SPORTS, PAGE B3
OPINION, PAGE A4
Cochran-Gill, Levett earn all-state honors
Brantley: Never forget those who served
SPORTS, PAGE B1: 2018 ALL-COUNTY FOOTBALL TEAM INSIDE
The Tallassee Tribune DEDICATED TO THE GROWTH AND PROSPERITY OF THE GREATER TALLASSEE AREA
TALLASSEE, AL 36078
50¢
December 26, 2018
TALLASSEETRIBUNE.COM
VOL. 119, NO. 52
Lake Thurlow back to full pool By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer
File / The Tribune
The historic Mt. Vernon Theater was renovated and reopened after 50 years in January 2018.
Looking back Theater, snow, taxes among top 10 stories in Tallassee By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer
H
ere is The Tribune’s list of the Tallassee area’s top 10 stories of 2018, from the promise of new streetscapes to snow on existing roads, new taxes to old venues being upgraded.
1. Mt. Vernon Theater reopens after 50 years Members of the Mt. Vernon Theater Group, along with the Tallassee Chamber
Today’s
Hammock setting stage for growth of Tallassee
Q&A: Sitting down with local mayors, talking issues, challenges, plans
Weather
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By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer
Tallassee Mayor Johnny Hammock has been in office for just over two years and in that time, he and the city council have many made changes. However, at the midpoint of his term, Hammock said there is still a lot in store for the Tallassee. The Tribune sat down with Hammock to find out about his future plans for the city and how he feels about his accomplishments thus far. See HAMMOCK • Page A7
Carmen Rodgers / The Tribune
Tallassee Mayor Johnny Hammock has been in office for just over two years and has made many changes in the city, but says he has much more in store.
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of Commerce and the Tallassee Historical Preservation Society, gathered at the newly renovated Mt. Vernon Theater to celebrate the grand opening with a ribbon cutting on Jan 15. “Dear Mama: Letters and Music from World War II” debuted on Jan. 19. Despite cold weather, the theater was full of people who wanted to part of the special moment. The theater has hosted several events over the past 12 months and the theater board is now holding a fundraiser, “Make a Donation, Make a Difference,” which will help offset the cost of operating the historic theater. See TOP 10 • Page A6
The water level on Lake Thurlow has returned to full pool following completion of the first phase of a project to replace the spillway gates at Thurlow Dam. Lake levels began rising on Dec. 16 and by Dec. 18 the reservoir was back to normal levels. According to Alabama Power Company hydro plant superintendent Joel Johnson, the 2018 drawdown was tentatively scheduled to end Oct. 31 and a similar drawdown is planned from June through October 2019. The drawdown is needed to replace the dam’s spillway crest gates, known as flashboards, which were installed in the 1920s. “The new gates will allow us better control of the flow over the spillway,” Johnson said. The steel replacements, called Obermeyer gates, will be more efficient than the old 36-gate flashboard system. Obermeyer gates use adjustable, inflatable bladders to control the gates and more accurately manage water resources. Alabama Power worked with the Alabama Historical Commission and the University of Alabama to research Thurlow Dam when designing the new gates. The dam was built on the site of an early 19th-century textile mill. The new design will feature only four spans that operate independently across the top of the dam but also mimic the historic look of the original dam. Decades ago, local boosters promoted Thurlow Dam as the “Niagara of the South” for the way the Tallapoosa River spills over the dam when all the gates are open. “We wanted to do our best to make sure the improved Thurlow Dam looks like it does now,” Johnson said. “This will look and feel like the Thurlow we all know and remember.” The work is being done during the summer months due to better weather. See THURLOW • Page A2
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