Before I write about people and events from 1954, I must tell you about the contributions of four people who made Atmore’s landscape appealing to all its residents and to the many who travel through our town.

Four or five years ago, I wrote about Ed Brown, Eddie Cook and Melvin Middleton, each now retired from highly respected companies. They avidly went about their work here in the city in an energetic manner.

Ed‘s talented “green fingers” blended flowers and shrubs into the respective themes of every street throughout the city. Eddie had that knack of keeping grass and vegetation mowed in the same manner a barber trims a beautiful head of hair.

Melvin used his innovated talents keeping our parks in “showroom” condition. Unlike some area towns where horticulture has gone AWOL, these men brought identity to Atmore. The fact they worked beyond their retirement is an inspiration to all of us. In other words, when they took their retirement a few years ago, it was not an indication for them to merely “sit and rock.”

And let me not forget Mark Elkins. It seems like he strolled our streets for years assembling loose trash into neat piles for easy pickups. Mark has that uncanny ability of remembering our names and the auto license numbers of just about every resident in Atmore.

Contributions by these fine men rightly deserve our praise and recognition.

Now, for some political news. I would not dare tell you who to vote for in the upcoming presidential election, but one organization that Facebook posters are familiar with did make an endorsement. And, boy, did it ever hit the fan. AL.com, the main Alabama Internet news source, came out and told its readers in so many words that Trump would be bad for our country. Well, folks, many, many Alabamians did not like this. This was an unwise conjecture and it may come back to haunt this organization. After all, this is the same network that has problems wording their headlines. Having “the moon sitting on the doorsteps” is a prime example.

This organization took issue with Trump on many issues, but mainly the issue on women that the liberal media used in their broadcasts and front pages. We all know the shame Bill Clinton and his women brought us when he was in office. It was Clinton who set the tone for his use of women. So how can AL.com not recognize his failures, too? In today’s news themes, you can safely say Trump is not running for office of POPE, not at all because Bill Clinton introduced this concept.

Speaking of politics, I want to draw your attention to an observation regarding Fox News.

As many of you know, this network has taken a somewhat liberal format under its wings since Roger Ailes was dismissed. He was the man that set the tone for FOX’s previous conservative philosophy. I see much division and discourse among its key anchors and reporters growing each day. Megan Kelly seems to be leading the liberal cause and Sean Hannity has become the pure conservative leader. It would not surprise me at all to see a break up in the network with many of its conservative principals leaving, possibly joining with Ailes in a new all-conservative network.

There are over a dozen key reporters who could make this move. And, if they move on, you will see a big drop off in viewers and possibly advertisers too. So, stay tuned real close and don’t be surprised if this shake up occurs.

I want to say a kind word here about Atmore native Lyn Stuart who currently serves as the senior member of the state Supreme Court. Seeking the title of chief justice, she makes her home in Bay Minette and her office in Montgomery. After completing high school here in the early 1970s, she graduated from Auburn University and the University of Alabama with studies in law. Having worked in various law fields in the state, she is now recognized as a leading figure in her field.

We wish her much success for her endeavors in the Alabama Supreme Court race.

Now, let’s go back to news from 1954. The Chapel Ministries were initiated at our local prisons that year. Since then, countless ministers and laymen have participated in these ministries.

The Atmore Advance added a new community correspondent that year. Mrs. Leon Prestwood became our McCullough correspondent.

Dr. T Reed, our county health physician, passed away in 1954. Residing in Brewton, he served all of west Escambia for several years. And speaking of doctors, 13 physicians from the state were called to military service through the draft.

Two Atmore doctors, Majors Crawford and Leslie Horn enjoyed an unexpected meeting when they served in Pusan, Korea. They ran across each other in a military hospital situation in that country.

Joyce Lambert, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A.T. Lambert, graduated from the school of nursing at Providence Hospital.

Former ECHS gridiron standout, Charles Madison, was one of two University of Georgia football players selected to participate in Montgomery’s Blue-Grey game. Red Vickery, another former ECHS player, years earlier, was influential in Madison’s signing with Georgia. Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Clayton extended their “Dime Store” variety business by opening a new variety store in Bay Minette.

After almost 10 years of these “nostalgia” columns, I am nearing the point where I hardly know what to write about. And, the older I get, the more difficult it becomes. I do think I have found a solution. I think I will simply add fiction and let you try to separate the fiction from factual nostalgia. By the way, I sometimes add a mistake in each column in hope you will discover it. It may be improper antecedents, grammatical linage, misspelled words, improper personification and metaphors, etc.

Can you find the mistake in today’s column?

More next week.

“….yes, it always whispers to me….those days of long ago……”.

Contact Lowell at exam@frontiernet.net.