Ten years ago in 2005, it was announced that the ownership of McDonald’s had changed. The new owner of the fast food chain store planned on tearing it down to be replaced by a new one.

Apparently, there had been many complaints about the old McDonald’s. Under new

leadership, the hopes were to bring it back better than ever.

Today, I look around and there is a fast food place on every corner. I am not knocking it. I remember the first drive-up place in my home town and it was nothing like it is today. You could drive up, but you still had to get out of the car and order your food. When it was ready, a waitress would bring it out and set up a tray on the door.

They didn’t have the kinks worked out by any means so service was not so good. I remember double-dating with my friend just because she could not go out with a boy alone. I did not particular like my set-up date, but I wanted to help my friend. I ordered the most that I thought I could eat, thinking it would discourage him. The funny thing was, I had a good time. Of course, that was back when I was a crazy

teenager.

A senior citizen (age 73) was robbed at gunpoint as she walked to visit relatives. The robber snatched the woman’s purse and got away with it.

I have almost gotten to where I don’t carry a purse anymore. It is just in my way and I never have any money in it anyway.

In 2005, a 911 call was made to the Atmore Police Department summoning them to Presley Street Baptist Church. The caller had noticed a man peeking into the windows of the church. When the police arrived, the suspect told them that he had come there to pray. Charges were made against the man and he was taken away.

Three inmates in the Escambia County Detention Center escaped. At the time of the story appearing in the newspaper, two of them were still on the run, but one of them turned himself in to the authorities.

A last minute Christmas story in the news was the story of a group of motorcycle riders who got together to collect toys in the Toys For Tots organization.

Everybody thinks of these motorcycle riders as being tough, but stories like this show just how much they care.

There was a real feel-good story in the paper of an Atmore resident, Linda Sullivan, who shared her collection of Teddy Bears with residents of The Meadows. Sullivan received her first bear when she was pregnant with her son in 1967. She fell in love with the bears and has continued to add to the collection.

Oh, and by the way, that first bear now has a prominent place in the home of her son. I had a similar thing happen to me. When my son was little, I was looking at bears to buy one for Easter. I spotted this blue bunny sitting alone on the shelf. He was very droopy and something about him made me pick him up instead of a bear. He sort of reminded me of Eayore from Winnie the Pooh. George lived at our home for many years.

He even had a few bad accidents and his plump little body was patched in a couple of places. He lasted through my son’s childhood and was passed along to his children when they came along. I don’t know what happened to George. I wish I knew.

Happy New Year to you all.