NorthEast Allabama Living - Fall 2013 by Consolidated Publishing Co.

NORTHEAST ALABAMA FALL 2013

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IN THIS

ISSUE

FaLL 2013

CONVERSaTION: The beers at Cheaha Brewing go beyond the pale ale. 6

SUPER SOaPS: Taimi Morris’ handcrafted soaps are fragrant works of art. 8

THE MaNE aTTRaCTION: The bond between a rider and horse is special. 10

THE HEIGHTS: a landmark anniston home is restored to its former glory. 18

FaMILY TIES: Brenda Hooks’ garden benefits from the expertise of her son. 24

OUTSIDE THE BOX: Fall colors don’t have to be red, yellow and orange. 28

BaCK ROaDS: Retracing routes from the 1941 WPa guidebook to alabama. 34

TEaM SPIRITS: Celebrate football season with an SEC cocktail. 40

LUXURY ON THE FaRM: Talladega County resort offers golf, hunting, more. 46

HONEY, DO: The rewards are sweet for backyard beekeepers. 54

aLSO IN THIS ISSUE PaRTY PIX: Sudsfest at Longleaf Botanical Gardens, Center of Concern celebrity roast, CaST’s Randy awards, Sacred Heart Ladies Guild beach party, and more ... 58

LIVING Summer 2013

SOUTHERNISMS: Up the creek ... with a paddle. 71

MONEY-SAVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY IDEAS

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Replace a dirty air filter in your furnace. They hamper airflow, making your system work harder to keep you comfortable.

Proper insulation can save you up to 30% on your heating and cooling costs. Add more insulation if you are finding cool spots around your home.

Set your thermostat to 78 degrees or above in the summer and 68 degrees or below in the winter.

Turn the temperature down on your water heater if it’s over 140 degrees. Don’t go below 120 degrees to keep bacteria from forming in the dishwasher.

Get more energy saving ideas for every room in your home. Scan the code with your phone or visit AlabamaPower.com/save.

EDITOR’S NOTE

ere in the pages of Northeast Alabama Living magazine, we feature beautiful homes photographed by Jerrod Brown of Jacksonville (who is also known for his wedding photography and his love of old homes). Jerrod brings an artist’s eye to these spaces. And while his photographs are warm and comforting and serene, that’s not always the case behind the scenes. For instance, 15 minutes before Jerrod and I arrived to photograph the Anniston home of Foch and Tammy Salem (page 18),there were workers busily installing columns on the front porch. Foch Salem runs Southern Renovation and Design company, and he is so busy working on renovating other people’s houses that his own historic home sometimes sits on the back burner. Jerrod sometimes puts the finishing touch on a room for a photograph. I once watched him move through a home, collecting a piece of colorful pottery here, a vase of fresh flowers there, which he then artfully arranged on the kitchen island. Another homeowner had thoughtfully propped the kitchen before we got there, setting out a platter of cheese and grapes and a bottle of wine. It was just the thing to toast Jerrod for another job well done.

Lisa Davis, Editor Northeast Alabama Living P.O. Box 189 Anniston AL 36202 ldavis@annistonstar.com

NORTHEAST ALABAMA VOLUME 2, SPRING 2013

EDITOR Lisa Davis ldavis@annistonstar.com WRITERS Erin Williams Harvey H. Jackson Madasyn Czebiniak Rachael Brown Sherry Blanton David Rickless Pat Kettles Lisa Davis PHOTOGRAPHERS Trent Penny Courtney Davies Bill Wilson David Rickless Jerrod Brown Stephen Gross Shannon Tucker David Cummings ILLUSTRATOR Margaret Poplin DESIGN Angela Reid Williams PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Patrick Stokesberry ADVERTISING MANAGER Dollie Robinson drobinson@annistonstar.com 256-235-9236 ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE Jessica Ledlow advertising@annistonstar.com 256-235-9222 CONSOLIDATED PUBLISHING CO. H. Brandt Ayers, Chairman and Publisher P.S. Sanguinetti, President Bob Davis, Associate Publisher/Editor Robert Jackson, VP for Sales/Operations

When I go out with photographer Jerrod Brown to shoot a home for the magazine, I have an unfortunate tendency to wander into the frame. There I am on the porch of the Salem house, precisely where I shouldn’t be.

LIVING Fall 2013

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utumn Cove Retirement Community is located on 25 landscaped acres in a pastoral setting in Golden Springs. Our beautifully designed 65-bed community features private studio-style, one and two-bedroom units for a total of 56 apartment homes that residents may furnish to their own taste and style. “My mom is at home here. We know our family could not make it without Autumn Cove and we apprectiate all the wonderul care we’ve gotten.” -Ellen Bass. All utilities including broadband internet service, cable TV, local phone service, housekeeping and maintenance services are included at no additional cost. Skype is also available for our residents to speak face to face with loved ones who live abroad! At Autumn Cove our goal is to assist our residents with their daily needs while encouraging as much independence as possible. Licensed by the State of Alabama for Assisted Living and Specialty Care Assisted Living, each resident is assessed to determine their individual needs and a customized service plan is developed that will best meet their needs. Our Specialty Care program is designed to provide the care and services needed for individuals who have mild to moderate memory loss due to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Our program promotes memory stimulation through specialized activities designed to allow residents with memory impairment to live an interesting, enriched and dignified life. “Anyone with a loved one in need of assisted living or special needs such as Alzheimer’s, dementia or a physical disablilty should seriously consider Autumn Cove as a choice for this all important decision.” –Todd Caldwell Our professional staff is available 24 hours a day to provide assistance and to guarantee a secure residential environment.

This includes our nursing staff that is available around the clock to provide medication assistance or administration and to monitor the health and wellbeing of each resident. Our nurses work closely with our residents’ preferred physician to ensure that they receive the appropriate medications and other health services needed to enhance and prolong their life. “I was able to see first hand the type of care Autumn Cove residents receive. What I saw gave me tremendous relief and peace of mind. Everyone without fail, was kind, thoughtful, and totally attentive to my mother’s needs.” –Todd Caldwell Scheduled transportation to medical appointments is provided while a local Podiatrist holds clinic, in-house, for our residents every 8 weeks, providing valuable preventive and ongoing foot care. Our grounds include the beautiful ¼ mile Woody’s Way Nature Trail with a level walking area, cozy seating areas, flower gardens, bird houses and feeders and more. In addition, our residents enjoy the accessability of laundry facilities and coziness of our restaurant-style dining room. All meals are provided with delicious food with ample portions that are served for all palates and fully planned to accommodate a healthy age appropriate diet. “This is where you need to come for that final point in your life when you have earned a vacation.” –Maggie Aderholdt Long Term Care Insurance is accepted. Also, Veterans Benefits are available in many cases for veterans and spouses of deceased veterans. Information can be obtained from your local VA Administration Office. To schedule a tour of our facility or to request a brochure, call 256-831-7474.

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CONVERSATION

RODNEy SNIDER TAkES bEER bEyOND ThE pAlE AlE

by ERIN WILLIAMS • photograph by BILL WILSoN

here’s beer — your Coors, your Heineken, your Guinness — and then there’s beer. Alabama is having a moment for beer; it was ranked No. 1 by The New Yorker for fastest growing craft beer production in 2012. Cheaha Brewing Company, a new brewpub in Anniston, is planning to turn your Bud Light on its head. “It actually ties back to the days of moonshining and people making homebrew back in the days before and during Prohibition. It’s an art, it’s a craft — it’s not just a manufacturing process,” said cofounder Rodney Snider, who learned about the trade from friend and business partner Rick Okins. Also joining in the venture are Karl Walser and his wife, Kimberly Schneider, who is the head brewer. Snider was able to Rodney Snider squeeze a few minutes out of his hectic schedule — which includes a day job at North American Bus Industries as well as being a husband and father — to talk microbrews, buying local, and why you should put down the Coors and pick up the craft.

them are ales. There are basically two different styles of beer: You have ales and you have lagers. We have brewed an American Pale Ale, we have brewed an English Mild Ultra. It’s a really malty beer, very popular in England. It’s a low-alcohol, not very hoppy beer, very mild to drink. The APA is a typical APA, using pale malt and American pale-style strained yeast. Kind of hoppy but not overthe-top hoppy. A third one that we had was a cream-style ale, which is a blondeish colored ale; a lot of pilsner malt in it which makes it a lighter, very easy-drinking beer.

Cheaha Brewing Company is a brewpub. What is the difference between that and a microbrewery? We’re not a bar, we’re a pub — we really focus on that word. We focus on “local,” and we focus on “community,” and we do focus on the food. Micros can just brew beer and distribute it, and they can sell samples on site. Brewpubs — we can sell other people’s beer, we can sell wine, we can sell liquor, we have to serve food. Our big difference is we can’t distribute in bottles or cans; we can distribute in kegs. Brewpubs are specifically designed to sell the majority of their beer onsite.

Your head brewmaster, Kimberly Schneider, has been brewing professionally for more than 10 years. What has she taught you about the trade? She is very talented and has extensive knowledge — not only in the craft side of beer, but she is a very good scientist, as well. She not only understands the art side of it but also the scientific side of it, so that gives you the best of both worlds. She has 10 years of professional brewing experience in the Michigan beer scene, and we are very fortunate to have her as part of the team here at Cheaha.

What are you brewing right now? We have brewed eight or nine different beers so far, but not all of them have been released to the public. All of

LIVING Fall 2013

For someone who has never tried craft beer before, what are your tips? The first thing you have to do is come with an open mind, because it is different than your mainstream beers. It’s typically not filtered, it’s obviously not pasteurized. Think about the styles and tastes that you like. One of the great things about craft beer is that there are so many different flavors that come across — very much like wine. It offers so much more flavor than what you get in a mainstream lager.

Cheaha Brewing Company is in the historic L&N freight house at 1208 Walnut Ave., Anniston, 256-770-7300. Serving lunch and dinner with an emphasis on locally produced foods.

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SupER SOApS Taimi Morris’ handcrafted soaps are fragrant works of art

by Madasyn Czebiniak • photographs by CouRtNEy DAvIES

Taimi Morris’ handmade soap smells so good, you might be tempted to eat it. Once, when she brought out her sample basket, a neighbor actually did. “He thought it was a candy bar,” she said, pointing to a giant brown and white block sitting atop the dining room in her Anniston home. It’s not really that surprising. At first glance it’s quite easy to mistake the sweetsmelling wedge for a king-sized Snickers bar with creamy vanilla frosting on top. But truth is, it’s chocolate espresso soap with ground-up coffee in it for exfoliation.

LIVING Fall 2013

If coffee isn’t your pleasure, then how about coconut, pomegranate or white tea-and-ginger, three of Morris’ new fragrances for fall and winter — along with soaps specially crafted for Alabama and Auburn fans. “A lot are experiments that either do or don’t work,” she said while walking up to the wall of more than 25 different soaps in her kitchen. Morris listens to other people when it comes to creating new scents. Her more popular fragrances are ones that she never would have considered making. “My

nose is not any more special than anyone else’s,” she said. Morris started her soap-making endeavor, Blue Mountain Soapery, in February. She doesn’t just sell body bars that people want to eat. She also makes body lotions, body butters, lip balms, a facial spa line and pet shampoo. She hopes to eventually have her own hair care line. Morris has received online orders from as far away as the United Kingdom and Pakistan. For those who prefer to shop locally, her products are for sale at Wright Dairy in Alexandria, and at local festivals. Morris used to make wedding cakes, but had to stop when her health became an issue. She wanted to find something that used a similar skill set, but would allow her to cook without deadlines. It turns out that making soap is a lot like making cake — except it takes about four weeks instead of a couple of days. Morris said everything takes place on her stove, making the kitchen her playground. “Soap is chemistry. You combine lye, which is a caustic substance, with oils.” After that, the ingredients go through a chemical process called saponification. Precise measurements are crucial when it comes to soap-making. One time Morris miscalculated lye measurements in a soap, which caused it to burn like acid. But when it’s done right, it can smell yummy and look awfully tasty, she said. “When you’re done mixing everything together, it’s very similar in property to a cake batter. I wouldn’t leave it sitting on

my counter because my kids would probably lick the spoon or something,” she said, laughing. Though she’s the top soap chef in the family, Morris isn’t the only one involved in her business. Her son, Dakota, helped design her website. Her husband, Mike, helped her come up with the name Blue Mountain Soapery. Mike also sells one of her more popular soaps, Camo Silk, out at McClellan, where he works for the National Guard. The soap features military colors and a fresh scent. “All the guys up on the base want it,” she said. “It started out as an accident. It was supposed to be a very pretty white, sunshine yellow and green, and it sort of turned a different color. But he likes it. It’s guy-smelling and it’s not overly sweet.” Morris has a couple of other options for men that were inspired by her nephews. One is based on Acqua di Gio by Giorgio Armani; the other, Untamed, smells like Abercrombie and Fitch. Untamed is one of the soaps that Morris tops with mica, a sparkling mineral, for a fancy finish. Though Morris enjoys working with soap, it doesn’t come without challenges. Aside from being dangerous, soapmaking can also be time-consuming and expensive, especially when it comes to fragrances. “Some of the fragrances are a little more difficult to work with than others,” she said. “If I’m not really fast, I get soapon-a-stick.” Morris enjoys creating fragrances her clients recommend — unless they want “eau de skunk or something.” The one fragrance that people continually ask for that she is unable to replicate is puppy breath. “There’s something about puppy breath,” she said. “I’ve never quite understood it, but there are people who get intoxicated by it.”

Blue Mountain Soapery Products are available at bluemountainsoapery.com, ‘Blue Mountain Soapery’ on Facebook, and at Wright Dairy in Alexandria.

Taimi Morris, left, creates homemade soap, body lotion, body butter, lip balms, facial spa products and pet shampoo for her company, Blue Mountain Soapery.

LIVING Fall 2013

MaNE aTTRaCTION

The bond between horse and rider is special, whether riding for fun, sport — or therapy

by RaChael bRown • photographs by BILL WILSoN & StEPHEN GRoSS

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DANCING TOGEThER REbECCA ClEVElAND AND WIZARD

rom the moment Rebecca Cleveland met her horse, Wizard, four years ago, she knew they were meant to work together. Cleveland, 53, walked up to the gawky, 5-year-old Dutch Warmblood and said, “If you want to go with me, then come on.” Cleveland turned and walked toward the gate and the horse followed her, without a halter or lead. Two weeks later, Wizard came to live in Alexandria, and he’s been training with Cleveland ever since. Now, Wizard is a tall, athletic, 9-year-old working his way up the dressage levels. Cleveland’s love of horses began when she was 5 years old. When she started working at the Anniston Army Depot, she knew exactly where her money would go. “My very first paycheck went to buy a horse, and I haven’t looked back,” Cleveland said. “It has been a journey.” Cleveland has shown dressage for 20 years; she described the elegant sport as the horse and rider “becoming one creature.” Dressage involves the horse moving in intricate patterns and demonstrates riders’ ability to ask their mounts to perform very controlled movements. Most people recognize it as the sport where the horses look like they’re dancing and the riders wear black top hats and sport coats. “All you have to do to get that creature to move one way or the other is think it, and it does it,” Cleveland said. “It’s just like dancing or flying. I’ve never found that with any other type of riding that I’ve done.” Cleveland and Wizard qualified for this year’s Region 3 Championships, which were held in Atlanta in October.Even though dressage is a polite and beautiful sport, Cleveland said it can get extremely competitive. She described watching riders enter the rectangular ring and closely observing their ride to find any small advantages for herself. There’s a simple rule Cleveland follows for every show, whether her ride goes the way she hoped or not. “You’ve got to keep a smile on your face and chin up and do the very best you can. Generally it works out OK.”

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RACING AGAINST ThE ClOCk TAylOR DEAN AND MySTIC

very day, 15-year-old Taylor Dean looks forward to her after-school date with her American Quarter Horse, Mystic. Taylor spends her time riding, brushing and cleaning out her horse’s stall — after she finishes her homework from her classes at Alexandria High School, of course. The girl’s love of horses is fine with her father, Bob Dean, who said he enjoys watching his daughter ride. The fact that she’s more interested in her equine friend than a boyfriend doesn’t hurt, either. Taylor rode her first horse when she was 3 years old — and suddenly her whole life revolved around them. She started showing at age 6, but really hit her stride three years ago when she discovered barrel racing, pole bending and arena racing. Taylor has won more than 50 blue ribbons. She competes in 14 shows each year, and was named Calhoun County’s top barrel racer in her age group. What makes Taylor want to ride Mystic as fast as she can while twisting around barrels and poles? “Adrenaline. I’m an adrenaline junkie. I can’t help it — and he is too,” she said, giving her muscular, 10-year-old gelding a friendly pat. When they’re competing, Taylor and Mystic — whose show name is Double The Pep — are racing against the clock. Barrel racing consists of riding around three barrels in a cloverleaf pattern. Pole bending involves weaving around six poles set in a line. Arena racing requires the horse to run as fast as he can to the end of the ring, turn around one barrel, and then run full tilt back to the gate. “It’s harder than it looks,” Taylor said. “You need to have a passion to do it, and need to know that if you fall off the horse, then you need to get back up.” It’s not just about speed, she said, but asking your horse to make all the right movements. Knocking over just one barrel gives a rider a five-second penalty. Breaking that cloverleaf pattern gets a rider instantly disqualified. Bob Dean said he’s watched Mystic and Taylor learn to work together as a team. “They’ve got to be kind of intuitive with each other and understand each other. They’ve come a long way,” the father said. “It’s really helped her confidence.” Taylor said she’s just happy to have found a horse like Mystic. “He’s awesome. I don’t think I’ll find another horse like him,” she said with a smile. “I’m so glad that God put him in my life.”

LIVING Fall 2013

hElpING kIDS IN NEED MARIANNA GREENE hENRy pROGRAM

orses, staff and volunteers at the Marianna Greene Henry Special Equestrians Program help nearly 300 disabled riders each year through various therapy programs. Marianna Greene Henry wanted to start a class for hippotherapy — in Greek, literally “horse therapy” — on her parents’ Talladega farm. The program began in 1990, but its namesake died before she could see the program come to fruition. Henry’s family runs the facility today in her memory. Her brother, Tim Greene, is the arena coordinator. He said it’s incredible to see what these horses can do for their students. All of the students, whose ages range from 3 to 21, come from the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind. Their disabilities vary from seeing and hearing impairments to cerebral palsy, autism and spina bifida. “All of the kids think they’re down here for a pony ride. None of them think they’re here for therapy at all,” Greene said. Greene said the program gives students around 2,500 to 3,000 rides each year on 11 specially chosen horses. The horses were donated to the program, and had to go through rigorous tests and a 90-day trial period before they were officially accepted as therapy horses. Courtney Carbone, volunteer coordinator and riding instructor, said they test each horse by simulating an “out of control” rider. Someone will yell, kick and scream near the horse to see how it will react. “We purposely push the horse’s limit. We want to see what they’ll do,” she said. Greene said out of 50 horses that are tested for the program, three might get accepted. The horses are ridden around three hours each day, Carbone said, and they deal with a lot of emotional and physical stress. “An off-balanced rider is not comfortable, and it’s more stress on their muscles,” she said. “Dealing with an emotional meltdown on them is not what horses were intended to do. We ask a lot out of them and we’re very careful with how we keep them from burning out.” Greene said these horses need to have “therapy heart.” After horses retire from the program, Greene said, they usually go back to their original owners to live out their days in “green pastures.” Students not only learn how to ride, but gain some valuable life skills from the program. A few of the students who are particularly interested in horses take part

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Volunteer Stewart Rodgers, AIDB student Whitney Martin and barn manager Carol Hudson.

to Volunteer To learn more about the Marianna Greene Henry Special Equestrians Program in Talladega, visit www. mgharena.com. To volunteer, contact Courtney Carbone, 256-761-3364 or carbone.courtney@aidb.state.al.us.

in the riders’ club, which competes in various shows throughout the year. Carbone said a lot of the riders who are deaf or blind are competing against seeing and hearing kids. The students are responsible for their horses, she said, and learn how to take care of them and read their body language. “A lot of parents see that as a way to boost their children’s confidence and

teach them responsibility,” Carbone said, and that usually transfers to the rider’s school and home life. The program could not exist, Greene said, without the help of volunteers. Carbone said volunteers don’t need to have previous horse experience. They’re always looking for more people who would like to help lead horses, walk beside riders and get horses ready for riding. “It’s not just therapeutic for the kids, it is for everybody involved,” she said.

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LIVING Fall 2013

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a LaNDMaRK aNNISTON HOME IS RESTORED TO GLORY

On the heights written by MADASyN CzEBINIAk

photographs by JERRoD BRoWN

LIVING Fall 2013

ON ThE hEIGhTS

s a child, Tammy Salem fell in love with a house. After church on Sundays, she and her parents would drive past a house atop Sunset Drive, and she would stare at it in awe. “I thought it was the prettiest thing,” she remembered. The house was built in 1924 by T. Scott Roberts, president of Adelaide Mills and a prominent figure in the textile industry. It was one of the first houses built up on the mountain, overlooking the city of Anniston. It was named “Casa Alta” — literally, “High House.” Little did Tammy know that, years later, that pretty house would be hers. The day the house went on the market, Tammy and her husband, Foch Salem, leapt at the chance to buy it, even though they were living at another house just down the road.

The landmark house was built in 1924 by T. Scott Roberts, a prominent figure in the textile industry. According to the Public Library of Anniston-Calhoun County, Roberts liked to grow lilies and roses.

20 LIVING Fall 2013

“We got excited and decided, ‘This is it,’” Tammy said. The Salems’ teenaged daughter, Kathryn, did not fall in love with the house like her mother did. Though it looked the same from the outside, the inside was less than inviting. Instead of looking at it with starry eyes, Kathryn covered hers instead. “I didn’t want to come inside it when we first bought it,” she said. “It was creepy,” Tammy said. The house was painted in dark tones of gray and purple. The floors were damaged. The upstairs bathroom was leaking into the kitchen. “Every room needed work,” Tammy said. But Tammy and Foch both thought the house was a work of art. They have spent six years restoring the downstairs. The design is now French Mediterranean. Foch learned about building restoration from his father, a New England architect. He believes in restoration, which is different from redesigning. Restoration involves bringing a house back its original architectural design, he said. Luck seemed to be on his side when, while exploring the house, he stumbled across a treasure map — 30 pages of the original architectural plans. “I’m a perfectionist when it comes to restoring things,” he said. Foch had to deal with reversing changes made by previous owners, such as the paintedover mahogany beams in the living room. Foch was grateful that the previous owners’ housekeeper paid them a visit. “She said, ‘Somebody painted over that. There was a really pretty mahogany ceiling.’ As soon as she left I went and stripped it. You don’t cover South African mahogany,” said Foch. Although he tried his hardest to stick to the original design plan, Foch said the kitchen was in such bad condition that there was nothing he could do but start from scratch. Foch’s success with his own house led him to start his own company, Southern Renovation and Design. “Everyone in Anniston had been in this house but us until we bought it, so they knew what it looked like. Now, people want me to do restorations to their homes,” he said. 1. The mahogany beams in the living room ceiling had been painted over. Foch Salem worked 10 hours a day for a week stripping off the paint. 2. The front porch ceiling is made of pecky cypress. When the weather is good, the Salems spend most of their time on the shady front porch or the expansive back porch, which offers a view from the mountaintop. 3. The staircase had been carpeted by previous owners. “I had to take out about 100 staples on each tread,” Foch said. 4. The embellishments on the living room fireplace are original to the house.

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ON ThE hEIGhTS

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321614 ANNISTON FIREPLACE

2 1. The chandelier in the dining room is original to the 1924 house. Tammy Salem filled the house with colors and furnishings in the French Mediterranean style. 2. The statues that crown the porch and the black urns on the front steps are original to the house. Foch Salem restored the internal copper gutters. The house is still a work in progress, with shutters still to come. They are being made according to the original plans. 3. Kathryn Salem with the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two Shih Tzu, Bahama (left) and Pepe, a rescue dog named after Pepe Le Pew, because before she was groomed for the first time she looked a lot like a skunk. 4. Although the Salems tried to restore the house according to the original design plans, the kitchen was in such bad condition that it had to be gutted and redone from scratch.

310965 ANNISTON EMS

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Family ties Brenda Hooks’ garden benefits from the expertise of her son, Hayes Jackson by sheRRy blanTon • photographs by BILL WILSoN & SHERRy BLANtoN

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FAMILY TIES

hen Brenda and Ted Hooks built their home in Anniston’s Edgefield Farms in 2002, there were only two trees on the property. Both were sweetgums, and both had to be removed. In the years since, their one-acre property has become home to a variety of plants both unusual and familiar. A sidewalk bordered by a low stone wall now weaves through the garden. Curved edges separate the manicured lawn and the vast flower beds. For her birthday, Mother’s Day and Christmas, Brenda always receives a plant and a “hole” from her son, master plantsman Hayes Jackson, urban regional extension agent with the Alabama

Cooperative Extension System. Brenda said that, when it comes to plants, the usual roles have been reversed, and she has learned from Hayes, instead of teaching him. Hayes’ influence on Brenda’s garden is everywhere. Each bed has a mixture of textures as well as a mixture of deciduous and evergreen shrubs, so that the garden retains interest year-round. The delicate leaves of a chartreuse spirea (‘Mellow Yellow’) grow next to the wide leaves of a palm. Shrubs in different shades of green fill each bed. The bi-colored foliage on a variegated Hollywood Juniper and a ‘Twist of Pink’ oleander add flash to the garden. A smoke tree, with its dark

For her birthday, Mother’s Day and Christmas, Brenda Hooks always receives a plant and a “hole” from her son, master plantsman Hayes Jackson. Her garden is now an entire crayon box of color.

26 LIVING Fall 2013

leaves and plumes, punctuates the large expanse of green. Not only does the garden have a wide variety of shrubs and trees, there are also masses of perennials, including ‘Stella De Oro’ daylilies and hostas. A row of cannas with hot orange blooms provides a burst of color. A beautiful redwing (Redwing heteropterys glabra) with red fruits (similar to those on a Japanese maple) and yellow flowers grow adjacent to the entrance of the driveway, offering the visitor a taste of what is to come. The variety of plants is amazing: a rose of Sharon with double hot pink flowers is in full bloom close to a ‘Wing Nut’ styrax. A bank of ‘Autumn Twist’ Encore azaleas is about eight feet high. A huge agave plant marks the edge of the property. A large abelia with pink flowers and a vitex with purple plumes are magnets for butterflies and hummingbirds. Cypress trees in shades of chartreuse (‘Limelight’ Arizona Cypress) and blue (‘Blue Ice’ Arizona Cypress) and a rare ‘Monkey Puzzle’ tree tower in the garden. The edible fruit on a ‘Fuyu’ Japanese persimmon ripens in the fall and turns deep orange. A satsuma tree sits in a pot, soon to be added to the garden. Brenda enjoys going to the garden “to pick a bouquet when friends visit” or to share an arrangement of flowers with friends. She has lots to choose from, including the blooms from a panicle hydrangea (‘Pink Diamond’). Staff members from the Atlanta Botanical Garden have remarked it is the largest panicle hydrangea they have seen; it is about nine feet high and 12 feet wide. The satisfaction and pleasure this lush garden provides is obvious as Brenda walks through the yard, stopping to pull a weed or admire a flower. It is a place of refuge and peace, an oasis in a busy world.

LIVING Fall 2013

THE SOUTHERN GARDENER

Outside the box Fall colors donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be red, yellow and orange Story and photographs by SHERRy BLANtoN

Camellia sasanqua

28 LIVING Fall 2013

ThE SOuThERN GARDENER

Confederate rose

BeautyBerry

Ginger lily

hen most gardeners visit a nursery with the notion of adding fall color to their landscape, they will look for foliage in glorious shades of red, orange or yellow. Japanese maples with flaming colors and names like ‘October Glory’ come to mind. I, like most gardeners, want my garden to glow with intense fall color – but I also think outside the box, including plants with flamboyant shades of purple, fuchsia and hot pink. Gardeners often refer to landscape design that includes four-season interest. Fall is the perfect time to apply that timehonored principle. A good friend once described the berries on an American beautyberry (callicarpa) as the color of cheap lipstick. Beautyberry is one of those plants that lurks in the garden for most of the year. The foliage on this deciduous ornamental is not especially attractive, and beautyberry can spread rapidly into areas where it may not be wanted. But wait until fall arrives.

30 LIVING Fall 2013

This shrinking violet will be covered in showy, hot pink berries. A tough plant, it can live in partial to full sun and is useful as a border plant (as I saw it once at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens) or as part of any garden. As fall arrives, big fat buds begin to cover the confederate rose (Hibiscus mutabilis) This woody perennial (happiest in full sun) can grow quite large, reaching 15 feet tall and about half as wide. It could actually be considered either a small tree or a large shrub. The confederate rose is known for its magnificent blooms, which can open in the morning in one color and close at night in another one. They almost seem magical! My personal favorite for out-of-the-box fall color is the Camellia sasanqua, with

its magnificent display of flowers. The sasanqua begins its show in very late summer and continues through fall. Sasanqua blooms are usually smaller than those of the Camellia japonica but more numerous. Sasanquas can come in dwarf form and others can grow more than a dozen feet high. They seem less picky about their growing conditions than the Camellia japonica that we Southerners adore. Blooms can come in a rainbow of colors, including magenta, hot pink, baby pink, white, even white trimmed with pink. Unlike the deciduous beautyberry and the perennial confederate rose, sasanquas have lush evergreen foliage. One more fall-blooming lovely is the ginger lily (Hedychium). This perennial begins putting on a spectacular show in late summer and early fall with fragrant flowers growing in long spikes atop the foliage. Offering a punch of color in shades of yellow, white, orange, cream and pink, ginger lily blooms are irresistible to hummingbirds and butterflies. Ginger lilies spread prolifically by underground rhizomes, so if you have a friend who offers you a sniff, ask for a piece. Ginger lilies like to be kept moist, and they enjoy a respite from the afternoon sun. Once you have stepped outside on a fall night and smelled their heavenly scent, you will be hooked by the ginger’s charms. Fall is a time when imaginations can soar, when the garden can provide a breathtaking array of colors . . . if you take the time to think outside the box.

OPE- N Friday

Monday 5 pm 8 am -

Dr. Beatrous, Dr. Sycheva and Dr. Lattuada are accepting new patients and referrals can be made by calling (256) 847-3369.

Providing Radiation Treatments and Chemotherapy Treatments in one convenient location. Thomas E. Beatrous MD Radiation Oncologist

Thomas E. Beatrous, MD received his medical degree from the LSU School of Medicine and completed an internship at Tulane Medical Center. He completed his residency at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, MD. He is board certified in radiation oncology. Dr. Beatrous is a fellow of the American Board of Radiology and the American

Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Southern Medical Association, the Southern Oncology Association, and the Alabama Medical Association.

Tatyana Sycheva, MD

Medical Oncologist/ Hematologist

Dr. Sycheva obtained her medical degree from Minsk State Medical Institute, Minsk Belarus. She completed a fellowship in Hematology from Byelorussian State Institute of Advancement for Physicians, Minsk, Belarus. A native of Belarus, Dr. Sycheva immigrated to the US in 1996. After moving to the USA she completed a Residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Hematology/Oncology from Tufts University School of

Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Sycheva has practiced Hematology/Oncology in San Francisco, California prior to relocating to Alabama. She is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology and Hematology. Dr. Sycheva is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and American Society of Hematology.

Charles P. Lattuada, Jr., MD, FACP Medical Oncologist

Charles Lattuada, Jr, MD, FACP obtained his medical degree from Uniformed Services University School of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland. He completed an Internship and first year Residency in Family Practice at Carswell Air Force BaseRegional Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. He also completed an Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine at Wilford Hall Medical Center Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas. He completed his Fellowship in Medical Oncology and Infectious Disease at Wilford Hall Medical Center Lackland AFB. A native of Wisconsin, after a 20 year career in the United States Air Force, Dr. Lattuada has practiced Oncology and

Infectious Disease in Louisiana and Arkansas prior to relocating to Alabama. Dr. Lattuada is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology and Infectious Disease. He holds licensure in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Wisconsin. Dr. Lattuada is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and Infectious Disease Society of America, and a Fellow of American College of Physicians. He has several published articles and has presented at several national meetings.

tour No. 2

Northeast alabama

back roads,

34 LIVING Fall 2013

then & now Retracing routes from the 1941 WpA guidebook to Alabama by haRvey h. JaCkson â&#x20AC;˘ photographs by BILL WILSoN

Neely Henry Dam

LIVING Fall 2013

tour No. 2

Northeast alabama

n our last road trip (Northeast Alabama Living, Summer 2013), we took the tours recommended in the 1941 Federal Writers Project guidebook Alabama: A Guide to the Deep South, reworked them a bit, and set off on routes through Northeast Alabama to revisit places that were recommended more than 60 years ago. We found the region much changed, but happily most of the places have survived, and communities that were the core of commerce and society have continued to thrive, though often in ways no one could have predicted back then. Let’s hit the road again.

oXFoRD On our last journey, coming down S.R. 9 from Piedmont, when it dead-ended at U. S. 78, we turned left and toured the eastern section of Northeast Alabama. Had we turned right, we would have soon arrived at Oxford, where business interests, back then, were “interlocked closely with those of near-by Anniston,” though the New Deal writer added that the town “retains sufficient individuality to justify its claims as an industrial center.” Some manufacturing remains in Oxford, however today it is better known for its retail establishments. When Interstate 20 was built, the Oxford exits attracted a host of businesses and turned the town into a popular shopping and dining stop between Atlanta and Birmingham. Tyler HIll

ANNIStoN Leave Oxford and head north on S.R. 21 to Anniston, which in the 1930s — when the Alabama Guide was compiled — was the state’s fifth largest city. Although Anniston has not grown as other cities have, many of the highlights identified back then remain to be seen and enjoyed. What was the Regar Museum of Natural History has evolved into the Anniston Museum of Natural History, thanks to generous donations of artifacts and natural history specimens from private collections. Adjacent to it is the Berman Museum of World History, which houses an extensive collection of weapons and other military items. Two of the churches featured in the Guide still enhance the city — Grace Episcopal Church and St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church. Both are on the National Register. Though changes in the industrial economy have not treated Anniston well, neighborhoods like Tyler Hill and Glenwood Terrace remain the “lovely settings for houses and gardens” that they were 80 years ago.

36 LIVING Fall 2013

JACkSoNvILLE North from Anniston on S.R. 21 you pass what was Fort McClellan, until federal base closure shut it down and dealt another blow to the local economy. However, it is worth a side trip to see how what was a military installation is being transformed into a mixed-use community, and how homes and buildings have been restored and updated. Of particular interest is Buckner Circle, where the homes of the general officers were located. Note how variations in size and design defined the post pecking order. Back on S.R. 21, heading north you reach Jacksonville, today a quintessential college town dominated by what was then the state teachers’ college and today is Jacksonville State University. Though most of the campus buildings are modern, the Alumni House is a 19th-century structure worth noting, as is the university’s administration build-

ing, Bibb Graves Hall, named for one of the state’s most education-friendly, progressive governors back when the Guide was compiled. He was also an officer in the KKK. Comprehend that and you are on your way to understanding Alabama politics before World War II. Although Jacksonville, like so many towns, has lost some of its historic charm to development and neglect, two of the significant houses — the Rowan House and the Daugette House — are restored to their former glory. Stop at City Hall and pick up a map for a driving tour. From Jacksonville, there are a number of routes you might take, but to see a bit of the countryside I recommend getting out your GPS or consulting Mapquest to plot a course that will lead west to Alexandria, which was the home of Major John Pelham, “the gallant Pelham” of Civil War fame whose statuetopped grave is in Jacksonville.

THE GUIDE:

Though originally published in 1941, the WPa book can still serve as a guide to those wishing to explore alabama’s roads less traveled.

CuLLMAN

Alexandria

NEELy HENRy DAM Continue west on S.R. 144 to the Neely Henry Dam, which backed up the Coosa River and flooded Greensport. Once a thriving river port at the spot where southbound steamboat navigation stopped and the rapids began, Greensport was near the ford where Andrew Jackson’s army crossed during the Creek War in 1814, and the route Union troops took during the Civil War 50 years later. Below the dam, off to the left on a dirt road (look for the historical marker locating Fort Strother, which Jackson built on his march south), you can find the remains of one of the locks that were built to open the Coosa to navigation all the way from Rome, Georgia, to Wetumpka, Alabama, and from there on to Mobile. The project was never completed, and eventually Alabama Power Company dams covered the shoals with deep lakes. However, each power company dam has an earthen section off to the side where a

channel can be dug and locks installed, just in case one day “they” decide to open the Coosa.

ASHvILLE AND oNEoNtA Heading west on S.R. 144, the traveler is confronted by Beaver Creek Mountains. Before good roads were built, these dramatic hills so effectively divided St. Clair County that administration required two county seats. The roads are much improved, but your destination, Ashville, still shares county seat duties with Pell City, south of the mountains. Drive through Ashville and take U.S. 231 on to Oneonta, which got nary a mention in the Guide but where every October for the past 30 years, when fall colors are at their peak, locals have hosted a Covered Bridge Festival. There, you have your choice of two routes. Continue on U.S. 231 to Cullman, or turn north on S.R. 75 to Albertville.

Take the route to Cullman, which, according to the Guide, “was settled by industrious German immigrants from the Rhine Valley, whose desire was to build a self-sustaining community.” Although their plans were set back by World War I, residents were nonetheless able to build a thriving economy around the cultivation and shipping of strawberries. Then as now, one of the local attractions is the Ave Maria Grotto, where over the years a devoted Benedictine monk built miniature reproductions of shrines and scenes from the Vatican and the Holy Land. To celebrate its German heritage, in 1982, local boosters organized an Oktoberfest. However, at the time Cullman did not allow the sale of alcohol, so the idea of an Oktoberfest without beer struck many as odd, to say the least. Two years ago, the citizens of Cullman changed the rules, voted wet, and now Oktoberfest is more German than ever.

GuNtERSvILLE From Cullman, take S.R. 69 to Arab, whose decidedly un-Alabamian name was the result of a mistake at the U. S. Postal Service. The town was supposed to be Arad, for the son of its founder. Once designated Arab by the postal bureaucracy, it was apparently too much trouble to change it. Motor on to Guntersville, which the Guide praised for its association with the Tennessee Valley Authority — remember this was a New Deal-sponsored publication. TVA dams dotted the region with giant lakes, including the one at Guntersville, and brought electricity and industry to what had been one of the most impoverished areas of the South. Today, lakes like Guntersville’s are as important for their recreational opportunities as for the power their dams generate, and lakeside homes are the pride of affluent Alabamians. For a beautiful side trip, take S.R. 227 to Guntersville State Park, which has picnic facilities as well as a lodge for overnight guests.

LIVING Fall 2013

tour No. 2

Northeast alabama

ALBERtvILLE From Guntersville, go south on U.S. 431 to Albertville, where you will link up with anyone who had chosen the alternate route (Highway 75) from Oneonta. You are now in the heart of Sand Mountain, a sandstone plateau that is part of the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains. This highland was settled by Scotch-Irish who owned no slaves and who eked out a living on hardscrabble, family-unit farms. Then and now, the people of Sand Mountain are fiercely independent, conservative and Protestant. The population remains overwhelmingly white, and though the modern world has intruded on their isolation, there is still a clannishness among residents outside the towns. If you arrive on a Sunday when church is in session, or if you come across a family reunion/singing/dinner on the grounds, they will make you welcome — however, don’t be surprised if the hymnal is shape-note. You might also be expected to request your favorite hymn, sing along and maybe even take the lead. Call it your initiation. But don’t take this to mean that Sand Mountain folks are a dour bunch of puritans. In 1992, when the Olympic Winter Games were held in Albertville, France, Alabama’s Albertville held winter games of its own. Though it was difficult to have the same sort of contests on snowless Sand Mountain, a good time was had by all.

GADSDEN Continuing south on U.S. 431, you’ll come through Boaz, which was once a major campsite for Indian traders. From there, the dramatic descent to Gadsden underscores how difficult it was for people from the Coosa Valley to ascend Sand Mountain, and how geography contributed to the region’s isolation. Back in Gadsden, you can visit a revived downtown and check out shops and cafes. If you arrive in late May or early June, you can go down to the Coosa and join 25,000 or so music fans for Riverfest, a major musical event that draws some of the country’s top artists. Then on to Jacksonville, Anniston and home — wherever home might be. We have seen a lot, but trust me, there is even more to see. One day we will see it. Harvey H. (“Hardy”) Jackson is retired Eminent Scholar in History at Jacksonville State University and a columnist and editorial writer for The Anniston Star.

38 LIVING Fall 2013

Sand Mountain

CELEBRaTE FOOTBaLL WITH aN SEC COCKTaIL

TEaM SPIRITS I

f you ask Missy Svensen of Anniston why she and her husband, Rob, tailgate, she’ll tell you it’s because of their children. “We wanted to do something to see the kids, because kids don’t come home,” Missy explained. When the Svensens’ daughter, Meg, started at Auburn University in 2007, Missy and Rob wanted to do something to remain close. Now that their son Alex is a sophomore there, tailgating isn’t a choice, but a necessity. They do so with a delicious twist. MIssy opens a large, three-ring binder and flips hurriedly through pages filled front-to-back with recipes. Instead of the usual beer one might find at a tailgate, Missy dreams up SEC-themed cocktails. “The theme is simple,” she said. “We can’t theme everything after Auburn — that’s corny — so we make cocktails in honor of the team we’re playing.” When asked how she comes up with each recipe, Missy said research is key. “I went to a website with over 23,000 cocktail recipes and looked to see what would go good together,” she said. We asked Missy to share some favorite recipes. We also asked Carsyn Harris, mixologist at the Victoria Restaurant in Anniston, to get in on the action. She created an SEC cocktail called the Crimsontini, which showcases the flavors of fall. Recipes on pages 42-43.

Rob and Missy Svensen

Crimsontini

by Madasyn Czebiniak • photographs by DAvID CuMMINGS & tRENt PENNy

40 LIVING Fall 2013

Cancer is called a

journey.

But you don’t have to leave home to find

expert cancer care.

Conveniently located in the beautiful Appalachian Foothills of Northeast Alabama, Anniston Oncology is a community-based, private oncology practice providing a full range of hematology oncology services. Here, patients receive the highest level of care and personalized treatment plans delivered locally, expertly and compassionately. • All types of cancer treated • Chemotherapy certified nursing staff • On-site certified CLIA laboratory • National clinical trials available • Aﬃliated with Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center and Stringfellow Memorial Hospital • Most insurance accepted

Ellen N. Spremulli, M.D. ABIM Certified Medical Oncologist, 1977

Melissa C. Fenner Baird, M.D. ABIM Certified Medical Oncologist, 1995 ABIM Certified Hematologist, 1996

Pramod A. Vadlamani, M.D. ABIM Certified Medical Oncologist, 1997

, PC 901 Leighton Avenue, Suite 602 Anniston, AL 36207

To schedule an appointment with one of our physicians, call 256-238-1011.

M AKIN G I T

HAPPEN AT TM

In communities across America, dedicated citizens are working hard to develop new plans to improve the lives of residents through workforce development, community service and continued education. The cities and towns where these great plans are moving forward have something in common – people and organizations willing to act and make it happen. Gadsden State and its employees are committed to filling that role in Northeast Alabama. Together with our business and community partners, we are: • Providing a quality education to traditional and non-traditional students • Developing trained workers for local industries • Supporting local non-profit organizations with employee and student volunteers • Providing employment to more than 700 people • And making a significant economic impact on the communities we serve The instructors and staff at Gadsden State Community College are proud to be a part of Making it Happen in Calhoun, Cherokee and Etowah counties.

Ayers Campus – Anniston East Broad Street Campus – Gadsden Gadsden State Cherokee – Centre McClellan Center – Anniston Valley Street Campus – Gadsden Wallace Drive Campus – Gadsden

gadsdenstate.edu 1-800-226-5563

Come see the 2013 line up! at Sunny King Honda. Winner of the prestigious President’s Award

Sunny King Honda (256) 835-1000

• www.sunnykinghonda.com • 1-800-423-4074

a Talladega County resort offers golf, hunting, an award-winning chef — and that’s just the beginning

ucked unobtrusively into the foothills of the Appalachian mountain chain lies Pursell Farms. Located some 45 miles south of Birmingham and 10 miles west of Sylacauga, the farm sits just off a typical Alabama rural country road dotted by trailers, doublewides and homes of varying styles of architecture. A large expanse of open pasture land with grazing Texas Longhorn cattle alerts the driver, if the car navigation system hasn’t, that one has reached Pursell Farms — all 3,500 acres of it — and FarmLinks golf course. Enter through the gate and meander up and down narrow paved lanes that open to panoramic views of the golf course. Quell the impulse to wonder aloud what on earth a golf course is doing out in the middle of nowhere. This is not just any golf course. FarmLinks was ranked this year as Alabama’s No. 1 public course by Golfweek magazine. For golfers, the 7,444-yard, par-72 course is a mix of dramatic elevation changes, pristine fairways and immaculate greens. The signature par-3 fifth hole features a 170-foot vertical drop from tee to green, as well as stunning, panoramic views. The story of FarmLinks and the Pursell family is a true American success story, culminating in a golf course located in the middle of nowhere. The story began in 1904, when

48 LIVING Fall 2013

DeWitt Parker founded Sylacauga Fertilizer Company. After DeWitt’s death, his son, Howard Parker, took over. In 1956, Howard’s son-in-law, Jimmy Pursell, took the helm. An Auburn graduate and Korean War veteran, Jimmy brought innovative ideas to the business and was responsible for the creation of the Sta-Green fertilizer brand, the first to contain slow-release nitrogen. To promote his new purSell FarMS, products, Jimmy pur2200 Farmlinks chased billboards across blvd., sylacauga, metropolitan Atlanta emblazoned with the 877-292-3276, phrase, “Up your grass farmlinks.org. with Sta-Green.” This was in the early 1970s and caused quite a stink, no pun intended, among Atlanta citizenry. Jimmy caved to public pressure and took down the signs, but not before gaining brand recognition for his product. The next generation of Pursells was not bereft of catchy slogans, either. Jimmy’s son David, founder and now CEO of FarmLinks, coined a new catchphrase for the company in the 1980s: “The Connoisseurs of Manure.” This remained the company slogan for 25 years. As Pursell businesses and innovations prospered, David

FarmLinks Clubhouse

Pursell — fueled by his love of golf and the family farm — began to think it would be better to bring people from around the world to the farm to learn about Pursell’s products. What better way to do this than to build a golf course that could be used as a teaching lab for those involved in turf management? Rather than mobilizing a sales force to call on customers individually, customers would come to the farm, play golf, learn about Pursell products and be showered with Southern hospitality. The Pursells had been buying land adjoining their farm since the 1970s. In 2001, they broke ground for what was to become FarmLinks. The Pursells partnered with the Toro Company, Club Car and BASF, a chemical company that manufactures an array of turf maintenance products, to use Pursell Farms as a teaching lab for their products. As this experiment came to fruition, it became apparent that the restored 1854 farmhouse occupied by the senior Pursells was not adequate to house those coming to the golf course out in the middle of nowhere. In 2001, Parker Lodge was constructed, offering 14,000 square feet of luxury guest rooms, public gathering areas and conference rooms. Cottages and cabins have subsequently been added, and now the facility has 40 guest rooms. The old farmhouse, Hamilton Place, is now a favorite venue for weddings.

LIVING Fall 2013

FarmLinks Cottage

The Pursells sold Pursell Technologies and all its ferto accommodate large crowds are soon to be added. Plans tilizer technologies to a Canadian company, Agrium, for a full-service spa are in the making, and 27 miles of in 2006. They retained FarmLinks, dirt roads will be developed for biking continuing to use it as a teaching and hiking. and experimental facility, but also Chef Andrea Griffith, a highly CHeF andrea’S expanded the property into a fulltrained and respected master chef, BaCon JaM scale resort, offering hunting, fishing, has joined Pursell’s staff. Griffith clay shooting and golf clinics taught trained at the Art Institute of Philadel1 pound smoked bacon, by FarmLink’s golf pro, Layne Savoie, phia culinary arts program, and her finely chopped who has more than 25 years experiresume includes stints at such venues 1 shallot, sliced ence teaching the best in golf. as the Greenbrier Resort in West Vir½ cup brewed coffee Pursell Farms has recently been ginia and Primland, a luxury resort in ½ cup brown sugar tapped to join The Southern Living the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. 2 tablespoons maple syrup Hotel Collection, which currently Griffith is well on her way to turnPinch of cayenne consists of 15 independent four- and ing Pursell Farms into a dining desfive-star resorts that offer the best in tination. At Pursell’s inaugural Vine Render bacon until lightly Southern hospitality. Pursell Farms & Dine event, Griffin and her staff crisped. Remove bacon from fat, joins the ranks of properties like treated guests to a menu of country and cook shallot in fat until soft. Add Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tenn., terrine, asparagus, arugula and farmremaining ingredients and cook Grove Park Inn in Asheville, N.C., fresh egg salad topped with aioli, until mixture starts to thicken. Add and The Windsor Court Hotel in New poached Gulf fish served on a bed of bacon back to the pan and coat Orleans. fennel shavings, Border Springs lamb in mixture. Remove from heat and David Pursell has big plans for his with homemade gnocchi and a slice pulse in food processor until finely family’s Talladega County resort. He of French brie topped with the most chopped. This makes an excellent aspires to become another Blackdecadent bacon jam imaginable. The accompaniment for cheese. berry Farm. By virtue of the facility’s evening came to a close with French previous mission, David admits the macarons — meringue and almond property was more guy-oriented, powder cookies wedged together but plans are underway to make it more girl- and familywith various fillings — and Griffith’s specialty, handmade friendly. A state-of-the-art catering kitchen and a venue chocolate truffles.

50 LIVING Fall 2013

FORT MCCLELLAN CREDIT UNION Membership in Fort McClellan Credit Union is available for anyone who lives, works or attends school in the following counties: Calhoun, Cleburne, Etowah, Cherokee, St. Clair, Talladega, Clay, Randolph and Chambers.

Apply At A Nearby Fort McClellan Credit Union Office.

Anniston 1731 Noble St. (256) 237-2113

Jacksonville

Roanoke

1204 Church Ave. SE Hwy. 431 N Bypass (256) 435-5741 (334) 863-8902

Ohatchee

Centre

Indian Village (256) 892-7129

500 Cedar Bluff Rd. (256) 927-4203

Your savings federally insured by NCUA to at least $250,000 and backed by the full faith and credit of the US Government

Honey, do the rewards are sweet for backyard beekeepers Story and photographs by DAvID RICkLESS

54 LIVING Fall 2013

Need a little

...or a Lot Firewood

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sAks 256-231-2300 on 431

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Independently Owned and Operated

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www.klbrownmemorychapel.com

www.klbrownfuneralhome.com LIVING Fall 2013

HONEY, DO

e’ll never know exactly when humans began harvesting honey from wild bees. The practice of beekeeping dates back at least to ancient Egypt. Egyptian art depicts efforts to domesticate bees, and honey jars have been found in the tombs of pharaohs. The 19th century saw the development of the movable comb hive, allowing apiarists to collect honey without damaging the colony. Tom Lamb should know a thing or two about the history of beekeeping. He’s an archaeologist by trade, working on cultural resource management. But he also finds time to tend 14 beehives at his home in Oxford, where he has been raising bees for seven years, ever since a work acquaintance helped him start his first hive from a feral swarm. Since then, Lamb’s hobby has grown into a sideline business. His summer harvests yield 60 to 80 gallons of honey per year, which he sells at Martin’s Pharmacy in Oxford and Downey Drug on Highway 202 in Anniston, as well as local farmers’ markets. Lamb will tell you that beekeeping isn’t just about the honey. “I’m more interested in the bees themselves,” he said. “I love watching them grow and do well. It’s like watching a garden grow.” Lamb still collects swarms of bees from the wild, instead of importing them. While the feral bees are not as docile, they are already established in the environment and therefore have a better chance at survival. Although Lamb has a strong, healthy colony, honeybees around

56 LIVING Fall 2013

HONEY, DO

the world have been disappearing at alarming rates in recent years. Dubbed “colony collapse disorder,” this phenomenon has spurred increasingly urgent research. Current thinking points to a variety of factors, including pesticides and natural pathogens, that work together to weaken colonies. Lamb suggested that certain beekeeping practices may be partly to blame. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, about one third of food products depend on crops pollinated by bees. However, since modern industrial agriculture doesn’t leave much room for native insects, bees are often trucked in from across the country to pollinate plants. Constant road trips are stressful for the bees, possibly making them more susceptible to disease. No matter what’s causing the trouble, it’s clear that the world needs more bees. “The savior of the honeybee is going to be the backyard beekeeper, because we’re not stressing the bees the way some commercial pollinators are,” Lamb said. You don’t necessarily have to live in a rural area to be a beekeeper; Anniston recently changed its regulations to allow hives within the city limits. Before buying equipment, though, Lamb recommends finding a mentor and doing some research. When you’re getting started, don’t sweat the sweet stuff. Instead, focus on building a healthy colony, and the honey will come. “Remember that bees are living creatures,” Lamb said. “You have to work with them and help them.”

Backyard beekeeper Tom Lamb keeps 14 hives at his home in Oxford.

To learn more, check out the Alabama Cooperative Extension System’s guide “Backyard Beekeeping,” available as a free download at www.aces.edu.

LIVING Fall 2013

PaRty PiX sudsfest at longleaf Botanical Gardens

Dozens of craft beers were available for sampling at Sudsfest at Longleaf Botanical Gardens. The annual beer festival is a fundraiser for the Berman Museum of World History. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Photos by Bill Wilson

Arron Fagan and Colby Bryant

Peggy Miller-Lacher and Jana Miller

58 LIVING Fall 2013

Nedra Manners, Robert Downing, Nogie King nad David Jones

PaRty PiX Center of Concern celebrity roast

Phil Webb was the honoree at the third annual Celebrity Roast at Classic on Noble, a fundraiser for All Saints Interfaith Center of Concern. — Photos by Shannon Tucker

Phil Webb was the guest of honor.

Phil Webb and Rick Dawson.

HOW TO SUBMIT PHOTOS Email high-resolution photos and a description of your event to Lisa Davis, ldavis@annistonstar.com.

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LIVING Fall 2013

PaRty PiX Cast’s eighth annual Randy awards

Jerry Lane and Kimberley Dobbs

Haley and A.J. Long

CAST (Community Actors’ Studio Theater) held its eighth annual Randy Awards at Classic on Noble. The Tony Awards-style program recognized performers and volunteers. The awards are called “Randys” in memory of CAST founder and playwright Randy Hall. — Photos by Shannon Tucker This year’s winners at CAST’s Randy Awards.

Linda Lee and Dylan Hurst

60 LIVING Fall 2013

The Randy Awards

PaRty PiX Hobson City economic and Community Gala

Board members are recognized.

The Hobson City Community and Economic Development Corp. Gala was held at the Anniston City Meeting Center. The semi-formal event featured dinner, drinks and music by Daybreakk. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Photos by Shannon Tucker

President Eric Stringer thanks Jeh Jeh Pruitt of Fox 6 Sports for being the official DJ.

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PaRty PiX dorcas arts Club scholarship reception

The Dorcas Arts Club held a scholarship reception at the home of Sygrid Beard. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Photos by Shannon Tucker

62 LIVING Fall 2013

PaRty PiX oxford Performing arts Center opening

The Oxford Performing Arts Center celebrated its grand opening with a reception before the inaugural concert featuring Bobby Horton with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. — Photos by Shannon Tucker

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PaRty PiX Berman Vintage Bazaar preview party

The Berman Museum Alliance hosted a preview party for its annual Vintage Bazaar, a fundraiser for the Berman Museum of World History. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Photos by Bill Wilson

LIVING Fall 2013

PARTY PIX Knox Concerts reception

Knox Concerts opened its 2013-14 season with a concert by Michael McDonald, followed by a reception at Noble Bank. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Photos by David Cummings HOW TO SUBMIT PHOTOS Email high-resolution photos and a description of your event to Lisa Davis, ldavis@annistonstar.com.

66 LIVING Fall 2013

PARTY PIX Woof, Wags & Wine

“Woof, Wags & Wine,” a benefit for the League for Animal Welfare, was held at the Victoria Inn Restaurant. The evening featured a four-course dinner from chef Alan Martin, as well as champagne and a live and silent auction. — Photos by Shannon Tucker

LIVING Fall 2013

PaRty PiX american Cancer society summer Gala

The American Cancer Society’s annual summer gala at Anniston Country Club honored cancer survivor Guice Potter. — Photos by Joey D’Anna HOW TO SUBMIT PHOTOS Email high-resolution photos and a description of your event to Lisa Davis, ldavis@annistonstar.com.

68 LIVING Fall 2013

PaRty PiX sacred Heart ladies Guild beach party

The Ladies Guild of Sacred Heart Catholic Church transformed Anniston Country Club into an island paradise for its second annual beach party. — Photos by Shannon Tucker

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LIVING Fall 2013

PaRty PiX sunny King Classic kick-off

A kick-off party for the Sunny King Classic golf tournament at the Anniston Country Club featured live music from the Super T Band from Nashville. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Photos by Shannon Tucker HOW TO SUBMIT PHOTOS Email high-resolution photos and a description of your event to Lisa Davis, ldavis@annistonstar.com.

70 LIVING Fall 2013

SOuThERNISMS

up ThE CREEk ... WITh A pADDlE by HARvEy H. JACkSoN

was a young man in 1972 when I saw the movie based on James Dickey’s novel Deliverance. Not long after that I bought my first canoe. Not long after that I bought my second. I got it cheap from a neighbor who thought he’d become an expert overnight. He flipped it, lost everything that wasn’t tied down (and nothing was tied down), came home and put it out in his front yard with a “For Sale” sign on it. By then I had discovered a simple fact about canoeists: They seldom buy new canoes. They always “buy up” by buying canoes put up for sale by other canoeists who are “buying up.” Reason tells me that someone at the top of this food chain buys new, but my neighbor was the only one I ever met, and I told you what happened to him. I also learned that canoeists never use “canoe” as a verb. They “paddle.” Some canoeists don’t even like to use the word “canoeists.” But I am splitting hairs now. Paddling is pretty good around here. A map of Alabama streams (www.alabamawhitewater.com) shows that most of the whitewater in the state is in our region. For example, there is Little River, which runs through the canyon by the same name and offers stunning scenery and some challenging rapids. For the less experienced paddler there is Terrapin Creek, out from Piedmont. The outdoor center there (www. canoeshop.net) rents gear and offers advice. It is a beautiful stream and a great place to learn to handle simpler rapids. For me, the best thing about paddling these streams

is it gives you a chance to get away from what passes for civilization and see country that few other folks get to see. Just be on your guard and listen well, for rapids can come up on you fast, and woe be to the paddlers who get where they are going before they are ready to be there. REMEMBER, rapids are dangerous, water is powerful, you can get hurt. In the years immediately following the first showing of Deliverance, a lot of people went on rivers when they should have stayed on the bank. While it would probably be wrong to credit James Dickey with the popularity of paddling Southern streams, the coincidence is too great to ignore. And if Dickey is at least in part responsible for getting folks out into canoes, then he is also responsible, in part, for a boost in the regional economy when outdoor centers opened to serve people and groups who want Margaret Poplin to paddle or just float. In addition to being fun, the streams will also remind you of what has been lost. Some of the wildest whitewater in the South is now under the lakes built to generate electricity for people and industries. It was one of those swaps — progress for preservation — that both benefitted and diminished us all. But in Northeast Alabama there are still streams to be enjoyed. And you don’t have to paddle faster if you hear banjo music. Harvey H. (“Hardy”) Jackson is retired Eminent Scholar in History at Jacksonville State University and a columnist and editorial writer for The Anniston Star.

LIVING Fall 2013

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OUR COMMUNITY Benefits

More Than $25 Million In Employee Wages And BeneďŹ ts $27.7 Million In Uncompensated Care Paid In Excess Of $1.2 Million In Taxes OUR PEOPLE t 321 Associates t 174 Physicians on Medical Staff t 16 Volunteers

OUR FACILITY Invested $10.2 Million for facility and service improvements over the past five years These benefits highlight some of the many ways that Stringfellow Memorial Hospital positively impacts our community. Our associates, physicians and hospital volunteers work hard to provide the highest quality care available to our patients. We are proud to have served Northeast Alabama since 1938.

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