“Going into it, I really knew that I had to go out really strong on the

butterfly and backstroke to give myself a chance and give me that boost,” Mask said. “I knew if I didn’t have a good first 50 yards, I wouldn’t have been able to come home strong in the final 50.” His plan worked to perfection as he placed first by an entire second, beating Arab’s Colby Franklin. He dropped 3.31 seconds in his final race.

The top two finishers faced each other again in the 50-yard breaststroke. Despite dropping over a second on his time, Mask finished second place to Franklin in the race.

Mask’s time was 26.50 seconds, while Franklin’s was 26.28.

“It was a good weekend,” Mask said. “I wasn’t really expecting to win the IM. I was really expecting to win the breaststroke or trying to win the breaststroke, but it didn’t play out the way I wanted to. Even with

SUBMITTED THE

Tallassee swimmer Camden Mask won the state championship in the 100-yard individual medley and finished runner-up in the 50-yard breaststroke.

Reeltown, Dadeville game nixed for coming season

By HENRY ZIMMER Sports Writer

At Tuesday’s High School Media Days in Opelika, Reeltown football coach Matt Johnson and four of his star players spoke about their upcoming season. Amongst the team talking about its goals and plans to follow up on its third round playoff run from last year, Johnson announced his schedule had changed.

The Rebels will no longer host Dadeville for their second game of the year. Both teams will keep the week open and use it as a bye.

“Some of that is unfortunate, some of that is out of our control,” Johnson said. Johnson, joined by Jake Hornsby, Zack Riley, Arthur Woods and Xavier Thomas, all previewed their thoughts on last season and how they have been gearing up for their upcoming season. Reeltown’s preparation for 2023 started in the spring, with the team’s Blue

White Scrimmage which Johnson said was all about the team focusing on itself. Since then, the team has competed in OTAs and finished up its Iron Man competition Tuesday afternoon.

“That is a big deal for us,” Johnson said of Iron Man. “It is grueling; it is tough. But that is what we want. I feel like they have embraced the challenge. With this competition, I saw the most excitement about it since I have been

HENRY ZIMMER THE TRIBUNE

Reeltown senior lineman Zack Riley said at High School Media Days that his goal for

BURDETTE

Continued from B1

close, and that helped make his decision easier. “Just having him up there was huge for me,” Burdette said. “Me and Jalyn are pretty tight and we played on the offense together. I used to block for him, so we’re pretty close in that aspect and I think that chemistry will transition to college pretty well.”

Despite both playing on the offense in high school, they will not be on the same side of the ball in college.

Burdette is committing to UNA as a linebacker, and he’s shown what he can do countless times as an extremely hard hitter. Following the first game of his senior year last August, a video surfaced of Burdette running full speed and hitting harder than most high school players.

He immediately got comparisons to the fictional Bobby Boucher from the movie “The Waterboy” and offers started rolling in immediately.

While he does hit hard, that isn’t the only thing he brings to a defense. As a senior, he was named All-Elmore County after recording 84 tackles, nine sacks and a touchdown.

He was the team’s vocal and physical leader on defense, and he thinks he can bring that to UNA.

“I can bring really good leadership,” Burdette said. “My voice can carry and I can get people to listen. I don’t like to be controlling, but I do have a good leadership aspect. Other than that, I hit hard and that’s what I want to do. That’s going to catch a lot of people’s eyes.”

Despite having six or seven offers from smaller schools, committing to play at a Division I program is a dream come true for Burdette. He’s always wanted to make it to the college level and showcase his talents, and now he’s getting that opportunity. He hopes to make an immediate impact and get UNA back on its winning ways.

The Lions went 1-10 last season, which was one of their worst in school history. The Lion defense gave up more than 40 points in seven games last year.

“They’re brand new in Division I and they have a lot of new pieces on the team,” Burdette said. “I really think I can get in there and help them back to the standard they’re used to.”

All Lawn Maintenance

Reeltown faces favorable schedule after third round playoff berth

By HENRY ZIMMER Sports Writer

A year after winning eight straight regular season games and making it all the way to the third round of the 3A playoffs, Reeltown looks primed to make another historic run.

This season, the Rebels face a schedule that features five playoff teams from the previous season but also features four teams that won four or less games.

All in, Reeltown is up against a composite schedule that went an even 54-54 last year.

With most of the team returning after last year’s success, it is easy to make a case for Reeltown having another chance at a late playoff run.

TRENDS

The Rebels yet again open the season with Tallassee, the only school to defeat Reeltown in the regular season last year.

In the last 19 meetings, Tallassee holds a slight edge with a 10-9 record. The Tigers have won two straight in the series, with the last time Reeltown winning being in 2020 in overtime.

Following Tallassee is yet another rivalry game, on the road against Dadeville.

Last year’s Dadeville game was not played due to weather and field conditions, but Dadeville holds a serious series edge.

The Tigers own a 38–18 record over Reeltown, however the Rebels have won three of the last four contests.

In the middle of the Rebels’ season is where the team faces five opponents who did not have a winning record, and a Goshen team who went 6-4.

During the same stretch last season, Reeltown pitched three shutouts– against LaFayette, Barbour County and Lanett– all teams that the school will face again this year.

the road for four straight weeks, before finishing out the season with two home games.

GAMES TO WATCH

The first two games on Reeltown’s schedule are must watch contests.

Tallassee and Reeltown’s rivalry is palpable and is almost always a close contest. Last season’s game featured the sideline filming by internet content creator AJ Green, so who knows if this year’s game will feature something even more extravagant.

After a year break, the Dadeville and Reeltown game in Dadeville will be a huge show.

Both schools made the playoffs last season after winning their respective regions. Dadeville went undefeated in the regular season, while Reeltown’s lone loss came against Tallassee.

One of these teams will have to lose, and it will be interesting to see how that impacts both of the school’s seasons.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

JAKALEB FAULK, HIGHLAND HOME EDGE

There will not be another player like Faulk on Horseshoe Bend’s schedule. Faulk, a four-star edge, is one of the top-12 players at his position in the nation and will be a major SEC signee. His brother and former Highland Home star Kendric, signed with Auburn, while Jakaleb holds offers from the Tigers, Alabama, Georgia and Clemson.

BRAXTON WILSON, HORSESHOE BEND ATHLETE

Wilson played all three phases for the Generals in his freshman year last season, and will again look to be an integral part of the team’s gameplan. Wilson had a five touchdown game against Fayetteville and returned a pick at the 1-inch-line for 99-yards and a score that was, unfortunately for Wilson, called back against Luverne.

KAMRON WHATLEY, LUVERNE ATHLETE

Reeltown will also not play at home frequently, as the team’s schedule features six away games.

Matt Johnson’s team opens at open with Tallassee, then travels to Dadeville and LaFayette before returning home against Goshen.

After Goshen, Reeltown is on

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Continued from B1

Tallassee ace Walker Boles was saved for bracket play and pitched well but gave up eight earned runs. Cole

Burton, Tommy’s son, led the team on the weekend with hitting but the team “couldn’t string it together,” Tommy said.

“You take away two or three of those mistakes and it’s a 1-1 ballgame in the end,” he said. “Walker pitched well enough for us to win, but we just made some crucial errors. And of course all of them came with two outs. You have to be mistake-free against good teams like these or you’re going to lose.”

Despite falling short of the goal, Burton said it was a great experience for his team this summer. The 13U baseball team won the state championship in dominant fashion over Sylacauga two weeks ago, and it went to Arkansas

WINS

Continued from B1

The final game on Reeltown’s schedule– at home against Highland Home– will be enormous.

Highland Home made it to the state semifinals last year, and boasts a tremendous amount of Division 1 talent. That game will also be the only game where Reeltown plays at home in back to back weeks.

After Luverne graduated two First-Team All-State players this past year, the eyes of the Tigers football team will be placed on Whatley, a rising junior. Whatley plays both ways for Luverne, His play last season recently earned him an offer from Wright State.

SUBMITTED THE

Tallassee’s Jaden Griggs pitched a combined two-hitter with Braxton Lemley in the

opening game of the regional tournament.

and proved it could win over teams from Texas and Arkansas.

“The standard has been set for baseball in Tallassee years ago,” Burton said. “We went up there and competed

the loss, I still dropped a second on my time so it was a really successful weekend.”

Mask has been a successful swimmer in the past as he’s found success at the high school level

and made a name for ourselves. I think we got a little bit closer to that standard that was set years ago. The guys seemed to really buy in and competed the whole weekend.”

for multiple years. Two years ago, Mask earned a bronze medal in the AHSAA state championships in the 100 breaststroke. Last year, he finished both fourth in the 100 breaststroke and the 200 IM.

The state championship wraps up the summer circuit for Mask, who now turns his sights back towards the high school swim-

Tallassee’s team brought in support from all across town, and Burton wanted to thank every sponsor and business that helped make the trip happen by raising and donating money.

ming scene. But he had a good summer that was capped with a state championship.

“It was a great experience,” Mask said. “It’s always fun to win but I really think my time drop was the most impressive thing. It was a fun weekend overall. We also got to eat some good food in Birmingham and it was just a good experience.”

FILE | THE TRIBUNE

Tallassee’s Luke Burdette sacks Reeltown’s Jake Hornsby a year ago. Burdette is going to play defense for the University of North Alabama this fall.

TRIBUNE

team’s

Reeltown

Continued from A5

to the library. The kids loved everything.”

Some of the crafts created by the children decorated the library. Lumpkin said the children created

leaves with notes of things that made them feel happy or special.

In total, the children read 4,410 books during the program. Lumpkin said the library even hosted a summer adult reading program.

“We had 22 sign up to read adult books,” Lumpkin said. “They are celebrating with the children this week. We will be

drawing out a name for one of them to win a quilt.”

The children will get pizza today then get cooled down by a fire truck from the Tallassee Fire Department.

“We will have a good time,” Lumpkin said. “They deserve this bit of fun. I hope the weather holds out for them.”

SUBMITTED | THE TRIBIUNE

The Tallassee Public Library recently completed its summer reading program. Children read more than 4,000 books during the program.

Expert provides tips on drowning prevention around Lake Martin

By ABIGAIL MURPHY Multimedia Reporter

While families gather around the lake this summer, water safety for children is needed. The National Drowning Prevention Alliance reports drowning as the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for ages 0-4.

Certified Infant Swimming Resource instructor and former Dadeville resident Lauren Rene said drowning is preventable with the five layers of protection. Layer one is security around the water area.

This can include setting up barriers and fencing around docks and pools. One idea is to paint or tape a line 2 or 3 feet from the edge of the dock and teach kids to never cross that line without a guardian present.

The second layer is a constant supervisor. In ISR, it’s called CEO or constant eyes on. One person should be designated as the CEO to watch the kids swimming. Rene said this position needs to rotate to different people so the CEO is always alert. She recommends people to be the CEO for 15 minutes at a time.

The third layer is water competency, which is where ISR comes in with teaching kids how to swim and about water safety.

“That’s one of the most overlooked resources in drowning prevention, the child themselves,” Rene said. “They are very capable of learning the skills. ISR has been doing it since 1965.”

The fourth layer is a Coast Guard-approved life jacket for open water. Not every flotation

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device is eligible to be part of this layer. For instance, Rene said puddle jumpers are not a substitute for a life jacket and are actually dangerous.

She explained puddle jumpers do the opposite of what a life-saving jacket does. It has a child floating vertically. Life jackets are meant to have a child float horizontally on his or her back when not actively swimming or treading water.

Rene said this is why it is also important to test life jackets.

The last layer of protection is emergency preparation, which can be knowing CPR, having basic water rescue skills or having a cell phone handy to call 911. Another emergency preparation idea is to attach an alarm or horn to your dock.

Rene said if you use that, you would have to educate your neighbors on what that sound means and what they need to do to aid in that situation. She said drowning pre-

Today, the team will travel to Trinity in Montgomery for another OTA before they begin full fledged practice.

Reeltown yet again opens with Tallassee to start its season, a series in which the Tigers hold a 10-9 edge.

Johnson said last year’s opening game loss was “the best thing to happen to us” as his athletes won eight straight regular season games, and two playoff games, following the defeat.

“We got refocused and went back to the drawing board,” Johnson said. “We figured out who we were, what we could do and then we won 10 games straight.”

vention is all about education.

Within that, people need to know what drowning is and its symptoms. According to the World Health Organization, drowning is “the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion/ immersion in liquid.”

Rene said drowning is not what it looks like in the movies. It’s silent with no screaming or slapping of water. Rather, a child will be in a vertical position right under the water.

Children can also experience near drowning with activities such as rough housing.

A child may take in too much water from splashing around and it goes into their lungs.

Rene said this doesn’t mean a child can’t splash and play in the water, but parents need to be aware of drowning symptoms and watch their child. The symptoms of drowning or near drowning can include vomiting, a reoccurring or constant cough or throat clearing,

school, so we know that is a challenge in itself. It is a meaningful game.”

Looking at his schedule as a whole, Johnson noted how almost every team in the Rebels’ region is a playoff caliber squad.

“We are in a tough region,” Johnson said. “There are two or three teams in our region that will miss the playoffs that will be pretty good ball teams. That is a good thing. You face quality opponents.”

Johnson pointed to Goshen, a team that went 6-4, as an example of teams that are good but can still miss the playoffs in a competitive region.

wheezing or noisy breathing, shortness of breath, unusual sleepiness, uncharacteristic pale or blue skin, clammy skin, poor appetite, seizures and sometimes a fever.

“Immediate medical intervention, it’s the best defense,” she said. “Look out for those symptoms; don’t ignore them. If you see those symptoms after water play or after a close call, then you can prevent a delayed drowning.”

Rene said while cases of drowning can be scary, education is more effective than fear. More information about drowning prevention can be found through the National Drowning Prevention Alliance website and Infant Swimming Resource website.

Rene regularly teaches ISR lessons at the Opelika Sportsplex, Valley Sportsplex and Samford Pool Auburn. She also held a lesson at Dadeville’s Wellness Center this past April.

guys that have been in this program for years and have started and gotten quality reps,” Johnson said. “Getting both of them back healthy is big. They are going to solidify that offensive line group.”

Riley said in his final year of high school ball, he wants to bring home a championship.

“We went deep in the playoffs last year, but we want to go further,” Riley said.

Although Tallassee and Reeltown are much different sized programs, Johnson and his team said they embrace the challenge of playing bigger schools, especially in a big time rivalry.

“That is a huge game right off the bat,” Johnson said. “It is a big rivalry, a huge atmosphere. You don’t get that atmosphere until you get deep in the playoffs. They are a 5A

Last year, Reeltown trailed the Eagles heading into halftime.

“Week in and week out, it is not only talented teams and quality opponents, but there are also some quality coaches in this region,” Johnson said.

Ahead of the season, the offensive line has gotten some players healthy, as seniors Jacob Hornsby and Zack Riley have returned to practice.

Both players were injured at various points last season, but look to be healthy and ready to go for the impending year.

“Zack and Jacob are

Quarterback Jake Hornsby said the key to going far in the playoffs is by banding together as one team. So far, Hornsby said his team is markedly closer before the season than they were before their Week 1 trip to Tallassee.

“Our goals for this season are to, early in the season, combine as a brotherhood,” Hornsby said.

“Early in the season against Tallassee last year, we didn’t have that. But after that loss, something just fired us up to come together. I feel like we have that brotherhood this season.”

After the Trinity practice, it will be full go for Johnson and his team in preparation for hosting Tallassee on Thursday, August 24.

“We are ready to get it started,” Johnson said.

Kids swim and play along Sandy Creek. This summer there are five layers of protection parents can follow to keep kids safe in the water.

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Smith named third band director at ECHS

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

There had been only two band directors at Elmore County High School since 1980 — Eddie Mann and Anthony Vittore.

But now, Zach Smith follows in Vittore’s footsteps and he has a brotherhood that includes Vittore to help continue the Maroon Marching Band tradition. Meanwhile, Vittore now looks to another role, something new after 20 years of leading the band.

“I hope to be here every Friday night; I’m a band parent now,” Vittore said. “I transitioned from band director to band parent to band booster eventually. I’m ecstatic about working the concession stand. I love doing that stuff.”

Vittore left ECHS last month to become Huntingdon College’s director of bands. He said the decision to leave wasn’t easy.

“I will miss everything, foremost is the students,” Vittore said. “It was one of my biggest decisions — leaving them and the staff. They are all my friends. After 20 years you grow

close to them.”

Vittore said there is comfort in his decision as he is still heading up a band, but he’s also encouraging the next generation of music educators.

“I hope to create music educators that have experiences like I had,” Vittore said. “I want them to go out into a program and they really make a huge impact in children’s lives.

I want to create more band directors and music educators as they grow in college while also playing great music and having a great time.”

The Maroon Machine was Vittore’s first job out of college and he stepped into big shoes to continue a tradition established by Eddie Mann and the Welchs of the Elmore County Big Blue Band.

“Mr. Mann before did a great job taking over from Big Blue,” Vittore said.

“He was here 27 years and my goal was to take it and make it better than I found it, which is hard to do because he did a phenomenal job.”

“Big Blue” was a consolidated band of Wetumpka, Holtville

and Elmore County high schools. It started in the 1940s under Truman Welch. Holtville got its own band soon after but students from Wetumpka and ECHS continued on.

Welch’s son Milton led the band with Mann until the split in 1980s.

All the directors had connections through the music programs at Auburn and Troy.

“At Troy, I joined the fraternity [Vittore] was in,” Smith said. “I saw that brotherhood coming here to Eclectic helping out.”

Smith spent summers helping Vittore during band camp. Smith made stops in Dadeville and Wetumpka high schools. Last year he went to Redland Middle School to create the music program there.

“He was helping me out when he was a student at Wetumpka,” Vittore said. “He is very familiar with the program. He has been around for many years. He is a phenomenal director. He will do well. We are excited for him.”

Smith started in June, but like in years past, the fall show was well in

progress. Smith is keeping it. Vittore was at band camp to help where he could, and Alton Ford is staying at ECHS as an assistant.

“Mr. Ford was there when we originated the show and understands a lot of it,” Vittore said. “He will be vital in making the transition smooth.”

Smith is welcoming the help. He is comfortable with the music and drill but the theatrical production the Maroon Machine is now known for is still something Smith is learning.

“Recently this band has had lots of acting going on, that is something I’m new to,” Smith said. “We are figuring out where the actors go in the drill. It is something new for me and exciting to see it unfold.”

Smith hasn’t changed the idea of the Maroon Machine’s show that started coming to life in the spring.

“It is a very cool show,” Vittore said. “It has a good storyline. It is something you don’t want to miss. It has an old school feel to it with a modern twist.”

Smith is also thankful

for his other help. His wife Brittany is helping with the color guard and other help is coming from the parents and boosters.

“This is a whole family move for us,” Smith said. “We had friends here. Mr. V is a friend and so are a lot of band parents. I asked them if they were willing to help babysit and watch the girls.” Vittore grinned at the remark. Vittore is pleased to see another generation growing up in music. He has a child playing tuba and another saxophone.

Seeing it unfold makes Vittore sad about leaving but comfortable in the decision to leave the Maroon Machine too.

“When you have a good thing like the students, administration and community, why would you want to leave?” Vittore said. “That was one of the big things I had to tackle in this decision. It’s an opportunity to go to a higher level and see if I can be successful. I can’t imagine being anything else but a band director. I have so much passion for music. If one student can get that from me there, it is all worth it.”

Cotton Corner Cotton Festival preps for its 30th year

By ABIGAIL MURPHY Multimedia Reporter

As the big event of the year in Eclectic, most might not have even realized the Alabama Cotton Festival is hitting its 30-year milestone.

Town event coordinator Carmen Winslett said the first year she organized the festival it had 52 vendors and last year the festival had more than 300. Attendance has seen a similar growth going from 3,500 to 5,000 people to having over 17,000 people last year.

Winslett said much of the early success of the event goes to former organizer Verdie Nummy. Nummy died earlier this year, which Winslett said left a hole in the community.

Continuing to grow the festival, the goal for this year is 20,000 attendees and Winslett hopes people see how great this small town is.

“There’s so many things that change and Eclectic strives to maintain that small town feel,” she said. “The fact that we are able to grow this event but stay in a small town, I think is very important to most people.”

The planning for the next festival starts the day of the current festival. Winslett said the morning after the festival, she will already be sending out the forms for next year. By January, the festival committee is reaching out to sponsors. “The vendors and sponsorships are the one thing we really work on all year,” she said.

“This time of year is when it really starts picking up. People realize I didn’t send my form in. They are starting to sign up for events. They are starting to ask questions.”

This year, the committee added cornhole, opened the Cotton Queen pageant back up to all Alabama residents and added a 65 years and older category. The festival will also have a dog show and a classic car show with a motorcycle category.

Winslett said this year the Montgomery Zoo is not coming, but the festival will have the wildlife federation, Raptor Ridge Wildlife Education, Dr. Aimee’s mobile vet, the Ag in Action trailer, a local monster truck, the rock wall from the National Guard, Bama Air

CLIFF WILLIAMS | THE OBSERVER

LEFT: Zach Smith has taken over as band director at Elmore County High School. Anthony Vittore has left to be director of bands at Huntingdon College.

ABOVE: Band camp is going strong for the Elmore County High School Maroon Machine. All last week the band was working on drill and music for its fall show. The show has been in the works since March and has an old school feel to it with a modern twist.

Dogs, a military vehicle display, Elmore County Humane Society and the Eclectic String Alongs.

The cotton festival is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 14 with the Cotton Queen pageant held the week prior.

FILE | THE OBSERVER

The Alabama Cotton Festival is back in Eclectic on Oct. 14. This year is the cotton festival’s 30th anniversary.