Horses&healing September/October 2022 Vol. 15 Issue No. 5 Serenity Saviors Equine Rescue reaches humans and horses KIM CLONTS | FALL RECIPES | CRESCENT MOON ACRES FARMING IN PHIL CAMPBELL Crescent Moon Acres embraces peaceful farm life CAPTIVATIONCORNHOLE Russellville family travels nation playing lawn game competitively
Features
family provides a haven for horses and humans alike. Equine therapy has made a difference for them personally, and it’s a model they want to share.
FROM THE MANAGING
H
ey there, Franklin County. We’re back with another stellar maga zine full of content you’re not going to want to miss.
Capalla’s Wildfire and Breezy aren’t the only horses featured in this issue. You’ll also meet the horses of Serenity Saviors Equine Rescue, where the Bornscheuer
EDITOR
3Franklin living SOMMERSHELLEYHEATHALISONEditorialJAMESMARÍACAMPContributorsPHILIPGOADGRIMESEMILYMAYSMarketingOZBIRNAdministrativeMORRIS Franklin Living is published bi-monthly by the Franklin County Times. Copyright 2022 by TN Valley Media Inc. P.O. Box 1088 Russellville, AL www.franklincountytimes.comfax:256-332-188135653256-332-1883 ON THE COVER: Serenity Saviors Equine Rescue is helping both horses and humans live healthier, happier lives. Get all the details starting on page 18.
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In this edition you will also meet the Fretwells. Amber and Shane are cham pion cornhole players, and their share their love of the game. They have trave led with their sons across the nation for thisAspastime.ifallthat wasn’t enough, we also have fall recipes from Amy McCollum, fi nancial and faith advice from Emily Mays and Philip Goad, a special word of thanks from Superintendent Dr. Heath Grimes and a Q&A with Russellville City Schools road president Kim Clonts.
It’s all inside.
Alison James
4 What’s Happening 5 Money Matters 6 Taste of Franklin 9 Faith Focus 10 View from Crescent Moon Acres 13 Cornhole captivation 18 Horses and healing 21 Education Corner 22 From the Extension 24 Faces of Franklin County 26 Why I Love Franklin County
For this edition we went down on the farm with Tanya Capalla at Crescent Moon Acres in Phil Campbell. Capalla and her son Blake have a lot going on throughout their 22 acres. From lives tock – including goats, rabbits, horses and fowl – to crops, including tomatoes, berries, zucchini and more, Crescent Moon Acres is abundant with all the goodness farm life can offer. We love get ting to spot light the different agricultu ral operations across Franklin County.
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 each show. Doors open at 6 p.m. Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children 6-12 and free for children younger than 6.
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.
Spruce Pine Day
Spirit of Hodges Festival
Oct. 29
competitionthisatTeamsTournament.willplayRedBayinannualamong
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.
Jan. 20-26 The participatingWeekWeigh-Inforteamsin
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.
will be at IHP from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and at Cricket Wireless from noon to 7 p.m. For more information visit www.lifesouth.org. For additional questions about appointments, eligibility and more call 1-888-795-
What’s Happening
Rockin’14.
At Red Bay Founders Day, festival-goers can enjoy the King and Queen’s Train Ride, live music, contests, prizes, vendors, a 5K and car/truck/motorcycle show and more. The festival will be held downtown from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., based at Bay Tree Park. The Red Bay Museum will be open for tours, and downtown businesses will offer sales and specials. Admission is free. For more information call City Hall at 256-356-4473.
Oct. 8
county teams.
Check out all the upcoming community events!
Pumpkin Palooza
Scale
Rockin’ at the Roxy
Live music will entertain while visitors shop the vendors, and there will be activities and fun for all ages at the Spirit of Hodges Festival, set for Oct. 8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Town Park. Admission is free, and other proceeds support the Hodges Fire and Rescue Department. For more information call Town Hall at 205-935-3445.
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 each show. Doors open at 6 p.m. Cost is $15 for adults, $5 for child ren 6-12 and free for child ren younger than 6.
Back Alabama will be Jan. 20-26, kicking off the two and a half month program. SBA is a free firstdoinghealthyAlabamianstocampaignweight-lossstatewidedesignedencouragetogetandhavefunit.Sincethechallengein2007,
Check out all the upcoming community events!
Sept. 10, Oct. 8
Jan. 11 and Feb. 8
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Scale Back Alabama: Weigh-In Week
Spruce Pine Day re turns Oct. 15 in down town Spruce Pine. The festival, which began in 1999, offers commu nity fun and fellowship for all ages, including live music and ven dors. Admission is free. For more information call 256-383-2445.
Oct. 15
Jan. 22 and Feb. 1 The Wireless.1IHPJan.RussellvillewillbloodmobileLifeSouthbein22atandFeb.atCricketThebloodmobile
The Franklin County Chamber of Commerce hosts the family-frien dly Pumpkin Palooza in downtown Russell ville the last Saturday of October. Festivities include trunk-or-trea ting, vendors, costume contest and more. Admission is free. For more information call 256-332-1760 or chamber.org.info@franklincountyemail
Red Bay Founders Day Festival
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. at the Roxy
LifeSouth Blood Drives
Feb.signupsregistrationbeginDepartmentParksTheJan.Jan.RegistrationSportsSpring1throughFeb.129throughMarch7RussellvilleandRecreationwillspringsportswithsoccerJan.1through1.Youthsoccerisfor
Sept. 24
Your credit report does not include information about your ma rital status, income, bank account balance or level of education. Your credit report could, however, include your spouse’s name if it is re ported by a creditor.
Your credit score is a three-digit number calculated based on what the information in your credit report – basically, summing up your history of borrowing and paying back money.
If you co-sign for anyone on a loan or credit card, it reports on both of you – regardless of who is actually responsible for the debt. Having this joint debt will also affect your debt-to-income ratio when you go to apply for a loan. Be sure to keep that in mind before you sign with anyone. You are both equally liable for the debt.
4. Types of credit: You want a healthy mix of accounts.
5. History of searching for credit: Excessively shopping for credit can impact your score negatively.
1. Payment history: This is a big one! It takes into account whether you paid your bills on time.
There are three credit reporting agencies, or credit bureaus, in the United States: Experian, Equifax and Transunion. Each reporting agency compiles your credit information from various reporting sources, like banks and credit cards, into a credit report.
2. Credit utilization: This is a measure of how much debt you have.
edit scores and credit reports – two different things, but what’s the dif ference?
Credit reports versus credit scores
3. Length of credit history: The longer you have had credit, the better.
Cr
Your credit score is based on five primary factors:
Your credit report has informa tion about your credit activity, cur rent credit situation and historical credit information. It has all the infor mation on your loan paying history and status of your credit accounts. It also includes other information re ported to the credit bureaus, such as current and former addresses, your employer, inquiries, collection records and public records.
Monitoring your credit report and your credit score is essential for detecting identity theft and fraud. Learning more about the basics of your credit report and credit score helps you keep control of your financial situation.
Emily Mays is vice president/chief administrative officer at Community Spirit Bank in Red Bay, working in finance for 15 years. She is an enthusiastic social media marketer, financial literacy advocate and go-local supporter.
5Franklin living MONEY MATTERS
Your credit score is also affected by accounts you have jointly, but there are not joint credit scores.
Recipes and photos by AMY DOLAN MCCOLLUM
TASTE OF FRANKLIN
FLAVORSOFFALL
Ingredients
• 1 cup sugar
4. •Immediately pour over popcorn and stir until evenly coated.
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
4. Stir in baking soda. Mixture will foam up.
6. Cool well. Store in covered container.
POPCORN BALLS
• 7 small Granny Smith apples, about 2 1/4 •pounds15oz.caramels, such as Werther’s – chewy, not soft, or Kraft
1. Keep popcorn warm in a roasting pan in a 150-degree oven.
Ingredients
In memory of Grandma Peggy Wells
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1. Rinse and thoroughly dry apples with a paper towel.
5. Pour hot syrup over popcorn, stirring while pouring.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Franklin living
• 6 quarts popped popcorn
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
nutes. Alternatively, the caramel mixture can be melted on the stovetop in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1. Place popcorn in a large baking pan. Keep warm in a 200-degree oven.
Instructions
• 1/2 cup molasses
• Topping options: Crushed Oreos, chopped candy bars such as Butterfingers, chopped nuts such as peanuts or pecans, crushed graham crackers and cinnamon, mini M&Ms, sprinkles, shredded coconut, crushed pret zels, marshmallow bits, melted chocolate, etc.
3. Line a 13-by-9-inch baking sheet or ba king dish with a sheet of parchment pa per. Spray parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray and set in the fridge.
• 1 cup light corn syrup
4. Place caramels and heavy cream in a mi crowave safe bowl, about a 5-cup size bowl. Heat in microwave in 30-second in crements, stirring well between intervals, until melted and smooth, about 2-3 mi
5. When mixture is cool enough to handle, quickly shape into 3-inch balls, dipping hands in cold water to prevent sticking.
• 7 quarts popped popcorn
7. Immediately roll in toppings or sprinkle with toppings before caramel sets.
• 1/4 cup water
Instructions
2. In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water and salt. Cook over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 235 degrees, soft-ball stage.
• Food coloring, optional
2. Insert a caramel apple stick, lollipop stick or Popsicle stick. Have toppings ready, if you’ll be using any.
5. If caramel is extra runny, let it cool just briefly so it doesn’t run right off the apples.
9. Repeat process with remaining apples. As needed, reheat caramel in microwave in 15 second increments to maintain a dip pable consistency.
8. Turn apples upright and place on pre pared baking sheet in fridge.
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup butter
6. Dip apples one at a time into caramel on an angle so it covers nearly to the top center. Rotate and turn to coat apple. Lift apple and let excess run off, then run bot tom of apple along inside edge of bowl to remove excess caramel. Turn apple upside down to let caramel run toward the top a little.
EASY CARAMEL APPLES
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
Instructions
10. Allow caramel to set completely, about 30 minutes in the fridge. You can eat them before this, but if you want cara mel to firm up, wait the 30 minutes.
• 1/4 cup sugar
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constant ly, until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Continue cooking until mixture reaches hard ball stage, 260 degrees on candy thermometer, without stirring. Remove from heat.
PEGGY’S POPCORN
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
3. Remove from heat. Add the butter, vanilla and food coloring if desired. Stir until but ter is melted.
2. Combine brown sugar, molasses, corn syrup, sugar, butter, water and vinegar in a heavy, 4-quart Dutch oven.
• 1/2 cup sugar
Instructions
TASTE OF FRANKLIN
5. For the topping, combine the first four in gredients in a saucepan and boil for one minute.
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3. To make the cake, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices into a bowl to remove any lumps.
15. Chill the frosting for 30 minutes before frosting the cake.
• 2 tablespoons butter
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.
11. Remove from the heat and carefully transfer to a mixing bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a whisk attach ment or use an electric hand mixer.
• 4 eggs
8. You can use an additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup of crushed Heath bar to sprinkle on the top, if desired.
• 3/4 cup sugar
PUMPKIN SPICE CAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL FROSTING
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
W
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
IngredientsForcake:
2.spray.Mixall cake ingredients except the brown sugar and nuts.
6. Remove from heat and stir in candy.
8. Set the pans on cooling racks to cool com pletely, then run a knife around the edges of the pans to loosen the cakes. Invert them onto racks and remove the parch ment paper.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup canola oil
16. Place one cake layer on a cake plate and spread with frosting. Stack the second layer on top and cover with frosting. Add the top layer and cover the top and sides with the caramel frosting.
hat is a fall festival without a good old-fashioned cake walk? As a child growing up, my Grandma Dolan lived in the East Franklin community. A fall didn’t go by that she didn’t take me to the East Franklin Junior High School Fall Festival – where there was always an awesome cake walk. Here are a couple of my favorite cakes recipes that would be perfect for a cake walk or any occasion.
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• 2 cups white granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
3. Pour half of the batter in the pan. Sprin kle the brown sugar and nuts over the top and then add the remaining batter.
• 1 box Duncan Hines golden butter cake mix
•quarters1/2teaspoon fine sea salt
2. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
14. Add the vanilla and fine sea salt and beat until the frosting is thick and creamy, 8-10 minutes.
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
10. Whisk in the heavy cream and return to a boil, whisking continually until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth and syrupy.
6. Divide the batter equally into the pre pared pans and smooth the surfaces.
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
For topping:
1. Grease a Bundt pan with nonstick cooking
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
13. Beat in the cubes of cream cheese one at a time, beating well after each addition.
BUTTERBRICKLE CAKE
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
4. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin and vanilla into a large mixing bowl and beat well until the mix ture is smooth.
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 4 oz softened cream cheese, cut into
For the frosting:
7. Pour over the Bundt cake.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat until everything is well blended.
• 8 oz. sour cream
• 15 oz. pumpkin puree
IngredientsForthecake:
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
12. With the mixer on medium speed, gra dually add the powdered sugar.
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
7. Bake 28-35 minutes, until a toothpick in serted into the center comes out just ba rely clean. Begin checking after 30 minutes.
9. For the salted caramel frosting, add the butter and brown sugar to a large sauce pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 1-2 mi nutes, whisking continually.
Instructions
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup crushed Heath bars
• 4 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
So, is it worthless to try? Absolutely not! Of course, we try. Putting in the work to be better is our loving response for all God has done.
All: The big little word
Meeting Jesus’ standard for loving God is rendered excee dingly difficult because of the significance of the easily over looked word “all.” I consistently fall short of loving God with all of my being. In fact, if I could successfully love God to the le vel specified by this command, I would never sin, and neither would you – yet, we do sin.
This simple teaching leaves us with a tension: I know I am to love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength; yet, I realize that too often, I fail miserably.
uring the same week in which he would later be crucified, Je sus fielded a scribe’s question about which of God’s commandments was foremost of all. Considering there were some 613 commandments under the old law, it must have seemed a reasonable question.
I must love God above all else and with all of who I am –and Jesus talked about what this kind of love looks like. In John 14:15 he said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
D
Because we are human, we understand that “all” is out of reach. We can’t meet the minimum standard of that big little word. That’s why Jesus and his sacrifice is our only hope. While we all fall short of God’s “all” standard every day, the good news is, we don’t enter the presence of God based on our own merit. God sent Jesus because He knew we couldn’t earn it.
One scholar pointed out that to not try is to lower the stan dard of holiness – and it is never our place to do that.
9Franklin living Voted #1 Wedding Venue in the Times Daily Readers Choice Awards 5 years in a row! Ava's Place 5131 COUNTY ROAD 61 FLORENCE, 256.415.2863AL Perfect venue for weddings, birthdays, reunions & more WWW.AVASPLACEBARNVENUE.COM FAITH FOCUS
What a blessing that through our obedience to the gospel, God has made his saving grace available to us! Are you growing in your love for the Lord today?
Jesus’ answer, recorded in Mark 12:29-30, is familiar: “The fo remost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’”
Philip Goad has been serving as the minister at North Highlands Church of Christ in Russellville since March 2020.
Whatever vegetables and all that I have leftover go right back to the animals. “
VIEW FROM CRESCENT MOON ACRES
Story and photos by MARÍA CAMP
A licensed practical nurse, Capalla got divorced after a 25-year marriage and worked three nursing jobs to save up the down pay ment for a house and land to work on making her dream farm a rea lity. “I found a nice realtor who searched around for me and found a
How one New Jersey woman found her dream life in Phil Campbell
M
Capalla describes her farm as “basically organic.”
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y whole life, I always wanted a farm,” ex plained Tanya Capalla of Crescent Moon Acres, her 22-acre farm on Cuba Ridge Road in Phil Campbell. “I just like making things grow, and I love animals. I like meeting new people.”
“I’m not certified organic, but I’m working on that,” she ex plained. “No chemicals are used on any of the vegetation, and all the fertilizer comes from the animals. Nothing is wasted.
She’s been in Phil Campbell for five years now, having lived in New Jersey for more than 40 years before that. “I couldn’t af ford a farm there,” added Capalla. “The taxes alone are crazy.”
With a growing number of fruits, vegetables and animals, there’s always something going on to keep them busy. Among the many animals on the farm are goats, chickens, Flemish giant rab bits, pigs, horses, geese, ducks, a turkey and guineas.
She’d had little gardens before, but “never done farming per se – certainly not at the scale I’m working now.” Capalla said she’s ha ving fun learning as she goes and seeing where the journey takes her. “People stop by, and they love to tour around the farm. We get compliments all the time about what a great job we’ve done and how amazing it is how we’ve built on it from where we started.”
Some of the standouts include Jeffrey, a female goose her son found while they were at a flea market in Mississippi. Jeffrey got her name from Capalla’s favorite movie, “Charlotte’s Web,” which in cludes a gosling named Jeffrey.
Call us for your preneed, full service funeral or cremation needs. 907
Jeffrey had to learn to defend herself, though, from the guard cats. “One of my cats, Sebastian, used to pounce on Jeffrey until she got big enough to turn around and bite him.”
job and house, and here I am. There are more neighbors here than in New Jersey, and there’s more of a sense of community here.”
11Franklin living
Capalla said her most popular item are eggs from her Rhode Is land Reds. Tomatoes have also been a popular seller this year. Pear honey, made from the pears of her own pear tree, is another crowd pleaser.She now works as a travel nurse at different facilities, spending the rest of her time on the farm. After she’d been in Phil Campbell for a year, her son Blake Mason, joined her; they work the farm to gether.
They raised Jeffrey in the house until she got her feathers and could stay outside, where she now lives with a second goose, Joce lyn, and some ducks. “She’d go outside and swim in her little pool and run right back inside the house and walk around the kitchen as pretty as she pleased,” Capalla said. “She also played with the dogs.”
With an eye toward tropical plants, “I’m hoping to get a greenhouse before too long,” Capalla noted. “Some of them can’t survive the winter here.” For now, a converted sunroom in the house serves as a growing room, with special lights. “A green house would be a better setup,” she added. “Everything I sell is going toward the purchase of a greenhouse.”
Sebastian is a black and white cat, and also on the team of farm cats are a white cat, Aphrodite, and Morris, a recent visi tor-turned-occupant.WildfireisaPaint Horse, and there’s Breezy, and the skitti sh pony, Precious. “I don’t know her history. I don’t even know how old she is,” Capalla said. “I bought her in Tennessee. You can’t even catch this pony. I’ve been trying to work with her.” Although Precious isn’t comfortable being around people, she enjoys spending time with the horses. “I’ve had Wildfire since he was born, and I’ve had Breezy for six years. I got Precious two or three years ago.”
Crescent Moon Acres is a recognized farmers’ market, so Capalla can accept payments with an SFMNP card, part of the Farmers Market Nutrition Program. While she can accept the payment on her farm, she can’t yet use it at the farmers market in downtown Phil Campbell.
“It’s my first time growing gourds, so we’ll have to see how it Shegoes.”said she’s also hoping to offer goat milk and goat cheese in the future. “We’re trying to get a specific breed for that.”Recently, she star-ted making and selling barbecue sauce. “We planted 368 toma to plants, and we’ve harvested a lot of them. We sold a lot of them, and I canned some and made sauce out of crushed tomatoes and cooked the juices down and made bar becue sauce. I took the seeds and skins from the tomatoes I strained, and I dehydrated that and pulverized it. The tomato powder is just a seasoning you can get.” She said she’ll make more barbecue sauce from any tomatoes that go unsold at the end of the season.
For more information, follow Crescent Moon Acres on Face book, text 862-266-7681 or visit the farm on Cuba Ridge Road in Phil Campbell.
They started growing sunflowers last year, and Morning Glo ries line the sidewalk.
There’s something to eat “almost everywhere you go on the farm.” One unusual item is the cucamelons. They look like tiny watermelons but taste like cucumbers. “You can just pick them and eat them,” added Capalla, “or put them in a salad. Not too many people have heard of them around here, but most people like them when they finally try them.”
The back part of the pro perty boasts a catfish pond. “Pretty much my whole pro perty, where the gardens are, is irrigated with water from the pond,” Capalla explained. She’s also in the preliminary stages of installing a koi pond near the house.Mason’s pet tortoise Shi loh and dog Alexis are also part of the crew keeping life busy at CrescentWalkingAcres.around the farm, there’s plenty to see in every direction. “I have fruit trees eve rywhere,” said Capalla. “There’s also a vineyard, mostly with muscadines, but some vines have Concord grapes. It looks like there’s going to be a lot of them on there again this year.”
Gourds are growing right now, and Capalla said she hopes when they are bigger and dry out in the fall, she can invite fa milies to visit and paint them.
She has Sugar Baby melons, a variety of watermelon. “They’re very sweet and have a lot of seeds,” she explained. “They get to be about the size of a basketball.” She also grows peppers, including tabasco, as well as potatoes, kiwi and blueberries.
12 Franklin living
Story and photos by MARÍA CAMP
Cornhole captivation
13Franklin living
Russellville family plays competitively across the nation
I love the challenge of it, like trying to make difficult shots and seeing how far I can go with it. I’ve always been competitive.
F
Once upon a time, the Fretwells had played cornhole in the backyard but had never been to a tournament. They got started in the world of com petitive cornhole when they decided to attend a benefit tournament in Rus sellville, which eventually led to them being sponsored by Cornhole Solutions. Shane was the first to give it a go, with Amber“Wewatching.hadsome friends who started having tournaments,” explained Amber, “and we started going and playing with them. Once we started playing in the tournaments and meeting new people, we decided to start playing more often.”
or the past two and half years, playing cornhole has been a fa vorite pastime of Amber Fretwell and her husband, Shane. It’s gone from a casual, occasional family game to something much bigger.
14 Franklin living
15Franklin living
They play with the North Alaba ma Baggers – Northwest Alabama Cornhole on Facebook – as well as at The Fizz on Tuesdays in Muscle Shoals and at the Blue Springs Volunteer Fire Department on Thursdays. While they enjoy a friendly game, spending time with friends new and old, the pair des cribe themselves as competitive – they always want a win.
16 Franklin living
“I won in the women’s division in my first tournament,” Amber said. “I was surprised to see how well I played in it.” As to how many cornhole tourna ments she’s been in, it’s now “too many to count.”While the couple plays often not far from where they live, they also do a fair bit of traveling for some of the tour naments, such as for the majors, some regional tournaments and ACO world’s –their most recent big tournament, which was in Branson, Missouri. They took their children, Paisley, 2, and Bro die, 6, with them. Competitors from 25 states took part.
In addition to the accolades of winning, the prize money can be a nice bonus. “Our first season to go and play at big tournaments was in 2020,” ex plained Amber. She said she thinks her first tournament was at the Singing Ri ver Brewery in Florence. “That’s where we used to host our tournaments for the North Alabama Baggers.” Her first big tournament was in Tupelo, Miss., an American Cornhole Organization major. They have also been to Majors in Knoxville, Tenn.; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Mesquite, Nev.; and Augusta, Ga.
17Franklin living 721 South Jackson Avenue • After256-332-3850RussellvilleHours:256-332-2230
“I love playing cornhole,” said Amber, “getting to spend time with my husband and meeting new people. I love the challenge of it, too, like trying to make difficult shots and seeing how far I can go with it. I’ve always been competitive. Growing up, I played basketball and softball.”
The Fretwells placed first in the doubles division during the ACO regional tournament in Russellville at the Chucky Mullins Center, Feb. 19 of this year. They also placed first in the co-ed division, and Shane placed first in the singles divi sion. Amber placed second in the singles division.
“Our kids go to the tournaments, and everybody just lo ves our kids,” Amber added. “They always have a good time going.” Son Brodie has played in the juniors division at Majors and Worlds. “He had a blast,” Amber said. “He was so excited when we told him that he was getting to play in the juniors division, and he scored some points. He did very well for his age.”In terms of the official season for competitive play, the next one starts in September. The Fretwells have been get ting in plenty of practice in the meantime, honing their skills and having fun along the way.
She said it’s a good game for a broad range of ages. “We’ve met people from all over the world, and they’re some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. They are like family to us now.”Shane shared similar sentiments. “We like being social. I love the people and spending time with family and friends. That’s why I keep playing.”
For the season in singles, Shane came in at 61, and Amber at 63. They ranked 47 in doubles and 2 in co-ed. For women’s singles, Amber tied for first before the tiebreaker matchup. In the world’s competition in Branson, Mo., Shane finished 17 in singles, and Amber finished 68, out of 392 players. In co-ed, they came in 17 out of 87 teams. In women’s doubles, Amber came in first, partnered with Megan Puckett from Decatur.
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In his 20s and 30s, he was riding horses in Atlanta and Tampa, Fla., alongside his day job of international banking, working
Horses and healing
A horse rescue – but not just a horse rescue.” That’s how Allen Bornscheuer describes the nonprofit equine rescue and therapy center, Serenity Saviors, he ope rates with his wife Cherina. “We’re also a human rescue. That is what really drives us to make a change in our world with horses and humans.”Forthehusband-and-wife team, horses are a way of life. Allen said his love of horses started while he was a teenager growing up in Florida. “My dad always said it was a rich man’s sport. I could only start riding when I was able to pay my own way, so when I got a job, that was one of the first things I did –start taking riding lessons,” Allen explained.
Story and photos by MARÍA CAMP
Serenity Saviors serves horses and humans alike
“Now, horses have to travel to Canada or Mexico, and in more recent times, Cana da passed a law that horses have to stay in the country for six months before they can be slaughtered,” Cherina explained. The requirement has helped decrease horse slaughter, given the cost and logistics.
as a vice president for SunTrust bank. It was a stressful profession. “I dealt with my stress by riding horses, and I found that the horses had an amazing stress-relieving aspect to them,” Allen explained. “I for got all about the tensions and everything that went with a job like that when I rode horses.”He rode twice a week to manage his stress levels, getting his own farm in 2008. He realized he wasn’t the only one who looked to horseback riding for stress management. “I just noticed that people were coming through the front gate, just like me, looking for stress relief; with an xiety issues; one of them a police officer with PTSD from losing a partner,” Allen ex plained. “When they started riding a horse, all of a sudden, their mouths started wor king, and they started telling me all kinds of things.”Afew years later he met Cherina and her son Blake. “I really was not aware of the rescue side of the horse world for quite a few years – not until Cherina brought her son, Blake, to sign him up for riding les sons in 2011,” explained Allen. While Blake did some riding, it was Cherina who real ly embraced it. She had always had a love for horses – and over time she discovered she had a love for Allen Bornscheuer, too. “And of course, the rest is romantic history,” Allen noted.
19Franklin living
Cherina had a master’s degree in psy chology, and the pair realized they could – and should – combine riding and psy chology, plus the great need for horse res cue, and do something more. That’s how Serenity Saviors came to be.
“The numbers have plummeted, at least since 2011. It’s gone to half, but it hasn’t stopped horses from going for slaughter in Canada and Mexico.” Many horses the Bornscheuers have saved have been res cued from kill pens, horses destined for slaughter.Allen said even with all of that, horses are still being shipped out of the U.S. for slaughter on a weekly basis. “Most of the horses we have here were going to be slaughtered, and we were able to save them. When they go to a kill pen, posts are made on websites and Facebook, and there’s a very brief window of time for people to ‘bail them Althoughout.’”most of the Bornscheuers’ horses are kill pen rescues, many come from the Amish. “I’ve made more trips to Pennsylvania than I even want to count,” said Alan. He explained while the Amish don’t slaughter horses themselves, they take them to auc tion once they have outlived their ability to satisfactorily do the work needed, like pulling machinery and carriages. A horse at this stage has had a hard life and doesn’t command as much money. “The Amish send them to auction at cheap prices, buy a new horse, hitch it up and drive it home.
Horse rescue is the foundation, of course, and is a huge part of what they do. “Cherina opened my eyes to the world of rescues,” explained Allen. “I had no idea horses were going to slaughter in the United States at the numbers they were – a practice that has since been stopped in this country.”The last three U.S. slaughterhouses – two in Texas and one in Illinois, all foreign-owned – were shuttered in 2007, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
“The horses are the ones that have the magic.”
Since their work about saving not only horses but also humans, their motto became, “We save two.”
“I lived in Florida for many years, and I don’t like the cold of the North. Here it is a little drier, less humid, and I like the people – how friendly everybody is,” Allen said. “I was determined not to move any further north than the Tennessee border.”
It’s usually bottom dollar at this point, by the time they go to auction,” Allen said.
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Cherina said they are passionate about the difference they’ve been able to make in the lives of humans and horses.
rida,” explained Allen, “due to the way the real estate market is going with everyone moving there. Prices have skyrocketed.”
Cherina said she and Allen love the American Saddlebred, the type of horse favored by the Amish for their appearance in pulling their carriages. “They were bred in this country, and there’s a lot of history in them.” The breed has long necks, bodies and legs and pop their knees high. “The higher their head is, the higher they pop their knees. They’re very fancy horses.”
As for the horses that stay with the Bornscheuers, some of them remain be cause they aren’t able to do anything any longer. “They’ve been ridden and wor ked too hard in their lives,” explained the couple, “and they have back, leg, tendon and other problems. Some of them have emotional problems. For this segment of our horse population, we call them sanc tuary horses. They’re just going to live out their lives with us, eating grass for a living, and we’re just going to take care of them.”
Cherina was about eight months pre gnant with their daughter, Phoebe, when the family made the move. Allen explained that with having a little one at home now, and working on building up the farm in Alabama, it has become important to him to stay home more – but that doesn’t mean their nationwide rescue efforts will stop. “I can’t be driving all over the country any more, so we hire that part out.”
The family is relatively recently transplanted to Franklin County from the west-central Florida area. “We needed to expand, but we couldn’t find a property big enough and affordable enough in Flo
“We’ve seen kids on the autism spectrum, some that have never talked before, start talking to a horse, and we’ve had vete rans wind up talking to a horse when they couldn’t talk to anyone else,” she ex plained. She said she doesn’t see herself as the therapist. “The horses are the ones that have the magic. We have veterans come through carrying ghosts with them from their experiences. We had one vete ran who we got settled on a horse, and
In total, the Bornscheuers estimate they’ve saved more than 250 horses, most of them American Saddlebred. “Most of the horses we’ve saved are not here on our property,” explained Allen. “Most of them were adopted out all over the country, from New England to south Florida, Seat tle and California. I have driven to virtually every corner of the 48 states delivering or picking up rescue horses.”
They looked at properties from Texas to South Carolina and all across the sou thern United States. The price and climate were right in Russellville, so they moved to town over Labor Day weekend 2021.
feet away, and they can match us. They’re very sensitive creatures, and they know when we’re anxious or angry or depressed.”
“There’s something more special about horses than most people realize,” Allen agreed. “There’s a deeper connection. They can sense our heartbeat four or five
Right now, they have a handful of people coming for riding lessons and three coming for therapy sessions. While they want to grow, there are changes they need to make first. “We don’t have a riding arena or a round pen, and we really feel the control of having an arena and rails is important for safety, so that’s definitely a priority.”
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Cherina said she’s seen numerous occasions when a horse consoled or comforted someone. “There’s a special connection. They’ll nuzzle the person, rub up against them, provide comfort for seve rely depressed people, without even being able to say a word,” she said. “It’s such a wonderful connection, and it makes an in credible difference. It’s amazing.”
he started talking to the horse, asking the horse if he could feel his pain and know his emotions and thoughts. All I had done was put them together. It was all I could do not to just break down. I always say the horses are the therapists, not me. I’m just the fa cilitator. I bring the two of them together, and that’s when the magic happens.”
For more information, call 256-9028389, email serenitysaviors@gmail.com or visit their website, www.serenitysaviors.org, or Facebook page.
Community support bolsters start of new school year
The Sunday before school started, our community showed up once again to support RCS by having a community-sponsored prayer walk around our campus. I was there and had the privilege of praying for our schools, our teachers, our students and all the different aspects of school life. I was so encouraged to see so many in our community come out to do the same thing. It was a won derful sight to see these people walking around our campus and through our hallways praying for us to all have a great year.
N
ow that we are settling into the new school year, I have had time to reflect on what a great start to the school year we had. Many were involved in getting this year off to a good start in August, but I’ve been especially reflecting on the role our community played and how their continued support really does make a difference.
And then, as has been the tradition for the past several years, our city and utility employees showed up on the first day of school to welcome us all back in a big way with bucket trucks in the air, American flags flying, lights flashing on the fire trucks and police cars and smiling city workers holding up signs with encouraging messages, waving and cheering for us. You can’t have a bad start to the school year with that kind of community support behind you!
Russellville is a special place when it comes to community support, especially for our schools. All of us here at RCS appreciate it so much. Now that we’re getting into football season and our athletics and extracurriculars are back in full swing, we hope to see that same Russellville spirit and support we know and love at our events throughout the rest of the year!
Heath Grimes is the superintendent of Russellville City Schools. He and his wife Amy have three daughters: Leah, Halle and Erin.
Before school officially started, we had a grand opening for the new addition to Russellville High School that was well-attended by the community. We received so many compliments and encou ragement from those who came to look around that day and have received many positive comments since then from people who are excited about the opportunities this new building brings for our students and staff.
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GET GROWING
FROM THE EXTENSION
• Gala: fresh eating, salads, applesauce, baking, pies
• While some apples are adaptable, make sure you choose an apple variety suitable for the zone area in which you live in. Before planting, prepare the soil thoroughly by plowing or spa ding followed by disking or raking to smooth the surface. Check the pH of the soil, which should be 6.5, and ;ime the soil. Keep weeds out of a 3x3 area so they will not compete for moisture and nutrients. When fertilizing, nitrogen is the most important nutrient nee ded. Phosphorus and potassium should be applied before planting.
5. Apple trees produce fruit in one of two ways: Spur-bearers produce fruit on the small, thorn-shaped branches that extend off the main tree branch, while tip-bearers produce fruit on the tips of the branches from the previous year.
s fall approaches, one favorite fruit starts getting a little more attention that it does the rest of the year: the humble apple.
• Red Delicious: fresh eating, salads, applesauce
AN APPLE A DAY
• Ginger gold: fresh eating, salads, applesauce, pies
1. Two thirds of the apple crop grown in the U.S. is used to eat. The other one third is used for apple juice, apple sauce, apple butter and packaged apple slices.
What is needed to grow apples? Pick an area where apple trees will be in the sun all or most of the day. Morning sun dries dew from leaves, reducing diseases, and sunlight helps to increase fruit production.
Wondering what variety is best suited different types of recipes? Here’s an easy cheat sheet:
4. Apples are a great source of fiber. The apple skin and flesh help lower blood cholesterol and support a healthy gut.
• Mutsu: fresh eating, applesauce, pies, desserts, juice
When it comes to purchasing trees, buy them from a reliable resource. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
A
Rich with history and folklore, apples were a favorite food of Europeans who settled in the New World. No other fruit is so widely grown around the world than the apple. Numerous books have been written about apples, such as the story about John ny Appleseed, which mentions more than 4,000 va rieties.Apples are heterozygous: A new variety is born each time a seed is germinated and developed into a bearing tree. Although hundreds of varieties exist, 10-20 are seen by consumers in grocery stores.
2. The most-grown apple variety is the Red Delicious.
• Granny Smith: fresh eating, sautéing, applesauce, baking, pies, juice, freezing
APPLE FACTS
Info from KATERNIA COLE COFFEY, Extension director
• 1-year-old trees grow better.
• Trees should feel firm and not spongy or brittle. If you cut through the roots, they should reveal a tissue that is white to creamy in color. Tan or brown indicates that the roots are damaged or dying.
• A small tree with a good root system is a better choice than a large tree with a poor root system.
• Ozark Gold: fresh eating, applesauce, cooking, ba king, pies
• Fuji: fresh eating, salads, baking, applesauce, pies, freezing
3. The top 10 apple-producing states are Washington, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, Virginia, North Ca rolina, Oregon, Ohio and Idaho.
APPLE OF MY EYE
• Check trees for the desired variety and root stock.
Apple trees will not grow in soil that drains poorly; roots will die, resulting in stunted growth and death of the tree. Deep soil with a sandy loom to a sandy clay is a good choice.
• Do not purchase trees that are insect-ridden, diseased or in jured, stunted or poorly grown.
• Golden Delicious: fresh eating, salads, applesauce, baking, pies, desserts, freezing
The annual Hoedown festival brought fun for the whole family in Phil Campbell at the beginning of the summer.
Linda Habada, Bob Habada, Rhonda Dobson, Dave Soika and Liz Soika
Jeremiah, Morgan, Ethan and Samantha Palmer
PHIL CAMPBELL HOEDOWN
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Erica Swinney, Ginny Burks, Tammy Weeks, Dave Sokia, Phil Campbell Mayor Mike McQuary, Denise Ogle and Phil Camp bell Councilwoman Lynn Landers
FACES OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
Photos by MARÍA CAMP
Liz and TinaUnderwoodJeffreyMiles,Mary Stamps and Cheryl Demastus
Mario, Dakota and Melissa Andres
Eric Reason with Liam and Ethan
Ashlynn McAlister, Jazlyn Smith and Lily Kastberg
Antique Suggs, Ray Darracott and Wenona Oden
June 16-17
Judy and Tanis Clifton
Photos by MARÍA CAMP
David and Elizabeth Soika
July Fest brings the community out for fun and fellowship in downtown Vina.
June Theatre-lovers23-25 turn out for the Bay Tree Council for the Performing Arts’ “Leading Ladies.”
BTCPA – “LEADING LADIES”
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Gail Wallace
Steven King, Marshall Rogers, Deana Vallejo, Kyle Green, Denise Rogers, Tristan Moomaw, Mayor Michael Moomaw and Kade James
Eva and Waylon Blacklidge and Janice Beal
Mario and Melissa Andrés
Albert Baty, Jaymie Scrivener, LaDonna Baty, Eli and Leisa Hiser and Lexi Elliott
FACES OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
JB Burns and Melvin and Darlene Dotson
Photos by MARÍA CAMP
VINA JULY FEST
Dominic and Zephra Rogers
Becky Gober, Carlee Robbins and Karen Lewey
William and Kathie Chandler
July 30
Steve and Elonda Cox
Megean Scott, Jeramie Scott and Steven Shotts
4. Church: Russellville First Baptist Church
2. Favorite food: Anything sweet!
I dearly love my coworkers, and I have worked with some in credibly smart people who also love to serve the people of Franklin County. We have been through a lot together with tornadoes, flooding, ice and budget crunches – but everyone comes together and works hard, sometimes putting their own lives in jeopardy to secure roads.
4. What are your favorite Franklin County restaurants?
WHY I LOVE FRANKLIN COUNTY 26 Franklin living
K
A little chat with Kim Clonts
im Clonts is the daughter of Edward and Joann Stanley and is married to Steve Clonts, a sales representative. The Russellville High School and University of Alabama graduate holds a Bachelor of Arts in communications and was a Crimsonette, Miss University of Alabama and second-runner-up Miss Alabama. A Franklin County native, she has three fur babies, Lilly, Maggie and Albert.
5. Something people might not know about me is: I am one of the lead singers for the band Rewind of the Shoals. I have sung professionally for 22 years and the past 14 with Rewind. Rewind is a family with amazing talent, and we have a lot of fun!
2. What do you enjoy about your job?
1. Favorite hobby: Antiquing
I am the office manager for the Franklin County Highway De partment. I handle day-to-day operations, from purchasing and payroll to work orders and citizen complaints.
5. Why do you love Franklin County? It’s home!
1. What is your job title, and what does your work entail?
3. What is your favorite place to visit in Franklin County? The beautiful lakes.
FAST 5
3. Goal or ambition: To be a good wife, daughter and friend and to serve our community well.
El Patron, Doe’s, 43 Grill, Daily Bread, Frosty Inn and Pilgrims. I love patronizing local restaurants, and I have a favorite food at each one.
For information on how you can promote YOUR business in Franklin Living. CALL 256-332-1881 Everything Franklin County all year long
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