November 2020 Baldwin

Stories | Recipes | Events | People | Places | Things | Local News November 2020

Baldwin Electric Membership Cooperative

An open letter to the 1,490 (PAGE 4) www.baldwinemc.com

OPERATION RESTORATION Response shows what it means to be #CoopStrong (PAGE 5-7)

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BALDWIN

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Time for pie!

November is the perfect time to bake a homemade apple pie, or any kind of pie, for that matter. And don’t let the fear of making a homemade crust put a crimp in your plans. Store-bought crusts are just fine, especially when you’ve got a delicious filling like the one perfected by our favorite blogger at The Buttered Home!

BALDWIN EMC is a member-owned electric cooperative serving more than 80,000 accounts in Baldwin and Monroe Counties in southwest Alabama.

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(251) 989-6247 ALABAMA LIVING is delivered to some 420,000 Alabama families and businesses, which are members of 22 not-for-profit, consumer-owned, locally directed and taxpaying electric cooperatives. Subscriptions are $12 a year for individuals not subscribing through participating Alabama electric cooperatives. Alabama Living (USPS 029-920) is published monthly by the Alabama Rural Electric Association of Cooperatives. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Alabama, and at additional mailing office.

POSTMASTER send forms 3579 to: Alabama Living, P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, Alabama 36124-4014.

30 F E A T U R E S

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Save the date and donate

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Worth the drive

ALABAMA RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION

AREA President Fred Braswell Editor Lenore Vickrey Managing Editor Allison Law Creative Director Mark Stephenson Art Director Danny Weston Advertising Director Jacob Johnson Graphic Designer/Ad Coordinator Brooke Echols

VOL. 73 NO. 11  November 2020

Baldwin EMC’s Power of Giving blood drive is set for November 12.

At Fairhope’s TexarBama BBQ, the beef brisket gives the pork a run for its money.

deer zones

26 New Alabama has made some changes to its game laws, including creating two new deer hunting zones.

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ADVERTISING & EDITORIAL OFFICES:

340 TechnaCenter Drive Montgomery, Alabama 36117-6031 1-800-410-2737 For advertising, email: advertising@areapower.com For editorial inquiries, email: contact@alabamaliving.coop NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE:

American MainStreet Publications 611 South Congress Ave., Suite 504 Austin, Texas 78704 1-800-626-1181 www.AMP.coop www.alabamaliving.coop USPS 029-920 • ISSN 1047-0311

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D E P A R T M E N T S 11 Spotlight 24 Thanksgiving Crossword 26 Outdoors 27 Fish & Game Forecast 30 Recipes 38 Hardy Jackson’s Alabama ONLINE: alabamaliving.coop ON THE COVER

Look for this logo to see more content online!

Printed in America from American materials

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Terreaunce Brown and Chad Creamer from Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative in Wewahitchka, Fla., were two of the 1,490 co-op employees who provided aid after Hurricane Sally.

PHOTO: Mark Ingram

26 WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

ONLINE: EMAIL: MAIL:

www.alabamaliving.coop letters@alabamaliving.coop Alabama Living 340 Technacenter Drive Montgomery, AL 36117

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Board of Trustees

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Peggy Vanover Barnes President District 6

Tommie Werneth Vice President District 4

Jimmy LaFoy Secretary/Treasurer District 7

Chad Grace District 1

Joe Coleman District 2

Aubury Fuller District 3

Robert Kaiser District 5

Chief Executive Officer Karen Moore

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An open letter to the 1490

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efore September 16, 2020, you probably didn’t know much, if anything, about Baldwin County, Alabama. You may have vacationed in Gulf Shores or Orange Beach, but for the most part, the rest of our beautiful home was unfamiliar to you.

After Hurricane Sally ravaged our shores, that didn’t really matter anymore. Because you knew there were people here who needed help.

So you packed a bag, kissed your families goodbye and you hit the road, joined by fellow line workers, coming together to do what you do best.

When you arrived, we handed you the broken pieces of a hard-hit distribution system. That included 2,000 broken power poles, 4,100 spans of line on the ground, more than 1,200 broken cross arms, close to 5,000 trees on lines and more than 78,000 meters without power. In some places, we were pretty much starting over.

The acres of timberland, butting up against scenic watersheds leading to 32 miles of coastline – the very diversity that makes our 1,500-square mile service territory so beautifully unique – meant the job of tackling widespread outages wasn’t for the faint of heart. Not that it ever has been.

Working shoulder to shoulder and following the leadership and direction of Baldwin EMC’s seasoned line crews, piece by piece you helped put back together a broken community.

More importantly you showed the residents of Baldwin County that there are lots of people in this world who care about complete strangers.

To those of us for whom you showed up when we needed you most, your work here in our service territory was a remarkable sacrifice that we will never forget. Whether you were clearing trees, rebuilding lines, helping in our warehouse, handing out ice or supporting our communications efforts, you made a difference.

Cooperation among cooperatives is one of the guiding principles that we all live by as coop employees. But principles don’t clear trees or rebuild lines. People do. Principles won’t do much good without employees willing to say yes. Yes, I’ll go. Yes, I’ll help. Yes, send me.

Thank you for saying yes.

I hope one day, you’ll come back to Baldwin County when she’s restored to all her glory.

When you do, I hope you’ll take pride in knowing you played a part in getting her there.

Baldwin County will once again be glad to see you.

Karen Moore Chief Executive Officer Baldwin EMC

www.alabamaliving.coop

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OPERATION RESTORATION Baldwin EMC’s response to Hurricane Sally shows what it really means to be #CoopStrong On the morning of Tuesday, September 15, 2020, Baldwin County residents watched as then Tropical Storm Sally moved toward the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coastline. We were anticipating a few very rainy days, some potential flooding from storm surge, and tropical storm winds. Little did we know that by that night, Sally would become a Category 2 Hurricane with Baldwin County in her crosshairs. With significant shifts in her track and rapid intensification in just 12 hours, our community was caught off-guard by the destruction left in her wake.

Sally’s Wrath Baldwin EMC provides service to approximately 1,500 square miles of territory, including 32 miles of coastline, and Hurricane Sally made landfall at its maximum intensity in Gulf Shores with Fort Morgan having reported wind speeds of 121 miles per hour.

The storm barreled through Baldwin County causing widespread wind damage, storm surge flooding, and bringing over 20 inches of rainfall. In addition to the last-minute shifts and intensification, the other factor that made this storm unique was the system’s 2 mile-per-hour snail’s pace as it made landfall. Sally came to a crawl as it moved inland, blowing in ceaseless high-speed winds. The northern eye wall sat on coastal areas from Mobile to Pensacola for hours, resulting in over 500,000 people losing power in Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. The structural damage was significant: just days after the Gulf Shores pier had reopened from renovations, Sally’s storm surge destroyed it again. Condominiums, gas stations, local businesses and homes…destroyed across Baldwin County. Orange Beach, especially prone to flooding, saw one fatality and reported another person missing, while another life was lost in Foley during storm cleanup from a fallen tree.

HURRICANE

SALLY

Baldwin EMC responds, 1490 strong The damage was record-breaking with references to destruction our area hadn’t seen in 16 years, since Hurricane Ivan.

Approximately 97% of Baldwin EMC’s power system was knocked out.

Fortunately, for those served by the cooperative, we have a fine-tuned disaster response plan in place, and without hesitation, recovery operations began. As soon as it was safe to do so, our team paved the way to restoration, bringing power back to 78,000 meters in ten days. Though our own team led the charge, we did not do it alone. One hundred utility co-ops from 12 states jumped in to help immediately, unabashedly and selflessly. The co-op mutual aid response amounted to an additional 1,490 personnel, in addition to 15 contractor crews. Everything from right-of-way technicians to line workers to warehouse employees.

To restore power as efficiently as possible, Baldwin EMC needed to roll out our action plan as soon as it was safe to begin restoration.

For many employees, that meant leaving behind their own stormdamaged homes to assess storm damage to our distribution system, including 2,000 broken power poles and close to 5,000 trees that had fallen on power lines, resulting in more than 78,000 meters without power. Only 5 of 22 substations remained in service the day after the storm.

Alabama Living

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| Baldwin EMC | OPERATION RESTORATION continued...

The power restoration process is set up like a funnel; our crews start by making the repairs that affect the most people, then gradually work their way to the narrower scope - the damages that only affect a handful of meters, or even in some cases, individual homes. With outages affecting our entire service area, top to bottom, we had every reason to believe repairs could last weeks.

to stay. Two base camps were set up, one at OWA and one at the cooperative’s North Baldwin office, providing a few of the comforts of home to the men and women who had left theirs to help ours.

By September 26, ten days after Hurricane Sally made landfall, the electricity was flowing once again to every member who did not have additional damages that would make it unsafe to restore power.

Baldwin EMC’s members and local community leaders flocked to the cooperative’s social media channels or called in to express their astonishment at how quickly we were getting power restored across our hard-hit service area.

In addition to our operations crews, other employees jumped into their disaster response roles without hesitation. Their roles included answering phones, communicating with local media, coordinating contractors and visiting crews, and facilitating the base camps that ensured the 1,490 out-of-town co-op employees had a place

By day ten of the restoration efforts, both base camps were able to be closed, and most of the visiting crews returned home thanks to the remarkable progress they had helped make.

To the employees of Baldwin EMC and the hundreds who came to our aid when we needed it most, it’s all part of our service to the community. To the community, this service was one they won’t be taking for granted anytime soon.

“I can’t quit crying.”

One Baldwin County resident recounts the moment she met the crew who drove 900 miles to restore her power

driveway. I said ‘are you here to help us?’ They said, ‘yes ma’am.

We’re from Virginia and we drove 900 miles to help you.’

“I called [Baldwin EMC] to tell them my sad story about the broken pole that only feeds our house, and asked if they could tell me how much of the repair would require an electrician and how much they would do. [We had a] flooded house, possible mold spores, [I have] asthma.

‘I’m so sorry that I can’t quit crying. It’s the kindness, the incredible kindness,’ I said.

The sweet lady on the other end of the line said she was so sorry I was going through this and her house was flooded too. She said ‘we’ll get through this together’ and they’d be working 24 hours a day until everything was resolved. I told her I was sorry she had to work on Sunday.

They left with our gratitude, admiration, all my husband’s homemade chocolate chip cookies and this prayer: ‘May the Lord bless you and keep you and make his face to shine on you.’

In less than an hour, a truck with four men pulled into our 6 NOVEMBER 2020

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They said they were so thankful for the hospitality, warmth and appreciation of the people here. [It was] the most devastation they had ever seen.

We had power. This truly is God’s country.”

– Debbie Schmidt, Foley, Ala. www.alabamaliving.coop

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Employees put lives on hold amid restoration When Hurricane Sally wiped out a big chunk of Baldwin EMC’s distribution system, the team that would lead the restoration efforts were some of the very people hit hardest by the storm.

But as electric cooperative employees, picking up their own pieces would have to wait. Duty called.

“Not long after a hurricane makes its way through a community, people begin to ask when they can expect power to be restored. That puts utility companies in the role of first responders following a major weather event,” says Mark Ingram, Baldwin EMC’s vice president of corporate services and public relations. “So employees have to put everything on hold to show up and put in the long hours it takes to get the lights back on.”

That was certainly the case for Gary Dueitt, a line crew chief in Baldwin EMC’s South Baldwin district. His home in Foley, Ala., which he shares with wife Jennifer and their children, sustained significant damage to the roof, fence and yard. "Around sunrise, Gary received the first text about going in to work to start assessing damage. He was out riding the lines by 6:45 a.m." Jennifer recalls. "I was home alone with our four kids waiting on the next steps and praying for the rain to stop, due to leaks we were experiencing."

"Around sunrise, Gary received the first text about going in to work to start assessing damage. He was out riding the lines by 6:45 a.m. I was home alone with our four kids waiting on the next steps and praying for the rain to stop." - Jennifer Dueitt, wife of Baldwin EMC Crew Chief Gary Dueitt

Long hours committed to power restoration meant the Dueitts had to rely on family members and friends to make temporary fixes to their house. "My brother, nephew and uncle along with a good friend came to put tarps on our roof since we didn’t know when Gary would have the time to," Jennifer Dueitt says. "Living this life as a line family is hard on everyone... but seeing the guys out working so hard makes me so proud as a linewife."

Dueitt wasn’t the only employee to suffer damage. Several more had to postpone the process of getting back to normal at home, for the sake of serving Baldwin EMC’s members.

In some cases, even personal milestones had to take a backseat to the power restoration process. While most expectant moms are busy “nesting” and preparing their homes for baby’s arrival, Melissa Hollingsworth, manager of training and development for Baldwin EMC, was helping oversee the basecamp for crews working in the co-op’s North Baldwin District. “Everyone was watching me closely, the linemen even made their own plan for what to do if I went into labor,” Hollingsworth jokes. Baby Jackson made his arrival less than two weeks after the hurricane's landfall.

“Our employees know that power restoration is an all-hands-on-deck,” Ingram, who himself had to miss celebrating his wife’s birthday, says.

“They each have a role, and they’re dedicated to doing their part, even if that means making personal sacrifices. And somehow, they all manage to do it with positive attitudes. That makes a big difference.”

Alabama Living

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| Baldwin EMC |

You’ve Got the “Power” to Save Lives!

11.12.20 What: Baldwin EMC’s Power of Giving Blood Drive When: Thursday, November 12 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Baldwin EMC Headquarters, 19600 Highway 59, Summerdale, AL Why: Because you can save lives!

Join us for the 2020 Power of Giving Drive Come roll up your sleeves on Thursday, November 12, 2020 at Baldwin EMC’s 15th annual Power of Giving drive. LifeSouth Community Blood Center will have their blood mobile stationed outside of Baldwin EMC’s Headquarters in Summerdale from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In order to give blood, you must be at least 17 years old, weigh no less than 110 pounds and be in generally good health. If you have a question about whether or not you can donate, please contact LifeSouth at (251) 621-9644.

Every pint of blood can save up to three lives,

so every donor is a hero!

If you think it’s unlikely you’ll ever be a victim of identity theft, these statistics might change your mind. According to the Federal Trade Commission, they received 651,000 complaints of identity theft just in 2019, which translates into hundreds of thousands of dollars lost by victims.

One of the best ways to protect your information is to shred any documents that could expose personal information, such as your bank account or credit card numbers, your social security number, any medical or legal information or your full date of birth.

Baldwin EMC is offering a free Shred Day for members on November 12, 2020. Shred trucks will be on site at our Summerdale Training Center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. They’ll accept any paper documents in need of secure disposal during that time.

(This is a free service for all members. We ask that you limit what you bring to three boxes or bags so as many members as possible can participate before the trucks fill up!)

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_ filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

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www.alabamaliving.coop

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| Alabama Snapshots |

Young hunters

Eight-year-old Nathan went on his first hunt with his PawPaw, Phillip Watkins, last year and got these squirrels and one raccoon. SUBMITTED by April Redd, Coker.

Kason Tinker, age 11, killed this first bear in Idaho while hunting with his grandfather, Darrell Clark. SUBMITTED BY Darrell Clark, Clanton.

My son David taking his daughter, Addison, on a deer hunt (along with the gear, the backpack has a coloring book and crayons in it.) SUBMITTED BY Donna Gaubatz, Elberta.

Blake’s first deer at the age of 6. SUBMITTED

by Charles Labriola, Wetumpka.

Cade’s first dove during a dove hunt in 2019 - he was so excited! SUBMITTED by Dewanna Jones, Moulton.

Grayson Everett and Klaire Carden, 2020 Dove Hunt. SUBMITTED by Lindsey Carden, Addison.

Submit “Mountain views” photos by November 30.

Winning photos will run in the January issue.

SUBMIT and WIN $10! Online: alabamaliving.coop Mail: Snapshots P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124

Alabama Living

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RULES: Alabama Living will pay $10 for photos that best match our theme of the month. Photos may also be published on our website at alabamaliving.coop and on our Facebook page. Alabama Living is not responsible for lost or damaged photos. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to have photos returned.

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Spotlight | November 'Alabama Living' writers take top awards

Macon County wins 2020 Alabama Census Bowl

Two of Alabama Living’s writers have won awards at the national level.

Hardy Jackson took first place in the Column or Series category in the Statewide Editors Association annual Willie Awards for his November 2019 column, “The Box.” The column is a remembrance of Jackson’s father’s box of memorabilia gathered during his service in World War II. Jackson also took a second place for a series of his columns, published each month as “Hardy Jackson’s Alabama,” in the national Cooperative Communicators Association awards. The association’s members include not only communicators for electric cooperatives, but also dairy, agriculture and other cooperaHardy Jackson tive businesses.

Emmett Burnett, a freelance writer from Satsuma, won first place in the Entertaining Feature category of the Cooperative Communicators Association contest for his article, “Big boss bass or big fish tale?” published in August 2019. The story recounts the tale of Leroy Brown, a legendary largemouth bass that has his own statue in Eufaula.

Emmett Burnett You can read both winning articles again on our website at alabamaliving.coop/articles/the-box/ and alabamaliving.coop/articles/big-boss-bass-or-big-fish-tale/

Sports fans – and Alabama has more than a few of those – love a good March Madness-style contest. To help increase participation in the 2020 Census, state officials created the Alabama Census Bowl competition, with tens of thousands of dollars up for grabs for schools.

Starting Sept. 2, 32 Alabama counties with low self-response Census rates began competing in a bracket-styled challenge, divided into east and west. Only the counties reaching the biggest increase in self-response rates advanced to the next week.

Macon County claimed the state championship and was the east bracket winner with the biggest increase in Census self-response over the entire contest. The county just east of Montgomery won $65,000 in grants that will benefit its school systems.

The west bracket winner, Sumter County, won $45,000 for its school systems. The Final Four runners-up, winning $30,000 each, were Choctaw and Tallapoosa counties. The Elite Eight runners-up, winning $20,000 each, were Washington, Baldwin, Pike and Randolph counties.

Our Facebook followers love Brenda Gantt!

We were proud to feature Covington EC member Brenda Gantt in our September issue, and Facebook fans loved it! Our story on Alabama Living’s Facebook page garnered more than 8,500 “likes” and more than 500 comments. Be sure to follow her Facebook and Instagram pages, both titled “Cooking with Brenda Gantt.”

Three new members for Alabama Academy of Honor selected The Alabama Academy of Honor has chosen Jo Bonner, Maj. Gen. J. Gary Cooper and Bryan Stevenson as the new class for 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the academy’s annual induction ceremony has been postponed until 2021.

Bonner represented Alabama’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives for five terms, and served as Vice Chancellor for Economic Development at the University of Alabama System from 2013 to 2018. He is currently chief of staff to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Cooper is a decorated Vietnam veteran and the first Black officer in the Marine Corps to lead an infantry company into combat. He was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 1974 and later served as commissioner of the Alabama Department of Human Resources.

Stevenson, a widely acclaimed public interest lawyer, is the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, a human rights organization in Montgomery. He led the creation of the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which opened in 2018.

Established in 1965, the Academy bestows honor and recognition upon living Alabamians for their outstanding accomplishments and service to the state and the nation. For more, visit alabamaacademyofhonor.org

Get in the Christmas spirit with events at Russell Lands On Friday, Nov. 27 – known as Black Friday – Santa will arrive by carriage around 10 a.m. at Russell Crossroads, 19 Russell Farms Road in Alexander City. Also that day, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., start your holiday shopping at the Holiday Bazaar on the Town Green.

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Artisans and patrons from all over will enjoy this display of handmade goods. Artisans feature jewelry, soaps, paintings, pottery, woodwork, furniture and more.

For more information, visit RussellLandsOnLakeMartin.com

www.alabamaliving.coop

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November | Spotlight

Find the hidden dingbat!

Whereville, AL

Did we make you hungry last month as you hunted for that lone piece of candy corn? Due to a fire at our printers, some magazines were delayed getting to you, so we extended the deadline for submissions. Thanks to all our readers who guessed correctly that the candy corn was in the “O” in October at the bottom of Page 18.

Baldwin EMC member Arina Ellard, age 13, was inspired to look up historic events in Alabama on Oct. 18: “After doing some research I found out that Alabama experienced its worst earthquake in 1916! It was the Irondale earthquake. I am writing this in a different house now, I did write this all on paper before deciding to email it, because of Hurricane Sally. I assure you I am alright!

Though my house isn’t. I wonder if the Irondale earthquake did more damage than Hurricane Sally.

“I am so glad to see more kids in the magazine,” Arina writes, “and I am especially proud of Ian Shreve who had written that song! I also enjoyed reading that passage about Fort Morgan being haunted, for I had gone there when I was about 6 or 7!”

Sarah Grace Tucker, age 14 of Waverly, and a member of Tallapoosa River EC, sent us some poetry: Cruising about, starting to freak out.

The deadline’s tomorrow, By mail: Not much time to borrow.

Find the Dingbat Flipping the pages Alabama Living Past Mayberry Memories.

PO Box 244014 Feel like I’m in a bunch of races.

Montgomery, AL 36124 Someone help, please!

Gettin’ nearer...

By email: I can feel it. dingbat@alabamaliving.com 15, 16, 17...

Wait, this is it!

Bottom left-hand corner on page 18!

Identify and place this Alabama landmark and you could win $25! Winner is chosen at random from all correct entries.

Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified. Send your answer by Nov. 9 with your name, address and the name of your rural electric cooperative. The winner and answer will be announced in the December issue.

Submit by email: whereville@alabamaliving.coop, or by mail: Whereville, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124.

Contribute your own photo for an upcoming issue! Send a photo of an interesting or unusual landmark in Alabama, which must be accessible to the public. A reader whose photo is chosen will also win $25.

Our randomly drawn winner for October is James Tucker of Moulton. For November, we’ve hidden a Thanksgiving cornucopia, also known as a horn of plenty, in this issue. Good luck! The deadline is Nov. 6.

Take us along!

We’ve enjoyed seeing photos from our readers on their travels with Alabama Living! Please send us a photo of you with a copy of the magazine on your travels to: mytravels@alabamaliving.coop.

Please include your name, hometown and electric cooperative, and the location of your photo. We’ll draw a winner for the $25 prize each month.

Alabama Living

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October’s answer: This unusual structure is by the Arab Veterinary Hospital, on U.S. Highway 231 near the Walmart Super Center in Arab.

(Because some issues of the October magazine were late arriving in mailboxes, we extended the deadline for guesses until Oct. 12. The photo was contributed by Ronnie Allen of Arab EC. The randomly drawn correct guess winner is Scott Beard of Arab EC.)

Morgan Haynes, a member of Cullman Electric Cooperative, took her magazine on a trip to Cade’s Cove, Tennessee.

Bill Capps, a member of Baldwin EMC, took his copy of Alabama Living on a trip to Kauai, Hawaii and visited the lighthouse there.

Tracy Simmons of Sylvania carried her copy on a trip to Clingman’s Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee.

She is a member of Sand Mountain Electric Cooperative.

Charlie and Claudia Wigglesworth caught up on their reading while at Orange Lake Resort in Kissimmee, Florida. The Daleville couple are members of Pea River Electric Cooperative.

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Portraits of Photographer Honor memorializes WWII veterans with images

By Lenore Vickrey

O

f the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, only about 300,000 are still alive today. Jeff Rease has made it his life’s goal to memorialize as many of them as possible.

They are the men and women of The Greatest Generation, the ones who as teenagers stormed the beaches at Normandy on D-Day, who fought bravely at the Battle of the Bulge, who cared for the wounded aboard Navy ships, and who lived to tell of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Since April 2019, Rease has taken photographs of 103 veterans, mostly in Alabama and a few in other states, for his online project, Portraits of Honor. Since he began, seven of those have passed away, three in the past two months.

“They all have a story,” says Rease, who works as a freelance photographer based in Birmingham. “I enjoy seeing their faces as they remember. Most remember about times back then better than the most recent days.”

His subjects were 18 to 22 years old when they left high school or jobs in the coal mines, factories or farms and went to war. Some were even younger. They are now in their 90s and some are older than 100. One told Rease of how he joined at the age of 14, his

USMC (Ret.) Col. Carl Cooper was the first veteran Jeff Rease photographed for the Portraits of Honor project. Cooper, who grew up in rural Chilton County, enlisted in 1942 and served 38 years in the USMC. Among his decorations is the Legion of Merit medal. After boot camp at Parris Island, training in North Carolina, Quantico, Virginia, and Camp Pendleton, California, he boarded a ship bound for Guadalcanal. He fought in the Battle of Okinawa, and after that, his unit moved to Guam to prepare for an invasion of Japan, until the dropping of two atomic bombs and the Japanese surrender ended the war. Col. Cooper was again called to active duty during the Korean War, serving in artillery and infantry, and during the Vietnam War, working mostly in training and recruiting in Washington, D.C. and California. He had a career later in education and coaching, and working with FEMA. He lives in suburban Birmingham where in March 2020 he celebrated his 100th birthday and was featured on local TV news programs still mowing his yard and tending his garden.

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Photographer Jeff Rease and PFC Hilman Prestridge.

US Army Amphibious Forces PFC Hilman Prestridge of Clay County was one of the first soldiers to land at Omaha Beach at Normandy on D-Day in 1944 as part of the First Infantry Division.

As soon as the front landing door on the Higgins boat was dropped, heavy German machine gun fire began raking his buddies as they stepped off into the water. Many died right in front of the boat, so the rest began jumping over the sides instead. “We had these life preserver things called a Mae West around our waist,” he told Jerry C. Smith of Discover St. Clair, in 2018. “They were supposed to float up under our armpits when you filled them with air, but because we were so loaded down with so much stuff, they couldn’t do that and just hung around our waists. Lots of men died with their feet sticking out of the water because all that ammo and grenades and backpacks kept them from floating upright.” Prestridge, 19, survived and his unit stayed in France until Europe had been liberated. After the war, Prestridge came home, married, and worked at Dewberry Foundry and the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind in Talladega. He now lives at the VA Home in Pell City.

6-foot, 200-pound frame convincing recruiters he was older than he was. When his mother realized he was gone, she wrote a letter to the president and he was sent home from Europe. Within a few weeks, he’d joined the Navy, then the Merchant Marine, and ended up having a long military career.

Rease’s project began when he learned about a then-99-year-old veteran living close to him in the Birmingham suburbs, USMC (Ret.) Col. Carl Cooper. After Rease posted photos of Cooper on his Facebook page, wearing his Marine uniform and all his medals, a friend saw it and asked him if he could do a similar portrait of his father-in-law in Daphne. Rease was happy to do so, and one portrait led to another.

He contacted veterans homes in Alabama and the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, compiling a list of surviving veterans.

“Everyone was very helpful,” he says. When he contacts the veterans, most have been eager to be part of Rease’s project. He travels to their homes, sets up a simple backdrop and lighting, chats with them and their families and puts them at ease. Some still proudly wear their uniforms and hold photos of their younger selves. Others wear suits or casual clothing. Rease puts his iPhone on a stand and records as he asks the veterans to talk about their service.

“They have some amazing stories,” he says. “Just about all are eager to talk. When some say theirs was not a glamorous role, I tell them they all contributed to winning the war.”

Some memories are more emotional than others, such as the veteran who talked about liberating a concentration camp. A B-17 pilot told of parachuting out of his plane after being shot down over France, pulling his ripcord at 3,000 feet with a jolt so strong it knocked his combat boots off, and then being rescued by farmers and being hidden from the Germans for eight weeks. Still another is one of the last surviving “Band of Brothers” and told Rease his dramatic story of parachuting into German-occupied France on D-Day, June 6, 1944, with his company, Easy Company.

Rease has a familial connection with the military, as his father was an Army Airborne paratrooper in the Korean War, and his brother and his son both served in the Marines. A great-uncle died in WWII serving in the Coast Guard when his destroyer escort was hit by a German submarine.

“Getting to meet these veterans and talk to them, and really Alabama Living

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Navy Electrician 1st Class Thomas Moore will be 100 on New Year’s Eve. Originally from Moody, and then Odenville, Alabama, Moore now lives in Andalusia to be closer to one of his children. He served in the Navy and the “Secret Blue Collar War,” in which the Navy used floating dry docks to repair battle damaged ships at sea, rather than waiting for the ships to be towed to Hawaii or California for repair.

U.S. Army Nurse Beatrice Muse Price was born in Bessemer in 1924 and grew up on a farm in Greensboro, where she learned nursing skills while caring for her father, who’d been injured in World War I. She graduated from nursing school in 1944 and became an Army nurse in 1945, three days after turning 21. While working at a hospital in Fort Devens, Massachusetts, she cared for Gen. George Patton, and later at Lockbourne Army Air Base in Columbus, Ohio, she was assigned to the Tuskegee Airmen, the first black pilots to serve in the U.S. military. After the war ended, she continued her nursing career at the VA Medical Center in Birmingham and started a health and wellness center at her church. In 2012, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell presented Price with the Congressional Gold Medal.

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Army Medic Sgt. Ray Lambert grew up in the Cane Creek area of rural Chilton County near Clanton. He dropped out of high school to cut timber, then joined the Army as a medic in 1940, his only medical training as an assistant to the Chilton County veterinarian. He saw action in North Africa and Sicily, winning the Silver Star for bravery. As a 24-year-old, he was sent to England to lead a team of medics, and was among the thousands who landed at Normandy on June 6, 1944. He was wounded in his arm and leg, but kept on pushing forward, helping his men, until the ramp of a Higgins boat dropped on his back, crushing his spine in two places.

He recovered in a hospital in England, alongside his brother, Bill. The highly decorated veteran now lives in North Carolina and has returned to Normandy several times, most recently in 2019 at the age of 98 for the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landing. The town bolted a plaque to the concrete slab where his unit sheltered the wounded, calling it “Ray’s Rock.”

Lambert tells his story in his memoir, Every Man a Hero: A Memoir of D-Day, the First Wave at Omaha Beach and a World at War, co-authored with Jim DeFelice. Watch an interview with him at www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeiiUwKGnmY

becoming their friends, it makes it all more real to me,” he says, “especially when you hear it directly from their mouths. I have a greater respect for the sacrifices they made.”

Rease continues to travel the state and out of state to photograph veterans, working within the restrictions imposed by COVID-19.

“Those who are in retirement homes I can’t go to,” he says.

He gives every veteran a large copy of his photograph and the video of his interview.

He is exploring the idea of publishing a book of the portraits, and until then, his website remains a tribute all can see at PortraitsofHonor.us. The site also has links to video interviews on Rease’s YouTube channel. If you know of a WWII veteran you would like Rease to photograph, you can reach him through the contact page on his website. Dr. Donald E. Hayhurst landed on Omaha Beach with a U.S. Army tank recovery unit about 10 days after the initial landing and invasion. He received five battle service stars for his participation in combat including at Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge and the Rhineland, and the French Legion of Honor for his heroic participation in the liberation of France. During his service in WWII, Hayhurst’s rank was platoon sergeant but by war’s end he’d been commissioned a 1st lieutenant. He also served in the Korean War. Hayhurst became a professor at Auburn University, helping create the Department of Political Science, and was mayor of Auburn for four years. Under his leadership, he obtained a $600,000 federal grant for urban renewal used to improve the streets of downtown Auburn. A marker for this project is at Toomer’s Corner. In November 2018, Hayhurst and a former student flew to France and toured the five landing sites for Allied forces. (Information courtesy of writer Martha Poole Simmons in the Alabama Gazette.) He now lives in Millbrook, Alabama.

U.S. Army Lt. Don Salls, age 101, is the oldest living University of Alabama football player, helping the Tide win the national championship in 1942 before joining the Army after graduation. Stationed in Europe for 60 days, he was shot in the hand in field combat, and after being hospitalized in England, was diagnosed with a broken back.

“They said, ‘The war is over for you,’” he told Jeff Rease in a video interview. “Thank you, Lord!”

Salls earned a master’s degree in physical education from Alabama, a doctorate in education from New York University, and then became head football coach at Jacksonville State University from 1946-1964, winning three bowl games and seven conference titles. In 1995 he wrote a book, How to Live and Love to be 100. He now lives at the Veterans Home in Bay Minette.

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Alabama Living

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Alabama co-ops mobilize to respond to Hurricane Sally

By Allison Law

I

n the late summer, electric utility employees keep a close and wary eye on the tropics. Tropical cyclone activity generally kicks into high gear in late August, and 2020 was no exception.

Hurricane Laura, a deadly and destructive category 4 storm, pummeled southwestern Louisiana and southeastern Texas when it made landfall Aug. 27. More than 1 million people lost power.

Alabama sent more than 175 men from 14 co-ops to help restore electricity to the Beauregard Electric Cooperative in DeRidder, Louisiana. Several co-ops were still working there when Hurricane Sally formed in the Gulf of Mexico, and as it strengthened, Alabama’s co-op crews returned home, unsure of its path.

On the 16-year anniversary of Hurricane Ivan’s landfall in the same location, Hurricane Sally came ashore as a category 2 storm near Gulf Shores on Sept. 16. While the gusts from the storm – with sustained winds of 105 mph – were destructive, Sally’s slow movement brought several hours of widespread and catastrophic rainfall that caused major flooding in many parts of southwest Alabama.

As the storm moved on, there were more than 100,000 outages to cooperative members statewide, and Baldwin EMC, with more than 80,000 meters in Baldwin and Monroe counties, bore the brunt of the damage.

The co-op had about 2,000 broken poles, 1,200 broken crossarms, more than 4,000 spans of downed wire and more than 4,000 trees on lines. More than 78,000 meters were without power.

After a flyover of the affected areas, Gov. Kay Ivey was quoted by Alabama News Center as saying, “We knew that Hurricane Sally had the potential to be a devastating storm, but y’all, it’s really bad.”

Baldwin EMC CEO Karen Moore had first-hand experience with Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina, but Sally was different for her co-op. “This was certainly the most devastating storm Baldwin EMC has ever had to hit our electrical system,” she says.

Her team knew they would need help, and safety specialists from Alabama Rural Electric Association (AREA) immediately got to work on the phones, coordinating mutual aid among sister cooperatives. With such weather events, co-ops in a storm’s path have to be mindful that they, too, may suffer damage, so they must

wait to make sure their line crews aren’t needed at home before they’re promised to another utility.

But within 72 hours following the storm, Baldwin EMC received 1,365 line workers, and more came in the following days. “It’s a sight to behold to see convoys of trucks arriving at our corporate headquarters, knowing they left their families to come in our time of need.”

Baldwin received help from sister co-ops in Alabama and 11 other states. Alabama co-ops sending help were Central Alabama, Cherokee, Covington, Cullman, Clarke-Washington, Dixie, Joe Wheeler, Marshall-DeKalb, Pea River, Pioneer, Southern Pine, Tallapoosa River and Wiregrass.

Of course, Baldwin’s own employees never stopped working, though some of them had damage at their own homes. “Watching these employees show up for work in spite of their own personal loss is an extreme example of service before self,” Moore says.

Other co-ops, including Southern Pine and Clarke-Washington, also suffered damage to their systems and needed help from sister co-ops. As these co-ops restored power to their members, the crews helping them, as well as some of their own crews, were then able to travel to Baldwin to help.

In the era of social media – with the ability to quickly dash off a complaint after a few days without power – Baldwin’s members were amazingly positive.

“The fact that our members were communicating with us, offering words of encouragement and prayers, made us feel like they were very understanding of the challenge we had,” Moore says.

Co-ops who sent help were monitoring Baldwin’s social media channels, and they recognized that the Baldwin members were lifting the employees up when they needed it the most.

“We had a lot of factors working against us, but they don’t compare to the resiliency of what was working for us,” Moore says. Editor’s note: As this issue was going to press, Alabama’s co-ops were once again helping another state in need. About 75 men from 10 coops were headed to DEMCO in southeast Louisiana to restore power to the areas hit hard by Hurricane Delta.

Baldwin EMC’s Kent Enfinger works in the flooded Gulf Park substation on Sept. 18.

After the storm, 17 of Baldwin EMC’s 22 substations did not have power.

PHOTO BY HAL YEAGER/GOVERNOR’S OFFICE

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| Gardens | Pink muhly

Ornamental grasses can add texture, style to landscapes G

rass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence. It may be pink, blue, purple, gold or ivory. It may be feathery, spikey or strappy. It may be as high as an elephant’s eye or low as a turtle’s shell. And it can look stunning all year long with little more than an occasional trim.

No, I’m not referring to the turfgrasses that carpet our yards, but to the many low-maintenance, highly functional ornamental grasses that can, even in winter, add glamour and style to landscapes of all sizes and styles.

The term “ornamental grasses” actually refers to a variety of species from several plant families (true grasses, sedges, reeds and cattails among them), all of which have grass-like leaves and tend to be hardy, drought-tolerant and require little grooming. Though these plants share many attractive similarities, what makes ornamental grasses so attractive in the landscape is their diversity.

Depending on the species, ornamental grasses may have weeping to upright, towering to ground-hugging and mounding to clumping growth habits. Their slender leaf blades may be feathery, spiney or lance-like in shape, and exhibit an array of solid or variegated colors in shades of green, pink, purple, red, yellow, gold, silver, taupe and more.

Katie Jackson is a freelance writer and editor based in Opelika, Alabama. Contact her at katielamarjackson@gmail.com.

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Many of these plants produce flowers or seed heads that add extra interest to the landscape, and many change colors with each season or create striking silhouettes in winter. In addition to their visual allure, ornamental grasses also provide sensory appeal as they move, rustle and whisper in a breeze.

Because of this diversity, there’s likely an ornamental grass suited to every garden niche. They can be used as stand-alone accent and focal plants, mixed with other plants in garden beds or to create a meadow, mass planted on hard-to-mow areas, used to form borders and privacy or wind screens and grown indoors or out in containers.

As wonderful as ornamental grasses are, however, they should be chosen with care.

Some may grow quite large, require specific growing conditions and may be invasive.

In fact, a number of known invasive varieties are still available at plant centers, so don’t buy until you’ve done your research.

Start by browsing through catalogs and guidebooks to identify varieties best suited to your growing conditions and design goals. Then get expert advice from your local Cooperative Extension office, Master Gardener association, botanical garden, native plant or wildflower organizations about which ones are truly good choices.

Alabama is home to some gorgeous native options such as muhly, bluestem and prairie grasses, not to mention switchgrass and broomsedge. These choices provide exceptional habitat for wildlife and pollinators, too!

Ornamental grasses can be planted in fall (before a hard freeze) or spring. Water all newly planted grasses well and mulch fall plantings to protect their roots from low winter temperatures. Once established, most ornamental grasses need only an annual pruning (preferably in late winter or early spring so they can grace the winter landscape), possibly dividing every 3-4 years and a light application of fertilizer in spring and late summer.

Check recommendations for your chosen varieties to get specific planting and care instructions, then revel in the knowledge that the grass on your side of the fence may not be green, but it may well make your neighbors green with envy.

NOVEMBER TIPS • Plant or transplant most trees and shrubs.

• Water newly installed plants as needed.

• Plant spring-blooming bulbs, strawberries, salad greens and coolseason annuals.

• Prepare tools, equipment and irrigation systems for winter.

• Use fallen leaves as mulch or in compost heaps.

• Water houseplants less.

• Keep birdfeeders and baths full and clean.

• Fertilize cool-season turfgrasses and check lawns for weeds and pests.

• Clean dead or diseased plants and trash from garden beds, orchards and landscape areas.

• Store lawn and garden chemicals safely.

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| Alabama People |

Kyes Stevens

Providing help and hope for people and animals in need If Kyes Stevens sees anyone or anything in need, she’s going to stop and help. It’s why she’s served as a volunteer firefighter for the community around her hometown of Waverly, Alabama. It’s why she rescues, and often adopts, homeless animals — more than 150 at last count. It’s also why she is an advocate for people whose voices are rarely heard.

Stevens is director of the Alabama Prison Arts + Education Project, a nationally recognized program she founded in 2003 to provide educational opportunities to people incarcerated in Alabama’s prisons. The program sprang from Stevens’ first experiences teaching poetry and creative writing classes at Talladega Federal Prison and Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women which opened her eyes to the power of — and the basic human need for — learning, creativity and self-expression.

In the years since its creation, APAEP has taught hundreds of classes in the arts, humanities and sciences to more than 5,000 incarcerated students in prisons across the state.

– Katie Jackson

How did you, with a master’s degree in women’s history and a master’s of fine arts in poetry from Sarah Lawrence College in New York, end up working in Alabama’s prisons?

After I finished at Sarah Lawrence and came home, I was looking for a job. I loved teaching, but I didn’t want to teach in higher education, so when a friend told me about a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship to teach poetry, I was excited. The fact that it was to teach poetry in a Talladega Federal Prison didn’t bother me. I knew there was a long history of imprisoned writers around the world using art and poetry to communicate from inside a system that silences you. Call it naivety or whatever, but I thought, “OK, people want to write poems. Great!”

What did you first find inside the prison that made you want to help? And what have you learned through all these years?

I found this beautiful engagement with learning. My students would say “I’ve always wanted to learn how to do that” or “I’ve always wanted to know why that is.” The motivation, the root of it, is always “I have something to say.” In these 19 years, I’ve learned that there is an absolute human longing to learn and create. It’s how we express ourselves. And if you grow up without those opportunities, which many people inside prisons did, you are being told you aren’t important, and you shouldn’t invest in hope or dreams or possibilities. We need to provide those opportunities for everyone.

The APAEP works to provide learning and hope, but how does it, or any program like it, do that successfully?

Effective programming, whether in the prison or in any community education or arts program, is about creating a space where someone can say “I’m going to take this risk and be vulnerable.”

It’s about taking the right or wrong out of it and offering them a chance to learn, explore and be curious.

PHOTO BY BARB BONDY

You’ve rescued and fostered many animals, and quite a few — mostly cats but also three dogs and 35 chickens — are permanent members of your family. Tell us about them.

Many of the animals we have now are from the Island of Misfit Toys. They are rescues, adoptees and foster-fails that just needed a chance. Many, like our double front-leg amputee Roo Baby Roo, have special needs and are a ton of work, but it’s worth it because I believe we should truly value every single life, even when it’s hard and complicated to do so.

As effective as APAEP has been, what more can be done to improve lives across the state?

We need to have conversations. We need to build better systems for our state, things like education, access to broadband service and health care. We need to invest in people and help them, even if they aren’t like us. And not just people in prison but vets returning from combat, homeless people, children, anyone in need.

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| Worth the drive |

Two states plus two ’cues equal one winning combo Story and photos by Jennifer Kornegay

A

t most Alabama bartown Fairhope. becue joints, meat “The response to the food of the porcine pertruck showed that Fairhope suasion is king. But at Texwas hungry for some realarBama BBQ in Fairhope, ly good barbecue,” Parmer beef also has a strong claim says. He was correct again; to the throne. It’s an evenly right before the COVID-19 matched rivalry that stems shutdowns, the restaurant was up to selling 400 naturally from owner and pounds of barbecue a day. pitmaster Bradley Parmer’s Parmer stressed that “rebackground and inspired ally good barbecue” begins the restaurant’s mashup with really good products. name.

“Getting high-quality meat Parmer cut his teeth is key,” he said. His pork is on Deep South ‘cue while from Compart Duroc, and growing up in west Georgia he gets beef from Creek(where pork is also king). stone Farms, both in the He ended up in Austin, Both TexarBama’s smoked turkey and beef brisket are moist and full of flavor.

Midwest. Other crucial inTexas, working in architec- Sides like creamy Texican corn salad and traditional tater salad round out the tray. ture and building. There, gredients in TexarBama’s surrounded by some of the country’s most lauded beef brisket, he recipe for success are the right materials and the right technique learned the ways of Texas ‘cue.

– in this case, a massive smoker fed by huge stacks of white and red Today, TexarBama combines the two. But what has grown into oak logs. “In Texas, they use post oak, but here, red and white oak a popular and routinely crowded eatery (in a place with plenty of are plentiful,” he says. “Oak burns hot and clean and adds some nice good eating options) started as a hobby. Parmer moved to Fairhope vanilla notes to its smoke.” in 2015 to be closer to his parents, who’d relocated to the coastal Hovering around 200 degrees, this smoke continually bathes the city. “I wanted to be close to my folks and to have a simpler life,” he meat in a process that can’t be rushed. Beef brisket slowly cooks for says. “I was getting a little burnt out on the crowds and busyness 13 hours, and pork butts, about 12 hours. And the smoke serves of Austin.” He was doing carpentry work on construction projects dual purposes: It’s the cooking method but also provides the majority of the flavor. “We use minimal seasoning,” Parmer says. “On down at Alabama’s beaches and started playing around with barbecue at his home on the weekends, using a smoker hand-built from the beef, it’s just salt and pepper.” old propane tanks.

There are several different barbecue sauces available at TexarBama, including a version of Alabama white sauce, and while they’re Soon, a neighbor got involved, and word of the duo’s tender, succulent ‘cue spread like the meat-scented smoke wafting on the wind. all delicious, they’re truly not needed. Parmer is partial to the brisket, but customers seem to be pretty split, opting for pork and beef Other neighbors started dropping by, begging for a bite. Then, people from outside the neighborhood wanted in on the eating action. options in equal measure. While these two proteins are enjoying Parmer decided to make things more official. “We started hosting a a joint reign, there’s a less common contender also vying for the backyard barbecue the first Saturday of the month,” he says. They crown: smoked turkey. “It’s so moist, it couldn’t even think about being dry,” Parmer says. That’s no hollow boast; the thin slices of breast took donations to help offset their costs, and six months in, they are so tender and deeply flavored, you could be fooled into thinking were drawing throngs of more than 100 people. “I thought, well, I might be able to make some real money with this,” Parmer says.

TexarBama BBQ TexarBama BBQ became a business in early 2018 but started as 212 ½ Fairhope Avenue a mobile operation, serving out of a food truck/trailer in Fairhope’s Fairhope, Alabama 36532 warehouse district. In just a few months, Parmer’s initial hunch was 251-270-7250 proven right; lines for TexarBama’s food wrapped around the block, Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday and Parmer was selling 200 pounds of meat every day. He knew Fairhope texarbama.com then that the city would support a stationary spot, so in June 2018,  TexarBama opened in its current building on the edge of down22 NOVEMBER 2020

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it was altogether a bird of different feather.

Most folks flock to barbecue joints for meat, but Te x a r B a m a’s other offerings should not be TexarBama owner and underestimat- pitmaster Bradley Parmer ed. Sides like turned his barbecue hobby rich and gooey into a thriving business. smoked mac ‘n cheese and silky collard greens threaten to upstage the main attractions. And selections like pulled-pork nachos (only available on the weekends); brisket, pulled pork and smoked, shredded chicken tacos; and a variety of tangy margaritas bring a bit of Tex-Mex flair, as does the creamy, sweetheat Texican corn salad (think cheesy, spicy Mexican street corn served conveniently off the cob) with its punch of pungent fresh cilantro.

With a vast menu (there are burgers, salads and sandwiches in addition to the ‘cue), its blend of barbecue styles, plus some Alabama comfort-food favorites alongside Lone Star state standards, TexarBama BBQ has earned a loyal following, and Parmer finds the repeat customers rewarding.

“We’ve got a lot of regulars,” he says, “and this community has been very supportive.

It’s fun to know that people really like what we’re doing.”

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Not the Last Dance

That original TexarBama BBQ food truck is still getting use; you’ll see it now parked on the restaurant’s patio, and when restaurants were slowly re-opening after COVID-19 shutdowns, it served as a walk-up window to keep diners ordering and eating outside for increased safety. Note its exterior: It’s reclaimed wood from Texas, and according to Parmer, some of the planks were floorboards at dancehalls in their former lives.

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PET HEALTH

Understanding arthritis pain in pets – and managing it

J

ust like us, as our pets age, they slow down. A common problem in older pets is arthritis. The word means inflammation of the joint. Some of us call it Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD).

Arthritis can affect one or many joints of the body. When we hear arthritis, we tend to think of the knees and hips, but there are over 100 joints in the spine alone, and they could be affected as well!

Arthritis primarily affects the joints, but the trouble spreads out to the nerves and the muscles associated with it. When we treat arthritis, we frequently forget about the associated nerve and muscle tissues. From human experience, we know that sometimes a muscle spasm hurts more than the affected joint itself.

To understand this disease and its various presentations, the following symptoms in dogs can be helpful: Early: Most of the time, this stage goes undiagnosed. There will be slight changes in mobility, very mild, and an almost non-noticeable delay in getting up from a sitting posture. It is best to start some intervention at this stage.

Moderate: Owners start to notice that their pets are slowing down, and a little extra effort in getting up and sometimes sitting Goutam Mukherjee, DVM, MS, Ph.D. (Dr. G) has been a veterinarian for more than 30 years. He works at his home as a holistic veterinarian and is a member of North Alabama Electric Cooperative. Send pet-related questions to drg.vet@gmail.com.

Thanksgiving Across 1 National day of gratitude, first observed by the Pilgrims in 1621 7 Cook with dry heat 8 Thanksgiving pie 10 Baseball stat. abbr.

11 ____ beans, vegetable staple at Thanksgiving 13 Event announcer (abbr.)

15 Visit 16 The original reason for Thanksgiving 19 Drink holder 21 Thanksgiving dressing 24 Dried fruit 26 Gather 28 ‘’There, it’s done!’’ (French word) 29 What Brenda Gantt was holding on our September cover 30 Man

down. Movement may be better or worse after rest or play. Cold days may be worse.

Severe: Anyone can notice this stage. The pet is visibly stiff gaited almost all the time. There is marked muscle loss. This stage may also be associated with some loss of nerve functions.

For cats, diagnosis is difficult as they are good at hiding their symptoms. Watch to see if they are avoiding jumping up on high places. It is said that over 60% of cats have some degree of arthritis after the age of 10.

There are many treatment options for arthritis, and it can get really confusing to decide on which way to go. The exact nature of the treatment depends on the severity of the disease. I think as the disease progresses, all pets will need some support from pharmaceutical products. Our goal is to minimize and be judicious in their use.

We tend to use the “whatever necessary” approach when the pain is severe before tapering down to the minimum effective dose. Our biggest ammunition against arthritis is client education. We teach clients the different ways pain is originated, transmitted and perceived by the brain. Then we discuss how each class of drugs helps with each of the aspects.

We will address these details in the next article. There are many choices. There is a tremendous amount of research going on to find effective alternatives for opioids in human medicine; I am sure our pets will benefit from the outcomes, too.

crossword

by Myles Mellor

25 Thanksgiving dinner topping 26 City transport 27 College email address ending Answers on Page 37

Down 1 Traditional Thanksgiving bird 2 Country band named for their home 3 Hobby shop buy 4 Informal acknowledgement of debt 5 Heat in a microwave oven 6 Thanksgiving usually ____ families (brings them together) 8 Apple ___ dessert 9 Food choice list 12 Numbered road, abbr.

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Avoiding fraud this holiday season Navigating the busiest shopping season of the year, while also protecting yourself from theft, is no simple task. Fraudsters and scammers consider the holidays a very lucrative time of year to steal from you. Here are three things you can do to protect yourself from potential fraud:

Gift card scams

When purchasing a physical gift card from a retail store, always check the packaging. Fraudsters will tamper with it to obtain the PIN, then wait for the card to be activated. Before you even have time to wrap it, the fraudster has drained the card balance leaving the recipient a piece of plastic and a headache at the register.

According to the National Retail Federation, more than 50% of Americans will purchase a gift card this upcoming holiday season. If fraudsters can compromise even 1% of these cards, they rob American consumers of over $300 million.

Only do business with merchants and retailers you know and trust.

When buying from a website for the first time, check the site for customer service phone numbers. Place a call to the business and attempt to talk to a representative. Each month 1.4 million fictitious sites are created to snare online consumers. Fraudsters create fake websites to closely resemble legitimate retailers and then offer merchandise at deep discounts to attract buyers looking for a deal.

You may be surprised to find that the so-called “customer service department” is not even staffed.

Be careful attempting to purchase goods or services online through popular community marketplaces.

Before buying from an online marketplace, do your homework.

If the seller asks you to pay using a peer-to-peer cash transfer service, such as Venmo, be on high alert. These services are convenient but not meant to pay for goods or services from people you do not know. These payments are almost instant and, in many cases, impossible to recover from scammers. Read the terms and conditions of any payment service before using it to purchase items. Attempt to meet up with the seller at a neutral public place.

Many cities have designated locations, such as police departments or civic centers, that are considered safe places to meet a stranger.

Remember, be vigilant and on high alert while shopping, and happy holidays from Alabama Rural Electric Credit Union!

Learn how you will be protected from fraud at Alabama Rural Electric Credit Union, a division of Alabama ONE, at www.arecu.net/fraudalerts

Jackie Davidson Payments and Digital Fraud Risk Manager Alabama ONE

SOCIAL SECURITY

New benefit verification letters

W

e are excited to announce the release of a new, standardized Benefit Verification letter.

People receiving Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits can obtain their letter by using their personal my Social Security account. You can use the letter as proof of income for loans, housing assistance, mortgage, and other verification purposes.

Please create your personal my Social Security account to access your new Benefit Verification letter online in a safe, quick, and convenient way without needing to contact us. People not receiving benefits can use their account to get proof that they do not receive benefits, or proof that benefits are pending, in the same standardized letter. Individual representative payees can also use the new my Social Security Representative Payee Portal to access the new Benefit Verification letter online for themselves or their beneficiaries.

You can access your Benefit Verification letters at ssa.gov/ myaccount. If you don’t want to use your personal my Social Security account, you can call our National 800 Number, 800772-1213 to speak with a representative or to use the Interactive Voice Response system. You can also contact your local office. Kylle’ McKinney, SSA Public Affairs Specialist, can be reached by email at kylle.mckinney@ssa.gov.

Alabama Living

AL STATE NOV20.indd 25

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NOVEMBER 2020 25

10/14/20 1:20 PM

| Outdoors |

Check state’s game laws before deer season

A

labama deer hunters should possession doesn’t have to report check the regulations before anything.” hunting this year. The state The state manages more than made some changes to game laws 700,000 acres of wildlife manageincluding creating two new deer ment areas for public hunting. hunting zones.

Sportsmen can also hunt national Zone D centers around Bankwildlife refuges, other federal lands head National Forest northwest of and other public properties. Good Birmingham. It includes parts of habitat conditions and a good Lawrence, Winston, Cullman and mast crop should mean abundant, Franklin counties. Zone E includes healthy deer across much of Alatwo separated tracts in extreme bama. eastern Alabama. One includes “The quality of the deer depends parts of Calhoun and Cleburne on what they’ve been eating and counties. The other sits in Barbour they’ve had plenty of groceries this and Russell counties. year,” Cook says. “Some wildlife Deer typically rut earlier in management areas that typicalthese two new zones than in the ly have the highest deer harvests rest of the state. Therefore, people each year include Oakmulgee and can begin hunting in these zones Barbour. Sam Murphy is also one about two weeks sooner than othof the better ones. It’s an area that er parts of Alabama. Season dates produces a lot of deer and some and regulations on public hunting pretty good ones too. In the southproperties may differ from estabern half of the state, Geneva State lished state dates and regulations A whitetail buck stands at alert. Deer hunting is the most Forest and Lowndes are two of the popular type of hunting in Alabama. The state created two new so always check first before hunt- deer hunting zones for this season. better places to hunt.”

PHOTO BY JOHN N. FELSHER ing anywhere.

People might also find good deer “Last season, our state deer harvest was up 14 percent from hunting in Black Warrior, Blue Spring, David K. Nelson, Perdido the previous year based on Game Check numbers,” says Chris and Upper Delta WMAs. Sportsmen can also apply to hunt variCook, the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division ous Special Opportunity areas. For details, see outdooralabama.

Deer Program coordinator. “I don’t know how much of that can com/hunting/special-opportunity-areas. be attributed to people just getting more used to using Game “Some really good deer are taken off those Special Opportunity Check or the change where they could use bait. I’m sure it was a Areas as well as deer for the freezer,” Cook says. “I’m more familcombination of both.” iar with Cedar Creek and Portland Landing areas. Those areas are The state also made a change to deer possession. Anyone who covered up with deer.” bags a deer or a turkey must report that kill through Game Check In any property, get out early and often to scout. Go where deer within 48 hours. To report game, many sportsmen use the app already want to go. On public properties, pick several hunting available at outdooralabama.com. Frequently, a hunter bags a spots. One person’s favorite place might also be another person’s deer and drops it off at a processor. When that animal changes favorite place. To avoid the crowds on public lands, hunt in the hands, it must include written documentation of the transfer. afternoon or during the week.

Sportsmen can also apply for a public dog hunting opportunity “When a hunter kills a deer, that hunter must still report the on Geneva State Forest near Florala. Sportsmen do not need to deer to Game Check and receive a confirmation number,” Cook bring their own dogs. Dog handlers will release their dogs in the says. “When the processor takes possession of that deer, that perarea. Each hunter selected for the hunt will be assigned a stand son has to record the hunter’s name and the confirmation number where that person can wait for deer. Watch outdooralabama.com associated with that deer to prove that the deer has been reported for details. in Game Check as required. For anybody to take possession of Sportsmen who bag a deer this season might want to let the a deer or turkey that he or she didn’t kill, that person must have experts check it for chronic wasting disease, or CWD. So far, the that information from the person who killed it, but the person in debilitating disease similar to mad cow disease has NOT been confirmed in Alabama, but deer in Tennessee and Mississippi have tested positive for it. Hunters can bring deer to CWD testing John N. Felsher lives in Semmes, Ala. stations across the state.

Contact him through Facebook.

For more information on deer hunting in Alabama, see outdooralabama.com/seasons-and-bag-limits/deer-season. 26 NOVEMBER 2020

AL STATE NOV20.indd 26

www.alabamaliving.coop

10/14/20 1:20 PM

DOUG HANNON’S FISH & GAME FORECAST

2020

NOVEMBER

Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

DECEMBER

Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

EXCELLENT TIMES A.M.

1:06 - 3:06 1:54 - 3:54 2:42 - 4:42 3:30 - 5:30 4:18 - 6:18 5:06 - 7:06 5:54 - 7:54 6:42 - 8:42 7:30 - 9:30 8:18 - 10:18 9:06 - 11:06 9:54 - 11:54 10:18 - 12:18 10:42 - 12:42 A.M.

11:30 - 1:30 NA 1:06 - 3:06 1:54 - 3:54 2:42 - 4:42 3:30 - 5:30 4:18 - 6:18 5:06 - 7:06 5:54 - 7:54 6:42 - 8:42 7:30 - 9:30 8:18 - 10:18 9:06 - 11:06 10:42 - 12:42 11:30 - 1:30 NA 1:06 - 3:06 1:54 - 3:54 2:42 - 4:42 3:30 - 5:30 4:18 - 6:18 5:06 - 7:06 5:54 - 7:54 6:42 - 8:42 7:30 - 9:30 8:18 - 10:18 9:06 - 11:06 9:54 - 11:54 10:06 - 12:06 10:42 - 12:42 11:30 - 1:30

MOON STAGE

PM

1:30 - 3:30 2:18 - 4:18 3:06 - 5:06 3:54 - 5:54 4:42 - 6:42 5:30 - 7:30 6:18 - 8:18 7:06 - 9:06 7:54 - 9:54 8:42 - 10:42 9:30 - 11:30 10:18 - 12:18 10:42 - 12:42 11:06 - 1:06 FULL MOON PM

11:54 - 1:54 12:42 - 2:42 1:30 - 3:30 2:18 - 4:18 3:06 - 5:06 3:54 - 5:54 4:42 - 6:42 5:30 - 7:30 6:18 - 8:18 7:06 - 9:06 7:54 - 9:54 8:42 - 10:42 9:30 - 11:30 11:06 - 1:06 NEW MOON 11:54 - 1:54 12:42 - 2:42 1:30 - 3:30 2:18 - 4:18 3:06 - 5:06 3:54 - 5:54 4:42 - 6:42 5:30 - 7:30 6:18 - 8:18 7:06 - 9:06 7:54 - 9:54 8:42 - 10:42 9:30 - 11:30 10:18 - 12:18 10:30 - 12:30 11:06 - 1:06 FULL MOON 11:54 - 1:54

GOOD TIMES AM

7:33 - 9:03 8:21 - 9:51 9:09 - 10:39 9:57 - 11:27 10:45 - 12:15 11:33 - 1:03 NA 1:09 - 2:39 1:57 - 3:27 2:45 - 4:15 3:33 - 5:03 4:21 - 5:51 4:48 - 6:28 5:09 - 6:39 AM

5:57 - 7:27 6:45 - 8:15 7:33 - 9:03 8:21 - 9:51 9:09 - 10:39 9:57 - 11:27 10:45 - 12:15 11:33 - 1:03 NA 1:09 - 2:39 1:57 - 3:27 2:45 - 4:15 3:33 - 5:03 5:09 - 6:39 5:57 - 7:27 6:45 - 8:15 7:33 - 9:03 8:21 - 9:51 9:09 - 10:39 9:57 - 11:27 10:45 - 12:15 11:33 - 1:03 NA 1:09 - 2:39 1:57 - 3:27 2:45 - 4:15 3:33 - 5:03 4:21 - 5:51 4:33 - 6:03 5:09 - 6:39 5:57 - 7:27

PM

7:57 - 9:27 8:45 - 10:15 9:33 - 11:03 10:21 - 11:51 11:09 - 12:39 11:57 - 1:27 12:45 - 2:15 1:33 - 3:03 2:21 - 3:51 3:09 - 4:39 3:57 - 5:27 4:45 - 6 ;15 5:11 - 6:41 5:33 - 7:03 PM

6:21 - 7:51 7:09 - 8:39 7:57 - 9:27 8:45 - 10:15 9:33 - 11:03 10:21 - 11:51 11:09 - 12:39 11:57 - 1:27 12:45 - 2:15 1:33 - 3:03 2:21 - 3:51 3:09 - 4:39 3:57 - 5:27 5:33 - 7:03 6:21 - 7:51 7:09 - 8:39 7:57 - 9:27 8:45 - 10:15 9:33 - 11:03 10:21 - 11:51 11:09 - 12:39 11:57 - 1:27 12:45 - 2:15 1:33 - 3:03 2:21 - 3:51 3:09 - 4:39 3:57 - 5:27 4:45 - 6 ;15 4:57 - 6:27 5:33 - 7:03 6:21 - 7:51

The Moon Clock and resulting Moon Times were developed 36 years ago by Doug Hannon, one of America’s most trusted wildlife experts and a tireless inventor. The Moon Clock is produced by DataSport, Inc. of Atlanta, GA (www.moontimes.com), a company specializing in wildlife activity time prediction.

Note FULL MOON is listed on November 30. It was incorrectly listed as a NEW MOON in the October issue.

Alabama Living

AL STATE NOV20.indd 27

NOVEMBER 2020 27

10/14/20 1:20 PM

| Consumer Wise |

How to breathe easy about your home’s air quality

By Pat Keegan and Brad Thiessen

S

ealing air leaks is one of the best ways to make your home more energy efficient, and there are steps you can take to ensure your home has an adequate amount of healthy, fresh

air.

The average home loses about half its air volume every hour, so it can be sealed considerably (often at a low cost) and still have more than enough healthy air.

Pollutants are the main cause of poor indoor air quality, and the most dangerous pollutant is carbon monoxide (CO). It can come from furnaces, water heaters or stoves that burn natural gas, propane or wood. The problem usually occurs in devices that are old, in need of repair or installed or operated in a manner that prevents clear, unobstructed supply and exhaust of combustion air.

Excessive moisture in the air can also be considered an indoor pollutant because mold and dust mites thrive when relative humidity is above 60%. One sign your home is sealed too tight is window condensation, which can happen if moist air doesn’t exit the home at an adequate rate.

Pollutants can cause physical reactions such as coughing or sneezing, but carbon monoxide causes more severe reactions, such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, confusion, blurred vision or loss of consciousness.

So, what can you do to ensure healthy indoor air as you increase your home’s energy efficiency? The first strategy, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is to eliminate or reduce the source of pollution. And the first pollutant to eliminate is carbon monoxide. If you have a combustion furnace, it should be inspected and serviced regularly by a professional. If you have any combustion appliances, it is critical that CO detecPatrick Keegan writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Arlington, Va.-based service arm of the nation’s 900-plus consumer-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives. Write to energytips@collaborativeefficiency.com for more information.

28 NOVEMBER 2020

AL STATE NOV20.indd 28

A furnace that been inspected by an HVAC professional and is properly vented can help you have a pollution-free home. SOURCE: ACTIVE STEVE, FLICKR USER

tors are installed and replaced every five to seven years.

If you live in an area with radon, which you can determine by checking out EPA’s radon map, keep it out of your home because it is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon tests are not expensive, and your local health authorities can provide more information. If radon levels are too high, you’ll need to hire a professional to install a system that will divert radon gas to the outside of your home.

Here are a few additional pollutant reduction measures to consider: • Never smoke tobacco inside.

• Run the exhaust fans in bathrooms and your kitchen after use.

• Store toxic cleaning and painting products outside.

• Never idle a vehicle, even for a minute, in an attached garage.

The second strategy is ventilation. Your home probably has more than enough natural ventilation from outside air leaking into the home. If you suspect this isn’t adequate, the best way to know for sure is to hire an energy auditor to do a blower door test.

Many experts recommend sealing the home as tight as possible and using mechanical ventilation to ensure a consistent and adequate supply of outside air. The most energy efficient ventilation system is a heat recovery ventilator (HRV), which pulls in fresh air from outside and captures the heat from indoor air before it is exhausted to the outside.

The third and final strategy is to clean the air. The easiest step is to simply change your furnace filter at least once every three months and keep your furnace supply and return air registers free of obstructions. If any rooms do not have an air return, keep the doors open. There are several home air cleaning systems available––some are effective, and some are not. The EPA offers a handy online guide: epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/air-cleaners-and-air-filters-home.

We hope these suggestions will be helpful as you seal air leaks in your home and enjoy fresh, healthy indoor air. www.alabamaliving.coop

10/14/20 1:20 PM

2021 Statement of Ownership Publication: Alabama Living Publisher: Alabama Rural Electric Association Editor: Lenore Vickrey Owner: Alabama Rural Electric Cooperatives, 340 TechnaCenter Dr., Montgomery, AL 36117

Year Avg. Current (Oct. 2020) A. Total No. of Copies: 422,025 427,378 B. Paid and/or Requested Circulation: 1. Outside County 422,025 427,378 2. Inside county 0 0 3. Sales through Dealers, Carriers, etc.

0 0 4. Other Classes Mailed 0 0 C. Total Paid/or requested Circulation: 422,025 427,378 D. Free Distribution by Mail 4337 4,369 E. Free Distribution outside the mail 0 0 F. Total Free Distribution 0 0 G. Total Distribution: 422,025 427,378 H. Copies Not Distributed 4,337 4,369 I. Total 426,362 431,747 Percent paid and/or requested 100% 100% Alabama Living

AL STATE NOV20.indd 29

NOVEMBER 2020  29

10/14/20 1:20 PM

| Alabama Recipes |

Time to bake a

Pie!

I

Photo by The Buttered Home

f the thought of making a homemade pie makes you a bit nervous, take it from a cook who knows how to bake a great pie: Don’t be.

“I love scratch-made cooking,” says Brooke Burks, who writes The Buttered Home blog and is our partner for each month’s recipe pages. “That’s what I grew up doing. But I also work for a living. Making a pie crust can be a little anxiety-inducing, but with the ease of getting a store-bought crust, there’s no reason why you can’t experiment with making different kinds of pie at home.”

Her apple pie recipe on these pages is an uncomplicated one, using either a homemade or purchased pie crust. “Lots of people don’t like doing pie because they feel it’s too complicated,” she says, “but this recipe for apple pie is as clean as it gets.”

When she does decide to make a homemade crust, Brooke will make two to four and put them in the freezer. “If I get pears or apples when they’re in season, I’ll sometimes make hand pies (individual small pies that can be baked or fried) using the same crust. Or you can use (canned) pie filling. You can make them sweet or savory.”

Brooke will be making this month’s apple pie recipe in a video for her YouTube Channel this month, and we’ll be sharing it with our readers on Facebook. For details on how to make a homemade pie crust, visit thebutteredhome.com/homemade-piecrust. — Lenore Vickrey 30 NOVEMBER 2020

AL STATE NOV20.indd 30

www.alabamaliving.coop

10/14/20 1:20 PM

Homemade Apple Pie is a recipe that takes us right back to our childhood.

Back when days were easy and folks made a pie to have for unexpected company. Easy and delicious, it can be Brooke Burks made with a homemade pie crust or a store-bought one. The result is the same: soul-warming, good food memories. Whether you need them or need to make them, this pie is for you! The pie crust recipe and many more can be found at TheButteredHome.com.

Homemade Apple Pie

1/2 3 1/2 1 1/4 6 1 2 1 1

cup sugar plus 1 teaspoon tablespoons plain flour cup brown sugar teaspoon ground cinnamon teaspoon nutmeg cups green apples, peeled and sliced tablespoon lemon juice pie crusts, one for bottom and one for top tablespoon butter, cold and cubed egg white

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, 1/2 cup of white sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix peeled and sliced apples with lemon juice, taking care to coat each slice. Sprinkle with sugar and spice mixture and mix well to coat again.

Line a deep dish pie pan with one crust. Pour apple mixture into pie crust. Dot apples with cubes of butter evenly. Place second crust on top and seal edges with bottom crust. Using a knife, cut 1- inch slits in the center of the top to vent.

Beat egg whites until frothy.

Using a brush, brush egg whites on top of crust. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon white sugar evenly over the top.

Taking a long strip of aluminum foil, tent edges of pie for first portion of cook time. Bake 25 minutes with edges tented. Remove pie from oven and remove foil. Place back in oven and cook another 20-25 minutes until pie is browned.

Cool for 15 minutes, slice and serve. Enjoy!

Alabama Living

AL STATE NOV20.indd 31

NOVEMBER 2020  31

10/14/20 1:21 PM

Cream Cheese Caramel Choc-o Nutty Pie 1 9-inch cookie pie crust 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1 can whipped cream 1 bottle caramel syrup 1 bottle chocolate syrup 1 chocolate bar ¼ cup whole pecans Place cream cheese in a microwavable mixing bowl and microwave about 3 minutes to soften. Take out and stir until soft, add condensed milk, stirring until well combined. Pour mixture into cookie crust and spread. Spread whipped cream around edge of pie. Pour chocolate and caramel syrups over the top of pie. Chop chocolate bar and crumble over syrups. Drop the pecans over the top and around the pie. Cool and set before serving.

Julia Fleming Southern Pine EC

50

$

Cook of the Month Prize!

February: Chocolate | November 6 March: Jams, jellies, marmalades |

December 4 April: Eggs | January 1

3 ways to submit: Online: alabamaliving.coop Email: recipes@alabamaliving.coop Mail: Recipes, P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124 Please send us your original recipes (developed or adapted by you or family members.)

Cook of the Month winners will receive $50, and may win “Cook of the Month” once per calendar year.

AL STATE NOV20.indd 32

1 1 3 1 1 1 3 1 ¼

Almost Too Easy Layered Lemon Pie

9-inch pie shell, unbaked cup sugar tablespoons plain flour cup light corn syrup cup flaked coconut 8-ounce can crushed pineapple eggs, beaten teaspoon vanilla cup butter, melted

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened ½ cup sugar 1 can lemon pie filling 1 8-ounce container Cool Whip, thawed 1 graham cracker crust

In a bowl, combine sugar and flour. Add corn syrup, coconut, pineapple, eggs and vanilla, mix well. Pour into pie shell and drizzle with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Chill before cutting. Store in refrigerator.

Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in ½ of lemon pie filling.

Fold in Cool Whip. Spoon into pie shell.

Spread with remaining pie filling. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Linda Lee Cullman EC

Trudy F. Nelson Central Alabama EC RECIPE CLARIFICATION The Chicken and Dumplings recipe featured in our October issue should have included the following: Use enough water to cover chicken thighs and vegetables by 2-inches for cooking of the chicken. After de-boning the chicken, you may need to add up to an additional 2 cups of water or broth to cook the dumplings. Add as much liquid as needed to give dumplings enough room to simmer.

Themes and Deadlines:

32 NOVEMBER 2020

Coconut Pineapple Pie

Mail order form and payment to: Best of Alabama Living Cookbook P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124-4014 COOKBOOKS @ $19.95 EACH: (Shipping included)

Cookbook

TOTAL ENCLOSED: $

Name: Address: City:

State:

Zip:

Phone Number:

www.alabamaliving.coop

10/14/20 1:21 PM

Mama’s Sweet Potato Pie 2 2 1 1 1/2

eggs cups sweet potatoes teaspoon nutmeg or cinnamon teaspoon pure vanilla cup milk

Bake sweet potatoes and let cool. Peel and cut up. Mash with fork or potato masher. Stir in all remaining ingredients and beat well. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Take out and brush with melted butter over top, then sprinkle with nutmeg or cinnamon.

Cinnamon works best.

Christina Mechaw Joe Wheeler EMC

La Pastiera Dolce (Sweet Spaghetti Pie)

3/4 1 3 1/2 1/4 1 1/4

pound spaghetti noodles, uncooked 15-ounce container ricotta cheese eggs, slightly beaten cup sugar cup grated Parmesan cheese cup whole milk stick butter Cinnamon, for topping

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Break uncooked pasta into irregular-sized pieces.

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain well and set aside. Put ricotta cheese in a large bowl and mix until smooth. Add slightly beaten eggs, sugar, Parmesan cheese and whole milk.

Mix well. Add cooked spaghetti and toss until well coated with cheese mixture.

Pour into a well-buttered 9x13-inch baking dish. Dot with slices of butter and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Remove from oven and set in a warm place for at least an hour before serving or it can be kept in the refrigerator covered with foil for serving at a later time. Cut in squares with a sharp, wet knife. Cook’s note: For a sweeter pie, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before serving. This pie also makes a great lunch or snack and can be eaten either hot or cold.

Janice Bracewell Covington EC

Yummy Pecan Pie

Apple Cranberry Pie

½ 3 1 1 3 1 1 1 1

1 pie crust

cup sugar tablespoons all-purpose flour cup light Karo syrup cup dark Karo syrup eggs, room temperature teaspoon white vinegar teaspoon vanilla cup pecans, chopped 9-inch pie crust, unbaked

Filling: ¾ cup sugar 2 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt 5-6 cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced 1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Mix first 7 ingredients. Stir in pecans.

Pour into crust. Cover edges with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake until filling is puffed and golden, about 35 more minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Topping: 1 cup rolled oats 2/3 cup brown sugar 2/3 cup flour ½ cup butter

Linda Lee Cullman EC

Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl and mix well. Add apples and cranberries and mix. Put crust into a deep-dish pie pan. Spoon the apple and cranberry mixture into the crust. Combine all topping ingredients and mix with fork until crumbly. Sprinkle topping over filling. Bake at 425 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Cover crust edges with foil and bake 15 minutes. Uncover and allow to brown.

Coconut Pecan Pie 5 eggs, beaten well with mixer and set aside 2 cups sugar 1 stick butter or margarine, softened 1 14-ounce package Angel Flake coconut 1 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup chopped pecans 2 unbaked deep-dish pie crusts Using electric mix, cream butter and sugar. Add beaten eggs and mix well.

Add buttermilk, coconut and pecans.

Pour into unbaked pie shells. Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for 35 minutes or until pie is golden brown on top. Makes 2 pies.

Adria Joachim South Alabama EC

“Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness.”

- Author Jane Austen

Suzy Shepherd Pioneer EC Alabama Living

AL STATE NOV20.indd 33

NOVEMBER 2020 33

10/14/20 1:21 PM

Calling all Baldwin EMC members!

Take part on November 5, 2020!

New Location! Baldwin County Coliseum, 19477 Fairground Road, Robertsdale, AL The 2020 Annual Meeting of Baldwin County Electric Membership Corporation is scheduled for Thursday, November 5, 2020 at the Baldwin County Coliseum in Robertsdale, Alabama. Registration and voting will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 9 a.m. The business session will begin at 9 a.m.

Baldwin EMC’s leadership will provide updates on the state of the cooperative, along with the highlights and milestones of the year during this event.

All members who have not yet voted by mail can do so at the Annual Meeting. Every member who votes in the 2020 trustee election will receive a $5 credit on their electric bill.

Please see the next page for information on the trustees appearing on the ballot this year.

(Note: members who attend the Annual Meeting are asked to wear a face covering, practice social distancing and utilize the hand sanitizing stations that will be provided.)

Office Closings in November All Baldwin EMC offices will be closed Wednesday, November 11 in observance of Veterans Day. Please call (251) 989-6247 if you need to reach us.

Baldwin EMC offices will also be closed Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27 so that employees can spend the Thanksgiving holidays with their families.

Our control center will be staffed and line crews will be on call around the clock in case of a power outage or other emergency.

34 NOVEMBER 2020

020_CVR.indd 34

GET TO KNOW YOUR BOARD CANDIDATES

Join us for the 2020 Annual Meeting!

ROBERT J. KAISER District 5 Candidate Robert J. Kaiser, incumbent trustee for District 5, has served on the Baldwin EMC Board of Trustees since 2011.

Since his election to the Board, he has earned the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Credentialed Cooperative Director Certificate, NRECA Board Leadership Certificate and the Director Gold Certificate.

Mr. Kaiser grew up on a family farm in Baldwin County and graduated from Foley High School. After graduation he worked five years at farming while attending Southwest State Technical College and received his degree in electronics technology.

Mr. Kaiser began his career with the Boeing Company working in engineering. He then worked as a broadcast engineer and earned a first class radiotelephone license from The Federal Communications Commission. In 1978 he joined Alabama Power Company at Barry Steam Plant as a control technician, instructor and manager of outside contractors. In 1990 Mr. Kaiser retired from the power company. In 1993, he joined Gulf Telephone Company as a telephone engineer.

Mr. Kaiser is married to Dianne Epperson Kaiser and has three sons, six granddaughters and two great grandsons. He is a member of Vernant Park Baptist Church, a deacon and member of several other committees. He is also a member of the Gideons International.

“I have been honored to serve on the Board of Trustees the past nine years, and appreciate your confidence in my ability.

I have worked with the other Trustees and management to keep our co-op strong and to continue providing reliable, affordable electricity.

Our vision of being the leader as a member-focused, efficient and community-involved cooperative is a reality today, thanks to the dedication and hard work of your Board, management and employees.

The electric utility industry faces many challenges and changes in the coming years and I believe my prior experience in the utility industry has given me unique qualifications for helping guide the cooperative.

During the next three years, I will continue to use this knowledge and experience to help make Baldwin EMC a cooperative that meets and rises above the challenges of the future.

Thank you for your vote and support.”

www.alabamaliving.coop

10/16/20 2:59 PM

GET TO KNOW YOUR BOARD CANDIDATES

JIMMY A. LAFOY District 7 Candidate Jimmy A. LaFoy is the incumbent trustee for District 7 and is currently the Board’s secretary/ treasurer. He has served on Baldwin EMC’s Board of Trustees since 2009 and is an NRECA Credentialed Cooperative Director. Mr. LaFoy has also earned the NRECA Board Leadership Certificate.

Mr. LaFoy holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce and business administration with a major in accounting from the University of Alabama. He is a Certified Public Accountant and has owned and operated an accounting practice for 50 years. His office is located in Gulf Shores, Alabama where he has conducted business and been a permanent resident for the past 18 years.

In addition to serving on the Baldwin EMC board, Mr. LaFoy has been very active in business and civic organizations throughout his career. He has served on the boards of Farmers National Bank of Opelika, Ala., and First American Bank of Decatur, Ala., and presently serves on the Board of Directors of Southern States Bank of Anniston, Ala., where he is also a founding organizer. Additionally, Mr. LaFoy serves on the Board of Directors of National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation. He is a member of the Alabama Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce and the Alabama Society of Certified Accountants, where he also served a term as President. Mr. LaFoy also served on the Council of The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for four years.

Mr. LaFoy is married to Shirley Bradford LaFoy, and has two children and four grandchildren. He attends and is a member of First United Methodist Church of Gulf Shores.

“I consider it an honor to have been your elected representative on the Board of Trustees of Baldwin Electric Membership Corporation since 2009. My experience and education has enabled me to make decisions that are beneficial to the cooperative, our members, and employees. Working and training with other leaders in the electric industry has enhanced my education and experience in the operations of the cooperative model of business.

I view my job as board member to make sound financial decisions regarding the operations of the corporation, its members, and its employees, to provide reliable service at the most affordable cost possible.

I am knowledgeable regarding our local issues, as well as national and international concerns, and I’ve had time to develop and maintain relationships with leaders throughout the electric industry. I feel that my 50 years of business experience, along with being a CPA, will be beneficial as I serve on the Board of Trustees.

I ask that you honor me with your vote to continue serving as your District 7 Trustee for Baldwin EMC. As your representative, I’m as close as your telephone or computer for any questions or information regarding your cooperative.

Alabama Living

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STEPHEN (MELVIN) LOWDERMILK District 7 Candidate Stephen (Melvin) Lowdermilk attended Whitehaven High School in Memphis, Tenn., and graduated with a B.A. in public relations and advertising from the University of Memphis in 1975.

Mr. Lowdermilk is a Vietnam veteran and served in the United States Marine Corps from 1967 to 1971, when he was honorably discharged.

In 1984, Mr. Lowdermilk formed Modern Surgical, Inc., an independent manufacturers’ representative organization specializing in the sales and technical service of orthopedic medical devices. The devices include adult reconstruction, spine, biologics, trauma, foot and ankle. The company has recently been a pioneer in bringing robotic assisted total knee surgery to Baldwin County.

Additionally, Mr. Lowdermilk formed Modern Environmental Sales and Service (MESS) in 2013 to introduce a less invasive method to eliminate mold, viral and bacterial issues that threaten our health and the indoor environment. He still enjoys the evolutionary developments and technological changes that make our lives better.

Since 1992, Mr. Lowdermilk has enjoyed living in Gulf Shores, which he believes is truly one of the most beautiful resort areas in the United States.

"Handling growth for Baldwin County and its diverse communities will always be a rigorous challenge for our community leaders. God bless them for giving us their time and effort to help make our slice of the world a better place to live.

I am NOT a politician, but I do feel the need to be involved with the challenges that affect you and our community. My service can best be accomplished as a member of the Board of Trustees of Baldwin EMC.

The medical device industry is transitioning from conventional diagnostic and surgical techniques to robotic and high-tech methods.

We are experiencing the same evolution in transportation and energy.

Gas-powered engines are giving way to electric-powered vehicles. This transition alone will be creating a web of uncomfortable challenges that will be seriously affecting your pocketbook. State gas tax revenues, for instance, will decline as electric vehicle use surges. Where will the road repair revenue come from? Can we make renewable energy work for the consumer? Is it possible to reduce your residential electric bill and drive your electric car 400 miles on a $10 fill-up?

Help me help you make it a win-win for everyone. I will keep you informed. Let me hear from you as we move forward to improve our lifestyle."

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10/16/20 2:59 PM

| Our Sources Say |

Sally heroes T

wo years ago, Hurricane Michael struck the northwest Florida coast near Panama City. The destruction was so complete I thought it would be months before basic electric, water or sewer services would be restored. I wondered if the area would ever be the same.

However, I underestimated the determination and resolve of the people. The people in the communities affected moved quickly. Within days after Michael, the communities were energized, and destroyed houses were being removed. Others were being repaired. Businesses were reopening in the areas that had electric service.

Our distribution members, West Florida Electric Cooperative and Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative, and hundreds of vegetation clearing personnel, electric linemen, and contractors restored the electric infrastructure in just a few very long weeks. PowerSouth employees, Cooperative Energy crews and contractors restored our transmission system in just nine days.

Disasters and crises can tear communities apart, and Michael, a Category 5 hurricane, was a terrible disaster. But disasters and crises can also bring people together. Although two years later there is still much left to be done, it is remarkable for so many people to have worked together after Michael to rebuild their lives and their communities.

On September 16, the Alabama and northwest Florida coast was struck by Hurricane Sally, another devastating storm. Like Michael, Sally didn’t start out very imposing. It just started out as a tropical disturbance over the Bahamas, became a tropical storm near south Florida without much fanfare and drifted into the Gulf of Mexico. It was predicted to weaken and go to Texas and then to Louisiana, but kept drifting and intensifying. It strengthened before making a hard turn to the north and coming ashore on the Alabama coast as a Category 2 hurricane.

Sally was not as powerful or damaging as Michael. However, for those of you who have not experienced a hurricane personally, none are easy. We have dealt with Opal, Ivan, Rita, Erin, Dennis and other named storms over the past 25 years. None of them were easy. All of them caused devastating damage and disrupted lives. And so did Sally.

Like Michael, communities affected by Sally started coming together quickly. The next day, neighbors were helping each other clear trees and repair damage. It was also heartening to see the

signs in communities welcoming and encouraging electric workers. Some people brought workers water and food to help with the restoration. Again, communities came together.

PowerSouth members - Baldwin EMC, Escambia River Electric Cooperative and Southern Pine Electric Cooperative - had thousands of trees on lines and thousands of broken poles. Hundreds of miles of distribution lines were damaged and out of service. Other surrounding electric cooperatives also had significant damage. Gulf Power suffered similar damage in and around Pensacola.

The efforts of our distribution systems and Gulf Power Company were outstanding. The confusion immediately after a hurricane is overwhelming. Communications are usually disrupted, and information is difficult to obtain. Roads are often blocked, and it is very difficult to access areas to define the damage. However, these utilities moved very quickly to assess the damage and start the restoration effort.

PowerSouth personnel were on the road before the storm had completely moved out of Gulf Shores. By late afternoon more than half the damage had been assessed, and crews were assigned responsibilities to clear the lines of fallen trees and repair the damage. PowerSouth employees and contractors started early and worked late to get substations restored. By Friday at 7 p.m., just 65 hours after PowerSouth lost its first substation, service to all of our substations was restored. By noon Saturday, all of our transmission lines were returned to service.

PowerSouth’s transmission system was damaged, but not as severely as by Michael. We had 191 miles of transmission lines and 31 distribution substations out of service by the time Sally cleared.

Rebuilding from a hurricane takes a huge coordinated effort, only accomplished by planning, determination, hard work and people working together. Our people and the work they did were remarkable. It’s amazing what people can do when working together to triumph over crisis. I couldn’t be prouder of what PowerSouth people did to restore electric service to a devastated area so quickly. They went over and above the call of duty.

Just a few months ago, I wrote about heroes working at PowerSouth. Our people again established that they are heroes.

They proved it once more. I am proud to be on their team.

I hope you have a good month.

Gary Smith is President and CEO of PowerSouth Energy Cooperative.

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www.alabamaliving.coop

10/12/20 11:44 AM

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Answers to puzzle on Page 24

Alabama Living

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NOVEMBER 2020 37

10/14/20 1:21 PM

| Hardy Jackson's Alabama |

Appreciating veterans, and anchovies

Illustration by Dennis Auth

V

eterans Day. I grew up among veterans.

World War II, mostly. Though I had an uncle who served in World War I, the veterans who defeated Hitler and Tojo are the ones I remember.

My Daddy was one.

What I recall most was how little he talked about what he saw, did, and endured. I wanted to know. Wanted to compare his exploits to what I had seen in the movies or on TV. Daddy did not attend war movies and he resolutely avoided WWII documentaries on TV. Did not want to remember.

But once his guard broke down.

It was back in the early ‘50s. I was not yet in my teens. Daddy and I were on the way to the coast. For lunch we stopped at a little pizza place. I had never eaten pizza with my father, didn’t even know that he Harvey H. (Hardy) Jackson is Professor Emeritus of History at Jacksonville State University. He can be reached at hhjackson43@gmail.com

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knew what it was, much less liked it.

We went right in and placed our order.

Mine was pretty standard – cheese, sausage, etc. His was much the same until, in closing, with a flourish, he added “anchovies.”

I didn’t know what they were.

Then the meal arrived and I saw them, little brown fish with what looked like tiny hair sticking out.

Gag. Daddy saw me looking. “Wanna try a slice?”

Now I was a big boy. Recently my Daddy had introduced me to raw oysters. So, I figured that if my Daddy could eat an anchovy, I could eat an anchovy.

So, I did.

And while I was enjoying this new treat, he told me why he liked anchovies so much.

World War II. Up in the front line.

Lonely and scared, he wrote Mama that he missed her, missed two-year-old me and missed sardines. For some reason, he did not explain, the thought of sardines re-

minded him of home.

Mama took the hint and with some of her precious ration stamps she bought a few tins, packed them up and shipped them to her husband who was in the process of bringing down the Third Reich.

The day the delicacy arrived was the day that Daddy’s unit “liberated” a German supply depot. In it they discovered crates of anchovies, waiting to be sent to Hitler’s troops. From the way Daddy told it, he and his fellow warriors fell on the prize like vultures and ate until they could eat no more.

Meanwhile, Daddy took Mama’s sardines, stuffed them in his pack, and wrote his wife thanking her for the treat. As far as she knew, he enjoyed them on arrival, not weeks later when the anchovies were gone.

So, my Daddy and I shared a secret.

And in the years to come, when we ate pizza, we shared anchovies.

Thank you, veterans, for the country we love.

And thank you for anchovies. www.alabamaliving.coop

10/14/20 1:21 PM

CALL FOR ENTRIES Alabama Rural Electric Association’s

11 Quilt Competition th

Our 2020 theme is: First responders

Mail, or E-mail form below for your entry package. Deadline to submit quilt square is January 29, 2021.

Name:_________________________________________________ Address:_______________________________________________ City, State Zip:___________________________________________ Mail to: Linda Partin AREA E-mail:_________________________________________________ 340 TechnaCenter Drive Montgomery, AL 36117 Phone:_________________________________________________ Cooperative:____________________________________________ or Phone: 334-215-2732 E-mail: lpartin@areapower.com (The electric cooperative name on front of this Alabama Living.)

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