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FEBRUARY 2016

Pea River Electric COOPERATIVE

River races Whitewater enthusiasts to converge on state

Paying for college www.peariver.com

Loans, scholarships come in all sizes

MANAGER

Randy Brannon CO-OP EDITOR

Laura Thornton 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. AREA cooperative member subscriptions are $3 a year; non-member subscriptions, $6.

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.

ALABAMA RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION

AREA PRESIDENT Fred Braswell EDITOR Lenore Vickrey MANAGING EDITOR Allison Griffin CREATIVE DIRECTOR Mark Stephenson ART DIRECTOR Michael Cornelison

VOL. 69 NO. 2 FEBRUARY 2016

11 Music of an era

Teenagers of the 50s, like Hardy Jackson, fondly remember listening to late-night radio stations whose music set their parents’ teeth on edge.

30 Feeding hungry children

One electric cooperative couple’s dedication to feeding hungry children in their county has inspired others to help thousands more.

ON THE COVER: A kayaker maneuvers the rapids during the 2014 Mulberry Fork Canoe & Kayak Races, which are managed and promoted by the Alabama Cup Racing Association. The Mulberry Fork is part of the Black Warrior River and will be the site of one of the three Alabama races that begin in February.

Read more on Page 22.

46 Quick and easy

Sometimes you just don’t want to cook or don’t have time. This month’s recipes are designed to be made in 30 minutes - or less!

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Jacob Johnson ADVERTISING COORDINATOR/GRAPHIC DESIGNER Brooke Echols COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Laura Stewart

PHOTO: Lookout Mountain Photography

ADVERTISING & EDITORIAL OFFICES:

340 TechnaCenter Drive Montgomery, Alabama 36117-6031 1-800-410-2737 E-mail: advertising@areapower.com www.areapower.coop NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE:

National Country Market 611 South Congress Ave., Suite 504 Austin, Texas 78704 1-800-626-1181 www.nationalcountrymarket.com www.alabamaliving.coop

DEPARTMENTS

USPS 029-920 • ISSN 1047-0311

46

9 42 43 54

Spotlight Cook of the Month Outdoors Fish & Game Forecast Snapshots

Printed in America from American materials

Alabama Living

FEBRUARY 2016 3

Manager’s Comments P.O. Box 969 Ozark, AL 36361 334-774-2545 phone 334-774-2548 fax

Board of Trustees Braxton Green President• District 8

334-775-8514 Billy Wayne Danzey Vice-President •District 4

334-726-9836 Bill Strickland Secretary • District 3

334-795-6614 Lee Grantham District 1

334-598-4554 Lee Peters District 2

334-685-2018 Lowell Bristow District 5

334-696-4392 Wayne Money District 6

334-585-5564 Ed Jones District 7

Supporting Our Youngest Members Randy Brannon Manager of Pea River Electric Cooperative

At Pea River Electric, we talk a lot about the services we provide to you, our members – home energy audits, convenient billing options, heat pump loans, annual meeting and other activities. But many of our value-added benefits are directed at a younger audience: children.

It’s important that we support our youngest members, not only to enrich their lives, but also to instill in them the importance of cooperative membership. After all, these youngsters will one day become community and possibly co-op leaders.

For high school seniors, we offer a scholarship through the Electric Cooperative Foundation. See page 8 in this issue for scholarship details and deadlines. High school juniors have the opportunity to attend the Alabama Rural Electric Youth Tour to Montgomery each year, sponsored by the Alabama Rural Electric Association. These same students have the opportunity to compete for an allexpenses paid trip to the National Rural Electric Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., a weeklong educational excursion that takes place in June.

On the next page you will see an exciting new program available to area eighth graders in the Wiregrass Region. Pea River Electric Cooperative will help sponsor and partici-

pate in Wiregrass WORKS. This event, which is a project of the Workforce Development Council of Alabama, is designed to create awareness about exciting career options for young students while addressing workforce needs in our region. All schools in the Pea River Electric service area have been invited to participate.

In addition to the programs above, we also support our area schools through sponsoring sports programs, clubs and other community service organizations that involve young people.

And last but not least, for children of all ages, we provide safety demonstrations.

Outreach with youth and improving the quality of life in the communities we serve is just one more way Pea River looks out for you.

Legislative Information On pages 6 of this issue you will find contact information for our local legislative delegation. As our legislature gets set to convene in February, we would encourage everyone to stay informed on the issues facing our state that will come before our state’s governing body. Use this contact information to express any concerns or thoughts you might have with your Senators or Representatives.

334-762-2258 James Miller

334-687-3949

Energy Efficiency Tip of the Month

In case of power outages, you may call 24 hours a day: 1-800-264-7732

Save energy and money by lowering your water heater thermostat to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

This will also slow mineral buildup and corrosion in your water heater and pipes.

District 9

4 FEBRUARY 2016

Source: energy.gov

Pea River EC

A CAREER EXPERIENCE FOR 8TH GRADE STUDENTS February 24 & 25 • National Peanut Festival • Dothan, AL

Students will take part in a fun, educational and hands-on experience they will not soon forget!

This event creates awareness about EXCITING CAREERS including Agriculture/Agribusiness, Aviation/Aerospace, Construction, Healthcare, Logistics/Transportation, Manufacturing, Public Service/Military/Utilities.

WiregrassWorks.org • Alabama Living

facebook.com/wiregrassworks FEBRUARY 2016 5

Your Senators Billy Beasley 28th District (Barbour, Henry, Lee, Macon, Russell, Bullock) State House: 334-775-7657 Business: Box 606, Clayton, AL 36016 334-775-3442

Jimmy W. Holley 31st District (Coffee, Covington, Dale, Houston) State House: Room 732 334-242-7845 Home: 4212 County Road 364, Elba, AL 36323 334-897-5181

Harri Anne Smith 29th District (Dale, Geneva, Houston) State House: Room 737 334-242-7879 Home: P.O. Box 483 Slocomb, AL 36375 334-699-3208

Your Representatives Berry Forte 84th District (Barbour, Russell, Bullock) State House: Room 540-D 334-242-7553 District: 620 Davis Lane Eufaula, AL 36027 334-687-9985 email: berry.forte@alhouse.gov

Alan C. Boothe 89th District (Dale, Pike) State House: Room 417-H 334-242-7710 District: P.O. Box 561 Troy, AL 36081 334-566-5742, home 334-670-3203, work

6  FEBRUARY 2016

Dexter Grimsley 85th District (Henry, Houston) State House: Room 537-F 334-242-7740 District: 168 Res Drive Newville, AL 36353 334-585-6865 e-mail: wlmdex@hotmail.com

Steve Clouse 93rd District (Dale, Houston) State House: Room 410-D 334-242-7717 District: P.O. Box 818 Ozark, AL 36361-0818 334-774-9122, work 334-774-7384, home

www.alabamaliving.coop

Pea River EC

Don’t get left out in the cold on generator safety Those who use generators must be mindful of risks such as electric shock and toxic exhaust. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), more than half of the annual accidents with generators occur between November and February, the coldest months of the year.

As generators come in a variety of sizes, capacities, and power sources, begin by reading and following all manufacturer instructions. Also before you use a generator, inspect it for damage. If no damage is found, prepare it for use in an area outside of the home and away from dangerous or wet conditions.

Because carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, always run the machine outdoors, as carbon monoxide levels may be fatal within minutes in enclosed areas.

Be aware of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, which include headaches, dizziness, confusion, fatigue, and nausea. If you suspect that someone has been exposed to carbon monoxide, move them into fresh air immediately.

It is also a good idea to install carbon monoxide detectors in your home. Follow the instructions in the manufacturer’s guide for proper placement, and test the batteries regularly.

Carbon monoxide produced by generators is not the only hazard from generator use. If you are not careful with the preparation of a portable or standby generator, you can put the lives of others in danger because of backfeed. Backfeed is a

Alabama Living

situation where a generator is feeding electricity back through your electrical system and meter into the power lines. This jeopardizes the safety of line crews working to restore power as well as anyone who may be near the downed or sagging line that becomes energized.

To prevent backfeed, standby generators should have a transfer safety switch installed by a professional. This device automatically separates your home system from the utility system. Portable generators should never be plugged directly into a home outlet or elec-

trical system. Use a heavy-duty, outdoor-rated extension cord to plug appliances into an outlet on the generator for power. Your generator should have more output than the wattage of the appliances you will plug into it.

Be sure to keep pets and children a safe distance away. When the generator needs a refill on gasoline, first reduce flammability by turning off the machine for at least 10 minutes so that fumes can dissipate.

For more information on winter safety, visit SafeElectricity.org.

FEBRUARY 2016 7

Pea River EC

Scholarship Opportunity for Graduating Seniors!

Are you a high school senior who is graduating this spring?

Are you a dependent of a member of our local cooperative?

If so, you are eligible to apply for a scholarship from the Electric Cooperative Foundation. Your local cooperative has joined other cooperatives throughout the state of Alabama to create the Electric Cooperative Foundation. This spring the foundation will be awarding scholarships across Alabama for students to continue their education at post-secondary and vocational schools.

For more details about these scholarships or to obtain a copy of an Electric Cooperative scholarship application by visiting our website at www.peariver.com or by calling:

Laura Thornton Pea River Electric Cooperative 800-264-7732 Don’t wait; applications with all required attachments must be received no later than February 26, 2016.

8 FEBRUARY 2016

www.alabamaliving.coop

In February

Spot Light

Jesse Owens movie may boost Alabama park One of the greatest track and field athletes in history is an Alabama native. But many folks don’t know that a park and museum dedicated to his memory exists in Lawrence County, near Jesse Owens’ birthplace in Oakville.

The Jesse Owens Memorial Park, 7019 County Road 203 in Danville, houses a museum, interactive kiosks, a mini-theatre and resource center dedicated to Owens, who won four gold medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany.

Whereville, AL

Guess where this is and win $25!

In this new feature, readers are asked to identify AND place an Alabama landmark or scene. The winner will be chosen at random from all the correct guesses and will receive $25.

Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified.

If you know where this landmark is, send your answer by Feb. 5 with your name, address and the name of your electric cooperative. The winner and the answer will be announced in the March issue.

Contribute your own photo for an upcoming issue! If you know of an interesting or unusual spot in Alabama, send us a high-resolution photo of the location, which must be accessible to the public and easy to identify. A reader whose photo is used in the magazine will also win $25.

And now, the park may get a little exposure thanks to a new movie. The major motion picture “Race,” starring Stephan James in the lead role (along with Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Irons and William Hurt), will premiere nationwide Feb. 19.

Plans are in the works to hold a special advance screening of the movie at the Princess Theater in nearby Decatur, says Nancy Pinion Brown, who with her husband, James, volunteers as a manager of the park.

Owens’ legacy hasn’t died, Brown says, but she understands that the new generations need to be re-educated about Owens’ life and accomplishments. The museum highlights not only his athletic endeavors, but also documents his humanitarian efforts, Brown says, especially his interest in motivating children.

Learn more at www.jesseowensmemorialpark.com.

By email: whereville@alabamaliving.coop By mail: Whereville, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124-4014 (no phone calls please)

JANUARY’S ANSWER

Bamahenge, a full-scale reproduction of England’s Stonehenge cast in fiberglass rather than stone, is located on the property of Barber Marina just southeast of Elberta in Baldwin County, near Josephine. The scale of the reproduction is impressive: The outer “stones” are 13 ½ feet tall, the inner ones are more than 18 feet tall, and the diameter of the entire collection is 104 feet. The display was created by Virginia sculptor Mark Cline and erected in 2013. (Information from an April 2014 article in Lagniappe.)

We received more than 400 correct answers, and Wayne Mund, a member of Baldwin EMC, was drawn as the winner.

Warm up this winter with a home tour

The Gulf Shores Woman’s Club has been busy this winter planning its upcoming Tour of Homes. This charitable fundraising event will be the 38th consecutive home tour and will feature five of the area’s finest homes.

The Tour of Homes will be from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 20, and tickets are $20. For more information, contact Wilma Trent at 251-980-5722.

Want to see more events or submit your own?

Alabama Living

Visit www.alabamaliving.coop to submit an event and view our calendar or email an event to events@alabamaliving.coop.

FEBRUARY 2016 9

Hesta’s Dream Dessert 2 cups graham cracker crumbs ¼ cup sugar ¾ cup melted butter or margarine 1 large carton of non dairy whipped topping 1 can sweetened condensed milk 8 ounces cream cheese ¼ cup lemon juice 1 12-ounce bag frozen raspberries 1 cup flake coconut Make a crust from first 3 ingredients.

Press in the bottom of a 9-inch by 13-inch dish. Bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees. Mix whipped topping, condensed milk, cream cheese and lemon juice. Add raspberries and pour into crust. Lightly toast coconut in the warm oven where you baked the crust. Sprinkle over the top of dessert.

Cover and chill or this can be frozen for later. Cut into squares to serve.

Hesta A. Gurney Joe Wheeler EMC

Onion Casserole 1 tube of 10 biscuits (any brand works) 5-6 sliced, cooked onions, drained and cooled 1 small carton (8 ounces) sour cream 3 /4-1 stick butter (not margarine) Sprinkle of red pepper flakes In a 9-inch by 13-inch Pyrex dish, press the biscuit dough on the bottom and slightly up the sides. Layer on the cooked onions. With a spoon, add the sour cream in small dollops; do not try to mix these in. Pour the melted butter over all and sprinkle with red pepper flakes for taste and color. Cook at 350 degrees for 16-18 minutes.

Optional: Bisquick can be substituted for biscuits in the tube.

Crescent Bars 1 can refrigerated crescent rolls 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1 can ready-to-use coconut/pecan frosting ½ stick butter, melted Spray a 9-inch by 11-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread crescent rolls out in pan, sealing perforations to form a “crust.” In a bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk and frosting. Spread this mixture on top of the crust. Drizzle the melted butter on top. Bake at 350 degrees approximately 30 minutes until lightly browned. Cool and cut into bars.

Dolores Childree Baldwin EMC

Super Easy Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookies 1 cup smooth peanut butter ¾ cup sugar 1 egg 1 bag Hershey’s kisses Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix peanut butter, sugar and egg together well, and chill for one hour. Roll small amounts of the mixture (about the size of a walnut) by hand and drop onto a cookie sheet. Press a chocolate kiss into each roll. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes; let cool on a wire rack.

Makes a dozen.

Melissa Cames Cullman EC

Send us your recipes!

Please send us your original recipes, developed by you or family members, and not ones copied from a book or magazine. You may adapt a recipe from another source by changing as little as the amount of one ingredient. Cook of the Month winners will receive $50, and may win “Cook of the Month” only once per calendar year.

Share a story about your recipe! Whether it’s your grandmother’s best cake or your uncle’s camp stew, every recipe has a story behind it. We’ll pay $50 for the best recipe-related story each month.

Submit: Online: alabamaliving.coop Email: recipes@alabamaliving.coop Mail: Recipes, P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124

Recipe themes and deadlines: April May June

Greens Chicken Salad Picnic Meals

February 8 March 8 April 8

THANK YOU We would like to extend our thanks to Janet Waldo and the Elms of Coosada for opening up their antebellum home and gourmet kitchen for our photo shoot this month.

We look forward to working with you again in the future!

For information on the Elms of Coosada, visit www.elmsevents.com.

See just how Quick and Easy these Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookies really are in our step-by-step video up now on alabamaliving.coop/videos! alabamaliving.coop/videos Also see it here:

Tina Robertson Baldwin EMC

Super Easy Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookies Editor’s Note: Alabama Living’s recipes are submitted by our readers. They are not kitchen-tested by a professional cook or registered dietician. If you have special dietary needs, please check with your doctor or nutritionist before preparing any recipe.

FEBRUARY 2016 49

the

POWER

of

Having an Advocate We know you want affordable power when you need it, and we’re working to ensure you have just that. We understand the effect energy policy has on power costs and availability, and we support policies that balance environmental concerns with economic impact. We’re standing up for you.

ATTENTION HVAC, PLUMBING, ROOFING, LANDSCAPING, CONSTRUCTION, AUTOMOTIVE, HEALTHCARE, INSURANCE, FINANCIAL SERVICES, IT & TELECOM, MANUFACTURING, ETC. As a local business, you may not need to advertise to the entire state.

But what about the 12,700+ consumers in the Pea River EC market?

Alabama Living, the state’s largest publication, is offering this page to the first local business that wants to stand out from the competition and put its product/service in front of Pea River’s members.

This page will be gone fast.

It’s efficient and effective marketing.

Call 800.410.2737 or email: advertising@areapower.com

Alabama Living

FEBRUARY 2016 51

Our Sources Say

Why others don’t like solar

A

couple of months ago I wrote an article titled, “Why Don’t You Like Solar?” I received a few comments to the effect that I was backwards and against progress, I was against clean energy, I was only interested in my paycheck, and I must consider Alabamians idiots.

Interestingly, on December 29, the Wall Street Journal published an article titled, “Time for Solar Energy to Grow Up.” The article doesn’t exactly track my logic or feelings about solar energy, but it confirms my position that solar is not necessarily the answer to all of our energy questions and problems.

The WSJ article states that more than 40 states (Alabama is not one of those states) have net-metering programs for distributed generation, including solar power. (Net-metering programs allow electric consumers who own generation to sell energy to their electric provider at the retail rate.) The article states the retail price of electricity is generally about twice the cost of wholesale power because the retail price includes the cost of transmission service, distribution service, transformation costs, and maintenance of all the facilities required to provide basic electric service.

Solar programs have evolved from people interested in owning their own generation to corporate marketing plays by national companies. The WSJ article states the primary beneficiaries of solar programs are not electric consumers but companies like SolarCity and SunRun, which install solar panels at no upfront cost to customers, receiving the government tax subsidies and benefits associated with solar generation. Then, they rent the panels to consumers at lower-than-retail rates at the onset but typically escalate these rates by about 3 percent per year. Electric consumers may reduce their power bill at the start of the program, but non-solar customers have to make up the difference.

Customers that sell electricity back to their utilities obviously do not provide those services provided by utilities, yet they receive their utilities’ retail price. Because those customers receive payment for services they don’t provide, customers who don’t produce their own electricity have to make up the costs of the services that are paid to net-metering customers. Generally, that results in poorer electric consumers who can’t afford to install their own distributed generation to subsidize wealthier

electric customers who can. Those subsidies can be substantial.

The California Public Utility Commission estimates that solar subsidies among California electric consumers approach $2 billion annually. The Nevada Utility Commission estimates that Nevada non-solar customers subsidize each Nevada solar owner by $623 per year. Almost all of that shift goes to the solar leasing companies – not the solar customers.

Because of the subsidies among electric consumers, several states (including Hawaii, Arizona, California and Nevada) have recently proposed changing their net-metering programs to reduce cost-shifting among electric consumers. The Nevada Commission went even further by reducing the rate utilities pay to existing solar customers to the wholesale rate for electricity and increasing the fixed charge solar customers pay to access the electric grid.

SolarCity has not reacted well to the changes in Nevada. It announced it would cease doing business in Nevada and complained, “… the Nevada government encouraged these people to go solar with financial incentives and pro-solar policies and now the same government is punishing them for their decision with the new costs they couldn’t have foreseen.” SolarCity doesn’t mention that its disclosure statements to solar customers acknowledge the risk of rate change.

SolarCity also said, “Our ability to sell solar energy systems and the electricity they generate may be adversely impacted by changes in net-metering policies, including reductions in the amount or value of credit that customers receive though net-metering.” However, the change should have little effect on what solar customers receive from their solar installations.

It will primarily affect SolarCity’s profits and the amount nonsolar customers have to pay to subsidize the solar customers.

Non-solar customers should not have to pay for decisions made by solar customers. The federal government recently extended the 30 percent tax credit for solar installations through 2021 so our tax dollars can be used to subsidize solar choices.

There is no reason states should continue to double down on subsidies that benefit SolarCity and other solar companies at the expense of retail consumers.

Just another reason not to like solar. I hope you have a good month. A

Gary Smith is President and CEO of PowerSouth Energy Cooperative

52 FEBRUARY 2016

www.alabamaliving.coop

Alabama Living

FEBRUARY 2016 53

Alabama Snapshots

Bad Hair Day

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 www.alabamaliving.coop and on our Facebook page. Alabama Living is not responsible for lost or damaged photos.

dison.

rker, Ad Chase Pa ITTED BY

UBM Parker. S Paisleigh Jenna Kaye Loveladdy says, “This is what an afternoon nap can do for you.” SUBMITTED

BY Kathy Priddy, Sulligent.

Daniel Roebuck, som eti it’s okay to wear your mes side. SUBMITTED BY hat inRobbie Young, Robertsdale.

Matt and Craig Rowles on a blustery spring day.

SUBMITTED BY Janice Mankey, Tuscaloosa.

ED

oline hairstyle. SUBMITT

the tramp Adella Stone, age 5, with . son ven Ste ne,

BY Leslie Sto

Submit Your Images! April Theme: “Dressed in our Easter Best” Deadline for April: February 29 SUBMIT PHOTOS ONLINE: alabamaliving.coop/submit-photo/ or send color photos with a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Photos, Alabama Living, P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124

54 FEBRUARY 2016

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