The First Deposit Fire/Rescue Department will have their first Annual Honors Banquet on March 12, 2010, Time- Meal 6:30p.m., Program 7 p.m. at Bethel Baptist Church in Fort Deposit.

They ask that we all join them as they honor local heroes for their service to the community and surrounding areas.

All volunteers will be honored and an award to the “Firefighter of the Year and” “Volunteer of the Year”.  Also the Wanda McCarty Award will be presented.

The banquet meal is free, however, donations are accepted. Lets show our support to these firemen by attending and by as generous donations as possible.  THEY DESERVE IT!

Each year the adults at the Fort Deposit Church of Christ host an appreciation dinner for the senior citizens of the congregation and community as you may have read about a month or so ago.

On Sunday the hosting group of adults for the January dinner were honored by the youth of the congregation under the direction of Tim and Lindsey Croley, assisted also by Lauren Locklear, in a similar fashion.

The honorees were served a delicious Mexican dinner complete with fried ice cream for dessert and decorations in keeping with the theme.

Games for the evening included pin the tail on the donkey, followed by the traditional breaking of the piñata.

Guests included Marsha and Jay Rice, Jewell and Max Conway, Sharon and Ronnie Paulk, Rebecca and Malcolm Callen, Dale Brannon, Steve Foster, Julie and Daniel Autrey, Tena and Stan Foster, Susie and Michael Coleman, Rebecca and Jimmy Loftin, Cindy and Chris Edgar, Loretta Stabler, Laura and Michael McCann, Paul Prophet, and Marinda and Rick Trull.

Those hosting the event included Adrianne Callen, Andrew Callen, Shelley Brannon, Taylor Autrey, Daniel Hall Autrey, Zane Spears , Callie McCann, Micah McCann, Ethan Edgar, Trav Foster, and Tiffany Faulkner , and Forrest Luker. A special thanks to all of these young people for their service!

Congratulations to Lindsey Rice Croley upon being selected “Teacher of the Year” out of all Lowndes County School.  One of the important objectives for teachers is getting parental involvement.  We are proud of you Lindsey!!!

Also, congratulations to Loretta Stabler for making the “Dean’s List” in an Accounting Course she is taking on the internet.  With all of Loretta’s weekly schedules it amazes me that she has time to study, let alone make the Dean’s List.  Good going, Loretta.

Some of Elizabeth Tillery’s Fort Deposit school friends paid her a visit this weekend in Orange Beach.  Enjoying the fun were Rebecca Callen, Janet Heartsill, Kim Vickery, Clara Johnson.

Tagging along for the “girl’s weekend” was Leon Golson, while Carolyn and Rachel Paulk were visiting Noelle in Texas.  Noelle has been hospitalized for an undetermined amount of time while experiencing problems with her pregnancy.

We wish to express our concerns to Noelle, Brian and little Luc (who celebrated his second birthday with his grandmothers Rachel and Carolyn) as they go through this difficult time.

Rachel flew back home on Monday and Carolyn will remain in Texas for a while to help out.

Minister Eric Jackson of Bethel Baptist Church is attending a seminar for Chaplains in Mobile.  Eric is quite an asset to our community in the outstanding job he and many other have done for our fire department.  We are very grateful to them all.
Mary Davis (Mrs. Benny) has been ill for quite some time and spent a short time in the hospital.

At present she is scheduled to go to Greenville Nursing Home for a short time in order to receive rehab treatment for a compound fracture in her back.

Our prayers are with her that she will make rapid progress in healing the pain in her back.  We miss her.

Our sympathy to the family and friends of Toby Coleman who passed away recently.
We understand there will be a memorial service at 2 pm on Saturday at the Fort Deposit Methodist Church.

(Editor’s note: The following Tidbits were accidentally omitted from last week’s column.)

Bethel Baptist Church had their Valentine dinner hosted by the Bethel Youth on Sunday night, February 14, at 5:30 P.M. in the fellowship hall.  There were about 60 people present.

The delicious dinner consisted of roast beef, green beans wrapped in bacon, mashed potatoes, rolls and brownies for dessert.

Door prizes were given out as well as a gift for our interim youth minister, Kim
Vickery.  The fellowship hall was decorated beautifully with helium heart shaped balloons, floating water candles and gorgeous arrangements of flowers. A delightful night for all.

Rachel Jackson won honorable mention at the Fort Dale Science Fair, Rachel is the daughter of Vickie and Eric Jackson.  Rachel also won the spelling bee at Fort Dale – 6th Grade level.  She won the district competition for the 6th grade in Evergreen, Alabama, at Reid State Technical College.

On Feb. 2, Rachel went to the state competition at Huntingdon College in Montgomery.  A great big congratulations to you Rachel and to Mom and Dad.

Charli Hood, daughter of Bob and Steffani Hood, came in 3rd place at the Science
Fair for 6th graders at Fort Deposit Academy.  Congratulations Charli!!!!

Most of us have no idea how many calls the Fort Deposit Volunteer Fire Department receives in a month or year.  So to let you know how very much we should appreciate them, they had 26l calls in 2009 and seem to be getting off to a good start in 20l0. Very busy.

And we are so thankful to have such an efficient and willing volunteer fire department.  We are so appreciative of their work.

We have a number of our residents who are ill.  Mary Davis has been at home ill for several weeks and was taken to Jackson Hospital last Tuesday.
She returned home on Friday.  She is slowly recovering at this time.

Bunk Norman was in Baptist Hospital for six days last week with a mild heart attack.  He had a catherization and three stints.  He returned home on Saturday and was back at the center on Monday.

Rupert Frazier took over the center with the help of Bob Overstreet, Joyce Foster, Willie Butts, and others while Iris and Bunk were out.

Betty Hare will have a heart catherization on Wednesday in Montgomery.  We wish her well.