Franklin Living May-June 2024

May/June 2024

Vol. 14 Issue No. 3

Rural bliss

Wisconsin family finds country comfort

FLOWER POWER

Brenda Oliver shares her love for arranging beautiful bouquets

DARTMOUTH-BOUND

Russellville student prepares for Ivy League education

David Palmer, District 1; Darren Woodruff, District 2; Gary Cummings, District 3; Dexter Hamilton, District 4; Jamie Harris, District 5; Mayor David R. Grissom

In this edition of Franklin Living, we hope you will learn, laugh, grow and be inspired.

Actually, that’s what we hope with every issue of our bimonthly magazine. We try to share stories of people – everyday, hometown people – who are living their dreams, aspiring to greatness, finding joy in the little things or choosing the road not taken. We bolster that with faith and financial advice, sprinkle in some recommended recipes and titles to try, round it out with news you need from the Extension and upcoming events – and voilà! You have, we hope, a magazine destined to teach, amuse and encourage its readers.

FROM THE MANAGING EDITOR

In this issue, meet a homesteading family that moved to Franklin County from Wisconsin to find rural bliss. We have so many across our county who make their lives and their living from the rich agricultural opportunities here, and we are always pleased when we can highlight a local farming operation or gardening guru. Have a suggestion of a family we should feature in a future issue?

Let us know! In the meantime, we give you the story of the Zaks and their piece of Spruce Pine splendor.

Bringing the outside in is a favorite pastime for Brenda Oliver. Oliver is a retired teacher and longtime member of

Editorial

ALISON JAMES

MARÍA CAMP

Contributors

KATERNIA COLE COFFEY

PHILIP GOAD

EMILY MAYS AMY DOLAN MCCOLLUM

LORI SKINNER Marketing FRED ELLISON Administrative

MORRIS

local groups including the Cultural Garden Club. In this issue she shares her passion and tips for flower arranging, using blooms from her own back yard.

This issue of Franklin Living also turns the spotlight on a star student, preparing to take Russellville’s tradition of excellence all the way to the Ivy League. RHS senior Soraya Fonseca is Dartmouth-bound, and we’re delighted to share her story of overcoming obstacles and pursuing a path to a successful future.

As you sit by the pool, enjoy a quiet evening on your front porch or hit the road for a family vacation, we hope you’ll take Franklin Living along and enjoy all the goodness within its pages

Alison James

15

ON THE COVER: A Spruce Pine homestead has given the Zak family the peaceful, rural life they craved. Find out what keeps them busy on the farm, and their plans for the future, starting on page 15.

What’s Happening

Check out all the upcoming community events!

Check out all the upcoming community events!

Submit community events for future issues of Franklin Living to alison.james@franklincountytimes.com. Requests must be received by the first of the month for consideration for the next edition. All events are subject to change or cancellation.

Submit community events for future issues of Franklin Living to alison.james@franklincountytimes.com. Requests must be received by the first of the month for consideration for the next edition.

Farmers Markets Opening

May and June

Spring Sports Registration

Jan. 1 through Feb. 1

Jan. 29 through March 7

The Red Bay Farmers Market, located at 652 Second St. NE, in the Family Fun Park, opens for the season in May, with sellers present Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday each week from 7 am. to around 1 p.m., through September. The Franklin County Farmers Market, located in the pavilion next to the A.W. Todd Center, 202 Green Ave. SW, in Russellville, opens for the season in June, with sellers Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 6 a.m. to noon., through October. The Phil Campbell market is open Friday and Saturday mornings across from Town Hall, 580 Railroad St. For more information about buying or selling call the Franklin County Extension, 256-332-8880.

The Russellville Parks and Recreation Department will begin spring sports registration with soccer signups Jan. 1 through Feb. 1. Youth soccer is for boys and girls ages 3-12, and cost is $35. Teams will play their games at the soccer fields by the Chucky Mullins Center. Youth softball signup for girls ages 6-12 will begin Jan. 29 and continue through March 7, with a cost of $35. For more information call 256-332-8870, ext. 14.

Commencement Ceremonies

May 23-24

Rockin’ at the Roxy

Jan. 11 and Feb. 8

The second Saturday night of each month at 7 p.m. is the monthly Kerry Gilbert Band concert at the Historic Roxy Theatre in Russellville. The KGB will be joined by a special guest for

Franklin County

Russellville City Schools and Franklin County Schools will host graduation ceremonies May 23-24. All county high schools will hold ceremonies May 23 at 6 p.m., with the exception of Red Bay, which will be at 7 p.m. May 23. Russellville High School’s ceremony will be May 24 at 7:30 p.m. For additional information, contact the respective schools.

Russellville Public Library Summer Reading Program Kickoff

June 14

County Varsity Tournament. Teams will play at Red Bay in this annual competition among county teams.

Russellville Public LIbrary’s summer program, Adventure Begins at Russellville Public Library, will kick off June 14, launching a summer of fun for participants up to age 13. The kick-off event will be held from 2-4 p.m. at the library and include a bouncy house obstacle course, face painting, glitter tattoos and the Russellville Ice Cream Truck. Register May 31 for the kick-off event. The summer program is set to continue each Friday until the July 25 finale, with the exception of July 5. Participants will register Monday each week for the Friday programs June 21-July 25. Visit RPL or the library’s Facebook page for more information.

Scale Back Alabama: Weigh-In Week

Jan. 20-26

The Weigh-In Week for teams participating in Scale Back Alabama will be Jan. 20-26, kicking

first challenge in 2007, Alabamians have lost more than 1 million pounds. For more information, to sign up or to find a local weigh-in site, visit www.scalebackalabama.com.

Phil Campbell Festival

June 21-22

LifeSouth Blood Drives

Jan. 22 and Feb. 1

The GFWC Book Lovers Study Club will be hosting its annual Walk to Wellness March 16. This sixth annual cancer awareness and fundraiser walk will be in honor and memory of Roger and Maudie Bedford, and proceeds will benefit individuals on their journeys to wellness. The event is set for the Russellville High School track. Registration, which is $20 and includes a T-shirt for the first 75 registrants, will begin at 9 a.m. in the Touchdown Club Room at the RHS Field House. The walk will begin at 9:30 a.m.

The LifeSouth bloodmobile will be in Russellville Jan. 22 at IHP and Feb. 1 at Cricket Wireless. The bloodmobile will be at IHP from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and at Cricket Wireless from noon to 7 p.m.

Functional Atheism: A Fool’s Errand

Afool’s errand: A practical joke whereby a naïve person is sent to fetch some nonexistent but plausible-sounding item. Perhaps you’ve heard of sending someone to the auto parts store to buy turn signal fluid. Always funny – unless you are the one shopping for turn signal fluid!

Interestingly enough, the Bible has quite a bit to say about fools and foolish living.

Psalm 14:1 declares, “Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’” While we might be quick to say we are not atheists – meaning that would never be us – we must always be on guard against falling into a dangerous trap.

Psalm 14 can be summarized as follows:

1. Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” (vs. 1)

2. The Lord is looking for wise people, ones who seek Him. (vs. 2)

3. Terror will eventually grip those who are evil. (vs. 5)

4. God is with those who obey Him; the Lord will protect his people! (vs. 6-7)

The psalm paints an either/or picture that should be a no-brainer: Seek God and obey Him or be a fool! But life often gets busy and complicated, to the point that God can be unintentionally relegated to the background. And when that happens,

we run the risk of becoming functional atheists. What is functional atheism? Commentator Eddie Cloer wrote, “Functional atheism, also referred to as indifferent atheism, describes people who rarely think about God and as a result, live as though he doesn’t exist.”

Thankfully, the New Testament clearly warns against the perils of functional atheism. One such warning occurs when Jesus teaches about the foolish builder in Matthew 7:26-27. The foolish builder lives like a storm isn’t coming when he builds his house on a foundation of sand. Then there is the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:13-21: When blessed with a great harvest, he chooses greed and hoarding rather than seizing the opportunity to be rich toward God – and unbeknownst to him, he is going to die on the very night he makes his godless choice.

Both stories reveal the plight of foolish people who share the same core problem: neither of them are prepared!

That’s what happens to us if our lives get so self-centered and busy that we end up living like God doesn’t exist.

Philip Goad has been serving as the minister at North Highlands Church of Christ in Russellville since March 2020.

Just like Mama used to make

Recipes by AMY DOLAN MCCOLLUM

Is there anything better than a familiar favorite from Mama’s kitchen? In honor of Mother’s Day in May, I chose some recipe favorites of my grandmothers and my mom to share. These recipes have also become favorites of my daughters. As long as I can remember, we have had our Pierce family reunion on Mother’s Day in the East Franklin community, and these dishes were definitely on the menu again this year!

SCALLOPED APPLES

Ingredients

• 10 cups sliced peeled tart apples (about 8 medium)

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 2 tablespoons real butter, cubed

Instructions

1. Place apples in a 2 1/2-quart microwavesafe bowl.

2. Combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg; sprinkle over apples and toss to coat.

3. Dot with butter.

4. Cover and microwave on high for 11-12 minutes or until apples are tender, stirring every five minutes.

TASTE OF FRANKLIN

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE PIE

When I prepare these, I double the recipe and top one with chopped pecans and chocolate chips. Not all of my daughters like pecans, but that is my favorite! Don’t have time to make the dough from scratch? You can get a large roll of prepared dough and two prepared pie shells. Divide the cookie dough in half and bake two pies. Busy moms can bake a delicious chocolate chip too!

Ingredients

• 1 9-inch pie crust

• 1/2 cup salted real butter, melted

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, plus a few more for sprinkling on top the pie

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Place pie crust in pie plate and crimp edges as desired. Chill until ready to fill.

3. Add melted butter to a large bowl, followed by both sugars. Stir with a wooden spoon or use a hand mixer until smooth.

4. Mix in egg and vanilla. Then add flour and stir until thick.

5. Add chocolate chips and stir until well mixed.

6. Spread cookie batter into prepared pie crust.

7. Sprinkle with about 1/4 cup addi tional chocolate chips on top.

8. Cover pie with a pie shield and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees, then lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake until the cookie is puffed, no longer glossy on top, and light gol den brown, about 25 minutes.

9. Cool at least to room temperature be fore slicing. This pie slices messy before it’s cooled, but it tastes so good warm or room temperature.

Serving suggestions: Ice cream, chocolate sauce, whipped cream or plain. Store covered at room temperature for up to three days or freeze for up to three months.

TASTE OF FRANKLIN

CLASSIC CHICKEN POT PIE

Shared with me by AnnaBeth Gunderman Pressnell

Ingredients

• 1 box (14.1 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury pie crusts (two count), softened as directed on box.

Filling:

• 1/3 cup butter or margarine

• 1/3 cup chopped onion

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth

• 1/2 cup milk

• 2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken

• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Prepare pie crusts as directed on box for two-crust pie using 9-inch glass pie pan.

3. In a 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.

4. Add onion; cook two minutes, stirring frequently, until tender.

5. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended.

6. Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened.

7. Stir in chicken and mixed vegetables. Remove from heat.

8. Spoon chicken mixture into crust-lined pan.

9. Top with second crust; seal edge and flute.

10. Cut slits in several places in top crust.

11. Bake 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. During last 15-20 minutes of baking, cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning.

12. Let stand five minutes before serving.

NANA CHARLOTTE’S SPAGHETTI BAKE

Borrowed from Paula Deen

Ingredients

• 2 cups canned diced tomatoes

• 2 cups tomato sauce

• 1 cup water

• 1/2 cup diced onion

• 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

• 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

• 2 small bay leaves

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef

• 8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta

• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

• 1 cup grated Monterey jack cheese

• 1 1/2 teaspoons House Seasoning: 1 cup salt, 1/4 cup black pepper, 1/4 cup garlic powder (store in an airtight container for up to six months)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a stockpot, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, seasoning mixtures, sugar and bay leaves.

3. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat and let simmer, covered, for one hour.

4. Crumble the ground beef in a large skillet.

5. Cook over medium-high heat until fully cooked, with no pink color remaining.

6. Drain the fat from the meat, and then add the ground beef to the stockpot.

7. Simmer for 20 more minutes.

8. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

9. Cover the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch pan with sauce.

10. Add a layer of pasta and then a little less than half of each cheese; repeat the layers, ending with the sauce.

11. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

12. Top the casserole with the remaining cheese, return it to the oven, and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about five more minutes.

13. Cut into squares before serving.

FRUIT FLUFF

You can substitute fruit cocktail for the mango if you choose.

Ingredients

• 30-ounce can diced mango; drain juice in a bowl

• 20-ounce can pineapple chunks, drain juice in the same bowl

• 15-ounce can mandarin oranges, drain juice in the same bowl

• 3.9-ounce instant vanilla pudding

• 1 cup chopped pecan pieces (more if you like)

• 8 ounces Cool Whip, thawed in fridge (do not microwave)

• Half bag of mini marshmallows (more if you like)

• Maraschino cherries for color and garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Drain canned fruit (make sure to drain it well!) into a bowl, reserving 3/4 cup of juice. Discard the rest of the juice.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the 3/4 cup of juice and instant vanilla pudding for two minutes. It will be thick.

3. Fold in Cool Whip.

4. Add drained fruit and marshmallows and mix.

5. Cover tightly and chill for at least two hours before serving. It will thicken as it chills.

Making the Most of Summertime

1

As the school year winds down and summer approaches, it’s a great time for parents and educators to focus on sharing valuable financial lessons to children and young adults.

Summertime offers a unique opportunity to engage in practical experiences that can build a strong foundation for financial literacy. Here are some important tactics to consider:

Budgeting Basics: Use the summer break to introduce the concept of budgeting. Encourage children to plan how they will spend their allowance or earnings from summer jobs. Teach them to allocate funds for different purposes, such as savings, entertainment and necessary expenses.

2

Saving for Goals: Encourage children to set specific savings goals, whether it’s for a new gadget, a trip or longterm objectives like college. Help them understand the importance of consistent saving and how small contributions over time can lead to significant results.

3

Earning Opportunities: For older children and teenagers, summer can be a time to explore part-time jobs or entrepreneurial ventures. Encourage them to seek opportunities that align with their interests while emphasizing the value of earning and managing money responsibly.

4 Comparison Shopping: Teach kids the art of comparison shopping. Whether it’s for summer clothes, recreational activities or travel plans, show them how to research prices, evaluate quality and make informed purchasing decisions to get the best value for their money.

5 Financial Goal Setting: Use the summer break to discuss broader financial goals and aspirations. Help children understand the importance of setting realistic goals, creating action plans and staying disciplined in their financial habits.

6 Learning from Experiences: Encourage children to reflect on their financial experiences during the summer. Whether they achieved their savings goals, learned from money mistakes or discovered new ways to be financially savvy, these reflections can reinforce valuable lessons.

7 Practicing Delayed Gratification: Summer often brings temptations to spend impulsively. Use this time to teach the power of delayed gratification. Waiting and saving for something meaningful can enhance appreciation and reduce impulse spending.

Flowerpower

Retired Russellville teacher shares love of flowers, creating arrangements from her own blooms

Story and photos by MARÍA CAMP

For Russellville resident Brenda Oliver, growing, gathering and arranging flowers is more than a simple hobby; it’s a way to relax while doing something she loves.

“I usually keep a fresh bouquet on my kitchen table and one in my dining room,” Oliver said, noting she has also prepared arrangements for friends and family, including for the wedding of one of her children, Laura. “I enjoy decorating for Christmas and other holidays and special occasions,” she added. “My mother always had flowers, and I’ve always enjoyed them.”

Oliver is a member of Russellville’s Cultura Garden Club, which prepares and maintains the hanging baskets downtown as one of its service projects; the GFWC Book Lovers Study Club, in which she serves as president; Russellville First Baptist Church; and the local chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, an organization for retired teachers, wherein she serves as the vice president. With all of this involvement, Oliver gets plenty of opportunities to make use of her skills in constructing colorful arrangements for both service projects and social projects.

“I’ve been over the Christmas decorations at First Baptist Church for probably 40-something years,” she explained, noting she has help now for things that involve a lot of climbing. “I have some really good women that are great decorators that help,” Oliver added.

Longtimelove of flowers

Oliver said her love of gardening began in her youth. Her parents had a big garden and let her have a little back corner – “mostly sandy soil” – to herself. “I was tickled that we got to eat some of my vegetables before theirs were ready,” Oliver explained. “As a child, everybody said I had a green thumb.” She said she still has some of the seeds from plants her mother grew.

When her birthday rolled around each March, there was a wild honeysuckle bush she was especially fond of, and they would go out in the woods to hunt for a bouquet. “It grows wild in the woods,” she added. “It’s very pretty, and it smells good and just makes a good little bouquet.”

throughRelaxingcreating

“It’s a good way to be creative,” Oliver said of making flower arrangements, as she walked around her yard and that of her neighbor, Linda Holcomb, pointing out and gathering clippings of a variety of plants to use for arrangements. “It saves money,” she added, “and lets you add a personal touch. I find it very rewarding and enjoyable.”

Oliver said it’s “refreshing and inspiring” to bring the outdoors inside in this manner, noting it’s a good way to relax and enjoy working with her hands while creating beautiful arrangements. “I have a flower container in the shape of a bassinet that people like to borrow for baby showers,” she said, adding she’s always on the lookout for flowers and ideas

about how to present them. She said she doesn’t have any special favorite flowers, instead enjoying whatever is growing at the time.

“I love working with flowers,” Oliver said, “and it doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s surprising what you can put together with even just a few minutes. I really enjoy it, and I think it’s a great way to connect with nature and use your creativity. I’d recommend anyone try it. They just might find a new hobby.”

Oliver’s tips for flower arranging

• Start with a piece of greenery, like aucuba japonica or magnolia.

• If mak ing arrangements for an event, some pieces may need to be added the last day if they don’t last as long as the

other greenery and flowers being used. Magnolia can turn brown pretty fast, Oliver noted, so it’s good to wait and pick that on the day of the event. Aucuba japonica lasts longer.

• Look around for something with shiny leaves or pretty colors. Knockout roses provide bright color but don’t last a long time.

• Use what’s available. If it’s the right time of the year, consider a dogwood limb. In fall, options include pine and berries.

• Consider using a “frog” – a special device that has holes in it and is placed in a vase to help hold the stems of arrangements at certain angles.

• If there’s something special you want, buy it to add if desired, but focus on using what’s readily available without making new purchases. Hydrangeas are a colorful option Oliver recommends.

• Be on the lookout for flowers to consider. Oliver recalled an instance when she found some growing at a dollar store that allowed her to cut off a couple.

Other interests

Oliver also enjoys cooking “just about everything. “Everybody loves my caramel cake,” she said, noting she learned to make the caramel icing from a program the Colbert County Extension held. “I made up a recipe for strawberry cake, and everybody loves that, too. I also learned how to make peanut brittle, and I had to keep it made

for my dad to carry to work with him. They loved that peanut brittle. Later, I made about a hundred rolls for Christmas each year, to take to my mother’s house and to my in-laws.”

Bygone days

A member of the Russellville High School Class of 1965, Oliver graduated from the University of North Alabama, then called Florence State Teachers College.

When Oliver was little, her family lived in Russellville, and she attended a school called Pleasant Ridge, which is no longer standing, near Tharptown, where her mother worked in the cafeteria, cooking for the whole school. The school consisted of two rooms, one for first through fifth grades and the other for sixth through ninth grades.

Her family moved into a house in Muscle Shoals so her father could be closer to his work. He, along with her uncle and a couple of others, built the home. She mostly attended school in Sheffield through the 10th grade – the first place she had the opportunity to go to a library.

“Oh, I thought that was the greatest thing I’d ever seen in my life,” Oliver recalled as she talked about her love of reading.

A retired first-grade teacher from Russellville City Schools, she taught school 41 years. One year, she started and ran a garden club for the whole first grade. “I taught the children all about the wildflowers we were growing and about how to paint with tempera paint to make pictures of the flowers,” Oliver said. “They learned so much about plants, and it was just really reinteresting to them. Each student made a little terrarium inside a two-liter bottle.”

Although the club didn’t continue after that year, Oliver said the enthusiasm the students had for the project is something she will never forget. “We had a little garden outside the room,” she added. “I sent pictures in to the state garden club. The kids loved all that. They loved it a lot. The other teachers did activities with their students, too. We had a good time with it.”

She is married to Troy Oliver, from Belgreen, and they are now celebrating 58 years of marriage. They met while ri-

ding the strip in downtown Russellville one weekend. “That’s how you met each other back then if you were from other places,” she explained. “I just happened to be on a date with a different boy, and we pulled in where Big Star is now (then A&P) to turn around, and there Troy was. I didn’t know him at all, and he found out who I was and started calling me and asking for a date. He was a senior in college, and I was a senior in high school.”

They married about a week before he deployed to Vietnam. While on time off, they got to spend a week in Hawaii. “At that time, the government paid for wives,” she explained. “You could go on standby. I had never ridden a plane before that. While there, we rented a red Corvette and rode all over the island in it. We had a good time.” They later made a second trip to Hawaii. Among her notable memories of that trip are a visit to the U.S.S. Arizona memorial. On another trip, they visited Puerto Rico.

In addition to their daughter, Laura Beth Oliver Agee, they also have a son, Jonathan Oliver, and an older daughter, Sharon Benfield.

Rural bliss

From Wisconsin to Spruce Pine: Living the farm life at SiSu Homestead

Story and photos by MARÍA CAMP

One April afternoon, Melissa Zak reflected on the story of her family leaving Wisconsin in 2020 and moving to Alabama to begin a new life. Their Franklin farm is home to, among other animals, piglets and goslings as well as baby ducks and chicks. A turkey roams the back porch.

“We went on vacation to visit some friends in Montgomery in March 2020,” Zak explained. “The weather down here was very, very nice, and all the people were very friendly. We really enjoyed the landscape, and the cost of living was much less than it was in Wisconsin.” Zak said she and her husband Daniel, and their younger daughter Scarlet, 13, found all the things they were looking for in Alabama – “better weather, better cost of living and how pretty and peaceful it is.”

They landed in Franklin County after a search for available properties. “This was right before the big housing mar-

ket boom,” Zak said. “It got to the point where we couldn’t get here fast enough to check out properties before they were selling, and so we just started making offers sight unseen, from photos off of Zillow.”

She said they were looking for a property with “some acreage that wasn’t too far from sort of city.” In addition to being in a new state, the move brought other changes for the family. They had lived in cities all their lives but were looking for a new way forward. “We’ve always had friends and family who lived more rurally,” she explained, “and my husband and I had a goal of living out in the country. I have an aunt and uncle who have a farm, and I spent a lot of time there, but this was very new for us.”

Zak said they like being more self-sufficient and knowing where their food is coming from, as well as being able to enjoy their animals, watching them thrive. “It’s a more peaceful lifestyle for us,” she

added. “In most ways, it’s a much slower pace than busy city life. You’re not hearing traffic and other sounds, and it’s definitely much safer.”

In Wisconsin, Zak managed restaurants, and her husband owned a sporting goods store and website. “We still do our sporting goods website,” she said, “but we no longer have a physical storefront for it.”

She said she has moved “quite a few times” during her life, but she and her husband are both from the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, area. They met when she was 17 and he was 21. This summer, they will have been married for 24 years. Their older daughter, Amanda Zak, still lives in Wisconsin.

House pets include dogs, cats, ferrets, a Russian tortoise and a bearded dragon. Farm animals include rabbits, pigs, turkeys, geese, ducks and chicken. Future plans include sheep, goats or both. They mostly grow vegetables and fruits, inclu-

It’s challenging, but that comes with the territory. Instead of being afraid of what we don’t know, we can sink our heads and hands into it and gain knowledge and go from there.

ding blackberries, blueberries, elderberries, figs, tomatoes, peppers, squash and zucchini.

“We make tea with the elderberry flowers,” she explained, “and we make syrup and use dried elderberries. I sell cuttings and rooted plants for them as well. We sell eggs for eating and for hatching. Pretty much, we have a little

bit of everything.” Plans for the future include making their garden bigger so they can grow more produce.

Among the animals, Zak said some of her favorites are the geese and the turkeys “because they have very unique personalities and they’re all very friendly.”

Among their plants, she especially enjoys growing loofahs, which are often used

for shower sponges. “They’re really fun to grow and process,” she noted.

Scarlet said while she likes “all of it” about living on a farm, she especially likes the birds, sometimes raising them in her room. “They’re so fun,” she added. “They’re really cute and pretty and interesting. I get to interact with them a lot, especially the turkeys – they will follow you around and cuddle you. Outside, the animals follow you around and want food.”

Melissa said they didn’t have “a ton of space” in Wisconsin, noting that’s a change she especially likes in Alabama.

Daniel said their Alabama lives are “a big contrast” to Wisconsi; going from li-

ving the city life to living on the outskirts, “off the beaten path,” provides them a lot more opportunities for self-sufficiency. He said the turkeys are his favorite of the animals. “They are beautiful and cool to see,” he explained, “but the Muskogees (ducks) have definitely grown on me. My wife brought them in. Each one has unique characteristics, and they have interesting habits.”

He said the family enjoys living in a community and in a way where they can learn from others and help spread knowledge. “We enjoy working together and living here,” he said. “We share the goals of caring for the animals, caring for ourselves and taking care of the land.”

His favorites among the crops include zucchini and squash, which he said he loves with onions, caramelized in the skillet. He also enjoys “good beef and lots of other things.”

“I feel pretty confident about how things have gone so far,” he added. “There’s always something to do, and we’re always looking for ways to be more efficient and to expand, but I feel good about what we’re doing. It’s challenging, but that comes with the territory. Instead of being afraid of what we don’t know, we can sink our heads and hands into it and gain knowledge and go from there.”

Daniel said challenges include land management, planning expansion, food

storage and proper care and safety of the animals. “We have that responsibility to ensure they get the best chance at life,” he said.

“It’s just beautiful here, and we love every day,” he added. “It’s peaceful, very relaxing – a refreshing change from the vehicle noise and pollution of cities.”

For more information about SiSu Homestead, located at 426 McNatt Road in Spruce Pine, visit their Facebook page, send a text to 920-342-3915 or email homesteadsisu@gmail.com. They hold monthly shop/swap/sell events, free to the public. Vendor fees may apply. The next event is scheduled for May 18 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

PROPOSED PAGE-TURNERS

Looking for a good read to while away the final days of spring? Northwest Shoals Community College library director Lori Skinner has these titles to recommend:

“Wrecker”

By Carl Hiaasen

The titular teenage character in this young adult novel calls himself Wrecker because his ancestor salvaged shipwrecks for a living. Does that mean destiny is playing a role when he discovers a speedboat that has run aground on a sand flat? Who knows, but Wrecker is definitely drawn into a multilayered mystery that spirals out of control as he attempts to finish school via Zoom while avoiding pooping iguanas, graver robbers and the guys from the boat. Filled with Hiaasen’s trademark tropical feel and Key West history, this is a fun choice to kick off summer.

“Sociopath: A Memoir”

B y Patric Gagne

“Sociopath: A Memoir” by Patric Gagne, Ph.D., has been highly anticipated as a fascinatingly unique memoir that reveals the author’s struggle to understand her own sociopath disorder and strive to lead a fulfilled life. At a young age, Dr. Gagne understood that there was something about her that caused others to react in a way she didn’t understand. She suspected that it had to do with how she felt – nothing. After receiving her diagnosis in college, she finds hope when she discovers that if she is capable of love, she must be able to challenge the view of sociopaths as monsters.

“Just for the Summer”

By Abby Jimenez

If you are looking for a witty, slow-burn rom-com, be sure to check out “Just for the Summer” by Abby Jimenez. This Good Morning America Book Club Pick has two main characters with the same problem: When they date, and break up, with someone, their ex goes on to find their soul mate in the very next person they date. When Emma and Justin discover that each other has the same problem, they decide their curses will cancel each other’s out. So, they decide to date each other over the summer and break up so they can discover their own soul mates. However, they each begin to catch feeling when real life intrudes over the course of the summer.

“How to Solve Your Own Murder”

By Kristen Perrin

For fans of “Knives Out” and “The Thursday Murder Club,” Kristen Perrin’s “How to Solve Your Own Murder” is a great choice for an engaging read. In 1965 Frances Adams is at a fair in the English countryside when a fortune-teller predicts that one day Frances will be murdered. Frances spends her whole life trying to solve her future murder by compiling a dossier on every person who crosses her path. When she is murdered nearly 60 years later, her niece Annie arrives to the reading of her will and gets drawn into the mystery of her aunt’s death. As she discovers everyone has a motive to kill Aunt Frances, she finds herself closer to inheriting her aunt’s fate instead of her fortune.

“The

Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War”

By Erik Larson

Erik Larson returns with another highly anticipated book. Larson offers a gripping account of the time period between Lincoln’s election and the shelling of Fort Sumter. Drawing on diaries, secret communications, slave ledgers and plantation records, this account focuses on Major Robert Anderson, Edmund Ruffin, Mary Boykin Chesnut, President Abraham Lincoln and William Seward. Described as a political horror story, Larson reminds us “we often don’t see a cataclysm coming until it’s too late.”

Lori Skinner is the head librarian for Northwest Shoals Community College. She can be contacted at 256-331-6288 or lori.skinner@nwscc.edu. NW-SCC Libraries are open to the public and look forward to serving your library needs. The library now has an app, Librista, available on android and Apple devices.

DARTMOUTH-BOUND

National scholarship propels one Russellville student into Ivy League

Story and photos by MARÍA CAMP

Russellville High School senior Soraya Fonseca has big dreams for her future, and she took it upon herself to find a method to help her pave the way more easily.

Thanks to QuestBridge, a national nonprofit based in California that connects high-achieving low-income youth with cooperating leading colleges, she has been matched to Dartmouth and will begin attending college there this fall.

Path to college

Fonseca explained she learned about the program last year from an applicant who was ultimately rejected. She decided to “just give it a shot” and applied. “While I learned about the program from someone else, I did my own research,” she said. She began the process as a junior. They invited her to the national conference in Emory, where she attended camps and participated in intensive writing exercises to help prepare

her for the next step: applying for the scholarship and seeking a match.

“It’s a really long process,” Fonseca explained. “The junior program is only supposed to help you apply as a senior. They let you rank up to 15 schools, and from there, you do all the supplementals – essays, interviews, whatever else is required. Ultimately, I was matched to my No. 1 choice, Dartmouth.”

Her plans right now include studying chemistry and then going into the

pharmaceutical industry and doing medical research, specifically with regard to cancer treatment. “I want to go into medical research because there’s a lot of things that are really unknown right now,” Fonseca explained, “and I want to be an interactive part in change through pursuing this. My ultimate goal is to help people.”

She’s been talking to professors at Dartmouth already and got to make a visit there last summer. “QuestBridge

equips you to have the opportunity to go to college with fly-ins, and you apply for highly competitive programs,” she continued, explaining this allowed her to visit seven schools. “QuestBridge accepts something like fewer than a hundred kids from all over the country to fly out. They flew me out to schools including Dartmouth, Washington University, Williams, Case Western and Emory. There’s a lot of great programs and resources for low-income students that I had never heard of.”

As part of the process, she applied for a college advisor, a former QuestBridge recipient currently attending Emory. “She was really the person guiding me behind the scenes,” Fonseca added, “helping me prepare for interviews and prepare essays. She would read my essays and give me feedback. Having that support from someone who knows the college application format was really helpful.”

Through participating in the program, Fonseca got to meet students from all over the country who she describes as being “just as dedicated to their education” as she is. “I got to meet kids who have similar ideas, similar goals and who were just lacking the income,” she added.

“At the fly-ins, they have admissions panels, financial aid panels and writing practices for the essays – a really big part of senior application season.”

Fonseca said the process helped “round her out” as an applicant, which never would have happened had she not been accepted as a QuestBridge scholar. “It’s encouraging to meet other students in similar situations.

“I’ve found my community. Going to the colleges, I felt recognized, and I saw the diversity, the breadth of ideas, all of the people who are just genuinely curious and determined to get where they want.”

Fonseca said it’s “really encouraging,” not only for herself, but also for future generations. “I’ve met many incredible people through this process, and we are keeping up with each other. For those that don’t get a match through the program – around 80 percent – they can apply for regular decisions on admission through the QuestBridge process. This year, 75 people matched to Dartmouth, including me. Right now, it hardly feels real that I’m actually going to be able to go to college there because schools like that feel very out of reach to someone

like me. It’s rewarding and a relief that all of this hard work is finally paying off.”

Fonseca said that out of around 40,000 students, 2,000 are accepted, and they are then matched across 50 schools. “It’s a full ride,” she added. “They pay for transportation costs, fees, supplies, books – everything.”

Why Dartmouth?

Fonseca explained Dartmouth was her No. 1 choice because it “reminds me of home.”

“Dartmouth is a really small campus with a really small student body. When I stepped off the bus last summer, it just made me feel comfortable and made me feel at home,” she said. “They also have really incredible resources for low-income students, as well as incredible research opportunities. I want to be on the front lines of medical research, and Dartmouth will get me there. One of the main goals for me is to work with children, and there are professors there working in childhood cancer research.”

Upward Bound students at NWSCC,” said Sherry Campbell, program manager. “Her success is a testament to her hard work and perseverance, and we are incredibly proud to have been a part of her journey.”

At RHS, Fonseca is the president of the chemistry club, as well as a Golden Tiger Bigs participant – a program of Big Brothers Big Sisters through which she mentors her “little,” a student at Russellville Middle School. “I get to help her with homework and play games on a weekly basis,” she explained. “The program is specifically to help underserved, underprivileged children in the community

of Soraya. She has worked extremely hard, and that commitment is paying off for her.”

One of Fonseca’s RHS teachers, Susan DeArman, agreed, adding, “I’m really proud of Soraya. With the QuestBridge program, it’s all on the student to fill out the application, get it all sent in and do the follow-up when they get an email back about opportunities. She was in one of my advanced placement language courses, and she also participated in Scholars Bowl for a couple of years. Soraya is very passionate and committed. She has a lot of big dreams for the future. The sky’s the limit for her.”

I’ve found my community. Going to the colleges, I felt recognized, and I saw the diversity, the breadth of ideas, all of the people who are just genuinely curious and determined to get where they want.

‘She’s going to be a world changer’

Fonseca said a year ago, she was uncertain about her future because she didn’t yet know if she would be able to find a way to afford college. “My family didn’t have that money, and what’s really inspired me to make it to this point is the push my parents have always given me to go to college, expand my education and to do the things I want to do and be the person I want to be,” she said. “You have to be a finalist to even apply to the schools, and there are really slim chances to even get to this point.”

Fonseca is a dual enrollment student and active participant in the Upward Bound project on the Phil Campbell campus of Northwest Shoals Community College.

“Soraya embodies the values of excellence, dedication and community service that we strive to instill in all our

through matching them with a mentor to help with school and their homework because they might not be getting that support at home. We get to talk about school and friends and what’s going on.”

Fonseca said she “really resonates” with the purpose behind the Golden Tiger Bigs program because it helps children who come from backgrounds similar to hers. “It’s incredibly rewarding,” she added. “I love being able to help children who might feel lost or out of place and are struggling in school. It reminds me of how much I want to help people and how much that’s my ultimate goal.”

In addition, she is the vice president of the Alabama branch or an organization called Ask Us Another, a virtual tutoring program formed in California about five years ago. Fonseca said she facilitates matching tutors to students across Alabama. “The program is now in 12 states,” she added. “It was started by high school students.”

RHS principal Dr. Jeremy Madden said Fonseca serves as a positive role model for other students. “We are very proud

DeArmann describes Fonseca as “very conscientious,” as well as “dedicated and driven,” noting she’s “always got all of her assignments completed, usually early, and then wants to know how she can improve on them.”

Another of Fonseca’s RHS teachers, Stephanie Mayfield, said Fonseca’s work ethic sets her apart. “I had the opportunity to have her during the summer session for a Spanish class she chose to do on her own time because she’s such a self-starter and a go-getter,” Mayfield said. “When you meet her, she is not one to brag on herself, but she’s got a thirst for knowledge, and she’s going to be a world-changer. She’s amazing.”

Beyond college pursuits

What about after college? “Since I’m going to be in New Hampshire, I think I would like to live somewhere up north similar to that,” Fonseca said, “and maybe one day I could be a professor at Dartmouth. Out of the 10 schools I ranked, this was my top pick, and I definitely love that school.”

The scholarship includes a travel allowance to go home twice each semester.

“I’m so proud,” said Fonseca’s mother, Antlnia Fonseca. “I was surprised and really excited. I have to say thank you to all the people that helped Soraya get to this point.”

Talk to your loved ones about their stroke risk, and remember: If you observe these symptoms, BE FAST and call 9-1-1. You choices matter. Choose Well.

To learn more about your risk for stroke, take our online Stroke Health Risk Assessment at www.NAMCCares.com/stroke-center

FACES OF FRANKLIN COUNTY

Performers prepare to take the stage for Russellville High School’s performance of “The Wizard of Oz.”

Hannah Waldrep, Keira Cruse, Daimar Valdez and Maria Gonzalez

Audrey Oliver, Haley Rogers, Ebony West, Aaron Freemon, Journey Cummings and Emmy Green

Jennifer Pham and Elizabeth Shremshock

Kaitlin Speck and Ella Green

Northwest Shoals Community College holds at Forward with Fortitude Mental Health Fair on the Phil Campbell campus in April.

Photos by MARÍA CAMP

Alexis Stewart with her toy poodle, Cherry, and Erica Malone

Grace Beard shows off her pygmy goat Pudding

Brent Gonzalez

Jonah Walker and Kayla Cummingss

FROM THE EXTENSION

CREEPY CRAWLIES

Roll out the welcome mat for these

Top 10 Most Wanted

Did you know? Most insects found in your garden don’t harm plants. In fact, 97 percent of the insets you see fall into this category. Such insects are called beneficials because they benefit the garden by pollinating plants, improving soil and eating the pests that really do harm plants.

These hardworking beneficials can be a gardener’s best friend. In no particular order, here are the Top 10 Most Wanted in your garden:

1 | SPIDER

• ALIASES: Orb weaver, crab spider, wolf spider

• WANTED FOR: Trapping and bugnapping a variety of insect pests

• FAMILY HISTORY: The deadliest natural enemy of pests, spiders are skilled predators. They use webs to trap their victim or track them on the ground and on plants. Spiders can be identified as arachnids, with eight legs and two body parts.

• SIGHTINGS: All over the garden and on porches near lights.

• WARNING: Spiders are thought of as fearsome creepy-crawlers, but very

few have a bite that is harmful. Always wear gloves when cleaning garages, debris, woodpiles, storage areas or piles of clutter.

2 | TACHINID FLY

• ALIASES: Feather-legged fly

• WANTED FOR: Attacking unsuspecting caterpillars and beetles

• FAMILY HISTORY: Disguised as a hair housefly, this parasitic insect lays its eggs on caterpillars, grubs and other insects. When the eggs hatch, the larvae tunnel into their victims and eat them.

• SIGHTINGS: Adults are often seen stealing the nectar and pollen of tansy, milkweed and Queen Anne’s lace.

3 | LADYBEETLE

• ALIASES: Ladybug, ladybird beetle

• WANTED FOR: Gorging on soft-

bodied insects such as aphids, scales, thrips, mealybugs and spider mites

• FAMILY HISTORY: Adults and larvae eat large numbers of pests. One ladybug can devour 5,000 aphids in its lifetime. The most common suspect is red with black spots, but watch for many other species in a variety of colors, with or without spots.

• SIGHTINGS: Known to loiter on nectar-rich flowers such as yarrow, clover and tansy.

• WARNING: Be on the lookout for the ladybug lookalike: the spotted cucumber beetle. This green beetle with black spots feeds on crops and foliage.

4 | BEE

• ALIASES: Honeybee, bulmblebee, digger bee

• WANTED FOR: Pollinating the flowers of many ornamental, fruit and vegetable plants

• FAMILY HISTORY: Specially equipped for moving large quantities of nectar and pollen, honeybees living in colonies

in hives. Most native bees are masters at eluding notice and often live alone in ground nests.

• SIGHTINGS: Usually seen in gangs in the vicinity of flowers high in nectar and pollen, including asters, sunflowers, mints, lavender, rosemary and sages.

5 | GROUND BEETLE

• ALIASES: Fiery hunter, snail eater, carabid

• WANTED FOR: Conspiring to eat many soil-dwelling pests such as slugs, snails, cutworms and root maggots

• FAMILY HISTORY: Fast-moving predator, armed with strong jaws. Generally dark brown or black with long legs and shiny hard front wing covers that sometimes have a metallic sheen. Usually hunts at night. Reported to be able to consume its body weight in food each day. Larvae also feed on soil insects.

• SIGHTINGS: Usually sighted hiding in soil or under rocks, dried leaves and mulch.

6 | SYRPHID FLY

• ALIASES: Hover fly, flower fly

• WANTED FOR: Hunting down

aphids, mealybugs and other pests and for pollinating plants

• FAMILY HISTORY: Adults are known to be important pollinators. The larvae suck the juices out of the insect victims. A single larvae can consume hundreds of victims per month.

• SIGHTINGS: Larvae are usually found under leaves in the company of aphids. Adults can be seen lurking around sunflowers, feverfew and other nectar-rich flowers.

• WARNING: This fly is a master of disguise. With their yellow and black stripes, the adults appear to be bees, but they have only one set of wings and can’t sting. The larvae look like fat, legless caterpillars.

7 | PARASITIC WASP

• ALIASES: Fairy fly, chalcid

• WANTED FOR: Parasitizing the eggs and larvae of cutworms, cabbage loopers, codling moths and tomato hornworms, as well as all stages of aphids, whiteflies, scales and other pests

• FAMILY HISTORY: These tiny, notorious wasps lay their eggs on or inside of pests or insec t eggs, and the larvae eat the pest. Can be tracked by the tell-tale signs they leave behind, such as tiny, white cocoons on caterpillars or aphid mummies – the tan, dried-up husks of aphids stuck to a leaf.

• SIGHTINGS: Suspected of foraging for nectar on tiny flowers such as alyssum, yarrow, tansy and clover.

8 | SOLDIER BEETLE

• ALIASES: Leatherwing, cantharid

• WANTED FOR: Attacking and feeding on aphids and other soft-bodied insects

• FAMILY HISTORY: Adults feed on pollen and insect pests on plants. The larvae, or young, hunt for pests in leaf litter and soil.

• SIGHTINGS: Known to feed on the pollen of flowers such as goldenrod and milkweed while waiting for its prey. Reports of sightings begin in early spring, shortly after aphids begin hatching.

9 | GREEN LACEWING

• ALIASES: Aphid lion, walking trashpile

• WANTED FOR: Aggressively devouring aphids, thrips, mealybugs, scales, spider mites, leafhoppers and insect eggs

• FAMILY HISTORY: Adult green lacewings feed on nectar, pollen and honeydew at dawn and dusk. Juveniles are voracious predators known to eat up to 20-30 aphids a day.

• SIGHTINGS: Last seen around nectar-producing plants such a sunflowers, tansy and buckwheat.

10 | DRAGONFLY

• ALIASES: Skimmer, darner, clubtail

• WANTED FOR: Preying on unsuspecting flying insects such as mosquitoes, flies and midges

• FAMILY HISTORY: A deadly predator, able to catch prey in mid-air. Dargonfly larvae live in water and are efficient hunters, eating mosquito larvae and other insects, snails and small fish.

• KNOWN ACCOMPLICES: Often seen in the company of its relative the damselfly, another insect predator. Don’t be fooled; when at rest, dragonflies hold their wings outstretched, while damselflies fold their wings closed over their bodies.

• SIGHTINGS: Last seen near garden ponds, streams and other bodies of water.