ALABAMA LIVING is delivered to some 450,000 Alabama families and businesses, which are members of 22 not-for-profit, consumer-owned, locally directed and taxpaying electric cooperatives. Subscriptions are $15 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.
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Political treasure trove
Political advisor David Azbell has been collecting political memorabilia for 40 years. His collection now fills several rooms at his Montgomery office and he admits “it’s a bit out of control.”
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Take a hike
Mountains, waterfalls and desert landscapes are all waiting for you to hike this
Blasting off
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center recently opened a renovated Rocket Park, including the Redstone family of rockets that led to the development of the Saturn V.
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Simply sourdough
Baking sourdough bread at home became popular during the pandemic and remains so today. We’ll show you how!
Look
Brewton Headquarters:
2134 South Blvd. P.O. Box 528
Brewton, AL 36427
251-867-5415
District Offices:
Atmore
39 West Sunset Drive
Atmore, AL 36502
251-368-4842
Evergreen
205 Wild Avenue
Evergreen, AL 36401 251-578-3460
Frisco City
3979 Bowden St.
Frisco City, AL 36445 251-267-3196
Toll-Free Outage
Reporting Number
1-866-867-5415
Board of Trustees
David Cook, Jr. Chairman
Bobby Ballard ViceChairman
Allen Lang Secretary-Treasurer
Dwight Maloy
Scotty White
Rod Higdon
Lynn Powell
Kenny Bledsoe
Jason Dean
Vince E. Johnson General Manager of Southern Pine Electric Cooperative Manager’s
I would like to say thank you to everyone who participated in our 2024 holiday food drive. Because of your generous donation, we collected 1,447 pounds of food which was delivered to local food banks just in time for the holidays. Thanks to that generosity, many local families had food to share with their loved ones during the Christmas season. If you didn’t get an opportunity to participate in our food drive, I hope you will take advantage of this opportunity later this year. Your small act of kindness can go a long way in helping others.
As we move through the winter months here in the south, it is strongly recommended that you pay attention to your energy use. Every year the cold weather usually causes higher than normal electric bills. This is mostly due to the heat strips or auxiliary heat in heat pumps as well as heating with central electric furnaces.
The electric furnace is the most costly heating system you can have in your home. Also, when you have a heat pump and you raise the thermostat more than two degrees, it brings the heat strips on and your heat pump then becomes an electric furnace. So, please get in the habit of setting your thermostat as low as you are comfortable in the winter months and do not make any adjustments to it. We always stress to our members to set the thermostat and leave it alone. This simple step will help to
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keep your heating costs as low as possible. Small electric space heaters also use large amounts of electricity. Just because they are small in size doesn’t mean that they are not huge energy users. Please do not use space heaters unless that is your only source of heat.
Remember also that most swimming pool pumps will operate during the freezing temperatures in order to keep the pool pipes from freezing. This will add to the operating hours of the pool pump and drive up your electric usage. Please remain conscious of your usage during the winter months so that a high electric bill doesn’t sneak up on you. Also, you may contact our member services department at any time to request a free energy audit. This may help determine some areas in your home that my need attention. Let us help you be more energy efficient and help keep your electric usage at a minimum.
Safety Tip
Did you know that mylar balloons can damage the power grid and cause power outages? Mylar and latex balloons eventually fall back to earth and their remnants can cause harm to animals and marine life. Consider alternatives to balloon releases and enjoy balloons indoors.
Payment Options:
During normal office hours at our Atmore, Brewton, Evergreen or Frisco City offices.
After hours at any of our offices by leaving your payment in our convenient night deposit box. VISA, Mastercard, Discover or American Express credit or debit card payments may be made anytime by calling 1-844-867-8989 or on our Web site at: www.southernpine.org
Mail your payment to: Southern Pine E C P. O. Box 528, Brewton, AL 36427
Convenient payment points. Pay bill from the 1st - 10th of each month at: James Brothers Furniture, East Brewton; McPhaul’s Mercantile, Excel.
Ask about our Levelized Billing, Pre-Pay, Credit Card and Bank Draft payment options.
Office Hours:
Brewton Office
7 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Atmore Office
Evergreen Office
Frisco City Office 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
If so, you are eligible to apply for a scholarship from the Electric Cooperative Foundation. For more details, or to obtain a scholarship application contact your high school guidance counselor or call: Jeff Kirkland or Leslie Jackson in the Member Services department at 251-867-5415.
Don’t wait; applications with all required attachments must be received, not postmarked, no later than February 21, 2025.
Canned Food Drive Winners
Each year in November, Southern Pine Electric Co-op collects canned goods at each of our office locations. When you donate at least three cans of non-perishable food, you are entered into a drawing at the office where you donated the food, to win $50. Winners from the 2024 canned food drive are shown on this page. This year, a total of 1,447 pounds of food were collected.
Thank you to all who donated food for local food pantries in time for the Christmas holidays.
Billy Wooten Atmore Office Winner
Belinda Bell Brewton Office Winner
Latoya Turner
Evergreen Office Winner
Ann Ray Frisco City Office Winner
Call 811 Before You Dig...
Digging without locating underground utilities could leave neighborhoods in the dark, cause thousands of dollars in damages, or cause severe electrical shock. This is true regardless of how much area your project will cover or whether you consider the job to be large or small. To help stay safe, make use of the national underground utility locating service for free by calling 8-1-1.
The 8-1-1 “Call Before You Dig” number will route you to your local utility locating service. Make sure to tell the operator where and when you plan to dig and what type of work you will be doing. From there, it takes a few business days for a professional to come mark your public utilities with flags or spray paint.
There are different colors of paint and flags that mark the underground utilities, and each color is universal to what utility is buried.
Red – Electric
Orange – Communications, Telephone/CATV
Blue – Potable Water
Green – Sewer/Drainage
Yellow – Gas/Petroleum Pipe Line
Purple – Reclaimed Water
White – Premark site of intended excavation
Even if you previously had utilities located by calling 8-1-1, it is best to call before every digging project. Underground utilities can shift, and it is important to be certain of where they are before ever putting a shovel in the ground.
It is important to understand that 8-1-1 locators do not locate privately installed facilities. If you have any private utilities, you will need to hire a private utility locator. Some examples of private utilities include: underground sprinkler system, invisible fences, data communication systems, private water systems, or gas piping to a garage.
Once all of your underground utilities have been located, it is time to start digging, but be sure to wear all of the proper protective gear before putting the shovel into the earth.
For more information about 8-1-1 and digging safety, visit Call811.com and safeelectricity.org.
know what lies below...
Just call 811, or
Out for a hike
Michael and Terrie Wallace hiking at DeSoto falls before Thanksgiving 2024. SUBMITTED by Terrie
I met Austin and his friend during an 8-hour hike at Talladega National Forest where I got photos of the trail and glorious mountain tops. Before the friends got too far away I asked for a photo of them, too. SUBMITTED by Jesse Adams, Dothan.
RULES: Photos submitted for publication may also be published on our website at alabamaliving.coop and on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Alabama Living is not responsible for lost or damaged photos. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to have photos returned.
Brynlee hiked to the bottom of Noccalula Falls with 4-year-old niece. SUBMITTED by Joy Duncan, Cullman.
Wallace, Cullman.
Wil and Eli Copenhaver enjoying a family hike up Horsetooth Mountain in Colorado this summer. SUBMITTED by Sheila Copenhaver, Atmore.
20th anniversary fall hike in the Tetons. SUBMITTED by Kristi Gerding, Crane Hill.
February is American Heart Month
According to the American Heart Association, half of the adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure. Chronic hypertension can lead to debilitating health conditions such as heart and kidney disease. Yet, it rarely shows symptoms of its own, so it can silently wreak havoc on your heart health without ever making its presence known.
One thing you can do to help lower your blood pressure and distress: Use the 4-7-8 breathing method. Breathe in through your nose for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds, and breathe out through your mouth for eight seconds. Repeat at least three times.
Other preventative measures you can take, from Health Med Inc.: lower salt intake; limit alcohol consumption; cut back on red meats; avoid saturated and trans fats; eat potassium-rich foods and veggies; maintain a healthy weight; avoid smoking; manage your stress; and check your blood pressure regularly.
Whereville, AL
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 disqualified. Send your answer with your name, address and the name of your rural electric cooperative, if applicable. The winner and answer will be announced in the March issue.
Submit by email: whereville@ alabamaliving.coop , or by mail: Whereville, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124. Do you like finding interesting or unusual landmarks? Contribute a photo you took for an upcoming issue! Remember, all readers whose photos are chosen also win $25!
Find the hidden dingbat!
January’s hidden dingbat wasn’t hidden from view, but you had to go all the way through the magazine to find it. Instead of a cup of coffee, columnist Joe Hobby was holding the cup of tea on Page 46. Evelyn Landingham of Pittsview wrote us that she’s 81 and has been looking for the dingbat for years, and only just found it this month. “So excited to find it,” she wrote. On the other end of the age spectrum, Patti Bodenhamer wrote that her 10-year-old grandson, Easton, a 4th grader at Gulf Shores Elementary School, was also very excited to find the dingbat: “It’s great fun to search for the dingbat with him!” Congratulations to William Ring Sr. of Valley, our randomly drawn winner, who wins a $25 gift card from Alabama One Credit Union. This month, we’ve hidden a cherry pie in honor of National Cherry Pie Day Feb. 20. Good luck!
By email: dingbat@alabamaliving.coop
By mail: Find the Dingbat Alabama Living PO Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124
Letters to the editor
Sponsored by
E-mail us at: letters@alabamaliving.coop or write us at: Letters to the editor P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124
Liked dog hunting column
As a member of the Covington Electric Co-op and being the president of the Alabama Dog Hunters Association, I would like to thank you for publishing the article about our dog deer hunting heritage written by John Felsher (Outdoors, December 2024). It was a great read with many compliments from the dog hunting community all over the state.
Lonnie Miller, Opp
Praise for “grudge” column
Loved this month’s column (“The 58-year-old grudge,” Cup o’ Joe, January 2025)! Brought back some great memories. I was 13 at the time and I remember Alabama’s offensive line averaged about 195 pounds. Nebraska came in looking like a herd of cornfed bulls and were supposed to be immovable. We danced all over them and what was even better is that we beat them even worse in the Sugar Bowl the next year, 31-7. Keep up the good work and happy new year!
January’s answer: This full-size, steel replica of Orville and Wilbur Wright’s biplane is perched near Interstate 65 and the Maxwell Boulevard overpass in Montgomery. The biplane commemorates the Wright brothers’ first civilian flying school, a short-lived enterprise that opened and closed in Montgomery in 1910, seven years after the brothers’ first flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C. The replica measures 25 feet by 40 feet and is held about 30 feet in the air on three support beams. It was installed in 2013. (Photo by Allison Law of Alabama Living). The randomly drawn correct guess winner is Robert Dunn of South Alabama EC.
Jimmy Wilson, Falkville
I enjoyed “The 58-Year-Old Grudge" article by Joe Hobby immensely!
I attended UA from 1957-1961 and then went to UA School of Dentistry in Birmingham for my DMD degree. Back then, students and their wives in the dental and medical schools were able to get tickets to all Crimson Tide Tuscaloosa football games for the hefty sum of a dollar per ticket.
So, my wife and I saw the best college football in the country, at that time, IMO, for $2 a game. Talk about a bargain!
Dr. Zack Studstill, Montgomery
Take us along!
See more travelers on Page 34!
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.
Robert and Mot Carden traveled to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. They are members of Southern Pine EC.
Jennifer Mays of Ider, a member of Sand Mountain EC, traveled to the Filipino restaurant Rosarios in Tagaytay City, Philippines, overlooking the active Taal volcano.
Fred and Connie Dahlke, members of Baldwin EMC, recently visited St. Kitts in the Caribbean.
Abby Rutherford and her aunt Tina Russell, both from Hatton and members of Joe Wheeler EMC, recently took Alabama Living to Victoria Street in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Olivia Dawson and her brother Nicholas Dawson went to Zion National Park in Utah where they had a photo taken at the top of the Canyon Overlook Trail. They are from Trinity and members of Joe Wheeler EMC.
Eddie and Susan Segrest from Shorter, members of Dixie EC, visited Queenstown, New Zealand.
Enoch Perry of Fort Mitchell took his magazine on a mission trip with Christian Veterinarian Missions. He is a member of Tallapoosa River EC.
Collection is tribute to the ‘wild, weird and
By Lenore Vickrey
David Azbell’s fascination with the world of political campaigns started about 40 years ago when the then 16-yearold discovered a box of buttons his dad kept in a storage room in their Montgomery home. Not buttons you’d fasten a coat or shirt with, but the round metal types emblazoned with the names of political candidates and slogans.
“If I were 21, I’d vote for WALLACE” blares one.
“Re-elect OUR CONGRESSMAN TOM BEVILL,” says another.
“Albert Lee SMITH Our Way. At Last.” And on and on.
“I was always fascinated by history,” he says, “and political buttons are history that you can hold in your hand. Each one tells a story, about winners and losers, about issues that were important. You can even look at the graphics and tell what the era was like at the time they were made. I got fascinated by that and I started looking into these campaigns. The political buttons I found were kind of like Wikipedia is today,” when you look for one thing and spot something else intriguing, and before you know it you find yourself down one rabbit hole after another.
my gateway drug that led to posters, 3-D items, personal items owned by politicians and … well, now it’s a bit out of control.”
Azbell – for more than 30 years a political advisor to dozens of Alabama politicians and campaigns, speechwriter for governors, and communications advisor for the House Republican Caucus – has been adding to that original set of political buttons for more than four decades. His collection of memorabilia got so large that it outgrew the man cave at his house, and five years ago he moved it to his office in downtown Montgomery. Last fall he moved it again to a larger space, a 1910-era house just a few blocks from the State Capitol.
“That’s the way political buttons were to me,” he says. “They were
A walk through his latest location is like strolling through a museum of what Azbell has dubbed “the wild, weird and wonderful world of Alabama politics,” from posters, mailers, handbills, furniture, flags, clothing, letters and photographs, to mugs, medallions, bumper stickers, newspaper clippings, magazine covers, scripts from the 1997 award-winning TV movie, “George Wallace,” 45-records, albums, fans, hats and ballcaps. That moniker is also the description of his Facebook page, “The Art of Alabama Politics,” where he posts daily photos and snippets from the collection.
Women attending a 1946 rally for former Gov. “Big Jim” Folsom were given a bar of lye soap to help him “clean up” corruption.
PHOTO BY DAVID AZBELL
David Azbell has been collecting political and campaign memorabilia for 40 years, amassing a collection that now takes up several rooms at his downtown Montgomery office.
and wonderful world of Alabama politics’
“Yes, there are dark spots in our history. But there are humorous moments, sad moments, bright moments,” he says. “Our political history is like anybody’s life. It runs the gamut. I try to tell the whole story, the good, the bad and the ugly. But I try to focus on the humorous and colorful.”
Every item has a story
Not all of his collection is on display, he notes, pointing to a storage room full of even more items. Some date back to the 19th century. And every item has its own story, and Azbell is only too happy to recount them.
His collection, he says, “is believed to be the largest private collection of Alabama campaign memorabilia around.” It’s so large now that he doesn’t even buy items like he used to. “People just give me stuff,” he says. “They’ll leave a box on my front porch.
1945-1986 (the desks were sold to help fund the Capitol renovations); state Sen. Hank Sanders’ old desk with his phone and a space for an ashtray (all desks included the hollowed-out spaces); a Florida voting booth with “hanging chads” and an original Gore v. Bush ballot from the 2000 presidential race; a White House beige desk phone with push buttons from the 1980s; and flags that flew over the state Capitol during the state funeral (which Azbell directed) for Gov. George Wallace in 1998.
“I started collecting because like I said, each piece tells a story. But now, after 40 years, I’m to the point where I enjoy sharing the stories that the pieces tell as much as I enjoy acquiring the pieces.”
Among the historical items he has acquired are a member’s desk from the old Alabama House of Representatives, used from
Azbell was close to the family of Gov. Wallace, and was his spokesperson in his later years when the former governor could not hear and was bedridden. Azbell’s father, Joe, a longtime journalist in Montgomery, was Wallace’s director of communications for his 1972 presidential campaign. Because of their close ties, when George Wallace Jr. relocated to a new home in Birmingham several years ago, he offered Azbell several boxes of his parents’ belongings that had been stored in his basement. Some of those items are now on display, like the pass to the 1983 season of University of Alabama football practices, signed by then Coach Ray Perkins, and Wallace’s personal datebooks he kept while running for governor.
It all started when he discovered a box of political buttons, like those above, his father had in a storage room at their home. He calls the buttons “a gateway drug that led to posters, 3-D items, personal items owned by politicians and…. well, now it’s a bit out of control.”
PHOTOS BY LENORE VICKREY
Azbell’s favorite item is a rare ticket to a George Wallace fundraiser on May 15, 1972, the day of his shooting. He doesn’t know of another one in existence. PHOTO BY DAVID AZBELL
Some of the most historically important documents, however, are not on display, but are kept in a separate desk drawer. They include Wallace’s discharge papers from World War II (his commanding officer was Gen. Curtis Lemay, who would become his vice-presidential running mate); his qualifying papers to run for the Alabama House of Representatives; a letter from Jesse Jackson to the family upon Wallace’s death; medical records kept by nurses at the bedside of Gov. Lurleen Wallace; and a copy of a letter written by Wallace to Arthur Bremer, the man who shot him in 1972 and left him paralyzed. In the letter, Wallace says he forgives Bremer, then serving time in a Maryland penitentiary, and pleads with him to seek a personal relationship with Jesus. “I’d give anything to know what his reaction was,” says Azbell.
Campaign gimmicks
And then there are the improbable campaign items that someone, somewhere thought were a good idea. “Here’s a piece that shocks everybody,” he says, holding up a pair of large yellow nylon women’s underpants featuring Wallace’s face and “Wallace ’68” on the front. The undergarments (also available in blue and pink) were sold to raise money for Wallace’s third-party presidential bid. Not to be outdone, in 2006 when Gov. Bob Riley was running for re-election, some entrepreneur sold Bob Riley for Governor white cotton thongs. Azbell keeps them side by side in a display drawer.
Alabamians of a certain age might remember when former Gov. “Big Jim” Folsom campaigned with a corn shuck mop and suds bucket, promising to clean up corruption. “If you were a woman and you attended a Folsom rally in 1946, you got a bar of soap with Big Jim’s name on it,” he says, displaying the brown bar of lye soap he got about 25 years ago. The Republican Party in 1996 distributed mini-cans of scouring powder while pledging to “clean up politics.” A matchbook seeking support to draft Wallace for governor from the 1960s also included, on the back, information to apply for membership in the Ku Klux Klan.
Dothan businessman Charles Woods, a veteran who was terribly burned in World War II, had a congressional campaign item that seems tragically ironic now: hot pad holders. “I told you each piece tells a story,” Azbell says a bit ruefully, “and sometimes the stories are in poor taste.”
Campaign slogans had their own special appeal and sometimes had mixed, and even odd, messages. Bettye Frink’s message when she ran for the Alabama State School Board in 1970 was proclaimed on a palm card: “Freedom of choice is a MUST. Total integration will DESTROY our schools!” while a few lines later, “LOVE and TRUST is far better than HATRED.”
In 1932, Miles Algood was a congressman representing two different districts in the Gadsden area. Azbell has his campaign card, which he framed, and notes that it names several reasons why you should vote for Algood:
He is a gentleman.
He has experience.
He is worthy.
He is a working man’s friend.
He has made his own way. He’s a one-armed man.
“Now Algood lost an arm in World War I,” Azbell notes, “so why they didn’t just say he’s a wounded war hero I don’t know, but ‘vote for Miles Algood because he is one-armed man!’”
The Pope and Elvis
Azbell even has a few items that aren’t necessarily political but have Alabama connections. On a 1984 trade mission to Europe, Gov. Wallace met with Pope John Paul II who presented him with a papal medal at the Vatican. The sterling silver medal is on display in Azbell’s collection.
In March 1974, Elvis Presley played a concert at Montgomery’s Garrett Coliseum, and the night before, he stayed at the old Downtowner Hotel on Madison Avenue. The hotel desk clerk, seeing a money-making opportunity, went up to the singer’s room, took the bed sheet down to the hotel manager and paid him $6 for the sheet. She then cut it into squares and sold them for $10 a square in classified ads in tabloid publications.
“Now how do I know this is in fact the bedsheet that Elvis slept on?” Azbell asks. “She somehow convinced Bill Baxley, the Alabama attorney general, to attest that this was Elvis’ bedsheet.” Baxley’s signature is indeed on the back of the card bearing the sheet square, one of which resides in the Azbell collection next to a photo of Elvis in his trademark white jumpsuit while meeting Gov. Wallace.
Among the thousands of pieces of memorabilia housed in Azbell’s collection, one is his favorite. “It’s a ticket to a George Wallace fundraiser on May 15, 1972,” he says, holding the ticket which is preserved in a protective covering. “That was the date of the shooting in Laurel, Maryland. This ticket was (to) the next event on his schedule. It was unused because it was canceled. I don’t know of another ticket to this event that exists today.”
A labor of love
Although some might liken Azbell’s collection to a hoarder’s paradise, he sees it differently. “All of this is a labor of love to preserve stories that I think have been lost,” he says.
To help prove his point, he tells of a recent visit to his collection by several college students who were interns at the governor’s office. He asked the students if they knew of “Big Jim” Folsom, or what happened to Gov. Wallace in May of 1972. They just stared at him. “Ask anybody under 40, or even 50 years old, and they’re going to look at you slack-jawed,” he says with a sigh.
He believes Alabama is a state where it’s important to know political history “because we repeat it over and over again, like the courts taking over the prison system. We’ve been there. It pays to know political history, but folks just don’t appreciate it.
“I did this because after 40 years of effort I wanted to show it off,” he says. “I was deeply concerned that a lot of our history is being lost or being forgotten. I wanted to preserve it and share it with others.”
To book a tour, send Azbell a message through his “Art of Alabama Politics” Facebook page or email theartofalabamapolitics@gmail.com.
Azbell prizes this desk once used by State Sen. Hank Sanders in the Alabama Senate Chamber, with his phone below.
PHOTO BY LENORE VICKREY
By Aaron Tanner
“Other cities have a skyline, but Huntsville has a spaceline,” is how the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) describes the numerous spacecraft displayed at one of Alabama’s top attractions. Since opening in 1970, visitors from all 50 states and around the world have learned about the state’s role in space exploration at the Smithsonian-affiliated museum through various exhibits and educational programs.
The USSRC recently reopened its renovated Rocket Park, giving visitors a fresh look at the Huntsville-based programs that led to putting man on the moon and an exciting vision of NASA’s role in returning to the moon for new explorations and discoveries in the field of space.
The Redstone family of rockets created at nearby Redstone Arsenal is proudly displayed at the Rocket Park. The Redstone rockets include the U.S. Army Redstone, used as a ballistic missile, and the rockets of Jupiter, Jupiter-C, Juno II, and the Mercury Redstone. The family of rockets eventually evolved into the Saturn I rocket for low earth-orbit missions and the Saturn V rocket that traveled to the moon.
Center for Space Exploration nearby.
The Rocket Center also has a full-scale vertical model of the Saturn V, which creates a dramatic visual for people traveling on Interstate 565, the main road into Huntsville.
The future of space travel is also on display at the Rocket Park with a mock-up of the SLS (Space Launch System) Core Stage Pathfinder. NASA provided the base portion of the SLS Pathfinder to the USSRC. The Pathfinder was used to practice lifting and transporting a flight-ready SLS that will soon take astronauts back to the moon for the first time since the Apollo program over half a century ago.
“(The rockets) chronicle the transition from missiles designed for the military to rockets designed for space exploration,” says Patricia Ammons, the Rocket Center’s spokesperson. The Saturn I rocket is on display at the Rocket Park, while an original Saturn V rocket used for dynamic testing can be viewed at the Davidson
Each rocket at the park was erected before the USSRC opened. Despite frequent paint and repair jobs, Alabama’s cold, wet winters and hot and humid summers led to the need for a full restoration of the rockets. In 2018, the museum dismounted the rockets and transported them to Cosmos Aerospace in Cullman, where the company made extensive repairs and worked with the Rocket Center’s curatorial team to add new paint schemes to the rockets before they were transported back to the park and remounted in 2024. The Rocket Park fully reopened in September 2024.
Educational opportunities abound at Rocket Park, with a sign at each rocket explaining its development and how it was used in America’s space program. “It is one thing to read about space
The U.S. Space and Rocket Center recently finished a three-year process to restore the Space Shuttle Pathfinder, which has been displayed at the museum since 1988 after its retirement from NASA.
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY U.S. SPACE AND ROCKET CENTER
The amphitheater at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center’s Rocket Park provides an area for educational and community events.
exploration and another altogether to stand in front of the rockets that made space exploration possible,” Ammons says. “Rocket Row is an important part of the vast number of displays at the Rocket Center and tells the story of how imagination, knowledge, and skill can come together for an extraordinary purpose.”
Ammons also describes having the SLS Pathfinder on display as “illustrating the massive size of the SLS launch vehicle and helping tell the story of the Rocket City’s current and ongoing role in space exploration.”
Other unique features
There are other features at the Rocket Park to enhance the guest experience. The Marshall Retirees Association spearheaded a Wall of Honor, which will include more than 21,000 names of employees at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville when completed. “This project honors all the NASA employees who contributed to space exploration and establishing Huntsville as the Rocket City,” Ammons says.
A kiosk at the wall allows visitors to search for names and learn more about their specific jobs, as well as an opportunity to submit names of those who worked for corporations that worked on missions for NASA. In addition, the Rocket Park includes a new amphitheater that will be used for educational programs, community and special events, as well as providing an area for visitors a place to take a break from the park’s substantial grounds.
Park is part of the extensive renovations and expansions at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. The Space Camp Operations Center opened in 2023 and features a large auditorium and added classroom space equipped with the latest state-of-the-art technology.
Another critical piece in the “Return of the space-line” is the renovation of the Pathfinder space shuttle. Like the SLS Pathfinder, this vehicle was used for critical lift and fit testing. It is an iconic display and one of only two full shuttle stacks in the world. The Rocket Center completed the restoration of the shuttle stack in October 2024.
And in December, a new exhibit, “Discovering Mars: Robot Explorers” opened, with full-scale models of the Mars Sojourner, Mars Exploration and Curiosity Rovers, along with the InSight Mars Lander and the Ingenuity helicopter. Each of these vehicles in the interactive exhibit represents the kinds of robotic technologies that have explored the Martian surface, providing valuable insight on our solar system neighbor.
Generous donations made both the Rocket Park and Pathfinder shuttle projects possible, including a $2 million donation for Rocket Row from Fred Luddy, a California businessman whose son attended Space Camp. The Marshall Retirees Association raised the money for the Wall of Honor while other donors adopted rockets to additionally cover funds for the renovation. Additional funds are still being raised to ensure the longterm duration of the Rocket Park and Shuttle Park.
Expanded green space gives the park better visual land-
Space exploration continues to evolve. The new Rocket Park
The Redstone family of rockets that led to the development of the Saturn V stand tall at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.
The Wall of Honor features names of employees at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.
STAR ID deadline is May 7
Starting May 7, 2025, U.S. travelers aged 18 and over must be REAL ID compliant to board domestic flights and access certain federal facilities. In Alabama, this federal requirement is addressed with the STAR ID program, administered by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA).
STAR is an acronym for “secure, trusted and reliable,” and is part of a nationwide effort to improve the integrity and security of state-issued driver licenses and identification cards, which, in turn, will help fight terrorism and reduce fraud.
STAR ID is available only at ALEA driver licensing examining offices, which are located statewide. STAR IDs will still be available for issuance after May 7. You do not have to wait until your driver’s license is set to expire, though you will be required to pay for a duplicate license.
Anyone who has not obtained a STAR ID or does not possess a valid, unexpired U.S. passport by May 7 but plans to fly domestically or enter certain federal facilities that require such an ID must apply for one at least 30 days in advance (a hard copy of a new driver license may take up to 30 days to arrive).
STAR ID licenses are differentiated with a gold star in the upper left corner; any Alabama license or identification card issued on or after April 25, 2022 that is not compliant with the REAL ID Act will display “Not for Federal Identification” across the top of the license.
The requirements to obtain a STAR ID are a step beyond an ordinary Alabama driver’s license. Applicants must present four documents to verify identity/date of birth, Social Security num-
ber and address of principal residence. To find a list of accepted documents, visit alea.gov and scroll to the bottom of the home page to “STAR ID Document List.”
It is important to have all documents with you when visiting a driver’s license office to obtain a STAR ID.
Congress passed the REAL-ID Act of 2005 in response to acts of terrorism committed against the U.S. The act modified federal laws pertaining to security, authentication and issuance procedure standards for state driver licenses and identification cards. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) web site notes that the purpose of REAL ID is to make our identity documents more consistent and secure.
Alabama began its STAR ID pilot program in 2011 and began issuing STAR ID cards statewide in early 2012. States were granted additional time to meet the REAL ID requirements in part due to the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; DHS reports that many state driver’s licensing agencies had to work through backlogs created by the pandemic.
Opening doors
State senator reflects on God’s hand in his life as he looks to future
State Sen. Garlan Gudger knows a thing or two about doors. His business, Southern Accents Architectural Antiques in Cullman, specializes in salvaging solid wood doors, mantels, trim, and wrought iron from old houses and buildings and restoring them for new life.
But Gudger likes to speak about how God has “opened doors” throughout his life, the most recent being the opportunity to take a prominent leadership role in the Alabama State Senate. Gudger, who has served in the Senate for six years, was nominated as President Pro Tempore of the Senate in December and is expected to be confirmed by the full Senate when it reconvenes on Feb. 4.
Alabama Living caught up with Gudger at the Alabama State House in late 2024 as he prepared for the upcoming legislative session. Just seven months earlier, his life took a dramatic turn when a boating accident on July 4 left him with severe injuries — injuries so critical that doctors initially feared he might be paralyzed. Gudger reflected on that fateful day, his renewed perspective, strengthened faith, and deepened commitment to serving others.
A day that changed everything
In July 2024, Gudger was celebrating his son Tripp’s 21st birthday on Smith Lake when a day of family fun turned to terror in an instant. While riding Sea-Doos, Gudger stopped suddenly to admire the sunlight reflecting on the water — a moment he likened to a movie-like portal. The abrupt stop activated the watercraft’s rudder system, creating a towering wall of water that enveloped him. Tragically, his son, following closely behind and unable to see through the cascading water, collided with him at high speed.
The impact was catastrophic. The 2,000-pound machine drove Gudger into the handlebars, causing severe internal injuries (eight fractured vertebrae, seven broken ribs, a collapsed lung, serious injuries to his spleen). “I was like a human ramp,” he recalls. “I fell over into the water. I was awake and conscious the whole time. As I went underneath, I immediately started praying.”
Rescue workers arrived quickly, maneuvering Gudger out of the water and transporting him to Trident Marina before airlift-
Gudger and his wife, Heather, and sons Pierce and Tripp at a family wedding.
PHOTO COURTESY GARLAN GUDGER
PHOTO BY HAL YEAGER, GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
ing him to UAB’s trauma center, where he would remain in the intensive care unit for two weeks.
There, doctors revealed the extent of his injuries. They warned him he might be paralyzed.
Miraculously, he wasn’t.
A renewed purpose
Upon waking from surgery, Gudger felt as though he was in a conversation with God. With the fourth chapter of Ephesians echoing in his mind, he asked the hospital chaplain for a Bible and looked up the first verse: “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”
Believing God had spoken to him, he vowed to make the most of every opportunity.
“Whatever door you have for me, if you give me that opportunity, I’m going to walk through it,” he said he told God.
But leaving the hospital was only the start of a long, grueling recovery process.
Therapists helped Gudger learn to walk again, beginning with a walker and progressing to walking one block at a time. “I was in all kinds of pain,” he recalls. “I didn’t want to walk, but they made me walk.”
Over time, his eyesight returned, and his strength grew. By the end of the year, Gudger had transitioned back into his roles as a senator, husband, and father, more determined than ever to leave a legacy of service.
A vision for Alabama
When the opportunity to run for Senate Pro Tempore presented itself, Gudger didn’t hesitate. Despite some questioning his decision and the challenges such a leadership role would entail, he embraced the moment with confidence and faith — resolving in the ICU months earlier not to let fear hold him back.
Having also lost his vision for nearly two months, Gudger was unable to use a phone, read emails, or watch TV, instead spending hours in stillness, reflecting on his life. “It was just me and God. Those quiet moments reshaped my mentality. If God spared me from paralysis or death, I knew I had to make the biggest impact possible where he placed me.”
“There were certain doors that God opened, and I needed to walk through them,” Gudger says.
Now, he views this new position as another door opened to fulfill his calling.
“I want to make Alabama a better place for everyone,” Gudger says. “Not just for my boys, but for the next generation. It’s about teamwork and leaving a lasting impact.”
As he prepares for the upcoming legislative session, Gudger is focused on fostering harmony in the Senate and addressing the challenges facing the state.
“My job is to ensure the Alabama Senate is as strong as it’s ever been,” Gudger says. “We want to handle Christian, conservative issues with a common-sense approach and transparency. People are looking for authenticity and leaders with the right heart, not just titles. I’m excited to lead and cast that vision for where we’re going with all my colleagues. I’m thankful and honored to be in this position to lead that vision.”
A strong bond with electric cooperatives
In both his life and work, Gudger remains committed to opening doors — not just for himself but for others who will follow. One opportunity lies in addressing the energy needs of Alabama’s electr ic cooperatives, an issue Gudger views as vital to the state’s future.
“The whole legislature recognizes how crucial energy generation is to Alabama’s future — whether it’s for industrial recruitment, households, or general contracting,” Gudger says. “It’s especially vital in my area of north Alabama, where we need as much capacity as possible. Without it, we won’t grow.”
He is proud of his strong relationship with Cullman Electric Cooperative and its CEO, Tim Culpepper. “We’ve always supported each other,” he explains. “When Tim became CEO, he brought me under his wing and showed me how the co-op operates and how their board functions. Anytime I’ve needed them, they’ve been there for me, and I’ve been there for them.”
The cooperative model has left a lasting impression on Gudger. “Understanding how a co-op functions throughout the whole county was eye-opening for me,” he says. “I appreciate that model
— when people need something, they know they’re part of the family of coops. I’m proud to be a friend of the coops and to help them continue to grow and serve our communities.”
State Sen. Garlan Gudger and other area officials welcomed Gov. Kay Ivey and ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell to the Cullman Electric Cooperative’s office in 2023 to discuss the expansion of Sprout, Cullman’s fiber internet subsidiary, in Cullman and Winston counties. From left are Tim Culpepper, Cullman EC CEO; Nicole Jones Wadsworth; state Rep. Tim Wadsworth; Boswell; Ivey; Winston County Commission Chairman Roger Hayes; state Rep. Randall Shedd; and Gudger.
Gudger chats with AREA Vice President for External Affairs Sean Strickler, AREA External Affairs Manager Anna Grace Gamble and Tim Howe, chief of staff for Sen. Gudger.
PHOTO BY MARK STEPHENSON
Alabama Bookshelf
In this periodic feature, we highlight books either about Alabama people or events, or written by Alabama authors. Summaries are not reviews or endorsements. We also occasionally highlight book-related events. Email submissions to bookshelf@alabamaliving. coop. Due to the volume of submissions, we are unable to feature all the books we receive.
Untethered, by Angela JacksonBrown, $15.19 paperback, Harper Muse (Black historical fiction) In the small college town of Troy, Alabama, amid the backdrop of 1967, Katia Daniels lives a life steeped in responsibility. At the Pike County Group Home for Negro Boys, she pours her heart into nurturing the young lives under her care, harboring a longing for children of her own. Katia’s romantic entanglement with an older man brings comfort but also stirs questions about the path she’s chosen. Set against the backdrop of a changing South, the novel delves into the complexities of love, family and self-discovery.
The Alabama 100 Best Recipes, Restaurants and Road Trips, by Martie Duncan, $34.95 (Cookbook/ travel) The Alabama native, who starred on season eight of Food Network Star, has compiled this book from her travels around the state. It features recipes from restaurants across Alabama plus “road trip tips on where to go and where to eat when you get there.” Visit MartieDuncan. com for a list of retailers or to order a copy.
The Price: What it Takes to Win in College Football’s Era of Chaos, by Armen Keteylan and John Talty, $19.99 paperback, Harper (college sports) The authors conducted more than 200 wide-ranging interviews with head coaches, athletic directors, conference commissioners, administrators, politicians, power brokers, agents and media executives for this investigative work. The book reveals dark truths about a beloved game under siege – from Name, Image and Likeness endorsements, the transfer portal, collectives, conference realignment and the powerful influence of media companies.
The Story Quilts of Yvonne Wells, by Stacy I. Morgan and Yvonne Thomas Wells, $60, University of Alabama Press (art/folk art) This book is a definitive guide to the self-taught quilter, who created her first quilt for practical use but was soon hand stitching applique figures into bold, original designs that unleashed her voice as a storyteller. Wells is also a lifelong educator from Tuscaloosa; co-author Morgan is a professor at the University of Alabama.
Alabama Faith: Churches and Stained Glass, by David Graves, $34.95 hardcover (photography) This book features more than 125 photos of stained glass windows from churches of various denominations. Ranging from the early 19th century to the mid-20th century, these windows capture the essence of Alabama’s spiritual heritage and the stories embedded within these sacred spaces. Also included are stories from the churches to provide insight into their cultural and spiritual significance.
Leviathan, by Robert McCammon, $29.95 paperback, Lividian Publications (historical suspense) This is the 10th and final installment of best-selling author (and Birmingham native) McCammon’s acclaimed series featuring Matthew Corbett, a brave and resourceful “problem solver.” His latest mystery of a mirror with the power to summon demons from the underworld will prove to be an ultimate test of his wits, cunning and ingenuity, and may be more than even Corbett can handle.
Legislator will continue to advocate for cooperatives
By Lenore Vickrey
Rep. Randall Shedd, chairman of the House Utilities and Infrastructure Committee, has been a longstanding supporter of Alabama’s electric cooperatives. We talked to him recently to get his insights on the upcoming legislative session on possible legislation specific to energy needs, especially as cooperatives and their power suppliers are increasingly strapped to provide the energy needed to run energy-hungry data centers locating in the state, while coping with governmental restrictions on coal-fired and nuclear plants (see related story on Page 38).
“We would have to, as a committee, hear from the industry on what their needs are and try to respond if there’s something legislatively that we can do,” he says. “The electric grid is a tremendous asset to our state and the economy of our state.” Shedd regularly participates in meetings of the Energy Council, a national organization of 16 energy-producing states that looks at the broader landscape of energy issues nationally. Noting that the incoming presidential administration is sympathetic to the need for oil and gas drilling on federal land in Alaska, Shedd says he is “excited about the pipeline supply changing. And we’re looking forward to see what the supply opportunities are moving forward.”
Closer to home, Shedd chairs the Alabama Digital Expansion Authority, which oversees distribution of federal funds for the state’s broadband needs. Alabama has $1.4 billion to distribute through the federal BEAD program (Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment) and Shedd says his priority will be putting that money toward fiber build-out. “We had the most (funds) of any state in the southeast and really close to the numbers of the biggest states like California and Texas because of the early
work that we did, the mapping and the plan and a practice run with our state funds,” Shedd says. “With a new administration there’s always a chance of policy changes but we’ll keep an eye on it.”
Shedd was the sponsor of HB 400 which allowed for expansion of rural broadband by allowing electric providers to use existing easements for broadband projects. Before the bill was enacted into law, Alabama ranked 47th in connectivity, but now is 24th or better. “One of the challenges we’ve got to address,” Shedd says, “is that we’re going to have pockets in this state that are not going to be served because of federal restrictions, in areas not eligible for federal funds. We really need to continue our state funding to serve those areas.”
Shedd knows firsthand the advantage of having internet connectivity, as he is a proud member of Sprout Fiber Internet powered by Cullman Electric Cooperative. “I did not have high-speed internet or any internet at the house before Sprout,” says Shedd, who lives in Baileyton in East Cullman County. “My neighbors and I are very grateful.”
He says he looks forward to working with his friend and colleague, Sen. Garlan Gudger, also of Cullman County, to address any needs of the electricity industry in the session. “It’s a little premature to know what the challenges are going to be going forward,” he acknowledged. “But most of us in public service understand very quickly that your utilities are crucial to the public, and when your lights don’t work, your water doesn’t come on, or your gas doesn’t work, we hear about it quickly. Nothing shakes folks up more than that. I’ll add broadband to that now. We’re a connected world and we need to make sure to keep that connection.”
Session kicks off Feb. 4
As the Alabama Legislature prepares to convene its 2025 session on Feb. 4, lawmakers will be dealing with a number of important issues without the benefit of a surplus in budgets, but legislative observers say there’s no need for concern.
“ The budgets aren’t a problem by any means,” says Todd Stacy, founder and publisher of Alabama Daily News and host of Alabama Public Television’s “Capitol Journal.” “It’s just that the days of overwhelming surpluses, fueled in part by federal spending trickling up through the tax base, are coming to an end. If anything it shows that the Legislature was wise to budget conservatively, setting aside funds when they could and not setting up long-term programs with one-time money.”
The perennial issue of gambling, which failed last session, may come up again. “When it comes to gambling, there’s always a chance,” Stacy says. “My sense is the legislative leadership, especially in the House, has no desire to bring it up again after what happened last year. But, if somehow the disparate gambling factions that usually battle themselves can settle on a plan, it could see movement. I think it would have to start in the Senate.”
Another item that could spark discussion is the tax exemption on overtime pay, which expires in June. “Lawmakers are in a tough spot,” he says. “Everyone loves a tax cut and this one has been like a pay raise to a lot of wage earners. But it will also cost the state as much as $300 million annually in education funding. That’s real money. I see the Legislature re-upping the tax cut, but perhaps with some guardrails on revenue loss.”
Gov. Kay Ivey will present her State of the State Address on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. The speech will be aired live on Alabama Public Television. Stacy will once again have his nightly newscast on APT during the session, with the “Week in Review” airing on Fridays at 7:30 p.m.
Rep. Randall Shedd, center, chairs a meeting of the Alabama Digital Expansion Authority. PHOTO BY LENORE VICKREY
Todd Stacy
Map Provided by:
Speaker of the House
Are you age 70 and not yet receiving benefits?
Retirement is not one-size-fits-all. It can mean different things to different people. Perhaps you have not applied for Social Security retirement benefits because you’re still working or are delaying applying so you can get a higher benefit. If you’re age 70 or older, you should apply now for the benefits you’re owed. Your benefits will not increase if you continue to delay applying for them because you are 70 or older.
Kylle’ McKinney, SSA Public Affairs Specialist, can be reached by e-mail at kylle.mckinney@ssa.gov. You may also call Social Security’s tollfree number at 1-800-772-1213.
Did you know that you can receive benefits even if you still work? Your earnings can increase your monthly benefit amount – even after you start receiving benefits. Each year that you work, we check your earnings record. It’s possible your latest year of earnings is one of your highest 35 years. If so, we will automatically recalculate your benefit amount and pay you any increase due.
The best and easiest way to apply for your benefits is with a personal my Social Security account. You can create your free account at ssa.gov/myaccount. Once you create your account, you can get an estimate of how much you might receive each
month based on when you want to start receiving benefits and then apply.
In your account, you can also:
• Access publications – like our fact sheet for workers ages 70 and up at ssa.gov/myaccount/assets/materials/workers-70andup.pdf.
• Learn about benefits for your spouse and family members.
• Manage your benefits once you start receiving them.
We’re here to help you secure today and tomorrow and we invite you to learn more about applying for retirement benefits at ssa.gov/apply. Please share this information with those who need it.
Romantic Crossword
by Myles Mellor
FEBRUARY
7-8
Sheffield 7th annual Northwest Alabama Farm Toy Show, Clarion Inn, 4900 Hatch Blvd. 4 to 8:30 p.m. Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Buy, sell and trade farm toys; display competition, door prizes and pedal tractor raffle. Search for the event’s page on Facebook.
8
Chatom 36th annual Indian Artifact and Collector Show, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Chatom Community Center, 222 Dixie Youth Drive. Free admission. No reproductions, fakes or illegally obtained artifacts allowed. For information, contact Bimbo Kohen at bimbokohen@outlook.com
14-March 4
Mobile Mardi Gras parades. Get ready for beads, Moon Pies and candy at more than 40 parades in the downtown area, culminating on March 2 (Joe Cain Day) and March 4 (Fat Tuesday). For parade maps and up-to-date information, visit Mobile.org
15 Millbrook Millbrook Revelers Mardi Gras Festival and Parade. Festival grounds open at 9 a.m., with more than 60 vendors on site and rides for children of all ages. Parade starts at noon after the staging at Mill Creek Park, behind the Smokehouse Bar-B-Q on Main Street. MillbrookRevelers.org
15-16 Greenville,Greenville Camellia Society presents an artisans market featuring Gee’s Bend quilt exhibit at the Beeland Park Community Center. Also that weekend will be the Greenville Camellia Show, from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the LBW Community College campus. Find more information on the society’s Facebook page or visit GreenvilleCamelliaSociety.org
17 Montevallo George Washington’s birthday celebration, American Village, 3727 Highway 119 South, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Celebrate the birthday of the father of our country and drill with the troops in his Continental Army. Meet patriots of the past, play 18th-century games and tour the Randall
Museum. At noon, join Washington as he shares his celebratory birthday cake. Admission $11 for adults, $10 for students, $9 for seniors and dree for children ages 4 and under, veterans and active military. Americanvillage.org
21-23
Birmingham Home and Garden Show, North Hall of the BJCC. Exhibitors from automotive and garage, construction and renovation, fashion and style, appliances, home décor, furniture, pools, landscaping and more. Leslie Davis and Lyndsay Lamb from HGTV’s “Unsellable Houses” will present live on Friday and Saturday. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. For tickets, visit BirminghamHomeShow.com
22-23
Andalusia Cookies with Characters, sponsored by Meredith’s Miracles, Covington Center Arena and Kiwanis Building. Children enjoy a meet and greet with more than 90 characters, plus souvenirs, photos, bounce houses and more. Meredith’s Miracles is a non-profit that helps south Alabama families financially during medical emergencies. Find a weekend schedule at CookiesWithCharacters.com
22
Orange Beach 33rd annual Orange Beach Seafood Festival and MAAAC Car show, The Wharf, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Seafood, 100 arts and crafts booths, music for the whole family, a kids’ zone and a car show featuring antique, classic and hot rod vehicles all along Main Street. Event directly benefits Orange Beach schools. Free. OrangeBeachAL.gov
22-23
Fort Morgan Oyster Fest 2025, The Beach Club Resort and Spa. Tickets include all-you-can-eat oysters, non-seafood options and non-alcoholic beverages. Event features festival food for kids and adults, more than 40 Alabama-based arts and crafts vendors, games, contests, music and kids’ activities. Admission is limited, and tickets are available online only at FortMorganOysterFest.com
23
Auburn 4th annual War Eagle Run Fest, outside Jordan-Hare Stadium. Half marathon, 5K and kids’ mile races, ending with a post-race tailgate with music and food. Aotourism.com
27-March 1 Monroeville Monroeville Literary Festival. Visit the courtroom made famous by “To Kill a Mockingbird” for captivating
Around Alabama
readings, enlightening discussions, amusing conversations and Monroeville’s famous brand of hospitality. For a schedule of events, visit MonroevilleLiteraryFestival.com
MARCH
1-2
Gulf Shores Ballyhoo Festival, Gulf State Park. Juried fine art and fine craft festival with more than 100 artists and additional emphasis on culture. On Saturday, the culture of indigenous people will be celebrated with two performances by the Poarch Creek Pow Wow Club. On Sunday, the focus is early Americana Appalachian music with a fiddle and banjo competition. On site demonstrations include art, basket weaving and wood carving, plus kids’ activities, bands and food. Shuttles and handicapped parking available. BallyhooFestival.org
6-9
Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee. A series of events mark the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, when law enforcement clashed violently with civil rights marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. More than 40 events are scheduled, including a march to restore voting rights, a unity breakfast, step show, music festival, youth summit, workshops and more. SelmaJubilee.com
14-16 Montgomery Southeastern Livestock Exposition Rodeo, Garrett Coliseum. The 68th annual SLE Rodeo will feature eight rodeo events, including saddle bronc, bareback riding, bull riding, barrel racing, team roping, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and breakaway roping. Featuring Jessica Blair Fowlkes (rodeo specialty act) and rodeo clown Dusty Myers. Rodeo starts at 7 p.m. Friday, 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets and more info at SLERodeo.com
21-22
Camden Wilcox Historical Society Tour of Homes. Eight homes, two historic churches, a reception and more at this annual event. Registration will be at the Wilcox Female Institute, 301 Broad St., from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. All proceeds help preserve historic buildings throughout Wilcox County. Guest speakers will be Julie and Luke Montagu. Various tour packages available. Tickets available at Eventbrite.com; see the society’s Facebook page for more information.
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
Mardi Gras season begins in February and continues through March 4.
PHOTO BY LISA FLOYD, A WINNER IN THE 2024 ALABAMA LIVING PHOTO CONTEST.
Jerome Baxley and his granddaughter Emily Smith of Headland took a quick selfie at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. They were in Israel doing volunteer work at Kaplan Medical Center. They are members of Pea River EC.
Heather Reeder, left, and her husband Andy visited their relative Jennifer in Key West last year and enjoyed a sunset cruise for Heather’s 39th birthday celebration. The Reeders live in Albertville and are members of Marshall-DeKalb EC.
and
Tom Stewart of Arab EC visited the post office in Jerome, Arizona, once a copper mining boom town known as “the Wickedest Town in the West,” with his magazine.
Terry and Brenda Graham of Cullman EC visited The Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas for their 43rd anniversary.
Chip Wallace of South Alabama EC visited the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. He is with Wallace Pump and Supply in Pike County.
Vernon and Linda Hood from Trinity, members of Joe Wheeler EMC, visited Hawaii and are pictured with their magazine and Diamond Head in the background.
Florence Gilmore
Karen Lindstrom of Elba, members of South Alabama EC, visited family at frozen Monona Bay in Madison, Wisconsin. Winter storm Gerri also paid a visit!
Gardening hacks: What works, what doesn’t and what to avoid
Gardening hacks are nothing new. Our ancestors, ancient and more modern, were developing and using all kinds of DIY techniques and shortcuts long before gardens were even twinkles in our own eyes. But thanks to social media, hacks new and old are all the rage, which creates both possibilities and possible problems.
The internet, especially social media platforms, allows us to readily share and access an array of gardening ideas and information. But as educational, engaging and inspiring as these gardening posts and ideas may be, it’s important to recognize that while many are helpful, others are a waste of time and possibly money and some may even be detrimental.
For example, back in 2021 banana peels went viral when they were touted as a natural fertilizer, mulch and pest deterrent. While bananas do contain potassium, phosphorous and other plant nutrients, the levels of these nutrients they contain are not particularly high. Also, the peels must decompose, which can take up to two years by some estimates, before those nutrients are available to our plants but they are slow to break down. And though the peels may repel
FEBRUARY TIPS
Plant roses, and bare-root trees and
Sow seed and begin transplanting cool-season vegetables and flwers.
Prune winter-blooming shrubs.
Start spring crops indoors.
Clean up gardening tools.
Inventory and check saved seed for viability.
Clean up houseplants and start fertilizing them lightly.
some pests, such as aphids, they also draw others like fruit flies and rodents. Similar issues can arise when using coffee grounds and eggshells in the garden.
All that said, these recycled food wastes can be useful to our gardens, but soil and plant scientists recommend adding them to the compost heap where they will decompose more thoroughly and efficiently and help create a source of incredibly useful organic matter.
Other ideas, such as using household products like baking soda, vinegar and Epsom salts to kill weeds, control diseases, change soil pH and boost flower and fruit production are also based in truth. However, these aren’t always super effective, and each has the potential to contaminate soils and water and kill the plants you want to keep, so they may not be as effective or as organic as we’d like.
Yes, there are plenty of hacks that are useful and safe. And there are lots of things you can do right now as you wait for spring to spring such as:
• Paint the handles of your gardening tools a bright or glow-in-the-dark color so they’ll be easier to find in the yard this spring and summer;
• Collect and prepare plastic bottles and jugs to use as protective cloches or watering systems;
• Make homemade seed tape, which is especially helpful with small seeds like carrots;
• And most important of all, use this
downtime to look for hacks and ideas on the internet and make sure they will really work for you!
So how on earth are we supposed to know what works, what doesn’t and what we should avoid? By verifying and validating the claims through reliable sources such as university and governmental research and extension experts (look for websites ending in .edu, .org and .gov).
Certified horticulturists and arborists and landscape professionals are also great sources of expert help.
There are plenty of qualified garden experts hosting websites, blogs, podcasts and writing books but it pays to check out their credentials, including their training and reviews. And one of my favorite resources for fact-checking ideas is the gardenprofessors.com website, a blog created by four university scientists on a mission to provide sound, science-based gardening information to everyone.
And the very best gardening hack of all can be summed up in one word: planning. Spend this lull in the gardening season choosing plants and gardening practices that are best suited for your location, budget and desires. And remember that the prettiest, most productive and least time-consuming gardens happen when we build healthy soils, water and mulch wisely, use integrated pest management strategies to control insects and diseases and plant for biodiversity.
Katie Jackson is a freelance writer and editor based in Opelika, Alabama. Contact her at katielamarjackson@gmail.com.
One thing you can do for your garden during the winter months: Collect and prepare plastic bottles and jugs to use as protective cloches for young seedlings.
shrubs.
The ever-changing, fast-growing demand for electricity, and how electric co-ops are preparing
By Scott Flood
Last month, we examined the dramatic increases in demand for electric power and noted that America’s peak demand is forecast to grow by 38 gigawatts through 2029––the equivalent of adding another California-sized state to the nation’s power grid. At the same time, power producers plan to retire more than 110 gigawatts of baseload, or always-available, generation by 2033.
When demand outpaces supply of any commodity – corn, gasoline and electricity – prices tend to increase. In addition, there’s increasing concern about the potential for rolling brownouts and blackouts as power providers struggle to meet peak demands.
Local co-op members may not notice the impact of the supply/demand imbalance for some time, but it’s captured the attention of electric co-op directors and their staffs.
“The leadership at many electric co-ops is seeing unprecedented growth in demand,” explains Stephanie Crawford, NRECA
regulatory affairs director. A decade ago, a huge commercial project might boost a co-op’s total load by 20 or 30 megawatts. “Now they’re getting multiple requests for projects in the hundreds of megawatts,” she adds.
AI, data centers driving demand
Artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing are key drivers of this added demand. As use of AI skyrockets and a greater share of computer applications and storage migrate to the cloud, all that data needs to be stored somewhere. Data centers, which are massive groups of high-capacity computer servers, provide the most efficient way to handle it.
According to the U.S. Energy Department, data centers can consume as much as 50 times the energy per floor space of other types of commercial buildings. A single large data center may use over 100 megawatts of power, enough to power 80,000 households. Data centers already account for nearly 2% of the nation’s electricity use, and the Electric
As the demand for electricity continues to increase, America’s peak demand is forecast to grow by 38 gigawatts through 2029—the equivalent of adding another California-sized state to the nation’s power grid.
PHOTO COURTESY PIXABAY
Today’s co-op directors increasingly find themselves learning about sophisticated and challenging issues as they weigh decisions affecting their co-op’s operations and financial viability for years to come.
PHOTO COURTESY NRECA
Power Research Institute predicts that will grow to 9% by 2030.
“It’s not only a question of needing to build or obtain more capacity, but in many cases, also creates questions about the availability of transmission and distribution,” Crawford notes.
For electric co-ops, the efforts fall into two categories: increasing knowledge and building relationships. A generation ago, power supply discussions were a fairly straightforward and easily understood process for co-op directors, given the widespread availability of baseload generation. Today’s directors increasingly find themselves learning about sophisticated and challenging issues as they weigh decisions affecting their co-op’s operations and financial viability for years to come.
Co-ops have long emphasized relationship-building, and Crawford stresses the importance of doing that with the companies developing large projects such as data centers.
“Early and frequent conversations between the co-op and the entities seeking additional energy are critical,” she explains. “That has to include honest conversations about the costs and timelines involved.” For example, while a data center project might ultimately need a significant supply of megawatts, if its operations are phased in gradually over several years, the co-op may have additional time to prepare for the maximum load. They might consider creating a partnership with the project owner to develop new generation assets on the project’s site, reducing transmission concerns.
High tech and a faster pace
The large tech companies involved in deploying data centers and similar projects are highly sophisticated and well-resourced.
They tend to be less interested in obtaining the lowest cost and more focused on reliability, Crawford explains. “What we’re hearing from co-ops is that the companies building data centers typically have done their homework before they start talking to co-ops. Many are anxious to develop their projects at a faster pace than the co-op may be accustomed to.”
While the developers may be ready to pay for the substantial infrastructure upgrades needed to serve their data centers, she notes that the conversations may end up focusing more on project timelines and data center obligations to remain as co-op member-consumers. In addition to supply chain issues related to transformers and other components that are in increasingly short supply, projects may face regulatory delays at all levels.
In addition to preparing for projects from organizations new to the co-op, Crawford notes the importance of co-op leaders keeping a finger on the pulse of their existing commercial accounts. “Being proactive and reaching out to understand how a commercial account’s energy needs may be changing in the coming years will inform conversations and decisions about timing, rate design and other factors, even if they’re not making specific requests yet. That will help the co-op serve emerging needs while protecting the reliability for all of its members.”
For more than four decades, business writer Scott Flood has worked with electric cooperatives to build knowledge of energy-related issues among directors, staff and members. Scott writes on a variety of energy-related topics for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing nearly 900 electric co-ops.
A single large data center may use over 100 megawatts of power, enough to power 80,000 households.
PHOTO COURTESY CHRISTINA MORILLO
Fireplace efficiency: Maximize warmth and minimize waste
A:Q:I heard fireplaces can make your home colder. How do I keep my home comfortable while enjoying cozy fires?
When I was a little girl growing up in North Carolina, I remember my dad telling me that some nights were too cold to have a fire. That always seemed crazy to me, but like many other things he said, he was right.
A heat pump heated our home. We had an open fireplace that was more suited for ambiance than creating heat. When you have a fire, warm air rises and draws the smoke out through the chimney. This also draws the warm air out of the house. This invisible force is called the stack effect.
The impact is exacerbated in drafty homes. When the warm air escapes through the chimney, it is replaced by cool air leaking in through gaps and cracks in the home. The greater the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the greater the stack effect, hence Dad’s rule of no fires on the coldest nights.
Wood fireplaces are not an efficient option to heat your home. Most of the heat goes out of the chimney. If you enjoy the comforting ambiance and curling up in front of the fireplace during the colder months, here are some tips to efficiently operate a fireplace in your home.
doesn’t have one, purchase a product designed for the task. There are a variety of chimney plug sizes and styles available, including inflatable options designed to fit snugly in place. While you are at the hardware store, pick up some caulking and weatherstripping to seal air leaks around windows, doors and pipes along exterior walls.
Fireplaces with gas logs are required to be installed with a mechanism that always keeps the damper open. This safety feature allows gases from the pilot light to escape. Glass doors can reduce the impact of air leakage in the winter and summer months. Consider installing glass doors on open fireplaces and keep them closed to minimize drafts.
Because it is out of sight, it can be easy to forget to close the chimney damper. The damper should be open when you have a fire going or when any hot ashes are in the fireplace to ensure smoke and carbon monoxide don’t come into your home. Once the fire and all ashes are fully extinguished, close the damper. Leaving the damper open allows warm air to escape, wasting energy. It’s like leaving a window open when your heating system is turned on in the winter.
If your damper doesn’t close properly or your chimney
Sealed combustion gas fireplaces are fully enclosed systems that draw the air needed for combustion from the outside. When properly installed, you get the benefit of the warmth of the fire without the worry of heat loss from drafts. If you have gas logs and enjoy the ease of a gas fireplace, consider upgrading to a sealed combustion unit.
Turning the pilot light off in the summer can reduce wasted gas. If you plan to turn the pilot light off, follow the instructions in the owner’s manual to avoid any potential safety issues.
Woodstoves and pellet stoves are additional options that provide more heat than wood or gas fireplaces. Federal tax credits are available for high-efficiency biomass stoves. A credit of 30% of the project cost—including the cost of installation up to a maximum of $2,000—is available for products purchased and installed between Jan. 1, 2023, and Dec. 31, 2032. The unit must have a thermal efficiency rating of 75% or more. Visit energystar.gov for more information.
If you have a woodstove, fireplace or any fuel-burning appliance in your home, be sure to install and maintain smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can be harmful or even deadly if not detected.
Use my dad’s sage advice and these tips to keep your home warm while gathering your loved ones around a glowing fire during the winter season.
If your damper doesn’t close properly or your chimney doesn’t have one, buy a chimney plug to keep cold air from entering and warm air from escaping your home.
PHOTO COURTESY MARK GILLILAND, PIONEER UTILITY RESOURCES
Miranda Boutelle is the chief operating offier at Efficienc Services Group in Oregon, a cooperatively owned energy efficienc company.
Sourdough
A step-by-step guide
If you're new to sourdough starter, follow The Buttered Home on YouTube for Brooke Burks' detailed sourdough series. Brooke teaches stepby-step how to begin (and maintain) your own starter from scratch! Open YouTube and search "The Buttered Home Sourdough."
Photos by Brooke Echols
Lissette Dasinger of the Purple Bakery.
Baking with sourdough becomes a business
Like many folks, Lissette Dasinger of Montgomery took up the hobby of making sourdough bread during the days of the 2020-2021 pandemic.
“After I had my second daughter, I started my starter from scratch and watched some videos online, like so many others during Covid, and it was so much fun! I just really enjoyed trying to do healthy bread for my family,” she says. “I remember my first bread loaf I made for my family. We ate it in seconds. It was flat but it tasted good.”
In the past three years she has perfected her bread-making skills, and branched out to sourdough cinnamon rolls, maple pecan sourdough scones, and brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies. “My family and my daughters, they inspire me to bake more every time.”
She continued to bake for family and some friends until her daughter was turning 4 and she requested a purple birthday cake. “So I made the cake and it turned out great,” she remembers. “That was 2023. It was last year that my husband said, ‘You should start selling it (her bread),” so she sold a loaf to a friend for $10. “That’s the price you see in this state, so that’s how it started.” And she named her home business “Purple Bakery” in honor of her daughter’s birthday cake.
Since then, she has grown her business which she promotes via her Facebook and Instagram pages. She makes specialty breads for holidays, like a turkey-shaped loaf for Thanksgiving and a pumpkin-shaped bread for Halloween. She takes orders every week, baking early on Tuesday morning and having orders ready by noon. The process starts two days before: on Sunday night she feeds her starter and lets it rise overnight; on Monday morning
Sourdough Bread
Ingredients:
In a clean jar, add 25 grams starter, 50 grams flour and 50 grams water, giving you 100 grams of starter to use in the bread recipe. Rest up to 12 hours until active and doubled in size.
Stretch and fold dough at 30-minute intervals for the next 1.5-2 hours, allowing 30 minutes of covered rest time between each for a total of 3-4 stretch and folds.
she mixes her dough, and performs three to four sets of “stretch and folds” every 30 minutes. Then she lets it rest at room temperature (her house is a warm 72 to 73 degrees F) until double in size before storing in the refrigerator overnight (between 12-18 hours) for baking the next day.
She uses a lame, or bread scoring tool that looks like a razor blade, to cut leaf patterns and a curving slice on one side to create an “ear” pattern, which helps the bread expand.
When the loaves are ready to go into the 450-degree oven, she places them on a parchment paper-lined tray. (She recommends beginners use a Dutch oven.) On the shelf below, she uses a tray of lava rocks (preheated) into which she pours hot water to create steam to help create a crispier crust and also allows the loaves to fully rise during their first 15-20 minutes. (Lava rocks not needed for beginners using a Dutch oven.)
After 20 minutes of baking, she rotates the bread and lets it finish for 10 more minutes. The bread will smell wonderful, but she recommends waiting at least an hour before cutting so the pieces will retain their shape. Bread can keep in a bread bag for 5 days, and after that she recommends slicing and storing in the freezer. “You can take out a slice, put in the toaster and enjoy it again,” she says.
Her biggest challenge? The starter. “You never know if it’s going to rise. It humbles you! But your bread is still going to have a very good taste.”
Contact Lissette through her Purple Bakery Facebook account and follow purplebakery_ on Instagram.
-Lenore Vickrey
100 grams sourdough starter 350 grams warm water
How to "stretch and fold": 1.) pull a section of dough upwards stretching it out and folding back down in the center of the bowl.
2.) rotate bowl a quarter turn and repeat 3 more times.
The next morning, use a lame to score the dough as you like, then place the dough into a preheated Dutch oven at 450 degrees. Cover and bake for 25-30 minutes. After 25 minutes, remove the lid and put back in the oven for another 10 minutes. (You can check your dough temperature and if it is between 200-210 degrees your bread is ready). Let it cool for at least one more hour before slicing.
10 grams salt 500 grams unbleached all-purpse flour
Using a kitchen scale, measure 100 grams of sourdough starter into a clean bowl, followed by 350 grams warm water, 10 grams salt and 500 grams unbleached all-purpose flour.
Combine ingredients with a wooden spoon or clean hands. Cover with a towel and rest for 30 minutes.
Cover dough with a towel or cheesecloth and set in a warm location until doubled in size. This could take up to 12 hours depending on your dough temperature. Then form into a loaf shape by tucking the ends under the loaf. Place in towel-lined baskets dusted with flour and place in the refrigerator overnight between 10-12 hours for slower fermentation.
It seems everyone is on the sourdough train now. A wildly popular trend that started during the pandemic of 2020 is now a well-loved art for those of us who love knowing what’s in their food. I, myself, tried a couple of different times and failed! My oldest daughter, Tannar, is a master sourdough maker and really tried her best to help me. It wasn’t until 2024 that I really got up the nerve to try my hand again at it and stick with it this time. One of the things I learned early on was how to decide on a baking schedule. For me, someone who works two jobs, baking once a week turned out to be the best option. So now, once a week I discard, feed and place “Phyllis” back in the refrigerator to rest until I need to use her again! I have shared a lot of “Phyllis" with my friends and neighbors and always tell them, the starter is worth having even if you only make this ONE recipe with your discard (the portion of your starter that is removed before you feed it). These two-ingredient sourdough discard crackers are simple, wholesome and just plain easy! For more recipes and more sourdough recipes to come soon, check out our website at thebutteredhome.com.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, mix sourdough starter discard with melted butter.
Brooke Burks
Spread evenly on prepared parchment lined sheet pan, using a spatula to ensure mixture is spread in an even layer. Optional: top with your favorite seasoning and cheese. Bake for 5 minutes, remove from the oven and score crackers to desired size using a knife or pizza cutter. Place back in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 more minutes until brown and crisp. Cool, break apart and serve.
Photo by The Buttered Home
Enter by March 7
recipes@alabamaliving.coop alabamaliving.coop
Attn: Recipes, P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124
Sourdough Rolls and Cinnamon Rolls
6 cups bread four
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1½ cups warm water
½ cup oil (vegetable, canola, corn)
1¼ cup sourdough starter
In a large bowl, mix bread flou, sugar and salt. Add warm water, oil and sourdough starter. Mix with a spoon until blended. Dough should be soft and somewhat sticky. Add more water if needed. Place in a large oiled or sprayed bowl. Turn dough so the top will be covered with oil. Cover with waxed paper and let stand 8-12 hours until at least doubled in size. Do not refrigerate. This rising is very important and will affect the final ising, so allow up to 12 hours. However, I have had bread to rise in 6 hours.
After dough has risen, punch it down and form into loaves (3-4), dinner rolls (3-4 pans), cinnamon rolls (4 pans), or orange rolls (4 pans). Place the bread into oiled or sprayed pans and brush tops with oil or spray them. Let rise until puffy (6-12 hours).
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. When done, remove from oven, brush with butter (loaves and dinner rolls), remove from pans, and cool on cooling racks.
Cinnamon rolls: Divide the dough into fourths and press each piece into a rectangle. Sprinkle with sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add nuts and raisins, if you like. Roll the dough beginning with the long side. Cut each roll into 8 pieces and lay the pieces, cut side up, sides touching, into an oiled or sprayed 9-inch cake pan. Spray with cooking spray. Allow to rise, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. After baking, while rolls are hot, glaze with a mixture of powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Cool. (Makes 4 pans.)
Gay White Cullman EC
Work smarter, harder, louder to roust rabbits
Most rabbit hunters use dogs to flush the long-eared critters from their lairs, but sportsmen without dogs can still get in on the action.
The most common rabbit species in Alabama, eastern cottontails, thrive statewide. They like drier, upland places with abundant briar thickets and other cover. Swamp rabbits also occur statewide, but prefer bottomland forests, swamps and other moist places. The highest concentrations of swamp rabbits occur in southern Alabama. Marsh rabbits primarily live in coastal wetlands. Appalachian cottontails stay at higher elevations in the rugged mountainous habitat of northern Alabama.
Every predator on land or in the air, each much more proficient than humans, wants to eat the “bread of the forest.” Therefore, rabbits spend significant time in the thickest cover trying to stay alive. They establish home territories and don’t like to leave familiar ground. They know their escape routes. Rabbits can easily see and hear people approaching and quickly vanish.
Sportsmen without trained dogs usually bag rabbits as bonus game while hunting something else. People who intentionally hunt rabbits without dogs must work harder, smarter, louder and hope for considerable luck to roust rabbits from their hiding places.
“Rabbit hunting is a good sport to get kids involved,” says Steve Byrd, a rabbit hunter from Citronelle. “They don’t have to worry about staying quiet and being too still. They could get plenty of opportunities to shoot. It’s a lot of fun for kids and adults. We need to get kids out in the woods and excited about hunting.”
Also, take turns “bird dogging” rabbits. One hunter smashes through the thickest cover while others watch possible escape routes for flushing bunnies. Wear heavy canvas “brush buster” pants or leather briar chaps for protection.
When hunting thick cover, rabbit hunters must communicate so everyone knows exactly where everyone else stands at any time. They should also wear orange and never fire without positively identifying the target and what’s close to or behind it. If in doubt, don’t shoot, even if it means that the biggest rabbit in history gets away.
“I highly recommend that rabbit hunters wear orange for the safety of everyone all around,” says James Sealy, a rabbit hunter from Citronelle. “It’s not hard to disappear from sight while rabbit hunting. Always make sure to keep everyone safe.”
If hunting alone, look for chokepoints, like water, fence openings and obstructions that channel rabbits. In soggy places, a thin strip of higher ground surrounded by water could force rabbits into smaller areas. Hunters walking along such constricted ground might jump the same rabbit several times. Strong swimmers, swamp rabbits readily take to water. To escape danger, swampers habitually submerge themselves under tangled roots or fallen branches with only their nostrils protruding from the surface. They stay submerged until the danger passes.
First, go where rabbits live. Rarely, someone spots a rabbit sitting still in the open during shooting hours. Separated at safe distances, hunters could walk through fields kicking every hiding spot that might conceal a bunny. When a rabbit flushes, someone might get a shot.
When a rabbit bolts from cover, shooters must react fast. One or two hops from those powerful hind legs and Mr. Longears swiftly disappears. People seldom get a second shot at a rabbit. Shots rarely exceed 25 yards so use open chokes with Number 6 or 7 ½ shot.
A recently burned or clear-cut section of forest creates an excellent place to look for rabbits by eliminating cover and forcing bunnies into remaining hiding places. Any remaining clump might hold several bunnies. In addition, with most of the trees and underbrush removed, tender new shoots spring up where the sunshine hits the ground.
Those green morsels offer tempting meals for hungry rabbits in late winter. At first or last light, rabbits usually stop right on the edge of cover looking into the open for danger before venturing out to eat. Walk slowly along a firebreak, clear-cut edge or field boundary watching for rabbits to emerge from cover to feed.
After deer season ends, sit in a shooting house or stand overlooking food plots. Watch the plot edges at dawn or dusk for rabbits emerging from cover to nibble the succulent sprouts. Pick them off with scoped .22 rifles.
The Alabama rabbit season runs through March 2 with a limit of eight per day. Most public hunting properties hold rabbit populations. For information on public hunting lands in the Cotton State, visit outdooralabama.com/hunting/where-huntalabama
John N. Felsher is a professional freelance writer who lives in Semmes, Ala. He also hosts an outdoors tips show for WAVH
The Moon Clock and resulting Moon Times were developed 40 years ago by Doug Hannon, one of America’s most trusted wildlife experts and a tireless inventor. The Moon Clock is produced by DataSport, Inc. of Atlanta, GA, a company specializing in wildlife activity time prediction. To order the 2023 Moon Clock, go to www.moontimes.com.
2025: What’s ahead?
Ihad just gotten used to writing 2024 on my checks, and now I have to double check and make sure I write 2025. Things change quickly. As we get older, time passes quicker.
Last year passed very quickly, and many things changed. In 2023, we completed the Lowman Energy Center (LEC), a natural gas combined cycle generation plant, at the site of our retired coal-fired Lowman Plant in Leroy, Alabama. The LEC provides just under 700 megawatts of extremely efficient generation at very competitive pricing.
When planning the LEC, we looked at recent growth on our members’ systems and across the geographic area. We thought the generation provided by the LEC would be sufficient to handle our members’ increased electric growth for a few years. Our next generation plant wasn’t planned until the end of the decade. Other utilities’ planning models were similar, expecting generation capacity surpluses in the southeast region to continue for a few more years.
In 2024, coal-fired plant retirements due to environmental regulations continued, which reduced available generation in the region despite the construction of some natural gas generation. With the changes, surplus generation capacity in the southeast has declined much faster than anticipated.
If asked – and they rarely are – when is the peak usage of electric power, most people say it is on a hot July or August afternoon. That makes sense to most, because it is really hot in Alabama on summer afternoons, and we can all relate to air conditioners running wide open to keep houses and buildings cool. But, the answers of July and August peaks are just dead wrong and, by the way, not even close. Our members’ systems’ peak, or annual highest usage, occurs during the 6:00 a.m. hour on a cold winter day, usually in January. Sometimes, it happens in December or February. The winter peak is about 25 percent higher than in summer.
Utilities are required to maintain (either own or control) generation resources to make electricity available to meet system demand over peak periods. Over the past few years, you will recall that obligation has not been met in certain regions, with blackouts in Texas and the TVA area. None of us want that to happen again, especially not here.
As we enter 2025, things have changed quickly. The economy busted out of the conservative strategies based on fears around the Covid pandemic and organic growth has increased strongly. The Biden administration’s efforts to electrify everything, including transportation, have increased electric demand. The 2024
presidential race has rejuvenated expectations of an expanding and growing economy, and businesses are looking at expanding to meet the growing demand for products. Increasing numbers of people are moving into our members’ service areas from other states. Finally, and most impactful, the electric demand necessary to drive the tremendous growth in artificial intelligence (AI) and the cloud-based data centers supporting the emerging AI industry is raising expectations of the need for additional reliable and dispatchable electric generation.
This week, Microsoft announced plans to invest $80 billion of capital in AI data centers, at least half of which is planned for the U.S. The other large data users, Apple, Meta (Facebook), Google and Amazon have similar expansion plans yet to be announced. Most of the investment will be in data centers located around the country to handle increased data usage and AI’s expansion. The Department of Energy (DOE) predicts the electric appetites of the data industry will triple over the next three years, at which time they will use 12 percent of all electric power consumed in the U.S.
Those projections, combined with the retirement of reliable coal-fired generation and the lack of new generation assets, are very troubling. Based upon our past experience, as well as the production queues for new natural gas turbines from the three equipment suppliers and the projections of construction companies, it will take at least five years to complete a new natural gas plant. Already on the bleeding edge of sufficient capacity, 4 percent annual growth of the country’s electric usage solely for data centers - plus the other electric growth for the next three years - is a daunting challenge.
To ensure we have sufficient capacity to serve our members’ growth, we are moving quickly to secure a slot for a new natural gas turbine and start the design stage for an additional generation plant. In the past, we have relied on purchases from other utilities in the region to meet our short-term needs, but we now have doubts that strategy will provide the stability and reliability we need.
Things change quickly, and plans have to be adjusted. We are building new generation earlier than we had planned. Our goal is to be able to provide reliable power to our members whenever they need it. Just like I have to get used to changing the years on my checks, we have to change our plans as things change around us.
I hope you have a good month.
Gary Smith is President and CEO of PowerSouth Energy Cooperative.
How To Place an Ad in Marketplace
Closing Deadlines (in our office): April 2025 Issue by February 25
May 2025 Issue by March 24 June 2025 Issue by April 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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Vacation Rentals
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GROW MUSCADINES AND BLACKBERRIES , half dollar size – We offer over 200 varieties of Fruit and Nut Trees plus Vines and Berry Plants . Free color catalog. 1-800-733-0324. Ison’s Nursery, P.O. Box 190, Brooks, GA 30205 Since 1934 www.isons.com
A Valentine’s Day fish tale
It was Valentine’s Day 1973 and I had a problem. What to get my girlfriend? This was our first V-Day together, so I certainly needed to come up with a nice gift.
The second part of the problem involved finances. Since I was in college, I was living like so many other students do - in poverty. I spent summers working long hours at a steel mill and saving every dime. If I was frugal, the money might last until I got my refund check in March. So February was always iffy for me.
Still, I had been dating Carol about six months, and I had to come up with something good. A syrupy card just wasn’t gonna do. And roses were out of the question. The florists had already jacked the price so high that I would need a student loan to cover the purchase.
On Feb. 13, I walked the aisles of the discount store with the other procrastinating men, each one of us praying for divine inspiration to pop off a shelf. I gave up, and crossed through the pet supply section on my way to the toy department where I would buy a teddy bear. Ho-hum.
Then I saw the solution to my dilemma between the dog chews and the kitty litter. It was personal, novel, and it would remind her of me whenever she looked at it. A goldfish! In a matter of minutes, I bought a fish, a bowl, and a container of food. With a bit of quick prep I had what was going to be a great Valentine’s Day present.
The next day, I gave the gift to Carol. She loved it!
“You don’t know this, but my favorite character in my favorite movie is Cleo, the fish in “Pinocchio”! she gushed. “I’m going to name it Cleo.”
She gave me a hug and a quick kiss and said, “I’m going to
take it up to my dorm room.” Then she gave me a wink, and continued. “Pick me up in an hour, and I’ll give you your gift.”
I gloated as I drove back to my apartment. Yes, indeed. This was going to be a very good Valentine’s Day for the kid.
I spend the next hour grooming myself, even adding an extra splash of Jade East cologne. We would probably go to Taco Bell. After all, it was 19-cent burrito night. Then I would get my wink, wink… present!
I did a quick clean-up of my Camaro, which meant discarding all of the old Taco Bell wrappers. Next, I was off to get Carol, smirking all the way to the dorm. Pinocchio…what a stroke of luck this was.
However, when Carol got in my car, I got a Valentine’s Day surprise that was nothing like I’d hoped for. She burst into tears.
“You’re not gonna believe what happened,” she bawled. “I had taken Cleo and put him in the window. Then I called everybody in to see the sweet gift you gave me. There were about 10 people in my room. And Cleo flipped up and floated to the top of the bowl. At first I thought he was doing a trick. But he never moved. Cleo’s dead!”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I said in a sympathetic tone, all the while, thinking, “That stupid goldfish has ruined everything!”
“What did you do with him?” I asked.
“Well, we had a little memorial service and then I flushed him down the toilet.”
More bad news. There went my chance for a 79¢ refund on a dead goldfish. That would’ve bought four 19¢ burritos.
The mood was somber at Taco Bell. I couldn’t do anything cheer her up. Finally, I gave up, and took her back to the dorm.
“Happy Valentines Day,” she said. Then she kissed me on the cheek and pulled out my gift from her purse. It was a syrupy card.
Guys, take my advice. If you’re ever in Walmart to try to find a last-minute Valentine’s Day gift, keep walking past the pet department and just go to the toys.
You can’t kill a teddy bear.
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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