News: 2010-03-16T16:44:25Z Copyright (c) 2010, Carla Nelson ExpressionEngine tag:thecornernews.com,2010:03:16 tag:thecornernews.com,2010:index.php/news/3.9775 2010-03-16T15:39:24Z 2010-03-16T16:44:25Z Carla Nelson cmerrill@thecornernews.com
The belief that winning can’t happen without cheating at Auburn, especially after the Tigers’ 24-12, 2008-09 season, is also fading away.

The pay promises to be much better, too.

When athletic director Jay Jacobs starts to sit down with his potential candidates in the coming days and weeks, he won’t have to do nearly as much selling as Hal Baird did when he hired Jeff Lebo in 2004.

“I think it’s something that someone can look at and feel like they can recruit to,” women’s basketball coach Nell Fortner said. “It should be attractive to a large number of coaches.”

With that in mind, a number of potential candidates have emerged in the 36 or so hours since one of Auburn University’s highest-paid positions became vacant. Though none of the following names have been officially confirmed, it’s expected none of them will immediately hang up if/when Jacobs rings up their cell phone.

Mike Anderson
Age: 50

Birthplace: Birmingham

Alma mater: Tulsa

Current position: Head coach, Missouri.

Career record: 176-86 (Eight seasons; four at UAB, four at Missouri)

Career highlight: Missouri advanced to the Elite 8 last season, finishing 31-7. Anderson was one of 10 finalists for the Henry Iba Award, which is given to the best college basketball coach from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

Would he take it?: Anderson is a Birmingham native and a protégé of Nolan Richardson’s, so his ties to the SEC are strong. He was in the mix for the Auburn job last time it came open, but didn’t come to campus for an interview. He’s making $1.6 million per year and recently received a seven-year extension on his contract, making him the most expensive candidate at this point.

Tony Barbee
Age: 38

Birthplace: Indianapolis

Alma Mater: UMass

Current position: Head coach, UTEP

Career record: 79-49 (four seasons)

Career highlight: It’s happening right now. UTEP lost Saturday to Houston in the Conference USA title game, but the Miners are nationally ranked and set to return to the NCAA Tournament.

Would he take it?: Barbee, a former John Calipari assistant, has no ties to the South or the Southeastern conference. He is, however, making significantly less money at UTEP than he would at Auburn and wouldn’t be overwhelmed by a rebuilding project. One of the nation’s top-ranked recruiters when he coached alongside Calipari at Memphis, Barbee has stockpiled the Miners with some of the nation’s top talent.

John Brady
Age: 55

Birthplace: McComb, Miss.

Alma mater: Belhaven

Current position: Head coach, Arkansas State

Career record: 290-218 (19 seasons; six at Samford, 11 at LSU, two at Arkansas State)

Career highlight: In 2005-06, LSU started the season unranked, but advanced all the way to the Final Four thanks to the play of future NBA players Glen Davis and Tyrus Thomas.

Would he take it?: Brady spent the best years of his coaching career in the SEC West. The lure of spinning a 17-14 season in Jonesboro, Ark., to an SEC job with a brand new arena would appear to be overwhelming. Plus, it’s expected Auburn will pay Brady, who is still collecting buyout checks from LSU, more than the $100,000 per season he’s making now.

Mike Davis
Age: 49

Birthplace: Fayette

Alma mater: Alabama

Current position: Head coach, UAB

Career record: 198-126 (10 seasons; six at Indiana, four at UAB)

Career highlight: One year after replacing legend Bob Knight, Davis led the Hoosiers to an unexpected trip to the NCAA Finals in 2002.

Would he take it?: Davis might be looking for a fresh change of scenery after his fourth consecutive year at UAB without an NCAA Tournament berth. It also might be nice for him to play in a conference that consistently gets more than one team to the Big Dance every year. Davis, like Anderson, was also in the mix during Auburn’s previous search.

Frank Haith
Age: 44

Birthplace: Queens, N.Y.

Alma mater: Elon

Current position: Head coach, Miami

Career record: 108-86 (six seasons)

Career highlight: As a top assistant at Texas, Haith and the Longhorns advanced to the Final Four in the 2002-03 season.

Would he take it?: Haith is a New Yorker by birth and has no SEC ties. Because Miami is a private institution, his financial situation is unclear, though athletic director Kirby Hocutt recently extended his contract.

Johnny Jones
Age: 50

Birthplace: N/A

Alma mater: LSU

Current position: Head coach, North Texas

Career record: 150-120 (nine seasons)

Career highlight: Jones, in his sixth season, saw it all come together at North Texas, as he guided the Mean Green to their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1988 after capturing the Sun Belt Title.

Would he take it?: Jones is deeply entrenched in Denton and just recently received a raise and contract extension, locking him up with the Mean Green for the next six years. Still, Jones knows what it’s like to play in the SEC and would be getting a major pay bump to boot.

Sam Mitchell
Age: 46

Birthplace: Columbus, Ga.

Alma Mater: Mercer

Current position: N/A

Career record: 156-189 (five seasons with Toronto Raptors)

Career highlight: After leading the Raptors to their first division title in franchise history and bowing out of the first round of the NBA playoffs, Mitchell was named Coach of the Year in 2007.

Would he take it?: Mitchell has been off for a year, spending time in Atlanta with his family. An active member in the community and beloved in his hometown, he’s apparently open to the idea of returning to coaching, even if it is college.

Chuck Person
Age: 45

Birthplace: Brantley

Alma Mater: Auburn

Current position: Special assistant, Los Angeles Lakers

Career record: N/A

Career highlight: In college, it was when he became Auburn’s all-time leading scorer, a record that still stands today, even with the introduction of the 3-point line. In the pros, it might have been his overall longevity, as he lasted 15 seasons and played with five different teams.

Would he take it?: Person is currently on the path to, one day, become a head coach at the professional level. But when he talked with reporters Thursday, he hinted that an offer from a major program in a major conference would be tough to overlook.

]]> tag:thecornernews.com,2010:index.php/news/3.9772 2010-03-16T15:21:55Z 2010-03-16T16:26:56Z Carla Nelson cmerrill@thecornernews.com
The “Hunger March” was devised by The Committee of 19, the student organization leading the War on Hunger on Auburn’s campus. The committee was formed in 2004 when the UN World Food Programme approached the university about creating a student campaign against hunger. The name for the committee is symbolic for the 19 cents it used to take to feed a child for one day, which is now 25 cents due to inflation and the rising cost of food.
President Emma Keller has served on the committee since her freshman year at Auburn.

“The issue of hunger is something that has weighed heavy on my heart since I was about 15 years old,” Keller said. “I traveled to Haiti, which as you know is the poorest country in the western hemisphere, and it changed my life. After seeing the things that I saw, suffering that no one should have to endure, I knew that I had to do something.”

Keller and former president Haley Walker Killebrew came up with the idea for the “Hunger March” in 2008.

“We were talking over the summer about plans for that fall semester,” Keller said. “She had some friends who had walked home to Birmingham over one break and she thought it would be a great way to raise awareness if we could walk somewhere.”

The capitol in Montgomery was the first location that came to mind.

“It really was a crazy idea, but we thought we would try it out,” Keller said.

The first “Hunger March” was held in October of 2008. Around 60 students joined in on the march.

The marchers set out from the Auburn University Medical Clinic on Friday, Oct. 17, at 10 a.m. and traveled southeast on College Street to U.S. 29, then Ala. 81 North, and 20 miles in Tuskegee. On the second day they walked 30 miles and finished in the Mt. Meigs area. On the third day they walked the final 10 miles to the steps of the capitol where they arrived to rally around noon.

Keller said that it felt amazing to walk for a cause that she truly believed in.

“But what was more amazing was to have close to 60 other students all walking for the same reasons,” Keller said.

Keller added that the walk proved difficult - more difficult than she anticipated.

“It was hard,” she said. “There were many times I wanted to give up, especially after walking in the rain for more than seven hours on the first day. But we all somehow found the strength to make it through.”

Keller added that she was impressed by the passion that exuded from everyone who participated.

“We all helped each other out along the way and made sure everyone made it,” she said.

This year the students will set out for the capitol on Saturday, March 27. This will mark the second “Hunger March.” The first march was held in October, when state legislation was not is session. So, the committee decided to move the march to spring semester, which means there was no 2009 march, but an entire school year has not been skipped.

This year the committee hopes to have around 150 students march, so far 50 have signed up.

Each participant must sign a series of waivers. The committee also recommends training for the event and at least two broken-in pairs of good walking shoes.
“Though walking generally is not very physically demanding it takes incredible physical, mental and emotional strength to endure,” Keller said.

The marchers sleep in churches along the way, which is where they eat breakfast and dinner. They stop along the way for lunch, and some food is donated. Marchers are encouraged to bring their own snacks.

A caravan of vehicles follow the marchers incase a marcher gets too tired to continue and needs to rest for a while.

“We also make regular stops for stretching and sock changing to keep injuries and blisters to a minimum,” Keller said.

Courtni Ward joined the Committee of 19 as the College of Business representative last year during her freshman year at Auburn. One of the first activities she helped plan was the “Hunger March.”

“After the success with last year’s march, I wanted to be involved in the entire process, not just as a participant,” Ward said.

This year Ward is serving as the chair for the “Hunger March” Planning Committee.

Ward has helped plan the new route the marchers will take this year.

“We will actually be travelling a different route this year that is more pedestrian-friendly, with wider shoulders, more places to stop along the way ...” Ward said.

The marchers will head out on March 27 at 8:30 a.m. from Auburn University’s campus. The first day will be a 24.6 mile walk to the Elam Baptist Church. The second day will be a 26.6 mile walk, ending at Lakeview Baptist Church, just outside Montgomery. The final day of the march will be 9.9 miles, ending at the steps of the capitol where they will have a rally on the capitol steps.

“State and local politicians have been invited to join us in this rally by simply being present, or by speaking about hunger and hunger-related issues in Alabama,” Ward said. “We will arrive around 12 p.m. and the rally should last about an hour. After that, it is up to the students to speak with those present, share their experiences, and their visions about ending hunger and hunger-related issues locally.”

After the rally on Sunday, the marchers will ride back to Auburn with rides from volunteers.

Keller and Ward said that in addition to raising funds, they hope to educate people about the issues of hunger and generate the political will it will take to really end this devastating epidemic.

“Every day, men, women and children have to walk long distances to receive even the life’s most basic necessities,” Ward said. “It is clear that acknowledging their plight is not enough to initiate change. In walking 60 miles, we hope to inspire political will on local, national and international hunger issues. Marching to Montgomery will promote awareness of hunger issues and raise funds for the war on hunger initiative.”

For more information, or to join the “Hunger March,” visit auburn.edu/event/hunger. The marchers are mostly students, but anyone is invited to attend.

]]> tag:thecornernews.com,2010:index.php/news/3.9770 2010-03-12T20:45:32Z 2010-03-12T21:49:34Z Carla Nelson cmerrill@thecornernews.com
Lebo went 96-93 overall, 35-61 against the SEC during the regular season and 2-6 in the conference tournament. The Tigers never made the NCAA Tournament under his watch and only made the postseason once. That happened last year, when Auburn advanced to the NIT quarterfinals after winning 24 games, which tied for second-most in program history.

Auburn’s administration, though, wasn’t exactly impressed, as it neglected to roll over Lebo’s contract another year. That contract was supposed to run through 2013 and it paid him $785,000 annually, which ranked at the bottom of the SEC.

Auburn will owe Lebo about $1.5 million to buy out his contract.

Jay Jacobs said:
“I want to thank Coach Lebo for all that he has done for Auburn University over the past six years,” Jacobs said. “Coach Lebo has worked hard and has always represented Auburn with character, class and integrity. However, we feel like the time has come for Auburn basketball to move in a new direction. We deeply appreciate all that he and his staff have done for Auburn, and we wish each of them and their families nothing but the best.“
]]> tag:thecornernews.com,2010:index.php/news/3.9768 2010-03-12T19:49:14Z 2010-03-12T20:54:15Z Carla Nelson cmerrill@thecornernews.com
He did no such thing when it came to discussing his tenuous job security after Auburn’s 78-69, season-ending loss to Florida on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena.

His players filled the void for him.

“He’s a great coach,” senior forward Lucas Hargrove said. “Going into the new arena, I feel like he should definitely have a chance.

“I think he should get many more years.”

Lebo’s end-of-season meeting with athletic director Jay Jacobs will expectedly come earlier than both had hoped. The Tigers bowed out of the SEC Tournament after the first round for the fourth time in Lebo’s six-year tenure and they are all but assured to go without any sort of postseason invitation for the fifth time in the past six.

Asked to defend his body of work, which includes a 96-93 overall record and a 37-67 mark against SEC opponents, Lebo said it wasn’t the right time.

“We just got done with the game,” Lebo said. “I haven’t really thought about the body of work.”

Auburn’s performance Thursday typified this particular season’s disappointing body of work.

The effort was gritty from the start, when Frankie Sullivan opened with an easy layup, to the end, when DeWayne Reed drove, untouched, coast-to-coast only to botch a dunk as the horn sounded on Auburn’s season.

It was also marred with inconsistencies, the bugaboos that frequently cropped up to produce results such as a 107-89 loss to Sam Houston State, or regressed briefly during a near upset of No. 2 Kentucky.

Sullivan, the sophomore who came into Thursday’s game with a combined 8 points in the previous two, scored a career-high 27 points. His constant drives to the basket drew “oohs” and “ahs” from the largely pro-Auburn crowd and provided a glimmer of hope for the future, when Sullivan will be the lone returning starter on next year’s team.

But then there was Tay Waller, who came into Thursday’s game red hot, averaging 25.6 points in his past five games.

He finished with zero points on 0-of-6 shooting.

“Just a unique thing for Tay with the way he’s been playing,” Lebo said. “To not score in this game … you wouldn’t have that if we played 30 more games.”

On Wednesday, Florida (21-11) coach Billy Donovan pointed out to reporters that Auburn was the only SEC team — aside from Kentucky, of course — that held a lead or a tie in the second half of all its conference games.

So it was somewhat fitting that the Tigers would do neither in the second half Thursday.

Florida stormed out to a big, early lead thanks to a 20-5 run. Aside from a few tense moments, like when the Tigers got as close as 42-41 with a 10-2 run to start the second half, the Gators had complete control from beginning to end.

Auburn (15-17) made just four of its 25 3-point attempts, while allowing Florida to pick up seemingly endless easy dunks and layups in the paint.

“With a shooting team, if you can try to disrupt their flow a little earlier, you can disrupt some 3’s from going in early,” Donovan said. “Sometimes you have a better chance of stopping it.”

Nothing will stop the swirling speculation of Lebo’s job status in the coming days. It won’t go away until a verdict is reached after Lebo’s meeting with Jacobs, which could happen as soon as today.

Along with the fans, Auburn’s players will be waiting for an answer.

“I like playing for him. He’s a great coach,” Sullivan said. “Whatever happens, happens.”

]]> tag:thecornernews.com,2010:index.php/news/3.9767 2010-03-12T19:46:42Z 2010-03-12T20:48:43Z Carla Nelson cmerrill@thecornernews.com
“I came from being a human resources manager for a well-known company,” Maldonado said. “I gave that all up to really try this, because I believe in the economy today that we really need a place for women to get what they need, look good, and get a great bargain.”

With brand-name clothing from Calvin Klein, Coldwater Creek, Talbot’s and Anne Taylor, just to name a few, Threads provides women’s fashion inexpensively for every woman. Clothing ranges from young adults to the professional woman to maternity and older.

“We want women and girls to be able to bring their mothers and their grandmothers,” Maldonado said of Threads’ shopping experience.

With colors and sizes ranging from black to white and petite to plus-sizes, the staff at Threads is ready to provide the best customer service. They’ll help each woman find exactly what colors and styles look best for them.

“We have a really classy, high-end look,” said Maldonado. “When women come in they’re going to feel like they’re in a boutique. They’ll have quality clothing in a quality environment.”

Threads will be open beginning Saturday, March 20, Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Events and programs are already planned, beginning at the grand opening that’s slated for March 20. These include a frequent shopper program, which provides advance notice on sales, “Girls’ Night Out” (a late-night, girls-only event) and more. There is also a high school formal dress exchange and private parties available, according to Threads’ Web site, threadsofauburn.com.

On their Facebook page (Threads OfAuburn), fans can get announcements of sales and special events.

Threads’ goal “is to provide high-quality name brand clothing and accessories for women of all ages and sizes -- fashion that can take you from work, to play, and to that special event.”

“I want you to look beautiful as a woman,” Maldonado said. “My ideal is to have you stand out. You will look amazing.”
]]> tag:thecornernews.com,2010:index.php/news/3.9766 2010-03-12T19:43:45Z 2010-03-12T20:46:46Z Carla Nelson cmerrill@thecornernews.com “The connection made between people over those beverages enthralled me,” Barnett said.

Barnett has managed coffee shops that range from Starbucks to Cambridge Coffee until a point came in her corporate career that she described as exhausting and unfulfilling.

“I knew that it was time to develop the next season of my life professionally,” she said.

Barnett attended the Specialty Coffee Association of America tradeshow in 2009 and made a lot of connections in the industry.

“I kept brainstorming about roasting and importing coffees, about what it would be like to work with the raw product all day and educate people about the roasting process,” Barnett said.

Another aspect that drew Barnett to brewing coffee were the farmers. She had been involved in mission work in high school and had visited Guatemala and Mexico.

“The villages there and coffee farming communities changed my view of humanity and I knew I somehow wanted to be a part of enriching their lives as well as personal development for myself,” she said.

Barnett said that because of her love for people growing coffee and for those drinking coffee, she decided that she should open a roastery.

She originally wanted to open a shop in Gadsden, where her family is from, but she said she couldn’t resist when Gnu’s Room Owner Tina Tatum suggested she open it in her store. Barnett opened Momma Mocha’s Coffee Beanery last month.

“I’m in the back of the largest used bookstore in Auburn, in one of the coolest old buildings, with an espresso bar on site,” Barnett said. “All the shops around me are amazing. I love the owners and what they have to offer to the community.”

Barnett’s coffee roaster was handmade and custom-built specifically to fit her roasting needs. After the high temperature paint job and taking two months to build, the roaster arrived to the Gnu’s Room.

When talking about the Mama Mocha’s section of the Gnu’s Room, Barnett said that everything is like a piece of her. Barnett’s mother painted the ceiling with zebra stripes and the floor is covered with old beer bottle caps.

“My family and I built everything,” Barnett said. “It’s just going to be me, coffee, my vinyl, and people I love … all day.”

With hopes to ensure complete fairness to both her customers and coffee farmers, prices will range from $10 to $15 per pound. Barnett will also have less expensive roasts for college students or other individuals who may be on a tight budget.

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Mama Mocha’s will also hold a cupping at 5:30 p.m.

A cupping is a professional coffee tasting where each person gets three to five different ramekins of coffee from different origins of the world. Barnett grinds the beans to a super coarse texture, the person smells the grounds, and then each person will journal his or her opinion of the aroma. The next step is to slurp. In this stage, the person will identify in his or her journal the body, thickness, acidity, flavors, and astringency of each coffee.

The journals will help guide the individual in choosing the percentages of beans he or she wants roasted in order to create a customized blend.

“[Cupping is] finding out the beauty of each origin and trying to blend them together to make a perfect blend,” Barnett said.

Through this business, Barnett wants the Auburn community to become more aware of other coffee growing communities.

“Places that need help,” Barnett said. “Places that are beautiful and should be treated with the same respect we give other workers in America and continuing to make sure we support social sustainability as well as environmental.”

Barnett said that her goal is to become the main supplier to the community of Auburn for coffee.

“The next season of the shop is for me to keep developing new roast profiles and find contracts to make with local restaurants, offices, and grocery stores,” she said.

Mama Mocha’s Coffee Beanery is located at 414 South Gay St. For more information on Mama Mocha’s Coffee Beanery, call 256.452.3534.

]]> tag:thecornernews.com,2010:index.php/news/3.9691 2010-03-09T20:45:06Z 2010-03-09T21:48:07Z Carla Nelson cmerrill@thecornernews.com
It’s tough to figure what the lanky lefthander will be able to do when he puts it all together, because his seven-inning, two-run, eight-strikeout, no-walk effort — good enough for his third win in three tries and good enough for Auburn’s 5-4 victory over Miami (Ohio) — sure looked good on paper.

“Sometimes you just have days where everything is not there,” Nelson said. “I’ve got a couple places to look at now to improve. I think it was kind of a good test of will to see if I could do it.”

Nelson’s third consecutive quality start, combined with continued clutch hitting from the middle of the lineup and a gritty effort from relief pitcher Zach Blatt, gave Auburn its first sweep of the season and its sixth straight victory.

Granted, this was the same place Auburn was last year and the wins have come against Florida Atlantic, Davidson and Miami (Ohio), but it had the Tigers feeling pretty good about the season to date as they head into a non-conference game Tuesday against Alabama.

“It’s a solid nine guys in the lineup and we’ve got solid guys off the bench that are doing a great job,” first baseman Hunter Morris said. “It carries some momentum.”

Whatever momentum Nelson carried from his impressive outing last week was lost by an unplanned trip home Monday to visit his ill father.

Nelson left Monday morning for Edina, Minn., and didn’t get back to Auburn until shortly before Friday’s first pitch at 6 p.m. He played some catch during the week and threw a short bullpen session Friday night, when he decided he’d pitch his third consecutive Sunday.

“He said he wanted to pitch,” coach John Pawlowski said. “Sometimes that’s the best thing, to get right back out there.”

Nelson struggled from the start, allowing a solo home run to Adam Weisenburger and two more singles in the first inning. He needed a lot of pitches then and he needed a bunch when he allowed another run in the fourth inning, but Nelson found a way to battle out of jams.

His effective change-up compensated for a subpar slider, but more often it was clutch defensive plays from the likes of centerfielder Creede Simpson and second baseman Justin Hargett that helped keep the RedHawks from ever reclaiming its early lead.

“Defense bailed me out. A lot,” said Nelson, who is 3-0 with a 1.73 ERA. “I let them put it on the ground, and sometimes line drives and the defense kept coming up big.”

Auburn’s hitters didn’t come up as big as when they combined for 27 runs and 38 hits in the first two games of the series. And the Tigers needed every last run.
Morris, who had been mired in an early-season slump, picked up four hits for the second consecutive game, including a two-run home run in the first inning. Tony Caldwell added a solo shot in the second and Kevin Patterson and Dan Gamache — two of the team’s slower-footed players — hit back-to-back triples to jump-start a two-run seventh inning.

Auburn’s two-three-four hitters — Simpson, Morris and leftfielder Brian Fletcher — went 9-for-12 Sunday and 26-for-40 with 13 runs and 14 RBI for the weekend.
“If we can get Hunter and Fletch swinging it like that in conference play,” Pawlowski said, “it bodes well for our offense.”

Blatt, an Opelika native, earned the first save of his career by working the final two innings. He gave up a double on the first pitch of the eighth and a two-run home run to Jordan Jankowski before settling down to retire the next five batters in order.

“Him and (Austin Hubbard) are both so competitive down there,” Pawlowski said. “They’re going to have to pitch through some tough spots and I thought Zach did a good job today.”

]]> tag:thecornernews.com,2010:index.php/news/3.9689 2010-03-09T20:30:09Z 2010-03-16T16:24:10Z Carla Nelson cmerrill@thecornernews.com
The gap between life on Montgomery Street in Opelika and life on College Street in Auburn couldn’t be more different. Though the different cultures coexist in the shadows of one another, interaction between the two is limited.

However, last Tuesday was different.

The early spring sun overcame the wintry air as a team of college students worked to clear out a lot of broken bottles and beat-down kudzu vine.

“This area has a reputation for hosting drug deals,” Ben Collins, the associate director of Baptist Campus Ministry (BCM) at Stetson University said. “Today our team is working to transform this symbol of evil into a neighborhood garden.”

Collins was helping lead a group of 34 Stetson University students, during their spring break, to restore areas of need in Opelika.

“We have students at several different sites near Montgomery Street,” Collins said. “One group is rebuilding the front steps of a home and others are repairing walls and installing inside and outside lighting for mobile homes in need.”

In addition the group used their week to tear down mobile homes that are being used to aid drug deals, tend to overgrown front yards of elderly neighbors and serve in the area’s food pantry.

Spending a week serving the citizens of Opelika isn’t your typical college student spring break option. The group from Deland, Fla., opted out of a 30-minute drive to the beach to instead drive seven hours to Opelika where they worked eight hours each day and slept on the floor.

“This is our understanding of what it means to follow Christ,” Collins explained. “First Baptist Church of Opelika is allowing us to stay at the church for free and we’re sleeping on the floor and basically camping out at their facility.”

On Friday the group returned to Stetson University, but a neighborhood garden, a repaired set of steps, a renewed front yard and restored mobile homes stand as monuments of hope throughout the Opelika area.

On Saturday the local community picked up where the college group left off. Between Keep Opelika Beautiful’s “Citywide Cleanup” and The Way Ministries’ “My Jerusalem,” more than 1,100 volunteers worked to help restore areas of the city in need.

“For the ‘Citywide Cleanup’, we’re not just focusing on one part of the city,” Tipi Miller, director of Keep Opelika Beautiful said. “We have volunteers in many different areas working to pick up trash and reestablish Opelika as a city we can all be proud to call home.”

Keep Opelika Beautiful’s “Citywide Cleanup” is a local extension of Keep America Beautiful’s “Great American Cleanup.” Each year, millions of volunteers in more than 15,000 communities across the country take part in the day of service to their community.

“Sadly, there’s enough work to go around,” Miller said. “But I think it’s a big encouragement to the city to see so many of its citizens working together to make Opelika a great place to live.”

Alongside the efforts of the “Citywide Cleanup,” more than 1,000 volunteers from area churches worked to serve the needy in Opelika as part of a biannual day of service known as “My Jerusalem.” “Thirty-eight work sites were abuzz Saturday afternoon as members worked to repair homes, clean front yards, fix roofs and restore other areas in need.

Though the projects are service oriented, Shane Kyles, founder of The Way Ministries and director of “My Jerusalem,” insisted that the purpose of all the work is to build relationship within the community.

“The service projects give us the privilege of meeting people we might not normally get the chance to meet,” Kyles said. “As Christians we must be in the business of loving our neighbor. I’m not sure how you can love someone if you don’t know them.”

Though The Way Ministries serves to coordinate “My Jerusalem,” but Kyles is reluctant to take credit for his contributions.

“This isn’t my idea. I believe this is God’s idea,” Kyles explained. “We are all blessed to be a part of the body of Christ working together in this area.”

A majority of the churches in the Auburn-Opelika area participated in this spring’s “My Jerusalem” event. The day of service received a boost in support thanks to the impending Will Graham Celebration which partnered to raise awareness for the event.

As the sun finally set on a long day of work, tears begin to swell in the eyes of Mary Heard. A work crew finished putting the finishing touches on her new back deck. Heard, who lives in Opelika with her two children and her two grandchildren, is visibly moved by the communities act of love.

“I don’t know what I would do without Mr. Shane and the rest of the workers,” Mrs. Heard said. “I enjoy having them around the house, and their hard work is a big reason this family has been able to keep the trailer for as long as we have.”

Saturday, March 6, 2010, may have been the largest day of service Opelika has ever experienced, and the impacts from the day’s work will continue to encourage the community well into the future. However those truly concerned with the widespread poverty in Opelika know that the solution to the problem is not one day of service, but rather a lifestyle of loving others.

“We always have projects,” Kyles said. “We need local people to step up and love their neighbors every day.”

If you would like to learn how to get involved in helping restore areas of Opelika in need, contact Shane Kyles at or Tipi Miller at .
]]> tag:thecornernews.com,2010:index.php/news/3.9681 2010-03-05T16:28:46Z 2010-03-05T17:46:47Z Carla Nelson cmerrill@thecornernews.com
The Tigers entered their SEC tournament first-round game with Florida ranked at the bottom in the SEC in 3-pointers made and were just one away from having the fewest attempts. That’s because Auburn has just two active players, Alli Smalley and Blanche Alverson, who have the green light whenever a crevice of space opens on the perimeter — not exactly a frequent occurrence throughout the regular season.

The prologue was irrelevant to Fortner on Thursday, though, as the perimeter came open at the right time for the Tigers, allowing them to extend their season at least one more day.

Smalley and Alverson combined for eight 3-pointers, all of which seemingly came at the perfect time — backbreaking for the Gators — in Auburn’s 74-61, upset victory.

Tenth-seeded Auburn (15-15) will play No. 2 Kentucky (23-6) at 1:30 p.m. in today’s quarterfinals at the Gwinnett Center.

“Those two are dangerous,” Fortner said. “If you start shooting now, I’ll take that.”

Smalley knocked down a season-high five 3’s en route to a career-high 29 points. Alverson, playing in front of a huge group of friends and family, sunk her first two shots and hit a big 3-pointer midway through the second half to finish with 13 points — 1 shy of her season-high.

The timeliness of their 3’s made the majority of the game one-sided, as the Tigers used an 8-0 run early to extend a lead they would not relinquish. The Gators drew as close as 4 points in the second half — a deficit that lasted all of 17 seconds.

“Alli and Blanche didn’t do things that we didn’t expect for them to do,” Florida coach Amanda Butler said. “They were open, and great shooters knock down open looks when they’re not guarded.”

As the numbers indicate, it wasn’t always that easy during the regular season.

One year after sinking 68 3-pointers while playing alongside the likes of DeWanna Bonner, Whitney Boddie and Sherell Hobbs, Smalley has dealt with excessive pressure inside and outside, the perks of becoming Auburn’s focal point on offense. She came into Thursday’s game tops on Auburn with 15.2 points per game, but just 51 3’s – the result of a modified game that has merited more darting and diving to the hoop and less time hanging out on the perimeter.

So pardon Smalley for smiling a bit after a throwback night of sorts for her, as Florida frequently collapsed to the ball in the paint, allowing her to find some previously unseen open space.

“It was actually really nice,” Smalley said. “I had a lot of open looks, a lot of air.”

Three different theories emerged in the aftermath of Auburn’s best 3-point shooting day against an SEC opponent this season as to why it happened.

Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell, watching the game from press row, said it had to do with the presence of big center KeKe Carrier, who, statistically, had one of her poorer games of the season. Carrier picked up her third foul with 8 minutes to play in the first half and eventually fouled out in the second, finishing with 6 points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes.

On the surface, her moments of frustration against a physical Gators’ defense outweighed tangible production, but Mitchell saw otherwise.

“She did exactly what they needed her to do,” Mitchell said. “Today her role was to set up other people. I thought she was extremely effective today and clearly someone we’re very concerned about.”

Smalley heaped the credit to her post-game podium cohort Jordan Greenleaf, who finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Greenleaf’s first priority on offense wasn’t to score, instead setting up Smalley and Alverson with slick backdoor passes or screens.

“When I don’t have the ball, I’m always looking to find where Alli is,” Greenleaf said. “The ball needs to be in her hands.”

Butler placed the blame on her team, which faltered down the stretch, losing six of its last seven games to close out a disappointing year.

“We had much higher hopes than the way we performed today,” Butler said.

Auburn’s hopes of clinching WNIT eligibility rest on today’s game. A win clinches a .500 or better record for the season — a requirement for the now 64-team tournament.

“I’m excited to play them again,” Greenleaf said of Kentucky, which Auburn upset Sunday to close out the regular season.

“I’m excited to play anybody.”

]]> tag:thecornernews.com,2010:index.php/news/3.9680 2010-03-05T16:16:01Z 2010-03-05T17:33:02Z Carla Nelson cmerrill@thecornernews.com
Saturday in Phenix City the teams teamed up with the Dixie Derby Girls from Huntsville and the Chattanooga Roller Girls for a charity exhibition to thrash cervical cancer.

Members from each city’s team were divided into the black and blue teams. The blue team rolled away with the victory with a final score of 116-108.

The exhibition raised about $400 for “Spread the Love,” a non-profit organization that promotes awareness of cervical cancer and helps victims of the disease.

The group was started to honor Stephanie “Danger S”, a member of the Tallahassee Roller Girls, as she fights cervical cancer.

“We had a really great turnout, better than ever before,” said Cho Cold, member of the Burn City Rollers. “It was a really great event and we were so thrilled to have so much help from the Dixie Derby Girls, the Tragic City Rollers and Chattanooga Roller Girls,” said Cho Cold, member of the Burn City Rollers.

The exhibition also marked the first time a roller derby was ever held in Phenix City. Around 250 people showed up to cheer on the girls.

Saintly Vicious of the Burn City Rollers was excited to see the other girls from out of town. She hoped the exhibition match would draw new members.

Saintly Vicious offered a few words of caution to prospective members: “It’s not fake! Those girls are actually getting hurt and actually getting hit.”

For more information on “Spread the Love,” visit stlcharity.org. To find out more about the Burn City Rollers visit burcityrollers.com.
]]> tag:thecornernews.com,2010:index.php/news/3.9675 2010-03-04T14:52:46Z 2010-03-04T15:58:48Z Carla Nelson cmerrill@thecornernews.com
With 9,927 fans cheering as loudly as they had all night in Auburn’s 89-80 upset victory Wednesday over Mississippi State, the former Tiger wasted little time before sending a high-arching shot toward the hoop, stationed right around the same place he hit the first basket in Beard-
Eaves-Memorial Coliseum more than 41 years ago.

With an old-school, off-the-glass swish, Tinker made it look just as easy as four of the Tigers’ six seniors made it look all Wednesday night, an historically fitting ending not only to the arena’s history, but for the largely overlooked Senior Night.

“We had six seniors that you want to honor and send this place out in the right way,” coach Jeff Lebo said. “There have been so many memories in this place.”

Tay Waller, DeWayne Reed, Brendon Knox and Lucas Hargrove all made sure the memory from Wednesday night — 41 years, one month and 24 days since the Tigers opened Memorial Coliseum with a 90-71 victory over LSU — would be just as positive.

The four players combined for 78 of Auburn’s 89 points in the best inside-outside performance of the season, giving the Tigers five consecutive home victories to close out the arena.

“We came out with a different mentality,” Waller said. “We saw all of the people here and we didn’t want anyone to go home sad. We felt like we had to fight for all the players of Auburn’s past.

“The win just made tonight all the much better.”

The win didn’t solidify anything for Auburn’s seeding hopes for the upcoming SEC Tournament, but it certainly didn’t hurt. The loss for Mississippi State, the SEC West Division leader, may have been detrimental for its fleeting NCAA Tournament hopes.

“I think it has nothing to do with it,” Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury said. “We have to go home and beat Tennessee because that’s the only game that matters right now.”

Waller had a lot to do with it, hitting 6-of-11 3-pointers to finish with a team-high 22 points. He sunk his first shot of the game and nailed his last, a deep 3 from the corner with 2:43 to play, which put Auburn up 8 and served as the final answer to Mississippi State’s last rally of the game.

Over the past four games, Waller has averaged 26.5 points and is 27-of-42 from 3-point range.

“He’s been unbelievable shooting the basketball,” Lebo said. “We’ll continue to ride him for as long as we can.”

Knox came in a close second behind Waller with 21 points, but had a much taller task to deal with on offense and defense against Jarvis
Varnado, the NCAA’s all-time blocks leader. He overachieved at both ends, imposing an unmatched physical presence in the key, getting

Varnado in foul trouble and making some key free throws to finish 1 point shy of his career high.

On defense, Knox stood tough enough against Varnado, who finished with 14 points.

“He usually plays more physical than he did tonight,” Knox said. “On offense, I went straight at him.”

Reed and Hargrove, both of whom spent all four years at Auburn, and each of whom have had their ups and downs this season, were solid, scoring 19 and 16 points, respectively.

Hargrove had one of the bigger baskets of the game, immediately answering a Dee Bost 3-pointer, which tied the game, 65-65, with 9 minutes to play. A Reed 3-pointer on the following possession put even more distance between the teams and set up a celebratory finish.

Sophomore Frankie Sullivan had the final 2 Auburn points in the building on two free throws, and Hargrove launched the game ball into the crowd as the final horn sounded on the building’s final game.

“We didn’t play the whole season like we wanted to, but it was great to finish like this,” Knox said. “To send off the coliseum like this felt real good.”

]]> tag:thecornernews.com,2010:index.php/news/3.9621 2010-03-02T21:26:24Z 2010-03-16T16:24:25Z Carla Nelson cmerrill@thecornernews.com
Color
While bright colors will lead the way, florals and pastels will also be hot this spring and summer.
Amanda Thomas, assistant manager of Private Gallery, and Jessica Cole, owner of Therapy, both agreed that pastels will be in style.
“Pastels are going to be big for spring and summer - primarily lavenders,” Thomas said.
Thomas also added that denim will be a big part of the spring and summer styles.
“The lighter denim is going to be huge and it’s going to be everywhere,” she said.
Chanda Maldonado, owner of Threads, said that orange will also be a prominent color this summer.
“Orange is also going to be a hot color this summer,” she said. “But not your loud orange, not your Auburn orange, but more or less your light orange.”

Prints
From animal prints to floral prints, most boutiques agreed that any type of print is going to be hot this spring and summer.
Quinley Allred, manager of Ellie, said that she’s seen small floral prints in dresses
Thomas agreed.
“Any kind of print in general is going to be huge, but especially floral,” she said.

Dresses
Sun dresses are still popular this year, but Chloe Popwell, manager of Behind the Glass, said she thinks the look is changing slightly from last year.
“I feel like the dresses are not as flowy and bohemian as the were last spring,” she said. “I still think they’re short, definitely really girly, but I think it’s coming away from dresses and more into skirts and pieces - like a patterned shirt and a solid color shirt.”
Allred added that the one shoulder dresses are also in style this year.

Shorts
The short shorts will always be around, but this year the look seems to be looser.
“We have a lot of linen shorts with the looser fit,” Allred said. “I feel like that kinda flatters more people. I have seen a lot of shorts in different colors, but I’ve seen more of a looser fit.”
Popwell agreed. She said that she believes that shorts will be popular, but not like the cut-off denim shorts last year.
“I think this year it’s going to be more of a tailored look, more of a boyfriend, blowsy short,” Popwell said. “I don’t think it’s going to be short, short, but a little longer and looser around the legs.”

Tops
There doesn’t seem to be one style or trend when it comes to tops.
Allred said that she’s seen a lot of banded tops that flow out at the bottom, and Popwell said that she’s seen more of an ‘80s style come back.
“I think it’s going to be the really cool, kinda ‘80s inspired big T-shirts for spring to pair back with the shorts,” Popwell said.
The tops are one place where the bright colors come in.
“We have lots of bright colors in the tops that you can pair with white denim jeans,” Allred said.
Cole mentioned that people are looking for tops that they can wear multiple ways, like long tanks that can be layered.
One look was mentioned several times, but most weren’t sure that this look would make it to Auburn - shoulder pads.
“Shoulder pads are kinda coming back, but I don’t think it’s going to do that well in Auburn,” Thomas said. “It’s kinda faddish.”

Jeans
With jeans, one look was mentioned several times as the most popular - skinny jeans.
Allred added that we’ll see more of the white denim and Thomas added that the other colored jeans are out.
“I think the colored jeans were definitely a fad,” she said.

Shoes
Wedges and sandals with beading will be hot this year, but the biggest look will be the gladiator look.
Popwell said the gladiator look this year will be less extreme than last year.
“The gladiators last year came up to your knee,” she said. “This year they’ll be shorter, around the ankle.”
Maldonado added that the gladiator look in gold and silver will be big too.
Maldonado, Cole and Popwell mentioned nude colored shoes.
“The new color is a non-color,” Popwell said. “The sandals have neutral colors to play off the bright dresses.”
“They say to match your shoe color to your skin,” Cole said. “It makes your legs look really long.”

Accessories
When it comes to jewelry, layering will be as hot during the spring and summer as it was in the fall.
“Layering of accessories is still big,” said Stacie Money, owner of Fringe.
Thomas agreed.
“As far as necklaces go, layer, layer, layer ... that was here in the fall and isn’t going anywhere,” she said.
Purses are still big, but clutches are also popular.
“I’ve seen a lot of big purses, but I’ve also seen some clutches that you can wear day or night that have bright colors and some have rhinestones,” Allred said.
Big watches, headbands and necklace scarves were also mentioned accessories.

This spring and summer, it’s almost as if anything goes. Thomas summed up her idea of fashion for the year.
“We’re at a time where we can look back on all of these really great fundamental pieces from a long time ago that designers are able to incorporate into their designs now,” she said. “I think that the way that fashion is going right now we’re not innovating something new, we’re adding on to really great fundamental pieces from the past. It gives us a whole bunch of different ways to shop, which is cool!”

Get coupons for your favorite boutiques here! 2010/03/03 ]]> tag:thecornernews.com,2010:index.php/news/3.9610 2010-03-02T21:00:57Z 2010-03-02T22:05:58Z Carla Nelson cmerrill@thecornernews.com
“One thing that will make us unique is that we don’t want to buy the stuff and have it shipped here. We want to make it or have local artists make it,” says Stamp.

Camp Stamp sells T-shirts, handmade jewelry, buttons, knitted hats and scarves as well as home décor such as bowls, posters, paintings, notebooks and prints.

Stamp said the idea for the store came from the recycled, upcycled stuff that they were making at Stamp already.

“This is just going to bring it on a larger scale and encourage others to make things as well,” says Stamp. “We just didn’t have the room in Stamp to sell everything we wanted to.”

The store already has some local artists products ready to sell, but is encouraging anyone who has an idea to come out and show them what they’ve got.
“We really want to push not only ourselves creatively, but the Auburn community as well,” Stamp says.

Customers will also be able to make their own buttons, T-shirts or bags.

“We found these great screen prints that were left by the last owner of Stamp. They are really vintage; straight from the ‘60s and ‘70s,” says Stamp.

Customers will have a wide variety of T-shirt colors and bags to choose from. They will also sell vintage shirts that are from the original owner.

Camp Stamp customers will also be able to design custom shirts and have them printed on organic, recycled or vintage shirts in the store.

“The store will always be changing and evolving along with the artists and customers that come into it,” says Stamp. “You’ll never know what you are going to get.”

Camp Stamp is open Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

]]> tag:thecornernews.com,2010:index.php/news/3.9555 2010-02-24T21:28:17Z 2010-02-24T22:31:18Z Carla Nelson cmerrill@thecornernews.com
Auburn University, which nests the young generation, has attracted this west coast product and has been inspired by students’ ability to catch on to new trends than elsewhere in general parts of Alabama.

Peter Yi, executive officer of Tutti Frutti at Auburn, believes that the store will do well in Auburn. Yi hired his staff to consist of Auburn University students.
At Tutti Frutti, customers serve themselves. About 45 different flavors are offered and rotated about every three to four days.

“You get as much as you can,” Yi said. “If you know the name, we got it.”

Yi said that the frozen yogurt was created around eating healthy without sacrificing good products and good taste.

Dozens of toppings that range from chocolate syrup and Oreos to Gummy Bears and bananas are available.

“You can put as much toppings as you want—just go crazy,” added Nick Johnson, Tutti Frutti employee and sophomore at Auburn.

In the near future, Tutti Frutti is going to start going beyond just serving frozen yogurt. Customers will be able to enjoy coffee blends like espressos and cappuccinos and still be able to cool down with smoothies and frozen coffee drinks at their disposal.

Light bakery snacks, like cookies, muffins and other coffee complements are also anticipated for the future.

The layout of the yogurt shop is enhanced with bright colors, trendy furniture and flat screen televisions, which will eventually be used to broadcast music from channels like MTV.

“I like how it is a friendly atmosphere,” Johnson said.

The customers have been keeping the new shop alive since its debut a few weeks ago.

“I was surprised that a lot of people already know who we are,” Yi said. “If they are happy, I’m happy too.”

Good and effective employee relations are implemented at Tutti Frutti as well. Since Yi’s employees are all new and lack a lot of experience in this type of business, Yi trains them until they are most comfortable working on their own.

“Right now we are just beginning so we can get better everyday,” said Yi.

Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt is located next to Auburn Awards on North College Street, in the former Cambridge Coffee location, and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
]]> tag:thecornernews.com,2010:index.php/news/3.9554 2010-02-24T21:24:38Z 2010-02-24T22:25:39Z Carla Nelson cmerrill@thecornernews.com
Elbagdadi had the idea to open a Greek restaurant, then the space opened up and things began to fall into place.

Calypsos will serve traditional Greek dishes like gyros, kebabs and hummus. In addition, it will also offer burgers, fries, chicken fingers and wings. Desserts will include baklava, rice pudding and flan. For the more traditional American dessert eaters, Calypsos will tender brownies and cookies.

Calypsos will offer a casual environment with patio space. Customers can be in and out, or sit and watch a football game on one of the nine televisions that will be dispersed throughout the restaurant. The relaxed ambience will certainly be an additional benefit, but Elbagdadi has other priorities.

“I want it to be food first and family friendly,” Elbagdadi said. “Everything else is just a bonus.”

He explains that the quality of the food served will come before anything else. Elbagdadi has family in other parts of the country in the restaurant business, and will be using all family recipes.

Two cooks, each with more than 25 years of experience, have been hired to cook with non-packaged, fresh food. The gyros, for example, will be cooked with two vertical broilers, just as they are in Greece. Turn-around time, from order to receiving food, will be no more than 10 minutes at Calypsos. Even so, nothing will be pre-made, but completely fresh.

“People are going to get the same food they would in a nice, sit-down restaurant for a reasonable price,” Elbagdadi said.

Sandwich meals, including fries and drink, will be $6.95. Platter meals will include rice, hummus, salad, kebab and a drink for $8.95. Customers can also choose to have their meal delivered.

Calypsos will be opening in mid-March. Hours will be Monday through Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.; and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. It is located on South College Street near Bizilia’s and Taylor’s Coffee.
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