*Announcement from the Andalusia Department of Leisure Services
An initial herbicide application has been made to Andalusia Memorial Cemetery and a second herbicide application has been made to Marshall Memorial Cemetery. The purpose of these herbicide applications is to eradicate Bahaia Grass and improve the existing Centipede turf grass. As a result of these applications, you may see patches of yellow or brown grass in the cemeteries for a short period.
Please direct any questions to Leisure Services: (334)222-2714
The Andalusia Stingrays will use this week’s home tri-meet as a measuring stick to see where they are and what they need to improve on in preparation for the Alabama Recreation and Park Association’s district swim meet on July 16.
Practices before the meet on Saturday have been primarily focused on fine tuning turns and starts, 11-and-up coach Gavin Donaldson said.
“We have a short window to do what we need to do before district,” Donaldson said. “For district, I’ll take what I saw from their performance from this week’s meet, and over the next three practice days, I’ll go over what needs improving.
“Then, I’ll just let the chips fall where they may,” he said.
For 8-and-under coach Andy Shaddix, the swimmers in his group are right on the “cusp” of making or exceeding state qualifying times, he said.
“Mainly, this is our warm up meet right before district,” Shaddix said. “The whole summer has led up to this.
“On Saturday, it’s going to be if you’re swimming this event, then you’ll swim this at district unless something happens,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how well the team does on the relay. With the relay team when you start, there’s a split second difference and you can’t keep hanging on the blocks.”
The tri-meet will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday morning at Cooper Pool, and warm ups are at 9 a.m.
For nearly 30 years, the clock that once was at the pinnacle of the Covington County Courthouse has been missing.
Now, repairs to the clock, along with a multitude of other cosmetic updates, are under way by county employees.
County administrator Brenda Petty said one of the most noticeable repairs is to the building’s front doors.
“People may have noticed a sign taped to one of the front doors for the last year or so that said ‘Use other door,’” she said. “That’s because it’s been out of service for a while now. During a blowing rainstorm, those doors would blow open and soak the floors, making that marble a bad slip and fall exposure. But those should soon be finished.”
Petty said crews have also worked to repair water-damaged wallpaper in the rotunda.
“You’ll also noticed the great paint job in that area, too,” she said. “We’ve also ordered a new clock for the front pinnacle of the courthouse, which should arrive and be installed within the next few weeks. That clock has been gone for at least as long as I’ve been here, which is almost 27 years. So that will be very nice.”
Gardeners interested in a variety of different horticulture topics, while having the opportunity to give back to the community afterward, may be interested in taking part in a master gardener volunteer training course.
The course, sponsored by the Covington County Extension office, will be held from August to November.
Organizer Rachel Dykes said it’s a great way for gardeners to brush up on old skills while learning new ones.
“On top of getting garden and land information, it’s great because you have the opportunity to give back,” she said. “A lot of times, you just learn skills for yourself, but through this program you have to educate others. It’s a two-fold process.”
The training course will provide 50 hours of instruction in plant science and horticulture subjects, she said.
Specialists from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and Auburn University will teach the course.
Dykes said topics include soils and plant nutrition, plant physiology, entomology, herbaceous plants, plant pathology, care of landscape plants, landscape design, plant selection, lawn care, weed identification and control and fruit and vegetable gardening.
After completing the 50-hour course, master gardener interns will be required to give 50 hours of volunteer service to the extension office and their communities through beautification projects, horticultural workshops and demonstrations, Dykes said.
The program will begin Aug. 16 and will run through Nov. 1 and be held on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost of the program is $90, and deadline to sign up is July 15.
To sign up, call 222-1125.
Covington County’s 16-to-18-year-old Babe Ruth baseball team will vie for the state title this weekend in the state tournament at Andalusia High School.
There will be eight teams from the state competing in the five-day competition, which begins July 8.
The teams participating in the double elimination tournament are Etowah County, Mobile County, two teams from Tallassee, Brewton, Luverne and Wetumpka, as well as Covington County.
Eddie Stacey, county baseball recreation coach, said plans have been in the works for this tournament for the past six months.
“I hope there will be a good turn out,” Stacey said.
There will be four games played each day, beginning at 10 a.m. The second, third and fourth game each day are at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively.
The first game on Thurs., July 8, will be between Etowah County and Mobile County.
Covington County will begin its state tournament run against Wetumpka Thursday night at 7 p.m.
On Mon., July 11, the championship game will be played at 1 p.m., right after the loser’s bracket title game. An if necessary game will be played on Tues., July 12.
Admission to the tournament is $20 for an adult tournament pass and $14 for a children’s tournament pass; $7 daily for adults and $5 daily for children; and children 6-and-under get in free.
Opening ceremonies will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday at AHS.
The tournament champion will advance to play in the 2011 Southeast Regional in South Hill, Va.
Scores from the tournament will be posted on the Alabama Babe Ruth’s website at www.albaberuth.com.