Living 50 Plus Magazine February / March 2024

Decatur-Morgan

COMPLIMENTARY

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2024

Outside Shot Decatur man’s wildlife photography captures the beauty of nature. Page 24

Standing Tall Venessa Edmonds uses lessons learned from ancestors to impact others. Page 13

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Why ask a MarMac Real Estate REALTOR® to assist you?

MarMac Real Estate understands that the decision to sell can be difficult.

MarMac Real Estate can draw upon a network of other professionals focused on 50+ customers.

Selling a home can be an emotional time, potentially involving other life decisions. A MarMac Real Estate REALTOR® understands the issues facing older adults. By taking a no-pressure approach, we can help you navigate your choices and may be able to suggest alternatives that help you stay in your home.

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Publisher CLINT SHELTON Operations Director SCOTT BROWN Executive Editor ERIC FLEISCHAUER

State offering Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program

Living 50 Plus Editor LORI FEW CATHERINE GODBEY News Editor FRANKLIN HARRIS

Living 50 Plus Writers CATHERINE GODBEY • BAYNE HUGHES DAVID GAMBINO • ERICA SMITH WES TOMLINSON Living 50 Plus Photographers JERONIMO NISA • TRISTAN HOLMES Circulation Director WALTER GOGGINS Advertising Director BARETTA TAYLOR Advertising Graphic Artists STEPHEN JOHNSON • RHONDA STENNETT Retail Advertising KIM ROBERTS • BECKY SPIVEY • SHELIA SMITH EDDIE JOHNS • ANNA BAKER • KIARA KOGER Website DANIEL BUFORD 256-340-2408 Decatur-Morgan

Visit us at living50plusdm.com HOW TO REACH US For story ideas or comments: Catherine Godbey 256-340-2441

For advertising questions: Baretta Taylor 256-340-2370

For distribution questions: For website questions: Walter Goggins Daniel Buford 256-740-5784 256-340-2408 Published by Decatur Daily Tennessee Valley Media

ON THE COVER: Stan Hyde started photographing wildlife in 2008. One of his favorite spots is Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. Photograph by Jeronimo Nisa. Cover design by Stephen Johnson.

4 Decatur Living 50 Plus

By CAMILA RODRIGUES ALABAMA EXTENSION SERVICE

T

he Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program is a win-win for both Alabama growers and seniors.

The program provides eligible seniors with fresh, nutritious, and locally grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs from farmers markets and roadside stands.

Each senior participant receives $50 on a benefit card to spend on fruits and vegetables from a certified Alabama farmers market or registered roadside stand. Seniors can sign up to receive the benefit card through the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries’ Farmers Market Authority (FMA) website at fma.alabama.gov.

Seniors are encouraged to sign up early in the year. The application becomes available in January of each year, and the FMA will take applications until funds run out. To be eligible, seniors must meet the age and income requirements below.

Participants must be 60 years or older on the day of applying AND The household income must be 185% or lower of the 20232024 Federal Poverty Guidelines.

For a household of one, the income must be less than $2,248 monthly.

For a household of two, the income must be less than $3,041 monthly.

For a household of three, the income must be less than $3,833 monthly.

More information on the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program can be found on the Farmers Market Authority website at www.agi.alabama.gov/farmersmarket/ or by emailing fma@agi.alabama.gov.

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Dating After 50:

What You Need to Know

Ftom THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON AGING

F

ebruary is the month of love, a time to focus on the joys of dating. It is not just for the younger generations anymore. There are many reasons why seniors may find themselves dating once again.

In the U.S., approximately 27% of adults age 60 and older live alone. Within this group, women are more likely than men to live by themselves (20% vs. 11%). Living solo can be a positive experience for many people: You can watch what you want on TV, come and go as you please, and make all the big decisions that impact your life. The lack of a partner doesn’t mean you’re “missing out.” You may have a rich social life filled with friends, family, travel and hobbies, and you find your life is perfect just the way it is.

But there may come a time when you’re interested in dating. Not only can the pursuit of new romance feel exhilarating; it offers real benefits for your health and wellbeing, too.

Intimate connections like those created during dating can alleviate stress, delay mental and physical decline, and help you live longer.

Even if you’re not ready to dip your toes in the dating waters, knowing how to approach it can help you be prepared when the moment is right.

How can I meet someone as an older adult?

If you’ve been off the dating circuit for quite some time, it’s natural to feel a bit intimidated at the thought of making 6 Decatur Living 50 Plus

the leap. You might be wondering, is 60 too old to date? Or: What do seniors do on a first date? Is dating like riding a bike—will you even remember how?

Dating after 50 does have its challenges. No matter your age, it’s tough to put yourself out there and risk rejection.

If you’ve been through a painful divorce or the death of a spouse, you may feel even more emotionally vulnerable.

Plus, the pool of potential dating partners in your local area may be relatively small.

The good news is that when it comes to dating as a senior, some things haven’t changed. Tried-and-true methods of meeting new people still apply, including: Introductions through people you know, like friends and family. After all, they know you best and who might be a good match for you.

Shared interests and hobbies—such as church, fitness classes or recreational activities. If you don’t currently participate in group-based activities, consider joining a local club to expand your possibilities.

Social events like weddings, birthday parties and graduations. Attending these events regularly gives you an opportunity to be exposed to a wider community of potential dating partners.

What about online dating for seniors?

Online dating isn’t just for twentysomethings. In fact, there are many dating sites that cater to older adults, such as OurTime. Forbes lists some of the most popular options in its Guide to the Best Senior Dating Sites of 2023.

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With a senior dating app, you’ll typically be required to register using your email address. You may be asked to fill out a questionnaire so that the system can better pair you with other singles who are a good fit. You’ll usually be prompted to upload a photo of yourself. Once you’ve completed your profile, you’ll start receiving matches in your local area. If you decide you want to connect with someone, you’ll often be allowed to send them a private message using an online message function. Then it’s up to you to decide whether you want to meet the individual face-to-face.

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stomach felt like?). But play it smart. On any first date, always meet in a public place and continue to do so until you feel at ease with that person. Before you leave your home, make sure to let friends and family know where you’ll be. Check in with someone you trust before, during and after your date.

Don’t overshare. Keep your personal information under wraps when first getting to know someone—such as details about where you live, where you work, your family and your finances.

➋ Stick to your boundaries.

Four golden rules for senior dating Before you dive head-first into the world of dating after 50, there are some things to consider. Knowing what to expect, and how to keep yourself safe, can help you enjoy the ride. Here’s what we recommend:

➊ Meet in public first.

Dating as an older adult can be an exciting new adventure (remember what those butterflies in your

As an older adult, you know what you feel comfortable with. Play by your own rules and don’t worry about what others your age are doing. If you don’t want to kiss on the first date, don’t. If you only want to date one person at a time, and expect the same from your dating partner, be explicit about it.

➌ Be careful when online dating.

You’re not in this alone. While online dating may be portrayed as a young person’s game, plenty of older adults are now finding connections online. In fact, many different dating apps are geared toward the senior set, including SeniorMatch, eHarmony, Singles50, OKCupid, and Silver Singles, among others.

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Recognize the threat posed by scammers. Dating sites and social media platforms have had varying degrees of success in regard to keeping their sites scam-free. But scammers find a way, and users must take steps to avoid being victimized.

Avoid sharing personal information.

You should never share especially personal information, such as your Social Security number.

➍ Never give or send anyone money.

The dating scene is a hotbed for con artists eager to take advantage of trusting, unsuspecting older adults. In fact, dating scams that target seniors are all too common. Be on the lookout for red flags, such as a person telling you about their financial hardships right off the bat. Trust your instincts, no matter how compelling someone’s sob story is.

Finally, whether you’re meeting people the old-fashioned way or using

a senior dating app, be patient. You’ve been on this earth long enough to know that love isn’t like the movies, and you won’t necessarily fall for the first person you meet. Focus on having fun and meeting new people, and don’t settle for less than you deserve. That right person, when they

come along, will be worth the wait.

Want to know more about sex and intimacy for older adults? Get additional insights on maintaining sexual health after 50.

For more tips about this or other issues affecting seniors, check out the National Council on Aging at www.NCOA.org.

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SENIORS CAN BACKSTROKE THEIR WAY TO IMPROVED HEALTH

By METRO NEWS

E

Swimming is one exercise that may be especially beneficial for seniors

xercise provides several measurable benefits for people of all ages, including older adults. Swimming is one exercise that may be especially beneficial for seniors.

Many people learn to swim in childhood and sharpen that skill as they get older. Though swimming devotees may get in the water for fun rather than fitness, this popular, joyful and relaxing pastime may be the ideal exercise for seniors looking to improve their overall health, particularly because it is very low impact.

Because the water provides buoyancy while swimming, there is little risk of injury and minimal strain on the body.

Water exercises, including swimming, work all the muscle groups, so it can

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be a complete exercise, says American Senior Communities.

Swimming also is a great cardiovascular exercise that can strengthen the heart muscle and improve lung function and endurance. Because it lowers blood pressure and improves circulation, swimming is a great way to get the heart pumping.

A gentle, 30-minute swim can burn up to 200 calories, which is more than walking. A faster swim can burn calories more quickly than running or cycling. However, since water supports up to 90 percent of the body’s weight, this activity will put less stress on muscles and joints while one is exercising.

Individuals with mobility issues or arthritis pain may find that swimming helps relieve discomfort and improves range of motion. Again, because the water is doing much of the work holding up the body, it will take the stress off of joints, helping a person to feel better while stretching and moving gently in the water.

Even seniors who don’t know how to swim can still reap the benefits of water exercise. Walking in shallow water, or using a kickboard to stay above the water can be effective.

Using foam dumbbells or even pushing and pulling one’s arms through the water can serve as a great resistance exercise that builds strength.

Swimming and additional water activities are great ways for seniors to stay in shape. As always, individuals should speak with their doctors before beginning any exercise regimen to ensure that it is safe.

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LEAP INTO THESE LEAP YEAR FACTS There are many interesting facts to learn about Leap Year, and February 29 is the perfect time to explore them

By METRO NEWS

L

eap Year typically takes place every four years.

The process of adding a day to the calendar every four years was designed to realign the clock and calendar more closely with how long it takes the Earth to rotate around the sun, which is slightly longer than the 365 days attributed to a year. If not for Leap Year, the seasons would slowly shift out of place.

There are many interesting facts to learn about Leap Year, and February 29 is the perfect time to explore them.

2019

2020

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2022

2023

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 It takes the Earth 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 45 seconds to circle once around the sun, says Time and Date. Without leap years, we’d lose almost six hours every year. After a century, the calendar would be off by nearly 24 days.  Despite 2100, the next turn of the century, being divisible by four, it will not be a leap year. That’s because it is divisible by 100 but not 400, which means it will not be a leap year. This exception to the rule pertains to new century years.  Forbes reports that it’s likely the calendar will need to be changed again since the Earth’s rotation rate, the axial tilt orientation and the Earth’s orbital motion around the sun is not constant. Various effects, such as earthquakes and something called tidal braking, affect the passage of time.  Legend states that on February 29 it is alright for a woman to propose to a man, a custom attributed to St. Bridget. Bridget complained to St. Patrick that some women had to wait too long for their suitors to pop the question. As the legend goes, Patrick supposedly provided women this day to propose to compensate.  Some cultures view February 29 as an unlucky day.

In Greece, couples are warned against planning weddings during leap years. In Italy, the phrase, “Anno biseto, anno funesto” (“leap year, doom year”) is uttered.  Individuals who are born on February 29 are known as leaplings or leapers.  Leap Day is not considered a legal day. Those who are leaplings have to choose February 28 or March 1 for their ofÏcial and legal birthdays.  Individuals who are paid fixed monthly incomes often work for free on February 29 because their wages will not be calculated to include the extra day.

Venessa Edmonds at Banks-Caddell Elementary School. [JERONIMO NISA/ DECATUR DAILY]

FAMILY FOUNDATION: INSPIRED BY HER ANCESTORS, VENESSA EDMONDS HAS IMPACTED THOUSANDS THROUGH HER WORK AND SERVICE

Decatur Living 50 Plus 13

Venessa Edmonds volunteers at the Community Free Clinic. Among other things, she helps patients with their prescriptions.

[JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]

By CATHERINE GODBEY Living 50 Plus

V

enessa Edmonds slowly walked the sidewalks surrounding the site where Gordon Bibb Elementary School, where she attended second and third grades, once stood.

14 Decatur Living 50 Plus

“It was challenging, but my family prepared me for it,” the now 62-yearold Edmonds said. “I went from a school where everyone looked like me to a place where I was one of three Blacks in the class.”

In the late 1960s, at the tail end of the Civil Rights Movement, Edmonds, a 7-year-old second grader, left the familiarity of an all-Black Rosenwald

School in Hartselle for an integrated class at Gordon Bibb.

“It was my father’s idea that I go to Gordon Bibb so if there was any type of situation, he could have been there in five minutes because he worked close by,” Edmonds said. “I wasn’t scared because I was reared that people are people no matter the color of your skin and that we all had value

I WASN’T SCARED BECAUSE I WAS REARED THAT PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE NO MATTER THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN AND THAT WE ALL HAD VALUE AND WE WERE ALL MADE IN GOD’S IMAGE. THAT’S THE LESSON I TRY TO SHARE WITH CHILDREN AND ADULTS NOW.

and we were all made in God’s image.

That’s the lesson I try to share with children and adults now.”

It is the lesson she learned from her godmother Carrie Tate Lewis, the principal of the Rosenwald School in Cedar Lake, from her parents, grandparents and greatgrandparents, from her aunts and uncles, and from Athelyne Celeste

Banks, a lifelong educator and the first Black female principal in Decatur City Schools.

It is the lesson she learned growing up in the community of Cedar Lake, which sits south of the Beltline and includes Central Avenue, Dustin Avenue, Linnet Street, Marr Avenue, Main Avenue and Ray Avenue.

Created 32 years after the end of the Civil War, Cedar Lake represented a cultural and societal experiment for former slaves and freedmen. On Nov. 14, 1897, an article about the community titled “Negro Colony in Alabama: An English Literary Woman’s Plan to Solve the Race Problem in the South” appeared in the New York Times.

“I always tell people that before there was Providence (the heralded multi-use development in Huntsville), there was Cedar Lake,” Edmonds said. “It was a close-knit community.

The hub was the school and the three churches. Everyone worked together and cared for each other. If you wanted to succeed, you had the backing of the community. There were no excuses.”

Through her career in workforce development and on-the-job training programs, serving on the boards of the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce, Decatur City Schools Foundation, United Way of Morgan County, Celebrating Early Old Town in Art, Cedar Lake Improvement Association and Tennessee Valley Historical Committee and volunteering with the Cumberland

Presbyterian Church, Volunteer Center of Morgan County and Community Free Clinic of DecaturMorgan County, Edmonds has shared those values of determination, fortitude and self-worth with thousands.

One of those people was Angela McLemore.

Now a 47-year-old nurse practitioner with Decatur Morgan OBGYN, McLemore met Edmonds when, as an 18-year-old mother of a 2-year-old son, she walked into the employment ofÏce looking for a job.

She had no resume and no skills – she thought.

“I felt like I was worth less than a penny. When Venessa asked me if I had worked before, I told her I had been a cashier. I still remember the joy I felt when she said, ‘That’s a skill.’

She helped me create a resume. It was short and sweet, but it had a skill on it. Venessa gave me a floppy disc with the resume on it and I kept slinging it around listening to it inside. I was so proud of that resume,” McLemore said.

The hour McLemore spent with Edmonds changed her life.

“She made me feel like I had the ability to be whatever I wanted to be.

She saw what I couldn’t see in myself.

When I walked out of that ofÏce, I knew I had value,” McLemore said.

“I think sometimes people like her go unnoticed. They are just faces in the crowd, but they have touched so many lives.”

Decatur Living 50 Plus 15

Edmonds, who retired in 2019, dismissed the praise, instead pointing to those who influenced her.

There was her father, who worked at Goodyear, pastored in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and who, along with her uncles, served in World War II. There was her mother, who graduated from Alabama State. There was her Uncle Henry and her Aunt Rose who were educators in Birmingham during the Civil Rights Movement.

There were her grandparents and great-grandparents — pillars of the community. There was her Aunt Mary, who graduated from Alabama A&M University and taught in Chicago.

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“When I look at how my ancestors defied all the obstacles they encountered, I had no excuse,” Edmonds said. “They instilled in me that I was just as smart as anyone else, that I could achieve whatever I set my mind to and to not allow other people to ascribe to me who they thought I was.”

She recalled a story about her Aunt Mary, a distinguished and elegant woman.

“She had just graduated from college and was home.

A car pulled slowly through the neighborhood. The driver rolled down her window and asked my aunt if she was interested in cleaning her house. Aunt Mary said, ‘I’m not interested in cleaning your house. I’m trying to find someone to clean my house. Are you interested?’

That’s how I grew up, to, regardless of what people say, recognize who I was and not compromise that,” Edmonds said.

Edmond graduated from Austin High, attended Alabama A&M, earned a master’s degree in education, and completed additional training at the University of Michigan and Kennesaw State University.

Outside of her career, Edmonds’ influence extended to serving as national director for youth for the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, as the chair of the diversity committee of the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce, as a member of Delta Sigma Theta public service sorority, as outreach leader at Alabama Fork

16 Decatur Living 50 Plus

Venessa Edmonds volunteers at the Community Free Clinic. Among other things, she helps patients with their prescriptions.

[JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]

Cumberland Presbyterian Church and as organizer of job fairs to connect ex-offenders with work opportunities.

“People ask me why I do everything I do. I know no other way. It was what I saw as a child,” Edmonds said. “If I am able to do it and I feel that it will impact somebody’s life for the positive and if it’s within my power to do it, I will do it. I want to make a positive impact on anybody that I can.”

That includes taking time to speak to and read to students at area schools.

“As a child, I don’t ever recall having an AfricanAmerican come and speak to my class, as if there was no

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IF I AM ABLE TO DO IT AND I FEEL THAT IT WILL IMPACT SOMEBODY’S LIFE FOR THE POSITIVE AND IF IT’S WITHIN MY POWER TO DO IT, I WILL DO IT. I WANT TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON ANYBODY THAT I CAN.

Decatur Living 50 Plus 17

SPEAK UP FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, FOR THE RIGHTS OF ALL WHO ARE DESTITUTE. SPEAK UP AND JUDGE FAIRLY; DEFEND THE RIGHTS OF THE POOR AND NEEDY. one qualified to speak,” Edmonds said. “To me it is so important for students to see individuals who look like them who come in a professional manner that they can look at and go, ‘If she can do it, I can do it.’”

For her work in the community, Edmonds received an award from the Decatur-Morgan County Development Association for outstanding community service and the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce’s Athena Leadership Award.

“Venessa’s level of compassion and civic engagement not only in this area but also in north Alabama is outstanding,” said the Rev. Wylheme Ragland, who has been acquainted with Edmonds for over 30 years.

Along with continuing to serve the community, Edmonds, a music lover, hopes to find time to learn the piano. Edmonds credited Johnnie Horton, Ramona Humphrey, Marvalene Moore, Clara Kee Johnson and Lovie Ford, her first African-American teacher in Decatur City Schools, for instilling in her a love for music.

“I took piano lessons for several years growing up and can find middle C. One of my goals when I retired was to learn to play the piano. I just haven’t had any time,” Edmonds said.

A fourth-generation Cumberland Presbyterian, Edmonds’ purpose and mission in life stems from Proverbs 31: 89. “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” She also lives by the saying, “Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on Earth,” by the late Shirley Chisholm, who, in 1968, was the first Black woman elected to Congress.

“We need to realize we are all human beings and we were all created in God’s image,” Edmonds said. “That’s what I want every little girl and every little boy, no matter what color they are, to realize. They are created in God’s image and because they are created in his image, they have value.

Could you imagine how wonderful the world would be if everyone was functioning where God called them to be?”

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WILD About WILDLIFE Decatur photographer captures images of north Alabama’s nature

Wildlife photographer Stan Hyde at the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. [JERONIMO NISA]

By CATHERINE GODBEY Living 50 Plus

A

s the crisp, cool air of New Year’s Day whipped around Stan Hyde, he steadied his camera, followed the bald eagle’s path and gently pressed the shutter button.

Click. Click. Click. Click. Hyde captured the eagle in flight over Crabtree Slough.

“I used to hunt, but now I only hunt with my camera,” said the 80-yearold Hyde, of Decatur.

20 Decatur Living 50 Plus

A large flock of sandhill cranes take flight suddenly after being startled. [PHOTOS BY STAN HYDE]

Decatur Living 50 Plus 21

A belted female kingfisher looks at the water just before diving for a snack.

A bald eagle chases a one-legged sandhill crane.

Two or three days a week, for a couple of hours each day, you can find Hyde camped out at one of his favorite “hunting” spots on the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge – Flint Creek, White Springs Dike, Crabtree Slough, Visitors Center and Limestone Bay. “After you’ve watched different species for a while, you can kind of recognize what they are going to do in different situations. You can tell if they are about to fly or not. With wildlife photography you also need a lot of luck,” Hyde said.

A whitetail buck splashes among egrets at sunset in Limestone Bay.

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A blue-winged teal flies over the waters of the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge.

American white pelicans stand

by Tan Island in Flint Creek.

For Hyde, the hundreds of hours he spends every year among the creeks, woods and wetlands of north Alabama, represents an extension of his childhood.

Born in Marshall County, Hyde’s family moved to Tennessee and Huntsville before settling in Decatur when Hyde was 14.

“I’ve been a Decaturite ever since, except for the time I spent in the Army Reserves and in college at Auburn University,” Hyde said. “I grew up on the Tennessee River, boating, hunting and fishing. The Tennessee River is where I fell in love with the outdoors.”

His love of photography, however, came later – much later – after he graduated from Decatur High School, studied mechanical engineering at Auburn University and worked for decades designing robotic cells and automated industrial assembly equipment.

“In the early 1970s, my brother-in-law, who was in Vietnam, had a real good deal on a camera, so I bought one. I mostly shot landscapes and made slides out of them.

That didn’t last long, though,” Hyde said.

After briefly picking up photography in the 1970s – the era of film cameras – Hyde returned to the hobby in the late 1990s as the popularity of digital cameras grew.

24 Decatur Living 50 Plus

A great egret flies over Flint Creek’s backwaters.

Decatur Living 50 Plus 25

A rare sighting of a painted bunting, photographed in 2021 at Swann Creek Wildlife Management Area in Limestone County. The painted bunting is not common to this area and has not been seen here since the summer of 2021.

“If you are just starting to experiment with photography, be grateful that there is digital so you don’t spend millions of dollars developing film,” Hyde said. “It took me a lot of patience and practice and a lot of trial and error to get decent at it.”

Hyde used his first digital camera for taking snapshots – the types of photographs you might find from a vacation or of family and friends. In 2018, he bought his first DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera.

“I was taking different kinds of photos and posted several of them on different websites. A wildlife photographer in south Alabama saw them and invited me to join his web group. That’s when I started shooting mostly wildlife and nature,” Hyde said. “I enjoy the challenge of wildlife photography and the accomplishment I feel when I get a decent composition and a decent shot.”

26 Decatur Living 50 Plus

One of the people who helped mentor Hyde is 76-year-old nature photographer Charles Seifried, of Decatur.

“Stan is great. He is 80 and you would never be able to tell,” Seifried said. “Nature and wildlife photography is a great way to stay young.”

Starting wildlife photography increased the time Hyde spent outdoors. Within five minutes, he can travel from his home in Hickory Hills to the wildlife refuge.

“It is a great hobby for retirement.

It keeps me active and outside and I have the time to just sit and wait and watch the birds, animals and insects,” Hyde said.

During the late summer, he enjoys shooting insects, including dragonflies, butterflies and bumblebees. In the winter, he captures birds, including bald eagles, pelicans,

sandhill cranes and the endangered whooping cranes, which typically arrive at Wheeler in November and leave in February or March.

He has also captured cormorants, northern shovelers, great egrets, mallards, red-bellied woodpeckers, American wigeons, kingfishers, kestrels, blue-winged teals, barn swallows, hummingbirds, yellowbreasted chats, herons, cedar waxwings, a painted bunting, butterflies, fox, deer and wildflowers.

“I enjoy shooting anything that moves and some things that don’t,” Hyde said. “Wildlife and nature fit very well with that definition.”

While Hyde often shoots alone, he also photographs with Seifried at the refuge and Bankhead National Forest.

“Charles has been great. We share information, but most of the time it is one-way, from him to me. I’ve learned a lot from him,” Hyde said.

A Halloween pennant female dragonfly.

For every two hours of shooting, Hyde spends two to four hours processing and editing the photographs.

Since his first camera, Hyde has upgraded his equipment several times. He currently uses a Nikon D7100, D500 and D850 and various lenses ranging from 5½ pounds to 3 pounds, which Hyde described as an “old man’s lens” because of its lighter weight.

For individuals interested in wildlife photography, Hyde recommended starting with a Sigma or Tamron zoom lens, 150-600 mm, and the Nikon D500 body for its high speed shutter.

“You just have to cross your fingers and hope that you get a good shot in the more than 20 you take,” Hyde said.

Combining art and nature has become a family affair. Hyde’s daughter, jewelry designer Kristi Hyde, uses hydrangea flowers, orchid leaves, seed pods and bark to create necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets.

“Nature and wildlife are so inspiring.

There is no other place I would rather be than outside with my camera,” Stan Hyde said.

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alentine’s Day symbols like heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, Cupid shooting his arrow and bouquets of roses are ubiquitous come February. Each of those symbolizes is meant to signify the love individuals have for their significant others, but perhaps no Valentine’s Day image is more symbolic of love than doves. According to LiveScience.com, doves have been a symbol of love since the Middle Ages, when many people believed birds chose their mates on Valentine’s Day. But the history of doves and their afÏliation with love dates back even further and can be traced to the days of Greek mythology. Aphrodite is the goddess of love in Greek mythology, and she is often depicted as being surrounded by doves. Doves’ own traits also have helped them become symbols of love, as LiveScience.com notes that male doves help their female partners incubate and tend to their young, bolstering their image as caring, loving birds.

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Decatur Living 50 Plus 29

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S

nakes play a significant role in the legend of St. Patrick, the primary patron saint of Ireland and the man who inspired a wildly popular mid-March holiday.

Though the notion of St. Patrick bravely banishing snakes from Ireland certainly supports his worthiness to be the island’s patron saint, historians note this particular portion of the legend of St. Patrick is a myth. A 2012 report in National Geographic News noted that post-glacial Ireland

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never had snakes, as the most recent ice age made the island too cold for reptiles until the period ended 10,000 years ago. By that point, Ireland was surrounded by seas, which scientists and historians believe kept snakes from colonizing the island. Though the precise dates of St. Patrick’s life remain unknown, it’s likely he was an active missionary in Ireland during the fifth century, at which time natural history experts in Ireland attest there were no snakes on the Emerald Isle.

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Living 50 Plus

CIVIL RIGHTS TRAIL

F

ollow the footsteps that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. marched over Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge, stand where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat at the front of a Montgomery bus and visit a church founded by slaves.

For Black History Month, celebrated every February, spend time remembering the sacrifices activists and leaders made by visiting some of Alabama’s historic sites.

Decatur Old Town Established in 1821, five years before Decatur was incorporated as a city, Old Town, a white, working-class neighborhood originally, became a hub for the Black community during Reconstruction.

During the first half of the 20th century, Old Town thrived. Vine Street, one of Decatur’s most vibrant areas at the time, included clothing stores, doctors, dentists, bookstores, eateries, meat markets, barber shops and a movie theater – many of them Black-owned.

The neighborhood also was home to Lakeside High, the city’s high school for Blacks during segregation, the Cottage Home Infirmary and Nursing Training School managed 32 Decatur Living 50 Plus

First Missionary Baptist

by Dr. Willis E. Sterrs, Decatur’s first Black doctor, and First Missionary Baptist Church, founded by slaves and designed by Wallace A. Rayfield, the second licensed Black architect in America.

Along with First Missionary Baptist Church, 233 Vine St. N.W., Rayfield also designed Wayman Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, 412 Church St. N.W., and the second King’s Memorial United Methodist Church.

While in Old Town, stop by the former home of Judge James Horton, one of the judges in the historic Scottsboro Boys trials. The 3,960-square-foot house was moved last October from Greenbrier to 212 Church St. N.W. Horton oversaw the second trial, which was held in Decatur, of Haywood Patterson, one of the Scottsboro Boys defendants.

Celebrating Early Old Town with Art plans on transforming the house into a legal learning center.

1932, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the convictions because the state had not provided “adequate assistance of counsel” as required by the Due Process Clause in the Fifth and 14th amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

Two rulings in the case influence the judicial system today – prosecutors are barred from selecting jurors based on race and the legal system is required to ensure defendants have adequate legal representation.

In 2013, the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles voted unanimously to pardon three of the Scottsboro Boys.

ON DISPLAY AT THE ARCHIVES IS A WOODEN PLATFORM THAT SERVED AS THE WITNESS STAND IN THE OLD MORGAN COUNTY COURTHOUSE IN 1933, A WITNESS CHAIR, A JUROR’S CHAIR, ORIGINAL TRIAL RECORDS AND KEYS TO THE HOLDING CELLS.

Morgan County Archives For more information on the Scottsboro Boys, the term used to describe the nine Black teenagers who two white women falsely accused of rape in 1931, stop by the Morgan County Archives, 624 Bank St. N.E. The teens were indicted less than a week after their arrests and convicted less than a month after they were charged. Eight of the defendants were sentenced to death, but in November

Morgan County Archives

Decatur Living 50 Plus 33

Scottsboro Boys exhibit

Sports In the early and mid-20th century, Decatur’s Black community boasted several semi-professional sports clubs.

The Decatur Twins, later known as the Decatur Monarchs, played baseball on West Vine Street. Another baseball team, the Cedar Lake White Sox played in an orchard at Cedar Lake, which was created as an experimental Black community in 1897, and sits south of the Beltline and along Central Parkway Southwest.

The Rough Riders, a semi-professional football team active from 1959-1966, had a record of 66-2. The team played their home games at Lakeside High School.

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Birmingham

34 Decatur Living 50 Plus

For a day trip, head to Birmingham, a hub of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 60s.

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute includes a replica of a Freedom Riders bus, a rendition of a segregated city and the actual jail cell door from which Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” The museum at 520 16th St. North is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults, $13 for ages 65 and older, $13 for military and students and free for children third grade and younger. bcri.org.

The statues at Kelly Ingram Park, billed as “a place of revolution and reconciliation,” memorialize tragic events that occurred in Birmingham and highlight the leaders of the

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

also memorializes the four Black girls killed during the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963.

While in downtown Birmingham, visit the 16th Street Baptist Church, which was originally organized in 1873 as the First Colored Baptist Church of Birmingham and was the first Black church in Birmingham. The

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Civil Rights Movement. Statues at the park, 500 17th St. N., commemorate Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.; Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth; Pauline Fletcher, the first Black registered nurse in Alabama; educator, activist and philanthropist Carrie A. Tuggle; Julius Ellsberry, the first Alabamian killed in World War II; and more. A sculpture

Decatur Living 50 Plus 35

church served as a meeting place where leaders organized marches during the Civil Rights Movement. For a tour of the church, visit 16thstreetbaptist.org. Tours cost $10 for adults, $5 for students and free for ages 5 and younger.

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The Rosa Parks Museum, located at the site of Parks’ arrest, details the story of Parks, features a restored bus and more. The children’s wing takes visitors back to the 1800s and the beginning of Jim Crow segregation.

Along with Parks, visitors will learn about Dred Scott, Harriett Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr. and more. 52 Montgomery St., open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Admission is $7.50 for adults and $5.50 for children.

Located on the site where enslaved people were warehoused and sold, the National Memorial of Peace and Justice remembers the victims of racially fueled killings.

The National Memorial for Peace and Justice and Legacy Museum immerse visitors in the enslavement, segregation and mass incarceration faced by the Black community. Featured items include 800 steel monuments engraved with the names of the more than 4,400 victims of lynchings from 1877-1950, a sculpture dedicated to the memory of the victims of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and an art gallery with nearly 100 works. This year, the Equal Justice Initiative, the organization behind the museum and memorial, will unveil the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park. The centerpiece of the 17-acre park will be a monument inscribed with more than 120,000 surnames that were chosen by Black people emancipated after the Civil War. The site also will include historic slave dwellings and other sculptures. legacysites.eji.org.

Selma Fifty miles west of Montgomery sits Selma, the site of the first march held in support of the right to vote. On March 7, 1965, the Edmund Pettus Bridge served as the site of “Bloody Sunday,” due to the violence law enforcement ofÏcers inflicted on 600 civil rights marchers.

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36 Decatur Living 50 Plus

Forty miles east of Montgomery is Tuskegee – most famous for the Tuskegee Airmen and George Washington Carver. At the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, 1616 Chappie James Ave., visitors will learn about the first Black military aviators in the nation’s history. The site is open Wednesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Admission is free.

The George Washington Carver Museum, explores the life and legacy of Carver, an agricultural scientist and inventor. 905 West Montgomery Road. Open Thursdays and Fridays, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Admission is free.

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WHAT SENIORS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PREDIABETES Many seniors are affected by the condition

By METRO NEWS

M

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ost seniors recognize that routine visits to their physicians are an important component of preventive health care. Annual physicals are important for everyone, but they’re especially important for individuals 65 and older who may be more vulnerable to disease and various other health conditions than younger adults.

38 Decatur Living 50 Plus

The pancreas then makes more insulin to get cells to respond, but eventually the pancreas cannot keep up, resulting in a rise in blood sugar.

Does prediabetes produce symptoms?

Many people have prediabetes for years and do not know it. In fact, the CDC reports that more than 80 percent of the 98 million American adults who have prediabetes are unaware that they do.

How can I determine if I have prediabetes?

The National Institute on Aging reports that millions of individuals 65 and older have visited their physicians and learned they have a condition known as prediabetes. For some, the day they receive a prediabetes diagnosis also marks the first time they’ve heard of the condition. Since so many seniors are affected by prediabetes, it can behoove anyone to learn more about it.

What is prediabetes?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that prediabetes is a serious health condition characterized by higher than normal blood sugar levels. When a person has prediabetes, his or her blood sugar levels are not yet high enough to indicate type 2 diabetes, but that could change if prediabetes patients do not make changes to prevent such a progression.

The sheer volume of people who have prediabetes but are unaware that they do begs the question of what individuals can do to learn if they have the condition before they develop type 2 diabetes. Recognition of the risk factors for prediabetes is a good start.

The CDC urges anyone who has any of the following risk factors to speak with their doctor about having their blood sugar tested:  Being overweight  Being 45 or older  Having a parent, brother or sister with type 2 diabetes  Being physically active less than three times per week  A history of diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) or giving birth to a baby who weighed more than nine pounds  Having polycystic ovary syndrome  Being African American, Hispanic/Latino American, American Indian, or Pacific Islander. Some Asian Americans also are at greater risk for prediabetes.

Prediabetes can be a precursor to type 2 diabetes, which only highlights how important it is that older adults recognize their risk for the condition.

How common is prediabetes?

What causes prediabetes?

The CDC notes that when a person has prediabetes, the cells in his or her body do not respond normally to insulin, which is a hormone produced by the pancreas that enables blood sugar to enter cells, which then use it for energy.

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A 2023 study published in the journal Diabetes Care indicates that 464 million individuals across the globe had impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and 298 million had impaired fasting glucose (IFG) in 2021. Each of those conditions are hallmarks of prediabetes, cases of which the study indicates are expected to rise significantly by 2045.

Hartselle Living 39

Start off Valentine’s Day with breakfast Blackberry Crunch Muffins marry coffee cake and muffin elements and tart berries for something that is equal parts breakfast and dessert

Blackberry Crunch Muffins Serves 12  21/4 cups self-rising flour  1 cup white sugar  1/4 cup brown sugar  1/2 cup canola oil  2 eggs  2 teaspoons vanilla  3/4 cup full-fat buttermilk  11/2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries  Zest of 1 lime Crunch topping  1/2 cup white sugar  1/4 cup brown sugar, packed  1/2 cup self-rising flour  1/2 cup quick-cook oats  1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut  1/2 cup chopped walnuts  5 tablespoons butter, at room temperature  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon  1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Glaze  2 cups powdered sugar  1/2 teaspoon salt  1 teaspoon vanilla  Juice of 1 lime

By METRO NEWS

V

alentine’s Day is about expressing love for special people in your life. One way to do so is to pamper that person as much as possible. That can mean starting the day off with a delicious breakfast in bed.

MufÏns can be prepared in advance and are easy to enjoy in hand for a breakfast that involves lounging and love. Blackberry crunch mufÏns marry coffee cake and mufÏn elements and tart berries for something that is equal parts breakfast and dessert. What better idea for Valentine’s Day? Try this recipe, courtesy of “Lord Honey Traditional Southern Recipes with a Country Bling Twist” (Pelican Pulishing) by Chef Jason Smith.

40 Decatur Living 50 Plus

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease or line a 12-hole mufÏn tin.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and sugars. Add the oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk, and stir to combine.

In a small bowl, toss the blackberries with 1 tablespoon flour, then add the berries and zest to the batter and lightly fold them in.

Place the crunch topping ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork until large crumbles form.

Divide the batter evenly into the mufÏn tin, and sprinkle tops with crunch mixture. Bake for 22 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.

Place the glaze ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined. Drizzle over cooled mufÏns.

Caring for grandchildren

Multi-generational households are common once again. Families who work together can make the most of such living arrangements

By METRO NEWS

I

n the not-so-distant past, it was quite common for various generations of a single family to live under one roof and for many different members of the family to play a role in raising the children.

But that dynamic slowly changed as families spread out geographically.

However, when the economy faltered and parents of young children realized they needed help, many returned to the old way of doing things.

Grandparents stepped up to look after their grandkids, and adults moved back home with their aging parents.

Some seniors needed to move in with their children to make ends meet.

A study of data from the Rand Corporation found that, of the 4 million children living with their grandparents in the United States, 2.5 million live in three-generation

households. Nearly 1.5 million live in split-generation households or ones in which grandparents are raising their grandchildren. The proportion of all grandchildren living in threegeneration households, 3.6 percent, has been steady in recent years.

Research suggests that splitgeneration households are usually formed when parents are no longer

able to take care of their children because of physical or mental illness, substance abuse, or economic problems. Three-generation households, on the other hand, are generally formed because of problems parents encounter living independently, such as through separation or divorce or due to unemployment or economic need.

Decatur Living 50 Plus 41

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Caring for their grandchildren can elicit many feelings in grandparents, from nervousness to excitement about a fresh face around the house. Raising grandkids can be overwhelming for elderly men and women, but the following are a few tips that can make the process easier.  Explore your feelings. When you acknowledge your feelings, you are on the right path to making things work and recognizing possible obstacles.  Expect mixed feelings from others. Grandchildren and your own children also may be apprehensive about this new living situation.

Encourage everyone to share their thoughts and come to a consensus on how things will be done. Expect it to take some time to establish a schedule, and don’t be discouraged by any initial behavioral problems.  Take care of yourself.

Grandchildren, particularly young ones, can have a lot of energy and may

require constant attention. Caring for such lively youngsters can be taxing on grandparents, who must make their own health and nutrition a priority.

Give yourself some time for recreation and rest. Have grandchildren help out where they can. Don’t feel you have to spend every moment entertaining them.

 Ask for help when needed.

Reach out to friends or community members if you are feeling overwhelmed. There are a number of resources available to you, and many organizations, including AARP, have their own tips for assisting threegeneration households.

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Decatur Living 50 Plus 43

A Time to Serve: Decatur woman finds purpose serving the community and church

Jo Ann Gentry has touched hundreds of lives through her volunteer work with East Acres, First Baptist Church and beyond. [CATHERINE GODBEY]

By CATHERINE GODBEY Living 50 Plus

W

hen Jo Ann Gentry spearheaded the creation of the East Acres outreach ministry in her mid-40s, she had no idea that the ministry would run for 21 years and impact hundreds of lives.

“All I wanted was for it not to be a one-time thing. My heart was that we would build relationships with the families at East Acres and show them that people really did care,” the 70-year-old Gentry said.

44 Decatur Living 50 Plus

During her 50s and 60s, the outreach event peaked, hosting Christmas, Easter and back-to-school gatherings each year, reaching, at times, 150 children and adults, and involving dozens of volunteers from First Baptist Church in Decatur, where she attended.

“The senior adult group at church would come out and make and serve the meals. For some of them, that was the first time they had seen or interacted with people living in lowincome housing,” Gentry said. “We need to know we all can be useful.

Senior adults need to know they are

still relevant and have so much to offer.”

For Gentry, the East Acres ministry was personal.

In the early 80s, as a single mother of three young sons, Gentry lived at the East Acres housing project in Southeast Decatur. She saw the struggles families encountered, she saw the grandparents raising their grandchildren, she saw the single parents trying to juggle full-time jobs with playing with their children.

“We lived there for three years. It was not the most ideal place, but we made it home,” Gentry said. “When I

During the Christmas parties at East Acres, Gentry and other volunteers handed out presents to the children.

[COURTESY IMAGE]

would get out and play ball with my boys, within 15 minutes we would have kids from everywhere coming out to play with us. When we finally were able to move and find better housing, I remembered those kids and how they longed for one-on-one attention.”

When the Young Professionals group at First Baptist was searching for a project, Gentry, who taught the group, mentioned the children and families at East Acres.

“That’s how it started. We went out there and gave the kids a safe, fun time. We had crafts and food. It was a huge success,” Gentry said.

From the outreach project, the connection between Gentry, First Baptist and the families from East Acres deepened. Gentry drove women to work and doctor’s visits and provided gift cards for food. Women from the church provided furniture for new residents in the neighborhood, and members transported residents from East Acres to the church on

Sunday mornings for breakfast, Sunday school and service.

Gentry shared the story of two young boys who the bus driver picked up one morning.

“They were living alone. From them starting to come to church, they got connected with Alabama Baptist Children’s Home. One has earned a master’s degree and the other is working on a degree in physical therapy kinesiology,” Gentry said.

“It’s a great story of how God, through the East Acres ministry, opened doors for other ministries that have impacted lives.”

When Gentry retired from Calhoun Community College in 2016, her outreach work expanded in the community and the church. She volunteered at the Neighborhood Christian Center, the Community Free Clinic of Decatur-Morgan County, wrapped gifts for the church’s Love in Action program, which provided gifts to 120 children, led prayer walks

in Connecting Women’s Ministry and volunteered for the Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes’ Camp of Champions, which served 260 foster parents and 500 children last year.

“I always wanted to be useful. I even felt working was a ministry for me. That was my place where I could reach out and love people and serve,” said Gentry, who worked in financial aid, with Veterans Assistance and as administrative assistant to the dean of health sciences at Calhoun. “When I retired, I knew I wouldn’t just sit at home. I don’t think we are ever to just retire and do nothing. We all want to feel useful.”

While she typically works quietly in the background not wanting any attention, Gentry’s commitment to others serves as an example to others.

“Jo Ann actively seeks ways to minister, mentor and serve others.

She intentionally looks for ways to help others in need spiritually, physically and emotionally,” Carloss Decatur Living 50 Plus 45

I LOVE HOW GOD PUT US TOGETHER AND HAS ALLOWED ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE SOME OF THE LIFE LESSONS GOD HAS TAUGHT ME AND THAT I’VE LEARNED OVER MY 70 YEARS.

At its peak, the East Acres outreach ministry reached more than 150 children and adults.

[COURTESY IMAGE]

Jo Ann Gentry, center in the yellow hat, oversees the back-to-school supply giveaway at East Acres. [COURTESY IMAGE]

Bauer, Gentry’s Sunday school teacher, said. “She welcomes the many opportunities to make a difference in the lives of families and children around Decatur.”

Blake Kersey, pastor of First Baptist, echoed Bauer.

“Jo Ann Gentry is the most compassionate person I have ever been around in my 20 years of ministry. She not only takes time to notice the needs around her, but she also sacrifices her time and effort to meet the needs God places in front of her,” Kersey said. “There is no one in our church who has served more individuals than Jo Ann. I have told multiple people that she is the Mother Teresa of Decatur.”

The desire to serve is innate in Gentry.

“It’s just who I am. It is a way I can spread God’s love,” she said.

46 Decatur Living 50 Plus

As for her faith, Gentry attributed that to her father’s mother.

“My grandmother was probably one of the finest Christian women in the world. She had a real servant’s heart. She taught us how to pray. I think my sisters and I are where we are today as Christians because of her impact,” Gentry said.

Gentry, who grew up in Pensacola, Florida, moved to Decatur at the age of 26 with her three sons to be close to her sister.

“My late husband was a Vietnam veteran. Like so many men who came back from Vietnam, he was not the same. We separated because he got to be violent and used drugs,” Gentry said. “My sister came and got me and the three boys when the youngest was six weeks old and brought us back to live with her in Lawrence County.”

After she experienced her first summer in the un-airconditioned upstairs of her sister’s home, Gentry and her sons moved to East Acres.

“I remember one time a group came around East Acres and offered to pick up the kids for vacation Bible school. That was meaningful to me that someone would come and do that. I think that is one of the reasons I wanted to offer something to the families at East Acres,” Gentry said.

Along with her grandmother and sister, Gentry found support and inspiration from Full Life Fellowship, the church she attended when she moved to Decatur, and the older women of First Baptist Church.

Gentry, who is married to Michael Gentry, has three sons and grandchildren ranging in age from 5 to 23, hopes to continue serving her community and church. She plans on applying to volunteer at DecaturMorgan Hospital and attends Bible study with two younger women.

“I love how God put us together and has allowed me the opportunity to share some of the life lessons God has taught me and that I’ve learned over my 70 years. They also minister to me and keep me plugged in and current in this fast-paced new world,” Gentry said.

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