(Upcoming events are in bold.)

Another Miss Leeds Area pageant is now in the history books with 20 girls competing for Miss Leeds Area and Outstanding Teen crowns and 10 Rising Star applicants from Saturday night’s pageant at Leeds High School.  Miss Leeds Area was founded in 1980 and is an official preliminary to the Miss Alabama Scholarship Pageant.

We would like to congratulate our winners:  Jessica Procter, Miss Alabama 2017 and Miss Leeds Area 2017, crowned Bailey Kennon as the new Miss Leeds Area 2018.  Her Rising Star is Zoie Cleveland.  Zoe Champion, a hometown girl, took the title of the new Miss Leeds Area Outstanding Teen and her Rising Star is Chandler Rivers.  Miss Leeds Area 2018 First Runner Up and winner of Owen Drake Leadership Scholarship:  Stella Kontos, Second Runner Up and swimsuit winner:  Caitlyn McTier, Third Runner Up:  Payton Edberg, Fourth Runner Up and winner of UAB Medical Scholarship: Mary Katherine Holloway, winner of Michell Drake Porter Community Service Scholarship:  Maggie Jones.  Miss Leeds Area Outstanding Teen First Runner Up:  Emmy Beason, Second Runner Up:  Aleya Grace Gilley.  $3,600 in scholarships were awarded:  Bailey:  $2,100, Stella:  $550, Caitlyn:  $300, Payton:  $150, Mary Katherine:  $350, Zoe:  $600, Emmy:  $250, Aleya:  $100 as well as many prizes. 

We are so proud of these girls and look forward to Bailey representing the Leeds area in the Miss Alabama 2018 competition next June.  For more information about Miss Leeds Area, please visit their website at www.MissLeedsArea.net as well as their Facebook page.

The Moody Area Chamber of Commerce (MACC) and the City of Moody conducted a ribbon cutting at the new Radical Divas Boutique Consignment Shop last week.  If you haven’t stopped in to see their store, it is located on Church Street in the same building at Farmers Insurance.  For more information, please call (205) 702-6622.

The City of Leeds and the Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce (LACC) held a ribbon cutting at Sessions Computer Solutions, LLC this week at their new Leeds location.  Max and Pam Sessions opened two locations:  8525 Whitfield Avenue, Suite 101, in the shopping center next to Wal-Mart and also, at 733 Park Avenue across from Moody City Hall.  They do business and residential.  For more information, please call (205) 640-3966. 

BancorpSouth is collecting non-perishable food snacks for area children attending summer camps sponsored by the Birmingham Inner City Churches until June 30.  Drop off your donations at either Leeds or Moody location.

Moody will host football registration from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. tonight, Jun. 29 at Moody City Hall.

Leeds Masonic Lodge Community Breakfast is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. this Saturday, Jul. 1.  Breakfast is free, but donations are appreciated and are used for Leeds community involvement programs.  For more information, please contact T. V. Weaver at (205) 699-6742.

Leeds Arts Council will host an opening reception for their July featured artist, Marsha Nelson, from 1:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. this Sunday, Jul. 2 at Leeds Theatre and Arts Center to view her delightful paintings.  Admission is Free.  Ms. Nelson’s paintings will be on display through Aug. 4.  You may view examples of her work at www.marshanelsonart.com. 

Leeds City Council is scheduled to meet at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, Jul. 3 at Leeds Civic Center meeting room.  

Also, Moody Lions Club is scheduled to meet at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, Jul. 3 at White’s Chapel.

Tuesday is July 4^th, Independence Day.  As we celebrate with family and friends to eat plenty of BBQ and enjoy the holiday, let us take time to appreciate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence that was signed years ago on Jul. 4, 1776.  Have a safe and happy holiday!

The Leeds Lions Club will meet at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, Jul. 6 at Leeds Masonic Lodge Building.

Job Openings:  Advanced Disposal, Lovejoy Realty, Chick-fil-A, Zaxby’s.  Eden Westside Baptist Church is interviewing for a Kitchen Ministry Director.  Please contact Beth Cooper at (205) 338-7711 for details.  Bass Pro Leeds has an opening for a full time Boat Sales Consultant.  If interested, apply on-line at http://basspro.com select the Leeds location.

Thought for the Week:  “Just because you’ve had some bad chapters in your life doesn’t mean the story can’t end well.  Turn the page and never look back.” ~Trent Shelton

I truly appreciate each of you who read my column and I really love sharing news so please send your Leeds and Moody news to me at leedsmoodynews@gmail.com.  See you next week!