October 17, 2014

October 17 - November 6, 2014

AthensNowal.com E-MAIL: info@athensnowal.com ADVERTISING: Ali: 256-468-9425 Deborah: 256-309-9399

See Our Listings Inside this edition...

Pages 25 - 32

Tourism How Have You Made Your Mark? A Study Of Hands...

Nothing says “Fall” like the Old Time Fiddlers’ Convention, and on October 3rd and 4th Athens will...

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Special Feature

My 180 Health: Stay Strong Through Technology

By Ali Elizabeth Turner I heard Chip Wilson speak at the October Coffee Call held at the Alabama Veterans’ Museum, and his passion to help veterans of all ages and levels Continued on pages 15

Angela’s Fabrication And Design: Home Of The Dazi-Kat And More...

Recently animal lover and home décor enthusiast Angela Smith found herself fulfilling the old adage, “necessity is the mother of invention,” and came up with a clever solution...

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Re-elect Alabama District 5 State Representative Dan Williams

By Ali Elizabeth Turner

Cooking with Shelley Sweet Potato Heaven...

Several weeks back, just as the cool weather was setting in, I popped in at my mother’s house for a surprise visit...

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October 17 - November 6, 2014

District 5 State Representative Dan Williams has been involved in public service all his adult life, whether it has been in his current position, serving on Athens City Council, as the Mayor of Athens, on the Athens City School Board of Continued on page 17

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October 17 - November 6, 2014

Publisher’s Point

“For I Would Have Fainted Unless I Believed”

Publisher / Editor Ali Turner

Sales

Deborah Huff

Graphic Design

Jonathan Hamilton

Web Design Teddy Wolcott

Delivery

Hunter Williams

Contributing Writers Shelley Underhill Lynne Hart Wanda Campbell Janet Hunt Teresa Todd Deb Kitchenmaster Jim Doyle Sandra Thompson Chad Davis, OD

Publisher’s Point . . . . . . . . 3 From the Vets’ Museum . . . . 4 Special Feature . . . . . . . . . . 5 Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . 6 View From The Bridge . . . . 7 What Makes Ronnie Roll . . . 8 Tourism . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Clean and Green . . . . . . . . 12 Cooking with Shelley . . . . . . 13 Health and Fitness . . . . . . 14 Cover Stories . . . . . . . . . 15 & 17 Learning As A Lifestyle . . . . 18 Horse Whisperer . . . . . . . . 20 James Curtis Turner . . . . 21

King David is probably my favorite character in the Bible, and I am looking forward to meeting him someday. There are so many things I want to ask him, like what was it like to have his music cause evil to flee from King Saul, what was it like to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel and freely, exuberantly dance his joy in doing so, and just how did he become “a man after God’s own heart, save in the matter with Bathsheba?” I have a strong feeling that David never set out to have his notable triumphs as well as failings become familiar to millions, nor his musings as a shepherd timelessly inspire when he said “I will fear no evil.” However, I am more than glad that his story has been preserved for me, and that I can, have and will draw strength from it.

I must confess, I am not always so good at “fearing no evil.” I see evil in the world and it scares me. I feel helpless to stop it, and at times am tempted to just hide. We are currently in a time where there is much to inspire fear—our nation has lost its moorings, our enemies want to behead us, and we could be facing an outbreak of a genuine plague. If someone were to unleash an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) bomb within our borders, in a moment we would be plunged into literal darkness and thrown back several centuries.

On the surface, when I look at David’s life, it would be easy to assume that because he was a warrior of warriors, he just never felt fear. I don’t

Medical Update . . . . . . . . 22 Security Savvy . . . . . . . . . 23

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think that’s the case, in fact I know it’s not. He admits that at times he felt it, and said, “What times I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.” How does that square with “I will fear no evil?” How can you say on the one hand, “I will fear no evil,” and then say, “what times I am afraid?”

The first and most obvious answer is transparency. David was just a guy like you and me. He was extraordinary, but he clearly wasn’t perfect, and one of his strengths was his willingness to admit his failings. His fights with God are recorded for all of us to see, and I think his honesty with God was his safety. Do I think he possessed uncommon courage? I do. Do I think he knew terror? I do, and I am comfortable with the idea that he knew both, but never allowed fear to win.

The second thing is that he lived in the power of choice.

Emotions hit him, clearly.

And they were strong ones.

He was accused, betrayed, chased, judged and nearly killed on more than one occasion, and it was by people who were supposed to love him. Personally, I think when he talks about fearing no evil, he is saying, “I choose to fear no evil, and I am going to resist it until the fear is gone.”

How did he resist it until his emotions matched his choice? Well, a great deal of it, I think, was through worship. He learned to freely access the realm where the mess around him, and his inability to convince his father-in-law or his son that he was a good guy simply didn’t matter anymore. He

chose to believe someone else’s opinion of him mattered more, and that was his Heavenly Father’s. He chose to worship and declare God’s goodness anyway, no matter how ugly his circumstances were. He came through it, perhaps only barely, when he said, “For I would have fainted unless I believed I would see the goodness of God in the land of the living.” Let us choose to discover what he discovered. This is certainly no time to faint.

Ali Elizabeth Turner Athens Now Information & Inspiration 256-468-9425 ali@athensnowal.com Website: www.athensnowal.com

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From the Alabama Veterans’ Museum

Museum Happenings

by Sandra Thompson, Director, Alabama Veterans’ Museum

“Vietnam…More than Just a Name,” A Jackie Greenhaw production will be held on Sunday, October 26th at 2:00pm. As in past years, this show will be held at the Athens Limestone County Senior Center at 912 W. Pryor St.

This year’s production is a tribute to all the service men and women that were involved in the Vietnam War, both here at home and abroad. The sacrifices they made, many unappreciated at the time, are now realized as noble and valiant.

Today we salute these brave Americans as ‘Heroes,’ putting “service above self” for the cause of freedom.

The show features Forrest Gump, now a grandfather (Papa) and his grandson (Trey). While waiting on the bus, Papa and Trey carry us through the Vietnam era.

The opening scene features Forrest (Papa) and his now grown grandson (Trey) visiting ‘Bubba’ at the Vietnam Wall Memorial at Christmas in the future.

Tickets for the show are $10.00 each and are available at the Alabama Veterans Museum. A shuttle bus service will be provided from the DHR parking lot at 1007 W. Market St, Athens. Shuttle

service will begin at 1:00pm.

Tickets are also on sale for an original Karen Middleton oil painting depicting the war in Vietnam. Tickets are $5.00 for the painting and the drawing will be held just prior to the

Fund Raiser ͲͲ 1st Saturday of every month!!

(11am Ͳ 2pm) Turkey, Ham and Prize Shoot (Chicken Stew for sale Ͳ $5.00 all you can eat or $5.00 per quart/$17.50 per gallon)

Vietnam Veterans of America (Chapt 511) 17915 W Elm St, Athens, Alabama (Call (256) 232Ͳ0029 for additional information) Page 4

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show.

Hard to believe, but it’s time to start thinking about a parade!!! The seventh annual Veterans Day Parade will be held on Saturday, Nov 8th at 11:00am. Line up will begin at 10:00am at the Athens High School parking lot. The parade will follow the same route as the Christmas parade.

Our Grand Marshall this year will be Retired Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Billy Duncan! Bill was instrumental in getting the museum started and is the founder of our monthly coffee call. CSM Duncan, who joined the Army in 1950 and served over twenty-seven years, was both in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. As a Master Parachutist, he has made over 2,300 jumps. He holds parachute wings from the US, England, France, Norway and Germany. His medals include the Bronze Star with eight oak leaf clusters and the V device for Valor, the Army

Commendation Medal with V device and 3 oak leaf clusters, and the Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters. CSM Duncan’s jump gear and medals are on display at the museum.

Accompanying CSM Duncan will be his lovely wife, Helen Ruth.

Parade entry procedures will be a little different this year.

There will not be an entrance fee to participate in the parade.

However, if you would like to make a donation, all monies donated will go to support the free community Thanksgiving meal. For more information on the parade or the free meal, please contact Roxanne or Alysha at 256-998-4795.

Checks may be made payable to “Helping Limestone County,” or a donation may be made at any Reliance bank.

We still have our Veterans Museum challenge coins for sale! They are going quick, so stop in today and pick one up for $15.00.

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Special Feature

Angela’s Fabrication And Design: Home Of The Dazi-Kat And More

by Ali Elizabeth Turner

Recently animal lover and home décor enthusiast Angela Smith found herself fulfilling the old adage, “necessity is the mother of invention,” and came up with a clever solution to a rather indelicate problem which she has called Dazi-Kat. However, before I tell you about the item she has dubbed “the purrfect place to hang,” I want to tell you about Angela the person, as well as her family.

I have often said both in print and in person that one of my favorite things about publishing Athens Now is having the opportunity to meet and tell the stories of people in Athens who love God, people, America, Athens, and their work. Angela is one such person. When I entered the office of Angela’s Fabrications, I did not know that “fabrications” meant more than DaziKat. I quickly learned that the Smiths have many things going on, and are a creative bunch.

Born and raised in Athens, Angela is the daughter of the late Judge Bobby W. Thornton and Betty June Barksdale Thornton Moore. In 1977, her dad died suddenly in office while she was still in high school. Her mom later remarried and fought a long, difficult battle with Parkinson’s disease, succumbing to it in 2003. When Angela is having a tough day and needs inspiration, she goes to a shelf in her office where she has a favorite pot of her mom’s, and the old wooden stamps her dad used to stamp documents, and basically “leans on the legacy”

she was given by her parents.

They were great parents, and she misses them, especially when she needs advice.

Her husband, Jerry is a metal fabricator and expert welder, and worked at Delphi. When Delphi closed, they decided to strike out on their own, start a business in the worst of the recession, and Jerry named it “Angela’s Fabrications and Designs.” They began in a small and humble industrial building in 2010, and moved to their new, large and inviting location in 2013. Angela’s Fabrications is located on the corner of US Hwy 72 and Bledsoe Rd., in the same building as MidSouth Trailers. The address is 14265 Bledsoe Rd,, Athens, AL 35613. On the wall of their office, which is decorated in Western décor are three framed black and white pictures of their original location. “We are blessed, she said, “and I don’t

Monica Newby and Angela Smith, owner

and claims she gets her tender heart for animals from her dad.

“He used to bring home strays and animals he had found that had been hurt, and neither one of us could stand to see an animal in pain,” she said. She’s always had dogs and indoor cats, and her two current feline

ever want to forget where we came from.”

Jerry does farm welding, heliarc welding, CNC plasma cutting, custom metal work, hand rails, and has his own mobile “shop” where he can do on-site

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welding. They started out with individual accounts only, and have grown to have corporate accounts and many referrals.

The Smiths have two daughters, Monica and Alyssa. Monica is married to John Newby, and they have two grandbabies, Bella and Jack, and Angela had that look of love that is the private domain of grandmothers when she showed me their pictures. Alyssa is starting her own fabrication home décor business, which is also located at the shop.

Now, on to the Dazi-Kat part of Angela’s story. She has been a lifelong animal lover,

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friends, Daisy and Ziggy, were the inspiration for Dazi-Kat. So, what exactly is Dazi-Kat? It is a cat-shaped metal piece of home décor that is designed to live near your litter box. It has a hook on the back, and that’s where you can hang your “pooper scooper” out of sight. They come in all kinds of metal colors, are custom ordered and decorated with everything from sparkles to paint jobs tailor made for the customer. “Basically, Angela said, “I solved my own problem. I looked everywhere, and there’s not much on the market that is designed to meet the need.” This is her flag ship product, and she has more to come. She wants to produce a line of cat treat boxes, custom litter boxes, and any other items a client would want in order to take care of the needs of cat owners in a stylish way.

Obviously, Dazi-Kat has a very specific market niche, so if you want your kitty litter box scooper to be stylishly hidden, accessible, and part of your home décor, you need to come see Angela at Angela’s Fabrications, and let her create just what you have been looking for.

Angela’s Fabrication and Design/ Dazi-Kat

14265 Bledsoe Road, Athens, AL, 35613 256-434-0272 Website: (under construction) www.dazi-kat.com/ angela@dazi-kat.com Email: angelasmi52@yahoo.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/dazikat Page 5

Calendar of Events Colonial Dames Celebrate Colonial Heritage Month

Celebrating the 407th anniversary of the pilgrims landing in America. For more info call Carroll Strickland at 256-536-4702 or visit colonialdames17c.org

The Way We Worked Athens Thru Nov 8th

2nd Annual Southern ReInvention Oct 18th

Belle Chevre Creamery. 18849 Upper Fort Hampton Road, Elkmont, AL. Join artistans from around the South from 11:00AM-5:00PM celebrating and promoting their crafts - food, drink, art, fashion and literature with a clear Sourthern identity. Guest artisans include Billy Reid, High Road Craft, Cooking Light Magazine and others.

For more information 256-732-3577.

Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit Limestone County Event Center 114 West Pryor Street, Athens, AL. “The Way We Worked” reaches into the rich holdings of the National Archives as well as into the hosting community to explore how work has changed in America over the last 100 years. Hear from workers today and from the past in engaging videos and audio recordings. See how work has changed through artifacts - including many of them on loan from local organizations and individuals. Admission is free. For more information Rebekah Davis at 256-233-6404 or thewayathensworks@gmail.com.

Tanner United Methodist Church, 19607 Huntsville-Brownsferry Road, Tanner, AL. Plates: Chicken, Catfish, or Shrimp or Combination includes sides of fries, slaw, hush puppies and tea.

Tickets are $10.00 per plate. Eat in or take out from 4:00PM 7:00PM. Call and leave message at 256-232-0482/Text: 256-434519 or email: umctanner@gmail.com

The Haunted Lester Hospital Oct 17th-18th, 24th-25th, 27th-28th & 30th-31st

Hilltop Arts Festival Nov 1st

Old Lester Hospital, 30338 Lester Road, Lester, AL. Join Scare 4 Charity at the Haunted Lester Hospital for the scare of your life from 7:00PM-12:00AM. Price is $10.00 per person. Concessions availalble onsite. Proceeds benefit local charities in Limestone County. For more information visit www.thehauntedlesterhospital.com

Pumpkin & Scarecrow Painting Party Oct 17th

Nestle Toll House Cafe. 1260 U.S. Highway 72E, Athens, AL. Join Nestle Toll House and Artistic Discovery’s Sascha from 6:45PM8:45PM for step-by-step how to project that you take home at the end of the painting party. Ages 7 years and older are welcome. 8”x10” Canvas is $25.00; 11”x14” Canvas is $35.00; 16”x20” Canvas is $45.00 and Wooden Plate is $35.

Fall Dinner on the Farm Oct 17th

1818 Farms 24889 Lauderdale Street, Mooresville, AL. Join Albany Bistro and 1818 Farms for this Farm to Table Dinner starting at 6:00PM. Guests will enjoy a four-course, gourmet experience in historic Mooresville, AL. Upon arrival at 1818 Farms, each guest will grab a beverage and take a short tour of the farm, where they will learn a bit about the heirloom vegetables the owner grows and harvests. Guests will then be seated at tables amid the farms lavendar fields. Albany Bistro Chef Jakob Reed and chefs will use vegetables grown on the farm and locally to produce the evening’s meals. Each course will feature Chef Jakob sharing information on how it was prepared and the product origins. Cost is $75.00 person. Reservations can be made at 1818farms.com/productspage/product-category/fall-2014-farm-to-table-dinner

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Swamp John’s Seafood Feast Oct 30th

Elkmont, AL. 9:00AM-4:00PM Hilltop Arts Festival features Tennessee Valley artists selling their handmade or repurposed art.

The entertainment will be from local musicians and may include a few special guests. The admission is free. Donations will be accepted. The money raised will go to the Pinkerton Award. The Pinkerton Award is an Arts scholarship to be given to a student at Elkmont High School to help them pursue a career in the arts.

Join the conversation at Facebook Hilltop Arts Society. For more information, email hilltop.arts@yahoo.com

Annual Sherri Adams Pink Ribbon Run/Walk Nov 1st-3rd

Athens SportsPlex, U.S. Highway 31, Athens, AL. Join the Athens-Limestone Hospital Foundation for this run in memory of Sherri Adams, a dedicated nurse at the Limestone Health Facility that fought cancer, and succumbed to complications in 2011. In the spirit of Sherri’s giving to others and desire for more cancer awareness and prevention, money from the run is used to update mammography equipment and offer opportunities for early detection to women and men in the Limestone community. Individuals are $25.00 plus donations to reach the set goal. Team cost and goals may vary. For details or to register, visit sherriadamsrun.com

Athens Night of Hope Charity Dinner Nov 1st

Southside Baptist Church, 740 Roy Long Road E, Athens, AL. This night will be filled with great food, fun entertainment and stories from Athens families. This event will be completely funded by local churches, so that all of the proceeds will be divided equally between Athens “Honoring Families” journeying through Breast Cancer and “Pink Elephant”. For more information or to purchase tickets athensnightofhope.com

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October 17 - November 6, 2014

The View From The Bridge

Speeding- I Just Got Busted!

by Jackie Warner Jackie Warner

Community Outreach “Impact, Engage, Grow” Community Matters

3. Take 2 minutes first thing in the morning to stretch and breathe.

The other day, I was in the gym rushing (of course) to get finished so I could be on to the next task on my list before heading home.

You know the drill. First I started with the treadmill and then was on to the leg machine. I thought to myself “I am on a roll and will soon be finished and out of here!” Well, as I was getting ready for my next piece of equipment this lady came up to me to say hello. She then made it a point that I keep working out and not stop while she was speaking to me.

She said as seriously as she could “I know you because I have been you and been where you are.“ As I listened to her, she told me to slow down and really take time for myself and my workout without harboring those mental interruptions of all the activities and tasks I needed to complete. She told me to stop running so much around in my mind because all I was doing was making myself less available mentally for when I truly needed to be.

She then proceeded to correct me on the way I was doing my exercises.

She again told me to slow down and really allow the work out to enhance me and not harm me. She said “me time” should really be used for “me.” All I could do was listen to her because everything she was telling me was so true and I needed the wisdom she was sharing.

4. Put your headphones on and listen to your favorite music.

5. Pray!

Lesson Learned: You never know who is watching and waiting to impart much needed wisdom in your life so LISTEN. Until Next Time, Be Sincere, Kind and Intentional Jackie Warner, Community Outreach Specialist Email: thebridge.us@ gmail.com This never-ending checklist we call life does make it almost impossible to relax wouldn’t you say? Let’s take it a step further and really be truthful-most of the items on our list were put there by us with every intent to complete them all! What are we thinking? Well of course we are thinking of others as we so often do. In this life we find ourselves always doing for others, making sure they have what is needed, planning our lives around theirs, whether that be our spouses, parents, children, co-workers, relatives, or friends. Then we hope that maybe, just maybe in all that we do for others we find a few minutes left to steal away in all the madness.

Hey! Wake up! Who are we kidding? It is great to have the drive and will to give and care so much for others, but if you don’t

October 17 - November 6, 2014

care for yourself then you will not be here to do any of the items on your checklist of life.

2. Learn to say no. Not every task has to be completed by you.

Check out upcoming events: Website: http:// thebridge-us.yolasite.com/

Before I left the gym that day, believe me, I felt rejuvenated and refreshed after my encounter with the lady I had been talking to.

I did slow down and lived in the moment for me, if only for a little while. I finished my workout without all those mental interruptions that I so often take with me. When we fail to give to ourselves, we fail to be successful in our giving to others.

I encourage you to also take the advice of the lady I met in the gym: slow down because stress kills!

I’ll leave you with a few tips for “Me Time Success”: 1. Self-time is not being selfish—it’s necessary.

Say yes to “you time” for real for a change.

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What Makes Ronnie Roll

Greater Things Are Still To Be Done In The City

by Ali Elizabeth Turner

Veteran praise and worship songwriter Chris Tomlin wrote a fitting song to end the Ronnie series taken from The Seamless City,

by Rick Baker. In the last chapter, the former St. Petersburg, FL Mayor quotes part of the chorus to Tomlin’s song God Of This City: “Greater things have yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city…”

We spend a great deal of time, and rightly so, talking about all the good things about Athens and living here. However, we live in a fallen world, and, as Mayor Ronnie says, “There are small pockets of places in Athens where public safety needs to be improved.” Recently Sweet Home Church sponsored a public forum where city officials and law enforcement department

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heads spoke about their commitment to protect the people of Athens.

What made this particular meeting interesting is that Pastor Mosley of Sweet Home is himself a retired law enforcement officer.

With the recent use of deadly force in Huntsville, and other incidents which have resulted in civil unrest elsewhere in America, our city officials felt it necessary to get a pulse on people’s perceptions of law enforcement in Athens, and how they function in confrontation.

Mayor Ronnie expressed deep appreciation to Pastor Mosley, as well as to the congregation, for inviting them, and there was solid two away communication with the leaders and the at-

tendees. It has been decided that in the spring, the City Council and law enforcement are going to have more community meetings all over Athens for the same purpose.

One of the things discussed at the Sweet Home meeting was the problem of abandoned houses. Be-

sides the obvious problem of being an eyesore, abandoned houses are a magnet for drug deals, vandalism, and worse. “We are talking about something far more important than grass grown up 4 feet high,” he told me.

He talked about Mayor Baker’s treatment in Seamless City of the need to

think and act long term.

Baker also discusses the need to build the city as a team, both from the standpoint of those who work for the city as well as those who live in it.

For employees of the City of Athens, having a good person in Human Relations is certainly crucial for fulfilling the mission.

After a careful search, that position has been filled by Marsha Sloss.

Monday was her first day, and during our interview she was being taken around City Hall to be introduced to the employees. Mayor Ronnie introduced us, and I think she will be a great fit for the Athens employees, as well as quite an asset for our city.

To close, Mayor Ronnie grabbed his lovingly abused copy of Seamless City and underlined the following, which is the last statement of the last chapter. He said, “Look at this, Ali, this says it all.” “If, someday, all children in our cities can grow up in neighborhoods that are vibrant, safe, and clean, then we will be on our way. When all children share in the pride and success of the entire community, and believe that they have a shot achieving the American dream, then our cities will be seamless, and the greatest nation in the history of mankind will be assured of having an even greater future!” Then we prayed, asking largely that we may receive largely for the city and our families, and that is what makes Ronnie roll.

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October 17 - November 6, 2014

October 17 - November 6, 2014

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Tourism

How Have You Made Your Mark?

A Study Of Hands

by Teresa Todd, President, Athens-Limestone County Tourism Association 100 Beaty Street, Athens, AL 35611 The Limestone County Archives & Athens-Limestone County Tourism is delighted to announce a very special art exhibit displayed in the Limestone County Archives in conjunction with The Way We Worked - Athens. “How Have You Made Your Mark? A Study of Hands” by Morgan County artist Lee Nabors is open now in the Archives office at 102 W. Washington St., Athens and will be available to view during Archives hours, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Contact Rebekah Davis at 256-233-6404.

A note from the artist recounting the exhibit:

This exhibit consists of approximately 50 oil paintings of the hands of amazing individuals.

These people represent hundreds of others who

go above and beyond in their professional and everyday life for the greater good. It is a cross-section of what it takes to be and build a community, any community.

Because each person’s hand and handprint are uniquely theirs, I believe the hands are the symbol and thus the story of an individual’s life and work. As the focus of this project, the subject’s hands will reflect the life, passions and influence that he/she has had or continues to have on the local and, in some cases, the global community.

They continue to make their mark. It is my hope

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that when the paintings hang as a collection, we will each be inspired to ask ourselves …“The Question At Hand: How Have You Made Your Mark?”

For more information, visit www.leenabors. com or call 256-3534455. Come see this beautiful collection of paintings of hands at work, on display at the Limestone County Archives!

October 17 - November 6, 2014

October 17 - November 6, 2014

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Clean and Green

Myths And Facts About Litter

by Lynne Hart can persist in the environment as long as other forms of plastic. Cigarette filters have been found in the stomachs of fish, birds, whales, and other marine life that mistake them for food. 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered each year.

With each one containing a huge number of dangerous chemicals and poisons that leach into our soil and groundwater, that adds up to a serious problem.

There are many myths about littering. Here are a few I would like to share along with facts that should help set the record straight.

MYTH: Littering creates jobs. I have had students share with me that their parents tell them it’s OK to litter because it gives the inmates or someone else work to do. The fact is littering costs money; lots of money. According to Green Eco Services, taxpayers pay millions of dollars for roadside cleanups each year. Alabama Department of Transportation, Keep America Beautiful and their affiliate programs, and Adopt a Highway programs spend millions to clean up only the worst areas. Taxpayer dollars are spent for city, county, state, national agencies, forestry, park, and recreation departments, and prisons to clean up litter.

With that amount of money, state roads and bridges could be repaired, roadside rest areas and traveler information stops could be upgraded, or thousands of potholes could be fixed.

Without the help of volunteer agencies, Alabama would spend $50 million dollars on litter cleanup alone!

MYTH: No one really notices litter. Ask Tom Hill, Limestone County Economic Development, if litter matters. When businesses and industries come here to decide if they want to bring their businesses to our county, excessive litter tells them residents here do

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not take pride in their community.

Ask Teresa Todd, AthensLimestone County Tourism Association, if litter has an impact on tourism. Litter can take the focus away from the beauty of a community. Tourism is a very important part of our economy. When people travel to visit Athens and Limestone County, litter can leave a bad impression. A clean, beautiful community leaves visitors wanting to return to spend more time and money here. “In Limestone County we have visitors in our communities every day. The first impression we make on our guests is vital,” Teresa Todd said. “I love it when tourists come in the Visitor Center and tell me they love our town because it is so friendly and clean, and they are thinking about moving here.

That makes me so proud of how our residents and businesses care and show their pride for our communities.”

MYTH: Only “certain types” of people litter.

That is surely not true! I have seen an elderly couple driving a Cadillac toss a fast food bag out of the car!

I have seen men and women of all ages toss cigarettes out the window. I have also seen teens toss beer cans, and families toss dirty diapers. Litterbugs can be found among people of every age, sex, race, and economic status.

MYTH: Litter doesn’t hurt anyone. Litter is a breeding ground for disease-carrying insects, bacteria, and rodents. Litter causes fires, auto accidents, and injury.

Thousands of pets, wildlife, and farm animals are injured or killed due to eating littered items. An animal attracted to the tasty crumbs in a potato chip bag could die of starvation if the bag is swallowed. Starvation occurs because the bag is not digestible. Therefore the animal feels full and fails to eat. Birds have been tangled in plastic bags as they try to get a tasty morsel out of them, leaving them to starve or overheat. Fish and turtles become tangled in fishing line or plastic rings from drinks.

Litter doesn’t stay in one place; it can be moved by

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wind, water, animals, and humans. Much will find its way into ditches, wash into streams, and often find its way to rivers and lakes.

Some will make it all the way to the ocean polluting ground water and waterways as it goes and endangering wildlife along the way.

MYTH: Cigarette filters are biodegradable. The fact is that filters are made of cellulose acetate, a form of plastic. Cigarette butts

Litter is everyone’s problem. Even those of us who never litter are affected by those who do. Don’t be afraid to speak up when friends and family litter.

Remind them of the impact litter has on our community. Be a good example.

People do watch other people. Let them see us showing community pride and putting litter in its place!

(256) 233-8728 KALBCares@gmail.com www.KALBCares.com

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October 17 - November 6, 2014

Cooking with Shelley

Sweet Potato Heaven

by Shelley Underhill

Several weeks back, just as the cool weather was setting in, I popped in at my mother’s house for a surprise visit. She was not surprised, but I on the other hand was blown away.

It smelled just like a bakery!

Sweet potato and banana nut bread were cooling on the bar, and the timer for the bread pudding was buzzing away. As I sat amongst the aromas, mother told me stories of how my grandmother referred to sweet potato bread as sweet potato pone. Keep your eyes out for some more homemade recipes from the heart--all made in my grandmother’s kitchen.

In the next few issues, I will share these recipes with you. I myself will add the sweet potato bread to my holiday menu. Remember to grab someone and make a memory in the kitchen. You will not regret it! You can email your questions and recipes to shelleysdesk@gmail. com.

What you will need:

4 cups peeled and shredded sweet potato 1 rind of an orange, grated 1 1/2 cups of sugar 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 cup butter, softened 1 cup of milk 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp of nutmeg 1tsp vanilla 1/2 cup self rising flour In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour mixture into well greased 8-inch square baking dish. Bake at 325F for 1 1/2 hours. You can serve it hot or cold.

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Health and Fitness

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

by Janet Hunt Janet Hunt is a Certified Personal Trainer and can be reached at 256-614-3530 to schedule an appointment.

HIIT is all the rage now days. According to a survey conducted by American College of Sports Medicine (ACSCM), HIIT is one of the top fitness trends for this year.

What is HIIT? It is an acronym for High Intensity Interval Training. It is an interval workout style with alternating periods of short, intense, anaerobic exercise with less intense recovery periods. HIIT is considered a form of cardiovascular exercise.

Usually HIIT workouts are shorter than the typical one-hour fitness classes offered at most gyms or the 30 – 45 minute cardio work you might do on your own. These short, intense interval workouts can provide improved athletic performance, improved glucose metabolism, and improved fat burning.

Most endurance or cardio

workouts, such as walking, running, elliptical work, or stair-climbing are done at a moderate intensity (exertion level of 5-6 on a scale of 0-10) for 30 to 60 minutes whereas the high intensity interval workouts are done at an exertion level of 7, 8, or even 9. These intervals are usually sustained for 30 seconds to 3 minutes, although they can be as short as 8-10 seconds (Tabata Workout) or as long as 5 minutes. The higher the intensity, the shorter the interval. Recovery intervals are usually equal to or longer than the high intensity intervals.

Besides shortening your workout time if you have limited time, the payoffs of pushing yourself with HIIT include increased aerobic and anaerobic fitness, decreased fasting insulin, increased insulin

sensitivity, and reduced abdominal and subcutaneous fat (i.e. lower percent body fat).

Higher intensity exercise of any kind may result in a higher risk of musculoskeletal injury and cardiac events. HIIT has been studied on people with heart disease and congestive heart failure as well as healthy people. With clinical supervision during these studies, most all were able to tolerate high-intensity intervals, and they experienced more improvement in cardiovascular function than other subjects undergoing continuous moderate intensity training. If you are considering HIIT and have any health conditions, check with your physician before starting it.

To begin an HIIT workout on your own, choose

any aerobic exercise (biking, elliptical, treadmill, etc.). Warm up for 3 to 5 minutes, then do alternating speed and recovery intervals (3-4 of each). End with a cool down. Experiment with shorter and lon-

ger speed and recovery intervals to find what works best for you. Gradually work up to 8-10 or more speed (high intensity) intervals.

Keep in mind that the biggest mistake is making the recovery intervals too short. To reduce your risk of injury, perform HIIT workouts once or twice a week. That doesn’t mean taking all the other days off. Switch up your workouts to ensure your muscles continue to be challenged. Having varied workouts will help keep you from overtaxing any one area of your body. I recommend you include resistance exercise, stretching, and core work on days that you are not doing High Intensity Interval Training.

For best results, work with a certified fitness professional to create a personalized HIIT workout for you.

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October 17 - November 6, 2014

Cover Story

My 180 Health: Stay Strong Through Technology

by Ali Elizabeth Turner

continued from page 1

of wellness was contagious.

Passion is one thing, but he had brought together 4 elements—whole body vibration, infrared sauna therapy, alkaline water, and a proprietary nutritional plan into a system and a life center called My 180 Health. The flag ship center is located at 12090 County Line Road, Suite N in the Madison County Line Publix shopping center complex. It is open M-F 8-7, and on Saturday from 8-2.

I knew of the benefits of the 4 things he had discussed, but I had not been aware of anyone putting them all together into a proprietary system and getting such dynamic results. We spoke briefly, I went to the center, was “put through the paces,” and after 10 days I can say I am a believer. When we first spoke, I asked him if any of his members had gotten any help with battling Lyme’s disease through his system, and he told me yes. This is important personally because I am fighting that particular bug, and for nearly 3 years my fingers have been so numb that I can only play the guitar for a few minutes at a time. I am pleased to report that the numbness has decreased noticeably in the brief time I have been going to My 180 Health. Both the combination of the whole body vibration and infrared sauna therapies have brought measurable relief in a little over a week.

Let’s talk about the technology of “whole body vibration.”

It has been used by NASA to quickly help restore the muscular strength and bone density of astronauts who had been on the International Space Station, and had lost a considerable amount of both.

Chip heard about it on the Arsenal, and knew he wanted to add it to his own “arsenal”

of things that can truly help people who have no answers and no hope. NASA was finding that muscle strength and balance were being restored in 3 weeks, bone density in 6 weeks. Like many technologies, the application grew, and I have personally spoken with people who, prior to the last 4 months when the shop opened, couldn’t walk without a cane or a walker. I met a young woman with ataxia who is now walking, and whose father has spent nearly all his resources trying to find help for her. I have chatted with a retired military man with neuropathy who can now walk unassisted, and the list

goes on.

The machine that alkalizes water and helps the user get out of an unhealthy acidic state is open for members to get a cup to drink while working out. They can also take some with them when they finish their 10 minute workout and subsequent sauna session.

The infrared sauna technology is different from traditional saunas due to the fact that it gets deeper into the skin. My health care practitioner was thrilled when she found out I had found one that was accessible, and am using it ev-

October 17 - November 6, 2014

ery day. It is indeed making a difference, and I am on track to beat that Lyme’s “bad boy” completely.

Here are some more testimonials that have been sent to Chip. The first is that of a woman named Sharron Abernathy. “Sharron was an avid golfer and led an active lifestyle. However, when she was diagnosed with a chronic retina condition as well as an Afib heart condition, she could no longer continue with traditional exercise programs. She discovered My 180 Health Center. Sharron has found

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through using Whole Body Vibration and Infrared Sauna Therapy she has regained core strength, flexibility and has less stress. Today Sharron is pain free, active and back on the course.”

R.J. Gaines said, “I love the WBV Machines and Infrared Warming Therapy. My workout session only takes about 10-20 minutes so I can get in and out quickly. No need to worry about packing my gym bag. I just come in after work and get what I need done.”

I am also encouraged by Chip’s heart for veterans, people who have lost hope for regaining their health, and people who are falling through the cracks of our broken health care system. He has this encouraging news to share: “Today physicians, sports teams and rehab centers regularly use WBV machines as part of their approach to healthcare and fitness routines. WBV Machines have a FDA Class #1 Medical Device listing. Whole Body Vibration training activates and stimulates 100% of the body’s muscles at the same time, which creates enhanced workouts.

The Infrared Warming Thera-

py burns up to 600 calories a session only lasting about 10 minutes, and you can wear your normal, everyday clothes without breaking a sweat. This in combination with alkaline water and the nutritional awareness program completes the 180 degree transformation process.”

There are special discounts for veterans, teachers, government workers, and the prices are more than reasonable. The care and support is changing peoples’ lives and building a community. You can get a free two day pass, and I would strongly suggest you come down and see what all the buzz is about. You can indeed become and “stay strong through technology.”

My 180 Health

12090 County Line Road Suite N Madison, AL 35756 256-232-8153 Hours: M-F 8-7, Sat 8-2 www.my180health.com.

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Visit smart.athens.edu to get started.

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October 17 - November 6, 2014

Cover Story

Re-elect Alabama District 5 State Representative Dan Williams

by Ali Elizabeth Turner

continued from page 1

Education, or as part of the National Guard.

Dan graduated from Athens High School and Auburn University. He served for 26 years in the 1343rd Engineering Battalion based in Athens, and finished his military service in the Guard with the rank of First Sergeant.

He served on the Athens City Board of Education from 1979 until 1984, was on the Athens City Council from 1984 until 1992, and then was Mayor of Athens until 2010 when he was elected to the House.

He also spent 25 years working for the State of Alabama in Human Resources. He is married to Kay, has four children and seven grandchildren.

Just as for the rest of us, technology has made a huge difference in the way he does his work. Through social media he is able to stay far more closely and quickly in touch with his constituents, and has found that they really appreciate it. He makes a point of referring them to sites where they can get the full description of a pending bill, and inform them the moment a vote comes through. “I give them everything we do,” he said.

He also told me, “People like to know what we’re

he is a supporter of education. “I want to give people hope that their kids can get a good education,” he said. I asked him if he was in support of vouchers as a way to improve public education, and he said he is. He also voted for the Accountability Act of 2013, which is explained as follows by the Alabama Policy Institute: doing, and they enjoy the discourse and debate.”

Representative Williams has core values that are important to most of us in District 5. He is a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment, and does not want to see the right to bear arms for Alabamians or Americans, for that matter, repressed. He is strongly and without apology prolife. He is concerned about our borders and the need to strengthen them. He is very aware that in a number of areas the government is in a continual state of overreach, and, like Ronald Reagan, wants to get big government off the backs of the people. He is a lover of the Constitution, and he believes that the “best form of government is local government.” One of the things any legislator at any level has to balance is state’s rights and federal responsibilities, and that becomes even more of a

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challenge when revenues (or the lack of them), enter the picture.

“The next 4 years are going to be difficult because the revenue is flat, and most of the remaining available money is earmarked for education,” he said. He continued, “The General Fund (of the State of Alabama) is in the red.” He knows that there are only a few options to remedy that situation that make fiscal sense, and the first is “to cut taxes and regulations that are strangling businesses.” He gave an example of how business growth is being thwarted. “Take barbers, for instance,” he said.

“Mostly they cut hair, and they have come under the same regulations as cosmetologists, even though they don’t give nearly the same amount of services.

It’s hurting them to have the same regulations, and

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it’s not necessary.”

There is such a thing as “the Sunset Committee,” he told me, “and they have the authority to get rid of boards.” The Sunset Committee is one way to increase revenue by getting rid of the boards that are no longer needed. “We need to make the state a friendly place for businesses,” he said.

“We also need to prioritize services offered to residents of Alabama,” he said.

“We need to be more efficient with the servics we do offer, and we may have to reduce some services.” We talked about the fact that it is way too easy to get to a place where people look to government to take care of them, and whether or not the General Fund is flush, people still need to change the way they think.

Representative Williams also wants people to know

“The Accountability Act brings Alabama in line with 12 other states that provide educational tax credits and tax credit scholarships.The new law allows parents of students in the worst-performing schools to receive a tax credit to offset the cost of sending a student to a nonfailing public or nonpublic school. The law also sets up an opportunity for low-income students to apply for a tax credit scholarship, funded by individual or corporate taxpayers and administered by a scholarship-granting organization.”

If this is the type of approach to running government and experience in leadership that you are wanting in Montgomery, then Representative Dan Williams would appreciate your vote on November 4th.

Page 17

Learning As A Lifestyle

Cookbook Club, Travel, And More

by Wanda Campbell

Center for Lifelong Learning - 121 South Marion Street, Athens, AL 35611 - 256-233-8262 of Turkey through pictures as Robert and Laura Glenn talk about their recent trip to Turkey.

Learn the ins and outs of traveling in the area from people who have already been there. Join us Monday, October 27, at 6:30 pm in the lobby of the Center for Lifelong Learning. There is no charge for the presentation but reservations

Last week, the Center for Lifelong Learning held the first meeting of the Cookbook Club. The purpose of the club is to develop a Cookbook for Athens with all the best recipes and favorites of our town. Each month, members will prepare their favorite recipes in a particular food category.

So far, the group is made up of a cookie specialist, a bread specialist, a general cook and a former caterer. As time goes by more people will join and we will have other specialties.

Whatever your skill in the kitchen, you are welcome to join.

To get started the group will try their hand at hors d’oeuvres. Each member of the group is asked to bring a prepared recipe for their favorite hors d’oeuvres. The recipe needs to feed 10. When

you come to the meeting, you will need to bring your prepared dish and the recipe card for the cookbook.

The Center for Lifelong Learning will invite “testers” to judge entries for flavor and presentation, and to rank them in order of preference.

If you would like to join the Cookbook Club, call Wanda Campbell, at 256-

Collins

On Saturday, November 1 we will host Contemporary Cuisines, a new class at the Center that focuses on the talents of area chefs. Tammy Wilkinson, from Arabella’s Cakes and Catering will show us how to prepare a deep fried turkey meal just in time for Thanksgiving. Join

233-8262.

The November meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 10, at noon at the Center for Lifelong Learning.

Please call ahead if you plan to bring a sample.

Also coming up at the Center is an Armchair Travel – Visiting Turkey. Even if you can’t go on the trip, you can still experience a tour

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17616 U S Hwy 72 Athens, AL 35611 (256) 232-3498

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are requested. Seating is limited.

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us for a catered dinner from 4:00pm – 6:00pm.

If you never tried deep fried turkey, you don’t know what you are missing. The fee for dinner is $20 each.

And don’t forget the trips that the Center is sponsoring. There is no better way to celebrate the season than a trip to the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville. Join CLL as we travel to Nashville for an afternoon of fun and shopping pm Tuesday, December 2. The bus will leave from the Center at 9:30am. The fee for the trip to Nashville is $55, which includes round-trip transportation and entry fees.

Meals are on your own.

October 17 - November 6, 2014

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Horse Whispering

Say Something The tears flowed as I listened to a song sung by Christina Aguilera, “Say Something.”

Christina had no idea that when I was considering what to write on my informational card, I had coined the phrase “connecting with life and the power of choice through horses”.

Life is communication. Communication is relating. Relating is RELATIONSHIP. A healthy relationship is always a 2-way passage: listening/ speaking, giving/receiving.

First and utmost, I considered my relationship with Abba Father. Second, I considered my relationship with humans. Thirdly, I considered my relationship with horses.

When we “CONSIDER” someone or something, we position ourselves in a place where the eyes of our understanding can be opened!

Because this is HORSE WHISPRING my focus will be on the equine.

The song states “anywhere I would have followed you.”

Horses are TRUE followers. True followers do two things. Want to take a guess what those two things are?

(1) They follow and (2) they challenge the leader to see if the leader is worth following.

Horses are skilled at outwitting their predators. It is at this point we make a choice whether we will relate as a predator or as a leader, a controller or a communicator.

The song also states “swallow my pride.” Human ego is the horse’s greatest predator in domestic life.

Human/horse relationship is not rider teaching horse OR horse teaching rider, but it IS creating an environment!

The environment it creates establishes emotional and physical boundaries in which human and horse can understand each other. Horse lovers desire the discipline and the ability to act as one with one’s horse. This requires

by Deb Kitchenmaster open, two-way communication between horse and rider. This relationship can be obtained easily, but by no means does it come quickly.

To secure a true partnering relationship and open communication with your horse, very specific tools are needed, the most important of which is time.

however, the point is time spent with horse.

With his students having been dismissed for the summer, a teacher carried out his months of preparation to ride his Arabian horse from Minnesota to Wyoming to visit his brother. His biggest challenge was when he and his horse encountered a wild stallion. They came through unscathed. His most rewarding event was coming upon a campfire one evening, and the Chief extended an invitation to ‘come and be by the fire.’ He accepted. Needless to say, when his personal goal was reached, the teacher and his horse had quite a connection. True but rare story;

I received this letter. “At times I felt like crying. I don’t know why I held back my tears. I felt protected standing so close to the horse, maybe it was its shear [sic] strength next to me.

He didn’t use his strength to harm me. I felt connected, maybe because of the beauty of God’s creation. I felt accepted in the moment; the horse didn’t care who I had been or where I would be going. I felt empowered. Today wasn’t just about being with the horse, but learning about the horse and how being and learning translated into lessons about relationships and

A mother and grown daughter wanted to do something together and spend some time with each other that would include their love and interest in horses. CORRAL CONNECTIONS welcomed them.

boundaries. Boundaries are precious. Boundaries enrich a relationship, not suffocate it. Seriously, boundary setting & enforcing established boundaries is uncomfortable for me because I am concerned that setting boundaries will come across uncaring or rejecting! Yet I am aware that HEALTHY relationships REQUIRE HEALTHY BOUNDARIES. I have known how to build walls.

That is lonely and disconnecting. My new equation in LIFE looks like this: walking in love = setting and enforcing healthy boundaries.”

And….”My experience today was very nostalgic and reminded me of riding classes I took during middle school.

I enjoy learning about various things and appreciate the knowledge Deb shared with me. Although the horse I was grooming was sassy and difficult, Deb patiently explained that he was challenging me, which meant confrontation; not my greatest forte. It was a great practice in being a leader, although I didn’t quite get the horse’s full respect by the end of the day. Spending time with the horses was a great de-stressing experience, which is nice after a long work week.

Thank you for the awesome day, Deb!” Your NEIGHbor, Deb Kitchenmaster Corral Connections www.corralconnections.com ‘A church of great heart’ 256-426-7947 Animal B.E.S.T. practitioner dkitchenmaster@mchsi.com

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October 17 - November 6, 2014

James Curtis Turner For Limestone County Commission, District Three

by Ali Elizabeth Turner

Note: This is the fourth of four pieces that will be published up until the November 2014 election, and will discuss some of the concerns and goals James

Curtis Turner has for his district in Limestone County. He has made a point over the years of making himself familiar with what goes on in the county and how to make it run smoothly. He is a faithful attendee of County and Athens City Council meetings, asks lots of questions, is familiar with the budget, and is an excellent listener. He brings to the election season decades of experience dealing with critical functions in a nuclear plant, being responsible literally for the safety of the lives of millions.

District 3 in Limestone County is the location of the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, and it is the district in which James lives. He understands the need to educate citizens of District 3, as well as all of Limestone County, in regard to nuclear safety, and what to do in the event of a nuclear accident. One thing would be to make sure that the evacuation signage is clear and readable, and that people know what to do. Given the fact that we have just had another round of damaging storms, it is all the more

important to him that we have an adequate number of storm shelters, not only in District 3, but throughout Limestone County.

We talked about the things that are important, in and

out of office, and without hesitation he said, “Be a person of your word.

Your word is your bond.”

He would appreciate your vote on November 4th.

VOTE

NOVEMBER 4, 2014

JAMES CURTIS

TURNER “MOVING THE DISTRICT FORWARD”

DISTRICT 3 COMMISSIONER PAID FOR BY FRIENDS TO ELECT JAMES CURTIS TURNER, P.O. BOX 1604, ATHENS, ALABAMA 35611

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Medical Update

Eye Health Tips Simple Tips For Healthy Eyes Your eyes are an important part of your health. There are many things you can do to keep them healthy and make sure you are seeing your best. Follow these simple steps for maintaining healthy eyes well into your golden years.

Have a comprehensive eye exam. You might think your vision is fine or that your eyes are healthy, but visiting your eye care professional for a comprehensive dilated eye exam is the only way to really be sure.

When it comes to common vision problems, some people don’t realize they could see better with glasses or contact lenses. In addition, many common eye diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic eye disease and age-related macular degeneration often have no warning signs. A

dilated eye exam is the only way to detect these diseases in their early stages.

During a comprehensive dilated eye exam, your eye care professional places drops in your eyes to dilate, or widen, the pupil to allow more light to enter the eye the same way an open door lets more light into a dark room. This enables your eye care professional to get a good look at the back of the eyes and examine them for any signs of damage or disease. Your eye care professional is the only one who can determine if your eyes are healthy and if you’re seeing your best. New technology is also used today to provide a comprehensive retinal examination. The OptoMap retinal exam allows your eye doctor to see retina in a way it has never been viewed before. It is important to have a

retinal exam every year.

Know your family’s eye health history. Talk to your family members about their eye health history. It’s important to know if anyone has been diagnosed with a disease or condition since many are hereditary. This will help to determine if you are at higher risk for developing an eye disease or condition.

Eat right to protect your sight. You’ve heard carrots are good for your eyes. But eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, particularly dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, or collard greens is important for keeping your eyes healthy, too.iResearch has also shown there are eye health benefits from eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut.

Maintain a healthy weight.

by Chad Davis, OD

Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing diabetes and other systemic conditions, which can lead to vision loss, such as diabetic eye disease or glaucoma. If you are having trouble maintaining a healthy weight, talk to your doctor.

start. Smoking is as bad for your eyes as it is for the rest of your body. Research has linked smoking to an increased risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, cataract, and optic nerve damage, all of which can lead to blindness.

Wear protective eyewear.

Wear protective eyewear when playing sports or doing activities around the home.

Protective eyewear includes safety glasses and goggles, safety shields, and eye guards specially designed to provide the correct protection for a certain activity. Most protective eyewear lenses are made of polycarbonate, which is 10 times stronger than other plastics. Many eye care providers sell protective eyewear, as do some sporting goods stores.

Be cool and wear your shades. Sunglasses are a great fashion accessory, but their most important job is to protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. When purchasing sunglasses, look for ones that block out 99 to 100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B radiation.

Quit smoking or never

Give your eyes a rest. If you spend a lot of time at the computer or focusing on any one thing, you sometimes forget to blink and your eyes can get fatigued.

Try the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look away about 20 feet in front of you for 20 seconds. This can help reduce eyestrain.

Clean your hands and your contact lenses—properly.

To avoid the risk of infection, always wash your hands thoroughly before putting in or taking out your contact lenses. Make sure to disinfect contact lenses as instructed and replace them as appropriate.

Practice workplace eye safety. Employers are required to provide a safe work environment. When protective eyewear is required as a part of your job, make a habit of wearing the appropriate type at all times and encourage your coworkers to do the same.

Chad Davis, OD Davis Eye Care 256.233.2393 www.davisicare.com

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October 17 - November 6, 2014

Security Savvy

Yard Sales: Commonplace But Possibly Troublesome

by Jim Doyle, owner of Madison Security Group 203 Us Highway 31 S, Athens, AL 35611 When I lived in the Boston area, I could never grasp the idea of yard sales! Why would I want to buy something that was close to being thrown out? But there are a lot of people that swear by them. However, there are some hidden problems that you should be aware of when you are purchasing items from a yard sale.

If you are running the yard sale, there are a few tips that I believe could avoid problems.

rob you later.

•Have one person handle the cash.

•If possible have small children stay with a friend or hire a sitter to watch them. You don’t need to

•If you have a dog, keep the dog in the house or

•Keep a cell phone handy so you can call the police if needed.

•First off please park legally. Don’t leave your vehicle in the middle of the street because you noticed a deal. Also, don’t leave your vehicle running; it could be gone before you get back to it.

•Be careful what you purchase. Make sure that it’s not a recall item, especially baby goods. Items such as clothing, bedding could be infested with pests, so check for these issues if possible.

•Make sure that the yard sale is in a good area of the city.

•Don’t buy food items.

lose focus on the people at your house because of children running around.

I don’t want to sound negative about the yard sale. There are some good deals to be had at these events. I know of people that drive around

like panthers on the hunt for prey, ready to pounce on a yard sale. It’s like an addiction. They look at the paper to see when and where they are and then plan out a strategy on how and when to hit each one. It’s the HUNT. It’s every man for themselves with these people.

They will stop on a dime without notice when they see a yard sale. They will park in the road, get out of the car, and walk into moving traffic as if they are in a trance, so be careful. At least there are signs posted most of the time letting people where these events are being held and at what times.

Avoid these areas if possible if you don’t want to get caught up in the yard sale frenzy.

tied up. You don’t need a person saying they were bitten while on your property.

•Mark all your items clearly

•Don’t buy the yard sale staple, the treadmill (better known as a clothes hanger). I have hung three pants, two shirts, and a dirty sock on mine. Then you have the bike. You say it’s a good time to exercise, and it’s a great deal. So you purchase it , and then you sell it at your own yard sale a year later.

•Make sure that household items are clean

•Check electronic items for frayed wires and make sure they work.

•Do not bring a stranger in your house, it could be a set up to

•Always have a family member or friend help; you will need more than one pair of eyes to help keep thieves from stealing.

•If you are being robbed don’t be a hero.

Give up the money and try to remember what they look like.

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