2016 fall lwl by Lake Wedowee Life

www.LakeWedoweeLife.com

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I N S I D E

T H I S

I S S U E

Specials

Pets of Wedowee Contest Winner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Lake Wedowee Pets on Instagram. . . 18 Instagram Summer in Review. . . . . . . . 20 The Need for Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Reader Submitted Photos. . . . . . . . . 26-30 Tiny Home Movement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Tee Up for Bison Classic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

In Every Issue

Letter from the Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 The Tale of Jimmy Jack: Reaching the Jackpot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 What’s Cooking: Easy Weeknight Meal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Charley’s Treasure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Where in the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Parting Shot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Contributors

Charley Norton Tracy Carpenter Shondae Brown Lake Wedowee Readers

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For the cover of

this issue of Lake Wedowee Life, Penny the Goldendoodle was captured enjoying a day at the lake. She was the 2016 winner of our Pets of Wedowee Photo Contest. To see more of Penny, visit pages 14-16. Be sure to stay to stay connected with Lake Wedowee Life while you are away from the Lake by visiting our website www.lakewedoweelife.com. You can also share pictures of your pets year round by using the hashtage #petsofwedowee on instagram.

GENERAL MANAGER

EDITOR

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Leisel Caldwell

Kelly Caldwell

Lavoy Caldwell

holidaylifeads@gmail.com

news@lakewedoweelife.com

ads@lakewedoweelife.com

Lake Wedowee Life 256.357.4557

877.959. LAKE (5253)

104 West Broad Street

Wedowee, Alabama

w w w . L a k e W e d o w e e L i f e . c o m

Lake Wedowee Life

is published five times a year by parent company Caldwell Sales Inc., which also produces Friday Night Life and Southern Holiday Life magazines. All content in the publication is protected by United State copyright law and many not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed or otherwise published without the prior written permission of Caldwell Sales Inc. ÂŠ 2008-2016 Caldwell Sales Inc. 6 LAKE WEDOWEE LIFE

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Which Hat Will People Remember You Wearing? There are so many ways to describe a person. For example… I am a daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. But, I am also an editor, shop owner and community leader. Then again, I also like to think I am friendly, witty and kind. Granted others may describe me in a different way, but lets stick to the positives for today shall we? ;) We often wear many hats through the day and your never know how someone may remember you. In July, we lost a man that wore many hats in this community. Greg East was so many things to so many people. Son, husband, father, grandfather, church deacon, fire chief, business owner and friend to name just a few roles he played. My first real memories of Greg were of him teasing me about my personal life. He had a wicked sense of humor and I will miss that grin that seemed to be a permanent fixture on his face. But it was our dealings with Lake Wedowee Summer Jam that Greg East, above, scooping ice cream for concert showed me the type of person he goers at Lake Wedowee Summer Jam in 2013. was… If you remember that was a Memorial Day concert we did for a few years to benefit local charities that provided food for the needy. Anyway, Greg signed up right away to be a sponsor because he was always helping the community. Well the night of the concert rolled around and he and Mrs. Jerolene were set up with a booth scooping out ice cream by the cup full for FREE… All they were asking is for donations… The free ice-cream didn’t last long and the next year Greg doubled the amount he brought to the concert. That’s what was so great about Greg… He loved to be a part of the community and this community is going to miss him for a long time to come. It was also evident that Greg was a pay it forward type of person. There are countless stories like the one I just shared about Greg and his kind deeds. After his funeral Jerolene and I talked about the good he did and how she wants everyone that received his kindness to pass it on to someone else…That way Greg’s kindness will continue and his presence will continue to be felt in this community. Greg East’s legacy is one of kindness, humor and faith. I always knew where I stood with him, and there was no doubt if I ever needed anything, he was just a phone call away. No matter how small the task, he was always willing to help. I think we all could take a lesson from the way he lived and make this world an even better place!

Enjoy Life! Kelly

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Reaching the Jackpot After the humiliation of being to get them off our backs. Can you outsmarted by a kid, we headed do that? Will you do that?” back to the lagoon. B George looks down at his “I told you Charley. I told you feet while kneading his hands he was no good. You should’ve let nervously. me take care of it. You should’ve “Your right, man.” He said “I’ve listened to me” B said. done stuff. Things I’m not proud of, “What part of we’re not killing but things that had to be done. anyone don’t you understand, B?” “But it isn’t what I did that I said. “We’re not going to kill and bothers me. It’s what I’ve seen. we’re not going to torture anyone. Stuff I want to unsee. You don’t This isn’t for debate or discussion know what it’s like to watch a because it isn’t brother die. Sure, going to happen. our blood may’ve “You’re the been different but them one that said you we were brothers, arrested for could keep them maybe closer than in check with the brothers I grew outstanding warrants surveillance and up with. We were your connections tight, man. So much that you create, and I gave you a that I would’ve laid crap load of money and I want them over a grenade for to do it! If I wanted demoralized. You do any one of them. them dead, there But that didn’t that, and we will be are other ways, a happen. Instead, lot less expensive, the last thing on their one of them laid I could of done over a grenade for mind. to do that. I need me. He died so I your help. Are you could live and why? going to help or what? I’ve got to “Who am I to get a second trust that you’re going to be able chance on life? What should I do to to keep your head and not go into pay for his sacrifice? Afghanistan mode. You’ve been “So I get out and come home. through a lot, and I can appreciate Home to a different world and that. But this is a different war we it’s hard. All I know is to protect have here and we have to be smart. those close to me so when there is “I want their finances wrecked. a threat, I react. You are my brother I want IRS auditors on them. now and so is Big A. I can do what I want their power and water you ask and more but I promise you shut off and their vehicles taken that no one will drop on a grenade away or disabled. I want them for me again.”….. arrested for outstanding warrants “ That’s not going to happen that you create and I want them B.” I said “ It’s not going to happen demoralized. You do that and we’ll because we are going to hit them be the last thing on their mind. See with a stick so long there will be no if they paid their property taxes. If way they can hit back. You’ve done they didn’t, I can buy their property so much and fought so hard. I wish at auction and we can completely I never got you involved, you don’t run them off, but the main thing is need this.”

I want

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“ If you’d of done that”, B said, “you’d of got the worst beating of your life! You guys need me and I need you. Believe it or not, for me, this is therapeutic!” Back at the shack, we decided to split up and search the property for any clues. Big A went to check around the lagoon, B went into the house and worked on some distractions he could put on the Manus bunch and I started up the hill where the water wheel pipe was buried. About 50 feet up the hill I could see something carved in a tree. It was the number 157. About 75 feet or so beyond that was a pile of rocks. I called for Big A to come up. When we got to the rocks, we noticed a concrete slab about a yard square near the rocks. “It’s a well” Big A said, and he reached down to move the concrete over. “Wait, don’t touch that!” I said, seeing the impression in the concrete reading 159. “ It’s booby trapped, the note Jimmy Jack left me said 159 and you lose your head, 157 will lose your leg. “You see that number? This is what he was talking about. Go back to the shack and see if there is a scale somewhere. There is a combination of this pile rocks that has to weigh 158 pounds” Big A went back to the shack while I brushed the leaves and dirt away around the perimeter of the slab. There was a steel plate on one side that had a smaller plate on top fixed to a guide. I carefully slide the plate over to find a hole cut into the larger plate underneath. It’s shape looked vaguely familiar. Big A was back with the scales

so I slid the cover back, and we started to weigh the rocks until we achieved 158 pounds. We put them on the concrete slab and waited for something to happen……nothing did. “ This makes no sense” I said. “Why put the numbers up and have a freaking pile of rocks that somehow had a combination of exactly 158 pounds and it not work? This is stupid. Jimmy Jack is just pulling our chain. It’s a piece of concrete, no more. All this is, another clue that will keep me looking forever and never find anything. He wants me to do what he did and that’s to spend my whole life looking for something that doesn’t exist! “We got some steaks at the shack. I say let’s go back, grill some

small amount that protruded out the top. Then he slid the second plate back over the top Jimmy Jack was hiding is long of it and put the rocks back on that we had gone now. It’s full of water. weighed at 158 pounds. When the last rock was set, there was a meat and salvage what’s left of our “click” as it pushed the nugget down weekend.” into the hole and at the same time, a “Shut up” Big A said “ I have an crashing sound. idea.” One log fell behind us and He grabbed the front of my shirt another down the hill. It was the and pulled the collar down, then bobby trap that jimmy jack had set grabbed the necklace that had the for anyone that tried to lift the slab. nugget that Jimmy Jack gave me. We took all the rocks back He broke the chain and pulled it through the hole in the nugget until off and found that a steel bar had raised up out of the slab, like a the nugget was free from it. Then handle. Big A pulled it up and slid he slid the top plate over on the the slab out of the way. concrete slab. “Whatever Jimmy Jack was “ That’s what I thought” he said hiding is long gone now,” I said. “It’s and inserted the nugget into the full of water.” hole that was in the second steel I pulled my flashlight out and plate. It fit perfectly except for a could see that the water was

Whatever

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completely clear. I could make out the bottom, which looked to be about 8 foot deep. The water had a current. “This is the water that feeds the water wheel” I said “ But why would he protect it so much? It’s Water!” “Look!” Big A said. “You see that?” There was a valve just beneath the surface of the water with a gear and chain, like a big bicycle chain that went down to the bottom. Big A reached down and started to turn the valve to close it. The more he turned, the lower the water level went. By the time he had got it completely shut almost all the water had evacuated the chamber. When the water had drained

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off, we saw a make shift steel ladder embedded into the wall, so we climbed into the chamber with our flashlights. There were two containers bolted to the floor. They were a heavy grade plastic and had several clasps holding the lid down. After removing them, we opened the lid to find they were waterproof. In the first container, there was guns, ammo and enough sea rations to keep one alive a couple weeks. In the other, there were clothes, a blanket, some paperwork and below that,….Gold! …. Now I don’t know much about gold but there was at least a couple pounds of it. We went to screaming and hollering so much that we didn’t hear B yelling down from

above. “What are you guys doing?” B said “ I’m down at the shack working my butt off and you guys are in a hole partying. I don’t get it. Why did the wheel stop? There’s no power at the house. What exactly are you guys doing down there? “Come on down, B” I said “You’ve got to see this.”

Editor’s Note: The Tale of Jimmy Jack’s Treasure is a work of fiction (as far as we know.) It may contain some elements of truth as most good tales do. Please do not stalk Charley in an effort to find his treasure.

www.Facebook.com/lakewedoweelife

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Penny For Your Toughtsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Pets of Wedowee Contest Winner In the Homes issue of Lake Wedowee Life we announced a Pets of Wedowee Contest. We had several enter their fur babies and it was a tough decision for sure. But, something about Penny, the Goldendoodle, charmed the hearts of all the judges. Penny lives full time with her human, Morgan Sidwell, in Auburn, but frequently visits Lake Wedowee when Morgan comes to visit her parents Mark and Pam Sidwell. Penny loves the water and loves boatrides. Penny is a tech-savvy pup and has her on instagram account. You can follow her adventures @penny. on.the.plains on instagram.

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Penny was a trooper the day of her photoshoot. Even though she did not like it when we tried to put her on the jetski! If you are interested in seeing your pet featured in Lake Wedowee Life, email us at news@lakewedoweelife.com or use the hashtag #petsofwedowee on instagram or facebook.

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A Few of Pennyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Instagram Adventures

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Penny on the Plains is not the only dog that loves spending time on Lake Wedowee . These dogs love the lake and instagram! The photos used were tagged either #lakewedowee or #lakewedoweelife. 1. @its.me.ladylouise 2. @brittanyclowry 3. @jackilyn_lowry 4. @calithecatahoula13 5. @notsplenda 6. @stickerqueen02 7. @cooperthepooper18. @alliezrealestate 9. @anaslough 10. @jadipsails 11. @sunny_ brookes 12. @hrfooshee

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Instagramis a fun and quirky way to share your life with friends through a series of pictures. The following pictures were selected based on the photographers use of hashtags. The hashtags #lakewedowee and #lakewedoweelife were how the pictures were selected. If you wish to contribute pictures to this section of Lake Wedowee Life, be sure to tag all your lake pictures with #lakewedoweelife. Thanks and happy snapping!

@camersonpjackson

@kimzwells

@rhettharmon

@okjones4

@missiescott

@pamgraben

@rhettharmon

@l0rd_nik0n

@jayceemartin_

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@krystalsheppardkey

@johndunaway

@the_crazy_dragon_lady

@kimberly16h

@smithpass

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@lollibenz40

@lreberry2

@capturethesouth

@hlgau

@@tphilporter

@stellalweaver

@britt_b_chumney

@sgoodson89

@l0rd_nik0n

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The Need for Speed Insanity… That’s how the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series describes the sport on its website. “How else can you describe a form of racing in which nitro methane top fuel machines vaporize the liquid 1/4 mile in just 4.7 seconds at over 250 miles per hour?” The website asks. Lake Wedowee’s own Bill Henderson describes it as one of the biggest adrenaline rushes you can experience. And, he should know, he has been drag boat racing for more than 20 years. “The rush is like no other,” Henderson said. Henderson races in the pro-eliminator class of the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series. “There are 13 classes but only two run faster than the class I am in,” he said. “Those two classes require the boats to have F-16 canopies makes so much more and roll cages. I power than gasoline am in the fastest class for open does, but it’s not very cockpit boats.” efficient. My boat will Just how fast??? Well, it burn four and a half depends on the gallons on a quarter day but he has traveled a quarmile. ter mile as fast as 7.17 seconds. But, he doesn’t encourage that. “I am on probation for that one,” Henderson said, “In the pro-eliminator class we run on an 8 second index with a 7.70 second rule. “That means you can’t go faster than 7.70 seconds in a quarter mile, if you do it… The first time you get a warning and are put on probation. If you do it again, then you are out for the rest of the year.”

Methanol

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Henderson has been racing for more than 20 years. He competes in the Pro-Eliminator Class of the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series. Even on probation, the three-time world champion is third in point standings and can make a run at the point championships again this season. “We have 15 or 16 point championships and I have been Driver of the Year,” Henderson said. “I have only been punched out in the first round one time.” To race a quarter mile in those times, his boat doesn’t run on regular gasoline. It runs on methanol which is the closest thing to pure alcohol that someone would put in the tank. “Methanol makes so much more power than gasoline does,” Henderson said. “But its not very efficient. My boat will burn four and a half gallons of methanol on a quarter mile.” Henderson is competing in his 23rd season of drag boat racing but started out on land with go carts. It was an employer in Florida that got him

It’s in my blood. Once you get off into one of these, there is not much else like it.

hooked on boat racing. “I have worked on boats for 30 years,” Henderson said. “It’s in my blood. Once you get off into one of these, there is not much else like it. Its addictive for sure.” Having that need for speed, there are certain safety measures that Henderson follows. “Can you imagine driving 170 miles per hour in an open cockpit boat? Its not for the faint of heart… It can be pretty dangerous, that’s one of the reasons for the 7.70 rule. We all take the safety precautions very seriously.” One of the precautions is breaking… The boat has a parachute for emergency stops and there are numerous safety precautions taken during each event. The Hendersons travel all over the country for competitions, but their home track is in Augusta, GA.. “We have a pretty big following from over here that comes to Augusta to watch us,” Melanie Henderson, Bill’s wife, said. “We used to consider Gadsden our home track but they quit racing up there… So even though it’s three hours away…Augusta is home for us.” LAKE WEDOWEE LIFE 25

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Photos by Nancy Burnes, Karen Goedde; Suzanne Alverson; Linda Remillard; Nick Fables; Lisa Alvis. If you would like to submit photos, email news@ lakewedoweelife.com. Please send hi-res photos.

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Photos by Linda Barber; Karen Goedde; Brittany Campbell; Lisa McNeese; Brittany Campbell and Nancy Burnes. If you would like to submit photos, email news@ lakewedoweelife. com. Please send hi-res photos.

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Photos by Linda Remillard, Rick Rover, Linda Barber and Karen Goedde. To submit photos, email news@lakewedoweelife.com Hi-res photos please! 28 LAKE WEDOWEE LIFE

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Photography by (top left, clockwise) Suzanne Alverson; Brittany Campbell; Linda Remillard; Brenda Staib; Terre Loveall and Rick Rover. If you would like to submit photos, email news@lakewedoweelife.com. Please send hi-res photos.

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Tiny Home Movement Leads to Giveaway and More in Clay Co. Did you know the average home size in the United States is 2,600 square feet? That’s 1,000 more square feet than it was in 1978, yet the average American household (meaning people living together under one roof) has gotten smaller. “The American Dream has kind of turned into the American Nightmare,” Stan Gaither, executive director of the Ashland Housing Development Corp., said. “It’s great to own stuff… I am guilty of it for sure… But with owning stuff comes so much more. There is overhead costs that are associated with stuff and it becomes more of a situation that your stuff owns you.” If given the opportunity… Would you downsize to a 200 square foot tiny home on wheels? Well The AHDC and the Clay County Chamber of Commerce are willing to give one lucky individual

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This Tiny Home will be given away Sunday Sept. 18 at the 1st Annual Southeastern Tiny Home Festival in Ashland. The twoday event will include vendors and more. that option with their Tiny Home Giveaway as part of the 1st Annual Southeastern Tiny Home Festival Sept. 17-18. The Tiny Home Giveaway is also being used as a way to kickoff the launch of the AHDC manufacturing facility located at the Clay

County Economic Development Council Industrial Park. The AHDC has been providing affordable housing for residents of Clay County since 1987 as well as contributing to other organizations in the community,. ““We would like to do more,”

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Trekker Trailers will be on hand at the Festival and attendees will be able to tour one of its Gypsy Wagons.

Gaither said.. “But, as the years have gone by federal funding has been cut drastically. We have a big vision to provide more not only to the AHDC but also to continue growing the community.” As the organization researched revenue sources, the idea to create a carpentry training center (CTC) was born and through that the Tiny Home Giveaway came to be. The AHDC plans to open the training center so that it can teach willing participants the necessary skills and provide technical and professional training so they can become valuable assets to our local employers, industries and the community as a whole. “The plan is for the CTC to be self sustaining and produce quality wood products that are marketed and sold through traditional wholesale and retail distribution channels.” The Festival will be used as an educational opportunity with

speakers slated through out the day including the builders responsible for the construction of the Tiny Home that is being given away. “We will have a top of the hour segments through out the day,” Gaither said. “There will be speakers on a variety of topics like Off Grid Living and we even have a man from Talladega that is going to share his story about transitioning to his version of Tiny Living.” Vendors will be on hand from varying backgrounds as well as a few Alternative Housing Options will be open for tours. “We are really excited about this event,” Wayne Meador, one of the organizers, said. “The home that is being given away will still be under construction that weekend so people will get to see it being finished in real time.” Initially, the tiny home that is up for grabs was not going to have the interior finished. But, Greg Pate with Pate’s Painting and Remodel-

Imagination comes in handy when designing your tiny home! It needs to be versatile and multifunctional in every aspect. From the kitchen to the bathroom to the living area. Space is at a premium.

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ing joined up as a sponsor and that changed. “He got really excited with the project and decided to finish the inside for us,” Meador said. “His crew will get it ready for cabinets and then Wellborn Cabinets has donated the cabinets for the project. They are to be installed the weekend of the festival hopefully.” The AHDC hopes to turn the manufacturing facility into one that will do custom builds to order for profit in order to provide the funding needed for their other projects. “We have a master plan and vision that can be found on our website,” Gaithhave a master er said. “It is a fluid plan and vision that plan that changes from time to time can be found on our but we want to do our part in fostering website. It is fluid... But, economic developwe want to do our part ment in our area.” in fostering economic The Southeastern Tiny Home development in our Festival begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday area. Sept. 16 and will last until 6 p.m. that night. On Sunday the festival will be from 10-3 with the winner of the Tiny Home Giveaway being announced at 2 p.m. You can get a free entry into the giveaway by going to www.tinyhomegiveaway.com You can also buy a t-shirt from the event and receive an additional 100 entries. “The response has been incredible,” Gaither said. “We have gotten entries from all over the country. And, the t-shirt sales are really helping pay for the event and the tiny home we built to giveaway.” To learn more about the AHDC strategic plan and its long term goals, visit www.ashlandhdc.com Sponsors for the event include First State Bank, Southern Holiday Life magazine, Wellborn Cabinet, Alabama 100.7, Pate’s Painting and Remodeling, Home Depot Sylacauga, Hurst Construction, A & E Metal, Anderson’s Bistro, Kowaliga Country, Cheaha Realty, Greg Varner Attorney at Law, M2 Connections, Mountain Streams Realty, Talladega Cycle Sales, Central Family Care, HWY 9 Vapor, Adamson Insurance, Megan Miller Yates Attorney at Law, Planters Hardware, Wedowee Building Supplies, A1Graphics, Gerald Boddie and Blackburn Ops.

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Tiny Houses come in all shapes and sizes. They can be built by the owner or builders (like what AHDC hopes to do) can finish the job for customers. The movement is all about living within your means in a simpler, sustainable way.

Autumn.

A time to pause and to reflect on the good life we live.

You would be hard-pressed to find someone who doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t appreciate the arrival of autumn. With cooler temperatures come a change in the colors of nature and there is a quiet reminder in the breeze that life on Lake Wedowee is a good life. At FirstState Bank, we know that this is a good time of year to review your financial goals for 2016 and, if there are goals left to meet, to come see us today.

24-Hour Toll-Free Banking: 1-866-396-6915 ATMs at all locations Internet Banking: firststatedirect.com NMLS #441958 Lineville (256) 396-2187

Wedowee (256) 357-0440

Ashland (256) 354-2145

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Save the Date for 2nd Annual Bison Classic The Southern Union State Community College Foundation is gearing up for its second annual Bison Classic charity golf tournament to be held at Moore’s Mill Club in Auburn on October 17, 2016. Benefitting the Foundation’s scholarship fund, the tournament will begin with Check-in/Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and a Shotgun Start at 8 a.m. An award lunch will follow the tournament. The entry fee of $150 for an individual entry or $500 for a team of four includes a cart, green fees, range balls, a participation gift and meals. Prizes will also be given for closest to the pin and longest drive. “At the core of the Foundation’s mission is a commitment to providing the best educational opportunities possible for SUSCC students,” commented Shondae Brown, Director of Public Relations at Southern Union. “Often, this means providing funds to students who might otherwise be unable to attend college. Most all of us know someone who received financial help with college expenses. This tournament is a fun way to give back, to support the Foundation and keep our students moving forward.” The Southern Union Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that was established to support and foster the educational and service programs and activ-

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ities of SUSCC. Leaders from throughout the Southern Union service area voluntarily serve on the Foundation Board to secure appropriate sources of external funding through donations, planned giving, and scholarships. The College does not rely on the Foundation for operational needs. However, the work of the Foundation fosters strong partnerships between the College and the community.

For more information or to obtain registration or sponsorship packets, please contact Shondae Brown at 256-395-2211, ext. 5145 or sbrown@suscc.edu.

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Easy Weeknight Meal My mother used to make goulash quite often when I was growing up and frankly, I’d completely forgotten about it until Corey was home for a visit recently. He wanted me to cook something and I had’t seen the inside of a grocery store in quite a while. So I wasn’t positive I could turn the pantry stash and freezer finds into something that would satisfy his craving for, well... for whatever he was craving. I searched specifically for things that Corey liked. I found ground beef, mac and cheese and canned tomatoes. It was while looking at these items together on the counter I remembered my mom’s goulash. Goulash is one dish that my Mother would make on really hectic nights. While the following recipe isn’t just like hers, (I had to improvise), it is typically a hamburger, tomato and macaroni dish that is easy to make and you only need about 30 minutes in which to prepare it. This is the perfect recipe for those busy high school football and basketball nights.

Quick Easy Goulash 1 lb. Ground beef, chicken or turkey 1 box shell mac and cheese 1-1/2 teaspoon freshly minced garlic 2 cans diced basil, garlic and oregano diced tomatoes

Prepare mac and cheese according to directions on box. While waiting for the water to come to a boil start cooking the meat. In a large pan, throughly cook the ground meat and chopped onion over medium high heat. Add garlic and seasonings and stir to mix.

1 small vidalia onion chopped 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning 1/2 Tablespoon Adobo seasoning Freshly ground pepper to taste 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Puree one can of the tomatoes and add to meat mixture then add the other can of tomatoes, juice and all and mix well. Add meat to the prepared mac and cheese and mix well. Put in an oven safe dish, top with cheese and put in oven just long enough to melt the cheese.

You can melt the cheese on broil as long as you keep an eye on it. Give it a try with chili or taco seasoning. *note: If you choose to cook acidic food in a cast iron skillet you can get an off-flavor in your food. I put the goulash in an iron skillet only to have a nice contrast in the photo. LAKE WEDOWEE LIFE 39

C H A R L E Y ’ S

T R E A S U R E S

b y

C h a r l e y

N o r t o n

Why Tune Out...When You Can Tune In? There must be a genetic trigger in us humans, and animals I suspect, that help us stay sane when we are faced with a chronic annoyance. It’s probably there to keep us from killing each other or destroying things. I don’t think it’s a strong enough internal safety to void off all that makes us crazy, but it helps. I also think that some are more blessed with this ability than others. I guess without this ability to filter out some of the un-pleasantries of life, life would be, well, unpleasant. I grew up in an old house located very close to the railroad tracks in Roanoke Alabama. When we moved there from Tennessee, I was about 5 years old. I remember the train waking me up terrified the first few weeks we were there but as time went by, I got used to the trains rattling the windows in the old house as it roared by with the whistles blowing. And years later, when I left home, I found myself missing it. I missed the “click clack” sound the wheels made as they hit each new section of track and I missed the almost lonesome sound of the whistle as it bellowed out in the middle of a quiet night. I got used to living in an old house and all the unpleasantries it contained like being cold in the winter, hot in the summer, plumbing backing up, water leaking from pipes and the roof and a host of other things I won’t bore you with.

But I loved that old house. I loved it so much that when I was able to buy a house of my own, I looked for a house that would give me the same feeling I had when I was growing up. I believe, after a few tries, Kim, Maggie and I found such a place in the old French house that we currently reside.

...But to me it is

the world going by and every sound is a story. Every sound is life. On one side of our house you can hear the boats going up and down the river and on the other side the cars and trucks traveling the highway. Some may call it an annoyance, but to me it is the world going by and every sound is a story. Every sound is life. I always said when I was younger that one day I was going to buy a large plot of land and build a house in the middle so that I would be free from these sounds and have the peace and quiet of the night, uninterrupted by the sounds of the planet. But now that I’m older, I realize it is these sounds that are what makes me feel a part of the world and I want to be a part of the world.

Well, at least most of the time. But as I said, I get used to things or more specifically, I tune them out. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We all have past, present and future anxieties that are better left suppressed. But over time, other things can go with it. Like the good stuff that makes you happy, hopeful and complete. And this is the glue that pulls it all together. I guess I’m bringing this up because it seems there is more and more things now that we want to tune out than there ever was before. But I realize that this comes with age. The older you get, the more older people you know so the odds of sickness, tragedy and yes, death is more likely to happen to someone you know. It seems like more but we just know more people. But because we know more people, we also have more memories and we have to focus on being blessed with the good memories associated with them than the bad stuff that comes later. I know that’s easier said than done but is essential if we are to move on and be happy,. And happy is really all any of us should want. So I guess the moral is, tuning out makes a better minute, tuning in makes a better life. Charley Norton is co-owner of Norton’s Flooring with his brother Tom. Their parents started the company in 1976.

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Luke and Kimberly Traylor visited Virginia Beach with Lake Wedowee Life; Matthew Merkel went to Brazil with his copy of Lake Wedowee Life and Casey Pollard remembered his Lake Wedowee Life on a recent trip to San Antonio.

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Tallapoosa River Electric Cooperative, Inc. 15163 U.S. Highway 431 South â&#x20AC;¢ LaFayette, AL 36862

800-332-8732 / 334-864-9331 LAKE WEDOWEE LIFE 43

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Index of Advertisers Alabama Power 3 Anderson’s Bistro 32 Bank of Wedowee 42 Best Brands Plus 29 Bonner Heating and Air 37 Chad Lee, Attorney at Law 13 Charles Thompson Construction 44 Corson Tree Service 29 Dari Delite 31 Deason Home Inspections 19 Docks Plus More 41 Dr. Michael Edwards 19 EHC Pharmacy 17 Emergency Medical Transport 19 First Bank 12 First Capital Insurance 29 First State Bank 35 Genesis Weight loss 38 GLL Marine 4 Halls Gas 44 Happy Trails 23 HM Drugs 23, 31, 47 Hunter Bend Realty 38 Lake Wedowee Body Shop 37 Lineville Clinic 13 Main Street Animal Hospital 17 Main Street Food Mart 23, 32 Norton’s Floor Covering 37 Perryland Foods 38 RE/MAX Lakefront, Grady and Linda 33

RE/MAX Lakefront, Lesia Williams Waldrop 37 Rock Stand Kwik Mart 29 Russell Do It Center 4 Small Town Bank 2 Southern Holiday Shop 9,43, 44 Southern Home Comfort 35 SUSCC 41 Speed and Sport 31 State Farm Insurance, Ken Seiffert 17 State Farm Insurance, Mike Coleman 23, 31 Steele Chiropractic 41 Steve Morris, Attorney at Law 23 Superior Gas 19 Superior Pest Control 38 Tanner Health Systems 7 Tiny Home Giveaway 2 Traylor Retirement Community 11 TREC 43 Waste Solutions 43 Wedowee Building Supplies 35 Wedowee Lake and Lands 13 WM Grocery 48 If you are interested in advertising in Lake Wedowee Life or any of our other publications, email ads@lakewedoweelife.com for more information LAKE WEDOWEE LIFE 45

Parting Shot

Photo By Alyssa Smith

One must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the middle of winter.â&#x20AC;? ~ Henry David Thoreau

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