The Anniston Star from Anniston, Alabama • Page 1

,1 r. II- Monday, December 12, 2011 A home-owned newspaper 75 cents aaft j'itiiifjliMit mmmm mdmi ,5 Av-jM Picking "TV. path a A ffe 5 1 'j' I a. 1 tk Bill WilonTha Anniaton Star Hank and Debbie Merrill have been raising alpacas on Blackberry Hill Alpacas, a store where they sell goods their Saks farm for five years. On Saturday, they opened made from alpaca wool.

Forum scheduled to discuss Calhoun County's cycling, walking plan BY BRIAN ANDERSON bandersonannistonstar.com The Calhoun County Metropolitan Planning Organization will host a public forum Thursday on updating its bicycle and pedestrian transportation plan for the county. "It's a kickoff (meeting) to update our current plan," said Jack Plunk, a principal planner with the East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission. "We want to re-establish the bicycle pedestrian committee and get input on our plan, like format, projects included, and things like that." The current bicycle and pedestrian plan for Calhoun County was updated in 2003 and included surveys of residents on their cycling and walking habits. Of particular note was a survey of residents' use of the Chief Ladiga Trail, which opened in 1996. Among the projects included in the 2003 plan were extensions of the Chief Ladiga Trail to McClellan and to downtown Anniston neither of which has come to fruition.

Plunk said outside the Ladiga Trail extensions, most of the projects in the plan are relatively inexpensive, including creating bike lanes and adding bike racks to areas. "We've had some really good success moving forward with the plan," he said, pointing to the establishment of a bicycle advisory committee in lacksonville started by Mayor Johnny Smith. "Jacksonville has been leading the way." Plunk said there was no deadline for when a new plan needed to be submitted, but hopes with new funding possibilities available, the plan can be brought up to date. The public meeting will take place at 3 p.m. in the third-floor conference room of the East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission's office on Quintard Avenue in Anniston.

Star staff writer Brian Anderson: erd work pays off Small farm becomes small business for alpaca owners BUSINESS A AS USUAL stuffed animals and yarn for people who would like to knit the same. Behind the store are a half-dozen acres of pasture dotted with fuzzy llama-like animals. The Merrills had a herd of the South American animals and a large plot of farmland BY TIM L0CKETTE tlockBrteannistonstar.com When the economy zigs, sometimes it's good to zag. That 's what Debbie and Hank Merrill are doing. They're hoping to turn a profit with a suburban alpaca farm.

On Saturday, they opened Blackberry Mill Alpacas, a small store on Saks Road dedicated largely to products made from alpaca wool scarves, socks, Bill WilaonTha Anniston Star Debbie Merrill stands in her store next to a display of socks, mittens and other items made from alpaca wool. Please see BUSINESS I Page 6A chkfU RttlGAr THAU Meet Alabama's other Robert Bentley Self-described 'flaming liberal' shares name with state's governor nil i i ii ii i i i Trent PennvAThe Anniston Star A Thursday forum will discuss Calhoun County's cycling and pedestrian transportation plan, including an update on proposed extensions to the Chief Ladiga Trail. I I ter of nationwide controversy. J. Robert Bentley Bob, to his friends practices law in Oneonta.

Many of the people he represents are indigent, their defense paid for by the state. A number of his clients are Hispanic. A Democrat and self-described "flaming liberal," Bob Bentley thinks the immigration law is one of the worst things to happen to the state in years. "On some level, a border is just an arbitrary geographical line," he said. "For administrative purposes, it makes sense to control and limit who crosses that line, but when you start using it to justify violence and deprivation and cruelty, well, that's just wrong." Bob Bentley says he's been having a load of fun since his namesake became governor.

Traffic on his blog, "Bob one day at a time," has been up, and he said many of his readers come to the site after doing Google searches on the Please see BENTLEY I Page 6A BYTIMLOCKETTE tlocketteannistonstar.com J. Robert Bentley has grown accustomed to the double-take. When he introduces himself, people ask Bentley if he's kidding. When he presents his driver's license, people look twice. And when he's traveling, he gets an earful of what people think about Alabama's immigration law.

Usually, he agrees with them. "This law isn't helping our reputation one bit," he said. "And that's a shame, when you consider how much work we've all done to improve our reputation." James Robert Bentley, a Blount County lawyer, is not related to Alabama Gov. Robert Julian Bentley. But on paper, they're almost the same person.

One does business as J. Robert. The other Is known as Robert J. In person, they couldn't be more different. Gov.

Robert Bentley was a Tuscaloosa legislator and dermatologist before 2010, SpacialtoThaStar Bob Bentley has seen traffic on his blog Increase since Robert Bentley was elected governor of Alabama. when he rode to electoral victory on a conservative surge that gave Republicans control of every branch of government. As a candidate, he championed tort reform and smaller government. As governor, he signed into Taw the nation's toughest antl-illegal-immigration bill, one that has placed Alabama at the cen Lowe's comes under fire for pulling ad FOR STORY, SEE PAGE 7A Vol. 131, No.

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