LUNCH AND LEARN, JUNE 26, 2013
by SherryBlanton
 gardening goings on
Jun 03, 2013 | 2148 views |  0 comments | 124 124 recommendations | email to a friend | print | permalink
Please join the Calhoun County Master Gardeners for Lunch and Learn on Wednesday,
June 26th at noon at Cane Creek Community Gardens at McClellan. Our speaker will be Hayes Jackson and his topic will be "A Simple Water Feature for the Garden." The program is free. Bring your lunch and come! 
Spring
by SherryBlanton
 gardening goings on
Jun 03, 2013 | 1268 views |  0 comments | 78 78 recommendations | email to a friend | print | permalink
HYDRANGEAS ARE FINALLY IN BLOOM!
HYDRANGEAS ARE FINALLY IN BLOOM!
slideshow

This has been the strangest spring (and it is not officially over for three weeks). I might call it the spring that almost did not happen. It was chilly one day; then the monsoons struck, and now the heat and humidity have set in. Farmers shook their heads as they worked to get gardens plowed and crops in. For us home gardeners, we waited much later than usual to add summer color to our yards. Warm weather annuals are, for the most part tropical in nature, and are not really fond of wet cold earth. Hydrangeas are blooming about three weeks later than usual (although that is not always a bad thing as they were not hit by one of those freak late frosts that sometime happen). Our friends in the mid-west have endured terrible tragedies brought about by weather events. Hurricane forecasters say this will be a busy summer. But we who love our gardens and growing things will deal with whatever strange weather conditions come our way. We will be married to our hoses if late summer droughts come. If the weather is wet and humid, we will take care of plant diseases brought about by inclement conditions. And we will continue to smile.

Lunch and Learn, May 22, 2013
by SherryBlanton
 gardening goings on
May 18, 2013 | 2194 views |  0 comments | 41 41 recommendations | email to a friend | print | permalink
Please join the Master Gardeners for our May Lunch and Learn program, May 22, 2013 from noon until 1 PM. The program is held the fourth Wednesday of the month at Cane Creek Community Gardens at McClellan from April through September. Our May speaker is Lisa Harris of Scenic Alabama and her program will be about "Alabama the Beautiful." This organization is doing some great things to improve our state. The program is free and open to the public. Please bring your lunch and join us.
First Plant Sale of the Season--Coming Up!
by SherryBlanton
 gardening goings on
Apr 14, 2013 | 5378 views |  0 comments | 25 25 recommendations | email to a friend | print | permalink
Join the Calhoun County Tree Amigos Master Gardeners for the first plant sale of the season. Unusual perennials, trees, and shrubs will be featured at the sale, Saturday, April 20th,  8am - noon,  Cane Creek Community Gardens at McClellan. 

We are going to have some fabulous drought tolerant plants available. If you want plants with berries, we will have them; flowers, we will have them; plants for butterflies, we will have them. We are also going to have something absoutely wonderful--an 'Everblooming' Banana shrub. For those who have a banana shrub here is your chance to get another one. If you don't have one, take my word, you need one. The flowers smell like banana pudding--yum.

Sale proceeds  benefit the Tree Amigos program. So you are shopping for a very good cause. The Tree Amigos program is a therapeutic horticultural  program for the residents of the Coosa Valley Attention Home.
For information please call 256-237-1621. 
Take Pride in Jacksonville Day
by SherryBlanton
 gardening goings on
Apr 04, 2013 | 2059 views |  0 comments | 8 8 recommendations | email to a friend | print | permalink
Please join the city of Jacksonville as we "Take Pride in Jacksonville." It is a day for the residents to spruce up their neighborhoods and their community. Stop by City Hall on Church Street and register at 8:45 AM on April 13, 2013 to help pick up litter around the city.We will take electronics for recycling including computers, monitors, fax machines, etc. Residents can also bring their recycling, including paint cans, to the Jacksonville City Hall beginning at 8:30. There will also be a large truck there to collect discarded household items. The Jacksonville-Piedmont landfill will be free from 7:00 AM until 11:30 for Jacksonville residents.Cub Scout Pack 19 will be at City Hall collecting aluminum cans.
 
The day is sponsored by the City of Jacksonville, RSVP, Calhoun County Recycling Center, Calhoun County Beautification Board and County Commissioner Rudy Abbott. For more information, please call RSVP at 256-435-5091,
 

Today's Events
event calendar Icon_info

Tuesday, 18, 2013
post a new event Icon_info

Pond Spring- The Gener... 3:50 PM
Oxford Farmers market 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM
Join us for the kick-off of Oxford's first...
Oxford Farmers market 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM
Join us for the kick-off of Oxford's first...
All-Calhoun County girls soccer: Osterbind always found joy in the game
by Brandon Miller
Jun 18, 2013 | 1 views |  0 comments | 0 0 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Sharon Osterbind had 44 goals and 18 assists in helping Jacksonville advance to the Class 1A-4A girls state soccer quarterfinals. (Photo by Bill Wilson/Anniston Star)
Sharon Osterbind had 44 goals and 18 assists in helping Jacksonville advance to the Class 1A-4A girls state soccer quarterfinals. (Photo by Bill Wilson/Anniston Star)
slideshow
JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville High girls soccer coach Sam Cain noticed future star Sharon Osterbind at a camp while she was in elementary school and knew then he wanted to coach her. Cain said that at the time, Osterbind clearly had talent and passion for the game. About a decade later, that hasn’t changed. “It’s her intensity to be the best and her desire to want to be the best at whatever she does. In elementary school I knew I wanted to coach her just because she enjoyed the game so much,” Cain said. “She was out there working, smiling and laughing during the game. It’s not because she’s playing well — it’s because she enjoys the game. That’s kind of refreshing to see.” Not only was the love Osterbind had for soccer unconditional, but her skill on the field was as well. The senior striker was the star on a team that went to the quarterfinals of the Class 1A-4A state playoffs and recorded a school-record 16 wins. She managed 44 goals and 18 assists. “It was probably the most talented soccer team at JHS that I played on,” said Osterbind, who is The Anniston Star’s Calhoun County girls soccer player of the year. “Everyone just put in extra to work hard. It was a good season because everyone came in. “A lot of us have been playing together for a while. We all know each other well enough to play good soccer.” Osterbind excelled at several sports throughout childhood, but eventually dropped softball because it cut into her time spent playing soccer. She continued playing basketball, which she did at Jacksonville, but her true love was always soccer. “I’ve been playing since I was 5, and it’s just something I’ve always really liked,” she said. “It’s a physical sport, and, for example, I’ve always loved basketball, but I’d always get in foul trouble because I was so used to soccer. In soccer, you can actually use your body — you just can’t use your arms to push.” Similar to when Osterbind was on the court, she typically took the spotlight on the soccer pitch. Cain called her a coach on the field and added she also is a “great role player,” saying she’s going to make a difference no matter where she plays on the field. “As she got older, she developed the leadership so that when it was time to score goals, she could go in and do that,” he said. “But when the game was in hand, she would make her teammates look better by setting them up for scores.” Osterbind spent six years on the Jacksonville varsity before graduating last month. Although her prep career is finished, she’ll continue playing soccer at UAB next year. “I like the campus, coaches and players. It’s really exciting and I can’t wait to start, but I’m a little nervous about preseason and all,” Osterbind said. “I’ll continue to work hard and try to be successful there, too.” Brandon Miller covers prep sports for The Star. He can be reached at 256-235-3575 or follow him on Twitter @bmiller_star.
San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) and Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) collide during the second half. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) and Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) collide during the second half. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
slideshow
They're headed to a Game 7
by Associated Press
Jun 18, 2013 | 59 views |  0 comments | 5 5 recommendations | email to a friend | print
San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) and Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) collide during the second half. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) and Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) collide during the second half. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
slideshow
MIAMI — LeBron James led a title-saving charge, and now his crown will be on the line one more time in Game 7. James powered Miami to a frantic fourth-quarter rally and overtime escape as the Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs 103-100 on Tuesday night to extend the NBA Finals as far as they can go and keep their repeat chances alive. Losing his headband but keeping his cool while playing the entire second half and overtime, James finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, making the go-ahead basket with 1:43 remaining in the extra period. Tim Duncan scored 30 points for the Spurs, his most in an NBA Finals game since Game 1 in 2003, but was shut out after the third quarter. He added 17 rebounds. Game 7 will be here Thursday, the NBA's first do-or-die game to determine its champion since the Lakers beat the Celtics in 2010. The Spurs looked headed to a fifth title in five chances when they built a 13-point lead with under 4 minutes left in the third quarter, then grabbed a five-point edge late in regulation after blowing the lead. But James hit a 3-pointer before Ray Allen tied it with another with 5.2 seconds remaining in regulation. James was just 3 of 12 after three quarters, the Heat trailing by 10 and frustration apparent among the players and panic setting in among the fans. Nothing to worry. Not with James playing like this. He finished 11 of 26, even making a steal after his basket had given Miami a 101-100 edge in the OT. Before that, he was 12 minutes from hearing the familiar criticisms about not being able to get it done, from having to watch a team celebrate on his home floor again. Then he changed the game and erased that story. The Heat, who haven't lost consecutive games since Jan. 8 and 10, had too much defense and way too much James for the Spurs in the final 17 minutes. They are trying to become fourth team to win the final two games at home since the NBA went to the 2-3-2 format for the finals in 1985. James came in averaging 31.5 points in elimination games, highest in NBA history, according to a stat provided through the NBA by the Elias Sports Bureau. This wasn't quite the 45-point performance in Game 6 of last year's Eastern Conference finals in Boston, but given the higher stakes may go down as more important — if the Heat follow it with another victory Thursday. The Heat were in the same place as they were in 2011 at the end of their Big Three's first season together, coming home from Texas facing a 3-2 deficit in the finals. This is a different team. And oh, what a different James. They said they welcomed this challenge, a chance to show they how much mentally tougher they were than the team the Dallas Mavericks easily handled in Game 6 that night. James made sure they did, looking nothing like the player who was so bad in the fourth quarters during that series. He was simply unstoppable down the stretch of this one. Kawhi Leonard had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs. Tony Parker had 19 points and eight assists, but shot just 6 of 23 from the field. The Spurs had one final chance down 103-100, but Chris Bosh blocked Danny Green's 3-pointer from the corner as time expired. Bosh had said Green wouldn't get open the way he has all series — and he didn't.
Editorial: Schools on trial — In Anniston, improving education remains the ultimate goal
by The Anniston Star Editorial Board
Jun 18, 2013 | 244 views |  0 comments | 8 8 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Any cocoon of stability that may have surrounded Anniston Middle School is now shattered. Last month, after decades of debate, the Anniston Board of Education voted to close the school on Alabama 21 and move its students to other campuses as part of a system-wide reorganization and cost-cutting measure. Last week, Superintendent Joan Frazier announced her retirement for June 2014, meaning someone else — possibly from outside the system hierarchy — will shepherd the system through the middle school’s closure. And Tuesday, the state Board of Education included Anniston Middle on its list of “failing” schools that, as part of the Alabama Accountability Act, will allow parents zoned for AMS to receive tax credits if they transfer elsewhere. For the Anniston Board of Education, the state board’s list of 78 “failing” schools represents two different headlines — both significant. No other Anniston schools made the list. (For that matter, Anniston Middle was the only school in Calhoun County to be deemed “failing” by the state board.) Anniston High School, whose dropout and graduation rates have long been serious civic concerns, and the system’s five elementary schools are free of both the stigma and the practicality of being considered “failing” institutions. We are glad that’s the case. But the other headline didn’t bring a sigh of relief to a city desperate to use public education in its efforts to reinvent the city’s outlook on vital matters such as job creation, economic growth and crime reduction. A city without vibrant and well-supported public schools is a city that struggles to educate its children and sustain its future. A city without successful public schools is a city that faces stagnation and decline, not prosperity. That is Anniston’s struggle today. Our advice is to consider Anniston Middle School’s label as a “failing” school as part old news and part opportunity. Don’t overreact. Instead, see Anniston Middle as what it is — a school already destined for closure. That’s not a rationalization; it’s a fact. What’s important now is the system’s still-developing reorganization that, once completed, is expected to lessen the system’s fiscal concerns. More important, still, is this community’s understanding that the education of the children within Anniston’s public schools must be a grade-A priority. It is not the priority solely of the city’s educators or its black community, whose children are overwhelmingly the majority of the city’s schools. It must be a priority for all who want Anniston to prosper. Make no mistake: We are disappointed that the state considers Anniston Middle School a “failing” school. But we cannot lose focus on the larger, vital picture — the reinvention of Anniston’s school system and the improvement of its public education. The ailments are well known. Repairing them with hard work and rational decisions is the key.
-->
Marketplace