Community Thursday, February 6, 2014
A6 ThePlainsman.com
Community
Forbes deems Auburn best town to retire
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Ashtyne Cole
Community Reporter
Forbes magazine scoured the country and compiled a list of the best places to retire in 2014 with the city of Auburn topping the list. To create the list, Forbes considered many factors that set certain communities apart for a place to retire. Forbes featured 25 of the best places to retire based on those factors. Auburn has been recognized by Forbes as No. 18 in Best Small Places for Business and Careers, No. 98 in Cost of Doing Business, No. 41 in Job Growth and No. 24 in Education. Warm places are notorious hot spots for those looking to move on and relax. With Auburn in the heart of the South, warm days come with the territory. Cost of living ranks as a large factor when deciding where to live, especially once retired. Forbes used FindTheData.org to narrow down the choices and also looked into National Association of Realtors, Trulia.com and Zillow.com to determine where a retiree could find a nicely priced home. With the average home price at $207,000, trying to find a city that can offer houses for adequate prices can be daunting. Auburn’s is 11 points below the national average at 89, in terms of average cost of living. Auburn’s average home price is $165,000. The economy also factors in the decision process due to retiree’s continuing to work parttime after they move.
The city is an attractive place for many reasons. Just look around and take stock of the people who live here. We have low taxes, a great quality of life, a wonderful park and recreation system, and great University events.” —Charlie Duggan
City Manager
File.
According to Forbes, Auburn has a good economy because it is a college town and has a low crime rate. Forbes also considers crime and safety when compiling their list. Mayor Bill Ham said Auburn has been fortunate to be named and recognized by Forbes and many other magazines. “There are several factors that add up to Auburn being a great place to live,” Ham said. “Auburn University [is a] safe community, and a lot of retirees already live here. There is a lot of golf in the area, and Auburn was named one of the best golf destinations in Golf Digest four years ago.”
States’ tax rates were also considered, with the state of Alabama topping the list, followed by others like Alaska, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Utah and West Virginia. These states offer little to no taxation on Social Security or pensions. Also considered are places to stay fit and healthy for the retired. Forbes uses Bicycling Magazine’s ratings and Walkscore.com to discover the best place for physically fit people to retire. According to Forbes, the only downside to living in Auburn is the few doctors per capita. David Dorton, public affairs director for the
city of Auburn, said this is one of the many times Auburn has been recognized for its value of living. “It’s always great to be recognized for the city Auburn is,” Dorton said. “It is the best place for small business and has a strong economy and local life.” City Manager Charlie Duggan said it was nice for Auburn to be recognized from time to time. “The city is an attractive place for many reasons,” Duggan said. “Just look around and take stock of the people who live here. We have low taxes, a great quality of life, a wonderful park and recreation system, and great university events.”
Sister Shubert blazes trails through Auburn Pierce Ostwalt Community Writer
As a child, Patricia Barnes’ sister could not pronounce her name. From this, her pseudonym Sister Schubert formed. Growing up in Troy, Barnes would cook and bake with her mother and grandmother. It was in the kitchen of her family’s home where she perfected the art of baking. After three years of donating food to her church’s holiday frozen food fair with exponential success, Barnes finally decided to make a business from her talents. Today, her renowned business makes frozen foods, specifically homemade rolls. Since its founding in 1992, Sister Schubert’s Homemade Rolls has become a well-known distributer and producer of “melt-in-your-mouth-delicious rolls that go from freezer to table in minutes,” according to the company’s website. Products of Sister Schubert’s company include all kinds of handmade rolls. From dinner rolls to specialty sausage
wrap rolls, sweet rolls and everything in between, Barnes and her company have been pleasing consumers for years. The company is always making strides to please customers with new, delicious products. When asked about new products for customers to anticipate, Barnes said jokingly, “Of course we’re always looking for new items and products, but you know I can’t give any of those away just yet.” While she enjoys success with her company, Sister Schubert’s is only a small, specialized part of a larger corporation. The Lancaster Colony Corporation subsidizes many companies, one of which is the T. Marzetti Company, its specialty food group. Within the T. Marzetti Company are smaller family run businesses, such as Sister Schubert’s, Pfeiffer and Chatham Village. Barnes attended Auburn University from 1971-1973, saying it was “meant to be” for her to come here. “My father attended Auburn, [and] my
whole family attended Auburn,” Barnes said. “It was almost like a meant-to-be thing for me. We love Auburn. Auburn is our home, and it’s like family to us.” Her time at the University and her sorority, Kappa Delta, both played a major influence in her modern day success. “I was a Kappa Delta at Auburn and my time with them taught me to love children, taught me to respect others and taught me to do all the things you’re supposed to do to help people who are in need, such as the handicapped and the mentally disabled,” Barnes said. “Those were the causes that the KD’s undertook and still do to this very day. That was a big part of my college life at Auburn.” Barnes has taken the life lessons learned through Auburn, and specifically those learned from her time with the Kappa Delta sorority, and applied them to how she runs her company today. “We care about our employees, and we want to have a great company that people both want to work for and enjoy working for,” Barnes said.
Contributed by Amanda Layton
Patricia Barnes sits in a kitchen similar to the one that inspired her rolls.
Lee County Historical Society takes the cake Ashtyne Cole
Community Reporter
File
The Lee County Historical Society mixes up tradition in the best possible way with its annual Heritage Cake Contest. The LCHS’s fourth annual Heritage Cake Contest and Tasting Party will take place Saturday, Feb. 8, in the Trade Center Museum in Loachapoka. For a cake to be registered, it needs to be from a recipe at least 100 years old or spanning three generations. The LCHS was founded in 1986 with a goal to preserve and restore the history of East Alabama. The Society is made up primarily of volunteers who want to educate others about the region’s rich history. Peggy Mitchell will lead the contest this year. “This is my first year with the contest,
but we are hoping to have a large turnout,” Mitchell said. “We have three judges lined up and have plenty of people available to help with registration.” Plenty of volunteers are available to help during the cutting of the cakes. Mitchell and her husband, Charlie, both plan to enter the contest. Mitchell will make an old-fashioned chocolate cake and her husband, a jam cake. “We don’t care if we win,” Mitchell said. “We just want to have a lot of cakes entered.” Deborah McCord is the board secretary of the LCHS. “We have had a great turnout over the years and expect to have a great turnout this year because of the small entrance fee,” McCord said. Each cake’s recipe must have documentation to ensure it meets the qualifica-
tions of a “heritage cake,” or one passed down through a family for generations, according to McCord. Last year’s winning cake was fruitcake. Following the contest, a tasting party will be open to the public where every person can try the different treats for $1 each. Coffee will also be served, and carry out boxes will be provided. Proceeds from the event go to LCHS’s Pioneer Park. The park has buildings such as a log cabin, barn and doctor’s office all sitting on more than six acres in Loachapoka. Panera Bread is sponsoring the contest. The entrance fee is $5 and anyone is welcome to enter a cake in the contest. To enter the Heritage Cake contest, contact the LCHS at 334-887-3007 or look up their website at Leecountyhistoricalsociety.org.