Brundidge Council recognizes St. Paul AME, Rodgers family

Published 3:16 am Saturday, December 25, 2021

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The Brundidge City Council attended a safety meeting for city employees before going into regular session at 1 p.m. on Tuesday.

The council worked from a short agenda that included a review of the city’s financials and recognition of Saint Paul A.M.E. Church and Cemetery by the Alabama Historical Commission.

Brundidge Mayor Isabell Boyd said the commission has announced that the church and cemetery have been approved for listing on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

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The Alabama Register is the state’s official listing of historic, architectural and archaeological landmarks.

Boyd said the Alabama Register recognizes Alabama’s historic places and encourages their continued preservation.

“Listing in the state register is an honorary designation,” Boyd said. “Saint Paul is to be congratulate for this recognition and this honor.”

The council welcomed members of the staff of the Tupper Lightfoot Memorial Library and the Chris Rodgers family to the council meeting.

The city’s library was the recipient of a Lowe’s “100 Hometowns” initiative that commemorated the home improvement company’s 100th birthday.  The Tupper Lightfoot Memorial Library was the recipient of one of the 2021 grants and used the funds to enclose an open walkway between the library’s two buildings.

Theresa Trawick, library director, told the council that, as the grant recipients concluded their projects, Lowe’s is giving more meaning to the season by transforming each grant recipient into a Hometown Secret Santa.

Each “Santa” received $2,000 in gift cards to purchase gifts for another deserving community member.

Trawick said the library staff gave much consideration to the needs of individuals and families in the community.

“The Chris Rodgers’ home was heavily destroyed by fire in November and the family is in the process of trying to recover from the loses they suffered,” Trawick said.  “The library staff wanted to assist them in their recovery efforts with the grant funds from a ‘Hometown Secret Santa.’”

On behalf of his family, Chris Rodgers expressed appreciation to Lowe’s for making the grants available to his family and the other 99 grant recipients who also benefitted.

“We are so blessed to have people think about us and what all we lost in the fire,” Rodgers said. “We thank everybody at the library for thinking of us. Now, we will be able to buy things that we need so we’ll have a better Christmas. We just thank everybody.”

The Brundidge City Council meets at 6 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at Brundidge City Hall. The meetings are open to the public.