Hello, Pell City!  

By all accounts the Fourth Friday in Pell City was a huge success as hundreds of people strolled around downtown Pell City enjoying the music, food, scavenger hunts, and other great attractions set up by the Pell City Chamber of Commerce and downtown businesses!  If you missed this one though, don’t worry – the next one will be the Fourth Friday of this month!  

A beautiful baby shower was held this past weekend for soon-to-be mom Julianna Marie (Juli) Jeffcoat at the lakeside home of her parents, Randy and Donna Watkins. The shower was hosted by Juli’s cousin, Leah Galbreath, and childhood friend, Whitney Moody, and was held outside by the Watkins’ pool. The area was decorated in lovely shades of pink in anticipation of little Lillianna Marie, who is due to arrive next month, and the food was catered by Lunch of Pell City. More than 50 guests attended the event and dined on miniature hamburgers, taco salad, strawberry cupcakes, chocolate covered strawberries, and other delicious goodies.  

The soon-to-be dad, Andrew Young, was on hand to help Juli open all the wonderful gifts they received, and much of Andrew’s family was there too, including his mom, Bonnie Young; aunts, Sharron and Dorothy; and sisters, Kimberly and Alexus Young.  Many of Juli’s family attended as well and included her grandmother, Laura Sargent; aunts, Dee Yadyasar and Anne Sargent; and her sister-in-law and niece, Cassady and Kayla Luster.  Special guests included Lola Marie Young and Otis Watkins; Juli, who works for MAC Cosmetics, presented all the guests with jars of homemade, all-natural body scrub.

Twins Seth and Anna Moody celebrated their ninth birthday this past weekend with a party at Trussville Playstation.  They received lots of presents and enjoyed playing laser tag and riding go-karts with all their guests, which included their parents, Lance and Lesa Moody, and sisters, Whitney and Amber Moody.  Some of the other guests in attendance were Alice Allen; Chris, Lisa, and Logan Shaw; Candace and Maddison Graves; Brian and Carmen Graf; and Emily and Holly Campbell.  Special guests were family members Amy and Averi Nicholas who came all the way from Missouri for the party.  Happy Birthday this week to Ryan Blomley, Xiavier Henderson, Milly Anne Parker, Lynn Braden, Chyna Morgan, Julian Gossett, Julie Martin Funderburg, Teresa Elzey Reeser, Ed Ash, Scott Glass, Christy Carpenter, Byron Benner, Ellen Tanner, Julia Walker, Edward Cullen, Ellen Elzey, and Sam Davison.  

Congratulations to Tony Dowdy, who was named as the new principal of Pell City High School, and Jennifer Hannah, who was named as the new principal of Coosa Valley Elementary School.  

Lance and Amy Bowman, along with their children Madison, CJ, and Owen, recently enjoyed a week at the beach on Dauphin Island, Alabama.  Jamie and Joni Hawkins, along with their children Jesalyn and Jacob, and Jeslyn’s friend, Savanah Church, also enjoyed time at the beach last week, but in Santa Rosa and Destin, Florida.  

The Pell City High School Class of 1983 is trying to plan a 30-year class reunion, and they need to get a head-count of classmates who would like to attend so that a venue can be reserved.  The date for the reunion is tentatively set for November 2, 2013, and they are looking at Louis Grill on Logan Martin Dam Road as the spot.  If you are a member of the PCHS Class of 1983, please contact Dale Cagle Harry at 205-283-5230 for more information.  

Don’t forget that the Lights Out! 5K glow-in-the-dark run is Saturday, July 13th at the St. Clair County airport and Sammy’s Touch & Go Restaurant located at 962 Airport Road in Pell City.  The run begins at 8 p.m. with packet pick-up at 6 p.m., and the registration fee is $30.  Wear your glow-in-the-dark t-shirts, your glow accessories, and after the race join in the fun at Sammy’s with a DJ, cash bar, and great food.

There will be awards given to the top runners, and also to the best dressed and most creative in glow wear.  All proceeds benefit the Pell City Public Library and registration forms are available there or you can register online at www.active.com.

A few interesting tidbits about July: it is National Blueberries Month, Family Reunion Month, Eggplant Month, National Grilling Month, and Melon Month. Also, July 1st was the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg (where more American soldiers were killed than in all other wars combined), on July 20th, 1969 Neil Armstrong and “Buzz” Aldrin landed on the moon, and on July 31st, 1975 Jimmy Hoffa disappeared (and as of last week, they still haven’t found his body).

If you have any news or announcements, please call or email me at shonda_news@hotmail.com. Have a great week and a Happy Fourth of July!