READER SAYS DEBATE GAVE CITIZENS A LESSON, PAGE 4
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AREA NETTERS BRHS and Dadeville finish season in Super Regional, page 10.
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 October 27, 2015
Evaluation continues in FERC licensing of Martin Dam
Vol. 123, No. 214
www.alexcityoutlook.com
Oh no, Creepy Crawly Critters!
By Betsy Iler TPI Magazine Editor
Six months has passed since Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) staffers released a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) in the relicensing of Martin Dam, but the Commission has yet to issue a renewed license to Alabama Power Company. Celeste Miller, a FERC spokesperson in the District of Columbia office, Thursday afternoon said while no specifics are available at this time, the project is under review and the next step in the matter will be issuance of the license. “We are in the process of the evaluation of the materials, but I don’t know when that will be finished up,” Miller said. Though some implementation details for the new license were not addressed in the FEIS issued in April, Miller said the Commission will address those once the license decision has been made. See FERC, Page 5
Council presented details of 2013 audit Resolution approved to clear way for potential retail development By Mitch Sneed Outlook Editor
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Chapel Fineberg, above reacts to the snake brought to Mamie’s Place Children’s Library Monday by Animal Tales John Ham for a Creepy Crawly Critter show. Right, Dax Kerley, helps Ham hold the snake up for everyone. Mamie’s Place still has the pumpkin display until Nov. 2 and Trick or Treat all day Oct. 30.
Wally Farr of Opelika-based accountants Brantley, Boucher & Farr presented the finding of the city’s 2013 budget year audit to the city council Monday night in a work session following its regular meeting. Farr said that his firm has been handling the audits for a number of years and the findings were in line with previous audits. “A municipal financial statement isn’t like that of an ordinary business,” Farr said. “It has multiple groups and in essence what we did was look at 10 different entities within the city government.” Farr said that there were some constants. The golf course and sewer department continue to lose money. Last year the golf course lost about $154,000 and the sewer fund was about $1.7 million in the red. “We have been doing these things for Alexander City since 2005,” Farr said. “In all that time, the golf course and the sewer fund have never made money. Fortunately for the city, the water department makes See COUNCIL, Page 5
Horseshoe Bend’s Ford nominated for National LifeChanger of the Year By Corey Arwood Outlook Staff Writer
Submitted / The Outlook
Horseshoe Bend’s Dana Ford, left, shown here with Tallapoosa County School Superintendent Joe Windle was named National LifeChanger of the Year.
A local teacher, and last year’s Tallapoosa County Teacher of the Year, has been nominated to win a nationally recognized award for the work she does with her second grade students. Dana Ford of Horseshoe Bend Elementary is under consideration for the 2015-2016 National LifeChanger of the Year Award. She was nominated to win the award by Casey Davis, the director of student services and public relations with the Tallapoosa
County Board of Education. “Dana Ford is an outstanding individual,” Davis said. Davis worked with Ford during his time as principal of Horseshoe Bend School from 2008 until July of this year, and his time as assistant principal back in 2004. He said that Ford takes her students’ success personally no matter the child or their circumstance, and goes beyond the classroom by getting parents involved in their children’s education. “She has the can do spirit and never accepts that a child can’t do
something,” said Davis. Ford said that she was elated, overwhelmed and shocked by the nomination. At first she said that she did not believe it. She said that she had received an email announcing her nomination, but thought it was spam-mail and deleted it. It was not until later, after having been congratulated by a colleague at a pep-rally that she realized she had in fact been nominated. Ford comes from a teaching See TEACHER, Page 5
Musclecars leave Alexander City with warm fuzzy feeling By Mitch Sneed Outlook Editor
Alexander City put its best foot forward last weekend as more than 300 people visited the area for the Aero Warriors 2015 Reunion hosted by the Wellborn Musclecar Museum and its owners Tim and Pam Wellborn. About 150 cars, mostly 1969 to 1971 Plymouth Superbirds and Dodge Daytonas, rolled into town for the three-day event, culminating Sunday with a caravan drive to Talladega Superspeedway for the CampingWorld.com 500. No matter who you talked to, the event drew rave reviews. “It was even bigger than we expected,” Tim Wellborn said. “You plan and plan these things, but until they are all here you don’t realize what that many people in one place means.
Sometimes it’s almost overwhelming. But I think it was a great turnout and I think everyone had a great time.” Cathy Winfield was at the event with her husband from Memphis. They had owned three of the cars at one time, but sold them over the years. She said they had to come and reminisce as they are looking into getting another Superbird one day soon. “We had three back in the day, but nothing like the ones that Wellborn has here,” Winfield said. “It’s like the mecca for the winged cars and to see them displayed like this, it makes you want another one so badly. We are thinking about dipping our toes back in. The kids are grown and it’s time.” Alexander City Mayor Charles Shaw was on hand See MUSCLE, Page 9
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Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
Cathy Winfield takes a snapshot of a vehicle showcased at the Aero Warriors 2015 Reunion hosted by the Wellborn Musclecar Museum.
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