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December2011/January 2012 8 Food
In Your Cups – Fabulous Appetizers
10 Garden
12 Home
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Get Fresh – The Walls Have It
14 Brawn
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The Perfect Holiday Plant
The Warm Years – Keeping Up With Biology
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18 Fashion Tips for Fancy Fingertips
20 Momitude You’ll Shot Your Eye Out, Kid
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22 Cover
12 22 COVER PHOTO BY BETH SNIPES
6 LEE MAGAZINE
How three kitchen magicians learned their craft
28 Calendar Plenty to Do in Lee County
The Place to Find
Your Healthy Balance
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For the smart, savvy Alabama woman Publisher: Beth Snipes Editor: Jenni Laidman Design and Photography: Beth Snipes Sales manager: Meg Callahan Sales reps: Judy Simon Web Designer: Brock Burgess Distribution: John Snipes
HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY
P
eople are searching for a hormone replacement therapy regimen that provides a resurgence of energy. You don’t have to have headaches, hot flashes, and a decreased sex drive. You can say farewell to mood swings and insomnia. With the results of a one-day saliva test, June Adams, a compounding pharmacist and bio-identical hormone counselor, will provide the natural human-identical hormones that your body needs. June’s problemsolving pharmacy provides natural progesterone cream, DHEA, estrogen, and testosterone. For some, it will mean an enzyme to reduce stress, or a glandular complex to support your thyroid. Both men and women can benefit from this simple test for a personal hormone profile. Accelerated aging, fat gain, mental fogginess, and general fatigue are not natural. They can be symptoms of a hormone imbalance for which there is a natural treatment. Find the right dose without the concerns of side effects from synthetic products.
Contributors Food: Fashion: Fitness: Garden: Home: Momitude: Smarts:
Heida Olin Taylor Dungjen Lisa Gallagher Patti Householder Jacquelyn Dixon Kelly Frick Janeane Barett
CONTACT US AT beth@lee-magazine.com editor@lee-magazine.com
334-332-2961
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leemagazine.com Published by Pickwick Papers Publishing, LLC. Copyright ©2008 Lee Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction and redistribution prohibited without approval. For more information, contact editor@leemagazine.com.
A BETTER YOU FOR 2012
The trick to mastering that New Year's resolution By Jenni Laidman Dreading that annual vow to give up your favorite vice for the New Year? Uncertain which empty promise to make in your ever-failing attempts to start the year with a clean slate? Can't decide how you'll manage to meet your impossible new pledge? Then let us help you. We have consulted many expert sources (i.e. Wikipedia) and heard from respected people in a variety of fields (i.e. friends on Facebook.) and combed the self-help literature to come to your rescue. This exhaustive research led us to this never-fail advice on making New Year's resolutions to create a new you. By next year, you won't even need to make a resolution. In fact, you will be so perfect, most people will not like you. But, being perfect, you won't mind. OUR ADVICE:
1
Define your goal in concrete terms. Saying, "I will be a better person" is far too general. Better than whom, exactly? Silvio Berlusconi? Mother Theresa? Be more specific. "I will be a better person than my sister, who is really a nag and has a very short temper, and could stand to lose a little weight." This is a specific goal.
2
Break your goal into smaller steps. If your goal is: "I will exercise three-times a week in the coming year," start with: In January, I will raise my arm over my head on Tuesdays. In February, add repetitions (aka "reps"). In March, actually hold something relatively heavy when you raise your arm, such as a small dog or a candlestick. Be careful. Do not drop the dog. By April, you'll be raising both arms.
3
Have measureable outcomes by which to track your success. Say your goal is to learn to tango. Measureable goals may be: (a) People no longer laugh so hard they cry when I am on the dance floor. (b) My instructor stops offering a refund for the course if I would please stop coming. (c) My passport is no longer ripped into
small pieces when I land in Buenos Aires to try my new skills in the land of tango. (d) Someone who has seen me dance actually asks me to dance, and I'm pretty sure they're not just teasing me.
4
Make the goal adequately challenging. If the goal is too easy to reach, it will have zero heft when you're standing around the water cooler, bragging to your co-workers. This leads us to ask, do offices even HAVE water coolers anymore? Do people actually stand around them? Is it shadier there or something so you all gather around? Are you worried you might run out of water so you must stay near the cooler? Are you worried about predators, so you find safety in numbers around the water cooler? Can't you find somewhere else to hang out? Preferably somewhere with baked goods?
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Make the goal adequately challenging. (Sorry, we were carried away on No 4.) Don't say, "I will read all the Mann Booker Prize winners for the last twenty years." Say, "I will read the prize winners for the last twenty years in French, even if I have to translate the books into French myself."
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Make sure you really want to accomplish your resolution. For instance, pledging to take over the financial management of the European Union is a job no one wants, not even actual Europeans. You don't really want it either. You're just showing off.
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Express your goal as a positive. Don't say, "I will quit chewing my nails." Say, I will let my nails grow into dagger-like talons."
Put your goal in writing and make sure all of your friends know about it, so they can help you be accountable. This should pretty much rid you of the burden of friendship, leaving you more time to translate the great English literature into French.
Now, good luck with that resolution! And Happy 2012 to a Better, Brighter You!
LEE MAGAZINE 5
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IN EVERY ISSUE: MOM ITUDE:Emma wants a cell phone. John fell FOOD: Whether it’s cooking for the family, impressing your guests, or fixing savory tailgating treats, Heida Olin’s has the recipe secrets that will win fans.
GARDEN: You don’t need a green thumb.You
need Patti Householder to tell you how to do it all in the garden.
BRAWN: She’ll motivate you and then she’ll help you reach your goals. Lisa Gallagher knows fitness like nobody’s business.
FASHION: Stripes or dots? Jewel tones or pastels? Sweaters or Blazers? Taylor Dungjen helps you make the perfect choice.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR: Doings in Lee County OUR COVER STORY: 6 LEE MAGAZINE MEET YOUR FASCINATING NEIGHBORS
SANDRA TAYLOR:
Her Brothers’ Keeper FREE
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off the swing. When Kelly Frick talks about being a mom, mothers everywhere chuckle in recognition.
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A wellness coach will help you feel... ...IN CONTROL ...ENERGETIC ...LESS ANXIOUS ...HEALTHIER ...FOCUSED ...PRODUCTIVE ...YOUNGER ...CONFIDENT
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Opelika SportsPlex and Aquatic Center For more information, contact Lisa Gallagher at:
334 705-2486
LEE MAGAZINE 7
Get Ready to Party EASY APPETIZERS MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE A GENIUS By Heida Olin In cooking as in few other arenas, necessity is the mother of invention. My necessary invention came about when Brinda Lisano needed finger food for a Auburn University School of Pharmacy reception with the proviso the foods be, “no sippy, no drippy” -- a big challenge to someone who finds finger licking a compliment. Kathy Tyler, secretary to Cristen Herring at Auburn City Schools Board of Education, inspired me with a suggestion of fresh veggie pizza using crescent rolls in muffin cups. Although the pizza idea flopped for me, I found that shaping rounds of the crescent roll dough into the bottoms of muffin tins and baking
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created a new field of possible appetizers. Thank you Kathy! These wonderful little “crescent cups” are perfect for holding a bite or two of sweet or savory and it is now my go-to appetizer. The fun part of the recipe is this: No one guesses how the little cup is made, and everyone wants the recipe.
CRESCENT CUPS 1 8-ounce package refrigerated crescent rolls Preheat oven to 375 degrees. If you have dark colored tins, lower the heat of the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottoms of mini muffin tins with a very light coating of cooking spray.
Unroll the dough and gently pinch the perforation closed for a smooth sheet of dough. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, make 24 rounds. Press each round into the bottom of a muffin cup. Bake 6 minutes. Remove from oven and turn the muffins onto a wire rack to cool. To store, gently stack the unfilled cups in a sealable plastic bag. They will last 2 days unfilled.
VEGGIE CRESCENT CUPS This is my version of fresh veggie pizza. 1 8-ounce package cream cheese ½ cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning 1 cup diced or chopped fresh vegetables 24 Crescent cups
F O O D
Beat cream cheese, mayonnaise and Cajun seasoning. Place the cream cheese mixture into a piping cone or a quart size plastic bag with one corner snipped off. Pipe ab Beat cream cheese, mayonnaise and Cajun seasoning. Place the cream cheese mixture into a piping cone or a quart size plastic bag with one corner snipped off. Pipe about a tablespoon into each crescent cup, leaving enough room for raw veggies. Top with fresh veggies. I like to use diced red and green peppers, slivers of carrots, and tiny florets of broccoli. You could also top with fresh salsa, or a mix of chopped olives, or halved grape tomatoes and crumbled bacon.. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
FRUIT CRESCENT CUPS Substitute the powdered sugar for a cup of dark brown sugar and create a completely different treat. 1 8-ounce package cream cheese ¼ cup butter 2 cups powdered sugar 1 cup diced fresh or canned fruit gently patted dry with a paper towel 24 Crescent Cups Beat cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar. Place the cream cheese mixture into a piping cone or a quart size plastic bag with a corner snipped off. Pipe about a tablespoon into each crescent cup, leaving room for fruit. Top with fruit. I like to use fresh berries, the cup will hold one blue berry, one raspberry or black berry a quarter of a strawberry and a quarter of a slice of kiwi. You could also use all of one kind of fruit and top it with chocolate sprinkles or chopped nuts. Replace the 2 cups powdered sugar with 1 cup packed dark brown sugar and beat with cream cheese and butter. Pipe this mixture into crescent cups and try it with apples and pears. Be sure to soak your fresh cut apples in a little cold salt water, rinse, and pat dry to keep them from turning brown. Another idea, place diced apples or pears in crescent cups and drizzle with caramel, and sprinkle with toasted pecans. Or put fresh quartered strawberries crescent cups topped with a teaspoon of hot fudge or homemade ganache (see recipe below).
GANACHE FILLED RASPBERRIES The first time I made these for a wedding, one of my helpers couldn’t stop eating them. I almost didn’t have enough for the wedding guests. I fill the raspberries for the Fruit Crescent Cups and put the leftovers on a plate and they go fast. 1 cup chopped bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
¼ cup heavy cream 1 pint raspberries Heat the cream just to a boil in the microwave or in a pot on the stove. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate. Stir until smooth. Place a piping cone in a drinking glass, turning the top down around the rim of the glass to make it easy to fill. You can do this with a plastic bag too, just make sure the chocolate is not so hot it will melt the plastic. Fill the piping cone with the ganache and let sit in the glass until it comes to room temperature. While the chocolate is cooling, carefully rinse the raspberries and dry on paper towels, pointing the opening of the berry down, so it will drain well. They must be dry before filling. Pipe filling into each raspberry as soon as the chocolate is cool.
HOLIDAY CRAB DIP IN CRESCENT CUPS Every time I bite into one of these crescent cups I think of something else I could put in them. This is one of my favorite crab dips and even though it’s cold, it is savory and works perfectly in the crescent cups. Use rubber gloves to clean and dice the jalapeño. For a hotter flavor, include the jalapeño seeds in the mix. I recommend Kroger’s Private Selection canned Wild Caught Special crab. Garnish the completed cups with a bit of finely diced red and green pepper or just a parsley leaf. 1 8-ounce package cream cheese ½ cup sour cream 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning ½ teaspoon lemon pepper ¼ cup finely diced green pepper ¼ cup finely diced red pepper 1 jalapeño pepper, cleaned and diced 8 ounces canned crab, drained, flaked, and picked through to remove any cartilage 3 dashes hot pepper sauce (or to taste) 24 Crescent Cups Beat cream cheese, sour cream, Old Bay seasoning, and lemon pepper. Stir in the peppers and then the crab. Add pepper sauce last, tasting to adjust the flavor. Using a small scoop or a tablespoon, place mix in each crescent cup. For presentation I use the smallest scoop I have and carefully place a scoop in each crescent cup. Refrigerate until ready to use. This is best the next day, after the flavors marry and intensify. -lm
Heida Olin is a local caterer and educator. You can reach her at heida@lee-magazine.com.. Please visit her blog at www.lee-magazine.com LEE MAGAZINE 9
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Photo by Beth Snipes
A Cactus for the holidays This winter plant is an annual burst of color By Patti Householder
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love poinsettias, but let me advocate for a different holiday plant – one you won't throw out when the season is over, and is available in full, brilliant bloom at garden centers and discount stores: The Christmas cactus. The Christmas cactus is tropical, so it will not survive outside during our winters. In fact, it does not exist in the wild, but is a hybrid of a plant found in the Brazilian rain forest. It has dark green, flat stem segments that join together in a scalloped pattern. A profusion of tubular flowers
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two-inches to three-inches long appear at the end of the each stem, and come in pink, purple, yellow, red and white. It can grow up to two feet tall, but mine cascade over the side of the pot. Give it bright indirect sunlight near a window, but away from drafts and heat vents, which make it drop its blooms. It does not like to be moved around. This is not a true cactus and will not tolerate dry soil, so keep the soil moist, but never soggy. With too much water, the leaves will spot and drop off. If you err, better to err on the side of less water.
The plant loves humidity, which is tough in a heated home in the winter, so place it in a waterproof tray filled with gravel. Add water until the tray is about half filled. As the water evaporates it provides the necessary humidity. When the Christmas cactus quits blooming, water sparingly, so that the soil is barely moist, until new growth appears in spring. Water when the surface of the soil is dry and fertilize with a soluble fertilizer, such as Miracle Grow, following manufacturers directions. To encourage branching, pinch off the
tips of each branch, which will lead to a bushier plant. Once there is no longer a threat of frost in the spring, move it outdoors into a shaded area and keep the soil moist to barely moist. It may need water every two to three days when it is warm and sunny.
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ou can get it too bloom for next Christmas too. You need the right lighting, limited water, and eight to ten weeks of cooler temperatures (days in the low sixties and nights forty-five to fifty-five), staring in late October to early November, to set flower buds. I keep mine outside, but bring it in when the temperatures are predicted to fall below forty-five degrees. The other key factor for bud formation is equal night-to-day length. Putting it in a dark unused bathroom or closet for twelve hours is ideal. Or you could put a box over it, so no light can get in at night, and take it off every day. Finally, reduce water slightly, so soil is barely moist to the touch. The Christmas cactus can bloom year after year and be passed along for generations. Expect to repot every two to three years in spring. It actually prefers to be slightly pot bound and blooms better this way. If the buds drop it is usually due to overwatering, lack of humidity or insufficient light. It is unbeatable when in full bloom and adds a spot of color -lm during the sort days of winter. Master Gardener Patti Householder is a member of the state Master Gardener Association board and a past president of the Lee County Master Gardener program. She lives in Waverly.
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H O M E
COLOR + TEXTURE =
Pizazz!
Open up your closet, it’s time to change your walls By Jacquelyn Dixon
Photo by Beth Snipes
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Photo by Beth Snipes
CHOOSING COLOR The answer is in your closet. Your home should reflect your personality just as your wardrobe does. The colors of your favorite clothing can brim with energy or inspire restful serenity. So let’s dress your walls. Is your closet full of reds, yellows, oranges, and related shades -- warm colors? These tend to jump out at you. They’re bold and dramatic. Is your closet stocked with lots of blues and greens? Those cool colors tend to recede, creating an ideal palette for rooms where relaxing is essential – like your bedroom. Cool colors also work well with lighter-toned woods. So scope out your closet. These are your swatches. Say you are leaning towards that
beautiful bronze blouse -- a great color for any room. Let’s see, though, if it is the right shade for your wall. Your local paint stores can color-match anything these days. To really visualize the color in your room, don’t mess around holding paint chips to the wall. Buy a quart size container and paint a poster board. Attach it to your wall and leave it for a few days. You’ll be amazed how this easy step will help you decide. Color looks different during the day than they do at night -- this lets you see how it changes. Now that you’ve picked the right color, consider the sheen. Flat or matte will provide the most coverage and hide most imperfections. Use this in adult bedrooms or other kid-free areas because frequent washing will remove some of the paint. Eggshell has a little luster and still hides imperfections, but less completely than matte. It’s favored in dining rooms and living rooms, and its durability is medium. Satin is even more lustrous, and easy to clean, so it’s great for high traffic areas, but it really shows surface imperfections. You can’t just touch-up this paint; you need to paint the whole wall again. Semigloss is perfect for bathrooms, kitchens, and trim because it’s easy to clean and very durable. High gloss: Ultra shiny, ultra durable, and clean up is a breeze, but it will highlight any imperfections. It’s best used on cabinets, trim, and doors. Consider, next, adding depth to your color.
ADDING TEXTURE Here’s a trade secret. I love a pretty wall color but I also believe you can take it to another level with texture. You’ve seen this on television, or maybe even in a friend’s home, but have you sampled the world of faux finish plaster? It’s easy to do. Here’s a DIY technique to create Venetian Plaster. It uses thin layers of plaster for a beautiful Old World stucco look.
Photo by Jacquelyn Dixon
alls. I love walls because with smart attention to them, you can give any room a completely fresh look. Here’s the secret formula for this transformation: sixty:thirty:ten. That’s the basic ratio for room color. It means the color impact in any room is sixty percent walls, thirty percent upholstery, and ten percent accessories: Wall color, secondary color, and accent color.
SHOPPING LIST One gallon plaster, between $45 and $65 per gallon. Venetian plaster is a good choice, and can be mixed with any color before you apply it. Stainless trowel: This plaster tool comes in different sizes. Buy the 1/2-round with a straight edge. Rags for cleanup.
THE APPLICATION It’s so easy! Start at the bottom or top of a wall, it really doesn’t matter. Apply a very thin coat of plaster with your trowel straight from the can. It will go on smoothly, almost like buttering toast. Allow to completely dry overnight. For the second layer, apply another very thin layer, pressing very hard to fill all the little areas the trowel skipped the day before. This will give you your polished finish and should feel like glass when touched. You can’t hurt your wall when you try this, so don’t be shy. And feel free to email me with questions. -lm Jacquelyn Dixon is a licensed contractor with fifteen years of experience, who builds custom homes and reinvents existing ones in the Auburn/Opelika area. Jacquelyn can be reached at: reallifebuilders@gmail.com LEE MAGAZINE 13
B R A W N
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By Lisa Gallagher
When You’re Hot, You’re Hot
BELLY UP TO MENOPAUSE By Lisa Gallagher
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ena called and said, “I can look in the mirror and watch myself gain weight!” Her body seemed out of control, and sometimes, so did her mind. She woke up repeatedly every night with night sweats or because she had to go to pee again. She broke out into a drenching sweat during business meetings. Her mood
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Ever since I was in my twenties, I have been hired to help clients going through menopause. Now that I am older, I can identify even more with their struggle. These healthy women come to the fitness center complaining of fatigue, irritability, low level anxiety, sometimes depression, and always weight gain. The number one problem area for women approaching their fifties is the abdomen, followed by the upper arms. Women of childbearing age often deposit fat stores in their hips, glutes and thighs. When menopause begins body fat accumulates in the abdominal and triceps areas. The biggest problem is the visceral fat, located deep in the belly. It raises the risk for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death among women. It is also associated with high cholesterol, hypertension, and insulin resistance. pot reduction does not work. So save your money; the latest infomercial ab crunch device won’t work. Instead develop the habit of doing regular aerobic activity that promotes visceral fat loss, even if you don’t do enough to lose overall weight. This will reduce your risk of heart disease and help keep your midsection svelte. Another reason to perform regular weight bearing exercise is to help prevent bone loss and the risk of falling. The North American Menopause Society reported in 2006 that forty percent of women fifty and older will break a bone due to osteoporosis at some time. Both the American College of Sports Medicine and the menopause society recommend weight bearing and resistance exercise to combat bone loss. Exercise may or may not alleviate hot flashes, but the menopause society still recommends exercise as a complementary therapy to combat this annoying symptom.
swung from anger to tears in an instant. Rena noticed that she wasn’t gaining weight on her hips and thighs as she had in the past. It was settling around her middle. “The bottom two belly rolls don’t bother me,” she joked. “It’s the top one.” She also noticed that her once thin upper arms were getting “fluffy.” What was going on?
Exercise does help anxiety and depression. If you are one of the many experiencing chronic stress, insomnia, and loneliness as a symptom of menopause, exercise is a great first step to feeling like yourself again. Rena has decided to take control of her body and mind. Three to five days each week she alternates walking with a low impact aerobics class, for 30 – 60 minutes, as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine. She lifts weights with a personal trainer twice a week and takes a yoga class or does stretching at home two or three times a week. She even includes Kegal exercises to prevent incontinence. She really feels that exercise is the best medicine, as the side effects are a positive attitude, some new friends, and finally – feeling herself again. -lm
Lisa Gallagher, director of the Fitness Center at the Opelika Sportsplex, is a wellness coach, personal trainer, and group fitness instructor. You can contact her at lisa@lee-magazine.com.
Hours
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Dr. Michael O’Brien and the O’Brien Dental Team go out of their way to ensure you experience a safe, gentle environment and make your smile their top priority! Offering a complete range of restorative and cosmetic dentistry, Dr. O’Brien is trained in the latest techniques, and utilizes contemporary technology, combined with experience and continued education to ensure that you maintain a healthy, beautiful smile and dental comfort you need. Call to schedule your visit and the O’Brien Dental Team will work with you to create a custom treatment plan unique to your dental needs. 822 N DEAN RD #300 • AUBURN • AL 36830
334-821-8800 • www.obriendental.com
EVENT CENTER DOWNTOWN
614 N. RAILROAD AVE., HISTORIC DOWNTOWN OPELIKA, AL •334-705-5466
Visit http://www.facebook.com/eventcenterdowntown www.eventcenterdowntown.com • info@eventcenterdowntown.com
NEW YEAR'S EVE CELEBRATION!
Join us to watch the Bowl game on the 14 ft. Big Screen and flat screens. AU TIGERS VS. VIRGINIA CAVALIERS starts at 6:30PM CST HALFTIME - Tunes of David Ellis. POST GAME - the live music will start featuring Original Cover Band, a 7 member band from Atlanta. With musical roots stretching across multiple genres, this versatile group of award winning musicians and vocalists bring you the best in get up, get moving party music. DOORS OPEN: 6:00 - 1:00AM PRICE: $40 (Reservations by Dec 30th) INCLUDES: 6 P.M.- 9 P.M. Tailgate Food/BBQ 11 P.M. - 1:00 A.M. - Breakfast Buffet Midnight - Champagne Toast
Friday, January 13, 2012 Henry Cho
Comedy Night
THE FUNNY BUT CLEAN COMEDY TOUR featuring Henry Cho and Jim Hope, co-executive producer and writer for 'The Henry Cho Show' on GAC. Advance Tickets $20 Day of Tickets $25 A limited number of tables of 4 available for $100. All remaining tickets are general admission. 7:00PM. Doors open at 6:00PM
Jim Hope
Friday, Jan 20, 2012 WINTER BREWFEST Rhythm & Brews
Will Kimbrough Brandon Jenkins Grayson Capps
featuring acclaimed singer songwriters Grayson Capps http://graysoncapps.com Brandon Jenkins (with full band) http://brandonjenkins.com Will Kimbrough http://www.willkimbrough.com 7:00PM. Doors open at 6:30PM Tickets: $25 (includes 3 drink tickets, beer samples, and selection of over 40 beers, house wine, or well drinks)
Friday, Jan 27, 2012
David Lee Show
The 2004 WORLD CHAMPION "International Images of the King" Birmingham's David Lee's act is the most authentic, most professional show around. Performed with class and respect for Elvis and is suitable for any age group. David Lee is a dynamic performer with an outstanding voice and has been performing his tribute to Elvis since 1995 throughout the United States and Canada. Doors open at 6:00PM : 7:00PM Show. Tickets: $15 advance/Day of Tickets $20
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Weddings & Receptions… We Can Do It!
Chris Beck
My Part of the Story H
ello, my name is Chris Beck. My wife, Lisa, and I are the proud owners of The Event Center Downtown in Opelika. Lisa had been in the event planning business for years and always dreamed of owning a unique venue someday, of which, fund raisers, wedding receptions, conferences, parties, and so on could be held. People that have already been to events here can, and do, attest that we have met our goals and continue to succeed and progress. I find it fascinating to have gone from a third generation sod producer to being the co-owner of this fine facility. In a way my previous experiences have prepared me for this endeavor. In my early years working for my dad, Martin Beck, one of my jobs was traveling to different areas throughout Alabama and Georgia visiting with our customers. Early on I understood the importance of customer relationships and meeting their needs. I was proud of how much people appreciated the quality of our sod we shipped to them and also found that people would let me know how we could improve if I asked. This part of my job inspired me to continue to provide people with the quality they deserve and pay for, and to do what we need to do to keep our customers happy. That is something that I strive for here at the Event Center Downtown. One of my strong points is that I am a people person and want to please the people who contract with us. As we have
unique situations every time we have an event, each event is custom made for every customer. Sometimes it requires me to come up with a solution to a request we have never encountered before. That gets my creative side going. I haven’t had a challenge yet that I could not find a solve. People have audio/visual requests, things that need to be hung from the ceiling joists, special lights that need to be hung, wired, and more. I am excited to announce that we are in the final stages of getting our second floor finished. This upstairs area features a relaxed lounge type atmosphere with an adjacent roof top terrace, another meeting room, bridal quarters, and a multi use green room. We offer spaces for as little as a handful of people to a crowd of 1,500 throughout the property with rental prices starting at $250.00. We can hold events that last for a few hours to ones that go on for several days. Our office hours are from Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Appointments are not necessary but are recommended. We are offering a 25% discount on facility rentals fees for our 2nd floor space booked by Dec. 31, 2011. We are proud that we offer affordable pricing and that we have no hidden fees. Come by for a tour today or you can reach me or any of our staff at 334-705-5466. Sincerely,
Fundraisers & Social Functions… We Can Do It!
Conferences & Seminars… We Can Do It!
Exhibitions & Trade Shows… We Can Do It!
EVENT CENTER DOWNTOWN
334-705-5466 614 N. RAILROAD AVE. OPELIKA, AL
By Taylor Dungjen
W
hen it comes to painting my nails, I am really – let’s be honest – lazy. I once read a magazine article about Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen where one of the twins said they like chipped nail polish. That was the only excuse I needed to let my nails go. I should have grown out of that. But even looking at my nails now, as they dance across my laptop keyboard, I’m noticing that there’s hardly any nail polish left from a paint job I did, well, a month ago. One nail is completely naked. But as I spend more (scratch that, way too much) time on Pinterest – an online bookmarking Web site where you can see what everyone else is into – I’m seeing alternative nail styles that could, possibly, persuade me to be better about maintaining a solid coat. There are nails that look marbled, nails for news hounds, and inventive twists on French tips. So many possibilities! There’s even one style I saw that creates a “mural” of an underwater scene with an octopus. One of
Reid Campbell, Beauregard, shows her style
Photo by Beth Snipes
Art at Your Fingertips DIY NAIL DECORATING its tentacles reaches from the index finger to the middle finger. Genius. Most of these come with fairly simple
18 LEE MAGAZINE
tutorials that I will pass on for anyone brave and bold enough (and less lazy than I am).
Newsprint nails: This is the coolest style. I haven’t actually tried it yet, but it’s on my to-do list. Plus, it looks super easy.
F A S H I O N
First, use a light base coat – a white, beige, or nude color would probably work best, but if you want extra pizzazz, try light pink or blue. Just don’t go with anything that’s very dark. Next, find a newspaper and rip up a page with a lot of text on it – you need ten pieces that are big enough to cover your nail. Then pour yourself a shot – or two if you’re thirsty – of gin and, once your nails are dry, dip one finger into the alcohol for about 25 seconds. Immediately put the newsprint on top of the nail and press down for about 10 seconds with a cotton ball. Finish the look with a clear topcoat. Ta-da! Easy, right? Marble nails: This is a little more complex and looks a little more time
consuming, but the outcome is really neat. First, you’re going to need at least two colors of nail polish. Paint the nails you want to marbleize with a base coat – white will make the other colors pop more. Use a clear tape to cover the skin around the nails. Using a cup of filtered water, create a bull’s eye by adding a drop of polish to the water one color at a time, or you can alternate two or more colors. The more rings you have, the better. Next, take a toothpick or needle and stir to create a swirled pattern on the water. Keeping your nail parallel to the design, dip it into the swirl and under the water. Hold it there while using a toothpick or a Q-tip to clear the excess polish from the cup. Remove your finger and, viola!
Remove the tape and you should have fabulously fun marbleized nails. Other, less dramatic but still glamorous, styles could include a matte nail with a glossy French tip in the same color. Maybe you would prefer a nude nail with a thin tip in a bold color -- or colors if you’re feeling feisty. For the holidays max out and get glitzy with a glitter polish. Go on, give it a whirl – or twirl if you’re marbleizing – and show the Olsen’s that pretty polish dominates the scrappy chipped nails. Your willingness to try it could inspire me to be better about my habits. -lm Taylor Dungjen is a freelance writer who often covers fashion. Write to her at taylor@lee-magazine.com
DEAR RHONDA, We are approaching a New Year and I have yet a new problem with my skin. What are these small white bumps on my face? They are white, hard, never come to a head, if I get really mad and pick at one I get a hard seed out???? I then have a hole left in my face for a week or longer sometimes it never heals it just leaves a scar? What product in my army of under the products would you suggest for these unwanted white bumps? Help me save my face! Sincerely, SAVE MY FACE, OPELIKA
DEAR SAVE MY FACE,
Q
These unwanted white bumps are called milia. Mila is the accumulation of dead skin cells that is not able to get out of the skin. Milia has no infection like whiteheads and no bacteria or pus. Milia has no sebum in its formation. Our skin sheds dead skin cells everyday. Sometimes, when these cells cannot be shed out from the skin, they accumulate and form miila. When you extract a milia from the skin, you will only see white mass. They are dead skin cells. Milia treatment- the only way to remove milia is to have them extracted. It is best to have this done by a professional, to prevent scaring. To prevent milia , exfoliate regularly. Make sure your skin care regiment is correct for your skin type. Get microdermabrasion done regularly. AHAs are also good for removing the top dead skin cells regularly. Vitamin A derivative creams are also good to peel off the top skin layer. Another product I have found helpful in the prevention and removal of milia is Environ Prewash Cleanser used one minute each night before washing your face. If you would like a free consult with me please at 334-749-5604. Find us on Facebook and Hy the web at www.stewartdermatology.net. d Fa ratin cia g Sincerely, l
R honda
Stewart Dermatology
15% off
25 Medical Arts Center, Opelika • 334-749-5604
M O M I T U D E
MY SON, THE DEEP THINKER Choosing the right time to arm the offspring By Kelly Frick
M
y nine-year-old son wrote out his Christmas list in October. I shouldn’t have been surprised at what landed at the top. A BB gun. It was like a scene straight out of “A Christmas Story.” He handed me his list, looked pleadingly at me and I shook my head and said, “I don’t think so.” (Really, he will shoot his eye out.) Each week since, John has continued to ask for a BB gun. My husband thinks it’s a good idea. “He’s nine. All boys want a BB gun.” My father, who is a hunter, also thinks this is a brilliant gift idea. I’m not convinced. I am not against the right to bear arms. Hey, our country has been built on that. What I’m against is giving my son another object that will distress me and get him in trouble. Like the Nerf assault weapon he got last year. Seemed harmless enough as he
20 LEE MAGAZINE
unwrapped it on Christmas morning. The bullets are foam, right? All was well until the moment I put the prime rib on the table. Twelve members of the family were seated and ready for the blessing. Suddenly from the top of the stairs, we took fire. An onslaught of orange foam darts sent everyone running for cover. Foam bullets hit my brother, my mother, the mashed potatoes, and me. John was sent to time out to think about his actions. Or how about the ninja dress-up outfit he received for his eighth birthday? Harmless enough, until he decided to ambush my husband as he came home from work, high-kicking him right in the… well, it wasn’t pretty. Let’s leave it at that. John was sent to time out to think about his actions. There is also the remote-control helicopter that crash-landed into the dining room chandelier. The drum set that he used only when I was on the phone
with my boss. The whoopee cushion that he used on an unsuspecting dinner guest. And each time, John was sent to time out to think about his actions. I’m not sure he learned much from all those time-outs. But let’s face it, time out is really a device that gives you enough time to calm down so you don’t kill your children. In most of those instances, I wasn’t the person purchasing the gift. (The drum set I admit was totally my fault. I thought I was nurturing his artistic soul. Same with a paint set that ended up ruining two pairs of jeans.) Do I give my boy the gift he most wants? Or do I listen to my maternal instincts and buy another Lego set instead? There is a third option, of course. Let Santa Claus decide. Which means John will probably be spending more time thinking about his actions in 2012. -lm Kelly Frick is a writer and mother of two.
LEE MAGAZINE
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The Simple Lesson: Becky Benton and Helping Others
E
very Monday afternoon, Becky Benton's mother went visiting. They called it visiting shut-ins in those days, and her mother took it on as her duty in the town of Opp, Alabama, about fifty miles due west of Dothan. Sometimes Becky accompanied her mother on her visiting day. It wasn’t a big deal. Her mother didn’t put on a show. But it made an impression. It is how Becky learned that not everyone had it
as good as she did, and that left her with a debt. “It was small things,” Becky says. “She didn’t beat this into my head, but I got that sense as a small child that it was very important to visit, to be with people, to make their lives better.” Becky’s father was the chief of air traffic control at Fort Rucker, the U.S. Army post. Her mother stayed home and cared for her and her two siblings. And her mother visited shut-ins.
Story by Jenni Laidman Photos by Beth Snipes 22 LEE MAGAZINE
Lately, those shoes have pinched a little more, as more Lee County people are in need. While Lee County unemployment had fallen to an enviable 6.8 percent in November, need remains substantial and hard to alleviate. “When the economy is tough, it hurts the least of these the most,” she says. This time, it also cut into United Way’s ability to help. The turning point was
for disasters such as tornadoes or flooding. But the emergency fund eventually ran out, and United Way was forced to reduce its contributions to member agencies. “Last year was the first year we actually had to make cuts,” Becky says. The agency tried not to cut funds to groups involved in such survival services as food and shelter. Other services were harder hit. The acrossthe-board average cut was twelve percent,
“I think sometimes, the further you are removed from the need, the harder it is to understand there is a need” -Becky Benton
Not by plan nor by strategy, but perhaps by the route of an apple that keeps close to the tree, Becky has created a life that’s about that simple lesson her mother taught: We help others. For the last 15 years she has carried out that lesson as executive director of the United Way of Lee County. “She doesn’t work like you imagine an executive would,” says Michelle Keese, a United Way employee. “She’s very empathetic. She cares deeply about the clients and always puts herself in their shoes.”
BFGoodrich’s 2009 decision to shut its one-and-a-half-million-square-foot Opelika plant, an institution in town since 1963. The closing left a thousand people jobless; it also cut total corporate giving to the United Way by twenty percent. In response to the lost jobs and the disappearance of a major corporate donor, the United Way dropped its annual campaign goal from $1 million to $900,000 n 2009. Still, the agency fell short of the goal by some $30,000. The following year, Lee County donors managed to meet the $900,000 goal, but not until nine months after the campaign’s ceremonial end. And in the campaign that wrapped up as 2011 drew to a close, United Way remained 20 percent short of its most recent $900,000 goal. But that doesn’t mean it’s over. “We say we wrap up at year’s end, because we allocate the funds in January, but we still hope to raise that 20 percent,” Becky says. The loss in funding, combined with reductions in federal and state funding to United Way member agencies, added to the hardships for community members. United Way was able to delay the impact of its funding loss on member agencies by making use of an emergency fund created
although some member agencies saw no reduction in funding, and a few saw reductions as large as twenty-eight percent. Because the disaster relief fund was depleted by the recession, if Lee County is hit by a major disaster, United Way would have to dig into its six-month operating reserve. After reviewing the financial realities, Becky catches herself. “I don’t want this to sound like gloom and doom We certainly live in a very, very caring community,” she says. “We’re so blessed here in Lee County.” ut she acknowledges that at times those blessings keep people from realizing the depth of need that remains. Until her tenure at United Way, and the Domestic Violence Intervention Center before that, she wasn’t aware either, she says. “I really didn’t realize some of the problems we did have,” Becky says. “If you’re not a victim of domestic violence or you don’t have someone in your family who’s effected, you may not realize that’s really a problem. If you’re not around situations where children are abused, you wouldn’t know. It happens much more frequently than people realize.”
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“I think sometimes, the further you are removed from the need, the harder it is to understand there is a need,” she said. That makes education an important component of the United Way’s mission. Part of that education has to focus on helping individuals understand that they are an essential part of the solution. “It’s like watching a telethon on television, and you think, someone else will make that donation. It’s not that you don’t care. You just think somebody else will do it. But a lot of times, if we don’t step up to do it, it won’t happen.”
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ecky Benton did not set out to run charitable agencies. As a girl in Opp, a place best known for its annual rattlesnake rodeo, she dreamed of teaching. She attended the University of South Alabama in Mobile as an education major. Then, for ten years, she taught special needs children, first in Abilene, Texas, then in Waco. Teaching was a big surprise. She had imagined filling the role her own teachers filled: Standing in front of the class, helping children through lessons, grading
24 LEE MAGAZINE
papers. The reality was far different. The children she taught needed her in a much more elemental way. They ranged from toddlers with incomplete toilet training to ten year olds. “It was not what I thought it was going to be. The children had so many different
Despite the pleasure she took from her job, she found herself ready for a change. For one thing, she couldn’t help worrying. She was single, and teacher pay wasn’t great. Deciding to focus on improving her earnings, she moved back to Alabama to earn a master’s in business administration
But it was a little intimidating; Jude Peterson had run the agency for twenty-six years. “I felt like I was trying to replace Bear Bryant or Shug Jordan. But the board was wonderful. -Becky Benton kinds of needs, that no two days were the same. And your goals are different. Your goal is to help each child be the best they can be, and that may be only counting to ten, or helping a child figure out what different coins they need to go to the Coke machine and put them in.” “The work was very rewarding,” she says. “The smiles you would get from the children when they would accomplish a task were just so amazing. There is nothing like working with children.”
from Auburn University, with thoughts of becoming a businesswoman. But by the time she finished her degree in 1992, she knew she wasn’t cut out for the corporate world. “I guess I could not get it, whatever it is,” that made someone a corporate type. “With a personality that makes you want to be a teacher, and enjoy being with people, and being a part of people’s life, I realized that probably working in the corporate sector probably would not make
Becky and staff members Kristen Meadows, campaign manager and Michelle Keese, community resource development specialist
me happy.” Now she was at sea. “I was just trying to find out what’s next. I just wasn’t sure. I felt like getting the business degree was the right thing, but now how am I going to use that.” Then, to her good fortune – in a way -- someone embezzled money from what was then the East Alabama Task Force for Battered Women. It turned out, with her new MBA and her need to help others, she was uniquely suited not only to sort out the mess, but to put new systems in place to prevent it from happening again. “I felt like God opened that door for me,” she said. In 1995, she married to Chip Johnson, whose job kept him on the road a lot. When they decided it was time to have a baby (Their son Trace is a seventh grader at Lee Scott Academy), she knew it was time to job hunt. She couldn’t tote a baby along when she responded to middle-of-the-night distress calls from women escaping intolerable lives. So after four years as executive director of the task force, she moved to the United Way in 1997, replacing
long-time director Judith Peterson. “I definitely lucked into the United Way job,” Becky says. “It wasn’t something I was just actually looking for.” ut it was a little intimidating; Jude Peterson had run the agency for twenty-six years. “I felt like I was trying to replace Bear Bryant or Shug Jordan. But the board was wonderful. They said, ‘We don’t expect you to be Jude. We expect you to be Becky.’” There was a lot to learn, not the least of which was how to make the best of the volunteers that made United Way work. “That has been a major blessing,” she says. “When you have paid employees, there’s a contractual obligation there. Volunteers are working from their hearts. They already have paid jobs. They’re giving up something to be able to help you.” The challenge becomes finding ways to make the volunteer work a positive thing for them. “You want to make sure you’re a meeting the need of that individual. It could be students who need a credit for a class, or
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LEE MAGAZINE 25
just that mom who also needs to show her child you need to give something back.” She has regular contact with forty to fifty of the two hundred volunteers or so who help United Way. “What I try to do, as much as I can with my immediate volunteers, is stay in contact with them. And we do that in broader ways, like the newsletter, so they know what’s going on in the organization, they’re getting feedback that the time they’re giving – whether raising money or sitting on the board – that that time is making a difference, families are being helped, children are being fed – that their efforts are making a difference.” inding just what Lee County needs “is a more difficult than you would think.” The United Way works with Auburn University MBA students regularly to formulate a survey and target an audience. “We try to do these surveys every five or so years to see if things are changing, if needs are met, where we lack services, where their seems to be a need. It’s always an ongoing process,” Becky says. Man-on-the-street interviews, phone interviews, written surveys administered at member agencies to employees and people receiving services, all help the United Way decide where money is best spent. In the most recent survey, United Way workers noted an increasing number of children in single-parent homes, which sparked a review of what services were available for those families. “Are their mentoring programs out there to assist these moms –
F
they are predominantly female-headed households – and are there services available to help their children?” Things like the Boys & Girls Club and the one-on-one mentoring program, Project Uplift, are helping meet the needs of this growing population. he other area of need United Way identified is the growth in the numbers of senior citizens in Lee County. This led them to examine what was available for low-income seniors, such as adult daycare at East Alabama Services for the Elderly. One area that Becky expects to see growth is in financial education. “We’re looking at what we can do to assist families in, not just putting a Band-Aid on a situation, but seeing if there are better ways to work with families and help them manage and grow resources.” United Way of Central Alabama is already working on this area. “We’re not in a position right now to be able to do that, but we realize that there is a need.” The amazing thing is, Becky says, the people of Lee County help meet all of these diverse needs. And it’s only a matter of time before more people catch on to the fact that they can also make a difference. “We are so blessed, she says. “We’re blessed by the number of nonprofits. Our three school systems are some of the best in the state. We have a lot to be proud of, and we can be proud of how we take care of each other. I can’t imagine wanting to live anywhere else than Lee County. It’s just a little diamond. It really is.” -lm
T
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www.auburnbank.com Bank Offices Auburn • Hurtsboro • Opelika Phenix City • Notasulga Mortgage Offices Phenix City • Valley Mountain Brook MEMBER FDIC
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United Way of Lee County P.O. Box 3075 . Auburn, AL 36831 334.745.5540 www.unitedwayofleecounty.com
LOCAL UNITED WAY AGENCIES Mark your calendar for twelve months of giving. No 211 or reason to wait until tax time or the holidays to feel all 1.888.421.126 warm and fuzzy when you can have that feeling every day Achievement Center – Easter Seals 334.745.3501 of the year. 2-1-1 Community Connections
American Red Cross 334.749.9981 Andrew Willis Fund Auburn City Schools Dental Clinic 334.887.1926 Auburn Day Care Centers 334.821.4060 Auburn Dixie League Baseball 334.501.2930 Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County 334.502.1311 Child Advocacy Center of EA 334.705.0770 Child Care Resource Center 334.749.8400 Community Market of EAFB 334.749.8844 Crisis Center of Lee County 334.821.8600 Dixie Youth Baseball of Opelika Domestic Violence Intervention EA Services for the Elderly
MARCH -- Celebrate the Wearing of the Green — Mark St. Patrick’s Day by giving a little green to local giving organizations.
-lm APRIL -- Care for the Planet and Environment —
Carpool with somebody on your way to work or school and make sure you’re picking up after yourself! April 22 is Earth Day. What have you done for your planet lately?
Gemini. When you’re at the grocery store, buy doubles of
334.749.1515 nonperishable foods to donate to the food bank. JUNE -- Send A Card — Drop a line to a loved-one, 334.826.5811
Food Bank of East Alabama 334.821.9006 Greater Peace Child Dev. Center 334.749.5555 334.821.7624
Junior Achievement Lee County Youth Dev. Center 334.745.0503 Lee County Literacy Coalition 334.705.0001 Project Uplift 334.844.4430 Rape Counselors of East Alabama 334.741.0707 Salvation Army 334.826.0073 Unity Wellness Center of EAMC 334.887.5244 William Mason Emergency Fund 334.745.5540 26 LEE MAGAZINE
FEBRUARY -- Share the Love — A kind word or gesture can turn a gloomy day cheerful. Do your part to bring out the sunshine. Visit someone in a nursing home and be their Valentine.
MAY – Double Up — You don’t have to go in 334.705.5560 for astrology to double-up on giving in the month of
EA Mental Health/Retardation 334.742.2212
Joyland Child Dev. Center
JANUARY-- Share the Warmth — Donate an old coat or other winter clothing to the Salvation Army or another local agency and help keep someone warm this holiday season.
friend, or veteran and let them know you’re thinking of them.
JULY – School is around the corner – What can you do to make sure a child has what she needs to start school next month? AUGUST -- Lend a hand – Some local agency can put your talents to good use. Pick up the phone and find out about opportunities to volunteer. SEPTEMBER -- Everyone Wins — Every time Auburn wins, send five bucks to a new charity. OCTOBER – Treats for Halloween -- Show your gratitude to folks working for local charitable organizations by dropping off baked goods for the staff to say thanks.
NOVEMBER – Sharing the Harvest -- Share a home-cooked dinner with someone with whom you don’t spend much time. DECEMBER -- Find a Wish List — Contact a local nonprofit and ask about a wish tree or a wish list and buy a gift for someone who needs it.
calendar
AUBURN CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY, 479 East
Thach Avenue, Auburn. Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 2-6 p.m. Information: 501-3190. JAN DEMPSEY COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER GALLERY, 222 East Drake Avenue, Auburn.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission: free. Information: 5012963. JULE COLLINS SMITH MUSEUM OF FINE ART,
901 South College Street, Auburn. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4:45 p .m. Saturday. Admission: free. Information: 844-1484. LEE COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY, 1140 Ware Drive, Auburn. Adoption hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Drop offs strays or pick up found pets: Tuesday through Sunday, 8:30 to 5 p.m.; Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Information: 821-3222; lchs@leecountyhumane.org. LEWIS COOPER JUNIOR MEMORIAL LIBRARY,
200 South Sixth Street, Opelika. Hours: Monday and Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Information: 705-5380 LEE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 6500
Stage Road (Highway 14), Loachapoka. Hours: Second Saturday of every month, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Information: 8873007, webmaster@leecountyhistoricalsociety.org. LOUISE KREHER FOREST ECOLOGY PRESERVE,
3100 Highway 147 North, Auburn. Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission: free. Information: 707-6512.
28 LEE MAGAZINE
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WHEN
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WHERE
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December 2011/January 2012
ONGOING: To celebrate that there’s nothing so nice as formal wear, the Lee County Humane Society, 1140 Ware Drive, Auburn, offers Tuxedo Tuesday discounts for “tuxedo” wearing pets. All adoptions of black-and-white cats and dogs, as well as solid black cats and dogs, will cost $50. Information: 821-3222. ONGOING through December 12: Photo XIII Juried Exhibition at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center is an annual photography exhibition by regional artists and photographers. Admission: free. ONGOING through January 7: An exhibit of Jürgen Tarrasch paintings, Jule Collins Smith Museum of Art. Admission: free. DECEMBER 17 AND JANUARY 21: Wii Play All Day for teens at Auburn Public Library from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information: 501-3196. DECEMBER 20 AND JANUARY 10, 17, 24, 31: Baby Time, 10 a.m., Auburn Public Library, stories and crafts for babies six months to eighteen months and their parents. Admission: free. Information: 5013196.
DECEMBER 22 AND JANUARY 12, 19, 26, AND FEBRUARY 2: Preschool Story Time, 10 a.m., Auburn Public Library, for children ages three to five and their parents. Admission: free. Information: 501-3196. DECEMBER 31: Bring in the New Year dancing with David Ellis and the Original Cover Band from Atlanta, Event Center Downtown, 614 North Railroad Avenue, Opelika. 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Admission: $40. Information: 705-5466. OPENS JANUARY 4: From One to Infinity, an exhibit of works inspired by numbers, Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center. Information: 501-2963. Admission: free. JANUARY 4, 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 26 AND FEBRUARY 1, 3: Senior Fit Class, lowimpact, low-intensity workout, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., Frank Brown Recreation Center, 235 Opelika Road, Auburn. Admission: free. Information: 501-2948. JANUARY 5, 12, 19, 26 AND FEBRUARY 2: Senior Bridge Club, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Frank Brown Recreation Center, 235 Opelika Road, Auburn. Space is limited. Admission: free. Information: 887-5137.
DECEMBER 20 AND JANUARY 3 AND 17: Bi-Weekly Bingo Lunch for seniors, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dean Road Recreation Center, 307 South Dean Road, Auburn. Admission: free. Bring a covered dish and a friend. Information: 501-2930. DECEMBER 21 AND JANUARY 11, 18, 25, AND FEBRUARY 1: Toddler Time, 10 a.m., Auburn Public Library, for children eighteen months to three years and their parents, includes a story and crafts. Admission: free. Information: 501-3196.
JANUARY 9: Magic Tree House Club, Auburn Public Library, 3:30 p.m. ,for kindergarten through fifth graders reading the Magic Tree House Club series. Information: 501-3196.
JANUARY 10, 17, 24, 31 AND FEBRUARY 7: Games, quilting, needlepoint, arts and crafts, and exercise at the Golden Age Club, 9 a.m. to noon, Boykin Community Center, 400 Boykin Street, Auburn. Admission: free. Information: 887-5147.
and Jim Hope of Great American Country’s “The Henry Cho Show,” 7 p.m., Event Center Downtown, 614 North Railroad Avenue, Opelika. Advance tickets: $20, day of the show: $25. Information: 705-5466.
JANUARY 10, 17, 24, 31 AND FEBRUARY 7: Zumba Gold for Auburn seniors, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Boykin Community Center, 400 Boykin Street, Auburn. Admission: free. Pre-registration required at the Dean Road Recreation Center, 307 South Dean Road. Information: 501-2930.
and dulcimer music, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Second Saturday at the Lee County Historical Society, 6500 Stage Road, Loachapoka. Admission: free. Information: 887-3007.
JANUARY 11, 18, 25 AND FEBRUARY 1:
Auburn seniors are invited to free blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, hemoglobin and vision screenings for the Auburn University School of Nursing Health Promotion Clinics, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Boykin Community Center, 400 Boykin Street, Auburn. Information: 844-6758. JANUARY 12, 19, 26 AND FEBRUARY 2: Zum-
ba Gold for Auburn seniors, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Boykin Community Center, 400 Boykin Street, Auburn, or from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., Frank Brown Recreation Center, 235 Opelika Road, Auburn. Admission: free. Pre-registration required at the Dean Road Recreation Center, 307 South Dean Road. Information: 501-2930.
Henry Cho
JANUARY 14: Frontier demonstrations
JANUARY 17: Puppet Show at Auburn
Public Library at 3:30 p.m. for kids ages three through ten. Information: 501-3196. JANUARY 19: Spring Opening Lecture by Collector Arthur Primas, 6 p.m., Jule Collins Smith Musem of art. Admission: free. JANUARY 20: “Maltby Sykes: Gentleman
Modernist” Film Premier Gala and Auction celebrates the premier of this documentary about the printmaker, teacher and artist. Renown Chef Gerald Hirigoyen of the San Francisco restaurant Piperade prepares a three-course Basque meal for this black tie-optional gala at the Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center. Tickets: $125 for one or $1,250 for a table of ten. Information: 844-3085. JANUARY 26: American Girl Book Club,
Auburn Public Library, 3:30 p.m. for kindergarten through fifth graders reading the American Girl series. Information: 501-3196. JANUARY 26: Natasha Trethewey, win-
JANUARY 13: Comedy Night with Henry Cho
ner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize, for her 2006 poetry collection, Native Guard, and creative writing professor at Emory University, is featured in Embodying Blackness Poetry Reading, 5 p.m., Jule Collins Smith Museum of Art. Admission: free.
JANUARY 26: Support the Lee County Humane Society by turning in your dinner receipt at Spirit Night at Brick Oven Pizza Co., 2520 Enterprise Drive, Opelika, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Information: 745-0223. OPENS JANUARY 28: In the Background:
Flora in J.J. Audubon’s The Birds of America, an exhibition that examines Audubon the botanist. Admission: free. JANUARY 27: See Elvis impersonator Da-
vid Lee at The David Lee Show, 7 p.m., Event Center Downtown, 614 North Railroad Avenue, Opelika. Advance tickets: $15 or $20 at the show. Information: 705-5466. OPENS FEBRUARY 4: Auburn Collects: Se-
lections from the Ed Hayes Collection, Jule Collins Smith Museum of Art, includes works by Old Masters and contemporary artists. Admission: free. FEBRUARY 7: The film, “The Toe Tactic”
is part of The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers, Jule Collins Smith Museum of Art, 6 p.m. Admission: free. FEBRUARY 24: Auburn Seniors are invited
to see Faulkner University dinner theatre’s production of Big River. The deadline to register is Friday, January 27 and the $30 fee includes transportation, entrance fee, and dinner. Register at the Dean Road Recreation Center, 307 South Dean Road, Auburn. Information: 501-2930.
Have an event you'd like to add to our calendar? Just send your information to: editor@lee-magazine.com LEE MAGAZINE 29
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