Editorial

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.

“All I know is what I read in the newspapers,” was said by Will Rogers who was also from Oklahoma. He also said, “Politics has got so expensive that it takes lots of money to even get beat with.”

This letter is written on behalf of the Oak Grove Church/Berryhill Cemetery Association.  
Several years ago, the association had a large plat/map made of the Berryhill Cemetery (located four miles west of Winfield), had it framed, covered in plexiglass and erected at the cemetery under a shelter.
Unfortunately, vandals caused so much trouble that Jack Weeks, president of the association at that time, took the map down, moved it to his house and stored it in his basement.

Editor’s note: The following editorial was submitted by the Alabama Press Association.
Public notices serve a crucial function in keeping residents and taxpayers informed about the activities of governments. These government notices let citizens know about impending actions that can affect their lives, property and community.

Constitutional law should be taught in every high school in America. It might help put a stop to the misguided rantings of the ignorant and uninformed. It could very well educate people like Tommy Tuberville, who in spite of being a college educated man, didn’t know the levels of government when he was elected to serve in the United States Senate.

Allow me to spend a few moments bringing Alabama House District 17 residents up to speed on the happenings in the Alabama Legislature since lawmakers first returned to Montgomery on March 7.
Immediately upon arrival and hearing Governor Kay Ivey’s State of the State address later in the evening, the legislature was called into a special session to conclude the expenditure of more than $1 billion in federal funding provided through the American Relief Plan Act.

By P.J. Gossett
General manager
HAMILTON — Did a settlement of Clay Eaters exist in Marion County in the late 1800s and early 1900s? A clay eater is just like the name says: a person who eats clay or other soils of the earth, which is called geophagy by the way.

In reading Steve Flowers’ article in the Journal Record’s March 8, edition in the editorial page about Alabama having its own lottery got my attention for more than one reason. When we shop for the majority of groceries, we head to Fulton. No need to tell you where we shop in Fulton. I am sure many do the same thing because the state taxes on groceries is much lower there.

March is the month that we celebrate the women who have opened the doors, broken the glass ceilings, risked their lives and made it possible for women everywhere to vote, own property and even become the vice president of the United States.  Women today stand on the strong shoulders of women who fought for reform created by the inequality between men and women.

I am a strong advocate for support of truth and justice within the limits of my ability to do what I can. Yet the potential needs of today are far greater than I alone can act upon for a much more decent, safer place for the present and future generations to live and enjoy life more accordingly to the will of God. Jesus said in John 12:32,

Another historical scanned photo found on an office computer at the Journal Record shows the Marion County Jail in Hamilton during the 1940s. Notice the barbed wire surrounding a portion of the jail.

David McCullough, who died last August, gave us books about the Panama Canal, the Wright Brothers, the Brooklyn Bridge and the American Revolution and won Pulitzers for “Truman” and “John Adams.” The latter was made into an HBO miniseries that earned 13 Emmy awards and three Golden Globes. In a “behind the scenes” feature on the miniseries DVD McCullough showed his backyard writing cottage and the manual typewriter he continued to use.

Marion County High School opened on Sept. 11, 1912, in the same place it is currently located, although the school is located in its second building currently.
Shown here, courtesy of Marion County School Board Member Don Jones, is the first building, constructed in 1912, after renovations. The photo was taken about 1970. This first building burned on June 24, 1971.
Even though other towns in the county sought the county high school, Guin won the bid. The cornerstone to the first school building was placed in a ceremony on June 5, 1912.

The legislature had their every four year organizational session in January. It is exactly what the title states. They are organizing for the next quadrennium of lawmaking. They officially chose their leadership and adopted the rules for the two chambers.

On the rather appropriate date of Friday, Jan. 13, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) released their dreaded final ruling banning pistol braces, and in 120 days when the ruling goes into effect, millions of Americans will arbitrarily become felons if they don’t surrender their guns or register them with the ATF.
Several years ago, when companies first started introducing  stabilizing braces to the market, it presented an interesting legal question. as a weapon with a rifled barrel and a stock that is intended to be fired from the shoulder.

Research indicates this is the starting lineup for the 1947 Hamilton High School Aggies football squad. The photo was submitted by Barbara Webb.
This picture was reproduced in a book with the names being out of order and one missing. Through research and comparing the players in this photo to other photos, we have found what we believe to be the correct order of the names.

The inauguration of our Alabama constitutional officials was Jan. 16. Our state constitution calls for the inauguration to be held on the third Monday in January. As you would expect and as almanac’s suggest, it is usually a cold day. Over the years I have had countless folks harken back to their high school band experiences of marching in the inaugural parade, especially ladies who had been majorettes. They had to march and twirl a baton in 20 degree weather with skimpy, legless, bathing suit style attire.

Flint, Mich. is not the only place where there is a problem with contaminated water.  Guin, Ala. also has a problem. There has been a second lawsuit filed to bring attention to the water supply in Guin and the dangers that it presents to the people who live there.

By Tracy Estes
With the beginning of a new quadrennium in the Alabama Legislature, members are provided their respective standing committee assignments for the upcoming four-year term. Such was also the case for me, as I begin my second term serving House District 17.
Committee assignments are selected by Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter, who previously served as majority leader and will be replacing retiring speaker Mac McCutcheon.