pelika Observer O Vol. 11, No. 32
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Opelika, Alabama
MAY 12 -18
MAY 15 IS NATIONAL PEACE OFFICERS MEMORIAL DAY
“By local people, for local people.”
Third annual ‘O Beauregard artist Rachel Wright working with community to create art piece honoring tornado victims Day in the Village’ slated for May 25
Photo by Robert Noles/Opelika Observer By Morgan Bryce Editor
Photo special to the Opelika Observer By Morgan Bryce Editor Beauregard artist and resident Rachel Wright is nearing completion on a piece that will celebrate the lives of the 23 individuals who lost their lives in her community during the March 3 tornadoes.
Following conversations with survivors and victim’s families, Wright said she was inspired to create a piece of art that she and the entire Beauregard community could help create. “I wanted to do something that was beautiful and all-encompassing, as
well as something that people affected by the storm could participate in. Then (one of the victim’s family members) talked about ‘their angel,’ and it just clicked for me right there,” Wright said. The piece will include oval, hand-painted pieces of canvas applied to angel
wing shaped pieces of plywood. Wright has distributed pieces to adults and children alike, encouraging them to paint in a way that best expresses themselves and emotions regarding the events of March 3. Survivor Kayla Grimes See Wright, page A3
Guiding youth toward a better and brighter future as well as uniting Opelika and the rest of Lee County in a fun, family-friendly way are the goals of the third-annual “O Day in the Village” event May 25 from 1 to 8 p.m. at Covington Park. According to Event Organizer Teddy Houston, attendance has steadily increased the last two years, jumping from nearly 1,000 in 2017 to more than 1,500 people
last year. “I believe a reason for that growth is the fact that this is an alcohol and drug-free event, which is the cornerstone of this event,” Houston said. Because of generous donations and sponsorships, each aspect of the event is free for those in attendance, Houston said. The menu will consist of main dishes including hamburgers, hot dogs, ribs, with sides ranging from baked beans and potato salad to macaroni and cheese. See O Day, page A3
Local author to release book compiling New Opelika art gallery letters to the ‘First Man’, Neil Armstrong ‘Art Haus’ holds art show for Opelika City Schools By Morgan Bryce Editor
Purdue University Press and retired Auburn University professor Dr. James Hansen are collaborating on a new book which compiles some of the most interesting correspondence that astronaut Neil Armstrong received in the days, weeks, months and years after the successful Apollo 11 mission. Titled “Dear Neil Armstrong: Letters to the First Man from All Mankind,” this first installment of a planned three-part series
will help people understand how the astronaut’s accomplishment captivated people not only in the United States, but around
the world. This book has been several years in the making, according to Hansen. Poring through the nearly 75,000 pieces of correspondence Purdue maintains in its library’s archive and deciding what should be published was a major challenge, he said. “Almost all of the letters interested me in some way. The letters to Neil didn’t say a lot him, but a lot about us, a study of his iconography and how important he was to our culture,” Hansen
See Armstrong, page A3
Index
OPINION.....................................A4 SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY..............A7 RELIGION..............................A12 CALENDAR..................................A14
By Todd Rauch For the Opelika Observer The Superintendent’s Art Exhibit is always a special way that school-aged artists get to display their talents. On May 11, select artists and winner of the Superintendent’s Art Exhibit had their art displayed in a real-life soon-to-open art studio in Opelika called the Art Haus. Becky Brown the DirecSee Art Haus, page A3
SPORTS................................B1 LEGALS.................................B4 POLITICS.......................................B9 ENTERTAINMENT......................B14
Photo special to the Opelika Observer
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