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Dallas Co. celebrates 4th
Published Saturday, July 4, 2009
Richard Dempsey took the Rib-off here for the second year in a row.
But the victory was bittersweet.
The Valley Grande Exchange Club sponsored the event for the city's July 4 celebration. Last year, when the city sponsored the event, Dempsey and his partner, Donnie Kelly, took high honors.
On Friday morning, Dempsey was on his way to Birmingham with his wife. The Rib Cook-Off was a done deal. He and Kelly would do their magic on the grill once again in hopes of repeat.
Then came the telephone call.
Kelly was killed in an automobile accident.
Dempsey grieved for his friend, but decided to go ahead and honor his partner by participating in the event. Jeff Persinger of Selma stepped in.
Dempsey and Persinger took first place.
“This is dedicated to Donnie Kelly,” Dempsey said.
Added Persinger, “He was a good man.”
While the grieving continued, it seemed fitting in a way to also celebrate what Kelly meant to his friends at this July 4 event.
Elsewhere in Dallas County, thousands of folks poured into Taylorville on U.S. Highway 80 to watch the Rev. Gary Crum's firework's display. So many cars lined up to see the show that the fireworks display was delayed by 30 minutes to allow everybody in.
During the earlier portion of the evening, Selma Mayor George Evans thanked Dr. Bruce Taylor for opening up his family entertainment center and working with Crub of Discount Fireworks to put on the annual show.
The City of Selma had said it would have to forgo the event this year because of a tight economy. Taylor stepped in and offered to make up the difference.
Folks came from all over to Taylorville, early in the afternoon. Kim Threat of Knoxville, Tenn., sat a a picnic table under one of the pavilions with her sister, Alisa Summerville of Selma.
“It's just the two of us. We're enjoying the festivities this Fourth of July, just mingling,” Threat said. “We're showing our patriotic spirit.”
Many folks took the day to throw some meat on the grill or gather with family members.
Wayne Craft and Bruce Hatch spent their afternoon over a hot fryer filled with funnel cakes. Craft fried the cakes and Hatch added the powdered sugar that gave the their sweetness.
“We're just getting started,” Craft said as he eased a cake into the hot grease about 5 p.m. over at the Valley Grande Walking Park. By that time, he and Hatch had served up about 30 of the delicacies
“It's just now kicking up,” Craft said.
Valley Grande Mayor Tom Lee said each year the celebration is just like a family reunion.
“That's the atmosphere,” Lee said. “It's a laid back thing.”
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Comments
Posted by cmickey (anonymous) on July 5, 2009 at 1:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The fireworks in Valley Grande were awesome. They lasted a long time and the finale was best ever.
Posted by Liberty (anonymous) on July 5, 2009 at 7:30 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by sel36703 (anonymous) on July 5, 2009 at 10:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hmmmm,
Valley Grande could finance a firworks show and Selma could not?
Posted by eyeonyou (anonymous) on July 6, 2009 at 9:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks Dr. Taylor for sharing part of your millions with this town that is grossly unemployed and needed fireworks in their life. Hopefully these fireworks brought some morale and hope to the people of Selma for a brighter future. This single event should help deter some of the crime now that you brought "the people" together.
Posted by e7173000 (anonymous) on July 6, 2009 at 11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
WOW eyeonyou.
Posted by LegalEagle (anonymous) on July 6, 2009 at 11:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks Dr. Eyeonyou for continuing your baseless negativity and for sharing some of your earnings with Selma. You're right on point in that we should criticize Dr. Taylor for giving his hard-earned money for the enjoyment of others. I can't imagine anything worse.
Sarcasm aside, many of the commenters on this site make objective comments about Selma's crime and are wrongfully accused of being racist. This, no the other hand, cannot be described as anything else. We all know that Selma's violence and drug problems tear the city down but can all sides also agree that commenters like eyeoneyou contribute to our problems as well?
Posted by eyeonyou (anonymous) on July 6, 2009 at 12:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
As being a taxpayer of Selma I contribute my money to this city. Unfortunately, I don't make the decisions to where my money goes...city government does that. I do contribute my "time" to several organizations that are in direct connection to aiding much of Selma in various ways. Dr. Taylor did an honorable thing by contributing some money to this event. Isn't that what he's doing with Taylorville too? Giving? If you would take your "oppressed glasses" off for a minute, you would see I was applauding his efforts.
For the crime, I just call it like I see it. What is racist about that? I can't control who is committing the crime, where it's committed and what majority seems to be responsible. The numbers speak for themeself. When people want to get REAL about the REAL problems in Selma, I will stop commenting on them. When your community mouth pieces, talking heads and activist want to step up to the plate and start logical talks about getting this community onto the right track, deterring crime, solving poverty, attracting jobs, cleaning this town up, hiring more cops, demanding better education and accountability from parents and administration.....THEN and ONLY THEN will I stop commenting about REAL PROBLEMS.
Posted by LegalEagle (anonymous) on July 6, 2009 at 1:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Eyeonyou, I'd love to start real dialogue with people interested in progressing the city. Unfortunately, I don't view you as one of those persons. Your thinly veiled sarcasm regarding Dr. Taylor's giving (such as highlighting his "millions" and your comment regarding how safe it would be, if only momentarily because "the people" were all together) were nothing but racist comments. I wasn't referring at all to your comments about Selma's crime.
Nonetheless, I still find it amazing that you think "calling it like you see it" is not still harping on race. Let's put it out there: many people that committ crimes in Selma are African American. So what? Many of them are also male. Many of them are also of low socio-economic backgrounds--why harp only on race? Further, why not embrace the problem and help progress the city rather than highlight its problems? Any uneducated bigot can point to problems--the real talents of this city are putting their brains to work and coming up with solutions.
Posted by e7173000 (anonymous) on July 6, 2009 at 1:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well said Legal Eagle.Anybody can read that post can tell that he was being sarcastic and not trying to applaude Dr. Taylor's efforts.
Posted by reason31 (anonymous) on July 6, 2009 at 1:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks eyeonyou for more of your negative and racist comments. If you don't like "the people" so much, leave town.
Posted by eyeonyou (anonymous) on July 6, 2009 at 2:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I find it rather amusing how the problems are obvious, yet, all you can do is find time to put the blame on everyone else but YOURSELF. This town is over 70% black. So what does that tell you? The leadership is majority black? What does that tell you? Does that tell you that me being a white person and making obvious deductions about blacks being responsible for the majority of crime and blacks having the responsibility for making the decisions in this city "make me racist"? NO. And I guess that's "harping on race"? No, thats stating facts. Facts that are being swept under the rug and the petty problems that seem to magically take higher priority.
Ex. School Board. If this were a racial issue, you couldn't get the people to stop marching down at the City School Board. But because it's not, people are just sidestepping around the issue and pressing for a $40 million dollar school of which ABSOLUTELY NO ECONOMIC PLAN has been developed to pay for it. It's just comical that the school board can't even function properly, yet, the citizens want a $40 million dollar school to solve the Educatioon problem. hahahahahah
I think it makes me observant and able to realize that when I listen to the crap coming out of a majority of people's mouths in this town.....it's mostly excuses and a way to dodge personal responsibility and accountability to the problems that plague this city. You tell me what this community is doing about these problems on your end? And you are asking ME to "embrace" the problems? hahahah In other words, just get use to it. hahaha
Posted by eyeonyou (anonymous) on July 6, 2009 at 2:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
And for you reason31, don't you worry, decent black families are moving out to Valley Grande at an alarming rate to get out of this goop. You don't believe me, go look at 90% of the houses that were built there in the last 3 to 4 years. Be careful what you wish for. Pretty soon, Selma will rid itself of all it's professional, career, working class citizens.
Posted by LegalEagle (anonymous) on July 6, 2009 at 3:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Eyeonyou, WHO CARES if the majority of the city's government is Black? What does that mean? Are you positing that there are no crime-ridden White cities in America? Are there no economically challenged cities made of a majority of White citizens?
The reason why this city is so screwed is because people on both sides don't realize that this city is stuck in 1965. Not one of your comments has an ounce of focus on economic, civic or regulatory expertise. All you know is that the city is underperforming and it's run by Black people. I'm Black and I can acknowledge that much but so what? The entire nation was run by a "White government" until last year and it was messed beyond belief but am I suggesting all Caucasians played a part in such? Man, call a spade a spade--if individuals don't fit your definition of sound politicians or citizens then YOU run for office, YOU become police chief, you right policy or YOU stop wasting your time and ours.
Posted by eyeonyou (anonymous) on July 6, 2009 at 4:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Look, just forget it. If it were Asians, Mexicans or whites running this town, committing the majority of crimes and pointing the fingers....I would be the first to say it.
Posted by huntingdad68 (anonymous) on July 6, 2009 at 7:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
guy you must not have read the story the man just lost his
freind and also my freind all you people just want keep this
crap going donnie kelly you will be miss by many that you touch with your jokes and tell of hunting storyes may god be with your son and daughter and brothers rip donnie
Posted by LegalEagle (anonymous) on July 7, 2009 at 8:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Eyeonyou, I'm done with this conversation as you've failed to answer my questions. It's sad that the race of the people committing crimes or doing great things matter more than the deeds themselves. Peace be with you and the other hatemongers in this town--you're no better than the drug dealers and thugs.
Posted by eyeonyou (anonymous) on July 7, 2009 at 12:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You never answered my question either about how much JL Chestnut and family have donated to their people for the betterment of Selma's poor, crime ridden neighborhoods and schools. You want to value his legacy, but not expect the millions sitting in the bank to do wonders. Lip Service is cheap.
Posted by eyeonyou (anonymous) on July 7, 2009 at 12:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
By the way, I hear all the begging and pleading for funds to fix the Brown YMCA, but no one in that community has stepped up to make the money come in. Where are the Chestnut Funds? Where are the Sanders funds? Where are the prominent black families in Selma and their contributions back to the Brown Y? You had the Johnson millionaire lady give to the new Y, OF WHICH IS USED BY EVERYONE IN THIS TOWN BLACK AND WHITE. Wonder why she didn't give to the Brown Y for it's betterment? Maybe that community didn't ask and expected it to just be handed over....or you didn't even bother asking.
Posted by LegalEagle (anonymous) on July 8, 2009 at 8:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
LOL. How did we start talking about the Brown YMCA? You're a joke man. I'm desperately trying to have a conversation with you about anything other than race but you're incapable. I'm a Black man and I'm not a huge fan of the Brown YMCA. What that has to do with the fireworks show or your misguided comments, I don't know.
Newsflash: it's 2009 and not all Black people have the same opinion and not all White people have the same opinion (which makes your Brown YMCA comment pointless).
Finally, I'm just curious-- what funds have you contributed to the city and its various endeavors?
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