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2016 november lake magazine

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NOVEMBER 2016

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Medical Park Family Care is here for You. Lab and x-ray available Same Day Appointments Available Seeing patients 5 years old and up 256.825.9900 | 1034 Tallassee St. Dadeville

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NOVEMBER 2016

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NOVEMBER 2016

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Staff Chairman KENNETH BOONE

Letter from the Editor

L

ocals know that this is the best time to be at Lake Martin. Cooler temperatures, smaller crowds and fabulous fall sunsets offer more relaxed lake time than summer’s heat and frenzy. Anglers especially love these cooler months on the lake, as the slower, hungrier fish are easier to catch. But winter months also bring lower water levels that might limit access to some boat ramps around the lake. The question is, which ramps are available for use in the off-season, and what amenities will boaters find at those sites when they arrive? Mitch Emmons set out on a mission to provide Lake readers with that very useful information, and you’ll find a handy chart with his answers on pages 22 and 23 of this issue. And you’ll want to hold onto this issue, so you can refer to it before you head to the lake all winter long. Don’t forget that November is the month of the annual Renew Our Rivers cleanup at Lake Martin. True to form, Lake Martin Resource Association President John Thompson has taken preparation to a new level this year. Turn to page 18 for details and sign up to be part of this community-wide effort to protect Lake Martin. And be sure to send us photos of you and your friends with the bags of trash you collect around the lake. As our way of thanking you for the hard work you do to preserve the beauty and water quality of Lake Martin, we will again publish pictures of the cleanup crews in next month’s issue of Lake magazine. Of course, November also is a time of giving thanks – for family and home and all the many blessings we enjoy – but when the traditional Thanksgiving feast with the kids and grandkids eludes you, come to the lake and put together a holiday spread with friends and neighbors here. Jane and Scotty Howell and their dear friends show you how – in story, photos and mouth-watering non-traditional thanksgiving recipes – on page 34. I’m sure you’ve seen at least one roadside poster of Ryder, the German shorthaired pointer that went missing from a lake cabin last summer. Lonna Upton talked with the dog’s owners, Sarah Mallory and Cameron Bradley, about the efforts to find their beloved pet. Find out what you can do to help find Ryder on page 30. We hope you enjoy this issue of Lake, and we look forward to meeting you and thanking you in person for loving Lake Martin.

editor@lakemartinmagazine.com

Publisher STEVE BAKER

editor@lakemartinmagazine.com

Managing Editor BETSY ILER

editor@lakemartinmagazine.com

Assistant Magazine Editor LONNA UPTON

lonna.upton@alexcityoutlook.com

Marketing/Advertising Director TIPPY HUNTER

tippy.hunter@alexcityoutlook.com

EMILY GREGG

emily.gregg@alexcityoutlook.com

JAYLAN REYNOLDS

jaylan.reynolds@alexcityoutlook.com

SCOTT HARDY

scott.hardy@alexcityoutlook.com

Circulation Manager DAVID KENDRICK

david.kendrick@alexcityoutlook.com

Creative Services AUDRA SPEARS

audra.spears@alexcityoutlook.com

DARLENE JOHNSON

darlene.johnson@alexcityoutlook.com

HALLIE HOLLOWAY

hallie.holloway@alexcityoutlook.com

Contributors KENNETH BOONE CLIFF WILLIAMS JOHN COLEY LEE WILLIAMS HENRY FOY MITCH SNEED JOHN THOMPSON DAVID GRANGER JULIE HUDSON GREG VINSON ROB MCDANIEL MITCH EMMONS CATHY HIGGINS All content, including all stories and photos are copyright of:

256-234-4281 Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc. P.O. Box 999 Alexander City, AL 35011

Betsy Iler, Managing Editor 4 LAKE

NOVEMBER 2016


On the Cover Cover: Oysters are on the menu for Thanksgiving at Lake Martin with family and friends. Find decor, recipes, ideas and photographs from Jane and Scotty Howell's event on page 34 to inspire your celebration of all that for which you are thankful. Photo by Kenneth Boone

NOVEMBER 2016

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Contents 20. A GUIDE TO THE LAKE'S BOAT RAMPS Keep this reference to Lake Martin's boat ramps handy during the upcoming fishing season 26. SWITCH CANE Alabama's native canes were vital to the lifestyle of early Americans 30. LOOKING FOR RYDER An Atlanta couple continues the search for their beloved German shorthaired pointer 34. THANKSGIVING AT THE LAKE Friends and family gather for a holiday celebration at Lake Martin

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42. THE WHITE HOUSE A Dadeville lake house sports a museum of memories

LAKE MAGAZINE’S MONTHLY FEATURES: 9. LAKE’S QUICK GUIDE

54. LMRA

TO THE LAKE

52. LAKE Q&A

10. LAKE SCENES

56. BIG CATCHES

14. WHERE IS LAKE?

58. CHEF'S TABLE

16. LAKE EVENTS

59. HEALTHY LIVING

18. LAKE MARTIN NEWS

60. FROM THE CELLAR

41. FAB FINDS

63. PRO TIPS & TEE TALK

50. LAKE PROPERTY

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e

- edition

Lake magazine also features an online, digital edition, available 24 hours a day, free of charge. This edition is perfect to share with friends and family and provides you complete access to stories, photos and advertisements from anywhere in the world with Internet access. View our digital edition today at www.issuu.com.

NOVEMBER 2016

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LAKE MARTIN BUILDING SUPPLY

2695 Dadeville Road

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256.234.5500

Alexander City, AL


Lake’s Quick Guide to the Lake Lake Martin Area Real Estate Indicators Sales Month September 2016 September 2013 September 2010

Number of sales

Average selling price

Median selling price

Days on the market

Total houses for sale

Inventory/ sales ratio

37 23 14

$527,238 $501,887 $696,154

$440,000 $375,000 $384,575

171 156 176

288 354 445

10.67 17.85 28.11

The above numbers are derived from raw sales data from the Lake Martin Area Association of Realtors MLS.The sales noted above are for Lake Martin waterfront residential (single family and condominium) sales only. This information is provided courtesy Lake Martin Realty, LLC. (A Russell Lands, Inc. affiliated company.)

This Month's Fishing Forecast Fishing on Lake Martin should continue to be good all through November as water temperatures gradually cool down, said Randy Baker of Fish Tales Bait & Tackle on Highway 280 in Alexander City. All species will be moving into more shallow water and will be most active in 2 to 10 feet of water. The best time of day for fishing is still early morning when water temperatures are between 72 and 74 degrees, Baker said. “The water temperatures will heat up during the day, but with cooler nights and longer nights, we’ll see those daytime temperatures gradually dropping even more,” he said. “As long as the water temperatures stay between 65 and 75 degrees, the fish will stay active.” These conditions will persist throughout the month unless we see a severe cold snap, but even with the cold nights the area experienced in late October, the water temperature dropped only one degree. “What we really need is some rain to stain the water up a little bit, but we can’t control that,” Baker added.

Lake Adoption Spotlight Alexander City native John Thompson, shows Judge Bill Thompson off the day's haul afterwas one of the first cleaning up a shoreline to adopt a stretch of area of Lake Martin Lake Martin's shoreline in the new Adopt a Trasured Mile/Island program sponsored by Alabama Power Company, Russell Lands on Lake Martin and Lake Martin Resource Association. After many years of cleaning up trash and litter at an area of the the lake known as Land Between the Lakes, Thompson adopted the section, which stretches from the mouth of Parker Creek east to the Sand Island area. "We adopted those areas across from the Willow Point golf course to insure that those sites remain clean," he said. “It is also good exercise, and why not spend some time with friends on the Lake while doing a public service.”

Lake Levels During the Last month

Lake Martin's Weather Outlook for November

Summer: 491 MSL Winter: 481 MSL Highest: 488.93 Lowest: 485.05 Lake elevations are subject to change. Individuals who recreate below Martin Dam and those with boats and water-related equipment on the lake should always stay alert to changing conditions.

Year to Date

For up-to-date lake levels, log on to https://lakes.alabamapower.com.

Precipitation: 37.87 inches Avg. high temp.: 79.3 Avg. low temp.: 55.0 Average temp.: 67.1

Our Normal November Precipitation: 4.38 inches Avg. high temp.: 80.0 Avg. low temp.: 26.0 Average temp.: 53.5 NOVEMBER 2016

November 2016 Forecast

Historically, the Lake Martin area experiences average high temperatures in the 80s with lows in the low 40s and about 4.5 inches of precipitation in the month of November. The National Weather Service has predicted that temperatures will be remain above average this month and rainfall averages will remain below normal. Information from the National Weather Service.

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LAKE SCENE

Email your photos to editor@lakemartinmagazine.com

PEOPLE AND PLACES

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Reader Submissions (1) Two-year-old Will Devers made his first trip to Goat Island on Lake Martin last summer. (2) The Schultz girls enjoy a group hug with their fur babies on the lake. (3) Four-year-old Jaxon Boles caught his first fish with PaPa at North Lake Condo on Lake Martin. (4) Austin Creech plays football Lake Martin style. (5) Tanner McKelvey and Bandit share a loving moment during a July boat ride on the lake. (6) Dalton Daniel and Cody Hanners were so anxious to go paddleboarding on a hot August afternoon that they got on in their blue jeans.

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LAKE SCENE

Email your photos to editor@lakemartinmagazine.com

PEOPLE AND PLACES

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Reader Submissions (1) Lawson Jones, Will Schroeder, Harrison Hebert and Benjamin Van Fleet soak up the last days of summer break on beautiful Lake Martin. (2) Chris Goldschmidt took this photo of a late summer sunset from the boat as they cruised south of Doctors Island on Lake Martin. (3) Cade, Mordan and Beck Alexander, Davis Burke, Trevor Presley and Zavion Miles enjoy one last day on Lake Martin before heading back to school in August. (4) Bella Boyd leaps into the lake while her furry lifeguard looks on. (5) Grace and Margo Ramsey found the end of the rainbow near Cheeseburger Island on Lake Martin in August.

NOVEMBER 2016

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(256) 234-6366

(256) 825-9244 385 East LaFayette Street Dadeville, AL 36853 (256) 825-9244

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We touch the lives of the people you love

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We Touch the Lives of the People You Love NOVEMBER 2016 PM16_DadeRehabHalfPg_Mag3.indd 1 8/12/16 3:14 PM

5/18/16 3:58 PM


Email your photos to editor@lakemartinmagazine.com

LAKE SCENE PEOPLE AND PLACES

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Reader Submissions (1) Amanda Patterson sent this photo of her son, Eli, kayaking on Lake Martin. (2) As temperatures cool in the fall, Lake Martin's sunrises become sharper, like this one sent to us by Cheryl Gainer McCall. (3) Will Howard, Connor Cole, Brandon Kirkland, David Harbarger, Mary Mae Howard and Kane Lang took a floating day on Lake Martin. (4) Layla and Alaina Kissic visited an island near Kowaliga. (5) John Dark got a picture when President O'bama and Democratic presidential candidate Hilary Clinton visited The Real White House in Our Town at Lake Martin.

NOVEMBER 2016

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WHERE IN THE WORLD IS LAKE?

Email your photos to editor@lakemartinmagazine.com

PEOPLE AND PLACES

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Reader Submissions (1) LaJuan, Jordan and Sonya Hutchinson, William and Nora Lawson and Cameron, Nicole, Caden and Cortez Jenkins took Lake to the Bahamas. (2) River Road Baptist Church members Annette Rice, Teresa Pike, Margaret Thornton, Barbara Brown, Robbie Sprayberry, Linda and Ken Nabors, Albert Pike, Martha and Bud Champion and Archie and Annette Klutts took Lake to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. (3) Lake visited the French Riviera with Jan Fitzgerald and Ellen Brooks. (4) Mallory Adair, Robert Forbus, Don and Judy Forbus Baker, Sharon and Gary Graveman took Lake to Santa Cruz. (5) Lake attended Scott Shores and Liz Lowe's wedding in Jamaica with Ty Fields, Debbie Dunaway, Kelly Shores and Chad Shores. (6) Jeremy and Sabrina Davis took Lake to the Bahamas.

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www.ivycreekhealth.com

Our Family Caring For Your Family

a division of

Beth Wade, RN Clinical Director

Since 2004 Lake Martin Hospice has offered the finest care with compassion, excellence and reliability. The entire team lives in the service area and therefore has established relationships with local doctors, drug stores, hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities.

We provide comfort and expert care

Linda Segrest, RN, CHPN Regional Director

Dr. Melissa Thompson, MD Medical Director

• Specialized Nurses educated in palliative care and pain control • Home Care Aides to provide personal care services and to assist with basic needs • Social Workers to ensure your loved one and your family process the emotional end-of-life issues • Spiritual Care Counselors are available to guide patients in meeting their spiritual needs as the end-of-life approaches • Volunteers as needed to provide valuable companionship, emotional support and help in many ways • Medical Equipment and a supplement of personal care items Lake Martin Hospice is available by phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Remember, November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month.

201 Mariarden Road Dadeville, AL 36853 256-825-3272 NOVEMBER 2016

500 Hospital Drive Wetumpka, AL 36092 334-514-0682 LAKE 15


Nov. 2 Luncheon and Veterans’ Program

The Bibb Graves School Alumni and Friends at Millerville, Alabama, between Goodwater and Ashland on Hwy. 9, will hold their monthly luncheon and Veterans’ Program on Nov. 2 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Nov. 4-5 Renew Our Rivers/LMRA Annual cleanup at Lake Martin

Nov. 17 Book Signing

Lee St. John, author of She’s a Keeper! Confessions from a Southern Girl’s Closet, will be at the Dadeville Public Library Thursday, Nov. 17, at 1:30 p.m. to talk about this book and the next in her Keeper series. The Friends will host the author in the library basement at 205 North West Street. Call 256-8257820 for additional information.

Nov. 18 Denim & Diamonds Charity Ball

Contact Lake Martin Resource Association President John The Dadeville Chamber of Commerce will present “An Thompson at 334-323-7880 for details of this year’s cleanup Evening of Giving” to benefit the Lake Martin Area United at Lake Martin. As in the past, large dumpsters will be placed Way at 6 p.m. at the Lake Martin Event Center at The Rodeo in convenient locations around the lake for volunteers to use Club in Dadeville. Tickets are $50 and include steak dinner for disposal of trash removed from the shoreline or roadsides and live music by Lisa & The surrounding the lake. E-Lusion Band. For Find dumpster locaCALENDAR OF EVENTS information and tickets, tions and more detailed call 256-825-4019. information in the WHAT’S HAPPENING ON LAKE MARTIN article on page 18 and in upcoming issues of The Nov. 19 Alexander City Outlook, MainStreet Trains and floats The Dadeville Record, Thanksgiving and Santa and Mrs. The Wetumpka Herald Claus are just some Market and The Tallassee of the seasonal Visit the MainStreet Tribune. favorites at local Thanksgiving Market Christmas parades at Broad Street Plaza Nov. 6 in Alexander City from Dadeville 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. for Christmas Open Thanksgiving treats and specialty homemade House items. Call 256-329Shop local stores in 9337 or visit www.maindowntown Dadeville streetac.org for vendor from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. for information. special discounts, drawings, door prizes and refreshments. Nov. 19

Trade Day

Nov. 12 Holiday in the Country

Cancer Outreach and Community Hope (COACH) will hold the Third Annual Holiday in the Country on Nov. 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Stewartville Volunteer Fire Department, West Coosa Senior Center, 47 County Rd. 70, Sylacauga. The event will feature entertainment, arts and crafts, holiday décor, a car show and motorcylce ride, great food, a silent auction and a Kids’ Korner. For more information, contact coachcountryholiday@gmail.com or visit www. COACHCOOSA.org.

Nov. 13 Annual Holiday Open House

Alexander City businesses will open their doors from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for this annual event showcasing the season’s most festive decorations, gifts and one-of-a-kind sales. Bring the kids to visit with Santa. Call 256-234-3461 for more information. 16 LAKE

The Bibb Graves School Alumni and Friends at the community center in Millerville will hold a trade day with vendors. Booth space is $10. Some are open every Saturday.

Nov. 25-27 Christmas at Crossroads

Enjoy a weekend-long opening of the Christmas season. Shop the Company Store for Christmas gifts from Cloud Nine and hand crafted items created by local artisans. Stop in at Catherine’s Market for discounts and giveaways. Bring the entire family to admire the town decorations and revel in the Christmas spirit while shopping the arts and crafts from local and regional artisans at the Holiday Market at The Stables. Santa arrives in town to see all the boys and girls, too. For information or to register as a vendor, call 256-794-1397 or visit www.russellcrossroads.com.

NOVEMBER 2016


Nov. 26 Bingo Night

The Bibb Graves School Alumni and Friendsat the community center in Millerville will have a family Bingo night. All proceeds go to help rebuild the school.

Dec. 1 Tennessee Christmas

Alexander City Arts Council will present Tennessee Christmas at Benjamin Russell High School Auditorium, 225 Heard Boulevard, Alexander City. Showtime is 7 p.m. A Tennessee Christmas highlights Meagan Taylor and Jason Coleman’s vocal harmonies, as well as the finger style guitar and slip note piano made famous by Meagan’s uncle, Chet Atkins, and Jason’s grandfather, Floyd Cramer. The show features a mix of vocal and instrumental songs that celebrate all that is good about Christmas. For more information, call 256496-2424 or email karenjennings124@gmail.com with “Arts Council” in the subject line.

Dec. 5 Hometown Christmas Parade

Presented by the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce, join the fun as one of East Alabama’s largest parades winds through downtown with elaborate floats, dancers, bands, Santa Claus and more! This year's theme is “Christmas Carols.” Call 256-234-3461 for more information.

Dec. 8 The Vision

Electronics Recycling

The City of Alexander City Public Works Department hosts an electronics recycling event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. Items accepted include computers, computer mouse, keyboards, modems or routers, CD and DVD players, power supplies, PC mix systems, home or cell phones, printers or copiers, mainframe servers, audio/ video adapters, laptop chargers, cable boxes, nickel cadmium or lithium ion batteries, and flat screen monitors and televisions. CRT monitors and televisions are no longer accepted. For more information, call the Alexander City Public Works Department at 256-409-2020.

Santuck Flea Market

The Santuck Flea Market is held the first Saturday of each month except January and February. The Santuck Flea Market is located at 7300 Central Plank Road, Highway 9 in Wetumpka.

Sarah Carlisle Towery Art Colony Exhibit

The Sarah Carlisle Towery Art Colony on Lake Martin exhibit is on display at the Alexander City Board of Education building all year long. The BOE is located at 375 Lee Street.

$20 on the 20th

Turn the television to WAXC TV Channel 3 for the Alexander City Theatre II production of The Vision by William Grandgeorge. The play features local actors retelling an old Bavarian folk tale about a shoemaker who has a vision that Christ will visit his humble shop on Christmas Eve Day. Check local listings and the Alex City Theatre II Facebook page for details.

Dec. 11 Dadeville Christmas Parade

The theme for this year's Christmas Parade is “Spirit of a Hometown Christmas.” The parade begins at 3 p.m., though vendors will be around the Courthouse Square at 1 p.m. To enter a float, contact the Chamber office at 256-825-4019 for an application.

Season-Long Events Library Storytime in Dadeville

Storytime for children ages 5 and younger is held at the Dadeville Public Library every Tuesday at 10 a.m.

Adelia M. Russell Library Events

room on Fridays after school until 4:30 p.m. Bring handheld games or games from home (no games rated M allowed). Participants should be picked up by 4:30 p.m. For information, call 256-329-6796.

Mamie’s Place Children’s Library holds themed storytime every Wednesday at 10 a.m. The library also hosts a kidfriendly movie at Mamie’s Place Children’s Library on the first Tuesday of each month. The show starts at 10 a.m. And kids ages 12 to 17 are invited to the Gamer's Club in the conference

The Dadeville Area Chamber of Commerce is asking our community to “Spend $20 on the 20th” of each month to help our local economy.

Children’s Harbor Treasures and Thrift Store

Located on Highway 63 just south of Lake Martin Amphitheater, the Children’s Harbor Thrift Store is open Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. You never know what gems you might find – from clothes and household items to boats. Proceeds are used to help fund the activities at the Lake Martin campus of Children’s Harbor and the Family Center at Children's Hospital. Call 334-857-2008 for more information.

Memory Makers Quilt Guild

Meets the second and fourth Mondays at the Senior Center on the Charles E. Bailey Sportplex campus. Participants come and go between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. with a business meeting at 5 p.m., followed by show-and-tell. Bring sewing projects, machines and questions.

Antique Car Cruise-in

On the first Saturday of each month, car enthusiasts cruise into Arby’s parking lot on Highway 280 in Alexander City from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Join the fun and enjoy an era of classic cars and classic music.

NOVEMBER 2016

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Lake Martin News Renew Our Rivers Cleanup scheduled for this weekend

Ken and Tonya Holland, along with Tonya’s sister Tammie McVicker, got an early start on this year’s Renew Our Rivers Lake Martin cleanup. The Hollands, River Oaks’ property owners, have been cleaning up trash in the Wind Creek/Dennis Creek area for three years and discovered an extensive litter cache from which they have filled more than 200 trash bags. “For the past three years, this trio has picked up an enormous amount of trash from the absolute worst areas of the lake, trash that has accumulated over the years and settled in driftwood where it is unseen until it is walked over,” said Lake Martin Resource Association (LMRA) President John Thompson, who coordinates the annual Lake Martin cleanup effort. The cleanup, which is sponsored by LMRA, Alabama Power Company, Russell Lands On Lake Martin and Advanced Disposal, plants dumpsters around the lake area and supports cleanup volunteers with bags, pickers and safety vests. Volunteers can work independently or sign up at a dumpster site for a cleanup assignment between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on both days of the annual effort. Collected trash can be dropped off at dumpster locations between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Friday and Saturday during cleanup weekend. Volunteers dropping trash at dumpster sites will receive free T-shirts that were designed by an elementary school student. Dumpsters will be located at Wind Creek State Park, the Kowaliga boat ramp and Singleton’s Blue Creek Marina. In the Real Island area, volunteers will have access to the dumpsters at Real Island Marina. “The partnership with Wind Creek State Park was a huge success last year and will be included again this year,” said Thompson. “I am particularly excited about John Thompson, Tammie McVicker, Bill Thompson and Ken Holland after a morning of picking up trash at Lake Martin

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the Singleton’s Blue Creek Marina location. This will be our first time to have a dumpster located in that area.” On cleanup Saturday, officials at Wind Creek will shuttle volunteers to shoreline areas to gather litter and trash within the park boundaries. Local Scout groups also will work inside the park on Saturday. Cleanup volunteers will be encouraged to separate recyclables, as those items will be delivered to the Alexander City Recycling Center to prevent their addition to a landfill. Additional volunteers will be available at dumpster sites from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. to assist with unloading boats or vehicles. If transportation of the collected trash proves difficult, Thompson said, arrangements can be made to have it picked up. Last year, more than 300 volunteers removed more than 9 tons of trash around the lake to help maintain the Treasured Lake status of Lake Martin. To volunteer at a dumpster location or for more information about this year’s cleanup, contact Thompson at john.thompson@hcsinc.net. ~ Betsy Iler

Lake Watch Lake Martin celebrates 25th anniversary

Lake Watch Lake Martin last month celebrated 25 years of monitoring water quality in Lake Martin with a luncheon and program featuring Dr. Bill Deutsch, retired director of Alabama Water Watch, at the Oscar C. Dunn Rotary Environmental Center at Camp ASCCA in Jackson’s Gap. The volunteer water-monitoring organization was founded in 1991 to protect and improve the water quality after a city landfill leakage in 1989 threatened the lake. Since then, Lake Watch has been instrumental in providing water quality data that led to the 2011 Treasured Lake designation for Lake Martin. Lake Watch also has worked on water quality issues that include the relicensing of Martin Dam and the Water Wars, said Richard Bronson, founder and former president of Lake Watch Lake Martin. Deutsch congratulated Lake Watch for its longevity and progress. “Water-related groups usually last less than five years,” Deutsch said. Staying involved at the state level has helped to keep the volunteer-based group viable, said Cindy Lowry with the Alabama River Alliance. “It’s groups that stay involved with other groups and realize the environmental problems are not just in their own backyard. These are groups that have made a difference – made improvements,” Lowery told the audience of about 50 who attended the anniversary event. Alabama, Deutsch said, is among the top five environmentally sound states in the country, though it is second from last in governmental funding dedicated to the environment.

NOVEMBER 2016


“I think it shows the country and the world that you don’t need to be from the Northwest to do something about the environment,” Deutsch said. “Citizen action is effective.” Alabama’s Easter Seals Camp, ASCCA includes 230 acres of property along 1.5 miles of shoreline in the upper reaches of Lake Martin. ~ Betsy Iler

Shoreline management event draws best crowd yet

Approximately 45 Lake Martin property owners and others gathered at Creekside Lodge in Dadeville last month to ask questions of Alabama Power Company Shoreline Management staff and learn more about the new Treasured Mile program. According to Rhett Hanks, Alabama Power Company’s regional coordinator for shoreline management, the turnout was one of the best the power company has had for the annual event in recent years. “This is a good turnout for us, probably the best crowd we’ve had in a few years,” Hanks said. “We wanted it to be very informal so that everyone would feel comfortable interacting with our staff.” Indeed, the event was informal. Property owners milled about, occasionally stopping to chat with neighbors or friends or cornering an Alabama Power employee with their questions. “We had a few issues come up,” Hanks said. “One lady was concerned about her neighbor feeding geese. She said she’d had the water tested at her place and that it came back positive for e. coli bacteria. We’ll turn that over to our environmental guys, and they’ll do what they can. “We had another property owner that was concerned about some aquatic vegetation that was growing on her lot. She said she had tried to get rid of it and couldn’t. She also said she had some kudzu either on hers or an adjacent lot that she wondered if we could do something about.” According to Hanks, there were no questions posed to him about permitting issues, but the company did make available on a table at the event applications for lakeshoreuse permits and other associated documents, as well as signage for property owners to post on their structures permit numbers. One of the people getting the most traffic from the mingling crowd was John Thompson, president of the Lake Martin Resource Association, who was there to spread the word about the Treasured Mile program, a cleanup program launched in October by LMRA, Alabama Power and Russell Lands. The Treasured Mile program allows individuals or groups to adopt an island or section of Lake Martin shoreline for regular litter patrol and cleanup. “”I’ve had a lot of people express interest in the program,” said Thompson. “A lot of people that have talked to me about it read about it in Lake magazine. We’ve had a very good response, and I think we’re on a good track. I haven’t had anyone sign up today, but I’ve talked to some that were extremely interested.” ~ David Granger NOVEMBER 2016

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A Guide to Lake Martin's Boat Ramps

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hough the drought prevented the recently approved conprehensive guide to Lake ditional fall extension of the summer pool at Lake Martin Martin’s ramps for boaters. this year, recreational and angling boaters are looking forThe chart on on the followward to the first full season of the higher winter pool, as granted ing pages includes GPS coordinates for the lake’s ramp locain Alabama Power Company’s current license to operate tions, along with access notes, launch lanes, docks, parking Martin Dam. The license that the Federal Energy Regulatory availability, handicapped access, fishing piers – even whether Commission issued to the power company last December or not each site has bathrooms. We’ve also included that most allows a winter pool of 484 feet – 3 feet, or 33 billion gallons, important piece of information: winter access. more water than the lake enjoyed under the expired license. Where we could find it, we’ve included the actual minimum The higher water level not only means more properties will water level required for use of a particular ramp, and for ramps enjoy year round access to the lake but also, access has opened without that data, we’ve relied on the experiences of local boatup to several public boat ramps that previously were not availers and anglers for access information. able for use in winter. We hope boaters will keep this issue of Lake magazine We’ve done the homework on the lake’s boat ramps for this handy in the launch and at the cabin, so it will be easy to find feature; making phone calls, searching out the statistics and the perfect place to put in for a great day on Lake Martin all making personal visits to some of the sites to develop a comwinter long. 20 LAKE NOVEMBER 2016


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Timbergut Landing

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280

Horseshoe Bend National Park

Jaybird Landing

Alexander City

Camp ASCCA

9 Flint Hill Church 280

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Jacksons Gap Piney Woods Landing

Wind Creek State Park

280 Pleasant Grove Church

11

Alex City Boat Ramp

Mt. Zion Church

259 9

63

Dadeville

Bethel Church

128

Russell Farms Baptist Church

D.A.R.E. Park Landing

Friendship Church

57

280 New Hope Church

20

Liberty Church

Camp Hill

Smith Landing Willow Point

Pleasant Ridge Church

24

34

63 Camp Alamisco

Equality

Kowaliga Boat Landing

Lake Martin Baptist Church 49 Church of the Living Waters

The Ridge

55

Seman

Church in The Pines Camp Kiwanis

Trillium

Stillwaters

Union Landing

Children’s Harbor The Amp Ko

wa

lig

a Ba

y

Walnut Hill 50

80

9

Central

90

50

Union

Union Church

Red Hill 63

49 229

Eclectic

GEOGRAPHY 101 Tallassee

Kent

Reeltown

STORY BY MITCH EMMONS & BETSY ILER & PHOTO BY KENNETH BOONE

NOVEMBER 2016

LAKE 21


Launch Docks Lanes

Boat Ramp

County

Latitude Longitude

Use

Alex City Boat Ramp

Tallapoosa

32.91723º

-85.88246º

Public

2

1

Yes

Anchor Bay (AKA Castaway)

Elmore

32.42436º

-85.56171º

Public

1

1

Yes

Bakers Bottom

Tallapoosa

32.94892º

-85.87081º

Public

1

None

No

Bay Pine

Tallapoosa

32.50399º

-85.52575º

Public

1

1

Yes

Castaway (AKA Anchor Bay)

Elmore

32.71177º

-85.93864º

Public

1

1

Yes

Coley Creek

Tallapoosa

32.92817º

-85.88574º

Public

1

None

No

Double Bridges Park

Tallapoosa

32.73943º

-86.06352º

Public

1

None

No

Jaybird Landing

Tallapoosa

32.95653º

-85.81003º

Public

1

None

No

Kowaliga Boat Ramp

Elmore

32.74417º

-85.96111º

Public

2

1

Yes

Little Kowaliga

Elmore

32.73943º

-86.06352º

Public

1

None

No

Madwind Creek (AKA Windy Point)

Tallapoosa

32.85516º

-85.85319º

Public

1

1

Yes

Maxwell/Gunter Recreation Area

Tallapoosa

32.77591º

-85.82287º

No

X

X

X

New Hope Ramp

Tallapoosa

32.81097º

-85.9175º

Public

X

X

X

Oakachoy Creek

Coosa

32.82816º

-85.01773º

Public

1

None

No

Paces Point (AKA Pleasure Point)

Tallapoosa

32.78047º

-85.87715º

Public

1

2

Yes

Piney Woods Landing

Tallapoosa

32.86912º

-85.91689º

Public

1

1

No

Parker Creek

Tallapoosa

32.46318º

-86.01143º

Public

X

X

X

Smith Mtn. Landing

Tallapoosa

32.79804º

-85.81962º

Public

1

2

Yes

Union

Tallapoosa

32.73697º

-85.85442º

Public

2

1

No

Wind Creek

Tallapoosa

32.85453º

-85.93507º

Public

6

6

No

Dare Park (AKA Young's Island)

Tallapoosa

32.49181º

-85.51158º

Public

1

2

Yes

22 LAKE

NOVEMBER 2016

Lighting


Parking Spaces

Paving

Restrooms

Handicapped Accessible

Fishing Pier

Winter Water Level Access

46

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Area

Yes

No

No

No

480'

Area

Dirt

No

No

No

No

None

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Area

Yes

No

No

No

480'

Dirt lot

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

None

Yes

No

No

No

Area

Dirt

No

No

No

Yes

41

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

None

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

13

Yes

No

No

No

No

X

X

X

X

X

Notes

Boat ramp access 24-7. Marina is closed on Monday. Wet slips and dry boat storage are available.

Special winter weekend hours at marina. Call 256.825.0999

This ramp may no longer be in use.

479'

Military personnel or retirees only. Call 256-825-6251 for information. Church grounds private and off limits to fishing and other recreational uses.

X

X

X

X

X

X

None

Yes

No

No

No

No

50

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

21

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

X

X

X

X

X

481'

12

Yes

No

No

No

No

30

Yes

No

No

No

483'

300

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

$4 Access fee to park. Courtesy docks: 1 stationary; 8 floating

21

Yes

Yes

No

No

482'

Day use only facility

NOVEMBER 2016

LAKE 23


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24 LAKE

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NOVEMBER 2016

LAKE 25


Switch Cane

T

hough you wouldn’t know it from walking in should be separate species. Alabama’s forests today, before European settlers The common names for both varieties are appropriately arrived our state contained vast expanses of native cane. descriptive. Arundinaria gigantea is both giant at up to 30 Landscape covered in cane was so dense and impressive feet tall and found alongside rivers. Early explorers and setthat it had it’s own name – canebrake – and it rivaled the vast tlers making their ways though Alabama on our rivers spoke longleaf pine stands as one of Alabama’s most distinctive of massive canebrakes on the shorelines. The smaller switch ecosystems. In fact, sometimes native cane carpeted the forest cane would be an obvious choice if making a switch or an floor below our pine and oak forests. arrow. Native cane, which is a grass that looks very similar to Switch cane is common along the shorelines of the Asian bamboos, grows in moist areas and floodplains around Tallapoosa River and the creeks that flow into Lake Martin, as rivers, swamps and lakes, as well in more upland areas with well as higher up in moist areas in our hills. The plant grows high moisture. throughout the southeastern U.S. from Virginia or even further Alabama’s native canes are Arundinaria gigantea – called north to Texas. Native cane reproduces through underground giant or river cane – and its smaller subspecies Arundinaria rhizomes, forming a dense colony that can reach more than gigantic tecta – called switch cane or arrow cane – which is 150,000 shoots per acre. The cane shoots can grow extremely pictured here. The two varieties are very hard to distinguish quickly in a prime area, up to 1-1/2 inches per day. except by their height at maturity. They are usually considered This perennial grass has a round, hollow stem and everthe same species, though some scientists think the two canes green, lance-shaped leaves. It can flower and produce seeds, 26 LAKE NOVEMBER 2016


NATURE OF THE LAKE BY KENNETH BOONE

but does so rarely. The stem of native cane can be 3 inches One of the most famous Native American uses of native wide or wider and can grow up to 33 feet tall, though switch cane is in basket weaving, an art still in practice today among cane is much smaller at 6-8 feet tall. the Cherokees who make beautiful, highly artistic baskets and Native cane is a U.S. cousin to the bamboos of Asia, bowls from the cane. many which have been imported into our country, where William Bartram, the famous naturalist and explorer, they escaped gardens to become invasive species. Most tall described them as “an endless wilderness of canes” and said bamboo now found in Alabama is the Asian variety, usually cane he found on the Tombigbee River was “thick as a man’s planted to use as cane poles or landscaping. arm, or three or four inches in diameter; I suppose one joint of Cane has an unusual relationship with fire. It is relatively some of them would contain above a quart of water.” fire-resistant and benefits from occasional wildfires, which Alabama naturalist John C. Hall wrote “Indian Agent kill competing plants on the forest floor; however, cane can Benjamin Hawkins described a 900-acre canebrake north of be destroyed by too frequent burning. The Native Americans Montgomery that covered the entire bend of the Alabama understood this and used controlled burns to maintain and River now traversed by I-65 from North Boulevard to the promote canebrakes, which they depended on for many prodPrattville exit. General Thomas Woodward recalled that a ucts, including spears, arrows, quivers, blowguns, fish traps, prominent Creek warrior, Hossa Yaholo, and his family hid in canteens, containers, rafts, flutes, matting used inside houses that brake from General Andrew Jackson after the Battle of for sleeping, lashings, building material used as framing, Horseshoe Bend. The canebrakes were the subject of songs, knives, candles, tobacco pipes and other items. stories and tall-tales, and famed frontiersman and politiNOVEMBER 2016 LAKE 27


cian Davy Crocket was known as ‘the Canebrake Congressman.’” European settlers used canebrakes as prime cattle grazing sites and associated canebrakes with good soil, so they often grazed down and then plowed canebrakes to convert them to cotton fields. Once an area was settled, wildfires were suppressed, which allowed other plants to thin out the cane left in the margins of the fields. Eventually, because of overgrazing and farming, the state’s huge canebrakes went the way of the passenger pigeon.

A number of animals still use native cane for shelter and food. Scientists think the decline of Bachman’s warbler may be directly related to the loss of canebrakes since the songbird made its nests there. Cane habitats are important for other warblers and are a food source for the southern pearly eye butterfly. Some information for this article came from an article written by John C. Hall, University of West Alabama and published by the Encyclopedia of Alabama, Wikipedia and Mississippi State University’s website.

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28 LAKE

NOVEMBER 2016


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Contact: Stacey Jones 256.215.7035 www.KowaligaRestaurant.com LAKE 29


Looking for Ryder STORY BY LONNA UPTON

S

arah Mallory and Cameron Bradley have relied on the kindness of strangers since their dog Ryder, frightened by neighbors’ fireworks, disappeared on July 2 from a cabin on the lake near Willow Point. They also have learned that the kindness of strangers can be the silver lining in a very dark cloud. A German shorthaired pointer (GSP), Ryder has been with the couple since she was six weeks old. She will be three years old in December. “She is our only child, our fur child,” Mallory said. “She is affectionate and super smart. When we are at home by ourselves, she is constantly touching me.” Mallory and Bradley graduated from Auburn in 2013 and live in Greenville, South Carolina. Mallory is a flight attendant, while Bradley is a mechanical engineer. They have friends from their Auburn days who live on Lake Martin, and the couple has visited the lake with Ryder many times. “Where we go, Ryder goes. If we are tailgating at Auburn, she is with us. If we go to see friends, she is with us. Our lives really revolve around her,” she said. “Ryder is

The search for German shortheaired pointer Ryder continues around the lake

30 LAKE

NOVEMBER 2016


used to walking with me and running with him (Bradley), sometimes 4 to 5 miles a day. She is a graceful runner, but very fast. She looks like a deer or an antelope when she runs,” Mallory explained. Ryder’s disappearance opened their eyes to a world they never knew existed, Mallory said. They now understand the heartbreak suffered by thousands of others who have lost beloved pets. “It’s like she disappeared into thin air,” Mallory said. “It is such a helpless feeling.” They spent the entire night Ryder disappeared and the following day with family and friends searching the area, walking Russell Lands trails and calling for Ryder. On day two, they called the Alexander City Police Department. Mallory posted the search on Facebook, and they began getting calls of sightings almost immediately. On July 5, the police called to say they believed they had seen Ryder in downtown Alexander City. The couple searched by car and on foot from 4 a.m. until the sun came up. They discovered that the dog the officers had seen was actually black; Ryder is not black. Other sightings have proved just as frustrating. After researching what to do when a pet goes missing, the couple decided to contact an Arkansas-based canine search and rescue organization. They paid an investigator to come to Alexander City with five dogs trained to pick up a scent and follow it. They Ryder at started the search at the cabin an Auburn with one of Ryder’s plush University toys. The dogs were taken to tailgate the area of both downtown party sightings. For hours, they walked through downtown streets. Every time someone they met said he thought he had seen Ryder, Mallory put up a sign in that location. At one point that day, someone said he had seen Ryder behind Walmart. Everyone headed to that area where the dogs did pick up the scent. Mallory and Bradley spent the night in the truck right at the edge of the brush. “We went to McDonalds and bought cheeseburgers to put at the edge of the brush. We thought maybe she would smell the food and come out,” Mallory explained. The next morning, they were on the trail again, but after three days, they sent the tracker home. Mallory stayed in the area for two weeks to continue the search but eventually headed back home. They have found themselves in a few

precarious situations, feeling a bit like trespassers, but they have also had unmarked police cars approach to see if they were ok; strangers asking to put signs in their yards; sympathy poured out to them on Facebook. Facebook has proved invaluable in helping to get the word out. Their Facebook page has reached thousands of people. Mallory has posted information about Ryder to every shelter, kennel and breeder of GSPs she could locate, inside and outside of Alabama. Although Ryder has never hunted, since GSPs are hunting dogs, she has contacted hunting dog trainers to let them know about Ryder. She has people in Tallapoosa County who contact her daily to check on her and to see if there is any news. New friends who were once strangers continue to post that the search is ongoing and check the Craig’s List postings in different cities daily to see if Ryder might be listed as found or for sale. “One mom told me her son asks if they can leave for school early every day so they can spend some time looking for Ryder on the way,” she said. Mallory takes every opportunity to talk about Ryder. “On one of my flights, I saw two couples with Auburn hats on, and one person had on a Lake Martin shirt. One of the couples lived at the lake. I told them I was the person with all the signs. They were actually one of the families that had requested one of my yard signs, ” she explained. The couples promised to post Ryder’s photo and the story. While searching, Mallory and Bradley have met hundreds of people, in person and through Facebook, all willing to help. They cannot believe the outpouring of support they have received from total strangers. “I always try to find something good in the bad. We have met hundreds of wonderful people who have helped. We are thankful for that! But we want our baby!” Mallory said. Mallory and Bradley have set up a GoFundMe page (www.gofundme.com/findryder 2016), which has been an avenue for people who wanted to help them with the cost of the search so far. Anything given to them after Sept. 27 will be added to the current $2,000 reward for her return or information leading to her recovery. Anyone with information about Ryder is asked to contact them through Facebook (Facebook.com/FindRyder2016/) or at 478-284-5771.

NOVEMBER 2016

LAKE 31


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NOVEMBER 2016

LAKE 33


A sprig of rosemary on a white plate layered over a gold charger adds an air of celebration to the Thanksgiving table

Thanksgiving at the Lake Friends and family gather for a holiday celebration on Lake Martin STORY BY LONNA UPTON PHOTOS BY KENNETH BOONE

34 LAKE

NOVEMBER 2016


A

t Lake Martin, giving thanks for friends is nothing new. When relatives can’t make it for Thanksgiving, friends turn to each other, and giving thanks for those friends is a wonderful way to celebrate Thanksgiving on the lake. For this year’s Thanksgiving feature in Lake, six couples gathered at the Willow Point home of Scotty and Jane Howell to celebrate their friendships and the lake with great food and drink. The Howell’s son John and his wife Lacey also joined the festivities. “We know each other well. Several of the men even went to high school together, and we have traveled together. But, with all the grandchildren in our lives, we do not have as much time for each other as we would like. This is fun!” said Jan Hare. Although the couples gather together as often as possible, sometimes that’s only two or three times a year. This “Friendsgiving” gathering was a chance to feast on their favorite dishes, share stories from the last few months and reconnect in an atmosphere of gratitude. “Life is better on the lake, so Thanksgiving is, too. If you can’t be with blood relatives, be with friends who are like family,” suggested Sandy Thompson. The Howells’ two-story windows with a view of the sun setting over the lake provided

A fresh pumpkin makes a decorative dish for the occasion

Being with friends and family is the best part of the holiday

NOVEMBER 2016

LAKE 35


The baked pumpkin flavors the cheese in this Queso Fundido

Scotty Howell tends the bar in festive fall attire This special celebration on the lake calls for just the right wine glasses

Jane and Jan make final table preparations

36 LAKE

NOVEMBER 2016


John and Lacey Howell take a quiet moment together as the sun sets on the lake

The food is as good as the company at this Thanksgiving feast

The salad ofers an interesting combination of flavors with cranberries, avocados, oranges and bleu cheese

NOVEMBER 2016

the perfect backdrop for the evening’s event. Guests were free to enjoy the back porch, the dock and an outside bar area, as well as inside around the pool table, and of course, to find comfort in the kitchen. Décor for the dinner was understated and elegant – perfectly placed traditional figurines of pumpkins, fall colors in the linens, fresh herbs and greenery. The friends know that Thanksgiving does not have to be about traditional food, so they made the decision that this event would include some old favorites and some new dishes with a Thanksgiving twist. Because these couples know each other, they naturally gravitated toward their specialties, dividing the cooking labor based on past events together and what they enjoy cooking. The evening began with Scotty Howell tending bar, serving wine and other spirits. The group took advantage of the sunset and perfect weather during the before-dinner hour and moved all of the food and fun to an outside bar area next to the beach. The temperature was just right for a few to have their toes in the sand. With the sun sinking toward the horizon, the friends enjoyed hor d’oeurves: Jane Howell’s tray of fruit, cheese and crackers; Richie Radney’s oysters on the half shell; and Sandy Thompson’s Queso Fundido in a Pumpkin, adding Thanksgiving flavor and flair. Guests arrived to find two tables, one inside

LAKE 37


Spinach Artichoke Casserole with Hollandaise 2 (10 oz.) packages frozen, chopped spinach 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms 6 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon flour 1/2 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 2 (14 oz.) cans of artichokes 1 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise 1 cup sour cream 1/4 lemon juice Seasoned paprika

Guests nibbled on an assortment of cheeses and fruit before dinner

and one on the porch, attractively set with chargers, linens, plates and rosemary garnish sprigs layered and tied with small raffia ribbons. Water was served in mason jars, adding more character to the setting. As a centerpiece, Jane arranged four candlesticks holding small pumpkinshaped candles alongside a metal planter, built by Scotty. She had filled the planter with succulents over the summer, and it added color and texture to the table. As everyone moved inside, the buffet area took shape, and guests served themselves casually. Jan Hare served Winter Fruit Salad with Poppyseed Dressing in a hollowed pumpkin bowl; Sandy Thompson prepared dessert, a Dried Fig and Pear Crostata; Richie Radney cooked Spinach and Artichokes with Hollandaise; Lacey Howell brought Roasted Butternut Squash; Joyce Riley shared a Cranberry, Glazed Walnut, Orange, Avocado and Blue Cheese Salad. And, for the main dish: Salmon with Cranberry Sauce ala Gary and Kay Thomas. “Gary and Kay always cook the salmon on the Big Green Egg. It is amazing,” Jane said. When dinner had been served, the friends joined hands, and thanked God for the food and the fellowship among them, reflecting on the year that had passed and preparing for the year of blessings to come. “How many close friends live within a mile of each other, as the crow flies, and can get together like this? That’s the blessing!” Gary said. 38 LAKE

Cook spinach according to package directions and drain. Saute chopped mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter. Set aside. Make a cream sauce by melting 2 tablespoons butter in heavy sauce pan; add flour and cook until bubbly. Add milk, stirring constantly over low heat until smooth. Add salt, garlic powder, pepper and nutmeg; then, add spinach and chopped mushrooms. Remove from heat. Drain artichokes and chop. Put in buttered baking dish. Cover artichokes with creamed spinach. To make hollandaise sauce, combine mayonnaise, sour cream and lemon juice. Blend thoroughly. Cover spinach with hollandaise. Sprinkle with seasoned paprika. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes until heated through.

NOVEMBER 2016

Roasted Butternut Squash 2 large butternut squash 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon dried rosemary 1/2 cup feta cheese 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1 teaspoon parsley, optional Peel and square two squash. Spread on bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and top with rosemary. Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until squash are golden.

Cranberry, Glazed Walnut, Orange, Avocado, and Bleu Cheese Salad 1 (5.5 oz.) package mixed salad greens with spinach 3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries 3/4 cup glazed walnuts 1 (15 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained 3/4 cup crumbled bleu cheese 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced 2 tablespoons cranberry vinaigrette salad dressing or to taste Combine all ingredients, drizzle with dressing and serve.


Thanksgiving Recipes Queso Fundido 1 pumpkin, about 3 pounds 3 cups grated mozzarella cheese 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 teaspoons dried oregano 2 teaspoons dried basil Olive oil Kosher salt, to taste Fresh ground pepper, to taste Chili oil, for topping Cilantro leaves, for garnish Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil. Cut top off of pumpkin and discard. Hollow out pumpkin. Hint: Make sure not to remove too much pumpkin from the inside, as pumpkin will add flavor to queso fundido. Place pumpkin on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on center rack of oven. Bake 45-50 minutes. In a bowl, add mozzarella and parmesan cheese and dried herbs. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to mix. Place cheese inside hollowed pumpkin and bake for about 25 minutes until cheese has melted. Remove from oven and drizzle chili oil on cheese and top with cilantro leaves for garnish.

Dried Fig and Pear Crostata

Salmon with Cranberry Sauce

3/4 cups all-purpose flour (plus 1 tablespoon flour separated) 1/2 cup blanched hazelnuts, toasted and ground 1/3 cup sugar (plus 1 teaspoon sugar separated) Dash of salt 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water 4 pounds firm, ripe pears, cut into 1/2-inch wedges 1/4 cup chopped dried figs 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg Whipping cream

4 salmon fillets or 4 salmon steaks 1/2 cup cranberry sauce 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon chopped shallots or onion 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon lemon juice 2 teaspoon parsley Salt and pepper

To make the crust, pulse 3/4 cups of flour, hazelnuts, 1/3 cup of sugar. While machine is running, slowly add 1/4 cup water and process until mixture just begins to hold together. You will not use all the dough (probably 3/4 of it). Refrigerate. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough. Transfer to parchment paper. To make filling, combine pears, sugar, figs, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour into crust, leaving 1 inch around outside. Fold up on sides. Bake until crust is brown and pears are soft. Serve with whipping cream.

Oven Method: Broil salmon in oven for seven minutes about 8 inches from heat source. Remove salmon from oven and spread cranberry sauce mixture over top of each fillet. Make sure layer of sauce is fairly even. Place salmon back in oven and broil another five to seven minutes, until salmon is done and topping is bubbly. Remove from oven and serve.

In a bowl, combine cranberry sauce, Dijon and shallots. Stir well to combine. Set aside. Lay out salmon fillets. Rub fillets with olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper.

Winter Fruit Salad with Poppyseed Dressing 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon poppy seeds 1 teaspoon dried mustard 1 teaspoon salt 8 mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented 4 apples (preferably 2 gala and 2 golden delicious) 4 ripe kiwis, peeled and diced 4 bananas, peeled and diced 1-1/2 cups pomegranate arils 1 cup blueberries 1 cup purple grapes (halved) For dressing, whisk together vinegar and sugar in a bowl or jar. Mix in olive oil, dried mustard and salt. Stir in poppy seeds. Set dressing aside. In a salad bowl, toss together all of the fruit. Pour dressing over top and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately for best results.

Big Green Egg Method: Heat coals to 350-400 degrees. Cook filets for 10 minutes. Remove salmon and spread cranberry sauce mixture over top of each filet. Cook for 10 minutes.

NOVEMBER 2016

LAKE 39


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LET’S BUILD Office (256) 268-8309 | Visit us at customdocksllc.com Bobcat Service for all your land clearing or site preparation needs! 40 LAKE

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FROM OUR REAL ESTATE ADVERTISERS

FABULOUS FINDS

136 Oaks Point • $879,000 Incredible custom lake home on large point lot with 424 Ft. wf. Near Hwy 280. 4 BR, 4 Bath with four car garage. Solid oak flooring and cabinets, oak panel library, home theather...Call to see today! Great Value! First Realty Call Bill Whatley 256-234-5163 www.lakemartinhomes.net

1923 Point Windy Drive, Jacksons Gap • $715,000 Awake to stunning sunrises in this fantastic lake home, movein ready, offering outstanding water views and tons of space. Located on a spacious, level lot in a quiet location. Custom built w/gorgeous heart pine flooring and oversized rooms. Open LR/DR/Kit w/high ceilings, stone FP, SS appliances, granite, 5BD/5.5BA, three family rms,, lg. closets and plenty of storage areas. RE/MAX Around the Lake Call Amanda Scroggins 256-749-6634 www.amandascroggins.com

63 Wind Trace, Alexander City • $379,000 Owner MUST SELL! Your money could not buy more...in this 5Br/3.5Ba home located in the upscale neighborhood of Windermere West! Open Fam Rm w/18ft ceilings,FP, hardwood floors, lots of windows open to deck. Eat-in kit w/huge pantry, formal DR w/tray ceiling & crown molding. Master BR on main w/fp & lg bath w/ separate tub & shower. 3BR, 1BA upstairs, 2BR&/or study, 1BA & 2nd family rm downstairs. RE/MAX Around the Lake Call Samantha Spurlin 256-786-0650 www.samanthaspurlin.com

35 Canoe Point, Equality • $795,000 New Construction. The Shell Cracker XL is a great terrace level floor plan designed by Mitch Ginn. Home features two bedrooms and baths on both main and terrace levels. Terrace also has game room with summer kitchen. Located in the new development of Cedar Point with large lots and incredible views. This pre-sale package includes the lot, cottage, seawall, and dock. Lake Martin Realty Damon Story 205.789.9526 www.LakeMartinRealty.com

139 Cedar Drive, Equality • $760,000 Proposed new construction. Plans by architect Mitch Ginn. The Spot Tail's design provides a great place to relax or entertain guests with its open living, dining and kitchen area. Located in the new development of Cedar Point. Large lots with incredible views. Lake Martin Realty Damon Story 205.789.9526 www.LakeMartinRealty.com

396 Holley Mill Road, Eclectic • $395,000 Beautiful custom 4 BR, 4 BA home on 10 fenced acres with barn and pond. Located in the Eclectic school district just 5 minutes from Kowaliga on Lake Martin. Home has surround sound with custom built-in entertainment center. Bonus room could be 5th bedroom. Gated entrance. If you want room for horses yet convenience to Lake Martin, look no further. Lake Martin Realty Damon Story 205.789.9526 www.LakeMartinRealty.com

1A Pine Shadows, Eclectic • $675,000 195 North Fairwinds Drive, Windermere West $789,000 South Ridge Harbor, Breakwater • $1,575,000 Your dream home awaits, just off Nero's Point. Windermere West home located on a 2+/- acre lot Just completed by Newcastle Construction and This 4 bedroom, 3 bath home was just comw/ multiple fountains, sitting areas, fire pit, decks, designed by David Smelcer. This 3,825 sq. ft. five pleted. Great finishes inside with a huge view screen porch, carport & so much more! The home bedroom, four and one half bathroom plan has genof Trillium with deep water. Must see to offers spacious living areas on both levels. The mas- erous open living-dining-kitchen with owner’s suite appreciate. ter & a guest bedroom are on the main level along and guest suite on main level. Lake level offers Lake Martin Realty w/ a spacious kitchen and family dining area. three bedrooms, two baths, rec room, bunk room, India Davis 256.749.7592 Three additional bedrooms are on the terrace level and lake prep room. Covered porch and lake level www.LakeMartinRealty.com (one currently serves as a pool room). Visit soon! patio provide lots of outdoor living space. Lake Martin Realty Russell Lands On Lake Martin Becky Haynie 334.312.0928 Rhonda or Emily 256.215.7011 www.LakeMartinRealty.com www.RussellLandsOnLakeMartin.com

NOVEMBER 2016

Willow Glynn, Cove Cottage • $1,197,000 Ready To Move In! Henderson & Coker just completed this beauty in Willow Glynn. A Mitch Ginn design includes owner’s suite, guest bedroom, bunkroom, and bonus loft room on main level. Expansive open kitchen-dining-living area with access to large covered porch. Lake level offers 2 guest suites, large family room, covered patio and bar for plenty of lake fun. Russell Lands On Lake Martin Rhonda or Emily 256.215.7011 www.RussellLandsOnLakeMartin.com

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The White House

Dadeville lake house sports a museum of memories The football memorabilia and the claw foot tub in the dining room spark eclectic dinner conversation

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STORY BY LONNA UPTON & PHOTOS BY KENNETH BOONE

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The Whites added a porch and stonework to the lake side of the house

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ucked among the poplars and post oaks in a Pace’s Point cove on Lake Martin, Loring and Debbie White’s cabin showcases family history and memories of good times with friends. And with sleeping space for 22, a top-notch game room, multiple decks, a bunkhouse and an outdoor cooking area, the Whites have plenty of space to make new memories at the lake. Debbie grew up in Montgomery and spent time on the lake with her grandparents. Loring had not spent time at Lake Martin, but he purchased the cabin in the mid-1990s, ready to begin family traditions on the water. The couple started a two-year renovation project at the cabin in 2001 when Loring decided to “just move the fireplace from the center of the main room.” “After he moved that fireplace, everything started happening, and one thing led to another,” Debbie said. “We decided to take an old storage building next to the cabin that was about the size of a garage and renovate it first, so we could live in it while we worked on the main house. That storage building is the bunkhouse now.” Loring has always collected and recycled old materials, she explained. He looks for buildings that are ready for demolition, so he can purchase what no one else wants and what he considers treasures: old brick and stone, bead board and lap siding, a counter from a retired country store, an old jukebox, pieces of granite and tile. Those treasures are what they used in the cabin

renovation. For instance, one hand-hewn beam in the main room of the house came from an old store in Fort Deposit. When he heard the store would be demolished, Loring purchased the beam as a gift to his mother, who had frequented that store as a child. A tin roof over all three sections of the house unite the exterior design. A living area, kitchen and dining area share the room, which was extended when the Whites enclosed the back porch. They matched the stone of the original outdoor porch fireplace, which is still there, and continued that stone inside for the cased openings, interior fireplace and the main wall of the living area. They In the old porch, which is now a seating couldn't area, large screened windows open onto a resist the shady covered porch with cushioned wickold phone er rocking chairs for eight. One window booth they features floor-to-ceiling stained glass art, found in adding colored light to the copper ceiling. Fairhope Furnishings in the main room combine new pieces with older items the couple picked up in Southern antique stores or passed down through their families. “I am the only one in my family who loves old things and wants to keep them, so everything gets passed down to me,” said Debbie. Originally part of the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach, Cuban mahogany doors were installed inside the home and were applied as wainscoting in the hallway that leads to the

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Six recliners stand at the ready for football game days

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The front entrance to the bunkhouse complements the other buildings on the property

A giant fishing lure adds color to the cooking porch

Guests can play video games on the bar table in the game room

A stained glass window casts colors of light in the dining room

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A model of the Titanic rests on the living room mantel

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The decor in main living space of the bunkhouse includes a mix of contemporary elements and keepsake items from Loring's childhood

master bedroom. Between the wainscoting mother, who was a Senior Olympian in tenand the ceiling, both sides of the hallway nis, are showcased in the room – framed display more than 50 family photographs. medals, letter jackets and sweaters in shadA display of photos covers the largest wall owbox frames – and signed footballs and in the master bedroom. helmets are among the treasures. Other sigThe master suite is defined by soft, nature pieces in the room include an antique neutral colors in the linens and upholstery. pinball machine, a jukebox, a vintage PacA sitting area that faces the lake allows Man bar table, a barber’s chair and pole, space for working and relaxing. The bath a nickel-plated wood stove and six large was renovated to include a large shower, recliners for the ultimate relaxed television double vanities and closets for both. viewing experience. The main house includes two cozy The Whites also added an enclosed porch guestrooms with down-filled linens to off the game room with a table and chairs, make guests feel right at home. The couple comfortable seating and windows with retained the original cabin walls in one of screens, so they could enjoy the cool mornthe rooms and added recycled tile and bead ings and the sunsets on the lake. board in its bathroom. “We sit right here for our morning coffee The second guestroom is decorated and for our devotionals, too,” Debbie said. with Debbie’s collection of the Kentucky A bar with 14 stools, a dining table for Debbie's colletion includes hats she Derby hats she has worn to races since eight, and a game table for six invite guests has worn to Kentucky Derby races 2002. Framed Derby poster prints adorn when a casual dinner is served from the the walls in these guestrooms, as well as cooking porch just through double doors of throughout the home. the game room. In the first addition to the main house, the Whites added The cooking porch is located on a large deck built around almost 2,000 square feet for a game room above the newly ren- several trees that grow through holes cut out for them. As the ovated boathouse. On the vaulted ceiling, between the beams trees grow, the Whites enlarge the holes. and trusses, they hung road signs, Coca-Cola and gasoline staThe built-in kitchen includes a grill and smoker surrounded tion signs. At the top of three of the walls, a shelf holds a colby a bar accented with tree trunk columns and a tin roof. Huge lection of neon signs, trophies, footballs and photos. fans were installed at roof height to keep guests cool. The Athletic accomplishments by White, his brother and his stereo system provides music throughout the home and on the NOVEMBER 2016

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The sleeping porches add extra space for guests

The new beach is a great place to watch the sun set on Lake Martin

Loring's brother found this ornate iron stove for the game room

Nostalgic signage decorates the ceiling of the expansive game room

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porch, and lighting in the trees adds to the ambience. Loring loves the outdoor cooking area for smoking hams and turkeys. Having the outdoor kitchen just off the game room with plenty of seating for meals makes the space perfect for entertaining. Keeping the nostalgic game room theme, the Whites added a Pub Dining sign and a red, cast iron telephone booth that Loring found in Fairhope. Another attraction, located just to the side of the cooking porch, is a giant fishing lure. As part of a Montgomery fundraiser, the Whites sponsored the lure, painted by Alabama folk artist Mose T’s daughter Annie Tolliver Turner. Local artists painted lures to encourage water conservation. When the exhibit ended, the Whites brought their lure home, so their friends and family could enjoy it. Just off the cooking porch, the bunkhouse features a kitchen, living and dining area; two bedrooms; two bathrooms; a loft area that sleeps seven; and two sleeping porches with room to sleep five. The sleeping porches are not air-conditioned but have large, screened windows. “We always slept on the sleeping porches when I was a little girl,” she said. “With no air conditioning in the house, those porches were the coolest places to sleep.” The bunkhouse was renovated with pieces of tile and granite, old wood and lap siding that did not go together originally but have been put together, from the mosaic of granite in the countertops to the walls surrounding the comfortable space. Vintage brick floors created the foundation for a warm décor filled with Mose T paintings, Derby posters, iron skillets and old skis. On the lakeside, stone steps from the Whites’ covered porch take visitors down four levels of deck to the dock and the original gazebo, which has been updated. The Whites also built a sandy beach, perfect for Adirondack chairs, above the seawall near the boathouse, as well as a shaded porch for a swing bed. Even so, the renovation isn’t quite finished, Debbie admitted, as they are always thinking and planning ways to make their guests more comfortable with the great life at Lake Martin.

The bunkhouse kitchen creates a rustic atmosphere with a tin ceiling and reclaimed pavers

Eight rocking chairs mean comfort for every guest on the lakeside porch

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How the presidential election impacts real estate sales What can we expect if Candidate ‘X’ wins?

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et’s face it; America is ready for this Martin might be in the middle of a phase presidential election to be history. shift. We might be swinging from a seller’s I don’t care what side of the aisle market back to a neutral one. I say “might” you claim, but I bet you agree with me. This because I am not sure yet. What I can say election cycle has proved to be truly unique in for sure is that whatever is happening, if many respects. One thing that hasn’t been novel anything, it started back in the first quarter for me this time around is the question I hear of 2016. See the waterfront home sales chart from my buyers and sellers. (above right) for more information. “What will happen to the Lake Martin real I took a look at the Lake Martin Area estate market if (Candidate X) wins?” they ask. Association of Realtors’ Multiple Listing Sometimes I hear the same question, but Service (MLS). It comprises sales totals by negatively expressed. all area agents, all brokerages. The quickest LAKE PROPERTY “I bet if (Candidate X) wins it will trash the of glances reveals that the waterfront home BY JOHN COLEY Lake Martin real estate market, right?” sales in 2016 still lag behind 2015. Through “Who knows?” I always respond. the end of September, agents in the Lake Consistent Martin MLS readers of my sold a total column (i.e. of 251 watermy mom) front homes, will recall compared to that I don’t the 285 sold focus on macthrough the roeconomic same time in news. Yes, I 2015. That realize that is about a in an obtuse, 12 percent long-term decrease in way, presinumber of dential elechomes sold. tions affect How has home sales. this year been I also admit losing to last that other year? Was it factors, such the result of a as interest couple huge rates, the wallops? Or a stock market steady trend performance of defeat? and the price The yearof frozen to-year comconcentrated parison chart orange juice, also influence sales. (above) shows how each month fared vs. its counterpart in But all of those big issues are beyond my limited skills the prior year. If a month is below the red line, that means to analyze. I think it is hard enough, even in a small marit lost, and the prior year’s month was better. For instance, ket like Lake Martin, to simply check the wind and see look at January 2016. In that month, 12 waterfront homes which way it blows. were sold versus nine in January of 2015, resulting in The reason I mention the election is that I think Lake a positive three – a good thing if one is counting on an 50 LAKE

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increasing market. However, the good news stops there for 2016. Every other month in 2016 lost to the prior year. Check out March – it lost by nine. At least September came in at a tie. If we look at waterfront lot sales (see chart below), we see a similar story. Through the end of September, 55 waterfront lots were sold on Lake Martin in the MLS. Compare this to 71 lots that were sold during the same time period in 2015. That means that the current year is 23 percent behind last year’s lot sales. What is there to conclude from September’s real estate sales results? Are we doomed to slide into another year like 2008? I don’t think we should concede defeat yet. I don’t think we have enough data. I still think one possible reason we are seeing such a downward trend is that 2015 was so great, so awesome, that anything looks bad in comparison. I am already looking ahead to the first quarter of 2017. I think that will be the real test of our market direction. If we open up the new year with strong sales, we can probably conclude that 2015 was a meteor. If not, and we see sales again lagging vs. the prior year, I doubt it will be worthy of panic. My guess is we won’t see a huge, sudden drop off like we saw in 2008. John Coley is a broker and owner of Lake Martin Voice Realty.

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Author Pat Devoto spends memorable family time and quiet, writing time at Lake Martin.

When did you first begin coming to the lake? I first came to Lake Martin when my sister and her husband – Joanne and Bill Walker – moved here from Auburn to make the Sandy Creek area of the lake their permanent home. I immediately loved the natural beauty and easygoing lifestyle. Where do you live on the lake and why did you choose that area? In the late 1980s, a lot across the road from my sister became available, and I snapped it up, even though I didn’t have any idea what I would build. I kept walking the lot and looking at all the beautiful views, trying to decide where to place the house and trying not to disturb the hardwoods. I did this for so long that my sister began to call it, “Pat’s Mythical Lake House.” Finally I decided on just the right view, and Jerry Hall, my builder, came out with a sack of Martha White from The Pig (Piggly Wiggly) and marked off the foundation to make sure I was satisfied with the view I would be getting – a very patient man. Back then, building the actual house and dock was a casual process, interrupted by hunting seasons – Jerry’s helpers liked to hunt – and football season – well, who doesn’t follow one of the big two? After a while, it was completed and just what I wanted. Not too big and with the perfect view – I think – looking across the water to the islands that populate our part of Sandy Creek. It’s been a great place for family gatherings and also a wonderful place for me to write – quiet and solitary with Poplar Dawg’s just down the road when I want to take a break and get some of his delicious chicken salad. What is your fondest lake memory? The most memorable times at the lake are when we have family gatherings. With Joanne and Bill just across the road, we can have bunches of people with plenty of room to spread out. I couldn’t resist taking advantage of another view on my lot and built a small guesthouse a few years back. That can accommodate my other sister and her husband when they come; we call it Sal’s Place. Sometimes we have as many as 30 people during the Thanksgiving holiday. How did you begin your tennis program in the Dadeville schools, and what do you hope to accomplish through the program? I was on my way to the Piggly Wiggly one day, happened to pass by the Dadeville tennis courts and saw the Kiwanis sign with the names of all the people in town who had contributed to refurbishing the courts. I knew if that many people were interested enough to give their time and money, this would be a perfect place to introduce tennis to Dadeville Elementary. We began a program several years ago called Reading for Racquets and last year expanded it to the middle school. We had to take a step back when the middle school closed last year, but we are going to start up again as soon as our equipment, storage shed, etc., get moved to the high school. My leaders in this endeavor 52 LAKE

LAKE Q&A

Pat Devoto Photo by Mitch Sneed

are Coach Brownie Caldwell and Tallapoosa County Superintendent of Education Joe Windle. Basically, I just do what Windle and Brownie tell me to do. Coach Brownie has all the athletic knowhow and is a great leader. The program philosophy is centered around introducing tennis just like you introduce any subject in school, with a multi-disciplinary approach: tennis in art; tennis in reading; tennis on the playground. When we started the program, the USTA gave grade-level-appropriate tennis books to all the classrooms at Dadeville Elementary, and we had a contest to see who could read the most. Prizes were tennis racquets. The great thing about this sport is that once introduced, the child can play for a lifetime, so if they learn the fundamentals in elementary school they can take it up again when they are 40, or older, and play.

Where do you get the ideas for your novels? Alabama is my source – I was born and raised in North

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Alabama, in Florence up on the Tennessee River. Alabama has such a unique and varied history. When I finished my second novel, my publisher (Grand Central) sent a sample of the proposed cover to me for my opinion, I said, “It looks like a duck pond in Connecticut.” They said, “We don’t know what it looks like down there, so send us something.” I sent them a picture of the Alabama River, framed in Spanish moss, and they used that on the cover. All of my novels – except one about tennis – are set in Alabama. And I do most of my writing over here at the lake, a great place for peace and quiet.

What do you like to read for pleasure? I used to teach history, so I’m a sucker for stuff by David McCullough (all of his biographies); Ron Chernow (just finished his wonderful biography Washington: A

Life); Michael Korda (Clouds of Glory: The Life and Legend of Robert E. Lee). On long road trips, I love to get CDs of their works and listen as I ride along. Also, I recently finished The Prize: Who’s in Charge of America’s Schools by Dale Russakoff – a very interesting read indeed.

What is the greatest life lesson you learned from a child? Learning – any learning – is a new and awakening experience every day. There is no greater pleasure than seeing a child when the light dawns – whether it be when he realizes he actually can hit a ball over the net or she can actually read the words on a page and know what they mean. That eureka moment is new and thrilling to see every time. It never grows old.

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Community powers a new cleanup program at Lake Martin T

here have been times during the past few years of gathering trash and debris from the shoreline of Lake Martin that I felt we could never complete the daunting task of removing all of the unsightly trash that we find, some of which has been there since the lake was formed. Most of the trash to which I am referring is unseen, except by fishermen and some boaters who seek the quiet refuge of the undeveloped areas of Lake Martin – there are quite a few of these areas, and there are many, many fishermen. The number of large fishing tournaments, most of which are hosted at Wind Creek State Park, has sky rocketed over the past few years, attracting many visitors and adding much-needed revenues to the Lake Martin community. The trash we pick up, for the most part, consists of “new trash” and “old trash.” The new contains plastic bottles, aluminum cans and bottles deposited on sandy beaches and popular campsites. It appears throughout the summer and is particularly heavy after a holiday weekend. The old trash is mostly in areas near the main run of the river – places like Sturdivant, Wind Creek, Dennis Creek and others. This trash, in most cases, has been there for many years. Pushed up in sloughs and coves by the water current and winds during heavy spring rains, the combination of driftwood and trash becomes trapped and builds up over the years. Here, we

find large glass bottles, burned gas canisters, large plastic bottles, glass drink bottles, beaded Styrofoam and two things that we do not understand how or why they became involved: light bulbs and automobile tires. Over the past few weeks, there has been a tremendous effort by LMRA a small group BY JOHN THOMPSON of dedicated volunteers that has diligently walked the shorelines in these undeveloped areas, scrambling over the driftwood, pulling out tires and bagging the piles of trash. Thanks to this group, Dennis Creek, Elkahatchee and Wind Creek are now clean and can be kept that way with a minimum amount of volunteer effort. This is exactly what we hope to accomplish with the introduction of the LMRA Treasured Mile Program. We would like to recruit volunteers who are willing to be responsible for the removal of every piece of trash from the islands and segments of Lake Martin shoreline and accept the responsibility for keeping it clean. In some areas, the initial cleaning could be difficult, and help will be available. The Treasured Mile Program is a partnership project established by LMRA with sponsorship from Russell Lands and Alabama Power Company. The program promotes volunteer public participation in controlling litter on Lake Martin year round through the “adoption” of a segment of shoreline or the “adoption” of an Alabama Power Company-owned island. Individuals, families, educational institutions, houses of worship, organizations, civic clubs, youth groups and businesses are all invited to participate. Working together in an organized fashion will provide the opportunity for sustaining a litter-free Treasured Lake Martin for future generations. John Thompson is president of the Lake Martin Resource Association. To learn more, visit www.lmra.info.

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Pick a pole

Balance power and strength with length to catch fish

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ne of the great things about fishing is that it is not very a rod with a handle length that allows not only efficient casting complicated in its simplest form. With a little bit of but also plenty of leverage. line, a hook and a cane pole (bamboo) or When using artificial lures, it’s important to tree limb, anyone can catch a fish. Many people give the bait the correct type of action; otherwise, caught their first fish this way, and many still do. there will not be as many bites. The way a fishing As our angling skills and knowledge grow, so lure is made is important to how much and the does our appetite for equipment that will make us type of action it will have. Much of the responmore successful. You can see this in almost every sibility in achieving the right action rides on the type of angling equipment. angler’s movement of the wrist or arm in a timely Rods are no exception in the wide range of fashion, so the bait takes on a life of its own. equipment that anglers utilize. As I began to focus But the rod is just as important in being able to more attention to bass fishing, I realized that the fish a bait correctly. Keep in mind the only thing variations in rods were extremely important. The that defines “correctly” in fishing is whether or two most important characteristics a rod can have not it results in a catch. Some baits, like small are length and action (bend). In this article, I want worms on light weights, need very subtle moveBIG CATCHES to focus just on rod length. Rod length is determents of the rod tip to give them a realistic look. BY GREG VINSON mined from the butt of the rod to the tip. Keep In that case, a shorter rod is typically going to be in mind that two rods the same length can feel more effective. The longer the rod the more difslightly different depending on how much is dedicated to the ficult it will be to give the bait fine movements. handle. When setting the hook, there’s no question that a longer rod The first element of the fish catch is the ability to cast. In offers better power. I’ve not done the math, but it would be general, a longer rod provides more leverage, which usually interesting to know just how much more line can be taken up equates to better casting distance, hook setting power and land- with the sweep of a 7-foot 3-inch rod vs. a 7-foot rod. Longer ing strength. The trade-off here comes down to being able to rods are great for setting the hook when using a jig or worm make a difficult presentation. The shorter rod typically lends and driving the hook home. They also are nice for a bite after a more control to the cast, especially with smaller baits and long cast and a lot of line has to be taken up. finesse bait action. Fishing line has a lot of stretch, and the more of it there is The art is in finding the rod length that allows the most between the angler and the fish, the more leverage it’s going to accurate and quiet presentation while keeping a balance of take to hook up. Smaller diameter worm hooks and baits with power and strength. This varies between individuals and their treble hooks require less pressure to set, so a shorter rod might fishing styles, but the baseline would be somewhere between work better in those cases. 6.5 and 7.5 feet. With advancements in rod building materials The final part of the equation is the ability to land a fish. and technique, anglers are typically using longer rods than just Again, the longer the rod the more leverage. This comes in a few years ago. handy when fishing heavy cover, such as matted grass or There are baits and techniques that appeal to more interest dense brush. Upon setting the hook, move the fish out of the in maximizing casting distance. Deep diving crankbaits are cover before it has time to bury up and come off. Being able one of the best examples. The leverage of a longer rod will to put more pressure on the fish after the hook set means more allow an angler to launch the bait further, and ultimately the quickly turning it and leading it up to the boat. A shorter rod crankbait will have more time during the retrieve to reach its can come in handy for adjusting to the changing movements maximum depth. of the fish to keep it buttoned up. Slack line during the fight is Another example where long rods and casting distance probably the single most damaging cause of lost fish. come in handy is with schooling fish. There’s nothing worse When choosing a rod, first and foremost consider the techthan watching a school of fish erupt on the surface and not nique intended for its use. As a basic rule, I use the longest rod being able to reach them on a cast. I feel that I can get away with and still maintain good control. Since the handle is figured in with the overall length of the Consider how effective it will be for the right cast, presentarod, I recommend taking a look at how long the handle itself tion, hook set and landing. Don’t forget that rod action is is. The factors that apply to the overall rod length can be genequally important. To end up with a great rod and ultimately erally applied to handle length as well. A longer handle allows catch more fish, take all of these factors into account before the angler to brace the back end of the rod against an arm or making a purchase. even the body, maximizing leverage and control when making a long cast or fighting a fish. Greg Vinson is a full-time professional angler on the There again, a trade off exists because the longer handle can Bassmaster Elite Series and PAA tours. He lives in Wetumpka be cumbersome when making precise casts. The idea is to find and grew up fishing on Lake Martin. 56 LAKE

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When choosing a fishing pole, consider the technique intended for its use

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Bolognese and Grits Bolognese

1 pound lean ground beef 1 pound ground pork or Italian sausage removed from the casing 1 pound minced smoked bacon 2 sweet onions small diced (1/4 inch cube) 2 carrots small diced 5 ribs of celery small diced 1 head fresh garlic peeled and minced 1 pint really good canned tomato with juice 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 cup beef stock or broth 1 cup milk 1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme 1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary Salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy bottom medium Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add bacon and garlic to the oil as it heats up; just before garlic starts to color, add carrot, onion and celery. Sweat vegetables for five minutes; then add pork and beef and cook until no longer pink. Stir meat to break up and help even cooking. Once meat is ready add tomato with juice and beef stock; season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low simmer and cook for one to one-and-a-half hours, being sure to stir occasionally. Finish with milk and fresh herbs; then taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper.

Grits

3 cups Oakview Farms grits 6 cups milk 6 cups chicken stock 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup heavy cream Pinch of salt Pinch of fresh black pepper In a medium pot, heat chicken stock and milk over medium heat. Once liquid reaches a simmer, whisk in grits and salt, reduce heat and cover for about 15 minutes or until liquid has absorbed into grits. Finish with butter and heavy cream. Place a scoop of grits in a bowl; spoon Bolognese over the grits and top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

CHEF’S TABLE BY ROB MCDANIEL Rob McDaniel, executive chef and general manager at SpringHouse Restaurant, earned a bachelor's degree in restaurant and hotel management from Auburn University and is a graduate of the New England culinary Institute.

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D

’Tis the season of fruits and vegetables

ays are shorter; nights are longer. There best in the fall. The true test to ripeness is when has been some relief of the summer the neck of the pear by the stem is slightly soft. heat, and the foliage is beginning to Like apples, there are many varieties of pears; turn beautiful shades of red and yellow. These some are good eaten fresh while others are best are direct indications that fall is here. Seasonal when cooked. Try grilling pears or poaching fruits and vegetables are packed full of nutriwith some red wine and cinnamon. Pears can tion and should not be forgotten during the fall be added to sandwiches, soups, smoothies and and winter months. They are low in calories, salads or sliced and eaten with cheese. Pear high in fiber (especially the skin), antioxidants slices and cheese make a great appetizer. and phytonutrients. They are cancer-fighting, Okra is another winner. In the South, it is heart healthy and full of vitamins and minerals, commonly fried but also is seen in healthier particularly vitamins A, C, K and folate. dishes. It can be used in gumbos and soups, as HEALTHY LIVING the skin helps to thicken a broth. When purAlthough most fruits and vegetables are BY JULIE HUDSON available year round, people seem to eat fewer chasing okra, it should be bright green, firm of them during the winter months. There is so and no longer than 4 inches. much seasonal produce from which to choose that is abunParsnips are a cousin to carrots. They look alike, but dant and fresh. The list begins with bananas, clementines, parsnips are white. Parsnips are so delicious roasted, pureed oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, pomegranates, lemons and into a soup or mashed. Clean and peel the parsnips like limes, as well as artichokes, avocado, Brussel sprouts, carcarrots or leave some of the skin on. Slice into coins or rots, cauliflower, leeks, potatoes, radishes, rutabaga, rhulengthwise. Toss with olive oil and roast in the oven at 400 barb, turnips, snow peas and winter squash. degrees until golden. Roasted parsnips and carrots pair Beets rank among the healthiest of the common vegetatogether really well. bles. Red beets are easy to find at local grocery stores; howCranberries are small but deliver a huge amount of flavor. ever, the more interesting varieties can be found at produce Fresh cranberries can be eaten raw; however, they are very markets or specialty markets. Beets become more nutritious tart. I think they are best cooked down into relish. Place when they are steamed, roasted or microwaved. the cranberries in a saucepan. Add a small amount of water Scrub the beets well and cook them with the skin on. and allow the berries to simmer down. This process will not Once they are cooked, let them cool slightly before peeltake long. Add a small amount of orange juice, orange zest ing off the skin. Beets will stain the hands, so use rubber or diced apple during the cooking process to add some flagloves. Beets are delicious warm or cold. vor. Many recipes suggest adding sugar to sweeten the relBaked sweet potatoes are good at any meal; however, my ish. Fresh and dried cranberries are a perfect addition to any favorite way to prepare sweet potatoes is to slice them into meat or poultry dish. Dried cranberries are a nice addition wedges or chunks. Toss the potatoes with a small amount of to grain and vegetable salads. olive oil and season them with rosemary, garlic, cinnamon, Kale is my new all-time favorite. It can be eaten raw paprika, cumin or cayenne pepper. Place the sweet potatoes or cooked. It makes a great salad or can be added to eggs, on a sprayed tray and roast in the oven at 400 degrees until soups or side dishes. done. The outside texture will be crunchy, and the flesh will As the cold weather creeps in, reap the benefits of be soft. The sweet potatoes are a perfect side dish to any nature’s bounty. Rich and hearty fruits and meal, especially a sandwich or burger. vegetables contribute to a Spaghetti squash also is easy to cook. It is a lower calo- healthy season. rie option to pasta and is gluten free. To cook a spaghetti squash, slice the squash in half lengthwise; scoop out the Julie Hudson is a dietician seeds and cook the two halves in the microwave or oven at Lake Martin Wellness with the flesh side down in a dish with a little bit of water. Center in Dadeville. When a fork will peel the flesh from the shell, it is done cooking. Scoop out the flesh from the shell and place in a bowl. Toss with butter, pesto or a favorite pasta sauce for a side dish or main meal. I like to top the squash with tomato sauce and more vegetables, such as tomato, zucchini and mushrooms. Pears can be purchased year round; however, they are

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Cook with Wine and sometimes add it to the food

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A

n old joke among wine enthusiasts to the varietal names that are now prevalent is that having a glass of wine while on most domestic products. When making preparing a meal is cooking with beef Burgundy you may wish to use a true wine and that they might even add some French Burgundy or a good, hearty domestic to the recipe. Of course, cooking with Pinot Noir or perhaps a Cabernet Sauvignon. wine really means that wine is an essential Despite the potential to elevate a dish to ingredient that will intensify the flavors of a gourmet level, the emphasis on quality a dish and add dimension to the meal. when cooking with wine does not suggest Cooking with wine is not difficult; expensive. Quality can be found at any price there’s no special trick to it. That said point, particularly when cooking or blending please note that we are talking about real with other ingredients. For example, buying wine, table wine, fortified wine – even expensive Champagne to make mimosas is champagne – but not the stuff from the a waste of good Champagne. The point of FROM THE CELLAR adding wine to a dish is to enhance the flavinegar aisle of the grocery store labeled BY HENRY FOY cooking wine. Yes, yes, cooking wine is vor. It should be something you would want wine with an alcohol content ranging from to drink and serve with the dish. Cook with 10 percent to 17 percent, but it has been processed speeveryday wine; serve and savor the really good stuff cifically for cooking from wine that is not suitable for with the meal. drinking. It has alcohol but salt and preservatives have As you experiment with wine in the kitchen, remembeen added to extend the shelf life and prevent it from ber that the alcohol will evaporate as the wine cooks turning to vinegar. Other than a longer shelf life and down. But too much wine will overpower the dish. You convenience, why would anyone want to use a wine that can always add more, but it is difficult to compensate cannot be drunk? The difference between cooking wine when too much has already been added. Wine should and “drinking” wine is quality. Poor quality can turn a also be added early in the process to allow the flavors nice dinner into a disaster pretty quickly. to develop and mingle for at least 10 minutes. Without And just so you know that I’m not trying to steer you enough time for the wine to simmer, it might produce into my shop to buy wine, though my staff and I would harsh flavors, depending on the wine and the dish. certainly appreciate it, there is plenty of good, real wine All this talk about food and wine has me really lookin the grocery stores with which to add flare to your ing forward to the holidays that are upon us, and that culinary escapades. my friends, was the inspiration for this piece. There Often, the recipe will tell you exactly which wine to aren’t too many occasions on our calendar that carry use. For example, most recipes for Chicken Marsala call the weight of expectations and excitement that come for about a cup of Marsala, a fortified wine from Italy. with Thanksgiving and Christmas or the effort many It’s right there in the name of the dish. Same thing with will endure to make those occasions memorable. This Boeuf Bourguignon (beef Burgundy), which usually is when the good silver and the good china would have calls for copious amounts of Burgundy or other good red traditionally been put out. This is when someone will wine. be making those heirloom cookies or that great Chicken Sometimes the recipe will appear to be vague, like Marsala with just a touch of wine to bring out the fla“one cup of dry white wine.” That shouldn’t throw regu- vors and create a special meal. We have so much to be lar readers of this column, but newbies might not know thankful for. that most table wines are dry. Dry whites are favored But before that happens, there is another big celebrafor cream sauces, some soups or pasta dishes. Dessert tion that I can’t overlook. Beaujolais Nouveau Day wines, Moscatos, many Rieslings, Gewürztraminers, late is Nov. 17. That is the third Thursday and the worldwide harvest wines and Muscadine tend to be sweeter. Sweet release date of the first wine of the 2016 vintage and a whites are used in sweet sauces, fruit sauces and poachgreat holiday tradition. Beaujolais Day hasn’t been as ing fruits, like pears, though not exclusively. Pears can exciting in the recent past, but last year’s wine was a be poached in dry red wine if that’s the flavor you want pleasant surprise. Typically light and fruity (and red), it to impart. is often called the Thanksgiving wine, due to the timing Regular readers shouldn’t be stumped by a recipe of the release and that it goes so well with Thanksgiving calling for Burgundy either, so this too is for the new fare. The Beaujolais region, by the way, is in the southreaders. The primary red grape for the Burgundy region ern part of Burgundy. The primary grape here is not of France is Pinot Noir. In wine-speak, Burgundy does Pinot Noir but Gamay. If there’s a test, you’ll want to not signify a color. Located in Eastern France just know that. southeast of Paris, it is one of the world’s most famous Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving. and celebrated wine-growing regions. There was a time in the not-too-distant past when the wine industry in Henry Foy is the owner of Emporium Wine, Café the United States was just getting restarted after the 128, Gallery 128 and Lake Martin’s only walk-in cigar repeal of Prohibition, that most red wines, regardless humidor located in downtown Alexander City at 128 of the actual variety used, were called Burgundy. The Calhoun Street. He can be reached at 256-212-WINE, wineries believed that consumers would relate better on Instagram, Facebook and at emporium128@bellto the generic Burgundy moniker, like the French, than south.net. NOVEMBER 2016

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Swing Thoughts

Pro Tips From Lee Williams Is it ok to have swing thoughts on the course or should you just go out and play golf? I think this depends on the type of golfer that you are. Some golfers tend to lean towards being technical while others are ‘feel’ oriented. If you are more of a technical player, I believe swing thoughts are beneficial; however, if you rely on feel, the less in your mind the better. Feel players tend to be more productive when they see shots or as the reference states, “feel” something in their swing. I myself am more of a technical player. I play best when I focus on one thing in my swing or putting, etc. It helps to keep my mind occupied for the few seconds it takes to hit the ball. I don’t really see a lot of different shots. I more or less try to hit the same type of shot over and over unless I’m forced to do something else. Bubba Watson, on the other hand, is the ultimate feel player. He sees all different types of shots. When he hits balls he doesn’t work on positions in his swing, but instead works on all variances of hooks and cut shots. The bottom line is figuring out which one you are. If you are a feel player trying to be technical, you will never be your best and vice versa. Also, if you enjoy taking golf lessons, make sure your teacher knows which category you fall into so you get the most out of the lesson. Lastly, feel players tend not to get too caught up into all of the golf swing articles and Golf Channel lessons that technical players do. If you enjoy reading and watching all the info available on the golf swing, please be careful, as a new swing thought each day would do nothing beneficial for your game. As the saying goes, it’s normally best no matter which type of player you are, to keep it simple. Good Luck! Lee Williams, a professional golfer on the PGA Tour, grew up playing at Willow Point Country Club. As an amateur, Williams was a member of the 2003 and 2005 Walker Cup teams, as well as the 2004 World Amateur Team. He is sponsored by Russell Lands, King Honda, Nowlin and Associates, P.F. Chang's, Tempus Jet, Hyatt Adams Golf, Russell Athletic, Titleist, Ameritas Financial Corp. and Southwest Airlines.

100 holes raise $3,000 STORY & PHOTO BY CATHY HIGGINS

Stillwaters golf pro "Gabby" Witherington raised $3,000 for the local United Way

Stillwaters Golf Pro Rob “Gabby” Witherington completed his Hundred-Hole Marathon to benefit the Lake Martin Area United Way Oct. 17. “I started at 6:30 a.m. and finished at 3:30 p.m.,” Witherington said. The golf pro began challenging area residents and businesses to pledge any amount per hole, with the proceeds used to fund the 27 organizations UW supports. Once Witherington was finished Monday, his venture had raised approximately $3,000 from 46 pledges. Witherington plans to present the check during United Way’s fashion show in downtown Alexander City on Oct. 28. This is not the first time Witherington has taken on such a feat. When he was at the course 20 years ago, he did a similar marathon with more than 200 holes. He wanted to repeat that concept, adjusting his goal to 100 holes, and donate the proceeds to an area nonprofit organization. Witherington’s opportunity to do so fell into place this spring when United Way Executive Director Sharon Fuller spoke to the Dadeville Kiwanis meeting in March. Fuller’s presentation touched on the fact that United Way serves approximately 25,000 people in Tallapoosa and Coosa counties and that the organization has lost about $80,000 in support with the downsizing of major contributor Russell Corp. Witherington and Fuller are looking to make the marathon an annual fundraiser.

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Legend

63

24

22

280

26

To Sylacauga

23

Public Boat Ramps

Alexander City

19

Churches 9

Camps & Parks

Camp ASCCA

Flint Hill Church

16

Power lines U.S. Highways

3

280

22

County Roads

Piney Woods Landing

Wind Creek State Park

Pleasant Grove Church

11

COOSA COUNTY

Alex City Boat Ramp

Mt. Zion Church

259 9

128

Russell Farms Baptist Church 63

13

D.A.R.E. Park Landing

Friendship Church New Hope Church

Liberty Church 17

20

Willow Point

24

5

34

8

9

Equality

63

Kowaliga Boat Landing

55

4

Seman

Camp Alamisco

10 22 The Ridge

1 11

Church in The Pines Camp Kiwanis

Trillium

25

2

The Amp Ko w

ali

18 12

ga

Ba

y

80

9

Central

90

Union

ELMORE COUNTY Union Church

Red Hill 63

229

Eclectic

Tallassee

20 Kent

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Union Landing

Children’s Harbor

NOVEMBER 2016


Timbergut Landing

Horseshoe Bend National Park

Jaybird Landing

Lake Martin Alabama Marinas 11. Kowaliga Marina 334-857-2111 255 Kowaliga Marina Rd., Alex City, AL 35010

TALLAPOOSA COUNTY

22. The Ridge Marina 256-397-1300 450 Ridge Marina Rd., Alex City, AL 35010 33. River North Marina 256-397-1500 250 River North Rd., Alex City, AL 35010

49

42. Real Island Marina 334-857-2741 2700 Real Island Rd., Equality, AL 36026

Jacksons Gap

53. Singleton Marine & Parker Creek Marina 256-329-8550 486 Parker Creek Marina Rd, Equality, AL 36026

280

62. Singleton Marine @ Blue Creek Marina 256-825-8888 7280 Highway 49 South, Dadeville, AL 36853 Bethel Church

21

73. Blue Creek Marina 256-825-8888 7280 Hwy 49 S., Dadeville, AL 36853

Dadeville

57

280

Camp Hill

Smith Landing

Lake Martin Baptist Church 49 Church of the Living Waters

4. Russell Building Supply 21 256-825-4256 350 Fulton Street, Dadeville, AL 36853 4. The Stables at Russell Crossroads 22 256-794-1333 111 Benson Mill Rd., Alex City, AL 35010 4. Dark Insurance 23 256-234-5026 410 Hillabee Street, Alex City, AL 35010 www.darkinsuranceagency.com

25. Kowaliga Whole Health Pet Care & Resort 334-857-1816 8610 Kowaliga Road, Eclectic, AL 36024

12 Harbor Docks Restaurant at Anchor Bay Marina 334-639-4723 2001 Castaway Island Rd, Eclectic, AL 36024

6 7

4. Russell Do It Center (Eclectic) 20 334-541-2132 1969 Kowaliga Rd., Eclectic, AL 36024

Restaurants

11 Kowaliga Restaurant 256-215-7035 295 Kowaliga Marina Rd., Alex City, AL 35010

Stillwaters

4. Russell Do It Center (Alex City) 19 256-234-2567 1750 Alabama 22, Alex City, AL 35010

. McDaniels Storage Center 24 256-234-4583 1040 Highway 280, Alex City, AL 35010

10 6. Catherine’s Market 256-215-7070 17 Russell Farms Rd., Alex City, AL 35010

14 15

18 5. Lake Martin Mini Mall 334.857.3900 7995 Kowaliga Rd, Eclectic, AL 36024

82. Parker Creek Marina 256-329-8550 486 Parker Creek Marina Rd., Equality, AL 36026

96. SpringHouse 256-215-7080 12 Benson Mill Rd., Alex City, AL 35010

Pleasant Ridge Church

17 Shipwreck Sam's Yogurt @ Smith's Marina 256-444-8793 1590 Pine Point Road, Alex City, AL 35010

Hotels & Lodging 26 2 Cherokee Bend Bed & Breakfast 877-760-7854 5833 Highway 22 East, Alex City 35010

Advertise your business on our Lake Martin Region Map for as little as $25. Contact us at 256-234-4281 or marketing@alexcityoutlook.com for more information.

Business & Shopping 13 Lake Martin Storm Shelters 256-794-8075 970 Hwy. 63 South, Alex City, AL 35010

Walnut Hill 50 50

14 Lakeside Mercantile 334-850-6357 8246 County Rd 34, Dadeville, AL 36853 15 EastLake Coffee @ Lakeside Mercantile 334-850-6357 8246 County Rd 34, Dadeville, AL 36853

49

16 Karen Channell State Farm Financial Services 256-234-3481 5030 Hwy. 280, Alex City, AL 35010

Reeltown

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Lake Magazine Distribution ALEXANDER CITY Alex City Marine American Inn Anytime Fitness Baymont Inn BB&T Big B Bar-B-Q Campus of CACC Carlos Mexican Grill Catherine’s Market Chamber Of Commerce Cherokee Quick stop Citgo Cloud Nine Collegiate Deli Comfort Inn Dark Insurance Darwin Dobbs Days Inn Discount Food Mart El Rancho Grande Emporium Wine Grace’s Flowers Hampton Inn Holley’s Home Furnishings Hometown Pharmacy Jackson Drugs

Jake’s Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc JR’s Sports Bar & Grill The Medicine Shoppe Koon’s Korner The Sure Shot Koon’s Korner II USAmeribank Lake Martin Building Supply Warren's Appliance Parts Lakewinds Golf Club Willow Point Country Club Larry’s General Store Wind Creek - entrance Little Black Dress Wind Creek - store Longleaf Antiques Winn Dixie Mark King's Lake Martin 280 BP Furniture 280 Exxon Mistletoe Bough Bed & Breakfast Queen’s Attic DADEVILLE Regions Bank American Motorsports Ridge - Clubhouse Bay Pine Marina Ridge - Marina City Hall River North Marina Chamber of Commerce Riverbend Store Chuck's Marina Russell Home Décor Dadeville Wellness Center Russell Medical Center Foodland Russell Lands Foshee's Boat Doc Russell Retail Store Homeplate Restaurant Satterfield, Inc Harbor Pointe Marina Senior Nutrition~50+ Center Lakay’s Flowers & Gifts Sho’ Nuff Restaurant Lake Martin Flowers & Gifts Springhouse Restaurant Lake Martin Community T.C. Russell Airport Hospital

Lakeshore Discount Pharmacy Lakeside Marina Niffer's At The Lake Oskar's Cafe Payne Furniture Pearson’s Place Poplar Dawgs Public Library Pug's Place PNC Bank Russell Building Supply Shell Station Sigger’s Stillwaters Country Club Store 34 USAmeribank

ECLECTIC Children’s Harbor Cotton’s BBQ Eclectic Do-It Center Johnson’s Furniture Kowaliga Marina Lake Martin Dock Lake Martin Mini Mall Nail’s Convenience Store Peoples Bank

Lake Martin Business and Service Directory

SEE ME FOR INSURANCE

Harold Cochran 256.234.2700 haroldcochran.b2cn@statefarm.com

residential. commercial. interior. exterior.

334-651-0033AL/706-225-8070 GA

columbus-auburn.certapro.com 1550OpelikaRoadSuite6Box294,Auburn,AL36830

Do you want to see your photos in the next issue of Lake? WE DO! Send in your Lake Scene and Where’s Lake photos. Please include the names of everyone pictured, a brief description and your location.

LAKE

MAGAZINE Email your photos to editor@lakemartinmagazine.com 66 LAKE

NOVEMBER 2016

EQUALITY Equality Food Mart Real Island Marina Southern Star

KELLYTON Five Star Plantation

RED HILL Citgo

TALLASSEE Community Hospital Chamber of Commerce The Tallassee Tribune

WALNUT HILL Lakeside Mercantile Walnut Hill Grocery

WETUMPKA The Wetumpka Herald A limited number of magazines are available at these locations. To start your subscription, call David Kendrick at 256-234-4281.


Lake Martin Business and Service Directory

Handrails • Guardrails Welded Fence • Custom Art Stairs • Gates Stainless Steel Cable Railing I-Beams • Steel Posts • Stairs On-Site Welding/Cutting

H

OLMAN

F

LOOR

C

Professional! OMPANY

“WE’RE THE PROFESSIONALS”

Trey Callegan Area Manager

Hardwood Floors Ceramic Tile Carpet & Vinyl

334-332-3435 Since 2008

Visit our showroom for samples and a free estimate!

A Division of Goldwater Bank, N.A.

Locally Owned for Over 45 Years

248 Inverness Ctr Dr, Birmingham AL

256-234-6071

1945 Hwy 280 • Alexander City

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Call TODAY for quick Pre-approval NMLS #47862 Corporate NMLS #452955

COACH KRAFT

Performance!

Complete Marine Upholstery!

Paige Patterson

UPHOLSTERY

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Patrick Mason 334-283-6759 676 Dean Circle • Tallassee, AL www.coachkraft.com

LAKE

Call TODAY for quick Pre-approval!

Call me for your FREE home sellers kit.

205-616-8046

www.paigepatterson.com

Relax. Enjoy. Lake Martin. Call to order your subscription 256-234-4281

MAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2016

LAKE 67


Our Advertisers n To Join, Call 256.234.4281 A&M Plumbing....................................................... 33

First Realty............................................................... 6

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Advanced Cardiovascular.................................... 25

George Hardy D.M.D............................................. 8

Renaissance Electronics......................................... 8

Advanced Heating & Air...................................... 55

Henderson and Coker......................................... 68

Russell Lands.......................................................... 29

Alabama Power........................................................ 3

Hilltop Landscaping............................................... 28

Russell Medical........................................................ 2

Alex City Guide Service...................................... 55

Holley’s Home Furnishings................................. 72

Satterfield................................................................ 25

Alex City Marine................................................... 28

Holman Floor......................................................... 67

Security Pest Control............................................ 8

Amanda Scroggins, RE/MAX Around the Lake.........32

Jackson Thornton.................................................. 25

Southern Star Farm................................................ 6

Atkinson Home..................................................... 67

Kowaliga Whole Health....................................... 67

SportzBlitz.............................................................. 62

Blue Creek Iron Works....................................... 67

Lake Martin Building Supply................................. 8

State Farm Insurance/ Harold Cochran..........66

Brown Nursing & Rehabilitation....................... 55

Lake Martin Community Hospital..................... 15

State Farm Insurance/ Karen Channell..........67

C&T Electric............................................................ 8

Lake Martin Dock................................................. 19

Tallassee Community Hospital........................... 40

CertaPro Painters................................................. 66

Lake Martin Mini Mall.......................................... 68

Temple Medical Center....................................... 54

Coach Kraft Upholstery...................................... 67

Lakeside Marina..................................................... 55

TNT Stone............................................................. 33

Crew Lending......................................................... 67

Mitchell's Upholstery........................................... 31

TowBoatU.S.............................................................. 5

Custom Docks....................................................... 40

National Village........................................................ 3

Troy Cable................................................................. 6

Damon Story, Cedar Point................................. 71

Noel Boone............................................................ 67

UAB Heart & Vascular Clinic............................. 33

DAVCO Development......................................... 66

OB-GYN Associates of Montgomery.............. 28

Walmart.................................................................. 67

Designs by Trish....................................................... 5

Odd Jobs................................................................. 55

Wedowee Marine................................................. 24

Docks Unlimited..................................................... 5

Paige Patterson, Lake Martin Voice Realty......67

Williams Plumbing Heating & Air........................ 8

First Baptist Church Alexander City.................. 8

Painting By Allen.................................................... 67

WSC Distinctive Builders, LLC......................... 51

68 LAKE

NOVEMBER 2016


BLACK FRIDAY SALE! NOVEMBER 27TH

10 % Off Everything In Store!

We Believe in Quality Products & Service Wed.-Fri. 10-5 • Sat. 9-4 • Sun. 1-5 • Closed Mon. & Tues. 7995 Kowaliga Rd., Eclectic, AL 36024 • 334.857.3900 www.LakeMartinMiniMall.com NOVEMBER 2016 LAKE 69


Parting Shot Photo by Kenneth Boone

“We all travel the Milky Way together, trees and men.” ~ John Muir

70 LAKE

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NOVEMBER 2016

LAKE 71


30% or 40% Off Sale?

Why wait on a sale when Holley’s has Rowe sofas and sectionals at Unbelievable Everyday Prices!

Nantucket Slipcover Sofa $1250

Cindy Sofa $1395

Brentwood Sectional $1995

72 LAKE

256.234.4141 Alexander City

Interest Free Financing Available. Prices are in fabric shown. Other fabric options available. Price may vary. Matching pieces available.

NOVEMBER 2016

334.279.3101 Montgomery


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