NAEC June Alabama Living

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North Alabama Electric Cooperative

www.naecoop.com

Read all about it Library continues to serve community during crisis

All Covers June 2020.indd 25

5/11/20 11:41 AM

North Alabama Electric Cooperative

Embracing the Gulf

Alabama is joining with other Gulf states to celebrate the resilience and resources of the Gulf of Mexico in 2020.

“Making Electric Energy available to its members at the lowest cost, consistent with sound economy and good management since 1940.”

ALABAMA LIVING is delivered to some 420,000 Alabama families and businesses, which are members of 22 not-for-profit, consumer-owned, locally directed and taxpaying electric cooperatives. Subscriptions are $12 a year for individuals not subscribing through participating Alabama electric cooperatives. Alabama Living (USPS 029-920) is published monthly by the Alabama Rural Electric Association of Cooperatives. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Alabama, and at additional mailing office.

POSTMASTER send forms 3579 to: Alabama Living, P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, Alabama 36124-4014.

ALABAMA RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION

AREA President Fred Braswell Editor Lenore Vickrey Managing Editor Allison Law Creative Director Mark Stephenson Art Director Danny Weston Advertising Director Jacob Johnson Graphic Designer/Ad Coordinator Brooke Echols Graphic Designer Chyna Miller

16 FE A T U R E S

VOL. 73 NO. 6  June 2020

open book 6 An Library goes beyond reading. legacy of Hank

14 The Seventy-one years ago this month,

Hank Williams made his debut at the Grand Old Opry. Several Alabama towns lay claim to the country music legend.

of masks

21 Millions Cullman-based HomTex has

transformed its manufacturing line from bed linens to high-demand face masks.

14

ADVERTISING & EDITORIAL OFFICES:

340 TechnaCenter Drive Montgomery, Alabama 36117-6031 1-800-410-2737 For advertising, email: advertising@areapower.com For editorial inquiries, email: contact@alabamaliving.coop NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE:

American MainStreet Publications 611 South Congress Ave., Suite 504 Austin, Texas 78704 1-800-626-1181 www.AMP.coop www.alabamaliving.coop

D E P A R T M E N T S 11 Spotlight 26 Alabama People 30 Outdoors 31 Fish & Game Forecast 42 Hardy Jackson’s Alabama ONLINE: alabamaliving.coop

USPS 029-920 • ISSN 1047-0311

u

ON THE COVER Look for this logo to see more content online!

Printed in America from American materials

All Covers June 2020.indd 26

Kim and Todd Sheridan’s 18 acres of sunflowers near Autaugaville are a popular spot for visitors to photograph every summer. Read more, Page 12.

PHOTO: Mark Stephenson

21 WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

ONLINE: EMAIL: MAIL:

www.alabamaliving.coop letters@alabamaliving.coop Alabama Living 340 Technacenter Drive Montgomery, AL 36117

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5/11/20 11:41 AM

North Alabama Electric Cooperative Payment Options

By Mail: P.O. Box 628 Stevenson, AL 35772

By Phone: 800-941-3561 Online: www.naecoop.com/ pay-bill In Person: Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Woodville Office: Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Contact Us Headquarters: 41103 U.S. Hwy. 72 Stevenson, AL 35772 256-437-2281 Electric Service: 256-437-2281 or 800-572-2900 Fiber Service: 256-437-5000 Office Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

After Hour Emergencies: 256-437-1100 or 800-572-2900 Fiber - 256-437-5000 4 JUNE 2020

THANK A LINEMAN Today, it’s hard to imagine life without electricity. Many of us would be lost without the ability to cook and clean using household appliances, stay in touch with loved ones over the phone or order that hard-to-find item over the internet.

Fortunately, we rarely have to go without electric service, thanks to the hard work of our linemen. When the power does go out, it’s cooperative linemen who answer the call day or night so that your life can get back to normal. They are often first responders on the scene after storms or accidents, ready to help out their cooperative family.

That often means leaving their families on nights and weekends to restore power to members in need, whether they’re on the other side of town or in an area served by another cooperative in need of help.

But linemen’s service to their community doesn’t stop there. Crews work throughout the year to prevent outages before they happen by maintaining the electric system, replacing aging equipment and clearing rights of way around lines and other electric equipment.

Many linemen also continue to give back to their community on their own time, taking positions of leadership in their church, aiding local charitable organizations or acting as coaches for their kids’ sports teams.

The service our linemen give deserves the utmost respect and recognition from our community. That’s why, throughout the state of Alabama, June 1 is Lineman Appreciation Day. But one day isn’t enough to say thank you for all the work our linemen do throughout the year. So for the month of June, take a moment to thank any linemen you might see for all the sacrifices they make on a daily basis.

www.alabamaliving.coop

BUNDLE AND SAVE WITH NAEC! GET MORE. SPEND LESS. Triple Play (TV, Internet and Phone) $158.08 per month, plus tax • 1 HDTV connection with Premier Expanded Basic TV • 50 Mbps symmetrical internet • Unlimited nationwide calling and basic calling features

TV and Telephone $138.13 per month, plus tax • 1 HDTV connection with Premier Expanded Basic TV • Unlimited nationwide calling and basic calling features

TV and Internet $128.13 per month, plus tax • 1 HDTV connection with Premier Expanded Basic TV • 50 Mbps symmetrical internet

Telephone and Internet $69.90 per month, plus tax • 50 Mbps symmetrical internet • Unlimited nationwide calling and basic calling features Alabama Living

Pick a plan that works for you! Call North Alabama Electric Cooperative today or visit us online!

Fiber 256-437-5000 | naecoop.com JUNE 2020 5

One for

the books STEVENSON LIBRARY FINDS NEW WAYS TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY

Under normal circumstances, Monica Davis’ biggest concern as the director of the Stevenson Library is putting the right books on the shelf. With the library’s limited budget, she can’t afford to buy books that will go unread.

But when the library shut its doors to comply with coronavirus guidelines, her priority quickly shifted to finding other ways she could serve the community. “I was thinking about what I could do to help, and the idea of a food bank kept coming up,” she says.

Along with another friend on the library’s board of directors, Davis reached out to Stevenson Mayor Rickey Steele about running a food bank out of the library, and they began asking for donations through social media.

“Now we go grocery shopping about 6 JUNE 2020

four times a week with the money people have donated, which comes entirely from the community,” Davis says. “Every time we start running out of money, someone shows up with more.”

Just five weeks into the drive, Davis estimated the Stevenson Library Food Bank was able to raise more than $7,000 to feed about 75 people each week.

Even while running the food bank, Davis and her co-workers have still managed to bring the joy of reading to local kids remotely. A few times a week, they stop to stream storytime over Facebook Live, with some older “kids” also tuning in from time to time.

“It’s mostly something we do for the young kids. But every time I go through the bank drive-thru, the tellers say they listen to the stories and really enjoy it,”

Davis says. “So I think it’s something that brings everyone a little relief.”

Remote reading

Digital storytime isn’t the only way the library expanded its programs to reach people remotely. Through August, anyone can access the full TumbleBook library for free through the Stevenson Library.

The TumbleBook library includes over 1,100 digital titles in e-book, audiobook and graphic novel formats perfect for young readers, teens and adults.

Davis hopes the expanded collection of digital books will encourage local students to continue reading even when they aren’t going to school.

“The most important thing to remember is when a child goes without reading they can lose entire grade levels of speed www.alabamaliving.coop

Pageturners

The Stevenson Public Library offers a wealth of resources for the community.

Looking for ways to keep your reader engaged while school is out? Try taking a few of these steps to unlock your student’s inner bookworm.

Through August, people have full access to the TumbleBook library with over 1,100 titles perfect for remote reading.

PICTURE IT – Don’t overlook the power of picture books for young children. Looking at illustrations can help them flex their imaginations and even develop oral language skills as they create their own story between the images.

The library happily serves the community.

and comprehension,” she says. “They lose up to two grade levels over the summer, so with more time away they could end up losing four grade levels by the time school starts back. We really don’t want that.”

When it comes to motivating kids to read more, Davis suggests trying not to be beholden to academic programs like Accelerated Reader requirements. The AR program assesses a student’s reading level and assigns them a score, which can be used to track their progress and help kids choose books on their reading level. While AR can be a helpful guide, Davis has also seen students turn away books they might find interesting because they won’t get AR credit for them.

Alabama Living

MAKE IT SPECIAL – Set aside a specific time and a comfy place to read for a little while every day. Make reading a part of family time and children will start to look forward to it.

“We have a lot of Disney books and Winnie the Pooh books for young kids that they don’t even look at,” Davis says. “If the books aren’t on AR they won’t get points for them, so they just don’t read them.”

Instead, Davis encourages parents to find books that line up with their child’s interests. When one of her colleagues had a grandson who didn’t enjoy reading but loved to bass fish, she ordered books on bass fishing.

“Now he’s spending his time reading those books because it’s something he’s interested in,” she says. “The biggest thing is finding books they really relate to and will read every day, even if it’s just a few minutes.” n

RHYME TIME – Rhyming can help young children hear the sounds within words better, which will improve their reading skills. Try challenging your child to rhyme words while you’re cooking or cleaning up around the house.

SOCIAL READING – Teens are especially social beings, so using technology to connect with others can make reading more engaging. Introduce them to a favorite author’s blog, or encourage them to start an online book club with their friends.

TAKE AN INTEREST – Even students who aren’t avid readers can get into a book when it is about something they love. Find books that align with their interests, and let their own curiosity do the rest.

JUNE 2020 7

Chill out on summer energy bills Several tips can reduce electricity usage during warm months

Summer is a season where homes can use lots of energy if homeowners aren’t careful. Extremely hot temperatures can stress air conditioning units and other appliances, driving up electric bills.

Fortunately, homeowners can invest a little time, energy and money to generate major savings that will benefit their wallets. Following these tips from the U.S. Department of Energy can ensure families have enough spending cash to enjoy their vacations.

Thermostat/fans

• Set thermostats as high as comfortably possible. A good target is 78 degrees when you are at home.

Programmable thermostats can ensure energy efficiency while you are away from home. Use ceiling fans, which can help rooms feel comfortable even if the air is set at 4 degrees higher than normal.

• Use bathroom suction fans to remove heat and humidity during showers.

• Suction fans can also benefit kitchens and utility rooms, where appliances like ovens and dryers generate heat. Make sure that fans vent the hot air to the exterior of the home and not to the attic.

• Conduct regular maintenance for the climate-control system.

• Do not place TV sets or lamps near thermostats.

The heat these items produce can trigger the air conditioning system to run longer than necessary.

• Vacuum the registers for heating, ventilation and air conditioning regularly to improve the unit’s efficiency.

8 JUNE 2020

Windows/doors

• About 76% of the sunlight that hits a standard double-pane window becomes heat energy inside.

Storm windows with low-e coatings reduce the solar heat gain by reflecting the heat outward, resulting in energy savings of up to 33%.

• Keep coverings, like blinds, closed to reduce heat gain, especially on windows receiving direct sunlight.

• Seal cracks around windows and doors to prevent hot air from seeping into the home.

• Open coverings that aren’t in direct sunlight to utilize natural light and reduce the need for artificial light.

Other general tips

• Avoid using the oven during peak heat times. Grilling outside reduces heat inside.

• Upgrade to more efficient lighting options such as LED or CFL, which burn cooler than traditional incandescent bulbs.

• Wash loads of clothes and dishes when appliances can be filled. Consider air drying as an option. n

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