If Selma’s Lee Youngblood weren’t a veterinarian, he’d probably be a mountain man of sorts, living in a shack in the woods and shooting wild turkeys to eat.

Put Youngblood anywhere outside, in fact, and he’s bound to be happy &045;&045; especially if it’s in his native Dallas County.

The 58-year-old animal lover’s a Selma cheerleader if ever there was one. Ask him about his town, for instance, and he’ll talk about the people here. Ask him about Dallas County, and he’ll wax eloquent about the area’s natural beauty.

But whether he’s describing a meandering stream or a gracious heart, there’s an earnestness in Youngblood’s voice.

Augment that with the area’s recreational diversity, Youngblood adds, and you’ve got a potent mixture for success.

The area’s continued viability depends on this interrelationship, he contends.

Youngblood, whose been married to wife Cecile since 1965 and has two grown sons, lived through Selma’s Civil Rights Era struggles and thinks the town came out stronger for it.

After all, he says …