Elmore County Living magazine August 2015

Elmore County Living

GAME DAY FASHIONS Box Mania goes national

Playing Chicken in Eclectic

Where to watch the game USAF Airman runs for charity

August 2015 ELMORE COUNTY LIVING

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ARE YOU AN ARTIST? Now accepting submissions through September 23, 2015 Enter the

2015 Annual Lake Martin Living Art and Photography Contest

Winners will be featured on the cover and inside pages of our October magazine edition, and this year entries again will be on exhibit at Alexander City’s Wine Emporium and Gallery 128. Submissions accepted in acrylics, oil, watercolor, pastels, pencil and photography. All entries must reflect life and scenes in Tallapoosa County. Each artist may submit up to three works of art. All entries must be framed, matted or mounted on boards and ready to hang. There is no fee to enter, and no prizes or monetary awards will be made. The contest is just for fun! A panel of local artists will judge the entries. Clearly mark each entry with the artist’s name, address and telephone number and deliver entries to the office of Lake Martin Living magazine on or before 5 pm September 23. The office is located at 548 Cherokee Road, Alexander City, across from Benjamin Russell High School.

Please call magazine editor Betsy Iler at 256-234-4281 with questions or email editor@lakemartinmagazine.com.

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From the Managing Editor's Desk It’s almost time: College football in the South will be under way in a matter of days.

In this issue of Elmore County Living magazine, we’ve shared with you some college football features you won’t find anywhere else, from where to watch the game in Millbrook to where to find what to wear, and we’ll introduce you to some local folks who work on the field every day.

It started a couple of months ago when Jayne Carr added a friendly note to an email on another subject.

“Wing It in Millbrook is a great place to watch the games,” she wrote, and it started a conversation about where to go for game day if you can’t get to the stadium.

We finally had to narrow the field to a manageable three game day hot spots where you can pull up a chair, order some eats and catch all the action. Turn to page 12 to get the scoop, and be sure to tell ‘em you saw it in Elmore County Living.

You’ll want to be decked out in the latest game day fashions when you head out, and we’ve got you covered there, too. We found five lovely college co-eds who met us in Wetumpka for a football stadium fashion shoot featuring the latest styles from your favorite boutiques countywide. Meet them on page 28 and check out the local fashion finds.

And on page 32, we’re happy to introduce you to some of the Elmore County folks who have taken their love of the game to the next level. The lives of these three local grads revolve around college football, and they take you beyond the field for a glimpse of daily life in the sacred sport.

But we also want you to meet USAF Senior Airman Zach White on page 20. While on deployment in Southwest Asia, White is raising money for Special Olympics back home with the help of his friends in Wetumpka. And we have a special treat for you in Eclectic; writer David Granger and wildlife photographer Jim Denney visited the weekly chicken auction at Jerry Speake’s barn, putting a whole new spin on your Friday night. We take you there on page 20.

Finally, be sure to check out the photos on pages 45 through 49 to see who we found Out & About in Elmore County.

STAFF President & Publisher Kenneth Boone

kenneth.boone@alexcityoutlook.com

General Manager

Shannon Elliott

shannon.elliott@thewetumpkaherald.com

Managing Editor Betsy Iler

betsy.iler@alexcityoutlook.com

Distribution Manager David Kendrick

david.kendrick@alexcityoutlook.com

Marketing Consultant Jayne Carr

jayne.carr@thewetumpkaherald.com

Creative Services Audra Spears

audra.spears@alexcityoutlook.com

Contributors Barry Chrietzberg Jeff Langham Mary K. Moore Willie G. Moseley Griffin Pritchard Jacob Saylor Kevin Taylor Jim Denney Cory Diaz David Granger Jennifer Brady Angela Hardgrave Kathy Monroe To subscribe to Elmore County Living, $25 a year for 12 issues, please call David Kendrick at 256-234-4281 For Advertising Inquiries 334-567-7811 For Editorial Inquiries 334-567-7811 All content, including all stories and photos, are copyright of

Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 99 300 Green Street, Wetumpka, AL 36092 334-567-7811

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CONTENTS ON THE COVER Wetumpka High School graduate Kiara McCluskey models Alabama gameday top and pants from River Region Depot Photo by Barry Chrietzberg

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38

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10 In Every Issue

Features

Columns 38

Movie Man

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Where to Watch the Game

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Extra! Extra!

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Community Care

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Box Mania

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Business Spotlight

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The Gamer

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Maxwell Airman Runs

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Out & About

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Southern Delights

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Playing Chicken

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Coming Up

Going in Style

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Where to Find Us

Tribute to Titanic Talent Eat Like a Kid

Redefining Online Gaming Search for Good Tomatoes

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Millbrook's Football Hot Spots

Eclectic Native's New Fitness Craze Charity Fundraiser in Asia

Auction Block at Eclectic Barn Fashion for Game Day Fun

Life on the College Field Three Locals Move Up

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News Briefs

Mad Tatting

In Elmore County Calendar of Upcoming Events Distribution List

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Painting Smiling Art: Don Sawyer

Iron Horse Camp teaches care and crafts Take horses, paint, shaving cream, water and children and mix it all up. What do you have?

The outcome is a lot of laughter and smiles on the faces of the children and adults alike at the annual Iron Horse Ranch Unlimited Equine in Wallsboro.

During late June, Anita Thompson, along with some of her relatives and good friends, hosted dozens of children for the camp to care for a horse, teaching them how to saddle and ride, and mixing in lots of fun activities, from tug-of-war to sliding down a makeshift water slide to crafts and shaving cream fights.

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Don Sawyer sat in a chair under a shade tree on the Fourth of July doing what he loves – painting.

All the colors of the rainbow sat on a palate while he put on the finishing touches to one of his creations just feet away from Lake Jordan on a cloudy day.

Sawyer finds his inspiration from his surroundings, which happened to be Lake Jordan Marina that day, and he had dozens of his creations on display while working on his latest piece to define Lake Jordan Marina with vibrant colors.

“I’m having fun and painting things that make you smile,” said Sawyer, who

worked in real estate for more than 30 years before dedicating his time to paint.

“I could have you sit down, and I could fill a newspaper with stories of all the people I have met over the years.”

County schools named among best in Alabama

Distinguished Young Woman Holtville High School senior Reagan Law was named the 2016 Distinguished Young Woman for Elmore County at Elmore County High School.

Law also was among the top two finishers in the scholastic, interview, fitness and self expression categories.

Renovations revealed at hospital

When newcomers visit Wetumpka, the two most common questions are about the quality of the schools and the quality of the hospital, said Robert Barrett, chairman of the Elmore County

Health Care Authority.

Barrett said he is now confident that Elmore Community Hospital is on par in terms of excellence and facilities with the Elmore County School System.

Barrett, administrators, doctors and nurses recently showcased the new surgical suite at Elmore Community Hospital, which occupies space that housed a dining room in the original building that was built in 1959.

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For the first time since U.S. News and World Report published the best high schools in the country and the state, all of Elmore County’s public schools are among the top third in the state.

Elmore County Schools Superintendent Dr. André Harrison said all of the credit goes to the students, staff and administrators of each respective school.

“We have a great team of people here working from our community members to administrators,” Harrison added.

SalemMacon celebrates 175 years Salem-Macon Baptist Church, on the line between Tallapoosa and Macon counties, celebrated its 175th anniversary July 19 with some 250 people attending from several states.

The guest speaker was Dr. Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Convention. A covered dish luncheon was served following the service.

“Well, what a great day this has been,” church clerk Mary Lois Ledbetter said. “Lots of food and fellowship, visiting with old friends, and a special recognition service.”

Extra!

Extra!

News from Elmore County and surrounding areas

Wetumpka River and Blues Fun Thousands of people from across the River Region braved the intense late-July heat to enjoy music, food, fun and fireworks at the annual Wetumpka River and Blues Festival.

While the temperature rose above 100 degrees, it didn’t deter at least 15,000 people from attending the fourth

annual music festival on two stages -- Gold Star Park and the Main Stage behind the city administrative building. Both stages had acts until 6 p.m. to make way for the headliner Rockin’ Dopsie & The Zydeco Twisters of New Orleans.

“It was a fabulous event,” Wetumpka Mayor Jerry Willis said.

Adair wins Showdown Watch out, Jessica Meuse, there’s up-and-coming country music artists nipping at your heels.

In mid-August Kevin Adair of Slapout performed against a dozen other artists to claim the top prize at the Spirit of Suwanee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida.

Adair, 35, was named the winner of a semifinal round last week in the Country Showdown, as well as two other artists and the group Highway 238.

“Slapout ain’t just for a Meuse,” Adair said with a laugh, referring to American Idol finalist Jessica Meuse.

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Crenshaw area hosts first picnic Smiles, cheers, laughs and barbeque were the scene recently at Crenshaw Park as six local churches joined together for the First Crenshaw Community Picnic.

More than 100 people were in attendance.

The churches served hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, cookies, cakes, drinks, snow cones and more.

Teams were formed to play friendly games of basketball and softball.

The playground was filled with excitement and giggles as the smaller children were swinging, sliding, climbing and jumping.

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Ryan Wells works a design for a regular customer

Mad Tatting Story by Griffin Pritchard Photos by Barry Chrietzberg

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eatsville's tattoo studio is relatively new, having opened in November 2014, but the art of owner Ryan Wells has been around for years, evolving from simple doodles to sketches, to wood printing to the human canvas.

“I’ve been tattooing people for 18 years,” said Wells, who is selftaught. “I’ve always been an artistic person, and with tattoos, it all started with friends and family.”

His best friend became his guinea pig.

“The first tattoo was on a best friend of mine named Billy Craig. It’s probably one of the best tattoos I’ve ever done,” Wells said. “It was a gremlin hanging out of a bone in his arm. I’ve had opportunities to go over it and go over and go over it many times. It turned out to be one of my best because I keep going back to it. I’ll learn more and go back to it. I’ll learn more and go back to it.”

Tattooing, as an art form, has been around for ages.

With them, however, came stigmas – sometimes positive and sometimes negative. But, with the surge of television shows like Ink Master and Tattoo Nightmares on Spike, Inked Magazine and artists Kat Von D, Ami James, Don Ed Hardy and Oliver Peck becoming active figures in the social lexicon – having ink is trendy and cool and is becoming more and more accepted.

“I tattooed an 80-year-old woman,” Wells said with a laugh. “It was her first Tattoo. It was in memory of her husband. It was a heart on her back and took about five hours. I’ve tattooed everyone from soccer moms to bikers to bankers, good people. Tattooing is not like it used to be. There are a lot more memorial tattoos and those are something special. The negative image of people with tattoos is beginning to fade and the TV shows are helping it. If you’ve got a grandparent that’s passed away and you want to remember them, there’s no better way than to get a tattoo. You’re going to carry that and their memory with you to the grave. ” The most involved piece he’s ever done was a full back piece – the sketch for which hangs on his wall – that took 22 combined hours to bring to life.

“It really depends on the person (as far as how long

a session will last) and how much they can handle,” Wells said.

“The client may can take six hours the first time and then, after letting it heal, can only take two hours the next time.

Anything more than that, the pain may start getting to them. From what I’ve seen, for a bigger piece, an average session should be about four hours, anything afJeanice and Ryan Wells ter that you start getting mingle with customers antsy.” outside the tattoo studio He added, “All tattoos are going to hurt. The foot is one of the worst places, so are the fingers. The ribs are really bad. But it depends on the person and what they can take. “ Wells specializes in wildlife and photo-realistic tattoos, but he employs two other artists – Tony Scruggs and Clayton Ainsworth – who have their own talents and special styles.

“Both of them are very good artists,” Wells said. “Reputation is a very big part of what we do and what drives our business. Say in this small town you do one bad tattoo – you’re pretty much done. You have to find ways to get people outside of the area to come here. It’s very critical that you and your staff do very good work consistently.”

Ainsworth, for instance blended a birthmark on one client’s leg that she was self-conscience about into a floral piece that nearly covers her thigh.

“The best advice I can give anyone wanting a first tattoo is to come in and talk with the artist,” Wells said. “A lot of what I do is cover up bad tattoos. Tattoos, good tattoos, take some thought. If you have an idea of what you want and can hang on to that idea for a year, there may be something for you. The first tattoo is the biggest. You have to be set on what you want to get.”

Also, don’t get your first tattoo on a spring break trip to the beach, he cautioned.

“Down there, those tattoo shops know you are there for a vacation and you’re a little buzzed and want a tattoo. But, a lot of them want to get you in the parlor, get a tattoo on you and never see you again. It’s not that way here. We want your repeat business.”

The Mad Tatter studio is located at 10073 Holtville Road in Deatsville (36022) and can be reached by phone at 334-543-4800. The studio can also be found on Facebook Mad Tatter.

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Where to

Watch the Game Millbrook Hot Spots for College Football

KJ's Seafood will launch a specialty food and drink menu for game days

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With televisions throughout the restaurant, customers and staff alike at Wing It don't miss a play

Story by Jennifer Brady Photos by Barry Chrietzberg

Wing It owners have a game plan for game days

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iehard college football fans know there are two caveats when it comes to fall sports in Alabama: Never schedule a wedding on a Saturday, and never – ever – miss a game. But, you don’t always have to be there in person to have a great time watching; neither do you have to be the host for all of your friends.

Just as a certain camaraderie forms among fans in the stands, watching the game at a local sports bar or restaurant provides an opportunity for partisan play or the rancor of rivalry. And you don’t even have to fix the food or do the dishes.

In Millbrook, game day winners aren’t just on television.

One Millbrook option for all of the fun with none of the cleanup this year is Wing It at 5951 Main Street.

“We are just starting our sports bar part of the restaurant, and it’s been a long time coming,” said owner Marshall Johnson. “I’ve been promising everybody that it was coming, and it’s finally here.”

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Customers can eat in at Joe Mama's or take their meals home to watch the game In business for 15 years, the popular venue has added beer this year.

“It’s mad during football season, so we’re hoping this will help,” he said. “Something else we offer that makes people want to sit and stay is a family environment.”

For specials and beer list, call Wing It at 334-2901902.

Joe Mama’s American Grill at 63 Wisteria Place has the reputation of a staff that passes their game day enthusiasm down to their customers, said owner John Whooten.

“We have TVs for the cooks and wait staff to watch, so they don’t miss anything either,” he said. “And we have an extensive menu of American food. We’re known for our burgers and hot dogs, but we have salads and a lot of other offerings.”

The full menu can be found at www.joemamasamericangrill.com or on Facebook. While Joe Mama’s doesn’t serve alcohol, Whooten said their menu has made the restaurant a successful game day option for nine years.

“We are fast food done right,” he added.

Kelly Dingler with KJ’s Seafood and Oyster House plans to hit the college football market hard this year.

Along with her husband, Jonathan, Dingler opened

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Owner John Whooten passes down his gameday enthusiasm to customers

KJ's menu will include the food you go to your friends' house for

the restaurant at 200 Deatsville Highway at Thanksgiving two years ago.

“When we opened, we had missed the start of that season, and we didn’t know what to expect for 2014,” Dingler said. “Now, we know how to go about it.”

“Going about it” this year will include food and drink specials to entice patrons to come in and stay for whatever game they want to see, she said.

“We’ll have special drinks for each team – like the Alabama Yella Hamma, Auburn Blue Orangeade, LSU Purple Prowler and the Georgia Peach – to name a few,” she explained. “We have a lot of military personnel that don’t have any family here, and we’d like to do something for them, so we’ll have oyster specials and will be offering things like mama’s cheese dip – those good things that we go to our friends’ houses for.”

For more information about game day at KJ’s, visit the Facebook page or call them at 334-517-6105.

Take advantage of these and other options in Elmore County for game day, just make sure the only aisles you walk down on a Southern Saturday this fall are those between the tables at your favorite neighborhood hangout.

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Jonathan and Kelly opened KJ's Seafood two years ago

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Box Mania 16

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Eclectic native hits the national scene with fitness routine Story by Cory Diaz Photos by Barry Chrietzberg

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Katrina Shaw kicks a target while her exercise partner counts the reps

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clectic native Katrina Shaw started a fitness craze when she cranked up her usual fitness routine with martial arts moves and punch and kick combinations. With a background in martial arts and more than 25 years of personal training experience, Shaw created Box Mania with fitness goals in mind – and she got national results.

Box Mania is a partner-based workout in which one person holds a target while the other strikes it with punch and kick combo intervals, pushing through the reps and then trading places to hold the target for the partner. The routine incorporates techniques from Taekwondo, as Shaw is a second-degree black belt instructor.

Though she originally developed the routine for herself, Shaw’s program hit the national fitness scene as a certified Aerobic Fitness Association of America course, and she now tours

the country, certifying instructors and offering pilot classes.

“After several years of fitness training, I was not real pleased. I was still doing other formats, but I wasn’t getting the results I wanted,” Shaw said. “So, I went back to martial arts, because it’s a good exercise. I knew for a fact it was the best experience I had done. People would see me at the gym and would ask, ‘What are you doing? Can you show me how you do that?’”

Shaw developed a pilot Box Mania class more than five years ago, and it took off. Ten people attended the first class. At the next one, 30 showed up.

Since then, Box Mania has been recognized nationwide, and Shaw has produced four Box Mania workout DVDs and taught classes as far north as Canada and west as California.

She teaches an instructor certification training course and certifications every year.

Participants gain not only the physical fitness results they seek, Shaw said, but also empowerment

Partners take turns pulling punches and counting

Students work through a drill

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from Box Mania.

“A very positive thing about the format is you have to stay mentally engaged; you can’t check out,” Shaw said. “Box Mania works on coordination. It’s a very good mental exercise.

If you’re holding the target, you’re paying attention, because you have to count for your partner. You’re moving forward, side-to-side, using your arms and legs. You’re working on flexibility and balance, all the while staying mentally engaged as you work out.

“It’s really positive, and at the end of the class, you find that people are empowered. They love it. You’re not going to do an exercise you hate. I wanted to share it, because I knew for a fact that Box Mania changed me in a positive way.”

Amy Robinson has been taking Box Mania classes at the Wetumpka YMCA for three months, and in the first two weeks, she said, she dropped eight pounds. Along with the physical results, Robinson said, the workout just has something special about it.

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YMCA instructors with Shaw (center) “I started taking Shaw’s class for extra upper body strength, and it’s made all the difference,” Robinson said. “You have an automatic love for it. I can’t explain it, you’d have to try a class before you can explain that, but once a person comes in here, they’re sticking to it. I stuck to it, so I’ve enjoyed it.

“It gives you more of a workout in your back and your arms. I’ve done a lot of different classes before, and none of them give the results that I’ve gotten in such a short time period.”

A typical Box Mania session involves a healthy mixture of punches and kicks and a whole lot of power, throughout which proper technique is taught with plenty of encouragement from a workout partner.

“The focus is a lot of power boxing. It’s not like dancing; it’s not choreographed. You build up boxing combinations using power, with hits and uppercuts,” Shaw said. “You do combinations for your partner; then you hold the target. You perform a series of combos. It’s interval training. You switch back and forth. De-

pendent on how fast you’re working through it, each combo takes about eight to 10 minutes to do.

“Then there’s a few other aspects of the class where you do other types of drills that will involve high intensity cardio, and that usually takes about five minutes to do. Something like power jumping jacks, some type of burpees. Then you build another combination. At the end of the class, you do 30-second drills where you go all out.”

Box Mania is designed to work for all fitness levels, and participants can advance their workouts and get something new out of it as balance and hand-eye coordination improve.

Along with getting in shape, participants are drawn to Box Mania for self-defense, Shaw said.

“We do balance drills, which is part of the class that people don’t recognize how important it is. It prevents people from falling; it develops your core muscles,” Shaw said. “You strengthen your upper and lower body, get cardio – there are not a lot of other formats, other than swim-

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ming, that you can get that kind of workout.

“Your partner holds the target in the air while you’re punching it to get some work. Until you make contact, you don’t really understand how the body will react. Everyone responds differently.”

As Box Mania strengthens one’s body and mind, it also boosts the participants’ self-esteem, separating the format from a number of other exercise routines on the market.

Another benefit of Box Mania, Shaw said, is that participants can learn to protect themselves.

“This gives you cardio and strength. You walk out of this place literally feeling like you could probably kick someone’s butt,” she said.

The Wetumpka YMCA offers Box Mania classes at 8:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.

The workout requires the use of open-palmed gloves, and classes last about an hour.

For more information on Box Mania, visit www.boxmaniafitness.com.

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A Big Heart

USAF Senior Airman White hopes to raise $2,500 for Special Olympics

Story by Angela Hardgrove

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ach White is a man with a big heart and an even bigger mission. The 24-year-old USAF Senior Airman, currently deployed to Southwest Asia, plans to run 150 miles during his deployment to raise $2,500 for Special Olympics.

Stationed at Maxwell AFB as a firefighter since May 2012, White is an apparatus engineer who knew from an early age that his passion for firefighting would lead to a career.

“I became a firefighter in my hometown of Walkertown, North Carolina, at the age of 18, and I knew right away I wanted to make a career out of emergency services,” White said. “The military offered to continue my passion and add the honor of serving my country at the same time, and I could not turn down this amazing opportunity.”

He has attended three specialty schools and is now serving his second deployment in four years.

The passion and drive that

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have lead White to this point in his career also fuel his desire to raise the funds to completely sponsor one athlete to the Special Olympics World Games.

“The Special Olympics is so important to me, because I have seen first hand the pure joy and life-changing opportunities it gives to people with intellectual disabilities. The Special Olympics has changed so many lives, and it has also pioneered a change in how our society views and treats these incredible individuals as well,” he explained. “I have had so many friends and family come to me and say, hey, my brother or sister is in Special Olympics, and I think what you’re doing is great.

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“Those stories and smiling faces are what make this so personal to me, because those are my brothers and sisters, and they are the ones that keep me running.”

His goal is to run 150 miles and raise $2,500 by October 31, 2015.

While the distance alone is strenuous, the extreme temperatures in Southwest Asia add to the difficulty. Temperatures there can climb to 120 degrees or more and often are accompanied by dust storms.

White, who had never trained as a runner, now runs a 5K every other day, hoping to increase that distance as his body adjusts to the climate.

“The difficult climate motivates me, because I know the guys and girls I am running for

are pushing through their own difficulties. If they are willing to do it, so am I,” he said.

White is using Facebook and the GoFundMe.com website to increase exposure and to keep supporters updated. His girlfriend, Haley Traylor of Wetumpka, helps with his campaign.

Traylor served as a station medic and boat crewman in the U.S. Coast Guard and met White in an EMT class at Trenholm State Technical College after she left active duty.

“I had let my certification lapse after leaving the service and was having to retake the course. I was originally really upset with myself about that, but God had a plan. I noticed Zach the first day in his fire uniform, and then our next night in class he was in an Air Force uniform. It intrigued me,” she explained. “We were in a small class, so we all studied together outside of scheduled class time, and that’s where Zach and I became close. We started dating four months before his first deployment to Oman.”

Traylor said she’s proud of White and supportive of his efforts on behalf of Special Olympics.

“The charity run that he is doing now really helps his morale.

I am proud of him for already serving our country and her people. I know he is happy to do that, too, and truly enjoys being a part of the USAF, but his Special Olympics fundraiser gives him something positive to focus on,” she said. “He gets so excited when he wakes up, and I get to tell him that someone has made a donation. He has a big heart and is a great airman.”

White said he’s grateful for the strength and the opportunity to

give to those who are a testament to courage through hardship and adversity. The individuals who participate in Special Olympics are a true inspiration to him.

“I do not take a single day for granted, and I feel that as long as my health is good, and I am able, this is what I am supposed to be doing. I can’t explain the joy and excitement it has already brought me knowing that I have people supporting this cause, but more importantly, the smile that is going to be on a very deserving face,” he said.

“These athletes push through many struggles and hardships, but at the end of the day, they still have the biggest smiles on their faces, and they are so incredibly grateful for the investment of time and energy and the love their supporters and coaches put into them. This true love and gratitude is what inspires me to run these miles and raise the funds to make sure this joy continues. I hope the message of what we are doing will spread

to many people with intellectual disabilities pushing themselves to new heights, and they will know that all my supporters and I are standing behind them 100 percent,” he added. “We are cheering them on, and we love them.”

To donate to White’s campaign or stay updated on his progress, visit www.facebook.com/ zachs150 miles or www.gofundme.com/150miles.

A firefighter, White serves in Southwest Asia White runs every other day in termperatures that reach 120 degrees

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Playing Chicken Weekly gathering at Central Alabama Auction Barn full of fowl fun Story by David Granger Photos by Jim Denney

Auction fare at "The Chicken Auction" has gone far beyond just chickens

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ooking for something to do on a Friday night? Something a little different?

Something off the beaten path, both figuratively and literally?

Here’s a tip.

Since the early 1990s, Jerry Speake has hosted a weekly auction at 6 p.m. on Friday nights in his small barn off Middle Road near Eclectic. Locally, folks call it “The Chicken Auction,” but, in actuality, the weekly gathering has long since moved beyond just chickens.

Just park your truck in the pasture-turned-parking lot adjacent to what Speake calls the Central Auction Barn and, as soon as you set foot outside, you’ll be welcomed with the bleats from various breeds of goats and the assorted crowing, quacking and honking of a whole host of different varieties of domestic fowl.

The unloading of the animals continues into the early evening with Speake’s helpers lining them up for the auction in the order in which they arrive.

Meanwhile, inside the non-air-conditioned and sometimes uncomfortably warm auction barn, Nicole Smith begins auctioning off what most people would refer to as “junk.”

But, as the saying goes, “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.”

“I come mainly for the junk,” said James Wallace, a regular at the Chicken Auction from Deatsville. “I deal with chickens a little bit and might buy some here and there. Once in a while I might buy a goat. But, mainly, I come for the junk.”

Toys, tools, farm implements, fishing rods and cast-iron cookware are among the items that make their way across the auction table. One by one, smiling bid-winners – including, on more than one occasion, Wallace – walk up to claim their treasured items.

It hasn’t always been smiles at the Central Auction Barn.

On April 27, 2011, a violent EF4 tornado ripped through the Middle Road area. Speake’s barn was destroyed, but he was among the lucky ones. Four residents of the area died that night.

“Those people were my neighbors,” Speake recalled.

“Two of them lived on one side of the road and two on the other.”

When Middle Road was passable once again and while he still mourned the loss of those missing from his community, Speake turned his attention to rebuilding his auction barn.

“The people in this community, the people from all over came out to help me rebuild,” Speake said. “I could have never done it without their help. The people were just plain amazing. We had people come to help from as far away as North Carolina.”

Speake’s barn was back open and doing business again by the following September.

Nicole Smith starts the evening's auction

Customers bring in chickens for auction

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People come from far and wide to buy, sell or just have a good time

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After Smith has auctioned off her succession of heavy chains, cookware and the occasional furniture item, it’s time to sell some eggs. There are two types of eggs, according to chicken auction lingo.

You’ve got your “eatin’ eggs” and your “hatchin’ eggs.” It’s important that those aren’t mixed up. Otherwise, breakfast might contain an unwanted surprise.

From eggs, the offerings move to baskets of summertime vegetables. There are tomatoes, red and green, baskets of peas and fresh-shelled peas.

These items are gobbled up quickly, and it’s time for the evening’s main event.

Auctioneer Chris Short takes over behind the microphone and it’s time for the chicken auction to live up to its name.

Cages of the birds are stacked next to the auction area and, one by one, brought to the stage.

The chickens are all ages and varieties, from biddies to full-grown roosters. If there’s more than one, the seller has an option. He or she can sell choice or sell the entire lot. If

choice, the winning bidder gets all of the animals he wants in that lot at the winning price. After taking all he or she wants, if there are animals left, others have a chance to take one or more animals at the same price.

A variety of chickens and other fowl make their way across the table: Chickens, ducks, geese and the occasional turkey, quail and pigeon.

The pigeons, known as Birmingham rollers because they Cages of birds await their originated in Birmingham, turn on the auction block England, and are known for their ability to turn rapid, backward somersaults while flying, were purchased by Rachel Evans whose plans for the birds were vague.

“I have no idea,” he said.

Sometimes, it’s simply difficult to pass up a bargain.

Chris Riddle, an animal control officer from Verbena, bought 30 head of Pharaoh quail at $1.50 each. Much like Evans, Riddle’s plans for the birds were less than definite.

"Feed 'em, I guess," said Riddle who attended the auction

Visitors can even have dinner at the auction barn

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with his wife, Ashley, and daughter, Ava. After several lots of birds are sold, Short turns his attention to the collection of goats up for auction. One by one, the billies and nannies are let into the ring and sold to the highest bidder. Some of the goats fetch in excess of $100, including one Nubian hybrid (known as excellent milking stock) owned by auctioneer Nicole Smith.

Finally, the night begins to wind down, but not before Hannah Cooper runs her pair of hens through. Cooper is a regular, coming all the way from Franklin with her husband, Brandon, and daughter, Finley, who flashes a mischievous grin when her mother described her as three years old “going on 21.”

“I raise chickens for a hobby,” Hannah said. “We haven’t been here in a couple of months, but we come every time we’re able. The whole family seems to enjoy it.”

“The chickens are her deal,” added Brandon. “I’m a cows and pigs kind of guy.”

And Finley? Apparently, she’s there for the ring pops.

The chicken auction takes place the whole year-round.

There is no offseason. No, it’s no Sotheby’s, but people seem to enjoy it.

“We have about 30-40 people that I’d consider regulars,” Speake said. “That’s people that are here probably at least once every three weeks. We always have a good crowd.

“We love for folks to buy stuff, but everybody’s welcome to come watch, too.”

Just look for the flag on the Middle Road barn

Checking the merchandise

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Going in

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Style

Local boutiques dress gameday girls in the latest fashions

Photos by Barry Chrietzberg

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“Game day clothes should be comfortable,” said Brett Young, a Wetumpka High School grad attending Auburn University (far left), but looking and feeling great in gamewear also are important.

Tassels, A-line dresses and peasant style are popular with co-eds this year. These fashions from local stores are perfect for game days.

Previous pages: Brett Young models a peasantstyle elephant print top with ruffled bell sleeves and white pants from River Region Depot; Madison Easterling, also a WHS grad attending Auburn, wears a purple chiffon off-the-shoulder dress with gold scallops from 1409 Posh Boutique; Abigail Young of Montgomery’s St. James School, dresses up a simple white strapless chiffon with strands of red and white pearls from The Gab; Kiara McCluskey of Wetumpka attends Southern Union but models a tasseled spaghetti-strapped top and print pants from River Region Depot; Madison Ruud’s orange and blue A-line is available at Posh.

Opposite: Brett pairs a Lake Pharmacy T with pants from River Region Depost; (insets) Game day jewelry is from River Region Depot; Below left: Madison wears a peasant dress with lace trim and tasseled sleeves from Posh; Abigail takes a casual stance in an Alabama A-line from Posh.

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Life on the College Field Story by Cory Diaz Photos courtesy of UK Athletics Troy Athletics & J. Evie Haertl

Tallassee High School graduate Derrick Ansley is a defensive backs coach at the University of Kentucky

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Elmore County has its share of local celebrities on the college fields, including a Tallassee High School graduate in his third year on the University of Kentucky coaching staff; Stanhope Elmore's Garrett Peek who this fall will start on the defensive line for Troy University; and Wetumpka's Morgan Stubbs who this summer took a position on the public relations team for the University of Arkansas athletics program.

What's life like at the college level? According to these local celebrities, it's hard work, rewarding and a dream come true.

Coach Derrick Ansley

Coaching in presumably the best conference in all of NCAA Division 1 college football, getting to mold the quality of players Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools recruit and sign is what he loves about his job, said Derrick Ansley, a 2000 graduate of Tallassee High School who this fall enters his 11th year in the coaching profession.

Ansley is in his third year with the University of Kentucky Wildcats football team, instructing the defensive backs.

“The best thing about coaching is the day-to-day challenge of being with a group of young men, 18and 22-year-olds, a number of guys with very different personalities and backgrounds,” Ansley said. “Every day, it’s something different and a new challenge. Coaching is not your typical nine o’clock to five o’clock. There’s always a challenge around the corner, always someone to reach and mold, develop and teach and scope them to change for the good.

“You have a direct impact as a coach. The best thing about it is you have the opportunity to help people become better men than when they come to your organization.”

Ansley played his collegiate game at Troy University, starting all four years at safety. After receiving his diploma, he coached five years at Huntingdon College; two at the University of Alabama; and one year each at University of Central Florida and University of Tennessee before joining Mark Stoops’ coaching staff at Kentucky in 2013.

A day in the SEC starts early, Ansley said, as early as 5:30 a.m. during the season. Arriving at the office, he begins the day with an hour of recruiting, writing letters and evaluating high school prospects. After that, the entire staff meets; then breaks up into offensive and defensive meetings and further down to individual position focus where they discuss practice schedule and prepare handouts with instructions for the players.

Coaches and players then report to a two-hour practice, and afterward, it’s back to more meetings, where the staff breaks down the practice film.

In season, Ansley doesn’t get home before 8 p.m. most nights.

“It’s jam-packed all day,” he said, but that’s the demand for success in the nation’s best conference.

“Anytime you’re talking about being a part of something that’s the best in the field you’re in, prestige comes with that.

And that expectation leads to pressure in some situations,” he noted.

“That’s a good compliment in my mind.”

It also can be stressful.

“I think I’m handling the pressure well. This is my sixth year in the SEC, and I’m just getting into a routine. You have to develop callousness – a thickness of skin – to handle it. I know the territory that comes with it.”

Enjoying his work with Stoops and the rest of the coaching staff also alleviates some of the stress, he said.

From Tallassee to Tuscaloosa, Orlando to Knoxville and now to Lexington, Kentucky, Ansley said, his career has been a blessing, on and off the field, and others can achieve the same success.

“I haven’t done anything on my own. You have to follow your own path, keep God first and believe in yourself,” he said. “You have to keep your name, your product, your brand as professionally clean as you can.

In this business, that’s all you have. Coaching is a very small fraternity. Everyone is connected to somebody else.

“Believe in your ability, understand where you are and where you go. If you work hard, there’s bound to be opportunities.”

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together.

Garrett Peek Coming out of high school as a two-star prospect The distance from the sideline to the playing field helped Peek thrive in the competitive setting at Troy, in college football isn’t measured in yards or feet or inches. It’s calibrated in time and devotion, measure- he said, as did the support of his family.

“I put pressure on myself. I’ve never felt any ments Garrett Peek has worked toward during the pressure from my close family; they’re always going last three years at Troy University. Now, he’s ready to be supportive and at every game, whether I step to lead. on the field or not,” Entering his juPeek said. “I just want nior season with the to excel. I was only Trojans in 2015, the a two-star in high 2012 Stanhope Elmore school, low in the graduate said he’s recruiting ranks. That gotten used to the depushed me to what I mands of big time colwant to do, being anlege football and what other great athlete at it takes to succeed. a Division-1 program.

“The biggest difIf I want to compete, ference is the time play well and start on devoted to it,” said the field, I constantly Peek, a defensive lineput pressure on myman at Troy. “It’s a self. But not so much large amount of work, that I don’t enjoy the but just like anything game.” else, you get out what With that can-do you put in. It’s a mentality for three dramatic difference; in years, Peek is set to high school, football’s start on the defensive a couple of months line for the Trojans, a a year. In college, situation’s he’s been football is year-round.

Garrett Peek of waiting for since gradThere’s no slowdown.

Stanhope Elmore uating from Stanhope.

It’s really time conwill start for Troy's “It takes a lot of suming, and you have defense this season different things to to love what you do. succeed. You have to To play football, you Garrett Peek be dedicated to what have to really love it you’re doing,” he said. and buy into the whole “Set goals for yourself. Surround yourself with good process.”

Troy opened preseason practice Aug. 1 in prepara- people who want you to succeed. Own criticism, on and off the field; I evaluate myself and find things to tion of the season-opening game at North Carolina improve upon for the next day, next game.

State University on Sept. 5.

“I’m a Christian. I believe Jesus Christ died on the During the season, it’s nose to the grindstone with cross for me, and that carries me through the rough practice on Sunday evenings before an off day on Mondays. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the Trojans’ days. If I have a bad practice, or if things aren’t going exactly like I planned, faith has really helped me heavy days, on which the team installs the game plan for its upcoming opponent in a full-pad practice get far. If not for that, I probably wouldn’t be successful at all. after attending classes and watching film.

“I love the competition of it. If you just look at the On Thursdays, they practice in helmets and shorts, numbers, less than 10 percent of high school players and the team focuses on more fundamental work, as play college football, especially D-1 football,” Peek well as more game plan practice. Fridays are travel said. “That, in itself, is an awesome and humbling days for away games, but if the game’s at home in experience. All of it together makes it special to be at Veterans Memorial Stadium, the team will rest up for the next day’s game, seeing a movie or eating out a place and play college football.”

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No. 92 Peek will see more action with the Trojans this season

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Public relations for the Razorbacks is easy and fun with just one team in the state of Arkansas, said Morgan Stubbs, who grew up with the two-team rivalry of Alabama and Auburn

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Morgan Stubbs

Morgan Stubbs grew up loving the pageantry of Southern college football Saturdays in the fall, so after finishing high school at Wetumpka in 2011, she went to Auburn, her family’s team.

But through the first two years of her academics, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. She was studying public relations but didn’t know how she would translate that into a post-college job.

“For a couple of years, I kind of struggled with where I was supposed to be,” Stubbs said. “I needed to find my strengths and what I was good at. All I knew is I loved communicating with people and learning to communicate effectively around different groups of people.

“While studying PR for two years, one of my professors encouraged me start seeking out real world experience in areas that I was interested in, but I had a lot of interests.”

Her first internship was with a non-profit endeavor in Birmingham, and then, during her senior year at Auburn, she found her passion.

Interning in marketing at the Auburn IMG Sports Network, Stubbs, who played sports all through high school, saw that surrounding herself in sports was her niche.

“I never got tired of learning something. It never felt like work there. In the office, I got to see the sponsorship side of sports, the whole legal and monetary side,” Stubbs said. “It intrigued me to watch that come full circle.”

At that point, Stubbs decided, if another opportunity arose at another college in sports marketing, she would apply after her May 2015 graduation.

Well, it did, and she did. And within two months of ending her studies at Auburn University, Stubbs landed a job with the Razorbacks at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Her position as a partner services coordinator allows Stubbs to work hand-in-hand – and on the same hallway – with the university athletic department’s marketers.

“I’m not on the selling side. I see out the fulfillment of client contracts. From video board promotions during games, to PA announcements, all that’s done through us. My job is to make sure everything for our clients gets done. Did they get out what they put in?” she explained.

Growing up in the state of Alabama, the Iron Bowl rivalry between her Tigers and the University of Alabama Crimson Tide actually makes her job in Arkansas a little easier, Stubbs noted.

“To persuade someone to brand with the Arkansas Razorbacks is easy, because there isn’t anything else. In Arkansas, you’re a Razorback. Nothing else,” she said.

“Everyone up here is a Razorback. I come from a state where the lines are blurred. Some business owners root for Alabama, or bigger companies don’t feel comfortable branding with one school over the other, because they

may have customers that are fans of the rival.”

But what she loves most about her job, she said, is seeing the happy faces and hearing kind words from clients about their finished products.

“That whole feeling of accomplishment. You bust your butt every day to get to that point and for it to actually happen,” she said. “It’s visible, and that’s why I love my job. You’re working day-to-day for your client in order to make sure that happens and make sure it’s executed.”

With contrasting companies in size, as well as local and nationally based clients, the contracts with which Stubbs works vary in length and price.

Although she won’t get the full taste of it all until her first football season starts in September, just two months into her first full-time real-world marketing job, it all still feels unreal to Stubbs.

There’s no substitute for real world experience, she said.

“Don’t be afraid to walk into a field that you’re interested in and ask if you can shadow someone, or be there in the office. You can benefit from the experience of being there, and they can benefit by having someone there to help,” Stubbs advised.

“Be willing to receive criticism. I always look for things I can improve. Be open to people’s suggestions. Ask questions and still learn everyday; that applies for school, internships and jobs. Be open to learn. That’s just part of life.”

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James Horner: Tribute to a Titanic Talent

Jeff Langham

MOVIE MAN Dr. Jeff Langham is State Assistant Superintendent for External and

Governmental Affairs and a lifelong lover of film.

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The film and music industries lost a titanic talent earlier this summer with the untimely death of composer James Horner. Horner, age 61, died when his single-engine aircraft crashed near Los Angeles.

Not only have the worlds of film and music suffered a loss, but also all of us movie fans join in that loss as well. In my personal opinion, James Horner ranks among the legendary film composers like John Williams (Star Wars), Jerry Goldsmith (Patton) and John Barry (Out of Africa) in the movie music universe.

Horner’s musical gifts have immeasurably enriched some of the most beloved and enduring films from the past three decades, including Apollo 13 (1995), Braveheart (1995), Field of Dreams (1989), Glory (1989) and Titanic (1997), just to name just a few.

As a composer, conductor and orchestrator, he was known for the integration of choral and electronic elements, as well as Celtic music, in many of his film scores.

Horner composed music for more than 100 films. Among the numerous awards he received during his career were two Oscars – and he was nominated for an additional 10 Oscars – and six

Grammys.

Star Trek fans will remember that he rose to prominence as a mainstream composer on the 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. He also scored other notable films during the 1980s including 48 Hrs. (1982), Krull (1983), Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), Commando (1985), Cocoon (1985), Aliens (1986), Willow (1988), Glory and Field of Dreams (both 1989). Aliens earned Horner his first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score in 1987.

Throughout his career, Horner provided his musical magic for many children’s films: An American Tail (1986), The Land Before Time (1988), The Rocketeer and An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991), Jumanji (1995) and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000).

Horner’s biggest financial and critical success would come with the score to the 1997 film Titanic, directed by James Cameron. The album became the bestselling orchestral soundtrack in history, selling over 27 million copies worldwide. At the 70th Academy Awards, Horner won Oscars for Best Original Dramatic Score and Best Original Song for My Heart Will Go On, which became one of the bestselling singles of all time and

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launched superstar songstress Celine Dion to even greater heights.

In recent years, Horner also scored director James Cameron’s Avatar. Both Titanic and Avatar are among the highest grossing films of all time.

Horner balanced his career with scores for major productions, including The Perfect Storm, Legends of the Fall, Deep Impact, A Beautiful Mind, The Mask of Zorro, and Bicentennial Man with scores for smaller projects such as Testament, Dad, Iris, Radio, Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius, The Spitfire Grill and Searching for Bobby Fischer.

In recent years, Horner composed the score for the remake of The Karate Kid and The Amazing Spider-Man starring Andrew Garfield. He even provided theme music for the CBS Evening News.

At the time of his death, Horner had finished the music for two films: The 33, a survival drama about the 2010 Chilean miner rescue (to be released in November) and Southpaw, a boxing drama starring Jake Gyllenhaal, which opened in theatres last month.

So next time you are having a movie night and find yourself moved by the heroic exploits of Braveheart, the remarkable courage of the Apollo 13 crew or the father-son bonding in Field of Dreams, pay close attention to the inspirational music that fills the background of these stirring films and tip your hat to James Horner – a truly titanic talent.

At press time, there are several summer films that are just opening or are on the way to theatres. Only time will tell which of these captivate audiences or send them running for the aisles. Still to come: Ant Man, Paper Towns, Pixels, Mission Impossible 5: Rogue Nation, Fantastic Four and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Stay tuned!

Summer 2015 Movie Score Card (So Far): Box Office Winners and Losers

A couple of months ago, I provided a summer movie preview for you. Let’s see how many of those highly anticipated films have fared in light of actual box office receipts:

Hits

The Avengers: Age of Ultron Mad Max: Fury Road Pitch Perfect 2 San Andreas Spy Jurassic World Minions

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Misses

Hot Pursuit Tomorrowland Poltergeist Aloha Entourage Terminator Genisys Magic Mike XXL

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Eat Like a Kid Return to the garden diet of childhood for good health

Kathy Monroe

COMMUNITY CARE Kathy Monroe is the Assistant to the

Administrator and the CFO at Community Hospital.

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Growing up, I would sit on the porch with my brother for hours on end, shelling peas and butter beans, snapping green beans and shucking corn, so we could stock up for the winter.

Our fingers were purple from the hull peas and sore from everything else. As a kid, I had much rather have been doing something fun. After all, it was summer vacation.

These days, I not only see the value of the lessons I was taught through gardening chores, but I also crave the goodness of the fresh vegetables I grew up on.

Eating lots of fruits and vegetables has long been linked to improved health, and with good reason. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help to lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, guard against some cancers and lower the risk of some digestive issues, along with many other health benefits.

High fruit and vegetable intake is also associated with healthy skin and hair, along with increased energy, and fruits and vegetables are naturally low in calories, which makes them a very good choice for the waistline.

What are your favorites? If you ask me, nothing beats a pulled-right-off-the-vine-ripered-tomato. I love them!

Some people like to pull them green; and then, batter and fry them. I believe that’s a horrible waste. Wait and let God’s sunshine ripen that tomato. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Whether you refer to a tomato as a fruit or a vegetable, there is no denying that it’s a nutrient rich food. Tomatoes are packed full of nutrients and antioxidants and are an excellent source of vitamins A and C and folic acid.

Then there’s the watermelon. Watermelons are mostly water – about 92 percent – but this delicious fruit is also swimming in nutrients and provides a high level of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants with a low calorie count.

Watermelons and summer go hand-in-hand.

They are the perfect food to help you stay hydrated, and their juice is full of good electrolytes. The sweet, refreshing taste helps beat the heat and provides a guilt-free dessert for kids and adults alike.

Sweet corn on the cob! A fresh ear of corn, grilled to perfection, lightly buttered and salted, adds something special to any cookout.

Granted, some of the toppings we choose to slather on corn are not so healthy, but the corn itself is nutritious and loaded with dietary fiber. An ear of corn has about the same number of calories as an apple and a lot less sugar. If you watch what you add, corn can be one of the healthier options at the cookout.

I dearly love fresh peas, but hands down, my absolute favorite summer vegetable is butter beans – the deliciously wonderful colored speckled butter beans. Butter beans are one of the truly great things about a Southern summer. Add a little corn bread, along with a slice of fresh tomato, and you have yourself a fine meal.

In addition, peas and butter beans contain nutrients, such as protein, calcium, fiber, vitamins and minerals, which are all important to good health.

Fresh berries straight from the berry patch are a special treat, too. Summer is peak season for lots of colorful berries.

They may be little, but these small, sweet wonders are big on antioxidants. A diet rich in antioxidants can help improve health, protect the skin and hair and prevent certain diseases.

Besides, munching on a handful of berries will help you feel full because of their fiber and liquid content. That sense of fullness is an important part of managing diet.

Eat your fruits and vegetables! You’ve probably heard this since childhood, but it’s good advice. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables provide many healthy benefits, and the Southern summer is full of so many delicious options.

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PRESENTING THE NEWEST COLLECTION OF LAKE HOMESITES RUSSELLLANDSONLAKEMARTIN.COM | 256.215.7011 | LAKE MARTI N, ALABAMA ELMORE COUNTY LIVING

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How Redefined Online Gaming

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The year 2002 heralded an amazing console in the Xbox and brought us the most revolutionary online gaming experience yet. While the first version of the Live system was pushed forward by stronger connection capabilities and the release of Halo: Combat Evolved, the updated version of the Xbox 360 sent Microsoft’s online service into the stratosphere.

When Microsoft released the console in 2005, the video games industry couldn’t get enough.

A solid library of games was all it needed to find success; however, Microsoft saw the bigger picture.

Building on the success of the first Xbox in the online space, the company integrated console and user more than any gaming network. Upgrades and additions to the service included achievements, standardized voice chat and more.

Player identity was another major component of Live success, something Microsoft saw as a necessity from the beginning.

The Live service issued a Gamertag and Gamercard to each player. Gamertags were a name while using Live, and Gamercards were much akin to a then-popular Myspace profile.

These credentialing tools listed the games people were playing, what type of gamer they were and other information about their playing habits.

The oncoming in-game achievements were one of the main reasons for the revised network’s success. Rather than simply offer players the chance to play against one another, Microsoft brought competition to the single player portion of games as well. If one player had an achievement that another did not, that other player could work to attain it as well.

This new approach to keeping players in a veritable Skinner Box paid off, appealing to gamers who are, more often than not, very task-oriented.

In addition, Microsoft decided it was time to make voice-chat standard and started shipping headsets with every console except the more casual Arcade version of the system. This approach suited perfectly Microsoft’s release of achievements, as the new tool saw increased sociality among users.

Later into Live’s lifespan, Microsoft also introduced a party-chat system; this gave players the opportunity to talk with one another, regardless of what game they were playing, and encouraged community even more.

One of the biggest arguments Live enthusiasts have against their main competitors – Steam, Playstation Network and the Wii’s Virtual Con-

sole – is that because the service costs money, it offers more content to users. Until the recent release of the Playstation 4, Microsoft was the only major contender in video games that required gamers to pay a monthly fee logging on and playing with friends. Considering that Live is still the dominant force in online gaming, the premium that Xbox users paid for more than eight years seems to have paid off in dividends.

In addition to the subscription-only content that users can access on Live, there are a few attractions for those who choose not to pay the monthly/annual fee. These include videos, occasional free games and various other features.

Stronger and more robust components of the service are reserved for premium users.

Simple timing was also one of the reasons for Live’s success. Much of the reason behind the first version of Live and its uprising was the epic scale of Halo and its multiplayer aspects.

Microsoft stormed the beaches of downloadable content right from the start, supporting even their launch titles with strong catalogues of extra content and updates. Halo 3 still has one of the strongest player bases in the gaming realm and was only recently overtaken by the wildly popular Call of Duty franchise in user activity.

Microsoft also saw opportunities to promote social networking through its Live service. In 2009, the company added Facebook and Twitter functionality to the Xbox Live dashboard. One of the most unique features that Microsoft was first to jump was the ability to see which friends were using Facebook on the Xbox, so you have a much easier time discerning online friends from those you see on a day-to-day basis; although, I’m sure for many gamers, the difference is indistinguishable. You can also use this feature in reverse, as users on Facebook can see which friends are using Facebook on the 360.

Xbox Live began its domination in 2002. Now we’re well into 2015, and the Xbox brand has shown no sign of slowing down. Microsoft still has big plans for Live, and the service should evolve continually.

Many would argue that Sony’s Playstation Network has grown to a point where it could topple Xbox Live, so we’ll all be watching the arms race that will surely ensue over the next year, as respective consoles and services fall into pecking order for the generation.

Now, we can only hope that Nintendo can fix the lackluster state of their online environment and join the fray.

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Jacob Saylor

THE GAMER Video games journalist

Jacob Saylor

has covered the massive

Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles.

Follow Jacob on Twitter @skulldrey.

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Art Bolin

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From the Heart Pocket: Letters and Music of the Civil War Tallassee High School June 25-26, 2015 1. A.J. Taunton and Charles Pollard

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2. Ivy and Wren Gaines 3. Jason Hester 4. Matthew and Justin Bice 5. Jacob Jones and Kirklin McWhorter 6. Fred Randall Hughey, Marion Patrick, Rose Taunton and Alan Taunton 7. Meg and Chanda Houts 8. Ronnie Brantley and Greg Messer 9. Amanda Hart and Hanna and Tammy Brantley 10. Adrian Borden, Jeanna Kervin and Tripp Storm

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OUT & ABOUT

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Free Outdoor Movie,

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August 7, 2015 1. Noah Griggs, Jr. 2. Bryanna Duffy 3. Chasen and Pam Graham 4. Pam Griggs and Sara Ann Azar 5. Darrell Wilson and Rob Rygiel 6. Lauri Rygiel and Suzannah Solomon Wilson

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OUT & ABOUT

The Learning Tree: 10th Anniversary Open House Tallassee, Alabama July 30, 2015

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1. Lauri Rygiel, Stephanie Weldon and Tara Beasley 2. Cole Stewart and Heather Palfrey 3. Whitney Hester and Liz Britt

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4. Gail Sims, Brooke Rigsby and Kenneth Atkins 5. Jane Bellew and Dr. Irene Bailey 6. Alex Clark and Carrianne Castleberry 7. George McCain and Bishop Adolphus Gauntt 8. Beth Hornsby and Dr. Marc Williams

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Sparking the Arts Achievement Program August 6, 2015

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1. Katherine and Phyllis Fenn 2. Kiara, Rachel and Kaleb Thompson 3. Deborah Dennis, Jamie, Joshua, Kale, Kay and Jocelyn Petty and Layla Holland 4. Derico and Carla Miller, Ashley Manley, Deaysia Moore and Jaiylah Moncrief 5. Nicole and Elijah Headley

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River & Blues Festival, Gold Star Park, Wetumpka

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July 18, 2015 1. Craig and Dana Barnett 2. Victoria and Vincent Campbell 3. Billy and Kiera Killian 4. Isabella and Kelsea King 5. Ken and Janice Randolph and Lillian Alsub 6. Garris Welch and Kendal McGinty 7. Megan Smith, Morgan McRay, Mike & Betti Rice

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Back To School Kickoff City Hall, Tallassee August 8, 2015 1. Ken Smith and Keith Mann 2. Jimmy Rodgers and Charles Blalock 3. Coley Spivey 4. Wendy Coleman and Kandy Hall 5. Bobby Payne and Christine Howard 6. Sherika Williams and Articia Johnson

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Coming Up CALENDAR OF EVENTS Aug. 20-21 Smoke on the Mountain

Directed by Hazel Jones, Wetumpka Depot Players will stage their summer musical at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.

Tickets are $15 and are available at the Depot box office or online at wetumpkadepot.com.

Aug. 20 Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Luncheon

Owner of Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc., Kenneth Boone will be the guest speaker at the quarterly luncheon at the Wetumpka Civic Center. Lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets are $15 and are available at the chamber office or register online at www.wetumpkachamber.com.

Aug. 22 Wetumpka Quarterback Club Indian Drawdown

Sept. 5 Labor Day BBQ

The Emerald Mountain Volunteer Fire Department will host a Boston butt sale from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the VFD. Boston butts are $30 or buy a plate of pork or a half-chicken with potato salad, baked beans and bread for $8. Cakes will be $25 or $2 per slice. For information and tickets, call 334-567-6077 or 334-5670405.

Sept. 6 Labor Day Concert at The AMP

The Vegabonds headline the final concert of summer at Lake Martin Amphitheatre. Also performing will be Railroad Earth and The Lonely Biscuits. Tickets are $20 per person. Gates open at 5 p.m., and the show starts at 6 p.m. Bring lawn chairs and coolers for the last big blowout of summer. Call 256-397-1019 for information.

Sept. 12 Run for Hope 5K

Tickets are $100 each for dinner and entry into the drawdown with a grand prize of $10,000 at the Wetumpka High School Gym at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased from members of the Wetumpka Quarterback Club and football coach Tim Perry.

Meet at Wetumpka Middle School to run or walk to help support Camp Hope for siblings in foster care.

Contact race director John Rawls at 334-530-9861for information.

Aug. 29 Movie Under the Stars

Sept. 17-19, 24-27 & Oct. 1-3 Love, Loss, and What I Wore

The Tallassee Chamber of Commerce will show the popular family movie, How to Train Your Dragon 2, at the Tallassee City Hall Greens. Sponsored by Advanced Disposal and Alabama Power, there will be games and races at 6:30 p.m. before the movie starts.

Bring chairs and picnic blankets. Popcorn and snowcone concessions provided by Alabama Power.

Sept. 4 Tape the Principal

One dollar will buy a strip of duct tape with which purchasers can tape Millbrook Middle School principal Ayena Jackson to the wall. Check out the Millbrook Middle School Facebook page for details.

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The Wetumpka Depot Players will stage this lighthearted and witty chick flick for the perfect girls night out or date night. Call 334-868-1440 or visit wetumpkadepot.com for tickets.

Sept. 15 Wetumpka Business Expo

Visit the Wetumpka Business Expo from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. to get fast exposure for your products and services. Contact the Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce at 334-567-4811 to reserve a space.

Sept. 20 Bark in the Park

Bring your dog and join in the fun – or just come to watch. All pets must be good in public, around other

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animals, children and adults, leashed and have a current rabies tag on the collar in accordance with Alabama state law. Admission is $5 per person aged 13 and over. For information, call 334-567-3377 or email hselco@bellsouth.net.

Sept. 26 Autauga/Elmore County Miss United States Agriculture Pageant

The Prattville Mariott Hotel and Conference Center will host this preliminary pageant to the Alabama Miss United States Agriculture Pageant. Entry fee is $45 for the Autauga County competition and $80 for both county preliminaries. For information, contact Ciera Nitkowski at 334-618-3734 or email director@ missunitedstatesagriculture.com.

Sept. 26 15th Annual Titus Bluegrass Festival

The music starts at 10 a.m., and bands will play until 6 p.m. at this year’s bluegrass festival on the lawn at the Titus Community Center. Featured bands include Prattville’s Glory Band, Solid Blue of Huntsville and Cullman’s Baily Mountain Band. This fundraising event for the community center and the Titus Volunteer Fire Department also includes barbecue, beverages, children’s activities and arts and crafts.

Admission is $5 for ages 12 and over; free for children.

Bring a lawn chair and come ready to tap your toes as banjos, mandolins and guitars take center stage 10 miles north of Wetumpka on Highway 231, then 6 miles north on County Road 29. Visit the Facebook page or eamil titusbluegrassfestival@gmail.com for information.

Oct. 15-18, 22-25 Tuesdays with Morrie

Based on Mitch Albom’s poignant best-selling book by the same name, this play combines comedy and drama with a class in the meaning of life as the author is reunited with an old professor battling Lou Gehrig’s disease. Call 334-868-1440 or visit wetumpkadepot. com for tickets.

Oct. 17 Angel Fest

Join the fun at the annual Angel Fest at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Millbrook from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Shop unique arts and crafts, the bake sale and silent auction. Live entertainment, a children’s carnival, concessions and a Boston butt sale. All proceeds help other in the Millbrook and West Elmore

County communities. For vendor information or to pre-order Boston butts, call the church office at 334285-3905 or visit www.stmichaelandallangels.com/ angel-fest/.

Season-Long Events Jasmine Hill Gardens

Alabama’s “Little Corner of Greece” will open Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 31. Admission is charged. For information, visit www.jasminehill.org or call 334-263-5713.

Electronics Recycling

On the first Saturday of each month, electronic items for recycling are accepted at the Wetumpka Recycling Center on East Charles Avenue. There is a $10 fee to recycle tube televisions; other electronics incur no charge. Come from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Other accepted electronics include computers, monitors, cell phones, chargers, modems, remotes, printers, batteries and more.

Fridays on the Green

Music and games for the whole family will be offered every Friday through Sept. 25 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on the Town Green at Russell Crossroads. Pack a cooler or stop by Catherine’s Market for food and favorite beverages. Local musicians will be featured each week.

Blue Grass Jam, Sit and Scrap and Sit and Sew

All three activities are held on the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Alabama River Region Arts Center in Wetumpka. All acoustic instruments and skill levels are welcome at the Bluegrass Jam. Scrappers and papercrafters are encouraged to attend Sit and Scrap. All sewers and knitters are welcome at Sit and Sew. For complete details, call 334-578-9485 or visit www.arrac.org.

Children’s Harbor Thrift Store

Located at Children’s Harbor at Lake Martin on Highway 63, the Children’s Harbor Thrift Store is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 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.

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Business & Service Directory Elmore County Museum Elmore County Historical Society Open Fridays & Saturdays 10 AM - 3 PM Other Hours: Open by Appointment Only Call for More Information

(334) 300-2085

Schools, Church Groups, Civic Clubs, Reunion Groups & Social Clubs are encouraged to take advantage of this FREE educational & historic experience.

Bark the Park 2015 in

Sept. 20 • 1-5 PM

Fort Toulouse, Wetumpka (Rain Date Sept. 27)

The Humane Society Of Elmore County

255 Central Plank Road • Wetumpka, AL 334-567-3377 hselco@bellsouth.net

Call today 334-567-7811.

Pick up Elmore County Living at these locations: Eclectic

Eclectic Town Hall Moose's Eclectic Library Johnson’s Furniture Tropical Tan Zone First Community Bank

Lake Martin

Russell Lands Russell Marine Nail’s Cotton’s BBQ

Millbrook

Verizon Wireless First Community Bank Lucretia Cauthen Realty Bliss Salon Millbrook Chamber of Commerce Realty Central Stone & Britt Law Gene Jones Insurance

Montgomery

Publix – Atlanta Highway

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Publix – Zelda Rd Publix - Vaughn Rd Publix - Taylor Rd

Prattville

Publix – Cobbs Ford Road

Slapout

Lake Pharmacy The Golden Frog The Boy’s Store First Community Bank

Tallassee

Kent Eagle Y Petro Parker Tire RoadRunner Herron Hill Pharmacy Friendship Grocery The Apothecary Community Hospital Tallassee Health & Rehab 5 Points Store Ben Atkinson Motors

Wetumpka

Bennett’s Archery First Community Bank Russell Do It Center Bumper’s Karen’s Mane Tamers River Ridge Steakhouse Emerald Mountain Store Redland Market Seivers Accounting Wetumpka Depot Players A Touch of Class Angel Locksmith Verizon Wireless Unplugged Must Stop Café Alfa Realty Wetumpka Century 21 Brandt Wright Realty Wachovia Bank BB&T Jackson Thornton Lee’s Auto Repair Southeastern Business Printers Hankins Insurance Hog Rock BBQ Wetumpka YMCA

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Adams Drugs Bell Chiropractic Wetumpka Urgent Care Aliant Bank A Beautiful Creation Austin’s Flowers Camo Country Alabama State Employees Credit Union Smokin S BBQ Elmore Community Hospital Wetumpka Preschool Wetumpka City Library Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce City of Wetumpka Administration Bldg.

Coosa River Adventures Stoddard’s Bait Shop Collier Ford The Prissy Hen Wee Ones Daycare Wetumpka Health & Rehab Canal Grocery Kim’s Corner

Our Advertisers • To Join, Call 334-567-7811 Alabama River Region Ballet................. 56

Jackson Thornton................................. 55

Alabama State Employee Credit Union..... 7

Karen's Mane Tamers........................... 52

Art Bolin, Realty Central........................ 44

Kowaliga Whole Health....................... 52

Collier Ford......................................... 44

Lake Martin Hospice............................... 44

Community Hospital............................... 3

Mark's Service Center & Body Shop, Inc........5

Cousins Insurance Agency...................... 2

Patrick Mahaney.........................................5

Eclectic Family Dental Care, PC............... 7

RE/MAX, Nancy Oates........................ 52

Elmore County Hospital.......................... 7

River & Blues Festival.............................. 3

Elmore County Museum........................ 52

Russell Lands....................................... 41

Gassett Funeral Home............................ 5

Tallassee Health & Rehab, LLC................. 7

Gene Jones Insurance........................... 55

The Gab............................................. 52

Humane Shelter of Elmore County.......... 52

Wetumpka Health & Rehabilitation LLC... 44

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Don't see your ad in this issue of Elmore County Living? Neither did the thousands of potential customers who read our magazine monthly.

To advertise please contact Shannon Elliott or Jayne Carr At 334-567-7811 or stop by our office located at 300 Green Street, Wetumpka AL 36092

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Search for Good Tomatoes The best ones have cracked tops and a spot or two

M.K. Moore

DOWN HOME DELIGHTS Mary Katherine Moore is an Alabama State Fair pepper jelly

champion, has butchered a wild hog in

her kitchen and grows

heirloom to-

matoes in her backyard.

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I live for tomato season. I’m seriously obsessed. You know this, especially if you follow me on Instagram@saucymary. I began posting pictures of tomatoes and tomato dishes starting with the first handful of little cherry tomatoes harvested from my backyard plants.

Here is the thing about tomatoes. Yes, you can get them all year round at the store. But they are horrible out of season. Pretty much they are horrible in season at the store. The kinds of tomatoes that make it to the supermarket are grown for their portability, not for flavor. Most are picked green and gassed to make them red. They are not tomatoes. Nope.

Not even close.

I search for good tomatoes. I have grilled vendors on the provenance of their tomatoes and can spot a trucked-in, Florida-born, commercially grown mater in a minute. Are they all the same size? Are they all perfect? Do they have a subtle sheen of moisture that indicates (gasp and pearl clutching) refrigeration? If so, put them down. Really. And then, walk away.

Search for the vendors who grow their own tomatoes. They will have fruits (yes, tomatoes are fruits) of all sizes and some with blemishes (cracked tops, maybe a spot or two). Blemishes sing to me that this tomato has had a long life in the field, slowly ripening to perfection.

And yippee for the growers around here who are branching out with heirloom tomatoes. They are so tough to grow, as they have no hybrid disease defenses built in. If you find them (hint: Wetumpka Farmer’s Market at Trinity Church), buy them and pay the price. You won’t be disappointed with an orange, green, black and purple tomato plate.

In honor of tomato season, and because it is really too hot to cook much, I give you my favorite tomato recipe. It is a Southern recipe – Southern Italian, to be exact – but it is a rustic, simple and full-on country dish. It is a sort of throw-together thing; so don’t get wound up in exact measurements. Feel free to add things you like and leave out things you don’t like.

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Tomato Fresca Pasta Tomatoes – 1 per person, chopped Salt – I use flaky sea salt, but any salt will do. Use a small pinch per tomato.

Start on the skimpy side, because you can add salt, but you can’t take it away.

Be aware that this “sauce” will flavor a bunch of pasta, so it needs to be on the saltier side.

Pepper – a few grinds or shakes Garlic – 1 clove. Smash it with the flat side of your knife and throw it in. You will fish it out before serving. Smashing lets the flavor come out, but it won’t be harsh like chopped up raw garlic.

Herbs – You can use anything, including dried thyme and oregano. My fav is to shred a few leaves of fresh basil to throw in.

Pasta – Any kind will do.

Olive Oil – You can use butter instead, if you want. Or leave it out.

Parmesan Cheese Stir everything except the pasta in a bowl and set aside for a few hours.

When you come back, you will have a yummy bowl of fragrant tomato goodness. Fish out the garlic. Look at the bowl. Were your tomatoes really juicy?

If so, you may have lots of juice in the bowl. Strain out some of the juice and mix it in a cocktail shaker with a shot of vodka. Drink this while you cook your pasta.

When the pasta is ready, drain it and put it back in the pot with your tomatoes and a big splash of olive oil and a handful of grated Parmesan. Toss it up a few times, so the pasta can absorb the tomato liquid. Done. Enjoy the rest of tomato season!

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