BY MICHELLE KEY PUBLISHER AUBURN — Hardy Gilbert remembers the silence. In a city known for noise, movement and crowded sidewalks, that was one of the things he said stood out most on Sept. 11, 2001. Gilbert, owner of The Avondale Bar & Tap Room in Auburn, lived in Manhattan for nearly six years, from 2000 to 2006. At the time of the terrorist attacks, he lived in an apartment at Riverside Drive and West 141st Street in Hamilton Heights....

CONTRIBUTED BY JEFF MILLER, ACES AUBURN — Service is at the heart of the Alabama Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program. Through a network of Extension agents and trained volunteers, the program is an active partner across Alabama — devoting time and expertise to improving communities and helping residents flourish in their gardening journeys.  People now have a new way of supporting the work of Alabama Extension Master Gardeners by...

Last-minute opportunity brings longtime friends Adam Hood and Dallas Dorsey Jr. together on hometown stage BY DANIEL SCHMIDT THE OBSERVER OPELIKA  — A massive multi-unit development located just up the road from Tiger Town officially broke ground on Sept. 3 with a ceremony attended by elected officials, local business leaders and construction and development company executives. When completed, Springs at Opelika — located near the...

BY MICHELLE KEYPUBLISHER OPELIKA — When Worthy2 founder Kathryn Guthrie was repeatedly told the organization needed to host a gala, her response was simple: absolutely not.“I said, ‘Fine, we’ll have an UN-Gala,’ and there it was,” Guthrie said.The result is Worthy2’s inaugural UN-Gala, “Boots, Buckles and Breaking Chains,” set for Friday, Oct. 23, at Lazenby Farms, 11546 Society Hill Road in Auburn. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., with the event...