Alabama Living Central September 2011

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| SEPTEMBER 2011 | www.alabamaliving.coop

Around Alabama CULLMAN OKTOBERFEST Join us for the 2011 Cullman Oktoberfest at Festhalle Many events remain unchanged year to year while excitMarket Platz, a unique landmark located near the center of ing new events are added and old ones expanded. Cullman Oktoberfest is all about fun, family, laughter and lots and lots town next to the Cullman Museum. This will be the center of daily fun, food, music and dancing during the annual Cullman of good German food. One thing that has changed for 2011 is Oktoberfest. the introduction of the biergarten (beer garden.) This is a first Cullman’s Oktoberfest began as a one-day festival in 1977 for this event and will be located in The Rotunda building next celebrating the centennial of Sacred Heart Church, also to the Festhalle Market Platz.

Contact the Cullman County Oktoberfest Committee serving as a fund-raiser for the school. In 1982, the Cullman Downtown Merchants Association promoted a week-long with any questions or suggestions at 800-533-1258. festival that ended with Sacred Heart’s fair.

Orange Beach – September 10 & 11 Decatur – September 17 College and 6th Street, Daphne 2011 Bama Bounders Beach Bash Gymnastics 31st Annual Hartselle Depot Days Race begins at 8 a.m.

Competition streets of downtown Hartselle, 8 a.m.

Contact: Peggy Olive 251-401-8039 Orange Beach Event Center 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Admission: Free www.jubileeraceforlife.org or Contact: 205-310-8054 or Contact: Hartselle Chamber of Commerce, 256www.baysidemedicalmissions.org www.thebamabounders.com 773-4370 or www.decaturcvb.org Greenville – September 30 – November 5 Gulf Shores – September 10 Courtland – September 23 & 24 8th Annual Greenville Haunted Firehouse 2011 Brett/Robinson Alabama Coastal Triathlon Courtland Airshow and Music Festival 1198 Norman Rd. Greenville & the new Tri-it-on “Triathlon” Admission: $10 Opens every Friday and Saturday night The Hangout in Gulf Shores, 101 East Beach Blvd Contact: Kim Hood, 256-974-1658 from 7 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Admission: spectators free, registration fees apply kimhood@lawrencealabama.com Admisson- $6 Contact: 205-595-8633 or www.team-magic.com www.lawrencealabama.com for events schedule for participant registration.

Woodland – October 1 & 2 Greenville – September 24 – October 31 Corn Shuckin’ Festival Estillfork – September 16-18 Daybreak Farms Corn Maze Adventures Earl Forks, 2682 county Road 112 11th Annual Ole Timey Craft & Bluegrass Festival Fridays 4-10 p.m., Saturdays 1-10 p.m., Contact: 256-449-2406 or www.earlforks.com Paint Rock Valley Lodge and Retreat, Sundays 2-8 p.m.

4482 County Road 9 Admission: $8 adults, $6 children (under 12), Moulton - October 1 Friday 1 p.m.-9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.- 6 p.m., under 3 free; special group rates available Lawrence County Youth Rodeo Sunday 12 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Reservations: Tom Duncan, 334-382-7161 or Hosted by Lawrence County 4-H Horse Club Admission: charged, under 12 free daybreakfarms@live.com Iron Rail Arena 9 a.m. – ages 2-18 Contact: Edley or Vivian Prince, 256-776-9411 or Contact Lawrence County extension office at theviv@bellsouth.net Moulton – September 24 & 25 256-974-2464 or Marsha Terry at 256-565-0820 Echota Cherokee Tribe of Ala. Annual Festival Decatur – September 16 & 17 Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Folsom - October 1 17th Annual Riverfest Host Southern Drum: White Horse Singers Fall in Folsom Ingalls Harbor Admission: $5-adults, $3-children, Under 4 free Moore-Webb-Holmes Plantation c. 1819 Noon on Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday Contact: Faron Weeks, 256-773-6155 or 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Admission: Free both days until 4 p.m.; After faron.weeks@mail.com Contact: Jenny Holmes 334-683-9955 4 p.m. $10 per person, children under 10 free; www.holmesteadcompany.com $15 weekend passes Delta - September 24 & 25 www.decaturjaycees.com Cheaha Arts and Crafts Mountain Festival Mobile – October 1 Mountain Top Picnic Area, Cheaha State Park Bay Fest 5K & Fun Run/Walk Troy – September 17 Contact: Bobby Steed, 256-354-2649 Downtown Mobile, 8 a.m.

St. Jude Trail Ride Contact LRH Productions 251-401-8039 or After All Acres Titus – September 24 www.productionsbylittleredhen.com 5799 County Road 2262 Troy Titus Bluegrass Festival Begins at 9 a.m.

Titus Community Center, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Waverly – October 1 Contact: Max Ellis, 334-566-6169 or Performers include: Southern Gentlemen, East 20th Annual Waverly B.B.Q. bbnita47@yahoo.com Wind, Kelli Johnson & Chimney Peak and Justice Waverly Community Center on the old school Family Bluegrass Band. Festival also offers barbegrounds 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Burnt Corn – September 17 cue, crafts, cookbooks and concessions.

Old Federal Road Program: hosted by Monroe Admission: $5 - adults, children under 12 free.

Fort Payne – October 13 – 15 County Heritage Museum Proceeds to Community Center for restoration Finders Keepers Consignment Sale Bethany Baptist Church in Burnt Corn and improvements VFW Fairgrounds Building, 151 18th St. NE Admission: Free Contact: Tom Hinton, 334-567-9059 Thursday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Contact: MCHM, 251-575-7433 or www.titusbluegrassfestival.com Saturday 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. mchm@frontiernet.net Contact 256-632-2420 or visit Daphne – September 24 www.finderskeepers.net Jubilee Race for Life - Certified 10K, 5K and One-Mile Fun Run October 1 – 8

To place an event, fax information to 334-215-8623; mail to Events Calendar, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124; e-mail to calendar@areapower.coop. (Subject Line: Around Alabama) or visit www.alabamaliving.coop

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Each submission must include a contact name and phone number. Deadline is two months prior to issue date. We regret that we cannot publish every event due to space limitations.

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8/16/11 2:40 PM

Beyond Swirly Bulbs Federal regulations are forcing new lighting options

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n hot summer evenings children love chasing fireflies, often catching them in jars. Then the real magic begins, as the intermittent glow captivates the captors.

That same sense of wonder can be found in labs as scientists refine the process of making lightemitting diodes (LEDs) – highly efficient lightbulbs comparable to a firefly’s glow. LEDs have been commonly used as solitary sensor lights in electronics; now manufacturers are searching for economical ways to contain a colony of LEDs in a single lighting shell.

Just as children attempt to gather enough fireflies to make a lamp, an LED “jar” would create enough light output (lumens) to match that of traditional incandescent bulbs.

This research is part of national effort aimed at redefining household lighting. Starting in January 2012, 100-watt (W) incandescent bulbs – a technology developed in the United States by Thomas Edison in 1878 and largely untouched since – must become more energy efficient.

Federal Mandate

Why is the government shining a light on, well, lighting? The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates we use 13.6 percent of our nation’s energy supply to keep the lights on, and a lot of that power is wasted. If you’ve ever touched a traditional lightbulb when it’s on, you realized much of the energy (90 percent) is released as heat (ouch!). This leaves a lot of room for improvement.

To tackle this issue, Congress passed the Energy Information and

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By Megan McKoy-Noe Security Act of 2007 (EISA). By 2014 household lightbulbs using between 40 watts to 100 watts will need consume at least 28 percent less energy than traditional incandescents, saving Americans an estimated $6 billion to $10 billion in lighting costs annually. The law also mandates lightbulbs become 70 percent more efficient than classic bulbs by 2020 (LEDs already exceed this goal).

“With shifting lighting options and consumers looking for every opportunity to save, navigating lighting solutions has never been so important,” says David Schuellerman, General Electric Lighting’s public relations manager.

Look for Labels

Such a massive product change means consumers must switch from thinking about lightbulbs in terms of watts (amount of energy used) to lumens (amount of light produced).

“Lumens, not watts, tell you how bright a light bulb is, no matter the type of bulb,” explains Amy Hebert at the Federal Trade Commission

(FTC). “The more lumens, the brighter the light.”

The consumer-focused agency has designed a “Lighting Facts” label and shopping guide that compares a bulb being purchased with traditional incandescent lightbulbs based on wattages and equivalent lumens. Beginning in 2012, labels on the front and back of lightbulb packages will emphasize a bulb’s brightness in lumens, annual energy cost and expected lifespan.

Is this a Bulb Ban?

Contrary to popular belief, the federal Energy Information and Security Act of 2007 does not ban incandescent bulb technology; it requires bulbs use less energy.

“It’s equivalent to standards passed in the 1980s to make refrigerators more energy efficient, and we’re reaping those benefits,” says Brian Sloboda with the Cooperative Research Network (CRN), a division of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. “Refrigerators use less than one-third of the electricity

today than they did in the mid1970s, but consumers can’t tell a difference in how their food is cooled. The premise is, why not do the same for lightbulbs?”

EISA halts the manufacture of inefficient lightbulbs, but stores will not remove tried and true incandescent bulbs from shelves come New Year’s Day. Current inventory will still be available for sale until exhausted. And the improved efficiency requirements only apply to screw-based lightbulbs; specialty bulbs for appliances, heavy-duty bulbs, colored lights and three-way bulbs are exempt.

Explore Your Options

manager, GE Lighting. “It consumes fewer watts while delivering a precise dimming capability and a bright, crisp light.”

The most familiar options on the market today – and most economical – are CFLs. The technology operates the same as fluorescent lighting in offices or the kitchen. The bulbs are now available in a wide array of colors and some can be dimmed. Always check the package to make sure a bulb meets your needs.

According to Schuellerman, CFLs are generally best used anywhere where lighting is left on for extended periods and full brightness is not immediately

Currently, most residential LEDs are used for outdoor lighting where fixtures are left on for extended periods and changing bulbs is not easily done. LEDs are also great for linear applications like under cabinet lighting, where light sources with thin profiles are needed.”

LEDs are more expensive than other options: a replacement for a 60-watt incandescent bulb costs between $30 and $60. But costs will fall as manufacturers respond to growing consumer demand.

For example, in 2008 LEDs comprised 10 percent of the output from CREE Inc., a Durham, N.C-based lighting manufacturer.

Fast-forward three years and LEDs are responsible for 70 percent of the company’s businesses, and bulb efficiency has doubled.

Innovations like a new production line last year are driving down costs.

LEDs are not without their problems – they have to stay cool to operate efficiently, and when several bulbs are placed together for a brighter, more consumer-friendly light, lifespan decreases. However, many manufacturers are accounting for this by adding cooling elements to LED bulbs. Some bulbs feature a spine design to allow air to flow around the base; other models have fans built into the ballast.

To learn about lighting options, visit energysavers.gov/lighting. For details on the change and shopping tips visit ftc.gov/lightbulbs.d

Once traditional incandescents go the way of the passenger pigeon, residential bulbs will largely fit in three categories, each stacking up a bit differently:

w Halogen Incandescents: Use 25 percent less energy, last three times longer than regular incandescent bulbs. w Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs): Use 75 percent less energy, last up to 10 times longer. w LEDs: Use between 75 percent and 80 percent less energy, last up to 25 times longer.

“CFL, halogen and LED technologies all offer energy savings, but at different intervals, and all with their own pros and cons,” says Schuellerman.

For consumers comfortable with their old incandescent bulbs, halogen incandescents will be an easy first-step. Featuring a capsule of halogen gas around the bulb’s filament, they’re available in a variety of familiar colors and can be dimmed.

“Halogen offers a big efficiency advantage over standard incandescent bulbs,” says John Strainic, global product general

necessary, such as family rooms, bedrooms and common areas. As with all fluorescent bulbs, each CFL contains a small amount of mercury (five times less than a watch battery) and should be recycled. Many retailers offer free CFL recycling; visit www.epa.gov/ cfl for details.

The final choice (remember the fireflies?) is LEDs. Although still developing, you can find LED lights, recessed fixtures and some lower wattage replacement bulbs on store shelves.

“LEDs are the up-and-coming solution,” predicts Schuellerman.”

As they come down in price, homeowners will embrace them.

Measuring light in lumens If you are replacing a 100-watt bulb, a good rule of thumb is to look for one that delivers about 1,600 lumens. As a result, a new bulb should provide that level of brightness for no more than 72 watts, cutting your energy bill.d

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Jimmy and Sue Jimmerson

Teaching landowners and the public the importance of healthy forestland

By David Haynes

J

immy Jimmerson loves where he lives. Since 1991 he’s purchased a total of 150 acres in the Celburne County community of Oak Level, and he seems to know every square inch of it.

An avid outdoorsman and hunter, Jimmerson’s walls have a dozen or more trophy whitetail bucks on display, nearly all he says were taken within walking distance of his house. Most days he’ll ride his four-wheel-drive utility vehicle around his property to check on this or that and see what needs doing.

Of the more than 23 million acres of forestland in Alabama, nearly 22 million acres - 95 percent - are owned by private forest landowners, according to the Alabama Treasure Forest Association.

Jimmerson is current president of the Alabama Treasure Forest Association (ATFA), a group of likeminded forestland owners whose goal is to promote good stewardship of forestland in the state, and to educate others about Alabama’s forests.

The group grew out of the “Treasure Forest” award program that was begun in 1974. To have a 10-acre or larger tract certified as a Treasure Forest, the landowner completes a six-step process that includes identifying a primary and secondary

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Alabama Treasure Forests

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The ATFA’s ‘Classroom in the Forest – Forest in the Classroom’ outreach education program was created to help spread the word about the benefits of Alabama’s forestland and responsible forest management.

Jimmerson likes to ride through his forests to see what needs doing

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objective for the land, having a multiple-use management plan for the property, practicing multipleuse management of the property, being nominated for consideration, being inspected by a registered forester and wildlife biologist, and finally being reviewed and approved by the Alabama Forestry Planning Committee.

All in all, certification as a Treasure Forest is a fairly Jimmerson is ATFA exacting process that not president and advocate every landowner will be able to do immediately. However, membership in ATFA is not limited to just those who’ve been awarded Treasure Forest certification.

James Malone, executive director of ATFA, explains that since 1991 the landowner association’s memberships have been open to both certified Treasure Forest landowners as well as non-Treasure Forest landowners.

Malone says the group has grown steadily from just 132 members 20 years ago to about 3,000 today, approximately half of whom have received the Treasure Forest certification.

Malone says one of the group’s primary objectives is to educate the public about the benefits forests provide to everyone, benefits like providing habitat for wildlife, recreation in the form of hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, as well as being a renewable resource in the form of timber and other wood products.

The ATFA’s “Classroom in the Forest – Forest in the Classroom” outreach education program was created to

Bringing trees back to tornado-battered Alabama In the wake of the devastating tornadoes that battered Tuscaloosa and communities throughout Alabama, the Arbor Day Foundation, in collaboration with the Alabama Forestry Commission, has launched a new campaign to bring trees to families throughout the area.

While cleanup and rebuilding will continue for years to come, people can

help the healing process now. Anyone can help with an online donation at www.arborday.org/ Tuscaloosa. For every dollar donated, the Arbor Day Foundation will deliver a tree to an Alabama resident affected by the April tornadoes.

For more information, visit www.forestry. alabama.gov and click on “Alabama’s Tree Recovery Campaign.”d

help spread the word about the benefits of Alabama’s forestland and responsible forest management.

Classroom in the Forest has two goals. The first goal is to educate fifth-grade students and their teachers about multiple use management of forest resources and the importance of private landowners in forest management, according to the ATFA website. The second goal is to involve private landowners in the education of these fifth graders and the public in general.

Since its inception the all-volunteer education project has been successful in reaching more than 150,000 students in 58 Alabama counties, Malone said.

David Haynes is a freelance To learn more about photographer and writer from the Alabama Treasure Blount Springs. Each month he rides his motorcycle to a Forest Association or to different Alabama location and join the ATFA, visit the tells us about it. Contact him at ATFA website at http:// studioblsp@mindspring.com. atfa.net.

Motorcycling guide to Alabama available Motorcycling Alabama - Fifty Ride Loops Through the Heart of Dixie by Alabama Living contributing writer David Haynes, is the first motorcycling guidebook to exclusively feature Alabama roadways.

Published by the University of Alabama Press, the book routes 50 ride loops totaling almost 5,000 miles. Bounded by interstate highways, the book divides the state into five regions - Northeast, Northwest, East Central, Southeast and Southwest – with each region containing 10 rides.

Most rides are suitable for all motorcycles, but several “Dual Sport” rides are specifically routed to include dirt and gravel roads.

Illustrated with photographs by the author and detailed color maps that also contain turn-by-turn directions for each of the ride loops, Haynes says the book’s goal is to help riders feel confident in exploring all four corners of the state.

A companion interactive website – http:// motorcyclingalabama.info - keeps readers updated on road conditions as they change due to temporary closures or construction.

The book is available at bookstores around the state, online booksellers such as Amazon.com and through the University of Alabama Press website at http:// uapress.ua.edu.d

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Destinations

MOUNTAIN MELODIES Guntersville’s Melodies & Musings features Appalachian dulcimer music

By Jennifer Kornegay Photos by Rose Myers and David Moore

Getting There Guntersville is located in Marshall County on U.S. 431.

The Saturday night concert is $5 for adults, $2 for children ages 6 to 12, and free to those under 6. All proceeds go toward RSVP’s building fund.Visit www.melodies-and-musings.com for more information.

Guntersville

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The stories, beliefs and skills of the people of the southern Appalachian Mountains make up a culture currently in peril, as their customs and traditions vanish with each passing year. Northeast Alabama encompasses the tail end of these mountains and their folkways, and events like the third annual Melodies & Musings in Guntersville, held this year Sept. 22-24, are contributing to the effort to preserve the southern Appalachia way of life by celebrating its musical legacy.

The event centers around the mountain dulcimer, which emits the signature sound in Appalachia’s music. A highlight is a dulcimer workshop led by four nationally renowned instructors from around the country.

The festival is sponsored by the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Marshall County in partnership with the city of Guntersville, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Alabama State Council on the Arts. Participants receive dulcimer-playing instruction, while also enjoying courses and activities highlighting other aspects of Appalachian heritage like fa-sola singing and more.

On Saturday night, the public is invited to a mountain dulcimer concert, and the public can also attend free lectures and demonstrations on topics like mountain medicine and fiddle-making held each afternoon during the event. Satur-

day before the concert, Melodies & Musings will host free lessons in contra-dancing as well, a style of steps known as our country’s original social dance.

According to Jean Ann Moon, the director of RSVP, the mountain dulcimer is a simple instrument, yet it has an important heritage, one well worth attention and protection.

“The mountain dulcimer is the only instrument created in the United States, and was created in the southern Appalachian Mountains,” she says. “All other instruments we know here came from somewhere else.”

The instrument has a sound box like a guitar and in its early incarnations, the sound box might be a rectangle or a square or some other shape. The only constant was that they all had three strings, the melody string, the middle string and the bass string.

“They were all very individual and reflected the personality of their maker,” Moon says. “Strumming across all three strings results in a modal sound, a very soft sound.”

The mountain dulcimer is most associated with immigrants that came to the southern Appalachians from Celtic areas. They brought their ballads with them, and since the dulcimer can make a “droning” sound similar to the bagpipes of

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Alabama Living | SEPTEMBER 2011 |

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Destinations

CLAYBANK JAMBOREE Ozark commemorates its heritage the first weekend in October

By Nancy Rasmussen

Getting There Ozark is located in Dale County just on U.S. 231, about 25 miles north of Dothan.

For more information, contact the Ozark Chamber of Commerce www.ozarkalchamber.com 334-774-9321.

Ozark

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Ozark proudly celebrates its history and future growth the first Saturday each October with the annual Claybank Jamboree.

This year’s celebration kicks off Oct. 1 at 9 a.m. at the downtown courthouse square, with music

by Fort Rucker’s own 98th Army “Silver Wings Band,” including the national anthem.

“We’re proud of our town and our annual Jamboree allows us an opportunity to show it off,” says Chamber of Commerce Director Tanya Roberts.

“Our residents and businesses are patriotic and maintain strong relationships with our Fort Rucker neighbors.”

For decades, the Ozark Chamber of Commerce has sponsored the Claybank Jamboree to celebrate its roots by offering a chance to browse for bargains among vintage furniture, homemade quilts and other special keepsakes.

In conjunction with this year’s 41st Jamboree, the Dale County Council of Arts and Humanities is offering Jamboree-goers an outdoor art show, just a few steps from the square. Back Street Art at Claybank Jamboree will host artists from around the Wiregrass area, who will be selling their creations and

competing for cash prizes. Local artisans also will be demonstrating their craft specialties and children will be planting seeds in small pots

to take home.

The Potting Shed is located just down the street from the First Methodist Church where Jamboree visitors are welcome to take in a traditional quilt show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Claybank Jamboree continues 2 p.m. Sunday at the historic Claybank Church where a crowd of locals dressed in period costumes awaits the arrival and sermonette of a circuit preacher much like folks did back in the 1850s.d

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Outdoors The economic impact of hunting and fishing in Alabama rivals a Fortune 500 company

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ach year hunting in Alabama has an $840 million economic impact, according to state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources statistics.

Plus, according to the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), annual spending by recreational anglers is 13 times more than the cash receipts from the state’s commercial seafood landings.

Hunting is big business The CSF adds that, annually, Alabama sportsmen spend four and a half times more than the cash receipts for cattle and calves, the second leading agricultural commodity in the state ($1.7 billion vs. $363 million). Alabama anglers and hunters outnumber the combined populations of Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile and Huntsville – the state’s four most populated cities.

And, according to the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (US Fish and Wildlife Service), nearly one of every five Alabama residents hunt or fish. If fishing were ranked as a corporation, it would be listed as 47 on the 2007 Fortune 500 list of America’s largest companies based on total sales. More than 1 million jobs are supported by anglers in America.

If hunting were ranked as a

corporation, it would be in the top 20 percent of the Fortune 500 list.

Among the top 10 hunting states ranked by resident retail sales, Alabama is No.9 at $846,607,925.

Sales impacted Dale Turk, sales clerk at the Atmore Truckers Association in Escambia County, says hunters go on a buying spree, purchasing for food plots in the spring.

“We do a thriving business by offering a mix of soybean, sunflower, iron and clay peas for deer, and then chufa for turkey, plus sorghum and brown-top millet for dove and quail,” he says. I’d say a good 45 percent share of our business is hunters.”

Prompted by the first cool day in September, dove season gets the hunters’ juices flowing. Brian Johnson, owner of Robertsdale Feed and Seed in Baldwin County, says the increase in sales during September and October accounts for a 30 percent upsurge in sales. “In fact, it now rivals our spring garden season in overall sales,” he says.

Nelson Wingo, owner of Campbell’s Hardware in Robertsdale agrees with the jump in sales during the fall. During an economic downturn, people don’t take as many expensive vacations. Instead, they stayed closer to home and hunt local land.

Thad Stewart at Zeke’s Marina says 40 charter boats are docked in his Orange Beach facility, but everything from pontoon boats to consoles, kayaks to jet skis are making daily runs into the Gulf at Alabama Point. “The easiest fish to catch is the red snapper because there are so many of them this year,” he says.

Jackie Poole, owner of Smokin’ Jack’s BBQ in Demopolis, says the influx of hunters there makes up about 15 to 20 percent of his business. “It’s a big plus to our town,” he says. “People from everywhere come here for all the free public hunting land.”

Public access to hunting and fishing For many citizens, free public access for subsistence hunting remains a necessary means of putting meat on a family’s table as well as passing on the tradition by taking their children hunting. But Alabama ranks last among southern states of the number of acres provided for public hunting land, according to Business Alabama magazine (May 2011).d Alan White is publisher of Great Days Outdoors magazine. To learn more, www.greatdaysoutdoors.com or call 800-597-6828.

Wildlife Management Tips for September Begin preparing your fall food plots now. If you haven’t done so already, spray undesirable grasses and weeds with a general herbicide, wait a couple of weeks for the weeds to die, then mow and disk the plots for planting.

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u The herbicide treatment is well worth the time and money for making the best possible food plots this year. Don’t forget the fertilizer. I usually wait until the seeds I’ve planted grow to two or three inches tall and apply fertilizer with a spreader. This seems to work better

| SEPTEMBER 2011 | www.alabamaliving.coop

for me than applying it at the same time as planting seeds. u Repair or replace hunting stands. Check each one carefully for loose nuts and bolts, damaged welds, rotten or loose wood or any other safety hazards.

u Mow under fruit and mast trees. Not only will it improve the health of the tree, but it will provide a place where wildlife can find the fruits or nuts easily. These areas are great places to hang a game camera or a hunting stand when fruit or nuts begin to fall.d

Tables indicate peak fish and game feeding and migration times. Major periods can bracket the peak by an hour before and an hour after.

Minor peaks, half-hour before and after. Adjusted for daylight savings time. a.m. p.m.

Minor Major Minor Major

SEP 17 10:22 18 11:52 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 01:37 23 03:07 24 04:22 25 05:07 26 - 27 - 28 07:52 29 08:52 30 09:52

03:22 02:37 08:22 04:07 02:37 08:37 05:07 - 08:52 06:37 - 04:22 08:07 09:52 04:22 09:07 10:22 04:37 10:07 10:52 04:52 10:52 11:22 05:22 11:37 05:52 11:52 06:07 12:07 12:37 06:52 12:52 06:37 01:07 01:22 07:07 01:52 02:07 07:22 02:37 02:37 07:52

OCT. 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

03:22 04:22 05:37 07:22 08:37 09:37 10:22 10:52 11:22 06:07 06:52 07:22 01:07 01:37 02:07 02:52 03:37 04:22 05:37 07:07 08:22 09:22 10:22 05:22 06:22 07:07 12:52 01:37 02:22 03:07 03:52

11:07 - - - 12:52 02:52 04:07 04:52 05:37 11:52 - - 07:52 08:37 09:22 10:22 11:37 - - - 01:37 03:22 04:22 11:07 11:52 - 07:52 08:52 09:52 10:52 -

03:22 08:22 01:07 08:52 09:37 02:52 09:37 03:37 10:07 04:07 10:37 04:37 10:52 04:52 05:07 11:22 05:22 11:52 05:37 12:07 12:22 12:37 12:52 06:22 01:07 06:37 01:37 06:52 02:07 07:07 02:22 07:37 03:07 07:52 08:07 01:22 09:52 02:37 09:22 03:07 09:52 03:37 10:22 03:52 04:22 10:52 04:52 11:37 05:22 12:07 12:22 05:52 01:07 06:22 01:52 06:52 02:37 07:22 03:22 07:52 08:37 12:22

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Robot Wars Black Belt students practice to enter BEST robotics competition for the first time

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By David Haynes

I

n a first-of-its-kind High-Tech Robotics Challenge in Selma, student teams from 24 schools in 12 Alabama Black Belt counties gathered to pilot robots they constructed through obstacle courses at a competition in March.

All of this was for students new to the robotics challenge to prepare for competing state competitions held at eight sites around Alabama in October.

Robin Fenton, state director of Friends of BEST (Boosting Engineering Science and Technology) in Alabama, which sponsored the “Great Freight Challenge” at Wallace Community College in Selma, explained that the 580 students involved in the competition all were from schools in Alabama counties with the highest unemployment rates.

Schools in these counties were eligible for a grant that provided the materials and training to allow students to build and program their robots. This was the first time any of the schools has been involved in a robotics challenge event.

The teams received their “kits” consisting of the materials needed to build a four-wheeled programmable robot and the software application to program the unit just 42 days prior to the competition. Each team also had access to the layout of the “course” specifications so they could build a mock-up for practice prior to the event.

Each robot shared a number of like traits – four wheels, an articulated arm for lifting “freight,” and a framework that looks much like the old Erector Sets with honeycombed-drilled steel parts. But the teams – each dressed in color-coordinated T-shirts – all seemed to customize their robot. One used a hog-head mask; another had a stuffed toy bulldog attached to the articulated arm. To the casual spectator they probably all looked the same, but to the members of each school’s team, their robot was unique.

During the Great Freight Challenge, a driver from each team would

pilot its robot via wireless remote control around one of four “obstacle courses” in the center of the arena at the community college. Each course was identical except for color, and consisted of a wooden roadway with “S” turns, a bridge, a railroad crossing with model train, and an area for loading and unloading “freight” consisting of model cars, blocks and miniature simulated logs.

The entire venue – WCC’s basketball arena – pulsated with electric enthusiasm as fans from the competing schools cheered their teams. Some schools even brought their bands and mascots, giving the event a more a feel of a pep rally than a technological competition. In fact, the room was so loud that most of the judges and other officials had bright orange foam earplugs dangling from around their necks.

BEST has been involved with events like this since its founding 19 years ago in Texas. Ms. Fenton explained that “Friends of BEST in Alabama,” which organized and staged the Selma event, is working to bring schools in these economically depressed counties up to speed with the robotics competitions held each fall by its parent organization, BEST. The event at Selma was really a prelude for these students to prepare them for competing state next month. These students will likely compete at events in Mobile, Dothan or Auburn.

Ms. Fenton said the teams involved in the Selma Challenge “exceeded every expectation we had for them.”

She said that 75 staffers and volunteers participated in putting on the event.

In addition to the obstacle course competition for the robots, each team also was judged in several other related projects, including: * An engineering notebook; * A marketing presentation; * A table display (as in a trade show); * School spirit and sportsmanship.

Friends of BEST in Alabama

Continued on Page 27

The entire venue pulsated with electric enthusiasm as fans from the competing schools cheered their teams.

David Haynes is a freelance

photographer and writer from Blount Springs. Each month he rides his motorcycle to a different Alabama location and tells us about it. Contact him at studioblsp@mindspring.com.

Alabama Living | SEPTEMBER 2011 |

25

Alabama Gardens

WINTER CROPS

This is the perfect time to plant winter vegetables, which can thrive until spring

By Katie Jackson September can be a disconcerting month for gardeners. As the heat eases, working outside seems rather appealing. However, as the gardening season wanes planting can seem a little, well, fruitless (pardon the pun).

Au contraire, planting season isn’t over yet!

September is actually a great month to plant cool-season crops like onions, radishes, chard, lettuces, beets, snow peas, turnips, Brussels sprouts and potatoes.

It’s just that planting fall and winter vegetables requires a more calculated approach than planting the spring garden.

The trick to fall gardening is to out-maneuver the onset of cold weather. In much of Alabama, cool-season vegetable crops can survive into the early winter and many, such as leafy greens, will keep producing throughout the winter (particularly in warmer parts of the state) and can thrive until temperatures begin to heat up next spring.

Here’s what you need to calculate a good fall crop: The average dates of the first fall frost and freeze (your county Alabama Cooperative Extension System office or many weather reporting agencies should

26

| SEPTEMBER 2011 | www.alabamaliving.coop

be able to provide these) and the average days to maturity of the crops you want to plant. The days to maturity information should be available from your plant retailer or on the plant or seed packaging.

Using the frost and freeze dates, determine how many days remain between your proposed planting date and the first cold snap and make sure the plants you are buying can mature in that time period. Look for faster-maturing varieties and buy transplants that are already growing rather than planting seeds to speed up the process.

For those who don’t want to worry about fall vegetable crops but still have an urge to plant, try putting in spring-flowering bulbs, seeding the lawn with a winter annual grass or planting perennials such as allium, coneflower, dianthus, rudbeckia and shasta daisy. Fall is also a great time to sow wildflower seeds.d

Katie Jackson is associate editor for the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station. Contact her at csmith@acesag.auburn.edu

Garden tips for

September

3 Add manure, compost, leaves and other organic matter to garden areas.

3 Stop fertilizing trees and flowering shrubs to allow this year’s growth to harden off before winter.

3 Plant dormant evergreen trees and shrubs.

3 Pot spring flowering bulbs for indoor forcing this winter. Store the pots in a cool, dark place until later in the fall.

3 Weed garden and flower beds.

3 Divide or thin springand summer-blooming perennials.

3 Begin to plant spring bulbs.

3 Test soil in garden beds, lawns and landscapes to determine what fertilizers and other soil amendments are needed for next year.

3 Plant new perennials and divide overcrowded perennials. d

Continued from Page 18 their homelands, it worked well as an accompaniment for the ballad singer.

As the instrument became more refined in the early 1800s, it took on the hourglass shape it retains today, but people still used everyday materials to make them.

“They often used fence wire for strings, and so they used a small piece or maybe a turkey quill to strum it,” Moon says. “Now players use picks, like you would for a guitar.”

While the instrument itself takes center stage at the event, emphasis is also placed on preserving the lyrics that were usually set to the dulcimer melodies. “The ballads sung are really just stories, mostly family stories and oral histories,” Moon says.

They expect a full house for the workshops this year, and it all began with an idea to offer some music classes to seniors, since RSVP is a senior program.

“We thought it would be a good activity for our seniors because you don’t have to read music to play a dulcimer,” Moon says.

“It is really easy to learn to play one. So we got a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

Continued from Page 25 that funded the purchase of 10 dulcimers.”

The interest quickly spread past that demographic alone, and now people of all ages are signing up for lessons and the annual workshop. “Many of our participants have gone on to buy their own instruments and have really gotten into it,” Moon said.

The desire to keep the dulcimer and its mountain music flowing extends far beyond its useful applications for our lives today, Moon explains. “The dulcimer is such a rich part of northeast Alabama’s heritage. People need to know their roots and preserve the things that are part of where they come from. That’s why this event is important.”d

A team works to adjust its robot is working toward getting programs like these off the ground in Alabama’s economically-challenged counties by coordinating interaction between industry groups and schools, assisting with roboticsoriented training for teachers and organizing events like the one in Selma with the goal of each school’s robotics program becoming self-sustaining.

For additional information about BEST and Friends of BEST in Alabama, upcoming competitions or to volunteer, visit the group’s website at http:// bestinc.org.d

Paul takes his turn

Sandy plays the dulcimer A driver pilots his robot

Alabama Living | SEPTEMBER 2011 |

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Alabama Recipes Crock Pot Recipes

4 cups sliced mushrooms 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained 2 medium carrots, sliced thinly and diagonally 1 medium onion, chopped 1 medium red potato, cut in 1-inch pieces ½ cup fresh green beans, cut in 1-inch pieces ½ cup pitted ripe black olives, halved

Cook of the Month

1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth ¾ teaspoon dried thyme, crushed ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 8 skinless chicken thighs (1 ¾ - 2 pounds total) ½ teaspoon seasoned salt 1 14-ounce jar tomato pasta sauce or 1 16-ounce jar Alfredo pasta sauce

Crockpot cooking really is the way to go when you get busy or just want an easy homecooked meal. You can find a slow cooker for relatively cheap and the benefits definitely outweigh the cost. I like to cook a roast with vegetables on the weekend and sometimes I’ll have enough meat for the rest of the week to make burritos, sandwiches or soups. This month, I have tried to include a variety of recipes with different kinds of dishes to best utilize your crockpot. Hope you enjoy trying some of them.

Hot and Sweet Drumsticks 12 drumsticks (about 3 pounds) 1 cup apricot preserves ½ cup catsup ¼ cup soy sauce

2 teaspoons minced garlic 1-2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons water

Place chicken in cooker. Mix apricot preserves, catsup, soy sauce, garlic and hot sauce; pour over chicken. Cook on low heat 6-7 hours or 3-3 ½ hours on high heat. Remove chicken.

Transfer juices to sauce pan. Mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. Add to juices. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Stir often. Continue cooking for 2 more minutes. Serve chicken over hot rice, with sauce as desired. Makes 6 main dish servings.

Rhoda Dunn, North Alabama EC

Easy Crock Pot Pear Preserves

2 29-ounce cans pear halves 3 cups sugar

Cut pears in wedges. Pour off only a small amount of juice.

Dump rest of juice and pears in crock pot. Add sugar and stir. Cook on high to start simmering. Cook slow uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours (longer if you like them moderately candied like grandma used to make in the canner).

Doris Riley Cannon, Black Warrior EMC

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Susan Nelson, Central Alabama EC

French Chicken Stew In a 5-6 quart slow cooker combine mushrooms, undrained tomatoes, carrots, onion, potato, green beans, olives, broth, thyme and pepper.

Place chicken on top; sprinkle with seasoned salt.

Cover and cook on low heat setting for 6-7 hours or on high heat setting for 3-4 hours. Stir in pasta sauce when finished cooking. If desired, serve with French bread. Makes 8 servings.

You could win $50!

If your recipe is chosen as the cook-of-the-month recipe, we’ll send you a check for $50!

Upcoming recipe themes and deadlines are: November Casseroles September 15 December Appetizers October 15 January Vegetarian November 15 Please send all submissions to: Recipe Editor

P.O. Box 244014

Montgomery, AL 36124 or e-mail to: recipes@areapower. coop.

Be sure to include your address, phone number and the name of your cooperative.

Ham and Potato Bake

4 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 2 medium onions, sliced 2 tablespoons margarine 2 tablespoons flour ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper 1 10 1/2 ounce can cream of celery soup

1 soup can water 1½ cups fully cooked ham, chopped into bite-size pieces 1 teaspoon prepared mustard 1 cup grated cheese

Grease slow cooker with cooking oil. Place potatoes in bottom of cooker, then add onions. Spread ham over potatoes and onions. In a medium-sized saucepan, soften margarine and remove from heat.

Add flour, salt, pepper and mustard. Mix until smooth. Combine water and celery soup, stir until well blended. Add to the mix in saucepan and stir until smooth. Place over low heat and bring to a simmer. Remove immediately and pour over ham and potato mix in a slow cooker. Cover; turn on low and cook 8-10 hours.When done and just before serving, sprinkle with cheese over the top of the mixture and stir until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

Peggy Key, North Alabama EC Want to see the Cook of the Month recipe before the magazine gets to your door?

Become a fan of Alabama Living on facebook.

| SEPTEMBER 2011 | www.alabamaliving.coop Editor’s Note: Alabama Living’s recipes are submitted by our readers. They are not kitchen tested by a professional cook or

registered dietician. If you have special dietary needs, please check with your doctor or nutritionist before preparing any recipe.

Crock Pot Italian Chicken

Crock Pot Candy

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves ½ cup Italian salad dressing 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese 4-6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges

Spray the crock pot with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Place chicken in bottom of crock-pot. Pour in ½ of the Italian dressing, spices and the grated cheese. Put the potatoes on top or around the chicken. Sprinkle with the rest of the dressing, spices and cheese. Cook on low for about 6-8 hours or until the chicken is done and potatoes are tender.

Maxine Day, Covington EC

Crockpot Corn

1 16-ounce package frozen white corn 1 16-ounce package frozen yellow corn

3 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons sugar ¾ stick butter 8 ounces cream cheese

1 12-ounce bag semisweet chocolate morsels 2 German chocolate baking bars

2 packages white almond bark 2 1-pound jars lightly salted peanuts or 2 pounds toasted peanuts

Layer in crock pot as listed. Cook on low heat for 3 hours.

Do not open lid or stir. After 3 hours, stir and spoon onto wax paper. Takes several hours for it to harden.

Debbie Spurlock, Pea River EC

Rice Pudding 2½ cups cooked rice 1½ cups whole milk 2 ⁄3 cup brown sugar 3 eggs, beaten 3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients and heat in crock pot on low for 3-4 hours. Serves 8-10.

Mix together all ingredients. Pour into a lightly greased slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 1-2 hours or low 4-6 hours.

Stir once during the last 30 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

Mildren Nordman, North Alabama EC

Nick Batchelor, Covington EC

Sweet Potato Bacon Soup

Beef Bourguignon

8 slices bacon 2 onions, chopped 3 pounds sweet potato 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes 1 russet potato 1 8-ounce package sliced Canadian bacon, chopped 1 32-ounce box chicken broth 1 32-ounce box vegetable broth

2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon white pepper 2 tablespoons cornstarch ½ cup orange juice frozen undiluted concentrate, thawed ½ cup apple juice

3 pounds beef chuck, cut in 1-inch cubes Salt and pepper, to taste 3 tablespoons flour 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced 2 medium onions, sliced 2 large potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces 1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms

6 strips cooked bacon, cut into 1-2 inch pieces 1 10-ounce beef broth 2 cups Burgundy wine (or any dry red wine) 1 tablespoon tomato paste 2 cloves minced garlic 3 sprigs fresh thyme, stemmed 1 bay leaf

Coat beef in flour, salt and pepper and sear in skillet on stove. Place meat in crock pot and add remaining ingredients.

Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or high 5-7 hours or until meat is tender.

In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towel, crumble and set aside in refrigerator. Add onions to drippings remaining in skillet and cook for 4 minutes. Peel all the potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Combine in 5-6 quart slow cooker with Canadian bacon, broths, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper.

Cover and cook on low 8-9 hours until potatoes are tender.

Turn off slow cooker. Using an immersion blender or potato masher, blend or mash potatoes leaving some chunks. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, orange juice and apple juice. Blend well. Stir into soup along with reserved crisp bacon. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes. Stir well. Serve and enjoy.

Combine all ingredients and put in the crock pot. Let it cook on low until the meat is tender.

Anna Clines, Sand Mountain EC

Leigh Jordan, Southern Pine EC

Eileen Hipe, North Alabama EC

Cube Steak Dinner

Package of cube steak 1 can of mushroom soup

1/2 cup of water 2 Tbs of lemon juice

Alabama Living | SEPTEMBER 2011 |

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| SEPTEMBER 2011 | www.alabamaliving.coop

ADVERTISING DEADLINES: October Issue – Sept. 25 November Issue – Oct. 25 $1.65 per word December Issue – Nov. 25

For Advertising, contact Heather: 1-800-410-2737 or hdutton@areapower.com - Subject Line: Classifieds

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Alabama Living | SEPTEMBER 2011 |

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Marketplace

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| SEPTEMBER 2011 | www.alabamaliving.coop

Alabama Living | SEPTEMBER 2011 |

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Our Sources Say

Agreeing with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the son of Robert F. Kennedy Sr., previous attorney general and U.S. senator.

He is also the nephew of President John F. Kennedy. Mr. Kennedy is an environmental lawyer who advocates environmental issues and is listed as counsel for the Riverkeepers Alliance.

Mr. Kennedy has strongly supported renewable energy and opposes coal-fired electric generation. He has supported wind generation as a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving the environment. I have followed Mr. Kennedy on a number of these issues, and found that I agree with his point of view only to the extent that neither of us wants the beauty of nature to be harmed by electric generation or any other factor.

On July 18, Mr. Kennedy authored an article in the Wall Street Journal on the controversial off-shore Cape Wind Project. The wind project would cover 25 acres and consist of 130 large wind turbines stationed off the coast of Massachusetts. The Cape Wind Project, like all wind projects, is heavily dependent on federal and state subsidies. The project also is apparently dependent on contracts with Massachusetts electric utilities to purchase the wind power at prices much higher than the market price for electricity

Gary Smith is President and CEO of PowerSouth Energy Cooperative

Kennedy’s argument further. Most wind projects would not be built except for subsidies from federal and state governments. The cost of wind power is not competitive with the cost of existing fossil or nuclear electric generation if the cost of transmission is added to the cost of the wind power. It makes little sense to benefit private wind project developers with muchneeded taxpayer and ratepayer dollars.

Understand that wind projects, off-shore and on-shore, are opposed by some people and some communities. The projects don’t have the public profile of a Nantucket Sound project, nor do their opponents have the same access to media sources as Mr. Kennedy.

Also understand that wind power will increase your electric bill whether the wind power comes from the Cape Wind Project or an on-shore project. A portion of your tax dollars will also go to the developer of the wind project.

If wind energy is so wonderful, why is it not competitive with other sources of electricity without government subsidies?

While directing tax revenues and increased electric revenues to private developers may or not be a boondoggle, I agree with Mr. Kennedy: they appear to be a “ripoff.”d

from other sources. The turbines apparently will be visible from the Kennedy summer home at Hyannis Port, Mass.

Mr. Kennedy argues that the Cape Wind Project is a “ripoff,” and Massachusetts electric ratepayers will have to pay more than 25 cents per kilowatt-hour for the wind power while electricity from other sources is available for around 6 cents per kilowatthour. He also states that electric consumers taking power from the Cape Wind Project would be “getting fleeced” in comparison to their neighbors in Vermont, who can purchase hydroelectric power from Quebec Hydro.

Mr. Kennedy bluntly states: “Whether you agree or disagree with the fishermen, homeowners and environmentalists who have fought Cape Wind for a decade, the fact is this project makes no sense for ratepayers and taxpayers.”

He concludes the article by stating: “Stopping Cape Wind is not about preventing us from buying into a boondoggle, from investing desperately needed federal, state and ratepayer dollars in a single project on public land for the benefit of a private developer when better and cheaper renewable energy – from wind and water power – is abundantly available.”

It is difficult to argue with Mr. Kennedy’s conclusions. Wind power from the Cape Wind Project is more expensive than electricity from other sources like coal, natural gas and nuclear – even with the subsidies.

However, I will take Mr.

Alabama Living | SEPTEMBER 2011 |

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