Athens Now Alabama

Aug. 17 - Sept. 6, 2012

athensnowal.com E-MAIL: info@athensnowal.com ADVERTISING: 256-468-9425

Art On The Square: A Jewel Of A Juried Competition

By Diane Lehr, AOTS President Art On The Square Arts League is a non-profit art organization created by a dedicated group of volunteers over seven years ago. Its purpose is to support artists, promote art education, and bring cultural events to Athens and Limestone County, Alabama.

The hard working all-volunteer group understands that creative arts drive the cultural sucContinued on pages 15

Dr.Wayne Reynolds For Athens City Council, District One

By Ali Elizabeth Turner Longtime Athens resident Dr. Wayne Reynolds and I sat down recently in Starbuck’s for this interview, and rarely have I encountered someone who has had so many successful careers. He is a husband, a dad, a grandfather, a registered nurse, a classroom teacher, a school district superintendent, a financial manager, a member of the na-

Continued on page 16

August 17 - September 6, 2012

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August 17 - September 6, 2012

Publisher’s Point

Freedom Found

Publisher / Editor Ali Turner

Contributing Writers Shelley Underhill Janet Hunt Wanda Campbell Lynne Hart Jeanette Dunnavant Deb Kitchenmaster Jim Doyle Will Anderson Sarah Chadwell Diane Lehr

When I first began to attend Coffee Call at the Vets’ Museum on the first Saturday of each month, one of the friendliest women there was someone who had been born and raised in Germany during the rise and fall of the Third Reich. Her name is Margret Mefford, and she quickly became one of the best things about getting to the museum by 8 am.

When we first met, I found out she was working on a book about what it was like to grow up in Nazi Germany.

She had diligently sought out the stories of eight German women, most of whom married American soldiers and came to the States to make a whole new life.

Indeed freedom had been

found, they had remarkable stories to tell, and Miss Margret has compiled them with the help of James Ehl into a dear book entitled Journey To Freedom.

Stories have a power that never abates. They are the basis of scripture, the tales that define us as a culture and as individuals, and the best part is, if they are true, can never be successfully challenged. As a former pastor once said, “He that hath an experience is never at the mercy of the one who only hath an argument.” The stories told by the eight women run the full gambit of emotions, and make one glad that after great adversity, liberty was captured and continues to be cherished.

camps.” I found that shocking, but know Margret to be a woman of her word.

Margret began to tell me some of her stories, and one of her frustrations is that while there has been necessary attention given to the Holocaust, rarely is the carnage perpetrated by Joseph Stalin mentioned, and it was many times more than what happened in the concentration camps of Germany.

Another stereotype that Margret quickly dispels is the notion that all Germans hated Jews. “It simply was not true,” she said. “We didn’t know any Jewish people, and where we lived, we honestly did not know about any concentration

Publisher’s Point . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 All Things Soldier . . . . . . . . 4 Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . 5 Cooking with Shelley . . . . . . 7 Clean and Green . . . . . . . . 8 Sarah’s Sagas . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Tourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

She tells of things such as her first pizza, eaten during the American occupation, and she mistook the olives for grapes. She tells of her wedding day, not at all the dream wedding that most girls think of, and it especially touched me that there were absolutely no flowers, not even a corsage. She was married at the justice of the peace, and her immediate family served as the witnesses.

There were no pictures, no trappings of any kind, but there was love and it is a marriage that has lasted more than 50 years.

Other women were not as fortunate initially. One had been repeatedly savaged by members of the Russian army, but then married a kind man who was the love of her life. They escaped from East Germany, made it to the States, and were married for 52 years.

All in all I think that Journey To Freedom is an important book that deserves to be read more than once, and as a published author, I would like to both congratulate Margret on her hard work and encourage you to buy her book.

Special Feature . . . . . . . . . 11 Lifelong Learning . . . . . . . . . 12 Ali Elizabeth Turner Athens Now Information & Inspiration 256-468-9425 ali@athensnowonline.com Website: www.athensnowonline.com

What Makes Ronnie Roll . . 13 Cover Stories . . . . . . . . . 15-16 Horse Whispering . . . . . . . 18 Health and Fitness . . . . . . 19 World According to Will . . 21 Medical Update . . . . . . . . . . 22 Security Savvy . . . . . . . . . . 23

August 17 - September 6, 2012

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All Things Soldier

OPSEC And “Dishonorable Disclosures”

by Ali Elizabeth Turner

There is no one that manages to “keep it together” better than one of our highly trained Special Forces operatives, irrespective of the branch in which they serve.

The SEALS have had the most notoriety in the past year due to the take down of Osama Bin Laden, and it is not something they have appreciated. They operate under the philosophy of “We do it, we don’t talk about it.”

So, seeing as it is true across the board that both intelligence and special forces organizations depend on keeping their operations “under the radar” at all costs, if they get together to produce a 22 minute video to protest the leaking of information from the White House to our enemies, you can know that they are hopping mad.

I am referring to the organization OPSEC, (which

the CNC, or Commander in Chief.

It is a part of their contract that they never come out and criticize their Commander while they are still serving.

They often come right up to the line, and after they are retired they have more freedom to speak their mind, but these guys went ahead and exposed what has been happening to them through the current administration, and I am sure there will be hell to pay.

stands for Operational Security, the basic understanding that “loose lips sink ships,) and they have produced an excellent video that can be accessed online, called “Dishonorable Disclosures.”

If I hadn’t lived amongst the SEALS, Army Rangers, Delta, NCIS and the Iraqi Special Forces on a highly restricted base

They talk about the fact that the White House announced the death of Bin Laden before intel from the compound could be processed and analyzed. The Pakistani while in Baghdad, I wouldn’t have known just what a big deal it is that they have come out of their corner to take on

Dr. who disclosed Bin Laden’s location was exposed and in danger. The US/Israeli joint effort in successfully pushing back the Iranian effort at building a nuclear weapon through the Stuxnet virus was discussed.

Retired Special Forces Colonel Jamie Williamson talked

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at length about how secrets that he “has been protecting for 20 years” are now public knowledge, but the situations that warranted those secrets being classified have not changed.

Several officers, from Major General Paul Valley (Ret) to Major Dave King, Special Forces, (Ret) to Ben Smith, an active Navy SEAL to FOX News commentator Lt Col Bill Cowan, USMC, (Ret) have all sounded the alarm, some with understandably salty language. But what just set me on my ear was the disclosure that within days after the death of UBL, various heavy hitters from Hollywood, no less, were invited into the White House

by President Obama and treated to a blow by blow briefing of everything that went down in the course of the raid.

Hollywood producers and actors? I have no words to describe my fury at such shameless consorting for political gain, especially amongst an industry that often has such low regard for our fighting men and women. And my hat and honor go once again to those who sadly are having to defend the Constitution (and us) from all enemies, both foreign and domestic.

August 17 - September 6, 2012

Calendar of Events Open Mic Porch Poetry Event Aug 19 at 3:30 PM

Kindred Spirits and Arts in Athens present an Open Mic Porch Poetry Event at Kindred Spirits, located at 1221-A Kelli Drive in Athens, AL (just past Cracker Barrel - beside Hampton Inn). Bring your favorite poet or original poem and share it from the porch. Free to all.

12th Annual Miss/Master Crape Myrtle Festival Pageant Aug 24 at 6:30 PM

Ardmore AL/TN Chamber of Commerce invites young ladies from birth through 19 years and young men from birth through 5 years to compete in the annual pageant which will be held at the Ardmore, TN Annex (located behind Pizza Hut on Main Street). Each division will have a Queen, 1st, 2nd & 3rd runner up, photogenic winner and a People’s Choice Queen. People’s Choice winner is selected by $1.00 votes. Entry fee is $25 per contestant. Photogenic category entry is $5.00 (one photo only). Applications are available on line at www.ardmorealtnchamber. org or by contact Alice Smith at 256-434-0554 or Tonya Faulk at 256777-6621. Admission to the pageant is $3.00 per person (excluding contestants only). Entries must be submitted by noon on Aug 22nd.

Ardmore Crape Myrtle Festival Aug 25

Contact: 256-423-7588, ardmorealtnchamber.com Free It’s time for arts and crafts, delicious festival food and live entertainment. The festival is held at the Ardmore, TN John Barnes Park located on Ardmore Ridge Road. Contact: Linda at 256-423-8252, ardmorealtnchamber.org. Free admission.

Athens Fire/Rescue 3rd Annual Golf Tournament Aug 27 at 11:30 AM

Athens Fire Auxiliary presents the 3rd Annual Golf Tournament for charity. Tourament will be held at Canebrake Golf Club located in Athens, AL. Additional cash prizes include longest drive and closest to the pin. A vehicle will be offered as a hole-in-one prize. Door prizes will be awarded at awards ceremony. Lunch will be provided. First place $800, second place $400 and third place $200. Shotgun start at 1:00 PM. Cost is $400 per four man team. There will be an opportunity to purchase a mulligan package at registration for $20.00 per player which consists of a mulligan per nine holes and a power drive. Contact Chris at 256-8745638, cgillman@athensal.us or David at 256-431-1585, dandrews@athenals.us. Pre-registration is preferred.

Athens Cruise In on the Square Sep 1 at 3:00 – 8:00 PM

The monthly Cruise In is held the 1st Saturday night of each month Apr - Oct. Bring your antique vehicle and park around the square. Enjoy delicious dishes offered by our downtown restaurants. Come early and check out the great buys at the downtown businesses. Be sure and get you an ice cream cone at Limestone Drug or milk shake at Kreme Delight. Make it a family night. Contact Tom at 256-457-9179.

August 17 - September 6, 2012

“Kudzu Chronicles: A Southern Writers’ Event at Art on the Square” Sep 7 & 8

The event will bring published authors and panel discussions to the Athens State University Center for Lifelong Learning in downtown Athens.

Attendees may come free to hear authors speak on a variety of topics, and join discussions on writing, getting published and historical research and genealogy. Some of the authors who will speak include Christopher Fuqua, Dr. Julie Hedgepeth Williams, Kris Reisz, Robert S. Davis, Peggy Allen Towns, Rusty Bynum, Sara McDaris, Kelly Kazek, Jerry Barksdale, Bill Hunt, Penne Laubenthal, Charlotte Fulton and Karen Middleton and Frank Travis. Tickets to the Friday night kickoff party are $20 each and attendees can meet the authors and have them sign books, as well as participate in a silent auction of books signed by a variety of southern authors such as Rick Bragg, Winston Groom, Daniel Wallace, Mark Childress, Rheta Grimsley Johnson, and more. For information on Kudzu Chronicles, contact Wanda Campbell at the Center for Lifelong Learning at 256-233-6520.

Art on the Square Sep 8 at 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Juried visual artists will sell their works around The Limestone County Courthouse in downtown Athens, AL. In addition to the visual arts, Kudzu Chronicles, A Southern Writers Event at Art on the Square, will be held downtown, in The ASU Center for Lifelong Learning. Add to that, performing arts and many local musicians who will share the stage that day, with The Alabama Blues Project Advanced Band, and Microwave Dave & The Nukes. Microwave Dave & The Nukes have established a multinational audience. Venues vary from French soccer stadiums to Daytona Beach; and from blues cruises to saloons. One thought remains: Blues lifts the Spirits. The Alabama Blues Society presented the band its Blues Achievement Award in 2001. This juried art show offers all types of art – paintings, pottery, and much more. Contact: aots-athens.com for more information. Free admission. Fee to participants.

AHS Band Cotton Classic Marching Festival Sep 12 at 11 AM

This competition will be an all day event and Marching Bands stretching from Tuscaloosa to Nashville are invited. We are estimating a total of 12-20 bands. The competition will be held in the Athens High School Football Stadium. The Pride of Dixie Marching Band from UNA will perform as the exhibition band at the end of the day, prior to the awards ceremony. Please contact John Hays at telephone 256-998-0158 or email ahscottonclassic@gmail.com

Harvest of Quilts Quilt Show Sep 14-15 at 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Sep 16 at 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM

The quilt exhibition, vendors, silent auction, door prizes, boutique and bed turning will all be at the Athens State University Ballroom located at 300 N Beaty Street, Athens, AL. Admission for one day is $5.00 or two days $7.00. Hosted by PieceMaker’s Quilt Guild of Athens. Contact Sue Manley 256-233-5346.

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August 17 - September 6, 2012

Cooking with Shelley

Let’s Get Crockin’

by Shelley Underhill

This is one of several crockpot recipes that I will write about over the next few months. I’ve never really been a crockpot kind of girl. The most action my pot has ever seen is at Christmas when I break out the barbecue sauce and those little cocktail wieners! Well, all of that has changed...

My mom recently joined a crockpot recipe club online and she has gotten some really good recipes from them. And better yet, she has cooked them too.

Everything from crockpot bread to meatloaf (which by the way was superb, Mom!) This week I want to share the turkey chili.

Again, I have never really been a turkey kind of girl, only at Thanksgiving. But this was so good I just had to share it with you.

Hope you enjoy...Let me know if you try it.

Send you questions to shelleysdesk@gmail. com

What you will need: 2lb ground turkey - fried and drained 1 cup onion - chopped 1 cup green pepper - chopped 2 cloves minced garlic 1 28oz can stewed tomatoes - undrained

2 16 oz cans kidney beans - undrained 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. black pepper 1 tsp. cumin 2 Tbs. chili powder

After turkey is prepared, put all ingredients together into crockpot and let simmer for 7 to 10 hours.

August 17 - September 6, 2012

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Clean and Green

Art And Racing And Grease And Wacky Ducks....Oh, My!

by Lynne Hart

September and October are going to be very, VERY busy for KALB and we are so excited! This is one of our favorite times of the year because we get to spend so much time out in the community. Here’s what we have coming up!

Art on the Square - 9/8

or to register online. Registration is also available through Active.com. This race is always fun with some great prizes!

Athens Grease Festival 9/29 We can’t wait to be part of Athens’ first Grease Festival!

Come on, we all know it’s best to eat healthy, but we have to give in to our craving for some good ole’ deep fried goodies once in a while! KALB will be there promoting the FOG Collection and Recycling program.

In an effort to keep Fats, Oils, and

KALB will have a presence at this event encouraging visitors to use the recycling containers and trash cans. Oh, and yes we will be enjoying the beautiful art and working hard to get our ducks adopted for our Wacky Quacky Ducky Derby!

Duck and Run 5K Race and Fun Run - 9/15 Registration is open for runners and walkers who would like to support KALB while enjoying a mildly challenging race.

Visit our website for details Grease out of your plumbing and the city’s sewer lines, the Athens Water Services Department and KALB have teamed up to create a FOG (Fats, Oils, and Grease) recycling collection. Containers will be handed out at the Grease Festival to be taken home and used to collect cooking oils, fats, and grease. Full containers can then be dropped off at strategically placed collection cages throughout the city and an empty container be taken home. The full containers will then be taken to the recycling center and sold to Limestone County farmers who will make biodiesel fuel for their farm vehicles!

How cool is THAT? Old Time Fiddler’s Convention - 10/5-6 Our staff and volunteers LOVE this event! Through-

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out this 2-day event, KALB staff and volunteers will be handing out litter bags, reminding attendees to use the recycling bins, servicing the food vendors to be sure their recycling bins don’t overflow, and managing the Boy Scouts that come to help pick up the litter that does find its way to the ground. The wonderful music and scrumptious food available make the whole event more fun than work.

Wacky Quacky Derby - 10/6

Ducky

KALB’s signature fundraiser is our wacky rubber duck race with the McClary Ford $1,000 Grand Prize! This is a great way to support the work of our agency and have some fun, too. For a $5.00 donation to KALB, we will enter a specially-designed

rubber duck in our race. For a $25.00 donation you will receive a Chick-fil-A Quack Pack of 6 ducks (1 free!) and a coupon for a Chick-fil-A sandwich. Volunteers will be at all of the events listed on this page and will have duck adoption certificates available. Visit our website for details and for on-line adoptions.

Our volunteers and staff work very, very hard all year long. Your support of these programs and events is always appreciated...by us and by future generations that benefit from the environmental education we provide today.

(256) 233-8728 KeepALBeautiful@att.net

Become a Fan

www.KeepAthensLimestoneBeautiful.com August 17 - September 6, 2012

Sarah’s Sagas

It Is All About Perspective!

by Sarah Chadwell

pital /Emergency Room to focus on serious emergency issues and reduce patient wait times.

This would also provide a community cost savings.

quick visit to the doctor could wrap things up in a few hours.

On Monday nights at the Family Resource Center, we offer Parenting & Youth self esteem classes for local families. It is always interesting to listen to the young children talk about their insights into life, the difficulties they have trying to meet the expectations of beauty, coolness, and girl/boy relationships.

Our lesson was on Perspective.

My question was, “When you see someone else, do you try to understand their feelings, what they are facing each day, or in other words, their perspective?” That seemed to be a real stumper, so trying to bring it closer to home I asked, “OK, what do you imagine your bus driver is thinking about when all of you kids are on the bus?” He thought a moment and said, “How could I know that, he doesn’t speak English!”

Obviously, we had work to do on this particular lesson on perspective!

As adults, we may forget to keep our perspective when it comes to medical care for people we probably never encounter. If you feel a flu coming on, or have a sinus infection, a phone call and

If however, you are a worker performing seasonal jobs, or working at a low paying or part time job, a single mom without spousal support, a teenager without parental support, or a homeless or transitional family, a simple medical matter can quickly become a day long issue.

Here in our community the Athens Limestone County Hospital is taking a different perspective on that problem by working to partner with the Family Resource Center and establish a Community Free Medical Clinic. Free clinics all across Alabama offer welcomed relief to the uninsured population who know that the slightest medical issue can quickly become complex. If you are sick, you have no choice but to visit the Emergency Room where you may find yourself waiting with emergency and often serious patient cases.

what an asset the clinic is to those residents who do not qualify for Medicaid, Medicare, or other assistance programs, or who lack medical insurance and the funds to pay for private medical care.

Certainly, this could be a “win” for our residents by providing an opportunity to provide early medical attention for people who might otherwise face long term illnesses. But all of us in Limestone County would benefit, as it would allow our Hos-

The Athens Limestone Hospital is offering to provide the clinic’s lab work, which is a key contribution to the operation. The next step is to secure a community location and find seed grants to cover start up costs.

The desire is to bring it together by February 1, 2013.

It may be ambitious to some, but for those with another perspective, it’s not soon enough.

Local resident Maria Taylor is actively involved in this initiative. We have visited the Huntsville Free Community Clinic and have seen

August 17 - September 6, 2012

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Tourism

What’s There To Do?

By Jeanette Dunnavant, President, Athens-Limestone County Tourism Association

Crape Myrtles are beautiful this year!

We are very fortunate to have such beautiful crape myrtles this year and just in time for the 20th Annual Ardmore Crape Myrtle Festival and the Miss Crape Myrtle Beauty Pageant. Join us for festival fun on Saturday August 25th, 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM, at the Ardmore John Barnes Park located on Ardmore Ridge Road. The festival offers something for everyone. The Kids’ Korner will have rides, games and lots of fun for the little ones. Over 40 vendors will be participating this year offering delicious festival food as well as arts and

crafts of all types. The Ardmore AL/TN Chamber of Commerce hosts the event and will be selling crape myrtles in all colors from miniature 1-gallon containers to large plants in 7-gallon containers. The hard to find deep red crape myrtles in 3-gallon containers will also be available. It is suggested that you pre-order and reserve your plants. Admission is free; however, donations are accepted and appreciated.

Live music of country, gospel, bluegrass and rock and roll can be enjoyed at the amphitheater. Bring your chairs or blankets and settle in for a wonderful day of music.

participants.

The pageant will be August 24th, 5:30PM, at the Ardmore, TN Annex building. The pageant is a wonderful opportunity for young ladies to learn the art of pageantry.

Admission is $3.00 for everyone but

For more information about the events above, contact Linda Higginbotham at 256-423-8252 or Jeanette Dunnavant at 256-232-5411.

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August 17 - September 6, 2012

Special Feature

Re Runs Consignment Shop: A Dream And A Dare

by Ali Elizabeth Turner

Darlene Harbin has wanted to own a consignment shop all her life, an unusual “dream,” to be sure. She is married, has four kids, has worked in day care and coached a lot of cheerleading teams. Her aunt, Robin Holden, had a 35 year career as a medical biller as well as a medical supplies purchasing agent, and knew it was time for a change.

Robin’s “dare” was to leave the comfortableness and predictability of her career, join forces with Darlene, and defy the recession by purchasing the business from the previous owner, Amanda Norton.

After a whirlwind of stocking and preparing the shop, Re Runs Consignment Shop opened on February 1, 2012.

Both gals had the backing of their hubbies and kids, which has helped a great deal.

Darlene and Robin love to find bargains and are avid yard sale shoppers. They describe themselves as the “Yard Sale Queens.” They figured that seeing they were so good at it, they might as well “give it a try,” and do what they do best on a full time basis.

I asked them, “Seeing as there are a number of consignment stores in the area, why should I shop at Re Runs?” The first response was that “it is family owned, family run, and we treat customers like family.”

They went on to tell me, “We have people stop in every day, even if they are not looking for anything, just to say hi.”

Another thing that they work very hard at is maintaining a clean, sharp looking shop.

They offer lay-away, which is very unusual for a consignment store, and they always have a $1-$3 bargain rack. Another customer-friendly feature is the price tagging system. The tags have the entry day price, the date of the next markdown, as well as the date of the last markdown, so everyone knows “there’s always something on sale.” Tuesdays are the day that senior citizens get their discount, and at Re Runs Consignment, one en-

Re Runs owners Robin Holden, left, and Darlene Harbin, right. gift items. At the moment they have more than 200 consigners, and “we pay a higher percentage to our consigners than anyone else in the area,” they said. They have formal wear and wedding dresses, and name brand apparel of all sorts. Their best sellers are the name brand purses, adult polo shirts, consigned jewelry, as well as their own exclusive jewelry line that they carry for the store.

So, what do they carry? Clothing for men, women, children and babies, shoes, household items such as lamps, mirrors, decorative vases, and framed wall art. There are sets of dishes, jewelry, purses, and

August 17 - September 6, 2012

ters that category at the age of 55.

Here are some of their top selling name purse brands: Coach, Fossil, Vera Bradley, Kathy Van Zeeland, Sak and Hobo.

Clothing lines include: Aripostle, American Eagle, Hollister, Ann Taylor, Hobo, Liz Claiborne, Talbots and they even have a Cabi section on the women’s rack.

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They also feature what they call “comeback bucks,” which means that if your purchase is $20 or more, you get a coupon for 5% off your next purchase.

Seeing as it is back-toschool season and families are wanting to stretch their clothing budget bucks, the “comeback bucks” can be a big help. Re Runs has a good selection of back-toschool clothing for all ages, and several book bags and back packs.

Name brand shoes that are especially popular among kids are Nikes, Yellow Box, and Skechers. Kids’ clothing lines that move quickly are Chez a Mi, Gymboree, Carter’s, Old Navy, and for the wee ones, Baby Gap.

While it is common in higher end retail stores to have someone on staff whose job it is to help a customer put together

an outfit and accessorize it, that is not something one would expect to find in a consignment shop.

However, Darlene told me, “Robin can pick an outfit and ‘dress’ people, and they come back all the time to thank her.”

Being able to serve their customers well brings Robin and Darlene great satisfaction, and they told me, “What we enjoy the most is the consigners, who have become like family, and the people who just stop by to see us and wish us well.” “Remember,” Robin said, “You don’t have to spend a fortune to look good.”

Re Runs Consignment Shop 630-B South Jefferson Street Athens, AL 35611 256-374-2534 Hours: Mon-Fri 9-6 Saturday 10-5 reruns2012@ att.net Page 11

Learning As A Lifestyle

It’s A Mystery

I love movies. My favorite movies are the stories of great characters. This past weekend I watched the new Robert Downey movie, “Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows.” Holmes is a character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887. Holmes is also said to be one of the greatest detectives because of his logical reasoning and his use of forensic sciences.

nize the titles of some of the books that were adapted to movies. Miss Marple was an older lady from a small town who used her worldly wits and observa-

by Wanda Campbell

tion skills to investigate crimes. Margaret Rutherford played Miss Marple in “Murder, She Said,” which is based on “4:50 from Pad-

Poirot was a Belgian detective who wanted everyone to use the “gray cells” to solve crimes.

Chief Inspector Japp was from Scotland Yard and helped Poirot much like Watson helped Holmes. Austin Trevor played Poirot in “The

Downey is okay as Sherlock, but my favorite movie/television Sherlock is Basil Rathbone, who starred as Holmes from 1939-1946. (Basil Rathbone: His Life and His Films, by Michael B. Druxman [Hardcover: South Brunswick and New York: A.S. Barnes, 1975]) I am looking forward to the new series premiering this fall on CBS, “Elementary,” also based on Sherlock Holmes.

I read a lot of the Sherlock Holmes stories when I was young. It was the beginning of a love for detective stories, but the “Baker Street Irregulars,” (Holmes’ fan club,) will hate to hear me say he is not my favorite detective.

I also read a lot of Agatha Christie’s stories. Dame Christie was the creator of Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Chief Inspector Japp, Tommy and Tuppence, and Parker Pyne. These characters gave me many hours of my three favorite things – reading, movies, and crime dramas.

Murder of Roger Ackroyd.” Tony Curtis played Poirot in “The Alphabet Murders.” Albert Finney played Poirot in “Murder on the Orient Express.”

Maybe the best known Poirot was Peter Ustinov, who played Poirot in six films, and David Suchet, who is the current Poirot in films and television.

Suchet also played Chief Inspector Japp opposite Ustinov.

My favorite book and movie are “And Then There Were None.” This is a “locked room mystery,” a term used to describe crimes, (most often murders,) committed under what seem to be impossible circumstances. Ten strangers gather on an island for a dinner party. They share secrets from their past, and then they start dying one by one. Who is the killer?

The movie was called “Ten Little Indians.” It was originally filmed in 1965, then again in 1979, and redone in 1984.

Agatha Christie’s last book was “An Autobiography” which was published a year after she died in 1976. The autobiography tells of her story from early childhood, through two marriages, and her archeological expeditions with her second husband. She is the Queen of Crime and my favorite author.

Learning is a lifestyle, and reading is the key to making it delightful and entertaining.

I expect you will recog-

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dington.” Angela Lansbury played Miss Marple in “The Mirror Crack’d.”

Helen Hayes played Miss Marple in two made for television movies – “A Caribbean Mystery” and “Murder with Mirrors.”

Julie McKenzie has been the current Miss Marple in a television series since 2009.

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August 17 - September 6, 2012

What Makes Ronnie Roll

Come Take A Seat And Fight Your Fears

by Ali Elizabeth Turner

It’s back-to-school time, and everyone, from kids to parents and grandparents, or anyone that has kids in their lives look upon this time each year with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation.

Mayor Ronnie Marks remembers all too well what it was like to be the “skinniest kid in school” and then, later on, the “skinniest teacher in school.” He moved from Clements to Tanner High School, graduated, went to college at UNA and then in TN, and while he was at it, faced down the Viet Cong. That’s some serious “fearfacing.”

“I have nothing but respect for teachers,” he said, “and I’ll tell you, I have never come home more exhausted than when I spent a day in the classroom.” He spoke of the anxiety expressed recently by one of his granddaughters while shopping for school clothes, wonder-

ing if she would have any of her friends left from last year.

And on it goes—kids worried, adults worried, and meanwhile, there’s an education to be gotten if Athens is going

to continue to be an excellent place to live.

“It’s the responsibility of the community to provide the best possible environment in which students can learn,” said Mayor Marks, “and some

of what has been helping to build our students’ confidence has been the implementation of the Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People program especially designed for the pub-

lic schools and used by the Athens school system.” He also wanted teachers and students alike to know that “We believe in you, and understand how important education is for you and the future of our city.”

to help our kids “find a seat at the table.”

For quite awhile the Mayor has wanted to have a Mayor’s Youth Commission, whose purpose would be to select students from various schools as well as homeschoolers in learning about how city, county and state government work. These students would come from a broader range academically than just the top of their class, and the question put to them would be, “What do you want your city to look like?” By “look,” he means far more than its outward beauty. He means, “What do you want Athens to be like, and how are you going to get it there?”

Jackie Warner, City Hall PR Director and Grant Coordinator Holly Hollman and others are going to be involved in helping with the Youth Commission, and on August 16th Holly gave a presentation at Athens State University to introduce the concept.

The Chamber of Commerce is also working on a mentoring program. All of this is to make sure that, as Holly Hollman put it so well during this interview, there’s more than enough room, chairs, and benches for our kids to “come take a seat in our city.” Let’s all of us make sure they can do so comfortably and without fear.

To that end, there are some “pet projects” of the Mayor and the Chamber of Commerce that are starting to take shape and are designed

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Cover Story

Art On The Square: A Jewel Of A Juried Competition

by Diane Lehr, AOTS President

continued from page 1

cess of a community. The Art On The Square Arts League seeks to establish a locally vibrant arts center and hub from which art can be easily accessed for the entire community. The group regularly provides this community with the art education, events and experiences that will assist in promoting Athens as a place that is deeply appreciative toward and reflective of the arts.

The Art On The Square Arts League has worked to bring superb quality and creativity to all of their events. Their upcoming fine arts festival encompasses many successful collaborations with community anchors like Athens State University, T.R.A.I.L.,( a youth service organization in Limestone County), The City of Athens, Limestone County, Redstone Federal Credit Union and more.

On September 8, 2012, from 10 am ‘til 4pm, approximately 60 juried fine artists will sell their works under the trees around The Limestone County Courthouse in Athens, AL. This marks the seventh consecutive year that the Art On The Square Arts League has brought the festival to downtown Athens. The competition showcases some of the highest quality art from the region, and thousands of people attend the annual September event. A Budding Artists’ Tent allows young artists from this community to sell their own work during the show. Families bring their children to enjoy the all-art, always free of charge KidsZone, and to participate in a number of various art activities. They can choose to enjoy painting, mosaics, puppet making, and throwing on the clay wheel.

All members of the Art On The Square board agree to the importance of children growing up in a community that invests in cultural and artistic happenings. In planning and preparing their extensive projects, Art On The Square further expresses their mission and impacts young peoples’ character by training teen volunteers who work with younger students at various art camps and at the fine arts festival. Art On The Square’s current work reaches over two thousand children in North Alabama each year. At the festival everyone is invited to participate in creating a public art project that is ultimately presented to the community for display.

an educational program for hundreds of school students in Athens and Limestone County. They will perform at 9:30 a.m. Friday Sept. 7, in Athens State University Carter Gymnasium, and at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Sept.

8, on the Square. Both performances are free and open to the public. A heavy rain location has been reserved for the festival at the Athens State University Carter Gymnasium.

The Alabama Blues Project was founded in 1995 by such famous blues musicians as the late Willie King. Mr. King was born to Mississippi sharecroppers, and even after attaining award winning ac-

Local musical groups, dancers and renowned guest musicians including The Alabama Blues Project Advanced Band and Microwave Dave & The Nukes will perform this year. On September 7, Art On the Square Arts League, in conjunction with Athens State University Livingston Concert Committee, will present The Alabama Blues Project Advanced Band who will perform

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claim as a world renowned bluesman, he continued to live in his trailer in Old Memphis, AL, and work in local social activism. He said he wanted to “help children rise up.”

He forged relationships with area youth through an education program established by blues enthusiasts Rick Asherson and Debbie Bond, who moved from England to Tuscaloosa, AL in order to study the blues and establish the award winning after-school program. With King’s influence, they established the nonprofit Alabama Blues Project. The Advanced Band members are the program’s most elite and gifted student musicians.

sion to the fine arts downtown event. The writers’ festival will be held from 9:30am-2pm at the Athens State University Center for Lifelong Learning, and admission is free. Registration is required and can be completed by calling 256-233-8260.

In addition this year, Kudzu Chronicles, Writing Southern Style at Art On The Square, will bring another dimen-

artonthesquare@ hotmail.com

We need to get the word out that we are here and that we have been here, and that AOTS intends to bring the arts fully to the whole community via collaborative and conscientious strategic planning and promotion of artists, art education and art events in Athens and Limestone County.

www.AotsAthens.com

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Cover Story

Dr.Wayne Reynolds For Athens City Council, District One

by Ali Elizabeth Turner

continued from page 1

tional board of the Vietnam Veterans of America in the capacity of Treasurer, and served our country bravely as a combat medic in Phu Bay,

says, “is the result in part of good genes and living a healthy lifestyle.” He also credits the love of his wife, a stable, blessed family, making good financial and life choices, and, at the end of

It was the desire to overcome the lingering difficulties of combat that inspired Wayne to get a degree in nursing, and he has worked at Decatur General and AthensLimestone hospitals. He has loved his work there, “and there is much more often a happy outcome to the situation,” he told me.

Carol Reynolds, wife of Dr. Reynolds Wayne Reynold’s daughter, Paige Walker and Family located in Northern South Vietnam.

He is the oldest of 12 children, which, I told him, turned him into a full blown adult “by the age of six.” He smiled slightly, and told me of the poverty in which they lived at the time. It was the grind of that poverty, a determinaCapt Wesley Reynolds, MD tion to escape it, a solid faith in Christ from the age of seven, a respect for the im- the day, simply the grace of portance of education, and a God for his success. He also work ethic that knows nearly “does not see age as a comno bounds that has gotten him ponent,” and brings decades to the place where he is in a of varied career experience potential position to serve to the table. as an Athens City Council He is enormously proud of member in District 1. his family, and has been marThough he is 65, he seems ried to his wife Carol since much younger, which, he 1970. She was a classroom

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teacher as well as an administrator with the Athens Public Schools, and currently heads up the early education/day care program at First Baptist Church of Athens. Both his kids, daughter Paige Walker and son Wesley have degrees in chemical engineering, and Wesley recently finished up his 12 years of post secondary education to become one of about 50 or 60 neurologists in the United States Air Force.

We talked at great length about our love and concern for vets of all wars, especially those who are battling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Anyone who has been in combat understands that combat medics, especially those who served in Vietnam, have some of the highest rates of suicide and

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homelessness in the country. This is in part because of people like me, who in “another lifetime” vilified our ‘Nam vets with traitorous disrespect. It was not until 1993 that Wayne even began to feel comfortable telling anyone he had served in Vietnam. He saw to it that his service was not listed on resumes or discussed in job interviews. Thankfully those days are over, and his tireless commitment to lobby for the needs of veterans has caused him to testify before legislators and have his picture taken with the President of the United States. As is always the case, my heart heals up more and more when I get a chance to repent to ‘Nam vets for my ingratitude, and thank them for their service, and this day was no exception.

I asked him, as I always do, “Why should I vote for you?,” and here is his response: “I understand you.

I have a broad background, from living in poverty to attaining success. I have been there. I have made my cell phone number available to all constituents and have published my email address because I want to be accessible. I know what I am doing, and I know what it takes to serve others.” His confidence was inspiring and not at all arrogant, something quite refreshing in this particular political season.

Dr. Reynolds is a pragmatic, principled no-nonsense kind of guy. Others have recognized this as well and have honored him for it publically. He is the recipient of Rotary Club’s Paul Harris Fellow award, one of the organization’s highest.

His greatest accomplishment, besides being the leader of his family? “Serving Vietnam vets.” The most important quality to have as a leader? “Integrity.” If you agree he has the integrity and the experience to make him the best man for the job, then you need to cast your vote for Dr. Wayne Reynolds on August 28th.

Email: drwaynereynolds@aol.com Cell: 256-509-4822

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Horse Whispering

Confidence “CONFIDENCE”…what is it? Can confidence be misplaced? If so, can we get it back?

Have you enjoyed watching the Olympics? What event (s) did you show most interest in? I certainly found myself quite excited by many events!

Holding my breath at times then yelling “YES” when the finish line was crossed. Listening to reporters, I became aware of a repeated word and that word was ‘confidence.’

Some athletes had some injury or an event that shook their confidence, and it was important to get it back in order to accomplish the possibility of winning a medal.

by Deb Kitchenmaster

it? Likewise, one can present a person with a horse, instruct safety and savvy to the point that the individual gets upon the horse’s back , yet riding comes from within. The focus, the balance, the rhythm come from within the person and the horse. What a dance

for water, let’s look at some sources for confidence. Understanding, knowing, remembering are single sources of confidence, and when braided together create a leader worth following and a follower worth leading.

No one single animal has con-

domestication of horses.

Horses have served humanity in travel, most certainly in war, in agriculture, in rehabilitation and in recreation.

UNDERSTAND: Understand yourself. Understand your horse. Take the time to lay

REMEMBER: Keep in mind what has worked and what needs to be worked on within yourself and with your horse.

Retain information from books, videos, clinics, and friends that you have spent time with in considering yourself and your horse. Learn by heart consistent cues. The keyword here is ‘consistent.’

What is confidence? One definition is simply, “standing up on the inside.” I like that.

Another definition is “internal security.” When you look into the Hebrew language you discover the word “trust” directly connected with the English word “confidence.”

Whether considering your own journey or being around a horse, confidence must come from within. One can show another a piano, the keys on the keyboard and the bench in which to sit and instruct with some basics, however, the music comes from within, doesn’t

when there is that unity and oneness with horse and rider!

What beauty! What ‘awe!’

As a water tower, a water line, and a hydrant are sources

tributed more to the spread of civilization than a horse.

Think about it. There were great distances between peoples and societies prior to the

a foundation with your horse that you can build upon. You don’t get your identity from a horse, but it is important to identify with your horse. That simply means that you see and discover how to be with your horse in a safe, connected way. You appreciate yourself and your horse and you have value for yourself and your horse. One of the many things I love about Native American people is the honor, value and respect they have for the land and for nature.

KNOWING: Know what your intention is in being with your horse. Do you just want to hang out and just sit in their presence, studying their behavior and/or their position in the herd? Do you want to groom? Go on a trail ride?

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Get ready for a performance?

Develop some trait in yourself or your horse? Be deliberate.

Be expressive. Come up with a meaningful plan. Have a sense of direction for you and your horse, knowing when to move forward and when to stop. Have fun and enjoy yourself and your horse.

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Yes, confidence can be misplaced; usually because of a measurement of some fear or disappointment, or a perceived set-back. With support from savvy friends and other horse people, you can recover and so can your horse. Confidence is a two-way street.

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward, Hebrews 10:35.

Is it possible that one of those rewards to holding onto confidence (or getting it back if it got away from you) would be in being taught how to ride into new directions to awaken and discover your own freedom and power on the back of a horse!

Your NEIGHbor, Deb Kitchenmaster Corral Connections: Connecting with LIFE through a horse Animal B.E.S.T practitioner dkitchenmaster@mchsi.com

August 17 - September 6, 2012

Health and Fitness

Eat Out = Eat More

by Janet Hunt

Janet Hunt is a Certified Personal Trainer and can be reached at 256-614-3530 to schedule an appointment.

Watching your weight?

Watch out for restaurant meals. Researchers asked roughly 1,000 men and women to record everything they ate at home or at restaurants for a week.

People of normal weight averaged 550 calories per meal at home, but they gobbled up 825 calories at a restaurant. For people who were overweight or obese, a typical meal at home had 625 calories, but at restaurants they swallowed about 900 calories.

What’s more, the over-

August 17 - September 6, 2012

mented just how many calories (and how much sodium, saturated fat, etc.) restaurant meals contain.

Researchers collected nutrition facts on more than 28,000 dishes served in 245 restaurants nationwide.

A typical appetizer had 700 calories (a quarter

include a typical side dish (210 calories), side salad (410 calories) with dressing (150 calories), nonalcoholic beverage (360 calories), or dessert, rolls, or other baked goods (355 calories).

had more than 1145 calories), and a typical entrĂŠe had 590 calories (a quarter had more than 890 calories). That did not

Nutrition Action Health Letter July/August 2012, pg. 8, Center for Science in the Public Interest

What to do: Eat out with caution.

weight or obese ate their meals (at home and at restaurants) more quickly than others, yet they were no hungrier than their normalweight counterparts.

If anything, they were fuller (from previous meals) when they sat down to eat than people of normal weight.

A second study docu-

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August 17 - September 6, 2012

The World According to Will

The Will Anderson Show M-F 6pm-8pm on 800 and 1230AM and 106.5FM WBHP

Ryan Helps Romney The election is on. Romney’s choice of Paul Ryan was splendid: the race will indeed be about competing ideas. The incumbent ticket has very little faith in markets and individuals; the challengers believe in the market and have had success in the private sector. Americans who count on government programs for their subsistence will vote Obama, and those with a vision for success and prosperity in their lives will pull the lever for Romney.

The last ideological election we had was in 1980.

Ronald Reagan’s solid across-the-board conservatism contrasted (favorably) with Jimmy Carter’s faith in pacifism and big-government spending schemes. This year Romney’s private sector prowess is up against Obama’s genuine enthusiasm for federal redistribution.

At the moment, Obama is better at making his case than Romney, which is a mixed blessing: the more Obama makes his case, the more independents sprint toward Romney, by default.

If Romney wants to win, he needs to respond regularly to Obama’s false claims on the campaign trail. Almost every day, the President says something that simply isn’t true. But he sounds so believable! By limiting his responses to the obvious--the “you didn’t build that” speech-Romney is throwing away Obama’s daily gift. Think of how entertainingly Romney could make his case. He could run a new

ad every day, responding to yesterday’s falsity.

Instead, the tone of a Romney speech seems to be: I’m business savvy, and you’re all responsible adults. Vote for me and let’s get to work. It’s genuine, but falls short of being inspiring.

Meanwhile, there couldn’t be a more favorable contrast--for the Republicans--than that between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan.

Biden resembles Walter Matthau in the Grumpy Old Men movies, blurting out this or that racial slur and then stubbornly standing behind it. We’ve come to expect his faux pas, but we still shudder.

Along comes Paul Ryan, the all-American, slightly shy (or so it seems) budget expert. Ryan, who is so well-versed on fiscal policy that he has spent some time tutoring his congres-

August 17 - September 6, 2012

sional compatriots, represents a new generation of leaders. He wants to bridge the gap between his parents and his children. And the gap is literal: without serious reform Medicare will go bankrupt even as it blows the rest of the budget.

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by Will Anderson

Ryan, who is hard not to like, is well-positioned to make the case for compassionate conservatism without having to use the word “compassionate.”

The angry Left is, of course, working overtime to demagogue the Ryan budget.

The problem for them is, if

they’re going to convince Americans that a Romney presidency means that it’s over for senior citizens, they’re going to have to convince us that Ryan— whose budget has passed the House—is callous.

Advantage team Romney.

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Medical Update

Turn Health Into Wealth Five Ways To Take Charge Of Your Health And Increase Your Bottom Line

by ARA Content

(ARA) - Health care today is expensive, but there are ways that you can give your wallet a break. One of the best ways to make health care more affordable is to avoid the need for medical care in the first place.

More than 75 percent of health care costs are attributed to chronic illness, most of which are controllable, if not preventable. For those, here are five ways to save on health care spending so you have more money to enjoy life.

between fitness and health care.

The program provides testing, available to members and nonmembers, to measure six critical health markers: cholesterol ratio, blood pressure, glucose, triglycerides, nicotine use and body fat ratio. These meta-

than make up for costs you incur on over the counter medications, doctor’s visits, and lost wages if you get sick.

Likewise, an annual membership to a fitness center can cost as little as $50 a month, but being inactive and overweight

Know your numbers It is important that you know your optimal range for health markers such as blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose.

Knowing your health scores allows you to take steps to lessen your risk of chronic and costly diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Not only are such diseases a burden to national health spending, they also make a major impact on personal spending.

For instance, people with type 2 diabetes that can be controlled through diet and exercise spend about $2,000 a year.

When it isn’t controlled, those costs can escalate dramatically for insulin treatments, or worse, hospitalization.

Life Time, The Healthy Way of Life Company has initiated a new program called myHealthScore to bridge the gap

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Put your money where your mouth is Poor oral health is often a signal of bigger health problems.

The same bacteria that causes gum disease has been implicated in other major health problems such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and premature births, all of which can require expensive and ongoing care.

The American Dental Association recommends brushing twice a day with a toothbrush that is replaced every three to four months and flossing every day, an investment that will cost as little as $15 a year.

Stop spending on sugar

bolic markers provide a baseline from which people can set goals, or in some cases detect serious health issues that might otherwise go undetected, even with an annual doctor visit. A Life Time health adviser works with participants to move their score into an optimal range.

“Results from myHealthScore give someone an inside-out view of their health,” says Tom Manella, vice president of Personal Training at Life Time.

costs significantly more: an additional $1,152 in medical expenses if you’re an obese man and $3,613 more if you’re an obese woman, according to a study published in the Journal of Health Economics.

Your sweet tooth is very, very expensive. Saving anywhere from $5 to $20 a week that you’d normally spend on sugary treats translates into savings of $1,000 a year, not to mention the calories saved, which can save additional thousands spent on taking off that extra weight later or obesity-related

medical expenses.

Flaunt your fitness in front of your employer

Most health insurers provide incentives for people to take the initiative to get and stay healthy. For example at Allina Health System, one of many companies using Life Time’s myHealthCheck program, employees have the potential to earn up to $1,600 in what they call “Be Fit Premium Credits.” Many health plans offer a discount for people who make regular visits to a fitness center, too. Ultimately the savings can trickle down to deductible spending. The healthier you are, the less you need to see a doctor, which means out of pocket costs go down.

None of us enjoy spending money on health care expenses. Do yourself - and your wallet - a favor and begin to invest in better health. Small steps today can pay big dividends tomorrow.

Invest in prevention Get health screenings as advised and prevent illness with vaccines. What you spend on an annual flu shot will more

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August 17 - September 6, 2012

Security Savvy

Protecting Children

by Jim Doyle, owner of Madison Security Group Jim Doyle is still on the mend, so this week’s column is courtesy of ARA Content.

It is the responsibility of everyone to keep children safe.

We need to be aware of all the possible dangers to our own children, as well as others. As parents and guardians, we all like to think we have eyes in the back of our heads, but we don’t. Be involved even when they are someone else’s children. We have all heard the expression that it takes a village to raise a child; it also takes a village to keep a child safe.

Here are some tips to keep all children safe:

■ Never leave a child unattended in a car under any

yell, “This is not my mother/father/ guardian, this person is trying to take me!” if someone they don’t know is trying to lead them away.

■ If you hear a child trying to get away from someone, please step in and speak up.

I would rather let the police resolve it than risk a child being kidnapped.

circumstances. If you see a child that is unattended, call 911.

■ Place something that you

will need in the backseat so when you reach your next stop, you will be aware of a sleeping child in the backseat, and won’t risk leaving them in the car.

■ When you are travelling with more than one child, do a regular head count. It sounds silly, but think about being busy with several children. It could be easy to lose track of a child.

■ Teach your children as young as possible to be able to recite their phone number and how to dial 911.

■ Make sure that your network of caretakers has a system of code words to use with your child so that way if someone they are not expecting tries to pick them up they know the code to use.

■ Provide a list of appro-

priate people to whom your child can be released from school. Provide an emergency number that can be called to confirm if the child is uneasy in any way.

■ Teach children to stay calm if they are separated from their parents. Tell them to find a store clerk, a security guard, or police officer.

■ Try to organize a safe house network for the neighborhood children that a child can go to if they are out playing or are going to and from school, and feel threatened.

In closing, being aware and using common sense is still the best way to keep everyone safe.

■ Be especially careful with children that need to be dropped off at school and daycare. Make arrangements with the school and daycare so that if the child is late for any reason, you receive a phone call.

■ Teach your children to

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