2019-02-BRE

February 2019

Going the extra mile

to help others

Join the Blue Ridge members donating their capital credits to help neighbors in need. See how on the next page.

Join the Blue Ridge members donating their capital credits to help neighbors in need. See how on the next page.

PERIODICAL

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Going the extra mile

to help others Blue Ridge members supporting Operation Round UpÂŽ are actively helping neighbors with crisis heating assistance this winter.

Many of these members volunteer to have their electric bills rounded up each month.

Others go above and beyond by also donating their capital credits returns.

Together, Operation Round UpÂŽ contributions have helped more than 17,000 families stay warm. In addition, these funds improve our local quality of life by making community grants to local nonprofit organizations, including 20 grants in 2018.

The Blue Ridge Energy Members Foundation provides guidance on how best to support these local nonprofit organizations. Blue Ridge Energy member service representatives work with local agencies to help meet the crisis assistance heating needs of co-op members.

How can I help?

Walking the mile: You can agree to have your monthly bill rounded up for an average of just 50 cents per month.

Going the extra mile: If you are also willing to donate your capital credits, you may contribute all or a percentage of that amount. (See the insert card in this issue.)

Operation Learn more and sign up to help make a difference today at BlueRidgeEnergy.com/Share.

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February 2019

Baking Bread for

Healthy Living page 10

Published by

NC co-op supports world event page 14

Eat right while dining out page 18

PERIODICAL

Blue Ridge Energy announces Members Foundation grant recipients—pages 21–24 Feb covers.indd 2

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Volume 51, No. 2

14

10

Favorites 4 Viewpoints 8 More Power 26 On the House 28 Energy Sense 30 I Remember 32 NC Outdoors 36 Carolina Compass 38 Marketplace 39 Classifieds 40 Carolina Kitchen 42 Where is This?

42 Photo of the Month

On the Cover Steve and Franca Gilbert at their Tarboro bakery, Alimentaire Wholesome Breads. Read about the couple’s dedication to healthy living and improving their community on page 10. Photo by Randy Berger Photography.

10 14 18 20 34

34

The Joys of Good Bread Alimentaire Wholesome Breads stands for a healthier, happier community.

On the Equestrian World Map

Polk County hosted 250,000 visitors for an international event.

Dining Out, the Healthy Way 7 strategies to stay fit and well-fed.

Finding UFOs

A personal journey led retired professor and author David Halperin to study UFOs.

A Century of Reliable Service

Celebrate a milestone with Conrad & Hinkle Food Market.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:

Home Improvement Fails You tried, you failed, we’re interested! Share photos of home improvement projects gone awry —w e’ll feature our favorites in our May issue. See page 37 for details.

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$1

Viewpoints

Improving the World, One Patient at a Time

By Bruce A. Cairns, M.D.

North Carolina’s electric cooperatives have long been vital partners in the development, growth and support of the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Health Care in Chapel Hill.

Since the Burn Center first opened in 1981, North Carolina’s electric co-ops have helped ensure that it remains focused on providing the best, most supportive burn care possible, including aftercare and global burn care, while always thinking about the next big idea that might advance care and improve outcomes.

The Burn Center at UNC has grown from the singular vision of John Stackhouse, an electrical contractor in Goldsboro, to become one the largest, busiest and most innovative burn facilities in the world. In 2017 alone, the Burn Center admitted more than 1,700 patients. More than 400 were children.

It has become a recognized leader in all aspects of burn care, including prevention, treatment, research, reconstruction and rehabilitation, but Donn Young

Dr. Cairns (right) performs surgery at the NC Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Health Care.

one of the most important and unique Central Hospital. Over the 10 years services the Burn Center provides of this partnership, this burn unit is aftercare. has treated countless numbers of Once a person suffers a burn injury patients, most of them children, of any kind and at any age, that indiwith results nearly identical to those vidual — and his or her family — “As a member of a North Carolina will deal with the consequences of electric cooperative, you can that burn injury be immensely proud of what for the rest of their lives. The your co-op and its colleagues burn aftercare have accomplished.” program at UNC provides comprehensive services for children, obtained in mid-income countries teens, couples and families. The Burn such as South Africa.

Center’s Camp Celebrate is the oldest Over the years, electric co-ops have pediatric burn survivor camp, and helped fund a new wound care inpathe center maintains one of the largtient unit at UNC, secured resources est continuously running adult burn for a new family waiting room and reunion programs in the country. up-to-date interactive playroom, While focusing on patient care, the supported education and training for Burn Center has also been busy devel- nurses and doctors in Malawi, supoping new treatments and therapies ported research programs at the Burn for burn scarring and smoke inhalaCenter, and helped secure financial tion injury, two of the most common sustainability for the burn aftercare problems burn patients face. The programs at UNC. Burn Center has a very active research As a member of a North Carolina team, and this group has published electric cooperative, you can be hundreds of papers as well as secured immensely proud of what your co-op millions of dollars of research funds and its colleagues have accomplished. from the federal government and Through hard work, prayers and the industry. financial support, those efforts have Another major focus of the Burn been changing and improving the Center has been the development of world — one patient at a time. one of the most successful burn units Bruce A. Cairns, M.D., is medical director in sub-Saharan Africa in Lilongwe, of the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center Malawi, in partnership with Kamazu in Chapel Hill.

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Viewpoints

THIS MONTH’S ISSUE:

Healthy Living Our cover story this month highlights a Tarboro couple dedicated to baking fresh, locally sourced breads and pastries for their rural community. As they put it: “Real food made mostly from scratch nourishes a healthier, happier and more resilient future for the world.” Also, get the inside scoop on the Tryon 2018 World Equestrian Games in co-op territory (it was a big deal).

—Scott Gates, editor

Foodie Love Before my wife, Molly, and I even started dating, we discovered we share a love for reading Carolina Country magazine, a monthly publication of North Carolina’s electric cooperatives. Since we married we’ve looked forward to receiving the latest magazine each month from our parents, who are members of a cooperative while we are not. We settle side by side into the couch and spend 30 minutes to an hour digesting the entire magazine.

Each issue shares a set of recipes, many of which we’ve tried and saved in our personal collection. We read about this Banana Pudding Pie recipe in Carolina Country and knew we had to try it! … We made this recipe and modified it to fit mini pies. Any way you make it, this Banana Pudding Pie is delicious!

Matthew Tessnear, Shelby, via the blog #FoodieScore.

Read more from Matthew and Molly at foodiescore.blog.

Bolivian Roots Always enjoy reading Carolina Country magazine, as it has different topics of interest.

An article in your December issue (“NC Co-ops to Bring Electricity to Bolivian Village,” page 8) really touched me, as I was born in Cochabamba City, which is located in the “Departamento de Cochabamba” in Bolivia. The article mentions that NC co-ops are going to Bolivia, specifically to Cochabamba, and obviously just reading the name of the place I was born brought happy memories of living there with my parents.

I came to the United States in 1960 as a legal immigrant, joined the Air Force and became a U.S. citizen in 1964.

Thank you for the article that brought me back to my childhood. Gracias.

Johnny Kirkwood, Havelock A member of Carteret-Craven EC

Correction to our January issue On the Carolina Music featured track and in our story “Greetings from Byrdland,” Johnny Waken (not Walken) plays electric guitar.

Contact us Phone: 919-875-3091 Fax: 919-878-3970 Mail: 3400 Sumner Blvd.

Raleigh, NC 27616

(ISSN 0008-6746) (USPS 832800)

Read monthly in more than 700,000 homes Published monthly by

3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27616 919-875-3091 carolinacountry.com Warren Kessler Publications Director Scott Gates, CCC Editor Renee C. Gannon, CCC Senior Associate Editor Karen Olson House Contributing Editor Tara Verna Creative Director Erin Binkley Graphic Designer Jenny Lloyd Publications Business Specialist Tom Siebrasse Advertising tom@carolinacountry.com Joseph P. Brannan Executive Vice President & CEO Nelle Hotchkiss Senior Vice President & COO North Carolina’s electric cooperatives provide reliable, safe and affordable electric service to 1 million homes and businesses. The 26 electric cooperatives are each member-owned, not-for-profit and overseen by a board of directors elected by the membership.

Why Do We Send You Carolina Country Magazine?

Your cooperative sends you Carolina Country as a convenient, economical way to share with its members information about services, director elections, meetings and management decisions. The magazine also carries legal notices that otherwise would be published in other media at greater cost.

Your co-op’s board of directors authorizes a subscription to Carolina Country on behalf of the membership at a cost of less than $5 per year.

Has your address changed?

Carolina Country magazine is available monthly to members of North Carolina’s electric cooperatives. If you are a member of one of these cooperatives but do not receive Carolina Country, you may request a subscription by calling Member Services at the office of your cooperative. If your address has changed, please inform your cooperative.

Subscriptions: Individual subscriptions, $12 per year. $20 outside U.S.A. Schools, libraries, $6.

Carolina Country is available on digital cartridge as a courtesy of volunteer services at the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Raleigh, N.C. 888-388-2460.

Advertising published in Carolina Country is accepted on the premise that the merchandise and services offered are accurately described and willingly sold to customers at the advertised price. The magazine, North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives, Inc., and the member cooperatives do not necessarily endorse the products or services advertised. Advertising that does not conform to these standards or that is deceptive or misleading is never knowingly accepted.

Should you encounter advertising that does not comply with these standards, please inform Carolina Country at P.O. Box 27306, Raleigh, NC 27611. 919-875-3091.

Carolina Country magazine is a member of American MainStreet Publications that collectively reach more than 27 million readers every month.

Web: carolinacountry.com Email: editor@carolinacountry.com

Experiencing a power outage?

Please contact your electric co-op directly to ensure prompt service. Visit carolinacountry.com/co-ops to find yours online.

Periodicals postage paid at Raleigh, N.C., and additional mailing offices. Editorial offices: 3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, N.C. 27616. Carolina Country® is a registered trademark of the North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives, Inc. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Carolina Country, P.O. Box 27306, Raleigh, NC 27611.

All content © Carolina Country unless otherwise indicated.

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Exp Plea Visit

ADVERTISEMENT

THANK YOU! To those who care about the

North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center North Carolina’s electric cooperatives raised $150,800 for the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center, a division of the UNC Department of Surgery, in October 2018.

What would have been the 20th annual golf tournament was cancelled due to flooding from Hurricane Florence, but the associated fundraiser was a success nonetheless.

Over the years, electric cooperatives, in partnership with more than 80 organizations and individuals, have donated more than $1.9 million to the Burn Center.

Beyond providing the very best in compassionate care, the Burn Center’s mission extends to advancing burn prevention education and outreach, innovative treatment, research, rehabilitation and life-long aftercare. Its success has led to the Burn Center’s recognition as one of the best comprehensive burn centers in the world.

North Carolina’s electric cooperatives are grateful to all of the organizations and individuals who contributed to the success of this fundraiser and the Burn Center. With the help of generous donors like these, the Burn Center can continue its groundbreaking work in helping burn patients become burn survivors.

Diamond Sponsors (12,500 and up) CoBank Lee Electrical Construction, Inc.

North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives PowerServices

Platinum Sponsors ($10,00–$12,500) Duke Energy

Pike Electric, Inc.

Gold Sponsors ($5,000-$7,499) NRUCFC Silver Sponsors ($2,000-$4,999) ACES Power Marketing Albemarle EMC Blue Ridge Energy Booth & Associates, Inc. Brunswick Electric Central Electric ElectriCities of NC, Inc. EnergyUnited Four County EMC

French Broad EMC Hubbell Power Systems, Inc. Jones-Onslow EMC National Transformer Sales, Inc. Pee Dee Electric Piedmont Electric Randolph EMC Roanoke Electric

SE Energy Southern Power South River EMC Sumter Utilities, Inc. Surry-Yadkin EMC Tideland EMC Tri-County EMC Union Power Cooperative Wake Electrc

Bronze Sponsors ($1,000-$1,999) Altec Industries, Inc. American Electric Power Bellwether Management Solutions Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative EdgecombeMartin County EMC

EnerVision, Inc. Halifax EMC Haywood EMC IGS Energy Lewis Advertising Lumbee River EMC McFarland Cascade Nexsen Pruet, PLLC

NextERA Pitt & Greene EMC Rutherford EMC Sandhills Utility Services, LLC Substation Engineering & Design Corp.

The Okonite Company Xylem, Inc.

Individual Sponsors & Donations ($50-$999) Anixter ENERCO Energy Services General Cable Lekson Associates, Inc.

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McCall-Thomas Engineering Co., Inc. Milsoft Utility Solutions, Inc

Osmose Utilities Services, Inc. Vannoy Construction

1/10/19 12:05 PM

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1/10/19 12:05 PM

More Power

Farris Leonard (center) was presented the award by North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives’ Senior Vice President and COO Nelle Hotchkiss (left) and CEO Joe Brannan.

NC Safety Leader Receives National Honor Farris Leonard, manager of Job Training & Safety Field Services for North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives, was recently awarded the H.C. Potthast Award by his peers.

The national award was first given in 1972 in memory of the late Herman C. Potthast, who exemplified the qualities of dedication, leadership, cooperation and service.

Members of the National Utility Training & Safety Education Association who live out the qualities demonstrated by Potthast are recognized with the prestigious award.

“Someone once asked me what I thought made a good Cooperative Safety Professional.

After some contemplation, a very simple answer came to mind for a very complex question: ‘You must care,’ ” said Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation Manager of Safety Dana Mauldin on recommending Leonard for the award.

“After 20 years of being a cooperative safety person, I know no one who cares more than Farris or anyone who represents this ethos any better.”

Leonard got his start with electric cooperatives at Four County EMC, where he served as director of Safety Training and Loss Control for eight years. He joined North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives in 2007, where he has held the roles of Job Training & Safety specialist and manager of Job Training & Safety Field Services.

“I am truly honored by being selected as the recipient of this award,” Leonard said. “Even though this is an individual award, I recognize there are many past recipients listed on the plaque who were my mentors for the last 20 years.

Also, I am thankful for the numerous individuals who have shared their expertise and time with me — without them, this would not have been possible.”

Crisis Counseling Available to Hurricane Florence Victims North Carolina residents in counties hit hard

by Hurricane Florence can now benefit from counseling services through the Hope 4 NC program, overseen by a division of the NC Department of Health and Human Services.

The program provides survivors of Hurricane Florence access to crisis counseling, outreach and education, and assessments and referrals for services and further support. Disaster preparedness is also a focus of the program.

“The challenge for us now in North Carolina is no longer ‘if’ we will be impacted by the next storm event, it is ‘when,’ ” said Susan Robinson with the NC Department of Health and Human Services, who heads up the Hope 4 NC project. “Our aim is to help individuals of all ages in our communities stay resilient through trauma experienced, recover well and be prepared.”

Hope 4 NC will be providing services through September 2019, and is supported through funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the national Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Hope 4 NC Hotline If you were affected by Hurricane Florence, call 1-855-587-FIND (3463) to receive more information about Hope 4 NC and available resources.

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More Power

ENERGY TECH

An Outlet for Energy Savings

Thnk Eco

Insteon

Does the ebb and flow of your energy bill have you searching for an affordable way to reduce or better control your use?

Take control of appliances at the source with energy-saving outlets — practical and easy-to-install devices that allow you to better manage your home’s energy use.

Several devices found inside your home are commonly referred to as “parasitic loads,” “phantom loads” or “energy vampires.” Energy-saving outlets can potentially curb these loads, which can cost the average household an extra $200 per year.

There are several different kinds of energy-saving outlets available, but there are two factors you should consider.

First is size. There are many different sizes ranging from a single external outlet to a power strip with multiple sockets. The second is Wi-Fi connectivity. For those without Wi-Fi in the home, energy-saving outlets are available with built-in timer switches.

Internet-connected outlets, commonly known as smart plugs, provide greater control of the outlet through a smartphone, tablet or home assistant (like Google Home or Amazon’s Alexa).

With these connected smart plugs or smart power strips, a

few clicks and swipes on your smart phone will enable you to fully shut down the electrical currents to your high-powered devices to prevent them from consuming electricity even when switched off.

Advanced smart plugs and smart plug apps also have the ability to automate the use with your schedule and even your presence in the home. You can also have large-load devices turn off at a set time each night and turn on every morning when you’re ready to use them.

For folks who are looking to optimize their energy use and eliminate vampire loads, smart plugs may be your best option. For others who want more of a hands-off option to save additional dollars, energy-saving outlets and power strips without the Wi-Fi connection may be a better choice.

These advanced outlets typically cost around $10 to $20 each, depending on Wi-Fi functionality, and have the potential to pay for themselves within two years or less.

—Kaley Lockwood, NRECA

Co-op Linemen Earn Advanced Certificates at Nash Community College

Fall 2018 Advanced Certificate Recipients Blue Ridge Energy

Pitt & Greene EMC

• Shane Castevens • Josh Greene • Johnny Sloan

• Trey Radford

South River EMC

Halifax EMC

• William Sessoms • Chad (Maverick) Smith

• Nick Cannon

Tideland EMC

Piedmont Electric

• Matthew DeVan

• Mike Oakley

Tri-County EMC • Christopher (Todd) Harrell

Ten electric cooperative linemen recently completed advanced education work in Nash Community College’s Electric Lineman Technology program. The lineworkers earned advanced certificates for completing 17 college‑level credits.

The program includes courses in the classroom and outdoors on a specially designed training field built by the North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives. They learn skills such as overhead line construction, underground line construction and the National Electrical Safety Code. Beyond classes in line work and energy management, they can take courses toward an Associate Degree ranging from writing and math to critical thinking, computers and communication.

Since the program began in 1998, 22 co-op linemen have graduated with an Associate Degree. The community college program is supported entirely by the cooperatives but is also attended by linemen from Duke Energy and the municipal electric systems. In 2018, approximately 400 co-op employees attended the NC Electric Cooperatives’ Job Training & Safety Technical Training Schools at Nash Community College.

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d a e r B d o o G

OF THE JOYS

e Breads m o s e l o h ire W Alimentaor a healthier, stands f community er y Berg y Rand b s o h ap p i e r t o cy | Ph . La

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By Brid

Steve and Franca Gilbert believe all people should have wholesome breads.

As a family and as business owners, the couple believes in “nourishment over convenience, flavor over cost and goodwill over profit.” With those principles, the Gilberts started Alimentaire Wholesome Breads in Tarboro, the only bakery in rural Edgecombe County.

“I don’t use chemical yeast,” Franca explains. “I use a sourdough starter for all the pastries and breads except the quick breads.”

“Alimentaire” is the French word for nourishment. The small bakery located right across from the town square sells baguettes, white sandwich loaves, wheat boules and ciabatta rolls, along with a variety of specialty breads, pastries, biscotti, cookies, scones and croissants.

Franca uses locally sourced ingredients, including organic flour from Lindley Mills based in Graham. The couple also sells a variety of local or regional food products such as lunch meats, cheeses, pastas and sauces from Capri Flavors based in Morrisville, as well as kale, spinach, lettuces and seasonal vegetables from Lake Valley Farms in Tarboro.

Shoppers can easily pick up fresh produce, meats and breads to make a flavorful meal at home. Or they can make themselves comfortable at one of the community tables in the bakery and eat a warm piece of bread right out of the oven.

BAKING WITH PURPOSE

While the Gilberts have only been in business in Tarboro for a little over a year, they have spent very little on advertisement.

Their reputation has spread by word of mouth. And they have already received recognition. The NC Rural Center honored them as the 2018 Rural Entrepreneurs of the Year.

The award recognizes entrepreneurs who are making a significant difference on their local economy, serving as mentors to other local entrepreneurs, and taking leadership roles in their rural community.

“They just captured our hearts in lots of ways,” says Rural Center President Patrick Woodie. “They showed up with a vision for how they wanted to do things. They understand the health of their business is dependent upon the health of their local community. They have quickly become a part of the fabric of that community.”

“Many of our rural communities suffer from food deserts,” he continues. “They don’t have access to fresh and quality foods. As rural food entrepreneurs, the Gilberts are driven by the idea of using food for a purpose … And small business is the absolute backbone of rural North Carolina.”

The Gilberts believe that “real food made mostly from scratch nourishes a healthier, happier, and more resilient future for ourselves, one another, and the world.”

Franca says it was important to them to accept WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) vouchers so underserved communities could have access to healthy breads. The bakery also offers half-loaves for people who live alone.

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THE ROAD TO TARBORO

The couple, married for 24 years, work together like bread and butter. The two met at Fort Bragg, where they were both U.S. Army paratroopers. Franca, originally from Belgium, started baking early in the marriage because she couldn’t find good bread to feed their three children.

Their journey to Tarboro started when the couple met Inez Ribustello, the co-owner of On the Square restaurant and the Tarboro Brewing Company at the Carolina Food Summit in 2016.

Inez suggested the Gilberts, who then lived in Franklin County, come to Tarboro for a pop-up bakery once a month to sell their breads. Customers kept coming back.

The demand for their breads grew. So Franca, a former Wake Forest French teacher, and Steve, a small business start-up entrepreneur, decided to move to Tarboro and open a bakery.

COMMUNITY HOT SPOT

Now the Gilberts supply homemade pretzels for the Ribustello’s brewery and baguettes for the restaurant. In addition, their customers include hospital workers from nearby Greenville, teachers, lawyers and everyday folks looking for good bread and fellowship.

“This town had been talking about needing a bakery,” says Kevin Cross, who moved to Tarboro five years ago to work in the Pfizer’s Rocky Mount pharmaceutical facility.

Kevin, a quality control manager, likes picking up pastries to share with his staff.

And when the bakery opened, he started a new morning routine.

“I come in for coffee and an almond croissant or a blueberry lemon scone. Franca and Steve will often sit down and have a cup of coffee with me. They are really involved in the community. Sometimes new people will lay low. Not them.”

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Many people drive several hours to participate in their cooking classes, including pasta, bread and pizza making.

“People tell us ‘I don’t know what we used to do on Saturdays,’ ” Steve says. “We are a gathering spot for singles, families and retirees. We often introduce people who live here but who have never met. It’s gratifying to have this type of response.”

Bridgette A. Lacy is a freelance writer and the author of “Sunday Dinner: A Savor the South cookbook” by UNC Press of Chapel Hill.

Franca Gilbert

Franca Gilbert’s Sweetheart Chocolate Cranberry Rye Sourdough Bread This is a hearty and slightly sweet bread with a tight crumb — rich and chocolatey with fruity cranberries.

cup bread flour cup rye flour teaspoon salt cup of levain (a sourdough starter) 1¼ cups water 1/3 cup chocolate pieces 1/3 cup cranberries

Alimentaire Wholesome Breads

600 Trade Street, Tarboro, NC • alimentairebakery.com • 919-614-5319

¾ ¾ 1 ¼

Mix flours and salt. Add sourdough starter, water and mix thoroughly by hand.

Knead well so as to develop the gluten.

You will be kneading by hand for about 5–10 minutes.

When the back of your hand touches the dough and comes away clean, you know you are done kneading.

Fold in the cranberries and chocolate. Let sit for one hour on parchment paper.

Turn the dough a few times onto a floured surface, cover.

Let sit for one more hour and turn the dough again.

Place the dough in an airtight plastic container for 6–24 hours in the refrigerator.

When you are ready to bake, take the dough out of the refrigerator and form into a ball. Cover with a cloth. The dough will be ready to go in the oven after about 1–2 hours, when it is poked with your finger and the dough springs back.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Dust with flour and score a heart in the center (with a razor blade). Place the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 25–35 minutes or until an instant read thermometer registers 180 degrees.

If you are able to wait, let it cool for 40 minutes or so. It slices better when it’s room temperature.

Yield: One loaf

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1/10/19 11:56 AM

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1/10/19 12:05 PM

On the Equestrian World Map Polk County hosted 250,000 visitors for an international event

By Leah Chester-Davis

The 13-day “horse Olympics” attracted athletes from 68 countries.

TIEC

T

he crowd gives an appreciative cheer as horse and rider enter the competition arena. They then grow quiet, almost a collective holding of breath, as the horse begins its gallop and sails over obstacles as high as five feet. Pure grace and athleticism are on display. As the duo completes its run, the crowd erupts into cheers and spectators from the rider’s home country proudly wave their country’s flag.

The World Equestrian Games, sometimes called the horse Olympics, put North Carolina in the international spotlight last September with the games being hosted at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Polk County. Many of the athletes were vying for spots at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games during the 13-day event.

The quiet, bucolic setting of the Blue Ridge Mountains was transformed into a thriving international village, a reminder that people from around the globe enjoy friendly, yet serious competition and a good time.

Numerous languages (68 countries were represented) could be heard as fans gathered to watch athletes and their exquisite animals compete.

Crowds hopped on shuttles as they hustled from one arena to the next to catch a favored event or to stop at rows of tents that made up the marketplace with equestrian-themed goods and wares from around the world.

International spotlight

Tiny Tryon stands in stark contrast to the cosmopolitan cities that have hosted the Games in the past.

The governing body of the Games,

Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), had always selected European cities: Stockholm, Sweden; The Hague, Netherlands; Rome, Italy; Jerez, Spain; Aachen, Germany; and Normandy, France. The only other time the Games have been held outside Europe was in Lexington, Kentucky, in 2010.

The 2018 Games presented an opportunity for a large swath of western North Carolina to showcase the state’s beauty and hospitality.

Even the eventing course, designed

by Capt. Mark Phillips — a British gold-medal-winning horseman and the ex-husband of Princess Anne — gave a nod to many of the unique features of North Carolina, such as the Cape Hatteras lighthouse and the Hendersonville apple growing

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FEI/Liz Gregg

TIEC

FEI/Liz Gregg

TIEC

ntries.

Big Numbers TIEC

Countries represented:

68

Attendance:

TV viewers:

250,000*

4.7 million

*Down from an expected 400,000 due in part to Hurricane Florence

region, by incorporating iconic symbols as part of the jumps.

Logistical juggernaut

Safely bringing hundreds of horses and hundreds of thousands of participants and spectators (an estimated 250,000 people) to rural Polk County took careful planning and coordination.

“One of the biggest logistical efforts was bringing in all the horses from all over the world,” explains Michael Stone, president of the World Equestrian Games Organizing Committee. That entailed airlifting 530 horses from six different continents.

Another 197 horses traveled over land.

Michael says it required 380 staff members, nearly 400 ancillary staff and 1,700 volunteers to pull off the Games. Nearly 800 veterinarians were on-site checking horses before, during

and after competitions, overseeing USDA quarantine requirements or representing competing federations.

Because of the numerous countries represented and the anticipated crowds, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, TSA, the State Highway Patrol and the Polk County Sheriff’s Department worked together. Fire, emergency medical services and public health departments also were involved.

Peak power performance

As the venue was making preparations, Rutherford Electric Membership Corporation, which serves the entire Equestrian Center complex, developed its game plan for handling increased demand during the Games. Tom Haire, system engineer, says the venue needed additional electrical service, and Rutherford EMC supplied that as

well as anticipating and preparing for any unforeseen circumstances.

“We staged material for quick response, had a dedicated on-call crew and staffed more people in the office to respond to calls more quickly,” he says. “We had most of our outside force available as well.”

Tom and the engineering department went to construction meetings every week in the months leading up to the event and also met with the emergency services team working the event. “We went through with our right-of-way crews. We looked at poles and verified back feeds.”

During the Games, Tom walked through the venue periodically to verify load and to check transformers to ensure there wasn’t something that might cause a potential failure.

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TIEC

The design of the eventing course jumps gave a nod to many of the unique features of North Carolina, such as the Hendersonville apple growing region.

An experience of a lifetime

Oscar and Joyce Creech, of Marion, about 40 miles from the venue, volunteered for several days greeting guests and driving shuttles. When they weren’t volunteering, they enjoyed watching the various competitions.

“This is the biggest thing that has ever happened to western North Carolina,” Oscar says. “We just wanted to come down and be a part of it. We like to get out and promote our community and the rest of North Carolina.”

Some highlights for them were meeting people from around the world.

“The first day I drove the golf cart (shuttle), I drove people from 25 different countries,” Oscar says.

“The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Qatar, Dubai, Costa Rica, Portugal, Spain, Canada, Mexico — you name it.”

“It’s been so exciting to watch the events,” Joyce adds. “We watched the reining competition in this arena and

Missed the Games?

Enjoy world-class competition year-round The Tryon International Equestrian Center hosts events and competitions year-round.

Saturday Night Lights is a Grand Prix equestrian event showcasing the highest level competitive show jumping on select Saturday evenings during spring, summer and fall.

Admission, parking and carousel rides are free.

Various food options and live entertainment are featured at the impressive venue. See what’s happening at tryon.coth.com/events.

Precious cargo: horses being loaded on a plane in Belgium for transport to the United States

the United States won gold. To see them raise the American flag…” her voice trails off as the emotion of that moment hits her again.

Cade McCutcheon, of Texas, the youngest competitor to ever make the U.S. Reining Team at age 18, was on the medal stand when the significance of the win hit him.

“It was unreal, something I’ll never forget. Standing there, and when they played the national anthem more than anything, that was the best moment of the whole week,” he says.

Competitors included Olympians, world champions, sheiks, princes and teenagers. In addition to the U.S. Reining Team, the U.S. Jumping Team won Gold in a thrilling competition to close out the event.

Tryon on the world map

Despite the challenges of dealing with a hurricane, unseasonably hot temperatures, high humidity and race snafus, organizers closed the games on a high note.

Michael Stone says one of the most pleasant aspects of the games was North Carolina’s hospitality.

Leah Chester-Davis

FEI/Hippo Foto—Dirk Caremans

“We did an infrared shot on everything in the complex with our infrared camera,” he says. An infrared camera helps detect hot spots and uncovers potential problems that might cause an outage.

Even with the venue’s best-laid plans to accommodate a large crowd, Hurricane Florence served as a major disrupter, as it was bearing down on the Carolina coast just as the games were beginning. While heavy rains and flooding affected one competition day, the event was largely spared. When it comes to the electric service, “we never once blinked the lights,” Tom says.

Oscar and Joyce Creech of Marion volunteered at the event.

“The people of the region really took it to heart and did an amazing job of making all the foreign competitors and teams feel so welcomed. That was fantastic.”

“These games were the opportunity to get this venue on the world map and to really show what we have the ability to do,” says Sharon Decker, chief operating officer for Tryon Equestrian Partners, Carolina Operations, and a member of the organizing committee.

Sharon served as Secretary of Commerce for two years during Governor Pat McCrory’s term. “The compelling thing for so many of us who are involved is the opportunity to grow not only equestrian sport in our country and to create the premier location for equestrian sport, but it’s the job creation and the economic development this brings to this region.”

Carolina Country contributing editor Leah Chester-Davis loves to explore North Carolina. Her business, Chester-Davis Communications (chester-davis.com), specializes in food, farm, gardening and lifestyle brands and organizations.

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1/10/19 1:47 PM

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Dining Out, the Healthy Way 7 clever strategies to stay fit and well-fed

Love eating out with family and friends? If you’re trying to lose weight or maintain your healthy lifestyle, a big part of being successful is having the freedom to enjoy the things you love and not feel deprived. Unfortunately, those tasty meals at restaurants can contain more calories, salt and fats than food you’d prepare at home. Also, people can have a tendency to overeat when dining out (it’s hard to say “No” to freebies like chips and salsa or freshly baked bread).

Aim for the right balance of enjoyment and clever restraint by using these strategies from Mandi Knowles, dietitian for South Beach Diet.

1

Go online before you dine.

Most restaurants post their menus online. Make a game plan beforehand so you won’t be tempted by unhealthier options in-person.

2

Don’t show up starving.

Don’t skip out on breakfast or snacks so you can splurge. Showing up overly hungry makes you likely to overindulge. Plus, skipping meals can lead to a blood sugar crash and subsequent snacking, throwing you off track.

3

Be the portion police.

Restaurant portions are often two or three times the amount you need for any given meal. Consider sharing an entrée with a friend, saving half your meal for later, ordering from the

kid’s menu or choosing a few healthy appetizers instead of a full meal.

7

4

Stay hydrated.

According to a study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, drinking just over two cups of water 30 minutes before a meal helped dieters consume fewer calories and lose 44 percent more weight than those who didn’t hydrate before meals.

5

With these tips, visit your favorite restaurants without guilt or risk of sabotaging your healthy lifestyle. For additional recommendations, visit palm.southbeachdiet.com.

Include greens.

Start with a side salad to sneak in a serving of veggies and prevent overdoing it once your main meal arrives.

Hold the croutons and cheese and ask for the dressing on the side.

Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want.

Seek out lighter preparations. Think steamed, broiled and grilled instead of breaded, battered and fried. Switch preparations, substitute ingredients, nix the butter or cream, and if that’s not possible, ask your server to point you to healthier selections.

6

Make reservations.

Nothing’s worse than waiting when you’re hungry. Before you know it, you’re seated and your desperate tummy is calling the shots.

—StatePoint

Traveling in NC? At Tripadvisor.com, if you put in “North Carolina” and “healthy restaurants” in the search field, you’ll get more than 30 pages of choices in various NC cities and towns. You can also put in a specific location and get a list. Those interested in vegan and vegetarianfriendly restaurants in NC can peruse more than 720 choices at happycow.net.

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1/10/19 12:05 PM

Carolina People

Finding UFOs Inward (Not Upward) A personal journey led retired professor David Halperin to study UFOs

By Donna Campbell Smith

North Carolina ranks tenth in the top ten states for sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) — more than 2,000 have been spotted since the 1950s. What is the source of these mysterious objects? Well, 36 percent of Americans believe extraterrestrials have visited Earth, according to a survey commissioned by the National Geographic Channel.

But don’t count David J. Halperin, author of the novel “Journal of a UFO Investigator,” among them.

David came to live in North Carolina 42 years ago to teach religion at UNC-Chapel Hill. But his journey into Ufology (the study of UFOs) did not begin in North Carolina. He was living in Levittown, Pennsylvania, working on a research paper in the fall of 1960 — at the age of “12 going on 13” — when he read the book “They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers” by Gray Barker. He was fascinated with Barker’s accounts of flying saucers and men in black who came to scare the people who’d seen the flying saucers into keeping quiet. This story inspired the 1997 movie “Men in Black.”

Young David was convinced the stories were true and the men in black were real.

“I believed in UFOs because I believed in the men in black, and I believed in the men in black because I knew them from personal experience. Not literally, of course. But in my own home — my snug little suburban home in Levittown, Pennsylvania — there was a terrible secret that my entire family knew, but none of us would talk about. Namely, that my mother was not just a ‘semi-invalid,’ as we’d agreed to call her, but was slowly dying from a diseased heart.”

To David, her disease symbolized an invader, and by solving the UFO mystery, he felt he could ward off her death.

“Of course, I couldn’t,” he says. “My mother died when I was 16, less than four years after I started in with the UFOs. Everything followed from that.”

The closest he has come to seeing a UFO was in Durham, when he and his wife were out for a walk and saw lights circling overhead. Turns out it was

a flock of birds caught in the light reflecting from a building.

David now believes that UFOs, space aliens and other scary things that go bump in the night are figments of our imaginations. He says he doesn’t mean this in any belittling or dismissive sense. He believes in psychic realities, although in a different way.

“That’s what drives my current interest in UFOs: the quest to understand what this different kind of reality is.”

At one point in his novel, “Journal of a UFO Investigator,” the teenage protagonist Danny Shapiro is talking with his friend, mentor, and lover Rochelle Perlmann, who’s helping him to understand the strange things that have been happening to him. “But, Rochelle,” he protests, “It’s only a myth.” She answers: “Myths are real. That’s what I’ve been trying to explain. They have to be real. Otherwise they wouldn’t stay around for centuries.

They’d vanish like last year’s top tunes.”

“It’s all in our “So, yes, it’s all in our heads,” David says, “As a heads … and it’s dream is, or one of those absolutely real.” collective dreams that we call myths. And it’s absolutely real.”

David says he was first a Ufologist, then a scholar of religion. “When I went to college, I put UFOs behind me — and found myself attracted to religious phenomena like heavenly ascensions, otherworldly journeys, and the wheels of the prophet Ezekiel. In other words, UFOs; only in more conventionally respectable guises.”

It took 10 or 20 years before he was able to turn around and face his teenage study of UFOs and explore what it meant to him. “‘Journal of a UFO Investigator’ came out of this process of self-exploration,” David explains.

David is currently working on a nonfiction book on UFOs, “Intimate Alien: The Hidden Story of the UFO,” which is scheduled to be published by Stanford University Press in 2020.

Leaving us scratching our heads, questioning whether there really have been visitations to Earth from outer space, the retired professor writes on his blog (on davidhalperin.net): “Inside our minds, our souls, there’s enough alienness to fill a universe.”

Donna Campbell Smith is a Carolina Country contributing writer who lives in Franklin County.

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1/10/19 1:22 PM

matters MEMBERSHIP

A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM BLUE RIDGE ENERGY

February 2019

Vegetation management balances power reliability with scenic beauty

Vegetation management The single major cause of power outages is damage to power lines from trees and limbs during severe weather such as high winds, heavy snow, ice, or lightning.

With more than 8,000 miles of power lines to protect, Blue Ridge Energy works year-round on vegetation management to ensure members have the most reliable electricity possible. While Blue Ridge ranks among the most reliable electric providers, your cooperative has added another method to help achieve reliability in a safe, environmentally friendly manner: aerial tree pruning.

Used by utilities across the nation for years, aerial tree pruning is approved by the ANSI (American National Standards Institute). The process is less intrusive to member property and the environment than traditional methods.

As with all vegetation management, members are notified in advance of pruning. Debris is removed from maintained areas, while in nonmaintained areas, debris is Vegetation management occurs in rights-of-way. either left or bushhogged to the ground.

A right-of-way is a strip of land along either side

of power lines. It helps protect the lines and allows linemen to work safely to build and maintain the power system to ensure members receive reliable electricity.

This method utilizes trained helicopter pilots who carefully conduct pruning along rights-of-ways. Trained employee “spotters� are located on ground level and are in constant communication with the pilot.

Blue Ridge-0219.indd 21

Our vegetation management program combines several growth control methods that balance scenic beauty with safe, reliable electricity.

For more information, visit BlueRidgeEnergy.com/Trees.

1/10/19 1:19 PM

M

the

perspective From Blue Ridge CEO Doug Johnson

giving back:

Members Foundation There’s no better feeling than giving back. That’s the tradition of the Blue Ridge Energy Members Foundation and the power of partnership between members and your electric cooperative.

In its 12th year, the Members Foundation has given over $1.1 million worth of community grants to improve local quality of life for all ages (see recent grants on the next page). Including assistance for households needing help staying warm in winter with heating bill assistance, the Foundation has given back over $3 million.

This would not have been possible if it weren’t for you, our members, and the cooperative’s subsidiaries.

Thanks go to our members who generously round up their monthly electric bills or donate larger amounts of their choice to Operation Round Up®. Some even donate their annual capital credits refunds and you’ll see this year’s opportunity to do so on the cover wrap of this issue of Carolina Country magazine.

Also contributing up to $50,000 annually to the Foundation from their profits are the cooperative’s

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Blue Ridge-0219.indd 22

Propane and Fuels and RidgeLink telecommunications subsidiaries.

Members also help guide the Foundation. A Foundation Advisory Committee, made up of volunteer members, reviews grant applications annually and makes recommendations to the Foundation’s Board of Directors for funding approval.

While crisis heating assistance remains a cornerstone of Foundation support, improving quality of life across our service area is being achieved through funding for Foundation grants in the areas of health and wellness, education and youth, environmental enhancement, as well as economic and community development.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you, the members, who give to Operation Round Up, as well as those who use our propane and fuels services or purchase hearth and home products from our showrooms. Working together, your Members Foundation is helping improve the quality of life for people in our area, and we’re also serving those in need of a helping hand!

If you would like to join Operation Round Up to help the Members Foundation improve local quality of life and provide crisis heating assistance, please call a local Blue Ridge Energy office, return the stitched in magazine post card or sign up online at BlueRidgeEnergy.com/ ORU. To learn more about the Blue Ridge Energy Members Foundation visit BlueRidgeEnergy.com/ members-foundation.

n r y

MEMBERSHIP matters

1/11/19 11:00 AM

M

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22

Members Foundation 2018 grant recipients Alleghany County Alleghany Partnership for Children

$15,000

To fund Haven of Hope Advocacy Center for children that includes rooms for exams, interviews and supervised visitation

Piney Creek Volunteer Fire Department

$20,000

Construction of a new fire station and community center

Solid Rock Food Closet

$2,500

Purchase of pre-packaged, kid-friendly backpack food for summer 2019 feeding program

Ashe County Sharing Center

$3,000

Support for Ashe Senior Mobile Pantry providing food for over 3,000 homebound seniors

New River Conservancy

$15,000

To help secure 350 acres of Elk Shoals as part of the New River State Park

Shoes For Kids

$10,000

Shoe closets for children served by Ashe County Partnership for Children and Foster Care program

Ashe County

Caldwell County Caldwell County Lions Activities Assoc., Inc.

$500

10 free eye clinics annually to local low income recipients

Caldwell Opportunities, Inc.

$6,870

Two ADA operators with wireless handicap push plates for those with accessibility concerns

Caldwell Senior Center

$5,000

Support for ongoing Medicare program counseling and enrollments

Chapel of Rest Preservation Society

$2,890

New fire alarm system to deter theft, vandalism and fire

Communities in Schools Caldwell Co.

$1,855

Funding for 10 Chrome Books for CIS students

Helping Hands Clinic

$3,000

Pilot project support or uninsured adult dental care

Koinonia, Inc

$5,000

Mini-split HVAC unit

Teacher Treasures

$500

Ongoing free school supplies for Caldwell County educators

The Caldwell Halfway House

$5,000

Ongoing interior renovations for residents

OASIS

$2,000

Funding for utility deposits and other housing obstacles for families fleeing abuse

Sugar Grove Developmental Day School

$7,500

Playground improvements for infants, toddlers, tweenie and preschool students

Western Youth Network

$2,500

Expansion of child mentoring program in Avery County

Special Olympics

$2,500

Engage children and adults with intellectual disabilities in a sports program to improve health, quality of life

Spirit Ride Therapeutic Riding Center

$3,700

Therapeutic Riding/Equine Facilitated Learning for clients ages 3-17

Shoes for Kids received $10,000 to fund shoe closets in Ashe County.

Watauga County

Multi County

Total $114,315 The Blue Ridge Energy Members Foundation was formed to help members participate in the cooperative’s mission of helping local communities in its service area. Foundation funds are used in two ways: first, to provide crisis electric and fuel bill assistance to members coordinated through local helping agencies, and secondly, to provide grants to local non-profit organizations for projects that help sustain and build quality of life.

Funding comes from members participating in the cooperative’s Operation Round Up® and Operation Round Up Plus® programs, memberdonated capital credits, as well as contributions from the profits of the cooperative’s two subsidiary companies.

MEMBERSHIP matters

Blue Ridge-0219.indd 23

Page 23

1/10/19 1:19 PM

a special message for our disabled veterans. . .

No Barriers Warriors Expeditions Blue Ridge Energy is seeking disabled veterans to participate in the No Barriers Warriors Expeditions this summer, a five-day program in Colorado designed to help disabled veterans transform their lives through curriculumbased experiences in challenging environments. The expeditions are described as “one-part adventure, one-part curriculum, and one-part physical challenge” and are designed to push participants mentally and physically to help them connect with fellow disabled veterans and break through barriers in their lives.

Blue Ridge Energy will take care of all the expenses. Nominate yourself or someone you think deserves this special opportunity by April 15, 2019.

For an application and to learn more about this exciting opportunity visit BlueRidgeEnergy.com/No-barriers.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Attention youth!

EDITOR

Scholarship and leadership opportunities are available as part of Blue Ridge Energy’s support of local communities.

Doug Johnson

Renée R. Whitener

PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Susan Simmons

DISTRICT OFFICES Caldwell Watauga Ashe Alleghany Wilkes PowerLine®

(828) 754-9071 (828) 264-8894 (336) 846-7138 (336) 372-4646 (800) 451-5474 (800) 448-2383

Toll Free

(800) 451-5474

(PowerLine® is an automated account information and outage reporting system.)

(for members outside of the service area.)

To report an outage at any time, call PowerLine at (800) 448-2383.

OFFICE HOURS: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday Kiosk available 24/7 + Night deposit Visit us on the web: BlueRidgeEnergy.com +

County, Blue Ridge Energy helps administer the Charles and Lucille Suddreth scholarship, which awards $800 for a student attaining a twoyear degree. Financial need and academic performance are the primary criteria and the deadline for applications is March 31, 2019. Apply at BlueRidge Energy.com/scholarships.

To qualify for these opportunities, high school students must join Blue Ridge Energy’s Leadership Track in their freshman or sophomore years, or as early as possible during high school. To join or learn more, go to BlueRidge Did you know. . .

Energy.com/youthQualifying seniors are invited to leadership-track.

apply for up to eight $4,000

In February, qualifying renewable scholarships? seniors involved in Blue Ridge Energy’s Leadership Track will be invited to apply for up Leadership camp opportunities, as to eight $4,000 renewable scholarwell as college bound workshops, ships for students seeking a four-year are also available to high school degree. Awards are based on leadersophomores and juniors in the Blue ship performance, resume developRidge Energy Leadership Track. ment and a personal interview.

Learn more at BlueridgeEnergy.com/ youth-leadership-track.

Additionally, for students in Caldwell

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Page 24

Blue Ridge-0219.indd 24

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Jake Winders

On the House

Bringing Home Baby Saving energy after a new addition

By Hannah McKenzie

Q: A:

The author with her family’s newest addition.

My energy bill noticeably rose when I brought my first baby home, and our second is arriving soon.

How can we limit the expected increase?

Higher energy bills after a baby can be quite a shock. How can someone so small need so much? Fortunately, there are a number of ways to save, so find what works best for your family.

Laundry (with icky stains) is a persistent chore for families with children. Clothes washers with the Energy Star® label use approximately 10 gallons of water less per load than standard washers, and they produce equally clean laundry. A growing family is a great reason to upgrade to an energy-efficient washer and dryer.

Keep laundry costs down by: ■■ Washing and drying full loads, and

taking care to not under- or overfill the machine. This may mean mixing your clothes or linens with your baby’s.

■■ Using cold water when possible,

warm water for diaper leaks and hot water for epic adventures like lice. “Prewash” or “stain” cycles are more likely to remove stains than hot water.

■■ When drying clothes, use the

Energy Star or dry-sensing setting rather than timed-dry to limit cooking your already dry clothes. Empty

the lint trap. If you have time, hang clothes outside to dry and whiten in the sunshine.

Gadgets like swings, baby monitors and sound machines can add up fast. Turn off, unplug or avoid electric devices when possible, and consider rechargeable batteries like Panasonic’s eneloop to limit the need to repeatedly purchase batteries.

Lights are often on as we care for newborns at all hours or scare away under-the-bed monsters. Add LED light bulbs to your baby registry and change ALL of the bulbs in your house, including night lights. LEDs last 10+ years and are less likely to shatter than incandescent bulbs or CFLs, which release dangerous chemicals when broken. Energy Star-labeled LEDs meet stringent quality standards for their light quality and life spans. Changing bulbs will immediately and noticeably save energy.

Clothing that is appropriate for the temperature inside can keep heating and cooling costs down.

Layered clothing, hats and socks are a few items that help babies stay warm while leaving your heat at 68 degrees or below.

Toddler proofing — covering outlets, hiding cords and moving electronics out of reach — is also a great time to limit the electric devices at home. As children grow, many prefer time with their family over electronics by opting for board games, reading together or playing outside. The same goes for the baby who loves being held and rocked when sleeping. You’ll save energy and spend time with your child who will be too big for snuggles in a matter of years.

Breastfeeding and cloth diapers offer savings but are personal choices that present obvious challenges.

Breastfeeding limits the energy needed for washing, refrigerating and warming bottles when mom is home, but is more likely to save noticeably elsewhere in your budget. Cloth diapers, while marginally increasing energy and water bills, can limit the energy needed to manufacture, transport and dispose of singleuse diapers.

Making space for a growing family in an existing home rather than moving to a larger home might also keep energy costs low.

Bringing home a tiny human comes with all sorts of changes, including a need for more electricity, but you can keep that impact to a minimum.

Hannah McKenzie is a building science consultant for Advanced Energy in Raleigh.

26 | carolinacountry.com

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Energy Sense

Seven Low-Cost Energy Tips for Renters Tame winter chills without breaking the bank

By Pat Keegan and Brad Thiessen

A

n energy efficient heating system can go far in helping to reduce winter energy costs.

But not everyone can make HVAC upgrades, whether they’re renting or their budget won’t allow it. Here are seven low-cost efficiency tips that can help you reduce winter energy bills.

1

Mind the thermostat.

You might be able to trim your energy bill by carefully managing the temperature in your home. The Department of Energy suggests setting your thermostat to 68 degrees on winter days. If that’s too cool, try other ways to stay warm like layering with an extra sweater. You can save more energy by turning down the thermostat even lower at night or when no one is home.

2

Go programmable.

If you don’t always remember to adjust your thermostat manually, you could benefit from a programmable model. In the right situation, set correctly, programmable thermostats can save $150 a year. Some programmable thermostats can be managed from your smart phone or other devices. Before you purchase one, make sure it makes sense for the type of heating system installed and your landlord approves.

3

Try zone heating.

If you don’t mind less-used rooms being colder, you might be able to save energy (and money) by zone heating. Electric baseboards make it easy because they typically have thermostat settings on the units or in each room. Portable electric space heaters can also be a good tool for zone

heating if they are used safely and wisely in the area you spend the most time. Keep in mind, if you’re using space heaters, you’ll need to reduce the heating you’re supplying to the rest of the home. Space heaters that are used incorrectly can be dangerous and increase energy costs. If your heating system needs to be replaced, you can talk to your landlord about installing a mini-split system, which is perfect for zone heating and cooling, and easier to install than a new duct and furnace system.

4

Stop air leaks.

Small gaps around windows, doors, wiring and plumbing penetrations can be major sources of energy loss. This problem can be alleviated with a little weather stripping and caulk, but you should check with your landlord before you get started.

Better yet, convince the landlord to do the work! A door draft stopper (also known as a “door snake,” which cost from $10–$20) is a simple way to block gaps underneath exterior doors.

Sealing air leaks around your home could shave up to one-fifth of your heating and cooling bills.

5

Manage your windows and window coverings.

Your windows may be letting heat out during the winter and letting heat in during the summer. Window coverings like medium or heavy-weight curtains and thermal blinds can help. On cold winter days, window coverings can keep warmth inside and improve comfort. Opening up window coverings when you’re receiving direct sunlight is a ‘passive solar’ technique that can help cut your heating costs. You can

Get the most out of your hot water use by only washing full loads of dishes.

also cover windows with clear plastic to reduce heat loss and air leaks.

6

Look for energy wasters.

There are also small steps you can take every day to reduce your energy use. Water heaters should be kept at the warm setting (120 degrees).

Wash dishes and clothes on the most economical settings that will do the job and always wash full loads. Use the microwave instead of the oven when possible.

7

Landords (and others) can help.

Hopefully these tips will help you reduce your energy bills and increase your comfort, but consider talking to your landlord about additional ways to save, like installing better insulation, energy efficient windows or heating systems. Many landlords make these types of investments to add appeal to their rental properties, which ultimately improve the value of the property. A home energy audit is the best way to identify areas for energy efficiency improvements.

Contact your electric cooperative to see if they offer energy audits or if they can recommend someone local.

An audit would be a great way to start a conversation with your landlord about potential improvements.

This column was co-written by Pat Keegan and Brad Thiessen of Collaborative Efficiency.

Visit carolinacountry.com/your-energy for more ideas on energy efficiency.

28 | carolinacountry.com

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12/11/18 4:27 PM 1/10/19 12:05 PM

2

I Remember

Memories and photos from our readers

Sneaker-Wearing Guard Rooster I ran across this photo of our big Red Island Rooster. He was much more of a pet than a rooster. He was among 24 biddies that came to us one Easter.

Until they were older, we could not tell which were chicks or which were roosters. He was about the only rooster that survived. He quickly became a pet, of his own choice. He was named Bock Bock because when he ate scratch food, between bites, he seemed to be saying “bock, bock.” As if to say, “this is the best food I have ever eaten!”

Bock Bock quickly became friends with our German Shepard, Cameo.

They hung together most of the time.

Bock Bock even ate dog food with Cameo and slept with him. Cameo was named because his coat was of so any different colors. Cameo took great pride in rounding up the chickens when a truck needed to unload at the dock of the business.

However, Bock Bock himself was also protective of the place. When he saw a truck coming on the property, he refused to let the truck come more than just a little distance, then would not allow the trucks to go any further.

Bock Bock was protecting his territory. The truck drivers finally figured a way around the guard rooster. They bought a box of Cheerios. When they first drove in the lot, they would roll down the window and throw a handful of cereal out as far as possible.

They know that Bock Bock would eat until they could unload and leave!

This maneuver was quite successful.

I found a tiny pair of white Reebok tennis shoes at a thrift store that just fit Bock Bock. He allowed us to put them on him and he strutted his stuff in them.

I wrote the Reebok Company suggesting that in my opinion Bock Bock would make a real successful TV commercial for then to feature Bock Bock in his tennis shoes. I suggested the commercial could have him say something like, “My name is Bock Bock, and I wear Reebok.”

Well, I tried many times to contact them by every means I thought possible, but they refused to either talk with me or allow me to explain my

plan. I figure it is their loss.

Bock Bock by himself was on guard duty in the office every morning. He would wait at the front door until it was open, then go in first to case the joint out. This is just a part of his regular routine in and around the business. (In reality, after he looked around, he would go toward the green plants growing in the office and peck around hoping to find a bug of some kind.)

I find Bock Bock very fascinating, but it may be because he was a part of our lives. A call to the vet told us roosters usually live only 7 years, if they are healthy and taken good care of. Bock Bock was certainly that.

Jean Sosebee, Bessemer City A member of Rutherford EMC

Tire Play When I was growing up in Glen Raven, a small section of Alamance County located between Burlington and Elon College, I would get up early on summer mornings and, if my grandmother didn’t have some vegetables or fruit to be prepared for canning, I would head outside for tire play. Tire play is when I would find an old used car tire, clean off the mud and empty water out of it. Playing with the tire meant running alongside or behind the tire throughout my neighborhood. When the other boys found their tires, we raced each other through homemade courses or to a fixed finish line. I had to do some kind of trick or routine that made me and my tire stand out from the others. Most of all, you just had to be fast. Being an adult now I realize what creative play now means!

Robert Jeffers, Burlington, a member of Piedmont Electric

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Sunday Church Not Optional This picture was taken in 1963 in front of Harper’s Ferry Church, located south of Pembroke off Hwy 710. The church sets right on the bank of the Lumber River. Stories have it they did quite a bit of baptizing in the river behind the church.

Pictured are my four siblings from back row, left to right: sister Lynna V. and Len Edward. Front row, left to right: Stanley Edward and Allen Lee. The picture was taken before I was born and reflects the times, noting the Sunday attire they are wearing. These guys were visiting for the summer from Detroit, Michigan, where I was yet to be born. Attending Sunday church was not optional during their stay with Aunt Nonie. Lynna and Allen have passed on to the afterlife now. Brothers Stanley and Len reside on the Currituck Sound.

Our parents were part of the automotive migration during the 1940s and 1950s. My mother, Margaret, is from and still resides in Robeson County. My father Edward Lee, whom has passed on, was from Arkansas.

Taking pictures back then also appears to have been much more exciting than it is now.

Dwight Murray, Pembroke, a member of Lumbee River EMC

Send Us Your Memories We love sharing photos and memories dear to our readers.

Submit your photo, plus roughly 200 words that describe it, online or by mail with a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you want it returned (only one entry per household, per month). Include your name, mailing address, phone number or email address, and the name of your electric co-op. We retain reprint rights, and we’ll pay $50 for those we publish. Online: carolinacountry.com/contact U.S. Mail: I Remember, Carolina Country, 3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27616

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NC Outdoors

Spring Catch

Shad are the harbingers of spring

Guide Mitchell Blake lands a hickory shad for a client on the Roanoke River.

Story and photos by Mike Zlotnicki

One of the many blessings of living in the Tar Heel State are the myriad fishing opportunities. From the mountain streams to the Gulf Stream, there is something for any angler.

Two species that “ring in” the start of spring fishing are the American shad and the hickory shad. Starting in February and lasting into early April, these shad species start spawning runs up coastal rivers like the Roanoke, Tar, Neuse and Cape Fear.

(The fish, like striped bass, are anadromous, meaning they live in salt water and spawn in fresh water.)

The American (or white) shad are larger than the more common hickory shad. American shad average 2–4 pounds, while hickories grow 1–2 pounds. When they’re thick it’s not hard to catch 50 to 100 “hicks” in a day’s fishing. To identify shad,

Hickory shad

look at their jaw. Hickory shad have a protruding jaw that looks pouty. The American shad does not have this feature and their lips are even when their jaw is closed.

Equipping for the catch Tackle is pretty straightforward. For conventional tackle, a light or ultralight spinning rod with 6- to 8-pound test is fine. Lures for shad include shad “darts” (a type of jig) and small spoons, sometimes in tandem with the spoon at the bottom and a dart and foot or two above on a short leader tied to a swivel. Rick Goines of Tarboro is a veteran shad angler and outdoor writer, and his favorite shad rig is the Custom Jimmy-D Shad Rig, hand-tied by Jimmy Dupree, Jr. of Tarboro. It is a tandem rig consisting of a one-eighth ounce green jig head, a green curly grub, and a 1½-inch green Nungesser spoon.

You can certainly just use small crappie jigs, marabou or plastic bodied, in green, chartreuse and pearl.

Fly-anglers use 4- to 6-weight outfits and sinking lines. Many use Clouser minnows in Crazy Charlie style in hot pink/chartreuse and red/gold.

Green seems to be a common color in jig bodies.

For shad fishing, casting from a boat is best, and on the Roanoke you will see everything from canoes to cabin cruisers. There is some limited bank fishing spots available, as well. Goines identified these locations as shad hot spots (originally published in Wildlife in North Carolina magazine): The Shad Hole

Battle Park

35.894168, -77.531993 103 E. River Road, Tarboro

35.959824, -77.794831 Falls Road @ US 64 E, Rocky Mount

The Pipe

Weldon

35.976956, -77.724044 NC Highway 97 East, Rocky Mount

36.4267323,-77.5906955 Rockfish Park, Rockfish Drive, Weldon

Daily creel limits for American and hickory shad vary by river and species combination, so consult an NC Wildlife Resources Commission regulations digest before fishing (available online at ncwildlife.org/ Licensing/Regulations). Creel limits by species can also be found online at bit.ly/eregulations-ncgamefish.

Mike Zlotnicki is associate editor at Wildlife in North Carolina magazine. He lives in Garner with his wife, three daughters and two German shorthaired pointers.

NC WILDLIFE UPDATE

Rare Case of Rabies in NC Black Bear A black bear that died in December in Hyde County has tested positive for rabies — the first known case of a rabies-positive black bear in the state, according to the NC Wildlife Resources Commission.

Johnny Dale of Fairfield contacted the Commission on Dec. 17 after finding the yearling male bear dead at his game feeder.

Dale reported he first observed the male bear the day before at his game feeder and that it was

alive, but very lethargic and unable to move.

Commission personnel conducted an initial necropsy (autopsy performed on animals) and sent the bear to researchers at the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study at the University of Georgia for further testing. The Study confirmed rabies as the cause of death.

“Rabies in wild black bears is extremely rare; it has been documented only four times in the lower 48 states since 1999,” says Colleen

Olfenbuttel, the Commission’s black bear and furbearer biologist in a news release. “You can only get rabies by coming in direct contact with the saliva, tears, or brain/nervous tissue of an infected animal.”

Anyone who encounters a black bear exhibiting disease symptoms or comes across a dead black bear should call the Commission’s NC Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401. On weekends, please call 800-662-7137.

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The storefront of Conrad & Hinkle is located at the same place it has been for 100 years: 6 North Main Street in Lexington, NC

A Century of Reliable Service Celebrate a milestone with Conrad & Hinkle Food Market

By Craig Distl | Photos courtesy of Lexington Tourism Authority

It’s a typical Tuesday and Lee Hinkle is where he’s been most every Tuesday of his adult life — working his family’s grocery market, Conrad & Hinkle, on the square in downtown Lexington.

Memories flow as he talks about an upcoming Tuesday (Feb. 12, 2019) that will be anything but typical. It’s the day this beloved hometown institution celebrates 100 years in business.

Lee shares a story about a customer who came in during the 1990s and realized her family’s account, which hadn’t been used in years, carried an unpaid balance. The account, she said, was important because it helped her parents get through the Great Depression. The ledgers revealed a $300 balance, so she wrote a check for twice that amount and said, “I hope this will cover the interest.”

As Lee finishes the story, Judy Black enters with a sack of pecans collected by her family and shelled by hand.

Lee is glad to see her and buys the entire sack (“We’ve been doing ‘local’ for 100 years, he says.”) Check in hand, Judy leaves with a friendly reminder to bring in more pecans soon.

Simple and reliable

There’s a genuineness at Conrad & Hinkle that started back in February of 1919 when Lee Hinkle’s great-grandfather, Walter Conrad, and grandfather, Odell Hinkle, set up shop. And it

continues today under a fourth generation of leadership.

“As soon as you walk in, they are welcoming you and more than likely calling you by name. That is personalized service you don’t get in larger operations,” says Lexington mayor Newell Clark. “It’s just part of the DNA at Conrad & Hinkle.”

While Lee is proud to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his family’s business, in many ways he sees it as a natural extension of what he and his brother, Jim, learned as kids working for their grandfather, Odell, and later for their father, Dwight.

There’s no magic formula, Lee says, nor does he feel he’s done anything special. “I like to keep it simple,” he says.

Perhaps therein lies the secret. In a world of electronic scanners, self-checkout counters and 12 different flavors of the same sports drink, there’s comfort in the simplicity of places like Conrad & Hinkle.

“We don’t have all the selection the Walmarts, Food Lions and big box stores have, but we have a personal

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Legendary pimento cheese Conrad & Hinkle produces more than 1,500 pounds of pimento cheese per week, which started with Grandma Hinkle’s recipe in the 1940s.

Customers loved it then, and they love it now. It is available in house, as well as at a number of stores throughout the Piedmont — Lee Hinkle runs a weekly delivery route to keep the stores stocked.

Owner Lee Hinkle with cartons of the store’s famous pimento cheese.

touch. Like our meat department, everything is cut to order,” Lee explains. “It’s service, it’s quality, and you can walk in here and talk to one of us and we can tell you how something is because we’ve tried it.”

Generations of service

Lee believes credit for the store’s success goes to his grandfather, father and staff. Odell Hinkle took over in 1927 when Walter Conrad’s health declined. He ran it for decades and when people asked why he didn’t shorten the name to Hinkle’s, he said it was too costly to change the signs. Although frugal, Odell made wise investments.

In 1941, he installed what was believed to be the second walk-in freezer in North Carolina. Home freezers were an uncommon luxury at that time, so customers rented space in the freezer, still in use today.

Dwight Hinkle started full time in the 1950s and ran the store for decades until handing it over to Lee and Jim in 1990. Dwight, who was Lexington’s mayor from 1978–1985, kept the store afloat during the economic downturn of the early 1970s and set the stage for a fourth generation of the Hinkle family to carry on the tradition.

Lee eventually bought out his brother’s share and says that someday his teenage son, John, might take the helm.

In the meantime, there are canned goods to stock, pimento cheese to deliver and groceries to bag. Yes, at 56, the owner still does those things on a regular basis.

“Recently I was carrying groceries to the car for a man who was 93 years old and he told me he could remember coming in here when he was a boy,” Lee says. “Generations of people have shopped here their whole lives, so we must be doing something right.”

Craig Distl is a Belmont-based freelance writer and proud native of North Carolina.

This photo from 1927 shows the store’s interior. The metal ceilings and the hooks holding the bananas are still in use today.

Second from right is Odell Hinkle.

Ashley Hinkle (left) and Emily Trexler (right) speak with a customer at the front counter.

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Carolina Compass

Mabyn Ludke

Wedding Expo Feb. 16, Burnsville

February Events MOUNTAINS NC Conceal Carry Class Learn about permit Feb. 2, Dallas 704-692-4176 carolinasfirstdefense.com

Chair Caning & Seat Weaving

Wedding Expo

Handcrafted with Love

Demo with Brandy Clements Feb. 15–17. Asheville 828-253-7651 grovewood.com

Exhibits, vendors Feb. 16, Burnsville 828-682-7209 burnsvilletowncenter.com

Tour of Seagrove galleries Feb. 8–10, Seagrove 336-707-9124 seagrovedowntownshops@gmail.com

President’s Day Family Weekend Fireworks, moonlight skating Feb. 15–18, Blowing Rock 828-295-7828 appskimtn.com

The Music of Beatles & Eagles Tribute performances Feb. 14–17, Flat Rock 828-693-0731 flatrockplayhouse.org

Kyle Petty & David Childers Stories, songs Feb. 16, Dallas 704-266-1472 facebook.com/odb1863

Traditional Oil Painting Demo with Bryan Koontz Feb. 15–16, Asheville 828-253-7651 grovewood.com

Outhouse Races Feb. 16, Sapphire 828-743-7663 admin@pineapple-pr.com

PIEDMONT Open House Orchids, refreshments Feb. 7–Feb. 14, Hickory 828-294–3950 ironwoodorchids.com

Gallery Goes Pop: Warhol Silk screen images Feb. 7–April 12, Fayetteville 910-425-5379 davidmccunegallery.org

Sammy Kershaw Country music artist Feb. 9, Liberty 336-534-0010 thelibertyshowcase.com

Other Dimensions Varied artworks Feb. 21–Mar. 24, Hillsborough 919-732-5001 hillsboroughgallery.com

Tree Seedling & Fruit Plant Sale Natives, heirlooms available Feb. 23, Monroe 704-283-3822 mastergardenersunioncountync.org

carolinacountry.com/calendar

See more events online with photos, descriptions, maps and directions.

MOUNTAINS

77

PIEDMONT

Listing Deadlines: Submit Listings Online: For April: Feb. 25 For May: March 25

95

carolina­country.com/calendar (No email or U.S. Mail.)

COAST

Unnatural Resources Fair Creations from discarded materials Feb. 1–3, Greenville

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Carolina Compass

Know Before You Go

In case something changes after Carolina Country goes to press, check information from the contact listed.

Stephen Freeman

African American Music Series

Elvis Tribute artist Feb. 23, Liberty 336-534-0010 thelibertyshowcase.com

Feb. 8, Greenville 252-551-6694 pittcountyarts.com

COAST NC Jazz Festival Include Brazilian music Jan. 31–Feb 2, Wilmington 910-793-1111 ncjazzfestival.org

First Friday Artwalk Special sales Feb. 1, Greenville 252-561-8400 uptowngreenville.com

Ensemble Melange Chamber music Feb. 1, Oriental 252-617-2125 pamlicomusic.org

Unnatural Resources Fair Creations from discarded materials Feb. 1–3, Greenville 252-355-1039 unnaturalresources.org

Savannah Jack Interactive music show Feb. 12, Washington 252-947-2076 gobcca.org

Ability Gardening Refreshments, presentation Feb. 13, Morehead City 252-222-6352 mjwolff@ec.rr.com

Ability Gardening Feb. 13, Morehead City

Jackie Robinson: A Game Apart Actor brings history alive Feb. 15, Greenville 800-328-2787 bit.ly/ecu-jackie-robinson

Eastern Bridal Expo Vendors, exhibits Feb. 17, Greenville 252-975-8540 easterncarolinabridalexpo.com

Boat Show Feb. 22–24, Greenville 252-321-7671 vera@visitgreenvillenc.com

There are more than 250 farmers markets in North Carolina, and some stay open year-round. For one near you, visit bit.ly/NCfarmmarkets.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Home Improvement Fails

You tried, you failed, we’re interested!

Ever start a home improvement project with big plans, but end with regrets, a mess and a fervent wish you’d called in a professional? (We have.) If you can finally laugh about it, please share photos of and stories about your DIY project fail. We will pay $50 for each photo or story published in our May 2019 issue.

Rules

Send to

Deadline: March 15, 2019

Online: carolinacountry.com/DIYfails No emails, please.

One entry per household Digital photos should be a minimum of 1200 by 1800 pixels; prints a minimum of 4 x 6 inches.

Include your name, electric co-op, mailing address and email address or phone number with your entry.

Text should not exceed 200 words.

We retain reprint and online rights. Payment will be limited to those entries appearing in print, not entries featured solely on carolinacountry.com.

Mail: Carolina Country Home Improvement Fails 3400 Sumner Blvd.

Raleigh, NC 27616 If you would like us to return your photo print, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

(We will not return others.)

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Marketplace

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Advertise in the Marketplace Call Tom Siebrasse for more information

1-800-662-8835, ext. 2420

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Contact us at 800.633.8969 or roofover.com Mobile Home Roofover Systems Since 1983

800-447-7436 | MORTONBUILDINGS.COM ©2019 Morton Buildings, Inc. A listing of GC licenses available at mortonbuildings.com/licenses. Certain restrictions apply. Ref Code 082

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Marketplace

Arco Steel Buildings 1-800-241-8339 40 x 60 x 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL $ 13,410 50 x 75 x 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL $ 18,215 60 x 100 x 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL $ 26,965 100 x 75 x 12 w/column . . . . . . . . . . . CALL $ 32,350 20 x 100 x 8'6" Mini Warehouse . . . . . CALL $ 9,125

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Years

Arco Building Systems, Inc. (FOB PLANT – LOCAL CODES MAY AFFECT PRICES – BUILDINGS NOT AS SHOWN ABOVE)

Business Opportunities

Miscellaneous

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FREE CBD STORE! I “Googled” My Symptoms! Turns Out All I Need Is PATENTED 10xPure CBD Oil! NO THC! www.FreeCBDStore.biz

PLAY GOSPEL SONGS BY EAR — $12.95. “Learn Gospel Music.” Chording, runs, fills — $12.95. Both $24.

Davidsons, 6727C Metcalf, Shawnee Mission, Kansas 66204. 913-262-4982.

F B H w

FREE MATERIALS: SOON CHURCH/GOVERNMENT UNITING. Suppressing “Religious Liberty”, enforcing a “National Sunday Law”. Be informed! Need mailing address only. TBSM, Box 99, Lenoir City, TN 37771. thebiblesaystruth@yahoo.com 1-888-211-1715.

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Vacation Rental ATLANTIC BEACH OCEANFRONT CONDO, breathtaking view. 1/BD, 1½ /BA, $75.00. 816-931-3366.

Gold Maps FUN, HOW TO PAN. Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, California. 1-407-282-3594. WWW.GOLDMAPS.COM.

For Sale TWO CEMETERY PLOTS, Gaston Memorial Park, Gastonia. Masonic area. 700.00 each. 704-813-6897.

A BOOK OF COLLECTED “YOU KNOW YOU’RE FROM CAROLINA COUNTRY IF…” submissions from Carolina Country magazine readers. You know you’re from Carolina country if you say “Laud ham mercy!” 96 pages, illustrated, 4 by 5½ inches. Only $7 per book (includes shipping and tax). Send payment to “You Know,” Carolina Country, PO Box 27306, Raleigh, NC 27611. Or buy with a credit card at our secure online site at www. carolinacountry.com.

NURSERY STOCK & SEED GROW HALF DOLLAR SIZE MUSCADINES & BLACKBERRIES, FREE CATALOG. 200 varieties fruit, nut trees, vines & berries.

1-800-733-0324. ISON’S NURSERY, Brooks, Georgia 30205 www.isons.com

“CAROLINA COUNTRY REFLECTIONS” More than 200 photographs showing life in rural North Carolina before 1970. Each picture has a story. Hardcover, coffee table book, 160 pages. Only $15 (includes tax and shipping).

Comes with free cookbook. Send payment to “Reflections,” Carolina Country, PO Box 27306, Raleigh, NC 27611. Or buy online at www.carolinacountry.com.

FARM FENCING Watterson Tree Farm installs any type field fencing, especially woven wire with wooden posts, and board fencing. Certified Redbrand installer and Kencove dealer. Website www.farmfencenc.com.

Wildlife Damage Control Agent, David 240-498-8054 email treefarmnc@yahoo.com.

GENTLE GOAT MILK SOAPS, lotions, gift baskets, NC handcrafted. beckiesbackporch@etsy.com. 704-882-2223.

SHEPARD’S CLEANING SERVICE LLC: For your residential and commercial cleaning needs. Call today 252-301-8677.

HEIRLOOM SEEDS FOR YOUR GARDEN. Free catalog call 828-389-2642; or write Seedworthy, 31 Wounded Knee Lane, Hayesville N.C. 28904; seedworthy@gmail.com or visit our website; seedworthy.org TIRED OF PAYING PROPERTY TAXES? Inherited land you don’t need? www.sellyourvacantlandfast.com Quick cash, 843-564-8438.

The N.C. Association of Electric Cooperatives and its member cooperatives do not endorse the services and products advertised. Readers are advised to understand fully any agreement or purchase they make. To place a classified ad: carolinacountry.com/classifieds

Win a $100 Gift Card from Carolina Country!

Make a connection with Carolina Country! Sign up for our email updates so you don’t miss out on your favorite content. New email subscribers will automatically be entered into a random drawing for a $100 gift card. Visit carolinacountry.com/signup by February 28.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. There are two ways to enter into the random drawing and become an eligible entrant: (1) PRIMARY ENTRY: An Entrant must sign up to receive emails from Carolina Country (typically two per month) and from select approved sponsors using the form at carolinacountry.com/signup for a chance to win;(2) ALTERNATIVE ENTRY: In order to be entered without completing the primary entry conditions, an Entrant must send a letter with the Entrant’s first and last name, mailing address and telephone number to Carolina Country, Email Sign-up Sweepstakes, 3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27616 prior to conclusion of the applicable Sweepstakes Period. One entry per person, drawn by random; odds of receiving the one (1) gift card (retail value of $100) depend upon number of entries received.

Entries must be received by February 28, 2019. The drawing will be held March 1, 2019.

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Cherry Juice Goodness Wait! Don’t pour out that delicious drained cherry juice leftover from this recipe. Use in frostings, whipped cream or cake batter.

A splash makes your hot chocolate into “Chocolate Covered Cherry” hot chocolate and will turn your cola drinks into fun cherry ones. Use to make lemon or limeade cherry ice cubes, too. Tell us what you like to do with maraschino cherry juice in the comments section for this recipe on carolinacountry.com/recipes.

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I ‘Cherry’ish You Rice Krispies Treats® This twist on a tried-and-true recipe is just in time to share with those you love on Valentine’s Day. It’s an easy recipe for the next generation of aspiring little chefs, too!

Basic Cherry-Vanilla Treats 6 tablespoons butter 1 (16-ounce) bag mini-marshmallows 5 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 (16-ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained and chopped 8 cups Rice Krispies® cereal 1 cup toasted almonds, crumbled Decorating icings and sprinkles Heart-shaped cookie cutters

Melt butter in a heavy pot over low heat.

Add marshmallows and stir until melted.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, cherries and cereal.

Using a buttered spatula, fold together until well combined. Pour out onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and spread to about 1-inch thickness. Cool.

Cut, decorate and dust with toasted almonds.

Also try:

Very Cherry Vanilla Treats

Make basic recipe, stirring in 2 tablespoons of red cherry gelatin powder.

Black Forest Treats

Make basic recipe, substituting chocolate Rice Krispies cereal. Stir 1 cup of milk chocolate chips in with cereal.

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Carolina Kitchen

From Your Kitchen

Seafood Bisque Casserole

Apple Crumb Cake

A warm bowl of bisque surely is soothing … but in a casserole? Oh, yes! And it would make a splendid Valentine’s Day supper for loved ones.

3 medium size apples, peel and cube 1 cup light brown sugar 2 tablespoons cinnamon.

2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt ½ cup butter, softened 3 eggs 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese at room temperature 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 stick butter, melted 1 box (16 ounces) confectioners’ sugar

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled 6 tablespoons butter 2–3 large shallots, peeled/sliced 1 pound large shrimp, peeled 1 pound bay scallops ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon white pepper ½ cup sherry, divided 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1¾ cups milk, half & half or combination (room temperature) ½ pound cooked crabmeat 2 cups grated Swiss cheese 1 cup Panko bread crumbs ½ cup minced parsley 6 cups cooked pasta* Preheat oven broiler.

Cook bacon in soup pot over medium high heat until crispy.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of drippings and add butter. Once butter is melted and sizzling, sauté shallots about 2 minutes. Add shrimp and scallops. Cook 3–4 minutes just until done, being careful not to overcook. Using slotted spoon, remove seafood from juices. Stir in salt, pepper and ¼ cup of sherry; reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes.

Whisk flour into remaining sherry to make a slurry.

Stir milk into simmering liquid. Once warm, whisk in slurry and continue heating several minutes, whisking until thickened.

Return seafood to bisque and heat 1 minute.

Spoon over pasta in a large baking dish. Scatter with crabmeat, cheese and crumbs. Place in oven on middle rack and broil 4–5 minutes to melt cheese and brown crumbs. Garnish with bacon and parsley. Serve immediately. * If preferred, the bisque can be prepared as noted without the pasta to be spooned over grits, rice, mashed potatoes or into phyllo pastry cups.

Yield: 6–8 servings

Spiced Apple Cider Dressing A warm mug of apple cider in the cold winter months is so soothing and comforting. It is also tasty in this dressing … so simple to make with pantry ingredients you’re likely to have on hand. Drizzle over a pan of simple roasted vegetables with slices of apple, or over a spinach salad topped with boiled eggs and crumbled bacon. It’s even tasty over baked sweet potatoes. ½ cup spiced apple cider (from produce dept.) ¾ cup preferred salad oil 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 3 tablespoons maple syrup 3 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter 1½ teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon thyme Several turns freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon salt Put all ingredients in a quart jar with lid and shake to blend. *This dressing is best if made at least one hour ahead. Will keep in refrigerator a few weeks, but serve warm or at room temperature.

carolinacountry.com/recipes

Search more than 800 recipes, with a new recipe featured every week!

Unless otherwise noted, recipes on this page are from Wendy Perry, a culinary adventurist and blogger, who chats about goodness around NC on her blog at WendysHomeEconomics.com.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a 9-by-13-inch pan with cooking spray. Mix apple pieces, brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, softened butter and 1 egg. Pat crust down tight in the pan and set aside.

Whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs and beat until incorporated. Add vanilla and melted butter. Beat until well blended. Add the confectioners’ sugar about a cup at the time, until blended.

Gently fold in the apple mixture.

Pour this mixture over the crust. Bake until the center is soft and a little jiggly in center. Don’t overcook or it will be dry. Hard to put exact time as all ovens are different.

Optional: Add a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

Recipe courtesy of Cheryl Dement of Mebane

Send Us Your Recipes

Contributors whose recipes are published will receive $25. We retain reprint rights for all submissions.

Recipes submitted are not necessarily entirely original. Include your name, address, phone number (for questions), and the name of your electric cooperative. Mail to: Carolina Country Kitchen, P.O. Box 27306, Raleigh, NC, 27611. Or submit your recipe online at: carolinacountry.com/myrecipe.

— Jenny Lloyd, recipes editor

February 2019 | 41

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Looking for

Recipes?

Find them on page 40.

where

in Carolina Country is this ?

Send your answer by Wednesday, Feb. 6, with your name, address and the name of your electric cooperative.

Online:

carolinacountry.com/where

By mail: Where in Carolina Country?

P.O. Box 27306

Raleigh, NC 27611 Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified.

The winner, chosen at random and announced in our March issue, will receive $25.

January winner

The January “Where Is This” photo by Kasandra Granger features a colorful bluebird mosaic mural along the sidewall of the old Beggars and Choosers store, which is located across the street from the historic Chatham County Courthouse in downtown Pittsboro.

The building is now home to the Screaming for Vintage store. Reader Kasey Taylor reported that Beth Goldston and LaNelle Davis created the artwork. Mimi Gannaway said the mural consists of mirror, broken dishes, pottery shards and stained glass. The winning entry chosen at random from all correct submissions came from David Nyce of Apex, a Brunswick Electric member.

Have a roadside gem you’d like to share? Submit a photo, plus a brief description and general location information, at carolinacountry.com/where.

scenes

CAROLINA COUNTRY

featured photo

Light Up the Night I was at the Oak Island Lighthouse to take a few sunrise photos, and while waiting, I tried a few nighttime shots.

I love the way the camera caught the pattern of lights of the lighthouse.

Nick Noble, Southport, A member of Brunswick Electric The Featured Photo comes from those who scored an honorable mention from the judges in our 2019 photo contest (“Carolina Country Scenes,” January 2019). See even more Photos of the Week on our website carolinacountry.com.

42 | carolinacountry.com

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Touchston

Manage winter’s chill with tools from your electric cooperative While cold weather almost always means higher home energy use, the good news is your electric cooperative has tools to help you keep your home energy use — and budget — under control.

Connect with your co-op at ncelectriccooperatives.com.

Powering and empowering the people and communities we serve.

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Be Energy Wise this winter

5 tips to reduce heating costs Take control: • Make sure ceiling fans are rotating in a clockwise direction to force warm air down.

• Avoid using the “Emergency Heat” setting on your thermostat.

Cold weather packs a punch to your heating system, causing it to work overtime in order to keep you comfortable. You can use these Energy Wise tips to offset winter heating bills.

• Open drapes and blinds on sunny days and close them when it’s dark outside.

• Seal any air leaks around doors and windows.

• Keep your heating equipment properly maintained, using a licensed professional.

Find more Energy Wise solutions at BlueRidgeEnergy.com/101 today.

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FROZEN

PIPES?

UtilityShield offers extra winter protection Winter weather can be tough on your home.

Extreme temperature changes can cause pipes to freeze and burst. Or, you may face other costly repairs not covered by homeowners insurance.

water pipes and sewer lines

With UtilityShield, just pennies a day gets you coverage for repairs including electric wiring from the meter base to inside your home, water pipes, and sewer lines. You can even select a plan that provides protection for HVAC system repairs!

If service is needed on a covered system, UtilityShield quickly sends a local contractor.

Repair costs are covered by your plan. You simply enjoy peace of mind in the comfort of your home.

electric wiring inside your home

Learn more and sign up today at BlueRidgeEnergy.com/UtilityShield.

HVAC system repairs

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