Spotlight

Find the hidden dingbat!

Take us along!

Who would expect to find a chocolate chip cookie hidden in the garden? Well, nearly 400 of our readers did when they correctly located the August dingbat in the photo on Page 22 of our gardening column. Our graphic artist decided to give our readers a break this month, after the difficult search we put you through in July! Phyllis Fenn of Dixie EC wrote to us, “Look grandma, a chocolate chip cookie hiding in the garden mulch right by your irrigation hose! Hope you’ve got more in the house!” Don and Cindy Lee of Vina in Franklin County wrote that as they were searching through the magazine, they “thought someone had eaten the August dingbat.” Cindy Ard of Orange Beach was happy to find her first dingbat after five years, and Tina Lewis, a new coop member in Hartford, was proud to find the cookie in her first magazine. Good job, readers! Congratulations to Jerry Posey of Phenix City, our randomly drawn winner who will receive a prize package from our sponsor, Alabama One Credit Union.

This issue, we’ve hidden a pair of football goalposts, which we’ll be seeing a lot of this fall. Good luck!

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 October 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!

By mail: Find the Dingbat Alabama Living PO Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124

Sponsored by

By email: dingbat@alabamaliving.com

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.

Billy and Dolores Puckett of Foley, members of Baldwin EMC, got a frigid wake-up call when they took their magazine to celebrate a family Christmas in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where the temperature was 9 degrees!

Jimmy and Susan Deese of Elba, members of Covington EC, took their magazine on a Celebrity Southern Caribbean cruise to Kralendijk, Bonaire. Located 86 miles east of Aruba and 30 miles from Curacao, Bonaire is the second largest of the five Dutch Antillean Islands.

Whereville, AL

Dr. Lisa Weeks, a trustee at Cullman EC and her daughter, Anna, took their magazine all the way to Paradise Bay, Antarctica, home to the abandoned research station Almirante Brown Antarctic Base.

Marty and Candy Williams of Wagerville, members of ClarkeWashington EMC, enjoyed a visit to Helen, Georgia, one of our favorite Alabama Living advertisers!

August’s answer: We don’t know much about this sculpture near Gadsden City Hall. The director/curator of the Gadsden Museum of Art did not have much information about it, save a newspaper story from October 2008, which referred to it as the “Stars Fell on Alabama” concrete couch. (The newspaper clipping did not include the name of the newspaper).

The story, which didn’t have a byline, reported that Sherry Britton, a Texas artist, and a crew of local volunteers were working on the concrete couch. Britton was primarily a stained-glass artist but branched out to try to make concrete have the appearance of fabric. The couch was intended to “display the grandeur of the Alabama night sky,” according to the article. A website listed for Britton in the story is not active, and we could find little about Britton with regular Internet searches. If you have info to share, email Allison Law at alaw@areapower.com (Photo submitted by Susan Lynn Allen of North Alabama EC) The randomly drawn correct guess winner is Schaleigh Holt of Sand Mountain EC.

Eyes on the skies

Weatherman Spann remains fascinated by the mysteries of weather

By Emmett Burnett

Birmingham meteorologist James Spann in a familiar setting at the ABC 33/40 TV studio.

PHOTOS BY JEFF REASE

In the fall of 1962, in Greenville, Alabama’s W.O. Parmer Elementary School, teacher Edna Earle Porterfield commanded the attention of first-grade students – except for one. A 6-yearold boy opted instead to gaze out the window, observing cloud formations. Suddenly, the youngster was yanked from his chair by Ms. Porterfield for a hallway conference. He feared the worst.

But the teacher smiled and presented the window-gazing student with a library book. “I noticed you have been looking at clouds,” she told the youngster. “I thought you might like to know more about it.”

The boy was James Spann, and the incident refocused his life. More changes were to come.

When Spann was just 7, his father left the family, leaving a mother to raise her son. Young Spann and his mom moved to Tuscaloosa so she could attend the University of Alabama, earn a degree, and become a schoolteacher.

As a Tuscaloosa teen, Spann loved electronic equipment and earned a ham radio license. The Tuscaloosa High School principal allowed him and some friends to build a school radio station. “It was very illegal,” Spann chuckles. “We were supposed to have a broadcast range restricted to campus. But I embellished it. You could hear us in Northport.”

He turned a love of radio equipment into an interest in broadcasting. A local radio station, WTBC, called the school to ask if there was a student interested in working really bad hours for minimum wage. The school answered, “James Spann.”

Spann was hired. He later covered news, sports, and his soon to be specialty, weather. He also traveled to onsite weather occurrences. Many were terrible.

In 1974, his senior year, 80 people died of storm-related events.

“I was at Peoples Hospital, in Jasper, Alabama, during a terrible tornado outbreak,” he recalls. “Many lives were lost. I saw things no 17-year-old should see.”

The dark side of weather taught lessons. Forecasting is more than predicting rainy days. Spann learned, “In this business, we must do everything we can to save lives. We try to use our platform to teach. The knowledge may help you on tornado and hurricane days.”

He adds, “I have always been fascinated by weather.” Spann references that childhood memory of gazing from his schoolroom window: “I would be looking out a window now if there was a window in this place.”

Working from everywhere

“This place” is WBMA – ABC 33/40 News and Weather Studio, Birmingham. Spann has worked from here for around 25 years. Actually, he works from everywhere.

He also has a TV studio in his home where he starts the day around 3:30 a.m., after getting a good night’s sleep of about two and half hours. From home his duties include gathering data, writing blog posts, producing “Weather Extreme” videos, and broadcasting weather reports to 24 radio stations across America.

There are also personal appearances to make. He is a frequent public speaker, including community events, charity drives, and elementary schools. Today he did all three before lunch.

Back at the studios of ABC 33/40, there is the local forecast to prepare. He will be on air at 4, 5, 6, and 10 p.m., or – and this is the exciting part – when breaking news dictates.

“We must be ready,” the meteorologist warns. “I monitor conditions across the state. If we are ripe for a tornado, we have got to be ready to go on air and fast. Time is of the essence and can literally be a life-or-death decision.”

He has no problem interrupting newscasts. Spann’s team can be on the air within 10 seconds when he shouts, “LET’S GO! NOW!”

At his control are live radar images, reconnaissance data, and 44 years of experience. He can examine aerial photographs of almost any Alabama city and identify buildings by name from memory.

“Lots of people don’t respond to radar,” he says. “They see colors like a bucket of spilled paint and shrug it off. If I say, ‘a tornado is 14 miles southwest of Clanton,’ nobody knows what that means. But if I warn, ‘a tornado is near Jim’s Pit Barbecue in Billingsley’ – everybody in Clanton knows where that is – they take action.”

He speaks with authority and hands-on training. In 1973, his junior year of high school, Spann was the first on scene when a tornado ripped through Brent, Alabama, killing five people. “That was my first experience with the violent side of weather,” he recalls. “I experienced the scent of death. You can take a shower, but that scent stays with you for three days.”

He was dispatched to Mobile for September 1979 Hurricane Frederic coverage. “We stayed at Azalea Middle School,” the veteran forecaster recalls. “The campus was an evacuation shelter for local nursing home patients to ride out the storm. We frantically moved the elderly to safer rooms that night when the roof blew off.”

He won an Emmy Award for covering a deadly tornado that ravaged Tuscaloosa on Dec. 16, 2000. The trunk of the wind funnel could encapsulate Bryant-Denny Stadium and it almost did.

He has dozens more such stories, remembering dates, damage, injuries, and death.

No shortage of weather events

Just as Alabama’s geography is diverse from mountains to beaches, so is its weather. “Typically, the more violent tornadoes, the F4s and F5, are more frequent in the northern part of the state,” he says. “South Alabama tornadoes are often short lived.” But all are dangerous.

“I have covered blizzards, floods, droughts, ice storms and heat waves from that green screen,” Spann adds, pointing at the most famous TV studio weather wall in Alabama.

The hardest Alabama weather phenomena to predict? Snow.

“We just don’t have enough recorded data to accurately predict snow because it doesn’t occur here that often,” he notes.

“School kids always ask me, ‘why can’t you get snow forecasts right?’ That’s a very good question,” the forecaster says with a smile.

But that is part of the fascination of weather. The meteorolo-

Spann often speaks to elementary school students. “I want to reach kids at an early age about the importance of weather safety,” he says. And he’s found that “children ask good questions.”

Spann reflects on his nearly 45-year career in broadcasting and meteorology with writer Emmett Burnett. Even with that kind of experience, weather is still a mystery, he says, but it still fascinates him.

gist readily admits we do not know everything. Weather is still a mystery.

“When you’re young, you think you know it all,” says Spann, “but there is so much we do not know. I can’t tell you on a June morning where the thunderstorms will hit that afternoon. Weather is a challenge. It always will be.”

In non-weather-related activities, Spann is chairman of the board for Birmingham’s Grandview Medical Center. He is also children’s worship leader at Double Oak Community Church, Mt. Laurel campus in Birmingham. In addition, he enjoys working with youth sports.

He’s in his mid-60s but works out in a gym three days a week and plays tennis on Sundays with his family. Explaining his game, Spann notes, “We look really good on a tennis court - from a distance.”

He and wife Karen have been married over 40 years.

And Spann knows and remembers everybody. The photographer for this story, Jeff Rease, reminded Spann, “You coached my son in baseball!”

“Did he keep playing or did he stop?” Spann questioned. “Because he was good. He could have continued playing. I remember

how good the team was but most of all, I remember the fun and camaraderie we had. I miss that.” But back to the weather: “Looks like a calm day in Alabama,” the meteorologist says about today’s forecast. “Now tonight some thunderstorms are moving in. I will study it later from the closet.” That’s right, his office is a closet, secluded and private. “This job requires critical thinking which for me requires privacy for concentration. My bosses have asked, ‘James, don’t you want a better office?’ I answer, nope.” With the interview winding down, he conducts an impromptu tour of the studio as we walk out. In reflection he notes that Alabama weather forecasting is difficult at times. “Meteorology is a game you cannot win but you try to stay in the game,” Spann says. “We don’t expect the audience to Spann talks with fans and employees at Carlisle Drug Co. in Alexander be total weather dweebs. That’s City. Spann was at the store to sign copies of his memoir, Weathering Life. what we are.” But he never forgets that giving accurate, reliable forecasts can save lives. With that, the weatherman – in his crisp white shirt with trademark necktie and suspenders – returns to work. He scans weather data from electronic “windows,” just as he did from a Greenville elementary school windows many years ago.

Castaway Creek features a 500-foot-long lazy river. Thrillseekers can take the plunge at Tangerine Scream, a 75-foot free-fall water slide.

Expansion makes OWA a year-round destination

By Emmett Burnett

Rising 114 feet above Baldwin County, Rollin’ Thunder’s passengers can view the Gulf of Mexico all the way from Foley. But not for long.

Within seconds, roller coaster fans plunge 56 mph through twisted paths, hairpin turns, and a harrowing straightway. Passengers disembarking the expansive blue track all agree – Tropic Falls at OWA rocks.

But Tropic Falls at OWA is no longer just for attractions on land (or in the air, if you’re on one of the roller coasters or other thrill rides). The new Tropic Falls Indoor Water Park is the largest indoor water park on the Gulf Coast; the project is perhaps OWA’s most ambitious expansion to date.

“From an investment standpoint, this is the biggest single attraction we have had,” says Kristin Hellmich, OWA’s director of marketing and public relations, about the $74 million project under a 100,000-square-foot roof. “The waterpark costs more than

the entire original theme park from when we first opened.” She continues, “We wanted an indoor water park partly because of our weather. It was part of our overall vision when we first opened. It’s a great option to get out of the sun, rain, or cold. It is fun indoors without feeling like you are indoors.” The mammoth undertaking is a two-phase The new Tropic Falls roll out. Phase one opened June 29 with six thrill slides, a lazy river, indoor dining, party Indoor Water Park is rental rooms, an indoor arcade, and a children’s play area with five family-friendly the largest indoor water slides. Two thrill slides rise to new heights: park on the Gulf Coast Tangerine Scream, a 75-foot free-fall, and Piranha Plunge, also 75-feet tall with a super loop and drop floor. At press time, phase two was under construction, with only the 30,000-square-foot outdoor wave pool left to complete. Other phase two attractions include a surf simulator and additional dining and beverage locations.

Tropic Falls is currently the only indoor waterpark in the U.S. with both a retractable roof and wall. The park is open year-round.

Additional features include Castaway Creek/Lazy River, private party rooms, private cabanas, Grub (a quick service restaurant) and Libations, a tropical themed cocktail bar.

OWA is also undertaking a $2.5 million rebranding project. Henceforth, the theme park and attractions will be known as Tropic Falls at OWA. “It includes everything behind the theme park and water park single gate,” Hellmich says, as we explore the newly named attraction.

Something for everyone

Tropic Falls, home to the largest indoor waterpark in the Southeastern U.S., is now open at OWA Parks & Resort. PHOTOS COURTESY OF OWA

In Downtown OWA, Murder Creek Distillery sells Alabama-made moonshine.

For the novice, OWA has two components – Tropic Falls, which includes the theme park and water park side, and Downtown OWA, with shops, shows, restaurants, gathering spots, and more.

“Most people do not realize how big OWA is,” Hellmich says as we walk around the lake. “It is much bigger than it looks from the road.” She is correct.

The complex spans 520 acres. Tropic Falls is 14 acres and the lake separating the two is over a mile in diameter. Plan at least a day to see it all – and that does not include the new water park. Add another day.

“I believe one of the best values we offer at OWA is something for all,” Hellmich says. “Some come for the theme park rides, including teens and spring breakers, and college kids. But others, often an older crowd, visit for a good meal and to take in a show. We are not just a theme park. We are not just a water park. We are a year-round entertainment destination for everybody.”

Emphasis is on year-round. “Summer is our peak season,” she says. “But fall/autumn is moving to second place with spring. We fully embrace Halloween season here.”

Halloween season features include haunted attractions, a walkthrough hay maze, weekend trick-or-treats with characters and more, every weekend during fall.

Peak season starts around Memorial Day as OWA prepares for summer. The massive July Fourth fireworks presentation is one of the largest on the Gulf coast.

Christmas is spectacular, starting with the lighting of the Christmas tree in November.

Eateries and shops

“Incidentally, she just added shrimp and grits to her menu,” Hellmich says, pointing to Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen restaurant, with entrees including fried chicken kissed by angels.

Other culinary adventures include the Groovy Goat, Sassy Bass Amazin’ Grill, Sushi Co., Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar and Restaurant, and C’est Le Vin Wine Bar and Shop.

Just as the theme park offers something for everyone, so does Downtown OWA’s shopping district – from fine jewelry to clothing to jelly beans. One of the newest shops, Native Treasures, offers crafts, jewelry, and clothing made from or inspired by Native Americans.

Downtown also includes the Fairhope Soap Company, Alvin’s Island Tropical Department Store, the Spice and Tea Exchange and Body Tune Plus.

Another new spot lifts your spirits with spirits of Alabama moonshine. Murder Creek Distillery is so named for Escambia County’s tributary with the charming name, “Murder Creek.” Sample tastings are available for brews, ranging from gentle and mild, to robust beverages, duplicating the Rollin’ Thunder roller coaster without actually riding it.

OWA does not release attendance data, but Hellmich says “Our attendance is significant and has grown every year since startup.” She credits the site’s popularity to what one would expect – great value and quality attractions. But guests are also drawn here by a behind the scenes factor – cleanliness.

OWA is cleaner than your living room. “We have people complimenting our cleanliness,” Hellmich says. “Our crews work nearly round the clock keeping the grounds and restrooms, all areas clean. It is a priority.”

With cleanliness comes safety. All rides are checked daily and evaluated before the theme park opens and monitored closely throughout the day.

In winter the park has about 100 employees, but during the peak summer months the number swells to 500 to 700. Of that, about half will work in the new water park, probably by the time you read this. As for today’s visit, Tropic Falls visitors eagerly board rides, including Aero Zoom, Crazy Mouse, Alabama Wham’a and about 20 more. Nearby, there is that Gulf Shores beach thing, down the road. But in Foley, twisting and turning above it all, Rollin’ Thunder rolls again. And so does OWA.

For more information, contact visitowa.com

A Century of Community

Southern Union State Community College celebrating 100 years of service

By Katie Jackson

When 51 young men and women arrived in Wadley, Ala., on Sept. 12, 1923, to start classes at a brand-new Bible college, they found a single partially constructed building on a red clay hill. But they also found a five-member faculty and a town full of local citizens all ready and willing to create a learning community that would last for a century.

Those students represented the first class of Bethlehem College, a private Bible school chartered on June 2, 1922, by the Southern Convention of Christian Churches and charged with the mission of providing two years of affordable coeducational college training to the residents of Randolph and surrounding counties.

Today, that little school is known as Southern Union State Community College and though it is greatly changed — it now encompasses three campuses and a faculty of more than 200 fulltime educators serving more than 4,000 students — its commitment to community education remains the same.

The story of Southern Union’s century of service began after town leaders in Wadley successfully persuaded Christian Church leaders to locate their newest rural college in their little town. One of the many reasons Wadley was chosen was the remarkable support for the college exhibited by members of the community. Not only did local citizens help raise some $22,000 to launch the college, a cashier at the Bank of Wadley named John M. Hodge donated 44-plus acres of prime land for use as the school’s campus.

Within a few years of opening, the school had changed its name to Southern Union College and was experiencing a steady growth in enrollment. But it also struggled financially, even closing its doors for a short time in 1933 when it faced a looming bankruptcy. But the school soon reopened with the help from local citizens, some of whom even mortgaged their own farms to pay the school’s debt.

That remarkable sense of community and ingenuity also got the school through the Great Depression, during which time school leaders developed work-study programs and took food, farm animals and other supplies in exchange for tuition. All the while, students received an exemplary education from the college’s highly qualified faculty members, some of whom hailed from Ivy League colleges and prestigious art and music schools.

Today, Southern Union alumni continue to find success in the

world and often credit the school’s powerful sense of community for their success.

Commitment to community

Louise James Cox of LaFayette, Ala., experienced that community commitment firsthand. “I’ve been involved with Southern Union since I was a child because my mother and grandmother were Congregational Christians,” Cox says. She vividly recalls attending fall Harvest Days when all the Congregational Christian churches (there were more than 30 in the area at the time) took food to the college to stock the school’s larder. But Cox, a 1964 SUSCC graduate, also credits Southern Union’s leaders for encouraging her to come back to school at the age of 29 and a few years later hiring her to teach at the college for another 25 years. “To me, that place is sacred,” she said of Southern Union, especially of the Wadley campus. “When I walk over there, I feel the love of so many people that made that little school and made it affordable for people in this area that couldn’t have gone to school.” Desmond Nunn, a 2012 graduate, echoes Cox’s sentiment. He came to Southern Union right out of high school, unsure about his career path. But with the help of the school’s performing arts faculty Nunn discovered his innate talent as a dancer and singer. He is now Students at what was then Southern Union College, sometime in the traveling the country as a prin1950s. Today, Southern Union State Community College celebrates 100 cipal in the national tour of years of service in east Alabama. “Hamilton: The Musical.” “Southern Union was the launching pad,” he says. “If I had dreams, Southern Union was the rocket. I would never have gotten to space without this place.” It is that sense of community and commitment that Southern Union’s current leaders plan to take forward. “Community is what drives and inspires us,” says Southern Union President Todd Shackett. “We are committed to continuing that partnership to help make our communities stronger through education, and we look forward to the next 100 years of growing and advancing together.” That spirit of community and Southern Union’s long history in the community will be celebrated from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 15 on the Wadley campus and all are invited. The free event features food, games and alumni reunions and performances. To learn more visit Southern Union’s Facebook or other social media feeds or go to www.suscc.edu.

Old Town Stock House

A new approach to old-fashioned service

By Mike Stedham

Old Town Stock House

410 Old Town Street Guntersville, AL (256) 582-1676 oldtownstockhouse.com Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday

Stepping into the Old Town Stock House restaurant in downtown Guntersville is like stepping back in time – in a good way.

It’s stepping back to the days when being pampered was an integral part of eating at a nice local restaurant. The days when the staff knew your name, your likes and your dislikes.

“I think what sets us apart is our level of service all around, from the way the chefs handle things in the kitchen to the way our servers and bartenders handle things out front,” says Crystal McKone, chef and owner. “It’s kind of like going back in time to that nostalgic era when people really cared about one another, and providing a memorable experience for everyone.”

The experience begins, appropriately enough, by finding Old Town Street, just a half block west of the city’s main southbound thoroughfare. Old Town Stock House is on the second floor of a building built in 1901 as a drugstore, and the main entrance to the restaurant is actually at the back of the building through a covered patio.

Inside the dining area, exposed brick walls and hardwood floors enhance the feeling of stepping back into a more relaxed time. The space was used as the stock area for the drugstore, which contributed to the name of the restaurant.

“Plus, we make our own beef stock and veal stock and chicken stock in-house,” says McKone. “So the name has kind of a double meaning.”

A native of Marshall County, McKone was born in neighboring Albertville and grew up in communities across Alabama and Mississippi. Her family has a lake house in Guntersville, and she kept returning to the area throughout the years.

After graduating from the University of Alabama with a degree l Guntersville

in advertising, McKone moved to New York City to work for a company that specialized in renting shared office space. She loved the bustle of the big city but knew she would be happier with a different career. “I had always enjoyed cooking, and I’ve always been more of the creative type, and although I was doing well at my job, I wasn’t feeling fulfilled.” She started working as a server and bartender in New York restaurants and enrolled in the French Culinary Institute (now called The International Culinary Center). After graduating, her first kitchen job was at Craft in Atlanta working for celebrity chef Tom Colicchio, who gained fame as a judge on TV’s “Top Chef.” On visits to her father, who still lives in Guntersville, she would often eat at K.C.’s Coyote Café, the original name of the restaurant that moved into the old drugstore building after it was renovated in the 1990s. “I always loved the building then, and it’s funny because I had no idea I would ever own a restaurant, and it’s funny that I would end up here in a building I already loved so much.”

An expansion of clientele

She bought the business seven years ago and changed its menu The Pork Osso Buco features all local vegetables, including creamed collards, roasted carrots and beech mushrooms. PHOTO BY CRYSTAL MCKONE from primarily steak and seafood dishes to what she describes as Southern American cuisine. The constantly changing menu now features seasonal specials that take advantage of as much locally grown produce as she can find. The expansion of the menu led to an expansion of the clientele, bringing in new customers from Huntsville, Birmingham, Cullman, Gadsden, and other parts of central and north Alabama. The pandemic hit Old Town Stock House especially hard, since its emphasis on personal service wasn’t a good fit with preparing mostly carry-out orders. Luckily, the patio out back was already in use, and once it was covered it provided an outdoor option for diners to gather and enjoy the food. As the world of indoor dining has opened back up, McKone says her restaurant has bounced back. She credits part of the resurgence on the increasing popularity of Guntersville as a recreation and retail center.

“People are coming here for short getaways,” she says. “It has that small-town feel, and it’s a nice escape.”

To keep expanding her clientele, McKone says her restaurant continues to evolve by keeping the menu fresh and exciting. They have begun offering lunch on weekdays, and they’ve added a Burger Night special each Tuesday.

“We prepare 24 hamburgers that night, and when they’re gone, they’re gone.” Reservations, which are always a good idea, are highly recommended on Burger Night.

Although McKone has a degree in advertising and is adept at using Facebook and Twitter, she says she prefers to do her marketing the old-fashioned way as well.

“We really rely heavily on word of mouth. If people like their experience, they will tell their friends,” she says. “I think sometimes people get way too focused on social media, and they’re not taking care of the guests that are in the restaurant.”

Left to right:

Crystal McKone is executive chef and owner of Old Town Stock House.

PHOTO BY MIKE STEDHAM The restaurant is actually on the second floor of a structure built in 1901 as a drug store. PHOTO BY CRYSTAL MCKONE The “lunch punch” changes weekly, and features rum or vodka with seasonal fresh juices and accoutrements. PHOTO BY CRYSTAL MCKONE

Don’t be fooled by these 5 government impostor scams

By Jackie Davidson, Payments & Digital Fraud Risk Manager at Alabama ONE

In 2021 we saw more government impostor scams than ever, and they are still out there trying to find new ways to trick you out of your money.

How do these scams work?

Scammers pretend to be calling you from government agencies like the Social Security Administration and the IRS, or say they work for Medicare. They say that if you don’t pay or you refuse to give them your personal information, something bad will happen. Or, maybe you’ll miss out on some government benefit. But it’s a scam. Here are 5 government impersonator scams to be aware of.

1. Don’t trust unsolicited calls

Government agencies like the Social Security Administration, IRS or FBI do not call people with threats or promises of money according to the BBB.

2. Ignore text messages and emails

Unless you’re already corresponding with a government agency that’s supposed to get back with you, be suspicious of text and email messages. Never click on links in messages from supposed government agencies, warns the BBB.

3. Don’t rely on caller ID

Scammers can use “spoofing” technology to fool you into answering a call because your caller ID displays the call is from the IRS, Medicare, the SSA or another government agency.

4. Know that Social Security numbers are never suspended

If a purported agent from the SSA calls to tell you that your Social Security number has been “suspended” and you may be arrested, hang up immediately. That’s a government impostor trying to con you. “The Social Security Administration will never threaten to arrest you because of an identity theft problem,” says the BBB.

5. Beware of calls asking for tax information

“The IRS generally makes its first contact with people by regular mail – not by phone – about taxes,” says the BBB.

At Alabama ONE, we are invested in protecting our members from fraud and identity theft through education, safeguards on our credit cards and accounts, and other measures. Visit www. alabamaone.org to learn more.

Taking cooking to the next level

Columbiana’s Jonathan Harrison had the opportunity to show some love for his home state as a contestant on the first season of “Next Level Chef,” a reality show that aired on the Fox network earlier this year. Hosted by famed TV chef and restaurateur Gordon Ramsay, the show looks for the country’s best line cooks, home chefs, social media stars and more to find the food world’s next superstar.

Harrison didn’t make it to the finals, but the experience furthered his current career as a private chef; he creates what his neighborhood calls “driveway dinners,” inviting people via his Instagram account to come to a limited seated dinner. “It’s an excellent way to meet new people and try some new food in a laid-back environment,” he says.

He plans to continue “private cheffing” and would like to produce content for food publications, as well as cook his signature Southern fusion cuisine with some of his heroes and pursue opportunities in media and TV. – Allison Law

What career path did you originally want?

I wanted to be all the things growing up, haha! I thought I would be a great lawyer; I loved running for SGA offices and dreamed of being in politics. My mother wanted me to be a music minister because I have always loved to sing, but when it came time to go to college, I really wanted to be able to go to culinary school – but I had a full ride that didn’t cover the culinary program where I was attending, so I decided to major in journalism.

All the while, I continued to cook, read about cooking, try new foods, and explore as many new foods and ingredients as I could. I never stopped wanting to cook for people, I just didn’t know how to make it full time or what it would look like.

When did you start cooking, and with whom?

The first people I remember cooking with are my grandmothers. I remember rolling out sausage balls and shredding cucumbers for cucumber spread with my paternal grandmother, Dean. I remember her food as being so incredibly flavorful and she made some of the only chicken and dressing that I have ever actually enjoyed. I’m not sure if it was the fourth cup of bacon grease or the love she put into it that made it so good but it was amazing.

My maternal grandparents were the ones we lived closest to and their house is where the traditional Sunday dinner after church took place. Most Sundays we had roast, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, slaw, some sort of pound cake-esque situation for dessert and so much Red Diamond sweet tea. They had a large garden and this is where I learned to appreciate fresh produce and understand how invaluable it is.

What is your favorite type of food, or cuisine, to cook?

I absolutely love Southern fusion. My favorite thing to do is take the South to the world and bring the world back to the South. Combining ingredients and techniques from around the world with traditional Southern food is just exhilarating to me. Saag Paneer made with collard and mustard greens, wrapping spicy coconut infused dirty rice in motherland okra leaves and steaming them, Chilton County peach and Thai basil scones with sauterne glaze – I know that’s a lot of words but doesn’t that sound so fun and delicious? It just fires me up.

Tell us about the experience with Gordon

Ramsay and the other judges.

My experience with each judge was so valuable and so very unique. I was being coached by Richard Blais who I knew from the upscale burger concept Flip Burger Boutique. Flip Burger was one of the first creative eating experiences I had as a kid. My experience with Nyesha Arrington was just the most incredible. To say that her presence is formidable is an understatement. She is tough, she is incredibly intelligent, immensely talented and she just exudes kindness and acceptance. My experience with Chef Ramsay was equally as wonderful. He truly believes in each contestant and wants you to be your absolute best.

Do you want to stay in Alabama?

I love Alabama, and I will always have a home here. I always admired how Ernest

Hemingway traveled the world but always came home to Key West. I plan to travel and cook around the world, in as many places, for as many people as possible but I think I will always have a little oasis in my hometown to come back to. I want to be someone who goes into the world to show people all of the wonderful parts of our state.

Follow Jonathan on Instagram @chef_jonathanharrison

SOCIAL SECURITY

You can apply for Medicare online; note enrollment period

You can apply for Medicare online even if you are not ready to start your retirement benefits. Applying online is quick and easy. There are no forms to sign, and we usually do not require additional documentation. We’ll process your application and contact you if we need more information.

Knowing when to apply for Medicare is very important! You must apply during your limited initial enrollment period. If you’re eligible for Medicare at age 65, your initial enrollment period begins three months before your 65th birthday and ends three months after that date. If you miss your initial enrollment period, you may have to pay a higher monthly premium. Visit ssa.gov/benefits/medicare to apply for Medicare and find other important information.

If you were unable to enroll or disenroll in Medicare because you could not reach us by phone after January 1, 2022, you will be granted additional time, through December 30, 2022. This additional time applies to the 2022 General Enrollment Period, Initial Enrollment Period, and Special Enrollment Period.

Some people who receive Medicare benefits may qualify for Extra Help with their Medicare prescription drug plan costs, including the monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and co-payments. To qualify for Extra Help, you must receive Medicare, have limited resources and income, and reside in one of the 50

Kylle’ McKinney, SSA Public Affairs Specialist, can be reached by email at kylle.mckinney@ssa.gov. states or the District of Columbia. Read our publication Understanding the Extra Help with Your Medicare Prescription Drug Plan for more information at ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10508.pdf.

The Medicare website has answers to your questions and other helpful resources including: • What does Medicare cover? Find out at medicare.gov/ what-medicare-covers. • Where do I find forms to file a Medicare appeal? Visit

medicare.gov/claims-appeals/how-do-i-file-an-appeal

for more. • How can I let someone else talk to Medicare on my behalf? Learn more at medicare.gov/claims-appeals/file-an-appeal/can-someone-file-an-appeal-for-me. • What do Medicare health and prescription drug plans cost in my area, and what services do they offer? Check out medicare.gov/plan-compare. • Which doctors, health care providers, and suppliers participate in Medicare? See medicare.gov/forms-help-resources/find-compare-doctors-hospitals-other-providers for the answers. • Where can I learn more about a Medicare prescription drug plan (Part D) and enroll? Visit medicare.gov/drug-coverage-part-d/how-to-get-prescription-drug-coverage. • Where can I find a Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy in my area? Find the answers at medicare.gov/ medigap-supplemental-insurance-plans. Please share these helpful resources with friends and family today.

September crossword by Myles Mellor

Across 1 Historic African American university 5 Crafting material 9 Large shade tree 11 School’s URL ender 12 IPad pic 14 Place for a latte 16 Approve, as a plan 18 The end product of effective education 21 Managed 22 Landscaper’s grass 23 Classroom supplies 26 Important pollinator 28 Follow instructions 30 Vital food item for kids, 2 words 34 Very happy 36 Christian university in south Alabama 40 “Give ___ break!”, 2 words 42 Brain scan, abbr. 43 Great African American educator, Booker T. _______ 44 For example, briefly Down 1 University of Alabama’s campus nickname, 2 words 2 Baptist university in Birmingham 3 December 24 or 31 4 Enlighten 6 J.F.K. alternative (airport code) 7 Lady sheep 8 Short skirt 10 Young boy 13 Catch on to 15 Environmental protectors 17 Alabama neighbor, abbr. 19 Cocktail addition 20 Agreed! 24 Line made with a compass 25 Brazilian city 26 One __ one 27 __ Prado, Spanish museum 29 Student tests 31 All nations’ org. , abbr. 32 Camembert’s cousin 33 Big rig 35 Dad’s room 37 Or best offer, for short 38 “Crouching Tiger, Hidden

Dragon” director 39 Breakfast staple 41 Top prosecutor, abbr.