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By Staff
Editor,
Please help me in finding my kids bikes .
My family and I live on Huckaby Bridge Road. We thought this was a quiet, peaceful community. But lately things seem have been coming up missing from our home. I have two sons and both of them have had their bikes stolen within two months time. My youngest son's bike was stolen about a month ago. I am asking all parents in the neighborhood to be aware and please look around and see if there are any new bikes around your home or community. One bike was a trick bike. It was red and it had W.E. carved on the seat. It had the word "Extreme" on it. My oldest son's bike was a trail bike and was black and red. It looked like a tiger or zebra markings and had DMX on it. It was a 21-speed. The seat was half missing. It came up missing between July 3 and 4.
We aren't the kind of people that can go out and buy new ones tomorrow. My kids are very sad over this. If anyone has any information, please call the Morgan County Sheriff's department or call me at 773-1107. I think everyone should be aware of things that are going on. We have reported both incidents to the sheriff's department. Please just give my kids bikes back to them. That's all we ask.
Darlene Evans
Hartselle
Editor:
The Enquirer's web site has provided me with current news about my hometown from 1944-1952 when my father was pastor at the First Christian Church and Dr. Bill Stewart's column "Looking Back" helped me recall why I was so fond of Hartselle and still am even though it has been 50 years since I lived there.
I remember that Professor F.E. Burleson was principal at the elementary school I attended. That Roy, Gene and Hopalong entertained me at Saturday matinees at the Strand Theater back when the admission price was just 13 cents. That Lizzie Reed Penn, a teacher at Morgan County High School, was so loved by her students that she was a local legend when I lived there. That on the day World War II ended, I stood on our front porch and waved an American flag at all the people who were driving by and honking their horns in celebration and on a sadder note, I recall the tornado on March 24, 1952 because my father did volunteer work for the Red Cross and he took me on a trip to survey the destruction just hours after it was over. I saw scenes that day which will always remain in my mind, but perhaps my most vivid memory is of a rural church that was totally destroyed but still had an old pump organ standing upright in the middle of all that mess and it didn't appear damaged in any way.
And, there was the Easter Sunday when 314 people attended services at the First Christian Church (which was a record crowd way back then.) I also remember Teen Town, which my father started as a wholesome place for teenagers to gather when they weren't in school and I was disappointed to learn that it folded shortly after we moved away.
In later years,when I attended Athens College I got to meet William Bradford Huie and his wife, and Sen. John Sparkman also spoke at a student assembly so I always kept up with Hartselle's most famous native sons and any other news I could get about my favorite Alabama town.
I doubt if there are many people still living in Hartselle who will remember me, but I wanted all your readers to know that it was a great place to grow up and although I have lived in many places since then, no places has ever felt as much like "home" to me as Hartselle did.
Grady Hatchett
West Melbourne, Fla.
Editor,
I just want to let you know how much I enjoyed reading the article that you had in your paper July 3 that Miss Penn wrote and what she said about Hartselle.
I graduated from Morgan County High in 1956 and Miss Penn was one my teachers. I live in Fairfield, California and I read the Hartselle Enquirer on line and really enjoy it. I last saw her in 1990 when I went back there for the 50's class reunion. I look forward to every Wednesday so I can read about what is happening in my hometown and maybe recognize someone that I grew up or went to school with. Would be nice if you could put more on your web page. Thanks again for the special article.
Wesley H. Mitchell
Fairfield, CA
Editor:
I read with interest the article about Michael Newdow referring to the "requirement" to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. It is interesting to note that his child attended a public school – in the USA. Perhaps he had a legitimate grievance, but how he has handled this affects all of us.
This seemingly small act threatens to erode our basic freedom. We have freedoms for all. Many times this is taken for granted until it is brought to our attention that daily we are losing them.
Americans must wake up. Go to the polls, exercise the right to vote or dissent. This is exactly what Mr. Newdow did. Mr. Newdow would prefer to remove one of our freedoms.
He is an avowed atheist: his right to do so is not denied. There are in our population 1.68 million atheists of record in the USA; 260,624,000 Christians, 6,024,000 Jews and 4,450,000 Muslims. That makes 271,098,000 who believe in God.
Now two words, "Under God" in our pledge to the flag are threatened. Students are taught to respect the flag, know our history and respect the rights of all citizens. The rights of the majority here are being eroded.
We do not require belief. We do require respect for our history, tradition and culture. We all have the constitutional right to practice our religion in the way we see appropriate. We also have the right to show our patriotism by flying our flag and declaring our allegiance to this country in so doing. It may seem like an insignificant matter, but it is not. We must protect our freedoms, our rights and our history. Stand up for what we believe and be willing to fight for it.
Write your Congressman. Send this letter to whoever might make a difference. Circulate the protest to your e-mail buddies. Personally, I am proud to pledge my allegiance to this "one nation, under God."
God bless America.
Gayle Strider
Hartselle
Editor,
The Fourth of July has come and gone, and once again, there were no ceremonies, no city-wide gathering, no fireworks display to show the community spirit in honoring our country.
Indeed, the only fireworks display was one that the Pitts family put on behind their fireworks business on West Main Street, free of charge for all who wanted to attend. The proceeds of their fireworks business go to the building of the new Pentecostal Church. They need to be thanked for their endeavor to bring a display of quality fireworks, safely, to the citizens of Hartselle.
We all know of the disgruntled atmosphere that seems to prevail now in our city. We have no monuments of war heroes who have given their lives in protection of our country, no raising or lowering of our flag on special patriotic days, no music in our parks by local bands – on and on of no special events to bring our citizens together. Where are our civic clubs, our American Legion, even our mayor and city council? Are we all satisfied with going to Decatur or Cullman in order to join other people in celebrating special occasions? If we are, that is too bad.
I love Depot Days and all it entails. Should this be the only celebration besides Christmas that the city participates in?
We need something for our citizens to be proud of, young and old alike. We have a vast number of people who have served and are now serving their country here in Hartselle. Shouldn't we take a day a year to recognize them? Would there be a better way of Hartselle saying "thanks" than to have a special day, like the Fourth of July?
Carolyn Martin
Hartselle