sep - oct

Familiar Faces on Fri Nights:

2009 FirstState Game of the Week
FirstState Bank and Alabama
100.7 FM are joining forces to
bring hometown heroes back to-
gether for Clay Co HS and Line-
ville HS Football in 2009. As the
“FirstState Game of the Week”,
we are thrilled to have Mark Grif-
fin, Tommy Wood, and Jeff
Colburn back in charge of the
radio broadcast for this exciting
treasure of our community. Re-
turning home from a 3-year
hiatus, this eloquent crew of
communicators are once again
bringing their penchant for the
The BankNote

game to local airwaves on Friday

nights. Famous for their finesse
in sportscasting, these men excel
at packaging their years of in-
Fri Nights on Alabama 100.7 FM
FIRSTSTATE BANK NEWSLETTER

sight, passion, and articulation

into an explosion of expertise that is without rival. In a recent interview, they revealed that
the key to their distinguished delivery is staying as committed to their craft as the coaches &
players are to the sport itself. In their own words, “We take it seriously—we are our listeners‟
eyes, and we have to find a way to make them see what we see.” Their veteran eyes have
witnessed many a player grow and excel over the years from generation to generation, and
consider Game Day to be more of a reunion than an occupation. More than just a game,
they have helped HS football become a rallying point for the entire community, and a spring-
board for life lessons that can only be instilled on the proving ground of struggle & determi-
nation. As Mark Griffin astutely alludes, “Life is like defending the Triple Option—---you can‟t
do it all alone. You have to learn to delegate and depend on others as well as yourself.”

J e f f Mark recalls: Tommy

recalls: Clay Co v. Reel- recalls:
Clay Co town, 1997 “The Lineville
v. Hazel- Panthers had been v. Holt-
w o o d , on a winning streak v i l l e ,
1 9 9 5 since week 2 of „94, 1 9 9 3
“From the and 30 of those games were shut-outs. “Holtville
At Reeltown they broke the record of was ranked #1 and the
35-yardline, the Hazel-
50 consecutives wins, and went on to game was almost can-
wood kick returner
reset it at 55 by season‟s end.” Life celled from a monsoon
broke through with a
Lesson: “Discipline results in victory.” of a downpour. Line-
clear path to the end
ville wore them out with
zone. Against all odds,
50 people in the stand.”
OL Jesse Wood kept
Clay Co v. Gordo,
after him making a div-
1994 “It was the first
ing tackle, and with just
state championship we
a finger, was able to
had ever called, and
snag enough of his heel
Clay Co shut them out.
to bring him down and
A blind man later told
save the game, 7-6.
us, „I have just seen my
Life Lesson: “Never
first state championship
give up! You never
through your eyes.‟”
know what can‟t be
Life Lesson: “Take
done till you‟ve given
your craft seriously.”
everything you have.”
First Things First...
Part of our experience as a commu-
nity bank is being the first to extend
the welcoming hand of generosity
back to our community. Back in
1977, the Community Reinvestment
Act (CRA) was passed by Congress
to encourage banks to refrain from
Redlining, and to invest in the entire
community at large. At FirstState
Bank we already considered that to
be high on our priority list, so over the
decades we have embraced the idea
of reinvestment wholeheartedly,
rather than through grudging obliga-
tion. Beyond just fair credit practic-
ing, FSB is a prime donor of proceeds
to both Clay and Randolph counties
in ways that we believe will boost the
Some of us just like
local economy, education, and gen-
eral quality of life. A few of the recipi-
ents for FSB proceeds include Public &
Private Schools to promote education,
Chambers of Commerce to strengthen
small businesses, and local Fire De-
partments to keep vital resources avail-
able. The philosophy behind these
donations is that simply paying when
you owe is not enough; in order to
have a thriving community, you must
be a staunch contributor toward that
community. In so doing, you establish
an active identity in the success of the
people around you, and help the many
rather than just the few. This frame of
mind is one of the ways we conduct
our motto “We make dreams come
true”, and is the essence of the Com-
to be First munity Banking way of doing business.

One of the key contributors in making all this happen is Marketing Officer Miles Mathis
who says, “It‟s all about giving back and „paying it forward‟ in business and in life. Instead
of just paying back someone that you already owe, how about giving something forward to
someone who isn‟t expecting it? That‟s when generosity starts paying off for everyone.
Giving back to the community is a big part of the day-to-day operation here at FirstState.”

Christmas Club to Pay Back Soon...

On Nov 12, FirstState Bank will be proud account holders know that putting a little
to mail out checks to all the thrifty owners away throughout the year will result in a
of our Christmas Club accounts. These sizable payout later on—-just in time for
accounts are built to help owners help Christmas shopping. With the economy
themselves, by paying one lump sum for as it is, this payout feels like its own per-
all the tiny deposits made throughout the sonal Christmas bonus, courtesy of
year. These checks are not only a bene- themselves. The best time to open a
fit to their owners, but they also provide new Christmas Club account will be the
more spending power to boost sales to second week of November, in order to
area merchants. Our Christmas Club receive the maximum payout in 2010.

FirstState Drive to the 4th Quarter...

With 75% of the year now in the rear view mirror, the busi-
ness community is literally making its final drive into the
4th quarter. And, while nature’s colors are succumbing to
Fall, FSB is continuing to grow. Our YTD numbers reveal
that FSB Deposits have grown by almost 12% as of July
31. In fact, YTD profits are ahead of the same period in
2008 by approximately 25%. FSB also stayed ahead of
the game by anticipating a special FDIC premium due in
Sept, and pro-actively reserved the expense in advance.
While bank failures may dominate the national headlines,
executive foresight is keeping FSB poised to finish strong.

Page 2 T HE B A N K N O T E
Mumbo Jumbo...

FirstState Bank prides itself on breaking down the “mumbo jumbo” of

banking terminology in order to clear the air on how we are looking out
for customer security. In our last issue, The BankNote took a retreat
from the whirlwind topics in the national news, and focused instead on
the area of Community Banking itself, through an informative interview
with CBAA President & CEO, Mr. Scott Latham. This issue will revisit
the world of Financial Literacy with the subject of Wealth Management.

Wealth Management...
At this time of the year, the arrival of
the cooler air allows Alabamians to
clean out a musty attic or closet, only
to find unexpected treasures under-
neath the clutter. Likewise, it is also
common to find autumn squirrels hid-
ing acorns in a secret stash, only to
forget about them, and later be un-
covered by rakes scraping leaves
from the yard. Although we have
reminders to “Put away a nest egg”,
and “Begin with the end in mind”, it is
easy to get caught up in the same
financial oversights as the squirrels.
As an institution, FSB cannot offer
specific financial advice; but as com- Wealth Management
munity bankers, we can certainly
point out some ideas worth looking Making the Most
into. One helpful way to distinguish
what instrument might work best is to of Your Opportunities
think of these security options as dif-

BONDS NOW Account Money Market Account

Bonds work like an I.O.U. where purchas-
ers receive assurance that they will receive
their principal at maturity along with
interest. FirstState Bank sells EE-Bonds
and I-Bonds through our Teller Desk.
As an interest-bearing account, Negotiable
Order of Withdrawal account holders may
write drafts against money that is held on de-
posit. Some restrictions apply. They are FDIC-
insured and available through our FSB CSRs.
A Money Market account is also FDIC-
insured and bears a higher rate of interest .
Some restrictions apply. Minimum balance
must be maintained, and checks may be writ-
ten from it. Available through our FSB CSRs.

ferent types of tools. While a ham- account, and the higher interest rate of
mer might work best for one purpose, an investment account. No matter
a pair of pliers might work better for which instrument works best for your
another. So it goes with investing, wealth management style, there will
where a slow-but-steady option might definitely be new documents to store
help more than a high-risk/high- away, and FSB has Safe Deposit
reward; or vice-versa. For those who Boxes still available for rental, espe-
are just beginning to invest and are cially at our Ashland & Wedowee
looking for a stepping stone into this branches. It is our hope that the time-
brave new world, a Money Market less wisdom of putting away an acorn
account might be helpful. FSB offers will not get swept away with the debris
these FDIC-insured accounts which of everyday living, and that all area
can be the best of both worlds, with consumers will seek out the most se-
the familiarity of a checking account, cure options necessary in making the
the minimum balance of a savings most of their financial opportunities.

S E P - O CT Page 3
In The Spotlight...
"Go the extra mile past expectations"
...words to live by from Jill Puckett
One mark of a successful design is the ability to turn a disad-
vantage into an advantage, and the compact size of our We-
dowee branch has achieved exactly that. Rather than feeling
lost in a crowd, customers walking into our Wedowee office
are instead greeted immediately by the entire staff, and
drawn directly to the welcoming demeanor of Customer Ser-
vice Rep, Jill Puckett. Jill’s desk is placed deliberately in the
center of the lobby, so that customers entering from either
side are immediately facing an inviting personality, that is
ready to receive them with a positive first impression. Being
the central figure of an operation is not new to Jill, who came
to FSB after eight years in a key position at Meadow Craft Co
in Birmingham and Wadley, AL. As their primary purchasing
agent, it was up to her to quickly replace faulty equipment so
that operations would not have to come to a screeching halt.
She learned first-hand how to quickly assess the needs of the
moment, and turn the tables sooner than expected. After
taking two years off to start a family, Jill brought her “extra
mile” mentality to FirstState Bank in December of 2006, and
learned how to redirect her talents to the financial arena of
New Accounts. Jill’s favorite motto is, “Do unto others as you
would have them do unto you”—-a message that is com-
monly known, and consistently practiced by CSR Jill Puckett.

Community Life...
The AL Forestry Com- Last September, Mrs.
mission has its own Eloise Samuels had
office in Clay County, her Catalpa Tree
and is based in an aptly measured, and it was
-styled log cabin on the found to be the 2008
NE side of Lineville. co-champion for larg-
One of the ways they est in the state of AL.
serve our community is The winning character-
through the Champion istics were circumfer-
Tree program. Each ence, height, and can-
year, candidates all opy spread. Any prop-
over AL are submitted erty owner wishing to
to compete for the be considered for next
honor of being crowned year’s Champion Tree
state “champion” of need only contact the
their species. Any Clay local Forestry office,
Co property owner can and Nick Jordan’s ca-
make a submission to pable crew will handle
be measured by the the rest. For more
Forestry Commission, information see also,
for any eligible species. Forestry.Alabama.gov.
If you have a digital picture of life in our community that you would like to share in a future issue of The BankNote, please email it to:
Vaughn.Samuels@FirstStateDirect.com. Submissions are not guaranteed to be published and stories may require editing.

Lineville Office Ashland Office Wedowee Office

P.O. Box 547 P.O. Box 518 P.O. Box 264
Lineville, AL 36266 Ashland, AL 36251 Wedowee, AL 36278
(256)396-2187 (256)354-2145 (256)357-0440
www.FirstStateDirect.com