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 .
Andalusia’s Halloween on the Square brought out witches and ghouls, and some flash mob dancers, too.
Local merchants handed out candy left and right as area residents made their way around the Court Square Monday.
Barbara Tyler, the city’s organizer for the event, said there was no way to determine the size of the crowd.
“I’ll say this about the night, if you weren’t here, you really missed out,” Tyler said. “In years past, it’s been said that 3,000 or 5,000 were on the Squa re for Halloween, but really who counted all those people?
“This year, we’re going to say that the Square was full, and no matter what, it was a successful event,” she said.
She said a number of businesses participated this year, and some “pulled out all the stops” when it came to putting together a booth.
“The Andalusia Police Department was our winner this year with their ‘Welcome to Creepy Hollow,’ and it was fantastic,” she said. “They really outdid themselves, and Bryant’s Body Parts was the runner-up. If you missed seeing those two, you missed out.”
The Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) recently added three Andalusia structures to the Alabama Register of Landmarks & Heritage.
Church Street School, Springdale, and the Alabama Textile Products Corp.(ALATEX) office building were added to the register in October.
Church Street School, recently renovated as the Church Street Cultural Arts Center and now the home to the Andalusia Ballet, is the oldest of the three buildings. The school, built in 1923, served as the city high school until about 1941, and was an elementary school until 2000.
Architects Frederick Ausfield and Carl C. Cooper designed the school at the request of the Andalusia Development Co. during the administration of Mayor Trammell Henderson.
The AHC said the Church Street School is an excellent example of Mission Revival architecture.
Springdale was built in 1937 as the home of John G. Scherf. Scherf founded the Alabama Textile Products Corp. and also served four terms as mayor, and made major contributions to the city’s economic growth.
Springdale sits on four acres. The estate includes the main house, a large four-car garage, a guesthouse, a small lake, several fountains, and beautifully landscaped lawns. The City of Andalusia now owns it.
The Alabama Textile Products Corporation (ALATEX) office building is a good example of an early 20th century manufacturing company. Founded in 1923 as the ANDALA Co., it was organized primarily as a contract manufacturer for Arrow Shirts, a division of Cluett, Peabody and Co.
The office building is currently being renovated for use by the Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce. It was the ALATEX corporate headquarters until 1985.
John Greene, communications coordinator for the Alabama Historical Commission, said the buildings were nominated by the City of Andalusia. Nominations must be documented with photographs and historical facts about the properties, he said.
“These are really good examples,” he said of the Andalusia structures added to the register this month.
The AHC considers the notable historic properties in this register to be particularly worthy of preservation and appreciation, and therefore deserving of this special recognition.
The designation is honorary and carries no restrictions on property and offers no financial incentives. However, properties on the register are eligible for state historic markers if funding is available for them.
The City of Andalusia erected a 50-foot tall by 28-foot cross at Andalusia Memorial Cemetery on Wednesday. The cross weighs 9 tons. A similar cross will be erected at Marshall Cemetery in the future. The steel is Birmingham-made and assembled by S&K Fabrication in Andalusia’s Industrial Park. This is the latest in a series of cemetery enhancements the city has been implementing.
The Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) recently added three Andalusia structures to the Alabama Register of Landmarks & Heritage.
Church Street School, Springdale, and the Alabama Textile Products Corp.(ALATEX) office building were added to the register in October.
Church Street School, recently renovated as the Church Street Cultural Arts Center and now the home to the Andalusia Ballet, is the oldest of the three buildings. The school, built in 1923, served as the city high school until about 1941, and was an elementary school until 2000.
Architects Frederick Ausfield and Carl C. Cooper designed the school at the request of the Andalusia Development Co. during the administration of Mayor Trammell Henderson.
The AHC said the Church Street School is an excellent example of Mission Revival architecture.
Springdale was built in 1937 as the home of John G. Scherf. Scherf founded the Alabama Textile Products Corp. and also served four terms as mayor, and made major contributions to the city’s economic growth.
Springdale sits on four acres. The estate includes the main house, a large four-car garage, a guesthouse, a small lake, several fountains, and beautifully landscaped lawns. The City of Andalusia now owns it.
The Alabama Textile Products Corporation (ALATEX) office building is a good example of an early 20th century manufacturing company. Founded in 1923 as the ANDALA Co., it was organized primarily as a contract manufacturer for Arrow Shirts, a division of Cluett, Peabody and Co.
The office building is currently being renovated for use by the Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce. It was the ALATEX corporate headquarters until 1985.
John Greene, communications coordinator for the Alabama Historical Commission, said the buildings were nominated by the City of Andalusia. Nominations must be documented with photographs and historical facts about the properties, he said.
“These are really good examples,” he said of the Andalusia structures added to the register this month.
The AHC considers the notable historic properties in this register to be particularly worthy of preservation and appreciation, and therefore deserving of this special recognition.
The designation is honorary and carries no restrictions on property and offers no financial incentives. However, properties on the register are eligible for state historic markers if funding is available for them.