mAR - APR

Alabama Gold Camp:

2010 Cragford’s Hidden Treasure
In the modern world of cash and
credit, the value of gold is often
overlooked, but just as gold’s
price has been steadily rising, so
has the activity at Randolph
County’s Alabama Gold Camp.
On County Road 5 about a mile
past Robertson’s Garage in
Cragford, the AL Gold Camp
has been flourishing since 2007
as patrons have come away with
gold from three local creeks that
span 200 acres of campground.
The Gold Camp has thought of
everything and provides equip-
The BankNote

ment available for rental, as well

as training from a seasoned
prospector. For first-timers,
“Miner Mike” is on-hand to dem-
FIRSTSTATE BANK NEWSLETTER

onstrate four established tech- 2008. In a down econ-

niques of prospecting; the lower-
yield methods of Panning &
Sluicing, and the higher-yield
methods of High-Banking and
Dredging, where gold is most
likely to be unearthed. The Gold
Camp has already gone to the
extent of digging into the creeks’
bedrock where gold particles
tend to settle, to make the ex-
perience even more user-
friendly for prospectors. Gold
has been found in Alabama
since the late 1800’s as an ex-
tension of the Georgia Gold Belt.
And as local jewelers confirm,
Alabama gold is comparatively
pure in grade with a general
content level of 22-24 karats. At
www.AlabamaGoldCamp.com,
the AGC’s homepage even has
a link to the current price of gold,
which has hovered around
$1,000 per ounce since early
omy, buying gold has tra-
ditionally been considered
one of the safer invest-
ments that can be made.
The strong price of gold
has area jewelers & pawn
shops actively involved in
buying it, both in raw and
fashioned pieces, thereby
making the gold exchange
profitable for both buyers and sellers in our community.
Prospecting for gold is a fun experience for enthusiasts
seeking the thrill of discovery, a link to the past, or just
learning a new skill in the great outdoors. The Ala-
bama Gold Camp is a member of the GPAA (Gold Pros-
pectors Association of America) and has even hosted
prospectors from as far away as Russia & Japan.
The word is getting around: there is gold in Alabama
and one of the best spots is right in our own backyard.
FSB Has Safe Deposit Boxes
FirstState Bank still has Safe
Deposit Boxes available for
rental, including our most eco-
nomical size, 3 x 5 x 24. These
boxes are excellent for storing
important documents, as well as
prized possessions that are too
valuable to leave at home. To
get your valuables protected in
our vault, contact our CSRs in
Lineville, Ashland, or Wedowee.
The Tide Rolls In!

The Tide was high in CA earlier this year as AL rolled over TX 37-21 to win
the National Championship, making the 2009 season arguably AL’s best
ever. In one of many firsts, Bama brought home 14 wins, and FSB presi-
dent Ken Vaughan & wife Ann were there to see it firsthand. RB Mark In-
gram brought the Tide their 1st Heisman Trophy, and LB Rolando McClain
won the Butkus Award, as 6 players were named to the AP All-American
Team. The entire SEC will profit from the win, including academics in need
of new funds. Even Auburn fans can find something to smile about in that!

My Community, My Bank...
If you would like to tell Congress exactly what you think about the economic downturn in America, we would like to introduce
you to a site created exactly for that purpose: MyCommunityMyBank.org The Independent Community Bankers Association
has created this site which will automatically send your feedback on to Congress, in a written letter or uploaded video. This
presents a first-time opportunity for everyday American citizens to bring the common sense of Main Street directly to Congress,
that is more accustomed to hearing from Wall Street. The bigger banks of our nation that have dragged the country to near
financial ruin are likely to continue their practices until they see waves of their customers switch to safer Community Banks. At
FSB we support ICBA’s initiative to
bring community voices into the discus-
www.MyCommunityMyBank.org sion. After unprecedented taxpayer aid
flowed into the megabanks last year,
consumers continue to suffer from their
actions; the latest being a hike in credit
card interest rates before new laws to
protect customers had time to pass.
The bigger banks know that the incon-
venience involved in switching banks is
usually what keeps customers staying
put. To simplify things, we would like
you to know that FirstState Bank has
outlined the bank-switching process in
our Nov/Dec 2009 issue of The Bank-
Note. Reprints can be emailed to you at
Time to let Congress hear your voice your request, but the three main steps
of a switch are summarized as follows:
1) Open the New Account first. Get the new account open and ready to start handling transactions.
2) Make a list of your creditors. Notify any that would be affected. Direct Deposits are the most time-consuming part.
3) Close the old account. Monitor all pending transactions, then move your remaining balance to your new account.
For more helpful hints on switching to FSB, see our Nov/Dec 2009 issue of the BankNote at www.facebook.com/firststatebank

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. This issue will resume the discussion of Financial Literacy with a
focus on Principal Reduction, and how it can help your loan pay off quicker.

Principal Reduction...

A due date and a dollar amount are
usually all that is remembered when
making a loan payment, but one
wise way of wearing it down sooner
(and cheaper) is to make a Principal
Reduction. This option helps bor-
rowers reach their payoff sooner by
shaving off “pieces” of principal with
additional money in their monthly
payment. In an installment loan,
each month’s regular payment is
split into two parts: one part interest,
and one part principal. In the early
stages of the loan, more of your pay-
ment goes toward interest, but as
time goes on, more of it starts going
toward principal. Once each install-
ment’s accrued interest has been
reached, the rest of the payment
automatically goes toward the princi-
pal amount financed. Paying more
than your regular monthly amount
sends the overage directly toward
the principal, thereby leaving less
to be financed. The way it makes
your loan “cheaper” is that interest
is figured on your principal. If
there is less principal, then there
must also be less interest. There-
fore a Principal Reduction causes
you to spend less total money in a
shorter amount of time. If you
TIME have any missed payments, partial
payments, or late charges in-
volved, then this scenario may of
principal financed course not apply. In general
though, paying more than your
minimum due will only help you
interest due pay off your loan sooner, and with
less total interest out of pocket.

NOTE: FirstState Bank does not charge for pre-payment but many institutions do. Check your loan agreement first to be sure.

FirstState Growth...
At this time of the year, FirstState Bank likes
to reflect on the recent past, and how we are
doing as a whole. In a tough economy, we
are pleased to see that our total growth went
from $157 million in 2008, to $175 million in
2009 (an 11% increase). Teller transactions
stayed steady in 2009, hovering around
250,000 for the year. From the FDIC website,
we are especially proud to see that our Ash-
land Office made a significant spike in its Mar-
ket Share of 61%, up by 22% from 2008’s
even split of 50/50. Lineville’s Market Share
closed at 60%, which does not include num-
bers from the 3rd & 4th quarter that are likely
to be a notable boost. Wedowee’s Market
Share made a slow but steady increase up to
7%. The addition of Susan Kimball Brown as
Branch Manager in May of 2009 also has us
positioned for optimism in Randolph County.

M A R - A P R 20 1 0 Page 3
 In The Spotlight: Matt Roberts on TV
FSB is an active participant in the Clay County Co-
Op program, which gives local HS students credit
for on-the-job training. Our current student Matt
Roberts is a senior at Lineville High School, and
fills our traditional Co-Op role of Data Processing.
Matt’s talents go far beyond entering computer
data, as he has gained recognition both from the
school and from the bank for his tremendous suc-
cess in fund-raising for LHS in his role as president
of the FFA. A natural salesman, Matt finds ways of
connecting with every employee in the bank and
engages them in an energetic manner that gets
people excited about helping their community grow.
His knack for activism recently garnered attention
from Bobby Jon Drinkard, former Survivor contest-
ant who now hosts the PBS TV show, “On The
Job”. The public television show gives viewers a
glimpse of the behind-the-scenes routines of vari-
ous jobs in AL. It is has been especially successful
"You know you want to help!" in helping students in Matt’s demographic convert
their ambitions into real-life opportunities. Through
the link with Matt Roberts, “On The Job” is ex-
...words to live by from Matt Roberts pected to film an episode at LHS this Spring, so be
sure to stay tuned and see our student in action.

Community Life: Wisteria

Springtime in Alabama means plenty of spectacular sights,
and the flowering vine of Wisteria is one of its prettiest. Its
bluish-lavender bloom can grow to the size of a pineapple, and
its wrist-thick trunk is surprisingly heavy. Wisteria tends to
grow into a mound when unsupported but can grow up to 20
yards high when allowed to twine upwardly. Because of its
weight, Wisteria is not suitable for a lattice that can be easily
brought down, but does best on a well-founded arbor. One
pleasant characteristic of growing Wisteria in our area is that it
is deer-resistant, and apparently not an appetizing snack to
our foraging neighbors! A great place to view Wisteria grow-
ing wild in Clay County is on Highway 9 in Delta, AL, where it
can be seen growing all the way up Lob Lolly pine trees on the
side of the road. The Wisteria vine originally came to Alabama
from both China and Japan where it also has a white variety.

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