CRATA starts raising funds to take Smith Mountain Park to the next level Smith Mountain Fire Tower was open after hours on Nov. 14 so visitors could experience the “super moon” from on high.
GIFT GUIDE FOR BOATERS LOCAL DUCK DECOYS CHRISTMAS SHOPPING ON MAIN STREET DECORATING FOR FAITH, FAMILY & FUN
DECEMBER 2016
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Lake Martin Living is Now Within Your Reach.
PHASE TWO NOW OPEN • Private penisula with 12 new coveted lakefront lots • New construction craftsman-style cottages with amazing design & detail • Prices start in the mid600’s and include plan customization, cottage, land, seawall, pier & incredible views!
Contact Damon Story for more information. 205.789.9526 CEDARPOINTLAKEMARTIN.COM DECEMBER 2016
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Letter from the Editor
hough you might think you don’t have time to sit down with a magazine this month, you’ll be missing out if you pass up this issue. Yes, there are gifts to wrap; decorations to put up; and meals to prepare, along with a heavy schedule of holidays parties and visits with family and friends. Every minute of every day seems spoken for three times over. But lake life doesn’t stop for the holidays, and that’s exactly why you need to pour yourself a hot beverage and cozy up in your favorite chair with Lake magazine. If you don’t, you’ll miss the details of the Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail Association’s new project at Smith Mountain. The coming enhancements will improve the hiking experiences of countless visitors to one of Lake Martin’s most popular landmarks with new signs, educational displays and expanded trails. More than half of the $159,000 cost of the project has already been retained through a grant announced last month by Gov. Robert Bentley. The work will start immediately, and you can be part of it. Turn to page 39 to find out how. Then freshen up that cup and meet some interesting folks who now call Lake Martin home. John Andrews of Newnan, Georgia, moved to StillWaters for the golf and recreation of the lake, where he found time to indulge in the artistic endeavors in which he’d only dabbled during his career as a chemist and microbiologist. At the lake, he’s known as the Wood Carver. See his beautiful painted decoys on page 52. Then, on page 60, meet author and engineer Steve Baladamenti, who immersed himself in the community shortly after his arrival here. A lifelong lover of books, Baladamenti headed straight to the Dadeville Public Library right after he closed on his Lake Martin home, and now he serves library patrons in leadership roles with the Friends of the Library and its board of directors. Of course, you do need to get back to that crazy holiday schedule, and we want to help you with that. On page 32, you’ll find a gift guide for everything from stocking stuffers to the big-ticket items that will thrill the lake lovers on your list. And we’ve done a bit of the homework for you in our Boating Gifts! story on page 34, as well. But before you head out to pick up those must-haves, get a dose of what’s important at Christmas on page 44 with a tour of Karen and Tony Channell’s Willow Point home, which is dressed up and ready for the season. Wishing you all the best and the brightest of Christmases this year. We’re happy to spend a few minutes of it all with you in this issue of Lake.
Staff Chairman KENNETH BOONE
editor@lakemartinmagazine.com
Publisher STEVE BAKER
editor@lakemartinmagazine.com
Managing Editor BETSY ILER
editor@lakemartinmagazine.com
Assistant Magazine Editor LONNA UPTON
lonna.upton@alexcityoutlook.com
Marketing/Advertising Director TIPPY HUNTER
tippy.hunter@alexcityoutlook.com
EMILY GREGG
emily.gregg@alexcityoutlook.com
TABBY EDWARDS
tabby.edwards@alexcityoutlook.com
SCOTT HARDY
scott.hardy@alexcityoutlook.com
DONNA JONES
donna.jones@alexcityoutlook.com
Circulation Manager DAVID KENDRICK
david.kendrick@alexcityoutlook.com
Creative Services AUDRA SPEARS
audra.spears@alexcityoutlook.com
DARLENE JOHNSON
darlene.johnson@alexcityoutlook.com
HALLIE HOLLOWAY
hallie.holloway@alexcityoutlook.com
Contributors KENNETH BOONE JOHN COLEY HENRY FOY JESSE CUNNINGHAM JULIE HUDSON ROB MCDANIEL CLIFF WILLIAMS
LEE WILLIAMS MITCH SNEED DAVID GRANGER GREG VINSON MITCH EMMONS COREY ARWOOD CATHY HIGGINS
Betsy Iler, Managing Editor
All content, including all stories and photos are copyright of:
Correction: The article entitled “How to choose a shop for boat repairs” in the October 2016 issue of Lake magazine incorrectly attributed ownership of a Red Hill community marina; Offshore Marine is owned by Chris Zinn. Lake magazine apologizes for the error.
256-234-4281 Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc. P.O. Box 999 Alexander City, AL 35011
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On the Cover Cover: Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail Association officials opened the gate at Smith Mountain until 10 p.m. on Nov. 14 to allow spectators to view the rare supermoon from the historic restored fire tower. To get this shot for the cover of Lake magazine, TPI Chairman Kenneth Boone parked his boat in the lake below the mountain and aimed his camera skyward.
DECEMBER 2016
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Contents 24. RECORD RENEWAL! 250 volunteers collect more than 20 tons of trash in annual cleanup effort at Lake Martin 32. 2016 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE From stocking stuffers to big-ticket items, everyone on your list will love gifts from the lake 34. BOATING GIFTS! You'll find books, bags, boats and more for Christmas at local marinas
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39. CRATA TO MAKE MORE OF SMITH MTN New project includes educational displays, tower and trail signage and expanded hiking paths
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44. HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS The Channells decorate their Willow Point home for family, faith and fun 52. WOOD CARVER Microbiologist John Andrews retired to an artistic life at StillWaters 56. WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT LOW WATER? Keep a positive attitude to make the most of Lake Martin's reduced water levels 58. HALL OF FAME INDUCTION Alabama Water Ski Federation honors three at Kowaliga for contributions to the sport
LAKE MAGAZINE’S MONTHLY FEATURES:
e
- edition
44
9. LAKE’S QUICK GUIDE
62. LAKE PROPERTY
TO THE LAKE
64. FAB FINDS
10. LAKE SCENES
65. HOBO
14. WHERE IS LAKE?
66. HEALTHY LIVING
16. LAKE EVENTS
68. BIG CATCHES
21. LAKE MARTIN NEWS
70. CHEF'S TABLE
22. GEO 101
71. FROM THE CELLAR
28. NATURE OF THE LAKE
75. PRO TIPS & TEE TALK
60. LAKE Q&A
Lake magazine also features an online, digital edition, available 24 hours a day, free of charge. This edition is perfect to share with friends and family and provides you complete access to stories, photos and advertisements from anywhere in the world with Internet access. View our digital edition today at www.issuu.com.
DECEMBER 2016
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Lake’s Quick Guide to the Lake Lake Martin Area Real Estate Indicators Sales Month
October 2016 October 2013 October 2010
Number of sales
Average selling price
Median selling price
Days on the market
Total houses for sale
Inventory/ sales ratio
20 23 13
$410,125 $374,051 $410,125
$345,950 $283,000 $345,950
214 256 214
266 312 266
10.04 15.60 10.04
The above numbers are derived from raw sales data from the Lake Martin Area Association of Realtors MLS.The sales noted above are for Lake Martin waterfront residential (single family and condominium) sales only. This information is provided courtesy Lake Martin Realty, LLC. (A Russell Lands, Inc. affiliated company.)
Treasured Island Adoption Sasha Steward grew up on Lake Martin and has fond memories of camping out on an island near Bay Pine Marina. She said the family motto was to always leave the places they visited on the lake better than the way they found them. Now that she has adopted the island, she is teaching her 6-year old what it means to take care of our Treasured Lake. Whenever they go out to the island, they take trash bags and rakes with them to clean up what people have left behind. Steward said the ongoing cleanup effort will be a family affair; besides her son and husband, she has enlisted the help of her parents and grandparents to care for the lake they love.
Lake Levels During the Last month Summer: 491 MSL Winter: 481 MSL Highest: 485.05 Lowest: 483.67 Lake elevations are subject to change. Individuals who recreate below Martin Dam and those with boats and water-related equipment on the lake should always stay alert to changing conditions. For up-to-date lake levels, log on to https://lakes.alabamapower.com.
Don't let them steal your boat
Is your boat less than 26 feet? Does it have outboard motor power and rest on a trailer? If you said yes, beware – you’re a big target for theft. A new study that looked at five years of BoatUS Marine Insurance claims files showed that 75 percent of all boats stolen matched this description. With the long winter lay-up, here are some tips to make your boat harder to steal. Just one lock? Try another – and another. You can’t have enough. The goal is to make your boat look unattractive, so the more locks a thief sees – on the trailer tongue, outboard engine or used with chain around the trailer wheels – the better the chance he’ll move on. Don’t leave the key on a stored boat. Never assume your key’s hiding place is so good that thieves won’t find it. Remember, that’s what these people do for a living. Make the trailer impossible to move. A removable tongue hitch or, better yet, removing the trailer tires if the boat is going into longterm storage, turns your rig into one ton of dead weight. The little things can help, too, such as not parking your boat in the driveway with the hitch facing the street. Consider using removable trailer lights – with most thieves working the nightshift, they want to avoid attracting the attention that an unlit trailer would draw. Don’t stick out. You may want to think twice about hanging a “For Sale” sign on the side of your boat. Use a full winter cover to hide attention-getting, splashy graphics. Store all valuables, removable electronics and paperwork at home during the off-season. Check out new anti-theft technologies. Devices that send alerts to your cell phone, take photos/video, provide tracking or kill the motor if your boat moves from its virtual boundary can stop a thief in his tracks. Once a boat is gone, the BoatUS study found, only one in 10 vessels are ever fully recovered.
Lake Martin's Weather Outlook for December Year to Date
Precipitation: 37.87 inches Avg. high temp.: 79.5 Avg. low temp.: 54.6 Average temp.: 67.0
Our Normal December Precipitation: 4.90 inches Avg. high temp.: 57.3 Avg. low temp.: 33.9 Average temp.: 45.6 DECEMBER 2016
December 2016 Forecast
Historically, the Lake Martin area experiences average high temperatures in the upper 50s with lows in the low mid 30s and about 4.5 inches of precipitation in the month of December. The National Weather Service has predicted that temperatures will remain slightly above average this month and rainfall averages will remain slightly below normal. Information from the National Weather Service.
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LAKE SCENE
Email your photos to editor@lakemartinmagazine.com
PEOPLE AND PLACES
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Reader Submissions (1) Lily Abernathy strikes a pose during her leap from the dock. (2) Jack McBurnett played at the Wind Creek State Park campground with the Kinman family. 3) Father and son, John Shelton Sr. and Jr., spent time together fishing from the dock at The Ridge. (4) Merritt Fulmer, age 10, catches a ride behind the boat on the shoulders of her 17-year-old cousin Madeline Meredith. (5) Carrie Rushton sent us this photo of the double rainbow that appeared just before the candle-lighting ceremony to honor and remember fallen campers at Camp Smile-A-Mile at Children's Harbor. (6) Johna Channell found this sunrise on Lake Martin to be particularly inspiring during morning devotions.
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LAKE SCENE
Email your photos to editor@lakemartinmagazine.com
PEOPLE AND PLACES
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Reader Submissions (1) Brice Collins shows off the fish he caught in Lake Martin on Memorial Day. (2) Tracey Hodge sent this photo of a firey sky reflected on the water at sunset over Lake Martin. (3) Mike and Elyce Thompson's grandsons Jack and Grayson take a patriotic plunge at Parker Creek. (4) Nels Coker makes a daring jump while wakesurfing. (5) Fay Dinken just happened to snap this photo on her cellphone at the same time that lightning struck near her home at Curry Point on Lake Martin.
DECEMBER 2016
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LAKE SCENE
Email your photos to editor@lakemartinmagazine.com
PEOPLE AND PLACES
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Reader Submissions (1) Madison and Lucy Comer celebrated Lucy's first July Fourth as an American citizen on Lake Martin. (2) Lyles Griffin and John Peacock of Tallahassee, Florida, enjoy boating on the lake. (3) Hayes Boyd feeds the geese off his family's dock. (4) The chapel at Children's Harbor holds sentinel on a starry Lake Martin night. (5) Lauren, Caylee and Zoe the maltipoo enjoy a swan boat ride. (6) Tyler Fuller eats an ice cream during a stop at Harbor Pointe Marina. (7) Zac Contorno snapped this photo of Cole Maxwell wake boarding at Parker Creek.
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REMARKABLE
EMERGENCY CARE, REMARKABLY CLOSE
We know life is unexpected, especially during the holidays. • Experienced emergency staff • Overwhelming patient satisfaction • Trauma and chopper experience • Shorter wait times
EMERGENCY SERVICES PHYSICIANS Dr. Lee England, M.D. (not pictured) Dr. Robert Schuster, M.D. Dr. John Durant, M.D. Kim Robertson, CRNP Sharon Hamlin, CRNP Heath Daniel, CRNP (not pictured) Kathy Pitts, CRNP (not pictured)
We have an incredible team at Tallapoosa EMS.
Hospital
Urgent Care
Wellness
Pharmacy
DME
Hospice
Home Health
Primary Care
256-825-7821 a division of
201 Mariarden Road Dadeville, AL 36853 DECEMBER 2016 LAKE 13 www.ivycreekhealth.com
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS LAKE?
Email your photos to editor@lakemartinmagazine.com
PEOPLE AND PLACES
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Reader Submissions (1) Johnny Moran, Mitzi Bishop Moran, Angie Stone, Hallie McDonald, Olyvia McDonald, Heather Noel Johnson, Glenda Michelle McDonald, Brittni McDonaldMoran and Tyler Moran took Lake along on a cruise to Cozumel, Mexico. (2) Lynda and Steve Dunton took Lake magazine to Crested Butte, Colorado. (3) Freddie and Linda Daughtry and Jim and Nancy Crew took Lake to Islamorada for some fun in the sun. (4) Kirsten and Steve Knutson took the July issue of Lake for a swim at St. Kitts. (5) Tony and Nina Johnson and John and Susan Prophitt took Lake magazine to Hoover Dam. (6) Lake magazine attended Scott Cone and Liz Lowe's wedding in Montego Bay, Jamaica with Ty Fields, Debbie Dunaway, Kelly Shores and Chad Shores.
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WHERE IN THE WORLD IS LAKE?
Email your photos to editor@lakemartinmagazine.com
PEOPLE AND PLACES
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Reader Submissions (1) Andrew, George, Catherine, Henry and Andy Meehan took Lake on a cruise to Kalymnos, Greece. (2) Lake travelled to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with John, Lori, Annie, Lucy and John Henry Kirkpatrick. (3) Will, Traci and Mickey Sewell took Lake for a history lesson to Utah Beach in Normandy, France. (4) Steve and Jean Baker of Equality took Lake to Wasilla, Alaska. (5) James Gillis took Lake shark diving at Atlantis in July. (6) Steve and Ann Hester and Ralph and Teresa Stanford took Lake for a lobster dive in Key West. (7) Mike Zadroga and Kevin, Ryan and Sean Henderson took Lake fishing at Silver Water Wheel Lodge on Lac Seul, Dryden, Ontario. (8) Clay Duncan took Lake to the Montouk Point Lighthouse in Long Island, New York.
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FOR INFORMATION CALL (334) 567-5147 VISIT WWW.CITYOFWETUMPKA.COM
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Dec. 1 A Tennessee Christmas
Alexander City Arts Council will present A Tennessee Christmas at Benjamin Russell High School Auditorium, 225 Heard Blvd., Alexander City, at 7 p.m. A Tennessee Christmas highlights Meagan Taylor and Jason Coleman’s vocal harmonies, as well as the fingerstyle guitar and slip note piano made famous by Meagan’s uncle, Chet Atkins, and Jason’s grandfather, Floyd Cramer. The show features a mix of vocal and instrumental songs that celebrate all that is good about Christmas. Call 256-496-2424 or email karenjennings124@ gmail.com with ‘Arts Council’ in the subject line for more information.
Dec. 1-10 An Eclectic Christmas
unsightly litter while taking a healthy walk helps to improve your physical and mental well being while helping to keep the Lake Martin community beautiful. For information, contact John Thompson at 334-399-3289.
Dec. 2-3 Tallassee Christmas Kick-off
Join this annual holiday event at Tallassee Veterans Park in front of City Hall from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Kids will give their Christmas lists to Santa from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Shop at the holiday vendor booths from noon until 7:30 p.m. on Friday and 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday. And don’t miss the Christmas parade at 10 a.m. For information or to enter the parade ($10 charge), contact the Tallassee Chamber of Commerce at 334283-5151.
Admission is free, Dec. 3 CALENDAR OF EVENTS but reservations are sugMillbrook gested for this annual Christmas Parade Nativity event that draws WHAT’S HAPPENING ON LAKE MARTIN The theme for thousands to Eclectic this year’s Spirit of each year. The tour, Christmas Parade in Horseshoe Bend National Military accompanied by Roman Millbrook is “An Old Park will host an open house soldiers on horseback, Fashioned Christmas.” with luminaries, refreshments and includes a visit to a Senior citizens will ornament-making on Dec. 5 peasant cottage enroute be the grand marshals to Bethlehem, a glorifor this year’s event, ous choir of angels that which starts at 2 p.m. appear on the hillside, at the sportplex behind a village street and a Smokehouse Bar-B-Q humble stable. More and ends at City Hall. than 200 volunteers take For parade entry or part in this incredible vendor booth informashow that transforms tion, call Kathy Kelley a rural Elmore County at 334-322-9871 or call pasture into the historic Barb or Linda at 334setting of Christ’s birth. 85-7231. Event takes place at the Falk Farm, 1733 Claude Dec. 3 Rd., Eclectic. Donations are welcome to help Christmas Open with expenses, and House handicapped visitors can A Christmas Open be accommodated at the House will be provided 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. tours. by merchants in the Town of Eclectic beginning at 11 a.m. Visit www.aneclecticministry.org. For reservations, call 334The traditional Christmas parade will begin at 4 p.m., followed 578-4846 or email reservations@aneclecticministry.org. by the lighting of the Christmas tree.
Dec. 1 Spirit of Christmas in Millbrook
The City of Millbrook’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. on the Village Green. There will be caroling, a live Nativity and refreshments for sale in addition to the lighting of the tree.
Dec. 3 PATH Trash Walk
Monthly trash walks resume this month as volunteers meet at Elkahatchee Bridge on State Route 63 at 8:30 a.m. for cleanup assignments and supplies. Remember that picking up
Dec. 4 Christmas Cantata
Red Ridge United Methodist Church will present its Christmas cantata, Night of the Father’s Love, by Pepper Choplin at 9:30 a.m., performed by the choir and assisted by an orchestra of community musicians under the direction of Dr. Kim Walls. A dramatization of the Nativity scene will be included.
Dec. 5 Alexander City Christmas Parade
Presented by the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce,
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join the fun as one of East Alabama’s largest parades winds through downtown with elaborate floats, dancers, bands, Santa Claus and more! This year's theme is “Christmas Carols.” Call 256-234-3461 for more information.
Dec. 5 Horseshoe Bend Open House
The Horseshoe Bend National Military Park will host a free holiday open house with luminaries from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 5. Refreshments will be served in the Visitor Center. A table with supplies will be available for children to make ornaments to take home.
Dec. 6 Choral Christmas Concert
Alexander City students will delight audiences with their musical accomplishments at the Alexander City Schools Choral Christmas Concert at 7 p.m. in the Benjamin Russell High School auditorium.
Dec. 7 Band Christmas Concert
The Benjamin Russell High School band will celebrate the season with a Christmas Concert at 7 p.m. at the BRHS Auditorium.
Dec. 8 The Vision
Turn the television to WAXC TV Channel 3 at 7 p.m. for the Alexander City Theatre II production of The Vision by William Grandgeorge. The play features local actors retelling an old Bavarian folk tale about a shoemaker who has a vision that Christ will visit his humble shop on Christmas Eve Day.
Dec. 8 Wetumpka Tree Lighting
Santa will be available for photos at 5 p.m. at Gold Star Park, and the annual lighting of the City of Wetumpka Christmas Tree will take place at 6 p.m. For details, visit www. cityofwetumpka.com.
Dec. 8 Music of the Season
Under the direction of Mr. Jerry Cunningham, local singers present a program of Christmas and seasonal musical selections. Choral, ensemble and solo pieces will be included, all guaranteed to get you in the mood of the season. The concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Tallassee High School Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students and can be purchased at the door. For information, contact Mona Mills at 334-201-4892.
Dec. 9 Nativity/Luminary Night
Wetumpka’s annual downtown celebration of the season continues with the luminary display and Nativity at 6 p.m. For details, visit www.cityofwetumpka.com. 18 LAKE
Dec. 10 Christmas on the Coosa
The annual Wetumpka Christmas event kicks off with the Character Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. There will be arts and crafts on display and available for purchase from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and the car show from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Then, line up along the parade route for the 2 p.m. street parade. Santa will ski in for the fireworks show at 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.cityofwetumpka.com.
Dec. 10 Christmas in the Park
Get in the spirit of Christmas fun at the Charles E. Bailey Sportplex in Alexander City. There will be music, food, arts and crafts and activities for kids and kids-at-heart, including the Wild Side Reindeer Race to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Lake Martin Area. Call 256-329-6736 or visit www.acpr.me for more information.
Dec. 11 Christmas Concert
The Dadeville High School and Councill Middle School Bands will host a Christmas Concert at 6 p.m. at the DHS Auditorium.
Dec. 11 Dadeville Christmas Parade
The theme for this year's Christmas Parade is “Spirit of a Hometown Christmas.” The parade begins at 3 p.m., though vendors will be around the Courthouse Square at 1 p.m. To enter a float, contact the Chamber office at 256-825-4019.
Dec. 12 Community Christmas Party
The Red Hill community will celebrate the season at 6 p.m. at the Red Hill Community Club, 3554 Red Hill Rd., Tallassee. For information, visit www.redhillcommunityclub. com.
Dec. 13 All Natural Christmas Pageant
The Reeltown Volunteer Fire Department will present the inaugural All Natural Christmas Pageant at the Reeltown High School Cafetorium. The event is open to all boys and girls from infancy to 12th grade. All proceeds will benefit the Reeltown Volunteer Fire Dept. For more information contact Terre Funderburk at terre.george@yahoo.com.
Dec. 13-18 Cinnamon Grits: Christmas in the South
It’s holiday fun with this companion piece to last season’s Grits the Musical. That’s Girls Raised in the South, y’all, with a little cinnamon Christmas seasoning. Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13 and 15-17 and 2 p.m. Dec. 18 at Wetumpka Depot Theatre.
DECEMBER 2016
Dec. 14 Music of Christmas
Season-Long Events
A Wind Ensemble presents this concert along with the adult choir and cast of the First Baptist Church, at 6 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Dadeville. This 20-piece ensemble is comprised of students from Auburn University.
Dec. 31 Wetumpka New Year’s Eve Celebration
Shower in the New Year with the Strike of Wetumpka’s Meteor! The celebration will begin with POW/MIA recognition at the Old Elmore County Courthouse. At 9:30 p.m., behind the Wetumpka Civic Center, Shawn Singleton with DJG Entertainment will entertain the crowd with a variety of tunes from all genres. Then, at 11:59 p.m., the countdown will begin for the midnight Meteor Strike and Fireworks, sponsored by Wind Creek Wetumpka, to start the New Year with a bang.
Jan. 14 Treasure Island
The Missoula Children’s Theatre will present Treasure Island, an original adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s epic novel, at 5:30 p.m. at the Tallassee High School Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for children and $5 for students. Treasure Island: It’ll shiver your timbers!
Children’s Harbor Treasures and Thrift Store
Located on Highway 63 just south of Lake Martin Amphitheater, the Children’s Harbor Thrift Store is open Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. You never know what gems you might find – from clothes and household items to boats. 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.
Memory Makers Quilt Guild
Meets the second and fourth Mondays at the Senior Center on the Charles E. Bailey Jr. Sportplex campus. Participants come and go between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. with a business meeting at 5 p.m., followed by showand-tell. Bring sewing projects, machines and questions.
Real Island Supper
The Real Island community hosts a covered dish supper on the second Friday in December at the Real Island Volunteer Fire Department and Community Room, 1495 Real Island Rd., Equality. Everyone is welcome. Admission is $3 per adult; bring a covered dish to share. Some nights are “themed,” so call ahead to find out if costumes or certain types of food are in order. For more information, contact Dianne Perrett at 256-329-8724.
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The Swing Bed Program AT COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
805 Friendship Road Tallassee, AL 36078 (334) 283-6541 www.chal.org
Community Skilled Care and Rehab Helping Patients Transition from Hospital to Home When Rehabilitative Care is Needed.
Why Choose Community Skilled Care and Rehab?
• Generalized weakness • IV medication therapy • Recovery following an accident • Rehabilitation following surgery, stroke, or heart attack. • Rehabilitation following acute care inpatient hospital stay
• Low patient to nurse ratio • 24-hour physician in-house • Dietary, nutritional, and social services • Team approach to recovery & discharge • Coordinated & planned activities program • Nursing care provided by experienced RNs and LPNs • Physical, occupational, respiratory, and speech therapy
For more information call: (334) 283-3848 or E-mail: bnelson@chal.org
Community Skilled Care and Rehab A division of
Community Hospital 20 LAKE
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Lake Martin News Sunday alcohol sales now countywide
Tallapoosa County voters last month passed the Sunday sale of alcohol by a large margin, opening the doors to alcohol purchases on Sundays after Nov. 20. While the numbers show it was something the people wanted, local businesses probably wanted it even more. There were close to 5,000 in favor of Sunday alcohol sales in the county with 7,573 votes total on the resolution. Ultimately, it passed 4,800 to 2,773. “I think it’s going to help business a ton,” said Niffer’s on the Lake manager Charlie Pack. Pack said he has been manager at that location for eight years and with Niffer’s for 13. “A lot of people come in on Sundays, and they ask us whether or not we can sell alcohol,” Pack said. As for the effect it would have on business at Niffer’s and elsewhere, he said, “I think it’s going to make it excellent. We turned away so much business especially on holidays.” He said they lost thousands of dollars because of the restriction. Pack said they announced that when Sunday sales were on the way the restaurant broke into a cheer. He said they were considering drink specials also. At least two local convenience stores have fliers up announcing the new move to Sunday sales. Dadeville’s Store 34 owner and manager Mike Patel said he regularly had to direct customers to Camp Hill when someone came to his store for alcohol on Sunday. “Yeah, I think it’ll bring in a lot of customers,” said Patel. “It will be good for the customers.” Patel said it would be even better in the summer though, when the seasonal tourism returns to the area. ~ Corey Arwood
Drought takes a toll on lake area
Most people don’t need a meteorologist or an alert from the governor or the power company to tell them that it hasn’t rained for months, and most of our area is experiencing severe drought conditions. But Alabama Power issued another Lake Level Alert Friday, cautioning residents that lake levels may fall below winter pool if significant rain doesn’t come soon. The drought affecting all of Alabama continues to reduce flows in rivers and streams that feed Alabama Power’s lakes, including Lake Martin. The conditions have resulted in levels at Alabama Power reservoirs falling below typical elevations for this time of year. Alabama Power has further reduced water releases from its hydroelectric dams, consistent with its federal licenses. The company suspended recreational releases from Jordan Dam on the Coosa River and is working with government agencies, municipalities, businesses and community groups in communication efforts to conserve water. ~ Mitch Sneed and David Granger
Piedmont Plateau Birding Trail Director Joanne Ninesling unveiled a bird trail designation sign at the area's state park
Wind Creek joins Alabama Bird Trail
Wind Creek State Park, home to hundreds of avian variations, has received new trail signage highlighting the Piedmont Plateau Birding Trail and the Alabama Birding Trails (ABT) systems. Piedmont Plateau Birding Trail Director Joanna Ninesling delivered the presentation to the small crowd gathered in front of the park’s marina and store that morning. “With over 270 official sites and with over 400 birds that call Alabama home, we are pleased to partner with Alabama State Parks and with Wind Creek State Park to provide the best location for viewing birds year round,” said Ninesling. Pine forests, hardwoods, “upper story, mid story and lower story” environments, grasses and foliage, plus food sources combined with clear water of Lake Martin, made it a destination for resident and migrant birds alike, Ninesling said. She gave an example of what would seem an unlikely source to create a good environment for birds, which was formed from a violent and destructive natural force that had brought in more species of birds. Tornado damage from years past had created new habitat, attracting birds that chose dead woods, native grasses, or open areas for hunting and nesting, Ninesling said. “There are some birds that prefer dead wood to a nice gooey pine tree,” she said laughing. Ninesling said there were even ongoing longleaf pine restoration efforts that provided “a critical habitat” in attracting the endangered red cockaded woodpecker. Alabama is second only to Florida in the eastern U.S. in plant and animal species, according to ABT information.
DECEMBER 2016
~ Corey Arwood LAKE 21
Lake Martin's Canary Islands J
ust as Spain’s Canary Islands archipelago off the southern coast of Morocco sees a lot of cruise traffic, so do Lake Martin’s own Canary Islands north of the Chimney Rock recreational area. With GPS coordinates at 32.72549 and -85.89094, the East Central Alabama Canaries include five irregularly shaped islands immediately south of the point where Blue Creek flows into the Tallapoosa River; in fact, the riverbed flows right through them, separating the archipelago’s largest island from
The Canary Islands are situated just south of the mouth of Lake Martin's Blue Creek
The five islands hold almost 24 acres, more than half of which is included on Wishbone Island
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DECEMBER 2016
the four smaller ones. The largest of these northern hemisphere Canary Islands is commonly known by the name of Wishbone Island, as its telltale shape is strikingly similar to the forked furcula on a Christmas turkey. Wishbone Island includes 6,318 feet of natural and undeveloped shoreline around 14.81 acres. The cove at Wishbone Island is a popular mooring area for the lake’s cabin cruisers and larger pontoons, as it provides a quiet place to tie up for the afternoon. The second largest island in the grouping also goes by the name of River Island. It has 2,245 feet of shoreline and 3.88 acres. The remaining islands to the east of River Island are un-named at 1.5, 2.37 and .83 acres, respectively. These vulnerable islands took a direct hit five years ago when a tornado blew across the lake. The damage to the trees on Wishbone and River islands is still evident, though the landscape is recovering with noticeable regrowth. While Wishbone and River islands sit in deeper water and can be passed without difficulty, the three smaller
islands are almost connected with a network with sand bars that must be crossed slowly and carefully to avoid prop damage. The trade-off is that these islands are reputed to be great for fishing and even are marked as a fishing habitat drop on the lake map. Unlike their subtropical oceanic counterparts, Lake Martin’s Canary Islands are available for camping, hiking, picnicking and other public recreational activities, as are all of the natural and undeveloped Alabama Power Company islands and shoreline at Lake Martin; however, these Canaries are not very private. The area sees a lot of boat traffic as visitors come and go to the lake’s biggest tourist draw, Chimney Rock, and they are directly south of the run from Blue Creek to open water. Unfortunately, that means these tiny islands see a lot of wave action, and their banks show signs of erosion, so please be mindful of the No Wake markers and hazard buoys around this little archipelago. The shorelines of these small islands also collect a good bit of litter,
DECEMBER 2016
63
Timbergut Landing
22
280
Horseshoe Bend National Park
Jaybird Landing
Alexander City
Camp ASCCA
9 Flint Hill Church 280
49 22
Jacksons Gap Piney Woods Landing
Wind Creek State Park
280 Pleasant Grove Church
11
Alex City Boat Ramp
Mt. Zion Church
259 9
63
Dadeville
Bethel Church
128
Russell Farms Baptist Church
D.A.R.E. Park Landing
Friendship Church
57
280 New Hope Church
20
Liberty Church
Camp Hill
Smith Landing Willow Point
Pleasant Ridge Church
24
34
63 Camp Alamisco
Equality
Kowaliga Boat Landing
Lake Martin Baptist Church 49 Church of the Living Waters
The Ridge
55
Seman
Church in The Pines Camp Kiwanis
Trillium
Stillwaters
Union Landing
Children’s Harbor The Amp Ko
wa
lig
a Ba
y
Walnut Hill
80
9
Central
90
Canary Islands
50 50
Union
Union Church
Red Hill 63
49 229
Eclectic
GEOGRAPHY 101 Tallassee
Kent
Reeltown
STORY BY BETSY ILER & PHOTOS BY KENNETH BOONE
as they serve as a breakwater for the flow of the lake to the south. Designated as islands T (Wishbone), O (River) and M (the last three) in Segment X of the recently launched Adopt an Island/Treasured Mile cleanup program, these islands remained available for adoption at Lake’s presstime prior to Thanksgiving. For information about helping these islands through the adoption program, visit www.lmra.org.
LAKE 23
Record Renewal! 250 volunteers collect more than 20 tons of trash in annual cleanup effort at Lake Martin STORY BY BETSY ILER & PHOTOS SUBMITTED
T
he drought had a positive impact in the record amount of trash collected in the Renew Our Rivers cleanup at Lake Martin last month, said Lake Martin Resource Association (LMRA) President John Thompson. More than 20 tons of trash and 100 tires were delivered to dumpsters around the lake, partly due to volunteers having access to dried up sloughs and other areas that are usually too wet to enter, Thompson said. "No doubt the drought definitely contributed. We were able to get into some of those places up into the sloughs where the trash gets pushed up. Under the normal rule curve, we would not have gotten the amounts of debris that we did," Thompson explained. "The drought gave us a jumpstart in doing precleanup, and we were able to start collections outside the curve early on.” Some 250 volunteers helped with the annual cleanup effort, and this year's project - sponsored by Alabama Power Company, Wind Creek State Park, TowBoat US, Lake Martin
Dock Company, the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce and Russell Lands On Lake Martin - helped to make this year’s cleanup successful, Thompson said. “They really stepped up and did a great job,” Thompson said. “Without their help we would not have been nearly as successful. We knocked it out of the park. It is probably the single largest amount of trash removed from the lake ever. “We collected over 100 tires at Wind Creek; that does not get the ones at Kowaliga and Blue Creek. The amazing thing was that some still had rims and others were large enough for tractor trailers.” The Tallapoosa County Commission will handle disposal of the tires, as those cannot be included with the litter, cans and bottles, Thompson said. “As the water continues to go down, we will try to go back into Elkahatchee Creek,” Thompson said. “We will also take calls and continue to scout the rest of the lake for potential cleanup efforts.”
Russell Lands On Lake Martin employees, officers and associates turned out in force to clean up litter and trash along roadways and shoreline at Lake Martin for this year's Renew Our Rivers effort. From left: Janet Price, Ronica Norrell, Steve Arnberg, Joy Stephenson, Carolyn Hodo, Karen Posey, Ann Funderburk, Hugh Neighbors, Tammi Montgomery, Robert Gunn, Wendy Powell, Sammy Teel, Steve Forehand, Justin Clayton, Tom Lamberth, Tyler Mitchell, Chad Calhoun, Chris Brumlik, Larry Bates, John Adair, Cary Whiteard, Heath Wright (not pictured: Mack Daugherty, Tommy Peavy, Buffy Green).
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DECEMBER 2016
This year's 250 volunteers collected more than 20 tons of trash at Lake Martin, taking advantage of sloughs that were dry from lack of rain. Among the laborers who love Lake Martin were (clockwise from left) Peggy Mary Leigh Meredith, Jimmy and Annette Huett, Trudy Morris, Nita and Chuck Hicks, Ron and Deborah Bell, Charles Borden, Charlotte and Will Denton, Chester Bell, Lynda Davis, Bud and Carroll Nason, Paul and Dianne Perrett, Francis Allred, John Coram and Preston Cauthen; Peggy Durbin and Greg Griffith; Tom Thomas, Ruben Thorton, Peggy Durbin and Norm White; Paul and Dianne Perrett and Alyson Reynolds; Chester Bell and Alyson Reynolds; and Bill Thompson.
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Renew Our Rivers
Francis Allred, chuck Hicks, Chester Bell, Nita Hicks, Lynda Davis, Linda Reynolds, Charles Borden and Lee Reynolds
LETTER TO THE EDITOR BY JOHN THOMPSON
Jacob Meacham, Ed Collari, Carla Culligan and Kim Dunn
Norm White, Tammy McVicker, Billy Barrett, John Thompson and Tonya and Ken Holland
26 LAKE
Dear Editor, I am pleased to announce that the 2016 Lake Martin Resource Association (LMRA) Renew our Rivers Lake Martin Community cleanup Nov. 4 and 5 was the most successful ever. The weather was perfect, and the volunteers who showed up worked hard with one goal in mind: To pick up all of the trash from selected Lake Martin shoreline areas, along with certain adjacent roadsides. The two-day effort attracted more than 200 volunteers who combined efforts in removing nearly 20 tons of assorted trash and automobile tires. Young volunteers from Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Benjamin Russell’s Junior Naval ROTC joined representatives from Alexander City Chamber of Commerce, USTowBoat Lake Martin, Lake Martin Dock Company, Wind Creek State Park, LMRA, Alabama Power Company and the Alexander City Rescue Squad. Several lake residents added their personal boats to the fleet, which hauled more than 700 bags of assorted trash to dumpsters located around the lake. All of these volunteers deserve a big “thank you” for a job well done, but this year’s over-the-top success would not have been possible without the tremendous effort by three individuals who, during the weeks leading up to the event, were responsible for filling the major portion of the bags, as well as piling up most of the tires. Ken Holland and his wife Tonya along with Tonya’s sister, Tammie McVicker, walked the shoreline in Dennis Creek and Wind Creek, as well as other nearby areas, and completely removed every piece of trash, some of which had been there since Lake Martin was formed. Occasionally joining that trio were Bill Thompson, Norm White, Billy Barrett and Billy Harrison, who also deserve special recognition for their tremendous efforts. The Renew Our Rivers event concluded on Saturday with a great “hot dog” lunch provided by Marshall Griffin, Laurie Carter and others from Alabama Power Company. We also offer our sincere gratitude to Betsy Iler, managing editor of Lake magazine, and Mitch Sneed, editor of The Alexander City Outlook, for all of the great articles supporting the event. Sincerely, John Thompson President Lake Martin Resource Association
DECEMBER 2016
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NATURE OF THE LAKE BY KENNETH BOONE
The Lunatics᾽ Guide to Moon Watching In response to last month's supermoon mania, Lake brings you the lowdown on lunar lore
T
he Moon became a star on Nov. 14 when it achieved “Supermoon” status. “Supermoon” means the Moon and Earth are at their closest point in the Moon’s orbit at the same time that the Moon phase is full. The last time it was as close was Jan. 26, 1948; the next time will be Nov. 25, 2034. All that combined to make the November Supermoon a big deal. But the Moon is always a big deal in our night sky. It’s the closest celestial body to Earth, the brightest object in the night sky and changes appearances constantly. As a result, the Moon holds an unparalleled fascination for people today, just as it has since the first humans looked toward the heavens. People lucky enough to spend time on Lake Martin are doubly blessed with lunar observations since the relatively dark areas around our lake make the Moon look that much brighter than when it is viewed from a lit-up city, and the Moon’s reflection in the still 28 LAKE
night lake surface makes any lunar viewing twice as much fun. So for our Nature of the Lake feature this month, we decided to take an in-depth look at the Moon. First off, the Moon is a moon. The capital ‘M’ Moon is the name of the celestial body that orbits Earth. Our Moon is also a lower case ‘moon,’ which is the word used to describe any large body orbiting a planet. There are a total of 173 moons in our solar system orbiting the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite. It is about a fourth the size of Earth, with a diameter of 2,159 miles. To put that in perspective, the United States is about 2,680 miles wide. The surface area of the Moon is about 14.6 million square miles, less than the surface area of Asia, which covers about 17.2 million square miles. Scientists think the moon is 4.6 billion years old.
DECEMBER 2016
Earth’s moon is only the fifth largest moon in our a big step. solar system – Ganymede, which orbits Jupiter, is Only 12 people have ever walked on the Moon, the largest moon in our system at 3,273 miles wide. and all were American males who experienced Next in size is Titan, which orbits Saturn, and then weight loss only dreamed about by the folks on the Callisto and Io, which orbit Jupiter. Europa, which South Beach Diet. The Moon’s gravity is about 17 also orbits Jupiter, comes in sixth place after our percent of gravity on Earth. That means a person moon. who weighs 100 pounds on Earth would weigh only The Moon’s orbit around Earth is an elliptical, not 17 pounds on the Moon. As a result, a person who circular, which means that, at times, it is closer to could jump 10 feet on Earth could jump almost 60 Earth than other feet on the Moon, a times. It takes 27.3 feat only dreamed days for the Moon about by high jumpto orbit the Earth, ers the world over. roughly – but not Back on Earth, we equal to – a month see the Moon graduon our modern calally change shapes endar. each month. The The moon is phases of the Moon made of rock and are really our point of does not emit light. view of the sunlight When we see the side of the Moon as it moon in the sky, orbits the Earth. we are seeing the To understand Sun’s light hitting lunar phases, it one side of the helps to understand Moon. four lunar terms. The same side of “Crescent” means less the Moon always than half the Moon faces the Earth. is lit by the sun so With apologies to that it appears like a Pink Floyd, there thumbnail. “Gibbous” is no such thing as means more than half “The Dark Side of the moon is lit by the Moon” since the sun, so it appears both sides receive as a lopsided ball. the same amount “Waxing” means of sunlight as the growing, and “wanMoon rotates; ing” means shrinking. however, since the A lunar eclipse Moon rotates on is when the Moon, Some would say climbing the Smith Mountain Fire Tower at night its axis at exactly Earth and Sun are to witness last month's supermoon up close was lunatic - a term the same rate that lined up in that order coined in the 13th century to refer to those whose strange behavior the Moon rotates so that the Earth’s was believed to be affected by the moon around the Earth, shadow travels across we only see one the Moon. face of the Moon. A solar eclipse is The other (not when the three bodies dark) side of the Moon has been seen in sunlight by are lined up so that the Moon passes in front of the only a few humans – those who saw it from a spacesun and its shadow travels across the Earth. craft. Have you ever noticed that the Moon appears Neil Armstrong, a member of the Apollo 11 crew, much larger when it first rises above the horizon was the first person to ever set foot on the Moon, in than when it is high in the sky? That’s an optical 1969. When he stepped from the lunar module onto illusion called the “Ponzo Illusion” caused by our the Moon’s surface, the people on Earth heard his minds comparing the Moon to trees and other objects famous words, “That’s one small step for man, one it passes by on the horizon. The photo of the Moon giant leap for mankind,” transmitted by radio; howbehind the Smith Mountain Fire Tower on the cover ever, Armstrong said the world heard wrong, explain- of this issue looks huge in comparison to the tower; ing that what he really said was, “That’s one small however, if you hold your thumb beside the Moon as step for a man, one giant leap for mankind,” which it comes over the horizon, and then again when it is makes more sense. No matter how you hear it, it was high in the sky, you will see it is the same size comDECEMBER 2016
LAKE 29
pared to your thumb in both instances. And about that supermoon – if you missed it last month, you’re in luck. There’s another slightly smaller supermoon coming on Dec. 14, the last of three that occur in 2016. The next big buzz-worthy celestial event viewable from Alabama will be coming this summer on Aug. 21, when there will be a total solar eclipse visible from the United States. On that day, the Moon will pass in front of the sun, completely blocking the sun and making its corona visible from many parts of the U.S., including nearby in Tennessee and North Carolina. The event will appear as a partial lunar eclipse from most of North America, including the Lake Martin area. The last total solar eclipse visible from the United States was in 1979, the next time will be in 2024. It’s a biggie, an event rarer than a Blue Moon, which, by the way is when two full moons fall in the same calendar month. In fact, there will be four Blue Moons before the next total solar eclipse in 2024, and half of them will occur in 2018 – on Jan. 2 and 31 and March 2 and 31 – making 2018 a double Blue Moon year, a superrare event that won’t happen again until 2037. Which, if you remember, is three years after the next supermoon in 2034. If you would like to know more about the Moon, check out NASA’s 4-1/2 minute video, Narrated Tour of the Moon, on YouTube. Another website full of good lunar information is Space.com. Some information for this article came from NASA, www.space.com, www.earthsky.org and www.ianridpath.com.
Summer solstice in June of this year
Did you know? Phases of the moon
New Moon
Waxing Crescent
First Quarter
Waxing Gibbous
Full
Waning Gibbous
Third Quarter
Waning Crescent
There are eight primary lunar phases: New Moon – The Moon is in full shadow since it is between the Earth and the Sun. This is the darkest time night sky and the best time to observe stars from Earth, as the other side (not dark side) is in full sunlight. Waxing Crescent – The right quarter appears as a sunlit crescent while the left three quarters of the Moon are in shadow as the moon appears to be growing. First Quarter – We see the right half of the Moon in sunlight while the left half is in shadow. Waxing Gibbous – We see the right three quarters of the Moon in sunlight while the left quarter is in shadow and the Moon continues to “grow.” Full – Sunlight shines past the Earth and onto the Moon, so we see it as a full circle of sunlight lighting up the entire face of the Moon. Waning Gibbous – The left three quarters of the Moon are lit by the sun, and the right quarter is in shadow as the moon begins “shrinking.” Third Quarter – The left half of the Moon is sunlit, and the right half is in shadow. Waning Crescent – Sunlight strikes only the left quarter of the Moon while the right three quarters are in shadow, making the moon appear to be shrinking to the new moon phase.
30 LAKE
DECEMBER 2016
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DECEMBER 2016
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DECEMBER 2016
LAKE 33
BOATING GIFTS! 34 LAKE
The kids will love sand pails, water guns and books about Lake Martin; Right: from top: Yeti coolers; Lake Martin apparell; and paddleboards are on someone's wish list this year
A
STORY & PHOTOS BY MITCH EMMONS
rguably, if a person lives on the lake, boats on the lake and is blessed to enjoy all that the lake has to offer, he or she probably already has everything, so what Christmas gift do you give the boater who already has everything? This season’s hot items, according to boating magazines, include coolers (Yeti, Orca, etc.); paddleboards and kayaks; drink tumblers; fishing equipment and electronics; boating apparel and clothing accessories. We looked around the lake, and from high-ticket items to bargain-budget, stocking stuffers to the big box under the tree, the local marketplace is stocked with excellent gift ideas for the boater on your list. The marine stores, bait shops and retail businesses around Lake Martin can supply top-quality items and name brands that will make your favorite lake-lover smile. “We sell some big-ticket items during the holidays, like boats and personal water craft,” said Steven Yearkey at Alexander City Marine, “but most of our sales involve lower-cost items, such as tow tubes, wake boards and fishing electronics. A lot of our regular customers are year-round fishermen, and we carry a full line of top-brand fishing electronics.” Recognized brands that can be found at Alexander City Marine include Minn Kota, MotorGuide, Lawrence, Hummingbird and Power Pole, among others. “Every boater needs a cooler,” said Tabitha Arledge, a clerk at Blue Creek Marina’s Wake Shop store. “We probably sell more coolers and wake boards than any other single item.” Floating mats, tow tubes, wake and paddleboards and branded accessories also are big movers at Blue Creek, Arledge added. Among the brands available at the Wake Shop are Yeti coolers and accessories, Obrien tow tubes, Liquid Force wake boards and Lilly Pad and Maui floating mats. The same can be said for Russell Marine, where in addition to Lake Martin and commercially-branded apparel (including Yeti), shoppers can find a variety of water toys and even a children’s book about Lake Martin, written by a local author. “We have the big items, like wake and paddle boards as well,” said Russell Marine Merchandising Manager Scott Goslin. “Also, our kayaks are popular this year.” Among brands available at Russell Marine are Hyperlite and Byerly wake boards, Connelly tubes DECEMBER 2016
and accessories, Chill Raft floating mats, Evoke kayaks and Coreley paddleboards. A broad assortment of branded apparel items is stocked at Lake Martin Mini Mall on Highway 63 at Kowaliga. The store also is a local dealer of the popular Big Green Egg grill line, as well as Orca brand coolers and accessories, which are available in collegiate colors. Lake Martin Mini Mall carries the Bote line of paddleboards, too. “We have a large selection of Big Green Egg grills and accessories, and we also are the exclusive location for the annual Lake Martin Christmas Tree ornament,” said Lake Martin Mini Mall Manager Robin Norris. Just across the road at Lake Martin Blooms & Bait, shop owners John and Kim Bullock are getting ready for holiday plant sales. They have in stock the largest selection of poinsettias available on the lake, as well as festive welded-tin holiday lawn decorations; however, the bait shop side of the house is still catering to the boater-fishing customer. “We are the dealer for the popular fishing underwater Green Light,” said John Bullock. Models range in price from $318 to $350, and installation does not require an electrician. “Christmastime is a popular time for people to purchase the light as a gift for their fishing spouse. We also offer a complete line of tackle and accessories, and those make great stocking stuffers. We even package them in baskets to help assemble a well-stocked gift for a fisherman,” he said. While the holidays are a good time to get those sought-after boating, watercraft and fishing gear upgrades, this also is a good time to replace worn, everyday boating items. “It is a good time to replace things like dock ropes and bumpers, as well,” added Russell Marine’s Goslin. Special holiday gift packages on ropes, bumpers and other common boating items also can be found locally. Most businesses offer gift certificates, too. The chart below offers some product and brand breakdowns to help shoppers with decision-making.
Brand Item Yeti Cooler - Hard Sided Yeti Cooler - Soft Sided Yeti Tumbers Yeti Accessories & Apparel Orca Coolers Orca Tumblers Big Green Egg Grills Minn Kota, MororGuide, Trolling Motors & Lowrance, Hummingbird Fish-Finding Electronics Green Underwater Fish Attractor Fishing Light Hyperlite, Byerly, Bote, Wake/Paddle Boards Liquid Force, Corley Chill Raft, O'brien, Float Mats & Tow Tubes Lily Pad, Maui Kayaks Evoke Dock Ropes, Bumpers Various Pet Water Accessories Various Costa, Panama Jack, Sunglasses Maui Jim, Dot Dash Various Fishing Tackle
Price Range (approx.) $230-$430 $279-$379 $25-40 $4-$40 $200-$600 $25-$38 $600-$4,000 $100-$3,000 $315-$350 $170-$500 and up $100-$500 $600 and up $10-$65 $20-$40 $30-$300 $3 and up
DECEMBER 2016
LAKE 35
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The historic forestry office foundations will remain as part of the history display
38 LAKE
DECEMBER 2016
CRATA to make more of Smith Mountain
New project includes educational display, tower and trail signage and expanded hiking paths STORY BY BETSY ILER & PHOTOS BY AUDRA SPEARS
Low profile signage on the tower will identify landmarks around the lake
DECEMBER 2016
LAKE 39
Educational displays will discuss the importance of the mountain's forestry history
W
The project will enhance the hiking experience around the lake and throughout Tallapoosa County
40 LAKE
ith the award of an $87,429 grant, Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail Association (CRATA) is on its way to funding a $159,000 enhancement project at Smith Mountain. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) grant, announced by Gov. Robert Bentley Nov. 17, will support a project that the nonprofit trail-building organization on Lake Martin started planning nearly two years ago. “I think the funds will help us enhance the experience for the people who visit,” said CRATA co-founder and board member Jimmy Lanier. “What it really does is help us make a great place even greater.” The monies will be used to improve trail signage, build an educational kiosk display on the mountaintop and expand the area’s trails. The additions will enhance a local hiking emphasis for residents and visitors across Lake Martin and Tallapoosa County, said CRATA President Jerry Bynum, who spearheaded the writing of the grant application. “Our focus will be to educate the hiker,” Bynum explained. “Where to hike in the area, understanding nature and encouraging people to become mountaintop naturalists.” Low profile wayside signage will provide information about the area’s geology, water quality, plant and animal life and climate, as well as the mining history and biodiversity, Bynum said. “We also will encourage hiking in other local areas, including Wind Creek State Park, the Overlook trails, the Yates Wildlife Management Area south of Martin Dam and the Russell Forest trails,” he said. “We’ll work with Lake Martin Resource Association and talk about the Treasured Mile Program and encourage people
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to adopt areas and keep the area clean, focusing on water quality and anti-litter programs. “We’ll educate school groups and hiking clubs about the carry-in, carry-out concept. The idea is to help to develop mountaintop naturalists,” he said. CRATA will look to raise $50,000, as well as additional in-kind contributions toward the project, which will include signage on the trails as well as at the base and on the landings of the fire tower on Smith Mountain. “The area has a lot of history behind it,” Lanier said. “It was a joint venture between Tallapoosa County, Alabama Power and the Forestry Commission originally. While we have some things there now, we really think we will be better able to share that history and many of the elements of the terrain with the enhancements this will make possible.” The biggest part of the project will include state-of-the-art signage on the tower and along the trails. Signs on the tower landings will identify landmarks that visitors can see from the tower vantage point, as well as provide information regarding the local ecosystems. The signs will be constructed with 10-year outdoor graphic material aluminum frames and powder coat finished. Improvements will be made to the on-site security system at the restored fire tower, as well. After a vandalism incident in which rocks were spray-painted and fires started at the tower earlier this year, CRATA board members installed a series of surveillance cameras that since have helped to apprehend three separate groups of vandals and raised social media awareness of the stewardship of the mountain’s historic landmark park. The project will start with the manufacture of the signs,
which will be installed by this time next year, Bynum said. “The grant requires that it is completed by mid-November next year,” he said. “So the design and research part of it will begin right away. The topics for the signage are generic, but the specifics are related to Tallapoosa County. Every sign will be localized, so the design phase will be a lot of people working together; then fabrication; and then, installation.” The grants were awarded from funds made available to the state through the Recreational Trails Program, which is a program of the Federal Highway Administration. ADECA manages a wide range of grants and programs that support law enforcement, economic development, recreation, energy conservation and water resource management. “I am excited about the wonderful outdoor projects going on within our state and the enthusiasm surrounding them,” Gov. Bentley said in a released statement. “Alabama is truly an outdoor paradise and trails are a wonderful way to experience the wonders of our state. I am delighted in playing a role in these projects.” Contributions to the project are tax deductible, and all donors will be recognized in print. Donors who contribute $100 or more will be recognized on a permanent cast plaque. “This is a great opportunity to make a gift in honor or memory of someone or to show appreciation,” Bynum said. To make a contribution to the project, send your gift to Jimmy K. Lanier, CRATA, P.O. Box 240503, Eclectic AL 36024. Lake magazine will publish regular updates on the progress toward the $50,000 goal.
Help tell our county's story Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail Association is raising $50,000 to make Smith Mountain Park an educational center on the nature and history of Tallapoosa County
Contribution Form Name_________________________ Date________ Address___________________________________ City____________________ State____ ZIP_____ Phone____________________________________
Giving Levels
Tax deductible gifts to “CRATA-Smith Mountain Tower Restoration” are greatly appreciated! Please return this form and your gift to: Jimmy K. Lanier, CRATA, P.O. Box 240503, Eclectic, AL 36024 All donors will be recognized in print. All donors of $100 or more will be recognized on a permanent cast plaque. Anonymous gifts at all levels will be respected for confidentiality. Honorariums, memorials and appreciations will be acknowledged per donor direction.
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Teachers' Helper Trail Blazers Vista Viewers Summit Toppers Visionaries Legacy Sponsors
Up to $99 $100-$249 $250-499 $500-$999 $1,000 or more $5,000 or more
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KENNETH BLAIR, Certied Home Inspector 110 Calhoun St., Suite 202 Alexander City, AL 35010
256-794-5551
www.lakemartininspections.com
Get all the facts before you buy, with a certified home inspector. Schedule an appointment today!
21 Main Street 256.329.9227 • www
Kenneth Riley, Riley Real Estate
1330 Patrick Street, Waverly, AL 36879
256-234-2131
kennyriley@bellsouth.net
t, Alexander City w.mainstreetac.org
The staff at Tallapoosa Publishers would like to wish our readers a Merry Christmas.
home furnishings, reimagined!
256-749-4716 1031 Cherokee Road Alexander City www.madisonhouserestorations.com
A set of these deer figurines was a gift from a client who'd had a run-in with a deer; Right: Karen Channell and Fancy look forward to celebrating Christmas at the lake with the grandchildren and other family members
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Home for the Holidays The Channell house at Willow Point decorates for family, faith and fun STORY BY BETSY ILER & PHOTOS BY KENNETH BOONE
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hristmas at Karen and Tony Channell’s Willow Point home is a tribute to family, faith and the fun created when everyone is together for the holidays. “That’s really what it’s all about,” Karen Channell said. “Being together and making it fun.” And that fun begins at the doorstep where Channell put up the first of seven holiday trees. This one atop an outdoor table was decorated for her grandchildren. The 3-foot tree with brightly colored ornaments sends just the Christmas message a child wants to hear: I Can At Grandma’s. Channell placed a wooden signboard with those words under a tree packed with orna-
ments that hint at the fun waiting beyond the front door. There are candy canes, fishing bobber snowmen, wrapped packages and the magic words of Christmas – peace, love, joy, faith, believe. “The days will come when they won’t always come to Grandma’s for Christmas, so while we have the opportunity, we want to help them make wonderful memories at our home,” she explained. Another tree on the porch greets grownup friends and family with red bows and white lights and wooden boxes that Channell found years ago at the Highlands. “Most of the decorations we put up are those
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The family tree is at the center of the celebration
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The festive white and gold tree in the living room honors son Grant's engagement
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Karen adds to the White House and Congressional ornament collection every year
Beaded candles and a gilt-edged Santa await the Holy Night
we have collected over the years. They are things we treasure because of the memories we’ve made with them over time,” she said. “Like the deer on the chest in the entry. One of my clients gave me those after his car hit a deer,” said Channell, a local StateFarm Insurance agent. With the help of Lake Martin decorator Emily Caldwell, Christmas at the Channell house retains the warmth of family as the decorations lead from the stunning white tree in the living room to the frosted magic of the dining room, the touch of holiday in the kitchen to the cozy season in the breakfast room and the hallowed family tree in the den. “We don’t put the same things up in the same place every
year. We change it up and add new ribbon, but the family tree is always the big thing,” Caldwell said. This year’s 9-foot living room tree shines in white and gold as a celebration of the engagement of Channell’s son, Grant, to Nicole Dye. With its white lights and sparkling globes, the breathtaking tree shines next to the baby grand piano against the backdrop of the room’s wood paneled walls and vaulted beam ceiling. On a desk near the fireplace, Channell assembled the White House tree, a brass frame hung with a collection of White House and Congressional ornaments that are a gift each year from a dear friend in D.C. Some gifted remembrance of Christmas has been quiDeer, trees, pearls and Nativities change places to keep the displays fresh from one year to the next
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Frosted pinecones and candle trees perpetuate the magic of a family-centered season
Ornaments in the den reflect divided allegiances, fun at the lake and growing grandchildren
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etly tucked into a corner on nearly every surface in the home’s main rooms – beaded candles on a hallway table, wise men posed to spell the word “Noel” on a highboy and, in the breakfast room, a wooden bowl filled with colored balls next to a doll clad in red velvet with white fur trim. “We’ve had that for years,” Channell said with a smile. From the greenery and ribbons on the wall sconces to the simple arrangement under glass on the lakeside breakfast table, Christmas is designed around the gathering places. In the dining room, the gathering takes place around a parquet table spread with silver bowls and pearls. Frosted pinecones, candle trees and burlap poinsettias from a local shop shine amongst the tea lights and the silver-collared deer sculptures in woodland greenery that are mirrored on the mantle. Above the table, Caldwell added a bundle of burlap poinsettias, greenery and ribbon on the chandelier. On the buffet, below a painting of shepherds afield, Channell arranged one of her favorite Nativity scenes, a gift from her staff several years ago. Poinsettias in red and gold and burlap unify the design from room to room, adding sparkle and warmth to each table, mantle and tree. In the family room, the Christmas flowers are tucked into the garland that is wrapped around heavy candlesticks on the mantle, and they peek from behind family photos on the chest under the television and dance on a quilted tree skirt under the family tree. Dearer than any of the other trees in their home, the family tree holds special meaning to the Channells. Photos of their grandchildren in holiday frames dangle from its branches amid ornaments that recall times together at the lake, travels across the world and divided football allegiances. This tree, with its fishing lure ornaments, tiny wooden blocks and silver-trimmed faces of babies grown into children, is where the family lingers, laughs and pours over their memories of life on Lake Martin. Natives of Alexander City, Karen and Tony Channell both graduated Benjamin Russell High School and attended Central Alabama Community College. After college, they married (35 years ago), and they returned home. They bought the Willow Point home in 2003 and have spent the years since then renovating a little at a time. The design assistance of Georgia Carlee (GCI Design, Inc.) and the decorating eye of Melanie Wilkes at Russell Home Décor have helped to create the focus on family that the Channells wanted. “We just about have it where we want it now,” Channell said. The family’s lake life revolves around spending time together, from fishing, swimming and paddleboarding to boating, golf and putt-putt in the backyard, being at Grandma’s is all about joy, love, faith and family. “The tradition of family is so important to us,” Channell explained. “Our family is growing, and as it grows, so do the time-honored traditions of the past through faith, family and fun.”
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LAKE MARTIN BUILDING SUPPLY
2695 Dadeville Road
256.234.5500
Alexander City, AL
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tillWaters resident John Andrews finds joy in birds, brushes and carving tools, colors and details. He carves and paints his unique, original creations, which are handcrafted and signed, and his work has hung in the Georgia State Capitol. The Donald W. Nixon Centre for Performing and Visual Arts of Coweta County in Newnan, Georgia, displays 20 ducks, which he donated for a permanent display; however, this passion for art played second fiddle to his career until he retired and went back to school. Andrews has been drawing since he was very young. In his first attempts, at around 7 years old, he copied the comic strips in the newspaper. He said one thing led to another, and he eventually turned art into a hobby. A first generation American, Andrews was born in Detroit, Michigan, after his parents immigrated as children through Ellis Island with their parents. He attended Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio; he lived in the cold and snow of Michigan, Minneapolis, Canada and Chicago, Illinois, before business took him to Newnan, Georgia, south of Atlanta, and he decided the warmer and sunnier South suited him well. After he retired in 2006 from a career in microbiology and analytical chemistry, Andrews made his home at StillWaters on Lake Martin. He had friends who already lived there, and he had a desire to play golf constantly. Now, he has other reasons for staying. “I just love the peace and quiet, and I have met the friendliest people here,” he explained. As a microbiologist and analytical chemist, Andrews worked in research and development for two major pharmaceutical companies. He is proud to have been part of the team that developed several antibiotics, the rapid strep test and the first DNA kit to determine health issues through chromosomes. And though he said he wouldn’t change his career, he is glad that his artistic endeavors could be a part of his lifestyle during those busy years. He always had a sketchpad with him as he traveled for business, and he sketched while in hotel rooms, in his airplane seat and in the Delta Crown Room. He frequently gave his art away to interested travelers who asked what he was working on or what he planned to do with the drawing when he finished it.
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Wood Carver STORY BY LONNA UPTON & PHOTOS BY KENNETH BOONE
Microbiologist retires to artistic life at StillWaters
Duck decoys like this mallard are among Andrews' favorite subjects
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This black swan was the first decoy Andrews ever carved
Andrews' canvasback enjoys the view from his StillWaters deck
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After retirement, with time to truly immerse himself in his hobby, Andrews decided to audit art classes at The University of West Georgia, which he could do cost free as a retiree. He enjoyed those classes immensely because he was able to participate fully in the class discussions and assignments. Of course, his fellow classmates were much younger, and they did provide him with plenty of entertainment, but he said he never felt out of place. He said two things he learned were that rare are the artists who make a good living, and doing good work takes time. While there, he discovered watercolor pencils as his favorite medium for painting. “Most everything you do is not spontaneous. You do research first,” Andrews said. “I have libraries of ideas. I go to ponds and sketch for hours before I begin a painting.” Andrews began woodcarving in 1978 when he purchased a kit and carved and painted his first duck. He said the most important tool for a wood carver is a pencil to draw where the wood would be carved to form the shape of the duck, as well as the details. He continued perfecting his art, learning in classes and from duck shows he attended, eventually entering a competition in 2008. Andrews said he always hopes the profits from duck sales will cover the cost of his art materials – mostly brushes, pencils, paint, hand tools and drill bits. His advice to would-be woodcarvers, Andrews said, is to buy a kit. “Sit down and mess around with it. Find shows online to attend. Go to classes,” he said. “But find a niche. You cannot be all things to all people.” He said deciding on birds as his niche was easy since he had always been a bird lover. He has carved a few fish, dogs and other things when family and friends asked, but he said to expand their artistic abilities, carvers need to stay in their niches. Andrews said he has no desire to teach painting or carving, but he enjoys talking about his progression from hobby to sales and how his passion for art has grown. He has spoken to several groups in the Dadeville area, and he knows he has inspired at least one man to begin painting with watercolor pencils. “It was such a thrill that someone would want to do it after he heard me speak,” Andrews said. In his spare time, Andrews travels all over the world with a friend, collecting paintings and drawings from every destination. To contact Andrews about a speaking engagement (which would be at no charge) or to discuss commissioning a piece of art, email him at jona0650@yahoo.com.
Clockwise from right: Andrews draws and carves in his Newnan, Georgia, workshop; this male woodduck is another of Andrews' favorite projects; Andrews' research for decoys includes drwing and painting birds before ever touching the wood.
Photo courtesy of Newnan-Coweta Magazine
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Big beaches, like these below Smith Mountain, are one advantage of the low water conditions that the drought has brought to Lake Martin
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What's good about low water? Make the most of Lake Martin's reduced water levels by looking for its positive aspects, like finding those sunglasses you lost last summer STORY BY BETSY ILER & PHOTO BY AUDRA SPEARS
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here was no point in even asking. With the drought going into its third month at the end of October – and the lake already near winter pool level – it was obvious that this year would not be one of those in which the conditions were met for a fall extension of the summer pool. Though it’s disheartening, we might do well to remember that Lake Martin is no stranger to drought. In November 1941, the situation was so severe that the lake pool level fell to 440.15 feet – 50 feet below full pool. Again in 1944 and in the 50s, lack of rain and evaporation resulted in significantly low water in the lake. It went down in 1971, and in 1986, during a four-year drought, the lake reportedly was nearly 9 feet below the summer pool level in July and never reached full pool all year. In March of 1988, Alabama Power Company suspended hydroelectric generation as a precaution to avoid water level problems. The lake did not see serious drought conditions again until 2007 brought some of the worst in the area’s recorded history, according to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. In Alexander City, engineers extended water intake pipes to the middle of the lake to ensure that residents and businesses would not run short of water during a drought that uncovered old building foundations and trestle bridge columns. Only two public boat ramps had enough water to offer lake access at the lowest levels experienced that year. The area suffered another drought just five years later in 2012, and now in 2016, the extreme conditions are expected to continue into next year. In addition to practically non-existent crop growth and less hydroelectric power generation, the negatives of the drought include scarce food
and water supplies for wildlife, fewer visitors to the lake, dust all over everything, dying trees and limited ramp access at local boat ramps. But the drought also means cleaner water in Lake Martin, according to Alabama Water Watch, as fewer nutrients and contaminants and less debris flow into the lake from the watershed. There are new discoveries to make in low water, and the drought-induced pool brings other opportunities, as well. This is a great time to go in search of that pair of sunglasses that dropped off the dock last summer, collect shells or retrieve fishing lures that were long ago thought lost forever. The lower water offers an unexpected opportunity to repair seawalls, clean the bottom of the boat and identify water hazards that usually liein-wait just under the surface to damage props; search for gold, garnets and other precious stones near the old mines; and walk the exposed water line to find arrowheads. With all the new beaches, there’s more room for football on the bank, making sand castles and doing yoga. Take an adventure that isn’t available at higher water levels, like camping on temporary islands that have appeared since the onset of the drought and hiking the Island Hop Trail below Smith Mountain. Paddle the Big Water, an activity that is far more difficult and dangerous with the boat traffic that accompanies higher water levels. Geo-cache the islands. Make a contribution to the welfare of the lake by cleaning up trash exposed on the lake bottom. And be sure to take pictures for a scrapbook because one day the grandchildren won’t believe the stories you’ll tell of the Drought of 2016 without the pictures to prove it.
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Alabama Water Ski Federation holds Hall of Fame induction at Lake Martin
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STORY & PHOTO BY MITCH SNEED
he Alabama Water Ski Federation last month inducted three new members into the Alabama Water Ski Hall of Fame (AWSHOF) at the annual induction ceremony held at Lake Martin’s historic Kowaliga Restaurant. J. R. Henly of Mobile and husband and wife skiers Roland and Janelle Kirtley Godfrey of Birmingham joined the seven previous inductees and were honored by friends, family and fellow water ski enthusiasts with an awards ceremony and dinner on Nov. 19. The AWSHOF is part of the USA Water Ski Federation, said Doug Hamrick, a member of the group’s board of directors. USA Water Ski, based in Polk City, Florida, is the largest and most active water ski federation in the world. Its mission is to advance the sport of water skiing through sponsorship of water skiing education and excellence in competition, Hamrick added.
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“Inductees are nominated by the Alabama Water Ski Federation, and nominations are reviewed by the fourmember board of directors,” Hamrick said. “Selection criteria are based on the nominees’ length of time involved in organized water skiing, their competitive contributions to the sport and their participation as officials and in the promotion and support of the sport.” “You have people who enjoy water skiing, and then you have people who live water skiing,” said AWSHOF Board Member Don Kelly, as he introduced the three 2016 inductees. J.R. Henly and Roland and Janelle Godfrey are among those people who live water skiing, he said. “We induct people who have really made a difference in the sport. These are people who have devoted themselves to the sport of water skiing and are true pioneers in the sport,” he said. Henly was recognized for being a lifelong promoter
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of water skiing events in Alabama. He has served more than 40 years as an event director, competitor and host and boat driver for organized competitions and tournaments. He also is the co-founder of the Aqua Nut Water Ski Club in Mobile and served nine years as the safety director of the Masters Water Ski Championship. Henly also was recognized for his furthering of the sport by building a large water skiing competition lake in the Mobile area. “Water skiing will always be a part of my life,” Henly said. “It has been since I was 15 years old, and I am going to continue to enjoy it for as long as I can. It is a wonderful life.” The Godfreys are among the most enduring couples of organized water skiing in the state of Alabama. At the age of 5, Janelle Godfrey began skiing on the Warrior River. She entered her first tournament at the age of 10 and met her future husband, Roland, at the age of 13 during participation in a tournament. “I was a competitor; he was a boat driver,” she said. Among Janelle Godfrey’s many noted water skiing accomplishments are 1960 Masters Water Ski Champion; 1962 National Water Ski Champion; 1963 National Water Ski Slalom and Tricks Champion; and from 1956 to 1973, she won 73 event titles, including 38 overall titles. Roland Godfrey is recognized as a key promoter and organizer of water ski events from 1960 to 2000. He served as the key boat driver for many competitive tournaments, including six regional championships, and was the official towboat driver in the National Championships and Pro Tour. Roland Godfrey was active on the National Rules Committee on Tournament Tow-Boat Boat Driving. The Alabama Water Ski Federation typically hosts competitive events between the months of June and September each year, Hamrick said. Competitions are held in the three categories of Trick, Jump and Slalom skiing. “We hold about nine events during the year,” Hamrick said. “We also hold about three education and teaching clinics.” Many of the tournaments and clinics are held on Lake Martin. Participants range from about 6 years of age to 65, Hamrick said. There are some 100 Alabama Water Ski Federation members statewide; some 15,000 USA Water Ski members nationally. Current AWSHOF board members include Hamrick, Kelly, Lyman Hardy and Jeff Wiswall. Board members serve four-year terms and are always open to talking about the organization to those interested. The Alabama Water Ski Hall of Fame can be contacted by email at AWSHOF@gmail.com. Many previous AWSHOF inductees were on hand for the 2016 induction. Previous AWSHOF inductees include: Ralph Winn and Leona Kirtley of Birmingham, 2006 inductees; Dr. Tom Strong, Tuscaloosa, 2008; Hal Hamilton, Birmingham, 2014; Jerry Woodard and Margaret Woodard, Mobile, 2015; and Leah Marie Rawls Atkins, Birmingham, 2015. DECEMBER 2016
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A New York transplant to Lake Martin, Steve Baladamenti is the author of the book, In Earnest ... In Error, which is available online and at the Dadeville Public Library.
likeable folks here, but I have yet to meet one. I have been pleasantly surprised by the level of acceptance shown to me, and I feel truly blessed.
When did you move to Lake Martin and what brought you here? In 2000, my company – a large gas and electric utility – offered an early retirement package. With one more year of service, I would become eligible to retire at age 53. One of the terms was reduction to half pay. For many years, I had dreamed of such an opportunity, having observed my dad work until he was no longer able to fully enjoy his own retirement, and I resolved to make the most of it. In my younger years, I had gone to high school on a ship, learning the nautical trade. During five years in the Merchant Marine, I had been blessed to see a good percentage of this planet. Now that retirement loomed, loving the water as much as I do, I knew that I wanted to be on a large lake, somewhere in the South, where snow was only a rumor, and in a place where reduced pay would stretch pretty far. I opened up a map, looked for the biggest patches of blue I could find and proceeded to make appointments with real estate people. I used that last year’s worth of vacations to scout different areas. My quest took me to Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri, Lake Lanier, Lake Weiss and Lake Ouachita in Arkansas, among other places. With an appointment scheduled for 8 a.m. with an agent in Dadeville, I drove directly from New York, arriving about six hours early. I ended up at the Overlook, off Highway 50. It was pitch dark, so I took a nap in the car. A few hours later, the sun shining through the window woke me, and when I beheld that magnificent view, I knew that this was going to be home.
Tell us about your book, In Earnest … In Error, and the process it took to write about an event from history. In my younger years, I had written many magazine articles (all of them nautically-related) and came to feel that I wanted to contribute something of historical nautical interest to posterity. The subject of such a book was imbedded in my mind years before; as a 10-year old, I had read a book about U.S. Navy ship losses in WWII. The book stated how such-and-such a ship was lost through torpedo and another via hitting a mine or gunfire, collision, typhoon, etc. But one entry had me puzzled. It read, “Sunk in Error by U.S. Submarine.” That had always held my curiosity, and even after a lifetime of historical nautical reading, I never saw any further elaboration. Here was the story around which my proposed book would revolve. After years of research, interviews, correspondence, freedom-of-information wrestling matches and traveling all over the country, I managed to flesh out the book, which was finally published in 2008. The thought that I now know more about this sole isolated incident than even the men who survived it or caused it still gives me goose bumps.
Where do you live on the lake, and why did you choose that area? We live in Sandy Creek Estates in the northeast corner of the lake. Our street is the only street in the city limits of Dadeville that touches water. This area is ideal, with deeded lots and some basic common-sense covenants. My neighbors here are proud of their properties, and you can’t go 100 feet without waving “hello” to someone. What do you do for fun at the lake? Boating on the lake is fantastic. I’ve been here since 2001 and still haven’t seen all of the lake. I also build and run large-scale radio control ship models and would like to find likewise-minded folks to possibly form a club. I belong to a sports car club, and we members often split the expense of renting a road course to run our cars. And of course, visits from the grandkids keep Brenda and I busy. Tell us what you have enjoyed about small-town life in Dadeville since you moved from New York City. I absolutely cherish the small-town life here in Dadeville. When I got here, I did not know a single soul in Alabama. In the ensuing 15 years, I have made many strong friendships. Unless you have ever lived in a huge city, you cannot truly understand the polar differences in quality-of-life that rural Alabama offers. In those 15 years, there has not been one second where I’ve had my head on the pillow and wondered, “What have I done?!” Oh, I’m sure there are some not-so60 LAKE
What is your involvement with the Dadeville Public Library? Upon leaving the bank after closing on my home in 2001, I immediately went to get a Dadeville Library card. As I have said, books were an important part of my upbringing and still are. Over the years, I gradually increased my involvement with Dadeville Public Library, first joining the Dadeville Friends of the Library, of which I am now president, and later the Dadeville Library Board, of which I am currently chairperson. Both of these groups, along with a dedicated staff, are striving to make the Dadeville Library – your library – a vital, relevant and positive force in the community. Besides your own, what book do you believe everyone should read? Why? I know that books have inspired me to travel the earth and become independent, forming a cosmopolitan and tolerant view of the world. It pains me to see how self-involved some young folks are today, hardly ever looking beyond their phone screens. I wish I could coax them into reading about and discovering far-off people and far-away places, even if only to give them a social yardstick with which to gauge their own places in the grand scheme of things. What is one word or phrase that you have learned since you moved to the South that you wish you had always known? At my retirement party, my pals jokingly gave me an Alabama-to-English dictionary! I’m still coming to grips with the term “might oughta,” as in “It’s cold out; you might oughta put on a coat.” Now, might works fine in that sentence, and oughta would work just as well. There is no good reason to combine the two, and I had never heard such until my arrival here. It took 15 years, but it makes perfect sense to me now. Go figure!
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Lake Q&A:
Steve Baladamenti
DECEMBER 2016
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Christmas Wishes T
Wrapping up what buyers want
he favorite Christmas movie around our repairs are required. Or, maybe the home is house has to be Elf. actually priced accurately and, by definition, is In Elf, Will Ferrell stars as Buddy not a steal of a deal. There are plenty of good the Elf, a happy-go-lucky man-elf that saves deals on the market today that are not forecloChristmas with his irrepressible optimism and sures, which is a good thing, because there are Christmas spirit. As much as I would like to only a couple of foreclosures for sale now in sound like Buddy the Elf in my answers below, the Lake Martin area. I think the peak of foreI will probably sound more like a different closed homes for sale was around 2009. Christmas movie icon: the Santa that pushed That was the year of the Big Short. The Ralphie down the slide in A Christmas Story. Market Meltdown. The feds spun the Wheel LAKE PROPERTY In this month’s column, I respond to the folof Misfortune and basically randomly picked BY JOHN COLEY lowing Christmas wishes I have heard from which banks would live and which would readers/buyers interested in Lake Martin real estate. die. It was not a happy time in the real estate world. Here I wish the Lake Martin MLS had the correct square in lovely Lake Martin, it didn’t get as bad as it did in big footage for every home for sale. metro markets, but it was sad, all the same. Do we want to I hear this wish quite frequently from buyers, and it is go through that again, just to have a few more deals on the understandable. Buyers have found a few homes that they market? I think not. like in the MLS and would like to compare them. They natI wish for a food truck that serves fish tacos at the old urally wonder about size of the homes and square footage. Pineywoods Restaurant location near Wind Creek. Sadly, their review of the MLS shows that in many of the OK, I admit it; this one is mine. But I have been really listings, no square footage is given. Why not? Is it too patient with this request. I first used this much to ask that the agent or homeowner get a column to beg Russell Lands for it tape out and measure? back in 2011 or so, and it still hasn’t Well, maybe it is too much to ask. You happened. There are waterfront see, there is some risk in self-calculating restaurants all over Lake Martin, and publishing the square footage. If except for a distinct lack of faire you are wrong, and if the buyer between Peanut Point and sues you, what then? the River Bridge. A fishI think that the real place taco-serving food truck to arrive mentally on this could be parked in the subject is ambivalence. short off-season and The fact is, for waterfront rake in mucho dinero homes, price per square the rest of the year. foot is a useless metric. I wish Lake Martin Calculating it is a fool’s agents would quit sayerrand because when a home ing “gently sloping is on the water, the lot lot.” drives the price. The Readers, I am view, the privacy with you on this and the location of subject. This the lot are much bigdescription is ger influences on a home’s overused by us agents. worth than the square footage of the “Gently sloping lots” is to Lake home itself. But I understand buyers’ curiosity. Sometimes Martin agents as “we gotta win third downs” is to football they just want to know how big the house is. coaches. I wish Lake Martin had more foreclosures, so I could How can every lot on Lake Martin be “gently sloping?” get a good deal. Have you ridden around here for 10 minutes? I am not sayEverybody loves a deal. I don’t care if we are talking ing every lot is a cliff, just that in a lake with 880 miles of about buying lake houses or lords-a-leaping. One of the big- shoreline, we are bound to have a steep lot here or there. gest perceived deals in real estate is buying a foreclosure. Just tell the truth, like, “When I started down the driveway, The reason I say “perceived” is because it isn’t always so. I prayed my brakes would hold.” Sometimes the foreclosed home is so torn up that expensive I wish that Zillow had an accurate inventory of homes 62 LAKE
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for sale with correct Zestimate quotes. I must say you are right about Zillow. It hardly ever shows the correct waterfront homes, condos and lots for sale on Lake Martin, and prices always miss high. In other words, it incorrectly shows homes as for sale when they are actually expired, sold or otherwise off the market. Zillow’s ultimate goal is not to be accurate. Its goal is to sell ads to real estate agents. Zillow wants to show as many homes for sale as possible, reasoning that more homes for sale draws more consumer eyeballs, and more consumer eyeballs means they can charge higher ad rates to their actual customers. And “Zestimates?” Don’t get me started. When lake home buyers would quote Zestimates to me, I used to show them how wildly inaccurate they were by asking the buyers to look up the Zestimates on their primary homes. Now when asked about Zestimates, I point out a recent article I read on Inman.com about Zillow’s CEO, Spencer Rascoff. Rascoff recently sold his Seattle home for $1.05 million, but his own company’s Zestimate on it was $1.75 million. Yes, that’s right. Zillow missed the value on its own CEO’s home by $700,000 (40 percent). If Zillow missed the value on its own CEO’s home by 40 percent, do you really think it can peg a price here in little ole Alabama? I wish for a Daisy Red Rider BB Gun for Christmas. You’ll shoot your eye out.
(256) 234-6366
(256) 825-9244
(256) 839-6711
(334) 864-8854
John Coley is a broker and owner of Lake Martin Voice Realty. He is also the author of the blog Lake Martin Voice at LakeMartinVoice.com.
We touch the lives of the people you love Assisted Living Short Term Rehab Physical, Occupational & Speech Therapy Long Term Care DECEMBER 2016
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FROM OUR REAL ESTATE ADVERTISERS
FABULOUS FINDS
136 Oaks Point • $879,000 Incredible custom lake home on large point lot with 424 Ft. wf. Near Hwy 280. 4 BR, 4 Bath with four car garage. Solid oak flooring and cabinets, oak panel library, home theather...Call to see today! Great Value! First Realty Call Bill Whatley 256-234-5163 www.lakemartinhomes.net
375 Windy Wood, Alexander City • $969,900 Unmatched Quality with Unparalleled Views! 5BR/4BA, office, beautiful eat-in gourmet kitchen with granite and tile countertops, kit dining bar all opening to a keeping room with FP. Master BR on main level with dbl dressing vanity, and Jacuzzi tub. Formal dining/living, 3 car garage, 2nd FR on terrace level. Fabulous dock w/trek decking and boat lift, floating dock, and diving board. Call today! RE/MAX Around the Lake Call Amanda Scroggins 256-749-6634 www.amandascroggins.com
63 Wind Trace, Alexander City • $379,000 Owner MUST SELL! Your money could not buy more...in this 5Br/3.5Ba home located in the upscale neighborhood of Windermere West! Open Fam Rm w/18ft ceilings,FP, hardwood floors, lots of windows open to deck. Eat-in kit w/huge pantry, formal DR w/tray ceiling & crown molding. Master BR on main w/fp & lg bath w/ separate tub & shower. 3BR, 1BA upstairs, 2BR&/or study, 1BA & 2nd family rm downstairs. RE/MAX Around the Lake Call Samantha Spurlin 256-786-0650 www.samanthaspurlin.com
139 Cedar Drive, Equality • $770,000 Proposed new construction. Plans by architect Mitch Ginn. The Spot Tail's design provides a great place to relax or entertain guests with its open living, dining and kitchen area. Located in the new development of Cedar Point. Large lots with incredible views. Lake Martin Realty Damon Story 205.789.9526 www.LakeMartinRealty.com
35 Canoe Point, Equality • $795,000 New Construction. The Shell Cracker XL is a great terrace level floor plan designed by Mitch Ginn. Home features two bedrooms and baths on both main and terrace levels. Terrace also has game room with summer kitchen. Located in the new development of Cedar Point with large lots and incredible views. This pre-sale package includes the lot, cottage, seawall, and dock. Lake Martin Realty Damon Story 205.789.9526 www.LakeMartinRealty.com
30 Elysian Way, Equality • $1,150,000 Rare find. Beautiful 4 bedroom 3.5 bath lake home on professionally landscaped flat lot with approximately 380 feet of waterfront. Reclaimed wood floors in living area. Drivethrough garage with boat landing.Two docks, one with pontoon and PWCs lifts and a personal gas pump,the other with gazebo at beach area.Excellent fishing with lighted cleaning station on dock. Lots of room for entertaining. Lake Martin Realty Damon Story 205.789.9526 www.LakeMartinRealty.com
226 Wood Sorrell Way, Jacksons Gap • $599,000 Lake living in an incredible custom home featuring peaceful waterfront and lake views! Open floor plan, vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors, custom cabinets, large master suite on main level, stone fireplace, screened and open porch, dining and breakfast areas, laundry on main and terrace level. 3 bedrooms and 3 baths on terrace level along with a den, second laundry and work shop. Two car garage and beautiful landscaping!! Lake Martin Realty Amy Duncan 256.212.2222 www.LakeMartinRealty.com
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883 North Ridge, Alexander City • $1,050,000 Brand new and ready for you!! This lake home is market priced and has all the extra you dream about---views from most rooms. Huge, open great room; master on main with great room and bedrooms on lower level for a quick dash to the lake. Deep water lot and landscaped with gorgeous stones...Call for your personal appointment Lake Martin Realty India Davis 256.749.7592 www.LakeMartinRealty.com
South Ridge Harbor, Breakwater • $1,575,000 Just completed by Newcastle Construction and designed by David Smelcer. This 3,825 sq. ft. five bedroom, four and one half bathroom plan has generous open living-dining-kitchen with owner’s suite and guest suite on main level. Lake level offers three bedrooms, two baths, rec room, bunk room, and lake prep room. Covered porch and lake level patio provide lots of outdoor living space. Russell Lands On Lake Martin Rhonda or Emily 256.215.7011 www.RussellLandsOnLakeMartin.com
DECEMBER 2016
Willow Glynn, Cove Cottage • $1,197,000 Ready To Move In! Henderson & Coker just completed this beauty in Willow Glynn. A Mitch Ginn design includes owner’s suite, guest bedroom, bunkroom, and bonus loft room on main level. Expansive open kitchen-dining-living area with access to large covered porch. Lake level offers 2 guest suites, large family room, covered patio and bar for plenty of lake fun. Russell Lands On Lake Martin Rhonda or Emily 256.215.7011 www.RussellLandsOnLakeMartin.com
Surviving the drought Hope and prayer may be the best strategy
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t seems like only yesterday, but we haven’t is hoped action would be taken soon. experienced a severe drought on Lake The lake is currently losing about an inch Martin since 2007. Our Lake Martin of water level a day, which means we will HOBOs were founded during that drought, lose a foot every two weeks without rain. largely as a result of the terrible effects we Why is the lake going down so rapidly? experienced during that time almost 10 years One authority mentioned that inflows on ago. While severe, the 2007 drought only the Tallapoosa River upstream have been lasted about 10 months before rains came to running at 0.1 cubic feet per second (cfs), refill the lake from more than 15 feet down while releases from Lake Martin are curto full pool by summer of 2008. rently being made at 1,200 cfs. Another HOBO Now faced with another drought, we wonissue to consider in this equation is that Lake BY JESSE CUNNINGHAM der: What will this one be like? Are the deciWedowee also is now below winter rule sion makers better prepared? and Will our curve. For the past two months, Lake Martin lake survive this drought? has enjoyed water that simply passed through after its Preparing for this article required some reading about release from Wedowee, but that source is drying up also. the 2007 drought, as well as conversations with repreThe lake will survive this drought. It survived the sentatives of State agencies, Alabama Power Company drought of 1941, which saw the lake down 50 feet, and it and local officials. Everyone agreed on one aspect of the will survive this one. With the planning in place by the drought – that we are better prepared now than we were powers that be, let’s hope decisions made and actions in 2007. taken in anticipation of potential problems to stave off Remember, the Corps of Engineers (COE) chose that more serious ones, like 2007. year to dredge the navigation channel of the Alabama We all know who makes the rain, and it’s not the River, which was a terrible decision. After a summer of weatherman. Pray; pray. requiring high flows from the Tallapoosa and Coosa rivAnother event that is welcome news to all who experiers just to accomplish the dredging, in September of that enced the six years of the relicensing process for Martin year, the COE dictated that the power company release Dam is that FERC has refused to approve requests for 2 feet of Lake Martin water just to float down a dredge rehearing from the Georgia Environmental Protection that was stuck on a sand bar on the Alabama River. Let’s Department, Atlanta Regional Council, American Rivers hope better planning is in our future. and Alabama Rivers Association. The Georgia govState agencies, the power company, the Corps of ernmental agencies did not participate in the relicensEngineers, local officials and the Federal Energy ing, they just complained afterward that Atlanta really Regulation Commission (FERC) have developed a deserves all of our water. The rivers groups raised envidrought response plan that will be tested for the first ronmental questions that had been adequately addressed time in the coming months. Efforts have been made during relicensing, according to FERC’s decree. to anticipate potential problems and adjust operations to avoid many of the adverse conditions of the 2007 Jesse Cunningham is a past president of Lake Martin drought. Home Owners and Boat Owners Association. Releases from dams are required for the health and welfare of the fish, for “navigation” and to generate electrical power. The term, navigation, is used by the COE, even though there is no commercial boat traffic – only bass boats – on the rivers. Navigation today means flows are released to dilute pollutants discharged by city sewage treatment plants and industries downstream. These releases have already been reduced twice for flows at Montgomery by 20 percent, with the possibility of another reduction, if necessary. The releases at Lake Martin, which make up part of the total required at Montgomery, have not been reduced yet, but the drought plan calls for a flow reduction of up to 67 percent, if necessary. By publication date of this article, the lake was expected be at least a foot below the winter rule curve of 484 feet mean sea level (msl), and it DECEMBER 2016
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Eating healthy during the holidays
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s we approach what tends to be the busiest, and for some, the most stressful time of year, let’s embrace December with continued thanksgiving. With calendars filling up and the holiday celebrations kicking off, it is important to remember how to embrace the season in a healthy way. Simplifying your life will help you enjoy what is important. Make HEALTHY LIVING this holiday season about your BY JULIE HUDSON family, friends and loved ones. Embrace the spirit of giving. Give the ones you love more of your time. Give yourself some time to relax and rejuvenate. Give to those who are in need. Don’t feel pressured to do everything. If something is adding stress, ask for help. Stay organized and make a plan. This may sound a bit cliché; however, making a list and checking it twice will make shopping trips and running around much more productive. Let go of the guilt. Stay within your budget and get creative with gift giving. Most of all, get enough sleep, continue in your usual exercise regime and eat healthy. When we take better care of ourselves, we have more energy to enjoy all the celebrations. Keeping it simple in the kitchen is another way to make it through this busy season. Planning menus ahead of time will help with the shopping and takes the guess work out of the equation after coming home at the end of a long, tiring day. Stick with simple but healthy meals. Eat lighter when you know that you have several parties to attend in the same week. Experimenting with different soup recipes as the weather turns cooler can serve as a healthy and soothing meal option. Depending on your schedule, soups can be prepared ahead of time, and you could double the recipe and freeze half of it; then, you can pull it out of the freezer when it’s convenient. I have two soup recipes that I have enjoyed recently. They are very healthy and light. Pairing the soup with a salad or a 66 LAKE
sandwich will make a delicious easy meal. You can use these as a weeknight meal or incorporate them into your holiday party menu.
Pumpkin Chili
This chili is light, although hearty and full of flavor. The pumpkin flavor is very subtle. The pumpkin and the beans add a huge amount of nutrition. Top with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cheese. 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 1 green pepper, seeded and chopped 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped, optional 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 pounds chicken or turkey, cooked 2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin 2 cups low sodium chicken broth 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder 1 tablespoon cumin Salt and pepper 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 15-ounce can great northern beans, drained and rinsed Warm oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, jalapeno (optional) and garlic; sauté until tender, about 12 minutes. Add the cooked chicken or turkey. Sauté the meat with the vegetables for two minutes. Add tomatoes, pumpkin, broth, chili powder, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in all beans. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chili thickens slightly, about 30 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Butternut Squash Soup
This soup is so creamy and smooth you might think it was made with cream. It is light, soothing and full of flavor. Top it with roasted pumpkin seeds and a dollop of crème fraise or sour cream. 1 (2 to 3 pound) butternut squash, peeled and seeded 2 tablespoons butter 1 medium onion, chopped 6 cups chicken stock Nutmeg Salt and freshly ground pepper Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. In a large pot, melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent, about eight minutes. Add squash and stock. Bring to a simmer and
DECEMBER 2016
cook until squash is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove squash mixture from pot and place in blender; puree. Return blended squash mixture to pot. Stir and season with nutmeg, salt and freshly ground pepper. Embrace this holiday season by creating a plan, staying organized and, most of all, enjoying yourself and those that you love. The memories in the making are your own. Julie Hudson is a dietician at Lake Martin Wellness Center in Dadeville
Healthy Hearts Have Happier Holidays A healthy heart means more holiday memories. More moments with family and grandkids. More hugs. Kevin Sublett, MD, and the staff at the UAB Heart & Vascular Clinic of Central Alabama are committed to keeping your heart healthy, so you can keep on making memories. Our clinic is backed by the world-class expertise you expect from UAB Medicine, offering: • The full spectrum of cardiovascular care • Care from a physician board-certified in interventional cardiology • The latest in cardiac and vascular ultrasound technology, as well as nuclear medicine imaging in accredited laboratories • Diagnosis and treatment of cardiac rhythm disorders • Convenient location within Russell Medical Call us today to schedule an appointment! 3368 Highway 280, Suite 130 Alexander City, AL 35010 (256) 234-2644 uabmedicine.org/heartcentralAL DECEMBER 2016
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Rod Action
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f the many variables that affect an angler’s sucdifficult to cast. The extra bend of the medium allows the cess on the water, equipment is right near the top. rod to load a little better on the cast, resulting in a more One of the questions that beginner bass fishers fluid motion. End result is longer casts and fewer line often ask is, “Why do you need all of those rods?” tangles (backlash). I typically use golf as a quick analogy for the answer. In the Duckett Rods line-up, I like the medium action I’m no expert at golf, but here’s what I do know. A golfer rods for small-to-medium topwaters, jerkbaits and squarehas a bag full of clubs, and each club is designed for a bill crankbaits. I think that I get the perfect balance of specific purpose. Some clubs are better for distance, some castability, bait action and better landing percentage. better for accuracy. Some are more effective These baits all feature treble hooks that in tough terrain, such as sand pits or thick could easily bend or simply pull free. The vegetation (rough). Others, like the putter, added bend acts as a shock absorber, miniare for super finesse. Fishing rods are very mizing slack line and keeping direct contact similar in that each has a purpose. with the fish during surges and acrobatics. Rod length plays an important role in the Medium-heavy rods still have a fair steps to catching a fish. Casting, presentaamount of backbone for the hookset when tion, hookset and fish landing are the core casting worms and jigs. I like medium-heavy elements. Rod “action” is just as important. for most spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and buzzRod action is basically the bend in the baits, as well, but the added bend makes rod. Whether a rod is light, medium or them a little more forgiving for casting and heavy is determined by how flexible or stiff landing a fish. it is. The type of bend is also considered. If They are probably the most common rod a rod bends mostly at a point close to the tip, on the deck of a bass angler’s boat and a BIG CATCHES it’s considered to have a fast action. If the good rod to get started with – a good all-purBY GREG VINSON rod bends farther down the shaft or what’s pose rod. A 6-foot 6-inch or 7-foot mediumcalled the blank, it’s considered to have a slower action. heavy is hard to beat. Some refer to the slower action as being a parabolic bend. Light action rods have the maximum amount of bend. Heavy Action rods are the stiffest rods in a company’s The light action is very effective when using spinning line-up. The advantage of using a heavy action rod is that tackle. Small, finesse baits can still be cast reasonable it has leverage. Heavy rods are often used for moving distances. Light action rods pair well when fishing open fish up and out of dense cover. They come in handy for water where an angler might not be as concerned with the close quarters combat when using techniques like flipping fish getting into cover during the fight. and pitching. The leverage of a heavy action rod gives an Light wire hooks often accompany the small baits used angler the ability to apply the maximum amount of preswith light rods. These rods apply just enough pressure sure on the hookset. This initiates control of the fight on to get the small hook set but not so much that the hook the front end. would bend. The fluid bend throughout the rod during a The added leverage following the hookset is important fight makes it very difficult for the fish to throw even the because the fish doesn’t have a chance to turn. If the fish smallest hook. When used in the right scenarios, light moves deeper into the cover, the line can quickly get action rods can be just as – if not more – effective for wrapped around limbs or in the vegetation where direct landing big fish because they are so forgiving during the contact with the fish could be lost. Once that happens, fight. the landing percentage is going to drop rapidly. In other One of the common items on the bass fishing market words, it leads to one of those big-one-got-away stories is the rod designed specifically for crankbaits, known as we all have told and heard. cranking rods. Cranking rods have very light action that Heavy action rods could also be useful for casting some describe as soft. There is no action more forgivheavier lures like the umbrella rig or large swimbaits. ing than a cranking rod, and many anglers have multiple Lighter action rods don’t have the backbone to support cranking rods. These maximize casting distance, and the the heavy loads and often end up broken, causing reel slow bend keeps an angler from pulling the bait away as backlash or short casts. a fish strikes. The downside of the heavy rods used in the wrong Crankbait fish often jump once hooked up, and this is applications is that they can overpower presentation like especially so when offshore cranking. The added cushion trying to fish a small topwater or crankbait. Heavy rods absorbs the shock, minimizing slack line and bettering the are generally less forgiving on the cast and when landchances of putting the fish in the boat. ing fish. The added stiffness works against the user when When purchasing a fishing rod, a good rule is to look trying to keep a fish from throwing the hook after a long for the void to fill in a rod arsenal. Considering all the cast. In that case, it’s preferable to have a little more cush- important elements – like casting, presentation, hookset ion. and landing – could make the purchase an easier choice. Medium and medium-heavy action rods are probably the most common rods anglers have because of their Greg Vinson is a full-time professional angler on versatility. Medium rods are often used with baits that the Bassmaster Elite Series and PAA tours. He lives in have treble hooks. Some of the smaller, hard baits can be Wetumpka and grew up fishing on Lake Martin. DECEMBER 2016
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Brisket Sausage
Ingredients
Directions
1 large untrimmed brisket 4 heads garlic, remove root and skin; then rough chop 1/4 cup dried chili flake 1/4 cup ground bay leaves 1 cup salt 1/4 cup fresh ground black pepper 1/4 cup sugar
Cut brisket in pieces small enough to fit into a grinder and place into a large plastic container big enough to hold all ingredients. Place everything in the plastic container and mix; then grind through the large die plate of grinder; and then, through the medium die plate. Pull a couple tablespoons of the meat out and make a sausage patty in hands. Sauté in a medium skillet with a little oil. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. In a standing mixer, emulsify sausage in batches by whipping it with the paddle attachment on high for three minutes. Once all the meat has been emulsified, case into hog casings and allow to air dry in a cool place for 24 hours. Smoke at 225 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. Cooking time will vary depending on the diameter of the sausage.
CHEF’S TABLE BY ROB MCDANIEL Rob McDaniel, executive chef and general manager at SpringHouse Restaurant, earned a bachelor's degree in restaurant and hotel management from Auburn University and is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute.
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Clearance on Select Premium Outdoor Furniture
Recliners starting at $399
Queen Euro Top Bedding Sets starting at $499
DECEMBER 2016
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Wine
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t’s a pretty safe bet that most of the peoerly stored, for a few years before you give ple on my list will be getting wine for it away. Most wines are ready to drink when Christmas. One might get cigars or spirthey are released but might improve with a its instead, but everybody else likes wine, at little more time. least on my list. Some people might rather The difference between a wine that is give and get Alpaca socks or scarves, but I’ll pleasing now and one that needs many years stick to wine. to get to that point is significant. Let the That I would give wine may seem like a recipients make the decisions on when to no-brainer, but it’s not that easy. Convenient, enjoy what you have given to them. Very few yes, and that is one nice thing about working casual drinkers will want to hold a gift for 10 in the wine business. I don’t have to wonder years or more. when I can do my shopping; it doesn’t matAnother approach is to buy what you like, ter when the stores close, and I don’t have but again, does the recipient enjoy the same FROM THE CELLAR kinds of wine that you do? If you don’t know to squeeze it in over lunch. Besides, I hate BY HENRY FOY shopping. I mean I hate shopping. I much what they like, you may have to ask. There’s prefer to determine what it is that I want and still time to invite them to an informal holigo somewhere and buy it. I call it, “Know, go and done.” day gathering. Red wine, white wine, sweet, Old World Shopping can be a nightmare for lots of folks, paror new, high dollar or economy brands; there are a lot of ticularly men. Giving wine takes some of the hassle ways to go, and you should try to narrow it down. away, but there are many, many choices. Good wine that With the end of the year just ahead, Champagne, a doesn’t cost an arm and a leg is easily found if you know good bubbly with a real cork rather than a plastic stopwhat you’re looking for. You can spend more, which for per, is a great gift. The Chandon line of sparkling wines some gifts you should do, but not so much as to strain start at just over $20. your own budget. Since we’re talking about giving, let’s take a minute As I’ve said in years past, put a little thought into it to think about what to do when we are the recipient, and and consider the recipient’s taste. Face it, Uncle Theron the wine is so fabulous that we want more. This also rarely spends more than $7 on a bottle of wine. To spend applies to a night on the town when the wine is fantastic. much more than that might exceed his palate. He most A recent trend is to snap a photo of the label with a likely would not enjoy wine with more complexity and smart phone. That makes perfect sense, and we see this depth. Uncle Theron would rather have his favorite wine more and more. But there’s a catch. Where the front than a pair of expensive socks or expensive wine. label tells us the name and sometimes the variety or Aunt Sis might be a little harder to buy for. She loves some other little bit of information, it is the back label the cute labels but doesn’t have a strong preference for that provides the information that will more quickly what’s inside. Chances are that she would enjoy someidentify who carries that wine. The back label informathing different and almost adventurous. You have a little tion makes tracking it down much faster. Obviously, the more leeway here with the wine, but the cute label may clearer the image the easier that will be – if the wine is be a challenge. Buy her a good middle of the road that available in Alabama. There’s always a catch. might draw her attention to the wine, rather than the Have a safe, happy season and, by all means, please label. drink responsibly. This brings up a good question about what people enjoy and why they enjoy the things they do. As much Henry Foy is the owner of Emporium Wine, Café 128, as we might want to educate and share the best that life Gallery 128 and Lake Martin's only walk-in cigar humihas to offer, that is not everyone’s cup of tea. Many of us dor located in downtown Alexander City at 128 Calhoun would be happy with a lot less. Street. He can be reached at 256-212-WINE, on Instram, If you think that Uncle Theron wants to be a wine Facebook and at emporium128@bellsouth.net. connoisseur, invite him to a candlelight supper with haricot verts perfectly paired with the wines that you think will make him a convert. Or not. For Christmas, give him what you know he likes or slightly better. The same 256.215.FISH (3474) 2190 Cherokee Road , Alex City, AL www.alexcitymarine.com goes for Aunt Sis. Then there is the question of storage. Well, not so much storage as drinkable now. A wine that is rated Certified Outboard Dealer as “best after 2020” probably isn’t a good choice for most people. That’s only four years away, and most likely, that particular wine would be good today. But if the “experts” think it might be better with several more years in the bottle, I would suggest Call us today about our you buy it now and hold it, propWinterization Specials DECEMBER 2016
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DECEMBER 2016
Rough Lies
Pro Tips From Lee Williams Hitting out of the rough can be difficult. I’m going to help you do a better job the next time you miss the fairway and have a bad lie in the rough. Obviously, strength helps when your ball is buried in tall grass, but two other factors play important roles in how well you make contact with the ball – reading the lie and moving your stance. If you are lucky, and the ball is sitting on top of the grass and has not sunk deep, all you need to do is hit your normal shot, planning on a little less backspin. But this is not normally the case. Most likely, you will address the ball and notice a clump of grass between your ball and the clubface. In this situation, you will experience what is known as a “flyer” in golf terminology. A flyer lie is one that produces very little spin, causing the ball the fly much farther and become a knuckle ball with no spin. If there isn’t a forced carry short of the green, the best option is typically to land the ball well short of the green, allowing the lack of spin to propel the ball onto the green. I would rarely recommend trying to fly a ball onto the green with a lie like this, unless the green is extremely soft. The next factor in hitting out of the rough is moving the ball position more forward in your stance. The more forward you play the ball, the steeper your club will come down on it, minimizing the amount of grass that gets between your club and the ball. A lot of golfers think the farther back in the stance you play the ball, the better out of the rough, but in reality, it’s just the opposite. I would recommend playing the ball about where you do your driver when you get a bad lie in the rough. The only other option to be a successful player out of the rough is to hit more fairways. Good Luck! Lee Williams, a professional golfer on the PGA Tour, grew up playing at Willow Point Country Club. As an amateur, Williams was a member of the 2003 and 2005 Walker Cup teams, as well as the 2004 World Amateur Team. He is sponsored by Russell Lands, King Honda, Nowlin and Associates, P.F. Chang's, Tempus Jet, Hyatt Adams Golf, Russell Athletic, Titleist, Ameritas Financial Corp. and Southwest Airlines.
Another win for the local CACC Trojans
Triumphant Trojans BY CATHY HIGGINS
The Central Alabama Community College golf team ended its fall season last month by winning the CACCWPCC Invitational. The hosts of the 36-hole tournament bested teams from nine competing colleges from across the Southeast to win the event held at Willow Point Country Club. This is the Trojans’ fourth triumph out of five events held since the season began, which has CACC leading the nation in tournament wins and topping polls. “We haven’t had this kind of start since we swept the fall in 2012, the last year we won the national championship,” said CACC golf coach Dave Jennings. “This team has something special. When one falters in a round, the other four step it up. This is crucial for team success in golf.” Jennings played the entire eight-member CACC team in the invitational, which closed out the fall golf season. “This is the one time that everyone may compete,” he said. The Trojans qualified for the top-five playing positions required for a team in the event, with the remaining three athletes playing for individual honors. Playing for the Trojans this year were sophomores Jacob Morgan, Steven Wysocki and Reynolds Carl, as well as freshmen Jake Maples and Bailey Scifleet. The visiting colleges were Wallace State, Faulkner State, Calhoun, Snead State and Jefferson State community colleges, as well as Point University, Cape Fear C.C., Eastern Florida State College and Troy University.
DECEMBER 2016
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Legend
63
22
22
280
24
To Sylacauga
21
Public Boat Ramps
Alexander City
17
Churches 9
Camps & Parks
Camp ASCCA
Flint Hill Church
14
Power lines U.S. Highways
3
280
22
County Roads
Piney Woods Landing
Wind Creek State Park
Pleasant Grove Church
11
COOSA COUNTY
Alex City Boat Ramp
Mt. Zion Church
259 9
128
Russell Farms Baptist Church 63
11
D.A.R.E. Park Landing
Friendship Church New Hope Church
Liberty Church 15
20
Willow Point
24
6
7
Equality
Kowaliga Boat Landing
55
4
Seman
63
8
Trillium
20 The Ridge
2
The Amp Ko
wa
16 10
lig
aB
ay
80
9
Central
90
Union
ELMORE COUNTY Union Church
Red Hill 63
229
Eclectic
Tallassee
18 Kent
76 LAKE
Union Landing
Children’s Harbor
23
34
Camp Alamisco
1 9
Church in The Pines Camp Kiwanis
Paces Point Boat Ramp
DECEMBER 2016
Timbergut Landing
Lake Martin Alabama
Horseshoe Bend National Park
Jaybird Landing
Marinas 11. Kowaliga Marina 334-857-2111 255 Kowaliga Marina Rd., Alex City, AL 35010
TALLAPOOSA COUNTY
22. The Ridge Marina 256-397-1300 450 Ridge Marina Rd., Alex City, AL 35010 33. River North Marina 256-397-1500 250 River North Rd., Alex City, AL 35010
49
42. Real Island Marina 334-857-2741 2700 Real Island Rd., Equality, AL 36026
Jacksons Gap
53. Blue Creek Marina 256-825-8888 7280 Hwy 49 S., Dadeville, AL 36853
280
62. Parker Creek Marina 256-329-8550 486 Parker Creek Marina Rd., Equality, AL 36026 Bethel Church
19
Dadeville
280
76. SpringHouse 256-215-7080 12 Benson Mill Rd., Alex City, AL 35010
Camp Hill
86. Catherine’s Market 256-215-7070 17 Russell Farms Rd., Alex City, AL 35010
57
Smith Landing Pleasant Ridge Church
9 Kowaliga Restaurant 256-215-7035 295 Kowaliga Marina Rd., Alex City, AL 35010
12 13
10 Harbor Docks Restaurant at Anchor Bay Marina 334-639-4723 2001 Castaway Island Rd, Eclectic, AL 36024
Business & Shopping
Lake Martin Baptist Church 49 Church of the Living Waters
Restaurants
11 Lake Martin Storm Shelters 256-794-8075 970 Hwy. 63 South, Alex City, AL 35010
Stillwaters
12 Lakeside Mercantile 334-850-6357 8246 County Rd 34, Dadeville, AL 36853
5
15 Shipwreck Sam's Yogurt @ Smith's Marina 256-444-8793 1590 Pine Point Road, Alex City, AL 35010 16 5. Lake Martin Mini Mall 334.857.3900 7995 Kowaliga Rd, Eclectic, AL 36024 4. Russell Do It Center (Alex City) 17 256-234-2567 1750 Alabama 22, Alex City, AL 35010 4. Russell Do It Center (Eclectic) 18 334-541-2132 1969 Kowaliga Rd., Eclectic, AL 36024 4. Russell Building Supply 19 256-825-4256 350 Fulton Street, Dadeville, AL 36853 4. The Stables at Russell Crossroads 20 256-794-1333 111 Benson Mill Rd., Alex City, AL 35010 4. Dark Insurance 21 256-234-5026 410 Hillabee Street, Alex City, AL 35010 www.darkinsuranceagency.com 22. McDaniels Storage Center 256-234-4583 1040 Highway 280, Alex City, AL 35010 23. Kowaliga Whole Health Pet Care & Resort 334-857-1816 8610 Kowaliga Road, Eclectic, AL 36024
Hotels & Lodging
24 2 Cherokee Bend Bed & Breakfast 877-760-7854 5833 Highway 22 East, Alex City 35010
Advertise your business on our Lake Martin Region Map for as little as $25. Contact us at 256-234-4281 or marketing@alexcityoutlook.com for more information.
13 EastLake Coffee @ Lakeside Mercantile 334-850-6357 8246 County Rd 34, Dadeville, AL 36853
Walnut Hill 50 50
14 Karen Channell State Farm Financial Services 256-234-3481 5030 Hwy. 280, Alex City, AL 35010
49
Reeltown
DECEMBER 2016
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Lake Magazine Distribution ALEXANDER CITY Alex City Marine American Inn Anytime Fitness Baymont Inn BB&T Big B Bar-B-Q Campus of CACC Carlos Mexican Grill Catherine’s Market Chamber Of Commerce Cherokee Quick stop Citgo Cloud Nine Collegiate Deli Comfort Inn Dark Insurance Darwin Dobbs Days Inn Discount Food Mart El Rancho Grande Emporium Wine Grace’s Flowers Hampton Inn Holley’s Home Furnishings Hometown Pharmacy Jackson Drugs
Jake’s JR’s Sports Bar & Grill Koon’s Korner Koon’s Korner II Lake Martin Building Supply Lakewinds Golf Club Larry’s General Store Little Black Dress Longleaf Antiques Mark King's Lake Martin Furniture Mistletoe Bough Bed & Breakfast Queen’s Attic Regions Bank Ridge - Clubhouse Ridge - Marina River North Marina Riverbend Store Russell Home Décor Russell Medical Center Russell Lands Russell Retail Store Satterfield, Inc Senior Nutrition~50+ Center Sho’ Nuff Restaurant Springhouse Restaurant T.C. Russell Airport
Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc The Medicine Shoppe The Sure Shot USAmeribank Warren's Appliance Parts Willow Point Country Club Wind Creek - entrance Wind Creek - store Winn Dixie 280 BP 280 Exxon
DADEVILLE American Motorsports Bay Pine Marina City Hall Chamber of Commerce Chuck's Marina Dadeville Wellness Center Foodland Foshee's Boat Doc Homeplate Restaurant Harbor Pointe Marina Lakay’s Flowers & Gifts Lake Martin Flowers & Gifts Lake Martin Community Hospital
Lakeshore Discount Pharmacy Lakeside Marina Niffer's At The Lake Oskar's Cafe Payne Furniture Pearson’s Place Poplar Dawgs Public Library Pug's Place PNC Bank Russell Building Supply Shell Station Sigger’s Stillwaters Country Club Store 34 USAmeribank
ECLECTIC Children’s Harbor Cotton’s BBQ Eclectic Do-It Center Johnson’s Furniture Kowaliga Marina Lake Martin Dock Lake Martin Mini Mall Nail’s Convenience Store Peoples Bank
EQUALITY Equality Food Mart Real Island Marina Southern Star
KELLYTON
Five Star Plantation
RED HILL Citgo
TALLASSEE Community Hospital Chamber of Commerce The Tallassee Tribune
WALNUT HILL Lakeside Mercantile Walnut Hill Grocery
WETUMPKA
The Wetumpka Herald A limited number of magazines are available at these locations. To start your subscription, call David Kendrick at 256-234-4281.
Lake Martin Business and Service Directory
SEE ME FOR INSURANCE
H
OLMAN
F
LOOR
C
OMPANY
“WE’RE THE PROFESSIONALS”
Hardwood Floors Ceramic Tile Carpet & Vinyl
Harold Cochran 256.234.2700
Visit our showroom for samples and a free estimate!
haroldcochran.b2cn@statefarm.com
1945 Hwy 280 • Alexander City
Locally Owned for Over 45 Years
256-234-6071
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Lake Martin Business and Service Directory
Lila’s ENGRAVING
170 Jefferson Street, Alexander City
256-234-6004
COACH KRAFT
residential. commercial. interior. exterior.
UPHOLSTERY 334-651-0033AL/706-225-8070 GA
columbus-auburn.certapro.com 1550OpelikaRoadSuite6Box294,Auburn,AL36830
Complete Marine Upholstery! Floors ■ Carpets Bimini Tops ■ Custom Seats ■ Mooring Covers
Professional! Trey Callegan Area Manager Call TODAY for quick Pre-approval!
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Patrick Mason 334-283-6759 676 Dean Circle • Tallassee, AL www.coachkraft.com
A Division of Goldwater Bank, N.A.
248 Inverness Ctr Dr, Birmingham AL
205-995-7283
Call TODAY for quick Pre-approval NMLS #47862 Corporate NMLS #452955
Performance!
Handrails • Guardrails Welded Fence • Custom Art Stairs • Gates Stainless Steel Cable Railing I-Beams • Steel Posts • Stairs On-Site Welding/Cutting
Call me for your FREE home sellers kit.
Paige Patterson
205-616-8046
334-332-3435
www.paigepatterson.com
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DECEMBER 2016
LAKE 79
Our Advertisers n To Join, Call 256.234.4281 A&M Plumbing....................................................... 67
First Realty............................................................... 6
Piggly Wiggly........................................................... 43
Advanced Cardiovascular.................................... 65
Fun Carts of Opelika........................................... 32
Prime Management............................................... 63
Advanced Heating & Air........................................ 8
George Hardy D.M.D............................................. 8
Radney Funeral Home......................................... 36
Alex City Guide Service...................................... 63
Henderson and Coker......................................... 80
Renaissance Electronics......................................... 8
Alex City Marine............................................ 33, 73
Hilltop Landscaping............................................... 20
Riley Real Estate.................................................... 42
Amanda Scroggins, RE/MAX Around the Lake.........36
Holley’s Home Furnishings................................. 84
Russell Lands.......................................................... 37
Atkinson Home..................................................... 79
Holman Floor......................................................... 78
Russell Medical........................................................ 2
Bless Your Heart.................................................... 33
Jackson Thornton.................................................. 31
Satterfield................................................................ 33
Blue Creek Iron Works....................................... 79
Kowaliga Whole Health....................................... 79
Security Pest Control............................................ 8
Bodyworks Massage & Spa................................. 32
Lake Martin Building Supply............................... 51
Southern Star Farm..........................................6, 33
Brown Nursing & Rehabilitation....................... 51
Lake Martin Community Hospital..................... 13
SportzBlitz.............................................................. 74
Carlisle's.................................................................. 43
Lake Martin Dock................................................. 19
State Farm Insurance/ Harold Cochran..........78
CertaPro Painters................................................. 79
Lake Martin Inspections...................................... 42
State Farm Insurance/ Karen Channell..........42, 79
Clayton Homes...................................................... 32
Lake Martin Med Spa........................................... 33
Studio Sam Hair Salon......................................... 33
Cloud Nine............................................................. 42
Lake Martin Mini Mall................................... 32, 27
Tallassee Community Hospital........................... 20
Coach Kraft Upholstery...................................... 79
Lakeside Marina....................................................... 8
Temple Medical Center....................................... 51
Cotney Jewelers.................................................... 42
Lila's Engraving....................................................... 79
TNT Stone............................................................. 79
Crew Lending......................................................... 79
Madison House Restorations............................. 43
TowBoatU.S.............................................................. 5
Custom Docks....................................................... 31
Mainstreet Alexander City............................42-43
Troy Cable................................................................. 6
Damon Story, Cedar Point................................... 3
Mama's Secrets...................................................... 33
UAB Heart & Vascular Clinic............................. 67
Dark Insurance...................................................... 42
Mark King's Furniture................................... 32, 71
Walmart.................................................................. 79
DAVCO Development......................................... 78
Merle Norman....................................................... 43
Wedowee Marine................................................. 83
Designs by Trish....................................................... 5
Mitchell's Upholstery........................................... 63
Wickles Pickles...................................................... 32
Dianne Naler, CPA................................................ 42
National Village...................................................... 16
Williams Plumbing Heating & Air........................ 8
Docks Unlimited..................................................... 5
Noel Boone............................................................ 43
WSC Distinctive Builders, LLC......................... 51
Emporium Wine.................................................... 43
Odd Jobs................................................................. 59
First Baptist Church Alexander City.................. 8
Paige Patterson, Lake Martin Voice Realty......79
80 LAKE
DECEMBER 2016
DECEMBER 2016
LAKE 81
Parting Shot Photo by Kenneth Boone
“Christmas isn't a season. It's a feeling.” ~ Edna Ferber
82 LAKE
DECEMBER 2016
242X E-Series
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www.WedoweeMarine.com 256.357.2045 or 800.780.2045 DECEMBER 2016 LAKE 83
The Beauty You Desire The Performance You Require
The beauty you desire the performance you require. Introducing Kid Proof Fabrics.
Introducing Kid Proof Fabrics
Even He Can’t Mess It Up EASY CLEAN UP
Kid Proof was created with the modern family in mind. Having to sacrifice what you really want because of sticky fingers, crayons, or an occasional spilled glass of juice is now a thing of the past. STIMIL EROM ON
® The beauty you desire the performance you require. Introducing Kid Proof Fabrics.
Kid Proof was created with the modern family in mind. Kid Proof was created with the modern family in mind. Having to sacrifice what you really want because we all know that teens, small children and the messes that come along with them aren’t always easy to clean.
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.dnim ni ylimaf nredom eht htiw detaerc saw foorP diK ,sregnfi ykcits fo esuaceb tnaw yllaer uoy tahw ecfiircas ot gnivaH .tsap eht fo gniht a won si eciuj fo ssalg dellips lanoisacco na ro ,snoyarc
Having to sacrifice what you really want because we all know that teens, small children and the messes that come along with them aren’t always easy to clean. Sticky fingers, crayons or an occasional spilled glass of juice is now a thing of the past.
84 LAKE
256.234.4141 Alexander City
DECEMBER 2016
334.279.3101 Montgomery