The Trussville Tribune – May 17 - 23, 2023

Pinson’s Got Talent

Page

Paine Elementary student to compete for National American Junior Pre-Teen Miss

From The Tribune staff reports

TRUSSVILLE – Piper Madison Smith, 9, of Trussville, has qualified as a State Finalist in the National Amer-

Churches in Trussville, Clay, Pinson, Moody vote to leave United Methodist Church

From The Tribune staff reports TRUSSVILLE — Church congregations in Trussville, Pinson,

Clay and Moody have joined several hundred other

2 HTHS seniors awarded Colin Joshua Glover Memorial Scholarship

From The Tribune staff reports TRUSSVILLE – Two students at Hewitt-Trussville High school were recently awarded the Colin Joshua Glover Memorial Scholarship, a scholarship fund in remembrance of HTHS Class

Board of Education congratulates Hewitt-Trussville Mountain Bike teams

By Crystal McGough Editor

TRUSSVILLE – The Trussville City Schools Board of Education recognized the Hewitt-Trussville High School and Middle School Mountain Bike teams Monday night, May 15, for their recent achievements.

This is the first year the middle school has had its own division, and the HTMS team rode away with the state championship.

Evelyn Lolley won the seventh-grade girls individual state championship and Isabelle Garver won the sixthgrade girls individual state championship. In the sixthgrade division, Lenwood Jones finished the season second overall and Jude Lolley finished fifth overall.

“This is our seventh year; we’ve won four state championships in high school (division), and this is the inaugural middle school state championship,” said Head Coach Kirk Lovin.

The HTHS team finished third place in Division 1 standing for their state championship race this year. The high school team currently has 26 members, and the middle school team has 19.

The board also recognized HTHS senior Casey Bates for her artwork, titled “Pulled Apart,” which represented District Six (under Congressman Gary Palmer) in the Congressional Institute Artistic Discovery competition. Bates

was named the Sixth Congressional District Winner.

“I did a whole concentration on perception and I kind of merged this piece with one that I did last year; it was a

Trussville Council recognizes Rotary Club, approves $72,000 media partnership with CBS 42

By Crystal McGough Editor

Finance

Trussville

Rotary Club member receives prestigious award from Rotary International

From The Tribune staff reports TRUSSVILLE – A member of the Trussville Daybreak Rotary Club has received a prestigious award from Rotary International.

Leeds Board of Education hears presentation for child nutrition program

By Nathan Prewett

For the Tribune

LEEDS – Director of Child Nutrition Anita Carlise gave a presentation for the Community Eligibility Program (CEP) that provides free breakfast and lunch to students during a meeting of

See

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Corbeau Wine Bar now open in downtown Trussville

By Chase Holmes News Reporter

Trussville to Go announced a Summer of Giveaways sponsored by local businesses

From The Tribune staff reports TRUSSVILLE – Trussville To Go, a local platform for food ordering and delivery, has announced their Summer of Giveaways.

TRUSSVILLE – The Trussville City Council passed a proclamation at its regular meeting on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, recognizing the Trussville Daybreak Rotary Club and declaring May 2023 as Trussville Daybreak Rotary Club Month.

“Trussville Daybreak Rotary Club chartered itself on May 18, 1990, with 23 members and, since then, has grown to 51 members today,” Councilor Jaime Anderson read from Proclamation 202312. “And whereas, its members make a difference here in our community through (among other things) Computers 4 Kids, Rotary Young Leaders Awards, Rotary Readers, Student and Teacher of the Month Awards, Rotary Clock, Leadership HT, and Better Basics Book Nooks; and whereas, its members pack snack bags for students at Restoration Academy, donate supplies and funds to

Front Row L-R: Lynn Taul, Kristi Bradford, Jef Freeman, Jamie Townes, Mike Rowe, and Lisa Bright. Back Row L-R: Jaime Anderson, Mayor Buddy Choat, Alan Taylor, Ben Short, John Griscom, and Perry Cook. (Photo by Crystal McGough)

various shelters, donate toys to the annual Fire & Rescue Toy drive, plant trees and other greenery in city spaces, and support numerous local and international causes; … its members truly embody the Rotary motto ‘Service above Self.’”

The council also unanimously approved a resolu-

tion permitting Mayor Buddy Choat to enter the city into a media partnership agreement with local CBS affiliate WIAT Channel 42, for an amount not to exceed $72,000, taken from the General Fund.

“This is a year-long advertising campaign through CBS 42,” Mayor Choat said. “A lot of it has to do with focus

on sports within our Entertainment District, our stage. They’ll have live broadcasts with the weather out there two times in the fall. It’s kind of a fall and then a spring/ summer campaign. In the fall, we’re going to focus more on what’s going on in the district as far as ball games on the TV, music, any events going on. Then we come back in the spring and really start including more of the businesses and/or incorporate all of them together.”

See SCHOLARSHIP, Page 5 See CORBEAU, Page 6

Representatives from CBS 42 gave a presentation to the council at the workshop meeting on Thursday, May 4, proposing $36,000 each for the fall campaign and spring/ summer campaign.

Cavalier Healthcare to acquire Trussville Health and Rehab

From The Tribune staff reports TRUSSVILLE – A Mississippi-based healthcare company is acquiring Trussville Health and Rehab.

The building will be renamed Cavalier Healthcare

Lifestyle - Page 7

Finance - Pages 8-9

Outdoors - Page 10

Calendar - Page 11

Classified - Page 11

Obituary - Page 12

Sports - Pages 13-16

HTHS and HTMS Mountain Bike teams with their coaches. (Photo by Crystal McGough)

See CHURCH, Page 4

The Trussville Tribune

2023 Pinson’s Got Talent a ‘success’

From The Tribune staff reports

PINSON – Pinson’s Got Talent 2023 was held Friday, May 12, with 14 acts ranging from Kindergarten through 12th grade. All participating students come from Pinson feeder schools.

Pinson Valley High and Rudd Middle School Choral Director and Tri-M Advisor Sarah O. Timothy called the event “a success.”

This year’s Elementary Division first place winner was Bella Martinez, whose talent was gymnastics. The second place Elementary Division winner was vocal performer Stella Wynn.

For the Middle School Division, Autumn Smith took home first place with a dance performance in clogging. Vocalist Emma Tarpley won second place.

In the High School Division, vocalist Ataya Griffin won first place and marimba instrumentalist Maggie Beasley took home second place.

Each contestant was judged based on their talent, preparedness and stage presence.

Meet The Judges:

• Eva Maria McKinneycurrently works as a Senior Experience Specialist for a software company. Her hobbies include spending time with family and cooking delicious foods. She also really enjoys working out at the gym and filming advertising content for companies through her own company called UGC Chick! Here at Pinson Valley, she was involved with the very talented Chamber Choir as a soprano for three years, and she was part of the Auxiliary for the Pinson

Valley Marching Chiefs for two years! She is honored to be welcomed back to her alma-mater to witness the ongoing talent that resides in our city of Pinson!

Nate Falk has lived in Pinson since 2017 with his wife Elise and three kids, Simon, Harry, and Eliza. He owns a local insurance agency, the Falk Agency, as well as Cedar Mountain Photography, a local photography studio specializing in portraiture. He and his family are members at Palmerdale Methodist Church where he serves as the Creative Director teaching music, leading the choir, and the band. Mr. Falk has played violin since he was 9 years old and studied music for a year at Bob Jones University. He left school to lead a vocal group with Life Action Ministries. He then traveled around the

United States performing in churches for three years as the music director for a small vocal ensemble. He has performed with various local choirs, most recently with the Alabama Symphony Chorus performing Handel’s Messiah with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.

• Roderick Parker Jr.is a 23-year-old alumnus of Pinson Valley High School and former winner of Pinson’s Got Talent in 2017 and 2018! Currently, he attends UAB as a graduate student and works full-time at his church Faith Chapel as Communications Coordinator where he is able to engage in public speaking and the arts. Roderick found his purpose through the arts by performing in many theatrical shows, singing in the PVHS Choir, hosting at his church and at The 2022 World Games,

and even being Pinson

Valley’s “Chief Tapawingo” mascot in 2018! A few hobbies Roderick enjoys include encouraging others through social media, writing music, dancing, and giving back to those who have helped him in his success.

Pinson’s Got Talent 2023 is presented by Tri-M Music Honor Society, a program of NAfME (National Association for Music Education), which focuses on creating future leaders in music education and music advocacy. Members may be participants in either or both Band and/or Choir at the secondary level of education.

Proceeds from Pinson’s Got Talent 2023 will go to KIPP Nashville College Prep Elementary School (KNCPE), a free, open-enrollment public charter school located in North Nashville where PV 2018 Alum Alexandria Hawkins currently teaches.

Member of the Alabama Press Association

Photo courtesy of PVHS and RMS Choral Director and Tri-M Advisor Sarah Timothy

Starting May 7, Trussville

To Go will give away prizes every week for 13 weeks, sponsored by and from local businesses. The Summer of Giveaways will culminate in a Grand Prize winner, who will receive a trip to Iceland or Ireland, courtesy of Trussville To Go.

“We are thrilled to partner with our local businesses to host the Summer of Giveaways,” said Trussville To Go’s owners, Ben and Amanda Short. “This is our way of giving back to our community and thanking our loyal customers and the surrounding communities for their support over the years.”

The Summer of Giveaways will feature a range of prizes from local businesses, including restaurant gift cards,

L oca L / R egion

local brews, outdoor fun, and more. Each week, Trussville To Go will randomly select a winner from all entries received during the week and the winners will be announced on Trussville To Go’s social media platforms each Sunday.

The Grand Prize winner will be selected from the pool of weekly prize winners and announced right before school starts back up. The winner will have the choice of a trip to Iceland or Ireland, complete with airfare and accommodations.

To participate in the Summer of Giveaways, customers can simply place an order through Trussville To Go’s website or app. Each order is considered one entry, and there is no limit to the num-

ber of entries a customer can earn. No purchase is required to enter or win as you can also earn entries by sharing, engaging, and following Trussville To Go’s weekly giveaway post on social media and referring friends to the platform. “We are excited to offer everyone a chance to win some fantastic prizes while supporting our local businesses,” said the Short family. “We hope the Summer of Giveaways will encourage our community to come together and celebrate all that Trussville has to offer.”

For more information on Trussville To Go’s Summer of Giveaways, visit their Facebook page and follow them on social media.

ican Miss Alabama Pageant, which will be held May 2628, 2023, at the Marriott Resort and Spa in Opelika, Alabama. This pageant is held for girls ages 4 to 24 in six different age divisions.

“Representing the Trussville and greater Birmingham Alabama community, Piper Smith a 4th grader, dancer at Birmingham Academy of Dance, and community junior philanthropist through her nonprofit Piper’s P.A.D.” her mother, Jennifer Smith said. “This young lady is competing for the title and honors of National American Junior Pre-Teen Miss title. Best of luck and thank you for all you do.”

Smith’s activities include Contemporary Dance at Birmingham Academy of Dance of Trussville. She also enjoys reading, drawing and building avatars on her iPad.

The newly crowned Miss Alabama Junior Preteen will receive prizes and awards, the official crown and banner, a bouquet of roses, and will compete in the national pageant in Orlando, Florida. She has the chance to represent the great state of Alabama for the entire year.

Piper Madison Smith (Image courtesy of Dr. Robert and Jennifer Smith)

on inner beauty, as well as poise and presentation, and offers an “All-American spirit of fun for family and friends.”

Emphasis is placed on the importance of gaining self-confidence and learning new skills, such as good attitude about competition, as well as setting and achieving personal goals.

Additionally, the board congratulated Child Nutrition Program supervisor Terrie Coggins and her staff on their recent audit, and Cahaba Elementary School for being recognized by the Alabama Department of Education for the Legislative School Performance Recognition Program.

In other news, the board held officer elections for the positions of Board President and Vice President, electing Kim DeShazo as Board Pres-

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Casey Bates speaks about her congressional district winning art piece, “Pulled Apart.” (Photo by Crystal McGough)

ident and Kathy Brown as Board Vice President. Under new business, the board addressed the following: Information item: Annual System Financial Audit from Carr, Riggs and Ingram Accounting

• Information item: 202324 Board of Education

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4.25 4.25

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12 month certificate

4.00 4.00

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18 month certificate

Meetings

• First reading of Parent and Student Handbook

The board called a special meeting for Thursday, June 1, 2023, to address matters of personnel. The next regular monthly board meeting will be held Monday, June 12, in the Boardroom of the Central Office at 5 p.m.

Contestants will compete in four overall categories: Formal Wear Modeling, Personal Introduction, Interview, and Community Service Project.

National American Miss also offers optional contests, such as the Top Model Search, Talent, Actress, and more. National American Miss is dedicated to celebrating America’s greatness and encouraging its future leaders.

Each year, the pageant awards thousands in prizes

to recognize and assist in the development of young ladies nationwide. All activities are age-appropriate and family-oriented.

The National American Miss Pageant System is the largest in the nation. The focus of this organization is to create future leaders and equip them with real-world skills to make their dreams a reality. The program is based

Smith’s sponsors are Linda Adams, Jacinta Burrell, LaTorria Cantillano-Valladares, William Coleman, Anthony Cook, Eddie Cuttwright, Jameeleh Davis, Lucy Eatmon, Sonya Greene, Dontae Franklin, Damien Jones Jr., Ryan Jones, LaShanda Ladson, Steve Miller, Adriana Muniz, K.D. Owens LLC, April Perkins, Ashley Potts, Octavia Scott, April Straugh, Janice Thomas, Alisha Sparks Williams, Angelia Willis, Prentice&PrincessWinston, and Laquita Witherspoon.

Families interested in learning more about this unique and outstanding youth program may visit https:// www.namiss.com/

Piper Madison Smith (Image courtesy of Dr. Robert and Jennifer Smith)

similar portrait,” Bates said. “It just kind of was a growth piece.” Bates has been invited to visit Washington D.C. to attend a reception on June 20, and her artwork will hang in the corridors of the United States Capitol for one year.

Fridays prior to that encouraging people to come out … and enjoy the game, the restaurants and the shopping, or whatever they want to do. Also, they’re affiliated with the PGA Tour; also with the Masters Golf Tournament with March Madness. So it all kind of fits in sports-wise with what we think would be advantageous for our Entertainment District.”

CBS 42 General Manager

Jimmy Cromwell confirmed for the council on Thursday that the fall 2023 to spring 2024 season will be the last year CBS will air SEC sports. As of fall 2024, CBS will lose SEC and pick up Big Ten Football.

The media partnership between CBS 42 (WIAT) and the City of Trussville will go into effect in September 2023.

“I’m pretty excited about it and I hope that the council will be as excited at the end of this as we are prior to,” Choat said. “I’m looking forward to it and I appreciate the council’s consideration.”

Additionally, the council approved Ordinance 2023006 ADM, officially establishing the Trussville Entertainment District.

“This is the official creation of the true Entertainment District for our downtown area,” Councilor Ben Short said, adding that he

was excited about this ordinance. “We have six different liquor-license holders in that area now. The hours of the Entertainment District shall be Sunday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. During these regular hours, a person may be within the boundaries of the Entertainment District with an open container, provided that the requirements of this ordinance are followed. The Entertainment District shall close from 11 p.m. until 10 a.m., Sunday through Saturday, and during those hours, no person shall be within the Entertainment District with an open container. The hours of operation of licensed establishments within the Entertainment District shall not be affected by those hours.”

In other business, the council approved:

• Ordinance 2023-007 ADM, authorizing the city’s general obligation warrant, series 2023, dated May 16, 2023, in a principal amount of $4,154,397

• Ordinance 2023-008 P&Z, rezoning two undeveloped lots on North Chalkville Road to IN-2 (Institutional) from R-1 (Single Family Residential)

Ordinance 2023-009 P&Z, rezoning 5890 Stephanie Land and part of 532 Simmons Lane to R-2 (Single Family Residential) from C-2 (Commercial)

• Resolution 2023-30, continuing city fuel purchasing services with McPherson Oil

Resolution 2023-31, declaring IT computers as surplus

The Trussville City Council meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 6 p.m., at the City Hall Annex. The council usually holds a workshop meeting on the Thursday prior to a regularly scheduled meeting.

Church

From front page

churches in the North Alabama Conference in voting to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church. The UMC announced their departure on Thursday, May 11. Former United Methodist Church congregations in Palmerdale, Clearview (Trussville), Springville, and Leeds, were granted disaffiliation from the UMC on December 10, 2022.

A letter to congregants announcing that the United Methodist Church had approved the disaffiliation vote and explaining the steps forward was posted on the First Methodist Church of Trussville website on Thursday.

“On April 23, 2023, our church voted to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church, and on May 11, 2023, the North Alabama Confer-

ence of the United Methodist Church held a Called Special Session and approved our disaffiliation. We will no longer be called Trussville First United Methodist Church.

Our new name will be First Methodist Church of Trussville, inspired by the 1954 cornerstone of the Education Building of our church,” according to the letter.

The vote to disaffiliate required a two-thirds majority.

In Trussville, the vote was 296 to disaffiliate to 83 who voted to remain in the UMC. Disaffiliation passed by a margin of 78% to 22%.

Years-long discussion and disagreement among congregations on the ordaining of openly gay ministers and conducting weddings for same sex couples led to the split.

While the UMC still holds to the biblical view of these issues and prohibits ordaining openly gay ministers and con-

ducting same sex marriages, uncertainty of the future led to the departure of the more conservative congregations.

In the North Alabama Conference, over half of the churches have left the UMC.

According to Greg Garrison, 330 churches out of the 638 NAC congregations have disaffiliated from the UMC. Nationwide, over 3,200

congregations have left the UMC.

While some congregations are expected to remain independent, many are expected to join the Global Methodist Church or the Free Methodist Church organizations. The window for local churches to negotiate their disaffiliation from the UMC remains open through 2023.

ages 12-18 to develop leadership skills.

Mary Sanspree won Rotary International’s (RI) “Service Above Self” award. The award recognizes Rotarians who demonstrate their motto of “service above self” by volunteering to help others. The award is internationally competitive and is granted to no more than 150 Rotarians worldwide annually.

Sanspree was the second woman in the district to become a district governor (DG). Afterwards, she served in all other past DG roles within the district. She has been very active in the District’s Boiling ‘n Bragging, a district-wide fundraising event and has served as chair or co-chair of the event since 2016. Since 2009, over $1.3M has been raised by the event.

Sanspree served as District 6860’s representative on Rotary’s council on legislation from 2018-21. She chaired the Rotary Interact

committee from 2009 to 2018 and oversaw the significant growth and vitality of the Interact program. Interact clubs bring together young people

Sanspress was the district grants coordinator from 2002 to 2006. She was instrumental in her local club in establishing a joint club interest in assessing and serving the people of Jamaica, which resulted in an award-winning service project over a 5-year period of educating hundreds of visually-impaired adults and children and the delivery of over 150 Braillers for Jamaican people.

Other areas of Sanpree’s service include: Helen Keller Birthplace Foundation Board, Shelby Council Arts Council Board President, Project Headstart of Alabama, United Methodist Church of North Alabama Conference, Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church and the UAB School of Optometry Dean’s Strategic Advisory Board.

First Methodist Church of Trussville

Mary Jean (left), Carol Argo (right)

Cavalier

From front page

of Trussville. It is a 125 bed, Skilled Nursing, and LongTerm care facility.

Leeds

From front page

the Leeds Board of Education on May 9.

The possibility of adopting a free breakfast and lunch program has been discussed since before the COVID pandemic, said Superintendent John Moore, but it was uncertain how financially feasible this was.

Scholarship

From front page

of 2020 graduate Colin Joshua Glover, who passed away in December 2022 from a heart condition.

“We established a scholarship fund in his name and will award at least one scholarship each year to an HTHS senior in his honor,” Colin’s mother, Melanie Glover said. “This year we awarded two scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each to Sarah Kate Lombardo and Skyler Carrillo.”

by Cavalier

“With all the healthcare industry’s challenges and changes, Cavalier Healthcare of Trussville will always prioritize and ensure an unmatched standard of care,” said Brian Hubbard, CEO of Cavalier Healthcare. “We are extremely excited to show Trussville and surrounding communities the leading edge in our industry.”

“The scholarship is to be awarded annually in Colin’s honor to a student who exhibits the same determination and drive he did,” Glover said.

But new policies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) may make this easier to do, he said. Carlise recently attended a conference in Montgomery where she learned of CEP.

CEP aims to do a number of things, which are: to reduce administrative paperwork and improve financial feasibility of school nutrition programs, maximize federal reimbursements, eliminate school meal debt, increase school meal participation, eliminate the stigma of school meals and more easily implement models such as Grab and Go breakfast, Breakfast in the Classroom, and Breakfast after the Bell.

feed all our kids free, 85.4%, we will get a free reimbursement for that 85.4% of meals served.”

Moore explained that if a student receives a free lunch, the district gets a $4.40 reimbursement and if a student buys a lunch the district gets an 80-cent reimbursement from the USDA.

Lombardo plans to put her scholarship money towards attending Auburn University. Carrillo will use his to attend Tuskegee University.

Each applicant had to submit a completed application and include a personal essay on a hardship or challenge they faced in life, and how they had overcome it.

Colin Joshua Glover was a beloved son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend. After graduating from HTHS, he attended Birmingham Southern College, where he was majoring in Health Sciences. His goal was to become a physical therapist.

In addition to being a dedicated student, Colin was a skilled basketball player and a member of the BSC Panthers basketball team. Colin unexpectedly passed away in December of 2022; however, his legacy and spirit live on through his family and through this scholarship established in his name.

She explained that schools that implement CEP are reimbursed by using a formula based on the percentage of students who qualify for free meals with their participation in other programs such as SNAP, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.

Students under these are Directly Certified or DC students and are electronically matched through a process of the Alabama State Department and the Alabama Department of Human Resources. Medicaid takes these and gives a percentage to schools.

Previously, the Leeds school district’s percentage was not enough until recently. With CEP schools have to have a percentage of 40% or higher and Leeds has 53%.

“They multiply that number by 1.6,” she said. “And we get (85.4%). So when we

Carlise clarified that meal policies may change in the next few years with legislation and Medicaid expansion. After further discussion, the board determined to make a decision by June 30.

Chief Financial Officer Ryan Miller gave his report for the month ending on March 31. 64.00% of the general fund revenue was received. 98.08% of the local revenues were received, up 5.10% from this time in 2022.

The month was ended with an excess of revenues over expenditures in the general fund of $2,589,129. The unreserved fund balance was $6,735,035.

After passing several items on the agenda, the board heard an update from Burke Wren, who is Director of Elementary Education and Federal Programs, on summer activities. He said that 74 were enrolled for summer camp and 165 for the summer enrichment program.

“The response has been just tremendous,” he said. “But that’s a testament to the

folks in our district that provide this value and service every year.”

He added that training for those overseeing the program will begin next week that includes CPR and staff training.

Lastly, Moore announced that he has been meeting with an architect on further designs on the middle school’s stadium and that graduation is set for May 25 at 6 p.m. at the Church of the Highlands.

Moore also announced that Jeff Hudson will be stepping down from the board. He has been with the board since 2016. Moore presented him with a plaque.

“You know, I get paid for this,” he told the board. “But y’all don’t get paid and I have to always remind myself of that. You’re asked to do a lot and to never get paid, so the least we can do is say, ‘Thank you.’ Well, thank you for your

valuable service.”

Board President Kathy Dutton added, “I would like to say that I’ve gained a friend in Jeff. I know that if I need something at two in the morning, I’m going to call him.” In other business, the board:

• Elected its officers for 2023-2024 with all board members to continue their roles, Adopted K-5 English Language Arts textbooks, Approved a revised job description for central office secretary and

• Approved recompiling Moore’s contract.

The next meeting will be held on June 13, at 6:30 p.m., at the Leeds Board of Education Building on 1517 Hurst Avenue.

Nathan Prewett can be reached at nthomasp6@ gmail.com.

Photo

Child Nutrition Program Director Anita Carlise outlines the CEP for free breakfasts and lunches.

(Photo by Nathan Prewett)

Board member Jeff Hudson is presented with a plaque by Superintendent John Moore. (Photo by Nathan Prewett)

Sarah Kate Lombardo

Skyler Carrillo (Credit: HewittTrussville Huskies Athletics)

Corbeau

From front page

community and we feel really grateful that everyone is so excited for us to be here.”

Dean Maio, co-owner, has a special term to describe the the environment they are looking to curate.

“There is a segment in the industry in between casual and fine dining I like to call polish-casual,” he said. “It’s nothing that’s pretentious or servers in uniform, but it’s not casual either. There’s an elevated service model and we are very structured and intent on providing that elevated service to Trussville.”

“We provide what I call silent service where we’ll engage with you at the table but at the same time we’re going to refill your glass of water if we walk by. We’re going to fold your napkin and set it in front of you, but it’s not going to be anything in a stuffy environment,” he said. “We want to provide that little extra touch to make the customer experience the best we can make it.”

Corbeau is well lit with clean white chairs and an open floor plan. Glass roll up doors can be lifted so that customers can experience a cool breeze

or listen to a band playing in the courtyard of the Trussville Entertainment District.

Back inside, Corbeau offers a diverse range of drinking amenities for customers but the most intriguing are the 48 self-service wines on tap.

Elizabeth Martin, sister to Mary and co-owner, said the reception has been great.

“It’s pretty easy once you get somebody to walk you through it the first time,” she said. “Everybody has loved it.”

Maio did just that and broke down the steps on how it works:

1. Pick a glass from the shelves underneath the taps

2. Find the wine of your choice from the 48 available

3. Use the touchscreen to pick how many ounces you would like (1, 2.5, or 5 ounces)

4. Scan your debit or credit card

5. Wait for the wine to pour and the tap to purge

They invite customers to either reuse their glasses or get a fresh one when trying different wines.

The Martin sisters said the Moscato and the Riesling are the top two favorites.

In the back corner of Corbeau, there is also a selection

of sparkling wines and even beer available for self-pour. The wine taps use argon gas, while the sparkling wine and beer taps use traditional C02 so they are separated. Sitting against the back wall of Corbeau is a selection of wines for retail purchase.

The wine wall holds approximately 150 wines available for sale that customers can take home. Maio said they plan to increase the number of available wines for sale in the near-future. He said that seeing customers enjoy a particular wine on tap and then buy a bottle to take home has been great.

“To see the range of old world and new world wines that we have has taken-aback some of our customer base,” he said, “we’ve actually enjoyed seeing someone have a great experience and then

walk away with a great bottle of wine.”

Mary said that retail is an important part of their identity as a business.

“We really want people to come to think of us as a place to come and stock their shelves, buy gifts, and we’ve got some great stuff,” she said.

Corbeau offers a discount on both a full and half case of wine.

For those who want to come experience Corbeau but might not be looking for wine on that particular occasion, they also has a full bar where you can purchase a signature cocktail, canned beer, and several beers on tap.

For those looking to grab a bite to eat, Corbeau offers a full menu. Maio said they worked hard on the menu to make it just as important as the wine. They offer a wide

range of food from charcuterie boards to flatbreads.

“Everything is made from scratch. Homemade recipes, my recipes,” he said. “We get deliveries every day, there is nothing frozen, and nothing is fried. It doesn’t matter if you’re getting ranch dressing with your salad or a drizzle of barbecue sauce on a flatbread, it’s all made from scratch.”

Speaking of flatbread, Maio said they are by far the most popular menu item they have.

“We’re blowing through flatbreads, our most popular is the New York flatbread,” he said. “We average probably 15 to 20 a night and upwards of 40 to 50 on the weekends. If you have ever had anything in New York pizza-wise, you would definitely recognize the sauce. What’s unique about all of our flatbreads, whether it’s the meat or the cheese, we utilize the same high-end meats and cheeses we utilize on our charcuterie, on our flatbreads.” He said he is particularly excited to experiment with a Munster cheese they just received.

Maio said the menu is progressive and will continue to grow and expand.

“We wanted to start off with a modest menu that

we’ve gotten some great feedback on, but it will eventually progress into some hors d’oeuvres and small plates so look forward to seeing that in the near future.”

On the wine side of Corbeau, Mary Martin said they are going to start wine education classes in the next couple of weeks which could include some tastings with some of their vendors or a session with a wine maker. We’re going to do some food and wine pairing classes you can buy tickets to.”

Maio said they are excited about the future and hope they bring something unique to Trussville.

“Not only is this a great place to network, drink some wine with joy and make some friends, it’s also the place you can get a fantastic bottle of wine that you’re not going to be able to find anywhere in town,” he said.

Corbeau is open Monday-Thursday from 4-10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 4-11 p.m., and Sunday from 12-7 p.m. You can find them at 160 Morrow Avenue, Suite 112. They are currently hiring for all positions. You can find them online at their website, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo by Chase Holmes

Photo by Chase Holmes

Photo by Chase Holmes

Photo by Chase Holmes

Photo by Chase Holmes

L ifesty L e Lass But Not Least: Life is a Pile of Junk

By Ken Lass

You have one in your home. You have that place. You know, that place where you stash all your stuff. The random items you’ll never use again, but can’t quite bring yourself to throw away. So they sit there, gone and forgotten, until you rediscover them every few years. And then the memories come back.

I was rummaging through our basement recently when I saw it, leaning up against the masonry block wall in a dark corner. It’s a wooden sled. We bought it at the old Herb’s Hardware store in Trussville when we heard there was snow in the forecast. Boy, was there ever snow. That was when we were hit by the historic winter storm of 1993. Thirteen inches of the fluffy white stuff.

Our kids were young then. We carried it to the sports park and rode up and down the hills for hours. It was one of the first times they had ever seen snow, and certainly the only time they experienced a layer of that magnitude. I’ll never forget the joy on their faces. When it melted away, the sled got put up in the basement. It’s been there ever since. Close to the sled was a set of golf clubs, a painful reminder of my futile efforts to become a respectable golfer. Protruding high above the other clubs in the bag is my Big Bertha driver. I remember how excited I was to buy it. It was supposed to be guaranteed to add distance off the tee. And it worked. I found myself hooking the ball much deeper into the woods on my tee shots. I don’t know how long it’s been since I played golf, but there were spider webs on the bag.

On the floor to the left is a

pink, battery-powered Barbie car. My daughter used to ride it around the driveway as a little girl. She loved that car. It has long since been inoperable but still has its parking spot in our lives. Our son had a fire truck and the two kids used to have races down the driveway. Not sure what became of his vehicle. I probably got rid of it after tripping over it several times. On a nearby table is the miniature dog cage we used to transport our teacup chihuahua Clair. She passed away last year. It was actually our daughter’s dog, but she had to give it up when she moved into an apartment that didn’t allow pets. Clair became my buddy. She would climb up on my lap and, when I zipped down my warm-up jacket, she would snuggle inside to stay warm.

In the closet of our basement playroom rests a huge cardboard box full to the brim with Happy Meal toys. Sharon and I never went to nice restaurants when the kids were little. They only wanted to go to McDonald’s. Which was okay with us. The kids would take off for the play area while we sat at a table and ate in peace. In the process, we accumulated hundreds, maybe thousands, of Happy Meal prizes. Most of them were action figures from whatever hot movie was out. Batman, Superman, Little Mermaid, Tigger, ALF, Charlie Brown, I guess we saved them thinking one day they might be valuable. Now, thirty years later, they aren’t even worth a Big Mac. Still, for some crazy reason, we hang on to them.

Up in the attic there is a basketball autographed by Meadowlark Lemon. Any reader under the age of fifty has no idea who

that is. He was the central star of the Harlem Globetrotters during the sixties and seventies. I got the autograph when I interviewed him during an appearance in Birmingham. Unfortunately, our attic is not climate controlled, so it is subject to extreme temperatures. That ball has expanded and contracted so often that it has deflated and now resembles an omelet that somebody sat on.

Also up there is a bowling trophy accompanied by a pair of bowling shoes. My team won a league championship around 35 years ago. The shoes now have a crack running across the heel. I’m sure if I tried to put them on they would disintegrate into dust around my feet.

In another box there lies a Green Bay Packers football jersey with my name sewn into the back. It was a gift from the Russell Company of Alexander City when they learned the Pack was my favorite team. At the time, Russell did all the NFL uniforms. Normally, that would be something I would wear proudly all the time. But it’s a real game jersey, meaning it’s meant to be worn by six foot four guys with shoulder pads on. When I slip it over my head, it comes down to my ankles.

There’s so much more stuff like this. It’s safe to say none of these things will ever be used again. I should get rid of them. But somehow, I never get around to it. I guess deep down inside, I really don’t want to.

If it’s been a while since you have taken a peek inside your junk place, I recommend it. The trip down Memory Lane is worth it.

After all, your junk is the story of your life.

(kenlassblog.net)

Savvy Senior: Best Dating Apps for Retirees

By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior,

Can you recommend some good online dating apps or sites for retirees? I’m a 66-year-old widow and would like to find a new friend to spend time with, but don’t know where to turn.

Cautious Carol

Dear Carol, Whether you’re interested in dating again or just looking for a friend to spend time with, online dating sites and apps have become an easy and convenient way for older adults to meet new single people without ever having to leave home.

And to make things even easier, most sites today use matchmaking algorithms that factor in your interests and preferences so they can steer you to matches that are best suited for you. Here are some other tips to help you get started. Choose a site: There are dozens of different matchmaking websites and apps available today, so choosing can be a bit confusing. While many sites offer free trials or watered-down free content, finding out the price can be difficult until you register and provide some information. In general, viewing complete profiles and messaging potential dates will require a monthly fee, which can range anywhere between $10 and $40 per month.

Some top mainstream sites/ apps that are popular among older adults are eHarmony. com, Match.com and OKCupid.com. If, however, you’re interested in more age specific sites, some great options are

OurTime.com or SilverSingles.com.

Or if you have a specific kind of person you’d like to meet, there are dozens of niche sites like: EliteSingles.com for educated professionals; ChristianMingle.com for Christian singles; BLK-app.com for black singles; JSwipeApp.com for Jewish singles; and Facebook.com/dating for people who love Facebook.

Create a profile: When you join a matchmaking site, you’ll need to create a personality profile that reflects who you are, including recent photos, hobbies, interests, favorite activities and more. If you need some help, sites like ProfileHelper.com can write one for you for a fee.

Practice caution: When you register with a site you remain anonymous. No one gets access to your personal contact information until you decide to give it out, so be prudent to whom you give it. Before meeting, you should chat on the phone or video chat a few times, and when you do meet in person for the first time, meet in a public place or bring a friend along. And if someone asks for money or your finan-

cial information, don’t give it out. Online dating/sweetheart scams are rampant so be very cautious.

Be skeptical: In an effort to get more responses, many people will exaggerate or flat out lie in their profiles, or post pictures that are 10 years old or 20 pounds lighter. So, don’t believe everything you see or read.

Make an effort: A lot of times, people – especially women – sit back and let others come to them. Don’t be afraid to make the first move. When you find someone you like, send a short note that says, “I really enjoyed your profile. I think we have some things in common.” Keep it simple.

Don’t get discouraged: If you don’t get a response from someone, don’t let it bother you. Just move on. There are many others that will be interested in you and it only takes one person to make online dating worthwhile.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

Answers To Five Burning Questions

By David R. Guttery, RFC, RFS, CAM President, Keystone Financial Group-Trussville Al

Since the beginning of the year, many clients have sought the answers to five questions that are seemingly on the minds of many others. Is there a threat of the dollar being replaced at the reserve currency of the world? Is this the beginning of a new banking crisis? Are we going to experience a deep and long recession? Can market participants trust the Federal Reserve? And lastly, could this debt ceiling standoff in Washington result in the United States defaulting on its obligations?

I have opinions on each of these, so let’s unpack them one at a time. Is there a threat of the dollar being replaced at the reserve currency of the world? In my opinion, no, the US dollar will not relinquish its status as being the reserve currency of the world. I realize that much has been made of the BRIC countries seemingly colluding to undermine the status of the dollar. Recently, we learned that Brazil and China had forged new trading agreements to be

consummated in the respective currencies of each country rather than US dollars. I would like to point out that this is not a new development. Many countries have at times demanded that trade be consummated in their domestic currency. Most recently, Russia has demanded that sales of natural gas be consummated in rubles for example.

To me, the only country that is capable of dethroning the United States dollar as the world’s reserve currency, is the United States. The dollar came to have its reserve currency status because of our history of being fiscally responsible. We can undermine that if we haphazardly manage our financial disposition.

We are the largest economy in the world, and for many countries, China included, we are their largest trading partner. Regardless of how smaller countries choose to consummate transactions, it does nothing to undermine the status of the dollar, or the degree by which the United States can exact its economic will throughout the world.

Indeed, federal researchers have referred to this as

an Imperial Circle. When the dollar strengthens it tends to decelerate global trade and growth. Since the United States economic growth is less dependent on the rest of the world this increases the attractiveness of dollar-denominated assets for foreign investors. In turn, this bolsters the dollars dominance of the world’s economy and further strengthens the currency’s value. Nothing that

has happened recently has undermined this effect.

I will admit that it makes for sensationalized headlines, but in my opinion, I see nothing of concern that can be quantified on a spreadsheet to justify this fear.

Is this the beginning of a new banking crisis? In my opinion, no, this is not the beginning of a new 2008 style financial crisis. This is a long and complicated subject, so

I will try to be brief for the purposes of this article. There were several nuances of Silicon Valley Bank that were unique to it, including the high percentage of uninsured deposits, and the corporate nature of its depositor base. It has been reported that managerial issues were of concern, and there may have been a lack of sufficiently tight risk controls.

In spite of this, I would suggest that were it not for the precedent-setting actions of the Federal Reserve, we may have never heard of Silicon Valley Bank. The Federal Reserve spent 30 months printing money, and debasing the currency by 36% as they became the world’s largest single central purchaser of treasury debt during the COVID pandemic, and in the year following the reopening of the economy.

The new pieces of treasury debt that the Federal Reserve purchased funded the trillions of dollars in new spending programs promulgated by Congress to bridge the gap following the closure of the economy. Again, this is a complicated issue, but at a high level these dollars have now back watered into the banks, and the Federal Reserve is trying to drain lendable reserves from the economy.

In this chart from Bloomberg, you can see the

year-over-year change in the M2 money supply. Let me provide an analogy. At the beginning of the year, we suffered a water line rupture in my building. The remediation company suggested that if we did not control the humidity in the building, that a mold problem might result. Therefore, the first course of action was to eliminate the inch of standing water that was throughout the building. If the concern is to eliminate the threat of mold, then we must address that which creates the humidity first.

The Federal Reserve has consistently stated that avoiding stagflation is a primary goal. Stagflation at a high level is simply an economy going nowhere while suffering hyperinflation. Inflation is simply too many dollars chasing too few goods. Following the recovery from COVID we certainly have too many dollars in the lendable system. In its efforts to mitigate the risk of stagflation, the Federal Reserve, among other things, is eliminating the standing water on the floor, money in this example, before it can control the humidity from which a mold problem might result.

Why is this important? Because according to the most recent Federal Reserve stress test of major banks, the financial system appears very healthy. At a high-lev-

David has been in practice for over 31 years, with a distinctive focus on the creation of holistic wealth management plans, and the provision of investment advisory services. David is founder and president of Keystone Financial Group, in Trussville, Alabama, and an Investment Advisory Representative of Ameritas Advisory Services. David independently offers securities and investment advisory services through Ameritas Advisory Services, member FINRA / SIPC.

el, banks are flush with cash right now, and this is part of the reason why the Fed is moving to drain those lendable reserves as quickly as possible, but in an orderly manner.

This chart is from page 9 of the most recent executive summary of the stress test of major financial institutions conducted in 2022. This graph depicts the aggregate common equity capital ratio of large major banks, representing by proxy, the entire banking system. This chart in my opinion indicates that the banking sector was as healthy as it had been at any time since the 2008 financial crisis. Furthermore, the executive summary noted that the aggregate common equity tier 1 capital ratio was 12.4%. This is significantly higher than the required threshold of 10%. So, in terms of what can be translated to a spreadsheet, no, banks appear to be flush with cash and lendable reserves, and this explains part of the reason for the aggressiveness of the Federal Reserve in their efforts to drain those lendable reserves to avoid stagflation.

In my opinion, the sector is healthy, and what we have seen from Silicon Valley Bank, signature Bank, and First Republic seem to be functions of matters that were unique to these banks, and not indicative of a systemic problem beginning to unfold. Are we going to experience a deep and long recession? Over the previous

year I have stated on many occasions that in my opinion we would find ourselves in a shallow recession that could potentially last for a long time. Shallow in frequency, but long in duration. Again, to answer this question alone would require more room than we have for this article.

In terms of what I can quantify on a spreadsheet, let me offer this graphic. This is the leading economic index, and it is comprised of 10 leading economic indicators. This is designed to provide insight as to the future trajectory of the economy. In my opinion, market participants believed that we would find ourselves in a long and deep recession, much like what we experienced during the 2008 financial crisis. You can see that period of time depicted on the left side of this chart. Today, the leading indicators are suggesting that a much more shallow, and run of the mill recession seems to be developing.

This is exactly what I have described in my previous articles, and now, we are hearing from other economists that they too believe this to be the case.

In my previous article, I suggested that we might find ourselves in a rolling recession, and offered my opinion as to what that would mean to us economically. Today, I am hearing many other economists share the same suggestion. I understand that there is much fear reflected in market valuations of a recession that does not appear to be materializing.

That doesn’t mean that markets can’t, or won’t worry about things that you cannot quantify, but it is for times like this that investors must separate themselves from sensational noise, and focus on that which is quantifiable. So, in my opinion, yes, I believe that we are either in a recession now, or we will shortly find ourselves in a recession, but furthermore I don’t believe it will be the kind of recession that markets have anticipated.

Can market participants trust the Federal Reserve?

Honestly, I believe that the Federal Reserve has been transparent throughout this process. They have done exactly what they said they would do. Within my last article, I mentioned that tightening, at a high level, was the process through which inflation is controlled. We also observed the previous comments of the treasury, and the Federal Reserve as they suggested that inflation was transient, and short-term. Therefore, I believe that market participants were expecting a much more mild and tepid approach to the removal of accommodation.

Clearly, the approach to accommodation was not expected by the markets. We have observed the most aggressive approach to tightening that we have seen in over 35 years. So yes, this has in my opinion made markets reticent to believe that the Federal Reserve will remain true to guidance that was provided in November.

Chairman Powell said the Fed would take a less hawkish, and more data-driven approach to further removal of accommodation. In the seven months since the November 2nd meeting, the Federal Reserve has not deviated from that guidance. Indeed, in my opinion, the minutes from the last meeting offered some of the most dovish comments that I have heard in over a year. Market participants have seemingly not returned

to having confidence in this guidance, but I do believe that over time, with consistency from the Federal Reserve, this will happen. Yes, in my opinion I believe that the Federal Reserve can indeed be trusted. They are not a fourth branch of government. It is an autonomous organization with a dual mandate, and that doesn’t include placating the desire of any given administration. In my opinion, I believe they have remained true to these mandates, and to the previous guidance provided. In my opinion, yes, the Fed can be trusted.

Could this debt ceiling standoff in Washington result in the United States defaulting on its obligations? Again, such makes for sensationalized headlines, but no, in my opinion, I do not believe this will be the case. When was the last time that the United States defaulted on its obligations? It has never happened.

Looking back in history, we have had many times when other periods of standoff resulted in what the media refers to as the government being shut down. Not that long ago, former House Speaker John Boehner and President Obama had six such impasses, that on a few occasions resulted in the function of government being encumbered, but even then, it never resulted in a default of United States obligations.

So those in the media who are suggesting that it will happen this time are predicting something that has never occurred. Personally, I am much more inclined to find comfort in that history, rather than wasting a minute worrying about something so cataclysmic happening for the first time ever. So, in my opinion, no, I do not believe that this current debt ceiling impasse will result in something as ominous as the United States defaulting on its obligations.

In closing, I would simply say this. If you can’t put it on the spreadsheet, then it doesn’t exist. Among other things, one major obligation I discharge to our clients is having a thick skin. My job is to separate facts from sensationalism. One tried and true way to achieve that end is to research and quantify factual information. I will give you a pilot’s analogy. There are times when visibility through the windshield is obscure, if not opaque. It is at such times that you need to be skilled in flying by instruments. At the present time, we are relying heavily on such instruments. These instruments are pieces of factual data, and historical anecdotes that give us reason to perceive the future as being something other than that which is being cast sensationally in the various mass business media.

Stay true to your objectives, review your parameters of risk, remain focused on the fruition of planning objectives, and remember that we are on the cusp of what promises to be a highly politicized election year. Sensationalism will likely increase as we get closer to next year, so it is imperative to insulate yourself from the noise, fly by instruments, and be swayed by quantifiable data.

Remember, data is neither red, nor blue. It isn’t black or white, North or South, or anything else. Data is data. We run into trouble when we try to view that data through a prism of our choosing that distorts the data to suit our purpose. Let factual data be just that, and rely only on that for actionable information. Tune out the sensationalism, especially now.

(*) David R. Guttery, RFC, RFS, CAM, is a financial advisor, and has been in practice for 31 years, and is the President of Keystone Financial Group in Trussville. David offers products and services using the following business names: Keystone Financial Group – insurance and financial services | Ameritas Investment Company, LLC (AIC), Member FINRA / SIPC – securities and investments | Ameritas Advisory Services – investment advisory services. AIC and AAS are not affiliated with Keystone Financial Group. Information provided is gathered from sources believed to be reliable; however, we cannot guarantee their accuracy. This information should not be interpreted as a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Past performance is not an indicator of future results.

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Arnold completes transition from non-hunter to hunter

By David Rainer Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

After the 2023 spring turkey season, Adam Arnold considers his transition from non-hunter to member of the hunting community complete.

Although 33-year-old Arnold has held a fishing license for many years and has enjoyed using the Cahaba Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Public Shooting Range, he had never hunted until spring of 2018, when he participated in the Adult Mentored Hunting Program (AMH). The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resource’s (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division had just begun the now-popular AMH program in the fall of 2017.

As a CPA (certified public accountant), Arnold was in the middle of one of his busiest seasons when he took a break from his work computer and checked his personal email. One of the emails was from an AMH hunt with photos of successful deer hunts.

“That email talked about opportunities for turkey hunting,” Arnold said. “I’d never done hunting, but I’d done a lot of target shooting. I decided to give hunting a shot. I applied for a mentored hunt. It was 10 o’clock at night, kind of an impulse thing.”

Arnold was in luck. He was drawn for the mentored turkey hunt at Portland Landing in March 2018. He showed up for the hunt with nothing but hiking boots and the shotgun he used for shooting clay targets. He did purchase a turkey choke and turkey-specific shotshells but had never fired those shells.

When he got to the lodge, he was greeted by WFF Director Chuck Sykes, WFF R3 Coordinator Justin Grider, WFF Biologist Justin Gilchrist, other WFF staff and mentors. The first order of business was a safety talk, followed by a session to pattern his shotgun.

“They put us in a realistic turkey hunting position, which was different,” Arnold said.

“All my shooting had been standing up, shooting clay pigeons. I was sitting with the gun propped up on my knee. That took a little getting used to. Then we fired on the range and patterned our guns. We learned more about the anatomy of the turkey and aiming at the target.”

WFF staff then prepared a wild game feast of fried wild turkey, fried catfish and venison dishes.

“That was really cool to see the final product of what you harvest,” Arnold said.

After the meal, more instruction from WFF staff followed, and the mentees were issued the camouflage clothing for the next two days of hunting as well as several turkey calls.

“We learned more about the reverse nature of turkey hunting,” Arnold said. “You know, the gobbler usually calls the hens to him, and we’re trying to call the gobbler to the hens. We learned about the different calls turkeys make, like the yelp, cluck, purr, cackle and gobble. It was a very informative couple of hours.”

Early the next morning, Arnold went to the woods with Sykes, another mentor and another hunter, Charles Barrow. After hearing no gobbling, the group did a little scouting, and Sykes spotted turkeys in the distance. After a lunch of venison burgers, the hunters head-

ed back out that afternoon.

The first turkey encounter was with a hen that responded to the calling as she walked a semicircle around the hunters.

“I was fascinated watching a conversation between a hen and a hunter,” Arnold said. “That’s when I got a feel for just how still you have to be, and how quiet.”

With no gobblers in sight, the hunters made a move. After getting set up, one of the mentors whispered for the group to be still. He had spotted two gobblers coming in from their right.

“My heart starts pounding a bit,” said Arnold, who was the primary shooter on this hunt. “Then these two gobblers came in in full strut. They weren’t gobbling. We wanted to try to get a double, so we waited for the turkeys to get closer. Then they came to a point and started to go back. That’s when Al (Mattox, his mentor) gave me the instructions to take it. I took my shot. Then everything was in slow motion. Then everything went fast forward and the turkey flopped.”

The second gobbler hesitated after his partner hit the ground, barely long enough for Barrow to get off a shot as the turkey started to flee, resulting in a double for the hunt.

“I just remember a feeling of accomplishment in the moment and very thankful for the opportunity,” Arnold said. “I’d never seen a wild turkey up close. I thought, ‘Wow, this is what it’s all about.’ It’s a magnificent bird.

“We came to the lodge, and it was great having that community of hunters, learning about what everybody else saw and heard.”

Arnold’s hunting journey

continued that winter when he purchased a Marlin lever action rifle for shooting deer out to 100 yards. One of his friends, Jim Dodson, had a farm and invited him to go deer hunting.

“I was sitting in a shooting house when 13 turkeys step out into the field,” he said. “I watched them peck around for 40 minutes and saw how they interacted with each other. About 30 minutes later, a medium-sized doe walked out. I texted my friend about the doe. He said if I wanted the meat, go ahead. So that’s what I did.”

Arnold took the deer to the processor and picked up the venison a couple of weeks later.

“I started cooking with it, and it was really awesome,” he said. “I’ve learned some really great recipes.”

Arnold then registered for one of the small-game hunts at the Cedar Creek Special Opportunity Area (SOA) and went squirrel hunting in the heart of the Alabama Black Belt. He got his first whitetail buck at his friend’s farm in 2020. He’s been on several other SOA hunts, one for antlerless deer and two dove hunts.

“Going on SOA hunts is really cool to me,” he said. “It’s cool to see the property. It’s cool to meet the other hunters.

“And sometimes something unexpected happens. I was on a deer hunt at Thigpen Hills and a pig came out. There’s no closed season on feral pigs, so I took a pig. I literally brought the bacon home.”

After several years of trying, Arnold was drawn for a 2023 turkey hunt at Portland Landing SOA, and he invited

Dodson to be his guest.

Each Thursday before a scheduled hunt, the hunters can scout. Arnold and Dodson walked their assigned blocks for three hours and spotted three turkeys.

“I was out there with a friend who has a lot more turkey hunting experience than I have,” Arnold said. “We were able to make decisions together and came up with a good game plan.

“We got in the woods the next morning about 5:15, and it was the first time I’d ever heard a gobble in the wild. It made the hair go up on the back of my neck.”

The partners had a close encounter with a gobbler that morning, but Arnold couldn’t get a clean shot. The second day of the hunt was fairly blustery, and the turkeys didn’t cooperate. On the final day of the hunt, the hunters started early.

“We got to the property at 4:55, and we were amped up,” Arnold said. “We hike in stealthily, and we hear them gobbling. We take a roundabout path to where they were. That gobbler was hammering on the roost. He flies down off the roost and the gobbling gets more frequent and pronounced. Then I heard this deep bass and rattling. I asked my buddy if that was drumming, and he said, ‘Oh, yeah.’”

The hunters had hen and jake decoys set up, but the gobbling tom apparently didn’t spot them and strutted past the set-up. The hunters made a quick move of about 100 yards, which they quickly second-guessed.

“Then we hear this pop, pop, pop,” Arnold said. “It was a gobbler attacking our jake decoy. We thought, ‘We

blew it. We blew it. We blew it.’ It went quiet for a minute, and we stayed in our position. I see a white tennis ball-looking object pop up. Four turkeys popped up. We were very still, but my gun was nowhere near pointed in their direction. I had to make a quick decision to pivot to my right. One started to strut, but he tucked when I moved. I shot him at 25 yards, and he flopped.

“My first turkey hunt was awesome, but my second hunt on the SOA was even better. It just magnified everything I’d learned from the first one. Walking away on that last day with bird in hand was incredible. I can’t thank the program enough and what the mentors did. I never dreamed it would turn into this.”

Grider remembers Arnold’s 2018 turkey hunt very well. It was the AMH program’s first event during turkey season. Since its inception, the AMH program has taken about 750 people on their first hunts.

“Adam and Charles harvested the first turkeys ever taken at a mentored hunt,” Grider said. “Fast forward to the next season. Adam is deer hunting and doing everything we had hoped after we teach them about hunting.

“Now, five years later, he comes back to Portland and harvests a turkey on his own. It’s really neat to see the program come full circle, utilizing those skills that we taught him on the Adult Mentored Hunt.”

Visit www.outdooralabama.com/hunting/ adult-mentored-hunting-program for more information on AMH or www.outdooralabama.com/hunting/special-opportunity-areas to learn more about the SOA hunts.

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• Beautiful updated kitchen and master bath on the main floor.

• Lovely sunroom, separate main floor laundry, and a new carport.

• Dock includes 2 boat slips, lifts.

c a L enda R

2023 Trussville Beautification Award Contest

April 24 @ 8:00 amJune 5 @ 5:00 pm

This year’s annual Beautification Awards Contest will be held Monday, June 5, with a rain-day of Monday, June 12, 2023. Categories are: Best Use of Color, Best Home Landscape Design, Best Home Overall, Best Business Overall, and Best Turf.

Nomination forms will be available from May 1-31, at Trussville City Hall, Trussville Public Library and the Trussville Chamber of Commerce. Nominations can also be submitted online at https:// trussville.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-Beautification-Nomination-Form-Fillable.pdf.

Adult Book Club

Wednesday, May 17: 2:00pm - 3:00pm Trussville - Cahaba Room

AGE GROUP: ADULT (AGES 18+)

EVENT TYPE: BOOK GROUP, ADULT PROGRAM

Join us for Adult Book Club!

Connect with your community and share your thoughts about the books you’ve read. Book Club meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 2PM. Contact the Adult Dept (205-655-2022 or tr.adult@jclc. org) if you need assistance in obtaining books. 2023 meeting dates are Jan 18, Feb 15, Mar 15, Apr 19, May 17, June 14, July 19, Aug 16, Sept 20, Oct 18, Nov 15.

Computer SkillsPartnered with Trussville Senior Center

Wednesday, May 17: 2:00pm - 3:00pm Trussville - Parkway Room

AGE GROUP: ADULT (AGES 18+)

EVENT TYPE: CLASS

Basic computer skills, includ-

ing navigating Windows 11, basic internet, and more.

Understanding Medicare Thursday, May 18: 1:00pm - 2:00pm Trussville - Parkway Room AGE GROUP: ADULT (AGES 18+) EVENT TYPE: ADULT PROGRAM Educational seminar about Medicare options. Learn about important Medicare Parts A and B topics that could impact you, including enrollment, costs, benefits, etc. Your questions will be addressed by Health Benefits specialist Karen Haiflich. Registration is optional.

Yarn Manglers (Knit & Crochet Group)

Thursday, May 18: 2:00pm - 4:00pm Trussville - Cahaba Room AGE GROUP: ADULT (AGES 18+)

EVENT TYPE: DROP-IN, CRAFT

Knit & crochet meetup group (aka The Yarn Manglers). Bring any projects you are working on; join us for fellowship and creativity. This is a great way to check in, catch up, see what everyone is working on, and get help if you are stuck. Please join us - newcomers are welcome! Join our Facebook group: YARN MANGLERS ANONYMOUS

Adult D&D - Group 2

Thursday, May 18: 5:30pm - 8:00pm Trussville - Cahaba Room

AGE GROUP: ADULT (AGES 18+)

EVENT TYPE: GAME NIGHT, ADULT PROGRAM

Join us to play Dungeons & Dragons! We will meet every other Thursday. Campaign TBD.

World Turtle Day with Urban Turtle Project

Saturday, May 20: 10:00am - 11:00am Trussville

AGE GROUP: UPPER ELE-

MENTARY (3RD-5TH) TWEEN (3RD-6TH) TEEN (6TH - 12TH GRADE) LOWER ELEMENTARY (K-2ND) ELEMENTARY (K-5TH) EARLY LEARNERS (BIRTH - PRE-K) ALL AGES ADULT (AGES 18+)

EVENT TYPE: TWEEN PROGRAM, TEEN PROGRAM, OUTDOORS/NATURE, FAMILY EVENT, CHILDREN’S PROGRAM, ADULT PROGRAM

HEALTH/BEAUTY

ATTENTION OXYGEN THERAPY USERS! Inogen One G4 is capable of full 24/7 oxygen delivery. Only 2.8 pounds. FREE information kit. Call 844-322-9935.

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Meet Alabama native turtles!

Andy Coleman of the Urban Turtle Project will bring several species of Alabama native turtles for us to see and learn about. This fun event for all ages will be held outdoors under the oak tree in front of the Library (or in the auditorium if we have inclement weather). Bring your lawn chairs and blankets.

American Girl Play

Monday, May 22: 4:00pm - 5:00pm Trussville - LBK Auditorium

A play in three acts about nine-year-old Molly McIntire, a girl growing up on the home front in 1944, and her dreams of a perfect Halloween during WWII.

Hospice 101

Tuesday, May 23: 1:00pm - 2:00pm Trussville - Parkway Room AGE GROUP: ADULT (AGES 18+)

call 866475-1014 (M-F 8am-6pm ET).

FOR SALE TWO BURIAL PLOTS at Jefferson Memorial Gardens. Located in the shady and serene center of the cemetery in the Garden of Everlasting Life away from busy traffic noise. Plot 54C, spaces 3 and 4. $4,300 each, seller is responsible for transfer fee. Call 251-404-9321.

DirecTV Satellite TV Service Starting at $59.99/month! Free Installation! 160+ channels available. Call Now to Get the Most Sports & Entertainment on TV! 844-594-7108 NEED NEW Flooring?

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Helen Newhouse Knight

december 18, 1945 — may 10, 2023

Helen Newhouse Knight, age 77, of Odenville, Alabama passed away surrounded by her family on May 10, 2023. She was born to Ralph and Salome Newhouse on December 18, 1945. Helen worked as a supervisor for NCCI then retired after 18 years. She was a longtime member of McElwain Baptist Church which is now Hope Community Church.

She is preceded in death by her parents Ralph and Salome Newhouse. Helen leaves behind her loving husband of 60 years Mr. Edward Mack Knight Sr.; sons, Edward Mack Knight Jr., and James Thomas Knight; sister, Bedie Newhouse Haynes; Michelle Webb who looked to Helen as her second mother.

The family will receive friends on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home with a graveside service in her honor to immediately follow in the adjoining cemetery.

Janet Nichols

march 2, 1952 — may 7, 2023

Janet Bruns Nichols, 71 of Trussville passed away May 7, 2023, at home peacefully.

Janet was born in Birmingham, AL March 2, 1952. She attended Banks High School in Birmingham and graduated in 1970. Janet worked many years at Vision First where she retired August 31, 2013.

Janet loved to spend time with family and friends, especially her grandchildren.

She enjoyed playing Bunko with her good friends and loved Alabama Football.

Janet is preceded in death by her husband, George Nichols and her parents, Arthur and Lilaoise Bruns.

Chapel services will be held on Saturday, May 13, 2023, with burial in Jefferson Memorial Gardens East. Visitation will be from 11am until 12pm.

Janet is survived by her sister Carol Hagmaier, children Marsha Jarrell (Todd), Brad Bullock (Stephanie), and Brittany Culp (Robin), 6 grandchildren, Kelsie, Jayson, Logan, Hannah, Landon, and Hayden, 1 great grandson, Lawson, and beloved friend, Jan Paul Hawkins.

William Posey

january 21, 1951 — may 8, 2023

William “Billy” Farrell Posey, 72, of Rainbow City passed away on Monday, May 8th, 2023. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle who cherished his family and friends. He is preceded in death by his mother, Betty Posey and brother, Mark Posey. Billy is survived by his wife of 54 years, Phyllis, brothers Ernie (Dee) and Phillip Cox (Carol), daughters Tammy (Brian), Kim (Alan) and Jodie (Justin), grandchildren CJ, Lauren (Bailey), Allie, Will, Emma, Megan, Kate, Coy, Carson, and Conner, and many sistersin-law’s, brothers-in-law’s, nieces, and nephews.

Bill retired from Delta Airlines after 32 years where he made many lifelong friends. After retiring from Delta, he continued his career for another 12 years with The Department of Homeland Security where many more friendships were made. His retirement years were filled with family, friends, fishing, and golf. He will be fondly remembered for his kindness, compassion, and wit to all who knew him.

Visitation will be Monday, May 15th from 1:00-2:00 PM followed by a memorial service at 2:00pm. Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home, 1591 Gadsden Hwy, Birmingham, AL 35235. Donations can be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Center or Coosa Riverkeeper.

Mary Lynn Jones

september 3, 1934 — may 9, 2023

Mary “Lynn” Anderson Jones, age 88, passed away peacefully on May 9, 2023. She was born on September 3, 1934, in Anniston, Alabama to Eunice Viola and Noah James Anderson. She attended Alexandria and Glencoe Elementary before graduating from Glencoe High School in 1952. On February 27th, 1953, she married Ray Jones in Gadsden, Alabama. Ray and Lynn made their home in Birmingham and were proud parents to a daughter and a son. Lynn attended Springville Road Community Church for many years where she formed lasting friendships. She was also talented in crochet and needle point. When she was young, she aspired to be a wife, mother, and grandmother. She not only achieved each of these titles, she was a prime example and made sure her family felt her deep love each time she saw them. She was a fabulous cook and always said, “It was made with love,” when she received a compliment from her grandchildren that affectionately called her “Nino.” She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her daughter, Donna Jones. She is survived by her son Steve Jones (Bobbie) of Trussville; her sister Lois Bartlett of Glencoe; and her brother Ronald Anderson (Carolyn) of Oneonta; five grandchildren, Mike Jones, Shannon Cardwell, Mallory Branaman, Jeff Jones, and Zack Jones; and ten great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held Monday, May 15th at 10 am at Jefferson Memorial in Trussville. Visitation will be an hour prior to service. Private burial to follow.

Dwaine S. Peoples

june 6, 1938 — may 7, 2023

Dwaine Sherman Peoples, 84, passed from this life to his Heavenly home on Sunday, May 7, 2023. He is survived by his wife, Debbie Rowe Peoples, daughters Pamela Kyle Story, Jill Peoples Fleck (Bill), and Amy Peoples Smith (Chase); sister Sandra G. Smith (Walt), two nephews, four grandchildren, three great-grandchildren (#4 due in August), many relatives and friends.

Together with his twin brother, Dwight Shotts Peoples (deceased), Dwaine was born on June 6, 1938 in Hamilton, Alabama to Samuel Henry Peoples and Flora Truvette Shotts Peoples. The family moved to Birmingham in 1944. He spent much of his career at Pemco Aeroplex (f/k/a Hayes International).

He and Dwight were both blessed with the ability to build or fix most anything, so Dwaine became Building Supervisor at Pinson First Baptist Church in 1991, where he was a member and regular attender, retiring in 2000.

Dwaine was a man of few words, but had a warm compassionate heart. He was a loving Christian husband, father, brother, uncle and friend, and enjoyed helping others in need.

His funeral is Saturday, May 13, 2023 at Pinson First Baptist Church, 4036 Spring Street, Pinson, AL 35126. Visitation is at 1:00 pm and the service is at 2:00. Graveside is family only.

AskEddie

Whenever we lose a loved one, we grieve. But surviving military family members may feel various emotions if their loved one passes away while in military service.

Serving in the armed services carries risks, and families are aware of these risks when their loved one enlists. Military casualties are typically sudden and may occur after a long absence or multiple deployments. It is possible that the surviving family members would not have seen their loved one for a long time before the passing. However, because other families have been through similar events, military families will also find themselves with an extensive support network available.

The Journey of Grief

Grief can also manifest in physical ways, such as difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite, memory loss, and difficulty concentrating.

Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts in the grieving process. The journey is different for everyone.

Likely, surviving family members will also feel secondary losses. This includes changes in relationships and lifestyles.

Eventually, if none of the surviving family members are in the military, the family will have to move from military housing. This can compound their grief. Surviving family members must form new social connections and create a new identity apart from their loved ones. Knowing where to turn for support can help.

Jefferson Memorial

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Springville brings home blue map in girls soccer

By Johnny Sanders Sports Editor

SPRINGVILLE – Somehow, the Springville Tigers surprised some people over the weekend by making it to the 5A State Championship in girls’ soccer, despite their impressive record on the year. The 21-2 Tigers made short work of Gulf Shores in the finals to get the blue map and bring Springville a state championship.

The first game of the tournament was a 7-0 win over Moody. The second round was a 4-3 nail-biter against John Carroll that saw the winning goal scored in the last 20 seconds by Zoey Blaszsczynski, her second goal of the game. Maggie Nalley and Rebecca Sierra also had a goal each in the game while goal keeper Sophie Crotts had a great game as well. Head Coach Meg Childress said, “(Crotts) has made some outstanding saves all season but she really outdid herself against in the John Carroll game.” Team Captain and defensive midfielder Emily Clendenin, hurt her ankle and was unable to play the remainder of the tournament. The win earned the Tigers a spot in the final four for the first time in school history.

In the semifinals, Springville drew East Limestone. Defensive players

Hope Laughlin, who is a senior captain on the team, Kelley Anne McWhorter, Brook

McQueen, and Madison Smith all had a great game on the defensive side of the ball,

holding East Limestone to just 2 goals. Annie Grant had one of the two points scored

for the Tigers while Rebecca Sierra had two. The Tigers defeated East Limestone 3-2

to advance to the final game against Gulf Shores on Saturday.

This championship game was not what championship games are typically made of. This one was never close. The score was 6-2 at halftime and that was not even the worst of it. These Lady Tigers came in determined to bring home the championship and that is precisely what they did as they proved themselves worthy and solidified themselves as the best of the best in 5A girls soccer. The final in the championship game was 9-4. Blaszsczynski, Nalley, and Grant had a goal in the game while Audrey Duckworth added 2 goals and Rebecca Sierra added a whopping 4 goals in the dominating win for the Tigers. Sierra also took home the tournament MVP as the Tigers continued to pile up the hardware.

“I am very proud of this hardworking and determined group of ladies,” said Coach Childress. “Muscle cramps, black eyes, ankle sprains, and countless bruises could not stop them from making history. They have played great together all season but stepped up to achieve the goal of final four and continue on to become state champions. We appreciate how much our community has celebrated and supported us.”

Springville Girls Soccer team wins 2023 State Championship.

Photo by: SHS Athletics

Blue Devils play 5 in two days to reach the state playoffs

Huskies beat Thompson and Spain Park to reach state playoffs

By Johnny Sanders Sports Editor

TRUSSVILLE – It may be a different year, but the headline is, at the very least, similar. Yes, the Hewitt Trussville Huskies have once again made the 7A state softball playoffs. Under Head Coach Taylor Burt, the Huskies have made the playoffs every year since she became the head lady at Hewitt in 2017. In that time, Hewitt has won 4 area championships, appeared in the final four 4 times and won the blue map twice. So, making it to state this year should come as no surprise to anyone.

“We are to the point in our program where the girls expect to not only make it to the state tournament, but really compete and have a legit chance to win it,” said Coach Burt.

On Thursday, the Huskies had to win two games to make it this far. The first game was against the Thompson Warriors. Hewitt jumped all over them in the first inning, scoring 5 runs in the bottom, after Thompson was unable to score to start the game. Hewitt would add a single run in the second and another in the third, while Sara Phillips and the Husky defense held the Warriors at bay with no runs across the plate.

After a scoreless fourth inning, the Warriors managed 2 runs in the top of the fifth but Hewitt would answer with 2 of their own to make it 9-2. The Huskies would stay the course, allowing no more runs by Thompson, and close the game out with a 9-2 win to start the regional tournament.

Sara Phillips would go the distance, pitching all 7 innings and allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and striking out 5. At

the plate, Hannah Dorsett was a perfect 3 for 3 with an RBI. Gracie Reaves and Ahkeela Honeycutt had 2 RBI each.

The next game would be a familiar foe, as the Huskies took on the Spain Park Jaguars, whom they had to play 3 times in the area tournament, one of those being a 7-5 loss. There would be no such luck for the Jaguars this time as Hewitt beat them for the fifth time this season.

The game started with both teams getting 2 runs each in the first inning. Then, after 3 scoreless innings, the Huskies got the bats going in the fifth with 4 runs. They would then score another run in the sixth before Spain Park ended the scoring in the seventh with a single run of their own, making it a 7-3 final and sending the Huskies into the state playoffs.

By Johnny Sanders Sports Editor

MOODY – Moody Head

Coach Becky Seymour is in her ninth year at the helm for the Lady Blue Devils and success is not foreign to her nor her team. In her tenure, the Blue Devils have reached the final four twice, the elite eight twice, won the area championship 3 times and finds itself in position to grab that elusive blue map in 2023.

On Thursday and Friday, Moody found themselves in an uphill battle to get to this point, after losing their first game of the tournament to the Scottsboro Wildcats 7-1. After that kind of loss, Moody had to turn around and play another game to stay alive and keep their state playoff hopes alive by winning the losers bracket and getting that

second spot out of the region.

The second game was against the Lincoln Golden Bears. In this one, the Blue Devils knew they had to win and that is precisely what they did. Lincoln took the early lead after scoring 3 runs in the first two innings while holding Moody scoreless. Moody’s bats woke up in the third as they got a run across the plate and then knocked in 3 more in the fourth. The fifth was scoreless, but the Blue Devils were not finished. In the sixth, they put up another 3 runs and then they scored 4 more in the seventh to blow out the Golden Bears by a score of 11-4. After this one, they had the opportunity to regroup for the second day of action, where they would need to win 3 more games including a rematch from the area tournament against rival

Saint Clair County. In game two, Bella Turley got the win, pitching all seven innings and allowing 4 runs on 7 hits with a strikeout. Libby Higgins led from the plate, going 2 of 4 and driving in 4 RBI, followed by Taylor Rogers who was 2 of 5 with 3 RBI.

Friday morning started with that rivalry game and the outcome showed that Moody was out for revenge against the Saints. Saint Clair scored 3 in the top of the first, but Moody answered with 11 runs in the first inning. That would have been enough to seal it, as the Saints only managed 2 more runs during the game, but Moody would pour it on, scoring 3 in the second and 3 more in the fourth to make it 17-5 and keep their hopes of a state tournament berth alive.

The Huskies Softball team celebrates their win over Spain Park, punching their ticket to state.

Photo by: Kyle Parmley

See HUSKIES, Page 16

See BLUE DEVILS, Page 16

2023 Moody Blue Devils Softball team makes it to the state tournament. Photo by: Nick Rutledge

Moody’s Chase Marshall signs to play with Bevill

By Johnny Sanders Sports Editor

MOODY – Surrounded by family, friends, teammates, coaches and Moody High School faculty and staff on Monday, Moody baseball player Chase Marshall signed his letter to play collegiate baseball for the Bevill State Community College Bears. Marshall helped his team to a 16-16 record for the season, ending in the first round of the playoffs with a tough loss to Arab, who made it deep into the state playoffs

this season. While it may not have been the final result that Moody nor Marshall were looking for, there is still plenty to be proud of when it comes to this team and, in particular, this player.

“He’s going to leave a huge hole. He was one of our leaders on and off the field, our three-hole hitter, shortstop for us, one of our top 3 pitchers and really just an overall great kid,” said Moody Coach Eamonn Kelly.

“We have some young guys

See CHASE, Page 16

3 Leeds players sign to play at the next level

By Johnny Sanders Sports Editor

LEEDS – On Monday, the Leeds Green Wave celebrated the signing of 3 of their senior baseball players to play at the collegiate level. Andrew Howard, Alex Bradford and Caden Vance, part of a team that won a school-record 75 games in 3 seasons, were the athletes honored during the ceremony, surrounded by their families, coaches and teammates as well as other faculty and staff at Leeds High School.

Howard, a pitcher and outfielder for the Green Wave, signed to play at Wallace Community College in Selma. Howard had 19 career wins that were impressive, but coach Jake Wingo said, “We could have helped him get more if we had played

better defense and hit the ball a little more,” to a chorus of laughs from the crowd. Howard had 187 strikeouts from the mound in his career and has a 3.3 GPA. “It feels very good to see all of the work I have put in and the support I have to come out here and enjoy this day with me,” said Howard. “I would say to the underclassmen that they just need to be coachable. Listen

to your coaches and mostly, have fun. Just fall in love with the game.”

Coach Wingo said of Howard, “He is a very competitive person. Very intense player. He was a starting pitcher for 3 years. Everyone we played talked about how good he was and how hard he was to beat. He also played

See LEEDS, Page 16

HTMS Mountain Bike Team are state champions

From The Tribune staff reports TRUSSVILLE — The Hewitt Trussville middle and high school mountain bike teams wrapped up the season with the final of the five-race series at Fort McClellan in Anniston last weekend.

The trails for the race were built on the former Fort McClellan Army installation and feature switchback climbs that take riders up the mountain to the ridges and valleys, and big turns and high-speed trails coming back down to the infield. At the state championship, awards were given to teams and riders for the final race, as well as season awards based on cumulative points for the entire season.

After an undefeated 5-race sweep of wins, the middle school team won the Alabama Middle School State Championship. This is the first time the middle school team awards have been given in the Alabama league.

The two individual state champions in their division are Evelyn Lolley for 7th grade girls and Isabelle Garver for 6th grade girls. In the 6th grade division, Lenwood Jones finished the season 2nd overall and Jude Lolley 5th overall.

For the results of Race #5, eight grader Lelan Neal, who has missed every race due to injury, returned for the final race. Lelan started the race in the very last line up position, 109th place, and finished the race with a first-place win. Evelyn Lolley finished first for 7th grade girls. In 6th grade, Isabelle Garver and Lenwood Jones both finished second. Jude Lolley finished fifth.

The high school team finished third in state for the 2023 season in the state championship at Fort McClellan. The team also finished third in race #5.

Three riders finished in the top 5 for the season. Conrad Jones, the only sophomore racing varsity in the state league, finished fifth overall for the season. Shazie Bryant finished fifth for the season in the JV1 division. Teague Jones finished fourth for the season in the freshman division. For Race #5, our podium winner was Conrad Jones who placed 4th in the varsity division, his best finish for the season.

Many riders, including Will Phillips, Davis Sharp, Nathan Harris and Lleyton Sharp, had sprint finishes to the finish line.

Nearly 300 high school riders and more than 300 middle school riders from all over Alabama, and parts of Mississippi, Georgia and Florida competed in the race series.

“It is great to see how all the riders and coaches support each other on this team. It makes it a fun experience

for everyone involved,” said Head Coach Kirk Lovin.

“Our team values all of our athletes, from those who are just getting started to the more advanced riders,” Lovin said. “We love to make mountain biking accessible to riders of all ability levels and hope to instill in them a love for a sport they can continue to do for the rest of their lives. We welcome all Trussville students and homeschool students within the TCS school zone to reach out and find out how to join us next season.”

You can contact the mountain bike team via social media at Facebook: Hewitt Trussville MTB Racing Team or Instagram: hewitt_trussville_mtb. They can also be reached though email at hthuskymtb@gmail.com.

Top Ten for Race # 5

• Varsity Division: Conrad Jones – 4th Place, Alex Davis – 6th place Junior Varsity One Division: Shazie Bryant – 6th place, Noah Clark –6th Place, Mary Ann Dukes –10th place

See BIKE, Page 16

2023 Leeds Baseball Signees. Photo by: Johnny Sanders

Moody baseball's Chase Marshall signs to play with Bevill State Community College. Photo by: Eamonn Kelly

Blue Devils

From page 14

The Saints’ season would end, despite overcoming the obstacle of being one of the youngest teams around and not winning the area for 10 years.

Turley got the win against Saint Clair, pitching 5 innings, allowing 5 runs on 4 hits and striking out one. At the plate, a host of Blue Devils had multiple RBI, led by Kendall Trimm and Alex Harvard with 3 each and Taylor Rogers and Libby Higgins with 2 each.

The next opponent would be the Sardis Lions and this one would be an absolute dog fight. The first three innings would be a defensive struggle between the two as no one would be able to score. Sardis would open it up in the fourth, scoring 7 runs in the inning to put Moody down 7-0. Moody would get a run in the bottom of the fourth and then get 6 more in the bottom of the fifth

Leeds

From page 15

in the outfield and did great for us as a hitter. I am super proud to see him get to play at the next level because he deserves it. He’s a really great player.”

Bradford, a 4-year starter for the Green Wave, had to battle through some injuries this past season but still contributed to the team. He signed to play for Marion Military Institute in Marion, Alabama. He had 113 career hits despite the injury-plagued senior season he had and had a 3.7 GPA in the classroom.

“It feels really good,” said Bradford. “I’ve been looking forward to this moment since seventh grade. It’s something I have always worked toward.

I’d say to the younger guys to stay coachable, stay hungry and it can happen for you.”

Coach Wingo’s thoughts on Alex Bradford, “He’s a 4-year starter for us. A great

to tie the game at 7. Neither team could find home plate in the sixth and, after holding Sardis scoreless in the seventh, Moody’s Emma Kile would hit a single to center field that would drive home Taylor Rogers and keep her team alive in the playoff.

Game three for the day would not be near as dramatic as the second one, as Moody would handle the Alexandria Valley Cubs to punch their ticket to state. Moody opened the game by scoring 2 quick runs in the first. Alexandria would answer with one run in the second before a scoreless third. Moody would get 5 runs across the plate in the fourth and another in the sixth to seal the 8-1 victory and propel them into the elite 8 of Alabama 5A Softball.

Coach Seymour had the following to say regarding her team’s entry into the state tournament, “I am so excited for the girls to have the op-

leader and teammate. Exceptional player. He’s the guy that really carried us through the tough times. He was the leading force when we were struggling.” Vance, who played first base and outfielder, joins Howard at Wallace Community College in Selma as he also signed to play with them on Monday. He ends his Leeds career with 106 hits but his performance in the classroom is, at the very least, as impressive as his performance on the field. He ended his academic career at Leeds with a 4.2 GPA and scored a 27 on his ACT.

“The day means everything to me,” said Vance. “Just all of the work I’ve put in over the years and to be able to sign and have loved ones around me, it just means the world to me. I would say to the underclassmen to keep on pushing. When I first started high school, I never thought I would have this opportunity, but it has happened for me,

portunity to go back to the state tournament. They have worked so hard all year long. Of course we have had our ups and downs as any team has, but the girls are going into this with confidence and pride in who they play for. That is a big part of the battle – getting them to play for something bigger. No matter what happens in the coming days, I am so blessed and honored to be representing our school with this team at the state tournament. They have earned every win this season and their focus, positive attitude, and determination to succeed is second to none. We will continue to work toward achieving the goals we set in August and enjoy every minute of the work!”

The Blue Devils will take on Saint Paul’s Episcopal on Wednesday in the first round of the playoffs at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama at 9:00 am.

and it can happen. Just pray, believe, and trust in the process and you can do it too.”

Coach Wingo had the following to say about Caden, “Caden is one of the most disciplined players I have ever coached. He is a hard worker and a respectful kid. He’s got a 4.2 GPA. It’s good to see a kid that works hard get what they work for.”

Wingo added, “I would say to the underclassmen, that they have big shoes to fill. This is the biggest senior class we have had a Leeds in baseball. We have high expectations and I hope it brins motivation. These guys had to play as 8th and 9th graders. These underclassmen have had to wait their time so hopefully it’s a motivation for them to do what they have to do to make it to where these guys have.”

All 3 signees were also part of the leadership council, made up of 5 members from the baseball team.

From page 15

who are going to try to fill that role, but it’s going to be hard to replace a Chase Marshall.”

Chase was over a .400 hitter for the Blue Devils, had 109 hits in his career, which ranks him in the top 10 in school history. “He didn’t have a ton of home runs, but he got them when we needed him to,” said Kelly.

“I’m proud of Chase. Just the fact that he had patience throughout the whole process. He had some offers early, but he wanted to go to Bevill,” said Coach Kelly. “He wait-

Huskies

From page 14

Zaylen Tucker got the start and allowed 2 runs on one hit and struck out one. Sara Phillips entered the game during the second and allowed a run on 3 hits and struck out 10. Olivia Faggard owned the plate as she went 3 of 4 batting with 3 RBI for the Huskies.

“I thought we came out ready to play and did a great job putting up runs early,” said Coach Burt. “Our pitch selection was a huge contributing factor to our success

Bike

From page 15

Freshman Division: Teague Jones – 6th Place, Davis Sharp – 8th place

8th Grade Division: Lelan Neal- 1st Place

• 7th Grade Division: Evelyn Lolley –1st place

• 6th Grade Division: Isabelle Garver –2nd place, Lenwood Jones – 2nd place, Jude Lolley – 5th race, Lleyton Sharp – 6th Place, Abe Cox – 10th place

Season Overall TOP 15

• Varsity Division: Conrad

ed on the coach to find some money and it worked out for him. He could have signed early but he waited it out and played the game and it worked out for him.”

Chase had the following to say about the day, “It means a lot since I’ve been playing travel ball and school ball. This was the overall goal. I have always put God first and counted on him. To the underclassmen on the team, if this is the end goal for you, it means the world to be able to tell you parents and just have the feeling of all the work paying off.”

Coach Kelly’s message to

at the plate. We were patient and didn’t chase. Our pitchers did a great job working ahead in counts and letting the defense work behind them. We also came up with some really big 2-out RBI in game two. We preach how big those are to our team. We played well but we left some runners on so that’s something we need to improve on before this coming weekend.

I am proud of the way they showed up and took care of business. It was a complete team effort from top to bottom.”

The Huskies now look to

Jones – 5th Place, Alex Davis -7th place

• Junior Varsity One Division: Shazie Bryant – 5th place, Noah Clark – 6th place, Mary Ann Dukes –9th place

• Junior Varsity Two Divi-

sion: Guy Bethune – 11th place

• Freshman Division: Teague Jones – 4th Place, Davis Sharp – 7th place

7th Grade Division: Evelyn Lolley –1st place

6th Grade Division: Isabelle Garver –1st place, Lenwood Jones – 2nd place, Jude Lolley 5th

underclassmen who are seeing players get signed such as Marshall, as well as Payton Isbell who signed with Gadsden State earlier in the year, is, “It doesn’t happen for everybody. You see what these guys who are signing scholarships, they aren’t lazy. They don’t just show up and play. They put in the work, the time, and the effort and they are committed to the process. Also, having the ability to be patient like Chase was. Sometimes it doesn’t happen early. Sometimes it’s later. There are others in this county right now who are waiting. You’ve just got to be patient.”

the state playoffs where they will take on the Daphne Tigers at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama on Friday morning.

“We are looking forward to the challenge that the 8-team format brings. We will need to win 3 on day one to put ourselves in the best position possible to win it on day two,” said Burt. “The road is extremely tough but we still have our best ball I front of us and we have faith that we will do our very best to make it happen.”

Friday’s first game will begin at 9:00 am.

Place, Lleyton Sharp –7th Place, Abe Cox – 11th place, Lily Neal – 12 place

SEASON MOST IMPROVED

Riders who improved their place ten or more places for the season overall are:

• Brian Elmore 26 places

• Oliver Dawkins 23 places

Nicholas Davis 21 places

Tyler Steele 19 places

John Toczko 17 places Noah Touchton 13 places

• Cade Williams 13 places

• Nathan Harris 12 places

• Blake Burns 10 places

Rebecca Sierra – Springville Girls Soccer