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IN THIS ISSUE BUSINESS NEWS A3 | SOCIETY A7 | OBITUARIES A14 | COMICS A16 SPORTS B1 | POLITICS B7 | PUBLIC NOTICES B12 | PUZZLES B15
Vol. 15, No. 33
Your local publication created 'for local people, by local people.'
Opelika, Alabama
A New Perspective on Books
Award-Winning Author Inspires New Love of Reading for Local Students
OPELIKA — Anything is possible. That’s what award-winning author, illustrator and self-proclaimed “nice guy” Jerry Craft aims to instill in students through his published works and visits to schools across the United States. Craft, best known for his “New Kid” trilogy of graphic novels, made his latest stop in Opelika on May 17, where he spoke to nearly 750 seventhand eighth-graders in a packed auditorium at Opelika Middle School. The students laughed, cheered and listened closely as Craft paced the stage, recounting his journey from a young student who “hated
PHOTO BY KENDYL HOLLINGSWORTH / THE OBSERVER
BY KENDYL HOLLINGSWORTH KENDYLH@OPELIKAOBSERVER. COM
Jerry Craft sketches a personalized illustration for Opelika Middle School in the style of his award-winning graphic novel, "New Kid." Craft gifted this and more illustrations to the school following his presentation.
reading” to someone now living a life bigger than his dreams. “To come to a place like this and see the energy — like, to go in that auditorium where they’re chanting ‘Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!’ — you can’t help but know that what you’re doing, what you’ve spent the last year of your life on, is worthwhile,” Craft said. Craft came prepared with a visual presentation, props, jokes and plenty of personal anecdotes, as well as an oversized paper pad he used to demonstrate some of his illustrating skills. He gifted those illustrations — some with direct references to OMS — to the school following his presentation. “We thought he gave See CRAFT, page A2
Opelika Hosts CCAA Conference Together, Opelika PHOTO BY ROBERT NOLES / THE OBSERVER
PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER
Says ‘Game On’
Children play flag football in the 2021 Game On event.
The Opelika Chamber of Commerce and Auburn Chamber of Commerce co-hosted the 2023 Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama's Executive Leadership Conference this year at the Auburn Mariott Opelika Resort & Spa at General National. CONTRIBUTED BY OPELIKA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
OPELIKA —
Opelika hosted the 2023 Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama’s Executive
Leadership Conference April 25 through 27, and Opelika Chamber of Commerce President
and CEO Ali Rauch received the Chamber Champion award.
BY WIL CREWS SPORTSCREWS@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
OPELIKA — Saturday, June 17, children ages 5 to 18 are invited to play flag football with the Opelika Police Department (OPD) at its annual Together Opelika Game On event.
See CCAA, page A3
See GAME page A3
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