Tribune Column: Funny Things from Yesterday
Today’s article is not a funny, but a sad loss of a dear friend
Rudene and I met a couple in Frankweiler, Germany, Basil and Ingrid Holmes, and they became very dear friends to us. We met in 1987 when we twinned Cullman and Frankweiler...
MONTGOMERY – We, the undersigned Alabama organizations, representing not just physicians but the thousands of low-income Alabamians served by them, want to express grave concerns with the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA).
The BCRA fundamentally changes how Medicaid is funded, dismantling the program by capping its funding, shifting much of...
My legislative district is rural, therefore my voice in the Legislature is for rural issues.
We’ve had significant success for “rural Alabama” in the Legislature in recent years, primarily because of a focus lead by the Rural Caucus in the Alabama House of Representatives
One member of the Legislature told me...
Good morning!
I have a HUGE project that needs publicity within our Cullman community. I am the librarian at East Elementary and I have a group of advanced sixth graders who have just completed a project-based learning unit where they researched “summer slide” and the benefits of summer reading.
These students...
Every working-age, able-bodied person needs a good paying job.
Not too many years ago, the dominant manufacturing industry in Alabama was the textile industry. Just as Ross Perot predicted in presidential debates, the textile industry moved to other countries when Congress approved NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement).
Alabama’s textile jobs...
Last weekend, the City of Cullman was bustling as Oktoberfest celebrations were happening in Depot Park and the Cullman County Fair Parade made its way through town. While both were beautifully organized and tons of fun, it was the annual event taking place Saturday night at Oliver Woodard Stadium...
Carol Berry with Linda Bailey (Brittany Howell for The Cullman Tribune)
My guest this week on Community with Carol is Linda Bailey with the Committee on Church Cooperation (CCC). This local nonprofit, located in the Cullman County Department of Human Resources (DHR) building on St. Joseph Street in Cullman, was...
First, notice my topic is not the most important state agency. My topic is the most important agency in the state.
What agency is the most important in the state?
Which agency can impact reduction in crime the most, reduce and eliminate racism, friction among our people, and even reduce and...
As a sewist and quilter with over 15 years of experience, I have been called several times to adopt another quilter's "stash". A stash in the quilter community is a collection of material, trims, patterns, findings, even equipment and furniture, collected over a sewing career. It is incredibly intimate...
Alabama doesn’t function like other states on a lot of things, but especially when it comes to public records.
Last year, my colleague Amy Yurkanin had a question: How much was the University of Alabama at Birmingham paying a private company to recruit students from foreign countries?
Her question led to...
The 1870s founders of Cullman County in the “Hill Country” of north Alabama traditionally celebrated the area’s birth year as 1873. So, 2023 is our 150th birthday celebration even though the town was legally established in 1875 and Cullman County in 1877.
Cullman County offers you these 150, fun and...
Over the past several years, there’s been plenty of chatter about generational differences between the boomers, millenials and Generation Z. It's been mostly insults and finger pointing as those involved in the ongoing conversation duke it out over who is to blame for everything that’s wrong in this world....
Brooke Astor was known as “The Queen of New York.” Her beloved country house, “Holly Hill,” in Briarcliff, New York is the regal setting for “The Winners Circle Birthday Party.” The Westchester County estate has more than 10,000 square feet, including 24 rooms, 13 bedrooms and both indoor and...
Any time you open a new book, you are introduced to a world of endless possibilities. There are a thousand--no, a million different places that stories could take you. As local libraries begin to reopen at full capacity and access to hands-on literature becomes available again, let us not...
Iraq veteran and commander of Cullman VFW Post 2214, Brian Monk, and wife, Rachel Monk, president of the VFW Auxiliary, pick different dates and locations every year to collect Buddy Poppy donations for the VFW. The money raised goes back to helping veterans in need.
We set up at Warehouse...
If you gonna write for us, I want you to write positive. Anytime the commission name is in an article, it’s all positive. No negatives.”
Cullman County Commission Chairman Kenneth Walker
Editorial- Noah Galilee, Cullman Tribune publisher
Amendment I
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free...
With any issue, finding the right balance is the key to success. The prison/criminal justice system issue is no different.
The purpose of prisons, in my view, is to keep the public safe! And, provide the opportunity for inmate rehabilitation when possible. We have to be careful with that one.
Innocent...
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama
MONTGOMERY - On Friday morning, President-elect Donald Trump announced that U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama will serve in his cabinet as U.S. Attorney General. Alabama Republican Party Chairman Terry Lathan issued the following statement on the nomination:
"The Alabama Republican Party is elated to see Sen. Sessions...
ODE TO UNITING
(Dedicated to John Lennon and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)
I have a dream and I’m inviting
All to end the fighting and begin uniting.
Imagine a dream of no more dividing, black and whiting;
A bit of history rewriting, one world uniting.
I have a dream of hate subsiding...
CULLMAN, Ala. - In its April 2022 term, the Grand Jury of Cullman County issued felony and misdemeanor indictments in 257 cases with a total of 492 counts. Several defendants have multiple cases, and many cases include multiple counts. Here is a breakdown of the counts for each of...
“If you have no charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.”—Bob Hope
HILARITY FOR CHARITY is a perfect example of S.U.N.S. (Smile-Making, Uniting, Neighboring, Spellbinding) GIVING. Now known as, www.WeAreHFC.org, Hilarity for Charity is the brainchild of 21st century comedy legend, Seth Rogen and his...
Dear Editor,
On September 12, 2020, a horrendous crime was committed to someone very near and dear to our hearts. Herndon “Junior” Self was a hard-working and outgoing husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, and uncle whose only fault was putting his trust in the wrong person.
The shocking part about this...
Carol Berry, left; Kelsey Rice, right (Photo courtesy of Carol Berry)
“Community with Carol” recently sat down with Kelsey Rice to talk about the local nonprofit, Hope Horses, Inc. Kelsey is a beautiful, soft-spoken young lady with a true love for what she does. As Kelsey began to speak...
Census 2020 kicked off in March, shortly before the word “coronavirus” entered our everyday vocabulary and upended life as we then knew it. And while the Census is not presently on the forefront of the vast majority’s minds, it is enormously important to Alabama’s future.
Alabama is currently reporting a...
As the director of the state agency charged with safeguarding Alabama’s environment, I have great respect for and deep appreciation of our state’s wonderful natural resources and rich biodiversity of species and habitats, including many that are unique to Alabama. Protecting human health and those environmental treasures is precisely...
It’s been a little over a month since we learned about the death of Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney in Birmingham. That kind of violence against a beautiful child of God is just beyond comprehension. And in the weeks since, we’ve seen the tragic murders of Aniah Blanchard in Auburn and...
Kate Quinn has done it again! After authoring numerous gripping novels about women in World War II, she does not disappoint with “Diamond Eye.” It is based on the true story of Lyudmila Pavlichenko, a sniper for the Russian Army during the German invasion. There were 2,000 female snipers...
There are a great many diets floating around these days, each with some extreme weight-loss claims and an eating regime that involves either cutting something out or adding something totally weird to your normal meal system. However, there is one in particular that currently holds the number 1 slot,...
In many areas of Alabama, blogs or Facebook pages have begun to function as news agencies. While those entities can be helpful in distributing information, they lack the accountability to be considered an actual news outlet.
In my opinion, a news outlet should be credentialed in some form. Being a...
“Shhh” in a Cullman County library was likely first heard in the home of Colonel John Cullmann, the county’s founder. The Colonel was known for having a sizeable collection of books written in his native German, and others in English, the language of his adopted country.
Shhh happens in libraries.
Shhh...
This question has numerous answers, but I would like to hear your answer or answers.
I firmly believe education is important to our future. The very first economic development project during my time as mayor of my hometown was to recruit a high-quality preschool, Early Years Preschool.
Education continues to be...
For several months there has been discussion and downright controversy surrounding the use of lodging tax dollars by the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce. It’s time for a formal audit to disclose exactly how and where the lodging tax money is spent. Secrecy and mistrust are two words you...
ODE TO A WORLD-CLASS QUEST
Today, I’m on a world-class quest for the ultimate food fest.
I started off so Hungary and thought to Czech my kitchen first.
Then, I was Russian to the fridge but only found a Greece-y Turkey.
Iran to the grocery to get some salt, pepper, Chile and Korea-ander,
Because...
Farming Feeds Alabama, but our state’s farmers also help feed the world.
That’s why the Alabama Farmers Federation is urging Congress to ratify the U.S.-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement.
Canada and Mexico are our first and third largest export markets. This agreement not only preserves our partnership with these neighbors, but it...
Here’s a question for you: Why do we, as humans, feel the need to go completely overboard when it comes to everything to do with our children? Somewhere along the way, it seems we have forgotten the joy in simplicity. From over-the-top gender reveals to lavish birthday parties and...
I consider myself quite lucky after discovering a fire in my living room Monday afternoon. For anyone with older homes with built-in electric wall heaters, please pay attention. Even if you think the heater doesn’t work, do not put anything in front of the heaters unless you know they...
TEA FOR TWO
Picture you upon my knee
Just tea for two
And two for tea
Just me for you
And you for me alone.
- Music by Vincent Youmans; Lyrics by Irving Caesar
Tea as a tonic for “joyous aging” is documented 300 years before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth when a Chinese army...
Remember when America was all about freedom-loving fun and people fought for “The Right to Party?” Even in 1773 (evening of December 16), our royal-bashing, founding parents were dressing up like their Native American neighbors on a warpath; whoopin’, hollerin’ and tossin’ boxes of inflation-pricey, not-made-in-the-USA tea into the...
One of the best singers Britain has produced in decades, Corinne Bailey Rae is a breath of fresh air. She's gonna guide you right on in to work with a smile on your face this morning! Here's "Put Your Records On."
Bio from www.corinnebaileyrae.com:
From Leeds, England, artist Corinne Bailey Rae...
F-WORDS are not used frequently enough. At least that’s true for some F-WORDS. There are so many FABU F-WORDS, I’ve FINAGLED them into two fragments, 25 in this installment and 25 MORE F-WORDS in the next.
To fortify your familiarity with the four basic facets of “The S.U.N.S. (Smile-Making, Uniting,...
Sen. Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman is seen here with supporters in Cullman on June 5, 2018. (Cullman Tribune file photo)
On Tuesday, Governor Kay Ivey signed the Rebuild Alabama plan (House Bill 2) into law—understandably, this measure to increase Alabama’s investment in infrastructure has received a lot of attention. Alabama’s gas...
The time has come to paraphrase the lawyer Joseph Welch in the famous Joe McCarthy hearing and address Governor Kay Ivey instead: “Have you no sense of decency, ma'am, at long last?”
Alabama’s coronavirus infections and deaths continue to climb. And among the victims are poor people who fell below the...
Photo shows James Webb Space Telescope mirror segments.
“Yeah, sure, NASA launches rockets and sends probes into outer space. It’s neat I guess. But, so what? What they do doesn’t affect me personally.” I’ve heard a few folks say this in my 23+ years with NASA. And every time they...
With another legislative session in Alabama right around the corner, along with a presidential election, “school choice” is quickly becoming a hot topic across the state. The phrase could mean anything from voucher systems to statewide open enrollment, depending on who is defining it.As an advocate for public education...
Three: One: Six—3/16—Is it just another day on a calendar, a random series of numbers or something much more?
Two years ago, on March 16, 2020, we received instructions to shut down everything involving the gathering of people. Schools, churches, businesses and more shut down in fear of a new...
On Friday members of the Cullman Veterans of Foreign Wars and Auxiliary took part in a march around Sportsman Lake in remembrance of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.
Carrying flags including Old Glory, all five branch flags, the Firefighter and Police flags, as well as...
ODE TO BLOOMING
Stealthily, they commanded the hill,
Though no cannons nor bombs were booming.
No movement detected, all seemed deadly still.
Then, victorious as any army, all the flowers were blooming.
The earth is blooming with the joyous laughter of flowers. In my part of the world, we...
“When do we learn that the world, like any diner worth its salt, is open 24 hours a day?”—Daniel Handler
American diners are the perfect place to “open up” and share “The S.U.N.S. (Smile-Making, Uniting, Neighboring, Spellbinding) Joyous Aging” wisdom.
S.U.N.S. DINERS, my selections for each of the 50 united states,...
Crowds of people gathered together on Saturday, August 10, 2013, in Cullman County to pray for their community schools and colleges. The reasons are crystal clear. At school after school, in crowds so large there was standing-room only, parents, grandparents, neighbors and children closed their eyes and bowed their...
From my personal perspective, one of the most wonderful things about having grandchildren (besides being able to give them back) is that we get to choose the names that they call us. I’m certainly glad this is the case, but considering how parents micromanage every aspect of their kid’s...
ODE TO SMILE-MAKING
When you’re smiling, the muscles it takes are 17.
But, when you’re scowling, it takes 43 and looks so mean.
When you’re smiling, you look better even on frumpy days with bad hair.
Smiles are always in fashion, it’s the very most important thing to wear.
Even when you’re feeling...
After turning 70 this year, I’m performing in my first, classical ballet. Seeing all those ballerinas on tiptoe, I’m wondering—why didn’t they just get taller dancers?
I don’t claim to be an A-student in dance, but I’m trying to be. It’s been my experience that great dancers don’t expect the...
Governor Ivey has proclaimed Nov. 30, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, as Small Business Saturday in Alabama.
Small business really is the bedrock of Alabama’s economy. It accounts for 99.4 percent of all businesses in the state and employs about 47 percent of the workforce, according to the latest figures from the...
I have a serious problem. Well, serious might be an overstatement, but it is as least an uncomfortable situation. I live in the deep-south, summer has arrived, and my home’s air-conditioner keeps going out. The breaker keeps tripping. The first time this happened, I didn’t realize the problem. A...
“Love & Saffron” was written by Kim Fay, who is from Washington state. Her previous books are “Communion: A Culinary Journey through Viet Nam,” which was a Gourmand World Cookbook Award winner and “The Map of Lost Memories,” an Edgar Award finalist for Best First Novel. “Love and Saffron” is an epistolary (a...
CULLMAN, Ala. - The Health Care Authority of Cullman County/ Cullman Regional Board of Directors this week announced that they have received Emergency Alabama Certificate of Need (CON) approval to add an additional 30 beds to the hospital, including 13 additional critical care beds.
During the final months of 2020...
As the new year begins and we reflect on 2020, we are faced with the sad reality that almost 4,800 Alabamians have died from COVID-19, the highly contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Last spring when we learned about the illnesses and deaths due...
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey / Courtesy of "Governor Kay Ivey's First Year"
April 10, 2018, marks one year since I unexpectedly became governor. With only three hours’ notice I was called on to lead.
The tasks at hand were plentiful.
We had to restore integrity to state government. Relationships with legislators and...
This is a difficult day for all of us. New unemployment numbers released this morning, some of the worst in our nation’s history, paint a grim picture of the economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions of Americans, and many of our fellow Alabamians, are out of work...
Left to right: Jamie Brown, Carol Berry and Barbara Whitehead (Brittany Howell for The Cullman Tribune)
Jamie Brown is my guest this week on Community with Carol. Jamie founded the Senior Outreach Organization back in April of 2018. I have personally attended the Outreach and enjoyed watching Jamie serving the...
Cheaha State Park's Callie Thornton takes in the vista at Bald Rock. (Photo by David Rainer)
By David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
From a shaded retreat on John’s Bay in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta to the boardwalk atop the highest mountain in the state, the Alabama State Parks...
Josh Swindall with his wife and children (contributed)
I was impressed with my guest this week on “Community with Carol,” Josh Swindall, the new principal at Cullman Christian School. Cullman Christian School began as a nonprofit protestant school in 2007 and accommodates children of all ages from 3 (pre-Kindergarten) through...
The COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted everyone’s lives in many ways. Those of us in the media are no exception. There are those, especially on social media platforms, who seem to believe that the media is enjoying this pandemic or even perpetuating it. This is simply not true. The last...
Local legislation is often required to authorize a local entity to do something specific that otherwise is not authorized by law or the state constitution.
Local legislation can usually be passed if all the local legislators, House and Senate agree or at least do not oppose the proposed local law.
For...
Though I cannot speak much to what exactly I was expecting from “Then She Was Gone,” author Lisa Jewell’s name has come up several times amongst discussions with literary colleagues, and I was hopeful in finally including one of her works in my now routine search for new material...
Community colleges in Alabama and across the nation have responded quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic, making contributions to enhance capabilities of emergency responders and health care professionals. Two-year public colleges have the unique capability to re-skill the workforce as the state and the nation prepare to return to productivity...
