The LaFayette Sun

Chambers Academy’s drama club will present the school’s annual spring performance on Friday, May 18. The club’s main performance will be the one-act play Imperfect Proposal; also on the bill for the night are short performances of 10 Reasons Not To Be In a Play and Mother, I’m Dying.

The cast will open the evening with Mother, I’m Dying a short slapstick comedy performance, followed by 10 Reasons Not To Be In a Play, another comedy. The feature performance of Lisa Perry’s Imperfect Proposal tells the tale of Ben, a young man who is about to pop the question to his girlfriend at a picnic. But everything that can go wrong, does. He says the wrong thing, she misunderstands, and then they get plowed over by a gang of football players. They hear a constant stream of wisecracks (and wisdom) from a nosey couple on a nearby park bench, and by the end of the picnic it’s more like a death knell than wedding bells for the young couple.

It’s a fast-paced comedy full of dynamic characters, amusing stage action and non-stop laughs

The members of CA drama club that will be performing are Nathanael Miller, Autumn White, Katie Brooks, Erin Hughes, Baleigh Morgan, Austin Harmon, Dakota Parker, Justin Cooper, Jonathan Elliott, Britne’ Adams, Deven Still, Justin Brown, Skye Walker, Bre’Anna Hand and Savannah Sims. They are under the direction of Jane Elliott.

The performances begin at 7 pm CST in the Chambers Academy gymnasium. Admission is $5.

The Chambers Academy drama club will present their spring play on Friday night at 7 pm in the school gym. The evening will consist of three performances, Mother, I’m Dying, 10 Reasons Not To Be In a Play and the feature Imperfect Proposal.

On Monday night the LaFayette City Council took the time to recognize three outstanding graduating area seniors who have been awarded the annual AMEA scholarship in LaFayette. The mayor and council also took steps to seek grant funds for the city’s recreational fields and discussed two upcoming sales tax holidays. A local resident also confronted the council about a drainage problem at his home. Mayor Matthew Hurst and council members David Ennis, Tammie Williams and Allen Tucker were present; Cornelius Reese and Stevie Rowe were absent.

Seniors Lakeitha T. Seroyer, CanShavia S. Zachery and Evan M. Tucker all attended the meeting and received a standing ovation from the large crowd in attendance for their accomplishments. Each year, AMEA and its 11 member cities make available 33, $2,500 scholarships, which include regular and technical school scholarships. To be eligible for either of AMEA’s scholarships, a student’s family must receive electric service from a member’s electric utility and the student must attend an Alabama college or university. Zachery received the Technical School Scholarship and plans to attend Southern Union State University in Opelika in the fall. She is the daughter of Lashaye and Walter Zachery. Seroyer will attend The University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB) in the fall and plans to study Biology. She is the daughter of Darryl and Tammy Seroyer. Tucker plans to attend Southern Union in Opelika in the fall and plans to transfer to Auburn University to complete his degree.

Police Chief Kenny Vines brought a grant application to the council’s attention that the city is eligible to apply for now that a recreation board is active. Vines said he would like the land and water conservation grant to be used to upgrade the recreational baseball fields. The total amount could be as much as $100,000 and would require a 50 percent in-kind match by the city. Councilman Tucker, who had worked with Vines on the grant, said that city capabilities such as light and power services could be used to match the grant.

Mayor Matthew Hurst noted that the City of LaFayette would be hosting the annual Relay for Life on June 15th at the Chambers County Agricultural Park. “I know some people are unhappy about it being in LaFayette this year, but we are very excited,” he said. “And I want to encourage all the local businesses, civic groups and citizens to participate on June 15th and in the weeks leading up to it, and we are really hoping that this will be the best Relay for Life the county has had.”

The Alabama Legislature overrode Gov. Robert Bentley’s veto last week of a local bill that would change the distribution of tobacco tax revenues in Chambers, Randolph and Clay Counties.

With the bill now being state law the three counties legislative delegation made up of Sen. Gerald Dial and Reps. Richard Laird and DuWayne Bridges will have a grant authority that they will administer and direct where some of the tobacco tax revenues will be used.

Dial labeled the override of the veto as “something worth fighting for.”

“We were able to save SB 476, SB486 and SB487 – this legislation had been passed by both the House and Senate , was vetoed by Gov. Bentley, even after he gave me his word and personally told me that he would not veto it, forcing both houses to override Governor Bentley,s veto,” Dial said.

“This was possible because the members of the Legislature understood the bills and the significance of providing assistance to seniors and other needed programs that were in such dire need of help due to the many cuts at the state level; they agreed with us that this was a better use of the resources and displayed their confidence in us as the legislature to do what’s best for our local districts.

“This has been a tough fight but a worthwhile one, especially when you consider what was at stake for our communities, such as volunteer fire departments, senior services, schools, animal shelters and many other worthwhile projects,” Dial concluded.

The Chambers County Commission could  lose $80,000 to $90,000 annually from the change in the tobacco tax distribution.

For the final LaFayette Library Lunch´n Learn program before the summer hiatus, Chambers County author Paul Richardson will entertain on Friday, May 25, at noon with his extensive knowledge of local history and humorous anecdotes of life in L.A. –– Lower Alabama.

Richardson’s books have captured widespread attention, especially his 200-Year History of Marcoot, Alabama, nominated by the State Archives for the Colley Award; That’s What they Say, a collection of tall tales; and his unique book, The Redneck Gourmet, recently named by the Association of Cookbook Collectors as the best cookbook of 2011.  Other books include Greetings from L.A. (Lower Alabama), Back Home in L.A., Boo (a collection of ghost stories), Primrose Tales (a collection of short stories for children), The Jubilee Files (two sets of short stories for the adult reader), and A Survival Guide.  Richardson writes a weekly column entitled “Just So You’ll Know” for The LaFayette Sun.  Two books are slated to be published in 2012:  a novel about Abigail Morris, kidnapped from her home in England in 1801 and sold in America as a frontier bride, and a book about the Bible.  Richardson says the latter comments on “what the Bible says and what it doesn’t say:  stories never told in church.”

Richardson was born in Chambers County in 1949,  He graduated from LaFayette High School in 1967 and then worked in radio and television stations for almost twenty years in Montgomery, Auburn, Opelika, Roanoke, Dadeville, Tallassee, Carrville, LaFayette, and Atlanta.  He retired from Charter Cable because of health problems and “turned to writing as a hobby to kill time.”  You can learn more at his website: www.redneck.7p.com.

Books by Richardson will be available at the Lunch´n Learn.  Call the library (334-864-0012) by Wednesday, May 23, to reserve lunch.

Five teams are competing to see which can be the first to raise $2,000 for the area Red Cross Heroes Campaign, according to Chair Sheila Eckman.  “This is a great group of aspiring heroes,” says Eckman, “and we have an added dimension this year in that three of the teams are actually established groups.”

“We have two rugged individualists.  One is Husky Kirkwood of Gold Hill, who is covering Chambers County and focusing on area veterans and their families,” says Eckman.  “Susie Thomas, of Auburn, will be seeking donations from students, friends and businesses.  But none of our teams will achieve hero status unless they meet their goals.”

The three other teams include the self-named Geezers, a local think tank of sorts which meets daily for coffee and refined political discussion, according to Eckman.  Their leader in this effort is Bob Mount.  They are all male and “of an age.”  Another group, the Mystical Order of East Alabama Fiction Writers—just publishing its second book—is all female and declines to discuss age, according to Head Mystic Gail Langley.

The third group is the Daddy-O Club, a recently reactivated club composed of the children and grandchildren of the late Cal James, Sr.  When his children were young, James conducted meetings for those 12 and under, the purpose of which was focusing on kindness and doing for others.  According to Dora James, the charter members, now grown, have decided this is the time and the purpose for reactivating the Daddy-O Club. Read the rest of this entry »

The Relay for Life of Chambers County has announced the 2012 Relay for Life will be held in honor of Virginia Long of Fredonia.

Long has been involved with Relay for Life for many years as a committee volunteer and team captain.  Relay for Life is something that was always dear to Long’s heart since her father had cancer.

In June 2011 Long was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Long said her father taught her how to fight.  Now, she and her husband, Roy Long, are both cancer survivors.

“Our community has an outstanding opportunity to make an important contribution to this fight with the annual Relay for Life” according to Linda Sanders, 2012 Relay For Life chair.    Here in Chambers County, funds raised by the local Relay for Life event are making an impact on so many lives,” said Linda Sanders 2012 Relay for Life chair.

“From making possible the vital American Cancer Society programs and services that support those in our community facing a diagnosis, to life-changing cancer research and medical discovery, to advocacy for access to quality health care for everyone affected by cancer, the money raised through Relay for Life of Chambers County is helping further the vision of a world with less cancer and more birthdays,” she said. ‘We’re very proud that we are having the Relay for Life Event in LaFayette” City Mayor Matt Hurst said.  “I encourage all of our local businesses, churches and social organizations to get involved and help make this the best and most productive Relay For Life the county has ever had.”

Relay for Life is an overnight community celebration where individuals and teams camp out and walk around a track to raise money for the fight against cancer.  Relay for Life is also about honoring survivors, remembering those we have lost to cancer, and raising money so we can take action and fight back against cancer, she said.

The Chambers County 2012 Relay for Life is scheduled for June 15 at 7 pm. CDT at the Chambers County Agriculture Park and Arena in LaFayette.

Teams can register for the event by going to “www.relayforlife.org/chambers or call Linda Sanders at (706)773-0797.

The next team meeting will be held Thursday, May 10 at 5:30 p.m. EDT at Bradshaw Library.

“Let’s create a world with more birthdays,” Sanders said.  “Celebrate.  Remember.  Fight back.”

The 36th Annual Hike/Bike/Run held this past Saturday has once again proved that anything is possible when the people of this area get behind this very popular fundraising event.  Valley Haven’s annual fundraising campaign has already raised more than $115,000.

This is the 24th year that the total has gone over $100,000.00.  All funds go to Valley Haven to support our area program for children and adults with special needs.

Hundreds of people showed their support for Valley Haven School through Hike/Bike/Run again this year.  The weather was great and everyone had a good time, thanks to the work of the hundreds of volunteers.

Hike/Bike/Run day actually concludes several weeks of special events including: LaFayette Day, the Motorcycle Ride and Car Show, the Auction, The school penny jars, Trike-a-thons, The WCJM Call-in Show, The Peach Walk, casual days at area businesses, Fairfax Jr.Variety Club Walk, Valley Haven Client Walk, and the Horse Trail Ride.  Hundreds of people participated in these special events.  There is still one event left to come, the Lesser Light Concert on Saturday, May 12th at Valley Baptist Church in Valley, AL. Read the rest of this entry »

James E. “Jimbo” Brown defeated Clifford Lyons in the race for the Chambers County District 2 Commission seat in Tuesday’s runoff election.

Brown received a total of 464 votes, 60.26 percent, while Lyons received 306 votes, 39.74 percent.

James E. "Jimbo" Brown

Brown and Lyons were forced into a runoff on the Democratic ticket after the March 13 primary elections in which Lyons received 508 votes, Brown received 318 votes and incumbent Wayne White received 218 votes.

With Brown’s win on the Democratic ticket, he will become the next District 2 commissioner, as he will be running unopposed in November’s general election.

There was just one other race on the Chambers County ballot in Tuesday’s runoff.

On the Republican ticket in the race for President of the Public Service Commission, Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh received 157 votes, 64.08 percent, in the county, while Chip Brown received 88 votes, 35.92 percent.

Voter turnout was low in the county, with just 1,015 ballots cast on Tuesday compared to 5,544 in the March primaries. Of those cast, 770 were on the Democratic ticket and 245 were on the Republican ticket.