trussville may sue pinson alum county over road liability ... · pdf filea spring carnival in...

A spring carnival in Trussville begins Friday and runs through Sunday, March 30.

The carnival, presented by the Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce, will be at Magnolia Park just off North Chalkville Road in Trussville.

Tentative hours are Monday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to

9 p.m., Friday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m., and Sun-day from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Dates and times are subject to change due to weather condi-tions.

The carnival will feature rides and activities for all ages, as well as festival foods. A wristband may be purchased for $15, which is good for unlimited rides. Indi-vidual tickets will also be avail-able for $1 each (multiple tickets

may be required for some rides) for those who only want to expe-rience a few of the activities.

Coupons are available for $1 off the price of the wristband at the Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce, at www.trussville-chamber.com and also in Truss-ville City Schools’ “In the Loop” newsletter.

Separate wristbands must be purchased for each shift on Sat-urday.

There will also be a youth

group promotion on Wednesday, March 26. Youth groups of 10 or more can purchase wristbands for $10 each. Contemporary Chris-tian music will be played.

For more information, visit www.trussvillechamber.com or call the chamber at 205-655-7535.

Contact Gary Lloyd at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.

The Trussville City Board of Education on Monday ap-proved a resolution request-ing warrants be issued to fund the two new community el-ementary schools.

The Trussville City Council must approve a similar reso-lution.

The resolution states that the board expects to pay cer-tain legal, engineering, ac-counting and other costs of the projects with moneys in its general fund prior to the issuance of the warrants. The board intends to reimburse it-self for such expenditures out of proceeds of the warrants, which will be issued within 15 months.

Trussville residents on Feb. 25 voted to approve the seven-millage property tax increase to fund the two new com-munity elementary schools. One will be constructed in the Magnolia Place area, while the New Deal-era school building on Parkway Drive

Just before 2 a.m. Friday, Jef-ferson County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a burglary in prog-ress at a vacant home in the 1700 block of Driftwood Lane in Gray-son Valley.

A neighbor called and reported that there was a suspicious car in the driveway and unusual noises coming from inside.

Deputies arrived to find a car in the driveway and they heard loud banging from inside, said Jeffer-son County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Randy Christian. The basement door had been forced open. Some of the deputies sur-rounded the residence while oth-ers went in to investigate. A male suspect ran out the front door and encountered deputies waiting, Christian said. He went back into the house and ran out the back door. He jumped off the back

deck and was arrested by depu-ties waiting there, Christian said.

Deputies went inside and dis-covered that the suspect had been cutting and removing the copper pipes from the residence. He had caused extensive damage to the pipes, ceiling and walls in the home, Christian said. Deputies found a shotgun and crow bar in the suspect’s car.

He was identified as 27-year-old Devon Martez Simmons of Huffman. He was charged with

third-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools, first-degree criminal mischief and attempting to elude. He was in the Jefferson County Jail at press time with bonds totaling $27,500.


The Clay City Council on Monday voted unani-mously in favor of a new leash ordinance to help curb the number of loose animals in the area.

“This is based on ordinances throughout the state as well as the county,” City Manager Ronnie Dixon said. “It gives us the ability to enhance the state leash law. With this ordinance on the books it will give us the ability to have our contract depu-ties the power to enforce this law, as well as our enforcement officers.”

The law will work in conjunction with the city’s controversial “vicious dog ordinance,” which is still being debated and rewritten. However, the leash law is broad, taking into account not just dogs, but cats, “skunks, raccoons, ocelots, foxes, deer, possums, pigs, potbellied pigs and any other domestic or wild animal that are capable of having and transmitting rabies and for which the vaccines are recommended.”

Animals must be vaccinated for rabies. Owners of unvaccinated animals will face a fine of $40.

These animals must also be leashed, kept in a fenced-in yard or kept in the home in order to be compliant with the new law. Failure to do so will result in a $40 fine for a first offense, a $75 fine for the next offense and a court appearance for subse-quent offenses. If anyone is found to be releasing another person’s animals they may also face a $40 fine.

Any animals found not to be in compliance could be impounded by animal control.

Jim Little, a resident of the Cosby Lake area,

Who drove around the city of Trussville earlier this month, taping short, encouraging notes to mail-boxes?

That isn’t known. But Trussville resident Danny Starnes believes he, she or they need a pat on the back.

Starnes went outside to get his mail on a Saturday earlier this month and found one of those notes of en-couragement. His Tutwiler Farm neighbors had notes taped to their mailboxes, too. When he opened the mailbox, a scholarship to the University of South Alabama was inside for his son.

Starnes doesn’t attribute

the pleasant note to his son receiving a scholarship. His son earned that with hard work.

“It was like a double-barrel shotgun: Good news, good news,” Starnes said. “It was a very good day.”

The notes are mostly about love. One attached to a mailbox in Carrington

by Gary Lloyd

Editor

by Gary Lloyd

Editor

by Gary Lloyd

Editor

March 19 - 25, 2014 50¢

www.trussvilletribune.com

The Trussville TribuneThe Trussville TribuneYour news source for Trussville, Clay and Pinson

Trussville spring carnival begins Fridaysee TCBOE page 6 see LEASH page 4see NOTES page 7

photo by Diane Poole

Kids enjoy a slide at a past spring carnival in Trussville.

photo courtesy of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office

Devon Martez Simmons

photo by Gary Lloyd

This note, taped to a mailbox in the Hidden Trace neighborhood, says “Stay happy; Jesus loves you.”

Clay adopts citywide leash ordinanceby Lee Weyhrich

Staff Writer

by Gary Lloyd

Editor

Trussville school board requests warrants for new schools

Huffman man charged in Grayson Valley burglary

Pinson alum Melbourne Aces

Pitcher of Year, page 16

Trussville may sue county over road liability, page 4

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Carol Horn Shurbet made her journey to her heavenly home on March 15, 2014. Carol’s faith was strengthened throughout her battle with cancer. While she did not want to leave her beloved family and friends, she looked forward with great anticipation to be reunited with all her loved ones who have gone on before. Carol continues on her spiritual journey forever.

Carol was born on February 11, 1945. She grew up in Columbiana, Alabama, daughter to Mayme Miller and Newton Yeager Horn, both deceased. She graduated from Shelby County High School and continued her education at the University of Alabama where she received a BS degree in Elementary Education and was a member of Phi Mu Sorority. While at the Capstone she was chosen as one of the original members of the Bama Crimson girls. Her career in education spanned 30 years as she taught with a great faculty and staff at Bluff Park Elementary. Many of her co-workers became lifelong friends.

Carol was blessed with two wonderful children, Kelli S. Gilmer (Jeff) of Trussville and Randall Shurbet Jr. of Homewood. She is survived by a granddaughter, Lillian Shurbet of Homewood, attending Alabama

School of Fine Arts and six grandsons: Clay Gilmer attending Shelton State, Austin Gilmer attending University of Alabama-Birmingham, Zachary Galloway attending University of Alabama, Dagan Shurbet attending Homewood High School, Logan Gilmer attending Hewitt-Trussville High School and Griffin Gilmer attending Hewitt-Trussville Middle School. Her family was her pride and joy. She considered her grandchildren as angels left on earth to share their love and compassion just as she did during her lifetime.

Carol is survived by her brother, Howell Y. Horn of Columbiana, a niece, Marsha Horn Harbin and her partner, Deby Wright of Hoover, and the father of her children, Randy Shurbet, Sr. of Austin, Tx. She is leaving several beloved cousins and a host of good friends.

A Celebration of Life will be Saturday, March 22, 2014 at 11 a.m. at the First United Church of Columbiana, 200 North Main Street in Columbiana, AL. Family will receive guests from 10 a.m. until time for the service. Scattering of ashes will be on the farm of lifelong friend, Mary Cobb, in Four Mile, AL. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to the Carol Horn Shurbet, Phi Mu Memorial Fund, 2340 Regent Lane, Hoover, AL 35226. Memorials will be used by Phi Mu Sorority during the building of a new chapter house at the University of Alabama and/or First United Methodist Church of Columbiana, P.O. Box 676, Columbiana, AL 35051 to be used in the music ministry.

In Carol’s last writings, she stated, “I leave my love to all of you and I’ll see you in the morning when we awake in heaven.”

With heavier-than-usual traffic expected during the spring break months of March and April, the Alabama Department of Public Safety strongly encourages motorists -- particularly teen drivers and their parents -- to make highway safety a priority.

Schools in the Jefferson County School System will be closed March

24-28 for spring break. Trussville City Schools will also be closed March 24-28 for spring break.

“Parents, will you help us make this season of spring break a safe one?” said Col. Hugh B. McCall, director of Public Safety and the state’s highest-ranking trooper. “Let’s take a few minutes to go over traffic laws with our teens, especially if they will travel with teen friends. Remind them to buckle up, to focus on the road, to

avoid such distractions as texting while driving and to obey speed limits and other traffic laws.”

In addition, McCall said parents with teen drivers should review Alabama’s Graduated Driver License law, a three-stage licensing process that places certain restrictions on young drivers to ensure they acquire experience behind the wheel before driving without supervision or restrictions:

Stage I (learner’s

permit): A teen is authorized to drive when accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or licensed driver age 21 or older who is occupying the front passenger seat.

Stage II (restricted license): A teen age 16 or 17 who has passed the road skills test may drive without supervision, but he or she must not have more than one passenger in the vehicle other than parents, legal guardians or family members; must not use any

handheld communication devices while driving; must not drive between midnight and 6 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or licensed driver age 21 or older with a parent or legal guardian’s consent (Exceptions on time restriction include driving to or from events sponsored by a school or religious organization, or going to or from a place of employment).

Stage III (unrestricted license): A teen age 17 who

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Obituary: Carol Horn Shurbet

Spring break: Troopers want teens to avoid distractionsby Gary Lloyd

Editor

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Two new Gardendale City School Board of Education members sat in on the Trussville City Board of Education work session and meeting Monday.

Gardendale recently chose to break away from the Jefferson County School System and form its own.

Chris Lucas and Chris Segroves attended Monday’s work session and meeting.

“We’re happy to be here,” Lucas said.

Trussville City Board of Education President Bill Roberts said it’s an “exciting” thing to see Gardendale forming its own system.

“I think you’re in a very similar situation”

as Trussville was when it broke from Jefferson County in 2004, Roberts said.

Segroves said he was there Monday to learn. He asked what the biggest challenges are in forming a school system. Board member Stan Garrett said being transparent and involving the community when searching for the system’s first superintendent is key. They need to “embrace” that person, Garrett said.

Trussville City Schools Superintendent Pattie Neill said communication with the community is the most important thing.

“Before you know it, they’ll be part of your team,” Neill said.


New Gardendale school board members sit in on Trussville meetingby Gary Lloyd

Editor


The Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce announced last week that Benjy Davis will perform at Trussville City Fest this year.

The citywide event is scheduled for Saturday, May 3 on The Mall in the Cahaba Project.

Davis, a Baton Rouge, La., native, released his self-titled album on iTunes on Jan. 21. The album features 11 tracks, headlined by the track “Here I Go.”

For more information, visit www.benjydavis.com.

More details about City Fest will be

released as the date approaches.


Vestavia Hills will be the first Jefferson County city to offer residents the option of buying vehicle tags at city hall instead of standing in long lines at county courthouses.

Vestavia Hills will begin its program April 1.

Trussville last week sent City Clerk Lynn Porter, Administrative Assistant Bob Christmas and Chris Coleman to Montgomery for three days for training with the Alabama Department of Revenue. Trussville Mayor Gene

Melton said the three were trained on how to use the Department of Revenue’s programs and learned what they’ll

be expected to do.“We’re learning the

process now,” Melton said.Melton said all cities

who may participate in the program will have their eyes on Vestavia Hills, to see how that goes and if anything will need to be tweaked. Melton said there is no set date on when Trussville may begin offering the service to residents.

“We’re going to try to make sure that everybody else has had a chance to

invent the wheel,” he said.Melton said residents

have called and emailed him about the possibility, hoping to find out when they can begin renewing

and buying car tags at Trussville City Hall on Main Street.

“I think it would be great (for the city),” Melton said.

The city of Clay has also

expressed interest in selling car tags. Clay City Manager Ronnie Dixon has said that Clay will participate if the test at Vestavia Hills goes well. Pinson will likely not consider the move at this time.

Rep. Paul DeMarco, R-Homewood, said last month that Gov. Robert Bentley had signed into law HB 112, which authorizes Jefferson County cities to issue car tags.

Trussville City Councilman Brian Plant has said that if issuing car tags from Trussville City Hall is “practical,” then it’s something Trussville residents will want offered.

One of the questions on a survey mailed to more than 8,000 Trussville addresses in November by Melton asked if residents would renew vehicle tags at Trussville City Hall if allowed to do so. Of 1,048 responses to the question, 985 said they’d favor the renewal process at Trussville City Hall. Just 63 said they would not favor it.

The new law allows cities to charge up to $5 more to cover their costs.


Trussville will allow others to ‘invent the wheel’ with car tag renewals at city hallby Gary Lloyd

Editor

photo courtesy of www.benjydavis.com

Benjy Davis

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The Trussville Telecommunications Committee last month approved of a new cell tower to be constructed on Deerfoot Parkway.

Trussville City Councilman Anthony Montalto said at last week’s meeting that AT&T wishes to construct a 190-foot cell tower at 6150 Deerfoot Parkway. He said that after much discussion on allowable clearance in case the pole was to fall, the application was approved subject to several conditions:• Stamped and sealed documentation

from an engineer concerning breakaway

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by Gary Lloyd

Editor

Cell tower coming to Deerfoot Parkway

Benjy Davis to headline Trussville City Festby Gary Lloyd

Editor

file photo by Gary Lloyd

Trussville City Hall


The city of Trussville will consider filing a lawsuit against the Jefferson County Commission over which entity has the responsibility of maintaining county roads in the city’s limits.

Mayor Gene Melton asked the Trussville City Council last Tuesday to authorize him to take legal action against the commission, but Councilman Anthony Montalto asked for the potential authorization to be delayed pending further discussion.

The city council has a work session today, March 20 at 5:30 p.m. at Trussville City Hall. The next city council meeting is

Tuesday, March 25 at 6 p.m. at Trussville City Hall.

The Jefferson County Commission in 2009 passed a

resolution turning county roads located within cities’ limits over to the cities because of money troubles due to the loss of its occupational tax.

Melton, however, said implementing that resolution was contingent on cities approving their own resolution to accept responsibility for the roads. Trussville never did, he said.

Melton said he offered Jefferson County Manager Tony Petelos and the commission an opportunity to correct the issue.

“They refuse to do so,” Melton said.

Petelos provided The Trussville Tribune with a copy of the June 16, 2009 resolution but said it would not be “appropriate to offer any further comment on this issue at this time.”

The approved resolution stated that “effective immediately” the county “will not maintain any road

or portion of road located in the city limits” of Trussville and Clay, among other Jefferson County cities. The resolution stated that the county “disclaims any road maintenance responsibility” for the cities.

According to the resolution, the county’s occupational tax for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2008 produced an annual revenue of $68,619,706.

Melton said that the way the law reads, “it is clear” that Jefferson County should be responsible for county roads in Trussville city limits. Melton also briefly discussed the possible lawsuit at the Feb. 6 city council workshop.


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Trussville may sue county over road liabilityby Gary Lloyd

Editor

photo courtesy of jeffconline.jccal.org

Jefferson County Manager Tony Petelos

The Jefferson County Board of Education last Wednesday released a resolution that expresses its opposition to Senate Bill 380, which would repel the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards.

The resolution also expresses opposition against Senate Bill 443, which would place a moratorium on adoption

of new standards or allow systems to opt out of existing standards.

The resolution states that the board of education “firmly and unanimously expresses its strong opposition” to both bills.

The resolution goes on to say that the board of education “urges all members of the state senate to oppose both of these initiatives.”

Sen. Scott Beason, R-Gardendale, is the state senator who proposed

Senate Bill 380, which would repeal the standards until 2017. The Alabama State Board of Education voted in 2010 to adopt the standards, which apply to English and math.

The Jefferson County School System covers schools in Clay and Pinson.


The city of Clay received a favorable audit from the accounting firm of A.J. Young, Cork Hill and Co. at Monday’s Clay City Council meeting.

City audits are split into two different accounting methods: entity wide and funds based.

The entity-based audit treats the city as if it were a corporation, while the funds audit treats the city as if it were an individual. These two methods together give the auditors

a better picture of how the city is actually progressing.

Due to a change in the fiscal year the audit was for a nine-month period, rather than the full year. According to the entity audit, the city ended the period with total revenues in excess of $151,000. By the other accounting method the city actually cleared more than $195,000.

The only major item that needed to be changed was the library’s discretionary fund. In the past that fund was not part of the audit.

“Overall the city had a good year,” an auditor said.

In other news, the city council is working on an intergovernmental agreement to develop the land between Clay-Chalkville High School and Clay Elementary School. The land is currently undeveloped, but could be graded and reworked to create several sports fields.

Part of the agreement would be that unless the schools are using any facilities, city sports programs could use them without filling out the paperwork currently required.

JefCoEd opposes repeal of Alabama College and Career Ready Standards

Clay receives favorable audit

by Gary Lloyd

Editor

by Lee Weyhrich

Staff Writer

The Trussville City Council last week approved of purchasing a new ambulance and cardio equipment.

The ambulance, purchased from Madison-

based Excellance, Inc., will cost $295,465.04. It is expected to be received by the city in the next 90 to 120 days, Trussville City Councilman Brian Plant said.

The city council also approved of purchasing new cardio equipment for the Trussville Civic Center.

The equipment, to be purchased from Advantage Sports and Fitness, will cost $105,000. The equipment at the civic center is nearly six years old.


Trussville OKs new ambulance, cardio equipmentby Gary Lloyd

Editor

commended the city coun-cil on the new ordinance. According to Little, as many as 15 dogs have been seen running loose in his neighborhood at one time and one animal in particu-lar, a pit bull, has charged

several people in the neigh-borhood.

No one spoke out against the ordinance.

As for the city’s vicious dog ordinance, Dixon again repeated that the law is on the books and in ef-

fect. Some changes have been proposed, and he and Mayor Charles Webster went to court Wednesday to discuss an aspect of the case with a judge.

LEASH continued from page 1


The Basement security director Vince Lovell on Friday was found guilty of two misdemeanors in connection with leaving the scene of an October 2013 accident in Trussville.

Lovell was ordered to pay fines and court costs. His attorney, Brian Ritchey, said Friday he planned to appeal.

Ritchey submitted this statement to The Trussville Tribune: “There has been at least two years of constant attacks against Matt Pitt and those associated with the Basement ministry. We are hopeful that fighting back on all charges against them will shine a light on those who have their own political agenda as well as those who spread unsubstantiated rumors about those who have dedicated their life to serving God and help steer young folks away from the problems that have infected our society.”

Pitt is in Shelby County Jail on a probation revocation for allegedly impersonating a police officer.

According to a witness statement, Lovell allegedly was driving southbound and was over the center line on Chalkville Road in front of The Mall when the white Chevrolet Tahoe he was driving, emblazoned with “#FreePitt” logos, sideswiped a Metro moving truck.

Trussville Police Department Lt. Jeff Bridges said last year the moving truck pulled over, according to the witness’ statement. According to Lovell’s statement, Bridges said, Lovell drove down The Mall area, onto Parkway Drive and waited at the Trussville Public Library. No one showed up at the library, according to Lovell’s statement. Lovell did not call police, Bridges said. Lovell drove home and called his insurance company, according to his statement, Bridges said.

Lovell said he was

southbound on Chalkville Road in front of The Mall area at the time of the accident.

“Out of nowhere, I heard a big bang,” Lovell said in October. “My mirror whipped around and hit my driver’s window and shattered my window. When it did, I looked up in my rear view mirror and I saw the vehicle was continuing in the opposite direction and it didn’t stop.”

Lovell said he took the next left next to The Mall and still didn’t see the vehicle. He then proceeded to the library where he saw a police officer leaving and tried to get his attention, but to no avail.

The driver of the truck said in Friday’s trial that Lovell was two feet over the center line. Lovell said he intended to get a police report for his insurance company.

Bridges said the driver of the moving truck filed two complaints against Lovell. Lovell was charged under the Section 32-10-2 and Section 32-10-1. Section 32-10-2 says that the “driver of any motor vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or the death of any person or damage to any vehicle which is driven or attended by any person shall give his name, address and the registration number of the vehicle he is

driving, shall upon request exhibit his driver’s license to the person struck or the driver or occupant of or person attending any motor or other vehicle collided with or damaged and shall render to any person injured in such accident reasonable assistance, including the transportation of, or the making of arrangements for the transportation of such person to a physician or hospital for medical or surgical treatment, if it is apparent that such treatment is necessary or if such transportation is requested by the injured person.

Section 32-10-1 states that the “driver of any motor vehicle involved

in an accident resulting in injury to or the death of any person, or in damage to a motor vehicle or other vehicle which is driven or attended by any person, shall immediately stop such vehicle at the scene of such accident or as close thereto as possible and shall then forthwith return to and in every event shall remain at the scene of the accident until he or she has fulfilled the requirements of Section 32-10-3. Every such stop shall be made without obstructing traffic more than is necessary.”


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The owners of the land being excavated on both sides of Husky Parkway along Deerfoot Parkway believe it’s an area that will boom.

“We think and believe that this is the future of Trussville because we realize that there’s nothing else that can be developed commercially in Trussville,” said Moore Oil Company President Ron Moore.

Site work on the approximately 14 acres of land is expected to be complete by May 1. There are not yet any deals in place for potential tenants.

Ron Moore said the objective with the development is to be “upscale and first class there with whatever

we do.” He noted that the development is surrounded by Deerfoot Baptist Church, NorthPark Baptist Church and Hewitt-Trussville High School.

“If it’s offensive to the churches and the schools, it’s offensive to us,” Ron Moore said.

Moore Oil Company Vice President Joey Moore, Ron’s son, is his

partner in the development. He said the development could be called Deerfoot Promenade. Ron Moore said the company is open to suggestions for the name and that he will talk to Trussville Mayor Gene Melton about it.

Moore Oil Company, based in Center Point, knows all about Trussville. Joey Moore

helped build the first Chalkville Mountain Road business, a Phillips 66, in 1977. Ron Moore said the company currently has 11 businesses in Trussville.

“We’ve always had a soft spot for Trussville,” Joey Moore said.

More than 200,000 yards of material have been moved by Milam & Company at the site

since November. Another 100,000 is anticipated to be moved. Piping is in and utilities will be added after May 1. Joey Moore said also by May 1, the company will have settled on a realty company that will represent it in lease holdings.

“We’re excited. We see this development as just encouraging other like kind development,” Joey Moore said. “It’s like putting a little kindling under a lot of wood. We’re the kindling. I feel like that area is going to really explode.”

Ron Moore graduated from Hewitt High School in 1954. He said he has a “great feeling” for Trussville. “We watched Trussville come a long way,” he said. “Trussville’s been good to us, and we want to be good for Trussville.”


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The Trussville City Board of Education on Monday approved the calendar for the 2014-2015 school year.

School will begin Aug. 6 for students. There will be

fall break days Oct. 13 and Nov. 10.

The school system will be out for Thanksgiving from Nov. 26-28. Winter break will be from Dec. 22 through Jan. 5, 2015. Spring break is March 30, 2015 through April 3, 2015. Graduation will be May 19, 2015.

The Jefferson County Board of Education approved a similar calendar earlier this year.


Trussville BOE approves 2014-15 school calendarby Gary Lloyd

Editor will be renovated.The final results of the

vote were 2,813 people in favor of the increase, while 1,935 voted against it.

Seven additional mills in property taxes will cost Trussville residents $70 per year on homes ap-

praised at $100,000, $140 per year on homes ap-praised at $200,000 and $210 per year on homes appraised at $300,000.

The board of educa-tion earlier this month ap-proved Michael Brady Inc. as the architect for both

new community elemen-tary schools. The plan is to open the schools for the 2016-2017 school year.


TCBOE continued from page 1

by Gary Lloyd

Editor

Deerfoot Parkway development ‘future of Trussville,’ land owner says


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read, “Let all that you do be done in love.” One in Hidden Trace said, “Stay happy; Jesus loves you.”

First Baptist Church of Trussville Executive Pas-tor Lance Pate said he has no idea who produced and distributed the notes, but they are positive.

“I think everyone should capitalize on any oppor-tunity to show kindness,” Pate said. “Is it possible to be too kind? Living in today’s world, people are more than eager to yell at a referee, complain on so-cial media, roll their eyes

at a slow cashier in the checkout lane. All of us need daily reminders of joy, hope and kindness. I have a feeling when I get to heaven God is not going to scold me for being too generous or too kind.”

It’s a federal offense to place anything inside a mailbox that isn’t U.S. Mail with postage at-tached. Trussville City Clerk Lynn Porter said it’s her understanding that taping something to the outside of a mailbox is not an offense as long as it doesn’t obstruct any ad-

dress on the mailbox.Pat Schatzline, a Truss-

ville evangelist who co-founded Mercy Seat Min-istries with his wife, Karen, writes in his new book, “I Am Remnant,” about what it means to take a stand for Christ. Schatzline said that when he heard about the notes, he was “really ex-cited.”

“We are living in a time where everyone is busy and doing their own thing. This is also a time when people are overwhelmed with the weights of life,” Schatzline said. “I have

found that encourage-ment has the power to help someone keep going and hang in there. Whomever this very special person is that is placing these mes-sages on mailboxes is someone that understands how to breathe life into others.”

Schatzline said the Apostle Paul wrote letters. It reminded him that in Ro-mans 12:7-8 the Apostle Paul spoke of “the gift of encouragement or exhor-tation.” He said those two words translate to “para-cletos” or “paraclete” in

Greek, which means “to call to one’s side.”

“We need more letters on mailboxes,” Schatzline said. “I praise God for someone whom has learned to get out of the mirror and look out the window at a hurting world.”

Pinson Mayor Hoyt Sanders said he hadn’t heard of letters being taped to mailboxes in Pinson. Clay City Manager Ronnie Dixon didn’t respond to a message before press time.

Starnes said it’s a “really cool” thing that someone or some people spent days

doing this for others.“You turn the news on

and it’s negative, nega-tive, negative, and then somebody is out there do-ing something positive like that for no reason,” he said. “There’s no financial gain with it, there’s no rea-son for them to do it other than just doing the right thing. I think that’s pretty awesome.”


NOTES continued from page 1

The Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama honored 10 women at its Women of Distinction Luncheon on Friday, March 7, and one of them is from Trussville.

Shirley Fagan, of Trussville, who is the director of communications at O’Neal Steel, was one of the honorees.

The Women of Distinction program pays tribute to women who have made special contributions to their community through civic, academic or professional involvement.

Other honorees included LaVeeda Morgan Battle, Kate Cotton, Malena Cunningham, Helene Elkus, Linda A. Friedman, Rosilyn Houston, Debra Taylor, Lissa Tyson and Teresa Zuniga Odom.

Proceeds from the Central Women of Distinction Luncheon provide direct support to Girl Scouts of North-Central

Alabama, which serves more than 15,000 girl members in 36 counties.


For The Tribune

Anna Scheer, an eighth-grader at Hewitt-Trussville Middle School, has been hunting with her father, Kurt Scheer, since she was 6 years old. Now she has taken that skill to a new level by joining an air rifle team. Scheer has been shooting with Magic City Gun Club since April 2013, coached by Perry Mitchell and Don Trawick.

Her first competition was the Alabama State Games in June 2013. During this match, she won three gold and two silver medals for air rifle, small-bore and BB gun. In December 2013, Scheer came in third overall in the air rifle new shooter category at the Gary Anderson International held at the Civilian Marksmanship Program in Anniston. Another third place bronze medal was won by Scheer in February at the NRA Air Rifle Sectional held at Trussville Fire and Rescue.

Scheer also attends summer camps at CMP in Anniston. She practices there once a week and at Trussville Fire and Rescue twice a week. At the CMP, she is mentored by USA Olympic Shooters and

CMP employees. Scheer’s goal is to go to the Olympic Games on the USA Shooting Team. She would love to qualify for Rio in 2016 for the Olympics, but is for sure going to try to qualify in 2020.

This article was written by Anna Scheer.

by Gary Lloyd

Editor

Trussville woman named Woman of Distinction by Girl Scouts

A shooter’s story: HTMS student 3rd in rifle sectional

submitted photo

From left are Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama Board of Directors President Sarah Edwards, Shirley Fagan and interim CEO Melva Tate.

submitted photo

Anna Scheer

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For young people with special needs in Trussville and surrounding areas, the end of high school used to mean the end of regular interaction with friends and the community.

But thanks to Independence Place, that doesn’t have to be the case anymore.

A nonprofit organization created to meet the social and recreation of special needs adults, Independence Place was patterned after a similar program in another part of the Birmingham metro area.

“Some of our Trussville residents were going all the way to Homewood to participate in the Exceptional Foundation, but (the distance) can be a hardship for parents in this area who work,” said Independence Place Executive Director Carrie Jones. “The Exceptional Foundation has an awesome program, but we needed something like it in our area, and we wanted a faith-based program.”

Independence Place is a dream come true for Jones, a special education teacher at Hewitt-Trussville High School. She had long been bothered by the idea that special needs students exiting the school program at age 21 were leaving behind social, recreational and leisure activities planned with their needs and abilities in

mind. Her desire to help became a reality when Independence Place opened in August 2012.

Debbie Little serves as program director for Independence Place and shares Jones’ vision for what the program can be. Little had previously worked with one of the participants and remembered feeling sad for him.

“He wanted so badly for somebody to just call him or go to the movies with him, and I know Carrie saw that on a large scale all the time with her students,” she said. “Independence Place does that for them.”

Little recalled a recent bowling outing after which the group dropped by a local fast food place.

“We just sat around the table and had slushies,” she said. “That’s what teenagers or college students would normally be doing, and that’s what our participants want to do, too. Their favorite thing of all the things we do is spending time with friends. I don’t think there’s a thing they don’t enjoy doing, as long as they’re doing it together.”

Jones said the participants spend so much time together that they form family-like friendships.

“They have an honest peer group,” she said.

Not only do the participants and their parents benefit from the program, volunteers and the community at large benefit, too.

Case in point: Staff member Rick Wheeler thought he was coming for a one-time volunteer

commitment with his wife. But after only one visit, he fell in love the program and its participants, and never left.

“Most people come in with a total misconception of what special needs people are like,” said Wheeler, “and a lot of people don’t understand how pure their hearts are. They don’t have the same thoughts about getting an advantage that we do, and the purity that comes from them sometimes is amazing.”

Jones noted how the program serves as an educational tool for the community.

“People come in with a certain set of expectations, and they leave with a very different

impression of these individuals, what they can do and their heart and their personalities,” she said. “Sometimes people think that people with disabilities are all alike. Then they come in and find out our participants all have personalities of their own, very unique and very personable. Although community education wasn’t the intention of the program, it’s been a very big bonus.”

Support needed

Support comes in many forms to Independence Place, from churches, businesses, committees and individuals.

Jones said future plans call for growing the Independence Place chili cook-off, start a capital funds campaign and obtain the organization’s own transportation. But to attain those goals, corporate sponsorships and other sizable funding sources are being sought. Financial assistance with smaller projects is also needed, whether sponsoring periodic trips to the movies or paying for meals out or donating supplies for the center.

“The thing is, these young adults never become financially independent like others would,” Little said. “So if there are people out there who could provide even one outing or an outing per month then we wouldn’t have to constantly seek out the money to provide these things, and the parents appreciate it, too.

“And volunteers make a big difference. They not only provide help to the staff, but they become new friends for the participants. It’s been interesting to see how often people who think they’re just coming in once want to come back. This is a happy place.”

The program, temporarily housed on the campus of First Baptist Church Trussville, is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, email Jones at [email protected] or Little at [email protected].

Local program bridges social, recreational gap for special needs adultsby June Mathews

For The Tribune

submitted photo

Independence Place participants Anthony, Chris, Eric, John, Jordan, Hayley, Michael, Nickolas and Tristin with Kelley Akins, a volunteer.

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