Area Calendar Inside!
2017 All-Area Baseball Team
Meet Jewel, Elmore County’s Pet of the Week
Eclectic Observer Page 5
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The
WEDNESDAY • JUNE 21, 2017
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
Vol. 28, No. 25
COP ALLEGED TICKETING INCENTIVES, Chiefs bemoan critical underfunding By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
The town’s entire first responder system spoke out at last night’s town council meeting about what was described as critical underfunding of Eclectic’s police and fire departments, as a town cop, the fire chief and the police
chief addressed the mayor and council. The council responded largely by saying it was unaware of the state of affairs the departments were operating under and their complaints were heard and would be considered. But the verbal fireworks came after the council was called back into order after an
executive session. Two-year Eclectic police officer Fred Griffin spoke for roughly 20 minutes and aired a litany of grievances, poring over the pages of a notebook, flipping from one to the next and, speaking calmly and collectedly, detailed the alleged incentivizing of officers to write as many tickets as possible for the sake of the town’s revenue generation. His critique opened on the pay raises for public employees. Last year he said some police did not receive raises due to a merit system he said
was premised on ticket writing. As Griffin spoke Police Chief Robert Head, normally present to deliver a report of his department’s activities, stood in the back of the council chambers. Eclectic Fire Chief Josh Dorminey was also at the back of the council chambers. Each would soon speak after Griffin. Mayor Gary Davenport and all council members were in attendance and sat quietly while Griffin spoke. Griffin opened: “From my opinion it feels like the current employees are kind of getting
Alabama Power responds to reports ranking it the lowest utility provider
slapped in the face with new employees coming in and three months later they’re getting pay raises.” He compared town expenses, projects and the hire of a new public works manager with the alleged insufficient spending on the police department and its personnel. At one point he said, “I was told sitting in Mayor Davenport’s office that part of the reason that the officers, the general patrol officers, did not get a pay raise was because our ticket performance See COUNCIL • Page 3
Eclectic’s Brown comes up big for Junior National Team STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
Cliff Williams / The Observer
Alabama Power Co., which owns Martin and 13 other dams on the Coosa, Tallapoosa and Black Warrior rivers, rated poorly on its performance in saving energy and cutting operating costs in a report by the American Council for Energy Efficient Economy released recently. By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
A local power company provider ranked at the bottom of an energy efficiency report card grading regions of the U.S. on their performance in saving energy and cutting operating costs through programs and customer incentives. Overall the entire southeast ranked last in the American Council for Energy Efficient Economy’s first 2017 Utility Energy Efficiency Scorecard. “Our first-ever scorecard of U.S. utilities, released (June 13), reveals striking regional differences and identifies the best — and worst — performers on energy efficiency,” an ACEEE report states. In the findings, Alabama Power consistently received among the lowest rankings in its three categories and 16 subcategories and overall it placed last among the bottom 10 performers for energy efficiency. The report states its focus was on the 51 largest utilities providers
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per volume of retail sales. Covering 31 states, the companies were said to account for over 50 percent of all energy sales in 2015. However, publicly published data to the US Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration for 2014 retail sales were used because 2015 numbers were not yet finalized, the report states, though all other information was information was derived from 2015. It lists Alabama Power as making over $5 billion in revenue, selling upwards of 56,000 gigawatt hours worth of electricity to roughly 1.5 million customers in 2014. Its introduction begins by proclaiming the benefits of efficiency to not only the customer and the environment but also to the company. “By reducing energy consumption, utilities can delay or avoid the need to build new infrastructure like power plants and distribution assets. Utilities can also reduce the need for higher-cost electricity
from other sources such as natural gas. Reducing energy consumption can decrease harmful air pollutants associated with fossil fuel generation, and utilities can lower wholesale prices for electricity. These benefits reduce costs for all utility customers. Energy efficiency can also boost economic growth and create jobs,” the report states. The focus of its research was specified as end-user efficiency, i.e. the customer and how the company affects those rates. The three categories were energy efficiency program performance, program diversity and emerging areas and energy efficiency-related regulatory issues and were were graded on 25-, 15- and 10-point scales. Category one included five subcategories: net energy savings, program spending, peak demand reductions, lifetime savings and achievement of energy savings goals. AP was ranked last in all but two categories. See AL POWER • Page 3
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Elmore County alum and University of Alabama softball sensation Elissa Brown scored one run and knocked in another in the final game as USA Softball Junior Women’s National Team swept the field at the JWNT Friendlies, ending the tournament with an 8-0 five-inning win over the Lady Gators. The Gators would put two base runners on early in the game after back-to-back singles with two outs. With runners on the corner, Julia Cottrill of Stillwater, Oklakoma picked off a stolen base attempt to keep the Gators off the board. The U.S. scored a run in the bottom of the first inning after Brown
Brown reached on a bobbled ball at first base. Using her speed to her advantage, Brown made a heads-up base running decision to swipe second base to put a runner in scoring position. A walk to Hannah Adams of Hoschton, Georgia put two runners on before a single from Jessica Harper of Stevenson Ranch, California plated Brown to give the Junior Nationals a 1-0 lead. See BROWN • Page 3
Times running out to sign up for youth football STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
Parents have one final chance to sign their youngster up to play in the Eclectic Youth Football and Cheerleading League this fall. The last opportunity to register takes place this Saturday, June 24, from 9 a.m. until noon at the old gymnasium at Elmore County High School. Parents should bring $95 to cover the cost of their child’s uniform and $40 to cover registration. For those interested, EYFCL will also hold a free football camp on July 15 at the Harden Street EYFCL practice field. The camp will feature Tracy Buchanan, defensive coordinator at Faulkner University and a former ECHS coach. If you need more information, please contact Jake Youland at 334-415-4345 or Jeremy Maynard at 334-415-0409.
PAGE 2 • JUNE 21, 2017
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
THE ECLECTIC OBSERVER
Obituaries
‘Buzzing’ about the weather at Eclectic Public Library summer program
Mr. Roy Terry Mulder Mr. Roy Terry Mulder, 66, of Tallassee, passed away June 17, 2017. He was born January 14, 1951. Funeral service will be Wednesday, June 21, at 3 p.m. at Linville Memorial Funeral Home with Rev. Ray Weaver officiating. Burial will follow at Claud Cemetery, Linville Memorial Funeral Home directing. The family will receive friends Wednesday, June 21, from 2 p.m. until service time at the funeral home. He is survived by his sister, Bonnie Knox (Charles); brothers, James Mulder (Carolyn) and Douglas Mulder (Linda); and several nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, Bobby and Lois Mulder and sister, Kathy Peoples. Online condolences at www. linvillememorial.com. Linville Memorial Funeral Home Eclectic, Alabama
Submitted / The Observer
A student in the Eclectic Public Library’s summer program checks out the bees brought to the library by Kathy Coleman, who talked to the children last Tuesday about her bee farm. Also on hand was News 8 meteorologist Shane Butler, who is the son of Eclectic Library Director Betty Coker, to talk to the children about the ever-changing topic of the weather. A film crew from News 8 was also on hand and the Eclectic group was featured on that night’s newscast.
Gas still on decline, but may end soon STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
Average retail gasoline prices in the Montgomery area – including Elmore County – have fallen 3.5 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $1.99 per gallon on Sunday, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 205 gas outlets in Montgomery. This compares with the national average that has fallen 4.4 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.28 per gallon, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy. com. Including the change in gas prices in Montgomery during the past week, prices yesterday were 14.1 cents per gallon lower than the same day one year ago and are 10.1 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has decreased 7.1 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 5.8 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago. According to GasBuddy historical data, gasoline prices on June 19 in Montgomery have ranged widely over the last five years from $2.13 per gallon in 2016 to $3.40 per gallon in 2014. Areas near Montgomery and their current gas price climate
include Pensacola at $2.25 per gallon, down 4.4 cents per gallon from last week’s $2.30 and Birmingham at $2.00 per gallon, down 2.6 cents per gallon from last week’s $2.02. Statewide, the average gasoline price in Alabama on Sunday was $2.01 per gallon, down 3.8 cents per gallon from last week’s $2.05. “Another week, another nearly country-wide decline in average gasoline prices as crude oil prices struggle near the lowest levels of the year,” said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy. “Motorists shouldn’t expect too much more of the nice price declines we’ve seen in the last couple of weeks as hurricane season comes in to view, but we could see another week with a majority of states seeing prices move lower again, thanks to gasoline inventories that remain quite healthy, along with refiners that continue to push out product at rates that have been higher than demand, leading to crude oil prices that have struggled mightily to gain a footing. “It looks like even OPEC’s best move to thwart supply increases hasn’t done much thanks to U.S. oil production which has charged back like a bull.”
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2018 election contests pushed back due to race for Sessions’ senate seat
he much-anticipated 2018 election contests have been pushed back by about three months due to the unanticipated race for Jeff Sessions’ senate seat. This ongoing contest will occupy the news through late September. It was previously thought that June 6 would be the opening bell since fundraising for next year’s June 5 primary. However, the bell will probably commence to chime in full force by Labor Day. It will be a year for the record books. The ballot will be so long that it will take most folks 15 minutes to vote. We will have an open governor’s race with at least six to nine viable candidates. That same number of folks will be in the open lieutenant governor’s race. You will have a hotly contested open race for attorney general. There will be five seats up for election on the state Supreme Court. There will be a fight among two sitting justices, Tom Parker and Lyn Stuart, for chief justice, all probate judges, and many circuit and district court judges in the state will be running as well as all 67 sheriffs. However, the most money will be spent on the 35 state Senate races and 105 state House seats. In recent years, special interest money in Montgomery has gravitated more than ever to legislative races. The 2018 legislative money raising could begin on June 6 but the jockeying and final decision-making will be delayed by not only the U.S. Senate race. There is also a large cloud of uncertainty as to how the districts will look when all is said and done by the federal courts. In January, a three-judge federal panel struck down the current district maps drawn in 2012. The three federal judges were following precedent sent down from the
Inside the Statehouse By Steve Flowers U.S. Supreme Court. Alabama Democrats led by the Alabama Democratic Conference and the Black Legislative Conference prevailed in what appeared to be a “Hail Mary” suit. They won at the U. S. Supreme Court level. The high tribunal’s decision said that the Alabama Republican legislature had intentionally moved black voters who overwhelmingly vote Democratic into loaded majorityminority districts that made it difficult to form alliances with likeminded white voters. This new theory embraced by the courts advised that it muted minority voices in the political process. The court is right about that. Democratic senators and representatives have been run over repeatedly over the last six years by the Republican majority. They have treated them with irrelevance and irreverence. The courts told the legislature to fix the lines to suit the court order. The Republicans ignored the court and ran over the Democrats again in the regular session. All of the black Democrats voted against the plan. The most contentious issue was over local politics. The Republicans’ maps gave Republicans a one-seat advantage in the House and Senate delegations in Jefferson County. They brought in GOP legislators who live in the suburbs surrounding Birmingham to give them a majority in the demographically Democratic county. The courts were essentially
ignored in favor of politics. The GOP supermajority continued to use the whip handle with the Democrats. However, they are not holding the cards in this poker game. When the court hears the case in September, the GOP plan will be discarded. The court may wind up drawing the new districts that legislators run under in 2018. The last time the courts drew the lines was in 1983. In that case, the judges sent the demographics and judicial requirements to cartography experts in New York and they fed them into a computer. The court ordered computer drawn districts that had no regard for county line boundaries or political enclaves, much less protecting incumbents. Several GOP legislators may wake up one morning in October and see that the courts have put them in the same districts. Therefore, most lobbyists and special interests are keeping their powder dry. They will probably not be doling out large legislative donations until qualifying time around the first of the year. The most hotly contested state senate race will be for the Dick Brewbaker seat in the Montgomery River Region. Brewbaker is not running for reelection. Most insiders expect Senator Harri Ann Smith to retire from her Houston/Geneva Wiregrass seat. Regardless, popular Dothan mayor Mike Schmitz is not running for a third term as mayor and is expected to run for that state Senate seat. We will see. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www. steveflowers.us.
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THE ECLECTIC OBSERVER
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
JUNE 21, 2017 • PAGE 3
Council
continued from page 1
was down in October and November last year.” Griffin said costs were being cut in the department in numerous areas and that he had paid for all of his equipment from weapons to ammo and to his squad computer, which he connected to the Internet through his personal cellphone. He said while beneficial in some ways, the hire of a new public works manager could have paid for two-dollar raises for all of the officers. “I’ve been told by my supervision that I need to start writing more tickets or my job was possibly in jeopardy. That doesn’t sit well with me. I do my job, I come in here every day, about three-quarters of the citizens know me. I don’t have any issue with any of them and when you’ve got people threatening your job because you’re not writing enough tickets that doesn’t sit well with me.” He described meetings in the council chambers where he said a “court system printout” with each officer’s ticket count was displayed for each officer and read out. “My job is not necessarily to stop everybody that I see violating a law and write them a speeding ticket or a tag-light out ticket or a busted taillight
ticket. Yeah, I could write everybody I see a ticket. You could take a brand new care off the showroom floor and find a reason to pull it over and write a ticket,” Griffin said. “That’s how you piss off a population. “For me to be told that I didn’t get a pay raise because I didn’t write 76 tickets, that I gave say 40 verbal warnings and wrote 15 written warnings and wrote a few tickets, that’s slapping me in the face. That’s saying that I’m not doing my job.” Griffin also spoke about the fire department and what he said he had witnessed with outdated equipment being used unsafely in order to cut costs. Fire Chief Josh Dorminey said he wanted the council to look at the way other municipalities helped fund their departments and cut back on utilities expenses, which he said were burdensome. Dorminey said a lot of their air packs (breathing apparatuses) were over 20 years old and the common change rate for the devices was about 10 years. “If we don’t get this grant we’re looking at near months before I can no longer send firefighters to anybody’s house, it’s either we’re going to have to stop fighting fire or we’re going to have
go to through a different department and ask them to loan us the air packs,” said Dorminey. “I can’t place blame on anybody.” Both departments are awaiting potential grant money to aid in the purchase of new equipment like body armor for the police and new air packs for firefighters. Davenport said after the discussion his assumption was these problems were solved. “It sounds like a lot of money for a lot of this equipment, but that stuff is very expensive and you don’t want to somebody to die,” Head said/ “I don’t want to go to this officer’s wife and tell her he got killed because he had a 14-year-old vest, and I understand funds are hard to come by.” Police Chief Robert Head later followed Dorminey. He said his officers did more than police, “These guys do a lot more that people don’t see,” Referring to residents he said “They love it when we stop and talk with them that’s what our real job comes from it’s not from writing tickets... even though its part of our job and we’ve got to do that to enforce laws, if not you have people flying everywhere.” He said most officers pay out of
pocket for their expenses. “They come out, they do their jobs the best they can, most of these officers here - their own stuff, I got my own stuff, we come out of pocket you know because we try to save money we do things elsewhere and all their asking, hey look at us to. A police officer, believe me its not hard to please him,” Head said. Regarding their outdated equipment he said, “Sometimes you can have the best equipment in the world and if it’s your day it’s your day But I don’t want it to be because of equipment failure and have to tell their loved one that because believe me if it’s even an injury because of old equipment the town don’t have enough money to pay for that.” Davenport said he appreciated their input and would reevaluate several of the town’s positions. “It is very evident we need to make an effort in a different couple of areas, which means that we’re going to have to reevaluate some of the things that we’ve got on the table We will have to reevaluate how we’re spending our money and how that money is being invested back into the community,” said Davenport.
Brown
continued from page 1
The U.S. added five more runs in the bottom of the second inning. Kaylee Tow of Madisonville, Kentucky walked to start the at-bat and came around to score after a blast over the left field fence by Cottrill. Another two runs were added by the second two-run home run of the inning by Adams and a solo shot from Bubba Nickles of Merced, California made it
a 6-0 lead. Team USA tacked on two more runs in the bottom of third inning after Lou Allan of Hesperia, California doubled off the center field fence and scored on a single from Sis Bates of Ceres, California. A misplayed line drive single from Brown to left field also brought Cottrill around to score, pushing the lead to 8-0.
That lead would hold through the next two innings of play as the U.S. walked away with the shutout win. Cottrill and Adams both picked up two RBI in the contest while two U.S. pitchers combined on the shutout. Giselle Juarez of Glendale, Arizona got the start in the circle, pitching three innings with four strikeouts before Natalie Lugo of West Covina,
California entered in relief. Lugo recorded one strikeout in her two innings of work. The USA Softball JWNT will take a brief break before heading to Concord, Massachusetts for an exhibition doubleheader on June 24. Fans can follow along with the National Team program by visiting USASoftball.com.
AL Power Category two included diversity of and emerging programs, pilot programs, low-income offerings, advanced metering penetration, utility data access and electric vehicles while the four subcategories of category three are energy savings targets, residential rate design, utility business model approaches and program evaluation practices. Out of all three categories Alabama Power, ranked 51 of 51 earning 0 of 25 points on the first category, 3.5 of 15 in the second and 1 of 10 for the third with an overall nine percent grade. First was a Massachusetts-based company, Eversource, tied with yet another Masachusetts utilities provider at 91 percent. Overall the northeast US and its six utilities compared ranked highest, followed by the Midwest with 13, the mid-Atlantic with 7 and lastly the southeast and 10 companies. Of all the sub categories the Alabama Power only scored noticeably well in the electric car category. However, appended to most of its rankings were notes, and the subscript said a majority of categories Alabama Power was ranked among the fields were either left blank or
continued from page 1
derived from the incomplete EIA year as the information source. It states: “We encountered several issues related to data. Some utilities do not publicly disclose detailed information on energy efficiency programs and performance. Annual energy efficiency reports are not typically available on utility websites and are sometimes difficult to locate through public utility commission websites. Additionally, annual reports are sometimes broken into many documents without a summary, making data difficult to extract and interpret.” However, Michael Sznajderman with Alabama Power Public Relations took issue with the report’s findings. “Its seems they didn’t do all their homework,” said Sznajderman. “The bottom line is that we have long promoted energy efficiency with our customers … We have a whole host of energy efficient-related programs which basically helps customers use energy more wisely.” He provided a document listing what it states as roughly 22 energy-efficiency related programs or what it labels “demand side management programs.” The programs are bro-
ken down into roughly seven categories, which are: residential energy efficiency programs, residential customer value programs, residential demand response programs, commercial energy efficiency programs, commercial and industrial value programs and commercial and industrial demand response programs and lastly transmission and distribution energy efficiency programs. “We think the report is flawed. They missed a lot of the programs (we) do,” Sznajderman. “They scored us zero in some areas where we have very active programs … peak command voltage conservation and some other innovation programs.” “We felt they missed a number of things that we do,” Sznajderman said, and added the non-finalized 2015 data was largely used. He added that the areas which placed highest were areas with higher energy costs “One other thing that’s just kind of good to know, if you look at some of the utilities that score very high they tend to be (in the) west and New England, places where energy costs are much higher,” Sznajderman said. “We’re still efficiency conscious
and work with our customers. They have a real need to help customers because their customers pay higher rates than in the southeast.” One of the authors of the ACEEE report, Brandon Baatz, senior manager of the Utilities Program, Brendon responded to the AP’s claim of ACEEE’s lax research. “We definitely did our homework, we spent a lot of time researching Georgia Power (owned by the same parent company as AP),” said Baatz. “We reviewed the data that they also file with the Energy Administration very carefully … what we used was publicly available data held by regulatory agencies.” Baatz said in response to Sznajderman’s assertion the area’s ranked high had higher energy costs, that he had considered the areas and he compared the region to the Pacific northwest, which he said was dominated as well by hydroelectric generation with dams. “I would say with confidence that there’s a lot more that Alabama Power could be doing,” Baatz said. “With them, the fact is they just don’t do a lot of efficiency.” Baatz said the goal
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with the report was to create a benchmark for these companies to compare their performance at energy efficiency. Another goal he said was that the results improve the quality of data reported to federal agencies and kept by the companies. The majority of which he said, “could be doing better.”
As for energy efficiency and why it was important, Baatz said it can benefit not only the environment and customers of utilities providers, but the providers themselves especially if partnered with states, which he said would also benefit from the efficiency efforts.
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PAGE 4 • JUNE 21, 2017
OPINION
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Little girls, slime and sparkly things
W
hat are little girls made of? Sugar and spice and everything nice, of course. Perhaps, that is why they like things so sparkly. I’m a guy. I’m as simple as they come, so I don’t really need anything sparkly, other than maybe a fishing lure. Just give me neutral on most things, and I’m good to go. My stepdaughter Emily once asked me what my favorite color was. She was concerned and stressed that I didn’t have one. I did, however, tell her that crimson was my least favorite. War Eagle! Last week, we were at the store buying groceries: milk, bread, slime ingredients—you know, just your regular run of the mill type stuff that your average family picks up. Emily has been on this slime craze as of late. Apparently, it’s a thing. All the kids are doing it. While I think it’s pretty silly, I’m sure if I was a 10-year-old little girl, I’d be in to, too. I was a part of the parachute pants and mullet craze, after all. The ingredients in making the slime include laundry detergent, borax, and Elmer’s Glue. The grocery store of choice that day had a very limited school supply section and the glue was more limited than that. In fact, there was one type of
JODY FULLER Columnist
Elmer’s Glue, so I told her we’d go somewhere else. She looked at me like I had slugs and snails and puppy dog tails coming out of my nose. “Noooooo. This is perfect,” she said. “It’s sparkly.” Indeed, it was. It was purple, sparkly Elmer’s Glue. Who knew that even existed? I only knew of the regular white stuff. When I was her age, I’d put it all over my hand and pull it off like dead skin. Yes, that’s kind of gross and disturbing, but I was a little boy. That’s who we are. Blame it on the slugs and snails. What can I say? We got home and made the slime. She read the recipe, while I pulled out the measuring spoons and other supplies. She mixed it all up and kept working it with her hands. She even said she was kneading it. Hey, as silly as slime is, if it’s a gateway to her learning to make homemade biscuits, then I’m all for it. Maybe her mom needs to get in on this slime craze, too. She kept working it and asked if I could add a little detergent. I was washing dishes, trying
to cook or something; I can’t remember, but I do know that I was busy and my hands were full. Much to my chagrin, I stopped what I was doing and poured her a little more laundry detergent. “Thank you,” she said. When it was ready, she looked over at me and said, “This is the best slime ever! It’s so sparkly.” I could tell she meant it by the smile that stretched from ear to ear. She even went on a weekend trip with her friend RG and took the sparkly slime with her. I think they made even more. As silly as it may be to a 45-year-old kid like me, the sparkly, purple, gluey, gooey slime made a 10-year-old little girl’s eyes light up and sparkle, making the entire process worth its weight in golden slime. She was a happy little girl, and that’s what it’s all about. A few days later, her eyes sparkled again, but this time that smile stretched all the way around her head. We found out that she was having a little sister. My eyes sparkled, too. In fact, they’re still sparkling. Jody Fuller is a comic, speaker, writer and soldier with three tours of duty in Iraq. He is also a lifetime stutterer. He can be reached at jody@jodyfuller.com. For more information, please visit www.jodyfuller.com
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THE ECLECTIC OBSERVER (005-022) is published weekly on Wednesday by Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc., 548 Cherokee Road, Alexander City, AL 35010. Periodical postage paid at Wetumpka, Alabama. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Eclectic Observer, P.O. Box 99, Wetumpka, AL 36092-0099 ISSN # 1536-688X 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, Weekend, 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 One Year in Elmore, Tallapoosa or Coosa County: $25 One Year Elsewhere: $38 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 publisher@thewetumpkaherald.com David Granger, managing editor david.granger@thewetumpkaherald.com NEWS Corey Arwood, staff writer corey.arwood@thewetumpkaherald.com . . . . . . . . . .Ext. 102 Carmen Rodgers, staff writer carmen.rodgers@thewetumpkaherald.com . . . . . . . .Ext. 101 SALES Marilyn Hawkins, marketing consultant marilyn.hawkins@TheWetumpkaHerald.com . . . . . . Ext. 305
Barrett put smiles on city seniors’ faces W
etumpka has some outstanding city employees. I met one on Friday. Mary Ann Barrett, director of the Wetumpka Senior Center, is a hoot. And the seniors of Wetumpka love her for it. I spent only a couple of hours at the center watching her interact with the city’s seniors. I saw enough. Barrett, a lifelong Wetumpka resident, is perfect for the job. She treats Wetumpka’s seniors like her kids – not the way an adult is condescending to children, but in the way they love them and look out for them. On Friday, there were some 35 or so seniors on hand at the center for the Father’s Day lunch. Barrett was kind enough to offer me a seat at the meal. Before the lunch, we talked a bit and I found out that her father and my late uncle had been good buddies. Later, I found out that I had known her husband, Wink, for probably about 35 years, since the days we showed beef steers together. But this isn’t about me or Wink Barrett or Mary Ann’s dad. It’s about Mary Ann and the report she has with the seniors who visit her daily at the Wetumpka Senior Center. One can be sure that, for
DAVID GRANGER Managing Editor
many, their time with Mary Ann, a lady full of life, is the highlight of their days. Some likely don’t have family nearby and everyone – you, me, our loved ones – needs someone to laugh with and share a smile. Mary Ann Barrett loves to laugh. Mary Ann Barrett loves to smile. About her job, which she’s held just since March, although she’s worked at the center for two years, Barrett says, “I love it. I absolutely love it.” On Friday, she did something I heard she’s prone to do. She came up with an idea right on the spot to make the day a little brighter. On everyone’s table at the luncheon was an arrangement with marbles at the bottom of a clear vase and a fish in each one, swimming about, looking a bit confused. At the drop of the hat, Mary Ann decided that a way to let the seniors have some fun with the
fish was to let each table name theirs with one receiving a prize for the best name. The prize wasn’t much (a basket of snacks for the seniors who sat at the winning table), but that’s not really important. Before leaving I could see and hear the seniors discussing, laughing about and, yes, a few arguments about the best name for their fish. The game was instant fun. “You have to have fun,” Barrett said. “That’s a big part of what life’s about, right?” The names that Barrett chose for finalists were Redtail, Toto, Bluefin, Wink the Fish, Little Willie and Charlie. And the winning name? Charlie, as in the famous tuna from the Starkist commercials. Though only one small group of seniors won the basket of snacks, all of those who frequent the Wetumpka Senior Center get much more every day. A few hours with – and even more laughs – with Miss Mary Ann. David Granger is the managing editor of Tallapoosa Publishers Elmore County newspapers. He can be reached at david.granger@ thewetumpkaherald.com
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CommunityCalendar NOW – July 25
The Wetumpka Public Library will begin its summer reading series, “Build a Better World,” for children entering grades 1-6. There will be a weekly event at the Wetumpka Civic Center each Tuesday from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. These are specially designed activities to encourage children to enjoy reading and maintain their reading skills over the summer holiday. Participants will be given journals to log the books they read and how much time they spend reading. For more information visit www.wetumpkalibrary.com or call (334) 567-1308.
NOW – July 27
The Wetumpka Public Library will begin its summer series for students entering grades 7 – 12. Movies will be shown weekly on Thursdays at 1 p.m. at the library. For more information call (334) 567-1308 or visit www.wetumpkalibrary.com
June 23
King Bridal will hold its ribbon cutting at its new facility, located at 409 South Main St. in Wetumpka, next door to Unplugged, at 2 p.m. Come on out andmeet the owner, Latoya King.
June 23
Santuck Baptist Church invites everyone to join them at Santuck Baptist West Campus for a free movie night at 7:30 p.m. They will be showing “The Secret Life of Pets.” For more information please visit www.santuckbaptist. org.
June 23
Six former Ms. Alabama Senior America queens and one Ms. Missouri queen will be performing at the Equality Performing Arts Center (EPAC). Selections will range from Tammy Wynette and Patsy Cline songs to show tunes, southern gospel, tapping, clogging, piano and an operatic aria. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the program begins at 7 p.m. There will be no admission
charged, but donations are welcome. The EPAC is located in downtown Equality on Alabama Highway 9. Shows are held at the EPAC every second and fourth Friday. Contact Wayne Glenn at (334) 3206326 for more information.
June 24
The Shoppes at Eastchase, Blackfinn Ameripub, the Montgomery Bicycle Club and Ability Sport Network at Huntingdon College invite you to ride Cycling for Sight at 7 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. There are optional 20-mile, 45-mile, 65-mile and 100mile fun rides to benefit the Montgomery Lions Club Community Foundation charities. This is the seventh ride in the Alabama Backroads Century Series, This ride will commemorate Helen Keller, a native Alabamian who courageously challenged Lions Club members to become “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.” Visit www.montgomerylionsclub.com for more information.
June 26-29
Vacation Bible is coming to Calvary Baptist Church each evening from 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Come join us as we “Camp Out: Getting S’more of Jesus.” Ages 3 years through sixth grade are invited to attend. For more information call (334) 567-4729.
June 26-30
New Home Baptist Church, located at 1605 New Home Road in Titus, will host “Maker Fun Factory Vacation Bible School.” Supper will be served each night at 6 p.m. and class will be taught from 6:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m. Maker Fun Factory is a world where curious kids become hands-on inventors who discover they’re lovingly crafted by God! Sunday, July 2 is Family Day, where families can see what the kids learned all week at 10 a.m. Lunch will follow at 11 a.m. Please make plans to attend. You aren’t going to
want to miss out on the fun.
June 27
The Alabama State University Small Business Development Center will hold a Quickbooks for Small Business 101 workshop from 11 a.m until 1 p.m. at the Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce. Registration and business networking begins at 10:30 a.m. In the workshop, presented by Simplified Management Products Inc., participants will learn about how to use QuickBooks for small business accounting. The class will cover QuickBooks Desktop versions. Topics of discussion will include: •Basic Accounting •How to set up your company in QB •How to set up and work with customers •How to set up vendors •How to set up work with your bank accounts •How to set up and pay employees •How to pay payroll taxes The workshop is free to attend. To pre-register, point your Internet browser to asbdc.ecenterdirect.com/ events/7842.
June 27
The Elmore County chapter of the NAACP will host its monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Center located at 200 N. Lancaster Street in Wetumpka.
June 29
Main Street Wetumpka will host a market study presentation from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Many of Wetumpka’s residents took an online survey. At this meeting you will learn what those surveys were all about as we discover what you want more of or would like to see in your downtown. Jay Schlinsog of Downtown Pros will give the presentation in collaboration with Main Street Wetumpka and Main Street Alabama.
June 30
Market Shoppes of Wetumpka will hold its rib-
JUNE 21, 2017 • PAGE 5
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bon cutting at the 211 Hill St.. facility in Wetumpka in the former We-2 Gifts building. Come out and meet owner
July 4
The Lake Jordan’s HOBO Association’s annual 4th of July fireworks show will be at dark. The fireworks are shot from the east side (Titus side) of Lake Jordan dam. The show is best viewed from the water.
July 4
The City of Wetumpka will hold its annual July 4 fireworks show at Gold Star Park. The show will be preceded by music from “Wishbone” and free activities for children from 6-9 p.m. and the fireworks will begin at 9 p.m. The event is sponsored by the City of Wetumpka and Wind Creek Casino. For more information, visit cityofwetumpka. com or call 334-567-5147.
July 15
The Wetumpka Basketball Boosters will be hosting the inaugural “Biker Tribe Ride” from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Wetumpka High School. There will be a bike show and car show as well as a charity bike ride. For additional information email We2basketball@gmail.com.
July 22
Wetumpka’s annual River and Blues Music and Arts Festival, 2 p.m. through 10 p.m. in Downtown Wetumpka. This year’s festival will feature Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas plus 2017 International Blues Challenge finalist King Bee and will include a massive kid’s zone and the Riverwalk Fine Arts Show. In addition to the headliners, the music festival will also feature performances by Jukebox Brass Band, Slim Jeezy & the Feel Good Band, Jimmy Baker, Rachel Wilson, Jeff Pasley, Jilla Webb and more! For more information, visit the website at www.riverandblues.net.
August 4
The Elmore County
Homeschool Organization will host a free event open to families from any county in the area that are currently homeschooling or are interested in homeschooling. Light refreshments will be served. Children are welcome. There will be activity tables for their enjoyment. For more information visit www. onlineecho.com/openhouse2017.
August 12
Join us for our first ever More for Moms Expo! We are planning a fun and informative day for River Region moms that will feature WSFA 12 News personalities, guest speakers, vendors, a fashion show, goody bags and more. For more information visit our Facebook page, More for Moms Expo.
ONGOING EVENTS
• The Elmore County Branch #5026 of the NAACP meets at 6:30 p.m. every third Tuesday (the executive committee) and every fourth Tuesday (full membership) at the Martin Luther King Center located at 200 N. Lancaster Street in Wetumpka. • The DAC Foundation exhibit located at 219 Hill Street in downtown Wetumpka will be open each Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. Our first exhibit at this location features work by Dixie Art Colony artists Arthur Stewart, Kelly Fitzpatrick, Shiney Moon, Lousie Everton, Karl Wolfe, Billy Wilson and Genevieve Sutherland. Some of the work has never been publicly shown. For information visit DixieArtColony.org or follow us on Facebook. • Celebrate Recovery meets at Grace Point Community Church, located at 78223 Tallassee Highway, every Tuesday night at 6:15 p.m. All are welcome! These meetings are a safe and loving environment for individuals seeking to conquer their hurts, habits, and hang-ups! For more information visit
gracepoint.info. • Celebrate Recovery meets at Journey Church, located at 2960 East Cobbs Ford Road every Monday at 5:30 p.m. There is a meal and childcare provided. Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered 12-step for anyone struggling with addiction or life-challenging issues. Call Larry at (334) 832-5714 or visit myjourneychurch.com for more information. • Celebrate Recovery meets each Thursday evening at 6:15 p.m. at Santuck Baptist Church, located at 7250 Central Plank Road. This is a Christ centered 12 step program for anyone struggling with hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Call (334) 567-2364 for more information. • Fresh Start Recovery meets every Thursday from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at First United Methodist Church Wetumpka located at 306 W Tuskeena Street. Fresh Start Motorcycle Ministry began when God laid it on the heart of a lifetime biker to minister to those with his background. All are welcome, not a requirement to own/ ride a motorcycle. Format used is the Holy Bible. For information contact ministry leader Paul Henderson at (334) 2015428. • Gamblers Anonymous meets Saturdays at 6 p.m. at Cedarwood Community Church, located at 10286 U.S. Highway 231 in the Wallsboro/ Wetumpka community. Call (334) 567-0476 for more information. • Griefshare Ministry meets on Tuesday nights at 6:30 p.m. This ministry is for anyone who is dealing with the loss of a loved one and is seeking guidance and encouragement. There is a small fee for the materials and this is open to all people needing support. Contact the church office for more information 334-567-4729 or visit www. calvarybaptistwetumpka.org or our FACEBOOK page @ calvarybaptistwetumpka.
Humane Society of Elmore County receives 11th ‘surprise grant’ from CACF STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
The eleventh Central Alabama Community Foundation (CACF) ‘surprise grant’ was awarded Wednesday, June 14, to the Humane Society of Elmore County (HSEC). CACF surprised HSEC Executive Director Rea Cord with balloons and a $3,000 check. This year the CACF is celebrating 30 years since its founding in 1987. To commemorate this milestone anniversary, CACF will award 30 surprise grants to local nonprofits. These grants will be awarded over the course of 2017. The Humane Society of Elmore County is located in Wetumpka and has been in operation since 1993. Approximately 5,000 domestic animals come into the shelter each year through surrender or Animal Control. The shelter houses 250 animals at a time, preparing them for adoption by providing food, immunizations, medical treatment and behavioral evaluation. The shelter receives 25 percent of its funding from the government and the remainder comes from charitable donations and fundraising activities. “CACF would like to congratulate the Humane Society of Elmore
County staff and volunteers for being chosen as our 11th surprise grant recipient. We thank them for providing crucial services to animals in our community,” said CACF President Burton Ward. Donate to our surprise grants and help CACF celebrate our 30th anniversary, by making a donation at www.cacfinfo.org or by check to CACF, 35 S. Court Street, Montgomery, AL 36104. For more information, contact CACF Development Officer Whitney Griswold Califf at (334) 264-6223 or whitney.griswold@cacfinfo.org CACF was founded in 1987 and has grown to hold over $59 million in charitable assets while distributing over $50 million to organizations that serve the community. CACF serves several counties including Autauga, Coffee, Dale, Elmore, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lowndes, Macon, and Montgomery. Through its 200+ funds, CACF addresses a wide variety of concerns, supporting projects and programs in education, health, human services, cultural arts, recreation, historic preservation and other civic concerns. Each year, the Foundation distributes over $3 million through hundreds of grants and scholarships.
Submitted / The Herald
Elmore County Humane Society Executive Director Rea Cord (left) accepts a check from the Central Alabama Community Foundation on Wednesday, June 14. HSEC was the 11th recipient of what will be 30 ‘surprise grants’ handed out this year by the CACF to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
Pet of the Week — Jewel Jewel is a too-cute, eight-month-old female bulldog mix found as a stray getting into the trash. She is great with other dogs, very playful, about 40-45 pounds and also just loves to snuggle with her person. Our adoption fees are $100 for dogs and $50 for cats under one-year-old; cats over oneyear-old can be adopted by approved adopters for a fee of their choosing. This adoption fee completely covers the mandatory spay or neuter, basic immunizations, de-worming, microchip, heartworm check for dogs, rabies vaccination (if old enough) and a free health exam with your participating veterinarian. To meet all the great pets at our shelter come to 255 Central Plank Road in Wetumpka. For more information, go to our website at www.elmorehumane.org, email us at hselco@ bellsouth.net or give us a call at 334-567-3377. We are open for adoptions Monday – Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
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JUNE 21, 2017 • PAGE 7
SPORTS
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2017 All-Area Baseball Team
Catcher
Pitchers
Zach Mozingo, Sr.
Will Peters, Sr.
Dee Williams, Sr.
Reid Whitaker, Sr.
Record: 8-3 ERA: 1.34 Strikeouts: 83 Also played outfield and named firstteam 4A All-State by ASWA. Batted .416 with five doubles and 22 RBI and stole 34 bases.
Batting Avg: 290 RBI: 35 Extra-base hits: 13 Second on team in both RBI and extra-base hits, was one of four Tigers to start all 41 games.
Tallassee
Stanhope Elmore
Record: 6-2 ERA: 2.55 Strikeouts: 26 Effectively pitches to contact and allows Mustangs defense to make plays behind him.
Tallassee
Record: 8-4 ERA: 1.89 Strikeouts: 88 Named first-team 4A All-State by Alabama Sports Writers Association. Signed to play collegiately at Mississippi University for Women. Also hit .390 with 22 RBI.
Tallassee
Infield
Tanner Anderson, Sr.
Casey Baynes, Jr.
Batting Average: .433 RBI: 24, Runs: 50 Speedy second baseman was voted second-team 6A All-State by ASWA. Totaled 18 extra-base hits (including six triples) and stole 26 bases.
Batting Average: .407 HR: 4 RBI: 37 Member of Tallassee’s first family of athletics was voted honorable mention 4A AllState by ASWA. Racked up 20 extra-base hits (12 doubles, four triples, four homers) and stole 35 bases.
Stanhope Elmore
Blake Dean, Sr.
Tallassee
Mark McGowin, Sr.
Tallassee
Stanhope Elmore
Batting Average: .374 HR: 2 RBI: 34 Another member of a senior-laden Tallassee team, he finished third on the team in batting and had a .951 fielding percentage at first base.
Batting Average: .414 RBI: 24, SB: 13 Voted honorable mention 6A All-State by the ASWA. Also spent time on the mound, putting together a 1-2 record with a 2.16 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 22 innings.
Outfield
Dylan Culverhouse, Jr. Holtville
Batting Average: .340 RBI: 17, Hits: 33 Solid hitting outfielder on a solid team that could be one to watch out for next season. Also pitched for the Bulldogs.
Brody Feith, Jr. Stanhope Elmore
Batting Average: .350 RBI: 25, Runs: 23 Had four triples and nine stolen bases on the year. Also part of a deep Mustangs pitching staff, finishing 6-3 with 50 innings pitched and 53 strikeouts.
Matt Watters, Sr. Edgewood Academy Batting Average: .367 RBI: 25, SB: 10 Selected to play in AISA Senior All-Star game. Three triples and a home run among extra-base hits. Scored 17 runs for Wildcats.
Utility
Austin Lankford, Sr. Holtville
Batting Average: .380 RBI: 20, Hits: 46 Holtville’s best hitter will be missed by head coach Michael Dismukes next season. Also provided, with Culverhouse, southpaw production on the mound.
Chase Driver, Jr. Holtville
Batting Average: .356 RBI: 34, HR: 1 With Culverhouse, will anchor Bulldog squad next season. Provided much needed power and will likely add strength for senior season.
Parker Head, Jr. Stanhope Elmore
Batting Average: .469 RBI: 30, SB: 23 Speedy shortstop also pitched for the Mustangs, posting a 2.78 ERA in 33 innings pitched, striking out 49. Will likely spend more time on mound as senior.
Honorable Mentions Gabe Maynard, Jr., Edgewood Academy; Clai Brown, Jr., Miller Williams, Sr., and Skylar Sanders, Sr., Elmore County; Jake Brown, Sr., Holtville; Nate Hodge, Soph., Stanhope Elmore; Jake Burton, Jr., Tallassee; Trey McCreary, Jr., and Max Champion, Jr., Wetumpka.