Ardmore March April 2013

The Ardmore

Connection March/April 2013

Old-Time Tunes

Pickin’ and Grinnin’ brings music to Ardmore

High-Tech Teachers Schools use broadband

Winning Cornbread Recipe from national festival

Technology News

your

smart home

The animated television series "The Jetsons" gave us a glimpse into what life might be like in a high-tech future. While we’re not living in space with robot maids, we do have the technology to control and automate many home functions. A Wi-Fi network, powered by a broadband Internet connection, can put the power to control your home at your fingertips. Here are a few devices to help make that happen:

Dropcam

Use Dropcam to remotely monitor the kids, the pets, a workspace and more. Connect it to your Wi-Fi network, then place the Dropcam anywhere in your home or business. Smartphone apps let you monitor the camera’s 720p HD image, or you can log into your account from a computer. Features include digital zoom, infrared technology for night viewing and two-way audio.

Price: $149 Website: www.dropcam.com

Belkin WeMo Switch

Plug a WeMo Switch into a standard electrical outlet, connect it to your Wi-Fi network and you can control whatever you plug into the WeMo Switch. Use it for lamps, fans, curling irons, coffee makers, stereos and more. The WeMo smartphone app lets you turn your connected device on and off from any location.

Price: $49 Website: www.belkin.com/us/wemo

Nest Thermostat

Nest learns your patterns and schedules, and adjusts your home’s heating and cooling system to fit your lifestyle. And because it connects to your home Wi-Fi network, you can control it from anywhere using the iOS app. According to the company website, “Nest can lower your heating and cooling bills up to 20%.”

Price: $249 Website: www.nest.com

That’s my web Whatever your interest or hobby, there are countless websites with tips and information you may enjoy. Here’s a look at a few of them.

(We don’t support or control the content of these sites, so we’re not responsible for what you may or may not find there.)

Food www.thekitchn.com This site features more information than you’ll ever be able to digest.

Recipes, product reviews, advice, how-tos… you’ll find it all here.

Cars www.jalopnik.com Jalopnik is obsessed with the cult of cars. Secret cars, concept cars, flying cars, vintage cars, tricked-out cars… you get the picture.

Rural Living www.thepioneerwoman.com How can one woman do so much?

Sections include cooking, home and garden, homeschooling, entertainment and confessions.

LIFX

Technology www.arstechnica.com This site “specializes in original news and reviews, analysis of technology trends” and includes advice on a wide range of technology topics.

See Page 7 for tips on creating a broadband-centric home.

News www.theblaze.com The goal of this news, information and opinion site is “to post, report and analyze stories of interest on a wide range of topics from politics and culture to faith and family.”

And coming soon…

This is the light bulb Thomas Edison never even dreamed about. The LIFX bulb connects to your Wi-Fi network, allowing you to remotely turn it on and off, adjust brightness and change colors. Control individual bulbs, rooms or your entire house. Available early to mid-2013.

Website: www.lifx.com

2 | March/April 2013

P R O T E C T Y O U R T E L E C O M M U N I C AT I O N S S Y S T E M

Step outside and look up. You may see a valuable system of poles and wires — a system that delivers important telecommunications services to you and your neighbors. Telephone. Internet. And in some cases, even Digital TV. Damage to this network can interrupt critical services to dozens or even hundreds of families in your neighborhood and beyond.

We are asking for your help in protecting this valuable investment.

Please “Look Up!” before doing any of the following:

Planting Trees

For a distance of 15 feet in any direction of utility lines, only plant shrubs or trees with a mature height of less than 20 feet. Taller trees can grow into lines, which can create service problems, or their limbs could fall across lines during storms.

Also remember to

Call Before You Dig

Burning Brush

When burning brush, make sure you pile it far away from utility lines. The temperature of burning wood can easily reach over 1,000º F — and that is hot enough to melt telecommunications equipment.

Shooting

When you lift that gun, make sure utility lines are not in your line of sight. When a utility line is broken, it has to be spliced back together — a time-consuming and expensive task.

Spread the word. Look up.

Protect your valuable telecommunications system.

March/April 2013 | 3

From the CEO

Speaking with one voice in D.C. Almost every day in our nation’s capital, discussions are held that lead to decisions, which in turn lead to new laws and regulations. The effects ripple out from Washington, D.C., often making a real impact on lives right here in our service area.

A good example is the work being done by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to restructure the telecommunications industry. The decisions this regulatory body is making are changing the very foundations of how companies like Ardmore Telephone receive our revenue. There is good reason to fear that these decisions will drive up costs for subscribers in rural areas while limiting the services to which you have access.

For these reasons, it has never been more important for cooperative and independent telecommunications companies to speak with one voice. These changes threaten to impact millions of individuals and businesses across America, and Washington needs to hear your concerns.

The National Telecommunications Cooperative Association, or NTCA, is the group through which Ardmore Telephone and hundreds of other telcos like us make your voice heard at the national level. NTCA has a staff of professionals who keep a close watch on regulatory and congressional activity. They also engage with officials, educate them on our concerns, file briefs and court cases, and in general make sure that cooperative and independent telcos have a voice in the legislative and regulatory processes.

One of the most important NTCA functions will take place toward the end of April when the organization hosts its annual Legislative and Policy Conference. NTCA members from across the country will gather in Washington, D.C., to meet with elected officials and regulators. We will ask questions, provide information and speak with one voice as we share our concerns on your behalf.

In the previous issue of this magazine, I discussed the importance of building partnerships and how this regional publication is a great example of those efforts. The NTCA Legislative and Policy Conference is an even broader joint effort, allowing us to make sure the FCC and members of Congress know who you are. We are all fighting these problems, and it’s our job as your telecommunications provider to present your concerns to those making these decisions.

Dealing with the federal government can at times be frustrating, to say the least. In the past couple of years in particular, the decisions and mixed signals coming out of Washington have left many people feeling like ours is a lost cause. But we will never give up the fight. We must keep a seat at the table if we hope to have an impact on the laws and regulations affecting the telecommunications industry. And we will do so with a unified voice, working together through NTCA to make sure officials understand that their desire to restructure our industry should not compromise the good work that has already been done to connect people and communities across rural America. 

Trevor Bonnstetter Chief Executive Officer 4 | March/April 2013

is a hometown service provider delivering advanced telecommunications technology to the people of Giles and Lincoln counties in Tennessee and Limestone and Madison counties in Alabama. The company is managed

by Telecom Management Services and owned by Synergy Technology Partners.

Ardmore Office: 30190 Ardmore Ave. Ardmore, AL 35739 Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

New Market Office: 1720 New Market Road New Market, AL 35761 Tues. and Thurs.

8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Visit our blog: www.ardmoreconnection.com

Find us on Facebook!

The Ardmore

Vol. 1, NO. 2 March/April 2013

Connection is a bimonthly newsletter published by Ardmore Telephone Company, © 2013. It is distributed without charge to all customers of the company.

Ardmore Telephone Company P.O. Box 549 Ardmore, TN 38449 Telephone: 256-423-2131 or 800-830-9946 www.ardmore.net Produced for Ardmore Telephone by: www.WordSouth.com On the Cover: Peggy Holt, G.W. Robinson and Glen Mitchell perform during a jam session at Pickin’ and Grinnin’ in Ardmore.

See story, Page 13.

Faster Internet speeds brought to four areas Improving technology, careful planning and hard work have allowed Ardmore Telephone to offer new, faster Internet connections in four communities. The new connections are available in Ardmore, Cash Point, Ready Section and around our Stateline remote. The top speed available to you will be determined by the proximity of your home or business to the remote. We are planning upgrades in other areas as well, so watch future issues for updates.

Ardmore — We now have the ability to offer download speeds up to 20 Mbps in the Ardmore city limits. These speeds are available using a combination of new equipment from Ardmore Telephone. Enhanced upload speeds are also available.

Cash Point — ATC customers served by the new Cash Point remote can now receive Internet speeds between 6 and 10 Mbps.

That remote serves the rural Lincoln County, Tenn., community of the same name, located on State Highway 110 about three miles northeast of Ardmore. We appreciate the cooperation of Cash Point Baptist Church, which allowed us to locate the new remote cabinet on its property.

➜

Ready Section — The new remote in Ready Section will serve a mix of business and residential customers. The remote is located in Madison County, Ala., just off State Highway 53, about six miles southeast of Ardmore. We believe customers in this fast-growing area will appreciate the new speeds of 6 to 10 Mbps.

Stateline — The nearly 300 customers near our Stateline remote will also be able to upgrade to speeds between 6 and 10 Mbps. The new remote is located five miles east of Ardmore on Stateline Road near Wall Triana Highway, right on the border between Lincoln County, Tenn., and Madison County, Ala.

To see what speeds are available in your area, or to upgrade your service, call 256-423-2131 or 1-800-830-9946.

Ardmore Telephone

supports Boys & Girls Club ATC is happy to once again support the Ardmore Boys and Girls Club by sponsoring a table at the annual luncheon in March.

Thanks to the club and director Robin Hargrove for all you do in our community!

Like us on Facebook Go to facebook.com and search for Ardmore Telephone Company.

Ardmore Telephone Company

Children 14 and younger can participate in Telcom Insurance Group’s art competition. The theme for this year’s competition is “Compassion for Animals,” and prizes of up to $100 will be awarded by age group.

Deadline for submissions: April 20 Mail submissions on an 8-1/2” x 11” sheet of paper to: Telcom Insurance Group Attn: Spring Art Contest 6301 Ivy Lane, Suite 506 Greenbelt, MD 20770 For official rules and entry form contact Tina Wynter at 301-220-3206 or TMW@TelcomInsGrp.com.

March/April 2013 | 5

Safety Focus

Are you distracted?

Teen’s story highlights dangers of texting behind the wheel

By Stephen V. Smith, Editor

I

t was the middle of May 2009, and Ashley Umscheid had just finished her freshman year at Kansas State University. As the 19-year-old drove down a long, straight stretch of four-lane Kansas highway, she carried on a text message conversation with her sister.

Ashley typed “K” to acknowledge a comment from her sister. In the seconds surrounding that one-letter message, the left tires of her small pickup truck dropped off the left shoulder. Reentering the highway, her vehicle began to flip, ejecting Ashley and strewing her belongings – including her cell phone – along the roadway. She died three days later from her injuries.

While Ashley’s life was cut so tragically short, her story lives on to warn other students of the dangers of texting while driving. “Distracted: The True Story of Ashley Umscheid” is a DVD produced by Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative (FTC) in Rainsville, Ala. It uses interviews with Ashley’s family and friends, along with former high school classmates and a coach, to reveal a young woman ready to begin an exciting new phase of her life.

“We knew it was important for students to see Ashley the way her family and friends saw her,” says Fred Johnson, executive vice president and general manager of FTC. “We wanted them to identify with her and remember her every time they got behind the wheel.”

Once complete, Johnson licensed the video to the Foundation for Rural Service, a non-profit group that works with independent telecommunications companies to offer youth-based programs and educa-

6 | March/April 2013

tional materials. FRS sent copies of the DVD to more than 1,000 phone companies and associated firms throughout the U.S. for them to present in their communities and schools.

The message, however, went well beyond the telecommunications industry. “We have reached a new audience with this DVD,” says Elizabeth Crocker, executive director of FRS. “We had police officers in Kansas calling us, and a Rotary Club in Texas.” Even U.S. Department of Transportation officials have contacted FRS for copies of the DVD. While interest continues to spread outside the industry, Crocker says the independent telecommunications companies have done a great job in sharing Ashley’s story in schools, through community groups and on their local television channels. “These providers are there, living with the folks they serve in the community,” Crocker says. “This is where they chose to live and work, and it’s important to them that their communities are safe and have access to learning opportunities.”

Among those Ashley Umscheid left behind was her uncle, Terry Force. He is board president of his local phone company, Blue Valley Tele-Communications in Kansas, and was recently elected co-president of the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA). “It is a blessing to see Ashley’s story touch so many lives across the country,” Force says. “This DVD delivers a strong message for young drivers, and we believe it has helped many other families avoid the tragedy that changed our family forever.”

Watch It If you are interested in showing “Distracted” in your school or community group, contact your local telecommunications company. See Page 4 for contact information.

Learn more FRS awards dozens of scholarships to rural students each year. It also sponsors a youth tour where students across the nation visit Washington, D.C., to learn about rural issues and how government works. Learn more about FRS at their website: www.frs.org/about-frs.

Wi-Fi

The key to a broadbandcentric home Having a broadband connection in your home opens the door to fast downloads, streaming video and the other benefits of high-speed Internet. But there is much more to broadband than simply browsing the Web.

T

o help understand this concept, think about broadband in terms of electricity. When electricity first came to the rural regions, residents were excited to light up their evenings with a single light bulb hanging from a cord in the middle of the room. They eventually learned that electricity could bring even more conveniences into their lives when the technology was applied to appliances and gadgets for the kitchen, the living room and the farm.

The same holds true for broadband. A fast Internet connection can open a world of opportunities when extended beyond your computer. And Wi-Fi is the key to expanding those capabilities.

What is WI-FI?

Wi-Fi is short for Wireless Fidelity, a set of technical standards that enable devices to transmit and receive information without wires connecting them. It may sound complicated, but the results are empowering. By setting up a wireless network in your home, you can change the way your family enjoys entertainment, makes a living, stays connected and controls the functions of your home.

The Router

The heart of your Wi-Fi network is the router. In the early days of home Internet access, a phone line plugged into a modem

while a second line connected the modem to a single computer. Now the line from your telecommunications company can deliver broadband access to a router, creating a wireless network that can connect any number of devices.

Wireless Network Setup

Some telecommunications companies lease or sell wireless routers to their Internet customers, while others ask customers to purchase a router of their choice from a technology vendor. Either way, setup is simple when following the manufacturer’s instructions. Contact your telecommunications company if you need help with this phase.

Once your wireless network is established, begin by connecting a laptop or a smartphone. Most devices have easyto-find network settings where you will identify and select your new network then enter your router’s password. It really is that simple.

Other Devices

Your laptop and smartphone are just the beginning. There are many devices on the market today that can use your broadband connection over a wireless network to bring greater convenience to your life.

These include: • Tablets and e-readers: Read books, watch videos, browse websites and more.

• Gaming systems: Play video games with and against other enthusiasts from around the world.

• Video players: With devices such as a Blu-ray player, Roku or Apple TV, watch streaming video on your television from paid video services, including Apple’s iTunes, Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime.

• Smart TVs: Skip the extra devices and watch streaming video through your television’s built-in ability to connect to paid video streaming services.

• Surveillance systems: Monitor the activity and security of your home with a simple single-camera setup or a complex system of surveillance equipment.

Coming Soon

There are several household appliances already on the market that take advantage of your broadband Internet connection.

These include washing machines that can be controlled remotely and refrigerators that recommend recipes based on the ingredients in them. As prices come down and features improve, it will become more practical for homeowners to connect and control almost every major function of their home. Create a wireless network in your home now, then add devices and appliances as it becomes affordable and practical to make their features available to your family.  March/April 2013 | 7

Putting the “E” in Education Ardmore Telephone helps level the playing field for area students

By Andy Johns

W

hen Alabama’s ACCESS program debuted statewide in 2009, it was called the biggest step in leveling the education playing field in Alabama since the 1960s.

And thanks to a fiber connection from Ardmore Telephone, students at Buckhorn High School are enjoying their access to this new educational tool.

“There are as many possibilities as you can imagine,” says Buckhorn Principal Todd Markham.

ACCESS (Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators and Students Statewide) is an educational network built on the Alabama Supercomputer Authority framework. The network provides ultra-high-speed fiber connections to schools around the state. Buckhorn and New Market School are tied onto this network by a special high-speed fiber line from ATC. Using the power of this network, students are able to take specialized classes like Chinese, marine science, forestry and forensic sciences with teachers via videoconference. Students at Buckhorn have also used the network to take virtual field trips to places like the Cincinnati Museum of Art.

Buckhorn media specialist Paige Craig and principal Todd Markham discuss Web-based learning apps in the school’s computer lab.

8 | March/April 2013

Ardmore Telephone Company

Lisa Taylor, the media specialist at New Market School, says teachers there are always looking at new ways to incorporate technology into lessons.

When ACCESS came online, former Alabama School Superintendent Joe Morton told the Birmingham News the network could be particularly important for students at rural schools. “The completion of ACCESS labs throughout the state means high school students in Alabama will have opportunities not imaginable 10 years ago,” Morton told the newspaper.

“They are no longer deprived of certain coursework because they happen to live in a rural area or because there are not enough students in a particular school to make up a class.”

According to the National Education Association, Alabama is one of at least 23 states that offer some type of “virtual schools.” When it launched, Alabama’s program was the third largest in the nation behind only Florida and North Carolina.

Michigan was the first state to require high school students to have at least one “online learning experience” to graduate, according to the NEA, but Alabama followed suit in 2009. Beginning with 9th graders in the 2009-2010 school year, students were required to either take an ACCESS class or participate in online experiences incorporated into a few select courses.

Markham says the network is a valuable tool for teachers to reach students who are Ardmore Telephone Company

so accustomed to touch screens, streaming video and social media in the non-school hours of their day. “It’s almost impossible to engage them without some aspect of technology,” he says.

The network, as well as the link provided by ATC, was built with expansion in mind, meaning it is ready to handle whatever technology comes next. Because right now, educators say it’s anybody’s guess what educational tools will be moved online in the coming years.

“I can’t imagine where technology will take us,” says Lisa Taylor, media specialist at New Market School, which is also linked to the network by an Ardmore Telephone fiber line.

Teaching with Technology

In addition to the ACCESS program, teachers at Buckhorn and New Market are finding ways to incorporate technology into their lessons. “There are a lot of teachers here who are into technology and really want to be on the cutting edge,” Taylor says about the New Market staff.

At both schools, teachers frequently post extra help or practice exercises online to reinforce lessons if students need more help. Some teachers even post homework or exam reminders on Facebook or Twitter

for students to see. “It makes announcements very easy,” explains Buckhorn media specialist Paige Craig.

In her media center, Craig has a poster encouraging students to follow various authors on Twitter. She’s also helped teachers video chat with authors and experts.

A big part of her job is helping students find reliable sources on the Web. “This generation loves to do online research,” says Craig.

In the younger grades, Taylor says tablets like iPads and Kindles are perfect for students because of their size and simplicity. “There are so many great apps out there,” she says.

She uses the Internet around the media center to do things such as access the online card catalog and administer Accelerated Reader tests. “From kindergarten on up, they know how to search the catalog,” Taylor says. “If we start with them very young, by the time they get to third grade they know more than we do.”

But none of that would be possible without a high-speed Internet connection.

“If we were still on dial-up, we’d spend a whole lot of time in front of the computer monitor but not a lot of time working,” Markham says.

When Taylor was in graduate school, several professors brought up the “ruralurban gap” in technology. Experts say students in cities have more access to technology than rural students due to high-speed Internet access, higher median incomes and other factors. The fear is that with more and more educational materials and testing moving online, rural students will suffer simply because many don’t have the same access as their urban and suburban counterparts. “They have a leg up already,” Taylor says.

But upgrades like ATC’s supercomputer fiber link are helping minimize that disadvantage in North Alabama. “I think we closed that gap greatly over the past few years,” Taylor says.  March/April 2013 | 9

N at i o n a l S e v e r e W e at h e r P r e p a r e d n e ss W e e k i s M a r c h 3 - 9

Ready, Set, Survive Be part of the “Weather-Ready Nation”

By Tony Laiolo

“E

verybody talks about the weather,” goes the old joke, “but nobody does anything about it.” That may have been true in Mark Twain’s time, but these days people are doing quite a bit about the weather, and with good reason — preparing for violent storms can be the difference between life and death.

Our part of the world attracts tornadoes, including some real movers and shakers. According to the Southeast Regional Climate Center, EF-5 storms (winds over 200 mph) were until recently a rarity for us, with only nine on record from 1954 through 2010. Then, in April 2011 alone, four of the giants ravaged the Southeast, accounting for more than a third of the 338 tornadorelated deaths that month.

What can you do? Become what NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) calls a “Force of Nature” — taking actions that give yourself, your family and your community a better chance to survive the moment and ride out the aftermath.

The calm voice before the storm

Lisa Spencer, chief meteorologist at Nashville’s WSMV-4, is a big booster Lisa Spencer of storm readiness. She doesn’t just see weather, she sees its effects on people.

“The thing we kept hearing at disaster scenes,” she says, “was ‘I just didn’t know what to do.’ We wanted to address that.”

Spencer and the station’s weather team created “Surviving the Storm,” a free, fun community outreach road show that teaches the “what, why and how” of severe thunderstorms. Using dramatic video, experiments, games and prizes, the team instructs and inspires, one group at a time.

“People do seem to be taking serious weather more seriously, and more and more are preparing for it,” says Spencer, “although some still tend to think ‘it can’t happen to me,’ which of course it can.” 

A week of preparation

Any time is a good time to get ready, but March 3-9, 2013 — NOAA’s National Severe Weather Preparedness Week — is all about helping us become a “Weather-Ready Nation.” With the height of the tornado season near at hand, it’s the perfect time to focus the country’s attention on storm safety and help save lives this very year. It is a time to…

• Know your risk — Learn the alerts and emergency plans for your community. Know the difference between a “watch” and a “warning,” and how to respond to each.

• Make a plan — Decide where you’ll take shelter. Consider your family’s specific medical and assistance needs. Network with neighbors, friends and co-workers.

• Build a kit — Assemble enough water, non-perishable food, medicine and supplies to last at least 72 hours.

• Buy a NOAA Weather Radio — Equip yourself with a life-saver that activates automatically (even with the audio off) when receiving an alarm tone from the National Weather Service.

• Be an example — Once you’ve taken action, share your story with family, with friends and over social media.

10 | March/April 2013

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Your telco is prepared for the threat of bad weather

By Stephen V. Smith, Editor

W

hen severe weather strikes, citizens depend on their telephones, the Internet and television to stay informed and connected.

However, the network of your local telecommunications company, who provides many of these services, is often the victim of storm damage as well.

Knowing their services are critical to public health and safety, telcos across the country dedicate a great deal of time and resources toward preparing for the storms.

“One of our biggest concerns during severe weather is the loss of power,” explains Jason Dandridge, CEO of Palmetto Rural Telephone Cooperative (Walterboro, S.C.). Being near the Eastern seaboard, the cooperative faces the threat of losing electricity for days when hurricanes hit.

“Almost all of our lines are buried, so we don’t catch the effects of downed poles, Dandridge says. “But we have to keep our remote sites powered.” This requires a good supply of generators, a schedule of employees ready to operate them and enough fuel on hand to keep them running for several days if necessary.

“Portable and fixed generators are critical in the event of a power outage,” adds Jim Cook, general manager of New Hope Telephone Cooperative (New Hope, Ala.).

“Lining up commitments from fuel and service providers in advance can be the difference in being able to keep our network up and running for just a few hours to days and weeks without power.”

geographical issues

In contrast to the flat lands of Palmetto, the service area of Highland Telephone Cooperative (Sunbright, Tenn.) is rocky and hilly. The cooperative’s lines and equipment are therefore almost entirely above ground, attached to poles. “During the winters we can have heavy snows that will take our lines down,” says Mark Pat-

terson, Highland’s general manager. “We have to keep extra materials on hand for our crews to do rebuilds.”

While tornadoes are uncommon there, one did pass through Highland’s service area some eight years ago. Patterson says crews had the materials in place to splice many of the lines where they lay on the ground. “We were able to restore telephone service within a day or so, even in areas where the power companies had not set new poles yet,” he says.

Part of New Hope’s service area is low and surrounded by mountains, making it susceptible to flooding. “Depending on the type of disaster, low-lying buildings may need to be protected from water intrusion,” Cook says.

Phone and Internet lines brought down by a tornado

Phone and Internet lines destroyed by an ice storm

People are key

Regardless of what disasters may come, the employees of your local telecommunications company are the key to protecting the network and restoring your phone, Internet and TV service quickly and safely in the event of an interruption.

“Everyone knows their role when the bad weather comes in,” Dandridge says.

“From operating the generators to dealing with electronic issues, every employee knows their role in our response.”

“Training is important,” adds Patterson.” We make sure our people have the training they need to do the job quickly and safely when severe weather hits.”

“Our employees are our greatest asset, and their safety is our number one priority,” says Cook. “Having a communications plan established so that we can quickly confirm their safety and determine their ability to respond to the recovery efforts is essential.”

From hurricanes to floods to tornadoes and beyond, telcos across the region are prepared to restore critical services in the face of damaging weather. 

Network equipment threatened by flood waters

Are you prepared?

Just like your telecommunications provider, every family should be ready in case of a disaster. Prepare a basic emergency supply kit that includes such items as: • Water • Non-perishable food • NOAA weather radio • Flashlight • Extra batteries • First aid kit • Whistle (to signal for help) • Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities • Manual can opener • Cell phone with chargers For more details, visit:

www.ready.gov/build-a-kit March/April 2013 | 11

Community embraces New Market office

By Andy Johns

W

hen Ardmore Telephone reopened its New Market office in 2010, local residents were happy to welcome it back to their community.

“They’re so tickled to have this office back open,” says Judy Faulkner Campbell, the New Market office manager who has been with ATC for more than 40 years.

The office closed about 18 years ago, when the employee who staffed the office passed away. When it reopened in 2010, Campbell was able to offer new services such as DSL that didn’t even exist when the old office closed.

“Customers can do everything here they can do at the other office,” Campbell says.

And for some, the satellite office could save them a 70-mile round trip to the main office in Ardmore.

Installer Jeff Miller is also based out of the New Market office.

“It’s really helped our customers,” he says. “It’s good to have somebody local.”

The customers who use the office seem to agree. “They’re so friendly,” says longtime customer Fern Farmer. “I just love coming over here.”

The New Market office reopened in 2010 after being closed for years.

12 | March/April 2013

Judy Faulkner Campbell helps customer Fern Farmer add Caller ID to her home phone service.

One afternoon this winter, Farmer visited the office to add Caller ID service and ask about the Do Not Call list. She said she was once again pleased with the attention Campbell gave her.

“It’s so personalized,” Farmer says. “It’s not just on the phone; there’s a face to talk to.”

That attention is a key benefit of the new office. “We’re pretty much one-on-one with all of our customers,” Campbell says.

The connection has given her a chance to really get to know the folks visiting her office. She now asks not just about phone service, but about jobs, pets, gardening and family members.

“They’re so welcoming over here,” Campbell says. “We are on a first-name basis with just about everyone. They’re just like personal friends and family.”

Ardmore Telephone CEO Trevor Bonnstetter says having an office in New Market makes a lot of sense and he’s glad it has been well-received. “As a community-based telecommunications company, we look for ways to make doing business with us more convenient for our customers,” he says. “Our New Market office is another example of that focus. We encourage everyone in the community to stop by.” 

New Market Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Ardmore Telephone Company

People can’t help but dance when an assortment of pickers, strummers and fiddlers start playing on Thursday nights in Ardmore.

Keeping old-time alive Weekly Ardmore jam session specializes in old-time, bluegrass and hillbilly music

T

o preserve old books, you store them on a shelf in a library. To protect old paintings, you hang them in a museum.

But the best way to preserve old-time music, according to one local group, is to play it together once a week.

“It’s sort of going away,” fiddler G.W. Robinson says of the music he grew up with. “This is one of the main places I know of where it’s still going on.”

Every Thursday night, pickers, strummers, fiddlers, cloggers and crooners get together at the Ardmore, Tenn., City Hall Annex for a bluegrass, hillbilly music and early country jam session that’s come to be known as Pickin’ and Grinnin’.

One look at the toe-tapping and kneeslapping in the crowd makes it clear that this kind of historic preservation sure is fun to listen to. “People are looking for old-timey stuff where they can just get together like they did when they were children,” says Peggy Holt, the event’s

Ardmore Telephone Company

main organizer. “I think it just brings something back from their youth.”

On a typical night, there might be as many as two dozen people on stage: five or six guitar players, a banjo picker or two, a stand-up bassist, three fiddlers and a pair of mandolin players.

Pickers and singers rotate on and off stage covering bluegrass staples like “New River Train.” They slow down for songs like “I Overlooked an Orchid” and speed back up for the “Wabash Cannonball.”

Sometimes they take classics in different directions like an instrumental version of Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” Holt, who plays piano, bass and autoharp in the ensemble, says a few musical friends began coming over to pick with her and her husband, Calvin, at their home in Blanche, Tenn., some time in the mid-1990s. In 1997, the gatherings moved to the Cash Point Grocery and then a community center because

they needed more space. “People started coming to the house to play with us,” she remembers. “Things got so big that there wasn’t room. It’s been amazing. We never expected it to be this big.”

In 2005, the jam session moved to the annex in Ardmore, where it draws folks from around Middle Tennessee and North Alabama. Margaret Barnett of Rally Hill, Tenn., says she and her husband, Elam, drive an hour each way to hear the show.

“My husband just enjoys it so much he can’t stay away,” she says.

For some, like Clay Sawyer of Fayetteville, Tenn., the old-time music takes him back to family or church gatherings. Sawyer says any time his family got together, it wouldn’t take long for someone to pull out an instrument and start playing. “My whole family was musicians,” he says.

Robinson says he likes the camaraderie with the pickers and the crowd. “It’s like family,” he says. “It’s just good clean entertainment.”

The musicians draw numbers to decide the order of the songs they want to lead.

From there, they start strumming and figure out the details on the fly. “It’s nothing rehearsed,” Holt says. “You’ve got to be able to hear the beat and stay with the group. We’re not accomplished musicians but we have a lot of fun doing it.”

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Southern Kitchens It's more than just a side dish I was born and raised in the South and have always considered myself a good Southern cook, save one thing: before judging the National Cornbread Cook-Off and seeing the amazing things that could be done with cornbread, it was never on my table.

As a cook-off judge though, I’ve witnessed and tasted it prepared in many ways and one thing always stays the same: the cornbread is served as an entrée, not just a piece slathered with butter. One of my favorites was made with shrimp and cream. While it may sound a little strange, it worked and won first place some years ago.

In the midst of all the goingson at the National Cornbread Festival, there’s a gathering of cooks committed to wearing the cornbread crown. No small feat, as each cook/finalist has been chosen from thousands of entries by cornbread mix company Martha White, which sponsors the cook-off along with Lodge Manufacturing, maker of cast iron cookware.

This year’s festival is lining up to be a great one. Maybe I’ll see you there!

Anne P. Braly Food Editor Email Anne Braly at apbraly@gmail.com.

14 | March/April 2013

America's best cornbread

C

ornbread is a favorite in Melanie McCoy’s home.

And for good reason: McCoy is an expert at it. So good, in fact, she took first-place honors in last year’s National Cornbread Cook-Off, held annually in the small town of South Pittsburg, Tenn.

At the age of 52, McCoy looks back on her childhood days of cooking as inspiration for her win. “I was an adventurous eater, and that’s what you have to be in order to be a good cook.”

McCoy’s win came after three previous attempts at being crowned cornbread queen, one of the first three garnering a secondplace win in 2000 for her Shrimp Creole Cornbread. For her 2012 attempt, she decided to add a twist to her favorite shrimp cakes, NATIONAL WINNER— Melanie McCoy of Knoxville, Tenn. (center) won the 2012 National Cornbread Festival cookusing cornmeal rather than bread crumbs and serving it with a dol- off. Pictured on left is Bob Kellermann, chairman and CEO of event co-sponsor Lodge Manufacturing. On right lop of her tried-and-true mango salsa. “So many of my recipes are is Linda Carmen, spokesperson for event co-sponsor Martha White. twists on old favorites,” she says.

Her “a-little-of-this-and-a-littleof-that” method won her top honors, a new stove and $5,000.

McCoy is a native of Michigan, where cornbread is not a staple as it is in many kitchens of the South. But a Southern grandmother introduced it to her as a child. Since then, she’s found that it goes well beyond a simple bread with dinner. “It’s gone mainstream,” she says, adding that all the new mixes make it a versatile product that can go from side dish to main dish with the addition of a few key ingredients.

“It’s really quite amazing,” she says.

As a veteran of the National Cornbread Cook-Off, McCoy has seen the competition grow from an event of homespun flavor to one of a more serious, intense nature. “Contestants come from all around the country now,” she says. “It’s a fun time. It’s just amazing to me to see South Pittsburg grow from a few thousand to more than 50,000 on the weekend of the festival. It’s all a community effort. I call South Pittsburg ‘the little town that could.’”

And it does. Every year. 

If you go...

This year’s festival will be held the weekend of April 27-28. The cook-off will be held on Saturday, April 27, on the town square. For more information, visit www.nationalcornbread.com.

Cornbread: An award-winning treat This winning recipe from the 2012 National Cornbread Festival was created by Melanie McCoy of Knoxville, Tenn. “The judges all worked diligently to select a winner,” says Bob Kellermann, chairman and CEO of event co-sponsor Lodge Manufacturing.

Sweet Cornbread Shrimp Cakes with Mango Salsa Cornbread: 1 (7-ounce) package Martha White Sweet Yellow Cornbread and Muffin Mix 1/2 cup milk 1 egg, beaten Mango Salsa: 3 cups peeled and chopped mango (2 to 3 mangoes) 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion Juice of 1 large lime Pinch salt 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Shrimp Cakes: 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup finely chopped celery 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion 1 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined and coarsely chopped 3 teaspoons seafood seasoning 2 large eggs, beaten 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1/3 cup chopped cilantro Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste Butter for cooking shrimp cakes Lemon wedges and parsley for garnish

Bake cornbread mix according to package directions, using milk and 1 egg. Cool and crumble.

Stir together salsa ingredients.

Allow to sit for 30 minutes.

Serve or refrigerate until serving time.

Heat butter over medium heat in 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Cook celery and 1⁄2 cup chopped red onion until tender, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer celery and onion to large bowl. Stir in shrimp, seafood seasoning, 2 eggs, mayonnaise, cilantro, salt and pepper. Stir in crumbled cornbread until well

blended. Using about 1⁄3 cup, form mixture into 12 shrimp cakes about 2-1/2 inches in diameter. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper.

Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium heat. Cook shrimp cakes until lightly browned and shrimp turn pink, about 4 minutes on each side. Cook remaining shrimp cakes, adding additional butter as needed. Place cakes on a serving platter.

Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley. Serve with Mango Salsa.

March/April 2013 | 15

P.O. Box 549 Ardmore, TN 38449