Sept 7, 2016 Wetumpka Herald

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THE WETUMPKA HERALD Elmore County’s Oldest Newspaper - Established 1898

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WEDNESDAY • DECEMBER 7, 2016

THEWETUMPKAHERALD.COM

VOL. 118, NO.46

Faulk pleads guilty, awaits sentencing

By DAVID GRANGER Interim Managing Editor

Former Elmore County Commissioner Joe Faulk pleaded guilty Thursday on information that he used his official position or office for personal gain.

By pleading guilty to the information,

Faulk avoids the grand jury process.

Faulk appeared in the courtroom of District Judge Glen Goggans with his attorney, David Law of Rockford.

Goggans asked few questions – mainly those aimed at ensuring Faulk realized his guilty plea and its consequences.

Goggans also asked the defendant for some explanation of his use of his office

for personal gain. Law answered for his client, saying that he used his position as an Elmore County commissioner to gain access to other county commissioners throughout the state and help Financial Marketing Concepts market its County RX card. Faulk’s “gain” according to Law, was 30 cents “per transaction.”

Kyle Beckman, the assistant attorney

Child Protect hopes to open Coosa Parkway office in early 2017

By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer

See COUNCIL • Page 5

Today’s

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CONTACT US 334-567-7811 Fax: 334-567-3284

By DAVID GRANGER Interim Managing Editor

File / The Herald

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS

Couple tries green thumb on tropical fruit Above, Grady and Kristi Myers of Wallsboro cut the top off a Walmart pineapple and buried it in potting soil.

Kristi followed the progress of its growth photographically (view clockwise) through both budding and blooming until it was fully mature and Grady called The Herald to let us know. The two are shown above admiring what Grady says is “about the fifth” pineapple he’s grown at his Weoka Road home.

ROTATION with Oil Change

Child Protect Children’s Advocacy Center will open a satellite office in Elmore County in early 2017.

Cammie Blackmon, who will lead the office, which will be located at 633 Coosa Parkway in the former Republican headquarters, said that the exact opening date of the new location will depend on finances, furniture and the installation of camera equipment.

Blackmon, an Elmore County native who grew up in Eclectic and now lives in Wetumpka, said the office will help the county serve its Elmore County clients who have See ADVOCATES • Page 3

File / The Herald

Family Advocate Cammie Blackmon (second from right, back row) will head up the new Child Protect office coming to Elmore County in early 2017. She will receive help from Emily Hutcheson (front row, right), who will lead the Autauga County office.

Other Child Protect staff in the photo are Executive Director Jannah Bailey (front left) and (back row) Interviewer/Counselor Kristin Byrd, Development Director Laurel Teel, Blackmon and Interviewer/ Counselor Abraham White.

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See FAULK • Page 3

Children’s advocacy center to open Elmore County office

City Council discusses downtown zoning The Wetumpka City Council at its Monday night meeting voted to postpone the approval of a downtown development boundary after meeting opposition from residents and council members and denied an amendment to an ordinance for extended boundaries for public comment.

All council members and the mayor were present for the meeting where they decided on roughly twelve agenda items.

general representing the state in the case, added that Faulk had also marketed or attempted to market the card to his fellow Elmore County commissioners.

Goggans ordered Faulk sentenced in circuit court following a pre-sentencing investigation. No date was set.

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Obituaries Regina Pickron

On Saturday December 3, 2016 God called Regina Sibley Pickron to heaven with family by her side.

On Saturday this world returned a loyal, devoted, awesome daughter born to Mr. and Mrs. Harold Sibley on August 9, 1964. Regina is survived by her loving husband, Gary Pickron, Sr., daughter MaKayla Pickron, brothers Thomas H. Sibley, Sr. (Kathy), Tony Pickron Sibley, stepson Chis Pickron (Melissa), and mother-in-law Helen Pickron. She was preceded in death by her sister Leslie Ann Sibley, stepson Gary Pickron, Jr., and father-in-law O.P. Pickron.

Regina worked for Economic Development of Alabama. She loved her job with a passion.

Regina was friends to many, many people.

She impacted a lot of lives. Her friendship knew no bounds. She was joyful, had an infectious personality, beautiful heart, sunshine smile and quick wit. Those who knew her will keep her in their hearts and spirits forever. The visitation will be Thursday, December 8, 2016 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The service will be at 1 p.m. at Santuck Baptist Church. Earl Ryser will conduct the celebration of Regina’s life. In lieu of flowers, please dedicate a contribution to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Cyntha M. Baker

BAKER, Cynthia Monica, a resident of Wetumpka, Alabama passed away Tuesday, November 29, 2016 at the age of 63. A memorial service will be held Sunday, December 4, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. at Gassett Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Glenn Raley officiating. Mrs. Baker is survived by her son, Chad (Heather) Baker, mother, Dorothy D’Arciprete, father, George Drake, brothers,

Michael (Elana) D’Arciprete, Bill (JoAnne) Drake, Marcus Pauly, step-brother, John (Ellen) Kluver, sisters, Tanya D’Arciprete, Anne (Neil) McMullen, grandchildren, Ian Baker, Brianna Baker, and a very special friend, Gay White Shipp. Visitation will be held Sunday, December 4, 2016 from 1:00 p.m. until service time at Gassett Funeral Home. Online Guest Book available at www. gassettfuneralhome.net

JoAnn Searcy

SEARCY, JoAnn Hodges, a resident of Wetumpka, Alabama passed away Tuesday, November 29, 2016 at the age of 79. A memorial service will be held Saturday, December 3, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Millbrook with the Rev. Mark E. Waldo Jr. officiating.

Mrs. Searcy is preceded in death by her husband, James M. Searcy, and her son, Jerry Joe Kittley. She is survived by her son, Billy Randall Jones, daughter, Karla Jan Reid, sister, Teresa Lynn Denson, grandchildren, Joshua Stevens, Justin Kittley, Jessica Kittley, and 4 great-grandchildren. Visitation will be held Saturday, December 3, 2016 from 1:00 p.m. until service time at the church. Online Guest Book available atwww.gassettfuneralhome.net

Myrtle Mae Wofford

WOFFORD, Myrtle Mae Brendle, born February 13, 1939, passed away Monday, November 28, 2016 at the age of 77. A memorial service will be held Saturday, December 3, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Wetumpka with Dr. James Troglen officiating. Ms. Wofford is preceded in death by her son, Marvin Guy Rucker, father, CB Brendle Sr., mother, Hazel Brendle Parker, stepfather, Henry Parker, brothers, Roy Brendle, Jimmy Brendle, CB Brendle Jr. She is survived by her daughters, Valerie Lynn (Jerry) Bassett, Karen Wofford Alexander, brother, Deryl (Pat) Brendle, sisters, Pauline Brendle (Phil) Terrell, Joyce Brendle (Mike) Meadows, Sue B.

THE WETUMPKA HERALD

“Suzzy” Sams, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Visitation will be held Saturday, December 3, 2016 from 1:00 p.m. until service time at the church. A graveside service in Georgia will be announced at a later date. Online Guest Book available at www.gassettfuneralhome.net

Mildred Bush

Mildred (Moore) Bush, 73, of Wetumpka, AL passed away peacefully in her sleep on Thursday, December 1, 2016 at Doctor’s Hospice of Georgia in Fayetteville, GA with family and staff at her side. She had been living with her daughter in Fayetteville for the last 7 Bush 1/2 years and was at the end of a long road with Parkinson’s. She was born in Montgomery, AL on Tuesday, September 14, 1943 to the late, Oscar Moore and Ada Kathrine (Moody) Moore. She was one of the most selfless people you could have ever met and was like a mother to so very many of our family members and our friends. She loved her family with all of her heart and will be dearly missed by all who knew her. She is preceded in death by her loving husband of 44 years, Charles Herbert Bush; her parents; her sisters, Donna Kay and Wyline; her in-laws, Gentry and Ruth; son-in-law, Steve; grandsons, Daniel and Derek; her brother, Bobby; and grandchild, Misty. She is survived by her son, Don (Danette) and step-son, Randy (Donna); daughter, Christine and step-daughters, Barbara (Larry), Charlotte (Billy); grandchildren, Denise and Patrick, Billy Jr., Heather and Jennifer, Brittany and Devon, Matthew, Steven, Holly, Heather, and Michael; her great-grandchildren; brothers, Buddy, Ronnie, Lucky, and Billy Joe; sisters, Diane and Joanne (Kenny); sisters-in-law, Mabelene (Annie Ruth and Glenn) and Patty; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins,

and so forth...too many to list and don’t want to leave anybody out. A Celebration of Life Funeral Service were held on Saturday, December 3, 2016 at Brown’s-Ridout-Service Prattville Chapel in Prattville, AL with Pastor Adrian Cahill II officiating. Visitation was prior to the service. Interment followed at Coosa River Cemetery (formerly known at Shoal Creek Cemetery) in Deatsville, AL. Donations may be made in her memory to the Coosa River Cemetery Fund; to the Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s Associations; Doctor’s Hospice of Georgia; or to your favorite charity.

Arrangements were made under the direction of Carmichael-Hemperley Funeral Home & Crematory, Peachtree City, GA.

Olvie Totty

TOTTY, Mrs. Olvie Ilene, a resident of Wetumpka, AL passed away on Thursday, December 1, 2016 at age 98. Funeral Services will be held on Monday, December 5, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. from the chapel of Gassett Funeral Home with Rev. Bill Lee officiating. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 10:00-11:00 a.m. prior to services. Burial will be private at a later time. She is survived by her children, Nettie Jo McCroskey, James B (Glenda) Totty, and Thomas G. (Lynda) Totty; grandchildren, Kay B. (Alvin) Durham, Randy Totty, James B. (Angela) Totty, Jr., Ray (Amanda) Danford, Denise T. (Jeremy) Lewis, Ken (Michelle) Totty, and Rodney (Laura) Danford; great grandchildren, Jessica Durham, Nick Durham, Tyler Danford, Kelsie Danford, Brady Lewis, Carter Lewis, Eden Totty, and Eliza Totty. Mrs Totty was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, James W. Totty; daughter, Elizabeth Ann Danford; grandchild, Thomas Earl Branch, parents, Green Berry Henderson and Josephine Wilson Henderson; siblings Virgie H. Darnell, Margie H. Linch and Cleveland Henderson; and sonin-in-law, Clayton McCroskey. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your favorite charity.. Online Guest Book available at www. gassettfuneralhome.net

Officials: Wetumpka’s emergency dispatch may move to county full-time

By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer Wetumpka residents may soon have all of their emergency calls permanently handled through dispatchers at county facilities instead of the city’s police department, continuing a county trend one official said was occurring nationwide.

Capt. Robert Sliwowski said the move was still pending a council vote, but he was fairly confident around the beginning of January the switch would be underway.

Sliwowsky said he was “about 95 percent sure it

would happen.”

Eclectic recently sent its dispatch operations to the new Elmore County E911 Building.

Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin said the building was designed with the expanded operations in mind.

Roughly a month after Eclectic had approached his office to take on the role of handling all its dispatch calls, Franklin said the City of Wetumpka also inquired about the service.

Franklin said Eclectic town and police officials approached him around May to begin the process of han-

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dling the town’s emergency calls.

Sliwowski said he had been in on the talks since they began in earnest around June.

“What we’re talking about doing is somewhere around the first part of January probably just moving our dispatch up to the E911 building up there. It’s just a safer environment for our girls,” said Sliwowski, referring to the female dispatchers at the WPD. “We just think overall, I mean it’s going to be better for everybody here for the simple reason, with dispatch out of E911 in the area, you’re going to have probably in the neighborhood of about six dispatchers working a shift.”

Currently, he said only one dispatcher handled all emergency calls at the WPD on the third shift.

Sliwowski said in a major situation they would have to dispatch to police, fire and ambulance personnel, unlike at the county where he said a number of dispatchers would handle each.

“I think overall for the people around here it’s going to be a much better situation,” Sliwowski said.

The move will require council approval, though, because he said it would carry a $21,000 price tag.

Franklin said there were still “a lot of hoops that have to be jumped through for that to happen.”

He said it had been something that was talked about for years, but only recently had the talks taken on a more serious tone.

With their previous facilities, Franklin said they would have struggled with the workload.

“We’ve gone through our commission and we’re good to go as far as allowing Eclectic and Wetumpka in the event they sign the contracts for the reimbursement for personnel and data lines,” Franklin said.

Those contracts, Franklin said, had been presented both to Wetumpka Mayor Jerry Willis and WPD Chief Danny Billingsley.

Franklin said the cost for Wetumpka would be slightly more as a result of the higher quantity of calls and number of personnel required, compared to Eclectic.

Other than the price, Franklin said the contracts were essentially the same with Eclectic scheduled to make payments on a yearly total for the services.

He said they had been broken down “to the dollar” to help with the recently approved October 2017 fiscal budget.

Franklin said the contract that was drawn up by an ECSO major would also apply to Wetumpka.

“So far, Eclectic’s has been a smooth transaction,” Franklin said, adding that the county was only waiting on Wetumpka city officials to give their approval for a move.

He said he felt other communities in the county might follow suit depending on its success.

“It actually helps us and helps them because their guys

and our guys will instantaneously know what’s going on,” Franklin said.

In earlier council meetings Wetumpka police officials had petitioned the city for spending on upgrades to its radio systems for roughly $8,250, which was approved.

Sliwowski said those upgrades would still be applicable, but the radio terminals would be moved to the E911 building with the dispatchers.

He said they had already made a plan for the move.

“We’re going to have to actually move the systems out of here,” Sliwowski said.

“You’re looking at about a day. We won’t lose phone contact, anything. Radio contact, everything should move smoothly.”

The move to county dispatch might sound like a throwback to summer months for Wetumpka residents who recall the case involving a Coosada man that filmed the department.

In June, the police department moved to county E911 dispatch services after what were said to be calls of protest coming into the station overwhelmed the WPD dispatch system.

At the time Chief Billingsley said he called for the switch to be able to handle emergency calls amid what was described as the torrent of calls.

The ongoing district court case filed by Lynwood Keith Golden is scheduled for April 2018.

Sliwowski said the permanent and likely move in January pending a council vote had nothing to do with the summer scenario.

THE WETUMPKA HERALD

TheWetumpkaHerald.com

DECEMBER 7, 2016 • PAGE 3

Advocates

continued from page 1

been hesitant to seek the group’s counseling services largely because they were only available in Montgomery.

The Elmore County office will provide all of the services currently offered at their location in downtown Montgomery including forensic interviews, family advocacy, and counseling.

“The main benefit that we see in opening a satellite office in Elmore County is to better serve the children of Elmore County,” Blackmon said.

“Last year, we had 115 children that we served in Elmore County. Out of those 115 only nine came to receive our counseling services, which are free.

And so by us having a central location in Elmore County, it’s going to make it easier for the families to access our counseling services.

“It will also allow us to provide other services that they need, such as advocacy, where we go with the children and the families to court so that there’s always someone they know involved in the process. But mainly we want to see those counseling numbers increase because statistics show that children who get counseling can go on to have productive lives despite the abuse.”

Child Protect Children’s Advocacy Center was incorporated in November 1989 as a 501©3 non-profit agency. Former Madison County prosecutor and Alabama Congressman Bud Cramer had the concept of the advocacy centers in the early 1980s. He established the first center in Huntsville – a child friendly environment, where children can come and tell their story one time to a trained professional, lessening the trauma on the child and their families.

There are now 29 CAC’s in Alabama and about 900 in the United States.

Blackmon said the Elmore County office will follow Cramer’s original concept as being child-friendly in every way possible.

“Our setting is so much more warm and open as compared to them going to DHR or a police station to tell their story,” Blackmon said. “When you walk in our building it’s got vibrant colors, there’s a place for the children to play, there’s a TV, every child gets a snack and juice when they come in. We try to make it as warm and friendly as possible. We want them to be comfortable here, because they’ve already suffered something traumatic. When they tell that story to the interviewer we want them to feel like they’re in a safe place.”

Blackmon said the owner of the building where the office will be located is adding four office spaces for Child Protect, two of which will be interview rooms specifically designed for the younger and teenage children.

“For the younger children, we will have a play-therapy room with a sand tray, dollhouses, puppets, chalkboard and a chalkboard for if they need or want to draw things out for the interviewer,” Blackmon said. “We’ll also have a teenage room, with two chairs with trays if they want to draw while they’re talking. It will also has a chalkboard wall.”

Child Protect interviews victims of abuse on the referral of law enforcement or DHR, but after interviews, the group offers free counseling to victims. Blackmon said the low percentage of their Elmore County victims that seek counseling is particularly troubling in cases of sexual abuse.

“I’m doing graduate work on sexual abuse and I just had to write a paper,” Blackmon said. “In doing that, I found out that studies show that sexu-

Faulk According to a Thursday release from the attorney general’s office, Faulk entered into a contract with Coast2Coast, a company that distributes pharmacy discount cards and which is a subsidiary of Financial Marketing Concepts Inc. of Ponte Vedra, Florida. Faulk received a commission each time a customer used the card to fill a prescription and promoted the program to other county commissions without disclosing his personal financial interest.

Faulk received commissions from Coast2Coast totaling $63,651 between October 2011 and July 2016, according to the attorney general’s release.

Faulk’s contract with Coast2Coast has since

al abuse victims that don’t get the counseling they need are more likely to become offenders themselves.”

If you would like to make a donation to Elmore County Child Protect, you may do so by mailing your contribution to Child Protect, 935 South Perry Street, Montgomery, AL 36104, or by going to their website at childprotect.org. If mailing your donation, please note on your check that your donation is for the Elmore County office. If donating online, please specify that your donation is for Elmore County at checkout.

For more information on how you can get involved in Elmore County, please contact Cammie Blackmon at 334.262.1220 or cblackmon@childprotect.org.

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been terminated.

“The facts are clear that this defendant abused his public trust by using his position as an Elmore County Commissioner for his own financial gain,” said Attorney General Luther Strange in a statement. “As a public servant, he betrayed his obligation to honor the best interests of citizens and not to use his office for personal enrichment.”

Faulk was arrested Oct. 25 on the ethics charges and resigned his position as Elmore County Commissioner for District 4 effective midnight Nov. 15.

According to Sonny Brasfield, executive director of the Association of County Commissioners of Alabama, Faulk’s replacement will be

appointed by Gov. Robert Bentley to serve a twoyear term before a new election for Faulk’s current post would be held in 2018. The winner of that election would then serve another two-year term so that all commissioners would then be on the same four-year election cycle and up for election again in 2020.

Financial Marketing Concepts Inc. is a company that, according to its website, works “in partnership with cities, states, counties, townships, groups and associations nationwide” to develop “the most comprehensive discount (healthcare and veterinary) benefit programs in the marketplace.”

Faulk has a history with the ethics commission. In 2010, he was

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fined $500 and ordered to repay $504 related to a hotel bill for a 2008 trip to Washington, D.C. Faulk, a Republican, won his primary challenge from Steven Livingston and Johnny W. Ford on March 1 and was unopposed in the Nov. 8 general election.

Faulk had served District 4 on the county commission since 2000, including serving fourplus years as commission chairman. Prior to joining the commission, he was a member of the Millbrook City Council for six years and served the city as mayor pro tempore for four of those years.

ENDS DEC. 24

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Steve Baker, Publisher David Granger, Managing Editor Opinions expressed in guest columns and letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the management of Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc.

OPINION

Page 4 • DECEMBER 7, 2016

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THE WETUMPKA HERALD

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ADMINISTRATION Steve Baker publisher@thewetumpkaherald.com David Granger, managing editor david.granger@thewetumpkaherald.com NEWS Corey Arwood, staff writer corey.arwood@thewetumpkaherald.com Carmen Rodgers, staff writer carmen.rodgers@thewetumpkaherald.com Cory Diaz, sports editor Cory.Diaz@TheWetumpkaHerald.com. . . . . . . . . . . Ext. 306 SALES Molly Brethauer, marketing consultant molly.brethaur@TheWetumpkaHerald.com. . . . . . . . Ext. 313 Stacy Adams, marketing consultant stacy.adams@TheWetumpkaHerald.com . . . . . . . . . . Ext. 305

I

spent my formative years in Eclectic when the Elmore County Panthers and the Wetumpka High Indians were the bitterest of rivals.

There’s so much difference in the size of the schools now, the rivalry has lost some of its hateful luster, but, in those days, the contests between the two were fierce.

The two schools claimed two of the best coaches in the state in two different sports in the late 1970s, also known as “my day.” Terry Burt, who won three state titles, was the football coach at Eclectic and Stokely Bazemore, winner of two state basketball championships, led the Wetumpka hoops program (Bazemore also won a state baseball title at Wetumpka and coached the school’s first undefeated football team).

Burt’s football teams were normally small relative to their competition. The offenses were simple, but disciplined. And the Panthers were fast.

Bazemore’s basketball teams were tenacious, particularly at home in the old gym that featured bleachers on a single side.

The sidelines featured grates that it wasn’t unusual to see Bazemore use as spittoons.

In my four high school years, Eclectic was 2-2 versus Wetumpka in football. ECHS beat the Indians 27-14 the football season of my freshman year and 42-12 in 1976 (a state championship season for the Panthers) when I was a junior. Wetumpka defeated Eclectic 13-0 in the fall of 1975 when I was a sophomore

L

DAVID GRANGER Managing Editor

and 26-20 in overtime my senior year.

Basketball was a whole ‘nother story. I never recall Coach Abraham Brown’s Elmore County basketball Panthers beating Wetumpka when I was in high school (Coach Brown’s specialty was track). The Indians were flat-out tough. It wasn’t until the year after I graduated that they won the first of Bazemore’s back-to-back state 3A titles (and 57 of 62 games), but they were getting there.

There have been other legendary coaches in the county.

Perhaps the most legendary was the great J.E. “Hot” O’Brien, who directed Tallassee’s streak of 57 games without a tie between 1941 and 1947.

Ironically, the tie that marred O’Brien’s streak was a scoreless encounter with Wetumpka in 1944. That Indians team was coached that night by my former principal at Elmore County High School, then just 30 years old, C. F. Wingett, whose daughter, Rebecca, is currently on the Wetumpka City Council.

Plus who can forget Ronnie Baynes, who won five state baseball titles at Tallassee over a six-year span, James Findley’s amazing basketball teams at Holtville (including a state

title), Woody Weaver’s Tallassee basketball squads or Jimmy Foshee’s Stanhope Elmore football Mustangs?

A lot of these great high school mentors are gone now, including both Burt and Bazemore – Bazemore in 2008 and Burt in 2013. But their memories and their legacies live on in the young men they coached or otherwise influenced.

Great coaches at the high school level normally have in common that it’s not all about the wins.

It’s about getting to know the young men or women that play for them and teaching them as individuals how to motivate themselves. Those are lessons that live beyond the diamond, gridiron or hardwood.

I’ve never coached at a level about Dixie Minors baseball, where I coached in a league in Montgomery for a few years. We won a couple of championships and most of our games. I think I taught those kids a little about baseball.

But what I hope I taught them most is about life, about doing their best, about making the most of their talents be they in sports or otherwise.

If I did that, then I’ve done just as much of the important stuff as Terry Burt or Stokely Bazemore did.

And you know what? I think both of them would agree.

David Granger is the interim managing editor for the Elmore County newspapers of Tallapoosa Publishers.

The ‘manification’ of Jody Fuller

ast week, I drank my water from a straw. Don’t judge me. We all slip up from time to time, so let me explain.

Wild at Heart was released in 2001, but I just recently got around to reading it. It’s an awesome book and very enlightening, in a manly kind of way, of course.

The book has motivated me to do different things, whether it’s something I haven’t done since I was a boy, something I’ve longed to do, or something I never thought about doing. I’m calling this stage of my life “The Manification of Jody Fuller.”

Make no mistake about it; I’m a man—a real man. I have a big dog, a beer fridge, and an electric drill. I like my steaks rare, go to a barbershop, and can sling a football with the best of them. Shoot, I’ve even been to war three times.

Still, Wild at Heart showed me that I was lacking in some areas.

Most nights, I eat my homegrown vegetables with storebought meat and fish, while some nights I eat them with meat and fish shot and caught by some of my friends. Something about the latter just tastes better.

Before reading the book, I’d already decided to start hunting and fishing. I’ve caught hundreds of fish in my life, but a couple of weeks ago, I went crappie fishing for the first time. You say “croppie.” I say “crappy.” Why? Because it rhymes with “happy.”

I was up at 4 a.m. and on Lake

JODY FULLER Guest Columnist

Martin by 5:25. By 5:40, they were jumping into the boat.

Later, I was on the pier cleaning fish with an electric knife, which was the first time I’d ever used one. I hadn’t cleaned a fish since I was a kid. It just felt right, and when a beautiful bald eagle flew roughly 20 feet above my head, it became one of those perfect moments. All was right in the world.

Years ago, I bought a beer can chicken holder but had never used it. If you’ve never eaten a drunk chicken, then you are definitely missing out. Basically, a can of beer is inserted into the cavity of a whole chicken and set up on the grill. It’s simply delicious.

It’s actually the first time I’d ever bought a whole chicken.

After all these years, I finally discovered what giblets are, and, quite frankly, I’m not sure I wanted to know.

The other day, I picked up some wood for my fire pit. Once I got home, I realized that no grown, able-bodied man should ever buy wood from a grocery store, so I went to mama’s place way out in the country and cut my own. I’d

never once used a chainsaw, but my stepfather showed me how to use his. A hickory had fallen in the pasture amongst the donkeys, and in no time, I had a truck full of wood. I even used some of it to cook my drunk chicken.

Finally, I felt like a man—a real man. Later that night, my forearm muscles were hurting. My dear friend Fred, referred to them as my “cow-milking muscles.” I reckon I’d never used those muscles before. My arms were almost useless.

The next day, I was eating lunch in downtown Opelika and had trouble holding onto my glass of water. Ultimately, I had no choice but to use the straw. It’s hard to be a real man and use a straw at the same time. I grimaced each time I drank from the straw. I was humbled.

Of course, being a real man is way more than simply doing “manly” things. It’s being, knowing, and doing things within the home, at work, and on the frontier.

Somehow many, if not most, modern men have gotten away from their wild and adventurous side.

Wild at Heart captures the passion that most of us lack, and my “manification” continues one day at a time.

By the way, does anyone have a cow that needs milking?

Jody Fuller is a comic, speaker, writer and soldier with three tours of duty in Iraq. He can be reached at jody@jodyfuller.com.

Letters to the Editor

Family thanks community for their support Dear Editor, We are forever grateful to our family and friends for the outpouring of love and kindness shown to our family during the

recent loss of our beloved Nealy. Your support, through cards, calls, food, flowers, visits, kind words, and particularly prayers, have maintained us during this difficult time and are greatly appreciated. Your generos-

ity and thoughtfulness have overwhelmed us and we are so very fortunate to be members of this wonderful community.

The Nealy Barrett Family

‘Atheist Sunday’ would fill the gap of hijacked season Dear Editor, Retailers have gifted us with Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. Sunday is missing out.

“Atheist Sunday” would fill the gap. Non

believers could have a shopping day all to themselves, free of traffic jams and manic shoppers who mostly don’t act in a Christian manner anyway. Since the reason for the season has been highjacked by the “Almighty Profit”, whats the harm in another

stupid slogan to attract shoppers whether they believe in God or not? “Atheist Sunday.” Now that would be retail heaven.

Keith Smith Wetumpka

THE WETUMPKA HERALD

P

art of what set the United States apart as the world’s preeminent nation in the 20th century was the incredible way we were able to marshal resources and talent to meet seemingly impossible challenges. The moonshot and our triumphs in world wars come to mind as examples, but Americans have also contributed extraordinary gains in health care by developing medicines that have dramatically improved the longevity and quality of life around the globe.

However, as the 21st century rolls on, I am increasingly concerned that too much government regulation and a lack of focus are inhibiting us from taking the next step in treating and curing the awful diseases that plague us.

There are 10,000 known

TheWetumpkaHerald.com

21st Century Cures Act brings hope diseases in the world. 7,000 of them are considered rare, and we only have treatments for 500 of them. This leaves millions of Americans suffering from thousands of rare and deadly diseases without answers, solutions, cures or hope. For the greatest country in the world – the country that cured smallpox, polio, yellow fever and more – with all our incredible potential, these numbers are completely unacceptable.

It is past time for the United States to once again lead the world in medical research and innovation – to diligently work towards finding treatments and cures for these 10,000 diseases. Last week, the House passed the H.R. 34, the 21st Century Cures Act, and I’m excited to report that I believe this legislation puts us on that path.

The 21st Century

MARTHA ROBY U.S Rep.

Cures Act provides much-needed funding and policy improvements to help battle rare diseases, fight our nation’s opioid epidemic, ensure support for those struggling with mental health issues and rightfully reforms Medicare and Medicaid to reduce overpayments and provide reimbursements. The bill also modernizes electronic health records to allow for faster, more efficient delivery of care.

Bottom line: the 21st Century Cures Act improves medical treatment discovery, development and delivery

Council Two items seemed to take precedence on the agenda, either spurring the most discussion among council members or from public comment.

Up first under “old business” was Ordinance No. 2016, described as an “Ordinance to Provide for Citizens’ Comments both Oral and Written at the Wetumpka City Council.”

District Two Council Member Percy Gill had proposed an amendment to the ordinance providing for residents in zip codes 36092 and 36093 and business or property owners within city limits to speak at the meeting.

The ordinance allowed only for residents, property and business owners within the corporate city limits to speak at the meetings.

Gill addressed the council and offered his reasoning for proposing the amendment.

“The reason that I am proposing to really expand the public comment for citizens who reside in the 36092-36093 zip code is because we greatly rely on these citizens to help support our tax base,” said Gill. “And without those citizens who live in the 36092 or 36093 zip code we certainly wouldn’t have the financial support that we enjoy from the citizens in this community.”

District Five Council Member Greg Jones said he felt it would allow residents outside of the city the ability to speak and reduce the power of the chairperson to deny such.

Gill said the chair would have the authority to allow whomever to speak that he chose, but his amendment would allow the ability for those outside of corporate city limits to speak.

Ultimately the ordinance was adopted as written and discussed at the Nov. 21 meeting, allowing only those in the corporate limits to speak, and Gill’s amendment to expand the zone for public comment was denied.

The other notably contested item at the meeting arose under the new business portion as item three or Resolution No. 2016-5-1, entitled “Approving Development Area Boundary.”

The resolution established the same “development area” claimed by Mainstreet Wetumpka, to also apply to the seperate economic development entity, the Downtown Redevelopment Authority.

Gill asked why the area, as shown on a map presented to the council, extended outside of the immediate downtown region.

“As I looked at the map I noticed that the boundary goes across the river over on West Bridge or North Bridge Street,” Gill said. “I don’t think I’ve seen this particular map before, but

DECEMBER 7, 2016 • Page 5

for those who need it most.

The bill improves treatment discovery by speeding up cancer research, investing in the BRAIN initiative to improve our understanding of diseases like Alzheimer’s and by supporting programs that drive research into different variations of disease.

The bill improves treatment development by modernizing clinical trials to put patients at the center of the regulatory review process.

It streamlines regulations to turn scientific advancement and research into FDAapproved treatments and it empowers the FDA to be more flexible in reviewing medical devices and technologies.

The 21st Century Cures Act improves delivery of medical treatment by making sure that new drugs and devices are given to the right

patient at the right time. The bill eliminates regulations that stifle marketplace competition.

We don’t often think about diseases like smallpox, polio or yellow fever because bold advances in scientific research developed medicines to cure them.

After House passage of this important legislation,

I’m feeling more confident in our nation’s ability to combat disease in this century, and I imagine that some Americans and families suffering from cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, opioid addiction and mental health issues are feeling something they may not have felt in a long time: hope.

continued from page 1

my original understanding was that the downtown redevelopment would be, for the most part, focusing on downtown, so I have a question about why we are expanding over across the bridge.”

Mayor Jerry Willis requested either City Attorney Regina Edwards or City Planning and Project Director David Robison answer.

Edwards spoke first and said the area could extend up to three miles from the center of the city, but she said to keep it consistent with Mainstreet Wetumpka they used that organization’s map. That was the decision of the board of directors of the Redevelopment Authority.

Robison spoke about the history of the proposed map’s districting.

“Four years ago, when the city first started to apply for the community development bloc grant

that funded the water sewer and storm sewer infrastructure, at the time that was what the city had identified as its downtown area,” said Robison. “That map has gone into now four grant applications Main Street actually used it, took it from us to use as the Mainstreet District and, after some deliberation, the board of directors of the Redevelopment Authority decided to limit their operations to that area as well.”

Local property owner Edwin Johnston, who said property he owned fell within the affected area, publicly objected to the resolution.

After the meeting he said he felt the resolution was deliberately being passed through without allowing public input.

Later he was joined in his objection by another resident who also said property she owned fell

within the district.

Local attorney Jacqueline Austin briefly discussed the matter with Robison after the meeting.

The resolution was tabled for further discussion after District Four Councilman Steve Gantt proposed a twoweek hold on the item for public review.

A number of the 11 items otherwise discussed were first reads and will reappear at the next council meeting.

An Alabama Department of Transportation contract was approved at item and multiple information technologies requests were approved for accounting software and a firewall.

Also in the meeting Councilman Jones also asked that Wetumpka Fire Chief Greg Willis be considered for appointment to a county position on the Elmore County Emergency Medical Services board, which is currently open to the public.

ELMORE COUNTY COMMISSION STATEMENT OF REVENUES, EXPENDITURES AND CHANGES IN FUND BALANCES FOR THE YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

PAGE 6 • DECEMBER 7, 2016

TheWetumpkaHerald.com

THE WETUMPKA HERALD

Why John the Baptist now?

E

uncomfortable and really, really angry – until you went away, thought about his words, and realized that what he said was true.

“You brood of vipers,” he screams, at the richest, most powerful, most religious people of his day. “Don’t think you will be saved just because you are a Jew, a son of Abraham. Your heritage, your treasured heritage won’t save you. It’s not good enough for God. God can raise up many other children to Abraham, as many as there are stones here on this river bank.”

“No, the only thing that will save you is to repent, change your life and begin bearing fruit that befits repentance – do the things that show you have repented and returned to God. (paraphrased from Matthew 3:1-2, 7-9, RSV).

No, John does not belong in our sweet creches, with their fluffy white lambs, sparkling clean cows, fresh hay, a bluerobed Mary and a blond-haired, blue-eyed baby Jesus. John is too rough, too crude, too tactless for our neat, beautiful creches. He doesn’t belong in the Christmas story and neither does his message.

That’s why we hear from John the Baptist shortly before

very year, on the third Sunday before Christmas, we – Episcopalians – hear one of the Bible readings about John the Baptist. Every year.

That made me wonder: Why do we hear about John the Baptist before Christmas, why isn’t he part of our Nativity scenes or crèches?

The obvious answer is that he is not part of the Christmas story, except as the baby who leaped in Elizabeth’s womb when she was visited by Mary and John’s unborn cousin, Jesus. (Luke 1:41) But, there’s another reason John the Baptist is not a figure in our manger scenes. John wasn’t the kind of person nice people invited to lunch or invited to view their new-born baby.

It wasn’t just that he dressed in ratty, smelly clothes or that he ate odd food. John wasn’t welcome in nice homes or on the first-century cocktail circuit because of how he acted and what he said.

John was passionate; so passionate that he didn’t worry about who he offended. John was the kind of guy who got right up in your face, said things that would really touch your guilt, your sin, your conscience, make you

REV. BOB HENDERSON Trinity Episcopal

Christmas – because of his message.

Without his message, there is no need for Christmas; without his message, Christmas has no meaning; without his message, Christmas becomes like those things John railed against – the sweet, touchy-feely parts of our Christmas observance when once a year, we think about “Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men,” collect canned goods and toys to give to others less fortunate than we are and, perhaps, make a special effort to go to church.

“That won’t help you!” says John. “It won’t do any good to look religious or kind or generous or compassionate or loving. You must actually become all those things. You must repent from what you are,” he says, “or else remain a brood of vipers.”

“And, oh, by the way,” he continues, “don’t think you can say, ‘but I’ve been baptized, I’ve been

saved, I’m a good Christian!’

That’s not good enough, either.”

“No, there is only one way.

Repent. Turn away from your life as it is and turn to God. Get right with God, let God into your life, let your repentance show in your life – ‘bear fruit that befits repentance.’”

So, what is that? What is “fruit that befits repentance?”

Well, I don’t know. At least, I don’t know for you and I’m not completely sure what it is for me.

But, I do know what repentance is and can do.

For many years, I was an angry, self-centered, selfish person.

Those of you who know me personally may say, “But Bob, you still are.” And, I’m sure that’s true.

But, if you think that now, all I can say is “You should have known me before, before I had an experience of repentance.”

Repentance changed by life and changed me. Not perfectly, not completely, but I changed, and changed in a way that still allows some fruit, some goodness to come out and be seen.

That is the message of John the Baptist. That’s why we hear about him just before Christmas.

That’s why he probably should have a place in our creche – to remind us that without repentance, we never can and never will let Jesus be born into our hearts and lives. We’ll just go on looking like we always have, being like we always were, brood of vipers that we are.

Repent. Jesus can be born in our hearts, and if so, we will probably begin to bear fruit that befits repentance. God will show through our lives and our actions: never perfectly, never completely, and probably not up to the satisfaction or expectations of those who know us, or even to ourselves.

But, if we repent, if we are able to let Jesus in, then, in our hearts and spirits, we will know.

We can always look back and say to ourselves, “You should have known me before, before repentance, before Jesus.”

Repent. Bear fruit that befits repentance, so that this year, the gift of Christmas, of Christ, can be born in your heart.

Rev. Henderson is a rector at Trinity Episcopal Church in Wetumpka.

Religion Briefs • Episcopal Church of the Epiphany

On Dec. 11 at 9:30 a.m. the “Confirmation and Coffee” Sunday School series continues, running through all the Sundays of Advent.

At 10:30 a.m. Father Wells Warren will celebrate the Holy Eucharist marking the third Sunday in Advent, with coffee hour to follow.

For more information, visit the church website: http://epiphanytallassee.org/

• East Tallassee United Methodist Church

On Dec. 11, at our service we will present our cantata “Behold Emmanuel Love is With Us.” The program will include our church choir, a trio of Chris Sergent, Lee Gauntt and Linda Patrick, and a solo by Melanie Baker.

We will have a manger scene including our

children, Autumn, Steve, Jackson, Haley, A.J. and Matthew. We will also have a dance featuring Courtney Baker.

On Dec. 18 at our 11 a.m. service, we will present singing “O Holy Night.” During our night service, East Tallassee United Methodist Church and Bradford Chapel will present a singing program. The program will start at 6 p.m. We will feature several bands, our church choir and various other talents. All are welcome to attend and help us celebrate the wonderful birth of our Lord and Savior.

• Oak Valley Station United Methodist Church

Everyone is invited to Oak Valley Station United Methodist Church for our annual Christmas Concert. Once again the Kempters

Wetumpka Church of Christ 408 West Bridge Street

Jason Chesser Minister

Central Baptist Church 3545 W Central Rd Wetumpka, AL 36092 Hwy 9 & W. Central Sun: 10 Bible Studies 11 Worship 6 Worship www.CBCWetumpka.com 239.233.0341 Pastor “g”

Sunday Prayer and Fellowship.......8:30 a.m.

Bible Study.............9 a.m.

Worship service...10 a.m.

Wednesday Bible Study........7 p.m.

Visitors Welcome At All Services

will be entertaining and inspiring everyone with their wonderful musical talent. The concert will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec 7.

Refreshments will be served in the Fellowship Hall following the performance. Please come and enjoy this special time of music and fellowship.

• Salem Macon Baptist Church

Salem Macon is giving Christmas cards again this year. If you would like to give a Christmas card to a church member, put it in the mailbox on table in the hallway.

Deadline is Dec. 18. Dec. 18 is a big day at Salem Macon. Starting at 9 a.m. we will have a Christmas Brunch (bring a breakfast dish or drink). Then at 10:30, we will enjoy a Christmas program instead of the morning

worship.. Lots of singing. Come and bring someone with you. Christmas Day, Dec. 25, we will have an Advent Candle Service and observe the Lord’s Supper. There will not be Sunday School.

• First United Methodist Church

Sunday, Dec. 11, the Music Ministry of First United Methodist Church, Tallassee, will present a service of Lessons and Carols at 5 p.m. This evening will include scripture readings and traditional music of the season that remind us of the wondrous birth of our Savior. Music will be provided by the chancel, children’s and handbell choirs and the Encounter band of the church. Make plans now to attend this special evening and invite family and friends.

First

“And we know that Presbyterian allChurch things work 100 W. Bridge St. together for good to thoseJonathan who loveYarboro God, Rev. to those who are the Sunday School..9:45 am Morning called Worship..11 according toam His567-8135 purpose.”

Harmony United Methodist Church 8000 Titus Road Titus, Ala.

Sunday Services at 11 a.m.

Minister Dr. John Brannon There is Harmony at Harmony United Methodist Church!

– Romans 8:28

“In the name of the Lord Jesus – Welcome.”

Please join us.

Wallsboro United Wallsboro United Methodist Church Methodist Church

Mountain View Baptist Baptist Church Church

11066 U.S. 231, Wallsbooro 11066 U.S. 231, Wallsboro

Rev. Ryan Rev. Ryan Johnson Johnson Pastor

Pastor Rickey Luster,

Rickey Luster, MusicDirector Director Music

SundaySchool..........10:45 School....10:45 a.m.

Sunday a.m.

Morning Worship....9:30 a.m.

Morning Worship........9:30 a.m.

Children’s Church.... 9:30 a.m.

Children’s Church.......9:30 a.m.

Thur. Night Service....6:00 p.m.

Wed. Night Service.....6:30 p.m.

You will receive a warm You will receive a warm Welcome at this friendly, welcome at this friendly, Christ-centered Church.

Christ-centered Church.

NURSERY PROVIDED PROVIDED FOR NURSERY FOR ALL SERVICES SERVICES ALL

504 Osceola Street 504West West Osceola St. 334-567-4729 334-567-4729 •••• Anthony Rhodes Rev.Rev. Anthony Rhodes, Senior Pastor Senior Pastor Sarah Swedenburg, Worship Ministries

Need your business to

STAND OUT

Derek Blankenship, Tammy Student Driver:Ministries

from the crowd?

Children's Director

SUNDAY SERVICES SUNDAY SERVICES Sunday School...........9:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship.....10:30 School........9:30 a.m. a.m.

Morning MorningWorship.......6:00 Worship... 10:30p.m. a.m.

Evening Evening Worship..... 6:00 p.m.

WEDNESDAY SERVICES WEDNESDAY SERVICES Prayer Meeting...........6:00 p.m.

Supper.....................5:30 p.m.

Choir PrayerRehearsal.........6:45 Meeting........6:15 p.m. p.m.

Student Worship........6:00 p.m.

Choir Practice..........7:00 p.m.

Calvary Kids...............6:00 p.m.

CEDARWOOD COMMUNITY CHURCH 10286 U.S. Hwy. 231 Wallsboro 567-0476 www.worshipcedarwood.org

Roger Olsen, Pastor Sunday Bible Study..........9:00 AM Sunday Worship.............10:00 AM We are a Congregational Christian Church which, in the name of Jesus, invites all to worship with us.

Nursery Check out our Facebook page

Call us, we can help!

334-567-7811

• • • • •

Santuck Baptist Church

7250 Central Plank Road

“A Family of Families”

B.R. Johnson, Senior Pastor Larry Gore, Adm. & Counseling Randy Godfrey, Education Amy Pugh, Director of Children & Preschool Chad Middlebrooks, Students SUNDAY Sunday School............9 & 10:30 a.m.

Worship........................9 & 10:30 a.m.

Evening Celebration.................6 p.m.

WEDNESDAY/FAMILY NIGHT Programs for every age 6:15 - 7:30 p.m.

Wetumpka Herald Eclectic Observer Tallassee Tribune Alexander City Outlook Dadeville Record

567-4458 1025 Rifle Range Rd. 567-4458 1025 RiÀe Range Rd.

Anthony B. Counts, Pastor InterimWorship Pastor Leader Angie Gallups, Billy of Students AngieReinhardt, Gallups, Min. Worship Leader

Billy Reinhardt, Min. of Students SUNDAY Morning Worship... ....10:30 SUNDAY School.............9:15 Sunday Morning Worship............10:30 Youth Choir .............. ....5:00 Evening Worship..........6:00 Sunday School.................9:15 WEDNESDAY Evening Worship..............6:00 Fellowship Meal............5:45 WEDNESDAY Preschool/Children’s Choirs.........................6:00 House of Prayer................6:00 House of Prayer............6:30 Preschool/Children’s Preschool/Children’s Missions............................6:00 Missions........................6:30 Youth Bible Youth BibleStudy.............6:00 Study.........6:30

Send your church news and happenings to: news@The Wetumpka Herald.com _________ Call or Molly Call Jayne Shannon at 567-7811 to advertise your church’s services in this space

THE WETUMPKA HERALD

TheWetumpkaHerald.com

DECEMBER 7, 2016 • Page 7

WINTER RECIPES Cooking a new recipe is a fun, indoor activity that you can do during the cold Winter months. A recipe is a set of instructions that teaches you how to make a type of food. A good recipe tells you what ingredients you need, what tools you will need to prepare and cook it, and how long each step should take. Always UHDG WKH HQWLUH UHFLSH ¿UVW WR PDNH VXUH that you have all the necessary tools and ingredients before you begin. It is also absolutely necessary to always have an adult’s permission before using the kitchen. Ask an adult for any help that you may need when using kitchen tools, NQLYHV DQG DSSOLDQFHV 6DIHW\ ¿UVW LV WKH most important rule of all! Have a great time cooking!

HOMEMADE HOT COCOA

There is nothing like a warm mug of hot cocoa on a cold Winter day. Here’s how to make a single cup.

You will need: one large microwave-safe coffee mug, 2 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder, 1 cup of milk, and three drops of vanilla.

Step One: Place the sugar and cocoa in the mug and mix them together.

Step Two: Add a small amount of milk and mix it with the sugar and cocoa.

When it is well-blended, add the rest of the milk and stir until well-mixed.

Step Three: Microwave on high for one minute. Ask an adult to remove it and stir. Then microwave for 30 more seconds. Allow it to cool some before enjoying!

MELTED SNOWMAN COOKIES

To make your very own melted snowman cookies, you will need round sugar cookies, marshmallows (one per sugar cookie), one can white frosting, and decorating pens or food coloring.

Step One: Take one (pre-baked or cooled) round sugar cookie and place a small amout of frosting in the middle. This is the melted portion of your snowman.

Step Two: Place one marshmallow on a paper plate and microwave it for 20-30 seconds. Watch the marshmallow and remove it from the microwave as soon as it begins to puff up. While it is still warm, ask your adult supervisor to place it on the edge of the cookie. It should rest on part of the frosting. Repeat Steps One and Two for each cookie.

Step Three: Allow the marshmallow to cool and the icing to harden. You can let them cool on the counter or place them in the IULGJH IRU DURXQG ÂżYH PLQXWHV Step Four: Now you may decorate your snowmen with eyes and noses. Use the decorating pens to add their features. If these are not available, you can use leftover icing and food coloring to do the job. Add the small details to the snowmen using a toothpick.

RECIPE WORD FIND Hidden Words: Bowl, Flour, Fork, Glass, Knife, Measuring Cups, Microwave, Milk, Oven, Pan, Pepper, Plate, Pot, Rolling Pin, Salt, Spatula, Spoon, Stove, Sugar, Timer

Always have an adult helper!

EASY LUNCH PIZZAS

CONNECT THE DOTS SPECIAL THANK YOU

Get creative in making your own lunch pizzas. This UHFLSH FDOOV IRU \RX WR ÂżQG ZKDW \RX KDYH LQ \RXU kitchen to make them. You will need: A crust, a sauce, and toppings.

Step One: Find a crust. You could use bread, half a bagel, or even a can of biscuits.

Step Two: Create a sauce. Most pizzas have a tomato-based sauce. You can use pre-made pizza

sauce. You can make one with tomato sauce by adding herbs such as oregano.

You could also use spaghetti sauce, alfredo sauce, or even a barbeque sauce.

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The Wetumpka Herald

Page 10 • DECEMBER 7, 2016

TheWetumpkaHerald.com

THE WETUMPKA HERALD

Gifting a pet requires recipient’s commitment

By REA CORD HSEC Executive Director

T

here is no doubt that once we get through Thanksgiving the days just fly by and Christmas is upon us – only 20 days away.

Both Thanksgiving and Christmas are focused on the family, so if you have been thinking of adding a pet to your family, then now might be the time to come visit our pets to find your new best friend.

While surprising your children, parents or spouse with a pet may work out wonderfully since the giver is also a recipient, we do caution against getting a pet as a gift for a non-family friend. A pet is a very personal bond and why we offer adoption gift certificate/gift kits for you to purchase so that the recipient can come at a later time to find their new best friend.

Our adoption gift certificates are good for a year, so the recipient has plenty of time to visit and find that perfect match. This also allows them to wait until after the hectic holidays if it turns out that Christmas just isn’t the best timing for a new pet.

To prep for the upcoming holiday schedule, we are open for adoptions MondayFriday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. But on Saturday, Dec. 24, we will only be doing pick-ups of pre-approved adoptions until noon and then will be closed Dec 25-26.

For your planning, our adoption fees are $100 for dogs and $50 for cats under 1 year old; cats over one year old can be adopted by approved adopters for an adoption fee of their choosing. This adoption fee completely covers the mandatory spay or neuter, basic immunizations, de-worming, microchip, heartworm check for dogs, rabies vaccination if old enough and a free health exam with your participating veterinarian.

And while we would love it if all of our pets found home for the holidays, we also want potential adopters

to make sure they are ready for the following 10-15 year commitment. Far too many Christmas pets are re-homed or turned into shelters a few months later when the newness has worn off and the responsibilities of training and teenage shenanigans are in full force. Bringing a new pet home is a bit like adding a four-footed child, so we just want to help potential adopters make sure they are ready for the commitment a new pet brings since we desire a lifetime of love for people and pet alike.

On Sat, Dec. 10, we will take a few of our puppies/ dogs to the Montgomery PetSmart from noon – 4 p.m. to help even more of our pets find loving homes.

Volunteers are always needed, so please contact our volunteer coordinator, Charline Pope at 334-202-1381 or email her at popecharlie58@ yahoo.com if you can help.

On Sat, Dec. 17, from 10 a.m.-noon, Santa will be joining us for photos and to visit with pets and/or children!

You can take your own photo of your pet with Santa or we can help take a photo using your camera or smart phone.

Any donated pet supply items will be greatly appreciated.

For those who may not have visited us before, our address is 255 Central Plank Road, Wetumpka, 36092 and if you need directions just give us a call at 334-567-3377.

Don’t forget to check out our Tails End Thrift Store (located adjacent to the shelter) for gifts for yourself and your friends. Our Thrift Store has clothes, linens, Christmas decorations, books, collectibles, small appliances, toys and so much more! The store is open Thursday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. and can also receive donations during those hours. While at our Thrift Store, please thank our volunteers who work so hard receiving, sorting and selling all of the donated items on behalf of all the animals we all work so hard to help.

Pet of the Week – Shamus Shamus is a 1-year-old possible Hound/ Rhodesian Ridgeback boy, about 55 pounds. He was found dumped at a hunting camp and brought to us. He loves attention, is good with all other dogs and would love a family to call his own which likes to camp or hike with him tagging along.

Our adoption fees are $100 for dogs and $50 for cats under one year old. Cats over one year old can be adopted by approved adopters for a fee of their choosing. This adoption fee completely covers the mandatory spay or neuter, basic immu-

nizations, de-worming, microchip, heartworm check for dogs, rabies vaccination if old enough and a free health exam with your participating veterinarian.

To meet all the great pets at our shelter come to 255 Central Plank Road, Wetumpka, go to our website at www.elmorehumane.org for more information, email us at hselco@bellsouth.net or give us a call at 334-567-3377.

We are open for adoptions this week Monday– Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

SPORTS

THE WETUMPKA HERALD

TheWetumpkaHerald.com

Visit our sister website: TallasseeTribune.com

DECEMBER 7, 2016 • PAGE 11

INDIANS OUTLAST MUSTANGS IN OVERTIME THRILLER

By CORY DIAZ Sports Editor

All the energy stayed on Wetumpka’s side Friday heading into overtime with rival Stanhope Elmore.

After trailing and battling back in the fourth quarter to force the extra period, the Indians (3-3) outlasted the Mustangs, 73-65, pulling away with 1:04 to go behind two consecutive big shots from junior Nick Turner.

“Nick decided that he wanted to, even though he was injured, he decided to step up a little bit,” WHS boys basketball coach Ed Rogers said. “First half, he was still trying to get the rust off from not practicing all week.”

Tied 63-63, Turner drove the basket on SEHS’s K.J. Stokes for a layup.

Wetumpka’s next possession, the 6-foot3 forward put back an offensive rebound to give the Tribe a 67-63 lead with less than a minute left in overtime.

“It feels great to be a part of (the win),” said Turner, who ended with 12 points. “Getting into the movement of the team and scoring the basketball. We played hard defense and we transitioned the ball on offense. We moved the ball around and tried to play hard at the end.”

The Mustangs (3-3) held the advan-

tage for much of the second half. Guards Jamal Williams and Alex McNeil paced their squad with a combined 39 points, but Stanhope couldn’t hold on in the absence of its 6-foot-7 senior Zech Byrd, who fouled out earlier in the game on two technical fouls.

“We got to put four quarters together,” Stokes said. “I think we did three-and-ahalf. We should have won in regulation, but late in regulation we couldn’t put it all together. It’s always big not to have your 6-foot-7 senior on the floor in a game like this. I know it hurt him not being able to play throughout the rest of his senior year here at Wetumpka. We got to learn lessons, keep your cool. You got to learn in games like this, you got to be under control, keep your poise and just play through everything.

“I think they turned the intensity up on us late, we got to take care of the basketball and make better decisions late.

We got into overtime, felt fatigued. It goes back to who wants it the most. It’s a rivalry game. We’re looking forward to the next one. A lot of lessons learned tonight.”

Sophomore guards Jadarious Martin and E.J. Rogers scored 16 and 13 points, respectively, leading the WHS feverous defense that proved to be the difference.

Cory Diaz / The Herald

Wetumpka junior forward Nick Turner (52) drives to the basket against Stanhope Elmore junior K.J. Stokes during overtime of Friday night’s rivalry contest at WHS.

“The team as a whole, we start to feed off each others’ energy and start to feed off the crowd energy. That’s what propelled us over Stanhope tonight,” Ed Rogers said. “We were subbing offense for defense, we were battling foul trouble. So whoever we put in the ballgame, they just stepped up as a team. The bench became livelier.

“It was a good team win for the program. It’s a rivalry game and it’s good to get the first one, it makes it much easier now. We got to play on a different court next week, and now they’ve got to hold serve on their court. We put all the pressure on them, just try to keep the rivalry going.”

Lady Tribe completes comeback over rival Mustangs

By CORY DIAZ Sports Editor

Wetumpka knocked down the door to close out a game, overcoming a seven-point deficit in the fourth period to defeat rival Stanhope Elmore, 55-49, Friday at home.

The Lady Mustangs led 43-38 entering the final quarter, a spot the Lady Indians have found themselves in multiple times already this season and lost. But with 3:20 remaining, Zekeria Hooks gave WHS the lead, 48-47, with a layup and the team held on.

“In the last three or four ballgames, we’ve been right there knocking on the door, whether we’re down by four, down by five or six points,” Lady Tribe basketball coach Jermel Bell said. “We’re able now, and tonight, we were able to go ahead and take that lead and hold on. It’s showing the composure we’re starting to have.”

During the final two minutes, Wetumpka hit 3-of-5 foul shots, with Tyauna Ferguson, Tamara Donley and Hooks each making one.

After allowing 43 points through three periods, the Lady Indians clamped down, surrendering just six points to Stanhope in the fourth.

“We found a way to keep clawing, keep knocking at the door. We started knocking down free throws, started playing great defense, moving the ball, cut down turnovers,” Bell said. “Everything just kind of started clicking the last three minutes of the ballgame, the way a coach would want it to go.”

Hooks turned in her best performance on the season, with 11 points and 14 rebounds to help Wetumpka exact revenge versus its rival.

Ferguson paced the team with 22 points while Donley added 10.

The Lady Mustangs had three finish the game in double digits, led by NiKayla Harris’ 14 points, followed by Dalayiah Crawford with 13 and Alisson Evans with 11.

“Tonight was a big win, especially against your rival. The last time we played them, they beat us at Stanhope in overtime (last season),” Bell said. “Coming back this week playing a great game, had few days of practice and work and we put it together. We came out a little sluggish, but we put it together. It was a big win.”

SEHS and WHS will meet again Thursday at Stanhope at 6 p.m.

Cory Diaz / The Herald

Wetumpka junior point guard Tyauna Ferguson (24) dribbles past Stanhope Elmore sophomore guard Tiana Stokes (15) during Friday’s rival showdown at WHS.

Anderson celebrates committment to Jacksonville State University

By CORY DIAZ Sports Editor

Cory Diaz / The Herald

Stanhope Elmore senior Tanner Anderson, with his family, celebrated his verbal commitment to play college at Jacksonville State University Friday.

Before the whirlwind took off, Tanner Anderson always knew where it stopped.

A breakout junior season for Stanhope Elmore, culminating with a Class 6A AllState honorable mention at second base in 2016, quickly led to a plethora of college baseball offers, including Troy and Jacksonville State.

The offer from JSU on Oct. 19 ejected Anderson from the recruiting foray as the senior verbally committed 10 days later and reaffirmed his commitment to the Gamecocks at a ceremony Friday at SEHS. “We had been up there a couple of times, we had team camp and I had been up there to play a bunch,” Anderson said.

“I always liked the coaches and everything. It just felt like that’s where I needed to be.”

With Jacksonville State the destination the whole time, Anderson said he never expected to earn an offer there, much less any other programs. He became the first Mustang player to commit to a Division I school since 2007 (Justin Jones, Auburn).

“I always hoped for it, but I didn’t know if it would actually happen. As soon as I

started getting a few, it started coming to mind,” he said. “It’s nice. You see everybody else do it, and when it’s finally you’re turn, it’s exciting.”

Entering his junior campaign, Anderson decided to stop switch-hitting and focus just on batting right-handed and the move paid dividends in tune to his most prolific prep season.

The utility player hit a team-high .438, scoring 33 runs with 12 RBIs en route to the All-State honorable mention at second and All-Area First-Team honors at outfielder.

“I think that had a big thing to do with (receiving the offers), and it led to a bunch of success. The coaches, coach (Kevin) Hall, coach (Wes) Dunsieth, coach (Josey) Shannon, all helped a ton,” Anderson said.

“They all had a big factor in that. I just realized that I need to work hard and that it would pay off eventually.”

Work hard, that’s what Anderson plans to do his senior season at Stanhope, as well as next year at JSU, the place he wanted to go all along.

“It was great because I’ve known from the start that this is where I wanted to be.

Knowing that I’d actually be able to go, it was a dream come true really.”

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PAGE 12 • DECEMBER 7, 2016

TheWetumpkaHerald.com

THE WETUMPKA HERALD

Jones emerges to assist ECHS boys to two big wins

By CORY DIAZ Sports Editor

Warren Brown found the perfect role for sophomore Donovan Jones heading into the third week of the season.

Coming off two straight losses, the conclusion immediately paid off as Jones sank the game-winner versus Montgomery-Catholic Tuesday and helped Elmore County to its first Class 4A, Area 5 win over Tallassee, 50-36, Friday at home.

The Panthers trailed Catholic 56-55 with :06 remaining. Out of an ECHS timeout, Jones caught the inbounds pass, drove to the basket and hit the layup to lift Elmore County, 57-56. He finished the game with 14 points.

“We had a designed play where I come screen for Tyric (Belyeu),” Jones said Tuesday after the game. “As soon as I got it, I was supposed to look for him. I did, but his man was

playing him too hard. That’s when I just turned around and took the shot and it went in.”

In the team’s first area contest, the 6-foot, 188-pound sophomore came off the bench to score 12 points for the Panthers, exploiting matchups to push his team to pull away from Tallassee.

“He’s accepted his role, we found a role for him. He’s the sixth man coming off the bench,” Brown, the ECHS boys basketball coach, said.

“He gives us that little spark that we’ve been missing. He’s accepted his role and he’s playing his role to a ‘T.’ “He can do so many things.

We can move him inside, we can move him outside. He created mismatches for a lot of teams, especially if they’re smaller than him. He’s been making the right decisions and we’ve been living with the ones he’s making, the good ones and the bad ones. It’s been paying off right now.

You need that coming off the bench.”

Jones, along with rest of the Panthers, benefitted from sharing the basketball to dismantle the Tigers’ zone defense. Belyeu recorded a team-high 13 points, while sophomore D.J. Patrick added 12 and senior Will Venable had 7.

“That first quarter, we dragged. With them playing that zone, we kind of went too relaxed, we couldn’t attack,” Brown said. “After we went into halftime, we made some adjustments and we were able to move the ball around.

We finally got the ball inside with Donovan. That helped us out big time. And we started getting to the basket and getting easy shots and opened up the floor.

“I like this game better than all the other games we play. They shared the ball.

Everybody contributed in some kind of way whether it’s

Cory Diaz / The Herald

Elmore County sophomore Donovan Jones (5) puts up the game-winning shot over Montgomery-Catholic defenders last Tuesday at ECHS.

rebounding, steals, assists. I thought everybody contributed to get us a big win.”

ECHS (3-2, 1-0) hosts county and area rival Holtville Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Elmore County earns first area win versus Tallassee

By CORY DIAZ Sports Editor

Elmore County eliminated opportunities for easy baskets to handle Tallassee 31-23 for its first Class 4A, Area 5 win Friday at home.

The Lady Panthers (2-2, 1-0) secured the ball on offense, finishing with only five turnovers – a season-low by a long shot – fixing something that derailed them in back-to-back losses to Booker T. Washington-Magnet and Montgomery-Catholic last Tuesday.

“After the Catholic loss, we needed to get back on the winning track,” ECHS girls basketball coach Amy Rachel said. “With such a young team, it’s been a struggle just to learn the game. To think through situations and understand the things we’re asking them to do.

“We only had five turnovers, which is a huge improvement for us. We’re slowly getting there.”

Limiting their opponents’ transition scoring chances gave the Panthers’ anemic offense enough room to clip Tallassee on the scoreboard. Freshman Tatyana Harden led Elmore

County with 10 points and seven rebounds, her best game on the season, while junior guard Madison Traylor added 9 points.

“Tatyana Harden did an excellent job, she played the entire game. Her and Madison Traylor both played the entire game,” Rachel said. “We struggled shooting the ball so much, I didn’t think we’d be able to buy an outside shot all night. I think we maybe had a couple hit, but they played hard. That’s what I asked them to do. Play hard, do the things you’re asked to do and take care of the ball.”

Junior forward Hannah Gibson ended the night with 5 points.

Coupled with ball security, ECHS shut the Lady Tigers down on the defensive end.

“I thought our defense played really well tonight. We made some changes that didn’t necessarily work, and they were able to go back and make adjustments on the original scheme. You hold them to 23 points, that’s always a positive. As long as you can score more than that, you’re good.”

Elmore County hosts county and Area 5 rival Holtville Thursday at 6 p.m.

Cory Diaz / The Herald

Elmore County freshman Tatyana Harden (21) sets the screen for junior point guard Madison Traylor (10) against Montgomery-Catholic last Tuesday.

Tigers take county tri-match tilt v. Panthers, Dawgs

By CORY DIAZ Sports Editor

Tallassee captured supremacy among its county rivals Thursday at Elmore County High, going 2-0 versus Holtville, 48-30, and host ECHS, 48-33.

After its first team loss on the young season to Tallassee, the Panthers earned a dual victory, 48-33, against HHS, who went winless as a team Thursday.

Seniors led the way for Elmore County in the tri-match, combining for eight wins, all pins. Tracy Strouse (138) and Michael Guionnaud (heavyweight) both finished the night undefeated.

Guionnaud picked up two falls against Holtville’s Billy Hacker and Tallassee’s Ficher Segrest. Strouse started the tri-match with arguably the biggest upset, beating Bruin Hathcock of the Tigers by an 11-8 decision. The 138-pound senior followed up the big victory with a pin over HHS’s Brantley Childree.

Freshman Ean Carpenter was the only other Panther to record two wins during the tri-match. In the 220pound weight class, Carpenter beat James Hayes of Holtville and Noah Blaylock of Tallassee by pin.

In his lone match on the meet, senior Trace Wall won by fall over the Tigers’ Mason Bell.

Senior Noah Wood garnered a victory in his opening match, pinning Tallassee’s Kobe Hampton, but couldn’t get past Holtville’s Brady Richardson, who earned the pin in their 145-pound bout.

Cory Diaz / The Herald

Elmore County senior Tracy Strouse looks to keep his Tallassee opponent down during last Thursday’s match at ECHS.

Fellow senior Jeb Ballard equaled Wood, beginning his tri-match outing with a fall over Alex Lynn from the Tigers. But the Bulldogs’ Peyton Johnson bested Ballard in their 160-

pound match.

William Morse (170) rounded out the scoring from the Panther seniors, beating Holtville’s Kenneth Segarra by pin. Morse fell to Alex Daar

during the dual with the Tigers.

Elmore County travels to Beulah Thursday for a tri-match with the host Bobcats and St. James set to start at 5:30 p.m.

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Check out the community calendar!

WINTER RECIPES Cooking a new recipe is a fun, indoor activity that you can do during the cold Winter months. A recipe is a set of instructions that teaches you how to make a type of food. A good recipe tells you what ingredients you need, what tools you will need to prepare and cook it, and how long each step should take. Always UHDG WKH HQWLUH UHFLSH ¿UVW WR PDNH VXUH that you have all the necessary tools and ingredients before you begin. It is also absolutely necessary to always have an adult’s permission before using the kitchen. Ask an adult for any help that you may need when using kitchen tools, NQLYHV DQG DSSOLDQFHV 6DIHW\ ¿UVW LV WKH most important rule of all! Have a great time cooking!

MELTED SNOWMAN COOKIES

To make your very own melted snowman cookies, you will need round sugar cookies, marshmallows (one per sugar cookie), one can white frosting, and decorating pens or food coloring.

Step One: Take one (pre-baked or cooled) round sugar cookie and place a small amout of frosting in the middle. This is the melted portion of your snowman.

Step Two: Place one marshmallow on a paper plate and microwave it for 20-30 seconds. Watch the marshmallow and remove it from the microwave as soon as it begins to puff up. While it is still warm, ask your adult supervisor to place it on the edge of the cookie. It should rest on part of the frosting. Repeat Steps One and Two for each cookie.

Step Three: Allow the marshmallow to cool and the icing to harden. You can let them cool on the counter or place them in the IULGJH IRU DURXQG ÂżYH PLQXWHV Step Four: Now you may decorate your snowmen with eyes and noses. Use the decorating pens to add their features. If these are not available, you can use leftover icing and food coloring to do the job. Add the small details to the snowmen using a toothpick.

Let your kids enjoy the news too!

Eclectic Observer Page 4

HOMEMADE HOT COCOA

There is nothing like a warm mug of hot cocoa on a cold Winter day. Here’s how to make a single cup.

You will need: one large microwave-safe coffee mug, 2 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder, 1 cup of milk, and three drops of vanilla.

Step One: Place the sugar and cocoa in the mug and mix them together.

Step Two: Add a small amount of milk and mix it with the sugar and cocoa.

When it is well-blended, add the rest of the milk and stir until well-mixed.

Step Three: Microwave on high for one minute. Ask an adult to remove it and stir. Then microwave for 30 more seconds. Allow it to cool some before enjoying!

The

Always have an adult helper!

RECIPE WORD FIND Hidden Words: Bowl, Flour, Fork, Glass, Knife, Measuring Cups, Microwave, Milk, Oven, Pan, Pepper, Plate, Pot, Rolling Pin, Salt, Spatula, Spoon Stove

INSIDE PAGE 2

THURSDAY • DECEMBER 7, 2016

TheWetumpkaHerald.com

Vol. 27, No. 49

ECHS grad killed in Gatlinburg fire Gin. Her father, Roy Wall, ran a feed and seed store, according to those in town who knew the family. Her mother was known around town as “Shine.�

Kitty Graham of Eclectic went to school with Hagler from first through 12th grades. She remembers Hagler as a close childhood friend who enjoyed the things the children of that era enjoyed. “Of course, that was back in the 50s and 60s,� Graham said. “I spent

egate to the state Future Homemakers of America convention, a member of the El-Co-Hi Lite annual staff, a library Alice Wall Hagler, the first confirmed assistant and a member of the Glee victim of the fires in the Gatlinburg, Club.

Tennessee, area that have claimed 14 “There is nothing half so sweet in lives to date, spent the majority of her life as love’s young dream,� a line from young life in Eclectic. the Irish poet Thomas Moore’s poem Hagler graduated from Elmore “Love’s Young Dream,� is used in the County High School in 1965. Her senior yearbook as Hagler’s senior quote. yearbook said that Alice Wall was a delHagler’s family lived near Fuller’s

By DAVID GRANGER Interim Managing Editor

ECHS retires standout Elissa Brown’s Jersey

By CORY DIAZ Sports Editor

Tree lighting ceremony set for Monday

By DAVID GRANGER Interim Managing Editor

See CHRISTMAS • Page 3

Hagler See HAGLER • Page 3

ONCE IN A LIFETIME PLAYER

Eclectic Christmas parade cancelled It looked as if the rain would hold off on Saturday and Eclectic might get its Christmas Parade in before it hit.

The town’s merchants held their open houses and, although the sky was dreary, the rain was light, if there was any at all.

Then, as morning turned to afternoon, it came.

The Eclectic Christmas Parade, scheduled for 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, had to be cancelled.

Eclectic Mayor Gary Davenport said Monday that the decision to cancel the parade was made at about 2:45 p.m. on Saturday. “We had the merchants’ open house and all the prize drawings,� Davenport said. “They took place as scheduled, but the weather wouldn’t allow us to go forward with the parade.�

While the parade will not be rescheduled, the town has rescheduled its tree lighting ceremony for 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 12, at Panther Palace and the Senior Center. “We will light the tree

the night with Alice numerous times and she would spend the night with me. We were good friends all the way through high school.

She was just a sweet, sweet person. It hurts my heart to know that

Submitted / The Observer

Monroe Griffith poses with his son, Nelson, with whom he restored the Jeep, shown here. The Jeep was similar to one Girffith drove in World War II.

A TOWN REMEMBERS

See BROWN • Page 4

Pillar of the community, Monroe Griffith, passes themselves friends said Griffith was a proud WWII veteran who loved the town.

A former mayor from 2004-2008, Alan Nummy said while he was in office Griffith was already advanced in age, but he had known him before off-and-on throughout his entire life. “He was one of those bellwether members of the community,� said Nummy. “He was just a supporter and all-around fantastic guy.

One of those people that loved where he lived and was proud of where he lived.�

Nummy’s mother, Verdie, has performed a number of roles throughout the town, both with its government and in its churches.

She said she bought her first car – a Chevy

By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer

James Monroe Griffith, who died Nov. 29, was said to be a pillar of the Eclectic community and a walking encyclopedia of the town.

He was described as a figure that anyone who grew up in Eclectic knew, if for no other reason than for his home’s location near the high school, and his wife, Doris, who taught there.

Town officials from Griffith Eclectic’s past, its current religious leaders and many who considered

Five years ago in her eighth-grade yearbook, Elissa Brown predicted no one would wear No. 22 after she left high school.

Her written will-and-testament came true Friday as the Elmore County girls basketball program retired her No. 22 jersey. “It’s pretty amazing,� Brown said. “It’s funny because in our eighthgrade yearbook, when you’re leaving that year you write like a will-and-testament. And I put in my yearbook as my will-and-testament something about, ‘I don’t want anyone to wear No. 22.’ I don’t know what it said exactly, but I think that’s so funny and now it’s actually happening. But yeah, it’s just an awesome experience and an honor.�

See GRIFFITH • Page 4

Cory Diaz / The Observer

Former Elmore County girls basketball standout and currenty University of Alabama softball player Elissa Brown, pictured with ECHS principal Wes Rogers and ECHS girls basketball head coach Amy Rachel, poses with her retired No. 22 jersey during a ceremony Friday.

Service Dog Alabama making a difference

By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer

Dogs make a difference in human lives.

Service Dogs Alabama (SDA) has been training rescue dogs since 2009.

Their animals have been successfully working with children, adults, veterans and even prisoners.

Alexander City resident Carol Lee invited SDA executive director Frances McGowin to Alexander City to speak about the non-profit organization. “We went to a graduation ceremony and it was just so special,� Lee said. “We knew we had to get them here to share their story.�

Today’s

Weather

McGowin explained what SDA does. “We are not just a dog a program,�

McGowin told the small group gathered at the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce Monday. “We are not just a rescue. We are so much more than that and people don’t get it until they see everything that we do.

We train medical assistance dogs.�

McGowin explained that the dogs are simply amazing. “They are medical assistance dogs,� McGowin said. “They do what science has not yet been able to do.�

McGowin gave the group a brief history of the program. “We started a big therapy dog program in 2009 visiting schools and

therapy centers,� McGowin explained. “We realized what a big deal therapy dogs were. The therapists told us they could make more progress in one hour with the dogs than in six weeks without one.�

McGowin shared the story of her dog Bear and how accident victim Conner Kirk responded. “Conner was in a bus accident,�

McGowin said. “The bus landed on him and he had major brain trauma.

He was put into a coma and after several days they tried to wake him.

It was not working. They had moved him from ICU to a regular room. “I went to the hospital with Bear to comfort the family. The mother See SERVICE • Page 3

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David Granger / The Observer

Cooper, the yellow Labrador therapy dog at Eclectic Middle School, spends some down time with his handler, fifth-grade teacher Gaye Knight, who is in her 26th year in education.

DECEMBER 7, 2016 • PAGE 2

TheWetumpkaHerald.com

THE ECLECTIC OBSERVER

WINTER RECIPES Cooking a new recipe is a fun, indoor activity that you can do during the cold Winter months. A recipe is a set of instructions that teaches you how to make a type of food. A good recipe tells you what ingredients you need, what tools you will need to prepare and cook it, and how long each step should take. Always UHDG WKH HQWLUH UHFLSH ¿UVW WR PDNH VXUH that you have all the necessary tools and ingredients before you begin. It is also absolutely necessary to always have an adult’s permission before using the kitchen. Ask an adult for any help that you may need when using kitchen tools, NQLYHV DQG DSSOLDQFHV 6DIHW\ ¿UVW LV WKH most important rule of all! Have a great time cooking!

HOMEMADE HOT COCOA

There is nothing like a warm mug of hot cocoa on a cold Winter day. Here’s how to make a single cup.

You will need: one large microwave-safe coffee mug, 2 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder, 1 cup of milk, and three drops of vanilla.

Step One: Place the sugar and cocoa in the mug and mix them together.

Step Two: Add a small amount of milk and mix it with the sugar and cocoa.

When it is well-blended, add the rest of the milk and stir until well-mixed.

Step Three: Microwave on high for one minute. Ask an adult to remove it and stir. Then microwave for 30 more seconds. Allow it to cool some before enjoying!

MELTED SNOWMAN COOKIES

To make your very own melted snowman cookies, you will need round sugar cookies, marshmallows (one per sugar cookie), one can white frosting, and decorating pens or food coloring.

Step One: Take one (pre-baked or cooled) round sugar cookie and place a small amout of frosting in the middle. This is the melted portion of your snowman.

Step Two: Place one marshmallow on a paper plate and microwave it for 20-30 seconds. Watch the marshmallow and remove it from the microwave as soon as it begins to puff up. While it is still warm, ask your adult supervisor to place it on the edge of the cookie. It should rest on part of the frosting. Repeat Steps One and Two for each cookie.

Step Three: Allow the marshmallow to cool and the icing to harden. You can let them cool on the counter or place them in the IULGJH IRU DURXQG ÂżYH PLQXWHV Step Four: Now you may decorate your snowmen with eyes and noses. Use the decorating pens to add their features. If these are not available, you can use leftover icing and food coloring to do the job. Add the small details to the snowmen using a toothpick.

RECIPE WORD FIND Hidden Words: Bowl, Flour, Fork, Glass, Knife, Measuring Cups, Microwave, Milk, Oven, Pan, Pepper, Plate, Pot, Rolling Pin, Salt, Spatula, Spoon, Stove, Sugar, Timer

Always have an adult helper!

EASY LUNCH PIZZAS

CONNECT THE DOTS SPECIAL THANK YOU

Get creative in making your own lunch pizzas. This UHFLSH FDOOV IRU \RX WR ÂżQG ZKDW \RX KDYH LQ \RXU kitchen to make them. You will need: A crust, a sauce, and toppings.

Step One: Find a crust. You could use bread, half a bagel, or even a can of biscuits.

Step Two: Create a sauce. Most pizzas have a tomato-based sauce. You can use pre-made pizza

sauce. You can make one with tomato sauce by adding herbs such as oregano.

You could also use spaghetti sauce, alfredo sauce, or even a barbeque sauce.

Step Three: Add some healthy toppings like lowfat cheese and vegetables.

Step Four: Have an adult help you bake or toast your creation and enjoy!

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THE ECLECTIC OBSERVER

TheWetumpkaHerald.com

Christmas

continued from page 1

and we will sing some Christmas carols and we’ll have Santa Claus there,” said Davenport. “We will also recognize the winners of all of the prize drawings we had

continued from page 1

school.”

Hagler had moved to Tennessee from Alabama only about five months before she died, reports said. She was working at a Christmas store in Pigeon Forge near Gatlinburg.

On the night that she died (Monday, Nov. 28), Hagler talked to her sons, James and Lyle Wood, via telephone.

The family confirmed the next day that the former Eclectic resident had died in her home.

“She was scared about the winds that

Service insisted on getting Bear in bed with Conner.

Bear laid there and I took Conner’s hand and started to stroke Bear’s head. Conner woke up.”

McGowin and Bear left so that the doctor and hospital staff could work with Conner but he went back into his coma.

The next morning the hospital called – “Can you come again?”

McGowin took Bear back to Baptist South and Conner woke up.

Conner’s story is one of many SDA has seen ranging from sexual abuse victims to children with autism to diabetic patients.

Where SDA is unique is in the dogs themselves and their training.

“We do not have a breeding program,” McGowin explained.

“We rescue dogs from shelters.”

McGowin explained the retrievers and retriever mixes do best.

“We rescue about 50 to 60 dogs a year,” McGowin said.

And the training is where another mission of SDA comes into play.

“We rescue the dogs and send them to prison,” McGowin said.

“The inmates train them.”

McGowin said that it helps the inmates.

“The recidivism rate for those that train the dogs is very low,”

A L A B A M A S H A K E S P E A R E F E S T I VA L

on Saturday and we’ll have a couple of dignitaries on hand.”

Hagler she died the way she did.

“We played outside, we played chase. When we got to be teenagers, we both just did regular teenage stuff.

Alice never got into any trouble. She made good grades. She was just a typical small-town girl.”

McKinley Price, who was also an Eclectic classmate of Hagler’s, said, “She was just like all of us good old country boys and girls.

She was real nice. But she was one of the ones I didn’t date in high

DECEMBER 7, 2016 • PAGE 3

were blowing,” Hagler’s daughter-in-law Rachel Wood, wife of Hagler’s son, Lyle, told WATETV in Knoxville, Tennessee. “She said she felt like her house was going to blow down and that there was ash in the air.”

She called her children again about two hours later.

“Things went from windy and ashy to we got a call at 8:30 that said the house was on fire,” Lyle Wood, a pastor in Savannah, Georgia, told the televi-

sion station. “She was frantic. She was scared.”

At about midnight on Nov. 29, the family “knew the house was destroyed and her car was there,” said James Wood, who lived with his mother in her mountain home.

In addition to his mother, James Wood also lost all his belongings in the fire. A gofundme.com account has been set up for Wood at gofundme.com/ support-for-fire-victimjames-wood.

continued from page 1

McGowin said.

SDA has included some of the inmates that have trained dogs behind bars at its new 43-acre facility in Hope Hull.

Currently McGowin says SDA is able to loan about 50 to 60 dogs a year but requests are rising.

“Our demand has gone up,” McGowin said. “We only serve Alabama. We have gone from 10 requests a year to over 200.”

Some of those requests are coming from schools where

SDA has started the Follow the Lead Program.

“The dogs are assigned to the school,” McGowin said. “They are allowed to just roam. When they smell anxiety, they will just go visit with that student.”

Currently SDA has dogs in many of the Elmore County Schools.

“We have them in almost all of the Elmore County Schools,” McGowin said. “The state pays for a lot of that program. I have seen test scores rise.”

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PAGE 4 • DECEMBER 7, 2016

TheWetumpkaHerald.com

THE ECLECTIC OBSERVER

CommunityCalendar Now - Dec. 22

• Wetumpka Public Library is sponsoring “Food for Fines Drive.” You can bring a non-perishable food donation in return for a free library card replacement and/ or to receive up to $25 in overdue fine forgiveness per family (does not include fines for lost or damaged materials). Food donations go to People That Care.

Submit calendar items:

Participate in your Herald and Observer by calling 256-234-4281, faxing them to 256-2346550, sending your event to the.editor@thewetumpkaherald.com or logging on to http://www.thewetumpkaherald.com/. events all day. This year’s theme is “Christmas Around the World.” Activities include arts & crafts booths, a car show, street parade, skiing Santa and a fireworks display. Day begins with arts& crafts at 10 a.m. and ends with Santa and fireworks at 6 p.m.

Today is

December 7, 2016

December 10

Free Countywide Clean-Up Day from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. or until the truck is loaded (whichever occurs first.) Drop off locations for this event will be the Old Highway Department Shop in Holtville and the CEW&SA facility on Redland Road.

NowSaturday, Dec. 10

An Eclectic Christmas, The Falk Farm, 1733 Claud Road, Eclectic. Experience the true story of the first Christmas in the atmosphere of an outdoor walking trail. Be part of the live drama that is set during the Roman Empire. As decreed by Augustus Caesar, everyone must be counted in the census. As you make your way to Bethlehem, you will visit the field where shepherds received the angel’s message and news of the Messiah. Then visit the wise men as they journey in search of the New Born King. Reservations are now open! Shows are reserved in 15-minute increments. When registering, please have a primary and secondary choice for date and time. We remind you that this is an outdoor night-time walking tour.

Admission is free, and donations are accepted and appreciated to help with expenses. If you make a reservation and are unable to make it, please contact An Eclectic Ministry and let us know to cancel your registration. Register online at http:// www.aneclecticministry.org/an-eclectic-christmas

Dec. 8-11, and 15-31

The Montgomery Zoo, the City of Montgomery, and the Montgomery Area Zoological Society invite you to the 25th Annual Christmas Lights Festival. The festival runs nightly from 5:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Regular festival admission is $15 for ages 3 and older. Admission fee includes entry and one Christmas Lights Festival train ride. Group Rates are available for purchase. For more information call (334) 240-4900

December 11, 12

Prattville’s Way Off Broadway Theater to Present “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

Auditions will be held Sunday, December 4 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, December 11 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Monday, December 12 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Cultural Arts Center located at 203 West 4th Street in Prattville. The play will open Thursday, February 9, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. and will run Saturdays and Sundays from February 10-26, 2017, with a special performance on Valentine’s Day. For further information call (334) 595-0854 or visit wobt.prattvilleal.gov

December 12 and 19

The Governor’s Mansion will be open for Christmas Candlelight Tours from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The historic 1907 Governor’s Mansion will be aglow with holiday lights and decorations. Admission is free.

December 7-15

Christmas on the Coosa returns to

December 11

Hillside Baptist Church (405 Old Montgomery Highway, Wetumpka, AL) invites you to enjoy a traditional “home” celebration of Christmas at 11 a.m. The program will explain the Christmas Story through both dialogue and your favorite Christmas carols! For more information please contact the church at 567-9695.

December 11

Submitted / The Observer

November students of the month at Eclectic Elementary School are kindergartners Rhys Watkins, Gwen Holley, Oscaraion Williams, Brysen Taylor, Titus Carter and (not shown) Emmalyn Huddleston, first-graders Joshua Lett, Lizzie Reese, Levi Reinert, Skylar Segrest, Casey Crumpton and Jefferson Lucas, second graders Michael Kelley, Kate Harrell, Baleigh Wilson, Lucas Drost and Danielle Reynolds; third graders Jakobe Wyattm Tyler Foster, Sydney Boardwine, Annaleigh Collins, CJ Evans and Ayden Jones and fourth graders Arial Mann, Jackson Youngblood, Lexi Martin, Destinee Daniels and Shelton Darnell.

Wetumpka with events throughout the month of December. On Dec. 6 there will be a decorations contest. Entries for the contest must be received by Dec. 2 and decorations must be on or working on Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. The annual tree lighting ceremony will be held at Gold Star Park on Dec. 8 at 6 p.m. Prior to the ceremony kids will have an opportunity to get their picture made with Santa. On Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. will be Nativity/Luminary Night and the Downtown Open House. Christmas on the Coosa will be held Dec. 10 starting at 7:30 and 9 a.m. with the character breakfast followed by the car show running from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and arts and crafts vendors from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The street parade will begin at 2 p.m. and the Wakeboarding Santa Show will start at 6 p.m. Fireworks will follow at 6 p.m. On Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. The LeFevre Quartet and Wilburn & Wilburn will participate in a Christmas Concert at the Wetumpka Civic Center.

Wetumpka Christmas Tree Lighting, Gold Star Park. Santa Claus will be on hand to take photos with children beginning at 5 p.m. The Christmas tree-lighting begins at 6 p.m.

• Wetumpka High School and Wetumpka Middle School Bands present their 2016 Christmas Concert at 6:30 p.m. in the gym at Wetumpka High School.

• Stanhope Elmore High School’s Band

Center in Prattville at 7:00 p.m. Although the concert is free, guests are asked to bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to the Autauga Interfaith Care Center Food Bank. For more information call (334) 595-0854 or visit www.prattvilleal.gov.

December 8-18

Prattville’s Way Off Broadway Theatre will be presenting two plays, “A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas” and “The Mice and the Manger.” They will be performed back to back and for the ticket price of just one play! They will be performed Thursdays through Sundays beginning December 8 and ending December 18.

For more information call (334) 595-0854 or visit wobt@prattvilleal.gov

December 9

Christmas on the Coosa nativity/luminary night and downtown merchants’ open house, 6 p.m.

December 9

December 8

December 8

will present its Christmas Concert at 6:30 p.m. in the new gym at Stanhope Elmore High School.

• Holtville Middle School Drama Club presents “Annie!” Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Admission is $5 per person.

December 9 from 10:00 a.m. -8:00 p.m. and December 10 from 9:00 a.m.4:00 p.m.: The Elmore County Museum will be exhibiting Nativity’s from around the world. Admission is free. For more information call (334) 567-5097. The Museum is located at 112 South Main Street, Wetumpka, AL.

December 9

Free Holiday Concert presented by the Prattville Community Chorus and the Prattville Pops. It will be held at the Doster

December 9

• Wetumpka High School Performing Arts will present “A Cabaret” at 6:30 p.m.

Please join them in the Wetumpka High School Commons for a night of song, dance, and family fun. Admission is $10 per person.

December 10

• There will be a “Growing Montgomery Musicians” educational workshop for students ages 8-18 who are interested in learning to play the drums at the Boys and Girls Club of the River Region/ Chisholm Unit on Lower Wetumpka Road in Montgomery. Doors will open at 12:45 p.m. and the workshop will run from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. Students need to be accompanied by an adult. To register call Alesia Gilliland at (334) 409-0326. You can also visit www.montgomerymusicians. org for more information.

• LifeSouth will host a blood drive at Walmart of Millbrook from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

• Holtville Middle School Drama Club presents “Annie!” Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Admission is $5 per person.

December 10

Christmas on the Coosa, featuring

Brown Brown, a current University of Alabama softball player, wrote the words down five years before, then proceeded to work hard enough to make it happen.

“I just did all I could do when I needed to do it. I guess it turned out positive,” she said. “I had some great years here, and as an alum now looking at on it, it was fun times and I’m going to miss it definitely.”

Over her four-and-a-half seasons on the varsity basketball team – she was pulled up in the middle of her eighth-grader year – Brown amassed a school basketball record 1,947 points and earned Second-Team All-State honors at point guard her senior year, an

December 11

• Central Baptist Church, located at 3545 W Central Road, Wetumpka, AL, will be celebrating Advent. Morning worship service begins at 11 a.m. Call (334) 5412556 for more information.

December 12

• Main Street Wetumpka will be holding their Committee Kick-Off at the Kelly Fitzpatrick Memorial Gallery located on the second floor of City Hall. There will be a Meet and Greet time at 5:30. The Committee Kick-Off Meeting will be from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Whether it’s the design, promotion or economic vitality committee, • Main Street Wetumpka needs your help to get the movement started. Come learn about the program, meet your team, and make it happen!

There will also be membership forms available for those in attendance who would like to like to become a part of the Wetumpka Main Street organization.

December 12-18

The Wetumpka Depot Players will present “Cinnamon Grits.” Call (334) 8681440 or visit www.wetumpkadepot.com for ticket information

December 13

Calvary Baptist Church Wetumpka will be offering Grief Share “Surviving the Holidays” from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

They will be meeting in the fellowship hall.

Please contact the church office at 5674729 or visit our website at www.calvarybaptistwetumpka.org for any questions concerning this matter.

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Elmore County girls program first, averaging 25 points per game.

“Elissa is one of those players that just comes along once in a lifetime,” Lady Panther head coach Amy Rachel said. “You don’t get to see those players a lot.

Coaching her, pretty much anything you do in life, you just don’t get to see that kind of caliber of individual come along very many times.

“When she set the record for the school in scoring, girls or boys, that’s just something that I think is special enough that that number needs a huge recognition. For her jersey to be retired, that sums up her career here at

Griffith Nova – from Griffith in 1962.

It was another major role Griffith played in the area through owning and operating a Chevrolet dealership in neighboring Tallassee from the 1950s through the 1970s, a career he began shortly after returning from WWII. A man described by mayor Gary Davenport as the town historian, Jimmy Lanier, said Griffith served in the Pacific theater in the war.

Lanier said Griffith had served in New Guinea, while others have said he was in the Philippines as well.

“Mr. Griffith was a good man, he was a good Christian man, he was really interested in the history of the town also,” said Lanier. “I was a good close friend of Mr. Griffith since we were both interested in history.”

Griffith attended Eclectic United Methodist Church up until his death.

Pastor Rob Gulledge said though he had only known Griffith for a little more than a year he amassed a number of years’ worth of stories from his lengthy talks with him.

“He was the teller of stories and the keeper of stories, a guardian if you will of the shared narrative history,” said Gulledge.

Gulledge talked about his first impressions of Griffith.

Gulledge said that though Griffith was 93, he came to visit him, and they sat down and talked in the church library.

He said before he realized it they had talked for three hours, and he had to call his wife Doris to let her know Griffith was all right and on his way home.

MILLBROOK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (PCA) – The community is invited to a Christmas Cantata (“And On Earth Peace”) in the church sanctuary on Sunday, December 11, at 5:30 p.m.; refreshments to follow in the church’s Trinity Chapel. Nursery is provided.

The church is located at 3480 Main St. Contact the church office (285-4031) for more information and/or directions.

Elmore County. I think she was completely deserving of it.”

Brown tried to set an example while at ECHS and, as she still has friends at the high school seeing her come back and be honored, she hopes that example is continuing.

“It is an honor. I just take advantage of it, like a mentorship,” Brown said. “All of my friends are still in high school, and they’re always asking me about college. That’s a good thing.”

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“Monroe was deeply committed to this community, but even more so he was passionately committed to all his friends,” Gulledge said. “Even as a newcomer to the town he welcomed me into his circle rather quickly and began to share stories with me.”

However mobility did not seem to be an issue with Griffith.

Lanier told a humorous account of how Griffith, later in his life, made the bold move of purchasing a scooter.

“When he was in his 70s or 80s he bought a motor scooter and he rode that motor scooter all over town.

He had always wanted one,” Lanier said.

Lanier said he thought Doris had put an end to his time on the open road, but Gulledge said even at 93 Griffith had been riding the scooter in his front yard.

Gulledge said that was not all Griffith enjoyed in his yard.

“He loved his garden. Even in his 90s he would go out there and garden,” Gulledge said. “He was undeterred in gardening.”

Gulledge said something else might have made Griffith memorable to those around town – his WWII veteran’s hat, and hiking staff.

“When you saw him he had his hiking staff,” Gulledge said.

He said Griffith had been named a lifetime honorary member of the administrative board of his church from his many years of involvement.

However Griffith was not only active at his church, or in matters around town, Lanier said he had started a social club called the Eclectic Boy’s Club around 30 years ago, which still meets two times a year.

He said it started out as an event for servicemen from

the town to meet and socialize at Maxwell Air Force Base or the Gunter Annex.

However, Lanier said it quickly turned into anyone who had went to school at ECHS, and then, “even if you had driven through Eclectic you were invited.”

“Mr. Griffith was a great storyteller. He told a lot of funny stories at the Boys Club about different colorful people around Eclectic and different happenings,” Lanier said.

Lanier said Griffith’s prominent family history in the town actually dated back to his father who he said was the first mayor of Eclectic.

He delved more into Griffith’s history with the town.

He said Griffith was nearly killed in a 1941 fire that burned down the original school where he operated a movie projector and that Griffith also had several family members who held important positions throughout town as dentists and builders.

It was also said that Griffith wrote extensively, first in a newspaper column and later through social media.

On Monroe’s Facebook account pictures can be seen of a red Jeep from the 1940’s, which Lanier said he restored with his son.

Griffith commented that it was the type he rode in during the war.

A recent quote from Griffith’s Facebook account might help explain why Gulledge described him as being “sharp as a tack.”

In the post dated March 1 of this year Griffith wrote, “Age 94, people often ask,’What have you seen, in people, that affect their health most?’ Without a doubt mental attitude!”