Editorial

With a theme of “Building Tomorrow’s Future,” many state, city and local school boards are  being recognized in the month of January for all their efforts on behalf of students and communities across the nation.
In Marion County, we are so fortunate to have two great school boards, the Winfield City Board of Education and the Marion County Board of Education.
We applaud each board member and thank them for all their years of dedication and service for our youth during their many years in school, which is often one of the most definitive periods of their entire lives.

By Chazz and Chris Brogan

Who hoo! New Year’s Day 2025! It feels great to write that number! 2025! It’s a quarter of a century down in the 2000s! Congratulations everyone on making it through an- other year to another new year.
Last year, I wrote a column about my friend Chris Brogan’s “My 3 Words” concept. Each year, he and his business partner, Rob Hatch, host an annual webinar event to “explore the process of selecting three words to guide your actions through the coming year.”
Chris has noted, “It’s something I’ve

Mrs. Missouri Isabelle Webster, probably Marion County’s oldest resident, will be 102 years young on New Year’s Day.
If you make friends like Mrs. Webster does, you pile up a lot of them in 102 years, and it was obvious that a lot of folks like Mrs. Webster from the many who came and went during the time the reporter was talking to her one day this week.
Mrs. Webster has had a full life. It began 102 years ago in Fayette County, just south of Bobo near what was then called Stewart’s Creek. Her parents were Mr. and Mrs. Joe
Stewart. Mrs. Webster, who

A dream come true. This is the way the pupils and the teachers of the Hamilton Elementary School speak when they are asked about their recently completed library.
The library, an up to date one with books to suit every grade level in school, has been talked about and dreamed about for a long time by the faculty, parents and children of this school.

I have an old friend who has long since passed away from this life we have come to appreciate under the face of the sun. Over 30 years have passed, but I remember his continence and his smile and his strong character lines emerging from beneath the full white beard and mustache expanding ear to ear. Those were lines most of us call scars. And he had a receding hair line at the top of his crown, obviously due to wearing his favorite seasonal hat each year.

Friday night, Nov. 30, was a gala evening for the postal employees of the Hamilton Post Office and their guests. On that night, a surprise banquet was given for Mr. Cliff Mills, a retiring rural mail carrier. Mr. Mills was seated at the head table with special guests, his daughter and her family, and was honored by a program featuring all his fellow rural carriers and Mr. Buren Hughes.

Ho, ho, ho! I couldn’t be more thrilled at this moment to bring you a very special column which includes  some of the favorite Christmas songs of our entire staff!
We’re going to start with our Enchanting Emma and then work our way through in the order in which these were given to me. I’ll come back at the end to close and note my own.
While you read, you might find a few of your favorite Christmas songs listed, or even discover some new ones to enjoy.  

Recently the Hamilton City Council recognized two different youth sports teams, with both teams being greeted by applause and having their photos taken with the council members on Nov. 18.
The first team to appear was the Hamilton Aggies Boys’ Cross Country Team, which won the 2024 AHSAA State Championship on Nov. 9. The news of the win first appeared in the Journal-Record on Nov. 20, with a front page photo and more photos and information inside the edition.
Hamilton Mayor Bob Page said he was excited to have the XC team at the meeting.

Many months ago, a kind gentleman came to our rescue here at the Journal Record and was able to make our “older technology-type” phone system work when it failed on us.
It probably helped that this was the same gentleman who’d installed the system decades ago (I won’t say how many). The system is Northstar.
I’ve worked in other offices with this same phone system, and when there were problems, we were told there was nothing we could do.

Thanksgiving is upon us. The forgotten holiday. More and more, people are skipping straight from Halloween to Christmas. Take the holiday candies for example. Halloween has Reese’s Peanut Butter pumpkins. Christmas has Reese’s Peanut Butter trees. Thanksgiving… nothing! Notta! Zilch! You couldn't find a Reese’s Peanut Butter turkey should you look in every Walmart invented.

Questions came at me faster than I could answer them. I usually don’t mind radio interviews because I don’t have to comb my hair for them. I look much better on the radio than I do in person. But this one caught me off guard. I stumbled over words as if I had been to the library liquor bar.

I met him on a job site. He arrived before me. He was standing with his back to me, looking off into a valley of trees and yellow fields designed to swell my eyes and make me fight for oxygen. I didn’t want to startle him, so I spoke as I got closer.
“Mornin’! Sorry I’m running late.”
“All good,” he replied. “Just been standing here enjoying this view.”
“Pretty, ain't it?”
“Man, I love Autumn,” he stated.
“Is that your wife?”
“Who?”
“Autumn.”

I knew it was coming before I got there. I’m a sucker for this stuff. These folks are drawn to me. Maybe I’m drawn to them. Either way, they find me more often than fire ants when I wear flip-flops. No matter how I find myself in these situations, I have always believed that it was not by accident.

Brilliant native fondly recalls the ‘Ville’
By Russell Estes
Guest columnist

On Monday, October 30th, the Haag Circus will offer entertainment for the people of Hamilton, and especially the children.
The Haag Circus is on its 47th annual tour and is well known to many of our people as among the most popular circus organizations on the roads. They carry a menagerie second to none for small town entertainers, and among them the children will see in their grand parade, on October the 30th, two of the largest elephants that grow in foreign wilds. Besides, they have the clowns, dogs, monkeys, music, etc.

In 2024, the City of Hamilton has chosen to monumentally go above and beyond previous efforts in showing its support of Red Ribbon Week and everything it stands for in preventing drug use in school students and celebrating recovery for adults. The Marion County Commission has also joined in, helping to fund publicity, materials and supportive measures. The Hamilton Police Department, as well as other police departments in the county, are also leading educational assemblies for students, counselors and teachers.

By Marlon Holloway
“Country Boy Who Made It Home”
Guest columnist

By P.J. Gossett

By Luke Brantley
Staff writer

One of the most enjoyable Hamilton Area Chamber of Commerce events for both the chamber members and the public is the organization’s annual Shrimp Boil.
This year marked the 20th anniversary of the fun and tasty event, and everyone was invited out to share in the fun and the delicious shrimp plates and fixings.
The Shrimp Boil is held annually at the Hamilton Fire Department as a way to gather the chamber members, other business professionals and members of the community. It’s also an extremely delightful and likable fundraiser for the chamber.

There’s a new face at the Journal Record, and we are delighted to have her. Please help us welcome Marcy Jorden, our “Marvelous Marcy,” to the role of Ad Manager for YOU! Yes, you!
She does work here, but she is here to manage YOUR advertising needs. Her job is to help you figure out the best way to showcase your business and your services to the public.
And with a background in management, as well as owning her own business, Marcy brings an assortment of beneficial experience, skills and tools to her position.

There are not enough foster homes in Marion County. Can you help? A nationally-renowned minister recently noted if every church in America fostered one child in need, there would be enough homes for every child.

Marion County has a lot of churches. Maybe it’s not possible for every church to help support a foster family, but every church can add the need for more local foster homes to its prayer list.

Christmas is a celebration the world-over enjoys. First stemming from a church-made holiday to counteract the pagan ones of the day, Dec. 25 holds significance, as most know, as the marking of the birth of Christ. Traditions changed as the holiday moved across countries and continents, but formed traditions of benevolence and generosity have been ingrained into the fabric of the holiday season, as kindness and good cheer give people hope as the days, in the northern hemisphere, get a little darker and a little colder.

More often than not, media headlines and coffee shop conversations tend to be negative in regards to elected officials and various governmental departments. And while some of these remarks may be well earned by those who serve, allow me to share a little background into recent events which proved to be the exact opposite.

On Wednesday, Aug. 30, I was traveling on U.S. Highway 43 heading home to Hamilton from a meeting in Tuscaloosa. I topped a hill and saw an object in the road. I swerved but heard a sickening "pop," as my tire blew out.  I carefully made my way into the town of Guin and called Watha's.

As the long, hot summer ends and Labor Day approaches, let’s take a look back at what occurred over the last three summer months, politically.

My denomination is now in a circular firing squad. The latest misadventure is a candidate for national office who admitted falsifying his resume, crediting himself with degrees he’d never earned. The intriguing thing is he worked for a Baptist group in another state for 15 years, and no one seemed to care about his resume.

By P.J. Gossett
This edition marks the first year anniversary of including historic photos on this page of the newspaper. All previous 52 issues of the Journal Record included a photo here.
We have had several positive feedback responses regarding the photos, and we are happy this was a successful endeavor. Several individuals have been gracious with letting us scan and use their photos. We thank each and every one of you.

This summer, President Joe Biden traveled across our great country touting the success of what he calls ‘Bidenomics’.
I’ve got news for the president. The American people aren’t buying what he’s selling. Two thirds of the American people disapprove of Biden on the economy and three out of four Americans say our country is on the wrong track.

The United States Marine Corps does not have a commander for the first time in over 100 years. This is all because of Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville. Tuberville, who has never served in the military, is holding hostage hundreds of military assignments to force his MAGA social agenda on the women in our military because he doesn’t like the healthcare provisions approved by the Pentagon. This is freezing up promotions for over 200 top military posts that are critical to the safety of our national defense.

Gender and identity politics have become the norm in national and state politics. Now it appears to be trickling down to the local level. After the Hamilton City Council recently appointed Sherry Armstrong to fill Matt Sims’ vacant seat, this newspaper quoted Mayor Bob Page as saying, “We didn’t have a lady serving with us on the council.” The paper reported that “diversity was a deciding factor.” As the country singer Jason Aldean says, “Try that in a small town.”

Estes only lawmaker to vote against sending $103 million from schools to prisons

Letter to the Editor:

By P.J. Gossett
General manager

By Luke Brantley

When you hear the word “partisan” in the media, do you get the feeling the use of that word is to make you think something has been worked on by both political sides? Before getting involved with politics, I thought partisan was a type of cheese you put on food like salads or pizza! But now that I have developed an interest in politics, partisanship has become a very important word (it seems) to the Democrats in Marion County.

The Marion County Democratic Party held a cookout on Saturday, May 27, 2023, at the beautiful Twin Oaks Park in Twin, Ala. to honor the fallen heroes from Marion County and around the nation. There were posters with the pictures and names of the marines and soldiers from Marion County who lost their lives during WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War and the Middle East conflict.
Madame Chair Lynda Kirkpatrick gave a memorial presentation honoring our fallen heroes.

If you travel around Marion County, I am sure you have seen those critters called turkey vultures. And most likely you have seen them feeding on whatever that object was that they are feeding on. No doubt the turkey vultures are important to our environment. They clean up the roadside of those critters that did not make it to the other side of the road.

Is it me, or is the world getting crazier? I don’t know about you and your shopping experience, but it seems everywhere I shop and get a receipt, on the bottom of that receipt is a request to let the store know how your shopping experience was. They say they really care and want to know how you felt about your shopping in their location. They promise a reward of some kind if you do take the time to fill out their online survey.

If you drive any vehicle on Alabama roads, I am sure you have noticed vehicles that seem to want to get so close to your bumper to smell your exhaust pipe. That is one of the many reasons a rearview mirror is in each vehicle. No, not to see the clenched jaws of the person smelling your vehicle’s exhaust, that wants to be in front of you. The reason is to see what is behind you in traffic to keep you safe.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. We hope that you are mentally healthy, but I know there are times we all need some help. Know that this does not in any way indicate weakness. When we are healthy, we typically have a positive outlook on life, but there are times we all have periods of doubt, anxiety, depression and/or many other issues that rise up and cause disturbance in our everyday lives. We want you to know help is out there. Many times in our lives, our family, friends and clergy help us with everyday problems.

Dear Editor:
It is time to come together on behalf of over 400,000 American children and youth who are in foster care because their families are in crisis, and they cannot currently provide safe, nurturing home environments. Approximately 5,800 of these children are in Alabama’s foster care system, and 45 of them are right here in Marion County. These children need safe, stable and loving homes where they can stay until they can safely reunite with their biological parents or establish other lifelong family relationships.

The article on Guin’s Mayor Phil Segraves on April 26, in the Journal Record was a reminder of my awakening back in 2014. The mayor’s description of his heart events reminded me of my heart attacks. After three mornings of the chest pain that went away after heavy breathing the first two mornings, the pain went away.

It may appear to you and most casual observers of Alabama politics that our Alabama elected officials are old. That observation is accurate when you observe our current leaders in the highest offices.