Brad Pullum For Limestone County Sheriff

May 16 - June 5, 2014
AthensNowal.com
E-MAIL: info@athensnowal.com
ADVERTISING:
Ali: 256-468-9425
Deborah: 256-309-9399
Brad Pullum
For Limestone
County Sheriff
See Our Listings Inside this edition...
Pages 25 - 32
Special Feature
VOAD: Volunteer
Organizations Active In
Disaster...
This August marks the
45th anniversary of the
devastation caused by
Hurricane Camille. She
was a “Cat 5,” (Category
5) storm, the strongest...
Page 7
Athens Rehabilitation
Spotlight On
Judith Diane Groce...
In 1978, Judith Diane
Groce was in a horrible
auto accident, and she
had to learn to walk all
over again. “Some days all
I could take was one step,”
she told me, and that is...
Page 21
Special Feature
Sunset Swim Club
2014: All Set For
The Season... We
have just come
through a significant
weather event, and
probably no one is
more thankful that
their business was
spared... Page 11
May 16 - June 5, 2014
By Ali Elizabeth Turner
Brad Pullum, as a lifelong resident of Limestone
County, is an easily recognizable figure; 6 ft 7
inches tall, trademark cowboy hat, well known
for his country music, as a D.A.R.E. officer,
and a successful real estate agent and appraiser.
Continued on pages 15
Limestone County
Commission
Chairman Stanley
Menefee: Gearing
Up For Growth
By Ali Elizabeth Turner
Stanley Menefee is no stranger to the workings of the
Limestone County Commission, either as a member,
Continued on page 17
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Page 2
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May 16 - June 5, 2014
Publisher’s Point
Publisher / Editor
Ali Turner
Sales
Notes From ‘The Wall’
Deborah Huff
Graphic Design
Jonathan Hamilton
Web Design
Teddy Wolcott
Delivery
Hunter Williams
Contributing Writers
Shelley Underhill
Lynne Hart
Wanda Campbell
Janet Hunt
Jim Doyle
Rachel Clark
Deb Kitchenmaster
Sandra Thompson
Jackie Warner
Publisher’s Point . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
All Things Soldier . . . . . . . . 4
Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . 6
Special Feature . . . . . . . . . . 7
What Makes Ronnie Roll . . . 8
Special Feature . . . . . . . . . . 11
Clean and Green . . . . . . . . 12
Cooking with Shelley . . . . . . 13
Learning As A Lifestyle . . . . . . 14
Cover Stories. . . . . . . . . . 15, 17
Health and Fitness . . . . . . 18
View From The Bridge . . . . 19
Horse Whispering . . . . . . . . 20
Athens Rehab Spotlight . . 21
Medical Update . . . . . . . . 22
Security Savvy . . . . . . . . . 23
May 16 - June 5, 2014
It has been nearly ten years
to the day since I left for
Iraq, which I have often
said was one of the most
transformational
experiences of my life, second
only to becoming a Christian. Lately, though, I had
been prayerfully wondering if I had lost some of
my edge, if I had settled
into complacency and had
frittered away some the
gratitude that had been so
abundant. I had been aware
that “the Wall” was coming
to Athens, the one that on
one side gave a historical
timeline of the Global War
On Terror, and on the other
side had the names of all the
fallen: soldiers, people who
perished in the Twin Towers, and those who died on
the various flights that were
hijacked on 9/11. It also includes Benghazi, the subject of the last Publisher’s
Point. I am so sad to say
that I hadn’t really planned
to go see it. I was “busy,”
don’t you know, “with the
paper,” and trying to be a
big girl by being pro-active
and not waiting ‘til the last
minute to get articles written.
I think, though, that God
heard the cry of my heart to
be reminded, and through
a set of unplanned circumstances, I ended up at the
Vets’ Museum, experienced
the Wall, and it all came
rushing back. By “it,” I
mean the 30 years we have
been contending with those
who think it’s appropriate
to blow themselves and
others up so they can secure their place in Paradise,
the bravery of soldiers and
civilians alike who united
to stop them, and the three
years I spent among them.
On the side of the wall
that has the names listed, I
knew I would find the name
of the first Navy SEAL who
died in Iraq, Marc Lee. He
died while I was on one of
the bases where the SEALS
lived, but I have not been
able to determine for sure if
we ever met. I have, however, met his mom, Debbie, and she has gone on
not only to do a wonderful
job of honoring her son, but
of supporting our troops. A
few Christmases ago, she
traveled to Iraq, the land
where her son laid down
his life for the Iraqis and for
us, and distributed Christmas gifts. U.S. Marine
Derek Hendershot
helped with finding Marc’s name,
and the next day
I bought tracing
paper so we could
do a rubbing and
send it to Debbie.
As of now, there
is no other memorial like it, and
the Mall in DC is
closed. There will
be no more monuments built there.
Derek and JR
Nichols, of Vision2Victory, the
sponsors of the
Wall of Remembrance,
help
people
through this experience on
a full time basis. Over and
over, as visitors came, they
would ask, “Do you have
someone you need to find?”
It was almost as if the Wall
were alive, in a way, a link
to the fallen. I wept as I
went through, I wept as I
told them my stories, and I
wept as I was reminded of
the number of soldiers who
are taking their lives in the
aftermath of their tours of
duty. Currently it’s about
22 a day.
We also were able to laugh
as we told mutual stories of
things that are so funny in
the crazy context of a combat zone, and don’t make
sense anywhere else, or to
anywhere else.
Whenever the Wall of Remembrance comes to a
town, the local veterans,
Boy Scouts or other first responders take turns guarding it 24/7. Members of
Amvets and Vietnam Veterans of America were on
duty to protect the Wall and
the memories it holds. A
Gold Star family, (one who
lost a family member in
combat,) came to pay their
respects, and showed us the
pictures of Ricky Lee Turner, their fallen hero.
I was turned upside down,
again, got behind in my
writing/production schedule, again, and I am renewed
again in my determination
to do more on Memorial
Day than barbeque. How
about you?
For more information
or to help keep the wall
of remembrance rolling
contact
jr@vision2victory.com
derek@vision2victory.com
vision2victory.org
Ali Elizabeth Turner
Athens Now
Information & Inspiration
256-468-9425
ali@athensnowal.com
Website:
www.athensnowal.com
athensnowal.com
www.athensnowal.com
Page 3
All Things Soldier
What Exactly Is Memorial Day?
by Sandra Thompson, Director - Alabama Veterans’ Museum
I recently had a conversation with an individual
who said to me “Memorial Day, Veterans Day,
what’s the difference; they
are both the same thing.”
I was quite surprised by
this so I started wondering
just how many people out
there didn’t really know
that they are two different
observances. While they
both celebrate veterans,
Memorial Day is a day for
remembering and honoring military personnel who
died in the service of their
country. Veteran’s Day is
observed to thank and honor all veterans who served
their country honorably,
whether they served in war
or peacetime.
Memorial Day was started
in 1868 when the Grand
Army of the Republic
(GAR) started “Decoration Day” as the time for
the nation to decorate the
graves of the war dead with
flowers. After WWI it was
expanded to honor all who
died in American wars. It
wasn’t until 1971 that it was
declared a national holiday
by an act of Congress. Veteran’s Day actually started
out as “Armistice Day,” a
day to celebrate the end of
WWI. It remained so until 1954 when President
Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first Veteran’s Day
Proclamation, which stated
“In order to insure proper
and widespread observance
of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans’ organizations, and the entire
citizenry will wish to join
hands in the common purpose.”
On Monday, May 26th at
10:30 AM at the Limestone
County Event Center, the
Alabama Veterans’ Mu-
seum and Archives will
be hosting our annual
Memorial Day Program.
This program will honor
and remember our fallen
veterans since last Memorial Day. I am pleased
to announce that Brig.
Gen Theodore “Ted”
Harrison, Commanding
General of the U.S. Army
Contracting Command
will be our special guest
speaker. We will also be
honored with music provided by the Army Material Commands Yellahammer Brass Quintet.
Meet Brig. Gen
Theodore Harrison:
General Harrison was
commissioned as a second lieutenant in Air Defense Artillery after graduating as a distinguished
military graduate from
Virginia Tech in 1980.
He has served at various
levels of command and
staff positions throughout his career.
He is a graduate of the Senior Service College Fellowship Program at the University of Texas, Austin. He
holds a master’s in Business
Administration from Frostburg State University, Md.,
and a Bachelor of Science
in Marketing Management
Page 4
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Brig. Gen. Theodore Harrison
from Virginia Tech. He is a
graduate of the Air Defense
Artillery Basic Course,
Aviation Officer Advanced
Course (with honors), Defense Program Managers Course, and Command
and General Staff College.
General Harrison is Defense
Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act Level III
certified in both contracting and program management.
General Harrison’s military decorations include
the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of
Merit (one oak leaf cluster), Bronze Star Medal
(one oak leaf cluster), the
Defense Meritorious Service Medal (one oak leaf
cluster), the Meritorious
Service Medal (three oak
leaf clusters), the Army
Commendation Medal, the
Army Achievement Medal,
the National Defense Service Medal, the Korea Defense Service Medal, the
Southwest Asia Services
Medal, the Global War on
Terrorism Expeditionary
Medal, the Global War on
Terrorism Service Medal,
Army Aviator Wings, the
Ranger Tab, and the Parachutist Badge.
May 16 - June 5, 2014
May 16 - June 5, 2014
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Page 5
Calendar of Events
“Athens Jobs” Up And Ready For Postings
A Facebook page has been created to help others find jobs in Athens.
We all hear of jobs and can now share that info with those looking.
I hope you will go LIKE the page and help local people find local
jobs. If you know of a job, just post it in the page. Our first 100
“Likes”, or friends will have a chance to win a gift card to ChickFil-A or Lawler’s BBQ. Just go to www.AthensJobs.US
Meet and Eat with Eric Smith
May 16th
Yesterday’s Storm Relief Concert Fundraiser
May 31st
Yesterday’s Event Center 15631 Brownsferry Road, Athens, AL
Join Yesterday’s for night of music with The Flashbacks plus live and
silent auctions. No admission but donations by cash or check will
be accepted at the box office. Optional Dinner available for $9.95,
include dinner request in reservation to Info@yesterdaysevents.
com Proceeds go to Clements Baptist Chruch Relief Fund. If you
cannot attend but would like to make a donation by mail Yestedays
Storm Relief Fund 14951 Blackburn Road, Athens, AL 35611
Meet and Eat with Eric Smith, your Republican candidate for Sheriff
of Limestone County. 11am to 2pm at Lil Dottie’s Lunch Affair &
Deli located at the intersection of Lucas Ferry & Nuclear Plant Rd.
Live Music on the Patio
May 24th
Joe Wheeler State Park 4403 McLean Drive, Rogersville, AL Join
Joe Wheeler State Park for an evening of music iwth local talent
Will Lamar from 6:00PM-7:00PM. Children’s games, smores
ingredients. For more information or to make a room reservation
256-247-5461.
Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic
May 24th - 25th
Point Mallard Park 2901 Point Mallard Drive SE, Decatur, AL This
two-day Memorial Day celebrations starts bright and early May
24th at 6:30AM with the Hare and Hound Balloon Race. Saturday
Activities include: antique car show, arts and craft show and the
Southland Flywheelers how a tractor show with a parade of antique
tractors and engines, pedal tractor pull and tractor games. May
25th is the Lynn Layton Chevrolet Hot-Air Balloon Key Grab Race
starting at 6:30AM. Sunday Activities include: arts and crafts show
and a military tribute for fallen soldiers. Free tethered ridges from
6:30PM-8:00PM followed by a firework show at 9:30PM. Live
music both days. Free parking at Wolverine Park (Point Mallard
Drive and 8th Street SE) and GE with shuttle service (nominal fee
each way) to Point Mallard Park from 4:00PM-10:00PM. Picnic
blankets and lawn chairs are encouraged. For more information
www.alabamajubilee.net.
Pickwick Belle Alabama Jubilee
Fireworks Dinner Cruise
May 25th
Pickwick Belle Ingalls’ Harbor. Come aboard and experience the beautiful
Tennessee River for this 3 hour cruise starting at 8:00PM. Celebrate
Memorial Day under the fireworks with a BBQ including classic pulled
BBQ, potato salad, baked beans, and peanut butter fudge pie with unlimited
coffee/tea/soft drinks/water. Live music by Steve Hopper. Reservations are
required. Prices is $54.99 per person + tax & gratuity. Cash bar available.
Patriotic party favors. Pickwick Belle reserves the right to cancel a cruise
if minimum number of passengers is not met - please call for reservations.
Reservations can be made by calling 1-877-936-2355
Page 6
Calhoun Community College
Lady Warhawk Softball Camp
Jun 2nd-4th
For girls age 6-12 Softball Stadium Calhoun Community College
6250 U.S. Highway 31, Tanner, AL This daily Softball Camp will
be led by Calhoun softball coaches and current/former members of
the Lady Warhawks. Softball fundaments such as hitting, fielding,
position play, baserunning will be covered. Registration will
be Jun 2 from 8:30-8:45AM. Cost is $75.00. Parents/guardian
waiver and liability signature required. Participants should bring
a bat, batting gloves, helmet, tennis shoes, cleats, glove, and
catching equipment. For more information call Nancy Keenum at
256-306-2850 or nek@calhoun.edu
Discovering Violin with Kristi Coughlin
Jun 5th
Chasteen Hall Room 105, Athens State University 300 North Beaty
Street, Athens, AL This course is designed for beginner violin
players with less than three months of experience. The course
covers basics of playing, position, bow hand, proper handling of the
instrument, beginning tone production, consecutive fingering, and
separate bowing. This is a group lesson limited to 5 students and
meets Thusdays for two months (except July 3rd) from 2:00PM3:00PM. Fee is $90.00. Pre-registration is required. To register
please visit Center for Lifelong Learning page or by calling 256233- 8620.
Spring tour of
“Timeless Gardens - Traditional to Modern”
June 7th
10am until 2pm. The tour includes traditional gardens in
downtown Athens, including three church prayer gardens, a
country garden, and four modern-day landscaped gardens in the
Canebrake Subdivision. The event is sponsored by the Friends of
the Athens Limestone County Public Library. Tickets are $20 each
and can be purchased at Athens Limestone Public Library, Pablo’s,
Pimento’s, Trinity’s and Crawford’s on the square. They may also
be purchased from members of the Friends of the Library.
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May 16 - June 5, 2014
Special Feature
VOAD: Volunteer Organizations Active
In Disaster
by Ali Elizabeth Turner
This August marks the
45th anniversary of the
devastation caused by
Hurricane Camille. She
was a “Cat 5,” (Category
5) storm, the strongest
there is, and when it was
all over, she stole 259
lives. Loss in terms of
dollars by 2014 standards
was in the neighborhood
of 9.13 billion dollars,
and what is little talked
about in regard to Camille
is what came to be known
as “the second disaster.”
Americans are famous for
rolling up their sleeves,
opening their wallets, or
filling up their trucks with
goods and heading out to
help in the wake of a disaster. While we can thank God
for people who both live in
and will quickly mobilize
to express that level of generosity, donations must be
specific to the actual needs
of the disaster area. Unsolicited donations and unmanaged volunteers create
the “second disaster.” This
is what happened with Camille. People who came to
help ended up needing help
themselves, because there
was absolutely no infrastructure to support
their presence.
Mrs. Stormy McLemore Ripley, who
chairs the local chapter of VOAD, told me,
“We’ve learned a lot
since Camille,” and it
was dealing with the
far reaching effects of
Camille that brought
together 7 groups to
form VOAD in 1970.
They were: the Seventh-day
Adventist
Church, Southern Baptist
Convention, Mennonite Disaster Service, St. Vincent
de Paul Society, Christian
Reformed World Relief
May 16 - June 5, 2014
their skill set.
The core principles of
VOAD are what the organization refers to as the
4Cs. They are: cooperation, communication, coordination, and collaboration. These principles
are the modus operandi of
VOAD, and are embraced
prior to an event, during
what is known as the “disaster cycle,” and in preparation for the next disaster.
The “disaster cycle” has
four parts, preparation,
Committee, the National
Disaster Relief Office
of the Roman Catholic
Church, and the American
Red Cross. VOAD’s reason for being is to coordinate information for those
volunteering with many
relief
agencies,
church groups, private non-profits and
individuals. They
are also involved
in giving extensive
training to volunteers in preparation
for a disaster. Their
mission is to see to
it that efforts aren’t duplicated, and resources are distributed prudently.
Since the nationalization
of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency,
(FEMA,) and the formation of Homeland
Security after 9/11,
VOAD’s role has become even more important. They see to it that
the groups are “immediately included in the
information loop,” said
Stormy. It is not that
running communications between groups,
as important as that is in a
time like that, is all that they
do. If things are “covered,”
they go out and will run a
chain saw, too, if that is in
www.athensnowal.com
response, recovery
and mitigation. The
first three are fairly
s e l f - e x p l a n a t o r y.
Mitigation has to do
with the long term
“lessening of the
pain,” a huge need
that is easy to miss
after the trucks have
gone home and the
radios are finally silenced.
So, what are some practical
examples of what VOAD
just did in our April 28th
storm?
“Letting
chainsaw crews know when the
downed power lines on the
street were no longer live,”
said Stormy. She added,
“Telling people that there
were plenty of clothes for
people 16-50, but not enough
baby clothes.” As indelicate
as this may sound, one of
the things Stormy taught
me is that while you can
never have too many dis-
posable baby diapers after
a disaster, senior hygienic
products are rarely thought
of, and are greatly needed.
Drinking water may be in
abundance in one area, and
it needs to be determined if
the effort made to go get it
and take it somewhere else
is the best way to handle
a problem, or if water can
come from another source.
“We want to make sure that
there is no waste of money
or time,” she said, in reference to other resources
greatly expended during
a disaster.
Our local VOAD is
housed in the Emergency Management Agency
(EMA) office at 1011
West Market Street in
Athens, and although
things are just starting to
slow down from the April
28th tornados, VOAD is
actively seeking new organizations to volunteer,
and be a part of a working
group that truly makes a difference. The cost to join the
Limestone County VOAD
is $25 annually. Some of the
Limestone County VOAD
members are the local
chapters of the Red Cross
and United Way, multiple
churches, DHR and EMA,
so why not yours?
VOAD
1011 W. Market
Athens, AL 25611
256-216-3894
For the Limestone
County Chapter, go to
www.facebook.com/
LimestoneCounty.
VOAD
www.alvoad.
communityos.org
or www.nvoad.org
Page 7
What Makes Ronnie Roll
The Challenge Of Clean Up
by Ali Elizabeth Turner
The last time Mayor Ronnie
and I met was the morning
of the storm, and I subsequently took the liberty of
“pre-thanking” everyone in
our area on his behalf. For
this interview, as I knew he
would, he went quickly to
describing the remarkable
job done by all of our first
responders, and that includes the Utilities crews.
We talked about how disasters are very much like
combat zones, and he told
me, “Agencies came in to
work, and convoyed out,
working nearly around the
clock. In 8 days, we went
from 16,000 people being out of power to, [as of
Monday, May 12th,] less
than 50.” He also added
that the outpouring of love
and appreciation for all that
had been done in the aftermath of the storm had been
“unbelievable.”
Counties
from all over pitched in and
helped. I know for my part,
getting the Nixle updates
on the progress was so encouraging. The last text that
said they were down to only
50 customers caused me to
cheer!
He continued with the observation that “If you take
a breath, you can see where
you are, and you can see
what God does,” and there
is much to be thankful for,
even while facing the chal-
lenges of digging out. “We
actually have more debris
to deal within the city limits of Athens than we had in
2011.” By “more,” we are
talking about 75,000 cubic
yards of debris! He estimated that it is going to take 60
to 90 days to complete the
cleanup project. Clean up
comes out of the General
Fund, and is estimated to be
around 1 million dollars. He
summed up his own thankfulness for how hard people
had worked, and how much
we had been spared.
“Whenever there is a disaster, there are several sides
to the recovery process,”
he said. There is the emotional side, where we serve,
clean up, and move things
out of the way so people
can rebuild their lives,”
he said. “Then there is the
documentation side, which
is HUGE.” All of the movements, work, hours, resources and equipment used
to get things back online
have to be accounted for,
down to the penny. The last
part is the funding side, and
the administrative responsibilities are great as well.
“People don’t realize that
clean up is so much more
than getting trees out of the
road.”
One of the things that helps
a community regain its balance after a disaster is doing
things that are part of “normal” life. This weekend we
have the Sheriff’s Rodeo,
and, added Mayor Ronnie, “We still have proms
and graduations.” Then he
showed me something that
had made his day. One of
the kids from the Mayor’s
Youth Commission sent him
an invitation to a 16th birthday party. “A 16 year old kid
inviting a 69 year old man
to their birthday party, it just
don’t get better than that,”
he said with his characteristic joy and resilience. And
that, dear citizens of Athens,
is some of what makes Ronnie roll.
Complete Property
Maintenance, LLC
256-497-6447
www.completepropertymaintenance.org
adam@completepropertymaintenance.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Complete PM LLC
Twitter: /@ CPM_LLC
Page 8
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May 16 - June 5, 2014
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May 16 - June 5, 2014
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May 16 - June 5, 2014
Special Feature
Sunset Swim Club 2014:
All Set For The Season
by Ali Elizabeth Turner
We have just come through
a significant weather event,
and probably no one is more
thankful that their business
was spared this time than
Angelo and Vincent Azzarello, owners of Sunset Swim
Club. One of the more memorable local stories from the
historic 2011 tornadoes was
the utter destruction of the
Club, which is located just
off Hwy 72, heading south
on Mooresville Road. The
only thing left was the pump
and filter, and there was even
a car teetering on the edge
of the pool, ready to fall
in. The twister completely
mowed down the buildings,
and transformed the ladders
to get in and out of the pool
into pretzels. It took a year
to rebuild. They reopened in
2013, had a great season, and
as I went in for this year’s
interview, I was reminded
of the fact that unless the aftermath of “the big one” had
been caught on camera, no
one would ever know what
this place and its owners had
been through.
The club, which boasts a million gallon pool, will be ready
Memorial Day Weekend.
That is the traditional time of
the first “big splash,” which
lasts through Labor Day. The
Azzarellos are anticipating a
successful 2014 season, and
want you to know why they
are the best swimming value
in the Valley.
Sunset Swim Club boasts a
pool that is 200 feet long and
80 feet wide, and is the largest outdoor rectangular pool
in the state of Alabama. That
is just the beginning of a long
list of amenities. There are
two one-meter boards off of
which to dive, a baby pool, a
May 16 - June 5, 2014
basketball court, and you can
play volleyball, water basketball, horseshoes, and ping
pong. There are first come,
first serve grills for cookouts.
You just need to bring your
charcoal, lighter fluid and
meat. For an extra fee, you
can have a birthday party for
your kids.
Something I also especially
liked when visiting was the
secure area that is set aside
for members to bring and
store their pool toys, air mat-
er to supervise because
you don’t know the people, and through having a
Club membership there’s
a better chance for you
and your family to meet
new people and make new
friends.” Since they are
open until 8pm, you can
come after work for a relaxing swim and spend
quality time with your family. The lifeguards are excellent, and very vigilant.
“Families can come and
taking care of the chemicals,”
Angelo stated. “A mother who
has a family membership told
me that one of the things she
especially likes is the cleanliness of the water, which we
pride ourselves in,” he added.
Sunset Swim Club routinely
scores a 100 or 99 on their
health inspections.
tresses, etc, so they wouldn’t
need to haul them back and
forth all summer. They offer
free swimming lessons to club
members, and classes are for
everyone from little ones who
need to get comfortable with
blowing bubbles, to beginners
learning kicks and strokes, to
intermediate swimmers. Offering free swimming lessons
is a smart move all the way
around, because it makes to
the Club a safer place for families to enjoy swimming.
So, what are the benefits of a
family membership? Angelo
told me it’s the easiest way
“to provide a family friendly
atmosphere.” He also added,
“When you open it up to just
one time users, it’s much hard-
fer to bring in their own coolers with snacks and drinks
for the day, and are on a tight
budget. So, from the baby
pool to the high dive, Sunset
Swim Club is just the place
for you and family to enjoy
swimming, playing, picnicking, lounging and building
wonderful memories for the
summer and beyond.
There is a reason that families
come back year after year,
and you need to come and experience it for yourself. Call
or stop by to find out about
a season membership. Then,
jump on in, the water for you
and your family will be just
fine!
Sunset
Swim Club
do something together rather
than just watch TV. We also
clean the pool every morning,
and stay completely on top of
www.athensnowal.com
There are concessions available, but families are welcome
to bring in their own food if
they choose. This is especially
nice for large families who pre-
14128 Mooresville Rd
Athens, AL 35613
Phone: 256-431-9566
Website: www.sunset
swimclub.com
Facebook:
Sunset Swim Club
Page 11
Clean and Green
Alabama Smart Landscapes &
Gardens
by Lynne Hart
Knowing your hardiness
zone helps in the selection of
plants that will tolerate the
heat and drought in our area.
Selection of native plants will
reduce the amount of care
and attention your garden
will require once the plants
are established, and the right
habitat and nutrition will be
provided for native wildlife.
Invite wildlife to your yard
by adding native flowering
and fruiting plants, seeds,
and nuts to your landscape.
Alabama is a stopping place
for migrating butterflies and
birds so think about adding
flowers to your yard that will
attract and feed them.
Know which plants are invasive and avoid them! Invasive plants are never native
and will crowd out the plants
that keep the area’s ecosystem
healthy.
Citgo Touchless
Car Wash
Special!
Car Wash
and Wax
$39.95
1404 US Hwy 72 E • Athens, AL 35611
256-221-5354
Mon-Sat 7 am-7pm • Sun 8-5:30
If It Don’t Shine, It Ain’t Mine!
Don’t forget to add trees to
your landscape as well. Learn
which trees are tolerant of
drought and which trees need
to be planted near a water
source. Choose a tree that is
the right size for your yard,
and plant it carefully, taking
into consideration that shading
your home on the sunny side
will help reduce air conditioning costs in the summer.
Don’t forget to call before you
dig! If you are not absolutely
sure where underground utilities are located, you do not
want to start digging before
calling 811 and having your
utilities marked. Be sure to
call at least 48 hours before
you plan to dig.
If you are a visual learner, it
helps to visit nurseries with
garden displays, the Huntsville Botanical Gardens, or
other private gardens in your
area for ideas. Remember to
look for native plants!
Page 12
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photo by permission: AL.com. Photo credit Dave Dieter
Having just returned from
a trip to Ohio, it reminded
me how differently we must
think about our gardens.
Most of Ohio is in hardiness
zone 6 and North Alabama is
zone 7. There are some beautiful plants that will grow in
Northeast Ohio that would
only last a short time in an
Alabama yard.
Spring Garden Tour
June 7th
Friends of the Athens-Limestone Library will host a tour
of gardens from traditional to
modern on Saturday, June 7th
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eleven
gardens will be open for viewing including residential and
church prayer gardens. Some
of the gardens included are
the Davis Garden, 202 Washington St., Kuykendal Garden, 309 South Clinton St.,
the Bolton Garden, 222717
Winged Foot Lane, St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church Prayer
Garden, and several more.
Tickets for this tour are available until June 6th at Crawford’s, Pablo’s on Market,
Pimento’s, Trinity’s, AthensLimestone Public Library, and
from members of the Friends
of the Athens-Limestone Library. Tickets are $20 each
with proceeds supporting the
library.
Online Information
A publication titled Alabama
Smart Yards, introducing environmental consciousness
and practical management
options to our yards and
neighborhoods, is available
online at http://www.aces.
edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR1359/ANR-1359.pdf This
publication is provided by
ACES, ADEM, ALNLA,
Alabama Master Gardeners,
and the Auburn University
Department of Horticulture.
It is a wonderful resource
for information on creating
landscaping that will support
the biodiversity of this area,
proper mowing, pruning,
mulching, composting, water
conservation, and more.
Happy gardening!
(256) 233-8728
KALBCares@gmail.com
www.KALBCares.com
Become a Fan
May 16 - June 5, 2014
Cooking with Shelley
Chick...Chick... Chicken Pot Pie
by Shelley Underhill
I have to give credit for this recipe to He Cooks,
She Cooks. They are based out of Huntsville and
have an awesome cookbook that is sold around
town. Well, mom got ahold of one! You guessed
it.... She made the chicken pot pie first. What a
treat! Let me know what ya think after you
try it. You can email me at shelleysdesk@
gmail.com Enjoy.
What you will need:
2 nine-inch deep dish pie crusts
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 can of Veg-all
4 oz sour cream
2 Tablespoons of mayo
1 cup of Velveeta cheese- cubed
Salt and pepper
Mix together all ingredients. Place in unbaked pie shell. Put
second crust on top of shell and mixture. Pinch the ends to
seal. Cut slits all over top shell. Bake on a cookie sheet in case
some of the mixture leaks out. Bake for one hour.
I find it’s best if you let it rest about 20 minutes before serving.
May 16 - June 5, 2014
www.athensnowal.com
Page 13
Learning As A Lifestyle
Here’s A Tip
by Wanda Campbell
Center for Lifelong Learning - 121 South Marion Street, Athens, AL 35611 - 256-233-8262
Recently my son went
to a fast food place
where they bring the
food to your car. The
price was $7.15 and he
gave the waiter $7.25.
When the waiter did
not come back with
change, he thought it
was bad service but
began to wonder if the
waiter thought the ten
cents was a tip. After
talking with the manager, he found out they
were supposed to be
tipped. He was horrified that he had never
tipped at this place before and that the poor
waitress thought some
jerk gave her a ten cent
tip.
When I was in my 20s, I
waited tables at a Chinese
restaurant. It was pretty
an hour, plus tips.
Tips were only good
on Friday and Saturday nights when husbands and boyfriends
were trying to impress
their spouses and girlfriends. All in all, I
probably made about
$55 each week. I
thought I was earning
hard work – certainly
harder than I thought it
would be. It was definitely the best customer service training I ever got.
After all, my income depended on my being help-
ful,
knowledgeable,
and pleasant each time
I worked. It also required me to be attentive and pleasant when
other people were not.
My salary was $1.30
a lot of money in those
days.
Recently, I read Congress
is thinking about raising
the minimum wage again.
Some unions are protesting the new wage level.
With my son’s experience
and all the controversy, I
started reading about the
debate.
While I cannot image
how someone lives on a
minimum wage salary, I
did not realize that minimum wages are not the
same everywhere. The
Federal minimum wage is
$7.25 per hour effective
July 24, 2009. However,
states can make their own
minimum wage higher but
cannot go lower. Vermont
just passed legislation
that will raise the state
minimum wage to $10.25
over the next four years.
There is an exception to
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this rule. Servers are not
required to get minimum
wages because their tips
can make up the difference between minimum
wage and what they earn
– which is $2.13/hour.
This wage has gone up
$1.01 since 1960 when
minimum wage applied
to everyone. I could not
imagine living on
$2.13 an hour plus
tips.
I am sure employers
are out there saying
that servers augment
their salaries with
tips which make it
more than $7.25 in
a lot of cases. They
may be right. There
are some server jobs
in high-end restaurants that will get
you big tips. Most
people will tip 15-20% in
most cases, but there are
lots of people who think
tipping should only be
a dollar or two, even for
great service. I have met
those guys and had lunch
with them.
Some servers don’t get
tips when they should.
Did it ever occur to you
to tip a server at a fast
food restaurant? While
most fast food restaurant
do pay minimum wage
or better, some themed
fast food restaurants have
servers who are paid at
the $2.13/hour salary. At
some pizza delivery places, the drivers are paid
like servers at the $2.13/
hour rate as well.
So here is my tip for today: if you did not get
the food yourself, tip the
person who brought it to
you.
May 16 - June 5, 2014
Cover Story
Brad Pullum For Limestone County Sheriff
by Ali Elizabeth Turner
continued from page 1
He is also running for
Limestone County Sheriff
as a Republican. What is
far less known about him
is that he has been trained
by the FBI as a hostage
negotiator, and was the first
law enforcement officer
in Limestone County to
be certified in the Voice
Stress Analysis system,
which can determine if a
subject is telling the truth.
He has felt a life-long
calling to be in law
enforcement, and has
served as a patrol deputy,
jailer, dispatcher, crime
scene photographer and
evidence collector. He
has degrees in Criminal
Justice as well as Real
Estate, is trained in
homicide investigations,
forensic techniques, and
is a graduate of the Reid
School of Interview and
Interrogation,
whose
method is widely used
by
law
enforcement
agencies in America. He
has experience as a liaison
contact person with the U.S.
Marshalls, ATF, DEA, and
the FBI. He has also been
a criminal investigator as
well as a patrol supervisor.
He sees functioning as a
Sheriff as “as an honor, and
not because I seek to make
a career of politics.”
He believes that “the
Sheriff, as an elected
official, takes an oath to
serve in that capacity.
You have to serve
equally and fairly, and
protect people fairly,
regardless of their race
or ethnicity.” He is a
strong proponent of the
2nd Amendment, and wants
to be known as a sheriff
that “empowers people to
protect themselves.” He is
also very clear that in these
uncertain times the Sheriff
has to be the “line in the
sand regarding our defense
and protection.” I learned
from talking with him
that the office of Sheriff
is a Constitutional office,
and as such is the only
law enforcement agency
position that is elected.
In addition, the Sheriff
has the right to deputize a
citizen as he sees fit.
Years before the active
shooter
tragedy
at
Sandy Hook Elementary
School, Brad called for
the implementation of
school guards, even at the
elementary school level.
He also would like to see a
substation for the Sheriff’s
May 16 - June 5, 2014
www.athensnowal.com
department located in
the East Limestone
area. His concern is
that with the level of
population in that part
of the county, having to
dispatch a responding
officer from the Elm
Street headquarters can
cost precious minutes
in an emergency.
I always ask candidates
why, when there are
several choices, should
the people should vote for
them, and Brad had the following to say regarding his
qualifications to occupy
the office: “I am a candidate for Sheriff because I
know with certainty that
I’m most qualified and best
prepared to serve the people of Limestone County.
I have a well thought out,
thoroughly proven, viable
plan for making improvements throughout our Sheriff’s office. Most efficient
utilization of available resources, including equipment, technology, skills,
and manpower is essential
to this position of leadership. My law enforcement
experience, training, community involvement, and
professionalism speak for
itself. I’ve enjoyed wonderful blessings of success
as a business professional, law enforcement officer, family man, and have
contributed positively to
our community throughout my adult life. I want to
correct our current problems with our department
being ‘top heavy,’ along
with providing better services without increased
budget requirements.” He
also promised, “Know
this—I’ll be there to serve
you with a common sense,
fair and practical approach
to law enforcement.”
He talked about the people of Limestone County
as being the “salt of the
earth,” and is confident
when it comes to protecting their Constitutional
rights, “they won’t go
down without a fight.”
We finished our chat with
Brad quoting Benjamin
Franklin, “When you are
finished changing, you
are finished.” He is determined to avoid getting
stuck and not able to make
important changes, and if
his resolve to let his “experience, honesty, transparency and integrity” be
his signature as Sheriff
resonates with you, then
vote for Brad Pullum on
June 3rd.
Page 15
Brad
Pullum
for Sheriff
Paid Political Advertisement by Friends of Brad Pullum
Page 16
www.athensnowal.com
May 16 - June 5, 2014
Cover Story
Limestone County Commission Chairman
Stanley Menefee: Gearing Up For Growth
by Ali Elizabeth Turner
continued from page 1
or as Chairman. He has
served on the Commission
for almost 18 years, nearly
12 of which he has been at
the helm. He is running for
re-election in the upcoming
June 3rd election, and he
wants your vote.
Born and raised in East
Limestone, Stanley first
learned the principals of
business and management by
working on the family farm
where they raised cotton,
soy and corn. During the
Vietnam era, he served with
the National Guard 1343rd
Engineering Battalion from
1966-1972, and retired as a
Staff Sergeant.
Stanley went to the
Commissioner’s
College
through Auburn University
to get his bachelor’s degree
in County Government, and
was one of its first graduates.
He enjoyed his schooling, and
felt it is one more thing that
has helped him “to do his job
well.” He learned budgeting,
media relations, building and
project codes, information
and resource procurement,
project management and
planning.
He has served on several
boards, including Federal
Intermediate
Bank
of
Jackson, MS, the Farm Credit
Bank, United Way, and
the Association of County
Commissions of Alabama,
upon which he served as
President.
In 2010 he ran for the
position
of
Limestone
County Commission Chair
and won.”I was not supposed
to win,” he said, “and I did.”
He went on to tell me that he
takes his job very seriously,
and his oath even more so. “I
do my best to be truthful. It’s
important to me,” he said.
May 16 - June 5, 2014
While in my view he was
careful to not inappropriately
leverage his personal faith,
he did not shy away from the
concept of feeling called to
this job “for as long as I am
supposed to do it.” He also
did not mince words in regard
to the knowledge that he must
give an account for how he did
that job, both to the citizens
of Limestone County, as well
as his Creator. He In addition,
he mentioned that he has been
criticized for his honesty.
We went straight to the issue
of the County procurement of
the L &S property, something
that has been controversial
and was a hot button topic at
the recent debate. He made it
clear that evening, (as well as
to me during our interview,)
that he was never for it, and
strongly recommended that
the County not purchase it.
I then learned something
very interesting about how
the County Commission is
run. It is legal for District
Commissioners to get together
2 at a time and discuss various
issues in their respective or
collective purviews, but the
Chairman can only talk to
one Commissioner at a time.
“Anything else would be
considered a quorum, and
that’s illegal,” he said.
Chairman Menefee is proud
www.athensnowal.com
to have been a part of the
recent effort which brought
Carpenter Technology as well
as Remington to Limestone
County. Because 5-7 new
“spin-off” jobs are generated
out of each new job created
by the location of new major
corporations in our county, he
knows that we need to “gear
up for growth,” and that’s his
vision.
He also pointed out that
the remodeled Better Living
building was going to give
the
Limestone
County
Courts four new courtrooms,
which will help break up the
log jam of cases that needs to
be tried. He pointed out that
at some point there is going
to have to be an expanded
facility for the License
office. “It’s jammed,” he
said. He also mentioned that
the current renovation of the
Court House should make
it usable for the next 20-30
years.
Roadwork is one of the
main responsibilities of
the Commission, and he is
grateful we have been able
to qualify for A.T.R.I.P.P.
grants to repair our roads.
“There is much that has been
done, and much we still have
to do,” he said. When asking
him why I should vote for
him, he said, “Many of the
district positions are soon
going to be filled by younger
men, and I believe with my
experience I can help them
learn quickly how to be good
at their job.” If his leadership
and the things he has
accomplished are what you
are looking for in a County
Commission Chairman, then
vote for Stanley Menefee on
June 3rd.
Page 17
Health and Fitness
Menopause Does Not Cause
Weight Gain
by Janet Hunt
Janet Hunt is a Certified Personal Trainer and can be reached at 256-614-3530 to schedule an appointment.
As you age, maintaining
your usual weight becomes
more difficult. Many women gain weight around the
time of menopause. But,
weight gain isn’t inevitable. You can change this
trend by paying attention
to healthy eating habits and
leading an active lifestyle.
What causes menopausal
weight gain?
Hormonal changes during
menopause might make
you more likely to gain
weight around your middle
than around your hips and
thighs. However, hormonal
changes alone don’t necessarily produce menopausal
weight gain. Instead, the
weight gain is usually related to aging in general,
as well as lifestyle and genetic factors.
For example, muscle mass
typically diminishes with
age, while fat increases.
Loss of muscle mass decreases the rate at which
your body uses calories,
which can make it more
challenging to maintain
a healthy weight. Therefore, if you continue to
eat as you always have
and don’t increase your
physical activity, you’re
likely to gain weight.
•Eat less. To maintain
your current weight, you
probably need about 200
fewer calories a day during your 50s than you did
during your 30s and 40s.
To reduce calories without skimping on nutrition, pay attention to what
you’re eating and drinking.
Choose fruits, vegetables
and whole grains. Opt for
lean sources of protein.
Visit www.myplate.gov or
talk to a registered dietician. Keep a food diary
for several weeks. This is
a great tool to help you eat
healthier.
Genetic factors might
also play a role in menopausal weight gain. If
your parents or other
close relatives carry extra weight around the
abdomen, you might as
well.
Sometimes factors such
as the stress of children
leaving or returning to
the home, divorce, the
death of a spouse, job
loss or change, or other
life changes might change
your diet or exercise habits
and contribute to menopausal weight gain.
How risky is weight gain
after menopause?
Menopausal weight gain
can have serious consequences for your health.
Excess weight increases the
risk of heart disease, type 2
diabetes and various types
of cancer, including colorectal cancer and breast
cancer. Increased weight
can affect your joints and
your ability to move, your
quality of sleep, and so
much more.
What’s the best way to
prevent weight gain after
menopause?
There’s no magic recipe
for preventing or even reversing menopausal weight
gain. Simply stick to tried
and true weight-control basics:
as jogging, for at least 75
minutes a week. In addition, strength training exercises are recommended
at least twice a week. If
you want to lose weight or
meet specific fitness goals,
you might need to exercise
more. If you need assistance with a good exercise
program, talk to a certified
personal trainer.
•Surround yourself with
friends and family who
will support your efforts to
eat a healthy diet and increase your physical activity. Better yet, team up and
make the lifestyle changes
together.
Remember,
successful
weight loss at any stage
of life requires permanent
changes in diet and exercise habits.
•Move more. Aerobic activity can help you shed excess pounds and maintain a
healthy weight. Strength
training is important, too.
As you gain muscle, your
body burns calories more
efficiently, which makes
it easier to control your
weight. For most healthy
adults, the Department of
Health and Human Services recommends moderate aerobic activity, such as
brisk walking, for at least
150 minutes a week or vigorous aerobic activity, such
Page 18
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May 16 - June 5, 2014
The View From The Bridge
Unplugging, The Real Recharge!
by Jackie Warner
it later; the messages will still
be there.
Jackie Warner
Community Outreach
“Impact, Engage, Grow”
Community Matters
4.Smart phones actually boost
your stress levels- You are constantly holding in one hand a
device that will do everything
for you; real smart right? The
problem: you actually let it!
Just imagine- no email, cell
phone, social media, not even
the TV for an hour a day. This
would truly be the recharge
all of us need to find a quick
moment of peace and really
see and hear more clearly the
woes and pleasures of life. Before mobile devices and endless sources of technology, we
actually had better focus and
transparency about our surroundings, families, hobbies
and priorities.
It’s a new day and a different world. Everywhere we go,
there is a cell/iPhone, iPad,
laptop, iPod, digital camera or
some sort of wireless device
very near (and did I say dear?)
and of course it has to be the
latest and greatest on the market. We tell ourselves that this
really keeps us connected with
whats going on, but does it? I
sometimes find myself saying
if I text my daughter in her bedroom I will probably get a faster response than just yelling for
her to come to dinner. Incredible! This really makes me feel
connected to my family. We
must stop kidding ourselves! I
am definitely not condemning
the benefits of technology but
I am also certainly convinced
of the benefits of unplugging to
reap the real benefits of what’s
truly becoming a lost art- effective face-to-face communication.
5.Ban technology at the dinner
table.
6.Instead of allowing children
to take technology to their bedrooms to recharge overnight,
take it in your room.
7.Live, laugh, and love the old
fashioned way- for real and out
loud! No “LOLs” allowed!
In what some would call our
“yester years,” you would not
even think of sending an email
to ask such personal questions
as we do today and then expect
a response, nor dare deliver terrible news. But now what do
we say? “Just text it,” or “Send
them an email.” Change has arrived and prompted a new mode
of communicating, or should I
say not communicating. True
focus and clarity have gone out
the window, and been replaced
with short abbreviated letter
messages someone made up
and called a plausible language
that everyone had to learn and
follow. Oh, did I forget to say
that you could even add your
own letters too, not tell anyone
what they meant, and take it for
granted that everyone understood? Move over Webster’s,
you have been replaced!
As I finish typing this article
and decide to unplug from our
tech world and fix dinner for
my family, I leave you with a
few parting tips:
1.De-tech and you will destress- YOLO (You Only Live
Once)
2.Ditch the touch screens and
spend less money online- The
more you touch the screen the
more you will want to purchase
the items when shopping online.
3.Leave your phone while out
with family & friends- Check
8.Practice mindfulness- the act
of being present!
Until Next Time, Be Sincere,
Kind and Intentional
Jackie Warner, Career
Development Facilitator
The Bridge “Where
Community Matters”
Visit smart.athens.edu to get started.
May 16 - June 5, 2014
www.athensnowal.com
Page 19
Horse Whispering
Dances With Horses
by Deb Kitchenmaster
Remember the movie, “Dances
With Wolves”? The dedicated
soldier mounted a horse that
caught his eye, changed the
deadlock between two opposing parties, his wounded leg received the medical attention it
needed, and one step at a time
he walked into a destiny. Most
likely, that wasn’t in his mind
when he mounted that beautiful
horse on that most challenging
day!
to be! So come to ME, My
child, every day. You need
to take heed and continue to
pray, for the day is coming
‘LO’ it’s at hand, when the
trumpet will sound and come
the SON OF MAN.”
Little did I know on that “ordinary” day when I saddled up
my horse, coins jingling in a
blue jean pocket (with the purpose of buying a Crème Soda
and a Zero candy bar), descending from Hocking Hill, wading
through a creek, smelling the
curing of freshly mowed alfalfa, I would encounter intimacy
with my Creator!
“Upon A Horse’s Back!” That’s
what I titled this particular
writing when I asked three
questions in my new, living relationship with perfect, unfailing love. (1) What is love? (2)
Freedom! Can it be seen? (3)
Do my questions bother You?
“I like to get upon a horse’s
back; running free in an open
field. I feel security that I’ve
lacked while riding upon that
horse’s back. The wind blowing through my hair, my mind
without a single care; loving to live and living to love,
searching for answers from
God above.”
“Love, O Lord, what does it
really mean?” “Freedom,
Lord. Can it be seen?”
“Questions I have, answers
I need, won’t you help me,
LORD, please?”
“My love, My child, is a perfect thing. It makes hearts
rejoice and voices sing. To
prove to you My love is not
a lie, I sent Jesus to earth
and for you He did die; freeing you from all your sin, to
let you live again. To live a
life that’s worth the living, to
live a life that’s full of giving.
Love, My child, is giving all
you have, even yourself, and
don’t keep you on a shelf.
Open your heart, let ME do
what I want to do through
you. “
“Freedom, My child, is be-
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coming someone. Someone you thought you could
never become. To live a life
that’s free from fear. To live
a life that’s very clear; having peace within your mind,
joy all the time, having the
control that you need, as
you go about, planting My
seed. Freedom, My child, is
for you to RECEIVE! Open
your heart, YES! In ME BELIEVE! The fruit will come,
as I look at you, I’ll say, ‘Well
done!’”
“Questions, My child, don’t
bother me, for the answers I
give will set you free! I just
love it when you come and
talk to ME, for I know you
will be, who I created you
After writing this, I heard a
“new” song. It was a simple
song, “I’ve got a feeling everything’s gonna be alright.
Alright! Alright! Alright!”
While outside one “ordinary”
day with a couple of horses and
my golden lab, Jubilee, this
song came to my mind. I began singing this from my core;
you know, that place where you
find balance while riding. In
the presence of only 4-legged
friends, I began twirling around
as I sang. One horse, Annie, walked away. She wanted
no part of this song or dance.
HOWEVER, a beautiful chestnut mare, (whose name means
‘great grace’) along with the
dog, Jubilee, began twirling around! Seriously! Here
I am in the midst of a horse
and a dog and we are dancing!
Please don’t share my ordinary
day with anyone, okay? I just
wanted to share this with you.
What an amazing moment of
worshipping our Creator, along
with HIS creation! One horse
chose not to participate, but another horse and a dog chose to!
Happy, happy May days,
dear reader, and if you get the
chance, “I HOPE you dance!”
Your NEIGHbor,
Deb Kitchenmaster
Corral Connections:
Connecting with LIFE
through a horse
Animal B.E.S.T practitioner
dkitchenmaster@mchsi.com
May 16 - June 5, 2014
Athens Rehabilitation And Senior Care
Center Spotlight On
Judith Diane Groce
by Ali Elizabeth Turner
In 1978, Judith Diane Groce
was in a horrible auto accident, and she had to learn to
walk all over again. “Some
days all I could take was one
step,” she told me, and that is
a fitting analogy for her life.
She was born in 1947in Giles
County, TN, and her dad, a
WWII vet, was both a farrier
and had a tack shop. His expert blacksmithing was confined to the custom formation
of horseshoes. Her mom was
a homemaker, and as was customary for the day, there was
a big garden, lots of canning,
and thankfully in Judith’s
case, lots of love. Tragedy
struck Judith’s family twice:
both her older sister and her
younger brother were still
born, and she ended up being
an only child.
They were people of faith,
and Judith fellowshipped as a
young person at the Methodist
Church. “I remember I used to
walk to church with a [what
was called in those days] retarded man. I wanted to make
sure he got to church alright,”
she said. Later in life she worshipped at the non-denominational Church of the Living God in Ardmore. Though
raised on the TN side, Judith
graduated from Ardmore High
School in 1965, and was married soon after. She went on to
get both her LPN and cosmetology degrees, and she greatly
enjoyed the years from 19681972, when she worked in a
beauty shop in Pensacola, FL.
She is the mother of two sons,
and has a granddaughter.
I found out that Ms. Judith had
worked in Labor and Delivery,
a passion of mine, and I asked
her to tell me quickly, without thinking too hard about it,
about a memorable birth. She
replied, “A woman was crowning, and one of the nurses
fainted. She was out cold. So,
we slid her under the bed and
went on delivering the baby.”
That was not exactly what I
had in mind, but it was a great
story, and we both laughed.
By the way, one of her favorite
TV programs is “Call the Midwife,” and it’s one of mine as
well.
Like me, she also experienced
a divorce, and she said, “It
was devastating.” I replied,
“I wouldn’t wish divorce on
anyone.” However, she went
on to remarry, was happy, and
even in spite of the accident,
has lived a full life. In April
of 2013 it became apparent
that she was going to need
long term care, and she came
to Athens Rehab and Senior
Care. I asked her if she had a
tough time making the adjustment, and she speedily said,
“Oh, no! I had known for a
long time that I was going to
need to be in a facility, and I
love it here!” She has some
favorite nurses, Tasha, Carrie
and Sandra, and the Activities
staff. She loves to play UNO,
Chicken Foot dominoes, Mexican Train dominoes, the lemonade socials and going out on
the porch.
Some of the residents are able
to go out on field trips, and,
in addition to an occasional
visit to the movies, she enjoys going by bus to the sites
of some of the old homes that
were formerly lived in by current Athens Rehab residents.
Incidentally, Judith is the
May 16 - June 5, 2014
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Vice-President of the Resident Council, and in the recent
Miss Athens Rehab And Senior Care Pageant, she came
in as 2nd Runner-up.
So here’s the list of her
“faves.”
•Fave book? “Little Red Riding Hood” Don’t ask her why,
she just loves it
•Color? Blue
•Food? Thanksgiving dressing
•Song? “How Great Thou
Art”
•Presidents? George Washington and Ike
•Movie/TV Series? “Little
House On The Prairie”
•Actress? Marilyn Monroe
•Actors? John Wayne and Elvis Presley
What is the biggest change you
have seen in your life time?
“Computers.” Advice for living well—“Being happy and
having a lot of love in your
heart.” Advice to young people? “Get a good education.”
Favorite scripture? Who could
argue with John 3:16, “For
God so loved the world….”
We recited it together, prayed,
and resolved that we would let
God use us, no matter what
location or circumstances in
which we found ourselves. I
left, as I always do, thankful
for my own health, and thankful that Athens Rehab and Senior Care is such a safe place
for the vulnerable.
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Medical Update
May is National Stroke Awareness Month
By Rachel Clark, RN, BSN
May became National
Stroke Awareness Month
by Presidential Proclamation 5975 on May 11, 1989,
by President George H.
W. Bush at the urging of
the National Stroke Association. Ever since, the National Stroke Association
has been extremely vigilant
during the month of May
to increase the awareness
of the public in regard to
strokes. The goal is to conquer this debilitating condition that is linked to other
chronic conditions such
as heart disease and high
blood pressure.
There
are
educational
events going on across the
country this month. Locally,
the Limestone Council on
Aging also did an article on
Stroke Awareness. According to the National Stroke
Association, the goals of
this month are as follows:
•Elevating stroke in the
mindset of everyone in the
U.S., so more people care
about supporting stroke research and education.
•Ensuring that everyone
understands the emotional,
physical and financial impacts that strokes have on
our country.
•Influencing others to improve their health by sharing personal stories of how
stroke has already affected
the lives of so many.
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body
•Talking to legislators and thought leaders about how their
decisions can positively affect survivors
throughout their recovery.
•Sudden confusion,
trouble speaking or
understanding
•Sudden
difficulty
seeing in one or both
eyes
•Providing a platform
for more than 7 million survivors and
their families to discuss their experiences
and live with dignity.
Stroke survivors possess the most influential and inspiring
knowledge needed to
make an impact on society. Their voices are
so important.
•Sudden
dizziness,
trouble walking, loss
of balance or coordination
•Sudden severe headache with no known
cause
So, what is a stroke?
As defined by the
National Stroke AsVeteran actor and stroke survivor,
Kirk Douglas
sociation, a stroke
“occurs when a blood
clot blocks an artery
area is damaged and how -High Cholesterol
(a blood vessel that
-Diabetes
carries blood away from the much it is damaged.
There
are
also
different
heart) or blood vessel (a tube
-Atherosclerosis (hardening
through which blood moves types of strokes, ischemic of arteries)
through the body) breaks, and hemorrhagic. Ischemic
interrupting blood flow to strokes are broken down into -Circulation issues
an area of the brain.” When two categories called embo- -Tobacco Use/Smoking
either of those two things lic (a blood clot from some- -Physical Inactivity
happens, the surrounding where else in the body travels
brain tissue dies and damage to the brain and blocks blood -Obesity
occurs. Wherever brain cell flow), thrombotic (direct
death occurs, those abilities blockage of an artery leading Incontrollable Risk Faccontrolled by the area af- to the brain). Hemorrhagic tors:
fected are lost. This could strokes occur when blood
include speech, movement, vessels break or “blow out,” -Age
memory, and even basic life causing excessive bleeding -Gender
function such as breathing to an area of the brain. There -Race
and your heart beating. Af- are two types of hemorfects are determined by what rhagic strokes, subarachnoid -Family History
(an aneurysm that bursts in -Previous Stroke
a large area on or near the
thin, delicate membrane lin- -Fibromuscular Dysplasia
ing the brain allowing blood (underdeveloped arteries)
to spill into the protective -Patent Foramen Ovale (hole
fluid and contaminating it) in heart that failed to close in
and intracerebral (bleed- childhood)
ing occurring from a vessel
Signs and Symptoms
within the brain itself).
of a Stroke:
Controllable Risk Factors:
•Sudden numbness or weak-High blood pressure
ness of face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the
-Atrial Fibrillation (A-fib)
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There is also an acronym, FAST, that helps
you remember how to
identify signs and act
on them accordingly:
Face - ask the person
to smile; does one side
of the face droop?
Arms - ask the person
to raise both arms;
does one drift downward?
Speech - ask the person to
repeat a simple phrase; is
speech slurred or strange?
Time - if any of the above
signs are observed, call
9-1-1 immediately as time
is key!
If caught in time, healthcare
professionals can intervene
and give a clot-busting drug
called TPA if diagnosis of
the most common type of
stroke occurs within the
first 3 hours of onset of
symptoms.
Educate yourself and your
loved ones on this very debilitating and deadly disease. It is preventable and
treatable. Know your risk
factors and discuss them
with your healthcare professional today. Come up with
a plan to modify those you
can and be aware of those
you can’t.
For more information, visit
www.stroke.org.
May 16 - June 5, 2014
Security Savvy
Hidden Dangers At Home
by Jim Doyle, owner of Madison Security Group
203 Us Highway 31 S, Athens, AL 35611
You get home and you believe
that all is safe but be aware
there are hidden dangers that
we all need to pay attention
to. The following are some
of the day to day dangers that
we all seem to become complacent about.
Bathroom: Slips and Falls
If one is up in age or even has
an injury that may hinder the
way you get around, beware
of the bathroom. More slips
have happened in the shower/
tub area and those of us who
may be a bit older could really get injured. I would install
some sort of handrail in the
shower area to help prevent
such an occurrence. If you
have an elderly parent living
with you, have some sort of
panic button in the bathroom
so if there is a problem you
can be notified.
bell, something on the stove,
or answering a phone call.
When you have a child in a
tub, always stay with them.
Children in the bathroom
should never be left alone
when bathing. It would take
no time at all for a child to
drown or hit their head while
in a tub of water. There are
close to 43,000 injuries each
year in the bathroom and children make up approximately
half of them. Most of these
could have been prevented
if there had been an adult in
the bathroom with the child.
Common excuses for not being present include the door-
Hot stove tops (especially
the glass ones) are hazards
for anyone in the kitchen. A
child or even an adult could
touch the top of the stove and
not realize that it’s extremely
hot. How do you avoid that?
Good question. I have done
that myself; all it takes is one
Kitchen Hazards
moment of distraction. I
would suggest informing
people, especially children, that you are cooking and that the surface
is HOT. When you are
cooking, make sure you
have the handles of the
pots and pans facing inward as much as possible.
A child can try to grab a
handle and could end up
burned. You could also
catch a handle yourself
and knock it off the stove,
burning yourself or others. Don’t leave potholders or kitchen towels near
a hot stove. You should
also keep an ABC fire
extinguisher close to the
kitchen area to put out
small fires if necessary.
May 16 - June 5, 2014
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Den or Living Room
The hub of most homes is the
TV room. It is where most of
us go to have snacks, eat dinner and so on. When you have
children or even pets there is
a hidden danger: TOYS. Most
of us are not looking down
to try and avoid these items,
and then it happens: you trip
on a toy or a piece of a dog
chew and the plate goes flying along with you. That cup
of tea, coffee or a soft drink
warrior. Whether it is he who
straddles his riding mower
or starts up the push mower,
both can become a source of
danger for children and adults
alike. How? Well, let’s look
at the area that needs to be
mowed. Do a walk through
to make sure you haven’t left
any projectiles that could be
sent toward a child, adult,
pets, or even a window. I have
seen animals get hit by a rock
lands on grandma’s head. You
end up with a sprained ankle
or worse. You can’t avoid all
the dangers but being vigilant
in picking up such items can
result in avoiding the above
scenarios.
or other projectile that have
caused severe injury to the
recipients. So when we are
mowing these areas it would
be helpful to keep a good eye
out so not to cause injury or
even window damage at your
neighbors house, or even your
own.
Mowing the Lawn
This job is for the weekend
Stay safe and aware.
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