Elmore County Living
MURDER ON THE MENU Millbrook's Mardi Gras Mania Preparing to Die Swing into Spring at ANC
January
2017 ELMORE COUNTY LIVING
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Community Hospital ELMORE COUNTY LIVING
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From the Managing Editor's Desk Can you feel it? The land – and everything therein and thereon – wants it to be spring. I know it’s only halfway through January, but the Earth already has shifted on its axis; every day is a little longer than the one before it. The camellias have burst forth in color, and the forsythia won’t be far behind. It’s time to come out of hibernation and embrace the activity of the coming year, and this issue of Elmore County Living magazine will help you do just that. Jump right into spring at the Alabama Nature Center (ANC) at Lanark. From movies to hikes and workshops, ANC has filled the calendar with interactive programs to chase away the winter blahs. We’ve highlighted just a sampling of them for you on page 12 to get your journey into spring started. Next month will bring us into the colorful season of Mardi Gras, and the Krewe of Millbrook Revelers has planned another fun-filled festival and parade for your entertainment. Thousands of people turn out every year for the largest Mardi Gras celebration in Alabama north of Mobile. In addition to the parade with more than 60 floats, there will be food, vendors and live music at the Village Green. Turn to page 39 for the date and times and mark your calendars for a family-friendly party you won’t want to miss. Local community theaters have announced the plays that will make up the 2017 season, as well, and we’ve set the stage for you on page 16. We’ve included storylines and featured musical numbers for each show, along with dates, times and ticket information, so you can make your reservations now for the upcoming productions. If you love a good mystery, you won’t want to miss the Wetumpka Public Library’s Murder on the Menu luncheon with a host of published mystery authors and a panel discussion of writing topics. Turn to page 47 for details and order your tickets online right away, because this event always sells out quickly. And there are many more activities for you to check out on the Coming Up calendar listing that starts on page 40 of this issue. Then, as Movie Man Jeff Langham tells us in this month’s column on page 28, it’s time for a fresh start, so make one of the important matters you tackle this year be your final arrangements. That way, family and friends will not have the added burden of making them for you in the midst of their grief. Learn what you need to do in the article on page 24 and set aside time in the weeks ahead to make those decisions. Once that’s out of the way, you’ll be ready to embrace the coming spring season with energy and enthusiasm. And we’ll see you out there, taking pictures for the Out & About section on page 34, so be sure to smile!
Chairman
Kenneth Boone
kenneth.boone@alexcityoutlook.com
President & Publisher Steve Baker
steve.baker@alexcityoutlook.com
Managing Editor Betsy Iler
betsy.iler@alexcityoutlook.com
Assistant Magazine Editor Lonna Upton
lonna.upton@alexcityoutlook.com
Distribution Manager David Kendrick
david.kendrick@alexcityoutlook.com
Marketing Consultant Molly Brethauer
molly.brethauer@thewetumpkaherald.com
Marketing Consultant Stacy Adams
stacy.adams@thewetumpkaherald.com
Creative Services Audra Spears
audra.spears@alexcityoutlook.com
Contributors
Suellen Young Jeff Langham Carmen Rodgers Jacob Saylor
Corey Arwood Kathy Monroe MK Moore David Granger
To subscribe to Elmore County Living, $25 a year for 12 issues, please call David Kendrick at 256-234-4281 For Advertising Inquiries 334-567-7811 For Editorial Inquiries 256-234-4281 All content, including all stories and photos, are copyright of
Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 99 300 Green Street, Wetumpka, AL 36092 334-567-7811
Betsy Iler, Managing Editor
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STAFF
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CONTENTS ON THE COVER The Alabama Nature Center at Alabama Wildlife Headquarters will host a calendarful of opportunities for fun in the great outdoors this spring. Photo by Kenneth Boone
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46 Columns
Features
In Every Issue
28
Movie Man
12
Creepy Crawlers and More!
8
Extra! Extra!
30
The Gamer
16
The 2017 Season
10
Business Spotlight
Community Care
20
Movers & Shakers
34
Easy Make-ahead Soup
24
Preparing to Die
40
Let the Good Times Roll!
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32 46
Fresh Year, New Start The Year's Top Ten Blood Donor Month
Beef and Onion Base
39 47
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Hikes, Movies, Wildlife at ANC Local Theatrical Selections Millbrook Men's club
Pre-planned Funerals, Wills, POAs Millbrook Revelers at Mardi Gras
Murder on the Menu
Eat Lunch with a Mystery Author
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News Briefs
Berdeaux Sauces
Out & About
In Elmore County
Coming Up
Fun Activities for Everyone
Where to Find Us Distribution List
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Extra! Extra! News from Elmore County and surrounding areas
Ready to Roll Planning already has begun for this year’s Dam Century Bicycle Ride through five Alabama counties, said Tallassee Chamber of Commer Director Michone Roye. The inaugural event last year was such a success that it caught the attention of Backroads Travel, an adventure travel company. "They're going to take a look at our 2017 event and will consider putting us on their tour schedule," Roye explained. "So we need to do a really great job with it this year. It will make a big difference to our economy." To volunteer to help with this fall's 100-mile ride, contact the Tallassee Chamber of Commerce at 334-283-5151.
Tour the Crater The City of Wetumpka is now taking reservations for the annual impact crater tours. This year’s event includes school tours on March 3 with public tours scheduled for March 4, said Tiffany Robinson, Events/Tourism Manager for the City. Visit www.cityofwetumpka.com to make a reservation.
River Fishing Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce May 6 will host a kayak fishing tournament on the Coosa River as the first in a series of events that will be planned to develop the area as a kayak fishing destination. "This is something that can bring tourists to our area and has the potential for great economic impact," said Wetumpka Chamber Executive Director Gerry Purcell.
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Bingo takes first and third at BEST Wetumpka High School’s BEST robotics team “owned” the marketing competition at the championship held recently in Auburn. The WHS robot, dubbed "Bingo," also took third place in the exhibit competition. Bingo was required to plant corn seeds, harvest and deliver ripe corn, hydroponic tomatoes and lettuce, secure and feed loose pigs and turn on a water valve.
WHS robotics students show off their electric car
"Morning Glow" by Shirley Esco
Exhibit Opens The Elmore County Art Guild will open its 33 Annual Art Show Feb. 1 at the Kelly Fitzpatrick Memorial Gallery on the second floor of the Wetumpka City Administrative Building, 408 S. Main St. The exhibit will include sculptures, fiber art and photography, as well as oils, acrylics, pastels and other media. This year's show will be on exhibit through Feb. 28. For information about ECAG, visit www.elmoreartguild.com.
Just Ducky Alabama artists are invited to enter the 2017 Alabama Waterfowl Stamp art contest through Feb. 15. The winning artwork will be featured on the 2018-19 Alabama Waterfowl Stamp, which is required along with the Federal Waterfowl Stamp when hunting migratory waterfowl in Alabama. The competition is open to residents of Alabama only. For entry details, email seth.maddox@dcnr.alabama.gov or call 256-437-2788.
2014 Winner by John Denney
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Bottling Grandfather's Secret Recipe
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Story by Lonna Upton Photo by Suellen Young
auce with attitude. That is what Jim Berdeaux, founder of Berdeaux’s All Natural Vintage Sauces, sells to customers who are discriminating about what they buy and want lots of flavor. Born and raised in Montgomery, Berdeaux retired from the United States Air Force and worked in private industry for many years before moving to Wetumpka to continue a legacy of flavor his grandfather created in the 1940s. From 1900 to 1949, Montgomery’s Pickwick Café was home to fine dining, dancing and tuxedoed waiters. Berdeaux said the restaurant served lunch and dinner to governors and legislators from the state capitol just a few blocks away. Pickwick also housed the original steak and dipping sauces created by Berdeaux’s grandfather, Rufus White. White worked as the top chef at Pickwick and created the flavors with his own special combination of fresh ingredients. Berdeaux believes keeping those ingredients fresh is the reason his sauces are superior to anything found on a shelf in a big box store. “People want real food, not chemically infused food,” Berdeaux said. His grandfather’s insistence on fresh ingredients for the flavor-filled steak and dipping sauces stuck with Berdeaux, who said it is a privilege to reintroduce these. The line-up includes Vintage Revenge Steak Sauce, Sweet Island Dipping Sauce, Simply Creole Bar-B-Que Sauce and Caribbean Cocktail Sauce. All the sauces are delivered in 15.5-ounce bottles and should be refrigerated after opening. The steak sauce has an added note that natural spices love heat and the desired amount should be heated for a few seconds in the microwave to maximize flavor. Berdeaux said he sells gourmet sauces to customers who are particular about what they buy and want lots of flavor without the added high fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutamate or liquid smoke. He enjoys offering folks a taste test and keeps a travel kit with him, just in case he has an opportunity to share the product. Traveling across the South, Berdeaux prefers to sell at trade shows, business expos and holiday events where he can offer a taste of the sauce. He offers tastetesting in banks, law offices, real estate agencies and other businesses, knowing that one taste sells the sauce. Berdeaux sells his sauce at two Wetumpka stores: 1st Quality Produce and Seafood Company and the Russell Do-It Center. His website also sells the sauces with a shipping charge at www.berdeauxsauces.com. Customers who live in the area can arrange for personal delivery from Berdeaux by calling him at 334-538-3792 or by emailing him at jim@berdeauxsauces.com.
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Business Spotlight
Wetumpka's Jim Berdeaux reintroduced his grandfather's steak and dippig sauces
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ANC visitors watch the springtime activity in a beehive
Spring Break Camp includes archery activities
School children squeal at the touch of a friendly snake
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Creepy Crawlers and More! ANC plans hikes, wildlife programs, movies and other activities this spring
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Story by Lonna Upton Photos courtesy of Alabama Nature Center
he Alabama Wildlife Federation (AWF) and Alabama Nature Center (ANC) in Millbrook have a spring calendar of activities that’s crawling with excitement and abounding in visual and tactile delights for all ages. The ANC is open weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., providing hands-on experiences and tours and engaging weekday programs for nature enthusiasts. General admission to the grounds is $5 per person or $20 per family; admission includes access to the upper pond for catch and release fishing. On Saturdays, programs include a look at some of the wild animals that call Alabama home, wildlife habitats and the chance to see and touch pelts and skulls of white-tailed Birdwatching is popular at ANC
deer, bobcat, otter and wild boar. Families are invited to visit the movie theater and hike the trails or hang around until 1 p.m. for Animal Encounter programs or Feeding Time at the Discovery Hall. ANC naturalists have invited guests to hike the 5 miles of winding trails and boardwalks from 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Jan. 21 to take in the scenery, including the hilltop pass trail, which is especially beautiful this time of year. The Critter Crawl, held onsite Feb. 11, provides an opportunity to run the trails that cover more than 350 acres of land. Plenty of food and music will be provided for runners who choose either a 5K ($25 registration fee) or a 1-mile fun run ($20 registration fee). At the end of the 5K, there will be a door prize giveaway and an awards ceremony. To regisBoys look for bugs under a decaying log
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Children can catch and release fish at the upper pond on designated Saturdays
The ANC NaturePlex houses exhibits, classrooms, workshops and more ter for the runs, visit active.com and search for activities in Millbrook or 5Ks, or call Matt Vines at 334-285-4550. Participants may pick up their race packets Friday, Feb. 10, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The course will be open that afternoon for individuals who want to see the course prior to the race. Families can learn how to build a successful campfire and then cook over that fire on Feb. 25. Guests will prepare their own hobo meals, s’mores and hot chocolate over the fire with ingredients provided. This event has a $5 admission fee and requires an RSVP, so be sure to call 334-285-4550 to make a reservation. On March 11, an animal curator will present “Turtles and Tortoises.” Guests will get to touch and hold the reptiles, in their own backyards. talk about where they live, what they eat and how they hunt. On Saturdays, movies are shown in the theater at 10 a.m., Spring Break Camp will run March 20-24 for ages 6-12 noon and 2 p.m. with a full week of fishing, hiking, canoeing, archery and The last Thursday of each month, the Early Explorers wildlife related activities. Activities will take place on the Pre-K Program from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. highlights nature grounds, in the Discovery subjects for little ones. Hall, the theater and classEven the adults can get The AWF Alabama Outdoor Classroom rooms. Space is limited. in on the ANC action this Program helps schools build and sustain Parents may sign up their spring with Thursday night outdoor classrooms on school property. children online at alabamprograms. Guests can bring The program also offers enrichment awildlife.org or call Matt their own dinner at 5:30 curriculum for homeschooling Vines at 334-285-4550 for p.m. before the evening’s more information. program begins at 6 p.m. and workshops for educators The Easter EggstravaOn Feb. 16, adults can and volunteers, teaching them ganza will be held March make quilled crosses. to integrate conservation activities 25 from 11 a.m. until 1 Quilling is the art of rolling into the classroom. p.m. and will include egg narrow strips of paper into For information, visit hunts for three different coils or scrolls and arrangalabamawildlife.org. age groups, egg bocce ball, ing them to form elegant egg races, pictures with the filigree. Guests will use Easter Bunny and a lollipop garden. Hotdogs will be sold at specialized tools to roll the paper; then, they’ll pinch, shape the pavilion outpost. Admission fee is $5. and arrange the coils into a cross pattern. All supplies will The movie theater provides a beehive of entertainment be provided, including tools, different colors of paper and activities for children. Every Monday and Wednesday from frames. Interested adults should call 334-285-4550 to regis3:30 p.m. until 4 p.m., visitors can watch Creature Features ter; space is limited. The fee for the class is $25. about Alabama’s woods, water and wildlife. Viewers get up The evening of March 15, guests will hike with naturalists close and personal with some of the creatures they may find to collect edible plants and berries. After the hike, guests
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Hands On Outdoors programs take kids to the outdoor classroom
will gather at the NaturePlex to learn more about what was collected and how those items can be used. Tyler Harris at AWF can give more information. Admission is $5. Alicia Phillips, Alabama Department of Environmental Management’s Macro Invertebrate Taxonomist and Stream Ecologist, will take guests on a hike to hunt for insects on April 20, utilizing a black light technique to capture and identify insects. For more information, contact Tyler Harris at AWF. Admission is $5. Events are scheduled weekly, including naturalist-led hikes from 10 a.m. until noon every Tuesday and Thursday. For a spring filled with critters and crawlers and nature at its best, check the Alabama Nature Center calendar at alabamawildlife.org for all the details.
Kids get up close and personal with reptiles at the "Turtles and Tortoises" program
Inside the NaturePlex, guests can browse the interactive exhibits
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The 2017 Season Theatrical Selections from Local Community Players
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Local community theatres this month will kick off the season with a selection of music, comedy, drama, fantasy and mystery to entertain audiences all through the year. Mark your calendars for the events listed below.
pirse, they discover that the heirs are nieces, not nephews. Show times are Feb. 23-25 and March 2-4 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 26 and March 5 at 2 p.m. Call 334782-7317 for tickets.
Ring of Fire: The Johnny Cash Story
Last of the Red Hot Lovers
Wetumpka Depot Players (WDP) will start the 2017 production series with Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash, a musical about love and faith, struggle and success and home and family. The production includes more than two dozen classic hits from the 50-year career of one of the country’s most influential musicians of the 20th century. Of his more than 100 original hits, the Depot’s foot-stompin’, crowd-pleasin’ salute to this American legend includes I Walk the Line, A Boy Named Sue, Folsom Prison Blues and the title tune, among others. The show will be performed Feb. 9-11, 16-18 and 23-25 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 and are available online at www.wetumpkadepot.com.
The 39 Steps
Four actors will play 150 zany characters in this fastpaced whodunit that plays like a Hitchcock masterpiece mixed well with a juicy spy novel and a dash of Monty Python. There will be an on-stage plane crash, handcuffs, missing fingers and good oldfashioned romance when a man with a boring life meets a woman with a thick accent who is murdered when he takes her home. The Cloverdale Playhouse production will run Feb. 9 through 19. Ticket prices range from $10 to $18 and are available online at www.cloverdaleplayhouse.org.
Leading Ladies
WDP will stage Neil Simon’s comedy, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, April 27 through May 3. The play, written in the late 1960s by the Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, pokes fun at the sexual revolution through the character of Barney Cashman, a middleaged, overworked, overweight and married man who wants to get in on the action before it’s too late. Cashman arranges to seduce three women: a foul-mouthed neurotic; a kooky young actress; and the depressed housewife who is married to his own best friend. Hilarious and witty, this vintage selection continues to entertain adult audiences through the ages. Audition information for this production will be posted on the theater company’s website at a later date.
The Odd Couple
Millbrook Community Players will stage this classic favorite about illmatched roommates Oscar Madison and Felix Unger. Madison, an untidy divorced sportswriter, takes in neatfreak and overbearing Unger who has just been separated from his wife. This Neil Simon script keeps audiences engaged until they leave the theater smiling. Performance dates are April 27-29 and May 4-6 at 7:30 p.m. and April 30 and May 7 at 2 p.m. Call 334-782-7317 for ticket information.
In this hilarious comedy presented by Millbrook Community Players, two down-on-their-luck English Shakespearean actors, Jack and Leo, plan to pose as the nephew heirs to an old lady’s fortune, but much to their sur-
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The Crucible
Using the avenue of the Salem Witch Trials, playwright Arthur Miller explores the mass political and cul-
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tural hysteria of U.S. Government’s suppression of communism and the radical leftist activity of 1950s America in this story of a young servantgirl who maliciously causes the wife of a young farmer to be arrested for witchcraft. The play will run April 27 through May 7. Visit www.cloverdaleplayhouse.org for performance times and tickets.
Southern Fried Funeral
The audience will interact with characters in Billy St. John’s comedy about the encrypted will of wealthy family matriarch Magnolia Capote, to be produced July 13-29 at Wetumpka Depot Theater. Actors who have been summoned to dinner at a fancy restaurant by Capote begin a treasure hunt to interpret the will when Capote is killed with her walking stick. Auditions for Southern Fried Funeral will be announced on the WDP website at a later date.
The Music Man
Fast-talking traveling salesman Harold Hill will con his way into the audiences’ hearts when Millbrook Community Players present The Music Man, based on the story by Wilson and Franklin Lacey. A hit when the show debuted on Broadway in 1957, it continues to charm audiences 60 years later. The 1962 film adaptation starred Robert Preston and Shirley Jones and won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. In 2003, Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth starred in the television movie remake. Millbrook Community Players will bring this favorite classic to the stage July 20-22 and 27-29 at 7:30 p.m. and July 23 and 30 at 2 p.m. For audition information, visit www.millbrooktheater.com. For tickets, call 334-782-7317.
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Peter Pan
The young actors of Cloverdale Playhouse Troupe graduate to the main season in this re-imagination of the familiar classic adventures in Neverland, where children never grow up. Come along with Peter, Tinker Bell, Tiger Lily, the mermaids and the Lost Boys July 20 through 30 as Captain Hook and his pirates are outwitted yet again. Visit www.cloverdaleplayhouse.org for tickets.
The Diary of Anne Frank
This tender drama stole the hearts of Broadway critics and won the 1956 Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award and numerous other coveted theatrical prizes. This stage adaptation of the diary of a young, spirited Jewish girl in Nazioccupied Amsterdam opened 1955 and closed in 1957 after 717 performances. Daniel Harms will direct this Millbrook Community Players production, which will be performed Sept. 14-16 and 21-23 at 7:30 p.m. and Sept. 17 and 24 at 2 p.m. Visit www.millbrooktheater.com for audition information and call 334-782-7317 for tickets.
I Do! I Do!
Sept. 14-30, WDP will present the Tom Jones/Harvey Schmidt rendition of Agnes and Michael Snow through the ups and downs of their 50-year marriage. Music includes Together Forever, I Love My Wife, The Honeymood is Over, Someone Needs Me and other favorites.
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Tickets will be available online as the production date approaches.
And Then There Were None
In this superlative mystery/ comedy by Agatha Christie, 10 guilty strangers trapped on an island are, one-by-one, accused of murder, as one-by-one, they start to die. See if you can solve the mystery before the end of the play when Cloverdale Playhouse presents this classic Oct. 12-22. For ticket information, visit www.cloverdaleplayhouse.org.
Little Women
Cloverdale Playhouse will conclude the 2017 season with a play based on Louisa May Alcott’s early life. Follow the
adventures of sisters Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March in their passage from childhood to womanhood during the American Civil War. Performance dates are Nov. 30 through Dec. 10. Ticket information can be found at www.cloverdaleplayhouse.org.
A Country Christmas Carol
Join the Millbrook Community Players for a dusted off and gussied up Country Western version of Dickens’ classic Christmas tale set in Marley County, USA. Folks don’t have a whole lot in Marley County, but they do what they can to make the Christmas holiday crackle, everyone that is except one mean and miserly old coot who seems to have missed the whole point. This production, directed by Sam Wallace, is ideal holiday fare for the whole family. Performances will be held Dec. 7-9 and 14-16 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 10 and 17 at 2 p.m. Submit the audition form online at www. millbrooktheater.com, and call 334-782-7317 for ticket information.
Wetumpka
Flea Market & Antiques BOOTH SPACE AVAILABLE. CALL FOR INFORMATION.
334-567-2666 5266 U.S. Hwy. 231 Wetumpka, AL Winn Dixie Shopping Center • Behind KFC ELMORE COUNTY LIVING
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Movers & Shakers
Millbrook Men's Club donated the city'f first fire truck in 1943
Millbrook men make a mighty city
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Story by Lonna Upton
he Millbrook Men’s Club (MMC), established in 1941, celebrated its 75th anniversary last year. Known for their great barbeque and generosity to Millbrook, the MMC actually has quite an impressive list of past contributions to the city, besides barbeque, and a future ripe with possibility. Recognizing a need for a group of interested, dedicated and thinking men to be involved in religion, government and general improvement of the community, Clarence I. Cowden conceived the idea of the Millbrook Men’s Club in 1941. In May of that year, Cowden invited a group of men to have dinner with him and suggested they start the men’s club. Shortly thereafter, a constitution and
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by-laws were written; the club was formed; and the men started working to make a positive impact on Millbrook. The history of the club includes dozens of accomplished projects – labor, financial donations and sponsorships for both adults and youth. A great deal of persistence and leadership enabled the men to guide a majority of Millbrook residents to bring necessary improvements to the area before the town was incorporated. The MMC provided the first fire protection for Millbrook. In 1943, the club purchased a used truck, and club members attached a water tank and pump on it; in 1951, MMC member Warren Hall rallied other community clubs to raise $7,000 for a new truck; and in 1959, the MMC purchased a surplus
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government fire truck, setting the stage for what became a model volunteer fire department and paramedic organization. The MMC encouraged local youth by sponsoring Boy Scouts and later Girl Scouts. Since Millbrook was a farming community, the club offered prizes to the boys and girls that raised the best hogs and calves to encourage them to continue farming in Millbrook. The club also spearheaded fundraising for the first community swimming pool and sponsored ball leagues for boys, girls and women. MMC members helped to build the first baseball diamonds and football field for league play in the community. They also saw the need and helped the Millbrook Civic Club to bring a bookmobile to the area. A barebones library was started in the Scout Hut but soon saw the need for its own larger building. Normally handled by a city council, the MMC was responsible for the town’s first garbage collection service in 1950; mail service in 1952; natural gas in 1954; and city water in 1963. The MMC also secured Greyhound bus service for Millbrook and moved the community from a party line telephone service to a single line; and then, to
dial service. From 1954 until 1977 when Millbrook was incorporated, the MMC worked tirelessly toward the effort to meet the legal requirements for incorporation. Members of the men’s club named Millbrook streets and numbered the houses in 1980. Since then, the Millbrook Men’s Club prides itself on working hand in hand with the city council for area improvements. A highway committee of the MMC produced the widening, grading and paving of several roads, widened bridges, eliminated bad curves, placed warning signs and speed limit signs and helped the Millbrook City Council obtain an access off I-65 to reduce congestion and distance from Millbrook to Montgomery and encourage commerce. Some of the largest projects of the MMC have been in recognition of military, police and firefighter services in the area. The Memorial Center was planned and developed by the MMC, the Millbrook Civic Club and the Victory Civic Club. The men’s club and the Victory Civic Club gave $1,000 each for purchase of the materials and provided labor to build the meeting house, which formally opened in 1948.The land
Along with the Millbrook Civic Club and Victory Civic Club, MMC members built the meeting house in 1948
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and the monument (dedicated in 1950) were given in honor of the men from the community who sacrificed their lives in the service of their country in World War II. In 1990, the club renovated the building, and it became part of the City of Millbrook for rental through the Parks and Recreation Department. An Armed Forces Day celebration was observed in Millbrook for several years with a parade, local and state dignitaries, military units and Miss Millbrook and her attendants. The afternoon included the crowning of Miss Millbrook, a parachute drop, a band concert and barbeque from the MMC. Among other projects, the MMC has constructed gazebos, pavilions and picnic areas, a barbeque pit, tables and benches; added an amphitheater roof and lights; installed a drinking fountain; and gave labor and monetary gifts to the children’s playground. The Millbrook Men’s Club made donations to Camp Grandview, the Welcome Center, the Village Green walking trails and handrails; the Alabama Wildlife Federation for the purchase of canoes; schools and libraries. The club has provided scholarships; restored monuments; made repairs to and painted park benches; and sponsored students and adults on overseas aid trips. For years, the men have annually delivered as many as 50 fruit baskets to the elderly at Christmas. But with all of these accomplishments, the bar-
beque and camp stew that is cooked and sold every year on the Fourth of July and Labor Day have made the club famous. Jon Foshee, Senior Vice President at River Bank and Trust and current president of the MMC, said he remembers moving to Millbrook as a young boy in 1975 and going with his father to the Fourth of July barbeque. “I can still see all those pots of camp stew lined up,” Foshee said. “Now I have been a member of the group for 17 years, and my dad is a member still.” Gene Jones, a member of the men’s club since 1965, said that his favorite memories are of the Armed Forces Day celebration that brought thousands to the city to honor soldiers with a parade, airplane and paratrooper shows and, of course, barbeque. Washington dignitaries and the governor were also there for the festival. “I have tasted a lot of camp stew in our area, and it just doesn’t compare to the stew the members of the men’s club make,” said Jones, who contributed the recipe for the barbeque sauce for the club. Earle Monroe, member since 1980 and former president of the MMC, said he stayed in Millbrook after his move here in 1979 because of the friendly people and the men’s club. Members asked him to join shortly after his move to town, and he appreciated being included in such a vital group in the city.
The men's club has done much to improve city parks
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They deliver some 50 fruit baskets to the elderly every Christmas
Today, the men’s club still sells barbeque twice a year, on the Fourth of July and Labor Day, and Elmore County residents who want plates or pounds of barbeque or quarts of stew must arrive at Memorial Center Park early to do so. The men begin selling at 6 a.m. to people that stand in line before the sun rises. By 9 a.m., they have usually sold out. “I have been a member of the stew crew for 28 years. We start the night of July 3 and have great comradery while we prepare for the Fourth,” Foshee said. Jones said the men generally cook 1,000 pounds of ham, 250 chicken halves and 1,200 quarts of camp stew. He remembers when Albert “Pop” Gresham cooked the stew in wash tubs and stirred with a sterilized boat paddle. Known in the community for the best barbeque around, the MMC barbeque sales have grossed as much as $15,000 in a year. And every year, the club puts the money back into Millbrook. In 2005, all of the proceeds from the Labor Day barbeque were given to the Millbrook Welcome Center to aid Hurricane Katrina victims taking refuge in Millbrook. Groups often request funds from the MMC, and the men welcome speakers to tell them about their organizations, missions and projects. An oversight committee is selected each year to determine how the club’s money will be spent. to petition MMC for donations, send a request to AMillbrok Men's Club, P.O. Box 391, Millbrook AL 36054. The next project for the MMC is a monument in honor of fallen police officers and firefighters in Millbrook. Those fallen men and women will be individually recognized on the monument, which will be installed near the flagpole at Millbrook City Hall and should be complete this spring. The MMC is working hard to recruit young members who can continue the work of the men’s
group. They are using social media more and plan to incorporate leadership mentoring for high school students in the future. “We need the younger men to know who we are and see the good work we do,” Foshee said. The current members of the Millbrook Men’s Club want to honor the legacy left by the original charter members to have positive impact in their Millbrook community. Millbrook Men's Club meets at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month at the Memorial Center building.
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Preparing to Die Story by Lonna Upton
Even flower arrangements can be planned and paid for in advance
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he New Year brings with it an opportunity to make positive changes in ways that really matter. To live a healthier lifestyle and take better care of loved ones; visit the folks; call the kids; and this year, be sure to finally get all the legal paperwork in place for dying. Though the last thing most people want to think about at this New Year’s time of renewal is death, there are decisions that need to be made – decisions that could make life easier for those left behind, whenever that time comes. Preplanning and prepaying for funerals really are gifts to family members who grieve the departure of spouses, parents, children and dear friends. When decisions about the details have already been To be sure military made, family memservice is honored bers need not worry at your funeral, over making them provide the funeral but simply follow home with a copy through with the of your honorable pre-made plan of discharge papers the deceased. Madonna Linville, Certified Preplanning Consultant at Linville Funeral Home in Eclectic, said people who plan ahead will have peace of mind knowing that their wishes have been addressed. And family members will not have to bear the responsibility of making those arrangements while they are grieving. Everyone involved will know that the decedent made thoughtful and informed decisions about the funeral service, including prayers, music, disposition of the body and other selected goods and
services. The amount of time needed to preplan a funeral varies, since those planning have different needs and objectives, Linville explained, so it’s important to make the initial appointments and follow through to complete the process. “Some people plan every little detail, while some make just the major decisions. The important thing is to do it,” Linville said. Most people have questions and don’t even know where to begin, but funeral homes have information that will help them to get started with the planning process and allow them to make decisions for themselves or for loved ones. During the funeral-planning visit, decisions could be made and the information recorded regarding services, cremation, caskets, urns and veterans’ benefits, Linville explained. Among the documents to bring to this appointment are insurance information, parents’ names, birth certificate and veteran discharge papers, if applicable. These would be helpful in writing the obituary and would help survivors to avoid the emotional burden of looking through memorabilia quickly to make pressing service decisions. The cost of the services and merchandise vary greatly. The average cost of a traditional funeral was $6,600 in 2013; the average cost of cremation the same year was $3,300. Through their website, the
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Federal Trade Commission offers information In the case of an aged parent, an adult child and a checklist that could be helpful in comparmay need to help in the process. ing goods and services that are most often ofLinda Segrest, Regional Director at Lake Marfered by funeral homes. And the best time to pay tin Hospice, said most people are unaware of the for funeral expenses is in advance when they are need to have their desires regarding life support made, Linville said. and burial arrangements in writing. Aging parWhen people decline to pay for the funeral ents often assume that their eldest children will goods and services in advance, price changes make the decisions for them, but in Alabama, all that could occur years later might affect the siblings have equal say. If the adult children are family’s ability to not in agreement, implement some asfamilies can be torn If you don't specify your bequests in a pects of the funeral apart, she said. will, the state will decide who gets what that were speciWhen they cannot fied in a preplan, agree on a decision, Linville explained. the default level of By the same tocare is for medical ken, when people professionals to use decide to pay for the most aggressive the funeral but not measures to proselect or specify the long life. goods and services, So if a parent their payments may does not want life simply become a to be prolonged down payment on through artificial the increased costs feeding or hydraof the services that tion, ventilator were discussed support or resusciduring the preplantation, it is imporning; in which case, tant to make sure the family would those wishes are be responsible for a matter of legal paying the remainrecord. der at the time of “Have an adthe funeral. vance directive In some religious in place. Have denominations, it is that conversation. the clergy who plan Know that somethe service, not the one will speak for funeral home, so it you if you can’t may be a good idea speak for yourself. to stop in at the And make sure that church office to make choices about which readthe person who will speak for you knows what ings, prayers and favorite hymns would be part the facility requires for a DNR (Do Not Resusciof the celebration of life. tate) order,” Segrest said. Just as important as the conversation with Another vital document to execute while a funeral home representatives and clergy is person is still of sound mind is a power of attorscheduling time to talk with loved ones and let ney, said Jerry Daniel of the Johnston and Danthem know that arrangements have been made iel law firm in Millbrook. A Power of Attorney and where to find the paperwork that would be (POA) gives a designated agent the authority to needed to put those plans into motion. make decisions regarding finances and medical
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care. The powers transferred in the document can be very limited to certain accounts or circumstances, or they can be very broad. An attorney could help to explain the differences in the various forms of POAs and help a client select the best one for a particular person’s situation. Something as simple as a utility that needs to be turned off could become a problem if the name on the account is the name of an incapacitated person. Even if the person cannot make the request, even the spouse is not legally authorized unless there is a POA. Having a will, a POA and an advanced directive offers peace of mind that an individual’s wishes will be honored in case of incapacitation or death, said Daniel. “Usually, the distribution you planned for your money and possessions is not what the state has planned, and without a will, the state will determine to whom your money goes and how much each individual will receive. Contesting that decision will cost more in legal fees than the cost of the will,” he said. Daniel explained that if someone is married and has no Last Will and Testament, the surviving spouse would not necessarily receive all the assets of the deceased. The assets may be distributed between the surviving spouse and any children of the deceased. If minor children are involved, the survivors may have to go to court to be sure that those children are included in the distribution of assets. “Having an attorney properly prepare your will saves money, saves grief for the remaining family members, and often prevents fights,” Daniel said. “Remember, you are not buying the paper; you are paying for time with an experienced attorney to help you plan, to help you think through the problems that might occur, and to be sure that all of your wishes are written down. Basically, you are writing law for yourself that must be upheld after your death.” Without a will, a judge would appoint a personal representative to determine distribution of the deceased’s wealth by first doing an inventory of all possessions of the deceased. This can be a time-consuming, difficult and sometimes expensive task in many situations. The personal administrator has a duty to the survivors to make fair and ethical decisions, and must be bonded
– yet another expense. Daniel said to be careful with the template wills found online, as in his experience, none of the wills he has seen that were prepared on internet sites were valid, usually because they were not completed properly. Often, the person completing the will did not know exactly what should be included or made incorrect assumptions that certain things would happen. Unless a desire is specifically written in a legal will, that instruction after death would not be followed. The Durable Power of Attorney and the advanced directive often are prepared in the attorney’s office at the same time the will is written. Daniel said he recommends his clients add their advanced directives to the medical records at their doctors’ offices and local hospitals. If an ambulance transports a patient, the EMTs may not have knowledge of the advanced directive, but when the directive is on file at the hospital, the instructions could be followed at that point. The healthcare providers must have the physical document in order to follow it. Daniel recommends that married people – even as young as their 20s or 30s and even without children – have wills and POAs prepared. Individuals who have reached their 40s need to add the advanced directive. The cost of a will averages $350 per person in Elmore County. The process takes at least one hour for the client to sit with the attorney and let him or her ask questions about family, property and distribution wishes. Another hour allows the document to be prepared and reviewed before it is signed. Daniels added that many people do not make wills because it seems morbid, or they think they don’t need them. But a will, he said, should be seen as a part of life, something to take care of before it is needed. “When you make a will, it will not result in your immediate death,” Daniel said. “Do it for your family.” The information in this article is intended for general use and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Readers are encouraged to contact an attorney for legal advice and estate planning assistance.
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New Year, Fresh Start We are just at the beginning of a new year. In this time of new beginnings, hopefully you are still maintaining some of those resolutions that you made. This is a time to move forward or a time for starting over completely. Why not try a little cinematic encouragement with this list of movies about people making the most of new beginnings in their lives?
centers around a group of British retirees making their way to India and to the picturesque hotel as described by the movie’s title. Life-changing events ensue. Veteran pros Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and Tom Wilkinson make this a warm and winning film for grownups of all ages.
The Quiet Man (1952)
Sean Thornton (John Wayne) returns to his native Ireland to forget his past and regain his family farm, and he falls in love with a local girl (the incandescent Maureen O’Hara). An enduring and beloved classic.
Les Miserables (2012)
Based on Victor Hugo’s classic tale set during the French Revolution, Les Miserables follows the adventures of former convict Jean Valjean in his search for redemption. Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway headline this Oscar winning version of the long running Broadway musical triumph.
Eat Pray Love (2010)
Lovely Julia Roberts portrays Elizabeth Gilbert, a young woman seeking new meaning in life following her divorce. Based on Gilbert’s bestselling memoir, her journey is a yearlong adventure touring Italy, Indonesia and India on a quest for enlightenment, life and love.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Pat Solano (Bradley Cooper) returns home after months of treatment for bipolar disorder and finds himself rebuilding his relationship with his parents and navigating a budding romance with a young widower Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence). Based on Matthew Quick’s novel, this film garnered much acclaim, including an Oscar win for the talented Ms. Lawrence.
This early film for director Martin Scorsese has been heralded as a frontrunner of the “single woman changing her life” film genre. The dynamic Ellen Burstyn won an Oscar for the title role as a widowed single mother starting from scratch in Arizona. Don’t forget that this Oscar nominated film served as the basis for the long running Alice TV series featuring Linda Lavin and Alabama’s own Polly Holladay as loveable, but brash waitress Flo who made a cottage industry out of the catch phrase “Kiss My Grits.”
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)
Headlined by a stellar cast, this enchanting film
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Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974)
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Jerry Maguire (1996)
Speaking of catch phrases, 20 years later, who can forget the memorable lines this film spawned like “Show me the money,” “You had me at hello” and “You complete me.” Tom Cruise is masterful in the title role as a charismatic, yet soulless sports talent agent
forced into a new beginning when he is fired from his job. Alas, Jerry finds redemption and romance in this crowd pleasing comedy drama.
My Fair Lady (1964)
Set in Edwardian London, My Fair Lady tells the story of Covent Garden flower girl and street urchin Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn), who is transformed into a proper lady by pompous Professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison). Winner of the 1964 best picture Oscar, director George Cukor’s musical screen adaptation of Lerner and Lowe’s Broadway hit is a classic ultimate makeover tale.
Groundhog Day (1993)
Comic legend Bill Murray portrays acid-tongued weatherman Phil Connors who, in an inexplicable twist of fate, is forced to relive the same day endlessly. Hilarity ensues, but by the end of this comic tour de force, a kinder, gentler Phil Connors emerges. Who doesn’t love Groundhog Day, a comic masterpiece from late director Harold Ramis?
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
Unlikely spinster Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) decides to take charge of her life, swapping careers and renewing her commitment to love and romance. Based on Helen Fielding’s bestseller, Bridget Jones still flourishes on the screen more than 15 years later with the release this past year of Bridget Jones’s Baby, the third film in the series.
in bringing her acclaimed stage role to this witty film about a downtrodden housewife who escapes to Greece and finds new beginnings in life and love. Jazz singer Patti Austin captures the spirit of the film through the movie’s theme song, The Girl Who Used to Be Me, penned by Oscar winners Marvin Hamlisch and Alan and Marilyn Bergman.
Starting Over (1979)
Burt Reynolds shines in this poignant and extremely funny tale of a middle-aged man who is ditched by his ambitious singer wife (Candice Bergen). Reynolds finds himself “starting over” with an insecure elementary school teacher played by Jill Clayburgh. Writer James L. Brooks (Terms of Endearment) provides a pitch perfect screenplay, and both Bergen and Clayburgh ended up with Oscar nominations for their work in this delightful film.
Jeff Langham
MOVIE MAN Dr. Jeff Langham is State Assistant Superintendent for External and
Governmental Affairs and a lifelong lover of film.
Are you on the cusp of a new beginning in these early weeks of 2017? Perhaps one of these films will relate to your own personal journey. While movies can be highly entertaining, they can also challenge us and provoke our thinking in meaningful ways. Why not try some cinematic encouragement as you continue to launch into the New Year?
Shirley Valentine (1989)
Actress Pauline Collins received an Oscar nomination
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TOP 10 UPCOMING GAMES 2017 The exploits of 2016’s video games world won’t soon be forgotten. We were introduced to a host of innovative, fun and groundbreaking titles. But now, it’s time to look forward and into the New Year – let’s see what new, highly anticipated games 2017 will have to offer.
Injustice 2
Release date: TBD 2017 There aren’t many fighting games on the market, but particularly good franchises like Injustice have shown that there’s still an audience for them. The first game in the series was published in 2013 to mixed review, but timing is everything: Injustice arrived just after the comic book movie craze took off in 2012 with Marvel’s The Avengers. This, combined with an audience hungry for any fighting game, meant Injustice saw record sales and support. The first Injustice remains one of the more popular fighting games in competitive eSports, with tournaments featuring the game still held every now and again. Here’s to hoping the next iteration will be just as good, if not better.
Sea of Thieves
Release date: TBD 2017 Game developer Rare hasn’t produced anything of its own invention for more than a decade. Microsoft, which bought the company in 2002, has held sway over most of Rare’s development catalog. While Rare’s output hasn’t been terrible, it’s been far from anything strictly positive. Sea of Thieves – Rare’s latest project – is looking to buck the trend with fervor. The game was announced during E3 2015 to much clamor, and gamers have been waiting to dive into the title’s multiplayer, open-world offerings ever since. Microsoft has endowed the once-legendary developer with what appears to be a sizable budget and considerable creative freedoms. Many hope that Sea of Thieves will return Rare to the game industry spotlight, but only time will tell.
For Honor
Release date: Feb. 14, 2017 For Honor is a unique game by accident. It’s been quite some time since a “hack-and-slash” title crossed gamers’ doorsteps, but For Honor pulls no punches concerning its
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nomenclature. In fact, there’s an argument that dictates its boldness is the reason for its popularity: The goal is to provide a medieval game that captures the brutality of swordand-shield combat. Every trailer published so far does nothing but fuel gamers’ anticipation for the title and for good reason. For Honor – for all its gore and bloodiness – is gorgeous. The game has all the hallmarks of quality development, and while reviews won’t begin to surface until early February, this one’s already looking like a winner. For Honor will ring in the New Year with 2016-like savagery.
Halo Wars 2
Release date: Feb. 21, 2017 Halo Wars 2 debuts just a week after For Honor and will ask us to quickly don our thinking caps in an attempt to leave our more primal tendencies behind. The strategyoriented game is the follow-up to 2009’s Halo Wars. Critical reception for the first iteration was highly positive, but fans didn’t take so kindly to the game, and sales floundered as a result. Nevertheless, Microsoft allocated funds for a new entry into the series, and though it may have taken eight years to produce, Halo Wars 2 is very close indeed. Hopefully, this addition to the Halo franchise will prove worthy to its stoic first-person shooter fans.
Prey
Release date: TBD 2017 Not all games go through an even-keeled development cycle. Futuristic, first-person shooter Prey is one of the gaming industry’s most notorious for suffering delays and other haphazard setbacks. Development on the title is rumored to have begun more than a decade ago, after the first game in the series was published in 2006. Developer Bethesda Softworks officially canceled the game in 2014, but with so much work already done, they announced in June 2016 they’d be revitalizing the project – albeit with a far different vision than initially planned. 2017’s Prey will be a reimagining of the original game. It will fall somewhere between a remake and a reboot, allowing players to experience what made the original great while still allowing room for new ideas.
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Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Release date: TBD 2017 If you thought the Uncharted universe came to an end with Uncharted: A Thief’s End, you were wrong. This upcoming entry into the series will follow some of the series’ more extraneous characters, fleshing out their backstories and better informing us of who they are. The game is being developed by Naughty Dog, which is also working on The Last of Us 2. While the latter won’t release this year, there’s reason to believe that both projects have been endowed with massive budgets by Naughty Dog’s owner, Sony. Frankly, we’re happy to see Uncharted continue. Fans were worried that there’d be no more stories to tell, but it looks like there’s still plenty left in the franchise’s mythos.
God of War
Release date: TBD 2017 The upcoming God of War is a reboot of a classic series that hasn’t seen an iteration since the early days of Sony’s PlayStation 3. This is by far the most popular beat-em-up series to ever stray onto the market, and it looks like publisher Sony wants to pull at your heartstrings this time around: Main character Kratos has a son – a plot device waiting to be yanked in every direction. It will be interesting to see how the game’s plot unfolds. This new approach to God of War will take the series down some extremely divergent paths; at least, when you compare it to previous games in the franchise. Should the formula work, Sony’s cash cow will keep on giving.
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Release date: TBD 2017 Fans of Nintendo have been waiting a long time for another entry into the popular Zelda series. The puzzle-platforming games have been an archetypal member of the genre’s elite since their conception, but Breath of the Wild will take players into a vast, open world to explore. This is a landmark moment for the franchise, as Zelda has always been fairly linear. Previous entries have utilized open world elements – see Ocarina of Time – but none have truly earned the label. Innovation is perhaps the single most important aspect of game development, and if Nintendo does Breath of the Wild’s open world correctly, we’ll all be cracking our wallets.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
Release date: March 21, 2017 Mass Effect is the premiere science fiction series
of today’s gaming world. Players have enjoyed multiple entries into the franchise already, but Andromeda will be the first in some time. Given the gaming industry’s lack of current RPG titles, Andromeda’s timing is fortunate. Mass Effect utilizes a system that shapes the game via player choice. Ignoring, aggravating or making someone angry at the beginning of the game can have serious repercussions later on. It’s up to the player to maintain relationships while saving star systems and the individuals that live within them. No sweat, right?
Red Dead Redemption 2
Release date: Holiday 2017 Rockstar Games are the developers behind some of the most highly anticipated content to ever grace the gaming market. Most people – including non-gamers – are familiar with the Grand Theft Auto series of video games. If you’re not familiar with Red Dead Redemption, it’s basically Grand Theft Auto in the old, Wild West. The first game in the series followed the story of John Marston, a cowboy. In this story, you follow his travels across the western United States and parts of Mexico. The game features a beautiful soundtrack, and the graphics still hold up against even today’s most stupendous video games. Not much information is currently available on the series’ second iteration, but rest assured that it will be one of the best games of the year.
Jacob Saylor
THE GAMER Video games journalist
Jacob Saylor has covered the massive
Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles. Follow Jacob on Twitter @skulldrey.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Release date: Feb. 28, 2017 Placing Zero Dawn at the top of this list is something of a gamble, especially above titles like Red Dead and Andromeda. That said, it’s a new intellectual property, which – in my mind – adds copious value to a game. The story of Zero Dawn hasn’t been detailed much, but we know that humans have been reduced to something of a hunter-gatherer society. Robots have taken over and to subsist, humans must hunt and survive among these mechanized beasts. Further, the game appears to be absolutely beautiful. Zero Dawn looks to have some of the most lush, expansive landscapes of any game debuting in 2017. A good-looking environment has never hurt the experience of a video game, and with all of Zero Dawn’s other traits taken into consideration, you have a game that could very well turn the gaming industry on its head.
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Kathy Monroe
COMMUNITY CARE Kathy Monroe is the Assistant to the
Administrator and the CFO at Community Hospital.
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January was designated as National Blood Donor month in 1970 with the specific goal of increasing blood donations during the winter months. A decline in the blood supply during the winter months is very common. The busy holiday season, inclement weather, seasonal illnesses (such as colds and flu), can all cause donors to be unable to give. While blood donations may be down in the winter, the need for blood is constant. Patient transfusion needs do not decline because the weather is bad. Accident victims, hospital patients, cancer patients, surgery patients and others count on the yearround generosity of donors to insure that blood is available. Did you know that one blood donation (1 pint) can save up to three lives? Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood, and 4.5 million Americans will need a blood transfusion each year with more than 44,000 blood donations needed every day. One in seven people entering the hospital will need
blood during the stay. The blood used in an emergency is already on the shelves before the event occurs. In some cases, a single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood. The blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O. Type O-negative blood can be transfused to patients of all blood types. More than 1 million people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatments. Only 37 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood; less than 10 percent do so annually. Blood cannot be manufactured – it can only come from donors. What happens to your blood donation? Blood is collected into a sterile bag and marked to identify its type. The blood is then separated into three transfusable components – plasma, platelets and red blood
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cells. Plasma is the liquid part of the body’s blood. It contains important proteins and other substances. Plasma transfusions are used for patients with liver failure, severe infections and serious burns and also to treat patients whose blood does not clot properly. Platelets are crucial to help the body form clots to stop bleeding. Patients suffering from leukemia, or other types of cancer, often have lower platelet counts as a side effect of chemotherapy treatments. Patients with illnesses that prevent the body from making enough platelets have to get regular transfusions in order to stay healthy. Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen throughout the body. Red blood cells are used to treat patients with anemia or blood loss due to trauma or surgery. This type of transfusion increases a patient’s hemoglobin and iron levels, while improving the amount of oxygen in the body. Once separated, the blood components are stored for transfusion. Plasma can last up to a year. Red blood cells expire in 42 days. Platelets expire in five days. The shelf life of blood is limited, and the supply must constantly be replenished. As we begin 2017, resolve to roll up a sleeve and give blood. It is a gift like no other. Donors surveyed report the No. 1 reason they give is because they want to help others. Generally, to give blood the donor must be in good health, 17 years of age or older (16 with parental permission), weigh at least 110 pounds and show a valid photo I.D. Looking for a place to donate? Call Community Hospital at 334283-6541; we will help.
Give Your Heart a Fresh Start The new year is here, so why not make a resolution that gives you and your loved ones peace of mind? We all know that healthy hearts live longer, more active lives. That starts with a comprehensive cardiac checkup. February is American Heart Month, serving as an annual reminder of the fight against cardiovascular disease. Kevin Sublett, MD, and his staff at the UAB Heart & Vascular Clinic of Central Alabama are proud supporters of this fight. We are committed to keeping your heart healthy, so you can live a healthier life all year long. Our 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 Call us today to schedule an appointment!
3368 Highway 280, Suite 130 Alexander City, AL 35010 (256) 234-2644 uabmedicine.org/heartcentralAL
ELMORE COUNTY LIVING Heart & Vascular Clinic ad-HEART MONTH-4.8x9.75.indd
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OUT & ABOUT
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Basketball Team Practice
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January 12, 2017 Boys and Girls Club 1. Jamicah Humphrey 2. Jamea Williams 3. Willie Sagers 4. Jacob Hartley 5. Christopher Congo 6. Imarius Roberts 7. Tavares Murphy 8. Bam Autrey 9. Rob Rose 10. Jay Nowden 11. Quandell Young
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An Afternoon at the Library January 12, 2017 Wetumpka Public Library 1. June Pokora, Fallon, Jackson and McKenna
2. Kathy Zieglar and Angela Dewberry
3. Shirnareka Reeves
4. Allison Flowers
5. Sara Williams
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OUT & ABOUT
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Wetumpka Pops
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January 12, 2016 Wetumpka 1. Ronny Warren 2. Joanne Wells 3. Tyler Hayes 4. Madelaine Garrett 5. Ernie Ellis 6. Dallas Wade 7. Lynda Powell
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Eclectic Girls Club
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January 12, 2017 Downtown Eclectic 1. Martha Rankin and Dean Williams 2. Penny Holley and Anita Holley 3. Miriam Williams, Rachel Strickland and Dianne
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Cavallaro 4. Lois Smith Rewis and Angelyn Johnson Burkhalter 5. Juanita Stearns Wilson and Carolyn Stearns Floyd 6. Kay Wallace and Lynda Caldwell 7. Ira Haynie and Edna Martin 8. June Eason, Patty Dunson, Betty Cker and Jackie Stearns
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OUT & ABOUT
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Tumbling Class
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January 13, 2017 Prime Time Athletics 1. Lamarronna Edwards and Shamarre Bozeman
2. Kezira Edwards and Sam Gantt
3. Jakamryion Robinson and Alija Woods
4. EJ Woods and Antrayvion Terry
5. Jaedan Brooks and Jayvian Kendrick
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Laissez les bons temp rouler!
G
(Let the good times roll!) Story by Lonna Upton
ood times will roll at the 12th Annual Millbrook Mardi Gras Parade and Festival Feb. 19 at the Millbrook Village Green. The Krewe of Millbrook Revelers expect a crowd of more than 13,000 for this year’s family-friendly, alcohol-free celebration, which is reputed to be the largest festival north of Mobile. The fun will begin at 9 a.m. with more than 68 vendors from four states offering food and wares to supplement a schedule of live entertainment and a carnival parade with 60-plus floats, bands and this year’s Mardi Gras Royalty. Food vendors will include traditional Cajun fare, such as red beans and rice, gumbo fried alligator-ona-stick, as well as biscuits, thick burgers, hot dogs and smoked turkey legs. Activities for kids include a zip line, a water walker, a climbing wall, inflatables, pony rides and more. The traditional Umbrella Stroll Through the Park in Mardi Gras style will begin at 10:15 a.m., and everyone is welcome, said Revelers publicity chair, Kim Bell. The parade is set for noon when spectators line Main Street from the Smoke House to the Presbyterian Church to collect Mardi Gras beads, Moon Pies, trinkets and candies thrown from the parade entries. “We love seeing the looks and excitement on the kids’ faces when we start throwing beads. This event brings family together,” Bell said. Joining the parade is free, but entrants should complete
an entry form online at millbrookrevelers.org. Sponsors of the festival and parade include Jack’s, MAX Federal Credit Union, Wind Creek Wetumpka Casino, Central Alabama Electric Coop, El Cerrito, Cumulus Radio, the City of Millbrook and others. The festival is planned every year by the Krewe of Millbrook Revelers, an organization that started in 2004 with six couples. Membership has grown to more than 66 couples that begin work on the event nine months in advance of Fat Tuesday, which is always the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras, a Christian holiday that has grown into a cultural phenomenon, can be traced back thousands of years to pagan rites. Public festivities or carnivals are celebrated all over the world - usually in countries with large Roman Catholic populations - on Fat Tuesday, the day before the penitential season of Lent begins. “The Krewe of Millbrook Revelers Mardi Gras Parade and Festival wants to be known for its fun, free and family-friendly event. We are a fun-loving group intent on enjoying Mardi Gras and bringing attention to the City of Millbrook,” Bell said. This local event has been listed on the Official Travel Site of Alabama and other festival pages to invite more people to the area. “The more the merrier!” Bell said.
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Coming Up CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Jan. 21 Brian McKnight
Award-winning contemporary music artist Brian McKnight will perform in concert at the Wind Creek Wetumpka Entertainment Center, 100 River Oaks Dr., at 8 p.m. Ticket prices range from $45 to $85 and are available at ticketmaster. com.
Jan. 26 Tallassee Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet
Visit the Tallassee Chamber of Commerce website to register for the annual banquet to be held at 6 p.m. at the Wetumpka Civic Center. Social hour starts at 6 p.m., and dinner will be served at 7 p.m. Guest speaker will be Tallassee Mayor Johnny Hammock. Tickets are $35 each or $250 for a table of eight. A silent auction will benefit the Ambassador Scholarship Program.
Feb. 4 8th Annual Millbrook Mardi Gras Run
Register online at active.com for this 1-mile, 5K and 8K race to benefit the missions work at First United Methodist Church in Millbrook. Early registration is $30. Race day registration and bag pick up is 6:30 a.m. The 5K and 8K races start at 8:30 a.m. and the 1-mile run starts at 9:45 a.m. at Grandview YMCA on Grandview Road.
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Feb. 9 Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Luncheon
The first quarterly luncheon of the Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce will be held at 11:30 a.m. at the Wetumpka Civic Center. Member tickets are $25 each; sponsor a table centerpiece for $100; sales/ad tables are $50 each. Catered by Wind Creek Wetumpka Casino and Hotel. Register online at www.wetumpkachamber.org or RSVP to jyoung@wetumpkachamber. org.
Feb. 9 - 25 Ring of Fire: The Johnny Cash Story
The Wetumpka Depot Players will present Ring of Fire: The Johnny Cash Story. Taken from the iconic songbook of Johnny Cash comes this unique musical about love, faith and family. More than two dozen of his classic hits, including the title tune, are performed by a multi-talented cast, painting a portrait of “The Man in Black” that promises to be a foot-stomping, crowd-pleasin’ salute to a unique American legend. Johnny Cash’s remarkable life story is told through his music, climaxing in a concert that will both move and exhilirate. Visit www.wetumpkadepot.com/ticketsales for specific dates and times and ticket sales. Or call the box office at 334-868-1440.
Feb. 11 Critter Crawl
This 5K trail event takes runners through a portion of the Alabama Nature Center’s (ANC) trail system to benefit education programs. In addition to the 5K run and a 1-mile fun run, there will be music, food, vendors and even a costume contest with prizes for the winners. Shirts are guaranteed for participants registering before Jan. 30. Early registration is $25 for the 5K and $20 for the 1-mile. No pets, please. Race packets available for pick up Feb. 10 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at ANC in Millbrook. The 5K starts at 9 a.m., and the 1-mile race starts at 10 a.m.; both races start and finish at the ANC Natureplex. Register at www.active. com. For information, visit www.alabamawildlife.org or call 334-285-4550.
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Feb. 14 Good Morning Millbrook!
Troy University will sponsor pastries and coffee at the Millbrook Area Chamber of Commerce (MACC) office, 3453 Main St. Stop in between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. to meet, greet and network. For information, contact the MACC office at 334-2850085.
entry. Cash bar. Tickets on sale now at the shelter, 255 Central Plank Rd., Wetumpka. For information, call 334-567-3377 or email hselco@bellsouth.net.
Feb. 18 Millbrook Mardi Gras Parad
Laissez les bons temp rouler! Let the good times roll at this year’s Mardi Gras Parade in Millbrook. This annual festival is the largest north of Mobile and features more than 60 vendors. For parade entry and booth information, visit www.millbrookrevelers.org.
Feb. 11 PATH Trash Walk
This month’s Prosperity Again Thru Health (PATH) Trash Walk will meet at Dirt Road Gourmet on Highway 229 near Martin Dam at 9 a.m. Volunteers are welcome to arrive as early as 8 a.m. for coffee and a sampling of sausage and grits by Dirt Road Gourmet owners Jackie and Reuben Thornton. Drop filled bags at the meeting site and enjoy a cookout hosted by the Thorntons. This annual event has become one of the most popular cleanups with volunteers. For information, contact John Thompson at lmra@lmra.info.
Feb. 18 Getting Down with the Dawgs
This annual fundraiser for the Humane Society of Elmore County is always a great time. Held at the Wind Creek Wetumpka Entertainment Center at 100 River Oaks Dr., ticketholders have a chance to win the $10,000 drawdown, and you don’t have to be present to win it. Tickets are $100 each and include a buffet dinner and door prizes in addition to the drawdown
Feb. 23-26 and March 2-5 Leading Ladies
Millbrook Community Players presents this hilarious comedy in which author Ken Ludwig plants two down-on-their-luck English Shakespearean actors on the Moose Lodge circuit in Amish country. When they hear that an old lady is about to die and leave her fortune to her two long lost English nephews, they decide to pass themselves off as her relatives to get the cash - except that the nephews are actually nieces. Call 334-782-7317 for performance times and ticket prices.
Feb. 25 Russell Forest Run
Help to support local education through the annual 5K and 10K Russell Forest Run at Russell Crossroads. There will be prizes for age categories and the famous grits bar and beverages at the post-race party at The Stables. Register at active.com. For information, call Robert Gunn at 256397-1019.
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Season-Long Events
Countywide Cleanup Day
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 ANC naturalist by your side. Learn how to bird or ID plants and animals, splash through the creek, or catch insects in the meadow. General admission applies. NaturePlex General Admission: $5/person with a $20 maximum per family. AWF is located at 3050 Lanark Rd. in Millbrook. Visit alabamawildlife. org to check holiday closings.
The Elmore County Commission sponsors free cleanup days for residents on the second Saturday of odd numbered months. Drop off household and yard trash free of charge at the following locations: old highway department in Kent; old highway department shop in Holtville; Crenshaw Park, Sweeten School, Emerald Mountain Equestrian Center; county jail; Shaylee Place at Hwy 231 and Tutus Road; Old Central Transfer Station; Anne Building in Elmore; CEW&SA parking lot at Redland Road facility. There is no longer a drop-off at the intersection of Redland, Firetower and Dozier roads.
Electronics Recycling
On the first Saturday of each month, electronic items for recycling are accepted at the Wetumpka Recycling Center on East Charles Avenue. There is a $10 fee to recycle tube televisions; other electronics incur no charge. Come from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Other accepted electronics include computers, monitors, cell phones, chargers, modems, remotes, printers, batteries and more.
Blue Grass Jam, Sit and Scrap and Sit and Sew
Alabama Wildlife Federation Creature Feature
Every Monday and Wednesday, from 3:30 p.m. until 4 p.m., come learn about Alabama’s woods, water and wildlife. Get up close and personal with some of the creatures you may find in your own backyard and even some you may have never heard of! General admission applies. NaturePlex General Admission: $5/person with a $20 maximum per family. AWF is located at 3050 Lanark Rd. in Millbrook. Visit alabamawildlife.org to check holiday closings.
Tallassee Civitan Club
The Civitans meet at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at the Budde Building on Gilmer Avenue. This volunteer organization serves individual and community needs by funding and hosting special events for people with developmental disabilities. A social time at 5:30 p.m. preceeds meetings.
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All three activities are held on the first Saturday of each month from 9 am. to noon at the Alabama River Region Arts Center in Wetumpka. All acoustic instruments and skill levels are welcome at the Bluegrass Jam. Scrappers and papercrafters are encouraged to attend Sit and Scrap. All sewers and knitters are welcome at Sit and Sew. For complete details, call 334578-9485 or visit www.arrac.org.
Santuck Flea Market
The Santuck Flea Market is held the first Saturday of each month at 7300 Central Plank Rd., Highway 9 in Wetumpka.
Children’s Harbor Treasures and Thrift Store
Located on Highway 63 just south of Lake Martin Amphitheater, the Children’s Harbor Thrift Store is open Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. You never know what gems you might find – from clothes and household items to boats. Proceeds are used to help fund the activities at the Lake Martin campus of Children’s Harbor and the Family Center at Children's Hospital. Call 334-857-2008 for more information.
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Master Gardeners Lunch and Learn
Bring a sack lunch to the Elmore County Extension Office in Wetumpka from noon to 1 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month for a gardening presentation hosted by the Central Alabama Master Gardeners Association. Event is free and open to the public. Drinks provided. For information, call 334-567-6301 or visit www.aces.edu/counties/Elmore/.
Busy Bee Quilters
The quilters meet the second Friday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at the City of Wetumpka Administrative Building. For information, call 334-451-2493.
Cruise-In Car Show
Pull into the Super Foods parking lot on Gilmer Avenue from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. the third Saturday of each month for a look at the spectacular wheels.
Wetumpka City Pops
Wetumpka City Pops Community Band rehearses on Thursdays from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Wetumpka City Administration bulding. Any woodwind, brass and percussion players are encouraged to participate.
Dixie Art Colony Foundation Exhibit
Regular gallery hours are held from 10 a.m. until noon on Mondays and Wednesdays at 219 Hill St., Wetumpka. Appointments and small group tours are available upon request. Special tours include a 16-minute video, Dixie Art Colony: A Look at Its Lasting Legacy. Exhibits rotate every four months. a selection of periodicals and books from the DAC Foundation Resource Library also are on display. For information, contact Mark Harris at 334-328-0730 or email him at mhcCreative.com.
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Business & Service Directory
334-567-7811
Pick up Elmore County Living at these locations: Eclectic
Eclectic Town Hall Moose's Eclectic Library Johnson’s Furniture Tropical Tan Zone First Community Bank
Lake Martin
Russell Lands Russell Marine Nail’s Cotton’s BBQ
Millbrook
Verizon Wireless First Community Bank Lucretia Cauthen Realty Bliss Salon Millbrook Chamber of Commerce Realty Central Stone & Britt Law Gene Jones Insurance
Montgomery
Publix – Atlanta Highway
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Wetumpka
Publix – Zelda Rd Publix - Vaughn Rd Publix - Taylor Rd
Prattville
Publix – Cobbs Ford Road
Slapout
Lake Pharmacy The Golden Frog The Boy’s Store First Community Bank
Tallassee
Kent Eagle Y Petro Parker Tire RoadRunner Herron Hill Pharmacy Friendship Grocery The Apothecary Community Hospital Tallassee Health & Rehab 5 Points Store Ben Atkinson Motors
Bennett’s Archery First Community Bank Russell Do It Center Bumper’s Karen’s Mane Tamers River Ridge Steakhouse Emerald Mountain Store Redland Market Seivers Accounting Wetumpka Depot Players A Touch of Class Angel Locksmith Verizon Wireless Unplugged Must Stop Café Alfa Realty Wetumpka Century 21 Brandt Wright Realty Wachovia Bank BB&T Jackson Thornton Lee’s Auto Repair McQuick Printing Company Hankins Insurance Hog Rock BBQ Wetumpka YMCA
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Adams Drugs Bell Chiropractic Wetumpka Urgent Care Aliant Bank A Beautiful Creation Austin’s Flowers Camo Country Alabama State Employees Credit Union Smokin S BBQ Elmore Community Hospital Wetumpka Preschool Wetumpka City Library Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce City of Wetumpka Administration Bldg. Coosa River Adventures Stoddard’s Bait Shop Collier Ford The Prissy Hen Wee Ones Daycare Wetumpka Health & Rehab Canal Grocery Kim’s Corner
Our Advertisers • To Join, Call 334-567-7811 Collier Ford...................................................................................................................................7 Community Hospital................................................................................................................3 Gene Jones Insurance Agency...........................................................................................4 5 Jackson Thornton......................................................................................................................5 Karen's Mane Tamers.............................................................................................................4 4 Kowaliga Whole Health.........................................................................................................4 4 Lake Martin Dock....................................................................................................................4 4 Lake Martin Mini Mall...................................................................................................................... 4 8 Mark's Service Center.........................................................................................................................7 Robert Trent Jones Trail.................................................................................................................. 2 3 Satterfield............................................................................................................................................. 1 9 Tallassee Health & Rehab, LLC...............................................................................................7 UAB Heart & Vascular.............................................................................................................3 3 Wetumpka Flea Market.........................................................................................................1 9
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Don't see your ad in this issue of Elmore County Living? Neither did the thousands of potential customers who read our magazine monthly. To advertise please contact Molly Brethauer or Stacy Adams at 334-567-7811 or stop by our office located at 300 Green Street, Wetumpka AL 36092
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Easy Make-ahead Soup Wintertime just begs for a meal of something hot and rich. When I woke up one day shortly after New Year’s and heard that we were under a Winter Weather Advisory – which means it may or may not bring rain or sleet or snow that may or may not accumulate for as long as two minutes – I knew that soup was in my future. M.K. Moore So here is the deal. This is a trick that came SOUTHERN about when I was the recipient of a large quanDELIGHTS tity of ground beef from a friend whose mother’s Mary Kather- uncle had gone in on the purchase of a cow. The steaks and roasts were doled out to family memine Moore is bers, but apparently no one wanted the ground an Alabama beef. State Fair I made patties from about 5 pounds of the gift pepper jelly and froze them for future hamburgers. The other 5 champion, has pounds I cooked up loosely with onions and froze butchered a in quart bags. Meat, onions and a little salt became wild hog in the base for a multitude of many a fine dish. And her kitchen a fast dish, too, I might add! It was terribly simple and grows to yank a bag out of the freezer, dump it frozen in heirloom toa soup pot, add a few things and have a hot meal matoes in her in 10 minutes. backyard. Want some chili? Add beans, flavoring and tomatoes. Want chili for you and five friends, yank out a couple of bags of your frozen secret weapon and double the additions. Spaghetti? Coming right up. Add the frozen meat to a bottle of your favorite spaghetti sauce and boil up some noodles. Taco soup? Manwiches? Hamburger Helper? Done. Done. Done. The thing is that when you stash away the burger base in the freezer, a quick and satisfying meal is within your grasp in minutes. You can even spend 10 minutes throwing everything in a slow cooker in the morning and have dinner ready by the time you get home at the end of the day. So to make your own treasure trove of burger base, you will have to do a little prep. Watch the grocery for sales on ground beef. I prefer the fattier 70/30 kind. I think it has more flavor, but it does shrink more than the leaner varieties. To compromise, I get 2 pounds of 70/30 and 3 pounds of 80/20. But really I just get what is on sale. This usually makes four quart bags, with one bag being enough for four servings of finished soup. If you have a large family or extra hungry teens, you may need to double up here and do 10
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pounds of meat. For each pound of meat, chop a medium onion. I do this in a food processor. I start with cooking the meat. If you have a large pot or pan, throw it all in. If not, cook it in batches. Give the meat a little salt, about one small pinch per pound of meat. After browning, drain the meat and set it aside while you cook the onions in some of the burger fat over low heat until they are soft but not browned. Add the drained meat and mix it all up. Cool, pack into quart bags and refrigerate. Once it’s cold, freeze it. And now the magic. Each of the variations below could be added to one quart bag, which feeds four. If you want more, double up. If you want less, well, make the recipe and have some leftover for lunch. Add the ingredients below to one quart bag of meat base and bring to a simmer. The longer you cook, the better it is. Be sure to taste for seasoning. Chili – Add two cans of rinsed beans (beans can be a mix of anything you like); one can of Rotel tomatoes; one can tomato sauce; and one pack of chili seasoning. Vegetable Soup – One can beef stock; one can corn, with liquid; one can chopped tomatoes; and one pack frozen mixed veggies. Spaghetti – One jar prepared spaghetti sauce. Serve over noodles. Taco Soup – One can beef broth; one can Rotel tomatoes; one can rinsed beans; one can corn with liquid; and one pack taco seasoning mix. Add water as needed to make soup. Cheesy Mac – Prepare one package of macaroni and cheese. Microwave beef to thaw and add to mac and cheese. Harry Burger – Thaw beef over low heat. Add a tablespoon of tomato paste, a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup of milk and a cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Mix and heat. Serve on buns. The possibilities are really endless. The magic is that you already have the beef and onions cooked and ready to go. While you are out buying the meat and onions, go ahead and stock up on the canned items too. You will have all you need to make hearty, homemade dishes just perfect for the two minutes when we may or may not have snow on the ground.
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Murder on the Menu Wetumpka Public Library hosts luncheon with popular mystery writers Friends of the Wetumpka Library will host its 13th annual (to each other) and divide their time between Wyoming and Murder on the Menu fundraiser on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017 at Chicago. the Wetumpka Civic Center at 12:30 p.m. This event is planned the day after a similar event in Murder on the Menu is a yearly fundBirmingham called Murder in the Magic raiser that has developed into a highly anCity. By the time the authors arrive in Weticipated event featuring top-notch mystery tumpka, they will have already had a blast authors from around the country. Particigetting to know each other and enjoying pants are seated at small round tables for Southern hospitality. lunch and conversation with their favorite Wetumpka always gets rave reviews author. After lunch, authors will participate from the authors about the beauty of the in panel discussions about mystery writing. town and the friendliness and interest of They also will visit several tables personthe folks that attend the event, which usually, so if attendees are not able to lunch ally sells out. with particular authors, they will still have Registration $40 a person and includes opportunities to talk with them. catered lunch. Register now at the library Andrew Gantt will join 14 Books will be available for purchase at or visit the library website to download other mystery novelists at a this event, and the authors are happy to a registration form and mail in your fee. Murder on the Menu lunch autograph. Tickets must be purchased in advance to Two of this year’s guest authors are Andrew Grant and Tasha Alexander. Grant was born in Birmingham, England, and has just released the second in his Detective Cooper Devereaux thriller series set in Birmingham, Alabama. Alexander is the New York Times bestselling author of the Lady Emily series and the novel Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Grant and Alexander are married
give the caterer an accurate count of meals to prepare. Learn more about these authors at www.wetumpkalibrary.com. For information about Murder on the Menu, contact Susan Hayes at 334-567-1308 or visit the library at 212 S. Main St., Wetumpka. Last year's luncheon sold out quickly
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