Area teams suit up for first day of football practice
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Eclectic Observer Page 4
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The
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THURSDAY • AUGUST 4, 2016
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
Vol. 27, No. 30
EYL to lease practice fields to travel ball By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer
Members of the Eclectic Youth Ball League, Mayor Gary Davenport, the City Council and members of the local travel ball team met Thursday at the Senior Center for a special council meeting to discuss Aaron Park. The city owns Aaron Park and the Eclectic Youth League leases the facility. However, with the needed repairs that had to be made this year and the cost of overhead, meeting the lease agreement has been difficult in the past. This is why the council met to discuss funding options with the league. One option put on the table was leasing the fields to the area travel ball team. This is the same team that was prohibited from practicing on the fields earlier in the
season. Davenport told the league in plain terms that leasing the fields to the travel ball team may be the only viable option for generating much needed funds. “Y’all don’t have enough money,” he said. Davenport went on to explain the current lease and how closely the league should work with the council on matters that concern the facility. “Before anything is done at the park, it has to be presented to the council, any painting, any maintenance, any construction. All that stuff,” he said. “Everything that’s sitting on the ground out there belongs to us and when you start talking about big ticket items, like the lights and everything, you have to pay the town because you have to get those grants.” The council repeatedly asked EYL President Patrick Burkett why the fields could not be opened to the travel
ball team as well. Burkett explained that travel ball is cutting into league membership. If a few more girls were to leave the league for travel ball, the league could lose an entire team in an age group. With both the EYL and coaches representing the travel ball team present, one council member suggested all kids play for the league. “If y’all would join the league, there would be no issue at all,” said council member Gerrie Hayes. Travel ball coaches explained that the girls who are on the travel ball team also play softball for ECHS. The girls are not allowed to play for another team while in regular season play. The girls had the option to join after the season ended for ECHS. Burkett explained that the girls could meet the necessary six game quotas in the few
Local Piggly Wiggly raises funds for An Eclectic Xmas
Staffing, salary raise center of school board meeting
By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
At the last Elmore County Board of Education meeting talks on staffing issues, the superintendent’s salary and the hiring of a new CSFO were among the items given the most attention by board members. During the address made by Superintendent Andre Harrison, he said that the issues in the Elmore County School System were part of a larger trend in resignations from newly hired staff members. “This is pervasive throughout the state, or widespread throughout the state. For some reason so many people are committing to jobs or for positions and they are resigning and going to other counties,” said Harrison. He said just 30 minutes prior to the meeting they had received a notice of resignation. According to the personnel action sheet there were 12 resignations, the latest listed as taking effect Aug. 1, the day of the meeting. The Senior Coordinator of Personnel Services with school board, Celeste Tilley, said there were still five certified and nine support positions which needed to be filled, with the areas of math, science See SCHOOL • Page 3
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See COUNCIL • Page 3
William Carroll / The Observer
Elmore County Superintendent Dr. Andre Harrison (center) poses with graduating dogs from last year’s ceremony that are now in Elmore County Schools as part of Service Dogs Alabama.
SDA graduates new service animals By WILLIAM CARROLL Managing Editor
Service Dogs Alabama will be holding its graduation ceremony in Montgomery on Sunday and two area students will be receiving dogs as part of the ceremony. SDA is a 501(c)(3) organization which provides trained service dogs free of charge to disabled children, veterans and first responders throughout Alabama. Dogs utilized in the program are trained for a variety of needs including seizure
alert, diabetic alert, stability, wheelchair assistance and for post traumatic stress disorder and Asperger’s Syndrome. According to information from SDA, facility dogs have been placed in Elmore County schools to reduce stress in classrooms as well as promote inclusion and participation. Elmore County Schools Superintendent Dr. Andre Harrison will actually be one of the speakers at Sunday’s event, which will be held at the Wilson Auditorium at the Montgomery Museum See SERVICE • Page 3
For a second year a local grocery store has held a fundraiser for a nearly decade old Christmas program that has become an institution in Eclectic, drawing the involvement of numerous churches from around the area. The owner of the local Piggly Wiggly, Roger Ingram, said his goal was to do a fundraiser once a year to help raise money for the various expenses of An Eclectic Christmas. Whether it was for costumes or camels, he said they tried to help with the Christmas program turned non-profit organization, called An Eclectic Ministry. “We were pleasantly surprised at how great it was. We just about doubled the previous years contributions that we collected,” said Ingram. “We had great turnout. Support from the community was just incredible.” The week long walking tour covers the classic Biblical Christmas story with actors in period clothing and sets designed from the scenes of the story. See XMAS • Page 5
Red Hill event draws large crowd, raises funds for renovation By WILLIAM CARROLL Managing Editor
A very large crowd greeted those in attendance Saturday night at the old Red Hill School building as part of a benefit concert to help raise funds for a new roof for the school building, which is now used as a community center. The Red Hill Community Club put the event on and Club President Paula Castleberry said that the event generated $2,100, which will go toward the cost of the new roof. The concert event included music by Cecil Malone & Montgomery Junction, Cowboy,Bill and Company and The Kevin Adair Band.
Previously, Castleberry said that the group had raised approximately $9,000 for the roof repair and that the estimated cost to replace the roof would be about $30,000. The building is not only important as a community center for the Red Hill Community but also has historical significance. “The school has hosted some famous people over the years,” Castleberry said. “Hank Williams (Sr.) and other Grand Ole Opry stars played there.” As part of the fundraising efforts, Castleberry said that the club would also be selling bricks for $125. Purchasers can See RED HILL • Page 3
William Carroll / The Observer
A full house came to hear live country music Saturday at the Red Hill Community Club located at the old Red Hill School. Pictured is Cecil Malone and Montgomery Junction, one of the three acts for the fundraiser.
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