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WEST POINT TIMES-NEWS VOL. LXI, NO. 144 VOLUME 2, ISSUE NO. 252
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2011
LANETT, AL — WEST POINT, GA — 12 PAGES — 50¢
Point builds a new home
WALLS DOWN — At 2 p.m. on Tuesday officials from Point University and Batson-Cook Construction hosted a "wall busting" event in the 507 Building in downtown West Point. The former corporate headquarters of WestPoint Home is undergoing some major internal modifications. The schedule is for this work to be finished by next spring, and for Point University classes to start here in the fall of 2012. A lot of work has already taken place on the building's third floor. Shown above, wearing Batson-Cook hardhats and about to wield some big hammers to the wall targets, are from left, Paul Meadows of BatsonCook, Point University President Dean Collins; Wye Huxford, Point's vice president for student development and dean of the chapel; and Joey Westbrook, executive director of the Woodland Christian Camp and Retreat Center, Temple, Ga. (Photo by Wayne Clark)
By WAYNE CLARK Times-News News Editor
WEST POINT — Four guys wielding some pretty big hammers against targets on a wall Tuesday afternoon marked a symbolic taking out the old and getting ready for something new. The something old that's being changed is the former corporate headquarters of WestPoint Home, and the something new that's on the way is the main administrative and classroom area for Point University. While people driving past the 507 Building may not notice it, a lot of work has been taking place inside. Much more will take place in this
Piedmont Plateau Birding Trail launch Nov. 17 event Special to Times-News LANETT – Nine east-central Alabama counties, including Chambers, will come together on Nov. 17 to launch the Piedmont Plateau Birding Trail. The newly developed trail is the fifth of eight organized trails that will
LaGRANGE — Troup County will pay for a study to look at how best to integrate software systems among its different justice system departments. The county Tuesday voted to contract with Five Points Solutions of
And the rains descended
ultimately cover the state as birding becomes an increasingly important source of tourism revenue in Alabama. The official trail launch will take place at 1 p.m. CDT at Horseshoe Bend National Military Park near Alexander City, bringing together national and state legislators and other •See BIRDING, page 2
Troup County contracts for court software study By MATTHEW STROTHER Times-News Staff Writer
transformation to a 21st century university. Construction is on schedule for the work to be finished by May 1 of next year. Point University classes will begin at this site in the fall of 2012. "For those of us who grew up in the local area, this building has always been a hot spot for the Valley," said Batson-Cook project executive Paul Meadows. "It will be great to see a lot of activity going on here again. We are thrilled to be part of this. It's a very special project for us – we can see everything from our office, which is right across the street." A portion of West 10th Street is all that separates Batson-Cook's office from the West Point •See POINT, page 2
Lexington, S.C., for $28,800 for the study plus an optional $14,400 in additional services after the initial study is complete. The company will complete an assessment of what the judicial departments' needs are, what the department heads and constitutional officers want, and determine the best •See TROUP, page 2
FLASH FLOODING — Last night's heavy rainfall caused some flash flooding in low lying areas of West Point, Lanett and Valley. For a time, a portion of Highway 29 between West Point and Lanett was closed due to the high water, and motorists were rerouted west around the site. Part of North Lanier Avenue in Lanett was also closed as several feet of water was on the road in the area near Langley Motor Co. around 11 p.m. Until the water went down well past midnight, police department and street department personnel from the three cities manned roadblocks and directed people around the flooded areas. The Valley area was drenched with close to five inches of rain last night. That good soaking rain brought September's rainfall total from 1.46 inches to 6.36 inches and boosted the annual rainfall total to more than 32.7 inches. (Photo by Wayne Clark)
Indian wars topic of library program By THE TIMES-NEWS
HAMPTON STAFF THANKED — With the week of Sept. 11-17 observed as International Housekeeping Week, the Hampton Inn & Suites in Lanett marked the occasion by recognizing its housekeeping staff with certificates. A reception for them took place in the hotel's River Room last Friday. They wore red t-shirts with the phrase: "Housekeeping – Heart of the Hotel." Some door prizes were given away, and some employees who made exceptionally high scores in a mock inspection were recognized. As gifts, the ladies received some insulated lunch bags and cups; the guys were given some insulated coolers and a cup. "Housekeeping is one of the hardest jobs in the lodging industry," said Mark Fetner, general manager. "We're trying to find out each week what we can do to make your jobs easier. We're
a team, and it takes all of us working together for things to go well here." The hotel has been at or near capacity for several weekends in a row now. Business is always good when Auburn has home football games and if there are major fishing tournaments on West Point Lake. The first two weekends in October should be good – Point University will be hosting football games that weekend at Ram Stadium. Shown above, in front from left, are Debra Hill, Ruby Hamil, Robin Flakes, Wendy Goodgame, Becky Anglin, Kathy Wall, Trina Mooney, Luda Lockhart and Patty Jones. In back, from left, are Terri Culpepper, Eugene Jones, Dayna Clifton, Shirley Moon, Phyllis Nixon, Shanda Felix, Ann Parker and Robert Key. (Photo by Wayne Clark)
Weather Forecast Today, a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s. Chance of rain 30 percent. Tonight, mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 60s. Thursday, mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs around 80. Thursday night, cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 60s. Friday, partly sunny with a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s. Friday night, mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers. Lows in the upper 50s.
Weather
VALLEY — The H. Grady Bradshaw Chambers County Library, in conjunction with Osher Lifelong Learning Institute of Auburn University, will offer the course, “The Great Indian Wars,” beginning Oct. 6. Registration is now under way. John Tidwell, adult programs coordinator for the library, will lead the class, which will meet for five consecutive Thursdays from 9:30 until 11 a.m. Most historians agree that the great Indian Removal Act of 1830 was implemented in 1831 when the Choctaw nation began its tortuous journey from what is now Mississippi to the Oklahoma Territory.
Bible Thought
“Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also West Point Lake have forgiven our debtors. And lead Today.........................625.65 us not into temptation, but deliver us Generation..................3-8 p.m. from the evil one.’ Matthew 6:8-13
Yesterday High..............84° Yesterday Low...............58° Yesterday Rainfall ........4.90” Month to Date .............6.36” Year to Date ..............32.70”
Other historians assert that the actual removal began the day Christopher Columbus kidnapped 25 Cicuayos natives in 1492 and took them to Spain as slaves at the conclusion of his first expedition to the new world. In addition, during his second expedition, Columbus kidnapped an additional 500 natives and took them to Spain. Such action by Columbus and other European explorers who followed led to a bloody conflict between the white man and Native Americans which lasted from 1540 until 1890. The year 1540 was a crucial turning point in American History. Indian Wars were incited by Francisco Coronado •See OLLI, page 2
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Page 2 — The Valley/West Point Times-News — Wednesday, September 21, 2011 TODAY’S MARKET REPORT SPONSORED BY
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Stock market report By The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Stock futures slid Wednesday amid uncertainty about what steps the Federal Reserve might take to stimulate the U.S. economy. Concerns that Greece could fail to qualify for fresh bailout funds also pushed stock futures lower. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke plans to discuss
the results of the central bank's two-day policy meeting at midday Wednesday. Some analysts expect the Fed to announce a plan to sell short-term Treasurys and buy longerterm issues in order to push down interest rates on long-term government debt. The policy has been dubbed "Operation Twist" because it is designed to "twist" long-term rates.
Injured are identified By WAYNE CLARK Times-News News Editor
WEST POINT — The two people injured in a Monday morning highway accident in which a Pine Mountain man was killed are from LaGrange. A Georgia State Patrol spokesman have identified them as Virginia Ann Helton, 63, and Nancy Haynes Davis, 68. Helton was airlifted from the wreck scene to the Columbus Medical Center and Davis was transported to the hospital by ambulance. GSP spokesman Capt. Cosper said the accident took place at around 9:20 a,m. on Monday approximately
four miles west of Jones Crossroads on Highway 18 near the Troup-Harris county line. James "Jay" Morrison III, 30, was killed after his car, a 2002 Mitsubishi Montero, left the roadway to the right. As he attempted to get the car back onto the roadway it went across the center line and was hit by a 2011 Toyota Rav 4 driven by Helton, Capt. Cosper said. The force of impact mangled the Montero, leaving pieces of it on both sides of the road. Morrison, according to the GSP spokesman, was not wearing a seat belt. He was ejected from the vehicle through the car's sunroof.
Briefly Told Briefly told items may be emailed to reporter@valleytimes-news.com. Please keep brief. Announcements are published twice a week. •Point University will offer information sessions for its adult degree program, which will begin this fall, on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 6 p.m. at the West Point Recruiting Office, 804 Third Ave., West Point (old Hengstler's Building). •Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, LaGrange Alumnae Chapter will hold Wellness Expo 2011 Saturday, Sept. 24 at 9 a.m. at O.H. Ministries, 4128 Veterans Memorial Parkway in Lanett with sessions on physical, mental and spiritual wellness and blood pressure and cholesterol screenings. •A called meeting of the Chambers County 911-EMA Board will be held Friday Sept. 23 at noon at the 911-EMA office, 3507 Veterans Memorial Parkway in Lanett to consider budgets for 2012. •Vashti Chapter 431 Order of the Eastern Star will hold its regular meeting Thursday, Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at the Lanett Lodge. All qualified Eastern Stars are welcome to attend. •A Chambers County Schools Substitute Teacher Workshop will be held Thursday, Sept. 22 at 2 p.m. CDT at the Chambers County Administrative Building. For further information, contact Ms. Barbara at 334-864-9343 Ext. 201. •Tickets for New Horizon Theatre’s production of “Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr.” are on sale now. The show will be at Langdale Auditorium in Valley Oct. 6, 7 and 8 at 8 p.m. with a Saturday matinee Oct. 8 at 2 p.m. The family show is full of songs and dancing, with more than 30 cast members from the local area ranging from ages 11 to 27. Tickets can be ordered at www.nhct.org and prices range from $10-$14. •The Bradshaw Library is planning a cruise on Carnival Fascination to Key West, Fla., and the Bahamas on May 7. For information, come by the library. •A Harris County town hall meeting will be held Thursday, Sept. 29 at Columbus Technical College at 6:30 p.m. for an orientation presentation by Georgia Governor's Office of Workforce Development Director Melvin Everson and a presentation by the Georgia Department of Education on importance of soft skills. •The Valley High Class of 1986 will be tailgating at the VHS homecoming game on Friday, Sept. 30 and will have dinner at Riverside Country Club Saturday, Oct 1. Classmates can email vhsclassof86@gmail.com for further info or contact Rhonda Pigg at 706-590-2816. •Troup High School Class of 1991 20-year reunion will be held Oct. 21 at Oakhurst Farm. Registration required by Oct. 11. Please visit the link http://classreport.org/usa/ga/la grange/ths/1991 to register and get additional details. •The LaGrange Shufflers meet every Tuesday night from 7:30-9:15 p.m. at The Active Life Center, 140 Ragland St., LaGrange. Visitors encouraged to attend and view the square dancing to caller Bill Jones. •Valley High Class of 2001 host its 10-year class reunion Oct. 21-22. Call Trecarya Mitchell (334-787-2883) for questions or concerns. •Do you or someone you know need help in improvement in reading skills. If so please call Literacy Volunteers, Covering the Greater Valley Area at (334) 642-7323 or 642-READ for an appointment. It confidentially tutors adults over 18 years of age. There's no charge for the tutoring. It serves West Point and all of Chambers County.
Georgia seeks waiver on NCLB Act The Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia education officials are seeking a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind Act and putting forward a new plan to measure the performance of the state's schools on more than just test scores. State School Superintendent John Barge and U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson were set to submit Georgia's waiver request on Tuesday to U.S. Educa-
tion Secretary Arne Duncan in Washington. The state is among the first in the nation to appeal some provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. No Child Left Behind relies on test scores to measure adequate yearly progress. The proposed Georgia alternative supplements test scores with other indicators like attendance, career or college readiness and how well the schools prepare students for the next
level. Isakson was one of the original authors of No Child Left Behind. But last week the Georgia Republican sponsored a bill with other GOP lawmakers to scrap the adequate yearly progress requirement. No Child Left Behind requires that all
students be "proficient" in math and science by 2014. Those benchmarks are widely considered to be unrealistic. Isakson said that after a decade of implementation the law "has served its purpose in raising expectations and standards."
POINT Continued from page 1
campus of Point University. Point University President Dean C. Collins thanked a local gathering for turning out for Tuesday's symbolic wall busting. "This is very exciting for us," he said. "We hope we can be a centerpiece for the community that brings education, vitality and life to Continued from page 1 the area." Collins said that he would like for the building to state representatives, as well as local officials and continue to reflect the area's textile history in some civic leaders from the nine counties. Invited speakers include representatives from the way. He's looking at the possibility of getting some Alabama Tourism Department, Alabama Depart- materials from one of the local mills and making a ment of Economic and Community Affairs, Alabama front desk for Point's new main location. It would be Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, something the likes of which few universities anyAlabama Cooperative Extension System and the where has. Joining Collins and Meadows in some wall smashUniversity of Alabama Center for Economic Development. Also on hand will be the trail mascot, a ing were Wye Huxford, Point's vice president for stugreat horned owl named Ophelia, who lives at the dent development and dean of the chapel, and Joey Westbrook, executive director of the Woodland ChrisRaptor Center at Auburn University. The nine counties that make up the trail are Au- tian Camp and Retreat Center, Temple, Ga. Both are tauga, Chambers, Clay, Chilton, Coosa, Elmore, Lee, Point University alumni. Point University officials are inviting everyone to Randolph and Tallapoosa. Three years in developa ribbon cutting that will be taking place outside the ment, the Piedmont Plateau trail now features 35 school's new recruitment center in downtown West approved sites in an area of 3.5 million acres. The Point. Located in the former Hengstler building on trail website, www.piedmontplateaubirdingWest Third Avenue, the recruitment center has been trail.com, offers detailed information. open for several weeks now. “As a form of tourism, birding has seen significant Hosted by the Greater Valley Area Chamber of growth both nationally and certainly in Alabama Commerce, the ribbon cutting will be taking place at over the past several years,” said Laura Anglin, com- 11 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, Oct. 4. The ceremony will munity marketing and tourism assistant at the mark the beginning of Point University's enrollment Greater Valley Area Chamber of Commerce. “Statis- in West Point and its academic and cultural presence tics show that the typical birding enthusiast is older in West Point and the Greater Valley Area. and well-educated with disposable income – just the type tourist that we welcome to this area. “Alabama has perhaps the most diverse habitat in the Southeast and we have a tremendous range of birds that can be seen in the state and certainly on the Piedmont Plateau Birding Trail,” she noted. Continued from page 1 In Chambers County, three sites have been approved: the west side of West Point Dam, Alligator solution that would integrate all those systems. County Manager Mike Dobbs said the county has Creek Nature Trail, also on the Alabama side of West been looking at new software options for years now, Point Lake, and Chambers County Lake near LaFayette. Development of the trail will continue since it is still running software it has had since past the launch, with more sites being added over 1993. The Clerk of Courts, Sheriff's, Solicitor's and District Attorney's offices have all switched or are the next few years. Chambers County will officially launch its portion planning to switch their software to individual, newer software to meet their needs. of the trail after the first of next year. The fractured software systems among county In each county, the trail will be marked with directional signs and there will be interpretative signs agencies necessitates the study, Dobbs said. Troup County Solicitor-General Markette Baker at each site featuring information on the habitat and the types of birds most commonly spotted at that told commissioners Tuesday that she was taking her department to a new software system because the site. There will also be “gateway” sites in each county integrated software solution the county has talked with trail maps and information pertinent to that about for years has not come. She also pointed out county. In addition to birding sites, the trail map and that Five Points also offers "middleware" – an option other marketing material will feature “sidebar sites” to connect the various software systems through a – additional local attractions for visitors to explore hub that transfers information among the various departments – and felt that it would be a conflict of while in the area. “This birding trail is not only a valuable means of interest for the company to also assess what option attracting more visitors to Chambers County, it’s the county should take when it is in position to sell also a great educational resource for our students a solution. Dobbs said that the company will not promote and an opportunity for inexpensive family outings,” said Denise Clark, president of the Greater Valley any specific software vendors in its study. He added Area Chamber of Commerce. “Schools can use the that Five Points is a preferred vendor of the Associtrail sites for field trips and families can visit on a ation of County Commissioners of Georgia with Saturday or Sunday. With the signs and the avail- "glowing" reviews. Baker also questioned why the county needed anable printed material, there’s plenty of information.” Sponsorship of the trail is an opportunity for area other study on software when it already has had two businesses and residents to show support of the trail. in the past. Dobbs said that those studies didn't give “Sponsoring a durable, on- going attraction like the specific solutions or recommendations or assess the birding trail shows that a company supports and needs of all the county departments. Dobbs said he understood the concern and wouldtakes pride in the natural resources of our area,” said Anglin. “The company or organization name on n't be surprised if the county went with the middleour signage brings respect and admiration for the ware solution Five Points offers. He said middleware was not a bad solution and hoped the courts would sponsor.” For information on sponsorship, contact Anglin at be "pleasantly surprised" by whatever solution the study recommends. 334.642.1407 or langlin@greatervalleyarea.com. In other business Tuesday, commissioners approved a budget amendment for the Parks and Recreation Department to add $18,241 in revenue and expenditures into its budget. The money is from a state grant through the Area Agency on Aging for the county Parks and Recreation meal program. Continued from page 1
BIRDING
TROUP
OLLI
and did not conclude until the Battle of Wounded Knee in 1890. The course will examine many of the major confrontations during the time frame including the Battle of Tippecanoe, the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, all three Seminole wars, the Battle of Little Bighorn and more. Numerous personalities involved in the conflicts will be studied including Col. George Custer, Sitting Bull, Wild Bill Hickock, Crazy Horse, Kit Carson, Geronimo, Tecumseh, Red Cloud, Red Eagle and many more. OLLI membership is required to attend the class. The $25 membership fee includes enrollment in any or all of the six courses which will be taught at Bradshaw Library. "The Rise and Tragic Fall of the Textile Empire" is also scheduled to begin Oct. 6 and conclude Nov. 3. Scheduled winter term classes include "Researching Your Ancestors" and "Memoirs: Remembering and Writing Our Individual Stories." Spring term classes are "Painting: Uplifting Watercolors" led by Becky Guinn and "The Forgotten Story of Native American Slavery" led by John Tidwell. Registration for OLLI classes may be completed by phone, mail or fax. To register by phone, please call the Auburn University Outreach Department at (334)844-5100. Forms to mail or fax are available at the library or online at http://www.chamberscountylibrary.org/olli2011.pdf. If additional information is needed please contact John Tidwell or Mary Hamilton at (334)768-2161.