SHINING THE LIGHT ON SELMA AND DALLAS COUNTY, ALABAMA
www.selmasun.com
April 9, 2020 | Volume 7 Issue 15
We’ll Keep
Shining a Light
75 ¢ In uncertain times like these, the only thing scarier than knowing what’s going on is not knowing what’s going on. That’s why the Selma Sun is proud to be here for you in print and on Kix 101.5 FM every week, and online 24-7. We’re working hard to keep you informed about the COVID-19 virus and its impact on our community. We’re shining a light on what our national, state and local officials are doing to address the pandemic. And we’re putting a spotlight on our friends
and neighbors who are pitching in to help out in this time of need. Lord knows this community has gone through difficult times before, and we will come through this situation as well if we support one another even as we distance ourselves from one another. As the owner of a small business, I thank you for your support and your prayers, as my family and I will support and pray for you. Stay safe. Stay quarantined. And stay informed. - Cindy Fisher, Publisher
G Mommas Cookies looking to make comeback with help of Selma Coloring Book BY FRED GUARINO
Selma Sun Staff A local entrepreneur is hoping a coloring book of historic Selma will help revive his crumbling cookie company. Robert Armstrong IV, founder of Selma Good Company LLC and its G Mommas Cookies, ran out of steam making cookies in February 2019 and put the business on hold to try other ideas. But they all fell through, leading him back to his original plan – to mass produce his grandmother’s cookie recipe and sell them out of stores everywhere. To relaunch G Mommas Cookies, Armstrong plans to bring in revenue through sales of the “Color Selma Alabama First Edition,” a coloring book with scenes from nearly 30 historic Selma landmarks and favorite locations. The coloring book will appeal to children and adults alike looking for something to do during the coronavirus quarantine, he said. The coloring books are priced at $13 each and can be pre-ordered through gmommas.com. The coloring books will be shipped by mid-April. He said the idea behind the coloring book came from the fact Selma has so many historic landmarks, and the people and restaurants all have a story behind them. It includes historic buildings, downtown churches, historic homes, wellknown restaurants, signs and sites “people would want to see, and we are proud to have here in Selma.” Armstrong said the mission
of his company has always been to “be something good, be something positive here in Selma and try to show people that you can live in a small town and still have a business on a big scale.” He said he hopes the company’s coloring book will help get the cookies inspired by his grandmother, Anice Armstrong, back on the shelves at a store near you. The name G Momma is short for G a m m y Robert Armstrong IV with G Mommas cookies. Momma. Armstrong shared his busiThe company produced butter scotch, oatmeal and choc- ness owning journey with olate chip with pecan cook- Selma native Mark Anthony ies. Armstrong said the com- Peterson on his podcast pany got overwhelmed try- Guerrillapreneur recently, saying to produce enough cook- ing in the beginning, he made ies for the 1,500 retail stores. the cookies himself from his Armstrong recently posted grandmother’s kitchen and on Facebook, “We’ve had to grew to a commercial kitchregroup as a company, and en. But he found that, by himwe’re working to get back in self, he couldn’t make enough stores sometime this year.” to meet demand, and he burned He said toward that end, the out. He tried other ventures, company is currently getting close to making some product including T-shirt making and website design that helped build trial runs.
his business knowledge for the second phase of G Mommas cookie business. He says he learned how to create websites and sell via e-commerce and how to have more success making sales calls. Armstrong now has an investor and is ready to go back to cookie business. He is looking for a bakery to do the mass cooking making and found a group of salespeople through a national firm to help sell the product to more grocers. G Mommas still sells some of its cookies (currently chocolate chip) through its Amazon Store, which can be accessed through gmommas. com. But Armstrong said the company has a small capacity and cannot handle wholesale orders yet. The cookies will return to stores in their original flavors, and Armstrong hopes to launch some other types of products. Meanwhile, Armstrong said the coloring book will “help us get back on our feet as far as the company goes. And it’s also a way to showcase some of the good stuff here in Selma.” He said it will become something that can be sold at the welcome center and other store locations. He said there will be other editions featuring different locations. The coloring books will be shipped by mid-April, and those who order two will get free shipping. Images in the coloring book, created by a graphic designer, include Sturdivant Hall, Old Cahawba, Brown Chapel, Edmund Pettus Bridge, Tabernacle
Color Selma Alabama First Edition coloring book includes recognizable landmarks from around Selma. See Page 8 for a sample to color. Baptist, First Baptist on Dallas Avenue, First Baptist on Martin Luther King Street, Cornerstone Church, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, United Methodist Church, Kenan's Mill, Washington Supermarket, Pancake House, Pilcher McBride, Carters, Swifts, Hancocks BBQ, Lannie's BBQ, Harmony Club, Henderson House, Joe T. Smitherman Building, Walton
Theater, Jewish Synagogue, Old Depot Museum, Old Live Oak Cemetery, River Bank / Bluff, Wall Mural Behind Federal Building and St. James Hotel. Hear more about what happened with Selma Good and G Mommas Cookies in two episodes of the Guerrillapreneur podcast at https://www.spreaker.com/show/guer rillapreneur-podcast.
Selma Sun partners with Scott Communication to host morning radio show on Kix Country 101.5 FM
Cindy Fisher is publisher of the Selma Sun. BY CINDY FISHER
Selma Sun Staff This quarantine has, in some ways, taken us back to our roots
to get hyperlocal information and entertainment in what some would consider “old-fashioned” ways, such as newspapers and radio.
The Selma Sun has combined the two and, through a partnership with Scott Communication, is bringing you a live radio variety show every Wednesday morning from 7 to 8 .m. on Kix Country 101.5 FM. We’re calling it the “Sunspot” portion of the “Sunrise Over Selma Show” with hosts Cindy Fisher, publisher of the Selma Sun, and Todd Prater, current host of the morning show and writer for the Selma Sun. We have held interviews with local experts, from Selma City Schools Superintendent Avis Williams and Vaughan Regional Medical Center CEO David McCormack. We have had Selma singer/guitarist Paul Garner entertain us with his music. And all interviews
are currently being done from separate locations to stick to the quarantine rules. After the quarantine is lifted, we hope to come to you live via Facebook as well as the radio station to grow our audience and put a face with the voices of those we interview. You can listen to past shows at the Selma Sun’s YouTube channel.
Todd Prater is host of the morning show on Kix Country 101.5 FM. This is a great opportunity to introduce the next generation to the fun of radio variety shows with names and voices they know! Don't be bored during the quarantine - stay informed
and entertained by listening to the Sunrise Over Selma Show every Wednesday morning on Kix Country 101.5 FM. Got ideas for guests on the show? Email suggestions to publisher@selmasun.com.
Randall Miller Funeral Service & Crematory "Providing the Very Best in Funeral Service" 608 St. Phillips St. - P.O. Box 1471 Selma, Alabama 36702
334-874-9081
www.randallmillerfuneralservice.com
Randall J. Miller - Owner