Trussville to acquire former Sticks `N` Stuff building Trussville golf

Run ends for
Lady Cougars in
Jacksonville, page 12
Argo man killed
in truck, train
accident, page 6
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The Trussville Tribune
Your news source for Trussville, Clay and Pinson
February 18 — 24, 2015
50¢
Trussville to acquire former Sticks ‘N’ Stuff building
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
The Trussville City
Council last week authorized Mayor Gene Melton
to sign a purchase agreement for the property located at 156 and 158 Main
St., the former Sticks ‘N’
Stuff property.
Melton said the purchase price is $625,000.
The property appraised for
$720,000, he said.
The city council will
likely approve the contract
for the purchase at its Feb.
24 meeting.
Sticks ‘N’ Stuff closed in
2014.
Clay-Chalkville
grad debuts on
children’s TV
show
photo by Gary Lloyd
The former Sticks ‘N’ Stuff building on Main Street in
Trussville
Melton said the city acquiring the property will be
good for public safety and
part of an overall plan for
Vann Circle, which sits beside the building.
The plan will be to demolish the building. The
city could bid out that
work or hire a company to
do so at one of its next city
Trussville golf course owner
elected to hall of fame
Chris Rigdon wants young players to focus on integrity
council meetings.
“It’ll happen pretty
quick,” Melton said.
The immediate plan will
be to demolish the building and prepare the site to
accommodate
off-street
parking until “the city
finds a better use for that,”
see TRUSSVILLE page 4
Trussville BoE OKs
Magnolia elementary
school bid
by Gary Lloyd
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
Editor
The Trussville City Board of Education last Thursday approved the bid for
the community elementary school to be
constructed in the Magnolia Place area.
Birmingham-based Argo Building
Company will construct the school for
$13,754,935. Argo Building Company
President Gary Nevin and Vice President Jim Acton were on hand for last
Thursday’s meeting.
A Clay-Chalkville High School graduate made her television debut last week.
Katy Johnson, a 2013 graduate who
was the president of the school’s thespian society her senior year, is the co-host
of “The 30-Minute Tim Hollis Hour,” a
children’s program that aired for the first
file photo by Gary Lloyd
The Magnolia Place school site in
Trussville
submitted photo
photo by Gary Lloyd
was caddying for Gustin
at the 1976 U.S. Open at
Atlanta Athletic Club,
toting a bag of 14 clubs at
one of the Professional Golf
Association’s four major
tournaments.
The bids for the school were opened
in January, and Argo Building Company
had a low bid of $15,229,235. That number was reduced by making minor adjustments such as fluorescent lights instead of LED lights, and using standard
paving instead of heavy duty paving
around the school. None of the changes
affects students or teachers, school officials said. The school will be built for
500 students. Trussville City Schools’
see RIGDON page 4
see SCHOOL page 3
Katy Johnson
time last Monday night on The Alabama
Cable Network. The show is about Hollis and the stories that he’s written over
the years.
Johnson, 19, is a Jefferson State Community College student, on scholarship
with the Speech Team. She got an audition for the show through ACT Models
and Talent. She met with Hollis, read
see JOHNSON page 3
Trussville Country Club owner/head golf professional Chris Rigdon on the tee box at hole
No. 1.
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
Chris Rigdon was so
proud to be wearing that
shirt in 1975.
The shirt included a
Birmingham Country Club
logo on the left side, and
wearing it provided him a
little more pep in his step.
Rigdon was allowed to
wear that shirt because
Jon Gustin, the head golf
professional at Birmingham
Country Club, hired him that
year. A year later, Rigdon
Tribune Area Weather Turkey Creek Nature Preserve
Here is The Trussville
Tribune’s area weather
forecast for the next
seven days. For current
weather conditions in
Trussville, Clay, and
Pinson, see The Trussville
Tribune weather web
page by scanning the QR
code below with your
smartphone.
names 5 key plans for 2015
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
Turkey Creek Nature Preserve Manager
Charles Yeager in a blog post has named
five key plans for 2015 at the Pinson
preserve.
Yeager said 2015 is shaping up to be
busier than previous years with more
public programs, educational offerings
and enhancements.
Inside The Tribune:
News – pages 2 - 6
Lifestyle – pages 7 - 9
Opinion – page 10
Calendar – page 11
Sports – pages 12 - 14
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The five plans are:
• Three miles of new multi-use trails for
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see TURKEY CREEK
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Page 2
February 18 — 24, 2015
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The Trussville Tribune
Track added to Hewitt-Trussville Stadium naming opportunity list
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
The Trussville City
Board of Education last
Thursday approved of
adding another HewittTrussville Stadium naming
opportunity to the list.
The track at HewittTrussville Stadium has
been added to a list that
already
includes
54
naming opportunities.
This addition, however,
has no cost associated
with it, as the board of
education has it reserved.
The board last week didn’t
discuss a possible name or
timetable for when it could
be named.
The track features eight
running lanes, two shot
put rings, two long jump
pits and a discus ring on
the main field. There’s
also a discus ring and
javelin runway on the new
multipurpose field. The
track will be home to the
first
Hewitt-Trussville
Invitational April 17-18.
The
first
naming
opportunity at HewittTrussville Stadium was
approved in January.
Wendy Mann and Pam
Smith
purchased
the
naming of the radio room
in honor of their father,
John H. Payne, the past
“Voice of the Huskies.”
The Trussville City
Board of Education and
Trussville City Schools
Foundation in August
2014 released the list of
naming opportunities for
the new football stadium.
The list includes 54
naming opportunities that
total $521,500.
Categories
include
stadium structure and
exterior areas, press box,
home football locker room
and concessions building,
band/track locker room
and concessions building,
visitor football locker room
$25,000, as will the visitor
locker room/cheer practice
area. Naming the soccer
building will cost $25,000.
Nearly half the items on
the list cost either $2,500
or $5,000.
All names are subject to
approval by the Trussville
City Board of Education.
For more information,
visit www.tcsf.org.
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
photo by Gary Lloyd
Scan this QR code with
your smartphone to watch
a video report about the
track at Hewitt-Trussville
Stadium.
The track at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium
and restroom building,
visitor
concessions
building, soccer field, and
track and field area.
Each category includes
sub-categories, such as
bleachers, ticket booths,
suites, rooms, offices,
concessions stands and
more.
The Husky Walk from
the field house to the
stadium is $15,000, and
the home bleachers are
$25,000.
The
visitor
bleachers are $15,000.
Naming the home football
locker room will cost
45,000 people attended the
2014 Alabama Butterbean
Festival. At the Feb. 5
city council meeting, he
presented Councilman Joe
Cochran, the executive
director of the Pinson
Education
Foundation,
with a check for $2,250.
The donation was $2,000
the year prior.
“The Butterbean Festival
continues to grow,” Dixon
said.
The Alabama Butterbean
Festival set a Guinness
world record in 2010 when
it featured the largest pot of
baked beans with 1,010.65
gallons.
The city council also
approved of the city
paying $5,000 to the
chamber “in exchange for
activities promoting the
economic and industrial
development
of
the
municipality; developing,
advertising,
and
promoting the resources
of
the
municipality;
and
advertising
the
Pinson OKs contract for Alabama Butterbean Festival
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
The Pinson City Council
at its Feb. 5 meeting
approved a resolution
authorizing Mayor Hoyt
Sanders to enter into a
contract for advertising
and promotion with the
Clay-Pinson Chamber of
Commerce for the 2015
Alabama
Butterbean
Festival in Pinson.
The festival is scheduled
for Oct. 2-3.
The city will pay the
chamber $10,000 to go
toward advertising and
promotion of the event.
Admission to the event
file photo by Ron Burkett
The pot that cooked a Guinness world record amount of
butterbeans
is free.
Clay-Pinson
Chamber
of Commerce Executive
Director Ronnie Dixon said
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February 18 ­— 24, 2015
|
Page 3
The Trussville Tribune
TURKEY CREEK continued from page 1
• Amenity improvements
such
as
additional
parking,
changing
rooms,
enhanced
security, handrails on
stairs to the falls and
more
informational
signage
• Wilderness
Ranger
Training provided by
Wild South
• Summer camp programs
In the blog post, Yeager
said despite all the support
the preserve is provided by
partners and volunteers, it
still needs the public’s help
to keep operations going.
“Consider
for
a
moment: we do not charge
admission, we have only
one full-time staff member,
and we are doing all of this
on less than a shoestring
budget,” Yeager wrote.
“Imagine what we could
do if we received more
support from people like
yourself.”
Yeager listed several
recent enhancements to
the preserve, including
restoring more than 100
feet of Turkey Creek’s
banks
with
native
vegetation and erosion
control; improved parking;
113 programs with more
Preserve,” Yeager wrote.
“It has been difficult to
keep up with all of the
wonderful advancements
and developments as they
are occurring and almost
impossible to share those
things with the public, who
will certainly enjoy them
the most.”
For more information,
visit https://turkeycreeknp.
wordpress.com/support-2.
photo courtesy of Turkey Creek Nature Preserve
A sign at Turkey Creek Nature Preserve in Pinson
than 6,000 participants;
and approximately 100,000
visitors annually.
“The last few
years
have been a whirlwind at
the Turkey Creek Nature
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
HTMS student named Distinguished Finalist for community spirit award
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
Hewitt-Trussville
Middle School eighthgrader Cameron Gallups
was named last week
as one of four Alabama
students recognized as a
Distinguished Finalist for
the Prudential Spirit of
submitted photo
Cameron Gallups
Community Awards.
Gallups,
14,
was
recognized for her work
with “To Save a Life”
service project, which
encourages people with
mental illness to seek
treatment. She created and
maintains social media
accounts and sold bracelets
to spread her organization’s
message of hope.
CEO John Strangfeld. “By
shining a spotlight on the
difference they’ve made
in their communities, we
hope others are inspired to
volunteer, too.”
The Prudential Spirit
of Community Awards,
conducted by Prudential
Financial in partnership
with
the
National
Association of Secondary
SCHOOL continued from page 1
JOHNSON continued from page 1
some lines and discussed
some of the show. She got
the position.
“I plan on pursuing a career in the entertainment
industry as an actress, and
I am honored to be a part
of this show, and I am especially thankful to get to
work with a man like Mr.
Hollis,” Johnson said. “He
is such a fun character and
an inspiration.”
Johnson has been involved in theater since
middle school, and she
said she’s always loved
Gallups was the lone
Alabama middle school
student
recognized,
Principal Lisa Berry said.
Gallups will receive an
engraved bronze medallion
for her accomplishment.
“Prudential is honored to
celebrate the contributions
of
these
remarkable
young volunteers,” said
Prudential Chairman and
performing. She’s written skits to perform at anime conventions, and even
written, directed and performed skits at her church.
“Even before I had graduated, I was doing community theater to stay involved, and I have even developed my own home setup to expand into voiceover
work, which has been very
exciting,” she said. “I look
forward to expanding into
television work, and I hope
to get more opportunities
like this in the future as I
develop and grow in the
field.”
Johnson plans on attending the University of Montevallo next year and majoring in communications.
For now, she’s thrilled to
be a part of “The 30-Minute Tim Hollis Hour.” It’s a
foot in the door.
“It means the world,”
Johnson said.
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
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budget for the project totaled $10,862,350.
The expected completion date is July 15, 2016.
The contracts that are
part of the bid will now go
to the Alabama Building
Commission for review.
When those plans are returned to Trussville City
Schools, a notice to proceed can be given. Excavation could begin as early as
mid-March.
“We’ll be very excited
to see this come out of the
ground,” Trussville City
Schools
Superintendent
Pattie Neill said.
The bid for the renova-
tion and construction of
the elementary school in
the Cahaba Project is expected to be awarded to
Trussville-based Blalock
Building Company on Feb.
23 at 6 p.m., the board’s
next scheduled meeting.
That bid was $11,088,000.
Trussville City Schools’
available funds for the project totaled $12,152,170.
The Feb. 23 meeting
could also include a resolution regarding the bond
to pay for the two schools.
Both schools are expected to open for the 20162017 school year.
School
Principals,
represent the United States’
largest youth recognition
program based exclusively
on volunteer community
service.
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
Scan this QR code with
your smartphone to watch
a video report about the
community elementary
school that will be built in
the Magnolia Place area.
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Michele McDonald
and with the purchase of the space, an
Opening and Closing
Eastern Area Mayor’s Breakfast
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Trussville Civic Center
Buffet Line Begins: 7:30 am
Program Begins: 7:45 am
For $995
A very limited time offer
For more information please contact our
Family Service Department at
205-655-2536 or 205-322-0543
Guest Speaker
Sergeant Noah Galloway
Creator of No Excuses Charitable Fund
Iraq Veteran
Sergeant Noah Galloway
Honoree
Commissioner Joe Knight
Annual Mayor’s Breakfast
The funds raised at this event will support
camperships, activity fees and program supplies for
the local Scouting program. For more information
please contact Courtney Dollar at 205-228-1048 or
email at cdollar@trussville.com or Melissa Jones at
205-913-4564 or email
melissa.jones@bryantbank.com.
We look forward to seeing you on February 24th!
(205)655-2536
jmgardens.com
Family Owned and Operated
A combination funeral home and cemetery for your convenience
Please RSVP your attendance with Courtney Dollar or Melissa Jones by
February 18th.
Please RSVP with Anthony Edwards at 205-441-5763 or email
aedwards@1bsa.org by May 8th.
Page 4
February 18 — 24, 2015
|
The Trussville Tribune
New cafeteria for Johnson Elementary expected in December
The Jefferson County
Board of Education last
week voted to award a bid
for the construction of a
new cafeteria at Kermit
Johnson
Elementary
School in Pinson.
The bid was awarded to
Cullman-based
Civicon
Construction
Company
and is for $2,415,542.
The projected completion
date is Dec. 16.
Jefferson
County
Schools Public Information
Director Nez Calhoun said
last year that when 34
classrooms were added
to the school a few years
ago, enrollment swelled
from about 400 students to
nearly 800. She said at the
time that a new, standalone
cafeteria was “a huge
need.”
In September 2013, the
Jefferson County Board
of Education approved
a five-year capital plan,
a prioritized, 42-item
list of plans for capital
projects to potentially be
funded between the 2014
fiscal year and 2018 fiscal
year. The fifth item on
the list was a projected
$2.3 million renovation
Gustin competed on the
PGA Tour 12 years, and
settled into the role of head
golf pro at Birmingham
Country Club in 1965, a
position he kept until 1987.
Rigdon surely has tons of
memories with Gustin, but
the greatest was caddying
for him in 1976.
From that tournament
forward, Rigdon only
wanted to play in a U.S.
Open. He got his chance 32
years later when he had the
opportunity to play in the
2008 U.S. Senior Open.
Rigdon, the head golf
professional at Trussville
Country Club since 1990,
was inducted into the
Dixie Section PGA Hall of
Fame on Feb. 9, along with
Gustin, who died in 1994
at the age of 61. Rigdon is
a member of the Modern
Division, which includes
four others. Gustin is a
member of the Legends
Division,
which
also
includes four others.
“What an honor it
was,” Rigdon said. “I was
honored to be inducted
with the guy who trusted
me enough to hire me.”
Criteria for election into
the Dixie Section PGA Hall
of Fame includes excelling
in at least three of these
categories: playing ability,
business development at
the club level, teaching
ability, professional and
educational development at
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
for
Kermit
Johnson
Elementary School. The
funding year would be
2015, and the renovation
would be for a new
cafeteria to accommodate
increased enrollment.
The existing cafeteria,
which is connected to the
gym, could be used for a
large meeting room, choral
room or health room.
The
school’s
vice
president of the PTA,
Christy Rainwater, said
last year that lunch usually
begins at the school around
10 a.m. to accommodate
all the students.
The Jefferson County
Commission in July 2014
presented Jefferson County
Schools
Superintendent
Craig Pouncey a check
for $7,887,280.70, funds
left over from the bonds
that were used to finance
the rebuilding of county
schools.
Part of that money
going to Jefferson County
Schools was reportedly
going toward building the
new cafeteria at Kermit
Johnson
Elementary
School.
the club level, professional
development at the Section
or national level, service to
the Dixie Section and local
community service.
“I’m certainly humbled
and honored,” Rigdon said.
In 2013, Rigdon, now 62,
received the Dixie Section
PGA’s Junior Golf Leader
award for his passion for
helping develop young
golfers.
Rigdon
said
more than 70 studentathletes have received
golf scholarships in his
time at Trussville Country
Club, 29 of which are from
Hewitt-Trussville.
Rigdon, who sports a
scoring average of 70 at
Trussville Country Club
and shot a career-best
8-under 63 there two years
ago, hosts junior golf
clinics every Saturday at 2
p.m. They’re called “The
Road to College.”
Nine years ago he started
an event called Husky
Mania, which introduces
Trussville students in the
third through fifth grades
to golf. A hallway between
the pro shop and grill at the
club features large, framed
photos from each year’s
event.
“My award now more
than anything is watching
these kids grow up, and
try to experience college
and life learning more
than golf,” Rigdon said.
“It’s just a game. We try
to emphasize character in
our kids, honesty, honor
authority.”
Rigdon thinks about
character and integrity a
lot. Those are his favorite
things about the game. Can
you play well when things
in life aren’t going well?
Are you going to quit? Are
you going to cheat? The
game tests your integrity
and teaches you about
character, he said.
“My goal is to continue
to educate and teach here
as long as I’m here,” he
said.
Rigdon tries to instill in
young players good work
habits on the driving range
and on the course. He hopes
those traits carry over into
their schoolwork, jobs
and families. Golf is more
than splitting fairways
and reading greens. It
transcends the final number
on the scorecard.
“It’s a great game,” he
said.
photo courtesy of Jefferson County Schools
Kermit Johnson Elementary School in Pinson
RIGDON continued from page 1
TRUSSVILLE continued from page 1
Melton said.
“It’s also a tremendous
eyesore,” Melton said of
the building.
Melton said turning out
between Sticks ‘N’ Stuff
and Borella’s Auto Repair
has always been a tough
thing to do.
“I’m
surprised
we
haven’t had somebody
killed there,” he said.
Melton said that he and
the city council felt it was
best for the city to purchase
the property to “prevent
somebody else from coming in there and trying to
make do with a dilapidated
building.”
“That’s one part of trying
to get our downtown area
in a cleanup mode and also
to promote redevelopment
downtown,” Melton said.
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
Scan this QR code with
your smartphone to watch
Trussville Mayor Gene
Melton talk about the
future of the building.
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
Scan this QR code with
your smartphone to watch
a slow motion video of
Chris Rigdon teeing off
on hole No. 1 at Trussville
Country Club.
Did you know that Trussville Gas and Water
can finance natural gas generators?
Home backup generators run on your existing natural gas and turn on automatically when sensing a power
outage, safely delivering backup power right to your home’s electrical panel until utility power is restored.
February 18 ­— 24, 2015
|
Page 5
The Trussville Tribune
Benefit for Jefferson County Schools Foundation Feb. 23
From staff reports
A benefit for the Jefferson
County Schools Foundation,
featuring the Students Take a
Role at Samford of Virginia
Samford Theatre performing
Disney’s Peter Pan Jr., will
honor Max Cooper on Monday,
Feb. 23.
Flying in from New York to
help spotlight Cooper will be
two of today’s brightest stars of
Broadway and STARS alumni,
Ben Hope and Nick Burroughs.
The preview performance for
the musical will begin at 7 p.m.
at the Virginia Samford Theatre,
located at 1100 26th St. S. in
Birmingham.
A longtime board member
for the foundation, Cooper
has supported local education
through
his
business
McDonald’s CLP, headquartered
in Birmingham.
In honor of his late wife, a
teacher throughout her career,
Cooper sponsors the Jefferson
County Teacher of the Year event
and is a three-decade sponsor
for the annual Coupons for
Classrooms coupon book sale
that generates up to $250,000
per year for Jefferson County
Schools and approximately
Chalkville ES honors longtime
PTA member who died of cancer
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
Chalkville Elementary
School last week honored
a longtime PTA member
and volunteer who died of
cancer in December.
The 2015 PTA Executive
Board presented a plaque
to Principal Rod Johnson
to give to the family of
Wendy Mahoney, who died
at the age of 40 on Dec. 12,
2014. Her husband, Eddie,
gave it back to be put up
on a wall near the school
office, Johnson said.
Mahoney served on the
PTA Board and worked
as a substitute teacher at
Chalkville
Elementary
School.
“It’s almost like she was
a regular member of our
staff,” Johnson said. “She
was here that much.”
She was also a member
of
Taylor
Memorial
United Methodist Church
and the Clay-Chalkville
Band Boosters. She was
a founding member of
the Ladies Auxiliary to
$60,000 for the foundation. He
recently established McDollars
for Teachers, a fund to benefit
new classroom teachers in the
four counties where he has
owned McDonald’s franchises.
Cooper is also no stranger to
Broadway, having received two
Tonys, in 2003 and 2007, for his
work as a producer. The event
will be catered by students of
the Jefferson County Schools
Culinary Academy.
The Feb. 23 benefit will
support the Jefferson County
Schools Foundation programs for
student enrichment, student and
teacher recognition, classroom
teacher innovation grants and
professional development.
For ticket information, contact
Sally Price at 205-379-2216 or
sallyprice@jefcoed.com.
Eastminster property
in Trussville now under
contract to auto dealer
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
submitted photo
Pictured are Chalkville Elementary School Principal Rod
Johnson with Eddie Mahoney, and daughters Samantha,
Madelyn, and Karlye.
Birmingham Fire Fighters
Association IAFF Local
No. 117.
Mahoney had three
daughters:
Samantha,
Madelyn, and Karlye, all
of which came through
Chalkville
Elementary
School. Eddie Mahoney
spoke at the Feb. 10 PTA
meeting at the school.
Johnson said he spoke to
parents about continuing
to be involved in their kids’
lives and the importance of
being visible for them.
“He spoke from the
heart,” Johnson said. “I
think a lot of people really
took it to heart.”
The blue plaque that
will go on a wall outside
the school’s office states
that it’s presented in honor
of Mahoney “and her
many years of dedicated
and
selfless
service.
Her uplifting smile and
servant’s heart positively
impacted the lives of
students, faculty and the
community as a whole. She
will forever be a beloved
member of our Chalkville
Family.”
Johnson said she loved
the school and would do
anything to help it.
“She
was
just
a
wonderful lady,” he said.
The former Eastminster
Presbyterian
Church
property on U.S. Highway
11 in Trussville is now
under contract to an
automotive dealer.
The
5.5-acre
site
has been contracted to
Serra Automotive for
$1,951,000.
The
Presbytery
of
Sheppards
and
Lapsley approved the
deal
last
Thursday.
In
the
Presbyterian
denomination,
the
Presbytery must approve
the sale of property,
said Dixie Robinson, an
elder at Cahaba Springs
Presbyterian Church in
Trussville.
The plan for the property
could be for a Serra Kia
dealership. In October
2014, a listing at www.
LDILine.com showed the
photo courtesy of Eastminster Presbyterian Church
The former Eastminster Presbyterian Church
new construction project
will cover 10,000 to 19,999
square feet.
Serra Kia has dealerships
in
Gardendale
and
Birmingham.
The
Eastminster
congregation
merged
two years ago with Grace
Presbyterian Church to
form Cahaba Springs
Presbyterian
Church,
which is located on
Deerfoot Parkway in
Trussville.
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
F
A
I
T
H
Page 6
February 18 — 24, 2015
|
The Trussville Tribune
Pinson library to aid Clay library during transition
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
The
Pinson
Public
Library Board of Trustees
last week approved of
Library Director April
Wallace assisting the Clay
Public Library during its
time of transition.
Clay Public Library
Director Karen Moody
accepted the new director
position at the Warrior
Public Library in January.
file photo by Gary Lloyd
The Pinson Public Library
In July 2014, Clay Public
Library Assistant Director
Joy Lee left to take a
position with Gadsden
City Schools.
Clay City Manager
Ronnie Dixon said in
January that the search for
a new library director had
begun.
“We will continue on with
our present employees,
supplemented with some
additional part-time help
during the search,” he said.
According
to
the
minutes from last week’s
meeting, Pinson Mayor
Hoyt Sanders attended and
shared with the board that
Moody had recently left
the Clay Public Library,
meaning that it “may need
some assistance until new
staff is hired.”
The Board of Trustees
voted to allow Wallace
to assist the Clay Public
Library.
Wallace said that at
file photo
The Clay Public Library
this time no one has said
what the assistance may
specifically entail. She
said she’s not spoken with
Dixon about what he’s
anticipating needing help
with.
“I just know that when
we were planning on
opening -- even before
I was hired -- Clay and
Karen really helped us out
getting set up over here,”
Wallace said. “Hoyt spoke
at our meeting (last week)
about that and how we
certainly would want to
return the favor since they
are shorthanded.”
The Clay Public Library,
which opened in October
2009, is located at 7257
Old Springville Road in
Clay. The Pinson Public
Library, which opened in
October 2011, is located at
4410 Main St. in Pinson.
by Gary Lloyd
a phone system for various
departments from the state
bid list for $51,209.52.
Both will be paid for
from the city’s contingency
reserves.
In other news, the city
council approved $6,092
toward video upgrades to
the city’s mobile command
center. Councilman Brian
Plant said these upgrades
are “pretty close to
outfitting it.”
The city council also
approved participation in
the National Center for
Sports Safety training
program. It will cost
$12,115 each year for two
years.
Coroner’s
Office
confirmed Voudrie was
a 42-year-old man from
Argo.
“He leaves behind a
wife and four children,”
Petelos said. “Please
remember the family,
friends, and co-workers
of this employee in your
thoughts and prayers in
this difficult time.”
The accident occurred
about 10:20 a.m. Friday
on Brasher Road near
Hagood Road in northern
Jefferson County. Voudrie
was the driver and lone
occupant of the truck.
There were no other
injuries reported.
The cause of the
accident remains under
investigation.
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
Pinson man arrested for Trussville goes out to bid
convenience store robbery on computer equipment
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
Just after 8:30 p.m.
Monday
deputies
responded to a report of a
robbery at a convenience
store in the 6700 block of
Alabama Highway 79.
A
description
of
the
suspect’s
vehicle
including the license plate
number was broadcast to
responding deputies. One
deputy went to the store
while others searched for
the car.
It was reported that a
white male entered the
store and asked for change
photo courtesy of the
Jefferson County Sheriff’s
Office
Corry Lee Womack
to use the vacuum in the
parking lot. When the clerk
opened the drawer, the
man pushed her aside and
took cash from the register,
according to the Jefferson
County Sheriff’s Office.
He ran from the store
and left in a green Honda
Accord.
Deputies located the car
at a residence in the 6600
block of Womack Drive.
Two men were found at
the residence. They were
questioned
about
the
robbery.
Corry Lee Womack, 32,
admitted to committing the
robbery. He was arrested
and charged with thirddegree robbery. He remains
in the Jefferson County Jail
with bond set at $10,000.
Severe weather tax
holiday this weekend
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
The
2015
Severe
Weather
Preparedness
Sales Tax Holiday is this
weekend.
Beginning at 12:01 a.m.
on Friday Feb. 20 and
ending at midnight Sunday,
Feb. 22, Alabama will hold
its fourth annual sales tax
holiday, giving shoppers
the opportunity to purchase
certain
severe-weather
preparedness supplies free
of state sales or use tax.
Local sales and use tax
may apply.
The cities of Argo, Clay,
Pinson and Trussville will
participate in the sales tax
holiday.
Examples
of
items
included in the sales tax
holiday are batteries,
weather radios, cell phone
chargers, tarps, flashlights,
first aid kits and plywood.
The sales tax holiday
was first held in 2012.
For more information,
visit
the
Alabama
Department of Revenue
website at http://revenue.
alabama.gov, click on
“Divisions,” then click
“Sales & Use Tax.”
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
Faith Household
Cleaning Services
Editor
The Trussville City
Council
last
week
authorized going out to bid
on computer upgrades in
various departments.
The cost will likely be
around $155,000.
The city council also
approved the purchase of
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
Argo man killed in
truck, train accident
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
Jefferson
County
Manager Tony Petelos
issued
a
statement
identifying the man killed
in Friday’s morning’s
fatal accident involving a
Jefferson County Roads
and
Transportation
Department dump truck
and train.
Petelos identified the
victim as Darin “Voodoo”
Voudrie,
a
Jefferson
County employee for 19
years, all in the Roads
and
Transportation
Department.
The Jefferson County
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
Scan this QR code with
your smartphone to see a
GoFundMe page set up to
help assist Voudrie’s family
with long-term expenses.
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Lifestyle
February 18 ­— 24, 2015
|
Page 7
The Trussville Tribune
Is strong dollar good for US economy?
R
central banks are taking
steps to ease rates, makes
the dollar even more
appealing.
Weakness overseas
Fundamentally,
the
dollar is rising because
the U.S. economy is
gaining strength while
many foreign economies
are struggling. Investors,
including
foreign
governments,
generally
prefer to hold a stronger
currency. The potential for
U.S. interest rates to rise in
2015, at a time when other
Dollars for oil
Global oil is priced in
dollars, so a strong dollar
tends to push prices down.
When a dollar is worth
more, a lower dollardenominated price may
provide the same value
in oil. The strong dollar
adds to the downward
trend through the price/
value relationship and by
making it more expensive
for weaker economies
to buy the oil they need
to grow, thus further
reducing demand. At the
same time, falling oil
prices negatively impact
the profits and currencies
of oil-exporting countries,
further strengthening the
dollar.
ecently, the U.S.
dollar reached an
11-year high in its
value against the euro. It
would seem that a strong
dollar is good for the U.S.
economy. However, the
outlook is more complex
than it may appear. As a
consumer and investor,
you might take a moment
to consider the causes and
potential effects of the
rising dollar.
Trade imbalance
A strong dollar is likely
to cut into U.S. exports by
making American products
more expensive overseas,
and to increase imports
by reducing the cost of
foreign goods. The effects
of a widening trade gap
will take time to unfold,
and opinions vary about
how significant this may
be for our economy.
Weaker exchange rates
against the dollar might
help some U.S. trading
partners increase their
own exports and give their
struggling economies a
boost. If this occurs, a
stronger global economy
could help balance any
negative effects of the
strong dollar.
Consumer upside
According
to
one
estimate, U.S. households
remains strong, especially
if U.S. travelers purchase
goods and services in the
currency of the country
they’re visiting.
David R. Guttery, RFC,
RFS, CAM
could realize a $700
average gas savings in
2015. More consumer
discretionary income could
boost retail sales, which
play a key role in the larger
U.S. economy.
Cheaper imported goods
might also help American
families.
However,
foreign-exchange savings
may not always be passed
on to consumers. Foreign
travel should be a bargain
as long as the dollar
Investment climate
The strong dollar, falling
oil prices and economic
weakness outside the U.S.
have already affected the
U.S. stock market and
likely will continue to do
so. However, the effects
may vary widely among
different business sectors
and individual companies
in each sector. There’s no
reason to shift away from
an appropriate long-term
strategy, but you might
keep a careful eye on
specific investments.
In a global economy,
strength or weakness in
one region may influence
others in ways that can’t
always be anticipated. It
remains to be seen whether
stimulus efforts by foreign
central banks will help lift
their economies out of the
doldrums.
For now, the pressing
question is whether the
fundamental strength of
the U.S. economy can push
through any headwinds
caused by the strong dollar
and weakness among our
trading partners.
David R. Guttery, RFC,
RFS, CAM, is Ameritas
Investment Corp, and
President of Keystone
Financial
Group,
in
Trussville. David has
been in practice for 23
years, with a distinctive
focus on the management
of retirement assets for
the production of durable
income.
First annual Clay-Chalkville Website ranks Trussville
Fine Arts Night Thursday
4th for young families
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
The first annual ClayChalkville Fine Arts Night
will be held Thursday, Feb.
19 at 7 p.m. at the ClayChalkville High School
auditorium.
The event will feature
student performers from
the choirs, bands and
theatre programs at ClayChalkville Middle and
Clay-Chalkville
High
schools. The program will
celebrate Black History
Month and will feature
a performance from the
UAB Gospel Choir.
The high school jazz
band will kick off the
performances in the lobby
around 6:30 p.m., and
the concert should finish
around 8 p.m.
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
Consumer
advocacy
website NerdWallet.com
has released its second
annual edition of its study,
“Best Cities for Young
Families in Alabama,” and
Trussville ranks near the
top.
Out of 96 places,
Trussville ranks fourth.
The study is based on
home affordability, growth
and prosperity, education
quality,
and
family
friendliness.
The top three cities for
young families in Alabama,
in order, were Southside,
Meridianville
and
Madison. After Trussville,
the top 10 includes
Pelham, Hartselle, Auburn,
Muscle Shoals, Calera and
Prattville.
Neither Clay nor Pinson
made the 96-city rankings.
See the full rankings
and methodology at http://
w w w. n e r d w a l l e t . c o m /
blog/cities/economics/
cities-young-familiesalabama/.
80. One role is available
for a young girl age 10 to
16. Non-speaking roles are
available. Dancing roles
are available.
“Sense and Sensibility,”
directed
by
Emily
Lunsford, is the spring
production, set for April
10-12 and April 17-19.
Show times are 7 p.m. on
weeknights and Saturdays,
and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays.
“Sense and Sensibility”
is about the Dashwood
sisters,
Elinor
and
Marianne,
who
have
different ideas about love.
Elinor is practical and
rational -- the perfection of
sense -- while Marianne is
emotional and sentimental
-- the embodiment of
sensibility. Their mutual
sufferings
of
fortune
and fate bring a closer
understanding between the
sisters as true love finally
triumphs when sense gives
way to sensibility and
sensibility gives way to
sense.
ACTA Theater is located
on Parkway Drive in
Trussville.
For more information,
visit
www.actatheater.
com.
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
‘Sense and Sensibility’ auditions
in Trussville Feb. 21-23
From staff reports
Hwy 11 at Tutwiler
(205)655-1516
Hwy 11 at Carrington
(205)661-1617
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ACTA
Theater
in
Trussville
will
hold
auditions for “Sense and
Sensibility” on Saturday
and Monday.
Auditions Saturday are
at 10 a.m. and Monday’s
audition time is 7 p.m.
Auditions will include
a cold reading from the
script. Resumes and head
shots are encouraged but
not required. You will
be photographed upon
auditioning.
The cast includes 13 men
and 10 women ages 16 to