By By Adrienne McKenzie
WKRG Channel 5 News broadcasted live from Atmore Friday afternoon in Heritage Park and I had the opportunity to meet and greet with the three anchors that were present.
I have to admit that before meeting Mel Showers, Rose Ann Haven and Alan Sealls, I was a little bit nervous. I was not sure if they were going to be friendly or if they would be too busy to speak to me or what kind of greeting I would receive from them. It was almost as if I was going to meet a Hollywood celebrity!
After I met Sealls, I knew that things would be all right. All three of the anchors were very sweet and I enjoyed meeting each and every one of them. I had the opportunity to speak to all three of them for a moment and they were not only kind, but also humorous.
I learned that Showers is a Mobile native and that he is no stranger to Atmore. He informed me that he used to travel to Atmore to play basketball when he was in his younger years.
I also learned a lot about meteorology from Sealls. He had some of the niftiest contraptions that allowed him to see what the weather would do next without even lifting a finger. I was very impressed.
I thought it was nice of the anchors to stick around after the news had broadcasted to meet the people of Atmore, to sign autographs and to take photos. It was kind of them to take more time out of their afternoon to stay in Atmore for even five minutes longer than they were required before heading back to Mobile.
Not only was I happy with the anchors, but I was also quite proud of the number of Atmore residents who showed up for the event. I had several people from the WKRG crew tell me that it was the largest audience they have ever had during their small town tours.
I thought it was very generous of the Atmore Area Chamber of Commerce Junior Ambassadors to present the anchors with pecan pies at the end of the program. I realize Mobile is not far from Atmore, but it is definitely not as small and is more than likely lacking in some of the small town charm that Atmore has.
Both Showers and Haven said they appreciated the warm welcome they received when reaching Atmore Friday afternoon. It is great when the people of Atmore come out and show love for people from other areas.
I wish I had set the VCR to tape the broadcasting Friday afternoon but I completely forgot about it. But, I am certain that it was amazing and even though it was scorching hot and everyone was getting eaten up by mosquitoes, I think the Atmore community, WKRG anchors and crew did a great job and should be commended for showing up and having a good time.
Hopefully Atmore was shown as one of the greatest small towns to live in throughout the state of Alabama.
Adrienne McKenzie is a staff reporter for The Atmore Advance. She can be reached at 368-2123 or via email at lifestyles@atmoreadvance.com