Yesterday's News from The Evergreen Courant for Feb. 20, 2012

16 YEARS AGO
FEB. 16, 1995

“Lucy Brock, Damian Fantroy, Sarah Lenn Lanier, Sherri Salter and Terri Salter are attending the National Young Leaders Conference from Feb. 14 to Feb. 19, 1995 in Washington, D.C. Lucy, Damian, Sarah, Sherri and Terri, all juniors at Hillcrest High School, are among 350 outstanding National Scholars attending the conference from across America.”

“This is the new elevated tank constructed by the Owassa-Brownville Water Authority just south of McKenzie. The tank will help to service the 225 homes which were recently added on the Owassa-Brownville Water Authority in their third extension. A fourth extension is currently under consideration.”

“Earnest McMillan, 9, proudly displays a Picasso Bill’s T-shirt that he recently earned by submitting a drawing to the Montgomery Advertiser’s feature, Picasso Bill’s Alley. Earnest’s sketch, entitled ‘Day on the Farm,’ was printed in the Sun., Feb. 5, edition of The Advertiser. A second-grader at Evergreen City School, Earnest is the on of Shelina Crosby.”

“This is the new pumping station located in front of the Beat 8 Fire Department on County Road 47. The station was constructed during the extension recently by the Owassa-Brownville Water Authority.”

“Woodmen of the World Field Rep. Mitch Crutchfield presents Don White, manager of Hardees with a Certificate of Appreciation for his help with the local Woodmen Youth Camp.”

31 YEARS AGO
FEB. 19, 1981

“If you thought that was a big rain on Tuesday of last week, Feb. 10, you weren’t wrong. Weatherman Earl Windham reports 6.28 inches and says: ‘Well, we got a Real Rain. I don’t know what your rain gauge had in it, but that’s what mine measured.’”

“This frozen fountain on West Front Street at the corner of Rural made a pretty, but cold picture Thursday morning of last week… and the ice didn’t melt until over in the afternoon. Weatherman Earl Windham reported an official low of 16 degrees that morning.”

“Sparta Academy had two winners in the Alabama Private Schools Association State Spelling Contest. Carol Kendrick won first place in the seventh grade and Matthew Ansley won third place in the fifth grade. Carol is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Kendrick, and Matthew is the son of Mr. and Mrs. James Ansley.”

“The Evergreen City Council voted Tuesday night to employ Winston Rayfield as City Water and Sewer Technician, a new position.”

“Nelda Pugh Stephenson has been named dealer-operator of Bobby Mitchell Chevrolet, Inc. of Florence, Ala. She is a native of Evergreen and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Pugh.”

“Conecuh Medical Center will move into its new offices on Mon., Feb. 23. The offices are located in the Evergreen Church of Christ building at 110 South Main St.”

46 YEARS AGO
FEB. 17, 1966

“Howard Geck, 51, veteran insurance man of Rt. E, Evergreen is making his first political bid as he seeks the office of Tax Collector.
“Geck is a veteran of two years service with the U.S. Army in World War II and has been extremely active in American Legion affairs. He is now serving his second term as Commander of Alma Martin Post 50, having previously headed the post in 1961.”

“MacDonald Gallion, former attorney general of Alabama, is the headline speaker for the annual banquet meeting of the Evergreen Chamber of Commerce next Thursday night, Feb. 24, at seven o’clock.
“Gallion now practices law in Montgomery after an outstanding career in public service as assistant attorney general and attorney general. He is the leading contender for attorney general in this year’s election.”

“Marvin Johnston qualified last Thursday morning to campaign for the office of Tax Collector in the Democratic Primary Election. This is his first venture for a political office.
“Johnston was born and raised in the Owassa community. He graduated with honors from the Evergreen High School. During World War II, he served overseas for 18 months as a top secret administrative assistant in the office of Commanding General A.M. Patch, Seventh Army Headquarters.
“Upon release from the service, Johnston continued his studies at Auburn University, from which he received his degree in Business Administration in 1946, majoring in accounting.”

61 YEARS AGO
FEB. 15, 1951

“Evergreen Boy Scouts and their fathers will be feted at the annual Father and Son Banquet at the Evergreen City School lunchroom tonight.”

“Speed limit in the city limits of Evergreen has been set at 25 miles per hour and will be enforced by the city police department.”

“A large group of Brooklyn citizens numbering some 135 persons met at the school building Thursday night, Feb. 8, for the purpose of organizing a Community Adult Club.”

“Mrs. Induk Pahk, one of the leading citizens of Korea and an ambassador of goodwill, will speak at the Evergreen Methodist Church Sunday morning Feb. 18 at 11 o’clock.”

“The City of Evergreen has let a contract for the erection of a 250,000-gallon elevated water tank. The contract went to Chicago Bridge and Iron Co. Cost of the tank when erected will be $46,600.”

“A meeting will be held at the county courthouse in Evergreen Tues day night, Feb. 20, at 7:00 for the purpose of reactivating Alma Martin Post 50 of the American Legion.”

“The Parent-Teacher Association of Brockton School met in regular session Tuesday night, Feb. 6, in the school auditorium. About 275 persons were present at the meeting, with Mrs. Ronald Shaver, President, presiding.”

76 YEARS AGO
FEB. 20, 1936

“Eugene M. Binion, 74, well known and prominent citizen died suddenly of heart attack about 11 o’clock Saturday morning causing sadness and sorrow to hosts of relatives and friends here elsewhere in this and other sections.”

“Curtis E. Robinson of Castleberry, filed his announcement with The Courant Tuesday as candidate for member of the Board of Revenue from district No. 3, subject to the action of the Democratic primary elections to be held May 5 and June 9.
“For the past 10 years he has been on the town council of Castleberry. He is now serving as mayor.”

“J. Frank Pierce of Lenox, member of the Board of Revenue from district three of this county is this week making formal announcement of his candidacy to succeed himself in this office.”

“M.A. Travis of Beat 8 this county, is announcing his candidacy for the Democratic nomination to the office of Chairman of the Board of Revenue in this issue of The Courant, subject to the action of the primary elections to be held May 5 and June 9, 1936.”

“Announcement made this week by John T. Lee, President, that L.M. Chapman has been appointed manager of Wilson Motor Co. and is now in active charge of the business of the company.”

“Old Skeletons Are Found In Cliff: Tuscaloosa, Ala., Feb. 15 – Thirteen skeletons of prehistoric persons, found in a cave near old Burleson Post Office in Franklin County, have been brought to the Alabama Museum of Natural History at the University of Alabama.
“Walled up in a crevice in the side of a limestone cliff, the 13 adult skeletons and those of an undetermined number of infants were jumbled together in a single burial. The exact age of the bones is unknown. But Dr. Walter B. Jones, state geologist and director of the museum, says that they probably belong to one of the prehistoric tribes of bluff-shelter people, prevalent in the Tennessee Valley.
“But two earthenware vessels, found in the cave, show only slight similarity to the typical Tennessee Valley pottery. This fact gives rise to the belief that these persons belonged to one of the earlier tribes.”

Daily Weather Observations for Mon., Feb. 20, 2012

Temp: 36.9 degrees F (2.7 degrees C)

Rainfall (past 24 hours): 0.1 inches.

Humidity: 83 percent (Humid)

Conditions: Mostly clear with a few thin trace clouds.

Winds: Calm.

Barometric Pressure: 29.73 inHg.

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.1 inches

Month to Date Rainfall: 7.2 inches

Year to Date Rainfall: 11.9 inches

Local Weather Alerts: None.

NOTE: 61st day of Winter. Ground still saturated from recent rains. Jet contrails visible. Today is Presidents Day in the U.S. and Family Day in Canada. Trapping Season Ends today in Alabama.

And Remember - "No weather's ill if the wind be still."

Readings taken at 0700 hrs Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834°N Lon 87.30131°W. Elevation: 400 feet above sea level.

'Kill Shot' tops this week's PW hardcover fiction best-sellers list

It’s Sunday, so that means that it’s time for my weekly review of this week’s Publishers Weekly Best-Seller List. According to the list, there are four new books at the top of the four major best-sellers lists this week.

"Kill Shot" by Vince Flynn replaced "Home Front" by Kristin Hannah as the No. 1 book on the hardcover fiction best-sellers list.

"Ameritopia: The Unmaking of America" by Mark R. Levin replaced "American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History" by Chris Kyle, Jim DeFelice and Scott McEwen as the top book on the hardcover nonfiction best-sellers list.

"44 Charles Street" by Danielle Steel replaced "The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae" by Stephanie Laurens as the top book on the mass market paperback best-sellers list.

"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett replaced "Night Road" by Kristin Hannah as the No. 1 book on the trade paperbacks best-sellers list.

There are four books on this week’s hardcover fiction best-sellers list that weren’t on the list last week. They (along with their place on the list) include "Kill Shot" by Vince Flynn (1), "Catch Me" by Lias Gardner (3), "Left for Dead" by J.A. Jance (10) and "No Mark Upon Her" by Deborah Crombie (12).

There are six books on this week’s hardcover nonfiction best-sellers list that weren’t on the list last week. They include "Hilarity Ensues" by Tucker Max (2), "Take the Stairs" by Rory Vaden (5), "Once Upon a Secret" by Mimi Alford (10), "Behind the Beautiful Forevers" by Katherine Boo (12), "Bringing Up Bebe" by Pamela Druckerman (13) and "Great by Choice" by Jim Collins & Morten T. Hansen (14).

There are five books on this week’s mass market paperbacks best-sellers list that weren’t on that list last week. They include "Bennett and Camilla" by Nora Roberts (7), "One Book in the Grave" by Kate Carlisle (9), "Devil's Food Cake Murder" by Joanne Fluke (12), "Crunch Time" by Diane Mott Davidson (14) and "Shaded Vision" by Yasmine Galenorn (15).

There are five books on this week’s trade paperbacks best-sellers list that weren’t on the list last week. They include "The Vow" by Kim & Krickitt Carpenter with Dana Wilkerson (2), "The Harbinger" by Jonathan Cahn (11), "Life As I Blow It" by Sarah Colonna (12), "Before I Go to Sleep" by S.J. Watson (14) and "Dreams of Joy" by Lisa See (15).

As a reminder, I’m posting these lists each Sunday because they, as a whole, represent a great, contemporary recommended reading list. These lists are initially released each week on Thursday, and if you’re interested in reading them then, visit Publishers Weekly’s Web site at www.publishersweekly.com. Below you’ll find all four of this week’s best-seller lists.

HARDCOVER FICTION
1. "Kill Shot" by Vince Flynn
2. "Defending Jacob" by William Landay
3. "Catch Me" by Lias Gardner
4. "Death Comes to Pemberley" by P.D. James
5. "Private: Number 1 Suspect" by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
6. "11/22/63" by Stephen King
7. "Home Front" by Kristin Hannah
8. "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" by Stieg Larsson
9. "Taken" by Robert Crais
10. "Left for Dead" by J.A. Jance
11. "Raylan: A Novel" by Elmore Leaonard
12. "No Mark Upon Her" by Deborah Crombie
13. "A Dance with Dragons" by George R.R. Martin
14. "The Fear Index" by Robert Harris
15. "The Litigators" by John Grisham

HARDCOVER NONFICTION
1. "Ameritopia: The Unmaking of America" by Mark R. Levin
2. "Hilarity Ensues" by Tucker Max
3. "The End of Illness' by David Agus
4. "American Sniper" by Chris Kyle, Jim DeFelice and Scott McEwen
5. "Take the Stairs" by Rory Vaden
6. "Steve Jobs: A Biography" by Walter Isaacson
7. "Killing Lincoln" by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
8. "Quiet" by Susan Cain
9. "The World of Downtown Abbey" by Jessica Fellowes
10. "Once Upon a Secret" by Mimi Alford
11. "The 17 Day Diet" by Dr. Mike Moreno
12. "Behind the Beautiful Forevers" by Katherine Boo
13. "Bringing Up Bebe" by Pamela Druckerman
14. "Great by Choice" by Jim Collins & Morten T. Hansen
15. "Through My Eyes" by Tim Tebow with Nathan Whitaker

MASS MARKET PAPERBACKS
1. "44 Charles Street" by Danielle Steel
2. "The 9th Judgement" by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro
3. "The Girl Who Played with Fire" by Stieg Larsson
4. "Against All Enemies" by Tom Clancy with Peter Telep
5. "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson
6. "Lucky Penny" by Catherine Anderson
7. "Bennett and Camilla" by Nora Roberts
8. "Cold Vengeance" by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
9. "One Book in the Grave" by Kate Carlisle
10. "The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae" by Stephanie Laurens
11. "Bonnie" by Iris Johansen
12. "Devil's Food Cake Murder" by Joanne Fluke
13. "Tom Clancy Presents: Act of Valor" by Dick Couch and George Galdorisi
14. "Crunch Time" by Diane Mott Davidson
15. "Shaded Vision" by Yasmine Galenorn

TRADE PAPERBACKS
1. "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
2. "The Vow" by Kim & Krickitt Carpenter with Dana Wilkerson
3. "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer
4. "Heaven is for Real" by Todd Burpo, Sonja Burpo, Colton Burpo and Lynn Vincent
5. "The Tiger's Wife: A Novel" by Tea Obreht
6. "Bossypants" by Tina Fey
7. "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson
8. "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
9. "The Girl Who Played with Fire" by Stieg Larsson
10. "Lethal" by Sandra Brown
11. "The Harbinger" by Jonathan Cahn
12. "Life As I Blow It" by Sarah Colonna
13. "10th Anniversary" by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
14. "Before I Go to Sleep" by S.J. Watson
15. "Dreams of Joy" by Lisa See

In the end, let me know if you’ve had a chance to read any of these books. What did you think about them? Which would you recommend? Let us know in the comments section below.

Daily Weather Observations for Sun., Feb. 19, 2012

Temp: 55.0 degrees F (12.8 degrees C)

Rainfall (past 24 hours): 2.6 inches.

Humidity: 84 percent (Humid)

Conditions: Overcast, light fog in the distance.

Winds: Winds out of the Southwest.

Barometric Pressure: 29.26 inHg.

Week to Date Rainfall: 5.6 inches

Month to Date Rainfall: 7.1 inches

Year to Date Rainfall: 11.8 inches

Local Weather Alerts: None.

NOTE: 60th day of Winter. Ground saturated with standing water in many places from yesterday's rains. Birds visible on the powerline, but not the ground.

And Remember - "Catchy drawer and sticky door, coming rain will pour and pour."

Readings taken at 0700 hrs Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834°N Lon 87.30131°W. Elevation: 400 feet above sea level.

Is 'Paranormal Activity 3' the best movie in the series?

Just the other day, I finally got the chance to watch “Paranormal Activity 3.” As you may have guessed from the title, this movie is the third installment in the “Paranormal Activity” film series, and like the first two movies, this one contained its fair share of creepy moments.

Released just 10 days before Halloween last year, “Paranormal Activity 3” was directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman. The cast of this horror film included Lauren Bittner, Brian Boland, Johanna Braddy, Jessica Tyler Brown, Chloe Csengery, Katie Featherston, Hallie Foote, Sprague Grayden, Dustin Ingram and Chris Smith.

The movie was written by 36-year-old Christopher B. Landon, who is probably best known for being the son of late actor and filmmaker, Michael Landon. Other movies written by Christopher Landon include 2007’s “Disturbia,” which many of you probably watched and enjoyed.

For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of seeing “Paranormal Activity 3,” it’s set about 20 years before the first two movies and likely answers many of the questions that you may have asked yourself while watching the first two films. Like the first two “Paranormal Activities,” much of this movie is supposedly based on found footage and explains how the main characters become entangled with an evil spirit that follows and plagues them from childhood into adulthood. I hesitate to say much more about the plot because I don’t want to ruin the movie for those of you who haven’t seen it.

Like the first two “Paranormal Activity” films, “Paranormal Activity 3” was extremely popular among movie-going audiences. It reaped box office revenues of over $205 million against a budget of just $5 million. It also broke a number of other revenue records on its opening day. Of the three “Paranormal Activity” movies, it had the best opening at almost $53 million; the best opening day for a horror film in the U.S. at just over $26 million; the best ever midnight opening for a horror film at $8 million and the highest opening for any film ever in the month of October.

While reading up on this movie, I was interested to learn that Christopher Chacon helped promote and publicize the third installment. In addition to being a writer, director and producer, Chacon is also a paranormal investigator and researcher who is generally considered to be one of the world’s top experts on paranormal phenomena. Chacon, 48, is a native of California and traveled the world investigating a wide varsity of paranormal phenomena for the Office of Scientific Investigation and Research.

In the end, I really enjoyed “Paranormal Activity 3” and would recommend it to anyone out there who enjoys horror movies and is old enough to watch a movie that’s Rated R. How many of you out there have seen this movie? What did you think about it? Did you like it or dislike it and why? Which of the three “Paranormal Activity” movies is your personal favorite and why?

Those of you who like the “Paranormal Activity” series will be pleased to hear that Paramount Studios announced last month that a fourth installment in the series is in the works and is set to be released this coming Oct. 19.

Daily Weather Observations for Sat., Feb. 18, 2012

Temp: 54.0 degrees F (12.2 degrees C)

Rainfall (past 24 hours): 0.0 inches.

Humidity: 80 percent (Humid)

Conditions: Mostly Cloudy.

Winds: Winds out of the Northeast.

Barometric Pressure: 29.47 inHg.

Week to Date Rainfall: 3.0 inches

Month to Date Rainfall: 4.5 inches

Year to Date Rainfall: 9.2 inches

Local Weather Alerts: Flood Watch in effect from 6 a.m. Saturday through 3 a.m. Sunday. A Flood Watch means there is a potential for flooding based on current rainfall forecasts.

NOTE: 59th day of Winter. Ground still wet from recent rain with standing water in spots. Numerous robbins and black birds on the ground this morning.

And Remember - "When the chairs squeak, it's of rain they speak."

Readings taken at 0700 hrs Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834°N Lon 87.30131°W. Elevation: 400 feet above sea level.

Mack Maloney's 'UFOs in Wartime' describes two unusual Alabama incidents

Regular visitors to this space will know that I have a healthy interest in Alabama UFO reports, and I recently finished reading an intriguing new book that contains information about two unusual UFO incidents in the state. The book’s called “UFOs in Wartime: What They Didn’t Want You to Know” by Mack Maloney.

Published by Berkley Books in December, this 304-page book talks about how UFO incidents are most often documented during times of military conflict. The book discusses reports from as far back as Roman times up through the American Revolution, World War I, World War II, Vietnam and even during our most recent conflicts in the Middle East.

Before I go any further, I want to make it clear that I am about the most skeptical person you’ll ever meet when it comes to UFOs, but Maloney’s book with definitely make you stop and think. When you consider that many of these incidents have been witnessed by soldiers and airmen of all ranks as well as by respected members of the media, you’ll come to consider that maybe there’s more to the story in the world of UFOs.

I was especially interested in two Alabama incidents that Maloney mentioned in his book. The first incident occurred on June 28, 1947 and involved four Army officers at Maxwell airfield in Montgomery. These officers claimed that they saw “an unusual circular object perform inconceivable midair maneuvers for more than 20 minutes.”

That same day, an Army F-51 Mustang pilot near Lake Meade, Nevada claimed to have seen five circular objects pass him off his right wing. In Wisconsin on that same day, two farmers said that they saw 10 “saucer-shaped objects” fly over at high speed.

According to Maloney’s book, just over a year later, on the night of July 24, 1948 Capt. Clarence Chiles and copilot John Whitted were flying an Eastern Airlines DC-3 from Houston to Atlanta. Over Montgomery, Ala. they saw a “dull red glowing object” appear out of nowhere. The object was headed right for the plane, but before the pilots could react, the object zipped by their starboard side, nearly colliding with the plane. The object then climbed quickly and disappeared from sight.

Chiles and Whitted said that the object was about the size of a B-29 bomber and noted that it didn’t have wings or a tail. When it passed the plane, the pilots saw that a row of windows ran down the side of the object.

Adding credibility to their story, witnesses at Robbins Air Force Base near Macon, Ga. also claimed that they saw an unusual object that matched the description of the object seen by Chiles and Whitted. Investigators later determined that there weren’t any other planes in the area when the sighting took place.

In the end, I really enjoyed reading “UFOs in Wartime” and recommend it to anyone with an interest in UFO reports and eyewitness accounts from men and women in uniform. How many of you have had the chance to read this book? What did you think about it? Let us know in the comments section below.