Spotlight

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 August 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!

June’s answer: This closeup is of the eight-foot, one ton bronze statue of Jesse Owens, the track and field star who won four gold medals in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. The statue, created by sculptor Branko Medenica, is part of the 30-acre Jesse Owens Memorial Park in Oakville, dedicated to the athletic icon who was born at the site on Sept. 12, 1913. Owens is remembered for his athletic accomplishments, but also as a symbol of triumph over obstacles and achievement of the American dream. (Information from Encyclopedia of Alabama; see more at jesseowensmemorialpark.com.) (Photo by Lenore Vickrey of Alabama Living) The randomly drawn correct guess winner will be announced in the August issue.

By the time you receive this magazine, many of you will have found the airplane dingbat in the June issue. But due to delays at our printer, many of you did not receive the June magazine in time for us to review your contest entries and congratulate the winner this month. We promise to reveal the winner for June in our August magazine. Meanwhile, enjoy looking for this month’s dingbat, a hotdog, just in time for your July 4th cookout! Happy hunting!

Find the hidden dingbat!

Sponsored by

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

By email: dingbat@alabamaliving.com

Have a happy (and safe) Fourth of July

In 2020, at least 18 people died and over 15,000 people were treated in emergency rooms for fireworks injuries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. 66% of all fireworks-related incidents reported in 2020 occurred around the July 4th holiday. While it’s common to give

The safest way to enjoy a fire- children sparklers, they burn works display is at a communi- at about 2,000 degrees. ty-sanctioned, licensed event. Alabama law allows only consumer fireworks, formerly known as class Consider giving kids glow sticks, confetti poppers or flags instead, the National Safety Council recommends. C fireworks. Some municipalities outlaw fireworks altogether.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission prevents large numbers of hazardous fireworks from reaching consumers. Illegal mail order kits contain chemical mixtures that can explode unexpectedly and violently. M-80s, cherry bombs and quarter sticks are so highly explosive that they have been banned by federal law since 1966. If fireworks are legal where you live and you decide to set them off on your own, be sure to follow these important safety tips: • Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks. • Never use fireworks while impaired by alcohol or drugs. • Read and follow all warnings and instructions. • Discuss safety procedures with children, including teaching them to "stop, drop and roll." • Be sure other people are out of range before lighting fireworks. • Never aim or throw fireworks at another person. • Only light fireworks on a smooth, flat surface away from the house, dry leaves and flammable materials. • Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly. • Never try to relight or pick up fireworks that have not fully functioned. • Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose nearby in case of a malfunction or fire.

Source: Alabama Department of Public Health

The giraffes, standing 16 feet tall, love for visitors to hand-feed romaine lettuce from a raised vewing platform.

Take a wild ride

at the Alabama Safari Park

Story and photos by Nick Thomas

Visitors to the Alabama Safari Park this summer can expect many of the animal residents to personally greet their human guests. In fact, you’ll have many eating out of the palm of your hand – literally.

Home to more than 800 animals, visitors to the 350-acre wildlife park just south of Montgomery in Hope Hull drive the facility’s 3-mile winding gravel road while pausing periodically to hand-feed the free-roaming zebras, llamas, ostriches, and many other species from food buckets through car windows.

“It’s very safe, but there are rules that should be followed,” says park founder and CEO Eric Mogensen. “For example, you must always remain in your vehicle. You can ride in the bed of a pickup truck, but you absolutely cannot exit your vehicle. We have staff constantly monitoring the park, ensuring everyone follows the rules.”

In addition to catering to the daily stream of curious tourists, the park is dedicated to wildlife conservation as part of the Zoofari Parks group, which operates similar facilities in other states.

“We work closely with other zoos and private breeders around the country on captive breeding programs to build a healthy population of animals,” Mogensen says. This includes their sister parks, Virginia Safari Park, Gulf Breeze Zoo in Florida, and their newest Texas Safari Park, which is opening soon. “Our collection (of animals) depends upon availability, and proper management depends upon facilities and staffing.”

The park also supports conservation projects both nationally and globally, as well as native Alabama wildlife programs, by offering grants ranging from $100 to $5,000. Supported projects include the Siaga Conservation Alliance, Pygmy Hippo Research, tortoise population research at the University of West Florida, the International Crane Foundation, and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.

“We budget a certain percentage of our income to be used towards our conservation programs,” Mogensen says. “We believe that there are habitats and species around the world that need additional funding for their programs, and we are able to assist. Our guests can enjoy the fact that while they are enjoying our park, they are actually helping our conservation efforts.”

Mogensen says the park is entirely self-funding, accepting neither donations nor state or federal money. “Because we have been doing this for a long time, we have developed a successful business model that allows us to be self-sufficient. We operate on income generated by admissions, feed sales, our gift shop, and animal encounters.”

Feeding some new friends

In addition to the self-driving tour, animal encounters include hand-feeding giraffes with lettuce (available on-site). From the raised viewing platform, visitors can stand eye-to-eye with the tallest terrestrial animal in the world which, on average, towers some 16 feet over fellow inhabitants in their native African savannahs and woodlands.

For an additional cost, visitors can also feed vegetable sticks to the newest park residents – the slow-moving but gentle twotoed sloths. And in a separate exhibit, Madagascar’s most famous mammals – lemurs – are on display. The park’s ring-tailed and black-and-white ruffed lemurs represent two of the 100 lemur species that are only native to the west African island nation.

There’s also a petting area with goats, potbellied pigs, chickens, and baby llamas, and at the Kangaroo Walk-About area, the famous bouncing Aussie marsupials could be leaping effortlessly across the grassland, lazing in the Southern sun, or tending to baby joeys in their pouches. Barnaby and Armstid, a pair of Giant Anteaters, are also recent additions to the park’s menagerie.

While Alabama is home to several traditional zoos, Mogensen doesn’t view the park attraction as a commercial rival.

Different from a zoo

“Before we built this park we were in close contact with the management of the Montgomery Zoo and have been careful to be an asset rather than competition,” he says. “We offer a very different experience than the Montgomery or Birmingham Zoos because our park is a drive-thru safari park. Guests can interact more with the animals and have closer encounters with various animals. It’s worth noting that our organizations are very supportive of one another.”

The region just south of Montgomery was selected for the Alabama park site due to the abundant grazing fields. And with Interstate 65 just minutes away, there’s easy access for travelers passing through the area looking for an interesting detour.

For the animals’ safety, visitors cannot provide outside food of any kind, but buckets of suitable feed are available for $5 at the gift shop. But with a constant mobile human food delivery service throughout the day, could the animals overeat?

“Our animals tend to self-regulate when being fed,” Mogensen says. “That is why every trip through is a different experience. When an animal eats and gets full, it will tend to move off and settle down for a nice rest.”

In addition to daily park passes, annual memberships are also available offering unlimited visits.

“We are constantly adding new animals and exhibits and are always planning for the future,” says Mogensen. “A guest should always notice something new with each visit.”

The Alabama Safari Park is open daily (except Thanksgiving and Christmas days), with summer hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; last admission is 4 p.m. Adults are $22.95, with discounts for children, seniors, and the military. Admission grants access to the Safari Drive-Thru and Walk-Thru areas for the entire day (receipts allow re-entry to the park). Wagon rides are also available for $10 per person.

The park is located off I-65 at Exit 158 at 1664 Venable Road, Hope Hull. Phone 334-288-2105 or go to www.alabamasafaripark.com for more information.

The slow-moving but gentle two-toed sloths enjoy munching on vegetable sticks.

This young Scottish Highland cow is gentle and easily handled.

Corporate marketing manager Susan Robichaux gets up-close and personal with the giraffes.

Lake Martin comes to life at songwriters festival

By Scott Baker

The sounds of Nashville will reach the shores of Lake Martin in late July during the 2nd annual Lake Martin Songwriters Festival. More than 20 hit-writing and highly acclaimed songwriters are slated to appear and perform at 15 different venues in the area July 27- 31, 2022. The big finale on Saturday night in downtown Alexander City will be headlined by Thompson Square.

The inaugural event in 2021 attracted so much attention and praise from both the songwriters and patrons that the organizing committee has been overwhelmed with writers clamoring to get involved. “I never expected to be receiving phone calls from such prestigious writers,” says Sandra Fuller, Executive Director of Tallapoosa County Tourism and one of the organizers. “I’ve been listening to these artists’ hit songs on the radio, and suddenly they’re calling me up and asking if they can participate. It’s surreal!”

Jamie O’Neal, the writer and artist behind the #1 hit singles “There Is No Arizona” and “When I Think About Angels”, is one of those artists. Another is Kristen Kelly, who is taking a break from touring with Brad Paisley, Racal Flatts and others. The star-studded songwriter

line-up also includes Marla Cannon-Goodman, Heidi Raye, and Brian White among others. While their names may not be recognizable, the artists who’ve recorded their songs are: Rascal Chad Wilson headlined the 2021 Lake Martin Songwriters Festival at Main Street in Alexander City. PHOTO BY SCOTT BAKER Flatts, Trace Adkins, Jason Aldean, George Strait, Reba McEntire, Martina McBryde, and just about every other major recording artist. Grammy-nominated Blue Foley, writer of Ashley MacBryde’s “Never Will”, enjoyed the event so much last year that he wasted no time drumming up enthusiasm and support for the second year event. The effect of Foley’s support is evident with the inclusion of Johnny Bulford, co-writer of the #1 hit “A Woman Like You” by Lee Brice and “Lonely Eyes” by Chris Young. Terri Jo Box, a hit-writing machine for Miranda Lambert, Eric Church, Trisha Yearwood and many others, declared her desire to return before she even left the stage last year. “The folks at Lake Martin were so welcoming, and the lake is absolutely magnificent,” Blue Foley says. “All the songwriters stayed together and we jammed all night and played on the lake all day. I couldn’t wait to return to Nashville and tell everyone about it.

Blue Foley

PHOTO COURTESY OF BLUE FOLEY

(From left) Chancie Neal, Kensie Coppin, Emma Zinck and Cameron Havens perform at Copper’s Grill at Stillwaters during the 2021 festival.

PHOTOS BY SCOTT BAKER

This year is going to be even better!”

The Lake Martin Songwriter Festival is more than a showcase of the writers behind the songs; it’s a weekend chock-full of world-class performances at small venues where the writers share insight on their writing process, what compelled them to write the song, and invite questions from attendees. At many of the venues, spectators are merely a few feet away from the performers and the feeling is intimate and conversational.

In addition to the showcase of talent, this year’s event will feature a songwriting competition for writers 20 years of age and younger. Held on Friday night at Wind Creek State Park, the event will be hosted and judged by Bruce Wawrzyniak with “Hear This Now” podcast and Trey Foshee of the band Blackberry Breeze. The winner will perform their winning composition on the main stage concert Saturday night. Main Street in Alexander City will be transformed with a stage erected between the historic downtown buildings creating a natural acoustic venue. The Josh Kiser Band opens the concert at 6:30 pm, followed by Jamie O’Neal performing her hit singles “There Is No Arizona” and “When I Think About Angels.” Thompson Square will share their new single “Country In My Soul,” among other favorites. “One of the best parts of the Lake Martin Songwriters Festival is it’s all free,” Fuller says. “Lake Martin already is a fantastic vacation destination and this festival will continue to grow and introduce more and more songwriters and music lovers to Lake Martin and central Alabama.” The Lake Martin Film Festival is presented by Those Lake Martin Guys and Tallapoosa County Tourism. For more information and a complete lineup, Chad Wilson and Eric Erdman entertain the audience at Copper’s Grill at Stillwaters. visit lakemartinsongwritersfestival.com.

Planning a remodel? Timing is everything

Q:I’m planning a remodeling project this year. What energy efficiency upgrades should I consider?

A:I write this from deep in the throes of a remodel that, like many remodels, has lasted much longer than planned.

Remodeling is a great opportunity to take care of energy efficiency improvements by adding them to your scope of work. If your home is already under construction, take the extra step to make it more efficient.

Planning for efficiency is the first step. Look at the scope of your remodeling project to see what energy efficiency upgrades you can add. There may be cost savings and convenience in tackling both at once.

Here are a few examples of energy efficiency upgrades for common remodeling projects.

Kitchen remodel

If your kitchen remodel includes new appliances, buy ENERGY STAR®-rated models. ENERGY STAR® refrigerators are about 9% more efficient than standard models, and ENERGY STAR® dishwashers save both energy and water.

As for kitchen faucets, there are options available with multiple flow-rate settings. You can save water by using a lower flow rate on your faucet when washing dishes, vegetables or your hands, but you can change the setting to quickly fill a pot for cooking.

Bathroom remodel

If you plan to remodel your bathroom, include a high-performance showerhead. Look for the WaterSense logo for showerheads, faucets and toilets, which ensures the product meets performance and water use standards.

Check the fine print on your existing equipment to see how much you can save. The gallons per minute (GPM) is usually printed on showerheads and faucet aerators and the gallons per flush (GPF) is usually printed on toilets.

High-performance showerheads and faucet aerators conserve water and save energy used to heat water. Using less water can lower your water bill or increase your septic system’s lifespan.

When shopping for new appliances, check for the ENERGYSTAR® logo on the Energy Guide. ENERGYSTAR®-rated dishwashers save both energy and water. PHOTO COURTESY MARK GILLILAND, PIONEER UTILITY RESOURCES

New siding or exterior paint

The best time to make sure your wall insulation is adequate— or to see if you have wall insulation at all—is when you replace your siding or paint the exterior of your home.

Wall insulation saves on energy costs, makes your home more comfortable and reduces outside noise.

Batt insulation, spray foam or foam board are good options if you are removing the siding. If you are painting, you can have a contractor blow insulation into the wall cavities through holes cut into the siding or from inside the house. The holes are then plugged and prepped for paint.

Lighting

Whether it’s under cabinet kitchen lighting or new can lights in the basement, LED options use less energy than traditional incandescent or CFL bulbs.

Attic insulation

Basement remodel

This is where I find myself right now. Our basement has gone from a wide-open space with concrete walls to a nearly completed living space with a den, two bedrooms, a bathroom and a laundry room.

We air sealed and insulated the sill plate and rim joist—the framing between the concrete foundation and the main level floor. We built and insulated walls around the basement’s perimeter, ensuring a cozy living space and a more comfortable home.

We upgraded our electric storage water heater to a hybrid—or heat pump—water heater, which is 70% more efficient than a standard electric model.

Also, we ran power for an electric vehicle charger while the walls were open. It is much less expensive to run the power supply while you have access.

Miranda Boutelle is the director of operations and customer engagement at Efficiency Services Group, which partners with electric utilities to provide energy efficiency services to members. She writes on energy efficiency topics for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives.

Often, remodeling requires work in the attic for new lighting or venting bath or kitchen fans. During any project that takes you into the attic, check insulation levels. Work in the attic can negatively impact attic insulation by crushing it or removing it to access work areas.

If more insulation is needed, air seal and check ventilation. Also, make sure all bath and kitchen fans vent to the exterior of the house.

Insulation may not be as pretty as new countertops, but it can help reduce your energy costs and make your home more comfortable.

A little planning during a remodel can go a long way toward improving your home’s energy efficiency. Remember: it’s more difficult and more expensive to go back and tackle energy efficiency projects after your space is finished.

Hildegard’s

A taste of Germany in Huntsville since 2003

By Aaron Tanner

Thanks to the space and military industry, Huntsville is a melting pot of German tradition. Tucked away in a small yet busy shopping center is a cozy restaurant serving culinary staples from one of Europe’s premier nations.

Since 2003, Hildegard’s German Cuisine has served authentic comfort food from the Bavaria region of Germany to hungry customers. Many popular German staples are available on the menu, including authentic imported sausages, house-made soups, a large selection of German beers and wines, and classic German schnitzels.

The schnitzels – thin slices of meat – are best-selling items, including Jaeger schnitzel, a breaded, pan-fried pork cutlet covered in a brown mushroom gravy sauce, and Rahm Pils, another schnitzel served with a mushroom cream sauce. Other favorite dishes include Geschnetzeles (tender pork with mushrooms, onions, and a light cream sauce) and a Chicken Cordon Bleu made with smoked Gouda cheese and Black Forest ham. For a sweet after-dinner treat, Hildegard’s decadent desserts include apple strudel and German chocolate cake.

Before founding her namesake restaurant, Hildegard Collins migrated from Germany and worked at Redstone Arsenal with other women who moved from the same country after World War II. Together, they made traditional German meals for the soldiers stationed on base once a week. “The dishes brought a little bit of home back to Huntsville,” current Hildegard’s owner Amy Miller explains.

After retiring from Redstone and opening a restaurant where she served salads and sandwiches during the week and traditional German dinners on Sundays, Collins sold the restaurant in 2009 to her daughter Sabine. The latter expanded the kitchen and sold full-German meals daily. Sabine’s ability to run her mom’s restaurant and another location she opened across town in 2014 caught the attention

of Miller, who had been working in the restaurant industry since age 14. While catering a private event at her house, the two discussed the challenges of the foodservice industry and Sabine’s struggles of operating both restaurants at the time. “We started talking and lamenting how hard it is to find good people to run a restaurant,” Miller recalls. Although German food was not originally on her radar, Miller always dreamed of owning a restaurant. A combination of Sabine looking to sell Hildegard’s, Miller being fascinated with German culture and food and having a grandfather and father from Germany inspired the two to negotiate a deal for Miller to buy Hildegard’s German Cuisine in 2016 while Sabine focused on her restaurant. “I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time,” she says. The scratch-made dishes on the menu combine Hildegard’s family recipes with ones from a cookbook of Miller’s oma (grandmother). Miller takes pride in the kitchen staff’s methods of prepping food, including hand-pounding each schnitzel and preparing the house-made soups, dressings, gravies, sauces, and desserts. “We won’t sell something that is not up to our standards,” Miller says. Like many restaurants, Covid-19 affected business at Hildegard’s. Besides supply chain issues and temporarily reducing hours due to staffing shortages, social distancing forced the restaurant to suspend taking reservations and reduce seating capacity. During the height of the pandemic, the staff worked for free to continue serving guests via curbside. In return, customers turned up in droves to support the restaurant and staff. “We saw the best of the community come out,” Miller says. Despite the challenges, Miller enjoys running a fast-paced business and treating staff and customers well. “I am a very fortunate person in that I found something that I love doing,” she explains. Her future goals include hiring more staff Hildegard’s German Cuisine 2357 Whitesburg Drive Huntsville, AL 35801 256-512-9776 Hours: 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday; while taking care of current employees, expanding business hours, opening a second location in Athens, and making certain operations at the current location continue running smoothly. “My goal is to bring the authentic tastes of German cuisine to as many guests as possible and give them a 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday great dining experience every time,” Miller says. through Saturday (all hours subject to change) hildegardsgermancuisine.com

A jaeger schnitzel is a thin piece of pork pan-fried and served with mushroom sauce. PHOTO COURTESY OF AMY MILLER l Huntsville

Faster processing of disability claims for people with Alzheimer’s disease

Social Security scams are widespread across the United States. Scammers use sophisticated tactics to deceive you into providing sensitive information or money. They target everyone – especially the elderly – and their tactics continue to evolve.

Here are five easy-to-use resources to prevent Social Security fraud:

Check out our Fraud Prevention and Reporting page to learn about Social Security fraud – and how we fight scammers at ssa. gov/fraud.

Read our Scam Alert fact sheet to learn what tactics scammers

Kylle’ McKinney, SSA Public Affairs Specialist, can be reached by email at kylle.mckinney@ssa.gov. use and how to protect yourself at ssa.gov/fraud/assets/materials/EN-05-10597.pdf.

Create your own personal my Social Security account at ssa. gov/myaccount to stay one step ahead of scammers. Please read our blog post at blog.ssa.gov/my-social-security-what-to-knowabout-signing-up-or-signing-in for more information about creating or signing in to your personal my Social Security account.

Learn about other types of fraud on our Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) Scam Awareness page at oig.ssa.gov/ scam-awareness/scam-alert. You’ll also see how to report these scams to our OIG and other government agencies.

Read our blog post to learn how to guard your Social Security card – and protect your personal information at blog.ssa.gov/ guard-your-card-protect-whats-important-to-you/.

Please share this information with your friends and family to help spread awareness about Social Security imposter scams.

July crossword by Myles Mellor

Across 1 Baseball stadium in Mobile, 2 words 6 Just great 8 Angler’s gear 9 City boasting views of Mobile Bay and fishing off Battles Wharf 11 Rode the waves 13 What the Belle Chevre in Elkmont is famous for 14 Go for a quick swim 16 Lazing about 17 Travel 18 Piers 20 Compass point 22 Meadow 25 Where a helmsman is posted, 2 words 26 Salvation Army, abbr. 28 Conclusion 29 Seattle locale 30 Follower’s suffix 31 River that winds through Tuscaloosa, Pickens and Greene counties 33 Inner ____ (they float on rivers) 34 Alabama mecca for summer and sun-filled adventures with beachfront views, 2 words

Down 1 Alabama city for an “out of this world” tour to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center 2 _____ Bridge: longest bridge east of the Rockies that wasn’t built by man 3 Dawn time 4 Wander 5 Civil War side 6 There’s great fishing here at Wilson Dam 7 Beer makers 10 River bottom 12 Archeological expedition 15 Frog’s milieu 18 Where the Dalkin Festival is held, featuring Japanese food and culture 19 Many, 2 words 21 Innovative 23 Lt.’s inferior, abbr. 24 Goodbye word 26 Geneva county to Alabama compass point 27 Out on a boat, 2 words 30 Heron kin 32 Cry of disgust