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LOCAL, PAGE A7
HOLIDAY, PAGE A6
Local grower gives tips for keeping tree fresh
Erica’s Hair and Tan to offer free haircuts
TRUCK RUNS OVER COMPETITION: GRIFFIN LIVING UP TO NICKNAME
The Tallassee Tribune DEDICATED TO THE GROWTH AND PROSPERITY OF THE GREATER TALLASSEE AREA
TALLASSEE, AL 36078
50¢
December 12, 2018
TALLASSEETRIBUNE.COM
VOL. 119, NO. 50
Chamber elects new leaders By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer
The Tallassee Chamber of Commerce will head into 2019 with five newly elected officers and four new members of its board of directors. Torie Suggs will serve as president, Cheryl Henderson as first vice president, Wade Shipman as second vice president, Ana Rodgers as secretary and Brad Mason as treasurer, according to an announcement made by outgoing president Laurie Rygiel at the annual hospital luncheon hosted by Tallassee Community Hospital on Dec. 6. “I am very, very excited and looking forward to all of the new things and events that we will bring to town,” Suggs said. The four new members of the board of See CHAMBER • Page A2
Submitted / The Tribune
Amateur radio specialist Clay Redden, center, visited the Tallassee Boy Scouts on Dec. 3 to discuss ham radio operations. He communicated with Antarctica, the Space Station, the South Pacific and even the North Pole.
Local woman aims to save Christmas for children affected by hurricane
Going ‘ham’
By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer
Ham radio specialist visits with boy scouts
When Hurricane Michael slammed into the Florida Panhandle in October, it left devastation in its wake. Some lost everything. Tallassee resident Faith Payne, who lived in the Panama City, Florida, area for many years, was moved to action following the storm. She moved back to Tallassee a year ago and still has friends and family members who live in the storm-ravaged area. Payne opened her home to 18 evacuees in October. She fed and housed anyone who needed shelter. Several members of the community stepped up to help the family with muchneeded supplies during the difficult time. Since then, most have returned to the area and begun to rebuild, although that will take See HURRICANE • Page A2
By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer
T
he Tallassee Boy Scouts learned how to communicate with farflung locales around the globe during a recent visit from a ham radio specialist. The scouts communicated with Antarctica, the International Space Station, the South Pacific and the North Pole during Clay Redden’s demonstration. Jackson Gantt, 13, thought it was out of this world “just being able to learn about how many different people you can talk to, especially astronauts in the Space Station.” Ham radio is a mode of long-distance communication, including emergencies. The boy scouts have been a staple of the
Tallassee community since 1939 and have taken on numerous service projects, including the building and installation of benches, bird, bat and owl boxes, and repairing a bridge in the Coon Creek Nature Area. The scouts recently built birdhouses to raise funds and buy band instruments for Johnny Carr School. They have also collected first-aid supplies for Samaritan’s Purse and raised funds for the purchase and installation of a flagpole at the First United Methodist Church. A scout troop for boys and girls of all ages is available, and the scouts meet every Monday at 7 p.m. at FUMC. Cub Scout Pack 59 is for boys in grades 1-5, Boy Scout Troop 59 is for boys ages 11-17 and the Venture Scout Crew 59 is the newly created co-ed group.
Today’s
Tallassee city officials celebrate Christmas By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer
Carmen Rodgers / The Tribune
Tallassee Mayor Johnny Hammock, left, opens one of the many gifts donated by local businesses for an employee who was unable to attend Friday’s municipal party.
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Tallassee city officials set aside time Friday morning to wish their employees a merry Christmas. The event center at the 1220 Café was standingroom-only as members of the administration, fire department, police department, street department, cemetery
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department and city shop joined in the Christmas festivities. Councilman David Stough spearheaded the event, reaching out to local businesses to raise close to $3,000 in gifts for the municipal employees. “This is small token of our appreciation,” Stough said. “These men and women work hard for the See CELEBRATE • Page A3
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