Wednesday, January 20, 2021
Vol. 13, No. 16
pelika Observer O
“An award-winning publication for local people, by local people.”
March 26, 2021
Creekwood Resources requests public hearing with ADEM
By Will Fairless Associate Editor
Creekwood Resources, LLC has requested a public hearing with Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) for the proposed Shady Grove quarry in Lee County, Alabama. Creekwood made the following statement on Friday, Jan. 15. “While following CDC guidelines, we have been conducting outreach meetings with the local community as Creekwood seeks to obtain state and federal approvals. In addition by requesting a public hearing, Creekwood is proactively making an attempt to hear and address any and all concerns during the permit application process. "At Creekwood, we commit to operating in a safe, socially and environmentally responsible manner, while creating good quality jobs and economic opportunity for the local community.
Captain Shane Healey named Opelika Police Chief By Hannah Lester hlester@opelikaobserver.com
Photo by Robert Noles/Opelika Observer
The site will be developed and managed to meet or exceed all state and federal guidelines for safety and environmental stewardship. We will work with the surrounding neighbors and neighborhoods to address concerns and needs as they arise." Tara Brumfield and Danielle Ritch have been two of the most outspoken Beulah citizens against the quarry. Brumfield told the
Observer, “… The most important aspect is that most of the people of the Beulah community do not want a quarry in our neighborhood. We don’t want the dust, the dangerous traffic, the noise, the pollution.” Brumfield said that Protect Beulah is mailing out individual petition sheets to Beulah residents. The petition has to do with zoning regulations relevant to the quarry. She alluded to Ope-
Lolly Steiner resigns as Auburn Chamber President Contributed by Auburn Chamber of Commerce Lolly Steiner, Auburn Chamber president, announced to the chamber membership that she will be resigning from her position. Steiner began her journey at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce in 1997 as the director of membership and in 2001 was named president. Prior to joining the staff, Steiner served as an Auburn Chamber Dip-
Opelika, Alabama
LOLLY STEINER lomat and as a chamber board member. With nearly 25 years of service to the Auburn business community, Steiner has
seen it flourish. When Steiner took her role as membership director, she committed to helping the chamber membership not only grow but grow wisely. When beginning her career, the Auburn Chamber membership sat at a $300,000 budget with 715 members. Currently, under Steiner’s leadership and the staff she has built, the Auburn Chamber had 1,000plus members and a See STEINER, page A3
lika’s fight against a Creekwood granite quarry in Opelika, which fight was undertaken at least partly (according to Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller’s statement at the time) to protect the Saugahatchee Watershed and Saugahatchee Lake. “We already have a landfill that we have to deal with trucks, sludge and debris,” Brumfield said. “We don’t have room nor the desire for a quarry.”
Opelika Police Chief John McEachern is on his way out — and Captain of Community Relations Shane Healey is on his way in. The city of Opelika announced on Friday in a press release that Healey will take over immediately as the city’s new police chief. “I am humbled and honored to be chosen to lead some of the best men and women in law enforcement,” Healey said. “Together we will continue to provide superior service to the citizens of Opelika.” McEachern retired on Nov. 30 and Assistant Chief Kasey Brown has served as the interim chief since. Healey has served as captain of the community relations/special services division and will continue to manage that division until his replacement is
HEALEY named, the release said. The responsibilities Healey oversaw included community relations, recruiting, hiring and the DARE program (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). Healey was also in charge of training officers, overseeing the school resource officers and contributing to policy development. Healey will assume this new role as police chief after 30 years with the Opelika Police Department. See POLICE CHIEF, page A5
G o v . Iv e y a n n o u n c e s fu n d in g fo r E x it 6 2 in A T R IP -II p ro je c ts fo r 2 0 2 1 Contributed by the City of Opelika On Tuesday of last week, Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama Department of Transportation announced the city of Opelika (Lee County) will be receiving $1,328,687.23 in funding for Exit 62 improvements. The goal of this project is to ultimately improve access along Columbus Parkway (US-280/US431) at I-85 (Exit 62) from Fox Run Parkway to North Uniroyal Road.
The improvements will include signal upgrades, access management modifications and the addition of a left turn lane on Columbus Parkway. “We’re thankful for the funding we have been granted to improve Exit 62. These future improvements will greatly enhance the safety of this very busy intersection,” said Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller. More than $45 million in funding is being awarded and divided between cities and counties for 27 various road
and bridge projects. The projects were selected by the ATRIP-II Committee created by the Rebuild Alabama Act. It is anticipated that a number of projects will be under contract during the 2021 fiscal year, however all projects are required to move forward within two years of the awarding of funds. The city of Opelika will inform locals before the Exit 62 project begins. For more information, call Opelika Engineering Department 334-7055451.
Index OPINION . . . . . . . . . A4
SPORTS. . . . . . . . . . . B1
ENTERTAINMENT. . . . A7
POLITICS. . . . . . . . . . B9
RELIGION. . . . . . . . A11
PUBLIC NOTICES. . . B11
COMICS . . . . . . . . . A12
CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . B12
To nd out more and to stay up to date with developments sign up for the mailing list at protectbeulahstopthequarry@gmail.com
A2 January 20, 2021
Small Business Development Center hosts PPP second draw webinar Contributed by the Opelika Chamber of Commerce The Small Business Development Center offered a free webinar on Friday, Jan. 15. The webinar was recorded and is available at asbdc. ecenterdirect.com/ events/8781. Topics includes eligibility, loan amounts, the new application form, changes to covered expenses and how to maximize forgiveness. PPP2 Timeline • New stimulus bill passed overwhelmingly by both houses of Congress on Dec. 21,
2020 • Signed into law on Dec. 27 • Two interim/final rules issued Jan. 6, 2021 • Two borrower applications issued Jan. 8 • Certain funding opened Jan. 11. Most banks expected to be ready Jan. 18 • SBA is still to issue new guidance by way of updated FAQs and new, consolidated IFR PPP2 Top-Line Overview • $284 billion of new PPP loans • For businesses in operation on Feb. 15, 2020 • Similar in many
respects to first round • Full Forgiveness if, during 8-24 week covered period • FTE and compensation levels are maintained • Spent on payroll costs and other eligible expenses • At least 60% spent on payroll • Other eligible expenses expanded to include • Expenses to comply with health and safety (i.e. PPE) • Expenditures to suppliers that are "essential” to current operations • Software, cloud computing and accounting
• Targeted Eligibility for second draws • Previously received a First Draw PPP Loan • No more than 300 employees • Twenty-five percent reduction in gross receipts between comparable quarters in 2019 and 2020 • A new chance for a first draw • If never received a First Draw PPP Loan • No more than 500 employees • Hotels and restaurants with fewer than 300 employees per physical location • Maximum Loan Amount • Two-and-a-half times average monthly
2019 or 2020 payroll • Maximum of $2 million (vs. $10 million) • Controlled group cap $4 million (vs. $20 million) • Employees limited to $100,000 annual pay • Three-and-a-half times average monthly for Accommodation and Food Services • How and When to Apply • Available from Jan. 11, 2021, through March 31 • Through any existing participating lender (a list can be found on the SBA website) Important Links • SBA (First Draw
PPP Loans): www. sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/ paycheck-protection-program/firstdraw-ppp-loans • SBA (Second Draw PPP Loans): www.sba.gov/ funding-programs/ loans/coronavirus-relief-options/ paycheck-protection-program/seconddraw-ppp-loans • SBA (PPP Loan Forgiveness): www. sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/ paycheck-protection-program/ ppp-loan-forgiveness
Christian Care Ministries addressing needs of community Contributed by Christian Care Ministries Christian Care Ministries (CCM) was started many years ago by Dean Albritton, Nancy Bolt and a few other women from their Bible study at Trinity United Methodist Church in Opelika. That group of Christians more than 20 years ago saw the needs
of a community and felt the calling to fill those needs. They had a humble beginning that started with handing out bags of groceries to those in need. Today, CCM has grown into a multi-prong ministry. There is a community kitchen where hundreds of meals are prepared by volunteers from many different Chris-
pelika Observer
O
Phone: 334.749.8003 editor@opelikaobserver.com Michelle@opelikaobserver.com
tian denominations at 1000 Samford Court each week for those in need. There is a dining room on location where those who are able may come to eat. Plates are also delivered to the homebound within the community each Thursday. A weekly community Bible Study led by the Mustard Seed Faith Community has grown from this ministry and
Publisher: Michelle Key Associate Editors: Will Fairless and Hannah Lester Marketing: Woody Ross Photojournalist: Robert Noles Associate Sports Editors: Wil Crews, Rick Lanier and D. Mark Mitchell
www.opelikaobserver.com 216 S. 8th Street, Opelika, AL 36801 Copyright 2009. All right reserved. Opelika Observer is published weekly by Opelika Observer, 216 S 8th St. Opelika, AL 36801. Periodicals postage is paid at Opelika, AL. USPS #025104 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Opelika Observer, 216 S. 8th Street, Opelika, AL 36801
CORRECTIONS
meets each Thursday evening in the dining room. Several hundred boxes of food each weighing between 25 and 35 pounds are distributed the third Tuesday of every month. The boxes are packed, handed out and delivered by the women and men of New Birth Ministries and other volunteers with the support of the East
Alabama Food Bank. A well-stocked clothes closet has risen from this ministry, at which closet people can receive clothes for job interviews, for their children or just to keep warm. In Matthew 25:35-40 (NIV) Jesus Said, "For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I
was a stranger and you invited me in; I needed clothes and you clothed me; I was sick and you looked after me; I was in prison and you came to visit me.... I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" Christian Care Ministries (CCM) is an See MINISTRIES, page A5
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A3 January 20, 2021
Seventh-generation Chambers County resident writes book By Kayla Evans For the Opelika Observer “So many people and places have faded to memory,� Ron Williams wrote in his new book. “Fieldstone Pillars� is a collection of stories and articles about the older communities in the Southeast Corner of Chambers County, Alabama and the Northeast Corner of Lee County. Going through the lives of people who lived in Chambers County, the book shares memories of family members and
ancestors. It mentions the communities of Berlin, Osanippa, Glass, Bethlehem, McGinty and Hopewell in Chambers County. It also discusses Striped Nation and Blanton in Lee County, which were originally located in Chambers County prior to 1866. The book has over 270 pages of memories from local people and families in the pioneer days through the present time. A story included in the book is about John Parnell, the famed peach grower, and the visit from his brother,
Charles, who became the Uncrowned King of Ireland. Also shared is a story about a boy who killed his teacher at a one-room schoolhouse. Old letters about local gossip and stories about many people are included in the book. “We meander in and out of the communities, and we know the approximate lines, but to us, it is simply home,� Williams wrote. “The area is growing up now.� Growing up with his grandparents in a house that was built in 1839, with his great aunt living next door and his
family hosting a family reunion every year, Williams acquired a love of family and local history. He is also related by blood, marriage or friendship to many of the families in the area, and he has been collecting information about the area for years. He is a part of the seventh generation of his family to live in Chambers County. His ancestors settled in Hopewell in 1833. “I grew up in a house which rested on stones that had been wrestled from the ground by my pioneer ancestors,� Williams wrote. “The
old homeplaces and one-room schoolhouses sat on fieldstone pillars.� Williams descended from many area pioneers, including Aaron Williams, David Sherrill and Nancy Woodall Williams, John Woodall, Alexander Howard and Joseph and Nancy Mundy Holt. “And when they died, a single fieldstone was placed at the head and foot of their graves,� Williams wrote. “What mean ye by these stones some may ask. They are the marks of our ancestors. They lived and worked and played
and died. They passed this way, and they left their mark — and we remember." “Fieldstone Pillars� is one of two books that Williams has been working on. He hopes to complete the second one in the next year. Williams’ last book, “Past Times,� was a collection of articles relating to the local history of East Alabama and West Georgia. Included was a section on the 1959 Chambers Murders. To reserve a copy of “Fieldstone Pillars,� send an email to hopewellroad@yahoo. com.
Opelika Exchange Club accepting Book of Golden Deeds nominations Contributed by the Opelika Exchange Club The Opelika Exchange Club annually recognizes the city’s outstanding sheriff deputies, local policemen, highway troopers and firefighters, and this year the club has
STEINER >> FROM A1
budget of $750,000 in 2020. Steiner managed the capital campaign that paved the way for renovations and additions to the current Auburn Chamber of Commerce building. As Steiner managed the process and was over the $250,000 construction loan, she had a campaign goal of $75,000. She ended with $90,450 in cash and more than $74,000 in-kind gifts. The celebration of the 3,059 square foot addition and 1,200 square foot renovation took place in the fall of 2005. When Steiner joined the staff, one of her responsibilities included leading the Diplomats, the chamber’s volunteer program, which grew
begun to recognize the outstanding EMT service people. There is one other award that is given by the club each year that is very unique and special because its recipient does not have the public appearance and immediate recognition these aforementioned
ones have. It is the Book of Golden Deeds. It is awarded to an individual who is not necessarily a public figure, someone unknown and unsung. They are the ones who faithfully serve others with all their heart. They may work with
young people, the elderly, the needy or the sick. They may do it through some club, church, organization or all by themselves. In any of myriad ways, they serve because they sense a need to which they can contribute and because it gives them joy. The Exchange
Club feels it is an honor to recognize such people and give them some appreciation for the way they live their lives. Perhaps you know someone who would be worthy of this recognition. If you do, send a letter explaining why they should receive this
award. Please send the letter to Wayne Swindall, 400 Holly Ridge, Dadeville, Alabama, 36853. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 4. The award ceremony will be held at the Lee County Fairgrounds on Feb. 18, where the recipient of the award will be announced.
and thrived under her leadership. Her efforts in the Diplomat program have led the way for the successful group it still is today. Long-time community members will recall Toomers 2000 and Tigers on the Prowl. Toomers 2000 was an event that drew tens of thousands of people to Auburn to celebrate the new millennium on Jan. 1, 2000. Tigers on the Prowl was a community-wide event where the chamber partnered with the city of Auburn and Auburn University to bring 9-foot fiberglass tigers to downtown sidewalks and beyond. All of these momentous parts of Auburn’s history involve Steiner. Today, Steiner sits on the City of Auburn Industrial Development Board, Leadership Lee County
Board and the FACES Board. Steiner is also heavily involved with the Career Discovery Expo, which brings thousands of areawide junior high students to Southern Union State Community College to learn about the many opportunities available in our local communities. Since leading the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, Steiner and her staff have played major roles in breaking barriers for businesses, including when many Auburn business were impacted by ADA compliance, the Opelika Road renewal project, sign ordinances and more. Additionally, Steiner has led the Auburn business community through the Great Recession in 2008 and the global pandemic of COVID-19.
“This 24-year ride has been full of change, celebrations, establishing lifelong relationships and so much more,� Steiner said. “I am eternally grateful for all of these experiences.� As Steiner was making the decision to resign, she credits her entire staff for being a solid foundation for the organization. Not only does she have full confidence in her staff, but she calls the chamber board of directors some of the brightest businessmen and businesswomen she has seen in her tenure. The community will continue to see Steiner as she is joining the team at AuburnBank. “I look forward to being part in AuburnBank’s exciting future, especially celebrating the bank’s new footprint in downtown
Auburn,� Steiner said. Steiner has always been a champion of the business community and will continue to do so in her future. “I pledge to be an advocate for the Auburn business community forever,� she said. “Lolly has been a critical part of the success and growth in the Auburn business community over the past 20 years,� Elliott
MacIsaac, Auburn Chamber board chairman, said. “She will be greatly missed in her current role as president, but we know that Lolly will always be an integral part of the Auburn community.� The Auburn Chamber executive board has created a search committee and will look to replace Steiner in the coming weeks.
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A4 January 20, 2021
S
ome time back, a state representative proposed to replace our state song, “Alabama,” with the more familiar, more popular, “Stars Fell On Alabama.” Now, every time something like this comes up to keep the legislature for dealing with mundane things like tax reform, I ask myself, “Don’t they have something better to do?” But when I see the list of bills they finally pass I realize that they don’t, so we might as well let ‘em talk about music. But a word of caution. You can run into all sorts of stuff when you start adopting state songs willy-nilly. Take Georgia, please. A few years back they decided to replace what they had with “Georgia
W
hen my children were babies, it seemed as though they would stay that way forever. I woke day and night nourishing their little bodies and doing all I could to make them smile and laugh and keep them safe. As they grew into toddlers and then on into kindergarten, still, I thought this time would last forever. Until one day recently, I found my wild, big-grinning, eldest son standing taller than me, looking me in the eye and I thought, “What happened to my little boy?” He now picks me up when he hugs me. He drives solo around our farm, and when I’m feeling stressed he says things like, “Mom, I love you more than you’ll ever know,” to which I quickly respond, “I promise, I love you more.” So many things are missing from my once
H
e stands before his mirror, adjusting his collar, fixing his white hair until it’s just so. He’s thinking of her. She always took care of him. He was used to having her do all the little things. Not just the laundry and cooking. Any trained dog can learn to do his own laundry. It was things like stocking his favorite snacks in the pantry, always refilling his prescriptions or remembering to replace the toilet paper. Above all, he says he misses having her beside him in bed. King beds don’t feel the same without the weight of another person beside you. A bed can feel like a tomb
State songs can be tricky on my Mind,” a great song recorded by both Ray Charles and Willie Nelson. Only problem was that the song was not written about the state, it was written for a girl named “Georgia.” Not that it bothered the legislature over there – a legislature, I might add, that once debated how long a person could vote (or be voted) after they died. So today, when you sing the Georgia state song, you sing about a woman. Fitting somehow. And there is the Virginia state song with its references to how Virginia is “where this old darkey’s heart am long to go.” What were they thinking when they adopted that one? And Maryland’s, where loyal citizens are told in song that they
By Hardy Jackson should get even with the “Northern scum” and “avenge the patriotic gore, that flecked the streets of Baltimore” during what the author would have called The War of Yankee Aggression. In comparison, “Alabama” is pretty tame. I am not sure how the lyrics rate as poetry, but they rhyme, so that’s something. And the author, Miz Julia Tutwiler (of the Tutwilers),
worked in just about every river but the Cahaba and every mineral but eatin’ clay. She also throws in some social commentary with a reference to “exhausted mines,” and gives a nod to labor with a mention of “strong armed miners, sturdy-farmers” who in the middle of the Depression, when she wrote it, were in a world of hurt. Also telling is the comment on how “brave and pure men and women” are better than “corn and wine,” though it is not clear if by “corn” she means the grain or the liquor. As for the tune, it is a nice little ditty that apparently borrows from “Wondrous Things of Thee are Spoken” and “Deutschland uber alles,” but it is a dern sigh more singable than others I know.
And a legislator wanted to replace it with “Stars Fell on Alabama.” Well, JSU’s Marching Southerners do a dandy rendition and we could make that the official version – which would put the Million Dollar Band from Tuscaloosa in its place. And the line “did it really happen, was I really there,” catches the next-morning-mood of many an Alabamian after a night at the Flora-Bama. But keep in mind, there is the danger that when the song is sung, Parrotheads in the audience who are familiar with the Jimmy Buffett version may start requesting “Fins” – or worse. On the other hand, if we adopt “Sweet Home Alabama” as some have suggested, Lynard Sky-
nard followers might have a flashback, flip out their Bics and holler for “Freebird.” Yessir, you gotta be careful when you start messing with state songs. Though “Stars Fell on Alabama” is, as one of its supporters observed, “a song you can dance to, hug your sweetie to, or do whatever you want to do,” I am not sure we want parents hugging, dancing and doing “whatever” when Miss Tucker’s Fourth Grade Class sings it on Alabama Day. I wonder if that legislator really thought this thing through. Harvey H. (“Hardy”) Jackson is Professor Emeritus of History at Jacksonville State University. He can be reached at hhjackson43@gmail.com.
The Boy-Man small, red-haired boy and yet, hundreds of wonderful new things have begun. He is a boy, growing into a man, right before my eyes. One of Braxton’s first words was “plow.” Is anyone surprised at that? I still remember the day he said it. He was riding the tractor upon his father’s lap at one year old, breaking ground to prepare land for planting cotton, the plow trailing behind. Braxton was a squirrel in the tractor at this age, not able to sit still, too intrigued by all the moving parts and pieces. The steering wheel, the big tires, the dirt being pulled up from the earth, the plow in motion and his father’s hand doing all it could to hold the babe still. “Plow. Plow. Plow,” he spoke to his father from inside the cab. The farmer soon stopped the tractor to let
the little fella out. “Listen to Braxton’s new word,” he said. And pointing back toward the tractor he asked, “Hey Braxton, what’s that over there?” “Plow. Plow.” Braxton grinned with his whole face, and the farmer and I laughed at the novelty and beauty of such a small word. This same small child is still dwelling in the large boy he is today. I look into his eyes and still see the mud on his little face and his childish grin of joy and satisfaction. I can still hear his cackling laugh that disappeared somewhere around early elementary school and I still recall his gusto and strength when riding upon his horse, Duke, at just 8 years old. The boy-man. Still small deep in his soul but growing and seeking something new. Who remembers the old song ‘Stuck in the Middle with You’ by
By Bradley Robertson Stealers Wheel? This giddy folk rock song rings in my ears and I laugh. I see me and my son walking this road together; the only exception is that we aren’t stuck at all. We are moving and wandering this weird road of life side by side. Adolescence. Peer pressure. School. Pandemic. Media. Politics. Farming. Work. Soul. Body. Life.
This is a plate full of unknowns and scattered thoughts. How will he learn to do all this on his own? How do I even begin to parent this? I have no real, earthly answer. I have only come up with a holy one… Do not walk away, but step into that which matters most. In this case, my son. Every little accomplishment, I will step in. Whatever is hard, I will step in. Whatever joy is to share, we step in. Whatever the concern, we will step in, together. I will not walk away from the blessing of seeing life transform. From boy-child to man, learning to navigate his own life. As mothers, we tend to want the always pleasant and beautiful, but I now know that it’s the hard paths we walk with our children that bring us together. It’s the not giving up and lifting up. It’s the tears that turn into long talks
and hugs. It’s the fear that we wash away with faith and unconditional love. It’s all the joy, joy, joy that far outweighs any indifference. Seasons come and go, as we all know, and this season with my son I will never forget, for we made it through and hugged a lot and we grew up a little more, together. Braxton is no longer a silly squirrel upon his father’s knee. He is brave and strong and determined. He waves at me, grinning while driving a tractor, and I think, “This young man is exceptional, and there’s no other place I’d rather be.” Whatever you face this day or in days ahead, I encourage you to step into it instead of away. If joy is on your sleeve, step in. If tears or anger, step in. All the pieces of life are important; they help us become who we are meant to be.
An Old Man when you sleep alone. Her dog, Martin, misses her too. The first day she didn’t come home, he took Martin on a walk and the loneliness was overwhelming. This Labrador was her friend. Martin sleeps beside him at night now, in her old spot. But it’s just not the same. He’s switched to using instant coffee because he can never remember to set the coffeemaker. Besides, he doesn’t see the point of making a full pot for just one person. It’s funny how dependent a man can become on another. He says he hasn’t made his own coffee in half a century. Or eggs. He
By Sean Dietrich can’t figure out how to flip them without breaking the yolks. He says, “Nobody tells you that you’re going to be afraid
a lot when you lose your wife. You know, even though you’re the man of the family, and always have been, she was kinda your
strength.” He’s adapting though. In the last few years, he’s come to truly enjoy his daily walks with Martin.
They follow the same route she used to take through the neighborhood. When he gets home, he and Martin eat lunch. Then they piddle. He says the memories of her don’t hurt anymore, they just make him warm. “We watched each other grow up,” he says. “A wife isn’t just a wife, she’s your whole life.” He saw her through every adult rite of passage, and she helped him turn into a father. He watched her give birth to his two children and transform herself from a girl into a beautiful mother. They enjoyed old See DIETRICH, page A5
A5 January 20, 2021
Auburn University dean named chair of Alabama Humanities Alliance Contributed by Carol Pappas Alabama Humanities Alliance elected Dr. Joe Aistrup, dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Auburn University, as chair of its board of directors. Aistrup joined the board in 2015, taking on leadership roles in various capacities, including serving as treasurer in 2020 before being elected chair. “Joe’s leadership is so valuable,” said AHA Executive Director Chuck Holmes. “He understands the vital mission and passion of Alabama Humanities and brings his deep experience as a scholar and an administrator. The teamwork of the board, the staff and our many partners across
POLICE CHIEF>> FROM A1
“Healey began his career with the Opelika Police Department in 1991 as a paid informant and communications operator,” the release from the city said. “He became a sworn officer
MINISTRIES >> FROM A2
ecumenical ministry presenting Jesus Christ to individuals and families in Lee County, Alabama by providing food, clothing, and other life necessities in a compassionate and caring fashion. CCM is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, staffed by volunteers who have a passion to improve the living conditions of people in need. CCM works in partnership with churches, para-church ministries, civic groups and other organizations
DIETRICH >> FROM A4
age together. Sometimes she’d catch him falling asleep on the sofa during his legal thriller TV shows and she’d nudge him awake by saying, “C’mon, let’s get you to bed, Daddy.” “Daddy,” he recalls. “She always called me Daddy.” This name started when their kids were little. She never quit calling him that. On the day of her service, he stood with a stiff face while everyone else cried. This is just how men from his generation were taught to act. He wished he could have wailed and bellowed like his daughter or howled like his grandson. But he stayed flat-faced and pumped
the state is going to serve Alabamians in important ways.” In the year ahead, Aistrup is looking forward to building on the organizational accomplishments, where the staff of AHA played pivotal roles. "I am very pleased with the ongoing development of Alabama History Days, the bicentennial celebration exhibit that toured every county in Alabama, and the distribution of over $500,000 in CARES Act funding to organizations throughout Alabama for humanities programming,” Aistrup said. The year is expected to have a full agenda. Holmes, former general manager of Birmingham’s WBHM, a National Public Radio affiliate, has just taken
the reins of AHA as its executive director, and a rebranding for the organization is underway. “My goals are to help the AHA transition to
in July 1992 where he worked in the following divisions: patrol, traffic and detectives. Over the years Healey rose in the ranks before getting promoted to Captain in May 2014.” Healey is involved in the city off the police force too, as a board member for The
how we can shape the future. “The humanities, more so than any other set of disciplines, provide the foundations for our vision of ourselves.” Aistrup came to Auburn University in September 2013 as dean of the College of Liberal Arts after serving as associate dean of Academic Affairs in the College of Arts and Sciences at Kansas State University.
the new leadership, the new branding initiative, changing our name from the Alabama Humanities Foundation to the Alabama
Humanities Alliance and programming in a post-COVID-19 world,” Aistrup said. “As a long-term goal, I would like the staff to develop two major signature events for AHA to occur in the fall and spring of each year.” Aistrup said he was honored to be a part of Alabama Humanities Alliance, recognizing its significance in the state. “Humanities plays a critical role for helping all Alabamians better understand the world in which they live," he added. "Humanities helps us think about the way things are, the way things ought to be, and then how we might bridge the difference. “Humanities through literature, history and philosophy also helps us understand our past and
Curtis House, and he and his wife, Christie Ray Hill, raised their children in Opelika. “We are excited to improve existing relationships and build new ones with all citizens,” Healey said. “I am passionate about Opelika and deeply committed to making
our city the best that it can be.” Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller said, in the release, that a search was conducted for a candidate that included prospects from both inside and outside the department. “We are excited about Captain Healey
moving into the Chief position,” Fuller said. “His love for this community and his forward-thinking approach is going to bring new ideas and ways of policing to our community … We were proud to learn that the most qualified applicants were internal. It makes
me proud to know that we have one of the best police departments in the southeast. Shane brings more than 30 years police experience and he is deeply rooted in this community. I look forward to working with Shane and the OPD leadership team.”
to provide hope and help for those in need in Lee County. Our Mandate We are called by Christ to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and visit those in prison. The first century church understood this mandate quite literally. The writer of the letter of 1 John states, "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth" (1 John 3:17-18, NIV). We also believe
that Jesus' words are to be taken literally and that He requires us to reach out to those in need. Our Mission Our mission is to present Christ to a needy world by providing a ministry of compassion and service to persons in the Lee County community. Statement of Purpose and Belief Christian Care Ministries is an organization dedicated to the purpose of sharing the love of Jesus Christ through a ministry of compassion to those in need. We believe that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God and is the source of our salvation. We believe that Jesus has called us to be co-laborers with Him in His work. How You Can Help Christian Care Ministries calls on fellow believers in Jesus Christ to join with us in this ministry of compassion. CCM needs your participation in four very major ways: 1. Prayer Support: This is a faith-based program; that means far more than merely being a "religious" or "church-related" ministry. We are dependent on the resources of our
Heavenly Father as we endeavor to participate with Him in meeting the needs of people in our community. 2. Volunteer Support: CCM needs volunteers to help prepare and serve the food each week in the Community Kitchen and in the food distribution area. Volunteers have the opportunity to participate in fund raising activities, to serve as a contact person in your church or organization and to assist with clerical duties. 3. Financial Support: We need your generous financial support to supply food for the Soup Kitchen
and to stock the Food Pantry, among other things. 4. In-Kind Items: Donations of food, clothing, and other ministry-related items are welcomed. Write to CCM at post office box 301 Opelika, Alabama 36803, email CCM at thtippett@gmail.com, visit the CCM website website (ccmea.tripod. com/), join us on Facebook (www.facebook. com/Christian.Care. Ministries) or contact any member of the CCM board if you have any items to donate, would like to volunteer, or need more information.
every hand in the receiving line. Right before they closed the lid, he took one final look at her. He leaned into her box to memorize her. He wiped his face with his sleeve before anyone saw him weeping. “Okay,” he told the man. “Take her away.” They closed the lid. He sat on the front pew and he says the rest of the day was a blur. Today he walks into the kitchen, all dressed up and whistling. Martin follows, trotting behind because all dogs knows good things come from the kitchen. The old man makes himself another instant coffee in the microwave. Martin is sitting pretty beside him because Martin is obsessed with food and thinks he’s going
to get a treat. The old man is thinking about the last week of her life, and all they said to each other before she went on. It sort of makes him laugh. “Don’t forget to walk Martin,” she told him. “He needs his walks.” “There’s frozen beef in the refrigerator, don’t let it go bad, make sure you eat it all.” “You’re gonna need to call and refill your Lipitor, I forgot to call last Friday.” “Please don’t cry for me, I’m not scared.” He tells me with a chuckle, “It was like she was going on a trip to her sister’s or something. Here she was dying, and she was worried about me eating the frozen beef.” The microwave beeps. He mixes instant coffee into the
hot water. His daughter’s family arrives on the doorstep. Everyone is dressed up. His grandson has a little bouquet. His daughter has a bigger one. They all get into a car. Even Martin jumps in. Nobody is sad. Everyone is smiling. He’s telling his daughters things about their mother that they never knew before. Like how she once cut the tip of her finger off while chopping onions. And how she once helped a young lady in church to get sober. He’s telling them about when he first met her. How dainty she was. How good she smelled. How after a few minutes of dancing with her, he never wanted to be more than three feet away from her. They arrive. “You ready, Dad-
dy?” his daughter says. He steps out. He finds her marker amidst the sea of gray headstones. He could find this stone with his eyes closed. He stands before her, hands in his lap. He’s grinning,
but he’s also leaking pretty badly. “Oh, Maddie,” he says with a smile. “Happy fiftieth wedding anniversary, darling.” Hug the ones you love. Often.
AISTRUP
About the Alabama Humanities Aliance As the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the AHA! strives to create and foster opportunities for scholars and the public to interact and explore human values and meanings through the humanities.
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Eight Alabama properties included in 2020 Places in Peril list Contributed by Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation The Alabama Historical Commission and the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation are pleased to announce the 2020 Places in Peril, a program that highlights significant endangered properties. Since 1994, the Alabama Historical Commission and the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation have joined forces to sponsor the program to call public attention to a select number of Alabama's threatened historic and archaeological sites to bring awareness to significant historic places that suffer from neglect, lack of financial support or are threatened with demolition. Places in Peril seeks to rally local and statewide support to elevate these sites, facilitate their preservation and ensure they remain in their communities for years to come. Endangered properties can be saved and returned to their places as treasured landmarks. Places in Peril has helped save many important landmarks that may
otherwise have been lost. Over the course of 25 years, the program has highlighted more than 250 resources. Sites on the 2020 Places in Peril listing include Union High School, Monroeville (Monroe County); Bonneau-Jeter Hardware, Elba (Coffee County); Fite & Fite Law Office, Hamilton (Marion County); Harris Place Morning Star N Cemetery, Cuba (Sumter County); John Looney House, Ashville (St. Clair County); Thompson Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church, Opelika (Lee County); Uchee Methodist Church, Hatchechubbee (Russell County); and West Blocton Theater, West Blocton (Bibb County). The Places in Peril list is published on the Alabama Historical Commission website and will be featured in the spring 2021 issue of Alabama Heritage. “Places in Peril is an immensely valuable program to elevate and streamline preservation efforts for sites across our state that are under the threat of demolition or deterioration. These campaigns have been successful in saving
cherished places for future generations,” said Lisa Demetropoulos Jones, the executive director of Alabama Historical Commission and State Historic Preservation Officer. “The Places in Peril program is a perfect opportunity to inspire communities to rally together to save vulnerable structures. Not only are these places worth saving, their stories are too,” said Eddie Griffith, Alabama Historical Commission chairman. “Over the years that Places in Peril has highlighted the plight of threatened properties, their recognition through this program has inspired their restoration carrying their stories forward to future generations of Alabamians.” "The Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation is pleased to continue its partnership with the Alabama Historical Commission on this important project,” said Katie Randall, vice president, Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation. “We realize now more than ever the importance of saving places that represent all Alabamians, places
that tell the whole story of our state, especially those that represent the lives of the marginalized and the historically disenfranchised. By recognizing the most endangered places in our state and bringing their stories to light, we hope to advocate for a better and more equitable Alabama for all." Nominations for Places in Peril are accepted on an annual basis; any type of building, ruin, site or place is eligible for nomination. Places in Peril has listed theaters, schools, caves, jails, churches and houses. The application requires brief but clear answers to a handful of questions regarding a property’s significance, threat and the designation of a local contact and local advocacy group with the capacity to leverage the support and coverage provided by the listing. Property owner permission and current, good quality photographs of the property are also required. The nomination period for Places in Peril 2021 will open on May 1, 2021, to coincide with National Historic Preservation Month, a nationwide
movement to celebrate and promote historic places and heritage tourism. Thompson Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church 187 Columbus Parkway, Opelika, Lee County Opelika’s A.M.E Zion Church was organized in 1872 by Minister Rev. John Ford and a team of laymen. The congregation of Thompson Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church built the church in its current location by 1878. The one-story building is supported by wood and brick with interior walls plastered over an original wood frame. Six stained glass windows enclosed by wood sashes are on both sides of the church, and four stained glass windows are in the choir loft. The ceiling of the church consists of the original wood with heavy beams running horizontal and vertically, and the wood floors are stained. The main entrance faces Torbert Boulevard (now Columbus Parkway) with second entrance facing west. A connecting parsonage was added in 1919; the one-story home is made
of brick and contains six rooms, a hall and one bathroom. The Church’s membership includes the first African American doctor in Opelika, Dr. J.W. Darden, and Mrs. Bessie Brady and Mrs. Eugenia Parks, who established kindergarten classes for African American students. From 1964 to 2014, Dr. A.L. Wilson led the congregation and the church experienced significant growth. Wilson immediately became involved in the community leading the church and followers to participate in and promote the Civil Rights Movement. The church was listed in the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage Oct. 19, 1979. Over the years, the church has suffered significant water damage due to a leaking roof. The intrusion has also caused the plaster of the sanctuary walls to buckle and peel and the trim to rot. The floors also exhibit damage. This present condition makes it difficult to hold comfortable services. Repairs are needed soon to ensure preservation and prevent further damage.
Auburn BBQ/Grill Association Providing Meals to First Responders By Kayla Evans for the Opelika Observer The Auburn BBQ/Grill Association is hosting an event to cook for the people at His Place and Hosanna Home. They are also planning to make meals for Auburn and Opelika first responders. The event is scheduled for Jan. 30, 2021, and they are preparing 220 boxed meals to be delivered to the recipients. Each volunteer has the opportunity to cook from home and drop the meals off at a designated
location. Pickup for the meats, sides and seasoning will be on Jan. 29 from 5 to 5:30 p.m. The meals are expected to be finished and dropped off between 3:30 and 3:45 p.m. on Jan. 30. Deliveries begin at 4:30 p.m., and the Hosanna House and His Place will be ready for delivery at 5 p.m. A large smoker will also be on site to keep the food warm. As volunteers drop off food, they pick up boxed meals and take them to first responders. There will also be runners on standby.
The menu will consist of pulled pork, boneless and skinless chicken thighs, baked beans, potato salad and coleslaw. A Genius link was created for volunteers to sign up (www. signupgenius.com/ go/4090945abab2fa3fc1-january). The event will follow COVID-19 safety protocols, and masks will be required for pick-up and drop-off. Mike McGlynn, the Auburn BBQ/Grill Association group creator, contacted well known barbecuers around the state and local business-
es to donate supplies to assist with the event. All food and materials were donated through generous donations thanks to Mac and Art Watson with Watson Brothers Outdoors, Hunter Smith with AllState, Wayne Hinton with Performance Food Group, Brian McCollum and BMcSquared LLC, Kellianne Orvin of Sids Sure Shot, Malcom Reed from Killer Hogs, Bryan Reynolds with Canvas Home Inspection and Bobby Royster. “This wouldn’t have happened without some of the people in the local
community that have given financially as well as donating products,” McGlynn said. The Auburn BBQ/Grill Association group page was created by McGlynn in February 2020 and now has over 1,000 members. “My idea was to try to expose more people to what is out there and in the local area as well as the state and the region,” McGlynn said. “I’m trying to make people a little more knowledgeable of barbecue competitions going on in the area and different cooking classes.”
The Auburn BBQ/Grill Association has done some events in the past to give back to Alabama. “We’ve done some events where we’ve designated a month,” McGlynn said. “We call it giving back to Alabama. It is a month of trying to expose more products that are made right here in Alabama. We were actually giving the products away to people that were in need that are in the group.” McGlynn and the group are planning to do more events in the future and continue to give back to Alabama.
Opelika E vents, Society & Food
UPCOMING EVENTS Opelika Theatre Company presents: Arsenic and Old Lace Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. Feb. 13 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Warm up January days with steaming bowls of homemade soup ANN CIPPERLY
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teaming, comforting bowls of soup are welcome on chilly January days. While soup is on the menu throughout the year, January is the most popular time for soup at our home. Whether creamy, thick or chunky, soup can be a meal in itself or served with bread, salad or sandwich. On busy days working at an office or at home, having a batch of soup simmering in a slow cooker makes for a blissful supper. Soup freezes well, and it is great to have a batch tucked away in the freezer to thaw in the microwave and heat. Vegetable soup is
popular, and there are many versions to suit any taste. My mother made a simple recipe by boiling stew beef for a couple of hours, then adding a can of tomatoes and chopped potatoes to simmer for another hour. We lived in a drafty old house with space heaters that didn’t provide much heat. It was only warm in front of the heaters, but we had to be careful not to scorch our clothes. No wonder Mom’s hot soup was my favorite during winter months. Our home now has three heating units, but our living room has 18foot or maybe higher ceilings with towering
windows, which makes it difficult to keep the room warm. When I am sitting in this room reading, it reminds me my family’s home growing up. I start to think how wonderful a bowl of soup would be for supper. Soup is one of the oldest known foods. It is believed to have been created by cooking animal bones. In the Middle Ages, soup became popular in villages, and it was an easy way to serve large groups of people. Soup is one of the most varied foods, as it can range from clear broths to hearty stews or creamy chowders. Broth is the liquid
National Village impacts community with its generosity Residents rise to the pandemic challenge Contributed by National Village Last week, the National Village Ladies Club announced the totals from their latest efforts to support the Food Bank of East Alabama. In their last drive, which ended Saturday, they collected $7,970, which will buy 55,790 meals for food insecure residents in our community.
“National Village has always been one of the top neighborhoods for food collection in this area,” said Shani White, co-chair of the Food Bank Committee. “However, we are just beyond grateful for the generosity of our neighbors during this last drive.” A long history of giving National Village has a long history of doing
food drives throughout the year. However, with the pandemic and initial concerns about routes of transmission of the disease, the focus had to shift. “We used to collect green bags filled with canned goods from each home on designated Saturdays,” said Myra Girard, co-chair. “We quickly had to switch to a ‘Cash not See VILLAGE, page A8
Photo by Ann Cipperly Vegetable Soup with Beans goes together quickly and makes a hearty soup for lunch or dinner. You can use ground turkey or ground beef in the easy recipe.
from boiling chicken, beef, fish or vegetables. It can be eaten as a clear soup or form the base for other soups, such as chicken noodle, chicken and rice and others. A small cup of broth can be an elegant start to a meal. When I traveled with Don on his work trips and had lunch on my own, I would look for a Neiman-Marcus store to have lunch in their restaurant. It was generally filled with ladies who had been shopping.
The menu featured items that appeal to their lady customers, such as their chicken salad, which was popular (I was glad to get the recipes for the broth and salad!). Whatever was ordered, a demitasse cup of hot chicken broth was served before the entrée. I thought the hot, flavorful broth was soothing to relax and unwind. It added an elegant touch to the meal. While vegetable soup is my favorite for
lunch at home, Don prefers creamy soup or chowders. His favorite is Crab Bisque made from a recipe Bobbie Umbach shared years ago. I have adapted it some by making a white sauce with half and half, but it can be prepared with milk. Canned crab can be used, but if you can find fresh, it will be better. Kim Hudson shared her Crab and Corn See CIPPERLY, page A8
Tim Tebow unites with GrammyNominated artist Tauren Wells to release single to end human trafficking Contributed by the Tim Tebow Foundation In recognition of National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month this January, eight-time GRAMMY® nominated artist Tauren Wells and Tim Tebow Foundation Chairman Tim Tebow recently united forces to release “All God’s Children,” a song written by Tauren Wells, Bernie Herms
and Ethan Hulse to raise support in the fight against human trafficking. The song has reached No. 1 on iTunes' Christian chart and as high as No. 38 overall, as well as No. 4 on Spotify's Top Christian playlist. “I truly believe that when God opens your eyes to an injustice or a person in deep need, He is telling you to do something about it – to use your resources, skills and the gifts
that He’s given you to make a difference in that person’s life,” shared Tim Tebow. “‘All God’s Children’ was written to not only spread awareness regarding the atrocity that is human trafficking, but to share the truth that every individual on this earth is made in the image of God, perfectly loved and worthy of freedom. I am so grateful See GRAMMY, page A8
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Tauren would lend his voice and his passion to this life-or-death cause.” “I think there are a lot of people like I was – aware that this was happening, but not really confronted with it,” added Wells. “After learning more from Tim, it did something inside of me to where I had no choice but to lend whatever I have to the fight. My hope is that it inspires you to change your world, right now.” Wells debuted the song in a live performance at the virtual 2021 Passion Conference, an annual gathering of young adults uniting their voices to promote a spiritual awakening of their generation. This year's conference was viewed by millions of individuals worldwide. One hundred percent of the proceeds from “All God’s Children” will benefit the Tim Tebow Foundation’s Anti-Human Trafficking ministry. Funds raised will support the deployment of a multi-faceted
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Bisque a few years ago. It is even easier to prepare. Kim uses two cans of potato soup as the base for this delectable creamy soup. Fresh crab is one of those foods that Chef Kevin Rathbun would have on the menu of his Atlanta restaurant as being “second mortgage plates.” Generally, I don’t like to share recipes for expensive dishes, but canned crab can be found at a reasonable price. Jennifer Faircloth
global strategy to confront human trafficking through prevention, rescue and restoration through long-term relational care of survivors. Additional support will be used to further the expansion of safe homes in countries of greatest impact through a qualified network of survivor care providers. To learn more about the collaboration between Tebow and Wells, please visit www. timtebowfoundation.org/ all-gods-children/ . Additional information regarding the Tim Tebow Foundation’s work in anti-human trafficking can be found at: www.timtebowfoundation.org/ministries/ anti-human-trafficking. About Tim Tebow Foundation: The Tim Tebow Foundation exists to bring Faith, Hope and Love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need. This mission is being fulfilled every day through the four strategic focuses of Anti-Human Trafficking, Orphan Care + Prevention, Special Needs and also uses cream of potato soup for an easy Crawfish or Shrimp Soup. Jennifer and her husband, Mark, lived on the Gulf coast before moving to Opelika a few years ago. Now that shrimp is available at grocery stores, this would be a delicious soup to serve your family for something different. Another excellent choice for shrimp soup is Havlin Wise’s Shrimp J. Michael’s soup. After Frances Blackburn and her husband, Art, returned from being missionaries in Ecuador, I visited Frances for the
Children with Profound Medical Needs. To learn more about how the Tim Tebow Foundation is serving the vulnerable and sharing God's love by fighting for those who can't fight for themselves, visit www. timtebowfoundation.org. About Tauren Wells: Tauren Wells is an eight-time GRAMMY® nominated artist, six-time Dove award winner (including 2020 CCM Artist of the Year), platinum-selling singer/ songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, entrepreneur and a public speaker. Accumulating 776 million total solo career global streams with over 1.95 billion audience impressions in the US, Tauren has established himself as one of the most talented and exciting young artists in the music industry today. Known for tracks like the Platinum-selling hit “Hills and Valleys,” as well as the Gold-certified “Known,” the fivetime No. 1 hitmaker released his second full-length album Citizen of Heaven in January 2020. recipes she cooked while living there. She included this recipe too, saying it was their favorite. Our friend, Havlin, managed to get the recipe from J. Michael’s Restaurant in Panama City, Florida. Whether you prefer a creamy or hearty soup, look over the following excellent recipes (on the next page) from some of Opelika’s good cooks. These recipes will become favorites at your house too! Stay safe and warm! Ann Cipperly can be reached at recipes@ cipperly.com.
Lee County Chapter ASU Alumni Association to hold meetings Contributed by Dwight E. Howard The Lee County Chapter ASU Alumni Association will meet on zoom every third Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. CST / 7 p.m. EST. Graduates, attendees and friends of ASU are invited to become members of the Lee County
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Cans’ approach, and the residents really responded.” The result: the last drive culminated in this community of about 220 households donating 1,119 pounds of food and $25,045 to the Food
chapter. The Lee County Chapter Alabama State University Alumni Association would like to introduce the officers for 2021 as follows: President...Dwight E. Howard Vice President...Monica Frazier Treasurer...Mary Henry
Secretary...Bernice R. Howard Parliamentarian...Patricia "Patsy" Jones Chaplain...Dwight E. Howard For more information on how to become a member, or join the zoom meeting. Please contact President Dwight E. Howard at 334745-7293.
Bank of East Alabama for 2020. That equates to 176,248 much-needed meals. In addition to spearheading the bi-monthly food drive, the National Village Ladies Club (NVLC) also sponsors a scholarship annually for a female senior at Opelika High School, and the Club has
been a much-needed source of support for Haddie’s Home and other charities. Said Becky Jones, NVLC President, “This group really is the heart of our National Village community; they constantly give their time, talents and resources. It makes me proud to live here.”
& Flea Mall
WOOD FURNITURE L OOK F
OR A NEW FIND EAC WEEK! H (334) 745-3221 www.angelsmall.info 900 Columbus Pkwy Opelika, AL 36801
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CRAB BISQUE Bobbie Umbach 1 cup minced celery 2 Tbsp. butter 2 cups white sauce, recipe follows 1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth 1/3 cup dry sherry 1 lb. lump crab (can use canned) Salt and pepper to taste In a saucepan, sauté celery in butter until tender. Stir in cream sauce and chicken broth. Add sherry and cook over heat until the mixture bubbles. Gently fold in crabmeat. Simmer two to three minutes and season to taste. Serves 6. Easy to double. White Sauce 2 Tbsp. butter 2 Tbsp. flour 2 cups half and half (can use milk) Melt butter; stir in flour until blended. Add half and half stirring constantly until it bubbles.
CRAB AND CORN BISQUE Kim Hudson ½ cup butter, melted ½ cup chopped celery ½ cup chopped green onions ¼ cup chopped green pepper 2 cans cream of potato soup 1 can creamed corn 1 can corn 1½ cups half and half 1½ cups milk 2 bay leaves ½ tsp. dried thyme 1/8 tsp. hot sauce 1 lb. crabmeat Sauté celery, green onions and pepper in butter. Add potato soup, corn, half and half, milk baby leaves, thyme and pepper. Cook until thoroughly heated. Gently stir in crab. Discard bay leaves before serving. CRAWFISH OR SHRIMP SOUP Jennifer Faircloth 1 onion, diced Minced garlic to taste 1 stick butter Two pkg. (12-14 oz. each) fresh or frozen raw crawfish tails or shrimp, peeled without tails, deveined Two 14 oz. cans cream style corn Two 12 oz. cans evaporated milk 3 cans Campbell’s cream of potato soup Creole seasonings, such as Tony Charchere’s Sauté onion and garlic in butter. Add remaining ingredients. Heat on low to medium for 1 hour. Can place in crock-pot. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
HAVLIN WISE’S SHRIMP J. MICHAEL Frances Blackburn ¼ cup chopped green onions ¼ cup chopped bell pepper ¼ cup chopped celery 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2 cans cream of celery soup 2 cans cream of mushroom soup 1-2 cans water ¼ cup Rotel tomatoes ½ Tbsp. black pepper ½ Tbsp. curry powder ½ Tbsp. seasoning salt 2 lb. peeled, uncooked shrimp Sauté onions, pepper, celery and garlic in olive oil. Add remaining ingredients, except shrimp, and simmer 20 minutes. Add shrimp and cook 4 minutes. Serve over rice and have extra Rotel tomatoes at table. Serves 8. NEIMAN MARCUS CHICKEN BROTH Serve as a first course in demitasse cups. 5 lbs. mixed chicken parts (from 2 fryers) 2 cups coarsely chopped celery 1 cup peeled and chopped carrots 2 cups onion wedges 3 garlic cloves 5 black peppercorns 1 dried bay leaf 3 fresh thyme sprigs 1 bunch fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley stems only 2 chicken bouillon cubes, crumbled Rinse chicken pieces under cold running water and place in a heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add celery, carrots, onions, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme, parsley and bouillon powder. Add about 1-gallon cold water or enough to cover the ingredients by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, turn down heat to medium-low, and let simmer for 3 or 4 hours; skim surface occasionally to remove fat and impurities. Partially cover the pot with a lid but do not let stock cook above a slow simmer; this ensures a clean stock. Pass stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean saucepan and skim again. EASY WEEKNIGHT VEGETABLE SOUP Becky Brown 1 lb. ground beef
1 chopped onion 2 cans diced tomatoes 1 can water 12 oz. can tomato juice or V8 2 beef bouillon cubes Salt and pepper 1 pkg. frozen vegetables (I use the gumbo mix with okra) Macaroni noodles Brown ground beef and onions. Drain excess fat. Add all other ingredients and simmer about 1 hour. CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP Dena Haynes 1 whole (2 split) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on Olive oil Kosher salt Freshly ground pepper 2 quarts chicken stock (homemade is best) 1 cup medium-diced celery 1 cup medium-sliced carrots 2 cups wide egg noodles 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken on sheet pan; rub skin with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast 35 to 40 minutes until cooked through. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones, discard skin and shred or dice chicken. Bring stock to a simmer in a large pot; add celery, carrots and noodles. Simmer uncovered about 10 minutes or until noodles are cooked. Add chicken and parsley; heat through. Season to taste and serve. SLOW COOKER TOMATO BASIL PARMESAN SOUP Carol Pridgen 2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice 1 cup finely diced celery 1 cup finely diced carrots 1 cup finely diced onions 1 tsp. dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano 1 Tbsp. dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil 4 cups chicken broth ½ bay leaf ½ cup flour 1 cup Parmesan cheese ½ cup butter 2 cups half and half, warmed (or skim milk if you’re trying to cut some calories) 1 tsp. salt ¼ tsp. black pepper Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on
low for 5 to 7 hours or until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft. About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5 to 7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Add additional basil and oregano if needed (the slow cooker does a number on spices and they get bland over time, so don’t be afraid to always season to taste at the end). Cover and cook on low for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve. Makes about 2 quarts (about 8 servings) BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP Mary Alsobrook Carl Copycat version of Panera Bread’s Broccoli Cheese Soup 1 Tbsp. butter, melted ½ medium onion, chopped ¼ cup melted butter ¼ cup flour 2 cups half and half 2 cups chicken stock ½ lb. fresh broccoli 1 cup carrots, julienned Salt and pepper to taste 8 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese Sauté onion in butter. Set aside. Combine melted butter and flour, using a whisk over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly; add half and half. Add chicken stock, whisking the entire time. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Taste for seasoning and plate topped with a dollop of lime sour cream. VEGETABLE SOUP WITH BEANS Matha Jackson Hill 2 pkg. frozen soup vegetables 1 can tomato soup 1 or 2 cans diced tomatoes 32 oz. (4 cups) container chicken broth 1 lb. ground turkey, browned (can use ground beef) 1 can pinto beans Combine all ingredients. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 to
45 minutes. UNCLE JACK’S MUSHROOM SOUP Mary Alsobrook Carl 2 medium onions, finely chopped 1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced with some whole small caps or in half* 3 Tbsp. butter 4 Tbsp. four 1-quart chicken broth 1 pint half and half cream Salt and white pepper Cook onions and mushrooms in butter on low to medium heat until the onions are soft, but not browned. Add flour and stir to blend. Add chicken broth and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add half and half. Add mushrooms and heat to simmer. Do not boil. Season with about ½ tsp. salt and a few shakes white pepper, being careful not to overdo. Soup is better made a day ahead and reheated. *Instead of fresh mushrooms can substitute 6 oz. jars of mushroom caps, sliced mushrooms and mushroom stems and pieces. CHICKEN VEGETABLE SOUP 1 chicken, cut up 1 medium onion, chopped 2 to 3 celery ribs, chopped 2 carrots, scraped and sliced 1 large potato, diced 1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen lima beans and any other vegetables 2 (14.5 oz.) cans tomatoes Salt and pepper to taste Place chicken in large saucepan; cover with water. Add onion and celery. Bring to a boil and simmer until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken; debone. Discard bones and skin. Return chicken meat to soup pot. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to simmer and cook about 45 minutes. Add more water, if necessary. BEEF, GUMBO VEGETABLE AND RICE SOUP Betty Hill 1 lb. ground beef 2 regular sized cans Italian diced tomatoes (do not drain) 1 can water 1 bag frozen gumbo vegetables ½ to 1 cup corn or lima beans 1 bag frozen chopped onions or
chopped fresh onions ¾ cup rice Few drops Tabasco Brown beef, drain fat. Add remaining ingredients except rice and Tabasco. When mixture boils, add rice and Tabasco. Bring to a boil and simmer 45 minutes to an hour. SALMON CHOWDER 4 large potatoes, chopped 4 carrots, sliced 2 large onions, chopped 1½ qt. water ½ lb. bacon, cooked and chopped Dash of cayenne pepper or to taste 1 lb. fresh or canned salmon, bones and skin removed and chopped 1 can creamed corn 2 cups heavy cream or half and half or milk ¼ to ½ cup unsalted butter 1½ tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper Boil potatoes, carrots and onion in water 20 minutes. Add bacon and salmon and cook 15 to 20 minutes longer. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until hot. Do not boil. Serves 8. FRENCH ONION SOUP GRATINEE Scott Girard 10 Tbsp. unsalted butter 4 large onions, halved and sliced ¼-inch thick 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 10 cups chicken broth 1½ tsp. kosher salt ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper 2 sprigs of fresh thyme 2 sprigs fresh parsley 2 dried bay leaves 1 small French baguette, sliced into ½-inch thick slices 12 oz. Gruyére cheese, grated Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until they are soft and very caramelized, about 45 minutes. Dust the onions with flour and stir 1 minute, then add broth, salt, pepper, thyme, parsley, and bay leaves. Cook over medium-low heat for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the bread into ½-inch slices and lightly fry in a 250 oven. Remove the bread from the oven and increase heat to 450. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves from the soup. Place the bread slices in 6 ovenproof soup crocks on a shallow baking sheet, and then ladle the soup mixture over the bread and cover with cheese. Put crocks in the oven to melt the cheese, about 10 minutes, then broil an additional 1 to 2 minutes until cheese is golden brown. Makes 6 Servings.
A10 January 20, 2021
OBITUARIES Linda Ann Jackson Spain Linda Ann Jackson Spain died Jan. 13, at her residence in Opelika. A private graveside service was held at 1 p.m. on Jan. 15 at Ft. Mitchell National Cemetery, Reverend Earl Ballard officiated. Linda was born to lral and Maybelle Jackson in Florence, Alabama, March 28, 1948. She graduated from Coffee High School in 1966, and from Florence State University in 1970 with a degree in Vocational Home Economics. She married Michael M. Spain that same year. They moved to Auburn, Alabama, then to Opelika where they remained for the rest of their lives. Linda received a Master’s in Education from Auburn University in 1976. After becoming a Christian, Christ was always first in Linda's life, with her love and devotion to Mike, Rachel and Jackson coming next. She loved being a Wife, Mother, Homemaker, becoming a Mother-in-law, and later "Granny” to her precious grandchildren. Family and friends enjoyed her hospitable home as well as her willingness to minister to their needs with food, fellowship, or encouraging words. She was very grateful for her prayer group of sisters in Christ who met weekly for years. Linda worked for 17 years in the Opelika City Schools in various positions. Besides being a Girl Scout Troop Leader for several years, Linda also worked in ministries within Trinity United Methodist Church. Always seeking to be in the center of the Lord's will, her strengths and spiritual gifts were used to serve and minister to children and adults. Proverbs 3: 5-6 and Isaiah 26: 3-4 were her favorite scriptures. Linda was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 35 years, Michael M. Spain, in 2005. Their marriage was truly one of those marriages in which two people became one. She was also preceded in death by her parents, and her in laws James and Arline Spain, all of Florence, Alabam. Survivors include: her daughter Rachel Robinson (Jason) of Opelika; her son Jackson M. Spain (Holly) of Franklin,
Tennessee; grandchildren Colin and William Robinson, Garner, Sophie, and Whitfield Spain; sister Vicki Strickland (Bill) of Florence, Alabama; brother and sister-inlaw Don and Marsha Spain of Charlotte, North Carolina; sisterin-law Susan Spain of Hoover, Alabama; mother-in-law Jane Spain of Florence, Alabama; along with nieces and nephews, and great nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to one of the following: Trinity United Methodist Church Missions fund, 800 2nd Avenue Opelika, AL 36801 or to the Food Bank of East Alabama 375 Industry Drive Auburn, AL 368324274.
Geraldine “Gerry” Cole Pitchford A private family burial for Mrs. Geraldine “Gerry” Cole Pitchford, 80, of Tallassee, Alabama, was held Jan. 10, 2021, at Garden Hills Cemetery in Opelika. Mrs. Pitchford passed on from this earth and into the Glory of Jesus on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021. She could not defeat COVID but has victory in Jesus. She was a member of Elam Baptist Church in Tallassee. She was a beloved wife, mother, motherin-law, Grandmamaw, daughter, sister and aunt. After almost 62 years of marriage, she was reunited in Heaven with her recently deceased husband, Burt. She was an intensely loyal and loving family member and friend to so many. She is survived by her son, Bryant (Betsy) Pitchford, grandchildren Ellie and Lewis Pitchford, all of Homewood, Alabama, siblings Voncile Birchfield of Moody, Alabama, Charlotte Cole, Gail Gunn and Gordon Cooper, all of Auburn, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and longtime friends that she loved so much. She was preceded in death by her husband, Burt Pitchford, her father, Leonard Cole and her mother, Blanche Cooper. Mrs. Pitchford grew up in Opelika and was always proud
to be called a Pepperell Kid. She was a 1958 graduate of Clift High School. She first worked for Jack Tatum at Tatum Motor Co. in Opelika and then worked many years for Bob Taylor at Taylor Cotton Company in Opelika. She eventually worked at University Relations at Auburn University, where she retired. She spent most of her life in Opelika before moving to Tallassee. She had a wellknown love for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Some of her favorite days were spent with family and friends at Legion Field in Birmingham and at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. The best of those days was Iron Bowl Saturdays. She also loved traveling to the Smoky Mountains with her family and to the beach with her sisters and her niece, the late Sherry Birchfield Gaught. She was widely known for her cooking. Family and friends always treasured her Southern meals and time spent at her table for fried chicken, cubed steak, Brunswick stew, butter roll, tea cake cookies and gallons of sweet tea. Pepperell Baptist Church in Opelika held a special place in her heart. She always remembered her Sunday School teachers and how they taught her the truth of scripture. She would often pick up her Bible and point out specific verses to family, as guidance to be remembered and followed, Psalm 103:19; Romans 8:28, 31. It has been said, “Grief is the price of love.” Our grief is great, but it is no match for the love we shared with the one we called Mama and Grandmamaw. The family requests that any donations be made in Gerry’s memory to: Pepperell Baptist Church 2702 Second Ave. Opelika, AL 36801 Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama P.O. Box 2273 Birmingham, AL 35201 alzca.org/donate-now
on Popular Creek Senior Living on Jan. 14, 2021. She was 84 years old. She was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Arthur “Art” Davis Flynn; son, Arthur David Flynn; son-in-law, C.J. Singler. She is survived by her daughter, Cynthia Flynn Singler; grandson, Cory Davis Singler; sisters, Carolyn Coats (James); Glenda Ellis (David); brotherin-law, Larry Flynn (JoAnna). A funeral service was held at 2 p.m. in the Chapel at Frederick-Dean Funeral Home with Dr. Earl Ballard officiating. Interment followed at Garden Hills Cemetery.
Pasty Ledbetter Patsy Ledbetter, formerly of Opelika, passed away on Jan. 9, 2021. She was born in Columbus, Georgia, and graduated from Baker High School in 1959. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Troy University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She was a member of Trinity Methodist Church where she volunteered for multiple organizations within the church. She had a love for children that was unsurpassed. She retired from Auburn University where she worked in the library, and helped her husband Jimmy with his businesses. Patsy was preceded in death by her parents, John and Princie Smitherman, her husband Jimmy Ledbetter, her son Marshall Todd Hood Sr. and her sister Kathryn Smitherman Shaw. She is survived by her son, Michael Hood Ledbetter; grandchildren, John Hood, Jacob Ledbetter (SakilChundydyal), Mitch Ledbetter, Brooke Potter (KJ Potter) as well as multiple nieces, nephews and cousins. Due to COVID concerns, there will be no visitation. A small graveside service was held on Jan. 14, 2021 at Noon at Garden Hills Cemetery with Dr. Rusty Sowell officiating.
Virgie Ann Flynn Virgie Ann Flynn of Opelika was born to the late John and Lois Webb on March 23, 1936 and passed away
Robert William Waldrep A funeral service for Robert William
Waldrep of Opelika will be at 2 p.m. on Jan. 20 at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home with visitation beginning at noon. Rev. Henry Dawson will officiate and burial will be in Garden Hills Cemetery. Mr. Waldrep, who died Jan. 16, 2021 at EAMC, was born June 15, 1962 in Lawrence County in Moulton, Alabama. Mr. Waldrep was an upstanding member of the community and well known by many. He was an automotive mechanic for more than 30 years. His hobbies included hunting, fishing and spending time with his family, especially his grandkids. He is predeceased by his wife of 34 years Lynn Waldrep and son Robert. He is survived by his daughters Mandy (Jeremy) Prince and Samantha (Ben) Rosario. Son Adam (Hannah) Golden. Sisters Martha J. Walker, Diane McKinstry, Stella (John) Liles, Mary Jane (Thurman) Smith, Sandra (Darryl) Edwards, Margaret Ann (Danny) McKinstry, Melanie (Ricky) Faust. Brothers Andrew (Linda) Waldrep, Steven (Connie) Waldrep, Don (Donna) Waldrep, John (Brandy) Waldrep. Grandchildren Aubrie, Jacob, Sarah, and William. And an extended amount of nieces and nephews. Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home is directing.
Mary Mildred Haddock Mary Mildred Haddock of Opelika was born to the late Lonus and Eva Sarah Gray Simpson on May 26, 1934 and passed away on Jan. 15, 2021 at Arbor Springs. She was 86 years old. She was preceded in death by her husband, John T. Haddock; grandson, Jon-Luke Haddock. She is survived by her sons, Glen Haddock of Staunton, Virginia and Rick Haddock of Auburn; grandchildren, Elijah Haddock (Taylor), Danee Haddock, and Mack Haddock; great grandchildren, Emmett Haddock and Lucas Haddock; brothers, Raymon Simpson (Elaine) of Elkart, Indiana and Homer Simpson (Linda) of Dunlap, TN, as well as nieces, nephews, cousins, and other family
members. Graveside service was held at Garden Hills Cemetery on Jan. 17, 2021 at 4 p.m.
Margie B. Hilyer Margie B. Hilyer of Salem was born to the late Otis and Iola Thomas Barrett in Georgia on March 22, 1949, and passed away on Jan. 15, 2021. She was 71 years old. Margie was preceded in death by her brothers, Stoney Barrett, Marvin Barrett, and Stanley Barrett; sisters, Hazel Drennen and Betty Wells. Mrs. Hilyer is survived by her husband, Eric Hilyer; daughters, Stephanie Brown (Darren), Brandy Tucker (Allan), Kelli Roland (Benji), Haley Adams (Nathan), Ellie Wallace (Aaron), Erica Hilyer (Will), Heather Olinger (Brian), and Kristen Holt; grandchildren, Drew (Lindsey), Toree (Bill), Mitchell (Katlyn), Sydney (David), Kendall (Nathan), Triston, Hunter, Grayson, Karston, Bentleigh, Lukas, Parker, Lawson, Tyson, and Gabriel; great-grands, Cohen, Cooper, Scout, Palmer; sister, Maxine Glines; and dearest friend, Tammy Keeble. Margie’s love for the Lord and her church was evident in her everyday life. Her long and detailed prayer list included those closest to her and ones she would never meet. She always said that it was “a calling from God to serve and take care of His children” if she was going to ask for His protection over her own. Visitation was held on Jan. 19, 2021 in the Parlor at Frederick-Dean Funeral Home from 5 to 7 p.m. The funeral service will be held in the Chapel at Frederick-Dean Funeral Home on Jan. 20, 2021 at 11 a.m. with sister, Sylvia Howze officiating. Interment will follow at Garden Hills Cemetery. It is with love for this gift-giving soul that the family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to First Freewill Baptist Church in Opelika. “In Honor of Margie B. Hilyer.”
A11 January 20, 2021
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uilt and shame are two of the most powerful spiritual forces known to humanity. Guilt is what we experience when we do something wrong, while shame is what we experience when we are wrong. In other words, guilt is about what we do, and shame is about who we are. We can think of them as alarms that go off when our lives have gotten off track. They call us back to God. Through His grace we can experience forgiveness for what we have done and acceptance for who we are. Guilt and shame made their debut in the garden. When God created Adam and Eve, they were naked and not ashamed (2:25). We might take this to mean they were okay with living in a clothing optional environment, but that’s not what the writer means at all. He wants us to understand they were living before God in the intimacy of
Church Calendar • Church of Christ at Cunningham - meeting at their building at 9:30 a.m. for Bible class, 10:30 a.m. for worship, 5 p.m. for evening worship and 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. • St. Marys Catholic Church/ St. Michael’s Church SMCC is having Daily Mass on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 8 a.m. and on weekends they are distributing holy Communion on Sundays from 9:30 to 11 a.m. A Mass is also held on Sundays at 12:30 p.m. at St. Michael's Church over in Auburn. For more information people can call the office at 334-749-8359 or go to the parish website: stmarysopelika.org. • Union Grove Baptist Church In-person gathering with social distancing. Masks are available. Sunday worship is at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Wednesday worship is at 6:30 p.m. Services are streamed live on Facebook — the page is UGBChurch • First Baptist Church Opelika The following are held in-person and online on Sundays. 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship and Message at The Worship Center 9:45 a.m. Sunday School Hour 11 a.m. Contemporary Service at The 3:16 Center 6 p.m. Evening Worship and Message at The Worship Center 6:30 p.m. Church on Chadwick at Chadwick Lane in Auburn To watch services online, go to fbcopelika.com/media
Guilt, Shame & Grace innocence. Nothing came between them and their Creator. Talk to a young child and they will tell you anything because in their innocence they have absolutely nothing to hide. Their life is an open book. That was the relationship Adam and Eve had with God. Sin changed all of that. Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened, and they saw themselves quite differently because they had changed in a radical way. As Satan had promised, they now had a personal knowledge of evil. Belatedly, they realized their innocence and intimacy with God had been lost. Guilt set in because of what they had done, and they felt shame regarding who they had become. Predictably, they turned to themselves for a solution. They sewed some fig leaves together to cover their nakedness (which was now shameful), yet when God approached, they still felt the need to hide behind
By Bruce Green Teaching Minister at 10th Street Church of Christ in Opelika
some trees. Though they were covered, they still cowered. Not much has changed. We still pursue solutions that don't involve God in an attempt to rid ourselves of guilt and shame. Many try to ease their conscience by making sure they do good deeds or by contributing to charitable causes. Some turn to alcohol or abuse other substances to numb their feelings of estrangement. Others spend a great amount of time and money on therapy in an attempt to talk their way out of the alienation they're experiencing.
Then there is the option of simply denying there is any reason to ever feel guilty or ashamed about anything. We take pride in and celebrate things we should be ashamed of. Though this is an increasingly popular approach, it would be a mistake to think it is something this generation invented. Paul spoke about it in Philippians when he wrote of those whose “glory is in their shame” (3:19). There is nothing novel about celebrating sin. Guilt and shame can only be healed through God’s grace. In the garden, God provided animal skins for Adam and Eve to clothe themselves with (3:21). The animals didn’t voluntarily give their skins up—something innocent died to clothe those who were guilty. This foreshadowed the sacrifice Jesus would make on the cross in dying for our sins. Because of His death, we can be forgiven for the sins we have committed
ABOUT BRUCE GREEN
so that our guilt is lifted and taken away. But there’s more. Paul will bring this around full circle in Galatians 3:2627 when he writes, “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” The animal skins God gave Adam and Eve not only pointed to forgiveness through the sacrifice of Christ, they also covered their nakedness (shame). In the same way, when we are baptized into Christ, our nakedness/shame is covered by Him. It is gone—it has been lost in our new identity. We are in Christ. We have been forgiven in regard to what we have done and accepted for who we are. We are gloriously freed to live a new life. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)
You can find more of Bruce’s writings at his website: atasteofgracewithbrucegreen.com.
Hunley Group Lambert Transfer & Storage An Interstate Agent for North American Van Lines 1102 Fox Trail Opelika, AL 36803 745-5706
"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." — Romans 5:3-4
Church Directory APOSTOLIC HOLINESS God’s House of Prayers Holiness Church 301 HIghland Ave., Opelika 334-749-9672 True Deliverance Holiness Church 936 N. Donahue Dr., Auburn 334-502-4700 BAPTIST Beulah Baptist Church 5500 Lee Road 270, Valley 334-705-0538 Cooperative Baptist Fellowship 128 East Glenn Ave., Auburn 334-887-8506
ANGLICAN Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd 2312 Center Drive Unit D 334-758-6749 ASSEMBLY OF GOD Bridge Church 1000 Lee Road 263, Cusseta 334-742-0144 AME Mount Zion AME Church West Point Hwy 334-749-3916 St. Luke AME Church 1308 Auburn St. 334-749-1690 St. Paul AME Church 713 Powledge Ave. 334-745-6279 Thompson Chapel AME Zion 187 Columbus Pkwy 334-749-8676 BAPTIST Abundant Life Baptist Church 1220 Fox Run Ave. Suite B 706-4421464 Airview Baptist Church 2301 Airport Rd. 334-444-5148 Antioch Baptist Church 605 W. East Morton Ave 334-742-0696 Bethesda Baptist Church 201 S. 4th St. 334-745-7528 Bethel Baptist Church Hwy. 29 Sasser Rd 334-745-4865 Central Baptist Church 1611 2nd Ave. 334-745-2482 Community Baptist Church 154 N. 16th St. 334-745-6552 Cornerstone Missionary Baptist 500 N. Railroad Ave. 334-742-2008 Eastview Baptist Church 1208 Spring Dr 334-749-9595 Farmville Baptist Church 3607 Alabama Hwy N. 334-887-7361 First Baptist Church of Opelika 314 S. 9th St. 334-745-6143
Green Chapel Missionary Baptist 390 Lee Road 106, Auburn (334) 749-4184 Lakeview Baptist Church 1600 E. Glenn Ave., Auburn 334-887-7094 Pepperell Baptist 2702 2nd Ave., Opelika 334-745-3108 Providence Baptist Church 2807 Lee Road 166, Opelika 334-745-4608 Union Grove Baptist Church 4009 Lee Road 391, Opelika 334-749-0461 CHURCH OF CHRIST Church of Christ at First Baptist Church 301 S. 8th St. 334-745-5715 First Baptist Church Impact 709 Avenue E 334-741-0624 First Freewill Baptist Church 103 19th St. 334-703-3333 Friendship Missionary Baptist 432 Maple Avenue 334-742-0105 Greater Peace Baptist Church 650 Jeter Ave. 334-749-9487 Heritage Baptist Church 1103 Glenn St. 334-363-8943 High Hope Baptist Church 227 Lee Road 673 Love Freewill Baptist Church 1113 Frederick Ave. 334-745-2905 Ridge Grove Missionary Baptist Church 1098 Lee Road 155 - 334-745-3600 Northside Baptist Church 3001 Lafayette Hwy 334-745-5340 Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Uniroyal Rd 334-749-2773 Purpose Baptist Church 3211 Waverly Pkwy #704-0302 St. James Baptist Church 1335 Auburn St. 334-745-3224 Union Grove Missionary Baptist 908 Huguley Rd 334-741-7770 BUDDHIST Buddha Heart Village 3170 Sandhill Rd. 334-821-7238 CATHOLIC St. Mary’s Catholic Church 1000 4th Ave. 334-749-8359 CHURCH OF CHRIST Church of Christ 2215 Marvyn Pkwy 334-742-9721 Southside Church of Christ 405 Carver Ave. 334-745-6015 CHURCH OF GOD
Cunningham 2660 Cunningham Dr., Opelika 10th Street Church of Christ 500 N. 10th St., Opelika 334-745-5181 COMMUNITY OUTREACH Changing Hearts of Destiny Ministry 936 N. Donahue Dr., Auburn 334-502-4700
Church 5165 Lee Road 270, Valley 334-745-4755 NON-DENOMINATIONAL Church At Opelika 1901 Waverly Pkwy., Opelika 334-524-9148 St. Ellis Full Gospel Church 5267 US Hwy 80W, Opelika 334-298-4319
METHODIST Auburn United Methodist Church 137 South Gay St., Auburn 334-826-8800 Beulah United Methodist
PRESBYTERIAN Trinity Presbyterian Church 1010 India Road, Opelika 334-745-4889
Airview Church of God 3015 Old Opelika Rd 334-749-9112 Church of God 114 17th Place 334-749-6432 Tabernacle Church of God 3 Oak Court 334-745-7979 CHURCH OF NAZARENE Opelika Church of Nazarene 1500 Bruce Ave. 334-749-1302 EPISCOPAL Emmanuel Episcopal Church 800 1st Ave. 334-745-2054 HOLINESS Eastside Emmanuel Holiness Church 86 Lee Road 186 JEWISH Beth Shalom Congregation 134 S. Cary Dr. 334-826-1050 LATTERDAY SAINTS Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints 510 Groce St. 334-742-9981 METHODIST First United Methodist Church of Opelika 702 Avenue A 334-745-7604 Hopewell United Methodist 1993 Lee Rd 136 334-745-0460 Pierce Chapel United Methodist 8685 AL Hwy. 51 334-749-4469 Pepperell United Methodist 200 26th St. 334-745-9334 Trinity United Methodist Church 800 Second Ave. 334-745-2632 Wesley Memorial United Methodist 2506 Marvyn Pkwy 334-745-2841 PENTECOSTAL Full Gospel Pentecostal Church Hwy. 29, PO Box 1691 334-7418675 Gateway Community Church 2715 Frederick Rd 334-745-6926 PRESBYTERIAN First Presbyterian Church of Opelika 900 2nd Ave. 334-745-3421
SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST Outreach Seventh-Day Adventist 1808 S. Long St. 334-749-3151 NON-DENOMINATIONAL Apostolic Holiness Church 610 Canton St. 334-749-6759 Auburn Opelika Korean Church 1800 Rocky Brook Rd 334-7495386 Beauregard Full Gospel Revival 2089 Lee Road 42 334-745-0455 Christ Church International 1311 2nd Ave. 334-745-0832 Fellowship Bible Church 2202 Hamilton Rd 334-749-1445 Ferguson Chapel Church 310 S. 4th St. 334-745-2913 First Assembly of God Church 510 Simmons St. 334- 749-3722 Garden of Gethsemane Fellowship 915 Old Columbus Rd #745-2686 Grace Heritage Church Opelika #559-0846 Holy Deliverance Church 831 S. Railroad 334-749-5682 Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses 1250 McCoy St. 334-737-1488 Living Way Ministries 1100 Old Columbus Rd 334-749-6241 Move of God Fellowship Church 1119 Old Columbus Rd 334-7411006 Connect Church 2900 Waverly Pkwy 334-749-3916 New Life Christian Center 2051 West Point Pkwy 334-741-7373 New Life Independent Church 10 Meadowview Estates Trailer 334-741-9001 Opelika’s First Seventh Day 2011 Columbus Pkwy 334-737-3222 Power of Praise, Inc. Church 3811 Marvyn Pkwy 334-745-6136 Shady Grove Christian Church West Point Hwy 334-745-7770
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A12 January 20, 2021
COMICS
“Life is worth living as long as there’s a laugh in it.” ― Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
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Lee County Schools COVID update By Will Fairless Associate Editor
On the Mark By D. Mark Mitchell
OHS Wrestling falls to Auburn and Central, basketball teams rolling
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WRESTLING he Opelika High Wrestling Team hosted Auburn and Central in the Mainstreet gym last week. The Tigers beat OHS, 39-24. Opelika received points from the following grapplers. Derrik Hoyett (106 lbs.), Brayden Wilson (120 lbs.), Keon Brazier 152 lbs.), T’harra Brunson (160 lbs.), Landon Willis (182 lbs.) and Jack Pritchard (195 lbs.) combined to score 24 points. The Red Devils dominated the Bulldogs, winning 60-15. Pedro Cabrera (113 lbs.), Brayden Wilson (120 lbs.) and Ari Brogdon (182 lbs.) scored points for Opelika. Coach Jim Davis continues to coach a team with many underclassmen. Wrestling is one of the sports that’s “under the microscope” because of the contact between the wrestlers. All those participating in the sport deserve an “atta-boy” because of the unknown associated
with two people in close contact on the mat. BASKETBALL The OHS Lady Bulldog Basketball team went 2-1 last week, beating Valley and LaFayette while losing to Eufaula. OHS lost to Eufaula 62-35 in an area game. The Tigers, ranked second in 6A, were too much for the Lady Dogs. On a positive note, OHS senior Kaitlyn Bryant was given a commemorative ball during the game for her accomplishment of scoring 1,000 points in her high school basketball career. Coach Devin Booth’s team then bounced back to beat area foe Valley by a score of 6817 in Fairfax. Kaitlyn Bryant scored a gamehigh 14 points to lead Opelika. Haley Sanders and Cheridi Daniels scored 12 and 10 points, respectively. Opelika ended the week beating LaFayette 80-56 in the Mainstreet Gym at OHS. Sanders (24 points) and Bryant (20 points) combined See SPORTS , page B5
Inside • Opelika schools • Lee County schools • community sports
School Board meetings Opelika: Jan. 26 at 4:30 p.m. at 700 Jeter Ave. Lee County: Feb. 9 at 6 p.m. at 2410 Society Hill Road
Superintendent Dr. Mac McCoy gave an update on the COVID-19 situation in Lee County Schools during the school board’s regularly scheduled board meeting on Jan. 12. McCoy reminded the board that Beulah High School’s classes have been conducted entirely online, which will continue until Tuesday, and that Loachapoka Elementary School went entirely virtual starting Tuesday, Jan. 12. McCoy said, “Fif-
ty-eight students have tested positive, 38 staff members have tested positive, and this is where we get hammered why we have to cancel school sometimes and go from face to face to virtual: we have 367 quarantined students and 18 quarantined staff. It seems like a big number and it is a big number, but it’s basically one area that hit most with the students right now.” He added that Lee County is at the yellow level, or moderate level, of COVID-19 risk according to the Alabama Department of Public
Health’s COVID-19 Risk Indicator (alpublichealth.maps.arcgis. com/apps/opsdashboard/ index.html#/ b585b67ef4074bb2b4443 975bf14f77d). “We are looking at it every day and working with our nurses and working with the department of health,” McCoy said. “We’re doing everything we can to keep kids safe, keep teachers safe, and we will continue to do that and hopefully we can get through this mess.” In other business, the board: - approved a request to extend the emergency
leave for COVID-related issues. - approved the 2021-22 school calendar. - approved 14 out-ofstate field trips for Smiths Station High School sports teams. - approved the Monthly Financial Report and Cash Reconciliation for the Month of November from Ken Roberts. The Lee County School Board meets at 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at its central office at 2410 Society Hill Road. The board’s next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 9.
Auburn’s ninth annual Polar Plunge for Special Olympics set for Jan. 30 By Wil Crews sportscrews@opelikaobserver.com
The ninth annual Auburn Polar Plunge to support the Lee County Special Olympics will be held on Saturday, Jan 30, at the City of Auburn’s Samford Pool beginning at 9 a.m. The goal of the annual Polar Plunge is to raise financial support for the brave athletes of the Lee County Special Olympics. This year’s event will be different from years past. Instead of gathering for one collective plunge, and to adhere to social distancing standards, plungers will register for a specific 30-minute time slots and will only be allowed inside the pool for their specific time. To ensure as much safety as possible, masks will be
Photo by Robert Noles/Opelika Observer required prior to jumping in the pool. “With COVID, we had to break everybody up into waves because we can only have a certain amount of people inside the pool, on the deck, at one time,” said
Lee County Special Olympics director Elizabeth Kaufman. Plungers can register for free, online at campscui.active.com/ orgs/CityofAuburn. Pre-registration for the event is required.
“We just ask that people fundraise, try to get sponsors from local businesses, get donations from friends and family and they, you know, just kind of See OLYMPICS, page B4
B2 January 20, 2021
Auburn faculty holds meeting, discusses vote of no confidence against Provost By Hannah Lester hlester@opelikaobserver.com
A group of over 1,300 met by a virtual webinar for an Auburn University Faculty meeting to discuss a vote of no confidence in Auburn University Provost Bill Hardgrave on Jan. 12. However, the vote was never held. A motion for the vote was discussed at a previous faculty meeting in November but did not proceed. Tuesday’s meeting, however, was called specifically for the vote of no confidence. After a lot of confused chat messages, clarifications by panelists and several votes, the meeting ultimately ended without the vote of no confidence. Here’s how it went down: A petition was created by a faculty member, which read: “As an Auburn University faculty member, I hereby petition for a Special Meeting of the University Faculty, scheduled as soon as possible, to discuss and vote on the motion of no confidence in Provost Hardgrave, which was made and seconded in the 11/10/2020 Special Meeting of the University Faculty.” The meeting began with some technology problems since the meeting had to be moved from Zoom to a webinar since there were over 1,300 participants at one point. Only faculty members could vote, not University Senate members, said Gregory Schmidt, secretary of the University Senate. Hardgrave provided some opening statements before a vote was considered. “Last year, January 2020, we started the semester with such optimism for a new
year and a new decade,” Hardgrave said. “None of us could have imagined the swift and immediate impact the coronavirus would have on our world and on our roles as teachers and researchers.” The provost praised the faculty for their adaptation to pandemic teaching. “We did this out of a mutual respect for our roles as educations, of shared love of our institution and a genuine concern for the well-being of our students, faculty and staff,” he said. Hardgrave said that the no-confidence vote is a personal attack and will not benefit the university. “If taken, this vote will hurt our faculty recruiting, student recruiting and our ability to recruit new leaders,” he said. “It may hurt our student enrollment, and when that happens, it hurts faculty too.” The university is holding more in-person classes than in the fall and Hardgrave said the decision was based upon the previous semester’s success. Michael Stern, an economics professor and the faculty member who originally called for a vote of no-confidence in November, interrupted Hardgrave with a point of order to say that Hardgrave was being given privilege by being allowed to speak on the issue before the motion was made. A Q&A was held to allow faculty to ask Gogue or Hardgrave questions. Duha Tore Altindag asked Hardgrave how the vote would hurt the university. “It suggests, perhaps, that we are not pulling together, that we are not one, that we are not the Auburn family,” Hardgrave said. Elena Aydarova
cited high numbers of COVID-19 cases and the city of Auburn’s request to follow the safer-at-home order and asked how the university is addressing concerns. Gogue responded that the University Senate leadership met Monday with Auburn Medical Clinic Director Fred Kam and the university has decided to offer remote instruction the first two weeks of school. The decision is made on a class-by-class basis. Faculty can choose to hold their class remotely if they want, but do not have to. The school may decide next week to continue remote instruction through the third or fourth week, Gogue said. “There are lots of studies out there, and we certainly try to depend upon Dr. Kam and state health officials as well, but we also have from the CDC reporting that campuses are safe,” Hardgrave said. Thomas Burch said that Hardgrave said in the fall that if COVID-19 stats remained the same, the semester would begin remotely. Stats may be even higher, however, Burch said. “So part of the discussion was should we go everybody remote and then start two weeks later, and the concern there was that if there was an acrossthe-board remote then students would not come back at all to campus,” Hardgrave said. “They would go to the beach, wherever, or stay wherever they’re at and then come back in droves when we went back in person. And that was not ideal, because what we want … is that if we can get students back and create See HARDGRAVE, page B5
Photo contributed by Morgan Bryce, City of Smiths Station
Smiths Station High School receives check from local legislators
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his morning, State Senator Randy Price (District 13) and State Representatives Chris Blackshear (District 80) and Debbie Wood (District 38) presented a check for $26,881 to Smiths Station High School. The check will be
dispersed among various programs at the school, including arts and athletics. Pictured back row from left to right: Assistant Principal Josh Johns, Assistant Principal Emma Whitlock, Male Sports Athletic Director and Assistant
Principal Steven Davis. Pictured front row from left to right: Blackshear, Head Football Coach Mike Glisson, Price, Wood, Principal Dr. Brad Cook, Band Director Gene Butler, and Smiths Station Mayor F. L. “Bubba” Copeland.
Smiths Station holds Athletics Signing Day By Wil Crews sportscrews@opelikaobserver.com
Seventeen student-athletes from Smiths Station High School announced their intentions to continue playing their respective sports at the collegiate level on Monday, Jan. 11. The Observer congratulates all the student-athletes on their wonderful accomplishments and wishes them well in their future endeavors. The following is a list of the student-athletes and where they committed to, sorted by sport: Softball Alexis Brown – Chattahoochee Valley
Community College Hannah Dodd – Brewton-Parker College Paige Downing – Brenau University Haley Thomason – Chattahoochee Valley Community College Addison Woodham – Chattahoochee Valley Community College Baseball Jacob Blackmon – Northwest Florida State College Gavin Blair – Central Alabama Community College Clayton Freeman – Central Alabama Community College Caden Hare – Central Alabama Community College Luke Hasty
– Central Alabama Community College Trenton Hodgdon – West Virginia University Ellis Yohn – University of Tennessee at Martin Football Jordan Jones – Georgia State University Volleyball Grace Allen – Wallace-Hanceville Community College Janie Marie Messer – Point University Track & Field/Cross Country Jaxon Prins – Columbus State University Pantherettes Lacey Harris – The American Musical and Dramatic Academy
B3 January 20, 2021
What Teachers Need Mid-Year
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1.
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oday, many classrooms for young students have been transformed into learning centers for the Inauguration Day of our 46th President, Joe Biden. Red, white and blue streamers and paper flags are being made for art. There is singing and dancing to patriotic songs and children pretending to be president in the home living/dramatic play center. They are recognizing presidents’ heads in math class on coins and bills. All of this prepares young students to understand as they can what is happening on Inauguration Day as they view the ceremony on television. We know,
as a nation, our president will need many prayers to preside over our country. Here we are at midyear, and each day as teachers of young students – like opening a tray of watercolors, markers or crayons – we are pleasantly surprised and fascinated by the spectrum of young students God sends our way. As teachers, we perceive the promise and possibilities that God has designed on each little life in our care. Over the many years that I have taught school, sometimes a parent will come to me and ask me, “Mrs. Pinyerd, how can I pray
for you as a teacher?” Prayers have truly been the very best heartfelt gift of encouragement that we teachers can receive at any time during the school year. As I reflect back on my teacher prayer journals, and as I share with fellow teachers, it is clear that prayers are truly needs that teachers desire as we teach our children, the future. Pray for teachers’ understanding of their students. Each year as I am learning students’ names at the beginning of the year, I gently remind them that I have many names to learn while they have one teacher’s name to learn. As teachers we have to observe, discern and learn how each child learns. This takes wisdom from educational training and experience. Working on lesson plans that meet the learning needs of different children takes insight, patience and wisdom. Passion for teaching and providing creative resources to meet different learning needs takes wisdom. Pray for order in the classroom. As a teacher, I link this in with peace in the classroom. Over the years, I can reflect back on eagerly awaiting my students’ arrival at my classroom door in the early morning. If
Grading Harsin’s Auburn Staff, Part 1: Offense By Wil Crews sportscrews@opelikaobserver.com
It has been 29 days since Bryan Harsin was named the 28th head football coach of Auburn University. Since then, Harsin has been compiling a staff with the aim of integrating SEC connections into the foundation he previously built at Boise State. Here is a look at who Harsin has added to the Auburn staff on the offensive side of the ball, and a glimpse into what they can provide for the Tigers. Offensive Coordinator – Mike Bobo:
Harsin needed guys with SEC connections. After spending seven years as offensive coordinator at Georgia (2007-14) and last season at South Carolina, Bobo certainly fits that mold. During his time at Georgia, Bobo recruited and coached several talented prospects including Matthew Stafford, A.J. Green, Todd Gurley and others, producing four first-round NFL draft picks. In the 92 games that Bobo was OC, the Bulldog offenses were prolific, scoring 30-plus points 57 times, 40-plus points 29
times and more than 50 points 13 times. After leaving Georgia, Bobo had a five-year stint as head coach at Colorado State (2015-19) before reverting to coordinator last season at South Carolina. While the Rams did not find great success under Bobo (28-35 overall), his offenses were worthy of the CSU record books, finishing with three of the school’s top six marks for total offense and the school record for most pass yards in a season in 2017. Without any homerun See STAFF, page B4
I discerned that a child was not in a good mood because something upset them at home, then I would gently bring the student to my desk to talk to them and in my heart pray for this student. This time with this student was well spent to lay out a peaceful day because I didn’t want a “bad mood” to be contagious in the classroom and bring on a disorderly day. Yes, at times, I have had to take a whole class back through the front door, talk to them, pray and then re-enter the class for a better day for learning. Knowing that parents are praying in regard to learning processes moving smoothly gives us teachers confidence and peace in teaching our students what they need to learn. Yes, prayer works for our teachers in the classrooms. A friend gave me a plaque that reads, “Give God your weakness and He’ll give you His strength.” This is so true in teaching. Teachers go beyond the normal work day of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We bring papers home to grade, do our lesson plans, write help notes to children and parents, prepare bulletin boards and take care of our families. My late mother was an elementary school teacher in the
Opelika City Schools in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. I remember that after tucking her three children in bed, she would be at the kitchen table grading papers till late in the night. Nine months out of the year, I knew that as a child of a teacher I shared my mother with her classroom of children. I am truly touched now by the kind words of her students, some in their 70s and 80s, who remember how hard she worked and the life lessons she taught them. Yes, we teachers need prayers for strength and encouragement as we touch and change lives. Pray for our teachers to have courage as well as protection. We teachers are going to protect our students physically, mentally and emotionally at all costs. Pray for us teachers to be protected from illness that would keep us out of the classroom, and pray for us to do all the healthy things with our students to stay well. As we know, with COVID we are asked to wash our hands, wear masks and social distance. Young children especially bond with their teachers, so it is so important for sickness not to separate teachers from their students. Pray for encouragement for our teachers as
they trust God to give them a fresh vision and purpose for their classes in this new year of 2021. We have the community of parents and teachers educating our children. Education is truly a gift we have here in our community compared to other places in the world. And last but not least, lift up prayers of gratitude for the educators in our community who have stayed steadfast in educating our children in person or virtually through this pandemic. We appreciate you and pray for you as you teach our children and grandchildren each and every day. Thank you for sharing knowledge and sharing your lives with our future. We never know, we may be teaching a future President of the United States! This article is dedicated to my late husband, Carl Pinyerd, whose birthday is today, Jan. 20, the day I write this. Even though he was in the business world, he stepped out of his busy world to help high school teachers guide and lead students in Alabama State Science Fairs/International Science Fairs, which led them to scholarships for future learning. Classroom Observer, Beth Pinyerd
Bruce Pearl has changed the Auburn-Kentucky rivalry By JD McCarthy for the Opelika Observer
Prior to Bruce Pearl’s arrival at Auburn, it would be the highlight of the season if Auburn beat Kentucky. Before Pearl arrived in 2015, Auburn was 16-85 all time against Kentucky and from 1990-2015 went 1-33. In the last 11 games, Auburn leads 6-5 and has won three of the last four. Yes, none of those three wins occurred In Rupp Arena. Yes, this is arguably the
worst Kentucky team in quite some time, but they are still loaded with 5-stars and are the standard of the SEC. “I think you’re judged by how you do against the best teams on your schedule and certainly, Kentucky’s going to be as good as anybody on our schedule,” Pearl said. “We played Kentucky at home, I think, three years in a row. And the reason we’ve got them at home is because TV wants the Auburn-Kentucky game because it is competitive, and our
program has been one of the top five programs in the SEC over the last four years or so.” There was no raucous home crowd when Auburn hosted Kentucky on Saturday, yet the Tigers still managed a 66-59 win. Kentucky may still be the best program in the SEC, but under Pearl, Auburn is measuring up favorably against them. The turning point in the rivalry was in 2019 when Pearl, Bryce Brown and See PEARL, page B4
B4 January 20, 2021
Southern Christian loses a thriller By Wil Crews sportscrews@ opelikaobserver.com
Last week, the Southern Christian Academy Patriots had one game cancelled due to COVID-19 and one that ended in thrilling fashion. Facing the Southern Prep Academy Rangers,
with seven seconds remaining on the clock, Southern Christian had the ball down one. The Rangers had just used a fourth quarter rally to retake the lead, and momentum was against Southern Christian. The inbounds pass was a baseball throw from the baseline that landed in the hands
of the Patriots' Harris Adams, set up on the left wing near the three-point line of his own basket. A swarm of Southern Prep defenders came at him as Harris delivered the shot from his fingertips just before they arrived. The high-arching shot seemed to hang in the air an eternity. . . the
Kaitlyn Bryant awarded with ball commemorating 1,000th point
Photo by Robert Noles / Opelika Observer
STAFF >> FROM B3 hires to make, Harsin did well to get a proven SEC coordinator who helps address one of his biggest immediate needs: recruiting. However, the real question is: How well will Harsin, an acclaimed offensive mind himself, and Bobo work together on the field? Grade: BRunning Backs – Carnell “Cadillac” Williams: Every Auburn fan knows about Cadillac’s playing career, but he’s a relative newcomer to the coaching ranks. He began coaching running backs at Henderson State in 2015 before short stints at West Georgia, IMG Academy in Florida and the Birmingham Iron, of the Alliance of American Football. Former Auburn coach Gus Malzahn signed him to his staff in 2019. Since then, Williams
OLYMPICS >> FROM B1 keep track of that and whatever they raise they bring with them the day of the event,” Kaufman said. “They can raise any amount; we don’t have a minimum or maximum, so whatever you are able to raise we are super grateful for.” Kaufman said all the money raised
crowd rose to their feet. . . clang. A miss. The game clock hit zero, and Southern Christian had lost a heartbreaker, 26-25, in breathtaking fashion. On the road and facing a tough opponent, the Patriots dominated the paint on both sides of the ball, despite the Rangers’ indefatigable
PEARL >> FROM B3 Jared Harper stunned the Wildcats in the Elite Eight. Kentucky had won both regular season matchups, and Auburn was without Chuma Okeke, who had recently become the team’s best player. None of that mattered to Brown and Harper, who combined to score 50 points in the biggest game of their lives. The game proved Auburn was no longer the David to Kentucky’s Goliath and narrowed the gap between the two programs. Since then, the home team has won all three matchups. The gap has only gotten smaller as Auburn has landed back-to-back 5-star
and fast-paced style. Jagger Scott pulled down a monstrous 18 boards, and Will Pack added six. Scott also scored 16 points to give him his second double-double of the season. His twin, Jedd Scott, scored 15 points for SCA, making it his fourth game in double digits.
With the loss, the Southern Christian Varsity Boys team falls to 0-4. The Middle School Boys team is now 2-2; the Middle School Girls team is 1-1; the JV Boys are 1-2; and the JV Girls are 0-2. Next, SCA will face Lagrange Academy at home on Saturday at the Covington Rec Center.
recruits in Shariffe Cooper and Jabari Smith, players who in years past would be tormenting Auburn fans, not sending them to their feet in celebration. It is more than just Auburn landing elite recruits, though; Auburn now has a complete team that has depth as well as star power. Cooper sees the floor in a way few players can, getting the ball to his teammates before they realize they are open; JT Thor is starting to turn his massive potential into production and Allen Flanigan is looking more and more like Isaac Okoro 2.0 with each passing game. Devan Cambridge and Dylan Cardwell have emerged as key rotational pieces coming off the bench.
Cambridge volunteered to be taken out of the starting lineup when Cooper returned and has played his best basketball since then, making nearly 50% of his three-pointers and scoring 10 points or more in each of his three games off the bench, something it took him 11 starts to accomplish. Cardwell was not close to the level of a prospect as most of Kentucky’s players, but went out and more than held his own, grabbing eight rebounds in 22 minutes. With Pearl’s ability to land top-tier talent and to develop depth around it, Auburn’s recent success against Kentucky is not a flash in the pan but represents a dynamic shift between the two programs.
has already had tremendous impact on bringing talent to the Plains, namely recruiting Tank Bigsby, the 2020 SEC Co-Freshman of the Year and the Associated Press SEC Newcomer of the Year. Retaining the guy who recruited arguably your team’s best player is a no-brainer decision. Not to mention he is a literal Auburn legend and fan-favorite. Harsin has a good one here. Grade: A Wide Receivers – Cornelius Williams: Williams spent the previous six years coaching receivers at Troy, his alma mater, and the last two as passing game coordinator. He made his return to Troy after spending time as receivers coach at UAB (2014), Jacksonville State (2013), North Alabama (2012) and Murray State (2011). This season, Troy finished ninth nationally in passing offense, 25th
in scoring offense and 18th in total offense. In total, 14 receivers earned All-Sun Belt honors under Williams, and the 2019 receiving corps individually topped the 100-yard mark 11 times to shatter the school record for 100-yard games that previously stood at seven. Williams is not a flashy name like some of the other speculative candidates, but he has improved receiver production everywhere he has been. He has some quality southern connections too, but his lack of Power-5 experience is the ultimate downside of this hire. Grade: C+ Offensive Line – Will Friend: Thank Bobo for this one. From 2011-14 Friend was the offensive line coach and running game coordinator (2013) under Bobo at Georgia and then followed him to Colorado State to serve in the same role from 2015-
17. He helped guide a Bulldog offense that averaged 41.3 points per game in 2014, which ranked eighth nationally, and a Rams offense that ranked 11th nationally in total offense at 492.5 yards in 2017. Friend spent the previous three seasons as offensive line coach at Tennessee, where he mentored two-time AllSEC first team lineman Trey Smith and 2019 Freshman All-SEC linemen Wanya Morris and Darnell Wright. Overall, he has coached nine linemen who have been selected to the NFL Draft. Recruiting, check. Development, check. Grade: B+ Tight Ends – Brad Bedell: A six-year NFL player who spent the last four years as offensive line coach and run game coordinator under Harsin at Boise State. During that time, he coached 13 All-Mountain West linemen.
That would indicate he is a good developer. Furthermore, Bedell is taking a downgraded role to come to a more prominent university. That solidifies him as a low-risk, good hire. Whether or not he can recruit in the SEC will determine if he was a great hire, but that’s partially what Bobo is there for. Harsin is bringing his guys from Boise for the culture. The culture of developing winners. Bedell will have the chance to instantly prove his worth by developing a plethora of tight end options that are currently on Auburn’s roster. Grade: B+ Associate AD/Chief of Staff – Brad Lorrondo: Harsin created this position on his staff specifically for Larrondo. Starting at Boise in 2012, Larrondo was named football chief of staff in 2019. In that role, Larrondo was the athletic department’s
primary football contact and liaison for Harsin as he assisted with oversight of the football support staff. Furthermore, Larrondo provided external support for fundraising and community outreach. With a strong marketing and management background, Larrondo will work with Harsin and Auburn Athletic Director Allen Greene to build the Auburn brand and facilitate Harsin’s vision for the program. I imagine this hire will help to square the desires of fans with the needs of the athletes and provide the athletic department with a greater level of autonomy to operate away from the influences of boosters. Grade: B+ Overall: B Part two of this series, on Harsin’s defensive hires, will be in next week’s edition of the Observer.
will go directly to uniforms, equipment and travel cost for the Lee County Special Olympics. And there will be prizes for people who raise the most money. Last year’s eighth annual Polar Plunge had about 80 plungers and raised over $10,000 and the goal this year is to surpass that. The theme this year is “Best and Worst of
2020,” and plungers are encouraged to be as creative as they want when dressing up. Additionally, there will be an after party at Halftime in Auburn – all plungers will receive a discount, and a portion of proceeds will be donated to the Lee County Special Olympics. “With breaking it into waves and not being able to have everybody
on the deck at once, we realized we really couldn’t do a costume contest,” Kaufman said. “Instead of a costume contest, we thought it would be really fun to still have a theme and encourage people to dress up … I mean, costumes are like half the fun. So many things happened in 2020 that there is like endless numbers of costumes that you
could come up with.” It is well understood that jumping into a frigid pool in the dead of winter may not sound appealing to everyone. But it’s for a worthy cause and a great way to support a special part of the community. “We have over 300 athletes right here in Lee County,” Kaufman said. “All the dollars raised stay with our
local athletes. So you are really giving back to your community and supporting your local community members in their endeavors and it’s something they really benefit from and have grown up enjoying. Even if you don’t know someone who has a special need, there are a lot of people in your community that benefit from this fundraiser.”
B5 January 20, 2021
OLLI Brown Bag Lecture to be streamed via Facebook live Contributed by OLLI
Dr. Heather D. Alexander, Auburn University Assistant professor, will present “Arctic Fires: Impacts on Forests of Northeastern Siberia” at OLLI’s Alabama Brown Bag Lunch & Lecture Series. The presentation will be streamed via Facebook Live on OLLI at Auburn’s Facebook page on Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 12 p.m. Arctic and sub-arctic boreal forests are
warming at an accelerated rate compared to the rest of the globe. Coincident with this warming have been changes in disturbance regimes, including increased wildfire activity. In larch forests of the Siberian Arctic, increased wildfire frequency, severity, and extent can limit forest recovery and trigger forest loss. The conversion of forests to shrublands or grasslands can have large impacts on the stability of underlying
permafrost soils and the ability of forests to capture and store carbon. As such, how these forests respond to changing fire regimes can have large consequences for global climate. This talk will explore the response of Siberian larch forests to fire by examining results of several experimental and observational studies conducted by Dr. Alexander and colleagues over the last decade in far northeastern Russia. Dr. Heather D. Alexander is an
assistant professor of forest ecology in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University. Dr. Alexander’s research focuses on understanding forest ecosystem vulnerability in the face of altered fire regimes. Her current research includes the effects of wildfires on forest structure and carbon dynamics in the Siberian Arctic and the implications of fire suppression on oak and mixed forests of the eastern U.S.
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn University (OLLI at Auburn) hosts its Winter Brown Bag Lunch & Lecture Series from 12 to 1 p.m. via Facebook Live on OLLI at Auburn’s Facebook page, www.facebook. com/OLLIatAuburn. The program begins at 12 p.m. The program is open to the public at no charge. OLLI at Auburn is a program of the Office of the Vice President for University Outreach at Auburn University. OLLI
administrative offices and select classes are located at the historic Sunny Slope property, 1031 S. College St. Auburn, Alabama. For more information regarding this event or to learn about becoming a Volunteer Faculty Member, Volunteer Service Assistant, or Sponsor, please contact Shawnee McKee, OLLI Administrative Support, at 334-844-3146, olli@ auburn.edu, or visit our website at www.olliatauburn.org
ASU and SUSCC Presidents sign agreement that enhances students' educational and career paths Contributed by Kenneth Mullinax/ASU
The Presidents of Alabama State University (ASU) and Southern Union State Community College (SUSCC) signed a formal concurrent enrollment articulation agreement in a virtual memorandum of understanding (MOU) ceremony on Jan. 12. ASU President, Dr. Quinton T. Ross, Jr., and Southern Union President, Todd Shackett, signed the
MOU that formalized the agreement that will be of great benefit to students. Initially, the signing was to be held on Southern Union’s campus, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was moved to a virtual ceremony. The agreement provides an opportunity for Southern Union students to take courses at both institutions in a seamless pathway that will benefit those students who plan to transfer from Southern Union to ASU. Students
have the opportunity to take credit-bearing courses at ASU and Southern Union concurrently, which will help provide a smooth transition from an associate’s degree at Southern Union to an undergraduate degree at ASU. Ross said this agreement brings together two fine institutions of higher education for a common goal, which is to provide meaningful opportunities for students. “This agreement allows both schools to focus
on helping to enhance the education of their students, which are our most precious resource,” Ross said, during the live event. “This is a match that lifts-up students and allows us to continue to help enhance their educational and career opportunities. This MOU is part of a program that we call ‘Hornets on the Horizon.’ It gives interested students at Southern Union an opportunity to obtain a four-year degree from
ASU and an associate degree from the partner school,” said Ross. “This is a great collaboration between our two schools, and it is all about student success.” Shackett stressed the importance of new opportunities for SUSCC students. “This is a most fulfilling agreement that provides an opportunity for our Southern Union students to have more meaningful career paths by having two degrees – one from Alabama State and another from
Southern Union,” Shackett said. The “Hornets on the Horizon” provides SUSCC students the opportunity to take ASU courses in Biomedical Engineering, Rehabilitation Services and Forensic Biology. The program will be limited to 10 students for each of the three degree paths for the 2021-2022 academic year, and it will only be available to students who are residents of Alabama.
JSU honors fall 2020 graduates Contributed by Jacksonville State University/Merit News
More than 600 students were awarded degrees at Jacksonville State University’s Fall 2020 commencement on Dec. 1112, including the following
HARDGRAVE >> FROM B2 a bubble then we can hopefully reduce the spread of COVID.” The meeting moved from Q&A back into discussion of the vote. There was a faculty member, Luke Oeding, who said he objected to the vote, but Stern again said that the motion had not even been made yet. Stern called for a motion in November but said he had not made an official motion. Don Mulvaney, University Senate
SPORTS >> FROM B1 to lead the Lady Dogs. Ladajah Huguley and Ashanti Thomas added 12 points apiece. The Opelika Boys’ team is 3-2 under interim coach Wesley Button, which makes the overall record 3-6, 2-1 in area games. I applaud the players on the basketball team. The players returned from Christmas break to
local students: Sierra Booker of Phenix City, MS in Sport Management Karen Litton of Auburn, MSE in Spec Ed Collaborative K-6/6-12 Braidon Moore of Auburn, BS in Emergency
Management Charles Morris of Salem, BSN in Nursing Emily Nash of Opelika, MSE in Spec Ed Collaborative K-6/6-12 About Jacksonville State University. Founded in 1883 as
a state teachers college, Jacksonville State University has grown from humble beginnings into the Alabama regional university with the highest percentage of accredited programs. Located in the Appalachian foothills midway between
Birmingham and Atlanta, JSU offers more than 150 courses of study, including over 40 online programs, at the undergraduate and graduate level. To learn more, visit www.jsu.edu, call 1-800-231-JAX1 or e-mail jaxfacts@jsu.edu.
President, began a reading for what he said the motion was that was given in November but Stern again called for a point of order and said that the motion was not given in writing at that meeting in November and was therefore not official. Oeding made a point of order to say that the motion was carried from a prior meeting and should not be valid and again objected to the vote. A vote was held to consider the motion for a vote of no confidence and a majority voted to uphold the objection.
However, faculty was confused on what the vote meant. Oeding again objected to the motion and the panelists said there would be a revote. Stern appealed to the assembly and again said that the motion is not official and therefore can’t be objected to. So a vote was held to see if the assembly agreed to whether there was a motion made at the November meeting. “Yes vote – sustain the decision of the chair that it was the motion made at the last meeting; A NO vote means that there was
no motion at the last meeting,” was written in the meeting chat. “Motion: motion of no confidence in Provost Hardgrave, which was made and seconded in the 11/10/2020 Special Meeting of the University Faculty.” A faculty member asked for clarification on whether or not a motion could be spoken, rather than written, and the panelists said that a motion could be spoken. The majority of the faculty, 80% voted that the motion existed, 8% said the motion did not exists and 12% abstained.
Mulvaney said this meant Oeding’s objection was also upheld and called for adjournment. Some panelists said that now the faculty needed to vote on Oeding’s objection but Mulvaney said there was overwhelming agreement to Oeding’s objection beforehand, despite confusion. Sommers said a revote on Oeding’s objection was called for, however, due to confusion. The faculty voted on whether to adjourn the meeting and 46% voted to adjourn, 44% voted
to continue the meeting and 9% abstained. Mulvaney said that although technically they could end the meeting, they would hold a revote on Oeding’s objection to the motion. Seventy-one percent (732 faculty members) voted not to consider a vote of no confidence, while 23% (237 faculty members) voted that they would like to consider a vote of no confidence. Six percent abstained. The meeting was ended, and a vote of no confidence in Hardgrave was never held.
learn newly hired Head Coach Emanuel Brown resigned and would not return. The kids rallied and have won three games in January after starting 0-4. The Junior Varsity schedule was cancelled, after Brown resigned, due to lack of bus drivers. Coach Button said the kids on the JV are now on Varsity team. The Lady Dogs improved to 7-7 overall and 2-1 in the Area. OHS girls and boys
hosted Eufaula Tuesday night in a key area game. The results were not available at press time. Russell County travels to OHS Friday night in another area game. AHSAA WINTER SPORTS The Alabama High School Athletic Association continues to monitor winter sports and how teams are affected by COVID. The AHSAA Medical Advisory Committee
evaluates data on a regular basis and is hoping that winter sports are able to finish the season. The association is hoping spring sports are able to start and finish. Having these sports play outside is a huge positive. Stay tuned for details. HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL OPENINGS ACROSS ALABAMA Several high schools across Alabama have hired new coaches,
while some schools are looking to fill vacancies. Vestavia Hills, Alma Bryant, McAdory, Benjamin Russell and Gulf Shores hired new head football coaches. Russell County has not filled its vacant job after Warrior head coach Mark Rose resigned in the middle of the season. Charles Henderson opened up last week after Brad McCoy resigned. I am hearing Eufaula head
coach Ed Rigby is the front runner for the Charles Henderson job. Rigby’s wife is the girls’ head basketball coach at Troy University. I am hearing rumors of other coaches in East Alabama making a change. The open jobs across Alabama should be filled by the end of February in order for the new coach to be present prior to Spring. Stay tuned for details.
B6 January 20, 2021
Unique Thompson named to Auburn women’s tennis announces 2021 spring schedule Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Contributed by Wesley Todd/AU Athletics
Nine home matches and an early start to Southeastern Conference play highlight the 2021 Auburn women’s tennis spring schedule, which was announced last Monday. Auburn began play Sunday, Jan. 17, on the road at Furman, before playing at home for the first time on Friday, Jan. 22, against Samford. The Tigers will then trek to Jacksonville to take on North Florida on Jan. 24, then return home for another Friday match against South Florida on Jan. 29. Non-conference play wraps up the next weekend with road matches at Georgia Tech and Clemson. The 2021 SEC schedule will have the same home/ away designations as the 2020 season; only two
weekends of league play were completed before last season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, two open weeks are built into the conference schedule this season in case of postponements. Conference play opens Feb. 19-21 as the Tigers host South Carolina and Florida. The next weekend (Feb. 26-28) sees a road trip to Vanderbilt and Kentucky. A threematch home stand follows, beginning with a showdown against rival Alabama on Saturday, March 6. The next weekend will feature home contests against Mississippi State (March 11) and Ole Miss (March 13). After an open week, the Tigers head to Arkansas (March 26) and Missouri (March 28), then return to Auburn for the final two home matches of the season
against Texas A&M (April 1) and LSU (April 3). The regular season wraps up April 8-10 with matches at Tennessee and Georgia. The SEC Tournament begins April 19 in Tuscaloosa. Admission is free to all home tennis matches, which are played at the Yarbrough Tennis Center on Richland Road in Auburn. Fans are welcome to attend any matches played outdoors and must wear face coverings and maintain social distancing. Head coach Caroline Lilley is in her second season at the helm of the Auburn women’s tennis program. The Tigers posted an 8-6 dual match record in the abbreviated 2020 season. For the latest on Auburn women’s tennis, follow @AuburnWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Contributed by Wesley Todd/AU Athletics
Auburn senior Unique Thompson has been named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch List, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced last Wednesday. Thompson, a 6-foot-3 forward from Theodore, Alabama, has been a dominant force under the basket for the Tigers so far in 2020-21. She leads the SEC and is second nationally
with 15.3 rebounds per game, and she ranks fourth in the SEC in scoring with 18.8 points per contest. Thompson also leads the nation in double-doubles with seven so far this season. She is the nation’s active career leader in rebounds (1,010) and double-doubles (49), and she is the SEC’s active career leader in steals (162). Thompson has posted two games this season with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds; Auburn
2021 Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Aliyah Boston, South Carolina Paige Bueckers, UConn Caitlin Clark, Iowa Charli Collier, Texas Zia Cooke, South Carolina Elissa Cunane, NC State Rennia Davis, Tennessee Chelsea Dungee, Arkansas Dana Evans, Louisville Arella Guirantes, Rutgers Naz Hillmon, Michigan Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
had only had five such performances in program history prior to this season. The SEC leads all conferences with nine selections to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25. Players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2021 John R. Wooden Award Women’s Player of the Year presented by Wendy’s. The winner of the award will be announced following the conclusion of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
Rickea Jackson, Mississippi State Ashley Joens, Iowa State Haley Jones, Stanford N’dea Jones, Texas A&M Aari McDonald, Arizona Olivia Nelson-Ododa, UConn Michaela Onyenwere, UCLA Lindsey Pulliam, Northwestern Destiny Slocum, Arkansas NaLyssa Smith, Baylor Unique Thompson, Auburn Christyn Williams, UConn Kiana Williams, Stanford
Yarbrough, Horton tabbed Softball America’s 2021 Preseason Top 100, Penta named Top 25 Freshmen Contributed by Taylor Shirley/AU Athletics
Softball America released its 2021 Top 100 Collegiate Players last week, and two Tigers earned a spot in the publication’s preseason rankings. After ending her debut season part of SA’s Top 100 of 2020, junior pitcher Samantha Yarbrough remains in the rankings at No. 68. Transferring into the program from Ole Miss, Kaylee Horton checks in at No. 90. Yarbrough appeared in
13 contests, primarily as a relief pitcher. The righthander earned a starting role over the final two weeks of the shortened 2020 season with three starts, two of which were complete-game efforts. Over her debut season with the Tigers, Yarbrough went 6-0 in the circle with a save. She allowed just eight runs over 48.2 innings. Dishing out over 16 innings of scoreless softball, Yarbrough recorded a 1.15 ERA to rank sixth among SEC pitchers. The Fairhope, Alabama, native allowed
just 24 hits and held opponents to a .147 average at the plate. Horton, a transfer from Ole Miss, did compete for the Rebels in 2020, but her defensive strength and pop at the plate is poised for a breakout 2021 campaign for Auburn. During her junior season at Ole Miss, Horton was named to the SEC All-Defensive team after committing just one error in right field. The Jasper, Alabama, native started 61 games and closed the 2019 season with a .290 average,
adding 31 runs and 28 RBI. Horton was tied for second in the SEC with five triples. She added four doubles for a .364 slugging percentage. She tallied 13 multi-hit and eight multiRBI games for the Rebels. On the base paths, Horton went 23-for-29 in steal attempts to rank fourth in the league. Making waves ahead of her collegiate debut, Auburn softball newcomer Maddie Penta was named one of Softball America’s Top 25 College Freshmen this week.
The publication ranked both true freshmen as well as student-athletes that held on to their freshman classification due to COVID-19 pandemic shortening the 2020 season. Penta, a right-handed pitcher, was ranked No. 9 overall by Softball America. Accounting for just true freshmen, Penta was tabbed fourth. The Chesapeake City, Maryland, native joins Auburn’s rotation after being ranked the No. 2 overall recruit of the 2020 class by FloSoftball. She
led Bohemia Manor to three straight state championships and is a two-time Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year. A 2019 USA Today High School AllAmerican, Penta was lights-out in the circle for Bohemia Manor. Penta concluded her prep career with a 49-1 record, a 0.07 ERA and 762 strikeouts in only 321 innings pitched. Just as much of a threat at the plate, Penta slugged 18 home runs over her final two seasons of prep softball.
Auburn women’s golf unveils 2021 spring schedule Contributed by Gregory Ostendorf/AU Athletics
The Auburn women’s golf team is coming off back-to-back top three finishes in the fall, including a victory at the Liz Murphey Fall Collegiate Classic, and will look to carry that momentum into the spring with four tournaments lined up before
the postseason. The 2021 spring schedule was finalized this week. The Tigers will begin the new year in Melbourne, Florida, where they will compete in the Moon Invitational on Feb. 14-16. The annual tournament, hosted by the University of Louisville at Duran Golf Club, is
sponsored by Anne (Hutto) Moon and her husband Dan. Moon played golf at Auburn in the early 2000s under former head coach Kim Evans. Auburn will play two tournaments in the month of March, beginning with the Gamecock Intercollegiate hosted by South Carolina. The threeday competition will take
place from March 1-3 at the Columbia Country Club. Two weeks later, Auburn will travel to Athens, Georgia, to compete in the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic. The tournament, scheduled for March 19-21, will be held at the UGA Golf Course, the same course where the Tigers won their team title in
the fall and where Megan Schofill earned medalist honors as an individual. Auburn will wrap up the spring slate with the LSU Tiger Golf Classic, a twoday event that will take place April 6-7 from the LSU Golf Course in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This year’s SEC Championship will once again be held at
Greystone Golf & Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama. The tournament is scheduled for April 14-18. The NCAA Regionals are set for May 10-12 with locations to be determined, while the NCAA Championship will begin May 21 from the Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.
B7 January 20, 2021
OHS Boys and Girls top LaFayette
Photos by Robert Noles / Opelika Observer
B8 January 20, 2021
Opelika Dawg Pound holds end-of-season banquet
Photos contributed by Nia Jordan, Purposeful Moments Photography
OHS wrestlers hit the mat
Photos by Robert Noles/Opelika Observer
Opelika, L ee County & A labama Politics
B9
January 20, 2021
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
Prison issues continue
A
s the 2021 Regular Legislative Session looms, the elephant in the room is the prison issue. The situation has grown more dire and imminent because the U.S. Justice Department has now filed suit against the State of Alabama. When Kay Ivey took office in January of 2019, she and the new legislature knew that they were going to have to address the prison problem in the state. Fixing prisons is not a popular issue. It wins you no votes to fi x a broken prison system. Prisoners do not vote. However, victims of crime generally are voters, and they are adamant and vociferous in their beliefs that those who committed crimes should be put behind bars, locked up and the keys thrown away. Judges also believe in strict prison sentences, especially in Alabama. Our judges are elected in the Heart of Dixie. Therefore, our prisons are overcrowded. Our men’s prisons are currently at 157% capacity. Gov. Ivey and this legislature did not cause this problem. It has been building up and festering for years. The chickens have just come home to roost under their watch. Alabama prisons have been overcrowded and understaffed for years. Ivey’s predecessor, former Gov. Robert Bentley, proposed legislation that would have built new prisons with a bond issue. Lawmakers considered several courses of action but never came up with a solution. The major obstacles to fi nding a remedy through legislative action is the cost factor and the location of any new prisons. Having a state prison in your district is a political plum for any legislator, especially those in rural districts. A prison is an economic boon to locals. It not only provides a host of jobs, but also has peripheral economic benefits. The state realized the seriousness of this problem in April of 2019 when the Department of Justice stepped in and said Alabama has to do something or they will. The Feds have in the past taken over Alabama’s Prison System during the
By Will Fairless Associate Editor
STEVE FLOWERS George Wallace vs. Judge Frank Johnson era. In recent years the federal government has taken over California’s prison system due to overcrowding. The ultimate leniency threshold seems to be 150% capacity. When the Justice Department sent the warning, we were at 175% capacity. During the 2019 legislative session, the legislature, led by Senator Cam Ward, took some actions toward recidivism that has had an immediate impact. The Justice Department edict not only called Alabama out on overcrowding; it also addressed the excessive violence and the lack of mental health treatment among the inmates. However, they hung their hat on the constitutional rights that Alabama’s prisoners are not being provided adequate human conditions of confi nement. Therefore, the cornerstone solution is three new mega men’s prisons. Gov. Ivey took the bull by the horns and made an executive decision to proceed without legislative approval or input. She made the decision quietly and without discussion or hesitancy to go with private developers to build three new men’s correction facilities. The proposed sites are in Bibb, Elmore and Escambia Counties. The Department of Corrections already has major prisons in all three of these counties, which makes it a logical decision. Three separate prime developers have been chosen by the governor to fi nance, build and maintain the three prisons that the state would lease and operate. The state’s cost for leasing these facilities would be See FLOWERS, page B10
Gov. Ivey issues statement on Space Command Contributed by the office of Gov. Kay Ivey
Alabama has been selected for the United States Space Command Headquarters. In late December, Gov. Kay Ivey joined officials with Redstone and the City of Huntsville on a call with Pentagon officials to give a final pitch. The governor is proud to announce that Huntsville’s Redstone Region is set to house the headquarters. Last week, Deputy Assistant Secretary
Dream Day Foundation holds 22nd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration
of the Air Force for Instillations Bob Moriarity called Ivey to inform her of Secretary Barbara Barrett’s Space Command Headquarters preferred candidate basing decision. Below is a statement from Ivey. “I couldn’t be more pleased to learn that Alabama will be the new home to the United States Space Command! “Our state has long provided exceptional support for our military and their families as
well as a rich and storied history when it comes to space exploration. This combination only enhances the outstanding relationships we have with the 65 diverse federal agencies on Redstone Arsenal, not to mention the growing presence of the FBI and other federal installations. The bottom line is simple, the Redstone Region is the most natural choice to become home to such an important mission for our country.”
The Dream Day Foundation, with its partners (Kroger, Inc.; McDonald’s of Auburn, Opelika, Shorter and Tuskegee’ Harris Funeral H, Inc.; and Opelika City Council) hosted its 22nd Annual Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Celebration, titled “URMYHERO,” on Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, at 11 a.m. via YouTube. The celebration was dedicated, according to the Foundation, “to those affected by COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter.” Demond Moore was the master of ceremonies, and he introduced every portion of the celebration, which portions included students identifying their heroes (other than parents and grandparents, Lebron James and the Obamas were among the most popular mentions) and sponsor-advertisement
skits recorded by the students. There were also several musical performances, such as of the Black National Anthem and “Grateful” by Demitriace “Chee Chee” Jordan. Dr. Camille Floyd announced the recipients of the Dream Day Scholarship, which was created in 2014 for local high school students. They are: Benét Harris (Opelika High School), Kendarius Spencer (Smiths Station High School), Taylor Smith (Opelika High School), Nathaniel Cornell Davis (Beauregard High School), Taylor Davis (Opelika High School), Carmen Nunn (Opelika High School), Ariel Wilson (Opelika High School) and Braylon Prince (Opelika High School). Dr. Karen Anderson introduce Rev. Clifford Jones and Barbara Patton, who presented the 2021 Dream
Achiever Award. “The Dream Achiever Award is a highly respected and prestigious award presented to an individual or group in Lee County who exemplifies the character and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. throughout the community,” Anderson said. The winner of the 2021 Dream Achiever Award is the Boys and Girls Club of greater Lee County. “This organization has been around for a long time providing support for the young men and women of Lee County, and they’ve done an outstanding job,” Jones said. Marion A. Sankey, the Dream Day Foundation’s founder and executive director, closed the celebration by saying, “Remember, you too can celebrate a hero every day.” The celebration is available in its entirety at youtu. be/1FH_a6pnM94.
Secretary of State’s Office receives first clear financial audit in 14 years Contributed by the office of the Sec. of State
Last week, the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts released the Office of the Secretary of State’s perfect financial audit, marking the first time in more than 14 years that the Secretary of State’s Office had complied with all financial obligations and responsibilities. Prior to Secretary of State John H. Merrill taking office in January of 2015, the agency’s financial operations were on the decline. In the 2005-2007 report, one discrepancy was found, in the 2007-2009 report, three discrepancies were found, and seven discrepancies were found during the period ranging from 2009-2015. These issues ranged from not maintaining personal receipts, not establishing a comprehensive disaster recovery plan, not creating a backup voter registration database, not administering Help America Vote Act funds appropriately, not limiting access to company credit cards, and worse. “Previously, public money was treated as
disposable and there was a severe lack of accountability among the staff,” Merrill said. “When we came into office, we established new expectations, procedures, and standards, and in turn, changed the paradigm for a successfully run government agency. We are excited to announce that the Office of the Secretary of State no longer operates at the speed of government, but instead operates at the speed of business.” This year’s report, which spans from 20152019, found a perfectly clear audit. “Reversing more than 14 years of agency inefficiencies would not be possible without the leadership, dedication, and drive of our seven division heads, and I am incredibly proud of their work ethic and determination to bettering the Office of the Secretary of
State. Their work pays respect to the people of Alabama and makes responsible use of public funds,” he concluded. Secretary Merrill is supported by the following Division Heads: David Brewer: Deputy Secretary of State and Chief of Staff Clay Helms: Deputy Chief of Staff and Elections Director Taylor Freeman: Chief Financial Officer Adam Alexander: Director of Information Systems Shemekwa Farrow: Director of Government Support, Authentications, and Trademarks Elaine Swearengin: Director of Business Services Beth Hall: Director of Uniform Commercial Code Services The Office of the Secretary of State is proud to be in compliance with all state procedures and expectations.
B10 January 20, 2021
On Inauguration Day, the new vice president and Cabinet bring diversity
Today, (Jan. 20, 2021) Joseph R. Biden throws off the -elect from his title and becomes U.S. President. In the audience will be more than a dozen nominees for his Cabinet; if all are confirmed by the Senate, this Cabinet will be the most diverse in American history. While reflecting on this welcome development, I thought about how diversity played a role in two significant Supreme Court justices’ selections. In 1981 President Reagan nominated Sandra Day O’Connor to the High Court. She would become the first woman justice on the Supreme Court. Her judicial background included four years at a county superior court and less than two years on the Arizona State Court of Appeals. In 2021, O’Connor likely would have been passed over, because nominees these days almost always have service at a federal appeals court, not just a state one. (But then again Elena Kagan, now a SCOTUS associate justice, had never been a judge before going on
the U.S. Supreme Court. But she was a longtime faculty member at Harvard Law School.) “Young women today often have very little appreciation for the real battles that took place to get women where they are today in this country,” O’Connor said after joining the court. “I don’t know how much history young women today know about those battles.” In 1981, finding a woman judge anywhere was tough, so O'Connor was chosen despite having no time on a federal bench. She served for 25 years, was the “critical” judge in many cases, and played an ameliorative role as a moderate conservative in bridging the ideologies. Retired since 2006, she is 90 years old. Then, in 1991, the first African American on the court, Thurgood Marshall, retired. As the liberal lion Marshall was the only black person on that court, it was informally felt that the seat should be filled by another African American. This was a problem because black
justices at the highest levels were rare but surely a suitable one could be found. As George H.W. Bush was president, the search committee had another challenge—getting a black justice who was a Republican. Yet they found their man— Clarence Thomas, age 42, a native of Savannah, Georgia. Thomas had a variety of government and legal service, but just 16 months at the federal level. However, those 16 months were at the U.S. Court of Appeals, DC Circuit. That is the highest profile court, except for "the bigone” itself. Thomas had a difficult time pursuing the Supreme Court seat. He faced sexual harassment charges but prevailed over them. He was haunted by the fact that many liberal African Americans were insulted that a conservative black was replacing their hero Marshall. But he triumphed and is now the longest serving member on the court, the Senior Associate Justice. “I’d grown up fearing the lynch mobs of the Ku
Despite criticisms, Alabama’s environment is best it’s been since standards were first measured By Lance LeFleur Director, Alabama Department of Environmental Management
As the director of the state agency charged with safeguarding Alabama’s environment, I have great respect for and deep appreciation of our state’s wonderful natural resources and rich biodiversity of species and habitats, including many that are unique to Alabama. Protecting human health and those environmental treasures is precisely the reason the Alabama Department of Environmental Management exists. That’s why it concerns me when critics take unjustified cheap shots at ADEM and the work it does to protect, preserve and enhance the environment. Some blame “lax enforcement” of environmental regulations in part for the loss of rare species, or attempt to paint ADEM as an underfunded agency under threat of federal takeover by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Those characterizations are clearly and demonstrably wrong. Let’s look at the facts. By any environmental quality measure – fewer impaired waters, more waters classified or designated as high quality, exceptionally high-qual-
ity drinking water, air meeting all quality standards, extensive remediation of legacy soil contamination – the quality of the environment in Alabama is the best it’s been since environmental quality was first measured. And it’s getting even better. For example, 82% of the rivers and streams that were listed in 1998 as impaired for any combination of pollutants have since been removed from the list. There are also well-documented significant reductions to pollution impairments of lakes, reservoirs, bays and estuaries in Alabama. Since 1982, the state has had 805 miles of rivers and streams classified as Outstanding National Resource Waters, 343 miles classified as Outstanding Alabama Waters, and 40,065 acres (Lake Martin) designated as a Treasured Alabama Lake. ADEM had a direct hand in those achievements. In 2019, less than 2% of the public drinking water systems in Alabama had any healthbased water quality violations for the 89 contaminants monitored. Based on EPA data, only one state, Hawaii, had a lower number of violations than Alabama. With air, Alabama has been in attainment with
all National Ambient Air Quality Standards since 2015. Those standards cover particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and lead. Over the past 30 years, releases of those contaminants have dropped by an average of 83%. That is a collective breath of fresh air for Alabamians. Since 1989, ADEM’s land division has overseen the closure of all 141 unlined municipal solid waste landfills, the elimination of 1,880 unauthorized dumps and the cleanup of 341 illegal tire dumps containing nearly 10 million scrap tires. Statewide waste reduction through recycling increased from 5% to 25%, more than 11,000 leaking underground storage tanks were cleaned up, and more than 400 of the 611 brownfields (polluted industrial sites) have been cleaned and returned to productive use. ADEM led each of these efforts. While it’s true that some rare species in Alabama are under threat, it’s also true that in recent years many species have come under more protection and are less endangered than in the past. The bald eagle, osprey, beach mouse, gopher tortoise, salamanders, freshwater mussels, See ALABAMA, page B12
By Greg Markley Klux Klan; as an adult I was starting to wonder if I’d been afraid of the wrong white people all along – where I was being pursued not by bigots in white robes, but by left-wing zealots draped in flowing sanctimony,” Thomas said a few years into his court tenure. If confirmed by the Senate, the new president’s Cabinet/ sub-Cabinet will include 10 women, three African Americans, two Latinos and the first LGBTQ secretary, Pete Buttigieg at the Department of Education. Also, there will be the first African American leader of the Defense Department, Lloyd Austin, an Alabama native who received a master’s degree from
FLOWERS>> FROM B9 capped at a total of $88 million a year. The Department of Corrections and the Governor say they can pay for the leases on new prisons through cost savings. A good many legislators do not like Governor Ivey’s unilateral decision to proceed with contracting for new prisons without
Auburn University. Deb Haaland, a former congresswoman, becomes the first Native American Cabinet secretary. It's amazing that American Indians were here before the rest of us, yet the secretary of the Department of the Interior has never been one of them. In Georgia on Jan. 5, history was made by two U.S. Senate candidates who had never run for political office. John Ossoff became the first Jewish senator from Georgia, and the youngest senator now serving, at age 33. Rev. Raphael Warnock is the lead preacher at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. He is the first African American to serve as a Senator in Peach State history. Upon taking his Oath today (Jan. 20), Joe Biden becomes the oldest president not only for a firsttermer, but overall. Kamala Harris makes history as the first woman vice president. She will also be the highest-ranking female elected official in U.S. history, eclipsing Nancy Pelosi, the
their consent. This is a big-ticket item that the legislature would like to be involved with since they are responsible for the funding and balancing of the state’s budgets. The legislature will also need to address other issues outlined in the Department of Justice edict. This major issue of overcrowding seems to be a big tar-baby that the
House Speaker. She is also the first African American and first Asian American vice president-elect. “I have just as much right to stay in America – in fact, the black people have contributed more to America than any other race, because our kids have fought here for what was called ‘democracy’; our mothers and fathers were sold and bought here for a price.” So said civil rights hero Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1977), of Mississippi. She didn’t live to see all the fruits of her work. But she will be at the Inauguration in spirit. She supports changes because otherwise she would be “sick and tired of being sick and tired” for no reason. Greg Markley first moved to Lee County in 1996. He has master's degrees in education and history. He taught politics as an adjunct in Georgia and Alabama. An award-winning writer in the Army and civilian life, he has contributed to the Observer for eight years. He can be reached at gm.markley@charter.net
state legislature and governor have to focus on and resolve in the year 2021. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
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B11 January 20, 2021
PUBLIC NOTICES NOTICE TO CREDITORS ESTATE OF SHIRLEY GENE HUEY, Deceased PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY CASE NO. 2020-515 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Take Notice that LETTERS TESTAMENTARY of the-Estate of SHIRLEY GENE HUEY are hereby granted to Linda H-. Ledbetter on the 18th day of December, 2020, by the Honorable Bill English, Judge of the Probate Com1 of Lee County, Alabama. Notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will be barred. LINDA H. LEDBETTER Legal Run 01/06/2021, 01/13/2021, & 01/20/2021 -------------IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA FAMILY COURT: DOMESTIC RELATIONS IN RE THE MARRIAGE OF: JOHN MARSHALL, JR, Plaintiff vs. NELLIE MARSHALL, Defendant. Civil Action Number DR2020-900209 NOTICE OF DIVORCE NELLIE KATE MARSHALL, Defendant, whose whereabouts is unknown, must answer JOHN MARSHALL, JR'S complaint for divorce and other relief by March 05, 2021 or, thereafter, a judgment by default may be rendered against him/her in Case No. DR"2020•900209, Circuit Court of Lee County, Alabama.2021'. Done the 7th Day of January, 2021 Mary B. Roberson, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Lee County. Margaret Y. Brown Attorney for Plaintiff 214 North College Street Auburn, Alabama 36830 (334) 821-6944 Legal Run 01/13/21, 01/20/21, 01/27/21 & 02/03/21 -------------IN RE: MARRIAGE OF STEVEN FARROW, PLAINTIFF VS. LAKESHIA FARROW, DEFENDANT IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA CASE NO.: DR-2019000030.00 NOTICE OF DIVORCE ACTION LAKESHIA FARROW, Whose whereabouts are unknown, must answer STEVEN FARROW’S Petition for Divorce and other relief by the 12th day of March, 2021, or thereafter judgment by default may be rendered against him in Case No. DR-2019000030.00, Circuit Court of Lee County, Alabama. DONE this the 10th day of January, 2021. Mary Roberson, CIRCUIT CLERK, LEE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT Legal Run 01/20/21, 01/27/21, 02/03/21 & 02/10/2021. -------------STATE OF ALABAMA LEE COUNTY PROBATE COURT CASE NO. 2021-001 ESTATE OF MELINDA ELIZABETH ROGERS MEALS, DECEASED NOTICE OF APPOINT-
MENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE Letters Testamentary of said Melinda Elizabeth Rogers Meals, deceased, having been granted to John Ryan Meals, this 12th day of January 2021, by the Honorable Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court of Lee County, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by the law or the same will be barred. John Ryan Meals, Personal Representative Jeffery A. Hilyer Attorney at Law P.O. Box 30 Opelika, Alabama 368030030 334-745-2564 Legal Run 01/20/21, 01/27/21 & 02/03/21 -------------NOTICE OF COURT PROCEEDING CASE NO: 2021-019 IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Notice of the filing of Petition for Summary Distribution In the Estate of JACKIE TEETERS STANLEY, deceased Notice is hereby given that a Petition for Summary Distribution has been filed in the LEE COUNTY Probate Office by Donna Lynne Frazier on January 15, 2021, pursuant to Section 432-690, Code of Alabama and that 30 days after the notice of publication hereof and pursuant to law the Court shall be requested to enter an Order directing Summary Distribution of the estate of said decedent. BILL ENGLISH PROBATE JUDGE Legal Run 01/20/2021 -------------NOTICE OF COURT PROCEEDING CASE NO. 2020-532 IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA In the Estate of Abigail Faith Darnell, deceased Notice is hereby given that a Petition for Summary Distribution has been filed in the LEE COUNTY Probate Office by Jill Darnell on December 29, 2020, pursuant to Section 43-2-690, Code of Alabama and that 30 days after the notice of publication hereof and pursuant to law the Court shall be requested to enter an Order directing Summary Distribution of the estate of said decedent. BILL ENGLISH, PROBATE JUDGE Legal Run 01/20/2021 -------------SYNOPSIS OF ZONING NOTICE The City Council of the City of Opelika will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, February 16, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. in the Courtroom of the Opelika Municipal Court Building, 300 Martin Luther King Boulevard, Opelika, Lee County, Alabama, to consider the adoption of an ordinance to amend the Development Plan for Village of Waterford PUD (Phases 3, 4 and 5). The applicants, Roger W. Fleming and Dawn Fleming, have heretofore submitted to the City Council a proposed amended Development Plan for Phases 3, 4 and
5 of Village of Waterford PUD. The proposed Amended Development Plan provides for 199 single-family residential lots for Phases 3, 4 and 5. The minimum residential lot size will be 4,900 square feet and the minimum lot width will be 36 feet. The minimum building setbacks will be 18 feet for front and rear lots and 5 feet on side yards. Public Notice of this public hearing with insertion of the proposed ordinance was first published on January 13, 2021, in the Opelika Observer. This notice is given pursuant to Section 11-52-78 Code of Alabama (1975). THIS NOTICE is given under my hand this the 20th day of January, 2021. /s/ Russell A. Jones CITY CLERK OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA, ALABAMA Legal 01/20/2021 -------------CITY OF OPELIKA SYNOPSIS OF ZONING NOTICE The City Council of the City of Opelika will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, February 16, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. in the Courtroom of the Opelika Municipal Court Building, 300 Martin Luther King Boulevard, Opelika, Lee County, Alabama, to consider the adoption of an ordinance to amend the Zoning Ordinance and the Zoning Map of the City of Opelika by rezoning or redistricting the parcels of land hereinafter described so as to change such parcel from one class of district to another class of district, as follows: From a R-3 District (Low-Density Residential District), M-2 District (an Industrial District) and a I-1 District (Institutional District) to a Planned Unit Development (PUD), the parcels of land hereinafter described: PARCEL A Commencing at the southwest corner of Section 4, T-19-N, R-27-E in Opelika, Lee County, Alabama; thence N87 0 16 1 38”E, 1402.86 feet; thence N89 0 22 146”E, 500.03 feet; thence N89 0 22 1 36 1 ‘E, 387.76 feet to a 1” open-top iron pin; thence N19 005 1 12”W, 457.42 feet to a 1/2” rebar and the True Point of Beginning of the Parcel of Land herein described; thence N19 0 52’48”W, 43.93 feet to a 1” opentop iron pin; thence N47 0 11’28”W, 461.61 feet to a 1” open-top iron pin; thence N7 0 38’45”W, 131.23 feet to a 1/2” rebar with cap marked LS26956; thence N8 0 26’13 11 W, 74.94 feet to a 1/2 11 rebar with cap marked LS26956; thence N8 0 18’23”W, 75.15 feet to a 1/2” rebar with cap marked LS26956; thence N8 0 12’10”W, 74.85 feet to a 1/2” rebar; thence N8 021’38”W, 147.44 feet to a 1/2” rebar with an unreadable cap; thence N81 044 1 34”E, 73.55 feet to a 1-1/2” x 2-1/2” angle iron; thence N81 0 32’08 tl E, 73.09 feet to a 11/2” x 2-1/2” angle iron; thence N81 0 31 1 48”E, 51.52 feet to a 1-1/2” x 2-1/2” angle iron; thence N69 0 38 1 21”E, 71.03 feet to a 1/2” rebar with cap marked LSI 1232; thence N69 035’40”E, 115.00 feet to a 1/2” rebar with cap marked
LS11232; thence N69 D 35 140”E, 89.96 feet to a 1/2” rebar; thence N89 003’19”E, 75.72 feet to a set 1/2” rebar with cap marked LS18677 and the westerly R/W line of Douglas Street; thence, along said R/W line, southwesterly along a curve concave northwesterly and having a radius of 270.00 feet, an arc length of 23.17 feet, and a chord bearing and distance of S7 045’11”W, 23.16 feet to a 5” square concrete monument; thence S10 0 13’14”W, 198.80 feet to a 5 11 square concrete monument; thence southeasterly along a curve concave northeasterly and having a radius of 330.00 feet, an arc length of 380.10 feet, and a chord bearing and distance of S22 048 t 01”E, 359.43 feet to a 5” square concrete monument; thence S55 04T35”E, 460.72 feet to a 5” square concrete monument; thence southeasterly along a curve concave southwesterly and having a radius of 270.00 feet, an arc length of 198.84 feet, and a chord bearing and distance of S34 046 1 37”E, 194.38 feet to a set 1/2” rebar with cap marked LS18677; thence, leaving said R/W line, S89 0 05 1 29”W, 698.38 feet to the True Point of Beginning. Containing 12.252 Acres, more or less. PARCEL B Commencing at the southwest corner of Section 4, T-19-N, R-27-E in Opelika, Lee County, Alabama; thence N87 0 16’38 11 E, 1402.86 feet; thence N89 0 22 146”E, 500.03 feet; thence N89 0 22’36 1’E, 387.76 feet to a 1” open-top iron pin; thence N19 0 05 t 12”W, 457.42 feet to a 1/2” rebar; thence N89 0 05 1 29”E, 698.38 feet to a set 1/2” rebar with cap marked LS18677 on the westerly R/W line of Douglas Street; thence, leaving said R/W line, N89 005’29”E, 60.75 feet to a set 1/2” rebar with cap marked LS18677 on the easterly R/W line of Douglas Street and the True Point of Beginning of the Parcel of Land herein described; thence, along said R/W line, northwesterly along a curve concave southwesterly and having a radius of 330.00 feet, an arc length of 256.42 feet, and a chord bearing and distance of N33 0 31B9”W, 250.02 feet to a damaged 5” square concrete monument; thence N55 047’20”W, 460.48 feet to a 5” square concrete monument; thence northwesterly along a curve concave northeasterly and having a radius of 270.00 feet, an arc length of 311.25 feet, and a chord bearing and distance of N22 0 45’54”W, 294.30 feet to a 5” square concrete monument; thence N10 0 12’01”E, 198.81 feet to a damaged 5” square concrete monument; thence northeasterly along a curve concave northwesterly and having a radius of 330.00 feet, an arc length of 63.97 feet, and a chord bearing and distance of N4 049 1 04”E, 63.87 feet to a damaged 5 1 ‘ square concrete monument; thence N1 0 12’58”W, 58.22 feet to a set 1/2” rebar with cap marked LS18677; thence northwesterly along a curve concave southwesterly and having
a radius of 430.00 feet, an arc length of 34.39 feet, and a chord bearing and distance of N3 0 12’42”W, 34.38 feet to a 1/2” rebar, bent; thence, leaving said R/W line, N84 0 29’20”E, 145.32 feet to a 1/2” rebar, bent; thence N75 0 19’29”E, 119.26 feet to a point in the center of a branch; thence, leaving said branch, N89 0 01’04”E, 90.53 feet to a 1/2” rebar with an unreadable cap; thence N88 057’24”E, 79.96 feet to a 1/2” rebar with an unreadable cap; thence N89 0 02 1 26”E, 79.97 feet to a 1/2” rebar with an unreadable cap; thence N89 0 03 1 21”E, 79.85 feet to a 1/2” rebar; thence S0 0 56 1 33”E, 730.96 feet to a 1/2” rebar; thence N61 0 23’24”E, 200.00 feet to a set 1/2” rebar with cap marked LS18677; thence S0 0 56 1 33”E, 502.46 feet to a set 1/2” rebar with cap marked LS18677; thence S89 0 05’29”W, 191.11 feet to the True Point of Beginning. Containing 13.304 Acres, more or less. ALSO: Lots 13 and 14 of A Re-subdivision of Lot-6 & a Portion of Lot-8 Fox Run Industrial Park First Revision First Addition as recorded in Plat Book 13, Page 60, Probate Office, Lee County, Alabama. LESS & EXCEPT that area dedicated for Douglas Street through the middle of said lots. Containing 16.23 Acres, more or less. The above-described property, containing approximately 38.4 acres, is located at the terminus of Fox Run Parkway and lies on each side of Douglas Street. The Development Plan (Master Plan) provides for a residential development consisting of 51 single-family detached homes and 3 undeveloped common lots. Public Notice of this public hearing with insertion of the proposed ordinance was first published on January 13, 2021, in the Opelika Observer. This notice is given pursuant to Section 1152-78 Code of Alabama (1975). The City Council reserves the right to modify or alter any of the proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinance. All interested persons are invited to attend the public hearing and be heard. Written comments concerning the above matter may be mailed to the City Clerk at P.O. Box 390, Opelika, AL 36803 at any time prior to the public hearing and may be further submitted to the City Council at the meeting and the public hearing. Please contact Kevin Rice, the City’s ADA Coordinator, at 334-7052083 at least two (2) working days prior to the meeting if you require special accommodations due to any disability. THIS NOTICE is given under my hand this the 20th day of January, 2021. /s/ Russell A. Jones CITY CLERK OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA Legal Run 01/20/2021
-------------SYNOPSIS OF ZONING NOTICE The City Council of the City of Opelika will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, February 16, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. in the Courtroom of the Opelika Municipal Court Building, 300 Martin Luther King Boulevard, Opelika, Lee County, Alabama, to consider the adoption of an ordinance to amend the Zoning Ordinance and the Zoning Map of the City of Opelika by rezoning or redistricting the parcel of land hereinafter described so as to change such parcel from one class of district to another class of district, as follows: From a R-4 District (Medium Density Residential District) to a C-2 District (Office/Retail District), the parcel of land hereinafter described: That certain property consisting of 21.20 acres of land at terminus of Center Point Subdivision and designated for future development on that certain plat of Center Point Subdivision First Revisions and First Addition recorded in Plat Book 14, at Page 152, in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Lee County, Alabama. LESS AND EXCEPT, all of the portion of the above-described property that is currently zoned R-4. The above-described property is located at the terminus of Enterprise Drive and Center Hills Drive and contains approximately 14.3 acres. Public Notice of this public hearing with insertion of the proposed ordinance was first published on January 13, 2021, in the Opelika Observer. This notice is given pursuant to Section 11-52-78 Code of Alabama (1975). All interested persons are invited to attend the public hearing and be heard. Written comments concerning the above matter may be mailed to the City Clerk at P.O. Box 390, Opelika, AL 36803 at any time prior to the public hearing and may be further submitted to the City Council at the meeting and the public hearing. Please contact Kevin Rice, the City’s ADA Coordinator, at 334-705-2083 two (2) working days prior to the meeting if you require special accommodations due to any disability. THIS NOTICE is given under my hand this the 20th day of January, 2021. /s/ Russell A. Jones CITY CLERK OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA, ALABAMA Legal Run 01/20/2021 -------------NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT ESTATE OF JEROLD EDWARD LANGLEY, DECEASED COURT OF PROBATE LEE COUNTY Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to the undersigned on the 23rd day of December, 2020, by the Hon. Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court of Lee County, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will barred. Witness our hands, and dated this the 23rd day of December, 2020. ANNETTE SUMMERALL LANGLEY Legal Run 01/20/2021, 01/27/2021 & 02/03/2021
B12 January 20, 2021
ALABAMA>> FROM B10 crayfish and darters are among them. Unfortunately, a lot of what ADEM does to protect the state’s water, air and land goes unnoticed or is misunderstood by the public and the media. Several environmental organizations even sued to end ADEM’s authority to oversee federal Clean Water Act programs in Alabama,
falsely claiming ADEM was not tough enough on polluters. EPA data show a different picture. According to that data, Alabama is consistently among the states with the lowest levels of non-compliance by entities subject to environmental regulation. Yet, despite low non-compliance, total monetary penalties assessed by ADEM have been among the top five in the nation.
That is clearly not lax enforcement. Not surprising to us, the federal court soundly rejected the groups’ claims and maintained ADEM’s authority. We enforce Clean Water rules and other federal regulations – and do it more effectively, EPA data say, than most states. Can more be done, such as improved local land-use practices and citizen action, to add to the protections we
already have in place? Of course. Good environmental stewardship and economic prosperity are not mutually exclusive. But let us not ignore the fact that the state of the environment in Alabama is among the best in the nation and getting better. I can assure Alabamians this department will continue to work to protect human health, the environment and all of our state’s natural wonders.
Contributed by the Auburn Chamber of Commerce
Auburn businesses should now renew their business licenses for 2021. Business licenses may be renewed online using the Citizen Self Service portal (selfservice. auburnalabama. org/css/default. aspx). If it is the first time a busi-
ness is using the portal, contact the city of Auburn’s Revenue Office to link a business to an account. Additionally, a renewal notice can be emailed to a business by contacting the Revenue Office at (334) 501-7239 or revenue@auburnalabama.org. The last date to renew a 2021 business license on time is Tuesday, Feb. 16.
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Deanco Auction 3664 S Oates St., Dothan, AL 36301
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OPELIKA CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY
LEARN HOW YOU CAN HELP MAINTAIN A SAFE COMMUNITY The Opelika Police Department invites Opelika citizens to join them for an eight week hands on learning course. Each week will cover various aspects of police work within the City of Opelika.
EVERY THURSDAY MARCH 25 TO MAY 13 6-8 P.M.
FREE 8 WEEK PROGRAM TOPICS COVERED • PATROL DIVISION • INVESTIGATIONS • TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT • K9 UNIT • SWAT TEAM • FIRE ARMS TRAINING SYSTEM
APPLICATION DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 19
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT OPELIKAPD.ORG
B13 January 20, 2021
Like crossword puzzles? Sudoku? Play online at www.opelikaobserver.com/puzzles/
B14 January 20, 2021
IS YOUR HEATING/COOLING SYSTEM READY FOR THE FALL? CALL US TODAY
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334-745-4618
GENUINE LEATHER BELTS
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This week’s puzzle answers: