The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for Dec. 4, 2023

12 YEARS AGO
DEC. 1, 2011

Parades set for Saturday: Two of Conecuh County’s biggest yearly Christmas events are scheduled for this Saturday in Evergreen and Castleberry.
Evergreen’s annual Christmas parade will be held Saturday at 4 p.m., and Castleberry’s parade is scheduled to begin that day at 11 a.m., organizers said.

Annual meal project a success: The 14^th “Thanksgiving in Conecuh” event was perhaps the biggest and best year for the community service project ever as organizers reported on Monday that volunteers distributed over 450 meals on Thanksgiving Day.
“2011 has turned out to be one of the best years for ‘Thanksgiving in Conecuh’ since its beginning in 1997,” one of the event’s organizers, Diane Sosebee, said.
Over 50 volunteers helped organizers prepare, serve and deliver 454 plates and clean up the event’s meal preparation area, Hillcrest High School’s lunchroom.
Sosebee noted that the project, which delivers meals to the needy and shut-in on Thanksgiving, would not have been possible without the help of Hillcrest High School’s lunch room staff and the school’s principal, Don Lewis.

Troopers work 15 wrecks in county: The Thanksgiving holidays were busy for local state troopers, who investigated 15 automobile accidents in Conecuh County since Nov. 19, including four accidents in the county that injured five motorists.

33 YEARS AGO
DEC. 6, 1990

Leon A. Salter Jr., 81, of Westminster Village, Spanish Fort died Sat., Dec. 1. A well-known Evergreen native, he lived most of his life here until retiring several years ago to Spanish Fort.
Col. Salter served as Circuit Clerk of Conecuh County for a number of years, serving from 1947 to 1951 (while serving in the Korean War) and again from 1965 until his retirement in 1977. He was a popular and efficient office holder as circuit clerk.
Col. Salter joined the Alabama National Guard at Evergreen in 1928 and went through the enlisted ranks to lieutenant colonel. The Alabama Guard, 117th Battalion was activated for federal service on Nov. 20, 1940 and Col. Salter served through World War II until June 1946. He continued his National Guard reserve role until the Alabama Guard was federalized in January 1951 for service during the Korean War. Col. Salter was reassigned to reserve status in 1953. He retired from his rank of lieutenant colonel on Nov. 27, 1969 after 41 years of Army service.
Mr. Salter was an excellent businessman and served his community in many ways.

Weatherman Harry Ellis reports .33 of an inch of rain on Nov. 28. Total rainfall for November was 1.74 inches.

The Courant continues this week publishing the pictures, names and addresses of local servicemen who are stationed in the Persian Gulf area. We ask that you take the time to send these young men a few words of encouragement as they desperately need news from home.

32 YEARS AGO
DEC. 4, 1986

Weather observer Earl Windham reported 1.65 inches of rain on Nov. 25, 0.81 inches on Nov. 28 and 1.54 inches on Nov. 29. Total rainfall for the month of November 1986 was 8.22 inches. He reported highs of 76 on Nov. 25 and Nov. 26 and lows of 47 on Nov. 27 and Nov. 28.

The Fuji Blimp created some excitement when it made a scheduled stop at the Evergreen Municipal Airport Middleton Field last week. The blimp got weathered in and didn’t get airborne until Tuesday. The blimp, the smaller of two Fuji Corp. blimps, is 170 feet long and can reach airspeeds of over 50 knots with its two Porsche 911 engines.

Castleberry plans parade Dec. 13: The Town of Castleberry is planning a great Christmas parade this year. If you or your church, club or organization would like to enter a float or car or just march in the parade, you can contact city hall or Linda Calloway, deadline to enter will be Dec. 9. There will be a cash prize for best float. The parade begins at 2 p.m. on Dec. 13.

Evans appointed to Hunt transition team: Governor Elect Guy Hunt has appointed Michael J. Evans to his 79-member transition team. Evans, who is a native of Evergreen (China community) presently resides in Montgomery and is Executive Director of the Rural Alabama Development Corporation, a statewide employment and training agency.

48 YEARS AGO
DEC. 4, 1975

Total rainfall for 1975 has topped the 100-inch mark, according to Earl Windham. This may be a new record for Evergreen and Conecuh County. Windham said the heavy rain Sunday evening, 2.4 inches, sent the total for the year up to 100.9 inches. Also, .8 of an inch of rain fell on Nov. 26.

Tommy Kimbrough of Boykin Jewelers recently graduated from the JIA University for Jewelers, Los Angeles, Calif. Kimbrough is the son of Mrs. Brown Boykin of Evergreen and is in charge of the watch and jewelry repair department at Boykin’s.

The U.S. Postal Service and Postmaster Eugene Hyde would like to remind patrons that Dec. 15 and Dec. 10 are the suggested deadlines for mailing letters and parcel post, respectively, within 48 contiguous states. The deadline for airmail parcels is Dec. 21.

Revenue from Conecuh County’s tax on beer was $9,590.40 for November, up $406.70 over the $9,183.70 collected in October, according to County Treasurer Wayne E. Johnston.

The Lyeffion Baptist Church had an “old fashioned day” Sunday and burned a note indicating payment for the pastorium and broke ground to initiate the bricking of the wood-frame church building. Taking part in the ground-breaking ceremony are Ed Everage, missionary for the Conecuh Baptist Association, T.V. Covin, Hiram Beesley, Carlton McKenzie, Herbert Oakley, Elie Brewton, the Rev. Cliff Boggs, pastor and Talmadge Johnson.

87 YEARS AGO
DEC. 3, 1936

AMERICAN LEGION TO MEET: A special meeting of Alma Martin Post, American Legion, has been called for Friday night, Dec. 4, by Post Commander C.C. Hagood, the meeting to be held at the Courthouse auditorium beginning at 7:30. All ex-service men are urged to attend this meeting, which will take up matters of vital importance to ex-service men.

High Government Officials To Aid In Local P.O. Dedication – Lister Hill and Other Dignitaries to Participate in Dedication Program On Dec. 11 – Headed by Congressman Lister Hill, who will deliver the dedicatory address, high government officials will participate in dedicatory exercises to be held at the new United States Post Office building in Evergreen on Fri., Dec. 11, according to announcement by Postmaster Robert L. Stallworth.
Smith W. Purdum, fourth assistant postmaster general, will also be one of the speakers on the program, according to present plans. Mr. Purdum is probably the highest federal official ever to have been a guest of the city.
Other speakers on the program will include city officials and others of Evergreen. Postmaster Stallworth will preside.

Evergreen Theatre – “The Home of Good Pictures” – SUNDAY, MONDAY – Dec. 6-7 – Gary Cooper in Frank Capra’s “Mr. Deed Goes to Town” – with Jean Arthur. Matinee, Sun., 2 p.m.; Sunday night, 8 p.m.; Bargain Matinee, Monday, 3:15 p.m. – 2 Adults 35 cents, Regular Admission, 10-25 cents.