OCTOBER 2017
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DISCOVER THE CELEBRATED FLAVORS OF ITTA BENA. IT’S OUR LITTLE SECRET.
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xperience the charm of fine dining at Itta Bena, tucked away upstairs at Wind Creek Montgomery. Slip on in and enjoy a cool libation with a delta twist. Then savor some gourmet southern cuisine with a taste of Beale Street on the side.
From the 8 oz. center cut filet to the shrimp and grits, every dish at Itta Bena is designed to tempt. So come discover this modern day speakeasy and get a taste of something good, plus a little treat on us…it’s our little secret. Present this coupon for a FREE APPETIZER with an entrée purchase. Mention code: LMAGFREEAP. Limit one per player per account. Offer expires 12/28/17.
1801 Eddie L. Tullis Rd., Montgomery, AL | WindCreekMontgomery.com | ©2017 Wind Creek Hospitality
OCTOBER 2017
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Letter from the Editor Quiet, serene and idyllic or wildly radical, Lake Martin is where the action is – even during that time of year we tend to think of as the offseason. And this month, we’ve got it all in Lake magazine, starting with the cover story. Our own Alex Graydon last month won the Fan Favorite vote in ESPN’s X Games Real Wake 2017 video competition, and we’re not a bit surprised. A Montgomery native, Graydon spent his growing-up summers on Lake Martin, where he developed a passion for adventure. He’s as fluid as water behind a boat, evidenced by the turns, flips and tricks in his winning video. You’ll recognize some Lake Martin landmarks in the 90-second clip that took 42 percent of the internet fan vote, especially the last bit under Kowaliga Bridge. Turn to page 36 for the link to his award-winning video and to read about how he pulled it off. The Landing at Parker Creek hosted a much more tame competition Labor Day weekend, but it was no less official. The Central Alabama Cornhole Club brought its regulation boards to the lakeside restaurant lawn for one last hurrah before The Landing closed for the season. More than 20 teams turned out to win the prize money and the corn Kings title. Check out the article on page 27 and spend some offseason time honing your skills, so when summer returns to Lake Martin next year, you just might give the reigning royalty a reason to sweat. This month, we found the perfect house if you want to be in the middle of what’s happening at the lake. Centered in Blue Creek, this Curry Point home sits right on the water, just around the corner from Chuck’s, Stillwaters Golf, Chimney Rock and CRATA’s hiking trails. See it for yourself on page 44. For a calmer sense of lake life, visit Children’s Harbor this weekend for the 25th anniversary of the Alabama Art Colony. This weeklong celebration of the late Sarah Carlisle Towery’s birthday draws artists from across the country for one-on-one instruction and painting pleasure. But the Colony isn’t just for artists. There are plenty of opportunities for everyone to be involved, to meet the artists and even to purchase some wonderful works of art. Turn to page 22 to bring a little art colony into your own lake life. Peaceful or passionate, we’ll see you out there!
Betsy Iler Managing Editor
Staff Chairman KENNETH BOONE
editor@lakemartinmagazine.com
Publisher STEVE BAKER
editor@lakemartinmagazine.com
Managing Editor BETSY ILER
editor@lakemartinmagazine.com
Assistant Magazine Editor AMY PASSARETTI
amy.passaretti@alexcityoutlook.com
Marketing/Advertising Director TIPPY HUNTER
tippy.hunter@alexcityoutlook.com
EMILY GREGG
emily.gregg@alexcityoutlook.com
TABBY EDWARDS
tabby.edwards@alexcityoutlook.com
SCOTT HARDY
scott.hardy@alexcityoutlook.com
Circulation Manager DAVID KENDRICK
david.kendrick@alexcityoutlook.com
Creative Services AUDRA SPEARS
audra.spears@alexcityoutlook.com
DARLENE JOHNSON
darlene.johnson@alexcityoutlook.com
HALLIE HOLLOWAY
hallie.holloway@alexcityoutlook.com
Contributors KENNETH BOONE JOHN COLEY HENRY FOY ERIC REUTEBUCH JULIE HUDSON CLIFF WILLIAMS LEE WILLIAMS MITCH SNEED
GREG VINSON ROB MCDANIEL SAWYER DAVIS LIZI ARBOGAST DONALD CAMPBELL JOHN THOMPSON BRIAN MORELAND MITCH EMMONS All content, including all stories and photos are copyright of:
256-234-4281 Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc. P.O. Box 999 Alexander City, AL 35011
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OCTOBER 2017
On the Cover Alex Graydon took 42 percent of the votes to become Fan Favorite at ESPN's X Games Real Wake 2017 video competition. Several of the tricks in his video were shot within just a few minutes of Graydon's home on Lake Martin. Graydon has been wakeboarding on Lake Martin for 16 years. Photo by Kenneth Boone
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OCTOBER 2017
LAKE 5
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OCTOBER 2017
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Contents
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22. BEST BIRTHDAY EVER Sarah Carlisle Towery's Alabama Art Colony turns 25 at Children's Harbor this year 27. KINGS OF THE CORN 'Take it Easy' team takes title at The Landing's Labor Day Cornhole Tournament 32. FAREWELL TO A FRIEND Marine Police Officer Ned Rogers takes a final cruise around the lake 36. X GAMES GOLD Lake Martin's Alex Graydon is named Fan Favorite in ESPN's 2017 Real Wake video competition 44. VAST VIEW This Curry Point home on Lake Martin's Blue Creek is uniquely positioned in the middle of the action 50. BOAT CAMPING Fall weather on Lake Martin is ideal for this, the perfect peaceful getaway 54. LAND AND LAKE CRATA and LMRA work together to promote and protect local recreation
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LAKE MAGAZINE’S MONTHLY FEATURES: 9. LAKE’S QUICK GUIDE TO
60. BEHIND THE BOAT
THE LAKE
61. FAB FINDS
10. LAKE SCENES
62. HEALTHY LIVING
14. WHERE IS LAKE?
64. CHEF'S TABLE
16. LAKE MARTIN EVENTS
66. BIG CATCHES
20. LAKE MARTIN NEWS
68. FROM THE CELLAR
28. NATURE OF THE LAKE
71. PRO TIP
56. LAKE PROPERTY
& GOLF NEWS
59. LAKE WATCH
e
- edition
Lake magazine also features an online, digital edition, available 24 hours a day, free of charge. This edition is perfect to share with friends and family and provides you complete access to stories, photos and advertisements from anywhere in the world with Internet access. View our digital edition today at www.issuu.com.
OCTOBER 2017
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Lake’s Quick Guide to the Lake Lake Martin Area Real Estate Indicators Sales Month
August 2017 August 2014 August 2011
Number of sales
Average selling price
Median selling price
Days on the market
Total houses for sale
Inventory/ sales ratio
38 37 30
$598,377 $516,180 $479,437
$453,250 $420,000 $394,500
171 195 206
280 350 391
9.66 14.43 22.78
The above numbers are derived from raw sales data from the Lake Martin Area Association of Realtors MLS.The sales noted above are for Lake Martin waterfront residential (single family and condominium) sales only. This information is provided courtesy Lake Martin Realty, LLC. (A Russell Lands, Inc. affiliated company.)
Go Paperless to Support Education Paperless billing is not only an easy switch for Alabama Power users, but now it can also help a local teacher. Go paperless between now and Oct. 15, and Alabama Power will provide a $5 gift card to a teacher of the payee's choice. “With the school year under way, signing up for paperless billing is a simple way to show support for your favorite educator,” said Leigh Davis, Alabama Power’s vice president for customer services. Sign up at www.alabamapower.com/paperless, or call 1-800-245-2244. Paperless billing will provide monthly e-mail notifications when a bill is ready and also sends payment confirmations. Once paperless billing is received, Alabama Power will e-mail an electronic link to put in a teacher's name and e-mail address, along with an optional note of encouragement. The teacher will receive a link to choose a $5 gift card from a number of retailers and can use the money to purchase supplies for his or her classroom.
Weather Outlook for October October 2017 Forecast
Historically, the Lake Martin area experiences average high temperatures in the mid 70s with average lows in the low 50s and 3 inches of precipitation in the month of October. The National Weather Service has predicted that both temperatures and rainfall will be below normal this month.
Year to Date
Precipitation: 55.60 inches Avg. high temp.: 78.3 Avg. low temp.: 55.2 Average temp.: 66.8
Our Normal October Precipitation: 3.08 inches Avg. high temp.: 76 Avg. low temp.: 50 Average temp.: 63
Harris Dam relicensing process begins this month
Harris is the first of four dams on the Tallapoosa River
R.L. Harris Dam this month starts the relicensing process with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the provisions of that project could impact water levels on Lake Martin. Located just north of Lake Martin on the Tallapoosa River, the Harris reservoir is the first of the four Alabama Power Company dams on the Tallapoosa River. Known locally as Lake Wedowee, Harris Lake is 793 feet above sea level and includes 367 miles of shoreline. A long, narrow lake, it stretches 29 miles with 9,870 acres across a maximum depth at the dam of 121 feet. It is primarily known as a nature lover's lake and enjoys a great reputation as a bass
fishing reservoir. Full summer pool level at Harris Lake is 793 feet, and the 8-foot winter drawdown lowers the water level to 785. As public meetings for the relicensing start up this month, there is some talk about requesting a change to higher water in the winter months. The first public workshop for the relicensing will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 19, at Wedowee Marine South, 9681 state Route 48 in Lineville. Anyone who plans to attend is asked to RSVP to harrisrelicensing@southernco.com, so Alabama Power Company can plan lunch.
Lake Levels Last Month Summer: 491 MSL Winter: 481 MSL Highest: 490.80 Lowest: 484.08 For up-to-date lake levels, log on to https://lakes.alabamapower. com.
OCTOBER 2017
Lake elevations are subject to change. Individuals who recreate below Martin Dam and those with boats and water-related equipment on the lake should always stay alert to changing conditions.
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LAKE SCENE
Email your photos to editor@lakemartinmagazine.com
PEOPLE AND PLACES
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Reader Submissions (1) Pink azaleas fill the Gainers' yard at the bottom of Smith Mountain in April. (2) Brooke and Bailey from Smith Marina meet Derek Hough at Shipwreck Sam's. (3) Wilson Patterson enjoys a sunny day on the lake. (4) Parker, Camryn, Charlie, Ellie, Charli and Paydee jump into Lake Martin at their eighth annual Hobbs family reunion at the Lodge at Cocktail Slough. (5) Mili Dee found a great place for taking pictures of sunsets on Lake Martin – Sunset Point.
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OCTOBER 2017
LAKE SCENE
Email your photos to editor@lakemartinmagazine.com
PEOPLE AND PLACES
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Reader Submissions (1) A pair of kayakers paddle a calm slough at sunset Memorial Day weekend at the lake. (2) Ann White took this photo of her nephew Andrew Burns and her dog Ray during Memorial Day weekend. (3) Jake Miller flies through the air at the Willow Point pool. (4) Rhea McVay took a picture of Wind Creek State Park full of campers July 4th weekend. (5) One-year-old Rush Pendley enjoys his first July 4th Boat Parade on Lake Martin.
OCTOBER 2017
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LAKE SCENE
Email your photos to editor@lakemartinmagazine.com
PEOPLE AND PLACES
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Reader Submissions (1) Tucker and Zachary Contorno tubing in Parker Creek during Labor Day weekend. (2) Lexie Wilson is all smiles catching fish on July 4th. (3) Mikey Thorn, son of Kelly and Mark Thorn, enjoys the concert at The AMP for his first July 4th experience at Lake Martin. (4) Renee Kelley's pup Zula relaxes on the dock after a long day at their Emerald Shores home. (5) Morgan McClellan takes in the sun at Big Beach. (6) Fun at the Gregory lake house in Stillwaters with Evan and Trent Henderson, Easton and Elle Gregory and Will and Davis Fuller.
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OCTOBER 2017
Lake Martin’s Marine Construction Company 6732 Highway 63 South, Alexander Cit y, AL 35010 | (256) 392-5200 | www. sunrisedock sllc.com
OCTOBER 2017
LAKE 13
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS LAKE?
Email your photos to editor@lakemartinmagazine.com
PEOPLE AND PLACES
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Reader Submissions (1) Chuck, Myrna, Kathryn and David Lehman took Lake magazine to the Brine National Lacrosse tournament in Midlothian,Virginia. (2) Linda and Rick Kinsey took Lake magazine with them on their trip to Machu Picchu, Peru. (3) Susan and Maddie Singleton took Lake magazine on their visit to Yellowstone National Park. (4) Randy and Paige Perry took Lake magazine to the Skylon Tower's Revolving Restaurant 750 feet above Horseshoe Falls in Niagra Falls, Ontario. (5) Scott, Cindy and Weston Blake, and Kelly, Karla, Blakely, and Joseph Burdette took Lake magazine to the Rattlesnake Saloon in Tuscumbia, Alabama.
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OCTOBER 2017
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office 256.329.LAKE (5253) • 5295 Highway 280, Alexander City, AL
OCTOBER 2017
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Oct. 2 Horizons Unlimited
dumpsters at six locations for free use by residents. Large household items can be deposited in the dumpsters at the Courthouse Annex at 395 Lee St., Alexander City; Double Bridges on state Route 63; 2975 Pearson Chapel Rd., Alexander City; Piedmont Drive at U.S. Highway 280; Young’s Ferry Road at Mullican/Gibson Road; and Union Community Center at 4191 state Route 50. Contact Sabrina Wood at sabrinawood@live.com for details.
Oct. 2-4 Painting the Figure/Portrait in the Southern Landscape
Oct. 13 Ramblin’ Fever Band & Peggy Shores
Sarah Bliss Wright will present Ida Quilt Project at the Alexander City Board of Education building at 375 Lee St. from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Her serious study of quilt history led to her textile art being featured in exhibits and her selection as the curator for Our Quilted Past. She is a Road Scholar for the Alabama Humanities Foundation.
Hodges Soileau will lead this three-day workshop for intermediate- to advanced-level painters at Dadeville’s Tallapoosa School of Art. Participants will learn to observe and paint the human figure from life in a natural light, waterfront setting. Models will be on site for daily demonstrations and plein air painting with special attention provided to each student. For information, visit www.tallapoosaworkshops.com/schedule.
Oct. 3 & 7 ACT II Auditions Rented Christmas
Alexander City Theatre II will hold auditions for a heartwarming Christmas play to be performed Dec. 15 and 16 at the Benjamin Russell High School Auditorium. The production includes speaking parts for 14 characters, including several children, as well as carolers and extras. The script for Rented Christmas by Norman C. Ahern and Yvonne Ahern is set in the early 1900s and tells the story of a lonely businessman who arranges to rent a Christmas celebration, complete with carols, a tree, gifts, children and even a wife. But when the actors don't show up, his rental agent must improvise to fill the order. Themes of faith, family, love and hope abound. Auditions will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 3, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 7. For more information, contact the director at actheatreii@gmail.com.
Oct. 7 4th Annual BGHS Car Show
Bibb Graves High School Alumni will host its fourth annual car show at Millerville with 50/50 tickets, a money tree, games, door prizes, food and more to raise money for the community center. Registration is 8 a.m. until noon. Open for spectators from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For information, contact Ben Wood at wood1950@centurylink.net.
Oct. 8 Alabama Art Colony Art Walk
Shop for original art created by artists of the 2017 Alabama Art Colony workshop. The walk will be held on the Lake Martin campus of Children’s Harbor from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in cabins 9 and 10.
Oct. 9-10 Throw Away Day
Middle Tallapoosa Clean Water Partnership and the Tallapoosa County Commission have teamed up to place 16 LAKE
Piano player Peggy Shores will join forces with Ramblin’ Fever Band to blow the roof off the Equality Performing Arts Center in downtown Equality at 7 p.m. Let your hair down as Peggy and Ramblin’ Fever jam on some of the greatest hits in rock ‘n’ roll history.
Oct. 14 Oktoberfest
Alexander City will celebrate fall at the Charles E. Bailey Sportplex from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with vendors, food, music and lots of kids' activities. Register for the open show format car show with a money tree from 8 a.m. to noon. All cars will be parked on asphalt. Email Danny Pike at danny.pike@alexandercityal.gov. or call him at 256-496-0024 for more information.
Oct. 14 26th Annual Waverly BBQ
Food will be served at the Waverly Community Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., but the event begins at 8 a.m. BBQ sandwiches and chips will be $5 or two for $9. BBQ meat is $9 per pound, and whole Boston butts are $30 with presales available for pickup. A chicken or pork plate will be $9, and a quart of stew will be $9. There also will be a silent auction, quilt raffle, arts and crafts, barnyard bingo and more. For information, call 334-887-7288.
Oct. 15 Tallapoosee Historical Society
Auburn University’s Sue Mason will present the lecture, Native Americans – Life and Times Before the Spanish Arrived, explaining how the Native Americans lived, what they ate, how they cooked, etc., at 2 p.m. at the historical museum in Dadeville. She will share pictures, and refreshments will served. The meeting is free and open to the public. Contact Elsie Jo Washburn at ejwashburn@charter.net for information.
Oct. 16 Horizons Unlimited
Dr. James Hansen will present Robert Trent Jones & the Making of Modern Golf, also the name of his latest published book, at the Alexander City Board of Education building at 375 Lee St. from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Hansen has been an expert in aerospace history for 26 years and wrote many books and articles, including his award-winning First Man that was the first and only authorized biography of Neil Armstrong.
OCTOBER 2017
Oct. 17-19 Oil Painting Basics
Craig Reynolds will teach this three-day beginners’ workshop at Tallapoosa School of Art. Students are invited to bring photographs to use as painting subjects or could use photographs provided during the workshop. For more information, visit www.tallapoosaworkshops.com/schedule.
Oct. 19 Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
This favorite act on the Alexander City Arts, Inc., roster will return to the Benjamin Russell High School Auditorium at 7 p.m. For ticket information, visit AlexanderCityArts.org.
Oct. 21 Fall for Downtown
MainStreet Alexander City will host a fall festival with activities for all ages downtown in Strand Park starting at 9 a.m. There will be a pumpkin roll, face painting, games for kids, carriage rides and art in the park. Fermenter’s Market on the Green and Ocie & Belle’s will host specials and will be broadcasting your favorite SEC games. For more information, contact Executive Director Breanna Smith at 256-329-9227.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS WHAT’S HAPPENING ON LAKE MARTIN
Oct. 19 Downtown Showdown and Fashion Show
Oct. 23 Horizons Unlimited
Dr. Conversino will present Hot Topic of the Day at the Alexander City Board of Education building at 375 Lee St. from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Conversino joined the faculty of the Air War College in 2002, where he is also a graduate. He will discuss a variety of topics waging on our world.
Oct. 23-26 The Lake Martin Area United Way will host its Composition in 5th Annual Downtown Plein Air: Showdown and Fashion Working with Show in the United Way Water-mixable Oils back parking lot at 17 Charlie Hunter will lead Main St. in Alexander City. this fun and fast-moving The event begins at 6 p.m. workshop and demonstrate with hors d’oeuvres, wine, Children will roll pumpkins the use of simple, yet beer, local designers and down Alabama Street during Fall for invaluable tools for accua silent auction, and the Downtown Oct. 21 in Alexander City rate rendering. Workshop fashion show begins at 7 will include discussion and p.m. VIP tables are availsupportive critique session able for $500 per table, and of each of the four days. For details, registration and informatickets are $30 per person; both are available for purchase at tion, visit www.tallapoosaworkshops.com/schedule. the United Way office. All proceeds benefit the Lake Martin Area United Way. For information, call 256-329-3600 or email admin@unitedwaylakemartin.org. Oct. 27 The Harmonettes & Peggy Shores
Oct. 21 5th Annual Wind Creek State Park Halloween Run
The 5K run starts at 9 a.m. at the marina and winds through the park. Registered runners get a T-shirt and bottle of water. Entry fee is $25. For details, contact Gerard Martin at 256329-0845.
Oct. 21 Stargazing
The Auburn Astronomical Society will set up telescopes for viewing the night sky at 5 p.m. on Hospice Point near the silo at Wind Creek State Park.
Always pitch perfect, the Harmonettes – Peggy Shores, Gayle Sellers and Kelley Whisnand – will perform love songs, show tunes and movie themes at 7 p.m. at the Equality Performing Arts Center on Route 9 in downtown Equality; then, Shores will lead a sing-along to include music from Bach to bluegrass. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 28 Wine Expo
Emporium Wine and Gallery 128 will host a benefit tasting event for Lake Martin Animal Shelter from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. with hors d'oeuvres, an art show, silent and live auctions, commemorative wine glasses and representatives from six wine houses. Tickets are $50 per person and can be purchased at the shelter or at Emporium Wine at 128 Calhoun St., Alexander City. Must be 21 years of age to purchase tickets. For more information, call 256-212-9463,
OCTOBER 2017
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email emporium128@bellsouth.net or see the article on page 68.
Oct. 28 Fall Family Festival
The kids and grandkids will have a great time at this annual festival at Russell Crossroads. Dress the kids in their favorite costumes or let them come as they are for a scavenger hunt, face painting, pumpkin decorating, wagon rides, archery and more. See a real grist mill and blacksmith in action. Enter the pie and canning contests. At the end of the day, victorious canners and bakers will walk away with smiles and huge prize ribbons for their efforts. See the calendar at www.Calendar/ RussellLandsOnLakeMartin.com for more information or call 256-397-1019.
Oct. 30-Nov. 2 Plein Air in Oils and Pastels
This four-day workshop for all painting levels will feature Nancie King Mertz as instructor. Visit the website at www.tallapoosaworkshops.com.
Nov. 3-4 Renew Our Rivers Cleanup
This annual effort to keep Lake Martin clean has drawn 300 volunteers and collected more than 9 tons of trash in previous years. Lake Martin Resource Association will partner with Alabama Power Co., Russell Lands, Wind Creek State Park, Advanced Disposal and TowBoatUS in an effort to clean the lake shoreline and adjacent roadways. For information, call John Thompson at 334399-3289 or e-mail him at 1942jthompson420@gmail.com.
Children’s Library in Alexander City
Mamie’s Place Children’s Library holds themed storytime every Wednesday at 10 a.m. and offers kidfriendly movies on the first Tuesday of each month at 10 a.m.
Ladies’ Book Club
Season-Long
Ladies 18 years of age and older are invited to participate in the club at Adelia M. Russell Library on the last Thursday of every month. Meet in the conference room at 4 p.m. Call the library at 256-234-4644 for each month’s book title.
Millerville Trade Day
Electronics Recycling
Bibb Graves School on Highway 9 hosts trade day on the third Saturday of the month from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Find books, toys, models, coins, lamps, original artwork, jewelry, clothing, antiques, glassware, quilts, home decor and more. Refreshments available.
Alabama Wildlife Federation Naturalist Hikes
Every Tuesday and Friday, from 10 a.m. until noon, hike some of Lanark’s 5 miles of trails with an experienced Alabama Nature Center naturalist. Learn how to identify plants, birds and animals; splash through the creek; or catch insects in the meadow. General admission is $5 per person with a $20 maximum per family. The Alabama Nature Center is located at 3050 Lanark Rd. in Millbrook. Visit alabamawildlife.org.
Library Storytime in Dadeville
Storytime for children ages 5 and younger is held at the Dadeville Public Library every Tuesday at 10 a.m.
Alexander City Public Works Department hosts an electronics recycling event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. Items accepted include computers, computer mouse, keyboards, modems or routers, CD and DVD players, power supplies, PC mix systems, home or cell phones, printers or copiers, mainframe servers, audio/video adapters, laptop chargers, cable boxes, nickel cadmium or lithium ion batteries and flat screen monitors and televisions. CRT monitors and televisions are no longer accepted. For information, call the Alexander City Public Works Department at 256-409-2020.
Santuck Flea Market
The Santuck Flea Market is held the first Saturday of each month. The Santuck Flea Market is located at 7300 Central Plank Rd., Highway 9 in Wetumpka. To include your event in the Lake magazine calendar, email information to editor@lakemartinmagazine.com.
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2190 Cherokee Road , Alex City, AL
www.alexcitymarine.com
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OCTOBER 2017
OCTOBER 2017
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Lake Martin News Evacuees take shelter at Wind Creek
The youth sailing program on Lake Martin plans an end-of-summer event for Oct. 14
DSC Youth Plan End-of-Season Event Summer may be nearing its end, but the youth at Dixie Sailing Club know that this time of year is ideal for sailing – not too hot and lots of wind. It’s also a good time to brush up on the rules of water safety and take time to clean the shorelines, which is what the Dixie Sailing Club (DSC) Youth Program intends to do Oct. 14. “It’s our last event of the year and it’s sort of a celebration for the end of the season,” said Jim Simons, president of the DSC Youth Program. The Marine Police are scheduled to come by and talk with the kids about the rules of the water and how to stay safe when boating. Simons said that morning also will serve as one of the periodic times the youth program will clean the shoreline they are responsible for as part of the Treasured Mile program. The group has adopted an area from New Hope Church to Peanut Pointe and takes time throughout the year to ensure its cleanliness and aesthetics. Simons said to add some incentive and entertainment during the Treasured Mile cleanup, there will be a coinciding treasure hunt with prizes placed along the shoreline. As kids pick up trash, they are also motivated to look deeper to find certain treasures. The DSC provides two classes of boats in which the youth can learn and practice: Optimists and Lasers. These dinghies are typically suited for one passenger, but kids could sail them with two. Children must bring their own life jackets, and it is recommended to carry a change of clothes to be prepared. Youth ages 7 to 17 typically come out for events, and all experience levels are welcome. Throughout the summer, the DSC teaches introduction to sailing classes, along with providing other instruction and practice time. Simons said kids must RSVP, so he can be sure to give the safety boat enough notice that children will be out on the water, so the boat can be nearby. ~ Staff Report
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Wind Creek State Park saw an increase in reservations based on hurricane evacuees from Florida. According to a reservation summary, in addition to 174 reservations made for that weekend by Alabamians, 62 reservations were scheduled to arrive from Florida, with another 17 from Georgia. Park Superintendent Bruce Adams said some of the parks in the northern part of the state were almost completely filled up, so they were recommending Wind Creek to those who were seeking shelter. RVs and vehicles bearing Florida license plates set up at campsites across the park with satellite dishes, frame tents and camping chairs and made their temporary home a more comfortable spot. Having crossed the Caribbean as a Category 5 hurricane, Irma was arguably the most powerful hurricane to hit Florida since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The Lake Martin area experienced high winds and rain for about two days. ~ Donald Campbell
Evacuees from Florida and Georgia took shelter at Wind Creek during the hurricane
ACPD Considers Marine Resources
The Alexander City Police Department has been evaluating its lack of resources after the week-long search for a missing man in Lake Martin. Alexander City Police Chief Jay Turner said the ordeal served as an eye-opener for department leadership, illustrating how ill-equipped the department is to handle major operations on the water with no boat and no gear for water rescue. Turner said that the department has 172 miles of shoreline in its jurisdiction, which is filled with homes, cabins and often occupied by visitors and all sorts of vehicles and watercraft. “ALEA’s (Alabama Law Enforcement Agency) Marine Unit does an incredible job considering the manpower they have, but they are mainly concerned with water safety. We think for the protection of residents, property and emergency response, we need to be able to get to some of these areas by water,” said Turner. Since the search was completed, Turner, Deputy Chief James Easterwood and others involved have been making notes on that week’s activities and assessing what worked and what didn’t. They also have listed what they learned from groups all across the state that pitched in to help. They took stock of the OCTOBER 2017
equipment that those groups had and what they found, which was effective, along with items that they believe would be useful here. Turner and Easterwood have been exploring the newly reinstated Federal 1033 Military Surplus Program to see what might be available. They also believe that the task can be manned using existing personnel. ~ Mitch Sneed
BOAT LIFTS
Bronsons Leave Behind Legacy Dick and Mary Ann Bronson are leaving the community in the coming months, but not without leaving behind an impact and legacy. Most people are familiar with Dick Bronson’s efforts through Lake Watch of Lake Martin, but he and his wife have made other contributions to the area. For a decade, the Bronsons have been helping the gifted program at Radney Elementary School. As a result of the Bronsons’ efforts, there is now a pond and nature trail on which students learn many lessons. “We have been coming out here for 10 years,” Bronson said. “A lot of work has been done out here, a lot of it by kids. We have had five Eagle Scouts make Eagle rank because of this trail project.” Bronson took a last trail hike with gifted teacher Laurie Barrett and her students in Trillium Trail. “He did all the legwork coordinating with the Eagle Scouts,” Barrett said. “He takes his own time to come out here and take care of things. He has taken his own money and created rope obstacles for the kids to learn things like teamwork.” The work over the years has been passed on from student to student. “The kids have adopted this,” Barrett said. “We are trying to keep it going. I want the kids to realize how lucky they are to have the Bronsons out here.” Like his 30-year military career leading soldiers in the Army, Bronson was teaching lessons to the students by making them take notice of markings on his walking stick and engaged the students to help clean up trash on the trail and removed downed limbs. Bronson said he and his wife are moving on to the next chapter in life as they age. “We are going to Montgomery,” Bronson said. “We have a lot of family there and it's a military retiree community. They have medical facilities for future needs. We are good now but will not always be. It's the next chapter, and we're good with it.” ~ Cliff Williams
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Dick Bronson has been walking Trillium Trail with students for a decade
Boathouses OCTOBER 2017
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This work, which Sarah Carlisle Towery painted in Mexico, will be raffled to raise money for educator scholarships to Alabama Art Colony
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Best Birthday Ever! Sarah Carlisle Towery's Alabama Art Colony turns 25 STORY BY BETSY ILER PHOTOS BY KENNETH BOONE & COURTESY OF ALABAMA ART COLONY
It started in a back room at the old Kowaliga restaurant. Sarah Wade and her siblings gathered six artist friends for a birthday cake and painting party to honor their mother, Sarah Carlisle Towery. They all had such a great time that they decided to do it again the following year. And the next year. And the year after that … Twenty-five birthday celebrations later, the event has grown and become a bigger and far more grand gathering than Towery and her children could ever have dreamed, Wade said as preparations began for the silver anniversary celebration of the Alabama Art Colony (AAC), formerly known at the Sarah Carlisle Towery Art Colony. “Mother’s mission was to promote the visual arts and inspire people to nurture their creative spirits,” Wade explained. “She would be so happy to see what it’s become.” Towery, who was born in 1912 and died 10 years ago, was a lifelong lover of art who enthusiastically answered a calling to encourage creativity in others. “When there was no art AAC artists paint curriculum in the schools, at Children's Harbor she volunteered her time to teach regular art classes for the children. She did it for years to promote the arts,” Wade said. “Now, AAC gives scholarships to local art educators, so they can take what they learn in Colony workshops back to their classrooms.” In addition, AAC has added an art walk to their annual residency painting event and offers two Uno workshops per year. “Uno is a one-day class with one instructor,” explained AAC President Toni Adams. “It’s great for people who love to paint but have limited time.” Uno classes focus on one technique, skill or medium, and the fee for the class includes all supplies and lunch. “We wanted to make it very easy for the artists to just show up and not have to do anything to prepare,” Adams said.
The art walks are held on the Lake Martin campus of Children’s Harbor, where the Sarah Carlisle Towery Art Colony moved when the group outgrew the little room in the back of the restaurant. Open to the public with free admission, the art walk showcases the original works of each year’s Colony art students. The artists bring wine to share with visitors who tour exhibits in cabins 9 and 10. The artists are available for conversation, and many of their works can be purchased at the event. “It’s a great way to pick up a beautiful work of art – and usually at a good price,” Adams said. This year, the AAC event will include the raffle of two original Towery works from the private family collection. One piece is an oil that Towery painted in San Miguel De Allendde, Mexico, more than 50 years ago and has been professionally evaluated at between $600 and $800; the other is an original sketch from the book she used during a visit to France in 1976 and has been evaluated at between $100 and $150. “Mother started traveling in the late 1950s, and she traveled and painted for 40 years,” Wade said. Tickets for the pieces can be purchased at the Oct. 8 Art Walk from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. or purchase tickets online at www.brownpapertickets.com. Type Towery or the number 3080803 in the key words search to find the appropriate page. Tickets for the Mexico piece are $25. Tickets for the sketchbook work are $10. Proceeds from the raffle will fund the Colony’s scholarships to educators. The names of the raffle winners will be drawn at the Colony’s awards ceremony on Oct. 11. Winners do not need to be present to win. In addition to the scholarship program, Uno workshops and the annual art walk, Colony volunteers also teach classes to children and adults at Children’s Harbor camps, Adams said. “It’s our way of giving back to the community. Children’s
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Children's Harbor is an idyllic setting for the AAC painting events
Harbor welcomed us when we needed a place to accommodate more artists, and for us, teaching kids with spina bifida or other multiple disabilities is a rewarding ministry,” Adams said. The Kitty Dark Arts Camp, which hosted fine arts workshops for elementary-aged children during summers in Alexander City, was a spin-off of the Colony as well, said Wade. While the Sarah Carlisle Towery Art Colony started with just six artists and one instructor, the name was changed several years ago to broaden the event’s scope and accessibility. The event now attracts some 50 artists who travel to Lake Martin from across the country to learn techniques and better their skills under three or four well known and highly recommended instructors. Each weeklong event fills quickly, and there is always a waiting list, Adams said. This year’s event will take place Oct. 6-11 with artists in residency at Children’s Harbor, where they will paint and practice new techniques under the instruction of Elana Hagler, Julee Hutchison and the co-teaching team of Patt Odom and Hugh Williams. Hagler’s class will focus on application of proportion, gesture, composition, problem-solving techniques, creating air and light and attaining visual harmony in media of the students’ choices. Hutchison, who lives and paints in Colorado, will teach oils and specializes in painting the human figure from life. Williams was the instructor at the first birthday gathering in 1992 and will be joined this year by Odom, a master of color in psychological expression. Students in the Williams-Odom Artists learn new techniques and hone their skills with the help of highly recommended instructors
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Artists return year after year for the unique AAC experience
class will work independently in media of their choices. As the Colony continued to meet annually, a board of directors was formed with Wayne Fuller – another of the original participants – as the president. Under Fuller, the Colony organized as a nonprofit endeavor, which lent stability and opportunities for growth to the artistic interest. “We’ve just had such great leadership over all the years. We couldn’t have continued without the help of board members and the volunteers who do so much – many of them are not even artists,” said Adams. “The leadership has been wonderful. After Wayne Fuller was president, there was Virginia Bradshaw and Cadie Radney and so many others. Next year, Karen Jennings – who was an early board member – will be president.” Jennings already is working on the Colony event that will occur under her tenure, as instructors for each weeklong school are chosen more than a year in advance. “We like to know the instructors that will be on board for the next year at each event, so the artists can decide if they want to come back the following year,” Adams explained. Instructors for the 2018 Alabama Art Colony will include Barbara Davis, Stan Kurth and Pat Weaver. Information about each of their classes is available online at www.alabamaartcolony.org. “It’s just so wonderful to have the opportunity to spend time with people who love to do what you love to do,” Adams said. “We are grateful that it has become what it is and that it will continue to grow and encourage creativity, just as Sarah Carlisle Towery hoped it would.” OCTOBER 2017
A page from Sarah Carlisle Towery's sketchbook also will be raffled
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Kings of the Corn 'Take It Easy' team takes home the title at The Landing's Labor Day Cornhole Tournament
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STORY BY BETSY ILER & PHOTO BY BRIAN MORELAND
The Take It Easy On Us duo of Jaxson Garrison and Branson Oliver took home the corn crowns last month at the Labor Day Weekend Cornhole Tournament at The Landing at Parker Creek. Take It Easy edged out War Tide for the $300 cash prize in the contest that was coordinated by the Central Alabama Cornhole Club. Twenty-two teams turned out for this year’s competition, a double-elimination tournament on regulation boards set exactly 27 feet apart on the lawn at The Landing. Players came from Clanton, Brierfield, Jaxson Garrison Birmingham, and Branson Cullman and Oliver beat War beyond for the Tide 21 to 8 to three-hour tourwear the winners' nament, said crowns at The Bibb County’s Landing Tanya Mann, the official record keeper for the event. “The teams play to 21 in cancellation scoring. Only the points over the other team are counted in each round,” Mann explained. The association claims 813 members on its website, where announcements are posted weekly for upcoming tournaments and player standings are updated regularly. “We have T-shirts for the association, and a lot of people play the circuit. We go out all over Central Alabama for events. We play a lot of events where the entry fees are donated to charities,” Mann said. There were no entry fees for the Labor Day event at The Landing; the $600 in prize money – $300 and certificates for
free rounds of golf at Stillwaters Golf Club for first place, $200 for second and $100 for third – was paid by the sponsors that included Lake Martin Voice Realty, The Landing and Stillwaters Golf Club. “We just do it for fun and to promote the game. We meet a lot of people and have a great time,” said Mann, who has played regulation cornhole for more than six years. In a regulation game, she said, the board measures 2 feet by 4 feet with a 6-inch hole centered 9 inches from the top of the board. The front of the board sits 3.5 inches off the ground, and the back is 12 inches high. Score is kept on a tailgater stand. Team members stand beside one board and take turns tossing a 1-pound, 6-inch square bag into the hole of the board placed 27 feet away. “These days, the bags are filled with resin beads, but the game got its name because the bags used to be filled with corn,” Mann explained. “As the bags were played, the corn broke down and lubricated the boards, so the bags slid well.” Players of all ages and skill levels are welcome at club events, but it pays to practice, Mann said. “Some folks take it pretty seriously, but for most of us, it’s just clean, family-friendly fun,” she said. Check out the website at alabamacornhole.com or visit Central Alabama Cornhole Club on Facebook for details.
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Cloudless
NATURE OF THE LAKE BY KENNETH BOONE
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Sulphur One of Alabama's
most common fall
butterflies is probably flitting across your
property right now
This local beauty was photographed at Russell Crossroads
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Millions of pale yellow Cloudless Sulphur butterflies are fluttering through Alabama this time of year. According to Butterflies of Alabama, Cloudless Sulphers are our state’s most widespread and common yellow butterfly. These delicate-looking insects aren’t that delicate. They have the ability to fly 12 miles a day – almost a half marathon a day. We have resident Cloudless Sulphers, and during the fall, we also get northern Sulphers migrating south, which swells the local numbers considerably. These butterflies are common across the southern U.S. from California to Arizona and from Texas to the Atlantic states, but their range extends south all the way to Argentina and north to Canada. They have a wingspan of roughly 3 inches, which makes them easy to spot from a distance as they flit across our fields and roadsides. Both males and females are mostly yellow or even greentinted yellow on their wings and bodies. The male is typically The Cloudless Sulphur solid lemon yellow chrysalis looks like a on the upper side of pointed leaf its wings while the female is more pale yellow with darker wing edges and a dark-ringed spot on the top side of its front wing. Both genders sport a pair of pink or brown ringed white spots on the underside of their hindwings (shown here) and often more spots scattered around their wings. These butterflies usually rest and feed with their wings closed up instead of spread flat. One unusual characteristic of the Cloudless Sulphur is its very long nectar-sipping proboscis, which allows this butterfly to feed on deep-throated blooms frequented by hummingbirds. Topping its list of preferred blossoms around Lake Martin are honeysuckles, native azaleas and wild morning glory, and they are also fond of lobelias, lantana, hibiscus and bougainvillea … but they will feed
on many different flowers, such as the zinnias growing in the Russell Crossroads community garden where these photos were made. Males fly rapidly, searching for mates. Females lay single eggs on senna plant leaves, which are flowering nitrogen-rich legumes. Common Partridge-Pea is a senna often chosen here in Alabama, where it is used to control roadside erosion and is often planted to attract game, including bobwhite quail. This insect’s scientific name, Phoebis sennae, refers to Phoebe, the sister of Apollo in Greek mythology and the senna plants that often host its young. Cloudless Sulphur caterpillars, which begin life so tiny they are almost microscopic, are very highly camouflaged because they take on the color of the plants they eat. A caterpillar that eats mostly yellow flowers will be mostly yellow; a green leaf-muncher will become mostly green. They are further camoed by spots and stripes of many colors, including blue, yellow and black. These insects make a chrysalis that looks like a pointed leaf, often hidden in plain sight on the stem of a plant and colored to match its host for protection while it is morphing into a butterfly. In the tropics, Cloudless Sulphurs breed year-round, but here in the southern U.S., there are usually two generations a year. They are most often seen over open or disturbed ground, such as parks, gardens, roadsides, fields and yards – places where people tend to be as well. So keep your eyes open, and you are sure to see plenty of Cloudless Sulphurs here in the Lake Martin area. Information for this article came from Butterflies of Alabama, butterfliesandmoths.org, butterfly-fun-facts. com and bugguide.net.
In addition to the regular residents, migratory Sulphur butterflies swell the local population in the fall
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Farewell to a Friend Marine police officer takes a final cruise around the lake STORY  & PHOTOS BY MITCH SNEED
Officers stood by for a 21-gun salute before taking Rogers on a final cruise across Lake Martin
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Marine Police Officer Ned Anthony Rogers spent nearly three decades protecting the safety of Lake Martin’s boaters and homeowners, so it seemed fitting to memorialize his life with one last boat ride across the water. A special ceremony was held Sept. 14 to honor Rogers, 72, of Eclectic, who passed away Sept. 9 after a courageous battle with cancer. “Ned worked with the Marine Police from the early ’70s until he retired in 1997,” said Capt. Gary Buchanan of the Marine Police. “I worked with him for the first two years I was part of the unit. His whole career was spent on Lake Martin, so the memorial seemed appropriate.” After a private service inside Children’s Harbor Chapel with Rev. Tim Floyd officiating, Rogers’ flag-draped coffin was taken lakeside where he was honored with a 21-gun salute. Following a brief ceremony there, Rogers’ remains were placed on an Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Marine Police patrol boat, where he was surrounded by law enforcement officers and members of the same unit in which he had served. The boat slowly took Rogers on a final cruise across Kowaliga Bay and under the Kowaliga Bridge to the Kowaliga boat
ramp, where a procession met the escort to take Rogers’ body to his final rest. Nancy Myers got the ball rolling on the touching tribute to Rogers. She contacted Brian Cummings at Radney Funeral Home to arrange the use of the chapel at Children’s Harbor. After that was approved, she contacted Lt. Mark Fuller with the Marine Police to request the boat ride. From there, the tribute fell into place. “That was the first time that we’d ever done anything like that,” Buchanan said. “It started with Lt. Mark Fuller getting a call and getting the ball rolling on our end and doing a lot of the leg work. Then he called me, and I reached out to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources because back when he was an officer, we were all in that department. They had 17 of their guys there. It really turned out great, and I think it honored Ned well.” The family did not wish to comment but did express their appreciation to all those who attended and worked so hard to put the touching memorial service together. Rogers is survived by his wife of 49 years, Helen Rogers; son, Patrick Rogers; mother, Peggy Rogers; and brother, David Rogers.
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X Games Gold Lake Martin's Alex Graydon wins Fan Favorite in ESPN's all-video Real Wake contest STORY BY AMY PASSARETTI & PHOTOS BY KENNETH BOONE
Graydon boosts a method off the double up in front of the Children's Harbor lighthouse
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Only six wakeboarders from all over the world are invited to compete in ESPN’s X Games Real Wake all-video contest, and only one can be the Fan Favorite winner to receive the World of X Games Gold Medal. Lake Martin’s own Alex Graydon was this year’s victor with 42 percent of the fan vote (16 percent more than his closest competitor), and his video is proof enough of the talent, creativity and style that won over the public voters. “We definitely wanted to have a good mix of different styles of riding. We wanted to do something completely different. We had a feeling of what everyone else would do, so we wanted to make our video unique,” said Graydon. Having been an avid wakeboarder for 16 years, Graydon said he spent every summer on Lake Martin as a child, even though he is originally from Montgomery. “I first picked up a wakeboard when I was 11, and immediately, I was hooked. My father, Rick Graydon, was more than happy to keep me on the water, and after a decade of riding on this lake, I became a professional wakeboarder,” said Graydon. Graydon also skateboards, snowboards, surfs and wakeskates, and he said the inspiration for many of his tricks came from what’s been done in other sports. “We really wanted to think outside the box of what’s been done on a wakeboard. Wakeboarding has really been a later board sport, so I wanted to take ideas from other sports that have been around a little longer,” Graydon said. About 90 percent of the video was shot on Lake Martin, with some scenes near Senoia, Georgia, and one at Gulf Shores near Fort Morgan. “It was important to me that we film everything at or near my home. Being that this is where it all started for me, I wanted to shed some light on the beauty of this place and show how perfect it is for riding,” said Graydon. After spending so much time on Lake Martin, Graydon said he knows it like the back of his hand and the lake is full of natural areas for unique moves. “When I got the call to be a part of the X Games, I already had mapped out spots on the lake and assessed the risks and logistics of making them possible. Some of the spots I was able to get shot right away, but others took days on end,” Graydon said. The majority of the video was filmed near Kowaliga or within five minutes of that area. Graydon built kickers into trees and even used Kowaliga Bridge in his closing clip. The move included a flip under the bridge and a slide along one of the caps that connects the concrete piers, which he said had never been done before. “That definitely got the most attention from viewers,” said Graydon. There were no specific guidelines for the 90-second video, but Graydon knew he wanted to integrate a variety of moves for diversity. His film contained scenes of wakeboarding behind a boat, behind a
winch and cable riding through a cable system that he built on Ted Watt’s property last year. The stunt done in Gulf Shores involved a large, washed-up tank that the tropical storms had brought onto the beach. Due to the timing of high tide, Graydon only had one hour to film this trick properly, using the waves to push his board onto the kicker and another wave for landing. Graydon said he called in a lot of favors from a lot of friends to participate as well, to come drive the wakeboarding boat, the chase boat or help build something. He also said Singleton Marine contributed the boats they used to film the whole video and have always been supportive of his projects. With only two months to shoot the video, Graydon and his videographer, Joey Arcisz, had to work quickly and collaborated to finish the editing with only two days to spare before deadline. “It was a battle. It was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” said Graydon. Arcisz lives in Texas, which is where the two met on a project a couple years back, and he basically moved into Graydon’s Lake Martin home during this two-month period for the project. The pair filmed for a week at a time, taking breaks only when Graydon was too banged up to go on, or Arcisz required a much-needed break to go home to see his family. “We knew we could work together and not kill each other. He’s a great cinematographer, and I wanted to work with someone that had all the right gear and knew how to get the shot we wanted. We used a lot of different cameras,” said Graydon. Graydon typically spends six months of the year working and riding in Alabama and takes the other six to travel, surf, skate and shoot photos in other countries. The last two years, he’s moved to Australia during Lake Martin’s off-season and spent time doing just that. This year’s adventure will include three months in Nicaragua to help shoot photographs and videos for a company’s website while doing quite a bit of surfing as well. When he returns to Lake Martin in the spring, Graydon will continue to teach others how to ride and will likely end up filming more scenes on Lake Martin for future projects. He said since the video has come out, he’s had a lot of people message him asking to visit next year to film and shoot photos. “To even have been chosen for the X Games contest is unreal, but to get a gold medal? That’s something everyone whose ever done an action sport dreams of – to be in the X Games. I’ve won some local contests but nothing that compared to this,” said Graydon. The Fan Favorite contest was a winner-take-all battle in which fans watched each of the videos from the six contestants and their videographers and voted on their personal choices. Visit xgames.espn.com/xgames/real/20184432/realwake-2017 to watch Graydon’s video. Another aspect of the competition included judges’ awards, which were separate from the Fan Favorite
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contest. Winners of the judge-awarded gold, silver and bronze X Games medals were announced during the World of X Games: Real Wake 2017, which aired on ABC Sept. 17. On the Real Wake contest website, judges explained what they were looking for in a winner and how someone’s video stood out from others. Judge Tom Fooshee said an edit that flows well with a great song to match the rider’s style was just as important as the originality and difficulty of a rider’s tricks, winch spot and wake hits. Another judge, Brian Gubb, said a video with an approach to riding that is unique and fresh provides the feeling of wanting to watch it again. The gold medal went to Felix Georgii, silver was awarded to Aaron Rathy and Brenton Preistley won the bronze.
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Graydon takes a few minutes to mentally prepare for the ride ahead
OCTOBER 2017
Nailing a wrapped indy front 360 near Kowaliga, which is where much of the video was recorded
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Diversity of tricks – like this nose grabe crowmobe – is what won over the fans
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Graydon takes a classic method grab shot in front of Kowaliga Bridge
OCTOBER 2017
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OCTOBER 2017
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Vast View Blue Creek's Curry Point – Where the action is on Lake Martin
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STORY BY BETSY ILER & PHOTOS BY KENNETH BOONE
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At the very center of Blue Creek, Curry’s Point is poised for great times at Lake Martin, and the home at 215 there proffers incomparable opportunities for entertainment on and off the water, starting with the approach. As Centerpoint Road takes a sharp right at the lake and passes the Union boat ramp area, the narrow lots on both sides of the lane fall steeply away, revealing the spectacular panorama of open sky and open water. This is Curry Point, and the three-level Lake Martin home at 215 here sits at the front of the lot – right on the water’s edge – so the view from the road looks over the home’s rooftop to the lake beyond. Dropping quickly from the road, the driveway takes guests to the very center of Blue Creek, one of the lake’s most popular recreational areas. The landscaped hillside lot includes an array of shrubs, ornamental grasses and seasonal flowers to complement flagstone walkways and a bubbling year-round waterfall that draws from the lake. Hydrangeas, roses, Japanese maples, nandina and more add show and color to this premier location at Lake Martin. Built in 2016, the design by Newnan, Georgia, architect Mitch Ginn includes four bedrooms and four and a half baths, as well as a cozy loft with a daybed built-in. The contemporary craftsman
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with a touch of Tuscan flair can pull off a casual weekend at the lake as easily as a formal gathering for dinner. The dedicated formal dining space at the back of the house is an intimate space visually separated from the open kitchen and living areas with craftsman-style columns and rounded arches on the lake side wall. And the living area, with its fireplace of natural stone stacked in Mondrian fashion lends itself to the warm welcome of guests and the familiarity of an after-dinner beverage. Six panels of glass paired with transoms flood the room with pale blue light from the expansive lake view, which the owners tamed with coffered ceilings, wide plank floors and rich leather furnishings to keep the atmosphere warm and close on this level. Under a wide arch behind the living area, a large island introduces a kitchen that invites guests to pull up a tall chair and be part of the action where the food is the star. Stainless appliances, backsplash tiles placed diagonally and a scenic relief above the six-burner gas stovetop offer plenty of room for creative cooking at the lake. For a more casual dining experience, the wide lakeside porch perches guests above the covered
boathouse and dock where the sparkling open water testifies to Blue Creek’s name. The view stretches all the way across the bay, from Harbor Pointe and the Stillwaters Golf Club on the east, past Susanna Slough on the north to the gold mine hills on the west. This is where the action is at the lake. Chimney Rock is just around the bend at the mouth of the creek, and Chuck’s Marina waits only a quick boat ride or a short drive to the south. On land, the Overlook and Deadening trailheads are only minutes away on the west,
OCTOBER 2017
Previous Pages: Curry Point boasts an east-to-west view of Blue Creek; Facing Page: (Top) The open concept invites guests into a large kitchen; (Bottom) Dining goes from formal to casual easily; This Page: (Top) A handmade wooden boat swing lends a whimsical mood in the downstairs game room; (Bottom) The master looks out on beautiful Blue Creek.
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Below: (Top) A built-in bunk in the loft offers a quiet reading or napping space or an extra bed for one more guest; (Bottom) An open concept with doors that flow from inside to outside make entertainment a breeze.
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with Walnut Hill, Copper’s Grille, Niffers and Oskars just around the corner on the east. This 4,300-square-foot lake home hugs the 230-foot waterfront with a flagstone patio under the entry-level porch, so the fun at the lake is only steps away. The covered boathouse includes slips and lifts for two boats with two lifts for personal watercraft beside the dock. With deep water throughout the year, entertainment at the lake is available any time. On the basement level just inside the lake level veranda, Ginn’s design brings lakeside fun indoors with a den that’s perfect for football weekends and family time. Board and baton walls add a beachy vibe to the room where the
OCTOBER 2017
owners suspended a boat swing from the ceiling. While browsing the internet, they found a man in Florida who made old fishing boats by hand, and they added custom cushions and a boatload of pillows to the novel piece. Behind the bar in the den, they included a full size refrigerator, bar sink and space for a microwave with plenty of room for preparing snacks and drinks without missing the activity in the room. Around the corner just off the patio, the design accommodates traffic to and from the lake with a toy storage room large enough for several paddle boards, floats and tubes and hanging space for a dozen towels. The lake level also includes a second master with all the amenities of the main master on the entry level. Dual vanities, tiled showers and large walk-in closets, along with gorgeous views, make it easy to extend visits beyond the weekend. On the third level, Ginn tucked a daybed under the loft dormer outside two lakeview bedrooms that share a jack-and-jill bath. This spacious and accommodating home on a prime lot in one of Lake Martin’s most popular recreational areas is listed with Lake Martin Realty’s Rhonda Jaye. Learn more at www. lakemartinrealty.com/property/215-curry-point or contact Rhonda Jaye at 256-749-8681 or Allison Jaye at 256-750-0711.
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Labor Day signals the end of the boating season for most, but when the summer wanes, fall calls, offering some of the best lake time of the year for a small group of fishermen and an arguably even smaller group of boat campers. Camping on the many islands and open sandbars on Lake Martin is quite popular during summer weekends and holidays. The activity is enjoyed by so many that finding a quiet, isolated place to pitch a tent is very nearly impossible. But mid-tolate October brings cooler temperatures, lower lake levels, less boat traffic, larger sandbars, a stunning palette of colors among the wooded shorelines and islands, and peaceful, picture-perfect days and nights for boat camping. I have been an avid camper all my life. Boy Scouts, summer camps and a bit of trailer camping in state parks all over Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee instilled a genuine love for camping. Backpacking and canoe floats honed my skills even more, but the first experience of true boat camping came totally by accident. One summer night while catfishing on the Alabama River, a dense fog rolled in. There was nothing to do but tie up on a sandbar and wait it out – all night long. But that experience was not at all a bad one, and it became the first of many boat camping adventures to come. Today, I prefer to limit them to the fall when Lake Martin offers up its full natural beauty and luster. Boat camping is similar to traditional tent camping. It requires virtually the same equipment, preparation and planning. While you could pitch camp on a sandbar beach, true boat camping means sleeping on the boat. The larger the boat deck, the better. And although any boat with space large enough to spread a sleeping bag is sufficient, I prefer the luxury of a pontoon boat.
Preparing The Gear
It is helpful to make a checklist. “Pack light” is a good motto. Boat camping is nothing more than a step up from a light backpacking or canoe float camping adventure. If all of the gear cannot be carried from the vehicle to the boat in two or three trips by one person, you might be taking too much. Remember, you will be sleeping on the boat, so the more room there is for bedding down, the more comfortable the bed and the better the sleeping. Basic creature comforts are the priorities: food; shelter; water; fuel for fire and/or stove; sleeping bag/blanket and ground padding, such as a good air mattress or any of the various foam pads, cots and hammocks that are readily available in most outdoor supply shops; a dry change of clothing; a jacket and cap/hat suitable for the weather conditions; and extra shoes or hiking boots. Pack a good knife and whatever dishes and cookware you might need as well. 50 LAKE
Pack light and sleep directly on the boat for a great camping experience
OCTOBER 2017
Boat Camping Fall weather on Lake Martin is ideal for a peaceful getaway
STORY & PHOTOS BY MITCH EMMONS
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Bring food that can easily be heated up or cooked on a small grill
Fall on Lake Martin is the most scenic time of the year
The extra amenities then can be added: flashlights with extra batteries; a lantern that can be hung from a tree branch or Bimini support for long-term campsite lighting is quite handy; a well-stocked first-aid kit; fishing gear; water wear; towel; personal toiletries and medications; and take along a couple of trash bags to carry out your waste. Good boat campers adhere to the “Leave No Trace” philosophy and leave their campsites at least as clean as they found them. A folding chair is nice, too. Don’t forget a lighter or matches and be sure to check about any fire burning restrictions that might be in force. Most importantly, remember to pack the camera. Aside from spring, this is the most scenic time of the year, and photographic opportunities of all kinds can be found all along the lake.
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Camp Preparation
Once packed, loaded and waterborne, the next step is picking the perfect campsite. Mid-fall is a bounty. The boat camper is unlikely to encounter anyone else on the lake, with the exception of an occasional fishing craft. Virtually every island and sandbar where camping is allowed is open and accessible. Just beware of lower water levels and exposed hazards, such as rocks, stumps and other obstacles that are safely hidden in deeper water during spring and summer. The sandbar is my first preference. Once you have picked the perfect campsite, it is just a matter of anchoring down for the evening and preparing the site for the duration. If there is to be a campfire, the pit or ring is the first task. Next, fuel has to be gathered. Typically, you can find a good amount of downed and dead sticks for firewood, but I usually take along a bundle of already cut and dried firewood in case the supply on site is not as plentiful as expected. A bag of charcoal can be a handy item for cooking in foil or making coffee when a traditional fire is not a necessity. Next, rig the boat for sleeping accommodations. I use a small one-person bivy tent that sets up nicely on the foredeck of the pontoon. In warmer weather, or if you prefer a more open camp, sleeping under the Bimini or rigging a tarp over the deck is sufficient. It is recommended to have some type of overhead covering when boat camping. The nights are almost always dew-filled before morning.
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Some Tips About Food
Eating well on camping adventures is important. Whether staying in a tent, in a trailer, on the ground or on a boat, a good camp cook is a clean cook. Make the cooking area as open and as level as possible. Spread out a sheet of plastic to help control cleanliness. A trash bag will do the trick, and you can toss in the waste afterwards. And keep your hands washed. Freeze-dried or ready meals that are commercially available and made just for such outdoor delights are great but not at all required. Remember that you are on a boat, and you can take along that cooler that you used all summer. Pack the bacon and eggs or pancake batter for breakfast. Toss some nice juicy red apples or oranges into the box. Take some hot dogs or burgers and whatever condiments you like – perhaps even a small grill, if you want (did someone say steak?). There is almost no limit to the ability to take along enough food supplies to prepare some tasty and filling camp meals. I like to make up a few hobo meals at home and toss them into the cooler ready to cook – a hold-over from my Scouting days. A ground beef patty with some sliced potatoes, onion and carrots, wrapped in foil, and cooked directly in the fire coals is a hardy, hot meal that requires very little post-meal cleanup.
Breaking Camp
Wake up early. You don’t want to miss the sight of the beautiful sunrise casting its golden beams over the glasslike smoothness of the early-morning lake surface. Make good use of that folding chair that you brought to sit on the sandbar and sip your morning coffee while you breathe in the cool, clean morning air. Soak up the vast awesomeness of all that is fall on beautiful Lake Martin. And take some pictures. And when you just have to, clean up, pack up and go back to reality. Take home those memories from the experience and the beautiful photographs from your excursion. Write a journal or a story about your adventure – and begin immediately to plan the next one. Boat camping when fall calls is some of the best time on the lake.
Healthy Hearts Make More Memories More moments mean more memories. More time with grandkids and family. More days on the lake. More sunsets. Kevin Sublett, MD, and the staff at the UAB Heart & Vascular Clinic of Central Alabama are committed to keeping your heart healthy, so you can keep on making memories. The clinic is backed by the world-class expertise you expect from UAB Medicine, offering: • The full spectrum of cardiovascular care • Care from a physician board-certified in interventional cardiology • The latest in cardiac and vascular ultrasound technology, as well as nuclear medicine imaging in accredited laboratories • Diagnosis and treatment of cardiac rhythm disorders • Convenient location within Russell Medical Center Call us today to schedule an appointment!
3368 Highway 280, Suite 130 Alexander City, AL 35010 (256) 234-2644 uabmedicine.org/heartcentralAL OCTOBER 2017
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Land and Lake CRATA and LMRA work together to promote and protect local recreation STORY BY JOHN THOMPSON
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ake Martin Resource Association (LMRA) and Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail Association (CRATA) share many commonalities. LMRA was founded in the early 1970s by Ben Russell and CRATA some 30 years later (2004) by Jimmy K. Lanier. Both of these gentlemen have deep roots in the Lake Martin community, and both are passionate about protecting and preserving our natural environment for the enjoyment of both present and future generations. Each has a history of viewing challenges as opportunities to accomplish things that most people would only dream and talk about. These gentlemen have always been willing to get in the trenches to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks, and both rarely accept no as an answer when making a request. With those similarities in their founders, it’s easy to see why the two organizations work so closely together. Each of these organizations is managed by a board of directors that has been characterized as a working board. Some individuals serve on both boards and are always ready and willing to pitch in and help out on all projects, no matter how difficult the work.
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CRATA has focused on the development of hiking trails in the undeveloped wilderness areas throughout the Lake Martin community. The trails offer magnificent views of Lake Martin with many following the lake shoreline; some even offer access to islands when the lake occasionally draws down to the 10-foot winter pool level. The Smith Mountain Fire Tower project, which includes scenic views and many miles of great hiking trails, is proof positive of what can be accomplished by a working board. LMRA focuses on working for the betterment of Lake Martin with projects related to boating safety, property protection, membership advocacy and environmental education. LMRA’s hazardous buoy program, which includes the installation and management of more than 440 buoys across the lake, is highly regarded by Alabama Power Company officials, as well as the marine police. LMRA and CRATA work hand-in-hand in all projects related to environmental education, including the removal of trash and litter from hiking trails and lake shoreline, as well as adjacent roadways.
OCTOBER 2017
CRATA is a strong supporter of the recently introduced LMRA “Treasured Mile” program and has adopted shoreline and islands in the Smith Mountain area to keep these litter free throughout the year. CRATA board members and other volunteers also participate in the annual Alabama Power Company “Renew our Rivers” Lake Martin cleanup, which is coordinated by LMRA and organizes youth groups, religious groups and other volunteers in a twoday effort to remove trash from Lake Martin’s shoreline, public boat launches and adjacent roadways. CRATA’s historic Smith Mountain Fire Tower offers unparalleled 270-degree views of the Treasured Lake that LMRA is dedicated to promoting and protecting. When restoration of the fire tower began in 2010, LMRA furnished financial assistance and volunteer
Our Thanks to Recent Donors Teachers’ Helper Kimberly Shelton
Trail Blazers
Barry & Charlotte Brown Stillwater Yacht Club
labor and could not be prouder of the results. LMRA is likewise assisting with CRATA’s Outdoor Environmental Education Project on Smith Mountain. LMRA is providing information for some of the display panels and furnishing financial assistance to the project. LMRA encourages its members and other lake area residents to likewise contribute to make this one-of-a-kind amenity the best it can be. To make a donation to this important CRATA project, please send your check, payable to CRATA, to Jimmy K. Lanier at P. O. Box 240503, Eclectic AL 36024.
Help tell our county's story CRATA is raising $50,000 to make Smith Mountain Park an educational center on the nature and history of Tallapoosa County
Contribution Form Name_____________________________________ Date_______ Address_______________________________________________ City_______________________ State_______ ZIP____________ Phone________________________________________________ Email_________________________________________________
Giving Levels
Tax deductible gifts to “CRATA-Smith Mountain Tower Restoration” are greatly appreciated! Please return this form and your gift to: Jimmy K. Lanier, CRATA, P.O. Box 240503, Eclectic, AL 36024 All donors will be recognized in print. All donors of $100 or more will be recognized on a permanent cast plaque. Anonymous gifts at all levels will be respected for confidentiality. Honorariums, memorials and appreciations will be acknowledged per donor direction.
Teachers' Helper Trail Blazers Vista Viewers Summit Toppers Visionaries Legacy Sponsors
Up to $99 $100-$249 $250-499 $500-$999 $1,000 or more $5,000 or more
Amount enclosed $_____________________
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Bonus or Onus?
ow much do you tip at a restaurant? The get some perspective, I compared that number obligatory 20 percent, no matter the serwith the average DOM from 2012 through 2016, vice? Or do you tack on a bonus tip for an as calculated by the Alabama Center for Real exceptional experience? If you tip higher, do you Estate. DOM during this period was 198 days. dangle that offer in front of the server before the Ouch. That’s about 28 percent lower. meal, or does it happen after the fact? In plain English, sellers that offered a bonus to This month, let’s take a look at bonuses offered the buyer’s side agent took 28 percent longer than by sellers to real estate agents on the buyer’s side average to sell their homes. of the equation. I do not refer to the percentage Doesn’t sound like the bonus helped speed. commission. A bonus is just what it sounds like – The devil’s advocate might look at the above LAKE PROPERTY gravy on top of the percentage commission – usuconclusion and propose a different interpretation. BY JOHN COLEY ally offered by the seller. For instance, he might say, “Well, it makes sense Lake Martin is in a seller’s market. Home sales are up, and that bonus offered listings would be on the market longer. The inventory is down. Prices are increasing, and it’s getting tougher seller has seen that his or her home has not sold; and then, and tougher to help buyers find that perfect lake home. offers an agent bonus.” In such markets, sellers don’t have to give much. They are in That actually makes pretty good sense to me as another the driver’s seat on most negotiations. Provided their homes or explanation, especially when you consider how information lots are priced right, they don’t have to bend over backwards. is entered into the MLS. These bonus offers to the buyer side Typically, we see buyer’s side agent bonuses more in a agent are usually entered in the Private Remarks section that buyer’s market. Then, it’s just the opposite situation. Sellers only agents can access. Other agents can see when the listing are begging buyers to make offers; thus, the tantalizing bonus agent has changed the remarks, but it only shows a limited above commission. When I see bonuses being offered in a amount of the text that was changed. So it would be hard to seller’s market, it makes me wonder why. drill down and prove in every case the point at which the bonus Every seller has his or her own particular goals, but I would was offered. say that almost every seller has the primary goal of selling propWhen I scanned the 30 properties in question, I saw a wide erty for the most money as quickly as possible. I have never distribution of Days On Market. The fastest selling home met a seller that told me, “I would really like to sell my home sold in 27 days, and another sold at only 50. Clearly, these but take as long as possible, while practically giving it away two homes had the bonus in from the very start. There also money-wise. I really would like to lose my shirt on this sale.” were outliers at the other end of the spectrum. The two slowest That means sellers and agents have at least two common selling homes took 598 and 749 days, respectively. I think that goals – time and money – on which to judge the efficacy of real tells us that we have a good sample. Sure, maybe some sellers estate agent bonuses. added in the bonus at the last minute, but since we are considerI think it would be hard to judge the money part; we would ing almost four years of sales, I think that evens out. have to examine every real estate sale and ask questions like, Now, please don’t misunderstand me. I am all for buyer’s “What other offers did you receive? For what price could you side agent bonuses when I am on the buyer’s side! I’ve sold have sold it? Were you willing to accept a lower price, but the a couple of the homes mentioned above, and I have shown a agent on the buyer side brought a higher offer?” few in the last month that are offering a bonus to the buyer’s That is a lot of ‘woulda, coulda, shoulda.’ Given the amount side agent. Rest assured that I would claim the bonus if I met its of speculation, it would be really tough to discern the facts conditions. I am not saying such bonuses are bad things. based on evidence; however, time can be judged. I do think that, here at Lake Martin and at least since 2014, Every home that is entered in the Lake Martin MLS is they do not bring about faster sales for the sellers. tracked by several statistics. One of those is Days on Market I have had sellers ask me about offering bonuses over the (DOM), which indicates how long the home took to sell, from years. My answer has always been the same, regardless of the time the sign went into the yard until the seller gave away whether it was asked in a buyer’s or seller’s market. I always the keys at the closing table. DOM can tell us whether or not advise to keep the focus on the buyer, not the agent, by dropthe presence of a buyer side agent bonus was effective in cutping the price by that same amount. ting down the time on the market. In my estimation, people who are good at sales are good I took a look at the Lake Martin MLS and searched all of the servants. They are not in the business of trying to talk people closed sales since Jan. 1, 2014. I found 30 instances of homes into something, especially if there is a bonus on the line. A or lot sales that offered a bonus to the agent on the buying side; good agent’s job is to listen to the buyer or seller and help him then, I added up all of the DOM for these sales and divided or her make a wise, informed decision, bonus or no bonus. by 30. I found that properties that advertised a buyer’s side agent bonus had an average DOM of about 254. John Coley is a broker and owner of Lake Martin Voice Is 254 days on the market low or high for Lake Martin? To Realty. Visit his blog at LakeMartinVoice.com. 56 LAKE OCTOBER 2017
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One of the Cleanest Lakes in the State
ost people who either live on or recrein recent years. Measurements presented here ate at Lake Martin know that it is a were taken just above the Martin Dam near Goat Treasured Alabama Lake (TAL). It is, in Island. As you can see in the accompanying fact, Alabama’s one and only TAL. Thanks to the graph, the measurements bounce around from numerous TAL signs developed by Lake Martin year to year due to the varying biological responsHome Owners and Boat Owners Association and es to wet and dry years, and the varying rates of posted around the lake, even passers-by should be flow through/flushing of the lake. aware of our lake’s special designation. The desigValues for Martin have ranged from the midnation was bestowed on the lake by the Alabama 30s to the mid-40s over the past three decades, Department of Environmental Management with the most recent value, 35, indicating that (ADEM) in 2011 after years of effort by Lake the lake (at least down by the dam) is in the LAKE WATCH Watch of Lake Martin. ‘Oligotrophic’ range. This is pretty much as clean BY ERIC REUTEBUCH This begs the as the lake has logical question: ever been in the Does the TAL past three decades, designation make and is very good Lake Martin for an Alabama exempt from polLake – more lution? Well, not than half of our entirely, but it sure lakes are in the helps – by pro‘Eutrophic’ range hibiting new point – characterized sources of polluby nutrient rich, tion (waste water green, algae-laden treatment plants waters. and waste outfalls In fact, Lake from industries) Martin has one of from emptying the lowest TSIs into the lake; thus, (pollution levit’s expected that els), on average, the lake, known as in the state (see one of the cleanest 2016 Integrated in the state, would Water Quality remain clean. Monitoring and However, there have been questions raised recently on the Assessment Report or commonly known as the Water Quality Lake Martin Forum about how the lake water quality has fared Report to Congress, www.adem.state.al.us/programs/water/ in recent years. These are good questions that deserve answers. waterquality.cnt). An enormous amount of data about the lake has been colThe graph represents results from several studies, along with lected during the last 30 years by ADEM, Auburn University, routine monitoring conducted by ADEM and AU, and plots Alabama Power Company and Lake Watch of Lake Martin. in Lake Martin’s TSI in the lower lake (blue line, sampled An index known as the Trophic State Index (TSI) was devel- just above the dam) over 27 years. Dots represent TSI for the oped in the 1970s by a renowned limnologist (scientist who growing season (April through October, with an average of 6-7 studies lakes), Robert Carlson. Dr. Carlson converted algae lev- readings per year). els into a scale ranging from zero (super-clean) to 100 (superSo, tip your hat to those fine limnologists if you motor by green, think ‘pea soup’ green). Through the years, Lake Watch them while they are sampling on the lake and maybe even of Lake Martin, in collaboration with Alabama Water Watch at shout a ‘thank you’ to them for looking after our lake. Better Auburn University, has plotted and monitored the trend in this yet, join Lake Watch of Lake Martin and start looking after the pollution index for Lake Martin. Higher values mean more pol- lake yourself – we can always use a helping hand. To join the lution in the form of nutrients (think nitrogen, phosphorus and effort, go to www.lakewatch.org. potassium, N-P-K), which equates to more algae and a greener, more turbid lake. Eric Reutebuch is president of Lake Watch of Lake Martin. I recently obtained the latest water quality data from the To learn more, visit www.lakewatch.org. good folks at ADEM to see how the lake has been trending OCTOBER 2017
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The Skinny on Wetsuits What to wear when temperatures drop
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his is the last month before the Carbon X chest zip hooded coming in a water gets pretty frigid, and little over $400, and when it comes to that means it’s time the neocold water sessions, this is Billabong’s prene wet suits are dug back out of alpha dog. The Furnace Carbon Comp the closet. Though it won’t be long wetsuit takes performance technolbefore Daylight Savings Time wrecks ogy to the extremes with maximum the schedule for an after-work ride, the warmth and flexibility. Billabong notes upside is that fewer boats and riders the construction is done with the finBEHIND THE BOAT will be on the lake. College football est materials available and make no BY SAWYER DAVIS is in full swing, and for most folks mistake, the Furnace Carbon Comp is around here, the game takes preceBillabong’s premium cold-water wetdence over time on the water. suit. Surf dry with a quick-dry top layer that holds Personally, this is my favorite time of the year. It’s up to 60 percent less water and is noted to dry to warm enough – especially if I wear some neoprene – the touch in seconds, which means you stay warmer. to enjoy the lake. The leaves are changing colors; the A Drymax chest zip entry keeps water out, and a furair temperatures are great; and with the right gear, the nace carbon lining keeps the heat in with a super high water is not bad. Knowing that time is very limited strength-to-weight ratio. Every layer is constructed and winter is coming soon makes every ride a great with incredible flexibility for optimal performance. one this time of year. Then there’s O’Neill, the brand that has set the If you ride in colder months, you get to really take standard. Jack O’Neill started the business of makadvantage of using the training and riding you’ve ing and selling wetsuits back in the early 1950s (Jack been doing all summer. It’s a great time to take passed away this June at age 94). You can pick up advantage of the fall extension water level and the an entry-level O’Neill for about $120 in the Reactor progress you’ve made, so have some fun with your 3/2, a great, fully functional, well-cut and wellbuds and catch a few laughs when they hit the water – constructed full suit, but if you wanna really stay before the neoprene warms up. warm in an O’Neill, you need to buy the big boy: The body warms up that tiny layer of water Psycho Tech F.U.Z.E 4/3 FSW full wetsuit coming between you and the suit pretty quickly, making you in at a little over $400. O’Neill’s Psycho Tech boasts pretty comfortable in quite cold waters. TechnoButter 2 neoprene. TechnoButter combines Here’s the skinny on wetsuits: a 2-Air Firewall insulation with a single fluid seam Wetsuits make all the difference in the world. Most weld and a F.U.Z.E. closure system. Lighter, warmer, of them are rated and will indicate the water temps more insulating and quick drying with improved ease for which they are best suited. The thicker the suit, of entry. Psycho Tech is the latest advancement in the warmer, but also the more restriction you typically cold-water wetsuit technology. get, particularly in the entry-level suits. This suit is followed by a second runner-up that Top-of-the-line suits have been engineered for the I couldn’t not mention, due to its innovation: the best surfers in the business and the coldest waters. O’Neill Hyperfreak Comp 4/3 zipless full wetsuit. For us, 54 degrees Fahrenheit is cold water, but these This wetsuit is all new, fully sealed, lightweight perhigher quality suits are designed for much colder con- formance and features O’Neill’s zipless-entry neck, ditions, so you can stay really warm in Lake Martin’s new super-stretch TBX neoprene and O’Neill’s exclucoldest water months. sive TBX split neoprene tape. Crazy comfort, warmth Billabong’s lineup comes in at about $150 from and performance at an amazing value, as it comes in a the entry-level Absolute line 3/2 full wetsuit with little under $300. rear zip, internal Hollow Fiber Thermal lining with With these options, you can’t go wrong for winter chest and back paneling for added warmth and less here on Lake Martin. I hope you get some off-season weight with quick-dry capabilities. These wetties are riding in and stay warm. designed and built with function and performance in See you on the water. mind. But if you want to stay toasty warm in the cold, Sawyer Davis is an inboard specialist with Russell jump to the super-sick top-of-the-line 4/3 Furnace Marine and a wakesurfer for Victoria skimboards. 60 LAKE
OCTOBER 2017
FROM OUR REAL ESTATE ADVERTISERS
FABULOUS FINDS
1031 Lakeshore Drive, Jacksons Gap • $409,000 Cozy, super cute, lake cabin styled for outdoor fun...sits on deepwater cove that opens to big water. 3BD/2.5BA, split plan w/ spacious master BD/BA, double granite vanity and lg. walk in closet. 2BD/ BA on opposite end. Open kit/din/LR. laminate flooring throughout, 3 sets of french doors on lakeside open to huge deck, perfect for entertaining. Lovely flagstone walkway to dock. Covered boatslip w/ lift and floating dock. Nice landscaping. Everything you need to begin making memories on Lake Martin!! RE/MAX Around the Lake Call Amanda Scroggins 256-749-6634 www.amandascroggins.com
189 Thomas Lane, Alexander City • $189,000 You can keep looking, but why??...This lovely, 3BD/2BA home is a perfect place to raise a family. Located at end of cul-de-sac only minutes from Lake Martin boat ramp and Hwy. 280. Has vaulted ceilings in LR and Master BD. Open Kit/DR, beautiful wooden custom cabinets, Corian countertops, hardwood flooring. Private office/playroom, nice spacious BDs and laundry. Covered patio, grilling deck and pool in back.Spacious double garage and front porch. Don't wait any longer! See today!! RE/MAX Around the Lake Call Samantha Spurlin 256-786-0650 www.samanthaspurlin.com
46 N Holiday Drive, Dadeville • $179,000 The first impression of this uniquely charming house will be WOW! 3BD/2BA, open LR/DR/Kit. Owner loves personality in decoration and landscaping. This home features 2 closets in each BD, separate Master Suite., nice utility/laundry rm, sunroom, screened porch w/deck, saltwater above ground pool w/decking. Also has 2-car garage w/2 storage rms., workshop building. Automated turn-ons for lights, heating/ air, garage door. Recently repainted and new heat pump. Located on 2 lots and has access to lake. You have to see this place to believe it! RE/MAX Around the Lake Call Amanda Scroggins 256.749.6634 www.amandascroggins.com
191 Hagan Road, Eclectic, AL • $495,000 Great location in Tallassee Slough. Nicely updated cabin on flat lot in quiet cove. Just around the corner from the big open water of Kowaliga Bay. Just what you're looking for in a weekend lake cabin. Updates include granite counter tops and tile baths. Close to everything on the lake. Minutes from Kowaliga restaurant and Harbor Docks. Come and enjoy the summer now! 3BR 2BA Lake Martin Realty Damon Story 205.789.9526 www.LakeMartinRealty.com
525 Nicholson Road, Alexander City • $995,000 Enjoy Lake Martin like it was meant to be enjoyed. Create memories in this ''Cabin'' style home. Located in the cabin community of Nichols Cove with wooded surroundings and nostalgic dirt roads.Convenient to everything. Very private with open views of Kowaliga Bay! If you are looking for a move-in ready home, great location and views, you have found it here! A must see. Lake Martin Realty Damon Story 205.789.9526 www.LakeMartinRealty.com
Willow Glynn, The Abby $1,250,000 Just completed by RLH Construction. The Abby is a 3,219 sq. ft. plan designed by Chuck Frusterio. Owner’s suite and guest suites on main level with spacious livingdining-kitchen and large covered porch. Lake level offers two bedrooms, two bathrooms, generous lake-prep room, family room, wet bar, second laundry, and spacious covered patio for outdoor entertaining. Russell Lands On Lake Martin 256.215.7011 www.RussellLandsOnLakeMartin.com
Willow Glynn, Riverside Cottage $1,224,900 Under construction by RLH Construction & designed by Mitch Ginn, this design offers 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, 2 living areas and vaulted ceilings in the kitchen and owner’s suite. Enjoy the spectacular water views from both of the spacious covered porches. Russell Lands On Lake Martin 256.215.7011 www.RussellLandsOnLakeMartin.com
South Ridge Estates, Y Knot $1,750,000 Looking for the perfect homesite and lake houseplan? Take a look at this stunning design by Bill Farshee. Under construction by Classic Homes, this plan is a unique design that provides lake views from every room. The main living area is surrounded by covered lakeside porches. Two owner’s suites on main level and rec room, bunk loft and two guest suites on upper level. A detached two-car garage with guest suite above completes this plan. Russell Lands On Lake Martin 256.215.7011 www.RussellLandsOnLakeMartin.com
South Ridge Harbor, Diamond View $1,650,000 Classic Homes, a division of Russell Lands, has just broken ground on the "Diamond View" in The Ridge. This exciting new lake home design by Larry Furlong has it all: four bedrooms, four full baths, two powder rooms, PLUS two Great Rooms...one on each level. Claim your spot next to the stone fireplace and cozy up to spectacular views of Kowaliga Bay! The open kitchen overlooks the living and dining areas making this home perfect for entertaining family and friends. Call today for more details or to visit this new home project in person! Russell Lands On Lake Martin 256.215.7011 www.RussellLandsOnLakeMartin.com
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Does an apple a day keep the doctor away?
I
t all began with Johnny Appleseed trav0.1 milligrams of Vitamin B6 (4 percent of the eling the country in the 1800s planting daily recommendation) and 1 milligram of manapple seeds. Planting apple orchards was ganese (3 percent of the daily recommendation). a sign that pioneers were establishing new The entire apple is very important in terms of settlements. During this time, land comnutrients. If you eat the skin, you tap into imporpanies even required settlers to plant apple tant flavonoids. Flavonoids are a large family of orchards to claim a parcel of land. Apples nutrients. The best-known flavonoids are querare as American as no other … well, maybe cetin, kaempferol, catechins and anthocyanidins. except for apple pie. The old adage originatThese are famous for their antioxidant and antied from Devonshire, England, in the 1500s, inflammatory health benefits, as well as adding “Ate an apfel avore gwain to bed. Makes the vibrant colors to food. doctor beg his bread.” This translates into Of all the fruits, the skins of green and red the modern version, “An apple a day keeps HEALTHY LIVING apples contain the highest level of the flavonoid the doctor away.” quercetin. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory BY JULIE HUDSON Apples are probably the most favored capability of quercetin is what connects apples fruit. Studies show that Americans consume 44 pounds to heart health, resolving inflammatory problems, cancerof apples per person each year. Most of our apple supfighting capabilities, improving neurological health and ply comes predominately from the states of Washington, dementia. Quercetin appears to fight cancer by inhibiting New York, Michigan and Pennsylvania; however, apples the growth of malignant cells and causing abnormal cells to are grown in many states. August through October is the self-destruct. harvest season for apples; however, apples can be enjoyed Research has also demonstrated that antioxidants and year-round due to their sturdiness and storage capabilities. fiber in apples play an important role in preventing diabetes Hundreds of varieties of apples exist, each one offering a and obesity by improving insulin sensitivity. Eighty percent unique taste and purpose for eating, baking or cooking. of the fiber in apples comes from the white flesh of the Apples are extremely healthy. An average medium apple apple. offers about 95 calories, 19 grams of sugar, minimal grams Fiber comes in two forms: soluble and insoluble. Neither of protein or fat, 4.4 grams of fiber (18 percent of the daily type of fiber is absorbed from the digestive tract into the recommendation), 4 milligrams of Vitamin C (14 percent of bloodstream; however, both are very valuable. Most of the the recommended daily amount), 4 milligrams of Vitamin fiber from apples is in the form of pectin. Pectin is a soluble K (5 percent of the daily recommendation), 196 milligrams fiber. You may have heard of pectin used to thicken jelof potassium (6 percent of the lies and jams. Pectin bulks up in the stomach by absorbing daily recomwater; thus, giving you the feeling of fullness. At the same mendation), time, pectin binds to sugar and carbohydrates in the digestive tract, releasing them gradually into the blood stream, which helps to maintain steady blood sugar levels. Pectin’s main claim to fame is its ability to aid in lowering cholesterol. Pectin acts like a giant sponge that soaks up bile acids and cholesterol in the digestive tract. Because the body does not digest fiber, the pectin passes right through the system and takes the bile acids and cholesterol along with it. Eating a whole apple, including the peel, will provide you with even more fiber. The skin of the apple provides an insoluble type of fiber called roughage. Insoluble fiber is neither dissolved in water nor absorbed by the body. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to the stool; therefore, keeping food moving through the digestive tract. Insoluble fiber helps to improve digestive health and prevent certain digestive conditions, such as irritable bowel and diverticulosis. When selecting apples at the store or farmers market, look for apples that are firm, fresh smelling and 62 LAKE
OCTOBER 2017
Apple Crisp 4 medium tart apples, sliced (4 cups) 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats or old-fashion oats 1/3 cup butter, soft 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
(256) 234-6366
(256) 839-6711
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease bottom of 8-inch square pan. Spread sliced apples in pan. In medium bowl, stir brown sugar, flour, oats, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg; sprinkle over apples. Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender. Serve warm with ice cream.
have good color. Avoid apples with bruises, those that have damage to their skins or feel soft. Apples can be kept fresh in the refrigerator for several weeks. Choosing apples can be a bit confusing because there are so many varieties. Here is a guide to follow when you can’t decide on a variety to purchase. The best apples for eating: Braeburn, Cortland, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Jazz, Jonagold, Pinklady, Red Delicious and Winesap. The best apples for cooking: Gala, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, McIntosh, Pink Lady, and Winesap. The best apples for baking: Braeburn, Cortland (pie), Crispin, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Jonagold, Pink Lady and Winesap. Apples serve as a satisfying snack or an accompaniment to any meal. They pair well with almost any food and can be enjoyed in numerous ways – baked and sliced in pancakes or muffins; cubed or shredded in a salad or slaw, cold cereal or hot oatmeal; sliced and topped with peanut butter or cheese; baked in the oven; paired with pork; baked in a crisp, cobbler and, of course – pie. Reap the nutritional benefits of apples this fall. Go ahead and have an apple a day. See if it keeps the doctor away.
(256) 825-9244
(334) 864-8854
We touch the lives of the people you love Assisted Living Short Term Rehab Physical, Occupational & Speech Therapy
Julie Hudson is a dietician at the Lake Martin Wellness Center in Dadeville.
Long Term Care
OCTOBER 2017 PM16_HalfPg_Magazine8.2016.2.indd 1
LAKE 63 8/12/16 3:14 PM
Dressed Up Potatoes
CHEF’S TABLE BY ROB MCDANIEL
64 LAKE
Rob McDaniel, executive chef and general manager at SpringHouse Restaurant, earned a bachelor's degree in restaurant and hotel management from Auburn University and is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute.
OCTOBER 2017
Ingredients
3 Idaho or Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into rounds about 1/4-inch thick 2 ribs celery, sliced thin 1/8 cup chopped green olive or black 2 tablespoons chopped capers
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 clove of garlic minced 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Steam or boil potatoes until al dente – if the potatoes are too soft, you will have dressed up mashed potatoes. While the potatoes cool, mix together the garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Once potatoes have cooled, gently toss with dressing; then, add parsley, capers, olives and celery and season with salt and pepper. Gently toss one last time before plating.
OCTOBER 2017
LAKE 65
L
ake Martin is a lake that experiences water level reaches its lowest point near the end a scheduled drawdown each year. The of November. As the lake continues to fall, the annual drawdown is primarily a flood baitfish and fish pull closer and closer to banks control measure that lake managers use in prepathat have steep contours. This is typical of any ration for heavy winter and spring rainfall. Lake place with falling water, but since Lake Martin Martin is more typical of a highland type resernormally falls close to a consistent rate, you can voir. Highland reservoirs have steep and often almost predict the areas that will be productive rocky terrain throughout the watershed. When from one month to the next. heavy rainfall occurs, the runoff quickly enters One nice advantage to today’s electronics is the reservoir and can fill the lake in a very short the ability to offset the depth on the built-in maptime period. The drawdown helps prevent the ping they provide. Garmin recently surveyed lake from over filling before Alabama Power Lake Martin for their Lake Vu HD mapping proBIG CATCHES Company can move the excess water downstream gram. The project took three weeks of constant BY GREG VINSON through power generating turbines and floodgates, surveying, but now it’s one of the most current if necessary. chart-plotter maps available. With a depth-offset Smith Lake is the only lake in Alabama that has a greater feature on a unit, an angler can adjust the map readout to drawdown than Lake Martin. The water there is deeper on reflect the current lake level. For example, if the lake is curaverage but, more importantly, it can fluctuate at a much great- rently 3 feet below full pool, an angler can tell the unit to suber rate. I once fished a tournament on Smith where the water tract 3 feet from the depth contours observed on the map. level rose 9 feet in two days after a torrential rain. When lakes are at their lowest points during drawdown, The most drastic annual drawdown I’ve witnessed is on areas that were once covered with water could be exposed. Lake Douglas, Tennessee, in the Smoky Mountains. Lake Most of these areas are marked with hazard buoys, but occaDouglas has a 50-foot drawdown, and it’s normal for the lake sionally, the buoys get displaced. I’ve heard of a good number to rise or fall 1 foot per day under normal management pracof props and lower units that have been lost because boaters tices. Keep in mind that it’s in the watershed of the Smoky ran across shallow humps or bars that they could easily cross Mountains. Now that’s steep terrain. during in summer. I once dinged a prop this way several years For homeowners on Lake Martin, the drawdown is an ago before I had GPS and mapping on my electronics. opportunity to make repairs to seawalls and docks or even One of the features that works great once you’ve accounted build new ones. For the many people who fish Lake Martin, for the current drawdown level is a depth-shading feature. This the drawdown affects the fishing. is something that I’ve found more and more useful, especially I think the population of fish in Lake Martin has adapted on lakes with which I am less familiar. to the annual occurrence. In many places that I have fished With depth shading, I can designate a color to highlight any around the country where water levels can fluctuate up or particular depth range I want on the map. By setting a depth down daily, falling water can often make for tougher fishing, range to highlight anything on the lake that’s fewer than 6 as the fish adapt to the change. Lake Martin, on the other hand, feet, I can quickly pick out areas that could be hazardous to begins drawdown at about the same time every year, around run across, preventing some costly repairs to the prop or even Sept. 1. It’s been this way for years, and in most years, classes lower unit on my engine. of fish that live in the lake have not experienced anything The depth offset and depth-shading features on today’s chart much different during their life cycles. To them, I guess it’s plotters are great help in avoiding potential hazards. They are a normal part of life in Lake Martin, and they seem to take even more handy when looking for particular features on a advantage of it. lake to fish. By highlighting certain depth ranges for targeting, As water levels recede, smaller prey is forced out of the an angler could quickly find portions of the lake that offer the cover close to the banks and into the open. For bass and other perfect scenario. predatory fish, this presents an easy chance at a meal. In short, For example, if you are fishing offshore and the fish seem I think the falling water may trigger to the fish to feed, espeto prefer humps that top out in 20 feet of water, you can set cially those that roam the shallows. depth shading to pick out anything that’s 15-20 feet. Maybe For anglers, it’s important to treat the drawdown as opporuse a color to make the humps stand out even more on the tunists as well. Remember that certain places and targets that map; then, you can look at all of Lake Martin at once and see were good the week prior to the drawdown could be out of the every hump on the lake that tops out at 20 feet. water the following week. Keep in mind to adjust the depth offset from one trip to the Alabama Power now has an app that monitors the current other, so your map reflects the current lake level. The hump water level on Lake Martin. Hydrographs are also available on that topped out in 20 feet one week may only be in 16 feet a a variety of websites, so you could see how the current water month later, due to drawdown. level compares to the date of a previous trip. With the annual drawdown of Lake Martin, you could learn I’ve used USGS.gov for years. LakeMartin.com is a good to be just as opportunistic as the fish. Use the drawdown to reference as well. your advantage, and you’re sure to put more fish in the boat Productive areas are often adjacent to large flats once covthis fall. ered with water when the lake was at full pool. The falling water draws the baitfish and smaller prey into the channels Greg Vinson is a fulltime professional angler on the where they become concentrated. The predatory fish know this Bassmaster Elite Series and PPA tours. He lives in Wetumpka routine well and sit close by to ambush the easy prey. and grew up fishing on Lake Martin. Alabama Power typically lowers the lake slowly until the 66 LAKE
OCTOBER 2017
The Drawdown Opportunity
Falling water has its advantages
OCTOBER 2017
LAKE 67
For $50 you can taste a variety of wines and help a pup! 68 LAKE
OCTOBER 2017
A
h, October. The leaves are turning; the air is crisp animal-themed, producing some great pieces and great and cool; and the stadiums are abuzz with hope bargains. and vigor. Sharing a bottle of red wine in the glow It’s time to do something again, and tasting wine to of sunset on a glassy lake is the essence of good living. support our furry or slithery friends – I did not say slimy But there is something missing; we need our own wine – is a good way to do it. Consider this your personal festival. invitation. Montgomery has two festival-like wine events. The We’re calling it Wine Expo because we want our City’s Parks and Rec Riverwalk Wine Festival is in its guests to explore and experience the wide variety of eighth year, and the American Cancer Society’s Vintage wines that our distributors generously provide. We’ll save Affair, one of Montgomery’s most prestigious events, is the auction (and beer and spirits) for another time, and going into its 25th year. Key features of these and similar this year, we’ll just focus on the wine. You know, like a events across the country include an electric wine festival. atmosphere of wine tastings, art shows, aucRepresentatives from Alabama Crown, tions, dancing and delectable foods from Grassroots Wine Wholesalers, International vendors, local restaurants and even celebrity Wines, Pinnacle Imports, Rush Wines and chefs. United-Johnson Brothers will pour samples Wine festivals may have begun as harvest and share their wine knowledge. Proceeds festivals and often occur at the end of the from ticket sales, corporate and individual grape harvest. In the Northern Hemisphere, sponsors will go to Lake Martin Animal harvest generally begins near the end of Shelter. September and runs into October. That said, Lake Martin Animal Shelter is a 501(c) wine festivals are held throughout the year, as (3) not-for-profit organization with a mission well as September, October and November. to provide a clean and stress-free temporary Mobile’s smashing Vintage Affair Grand home for animals in need. Prevention of Patron’s dinner was held in late September, of dogs and cats through eduFROM THE CELLAR overpopulation and Montgomery will have wine tastings, cation and shelter programs is a part of that BY HENRY FOY wine dinners, an auction and more in early mission. Other programs include pet adopFebruary. tions, a food pantry and, of course, taking in Support for the Cancer Society through these events stray and lost or injured animals, some of which require combines elegant evenings of wine and generous giving immediate medical care. to fight cancer. General admission starts at $150 per perBoth Tallapoosa County and the City of Alexander son. City provide some financial support to the shelter, leavWhat might be considered the other end of the specing a heavy dependence on fundraisers, individual donatrum – yet still within driving distance – are two festivals tions and memberships in the humane society. For more that lean toward extravaganzas. Maybe it’s the proximity information or to get involved with the shelter call 256to the ocean and the outdoor activities, but the Sandestin 234-5533. Shelter Director Mia Chandler will be at our Wine Festival and Hilton Head Island Wine and Food Wine Expo and can answer more specific questions about Festival are both four-day events that feature more than the shelter. 200 wines, gourmet wine dinners, food vendors and other A limited number of tickets are just $50 per peractivities. son and can be purchased at the shelter, which is Hilton Head will hold its 33rd anniversary in March of located at the airport, or at Emporium Wine in down2018; Sandestin will host the 32nd annual event in April town Alexander City. Mark your calendars for Saturday, 2018. Both are charity events that donate thousands of Oct. 28, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. You must be at least 21 dollars each year to deserving local causes. Advanced years of age to attend. ticket prices for the public tastings are $85 at Sandestin We’ll have scrumptious hors d’oeuvres, and each ticket and $110 plus a fee of $3.19 at Hilton Head. These prices holder will receive a commemorative Animal Shelter are per person. wine glass. The opportunity to taste more than 24 wines Because many wine festivals ultimately benefit particis just another tool to support a local a charity and have ular charities, fundraising is at the core of their missions, fun doing it. and many rabid wine enthusiasts with deep pockets find One more thing. As an ABC licensee, I have to say live auctions to be entertaining, exhilarating and rewardthat we really don’t recommend that anyone actually ing. Everybody wins. The Naples Winter Wines Festival taste all of the wines available. The samples will be in Florida boasts $146 million in donations for the appropriate to a typical wine tasting, which in total could Naples Children and Education Foundation since 2001, easily be equivalent to a full bottle of wine. A number with 45 organizations receiving grants and impacting the of sips can quickly add up, leaving your taste buds numb lives of more than 200,000 children. and your head groggy. Spit buckets will be provided; As most of you know, the Lake Martin Animal Shelter spitting is encouraged. It’s for a good cause. is one of our favorite local charities. You may remember that three years ago, Emporium Wine and Gallery 128 Henry Foy is the owner of Emporium Wine and Spirits, hosted an art show, silent auction and live auction to ben- Café 128 and Gallery 128 at 128 Calhoun St., Alexander efit the shelter. The event raised a tidy sum by combining City. Contact him at emporium128@bellsouth.net or call a shared love for wine, art and animals. All of the art was him at 256-212-WINE. OCTOBER 2017
LAKE 69
70 LAKE
OCTOBER 2017
Green Reading
Pro Tips From Lee Williams Putting, for some, can be one of the most frustrating parts of the game. In my experience watching amateurs play, they typically have inconsistent speed and struggle reading the greens breaks. The first thing you need to know about reading greens is that your speed dictates the line. If your speed isn’t consistent, your eyes will never become trained at seeing the right break for you. Think of it this way: If I hit one putt that finishes 2 feet past the hole and then another putt that finishes 6 inches past the hole, I would have needed to use two different lines to make both putts unless the putt was straight. The first aid to green reading is to become consistent with your speed. Become conscious of how far past the hole your putts go when you miss. Personally, I like to see the ball finish a foot past the hole. Next, when you are reading greens you need to look at the putt from several angles, not just directly behind the ball. The three angles you should always check are 1) behind the ball; 2) behind the hole looking back toward the ball; and 3) the low side of the putt, which refers to underneath the putt. If you have a left-to-right breaking putt, the low side would be walking to the right side of the putt and looking back up toward the line. As you examine the putt from different viewpoints, pay attention to what you see, so when you get ready for your final read from behind the ball you are able to see everything from one spot and have a confident read. Lastly, on long putts I like to break the putt up into sections. For example, if I have a 45-footer, I would read the putt as three 15-foot putts and combine them together to make one 45-foot putt. It helps me to simplify what is going on over such a long span. To read greens effectively, you need to know the entire story. Good Luck!!!
Lee Williams, a professional golfer on the PGA Tour, grew up playing at Willow Point Country Club. As an amateur, Williams was a member of the 2003 and 2005 Walker Cup teams, as well as the 2004 World Amateur Team. He is sponsored by Russell Lands, King Honda, Nowlin and Associates, P.F. Chang's, Tempus Jet, Hyatt Adams Golf, Russell Athletic, Titleist, Ameritas Financial Corp. and Southwest Airlines.
A Rainy Opener for CACC STORY BY LIZI ARBOGAST
Sam Goldasich and Jake Maples
C
entral Alabama Community College (CACC) kicked off its golf season the second week in September at the Wallace State Invitational held at Wallace State Community College, despite the rain and after-effects of Hurricane Irma. CACC, along with 11 college golf teams from Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi, trudged through the rain and walked 36 holes the first day, out of a 54-hole tournament. The Trojans team placed second overall with two sophomores and three freshmen, while Sam Goldasich had the top score of the tournament for CACC with a three-round total of 216. Jake Maples, who shot a total of 217, followed as a close second. Freshmen Reed Love, Jack Poole and Owen Burt were thrown into the fire and carded 228, 231 and 234, respectively. “The first college tournament a golfer competes in usually fills the belly full of butterflies, but when the temperatures drop, winds pick up and rain is relentless, the hands and mind are all affected, too,” said CACC Coach Dave Jennings. “However, these three did indeed contribute to our totals. I know, and they know that they didn’t perform as well as they had hoped, but they never showed any signs of frustration or hanging their heads.” Jennings’ Trojans also are accepting donations of any kind to help victims of the hurricanes. To donate, community members can contact Jennings at 256-215-4242 or email him at djennings@cacc.edu.
OCTOBER 2017
LAKE 71
Legend
63
20
22
280
To Sylacauga
19
Public Boat Ramps
15
9 Churches
Alexander City
7
Camps & Parks
Camp ASCCA
Flint Hill Church
13
Power lines U.S. Highways
3
280
22
County Roads
Piney Woods Landing
Wind Creek State Park
Pleasant Grove Church
11
COOSA COUNTY
Alex City Boat Ramp
Mt. Zion Church
259 9
128
Russell Farms Baptist Church 63
12 20
D.A.R.E. Park Landing
Friendship Church New Hope Church
Liberty Church
Willow Point
24
6
8
Equality
Kowaliga Boat Landing
55
4
Seman
63
9
Trillium
18 The Ridge
2
The Amp Ko
wa
14
lig
aB
ay
80
9
Central
90
Union
ELMORE COUNTY Union Church
Red Hill 63
229
Eclectic
Tallassee
16 11
72 LAKE
Union Landing
Children’s Harbor
21
34
Camp Alamisco
1 10
Church in The Pines Camp Kiwanis
Paces Point Boat Ramp
Kent
OCTOBER 2017
Timbergut Landing
Lake Martin Alabama
Horseshoe Bend National Park
Jaybird Landing
Marinas 11. Kowaliga Marina 334-857-2111 255 Kowaliga Marina Rd., Alex City, AL 35010
TALLAPOOSA COUNTY
22. The Ridge Marina 256-397-1300 450 Ridge Marina Rd., Alex City, AL 35010 33. River North Marina 256-397-1500 250 River North Rd., Alex City, AL 35010
49
42. Real Island Marina 334-857-2741 2700 Real Island Rd., Equality, AL 36026
Jacksons Gap
53. Blue Creek Marina 256-825-8888 7280 Hwy 49 S., Dadeville, AL 36853
280
Bethel Church
17
Dadeville
57
280
Camp Hill
Smith Landing
4. Russell Do It Center (Eclectic) 16 334-541-2132 1969 Kowaliga Rd., Eclectic, AL 36024 4. Russell Building Supply 17 256-825-4256 350 Fulton Street, Dadeville, AL 36853 184. The Stables at Russell Crossroads 256-794-1333 288 Stables Loop, Alex City, AL 35010 19 4. Dark Insurance 256-234-5026 410 Hillabee Street, Alex City, AL 35010 www.darkinsuranceagency.com
62. Parker Creek Marina 256-329-8550 486 Parker Creek Marina Rd., Equality, AL 36026
. McDaniels Storage Center 20 256-234-4583 1040 Highway 280, Alex City, AL 35010
72. Alex City Marine Sales and Service 256-215-3474 2190 Cherokee Rd., Alex City, AL 35010
21 . Kowaliga Whole Health Pet Care & Resort 334-857-1816 8610 Kowaliga Road, Eclectic, AL 36024
Restaurants 86. SpringHouse 256-215-7080 12 Benson Mill Rd., Alex City, AL 35010 9 Catherine’s Market 6. 256-215-7070 17 Russell Farms Rd., Alex City, AL 35010
Pleasant Ridge Church
4. Russell Do It Center (Alex City) 15 256-234-2567 1750 Alabama 22, Alex City, AL 35010
Advertise your business on our Lake Martin Region Map for as little as $25. Contact us at 256-234-4281 or marketing@alexcityoutlook.com for more information.
10 Kowaliga Restaurant 256-215-7035 295 Kowaliga Marina Rd., Alex City, AL 35010 11 Bezlo's Cafe 334-639-0003 65 Main Street., Eclectic, AL 36024
Lake Martin Baptist Church 49 Church of the Living Waters
Stillwaters
Business & Shopping
5
12 Lake Martin Storm Shelters 256-794-8075 970 Hwy. 63 South, Alex City, AL 35010
Walnut Hill 50 50
13 Karen Channell State Farm Financial Services 256-234-3481 5030 Hwy. 280, Alex City, AL 35010 14 5. Lake Martin Mini Mall 334.857.3900 7995 Kowaliga Rd, Eclectic, AL 36024
49
Reeltown
OCTOBER 2017
LAKE 73
Lake Magazine Distribution ALEXANDER CITY
Alex City Marine American Inn Anytime Fitness Baymont Inn BB&T Big B Bar-B-Q Campus of CACC Carlos Mexican Grill Catherine’s Market Chamber Of Commerce Cherokee Quick stop Citgo Cloud Nine Collegiate Deli Comfort Inn Dark Insurance Darwin Dobbs Days Inn Discount Food Mart Emporium Wine Grace’s Flowers Hampton Inn Holley’s Home Furnishings Hometown Pharmacy Jackson Drugs Jake’s JR’s Sports Bar & Grill Koon’s Korner Koon’s Korner II Lake Martin Building Supply Lakewinds Golf Club
Larry’s General Store Longleaf Antiques Mark King's Lake Martin Furniture Mistletoe Bough Bed & Breakfast Queen’s Attic Regions Bank Ridge - Clubhouse Ridge - Marina River North Marina Riverbend Store Russell Home Décor Russell Medical Center Russell Lands Russell Retail Store Satterfield, Inc Senior Nutrition~50+ Center Sho’ Nuff Restaurant Springhouse Restaurant T.C. Russell Airport Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc The Medicine Shoppe The Sure Shot USAmeribank Warren's Appliance Parts Willow Point Country Club Wind Creek - entrance Wind Creek - store Winn Dixie 280 BP 280 Exxon
CHELSEA Winn-Dixie The Ditsy Daisy Boutique CHILDERSBURG Piggly Wiggly DADEVILLE
American Watersports Bay Pine Marina Blue Creek Marina City Hall Chamber of Commerce Chuck's Marina Dadeville Wellness Center Foshee's Boat Doc Homeplate Restaurant Harbor Pointe Marina Lakay’s Flowers & Gifts Lake Martin Flowers & Gifts Lake Martin Community Hospital Lakeshore Discount Pharmacy Lakeside Marina Niffer's At The Lake Oskar's Cafe Payne Furniture Pearson’s Place Poplar Dawgs Public Library Pug's Place
PNC Bank Renfroes Russell Building Supply Shell Station Sigger’s Stillwaters Country Club Store 34 USAmeribank
KELLYTON
ECLECTIC
SYLACAUGA Good Ole Boys BBQ Piggly Wiggly
Children’s Harbor Cotton’s BBQ Eclectic Do-It Center Johnson’s Furniture Kowaliga Marina Lake Martin Dock Lake Martin Mini Mall Nail’s Convenience Store Peoples Bank
EQUALITY Equality Food Mart Real Island Marina Southern Star INVERNESS Winn-Dixie Airwalk Ultimate Trampoline Arena Tree Top Family Adventure
Five Star Plantation MOUNTAIN BROOK Whole Foods Market
RED HILL Citgo
TALLASSEE Community Hospital Chamber of Commerce The Tallassee Tribune
WALNUT HILL Lakeside Mercantile Walnut Hill Grocery
WETUMPKA
The Wetumpka Herald A limited number of magazines are available at these locations. To start your subscription, call Linda Ewing at 256-234-4281.
Lake Martin Business and Service Directory
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Handrails • Guardrails Welded Fence • Custom Art Stairs • Gates Stainless Steel Cable Railing I-Beams • Steel Posts • Stairs On-Site Welding/Cutting Powder Coat • Sand Blasting
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Lake Martin Business and Service Directory
COACH KRAFT
Roofing Services By
UPHOLSTERY 993 Yeager Parkway Pelham, AL 35124 O: (205)685-0040 F: (205) 685-0049 www.ApexRoofs.com
Full Service Free Damage Inspection Licensed & Insured
Complete Marine Upholstery! ■
■ Floors ■ Carpets Bimini Tops ■ Custom Seats ■ Mooring Covers
Patrick Mason 334-283-6759 676 Dean Circle • Tallassee, AL www.coachkraft.com
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OLMAN
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OCTOBER 2017
LAKE 75
Our Advertisers n To Join, Call 256.234.4281 A&M Plumbing....................................................... 18
Harbor Pointe Marina.......................................... 57
Russell Medical........................................................ 2
Advanced Heating & Air...................................... 70
Hilltop Landscaping............................................... 13
Satterfield................................................................ 15
Alex City Guide Service...................................... 70
Holley’s Home Furnishings................................. 80
Security Pest Control............................................ 8
Alex City Marine................................................... 18
Holman Floor......................................................... 75
Southern Star Farm................................................ 6
Amanda Scroggins, RE/MAX Around the Lake.........15
Jackson Thornton.................................................. 42
SportzBlitz.............................................................. 77
Apex Roofing....................................................................75
Kowaliga Whole Health....................................... 75
State Farm Insurance/ Harold Cochran..........74
Blue Creek Iron Works....................................... 74
Lake Home Cleaning & Painting........................ 75
State Farm Insurance/ Karen Channell..........75
Brown Nursing & Rehabilitation......................... 8
Lake Martin Community Hospital..................... 43
Sunrise Dock.......................................................... 13
C&T Eclectric........................................................ 70
Lake Martin Dock................................................. 21
Tallassee Community Hospital........................... 26
Cahaba Glass.......................................................... 15
Lake Martin Mini Mall.......................................... 34
Temple Medical Center......................................... 8
CertaPro Painters................................................. 74
Lakeside Marina..................................................... 42
TowBoatU.S.............................................................. 5
Coach Kraft Upholstery...................................... 75
Lakeside Marina at Bay Pines............................. 42
Troy Cable................................................................. 6
Crew Lending......................................................... 75
Mark King's Furniture.......................................... 58
UAB Heart & Vascular......................................... 53
Custom Docks....................................................... 26
McGhee Furniture Warehouse.......................... 76
Walmart.................................................................. 75
Damon Story, Cedar Point................................. 79
National Village...................................................... 19
Wedowee Marine................................................. 35
DAVCO Development......................................... 75
Paige Patterson, Lake Martin Voice Realty......75
Williams Plumbing Heating & Air........................ 8
Designs by Trish....................................................... 5
Prime Management............................................... 63
Wind Creek Casino............................................... 3
Docks Unlimited..................................................... 5
Radney Funeral Home........................................... 6
WSC Distinctive Builders, LLC......................... 49
First Baptist Church Alexander City.................. 8
Renaissance Electronics......................................... 8
George Hardy D.M.D............................................. 8
Russell Lands.......................................................... 31
FURNITURE WAREHOUSE
894 Hillabee Street Alexander City, AL
OPEN EVERY SAT. 9am-4pm CLOSEOUTS • ONE-OF-A-KIND ITEMS • DISCOUNTED MDSE 76 LAKE
OCTOBER 2017
OCTOBER 2017
LAKE 77
Parting Shot
James Otto strummed, sang and smiled during his energetic, joy-filled set at The Amp's Labor Day concert.
Photo by Kenneth Boone
“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.” ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt 78 LAKE
OCTOBER 2017
Spot Tail
COTTAGE LIVING ON LAKE MARTIN LOCATED ON A PRIVATE PENINSULA CEDAR POINT OFFERS COTTAGE DESIGNS ON INCREDIBLE WATERFRONT LOTS WITH SPECTACULAR VIEWS
May Fly
Shell Cracker
Mallard
CONTACT DAMON STORY
205–789–9526 CEDARPOINTLAKEMARTIN.COM
DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY! ONLY 5 LOTS REMAIN LOT 2 - 0.44 ACRES, 160’ WF LOT 3 - 0.61 ACRES, 170’ WF LOT 6 - 0.69 ACRES, 150’ WF LOT 7 - 0.73 ACRES, 360’ WF LOT 8 - 1.20 ACRES, 850’ WF OCTOBER 2017
LAKE 79
DESIGN STUDIO...
MEET OUR DESIGNERS!
OUR IN HOUSE DESIGNERS CAN HELP YOU WITH EVERYTHING FROM A SINGLE PIECE TO AN ENTIRE HOUSE OR OFFICE REMODEL.
KEITH
BECKY
Holley’s Home Furnishings Alexander City
Holley’s Home Furnishings Montgomery
Call or stop by today to speak with Keith or Becky!
80 LAKE
256.234.4141 Alexander City
OCTOBER 2017
334.279.3101 Montgomery