The PRTC
Connection July/August 2013
Great Grapes
Local winery creates new flavors for the Lowcountry
Calling 911
made safer with landlines
Fiber netWork
connections ready as crews wrap up work in some areas
Industry News
Growth in the face of uncertainty FCC regulatory changes are creating challenges for rural telecommunications providers planning network expansions By Stephen V. Smith, Editor
I
n the May/June issue of this magazine, Shirley Bloomfield talked about the newly unified NTCA, the association for which she serves as CEO. In a continuation of that interview, Bloomfield describes how changes in federal regulations are creating an atmosphere of uncertainty among rural telecommunications companies. Smith: The telecommunications industry is in a state of transition. What challenges are rural providers facing? Bloomfield: There are regulatory proceedings going on right now regarding Universal Service, which is regulated by the FCC. They have essentially turned on its head how this regulation works. So far, they have cut and capped a lot of the support the rural telecommunications providers have been getting. Smith: What is Universal Service, and how does it work? Bloomfield: Universal Service allows carriers who provide service in rural, high-cost areas to essentially have support from the rest of the industry to keep their monthly subscription fees low.
Shirley Bloomfield NTCA CEO 2 | July/August 2013
Consumers in these rural markets benefit from this offset in terms of the actual cost of providing that service. It’s important to note that Universal Service is a support mechanism supported by other carriers. It is not a tax. It is not government support. It is a fee that other carriers pay into the Universal Service Fund, or USF. Smith: How will rural telecommunications providers be affected by these cuts and caps to the USF dollars they depend on? Bloomfield: It’s going to impact them in two ways. One, they are going to have a lot less money, and that’s going to mean a lot less investment. Two, the FCC wants to reassess every single year, which means providers won’t know until that next year if they are going to be able to recover any of their costs. Providers will be paralyzed, because the FCC has created this environment of regulatory uncertainty. This is a capital-intensive industry. You can’t make investments if you don’t know if you can recover your costs. Smith: Are we seeing this impact now in the industry? Bloomfield: We are. In NTCA surveys, several rural telecommunications providers have told us they have actually cut back or eliminated an upgrade to their network or an investment in new construction that they had planned on making. Smith: Why is it so important for providers to continually invest in improving and expanding their networks? Bloomfield: Telecommunications networks are living, breathing operations.
You don’t just put broadband in and walk away, saying “job well done, now we have broadband.” There is so much more to consider. Maybe a provider offers DSL, but how do they get to a point where they can do fully interactive service? How do they provide enough bandwidth to allow rural hospitals to do diagnostics using fiber? How can they support distance learning programs so schools can aggregate and share their resources? Broadband that was installed 5 to 10 years ago isn’t going to do the trick. Networks need constant upgrades and new deployment. And there are still people in some parts of rural America who don’t have access to broadband yet. Smith: NTCA and its members work hard to strengthen and protect the rural telecommunications industry. Why are these providers so important to the rural markets they serve? Bloomfield: I can’t stress enough the importance of local telecommunications providers and what a difference they make in their rural communities. They are so innovative and willing to try new things. They are incredibly creative about the services they offer to their consumers. The people they serve are their neighbors and friends. The idea of customer service is important to them. For the consumer, it’s great to know you can pick up the phone and get help immediately, or sit down with folks who know you who can answer your questions as you look at new products. I can’t overemphasize what it means to be served by a locally owned and controlled telecommunications provider in this day and age, and what a driver that is for the rural economy.
Digital Citizenship
Do you know the rules of the road?
By Carissa Swenson
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e all know the Internet can connect us to the world, but do we really understand what that means? Understanding the power behind that connectivity is critical to becoming a safe, productive digital citizen. What is digital citizenship? It is the “rules of the road” or guidelines we follow when interacting with others in the digital world. The Internet is much like the roads we drive on every day. Each connection provides access to people, places and things all over the world. The devices we use to access the Internet, such as smartphones, tablets, computers and gaming units, are much like the cars we drive. Some are fancier with more buttons, but they all can get us to our destination. Driving a car is a rite of passage that our youth anticipate and even study for. They stay awake at night dreaming about the places they want to go and things they want to see. Meanwhile, parents stay up at night worrying about what their sons and daughters will do once they have that freedom: • What if they make poor choices while behind the wheel? • What if their friends pressure them to do things we don’t approve of? • How are we going to prepare our child to become a responsible driver? Despite these concerns, teenagers are getting behind the wheel every day. Why do parents let their kids drive when there is so much risk? Because the rewards outweigh the risks.
Rules and rewards
The Internet should be treated the same way — yet often we aren’t asking these same types of questions when giving our youth access to the world via the Internet. We are buying Web-ready devices for our
kids, but are we making sure they know the rules? After all, there is no Internet “drivers ed” or test to pass. Knowing the rules of digital citizenship will help young users reap the rewards of a connected world. Being a good digital citizen means you: • Understand the impact of your digital footprint and your future • Know the risks involved with cyberpredators, cyber-bullies, sexting and other high-risk behaviors • Discover ways to protect your identity when going online
raising digital citizens
As adults, it is our job to teach our young people the rules of the digital road. They may be able to text under the table during dinner and customize an iPad in record time, but do they understand the ramifications of their digital behaviors? As adults, we don’t need to know how all these pieces of technology work, we just need to make sure we are teaching and practicing good digital citizenship. Yes, there are risks to accessing the digital world. And topics like cyberbullying, sexting, identity theft and other online risks can make a parent want to keep their child unplugged. The idea, however, is not to disconnect, but to be aware — and to raise responsible digital citizens. In our next issue, Carissa will share ways to protect your reputation, because “you can’t take back what you post online.” Carissa Swenson is the owner and technology specialist of TechTECS, a technology training, education, consulting and support company.
Lifeline ‹‹ Service When you need help paying for telephone service Is your annual household income at or below 135 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for a household of its size? Do you or someone in your household participate in any of the following lowincome government assistance programs? If so, you may qualify for Lifeline Service. • Medicaid • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) • Section 8 Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA) • Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) • National School Lunch Program’s Free Lunch Program To find out whether you qualify for Lifeline assistance, customers must fill out standard forms, available at your local telephone company’s office, as mandated by the Federal and/or State government. Your telephone company is not responsible for determining who qualifies for these programs or who receives assistance. Customers must meet specific criteria in order to obtain assistance with their local telephone service, and qualifying is dependent upon government-established guidelines. To qualify for Lifeline credit, each customer must apply and provide proof that he/she, or a household member for whom he/she is financially responsible, participates in at least one of the programs listed above or that the customer meets the income-based requirements. Additional eligibility requirements may also apply. Customers must choose to apply the Lifeline discount to a landline or a wireless number, not both.
For more details about Lifeline Service and to apply for assistance, please contact your local telephone company. July/August 2013 | 3
From the CEO
Time for FCC to count the cost Have you ever botched a job because you got in a hurry? Maybe you cut a 2x4 too short because you only measured once. Or perhaps you missed that big buck because you didn’t take time to aim. “Haste makes waste” can be a hard lesson learned. Sometimes you just need to slow down. And that’s the message hundreds of people who work in the telecommunications industry recently took to Washington, D.C. NTCA’s 2013 Legislative and Policy Conference was held toward the end of April. I attended the event, along with a delegation from Palmetto Rural Telephone Cooperative. We joined some 500 other NTCA members from across rural America to take your concerns to Capitol Hill. There are hundreds of companies like PRTC in the United States that are working hard to bring advanced broadband services to rural areas — communities where the cost of providing service is much higher than in the larger cities. As you have read in these pages before, we are concerned that changes in regulations by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are driving up the cost of delivering service to you. These changes are also making it difficult for companies like ours to predict how we will recover the cost of future investments in our networks. In April, as we met with lawmakers and their staffs, we asked for their support in telling the FCC to slow down and count the cost. Specifically, we asked them to support a bipartisan bill that seeks greater analysis of the FCC’s 2011 Universal Service Fund (USF) reforms that are limiting support for many rural providers. The bill, sponsored by Sens. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., and Mark Begich, D-Alaska, calls on the Government Accountability Office to study the effects of the FCC’s reforms, and to give us a clear idea of how broadband speeds and rates are being impacted. At times it feels like the FCC has taken a “Ready, Fire, Aim!” approach to reforming the telecommunications industry, and it is time for a comprehensive study to gauge the true effect of the agency’s actions. YOUR VOICE HAS BEEN HEARD In early June, NTCA informed us that the federal government is indeed listening to your voice, and that our outreach campaign was effective. The Government Accountability Office has confirmed that it will begin a study to provide answers to the questions we are all asking. Are the changes being made by the FCC actually improving broadband service in rural America? Are broadband speeds increasing? Are consumers paying more, less or the same for service? The GAO plans to report on its findings later this year. This is an important victory for the communities we serve, for two reasons. Not only do we need to know whether the FCC’s changes are good for consumers today, but we also need the facts to help lawmakers and regulators make better, more informed decisions in the future. Our grassroots efforts are paying off as we work through our national association, taking your concerns to Washington to ensure that your voice is heard. Jason Dandridge is Chief Executive Officer for PRTC 4 | July/August 2013
is a member-owned cooperative providing a complete telecommunications solution (voice, Internet, digital TV and wireless phone) to the homes and businesses of Colleton County, South Carolina.
Board of Directors District 1 - Brian Ackerman District 2 - Cynthia “Cindy” Colson District 3 - Donald Wood District 4 - Joanne Herndon District 5 - Michael Crosby District 6 - Furman Hodges District 7 - Heath Griffith District 8 - Gloria Warren District 9 - Travis Avant District 10 - Lynn Tanner
The PRTC
Vol. 3, NO. 4 July/August 2013
Connection is a bimonthly newsletter published by Palmetto Rural Telephone Cooperative, © 2013. It is distributed without charge to all member/owners of the cooperative. Send address corrections to: Palmetto Rural Telephone Cooperative P.O. Drawer 1577 Walterboro, SC 29488 Telephone: 843-538-2020 www.prtc.coop Produced for PRTC by: www.WordSouth.com On the Cover: Ann Massenburg pours up a little of the house specialty at Lighthouse Winery and Vineyard. See story Page 12.
Fiber work wrapped up in some communities It’s been a busy spring and early summer for PRTC fiber crews and contractors. Several new fiber routes have been completed, including areas along Estates Drive, North Jefferies and Carolina Circle. Crews expect to be finished with work soon, if not already, in areas off Academy Road around Longleaf Drive and Wade Hampton Road in Walterboro. Work is also wrapping up in BeNick Segura and Bubsy McLaine bury a fiber line near Wood Meadows Road in Walterboro. dons, around Bedons Road and Featherbed Road. PRTC dispatchers continue to schedule fiber conversion appointments with members in areas where the new network is ready for connections.
Video on Demand New Release Schedule For a small rental fee, PRTC’s Video on Demand service gives you access to new releases as many as eight weeks before Netflix or Redbox (designated by an *). To access Video on Demand, press the “VOD” or “On Demand” button on the remote or press the “Menu” button and look for “On Demand.” July 2 • A Good Day to Die Hard (Extended Cut)* July 9 • Admission*
Local student wins national telco scholarship One local student is getting a little help with college expenses thanks to PRTC and the Foundation for Rural Services. Courtney Kramer, who attended Colleton Preparatory Academy, will receive $2,500 to pursue her education. She and 35 other winners were selected from more than 1,500 applicants from across rural America. The program's goal is to further higher education opportunities among rural high school students. Of the scholarship, $500 comes from PRTC and $2,000 comes from FRS, the philanthropic arm of NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association. The scholarship program is open to all graduating high school seniors that receive local telecommunications service from PRTC. Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited two-year or four-year college or university, or vocational technical school, and have at least a C-grade point average. To be eligible, recipients must indicate a desire to return to their rural communities once their collegiate studies have been completed. Palmetto Rural Telephone Cooperative
• The Host* • Dead Man Down • Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor July 16 • Evil Dead • Bullet to the Head* August 6 • Oblivion* • The Place Beyond the Pines* August 13 • Olympus Has Fallen August 20 • Scary Movie 5
July/August 2013 | 5
Web-powered summer vacations
8 ways to use the Internet to create an awesome family vacation this summer By Mariann Martin
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oes the phrase “family vacation” bring back painful memories of long, boring drives, dozens of wrong turns and hotels with an advertised beachfront view that turned out to be a sandy parking lot? If those scenarios sound familiar, there is a solution — the Internet! Use websites for research and booking accommodations online to plan the details of your vacation before heading out for a relaxed, enjoyable trip with the family. Here are some tips:
1 Plan together
Get the entire family involved in planning your vacation with online exploration. Most states, cities and parks have detailed websites that give an overview of available activities. Children can click through pictures, read about the destination points and pick out places of interest.
2 Be prepared
Find out what documents you will need by checking the websites of all the places you plan to visit. Make sure you have the right insurance cards, passports and travel documents before you head out the door. Also check the weather for your destination, so you can pack the proper clothing.
3 Book it
Hotels, car rentals and airline tickets can be purchased online, using various websites to find deals. Travel experts recommend searching at least three booking websites to find the best prices, which are frequently offered at the beginning of the week (especially on Tuesdays).
4 read Reviews
Even the most drab hotel can look good in a photo, so use the Internet to learn what other travelers think of the places you plan to visit. Websites such as TripAdvi-
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sor include reviews from people who have visited the places, and can also offer useful tips and warnings.
stretching visit. Use GPS devices to skip all those wrong turns.
5 Save information
If your day trip to the water park gets rained out, use the Internet to quickly find the closest kids’ museum or other indoor activity. And if the wait is too long at the restaurant you planned to visit, get online to check nearby options.
Use online resources such as Google Docs or Dropbox to plan your itinerary and budget your trip. If you are traveling with other families, Google Docs allows multiple users to share plans and add information. During your trip, you can access your stored trip details.
6 On the road
To avoid the infamous “are we there yet?” chorus, download apps and activities to a smartphone or tablet to entertain the kids. Research historical sites along the way and stop for a quick educational and leg-
7 Changing plans
8 Savor the memories
Once you return home, create an album on Facebook or a photo sharing website to upload your favorite photos from the trip. You can share the album with friends and family, or click through them on a dreary winter day when summer vacations are only a distant dream.
➜ Places to visit, sights to see Summer memories are filled with blue swimming holes, dripping ice cream cones and family vacations. From beaches and mountains to historical downtowns and outer space exploration, the Southeast abounds in unique spots ideally suited for family trips. These days, a well-planned and researched family trip begins with a few mouse clicks and a quick review of the endless resources on the Internet. Then set out to make memories in one of these breathtaking locations.
First stop on your vacation: the Internet Preparation is the key to success when it comes to family vacations. Here are some state tourism sites to help you plan your next getaway.
• • • •
www.tnvacation.com www.alabama.travel www.kentuckytourism.com www.discoversouthcarolina.com
Photo courtesy of Kentucky Derby Museum
Kentucky Kentucky Derby Museum • www.derbymuseum.org The Kentucky Derby Museum offers visitors a chance to explore Kentucky’s rich horse racing heritage within view of the famed racetrack. The smell of leather and the sound of thundering hooves are recreated through thousands of books, photos, films and racing artifacts housed in the museum. Visitors can also take guided tours for a behind-the-scenes look at Churchill Downs.
Photo courtesy of South Carolina Botanical Garden
Photo courtesy of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Alabama The U.S. Space & Rocket Center • www.rocketcenter.com Visitors to Huntsville’s U.S. Space & Rocket Center trace the history of ventures into space and watch as potential future scientists and astronauts train at the home of America’s space program since the early 1950s. Visitors can “be an astronaut for the day” as they explore a rocket park, education training center and theater. The museum includes space hardware from the first trip to the moon, along with information about the space race, the Apollo missions and the International Space Station.
South Carolina Botanical Garden • www.clemson.edu/public/scbg Take a day away from hectic life to explore beautiful gardens and hike nature trails at the South Carolina Botanical Garden in Clemson. The 295 acres of beauty feature an arboretum, woodlands, streams, managed meadows, turf and shrubs filled with birds, fish and other wildlife. The garden features a geology museum and an art gallery, as well as one of the largest collections of nature-based sculptures in the country.
South Carolina
Photo courtesy of National Park Service
Tennessee Cades Cove • www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/cadescove.htm Whether you are a wildlife enthusiast, nature lover, photographer, hiker or history buff, Cades Cove should be at the top of your list of places to visit. Part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this broad valley features an 11-mile loop road that presents travelers with stunning mountain vistas; sightings of white-tailed deer, black bear, turkey and more; and a number of hiking trails. You will encounter several 18th- and 19thcentury structures, including churches, barns, log cabins and a working grist mill. July/August 2013 | 7
PRTC hosts
PRTC took an opportunity to show off the new Retail Center to members of the Walterboro-Colleton County Chamber of Commerce by hosting a Business After Hours event on March 21. Guests who hadn’t already been to the new center were impressed by the building and proud of PRTC’s commitment to the local community. “Just like PRTC, the Chamber is committed to making Colleton County a better place for businesses and residents so we were happy to have them over at our place,” says Chuck Crabtree, PRTC’s Director of Marketing and a Chamber board member. “Events like this really help business leaders get to know each other and each others’ needs. It’s always good to talk with satisfied customers and hear how local businesses are using our services.” To see more photos, visit PRTC’s Facebook page, or scan the QR code with your smart phone.
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Photos by Paul Mulkey
‘Business After Hours’ Chamber event
Palmetto Rural Telephone Cooperative
Keep a landline for peace of mind
By Andy Johns
C
ell phones are changing our lives. It is now easier than ever before to stay in touch with business contacts, family and friends. But in the case of an emergency, what if you find out your cell phone is only a fair weather friend? Despite improvements to the cell tower grid, mobile phones are still not nearly as reliable as landlines, especially in rural areas like much of Colleton County. That’s why PRTC and emergency officials urge residents to stick with at least a basic landline connection. Angie Smith, a lieutenant with the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office who oversees the 911 call center, says landline phones “help tremendously” in case of emergency. Address data for landline phones is already programmed into the 911 system and pops up for dispatchers to see whenever a call comes in. That’s not the case with cell phones. “If they dial 911 with a cell phone, we don’t get an address,” Smith says. “It gives us a general area, but it’s not exact.” For most cell phones, the 911 system uses a process called triangulation where the signal from the phone is traced through nearby towers to try and get an approximate location of the caller. So far, the process is inconsistent. Emergency responders then have to search an area for the caller. “That can take quite a while,” Smith explains. “It’s much faster with a landline and much more precise.”
Palmetto Rural Telephone Cooperative
The address database can also help in the event of an emergency if children, babysitters or other guests need to call 911, but do not know the address. Wind can also damage towers leaving a cell phone — even a charged one — without service. In addition, landline networks can handle massive call demands. Often, when many wireless phone users are trying to make calls at the same time in the same area, wireless networks cannot handle the heavy call loads and users are greeted with an “all circuits are busy” message. The bottom line is, keeping even PRTC’s most basic landline connection (about $22 per month) can give you and your family a connection to help when you need it the most.
Did you know? Landline phones provide 911 dispatchers more information than cell phones. July/August 2013 | 9
Minor Attraction0 Stars of tomorrow and fan-friendly venues draw crowds By Jeremy Wood
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hen it comes to big-league rooting alliances, Southern baseball fans are mostly left listening to radio broadcasts of teams in faraway cities like Atlanta, St. Louis and Cincinnati. But the South has plenty of the next-best thing: the minor leagues. The region’s rich baseball playing history and small-town style fit perfectly with the essence of minor league baseball, where teams send younger players to develop. The South boasts nearly 50 minor league teams, ranging in level from Rookie (just signed their first pro contract) to AAA (one step away from the big time). Here are a few popular places to see a minor-league game in the South, along with their classification and big-league parent club. For a portal to every minor league team’s website, visit www.minorleaguebaseball.com.
Nashville Sounds
H Huntsville (Ala.) Stars (AA, Milwaukee Brewers) Tickets: $8 for adults, $5 for kids under 12 (all tickets are general admission and must be purchased at the ballpark). At the park: An $8 ticket is a good deal for the upper minors and it allows you to pick from any seat at Joe Davis Stadium. Promotions this year include a bobblehead night on July 27, discounted drinks on Thirst-Aid Thursdays, fireworks and bingo games. Watch for mascot Homer the Polecat, who was created in honor of a skunk that used to live behind the outfield wall. While you’re in town: Take the money you save on baseball tickets and visit the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. 10 | July/August 2013
Photo courtesy of Nashville Sounds
(AAA, Milwaukee Brewers) Tickets: $15 day-of-game, $12 when purchased in advance. They also offer a family ticket bundle that includes seats, hot dogs and sodas for four at a cost of $56. At the park: There are six Faith Night promotions throughout the season, featuring live Christian music prior to the game. Sticking with the religious theme, there will be two “Bible Series” bobblehead giveaway nights during the season. The featured statuettes? David and Goliath. While you’re in town: The Tennessee State Museum has exhibits covering 15,000 years of human history in the state. Best of all, museum admission is free.
Chattanooga Lookouts (AA, Los Angeles Dodgers) Tickets: Range from $5 for adult general admission to $9 for lower box seats. At the park: Sitting on the third-base side offers a better view of the nearby mountains and shade from the setting sun, while the first-base side treats you to cars going by on U.S. 27 outside the park. While you’re in town: Have dinner at Big River Grille and Brewing Works for a family-friendly menu. It’s a two-block walk from the restaurant door to the front gate of AT&T Park. If you’re a baseball history buff, Engel Stadium (which is no longer used by the Lookouts) has been open since 1929 and is a must-see.
H Jackson (Tenn.) Generals (AA, Seattle Mariners) Tickets: $10 reserved, $6 general admission. At the park: If you can make it for any Dollar Thursday during the season, general admission seats are knocked down to a single greenback (as are hot dogs, popcorn, soft drinks and beer). Sarge, the Generals’ bulldog mascot, was named by a six-year-old in an online contest. While you’re in town: It’s a good place for railroad fans, who can visit both the Casey Jones Village and the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railroad Museum and still make a night game.
H Charleston (S.C.) Riverdogs (A, New York Yankees) Tickets: $8 to $17 for Friday nights, cheaper by $1 for all other nights except July 4. At the park: Joseph P. Riley park was designed by the same architectural firm that worked on several modern major league stadiums. It is one of the most picturesque locales in the minors.
While you’re in town: If you can’t find a great meal at one of Charleston’s more than 350 restaurants, you’re not really trying. Chefs at places from famous staples like Hyman’s Seafood to hot new restaurants like Macintosh serve up their take on shrimp and grits, barbecued ribs and more every day. For non-culinary exploration, your best bet is to ride the ferry to Fort Sumter for some Civil War history and watch for dolphins while you’re on the boat.
H
Tennessee Smokies (AA, Chicago Cubs) Tickets: $11/$10 for adults/children infield box seats; $6 for all ages on grass outfield berm. At the park: Located in Kodak, Tenn., a few miles east of Knoxville, the Smokies enjoy one of the minors’ more creative promotional teams. Movie Mondays weave great baseball movies into the live game experience, while country music fans can hit Kenny Chesney night on July 19. While you’re in town: The glitz of Dollywood and Gatlinburg and the wilderness of Great Smoky Mountains National Park are both just a short drive away.
H Rome Braves (A, Atlanta Braves) Tickets: Club seats are $10 apiece; cheapest is $4 lawn seating. At the park: Romey and Roxie are two of the biggest, bluest mascots in the minors. Rome also hosts Superhero Night on July 6; dressing up as your favorite superhero is encouraged and Captain America will be in attendance for pictures. While you’re in town: Grab dinner at local institution Schroeder’s on Broad Street in downtown Rome. If you have time for sightseeing, visit the campus of nearby Berry College to check out the exquisite Frost Chapel and a vintage overshot wooden water wheel.
Lexington Legends (A, Kansas City Royals) Tickets: The cheapest reserved seats are $14 when purchased in advance (add $1 to all prices day-of-game). At the park: Kids receive a voucher for a free ballpark meal on Monday night home games. Also, the Legends will have three George Brett bobblehead giveaways this season, honoring one of the Royals’ alltime greats. While you’re in town: The Kentucky Horse Center is referred to as “Disneyland for horse lovers.” It features two theaters and two museums on the grounds.
H Bowling Green (Ky.) Hot Rods (A, Tampa Bay Rays) Tickets: Highest are $12 for premium box seats; cheapest are $7 for general admission. At the park: The parent club, Tampa Bay, has one of the best reputations for developing minor league talent in the business, and some of the Rays’ top prospects figure to be in Bowling Green this summer. While you’re in town: If you love cars, check out the National Corvette Museum. If the great outdoors is more appealing, enjoy an underground boat tour at the Lost River Cave & Valley on the outskirts of town. July/August 2013 | 11
By Andy Johns
L
ike a lot of things that involve large quantities of wine, Ralph Massenburg isn’t exactly sure how he got where he is. “I really wish I could give you a reason why I started making wine,” Massenburg says, sitting in a back room of his Lighthouse Winery and Vineyard on Sniders Highway. “If I go somewhere, I’m the sweet tea drinker while everybody else is drinking wine.” But outside the shop, pruning the vines on several peaceful acres, the retired contractor says he’s happy to be where he is. “That’s what I like about this,” Massenburg says. “This is therapy. Everything else I do is stressful.” Massenburg and his wife, Ann, have been making wine and giving it away to friends since 2005. “I like to grow things,” Massenburg says. “If I had my way, I would have been a farmer from the time I came out of the womb to the time I die.” But in March 2011, they planted several rows of muscadines with a bigger operation in mind.
12 | July/August 2013
Palmetto Rural Telephone Cooperative
Muscadines love the heat and sun of the Lowcountry.
Ralph and Ann Massenburg expect Lighthouse Winery to keep growing with weddings, festivals and other events.
The winery also makes jellies, ciders and nonalcoholic wine. By December of 2012, they opened their shop, naming it for the signal on Morris Island where as a child Massenburg fished with his mother. But Massenburg has plans to make the winery about much more than grapes and bottles. He’s working to build a 200-seat event hall, deli and gazebo, and he would like to host tours and hold three festivals each year on the grounds. The first gala, a grape stomp, will take place this August. “When people come in, we want them to be able to spend the whole day here,” he says. If Massenburg needed any reinforcement that his ideas are good, they’ve come over the phone. Half a dozen brides-to-be had already booked the event hall before it was even constructed. “We don’t want to get big,” Massenburg says. “We want to be known for making good wine.”
Great grapes
The winery now makes five varieties of wine. The first three they made were Ella Teresa, a sweet dessert wine; Bessie, a blush blend named after Massenburg’s grandmother and a semi-sweet named Aunti Bell. Two varieties with local names pay homage to the Lowcountry — a semidry white called Ace Basin and Edisto, a dry red table wine. They also sell alcoholfree wine and ciders. Palmetto Rural Telephone Cooperative
All of the wines are made from muscadines, a heat-loving thick-hulled grape native to the Southeast. Of the 300 or so varieties of muscadines, Massenburg grows the Carlos, Noble and Tara among others. As you might imagine, coming up with the right recipe takes some trial and error. And the duo has had their share of hits and misses. Massenburg was surprisingly pleased with the first batch he made. He was so proud of it, he took it to Jim Irvin at IrvinHouse Vineyards in Charleston to share a taste. Irvin had offered some tips throughout the winemaking process and with the first batch both men knew Massenburg was onto something. “He said ‘I don’t know what you’ve done, but you’ve done it well,’” Massenburg remembers. But Massenburg and Ann discovered it wasn’t always going to be that easy. “I don’t want to talk about it,” Massenburg jokes. “When I made my second batch (Ann) said ‘You need to throw this away. Don’t even try and wash the bottle it’s so bad. Just throw it away.’” But more often than not, they’ve gotten it right, and customers have let them know it. “The second Friday we were open, we couldn’t fit everybody in the house,” Massenburg says. Visitors have come from
several states and as far away as England. While he doesn’t want to give anything away about the recipe, Massenburg doesn’t mind sharing his timeline. The grapes are picked during the third week of August. From there they are crushed, combined with sugar and sent to fermenting tanks for weeks. One lesson they’ve learned is to keep air away from the wine after the fermentation and to stir the batches every 30 days. As for the recipe for commercial success, Interstate 95 is a big part of Massenburg’s plans. They realized this early on when an Ohio traveler passing through the area pulled off the Interstate and spent $168 at the shop. And in order to reach out-of-towners, the Massenburgs rely in part on the email and social media sites they access through their PRTC Internet connection. “We use the Internet,” Massenburg says. “It’s a way of life now.”
Watch for a date to be announced for Lighthouse Winery's grape stomp in August! July/August 2013 | 13
Southern Kitchens
Every time I bite into a peach, the memories come flooding back. My mother loved Anne P. Braly peaches, but her Food Editor favorite variety was one you don’t see very often these days: Georgia Belle. We had a summer home in the North Carolina mountains, and there was one roadside stand we passed every time we made the drive. When the sign went up saying Georgia Belles were in season, Momma would make a quick turn into the open-air market along Highway 64. Momma’s gone now, Georgia Belles aren’t so easy to find anymore, and the last time I drove past, the fruit stand had closed. But farmers are now growing other good peaches, and they’re readily available this time of year. Here’s one of my favorite ways to use peaches on grilled chicken. For the best taste, make it the night before, put it in a sealed container and allow the flavors to marry.
Fresh Peach Salsa 3-4 1/4 2 2 1 1 1 2
peeled peaches, diced cup fresh lime juice teaspoons honey tablespoons diced red bell pepper tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper tablespoon chopped cilantro clove garlic, minced tablespoons chopped red onion
Combine ingredients; refrigerate until serving time. Makes 1-1/2 to 2 cups. Email Anne Braly at apbraly@gmail.com. 14 | July/August 2013
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A passion for peaches
“After the 5-1/2-hour drive to Arkansas, we got back in the car and drove another 50 miles just to pick peaches from an orchard that Ronda Hays’ recipe was well-known for for her mom’s peach its beautiful and sweet pie brings back fruit,” she says. “There childhood memories. were acres and acres of peach trees loaded with ripe, luscious fruit ready for picking.” After picking their fill — several bushels, Hays recalls — they got back in their car, having rearranged their luggage so that the peaches would have a protected place to travel. “When the visit was over, our trip home was a constant reminder by the ever-present smell of fresh peaches and the thoughts of delicious treats to come,” she says. “Once home, Mom and Dad began the process of preserving the tasty peaches for us to enjoy during the cold winter months.” Her love of peaches has never diminished, only bloomed. And though Hays prefers freestone peaches over any other — the pits are easier to remove and there’s less waste, she says — she really doesn’t have a preference about what specific variety she uses. “I usually just buy the freshest-smelling the grocery store offers,” she says. “The same goes when I go to the local farmers’ markets in the summer.” If it looks like a peach and smells like a peach, she bags it. Though she uses frozen peaches when good fresh ones are not available, Hays’ favorite peach dessert is never made until this time of year when peaches are at their best. Her mother’s peach pie is special to her because it brings back such good memories. “I remember her making it when my brother and I were children,” she says. “We could hardly wait for a slice of it every time she made it.” So she, like you, has to wait no longer. Peaches are in their prime, right in time to please your peachy palate. Here are two of Hays’ favorite recipes.
Photo by Thomas Jackson
The perfect peach
onda Hays of Cunningham, Ky., has a passion for peaches that goes all the way back to her childhood. She remembers a trip to visit family in Arkansas when she was about 10 years old, and on the way back to her home in Missouri the smell of peaches filled the car.
Peaches: The fresh taste of summer Peach-Blueberry Bread eggs cups sugar cup vegetable oil teaspoons vanilla extract cups all-purpose flour teaspoon baking powder teaspoon baking soda teaspoon salt teaspoons cinnamon cups diced peaches cup blueberries cup walnuts, chopped
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour two 8-by-4-inch loaf pans. In a large bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Blend in the sugar, oil and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; mix just to combine, but do not overwork the batter. Stir in the peaches, blueberries, and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool in loaf pans for 10 minutes. Turn the bread out onto the wire rack to completely cool. Serve with softened cream cheese or your favorite flavored butter. Note: Frozen blueberries may also be used. If frozen fruit is used, thaw and drain excess moisture prior to use.
Photo by Thomas Jackson
3 2 1 2 3 1 1 1 3 2 1/2 1/2
One of Ronda Hays’ favorite peach desserts is her mom’s peach pie.
Mom’s Peach Pie 3-4 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1
peaches, peeled, pits removed graham cracker crusts cup water tablespoons cornstarch cup sugar (3-ounce) package peach gelatin (8-ounce) container whipped topping, thawed cup powdered sugar (3-ounce) package cream cheese
Slice peaches into crusts. In a small saucepan, add water, sugar and cornstarch, stirring and cooking until sugar is dissolved and mixture is clear. Add peach gelatin and stir to dissolve. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Pour mixture over peaches; place pies in refrigerator until they are set. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, blend whipped topping, powdered sugar and cream cheese. Remove pies from refrigerator, spread with cream cheese mixture, slice and serve. Store any leftovers, covered, in refrigerator.
Dessert, Decor and More Ronda Hays of Cunningham, Ky., has a knack for domestic creativity. In 2011, Hays turned her passion for home arts into All Things Home Related, a blog in which she shares favorite recipes and photo updates about life on the farm, as well as arts and crafts projects around her home. The recipe index makes finding just the right dish quick and easy. Hays’ recipes have been featured in various cookbooks and publications, all of which are listed on her website. For more information or to contact Hays, visit her blog:
www.allthingshomerelated.com July/August 2013 | 15
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