OPINION
LOCAL
Let’s start to end domestic violence SPORTS, PAGE B1 ALL-AREA ALL -AREA SOFTBALL TEAM INSIDE INSIDE:
Murder-suicide in Redland stuns Elmore County area
PAGE A A44
PAGE A6
LOCAL FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS, PAGE 2.
The Tallassee Tribune DEDICATED TO THE GROWTH AND PROSPERITY OF THE GREATER TALLASSEE AREA
TALLASSEE, AL 36078
50¢
July 11, 2018
TALLASSEETRIBUNE.COM
VOL. 119, NO. 28
July 4 fire leaves concerns Tommy Emfinger, who owns the home along with his mother, Marie, and sister, Kay, was nearby. As flames consumed the home he could see smoke billowing. He walked toward that smoke and saw the home’s occupants who had climbed out of a window and were stranded on top of the carport as the house burned. Emfinger quickly brought a ladder over and the occupants were See FIRE • Page A2
By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer
Jackie Robinson and her family suffered a terrible loss last Wednesday when the home they were living in on Hudson Place became engulfed in flames. The fire began under an outside awning that covered the only entrance to the home, trapping the occupants inside. Luckily help was only feet away.
This home on Hudson Place became engulfed in flames last Wednesday, displacing Jackie Robinson and her family. Luckily everyone survived the fire, except the family pet, Kaylee. However, the owners of the home say this could have been much more tragic.
Carmen Rodgers / The Tribune
SPECSCON 2018 a success
Many from the Tallassee area went to The Amp by boat and by car to watch the southeast’s largest Independence Day fireworks show at Lake Martin.
By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer
Sherre Padgett Education Consulting Services – better known as SPECS – is an educational consulting company that is based in Tallassee and specializes in academic tutoring of levels pre-K through doctoral in all subject areas. The organization joined forces with the Auburn University Chapter of MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences) to host the first annual SPECSCON Academic AllStars Scholarship Readiness Conference, which showcased many of the top academic performers in the southeastern region, particularly in the state of Alabama. Participants were students in grades 9-12 with a GPA of 3.0 or above and a minimum score of 20 or 1020, respectively. The focus of SPECSCON was to provide information for young scholars and their parents for college preparedness and scholarship readiness, as well as offer the opportunity to engage
Carmen Rodgers / The Tribune
Thousands spend Fourth on Lake Martin
L
ake Martin seemed to be the place to be this week during the Fourth of July holiday. Many made an entire week out of the holiday, which fell on a Wednesday. Local restaurants on Lake Martin were busy all week and had little to no boat parking. As soon as one boat left another would pull in right behind it.
The day of the Fourth, many made their way to the Lake Martin Amphitheater to see the southeast’s largest fireworks display, which began promptly at 9 p.m. While Lake Martin was bustling over the holiday weekend, Tallassee was not. However, See LAKE • Page A7
See SPECSCON • Page A3
Tallassee has a giving community known for supporting fellow community members and that time has come once again for a neighbor who is healing from injuries sustained in a recent accident. “Montrerius Hucherson, known to all who love him as Boonchie, is a Tallassee High School graduate who was seriously injured in a motorcycle
Montrerius Hucherson, known to all who love him as Boonchie, was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident in May. His friends, family and co-workers are raising money to help offset the cost of medical expenses with an upcoming fundraiser.
accident in May,” said Suzannah Wilson, event coordinator. “Boonchie has had almost 10 surgeries since his accident and both of his feet have been amputated.” It has been over two months since the accident and medical expenses are beginning to add up. To help offset all the expenses of being hospitalized and not being able to work, friends, family members and co-workers have come together to raise money for Hucherson See BOONCHIE • Page A2
Mark your calendars for Aug. 3 and 4 as the Mt. Vernon Theater welcomes LIFT Ministries’ Restoration, A Woman Conference. Ladies in Faith Together (L.I.F.T) is a group created to bring women together to be encouraged, empowered and engaged in their relationship with Christ. “This two-day event is designed with women in mind,” said Hannah Johnson, event coordinator and founder of LIFT Ministries in Tallassee. Tickets for this event include much more than a typical conference. “Tickets include a t-shirt, goody bag, breakfast and a catered lunch, movie pass and a Night of Worship event pass,” said Johnson. “This conference will host women speaking on a variety of life circumstances.” According to Johnson, this conference will have something for
MEMORIAL
FUNERAL HOME Prearrangement Insurance & Monuments
84632 Tallassee Hwy. | Eclectic, AL www.linvillememorial.com
Submitted / The Tribune
Today’s
Weather
94 74 High
Low
THURS: HIGH 93 LOW 73
CONTACT US 334-567-7811 Fax: 334-567-3284 USPS 681-260
www.MtVernonTheatre.net MtVernonTheatre@gmail.com
LINVILLE 334.639.4730
By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer
See CONFERENCE • Page A2
Fish and shrimp dinner set for ‘Boonchie’ By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer
Mt. Vernon to host women’s conference
Tickets On Sale Now! Come Meet . . .
SIRAN STACY July 14, 2018 • 7:00 PM TICKETS – Presale: $25 At the Door: $30 321 Barnett Blvd., Tallassee | 334.991.2086 | 334.328.1513
Acapulco Mexican Grill
Best Margaritas in town!
Monday Night Kids Eat FREE! Tuesday $2 Beer after 4pm
Dolan A. Fannin Jr., LUTCF
Need Home & Auto Coverage:
DO IT WITH TRUITT!
Thursday Karaoke Night 6-10 • $1.99 Margarita ALL DAY
2867 Gilmer Avenue, Tallassee • (334) 283-2725
T TRUITT INSURANCE & BONDING, INC.
MADE FRESH DAILY!
319 Barnett Blvd.
P: 334.991.4688
Page A2 • July 11, 2018
www.TallasseeTribune.com
THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE
Fire
Obituaries
continued from page 1
Mr. Terry Shelby Mr. Terry Shelby, 68, of Tallassee, passed away July 3, 2018. He was born September 24, 1949. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, July 10, at 11 am at First Baptist Church of Eclectic with Dr. Britt Green officiating. Casual attire is requested (no ties). Graveside service with military honors will be held on Friday, July 13, at 9:30 am at Alabama National Cemetery, Montevallo, AL. He is survived by his wife, Susan Shelby; son, Joe Shelby; brothers, Jerry Shelby (Barbara) and Rickey Shelby (Donna) and sister, Sheila Malone (Fletcher). In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Flags for Vets via online www.flagsforvets. us or to John and Jessie George, Missionaries for Ethnos360 via online www.ethnos360.org. Online condolences for the family may be posted at www. linvillememorial.com. Linville Memorial Funeral Home Eclectic, Alabama
Ronnie Gene Strong Ronnie Gene Strong, 73, of Notasulga, died Wednesday, July 4, 2018, at Bethany House in Auburn. Graveside services will be Saturday, July 7, 2018, at Salem Macon Baptist Cemetery at 11:00 A.M. Visitation will be Friday, July 6, 2018, at Corbitt’s Funeral Home from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. Mr. Strong is survived by his sons Brian Strong, Steven Strong, and Jason (Kay) Strong; his brothers Roy (Melba) Strong and Jimmy (Sue) Strong; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Send condolences at www.corbittsfuneralhome.com.
Conference
continued from page 1
every woman and all the ladies in Tallassee and surrounding areas are invited to attend. “This conference will host women speaking on a variety of life circumstances that have led them to achieving their highest calling from the Lord,” she said. “Each guest speaker will be speaking on things such as, but not limited to, the restoration that you can find in the Lord after laying your past at the foot of the cross. The truth in knowing that the true lover of our soul restores us each and everyday.” Johnson said each day of the conference will be fulfilling and could be life-changing. “My prayer is that truth in the gospel of Jesus Christ changes our lives each morning along with His unfailing mercies,” she said. “Our hope through the testimonies of others is that women understand that no matter their circumstance they can truly achieve freedom and restoration in the Lord.” LIFT’s local chapter meets monthly on Mondays and is very active in the community and often reaches out to those most in need. Tickets for this event are available online at www.liftministriesal.com. For more information about LIFT Ministries contact Hannah Johnson at (334) 328-1513.
able to escape without injury. The family’s dog, however, did not. As the home was burning, the Robinson family’s dog, a sixyear-old Yorkshire terrier named Kaylee, jumped from the second floor of the home and was injured. Someone at the scene picked up the dog. Robinson was later told that the dog was taken to a local vet for treatment. Three days went by and Robinson had not heard from the individual who picked Kaylee up and no local vet had seen the pooch. Saturday morning the Tallassee Tribune published an article concerning the missing pet. Later that day the person who picked Kaylee up came forward and shared the sad news the family’s pet had succumbed to injuries sustained during the fire. While the loss of a family pet is devastating, no human lives were lost in the fire. However, this Independence Day house fire could have had a very different outcome. According to Kay Emfinger, co-owner of the house on Hudson Place, lack of adequate water flow from the hydrant significantly hindered the
responding fire departments ability to control the fire. “Firefighters worked on this scene for 5 hours and 9 minutes,” Kay Emfinger said. “A fire started from ashes in a rubbish bin should not have taken firefighters this amount of time and totally engulfed the entire two-story structure. The City of Tallassee should bear part of the burden of guilt for this unfortunate event. Low water pressure has been called to the City’s attention over and over, to no avail. I know for a fact that Mr. Ed Watkins and my mother, Marie Emfinger, filed multiple complaints over the last 20 plus years.” The home on Hudson Place is located next door to the Learning Lodge, which houses 85 children. “While I am ‘put out’ with the inconvenience and fiscal loss that this event has caused, I am most concerned with the ‘wake up’ call this should be for the citizens of Tallassee,” Kay Emfinger said. “The four residents of 618-A Hudson Place suffered tremendous loss. Sadly, this is a loss that could have been mitigated with adequate water pressure. The Learning
Boonchie
Lodge Daycare and Preschool is located at 618 Hudson Place, just feet away. Multiply the loss (at) 618-A Hudson Place by 25 for a slight sketch of the travesty that could have been if the fire had taken place at The Learning Lodge.” The Tallassee Tribune reached out to Mayor Johnny Hammock, who is also superintendent of utilities for the City of Tallassee, but he had no comment at this time. In recent months the Tallassee City Council voted to increase city sales tax. Revenue from that tax was then earmarked to be split between Tallassee City Schools to build a new high school and work on the city’s infrastructure, including repairs at the city’s sewer lagoon and replacement of outdated cast-iron water and gas line pipes. Tallassee is one of only a handful of cities that utilizes castiron pipes today. The life span of cast-iron pipe is 25-30 years. With cast-iron pipes in place that date back to the 1940s Tallassee’s pipeline is well overdue for a total overhaul.
continued from page 1
who is an employee of GKN and has a two-year-old son named Amir. Once again, the 1220 Café, located at 1220 Gilmer Ave., has stepped up to the task and put together a fish and shrimp dinner scheduled for Saturday, July 21, to help with the cause. Tickets for the upcoming fundraiser dinner are $20 and a portion of the sales from the dinner will go directly to Hucherson. In addition to the dinner, there will also be a cake auction during the fundraiser. Hibbett Sports is donating gift cards and Friendly Home Rentals is donating a surprise grand prize that will be given away. In addition to the cost of the dinner, a $2 donation is requested to be considered for the grand prize. If you would like to contribute to this cause, tickets can be
purchased and donations can be made at Essence Barbershop, located on South Ann Avenue in the downtown area or at Suzannah’s Photography on James Street in Tallassee. There are several community members who are also assisting with ticket sales and donations, including Hannah Johnson, Debbie Griffin, Lawrence O’Neal, Nicole O’Neal and councilmen Damian Carr and Darrell Wilson. In addition to the fish and shrimp dinner campaign and monetary donations, coordinators are also taking cakes to be auctioned at the upcoming fundraiser. For more information about this, contact Lawrence O’Neal with the Wall Street Improvement Committee at 334207-0527 or Suzannah Wilson at Suzannah’s Photography at 334283-8172.
Need your business to
STAND OUT from the crowd?
Call us, we can help!
256.234.4281
• Alexander City Outlook • Dadeville Record • Wetumpka Herald • Eclectic Observer • Tallassee Tribune
Cylinder Special! Have YOUR Each 20-Lb. C ylind ers Wednesday Only! Filled for 12-5 PM $ 00 Throughout July
10
NE W
20-Lb. C ylin For
ders
$ 39 9 5 Plus Tax
SUPERIOR GAS, INC. 8561 8 56 61 US S Hig Highway h y 231 • Wetumpka, W Wetumpka ettumpk ka AL AL 24 Tallapoosa St. • Notasulga, AL Question: Why would I want to take my children to church where they teach things like the Bible, respect, love, belief in the sacredness of life, the importance of honoring parents, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
Drive a Little, Save A Lot!
SUN, SURF & SAVINGS Going on now @ Tallassee Automotive
More and more parents are choosing natural chiropractic healthcare for their children! Chiropractic is a drug free option for your family that focuses on creating and maintaining a healthy body from day one rather than waiting until the body is sick and treating symptoms.
NEW & USED VEHICLES, SERVICE & PARTS
TALLASSEE
Most of the children in our practice are completely medication and toxin free and that is something we are really excited about!
Answer: Because they are going to pick your nursing home.
C H R Y S L E R
A U T O M O T I V E
315 Friendship Road Tallassee, AL
334-283-6838 1618 Gilmer Avenue 161 Tallassee, AL
herringchiropractic.com
Drs. Randal & Caroline Herring
www.fbctallassee.com
Sunday School: 8:45 AM & 10:00 AM Morning Worship: 8:45 AM & 10:00 AM
1279 Friendship Road • Tallassee, AL
THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE
www.TallasseeTribune.com
July 11, 2018 • Page A3
Submitted / The Tribune
Dr. Florence Holland taught SPECSCON 2018 participants that there’s nothing like a good “Power Pose” to build confidence in their quests.
SPECSON
continued from page 1
with many college scholarship offices, admissions offices, private scholarship donors and other relevant entities. College representatives, scholarship donors, and others from across the region descended upon Auburn University June 29-30, to come face to face with some of the brightest academic minds in the region. Friday, June 29, kicked off the event with registration and a conference meet-and-greet event. The night was capped off with a dynamic presentation on being “SuccessReady,” motivating participants and preparing them to approach the event with enthusiasm and the correct mentality in order to receive the maximum benefit from the opportunities presented. Saturday was filled with conference presenters, sessions and panel discussions. Continuing with the Scholarship Readiness theme and building on Friday night’s “Success Ready” presentation, Saturday’s
presentations included “ServiceReady,” “Academics-Ready,” “TestReady,” “Finance-Ready” and, especially for the parents, “ParentReady,” where parents were taught when and how to lead, to follow or to get out of the way. Saturday was also the SPECSON 2018 Blue Carpet Gala Event, where participants were able to walk the blue carpet to the step and repeat banner, enjoyed a delicious dinner and received a memorable message from keynote speaker, Cappriccieo “Capp” Scates, United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Ambassador, SAE Institute adjunct professor and entertainment industry icon. Other speakers included Dr. Holland, who spoke to students and parents about financial readiness. Holland has teamed up with SPECS to ensure that students have the tools they need to finish college with little or no student debt. Auburn University’s Michelle Cole of Tallassee spoke to students and
their parents about service and skills readiness, explaining the advantages of service to the community when building a mindset of giving, acquiring marketable skills and in applying for scholarships. Dr. Honesty Cockrell-Moore is a registered pharmacist and graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans. She spoke to students and their parents about remaining focused and how to make alternate plans to reach their goals, even when life’s obstacles arise. She relayed her own experiences of being displaced by Hurricane Katrina in the middle of her college tenure and how she endured to achieve success. Sherre Padgett, founder of SPECS, spoke to students and parents about academic and test readiness and W. Dale Padgett, SPECS team member, spoke to parents and students about success mindset. The first SPECSCON Academic All-Stars College Scholarship Award, in the amount of $500, went to rising Tallassee High School senior John
Burgess during the event. Burgess was selected because he is a rising high school senior, has a 3.0 or higher overall GPA and composite ACT score of 20 or more, he is active in community service, completed a SPECSCON student enrollment profile and for attending and fully participating in SPECSCON 2018 Scholarship Readiness conference activities. “We look forward to seeing more of John’s success as he continues his college, scholarship, and career preparation quests,” said SPECS team member, W. Dale Padgett. SPECS also provides many enrichment programs throughout the year as well as consulting, college & career planning, curriculum development and professional development. The organization is most widely known for its testprep services, particularly GRE and ACT Prep. You may obtain more information on SPECS at www. specspower.com and www.facebook. com/specspower
HEALTHY TEENAGERS AND YOUNG ADULTS CAN GET BACTERIAL MENINGITIS. HERE IS HOW IT SPREADS:
Know that the people protecting your home are licensed by the State of Alabama. Coughing & Sneezing
Sharing Drinks & Utensils
Kissing
Living in Close Quarters
ABOUT 10% OF PEOPLE WITH BACTERIAL MENINGITIS WILL DIE, SOMETIMES WITHIN 24 HOURS. SURVIVORS MAY HAVE BRAIN DAMAGE, LOSS OF LIMBS, AND HEARING LOSS.
Licensedsecurity.org Do have a home security system? Are you licensed in Alabama?
Now there’s a way to recruit, train and empower, a highly skilled workforce driven by business and industry needs. It’s your competitive advantage in Alabama.
THERE ARE 2 TYPES OF MENINGOCOCCAL VACCINES RECOMMENDED FOR PRETEENS AND TEENAGERS. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BACTERIAL MENINGITIS AND THE MENINGOCOCCAL VACCINE, VISIT alabamapublichealth.gov/immunization or facebook.com/AlabamaImmunizationInfo. #PreventMeningitis #GetVaccinated
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE CITY OF TALLASSEE ADMENDMENT TO ZONING ORDINANCE The City of Tallassee will hold a public hearing regarding proposed rezoning to 412 King Street, and 201 Preer Street from R1 to STM. Said hearing will be held at Tallassee City Hall in the Council Chambers, on Monday, July 10, 2018, at 6 p.m. Any person who desires shall have an opportunity of being heard regarding said amendments at the time of this hearing. A copy of the proposed amendments is available for review in the office of the Building Inspector at Tallassee City Hall, 3 Freeman Avenue, Tallassee, Alabama.
AlabamaWorks: Opportunity-Innovation-Accountability-Inclusion
It’s time to grow at: www.alabamaworks.com
TALLASSEE CITY SCHOOLS 308 King Street • Tallassee, AL 334.283.6864
2018-2019 Calendar July 4................4th of July Holiday August 2-8....Teacher Inservice Day August 7......................Open House August 3............Teacher Institute August 9..............1st Day of School
Building the Future, One Student at a Time
Tallassee
Page A4 • July 11, 2018
www.TallasseeTribune.com
THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE
Classic album covers, 1967-1973 — the visual division In addition to the plethora of record album cover “gimmicks” or “goodies” that were seen during the most creative and diverse half-dozen years in popular music history (RE: last week’s commentary), there were also albums which had artwork that was so unique and memorable that just the imagery became iconic. So this time around let’s take a look at some albums noted for their cover artwork/visual aspect. And here’s a curveball precursor right on the first pitch—Porter Wagoner’s Confessions of a Broken Man was released in 1966, and on the cover, the country singer’s lean, undertaker-like face had been made up to make him look even more emaciated and unhealthy. Dressed in worn clothing, he was shown in a seedy setting, complete with a garbage can in the foreground. Wagoner would ultimately craft that look into an alter ego named Skid Row Joe on further recordings. The doppelgänger bum also made appearances on Wagoner’s syndicated television show. 1969’s The Carroll County Accident showed Porter in
one of his usual rhinestonedecorated performance outfits, but the singer’s countenance was one of revulsion and/or mortification as sweat poured down his face. However, it was mostly rock and pop albums that featured artwork that would turn out to be timeless. In more than one genre, artists worked with bands on more than one album. Mike McCarty, an artist who designed almost all of the covers for albums by the Atlanta Rhythm Section, recalled listening to “works in progress”/rudimental recordings to help him formulate ideas for what he wanted to present. Many albums had mysterious images that were rumored to have some kind of hidden meaning. There were numerous LPs that had photo collages on their covers that kept fans busy for hours trying to figure out what suchand-such a person or item on display meant. Santana’s Abraxas was a popular example, but the obvious legendary cover in the quasi-hodge-podge-displays category was the Beatles’ Sgt.
Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The primarily-cut-andpaste lineup of personalities on the cover made for detailed inspection and speculation, and included a doll wearing a striped sweater emblazoned with “Welcome the Rolling Stones.” The Stone reciprocated later by placing images of the Beatles in the reticular “moving picture” cited in last week’s column. Less than a year after Sgt. Pepper was released, an anarchistic California band called the Mothers of Invention lampooned the Beatles’ album cover in a hilarious parody, and music fans probably spent a lot of time trying to figure out that collage, as well. And the hidden-meaningson-album-covers “concept” arguably hit its zenith in 1969 with the Beatles’ Abbey Road, as it reportedly offered
went a step further with a metalized cover that had numerous tinted colors, much like Candy Apple automobile paint finishes. Some albums seemed to “straddle” the artwork and gimmick phenomena—an album titled Look At Yourself by a British band called Uriah Heep featured a foil mirror on the front cover. All this from around 50 years ago. About the only “innovative” CD I own is a live double album by Pink Floyd from 1995 that features a red blinking LED, which is still working after over 23 years (I’ve had to replace the batteries a few times). And it seems like users of iPods, etc. are missing something if they listen to classic music with no (historical) visual reference. Like some of the so-called musical entertainment of today, it seems like such digital formats with no images offer…well, nothing. Willie Moseley is the news editor emeritus for The Tribune. His column appears here each Wednesday.
‘Now More Than Ever’ celebrates a terrific band
The Tribune’s
Mission The Tribune strives to report the news honestly, fairly and with integrity, to take a leadership role and act as a positive influence in our community, to build commerce and to promote business, to provide for the welfare of our employees, to strive for excellence in everything we do and above all, to treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves.
Follow us
On the Web Follow The Tribune on the Internet on our website or on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Log on to http:// www.tallasseetribune. com. There you will be able to view stories and multimedia posted by The Tribune. You can also click
WILLIE MOSELEY Columnist
several visual clues that Paul McCartney was dead. The front cover photo was taken outside the studio for which the album is named, and among the facets cited were McCartney’s closed eyes, bare feet, and cigarette in his right hand (he’s a southpaw). Paul was also out of step with the other three band members. It was also rumored that hidden messages could be found in the license plate of a Volkswagen parked nearby, and that the police van on display also had a subliminal message. (TANGENT: McCartney himself parodied the cover for his 1993 Paul is Live album) So-called psychedelic music often begat front cover illustrations to match the sonic contents. Cream was actually a British blues-based trio, but their iconic Disraeli Gears was presented in a memorable day-glo visual freakout that epitomized psychedelia. Cream also figured into, er, “chrome” albums—metalized/ reflective covers—with their Wheels of Fire album. Steppenwolf used the same concept on their debut album, as did a jazz-rock band called If. Steppenwolf the Second
on the Facebook link to join The Tribune’s fan club or click on the Twitter link to start receiving tweets on your phone as we post updates. You can also subscribe to our RSS feed on The Tribune’s home page.
THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE (533-160) is published weekly on Wednesday by Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc., 301 Gilmer Ave., Tallassee, AL 36078. Periodical postage paid at Tallassee, Alabama. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Tallassee Tribune, 301 Gilmer Avenue, Tallassee, AL 36078. ISSN # 2150-3982. We reserve the right to refuse to print any advertisement, news story, photograph or any other material submitted to us for any reason or no reason at all. •Obituaries - $0.25 per word with a $15 charge for a picture. Obituaries can only be accepted by the funeral home handling the arrangements. The Tallassee Tribune does not accept obituaries from individuals. •Weddings/Engagements/Birth Announcements - $0.25 per word with a $15 for a 2 column, color photo. • One year $25 (In Elmore County, Tallapoosa County and Notasulga) elsewhere $38 The publisher reserves the right to change subscription rates during the term of subscription with a 30-day notice. The notice can be mailed to the subscriber, or by notice in the newspaper itself. To subscribe or if you missed your paper, call David Kendrick at The Alex City Outlook: 256-234-4281. © 2015 Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved and any reproduction of this issue is prohibited without the consent of the editor or publisher. Steve Baker: Publisher publisher@tallasseetribune.com • 256-234-4281 David Granger: Managing Editor David.Granger@tallasseetribune.com • 334- 567-7811 Carmen Rodgers: Reporter carmen.rodgers@tallasseetribune.com Kat Raiford: Marketing Consultant kat.raiford@tallasseetribune.com • 334-444-8981 The Tallassee Tribune is contract printed each Tuesday evening in Alexander City, Ala. by Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc. 256-234-4281.
The Tallassee Tribune
E
arlier this year, CNN aired a documentary titled ““Now More Than Ever”,” which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the band Chicago. Good job, but – CNN? Shouldn’t this have been MTV or VH1 territory? But I digress. I have been a huge fan of Chicago for most of my life. I have seen them perform live in concert and I own most of their albums on vinyl and CD. Listening to Chicago is basically a part of my daily routine. The documentary, directed by Peter Pardini (nephew of latterday Chicago touring member Lou Pardini, who replaced Bill Champlin in 2010), gives viewers glimpses of neverbefore-seen home movies and backstage shenanigans not typically associated with this faceless “band behind a logo.” Truly, the band is known more for its logo and its penchant for giving each album release a Roman numeral, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find you remember those dozens of hits. Those records have been played so much over the years, you probably know them by heart even if you don’t own them: “Saturday in the Park,” “If You Leave Me Now,” “Make Me Smile,” “You’re the Inspiration,” “Wishin’ You Were Here,” “Old Days,” “Hard to Say I’m Sorry,” “Just You ‘n Me,” “Colour My World,” “25 or 6 to 4,” “Feelin’ Stronger Everyday,” and many more. The band was formed in the mid-1960s by a group of music-loving students at DePaul University in Chicago. Studying classical and jazz genres as well as music theory, these guys called themselves The Big Thing and began playing clubs in their hometown. Soon, their repertoire came from audience requests for rock tunes – which these guys promptly zipped up with homemade horn section arrangements, effectively creating a whole new brew that would eventually include ensembles such as Blood, Sweat, & Tears, Earth, Wind & Fire, Chase, the Ides of March, and many others. Walter Parazaider (woodwinds), James Pankow (trombone), Lee Loughnane (trumpet), Terry Kath (guitar), Robert Lamm (keyboards), Peter Cetera (bass), and Danny Seraphine (drums) all had the ability to put their own stamp on rock tunes. By the time record producer Jim Guercio recorded their first long-player, The Big Thing had been rechristened as Chicago Transit Authority. Of course, the City of Chicago
MICHAEL BIRD Columnist didn’t want CTA to be used as the name of a rock band, so within a few months, the band name was shortened to Chicago. And thus began a period of unprecedented success on college campuses and in bigger and bigger performance venues throughout 1969 and 1970. Chicago was a very political band; beyond the covers and the hit singles, those first couple of albums dealt with some heavy subject matter, particularly in their anti-war stance. Many of their early songs had to do with life on the road, partying, free love, world peace and so on. They were very much a product of their times. The documentary doesn’t spend much time on what I had hoped to learn – just how did those guys catch lightning in a bottle back then? How did they figure out what sounded good? What do some of those song lyrics mean? The documentary does uncover the mystery of what “25 or 6 to 4” means – after all these years, we learn that composer Robert Lamm was looking at the clock on the wall while he was writing. And I had always thought it was a drug song. The band rocks through the 1970s, and we see lots of great times with this band of brothers. No signs of conflict, no troubles, just lots of hits. Then, it rapidly comes apart: lead guitarist Terry Kath accidentally shoots himself, while the band fires its longtime manager/producer Guercio, both in early 1978. The group soldiers on with a new album and embarrasses itself when it briefly tries on disco and new wave sounds. After two flop albums, Columbia Records pays the band to get off the label. They begin the 1980s bereft, directionless,
with no producer or record deal. Drummer Seraphine introduces the band to superstar producer David Foster. Foster agrees to produce them, but has harsh words for their new in-house material and suggests outside writers. The band signs with Warner Bros. Records and achieves greater success the second time around than they ever could have imagined. The only problem with their megahits of the 1980s was that the music videos featured the lead singer, which seemed to always be bassist Cetera. Cetera and the band parted ways in 1985 and, briefly, his career outshone that of his former band. Loughnane, Parazaider, Seraphine, Pankow, and Lamm tighten their bond and act as if nothing had happened. They bring in Cetera sound-alike Jason Scheff on bass and vocals, multiinstrumentalist Bill Champlin on vocals, and Keith Howland on guitar – and have a third round of success as the 1990s dawn. But these songs bear little to no resemblance to the Chicago we used to know. When the band records a horn-driven album in 1993, the record label refuses to release it because it’s not characteristic of the band – in other words, no ballads. Stranded between two versions of their former selves, Chicago stopped chasing trends as the new millennium approached. They have put out new material in the style of their 1970s heyday and stay on the road most of the year with modern-day lineups of the Doobie Brothers and Earth, Wind & Fire. “Now More Than Ever” doesn’t answer all of a fan’s questions, but it’s a great celebration of a terrific band. This film is currently available for streaming on Netflix, and if you like Chicago you need to see it. Michael Bird is choral director and assistant band director for Tallassee City Schools.
SEND US A LETTER Want to share your opinion with the area?
• EMAIL: carmen.rodgers@ tallasseetribune.com Include your name, address and phone number. Only your name and city will be printed. We reserve the right to edit or to refuse to publish any submission. You may submit one letter per month, limited to 300 words or less.
Talks THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE
STEVE FLOWERS Columnist
If you show up at polls, your vote will be enhanced exponentially
W
ell folks, if you vote in the Republican primary you may want to go back to the polls next week and finish selecting the GOP nominees for several important state offices. If you are a Democrat the only reason you will need to vote on Tuesday is if you have a runoff in a local race and there are very few of those around. We are still a very red Republican state. There are 29 elected statewide offices in Alabama. All 29 are held by Republicans. When all the votes are counted in November, that 29 out of 29 figure will more than likely be the same in the Heart of Dixie. The Blue wave has not reached here. There were twice as many Republican voters, 590,000 to 283,000, as Democratic voters on June 5. In addition to having all 29 state offices held by Republicans, six out of seven of our members of Congress are members of the GOP. That will also remain the same when the dust settles in the fall. The only contested Congressional race is for the Second District, which encompasses most of the Montgomery River Region, including Elmore and Autauga Counties, coupled with the Wiregrass. It is a very conservative district. Therefore, it is a Republican seat. The winner of the GOP runoff between Martha Roby and Bobby Bright will be the Congressman. Whoever is elected will vote consistently conservative with the GOP leadership in Congress. Roby is on the ropes because she vowed openly, two years ago, that she would not vote for Donald Trump for President. That unnecessary display of disloyalty has made her very unpopular in the district. Trump has a 90 percent approval rating among Republican primary voters in southeast Alabama. She would have lost two years ago if the primary had been held after her statement. There was an unprecedented number of write-in votes against her. She has been considered very vulnerable since that time. National special interests stuck to their script and stayed loyal to the incumbent and loaded her up with Washington money. She was able to outspend her four male opponents by more than a 2 to 1 margin. However, she fell short in the primary, garnering about 38 percent. Bobby Bright received 27 percent and is well known and liked in the district. However, President Trump’s endorsement of Roby three weeks ago may have wiped the slate clean for Roby and given her a clear path to reelection. Winning the Republican nomination for Attorney General and Lt. Governor in Alabama is still pretty much tantamount to election, although the Democrats have a viable candidate for Attorney General in young Joseph Siegelman in November. Don Siegelman’s son Joseph along with youthful Tuscaloosa mayor, Walt Maddox, have viable chances of winning as Democrats in November. The GOP race for Attorney General has been the best contest in the primary season. Troy King began the race as the favorite and will probably prevail next Tuesday. There were four formidable horses in this race. King has previously served as Attorney General and therefore was perceived as the incumbent. Bentley appointee Steve Marshall had been a Democratic district attorney for a while. This one will boil down to who votes. In a GOP runoff, only the hardcore Republican base will vote. Those voters will not be excited about Steve Marshall, who was appointed by Robert Bentley and as late as a few years ago was expediently a Democrat who was appointed by Don Siegelman. In fact, he voted for and contributed to Barack Obama. My guess is that folks will vote for Troy King, a lifelong Republican. The race for Lt. Governor will be close between Twinkle Cavanaugh and Will Ainsworth. This contest has attracted more attention and money than ever. The odds say that there is a 50-50 chance that whoever wins this contest next Tuesday will ascend to Governor over the next few years. Our current governor moved from Lt. Governor to Governor without being elected. It has happened more than once over the past few decades. If you vote on Tuesday, you will be in a pool of about 10 to 12 percent of Alabama’s registered voters. Therefore, if you show up, your vote will be enhanced exponentially. 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 state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
I
www.TallasseeTribune.com
July 11, 2018 • Page A5
A few things to let you know
’m just letting you know a few things. They are lowering the water elevation about 10 feet on Lake Thurlow. It will stay down until the first phase of the dam repairs are made. If you are driving on North Ann out of town towards Kent, when you cross the bridge look around the bank, maybe 15 feet out, and I think you will be able to see the old railroad track that ran around and up to Yates Dam. I remember years ago when they let the water down for the first time in my memory, my son and I walked all around the river bank picking up lures, corks and old drink bottles. We had a quite a time. When I was a boy there were some islands in the middle of Lake Thurlow. Someone put a pole on one of the islands – a pole about the size of a telephone pole. My daddy, and I’m sure others, would swim out to this pole and back. I was little but I would go to our bedroom window and watch him swim out and back. If you are the adventuring kind I think you would have a great time exploring the banks of Lake Thurlow. While you are doing this look for the old boiler left in the lake many years ago. Look at Red Nose Rock, then come back and read the History of Tallassee on the subject. Lake Yates has a spillway and Tallassee’s Lake Thurlow has gates. Think about what may happen and what it will look like if we have flood rains as we have had in the
RONALD BRANTLEY Columnist past. One of my regrets is that we didn’t have a camera or money for film when I was growing up. We would have so many pictures. I see people every day taking pictures with their phones. Are they keeping these or leaving then on the phone and let them go to waste? Now, let us go to another subject for a while. I am older than most of you and I can very well remember when court was held in the Old South building in Jordanville. I can remember when a group of boys would go and sit in on court cases. We had a few lawyers – Drew Redden, Bill Pienezza, and Carvel Woodall to name a few – and then there was Judge Hays. We only had two police on the Elmore County side and one on the Tallapoosa County side – Cecil Thrash, L.B. Meadow, and Henry Webster. Down from the courthouse was the jail and it stayed intact until a short time ago and I believe Lloyd Frank Emfinger still has the jailhouse bars. Also, in that building was the Studebaker dealership and showroom. D.O. Knowles was one of the salesman that I remember so well. Mr. Taylor was the mechanic
that was not only a good mechanic but friendly to everyone. I could tell you some stories about my friend Mr. Taylor and someday I just might do that. Brunson Milling Co had a warehouse below this huge building on the Thrill Hill side. He had stack after stack of peanut hay stored there and us boys would sneak down there and pull the peanuts out of the hay. One day we got caught and, me being the youngest and the smallest of the boys, I was scared. I could just picture me going to Kilby Prison for stealing peanuts out of Brunson’s peanut hay. He sat us down on the hay, there must have been four or five, and he told how no one would want the hay if we had been digging around in it. Then he went over to a bale that was busted open and said we could have the peanuts out of that bale but we were not to come back or he would be rough on us. There are two other things I’ll tell you about the Brunsons. One, he had a Sears and Roebuck house that is still standing across from the Dewey Piper Armory on Gilmer Avenue and, two, he had a very pretty and popular daughter. I was little and she was a high school cheerleader but I have always had an eye for pretty women. Just a few things to let you know. Ronald Brantley is a regular columnist for The Tribune. His column appears here each Wednesday. He can be reached by email at Rbrantley1@elmore.rr.com
Let’s start to end domestic violence S aturday dawned a beautiful day. The sun was shining. The heat didn’t feel quite as oppressive as it did the few days before. But I knew it wouldn’t get better. I had photos to take in the morning, then a funeral to attend and, finally – I thought – a vigil to cover for a young man taken by the Coosa River in the prime of his life. I got my morning work done, then went home to change for the memorial. The memorial was for my editor, Mitch Sneed. Though the event, in a sense, made the loss of Mitch – a great editor and a better man – more real, it wasn’t a particularly sad event. Mitch was a funny, funloving guy and it shone through in his memorial service. There seemed far more laughter than tears, though there were tears aplenty, including those I shed. When I left the memorial, I had to hurry to make the vigil for Rantavious Love, the 16-year-old Wetumpka boy who drowned in the Coosa River just less than two weeks prior to this writing. It, too, was filled with a mixture of love, laughter and sadness. It, too, must have had the young man smiling from above, but failed to take away the pain and sorrow of those friends and family he left behind. So, at the end of a day when the tragedies that often befall us mortal humans were made so evident to me, I headed home. I was watching television with my wife, something senseless to get my mind off the day,
DAVID GRANGER Managing Editor
when I heard about something going on in Redland. I immediately called Sheriff Bill Franklin, who said he had “a million things going on” and he would have to call me back. Franklin, a man of his word, called back sooner than I expected and gave me the details on the tragedy that took place in Redland’s Stonegate subdivision Saturday night – three dead, including a school teacher and her daughter, shot by the teacher’s husband, who, authorities believe, then turned the gun on himself. And in the midst of his rampage, Robert James “Bob” Orsi set a fire that destroyed his home. I was stunned. And in the time since then, I’ve discovered the city where I work has been shaken to its core. “This kind of thing doesn’t happen here,” I’ve heard so many say. But it does. It did. In fact, this is the second time in the short span of three weeks that Elmore County has been the site of a violent episode of domestic violence. Both incidents – the one in Tallassee and the one in Redland – resulted in three deaths. Both incidents resulted in the perpetrator of the violence, in
each case an emotionally unstable husband, taking his own life. Domestic violence is scary. If a perpetrator involved in a divorce or some other kind of unsettling situation wants to do harm to another person, it seems there is little anyone can do. That disturbed person can track someone down at a Walmart or take advantage of an estranged spouse’s visit to a home. What’s more, some of these individuals who do these types of things show little or no signs of being prone to such violence. With those people, it seems only to take the tiniest spark to ignite an explosion. We must do a better job of being honest with each other, communicating openly and frankly with one another, showing understanding to each other, particularly in our homes. That’s still not likely to stop the epidemic of domestic violence in our country, but it’s a start. And if the events of this week have shown us anything, it is that a start, a tiny first step toward ending the violence, is needed. We need it in our individual homes. We need it in our society. What we don’t need are more horrific episodes like Tallassee and Redland. David Granger is the managing editor of Tallapoosa Publishers’ Elmore County newspapers. He can be reached at david.granger@tallasseetribune.com
Page A6 • July 11, 2018
www.TallasseeTribune.com
THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE
Redland tragedy stuns area Three dead after murder-suicide By DAVID GRANGER Managing Editor
Richard Dennis lost an employee that he admits he’d met only briefly in the hallway at Redland Elementary School. Still, the Elmore County Schools superintendent’s reaction to what took place at 135 Granite Way in the Stonegate subdivision in Redland was typical of how so many in the small closeC. Orsi knit town of Wetumpka reacted. “It’s so shocking, such a tragedy,” Dennis said. “I don’t know what to say. When I look at Facebook … Unbelievable. It’s just crushing. “I only met Ms. Orsi in the hall at Redland once, but I’ve heard everyone say she was always real positive, always had a big smile on her face. Over here in Redland, they’re just shell-shocked, losing a teacher and a student.” Three people were killed in Redland Saturday night. Forty-four-year-old Charlene Orsi, known at the school as Charley, was the teacher of whom Dennis spoke. She died along with one of her 12-year-old triplet daughters, Cadence, and her estranged husband, Robert James Orsi, known as Bob, who took his own life after killing his wife and daughter and setting fire to the couple’s home, according to Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin. The couple’s two surviving 12-yearold triplets, Katherine and Patricia, were transported to a Montgomery hospital with multiple gunshot wounds. Franklin said Sunday morning that the injured girls were in stable condition and were alert and talking to grandparents. One of the two, he said, may need additional surgery due to a round having rested near her spine. Franklin said the sheriff’s office received a 911 call from a neighbor at approximately 5 p.m. Saturday of gunshots. When deputies arrived they found the adult female, later identified as Charley Orsi, lying dead in the front door of the home, which was fully engulfed in flames. Soon after,
David Granger / The Tribune
These charred remains are what’s left of the Orsi home at 135 Granite Way in the Stonegate subdivision in the Redland community, where Robert Orsi took the lives of his wife, one of his triplet daughters and himself Saturday night.
Katherine and Patricia Orsi,both having suffered multiple gunshot wounds, appeared in the doorway of the home and the deputies helped them escape. Later, Franklin said Charley’s husband, Bob, 51, was found dead from the fire or, Franklin said, “most likely from a self- inflicted gunshot wound.” He said Monday that the surviving triplet girls had told investigators their father had lined them up on the floor before shooting them. Charley Orsi was a third-grade teacher at Redland Elementary School. Bob Orsi was retired from the U.S. Air Force. Franklin said the couple’s oldest daughter, Adrianna, 13, was uninjured and escaped to a neighbor’s house. Deputies were initially unable to locate Cadence Orsi, but found her dead when they were able to search the rubble.
Franklin said apparently Charley Orsi had filed for divorce from her husband. Court records show Charley Orsi’s petition for divorce was filed by her attorney, Clyde Bailey, on June 28. In it, she sought sole custody of the couple’s four children, child support, alimony and an “equitable division” of the parties’ property. On July 2, court records show, Bob Orsi’s attorney, Dana Delk, filed an answer to Charlene Orsi’s divorce petition, denying her contention the couple had “such a complete incompatibility of temperament” that they could “no longer live together as husband and wife.” Bob Orsi’s answer also denied that there had been “an irretrievable breakdown” of the Orsis’ marriage and that “further attempts at reconciliation (were) futile and/or impractical.” The couple would have been married
24 years in August. Franklin said that sources had told sheriff’s investigators that Bob Orsi’s alleged use of illegal narcotics may have been a factor that led to the divorce proceedings. Franklin said Sunday morning that his office must now wait on the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences. “We are certain that the wife died from her gunshot wounds,” Franklin said. “We feel pretty sure that the husband killed his daughter and shot himself, but with the smoke and heat of a fire involved, we have to wait on Forensic Sciences to be certain.” Franklin also said that Bob Orsi appeared to have shot himself with a large-caliber handgun. He said it did not appear that the girls’ wounds came from a gun that large and that Bob Orsi may have used two different weapons.
Offer Valid Through July 31, 2018
Shopping for Appliances? SHOP IN STORE
LEARN MORE
BUY WHIRLPOOL
Did you know that Alabama Power sells, services and finances appliances? We have 87 store locations and a variety of merchandise you may be looking for – like washers, dryers, refrigerators and dishwashers.
To learn more online about the variety of products we have to offer or to find an Alabama Power Appliance Sales Location near you, please visit www.SmartNeighbor.com.
Whether you need a home appliance to replace an older one, or a full set of household appliances for your kitchen, you’ll find reliable products that provide top-of-the-line care for your clothing, food and home.
$20*
month Original $599 Sale $499 Amana® 15 Cu. Ft. Chest Freezer with 2 Baskets Model#AZC31T15DW
$36*
month
$40*
Sale Price $989/Pair Original $499 Whirlpool® 3.5 Cu. Ft. Top Load Washer with Deep Water Wash Option Model#WTW4616FW
month
Original $599 Whirlpool® 7.0 Cu. Ft. Top Load Electric Dryer with Wrinkle Shield™ Model#WED4616FW
Original $1229 Sale $899 Amana® Side-by-side Refrigerator with Dairy Center Model#ASI2575FRW
$60*
month
Original $2299 Sale $2099 Whirlpool® 36-inch Wide French Door Refrigerator - 25 Cu. Ft. Fingerprint Resistant Stainless Steel
$27*
month Original $799 Sale $652 Whirlpool® 30-inch Wide Top Freezer Refrigerator - 18 Cu. Ft. Model#WRT318FMDW
Model#WRF555SDFZ
For professional appliance service or a sales location near you, visit SmartNeighbor.com/Stores or call 1-800-613-9333. Financing available only with approved credit. Apply for financing at AlabamaPowerApplianceCenter.com. Monthly payments quoted in this ad are based on financing at 19.8% APR for 36 months* or 60 months**; assume no down payment and 8% sales tax; and do not include any delivery charge. Actual monthly payments may vary. 12-month interest-free financing also available with approved credit. See store for details. Products subject to availability from manufacturer. Alabama Power Appliance Sales & Service is not responsible for typographical or pricing errors in this ad. Cannot be combined with any other offer; does not apply to previous sales. Please see a salesperson for details.
Valid Through July 31, 2018 ©2018 Alabama Power Company
THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE
www.TallasseeTribune.com
July 11, 2018 • Page A7
Elmore County community reaches out to Orsi family By DAVID GRANGER Managing Editor
Hayden Hudson sold Bob and Charlene Orsi their home at 135 Granite Way when they moved to the Redland area from Las Vegas in 2006. Hudson got to know Charley Orsi still better when Hudson moved into Stonegate subdivision off Dozier Road herself. “We became best friends because we were neighbors,” said Hudson, a real estate agent with Builder New Homes Inc. “She had her triplets and then I ended up having twin boys in 2010. So she had four girls and I have four boys. “(Charley) was supermom. She lived for those four girls. She could bake, she could sew. She was incredible.” On Saturday, a nightmare took place in the home Hudson sold the Orsis. Authorities say Robert Orsi shot and killed his wife and one of his 12-year-old triplet daughters, left his other two daughters with multiple
gunshot wounds, set fire to the house and then either died in the fire or turned the gun on himself. In the wake of the tragedy, a griefstricken Hudson is now working to see that the surviving Orsi girls have what they need after their home was destroyed by fire. “We took Adrianna shopping on Sunday and she got some things she needed, some things she wanted,” Hudson said. “We want them both to be able to pick out their own clothes.” As a result, Hudson is leading a drive to collect gift cards to be used by the girls to replace the clothes lost in the Saturday night fire. Hudson said that those interested in donating a gift card to help the girls buy clothes or school supplies could bring them by or mail them to Builder New Homes, 240 Peace Church Road in Wetumpka. The zip code is 36093. Hudson said that Redland Elementary School requested that she and others working to help the
two surviving Orsi girls assist them in making sure the girls have needed school supplies for the coming year. Hudson is also looking to find a house for Charlene Orsi’s parents, Al and Veronica Aurelio, in the Redland area. “They were in the process of moving here,” Hudson said of the Aurelios. “They were going to build a house in the subdivision next door (The Village at Stonegate). Now, that’s not feasible, but we’re going to find them a house in the Redland area. “Those girls have lost so much and they don’t want to lose their friends and where they grew up.” There are others in the community who are looking to help the Orsi girls, as well. • The Redland Parent Teacher Organization is accepting donations for the Orsis. They will accept cash or checks which will be deposited in a local bank. Checks should be made payable to Orsi Fund. Donations may be mailed or dropped off at the Redland
Elementary School Monday through Thursday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. They are also accepting both gift cards and clothes. Both Patricia and Katherine Orsi – the two surviving triplets – wear size 4 shoes , 7/8 in tops or blouses and size 10 pants/shorts. Adrianna wears an adult medium top. • The Redland PTO is also ordering bracelets that read “#REDLANDSTRONG.” They are seeking a minimum $2 donation for each of the bracelets with all the proceeds going to the Orsi family. The bracelets will be available to be picked up between 9 a.m. and noon on July 16-18. • A GoFundMe site for the family has been set up at www.gofundme. com/8ryq5-loving-theorsis by Annette Smallwood, Charlene Orsi’s stepsister. “The money raised will be given to Charlene’s parents, Veronica and Al Aurelio, who will make sure the girls have what they need to rebuild and heal from this horrible tragedy,” according to the site.
Lake it wasn’t always this way. At one time Tallassee was the place to go for the 4th of July festivities. The first Fourth of July celebration was held in Tallassee over 100 years ago. It quickly became the focal point of the yearly calendar and drew people from hundreds of miles around. “The annual Fourth of July Picnic at Tallassee attracts nearly six thousand people, and is the biggest yearly event held in Tallassee,” E.W. Wadsworth wrote in his book, “A History of Tallassee.” Published in 1940, Wadsworth describes the annual event in great detail. “The first Fourth of July Picnic at Tallassee was held by the Tallassee Mills at the ball park in 1912,” Wadsworth wrote. “W.S Ball, an agent of the Tallassee Mills, inaugurated the event. This annual event became a traditional practice, which was enjoyed by people from Tallassee and the surrounding countryside for miles around.” During these celebrations, the Tallassee Mills furnished refreshments for the attendees, and like any proper southern Fourth of July celebration, spreads of food were presented. “When first begun, the people of the
continued from page A1
community gathered at the ballpark and held various events and contests,” Wadsworth wrote. “Large barrels of lemonade were placed prominently for the thirsty crowd. Dinner was spread on the ground.” As for the entertainment at these yearly celebrations, it seems less was more back then. “Swings were also provided for the children,” Wadsworth continued. “Usually someone made a speech to which the older people listened. The small children chased the greased pig, or tried to climb the greased pole to win a prize, and older ones held hog calling
Picnic, he seems to foreshadow the would-be fate of this annual pinnacle event. “Today, the annual Fourth of July Picnic at Tallassee has suffered a marked change,” he wrote. “Practically all amusements have been commercialized and only a few of the former contests and events continue to be held.” Today, the picnic is no more. Thanks to authors like Wadsworth we can share these memories through his pages. Perhaps, with the creation of the new events committee, Tallassee will soon have a Fourth of July celebration of its own once again.
contest.” There were no grand firework displays or big named entertainers. Back then, it seems all the people of Tallassee needed to celebrate the Fourth of July was an occasion, food, friends and fellowship. Keeping with the less is more theme, a ballgame would top off the day of fun at the annual Fourth of July Picnic. “The churches were allowed to sell drinks and sandwiches,” Wadsworth wrote. “Then perhaps a baseball game would close the day.” However, as Wadsworth closed his section on the annual Fourth of July
YOU’RE NOT A SUBSCRIBER? Call 256-234-4281 and subscribe to The Tribune www.tallasseetribune.com
CARMACK’S
Prices Effective Tuesday, July 10 - Sunday, July 15, 2018
“Drive a Little and Save a Lot!”
CARMACK’S GROCERY SUPERMARKET
1161 County Road 39 • Notasulga, AL • 334-257-3441
Choice Family Pack
We Accept WIC & EBT Cards
Family Pack
T-BONE STEAK CHICKEN BREAST
6
LB.
Choice Boneless
Choice Family Pack Boneless
3
$ 79 LB.
CHUCK ROAST
PORK CHOPS
3
1
$ 99 LB.
1-Lb. Bag SEA BEST $ 99 TILAPIA FILLETS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ea. 16-Oz. Pkg. ZEIGLER $ 19 BOLOGNA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ea. 16-Oz. Pkg. ZEIGLER $ DINNER FRANKS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . For 24-Oz. ZEIGLER $ For RED HOTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-Oz. Pkg. Southern Style ZEIGLER $ For SMOKED SAUSAGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2 2
2 4 2 8 2 6
30 Oz.
FOLGER’S COFFEE
7
Boneless
CHUCK STEAKS
$ 29 LB.
$ 99
1
$ 19
$ 99
LB.
Family Pack
PORK NECKBONES
79¢
LB.
5-6 Oz. JELL-O GELATIN $ OR PUDDING MIX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . For 12 Oz. QUAKER INSTANT $ GRITS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . For 56-Oz. Powder or 50-Oz. Liquid TIDE LAUNDRY $ 99 DETERGENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ea. 22 Oz. GAIN DISH $ 79 DETERGENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ea. 5 Oz. in Oil or Water CHUNK LIGHT ¢ STARKIST TUNA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ea.
5 5 2 3 5 1 79
16 Oz.
32 Oz.
PETER PAN GATORADE PEANUT BUTTER THIRST QUENCHER
2 $4 For
EA.
1
$ 00 EA.
12 Double Rolls Bath Tissue or 6 Rolls Paper Towels
12 Pack, 12-Oz. Cans
COKE PRODUCTS ANGEL SOFT OR SPARKLE
3 10 $ For
15.3 Oz.
PILLSBURY CAKE MIX
99¢
EA.
5-Lb. Bag
T.J. FARMS CRINKLE CUT FRIES
3
$ 99
Quality Rights Reserved – None Sold To Dealers – Correction Rights Reserved – Carmack’s #274
5
$ 99 9 Oz.
LEAN OR HOT POCKETS
2 $4 For
No. 28
RELIGION
Visit our sister websites: www.AlexCityOutlook.com www.TheWetumpkaHerald.com
Page A8 • July 11, 2018
www.TallasseeTribune.com THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE
Praying to our ‘Dad’ is personal He was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test. – Luke 11: 1-4
W
e want to build a path of grace in our hearts, so whenever we ask it will be given to us! The disciples came to Jesus asking
Him to show them how to pray, because he was doing all these mighty miracles and they had so many troubles among themselves. Jesus is showing what we need to be in our hearts to make our prayers successful. He is showing us where we need to be in our hearts and minds daily. It is not about saying with power, for all to hear: Our Father who art in Heaven. No! That would be like magic! Rather, the Lord’s Prayer shows us attitudes that need to be nourished. He first asks us to call upon Him with Abba, father. For us, that’s like saying “Daddy” or “Dad.” I challenge you to
FATHER MATEUSZ RUDZIK St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church
be able to pray to our father in Heaven by calling him Daddy. Immediately, this prayer becomes more personal. This is how we need to pray, like a child approaching his father – not a slave before a master. A child comes to you without any calculations and says, “give me!” A child does not say, “give, because I was behaving.” Or, “give, and I will be good
and keep my room clean for a few days.” We cannot come like this, either: “God Almighty, in all your majesty, I am a totally unworthy and terrible sinner. I dare to ask for a little bit of your grace, if you don’t mind …” No! Jesus says be like a child coming to his dad. “Daddy, I’m hungry. Give me something to eat please.” Jesus even says, you who are evil, when a child comes to you and asks for bread, will you give it a rock? Or when it asks for an egg will you give it a serpent? No. And so our Heavenly Father will send the Holy Spirit if we
only have the courage to ask. Unfortunately, however, we make a promise to God – or try to make deals with Him. Daddy. Now that is the big deal Jesus is bringing. And so when we come to pray we need to stand before God as our caring, loving Father – Daddy. We need to let it sink deep to our hearts and minds – our Daddy cares for us, our Daddy knows our needs. Our Daddy loves us! Father Mateusz Rudzik is pastor at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church in Tallassee and a regular faith columnist for The Tribune.
Church Briefs Salem Macon Baptist Church
Salem Macon Baptist Church will have homecoming on Sunday, July 15, at 10 a.m. The Kempters will be singing from 10-11 a.m. and Rev. John Bush. a former pastor, will be bringing the message at 11 a.m. After the service, there will be a covered dish meal in the fellowship hall. Come and enjoy seeing old friends and new, hearing good music, a good message and good fellowship. Bring
someone with you. Salem Macon is located on Highway 14 at 4647 Tallapoosa St. in Notasulga, nine miles east of Tallassee. Rev. Greg Pate is pastor.
Episcopal Church of the Epiphany
On Sunday, July 15, at 10:30 a.m., Maurice McCord will officiate at a service of Morning Prayer. Coffee hour will follow in the Little House. For more information, visit the church website:
http://epiphanytallassee.org/
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church is holding mass at Lake Martin every Saturday night at 6 p.m. at the Church in the Pines in Kowaliga. For more information, please call the church at 334283-2169. “Our Life’s Journey” is an outreach of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Tallassee, Fr. Mateusz Rudzik, Pastor; and
Knights of Columbus Council 15093, Andy Lacey, Grand Knight. It airs on WACQ-AM 580 and FM 101.1 each Sunday from 8 to 8:30 a.m. Listen online at www. wacqradio.com or on your smart phone using the TuneIn app. July 15 - Angels Explained Pt. 2 (Miravalle) July 22 - Angels Explained Pt. 3 (Miravalle) July 29 - Dr. Ray: Why I Became Catholic Pt. 1 (Guarendi) August 5 - Dr. Ray: Why I Became Catholic Pt. 2 (Guarendi)
August 12 - Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick (Carucci/ Driscoll/Dean) August 19 - Sacrament of Reconciliation (Carucci/Driscoll/ Dean) August 26 - Sacrament of Holy Orders Pt. 1 (Carucci/Driscoll/ Dean)
Living Water Worship Center
Revival nights will be held on the last Sunday of each month beginning at 6 p.m. at the at 45 Main St. in downtown Eclectic.
Tallassee Churches BAPTIST Bethlehem East 7561 Upper River Road Calvary Baptist Church 293 N Wesson Street Word of Life 501 Sims Avenue Carrville Baptist Church 2436 Notasulga Road East Tallassee Baptist Church 314 Central Boulevard Elam Baptist Church 4686 Notasulga Road First Baptist Church 1279 Friendship Road Flatrock Missionary Baptist Church 1024 Flat Rock Road Friendship 4345 Friendship Road Liberty Baptist Church 574 Liberty Road Mount Zion Baptist Church
64 Log Circle Providence Primitive Baptist Church 4850 Chana Creek Road Refuge Baptist Church 3098 Red Hill Road River Road 239 Lower Tuskegee Road Riverside Heights Hispanic Mission 495 Little Road Rock Springs 375 Rigsby Road Rock Springs Baptist Church 2810 Rock Springs Drive Tallassee First 1279 Friendship Road Tallaweka Baptist Church 1419 Gilmer Avenue Westside Baptist Church 1825 Gilmer Avenue CATHOLIC St Vincent De Paul Parish
620 Gilmer Avenue CHRISTIAN/OTHER Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ 1072 Muskogee Trail East Tallassee Church of Christ 501 Central Boulevard Light of Jesus Outreach Ministries 140 Gin Street Macedonia Christian Church 2685 Macedonia Road Mount Olive Congregational Christian Church NACCC 492 Kent Road Oak Heights Church of Christ 74 Manning Circle Tallassee Church of Christ 209 Gilmer Avenue Wind Rain & Fire Ministries International 1201 Gilmer Avenue Vessel Church
84632 Tallassee Highway, Eclectic, AL 36024 God’s Church, Campfire Ministries 209 Barnett Bouelvard Tallassee, AL 36078 The Lord Our Righteousness Center, Inc. 4566 Claud Road Eclectic, AL 36024 Tallassee First Assembly of God 185 Friendship Road, Tallassee, AL 36078 EPISCOPAL Episcopal Church of the Epiphany 2602 Gilmer Avenue METHODIST East Tallassee United Methodist Church 101 Central Boulevard First United Methodist Church 1 Jordan Avenue
New Zion 3523 Ashurst Bar Road St. Paul Tallassee 101 Herren Hill Road Wall Street 71 Zion Street INDEPENDENT Abundant Life Church 2634 Lower Tuskegee Road Saint Mark All Nationals Pentecostal Foundation Church 30 Stewart Street Tallassee Church of God 134 Adams Street Tallassee Holiness Church 194 Honeysuckle Lane God’s Congregation Holiness Church 508 Jordan Avenue Claud Independent Methodist Church 81232 Tallassee Highway in Eclectic
Surrounding Area Churches AME ZION Mt. Zion Chapel AME Zion 2340 Crenshaw Rd., Wetumpka 567-4413 Rogers Chapel AME Zion 709 W. Bridge St., Wetumpka 567-8144 Jackson Chapel AME Zion 4885 Coosada Rd., Coosada Jones Chapel AME Zion 2414 Ingram Rd. (Co. Rd. 3), Elmore ABUNDANT LIFE Abundant Life Church 9301 U.S. Hwy 231, Wetumpka 567-9143 ASSEMBLY OF GOD Agape Tabernacle Assembly of God 1076 Kowaliga Rd., Eclectic 541-2006 Bethel Worship Center 11117 U.S. Hwy 231., Wetumpka 5675754 Crossroads Assembly of God 2534 AL Hwy 14., Millbrook 285-5545 First Assembly of God 3511 Shirley Ln., Millbrook New Home Assembly of God 5620 Caesarville Rd., Wetumpka 5692825 BAPTIST Abraham Baptist Church 2520 Lynwood Dr., Millbrook 285-5213 Antioch Baptist Church 1115 Antioch Rd., Titus 567-2917
Beulah Baptist Church 2350 Grier Rd., Wetumpka 514-2881 Blue Ridge Baptist 4471 Jasmine Hill Rd., Wetumpka 5674325 Brookwood Baptist 3111 Grandview Rd., Millbrook 285-6792 Calvary Baptist 504 W. Osceola St., Wetumpka 567-4729 Central Baptist 3545 W. Central Rd., Wetumpka 541-2556 Coosada Baptist 20 Kennedy Ave., Coosada Deatsville Baptist 184 Church St., Deatsville Eclectic Baptist Church 203 Claud Rd., Eclectic 541-4444 Faith Baptist 64 Chapel Rd., Wetumpka 567-4417 First Baptist Church 205 W. Bridge St., Wetumpka 567-5191 First Baptist of Elmore Hwy. 14 Co. Rd. 74, Elmore Galilee Baptist 95 Old Georgia Rd., Wetumpka 567-4178 Good Hope Baptist 1766 S. Fleahop Rd., Eclectic Goodship Baptist 1554 Hwy. 143, Millbrook 285-0094 Grace Baptist 304 Old Montgomery Hwy., Wetumpka 567-3255 Grandview Pines Baptist
HERREN HILL PHARMACY & GIFTS Hometown Service from the People You Trust! 24 Herren Hill Road P.O. Box 780061 Tallassee, AL 36078
HOURS: Mon. - Fri. 7:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Sat. 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
(334) 252-8800
eat fresh.
™
“Come to see us.”
464 Gilmer Avenue 283-2247
Talisi Florist 906 Gilmer Avenue Tallassee, AL (334) 991-4230
Beautiful, Quality, Flowers For Any Occasion.
LOW COST CARS
Used Carss & Trucks
5264 Notasulga Road Tallassee, AL
“Take a Ride... Then Decide!” LOW COST CARS...............................(334) 283-3051 BOBBY KELLEY (Cell).....................(334) 415-3062 DAWN HAMMOCK..........................(334) 283-3051
Serving Tallassee since 1992
346 Deatsville Hwy., Millbrook 285-5125 Green Ridge Baptist 288 Turner Rd., Wetumpka 567-2486 Harvest Baptist 2990 Main St., Millbrook Hillside Baptist 405 Old Montgomery Hwy., Wetumpka Holtville Riverside Baptist 7121 Holtville Rd., Wetumpka 514-5922 Lake Elam Baptist 4060 Gober Rd., Millbrook Liberty Hill Baptist 61 Crenshaw Rd., Wetumpka 567-8750 Lighthouse Baptist 2281 Main St., Millbrook Living Water Baptist 1745 Grass Farm Rd. (Co. Rd. 80), Titus 514-7304 Millbrook Baptist Millbrook 285-4731 Mitts Chapel Baptist 935 Cold Springs Rd., Deatsville 569-1952 Mt. Hebron West Baptist 150 Mt. Hebron Rd., Elmore 567-4441 Mt. Herron East Baptist Church 4355 Mt. Herron Rd. Eclectic, Al 36024 334-857-3689 Mountain View Baptist 1025 Rifle Range Rd., Wetumpka 5674458 New Harmony Baptist 3094 New Harmony Rd., Marbury 312-
SCF
•Portable Storage Buildings •Frame Tech Steel Buildings •Garages •Gazebos •Greenhouses •Playhouses
5427 Notasulga Road Hwy. 49 & 14 Tallassee, AL 36078
(334) 252-1333
BUILDINGS
1878 New Home Baptist 1605 New Home Rd., Titus 567-0923 New Hope Baptist 6191 Light-wood Rd., Deatsville 569-1267 New Lily Green Baptist 6504 Deatsville Hwy., Deatsville New Nazareth Baptist Hwy. 143, Deatsville Pleasant Hill Baptist Pleasant Hill Rd., Eclectic 541-3460 Prospect Baptist Prospect Rd., Eclectic 567-5837 Redland Baptist 1266 Dozier Rd., Wetumpka 567-8649 Refuge Baptist Church 3098 Red Hill Road Tallassee 334-857-2638 Rehoberth Baptist 8110 Rifle Range Rd., Tallassee 567-9801 Rushenville Baptist 10098 Georgia Rd., Eclectic 541-2418 Saint James Baptist 1005 Nobles Rd., Wetumpka 567-6209 Saint James Baptist 101 Gantt Rd., Deatsville 569-3006 Santuck Baptist 7250 Central Plank Rd., Wetumpka 567-2364 Seman Baptist Seman, Alabama Shoal Creek Baptist
Phone
Come join East Tallassee Baptist Church For Vacation Bible School! VBS Kickoff/ Registration Sunday, June 24 • 4:00 pm– 6pm Vacation Bible School Begins! Monday, June 25– Friday June 29th from 8:30-11:30 am
‘‘ Y O U R L O C A L G A S G O M P A N Y ’’ WETUMPKA OFFICE CLANTON OFFICE 1050 Woodfin Lane • (205) 755-2739 7616 US Hwy. 231 • (334) 567-8833 SLAPOUT OFFICE TALLASSEE OFFICE 9945 Holtville Road • (334) 569-3325 1603 Gilmer Avenue • (334) 283-2795
CITY COLLISION FOR ALL YOUR PAINT AND BODY NEEDS 89077 Tallassee Hwy. • Tallassee, AL dlh4012@aol.com Dana Haynes, Owner 334-391-7345
Submit your church news to editor@tallasseetribune.com The deadline is FRIDAY at noon
13214 Holtville Rd., Deatsville 569-2482 Springfield Baptist Hwy. 7, Millbrook Thelma Baptist 810 Weoka Rd., Wetumpka 567-3665 Titus Baptist 6930 Titus Rd., Wetumpka 334-531-2120 Tunnell Chapel Baptist 210 Central Plank Rd., Wetumpka 567-2589 Victory Baptist 5481 Main St., Millbrook Wadsworth Baptist 2780 Hwy. 143, Deatsville 569-2851 BAPTIST - MISSIONARY Atkins Hill 565 Atkins Rd., Wetumpka 567-1141 Cathmagby Baptist 3074 Mitchell Creek Rd., Wetumpka 567-4787 First Missionary Baptist at Guilfield 412 Company St., Wetumpka 567-7455 Goodhope 1389 Willow Springs Rd. Wetumpka 567-7133 Lebanon 17877 U.S. Hwy. 231, Titus 514-1097 Mount Canaan 1125 Weoka Rd., Wetumpka 567-2141
If you would like to be a sponsor of the Devotional Thoughts each week, please give us a call, 334-567-7811.
–––––– The Tallassee Tribune
www.TallasseeTribune.com
Sports
Phone: 334-283-6568 Fax: 334-283-6569 www.TallasseeTribune.com
July 11, 2018 • Page B1
The
Tribune
2018 All-Area Softball Team Player of the Year Coach of the Year Dismukes is ‘best pitcher to come through Holtville’ By GRIFFIN PRITCHARD For The Tribune
Coaches across Elmore County know Holtville’s Kaylyn Dismukes by name and have stories of their team’s outings against her. But for the junior Auburn University commitment, her teammates talk about her humility and how humble she is. Following a game against rival Tallassee, teammate and All-County selection Bella Farmer said, “(Dismukes) is the one out there working her butt off. She’s the best pitcher to come through Holtville. We’ve played together for about three years and she keeps getting better.” Such high praise from teammates speaks volumes about the impact a player has on her surroundings, and also helped her earn the title of Elmore Couty Softball
Love guides Tigers to successful season By GRIFFIN PRITCHARD For The Tribune
Player of the Year. She was a Class 4A First Team All-State selection by the Alabama Sports Writer Association. She just missed out on being the All-Metro 4A Player of the Year. But that doesn’t lessen the impact she had as the key cog in the Holtville softball machine. Bulldogs coach Daryl
Otwell couldn’t come up with just one thing to say about his ace. “That’s tough,” he said while sitting in the stands at a Georgia ballpark watching Dismukes pitch for a travel softball squad. “There’s so much I could say about her.” While he thinks, ponder over her stats. See PLAYER • Page B2
For Tallassee’s softball team to have the kind of success it had this season, in coach Pat Love’s eyes, it came down to the Tigers buying into their coach’s philosophy. Once that happened, Tallassee posted 32 wins and went off to one of its best seasons, leading Love to the title of Elmore County Softball Coach of the Year. “We had a great season,” Love said. “We started out slow that first week, but we picked
up and had some great players. We had great senior leadership and they worked really hard and the team bought into what we were trying to do. They went out every day and worked to get better and competed against each other to get better.” Love, who coached the JV Tigers before taking over the varsity job, complimented the leadership of Haylee Osborne, Taylor Boatwright and Lizzy Stillwell as one of the keys to success. “I thinking coaching them in junior varsity
helps to a certain degree,” Love said. “But if you can get the seniors to buy in, that’s when you start seeing success. And winning helps.” The Tigers battled rival Holtville for the area championship and advanced to the regional tournament in 2018. And while this season was a success — the first in many years — Love can see even bigger things to come. Although Tallassee has graduated Osborne, it returns Jordan Walters (1.952 ERA with 71 strikeouts), Chloe Baynes See COACH • Page B2
First Team Maris Stinchcomb Stanhope Elmore outfielder Coach Virginia Barber sums Stinchcomb up like this: “She’s a stud athlete.” The Marion Military Institute signee posted a .504 batting average, setting a Mustangs softball record, and was a part of their 26 wins this season. Maris Stinchcomb accounted for 57 hits, including 16 extra-base hits, and drove in 21 runs. “She’s a triple-threat,” Barber said. “She can hit for power, slap for hits and lay down a bunt.” Barber added the most impressive thing about Stinchcomb’s senior season was she suffered a midseason injury and returned to maintain a record-setting performance level.
Alexis Austin Wetumpka shortstop Batting leadoff for the 22-win Wetumpka Indians, Alexis (Lexi) Austin proved to be one of the toughest outs in Elmore County and her .562 on-base percentage (66 hits out of 137 appearances) backs up that assessment. According to coach Randy Belyeu, Austin possesses Division I talent, which makes her signing with Shelton State Community College a great get for the Buccaneers’ program. The senior shortstop was a Class 6A All-State honorable mention and was named the All-Metro Player of the Year for 5A-7A. “She set the tone,” Belyeu said. She batted .482 with a .562 slugging and accounted for 54 Indians runs with 23 RBI.
Haylee Osborne
Raven Hudson
Tallassee pitcher
Stanhope Elmore utility
Tiger coach Pat Love said, “She commanded the zone. She commanded four pitches very well and kept batters off balance.” Her stats reflect his words. Through 113 innings, Osborne — who was clocked throwing in the upper 50s — accounted for 87 strikeouts en route to 14 wins (24 appearances). The University of Mobile signee parlayed her senior season play into spots on the ASWA All-State list and an All-Metro selection. Offensively, she rattled off a .443 slugging percentage with 29 total hits and a .330 average.
Madison Britt ECHS first baseman Proof that age is nothing but a number, Madison Britt stood toe-to-toe with her elders and earned a spot on the Class 4A All-State second team. The freshman Panther posted a .479 average with a .554 on-base and a .649 slugging. She drove in 39 runs and scored 21 for a squad where offense and wins came at a premium. According to coach Kim Moncrief, Britt’s got a tremendous upside for seasons to come. “(She) is a hardworking young lady who takes everything she does on the field seriously,” Moncrief said. “She has a lot of strength and natural ability, and she constantly works to fine tune and improve.”
Chloe Baynes Tallassee outfielder The youngest softballer on the list, Chloe Baynes comes from a bloodline laced with high expectations and she delivered as an eighth-grader playing on the varsity level. The soon-to-be freshman has stolen a combined 100 bases over two seasons (a perfect 60-for-60 this season) and went on to score 58 Tiger runs while posting a .518 batting average and a .564 on-base percentage. “She’s fast,” said Love. “She can cover left field to right field. And she’s done everything against really good pitching.” Love added Baynes will be one of the key weapons in the Tigers arsenal when it takes the field for the 2019 season.
Bella Farmer Holtville shortstop Praise from a coach is one thing, but praise from a teammate is something different. Bella Farmer falls into that category: “I’m really proud of my shortstop,” Bulldog pitcher Kaylyn Dismukes said. “She works every day to get better and it shows.” The Bulldog sophomore posted a .396 average and rattled off 11 home runs with 18 extra base hits. She also scored 41 runs and drove in 56 and capped the 41-win campaign with a slugging percentage just shy of .800. Not too shabby for an offense that averaged batting .347 on the year. “She’s a very solid player, hits with great power to all fields and is fundamentally sound on the defensive end of things,” Holtville coach Daryl Otwell said.
The sophomore slugger who earned a Class 6A AllState honorable mention paced the Mustangs offense with a .422 average (49 hits in 116 at-bats) and drove home 40 runs. She also scored 41 of the squad’s 306 total during the 2018 campaign that saw Stanhope Elmore advance to the regional tournament. Raven Hudson belted eight home runs and had 13 total extrabase hits to make a .784 slugging percentage.
Haylee Brown Edgewood Academy utility One of two freshmen to be chosen for All-County, Haylee Brown chose the best weekend of the season to have her best day. The AUM commit rattled off a quartet of dingers — three in one game — to help power the Wildcats to the AISA Class AAA crown. “She was one of our top two most consistent players all year,” Wildcats coach Mark Segrest said. “She could hit for power, hit for average.” Her season stats reflect her plate prowess. The freshman posted a .381 average with seven home runs, 21 doubles and 30-plus singles. She drove in 43 runs and scored 67. Her on-base percentage (.469) is second only to Stinchcomb on this list.
Honorable Mention: Wetumpka: Anna Kate Norton, Amari McCreary; Stanhope Elmore: Kayla Wright, Taylor Roland; Tallassee: Belle Haynes, Jordan Walters, Sally Shipman, Sinclair Cole; Holtville: Jordan Cousins, Cyndi Thornton; Elmore County: Ella Watts, Maci Curlee; Edgewood: Peyton Rodie, Grayson Landy, Kallie Johnson
Page B2 • July 11, 2018
LIZI ARBOGAST Sports Editor
Special Olympics should inspire everyone
S
ometimes the odds seem to be against you — especially in a world where everything is divided by the haves and the have nots. Maybe your socioeconomic status isn’t the greatest or you have racial or religious biases working against you. Maybe you have a physical or mental disability that makes everyone look at you differently. But, especially in the world of sports, there have been countless examples of athletes rising above their circumstances and coming out on top. There have been so many athletes, even local guys like Justin Tuck and Adalius Thomas, who competed for the never-heard-of-before Central Coosa, who became superstars. Circumstances shouldn’t decide outcomes, and sports can be an outlet for that. This week’s Special Olympics USA Games have been an obvious example of that. If you haven’t seen the interview with Victoria Smith on ESPN.com after she won the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle, I encourage you to go watch it. “No matter what your disability is, you can compete,” Smith said. “If you train as hard as you have, you can compete and you can win gold just like I have.” The Special Olympics is full of stories proving you can do anything if you put your mind to it — from Andrew Peterson, who was born with fetal alcohol syndrome, needed nearly a decade of physical therapy just to learn how to walk and talk functionally and now is a marathon runner; to Seth Hanchey, who cannot speak after a traumatic brain injury in 2011 but competed this week as a powerlifter; to Tyler Lagasse, who is autistic but wrote he has learned to excel in many aspects of his life due to competing as a Special Olympic golfer. And it’s more than just the Special Olympics that are giving student-athlete chances. There’s all kinds of outlets in the world of sports for people who struggle with physical disabilities to compete, and there’s plenty of stories showing no matter what, you can do it. Last summer, I had the pleasure of writing a story about Ranley Clayton, a New Site native who was paralyzed from the waist down after an ATV accident. But she didn’t let that squander her competitive spirit; instead, she found wheelchair basketball. There are plenty of adaptive sports, and people around the Lake Martin community are doing things to bring awareness to this need. Camp ASCCA holds an annual camp for the physically disabled in conjunction with its Teen Week; several groups have been raising money for a Dream Field — a multi-use field designed for athletes with disabilities — in Alexander City; and even the folks at Dixie Sailing Club have looked into purchasing an adaptive sail boat. The point is, don’t let anything hold you back. There’s that old saying about getting back on the horse and trying again. If you set your mind to something and you’re willing to put in the hard work, you can achieve it — regardless of any preconceived notions of what people think you should and shouldn’t be able to do. Lizi Arbogast is the sports editor of The Tribune.
www.TallasseeTribune.com
THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE
New women-only shooting league in the area By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer
Are you a girl who owns a gun and is interested in meeting like-minded women who share the same likes and interests? If so, A Girl and A Gun women’s shooting league may be just what you are looking for. AG&AG women’s shooting league is a female-only organization founded by female shooters for women pistol, rifle and shotgun shooters. The league is designed to take beginners to whatever skill level they wish to achieve and provide experienced shooters with more opportunities. “This is for every skill level and every age group,” said Jodie McGirt, certified National Rifle Association range safety officer and facilitator of the Lake Martin Chapter of A Girl and A Gun Women’s Shooting League. “We want to introduce women to firearms, firearm safety, the community, camaraderie and developing relationships through that.” McGirt was introduced to the league during a trip to a three-gun match in Phenix City that was part of the league’s annual Fall Fest. It was the friendship offered from the women in the local chapter of AG&AG shooting league that most appealed to McGirt. “I didn’t have all my gear, but I had one lady who let me use her shotgun,” McGirt said. “She gave it to me for the whole weekend.” The closest chapter of AG&AG is located in Rainbow City, which is more than 100 miles away. However, with the creation of the Lake Martin Chapter of AG&AG, women from Lake Martin and surrounding areas now have an opportunity to be a part of this nationally-recognized shooting league designed specifically for women. According to McGirt, this league was created to introduce like-minded women to others who share the same interest. “It’s more than just shooting,” she said. “We do a lot of women’s empowerment, sisterhood, building each other up and supporting each other, not only with this but with life in general. We also do a lot of leadership development.” A Girl and A Gun Shooting League also meets regularly, away from the range. “We have girl’s night out, tea time
Carmen Rodgers / The Tribune
Sharron Johnson and Fran Brown listen to Jodie McGirt during the Friday evening meet-and-greet at Lake Martin Machine Gun for A Girl and A Gun Women’s Shooting League Meet-and-Greet.
and breakfast and bullets,” she said. “There are a lot of social aspects to the league.” This women’s league is meant to help ladies feel more comfortable when talking to instructors and handling a firearm. “A lot of women will not shoot because of their environment. They are nervous and often afraid to ask questions,” McGirt said. Not only does this newly formed league offer women in the area an opportunity to come together in a social environment and learn more about firearms and firearm safety, it’s also about self improvement and it’s just plain fun. “It is a lot of fun,” said McGirt. “It’s about bettering everybody.” McGirt expanded her scope of
shooting in 2016 from one of shooting for fun to include NRA certification as a pistol instructor and range safety officer as well as being an active member of AG&AG national events and a three-gun competitive shooter. AG&AG will meet primarily at Lake Martin Machine Gun Range on Alabama Highway 229 in Eclectic on the second Thursday of each month and hosts several members-only events and clinics throughout the year. Chapter members are also encouraged to pursue training opportunities and many are certified NRA Range Safety Officers who help with chapter events. To learn more about A Girl and A Gun Lake Martin, join the group on Facebook at AGAGLakeMartinAL.
Indians’ Lucas says he’ll be a Rebel Wetumpka player verbally commits to Ole Miss By DAVID GRANGER Managing Editor
There may have been a few more Ole Miss Rebels yelling “Hotty toddy!” on Monday than on the average July afternoon. After saying all the appropriate things – thanking God and his parents, thanking the Wetumpka football program for accepting him and the Prattville football program, which he left to transfer to Wetumpka after last season, for helping him get to where he is – Patrick Lucas turned around, the gathering’s view blocked by his huge 6-foot3, 290-pound body and his mother and father, who flanked him, and slipped on a windshirt. With that, he turned back to the crowd, having swapped his black and gold Wetumpka T-shirt for the blue windshirt with a familiar red script logo on the chest. “And now I’m an Ole Miss Rebel,” Lucas said to the applause of the crowd in the lobby of the Wetumpka gym. Lucas, a defensive tackle, is ranked the 19th best college football prospect in Alabama,
Player The junior pitcher accounted for 31 wins and 13 home runs. She batted just shy of .500 while striking out 314. To put it in perspective, as a team, Bulldogs pitchers struck out a combined 384 batters. She held opposing offenses to an ERA of 1.52 and an anemic .186 batting average. Otwell found his answer: “She’s the complete player. She’s a great student,
David Granger / The Tribune
Patrick Lucas and his mom are all smiles Monday afternoon after the 6-3, 290-pound defensive tackle verbally committed to the Ole Miss Rebels.
so his verbal commitment, though not binding, is not insignificant. As a junior at Prattville, Lucas had 58 tackles, including eight for losses and five sacks for the Lions. He caused 15 quarterback hurries. He was a secondteam Class 7A all-state selection by the Alabama Sports Writers Association. Lucas said University of Mississippi coach Matt Luke passed on seeing his son at Vacation Bible School to stay on the Ole Miss campus and spend time with him won the day for him. He said the
continued from page B1
athlete, kid — a coach’s dream player.” And, from the stats and the praise, Dismukes brought her best effort night in and night out. “She’s the type of player that all coaches hope to have on their team,” Otwell said. “She’s humble and hard working. She’s a great teammate. She’s the complete package.”
sense of family he felt from Luke pulled him toward the Rebels over his other two top choices, Vanderbilt and Memphis. “It was their honesty,” Lucas said. “They preach family and a lot of schools preach family, but they don’t really show it. That was a big sign for me. (Luke) could have gone to VBS with his son. But he saw that I was visiting and he stayed and talked to me for a really long time. That meant a lot.” Even though he is committed to Ole Miss, Lucas said he would
Coach (batting over .510 with 100-plus stolen bases in two seasons) and Sinclair Cole (batted .357 with 36 RBIs). “I feel really good about where we are going,” Love said. “We are returning seven hitters that hit .350 and up. We are going to be very strong. Chloe is going to be the best centerfielder we’ll face. Belle Haynes (shortstop) is a table
“probably” still visit the Commodores and the Tigers. “But right now my heart is with Ole Miss.” Lucas is ranked a threestar prospect by 247sports. He is ranked by the same service as the 38th best defensive tackle prospect in the nation. “He does everything you need him to do,” Wetumpka coach Tim Perry said. “Today wasn’t a workout day, but he was here this morning. He’s a smart kid who pays attention to his academics and he’s a talented football player.”
continued from page B1
setter and one of the best shortstops we’ll see. “Lexi (Love) is the best catcher we faced this year and she’s on our team. That’s going to make us strong up the middle. And then we return Sally Shipman (OF) and have some young girls coming up. I really like where we are headed.”
THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE
www.TallasseeTribune.com
July 11, 2018 • Page B3
WHAT ARE NATURAL DISASTERS?
A natural disaster is an event that occurs as a force of nature not caused by humans that has FDWDVWURSKLF FRQVHTXHQFHV VXFK DV SURSHUW\ GDPDJH DQG ORVV RI OLIH 7KHUH DUH PDQ\ GLႇHUHQW types of natural disasters, and many occur each year on Earth. Natural disasters include earthTXDNHV ÀRRGV GURXJKWV DYDODQFKHV KXUULFDQHV WRUQDGRHV WVXQDPLV ZLOG¿UHV YROFDQLF HUXStions, landslides, typhoons, cyclones, and strong storms. When these events occur, they damB age manmade properties, homes, and natural ecosystems. They cannot be prevented, but you FDQ SUHSDUH IRU VRPH RI WKHP 7KH EHVW ZD\ WR VWD\ VDIH GXULQJ D QDWXUDO GLVDVWHU LV WR KHHG WKH ZDUQLQJV RI \RXU ORFDO ODZ HQIRUFHPHQW RႈFHUV 0DQ\ RI WKHVH HYHQWV FDQ EH SUHGLFWHG +XPDQ OLIH FDQ EH VSDUHG E\ HYDFXDWLRQV DQG E\ IROORZLQJ VDIHW\ SURFHGXUHV :KHQ QDWXUDO GLVDVWHUV GR DႇHFW XV PDQ\ LPSRUWDQW RUJDQL]DWLRQV DUH WKHUH WR KHOS VXFK DV WKH 5HG &URVV RU )(0$ 7KHVH JURXSV KDYH SURYLGHG UHOLHI DLG WR YLFWLPV ZKR ORVW WKHLU KRPHV DQG ZRUNSODFHV 6RPH RI WKH PRVW ZHOO NQRZQ QDWXUDO GLVDVWHUV LQ UHFHQW PHPRU\ DUH +XUULFDQH .DWULQD LQ WKH -DSDQHVH (DUWKTXDNH DQG 7VXQDPL RI WKH 0RXQW 6DLQW +HOHQV YROFDQLF HUXSWLRQ LQ WKH ,QGLDQ 2FHDQ 7VXQDPL RI WKH <HOORZ 5LYHU ÀRRGV RI &KLQD LQ LQ DQG WKH $PHULFDQ D 'XVW %RZO GURXJKW RI WKH ¶V $OO RI WKHVH HYHQWV FKDQJHG WKH FRXUVH RI KLVWRU\ ¶V $OO RI WKHVH HYHQWV FKDQJHG WKH FRXUVH RI KLVWRU\
A
C
NATURAL DISASTER WORD FIND Hidden Words: VOLCANIC ERUPTION Avalanche Drought MAZE GAME Earthquake Emergency Eruption Evacuation FEMA First Aid Flood Hurricane Landslide Lightning Safety Thunderstorm Tornado Tsunami Typhoon Volcano Warning :LOG¿UH
+HOS WKH )LUVW 5HVSRQGHUV ¿QG WKHLU ZD\ IURP WKH WRS of the volcano to the bottom.
'LVDVWHU $QV $ +XUULFDQH % /LJKWQLQJ & 7VXQDPL ' )ORRG ( (DUWKTXDNH ) :LOG¿UH * 9ROFDQR + 'URXJKW , Tornado
IDENTIFY THE DISASTER
MAKE YOUR OWN TORNADO IN A BOTTLE
2QH D VHSDUDWH VKHHW RI SDSHU QXPEHU OLQHV $ , 6WDUWLQJ ZLWK WKH pictures labeled A-D at the top of the page and then moving to the ones ODEHOHG EHORZ ( , QDPH ZKLFK 1DWXUDO 'LVDVWHU LV VKRZQ LQ WKH SLFWXUH 8VH WKH KLGGHQ ZRUGV OLVW RQ WKH :RUG )LQG WR ¿QG \RXU DQVZHUV E
<RX ZLOO QHHG HPSW\ OLWHU VRGD ERWWOHV IRRG FRORULQJ ZDVKHU GXFW WDSH ZDWHU +RZ 7R 0DNH <RXU 7RUQDGR 6WHS 2QH 7DNH ERWK WZR OLWHU ERWWOHV DQG ULQVH WKHP RXW WKRURXJKO\ )LOO RQH ERWWOH RI WKH ZD\ IXOO $GG DERXW GURSV RI a food coloring of your choice. 6WHS 7ZR :LWK WKH FDSV UHPDLQLQJ Rႇ SODFH D ZDVKHU RQ WRS RI WKH ERWWOH ZLWK ZDWHU LQ LW 3ODFH WKH HPSW\ ERWWOH RQ WRS RI WKH RWKHU ERWWOH ZLWK WKH ZDVKHU LQEHWZHHQ WKHP 0DNH VXUH they are evenly lined up. 6WHS 7KUHH :LWK WKH WZR ERWWOHV VHFXUHO\ LQ SODFH ZLWK WKH ZDVKHU EHWZHHQ WKHP WDNH WKH GXFW WDSH DQG WLJKWO\ ZUDS LW around the bottle necks. Be sure the seal is tight. 6WHS )RXU Once the bottles are securely together, it is time to make the tornado. In order to start the tornado, you must ÀLS WKH ERWWOHV RYHU VR WKDW WKH IXOO ERWWOH LV RQ WRS $V VRRQ DV WKH\ DUH ÀLSSHG URWDWH WKH WRS ERWWOH LQ D FLUFXODU PRWLRQ IRU D IHZ VHFRQGV ZLWKRXW UHDOO\ WLOWLQJ WKHP :DWFK DV WKHUH LV D tornado inside the soda bottle!
G
F H
I
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SPONSORS! PEAVY PLUMBING P
ALIGNMENTS
Commercial & Residential
peavyplumbing@yahoo.com
Byron Peavy, Licensed Plumber 4144 Central Plank Rd. • Wetumpka, AL
334-567-9941 or 334-324-0884
www.fbctallassee.com
1279 Friendship Road • Tallassee, AL
SCARBOROUGH & GRIGGS, L.L.C. 2198 Kent Road • Tallassee, AL (334) 546-0425 license #07069 www.keepyoucomfy.com
100 Executive Park Drive Tallassee, AL Phone: 334-283-2893 www.scarboroughgriggs.com
CARMACKS Godwin n rs Flowers GROCERY 1161 COUNTY RD. 39 NOTASULGA, AL
334-257-3441
DRIVE A LITTLE AND SAVE A LOT
117 Central Blvd. Tallassee, AL
(334) 283-2160 (800) 239-1923
Order Flowers Online 24/7
JACKSON THORNTON CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS | CONSULTANTS
194 Fort Toulouse • Wetumpka, AL (334) 567-3400 www.jacksonthornton.com
740 Memorial Drive • Prattville, AL
(334) 567-4567 www.arrowpestcontrol.net
AUTO & RV REPAIR CENTER, LLC 334-365-5085
w w w. p r a t t v i l l e r v. c o m
AMBULANCE 2530 East 5th Street Montgomery, AL
334-265-1208
Patterson Air, Inc. 20823 Hwy. 49 South • Tallassee, AL
(334) 283-8278
ALCert#89012
MONTGOMERY CHILDREN’S S P E C I A L T Y
C E N T E R
S&B
AUTO BODY Scott Alexander & Brian Sharpe Owners 6122 Notasulga Road Notasulga, AL
(334) 283-2509
RIVER VIEW Auto Sales
4400 Wetumpka Hwy. • Montgomery, AL 334-517-6157 GUARANTEED FINANCING visit our website for our current inventory! www.riverviewautosales231.com
CITY COLLISION, LLC 89077 Tallassee Hwy. Tallassee, Alabama 334-391-7345
Expresso | Coffee | Old Fashioned Malt Milkshakes
Johnny Oates
Auto•Home•Life
Alfa Insurance
®
www.alfainsurance.com
Call Alfa.® The best agents in the business.
H E R R I N G CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC Randal D. Herring, D.C. & Caroline E. Herring, D.C. 315 Friendship Road • Tallassee, AL 334-283-6838 HerringChiropractic.com
Forest Appraisal • Forest Analysis Forest Management
(334) 283-3611
334.478.4970
109 Company St., Suite 110 • Wetumpka, AL riverperkcoffee@gmail.com
334.272.6822 334.279.7387
3188 Kent Road – Tallassee, AL
334-558-3889 Cole Hilyer
334-741-7600
www.alfootcare.com
DISTRICT ATTORNEY Clanton . . . . . . . . (205) 755-4242 Prattville . . . . . . . (334) 365-5715 Wetumpka . . . . .(334) 567-2237 “Supporting Education!”
EXTERMINATING CO. 2808 Kent Road Tallassee, AL
334.283.4111 Body Shop L.L.C.
Sizemore Since 1949 Sizemore Inc.
EXCAVATING CO . LLC
2304-B Gateway Drive (Hwy. 280) Opelika, AL Feet Hurt at All? Call Dr. Paul!
Compliments Of:
RANDALL V. HOUSTON
Hornsby & Son
Mickey J. Golden, D.V.M. *Office Hours By Appointment*
James Hamner 26 Cambridge Dr. Wetumpka, AL 36092 (334) 567-5156 jhamner@alfains.com
Alabama Foot Care Center
SWAT
Southern
A 54-bed pediatric nursing center that accepts kids ages 18 & under
2853 Forbes Drive • Montgomery, AL 36110 ( 334 ) 261-3445 w w w. m o n t g o m e r y c h i l d r e n s c a r e . c o m
KEITH CANNON, OWNER 220 Company St. • Wetumpka, AL 334-567-6760 www.singletonsmuffler.com EXHAUST OIL CHANGES
GOLDEN ANIMAL HOSPITAL
PRATTVILLE “Honest Labor – Fair Prices” 1259-C South Memorial Drive • Prattville, AL
TIRES/BRAKES
Singleton’s Alignment and Muffler Service, LLC
Nancy Gibbons Oates Let me help you find the home of your dreams!
We accept all deer claims & all insurance claims. Call us for great customer service & a quick turnaround.
334-283-3463 • 334-283-8024 fax 101-B Caldwell Street, Tallassee, AL 36078 bhornsbyandson@elmore.rr.com
J. Alan Taunton & Company, LLC
Certi¿ed Public Accountants
200 Executive Park Drive Tallassee, AL 334.283.2567
NancyOates@Remax.net
334-799-7555
alantaunton@tauntoncpa.com
Tallassee
Tire & Auto Service, LLC
334-283-1164 89036 Tallassee Hwy.•Tallassee, AL www.tallasseetireandauto.com
Page B4 • July 11, 2018
www.TallasseeTribune.com
THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE
THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE
www.TallasseeTribune.com
July 11, 2018 • Page B5
Page B6 • July 11, 2018
www.TallasseeTribune.com
THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE
Humane Society of Elmore County News
Steineker & Dillon drive was huge success live auction commences at 7 p.m. while the silent auction bidding will continue throughout and until the cowbell clangs and our many auction volunteers will then help everyone collect their items and do the final payment processing. Parking for our auction will be in the lot across the road from the Entertainment Center and we do ask that you refrain from parking in the gas station/store area or behind the Center as your vehicle is subject to being towed. We have closed out donations so that we can prepare the printed listings for auction night. Any item accepted now may be held for next year’s auction, or, if used this year, will not be listed on-line and may be in the program under the “too late to classify” section. You can preview every item that will be in our auction by checking out our special auction website: www. elmorehumane.auction. You can pre-purchase tickets for $25 person at our shelter (255 Central Plank Road, Wetumpka) or at the door. We also have a few remaining tables seating 10 persons for $300 – come to the shelter at 255 Central Plank Road, Wetumpka or call us at 334-567-3377 to pay for your table before they are all gone.
By REA CORD HSEC Executive Director
We want to give a shout out to the wonderful staff and clients at Steineker & Dillon Family & Cosmetic Dentistry in Montgomery for holding a pet supply drive for the three River Region shelters. We received a huge load of food, supplies and money and greatly appreciate how much they continue to support area shelters with these awesome supply drives. Only three weeks until our 13th annual Wags & Whiskers Auction on Friday, July 27 at the Wind Creek Wetumpka Entertainment Center, 100 River Oaks Drive, Wetumpka. There will be a huge cross-section of items up for auction, great food, cash bar, door prizes and more. All the proceeds go to our humane shelter to help ensure the hundreds of pets that come to us monthly in need of our help will get it. This is both a silent and live auction, so there will be plenty of opportunities for everyone to find one or more treasures. The fun, food and silent auction bidding begins at 6 p.m. when we open the Entertainment Center doors. Wind Creek Wetumpka will ensure a great layout of food for everyone as well as a cash bar. The
Pet of the Week – Cody Cody is a six-month-old Hound mix boy who is just a happy-go-lucky teenager wanting a family to call his own. Cody and his sister and brother (Dottie & Bennett) should be in the 40-pound range when fully grown and are just playful, easy going pups that will be happy camping, going out on a lake, taking walks or just hanging out on the couch in the air-conditioning. Our adoption fees are $100 for dogs and $50 for cats under one year old; cats over one year old can be adopted by approved adopters for a fee of their choosing. This adoption fee completely covers the manda-
tory spay or neuter, basic immunizations, de-worming, microchip, heartworm check for dogs, rabies vaccination (if old enough) and a free health exam with your participating veterinarian. To meet all the great pets at our shelter come to 255 Central Plank Road in Wetumpka. For more information, go to our website at www.elmorehumane.org, email us at hselco@bellsouth.net or give us a call at 334-567-3377. We are open for adoptions Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Elmore County Commission approves website redesign at Monday’s meeting By DAVID GRANGER Managing Editor
The Elmore County Commission approved a redesign of the county’s website and awarded a bid for software management and software e-filing of
probate court documents at its meeting Monday night at the Elmore County Administrative Complex. The meeting was preceded by the Commission’s work session, where most of the
AlabamaPublicNotices.com Public notices from Alabama newspapers $FFHVV SXEOLF QRWLFHV VWDWHZLGH )5(( PDQXDO VHDUFKHV 6HDUFK E\ NH\ZRUG FRXQW\ RU SDSHU 0XOWL FRXQW\ RU FURVV UHIHUHQFH VHDUFKHV
AlabamaPublicNotices.com public notice affects you
RODNEY GRIFFITH Lake Martin Properties
discussion on the agenda items takes place. The Commission approved a redesign of the county website by Productive IT, a Montgomery firm. Elmore County Chief Engineer and Operations Officer Richie Beyer said the county’s current website was designed by Ingenuity. He said the county interviewed companies in Montgomery and he felt Productive IT was the best choice due to price and “serviceability.” “They will charge us $6,950 to basically retool and bringing data that exists on our website over to the new website,” Beyer said. Commissioner Bart Mercer asked Beyer if the Productive IT platform was proprietary. Beyer said it was not. Commissioner Kenny Holt asked Beyer why the county did not interview Elmore County informa-
tion technology companies, specifically mentioning ITS and Pinnacle. “We have done some work with ITS, but we just didn’t believe our website redesign would be something they would be interested in doing,” Beyer said, adding that one of the person’s involved with Productive IT, Hanan Wilson, was an Elmore County man. “I just want to make sure that, where we can, we go with Elmore County people to do our work,” said Holt. The commission approved the Productive IT proposal unanimously. The commission also approved unanimously a proposal brought before it earlier by Probate Judge John Enslen for a county court management and e-filing system. According to Beyer, the system would be similar to the state’s system, known as Alacourt. The system
Serving Lake Martin, Tallassee and the Surrounding Area
RODNEY GRIFFITH BROKER CELL: 334-207-0666 WEB: www.rodneygrif¿th.com EMAIL: rodneygrif¿th@windstream.net
RUSTIC CABIN – 2 bd/1.5 ba., Highway 50 close to Walnut Hill, nice shop, $85,000. LOTS IN RIVER HILLS SUBDIVISION – Good views of Lake Tallassee, underground utilities, sewage, walking distance to downtown, 9 lots remaining, priced from $20,000 to $32,000. RED HILL – 3 bd/2 ba., brick, very nice and private, 1 acre, SOLD only $109,000. LAKE MARTIN LOT with mobile home, 55-ft. waterfront, 3 bd/2 baths, south end of lake, close to Castaway and Kowaliga, only $225,000. BEAUTIFUL BRICK HOUSE in Plantation Pines, 4 bd/3.5 baths, 1.6 acre lot very modern and pretty, REDUCED TO $279,000. RED HILL- very nice brick home ,3 bedrooms, 2 baths, open den and kitchen, completely remodeled, super nice, new roof, 1 Acre lot, very private. REDUCED TO $112,000. CASTAWAY ISLAND – Lake cabin , 3 bd/1 bath on a great lot, great view sandy beach, boat house and ramp. $410,000. TALLASSEE LOT – Great commercial lot in Tallassee next to Dairy Queen, with 3 bd/2ba house. REDUCED TO $84,900. 117 DEAN CIRCLE – 4bd/3ba, very nice home on 9 ACRES. 3000 sq.ft., New paint inside and out, New carpet, Granite counters, 2 dens, Large wrap-around deck. $272,500.
would be paid for out of the probate judge’s discretionary funds. The commission also approved unanimously setting a public hearing for July 23 on a transfer of off-premises-only alcohol licenses from the previous owner of Kim’s Korner 44 on Titus Road in Titus to the new owner. In non-action items, the Commission discussed its progress in choosing opioid litigation representation from among a number of firms who have made proposals. County Attorney Jeff Cortney said he was “please with the progress” the county had made sifting through proposals and that it has some “good firms to choose from, but he said there was an “opportunity for more information-gathering” at the NACo Annual Conference, which begins July 12 and runs through July 17, in Nashville. “I would suggest you gather that info, I can review that and we can go from there,” Cortney said. Asked by Commission Chairman Troy Stubbs if he thought a final decision on whether to participate in the opioid litigation and, if so, who to choose to represent the county was possible at the next Commission meeting on July 23, Cortney said, “I think that would be the
Your Your time time is is valuable... valuable... MRI MRI & & CT Imaging CT Imaging Without the wait. wait. Without the wait. wa 805 Friendship Road, Tallassee • 334-283-6541
JULY 17TH Runoff
Community Hospital Tallassee
+ + Vote + +
case.” Commissioner Mack Daugherty then questioned why there had been so much attention paid to opioids when, in his view, alcohol was an equally large problem. “I’m kind of puzzled about that when you’ve got more people dying from the alcohol crisis than you do from the opioid crisis,” Daugherty said. Daugherty said there were 64,000 deaths a year on average from opioids and an average of 88,000 alcohol-related deaths annually. About opioids, Daugherty said a doctor recently told him, “It appears that not only are we going to have insurance companies telling physicians how to practice, but we’re going to have some doctors that won’t prescribe opioids at all.” Commissioner Earl Reeves asked Stubbs how many counties were participating in the opioid litigation, to which Stubbs replied, “We’ll learn a lot more this weekend (at the NACo Conference).” The commission also heard from Sandra Jackson, a field representative for Sen. Doug Jones. Jackson’s remarks were largely introductory, but she told the Commission that she could help them keep aware of things that were happening in Washington that might affect the counties, like current federal opioid legislation. In other action, the commission approved a consent docket consisting of a travel memo, a declaration of emergency illness request for Linda Rucker and a donation of 60 hours sick leave from Allyson Gibbons to Lisa Rucker. The commission was also notified of several promotions, hirings and transfers of county personnel.
JULY 17 TH Runoff
MICHAEL DOZIER
• 69% of voters in the June primary that voted in the circuit clerk’s race voted for a change! • I will be a FULL-TIME circuit clerk. • Juries will be ordered within the time-frame prescribed by law and paid on time. • I understand the importance of working with the judges, district attorney’s office, attorneys and all law enforcement offices in the county to make the clerk’s office effective and productive.
CIRCUIT CLERK ELMORE COUNTY Paid for by Michael Dozier Campaign • P.O. Box 613 • Wetumpka, AL 36092