Residents from around Andalusia will have the opportunity to gather together for the annual community Thanksgiving service this Tuesday.
This year’s event, sponsored by the Greater Andalusia Ministerial Association, will be held at First Baptist Church, with FBC pastor, Dr. Fred Karthaus, bringing the message.
“Historically, Thanksgiving has been a holiday we have celebrated since the beginning of our nation,” he said. “The Pilgrims and Indians gathered together to give thanks for the harvest. And in the same sense, we, as Christians, gather together and give thanks for our blessings.”
Karthaus said choir members from all church are invited to sing in the area Thanksgiving choir, which will be led by FBC music minister Dwight Crigger.
Those interested in participating are asked to come for a small rehearsal at 6 p.m., before the 7 p.m. service.
Each year the service is held at a different host church and is held on Tuesday so it does not conflict with the schedules of area churches.
“This offers everyone the opportunity to join together in grateful praise to God,” Karthaus said. “We’d love for everyone to come.”
There are some 540 Community Christmas angels ready for adoption throughout Andalusia, and now, “the real work begins,” said Larry Avery, Andalusia Community Christmas organizer.
“Fundraising for us is going slow,” Avery said. “Realizing, of course, that everyone is in the same economic boat, there are some who are more blessed than others in that regard. We’re hoping people step up and help us by adopting these angels.”
Avery said because of the economic situation, the organization made two significant changes to this year’s program. The first was a reduction in the number of bicycles given each year. Last year, 165 were distributed. This year, that number drops to 140.
“Our treasury is down significantly because last year, we spent a bit more than we took in,” he said. “This year, we had to do some cutbacks. One was on the bicycles. No one wanted to, but we had to. Prices are going up so fast.”
With bicycles at $89 each, Avery said the reduction in numbers saved the group an estimated $2,000.
The group also reduced the maximum age of participation from 13 to 12.
“We had to do it to contain expenses as much as we can without lowering our quality of services to the children,” he said. “With that said, we need the public to take those angels off the trees and fund them so these children can have Christmas.”
Since Sunday, ACC volunteer Judy Bryant has been busy distributing the angels throughout the area – and she’s not quite finished yet. She hopes all angels are in place by today.
Currently, angels can be found at area banks such as CCB Community Bank, Wells Fargo, Regions and Southern Independent Bank; churches like St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, First Baptist and Christ the King Catholic Church; and area merchants like Wal-Mart, Tractor Supply, Winn-Dixie, Ansley Place, J.C. Penney, Darby’s Village Pharmacy and Walker Business Machines. Other locations include Southeast Alabama Gas District, Andalusia Dental Group, Andalusia Regional Hospital, Christian Book and Gift, Dimples Day Care and Tillman Eye Clinic.
Donations, which are also being accepted for those who don’t wish to shop for a Christmas angel, are tax-deductible and should be mailed to Andalusia Community Christmas Inc., P.O. Box 1525, Andalusia, AL 36420.
The veterans who filled the floats and risers during Covington County’s Veterans Day events were a perfect indication of the abundance of hometown heroes in Covington County.
The names inscribed on the city’s veterans’ mem-orial were only further proof that the people of this community are willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
And that was the subject matter – heroes – on which Lt. Col. (Ret.) James D. “Jim” Lawrence spoke.
An Opp native, Lawrence said he grew up on a farm and had no idea his life’s work would be in the military.
“From comfort of our daily lives, it would be easy to ask why do we honor veterans,” he said. “When I thought about it, my point of view is that veterans do unique things for us that aren’t done as a routine matter. Veterans are special because they take risks and perform.
“They put their lives on the line and were, and are, the first line of defense to tyranny,” he said. “They perform valiantly under the worst of circumstances, and that is why they should be honored.”
He talked about heroes in his life – his brother Harry, who served in the Army in the 1950s and his next door neighbor, Fob Ward, who was in the Army in World War II.
Lawrence also spoke of another of his heroes – James Lawrence Noland of Opp. Noland was a veteran of WWII and the Korean Conflict, was born on July 4, 1920, a football coach, teacher, superintendent and later served as mayor of Opp.
Lawrence said on the first day of school as ninth grader, Noland “collared” him in the hall.
“He said since I was his namesake, he expected a lot from me,” he said. “I hope I didn’t disappoint him.”
And by the looks of Lawrence’s impressive military career, it would appear he lived up to the expectation. An Air Force Command pilot with 5,800 hours of flying time in his 27-year career, Lawrence, for many years, was co-holder of the world record for the C-130 non-stop flight time – 29.7 hours set in Nov. 1979 – and 18 of his years were in special operations. In 1980, he participated in the attempted rescue of American hostages held in Iran, and later, he went on to become a military instructor. After his Air Force career, he worked as an inspector and consultant in the environmental field. He and his wife, JoAnn, currently reside in Montgomery.
In conclusion, Lawrence asked that all honor those who have served in the past, as well as those who continue to serve.
“Let’s not forget the valiant men and women who serve in current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said. “Their sacrifice is magnified as troops return for a second, third, fourth and sometimes fifth tour.
“Our troops today are as good as any we’ve ever had,” he said. “These men and women are in combat on our behalf. It is that very quality, their wilingness to step into the arena and perform under fire that makes veterans so highly valued and deserving of our undying adulation.
“They endure what so many of us cannot or chose not to do, so that the rest of us can enjoy freedom,” he said.
The Andalusia City Council on Tuesday approved a resolution abating the following properties:
• 413 Pugh St., for weeds.
• Corner of Pugh and Barron, unsafe structure
• 115 Chestnut St., for weeds, bushes, and unsafe structure
• Corner of North Cotton and College, unsafe structure
• 103 Barron St., weeds and repairs
• Property adjacent to a home on South Ridge, where weeds and kudzu from a wooded lot are encroaching.
The council also approved a second resolution approving contracts with PRA Government Services. The company previously has collected sales taxes for the city, and now will also collect business licenses. Business owners will be able to complete the process online, Mayor Earl Johnson said.
The council also reappointed Nancy Hammett reappointed to the Library Board.
Local efforts are under way to bring a nationwide organization that benefits fallen service members’ families in this area.
Larry Clifford of Opp, spoke to the Opp City Council Monday night about the Patriot Guard Riders who provide military honors for families of veterans.
“We do this at the request of the families,” he said. “If families don’t know, they don’t know to ask. We do the military honors for funerals. They’ll call us and we’ll do the whole thing for free.”
Clifford, who is a member of the Wiregrass Chapter, which serves from Enterprise to Georgia, said his goal is to develop a chapter from Opp to Mobile.
The Patriot Guard Riders offer the following:
• An American flag line at the funeral home or church and the cemetery;
• An escort from the funeral home or church to the cemetery;
• Patriotic people with outstretched flags as shields to stand between any protestors and the mourning family and friends;
• Respect, honor and support for the departed, family and friends.
Clifford said the Patriot Guard has an unwavering respect for the men and women who have served the country as soldiers, police officers and firemen.
“We use motorcycles and support vehicles to provide an honorable escort and flag line at the funeral home or church and cemetery,” he said. “We are there to protect the family. We don’t try to do anything out of the way.”
Clifford said a good number of members are military veterans, as well.
Additionally, Clifford said they are available to deployment ceremonies and coming home ceremonies for deployed troops.
“We escort them to the airport and we do the same thing when they come home,” he said.
The organization operates solely off of donations, he said.
“This is a very noble thing you are doing,” Mayor H.D. Edgar said.
Clifford said he has already visited Andalusia and plans to visit Florala and Brewton in the coming days.
Anyone interested in becoming a part of the new chapter, may contact Clifford at 764-2860 or email him at .