WEDNESDAY’S LIST ... of beans ’n’ greens ’n’ other things: OUT WHERE Saks Road dead-ends at Hall’s Chapel lives a man who will be 90 years old this Saturday, Oct. 16.

His name is John Fulmer, and he is one of the good guys. And a big reason I know that is we lived next door to John and his wife in a duplex apartment back in the days of young wives, small kids, old cars and past-due bills.

His wife’s name is Thelma, but everybody calls her “Beck.” She’s one of the good ones, too, and back on Sept. 28, John and Beck marked up their 70th wedding anniversary.

And he will have a very happy birthday Saturday. A son and a daughter and grandkids will gather for a celebration.

Happy birthday, John ... and you did very well when you got Beck.

*** IT DIDN’T make ABC’s nightly news, but that was a rather nice award John Griffin picked up this past Friday at Walter Wellborn High School.

John, a retired military man who teaches 9th- through 12th-grade math, was named ALFA Insurance’s Teacher of The Month for Alabama District III.

For the award, John got $1,000, but of more importance, Wellborn also got a check for $1,000.

A salute or two is in order ...

^^^*** IF YOU watch House on the tube, you’re watching the highest-paid actor in U.S. television drama.

Hugh Laurie, a British comedian in an earlier life, gets $400,000 for each episode for his role as “House” on Fox.

*** BIRTHDAYS: Oct. 7 – Mike Monday and Sam Mellon III; Oct. 8 – Madison Monday; Oct. 10 – Senecia Darling; Oct. 12 – Brent McCarthy and Sammy Pressley; Oct. 13 – Betty Vice; Oct. 14 – Gladys Burton; Oct. 15 – Kendall Hancock.

*** WHAT’S THAT oldie ... oh, yeah ... “What goes around comes around.”

That’s what came to mind in watching Alabama and South Carolina this past Saturday.

Alabama got high praise in their beat-down of Florida and then got a very bitter taste of its own medicine against Carolina.

The Gamecocks, quite simply, beat up on Bama in any way you can name ... offense, defense, coaching. It was a good old-fashioned rear-end kicking.

One more thing from the toy shop.

Cam Newton, Auburn’s 6-6 quarterback, means as much to his team as any college football player in the nation. Were I still voting on the Heisman, young Mr. Newton would be number one on my list at the moment.

*** TOP TEEN: The spotlight this morning moves center stage to Jacksonville High School and a young lady by the name of Jarquechia Jarac White, a senior who is working toward an Advanced Diploma with Honors come spring graduation.

She is a member of the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, the Key Club and the Student Council.

There’s been a big dose of leadership along the way as Jarac was class president in grades 7-8-9-10 and was Student Council secretary her junior year.

“Jarac was selected to be a JHS Ambassador and is currently serving her second year in that position,” says Marcia Stallings, senior counselor. “She is an outstanding person and a delight to be around.”

Jarac is the daughter of a very proud Erica Salter of Jacksonville.

Some applause, please ...

*** OOPS: In telling you about Dorothy Vernon, last week’s Top Teen, I slipped and listed her school as Faith Christian Academy. It is Faith Christian School ... with my apologies.

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George Smith can be reached at 256-239-5286 or e-mail: gsmith731@gmail.com.