December 2023 Wiregrass

Stories | Recipes | Events | People | Places | Things | Local News December 2023

Wiregrass

Electric Cooperative

Christmas Art Contest Winner Lizzie Metcalf of Webb Elementary

WIREGRASS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE is a member-owned electric cooperative serving more than 24,000 accounts in Houston and Geneva counties in Alabama and parts of Dale, Coffee and Covington counties in southeast Alabama.

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.

ALABAMA RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION

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

Hope for the journey

A volunteer-run respite ministry helps individuals living with the challenges of memory loss enjoy friendship and social time, while their caregivers get a break for their own errands and activities. More than a dozen churches across Alabama have drawn from a model launched in Montgomery in 2012 and brought it to their own communities.

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F E A T U R E S

VOL. 76 NO. 12

DECEMBER 2023

4 Les Moreland’s legacy

Q&A with retiring CEO after lengthy tenure.

20 Tried & true

Tender chicken and waffles are just one of many popular dishes served in the historic building housing Hubbard’s Off Main in Oxford.

40 Help the grid

Electric utilities across the nation are encouraging consumers to save energy by making small changes to our daily habits.

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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

D E P A R T M E N T S 11 Spotlight 29 Around Alabama 34 Cook of the Month 38 Outdoors 39 Fish & Game Forecast 46 Cup o’ Joe ONLINE: alabamaliving.coop ON THE COVER Lizzie Metcalf, a fourth grader at Webb Elementary School, designed the winning artwork for WEC’s annual Christmas Card Art Contest. Read more on Page 8.

Printed in America from American materials

40 WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! ONLINE: www.alabamaliving.coop EMAIL: letters@alabamaliving.coop MAIL: Alabama Living 340 Technacenter Drive Montgomery, AL 36117

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Sign up at alabamaliving.coop DECEMBER 2023 3

A farewell Q&A Board of Trustees David Winstead District 9 President

WEC’s outgoing CEO reflects on service, lessons, legacy

Randy Odom District 2 Vice President

For Les Moreland it’s all about the people. As he prepares to retire after 18 years of service to Wiregrass Electric Cooperative — 10 as CEO — we sought Les’ candid insights and reflections on his life, leadership and enduring legacy.

Debra E. Baxley District 1 Secretary

Q: How would you describe your role as CEO of Wiregrass Electric Cooperative?

I think of the CEO as an orchestra conductor directing a group of highly talented musicians.

I’m a realist, I know my weaknesses. But that’s what teams are for. I’ve surrounded myself with people who excel where I falter — whether it’s dealing with irate members or handling intricate financial tasks.

The team I’ve been blessed to work with is top notch. Together, we’ve accomplished so much, all in the best interest of our members. The synergy with the board has been remarkable. We’ve challenged each other, engaged in difficult discussions and yet always emerged with a consensus on what’s best for our members.

Q: How did you build and maintain the cooperative’s mission and vision during your tenure?

We spent a year collaborating with a consultant, trying to answer who we are and who do we want to be. We aimed to be the trusted and preferred energy partner for our members. We want to serve in a way that our members would choose us if they had the option.

Q: You’ve coined the phrase, “standing in the gap for rural America.” What does that mean to you?

Rural America is home to hardworking folks, family values and over 50% of our volunteer military. When we enable children to stay in these communities, we’re preserving our national fabric. Wiregrass Electric pulls together over 50,000 people in our service area, allowing us to stand in the gap for rural America, to bridge divides — digital or physical.

Q: How have you ensured the cooperative stays true to the unique needs and challenges of its community?

John Clark Jr. District 3

Danny McNeil District 4

Tracy Reeder District 5

Kip Justice District 6

Donald Ray Wilks District 7

Greg McCullough District 8

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We listen to our members. We don’t have four-lane roads or abundant commercial opportunities. People have to drive to other areas for work. So, we focused on not letting our area decline in population or quality of life. Our mission and vision statements reflect that.

Q: Can you explain Wiregass Electric’s unique challenge in managing wholesale power costs?

For most of my tenure, we had the highest wholesale power cost among the 20 distribution members in PowerSouth Energy Cooperative’s system. To overcome this, our team has been a leader in economic development. We’ve worked with PowerSouth to attract industrial loads that will improve our load factor and reduce our wholesale power costs. We’re helping lay down the tracks for future success — new four-lane roads, an industrial park and more.

Today, we’re 80% residential and 20% commercial-industrial. I envision gravitating toward a 40% commercial-industrial load in the next 20 years. The more commercial and industrial clients we acquire, the more we can spread the fixed cost over larger units of energy. This will improve our wholesale power cost and help keep rates low for everyone.

Q: How have you led with a distinct focus on member satisfaction?

Well, I don’t find 90% member satisfaction to be a point of relaxation. It’s more like a call to action. What are we doing for the remaining 10% or 8%? Why are they dissatisfied? Maybe they feel our technology adoption isn’t fast enough or our rates are too high.

It’s our duty to address these concerns. I remember when another for-profit electricity provider in the region celebrated 70% customer satisfaction — that couldn’t be more different from our approach. We want to be near perfect in serving our members.

Q: You’re known for your financial acumen, coming from your role as chief financial officer before you became CEO. How has that shaped your decision-making? www.alabamaliving.coop

with Les Moreland It’s second nature to me. My dad ran a produce company, and we’d count inventory every day, so I’ve been around numbers since I was a boy. My ability to see numbers in my mind is a blessing from God. It allows me to approach our challenges and opportunities like a chess player.

I don’t sweat the nickels and dimes, I focus on the big picture. I’ve found it’s the strategic decisions that matter in the long run.

Q: You’ve been with Wiregrass Electric for 18 years, 10 of those as CEO. What kept you here for so long?

I came here at age 51, and it’s been an amazing ride. I’ve worked with other companies for over a decade, but it’s been here that I’ve been able to really see the long-term impact of benchmarking and best practices. We’ve made strides in productivity, efficiency and how we compare to our peers. It’s been fulfilling to know that I had enough time to make a real difference.

Serving this community has never been a burden, it’s been an honor.

Q: One of the most complex aspects of your job has been rate design. How did you approach that challenge?

We partnered with experts and trained our leaders to understand rate theory. Our goal is to charge each member the cost they are creating, no cross-subsidies, no unfairness. It’s like a puzzle, making sure that each piece fits perfectly so that the overall picture — our service to the members — is as clear as possible.

What truly stands out for me is about 20% of our members every month can’t pay their bills on time. It might surprise people, but we think about that more than anything else. We’ve introduced solutions like energy audits, prepay options and home improvement loans.

Before any rate change hits the board room, we examine who’s affected. We aim to recover distribution costs from those causing it, not from those who can least afford it.

Q: A big part of your tenure has been focused

on metrics and benchmarking. Can you explain their importance?

Metrics tell you if you’re going in the right direction or if something needs attention. We rely on these indicators to keep us on track. It’s crucial because our revenue comes from one source — our members. If something’s off, then our metrics go haywire and we can’t gauge our progress.

Q: You also mentioned tuning rates to reduce wholesale power costs. Could you explain the importance of that change?

Between November and February, the high rate of electricity use between 6-9 a.m. drives up demand. When our peak demand coincides with our wholesale power supplier, it drives up the fixed demand cost we pay throughout the year.

Reducing your demand during that window is voluntary, but it’s a win-win. If you adjust your usage, you’ll see a lower excess demand charge on your bill and contribute to keeping costs low for everyone.

Q: What is the challenge of balancing fair compensation for your employees while keeping costs low?

Our people are the heartbeat of the co-op.

They possess unique skills that are in high demand, and they should be fairly compensated. It’s a balancing act keeping costs low for our members while ensuring we have the best people on board to take care of our members.

Wiregrass Electric pulls together over 50,000 people in our service area, allowing us to stand in the gap for rural America, to bridge divides — digital or physical.”

Alabama Living

WEC Service Area

—Les Moreland, WEC CEO

Contact Information Mailing address 509 N. State Hwy 167 P.O. Box 158, Hartford, AL 36344 Phone 1-800-239-4602 Toll Free Outage “Hotline” 1-888-4-MY-OUTAGE • 1-888-469-6882 (24 hrs/day) Website www.wiregrass.coop Find us here:

Find Wiregrass Electric Co-op on Twitter (@WEC2), Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Payment Options

BY MAIL Wiregrass Electric Cooperative Inc. Department 1340, P.O. Box 2153 Birmingham, AL 35287-1340 WEBSITE Payments may be made 24 hrs/day by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express and E-Check on our website at www.wiregrass.coop.

PHONE PAYMENTS Payments may be made any time by dialing 1-800-239-4602.

NIGHT DEPOSITORY AND KIOSKS Available at each office location.

IN PERSON Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Payment kiosks are also available 24/7 in all offices.

Locations: • 509 N. State Hwy. 167 • Hartford, AL 36344 • 13148 W. State Hwy. 52 • Samson, AL 36477 • 1066 Ashford Highway • Ashford, AL 36312 • 6167 Fortner St. • Dothan, AL 36305 For questions regarding sanitation service, call Houston County Sanitation Department at 334-677-4781 or Dothan City Sanitation at 334-615-3820.

Working for

Everyone DECEMBER 2023 5

Q: What personal values have guided your leadership?

I’ve strived to be approachable , open-minded and diligent. I’ve prayed for our employees and board, sought wisdom and admitted mistakes. Most importantly, I’ve tried to embody and show the love of Christ in my interactions as CEO. Q: What drives your compassion, which has been noted by both members and staff?

The challenges in my personal life have been heartbreaking.

But it’s taught me out of brokenness, comes strength, hope and faith in God. My wife has been my rock, believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself. Her encouragement and unwavering love kept me grounded and focused.

I found myself in a job I didn’t seek, confronted by challenges I didn’t think I could bear. But it broke me in a good way. It taught me to lean on God’s strength. Even in our darkest moments, I’ve learned to cry out to God. And you know what?

He’s always shown the path.

Compassion comes from personal experience. I’ve had my share of hardships, from losing jobs to facing family health challenges. These trials taught me about the love of God and the power of community. Once you understand that, it becomes your duty to spread love and hope.

Q: What has spurred your focus on safety culture?

Working in this field has risks. We heard tales of injuries from retired employees and knew we had to act. We standardized equipment and made our fleets robust. We also shifted from a fear-based safety culture to a collaborative one. Now, our safety committee includes those who do the work every day.

I go to those meetings and talk to our employees in the field regularly. Those conversations keep me connected. It helps me fight for what’s important to them.

Q: Can you talk about the evolution of Wiregrass Electric under your leadership?

From embracing new technology to mitigating the impacts of hurricanes and cyberattacks, it’s been a ride. Whether it’s transitioning from tech to finance or understanding the complexities of running a co-op, adaptability has been the linchpin of my career and the success of Wiregrass Electric. Today, we stand stronger, more resilient and better equipped to face the challenges ahead.

Q: How have you safeguarded against the pitfalls that often come with positions of power?

I’ve always been aware of the adage, “power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” I prayed that I wouldn’t become someone who thinks too highly of myself. I’ve respected and sought input from all willing to engage in our mission, vision and purpose.

Humility comes easy when you know your weaknesses. Pre6 DECEMBER 2023

vious mistakes taught me what I can and can’t do. This staff and I have worked to recognize and fill in the gaps. So, everyone feels safe speaking their mind, be it a senior executive or a journeyman lineman.

Q: The theme for this year’s annual meeting was Building a Powerful Legacy. As you prepare to retire from Wiregrass Electric, what are your final thoughts on your legacy?

It’s about creating a culture of service and accountability. We’ve prioritized our members, putting their needs first. The systems and technologies may have changed, but the essence of what we do has remained constant — serving our community.

We’re stronger financially, our employees are well taken care of and our rates are competitive. By every measure, we’re getting stronger each year.

It’s not about my accomplishments, but what we’ve achieved as a team. We’ve overcome weaknesses and leveraged opportunities.

We’ve faced physical storms and less tangible challenges. If everyone feels more like a team now than they did before, then that’s a legacy I’m proud of.

I want people to remember that I cared, not just for our members but also for our employees. I want them to know I took the time to listen and took the steps to make their lives better.

Q: What last thoughts would you like to leave for the board, the staff and the co-op’s members?

I’m grateful. It’s been an incredible journey, and I can’t wait to see how Wiregrass Electric continues to light the way.

As I leave, my advice would be don’t take things for granted. It’s easy to lose perspective when you’re blessed. Focus on the good, and be thankful every day for the blessings. A cooperative is like a family. We talk things out, we find a way through challenges. If we continue to do that, things will only get better.

To the board, I couldn’t have asked for a better group to guide this cooperative. You’ve given me room to lead but haven’t hesitated to reign me in when necessary. Your insights and your willingness to engage in difficult conversations have shaped Wiregrass Electric into a model cooperative.

To my team, keep pushing the envelope.

There’s a goldmine of talent here, and I’ve had the honor of seeing it in action. Don’t be complacent. Strive for excellence, for the next big idea that will drive our mission forward.

To our members, you are the reason we exist. This co-op is your co-op. Your needs have been our compass, and they should continue to be. Keep holding us to the high standards you’ve always expected. n

www.alabamaliving.coop

WEC’s 84th Annual Meeting

Building a Powerful Legacy Do we understand our weaknesses, and are we managing them?

At Wiregrass Electric Cooperative, we’ve always believed in the power of legacy — not just the one we inherit but the one we build, wire by wire, day after day. Considering our journey over the last year, the theme of our annual meeting, Building a Powerful Legacy, seems more apt than ever.

It’s true, challenges emerged this year, as they often do. But our legacy is defined by our response. By strategy. By forward-thinking. By remembering that at the end of each line is a family, a home, a story.

Keeping this in mind while evaluating WEC’s business operations for this year’s progress report to members, we asked and answered several key questions:

§ We acknowledge past outages and take steps to fortify the system against disruptions. § We log response times to improve the speed and efficiency of customer service. § We’ve pioneered economic development initiatives by collaborating with PowerSouth Energy Cooperative, our wholesale power supplier. In doing that, we’re attracting industrial loads to ensure fairer distribution of energy costs.

What are our strengths, and how are we leveraging them?

Are we prepared for potential threats?

§ We invest in advanced infrastructure: state-of-the-art substations, transmission lines and radio frequency meters. § We tailor services based on feedback from recent member surveys. § We employ a lean, mighty team of 61 dedicated professionals committed to transparency and swift problem-solving. § We nurture relationships with legislators and stay aware of potential policy changes, ensuring members’ interests are understood.

§ We design and upgrade systems to withstand severe weather conditions to reduce power outages. § With advanced systems, we monitor issues in real time, mitigating issues before they become crises. § We undergo regular audits, train employees and partner with tech experts to proactively safeguard member data and the co-op’s operational integrity.

CEO Les Moreland gives an update on the state of Wiregrass Electric Cooperative and its strategy moving forward.

Where are we channeling our resources?

§ We allocated resources for system upgrades, addressing the No. 1 concern of members — reliability. § We engaged members with community events, informational sessions and transparent communication. § We reserve margins for emergencies to ensure rapid response and recovery, minimizing potential downtimes.

What stood out? WEC is running on the right track — regularly benchmarking and using key performance indicators for continual improvement. We stand ready and willing to build onto this legacy with every action and every decision, powering through storms together and building a brighter tomorrow.

If you missed it, watch the full recording of the annual meeting at facebook.com/ wiregrasselectric. n

Uncontested board election results

WEC Board President David Winstead leads the business portion of the 84th Annual Meeting.

Alabama Living

No election was held as three incumbent board members ran unopposed.

Having met all eligibility requirements, these individuals were duly seated during the October annual meeting: John Clark Jr., District 3; Kip Justice, District 6; and David Winstead, District 9.

DECEMBER 2023 7

2023 Christmas Card Art Contest Wiregrass students spread colorful holiday cheer In a year that’s seen its share of ups and downs, the Wiregrass community’s youngest artists bring a ray of sunshine — just in time for the holidays. Wiregrass Electric Cooperative is thrilled to unveil the winners of its 2023 Christmas Card Art Contest. Out of 518 incredible submissions, three talented K-5 students won special prizes.

Third Place First place Lizzy Metcalf, fourth grader at Webb Elementary Lizzy’s colorful design featuring Santa Claus in his traditional suit is the face of WEC’s annual Christmas card this year and graces the cover of this issue of Alabama Living, along with the apt message: “You shine bright with Wiregrass Electric!” Lizzy received 30 printed cards of her artwork to share with loved ones and a $50 gift certificate to Michaels craft supply store.

Second place Stafford Vogt, third grader at Wicksburg Elementary A light bulb-turned snow globe featuring the North Pole as the stem and Santa in his sleigh was a creative addition by Stafford, who received a $25 Michaels gift card for his imaginative and skillful concept.

Logan Wilson, fifth grader at Rehobeth Elementary A brilliantly lit Christmas tree surrounded by gifts really puts into perspective Wiregrass Electric’s role during the holidays, helping make this season merry and bright for all of our members and their families.

Logan earned a $25 gift card for his festive submission.

In addition to our top three, each participating school chose a winner to award a $10 gift card. It’s safe to say that the holiday spirit is alive and well in the Wiregrass community.

Cheers to all participants and winners — you’ve made this season a little brighter for us all.

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www.alabamaliving.coop

| Alabama Snapshots |

Hugh Thomas of Fort Payne has played Santa for many years.

SUBMITTED by Dale Crawford, Dutton.

Randy Hester playing Santa with his first grandchild, Jack. SUBMITTED by Donna Hester, Red Bay.

Richard Callaway played Santa for 9 years on the Gulf Coast and retired in 2021.

SUBMITTED by Mitzi Callaway, Foley.

Local Santa, George Bartke. SUBMITTED

by Sandy Chandler, Arab EC.

Santa loves bass fishing. SUBMITTED by Rick Martinez, Boaz.

February theme: “Best Buds” | Deadline: December 31 Online: alabamaliving.coop | Mail: Attn: Snapshots, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124 RULES: Photos submitted for publication may also be published on our website at alabamaliving.coop and on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Alabama Living is not responsible for lost or damaged photos. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to have photos returned.

Alabama Living

DECEMBER 2023 9

Spotlight | December Help create an overall trail network in Alabama Sweet Trails Alabama, alongside the Singing River Trail and Jacksonville State University, recently concluded a five-day, eleven-stop statewide Swing Around the State Tour to identify local, regional, and statewide trail projects while collecting valuable insights from communities across the state.

The initiative is a crucial step toward building a network of outdoor trails throughout Alabama, connecting communities and creating a better quality of life for Alabama residents. Hundreds of Alabamians from diverse communities came together during the tour to support the idea of a statewide trail route.

Sweet Trails Alabama is now working with Alta Planning and Design to map out a comprehensive statewide trail route plan.

The group invites the public to shape the future of this project by filling out a survey online. Visit sweettrailsalabama.org for more.

Keep happy during the holidays The holiday season can be joyous, but also challenging for those who experience mental and emotional stress. A few tips to help you stay healthy and happy this season, from Baldwin County-based ThriveWay, a peer-to-peer prevention and emotional support company: • Put yourself first. It’s easy to let your needs slip with the chaos of the season.

• Set a budget. Overspending can cause unbelievable stress.

• Be kind. Even if someone is not the nicest to you, show them a little grace.

• Be realistic. Don’t put pressure on yourself by setting unrealistic goals.

• Stay active. If you begin to feel stressed, take a walk outside.

• But not too active. Give your mind and body a chance to rest from the holiday hustle.

• Practice moderation. Too much of anything (eating, drinking, shopping) can be a bad idea.

• Take a deep breath. Think about the best solution to what troubles you.

• Keep a regular schedule of sleeping, eating and exercising.

• Reach out if you need help. thriveway.com 10 DECEMBER 2023

Whereville, AL

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 with your name, address and the name of your rural electric cooperative, if applicable. The winner and answer will be announced in the January issue.

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

Do you like finding interesting or unusual landmarks? Contribute a photo you took for an upcoming issue! Remember, all readers whose photos are chosen also win $25!

November’s answer: This sculpture is located in front of Scottsboro High School in Jackson County on Highway 72. It was created from a part of the BB Comer Bridge that was demolished to make way for a new bridge over the Tennessee River. (Photo contributed by Susan Lynn Allen of North Alabama EC) The randomly drawn correct guess winner is Cindy Wilson of Cullman EC.

Outdoor Alabama sponsors big buck photo contest Are you an Alabama or Auburn fan and a white-tailed deer hunter? If so, you are encouraged to show your team spirit and enter the Outdoor Alabama Big Buck Challenge. Entries are currently being accepted. The photo contest runs until Jan. 16, 2024, at noon.

To enter, upload a photo of yourself alongside your buck harvest from this season or seasons past at OutdoorAlabama.com/ BigBuckChallenge. You’ll be asked to declare your allegiance to the Tigers or the Tide.

A first round of prizes was awarded in mid-November, but a second round will be awarded in mid-January, when photos from one Alabama fan and one Auburn fan will be randomly selected to each receive a pair of tickets to the Alabama vs. Auburn men’s basketball game scheduled for February 2024, plus a $250 gift card.

The challenge is open to anyone age 19 and up who is not an employee of one of the sponsors. www.alabamaliving.coop

December | Spotlight

Find the hidden dingbat!

Some of our readers remarked that it was too cold to be hunting an ice cream sundae in November, but more than 400 of you correctly found our hidden dingbat on Page 14 in the photo of the crowd gathered to welcome the Troy Trojans as they entered the stadium for a football game. Instead of a cellphone, a fan was hoisting the ice cream sundae aloft. Linda Daughtry of Greenville, a member of Pioneer Electric Cooperative, said she grabbed her blanket and started looking but did find it in the football crowd.

“Brrr!” she wrote. “There is definitely a bustle of activity at Troy University,” wrote Zelda Turner of Cullman EC. “Not only

do fans get to watch T-Roy march to victory, but unbeknownst to them, there is a delicious treat to be had.” She added that she needed the help of her trusty magnifying glass to confirm the sighting. “Not since the vinyl record hidden on the fridge have I looked so hard to find it.”

Sydney and Joe Russell of Baldwin EMC enjoy looking for the dingbat with their daughter, Nova, age 6 whose nickname is “Eagle Eye.” “As soon as we see it in the mailbox we rush inside, as fast as we can, and immediately begin our search,” they wrote. They say Nova is “way more of an expert than me, but we both enjoy the search so much.”

Congratulations to Icy Lou Sanders of Guntersville, a member of North Alabama EC, who is our randomly drawn correct guess winner. This month, we’ve hidden a vintage Christmas tree bulb, so turn on your own lights and start searching!

Sponsored by

By mail: Find the Dingbat Alabama Living PO Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124 By email: dingbat@alabamaliving.com

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. Be sure to include your name, hometown and electric cooperative, and the location of your photo.We’ll draw a winner for the $25 prize each month. Make sure your photo is clear, in focus and not in shadow.

Robert and Lisa Frazier of Dutton, members of Sand Mountain EC, took a five-week road trip last year where they saw the Cape May Lighthouse at Cape May Point, New Jersey.

 Leonard and Susan Kichler from Elberta, members of Baldwin EMC, took a farming trip to Idaho Falls.  Gail Hunt and Yvonne Fulmer, members of Marshall-Dekalb EC, were on The Road to Nowhere in Bryson City, North Carolina, when they snapped a photo with Alabama Living.

 Aundrea Kelley recently visited Egypt and took a photo at the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, across the Nile from Luxor, Egypt.

She is a member of Cullman EC.  Ricky Horton of Wetumpka, a member of Central Alabama EC, visited Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

 Mike and Tammy Cook, along with Billy and Kathy Cook, enjoyed “sail-brating” 68 years of marriage in Glacier Bay, Alaska. They are members of Cullman EC. Alabama Living

DECEMBER 2023 11

Hope for the journey: Creating joyful communities for those living with dementia

By Minnie Lamberth

I

t’s just before 10 a.m., and you can already feel the energy building in the room as people make their way into the a large gathering area at Montgomery’s First United Methodist Church. Friends share hugs, delivered with lots of smiles and, often, a hot cup of coffee. As attendees settle into their spots at a table, the activities begin. For the next four hours, they will enjoy a fast-paced time of fellowship and enrichment.

This is the essence of volunteer-run respite ministry that helps individuals living with the challenges of memory loss enjoy friendship and social time, while their caregivers get a break for their own errands and activities. More than a dozen churches across the state have drawn from the S.A.L.T. (Senior Adults Living Triumphantly) participants at the First United Methodist Church in Demopolis end each day with a game of Noodleball, an all-time favorite game that acting director Renee Robbins says can get pretty competitive!

12 DECEMBER 2023

model launched in Montgomery in 2012 and brought it to their own communities.

Katie Holland was directed to the Montgomery program when she began looking for a way to support families in the Wiregrass affected by Alzheimer’s disease. “I went to visit, and I could not believe what I saw when I got there,” Holland says. The activities – from group games, art projects to balloon volleyball – were engaging, the room was upbeat and active, and there was a lot of laughter.

“I left crying. I couldn’t believe how much joy was in the room.”

At the time—this was 2015—Holland was serving as director of a ministry for older adults at Dothan’s First United Methodist Church. She was also living with the same issues that other caregivers were experiencing. “My dad had Alzheimer’s,” she says.

As Holland began to explore possibilities, she initially contacted a dementia educator, Robin Dill, who had launched a respite ministry at a church in Georgia. Dill directed her to a program closer to Dothan being run by Daphne Johnston at FUMC Montgomery.

When Holland walked out after that first visit, she told herself, “We need this in Dothan.” It Fairhope’s Shepherd’s Place Adult Day Respite celebrate National Miniature Golf Day.

www.alabamaliving.coop

took about six months to get the ministry off the ground. But by the start of 2016, Holland had changed roles to become director of a respite ministry that today operates Monday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Her work as director is supported by a room full of trained volunteers who enjoy coffee time, games, exercise, art projects, community service and other activities, along with a family-style meal shared with participants living with dementia.

Holland also recognized that the engagement of volunteers met another need.

The church already offered events for fellowship, she says, “but we didn’t have a great hands-on ministry. This was something that is active and meaningful for the volunteers. They love it.”

Importantly, the respite ministry draws from a pool of 150 volunteers who choose which days they are able to attend, and together they share the commitment of serving around 15 participants while enabling caregivers to take those four hours for their own errands or appointments.

Programs similar to Dothan’s

respite ministry have a template to follow through the faith-based, volunteer-run model of care promoted by the non-profit Respite for All Foundation.

“Respite ministries typically start with one part-time or full-time staff member, and they are supported by a team of trained volunteers that are the key to making the program sustainable,” explains Johnston, who turned her knowledge and experience running the Montgomery program into the Respite for All Foundation.

Johnston now works full-time to encourage churches and organizations to implement this respite ministry model.

A model for any size church, community

“Churches have free space that is available during the week, and they have an army of volunteers willing to serve if given

the vision,” Johnston says. Because respite ministry is a social model, she added, no medicines are administered and no medical staff is needed – which is also important to making this ministry sustainable.

In addition, a tuition fee of around $40 a day for participants keeps the ministries viable, though generous donations typically cover attendance for those who are unable to pay. Through the Respite for All Foundation, Johnston provides training, mentoring and other resources for local church leadership, respite directors and community volunteers to help launch and run new ministries.

This model works for churches and communities of all sizes, she said. For example, the SALT Respite Ministry started in Demopolis in 2018 at the First United Methodist Church there after a member had visited Montgomery, learned about the program and brought the idea back home. SALT, which stands for Senior Adults Living Triumphantly, operates one day a week, on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and draws from 25 active volunteers that serve around 10 participants.

Respite participants at First United Methodist in Dothan paint sunflowers.

Their artwork in displayed in the hallways at the church and was used for sets of printed notecards sold by the church.

“The participants/artists are so proud of the finished product and that people buy their work,” says director Katie Holland.

“It gives them confidence and purpose.”

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DECEMBER 2023 13

Renee Robbins, acting director, has been involved in SALT from the beginning. “My mom had lived with me for two years with cancer and Alzheimer’s,” she says, explaining her personal connection.

“I thought, how could I not do this?” For caregivers and participants, “It’s a lifesaver for a lot of them.”

Because Demopolis is a small town, Robbins usually knows the participants and the caregivers involved in the ministry. “I love it,” she says. “Even though my mom’s been gone for five years, I’m doing this for her – and for myself.”

Shepherd’s Place Adult Day Respite in Fairhope provides support for individuals living with a variety of cognitive impairments, serving participants that range in age from 50 to 95. “We are the only adult day program that is social based in Baldwin County,” says Caroline Bishop, who has served as director since 2021. The program Bishop leads is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and incorporates similar activities, such as games, coffee time, art and music. “We sing everything from ‘Amazing Grace’ to ‘Mack the Knife’ to ‘Pistol Packin’ Mama,’” Bishop says. “I like to say, Shepherd’s Place is where strangers end up becoming friends and friends end up becoming family.”

Caregiver support groups are often part

of respite ministries like these. As an expansion of this support, the respite ministry in Dothan recently opened a caregiver resource center, Rosemary House, in an adjacent building. The name is a tribute to the herb of memory that is part of the Respite for All logo.

Caregivers drive in from all over the Wiregrass to attend Respite Ministry, Holland explains. “They don’t want to ride around for four hours after their appointments.” The new center, which held its grand opening on Nov. 7, is a place for caregivers to land while their loved one is participating in the respite program. It also serves caregivers in the community that aren’t involved in respite. For example, conversations with trained staff can help caregivers navigate the different emotions they are experiencing. There’s also a shop with items that promote connection with loved ones who are living with dementia. Rosemary House is open four days a week, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Dementia-related diseases create difficult situations, Holland notes. “It’s hard to put the face of hope on it. But that’s what respite is about. There is hope for this journey.”

To find respite ministry locations or for more information about launching a respite ministry in your community, visit RespiteforAll.org.

Left, from top, Fairhope volunteers and participants exercise and move using the Octaband; gentle Millie the miniature pony, almost like a therapy pony, is a favorite visitor to Dothan’s respite group; Dothan participants painted the bright sunflower designs on these notecards, which are sold by the church; below, Margaret, right, loves her time at the Dothan respite ministry, with her caretaker, Becky Jordan .

14 DECEMBER 2023

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Alabama Living

DECEMBER 2023 15

Fair recipes celebrating your ancestral roots

“Celebrating Your Ancestral Roots” was the theme for the 2023 Alabama Living cooking competition at the Alabama National Fair in October. It was the 9th year the magazine has sponsored a cooking contest at the Montgomery event. Visitors from across central Alabama flock every year to the fair which is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Montgomery, with proceeds going to charity. Judges were provided by the fair and the Alabama Rural Electric Association, which publishes Alabama Living. The top three winners received a cash prize and the honor of having their recipes published in the December magazine.

First Place Lake Martin Bass Tacos (Creek Indian heritage) Jamie Davis, Tallassee Ingredients: 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless Lake Martin bass fillets, cut in strips

Coating: 1 cup White Lily buttermilk cornmeal mix 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup panko 14 warm flour tortillas, sprinkled with Tajin seasoning Peanut oil for frying fish

Topping: 2 cups shredded cabbage 2 ripe avocados, thinly sliced 1 cup pico de gallo Fresh lime/cilantro for garnish 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Sauce: ½ cup sour cream ½ cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 ½ tablespoons chopped cilantro 1 teaspoon lime zest Salt to taste Wash fish in cold water. Put cornmeal, salt and panko into gallon bag; drop fish into bag and shake well. Prepare the oil. Test it for proper temperature by dropping some meal into grease to see if it is ready. Oil should be four inches deep. Fish will float when done, usually in three minutes. While fish fries, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Reserve extra sauce. You can fry your tortillas or serve warmed. Sprinkle with Tajin seasoning.

To assemble tacos, place two pieces of fish in each tortilla. Top with a bit of shredded cabbage, pico, two slices of avocado, cheese and one tablespoon of sour cream sauce. Serve warm with lime wedges.

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DECEMBER 2023 17

Third place Second Place “Jolly Ol’ England” Salmon Wellington Ronald Welch, Wetumpka Central Alabama EC Ingredients: 4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin removed 1 egg 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 yellow onion 4 cups baby spinach 2 garlic cloves ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper 2 ⁄3 cup cream cheese ¼ cup plain bread crumbs ¼ cup parmesan cheese 1 sheet puff pastry First, make the spinach filling. Melt butter, then sauté onions until soft and translucent. Add spinach and cook just until it starts to wilt. Season with black pepper and add garlic, then cream cheese. After cream cheese melts, add parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Mix everything together and remove from heat.

Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Roll out pastry. Cut into halves or a size to fit fillets with filling. Place each filet in center of pastry and allow two inches on each side of the salmon. If pastry sheet is not big enough, you can roll it out further. Top each filet with spinach mixture, using a spoon. Brush the edges of the puff pastry with egg wash. Place the salmon on a greased pan or tray lined with parchment paper. Make cross hatches on the top of each Wellington, using a sharp knife. Bake at 390 degrees F. (200 degrees C) for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden.

18 DECEMBER 2023

Roosevelt Jr.’s Cameroonian Chops & Rice Nicole Penn, Eclectic Ingredients: 2 1½ inch thick loin pork chops ½ teaspoon each: All-purpose seasoning Pepper Garlic powder Onion powder Paprika Sugar Celery seed powder 1/2 cup each: Sliced bell pepper (red & green) Yellow onion 2 tablespoons butter 15 ounce package prepared wild rice

Gravy: 2 tablespoons butter 2 teaspoons flour Pan drippings Season chops with all-purpose seasoning, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, sugar and celery seed powder. Set aside to marinate for at least two hours. Meanwhile, sauté bell peppers and onions in the first two tablespoons of butter until just cooked through. Set aside to cool. Cook wild rice according to package directions. Mix rice and sauteed veggies in a bowl. Cut slits into sides of pork chops with a sharp paring knife. Stuff pork chops with rice and veggie mixture. Cook in a pretreated air fryer set on 400 degrees for 5 minutes or until desired doneness.

Gravy: Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to a sauce pan and add pork chop drippings. Stir in teaspoon flour, removing any lumps.

Serve chops with gravy and any remaining rice mixture. www.alabamaliving.coop

Alabama Living

DECEMBER 2023 19

| Worth the drive |

Hubbard’s Off Main serves up Southern fare in a historical setting Story and photos by Jennifer Kornegay

I

n late 2013, Charlotte Hubbard found herself with an empty building in downtown Oxford, one section built 1898 and a larger addition next door built in 1902. For more than 30 years, the slightly newer side had been her brother’s music store. Before that, both had housed various businesses, including a dry goods store and a hardware store.

But when her brother closed his doors and the music stopped, Hubbard felt she needed to break the silence. The retired educator and city councilwoman wanted to bring energy back into the space but didn’t know how. “I had no idea what to do with the building, but I couldn’t leave it sitting quiet and empty,” she says.

When a few friends suggested a restaurant, despite zero history in food or food service, she thought, “Sure, a restaurant could work.” Her initial plan was to open something easy and casual but good. Today, Hubbard’s Off Main embodies these descriptors, but also much more. And all of it resonates with diners; three years after opening in the building’s smaller side, growing demand necessitated a move of the main dining room to the larger side.

Open the heavy front door to see the hallmarks of the building’s past lives — dark wood floors and exposed brick walls.

Hubbard added mural-sized black-andwhite photos showing the building’s former occupants and old city maps to enhance the historic space’s yesteryear theme. She kept the stage up front sporting a piano as a nod to the space’s most recent prior use, and she transformed floor joists taken up during renovations into light fixtures that illuminate a long bar.

With its large square footage and soaring ceilings, the interior is cavernous, yet the atmosphere is welcoming and even cozy; Hubbard credits her employees for the warm vibe. “We have a great staff,” she says.

“They are really wonderful, friendly servers, and that means a lot to people.”

A large menu of consistently good

20 DECEMBER 2023

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Alabama Living

DECEMBER 2023 21

Crisp fried chicken is paired with sweet golden waffles at brunch.

A fudgy chocolate brownie is best with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Sides are often served in vintage glass punch cups.

The classic, creamy banana pudding is a popular dessert at Hubbard’s Off Main.

food means even more, as the restaurant’s many regulars prove. “We do have many repeat customers, but we also get a lot of Oxford visitors,” Hubbard says. She notes how those coming to watch tournaments at the local sports park or to see a show at the nearby performing arts venue often find their way to Hubbard’s, bypassing the chain offerings right off the interstate to get to it. “We attract a lot of people off I-20 who want something delicious but also want a taste of something local,” she says.

Tasty, tried-and-true favorites are just what Hubbard’s smiling servers place on the table. While Hubbard’s initial idea was a simple soup and sandwich shop, it quickly evolved. “I ended up with a great chef, and while he is no longer with us, he pushed us into more and more creative selections, and what we do now seems to be what people want,” she says.

You can get a sandwich — the overstuffed shrimp and catfish po boys are particularly popular. But you can also get chicken piccata with pasta (Hubbard’s go-to), shrimp and creamy Cajun-spiced grits and low country chicken, a boneless breast bathed in a sauce of sweet corn, bacon, tomatoes and cream, which snagged a spot on the 100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die list. “That’s our signature,” she says, “but so is having the same menu for lunch and dinner so you can get steak or other dinner-type foods during the day if you want.”

She did it for her senior cus-

tomers, who often want their bigger meal mid-day, but has noticed all ages taking advantage of it.

The menu echoes the space, with its own history, too. “A lot of our recipes come from family, like my aunt, who was a great cook,” Hubbard says. “But it’s not just my family’s food represented here. Some of our dishes come from our staff and their relatives.”

The eatery’s steady increase in diners over the last decade has resulted in several additions. “Our loyal customers helped us survive COVID, supporting curbside, and the pandemic also led us to spruce up our rear outdoor patio space and turn it Hubbard’s Out Back, another spot for gathering,” Hubbard says. “We’ve also made the original dining room into an event space.”

Both spots stay full. “We do about six to eight events, like birthday parties, wedding receptions and showers, each week,” she says. The stage in the current dining room features bands belting out live music on Friday and Saturday nights, an ode to her brother’s long-held wish for a music hall.

And last year, Hubbard’s started serving breakfast. “That has really taken off and on Saturdays, is a huge hit,” Hubbard says.

The promise of boneless fried chicken with tender waffles and maple syrup, biscuits smothered in gravy and an array of omelets (the pepper-and-ham studded Denver version is Hubbard’s top pick) in the morning and a BLT salad bursting with crisp bacon, hand-cut ribeyes and veggie plates piled with sides the rest of each day are the siren songs bringing hungry masses to Hubbard’s.

But the chance to come together in a lovely and comfortable environment also holds appeal. And providing that in a way that shares a piece of Oxford history thrills Hubbard. “I am so happy to give the community places to connect and celebrate; Oxford needed that,” she says, “but I love that we are doing it in this space, that I was able to preserve it and let others experience it.”

Hubbard’s Off Main 16 Choccolocco Street Oxford, AL 36203 256-403-0258 hubbardsoffmain.com

l

Oxford

Hours: Tuesday, breakfast 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Wednesday-Thursday, breakfast 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., dinner 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Friday, breakfast 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., dinner 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Saturday, breakfast 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., brunch 10 a.m.-2p.m., dinner 5 p.m.-10 p.m.

Sunday, brunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

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Alabama Living

DECEMBER 2023 23

Alabama

Bookshelf In this periodic feature, we highlight books either about Alabama people or events, or written by Alabama authors. Summaries are not reviews or endorsements. We also occasionally highlight book-related events. Email submissions to bookshelf@alabamaliving. coop. Due to the volume of submissions, we are unable to feature all the books we receive.

God Calls Us To Do Hard Things: Lessons from the Alabama Wiregrass

USS Alabama: Hooray for the Mighty A!

By Karyn W. Tunks, illustrated by Julie Dupre Buckner, Arcadia Publishing, $19.99 (children) Home to thousands of U.S. sailors, the USS Alabama fought bravely in World War II, but after she finished her service, the battleship was set to be scrapped. The people of Alabama decided they had to save the ship named for their proud state. No one was more determined than Alabama’s schoolchildren. The author traces the story of the children’s efforts in this informative account.

Financial Guide for Retirement,

by Mark Fagan, $27.99 (business and economics) The book provides practical information for those who are saving for retirement; are making choices about the investments in their retirement accounts; are working with financial professionals; or are investing on their own. The author is a professor who retired from Jacksonville State University after 32 years; among his seven books is a history and economic impact of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

24 DECEMBER 2023

by Katie Britt, published by Twelve, $27 (Christian self-help) The junior U.S. senator from Alabama shares candid advice for overcoming personal challenges, appreciating blessed moments, making life more fulfilling and prioritizing faith in God, family and country. Britt believes that even in today’s challenging political environment, there are ways to listen to one’s heart, serve and inspire.

Leave Your Footprint

by Ann Bedsole, Curran Research and Writing Services, $15.99 (memoir) Candidly and often as not, humorously, Ann Bedsole tells the story not just of her life, but of the Alabama of her day, from growing up in rural Southwest Alabama in the 1930s and 1940s, to having three children, and, at age 48, starting a career in Alabama politics. She was the first woman elected to the Alabama State Senate, as well as the first Republican woman to serve in the Alabama House of Representatives.

100 Things to do in Auburn Before You Die

by Connie Pearson, Reedy Press, $18 (Travel) The author, a travel writer and blogger, details the cultural events of the area; offers ideas for exploring the outdoors; shares the best places to eat; and (of course) mentions the sporting event venues familiar to most Alabamians. The book offers suggestions that even in-state rival fans can enjoy. The author graduated from Auburn and married into a family of Auburn alums.

Odyssey of a Wandering Mind: The Strange Tale of Sara Mayfield

by Jennifer Horne, University of Alabama Press, $34.95 paperback (women’s biography) Sara Mayfield was born into Alabama’s governing elite in 1905 and grew up in a social circle that included Zelda Sayre, Sara Haardt and Tallulah Bankhead. Her extraordinary life included working in theater in New York, inventing a plastic compound, freelance writing and eventually a commitment by her family to Bryce Hospital for the Insane. After her release, she was able to finally achieve her dreams of becoming an author of books and her own life. The book is set for release on Jan. 11, 2024. www.alabamaliving.coop

Alabama Living

DECEMBER 2023 25

The Best of

Hardy Jackson’s Alabama Share the laughs and nostalgia with friends and family!

You’ve read and laughed along with Hardy Jackson for the past 10 years in the pages of Alabama Living, and now you can have 48 of his best columns all in one place! We are proud to offer this first-ever compilation of the favorite author’s work, illustrated by the talented Dennis Auth, just in time for holiday gifting. Just scan the QR code here, or use this form to order your copy today!

Orders must be received by Dec. 8 to ensure delivery by Christmas. Supply is limited.



Recipient’s Name:_____________________________________ Street:_____________________________________ City:_______________________________________ Zip:________________________________________ Phone:_____________________________________ Hardy Jackson 26E-mail:_____________________________________ DECEMBER 2023 Author

The Best of

Hardy Jackson’s Alabama RETURN WITH $21.95 PER COPY CHECK PAYABLE TO ALABAMA LIVING MAIL TO: Alabama Living 340 TechnaCenter Drive Montgomery, AL 36117 Dennis Auth www.alabamaliving.coop ONLINE: www.alabamaliving.coop Illustrator

Alabama Living

DECEMBER 2023 27

SOCIAL SECURITY

Save your place in line with Mobile Check-In Express O ur Mobile Check-In Express feature makes it easier to check in if you must visit a Social Security office.

To use Mobile Check-In Express, scan the QR code located at your local Social Security office.

This will allow you to check in for: • Scheduled and non-scheduled appointments.

• Services—including requesting a replacement Social Security card, a benefit verification letter, proof of income, and more.

For Mobile Check-In Express to work, you must be at the Social Security office and have location services on. You should also make Kylle’ McKinney, SSA Public Affairs Specialist, can be reached by email at kylle.mckinney@ssa.gov.

sure you’re using the latest version of your internet browser. The service is most compatible with Safari, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox. You’ll also want to: ​ • Ensure you are in the office when your ticket number is called.

• Enable your mobile notifications.

This will: • Allow you to receive your electronic ticket – so you know your place in line.

• Alert you when we’re ready to help you.

• Provide you with your interview location information.

• Invite you to participate in our feedback survey.

28 DECEMBER 2023

7315 County Road 17 • Woodville, AL 35776 256-805-0153 • macy@libertymonument.net

We encourage you to use Mobile Check-In Express for all office visits.

Please share this information with those who may need it.

December crossword Across 1 Botanical Garden in this city where a magical holiday event, the Galaxy of Lights, takes place 8 Deep ravine 9 Chimp, for example 11 Night bird 12 Southern Alabama town where you can enjoy snow flurries and Christmas lights 13 “__ wiedersehen!”

14 Dutch cheese 16 Vehicle behind a husky team 18 Sue Grafton’s “__ for Lawless” (2 words) 20 Recipe’s liquid measurement, abbr.

21 Baseball field known for the Rocket City Trash Pandas Winter Wonderland 26 Formal wear, informally 27 Town where you can enjoy Christmas in the Country at LaGrange College Site Park 30 Charity bash 31 “God Bless the USA” singer, ___ Greenwood 32 Rickwood _____: scene of the Wonderland Under Warrior Christmas lights 34 Warming drink in the winter 36 Respectful title 37 Watery scenes that are all lit

Serving North AL, Southern TN, and Northwest GA. We offer traditional sandblast and laser etched monuments.

Onsite cemetery engraving.

Check us out on Facebook.

by Myles Mellor

up at Christmas at the _____ Falls in Gadsden

Down 1 “Left turn, horse!”

2 Make happier 3 Tours 4 Distilled alcoholic beverages 5 White flower with a pad 6 Painter’s equipment 7 Santa feature 8 _____ USA Park where you can decorate cookies with Mrs. Claus 10 Circumference ratio, abbr.

15 Guacamole, for example 17 Have a snack 19 Gift container 21 Something to sing along to 22 “Put ___ Happy Face”- 2 words 23 Band whose holiday hit was “Christmas in Dixie” 24 “While shepherds watched their ____ by night” 25 Tinsel color, often 26 __ and fro 28 “Fancy that!”

29 “Great blue” bird 30 ___caching 33 Dry, as wine 34 April number-cruncher, abbr.

35 Core component of a PC, abbr.

Answers on Page 45 www.alabamaliving.coop

Around Alabama historical sites dressed up in their seasonal best.

Refreshments and music abound in the festive atmosphere of “Tour Headquarters.” Get tickets at DecaturChristmasTour.com.

9

Tuscumbia Dickens Christmas, Y’all.

Go back in time in historic downtown to enjoy “snow” falling, fire pits, Dickens characters, carriage rides, live music, holiday high tea and more. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 256-383-9797.

9

Gulf Shores lighted boat parade.

Celebrate the holiday season with Lulu’s lighted boat parade on the Waterway Village starting at 4:30 p.m.; admission free.

GulfShores.com

9 Step back in time at the Pioneer Museum of Alabama’s Ole Time Christmas.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PIONEER MUSEUM

Various dates in December Andalusia Christmas in Candyland. The south Alabama town turns into a Christmas wonderland each season. The downtown square features a “snow show,” horse-drawn carriage rides and a great photo op in front of a giant Christmas tree. Up the road at Springdale Estate, visit with Santa and Elsa, take a ride on a replica of a classic steam locomotive and follow the journey of a lost polar bear through a large inflatable maze. Then go tubing down Polar Bear Hill or go ice skating. Many attractions are free; others have a nominal cost.

ChristmasinCandyland.com

1-2

Bay Minette 41st annual Christmas Fest. Arts and crafts vendors, live music, food vendors, kids’ activities, a 5K run, visit with Santa and the annual Christmas parade. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

NorthBaldwinChamber.com

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Montgomery Montgomery Zoo Christmas Lights Festival, nightly at 5:30 p.m. Stroll through thousands of Christmas lights and décor; enjoy a view of the zoo from the Zoofari Skylift Adventure Ride, visit Santa Claus and shop at the gift shop. Nightly admission is $10. MontgomeryZoo.com

2

Demopolis Christmas on the River. Jingle Bell 5K, state barbecue championship, Fair in the Square, day parade, nautical parade, fireworks and more.

ChristmasontheRiverDemopolis.com

2

Millbrook Christmas Candyland. Festival is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Village Green Park; parade starts at 2 p.m. Variety of arts and crafts and food vendors, free photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus; parade features plenty of floats, bands, dancers, tractors, horses and candy and goodies. See the event page on Facebook.

Alabama Living

4-16

Selma annual holiday house, Miss Minnie Sue’s Cottage, 622 McLeod Avenue. 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. MondaySaturday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Vintage finds, handcrafted gifts and delicious treats. 334-4128550.

5-27

Ansley Christmas in Ansley, a drive-through Christmas lights display. This year features 10 acres of lights, new characters for children to visit with and more.

Weeknights the gates close at 9 p.m.; Thursday, Friday and Saturday, gates close at 9:30 p.m.

5735 County Road 1135, Troy; search the event’s page on Facebook or call 334-344-8329.

8-9

Troy Ole Time Christmas, Pioneer Museum of Alabama, 248 U.S. Highway 231 North, 6 to 8 p.m. Bring the entire family and step back in time while you enjoy an entertaining, educational evening of holiday fun featuring Santa and Mrs. Claus, colorful decorations, Christmas music, treats, storytelling and arts and crafts. Admission charged. 334566-3597.

8-12

Opelika Victorian Front Porch Christmas Tour. Historic homes in Opelika’s northside historic district are transformed into a colorful, nostalgic reminder of Christmas from a simpler era. Event is a selfdriving tour except for Saturday night, when the streets are closed for pedestrian traffic. Bike tour at 10 a.m. Dec. 9. Opelika-al.gov

9

Decatur Historic Decatur Christmas Tour of Homes, 3 to 8 p.m. The tour showcases a unique selection of historic homes curated by the Historic Decatur Association, a nonprofit devoted to the preservation of the homes within and character of the two districts that comprise Historic Decatur. Event is a walk-through tour of exquisitely appointed homes and notable

Wetumpka Christmas on the Coosa.

Character breakfast at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m.; entertainment at Gold Star Park at 11:30 a.m.; arts and crafts and food vendors, 12 to 7:30 p.m.; car show, 12 to 3 p.m.; children’s activities, 12-4 p.m.; parade, 6 p.m.; skiing Santa and fireworks show, 7:30 p.m. 334-567-5147 or visit WetumpkaAl. gov

9

Athens 13th annual Sippin’ Cider Festival, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. in downtown.

Merchants will be open late for shopping and dining; taste different ciders while shopping and vote for your favorite. Merchants compete for the coveted “cider cup” and bragging rights.

AthensMainStreet.org

10

Dothan Victorian Christmas at Landmark Park, 1 to 4 p.m., 430 Landmark Drive. Experience a beautiful Victorian Christmas complete with demonstrations, wagon rides, caroling, crafts, tasty treats and more. Free; visitors encouraged to bring canned goods for the local food bank. 334-794-3452.

12

Prattville A Main Street Christmas, in the downtown historic district. 5 to 7:30 p.m. Enjoy photo ops, carolers, carriage rides, Santa and more, and shop to support local downtown businesses. 334-595-0850.

Through Dec. 23

Cullman Christkindlmarkt, downtown area.

Tradition draws inspiration from Germany’s historic Christmas markets. Find handcrafted treasures, including ornaments, textiles, nutcrackers and pyramids; enjoy seasonal German foods, such as traditional sausages, German chocolates, cookies and candies. Market hours are 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Friday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; and 12 to 8 p.m. Sunday. CullmanChristkindlmarkt.com To place an event, e-mail events@alabamaliving. coop. or visit www.alabamaliving.coop. You can also mail to Events Calendar, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124; Each submission must include a contact name and phone number.

Deadline is two months prior to issue date. We regret that we cannot publish every event due to space limitations.

Alabama Living on FB instagram.com/alabamaliving

DECEMBER 2023 29

| Gardens |

Consider the collard:

The South’s most storied vegetable

E

ating black-eyed peas for luck and collard greens for financial prosperity on New Year’s Day is a long-held Southern tradition. Collards, however, do more than encourage future wealth — they embody the South’s fascinating, complex history and cultural heritage.

Members of the cruciferous (brassica) family, collards, like kale, are the looseleafed relatives of heading vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage. And they may well have the most fascinating backstory of any vegetable in our gardens, a story that traverses centuries and continents.

According to culinary historian and award-winning author Michael Twitty, collards are one of the oldest vegetables in the world, originating in Eurasia before they spread across the globe through trade and migration, arriving in the Americas with European settlers and traders and on slave ships coming from West Africa.

In part because collards were one of the few nutrient-rich foods enslaved people were allowed to grow for themselves, these greens became a staple in their gardens and diets. Over time collards became a symbol of African American identity and resilience and also a favorite green among many races and cultures throughout the Southeast — a.k.a. the Collard Belt.

As generations of southerners grew collards, they developed hundreds (maybe thousands) of distinctive local collard cultivars, saving and sharing seed within their families and communities. This practice helped ensure the survival and prolifKatie Jackson is a freelance writer and editor based in Opelika, Alabama. Contact her at katielamarjackson@gmail.com.

30 DECEMBER 2023

eration of unique heirloom cultivars but, sadly, many of those cultivars were lost as younger generations moved away, their collard stewarding elders passed away and as more and more growers began using commercially developed, rather than locally evolved, collard varieties.

Starting in the 1980s, though, a group of collard-loving scientists and southern cultural geographers began traveling throughout the Southeast trying to find and preserve the seeds and stories of these almost-vanished heirloom collards.

Over time, the team amassed a collection of some 90 cultivars, which became the source of a renewed supply of heirloom collard seed now available to farmers and home gardeners.

Among those varieties are several from Alabama, including the “Old Timey Blue” collard, a beautiful blue-tinted, purple-veined cultivar. Seed of this especially sweet and tender collard were donated by the late Ralph Blackwell of Jasper, Ala., whose family grew them for more than a century. Another is the “Miss Annie Pearl Counselman” collard, a green to bluegreen collard grown for many years by its namesake in Clarke County.

These are just two of many heirloom varieties available, a collection featuring a delightful and delicious choice of flavors, colors, leaf size and growth habits. And Alabama is a great place to try them out.

Collards can be grown here year-round; however, they thrive in cooler weather and excessive heat can make them bitter. Because they taste sweetest when kissed by a hard frost or two, late fall/winter is considered prime collard season with spring-harvested collards running a close second.

Most collard varieties take 60 to 80 days to mature, which means seed should

be started in summer to early fall (July through early September) for a winter crop and February through mid- March for a spring crop. Many collard enthusiasts plant seed in weekly successions to ensure a continuous crop throughout the growing seasons.

There’s so much more to explore about collards, way more than will fit in this column, and many additional sources of information on collard history, production and cooking are available. A great place to start is on the Heirloom Collard Project website, heirloomcollards.org, and in the book Collards: A Southern Tradition from Seed to Table.

Collard seed is available through Seed Savers Exchange and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, both of which have played central roles in saving heirloom collard varieties, as well as through other heirloom seed companies.

Though it’s too late to plant collards in time to eat them this New Year’s Day, cut collards, including some heirloom varieties, may be available at winter farmers markets and at grocery stores. Now is also a great time to order seed for 2024.

DECEMBER TIPS  Plant spring-blooming bulbs and bareroot trees, shrubs and roses.

 Plant citrus, nut and fruit trees.  Plant cool-season flowers, herbs and other crops such as leafy greens, beets, onions and radishes.  Keep bird feeders and baths clean and filled.  Mulch newly planted trees and shrubs and tender perennials.  Add compost and other amendments to garden beds.

www.alabamaliving.coop

Alabama Living

DECEMBER 2023 31

PET HEALTH

Watch for winter dangers for our pets

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ased on several predictions, we should have near-normal From what I understand, it is considered cruel and illegal in all temperatures this winter in the Southeast. However, even 50 states to have a dog tied up outside with no shelter in inclement weather. I understand that you can report these situations to our normal winter sometimes gets cold. It seems like our animal control. (As an aside, I do wish we would change the name coldest weather is usually from December to mid-February. from animal control to “animal welfare services” or “animal care Please bring pets indoors, at least during the night. The garage or and assistance,” or something like that! A name matters, as it sets other buildings are usually fine. the agenda.)

Sometimes, folks have too many pets to do this. If nothing else, Now, let’s move on to “howliday” dangers. monitor the “hourly temperature” on your weather app, and bring  Do not give them fatty scraps or bones. There is a pet-topets in at least for the very cold days. The cold tolerance varies pet difference in how they handle different foods. Dogs (and greatly depending on the breed, but freezing and below-freezing cats) that are fed a single diet for all their lives tend to have a temperatures cannot be comfortable for many pets. narrower range of gut bacteria and tend to be less resilient to The next choice is sheltering. Many folks around us have “igloos,” or they make small dog houses. I feel that most of them change. They may be very susceptible to gut upset if fed new need some simple modifications. food. Since many of us still want to Orient the door of the doghouse share the festivities with our pets, away from the north and southwest, what we can do is to split the differas most of our storms seem to come ence. from that direction.

Let’s not say “no” or let’s not say “all is fine.” For example, let’s say we Usually, I do not see heavy plastic are making candied yams. We can flaps in front of these houses, which easily give them a touch of boiled can work great for insulation. If one (or baked) yams before we dress it could fashion an L-shaped entryway, the dwellers would be happier up with butter and marshmallow. If as they would be protected from we feel like giving them a piece of direct winds. If you cannot create turkey, let’s trim a tiny bit of deeper breast pieces (hoping that there an L-shaped entrance or have heavy are no injected spices, etc.) and give plastic flaps, it will be very easy to them a little bit. Let’s avoid the skin have two T-posts and a screen in (higher in fat and spices if your pet front of the entry to block the wind is not used to them). It will be betand the rain. ter to avoid the bones of chicken Now for keeping the inside and turkey. warm, during the previous years,  Do not let them near chocolate, readers have suggested using wheat sugar-free items, or other desserts. straw (not hay). I am not fond of cedar shavings, as I have seen several If you feel compelled, I think it will skin issues with cedar shavings. No be OK to give a tiny, tiny bit of xylitol-free dessert. Please remember matter what you use, it will be nice For pets that spend time outside, consider giving them a shelter to change the bedding every few made specifically for outdoor areas. This little hut has heavy plastic their body weight. A tablespoon of flaps on the front and rear entrances (removed for photo). chocolate cake is probably nothing weeks. Please increase their food as PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ALLISON LAW for a 100-pound Pyrenees but will they will need more calories to cope be troublesome for an eight-pound Chihuahua. A little bit of with the cold. Also, make sure that they have water in a plastic common sense is warranted. container, and it is not iced over.  Protect the alcohol, like half-full glasses left on the coffee taIn the past, we talked about extra heating sources. Retailers sell ble. I have seen alcohol poisoning this way when I used to electrical heating pads made specifically for outdoor use. Never work in the ER. Of course, I would not recommend sharing use the heating bulbs. I’ve personally heard of two cases where your whiskey with your pets. Although legends have it that these have started fires. Jackets for short-haired dogs are also a the British in India used to share their rum with their horses good idea, but please make sure that their clothing does and maybe even their dogs, let’s try not to share that merrinot get wet. ment!

Goutam Mukherjee, DVM, MS, Ph.D. (Dr. G) has been a  Be watchful of decorations and ornaments. While the plasveterinarian for more than 30 years. He owns High Falls Holistic tics are fun for dogs to chew on, and cats love playing with Veterinary Care near Geraldine, Alabama. To suggest topics for ribbons, they both can lead to obstructions that can end in future discussions, email him at contact@alabamaliving.coop surgery or death, so let’s be careful. 32 DECEMBER 2023

www.alabamaliving.coop

Alabama Living

DECEMBER 2023 33

| Alabama Recipes |

cookies

Christmas

Food styling and photos: Brooke Echols

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es, it was a tough job, but our cookie judges were up to the task! Out of more than a dozen top recipes baked by our staff, three of our readers’ cookie recipes took the top prizes of $100, $75 and $50. Each winner will also receive a copy of our new book, The Best of Hardy Jackson’s Alabama.

Enjoy making these winning cookies, and if there are any left, put some out for Santa this Christmas Eve!

34 DECEMBER 2023

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First Place Sara Jean Brooklere Baldwin EMC

“Good peanut butter flavor, nice crunch.”

S

ara Jean Brooklere makes her famous White Chocolate Cookies/Candy every year, with good reason. It’s so popular she has to make one for her church and another for family: “I have to make two batches,” she says, which is quite a few candies (one recipe makes 10 dozen).

The recipe itself is “old, old, old,” and she credits her friend Mary Pat Smith for its origin many years ago. “I liked it so much I put it in my own cookbook and gave her credit.” Sara Jean compiled several of her favorite recipes in a cookbook and gave copies as gifts to her family. “You would have thought I gave my children a million dollars.” While her friend melts her white chocolate in a double boiler, Sara Jean melts hers in a microwave, which she finds easier. She uses two teaspoons to spoon up the batter into balls for cooling. “It’s really easy,” she adds. It’s also easy to eat, as our Alabama Living contest judges can attest.

White Chocolate Cookies/ 2 pounds white chocolate bark 1 cup chunky peanut butter 3 cups miniature marshmallows 3 cups Rice Krispies 1 cup dry roasted peanuts Melt white chocolate bark over low heat, stirring constantly. Add chunky peanut butter, Rice Krispies cereal and peanuts. Mix well. Drop by teaspoonful onto waxed paper. Let cool. Store in plastic container.

Can be frozen until ready to use at a later time. Yield: approximately 10 dozen.

Cook of the Month wins $50

Email us: recipes@alabamaliving.coop April theme: Mushrooms May theme: Cinco de Mayo Visit our website: alabamaliving.coop USPS mail: Attn: Recipes, P.O. Box 244014 Submit by: January 5 Submit by: February 2 Montgomery, AL 36124

Recipes can be developed by you or family members. Adapt a recipe from another source by changing as little as the amount of one ingredient. Chosen cooks may win “Cook of the Month” only once per calendar year. Submissions must include a name, phone number, mailing address and co-op name.

Alabama Living reserves the right to reprint recipes in our other publications.

DECEMBER 2023 35

“Tastes like a mocha milkshake.”

Second Place

Bonnie Verbrigghe North Alabama EC

Mocha Pecan Balls ½ cup oleo 2¾ cups powdered sugar 1 tablespoon Instant Roma or instant coffee ¼ cup boiling water ¼ teaspoon salt 2 cups oats (either kind) 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup pecan meal Beat oleo and sugar until light and fluffy. Dissolve Roma in water, blend Roma and salt into oleo mixture. Stir in oats, chocolate pieces and ½ cup pecan meal. Chill at least 30 minutes. Form 1-inch balls and roll in remaining pecan meal. Refrigerate.

36 DECEMBER 2023

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onnie Verbrigghe has been making her Mocha Pecan Balls for so many years she’s lost track of where she first saw the recipe, but she believes it originated on a recipe card included in a box of Quaker Oats possibly in the mid-1990s. The original recipe called for regular size chocolate chips, but Bonnie switched those to mini chocolate chips, as “the others were so big.” Once she didn’t have the mini-size chips on hand and tried to break up the regular size chips in a food processor, which didn’t work out too well. A couple of the other ingredients, such as the Instant Roma (a roasted grain beverage, although we used instant coffee) and the pecan meal (we used pecan flour) might require a trip to a health foods store. The pecan meal is “a little more chunky,” she adds. Bonnie says she makes the pecan balls all year round, as “my family dearly loves them.” For her 50-year wedding anniversary celebration, she made a double batch of 15 dozen.

“I have shared it around for years,” she says, and is now glad to be sharing the recipe with our readers. www.alabamaliving.coop

Robin's Chocolate Cloud Cookies 3 egg whites, room temperature 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 2 cups chocolate chips (12 ounce package)

“Crunchy and chewy, messy in a good way.”

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl at high speed with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and vanilla, beating well after each addition until stiff peaks hold, sugar is dissolved and mixture is glossy. Using a sifter, sift cocoa onto egg white mixture. Gently fold with a rubber spatula just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or just until dry. Cool slightly, then peel paper from the cookies and finish cooling them on cooling racks. Store covered at room temperature.

T

he key to her fluffy meringue cookies, says Robin Williams, is the humidity outside. As with any recipe calling for beaten egg whites, her Chocolate Cloud Cookies do much better if the humidity is low. “The egg whites will beat and get stiff, but the (high) humidity can make them fall,” she says. “The less humidity there is, the fluffier they will be.” Living in Bay Minette, she is used to humid days, but she hasn’t let that deter her from making the cookies every Christmas for at least the past 25 years, since her daughter was two. The addition of cocoa and chocolate chips makes for an extra-delicious cookie, and each batch “always looks a little bit different, depending on the humidity,” she says. She learned the art of baking and candy making from her grandmothers and mother and loves that she still has her grandmother’s 40-year-old old KitchenAid mixer. “This recipe has been a part of my family for so long,” Robin says. “I’m happy I can share it with others.”

I

t is my favorite time of year! Time for Alabama Living’s Cookie contest! These cookies were all such a delight to judge, I honestly wanted them all to win! Christmas is a special time and making cookies with our loved ones is a part of the holiday traditions for many. We have a great recipe to add to yours: Old Fashioned Tea Cakes. This recipe is well over 100 years old and has been handed down for many generations. Made with simple ingredients like butter, flour and buttermilk, these tea cakes are a bite of days gone by. For more recipes like this, head over to thebutteredhome.com.

Third Place

Robin Williams Baldwin EMC Brooke Burks

Old Fashioned Tea Cakes 1 2 3 2 5 1 1

cup butter, softened cups sugar eggs tablespoon buttermilk cups all-purpose flour teaspoon baking soda teaspoon vanilla

In a mixer, cream butter until it is smooth. Gradually add in sugar and mix well.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Add buttermilk and mix well.

Sift flour and baking soda and add in batches to creamed mixture. Mix well. Stir in vanilla. Place cookie dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and seal. Press dough into a disc and store in the refrigerator for 2 hours to overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and unwrap and divide dough into two sections. Roll dough out to ¼ inch thickness and cut with your choice of cutter. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Serve and enjoy!

Photo by The Buttered Home Alabama Living

DECEMBER 2023 37

| Outdoors |

Despised, ignored drum provides outstanding sport

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rifting along the Tennessee River, we dropped down live open water rather than lurk in the weeds like a largemouth. Anshad to tempt the legendary trophy smallmouth bass glers routinely spot drum swimming near dams and other strucliving in these waters. tures or hear them slurping shad next to the concrete.

As the sinker bounced along the bottom, the reel started “Drum can be found in a variety of habitats, but they especially screeching. Something huge grabbed the struggling shad 15 feet like large rivers, lakes, pools and reservoirs,” Purcell says. “Small below us. After quite a vigorous fight on light tackle, a massive drum eat a lot of aquatic insect larvae. Larger ones mostly eat image materialized just beneath the surface, something far largmollusks, especially mussels and clams. They also like fish, such er than the current Alabama state record smallmouth of 10.50 as gizzard and threadfin shad.” pounds.

While few Alabama anglers intentionally fish for drum, many Not finished yet, the large fish swooshed its tail and headcatch them by accident. Bass fishermen catch drum on various ed straight for the bottom again. Eventually, we subdued the lures. Crappie and catfish anglers using natural baits like min18-pound sand-colored fish with a white belly and a downnows, crawfish or nightcrawlers regularly catch them. Drum even turned mouth designed for slurping morsels off the bottom. hit crappie jigs. A live threadfin shad fished on a Carolina rig or a Landing several fish in the 20- to 25-pound range, I didn’t even free line can prove too tempting for most drum to resist. Once on come close to breaking the state record for this species, which the hook, these scrappy, formidable fighters put on quite a show sits at 41.80 pounds. That like their salty cousins, fish also came from the redfish and black drum.

Tennessee River. While “Drum are a lot of fun I didn’t break the covetto catch,” Purcell says. ed smallmouth record, “The best places to tarthe giant fish and dozens get them in Alabama are of its cousins provided on the large rivers. Fish incredible rod-bending the downstream side of action, even if my guide dams drifting live shad didn’t appreciate the with the current. Ancatch. glers targeting catfish Among the most also catch them on cut widespread, abundant bait, crawfish and live and largely ignored fish worms.” in North America, freshAlthough drum typwater drum can exceed ically prefer natural 50 pounds. The only baits, they sometimes hit member of the drum lures. With small, downfamily to exclusively inward-facing mouths, PHOTO BY JOHN N. FELSHER habit freshwater systems, Karen Luto shows off a freshwater drum she caught. these bottom feeders these powerhouses occur can’t attack big bulky in most major rivers and reservoirs in Alabama. baits that anglers might throw for lunker largemouths, but drum “Freshwater drum are very common in Alabama,” says Tommy could suck down anything that resembles a small fish or crawfish.

Purcell, the District Fisheries Supervisor for the Alabama WildDrum mostly like soft baits, such as plastic grubs, worms, tubes, life and Freshwater Fisheries office in Spanish Fort. “They occur swimbaits and craw-style baits, especially scented ones. They in the Tennessee River and throughout the Mobile Basin, except might hit spinnerbaits, spoons, crankbaits and other lures. They above Lake Martin on the Tallapoosa River. Freshwater drum are sometimes hit fly tackle. in the same family as speckled trout, redfish and croaker. Some Freshwater drum probably garnered their poor standing Great Lakes anglers call this species sheepshead and target them.” among sport fishermen because of their unsavory table reputaThese powerful fish generally like clean, flowing water with tion. Much of the flavor of these bottom feeders depends upon moderate current, but anglers also find them in backwaters and their environment. If it came from clean, cold water with a hard oxbow lakes. Drum can tolerate turbid or murky conditions, but sandy or rocky bottom and prepared by a good chef, it might taste favor sand or gravel bottoms to mud. They usually like to stay like its salty cousins. If it came out of muddy water with a mucky around hard structures, like rockpiles or bridge pilings in bottom, that’s probably what it would taste like. Regardless, they always put on a strong, spirited fight.

On a slow day, like the one I described when we didn’t even see John N. Felsher is a professional freelance writer who lives in a smallmouth, these fish can turn a goose egg into a wonderful Semmes, Ala. He also hosts an outdoors tips show for WAVH FM Talk 106.5 radio station in Mobile, Ala. Contact him at j. memory, especially for youngsters. Imagine the smile on a child’s felsher@hotmail.com or through Facebook. face after fighting a double-digit river donkey on light tackle!

38 DECEMBER 2023

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DOUG HANNON’S FISH & GAME FORECAST 2023-24

EXCELLENT TIMES

DECEMBER

A.M.

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

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

JANUARY

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 Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We

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

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 10:42 - 12:42 11:30 - 1:30 NA 1:06 - 3:06 1:54 - 3:54 A.M.

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 10:42 - 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 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

GOOD TIMES

MOON STAGE

PM

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 11:06 - 1:06 FULL MOON 11:54 - 1:54 12:42 - 2:42 1:30 - 3:30 2:18 - 4:18 PM

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 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 11:06 - 1:06 FULL 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

AM

PM

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 5:09 - 6:39 5:57 - 7:27 6:45 - 8:15 7:33 - 9:03 8:21 - 9:51

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 5:33 - 7:03 F 6:21 - 7:51 7:09 - 8:39 7:57 - 9:27 8:45 - 10:15

AM

PM

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 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 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

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 5:33 - 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 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

The Moon Clock and resulting Moon Times were developed 40 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, a company specializing in wildlife activity time prediction. To order the 2023 Moon Clock, go to www.moontimes.com.

Alabama Living

DECEMBER 2023 39

| Consumer Wise |

How energy efficiency contributes to a better grid Q: A:

What does “peak energy time” mean, and why should I use less energy at home?

If supply and demand fall out of balance, local or widespread blackouts can occur. To maintain reliable power, especially during peak times, there must be enough power supply to equal “Beat the peak” has become a unified message among Aldemand. abama’s electric cooperatives as the demand for electricity Due to supply and demand, the cost to buy power is higher grows year after year. Your electric co-op must deliver aroundduring peak times. Peak times vary across the country but are the-clock electricity to power your life. To understand why it is typically in the morning as we start our day and, in the evening, so important for everyone to use less energy when there is high when we return home. demand for electricity, known as peak times, let’s start with the The demand for power increases every year. The U.S. Energy complex system that delivers electricity to your home.

Information Administration projects residential consumption of The U.S. power grid is often considered one of the largest purchased electricity will increase between about 14% and 22% machines in the world. Some from 2022 to 2050. Industrial, could argue it is our country’s transportation and commercial consumption is also progreatest achievement because jected to experience increased reliable electricity has become demand. essential to our daily lives and As generation, transmisour economy. sion and distribution utilities The U.S. has three main inwork to increase production terconnected power grids: the and maintain and protect our Eastern Interconnection, the grid, it’s important for all of Western Interconnection and us to take steps to use less enthe Electric Reliability Council ergy every day. In turn, it will of Texas. Each interconnection help you save on your monthly has regional balancing authorelectric bill. ities, which are organizations To beat the peak, think that ensure electricity supply about how you can use less constantly matches electricity energy in the morning and demand. evening. Start with the area The interconnections are that uses the most energy by powered by electric generation adjusting your thermostat in various sources, including during peak hours, either up hydropower, nuclear, coal, gas, or down a few degrees dewind, solar and more. Some of pending on the season. A these generation sources can smart thermostat can do this supply power constantly or be for you automatically. ramped up or down dependAre there certain appliancing on demand, while others es or devices you can wait to supply intermittent power. run until after peak hours? For The energy produced by these To conserve energy, start with manageable changes around your house. example, start the dishwasher sources connects to the grid Instead of running your dishwasher after dinner during peak hours, start it or dryer before you go to bed. and moves along transmission right before you go to bed.

If you have an electric vehicle, lines that allow power to travel PHOTO COURTESY MARK GILLILAND, PIONEER UTILITY RESOURCES program it to charge overnight long distances. instead of right when you return home in the evening. Smart Your electric co-op is known as a distribution utility, which oppower strips ensure your devices are not pulling power when erates the power infrastructure connecting transmission lines to they are turned off. These devices work well for TVs and gaming the distribution power lines that bring electricity to your home. devices.

This whole system and the more than 2 million people who opIf you have appliances that are 10+ years old, consider replacerate it are continually working behind the scenes so we can take ing them with new, efficient ENERGY STAR®-rated appliances. advantage of a 24/7 supply of electricity at the flip of a switch.

Throughout the day, demand for power supply fluctuates.

Your electric cooperative may have rebates to help lower the initial cost.

Miranda Boutelle is the chief operating officer at Efficiency Services By embracing energy conservation, we can all make small Group in Oregon, a cooperatively owned energy efficiency company. changes that have a big impact on our community and the inShe has more than 20 years of experience helping people save tricate system that powers our lives. To learn more about your energy at home, and she writes on energy efficiency topics for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade local peak times and how you can use less energy, contact your association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives. electric co-op.

40 DECEMBER 2023

www.alabamaliving.coop

Alabama Living

DECEMBER 2023 41

MAKE IT A SEASON TO REMEM BER REMEMBER NOT A BILL YOU’LL REGRET! It’s the time of year for going over the top, but don’t top your meter with excess demand.

Wiregrass Electric Cooperative’s peak hours are 6–9 a.m. through February.

Keep your bill on the nice list by programming your thermostat to lower temperatures between 6–9 a.m. and setting your holiday lights to power down by 6 a.m.

GO OVERBOARD WITH DECORATIONS — NOT YOUR BILL — THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.

42 DECEMBER 2023

www.alabamaliving.coop

America’s crossroads

WTVY General Manager Valerie Russell stands alongside Steve Smith, center, founder of Friend of Dupree School, as he accepts a $1,000 grant from WEC’s ORU Foundation, represented by WEC COO Brad Kimbro.

Ashford native champions efforts to save hometown schoolhouse Steve Smith didn’t envision himself as the savior of one of America’s last oneroom schoolhouses. Yet here he is, ensuring that Ashford’s historic Dupree School isn’t lost to time.

“I listened,” says Smith, remembering the feeling of his spirit being pulled to the cause. “This was my time to pay back.”

In recounting how he began walking this path, he describes his younger self as a little boy who once felt out of place in Alabama Living

the rural community of Ashford. But, he was embraced and loved by the elders who believed in him. Their support put him on a course for success, and now he feels indebted to the town that supported him and ready to return the favor.

Years ago, during a hometown visit, Smith attended a community meeting, and the importance of preserving Dupree School became clear to him. Faced with challenges like legal issues, ownership disputes and financial hurdles, he advised the group to take it “one string at a time.”

Embracing this mantra, they surged forward, and Smith partnered in the mission.

Fast forward to today, the schoolhouse’s

future looks bright with backing from the nonprofit organization Friends of Dupree School. With ownership secured, funds in the bank and support from the City of Ashford, Wiregrass Electric Cooperative and individuals like County Commissioner Tracy Adams, the project shows promise.

Being a co-founder of the nonprofit and a passionate advocate, Smith’s efforts haven't gone unnoticed. Recently, he was recognized as an unsung hero of his community as part of the Silent Heroes of the Wiregrass program, a partnership between WEC’s Operation Round Up Foundation and WTVY. “Steve genuinely cares about Ashford, its community and the historic importance of rural America’s fabric,” says Brad Kimbro, WEC’s chief operating officer. “His dedication to this project is genuine. He’s not doing it for the fanfare. With his passion for this project, which is already bearing fruits for Ashford’s community, I can’t wait to see what’s next."

Recognition for the Dupree School is gaining momentum as efforts are underway to list the school in the National Register of Historic Places.

This effort is not just about restoring the schoolhouse but about the spirit of community. Events like the Bluegrass Festival and Fourth Fest see hundreds of people coming together, basking in shared experiences and memories. “It’s America’s crossroads,” Smith says of Dupree School’s newfound brand and identity.

The heart of this story isn’t the building, it’s the people. From the 99-year-old gentleman who stood up to sing at one of the gatherings, to Smith’s 89-year-old mother who’s deeply involved in the project, it’s a tribute to the timelessness of community in rural America. n DECEMBER 2023 43

| Our Sources Say |

Fraying I

plead guilty to subscribing to The New York Times. It is not as much about keeping my enemies close as it is about keeping track of liberal ideas and movements as a part of PowerSouth’s obligation to maintain reliability, affordability, and availability of electric power. Following The New York Times provides an insight into the forces threatening reliability and affordability.

The Times’ Climate Desk, which publishes articles weekly, offers an interesting perspective on the objectives of the Climate Movement. A summary of Other Climate News at the end of each article lists the damage of climate change. For instance, on Oct. 24, “other news” was that rapid melting of the West Antarctic Ice Shelf looks certain, the widening conflict in the Middle East threatens to fracture efforts to slow down climate change, California Gov. Gavin Newsom supercharging the state’s climate policies ahead of a presidential run in 2028, a long-running drought in Spain forcing the government to deliver water by truck and driving up olive oil prices, and an oil giant ditching the world’s largest carbon capture plant. Almost all natural disasters or catastrophes that occur in the world on any day – floods, droughts, storms, cold, heat, disease, famine, waste, supply shortages, ignorance – are the direct result of climate change and the use of fossil fuels.

A closer reading of The Times’ articles and journalistic approach indicates that the strong advocation of the Climate Movement is really not about the environment at all. If it were, there would be more attention and detail given to the environmental footprint and costs of alternative fuels or approaches to environmentally friendly policies. Instead, the Climate Movement is more about a total restructuring of the world economy and lifestyle. Sure, the Climate Movement is about eliminating fossil fuel extraction and usage, but it is also about the foods we grow and eat, how we use lands, our modes of transportation, the places we can go, and the products we are allowed to use. If you don’t believe me, get beyond the headlines and read the articles.

A recent article on Poland Springs Water production in Maine starts by talking about the extraction of water to be bottled by profit-driven capitalists (gasp) killing the original Poland Spring, but the article ends with a lecture on the wastefulness of bottled water, the environmental damage imposed by plastic bottle waste, and, finally, the benefits of drinking tap instead of bottled water. Is the issue the environment or an indictment on personal choices?

The Climate Movement is taking hits, some of which are reported by The Times. The Russian-Ukrainian war has affected some world supply chains and re-directed resources, which has caused inflation in certain industries and in some materials and products. The Israeli-Hamas war will likely have similar conse-

quences as the engagement continues. The wars and the fighting have highlighted the need for the energy security and storage provided by fossil fuels that cannot be provided by renewable energy.

Many offshore wind projects are defaulting because of increasing costs, persistent supply chain issues and lack of material availability. Orsted, a large wind developer, recently defaulted on an offshore wind project, leaving New Jersey with a more-than-$100 million problem. Orsted reported it had lost $4 billion in offshore wind and was rethinking its approach to wind projects.

New onshore wind projects are suffering similar headwinds because of inflation and supply chain issues. Apparently, throwing a few billion dollars at an issue and assuming artificial demand would not drive up prices is counter to established economic theory. The costs of all wind projects have risen dramatically.

Solar developments are suffering a similar fate. The free renewable energy money issued under the Inflation Reduction Act (the name still makes me laugh out loud) has caused a drastic increase in solar project costs and driven up the price of solar energy much higher, even with the high government subsidies.

Despite headlines, solar power is not cheaper than power generated with natural gas.

The Big Three automobile manufacturers recently issued plans to scale back electric vehicle (EV) production. It seems the public isn’t that interested in buying EVs, even with government subsidies. Ford lost a reported $62,000 on every EV it sold in 2022.

The reporting indicates that losses in 2023 will be as large or greater. Production costs that are twice as much as sales prices, even including government subsidies, do not make for a successful or sustainable business model.

After all, if all these changes are better and cheaper, why do they all require increasing subsidies and government hand-outs to be successful? A popular and effective product doesn’t need unlimited government support to be successful. Its popularity will drive its own success. The missing element in the Climate Movement is that, ultimately, governments will run out of taxpayer money.

Politicians will soon learn that appetites for increasing government bailouts for climate policies, issues and green energy are fleeting among the voting public. And, normal Americans will not be supportive of diet restrictions, elimination of bottled water, restricting sugared drinks, or other major lifestyle changes when imposed. When the people start voting against the restrictions, only hardline change merchants like The New York Times will still be calling for the change.

The Climate Movement to restructure our society is starting to fray. I hope you have a good month.

Gary Smith is President and CEO of PowerSouth Energy Cooperative.

44 DECEMBER 2023

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| Cup o’ Joe |

The pressure of gift wrapping

Illustration by Dennis Auth

S

ince the dawn of civilization, men have designed and built some incredible things. With nothing but primitive tools and methods, men created iconic structures like Stonehenge, the Great Pyramids, and the Roman Colosseum, all beautiful, complex structures that have survived the test of time.

Modern-day man can take credit for conceiving and constructing wonders like the Golden Gate Bridge, the Sears Tower, the Superdome, and the Hoover Dam. So why is it that when you give a man a small cardboard Joe Hobby is a standup comedian, a syndicated columnist, and a long-time writer for Jay Leno. He’s a member of Cullman Electric Cooperative and is very happy now that he can use Sprout from his little place on Smith Lake. Contact him at jhobby2000@aol.com.

46 DECEMBER 2023

box, a roll of wrapping paper, and some cellophane tape, then tell him to gift wrap the package, he will totally screw it up?

I am one of those men. If my wife asks me to wrap something, I freeze like a possum in the headlights. It’s not just me; uncountable numbers of men all over the world suffer under the pressure of having to correctly put a piece of colorful paper over a little box. I think it’s time we form a support group to help the millions of us who have this terrible affliction. Let’s call it Wrapaholics Anonymous.

“Hello, my name is Joe, and I’m a wrapaholic.”

“Hello, Joe!” “Today was a rough day. My wife wanted me to wrap a Christmas present for my nephew. I began sweating the minute she pulled out the scissors and the Scotch tape, because, as all of you know by now, those are my triggers. Then I got the shakes when she handed me the package and the roll of paper. And when she brought out the ribbon, well, I went into the full-blown dry heaves. I think it has something to do with my mom forcing me to wrap gifts when I was in kindergarten. My inner child just can’t take this.”

“Thank you for sharing, Joe.” I’ve tried many times, I really have, but I just can’t properly put pretty paper around a package of any kind. I’ll start by carefully measuring the correct amount of paper to go around the box, but usually I’m about an inch short. This forces me to cut a small strip to patch my mistake, which destroys the look of the whole thing. Or, I cut 6 inches too much, requiring me to me to recut the paper, which will never be in a straight line. Then the ends don’t fold in properly, leaving both of those little paper triangle thingies two different sizes. My descent into Hades has begun.

At this point, my wife usually walks in to see why I’m yelling and cursing. I will get a look that’s a cross between pity and disgust, before she finally says firmly, ”Hand that to me.” Within 12 seconds, she has stripped the box of my not-so-handiwork and re-wrapped it with paper that’s stretched over the box so tight that it looks a private’s bed in an army barracks. I believe that it’s some kind of female superpower when it comes to this aspect of our lives. I am Captain Klutz, The Unwrappable, and my wife becomes SheWrap, Goddess of the Colored Paper.

I believe that my gender is not genetically equipped for this task. Men are the hunters, women are gatherers and gift wrappers.

In fact, if a man can properly wrap a package, he probably needs to have his testosterone levels checked.

So, the next time my wife asks me to wrap a present, I will get in my car, drive to the nearest Dollar General store and buy another great invention that was undoubtedly created by a man: the gift bag. I know my limitations. www.alabamaliving.coop

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