Cullman Good Life Magazine - Spring 2016 by The Good Life Magazine

CULLMAN COUNTY

David Moss’s underwater photos of yesterday bring solace today A museum and fabulous junk testify that James Scott was a model man Riverwood: a steward of wildlife, land ... and the Woods’ dreams

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Welcome

News flashes: Ingle Park, subscriptions, FB W e have no aspirations to be a newspaper. But this issue of Cullman County Good Life, our largest yet, does have a spattering of news. I’m pleased to have a very small hand in the next very big undertaking of Cullman Parks and Recreation – the raising of funds for what will be the finest and most inclusive playground in Alabama. It’s part of a far-reaching, $1 million reinvention of Margaret Ingle Park. You can get a peek into the future in our Out ‘n’ About feature in the back of this issue. Also exciting to us and, we hope, exciting to you, is that we’re now selling

subscriptions to Good Life Magazine. Don’t worry. We’ll continue to make the magazine available for free from our fine advertisers. But, from the publication of our first issue, we’ve constantly had people asking how to subscribe. We take it as the humbling but ultimate compliment that readers don’t want to miss a single issue of GLM. There’s more subscription details on page 61, and if you picked up this magazine somewhere around town, there should be a subscription card inside. We’d be thrilled to hear from you! Here’s another news flash ... Good Life has finally entered the world of social media. With the help of Patrick Oden, we

now have two Facebook pages, one for Cullman County GLM, the other its sister magazine in Marshall County. Our approach is a bit different than most business FB pages in that we want it to be more about you and your lifestyle than what we’re up to. We want to show off your photos, your recipes, your life. We also invite you to share announcements from your church, school and other organizations important to you. In short, we want to be your Facebook page. And your magazine. David Moore Publisher/editor

Contributors Spring makes bookstore owner and reviewer Deb Laslie want to exercise her green thumb. What about planting a book? Would it grow a tree of knowledge? Depends. “If you plant a kid’s book,” she laughs, “would it grow up to be horror story?” Considering her two sons, the answer is, probably not always. Patrick Oden has started a social media group for local photography enthusiasts of all skill levels. He invites Cullman County people to join the group at www.facebook.com/ groups/marshallcophotography. The pro shooter has done some great work in Cullman County GLM, and you can see more of it in this issue. Sheila McAnear’s artistic skills led to creating a giant snow dog in her yard in 2014 and a family of snow penguins last winter, cutting out dog ears and spots from paper, folding beaks from orange plastic school binders. Mad magazine deadlines during January’s snow didn’t stop her this year ... there just wasn’t enough darn snow. 6

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

Instead of the dry and boring tone of some history books, Steve Maze enjoys writing about fascinating people who contribute to their local history. “Our county was made up of saints and sinners,” he says. “I enjoy writing about them both, especially since that’s what my ancestors and their friends were.” Cullman County Extension Coordinator Tony Glover always comes up with interesting if not sometimes delightfully off-the-wall topics to write about. This time it’s growing asparagus. Health-food nut that Tony is, he says his favorite way to eat asparagus is wrapped in bacon and covered in Parmesan cheese.

David Moore found everyone he interviewed for stories in this issue interesting in their own right. One subject he met, however, stood out for his photography and an appreciated lesson on life. He sorely regrets never getting to actually meet another subject. Read on and find out who’s who.

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Inside 10 Good Fun

Even Michael Jordan never saw anything like this

18 Good People

CEC linemen recount weather “war” stories

24 Good Reads

Two books, one chilling, one enchanting

26 Good ’n’ Green

A ’Yankee’ grows and tastes good in the South

29 Good Cooking

For Mary Barnes, who chairs WSCC’s English Department, it’s all Greek (recipes)

36 Riverwood

Stan and Suzanne Wood realize a dream as stewards of a 4,000-acre Treasure Forest

44 Jack Lively

Joppa star played with Detroit and Phillies in the early 1900s and roomed with Ty Cobb

46 Good Eats

Deb Veres and family built it (a dream restaurant) and they came ... and came back

51 James Scott

He built models of early Holly Pond buildings, and built a different kind of model of his life

54 Wildflowers

This special garden will show its glory this spring as its caretakers mark an anniversary

63 Solace under the seas

Stricken by a disease in 2013, David Moss escapes his reality through his photography

70 Out ’n’ About

Take a look at future playground fun as Ingle Park prepares to be re-invented Pictured here: This coral reef is but a sample of the underwater photography David Moss shot before a debilitating disease abruptly changed the Cullman man’s life. On the cover: Wild geraniums bloom in April and May at Cullman Wildflower Garden. Photo by David Moore.

David F. Moore Publisher/editor 256-293-0888 david.goodlifemagazine@gmail.com

Sheila T. McAnear Advertising/art Director 256-640-3973 sheila.goodlifemagazine@gmail.com

MoMc Publishing LLC P.O. Box 28, Arab, Al 35016 www.good-life-magazine.net

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Charlotte Cummings Foundation for Girls Athletics C h a r lot t e C u m m i n g s was more than the successful owner of Cummings sporting goods in Cullman. she was a force striving to improve the lives of others. she died in 2003, but her spirit and that force live through the Charlotte Cummings Foundation for girls athletics. the non-profit CCFga raises money to benefit female high school athletes in lower-income rural and inner-city high schools where lacking

educational funds force parents to absorb the cost of their children’s participation in team sports. CCFga will help parents purchase team athletic shoes as well as generate scholarships for deserving female athletes. through shows and exhibits, Charlotte’s incredible nike shoe collection provides a means by which she – and you – can forever give back to the young people we all love so much.

Peoples Bank is proud to partner with the Charlotte Cummings Foundation for girls athletics Businesses and individuals are invited to join us in this effort to help high school girls find themselves through sports and go on to become a meaningful part of our society. For more info call 256-737-7000

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Wa l l a c e S tat e c o m m u n i t y c o l l e g e through march 15 as if by premonition, Charlotte Cummings knew in 1985 that a rookie guard for the Chicago Bulls – michael Jordan – would become an icon in the world of sports and – soaring in his nikes – would forever change the game of basketball. so she began collecting air Jordan shoes – Jays. her collection, augmented since her death by her husband, robin, has grown to more than 530 stunning pairs of nikes. one pair, autographed by Jordan, is valued at $15,000.

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The exhibit at the Evelyn Burrow Museum includes 12 complete sets of original Air Jordans and complete or nearly complete sets of all colorways of the 7s, 10s, 11s, 15s and 29s. Also on exhibit are Kobe, KD and Lebron releases; Charles Barkley, Bo Jackson, Andre Agassi and Birmingham Barons memorabilia; and nearly 50 classic Nike posters.

Jays exhibit unique by leaps and (re)bounds Story and photos By David Moore

iven time, good things can spring from the bad. And there’s no telling how high a good thing might spring when wearing a pair of Air Jordans. Check that. Not “a pair,” but Charlotte Cummings’ collection of more than 500 pairs of Air Jordans, known as Jays in the thriving culture of sneakerheads. “Bad” in this case was Charlotte’s death in 2003. The good is the exclusive exhibit of 430 pairs of sneakers – one pair worn and signed by No. 23, basketball icon Michael Jordan – and the Charlotte Cummings Foundation for Girls Athletics, both created by her husband, Robin Cummings, CEO of Peoples Bank. Charlotte’s 23 Jays, as the exhibit is called, is at the Evelyn Burrow Museum at Wallace State Community College through March 15. Who’d have ever thought a pre-worn, autographed pair of Nike Air Jordans would sell for $15,000? Charlotte, apparently, had a premonition. This is really an athletics/pop culture/style/history lesson. As Jordan’s amazing talents changed basketball, Nike’s amazing marketing changed the common sneaker. Each of his 15 NBA seasons, plus years that he didn’t play, Nike released a new model Jay, some limited editions, all wildly cool designs and “colorways.” So you have AJ 1s, AJ 2s, etc. Nike also released retro editions of previous models in differing “colorways,” so the variety of Air Jordan expanded exponentially. 10

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

Robin Cummings, with a pair of Jays, stands beside a full-size cutout of Michael Jordan at the Wallace State exhibit.

From chili dinners to kayak races and trips • Feb. 15 – Empty Bowls The 13th Annual Empty Bowls chili supper, 4-6:30 p.m. at Cullman First United Methodist Church, is again out to replenish shelves of the food bank, hit hard by the holidays. Dinner includes chili served in a keepsake pottery bowl made by local potters, grilled cheese and water, all accompanied by gospel music and silent auction on items ranging from gift baskets and handmade jewelry to gift certificates. The supper usually draws around 500 inside, 400 more coming for drivethrough, and raises some $10,000. Businesses and those needing orders of 25 or more are urged to call ahead. Cost is $10 per meal; tickets can be bought at the door or in advance at the church office or at Cullman Caring for Kids. For more info call: CFUMC, 256734-6690; or CCFK, 256-739-1111.

Good Fun

• Feb. 18 – Free movie The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers continues this spring at Wallace State Community College with “Dorothea Lange: Grab a Hunk of Lightning.” The movie documents the photographer acclaimed for iconic images such as “Migrant Mother.” Lange’s granddaughter, Dyanna Taylor, also the film’s director, will be on hand for questions after the screening. Free to the public, it starts at 6 p.m. at the Burrow Center Recital Hall at Wallace State Community College. • March 3 – Billy Dean concert Billy Dean is back by popular demand with a new program that adds piano and multimedia to his greatest hits and more. “Charmed a full house,” says CMT News of the star

harlotte formerly owned Cummings Sporting Goods in Cullman, one of Alabama’s first Nike dealers. Starting in 1984, Jordan’s rookie year with the Bulls, she began saving pairs of Air Jordans. Her appreciative Nike rep went out of his way to get her rare models. After a few years, Robin noticed the boxes at the store and inquired about them. “She said, ‘Michael Jordan will be famous one day, and his shoes will be worth a lot of money,’” Robin recalls. “I said whatever. But boy, how right she was!” When Charlotte died, her collection of 150-200 pairs of Jays remained a while at the store. Then Robin moved them to a spare bedroom at home. He moved several times, hauling all of the shoes with him. Eighteen months ago, he inventoried her Jays and realized she had most of the rarest models. “I started filling in, buying the shoes she didn’t have,” he says. “It ended up getting pretty wild. My collection now totals 536 pairs, and growing weekly.” Robin learned about Sneaker Con, conventions where thousands of “sneakerheads” buy and swap sneakers, and rare editions might sell for $5,000. He’s attended the events in New York City, Chicago, Miami and Atlanta. While standing in line several hours just to enter his first New York Sneaker Con, he observed two youngsters passionately negotiate a swap of two pairs of collector sneakers, one eventually pocketing a $40 trade difference for his more desirable pair.

Lange’s ‘Migrant Mother’

“They set the shoes on the floor in front of them, shook hands, swapped money, shook again, gathered their new shoes then walked off. I said, ‘This is nuts!’” It was, he says, “like businessmen.”

t was an epiphany. Robin found himself totally emerged in the world of sneakers. Growing Charlotte’s collection became important on several levels. “It’s not to keep her memory alive – it never died,” he says. “It’s to share it.” Robin developed an advisory council of 30 area youth, many from Birmingham. He began publishing photos of Charlotte’s Jays on Instagram and has 6,000 followers worldwide. At sneaker conventions unknown kids tell him, “We know who you are, Mr. Robin. These are Charlottes!” Last year, attending the regional basketball tournament at Wallace State, a light flicked in his head. He decided to create an exhibit for the games this year, something irresistible for the kids. The recently opened exhibit doesn’t complete Robin’s dream. He’s considering new venues for exhibit, such as major sporting events. Also, his Charlotte Cummings Foundation for Girls Athletics raises money to provide scholarships and athletic shoes at financially beleaguered rural and inner-city high schools. “I’m not really shoe crazy,” Robin laughs. “But I am crazy about these kids.” Charlotte would likely borrow a slogan from Nike and say, Just do it. Good Life Magazine FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

in My Broken Heart,” which went on to be top song at the Academy of Country Music awards in 1992 – same year Dean was awarded Top New Male Vocalist at the ACM. A production of the Cullman Community Concert Association, the show starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Betty Leeth Haynes Theatre at Wallace State. Tickets at the door are $30. For more information or to order, call: Kathy Scruggs, 256-339-4447; Lavell Thrasher, 256-590-6637; or visit: www. cullmancommunityconcertassociation. com.

Spectators take in kayak and canoe action on the Mulberry Fork at the 2014 Alabama Cup races of TV, film and Broadway. The country artist has sold over 5 million albums worldwide, with 11

top-10 singles, five of which hit No. 1. Accolades include a Grammy Song of the Year nomination for “Somewhere

• March 5-6 – Mulberry Fork races The Alabama Cup kayak and canoe series started in February on the Locust Fork. The second races are on the Mulberry Fork this weekend. The finals return to the Locust Fork March 18. The Mulberry course is about 100 yards long with some 25 gates to maneuver through class II/III rapids. You can watch from an easily accessible trail. Parking is $3, food will be sold, and water and portable toilets are available.

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Senior center tour will visit Old Town Albuquerque, home of San Felipe de Neri Church • March 10 – Free movie “American Made Movie,” a documentary about how industry

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has changed in the United States, will be shown on Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Burrow Center Recital Hall at Wallace State. Part of the independent filmmakers series, it’s free to the public. A Q&A session will be held with the filmmaker after the screening. For more information: www. theamericanmademovie.com. • March 11-Oct. 14 – Second Fridays All Fridays are good by nature. “Second Fridays” are even better. Starting March 11, every second Friday of the month will again be the eat-great, shop-late event in Cullman many have come to love. Plans are still in the works, but more than 40 stores will have extended hours and restaurant specials. There will be a cruise-in car show, live music and prize drawings, much of it at the Festhalle. Tentatively set for 4-10 p.m., bands will begin about 7:30 p.m. at the Festhalle, where the Farmer’s Market will be open. • Saturdays in April – history walks Celebrate spring and Cullman by joining one of the Saturday Walking Tours this month leaving at 10 a.m. from the Cullman County Museum. Accompanied by local historians, your informal group will get insights into the city’s past.

The tours – part of a state tourism program in which Cullman is again participating – are free and last a little over an hour. • April 2 – Bosom Buddies parade, run Bosom Buddies is a local support group for patients with all types of cancer. Its non-profit volunteer foundation was formed three years ago to assist qualified hardship cancer patients and caregivers with rent, utilities, food and gas for treatment trips. At the request of the Bosom Buddies, Cullman Mayor Max Townson is proclaiming the first Saturday of April as Cancer Awareness Day, which the group is kicking off with what’s shaping up to be a big parade and 5K run. Registration for the Colors of Cancer Run ($25 or $30 that morning) begins at 7 a.m. at the fairgrounds. The race starts at 8 followed by awards. The parade starts at 10 a.m. near North Shopping Center. Bands from all the high schools and middle schools are invited. Fire departments from Mobile and Arab are sending pink fire trucks, Decatur police are bringing a pink patrol car, but all colors of cancer are invited to be in the parade. The parade will proceed to the

The Wallace State Alumni Association tour of the Pacific Northwest – open to the public – includes a stop at Cape Perpetua Lookout on the Oregon Coast. 14

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

fairgrounds where there will be entertainment and other festivities, including a bounce house for kids, craft and product vendors and Lunna’s BBQ. It all wraps up at 2 p.m. with a big Colors of Cancer balloon release (balloons will be sold). “If you know of someone that needs a day of celebration and remembering others, please tell them to come. We want to share this day with them,” says foundation board member Judy Watts Grissom, who owns Options. For more information, contact her: 256-347-5993 or options5993@gmail. com. • April 14 – Free movie “Althea” is a documentary about Althea Gibson, the first African-American to play and win at Wimbledon and Forrest Hills. Her life and achievements transcend sports. A truant from the streets of Harlem, she emerged as a most unlikely queen of the highly segregated tennis world in the 1950s; her fame thrust her unwillingly into the glare of the early Civil Rights movement. Another part of the independent filmmakers series, the free movie starts at 9:30 a.m. in the Burrow Center Recital Hall at Wallace State. The filmmaker will answer questions after the screening. For more info: www. altheathefilm.com. • April 15 – Deadline: Pacific Northwest tour See this spectacular area of the country June 17-24 with this Wallace State Community College Alumni Association tour as it travels from Portland to San Francisco. Highlights include visits to Columbia River Gorge, Portland Rose Garden, Yaquina Head Lighthouse, Oregon Coast Aquarium, Cape Perpetua Lookout, Sand Dune Adventure, Crater Lake National Park, Rogue River Jet Boat Adventure, Avenue of the Giants and San Francisco City Tour. Rates – $2,895-$3,695 with a discount available to alumni association members – include round trip airfare, seven nights accommodations, 16 meals, fees and attraction admissions

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blowing and broom-making. There will be enough food vendors to eat your way around the campus. You can also make donations of $5 for the opportunity to win a 2016 Jeep Patriot, iPad Mini 2, Samsung Blue Ray DVD player or a $100 Walmart gift card. Admission is $5; children 5 and younger, free; but grotto admittance is reduced to $3 and parking is free. For more info: www. bloominfestival.com. • May 6-7 – StrawberryFest Cullman’s annual StrawberryFest features the best strawberries and produce in North Alabama. It will be held all day at the Festhalle, along with great music, a classic car show, arts and crafts and scrumptious food vendors, plus you can shop the unique stores downtown and in the warehouse district.

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Good People

5 accounts Story and photo By David Moore

he power is out. It’s stormy, absolutely nasty outside, rain pounding, thunder rolling. Supper’s not cooked, and it’s grown dark. When will the power be …? Click! Hum! It’s back on. Life, as you’re accustomed to it, resumes. Safe again. Secure. And you have a new hero. You probably don’t know exactly who he is, but you know, and appreciate, that a lineman and his crew are out there braving the elements to bring normalcy back to your life. Come Aug. 4, linemen for Cullman Electric Cooperative will have filled this hero’s roll for 80 years. As such, they all have their “war stories,” tales of working in thunderstorms, in ice and snow, in the tangled aftermath of tornadoes and even hurricanes. During this milestone anniversary of service, five linemen for Cullman Electric recall tales of toiling in the elements to restore your life when the power goes off …

Westin Wilborn, 24, travelled from Iowa to Maine for two years as an apprentice lineman with contractors before going to work for CEC in 2014. The son of Sharon Wilborn and Dennis Wilborn and a graduate of Cullman High School, he is engaged to Olivia Reid and lives in Fairview. The biggest storm I worked in came through last winter. I was working in the Addison office at the time and left for work about a quarter to 6 that morning. Going through Cullman it was not really doing anything yet. That didn’t come until that afternoon. But when I got to Addison there was already snow and ice on the road. A guy in a small red pickup truck ran off the road by the 18

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CEC ‘war’ stories

Linemen recount hard days and nights as Cullman Electric celebrates 80 years funeral home. I pulled him out and went on to work. It snowed pretty much all day. We stayed in the office ’til about 2:30 that afternoon. Then the power started going out everywhere. I was with Jonathan Kelly. Most of what we did was cut away trees and branches that had snapped off with the snow. Some were just weighed down onto the power lines. We could take our extension poles and knock the snow off, and they would fly up off the lines. We worked all night long. About 3 or 4 in the morning we went back to the office. We had some cheese and bread and made grilled cheese, then went right back out and worked that day. Everything was closed. I believe they let us go about 1 o’clock in the afternoon. I had a bunch of cows and went home to check them. I took a shower and went right back to work. They let us off about 4 the next morning, but we were supposed to be back again at 7. It was an hour’s drive home, so I just slept in the line truck. I cranked the motor and cracked a window and lay down. Most of the time, work is normal. Whenever storms come, though, you know you’ll be up all night. Olivia is used to not seeing me. Most of the time when the lights are out people just want to know when they’ll be back on. Working in Cullman is a lot different than anywhere else I’ve worked. People here are lot more appreciative. We even get thank-yous.

Cullman native Mark Bland, 55, began working on the Cullman system as a contractor in 2000 and was hired by CEC in 2004. He and his wife, Myra, live in Cullman with their daughter, Stormy; son Josh lives in North Carolina. I used to be an owner/operator truck driver hauling mostly to the West Coast.

I was gone 315-plus days a year. Myra needed more help at home. I figured it was time to give up driving and be at home, or least closer to home, so I changed careers and got hired on with the contractors in town. In 2004, I was fortunate to get on at CEC. What I’ve been doing the last nine years is underground power, primary trunk lines and secondary lines to homes and businesses. Underground utilities don’t have a lot of problems, but the wire does have a life expectancy. Nicks in the wire and water in the conduit can cause them to fail. They don’t have outages because of ice or trees falling, but overhead lines somewhere feed them. Five or six years ago, Wallace State had some three-phase underground cable that was direct-buried without conduit. It went bad during Christmas holidays, and we had to get the line hot again before kids came back to school. It was sleeting and spitting snow. We were down there 16 hours a day, three days in a row, digging and laying new conduit. We had to encase it in concrete to protect it. It was like 12 degrees one night, and we were trying to get the conduit in and prepared for concrete the next morning. We had two backhoes with four linemen laying pipe by headlamps and generators, working into the night. In the cold, my fingers went numb first. We were fortunate that the ditch was not wet, and our feet stayed dry. I do underground lines, but I’m still a certified lineman and do overhead in times of need … storms, cars hitting poles, whatever is needed. Whenever we have an outage, we have to ride out the power lines and put eyes on it to make sure it’s up. Of course, in the event we find a problem, we have to make repairs before we can turn the power back on. Years ago, about 2 o’clock one morning, I was following a line, and

Snapshot: Cullman Electric Co-op

• Was the second electric co-op formed in Alabama but the first in operation, energizing lines to some 350 members in the Simcoe community on Aug. 4, 1936. • Maintains 3,498 miles of distribution power lines. • Serves 42,500 member accounts, making it the third largest of the state’s 22 electric cooperatives. • Has 41,447 meters in Cullman County as well as 6,828 in Winston,

978 in Morgan and 134 in Lawrence. (Some accounts have multiple meters, making that number higher than the membership.) • Set a CEC record in its 2015 fiscal year, selling 1.057B (1,057,300,000) kilowatt hours of electricity and generating $113,993,018 in revenue. Total expenses for the year were $109,499,663, of which 74.8 percent ($81,992,127) went directly to TVA to pay for electricity. The remaining 25 cents from every dollar went into running the co-op. • Provides livelihoods to 105 employees, including four part-timers.

Linemen recounting stories about working in the elements are, from left, Mark Bland, Westin Wilborn, Wilburn Dye, Justin Davis and Jeff Osborn.

Justin Davis tries to clear debris off a deenergized high-voltage transmission line two days after the April 27, 2011 tornado. Sure, being a lineman is hard work, but “It’s all fun to me,” Justin says. Photo by Brian Lacy, CEC. where it went through the woods I had to get out on foot to put my eye on the wire and make sure it was all up. Somebody started hollering from a nearby house and firing a gun. I’m assuming they were shooting it in the air, or at least I was hoping so, but it’s stuff like this we put up with sometimes in doing our job that nobody hears about. Most people show appreciation for what we do, and we also have people who try to help us by telling where they saw a flash or line on the ground or heard a loud boom. That’s always helpful. When I was trucking, I might be gone from home five or six days or gone for months, so I’m not complaining about a few 16-hour days in a row. This is more dangerous, but trucking is a harder life. My wife appreciates me being closer to home.

Jeff Osborn, 41, and his wife, Leslie, live in Cullman with sons Austin and Bailey, the former a student at Wallace State. Their eldest son, Ty, lives in Chattanooga. Previously a warehouse worker and a driver of gas tankers, Jeff was looking for another career when he came to Cullman Electric in 2007. I was an apprentice for four years. I came in green. I didn’t know anything. I wasn’t even a journeyman when I was one of eight of us who volunteered in 2008 to go to Houma, La., after Hurricane Gustav. The first night we were putting up 20

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

power lines. We didn’t have anything to eat, so some people came out with two plates of what they called boudin. It was rice and sausage and pepper and maybe had some chicken in it. I was doubtful about eating it. I was like, “Hey, I don’t know these people.” I told them thanks but put it in the truck. Three or four hours later I was starving and decided to eat it. It was probably one of the best meals I ever had, even cold. Houma was not total destruction, but it was a mess. Our crew was there for seven days. Actually the destruction of tornadoes looks worse. They twist things up and really make things ugly. Gustav mostly blew trees down on the lines. We worked 16 hours a day. That’s typically what we try to do when storms break. Co-ops nationwide stick together for storm restoration and support each other. We know the specs on each other’s systems. We all pretty much build things the same way. That allows you to work efficiently. Our system has drastically improved in my short time here. I still get up in the middle of the night, but not as much as I used to. It depends on the time of the year. The last time I got called in, a car hit a pole, so it’s not necessarily storm-related stuff. That night the guy claimed he swerved to miss a deer and hit the power pole. It’s all part of the job, but the thing I hate the most is going to house fires (to cut off the power as a safety precaution),

because you know those people have lost everything. Most of those happen in the middle of the night, caused by space heaters. On top of their loss, you get home smelling like smoke, and (laughing) you get to hear about that from your wife.

Justin Davis graduated from Vinemont High in 2004 and lives there with his wife, Whitley, and young sons Kole and Wyatt. A love of racing landed him for a stint at WyoTech in Blairsville, Pa., where he took automotive classes. He was then a mechanic for a few years at Abercrombie Chevrolet in Hartselle before getting on with a contractor at Joe Wheeler Electric in January 2007. I hired on at Cullman that September. A friend asked me about working on a line crew. It was a cut in pay but a lot more fun because I was working outside. Snow, lightning, thunderstorms … it doesn’t matter. It’s all fun to me. The most fun thing was after the tornado in 2011 when they took me up in a helicopter to retrieve a piece of metal causing a 161,000-volt transmission line to kick out near Gold Ridge. When the tornado hit, it threw the metal and rolled it on the wire. I had a shotgun stick, and they were going to try to get me close enough to grab the metal and pull it off. I had my bucket harness on and was sitting on the helicopter landing bar with my legs wrapped around the post. But

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Explore Australia Take a 12-day tour with Wallace State Abroad program in July. See images by Australian photographer Anatole Zurrer in an exhibit coming soon to The Evelyn Burrow Museum

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Linemen for Cullman Electric are: James Aaron Bill Bagwell Jonathan Basinger Shannon Bell Rodney Brown Tildon Corley Keith Dukes

Jason Dunagan Ernie Geisen David Gibbs Brian Heatherly Tyler Johnson Tyler Jones Jonathan Kelley Jim Lashley Scott Lee Steve Link Bill Long Brett Lowery Johnny Mead

the metal was crimped on there. I got the stick on it, but it wouldn’t come off. It was stuck. We couldn’t get it, but that was fun. I liked the challenge. It feels good to get a line fixed and see the lights back on. It’s an accomplishment. You get out there, set new poles, put the wire up and go back to the breaker, close it in and make the lights come on for everybody. The best part of working after the tornado was all of the communities that came together and fed us and gave us drinks to support us. That was a good thing. It was also nice to see not only Cullman people pulling together, but people coming in from other states and towns, ready and willing, and we got the job done. The worse night I’ve had was probably in ’09. I had already worked a full day, then we had a thunderstorm come with high winds that broke poles. Me, David “Skippy” Veal and Johnny Mead had a line truck and a bucket truck, and all we did all night long was set poles and put wire up. At least it quit raining. Then we went up to Piney Grove. We were told there was a broken pole off in a field. We got set up and strung the wire, and it pulled down two other poles. That was about 6 in the morning. We called foreman Shannon Bell to bring more poles. He set his truck up to dig the holes. I was standing there holding a shovel and nearly fell asleep and nearly fell over. He made me get in the truck and take a nap. I got to sleep and dreamed someone was choking me. I opened my eyes and the whole truck cab was full of smoke. 22

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Brandon Miner Judd Morton Patrick Phillips Skylar Pierce Aaron Quick Coltin Rainwater David Ridgeway Keith Tankersley Chad Thompson Eric Turner Robert Vincent Phillip Wallace Tim White

I jumped out and saw the truck was on fire right under the cab. I took off running out of instinct, but Shannon reminded me there was a fire extinguisher in the truck. I said, “That’s a good idea,” so I put the fire out. That day was the most tired I’ve ever been at work … but I still had fun. Whenever I go out like that, Whitley locks herself and the kids in the bedroom. They watch movies on the TV and worry about me, I reckon. She hates it, but she knows it’s my job.

Still going at 78, Wilburn Dye is dean of linemen at Cullman Electric. The 1960 Cold Springs High School grad started at CEC in 1962, got drafted a year and a half later, “piddled around” a few years after the Army, then returned to the co-op in 1969. He and his wife, Mary, live in Cullman. They have two sons: Clayton, a graphic designer at Temple Baptist Church, married with one son; and Mason, the track and field coach at St. Clair County High School. If I had a farm to piddle with, it would be different, but I don’t. So as long as I feel good, as long as they let me, I’m going to work for Cullman Electric. I like the power being on. I’ve been here from the horse-drawn days to the space age. That’s a little exaggeration, but I used to dig all the holes by hand. I have worked a bunch of storms. I have been out there and seen the sun rise twice with the same pair of socks on. Me and Lane Shumake got hung up once in an ice storm in the Bankhead Forest in Winston County. We stayed

there two days. Couldn’t get back because the roads were froze over, but we kept working. We’d put a line up and about that time a tree would fall and tear it down again. I’ve seen some rough ol’ nights. You just get up and answer the phone. Put your clothes on and head out. I try to run from it now (laughing), but you can’t if it gets bad. I hate ice and snow worse than the other elements. You can’t get around. The lines freeze and you can’t get them apart. I have more trouble with my fingers than my toes. When I hired in, they didn’t have a bucket truck. You climbed everything. My hands would get colder than anything. I’ve been up poles when it was so cold I used a scarf a friend made for me. I’d pull that round my face, and it would freeze up. Breathing through it, it would be a sheet of ice. We used to use our own judgment when it was storming. What I call sureenough, straight-down lightning, you needed to keep a pretty good eye on that. If it got close, you got out of it. It was your call. It can run the wire. When the sky lit up but you didn’t see any actual strike, you could play that by ear. I’ve done that, and everybody has, but now they have a pretty good safety program here. That’s something I’ve seen improve over the years. The safety program has improved a bunch. I guess that and the equipment are the biggest changes I’ve seen in the years I’ve been here. Safety comes first. That’s (CEC general manger) Grady Smith’s policy. He used to be a lineman here. Me and him worked many a night out there … many and many a night. My wife is used to staying home and riding storms out by herself. That’s the way with any lineman, I guess. They have to go out there and get the power back on. People cuss you when it’s out and praise you when you get it back on. Actually, it’s all good. You might run up on a few people who are bozos, but most of them appreciate what you do, and you can carry on and joke with them. I tell them, “Look at the money you’re saving on your bill with the power out!” Good Life Magazine

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Good Reads

Anna Blanc’s secret life unfurls as a most entertaining mystery

‘Codist’ connects the dots for a fast-paced ‘what if’ thriller

n “The Secret Life of Anna Blanc,” Jennifer Kincheloe takes us to 1907 Los Angeles where ladies spend their time in charitable works and gathering items for their trousseau – unless their name is Anna Blanc, bank president’s daughter and wouldbe sleuth modeling her literary mentor Sherlock “I hope Miss Payton had Holmes. You will fall in love time to confess her sins with Anna (as does before she died.” every man with whom “What sins would those be?” she comes in contact), Anna looked confused. and her enthusiasm, her naiveté and her dogged “Why, her life of sin, of determination to find the course.” killer of local prostitutes. “Feeding your baby’s not a Eluding a series of sin. You know what sin is, chaperones, Anna manages to insert herself as a princess? It’s when you turn matron into the local police your back on injustice.” department. Why are they not trying to solve the mystery? Honestly, what would these hapless and bumbling men do without her assistance? Keeping her feelings for the oh-so handsome detective (who is even better looking than the Arrow-Collar Man advertisements) under control only adds to the joy of reading this marvelously entertaining mystery. I’ve not enjoyed a book this much in quite a while. I hope you enjoy it as well. – Deb Laslie

ric Walker is not only an author but sought-after speaker who connects the dots of the news with biblical prophecy. So, understandably, his latest book, “The Codist,” deals with complex, current issues. He thought he was What if your DNA prepared for any case could be traced back through generations that came his way, but for the purpose of say, it would take more than determining your ethnic preparation and training heritage? to defeat the greatest Would you want to know? Would you threat to the Jewish people want the government to since the Holocaust. know? Would you want other, perhaps unfriendly countries to know? What if you were the son of an American diplomat, a savant, gifted in solving puzzles, codes and ciphers, and your skills were being utilized by various agencies of the U.S. government? And what if, while attending an elite boarding school on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., your assigned roommate was a devout Muslim and the son of a Turkish diplomat, devoted to radical Islam and the annihilation of the Jewish people? And what if the premise of this book is absolute fact ... only the scenario and characters are fiction? “The Codist” is fast-paced, timely and highly recommended. – Deb Laslie

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Good ’n’ Green

Consider The Asparagus It might be a Yankee crop but, yes, you can grow it here in the South • Plant asparagus from “crowns” in late winter or early spring. Growing seedlings are the cheapest common question I hear way to start, but it takes a long in the spring is can we grow time to produce a harvest from asparagus around here or is it seed, so most people prefer to just a “Yankee” crop? Yes and start with crowns. yes. We can grow it, and it is • Asparagus is very frost traditionally a “Yankee” crop. sensitive, so have a blanket It is a challenging and handy if freezing temperatures rewarding crop to grow, but you are expected during spring need to know a few things to be harvest time. successful. • Once the crowns are Good preparation rewards planted, don’t dig around you with years of fresh them too much or you risk asparagus. A perennial crop damaging the rhizomes and with the potential to last for roots. Nitrogen and potassium There are lots of good reasons to grow asparagus ... years, good soil and proper bed can be added after planting as prep are critical because of the recommended in the soil test extensive root system necessary report. to produce enough energy to If your soil is heavy clay or otherwise • When transplanting either crowns have edible asparagus spears for several poorly drained, grow your asparagus in a or seedlings dig a 6-8 inch trench and weeks and keep the plant healthy enough raised bed at least 12-18 inches high. place the crown or plant in the bottom. As to overwinter and repeat the process each • Before planting, add lime to adjust the the plant grows gradually fill in around spring. soil pH to about 6.5 for a depth of one foot. the developing plant without totally So, let’s get started … For best results have your soil covering the leaves. The reason for this tested and follow the instructions by is to encourage deep root development • First and foremost, choose a sunny adding the needed lime and phosphorus and an expansive rhizome from which the area. At minimum, asparagus needs very prior to planting. However, the lime asparagus spears will emerge in the future. deep, well-drained soil that has been recommendation is usually for only about • Don’t harvest too long in the spring thoroughly loosened and amended with 6 inches deep, so I suggest you double the or the plants won’t recover well for the good organic matter for at least a foot deep. amount recommended. Story by Tony Glover

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next crop. Once you stop harvesting, the spears develop into large fern-like plants that will grow all summer to supply the crowns and rhizomes with energy to make another crop. • Fertilize the plants two times each year: once in March, just prior to or after the first spears emerge, and again after harvest, six to eight weeks later. • Pay special attention to weed control during the spring and summer. Hand weeding and mulching are your best options. • Once cold weather kills the foliage, cut the plant back to the ground.

he first year the goal is to develop a good plant and expansive rhizome. The second year you might harvest spears for two or three weeks, but in subsequent years the harvest season can be doubled. The research station in Cullman has shown yields of around 30 pounds per season for a 100-foot bed. If you are a real asparagus lover you will probably need 50-100-foot bed length to provide a family of four with an ample supply of fresh spears. If you just need enough for an occasional meal, a much smaller bed will suffice. Either way, once you have tasted fresh asparagus right out of the garden, canned, frozen or week-old asparagus from the store will never again measure up. For more information on soil testing call the Cullman County Extension office: 256-737-9386; or visit: www.aces. edu/soiltest. Good Life Magazine

Hybrids have their appeal Story by Tony Glover

sparagus are dioecious, meaning there are both male and female plants. The newer “all male” hybrid cultivars are much more productive than the old standard cultivars such as Martha or Mary Washington because they don’t waste energy producing seeds. Many of the newer cultivars have the added advantage of being resistant to disease. The North Alabama Horticulture Research Station in Cullman has studied several cultivars in recent years. Station director Arnold Caylor favors several male hybrids developed at Rutgers University: • Jersey Knight • Jersey Giant • Jersey Supreme • Jersey Deluxe • Jersey King. Want something a little out of the ordinary? Try Purple Passion, which, as the name implies, produces purple spears. “The purple speared cultivars don’t yield as well,” Arnold says, “but they add a little color as an edible landscape crop in a perennial bed.”

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Mary Barnes

Good Cooking

Delicious Greek recipes from the chair of Wallace State’s English Department

Story and photos By David Moore

ary Barnes is an educator. She holds a doctorate in education from The University of Alabama. Her 54 graduate hours in English are nearly enough for a second doctorate. In addition to teaching five classes of English and American literature, as well as English comp at Wallace State Community College, for the past four years she has served as chair of the English Department. That’s not all. Mary Barnes is a student. Constantly, she’s learning more about cooking, about anything culinary. Youngest of four brothers and a sister, Mary got early guidance from her mother, Millie Peinhardt, and grandmother, Minnie Peinhardt, learning the Visiting the seated chef Mary and sous chef Jimmy Buettner for a Greek dinner were basics of good Southern cooking their niece, Robyn Nance, left, youngest son, Sam, and Tom and Terri Charney, right. and the delicious difference between straight from the can and when Mary and Jimmy take off for distant shores, chances are fresh from the ground. she’s got cooking demos on her itinerary. “Mother had a big garden with every imaginable vegetable,” Learning can be closer to home, such as the Greek cooking Mary says. “And Grandmother Peinhardt was a great cook.” class she took at a church in Hanceville from Italian chef Andy Camardella. And, in the past decade, Mary has gotten hands-on eeding her educator side, Mary devours books. The learning by cooking with fresh herbs she grows at home. gracious Cullman home she shares with husband Jimmy Barnes, fourth-generation co-owner of Buettner Brothers Lumber he’s learned that her cooking styles change with time. Company, is all the richer for housing her thousands of books. “When the kids were home, I cooked massive amounts of A quick count of shelves, cupboards and stacks of tomes chili and spaghetti,” Mary says. “Now I’m trying to cook lighter reveals 78 cookbooks in the mix. food for Jimmy and me. I think your cooking evolves as your “Honestly, I have a ton more in the garage I am getting rid lifestyle changes … And I like to experiment.” of,” Mary laughs. “I’m really not a hoarder. It’s research.” To see the petite woman, you’d never suspect her deep Further research has led to accumulating a dozen binders fondness for cooking. To know her professional background, she’s stuffed like a holiday turkey with recipes clipped over you’d never suspect she spells “food” as l-o-v-e. But both are true. the years from myriad magazines. Many are notated with “It is like a hobby, a passion; I can’t make any money at it,” dashes of this and that, improvements she’s learned through Mary laughs. “But it’s my way of giving to my family. It’s my experimentation on an appreciative family. way of showing my love … that’s my gift.” To travel abroad is to learn about the world. To take cooking Her gift to you comes from her collection of Greek recipes … classes on such trips is to learn the language of foreign food. So

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

SPANAKOPITA 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 20 ounces frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry Sea salt and pepper, to taste 1 teaspoon hot sauce 1⁄2 cup feta cheese, crumbled 1⁄2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded 1 egg, beaten 1 cup small curd cottage cheese 14 sheets phyllo dough, defrosted 3 tablespoons melted butter 3 tablespoons olive oil

Greek cooking is not even her specialty, Mary Barnes claims, but if you ever feast on one of her Greek dinners, you might choose to differ with her.

1 ¼ pounds of ground beef chuck ½ tsp. kosher salt ½ tsp pepper ½ tsp oregano ½ cup Low-fat Greek yogurt 4 ounces of crumbled feta cheese 8 slices Country bread Olive oil 1 tomato, sliced ½ cup chopped mint leaves 30

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

Cook onions in a sauté pan with 1 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil until soft and translucent (4 minutes on medium). Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Combine onions, garlic, spinach, salt and pepper, hot sauce, egg, feta, Parmesan, and cottage cheeses in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons each of melted butter and olive oil. Grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Place one sheet of phyllo on the bottom of the dish. Brush with butter mixture. Keep a damp cloth over the phyllo sheets to keep moist while you are working. Top with another sheet of phyllo dough and brush with butter mixture. Repeat this process until you have a total of seven sheets of phyllo dough. Spread all of the spinach mixture over the top of the last layer of dough. Then repeat the process of layering the remaining. Place one sheet of phyllo over the spinach mixture and brush with the oil mixture. Repeat with the remaining seven sheets of dough, brushing each new layer with the butter mixture, making sure to butter the top layer. Bake at 375°F until the top is golden brown (about 45 minutes). Cut spanakopita to make little triangles.

GREEK BURGERS Heat grill to medium-high. Form 1¼ pounds ground chuck into 4 patties. Use your fingers to make a shallow well in the top of each patty. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Cook the patties on an oiled grill with the wells facing up for 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for about 4 minutes or to your liking.

In a small bowl, mix together ½ cup low-fat Greek yogurt and 4 ounces of crumbled feta cheese. Brush 8 slices of country bread or a good thick bread with olive oil and grill until toasted (about 1 minute per side). Form sandwiches with the bread, burgers, the Feta-yogurt sauce, sliced tomatoes, and ½ cup of chopped mint leaves.

BRIGHT STAR’S GREEK SNAPPER Juice of 1 ½ lemons Fresh chopped oregano Salt and pepper to taste ½ cup and 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil, divided 1 ½ tablespoons butter, melted 6 (8 ounce) fresh snapper fillets ¼ cup all-purpose flour In a bowl, whisk together lemon juice, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Gradually add olive oil into the lemon mixture, whisking constantly until emulsified. Set aside. Brush melted butter over each fillet, coating evenly. Lightly dust each piece with flour. In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add half the snapper and cook until lightly browned and cooked through, turning only once. Transfer fish to platter and pour lemon-oil sauce over fish. Serve immediately.

GREEK TILAPIA 4 tilapia fillets ½ tsp. pepper ½ tsp. sea salt 1 tsp. Greek seasoning 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon minced garlic ¼ cup chopped onion 1 (14 ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and chopped smaller 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained ¼ cup of white wine Preheat large sauté pan on medium high, 2-3 minutes. Season both sides of fish with pepper, salt and Greek seasoning. Place oil in pan; swirl to coat. Add garlic and onions; cook 2 minutes, stirring once or until onions are slightly softened. Add fish fillets. Top with remaining ingredients. Cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once.

GREEK SALAD 1 cup uncooked quinoa 2 cups water ¼ cup red wine vinegar ½ tsp. sea salt ½ tsp. garlic salt Oregano to taste ¼ cup olive oil 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 2 cups chopped seedless cucumber (English best) 2 cups chopped tomato 1 large green bell pepper chopped ½ cup halved Kalamata olives ½ cup thinly sliced red onion 1 (5-ounce) package fresh spring mix lettuces

Place quinoa in a small mesh strainer and thoroughly rinse. Let drain. In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and 2 cups water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover and reduce heat to low; cook for 15 minutes or until quinoa is tender. Make sure liquid is evaporated. Fluff with fork and cool completely. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oregano, and garlic salt. Add olive oil in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly until smooth. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, chickpeas, and next 5 ingredients. Add dressing, and toss to coat. Gently mix in quinoa mixture. Very healthy. FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame oil) 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice ¼ cup water 3 cloves garlic, crushed

HUMMUS 1 tsp. ground cumin Sprinkle of paprika Sprinkle of parsley Rinse chickpeas well and drain. Place chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, water, garlic, and cumin

into a food processor and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle top of hummus with paprika and fresh parsley and drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top.

FENNEL & ORANGE SALAD 3 fennel bulbs ½ cup pomegranate seeds ½ medium-size red onion, thinly sliced 3 oranges, peeled, with segments separated and cut in half ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. black pepper 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Remove and discard the outer husks from the fennel bulbs. Halve each bulb and thinly slice, ideally with a mandoline. Combine the fennel, pomegranate seeds, onion, and orange in a large bowl. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the orange juice, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the oil and dress the salad. GREEK STYLE CHICKEN & RICE PILAF The chicken 1 whole frying chicken (2 ½ pounds), quartered ½ cup of olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Juice of 3 lemons ½ tsp oregano leaves garlic powder to taste The rice pilaf 1 large onion, chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 -2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon dried mint 1⁄8 teaspoon ground black pepper 4 cups fresh spinach, chopped 32

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3 4 1 2

tablespoons fresh lemon juice cups cooked rice cup green peas, fresh or frozen tablespoons of Kalamata olives, chopped 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled Brush chicken with olive oil, squeeze juice from 3 lemons on top of chicken; combine salt, pepper, oregano leaves and garlic powder and sprinkle on top of chicken. Place the chicken in baking pan and roast at 325 degrees for about 1 hour. Turn chicken over after 30 minutes to roast the other side. Save

some juice and base at least twice during cooking time and pour juice over chicken and for serving. Meanwhile, in a heavy skillet, sauté the onions in oil on medium heat until they begin to soften. Add the garlic, mint and pepper and sauté for 2 more minutes. Stir in the spinach, lemon juice, rice and green peas. Add the olives. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the spinach is limp and the rice is hot, top with the feta and serve immediately along with chicken.

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BAKLAVA 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough 1 pound chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, or almonds) 1 cup butter 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 cup water 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract ½ cup honey Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9 X 13 inch pan. Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Trim to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly with brush. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of phyllo dough, butte,r nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 to 8 sheets deep. Using a sharp knife cut into 4 main sections and then triangles all the way to the bottom of the pan. Bake for about 50 minutes until Baklava is crisp. Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. This freezes well.

2 pork tenderloins, about 1 to 1 ½ pounds each ½ cup lemon juice 6 cloves of garlic, chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme 1 tsp salt 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 34

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MARINATED PORK TENDERLOIN 1 tablespoon brown sugar Place the pork tenderloin in a large Ziplock bag. In a bowl, mix the remaining ingredients and add the marinade to the plastic bag with the pork. Marinate overnight or several hours. Preheat the oven to 425F. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade

and place them in an oven safe pan over medium to high heat. Brown the tenderloins on all sides, about 1 minute on each side. Transfer the pan to the oven for 10 minutes and cook until the thickest part reads 145 degrees on a meat thermometer. Let rest for 10 minutes, then serve. Garnish with rosemary.

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Riverwood

A steward of the land, a steward of wildlife ... and a steward of dreams

Cullman architect Jock Leonard of LeonardDesign designed the â&#x20AC;&#x153;farm houseâ&#x20AC;? at Riverwood. The Woods built it themselves. The two-story garrison 100 feet or so from the house can be accessed by a tunnel.

Hunting groups at Riverwood socialize in upscale rustic style at the party barn, below. From the fire pit outside, you can see Stan and Suzanne’s house in the distance. They also use the barn for their own social functions, including Thanksgiving with their University of Alabama graduate sons: Andrew, 26, and his wife, Stephanie, of Cullman; and Luke, 25, who lives elsewhere on a far side of the property. Stan and Suzanne were sweethearts in the seventh and fifth grades respectively in their hometown of Hayden. Story and photos By David Moore

imply put, there is not another farm and farmhouse in Cullman County like Riverwood. For that matter, there’s perhaps no other dream-come-true like Riverwood. Technically, we’re talking plantation here … an award-winning, 4,000acre timber plantation that Stan and Suzanne Wood hewed from the expansive pine forests in the southern stretches of the county. The property includes 6.5 miles of land fronting the Mulberry Fork of the Warrior River and 700 acres in Blount County. Stan meticulously manages the plantation’s forests, earning Riverwood 38

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numerous forestry, conservation and wildlife habitat awards. “I always wanted land on the river,” Stan says. “There is a draw to land and

rivers. My childhood dream was to be a forester and hunter. It was my passion, but, like everyone else, I had to work for a living.” Unlike everyone else, he would eventually drive a trucking career, along with a business degree from The University of Alabama, to a level of financial success that allowed him to realize his childhood dream with Riverwood. In 1983, straight from college and just married, the couple packed their old ’72 Granada and struck out for Lake Charles, La., where Stan had a trucking job in the oil fields. “Everything we had was in the trunk

Working with the National Conservation and Resource Service, Stan learned that wildlife management is much more than planting a green field. He now takes a holistic approach to his plantation, actively managing it though thinning, spraying, burning and planting wildlife friendly trees. He’s committed 400 acres – a tenth of his property – to planting corn, sunflowers and soybeans in the summer, wheat, clover and grasses in the winter. The results have been a tremendous increase in the quail and forests that sustain healthy populations of white-tailed deer. Below, access roads through the forest serve double purpose as fire breaks. Stan also has fire-fighting equipment on the grounds.

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

The Georgian style home has 7,000 square feet of heated space and another 3,000 under roof, not counting the garrison. The Woods’ sons have moved out, but the couple still has six dogs living with them. “Sometimes the house is not big enough when we get all the dogs in here,” Stan laughs. Besides the balcony, the upstairs also has three bedrooms and a movie/TV room. 40

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Besides the open kitchen, a formal dining room and living room, both on the next page to the left, the downstairs includes a pantry, breakfast nook, Stan’s office, a library, a gun room/storm shelter and the master bedroom suite. of the car,” Suzanne remembers, sitting in the breakfast nook of their spacious home. “The floorboard fell out of it.” Suzanne, who had been at UA, continued her studies at McNeese State University in Lake Charles. When they returned to Alabama, she earned her education degree from UA, and Stan took a trucking job in Birmingham. In the late ’80s, he became trucking manager for American Proteins. The Woods’ biggest move came in 1995 – without first relocating. They started their own business, Action Resources. The next year they moved to Hanceville where the business is located. Suzanne – who had since earned a master’s from UAB – now split her time between Sunshine Preschool at Cullman First United Methodist Church, and working with Stan. In 2006, they sold the burgeoning company, which has gone on to transport

specialty chemicals and hazardous waste across North America. Stan and Suzanne, on the other hand, were primed to pursue their dreams and began hunting land by the Mulberry.

he Woods first bought 400 acres along the Mulberry Fork and Cullman County Road 35. Like much of the land in the area, it was a dark, tightly packed monoculture of 15-20-year-old pines. Formerly owned by International Paper, they were planted to produce the maximum tonnage of pulp per acre, which is not conducive to a healthy forest, wildlife or esthetics. “It was a closed-canopy forest,” Stan says. “You couldn’t see sunlight anywhere on the property.” As his early forestry efforts began, Stan continued to buy property, including 400 acres across the Mulberry in Blount County, once owned by Suzanne’s family.

They added more property on both sides of the river, some from paper companies, some from individuals. Then Stan bought his 2,000-acre Prospect tract bordering I-65 between Riverwood and Dodge City. “It was like putting together a jigsaw puzzle,” Stan says. “I had a bucket of money and spent it pretty fast. Then I backed up and sold some tracts. It makes more sense to keep land contiguous if possible.” Today, Riverwood proper, the land around the house and along the river, encompasses 1,400 acres. Prospect and other property to the north brings the Woods’ holdings to nearly 4,000 acres.

es, it’s grown to be huge, but Stan and Suzanne’s property has transformed in a way more significant than size. The quality of the forests in the past decade has improved like a good wine over time FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

Centerpiece of the master bathroom is a claw-foot tub. In addition to the marble floor, the bath also features a glassed-in shower, far left, and an exercise machine. – though it’s taken much more effort than storing bottles in a cellar. Working from the start with the Alabama Forestry Commission, Natural Resource Conservation Service and others, Stan the former trucker transformed into a forester even as he transformed his forests. His dual goal: grow high-grade timber for lumber and create habitat for wildlife. “It’s like growing soybeans or corn or anything else,” he says of the trees. “They’re just another crop except over a longer rotation.” “For wildlife, which is our primary purpose, it makes good sense to open up the canopy and let the herbaceous undergrowth flourish. That’s where the wildlife thrives.” First Stan cut access roads through the forests. Then he began thinning, cutting out the poor quality trees and brush, leaving breathing space for only the best pines. The now opened canopy allowed sunlight to reach the now open forest floor. The transformation created a clear 42

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understory that feels like a park and encourages the growth of white-tailed deer. “A forest floor with nothing but pine straw is like finding an old house, peeling off the carpet and finding a hardwood floor,” Stan says. The pulp timber he sells during thinning creates revenue to keep up the access roads and do other forest maintenance, such as controlling invasive species, especially the dense thickets of privet along the river. Riverwood’s prescribed burning program calls for designing access roads, which double as fire breaks, so that they “checker-board” the property into about 100 40-acre squares. The would-be red checker squares are burned one year, the black squares the next. This rotation keeps the understory cleared and open to wildlife, plus reduces susceptibility to pine beetles and other disease.

he Woods look upon their forestry

program as proper stewardship of the land. Their efforts and attitude earned them the Treasure Forest Award. Presented by the Alabama Natural Resources Council, the award goes to private landowners committed to protecting and enhancing the multiple values of forests to benefit current and future generations. What’s more, in 2014 Riverwood earned what might be considered Alabama’s Heisman Trophy of forestry: the prestigious Helene Mosley Treasure Forest Award. Sponsors are the ANRC and the W. Kelly Mosley Environmental Awards Program, administered by Auburn University. The award is presented to landowners who reflect the Treasure Forest philosophy through not only improvements to their property but educational activities they offer to promote good forest stewardship. “We try to find healthy ways to use the property,” Stan says. This includes

The view from an outdoor balcony upstairs shows the pool, some of the outside living area and the forest beyond. To the far upper left is one of the shops where Stan keeps his extensive forest and road working equipment. Below is his other work area, an office for the plantation’s business aspects. with the library in the room beyond. Suzanne gave him the hand-carved Indian chief as a gift. several annual Scouting events, FFA field days that bring student tree-judging competitions and various conservation training courses and forestry tours. Unlike many Treasure Forests, wildlife habitat and hunting are a key component of Stan’s approach to forestry. He once viewed wildlife management as planting green fields. But he’s learned to take a holistic approach to his plantation, actively managing it through thinning, spraying, burning and planting wildlife friendly trees. The results are fine populations of whitetail, dove and quail – all of which he loves to hunt. The Woods also have a lodge, cabins and a party barn that they open up to a limited number of corporate hunts and even a few weddings. They typically book eight or 10 weekends from September to March. “It’s a lot of work. We do it enough to help offset the cost of fertilizer and upkeep. And when it’s not booked,” Stan laughs, “I have a great place for family and friends.” And for himself, hunting twice a day. “At daylight and again when it starts getting dark, I’ll be up in a deer stand,” Stan says. “I just have to keep myself occupied in between.”

tan is holding out for another potential use for Riverwood.

“I hope it keeps the boys close,” he says of their grown sons. “And we hope one day this place is a grandkid trap.” “Give them time,” Suzanne laughs. Meanwhile, the transformation of a dream into reality and forests into treasures continues at Riverwood. Like any farm, it’s ongoing work. “We’ve tried to take this forest back to where it used to be,” Stan says. “I love the woods and forestry, conservation. I am feeling my blood.

“As Christian stewards of the land, it’s our right – and our great honor – to be able to do what we do.” As for their house, Stan says he never in his wildest dreams thought they’d ever have anything like it. “I used to be like a cowboy and think I could sleep out under the stars.,” he says. “But the older I get, the more I get used to my comforts.” “Don’t we all?” Suzanne grins. It sure beats that old ’72 Granada. Good Life Magazine FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

Jack Lively He hurled rocks in Joppa, fastballs in the majors and roomed with Ty Cobb Story by Steve A. Maze

t wasn’t unusual to spot a young boy throwing rocks at Joppa Methodist Church during the late 1890s. He did this virtually every day, but it wasn’t vandalism. He was honing his pitching skills, targeting a knothole in a board on the side of the building. Unable to afford a baseball, he settled for hurling rocks. The youngster’s name was Henry Everett Lively, but everyone called him Jack. He was born May 29, 1885, shortly before his father left the family. Sharing a home with his mother and grandmother, Jack and the women endured the bad times and good. And without a providing man in the house, there were a lot of bad times. Jack later replaced his pail of rocks with a real baseball and began throwing against the family’s old barn. His arm became stronger and stronger as he splintered the planks of the barn until it almost collapsed. Jack joined a Cullman sandlot team when he was old enough and later pitched with Joppa High School. It’s been said that the talented hurler threw so hard he didn’t need fielders behind him; no one could hit his fastball. A phenomenal athlete, Jack was determined to be a professional pitcher, and he didn’t have to wait long. Minor league scouts began vying for his services. The young athlete was exposed to a life outside of rural Joppa when he joined his first professional team. “I went by horse and buggy to Cullman 44

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Only one photo exists of Jack Lively actually pitching, says author Steve Maze, who has a copy in his collection. where I caught a train to Huntsville,” Jack told his cousin about his initial trip away from home. “The first time I ever saw electric lights was when I got to Huntsville.”

n 1908, playing for Montgomery, Jack pitched a no-hitter against Little Rock. He faced 28 hitters. Only one reached base when Montgomery’s centerfielder dropped an easy fly ball. Newspaper headlines soon touted praise to the Cullman County native. “Lively,” one read, “is Pitching the Best Ball in the South.” He moved up to the Pacific Coast League in 1910, pitching for the Class AAA Oakland Oaks. To say he had an incredible year is putting it mildly. He started 54 games, completing 52 and winning 33. Newspaper headlines screamed:

“Lively is an Enigma,” and “Lively is Leading League Pitcher.” Several major league teams tried to secure Jack’s contract from Oakland, but the Detroit Tigers won the bidding war for a reported $3,000. Detroit manager Hugh Jennings wanted to win the American League pennant in 1911 and felt the big right-hander could help. But one seemingly innocuous headline of the day would later haunt Jack: “Sixteen Inning Game Stopped by Darkness.” Jack, who pitched the entire game, said his arm felt “heavy” the morning after. Jack made his major league debut on April 6, 1911, pitching the Tigers to a 5-2 victory over the Cleveland Naps (later to become the Cleveland Indians). He allowed only six hits against a team that included such greats as “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and future Hall of Famer

Napoléon “Nap” Lajoie. Jack struck out Jackson during a critical situation in the eighth before helping himself to victory in the bottom of the inning by getting a hit. That year Jack became friends and roommates with one of the most famous players to ever step on a baseball diamond: Tyus Raymond Cobb. Most of Cobb’s own teammates despised the “Georgia Peach,” and the bad blood led to many fistfights. But Jack got along well with Cobb. He felt the negative reactions by his teammates were due to the “Peach’s” intensely competitive nature. “Ty was very mild mannered in civilian clothes,” Jack later recalled,” but you didn’t mess with him when he had his uniform on.” Jack once witnessed Cobb climb six rows into the stands to fight a fan that made personally offensive remarks toward him, then return to the field to finish a game. It was rumored that Cobb’s sour relations with his teammates and usual lack of a roommate was because he referred to them as “Northerners.” But Jack was told that the future Hall of Famer had actually requested him for a roommate. Being from Georgia, Cobb would have found it refreshing to hear the deep southern drawl of his new friend from Alabama.

ack and Cobb normally ate dinner at the hotel where they were staying after a game, then retired to their room. Once there, they’d sometimes have friendly wrestling matches to see who was the strongest. Cobb eventually learned to wrestle barefooted in order to get better leverage against his heavier roommate. “Ty was stout as a bull,” Jack recalled. “The bed would go down first, then a table or a chair.” The baggy baseball uniforms of the day concealed Cobb’s wiry, muscular body. Even though Jack outweighed him

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by 10 pounds, he and Cobb won about the same number of these impromptu matches. One day at dinner, a teammate, considerably larger than Cobb, came up to their table and challenged the “Peach” to a fight. “Let me finish dinner, and we’ll go up to our room and settle this thing,” Cobb snapped. The entire team was waiting outside the Two baseball cards of Jack Lively, only back then they room when Jack and were called T-cards, or tobacco cards. Shown in full size Cobb arrived. No doubt, they were anxious to here, such cards were inserted between roughly 1909 witness the despised and 1916 into cigarette and cigar packs to stiffen them. “Peach” take a severe These are from the collection of Steve Maze. beating. Jack couldn’t help but smile as he noticed heard something pop in his arm. The injury his roommate slip off his shoes while effectively ended his major league career. entering the room. The barefooted Cobb Devastated, Jack returned to Joppa and then proceeded to beat the challenger to a paced the floor of his home like a caged pulp. lion. His wife, Minnie, recalled that she was barely able to live with him during that ack finished the 1911 season with period. a record of seven wins and five losses. After a failed comeback attempt, Not bad for a rookie pitcher, but hardly Jack moved to Birmingham to work for the exceptional year that was expected ACIPCO, a cast iron manufacturing plant. of someone with his talent. There was Big plants often gave former pros a a reason for his so-so pitching, but he job in order to get them to play for the couldn’t tell anyone. company baseball team. Jack played His arm was hurting. It had never felt first base with them for several years and right since pitching the 16-inning game managed the team later on. the year before. If the Detroit Tigers After retiring from ACIPCO in 1949, discovered he was injured, Jack feared they Jack moved back to Joppa and later built a would release him. house just north of Arab. Jack began the 1912 season with Jack passed away Dec. 5, 1967. He and Detroit, but his contract was sold to Connie Minnie are buried at Hebron Church of Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics in the Christ Cemetery, just north of Joppa spring. Warming up in Philly one day, Jack Good Life Magazine

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Deb Veres, flanked by sons Jason,left, and Josh, love to serve up fresh food at Augusta’s Sports Grill ... along with a little beer and sports.

Augusta’s Sports Grill

Good Eats

Build it, they’ll come; cook it good and fresh, they’ll come back

Story and photos By Patrick Oden

“I

f you build it, they will come.” And that’s exactly what’s happened since one family’s love of food and sports collided in Cullman. But it wasn’t the voice of Shoeless Joe Jackson that drove Deb Veres to open Augusta’s Sports Grill. In fact, it had been a lifelong dream of the former Logan’s Steakhouse executive general manager to own her own restaurant. With the aid of her son Josh, a former college baseball player and seasoned restaurateur, as well as her other son, Jason, and husband, Jeff, the Veres family fielded Deb’s dream and in March 2015 Augusta’s Sports Grill became a reality. Her already busy daughter and son-in-law, Katie and Hutch Sutter, even pitch in to help. 46

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Named for her grandmother and located on Graham Street, across from the Lee Avenue entrance to Heritage Park baseball fields, the park provides a consistent flow of ball players in town for tournaments. Location wasn’t a motivation for Augusta’s theme, though. “For me it’s about the food, and the boys love the sports … and the beer,” Deb says. With 16 beers on tap, another 30 bottled varieties and nearly 35,000 square inches of high-definition sports beamed to 20 sets from six different satellites, the clear-cut champion of Augusta’s, by knock-out, is … the menu.

egardless of what game is on, and there will be several; and regardless of the prowess of your favorite team, your taste buds and tummy will leave Augusta’s winners.

“Everything we’ve ever had here has been good,” says Randy Welshans. He and his wife, Jo, like the food and atmosphere at Augusta’s so much in fact, it’s their weekly date-night destination. Readers who’ve been to Augusta’s are surely nodding in agreement, but for those who haven’t it’s nearly impossible to anticipate the quality of the food. This isn’t your average sports bar. Everything is made fresh. Imagine all of the greasy sports bar favorites you love, but instead of being shaken into a fryer from a bag, they are passionately prepared by hand. Where else are you going to find homemade jalapeno poppers and a mouth-watering prime rib served daily? “You have to try the homemade spinach dip,” says Randy Welshans as he slides his wife’s appetizer away from her.

Withher her son’s With the line, With her son’slife lifeononthe theline, line, this mother chose Cullman this mother this mother choseCullman Cullman Regional Regional Regional Medical Center Medical Center Medical Center

Julie Kennedy didn’t Julie Kennedy didn’t Julie didn’t know whatKennedy was wrong

know what was wrong

know wrong with herwhat son, was Penn. with her son, Penn. Shewith onlyherknew son, the Penn. She only knew the Cullman High knew School the She only

Cullman High School senior was terribly ill. Cullman High School senior was terribly ill. Julie and her husband, senior was terribly ill. JulieRegional and herMedical husband, Bo, took Penn to Cullman Julie and her husband, Bo, took Penn to Cullman Regional Medical Center where he was diagnosed with bacteriBo, took Penn to Cullman Regional Medical Center where Although he was diagnosed withand bacterial pneumonia. it was touch go Center where he was diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia. Although it was touch and for several days, Penn pulled through. Today, go al pneumonia. Although it was touch and go

forisseveral through. Today, he back indays, good Penn health,pulled attending college in for several days, Penn pulled through. Today, Mississippi and taking careattending of cattle college on the in he is back in good health, he is back in good health, attending college in family farm. The wanted great on carethe Mississippi and Kennedys taking care of cattle Mississippi and taking care of cattle on the

for theirfarm. son. The In fact, his life wanted depended on it. family Kennedys great care family farm. The Kennedys wanted great care They foundson. thatIncare at his CRMC. for their fact, life depended on it.

for their son. In fact, his life depended on it. They found that care at CRMC. They found that care at CRMC.

See the Kennedys’ story at www.CompareCRMC.com. See Seethe theKennedys’ Kennedys’story storyat atwww.CompareCRMC.com. www.CompareCRMC.com. (256) 735-5600

Augusta’s is open for lunch, dinner and drinks Monday through Saturday. Beverage choices include 46 beers on tap or in bottles. Not only can you get an incredible burger, but you can jazz it up almost anyway you could want it.

In fact, the only negative to be heard in Augusta’s is in reference to the parking lot often being crowded. From a glass-half-full perspective, it’s simply another testament to the popularity of this young restaurant. “It’s our way 110 percent,” says Josh Veres, who runs the kitchen at Augusta’s. “Everything that goes out has my mom’s name on it. Being a part of that really makes a difference.” 48

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A sentiment echoed by son and bartender Jason. “This has always been a dream of my mom’s. Growing up, she did everything she could to make our dreams come true. My favorite part of this is being able to pay her back … to work with her every day … to help make her dream come true.”

erhaps not obvious to the casual diner, it’s the love and passion of the

Veres family, combined with their collective experience and success in the restaurant business, that makes Augusta’s such a special, unique place. Born of a love to serve, and with a steadfast commitment to quality, a dream has come true in Cullman. Clearly their success is no accident. Deb Veres built it, and they continue to come. Good Life Magazine

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The late James Scott built this replica of the old Holly Pond School, one of his models on display at the Guy Hunt Library and Museum in Holly Pond. It’s open 1-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. Story and photos By David Moore

“I

s this James Scott?” “What’s left of him,” came the voice on the phone one evening last year. He sounded good-humored, his voice dry like an oak log ready for the wood-burning stove. I immediately liked James Scott. Introducing myself, I said that Holly Pond Mayor Herman Nail told me James would make a good a story. He’d bragged about the wooden models of old buildings in town that James built and are now displayed at Holly Pond’s Guy Hunt Library and Museum. Oblivious to the future as we all are, James and I talked and laughed that evening on the phone last year. Neither of us suspected he would die before I could make the story happen. James said he’d worked for Nearen

James Scott

A model man in many ways, he had a shop so full of stuff it simply defies description

Construction in Cullman for 38 years, first as a carpenter, later as a superintendent. Since retiring in 2001, he’d taken to piddling a lot in his shop and spending time there with his cohorts solving the world’s myriad problems (read: gossiping). Something told me I’d love to see his shop. “I also have a few cows,” James continued. “It’s enough to get me up in the morning so I won’t lie in bed all day. ’You retire, you can’t just quit, but you do have to slow down.” Somewhere along the line James

started constructing models of old buildings, painstakingly sawing tiny “timbers,” door and window frames, Chiclet-size wooden shingles and assembling them with a glue gun. Some of the buildings James had seen before, maybe even as a kid growing up in Holly Pond. For others, he had old photos from which to work. But he had no actual measurements for any of them, just a natural knack for dimensions and details. “When I first started, they looked like crap, like they’d never turn into anything,” James said. “But I kept going, and they took shape.” FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

He built models of churches, covered bridges and farms of yore no longer standing.

regulars who convened daily with James – nephew Alan Johns, Leon Creel and Andy McGinnis. The heat and scent of a wood-burning stove wafted through the building, ord got out about James’ talent. which was a fascinating cross between Members of the Holly Pond Historical a workshop, a storage Society asked him if he room at an antique could build models of mall and a huge lost the town’s old buildings and found. for display in the Hunt The wood stove museum. is where James daily “I said I could try,” cooked up a mess of James said over the greens, a pan of corn phone. bread, popcorn or fried He started with the apple pies in season former general store. for his buddies to “It was a lot of work enjoy. but it was enjoyable. I think every They were pleased,” he one of them told me says. James loved to piddle. Other buildings Looking around in followed. utter awe I saw plenty “Some of them, it to intrigue a master took about eight weeks, piddler … model cars working pretty good and trains, clocks, on them,” he said. every type of tool “They’re nothing really known to man, toy fancy, but it’s pretty James Scott poses in front of a model he built from memory of a former house Tonka construction representative of what equipment, microfiber Holly Pond was like.” in Holly Pond. His second daughter, Penny Key, shot the photo. cleaning pads, a “It’s something I chamber pot, locks thought was worth and boxes, framed saving.” get out that Saturday, Jan. 9, and that he pictures on the ceiling, light bulbs and I told James I was interested in was still keen to do the story. vinegar vials, nuts, bolts and seeds in meeting him, writing his story, seeing his “If he’s up to it,” I said, “we’ll get Gerber Baby Food jars, their lids nailed models and his shop, meeting his buddies together next week.” to a rotation drum James built. there. I just wasn’t sure when I could Penny called that Monday with It was here he also made his model work it into my plans. buildings, and a dozen or more are lined Out and about one day last September, terrible news. James had died Saturday of heart complications in the hospital. He up on shelves. I stopped by the museum in Holly Pond would have been 75 on Jan. 13. You could walk into his shop every to finally see the displays of James’ “He was looking forward to the day for a month and spot something models. Rustically cool, they obviously story,” she said. you’d missed before. represented considerable time and talent. “I am so sorry,” I said, the words The city had recently constructed sounding all so inadequate. veryone in the shop agreed attractive, non-removable glass casing And so it was that on Jan. 16, I drove … James was a simple but smart for the displays. They save the buildings to James’ house, out in the country a few countryman who never had a harsh word from the irresistible urges of visiting for anyone. He was that guy who’d mow fingers, but they reflect everything around miles east of Holly Pond. I met his gracious wife, Juanita. I met a widow’s yard, unasked, because it was them and play heck on photography. his “baby” daughter, Jamie, the happiest the nice thing to do. Though I wished I had taken pictures person I’ve ever seen who can move “He was,” Alan said, “the finest man I before the models were glassed in, I only one finger, can’t speak and lives in a ever knew.” did manage to get a few decent shots wheelchair. I didn’t get to meet the oldest It struck me that James Scott was a that day. However, the way my other daughter, Sandy Calvert, but Penny was model man in more ways than one. And magazine obligations fell, it still wasn’t there and shared photos she’d snapped even without ever shaking his hand, I felt until I was working on this spring issue over the years of James and some of his I’d met him here amongst the wondrous that I finally was able to make definite buildings. junk and fabulous clutter of this shop plans for a story on James and his Out in the shop I met Penny’s where his friends continue to gather. models. Good Life Magazine husband, Patrick, and three of the But nothing in life is truly definite.

n early January I called James’ house, only to learn from his second daughter, Penny Key, that he’d been hospitalized with pneumonia. Penny was upbeat and said her father expected to

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

Patrick Ray, standing, Alan Johns, Leon Creel and Andy McGinnis gather around the wood stove in James Scottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wellcluttered shop. Jamesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; chair, at right, has been conspicuously empty since Jan. 9. With a good deal of encouragement his wife, Juanita, agreed to sit in his empty seat long enough for a photo. Behind her are but a few of the many model buildings, most from around Holly Pond, that James constructed. Below, a roofing shingle for one of his buildings sits on the table of his small band saw where he left it along with a few toys models.

Take a walk on the wild(flower) side at this special garden in Cullman As the Cullman Native Plant Society marks its 25th anniversary, don’t forget about its big plant sale coming up on April 2 Story and photos By David Moore

f the early risers are not already poking their delicate heads from the cold ground at the Cullman Wildflower Garden at Sportsman Lake Park, it won’t be long. Since January members of the Cullman Native Plant Society have been doing their winter cleanup of brush, making way for this year’s show. If you’ve never taken time to stroll the three-acre garden, this season would be a fine opportunity. The group and garden are celebrating their 25th anniversary. Among the early bloomers are trillium, bloodroot and Jacob’s ladder. Later purple hidcote, various ferns and meadow plants take the stage. Asters and others will star this fall. The garden is located to the right after entering the park, next to the small house that serves as the office for Cullman County Parks and Rec. Wolf Creek runs through the garden along with a meandering and looping trail the society maintains. The group has two main goals: garden maintenance and – something most people probably don’t know – rescue operations. “We rescued about 80 percent of our plants in the garden, especially the trillium,” says Nona Moon, the society’s president. Members keep an eye out for land developments. Before any dirt is moved, they try to obtain permission to dig up native plants and give them a new, safe home in the garden. Some plants in the garden were rescued years ago from developments in Birmingham and Holly Pond. Annually, A carpet of Canadian anemone grows just outside the main entrance way into the Cullman Wildflower Garden at Sportsman Park. Though the sign reads “wildflower”: garden, it’s more truly a native plant garden. To the left of the entrance is an anise bush and a wild azalea. Columbine, also shown above, grows on the right side of the entrance. There is no fee to enter, but donations are appreciated. 54

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

The show at the garden constantly changes. Among March bloomers are, top left and right, spring beauties and bloodroot. Wild ginger and phacelia, second row, are among the varieties of wildflowers and native plants found in late April. members have permission to remove native plants from private property in the Bangor Cave area of Blount County. “Bangor Cave,” Nona says, “is a dreamland with bloodroot, trillium and wild geraniums.”

erhaps more so than others in the group, Nona has a personal tie to the park. She worked for years for CullmanJefferson Gas District, retiring in 1986. “I didn’t get interested in gardening 56

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

until I retired,” she says. “I would plant things, but you have to keep them weeded, and I didn’t have time to weed and do housework …” About two years earlier, her husband, Bud, was named manager of Sportsman Lake Park. Their daughter, Pamela, was grown, and the two Moons moved into the small manager’s house that today is the park office. “There were flowerbeds on the side of the road,” she says, “and I got excited about planting ornamentals at the park.”

One day a friend driving through stopped to chat with Nona, who was out planting irises and daylilies. “She’s very knowledgeable and was telling me names of plants,” she says. “She introduced me to native plants and taught me everything I know. “When I got into native plants, that was fun.” Exploring the neighborhood, so to speak, Nona and a growing circle of wildflower friends, decided that parkland just past her house, gently sloping

Join these folks who love their native plants T

Just to stroll the easy garden trails through woods is nice in the spring, but down on the ground is prettier. Trout lily, aka, dog-tooth violets, lower left, sometimes bloom as early as February. Purple spiderwort and wild hydrangea, right, bloom in April and May.

he Cullman Native Plant Society draws members from all walks of life in Cullman County, plus Warrior, Hayden, Arab, Falkville and Decatur. Anyone interested in wildflowers and gardening is invited to join. There are no annual fees, but members are asked to join weekly work parties at the native plant garden 8 a.m.noon on Tuesdays, weather permitting. They also meet quarterly at the Commission on Aging building for programs and speakers. Members are: Carol Abbott George Benson Elaine Booth Wilma Brown Arnold and Gaye Caylor Joe Copeland Rachel Dawsey Joe and Fran Edmondson Melba Jo Federer Judy Graham Harold and Louise Hartline Imogene Hamilton Teri Hartmann Lucille Hinkle Jude Johnston Phil and Nita Miller Margaret Mitchell Rachel Moody Nona Moon David Moore (not of Good Life Magazine) Alton and Anita Murphree Edith and Julian Oaks Judith Owens Maude Rutledge Michelle Sims Rose Smith David and Barbara Waddell Verdie Yates. For more on the group, contact Nona Moon: 734-4281; or moonland@bellsouth.net. FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

with the creek through it, would make a wonderful garden. Already it was home to some ferns, native azaleas, the odd orchid and splatters of spider lilies. “After the group got interested in native plants,” Nona says, “we petitioned the park board for some land and got permission to maintain a garden to preserve native plants.” In 1991 the society organized and adopted bylaws and the fledging garden was born.

n 25 years, the work has never ended, and another 25 won’t change that. After all, it is a garden. “We never get caught up,” Nona says. “We spent so much time over the years cleaning up fallen trees, flood areas, litter and vandalism.” It’s disheartening when vandals decapitate a statue or steal a Japanese lantern. “It’s not like every week we have problems,” Nona says, “but two or three times a year we have vandalism.” It bodes well that the society has achieved a milestone in longevity, but the downside is that membership is aging, starting to fall off. The youngest member is 65. While there are 35 at least semi-active members, only about 10 attended the last quarterly program/meeting. Younger people today have jobs, children to cart around and raise. But without new members, expanding the garden is out of reach. “Even the state wildflower society said their attendance is down,” Nona says. “We are going to maintain what we have. We don’t have enough help.” Anyone, she urges, is invited to join and pitch in. Much can be learned from today’s members. Even if you can’t see your way to join the group, that certainly doesn’t mean you can’t take the kids or friends to visit the garden this spring and a stroll among the flowers blooming beneath the trees. “Everybody is welcome,” Nona says. “We just ask that you stay on the trails and please don’t pick the flowers. But you can enjoy the scenery and benches and the swing. “I think it’s pretty there every month of the year. There is always something different.” Good Life Magazine 58

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

Some years ago, society member George Benson took it upon himself to build a small pond and a circular walkway where several garden trails converge. He also built four pedestals for small statues he bought. Yellow marsh marigolds flourish here by midMarch. The former goldfish in the pond, however, went the way of feasting raccoons.

An autumn fern creates its own natural arrangement around a dead stump in the garden at Sportsman Lake Park.

Don’t miss the plant sale April 2 C

ultivating a native flower garden takes knowledge, dirt under the fingernails and on the knees and certainly a whole lot of love. But it also takes something else – money. The Cullman Native Plant Society’s main fundraiser is a native plant/wildflower sale. It’s held every even-numbered year, which means 2016. The sale will be 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday, April 2, rain or shine. It’s held at the Sportsman Lake Park picnic shelter across the road from the wildflower garden. Best come early. Everything usually sells out. Among the plants on sale will be: • Annabelle hydrangea

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

• Dogwoods • Azaleas • Ferns • Trillium • A selection of meadow plants, such as black-eyed Susans, daisies, coreopsis and asters.

osts are $3 for plants members have potted, $5 for ferns and $10-$15 for azaleas and dogwoods. “We don’t have a lot of markup,” says Nona Moon, secretary/treasurer for the group. “We just hope people take them home and plant them.” All proceeds go back into the projects at the Cullman Native Plant Garden.

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Solace beneath the sea

David Moss, above, before Guillain-Barré struck. He photographed the coral reef below with a dive boat overhead.

Stricken by the rare Guillain-Barré syndrome in October 2013, David Moss’ life abruptly spiraled out of his control. Scary. Painful. Tragically debilitating, much of his body paralyzed. He was forced into a wheelchair. Round-the-clock caregivers tend to his needs, take him to therapy. His speech is difficult to understand, but caregivers, developing an ear for it, serve as translators. The physical side of David’s illness is devastating. Imagine the emotional side. Fortunately, the 74-year-old has a mental escape, a place he goes of stunning beauty and adventure. David returns beneath the sea. And the gorgeous underwater photography he shot in his day keeps this wondrously alien world firmly afloat in his memory, solace from a reality he never expected ...

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

Sponge coral forms phantasmal sculptures along on the colorful reefs of the Caribbean, a part of the beautifully alien world David Moss was introduced to through scuba diving – the reminiscence of which offers him solace from his reality today. Story by David Moore Photos by David Moss

It didn’t look like the door to a wondrously alien world when David Moss entered. He entered because the red sign outside the shop in Destin, Fla., read “Scuba Tech.” “I’m 52. Am I too old to learn to dive?” he asked the man inside. David had the first question, but the man inside did most of the asking for the next 30 minutes, many of the questions about David’s health. “Sign me up for beginner’s class,” 64

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

David said after the interrogation. Once arrangements were made, David turned to leave, but the man stopped him. “I want to tell you something,” the guy said. “What?” “You are going to be an addict.” David is recounting this story to a visitor through Sheila Murphree, his daytime caregiver at his house in Cullman. “He was right,” David says of the man at Scuba Tech. “I was addicted to diving.” Sheila tells him to roll his wheelchair closer to the computer where she is

showing the visitor a CD of David’s underwater photography, shots he made over the years while diving at Little Cayman, Dominica, Fiji and other islands. “I was in the Marine Corps,” the visitors understand David to say as he settles next to Sheila. “The drill sergeants were nothing like her. I prefer her.”

heila clicks through the photos. A veteran of many showings, she’s still just as absorbed as the visitor. “There are so many little fish I can’t remember them all,” David says. “It’s

“I’ve been on so many dive trips, I’m not sure where this shark was,” David Moss says of the photo at left. “They are more likely to attack you if you are treading or swimming on the surface, but you still don’t try to pet them. You want to keep an eye on them. I probably took this picture and hauled ass.” Among his many photos that keep his memories vivid are, clockwise from top left: a moray eel looks both funny and threatening, though its aggressive reputation exceeds its usual shyness; a seemingly neonedged angel fish appears to glow; bearded fireworms can sting; parrot fish like shallow waters and reefs; a dangerously spiked sea urchin, the likes of which once stung David, nearly causing the loss of a finger.

very colorful. It’s beautiful but it can be dangerous.” We laugh at a photo of a little blue fish sticking its head out of coral. David identifies another blue one as a butterfly fish. The varieties are so vast he’d have to be a marine biologist to recognize them all. “Angel fish,” he says as Sheila clicks the mouse. “It’s beautiful,” she says. “It looks like a lamp.” Through Sheila’s translations, David explains that he was a bit nervous on his first dive and found himself concentrating on his equipment. That would be totally understandable. “The more relaxed you get, then you start to notice more things around you,” David says. Some of the best diving locations naturally have good visibility. In much of the Caribbean the visibility underwater is stunning. “The water is very clear down there,” David says. A picture of a moon jellyfish prompts further commentary. “He says one of those stung him,” Sheila translates. “When the tentacles touch your skin it burns. He says he got a blister. There was a swarm of what seemed like maybe 1,000, but it was probably more like 100.” “You get away from them,” David says. Many of the creatures are incredibly colored, their finery brought out not only by David’s underwater Canon equipment, but his talent and knack for using it. The picture of a mammoth grouper, however, is not remotely attractive. “He’s ugly,” David laughs. “He looks like her! It just needs a touch of makeup. They named it the Sheila fish.” She laughs heartily and jokingly threatens retaliation. But David is on a jolly roll, his affliction fading to the background like a distant scene underwater.

fter viewing the slideshow, David is keen to show his visitor one of the movies he’s made from his still photos. He’s put ocean- and dive-related music to them and burned them to DVDs. We watch one on the flat-screen in his den. The movie recounts a 2012 diving trip to Dominica. Located in the southeastern Caribbean, the 290-square-mile island is 66 FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

as gorgeous as its 4,700-foot mountains are steep. “That is my favorite place,” David says. “Above the surface and below. It’s the prettiest place in the world. There are rainbows every day.” He talks away, some of it translated, some of it indecipherable, all of it obviously cherished. Fun friends he’s made over his 22 years of scuba diving are shown. One is Bill Holley, his diving partner on many underwater adventures. Then there’s Nancy Birchett, owner of Scuba Tech, boat captain, dive instructor and organizer of all of the 741 dives

David made on his various diving trips. She helped him earn his rescue diver rating. “Nancy is an outstanding person. All of this,” David proclaims, a nod toward the screen, “was made possible by Nancy Birchett through Scuba Tech.” “Nancy introduced me to a foreign world. It’s fascinating.” The DVD plays on, a facemask view into David’s diving days, accompanied now by singer/songwriter Barefoot Man … Wish I could stay forever In the new world I found. I’m a scuba diver … I get high going down.

David Moss photographed the wreck of the MV Captain Keith Tibbets, as it was renamed in 1996 when it was scuttled just off the coast of Cayman Brac as an artificial reef and diver attraction. Built in 1984 as Russian missile frigate 356, it operated out of Cuba for years before being retired and purchased by the Cayman Islands government. The bow of the 330-foot vessel lies in about 85 feet of water, its stern in 60. Deck guns have distinctive turrets ... and a ghostly look. FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

orn and raised in Cullman, David graduated from Cullman High in 1960. “Back when they made wheels out of stone,” Sheila quips. After Auburn University, he ran the family business, Moss Funeral Home, until retiring about 1990. A year or so later he walked into Scuba Tech, a step that means far more to him now than then. “Diving had crossed my mind from time to time,” he says through translation. “But I think it was more curiosity than anything else at that time. “Once I started, like the man said, I became an addict. I’m not bragging. I just loved diving. And I loved the people at Scuba Tech.” A swimmer at an early age, David was always comfortable in the water, making it that much easier to take the deep plunge. If you’re comfortable in the water, even a little curious about diving, he’d encourage you to go. Ask for Nancy Birchett, he adds. In a bigger sense, adding adventure to his life has proven to be an immeasurable gift to himself, all the more precious these last two years. His memories and photographs of diving have become a lifejacket, an escape, a solace from the reality of Guillain-Barré. “I watch my DVDs and reminisce about my time scuba diving,” David says. “If I never had done it, I would have missed out on something beautiful that has fulfilled my life. And sometimes been a little scary.” Good Life Magazine Though scared of heights on land, David Moss says they don’t bother him underwater. Shot in less than 90 feet of water in the Caymans, the wall at left falls away to a crushing depth of thousands of feet.

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Out ’n’ About If you are out ‘n’ about in a few years, you’ll certainly want to visit the newly and completely re-invented Margaret Ingle Park. It will be something to behold. The Cullman Park and Recreation Foundation – integral in making the Field of Miracles and Heritage Park realities – is soon launching a drive to raise half the cost of a $1 million renovation of Ingle Park (see plan at right). The $500,000 you help the foundation raise will pay for the crown jewel of the extensive project – an inclusive playground the likes of which can be found nowhere in Alabama. The playground’s main structure is a futuristic climbing tower. Branching off the tower and elsewhere on the playground will be spinners, boogie boards, fun ladders, knot bridges and other components, some shown in representative photos here, all designed for energized activity. Other playground components will be designed to engage children with disabilities in sensory-rich activities. One component will feature zip lines for not just full-throttled youngsters, but also those with limited mobility. It’s a big dream, says CPR director Nathan Anderson, but nothing too big for Cullman to make happen. You’ll soon hear much more about it. 70

FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL

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