The Observer 6-23-2022 E-edition

Thursday June 23, 2022

Vol. 14, No. 37

Opelika, Alabama

Covering Lee County, Alabama

An award-winning publication created 'For local people, by local people.'

Community Selects New Lee County District 4 Commissioner

Author Simon Bailey to Speak in Opelika

BY JUSTIN TRAUSCH AND MICHELLE KEY

LEE COUNTY — The Lee County Commission seat for District 4 has finally been decided after Tuesday’s runoff election.

Newcomer Tony Langley has defeated incumbent Robert Ham after gaining 63.87% of the vote versus Ham’s 36.13%.

This was Langley’s first time running for public office, and his victory means the District 4 seat will not be occupied by Ham for the first time in 12 years. There was plenty of speculation about Ham’s ability to retain his seat after the razor-thin primary election, and those doubts have proven to be true.

Langley finished just 1.25% behind Ham in the primary election in May, and combined he and candidate Greg Boddie garnered two-thirds of the vote.

BAILEY

BY HANNAH LESTER HLESTER@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

LANGLEY "I would like to thank all the people who got out and voted yesterday in the runoff election," Langley said. "Thank you for your support and faith

in me to do the job as Commissioner District 4.

A special thank you for all of the guys and girls that got out and volunteered at the polling sites and for

OPS Offers EnergySaving Tips CONTRIBUTED BY OPS

OPELIKA — Opelika Power Services and the Alabama Municipal Electric Authority are offering summer energy-saving tips to help citizens save a few dollars. While consumers are feeling the crunch of higher gas prices at the pump, electric utilities are also feeling the pressures of higher natural gas prices for electric generation; thus, consumers will feel these same pressures in higher utility bills.

Fortunately, you don’t have to boil in the summer

heat just to save a few bucks. By following these simple summer energy-saving tips, you can keep the temperature, and your budget, well within the comfort zone.

AIR CONDITIONING: Move the temperature on your air conditioner up a few degrees; 78 degrees is great when you are at home.

Use fans. They make a room feel 4° to 6° cooler.

Run your ceiling fan blades in a counterclockwise direction (as you look up at the fan.) Use a high speed to blow air straight down and get the best

effect.

Keep out the sun and hot air by making sure your windows and doors are closed tightly. Close blinds or drapes on windows that get direct sunlight. Shade your outside AC units or condensers.

Keep your house warmer than normal when you are away. Set or program your air conditioning to be 5° warmer when you’re gone for more than four hours.

Avoid setting your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you do turn on your air conditioner.

See OPS, page A3

8 2 e n u J . m . p 7 at

e s u M

bearing the heat. Thanks again for your vote as it is time to go to work for the citizens of Lee County as we move forward."

See ELECTION page A5

OPELIKA — Author Simon T. Bailey will host a meet and greet on Friday ahead of the Black Male Summit through the Dream Day Foundation.

Bailey is the au-

thor of "Release Your Brilliance", along with many other books, and a copy of the book will be provided to all young men, high-school and college-aged, in attendance on Friday.

“I met Simon over See BAILEY page A5

Opelika Main Street Receives 2022 Accreditation

CONTRIBUTED BY OPELIKA MAIN STREET

OPELIKA — Opelika Main Street has been designated as an Accredited Main Street America program for meeting rigorous performance standards.

Each year, Main Street America and its partners announce the list of accredited programs to recognize their exceptional commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the

Main Street Approac.

“We are extremely proud to recognize this year’s 863 nationally Accredited Main Street America programs that have worked tirelessly to advance economic vitality and quality of life See MAIN STREET, page A3

CONTENTS

OPINION ..................... A4 ENTERTAINMENT ........... A7 OBITUARIES ............... A13 RELIGION ................... A14 COMICS ....................... A16 SPORTS ........................ B1 POLITICS ...................... B9 CLASSIFIEDS ................ B14 PUBLIC NOTICES ........... B14 PUZZLES ..................... B15

A2 June 23, 2022

Lee County REALTORS Donate $23,000 to Local Nonprofits CONTRIBUTED BY LEE COUNTY REALTORS

stands for ‘Building and Sharing Hope,’ and what was raised this year means even more to these organizations,” Harrison said. “With inflation touching all of our lives, it is especial-

most. It’s what realtors do.”

The Food Bank of East Alabama, a partner of Feeding Alabama and Feeding America, works to provide nutritious food to food-in-

nizing food collection and donations, food delivery, coordinating with partner agencies for distribution via food pantries and more. Its service area includes Randolph, Cham-

years.

“Our fundraiser and awards event, BASH,

ly important to support those in our community that are hurting the

secure individuals throughout the region.

Efforts include orga-

bers, Lee, Tallapoosa, Macon, Russell and Barbour counties.

Mercy Medical Ministry & Clinic works to provide medical care to the medically underserved in Lee County and the surrounding area. The clinic provides primary care to the uninsured, which also includes women’s health visits. Family medical care, spiritual counseling and prescription assistance are among the ministry’s services as well.

For more information, please contact Jamie Sergen at 334321-0606, or email jsergen@leecorealtors. com. For more information about the Lee County Association of realtors, visit leecorealtors.org.

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER

AUBURN — A combined effort from local realtors led to a significant donation to two local non-profits recently.

Lee County Association of REALTORS® (LCAR) members raised $23,000 for the Food Bank of East Alabama and Mercy Medical Ministry & Clinic at its annual BASH fundraiser held this year April 21, 2022. LCAR Community Service Chair Hollis Marshall awarded checks to the local nonprofits at their monthly business meeting on May 20, 2022.

Carole Harrison,

LCAR president for 2022, said LCAR has always given back to the community, and the Food Bank of East Alabama and Mercy Medical have been beneficiaries for many

Agent Honored for Exemplary Work Ethic CONTRIBUTED BY ALABAMA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SYSTEM

BY KATIE NICHOLS

AUBURN — To teach, to conduct research and provide services to communities: These arms of the land grant mission are important to all who serve stakeholders in that capacity.

Dani Carroll, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System regional agent for

home grounds, gardens and home pests, was honored by the Alabama Master Gardeners Association for her exceptional contributions to Master Gardener volunteers and their programming statewide.

GARY MURRAY AWARD The Gary Murray Award for Outstanding Service and Dedication is named for the Extension agent who began the Master Gardener program in Alabama in 1981. His efforts were

extraordinary. This annual award seeks to honor a non-Master Gardener who has made significant contributions to local and statewide programs.

Carroll, who is based in Lee County, has served Master Gardener volunteers and Alabama residents in many Extension capacities.

During her devoted career, she served first as a county agent and now serves as a regional agent.

Kerry Smith, the Master Gardener program coordinator, said it is exciting to see someone who is so deserving receive recognition for a job well done.

“Dani is an incredible example of the impact an individual can have when they are both hard-working and passionate about their job,” Smith said. “She is not someone who seeks recognition, but she has earned it, and it is well deserved.”

range of audiences. She is so passionate that you see, hear and feel her love for horticulture in every program she offers. Everyone benefits from Dani’s enthusiasm.”

MORE INFORMATION To learn more about Extension Master Gardeners, visit www. aces.edu, contact your local Extension office or reach out to the regional home grounds, gardens and home pests agent.

A ROLE MODEL Smith said Carroll’s work ethic is a wonderful example for new agents, as well as seasoned ones.

“Dani serves a large region of the state, so her ability to present for various state events, as well as many local Master Gardener events is truly inspiring to me,” Smith said. “Her expertise in native pollinators and home food gardens draws speaking invitations to a wide

Located in beautiful downtown Opelika 223 S. 8th St. • 334-749-8003 www.opelikaobserver.com

Publishing LIVE Lee, The Observer and NeighborhoodTour Homes and Real Estate

PHONE: 334.749.8003 editor@opelikaobserver.com Michelle@opelikaobserver.com

PUBLISHER: Michelle Key

LIVE LEE EDITOR: Hannah Lester MARKETING: Woody Ross, Rená Smith PHOTOJOURNALIST: Robert Noles SPORTS EDITOR: Wil Crews SPORTS WRITERS: Rick Lanier, D. Mark Mitchell, Harrison Tarr STAFF REPORTER: Kendyl Hollingsworth

www.opelikaobserver.com 223-A S. 8th St., Opelika, AL 36801 Copyright 2009. All right reserved.

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CORRECTIONS The Observer will correct any errors, omissions or inaccuracies deemed to be substantive. Corrections may be requested by contacting the editor at 334-749-8003.

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A3 June 23, 2022

Applications Available for the 202223 Class of Leadership Lee County CONTRIBUTED BY LEADERSHIP LEE COUNTY

LEE COUNTY — Applications are now available for the upcoming Leadership Lee County class.

Leadership Lee County is a program sponsored by the Auburn and Opelika Chambers of Commerce. It seeks out, honors, educates, challenges and develops a select group of Lee County citizens who have the potential to provide the leadership needed to solve problems of community and statewide significance. Participants are selected based on ability, demonstrated interest in the community and potential for responsible and effective leadership.

“This program develops leaders and empowers them to have greater

MAIN STREET >>

FROM A1

in their downtowns and commercial districts,” said Patrice Frey, president and CEO of Main Street America.

“During another incredibly challenging year, these programs demonstrated the power of the Main Street movement to respond to the needs of their communities.

I am inspired by their steadfast leadership and innovative solutions to drive essential local recovery efforts, support small businesses and nurture vibrant downtown districts.”

In 2021, Main Street America programs generated $5.76 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 6,601 net new businesses, generated 30,402 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 10,595 historic buildings and leveraged more than 1.4 million volunteer hours.

On average, for every dollar that a Main Street program spent to support their operations, it generated $19.34 of new investment back into Main Street communities.

Since 2014, downtown Opelika has seen over 115 net new jobs, 26 new businesses, along with over $39 million dollars invested

impact in their workplaces and in the community,” said Vicki Hudson, 2022-23 chairperson, Leadership Lee County board of directors. “Class members learn and grow so much through their participation in Leadership Lee County. They go behind the scenes to learn about our community directly from its leaders, develop their own leadership skills and then join together to serve the needs of our community.”

“I’m excited for the upcoming class to join Leadership Lee County,” said Aubrey Morrison, executive director of Leadership Lee County. “This opportunity will allow them to learn more about this great community, form strong relationships with their classmates and most importantly, to experience

personal leadership development preparing them to make Lee County an even better place to live.”

Applications for the upcoming Leadership Lee County class are due July 15. There is a $25 non-refundable application fee and a tuition cost of $1,200, which covers the Kick-Off Retreat, monthly sessions, Leadercast ticket, materials and meals. Please allow at least 30 minutes to complete the application in its entirety. To be considered for application to the program, applicants must complete all items listed on the application form.

Learn more about the program and application process at www. leadershipleecounty.org.

For more information, contact Aubrey Morrison at director@leadershipleecounty.org.

in our downtown.

Opelika Main Street is honored to once again be accredited through the National Main Street Center,” said Opelika Main Street Executive Director Ken Ward. “Main Street continues to pay a key part in the continued growth and success of downtown Opelika.”

Opelika Main Street’s performance is annually evaluated by Main Street Alabama, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify the local programs that meet rigorous national performance standards.

Evaluation criteria determines the communities that are building meaningful and sustainable revitalization programs and include standards such as, fostering strong public-private partnerships, supporting small and locally owned businesses and actively preserving historic places, spaces and cultural assets.

ABOUT OPELIKA MAIN STREET Founded in 1987, Opelika Main Street has helped assist in the growth of historic downtown Opelika through facade grants, beautification projects, small business assistance efforts and various community events.

Learn more about Opelika Main Street by

going to opelikamainstreet.org.

ABOUT MAIN STREET AMERICA Main Street America leads a movement committed to strengthening communities through preservation-based economic development in older and historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. For more than 40 years, Main Street America has provided a practical, adaptable and impactful framework for community-driven, comprehensive revitalization through the Main Street Approach.

Our network of more than 1,200 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, who share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development.

Since 1980, communities participating in the program have leveraged more than $95.33 billion in new public and private investment, generated 161,036 net new businesses and 717,723 net new jobs, and rehabilitated more than 314,431 buildings.

Main Street America is a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For more information, visit mainstreet. org.

Protect with 3! ✔ Tdap ✔ HPV ✔ MCV4 Protect your patients against vaccine preventable diseases.

As healthcare professionals, it is up to you to ensure your patients remain up to date with their vaccines.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) recommend the following vaccines for adolescents: • • • •

Tetanus, Diptheria, Pertussis Human papillomavirus Meningococcal disease Influenza

For more information, please visit alabamapublichealth.gov/imm

United Way of Lee County Accepting Volunteer Applications for 2023 Campaign CONTRIBUTED BY UNITED WAY OF LEE COUNTY

LEE COUNTY — Applications are now available to volunteer with the United Way as a Loaned Executive for the upcoming 2023 Campaign. Each year, the United Way relies on valued employees of local businesses who want to give back to their community to serve in this capacity.

Applications can be found online at unitedwayofleecounty.com and are due by June 30.

Campaign season will kick off in August and a half day training session for Loaned Executives will take place in July.

Loaned Executives will gain valuable experience with a nonprofit that supports more than 20 local agencies, learn more about their community and be given an opportunity to make connections with other local businesses.

“Our Loaned Executives are the backbone of our campaign, and we love the partnerships that are born out of this program,” said Tipi Miller, United Way executive director. “These volunteers

OPS >>

FROM A1

It will not cool your home down any faster and it wastes energy.

Keep your thermostat within a 20-degree margin of the outside temperature.

Remember the “20-degree rule” that air conditioners are designed to cool your home about 15-20 degrees less than the outside temperature.

If the difference between the outside temperature and your thermostat setting is more than 20 degrees, then your air conditioner will run non-stop.

Check and/or replace or clean your air filters once a month.

Have your system inspected by a licensed and bonded professional at least twice a year, spring, and fall.

WATER HEATING: Take short showers or shallow baths.

Use cold water as much as possible when using a dishwasher or washing machine.

Check the setting on your water heater. The recommended setting for our area

are truly the face of United Way in our community and it means so much to see individuals and businesses rally around our campaign each year in this way. It is a special program that lights a passion for service in many of our community members.”

Each Loaned Executive will be given about three to five business accounts to manage during the 2023 Campaign — the annual fundraising initiative for United Way. Management of an account includes the distribution of campaign materials to businesses and the collection of donations from those accounts as well as any support the business needs during the campaign.

Loaned Executives will be required to participate in a half-day training course to give them the tools they will need to be successful, and the campaign team will be a support system for the volunteers throughout the campaign.

“When you come on as a Loaned Executive with United Way, you are really entering into a great group of people whose hearts are on fire for their community,” said Leigh Krehling,

president of the United Way board. “Many of our Loaned Executives start out not knowing much about United Way. They learn a lot that first year and often stay on as a volunteer for many years or join the board to become even more involved. It’s hard not to be passionate about United Way once you see the impact it has on local families.”

The United Way is a nonprofit organization working to generate and apply the necessary resources to meet the needs of the community. The United Way supports more than 20 local agencies providing critical resources to families in our area, like the Lee County Youth Development Center, Domestic Violence Intervention Center and the Food Bank of East Alabama, among many others.

United Way also manages the 2-1-1 Information and Referral service, Stuff the Bus annual school supply drive and Fan Distribution programs alongside other community initiatives.

Learn more at unitedwayofleecounty.com or by emailing Tipi Miller at director@unitedwayofleecounty.com

is 120 degrees. Also check the unit for possible leaks.

Don’t leave hot water running when shaving or rinsing dishes. This will reduce the amount of energy needed to heat the water and save on your water expenses as well.

Wait to wash dishes and clothes until you have a full load.

Install a low-flow shower head or faucet aerator to not only save water but reduce water heating costs.

WASHER, DRYER AND DISHWASHER: Save money by letting the Alabama heat dry your clothes. Use a clothesline or drying rack instead of the dryer. If your clothes dry a little stiff, use your dryer’s “fluff” cycle (before 2 p.m. or after 7 p.m. on days energy demand is anticipated to be high).

Run your washer, dryer and dishwasher only when they are fully loaded.

Wash your laundry with cold water.

Don’t overfill your dryer.

Dry your laundry loads back-to-back and clean the lint filter between loads.

This way the dryer is still

hot from the previous load, saving energy.

Use the air-dry setting on your dishwasher. The heat-dry setting uses more energy and heats up your home, requiring more air conditioning.

LIGHTING: Replace traditional incandescent light bulbs that use a lot of energy to produce light, generate heat and are no longer manufactured.

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), halogen incandescents and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) may initially cost more than traditional incandescent bulbs, but they save you money during their lifetime because they use less energy.

Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms.

Using a small light when reading is more efficient than brightly lighting an entire room. Also, keep your light bulbs clean and free from dust.

CFLs and LEDs are great for use in outdoor lighting fixtures that are sometimes left on for a long time and may be exposed to weather.

Take care of yourself and others with an easy test.

Don’t wait. If you have symptoms, find out if you have the virus.

The testing is simple, fast, and effective at identifying COVID-19.

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A4 June 23, 2022

DOG

SEAN DIETRICH

I

have here a letter from a friend which reads, “My beagle of 14 years has died.

I don’t know what I should do. Tell me what I should do. I know you love dogs, so I thought you’d understand.”

Well, I can’t tell you what to do. What I can tell you is that the day my bloodhound died I was away in Birmingham for work. Ellie Mae was 13. She'd been sick the morning before I left town.

We‘d taken her to the ER. They gave her

meds, stabilized her and it looked like she would make a full recovery.

The next morning, I kissed Ellie’s long face and left for Birmingham to tell stories and jokes to a roomful of a few hundred folks.

It was a nice day.

I remember it well. I drove along the highway, humming with the radio.

The sun was shining.

By the time I reached Camden, I got a call from my wife.

“Ellie’s not right,” she said. “Something’s wrong.”

I almost turned the

truck around, and maybe I should’ve. But I didn’t.

By the time I reached Selma, the vet was on the phone delivering bad news. When I reached Maplesville, my wife and I were already discussing sending her to Heaven, and my gut churned.

“I don’t want her to suffer,” said my wife.

“I don’t either,” I said.

“You think we should … I can’t bring myself to say it.”

“Me neither.”

“I don’t want her to suffer.”

“Me neither.”

“I love her so much.”

(Sniff, sniff.)

“So does that mean we should put her out of her misery, then?”

“I can’t do it.”

“Me neither.”

“But she’s in pain.”

“I know.”

“What do we do?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t want her to suffer.”

A few minutes later, my wife video-called me. I pulled onto the shoulder of Highway

82, outside Centreville.

On the cellphone screen, was Ellie Mae. She was panting.

“Hi, Ellie,” I said, through a pathetic cellphone. “Can you hear me, girl?”

She panted.

“It’s me, Daddy. Can you see me?”

I don’t know why I call myself “Daddy.” I have no children. I guess you do strange things when you don’t have kids.

“Ellie,” I said. “I’m so sorry I’m not there. I’m so sorry, honey. Can you see me?”

She panted.

And that was it.

I cried so hard I lost my voice.

That lanky dog, who had more skin and heart than any animal I’d ever loved, was gone.

My camping partner, my truck passenger, my fishing buddy. My girl.

That night in Birmingham, I stood before a microphone and a roomful of people who waited for me to tell

funny stories and a few jokes. I felt like I was going to puke.

I cried in front of a lot of people. It was not my finest hour.

After the show, an old woman came to me and touched my face and said, “Oh, Sweetie.” She kissed my cheeks and I was embarrassed.

She smelled like Estee Lauder’s Youth Dew, a smell I’d recognize from a mile away.

“You need to hold a puppy, Sweetie,” she said. “That’s how you cure a broken heart. Just touch one. Promise me you’ll do it.”

I crossed my heart.

The next day, I woke up feeling sick. My head hurt from crying. I hadn’t eaten in 24 hours.

I searched Craigslist for a bloodhound puppy.

I wasn’t planning on buying one, I was only following the advice of a stranger who smelled like Granny.

I found a litter. A few days later, I drove to

Molino, Florida. I arrived at a farm in the sticks.

A team of black-and-tan bloodhounds ran through the grass to greet me.

They tripped over their ears and oversized paws.

I held a puppy that had teeth like double-edged razor blades, and eyes like basketballs. I pressed the dog’s forehead against my own.

Her breath smelled like heaven. She bit me and drew blood. She rode home in my lap.

And she’s been riding in my truck ever since.

Anyway friend, I can’t tell you how to feel better. The truth is, I cried at least five times while writing what you just read.

All I can tell you is what a wise old woman told me — a woman who never gave me her name, but left me with her fragrance.

“Hold a puppy. Just touch one.”

Promise me you’ll do it.

Redneck Wanderlust

WENDY HODGE

T

his time of year, social media is full of vacation pictures … selfies in front of historic landmarks, family group shots at amusement park entrances and ocean views from beach chairs. And I am feeling that familiar pull to travel, to explore, to GO! I am lucky enough to say that I have seen the Eiffel Tower at midnight. I’ve posed in front of Westminster Abbey and Big Ben in London. I’ve gazed at the Caribbean Sea from a hammock under a palm tree on Grand Cayman Island. I’ve ridden an open-air train through the French

Alps and eaten Swiss chocolate in Geneva.

And I treasure those memories.

But right now, if I were asked what would be on my bucket list to see on this amazing planet, I find myself longing to explore the less exalted, more humble and frankly quirky sights that are unique to the US-of-A. I’d love to go to Italy and Ireland, but you can’t get there in a Toyota Camry or on a Greyhound bus. And that’s what my soul needs right about now — a long, slow car ride with the windows down and some '80s tunes cranked up.

It’s a redneck wanderlust I’m feeling, and here’s where you would find me if I had six months of paid vacation and a small fortune to cover the gas …

First stop would be the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama. It’s both a museum and a store.

Lost luggage from all over the country ends up here. You can take

TEXTILE MILLS ASBESTOS CLAIMS

pictures of the giant collection, and you can buy a piece to use on your own journey. I would find a lovingly battered steam trunk in which to pile an assortment of books and enough snacks to get me from here to yonder.

In honor of my dad, I would have to swing by the Duct Tape Festival in Ohio. My dad was convinced that he could repair the lop-sided shed in the backyard (and possibly build a small airplane) if only he had one more roll of duct tape. Parades and costumes are made entirely of the tape made at the local “Duck Tape” plant. Who knew it came in so many colors??

The Cow Chip Throw in Wisconsin would be … fun? If not fun, at least memorable.

Contestants attempt to throw a dried cow chip farther down the field than the contestant before them. The record is 248 feet. No gloves allowed, so wash your hands before eating from the fried chicken booth.

Speaking of chickens … Mike the Headless Chicken Festival in Colorado sounds like a hoot. In 1945, a rooster named Mike had his head cut off by a farmer.

But Mike refused to

die. He managed to live for 18 months (I can’t even begin to guess how such a thing would be accomplished) … and a festival was born.

In honor of Mike, the chicken who wouldn’t give up, folks gather to display their prize chickens and play an intense game of disc golf. And yes, attendees eat several thousand pounds of chicken. Go figure.

Pocahontas County Road Kill Festival in West Virginia is on my list. Dozens of booths are set up and grills are lit at daybreak.

The aroma of possum, squirrel, deer and rabbit fill the morning air.

If you get there early enough, you can even get a platter of gator and crow. I’m told that’s a delicacy, but I wouldn’t know from personal experience. Chicken is also on the menu.

North Carolina boasts a National Hollerin’ Festival. This might not be the most relaxing event to attend, but you’ve gotta admire someone who can holler and sing the national anthem at the same time. Competitors stand at opposite ends of a great big field and communicate with each other the old-

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fashioned way … one holler at a time. And then everybody eats.

Chicken, probably.

In Maine, there is The Dance Mile Marathon.

Hundreds of people, dressed inexplicably in tutus and Mardi Gras beads, boogie their way the entire 5,280 feet to the “finish line.” They’re not in a hurry. No one is running. It’s a slow stroll/dance to a T-shirt and a buffet lunch …

Featuring chicken.

Georgia has a plethora of food-based festivals: The Mountain Moonshine Festival in Dawsonville, a Grilled Cheese Festival in Atlanta and a Chicken Livers and Gizzards Festival in Broxton are just the beginning of the list. Strangely enough, on the online menus for these festivals (poultrythemed or not), chicken is always available.

It’s not just the festivals that I have on my travel list. It’s all the fascinating roadside attractions that make America so … well … fascinating.

Carhenge in Nebraska is a replica of Stonehenge made entirely of old cars. I hear you can have the same mystical/spiritual experience staring at a ring of Oldsmobiles that you get in the presence of ancient two-ton stone markers on the other side of the world.

For a less otherworldly sight, The Corn Palace in South Dakota features a usable “palace” made entirely of ears of corn. If it gets hot enough, does popcorn fill the air?

If you’re in a recordbreaking mood, America does not disappoint.

In Ohio, you can enter a building that is actually a basket — the World’s Largest Basket

Building. The World’s Tallest Thermometer, at 134 feet tall, stands in California’s Death Valley. The World’s Largest Ketchup Bottle towers 170 feet over a small town in Illinois.

The World’s Largest Garden Gnome in upstate New York is over 13 feet tall and holds a bouquet of local flowers in his over-sized hand. The World’s Largest Fish Statue sits in Wisconsin.

Four stories tall and 143 feet long, with an observation deck emerging from the fish’s mouth, it’s a fisherman’s dream catch. It’s not a bass, but it’s a sight I think my Tim would appreciate.

A stay at the Dog Bark Park Inn in Idaho is required. This is a 30-foot, beagleshaped, two-bedroom hotel that has a visitor center in case you aren’t spending the night. One of the more majestic roadside attractions is The Wild Horse Monuments in Washington state featuring 15 lifesized horse statues galloping across a ridge and overlooking the Columbia River.

To round out the trip, I would have to visit St. Paul, Minnesota, where the World’s Largest Braille Book sculpture sits in a garden. If your hands were large enough to read the raised dots on the page, you’d find it’s a Walt Whitman poem engraved there. I think Walt would approve.

If you can’t find me at work or in my garden, don’t fret … I am most likely on a back road somewhere snapping pictures of something tall and oddly shaped in a field … eating fried chicken.

A5 June 23, 2022

APD Announces Community Active Shooter Response Training AUBURN — Auburn Police Department announced that its active shooter training course is open to community members who would like to learn how to best protect themselves and others in the event of an active shooting situation.

The training course, Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE), is delivered in a four-hour statistically informed curriculum that was developed

by Texas State University.

“The first CRASE session was held at the Auburn Police Department on June 7, 2022,” said Assistant Chief Clarence Stewart. “We would like to thank the groups, which consisted of staff from several local churches, for their participation, which is essential to the successful launch of this program.”

Auburn Police Department currently has several certified CRASE instructors with plans to offer CRASE to all organizations within the community. The training material is designed for businesses, religious

Opelika Public Library to Open Meeting Spaces to Help Citizens Get Out of Heat CONTRIBUTED BY THE CITY OF OPELIKA

OPELIKA –– Due to the heat advisories in effect, the Opelika Public Library will be opening its Meetings Spaces (when not in use for a reserved meeting), in addition to our regular library spaces, for public use during normal library hours. There will be signage on each door to note when the room is open to the public.

Citizens are encouraged to come to the library and use our space to get

out of the excessive heat June 23 and 24, Thursday and friday. The library was closed on Monday, June 20 for the Juneteenth holiday.

Should there be a need for additional public space, the city of Opelika will open the Opelika Power Services Multi-Purpose room Tuesday, June 21 to 24 during normal business hours.

For more information, please contact Leigh G. Krehling at lkrehling@ opelika-al.gov or 334705-5136.

OPS Announces Lighting Upgrade for Courthouse Square CONTRIBUTED BY THE CITY OF OPELIKA

OPELIKA –– On Tuesday, June 21, 2022, Opelika Power Services began working to upgrade lighting in Courthouse Square.

All lighting and underground electrical infrastructure in Courthouse Square will be replaced and upgraded.

The project is expected

ELECTION >>

FROM A1

IN OTHER RACES: UNITED STATES SENATE Katie Britt outpaced Mo Brooks gaining 76.91% of Lee County votes for the United States Senate Seat and 60.01% of the statewide votes.

Brooks posted a statement on his Facebook page Tuesday night that read " Every single person who helped this campaign is a patriot who loves America, and I thank you for it. This isn’t the outcome we wanted, but I am proud to have fought for our country. America, and you all, are worth it.

God bless."

Britt will face the Deomcratic candidate Will Boyd in the General Election in November.

ALABAMA SECRETARY OF STATE Wes Allen won the count for the Alabama Secretary of State office. Allen received

to take six weeks to complete.

The construction and upgrades are necessary for electrical and lighting reliability.

Couthouse Square will not be lighted and will be closed to the public during the project.

Contact Opelika Power Services at 334-7055170 with any questions or safety concerns regarding the site.

61.84% of the votes cast in Lee County and 65.38% statewide. Allen defeated Jim Zeigler who had 38.16% of Lee County's votes.

ALABAMA STATE AUDITOR Stan Cooke took 51.86% of the votes in Lee County for the Alabama State Auditor position with Sorrell receiving 48.14%.

However, Sorrell received 57.46% of the votes statewide giving him the win.

In the May 26 issue of The Observer, we erroneously reported that the runoff for the state auditor position would be between Rusty Glover and Andrew Sorrell. We apologize for that error and any inconvenience or confusion it may have caused.

PSC PLACE NO. 1 Jeremy Oden took the top spot for the Public Service Commission, Place No. 1 with 56.89% of the votes in Lee County and 52.32% of the votes statewide.

PSC PLACE NO. 2 Chip Beeker secured the position for Public Service

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CITY OF AUBURN

CONTRIBUTED BY THE CITY OF AUBURN

organizations (churches, mosques and synagogues), schools and universities. It provides strategies, guidance and

a proven plan for improving survivability in an active shooter event. Throughout the CRASE training,

participants will discuss disaster response including civilian response options, considerations for conducting

drills, how to assist law enforcement, how to limit casualties in that type of event and more.

Available trainings are conducted at Auburn Police Department, and the classes are comprised of individuals from multiple organizations. As additional officers are CRASE certified, this will expand to include individual on-site training sessions when needed. Those interested in participating in future training sessions may call 334-501-7344 or email stodd@auburnalabama.org.

Local Hospitals in Need of Blood, Says LifeSouth Donations May Suffer During Summer, Holidays

BY KENDYL HOLLINGSWORTH KENDYLH@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

OPELIKA — About 4.5 million Americans will need a blood transfusion each year and according to Community Blood Center, the average donation of a single pint of blood can save up to three lives.

LifeSouth, the sole provider of blood to the East Alabama Medical Center, announced this month a need for more blood donations to fuel the blood supply to local hospitals like EAMC. “While there can be emergency needs for blood donations any time of year, it can especially be a struggle in the summer and around holidays when people are on vacation and when many Auburn students are away,” said Jarrett Loveless, director of laboratory services at EAMC. Donations of O-Negative blood, known as the “universal red cell donor” type, are especially beneficial since they can be used to treat patients of any blood type; however, only about 7% Commission, Place No. 2 with 53.82% of the votes in Lee County and 63.25% of the votes statewide.

GOVERNOR On the Democratic ballot, Yolanda Rochelle Flowers won the democratic primary for governor with 58.92% of the votes in Lee County and 55.15% of the votes statewide.

Flowers will face Gov. Kay Ivey on the ballot in November.

The General Election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: These results are unofficial as of press time. They will be certified next week.

The Alabama State Senate race between Incumbant Tom Whatley and Jay Hovey has been contested and a hearing has been scheduled for the end of the month.

As it stands now, Hovey is leading Whatley by a single vote.

of the population has O-Negative blood.

But while O-Negative blood is the most beneficial, hospitals still need to keep stock of all types.

“We have a target amount we like to keep on the shelf each day for each type of blood,” Loveless explained. “We order units daily to replenish our supply, and LifeSouth is almost always able to send what we need to keep us at our threshold. Occasionally, as we have experienced recently, the shortages are felt here when LifeSouth is unable to supply enough units to keep us at our threshold.”

As of now, Loveless said the hospital’s supply is stable, but the need for blood will not end.

“LifeSouth provides 100% of our blood products at EAMC, and we’re very thankful for that,” he said. “We encourage people to donate with them because increased donations with the Opelika LifeSouth— either at their center next to the hospital or on one of their buses at

BAILEY >>

FROM A1

30 years ago in Dothan, Alabama, where he came to talk to a group of young men for another organization I was a part of,” said Marion Sankey, founder and executive director of The Dream Day Foundation. “I was very impressed with him and the boys received him so well. “I have been after him since The Dream Day Foundation started the Black Male Summit four years ago and he kept promising me he would come.

“I reached out to him last year and told him I would like for him to come for our 5th Annual Summit being a milestone and he agreed. We are very fortunate to get him

area blood drives — is extremely beneficial for EAMC and can have a direct impact for our patients.”

This week’s “Bloodmobile” donation opportunities are as follows: JUNE 23 East Alabama Medical Center – Lanier, 4800 48th St. in Valley, at the left side of the circle in front of the hospital from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

JUNE 24 Target, 2640 Enterprise Dr. in Opelika, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

JUNE 26 Target, 2640 Enterprise Dr. in Opelika, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

JUNE 27 Walmart, 3700 Hwy 431 N. in Phenix City, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Walmart, 1717 S. College St. in Auburn, from noon to 6 p.m.

JUNE 28 Kroger, 1401 S. Gilmer Ave. in Lanett, from 1 to 6 p.m.

JUNE 29 Culver’s, 2080 E. University Dr. in Auburn, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Title Cash, 904-A Gilmer Ave. in Tallassee, from noon to 5 p.m.

JUNE 30 since he speaks all over the country to just about every organization you can think of.”

Though the book will be provided to high-school and college-aged boys, the event is designed for boys seventh grade and up.

Registration is available by calling 334-663-6638 with a $30 donation.

The event will be held at The Marriott at Grand National Camellia Room from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday.

The Dream Day Foundation will host its fifth annual Black Male Summit Brunch the next day, Saturday, at Greater Peace Baptist Church. “[The event] is designated to create the next generation of leaders by empowering young Black males,” the

Village Square Shopping Center, 20th Ave. in Valley, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

CVS Pharmacy, 10 Gilmore Ave. in Tallassee, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Donors may also schedule an appointment any day to donate through LifeSouth’s Opelika Donor Center.

The center is open Monday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Donors may schedule an appointment for whole blood, double red cells, platelets or plasma donation by calling 334-705-0884 or visiting www.donors.lifesouth. org/donor/schedules/zip.

The center is located at 505 East Thomason Circle, next to EAMC in Opelika.

Blood donors at any site must be at least 17 years old — or 16 with parental consent — and weigh at least 110 pounds. For more information on donor qualifications, visit www.lifesouth.org/donor-faqs/.

Foundations’ description said The event will be held at 11 a.m. at 650 Jeter Avenue.

Bailey will serve as the keynote speaker Saturday as well.

“We are as excited about Saturdays Brunch and as of now we have a little over 100 boys that are registered to come,” Sankey said.

“We will have good food, lots of giveaways, present our first and only scholarship and first time community awards. “… We are excited about how the sponsors and community are already receiving him.”

Register for Saturday’s brunch online at eventbrite: https:// www.eventbrite. com/e/5th-annualblack-male-summit-brunch-tickets-314006561077

A6 June 23, 2022

Opelika Celebrates Juneteenth

PHOTOS BY ROBERT NOLES / THE OBSERVER

Opelika's annual Juneteenth Event was held at Courthouse Square last weekend, as one of several events in the county, celebrating this country's emancipation of slavery in 1865. There was music, games, food and more to commemorate.

E vents, Food, & SocietyNews

UPCOMING EVENTS: JUNE 23: FAMILY STORY TIME AT BOYKIN COMMUNITY CENTER, 6 P.M. JUNE 23: “ENCANTO” AT THE GOGUE, 7 P.M. JUNE 26: MIDSUMMER MARKET AT HERITAGE HOUSE, 5 P.M. JUNE 29: PRIDE ON THE PLAINS FAMILY FUN DAY AT COFFEE MAFIA, 5 P.M.

CWJC Offers Life-Changing Assistance To Women Year Round PHOTO BY ANN CIPPERLY / FOR THE OBSERVER

Ann Cipperly

Southern

Hospitality

A

woman’s life can have overwhelming changes with the loss of her spouse, a job and other difficulties, leaving her feeling hopeless. The Christian Women’s Job Corps (CWJC) brings hope, encouragement and support to women, offering life and work skills with one-on-one mentoring with no cost to them. While classes are presented in the fall and spring, assistance is available to women yearround.

A non-profit, faithbased agency, the CWJC was started in the 1990s

by the Women’s Missionary Union of the Baptist Church and now has over 200 sites around the country to offer help for rebuilding women’s lives. The Lee County CWJC began in 2006 when Janice Saidla, a member of the Auburn United Methodist Church, saw a need for something more to help women long term.

Janice heard about CWJC from a friend and joined with Lynn Bell and Ferne Garrett as founders in Lee County with Feliecia Litsey as the first director. In the beginning, classes

were held at Auburn United Methodist. As the program grew, the church provided space at a building on East Thach in Auburn.

Neeley Caldwell has served as executive director for nine years. After Neeley and her husband moved to Auburn, she was looking for a job in ministry. Neeley had felt a call into ministry in her senior year in high school. The position at CWJC was a perfect fit for her.

A wide variety of classes help women achieve their goals and dreams for a better life.

Samford Pool Hosting Float-In-Movie:

‘The Goonies’ June 25

Parents be advised that the featured movie, “The Goonies,” has strong language, mild violence/ gore, some sexual and drug references and smoking.

While the official rating is PG (from the ‘80s), some material may not be suitable for children, and parents are urged to use parental guidance.

Along with computer and job skills, the program provides classes on health, budgeting, communication, time management and more, including Bible Study.

Each woman is matched with a mentor to offer support.

CJWC also offers assists anytime with resumes, preparing for interviews and how to dress.

“Two things set the CJWC apart from other job readiness programs,” Neeley said. “One is that we are faith based, so Jesus is the center of this ministry and what we do. We begin our day with a devotion, and the mentors pray for the women. We have Bible study every week that participants are required to attend.

“The other thing that

sets us apart is that we provide mentors for the women. We try to match our ladies with someone who will be their personal cheerleader that encourages them, prays with them and walks with them through this program.”

Neeley said she feels mentoring is a gift.

“We call our mentors ‘guides’, as they See CIPPERLY, page A10

Sidewalk Chalk Challenge Underway Through Aug. 4 CONTRIBUTED BY THE CITY OF AUBURN AUBURN –– This summer, the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center (JDCAC) challenges the Auburn community to see who can create a masterpiece out of sidewalk chalk with the third annual JDCAC Sidewalk Chalk Challenge now through Aug. 4.

All chalk creations must be inspired by a famous artist or architecture. The submission must also include three facts about the artist or architecture selected or three ways the artist or architecture inspired the completed chalk work.

No entry fee is required, and registration is encouraged. Applications are available at auburnal-

ation’s Facebook page.

Prizes will be awarded.

The JDCAC is partnering with the Auburn

abama.org/arts. All chalk creations must be submitted no later than Thursday, Aug. 4. Winners will be announced on Friday, Aug. 5, at 5 p.m. on the Auburn Arts Associ-

Arts Association for the challenge. Guidelines, additional information and an application to participate are available at auburnalabama.org/ arts and auburnarts.org.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CITY OF AUBURN

AUBURN — Join Auburn Parks and Recreation for the first "Float-in-Movie" of the season on Saturday, June 25, at Samford Pool. The featured movie is Stephen Spielberg ‘80s classic, “The Goonies.”

Gates open at 8 p.m. Some floats will be available at the pool, and concessions will be sold.

Samford Pool is located at 465 Wrights Mill Road.

Admission to the Float-InMovie is $2 or no charge with prior admission to the pool earlier in the day and free with a Splash Pass.

For more information, call 334-501-2930.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CITY OF AUBURN

CONTRIBUTED BY THE CITY OF AUBURN

The Christian Women’s Job Corps offers hope, encouragement and support to women with classes for life and job skills for no cost. One-on-one mentors provide support. Assistance is available year round. Pictured are, from left, Neeley Caldwell, executive director, Cathy Zevac, chairman of the board, and Patricia Frazier, mentor and board member.

“Our Mission is Your Health”

BEAUREGARD DRUGS

WE DELIVER! Piedmont Fertilizer Co. Inc. 201 2nd Ave. • Opelika, AL SINCE 1910

Nothing better for your lawn exists

• Drive Thru Only • Regular Operating Hours • Please Call Ahead on Refills to Avoid Wait

334-364-9993 | 334-364-9997 7667 Alabama Hwy 51, Suite A, Opelika www.beauregarddrugs.com Mon-Fri 8am–6pm | Sat 9am–12pm | Sunday Closed

A8 June 23, 2022

STACEY PATTON WALLACE

A

s I’ve mentioned previously, breakfast is my least favorite meal.

Again, I don’t follow the old adage, “Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and supper like a pauper.” In fact, I do the opposite, which is probably one of the reasons that I’m “Poohsized.” I’m just not as hungry at breakfast.

However, when Mike and I travel, I do like to take advantage of the breakfast, which is included at our hotel.

Since we’ve paid to stay, I like to get my money’s worth. One of the foods I enjoy at hotels is a toasted bagel with cream cheese; they are delicious and a treat from my usual breakfast fare at home.

Unfortunately, bagels are very high in total carbohydrates, which are terrible for diabetics such as myself. In addition, at my last diabetic check up at Endocrinology and Metabolism, Lynn Hudson, an amazing nurse practitioner who treats me, said that she enjoys reading my column.

Uh-oh. I really appreciated her kind comments, but now she has written evidence of what I’m eating at

restaurants. Oh well; she already knew; blood tests don’t lie.

Since Mike and I aren’t traveling anywhere in the near future, I decided to treat myself at Big Blue Bagel & Deli at 120 North College St. in Auburn.

Mike was busy that day with some at-home tasks, so our good friends William and Jack were kind enough to drive me to the restaurant.

When we arrived at Big Blue Bagel& Deli, I admired all the photos of Auburn players and coaches. I also liked the old brick on one side of the building; the restaurant had a cozy, friendly atmosphere.

William chose a fruit plate and a honey wheat bagel with strawberry cream cheese. His food was presented beautifully, and he really enjoyed it.

Jack selected the War Eagle omelet, which had tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms and cheddar cheese. Omelets come with a bagel, and Jack chose the everything bagel, which had poppy seeds, sesame and

onion; he picked the cinnamon raisin walnut cream cheese. Jack said his meal was delicious.

I ordered a ham and cheese omelet, a side of extra crispy bacon and an everything bagel with strawberry cream cheese. Everything was great. Also, that was the best bagel I have ever eaten. Look out, hotels everywhere, Big Blue Bagel & Deli serves the best. bagel. ever.

Besides our delectable dishes, Big Blue Bagel & Deli offers diners breakfast bagel sandwiches, some of which include: the Cajun, which has two eggs, Cajun turkey and pepper jack; the Scramble, which consists of two eggs, cheddar and tomatoes; the Nova, which has salmon, capers, onions, tomatoes and cream cheese. All sandwiches come with choice of bagel, which include: plain, multigrain, sesame, poppy seed, pumpernickel, garlic, onion, blueberry, cinnamon raisin, salt and cinnamon sugar.

Big Blue Bagel & Deli also offers a variety of omelets, breakfast

THE MARKET AT AG HERITAGE PARK Every Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. at AG Heritage Park located at 620-A S. Donahue Dr. in Auburn

has corned beef, Swiss, sauerkraut and spicy mustard, served with a side of thousand island dressing.

Specialty items are also available, some of which include: the Big Blue wrap, Mom’s chicken salad and the BLT. Lynn Hudson, this review was for you.

Thanks for taking care of my diabetes; I know I don’t make it easy for you. Your medical care gets an A+ from me.

Big Blue Bagel & Deli is open on Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

and Monday-Saturday from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Big Blue Bagel & Deli makes the grade with an A+ from this retired English teacher.

Remember, “Poohsized” people NEVER lie about food. Enjoy!

Stacey Patton Wallace, who retired from teaching language arts for 30 years, is a professional diner. Her column,“Making the Grade,” will appear each week in The Observer. Wallace may be reached at retiredlangartsteacher2020@ gmail.com

Sisters of Promise Chapter Delivers Gifts for Father's Day PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER

O GROWS FARMERS MARKET Every Tuesday from 3 to 6 p.m. outside the Southside Center for the Arts located at 1103 Glenn St. in Opelika.

plates and a breakfast burrito. The restaurant serves breakfast until 11 a.m.

After 11, diners may choose appetizers such as hummus, a toasted cheese bagel, a basket of bagel chips and a pizza bagel. The restaurant also offers super salads and a great selection of sub sandwiches, some of which include: the Havarti melt, which consists of Cajun roast beef or turkey, melted Havarti, lettuce, Roma tomatoes, mayo and spicy mustard; the Reuben, which

SUMMER SWING - EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT

June 28 - Muse Concerts are held at Municipal Park at 7 p.m.

Hamburgers and hotdogs provided by Opelika Band Boosters and lemonade provided by SouthState Bank will be available from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m.

Camp Hill Marketplace

Come out and buy your fresh produce, honey, jams and hand-crafted items at the Camp Hill Marketplace, a state-certified farmers market Every Thursday, 8 to 11 a.m., June 2 through Oct. 20, rain or shine, at Mount Lovely Baptist Church at 21900 Senator Claude Pepper Dr., Camp Hill, (AL Hwy 50). Potential vendors contact Sharon at 256-749-5100 to apply to join.

COFFEE & CONVERSATION WITH VFW POST 5404 VFW Post 5404, 131 E. Veterans Blvd., Auburn (next to Ray's Collision off of S. College St.) will be open on Wednesdays 0800 - 1100 with coffee, donuts, cake and conversation about service and benefits for all veterans and spouses to stop by.

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY STACEY PATTON WALLACE

Making the Grade: Big Blue Bagel & Deli

Sisters of Promise Chapter #442 Order of the Eastern Star blessed the fathers at the nursing home with gifts for Father's Day.

LEE/RUSSELL COUNTY LOW VISION SUPPORT GROUP will meet

every month on the third Wednesday from 1:30 to 3 p.m. The meeting will be held at the AIDB-Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind Opelika Regional center on 355 Dunlop Dr. in Opelika. Every month there will be different topics discussed to make life more manageable living with low vision.

“Alone we can do so little: together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller Contact: Shiquita Fulton, M. ED/Vision Rehab Therapist for additional details at 334-705-2024, Melody Wilson, Case manager for the blind at (256)-368-3258

A9 June 23, 2022

Auburn Gathers for Jubilant Juneteenth

PHOTOS BY MATT AUSTIN / FOR THE OBSERVER

Auburn saw fair weather for its Unsung Heroes Juneteenth event held this past weekend at Martin Luther King Park. The event, marking "Freedom Day" was championed by Auburn Ward 1 Council Member Connie Fitch Taylor.

A10 June 23, 2022

CIPPERLY >>

FROM A7

are guiding the ladies on their journey,” she said. “They are valuable resources.”

Before COVID, the mentors met with the women on Wednesdays for lunch. Volunteers would sign up to provide lunch each week for the ladies and their mentors.

(See recipes for dishes served at lunches.)

Over the years, the program has adapted and changed to meet the needs of the women attending the classes.

The program is open to all women. Neeley has an interview with each one to know their needs for matching them with classes and mentors.

“Our ladies come through this door thinking they are going to get job skills, but they will tell you that they walk out with more confidence and self-esteem,” Neeley said. “On the surface we provide job and life skills for them, but what happens on the inside is the most important thing.

“Some of the women who come in here feel defeated and depressed.

Life has worn them out.

They need encouragement. One lady said she

CIPPERLY RECIPES >> ASPARAGUS ROLLS Jane Huntley Slice bread Canned asparagus 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature 3 oz. blue cheese 1 egg Melted margarine Trim crust from slices of bread, then flatten with rolling pin. Drain canned asparagus on paper towel.

Mix cream cheese and blue cheese together; add egg to mixture and mix well. Brush melted butter on bread, then spread cheese mixture on bread, Place asparagus spear on bread and roll up.

Hold together with a toothpick.

Bake rolls at 300 degrees until brown, about 40 minutes.

Serve warm.

CHUNKY AVOCADO SALSA Audrey Marshall 3 large ripe avocados or 4 small-to-medium avocados, diced 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered 1 cup chopped red onion ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro 1 to 2 medium jalapeños, seeded and minced (if sensitive to spice, use less or omit) ¼ cup lime juice (from 1 to 2 limes) 1 tsp. kosher salt or ½ tsp. fine sea salt, to taste ½ tsp. ground coriander, optional

has never seen so much encouragement in one place. We want them to have success and be their best that God has created them to be.”

One lady in the program said after working on her resume on the computer, “When I held it in my hand, I knew I was going somewhere.”

“That is what we do here,” Neeley said. “We transform lives. Sometimes it doesn’t happen as quickly as we like.

Sometimes it is a longer process, but we grow in the process with steps moving in a positive direction.”

After retiring as a counselor at Auburn schools, Patricia Frazier became a mentor at CWJC in 2021 and also serves on the board.

“I enjoy being a mentor,” she said. “While I was empowering the participant as her mentor, I felt like I was empowering myself too. We drew from each other. It was a beautiful fellowship. I feel like I gave her confidence.”

Patricia has also provided resources for other mentors. With the Korean ladies, they had speakers from the Auburn Library and Auburn Parks and Recreation to explain services. They

also had someone from Auburn City Schools talk about how to enroll their children in school and what to expect.

“Since I have retired, I have time on my hands, and I want to give back,” Patricia said.

While she enjoys volunteering at CWJC, Patricia is an ordained minister and has her own ministry called Queen Ministry that is affiliated with Mt. Vernon Missionary Baptist Church.

Cathy Zevac, who is chairman of the board, became involved in CWJC eight years ago when she moved to Auburn from Mobile. She had retired from being a teacher and was volunteering at the hospital when her trainer told her about CWJC needing teachers. Cathy went to a meeting that day and began volunteering teaching communications.

From her first class, Cathy said she has been inspired by the ladies who attend. While they are in difficult situations without support, they figure out how to find childcare and get transportation.

“I saw so much bravery in that,” she said. “These ladies have figured out how to make that happen. It was inspi-

In a large serving bowl, combine all the ingredients as listed. Gently toss to combine (don’t over-mix, or the avocados will turn everything green!). Taste, and add more salt if it doesn’t taste quite spectacular enough.

Serve promptly, as the avocado will brown over time.

To store leftovers, try to minimize the amount of oxygen by using a container that’s just the right size, or press plastic wrap directly against the avocado. It will keep in the refrigerator this way for 1 to 2 days.

sides. Line whole vanilla wafers around edge of pan.

Whisk together condensed milk, lemon peel and lemon juice. Stir until all the juice is mixed in well.

Whip the cream and fold into the condensed milk/ lemon mixture until well blended and smooth.

Pour into pie crust. Chill well, preferably overnight.

LEMON ICE BOX PIE Nancy Bernard 1 box vanilla wafers for making crust 2-3 Tbsp. butter 1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk 1-2 Tbsp. grated lemon peel ½ cup fresh lemon juice 1 half pint (8 oz.) of heavy whipping cream, whipped Use about 35 or so vanilla wafers to make a crust by crushing them in food processor until finely crumbled. You can also put them in a Ziploc bag and pound with rolling pen. Melt 2-3 Tbsp. butter and mix well with vanilla wafer crumbs. Press crumb mix in a pie plate. Press down into the bottom of the plate. Do not press crust up the

WILD RICECHICKEN SALAD Sally Sheehan 2 cups chopped, cooked chicken 6 oz. pkg. longgrain and wild rice mix 7 oz. jar marinated artichoke quarters 4 green onions, thinly sliced ½ cup chopped green bell pepper 12 ripe olives, sliced 1 celery rib, sliced 1/3 cup mayonnaise ¾ tsp. curry powder Leaf lettuce Cook rice according to package.

Drain artichokes, reserving 3 Tbsp. liquid. Stir together rice, chopped chicken, artichokes, green onions, bell pepper, olives, and celery.

Stir together reserved artichoke liquid, mayonnaise and curry powder.

Toss with rice mixture. Cover and chill 5 hours.

Serve on lettuce lined plates. Top

rational to me how these women were willing to work to get here and make something better in their lives.

“When you see growth and change in the lives of those attending, you realize the change is not only in a woman’s life, but it is also change in the family’s life. That is a powerful thing to be a part of that.

“In the opportunity we have to minster to these ladies, we continue to grow ourselves in the process. We know as Christians that God is not done with us yet. To see that you can make a difference is a beautiful thing.”

In the past few years, a large number of Korean ladies have attended who have different needs in their lives. They are new to our country, and they do not speak English.

“They want very much to part of this community and they want to be the mom that understands the American school system for their children,” Cathy said. “We have found that they have trusted us with that, and we are thankful for that opportunity.”

COVID changed things for everyone, and the organization have seen a lot of change with chopped pimento, chopped tomato, or other favorite garnish.

Makes 4 servings.

(Chicken can be substituted with 1 ½ lbs. cooked, chopped shrimp.)

PIMENTO CHEESE Pat Wingfield 8 oz. sharp cheddar, grated 8 oz. Monterey Pepper Jack, grated 7 oz. jar chopped pimentos, drained and squeezed dry, then chopped very fine.

5-8 tsp. mayonnaise (I add 5 Tbsp., then 1 tsp. at the time until creamy.)

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper to taste 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt to taste Combine ingredients and mix well. Serve at room temperature. Can refrigerate in airtight container up to 1 week.

MANDARIN ORANGE SALAD Nancy Bernard 1 (3 oz.) pkg. orange gelatin 1 (3 oz.) pkg. lemon gelatin 1 cup boiling water 2 (8 oz.) cans crushed pineapple 3 (11 oz.) cans mandarin oranges 1 small pkg. mini marshmallows 1 cup sour cream 1 cup mayonnaise Grated cheddar cheese In 9x13 inch glass casserole dish, dissolve the

with jobs. It has worked hard in the last year to reach out to people who were already working to offer computer classes to improve skills. It offers classes at night for those who need help. People come all the time needing help with a resume or a job interview.

This year CWJC offered a leadership conference with attendees from all kinds of jobs.

“We are finding ways to help women in all kinds of ways, to touch them and their families and help everybody grow,” Cathy said. “It is exciting to be a part of that. It is a wonderful opportunity to serve with wonderful people.

We have people on the board who have a heart for serving and the love of God. They want to see this ministry strive and grow. In spite of COVID, God is not done with us yet.”

While fall classes start after Labor Day, women can contact them now.

“The door is always open to come for whatever a need,” Neeley said. “They can contact us anytime.”

Neeley has helped women find better jobs.

If they cannot go to classes, she will work with them one on one.

“We have been known for our classes, but because of COVID we have had to change some things,” Neeley said.

“We are helping Korean ladies learn English. We are also working to help business to have employees become better employees. We are trying to help women become part of the workforce and also help those there to become better employees.

We have adapted and changed since starting in 2006.”

After classes are completed, they hold a graduation service to celebrate. The ladies wear robes and talk about life before and after CWJC. Their mentors talk about them reaching their goals and dreams.

“It can be a powerful thing to celebrate achievements,” Neeley said. “We make our celebrations a big deal.”

CWJC is supported by churches, businesses and individuals who believe in the program.

Donations can be made through the website at www.CWJCL.com. For further information call 334-821-0591.

Recipes are from volunteers who have prepared lunches for CWJC participants and mentors over the years.

gelatin in boiling water. When well dissolved, add pineapple and oranges, plus juices to gelatin. Place uncovered in refrigerator until slightly cooled but not congealed.

Once cool, add mini marshmallows on top and refrigerate until congealed.

When ready to serve, combine sour cream and mayonnaise. Spread over marshmallows.

Top with desired amount of grated cheddar cheese.

Store in refrigerator.

1 tsp freshly ground pepper 8 to 10 cooked crisp bacon slices, crumbled 1 bunch green onions, chopped ¾ cup prepared ranch dressing Salt and pepper to taste Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine potatoes, sweet onion and garlic in 15 x 10 inch jellyroll pan. Sprinkle with coarse salt and ground pepper. Toss with olive oil and spread in a single layer. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

(If crispier potatoes are desired, bake about ten minutes longer, stirring once.) Cool potatoes in pan.

When cooled, transfer potato mixture to a large bowl.

Toss together potatoes, bacon, green onions and dressing.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until ready to serve.

EASY CHEESE ROLLS Pat Wingfield 2 sticks (1/2 lb.) unsalted butter, melted 1 cup sour cream 2 cups self-rising flour 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated Melt butter; add sour cream and mix well. Add to flour and mix well.

Stir in cheese; then spoon into mini muffin pans, filling to top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or longer until brown and inside is cooked well. Makes 24 rolls.

ROASTED NEW POTATO SALAD Sally Sheehan 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2 lbs. small red potatoes, diced ½ medium size sweet onion, chopped 2 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp coarse salt

JACKIE'S CAKE MIX COOKIES Lynn Bell 1 box cake mix (except chocolate or white) ½ cup oil 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract Combine ingredients. mix and drop by spoonful on cookie sheet.

Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Optional - add thumb print and fill with jelly or raisins

A11 June 23, 2022

Swinging Through Summer PHOTOS BY ROBERT NOLES / THE OBSERVER

Kidd Blue wows a crowd as the featured performer June 14 at Summer Swing. The band, which has been performing for more than 30 years, is known for its wide range of rock 'n' roll, jazz, soul, R&B, 70s and 80s favorites. The Opelika event is held every Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Municipal Park and features a live musical performance. To see the lineup for this summer, visit www. opelika-al.gov/746/Summer-Swing.

CIPPERLY RECIPES >> POPPY SEED CHICKEN CASSEROLE Toddy Savage 1 broiler/fryer, stewed and deboned 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 cup sour cream Dash cayenne pepper Topping: 1 stick margarine melted 1 cup crackers (Ritz), crushed 1 tsp. poppy seed Mix chicken, undiluted mushroom soup, sour cream and cayenne pepper together.

Place in a greased baking dish.

Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

PECAN PIE MUFFINS Cathy Zevac 1 cup packed light

brown sugar ½ cup all-purpose flour 1 ½ cups chopped pecans 2/3 cup butter, softened or melted 2 eggs, beaten Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease mini muffin cups generously. (Grease them well or they will stick.) In medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour and pecans.

In a separate bowl, beat the butter and eggs together. Stir in dry ingredients just until combined.

Spoon batter into muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each muffin and pop it out.

EASY SHEPHERD PIE Jean Lenard 1 lb. hamburger 1 jar beef gravy 1 pkg. Lipton soup beef or beefy onion

1 can corn, drained 1 can peas with carrots, drained 1 large container of Bob's mashed potatoes 2 cups grated mild cheddar cheese Brown hamburger and drain fat. Mix hamburger, gravy, dry soup and drained vegetables.

Place mixture in a 9 x 9 or 2 qt. casserole dish.

Cook mashed potatoes in microwave as directions on container states.

Top the meat mixture with potatoes, smoothing to seal edges. Top potatoes with cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serves about 6 to 8. For 9 x 13 pan, I would double the recipe.

ular or thin) 1-2 cans cream of chicken soup Butter Pepperidge Farm Herb-seasoned Dressing White wine, water or chicken broth Layer enough chicken to cover bottom of casserole dish.

Cover chicken with slices of Swiss cheese.

Mix 1 to 2 cans cream of chicken soup with a dash of white wine, water or chicken broth Pour soup over Swiss cheese and spread to all four edges of casserole to seal.

Sprinkle dry Pepperidge Farm Herb-Seasoned Dressing over soup and dot with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes until bubbly and chicken is fully cooked.

Serve with rice.

MILLY’S CHICKEN 4-6 thin, deboned chicken breasts Swiss cheese (reg-

PULL BREAD Lynn Bell 1¾ cups light brown sugar, divided

4 tsp. cinnamon, divided 2 to 3 ten count cans refrigerator biscuits, cut in quarters and rolled into balls 1½ sticks butter or margarine 2 Tbsp. water Combine ¾ cup brown sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon. Roll biscuits in mixture.

Arrange in Bundt pan.

In a saucepan, mix 1 cup brown sugar, butter, 2 tsp. cinnamon and water. Bring to boil. Pour over biscuits in Bundt pan.

Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

SNICKER SALAD Jan Marple 8 oz. container Cool Whip (thawed) 2 medium Granny Smith Apples (chopped) 2 regular size Snickers Bars (chopped) Mix and put in bowl.

Sprinkle on top 2 chopped Snickers Bars for decoration.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Best if eaten the same day it is made.

CHERRY CONGEALED SALAD Sally Sheehan 1 can dark, sweet, pitted cherries 1 small can crushed pineapple 1 small pkg. cherry Jell-O 1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup chopped pecans Drain and reserve juices from the cherries and crushed pineapple.

Add enough water to the reserved juices to make 1 1/2 cups. Heat one cup of the juice mixture to boiling, add Jell-O and stir to dissolve.

Add remaining 1/2 cup of juices and chill until beginning to set.

Fold in sour cream, cherries, pineapple and nuts. Pour into an 8 x 8 pan and chill until firm.

A12 June 23, 2022

St. Luke A.M.E. Hosts Juneteenth Event

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER

St. Luke A.M.E. Church hosted a free community event to celebrate Juneteenth on Saturday, June 18, on the grounds of the historic church. Guests enjoyed food, music, local vendors and more.

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A13 June 23, 2022

God’s Best Gifts

WALTER ALBRITTON

Y

RELIGION― ears ago I sometimes laughed and said I was disappointed in James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family. My four sons were all grown by the time he published his helpful book titled "Bringing Up Boys".

Dobson’s counsel arrived too late to help Dean and me raise our

sons.

I did get help from wise old Solomon who taught me in Psalm 127 that children are God’s best gifts. Using his poetic genius, Solomon described children as “the fruit of the womb,” God’s “generous legacy.” Sons, said Solomon, “are like arrows in the hands of a warrior,” and “Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.”

Mama Dean and I did not think our boys were a quiver full but we did believe they were a gift from God and that we were accountable to Him for raising them to become men who would honor Christ with their lives.

I soon discovered as a

father that successful parenting is impossible without God’s help. So I was often on my knees praying earnestly, “Help me, Lord; please help me find a way to be the father these boys need.”

Despite my many mistakes, our sons survived our parenting and became fathers of their own children. Like me, my sons have learned that Solomon was right when he said in his Proverbs, “The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son delights in him” (23:24). And of course that is equally true of wise daughters.

Wise children bring joy to the hearts of their parents. Unwise

children burden their parents with sadness.

Every parent of a foolish child will agree with Solomon’s lament: “A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him” (17:25). This bit of Solomon’s wisdom surely vibrates in the heart of every father or mother: “My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad; my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right” (23:15-16).

When our sons were all in their fifties, my wife said to me one day, “Walter, you are a blessed man; all of your sons respect you.”

I have never forgotten how good it felt to hear

her say that.

My heart was filled with joy because I knew for that to be true, each of my sons had also forgiven me for the mistakes I had made in raising them. Such forgiveness comes only with age. We are not likely to be forgiving when we are young. I know that from my own experience. I did not feel the need to forgive my father for his mistakes until I realized I needed the forgiveness of my own children for my blunders.

Solomon’s Proverbs are a storehouse of wisdom for fathers and mothers, sons and daughters. Parents need to listen to God by studying His words and

following his counsel.

Sons and daughters need to listen to their parents when they offer them godly counsel.

Solomon suggests such wisdom will look better than a tattoo or a string of pearls: “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck” (1:8-9).

When we ponder the challenge of parenting God’s best gifts, we do well to heed the advice of Solomon: “Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance” from the Lord (1:5).

JOSHUA CRAIG CANZONERI

and career accomplishments, Josh was an avid fisherman and hunter who loved the outdoors. You also never needed Google so long as you had Josh around, because he was one of the smartest people you would ever meet and a jack of all trades.

Josh leaves behind the following loved ones: Tiffany Livingston Canzoneri (Madison and Gunnar Canzoneri), Natasha McKenzie (Dylan McKenzie), Anita Sellers Canzoneri, Craig Canzoneri, Jess Canzoneri Peter and Christopher Peter, David Sellers Sr, Rosie Sellers, Heidi and Brian Epps (Logan and Jason Epps), David Sellers Jr and Brandy Sellers (Blake and Haley Sellers), Rob Cadman, and Edgar Marcano Jr. A memorial service was held on Friday, June 17, 2022, at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home Chapel.

OBITUARIES RAYMOND LEWIS JACKSON Raymond Lewis Jackson was born on April 13, 1948, in Twin Falls, Idaho, to his parents Norman & Opal Jackson. When he was born, his father was working on a ranch in Idaho. When Raymond was very young, his father took a job in the oil fields of north Texas and moved the family to Iowa Park, Texas, which is near where his father and mother grew up.

He met his wife Phyllis Jackson in 1966 at Lee College in Cleveland, Tennessee. When they met, Phyllis and Raymond were both freshman at the college. Lee College is affiliated with the Church of God, which is the denomination in which Phyllis and he were both raised and affiliated. They dropped out of college to get married in 1967 and moved to Texas.

Raymond was drafted into the U.S. Army

in 1969. When he was discharged from the Army in 1971, Raymond and Phyllis travelled from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he was last stationed, to Opelika, Alabama, where Phyllis’ parents Rev. W.H. & Pauline Morrison lived.

While visiting with his in laws, his father-in-law W.H. Morrison suggested that Raymond apply for work at the Uniroyal tire factory in Opelika. When he was offered a job at the tire factory, Raymond and Phyllis decided to settle down first in Beauregard, Alabama, and then in 1977 moved to their longtime home in Smiths Station. While working full time at Uniroyal, Raymond went back to college and graduated with a business degree from Troy University in 1980.

After Uniroyal had a massive layoff in 1982, Raymond took a job as an insurance salesman

for Liberty National Life Insurance Company. He spent 25 years working for this company. He won many sales awards, including over a dozen trips and cruises, during his time with Liberty National. He worked very hard, and he was a good provider for his family.

Raymond and Phyllis had two children. Their daughter Kandy Gibson is married to Rhett Gibson, and she and Rhett have two children: Reagan and Victoria. Their son Raymond Jackson, Jr. has one child: Caroline. Raymond was very proud of his two children and his three granddaughters.

Raymond passed away on June 14, 2022, after suffering from LewyBody Dementia for several years. He is survived by his wife Phyllis, his children, and three grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister Carmen Cunningham of Macon, Georgia; by his

brother Norman Jackson of San Antonio, Texas; and by his half-sister Shirley Case of Iowa Park, Texas. He is predeceased by his parents Norman & Opal Jackson, his mother-in-law and father-inlaw, and by three older half-sisters.

DONALD HANNA Donald Hanna, 75 of Opelika, passed away June 13, 2022 at UAB. He was preceded by his brothers: Bobby and Robert Hanna. He is survived by his wife Mollie M. Hanna; daughter Donna Hise (Scott); siblings: OT Hanna, Jr. (Glenda), Debbie Johnson (Ray); grandchildren: Bryan and Hali Hise; stepson Ronald and Jamie Mclemore.

He spent most of his life in Opelika and retired from West Point Stevenson. A memorial service will be held at a later date.

Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home directed.

Joshua Craig Canzoneri, a research scientist and primary investigator at ADT Pharmaceuticals, passed away unexpectedly on June 10, 2022 at the age of 39. Josh was born in Colorado Springs, CO on March 14, 1983 to Craig Canzoneri and Anita Sellers Canzoneri. He moved to Georgia in high school and was a graduate of Columbus High School in 2001 in Columbus, GA, and then furthered his education at Georgia Southern University with a BS in Biochemistry.

After graduating from Georgia Southern University, he was accepted to Georgia Tech and completed his PhD in Chemistry. His passion was for drug discovery in cancer treatments, and he had numerous publications and awarded grants. In addition to his education

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A14 June 23, 2022

Jesus from Mark

BRUCE GREEN Teaching Minister at 10th Street Church of Christ in Opelika

W

RELIGION — e finished a series on the gospel of Mark not too long ago. As a review, I thought it would be helpful to put together a list of some of the things we learned about Jesus from Mark. Some are more obvious than others, but I hope you can appreciate them all.

1. Jesus lived a simple life where less was more. Jesus’

streamlined lifestyle enabled Him to maintain focus on His central passion — the kingdom of God (Mark 1:1415). Following His example will keep us from being unfruitful (4:18-19).

Clutter is the big enemy of simple living and we have a lot of it. There is the clutter of technology. We touch our phones an average of 2,617 times a day, have 76 sessions and spend 145 minutes on it. (What did we do with all of that time before phones?)

There is also the clutter of busyness. We allow ourselves to be over-scheduled and under-resourced and then wonder why we feel so fatigued and stressed. Finally, there is the clutter of things.

Most of us have a lot of stuff and much of it has no other function than collecting dust.

Add it all up and the combined effect is distraction — we have difficulty keeping

the main thing the main thing.

We get easily sidetracked because there is a world of diversions waiting to suck us into their gravitational fields.

Jesus lived simply because He made the choice to resist the distractions around Him. This freed Him to powerfully love and serve others.

2. Jesus spent a lot of time in prayer.

Early on Mark tells us that Jesus got up while it was still dark, left the house and went to a solitary place where He prayed (1:35).

Prayer was a priority with Him. It was vital to who He was and what He did. In 6:46, we’re told He went up on a mountainside to pray.

Later the disciples asked him why they hadn’t been able to cast out an evil spirit and Jesus told them, “This kind can come out only by prayer” (9:29). He spoke of the temple as being “a house

of prayer for all nations” (11:17). And right before he goes to the cross, we find Him praying in Gethsemane.

Prayer was not something Jesus did — it was who He was. It reflected His complete dependency upon God. 3. Jesus loved people and invested Himself in them.

One of the things Mark tracks in his gospel is Jesus’ difficulty getting away from crowds in order to spend time alone with His disciples or to have time with God. In 1:45, we’re told that “Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to Him from everywhere.”

In 7:24 Mark writes, “He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet He could not keep His presence secret.”

In 3:20, and again in 6:31,

ABOUT BRUCE GREEN He and His disciples are unable to even eat because of the crowd that gathers.

In 6:32 they get in a boat to head to a “solitary place,” but the crowd follows them.

In v. 34 we’re told, “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So He began teaching them many things.”

I think it would be fair to say that one of the reasons Jesus treasured spending special time with His Father in prayer was because it enabled Him to be able to spend time ministering to people. He not only cared enough about them to die for them, but also to live for them.

Bruce has written a book on the model pray called "Praying in the Reign." It is available through Amazon and 21st Century Christian.

You can find more of Bruce’s writings at his website:www. a-taste-of-gracewith-bruce-green.com

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BIBLE VERSE OF THE WEEK

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. — Psalm 91:1

CHURCH DIRECTORY

Catch ‘On the Mark’ with D. Mark Mitchell and Jeff Sasser weekday mornings from 7-9 a.m.

APOSTOLIC HOLINESS God’s House of Prayers Holiness Church 301 Highland Ave., Opelika 334-749-9672

334-887-8506 Friendship Missionary Baptist Church 3089 Judge Brown Rd., Valley 334-710-2117

334-749-0461 CHURCH OF CHRIST Church of Christ at Cunningham 2660 Cunningham Dr., Opelika

BAPTIST Bethesda Baptist Church 201 S. 4th St., Opelika 334-745-7528

Greater Peace Missionary Baptist Church 650 Jeter Ave., Opelika 334-749-9487

10th Street Church Of Christ 500 N. 10th St., Opelika 334-745-5181

Beulah Baptist Church 5500 Lee Road 270, Valley 334-705-0538

Green Chapel Missionary Baptist 390 Lee Road 106, Auburn (334) 749-4184

AFB - Cooperative Baptist Fellowship 128 East Glenn Ave., Auburn

Got Questions?

Come Study With Us

THE CHURCH OF CHRIST AT CUNNINGHAM DRIVE 2660 CUNNINGHAM DR., OPELIKA SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY 9:30 A.M. SUNDAY WORSHIP 10:30 A.M. / 5 P.M. WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY 6:30 P.M.

High Hope Baptist Church 227 Lee Road 673 334-524-8750

Church Of Christ 2215 Marvyn Pkwy., Opelika 334-742-9721 Southside Church Of Christ 405 Carver Ave., Opelika 334-745-6015

Pepperell Baptist 2702 2nd Ave., Opelika 334-745-3108

COMMUNITY OUTREACH Good Sheperd Anglican Church 3015 Opelika Road, Opelika

Providence Baptist Church 2807 Lee Road 166, Opelika 334-745-4608

EPISCOPAL Emmanuel Episcopal Church 800 1st Ave., Opelika 334-745-2054

Union Grove Baptist Church 4009 Lee Road 391, Opelika

METHODIST Auburn United Methodist Church 137 South Gay St.,

Auburn 334-826-8800 Beulah United Methodist Church 5165 Lee Road 270, Valley 334-745-4755 NON-DENOMINATIONAL Church At Opelika 1901 Waverly Pkwy., Opelika 334-524-9148 Connect Church 2015 West Point Pkwy., Opelika 334-707-3949 St. Ellis Full Gospel Church 5267 US Hwy 80W, Opelika 334-298-4319 PRESBYTERIAN Trinity Presbyterian Church 1010 India Road, Opelika 334-745-4889 SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST Opelika Outreach S.D.A. Church P.O. Box 386, Opelika 334-749-3151

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A15 June 23, 2022

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A16 June 23, 2022

COMICS

“Life is worth living as long as there’s a laugh in it.” ― Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

S

INSIDE B1 - B8:

S

• AUBURN CITY SCHOOLS • AUBURN UNIVERSITY • COMMUNITY SPORTS • LEE COUNTY SCHOOLS • OPELIKA CITY SCHOOLS • SUSCC

SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS OPELIKA: JUNE 28 AT 4:30 P.M. AUBURN: JULY 12 AT 6 P.M. LEE COUNTY: JULY 12 AT 6 P.M.

Razorbacks End Tiger's Dream Historic College World Series Run Slams to a Halt

ON THE MARK D. MARK MITCHELL

Summer Thoughts

O

OPELIKA — pelika Dixie Youth and Dixie Boys have completed the regular season and will turn their attention to All-Stars.

Opelika Dixie Youth fields three all-star teams: Dixie Youth Pee-Wees (ages 7,8), Dixie Youth Minors (ages 9,10) and Dixie Youth Ozone (ages 11,12). The team will have open tournament play this week, hoping to win and advance to their respective state tournaments.

Opelika Dixie Boys (ages 13 through 15) have two 15U all-star teams, one Junior DBB (13U) and two DBB all-star teams.

The two 15U allstar teams participated in the 15U state tournament last weekend in Eufaula.

Opelika finished with one win and two losses. Opelika’s other team, the Thunder, finished runner-up with a 4-1 record.

The Thunder finished 2-0 in pool play, advancing to the finals after winning one game during bracket play on Saturday. The Thunder then lost to Beehive (Auburn) in the Championship game, 8-3.

The two Opelika teams played with

class and represented the city of Opelika the right way. As the state commissioner of Dixie Baseball, I applaud the two managers, Art Watson and Jay Siggers, along with all the players.

Opelika Thunder will compete in the 15U World Series in Sterlington, Louisiana, July 20 through 22.

The Opelika DBB all-star team (14U) consists of the following: Brady Blacston, Eli Brogdon, Landon Childree, Jason Hood, Lius Merly, Colt Miller, Carter Neese, Thomas Robinson, Trip Scott and Jordan Waits. The manager is Wes Miller.

Opelika’s Junior DBB is managed

by Kurt Branch.

Players include: Tyson Branch, Tyson Prince, Will Brandon, Jacob Patterson, Kason Kalla, Troy Tungett, Fuller Young, Christian Terry and Trent Haynes.

The two DBB allstar teams will play in the state tournament, July 8 through 10 at Opelika’s West Ridge Park. The Junior DBB team will play Dothan in a best-of-three game series, with the winner advancing See SPORTS, page B6

AUBURN — Throughout the course of the past month, there has been a tangible excitement on the plains of Auburn, Alabama, and within the fan base of the Tiger baseball program.

After being picked to finish dead last in the SEC West and miss the conference tournament, Butch Thompson’s squad made one of the more improbable runs to the College World Series in recent memory, a run that will not soon be forgotten within the hearts of those who never gave up hope on a program that was seemingly headed in the wrong direction.

After asserting their dominance in the regional round, downing the No. 3

PHOTO BY GRAYSON BELANGER / AUBURN ATHLETICS

BY HARRISON TARR FOR THE OBSERVER

Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis and defeating No. 2 Stanford in a CWS elimination game, Thompson and company saw their Cinderella story draw to its

conclusion in the second round of Omaha at the hands of Arkansas in a contest which was defined by a long strand of unfortunate events for the orange

and blue.

From the first inning, it was apparent that Tuesday evening was destined to go in the Hogs’ favor; the See TIGERS, page B2

Make Your Move Dance Studio’s Competitive Team “Dynasty” Earns National Recognition

BY WIL CREWS SPORTSCREWS@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

OPELIKA ––

Make Your Move Dance Studio’s competitive dance team “Dynasty” was recently announced as

the Choreography of the Year winners by Platinum National Dance Competition.

“We attend

[Platinum National Dance’s] regional competitions every year, and every other year See MYM, page B2

Excellence. Innovation. Compassion.

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B2 June 23, 2022

Glenwood, Central Star Commits to Georgia

BY WIL CREWS SPORTSCREWS@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

(AISA) member Glenwood the past three

From 2021 High School Media Days in Opelika, left to right — #6 Tariq Maple, senior (DB); #7 AJ Harris, junior (DB/WR); #1 Ron Beauchamp, senior (WR/LB/DB); #50 Will Graham, senior (OL/DL); head coach Jason Gibson.

Loachapoka’s Hart Receives Auburn Offer LOACHAPOKA — Local footballer Jacorious “J.C.” Hart continues to receive national attention.

The 3-star defensive back out of Loachapoka already has offers from Ivy League schools and many others, however, recently, he picked up his biggest offer yet. If he so chooses, Hart could now stay close to home after

TIGERS

>>

FROM B1 Tiger pitching, defense and base running was seemingly nonexistent.

Unfortunately, that kind of poor showing will likely leave a bitter taste in the mouths of all parties involved with the program.

The demoralizing loss should not, however, define the way the 2022 Auburn baseball team should be regarded going forward.

Instead of hanging their heads about the way the Tigers went out, supporters should consider just how far this team has come.

Is this ideology cliché?

Absolutely. But the reality of the matter is, no amount of frustration can alter the outcome.

Tiger fans need not to look back very far to recollect a time where this same group found new ways to blow leads every day, couldn’t piece together a consistent starting rotation or bullpen and lacked a clear offensive leader in the lineup. 2022 was a completely different story.

MYM >> FROM B1

PHOTO BY JOHN PYLE / FOR THE OBSERVER

BY WIL CREWS SPORTSCREWS@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

years, and this offseason announced he will be PHOTO BY ROBERT NOLES / THE OBSERVER

SMITHS STATION — Local football standout and five-star cornerback, Aaron-Joshua (A.J.) Harris, has decided where he is going to play at the next level. He must like winning.

The 25th best overall prospect in the class of 2023 according to 247Sports, Harris announced his commitment to the defending NCAA national champion Georgia Bulldogs last Thursday.

“100000% locked in & committed,” Harris said in his June 16 announcement via Twitter. “I’m home.”

Harris was recruited

by Fran Brown and Dell McGee from Georgia, and had his official visit on June 3. He turned down offers from the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State, Clemson, Jackson State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and other top programs to commit to the ‘Dawgs.

The coveted prep athlete has been a standout at Alabama Independent School Association

graduating high school, as the rising senior

received an offer from the See HART, page B6

Graduate transfer Sonny DiChiara provided a renewed spark, both at the plate and in the dugout. His production on offense has only been resembled by Frank Thomas; opposing pitchers feared him, his teammates fed off of his energy and fans had the privilege of clapping along to “Che La Luna” every time he stepped up to bat at Plainsman Park.

The best part? DiChiara has the option to represent Auburn again in 2023 should he decide to do so.

As for the pitching rotation, Tim Hudson’s group made remarkable strides. Joseph Gonzalez molded himself into a highly-regarded ace, Hayden Mullins came into form and Trace Bright posted an Auburn CWS record eight strikeouts in a bounce back appearance in Omaha.

It’s likely that all three will return to the squad in 2023.

Despite much-needed improvement all-around, no feat was more impressive than the development of the Tiger bullpen.

After blowing a slew of leads just a season ago, this group absolutely

locked in for the duration of this year’s campaign.

Carson Swilling was a reliable long-relief option, freshman Jon Armstrong showed remarkable guts and composure and the efforts of Carson Skipper were nothing short of impressive in Omaha.

Then there was Blake Burkhalter, the standout closer who provided fans with an alleviation of stress in late-inning close games and who was seemingly unbothered regardless of a situations severity all year.

More importantly than any specific accolade, Thompson’s squad provided an intangible quality that is likely the only reason they found themselves in Omaha in the first place.

The 2022 Auburn Tigers didn’t care what anyone thought.

Before the season started, experts had doubts and fans had mere hope.

The Tigers had confidence. Sometimes, that’s what matters more than anything.

Auburn has now been to Omaha twice in three years. 2022 wasn’t the year. The Tigers’ time is coming.

playing out his senior year for the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) member, the 7A Central Phenix City Red Devils.

Harris played all three sides of the ball for Glenwood. In 2021, the 6-foot-1-inch, 180-pound prospect accounted for 414 yards of offense (134 rushing, 276 receiving) with five rushing touchdowns and one receiving score, according to 247Sports. Defensively, Harris added 24 tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and three special teams

touchdowns, according to 247Sports.

After making it to the AISA Class AAA state championship in 2020, and the semifinals in 2021, Harris cited the need to play top-tier high school competition before going to college. He can accomplish that goal this season at Central, as the Red Devils are a powerhouse program in the highest division of high school football in the state of Alabama. Harris will try to help the Red Devils to improve upon their runner-up finish in the state playoffs last season.

competition, they love it.”

The competitive team worked an estimated seven months crafting the

routine to perfection, Jaime said.

That level of preparation and the commitment to demonstrate a creative routine put the studio and in a position to differentiate itself from the pack of

PHOTO BY GRAYSON BELANGER / AUBURN ATHLETICS

we go to their naJAIME AND MANDY MOORE tionals,” said Make Your Move Owner and CEO Mandy other studios.

Moore. “We were hoping but you “We had high hopes, but a lot of never know. We always don’t put a times choreography is awarded to lot of stock in it, but of course it’s more of the lyrical, contemporary amazing when you do come out the stuff, and this is a hip-hop production,” Jaime said. “But I think the winner.” characterization, the music choicPlatinum National Dance Competition is a national organiza- es — I go in and find sound clips tion that holds competitions which from the movies and pepper them showcase dance studios from a va- in to tell the story — helped to riety of disciplines, from clogging booster the choreography part.” to jazz, ballet, African, hip-hop, The Dyansty competitive team is folk, modern and traditional. made up of about 40 dancers and Due to the studio’s first-ever 14 staff. The dancers in this year’s perfect score at regionals, Dynasty production included boys and girls was selected out of thousands ranging from ages 5 to 18. of dance teams to be given the According to Mandy, the inclusion of a variety of different age first-ever Choreography of the groups not only lends to Make Year award at the national level.

Your Move’s creative routines, but The Choreography of the Year its greater mission of establishing award is the biggest Make Your welcoming and uplifting commuMove has received since its inception in the fall of 1993. nity of dancers. “[Platinum Dance Competitions] “In our productions we try have 41 or 42 regionals across the to include all of our teams,” country, and they pick whoever Mandy said. “Dance is seriously has the highest score at the aca bi-product of what we do here. tual regional competition,” said We are trying create a culture and Make Your Move Director Jaime community of love, acceptance, Moore. “They are the ones who diversity and inclusiveness. We get move on to the next level. The find that when we do the productions, brining all those age groups first part was a popularity contest; the second part, they had all together, it gives the opportunity their judges watch. I’ve got 1,500 for the older ones to be mentors to friends on Facebook and I think I the younger kids and they really tagged about half of them.” get to know each other and develThe theme of this year’s Dynasty op a bond that goes beyond dance class. That’s what we are most dance routine was rooted in the proud of.”

Austin Powers film series, Jaime Of course, recognition on a said. national level will always be wel“We had 12 main characters, come, too, and Mandy and Jaime Austin Powers, the female protagonist and others, and then seven — sisters who are self-proclaimed of the most noticeable bad guys,” best friends — hope that awards Jaime said. “We had a Mini-me, like the Choreography of the Year and she wore a bald cap, and then will inspire the studio to even more we had seven Mini-Mini-me’s future success. and they all wore these hilarious Keep up with Make Your Move bald caps. At first the girls were Studio via its Facebook page @ like ‘we are not doing that,’ but MYMDance, or by visiting the after getting all the attention at website, www.makeyourmove.com.

B3 June 23, 2022

2023 SEC/Big 12 Challenge Matchups Set Auburn Travels To West Virginia Оn Jan. 28, 2023 CONTRIBUTED BY AUBURN ATHLETICS

AUBURN — The 10th annual SEC/Big 12 Challenge will feature 10 games played on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, in a matchup of two premier college basketball conferences.

All 10 of the Big 12’s teams and 10 of the SEC’s 14 member institutions will participate in this year’s event. Each of the 10 SEC teams that participated in the 2022 Challenge will be a part of the 2023 event.

Auburn will travel to

West Virginia for the Tigers’ fifth all-time meeting with the Mountaineers. This will be the program’s second-ever road trip to Morgantown, next to a 59-58 victory on Dec. 29, 1984. Both teams last met in Birmingham in 2007.

CONTRIBUTED

BY AUBURN UNIVERSITY

led Auburn to a national championship and developed numerous outstanding athletes during his 25-year career. Mel Rosen

BURRELL were extremely open and honest, and welcoming about Auburn. I want to thank Allen, Brant and President Chris Roberts for this opportunity.”

He was named C-USA Coach of the Year 23 times and American Athletic Conference Coaching Staff of the Year 11 times.

In recognition of his outstanding career as a world-class sprinter and collegiate coach, Burrell was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame in 2019.

Burrell replaces Ralph Spry, who retired after 25 years at the helm of the Auburn track and field program.

“I want to pay distinct tribute to Ralph Spry, who has been a great friend and competitor over the years,” Burrell said. “He

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eight events have been consolidated to one single day in January. ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will combine to televise the contests.

Start times and network designations will be announced at a later date.

was my coach at the 1996 Olympic games, so I understand the tradition and history of Auburn track and field. I will work incredibly hard to continue that tradition and build upon the foundation that Coach Rosen, Coach Spry and others before me have established.”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cougars were well on their way to being one of the best squads in the NCAA yet again. The Cougars swept The American Indoor Track & Field Championships for the second straight year as the men’s team won its sixth consecutive ITF conference title and the women secured their second.

In 2019, Houston showed little signs of slowing down earning its second See LEROY, page B4

AUBURN — After earning all-region honors earlier this week, Sonny DiChiara was named First Team All-America and Blake Burkhalter was named Second Team All-America by the American Baseball Coaches Association.

DiChiara also earned First Team All-America recognition from Perfect Game.

The All-America honors are the second and third for DiChiara, who was previously named Second Team All-America by Collegiate Baseball, and first for Burkhalter, who becomes the 33rd player in program history to earn the distinction. Burkhalter is the first relief pitcher since John Madden in 2005 to be named All-America.

The recognition for DiChiara comes after already being named the SEC Co-Player of the Year, First Team All-SEC, a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy.

DiChiara leads the league in average (.392), on-base percentage (.560) and slugging percentage (.809). His on-base clip is good for the national lead and is 53 points higher than any other SEC player in the last 10 full seasons.

A native of Hoover, Alabama, DiChiara is

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tied for second among active Division I players with 63 career home runs, four of which have come in the NCAA Tournament. He has homered 22 times this year and would tie Auburn’s single-season record set by fellow SEC Player

for the third most in program history and the most since 2003.

The junior righty recorded the final six outs of Auburn’s regional championship against UCLA and notched a pair of saves in the Corvallis Super Regional against Oregon State,

BURKHALTER

PHOTO CREDIT: GRAYSON BELANGER/AUBURN ATHLETICS

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY TODD VAN EMST

AUBURN — Olympic gold medalist and longtime coach, Leroy Burrell, has been named Auburn track and field head coach, Athletics Director Allen Greene announced Thursday. Burrell has spent the previous 23 years as head coach at his alma mater, the University of Houston, where he led the program to 41 conference championships and coached over 150 All-Americans.

“When I looked at the history and tradition at Auburn along with the opportunity to compete at the highest level in the Southeastern Conference, the opportunity at this juncture of my career was too good to pass up,” Burrell said. “I’ve had a wonderful run at Houston and had some struggles the past year. I felt my family and I needed another opportunity to win a national championship and compete at the highest level.

I’m not sure I could have found a better opportunity and words can’t describe how excited I am to join the Auburn Family and work with the people at Auburn.”

A former world-record holder in the 100-meter dash and a former student-athlete at Houston, Burrell established himself as one of the nation’s premier coaches. In over two decades of Burrell’s leadership, Houston had over 155 NCAA All-Americans and a combined 41 team conference championships.

“The thing I found most attractive about Auburn once I had a chance to

look deeper was the people,” Burrell said. “Allen Greene and Brant Ust were unbelievable to talk with from the beginning and

This will be the eighth year that a bye in the league schedule for participating teams was created to accommodate the single-day format. The first two years of the challenge were played over several days in November and December, but the last

Auburn Duo Picks Up Multiple All-America Honors

Leroy Burrell Named Auburn Track & Field Coach CONTRIBUTED

BY AUBURN ATHLETICS

The SEC won the ninth annual Big 12/SEC Challenge by winning six of the 10 games on Jan. 29, 2022. It is the second year in a row the SEC won the Challenge. The SEC has lost the Challenge just one time in the last six years.

DICHIARA of the Hunter Morris in 2010 with his next long ball.

DiChiara has drawn 68 walks this season, the most in the country and the second most in the team’s single-season history, and has reached base in all but two games, including multiple times on 48 occasions.

Burkhalter, who has already been named Second Team All-SEC and a finalist for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year award, leads the conference and ranks second in the country with 15 saves, good

retiring all eight batters he faced Monday, June 13, to send the Tigers to Omaha.

Burkhalter has posted a 4-2 record with a 3.89 ERA and has struck out 66 batters to go along with issuing only seven walks in 44.0 innings.

A native of Dothan, Alabama, Burkhalter earned three saves in as many appearances during the team’s sweep of South Carolina, becoming the first player in program history and the first in the league since 2017 to accomplish the feat.

B4 June 23, 2022

GoodwillSR Announces New Scholarship Program Initiative Made Possible Through Generosity of Donors, Shoppers Who Round Up At The Register CONTRIBUTED

BY GOODWILLSR COLUMBUS –– GoodwillSR today announced last Wednesday an exciting new scholarship program that is available to anyone in its 50-county territory who wants to pursue an education at an accredited, community or technical college or university.

The Goodwill RoundUp Scholarship is made possible by the generosity of our donors and shoppers who round up at the register. It is

LEROY >> FROM B3 straight third-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships behind a trio of podium finish performances.

The Cougars continued to have immense success during the 2017-18 season as the Cougars won their second straight NCAA title in the 4x100-meter relay. It would be a remarkable year for the Cougars as Burrell’s son, Cameron, would become an individual national champion, claiming the title in the 100-meter with a time of 10.02 to become the program’s first national champion in the event since his father earned the title in 1990.

That very same year, Houston earned its first of back-to-back thirdplace finishes at the outdoor championships.

“Houston has been my home for 36 years.

I came as a freshman in 1985 and it grew me into the person I am today. I wouldn’t be who I am today without my teammates and training partner Carl Lewis as well as Coach Tom Tellez who groomed me into the coaching profession,” Burrell said. “I can’t thank enough the UH team, staff and Chris Pezman, DeJuena Chizer and Lauren DuBois for their support. Houston has been my home and will always be in me, but I’m flying out of the nest to soar with Auburn.”

The 2017 season marked a banner year for Burrell after his 4x100-meter relay squad that claimed the NCAA Championship in the event. The team of John Lewis III, Mario Burke, Jacarias Martin and Cameron Burrell ran a school record 38.44 to claim the gold and win Houston’s first relay title since 1982.

Burrell led the Cougar men to championships in each of the indoor and outdoor seasons, sweeping the titles for the second-consecutive season and the 10th time in program history. The championships gave Burrell 33 conference championships

designed to bridge the gap that often exists between a student’s financial aid package and the total expense of attending school including tuition, books, equipment, room and board and more.

In all, 370 scholarships in the amount of $500 each will be granted in 2022 for a total investment of $185,000.

Students must provide verification of enrollment at an accredited institution in order to be eligible for consideration. The deadline to apply is July 15, 2022.

To learn more and apply, students should visit www.gwisr.org/ scholarship to fill out an application, submit a brief essay and provide enrollment confirmation.

Goodwill VicePresident of Mission Services, Tricia Llewellyn-Konan, added, “This initiative aligns directly with our mission at Goodwill. As such, we stand ready to support the recipients with job placement services and support once they graduate.”

Goodwill has long

been dedicated to closing the skills gap and eliminating barriers that often stand in the way of securing meaningful employment. With eight career centers and four training centers across their 50-county territory, approximately 30,000 individuals used Goodwill’s career services in 2021, with 4,700 of those individuals being directly connected to jobs.

These free services have historically been funded almost entirely by the sale of donated goods in its retail stores.

As new initiatives are implemented Goodwill looks to continue to expand their services and reach even more individuals in the community.

About Goodwill Southern Rivers Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers (GoodwillSR) is one of 156 independent, community-based Goodwill nonprofits across the United States and Canada. Headquartered in Columbus, Georgia, GoodwillSR serves 50 counties throughout east Alabama and west

Georgia. We provide employment readiness training, computer access, educational assistance, skills workshops and more to spur job placement and economic stability in the communities we serve. We can provide these and other programs thanks to the continued donations of giving patrons. We use the revenue generated in GoodwillSR stores to fund the majority of our community services. For more information about Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers, visit www.goodwillsr.org.

during his tenure at Houston.

“Coach Burrell’s accomplishments as an Olympic gold-medalist and his track record of consistent, championship-level success through recruiting and developing elite student-athletes speak for themselves,” Greene said. “A confident, humble leader, Coach Burrell believes in work, hard work. He will continue the long history of exemplary leadership of Auburn’s track and field program and will be an outstanding representative of the Auburn Family.”

During the 2015-16 season, Burrell led the Cougar men to a sweep of the indoor and outdoor American Athletic Conference Championships, marking the seventh time he has accomplished that feat. The men would go on to finish 10th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, the highest finish since 1985.

Burrell claimed Houston’s first American Athletic Conference Indoor Championship in 2015 after leading the 2014 Cougar men’s track and field team to the inaugural American Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championship. The 2014 Cougars finished with 15 conference champions in individual events.

Burrell tutored Errol Nolan to a 2013 NCAA Indoor Championship in the 400-meter dash. Nolan was the C-USA Track Athlete of the Year for the indoor season. Burrell also had 13 individuals win conference championships while the men’s team took home the 2013 C-USA Indoor Conference Championship and placed second at the last C-USA outdoor meet for Houston.

In his first season, he coached the C-USA Indoor and Outdoor Athletes of the Year, Anthony Authorlee and Dennis Darling.

Authorlee was named the 1999 C-USA

Outdoor Athlete of the Year after winning the 100m and 200m dashes.

His victory marked the first 100m conference championship since 1993. Darling was named the 1999 C-USA Indoor Athlete of the Year after winning the 200m and 400m. He also ran the anchor leg on Houston’s victorious 4x400m relay. Houston also enjoyed success on the national frontier that season, when the women’s team ended the 1999 campaign with a 20th place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championship.

In 2000, Burrell guided Houston to the C-USA Men’s Indoor and Outdoor Championships for a second straight year. He coached the C-USA Freshman of the Year, Robert Foster, who won the 200m dash at the C-USA Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Burrell led the women’s team to its first conference championship and was named the C-USA Women’s Outdoor Coach of the Year in 2000. Houston won the C-USA women’s outdoor title after finishing as the runner-up team at the C-USA Indoor meet.

Later that year, the women’s team finished in eighth place at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Jenny Adams won the NCAA long jump title and finished as the runner-up in the 100m. Ifoma Jones had a fourth-place finish in the heptathlon and finished seventh in the high jump. Rhian Clarke also had a seventh-place finish in the pole vault.

In 2001, the women’s team finished in seventh place at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Adams was named the long jump champion as she became Houston’s first two-time NCAA champion since 1989.

The seventh-place finish was Houston’s best showing since the 1993 indoor championships and the eighth-place finish at the 2000 outdoor meet equaled Houston’s best NCAA outdoor showing in school

history.

Burrell first gained track and field’s national spotlight when he earned All-America honors as a senior at Penn Wood High School in Lansdowne, Pa. in 1985. He was named the Eastern Track Athlete of the Year after single-handedly winning the 1985 Class 3A State Championship.

Burrell scored all of Penn Wood’s 40 points when he won the 100m, 200m, long jump and triple jump at the state meet.

In 1985-86, he broke Houston’s freshman long jump record, previously held by Carl Lewis, when he leaped 26’-9” at a dual meet against UCLA in 1986.

“Auburn track and field is getting a someone who knows how to build programs and does extremely well recruiting,” Carl Lewis said. “Leroy knows how to run a team, is extremely organized and can coach, especially the sprints. He works very well with people and whoever his staff is going to be, they’re going to enjoy working with him, because he’s that kind of guy. People at Auburn are going to love Leroy and his family.”

In 1988, he returned following an ACL injury to the SWC Championships, where he finished second in the 100m and in third place in the long jump. At the NCAA Championships, Burrell earned All-America honors with a fifth-place finish in the 100m and a seventh place showing in the long jump.

The next year, he won the NCAA Indoor Championship in the long jump with a leap of 26’-5.50”. At the 1989 NCAA Outdoor meet, he set the meet record with a personal best jump of 27’-5.50”.

But, Ohio State’s Joe Greene recorded a wind-aided mark of 27’ 7.25” to win the event, and left Burrell with a record-setting second-place finish.

Two weeks later, Burrell rebounded at the USA Outdoor

Championships at Houston’s Robertson Stadium. He won the 100m in 9.94 seconds, which was the fastest time ever recorded by a collegian. He also teamed with Carl Lewis, Danny Everett and current UH assistant coach Floyd Heard to set a world record in the 4x200m relay with a time of 1:19.38.

As a senior in 1990, Burrell won the NCAA Indoor long jump title for the second straight year with a leap of 27 feet.

At the SWC Outdoor Championships, Burrell ran one of the best sprint doubles ever recorded. He ran the fastest 200m ever run under any conditions with a wind-aided time of 19.61 and ran a wind-aided 9.94 time in the 100m to easily win both races.

He also won the 100m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Durham, N.C., when he posted a wind-aided time of 9.94 seconds and set a meet record in the semifinals with a time of 10.03 seconds.

His outstanding season resulted in Burrell receiving the “Jumbo Elliott Award” as the nation’s top collegiate track and field athlete.

After completing his collegiate eligibility, Burrell beat Carl Lewis for the first time on July 23, 1990, when he won the 100m in 10.05 seconds at the Goodwill Games in Seattle. He was ranked as the world’s top sprinter in 1990 and 1991 after winning 19 of his 22 races in the 100m.

Burrell set his first individual 100m world record on June 14, 1991, at the USA Championships in New York City. With a time of 9.90 seconds in the 100m, he edged Lewis, who finished second with a time of 9.92.

Later that year at the World Championships in Tokyo, Burrell bettered his time to 9.88; however, he was forced to settle for the silver medal as Lewis won the race in a record time of 9.86.

Burrell and Lewis

joined forces in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, where they combined with Mike Marsh and Dennis Mitchell to win the gold medal and set a new world record with a time of 37.40 seconds.

Burrell also had a fifthplace finish in the 100m at the Olympic Games.

“I helped recruit him to Houston and brought him to the Santa Monica Track Club where we were teammates and trained together,” Lewis said. “He’s like a little brother to me, we are like Batman and Robin.

We’ve known each other for a very long time as teammates, friends and coaches and I’m excited for him and this new opportunity at Auburn.”

In 1993, Burrell ran the anchor leg for the USA 4x100m relay team at the World Championships. The team won another gold medal and tied the world record.

Burrell was a member of the 1994 Santa Monica track team that set the world record in the 4x200m relay in 1:18.68. On July 6, 1994, Burrell reclaimed the title as the “World’s Fastest Human” when he reset his world record time in the 100m with a time of 9.85 seconds.

In 1996, he earned a spot on the USA Olympic Team, but was forced to withdraw because of an Achilles Tendon injury.

Two years later, he announced his retirement as the American record holder in the 100m and was selected to succeed his collegiate coach and USTCA Hall of Fame coach Tom Tellez.

A 1991 UH graduate with a degree in radio and television communications, Burrell was inducted into UH’s Hall of Honor in 2000.

He is married to the former Michelle Finn, an Olympic sprinter.

The couple has three children and their eldest son, Cameron, was a member of the Houston Track & Field team, while Josh Burrell was on the Houston football team.

B5 June 23, 2022

Life-saving Lecture: Auburn Student Uses Lessons From Class to Help Discover Father’s Brain Tumor CONTRIBUTED BY AUBURN UNIVERSTIY

BY CHARLOTTE TUGGLE

and I said, ‘We have to go.’ I didn’t really give him an option.”

Originally, the ap-

after Rachel explained the many social, emotional and psychological implications of hearing PHOTO COURTESY OF AUBURN UNIVERSITY

AUBURN –– Auburn University student Rachel Ruhlin never expected the lessons she learned in her audiology class might potentially save her father’s life, but that’s exactly what happened earlier this year.

Ruhlin — an incoming senior from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, studying Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts — will eventually apply what she’s learned in the program to her career.

But Ruhlin is different in that she’s already taken what she learned from the classroom all the way to the Mayo Clinic after she set a chain of events in motion that led to the

discovery of her father’s brain tumor.

In class, Ruhlin learned about parts of the ear, the importance of hearing aids and tumors like acoustic neuromas that can cause hearing loss. Meanwhile, her father, Joe, had struggled with worsening hearing loss for years — only talking on the phone on one side, not hearing anything said near his left ear — so Ruhlin urged him to set up an appointment with an audiologist.

“Once I started taking these classes, it put it more into perspective,” Ruhlin said. “My professor would talk about how many people have hearing loss, and if you don’t get hearing aids, your hearing will just get worse and worse.

Finally, I texted my dad

Auburn University Speech, Language and Hearing Services student Rachel Ruhlin used what she learned in an audiology class to potentially help save the life of her father, Joe. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor after she urged him to have his hearing checked. pointment was simply to test if Joe would be a candidate for hearing aids. He thought his worsening hearing was just a result of aging, but

loss, he was persuaded.

Plus, Joe said, it would be interesting for his daughter to see a real hearing test, so he agreed to go.

“She strongly encouraged me to set up an appointment while she was home,” Joe said. “And I think she knew I would go with her, partly because it was going to be interesting for her to see up close what an audiology test looks like, what a hearing test would look like and participate in it and ask questions.”

At the first audiology appointment, it was no surprise to Ruhlin that her father’s hearing test indicated serious hearing loss on one side. The next step in the process was for Rachel’s father to visit an ear, nose and throat doctor, who would conduct a more comprehensive test, including ordering an MRI. When the MRI results came back showing a large tumor, Rachel knew exactly what it

was: an acoustic neuroma, an extremely rare, but serious brain tumor.

It was one of the worstcase scenarios she was familiar with through her classes at Auburn.

In Auburn’s Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, or SLHS, program, all students must take Professor Sridhar Krishnamurti’s audiology class, where they learn foundational knowledge about hearing loss.

“This class teaches them what the field is about, it’s our trademark class in audiology for undergraduates,” Krishnamurti said.

“Very few people, like Rachel, take it to that next level where they translate it to help their family. This is the first See LESSONS, page B7

Lee County Schools Offering Free, Daily Summer Breakfast/Lunch Certain days from June 6 – 30, 2022.

Dates: June 13 to 17; June 21-24; June 27-30.

Participating Schools: Beauregard Elementary School; Beauregard High School; Beulah Elementary School; Loachapoka High School; Smiths Station High School; East Smiths Station High School.

Breakfast: 7:45 to 8:30 a.m. CST; Lunch: 10:30 a.m. to Noon CST. Transportation must be provided to and from the location for the children unless they are enrolled in the summer program at these sites. Contact each school for any additional information.

have information to share about a crime? you can now send ANONYMOUS tips directly from your cellphone.

SCAN THE QR CODE AND DOWNLOAD THE LEE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE APP

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1900 Frederick Road, Opelika, AL 36803 334-749-5651

www.LeeCountySheriff.org CRIME STOPPERS 334-215-STOP (7867)

CLIPPERS

B6 June 23, 2022

Party With A Purpose PHOTOS BY ED SIKORA / FOR THE OBSERVER

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lee County hosted its annual Great Futures Gala on June 16 at the Gogue Performing Arts Center in Auburn. Guests enjoyed music from the Emerald Empire Band as they danced the night away at the outdoor venue. Some of East Alabama's best restaurants and food trucks provided tasty dishes to accompany the cocktails at the cash bar. Special guests included Johnnie Harris, Auburn University's women's basketball coach, Bruce Pearl, Auburn University's men's basketball coach and Daymeon Fishback, former Auburn University basketball captain and SEC champion.

SPORTS >> FROM B1 to the World Series in Sterlington, Louisiana, July 22 through 26.

WEST RIDGE PARK West Ridge Park in Opelika is very busy from March through October, hosting recreation baseball and numerous travel baseball tournaments on the weekend.

Opelika is one of few cities that have nine baseball fields, two softball fields and a Miracle Field in one

complex. Most of the travel tournaments feature 35 to 60 teams during one weekend.

This provides a huge economic impact for the city. Many teams stay overnight, eat in restaurants, buy gas and shop. It is a winwin for the teams, fans and city of Opelika.

The ESG TeamOpelika, led by President Michael Hilyer, does an outstanding job of keeping the fields manicured, trash picked up and grounds cut. West Ridge has aged, but

still provides an excellent venue to play baseball and attracts more visitors in a year than any facility in Opelika. I am proud to live in a city that cares about youth sports and recreation facilities.

Mayor Gary Fuller and Opelika City Council President Eddie Smith are two reasons we have excellent recreation facilities and put emphasis on youth sports and activities. The Opelika Parks and Recreation Department, under

the leadership of Director Sam Bailey, are proponents of excellent facilities and offers so many activities/sports, fitness classes and places where the young and old can exercise.

D. Mark Mitchell is the sports director at iHeartMedia, host of “On the Mark” Fox Sports the Game 910-1310, co-chair of the Auburn-Opelika Sports Council, chairman of the Super 7 and Dixie Boys Baseball state director.

HART >> FROM B2 hometown team — Auburn University — on Monday. Auburn is the third SEC team to offer Hart, behind Mississippi State and Missouri.

“Extremely blessed to earn a SEC offer from Auburn University,” Hart said in an announcement on Twitter.

At 6-feet-2-inches, 180-pounds and with a 4.37 40-yard dash, Hart and other Loachapoka players recently attended a camp at Auburn University. Hart won “Defensive MVP”.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/

A standout on the football field, Hart led the Loachapoka defense last season with five interceptions. While his play on the pitch had generated the most buzz, Hart’s commitment to academic excellence also appeals to big-time universities.

Hart boast an impressive 4.2 GPA and is already in dual enrollment classes at Auburn.

“He’s very hardworking in the classroom, very hard worker in the weight room,” his head coach Reco Newton said in an interview in March. “He’s overall a great leader.”

files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20 P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-50811-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 6329992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by: 1.mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or 2.fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 6907442; or 3.email: program.intake@usda.gov This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

05/05/2022

B7 June 23, 2022

Auburn College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment Adding Outdoor Learning Laboratory, Walking Trails to Weagle Woods on Campus

AUBURN –– Auburn University’s College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment plans to soon enhance Weagle Woods, an approximately 11-acre tract of forestland located behind the Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Building on the corner of South Donahue Drive and Lem Morrison Drive.

The project is funded through support by Auburn alumni Ken and Barby Oser of Milton, Florida. Ken is a graduate of the college, and Barby is a College of Liberal Arts graduate.

The natural space contains a healthy, mature forested habitat with some established trees estimated to be around 200 years old.

Utilized for research and experiential educational opportunities, the space is a valued resource for the college, university and the greater Auburn community.

The College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment will enhance Weagle Woods by creating an outdoor learning laboratory to provide greater opportunities for public enjoyment of the space and further potential for hands-on educational activities.

With the support of

Auburn University Unveils 82 MillionYear-Old Dinosaur Egg for Public Display Most complete dinosaur specimen in eastern United States unveiled at special event CONTRIBUTED BY AUBURN UNIVERSITY

BY MARIA GEBHARDT

AUBURN — Thanks to a newly unveiled museum exhibit, visitors to Auburn University can travel back in time 82 million years.

Millions of years

Auburn University Museum of Natural History, or AUMNH, collections.

“It’s very unique, and there’s not another one like it,” said Jonathan Armbruster, director of AUMNH. “It holds great scientific value.”

Inside the Rouse PHOTO BY PHILLIP COXWELL

Jonathan Armbruster, director of the Auburn University Museum of Natural History, right, was joined by dinosaur egg discoverer and physician Dr. Prescott Atkinson, center, and James Lamb from the Black Belt Museum at the University of West Alabama at the unveiling of a new exhibit featuring a 2-inch dinosaur egg in the Rouse Life Sciences Building. ago, a fragile dinosaur egg approximately 2 inches long washed out to sea and was protected in layers of sediment for an incredible journey. In the 1970s, the fossilized egg was discovered by a group of teens near Selma, Alabama. One of those teens, Prescott Atkinson, would later conduct a CT scan on the egg after completing medical school.

The dinosaur egg, which includes an intact embryo that is the most complete dinosaur specimen in the eastern United States, was unveiled June 1 in a public display in the Rouse Life Sciences Building, part of the

Life Sciences building around the rotunda on the first floor, a wall display includes the dinosaur egg alongside an interactive tablet.

Visitors can learn about the area where it was found and characteristics of the egg, and people also can view images from the CT scan and see the actual bones inside the egg.

“The egg can teach us a lot of things,” Armbruster said.

Scant information exists about dinosaurs that inhabited the eastern coast of the United States, mainly because the area is covered in See DINOSAUR, page B8

PHOTO COURTESY OF AUBURN UNIVERSITY

CONTRIBUTED BY AUBURN UNIVERSITY

BY GRACEN CARTER

identification signs along Donahue Drive have been installed.

The development phase of the Weagle Woods Learning Laboratory will provide

a learning opportunity for students in the college’s Environmental Interpretation and Introduction to Environmental Education courses. As part of the curriculum, students will be involved in designing informational signage and the educational demonstration areas.

Once construction is complete, the property can be used for classroom instruction for courses in the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment and other disciplines at Auburn, says Amy Counterman, project coordinator and professor of practice in the college.

“This area will

benefit students from all over campus that can utilize the trails and informational signage as an outdoor laboratory,” said Counterman.

Janaki Alavalapati, dean of the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, said, “The Weagle Woods Learning Laboratory has potential to become a university resource, as well as provide benefits for the greater Auburn community for both educational and recreational purposes.

Weagle Woods is near some popular tailgating areas and is anticipated to become a popular destination for football fans and other campus visitors alike.”

risk. And where this tumor arises, there’s a lot of important things, especially the brain stem, right next to it. So, as these tumors slowly enlarge, they can start to push on some critical structures,” Link said.

“The other issue is that right with the hearing and balance nerve runs the facial nerves, which innervates all the muscles of facial expression. As the tumor gets bigger, the risk that the facial nerve will be injured or won’t work well after surgery goes up.”

The treatment options for a vestibular schwannoma include surgery, radiation and observation. Because of the size of Joe Ruhlin’s tumor, Link conducted a successful surgical removal on Feb. 16 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Because the tumor is so embedded in the hearing nerves, total hearing loss on the affected side is expected when a large tumor is removed. Link said patients also experience temporary balance issues and facial weakness following the surgery.

Link said while acoustic neuromas are rare, any hearing issues should be taken seriously.

“The great, great majority of the time, when people have unilateral hearing loss or unilateral ringing in the ear, it is not a tumor. But once again, it’s always worth getting it checked out,” Link said. “It’s been fascinating to me that so many people have hearing loss and refuse to get it checked out. It is a big issue for quality of life if you’re missing a lot of what’s going on around you.

So, I think for all of our family members, we have to be vigilant and say if you’re not hearing well, you need to get it checked out.”

For the next few months, Joe Ruhlin will recover from the surgery and slowly regain

his balance, content with the knowledge that the tumor is completely removed and he is no longer at risk of further damage.

Ruhlin said he’s grateful his daughter had the knowledge to help guide him through the process.

“It means a lot that she helped me get through this,” Ruhlin said. “I’m very grateful that she pushed me to go see the doctor. It did take some encouragement, and she’s very good at encouraging me to do things. Daughters can be that way.

“So, I’m very grateful that she was in that audiology class at the time. She was talking to her audiology professors, and they were backing up what we were hearing, so it was very comforting to have her support.”

Throughout the process, Rachel Ruhlin consulted her SLHS professors, who also worked with her schedule to ensure that she could be at home with her father around the time of the surgery.

“The SLHS program was so supportive prior to the surgery and during the surgery,” she said. “I could just tell them my dad had an acoustic neuroma, and they knew exactly what it was. I didn’t have to explain anything, and they still ask me how he’s doing. The support from the SLHS faculty, especially being thousands of miles away, I couldn’t be happier to be a part of this program.”

Krishnamurti said what really sets Rachel apart from her peers is that she had the conviction to immediately apply what she learned in class, from the first hearing test through treatment.

“All credit goes to Rachel because she was conscientious, she listened in class, she wrote it down and went home and took her father to the doctor,” Krishnamurti said. “She

made sure that he went to one of the best places in the world and got the best treatment, and I’m sure he’s a lot happier man today. It’s heartening for us as faculty members that we were able to give her the information she needed to do the right things.”

Despite some of her professors’ encouragement to pursue audiology, Ruhlin still looks forward to becoming a speech-language pathologist who works with Spanish-speaking families. She said this experience has given her a new appreciation for audiology.

“A lot of times, you learn something in the classroom and you just kind of leave it in the classroom, but it was so impactful that I was able to apply it to something so meaningful in my life,” Ruhlin said. “This will have an impact for years and years, because now the tumor’s gone and he’ll be fine. What I learned potentially saved his life.”

Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification, life-changing outreach with Carnegie’s Community Engagement designation and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs.

Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact.

Auburn’s College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment plans to enhance Weagle Woods, an approximately 11-acre tract of forestland behind the Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Building. Professor Amy Counterman, project coordinator, and Dean Janaki Alavalapati stand next to a new sign marking one of the trails. the Osers, the college will establish new walking trails and design and install educational kiosks and interpretive signs. The main pathway and the

LESSONS >> FROM B5 time in 25 years that I’ve experienced a student affecting their family’s future.”

Because of that class, Ruhlin said she had a firm grasp on everything that was happening.

“When we went to the audiologist the first time, I knew exactly what was going on with his audiogram and how bad it was because I had seen audiograms in class all the time,” Ruhlin said. “Then we went to the surgeons, and they were talking about parts of the ear, and I’ve learned all those. Before surgery, I knew everything that was going on because we learned about this specific type of tumor in class. So, if I hadn’t had these classes, I definitely would’ve been a lot more confused and in the dark.”

An acoustic neuroma, also known as a vestibular schwannoma, is a benign tumor that grows in the cells surrounding the hearing and balance nerves.

Common symptoms include hearing loss on one side, ringing in one ear, dizziness and facial numbness when the tumor gets large.

Acoustic neuromas are rare, affecting only about three people in 100,000, but are risky because of their proximity to the brain stem. Left untreated, they can grow large enough to compress the brain stem and become life-threatening.

Dr. Michael Link is the neurosurgeon who took care of Joe Ruhlin at the Mayo Clinic, one of the best facilities in the world for vestibular schwannoma treatment.

Link has seen thousands of patients with this type of tumor and said the longer it goes untreated, the more dangerous it can become.

“Even though it’s benign, having something growing inside your head is somewhat of a

B8 June 23, 2022

Red Cross Gives Tips to Stay Safe in Hot Weather, Life Tips for Seniors

BY BETH PINYERD FOR THE OBSERVER

LEE COUNTY –– It’s peak summer time and while the sunshine is welcome, the heat that comes with it can sometimes take its toll. The following is a series of tips to help seniors (and others) stay cool and healthy this summer.

1. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids. Avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol. With our seniors we need to be aware that they are more susceptible to dehydration than younger people because they lose their ability to conserve water as they age.

2. Avoid extreme temperature changes.

With seniors, guide them toward cool places like shade, air conditioning, etc., when out.

3. Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing. Avoid dark colors because they absorb the sun’s rays.

4. Slow down, stay

indoors and avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day.

5. Postpone outdoor games and activities.

6. Use a buddy system when working in excessive heat. Take frequent breaks if working outdoors. High temperatures can be life-threatening, so communication plays an important role in ensuring the safety of the elderly. Caregivers should check on the health and welfare of the elderly at least twice a day.

7. Check on animals frequently to ensure that they are not suffering from the heat. MAKE SURE THEY HAVE PLENTY OF WATER. 8. If on certain medicines, check with your doctor to make sure any medications you are on won’t be affected by higher temperatures.

9. Heat Exhaustion: Excessive heat can lead to sunburn, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. If someone is

CONTRIBUTED BY TROY UNIVERSITY

TROY — For four straight years, Troy University has kept prices level for students, reflecting the university’s commitment to providing an affordable, high-quality education.

TROY’s position of maintaining low prices bucks the industry trend of raising the price tag in response to inflation.

“At TROY, the most important thing we do is take care of students,” said Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., chancellor. “In a time of economic inflation, when the prices of so many consumer goods are rising, we feel it is our responsibility to keep our tuition as low as possible for our students.”

Troy University froze tuition rates in fall 2019 and fall 2020. In fall 2021, the university established a new pricing structure that created one tuition rate for all undergraduate students and eliminated a host of enrollment fees, meaning the total price of enrollment stayed the same for most students.

For fall 2022, university leaders have once again frozen tuition rates and are retaining the pricing structure which has done away with all mandatory enrollment fees.

The updated pricing structure, called the Clear Cost Plan, reflects the university’s commitment not only to affordability but to disrupting the higher education pricing model. The pricing model within the Clear Cost Plan eliminates a host of fees, including all lab fees, course fees, registration fees, recreation fees and more. It also establishes

single tuition rates for undergraduate, graduate and doctoral classes whether online or in-class.

This pricing model stands in contrast to the tuition and fee models in place at many institutions, in which numerous fees are tacked onto the tuition rate, said Dr. Jim Bookout, senior vice chancellor for Financial Affairs and TROY Online.

“We have eliminated all of our mandatory enrollment fees that most universities have long adopted as standard pricing strategies,” Bookout said. “The advantage to students and families is transparency in our pricing. Unlike some institutions, Troy University cannot freeze tuition rates while simultaneously increasing an array of enrollment fees.”

Troy University has been recognized as a national model for providing quality, affordable education in a new report from the Partners for College Affordability and Public Trust.

The case study, published in December 2021, is part of a project focusing on affordability strategies employed by the governing boards of five public universities.

For TROY, the study examined the leadership of Hawkins. and the Board of Trustees and the decisions that have made Troy an adaptive and affordable institution focused on meeting the needs of students and the community.

“Ongoing efforts to ‘rightsize’ the university have resulted in significant cost savings, enabling university leadership to provide students with an affordable, flexible and quality education,” the report states.

a human if unprovoked, and believe it or not even stepping on venomous snakes like cottonmouths or rattlers rarely results in a strike.

TIP 2 - Learn your snake species, particularly in our area.

TIP 3 – Remember what the difference between poisonous and nonpoisonous snakes.

TIP 4 – A rhyme for coral snakes: Red Touches Yellow, Kills A Fellow; Red Touches Black, Venom Lack; Yellow Touches Red, Soon You’ll Be Dead; Red Touches Black, Friend Of Jack.

TIP 5 - Snake Bite First Aid: 1. Remain clam, if you get worked up and panicked over the bite, your heart will beat faster and any venom will spread throughout the body. 2. Call for help! 3. The area should be cleaned and not flushed. 4. Wrap the area to prevent movement. 5.

Try to remember what the snake looked like.

SPIDERS TO LOOK OUT FOR DURING THE SUMMER We have 1,000 species of spiders in Alabama.

Only three species are highly venomous: black widow, brown widow and brown recluse.

INSECT BITES: Mosquitoes: Summer’s most unwelcome guest will feast on birds, animals and you. If a bird has West Nile Virus ad he moquito preys on this bird, then the mosquito can pass on the illness to human prey. Wear long sleeves, long pants and use bug repellents. Stay indoors during dawn and dusk when mosquitos are most active. With bees and wasps, insect repellent won’t keep them away, so avoidance is the key. Wasps hang around garbage bins so try to stay away from bins. Sudden movements provoke the bee or wasp to sting so don’t do sudden movements. If stung by a bee use your fingernail to remove the stinger. Don’t use tweezers,

these could squeeze venom into the wound.

Clean the area with soap and water; if painful, rub a pain reliever on the wounded site. If your lips are swelling, it’s getting harder to breathe or your throat is tightening up, go straight to the emergency room.

AVOID POISONOUS PLANTS IN THE SUMMER Poisonous plants have a range of harmful effects. Poison ivy, Toxicodendron Radicans, are the most recognized poisonous plants in Alabama. Many familiar plants contain toxins that cause vomiting, diarrhea or even lead to death.

What to do: Purchase or borrow a simple plant guide; find out if the plants in your yard are toxic to children or pets; protect yourself when outdoors, expecially if you will be disturbing plants. Wear long sleeves, long pants and gloves.

Opelika Hosts Pickleball Regional PHOTOS BY ROBERT NOLES / THE OBSERVER

Troy University Disrupting Higher Ed Pricing

experiencing these symptoms, get them to a cooler place, have them rest, replenish their fluids with half a glass of cool water every 15 minutes.

10. Heat Stroke – Life threatening-signs include hot, red skin which may be dry or moist; changes in consciousness; vomiting and high body temperature. Call 911 or the local emergency number.

11. Protect your eyes during the summer by wearing appropriate eye wear to protect from the sun; wear serious eye protection while doing home projects; protect eyes during sports; avoid or protect against chemicals; protect against oddball events such as fireworks, snapping bungee cords from tying down luggage; pellet or dart guns, etc.

SNAKE SAFETY TIPS: TIP 1 - Leave snakes alone. Almost all cases of snake bite occur when people attempt to catch, pick up or kill snakes.

No snake will ever attack

The Opelika SportsPlex is hosting the 2022 USA Pickleball Atlantic South Diamond Regional this week, with play officially opening this past Wednesday. Opelika is now home to 24 covered and lighted outdoor pickleball courts.

DINOSAUR >> FROM B7 vegetation that is unlike the western U.S. “The egg was dated to 82 million years through radiometric methods that determine particular isotypes and date layers of sediments,” Armbruster said.

The once delicate egg now has a dense structure.

“Over time, the egg has become lithified or transformed into stone,” he added. “It

had a complete shell, and no one actually knew what was inside.”

James Lamb from the Black Belt Museum at the University of West Alabama studied the specimen on loan from Auburn while working on his doctoral degree.

He removed part of the shell that exposed the embryonic bones and continued the journey of this egg.

Atkinson, who originally found the egg as a teen and later became a physician, took

CT scans, but medical scanners could not separate the bones from the rock.

“This egg shows why museums are important,” Atkinson said. “It is now preserved for people to see it and lets us teach people more about the fascinating role of science.”

The egg traveled to Grenoble, France, to undergo more detailed X-rays at the European Synchrotron, where the digital images could be extracted to identify the bones and confirm this specimen

as an actual dinosaur egg.

“The fact that Atkinson was at the right spot 82 million years after the egg was deposited in sediments is absolutely amazing,” said Armbruster.

Toni Bruner, AUMNH, and Ray Wilhite, Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, also have made contributions to this project.

“This specimen is preserved for all time, and now anyone can learn more about it,” Armbruster said.

L ee County & A labama Politics

B9

Nov. 24, 2021

Thursday, June 23, 2022

Inside the Statehouse Do Campaign Ads Pander?

D

OPINION –– uring the waning days of the campaigns for governor and U.S. senator, I received an inordinate amount of correspondence lamenting the outrageous, demagogic, disingenuous, negative ads, especially on television. The frustration can best be summed up by a thoughtful writer’s comments, “Steve, it is sad with all the issues we need to face in Alabama (health, education, infrastructure) we continue to dumb down our elections. I found the Kay Ivey ads revolting and racist.”

The writer went on to say that he was a Democrat, and he knew a Democrat could not win in Alabama and the best they could get is 40%.

My response was, “Negative and dumbed down, overt racist ads work.

If they didn’t, then these media gurus would not use them.” Over 65% of the ads used were negative, over the top ads that only had a scintilla of truth. Why, again? Because they work. I also told this reader that this vicious, atrocious simpleton advertising is not limited to just Alabama.

We are a right-wing conservative Republican state and only conservative Republicans vote in a Republican Primary. This reader stated he is a Democrat. He probably did not plan to vote in the Republican Primary. Therefore, the ads were not designed to appease or attract him or his vote.

Ads are designed to pander to right wing, conservative Alabamians.

Therefore, it is pretty clear that ads are going to depict their candidate as being against abortion, illegal immigrants and for having, owning and shooting guns. The media gurus are obviously going to say that someone’s Republican opponent is for killing babies, letting Mexicans cross the border illegally and being

See FLOWERS, page B10

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION

STEVE FLOWERS

against the Second Amendment.

Furthermore, allow me to take up for the Republican electorate of Alabama, who have consumed these ads. We are a red right wing Republican state. If you think these media gurus or hired guns, as I like to call them, are not moving to a left wing liberal state and doing the same thing to the left wing voters of California and New York, you are mistaken.

If you were to see the television ads in a California Democratic Primary, these hired guns would be revealing to the left wing, liberal base ads that show their candidates advocating that the governor should perform free abortions on demand during the third trimester on the Capitol steps, and every county in California should be made to open and fund transgender schools. The hired guns would further have a picture of their gubernatorial candidate holding a welcome sign and personally embracing all illegal immigrants crossing the border and gifting them a social security card, welfare check and voucher to any school in the Golden State, and of course giving them a democratic voting application regardless of whether they could read, write or speak English. Their gubernatorial candidate would follow up with a statement saying, “We as democrats do not care what this costs us because we do not believe in a balanced budget.” Then they would have their gubernatorial candidate erecting signs all over the state instructing all gun owners to turn over their guns, immediately, because the Second Amendment does not apply in California.

In short, we are a very diverse and very partisan nation. There is a lot of difference in political and social philosophy between California and Alabama. California is definitely a liberal Democratic state and Alabama is definitely a conservative Republican state.

The same hired gun political ad gurus travel from Alabama to California. They do not dwell on philosophy. They are hired to win elections. They design their ads to appeal to the base of the conservative Republican Party in Alabama and they design ads to pander to the left-wing, liberal Democratic base in California.

As far as our Alabama GOP

Chambers County Deputy Sheriff J’Mar Colin Abel Dies in Crash Pursuing Suspect

Chambers County Deputy Sheriff J'Mar Colin Abel, pictured above, had just celebrated his two-year anniversary with the sheriff's office.

BY THE OBSERVER STAFF

CHAMBERS CO. — Attorney Gen. Steve Marshall honored Chambers County Deputy Sheriff A'mar Colin Abel in a press release sent out on Tuesday. The statement, in response to the lineof-duty death of Abel on June 20 reads as follows: “Alabama’s law enforcement community is saddened tonight to learn of the loss of Chambers County

Deputy Sheriff J’Mar Colin Abel, who gave his life while protecting the public.

“Deputy Sheriff Abel, age 24, a two-year veteran of the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office, was marking his second anniversary with the Sheriff’s Office on the day he lost his life.

“At approximately 4:30 p.m., Deputy Abel was assisting in a vehicle pursuit of a suspect from a neighboring county when he lost control of his patrol car

while rounding a curve.

He lost his life in the crash. The suspect was apprehended.

“Deputy Sheriff Abel is the seventh Alabama law enforcement officer to perish in the line of duty this year, giving his all to fulfil his oath to protect and serve the public. His loss reminds us of the sacrifice that our law enforcement heroes make for us every day. We can never repay them.”

See ABEL, page B11

Auburn Candidates For Election

BY HANNAH LESTER HLESTER@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM AUBURN — Statewide elections have covered headlines for the last few weeks — but Auburn's municipal election is coming up in just two months.

On Aug. 23, residents will vote for their city council members and Auburn mayor.

These candidates

NOW OPEN

have currently qualified for the election: Mayor: Ron Anders, Jr. Ward 1: Arthur L. Dowdell Sr., Connie Fitch-Taylor (i) Ward 2: Kelley Griswold (i), Paul West Ward 3: Beth Witten Ward 4: Tyler Adams Ward 5: Sarah Jane Levine, Leah Billye Welburn V Ward 6: Bob Parons (i), Phillip Pollard Ward 7: Max

Coblentz, Greg Lane Ward 8: Tommy Dawson Now, however, there are some candidates who have expressed interest in running who have yet to qualify.

Auburn’s current board consists of Mayor Ron Anders, Ward 1 Councilwoman Connie Fitch-Taylor, Ward 2 Councilman Kelley Griswold, Ward 3 Councilwoman Beth See CANDIDATES, page B10

Indoor shooting range is open to the public

2195 FIRST AVENUE • OPELIKA

B10 June 23, 2022

Dixie Bibb Graves: ‘Bagging a Deer’ and a U.S. Senate Seat

BY GREG MARKLEY FOR THE OBSERVER

A

OPINION — common sight at university history departments for 25-30 years has been students wearing T-shirts that read: “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” I recently recalled that I saw those often at Auburn University (2005-2008) in Thach Hall. It relates to developing these columns.

The columns feature the only female U.S. Senators from Alabama. Both served for less than five months, but nevertheless cracked a glass ceiling. It had stopped women’s ascent since the state’s founding in 1819.

Dixie Bibb Graves was the first woman appointed to the Senate, on Aug. 20,

FLOWERS >> FROM B9 Primary, in defense of Kay Ivey, she was going to win reelection regardless of what her eight opponents did or how much they spent. She would have gotten 60% if there had not been $16 million of mostly untruthful negative ads thrown at her. She did not go negative against the eight novices that attacked her. Folks, Ivey, ain’t anymore for abortions on demand than Mother Teresa.

In closing, negative ads work. It they didn’t work they would not use

1937.

“For women born at the end of the 19th century or early in the 20th century, many of the old social and institutional improvements seemed irrelevant and antiquated,” wrote Dr. Wayne Flynt, emeritus professor of history at AU, in his book, "Alabama in the Twentieth Century."

“Their rebellion was more rooted in personal liberation than in social change.”

Dixie Bibb Graves was born on a family plantation in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1882. She became the first woman appointed a U.S. senator from Alabama.

The state’s first lady then, she was appointed to the Senate by her husband, Gov. Bibb Graves Graves when U.S. Sen. Hugo Black resigned to join the U.S. Supreme Court. them. You always have and probably always will see negative ads. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist in Huntsville to understand that if you are trying to win a Republican Primary in Alabama, you pander to the conservative base voter.

So, you ask, “Do campaign ads pander?” The answer is “Duh, yes.”

See you next week.

Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. Steve served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at: www.steveflowers.us.

CANDIDATES >> FROM B9 Witten, the Ward 4 seat sits empty, Ward 5 Councilman Steven Dixon, Ward 6 Councilman Bob Parsons, Ward 7 Councilman Jay Hovey and Ward 8 Councilman Tommy Dawson.

The Ward 4 seat was vacated at the end of May after Brett Smith moved to Florida. The council is working to find a temporary replacement until the new

Dixie served as a U.S. senator from Aug. 20, 1937, through Jan. 10, 1938. She was the first married woman to serve in the Senate (all the other women had been widows). Early into her venture in Washington, D.C. she proposed a “Peace Bill” for drafting both men and women in wartime.

Her bill said that when war existed or was imminent, personnel, funds and materials should be available for unlimited use, without profit. The bill was not

the Senate, believed to be a first for women. Later, she voted in support of New Deal programs tied to agriculture, crop control and labor policy. She resigned her

position when Lister Hill became U.S. Senator, and was cheered by Senate colleagues for her five months’ service.

Research outfit GovTrack.us found that Dixie missed just three of 25 roll call votes, or 12%, over two months. The median is 17% among lifetime records of senators serving in January 1938. It was reported that “She reverted back from senator to first lady of Alabama with the greatest of ease; cutting ribbons at grand openings of pilgrimages and public gardens and speaking at various functions.”

In his 2004 book, Flynt disclosed that Dixie Bibb Graves “proved her mettle in 1937 not by serving as the state’s first female U.S. senator but by besting her husband on a hunt (she bagged a deer while he had to content himself with shooting a wildcat).”

Next week: Maryon Pittman Allen, who told Gov. George Wallace to “shut up” and thus torpedoed her election to a sixyear term.

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 13 years. gm.markley@ charter.net.

and will close at 5 p.m. on June 28.

There are certain qualifiers, however, including needing to live in Auburn for 90 days, including the district the candidate would be running for.

The candidate must be a U.S. citizen and registered voter and can file their paperwork at 144 Tichenor Ave. (City Hall).

“Please note, the Auburn City Council adopted new boundaries for the City’s voting wards earlier this year,” the city’s website said. “Auburn

residents are encouraged to look up their current ward and voting location to see if their ward has changed since the 2018 election. Find your current ward and voting location using the Voting Services Map or by entering your address into the footer at auburnalabama.org.”

Citizens who want to vote in the election will need to register

by Aug. 9 through the Lee County Board of Registrars or Alabama Secretary of State Website.

Alabama notes, “Her response was notable because it was the first time that a woman gave a speech on the Senate floor and attracted much attention.

Lawmakers returned to their seats and other attendees filled the gallery to listen intently to her words.”

She hated lynching, but opposed the bill because it forced states to surrender some sovereignty, or rights.

A few weeks later, Vice President John Nance Garner asked Dixie to chair PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER

GREG MARKLEY

In finding a replacement for Black until a special election, Bibb Graves displayed a politician’s wit and Machiavellian schemes.

Bibb had many pols that would go gladly to the Senate on an interim basis, but most of those were Bibb Graves supporters.

Placing his wife Dixie in the slot would not undercut him with politicians whose leadership he needed at the Legislature.

The appointment had both supporters and detractors among newspaper editorialists and citizens, according to Sandra Behel in the Encylopedia of Alabama.

“Some were very pleased and thought she (Dixie Bibb Graves) would do a better job as senator than her husband was doing as governor. Others denounced the appointment as a political move by the governor to control events not only in the capitol building and the state legislature, but also the U.S. Senate.”

Small in size, well-mannered and charming, Dixie quickly impressed many people. The Montgomery Advertiser noted her “keen intelligence and amazing grasp of national problems, shown in the service she has rendered.”

A leader in women’s associations in Central Alabama, she received honorary degrees from Bob Jones College, 1935, and the Alabama College of Montevallo (University of Montevallo), 1936.

Dixie Bibb Graves, the first woman U.S. senator in Alabama.

Note: Katie Britt leads in polls for the June 21 Republican runoff, so we have columns June 23 and 30 about the two women U.S. senators the state has had.

approved.

When the Senate was debating an anti-lynching bill, Dixie offered passionate remarks.

Encyclopedia of council takes over in November.

Hovey has not qualified to run for his seat on the council again given his campaign for State Senator District 27.

Hovey beat incumbent Tom Whatley by one vote but the results were contested.

Hovey and Whatley will both attend a hearing on June 25 to determine the results.

There is still time, too, for interested candidates to register to run for a seat.

The qualifying opened on June 14

ANGEL’S ANTIQUE & Flea Mall

We are ready for July 4

Are You? Now Offering Gift Certificates 334-745-3221 • www.angelsmall.info 900 Columbus Parkway, Opelika, AL 36801 HOURS: 10 to 6 Monday - Saturday 1 to 5 Sunday

B11 June 23, 2022

When the world was a mess, Alabama showed plain common sense.

Our tourists are proof positive of that CONTRIBUTED BY ALABAMA GOV. KAY IVEY

W

OPINION — hen the world was a mess, Alabama showed plain common sense. Our tourists are proof positive of that.

Over the last two years, tourists and vacationers have flocked to Alabama to escape unnecessary restrictions and mandates. They also traveled here in record numbers because Alabama has something for everyone.

From our white sandy beaches on the Gulf Coast to the river valleys across the state to vibrant cultures and top-ranked cities, we remained open, welcoming and promoting normalcy.

Google searches, alone, proved Alabama was one of the county’s most desired getaways.

More people searched for information about our state than they did other tourist hot spots, like California, Hawaii and New York. Alabama travel information jumped from 30th place to fourth

among the 50 states.

Other states and the national tourism industry suffered a drop of 45%.

But here in Alabama, we did not just recover; we thrived. In 2021, 26% more tourists vacationed in Alabama and spent a record amount of almost $20 billion.

It’s no secret that economic growth is a priority of mine, and that includes expanding Alabama tourism.

During my tenure, we have seen the tourism industry almost double in revenue. Revenues

went from $10.7 billion in 2012 to $19.7 billion in 2021. Now, this growth could be attributed to new tourism attractions and good advertisement, or the truth of the matter: Alabama has it going on.

Even more importantly, tourists create good-paying jobs. Tourism helped fund 227,334 jobs last year. With that many jobs and $6.8 billion in payroll, the Alabama tourism industry is, no doubt, important to the overall health of Alabama’s economy.

It does not stop here.

Alabamians just voted to provide more funding for state parks and public historical locations. This constitutional amendment will help improve, renovate, construct and maintain our 22 state parks which encompass 48,000 acres of endless opportunities to fish, camp, canoe, hike and enjoy the great outdoors.

We are keeping Alabama the beautiful, beautiful.

Tourism down on the Gulf Coast is a money-making machine and the rest of Alabama

isn’t far behind. You can retrace the steps of the Civil Rights Movement, discover outer space in Huntsville at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, hike the start of the Appalachian range at Pinhoti Trail or spend a weekend on the lake at one of my favorite Alabama destinations, Lake Jordan.

Whether you are a first-time tourist, a frequent visitor or a local, I invite you and your family to explore all that Alabama has to offer this summer.

Former Gander Mountain Ward 4 Interim Council Member Named Property to See New Development

BY HANNAH LESTER HLESTER@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

BY MICHELLE KEY PUBLISHER

OPELIKA — During Tuesday night's Opelika City Council meeting, plans for a new four-story hotel and entertainment complex was approved.

There was a public hearing for a project development agreement with VAH Investments, LLC. The Project, as defined in the Project Development Agreement, will consist of a four-story approximately 69,783square-feet Marriott Element Hotel with 99 guest rooms, a 18-hole miniature golf course, a baseball/softball training facility, three volleyball courts, a building with clubhouse and restaurant and the entrance road (extension of Parker Way) as approved by the Opelika Planning Commission.

The council voted to approve the agreement.

RECOGNITIONS The council and Mayor Gary Fuller recognized Peterson and Williams Funeral Home for the service that it has provided the community since 1922.

According to the proclamation that was presented during the meeting, in 1922 Williams and Peterson Funeral Home began with a friendship between William Lewis Peterson, Sr. (successful grocery store and restaurant owner) and L. C. Williams (local insurance agent and mortician) who saw a need to serve the mortuary and funeral needs of the area; uniting in partnership, they established Williams and Peterson Funeral Home at the U.K.T. Hall on S.

ABEL >> FROM B9 Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones expressed his grief and support as well.

"Our first mission is to support Deputy Abel's family along with Sheriff [Sid] Lockhart and all

Fifth Street in Opelika.

Thomas E. Peterson, III, the great-grandson of William Lewis Peterson is the current owner of the business.

Opelika Chamber President and CEO Ali Rauch also presented Peterson with a plaque honoring this milestone.

"We just want to honor you," Rauch said. "On behalf of the Opelika Chamber Board of Directors and our membership as a whole, we honor you and celebrate you for that 100 years.

Twenty percent [of businesses] fail after one year, 65% fail after 10 years and you have persevered through four generations and we honor you and appreciate you."

Peterson thanked the city of Opelika, the families that they have served and their employees for the support given during the last century.

Fuller also presented an Atta Girl Award to Allison Duke who serves as the community relations specialist for the Opelika Police Department. She was nominated for this award for the work that she has done for the police department during the last year and a half.

IN OTHER BUSINESS - The council approved an application for a special retail – more than 30 days alcohol license for Heritage House Lodging and Events dba Heritage House Opelika LLC. - The council approved a request from Opelika Main Street for the annual On the Tracks event scheduled for Oct. 21 and Christmas in a Railroad Town to be held on

Dec. 9.

- There was a public hearing on the demolition of property located at 1204 Spring Drive which was subsequently approved.

- The council held public hearings on three weed abatement assessments and voted to approve the assessments for the following properties: 414 Ave. A, 206 Byrd Ave. and 1109 Magnolia St. - The council approved travel expense reports from city employees.

- The council approved a resolution to purchase three treadmills with a price not to exceed $21,982.11.

- The council approved tax abatements for Golden State Foods Corporation.

- The council approved an ordinance to amend the text of Zoning Ordinance: Section 7.3C "Uses", Duplex is Conditional Use in R-4, R-4M Mausoleums, Columbariums, Crematoriums are CU in GC-P and GC-S. - The council introduced an ordinance to amend the text of Zoning Ordinance: Section 7.3A District Regulations, and Section 7.7 "Downtown Residential Living", and Section 7.3C Use Categories (matrix table) for its first reading.

This ordinance will be voted on during the July 5 meeting.

Council meetings are held at 6 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of every month unless otherwise noted. Meetings are held in the municipal courtroom located at 300 Martin Luther King Blvd.

associated with the Chambers County Sheriff's Office," Jones said. "Our position, on the loss of a brother or sister law enforcement officer is clear. We believe the fabric of law and order has suffered a tear. It is our responsibility to bring our ranks together and hold the line of protection

for our communities.

All while never allowing Deputy Abel to be forgotten for his and his family's sacrifice."

Abel is survived by his fiancée, Jasmine Gaddist, of Auburn, and his father, Martin Abel, of Rainbow City, Alabama.

Funeral arrangements have not been released.

AUBURN — The Auburn City Council named former Ward 4 Council Member Brett Smith’s replacement, Jennifer Stevens, during Tuesday night’s meeting.

Smith moved to Florida at the end of May, vacating his seat.

At the first meeting in June, the council discussed options for Smith’s replacement.

Four Ward 4 Auburn residents expressed interest in finishing Smith’s term until November: Ray Huff, Ethan Purdue, Jennifer Stevens and Brent Beard.

Both Huff and Beard were nominated by council members on June 7.

The council could not agree on a replacement, however, voting 4 to 3. There must be a five-member majority to approve a candidate.

Ward 6 Council Member Bob Parsons was absent from the meeting.

Huff was nominated by Ward 5 Council Member Steven Dixon during the last council’s committee of the whole meeting and Beard was nominated by Mayor Ron Anders.

Beard is a former Auburn City Council Member who served four previous terms. He chose not to run in 2018.

Huff is an Auburn businessman who has also served on several boards and commissions before, said Ward 2 Council Member Kelley Griswold.

Ward 6 Council Member Bob Parsons was back at Tuesday’s meeting, leading to a five-member majority when voting.

To open the committee of the whole meeting, Anders nominated a third candidate, Jennifer Stevens.

“Jennifer has lived in Ward 4 for 28 years,” he said, along with being involved in numerous ways in the community.

Ward 3 Council Member Beth Witten said she met with Stevens and believes her background in finance will be beneficial to the

council. for FY2024, the amount “I think she would is $128,777,816. also add, at least in the However, the council interim, some additional did vote to amend the FY diversity to the council,” 2021/FY 2022 mid-bishe said. ennial budget during the Huff was also re-nomi- meeting. nated by Griswold.

The budget was in“Being under the recreased by $20,380,168 districting, he is in new and the expenditures deWard 4, which gives creased by $11,609,061. them an opportunity to Overall, this means an be represented by one increase in the budget by of their own,” Griswold $8,771,107. said. “I’m confident A more in-depth story in his abilities and on the budget to come. decision-making.”

OTHER BUSINESS: Beard was not - The council approved renominated. an alcohol beverage liThe vote carried five to cense for Ponko Chicken three in favor of Stevens. at 2111 S. College St. Witten, Anders, Parsons, - The council apWard 7 Council Member proved a contract for Jay Hovey and Ward 8 the 2022 Roadway and Council Member Tommy Capital Improvements Dawson voted in favor Reimbursement. of Stevens, while Ward 1 - The council apCouncil Member Connie proved a contract with Fitch Taylor, Griswold the Auburn Game and Dixon voted for Day Law Enforcement Huff.

Corporation, area law “I want to, again, echo enforcement agencies what you’ve heard from and Auburn University to some of the other council provide law enforcement people,” Anders said. “I for university events appreciate all four infrom Aug. 1, 2022, to dividuals being willing July 31, 2023. to serve our city in this - The council apunique manner. This proved a contract with does not happen very Barge Design Solutions often and we were bless- for Task Order 31 for ed to have four people professional consulting who were interested in engineering services for serving.” the Auburn University City Manager Megan Sewer Sub-Basin — Crouch said that Stevens FY22 SSES Project for would likely be sworn over $120,000. in Wednesday, June 22, - The council approved which would begin the a contract with Barge first day of her interim Design Solutions for term.

Task Order 32 for the BIENNIAL BUDGET: North Auburn Sewer The council postSystem — FY22 SSES poned a discussion on Project for over $195,600. the FY2023/FY2024 - The council apBiennial Budget at proved a contract with Tuesday night’s meetthe Smiths Station Fire ing after Anders denied and Rescue Authority unanimous consent. The for an Osage Super item will be brought Warrior Rescue Truck back before the council for $90,000. on July 5.

- The council approved From the city’s doca contract with South uments, for FY2023, Dade Air Conditioning the proposed budgetand Refrigeration, Inc. ed revenue includes d/b/a SDAC for the $119,579,779, while Richland Road Sidewalk other sources constitute Project for over $249,100. $767,250 for a total of - The council ap$119,346,029. FY2024 proved right-of-way includes $120,912,853 in and draining and budgeted revenue with utility easements for $771,250 in other financ- Brandon Bolt on behalf ing sources for a total of of Bison Trust for the $121,684,103.

Plainsman Subdivision The total expendifor the Connector Road Dedication. tures for FY2023 is $139,776,049, while See AUBURN COUNCIL, page B16

B12 June 23, 2022

Four Myths That Can Cost You Your Sight This July 4th Celebrate Independence Day, But Wear Eye Protection Around Fireworks

BY E.M. BRENDAN WYATT, M.D. CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER Americans — often youngsters — suffer serious eye injuries from fireworks on the Fourth of July. People like teenager Jameson Lamb, robbed of his vision in his right eye at age 16 when a Roman candle he thought was extinguished hit him in the face. Or Erika RodriguezLoza, 14, who was permanently blinded in one eye when a firework burned her optic nerve.

Children and teenagers are nearly twice as likely to be injured by fireworks

than are adults, and 15% of fireworks injuries involves eye trauma.

But you don’t have to be a child or even lighting the fireworks yourself to suffer a serious eye injury.

In fact, more than half of fireworks injuries are suffered by bystanders who are simply watching the pyrotechnics when something goes awry.

With Independence Day on the horizon, it’s the perfect time to focus on protecting our eyes and dispelling several myths about fireworks that put people at risk of blindness.

Myth #1: Consumer fireworks are

harmless. Fireworks can cause blinding eye injuries such as chemical and thermal burns, corneal abrasions or retinal detachment. If you have plans to celebrate July 4 with fireworks, it is essential to wear eye protection.

Myth #2: Sparklers are made for little children and aren’t dangerous. Don’t let their small size fool you. Sparklers burn at more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s hot enough to melt certain metals. Sparklers are responsible for about 1,400 eye injuries each year.

Myth #3: Duds are harmless. All fireworks

should be handled with extreme caution and that includes malfunctioning fireworks. Do not try to relight faulty fireworks.

Instead, soak them thoroughly with water using a hose from a distance and throw the dud away.

Myth #4: Only those handling the fireworks are at risk. Fireworksrelated eye injuries often happen to bystanders.

Watch fireworks from a distance and make sure you and everyone else watching the pyrotechnics with you are wearing eye protection.

If an eye injury does occur, seek medical attention

immediately. Even eye injuries that may seem minor should be treated right away to prevent further damage or infection.

Too many people just don’t see the potential life-changing harm in sparklers, firecrackers and bottle rockets. They learn too late the necessity of wearing eye protection.

It’s always best to leave fireworks to the professionals. But if you choose to celebrate the Fourth with fireworks, don’t buy into the myths. Wear safety glasses and take the necessary precautions to keep yourself, your family and your friends safe.

If you want more tips and information about protecting your eyesight this Fourth of July, visit www.eyesmart.org.

Dr. Wyatt earned his medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and completed an ophthalmology residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham/Eye Foundation Hospital. He has been in private practice at Wyatt-Kirkpatrick Eye MD Associates in Selma since 1999. Dr. Wyatt currently serves as President of the Alabama Academy of Ophthalmology.

B13 June 23, 2022

PUBLIC NOTICES IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA HARDWOOD, LLC, Plaintiff, v. Case No.: CV-2022-900172 A tract or parcel of land designated as Parcel “C” containing 1.500 acres, as shown on a plat of survey of part of Section 5, Township 17 N, Range 29 E, Lee County, Alabama, prepared

by F. Wayne Allen, Registered Land Surveyor, Ala. Reg. No. 9534, dated 12/26/96, and being more particularly described as follows: COMMENCE at the northeastern corner of the NW ¼ of said Section 5 and run thence South 70 deg. 08 min. 59 sec. East a distance of 146.69 feet to an iron stake found; run thence South 56 deg. 56 min. 08. sec. West to a distance of 14.72 feet to an iron stake found; run thence South 56 deg. 56 min. 08.sec. West for distance of 135.30 feet to an iron stake found; run thence South 42 deg. 43 min. 47 sec. East a distance of 390.63 feet to an iron stake found; run thence South 42 deg.

43 min. 57 sec. East a distance of 283. 66 feet to an iron stake set; run thence South 42 deg. 43 min. 51 sec, East a distance of 489.87 feet to an iron stake set which marks the POINT OF BEGINNING. From said POINT OF BEGINNING run thence South 42 deg. 43 min.

51 sec. East a distance of 494.43 feet to an iron stake found; run thence North 43 deg. 20 min.

53 sec. East a distance of 133.70 feet to an iron stake found; run thence North 42 deg. 43 min. 52 sec. West a distance of 485.29 feet to an iron stake set; run thence South 47 deg. 16 min. 08 sec. West a distance of 133.38 feet to the iron stake set which marks the Point of Beginning.

AND ALSO AN EASEMENT FOR THE PURPOSE OF INGRESS AND EGRESS: COMMENCE at the northeast corner of the NW ¼ of said Section 5 and run thence South 70 deg. 08 min. 59 sec. East a distance of 146.69 feet to an iron stake found; run thence South 56 deg. 56 min. 08 sec. West a distance of 14.72 feet to an iron stake found located on the easternmost right-of-way of Lee Road 425 which marks the POINT OF BEGINNING: FROM SAID POINT OF BEGINNING run South 56 deg. 56 min. 08 sec. West a distance of 15.00 feet to a point; run thence 42 deg. 43 min.

52 sec.

East a distance of 1626.73 feet to a point; run thence North 43 deg. 20 min. 50 sec. East a distance of 15.00 feet to an iron stake found; run thence North 42 deg. 43 min.

52 sec. West a distance of 1627.73 feet to the iron stake found which marks the Point of Beginning.

And Bonnie A. Bonner, and/or the unknown Heirs of Bonnie A. Bonner, And OneMain Financial Group, LLC Defendants.

NOTICE OF ACTION To: All Defendants herein, whose whereabouts are unknown and which cannot be ascertained after the exercise of reasonable diligence.

You are hereby notified that on the 23rd day of May, 2022, a Complaint to Quiet Title was filed in the Circuit Court of

Lee County, Alabama, and the following are the names of all parties to the action: Hardwood, LLC, as Plaintiff; A Parcel of Real Property, described below, as Defendant; Bonnie A. Bonner, and/or the unknown Heirs of Bonnie A. Bonner, as Defendant; OneMain Financial Group, LLC, as successor in interest to American General Finance, Inc.; and unknown persons or entities who cannot be ascertained after the exercise of due diligence, and which are believed to have claimed some right, title, interest or claim in and to the property described herein.

All persons having an interest in said lands or any portion thereof, claiming any title thereto or any encumbrance or lien thereon, are hereby directed to plead, answer, or otherwise respond to the Complaint on or before the expiration of 30 days after the last publication of this notice, or thereafter suffer judgment by default to be rendered against them, it being intended that this notice shall be used to perfect service against all parties who cannot be personally served with a copy of the Complaint.

Done this the 14th day of June, 2022. /s/ Mary Roberson Mary Roberson Circuit Court Clerk, Lee County J. Brandon Rice Of Counsel, Davis, Bingham, Hudson & Buckner, P.C. 324 East Magnolia Avenue Auburn, AL 36830 Legal Run 06/23/2022, 06/30/2022, 07/07/2022 & 07/14/2022 --------------[ADVERTISEMENT] NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS ALDOT PROJECT NO. IAR—041-000-019 CITY BID NO. 22027 CITY OF OPELIKA LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Sealed bids will be received by the City of Opelika Purchasing Department (Attn. Lillie Finley) at Opelika City Hall located at 204 South 7th Street, Opelika, Alabama 36803, until 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, July, 12, 2022, and at that time publicly opened for constructing the following: Construction of Grade, Drain, Base & Pave, Opelika North Park Industrial Access Road for the City of Opelika, Project No. IAR-041-000-019.

The bracket estimate on this project is from $1,100,000.00 to $1,300,000.00. The principal items of work are approximately as follows: 360 Superpave Bituminous Concrete Wearing Surface Layer, per ton 719 Superpave Bituminous Concrete Upper Binder Layer, per ton 719 Superpave Bituminous Concrete Lower Binder Layer, per ton 5,554 Crushed Aggregate Base, Type B, Plant Mixed, per square yard 7,025 Unclassified Excavation, per cubic yard 2,098 Solid Yellow, Class 2, Type A Traffic Stripe (5” Wide), per linear foot The entire project shall be completed in SEVENTY-FIVE (75) working days.

Bidding documents for a unit price contract may be obtained from the office of CDG, Inc., 197 East University Drive,

Suite #1, Auburn, Al 36832, (334) 466-9431. Paper copies are available upon receipt of a non-refundable deposit in the amount of $100 for one set.

PDF electronic copies are available via email at no cost to the bidder, or on a CD for $25. No bid documents will be distributed later than 24 hours prior to the scheduled opening of bids.

A cashier’s check (drawn on an Alabama Bank) or bid bond for 5% of the amount bid (maximum - $10,000.00) and made payable to the City of Opelika must accompany each bid as evidence of good faith.

In accordance with Section 34-8-8, Code of Alabama, as amended, “all owners, architects, and engineers receiving bids pursuant to this chapter shall require the person, firm or corporation to include his or her current license number on the bid.” It also states that “…It will be necessary for him or her to show evidence of license before his or her bid is considered.”

ALDOT prequalification is required on this project. Further details and definitions regarding this provision are included in Section 102 of Special Provision 22-LPA-001 and ALDOT’S 2022 Standard Specifications.

Proof of insurance coverages of the types and amounts as set forth in the project specifications will be required of the contractor, and any and all subcontractors, prior to beginning work. The contractor will be required to perform work amounting to at least 30% of the total contract cost with his own organization.

This is a State-funded project through ALDOT. The proposed work shall be performed in conformity with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations.

The right to reject any or all bids and to disregard any minor irregularities is reserved by the owner.

Honorable Gary Fuller, Mayor Legal Run 06/23/2022, 06/30/2022 & 07/07/2022 --------------UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION Georgia Power Company Project No. 485-076 NOTICE OF APPLICATION ACCEPTED FOR FILING AND SOLICITING COMMENTS, MOTIONS TO INTERVENE, AND PROTESTS (June 10, 2022) Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection: a. Application Type: Non-Capacity Amendment of License b. Project No: 485-076 c. Date Filed: May 6, 2022, and supplemented on May 23, 2022 d. Applicant: Georgia Power Company e. Name of Project: Bartletts Ferry Hydroelectric Project f. Location: Chattahoochee River, in Harris County, Georgia, and Lee and Chambers counties, Alabama g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 USC 791a - 825r h. Applicant Contact: Courtenay O’Mara, Hydro

Licensing & Compliance Supervisor, 241 Ralph McGill Boulevard, NE, BIN 10193, Atlanta, Georgia 30308-3374, 404-506-7219, cromara@southernco.com i. FERC Contact: Aneela Mousam, (202) 502-8357, aneela.mousam@ferc.gov j. Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, and protests: July 11, 2022.

The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing.

Please file comments, motions to intervene, and protests using the Commission’s eFiling system at http://www. ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling. asp. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at http://www.ferc. gov/docs-filing/ecomment. asp. You must include your name and contact information at the end of your comments.

For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc. gov, (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, you may submit a paper copy.

Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.

Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The first page of any filing should include the docket number P-485-076. Comments emailed to Commission staff are not considered part of the Commission record.

The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all intervenors filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each person whose name appears on the official service list for the project. Further, if an intervenor files comments or documents with the Commission relating to the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a particular resource agency, they must also serve a copy of the document on that resource agency. k. Description of Request: Georgia Power Company (licensee) requests Commission approval to upgrade four generating units in the west Bartletts Ferry powerhouse.

The licensee proposes to replace existing turbine runners, rehabilitate generators, and install new trashracks. The unit modifications would increase the installed capacity by 13.65 megawatts and increase the maximum hydraulic capacity by 5 cubic feet per second. To facilitate the proposed unit upgrades, the licensee may implement a reservoir drawdown.

As required by license Article 401 Project Operation and Lake Levels, if a drawdown is needed for the proposed work, the licensee would consult with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Alabama Ecological Office.

The licensee would also, notify the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and provide boat ramp elevations.

The proposed upgrades also include installing aerating turbine runners in three of the four turbine units (units 1, 2 and 4). The aerating turbine runners will enhance the project’s ability to continue to achieve Georgia water quality standards by increasing the dissolved oxygen. Therefore, the licensee also requests to amend Article 403 Tailrace Water Quality Enhancement and Article 404 Tailrace Water Quality Monitoring of the project license to implement the proposed Dissolved Oxygen and Water Temperature Monitoring Plan following the unit upgrades. l. Locations of the Application: This filing may be viewed on the Commission's website at http://www.ferc.gov using the "eLibrary" link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access the document. You may also register online at http://www.ferc. gov/docs-filing/esubscription. asp to be notified via email of new filings and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, call 1-866-208-3676 or e-mail FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, for TTY, call (202) 502-8659.

Agencies may obtain copies of the application directly from the applicant. m. Individuals desiring to be included on the Commission's mailing list should so indicate by writing to the Secretary of the Commission. n. Comments, Protests, or Motions to Intervene: Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene in accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, .211, .214, respectively. In determining the appropriate action to take, the Commission will consider all protests or other comments filed, but only those who file a motion to intervene in accordance with the Commission's Rules may become a party to the proceeding. Any comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be received on or before the specified comment date for the particular application. o. Filing and Service of Documents: Any filing must (1) bear in all capital letters the title “COMMENTS”, “PROTEST”, or “MOTION TO INTERVENE” as applicable; (2) set forth in the heading the name of the applicant and the project number of the application to which the filing responds; (3) furnish the name, address, and telephone number of the person commenting, protesting or intervening; and (4) otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. All comments, motions to intervene, or protests must set forth their evidentiary basis. Any filing made by an intervenor must be accompanied by proof of service on all persons listed in the service list prepared by the Commission in this proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 385.2010.

Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary.

Legal Run 06/23/2022 --------------INVITATION TO BID 22026 Sealed bids for the construction of the

South Long Street Sidewalk and Drainage Upgrades shall be received at the Opelika City Hall 2nd Floor Conference Room, 204 South Seventh Street, Opelika, Alabama, until 2:00 p.m. local time on July 12, 2022, and then publicly opened and read aloud. All interested parties are invited to attend.

Only bids from competent general contractors will be considered. At the time of contract award, the successful bidder must be a properly licensed general contractor.

The attention of all bidders is called to the provisions of State law governing “General Contractors” as set forth in the Ala. Code §34-8-1, et.seq.

(1975) and rules and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto.

Bidders must be licensed by the Licensing Board for General Contractors when bids are submitted.

Bidders are required to have a State of Alabama General Contractor’s License with a specialty of “Highways and Streets, Clearing and Grubbing, Earthwork, Erosion, Site Work, Grading or Municipal and Utility”. All bidders must submit with their proposal, contractor’s license number and a copy of the license. State law Ala. Code §34-8-8(b) requires all bids to be rejected which do not contain the contractor’s current license number.

Evidence of this license shall be documented on the outside of the sealed bid.

All bidders shall possess all other licenses and/or permits required by applicable law, rule or regulation for the performance of the work.

Drawings and Specifications may be examined at the Office of the City Engineer located at 700 Fox Trail, Opelika, Alabama, and phone number: 334-705-5450. Bid documents may be obtained from the Office of the City Engineer at no charge as an electronic file if the bidder supplies a storage drive or as an email attachment or electronic drop box.

The bidder’s proposal must be submitted on the complete original proposal furnished to him/her by the City of Opelika.

All information in the proposal must be completed by the bidder for the proposal to be accepted.

A Bid Bond in the amount of five (5) percent of the bid amount made payable to the City of Opelika must accompany each bid. Performance and Payment Bonds for the full contract sum will be required of the successful bidder. The right is reserved by the Owner to reject all Bids and to waive irregularities.

Envelopes containing bids must be sealed, marked, addressed as follows, and delivered to: Lillie Finley, Purchasing-Revenue Manager, City of Opelika, 204 South 7th Street, P.O. Box 390, Opelika, Alabama, 36803-0390. Attn: South Long Street Drainage and Sidewalk Upgrades LILLIE FINLEYPURCHASING REVENUE MANAGER CITY OF OPELIKA 204 SOUTH SEVENTH STREET (36801) POST OFFICE BOX 390 (36803-0390) OPELIKA, ALABAMA PH: (334) 705-5120 Legal Run 06/23/22, 06/30/22 & 07/07/22

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B14 June 23, 2022

PUBLIC NOTICES due to a disability.

PLANNING DIRECTOR Legal Run 06/23/2022

PUBLIC NOTICE >> FROM B13

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NOTICE TO CREDITORS Take Notice that LETTERS TESTAMENTARY of the Estate of CAROL FIELDS are hereby granted to Holly Elizabeth Fields Eaton and Sidney Lewis Fields, III, as Co-Personal Representatives on the 1st day of June, 2022, by the Honorable Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court 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 (Lee Co. Probate Case No. 2022-299).

Legal Run 6/16/2022, 6/23/2022 & 6/30/2022 ---------------

CITY OF OPELIKA NOTICE OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING AND PUBLIC HEARINGS TO: RESIDENTS AND PROPERTY OWNERS OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA AND ALL OTHER INTERESTED CITIZENS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Planning Commission of the City of Opelika, Alabama will hold a regular meeting and will be conducting public hearings on Tuesday, June 28, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. in the Meeting Chamber at Opelika Municipal Court located at 300 MLK Boulevard, Opelika, Alabama.

A Planning Commission work session will be held at 2:45 pm before the regular meeting.

The purpose of the public hearings is to receive public comment on the following: I. Some items at this meeting will have a designated public hearing (noted below). Individuals are limited to one 5-minute comment period per public hearing.

II. Approval of Minutes III. Update on Previous Planning Commission Cases IV. IV. New Business The Following is an addition to the June 28, 2022 Planning Commission agenda: B. Plat (Preliminary and Final) – Public Hearing 1. A public hearing on a request by Harmon Engineering & Contracting Co., Inc., authorized representative for Opelika Investment Properties LLC, property owner, for preliminary and final plat approval of the Celebrate Alabama Improvement District Subdivision consisting of 4 lots accessed at Section 26, 27, 34, & 35 , T20N, R27E, Exit 64 and 66 of Interstate 85.

All interested persons are invited to attend the meeting/ public hearings and be heard.

Written comments concerning the above matters may be mailed to the Planning Director at 700 Fox Trail, Opelika, Alabama 36801 at any time prior to the meeting/ public hearings and may be further submitted to the Planning Commission at the meeting/public hearings.

The Planning Commission reserves the right to modify or alter any of the proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinance and to make its recommendations accordingly to the City Council.

Please contact the Planning department at 334-705-5156 at least two (2) working days prior to the meeting if you require special accommodations

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IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN RE: The Estate of Joshua Ransom Vinson, deceased Case Number: 2022-208 NOTICE TO CREDITORS TAKE NOTICE that Letters of Administration have been granted to Michael Vinson as Administrator of the Estate of Joshua Ransom Vinson deceased, on the 20th Day of May, 2022 by the Honorable Bill English, Judge of Probate.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that all persons having claims against the said Estate are hereby required to present the same within the time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

Michael Vinson, Personal Representative of the Estate of Joshua Ransom Vinson Legal Run 06/09/22, 06/16/22 & 06/23/22 --------------IN RE: THE ESTATE OF DOLORES A. VAN WETTERING, DECEASED IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to the undersigned on the 2nd day of June, 2022, by the Hon. Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court 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.

GUY PARKER VAN WETTERING TAD PARKER VAN WETTERING Legal Run 06/09/2022, 06/16/2022 & 06/23/2022 ---------------

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IN RE: THE ESTATE OF EMMAG. GOODEN, Deceased IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA CASE NO. 2022-320 NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to the undersigned on the 2nd day of June, 2022, by the Hon. Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court 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.

SANDRA HENDERSON – Executrix Legal Run 06/09/2022, 06/16/2022 & 06/23/2022 --------------IN THE PROBATE COURT FOR LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN RE: THE ESTATE OF VIRIGINA B NELMS, DECEASED CASE NO. 2022-300 NOTICE OF HEARING TO: Gregory Nelms, Thaddeus Menifee. Tonya Nelms Johnson all address's unknown and any unknown heirs of VIRGINIA B. NELMS, deceased Notice is hereby given that a Petition for Letters of administration of the Estate of VIRGINIA B. NELMS, deceased. A hearing has been set for the 28th day of July, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. central time, electronically via "ZOOM".

Please contact the Lee County Probate Court at 334-737-3670 for access to the electronic hearing should you intend to take part in the hearing of the Petition for Letters of Administration of the Estate of VIRGINIA B. NELMS, deceased.

Judge of Probate, Lee County, Alabama Legal Run 06/09/22, 06/16/22 & 06/23/22 --------------NOTICE TO CREDITORS ESTATE OF MARIA A. HIGGINBOTHAM, DECEASED PROBATE COURT LEE COUNTY CASE NO. 2022-237 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Take Notice that LETTERS TESTAMENTARY of the Estate of MARIA A. HIGGINBOTHAM are hereby granted to Jon M. Shaw on the 26th day of April, 2022, by the Honorable Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court 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.

Jon M. Shaw Legal Run 6/9/22, 6/16/22 & 6/23/22 --------------IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN RE: The Estate of DARIUS S. SLUSHER, Deceased Case Number 2022-335 TAKE NOTICE that Letters Testamentary having been granted to DARIUS NICHOLAS STUTZMAN, as Executor of the Estate of DARIUS S. SLUSHER, deceased, on the 10th day of June, 2022, by the Honorable BILL ENGLISH. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that all persons having claims against the said Estate are hereby required to present the same within the time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

DARIUS NICHOLAS

STUTZMAN, Executor of the Estate of DARIUS S. SLUSHER Legal Run 06/23/22, 06/30/22 & 07/07/22 --------------VEHICLE AUCTION 6335 LEE ROAD 166 OPELIKA, AL 36804 334-728-8249 Date: 07/08/2022 1993 FORD RANGER PICKUP (WHITE) OVER 100,00 MILES DOES NOT RUN, NEEDS A LOT OF WORK 1FTCR10AXPTA62435 Legal Run 06/23/22 & 06/30/22 --------------IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN RE: THE ESTATE OF

JERRY WAYNE WHITE, DECEASED. TAKE NOTICE that Letters Testamentary having been granted to Sandra Jean White, a/k/a Sandra Johnson White, as Executrix of the Estate of Jerry Wayne White, deceased, on the 7th day of June, 2022, by the Honorable Bill English.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that all persons having claims against the Estate are hereby required to present the same within the time allowed by law or the same be barred.

Sandra Jean White, Executrix Of the Estate of Jerry Wayne White, Deceased Marrell J. McNeal, Attorney at Law, PC PO Box 308 Opelika, AL 36803 334-745-7033 Legal Run 06/09/2022, 06/16/2022 & 06/23/2022

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B15 June 23, 2022

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B16 June 23, 2022

AUBURN COUNCIL >> FROM B11 - The council approved drainage and utility easements for the East Lake Homeowners’

Association for compensation of over $2,900.

- The council did not approve an annexation for 2692 Lee Road 47.

- The council approved an annexation for 250 Lee Road 008.

- The council approved the installation of three stop signs and a 25 MPH sign in the Chapel Heights Subdivision.

- The council approved the conditional

use approval for Hydro Engineering Solutions for Greystone of Auburn, LLC, for a bank with a drive-thru at 1600 E. Samford Ave. - The council postponed a conditional use

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approval for a Circle K gas station at the southwest corner of Shelton Mill Road and US Highway 280 for John Cowden on behalf of WWS Properties, LLC until July 5.

- The council approved a conditional use approval for a Rusty Barrel Package Store at 200 W. Glenn Ave. for Kaleigh Patel on behalf of Cox Properties-AL, LLC.

Celebrating 31 Years

Auburn, AL 36830

213 S 8th St, Opelika, AL 36801

Cell 334.444.8041

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334-749-5167

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334 749 0877 3051 Frederick Road, Suite 7, Opelika -

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MilhonA1r 2010 & 2011 & 2012 --------(between Sam:� Club and Tiger Town)

THIS WEEK’S PUZZLE ANSWERS:

10:30 to 8:00 M-F 10:30 to 3:00 SATURDAY 10:30 to 2:00 SUNDAY