Lake Martin Living Magazine January 2022

Expert Advice for a weed-free lawn Broken resolutions already?

Meet Jim Colvin who has kept his for years

New Homes With Luxurious Amenities: Resort, Golf, Tennis, Fishing, Spa, and Wooded Trails

Everyday Grandeur D I S COV E R A LU X U R I O U S G O L F L I F E STY L E L I V I N G A LO N G G R A N D N AT I O N A L G O L F CO U R S E Tucked away on the outskirts of Auburn University at the world-class Grand National Golf Course, the award winning National Village offers everything you’ll ever need for the way you want to live. The thoughtfully crafted master planned community features georgeous homes designed by national award winner Larry Garnett and built by Ab and Don Conner at Conner Bros. Construction Co., Inc., a local company with more than 100 years of experience. With the Marriott at Grand National on site, residents enjoy championship golf, miles of picturesque nature trails and lakes for fishing, spa and pool. National Village is truly an unbelievable place to live – inside or out.

Plus, thanks to the high speed fiber optic network of Opelika (Alabama’s first Gig City), our homeowners enjoy some of the Nation’s fastest internet for any work- or learn-from-home requirements.

2 Lake Martin Living

T O L E A R N M O R E , C A L L U S AT 3 3 4 . 7 4 9 . 8 1 6 5 O R V I S I T W W W. N AT I O N A LV I L L A G E . C O M .

Lake Martin Living 3

From the Editor’s Desk

H

appy New Year! It’s the beginning of 2022 with many opportunities for new and exciting paths and

discoveries.

Let me introduce myself. I am Lynn Cox, formerly Lynn Wilson as some of you will remember me, and I am the new editor of Lake Martin Living. The start of this new year promises to be an adventure for me. For many years, I have lived away from the Lake Martin/ Alexander City area. I grew up here and started my career at the Outlook. Through the years I worked in various markets around the Southeast. However, I have always loved to return to the area to see all the progress and development that East Central Alabama has experienced. And, of course, the people of this area have always held a special place in my heart, as I have always considered Alexander City my home. As I begin this new venture, I look forward to reconnecting with my old friends and making new ones who have moved to the Lake Martin area.

In this issue of Lake Martin Living, you will find an inspiring article about a world-renowned trumpeter who has become a master of American music—Longineu Parsons. He will be performing at Benjamin Russell High School’s auditorium on Feb. 10, giving a tribute to another American worldrenowned performer, Louis Armstrong. Read Parsons’ story, starting on page 10.

Speaking of the new year, so many people make resolutions to improve themselves in many areas of their lives. Usually the way it goes, they have broken at least one or two within a few weeks into the year because they don’t follow through with the discipline needed to keep going. Meet an Alexander City resident, Jim Colvin, who is living proof that your resolutions and goals for your improved life are attainable with encouragement from others and keeping promises to yourself.

As I write this, cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 have increased. Getting back into the habit of having social events and fundraisers are very important to the networking of our communities.

We know that social distancing is important to control the spread of the infection rate. By the time you read this, our hope and prayer is that you will be able to participate in the coming events featured here.

One annual event that everyone is eager to get back to is the Russell Medical Foundation Gala. The foundation is putting the finishing touches on the benefit, to be themed as an evening of glitz and glamour much like that in New York City’s iconic Rainbow Room. It’s been two years since the event has taken place. Read about what is sure to be an evening to remember, starting on page 30.

There are more features and articles included in this January 2022 issue that will offer helpful information intended to bring value to your life. Keep reading.

I am excited to meet more of the interesting people of the region and tell their stories as well as showcase the many businesses and events in the cities and communities that surround Lake Martin. Please reach out to me at lynn.cox@lakemagazine.life with information and photos that you find interesting.

Lynn Cox, Editor 4 Lake Martin Living

Lake Martin Living Chairman Kenneth Boone Publisher Steve Baker Editor Lynn Cox Contributors Kenneth Boone Dave Jennings Lacey Howell Shane Harris Kevin Speaks Gina Abernathy Jake Arthur Cliff Williams Siri Hedreen Andy Anders Audience Development Director Erin Burton Creative Services Audra Spears Marketing/Advertising Sales Tippy Hunter Rachel McCollough Marilyn Hawkins Carson Wages Cathy Parr Digital Services Elle Fuller Lake Martin Living P.O. Box 999 Alexander City, AL 35011 256-234-4281 www.lakemagazine.life/lakemartinliving

Lake Martin Living is published monthly by Tallapoosa Publishers Inc. All contents are copyrighted and may not be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. Reader correspondence and submissions are welcome. Please address all correspondence, including story ideas, letters, pictures and requests, to: Editor, Lake Martin Living, P.O. Box 999, Alexander City, AL 35011 or email editor@lakemartinmagazine.com.

Advertising inquiries may be made by calling 256-234-4281. A limited number of free copies are available at local businesses and subscriptions are $25 annually.

Lake Martin Living 5

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6 Lake Martin Living

Longineu Parsons, world renowned American musician to honor American Music Master Louis Armstrong with a tribute concert in Alexander City, Feb.10.

Tickets for the concert at BRHS auditorium are available at alexcityarts. org.

Photo by Elizabeth George

FEATURES 10. LONGINEW PARSONS Alex City Arts featured presenter hopes to spread the message of grace, hope and positivity through his concert 16. GOT WEEDS? These pesky problems are easy to overcome with a little education and planning 24. PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF Ret. Col. Jim Colvin is living proof that staying consistent with his diet and exercise regimen is worth the effort 30. RUSSELL MEDICAL FOUNDATION GALA The benefit event is scheduled for Feb. 26 and will be staged in the setting of New York City's iconic Rainbow Room

IN EVERY ISSUE 9. AROUND THE AREA 14. FROM THE TEE 22. GOOD EATS 34. MONEY MATTERS 36. OH SNAP! 42. LAKE REGION EVENTS 50. CULTURE SHOCK

Ret. Col. Jim Colvin pumping his way to a healthy lifestyle. Photo by Kenneth Boone

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AROUND THE AREA

Customer thwarts grocery store robbery An attempted robbery ended calmly and non-violently thanks to the quick-thinking of an anonymous Winn-Dixie shopper, according to an eyewitness.

The Alexander City Police Department was called to the scene at checkout aisle one last month to take a robbery suspect into custody. When the cops arrived, the anonymous hero took his groceries and left.

“The guy just gave everybody a wave and left, and I felt like we probably should have applauded,” Coosa County resident Cameron Lackey said. “Everybody seemed frozen except for that guy, and I just thought it was remarkable how quickly he sprang into action.

Lackey, who works for Alexander City Schools, said she was standing in line for checkout a few aisles down when a cashier let out a yelp.

“The attempted robber grabbed the cashier and had his arms around her, and she was saying ‘OK, just let me get it; let me get it,’” she said.

Alexander City police captain Mario Hodge confirmed the scene.

“He came up behind the cashier, held her arms against her side and told her to give him the money,” Hodge said.

Lackey, hands shaking, said she tried to auto-dial emergency services on her iPhone but couldn’t think straight.

It was at that point that a man in his 40s or 50s came up behind the suspect, put him in what Lackey described as a wrestling hold and slowly lowered him to the ground, all the while speaking to the suspect in soothing tones.

According to the eyewitness, the man appeared to be trained in de-escalation techniques.

“It was over just as quickly as it started,” Lackey said. “It was very smooth. I can almost promise he didn’t hurt the guy.”

The random citizen continued to restrain the suspect until the police arrived; then, he took off.

Lackey said she regrets not thanking him.

“I think he needs to be acknowledged as a hero,” she said.

“Because whether that fellow was armed or not, I think that was really scary for everybody involved.”

Hodge also commended the anonymous citizen.

“We appreciate the help from a local hero that quickly diffused the situation,” he said. ~ Siri Hedreen & Cliff Williams

$1,000 for more trees in Dadeville The Dadeville Beautification Board was handed a check for $1,000 — the maximum amount awarded — for the purchase of trees through the Alabama Power Foundation's “Good Roots” program.

Alabama Power community relations manager Steve Marlowe presented the grant to beautification board president Mickey Forbus at the Dadeville City Council meeting last month.

“Through this grant program, communities, cities and towns can apply for up to $1,000 to purchase trees and to plant them for the beautification of their town,” Marlowe said. “And I want to commend the City of Dadeville and in particular the Dadeville Beautification Board.”

Beautification board member Jerry McGukin also gave a shout-out to Kurt A Growing Town Pfitzner who wrote the grant.

DBB received an “If he doesn’t have the abiliAlabama Power ties he’s got, that wouldn’t get Foundation done,” McGukin said. grant to ~ Cliff Williams purchase trees.

Lake Martin Living 9

Longineu Parsons STORY BY BETSY ILER & PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH GEORGE

10 Lake Martin Living

W

hen Longineu Parsons visits Alexander City Feb. 10, he hopes to deliver more than a stirring tribute to American music master Louis Armstrong. His greater mission will be to spread a message of grace, hope and positivity through his life as a professional trumpet player, university professor and world traveler.

Parsons will present a workshop to students in Alexander City schools and also will appear in concert at Benjamin Russell High School as an Alex City Arts featured presenter. His evening performance, What a Wonderful World, will focus on the great music of the late Louis Armstrong (1901-1971).

“Louis Armstrong is the most important figure in American music,” said Parsons, who holds a doctorate degree in music composition and is a professor at Florida A&M. “To play his music is a privilege.”

Armstrong was renowned the world over almost as much for his charismatic stage presence and his rich, gravelly voice as his skill with the trumpet. He was one of the first black entertainers to achieve popularity with white and international audiences and won a Grammy Award in 1964 for his performance of “Hello, Dolly!”

“Duke Ellington said Louis Armstrong was a man who was born poor, died rich and never hurt anyone along the way. He was known for being caring and loving to everybody,” Parsons said. “I like spreading that word about giving love, being positive, being above negativity. Having enough grace to be above insult. This is my way of spreading that.”

Parsons grew up with his parents playing music –

particularly jazz – in his home.

“It all started when my parents gave me a toy organ when I was a child. I started playing their jazz music on my organ, playing the melodies. They realized I had something going on. I played in the school band.

For me, it was always something fun to do. I liked that I was good at it, and I worked at it to become good, but I looked at it as recreational because I was sure I was going to be a doctor,” Parsons explained.

“I started college as premed, and I had to go back to my parents and say, ‘I am changing to music.’

They told me they knew that, but they had to let me figure it out for myself.

“To be a musician means you will not be happy doing anything else.

That’s what it takes.”

Parsons started his college career at a community college in Jacksonville, Florida. Then he went on to Florida A&M and did jazz studies at Berklee College in Boston. Later, he earned his master’s and doctorate degrees at University of Florida.

“Going back to school in your later years is great.

You know why you are there, and you can apply your experience to your Using Music to Inspire Above: Longineu Parsons studies. I had a lot of fun. says he loves to spread It felt like an indulgence,” love and positivity Parsons said. through his talent After performing professionally for more than 25 years, Florida A&M recruited him as a professor.

“They reached out to me, and I told them I wasn’t interested, but they were determined I should be their trumpet professor. I came to a homecoming game and realized I had to come home,” he said.

It turned out to be one of the best decisions Parsons ever made.

“I have had the opportunity to work one-on-one

Lake Martin Living 11

with students for four years. That means not just teaching them to play trumpet or teaching them to compose. I have had students come back to me and thank me for their manhood. That’s better than money or trophies or fame and fortune. We are responsible for people’s children here. It is a privilege to be able to do that, to have this responsibility. How could I ever retire from that?” said Parsons, who will soon turn 70.

It is an attitude he learned to value through his performance opportunities with such music greats as Cab Calloway, Nat Adderley and Nat Adderley Jr., Herbie Mann, Philly Joe Jones, Archie Shepp and others and performing in more than 30 countries. He lived in Paris for three years and has toured in every country in Western Europe. He played in East Berlin when the wall was still up – and again after it was taken down. He has played in Africa three times.

He played for the king of Morocco, the president of Gabon, the royal family in Monaco and for UNESCO. He has performed concerts in Japan, China, Taiwan and Thailand.

Thailand was the best trip of his life, said Parsons, who lived in a monastery there for two weeks.

“I spent two weeks in silence, and on Day 11, I jumped up because it hit me what Jesus was actually saying that as Christians we are not supposed to be angry. The real message is that as soon as you respond to negativity, you are now a part of it. We have to be above negativity, not respond to negativity. This is the real calling of what we need to do to make life better for the whole world.”

It was a profound discovery for a man who integrated a white high school in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1966 and was diagnosed with PTSD because of what happened there.

“Years later, I was doing a performance for fifth

12 Lake Martin Living

graders in Tallahassee, and the last song I did was What a Wonderful World. The music started up, and I was about to sing when I looked out, and I saw all the kids dancing together. They were black and white, and they didn’t notice that, and they didn’t care about that. I thought ‘that’s what we did it all for, so it would be like this.’ It brought tears to my eyes. I had to stop, and they had to wait for me to recover, so I could sing. That was my most important performance ever.

More than UNESCO, more than the president of Gabon. The most important performance of my life.

What I saw that day let me know my work is not in vain,” he said.

That is the message behind Tribal Disorder, a collective movement against disorder among Inspiring a New humans.

Generation Above: Parsons, “In spiritual terms, this is what one of the it’s about,” Parsons explained. world's finest “Going beyond the separation trumpeters, human beings have made for teaches more themselves by geography and race than just the art and other boundaries. These things of music. are false. I discussed this with Alan Sheppard, the astronaut. If you go into space and look back at the planet, Earth, you don’t see any lines separating us.”

It is a message Parsons hopes transcends the music that defines his 60-plus years of playing and composing music, particularly the jazz of perhaps the most important musician in the history of America, Louis Armstrong.

Tickets for Parsons’ What a Wonderful World concert at the BRHS Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Feb. 10 are $20 and are available at alexcityarts.org. Students and children will be admitted free.

For more information about Longineu Parsons and Tribal Disorder, visit longineu.com.

Lake Martin Living 13

Practical steps to reduce your handicap

W

From the Tee

hat resolutions can you make this Let’s come up with some solutions to change year that you might be able to the negatives listed above into positives. If you keep? I’ve never taken a New Year’s can do this, maybe you can become the singleresolution serious enough to keep digit handicap player you would like to be. it for more than a week or so. Sadly, I don’t think Sometimes, there are reasons for legitimate I’ve ever kept one at all. Thankfully, I have said to three-putts, but 99 percent of the time, you myself, “I’m not doing that again,” or “Maybe I shouldn’t be three-putting. Three-putts usually should be doing this every day or more often.” If are a product of a poor first putt. This poor first you’re a New Year’s resolution maker and keeper, putt is usually due to hitting the ball too hard or try to pick a few good ones to keep that pertain too soft. In other words, your speed and touch to your golf game. were not good in your putting. In a 30-foot putt, Making a resolution like, “I’m going to lower a golfer rarely misses by 10 feet to the right or to my handicap to a single digit this year,” sounds the left, but oftentimes, a golfer will miss them great, but you better have a distinct plan. Think 10 feet short or long, putting too much stress on back in your last three rounds of golf. the second putt.

In those past three rounds, recall putting Here’s a solution and resolution: Twice a week in the New Year, go to the golf course and on each hole. Count them up. How many greens Dave Jennings putt from hole-to-hole, considering speed only did you three-putt? How many 3- to 5-footers for 36 holes each visit. This really won’t take too did you miss?

In those past rounds, recall your trouble holes. Were the long at all. In a few weeks, you will see a great improvement high numbers really due to bad shots or bad decisions? Were on your lag putting. Also, make 20 three-foot putts in a row, using one ball. Should you miss a putt, start over. This little you in a tough spot and chose to try the one-in-a-million drill will help you gain confidence and overcome pressure. shot?

More often than not, bad holes or bad shots are caused In those rounds, count how many wedge shots you hit by poor planning or no plan. Bad decisions happen more into the greens. Of those wedge shots, how many did you hit often to golfers with little experience than to those who have close to the hole and then one-putt? been playing for years. If your ball is in such heavy rough In those three rounds, how many bad drives did you that you can barely see it, and your target is 215 yards away hit? Were they made from poor swings, or were you trying over water, do not think that you are going to hit your 3- or to hit a little harder or cut the corner? Were you considering 4-iron solidly enough to get the ball out and carry it to the something that made the shot more stressful than normal? green. That’s just a bad decision.

In those past three rounds, how many approach shots Your solution and resolution: Pull out your sandwedge did you hit with your ball coming up a club or two short of the target? Do you know your distances with your irons? Do and lay the ball up into a more manageable position. You you think you are long-drive contest champion at times? Are can recover from a bogey easily. Recovering from triple bogeys and worse is nearly impossible. you mis-hitting your approach shots?

The easiest sign of a good player can be seen in how he Anyone can have a bad day. You could have slept poorly hits wedge approach shots. Good players are usually quite the night before your last round, but if you slept poorly the night before each of your last three rounds, you need a sleep talented in getting their balls close to the holes with their wedges because they have practiced these shots at some specialist.

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14 Lake Martin Living

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point in their careers.

Solution and resolution: Once a week, go to the range and practice full, 3/4 and 1/2 wedge shots with a different wedge. At first, try to get your direction down; then, acquire a feel for the three varied swings. With three wedges, you will have nine shots you can count on when you’re on the course.

Not many shots are as important as the tee shot. As we get older or don’t have 40 to 60 hours to devote to our golf games every week, we just can’t compete with the Tour players; however, we can still drive a ball well and keep it in play.

Here’s how: In your warm-up session before playing, swing the driver as hard as you can and see where it goes.

Then, swing it at the same speed you would swing your 8-iron. I’ll bet the 8-iron swing speed is more solid, and the ball better controlled. Do this for five shots on the practice tee; then, use this thought when hitting your tee shots on the course.

Your approach shot keeps coming up short of the green. Boy, oh boy, this happens more often than not. Most people think they hit the ball farther than they really do, so they do not use enough club. When the greens are very firm, we often have to land the ball well short of the pin on the green to get the ball close to the hole, but anywhere on the green is better than not on for most golfers. The real issue here is that most folks don’t know their distance with their clubs.

Here’s a solution and resolution: Take your clubs to a club

•

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repair facility that has a good loft-and-lie machine. Make certain the loft angles are correct from the manufacturer’s specs. If they are not, have them adjusted. That done, head out to the range. First, get fully warmed up; then, hit a dozen 7-irons, making note of where the ball lands. After this, ask someone to stand where you were hitting from, go out to the center of where the balls landed and point your rangefinder towards your volunteer. Keep this as your 7-iron distance. Do the same thing for your 5-iron and your 9-iron.

If the 9-iron is 20 yards shorter, you could surmise that your 8-iron will be 10 yards shorter than your 7. Then, you have some basis to figure the distances for your approach shots.

Resolve that you will check distances with your 7-iron once a month. This will be a good habit because as you leave the colder winter months to the warmer summer months, your distances should change a bit.

Make yourself a better player in 2022. The first step in being successful with this resolution is to be honest with yourself. What are your weak points, and what are your strong points? We never want to give away our strong points so be sure to continue doing what you presently are doing to make your strong points stronger. Just add a little bit to build up your weak points.

Hoping this 2022 New Year brings us better and happier days ahead, starting with lower scores.

Go Trojans! ~ Dave Jennings is the men's golf coach at Central Alabama Community College

lakemartindock.com

334.857.2443

Lake Martin Living 15

Got Weeds?

These pesky problems are easy to overcome with a little education and planning.

16 Lake Martin Living

H

ere is a little riddle for you. What is small and green, comes up every year and happily is growing in your yard right now? Grass? Sorry, wrong answer; try again. Give up? I am referring to all those weeds that are out in your lawn. You know, the weeds that have taken over your lawn and yard. At this time of year they are really the only things green and growing in your lawn.

Weeds are one – if not the number one – pest or problem found in home lawns. Most of the lawn grasses grown in central Alabama are of the warm season type. Grasses in this category include bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, centipedegrass and St. Augustinegrass. All go dormant in the winter. Weeds can invade these grasses at almost any time during the year but are more visible, and therefore a more noticeable, concern in the winter. When the grass is dormant, an untreated and/or neglected lawn can have several types of weeds that seem to have appeared overnight.

From dandelions to crabgrass to clover, all homeowners have weeds at some point or another, and all they want to do is get rid of them. Any plant growing in an unwanted area is considered to be a weed. For yards, this includes

all plants other than the turfgrass that makes up the lawn. Even undesired grasses growing in the lawn, such as bermudagrass growing in a centipede lawn, are really weeds.

Knowing and understanding a little about the life cycle of weeds can help you determine the best control strategy to use. All weeds can be grouped as either winter or summer weeds based upon when they emerge in the lawn.

Winter weeds pose huge problems because they emerge and thrive when the lawn is dormant and not in a competitive state. Summer weeds are a problem but tend to have to compete with the actively growing turfgrass lawn, as well as the summer heat.

Weeds can also be classified as annual, biennial or perennial.

Annual weeds complete their life cycles in a single year. Summer annual weeds germinate from seed in the spring of the year; grow continuously in the spring and summer; develop flowers, seeds and fruit during the late summer and fall; and die with the onset of frost.

Winter weeds germinate from seed during the late summer or fall; grow during the fall, winter and early spring; form flowers, fruit and seed during the spring; and die with the onset

Lake Martin Living 17

GARDEN TALK

of high temperatures in early summer. Examples of winter annual weeds include annual bluegrass, henbit and lawn burweed. Many of these specific weeds can be found in the lawn right now.

Biennial weeds complete their life cycles in two years.

Typically during the first year, they germinate from seed; grow basal cluster leaves (rosettes) and a taproot; and overwinter in this stage. In the second year, these weeds produce Shane Harris leafy flowering stems; produce seeds; and die at the end of the second year. Examples include cudweed and thistles.

Perennial weeds are those that persist for many years in the same location. They germinate from seed; grow and form flowers, fruit and seed in a single year; and may even die back to the ground with the onset of stressful temperature conditions; however, perennial plants reproduce in other ways in addition to seeds.

They form vegetative reproductive structures, such as fleshy taproots, creeping stolons and rhizomes or bulbs, tubers or nuts. Dandelions, for example, reproduce by seed and root segments. Common bermudagrass and bahiagrass reproduce by seed and by stolons and/ or rhizomes. Nutgrass, wild garlic and Florida betony reproduce by producing bulbs, tubers or nuts, in addition to seed.

For every problem, hopefully, there is some type of solution. Weed control, on the other hand, is an ongoing battle, but understanding the life cycle and biology of problem weeds will produce a plan of action. Your two basics options are either prevention or control.

The use of herbicides is a popular choice. Though spraying herbicides for weed control is only a shortterm solution, it is quite effective. A pre-emergence herbicide is applied to the lawn grass surface before weeds germinate and emerge from the ground. This is the prevention approach. These herbicides must be applied before weeds develop and come up; herbicides are ineffective when applied to emerged weeds.

A post-emergence Common culprits: herbicide is applied after Previous page: A tip weeds have emerged but for managing weeds while they are small and never let them mature actively growing. This to flower and disperse is the control approach seeds; Top: Henbit, because prevention was a common winter not done or failed. This broadleaf weed, is recognized by its type of herbicide is applied trumpet shaped purple to the leaf and stem tissue flowers; Bottom: Wild of the problem weeds. A garlic stands alone non-selective herbicide, and prominent in many which is applied to the brown dormant yards 18 Lake Martin Living

foliage of weeds, kills all Unhappy lawn: Top: Annual bluegrass, vegetation treated and with its white seed will severely injure or kill heads, comes up desirable plants if they are everywhere and is exposed to it. difficult to control; Right: Note that most postLawn burweed, with emergence herbicides spurred seeds in early are temperature sensitive spring, has become a and are ineffective against major weed and pain in the foot weeds when it is cold and the temperature is below 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Herbicides also rarely work against large and maturing weeds that have already begun flowering and seeding.

Winter weeds will die once their life cycles come to an end with the warmer temperatures of spring.

From another perspective, a weedy yard indicates the lawn is not healthy or happy because a dense, healthy lawn is the best method of weed control. In such a situation, a desirable lawn grass can compete vigorously, and few problems would exist. Sound cultural or management practices, such as proper fertilization and liming, adequate watering, proper mowing height and correct sod selection for the site, will result in a dense, healthy and attractive lawn. The presence of weeds in a lawn generally indicates a problem with one of the cultural practices. In severe cases, these weeds may be covering the entire yard or actually makeup the lawn.

The problem might be due to disease or insects in the lawn, or it might be due to low soil pH. Generally, the cause for turf thinning must be identified and corrected before weed control measures are used. Two cultural practices frequently implemented by many homeowners lead to weed problems in an otherwise healthy lawn.

Dethatching a warm-season grass too early in the spring will result in early spring weed problems in the sod. Close mowing of the grass in the fall before dormancy will lead to winter weed problems in sod. If the real problem is not

corrected, the use of herbicides will provide only a shortterm fix, and in all likelihood, the problem will reoccur.

One final word of advice: Planning ahead and correct timing is critical for weed control and other problems that develop in a home lawn. Weeds that are up and growing now could have been prevented if action had been taken sooner. Most of the winter weeds found out in the lawn will mature and produce seeds, so they will return each year to be a problem again. Planning ahead and spraying a pre-emergence herbicide next fall could prevent many of next year’s weeds.

As another lawn season approaches, take time to do those little things to have a healthy, thick, green lawn.

Forget about having the perfect lawn because that’s impossible. But doing and paying attention to just the little things will have a great impact on achieving a beautiful lawn.

For help on other home and garden questions, contact your local county Extension office or visit us online at www.aces.edu. ~ Shane Harris is the Extension coordinator for Tallapoosa County.

Lake Martin Living 19

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20 Lake Martin Living

Lake Martin Living 21

Crock Pot Beef Stew

A

GOOD EATS

hearty meal packed with beef and veggies, this recipe cooks low and slow and is perfect for cold nights.

I crave soups, stews and big bowls of comfort foods during the winter months and this beef stew is my all-time favorite recipe. It’s packed with incredible flavor, tender chunks of beef and hearty vegetables.

It’s warm, comforting and super simple to prepare.

Gina Abernathy Beef Stew is one of the best all-time comfort foods around.

Of course, you can dress it up and make it as fancy as you like, but I prefer to keep mine simple and prepare it the old-fashioned way with just a few flavorful ingredients.

For this recipe, I will use my crockpot. My crockpot is super helpful in the kitchen. It gets used a lot, and I couldn’t imagine not having one. I just add my ingredients and turn it on.

It does the work for me. Dinner is ready and waiting on me when I return home in the evenings.

All ingredients complement each other, and not one overpowers the others. As a result, this dish is filling, delicious, hearty and incredibly easy to prepare. Recipes like this inspire me to grab a blanket, sit by a fire and enjoy the evening with a comforting bowl of stew.

To complete the meal, serve with cornbread, biscuits, toasted bread or grilled cheese sandwiches. All of these will be perfect for dipping into the gravy.

22 Lake Martin Living

Ingredients

2-pound beef chuck roast (cut into bite-sized pieces) 5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed 3 cups baby carrots 2 celery ribs, sliced 1 onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 6-ounce can tomato paste 1 cup V8 Juice 3 cups beef stock 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon dried rosemary 1 package dry onion soup mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

Add all ingredients except cornstarch to the crockpot and stir.

Cook 8 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high. Optional: To thicken, 10 minutes before serving, remove 1/2 cup of liquid from the pot. Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch into the liquid and pour it back into the pot. Stir well. Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes. This will thicken the stew. If you like it soupy or if you’re happy with the consistency, omit this step.

Any leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container and kept in the

refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. ~ Gina Abernathy is the author and recipe creator behind the blog Home at Cedar Springs Farm.

For more delicious recipes, or to follow Gina, check out her blog at homeatcedarspringsfarm.com

Recipe Tips and Variations •U se stew meat instead of a chuck roast.

•U se diced tomatoes instead of tomato paste.

•F or more flavor, dissolve one beef bouillon cube in a cup of water and add to the stew.

• S ear the meat in a skillet before adding it to the crockpot.

• I use a 6-quart crockpot for this recipe.

Lake Martin Living 23

Persistence Pays Off

Ret. Col. Jim Colvin is living proof that staying consistent with his diet and exercise regimen is worth the effort

H

STORY BY LONNA UPTON & PHOTOS BY KENNETH BOONE

ow often our New Year’s resolutions go astray. We have clear goals and the best of intentions. We know we have the discipline – this time. Then February rolls around, and we realize those resolutions are in the rearview mirror. Seventy-four year old Jim Colvin is proof that resolutions and goals need not go astray.

For thirty years, Colvin served in the Army, maintaining a high-level of physical activity. Running had the advantage of keeping him in shape for his job, but the pounding took a toll on his body, specifically causing back and leg pain due to nerve damage.

“My wife says I stayed on the couch for two years, which was absolutely the worst thing to do when I was in pain. I had just completely let myself go. I ended up with two surgeries that had very difficult recoveries. One surgery involved three laminectomies – where the surgeon removes the back part of the vertebra, the lamina, to enlarge the space and ease pressure on the spinal cord and nerves,” Colvin said Colvin credits his physical therapist, David Sharpton, with the encouragement he needed to hire a personal trainer after his second surgery and start his journey to

24 Lake Martin Living

fitness. In fact, he still does the exercises every day that were given to him during physical therapy.

“The best situation I had was my therapist talking to my trainer so they could work together on exactly what I needed. They really want you to get better. They aren’t just going through the motions. I learned pretty fast that exercise actually reduces pain then helps to prevent more pain. I hired Cara Tidwell at Total Fitness in 2015. Now I work with her one morning a week, and I work out four days a week on my own. I’d probably go on Saturdays, too, if they were open,” Colvin said.

Since he began his journey, Colvin’s resolution has been the same – to maintain his health and quality of life so he can do the things he wants to do without pain and restriction. He has a plan with Tidwell that incorporates cross-training.

“I work on balance, flexibility, core strength Seven years and counting and cardio, something different every time. I really Right: Colvin has been enjoy the pool, walking consistent and swimming against the with his current, so stress is off the exercise joints. I also take classes, program like Pilates and aerobics, at since 2015

Lake Martin Living 25

26 Lake Martin Living

Lake Martin Living 27

28 Lake Martin Living

all levels, not just for seniors. I know if I don’t do what I have been taught to maintain my health, I will end up in the same shape I was in. I have nerve damage in my right leg, and I can’t walk or run outside anymore, so I use the elliptical machine or the stair stepper for cardio. Sometimes I do the stairs in the building – there are 66,” Colvin said.

Colvin has seen tremendous benefit from his change in lifestyle, specifically in his balance, an area in which most seniors struggle. In fact after his last surgery, he was scared to stand on one leg.

“Core strength is so important for balance, and that is not just the stomach muscles like some people think. The core muscles help us balance, and they help us get up and bend down. I started out balancing on a BOSU ball (a half ball with a flat surface on one side) but using two feet. Now I can stand on one leg at a time for a minute. I balance on each leg then repeat that two more times. Planks are a core exercise, and I am happy to say my best time in a plank is four minutes. Cara has me do burpies and inch worms, so I have to bend or squat to the ground, stretch out to a plank and get back up again. Not fun but good for you,” Colvin said.

Colvin said his personal fitness goals did not involve weight loss, but he has gone on diets before to lose a few pounds and knows firsthand that they do not last. He said he actually lost weight on a highprotein diet, but his cholesterol jumped so high his doctor was concerned and asked him to stop what he was doing.

“So many people have a goal of losing 20 pounds fast or getting in shape, and then fall off the wagon. We make broad, general statements, count every calorie or weigh food. That is not sustainable for life. I knew I just needed to stop eating what was bad for me and start eating what was good for me. I eat to fuel my body for all my activities. I concentrate on vegetables and more plant-based protein. I eat oat bran, nuts and berries for breakfast then salads loaded with vegetables. I top a big salad with protein for dinner, often red beans or bacon bits. Now I do have chocolate and ice cream and

whatever I want sometimes, but it’s a lot less often.

God invented it, so I am sure he wants us to sample it,” Colvin said.

Colvin said the first thing everyone should do before beginning a new exercise program or changing the way he eats is see a doctor. The doctor can assess the current health situation and offer diet advice.

Colvin believed he did not need a personal trainer, but he says the benefit has been worth it. A trainer helps the client understand the how and why of the exercise, the proper form so he or she is not injured and exactly how to sequence exercises for a full-body workout.

“As far as New Year’s resolutions go, there is no magic bullet. I suggest making incremental goals.

Have daily, weekly and monthly goals. If the goals are too hard, it’s just human nature to lay there, too easy to say I just won’t go today. Now, if I don’t exercise, walk or go to the gym or the pool, I feel like I have let myself down. My motto: It’s better to wear out than to rust out,” Colvin said.

With the encouragement of professionals, Colvin has improved his quality of life and his positive outlook dramatically. He keeps promises he has made to himself to continue his regime of exercise and clean eating, so he can live virtually pain-free and without restriction. And, his resolution five years ago to maintain his health is still intact.

Core Work

Previous Page: Jim Colvin says holding a plank position is one of the best exercises for strengthening your core; Left: Balancing on one foot on a ball is tough - Colvin can do this for minutes on end

Lake Martin Living 29

Russell Medical

Foundation Gala STORY BY BETSY ILER

R

ussell Medical Foundation is putting the finishing touches on the benefit event at The Mill Two Eighty scheduled for Feb. 26.

The venue will be staged in the setting of New York City’s iconic Rainbow Room. The gala will feature the return of NY NY Dueling Piano performers, Mike and Mark, to benefit the UAB Medicine – Russell Medical Cancer Center.

The black tie optional evening will recreate the famous restaurant and Bar SixtyFive on the 65th floor at 30 Rockfeller Center with silhouetted landmarks in mock floor-to-ceiling windows, a spectacular chandelier and lots of glitz and glamour, said event designer Jenny Luttrell.

Fine details for the elegant affair will include black tablecloths with white chairs, white china rimmed in gold, silver and white flowers, a Rainbow Room styled menu and spotless glass everywhere.

Hors d’oeuvres for the 6 p.m. cocktail hour before dinner will feature classic gourmet New York bites – mini bagels, hot dogs, pretzels and the like. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m., and the evening’s entertainment will begin as dessert is served, Luttrell said.

“NY NY Dueling Pianos were here two years ago, and it was so much fun; everyone was asking us to bring them back,” Luttrell said. “There’s a black baby grand piano and a white baby grand

30 Lake Martin Living

piano on the stage, and these two guys come in, who are absolutely amazing piano players.

They play a wide variety of music. They also take requests, and they sing. They are so much fun.

When we had them here two years ago, people were up and dancing and singing. They pulled people up on stage. We were all just having so much fun, and we are excited about bringing them back again. They were fantastic.”

The goal for the annual gala event is to raise $200,000 for the purchase of stereotactic body radiotherapy equipment, providing state-of-theart, precisely focused radiation treatment for tumors in the lungs, spine, liver, neck, lymph node and other soft tissues, said Russell Medical Foundation executive director Tammy Jackson.

SBRT uses three-dimensional imaging to target high doses of radiation beamed to affected areas, minimizing damage to surrounding healthy issue.

“Our objective is to upgrade with the top equipment, so patients can get their radiation and chemo right here and not have to travel outside of our city for the best cancer care,” Jackson said.

“We are so excited to bring the gala back. The community loves a fun dress-up affair, and we are ready for fun again. Two years ago, this was the last event we had at The Mill Two Eighty for

a long time, other than A Taste of the Big Apple drive-thru vaccines and Above: Previous Gala entertainment; NY testing. It also will be NY Dueling Piano the last event held in performers, Mike and The Mill Two Eighty Mark. for at least a year, as construction is set to begin in early March on the Legacy project. That project will work out of The mill Two Eighty building. Plus, with construction going on in that area, we don’t need the public in the construction zone.”

Gala guests will enter the venue through a recreation of the marquee at 30 Rock and will find themselves at the mezzanine level lobby prior to entering the setting of New York’s historic restaurant.

Rainbow Room opened in 1934 as the pinnacle of New York’s nightlife scene. The restaurant closed from 1942 to 1950, as the nation’s resources were vested in the war effort. In 1964, Rainbow Room hosted the opening-night cast

party for the Broadway production of “Funny Girl,” starring a 21-year-old Barbara Streisand.

In 1987, a two-night black-tie gala celebrating a renovation of the restaurant was attend by such big names as Brooke Aster, Samuel Peabody, Liza Minnelli, Michael Douglas and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Rainbow Room was declared a New York City landmark in 2012 and underwent its most recent renovation in 2014.

The event committee also includes Chairperson Sherry Henderson, Emily Williams, Tamie Story, Sarah Clegg, Judy Ireland, Joanna Vines, Kelly Adams, Lisa Peace and Courtney Baker.

For ticket prices, details and invitation information, contact Tammy Jackson at 256-2157459 or email her at tjackson@russellmedcenter. com.

Lake Martin Living 31

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Lake Martin Living 33

How to secure your finances for inflation

O

ne of the most talked about topics of the year has been inflation. Inflation can be a sneaky, invisible cost that you might not notice in your small daily purchases, but it can add up quickly at the register on your weekly grocery trip or an outing at the mall. It will impact your finances, from routine household expenses to major purchases like a new home.

MONEY MATTERS

Construction plans

We’ve all seen the headlines and know the cost of construction has significantly increased over the last 18 months. As you plan, consider whether your current and future income is enough to justify today’s increased costs. If not, talk with your lender to understand what available financing options you may be able to afford and utilize and work with your contractor to value engineer your project accordingly.

The best way to prepare for inflation is to be proactive in knowing and assessing your long-term financial plans. I’m a big Household budgets advocate for people knowing where their With the costs of everything going Kevin Speaks money is and how it’s working for or up, it’s a good time to re-evaluate your against them. Conducting monthly selfhousehold expenditures. If you’re paying checkups to evaluate your finances is one of the most more for groceries and utilities, are there places you important financial habits you can put in place. This can cut back on spending to offset the change? If your simple task can prepare you for life’s uncertainties income is flat relative to your necessary expenditures, while simultaneously allowing you to be able to take you may need to delay larger purchases. advantage of any opportunities that may arise.

Here are some of the key areas to pay attention to when evaluating your finances.

Real estate holdings

If you’re looking to purchase or refinance a real estate asset, it’s important to know that rates are likely going to start increasing, so it might be time to make a move. Be flexible and open to what will serve you and your current situation best – it might make financial sense to liquidate some of your real estate holdings now to take advantage of today’s real estate asset valuations.

Meet with your banker

I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to have honest and open conversations with your banker. If you’re pondering a project or expecting a major life event, it’s an ideal time to discuss these with your banker. Lean on them for their expertise before you decide to make a major purchase or financial decision: This is their job.

Re-examine your retirement plans/investments

Most people meet with their wealth or financial advisors annually to take life events into consideration, but these days it’s important to have more frequent discussions. Speak with a wealth advisor to be sure you have an investment portfolio with the right mix of assets and income that will allow you to meet your goals. Good retirement plans take inflation into consideration and allow you to maintain purchasing power over the longterm. ~ Kevin Speaks is a Commercial Loan Officer and Vice President for Valley Bank at the Alexander City location on Highway 280 who specializes in commercial and small business lending. He has been in the banking industry for 13 years.

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Lake Martin Living 35

OH SNAP! 1

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First Day Hike at Wind Creek State Park Saturday, January 1, 2022 Wind Creek State Park 1. Greg Athey and Sabrina Hammond 2. Jeff, Melissa, Kyle and Bear Langston 3. Bruce Adams and Scottie Jackson 4. Emily Shade and Erin Petersen 5. Traci Culverhouse and Gina Buck 6. Mike and Patti Smith 7. Janet Welch, Jackie Partridge and Amy Seanor 8. Maldonado Family

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The Studio Arts & Education Christmas Celebration Thursday, December 18, 2021 Cooper Community Center 1. The Studio Divas 2. Ebonique Wilson, Elizabeth Harris, Kenyatta Simmons

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3. Ivy Johnson & Ce’Reniti Fletcher 4. Lay Harrison, Kenley Simmons, Kalese Simmons, Mary Haslem, Kohen Robinson, Royalty Jackson, Grace Wright 5. Maggie Leonard and her children Ce’Reniti Fletcher & Jaidynn Leonard 6. Re’Asia Brooks & Kalese Simmons 7. Kiumore Murphy, Ar’Leigha Hollie, Leslie Roberts, Adonia Roberts, Areuna Owens, Re’Asia Brooks 8. Kenyatta Simmons, Jerlissa Russell, Maegan Pope

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Willie Mae's Birthday Saturday, January 1, 2022 Alexander City 1. Jariyah Harvey

2. Willie Mae Edwards, Jamarcus and Xeovia Sweetwyne, Jamorria Edwards and Kyneria, Dyjerria and Zyjerria Sweetwyne.

3. Brad Plata, Karla Teel, Donna and Andy Moore 4. Willie Mae Edwards, Tikeathon, Ja'ziah, Taquilla and Jariyah Harvey 5. Willie Mae, Howard and Howard Edwards Jr. 6. Zakorya, Litikea, Ja'ziah and Zyneria Harvey 7. Willie Mae and Tae Edwards 8. Willie Mae and Tae Edwards and Alonzo Sweetwyne 9. Willie Mae Edwards and William Winslet

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ACT II's It's a Wonderful Life Live Radio Play December 3-5, 2021 Central Alabama Community College

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1. Susan McCrispin 2. Julia Kilby Kison 3. Jan Jung

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4. John Jung 5. Chris Baker 6. Graden Hill 7. Julia Waters 8. Chuck Clark and Scears Barnes 9. Keith Garrett, Rob Iler and Ivana Hodges 10. Joy Johns and Rodney Meadows 11. Doug Roberts and Stephanie Childers

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Santa at Pennington Park Saturday, December 18, 2021 Pennington Park, Dadeville 1. Santa Claus 2. Mrs. Claus and Leah Pfitzner 3. Santa Claus and Karleigh Baker 4. Mrs. Claus with Phillip and Scarlett Gorham 5. Delaine Hanson, Stacey Marano and Ron Messer 6. Lynn Sharpe and Santa Claus 7. Jacob, Ethan and Noah Amsler

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The ZaZu Drop at Zazu's Verandah Friday, December 31, 2021 Downtown Dadeville 1. Don and Melynda Thurlough 2. Matison Carligile and Nancy Woodward 3. Jimmy and Lisa Reeves 4. Mike Walsh and Patti Davis

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5. Rick and Mitzy Hidding 6. Abby and Clayton Guy 7. Tim Garner and Amber, Carin and Evan Graber 8. Marcia Darnell and Robert Miller 9. Buddy McDaniel, Joel Link and Lewis Goode 10. Sam Timberlake, Elaine and Micky Forbus, John Timberlake, Fen Gao, Wayne and Joyce Smith

Lake Martin Living 41

Calendar

THE LAKE REGION

FEATURED EVENT

The 13th Annual Russell Forest Run

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ark your calendars now for Feb. 26 the annual run through Russell Forest to benefit the Alexander City Schools Education Foundation. This event has raised thousands of dollars to provide equipment to support local K-through-12 education. This year as in the past, the Russell Forest Run will be held at Russell Crossroads, with the starting line at the Town Green and the finish line near the Stables. The 10K will begin at 7:45 a.m. with the 5K to follow 42 Lake Martin Living

shortly at 7:55 a.m. Cost is $40, which includes run registration, an event shirt and admission to the after-party at the Stables. The after-party is expected to return this year with the Famous Grits Bar and Live Music. You can run in person or enter the virtual event. Visit russellforestrun.com for details and registration.

LAKE REGION EVENTS Starting Now

Tend to Your Health in 2022

Group exercise classes and personal training at its best for medical exercise is available at Total Fitness RMC. Russell Medical’s Total Fitness offers quality exercise prescriptions for everyone from athletes to the geriatric population.

Training is available for any type of need.

For information about getting fit and healthy, call Amy Jones at 256-215-7455 or Cara Tidwell at 256-329-7624.

Jan. 15

Polar Plunge

Save the date for one of Lake Martin Young Professionals signature events, the annual plunge into the frigid waters to benefit Lake Martin Resource Association. Tickets are $30 and include live music, selfie station, food from Kowaliga Restaurant’s Polar Plunge menu and a front row seat to watch the plungers brave the cold - or take the plunge yourself. Come in costume for the chance to win $100 and grab another $100 if you win the Dash for the Cash, which takes place immediately after the main plunge event. Beverage service begins at 10 a.m., and the fun continues until 4 p.m. Sponsors include Lake Martin Dock Company, Russell Lands, Russell Marine, Valley Bank, Steve Robinson, Ballard Construction, Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc., First Insurance and Zajac’s Auto Collision. Visit the Lake Martin Young Professionals Facebook page for details and ticket purchase.

Jan. 22-23

Lakeside Marina Boat Show

Visit Lakeside Marina in Blue Creek for the annual boat show, showcasing Bennington and Robalo lines. Enjoy good food, refreshments and great company from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Feb. 10

What a Wonderful World

This tribute to Louis Armstrong at Benjamin Russell High School Auditorium features Longineu Parsons, one of the world’s finest trumpeters, who has earned the reputation of channeling the great master of American music.

For performance time and tickets, visit alexcityarts.org.

Feb. 26

RMF Rainbow Room Gala

Dueling pianos return to The Mill Two Eighty for the Russell Medical Foundation benefit gala in a Rainbow Room setting from the landmark New York City restaurant. Cocktails at 6 p.m. with dinner at 7 p.m., followed by Mike and Mark ondueling baby grand pianos. Look for details coming soon.

Season-long Events Bingo Wednesdays

Come out to the alley next door to Castelluccio on Wednesday nights for bingo. Order dinner and wine from Castelluccio or your favorite downtown restaurant and have it delivered to your table. The event is limited to six people per table, and the number of tables is limited to 20, due to social distancing. Reservations for this weekly event go quickly, so email Main Street Executive Director Stacey Jeffcoat at sjeffcoatmainstreetac@gmail.com to reserve your table.

Clean Community Partnership Cleanups

Volunteers in Alexander City and Dadeville are encouraged to participate in community partnership cleanups every month. In Alexander City, the cleanups are held on the third Saturday of the month. Meet at Our Town Volunteer Fire Department at 8:30 a.m. to pick up supplies and area assignments and help clean up the roads within Alexander City. For more information, contact John Thompson at 334-399-3289. In Dadeville, the monthly cleanup is held on the first Saturday of the month, and volunteers can pick up sanitized pickers and bags at 8 a.m. at Dadeville City Hall. There also will be a trash bag drop-off on site. Contact Dianna Porter at 256-750-0075.

Library Storytime

Storytime for children aged 5 and younger is held at the Dadeville Public Library every Tuesday at 10 a.m.

Mamie’s Place Children’s Library holds themed storytime every Wednesday at 10 a.m. for preschool-aged and younger children. For information, call Melissa Finley at 256-234-4644.

Children’s Harbor Treasures and Thrift Store

Located on state Route 63 just south of Lake Martin Amphitheater, the Children’s Harbor Thrift Store is open Thursday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Proceeds are used to help fund the activities at the Lake Martin campus of Children’s Harbor and the Family Center at Children’s Hospital. Call 334-857-2008 for more information.

Naturalist Presentations and Guided Nature Tours

Naturalist Marianne Hudson fills the Naturalist Cabin at Russell Crossroads with children and adults to see and listen to her lively nature presentations with critters, insects, snakes and fowl, just to mention a few. There is never a dull moment with this wildlife biologist as she educates on the beauty of nature in the wild and the outdoor classroom. Check the calendar at RussellLands.com/blog/ events for the scheduled subject matter, dates and times.

The Cancer Thrivers Support Group

The group is led by George Miranda, the director of the UAB Medicine – Russell Medical Cancer Center and meets on the first Wednesday of every month at 5 p.m., in the Community Room at Russell Medical. The group is free and welcomes all cancer survivors. Regardless of where you are receiving your treatment. While there will be occasional short educational presentations by members of our medical staff, the primary purpose of the group is to provide support to the whole person while they are dealing with cancer and its treatment. If you are interested in participating, or just need more information, please contact the Cancer Center at (256) 329-7888, or you may e-mail George Miranda at gmiranda@ russellmedcenter.com.

Persons or corporations interested in sponsoring the group may make donations to the Russell Medical Foundation; ATTENTION: Cancer Support Group.

Lake Martin Living 43

9

Goldville 280

Goodwater To Sylacauga

Legend

TALLAPOOSA COUNTY

63

New Site

Public Boat Ramps 22

280

Churches

Camps & Parks

Timbergut Landing

9

Power lines

280

19

U.S. Highways

Alexander City

4

County Roads

14

Horsesh Nation

Jaybird Landing

Flint Hill Church

22

Camp ASCCA

Alex City Boat Ramp

Rockford

3

49

128

22

Piney Woods Landing

Wind Creek 63 State Park

COOSA COUNTY

Pleasant Grove Church

27

11

9

Mt. Zion Church Russell Farms Baptist Church Friendship Church New Hope Church

259

Bethel Church

D.A.R.E. Park Landing

Smith Landing Willow Point

7

Seman

5 Camp Kiwanis

9

12 1 Children’s Harbor

Trillium

The Amp

Ko w

ali

ga

80

2

20 6

Union Landing

23

Walnut Hill

y

21 26

Stillwaters

8 Ba

24 Red Ridge United 49 Methodist Church

Church of the Living Waters

The Ridge

Church in The Pines

18

Lake Martin Baptist Church

Camp Alamisco

Kowaliga Boat Landing 55

Pleasant Ridge Church

34

10 63 17 11

Equality

231

16

57

9 24

Dadev

280

28

Liberty Church

20

Jacksons Gap

25

Union

90

50

Central

Red Hill

15

63

Union Church

Refuge Church 229

49

Eclectic Santuck

13 Kent Reeltown

231

14

ELMORE COUNTY

120

14

14

Lake Martin Region Wetumpka

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Tallassee 229

MACO COUNT

Marinas

Daviston

1 Kowaliga Marina 334-857-2111

255 Kowaliga Marina Rd., Alex City, AL 35010 2 The Ridge Marina 256-397-1300

450 Ridge Marina Rd., Alex City, AL 35010

22

33. River North Marina 256-397-1500

250 River North Rd., Alex City, AL 35010 43. Russell Marine Boating & Outdoors 256-397-1700

19 Russell Marine Rd., Alex City, AL 35010 5 Real Island Marina 334-857-2741

2700 Real Island Rd., Equality, AL 36026 6 Blue Creek Marina 256-825-8888 7280 Hwy 49 S., Dadeville, AL 36853

hoe Bend nal Park

7 Parker Creek Marina 256-329-8550

486 Parker Creek Marina Rd., Equality, AL 36026 8 Harbor Pointe Marina 256-825-0600

397 Marina Point Rd., Dadeville, AL 36853

CHAMBERS COUNTY

Restaurants & Venues

ville

ON TY

9 Smith's Marina - Shipwreck Sam's Froyo 256-444-8793 smithmarinaonlakemartin@yahoo.com

8 SpringHouse 10 256-215-7080

12 Benson Mill Rd., Alex City, AL 35010

50

Camp Hill

11 Catherine’s Market 256-215-7070

17 Russell Farms Rd., Alex City, AL 35010

22

12 Kowaliga Restaurant 256-215-7035

295 Kowaliga Marina Rd., Alex City, AL 35010 13 Acapulco Mexican Grill 334-283-2725 2867 Gilmer Ave., Tallassee, AL 36078

280

20 Aronov Realty Lake Martin 256-825-4133

6928 AL-49 S Stillwaters Hwy, Dadeville, AL 36853 21 Nail's Convenient Store 334-857-3454 8394 Kowaliga Rd., Eclectic, AL 36024 22 Off the Beaton Path 205-994-0847 21300 Hwy. 280, Dadeville, AL 36853

Hotels & Lodges 23 Creekside Lodge 256-307-1440

6993 Hwy 49 S., Dadeville, AL 36853

Churches 24 Red Ridge United Methodist Church 256-825-9820

8091 County Rd. 34, Dadeville, AL 36853 25 Lake Pointe Baptist Church

8352 AL-50, Dadeville, AL 36853 256-373-3293

Dock Builders 26 Lake Martin Dock Company, Inc Marine Contractor License #49146 334-857-2443

180 Birmingham Rd., Eclectic, AL 36024 27 Docks Unlimited LLC 256-203-8400

6400 Highway 63 S., Alex City, AL 35010

Recreation & Entertainment 28 Dixie Sailing Club 767 New Hope Church Road Alexander City, Al 35010

Waverly

Business & Shopping 50

14 Russell Do It Center (Alex City) 256-234-2567

1750 Alabama 22, Alex City, AL 35010 15 Russell Do It Center (Eclectic) 334-541-2132

1969 Kowaliga Rd., Eclectic, AL 36024 16 Russell Building Supply 256-825-4256

350 Fulton Street, Dadeville, AL 36853

LEE COUNTY

17 The Stables at Russell Crossroads 256-794-1333

288 Stables Road, Alex City, AL 35010 18 Kowaliga Whole Health Pet Care & Resort 334-857-1816

8610 Kowaliga Rd., Eclectic, AL 36024

Loachapoka 14

19 Dark Insurance 256-234-5026 www.darkinsuranceagency.com

410 Hillabee Street, Alex City, AL 35010

Notasulga 85 81

If you would like to advertise your business on our Lake Martin Region Map, for as little as $25 call 256-414-3174. Space is limited.

Lake Martin Living 45

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Mark King's Lake Martin Furniture Longleaf Antique Mall Playhouse Cinemas Chamber of Commerce Winn Dixie Re/Max Around the Lake City Hall A&E Metal Regions Bank Marathon - 280 Renfroe's Market Russell Medical Center Russell Marine Boating & Outdoors Koon's II Tallapoosa Ford Dylan Johnson - Country Financial Holley's Home Furniture Jackson's Drugs Selling Lake Martin - Amy Clark The Sure Shot Shell - 280 Big B Bar-B-Que Russell Do It Center Russell Home Decor Holman Floor Satterfield Inc. Grain & Leaf, Bottles & Cigars Tippy Canoe Love Lake Martin Real Estate Office Wind Creek Gate Wind Creek Store Willow Point Office Willow Point Country Club Smith Marina Nails Kowaliga Marina Kowaliga Restaurant Children's Harbor Catherine's Market Russell Lands Corporate Office Russell Lands Real Estate Sales Center

Springhouse Restaurant Ridge Club Ridge Marina HACKNEYVILLE Hackneyville Water Authority NEW SITE Piggly Wiggly - New Site Foodland DADEVILLE Chamber of Commerce Raining Dogs Studio & Gallery Root 49 Salon Ellaby Boutique, LLC Alabama Power Siggers Siggers Barbershop Fusion Cafe Dadeville Library At the Beauty Shop Dadeville Courthouse Payne's Furniture PNC Bank Valley Bank McKelvey Chevrolet Renfroe's Market Foshee's Boat Doc Lakeshore Pharmacy Russell Building Supply Lakay's Tallapoosa Nutrition Sweet Pickins Century 21 - Rhonda Gaskins Farmers & Merchants Bank Jim's Pharmacy Poplar Dawgs Still Waters Country Club Still Waters Home Association Russell Lands Realty Fuller Realty Harbor Pointe Oskar's Aronov Realty Lake Martin Creekside Lodge Blue Creek Marina Lakeside Marina

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NFTs

H

Culture Shock

ave you heard about NFTs? these profile pic collections and using People are spending millions on them as profile pictures. So you can think them. of NFT as another form of branding.

I must cite Mitchell Clark’s People are building communities Aug. 18, 2021, article on The Verge as a around these themes, like Bored Yacht source of my own education. He broke Club. Has your brain imploded yet? Keep it down nicely with a bitcoin vs. trading clicking, the analogy here is a motorcycle card analogy. Non-fungible tokens one – HOG (Harley Owners Group).

(NTFs) are something that is considered The concept of what is art is a rabbit unique and cannot be replaced with hole we could travel down for years. You something else. Bitcoin is fungible. If can splatter paint all you want, but there you trade bitcoin for bitcoin, you have was only one Jackson Pollock. There was the same thing. A one-of-a-kind trading Lacey Howell that $120,000 banana from Art Basel in card is non-fungible; if you trade it for a 2019 that was duct taped to a wall. I have different card, you have a different card. always felt that when you buy art, you are Like many, I have heard about NFTs for months, but investing in that person, the artist. I buy art from it took a really long car ride for me to dive deep. (I people I like. The art that grabs seven figures plus is always learn new things in the car.) really a reflection of how interesting, or how good Think of NFTs living in the same world as of a salesperson, that artist is. bitcoin. It is part of the Ethereum blockchain, like The internet is saying, however, that NFT does dogecoin and bitcoin. Digital art is not a new thing, give you ownership of the work. It cannot be copied. but now anything digital can be called a NFT and You can buy prints of Van Gogh in a bookshop, but have value. Remember the simple rudimentary there is only one original, and it is on the wall. drawings we drew in “Paint” in the ’90s on It is 2022 and while our world has changed computers? Those are jpegs that are NFTs and have rapidly over the past two years, I find hope in the value. A tweet can now be NFT or a video, and they, fact we all have the capacity to try to sell our tweets too, have value. on Facebook marketplace.

You will ultimately need to Google NFT for a visual. Even writing this article has been a slow go ~ Lacey Howell is a recovering English major from because I keep clicking on art that has sold for Auburn who now lives on Lake Martin, sells real silly money. They really do like original Nintendo estate, rides horses and loves good wine. Follow her characters. I found one article that had three on Instagram @LaceyHowell and on her Facebook images of a monkey, and the one that has a sailor’s page. hat on is apparently owned by Jimmy Fallon. The series is called Bored Ape Yacht Club, and it is a 10,000-image collection. People are purchasing

50 Lake Martin Living

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