October 2023 Dixie

October 2023

Dixie Electric Cooperative

Road trip food

Gas stations offer fuel for your car and your belly

Cooking with pumpkin

President/CEO

Gary Harrison

Communications Manager

Terri Faulkner

Communications Representative

Rachel Riley

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

Karl Rayborn

Editor

Lenore Vickrey

Managing Editor

Allison Law

Creative Director

Mark Stephenson

Art Director

Danny Weston

Advertising Director

Jacob Johnson

Graphic Designer/Production Coordinator

Brooke Echols

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

USPS 029-920 • ISSN 1047-0311

Horses

26

34

Folklife traditions

Folklife is more than just basket weaving and and square dancing, encompassing vibrant arts, music, songs, fashion, foods and much more, all celebrated and preserved by the Alabama Folklife Association.

Our readers love their horses, responding in record numbers to this month’s equine Snapshots feature.

Film festival

The Fairhope Film Festival, now in its 11th year, is gaining national recognition for the top films it shows.

All about pumpkins

October is a favorite month to cook with pumpkins, fresh or canned, for a main dish, snacks or desserts.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

DISTRICT 1

Thomas Ellis

Tom James

James Sikes

DISTRICT 2

Helena Duncan

Kim Jackson, Vice Chairman

John Livings

DISTRICT 3

Andrew Callaway, Chairman

Jimmy Ellis, Secretary/Treasurer

Albert Perry

TELEPHONE

A Big Deal

R. Gary Harrison

PAYMENT OPTIONS

By Mail: Post Office Box 30 Union Springs, AL 36089

In Person: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday 9100 Atlanta Highway Montgomery, AL 36117

402 East Blackmon Union Springs, AL 36089

Night Deposit: Available at both offices AMEX, Discover, MasterCard and Visa accepted in office, online and through our automated phone system Online: www.dixie.coop

Find us on:

I would like to take a moment to brag on your Dixie team. We currently have 92 employees who work hard for you every day. At the end of July, this dedicated group of employees completed a full year with no lost time accidents. On the surface this may not seem signi cant, but when you start to consider all the dangers we encounter daily, you realize it is actually a really big deal.

More than 50 percent of our team spends their day in dangerous environments. Each day, our crews are installing underground power lines, running new overhead lines, installing or changing meters, changing existing poles, or cutting dead and dangerous trees. ey do this work in the extreme summer heat and frigid winter temperatures. Rain or shine, day and night, they do whatever it takes to get the job done.

I o en hear people mention that a line worker’s job is easier now that they have bucket trucks to use, but most people don’t realize there is still a tremendous amount of manual labor involved in the work they perform. I can assure you that just climbing in and out of that deep bucket takes a lot of e ort. And during storms, they o en encounter situations where the ground is too wet, or an obstruction is making it impossible to reach a trouble area in a bucket truck. In those instances, they must be prepared to put on their climbing gear and go up and down the pole as many times as necessary to

complete repairs and restore power.

Our crews must also ensure they are following safety protocols when working around energized power lines. As they are trenching in underground cable, they must keep the ditches properly sloped while also watching out for other underground facilities in the area. Even before they leave the o ce, they are carefully loading large poles or pad mount transformers on trailers to take them to various job sites. en, unloading the poles and transformers at the job location presents its own hazards. When it comes to outages, our crews are always quick to respond despite the wind, rain and lightning. is summer, it seemed like they would work all day in 100 degree F heat, and then as soon as they would leave at the end of the day, a major storm would come through and they would come right back to work. Locating the cause of an outage and making repairs is di cult enough during the day. Imagine how much more dangerous it is to work an outage at night in a storm. Nighttime brings new challenges such as providing adequate light to perform the work while being careful to avoid spiders, re ants, ticks and snakes. en consider the times when our crews travel to help other cooperatives following major tornadoes and hurricanes. ey not only have the obstacles mentioned above, but they are also in unfamiliar territory.

Our water crew also faces dangerous

is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Dixie Electric Cooperative

situations when digging to install lines or repairing major water leaks. ey must also be extra careful in the well houses because of the chlorine being used. Our warehouse personnel are always using forkli s to load and unload materials for our crews and receiving large shipments of materials to check into inventory.

As you can see, our employees face many dangerous situations as they strive to complete our mission of safely providing reliable electricity at an economical cost. So, when I say what a big deal one year with no lost time accidents is, I truly mean it. Our team

2022 Annual Report

considers it a privilege to serve our members, and we are grateful to each of you for your constant support and patience as we work to make safety a top priority for you and our team. Remember, at Dixie, we are always looking out for you!

Gary Harrison is President/CEO of Dixie Electric Cooperative, a member-owned electric utility serving more than 26,000 businesses and homes in portions of eight Alabama counties.

As part of our commitment to accountability and integrity, Dixie Electric Cooperative's 2022 Annual Report is available on our website for our valued member-owners to view.

If you would like to read this year's annual report, please visit our website at: www.dixie.coop/annual-report

FALL INTO ENERGY SAVINGS

Reverse the direction of your ceiling fans for fall.

Lower your home’s thermostat and adjust the temperature on your water heater to save energy.

Check your fireplace for drafts, this could mean your fireplace is sucking warmth from your home instead of providing it.

2022 ANNUAL REPORT

DIXIE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

WHAT ARE THE SEVEN COOPERATIVE PRINCIPLES?

VOLUNTARY AND OPEN MEMBERSHIP

Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all people able to use its services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.

DEMOCRATIC MEMBER CONTROL

Co-ops are controlled by their members — those who buy the goods or use the services of the co-op — who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions.

IN THIS YEAR ALONE DIXIE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE:

MEMBERS ECONOMIC PARTICIPATION

Members contribute equally to, and control, the capital of the cooperative. This benefits members in proportion to the business they conduct with the cooperative rather than on the capital invested.

CONCERN FOR COMMUNITY

While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for the sustainable development of communities through policies and programs accepted by the members.

Sponsored 8 high school juniors on the Montgomery Youth Tour and 4 on the Washington D.C. Youth Tour.

Inspired and educated thousands of students through career fairs and safety demonstrations.

Helped raise over $44,000 and 7,000 pounds of food for Heart of Alabama Food Bank.

Provided $48,000 in scholarships for 15 high school students.

COMMUNITY BORN • COMMUNITY LED • FOCUSED ON YOU

Electric cooperatives operate according to the same set of principles, and these principles are a key reason why electric co-ops stand out against other electric utilities. What makes co-ops different is that we operate to serve our members and better our communities. Co-ops were created to meet the needs of communities which is why our sole focus is looking out for you!

AUTONOMY AND INDEPENDENCE

Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If the co-op enters into agreements with other organizations or raises capital from external sources, it is done so based on terms that ensure control by the members and maintains the co-op’s autonomy.

EDUCATION, TRAINING AND INFORMATION

Cooperatives provide education and training for members, trustees, managers and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their coop. Members also inform others about the nature and benefits of cooperatives.

COOPERATION AMONG COOPERATIVES

Co-ops serve members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.

With a little knowledge, a dash of e ort, and a few minutes of time, you can keep your sensitive data and computer systems locked down tight. Cybersecurity does not have to be intimidating! It does not require a large investment of time or money. In fact, you can secure your digital life with trusted free tools, and now many cybersecurity best practices can be automated.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO STAY SAFE ONLINE:

1 2 3 4

KEEP A CLEAN MACHINE

Keep all software on internet connected devices – including personal computers, smartphones and tablets – current to reduce risk of infection from ransomware and malware. If you want to “set it and forget it,” configure your devices to automatically update or to notify you when an update is available.

CREATE LONG, UNIQUE PASSWORDS

Strong passwords are at least 12 characters long and include letters, numbers and symbols. You should have a unique password for each online account. If they are hard to remember, try using a password manager. Most smartphones and web browsers include password managers.

ENABLE MULTI-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION

Multi-factor authentication (MFA), sometimes called 2-factor authentication, adds a whole other level of security to your key accounts. MFA includes security keys or apps that send you unique, one-time codes when you want to log on to a sensitive account. We recommend you use MFA whenever o ered.

THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK

SOURCE: STAYSAFEONLINE.ORG

Amber and Trouper the Mustang at North Alabama Community College where Trouper was the college mascot. He has since been buried on the campus with Roscoe, the campus dog, and both have bronze statues on the campus.

beautiful summer day in

County.

Sweet horse friends. SUBMITTED by Carol Miller, Mathews.

Photo by Ben Womack. SUBMITTED by Amber Mathewson, Rainsville.

Brandon Holt, our little cowboy. SUBMITTED by Tammy Holt, Andalusia.

Rayna jumping on her horse Penney. SUBMITTED by Jessica Howell, Geneva.

Indie giving a cheeky smile! SUBMITTED by Miranda Byford, Hartselle.

Luc, Hadley and Sage Lawrimore riding their AQHA horses, Bo and Flo, on a

Lawrence

SUBMITTED by Lisa Borden, Town Creek.

Little Amal, symbol of human rights, to visit Alabama

Little Amal, the 12-foot puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl, is coming to Alabama as part of a two-month journey across the U.S.

Amal was inspired by a character in the immersive play " e Jungle," about a refugee camp in France, but now acts as an international symbol of human rights, especially the plight of refugees.

Previously she has visited Canada and traveled all across Europe. Children worldwide engage with Amal through outreach materials that can be integrated into school curricula.

e puppet will visit Birmingham Oct. 11-12 and Selma and Montgomery on Oct. 13. She will take in the sights and learn about the state’s history with stops at iconic civil rights landmarks, including the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Organizers hope that Amal’s engagement with hundreds of communities across the country will help spark meaningful conversations to help us better understand who we are and where we came from. For more information, visit WalkWithAmal.org

Find the hidden dingbat!

A lot of you found the treasure chest correctly in the September issue. It was perched in plain sight on the shelf with some red velvet cupcakes in the photo on Page 30. Johnnie Smith of Marion wrote us that they’d never entered before but “I just had to let you know I found the pirate’s gold.” Please enter again, Johnnie! Erica Miller of Gulf Shores shared a pirate joke this us: “Q: What’s a pirate’s favorite letter? Most folks will assume it’s R (r-r-r-r-r). But the answer is ‘the sea!’ ank you for this adventure of treasure hunting!” Linda Peevy of Kinston, a member of Covington EC, said she was also entering for the rst time. “You couldn’t have placed it on a better page,” she wrote. “ ose desserts look yummy. I think I gained ve pounds just admiring them!”

is month’s hidden dingbat won’t cost you any calories. In honor of Columbus Day Oct. 12, we’ve hidden a ship’s anchor. Remember, it won’t be in an ad or on Pages 1-8. Good luck!

Congratulations to our randomly drawn winner, Yvette McLellan of Foley, who wins a gi card from Alabama One Credit Union. Sponsored by

By mail: Find the Dingbat Alabama Living PO Box 244014

Montgomery, AL 36124

By email: dingbat@alabamaliving.com

Letters to the editor

Readers thankful for Jackson column

I just want you to know how much I enjoyed your articles. I always started at the back with your article and worked my way to the front. ey always included a wonderful blend of humor and history that life time residents of Alabama could easily relate to. anks so much for sharing your reminisces. I know many people including myself will feel a loss when the next issue doesn’t include an article written by you.

Sid Harden, Salem

I just read your column and read you are retiring! Happy for you and congratulations! Just wanted you to know I (as I am sure many) shall miss your short stories. In reading the di erent and funny situations, you always took me back, even if only for a few minutes, to a simpler time. Your humorous writing always made me smile

Cynthia Ivory, Foley

I wanted to take the time and highly commend your article in the August 2023 Alabama Living. I felt as if I were reliving my childhood in the late 60s and early 70s. at was truly a great time to be a teenager in rural America. I grew up in rural northeast Mississippi, seven miles from the Alabama state line. All of our summer evangelists came from Sand Mountain, as they called it, God’s country. ey sure made Boaz, Albertville and Douglas, Alabama, seem as if they were the same as Belmont, Mississippi.

I rarely send an email that is not business related. However, I enjoyed your article as much as any that I have read in years because it helped me revisit a time period that brings back “Precious Memories” that ood my soul.

Dicky H. Sparks, CPA, Franklin EC

Liked newspaper article

I really enjoyed your article in August 2023 issue on small town newspapers.  I always make a point when traveling to buy newspapers in small towns.  Even though I don’t know the people or events locally, it is really fun to read them.

Also, our town has TWO weekly newspapers.  ey are enjoyable and do keep the local people connected and recognized.

I was glad to see the info on how many weekly papers still exist.  I learned to love a “real print” newspaper from my Daddy. We looked forward to their Wednesday and Sunday issues especially. Sadly that newspaper from my hometown of Tuscaloosa has gotten thinner and really covers a fraction of local things, except for football and some politics.

Anyway!  anks again and I look forward to reading more of your articles.

Pam Hamilton, Eutaw

Liked ‘Angel Wings’ recipe

Oh, my goodness! I had to do a double take when I saw the beautiful angel wings on Page 44 of the September magazine.

ere was John Sunyog telling his story about Krusciki (angel wings). I, too, am from Detroit and have a great love for them. We used to buy them at Kowalski’s Deli. How I miss that place! anks for the trip down memory lane. If I get ambitious, I may try to make some.

Ruth Hayes, Skipperville

The Little Amal puppet on a visit to Toronto’s Luminato Festival.

PHOTO BY TAKU KUMABE

Mountain lakes association launches new film commission

e new North Alabama Film Commission will help attract lming to the 16 counties of North Alabama, organizers say, drawing on the region’s diverse geographical features and lower cost of production.

e North Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association, in partnership with the Alabama Film Commission, is launching the new regional commission. Organizers say it will serve as an information center for incentives, locations, industry directory, lm guidelines, support and crew services and more.

e collaboration is expected to create economic bene ts for both the lm and tourism industries; production companies will use local crews and businesses for their needs while lling hotels and restaurants.

Visit NorthAlabama.org and AlabamaFilm.org for more information.

Whereville, AL

Take us along!

We’ve enjoyed seeing photos from our readers on their travels with Alabama Living! Please send us a photo of you with a copy of the magazine on your travels to: mytravels@alabamaliving. coop. Be sure to include your name, hometown and electric cooperative, and the location of your photo.We’ll draw a winner for the $25 prize each month. Make sure your photo is clear, in focus and not in shadow.

 Pea River Electric Cooperative members Lawson Gamble and Gray Hardy of Newville, members of the Headland Bass Team, took their magazine to the Bassmaster High School National Fishing Championship in Lake Hartwell, SC. They are thankful for all the support they received from their cooperative.

Identify and place this Alabama landmark and you could win $25! Winner is chosen at random from all correct entries. Multiple entries from the same person will be disquali ed. Send your answer with your name, address and the name of your rural electric cooperative, if applicable. e winner and answer will be announced in the November issue.

Submit by email: whereville@alabamaliving.coop, or by mail: Whereville, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124.

September’s answer: e Old Monroe County Courthouse, completed in 1904, gained national fame thanks to Monroeville native Harper Lee and her Pulitzer prize-winning novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird.” e courtroom in the Old Courthouse was used as the model for the one in the trial scene in the movie version of the book. e courthouse has been restored and is a museum with three permanent exhibits; literary fans from around the world come to visit. (Information from Rural SW Alabama; photo contributed by Norma Hulgan of Sand Mountain EC.) e randomly drawn correct guess winner is Justin Peters of South Alabama EC.

 Tony Livingston of Hartselle, a member of Joe Wheeler EMC, enjoyed his magazine along with his grandson, Ellis, and daughter-in-law Holly at Panama City Beach, Florida.

 Baldwin EMC members Rusty and Susie James of Gulf Shores had a wonderful family trip to San Juan,  Puerto Rico.

 David, Kristen and Kate Pologruto visited the Colosseum in Rome, Italy. They live in Dothan and are members of Wiregrass Electric Cooperative.

 Diane and Marv DeMilio of Orange Beach, members of Baldwin EMC, took a Royal Caribbean Cruise to Juneau, Alaska.

Gas station eats

Grab some seriously good grub at Alabama gas stations

By Jennifer Kornegay

There’s a childhood memory that replays in my mind almost any time I step in a gas station convenience store. One day a week, a er my mom picked my brother and me up from school, she’d take us to a gas station where we were allowed to buy a Coke and a chocolate bar. ese simple but signi cant events permanently aligned “gas stations” and “treats” in my mind. Today, gas stations all over the country have expanded their o erings beyond candy, chips and so drinks. Hungry motorists can nd brandname pizza, fried chicken and more waiting under glowing red heat lamps. Still other gas stations take

Satsuma Chevron Breakfast and BBQ

6105 Highway 43

Satsuma

Every day, Satsuma Chevron Breakfast and BBQ meets the breakfast, lunch and dinner needs of around 2,000 people, and its breakfast gumbo accounts for 1,000 of the meals served.

e name hints at what it is — cheese grits, scrambled eggs, patty sausage, bacon, Conecuh sausage, scallions and pepper sauce layered in a bowl — and at owner Chris Beasley’s heritage. “My family is from Louisiana, and to us, gumbo can be really any amalgamation of things,” he says. e entire menu is a gumbo of sorts – a mashup of Alabama barbecue (ribs and pulled pork), soothing sides (cornbread and macn-cheese) and Cajun classics (red beans and rice).

Beasley’s parents Bill and Kitty opened the Chevron almost 30 years ago, and while semi-retired, they still help Chris, who now oversees the operation. “It’s our Louisiana roots; we all love to cook and share it with others,” he says, “so we started the food about 20 years ago.”

e breakfast gumbo was the Beasleys’ response to the realization that diners were craving a fast, easy and tasty morning meal.

e he y bowl ticks every box; proof is the line that’s 40-50 people deep most Friday mornings, despite the fact there’s no sign alerting passersby of the deliciousness waiting past the pumps.

Beasley claims sourcing the best building blocks for his selections is the only advertising needed. He uses organic seasonings for the 60 pork butts he smokes and pulls each week, Pelugra butter, organic cage-free eggs, and applewood-smoked, center-cut bacon to add smoke and fat to silky turnip greens. “I’m a fanatic about quality ingredients; I’m happy to make less but serve a premium product,” he says. “I think it’s why 10 years ago, we were a gas station that sold some food, and today, we’re a restaurant that just happens to sell gas.”

things a step farther with full restaurants inside. ese selections put the convenience in “convenience store,” creating one-stop spots to ll both your car’s tank and your tummy.

Alabama is blessed with multiple gas station eateries scattered around the state that dish out distinct meals made by locals and are unique to their location. In these, you’ll nd pulled pork, tacos al pastor, Southern staples and even Cajun favorites. And in some, an othe-menu item also holds large appeal: the opportunity to swap smiles plus the latest news over food-laden Styrofoam to-go boxes. Here are just a few to check out.

Lydia Beasley, manager, her son and “helper,” 4-month-old Beauregard Beasley, and owner-manager and Lydia’s husband, Chris Beasley pose with a Satsuma customer favorite, Breakfast Gumbo Grits.

PHOTOS BY EMMETT BURNETT

Photos by Jennifer Kornegay unless otherwise noted.

BBQ 65

2391 Pineapple Highway

Greenville

Alabama is covered up in barbecue joints. Even the smallest small town usually has at least one. So, it’s easy to nd ‘cue (and it’s hard to nd bad ‘cue). But exceptional barbecue — tender, moist and avorful — isn’t as ubiquitous. And you just never know where you’ll nd it. One safe bet is BBQ 65, which occupies one side of a gas station sitting a stone’s throw from Exit 128 o I-65.

According to manager Tawana Lawson, while she opts for ribs, the pulled pork wins the popularity prize here, and one bite tells you why. e threads and hunks of smoky pork topped with pickle rounds, pressed between bun slices or stu ed into a baked potato are juicy enough to go without sauce, but a drizzle of the cardinal red condiment in the tables’ squeeze bottles adds a punch of spice and tang.

Lawson notes that the small dining space decorated with farm-animal-themed art is “always hopping” around lunch, pulling both locals from in town and travelers o the interstate. ey come to pig out on the afore-mentioned pork options as well as barbecue-smothered nachos, chicken wings, u y corn casserole, fried green tomatoes and syrupy peaches nestled in buttery cobbler crust.

Wiggins Grocery

3435 Highway 157

Danville

For just over 50 years, Wiggins Grocery has fronted a stretch of highway in north central Alabama and provided those traveling this road with gas, icy libations and even some produce just picked from a nearby farm in summer. But if you’ve got a bit more time and a hankering for healthy helpings of meat-n-three standards, continue past the plastic bags of peanuts and coolers of Cokes into the attached restaurant, which has been piling plates with selections from its hot bar for 35 years.

Mickey Wiggins is matter of fact when remembering why he added the eatery, what he calls a “working man’s restaurant.” “ ere wasn’t anything close by with good food at that time, so the market was wide open. I thought, ‘Why not?’” he says. He lled the void and found a rotating menu that keeps regulars and visitors happy: chicken and dressing on Mondays, tender pot roast on Tuesdays (Wiggins’ favorite), classic chicken and dumplings on Wednesdays, meatloaf on ursdays and juicy hamburger steak and golden-fried cat sh on Fridays. Each protein is surrounded with a variety of sides like velvety mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, corn mu ns and more. Hamburgers and fries are always available, as is a sit-down breakfast of pancakes, eggs, country ham, bacon, grits and biscuits. “You can also get a biscuit to go, but a lot of people like to sit down and hang around a bit; we’re a good gathering place,” Wiggins says.

The Depot

17960 Highway 98 Foley

When your gas gauge is leaning toward “E,” your eyes start scanning the road for familiar signs: a yellow sea scallop or stacked red and blue “Vs.” When your stomach is low on fuel, you also search for signs. In Foley, a big pink pig on a pedestal declaring “Baldwin County’s Best BBQ” is your cue to slow down and pull into the bustling Chevron dubbed e Depot, where you’ll nd more proclamations of porcine delights inside.

e little lunch counter in the store’s corner keeps the promise. Fall-o -the-bone ribs and pulled pork are the stars here, joined by a supporting cast of red-skin potato salad, slaw and mac ‘n cheese. But this spot doesn’t limit its selections to the usual barbe cue shack suspects; pork egg rolls, burritos, tamales, fried chicken livers and corn dogs round out the o erings.

The Mentone Market

5872 Highway 117

Mentone

Mentone has several top-notch dining options to choose from despite the Lookout Mountain town’s diminutive size. One of them just happens to be a gas station. Although calling e Mentone Market a gas station, while accurate, falls short. It does have pumps and the requisite convenience store items. But its walls are also lined with a diverse selection of goods and art (hot sauce, pottery, jams and more), many from Mentone and Alabama makers, for your perusing pleasure.

e shopping provides a nice way to ll the minutes as you wait for your lunch, o ered ursday through Sunday. e line-up includes hot dogs smothered in homemade chili; potatoes baked to u y perfection and topped with crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese and pulled pork; meatball subs; club sandwiches; BLTs; fresh-baked pizzas and scoops of black-pepper- ecked chicken salad. e last two are top sellers; owner Kathryn Norris shares why. “We make almost everything fresh, from scratch, like our dressings, and we take a lot of extra care to turn out a great pizza crust,” she says. “ e chicken salad is really simple, no onion or nuts, basically chicken, mayo, salt, pepper and a little celery, but that’s why people like it.” Save a little room for some rich M&M or peanut butter fudge to end the experience on a sweet note.

Woodson’s Barge-N

2105 E 2nd Street

Gulf Shores

“Buying Barge-N is one of the best things I’ve ever done. I love feeding people, and so many of those who come eat with us are now friends,” says Melissa Woodson, who’s owned the little eatery tucked into a Chevron on a busy corner in Gulf Shores since 2004. She and her husband le it and its name much as it was when they purchased the gas station. “It was Barge-N before, which is funny, because Barge is actually a family name for us,” she says. Today, it’s frequented by visitors and lots of locals, including one gen tleman who eats three meals a day at Barge-N. Its comforting fare is a cut above fast food, but there’s an additional distinction: Barge-N is farm-to-table. “I bought a farm this summer, and we’ve been doing dishes with veggies I grow. at’s gone over real well,” Woodson says.

Popular items include green beans, potato salad, fried chicken livers, hushpuppies, squash casserole (made with just-picked crooknecks), banana nut bread and fried chicken, which “people can’t seem to get enough of,” Woodson says. What they don’t mess with is the beloved Barge-N chicken salad, which is a dish original to the spot.

While Barge-N is known for its country cookin’, Woodson claims the side of warm welcome it’s served with is the key ingredient in the eatery’s success. “Our girls, our sta , they are so hospitable; that brings people back,” she says.

Los Compadres Mexican Grill

13771 Highway 231-431 North

Hazel Green

In a north Alabama BP station, Los Compadres Mexican Grill greets diners with apple-green walls, lacy cut-paper banners and rainbow-striped blankets overhead. e bold colors combine with bouncy Latin music to set a friendly mood that matches the restaurant’s name, but it’s the shatteringly crisp chips, still warm from the fryer, and basic but perfectly balanced tomato salsa that really elicit smiles from customers as they dip and munch while awaiting their orders in cozy booths.

e restaurant is small, but the menu is vast, featuring enchiladas, fajitas, tortas, nachos and specialties like camarones botaneros (spicy grilled shrimp served with onions) and a Philly cheese steak burrito. e standouts are the authentic street tacos: fresh corn tortillas over-stu ed with pineapple-simmered-pork or tomato-seasoned, shredded chicken dressed with cilantro, diced white onion and a squeeze of zesty lime.

Paul Peppers hands a chicken salad plate to Melinda Easler.

PHOTOS BY DAVID HAYNES

Cuzz’s Hwy 43 North

34155 Highway 43

Thomasville, AL 36784

Steve She eld, manager, Clarke-Washington EMC: “I love Cuzz’s. From casseroles in the store to fried chicken in the restaurant to the EV chargers in the parking lot, it’s got something for everybody. You don’t want to pass by it on Hwy. 43 and not take it all in. We’re excited to provide electricity to such a neat place.”

Waterfront Bay Grocery and Tackle

6955 Scottsboro Hwy. Scottsboro, AL 35769 256-582-6060

Groceries, bait, shing tackle, deli food, ice and fuel.

Cade Whorton, Boaz: “Every time we have a shing tournament on Guntersville Lake, we make sure to stop by Waterfront to get a thick-sliced bologna sandwich for breakfast. It makes getting up so early, not so bad.”

Scooter Store

200 W Main St. Hartford, AL 36344

Brad Kimbro, chief operating o cer, Wiregrass EC: “ e Scooter Store is a staple here in Hartford that’s been around for a very long time. ey have delicious fried home cooking.”

Y-Mart

10809 Highway 168, Boaz

1 256-593-4546

Y-Mart owner Matt Hamilton holds a chicken nger snack (chicken ngers with chicken sauce, potato wedges, and a roll), a popular item.

Jamie Camper: “My girls love Y-Mart chicken ngers, and to be honest, they will pick their breakfast over most anytime. ey also have amazing sausage balls, but get there early. ey are the rst to go.”

Isabella’s Mexican Cocina & Cantina

245 Old Highway 231 Cropwell, AL 35054

Kylie Entrekin, Coosa Valley EC: “ eir food is always great, but their salsa is the show’s real star! It has the right amount of spice, avor, and consistency everyone is sure to enjoy.”

Steve Lane’s Reals

3025 Alabama Highway 41 Selma, AL 36701

Jason King, warehouseman/lineman A, Pioneer EC, Selma district: “Our Selma crew eats there almost every day. ey particularly enjoy the fried bologna and cheese sandwich at breakfast. e food is always delicious, and the service is top-notch.”

Terry Moseley, manager, Pioneer EC: “We value Steve Lane’s contributions to the community and his support of Pioneer Electric. We especially appreciate his graciously providing meals for crews as they worked to restore power from the June storms.”

There’s really no shortage of gas station food stops across Alabama, and all of them have their ardent fans. Here’s just a sampling.

PHOTO BY SARAH TURNER

PHOTO BY KELLI WHORTON

PHOTO BY CADE WHORTON

PHOTO BY KYLIE ENTREKIN

PHOTO BY JENNIFER WARD

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The word “folklife” o en conjures images of old-school activities such as quilting, basket weaving, blacksmithing and square dancing. While folklife is certainly anchored in those and other age-old traditions, the term should also conjure images of the many vibrant, thoroughly modern traditions practiced by folks here in Alabama and beyond.

at’s the message the Alabama Folklife Association, a nonpro t established in 1980 to document, preserve and promote Alabama’s myriad folkways, is trying to spread throughout the state.

“Folklife” refers to a vast array of practices and traditions that families, communities and cultures around the world create and pass down through generations. Among them are arts and cra s, music and songs, dance, fashion, foods, skills, pastimes and religious practices.

Folklife is also a uniquely human concept — as Louis Armstrong once said, “all music is folk music; I ain’t never heard no horse sing a song.” And, according to AFA Executive Director Emily Blejwas, it’s one

Folklife: A rich and integral part of every community

that all humans share because everyone has inherited at least one tradition from their culture, whether it’s a recipe, a story, or even a hobby such as shing or hunting.

“Sometimes I worry that people think of folklife as preservation and resistance to change, as if there is only one true way of doing things,” Blejwas says. “ at’s not it at all. Folklife has always been in a state of change — even the ‘old ways’ were in ux — and it’s constantly evolving.

“To me, folklife is bringing forward the traditions that de ne and empower us, in whatever ways they manifest and make sense for us,” she continues. “And because folklife exists in every community, it’s essential to elevate all of our folkways so that we’re always celebrating the abundance of Alabama.”

e AFA also believes these traditions are meant to be shared with others, which is why the AFA not only encourages folks to embrace their own cultures, but to share them across cultural lines.

“Even when they don’t spring from a person’s own culture, (these traditions) are

Katie Jackson

“Tributaries” is the annual journal of the Alabama Folklife Association, which the group uses to share information and folklife stories.

The tradition of basket weaving is a cultural practice in many societies that dates back thousands of years; evidence of this practice has been found on virtually every continent.

Photos by Emily Blejwas unless otherwise noted.

things all Alabamians can take pride in,” Blejwas says.

e AFA supports the state’s cultural richness through a wide variety of programs, including sponsoring presentations, workshops, events and training sessions that take folk traditions and knowledge into schools and communities. It also supports research and scholarship focused on past and present folkways and shares this information and the state’s folklife stories through venues such as its podcast, “Alabama Folk,” and its annual journal, Tributaries.

In addition, the AFA works closely with the Alabama State Council on the Arts and other state, regional and national arts and humanities organizations to provide grants and teaching programs for organi-

zations and individuals wishing to share and further Alabama’s folk traditions. ese programs provide opportunities for current folk practitioners to share their knowledge and practices, but also help ensure new generations can discover them.

Working with young people

One way the AFA carries traditions forward is through its “Folk in Five” program, which introduces Alabama’s fourth graders, who are already taking a deep dive into state history and social studies, to the state’s folklife. rough the program, students have opportunities to see traditional artists at work, interview their own family and community members about their traditions and create ve-minute videos to document what they have learned.

Potter Charles Smith, a Mobile artist known internationally for his detailed Afrocentric and ceremonial vessels, has relished the chance to share his work and his artistic journey with students.

Smith was in his late 40s before he fully realized that his work as a potter was a “calling” — “what I was born to do,” he says. But he rst began to feel called to art in grade school, which is one reason he thinks fourth graders, who are innately curious, are an ideal audience. By meeting and interacting with a “living, breathing artist,” Smith hopes students will learn to appreciate their own cultures and maybe even nd “callings” of their own that can be turned into careers.

“I want to break the mode of ‘starving artists,’” he says. “ ese kids need to know that there are so many disciplines in art, from creating art to museums to photography to computer design.”

Another artist who has shared her traditional art with students is Edy Aguilar of

Ester de Aguiar, executive director of Mobile’s International Festival and a native of Brazil, makes these brigadeiros, an iconic truffle-like confection made with sweetened condensed milk and butter. She says that “food unites people” and shares her delectables at the festival and beyond.

Huntsville. Born in Mexico, Aguilar came to the U.S. in 1997 at the age of 2 and grew up in Sylvania, Ala. Her mother, who had run a successful piñata-making business with Aguilar’s grandfather back in Mexico, began making and selling them in their adopted DeKalb County community.

“ ey started calling her ‘ e Piñata Lady’ because everyone would call on her to make piñatas for every birthday party or special event,” Aguilar said.

ough she grew up helping her mother make those piñatas, Aguilar didn’t begin creating her own until a er high school when Joan Reeves, a faculty member at Northeast Alabama Community College, encouraged her to embrace her Mexican heritage. Reeves also introduced her to Blejwas and the AFA, through which she learned about the ASCA Artist’s Apprenticeship grants. Aguilar applied for and received a grant that allowed her to pass her piñata tradition on to two young protégés.

Her involvement with the AFA has also broadened Aguilar’s own cultural boundaries as she has learned about other traditions such as basket weaving and cigar box guitars.

Charlie Mato-Toyela led an Alabama Folk workshop on flutemaking in 2022. He has also received a folk arts apprenticeship.

PHOTO BY LAUREN CONCEPCION

Gena Barragan grew up in Laos but has spent her adulthood running Lao and Thai restaurants in south Alabama. She is featured in an “Alabama Folk” podcast, sharing information about her Lao culture and life.

PHOTO BY MEGGAN HALLER

Music, dance and colorful dresses are an intrinsic part of life and culture in Mexico. Maria Williams, who is interviewed in another episode of “Alabama Folk,” has taught traditional Mexican dances to generations of children in Mobile, which she says instills confidence, identity, pride, freedom and generosity in her students.

“Sharing cultures, especially in our country that is full of culture, brings people together and makes us feel a little bit more human,” she says. “If you really sit down with somebody you think is really di erent than you are and have a talk with them, you realize they are actually not much di erent. Everybody has traditions and cultures and sharing this tradition with someone else allows me to learn something about them.”

Sharing cultures is at the heart of everything Ester de Aguiar, executive director of Mobile’s International Festival, does. A native of Brazil, de Aguiar moved to Mobile at the age of 16 where she discovered a melting pot of cultures.

“A lot of people (from other countries and cultures) have made Mobile their home,” she says. Each culture has its own traditions — dance, art, food and more. Each year the festival, scheduled this year for Nov. 18, helps share the cultures of more than 70 countries and is also where de Aguiar has shared one of her own cultural treasures, brigadeiros.

Brigadeiros are iconic Brazilian trufe-like confections made with sweetened condensed milk and butter and traditionally avored with cocoa or coconut and covered in sprinkles (though they can be made in any imaginable avor). De Agu-

iar, who has been sharing them at the festival and beyond for years, sees them as much more than a delectable sweet.

“ ey are about promoting peace and friendship,” she says. “Food unites people. You feed people and they are going to love you. e more you share, the more you exchange with another human being, the more you open their mind and their heart.” at openness resonates with de Aguiar who believes “we’re all the same, we are just diverse. Kind of like a garden that has lots of di erent kinds of plants in it, but it works.”

Centuries-old traditions

Sharing culture through a traditional art form is also important to David Ivey, a longtime AFA member and board member who is passionate about one of Alabama’s most beloved forms of folk music, Sacred Harp singing.

Described by Ivey as “the rock-and-roll of the colonial days,” Sacred Harp singing is performed a cappella, using only the human voice as a musical instrument. It’s a centuries-old tradition that originated in England before spreading to New England and then on to the South where it really took root. e songs, many of which come from e Sacred Harp hymnbook published in Georgia in 1844, use shapes rather than formal musical notations to guide singers.

is music is very much an Ivey family tradition, one David learned while growing up in Alabama’s Sand Mountain region surrounded by grandparents, parents, uncles and aunts who all sang or listened to Sacred Harp music. In fact, the Ivey family is renowned as one of Alabama’s premiere Sacred Harp singing families. In 2013, David was awarded an NEA National Heritage Fellowship, the highest American honor for a traditional artist.

For Ivey, the music is not just part of

his tradition, but one anyone can embrace it because it is accessible to people of all singing skills and levels.

“Society and culture have taught people that they can’t sing unless they have a trained voice,” Ivey says. “But historically, humans have always sung, with or without training, and this form of music using shape notes is accessible to anyone. It lets us learn to sing with our ears.”

Ivey wants this musical tradition to carry on for generations to come and has promoted it throughout Alabama and across the globe as a singer, singing leader, organizer and conductor. He is also the recipient of numerous ASCA Artist’s Apprenticeship grants and is co-founder of Camp Fasola, a summer singing school open to all ages, held in Anniston and also in Poland.

Supporting the Sacred Harp art form and the artists who perform it matters deeply to Ivey. “To me, that’s at the core of enabling those traditions to be furthered, spread and taught and extended in time,” he says.

ese four artists represent a just a tiny slice of Alabama’s diverse folklife that spans the state’s complex human, geographic, environmental, political, cultural and historic landscape. Whether it’s Vietnamese lion dancing or Poarch Creek shell carving, traditional quilting or old-time ddling, pine needle basketry or herbal remedies, duck decoys or Jewish culture, the AFA is ready and eager to share it with the state and help pass on traditions for generations to come.

“We’re always looking for new artists, tradition bearers and makers,” Blejwas says.

To learn more about the state’s folklife resources or about the AFA, visit alabamafolklife.org, where you can become a member, listen to the Alabama Folk podcast, watch “Folk in Five” videos and sign up for notices on upcoming events.

Betty Anderson grew up watching the women of Gee’s Bend move through the seasons of rural life: quilting, canning, healing with herbs and making lye soap. She was featured in an “Alabama Folk” podcast.

Preserving Alabama’s cultural treasures

Almost as soon as Emily Blejwas arrived here in 2004, she became enamored with the incredible diversity of Alabama’s citizens and their cultures. at interest only deepened as Blejwas (pronounced blay-voss), a native of Minnesota who now lives in Mobile with her husband and four children, discovered more of Alabama’s cultural riches while working in economic and rural development and policy roles in the state, including serving as director of former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin’s Gulf States Health Policy Center in Bayou la Batre.

Her fascination with the state’s cultures and customs led Blejwas to volunteer with the Alabama Folklife Association, which was established in 1980 to doc ument, preserve and promote the state’s folk tradi tions, old and new. She has also explored themes of community and culture as an author of three critically acclaimed books — two middle-grade novels and e Story of Alabama in Fourteen Foods, published in 2019. In 2020, Blejwas was named AFA’s executive director, a role that al lows her to continue discovering, preserving and sharing Alabama’s cultural wealth through the organization’s research, education and fellowship programs and its Alabama Folk podcast. In her quest to nd, protect and elevate the state’s cultural riches, Blejwas has also become one of its treasures.

– Katie Jackson

As a transplant to Alabama, was the state’s culture and cultural diversity di erent from your expectations or your experiences in other places you’ve lived and worked?

One hundred percent. I knew very little about Alabama when I arrived and didn’t anticipate the stunning diversity within its borders, including racial, cultur al, geographic, religious, even biodiversity. I didn’t know we had four Southeast Asian communities in the bayou or barbecue sauc es based in tiny hamlets or cultural traditions ranging from clogging and chicken stew in north Alabama to red snapper and Mardi Gras on the Gulf Coast. It still astonishes me, and it still frustrates me that Alabama gets painted in such broad strokes. None of us is one thing, Alabama included.

Was there an event, tradition or moment that led you to embrace Alabama so fully?

It was a pretty immediate transforma tion. In my rst summer I met Joe Minter (an Alabama sculptor) and toured his art grounds in Birmingham, listened to (Ala bama author) Kathryn Tucker Windham tell stories at the Okra Festival in Burkville and

rolled through Hurricane Ivan. I started a master’s program at Auburn a few months later, which allowed me to dig even deeper into Alabama history and culture. And the more I learned and experienced, the more there was to learn and experience, like walking toward a mountain that keeps moving further away, but in a spectacular way.

Why do culture and the concept of “community” matter to us all? And to you personally?

I think it’s a matter of identity and a way of making sense of the world. Most of us, at some point, ask the big questions. What are we doing here? What is this all about? What matters? And I think both culture and community give us a sense of place and belonging and purpose. Plus, we’re all part of multiple communities that de ne us in di erent ways. ey help us know who we are and to navigate the future, but also to connect back to the past.

Have you and your family discovered any folkways that you now incorporate in your own lives?

My husband’s family is Polish, so we keep many Polish traditions — chalking the lintel and hiding the coin on ree Kings Day, baking a lamb cake at Easter, sharing opłatek on Christmas Eve.

In Alabama, we go to as many festivals and cultural events as we can, so we’re constantly engaged and surprised. I particularly love seeing the widows at the cemetery on (Mobile’s) Joe Cain Day. We also love hiking in North Alabama. It’s so di erent than Mobile, we feel like we’ve traveled far from home. I call it crossing the Sun Drop line — when you start to see Sun Drop soda in the gas stations — that’s when you’ve made it.

What are your hopes and dreams for the AFA and the state’s folkways?

I hope our work will motivate Alabamians to document and share their own traditions. e incredible thing about folklife is that we all have it. And we also have the capability to document and share it. It can be as simple as interviewing your grandfather at a family gathering or calling your aunt for that recipe (though she probably didn’t write it down) or photographing a community tradition or digging into archives to tell a local story.

tra call photo dig

I’m also deeply inspired by emerging work that uses arts and culture to tell historic truths and work toward reconciliation. It’s such powerful and transformative and necessary work.

work that uses arts and culture to tell recon trans

Fairhope Film Festival gaining national notice

By Gita Smith

T“he best of the best” is how Mary Riser describes the movies that will be shown Nov. 9-12 in Fairhope.

at’s because she and her sta travel to lm festivals all around the country to see movies that win prizes and acclaim. en, they book those movies and show them at the Fairhope Film Festival, an event now in its 11th year and gaining national notice.

Riser, the event’s executive director and originator, says the 2023 lineup of 20 lms will o er full length features, documentaries and short subjects in three screening rooms in downtown Fairhope. Tickets are sold for individual movies as well as multiple lms. ey will go on sale starting Oct. 26 at the festival website: fairhope lmfestival.org

A lively street party, morning discussion meet-ups with directors, and a special look at budding student lmmakers are among the events featured over the four days.

e Fairhope festival attracts viewers from across Alabama. But movie lovers from as far away as California make the trip, for good reason, says Riser. e lms her sta selects are thoughtful and, mostly, less noisy than those in neighborhood multiplexes.

“ e selections won’t include Marvel Comics,” she says. “We book independent and foreign lms that otherwise might not be shown in commercial theaters in Alabama. is year, we’ll be screening titles from Europe, Asia (a winner at 2023 Cannes festival) and Israel as well as the USA.”

Riser is a lifelong movie lover. She conceived of the festival in 2011 in her garage o ce. “I had been showing lms at the University of South Alabama’s Baldwin campus: 12 English language lms in fall semester and 12 foreign lms in spring. When Net ix came along, I took a year o . en, a lm festival seemed like it would be easier and reach more people. We expanded from the campus 11 years ago to a four-venue event.”

Of this year’s ctional o erings, Riser says some are tender, like one from Switzerland about a couple in their later years trying to sort out their marriage. Some deal with di cult issues, like one from Israel. “‘You Will Not Play Wagner’ is a stage play turned into a lm about a Jewish musician who’s told not to perform music by the notorious anti-Semitic composer,” she says.

Among the eagerly anticipated documentaries on the list is the critically acclaimed, “Against All Enemies,” directed by Charlie Sado . It investigates how violent white nationalist organizations, such as Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, recruit soldiers and police.

Fairhope o ers a taste of Southern culture mixed with international avor, to the bene t of ticketholders. For example, says assistant-to-the-director Barb Stassen, “Unlike other festivals that seat lmmakers in special seats o to themselves, Fairhope doesn’t save seats for directors. Filmmakers sit in the auditorium with everyone else and they hear the genuine reactions of the audience to their work.

“Our event is tailored for people, not production companies, because we feel there’s a big gap to ll for viewers who don’t get to see really great (but little known) movies unless they live in New York or Chicago.”

Riser says, “At big festivals like Sundance or Toronto, production companies are trying to sell their movies to distributors. ere’s a lot of fanfare and publicizing. We are not selling. We’re just presenting. And the selections are carefully curated.”

When choosing the short subjects, a category of lms under 40 minutes long, Dee Washington views submissions from around the globe. She and other “programmers” view them online and rate them one to ve, then get together to decide what makes it into the festival. “ ey are in di erent states, which gives us a number of perspectives,” she says. Eleven short lms were shown in 2022 from three countries.

On Wednesday night, the public is invited to the Fairhope Brewing Company for a free movie chosen by the festival sta and volunteers.

On the nal day, student lmmakers from local high schools and colleges will showcase what they’ve been able to make in a tight time frame. “ is is where the festival excels in fusing Southern creativity with emerging lm technology. ese students will be using the new digital movie-making methods,” Stassen says.

“ ey’ve been allowed just hours to make a movie under the guidance of Je erson Moore and Kelly Worthington, videographers from Kelly’s Film Works in Louisville, KY. is will be a unique treat for the audience – honest e orts by enthusiastic young lm lovers.”

One last thing Stassen wants people to know: “ e Baldwin County weather is perfect in November.”

Festival Executive Director Mary Riser, left, and Barb Stassen, assistant to the director, at the Fairhope Film Festival headquarters.

S. Epatha Merkerson and Rockell Metcalf, producer and director of the 2012 documentary, “The Contradictions of Fair Hope,” which was shown at a past festival.

The crowd gathers at a previous festival for the movie “Diving Deep,” a documentary about Mobile native Mike DeGruy who specialized in underwater cinematography.

Disability: Part of the equity equation

People with disabilities play an important role in a diverse and inclusive workforce. We would like to tell you about Amy and her path to nancial independence through work.

Meet Amy

Amy has a developmental disability that a ects her speech, learning, and social interactions. When she was ready to nd a path to nancial independence through work, Amy turned to her State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agency for help. Amy’s VR counselor told her about Social Security’s Ticket to Work (Ticket) Program.

e Ticket Program supports career development for people with disabilities who want to work. Adults ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability bene ts or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) qualify for this free and voluntary program. rough the Ticket Program, service providers o er free employment support services.

Amy had questions about how employment could a ect her bene ts. Her State VR counselor connected her with Full Circle Employment Solutions. Full Circle is an Employment Network (EN) with bene ts counselors on sta who explained how working might a ect her disability bene ts.

Amy’s bene ts counselor also told her about Work Incentives. Work Incentives make it easier for adults with disabilities to enhance their job skills and gain work experience. ey do so while

receiving Medicaid or Medicare and Social Security bene ts or SSI payments.

With a better understanding of these supports, Amy was ready to explore her employment options. She pursued an internship with Project SEARCH, a training program for young adults with developmental disabilities. rough Project SEARCH, Amy landed an internship that led to a permanent position with her local government.

Amy earned her way to nancial independence and no longer receives SSI. Now, she’s a union member, receives bene ts through her job, and enjoys the security and stability that come with fulltime employment. She’s grateful for the support she received through the Ticket Program and looks forward to building the future she always hoped for.

“ is job makes me feel needed and welcomed,” she says.“I have learned about what motivates me and how to keep going, even when things get hard.”

Learn More

To learn more about the Ticket Program, visit choosework.ssa. gov where you also can see a list of service providers. Or you can call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866833-2967 (TTY), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, and ask for a list of service providers.

You can also learn more by registering for a free, online Work Incentives Seminar Event webinar at choosework.ssa.gov/wise Or you can text TICKET to 474747 to receive Ticket Program texts. Standard messaging rates may apply, and you can opt out at any time.

Please share this information with friends and family who may need it.

by Myles Mellor

Kylle’ McKinney, SSA Public Affairs Specialist, can be reached by email at kylle.mckinney@ssa.gov.

OCTOBER

4-7 Spanish Fort Alabama Coastal BirdFest. The area offers prime birdwatching opportunities along the coast during fall migration; more than 370 bird species have been spotted at various locations. Event begins at the 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center. 251-9905004 or email salt@southalabamalandtrust.org

4-7 Moundville 35th annual Moundville Native American Festival. Event celebrates the cultures of Southeastern Native Americans, past and present. Meet Native American artisans, see traditional dances, listen to stories and music, and support local and Native American businesses. $10 adults, students and seniors; children 5 and under free. 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Moundville Archaeological Park. 205-371-8732 or email mbryant18@ua.edu

5 Talladega Salaam Green, a Road Scholar from the Alabama Humanities Alliance, will be the guest speaker at the Brown Bag Lunch Lecture at the Harvey Museum on the campus of Talladega College. Her topic will be “What Black Women Want you to Know: The Literary History of Art and Racial Healing in Alabama.” 12 to 1 p.m. Free. srobertson@talladega.edu

5-14 Cullman Cullman County Fair at the Fairgrounds. Vendors, entertainment, rides, pageants, livestock exhibits, food and more. Free parking. 256-734-0661 or 256-734-0339.

Around Alabama

6-7 Pinson Alabama Butterbean Festival, Main Street. Vendors, a carnival, 5K run and more. 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Alabamabutterbeanfestival. com

6-7 Boaz 59th annual Harvest Festival, beginning at 8 a.m. Arts and crafts vendors, cornhole tournament, classic car and truck show, gospel music, performance dancers, bouncy houses, food trucks, beauty pageant, Jeep show, live music and more. 256593-8154.

6-8 Leeds Barber Vintage Festival at the Barber Motorsports Park. The largest vintage motorcycle festival in the country, this three-day event features a Fan Zone, stunt shows and vintage motorcycle racing. Swap meet has more than 600 vendors. Seminars will take place all weekend. BarberMuseum.org

6-15 Montgomery Alabama National Fair, Garrett Coliseum. Midway rides and games, Grandpa’s Farm and live music, including Webb Dalton, a K-Pop Star Contest, Ginuwine, JJ Weeks and Steel Cuz’n. alnationalfair.org

7 Millbrook Paddles for Paws pickleball tournament, 8 a.m. This fundraising event for the Humane Society of Elmore County will take place on the 12 new outdoor courts at 17 Springs. Registration is $35 plus a $5 service fee, which includes a T-shirt, snacks and drinks. Register at pickleballbrackets.com

7 Stockton Arts and Antiques Festival, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Stockton Civic Center, 53998 Highway 59. Arts, antiques, music, food and fun. 251-751-1821.

13-14 Troy Pioneer Days at the Pioneer Museum of Alabama, 249 U.S. Highway 231 North. Skilled artisans and craftsmen dressed in period clothing demonstrate folk arts and crafts including blacksmithing, rope making, woodworking, candle dipping, spinning, weaving and more. Living history activities will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission $12, with children 5 and under and members free. 334-566-3597 or pioneermuseum.org

14 Hobson Fall Festival. Music, Buster’s Seafood, quilt and pumpkin judging, antique cars and pickleball tournaments. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 251-242-7790.

14-15 Northport 52nd Kentuck Festival of the Arts, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Kentuck Park. The two-day festival has its roots in folk art and features more than 270 artists, live music, spoken word, activities for children, craft demonstrations and more. Kentuck.org

19-20 Auburn Pine Hill Cemetery Lantern Tour, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The Auburn Heritage Association conducts this tour every other year as a “walk through history” that features historical Auburn characters buried in the city’s oldest cemetery. Ladies in period dress with lanterns will escort guests and local volunteers will portray characters buried there. Tickets $15; children welcome. Email pinetucket2@gmail.com for information.

20-21 Hartselle Alabama Gourd Show, begins at 9 a.m. Friday, Sparkman Civic Center. The show promotes exposure and interest in the many varieties of gourds. Live demonstrations, classes, gourd art, an exhibition, raw gourds, tools and supplies, as well as an activity for children. Free. neva@ hiwaay.net

20-21 Mentone Fall Festival on colorful Lookout Mountain. Live entertainment, children’s activities and more than 40 vendors offering unique arts and crafts, plus music on two stages. Proceeds benefit the historic Moon Lake School; free admission, $5 parking donation. Mentonefallfestival. godaddysites.com

24 Cullman 7th annual Caring for Cullman concert, 7 p.m. The Triumphant Quartet will return to headline this signature event for the Good Samaritan Clinic. Opening the evening will be the Daystar Church praise team. Tickets are $25 in outlets or at the door, and $28 online. GoodSamaritanCullman.com or 256-255-5965.

28

Hamilton 17th annual Buttahatchee River Fall Fest, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in downtown. Arts and crafts vendors, food vendors, a 5K run plus musical entertainment in the First Baptist Church parking lot. Civil War re-enactment and a living history demonstration at the Hamilton-Sullins house. 205-921-7786 or 205-952-9884.

5-31

Mobile Scarecrows in the Gardens at Bellingrath Gardens and Home. Also, on Oct. 28 the gardens will host a Boo at Bellingrath trick-or-treating event from 1 to 6 p.m., with inflatables, spooky wonderland and treat stations. Bellingrath.org

To place an event, e-mail events@alabamaliving.coop. or visit www.alabamaliving.coop. You can also mail to Events Calendar, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124; Each submission must include a contact name and phone number. Deadline is two months prior to issue date. We regret that we cannot publish every event due to space limitations.

Alabama Living on FB instagram.com/alabamaliving

The Barber Museum, featuring five floors of motorcycle heaven, will be open extended hours during the Barber Vintage Festival, Oct. 6-8.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL CORNELISON

Five reasons electric co-ops are great places to work

Energy careers are uniquely stable and innovative

By Paul Wesslund

The electricity in your home can seem like an impossible miracle to explain. But one way to understand it is to think about the variety of skills and job roles it takes to make that power happen.

at kind of thinking can also be handy if you or someone you know is looking for a promising career.

Running electric utilities today takes just about every skill imaginable. Some jobs call for the physical ability to climb a utility pole, others the technical know-how to create intricate cybersecurity systems. Some require the interpersonal skills of talking with a co-op member about how they can lower their electric bill, others the logistical knowledge to get essential equipment delivered through a challenging supply chain.

An industry that depends on such a vast range of abilities o ers job seekers a variety of career opportunities.

Careers in Energy Week is October 16-20, 2023. To highlight this unique industry and the many career paths it o ers, here are ve ways the unique characteristics of electric co-ops make them a great place to work:

Stability. You can count on homes and businesses needing electricity now and in the future. One analysis predicts electricity demand will grow even faster in the 2020s than it has the previous two decades. Energy careers o er excellent bene ts and paths for career advancement. Employees typically stay in the industry more than 15 years.

Excitement. While utility work is reliable, it’s also at the cutting edge of innovation. Electri cation is the centerpiece of the push for greener energy. e number of electric vehicles is doubling every year, which means new workforce skills are needed to gure out how to keep all those cars and trucks plugged in and charged up. Two of the 20 fastest-growing occupations are wind turbine technician and solar voltaic installer. More than $120 billion a year is being spent to modernize the U.S. electric grid to

manage new patterns of electricity use. e energy industry is changing, and it’s an exciting time to be part of it.

Variety. e skills needed in the utility industry range from advanced college degrees to trade school, apprenticeship and on-the-job training. And the range of positions is staggering— accountants, social media managers, IT specialists, engineers, human resources professionals. ere are more unique positions as well—drone operators to inspect power lines, data analysts to coordinate the ow of electricity and power plant operators to oversee electricity generation.

It’s local. e thing about electricity is that maintaining the service needs to happen nearby. at means that much of the work takes place near your hometown. Not only can a utility worker make a living and raise a family in the place they choose to live, if they decide to move to another part of the country, there will likely be energy career opportunities there as well.

Satisfaction. Any lineworker will tell you even when they’ve just climbed down from a pole in the middle of the night during a rainstorm, there’s no better feeling than knowing the power outage you’ve just restored brought light and heat back into the homes of hundreds of people. e same goes for the utility truck dispatcher back at headquarters, and the media specialist getting the word out about the status of power restoration. e same goes for the system resilience planners, working to avoid an outage in the rst place. And the engineers creating an energy system for the future with renewable energy technologies and utility-scale batteries. Utility workers can know they’re powering their neighbors and the nation.

Paul Wesslund writes on consumer and cooperative a airs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives.

Baldwin EMC metering technician Chris Brown works on a meter with Austin Ryan, field service technician.

Baylee Anderson works as a member services representative and floater at Wiregrass Electric Cooperative.

Whether as part of a main dish, in a dessert or as a snack, the abundance of pumpkins this time of year is one of the many reasons October is a favorite month for many of us.

Food styling and photos

Pumpkin Cheesecake

: Brooke Echols

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:

24gingersnaps, 2-inch

¼ cup pecan halves or pieces

Filling:

48-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1cup sugar

115-ounce can pumpkin (not pie lling)

1tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1teaspoon vanilla extract

4eggs

Topping:

1½tablespoons honey

½cup pecans

Crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Use pulsing action of food processor to process gingersnaps and ¼ cup of pecans until nely crushed. Press into bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

Filling: Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add pumpkin, pie spice and vanilla. Mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each until just blended. Pour over the crust. Bake 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until center is almost set. Loosen cake from rim. Cool before removing rim. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

Topping: Cook honey and remaining pecans in skillet on medium heat 5 minutes or just until honey is foaming and mixture is heated through, stirring frequently. Spread on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray, using fork to separate nuts. Cool completely. Top cheesecake with glazed pecans before serving. 16 servings.

Nancy Sites Sizemore

Baldwin EMC

Pumpkin, Date and Nut Bread

22⁄3cups sugar

2⁄3 cup shortening

4 eggs, beaten

1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree

2⁄3 cup water

31⁄3cups all-purpose our, sifted

½teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1½teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½teaspoon cloves

2⁄3 cup nuts, chopped

2⁄3 cup dates, chopped

Cream sugar and shortening, add eggs then pumpkin and water. Sift dry ingredients and add to above mixture. Mix well and add dates and nuts. Spray two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans with cooking spray. Divide mixture between pans. Bake at 350 degrees about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Wanda H. Stinson Pioneer EC

Brooke Burks

We love fall for so many reasons. Pumpkins and other winter squashes give us a bounty of new seasonal avors. Here we will show you a surprisingly good way to use those harvest pumpkins. As the weather turns cooler, slow cooker cooking saves you time and gives you more time to gather together to enjoy the season. This delicious recipe celebrates the thrill of fall and will allow you to enjoy the simple pleasure of comfort food shared with the ones you love. By substituting the pumpkin and radishes for the potatoes and carrots, you also get the added health bene ts of lower carb vegetables. It’s a healthy option that still has all of the beef stew avor you love. For more recipes like this one, be sure to visit our site at thebutteredhome.com

The Best Slow Cooker Pumpkin Beef Stew

2pounds beef stew meat

½teaspoon smoked paprika

½teaspoon salt

¼teaspoon pepper

3cups radishes

4cups pumpkin, cubed

8ounces mushrooms

2tablespoon tomato paste

¼cup red wine vinegar

¼teaspoon dried thyme

2tablespoon garlic, minced

4cups beef broth

½cup onion

Parsley

1bay leaf

Wash pumpkin and radishes. Peel and cube the pumpkin. Trim and cut the radishes into pieces about the same size as the pumpkin.

Season two pounds of stew beef with ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Sear the seasoned beef in a skillet for two to ve minutes until slightly browned on all sides. Add to the bottom of your slow cooker liner, pan drippings and all!

Add two to four cups cleaned and trimmed radishes and four cups cubed pumpkin to the beef in the crock pot. Add in eight ounces mushrooms, ½ cup onion and mix to combine. Add two tablespoons tomato paste, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme and two tablespoons minced garlic and mix well to season. Pour in four cups beef broth and add the bay leaf. Cover with lid and cook on low for eight hours or high for four to ve hours, until beef is tender and almost falling apart. Garnish with parsley, more thyme, salt and pepper if need be.

Photo by The Buttered Home

Cook of the Month:

Ruby Christian, Franklin EC

Ruby Christian likes to experiment a lot with different recipes, and even though she doesn’t care for pumpkin all that much, she used a bit of pumpkin puree to flavor her winning “Sausage Pumpkin Pinwheels” recipe. By the time she’d perfected the bite-size pastries, “I forgot it was pumpkin,” she said, laughing. The biscuit-like treats are great for breakfast or for any get-together, says Ruby, who retired after 25 years as an engineering assistant with the state Department of Transportation. She also recommends dipping the pinwheels into a bit of ranch dressing for some extra zest.

Pumpkin Butterscotch

Mu ns

1¾cups our, sifted

½cup light brown sugar, rmly packed

½cup sugar

2teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼teaspoon baking powder

¼teaspoon salt

2large eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 stick butter, melted

1 cup butterscotch chips

½cup chopped pecans, toasted (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix our, sugars, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Create a well in the middle of the mixture and set aside. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin and butter. Stir butterscotch chips and pecans into wet mixture. Pour wet mixture into the well of dry ingredients. Fold together just until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not over-mix. Spoon batter evenly into greased mu n tins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Place on rack to cool. Makes 18 mu ns. Cook’s note: 1 cup of canned pumpkin pie lling can be used in place of the canned pumpkin; omit pumpkin pie spice if substituting.

Jennifer Smith Tallapoosa River EC

Sausage Pumpkin Pinwheels

22-ounce links mild Italian sausage

17.3-ounce

117.3-ounce box of 2 frozen pu pastry sheets, thawed but cold

6tablespoons canned pumpkin puree, divided 1cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded and divided 2tablespoons green onions, chopped and divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 9x13-inch pans with parchment paper. Remove casing from sausage. In a small skillet, cook sausage over medium heat stirring until brown and crumbly, drain on paper towels. On a lightly oured surface, unroll pastry sheets and spread each sheet with 3 tablespoons pumpkin. Sprinkle each sheet with half the onions and cheese and gently press into pastry. Roll each sheet into a log, pinching seams together to seal. Cut each log into 12-slices. Place in pans. Bake about 10 minutes, turn over and bake 7 more minutes. Cool 20 minutes before serving. Yield: 24 servings.

Pumpkin Smoothie

1frozen banana (fresh if using frozen pumpkin)

1vanilla Oikos triple zero Greek yogurt

½ cup pumpkin puree

½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash each of nutmeg, ginger and cloves

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Autumn Enoch

North Alabama EC

Pumpkin Mousse Dip

2cups milk

1 cup pumpkin

23-ounce packages instant vanilla pudding mix

1 teaspoon pumpkin spice

1 cup whipped topping

Combine milk, pumpkin, pudding mix and spice. Stir in whipped topping. Serve with gingersnaps.

Martha Black Handschumacher

Arab EC

Pumpkin Soup

¼ cup green pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons onion, chopped

1teaspoon parsley akes or fresh minced parsley

1⁄8 teaspoon thyme leaves

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons butter

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cups cooked pumpkin, mashed

2 cups water

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1 tablespoon our

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄8 teaspoon pepper

Sauté pepper, onion, parsley, thyme and bay leaf in butter until tender. Do not brown. Add tomatoes, pumpkin, water and bouillon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. In small bowl, combine our and milk, blend well. Stir in soup mixture, add salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until mixture boils.

Yield: 6-8 servings.

Laurie Myer

Southern

Pine EC

WIN $50!

February theme:

Better with Butter

Enter by: November 3

Homemade bread is not complete without a generous pat of butter to serve with it. Make it a sweet or savory compound butter and it's even better. Send us your recipes featuring butter as the star of the show or as a fabulous finishing touch that really completes a dish. We look forward to testing them out and selecting the next Cook of Month !

Next theme and deadline: March: Charcuterie boards | December 1

3 ways to submit:

Visit our website: alabamaliving.coop

Email us: recipes@alabamaliving.coop

USPS mail:

Attn: Recipes, P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124

Cook of the Month wins $50! Recipes can be developed by you or family members. You may even adapt a recipe from another source by changing as little as amount of one ingredient. Chosen cooks may win “Cook of Month” only once per calendar year. To be eligible, submissions must include a name, phone number, mailing address and co-op name. Alabama Living reserves right to reprint recipes in our other publications.

Squirrel hunting offers learning for novice hunters

Many youngsters, and even some adults who’ve never hunted before, will take to the woods for the rst time this fall. Most usually follow a father, uncle, grandfather, other relative or a friend who can teach them what to do.

When hunting with youngsters, make it all about the children. Don’t expect them to act like Daniel Boone. ey will make mistakes, but most people learn best by making mistakes. Don’t do everything for a child. Teach that child how to do things correctly. en let the child do it, as long as it’s safe.

Make every outing interesting and enjoyable for young children. My dad always tried to turn any trip into an adventure. He explained the interconnected web of nature and took time to point out tracks and other signs. He taught us to identify birds and animals we spotted or heard, even if that meant taking home less game in the bag.

Dad always carried his gun, but seldom red it when hunting with young children. He would much rather see a child shoot than for himself to take home with limit. However, Dad never compromised on safety. We never handled a gun without rst checking to make sure it was unloaded until ready to hunt.

Start youngsters o with something active and easy for small sportsmen to do that will keep their attention. Young sportsmen quickly grow bored sitting for long periods or trying to stay still long enough to fool a deer or a gobbler. Opportunities for more advanced hunting will come later.

Squirrel hunting o ers an outstanding opportunity to introduce youngsters to the sport. First comes learning how to spot the “gray ghosts of the forests.” Squirrels can quickly disappear in the branches, holes and foliage of big trees. e masters of concealment regularly fool even the most experienced woodsmen. For practice, take young sportsmen to a park. See how many squirrels the youngster can spot. Let the young woodsman try to sneak up on some squirrels as if hunting.

Of course, locating squirrels living in a wild forest requires higher skill levels than ones in a park. In good squirrel habitat, like a hardwood or mixed forest, cover ground slowly. Take

a few steps. en, stop to look and listen. Scan the trees for any movement or odd shapes on tree trunks and branches. Without making quick movements, advance a few more steps and stop again.

Hunters frequently hear squirrels long before they see them. Listen for the distinctive sound of claws scratching on rough bark, shaking branches or objects dropping to the ground. Squirrels o en bark to proclaim their territory, usually a little later in the morning or in late a ernoon.

Every few yards, nd a fallen log or comfortable tree trunk and sit down. Remain still and quiet while scanning and listening. After a while, move a short distance and repeat. A good pair of binoculars helps spot well-concealed squirrels hiding in trees.

Squirrels don’t always stay in trees. Sometimes, they forage on the ground, especially later in the season. Listen for them scampering over leaves. An experienced hunter can identify those sounds to a youngster. People not familiar with such sounds might listen to recordings on the internet.

Squirrel hunting in pairs or teams allows socialization, creating an excellent way to introduce children to the sport and build lasting bonds. Alerted squirrels habitually put tree trunks, large branches or other cover between themselves and hunters. However, smart sportsmen can take advantage of a squirrel’s innate curiosity.

When a squirrel hides, the more experienced hunter could walk around the tree making noise while the youngster remains in place and keeps quiet.

e squirrel will naturally focus on the moving person and try to hide from that individual. at might prompt the squirrel to move slightly, giving away its position. at squirrel might jump to a spot that o ers the youngster an excellent shot.

e Alabama squirrel season runs from Sept. 9 to March 3, 2024, with a limit of eight per day. Any public hunting areas with hardwood trees should hold good squirrel populations. Some better state wildlife management areas for squirrels include Barbour, Black Warrior, David K. Nelson, Freedom Hills, James D. Martin-Skyline, Lowndes, Oakmulgee, Red Hills and the Upper Delta. Sportsmen can also apply to hunt several small Special Opportunity Areas.

Find some time to take a child hunting this season. For more information on public places to hunt, see outdooralabama.com/ hunting/where-hunt-alabama 

John N. Felsher is a professional freelance writer who lives in Semmes, Ala. He also hosts an outdoors tips show for WAVH FM Talk 106.5 radio station in Mobile, Ala. Contact him at j. felsher@hotmail.com or through Facebook.

Larger than gray squirrels, fox squirrels come in many different color phases. This one forages for food around the base of a pine tree. Squirrels like to eat pine seeds, tearing cones apart to get to them.

PHOTO BY JOHN N. FELSHER

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How to insulate your attic hatch

Q:I’ve noticed a dra coming in around my attic hatch, and it makes the room uncomfortable. Can you o er any tips for this?

A:You can eliminate dra s and reduce energy waste by properly sealing and insulating your attic hatch. Attic hatches are o en overlooked, even if the rest of the attic is properly insulated. It should be noted if your attic access is located in an area you are not paying to heat or cool, such as your home’s exterior or garage, there’s no need to insulate it.

For attic access points inside the home, it’s important to seal them properly with durability and functionality in mind. Attic hatches should be insulated close to the same R-value as the rest of the attic. (R-value is the insulation’s capacity to resist heat ow.)

Attic access types vary, but here are a few tips on how to insulate standard and ladder attic hatches.

Standard attic hatches

A standard attic hatch is typically a covered rectangular hole cut into the ceiling. If your hatch is drywall, I recommend replacing it because it is di cult to properly insulate and seal a drywall hatch. ey o en crumble and crack around the edges, leading to more air leaks.

Ready-made insulated hatches are available online or at home improvement stores, or you can insulate and seal your existing attic hatch. Either way, measure carefully to ensure you create an e ective seal.

To improve your existing hatch, replace drywall attic hatches with ¾-inch plywood cut to t. If you have loose- ll insulation in your attic—as opposed to berglass batts—install a dam or barrier that extends 2 inches above the level of insulation to prevent it from spilling into the house when you open the hatch. Use unfaced berglass batt insulation or plywood to hold back the loose ll insulation.

To insulate the hatch, use rigid foam insulation cut slightly smaller than the plywood attic hatch. Use screws and fender washers to secure the rst layer of rigid foam to the hatch. Add layers of rigid foam by taping the edges together one at a time using foil tape. Always wear gloves when using foil tape to prevent cuts. Keep layering the rigid foam until you reach the desired R-value.

Remember to seal any gaps between the drywall and trim, using caulk for smaller gaps and foam sealant for larger

ones. Finish the job by applying adhesive weatherstripping around the hatch perimeter. Install the weatherstripping on the hatch itself or on the trim supporting the hatch.

Ladder attic hatches

For attic hatches with dropdown ladders, you’ll follow the same instructions: Install a dam, air seal and insulate. Be sure to account for the space of the folding ladder.

To insulate, build a box to sit in the attic around the hatch. I suggest using wood for the sides tall enough to accommodate the folded ladder. e top of the box will be rigid foam you can remove to get into the attic. Cut the rst piece of foam to t inside the box and the next layer to t on top of the box. Keep layering until you reach the desired R-value.

To get a good air seal, you may need to remove the existing trim to seal the gap between the drywall and hatch frame. Add weatherstripping to the hatch or the underside of the frame to form a tight seal when closed.

ere are several commercially available options for insulating ladder hatches. Remember to check the product’s R-value and measure carefully.

If purchasing the required materials to seal and insulate your attic hatch is not in your budget, I recommend weatherstripping the hatch perimeter. While it won’t provide the same level of insulation, it’s a simple, low-cost option for blocking air dra s.

Miranda Boutelle is the chief operating officer at Efficiency Services Group in Oregon, a cooperatively owned energy efficiency company. She has more than 20 years of experience helping people save energy at home, and she writes on energy efficiency topics for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives.

If buying materials or ready-made kits is not in your budget, inexpensive weatherstripping provides a minimal level of protection. PHOTO COURTESY ENERGYSMART ACADEMY

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Sept. 2 ................ MTSU

Sept. 9 ................ Texas

Sept. 16 ....... @ South Florida

Sept. 23 ............. Ole Miss

Sept. 30 .... @ Mississippi State

Oct. 7 ........ @ Texas A&M

Oct. 14 ............. Arkansas

Oct. 21 ............ Tennessee

Oct. 28 .................. Idle

Nov. 4 .................. LSU

Nov. 11 ...........@ Kentucky

Nov. 18 .......... Chattanooga

Nov. 25 ............ @ Auburn

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Oct. 28 ................ Louisiana

Nov. 2 .................. @ Troy

Nov. 11 ........... Arkansas State

Nov. 18 ................. Marshall

Nov. 25 ............ @ Texas State

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Sept. 9 ...... @ Georgia Southern

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Sept. 30 ................ @ Tulane

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Canceling my friend, John

“They’re arguments are s***,” says Dr. Andrew Dessler, a Texas A&M professor and director of the Texas Center for Climate Change, in an article by Richard Banks for WBHM about Dr. John Christy’s and Dr. Roy Spencer’s work on global temperatures and climate change models.

ankfully, Mr. Dessler is not an English professor, or he would have failed the course with such poorly cra ed grammar.

Dr. Dessler, a frequent critic of Dr. Christy, is further quoted in the article, “Christy’s arguments have not swayed the scienti c community,” in referring to a survey touted by the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) which states there is a lot of disagreement among climate scientists about climate change. Dr. Dessler also states, “Virtually 100% of the community agrees with the conclusions – the earth is warming. Humans are largely to blame for that.” You should note the survey is not a study, and the survey nds there is disagreement among climate scientists about climate change – not that virtually 100% of the community agrees with the conclusions. Dr. Dessler’s scienti c foundation for his conclusions and profane opinion of Dr. Christy’s work is poorer than his grammar.

Dr. Christy is professor of atmospheric science and Dr. Spencer is principal research scientist at the University of Alabama at Huntsville. Additionally, Dr. Christy is the Alabama state climatologist. Both have been engaged in climate science, global temperature measurements and evaluations of climate models since the late 1980s. Dr. Christy has testi ed before Congress about 20 times, primarily about his work on climate change.

Mr. Banks, the Morning Edition host at WBHM, a television station in Birmingham, writes that Christy is “a favorite of the political right because of his views that carbon dioxide emissions have very little in uence on the climate.” Mr. Banks critiques Christy and Spencer’s decades of research by referencing works published in environmentalist advocate blogs such as climateinsidernews. org and criticizes Christy’s and Spencer’s work because their calculations have been adjusted, which showed a slight warming. He also quotes Dr. Dessler again, “ ese days, Christy’s perspective on climate change … seems to be more of an argument that’s designed to generate soundbites that politicians can use.”

Banks also quotes Dr. Christy, “But (it is) clear, from the evidence we have, it is not a climate crisis at all.” Christy says there are record crops every year. Deaths from climate and weather-related events are down 98% from what it was 100 years ago.” Banks contends that both arguments are o en used by climate change skeptics and frequently refuted by mainstream media, although he

o ers no proof of the media’s assertions.

Mr. Banks presents an argument based upon an EPA report that rising temperatures and carbon concentrations may increase some crop yields, but the yields of major commodities such as corn, rice, and oats are expected to be lower without climate change. Further, a World Meteorological Organization report states that the number of weather-related fatalities has fallen by two-thirds in the past 50 years. However, the number of reported disasters has increased by a factor of ve over the same 50year period, which is due in large part, to more extreme weather, which is exacerbated by climate change.

I can’t resist noting that although Mr. Banks criticizes Christy’s positions, his rebuttal seems to support them, with the exception that “crop yields are expected to be lower”, but without any proof they have been or will be worse, and 91% of the weather-related deaths have occurred in developing countries primarily due to the lack of forecasting and local notices.

John Christy has been my friend for many years. He is among the smartest, most humble, and Christian men that I have had the pleasure of knowing. Before John went into meteorology, he served as a missionary in Kenya. He has seen the su ering that poor people experience because they lack access to reliable, cheap energy. I know what he has experienced – not what he believes – is the basis for his support of fossil fuels. He says, “When you think about carbon dioxide emission going up, which it is… it represents people living longer and better lives.”

It hurts me that people with the single ulterior motive of changing our society and economy for the sake of reducing carbon emissions and increasing the cost of available energy attack good, decent people like John Christy. Mr. Banks’ article has one motive: remove Dr. Christy’s in uence and insight from the climate change debate – and there is still a debate on the costs and bene ts of Net-Zero carbon emissions.

Mr. Banks goes so far as to quote ex-governor and convicted felon, Don Siegelman, who appointed Christy as state climatologist. “His positions (Christy’s) are not only contrary to my view, but seem to be in direct con ict with the majority of opinion of other climatologists, who are well-respected and their data has not been attacked as his has been.”

ere you have it – both Richard Banks and Don Siegelman trying to cancel my friend, John, and his opinions, which are really important to the issues. Please don’t let them. Dr. Christy’s work is still very relevant.

(Steve, I am mad at them this month.)

I hope you have a good month.

Gary Smith is President and CEO of PowerSouth Energy Cooperative.

How To Place a Line Ad in Marketplace

Closing Deadlines (in our office):

December 2022 Issue by October 25

January 2024 Issue by November 22

February 2024 Issue by December 25

Ads are $1.75 per word with a 10 word minimum and are on a prepaid basis; Telephone numbers, email addresses and websites are considered 1 word each. Ads will not be taken over the phone. You may email your ad to hdutton@areapower.com; or call (800)410-2737 ask for Heather for pricing.; We accept checks, money orders and all major credit cards. Mail ad submission along with a check or money order made payable to ALABAMA LIVING, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124 – Attn: Classifieds.

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The World’s Longest Yard Sale

It’s been a few weeks, and I’ve nally recovered from the time I spent at the World’s Longest Yard Sale. For those of you who don’t know, this piece of Americana is exactly what it says it is - a scenic stretch of rural, two-lane highways that begins in Michigan and ends 690 miles and 8,000 Dollar General stores later in Gadsden, Alabama.

All along the way there are yard sales - and lots of them. So, for a picker (or hoarder, as my wife calls me) it’s heaven. From people with one table in front of their house, to dozens of tents manned by dealers in huge elds, they’re everywhere. ousands of merchants set up along this route, selling everything known to humankind. ere are clothes, old tools, signs, toys, furniture, chickens, glassware, household supplies, car parts, swords, guns, oil cans, hubcaps, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree. I even saw an old toilet for sale that I embarrassingly discovered was not hooked up for public use.

is year I stayed exclusively in Alabama. I gured there was enough stu nearby to ll up the booth I have at a local antique mall. By the way, when I’m buying, I call it junk, and when I’m selling, it becomes antiques. at’s the law of the picker.

I began my day by driving to Mentone, a charming little mountain town in the northeast corner of the state. At my rst stop I hit paydirt, purchasing an old table, an American ag, a copy of Heidi, and a pair of wooden shutters. en, I found 4 matching mid-century wooden folding chairs at a local church. e price was a bit high, but a sweet-talking lady convinced me that the

money was going to do the Lord’s work, and being a good Methodist, I couldn’t resist.

Eventually, I began heading south, hitting dozens of individual yard sales. Most of the time they’re a bust, but every now and again you will nd a nice item at a good price. However, what you do nd at every stop are nice people. So many times I was o ered water and directions, along with a dose of good ol’ southern small talk. Couple these chatty folks with my penchant to talk, and it’s a wonder I’m not still out there.

e truth is, so much of the stu you see really is junk. I have the feeling that many of these so-called treasures could be easily purchased at a nearby thri store. at’s because there’s a life cycle for junk. It goes like this: Someone buys something at a thri store, tries to sell it in a yard sale, and a er failing, returns it to another thri store. en someone else will buy it, put it in their yard sale, fail, and donate it to yet another thri store. is process will keep repeating until one of two things will happen: 1) the item will nally end up at the land ll, where it probably belonged in the rst place, or 2) the cycle continues for years and years until the item is so old that it actually becomes valuable. Of course, the odds of that happening are about the same as Nancy Pelosi speaking at a Donald Trump rally.

But being a picker, I understand that you have to go through a lot of cha to get a little wheat. at’s ok by me. e thrill of the hunt is entertaining, and I have come across some relatively valuable items at low prices.

A er a long hot day, my search turned up enough rusty old stu to keep the booth full and to keep my wife complaining about the condition of our basement.

I don’t have the heart to tell her that the Highway 411 Yard Sale begins soon, because the search must continue. at’s the life cycle of junk.

Joe Hobby is a standup comedian, a syndicated columnist, and a long-time writer for Jay Leno. He’s a member of Cullman Electric Cooperative and is very happy now that he can use Sprout from his little place on Smith Lake. Contact him at jhobby2000@aol.com.

Illustration by Dennis Auth

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