Serving the greater NORTH, CENTRAL AND SOUTH BALDWIN communities Message in a bottle PAGE 3 Tennis The Onlooker PAGE 12 FEBRUARY 27, 2019 | GulfCoastNewsToday.com | 75¢ VFW honors Point Broadband moving forward local public with internet alternative in Silverhill servants in Company backs off “We just didn’t get enough ing entering into a franchise of a response,” said Sherry agreement with Point Broad- Bay Minette line-of-sight service Sullivan on behalf of Point band to provide assistance in amid waning interest, Broadband. laying about a half-mile of fi- By TINA COVINGTON The town council voted in beroptic cable along Alabama For The Onlooker seeks town’s help in July of 2017 to approve a con- 104 and County Road 49. SUBMITTED PHOTO [email protected] fiberoptic plan tract with Point Broadband to Council members decided GFWC Jubilee Woman’s use the town’s water tower to to hold off the vote in order Club Education Chair Carol BAY MINETTE — The install equipment for internet to determine whether or not Cleveland with the new Veterans of Foreign Wars By JOHN UNDERWOOD services. the agreement interferes with Little Free Library donated Post 3568 honored three [email protected] At the town’s council meet- the town’s current agreement by the club to Silverhill. individuals with awards for ing on Monday, Feb. 18, Sul- with Mediacom. The Little Free Library is their outstanding service SILVERHILL — The town livan said those who signed “In the agreement it states at Oscar Johnson Memo- to our community. of Silverhill is considering a up for the service would be that the town cannot enter rial Park. VFW representatives proposal to enter into a fran- refunded and they are now into any other agreement Frazier Martin and Vince chise agreement to provide working to provided DSLD that might interfere with this Belluci presented awards fiberoptic service to area sub- fiberoptic service to some agreement,” said Mayor Pro Little Free to Caden Bozeman, Fire- divisions after the company subdivisions who are other- Tem Jared Lyles, a local at- fighter of the Year; Ronnie backed off on providing line- wise unable to get high-speed torney. “I’m betting that since Library takes Saladin, Law Enforcement of-site service because of a service. a stand for Officer of the Year; and lack of interest. The town is now consider- SEE POINT, PAGE 2 Michael Purvis, EMT of more reading the Year. The honorees were pre- By SHERRI KILLAM-ALBEE sented certificates of ap- For The Onlooker preciation and a monetary Vosloh Charitable Foundation winners award at a recent meeting SILVERHILL — of the Bay Minette City Stocked with 43 books, Council. honored during Foley Rotary Club luncheon Silverhill’s new Little Each year, the Veterans Free Library is now of Foreign Wars selects open for business at emergency medical techni- Oscar Johnson Memo- cians, law enforcement and rial Park off of Ala- firefighter personnel to re- bama 104. ceive the VFW Public Ser- The new Little Free vice Awards. Local winners Library was donated by then advance to the next GFWC Jubilee Woman’s level of recognition. Club of Baldwin County Congratulations to these with the aim to get more people to read. The li- SEE VFW, PAGE 2 brary was constructed by Quentin Finnegan of Finnegan’s Mark and the club worked with the Town of Silverhill to DEATHS PAGE 6 find a place accessible to the community. Louis Carnley “The idea of the Little Lois M. Godwin Free Library is simple,” Genevera Greiner said Carol Cleveland, Eric Nolan Johnson who chaired the project for the GFWC Jubilee Alexander Michael Labanowski JESSICA VAUGHN / STAFF PHOTO Mike Stanford Woman’s Club. “Take a book, leave a book. By JESSICA VAUGHN include not only the Police De- actually get $1,000 with only The purpose of the [email protected] partment and the High School, one condition: they have to Little Free Library is to but also the Fire Department, spend it on themselves or their provide a free source of FOLEY – The Vosloh Foun- Foley Elementary, Foley Inter- spouse,” said David Vosloh. books for a community INDEX dation, founded in 2008, was mediate, and Foley Middle. In addition to the monetary in hopes of increasing established by Sue and David Starting in 2012 the Vosloh award, Gulf Chrysler Dodge the love of reading as BALDWIN LIVING, 3 Vosloh to give back to the Foley Foundation partnered with the Jeep and Moyer Ford in Foley well as being a creative CLASSIFIED, 21 community by honoring civil Foley Rotary Club, which now also offer recipients the op- community building HEALTH, 19 servants. The awards began provides funds for one of the portunity to purchase a new practice.” with the Foley Police Officer six awards with the Foundation vehicle at actual costs with no The first Little Free LEGALS, 25 of the Year and the Foley High providing the rest. mark up. Library was built in OPINION, 23 School Teacher of the Year, “Foley is the only place in 2009 in Wisconsin by who would each receive $1,000 the state of Alabama where FOLEY ELEMENTARY Todd Bol as a tribute OUT & ABOUT, 5 with the taxes paid by their employees are recognized with SCHOOL to his mother’s love for PUZZLES, 24 employers. The Foundation has something more than just a grown over the years to now plaque on the wall, where they SEE VOSLOH, PAGE 17 SEE LIBRARY, PAGE 31 SPORTS, 12 TV LISTINGS, 8 Gulf WHAT Coast YOU IN Media STORE VOLUME 111 • ISSUE 7 IS NOW 1 SECTION • 32 PAGES ONLINE! • Freshest Quality All Departments • Hand Selected by Our Personal Shoppers • Delivery or FREE Same Day Curbside Pickup • Beer & Wine NOW Online! Order & Pay In Store! GREERS.COM/SHOP 2 • The Onlooker • February 27, 2019 • Gulf Coast Media VFW student with a skin di- adisease that prevented CONTINUED FROM 1 him from playing outside during recess. deserving public ser- Saladin purchased the vants. student his own police Officer Ronald Sala- attire and invited him din earned a Bachelor’s to accompany him on Degree in Criminal Jus- daily rounds. tice from the University Tolbert said the act of Alabama at Birming- of kind has been a ham. He joined the U.S. transformative moment Coast Guard in 2009 for the young student. and was honorably dis- “(The student’s) mother charged in 2014. While mentioned to me on sev- serving in the Armed eral occasions that Offi- Forces, he became a cer Saladin has changed Maritime Enforcement his life forever,” Tolbert Specialist and attended said. the Federal Law En- Saladin has also of- forcement Training fered assistances to Center in Charleston, faculty members at the South Carolina. After school and serves as discharge, he attended a firearm instructor the Montgomery Police for the BMPD. “Officer Academy and worked Saladin is a community for UAB Police Depart- servant who has made SUBMITTED PHOTO ment for two years a tremendous impact Taking part in the presentations included, from left, Vince Bellucci with the VFW, Michael Purvis, EMT of the Year; Ronnie before coming to Bay on our students and is Saladin, Law Enforcement Officer of the Year; Caden Bozeman, Firefighter of the Year; and Frazier Martin with the VFW. Minette Police Depart- a great asset to the City ment. He now serves as of Bay Minette.” certified as an EMT. He ment. “Caden is a became a Career Fire- with compassion and the School Resource Of- Bozeman began his continues to volunteer dedicated member who fighter at Semmes Fire empathy toward each ficer at Bay Minette Ele- career at the age of with the Pine Grove and works hard and can be Department. During his person that calls for mentary School. He was 15 as part of the Ex- Fairhope Volunteer Fire counted on when needs tenure with Semmes, he help,” Minchew said. selected as the City of plorer program with Departments. arise.” completed his Career “He has shown to go Bay Minette “Employee the Fairhope Volun- “Caden is an avid Purvis started his Firefighter certification above and beyond for of the Year” for 2018. teer Fire Department. student and teacher,” Fire Service career as and EMT training. He anyone in need that Police Chief Al Tol- He received multiple said Fire Chief Mike an Explorer Firefighter joined the Bay Minette is in his care. He has bert said Saladin had certifications during Minchew. Bozeman with Garland, Texas Fire Department in 2017 responded to 465 calls made a big impact in a his seven years as a continues to go above when he was 15-years and continues to work, for assistance to the short amount of time. volunteer firefighter. the call of duty and old. After moving to train and teach at Mag- citizens of Bay Minette Soon after the start of He joined the Bay Mi- has responded to 750 Baldwin County, he con- nolia Volunteer Fire in just over a year as a the school year, Officer nette Fire Department calls since joining the tinued with Magnolia Department. career member of our Saladin befriended a in 2016 and is now also Bay Minette depart- Springs VFD and later “Purvis Responds department.” POINT agreement.” stating that the group ris of PM Printing in process of collecting all Memorial Day weekend, In other business from had raised the $30,000 Summerdale, along with the names,” Giles said, generally the last Satur- CONTINUED FROM 1 the Feb. 18 meeting, the necessary to complete metal “stationary flags” “and will continue to do day in May. Services to council is considering Phase II of the project, depicting all branches of so up to the (Memorial honor veterans are also this agreement was a sponsorship for the which is located at Paul the military, was dedi- Day Weekend) car show planned on Memorial drawn up based on the Silverhill Veterans War Anderson Park across cated in March of 2017.