Tallassee Tribune May 10 2023

Lawrence given chamber Lifetime Achievement Award

B

BAXLEY AND SIDES OVERALL SEWELL AWARD WINNERS

B y CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

The unexpected death of Philip Lutzenkirchen almost nine years ago wasn’t the first time Abby Lutzenkirchen Forristall felt tested.

Instead of shying away, Forristall used God and her big brother as motivation to encourage others to pause and make better choices.

Forristall, of the Lutzie 43 Foundation, was the speaker at the 19th annual Joe Sewell Memorial Award Banquet and shared her journey as a student, athlete “ and most importantly as a friend, sister and daughter in my faith.” The foundation was created to honor the memory of Philip and reduce the number of distracted and impaired driving incidents.

“It’s hard to believe how long it has been,” Forristall said. “It also feels like it was just yesterday I was being picked on as the youngest of four by my 6 feet 4 inch 250 pound brother sitting on me on the couch until I would give him the remote when we were in high school.”

Forristall played competitive soccer at one of the nation’s top club teams giving her the opportunity to get offers from NCAA Division 1 schools.

“I also got a chance to play and be part

Elmore County Commission recognizes foster families A decision can change your life or end it

families are certified to be foster parents.

ADDITIONALLY, THE ELMORE COUNTY COMMISSION REVIEWED THE FOLLOWING ITEMS DURING ITS MEETING ON MONDAY:

• Approved minutes of the April 24 meeting.

• Approved warrants in the amount of $1,815,208.05 for April 15 to April 28.

• Approved the 011 Lounge Retail Liquor Class II Package Alcohol License for Bottle Paradise.

• Set a public hearing for the transfer of a retail beer and retail table wine off premises only alcohol license for 5 p.m. Monday May 22. The next scheduled meeting of the Elmore County Commission is 5 p.m. Monday, May 22. The Elmore County Administrative Complex will be closed Monday, May 29 in observance of Memorial Day.

Police Reports

TALLASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT

MAY 8

• Debris was reported in the roadway on Rifle Range Road.

• A domestic dispute was reported on Darnell Road.

MAY 7

• A fight with weapons was reported on Second Avenue.

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

• Harassment was reported on Rushing Circle.

• A white male was arrested during a trespassing call on Willow Street.

• Gunfire was reported on Cricket Ridge.

• Theft was reported on Third Avenue.

• A motor vehicle accident was reported on Dorman Avenue.

• Theft was reported on Freeman Avenue.

• A noise complaint was reported on East Patton Street.

• Identity theft was reported on Freeman Avenue.

• Assistance was given to a motorist on Poplar Street.

• Reckless driving was reported on Friendship Road.

• Theft was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

• Assistance was given to a motorist on Barnett Boulevard.

• A suspicious vehicle was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

• A suspicious vehicle was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

• A child custody dispute was reported on James Street.

MAY 6

• A domestic dispute was reported on Cliff Street.

• A burglary was reported on Central Boulevard.

• Gunfire was reported on Wall Street.

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

• Assistance was given to a motorist on Freeman Avenue.

• Assistance was given to a motorist on Highway 229.

• Debris was reported in the roadway on Central Boulevard.

• A suspicious vehicle was reported on Macedonia Road. MAY 5

• A white female was arrested during a domestic incident on Clay Street.

• Assistance was given to medics on North Johnson Street.

• A prowler was reported on Rushing Circle.

• A white male was arrested on Riverside Avenue.

• A juvenile complaint was reported on Redden Avenue.

• Harassment was reported on Riverside Avenue.

• A domestic incident was reported on Third Street.

• A welfare check was conducted on Notasulga Road.

• A white female was arrested during a fight in progress call on Little Road.

• Assistance was given to a motorist on Gilmer Avenue.

• An assault was reported on Little Road.

• A domestic dispute was reported on Little Road.

• Animal control was requested on Barnett Boulevard.

• Assistance was given to a motorist on Fourth Street.

Magnolia Street. MAY 4

• Harassment was reported on Riverside Avenue.

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

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

• Assistance was given to a motorist on Gilmer Avenue.

• Littering was reported on Cedar Lane.

• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue.

• Animal control was requested on Gilmer Avenue.

• A Black male was arrested during a suspicious vehicle call on Third Avenue.

• A welfare check was conducted on Central Boulevard. MAY 3

• A hit and run accident was reported on Ashurst Avenue.

• Reckless driving was reported on Washington Street.

• An animal complaint was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

• A motor vehicle accident with an injury was reported on North Ann Avenue.

• Criminal mischief was reported on Central Boulevard.

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

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Riley Road.

• A suspicious vehicle was reported on Notasulga Road.

• A domestic dispute was reported on Hickory Street.

• A welfare check was conducted on Grimes Street.

rested during a traffic stop on Highway 229.

• Assistance was given to another agency on Main Street.

• A prowler was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

• Reckless driving was reported on Notasulga Road.

• A welfare check was conducted on Macedonia Road.

• A white male was arrested on Barnett Boulevard.

• A welfare check was conducted on Freeman Avenue.

• Trespassing was reported on Lower Tuskegee Road.

• Theft was reported on Clayton Road.

• Assistance was given to a motorist on Friendship Road.

• An animal complaint was reported on Third Street.

• Assistance was given to a motorist on Hull Street.

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

• A Black male was arrested on Barnett Boulevard. MAY 1

• A suspicious vehicle was reported on Barnett Boulevard.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Jordan Avenue.

• Unauthorized use of a vehicle was reported on Redden Avenue.

• A civil disturbance was reported on Softball Way.

• A hit and run accident was reported on Friendship Road.

• A white male was arrested on Barnett Boulevard.

• An animal bite was reported on Ralph Bunchie Street.

• A white female was arrested on Herd Street.

• A suspicious vehicle was reported on Freeman Avenue.

• A suspicious vehicle was reported on West Gantts Mill Road.

• An assault was reported on James Street.

• A motor vehicle accident with no injuries was reported on Caldwell Street.

• Theft was reported on North McKenzie Street.

• A Black male was arrested on Barnett Boulevard.

• Trespassing was reported on Washington Street.

• A Black female was arrested on Barnett Boulevard.

• Theft was reported on

Elmore County Community Calendar

SATURDAY, MAY 13

MAY MARKET: Eclectic the Beautiful presents the second annual May Market from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 13 in downtown Eclectic. For vendor registration, email eclecticthebeautiful@yahoo.com or call 334-425-4618 or 334-399-6451.

ONGOING

SUPPORT GROUP: The last Thursday of every month, Restoration 49 Coffee Shop plays host to a support group for parents who have lost a child. The meetings begin at 6 p.m. each month. For more information, please contact Heather Baker at hbakerjj@aol. com.

PRESCHOOL STORYTIME: After more than a year long hiatus, Preschool Storytime has resumed at the Wetumpka Public Library. The first story time was held on Friday, May 14, and will take place every Friday at the library at 10 a.m.

ECLECTIC TOWN COUNCIL

MEETINGS: Eclectic Town Council meetings are held on the third Monday of each month at Town Hall. Council meetings begin at 7 p.m. with work sessions taking place prior to the meeting at 6 p.m. Meetings are held in the Dr. M. L. Fielder Municipal Building, 145 Main Street.

NAACP MEETINGS: The Elmore County Branch No. 5026 of the NAACP meets at 6:30 p.m. every third Tuesday (executive committee) and every fourth Tuesday (full membership) at the Martin Luther King Center at 200 North Lancaster St. in Wetumpka.

OPEN MIC: The Equality

Performing Arts Center hosts an open mic jam session from 7 to

MAY 2

• An animal bite was reported on Friendship Road.

• A domestic dispute was reported on Riley Road.

• Trespassing was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

• A Black male was ar -

9 p.m. every second Friday of the month at 560 Highway 9 in Equality. There is no charge but donations are welcome as they keep the center running. Bring a snack or finger food to share during the intermission. RED HILL COMMUNITY CLUB

MEETINGS: Red Hill Community Club Meetings are held every second Monday of the month. Join the Red Hill Historical Preservation Association in the auditorium of the Old Red Hill School, located off state Route 229 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss upcoming events. MOUNT HEBRON CHURCH OF CHRIST: Come join us at 4530 Mt. Hebron Road in Eclectic. Our Sunday school begins at 9 a.m. followed by worship service at 10:30. There is also a Wednesday night Bible study at 7 p.m. For more information call Pastor Edwin Walker at 334-541-2025

LUNCH AND LEARN: Lunch and learn Tuesdays with Kelly are scheduled at the Kelly Fitzpatrick Memorial Gallery at 124 Company Street in Wetumpka from noon to 1 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month. For more information, visit www.thekelly.org.

CELEBRATE RECOVERY

GRACE POINT: Celebrate Recovery meets at Grace Point Community Church at 78223 Tallassee Highway in Wetumpka each Tuesday at 6:15 p.m. All are welcome to the meetings which provide a safe and loving environment for individuals seeking to conquer their hurts, habits and hangups. For more information, visit www.Gracepoint.info or contact Gwin Greathouse at gwingreat house@gmail.com.

• A civil dispute was reported on Birch Street.

• Gunfire was reported on Gen. Chappy James Street.

• An animal complaint was reported on Main Street.

• A domestic dispute was reported on Recreational Center Road.

CELEBRATE RECOVERY SANTUCK: Celebrate Recovery meets each Thursday at 6:15 p.m. at Santuck Baptist Church at 7250 Central Plank Rd. This is a Christcentered, 12-step program for anyone struggling with hurts, habits, and hangups. Call 334-567-2364 for more information or contact jyates@santuckbaptist.org.

GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS:

Gamblers Anonymous meets Saturdays at 6 p.m. at Cedarwood Community Church at 10286 U.S. Highway 231 in Wallsboro/ Wetumpka. Call 334-567-0476 for more information. AA MEETING: Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are held Mondays at 7 p.m. located at 105 Tuskeena St. in Wetumpka. RED HILL SCHOOL: The Red Hill School on Highway 229 in the Red Hill Community in Tallassee is open Fridays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for local live music performances. No admission is charged but donations are welcomed to maintain the building and pay for refreshments.

MASTER GARDENER HELPLINE: If you have gardening questions you can call the Master Gardener Helpline at 1-877-2524769. The helpline starts March 1 and ends in August.

CHILDREN’S HARBOR: Children’s Harbor Treasures and Thrift Store Located on state route 63 just south of Lake Martin Amphitheater, the Children’s Harbor Thrift Store is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. proceeds are used to help fund the activities at the Lake Martin campus of children’s harbor and the Family Center at Children’s Hospital. Call 334-857-2008 for more information.

Pet of the Week - Mercy

Mercy is a one-year-old 38-lb female Pit mix. She came to us with a horribly injured left front leg that had to be amputated. She has recovered wonderfully in a foster home and is house trained, good with dogs, cats and children. Mercy is sweet as can be, very smart and also very active and agile. She will need a privacy fence or 6’ wire fence to keep her safely at home. She loves people and is definitely a house dog who likes going for walks and loves

car rides – anything as long as she is with her people. Our adoption fees are $100 for dogs & $50 for cats under one-yearold; cats over one-year-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, free health exam with your participat -

Humane Society of Elmore County News

By REA CORD HSEC Executive Director

This National Pet Week® as well as Be Kind to Animals Week is a good time to celebrate the special bonds between pets and people. We encourage pet owners to ensure that they provide all of their animal companions –furry, feathered, scaly or otherwise – a complete lifetime of love. Pets are a huge part of our lives. They provide companionship and unconditional love no matter what the circumstances. They listen to us, cuddle with us, give us a ride on a trail, protect us, and some offer therapy assistance and medical services. After all they do for us, this is the week to revisit how we can give back to them.

National Pet Week focuses on responsible pet ownership which starts with planning and thought.

PLEASE BE A RESPONSIBLE PET OWNER:

1. Commit

• Avoid impulsive decisions when selecting a pet.

• Select a pet that’s suited to your home and lifestyle.

• Keep only the type and number of pets for which you can provide appropriate food, water, shelter, health care and companionship.

• Commit to the relationship for the life of your pet(s).

• Provide appropriate exercise and mental stimulation.

• Properly socialize and train your pet.

2. Invest

• Recognize that pet ownership requires an investment of time and money.

• Make sure your pet receives preventive health care (vaccinations, parasite prevention), as well as care for any illnesses or injuries.

• Budget for potential emergencies.

3. Obey

• Clean up after your pet.

• Obey all local ordinances, including licensing, leash requirements and noise control.

• Don’t allow your pet to stray or become feral.

4. Identify

• Make sure your pet is properly identified (i.e., tags, microchips, or tattoos) and keep its registration up-to-date.

5. Limit

ing veterinarian. If you are interested in meeting Mercy or any of our pets, please complete our online Adoption Application at elmorehumane.org Once approved, we will coordinate with you to set up an appointment to meet & adopt. We are located at 255 Central Plank Road, Wetumpka, AL, 36092, our phone number is 334-567-3377 and our website is www.elmorehumane.org for more information.

• Don’t contribute to our nation’s pet overpopulation problem: limit your pet’s reproduction through spay/ neuter, containment or managed breeding.

6. Prepare • Prepare for an emergency or disaster, including assembling an evacuation kit.

• Make alternate arrangements if you can no longer provide care for your pet.

• Recognize any decline in your pet’s quality of life and make timely decisions in con -

sultation with a veterinarian.

We take all the above to heart when doing our adoptions so that our pets can go to their best possible homes because ‘Their Future is our Priority!”

Tallassee Talks

Dr. David Bronner Celebrates Fifty Years as CEO of RSA

May 10, 2023:

The legendary head of the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA), Dr. David Bronner, celebrates 50 years as CEO this month. When the annals of Alabama history are written, there will never be an Alabamian as remarkable a public servant to our state than David Bronner.

Dr. David Bronner has marked his place in Alabama governmental history. When Bronner took his present job with RSA, the Retirement Systems had approximately $500 million of funds.

Today, RSA has approximately $43.9 billion in funds under management and manages the pensions for 385,000 public teachers and public employees.

Alabama public employees will swear by, standup for, and place on a golden pedestal David Bronner. They credit him with securing their retirement years with a solid foundation. Indeed, he has. The Employees’ Retirement System and the Teachers’ Retirement System are financially sound and the envy of most other states. Bronner is quick to credit the Alabama Legislature for their part in helping to ensure the systems are fully funded, which is something that has set RSA apart from pensions in other states.

Dr. Bronner is also the head of the insurance program for public educators, the Public Education Employees’ Health Insurance Plan. This program covers over 300,000 educators, retirees, and dependents. This $1.4 billion a year program provides excellent benefits to members at a low cost to both the members and employers. In fact, RSA has managed the plan with level funding for the past seven years and plans to do the same in the coming year.

Bronner was born in Iowa and received his elementary and high school education in Minnesota. He came to Alabama to study law.

He earned his Law Degree and PHD from the University of Alabama in 1972. Shortly after graduation, he became Assistant Dean of the Law School at the University of Alabama. A year later, at the age of 28, he became head of the Retirement Systems of Alabama. Today, 50 years later, Bronner is a youthful looking 78 with plenty of vigor and probably no plans to retire. When you have a conversation with him it is an experience you will never forget. He is extremely quick witted. There is no mistaking that you are talking with someone very intelligent. He has digested your words almost before they are out of your mouth and will reply immediately with a succinct response that appears as though he has given it 15 minutes of thought. Of course, that may be because we native Alabamians talk a little slower than he does.

The Retirement Systems of Alabama has contributed a great deal to the state’s economy over the last 50 years. One the greatest legacies that Dr. Bronner may enjoy is his creation of Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. This idea generated a profit for RSA in the first years. The brilliance of the Golf Trail is not only the profits the Trail generates for the RSA, but the peripheral boost to our state’s economy.

The Golf Trail has enhanced the image of Alabama. It has also benefitted the state’s attractiveness for corporate recruitment. The economic benefits and prestige that it brings to our state are exponential and helped increase tourism from a $1.8 billion industry to

a yearly $24 plus billion industry. The courses have made Alabama a tourist destination. It brings well-heeled northern golfers to our state for weeklong stays and they spend untold amounts of money in our hotels and restaurants. Snowbird golf enthusiasts are locked out of their courses six to seven months of the year so they journey to warm climates of the Heart of Dixie to play these world class courses. They might look at the adjoining hole and see Dr. Bronner playing, chomping on his ever-present cigar.

The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s first seven sites were constructed in Birmingham, Mobile, Huntsville, Opelika-Auburn, Dothan, and Greenville. These seven were completed from 1990 to 1994. The Prattville site opened, and the Lakewood Club course in Point Clear joined the Trail in 1999. The premier Hoover site at Ross Bridge appeared in 2005.

The Ross Bridge course and Ross Bridge Renaissance Resort Hotel and Spa may be the crown jewel. This Hoover location attracts national conventions and has spawned one of the premier residential neighborhoods in the state. Ross Bridge is home to a good many of the young physicians and medical specialists from UAB.

Dr. Mark Fagan has authored a wonderful book on Alabama’s Golf Trail, Dr. Bronner and the RSA. It is entitled, Alabama’s Public Pension Fund Growth and Economic Expansions Since 1972. 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 legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.

Americas Immutability

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In the early days of Operation Iraqi Freedom Baghdad International Airport (BIAP) was the hub for US activity in the war zone. Saddam’s nearby palace and the Green Zone a half hour east were still being hardened. But despite the hostile red zone I was shocked to find a thriving Burger King already set up at BIAP!

The chow hall at BIAP wasn’t bad. But nonetheless the Burger King was going gangbusters with an assembly line of basic orders for troops who stood in line for as long as it took to get burgers and fries wrapped in that waxy yellow paper. It tasted like home, and at one point the Baghdad Burger King was the third highest grossing BK in the world!

Housed in a mobile unit the Baghdad BK was a symbol of the home towns that so many troops had left behind to go fight a war on foreign soil. Its branding stood out like a beacon. The burgers and fries tasted the way they were expected to taste. Platoon Sergeants became heroes when they bought a sack of cheeseburgers for their whole platoon. It was a consistent taste and sight of home imported without change and it was awesome. Around that time I also had a conversation with my interpreter. The moment is burned into my memory when he said, “Sir, I was talking with my father last night, and he said to me that the reason that America is so blessed is because they are honorable and they keep their promises”.

It was a heartfelt statement that I logged away in my mind under the “don’t forget this moment” category. I can’t help but wonder if his father still feels that way in the wake of broken trust. America has an immutable characteristic of being a force for good in the world. But of late it feels as though that has been tarnished.

Burger King did not change for a war zone. The signage, smells and flavors were immutable. Anything less would have been a disappointment. My interpreter felt the same way about America as a whole. We were a force for good.

From the time of its inception America has always had the immutable characteristic of being a force for good. We don’t always move as fast as we should. We don’t always get everything right. But as a nation we are built on the premise that we should move to the “good”, and we have a long tradition of getting there. It took time but we became the world leader in abolishing slavery. We were slow to enter WWII but we became the force that pushed fascism back into a hole. We have a reliable reputation,

an immutable characteristic, that America is a force for good. The progressive left desperately needs that to change. The woke left needs the US and its culture and all of its components to be “mutable” as opposed to “Immutable”. If the left can build uncertainty at home and abroad then the immutability of America becomes doubtful. We would no longer be seen as reliable. The brand is diminished. The entire leftist woke agenda depends on things being seen as uncertain so that they can swoop in and provide their leftist version of how to fix it.

For something to be “immutable” it requires being defined as unchangeable, intrinsically immovable, unable to change even if it wanted to. “Mutable”, which is just the opposite, is to say that it can be changed, that it is not reliable. Redefine gender, declare systemic racism, and teach alternative history to kids. Shut down all military training to root out so-called “extremism”. Posit “existential threats” that we will all die in ten years unless we move completely away from fossil fuels. A little anxiety, some revisionist history, mix in a dash of fearmongering and bake it in with government mandates and just like that you create uncertainty and defeat longstanding positions. But perhaps the destruction of America’s international

STEVE FLOWERS Columnist

PHIL WILLIAMS Columnist

New pothole patcher goes into service in Elmore County

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

A social media post has created all sorts of buzz about Elmore County’s new pothole patcher.

But Elmore County Chief Engineer Luke McGinty said there is nothing new about the county’s pothole patching system beyond equipment replacement and updating safety features.

“We have received all sorts of calls and emails about it since that post,” McGinty said. “This is a replacement of our existing machine. Our current machine is six years old.”

McGinty said the county ordered a new pothole patching machine to replace one that has been in service for the last six years.

“We do it before the repairs get too costly,” McGinty said.

“It is part of our fleet program where we sell it while it still has some life in it so we don’t incur those high

AMERICAS

Continued from A4

maintenance costs.”

The sale will provide funds to help pay for the new machine.

While it is a new pothole patcher, not much will change in terms of how it works.

“It is basically the same exact machine,” McGinty said. “I don’t even think they changed the model number. It has worked so well they haven’t done any big updates.” There are a few changes the public will notice as well as the operator.

“This one has a couple more safety features,” McGinty said. “It has a few extra lights and a backup camera. It is basically a couple of safety updates.”

Elmore County has about 800 miles of county roads to maintain — about 200 miles are dirt roads. Elmore County Commissioner Henry Hines is happy to see the new pothole patcher entering service soon. Many county roads are in Hines’ district.

reputation is also intentional. Is the immutable characteristic of America to be a force for good in the world still in place?

There was a time when Republicans, Democrats and Independents could differ on matters of general policy but in the end we were all Americans pushing for an image on the world stage that America was the biggest dog, but yet a force for good.

The Obama-Biden ticket was elected and that tone changed with the “great apology tour” in which they apologized for America simply being America.

“It was older and prone to possibly breaking down,” Hines said. “By getting a new patcher we don’t have to worry about the breakdowns and while the other one was broken down we had to hand fill the potholes.”

Without the pothole patcher in operation the county would have to operate a three man crew instead of one to fill potholes. Asphalt would be loaded on a trailer and then shovel by shovel potholes would be filled. But a three man crew wasn’t always available when the machine was broken down.

“With all the storms, it pulled some of the crews out of what they normally do everyday,” Hines said.

McGinty explained how the machine works with just one person behind the steering wheel.

“This machine is able to carry everything it needs and one guy can operate it to fill a pothole,” McGinty said. “It has the tar, it has a blower

Michelle Obama said that “for the first time in her life” she was proud of America. The war in Iraq became an abandonment of allies. ISIS came in and filled the vacuum. Fast forward to the Biden-Harris Administration and the gross incompetence of the Afghanistan pullout, abandoning citizens and allies. The Taliban is now back in power and has once again set up a safe haven for terrorism. What was once a fringe element of society has now had the Oval Office for ten of the last 15 years. Using the power of the bully pulpit the progressive left began telling the world that we are not a force for good, and has

and the stone.”

First the operator takes pressurized air to remove debris from the pothole. Then a layer of tar goes in followed by stone. More layers of tar and stone follow until the pothole is filled.

The machine is refilled with tar and stone each day to avoid having to come back to the shop in the middle of the day.

“This one man machine can bounce around the county so it is much more efficient,” McGinty said. “We run it about 11 months out of the year. It can get too cold and freeze up.”

McGinty said potholes are not filled in the order they are reported to the county.

“They sit down and do a couple of days at a time,” McGinty said. “We try to get to one area and hit all the roads so as not to have deadhead time of bouncing all around the county. They will go to an area for a day and try to get everything they can.”

chosen to portray to the world that we cannot be counted on. The left chooses for the world to see the brand of the US and believe that our actions may not be consistent, much less good. It is intentional. The US must be torn down so that the left can build it back in their own distorted image. Just like a Burger King in Baghdad we must remain consistent. We must right this wrong and restore the sense that all is well because we are in fact an immutable force for good.

Phil Williams is a former State Senator, retired Army Colonel and combat veteran, and a practicing attorney.

CLIFF WILLIAMS | THE TRIBUNE

A pothole near the intersection of Old Tallassee Highway and Old Georgia Plank Spur causes traffic to be on the lookout. Elmore County has replaced its pothole patching machine in an effort to be more efficient and avoid high maintenance costs of older machinery.

away from a camp to decide the roster of the U21 Women’s World Cup team. Forristall said she felt invincible at the time.

of the U.S. Women’s National team,” Forristall said. “I was a high school soccer player on top of the world and my head was pretty big because of it. My senior year of high school provided a test of my faith in the Lord.” Forristall was a week

“I walked around very boastfully and proud, a little too proud,” Forristall said. “There is no such thing as coincidences in life. My family calls them God winks. I of course blew my ankle up a week before I was

to head out to tryout at the camp tearing every ligament in my ankle and was put in a boot for eight weeks. I couldn’t walk on it.”

Forristall said she felt bitter and mad at God.

“I was hurt He would allow this to happen to me because I was a good person and checked all of the boxes,” Forristall said. Not able to practice,

Forristall spent the first few weeks on the couch sulking.

“Suddenly my big brother gave me the wakeup call I desperately needed,” Forristall said. “He had no pity for me. He was already a mainstay on campus at Auburn as a football player and someone I looked up to as my hero.”

The big brother told little sister he didn’t feel bad for her and it annoyed her.

“My big brother had no sympathy,” Forristall said. “He told me just because I deemed myself a good person that things aren’t always going to go my way. Instead Philip talked me through how to use my time in recovery to grow in my faith.”

Philip told his little sister she could still be a teammate from the sidelines.

“Because of Philip’s advice my perspective on my injury changed,” Forristall said. “I feel it was God’s way to humble me and gave me a love of soccer I carried on to my collegiate career.”

Forristall’s soccer career continued. She played for the University of Alabama and the summer of her junior year Forristall received a phone she couldn’t believe. Forristall was told her big brother died in a driving and impaired single vehicle accident.

“Being a good guy didn’t stop him from making a decision that ended his life,” Forristall said. Phillip got into the car at the end of the night. He was drunk. The driver was drunk. They missed a stop sign. The car flipped several times. Phillip and the driver died on the scene.”

The foundation encourages taking time to make a good decision. In the case of driving, 43 seconds referencing Philip’s jersey number at Auburn University. Those 43 seconds before driving are supposed to be used for ensuring the driver has a “Clear head, clear hands, clear, eyes and click it.” In other words no alcohol or drugs, no texting and wearing a seat belt.

Forristall said experts have told the family if Philip had been wearing a seatbelt he might have lived. She cautioned the finalists of the Sewell Award about choices, even seemingly small ones.

“One bad decision can change your life,” Forristall said. “But when it is you, what do you do? You just envision people in these stories as unrealistic, bad, not you, not anyone you know.”

CLIFF WILLIAMS | THE TRIBUNE

Philip Lutzenkirchen’s sister Abby Forristall spoke at the 19th Annual Joe Sewell Memorial Awards that recognized 27 students from schools across Elmore County.

“Come in, Friend!” Amen

JACKIE WILBOURN Columnist

nock! Knock! Who’s there? How many times have we heard these words? Actually, the origins aren’t confirmed but most experts believe the joke comes from William Shakespeare. The wording is a little different in Macbeth, where the joke first appeared, in 1606. It comes about just after Macbeth murders a man called Duncan. Later, in Act 2, Scene 3, a porter is awoken out of a drunken stupor by a man “knocking” at Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s door. Although the first “knock, knock” came about in 1606, it didn’t become a widely used joke until much later. In 1936, a “knock, knock craze” was sweeping America, started by a radio performer named Wee Georgie Wood. Persistent loud knocking at one’s door is hard to ignore. The dog begins to bark, lights in the home are turned off,

the power to the television is unplugged, the music is stopped, and everyone hides in the back of a closet pretending not to be at home. Some people see God coming, and they do not want to open the door. Even when He calls out, “anybody home?” They are hoping He will simply go away. God knocks on the door as you sit in church and listen to His Word preached. God knocks on the door when you experience joy and even when you face tragedy. God will knock on your door as you receive kindness and love from a

Tallassee Churches

friend or a stranger. But, for some reason, there is always a hider when God is adamantly knocking. The hiders do not know God’s redemptive and reciprocal hospitality. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in” (Revelation 3:20). IF any person hears His voice, and opens the door, He says He will grant them the high privilege of sitting with Him in His throne room. He will also grant to the person the holy and joyful honor of sitting at His table and eating with Him. One can stick their fingers in their ears or hide, and deny Christ, but nothing can be done to negate the fact: Christ stands at the door and knocks. What a privilege that He wishes to spend time with each of us. Answer the door!

O God, who comes to our hearts and knocks with the gentle hand of His love, give us eagerness to say, “Come in, Friend!” Amen

Jackie Wilbourn, member of Bethel Baptist Church, a Chaplain with Alabama Disaster Relief Team

Dalton MiDDleton

SportS eDitor dalton.middleton@thewetumpkaherald.com

www.TallasseeTribune.com

Tallassee’s Slay wins championship, sets new state record

B y DALTON MIDDLETON

Sports Editor

There’s a new high jump record holder in AHSAA Class 5A Track and Field history.

Tallassee senior Kayden Slay, a first-year track and field athlete, not only claimed the 5A state championship in the long jump

this weekend but also shattered the previous 5A record.

Slay cleared 7 feet to earn his state championship, and became only the second athlete in AHSAA history to ever clear the 7 feet mark.

In the 5A standings, he beat Chilton County’s Lance Lenior’s record of 6 feet, 10 ½ inches that was set in 1986.

Spain and Woods lead Rebels at state

B y HENRY ZIMMER

Sports Writer

The Reeltown Rebels were led on the track and on the podium at state competition by junior Arthur Woods and senior Connor Spain.

The duo of Woods and Spain have been leading the pack all season, and there was no difference at state.

Woods took home both of his team’s gold medals, earning his wins in 100 meter dash and 110 meter hurdles.

Woods also placed fourth in the long jump for good measure.

Spain finished out his high school career with a second place finish in the 200 meter dash and a fourth place spot in the 100 meters.

Not on the podium, but certainly someone who had an impact, was sophomore Tae Martin.

Martin finished seventh in the 100, behind both Woods and Spain, but his inclusion in the competition made Reeltown one of the fastest high schools in the state of Alabama.

“Three of the seven fastest guys in the state are from Reeltown,” coach Jarrod Wooten said.

Although it was not in his final, Martin set a PR in the 200 meter dash with a time of 23.65.

Junior Jay Jay Kendrick also made an impact wherever he could, pushing for a third place spot in the 110 hurdles before a fall. Kendrick, in the 300 hurdles, did come in fourth.

Kendrick also helped lead a 4x400 team of himself, Omor Ponds, Larry Butler and Gaines Tapley that set a PR and earned the squad an 11th place finish.

“I can’t say enough about this team,” Wooten said. “We were there with only eight boys. They were able to compile 46 points and they gave themselves a chance to come out with a trophy.”

Wooten knew his smaller contingency was going to have to pull out all the stops to earn a win as a team.

Even with a smaller squad, Wooten and his returners for next year’s program like Woods, Kendrick and Martin know they can hang with anyone.

“We came away realizing that we have the ability to compete with anyone,” Wooten said. “We know we have to develop some additional depth and find some points in other events to get where we want to be.

We are really going to miss the senior class that is graduating, but we will have a strong nucleus coming back next year.”

Hoover’s Anthony May is the only other athlete in AHSAA history to clear 7 feet. He jumped 7 feet and ¾ inches in 2008.

“It was a lot of fun,” Tallassee coach Danny Worley said of Slay breaking the record. “We had kind of an

TIGERS TAME PANTHERS TO WIN AREA TITLE

By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor

The Tallassee softball team earned some hardware on Thursday night.

Tallassee beat rival Elmore County, 8-4, in the AHSAA Class 5A, Area 5 championship.

The Tigers went 3-0 on the week, beating Valley, Beauregard and Elmore County, to claim the title and earn the No. 1-seed out of Area 5 for next week’s regional tournament held in Montgomery.

The Tigers are now 25-17 and have won their last four straight and five of their last six entering regionals.

“We played pretty well this week,” Tallassee coach Pat Love said. “We pitched pretty well and one of the best things we did was keep our errors down. We kept errors down and we got timely hits. We hit in every single game and

By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor

The Tallassee softball team has loads of senior talent throughout its lineup, but its youngest player was the the toughest to get out this week.

Cheyann Easterling, the team’s starting second baseman and only an eighth grader, had a stellar week at the plate for the Tigers. In three games, she was 8-for-10 with six runs scored, two walks, and even added three RBIs. Her efforts out of the leadoff spot helped the Tigers claim the AHSAA Class 5A,

Reeltown senior Connor Spain earned

MARVIN

DALTON MIDDLETON THE TRIBUNE

Tallassee softball team poses with the area championship trophy after beating rival Elmore County, 8-4, in

nament.”

Tallassee was swinging a hot stick from the start of Game 1.

In the tournament opener against Valley, the Tigers scored 15 runs on 12 hits and had four extra base hits including a home run from Brooke Royster.

In Game 2, Tallassee beat Beauregard 9-3 and scattered 11 hits across the diamond. The Tigers then came out and had their best hitting day against their rivals.

In the 8-4 championship win, Tallassee had 13 total hits. Royster added another home run and added a double, and five Tigers recorded multiple hits on the day. Royster had three extra base hits in three games.

“They were just seeing the ball well,” Love said. “They were seeing it deep and they got it done. Brooke is good. That big two-run home run in the seventh sealed the deal for us.”

As Royster hit two home runs and drove in runs in every game, she also earned two wins in the circle. She pitched the Game 2 and championship games, and pitched a complete game both days.

Against Beauregard, she allowed 11 hits in seven innings and only two earned runs. She got better against Elmore County and allowed only eight hits and two earned runs in seven innings.

“She pitched well,” Love said of Royster. “She battled. I didn’t think she had her best stuff but she really did great in the circle.”

Madeline Weldon pitched the Game 1 win over Valley and pitched a three-inning no-hitter.

The Tigers now turn their sights to the regional tournament. The Tigers will face Ramsay, the Area 8 runner-up, in their first game at 9 a.m. Thursday at Lagoon Park.

ELMORE COUNTY FINISHES RUNNER-UP

The Panthers came up on the losing end of the area championship, but their season is far from over. By earning the No. 2 seed, Elmore County has clinched a regional berth and will face John Carroll, the No. 1 seed out of Area 8.

They will play at 9 a.m. Thursday at Lagoon Park.

Elmore County had to fight for its No. 2 seed and runner-up finish. The Panthers lost their first game of the tournament to Beauregard, 3-2, and put themselves in the elimination game. They ended up beating Valley, 13-0, to set up a rematch with Beauregard.

Elmore County trailed Beauregard again, 3-0, in the fifth inning before fighting its way back.

Addison Hicks cut the lead to one run, 3-2, with a two-run single before Lalah Culpepper tied the game on an error. In the bottom of the seventh, Anna Catherine Segrest singled to center field to score McKenzie Owens from second.

In the championship game, Elmore County got multiple hits from Segrest and Ashtyn Pannell as they tallied 10 total hits as a team.

Continued from B1

she’s coming into her own,” head coach Pat Love said. “Her ceiling can be high and she’s going to be a good player for us.”

County softball teams prepare for regional tournaments

B y DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor

All five public schools in Elmore County are still playing for Oxford.

Wetumpka, Stanhope

Elmore, Elmore County, Holtville, and Tallassee all clinched berths to this week’s AHSAA Regional Tournaments held in Gulf Shores and Montgomery.

The five schools will battle it out with seven other schools in their respective classifications to try and qualify for the state tournament next week.

The top two teams from each classification in each regional will advance out of the double-elimination regional tournament. Here’s a look at each regional tournament.

CLASS 5A CENTRAL REGIONAL

Location: Lagoon Park, Montgomery Tallassee and Elmore County each qualified for the AHSAA Class 5A Central Regional this week, and they’ll be joined by John Carroll, Sylacauga, Marbury, Ramsay, Shelby County, and Demopolis in the double-elimination tournament.

Play begins on Thursday, May 11 at 9 a.m. Tallassee, the No. 1 seed out of Area 5, will play Ramsay, Area 8’s runner-up, at 9 a.m. on Field 3. The Tigers are 26-17 overall and have won five of their last six games. After falling just short of making the trip to Oxford last year, head coach Pat Love and the Tigers are looking to return to the state tournament. Ramsay is 12-13 this season and has lost four of its last six games. In those four losses, the Rams have given up double-digit runs all four games and were outscored 54-22. Those losses came to Shelby County, Homewood, and John Carroll twice. Elmore County, the No. 2 seed out of Area 5, will play John Carroll, Area 8’s winner at 9 a.m. on Field 6. The Panthers are 30-18-3 this season and finished runner-up in the area tournament last week to Tallassee. Elmore County has clinched a state tournament berth each of the last two seasons and head coach Mark Segrest believes his team can do it again. The Panthers only two losses in their last nine games came from Tallassee and Beauregard in the area tournament.

DALTON MIDDLETON THE TRIBUNE

Wetumpka’s Mya Holt enters the regional tournament with a .504 batting average, 18 home runs, and 83 RBIs. In the circle, she’s 30-1 with a 0.67 earned run average.

John Carroll is 9-11-1

overall this season. In its last four games, the Cavaliers are 2-4-1.

The other two games pit Sylacauga and Marbury together while Shelby County faces Demopolis.

CLASS 6A CENTRAL REGIONAL

Location: Lagoon Park, Montgomery Stanhope Elmore upset Chilton County to clinch the No. 2 seed out of Area 5 and made the regional tournament for the first time in three years. The Mustangs will be joined by Brookwood, Helena, Northridge, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, Pelham, Hueytown, and Calera. Stanhope Elmore faces Brookwood in the tournament opener on Wednesday, May 10 at 9 a.m. on Field 4. The Mustangs are 15-28 this season and are coming off a rough month of April where they went 4-11. Despite that, they went 2-2 in the tournament and earned their biggest win of the year.

Brookwood, on the other hand, is 26-20 and is Area 8’s winner. The Panthers are 14-9 since April began and have been very up-and-down. They went 3-1 in the area tournament, beating Hueytown two of three times to clinch the championship. They’re hot at the plate and have scored 65 runs in their last four games.

Tallassee hosted the area tournament and as the host team, also was the No. 1 seed. The Tigers opened the tournament against No. 4 seed Valley, and Easterling and company made quick work of their opponent. In only three innings, Easterling had three at bats. She had two singles and a walk and scored all three

SLAY

Continued fromB1

idea that he could break the record since he had been doing it in practice, but we just haven’t been able to put it together in a meet. But he went in fresh that morning and we knew he could go for it.”

Slay entered the event this weekend as 5A’s favorite to win the gold medal. He earned the sectional championship in four events - the high jump, the triple jump, the long jump, and the 110 meter hurdles. His sectional high jump was already the state’s best at 6 feet, 4 inches. But his championship mark was eight

In the other three first round games, Hueytown faces Calera, Hillcrest faces Pelham, and Northridge faces Helena.

6A SOUTH REGIONAL

CLASS

Location: Gulf Shores Sportsplex Wetumpka, which has been ranked as the No.1-softball team in Class 6A for the majority of the season, will look to return to Oxford after a disappointing finish in last year’s regional. The Lady Indians are joined in the south regional by Benjamin Russell, Pike Road, Park Crossing, Spanish Fort, Baldwin County, Saraland, and Theodore. Wetumpka opens the tournament against Baldwin County on Wednesday, May 10 at 9 a.m. on Field 4. The Indians enter the regional tournament with a 46-5-1 overall record and look to continue flexing their muscles. Despite being shutout, 1-0, by Benjamin Russell once in the area tournament, the Indians bounced back with a run-rule to claim the championship. Three of Wetumpka’s five losses have come to Class 7A teams this year. The Indians are led in the circle by Mya Holt (30-1 record, 0.67 earned run average) and at the plate by Ashlynn Campbell (88 hits, 82 runs, 66 stolen bases).

times as Tallassee won, 15-0. In Game 2, a 9-3 win over Beauregard in the winner’s bracket, she was even better.

She finished that game 3-for-3 at the plate with a team-high three hits and added a walk. She scored twice and even drove in a run on a single in the third inning.

inches higher. His jump was also six inches higher than the next closest jumper, beating Boaz’s Jaquan Kelly who jumped 6 feet, 6 inches. Nobody else in the competition jumped over 6 feet, 2 inches.

“He had some fresh legs,” Worley said. “At sectionals, he was doing all kinds of different events. But Friday morning, this was an 8:30 a.m. event and he was able to have fresh legs. It worked out time wise and he had plenty of time to rest his legs the day before.”

Slay had a successful finish in three of the four events he participated in this weekend. In the triple jump, Slay

Baldwin County enters the tournament with a 22-15 overall record and finished runner-up to Spanish Fort in the area tournament. The Tigers are 3-3 against teams in this regional with all three losses coming to Spanish Fort and their two wins coming against Theodore and Saraland.

Wetumpka faced Spanish Fort in its first game of the season and won, 6-1.

In the other first round matchups, Saraland opens against Park Crossing, Spanish Fort opens with Benjamin Russell, and Pike Road opens with Theodore.

CLASS 5A SOUTH REGIONAL

Location: Gulf Shores

Sportsplex

The Holtville softball team earned its regional berth by finishing runner-up in the Class 5A, Area 4 tournament. The Bulldogs are joined in the south regional by Area 4 winner Brewbaker Tech along with Gulf Shores, Headland, St. Paul’s Episcopal, Faith Academy, Elberta, and Rehobeth. Holtville opens the tournament against Area 2’s winner, St. Paul’s Episcopal, on Thursday, May 11 at 9 a.m. on Field 4.

The Bulldogs are 27-11-2 this season and look to avenge last season’s regional loss. Holtville has been on quite the hot streak since April started and has only lost four games since then. Three of those losses, however, came to Brewbaker Tech. Holtville’s offense is led by sophomore Bailea Boone, who is hitting near .600 on the season out of the leadoff spot. On the mound, Taylor Price will serve as the team’s ace.

St. Paul’s Episcopal looks to have played a very tough record as the Saints enter the tournament with a 20-21 overall record. They are 9-8 over their last 17 games dating back to the start of April. Most of their losses have come from the hands of Class 6A and 7A teams, while they even have a win against Mountain Brook in April.

The other first round matchups are Brewbaker Tech taking on Faith Academy, Rehobeth taking on Elberta, and Gulf Shores taking on Headland.

In the championship game against Elmore County, she added three more hits as she went 3-for-5.

Despite Elmore County being the only team on the week to get her out, she was still stellar. She scored one run and drove in two runs on a single to left field that put Tallassee up by four runs.

finished sixth with a distance of 43-04.50. He finished second in the long jump with a distance of 22-00.25.

Overall, he scored 21 of Tallassee’s 21.33 total points. James Bender added the .33 points as he finished eighth in the high jump with a height of 5 feet, 10 inches. Elmore County’s team scored 14 total points, good enough for a 14th place finish in the standings. William Mann was one of the standouts for the Panthers as he finished fifth in the boys 400 meter with a time of 51.98 seconds. He finished third in the boys 800 meter with a time of 2:00.12.

The Panthers added another fifth place finish in the boys 4x800 meter relay. Wetumpka’s track and field team finished in 18th place, while Stanhope Elmore finished No. 30 in Class 6A. For the Indians, Quashawn Wright finished eighth in the 300 meter hurdles, while Grant Weighall finished fourth in the boys javelin and James Ball finished fourth in the triple jump. The boys 4x400 meter relay finished sixth in 6A.

Stanhope Elmore only had two point finishers as Dennis Toles finished seventh in the boys 400 meter race while the boys 4x400 meter relay finished seventh overall.

Schools can nominate up to four students and the Joe Sewell board evaluates the nominees on more than just athletics.

In their senior year, Baxley and Sides took home $3,000 scholarships.

But Baxley and Sides weren’t the only ones to be named winners. Eight other finalists were announced as category winners and took home $1,000 scholarships.

In the Leadership Category, Becca Worrell of Wetumpka High School and Colton Wheeler of Holtville High School were named winners.

In the Academic Category, Kiley Sisson of Wetumpka High School and Taylor Gunn of Wetumpka High School were named winners.

In the Church, Community and Character Category, Allye Justiss of Elmore County High School and Samuel Silas of Holtville High School were named winners.

In the Athletic Category, Emma Chavers of New Life Christian Academy and Payton Stephenson of Elmore County High School were named winners.

BAXLEY WANTS CAREER IN SPORTS BROADCASTING

Baxley, a cross-country and track athlete at Wetumpka High School said it is just an honor to go through the application and interview process and be a finalist of the Joe Sewell Award. He was a certificate winner in the ninth grade and got to see the banquet. The night served as part of his inspiration.

“One of the seniors was a member of the cross country team as well,” Baxley said. “I kind of looked up to him a lot back then.”

Baxley said he has known for a while the honor associated with just being nominated for the award and this nominees proves the point.

“Just talking with all the nominees, seeing the kind of people that get nominated for this, to be selected as a nominee is big and to win is truly an amazing thing.” Baxley said.

Wetumpka Cross Country Coach Jessica Holbert said she deserves little credit for the athlete and leader Baxley has become.

“He takes all the credit on his own,” Holbert said. “I just helped some with leading. He was a very good take charge kind of person. I just guided him where he needed to be. He started really young.”

Holbert said Baxley sacrificed his time to help his teammates.

“He was the type of leader that got the younger kids in,” Holbert said. “We had seventh graders that would run with us. He would lead. He would get them believing we could be better. Even though he was the fastest on the team, he encouraged the other ones to be the best they could be too.”

After graduating from Wetumpka, Baxley, a self-described sports fanatic, plans to continue his cross country and track career at Troy University while majoring in broadcast journalism.

“When I was little I wanted to play football or be a football coach but as you grow up you realize that maybe it wasn’t for you or in the cards,” Baxley said. “Broadcasting and sports broadcasting specifically has really been able to keep me invested in sports and Wetumpka athletics. I hope I can make a career out of that in the future.”

SIDES PLANS TO ATTEND

THE UNIVERSITY OF MOBILE

A career was shown to Sides nine years ago when her younger brother was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at the age of six. The family was in and out of hospitals and medical clinics.

“The people that make the biggest impact are the nurses who sit down and talk with your families,” Sides said. “They get comfortable with you. I want to be that comforting person to other families’ lives.”

Sides said she wants to get a doctorate in nurse anesthesia. She said the Sewell Award is unlike any other award.

“It doesn’t focus on solely athletic stats, community service hours they have or their GPA,” Sides said. “Rather it focuses on honoring and continuing the legacy of a great man named Joe Sewell. The strength of his Christian character was displayed in his athletics. That same spirit is displayed in everybody on this stage.”

Sides was on the volleyball and track teams at Elmore County High School. Sides said her time in schools in Eclectic has prepared her for what lies ahead in her life.

“Elmore County High School is the best school I could have ever been placed in,” Sides said. “I thank my parents for moving me to this area. My counselor Ms. Jerie Lewis has played a huge role in helping me understand what scholarships are available, what college applications are and how to go about being the best interviewer and speech giver I could be and the best student I could be.”

Sides also said her two years at the Elmore County Technical Center where she received certificates as a patient care technician and clinical medical assistant were crucial in beginning her journey into medicine.

Sides appeared prepared on the podium just seconds after she was announced as the overall winner. She later gave credit to God and to lesson all the nominees have already learned in life — preparation.

“We were talking beforehand and most had one prepared just in case,” Sides said. “Most of it was genuine and from the heart, just the honor and humility I felt being given this award.”

CLIFF WILLIAMS | THE TRIBUNE

ABOVE & BELOW: The 19th Annual Joe Sewell Memorial Awards recognized 27 students from schools across Elmore County. Philip Lutzenkirchen’s sister Abby Forristall was the speaker. Elmore County’s Courtney Sides and Wetumpka’s Gavan Baxley were named the overall winners.

CLIFF WILLIAMS THE TRIBUNE

ABOVE: Elmore County’s Courtney Sides, center, greets Billie Sewell after being named as the Joe Sewell Memorial Overall Girl’s winner.

BELOW: Wetumpka’s Gavan Baxley, center, greets Billie Sewell after being named as the Joe Sewell Memorial Overall Boy’s winner.

BOTTOM: The 19th Annual Joe Sewell Memorial Awards category winners with overall winners Wetumpka Gavan Baxley, left, and Elmore County’s Courtney Sides.

RES student wins statewide poster contest

BY ABIGAIL MURPHY Multimedia reporter

Much to the Williams family’s surprise, an optional class project became a statewide award.

The Alabama Farmers Cooperative’s Farm-City Committee hosted a poster contest with the theme of “Sustaining for the Future.” The winner for the Kindergarten through Third Grade category was Reeltown Elementary Student Kaitlyn “Kati” Williams.

The topic for her poster was crop rotation, inspired by George Washington Carver and her dad’s garden.

“I chose crop rotation because my daddy has a garden and he rotates his crops,” she said. “[He grows] corn, peas… tomatoes, strawberries, squash and lettuce.”

Kati said her favorite part of the contest was creating the poster. With some help from her mom, she drew the tractor and the barn on the corn side first. Then she formed the sky and then drew the field.

With the first side drawn and colored, she moved on to the wheat side. She said the hardest part was the barn and tractor, but also filling in both of the fields.

Kati said she has loved art her whole life and one of the things she wants to be when she grows up is an artist. Her father Jeremy Williams added every birthday and Christmas she asks for art supplies.

Along with art, Kati said reading is her favorite school subject and she enjoys the Judy B. Jones books the most. She said not only does she want to be an artist when she grows up, but also a paleontologist or a teacher.

“For a teacher, (it’s because of) my three siblings, I’m the oldest,” she said. “We would play teaching and I would teach them sometimes.”

Meanwhile, paleontology is something they have been studying in school recently, and Kati said she finds it very interesting. When she is not in school, Kati is playing with her siblings, going on the zipline and the trampoline in their backyard,

“And I play softball,” she said. “I like to practice at home with daddy. He throws me the balls and I bat them.”

When it comes to winning the contest, they said neither one of them expected anything this big. As one

of the contest finalists, Kati attended the annual FarmCity Awards Luncheon and Program in Birmingham on April 13. Waiting for them to announce the winner, she said all she could think was there was no way she was going to win. But once they called her name for first place, Kati said she wanted to yell, “yay.” Williams said some of the attendees were also excited to see someone from Reeltown win the contest. But the congratulations didn’t stop there.

Going to church the following weekend, Williams said people were coming up to her and telling her what a great job she did. Kati said all the teachers at school told her they saw her win on Facebook and congratulated her as well.

Knowing his daughter’s passion, he said she hopes to see her continue her art.

“She just needs to keep on drawing,” Williams said.

“I’m proud of her. Her mom is proud of her (too).”

potential for the economy to go really awry but didn’ take advantage of the situation.

“It is a joy that makes you feel good to pull it off,” Lawrence said.

to Desert Storm on Monday,” Bob said. “On Thursday they said never mind.”

Wagnon Volunteer of the Year Award.

“The brightest light of all is here in this room — Mr. Gene Lawrence,” Bird announced.

Lawrence said he moved to Tallassee in 1968 to manage Big Bear after starting working in grocery stores at the age of 12. Big Bear is no longer here as Lawrence helped transform the store into SuperFoods in 1972. Lawrence credited the community for his and the store’s success over the years.

“It is a wonderful community,” Lawrence said. “It is home. It is just wonderful. People talk about wanting to go to these big cities and don’t realize what they have here. The community has been good to us. You can’t beat it.”

There isn’t a ballfield around in Tallassee without a SuperFoods sign. There isn’t a community meal without support either. But the Lawerence family stood firm in the early days of the pandemic keeping inventory of toilet paper and other crucial food items while trying to hold prices down. Lawrence credited the results to years of working with suppliers across the Southeast.

“A lot of it is having connections, not only with the wholesaler but I had a history with other wholesalers,” Lawrence said. “We were able to get things to keep our stores stocked where others couldn’t.”

Those connections came from serving on the board of Associated Grocers in Birmingham.

Lawrence said he saw the

“We were in a time we had never seen before. It was unreal.” Lawrence was previously awarded the Frances H. Wagnon Volunteer of the Year Award and SuperFoods was previously named Business of the Year by the Tallassee Chamber of Commerce.

REEDS HONORED FOR DECADES OF VOLUNTEERING

Bob and Pat Reed are likely busier in retirement than when they worked. For all their effort, the Tallassee Chamber of Commerce gave the husband and wife team the Frances H. Wagnon Volunteer of the Year Award.

Bob is retired from the military and the Alabama Public Service Commission. When Pat retired in 1994 she went straight to Community Hospital.

“She was a pink lady,” Bob said of his wife. “She had cancer in 2000 and had to quit. She immediately went to hospice and Meals on Wheels. When I retired in 2016. I joined her.” Even serving two organizations, the husband and wife team find time to do more. They buy groceries for others. Get others to doctor’s appointments. Pick up prescriptions for others and more.

Pat said the pair works together and are not in a competition to out serve each other.

“We are in it together,” Pat said. “We are a team.” Bob retired as a colonel from the Army serving in Korea, Germany, Ft. Benning, Ft. Still and Ft. Bragg.

“My unit was activated to go

When they have a break, the Reeds enjoy birding. Even that is taken to a new level, especially after a trip to Lake Guntersville in 1992 to see bald eagles.

“The Alabama Ornithological Society (AOS) was meeting there,” Bob said. “We joined them and have been doing it ever since.”

In pure Bob Reed style, he has served as president and vice president of AOS to name a few things the Reeds have done with the organization.

SID, GROVE STATION

NAMED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Grove Station hasn’t been open for two years yet, but the chamber honored it and owner Corrie Sid by naming it Business of the Year.

Sid said she returned to Tallassee to help make it better, something Noah Griggs agrees with.

“She came back home to make a difference and give back to the community she loves,” Griggs said. “She is very driven by her desire to make Tallassee a better place.”

Griggs said Sid has a passion for entertaining and uses Grove Station for hosting dining events that rival those in Atlanta and Birmingham.

“She is a visionary,” Griggs said. “She can see what others can’t. She is fearless. She is not deterred by setbacks such as bridge closings and a city that looks like a warzone. Corrie is what this community needs, a catalyst for change with the same goals everyone has — to make Tallassee a better place to live.”

CLIFF WILLIAMS | THE TRIBUNE

ABOVE: Grove Station and owner Corrie Sid, second from left, were awarded business of the year at the Tallassee Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Banquet. Sid posed with Noah Griggs, left, chamber president Logan Steers, center and chamber executive director Jerry Cunningham.

BELOW: Tallassee Super Foods owner Gene Lawrence, left, was given the Chamber Lifetime Achievement Award at the Tallassee Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Banquet. Lawrence posed with Michael Bird, left, chamber president Logan Steers, center and chamber executive director Jerry Cunningham.

ABIGAIL MURPHY THE TRIBUNE

Kaitlyn Williams of Reeltown Elementary School won first place for the 2022 Alabama Farm-City Committee Poster Contest in the Kindergarten through Third Grade category.

SUBMITTED | THE TRIBUNE

Kaitlyn Williams wears her medal for first place at the 2022 Alabama Farm-City Committee Poster Contest. Her poster was on crop rotation.

Celebrating old traditions at the Wetumpka Rodeo

CLIFF WILLAIMS

THE TRIBUNE

The Wetumpka FFA Alumni Association held its annual two-day rodeo to benefit students in the FFA program at Wetumpka High School. The events of the rodeo mimic many of the skills used by cowboys on ranches going back more than 100 years ago. Friday and Saturday saw competitors from across the Southeast come to Wetumpka to compete in barrel racing, bull riding, team roping, steer wrestling and saddle bronc riding. The two-night event started with a parade through town on Friday and thousands of fans gathering at the Wetumpka Sports Complex for all the

Tallassee High School choirs entertain crowds

BY CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

It was standing room only as the Tallassee High School Choral Show presented its spring show. The Divas, Voltage and

Gold Edition were joined by soloists and more to entertain all in attendance. Choral director Michael Bird said in a release the Tallassee High School Choirs are unique with more than 200 students of the student body less than

500 involved. “We had 109 young ladies and 94 young men performing Sunday and Monday,” Bird said. “I don’t know of any other music program around here with this many kids participating.”

Bird said some students perform for a fine arts credit but not the majority.

“Many are there to sing and dance their hearts out,” Bird said. “What I’ve found is once we all get in there, even the students who may

have been on the fence, or even what I call the ABC’s (anti-Bird-club) about performing find that they have a sense of pride in the whole operation when it gets going and a crowd is there to see and hear them.”

CLIFF WILLAIMS THE TRIBUNE

lined up for the first night of the Tallassee High School Choir Program Spring Show. The Divas,Voltage, and Gold Edition all performed

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Panthers’ historic season continues in Huntsville

B y DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor

Elmore County’s Cinderella story just keeps getting longer. The Elmore County boys soccer team, which had never won a playoff game in program history before this season, is now headed to the Final Four after winning in the first and second rounds.

The Panthers are in the AHSAA Class 5A State Tournament and will play Friday, May 12 at 7 p.m. at the Huntsville Sports Complex. They will face Gulf Shores in the 5A semifinals.

“It is incredibly impressive by this group of guys on my team,” head coach Josh Pack said. “It’s an unorthodox team of kids who really just put everything on the line for each other. They keep finding a way to win. To make the Final Four and have a legitimate chance to keep on winning is probably beyond anything we could have ever imagined for our team.” While the second round 1-0 win over Sylacauga was a much tighter game than the 4-0 win over Marbury in the first round, it was the same usual suspects taking control of the game for Elmore County.

End of the year fun

Friday. Students played with water guns, bubbles, hula

and more to celebrate the school year coming to an end soon.

May Market next weekend in Eclectic

y CLIFF WILLIAMS

B

News Editor

The May Market is coming up on its second year but it benefits Eclectic the Beautiful that has been around for decades.

The volunteer organization used to do the Taste of Eclectic as a fundraiser.

“This is our replacement fundraiser,” Eclectic the Beautiful member Marol Wilkes said.

“We provide holiday decorations for the town, garbage cans, all the American flags for the town and cemetery.”

Wilkes said the organization wants to grow the festival to the size of Eclectic’s Cotton Festival in the fall.

“That way we only have two festivals every year,” Wilkes said. For the last several years, the Eclectic Fire Department has held a crawfish boil fundraiser. This year, the boil has been moved to coincide with the May 13 May Market. Eclectic Fire Chief Josh Dorminey said this is the department’s fifth annual crawfish boil.

“It would be sixth but thanks to COVID we had to kill a year,” Dorminey said.

Dorminey said the department likes the partnership with Eclectic the Beautiful and the May Market.

“I think this will work out great,” Dorminey said. “I know there were some folks that were nervous about it. We were talking about doing vendors

too and on the same weekend.

I think there will be people at both events that wouldn’t necessarily have come to the other. This gives us both an opportunity to help each other.”

The fire department will not have vendors but will cook hotdogs and hamburgers for the May Market starting mid-morning.

Wilkes said the May Market already has more than 55 vendors signed up to come with some bringing gemstone mining for the kids, lots of jewelry, food vendors and craft-type vendors. The May Market runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. At 1 p.m. the fire department will start the crawfish boil and go into the evening.

“There are two different ways you can get crawfish,” Dorminey said. “You can get them in to-go bags or you can choose the all-you-can eat option. For the non-crawfish eaters we will also have hamburgers, hotdogs and chips, stuff like that.”

The fire department will also have a bounce house for children, a DJ and some live music.

Funds raised by the fire department crawfish boil will go towards the fire department and not the ambulance since it is funded by the town.

“We are looking to get a new set of extrication equipment,” Dorminey said. “This will probably go towards that unless we get a grant and then it would go to something else.”

Senior Logan Pack continued his offensive success and did so early. After scoring a hat trick in the first round, Pack scored the lone goal against Sylacauga and set the tone for his team at the beginning of the game.

One minute and 22 seconds into the game, Pack outran the entire Sylacauga defense on a through pass from freshman Tate McNeely and kicked the ball into the back of the net. The goal was Pack’s fourth goal of the postseason and McNeely’s third assist.

“We really didn’t think there was any way they’d start the game with

B y CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

It looks like most shops. Tools here, projects there and oil and grease. But that is where the shop for Operation Charlie Bravo (OCB) stops being like others.

Far from any medical office, since 2018 the organization has helped veterans in Alabama with many issues from mental health to working through issues with the VA.

“We make a direct impact on a grassroots level to a small number of veterans,” Rob Dinsmore said. “But I feel like we have made a big impact on that small group. Much bigger than other organizations in a lot of ways.”

The idea of OCB started out as Operation Combat Bikesaver in Indiana in 2015 and was made famous by Mike Rowe through an episode of Returning the Favor on Facebook in 2017.

Dinsmore was in the Air Force and was approaching retirement. He quickly found his second chapter in life. It was veterans helping veterans.

Dinsmore knew he was retiring to Elmore County. He had a home picked out with a shop. But there was one last hurdle.

“I asked my wife if I could do it and she said ‘sure,’” Dinsmore said. “Finally my 70 Chevelle gets to live in a shop again and it’s not outside in the weather. Three weeks later it is pushed over into the weeds with 15 motorcycles inside.”

Dinsmore visited with OCB creator Jason Zaideman several times and spent the last few months before retiring from the Air Force preparing. The idea is simple. Veterans gather at a shop on Sundays and help each other with projects both mechanical and mental.

“The veteran teams up with the motorcycle,” Dinsmore said. “They bring the motorcycle back to life while they are bringing themselves back to life. It is a distraction therapy for veterans with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries, depression or just missing the military camaraderie.”

Tracy Metcalf is a Navy veteran who served on aircraft carriers in Vietnam. He settled in the area in the 1990s. Metcalf heard an advertisement about OCB within weeks of Dinsmore opening up in 2019. He has only missed four Sundays of OCB shop in four years.

Dinsmore and Metcalf teamed with other veterans who have passed through

the defense high, but they did and not even two minutes into the game Logan scored a goal to put us up,” Pack said. “Tate sent a pass through and Logan outran everyone back there and got it past the keeper.”

While Pack and McNeely did their thing on the offensive side, Elmore County’s defense continued its successful ways by keying on the opposing team’s main player and earned another shutout.

Elmore County has shut out both of his playoff opponents and has five clean sheets on the season.

Keeper J.T. Howell has been stellar in the goal and has helped the

Panthers win five of their last six games. He had three saves against Sylacauga, including a highlight reel save with his leg to preserve the lead. Jackson Caver and Landon Harrelson, both senior middle-backs, have been a huge part of the shutouts.

“The defense is communicating really well,” Pack said. “They’re finding the ball with their feet and they're playing physically at the point of attack. Before the ball even gets to the back-third of the field, they’re getting to the ball and winning it. That has helped us on offense and defensively.”

the shop to frame out a shop build. Dinsmore has a vision of a P51 Mustang. The motorcycle is a mesh of parts from several different bikes, parts made by Dinsmore and others and actual P51 parts. In fact, pedals from the plane are to be used as the clutch and brake on the motorcycle.

The project was paused as Dinsmore figured out how to create the dashboard complete with a real airspeed monitor and pico tube mounted on the front fender.

Metcalf would get the Alabama group’s first veteran built motorcycle. It’s complete and he drives it to OCB regularly.

Dinsmore said Metcalf isn’t much of a visionary but can rebuild anything. Dinsmore wouldn’t let Metcalf leave the newly built bike the maroon color it was donated as. Instead, he helped Metcalf create floorboards of sprockets and chains and the paint reflects Metcalf’s time on an aircraft carrier. Metcalf found the taillight on Amazon.

“It looks like an F14 from the rear,” Metcalf said.

Dinsmore said Metcalf’s consistency is what got him the motorcycle build.

“If you are going to do a bike build we want to know you are going to be here every weekend,” Dinsmore said.”If you only show up once a month for a few minutes, then we don’t have the confidence you are going to come out and progress through the line so the next person can go.”

Clara Hall of Prattville is a Coast Guard veteran and working on her 1980 Honda Goldwing build. Hall loves the mix of people in the OCB shop and it reminds her of serving in the military 20 years ago. It is also reminiscent of the brotherhood formed by soldiers.

“There is a bond here,” Hall said. “It is sort of like the military. In the military

you meet people from all different walks of life.

Most of the time you can’t see how they dress outside of work. You become friends and brother and sisterhood without really knowing style or fashion or knowing if they are a chess player.”

Hall almost didn’t meet Dinsmore or join OCB. She was in Pensacola. Her Jeep broke down and was driving a Harley Davidson. It was stolen while she was parked at a tattoo shop.

Hall moved back home to Prattville to save some money before returning to Pensacola. She was getting a haircut, telling her story.

The stylist told Hall about OCB but Hall didn’t follow up. Hall returned to the stylist weeks later. This time the stylist took Hall’s information and gave it to Dinsmore.

Contact was made and now Hall is a regular of the OCB Alabama shop.

“I just fell in love with the program and decided not to move back down,” Hall said. “It’s fun and therapeutic. It is kind of like a family.”

Hall has partnered with Dinsmore and Metcalf to build her 1980 Honda Goldwing. Gone are the big storage compartments and extra seat on the back. Hall has a vision for a unique motorcycle she has already named — Robert Catherine.

“That is long for Bob Cat,” Hall said. Hall describes herself as a cat lady and wants her motorcycle to take on the persona of a bobcat. The OCB crew has clipped the rear of the frame to shorten the bike.

“I haven’t seen many this way,” Hall said.

The team is working through details of how to create a new gas tank cover with storage.

Hall builds knives and jewelry for her fulltime job but at OCB she is discovering new talents especially painting. She has been practicing on gas

tanks. “I’m just trying different techniques,” Hall said. “I started following a metal flake page on social media.”

Hall uses Youtube to help figure things out but it doesn’t come without errors.

“I didn’t prep one right so when I pulled the tape off it pulled the paint,” Hall said. “So I did it again.”

Other veterans are picking up skills too.

Dinsmore said one veteran didn’t know the difference between a box cutter and a wrench when he first arrived.

“He is now working on his own boat,” Dinsmore said. “That is a big part of the program, discovering hidden talents and skills.” Hall is also liking a new Wednesday program at OCB — Lima Charlie.

“It is kind of like a peer group,” Hall said. “I’m not going to say it’s therapy but it can be. Say you are having problems with the VA; you can come in. Other people here can help you make the connections. If you need to talk about your divorce you just went through, you can.”

OCB provides lunch for the veterans on Sunday. Dinsmore said a loyal supporter takes care of it on the fourth Sunday of each month. Another donor helps out sometimes but Dinsmore figures out ways to always make it work. Dinsmore has begun to reach out for fundraising for the veterans impact organization. He wants to be able to expand the non-profit group into other areas that might be appealing to veterans. Dinsmore is thinking possibly woodworking.

“Our No. 1 goal is to prevent veteran suicide,” Dinsmore said. “Doing this program provided me the opportunity to help people I wouldn’t have had the opportunity otherwise.”

CLIFF WILLIAMS | THE TRIBUNE

Clara Hall, a Coast Guard veteran, looks over a motorcycle gas tank she painted. Almost weekly Hall works on motorcycles in the Kent community as part of Operation Charlie Bravo.