Pine Hill Country Club

Dan Gross: Fore! It's Donald Trump!

A COUPLE PREPARING for a weekend wedding at the Trump National Golf Club, formerly Pine Hill Country Club, in South Jersey, had a surprise encounter with Donald Trump on Friday.

While golfing there, Trump struck up a conversation with Steve Tremblay , 30, who works for Independence Blue Cross, and Andria Mola , 27, a graphic designer. They were there for their wedding rehearsal.

Trump asked whether they booked the wedding before or after he bought the place in December 2009. They said before. "Oh, then you got a good deal," Trump said. He then posed for photos with the couple and signed their guest book, which Andria excitedly shared with guests the next day.

The happy couple are now honeymooning in St. Lucia at a resort that is not owned by Trump.

Out and about

* Rocker Tommy Shaw of Styx asked his server at Morton's (1411 Walnut) if the restaurant's beef was raised with hormones and, apparently satisfied with the answer, ordered a 12-ounce New York strip steak, creamed spinach and two salads while dining there over the weekend. Styx played with Yes at Susquehanna Bank Center Monday.

* U.S. Rep. Bob Brady brought Philadelphia Sheriff Barbara Deeley and Deputy Sheriff Joe Vignola onstage at Memories (Amherst & Madison) in Margate Saturday to name club owner Jerry Blavat an honorary sheriff. The radio icon, celebrating his 71st birthday that night, declared himself the "Sheriff of Nottingham" and continued celebrating with many other guests, including Geno's Steaks owner Joey Vento ; attorneys Jonathan Saidel , Carl Poplar and Eddie Jacobs ; and Register of Wills Ron Donatucci .

* Flyers alum Ian Laperriere dined at

Ralic's Steakhouse (26 S. Haddon) in Haddonfield, with his wife, Magali , and two other couples Saturday night. Lappy went unnoticed until chef Ed Battaglia spotted him eating a filet mignon. Battaglia spoke with Laperriere, who complimented the chef on the steak and crab- cake appetizer.

_ Food Network star Geoffrey Zakarian

took in John Legend 's Borgata show for invited guests at the Mixx nightclub Friday night. Zakarian, a Water Club culinary consultant, was at the hotel for the launch of Vintage - A Wine Boutique inside the Shoppes at the Water Club.

Rift Soultree – Rift-Soultree.com - Anniston Star

New housing developments have been built next to open farmland in the heart of Choccolocco, one of the oldest communities in Calhoun County. (Anniston Star photo by Alison Gene Smith)slideshow

CHOCCOLOCCO Van Roberts used to know just about everyone in the Choccolocco area. Now its one out of 10.

It really exploded prior to the housing bust, the volunteer fire chief said.

When Roberts joined the Quad Cities Volunteer Fire Department the year it started in 1989, the group served about 250 homes throughout Choccolocco, Old Davis Town, Iron City, Chosea Springs and Pleasant Ridge.

Now, he estimates, 2,500 to 2,600 homes are in its coverage area.

Nestled east of Anniston and Oxford along the banks of Choccolocco Creek, the four-mile-wide valley that is home to Choccolocco has historically been a tiny community of just a few hundred. It is one of the oldest communities in the county, dating back to the 1830s. Most of the land was once held by slave-owning farmers growing cotton. After the Civil War and emancipation, tenant farmers worked the land for decades and the area emerged as a sleepy, agriculture-based community.

In the 1990s, Choccolocco saw a huge boom in population. Farming all but disappeared as agricultural land made way for new subdivisions.

When the national recession hit, many communities started to slide, with growth in established suburban areas grinding to a halt. However, rather than move backward, Choccolocco and surrounding communities have sustained themselves.

Heritage of a community

We maintain a community because it has always been close-knit here, said Georgia Calhoun, a lifelong resident of Choccolocco. Now some communities, the new communities, have not come in as much.

Although she said she supports prosperity and progress, Calhoun said she is a little sad to see the familiar landscape changing.

I have seen cotton fields and soybean fields turned into housing, she said.

Calhoun has acted as a one-woman unofficial mayor, tourism director and historian, occasionally receiving mail for the Choccolocco City Hall at her home in the heart of town and answering phone calls at all hours from people asking for information about the area or for directions to Mount Cheaha.

As president of the Choccolocco Heritage Society, Calhoun tries to keep history alive with bimonthly meetings. The societys next meeting is in August. The group discusses the history of the area and works to designate new historic places.

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