|
Roast more about respect than revenge
Published July 27, 2010
GUNTERSVILLE — Sen. Hinton Mitchem didn’t get roasted Saturday night.
More like respectfully broiled.
But the guest speakers did tell some entertaining stories about the ol’ Georgia boy turned Alabama statesman who held the two most powerful posts in the Senate.
Mitchem, 72, is retiring from the Legislature at the end of his term this year. The eight-term senator agreed to the roast in an effort to raise money for the Child Advocacy Center of Marshall County.
The fundraiser grossed $16,000 and about 200 people attended the event at Guntersville City Hall, an official estimated.
“We are very pleased with the support and the turnout,” said Leslie Wright, executive director of the Child Advocacy Center.
Anyone who missed the roast may order a professionally shot DVD for $20 by calling the Child Advocacy Center at 256-582-8492.
Proceeds from the roast will be applied toward the cash match required to receive a grant from the Children’s Trust Fund, Wright said. The grant will help fund parenting classes and expand a violence prevention program to kindergarten through fifth grade students.
Mitchem’s roast was the third one hosted by the Child Advocacy Center. Past honorees included late Marshall County Commission Chairman Billy Cannon in 2001 and former Guntersville Superintendent Andy Lee in 2002.
Sen. Lowell Barron, Alabama Electric Cooperative Vice President Horace Horn, Mitchem’s sister Barbara Lucas, his former chief of staff Charley Grimsley and close friend Gordon Henderson were among the featured presenters at Saturday night’s roast.
Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom Jr., Sen. Roger Bedford (D-Russellville), Sen. Vivian Davis Figures (D-Mobile) and Mitchem’s wife Judy attended.
Larue Kohl, a charter board member of the Child Advocacy Center, emceed the event.
Barron said he “cleaned” and “scrubbed” his stories, but hit topics involving Mitchem’s heart attack and former Gov. Fob James.
“We go back to 1974,” said Barron, a Democrat from Fyffe. “We’ve done everything I can imagine together. I’m not telling most of that.”
Barron is known for driving fast and told one story about how Mitchem and former Arab Mayor Johnny Hart played a trick on him by having an Arab police officer pull him over for speeding.
“Johnny, I still hate you, man,” Barron said.
When Mitchem thought he might have cancer, Barron apparently cured him.
“If you have got cancer and you die, I’ll take care of Judy for you,” Barron told Mitchem.
“He got well and ain’t had no more problems with cancer.”
Lucas spent the most time at the podium.
“I’ve been waiting 70 years to roast him,” his youngest sister said.
Lucas offered insight into Mitchem’s childhood years, noting, “He always had an inflated ego.”
Other interesting tidbits from his high school days included Mitchem going on his first date barefooted and his game-winning two-run homer off former Minnesota Vikings quarterback and Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton.
Lucas calls her brother “Hennon” instead of “Hinton.” When Mitchem ran for representative in 1974, he asked his sister to call him “Hinton” if the media interviewed her.
“Hennon sounds so country,” he told her.
“I said, ‘This is sort of short notice,’” she recalled telling him.
Grimsley praised Mitchem’s ability to sell tractors and to get elected despite rooting for the University of Georgia in a state where people love Alabama and Auburn.
“If selling tractors on the Senate floor was a felony, we’d be having this roast at Holman State Prison in Atmore,” Grimsley said.
“Every filibuster was an opportunity to sell tractors. This man could sell sand in Iraq.”
Mitchem once owned a tractor company in Albertville.
Grimsley also talked about “Uncle Hinton’s money pit,” referring to Adventure Island, a theme park in Orange Beach owned by Mitchem.
Rep. Frank McDaniel, who is also retiring from the Legislature at the end of the year, spoke briefly, recalling one day when he and Mitchem donned tuxedoes as celebrity waiters for a fundraiser at the Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge.
Afterwards, the two planned to attend a groundbreaking ceremony for a transportation project in Douglas.
McDaniel changed clothes before going, but Mitchem showed up in his tux. McDaniel thought Mitchem was the first person who wore a tux to a groundbreaking ceremony for a transportation project.
Lobbyists Noopie Cosby and Alva Lambert capped the night of presenters.
Lambert entertained the crowd with dead-on impersonations of Folsom Jr., James and former Auburn head coach Pat Dye.
“He represents Senate District No. 9, but he’s No. 1 in our hearts,” Cosby said of Mitchem..
Folsom read a portion of a Senate resolution touting Mitchem’s service.
“Marshall, DeKalb, Blount and Madison County have benefited greatly from this fellow’s service,” the lieutenant governor said. “He has been a good friend of mine, the counties he has served and North Alabama.”
Bedford is one of the legislators Mitchem respects most, and the feeling is mutual.
“Hinton Mitchem has been such a leader of North Alabama and the entire state,” Bedford said. “He leaves a legacy of statesmanship.”
Mitchem spoke at the end of the roast, but instead of revenge on the presenters, he waxed nostalgic, saying he was “sad to be leaving the Senate.”
He dished out praise to his fellow legislators as well as his Legislative Delegation’s Executive Director Judy Miller and his secretary in Montgomery, Ruth Cochran.
“I thought it went about as well as can be expected,” Mitchem said, referring to the roast. “I decided I’d just be a good boy and thank them for their kind remarks.
“I’m on the way out, and we’re going to have two freshmen on the delegation. I look forward to working with the new delegation.”
Horn drew perhaps the biggest laugh of the night when he told a story about a trip with Mitchem to Washington, D.C., to visit the late U.S. Rep. Tom Bevill.
While waiting, Horn convinced Mitchem to go with him to get a haircut. Mitchem did not need a haircut, but when a lady with “big, blue eyes” asked the senator if he would like a manicure, he agreed.
Horn said Mitchem was really enjoying the manicure, when the lady asked him, “Would you like me to push your cuticles in?”
Mitchem replied, “Darling, if you’ll just let go of my hand, I think it’ll go in by itself.”
Share |
Save |
Mail |
Print |
Letter
|
|
|
 |
|
Follow the Reporter on Twitter:
SMR News and
SMR Sports
|
