RHS NJROTC Team Qualifies for National Brain Brawl Competition
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Serving the greater NORTH, CENTRAL AND SOUTH BALDWIN communities 2020 Baldwin County Voters List inside 2020 Voter registration info The Onlooker PAGE 6 FEBRUARY 12, 2020 | GulfCoastNewsToday.com | 75¢ RHS NJROTC team qualifies for National Brain Brawl competition By JOHN UNDERWOOD in New Orleans, featured 32 [email protected] teams from Alabama, Florida, North Baldwin Mississippi and Louisiana. ROBERTSDALE — It was “This is something that has Chamber of another first for the Roberts- grown through the years,” dale High School NJROTC said Commander Frank Starr, Commerce squad who finished second on senior Naval science instruc- Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Area tor at RHS. “Where there used celebrating 8 Brain Brawl competition, to be only a few teams in these becoming the first team from competitions, now there are 75 years of RHS to qualify for the Brain hundreds.” Brawl Nationals, which will Area 8 is one of 12 NJROTC service in 2020 be held April 25 in San Diego. areas represented at the na- SUBMITTED PHOTO The competition, held at Cadets from the Robertsdale High School NJROTC will compete in the BAY MINETTE — The Brother Martin High School SEE RHS, PAGE 16 Brain Brawl Nationals, which will be held April 25 in San Diego. North Baldwin Chamber will celebrate 75 years on Tuesday, Feb. 18 at the John F. Rhodes Civic Cen- ter in Bay Minette. 76th Annual South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce Gala Tickets are on sale now and are $50 per person for Chamber Members and $65 for prospective members. The evening will begin at 5 p.m. with a social hour, followed by dinner catered by Naman's Catering and a brief program to feature highlights from the past year, the annual awards and the exchanging of the gavel. The program will include JESSICA VAUGHN / STAFF PHOTOS recognition of several Charlene Haber and Michelle Hodges Charlene Haber, Donna Watts, Ashley Avery, and Michelle Hodges businesses and individuals to include the 2020 Small By JESSICA VAUGHN much-anticipated award cere- ing the Diplomat Program Year Award went to Sarah Business of the Year, Busi- [email protected] mony. The live auction, which has attended almost every Kuzma, who has been vol- ness of the Year, Emerging was performed by Sheriff networking event, ribbon cut- unteering and serving orga- Business of the Year, First FOLEY — The 76th Annual Hoss Mack, and silent auction ting, and volunteered at many nizations close to her heart Responder Award and the South Baldwin Chamber of raise money that goes back community events. Chamber for many years. Chamber Community Project Award. Commerce Gala went Gre- into Foley and Elberta schools Diplomats serve as ambassa- volunteers help with various “We are very excited to cian as the night celebrated through the South Baldwin dors for the Chamber, through events throughout the year, be celebrating our 75th chamber members and volun- Chamber Foundation. welcoming new members to such as the Gulf Coast Hot Air birthday, and look forward teers with a silent auction, a For 2019, the Diplomat running registration tables at Balloon Festival and Business to sharing all that the live auction, a catered dinner of the Year Award went to Business After Hours. chamber saw in 2019,” said provided by Cosmo’s, and the Ashley Avery, who since join- The 2019 Volunteer of the SEE GALA, PAGE 2 Ashley Jones Davis, North SEE NORTH, PAGE 16 Elberta recalls successful 2019 DEATHS PAGE 8 By JESSICA VAUGHN via Senator Chris Elliott, Karen Sharelle King Croxell [email protected] which will go towards the Dianne L. Holden town’s Elementary School and Elizabeth Naquin ELBERTA — The Town of Middle School. Elberta had lots to discuss and “The state of the town of celebrate during the State of Elberta is excellent,” said INDEX the Town Address, recalling Hamby. “We have S&P rating the town’s successes during of A plus, we have 1,800 citi- BALDWIN LIVING, 3 2019, and discussing how they zens, and we have five schools, CLASSIFIED, 19 came to be. The address was three public schools and two JESSICA VAUGHN / STAFF PHOTO HEALTH, 10 given by Mayor Jim Hamby, private schools, and I think Mayor Jim Hamby and Max Kleban and followed by a catered din- that’s a tremendous thing to LEGALS, 23 ner by Chick & Sea. Prior to be proud of.” was why the town is doing so prayer, the strong national OPINION, 21 the beginning of the address, The question Hamby looked well. He identified three key the town received two grants to answer during the address factors to the town’s success: SEE ELBERTA, PAGE 2 PUZZLES, 22 SPORTS, 13 Gulf WHAT Coast YOU IN Media STORE VOLUME 112 • ISSUE 5 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 12, 2020 • Gulf Coast Media GALA ing collaboration to be a key factor in recent CONTINUED FROM 1 happenings. The Gate- way Initiative became a After Hours. regional collaboration The Small Business in 2019, being recognized of the Year Award for nationally and becoming 2019 went to Magnolia a model throughout Ala- Springs Bed and Break- bama. The apprentice- fast, with owners David ship program took off, Worthington and Eric and SAWDC recognized Bigelow accepting the hospitality and tourism award. Magnolia Springs as the fifth industry seg- Bed and Breakfast has ment. JESSICA VAUGHN / STAFF PHOTOS been welcoming people “Success doesn’t Charlene Haber, Donna Watts, Sarah Kuzma, and Charlene Haber, Eric Bigelow, Donna Watts, David to the community for happen in a vacuum,” Michelle Hodges Worthington, and Michelle Hodges over 20 years, and “advo- Hodges said. “You have cating for and promoting to show up, you have to man of the Board Char- destroyed the original great strides alongside continuing the deliver- our area to their guests participate, you have to lene Haber, owner of Wolf Bay location over an outstanding board, able and inclusive effort while showing them true engage, and we can’t do Wolf Bay Restaurants. ten years ago. The res- Donna [Watts] and her to improve our work- Southern hospitality.” it alone. This past year Haber is on the board for taurant was rebuilt team, and all the cham- force so we can truly Both Worthington and so many in the commu- the Gateway Initiative in a new location, and ber and business mem- have a better Baldwin. Bigelow serve on several nity and across differ- and has been supporting Haber’s marketing direc- bers,” Haber said. “I am Together we can make a local and state boards. ent organizations came the apprenticeship pro- tor told her she needed encouraged by the spirit difference.” The 2019 Chairman together and the success gram from its inception. to get out in her commu- of collaboration and of the Board, Michelle that we’re able to cel- Though her parents nity and engage; to get the momentum of the For more information Hodges, gave a quick ebrate today is because joined the Chamber in something in return, she Gateway Initiative as we on the South Baldwin overview on all the of the collaboration of so 1973, Haber states she first had to give. strive to meet the needs Chamber of Commerce, things the Chamber many.” never understood what “This year as Chair- of our fast growing and check out their website at accomplished during Hodges passed the the Chamber repre- woman, I look forward vibrant business com- www.southbaldwincham- the previous year, cit- gavel to the 2020 Chair- sented until after a fire to continuing to make munity. I look forward to ber.com. ELBERTA and she said, ‘you know, synergize. Let’s work CONTINUED FROM 1 together.’ So that’s the reason we’re here, be- economy, and the Bald- cause we’re synergizing, win County School and that is a big factor in System. He credited the the success of anybody, school system with not anyplace, anywhere, only investing money but particularly for El- into municipalities, but berta.” also for their methods During 2019, one of of teaching children. the largest happenings Lessons, according to in Elberta was construc- JESSICA VAUGHN / STAFF PHOTOS Hamby, which benefit tion on the Sportsplex, nual payments for the cerning 38 acres donated Other highlights in paid for a culvert change adults as well. a $4 million project that next 15 years, a $372,000 by the Faust family, 2019 include creating on the left-hand side be- “My granddaughter the town is building LWCF grant, a $14,000 where Hamby hopes to crosswalk signals on tween the drug store and used to go to Elberta for approximately $1.5 Gulf Coast Resource and see a standalone high Main Street and State Centennial Bank, and Elementary School,” million with the help Conservation Develop- school in the future. The Street thanks to donated will be changing the cul- Hamby said. “One day I of grants and dona- ment grant, a $10,000 two towns have worked equipment from ALDOT, vert on the opposite side went to pick her up and tions. The Sportsplex grant from Centennial to get power on the prop- installing 66 streetlights in the future. In 2021, we were talking about will boast a high school Bank Elberta, $5,000 erty, security lights, a in uptown Elberta, 23 ALDOT will be repav- something we had to do, baseball field and three anonymous donation, well, pump, and pump- streetlights in the Miflin ing Highway 98 through and my granddaughter soccer fields.