Download pdf - Franklin Living Winter 2012

LIVINGWINTER 2011 . VOL. 1 ISSUE NO. 3

Franklin

bearing down for winterWinter meals perfect for anyoccasion

3FRANKLIN LIVING

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Dedicated to Hope, Healing

and Recovery

Quality Care from a staff who respects yourhealth care needs.

Offering: Activities andenjoyable social programs.

Large private rooms for short term care.

390 Underwood Rd. • Russellville, AL

256-332-3826

Phillip & Sherene Wade

Medicare or private insurance may cover these stays.

ell, Christmas came and passed and here weare beginning a new year.It’s still hard to think that 2012 is already upon

us.But, with a new year there is reason for hope and opti-

mism about the future. Our county faced many difficulttimes in 2011, but it is my belief that those trials andtribulations have made us all stronger and united thiscommunity like no time before.

We will always mourn those lost in the tragic storms ofApril 27, 2011, but we should also never forget thosewho gave so freely of themselves to help their neighborsin their greatest time of need.

In the days following the storm and the immediateaftermath, it was amazing to see Franklin County resi-dents join hand in hand to clean up and re-build. It wasalso impressive to hear people who traveled from out-side this area to help talk about the strength and com-passion Franklin Countians had for one another.

So, despite challenges that are still certainly ahead,there is great reason to believe that better times lieahead in 2012.

From my family to yours, thank you all for making thisthe community that it is. Happy New Year.

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44Lookingback

Big gamegrub

What’shot?

Gettingcrafty

Lovingwork

In thekitchen

Winterhealth tips

What’shappening?

Photos of Franklin Countythrough the years

Dishes you must try for yourSuper Bowl party

View some of the hottest winterdecorations and fashions

East Franklin sisters push on inspite of storm

Man’s love for hunting turnsinto taxidermy career

McReynolds’ find dream kitchenin new home

See the Calendar of Events forcan’t miss winter activities

There are simple steps to followin avoiding the flu

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6 FRANKLIN LIVING

P.O. Box 1088 • Russellville, AL 35653256-332-1881 • fax: 256-332-1883

www.franklincountytimes.com

Publisher Jonathan WillisEditorial J.R. Tidwell and Kellie SingletonPhotography Heather MouserSales Peggy Hyde and Nicole PellComposition Karen McAfeeCirculation Lisa Moody and Thomas DouglasPress Room Tommy Nichols, Alton Zills, BettyJo Bray and Courtney Honey

FranklinLIVING

Franklin Living is published four times peryear by Franklin County Newspapers, Inc.

Copyright 2011 by Franklin CountyNewspapers, Inc.

24 Hour Emergency Service256-332-0198 • 3001 Hwy. 77 • Russellville

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Rockin’ at the RoxyJanuary 14The Franklin County Arts andHumanities Council hosts theRockin’ at the Roxy concert seriesthe second Saturday night of eachmonth featuring the popular KGBband and special musical guests.Visit the historic Roxy Theater for anight filled with great live localmusic.

Martin Luther King, Jr.HolidayJanuary 16

Couponing workshopJanuary 28Community Education will sponsoran extreme couponing workshop onJan. 28 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at theFranklin County CommunityEducation Center behind BelgreenSchool. The workshop will feature“The Q-Tipping Mom,” who willteach participants how to save 50 to80 percent off a grocery budget,where to get coupons, stockpilingtips and more. Cost for the work-shop is $10 (due the day of class).Class size is limited so call 256-331-

0005 to pre-register by Jan. 25.

Rockin’ at the RoxyFebruary 11The Franklin County Arts andHumanities Council hosts theRockin’ at the Roxy concert seriesthe second Saturday night of eachmonth featuring the popular KGBband and special musical guests.Visit the historic Roxy Theater for anight filled with great live local

music.

Valentine’s DayFebruary 14

RMS showcaseconcertFebruary 16The RMS ShowcaseConcert featuring 6thgrade music students,7th and 8th grade cho-ruses, the RMS ShowChoir and RMS dramastudents will take placeFeb. 16 at 6:30 p.m. inthe RHS Auditorium.

The Fox on the FairwayFebruary 16-19The Bay Tree Council for thePerforming Arts will present “TheFox on the Fairway” Feb. 16 – 19 atthe Arts and Entertainment Center inRed Bay. This play will also be adinner theater for most of the per-formances. Tickets are $8 for theplay and an additional $14 for din-ner. Tickets go on sale one weekbefore the show opens. Call 256-356-9829 to reserve tickets. Formore information contact ScottyKennedy at 256-356-8758.

President’s DayFebruary 20

Robotics competitionMarch 2The RCS Robotics Team’s AnnualEngineering and DesignCompetition will take place Jan. 17– March 2. The competition opensJan. 17 and projects will be dueMarch 2 between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.in the RMS Cafeteria. The competi-

tion is open to any Franklin Countyor Russellville City students ingrades 3 – 12. Any Russellville 5th– 11th grade student that wants to bepart of next year's robotics teammust compete. Go to www.rcsrobot-

ics.org for more details.

Miss RHS pageantMarch 3The 30th Annual Miss RHS Pageantwill be held on March 3 at 7 p.m. atthe RHS Auditorium.

RCS spring holidaysMarch 8-9The 30th Annual Miss RHS Pageant

will be held on March

Rockin’ at the RoxyMarch 10The Franklin County Arts andHumanities Council hosts theRockin’ at the Roxy concert seriesthe second Saturday night of eachmonth featuring the popular KGBband and special musical guests.Visit the historic Roxy Theater for anight filled with great live localmusic.

WHAT TO DO

8 FRANKLIN LIVING

SPRY MEMORIAL CHAPELOF RUSSELLVILLE

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• Red Bay Egg Hunt-March 24 at 2:00 p.m. Bay Tree Park

• Bear Creek Canoe Run • Bear Creek Lakes • Red Bay Museum • Cypress CoveFarms-Frontier Days 3rd Sat. of each month • King Drive In

• Roxy Theater-Live Entertainment 2nd Sat. of each month • Dismals Canyon • Bay Tree Council of the Performing Arts.next play in Nov.

9FRANKLIN LIVING

OUT & ABOUT

As we slip into winter and past the holidays,high school and junior high hoops take cen-ter stage in Franklin County with fierceaction from the boys and girls teams at EastFranklin, Phil Campbell, Belgreen, Vina, RedBay, Tharptown and Russellville.

Phil Campbell cheerleaders fire up the crowd. Belgreen’s cheerleaders get Bulldogs fans ready for action.

The Phil Campbell and Belgreen girls squared off early in the season.

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OUT & ABOUT

The Vina cheerleaders celebratea basket by the Red Devils.

Belgreen celebrated homecoming with a win over Vina in November.

Russellville’s Lady Golden Tigers won the TimesDaily Classic.

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OUT & ABOUT

Garrett LeClere is a tornado survivor from April 27,2011. He lost both parents in the storm. He did notlet that or a broken arm keep him from playing his

first year of baseball.

Minnesota Twins outfielder and Florence native Josh Willingham is one of many people who havehelped Phil Campbell Elementary School build a new playground. Willingham’s foundation donated

$40,000 to the school.

State Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow arranged atrip for Phil Campbell Elementary first grader

Colby Wilson to attend Alabama’sHomecoming football game against

Vanderbilt in October. Wilson’s family losteverything in the April 27 tornado.

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14 FRANKLIN LIVING

Helen Keller Orthopedics 5-Star RATED for Joint and Total Knee Replacement 2011 by HealthGrades®

1300 S. Montgomery Ave. • Sheffield, AL 35660 • 256.386.4196 • www.helenkeller.com

Getting craftyEast Franklin sisters overcome storm to

open one of a kind business

16 FRANKLIN LIVING

17FRANKLIN LIVING

orking with your siblings might not be anideal situation for some people, but EastFranklin sisters Brenda Baker and MarilynGarrison make it look easy.The two sisters own and operate

Homeplace Quilting & Handmades – a cute little shoplocated in the East Franklin community where cus-

tomers can find just about anythingthey would need when it comes toquilting, sewing or needlework.The shop is the culmination of 30years worth of dreaming by the two

sisters who have always loved to sew and who wantedto have their own shop where they could turn simplefabric and thread into heirloom memories that wouldlast a lifetime.

Thanks to the teachings of their mother, GladysDuboise, Garrison and Baker started sewing at a youngage and continued to cultivate their skills whereverthey could.

“We learned a lot through the sewing projects wecompleted when we were in 4-H and home ec classesin school,” Garrison said.“We just built on what welearned from our mother and then we picked up somethings on our own.”

Baker said for the past 30 years, she and her sister haddiscussed opening their own business but never tookthe plunge to actually get started, but a little over ayear ago that all changed.

“We were on a trip to the mountains and we stopped

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Sisters Brenda Baker and MarilynGarrison use their high-tech quiltingmachine that allows them to pro-gram certain specifications and pat-terns into the machine for moretime-efficient quilting.Homeplace Quilting & Handmadesoffers many selections when itcomes to quilting or sewing sup-plies. Many types and colors ofthread and fabric are available forpurchase or to be used in your ownproject created at the shop.Baker and Garrison have severalcompleted quilts for sale at the shopin different patterns.

STORY BYKELLIE SINGLETON

PHOTOS BY HEATHER MOUSER

18 FRANKLIN LIVING

Baker stands near the wide selection of fabric carried at Homeplace Quilting & Handmades. Some ofthe fabrics sold at the shop can only be found in specialty quilting shops and aren’t sold at chain

retail stores. The sisters’ quilting machine can create quilts from a pattern while Baker and Garrisonare free to work on other projects.

at every quilt shop we found,” Baker said.“After seeing those shops, we finally decid-

ed it was time to stop talking about it andjust dive in, so that’s what we did.”Once the decision had been made to moveforward with their business, they knew exact-ly where they wanted their shop to be – inthe lot next to their mother’s home wherethey spent their childhood days.

“This area is where we used to play whenwe were girls and we used to have a play-house in the very spot where our shop is,”Garrison said.“Now we just have a biggerplayhouse.”

Once construction on their shop was com-plete, the sisters moved in their state-of-the-art quilting machine and many other sup-plies and began operating their business.Things went well for a couple of months, butthen something happened that no one couldhave predicted – on April 27, an E-F5 tornadocame roaring through their peaceful EastFranklin community and changed all theirplans.

“We had damage at the shop, but Marilynlost everything to the tornado. Her home wascompletely destroyed,” Baker said.“We closedup so we could make repairs to the porchand the roof but we also closed up because itwas just a hard time for everyone in our com-munity.

“So many people had lost so much and wewere just trying to pick up the pieces.”After several months of rebuilding, the sistersgot their shop back to where it was beforethe tornado hit and Garrison is now in a newhome.

“The Lord has been so good to all of us,”Garrison said.“We are blessed to have eachother and blessed to have this place.”Once they got back to work, Baker said they

19FRANKLIN LIVING

Homeplace Quilting & Handmades offers several quilting patterns likethe ones shown in this pattern book.

Above and Below: Garrison works on an Alabama-themed quilt. Shesaid football quilts have been popular this season.

Guides like these help ensure each pattern is executed with precision.

have stayed busy, especiallythrough the Christmas holidays,but she said her time at the shopnever really feels like workbecause it’s something sheenjoys – a fact that is good newsto customers who can expectquality work from the two sisterswho love what they do and arecommitted to doing a good jobwith each project.

“For me, this is just my therapy.I get here and start working andbefore I know it, it’s time to gohome,” she said.At their shop, the sisters can cre-ate custom quilts, like the popu-lar quilts made out of old T-shirts, or customers can bring inthe top of a quilt and they cancomplete it.

In addition to the quilts, Baker

FRANKLIN LIVING

“What I love aboutsewing and about

having this shop is the fact that you can create something

so unique from just a spool of thread,”Baker said.

“If you have something made here, it is special. It’s not just something

you could find in a store.”

Garrison and Baker pose by their quiltingmachine.

specializes in quilted purses andhandbags and Garrison special-izes in needlework such as cross-stitching and crocheting.

The shop also carries fabric ofall kinds, many of which can onlybe found in quilting shops, andsewing supplies for do-it-your-self crafters who want to maketheir own homespun master-pieces.

“What I love about sewing andabout having this shop is thefact that you can create some-thing so unique from just aspool of thread,” Baker said.“Ifyou have something made here,it is special. It’s not just some-

thing you could find in a store.”Garrison said they have a fab-

ric or pattern for just about any-one.

For football fans, the shop car-ries several Alabama- andAuburn-themed fabrics and pat-terns to make quilts or pursesand they even have a deer pat-tern that Baker said has goneover extremely well this huntingseason.

Whatever the sewing or quilt-ing project may be, these twosisters will make it while wearinga smile because they’re really“living their dream” in their EastFranklin quilt shop.

21FRANKLIN LIVING

22 FRANKLIN LIVING

Tiffin

105 2nd Street N.W. • Red Bay, AL • 256-356-8661

Melvin Dotson joinedFranklin County’s TiffinMotorhomes in March of1976 to start the company’sparts department.Nearly 36years later, he’s still part ofthe Tiffin family that is thenation’s top-selling Class Amanufacturer ofmotorhomes.Today, Dotson is supervisorof Tiffin’s door plant at theRed Bay facility and one ofthe company’s longest-serving employees. He hasworked in the door plantsince 1984.“The people you work withhere become family, every-one from upper manage-ment to all of the employ-ees,” says Dotson, who lives

in Red Bay. “If you careabout the people you workwith, then you don’t mindcoming to work and you’llstay where you’re at.”Dotson appreciatesthe responsibili-ties he has atTiffin, thesuppor the hasfrom hisemploy-ers, andthe mem-bers of histeam in thedoor plant. He saysthe Tiffin managementteam trusts him to do hisjob, and he passes that trustdown to his employees.

“I teach them that theywouldn’t want to give any-body a product that theywould not want to havethemselves,” Dotson says.

“Do it just like youwould want it. Do

good work.That doesn’t

mean we’renot goingto makemistakes,

but if wedo, we’ll fix it

and move on.”Dotson says the

door plant takes pridein the entry doors and lug-gage doors it produces.Once those products leavethe door plant, they will

become part of a brandnew Tiffin motorhome. “Idon’t think our employeeswould look at it any differ-ently than I do. We make itour practice to do the bestwork we can and I think itshows up in our product.”It’s that type of attitude forquality that keeps Tiffin cus-tomers happy.“I learned from Bob Tiffinthat to make thismotorhome company run,you have to please the cus-tomers and the dealers, andhe will bend over backwardto make that happen.That’sthe attitude I adapted fromBob. We’ll do whatever wecan to make the customerhappy.”

W H E R E V E R Y O U G O , W E G O .

Tiffin Motorhomes:Keeping the Customer Happy

23FRANKLIN LIVING

When you see "Get Your Flu Vaccine Here"signs and banners outside pharmacies and indoctor's offices, you might think, "it's winteralready; isn't it too late for that?"

The answer is no.Flu season typically peaks in January or

February and can last as late as April or May,"says Dr. Anne Schuchat, Assistant SurgeonGeneral of the U.S. Public Health Service andDirector of CDC's National Center forImmunization and Respiratory Diseases.

"We are encouraging people who have notyet been vaccinated to get vaccinated now."

For millions of people each year, the flu canbring a fever, cough, sore throat, runny orstuffy nose, muscle aches, fatigue, and miser-able days spent in bed instead of at work orschool. However, you may not realize thatmore than 200,000 people are hospitalizedfrom flu complications each year.The flu canalso be deadly.

Between 1976 and 2007, CDC estimates thatannual flu-associated deaths in the UnitedStates have ranged from a low of about 3,000people to a high of about 49,000 people.

The flu vaccine is recommended for every-one 6 months and older. It's available in twoforms: a shot and a nasal spray.While the flushot can be given to just about everyone, thenasal spray is approved only for use in healthypeople ages 2 to 49 years and who aren'tpregnant.

Anyone can get the flu, but some people areat greater risk for serious flu-related complica-tions, like pneumonia, that can lead to hospi-talization and even death. For those at greaterrisk for complications, getting the flu vaccine isespecially important.

People at greater risk include:• Children younger than 5 years old, but espe-cially children younger than 2 years old• Pregnant women• People with certain medical conditions likeasthma, diabetes (type 1 and 2), or heart andlung disease• People 65 years and older

It's also important to get the vaccine if youcare for anyone in one or more of these highrisk groups, or for babies younger than 6months because they are too young to get the

vaccine.Many children need two doses of flu vaccine

to be fully protected. If a child has not receivedhis/her first dose, get them vaccinated now.For those who have been vaccinated with onedose, parents should check with the child'sdoctor to see if a second dose is needed.

After a busy holiday season, you might bereluctant to add one more thing to your to-dolist. But it's worth it.

"Getting the flu vaccine is simple, and it's themost important thing you can do to protectyourself and your family from the flu," says Dr.Schuchat.

Flu vaccines are offered in many locations,including doctor's offices, clinics, healthdepartments, pharmacies and college healthcenters.They are also offered by many employ-ers, and are even available in some schools. Sonext time you see a sign that says, "Get YourFlu Vaccine Here," stop in.

Or, make an appointment with your doctoror clinic today.Visit www.flu.gov and use theFlu Vaccine Finder to find the nearest locationwhere you and your family can get vaccinated.

WELLNESS

WinterHealth Tips

The flu is a very preventable illnessduring the winter months, if we takethe time to prepare.Follow these guidelines to keep yourfamily healthy this winter.

Contact Russellville City Hall at 256-332-6060

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25FRANKLIN LIVING

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26 FRANKLIN LIVING

hen you’re a working parent with three children, findingtime for your family to spend together can sometimesbe a daunting task, but for the McReynolds family, it wasjust a matter of finding the right space.

John and Amy McReynolds both have full-time jobs – John working asan attorney at Bedford, Rogers & Bowling in Russellville and Amy asthe guidance counselor at West Elementary School.

When they get off work, there are always a hundred things that haveto be done: their son, Andrew, who is a second grader at RussellvilleElementary School, has homework to complete; their three-year-old

In thekitchen

W

STORY BYKELLIE SINGLETON

PHOTOS BY HEATHER MOUSER

Amy McReynolds stands near her Sub-Zero freezer that she says is a big help when you’re storing food for a family of five.

27FRANKLIN LIVING

Above: The McReynolds’ twin girls, Ellie and Avery,enjoy helping Amy in the kitchen.To the right: Amy pulls some treats from the oven.Some of the girls’ favorite things to whip up in thekitchen are sweets like the ones pictured below.

twin girls, Ellie and Avery, are ready toplay; supper has to be made; toys have tobe picked up; laundry has to be done; and,every now and then, the McReynolds fam-ily like to be able to just relax.

Amy said when they were house hunt-ing earlier this year to find a place thatwould accommodate their family of fivemore comfortably, she knew a home witha great kitchen was essential for their fam-ily.

“The kitchen is just the hub. It’s some-where everyone usually ends up gather-ing,” Amy said.“I thought that if we founda home with a kitchen that was bigenough for everyone to enjoy it all atonce, it would be the best way for us to all

spend time together in one place.”When the McReynolds found the home

they’re currently living in, Amy knewimmediately she had found the rightspace for her family to gather.

The home they purchased in April of thisyear was built in the 1960s, but thanks tothe previous owners, the state-of-the-artkitchen had been updated with modernconveniences to make any working fami-ly’s life a bit easier.

With the Wolf dual fuel, six-burner stovethat features a double oven and a grill,John was set for family barbecue nightswithout having to leave his family to gooutside to whip up the meal.

With the Sub-zero refrigerator and freez-

er combo, Amy was able to organize andstore all the food her brood would needfor a couple of weeks.

And with the abundance of storagespace provided by the custom-made, vin-tage-style cabinets and drawers through-out the kitchen, the kids had more thanenough places to store their favorite after-school snacks.

“What we got was functionality – every-thing serves a purpose and everyone canbe in the same room without feelingcrowded,” Amy said.“While I’m cooking orif John is grilling, Andrew can do hishomework at one counter while the girlsplay nearby. It just works out great foreveryone.”

28 FRANKLIN LIVING

Amy said their state-of-the-art kitchen has given her family a place to spend time together. She uses baking with Avery and Ellie as a chance to sendquality mother-daughter time with the girls.

The kitchen’s vast amount of counter space not only houses kitchen essentials but is also a place to display cherished items like the McReynolds’collection of gingerbread houses they had out for the holidays.

Amy said the kitchen also serves as afun place for the “mommy and me” timeshe spends with their girls baking treats inthe double oven.

“Cooking is something I really enjoy

doing when I have the time. It’s a relaxingthing for me,” she said.“I love to bakecookies with the girls and John andAndrew love it when we do because theyenjoy helping us eat them!

“I’m very glad that we are able to makeour kitchen a place for our family tospend quality time together and I lookforward to spending many more yearstogether here.”

29FRANKLIN LIVING

The McReynolds’ kitchen has plenty of storage spacethat Amy says has been a very important factor in keeping the

space neat and organized.

30 FRANKLIN LIVING

The kitchen wouldn’t be complete without the Wolf dual fuel, six-burner stove that features a double oven and a grill.Ellie sits on a stool as she prepares to help her mom make some sweets for her dad, John, and her brother, Andrew.

Avery is ready to decorate the treats the girls helped make.

31FRANKLIN LIVING

32 FRANKLIN LIVING

FOOD

Super “Bowl”Score big with guests at your Super Bowlparty

Grilled Chicken Wings withRoquefort Dip

3 lbs. chicken wings, cleaned and

trimmed

Select wings of roughly equal

size for evenness of cooking

Ingredients

Marinade:

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Blue Cheese Dip

1/2 cup Mayonnaise


1 tablespoon onion, grated

1 teaspoon fresh thyme,

chopped

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/3 cup blue cheese, crumbled

Directions

Preheat the barbecue on high.

Cut each wing at the joint to make two pieces, and

discard wing tip if still attached. In a large re-seal-

able bag, whisk together vegetable oil, garlic, spices

and vinegar.

Add chicken wings and toss to coat.

If using rotisserie basket, spray or brush lightly

with vegetable oil to prevent sticking.

Place chicken wings on bottom of basket, cover

with the top part, and fasten on tightest setting to

secure the wings in place.

Cooking grids will need to be removed, and a drip

pan placed beneath. If using rear rotisserie burner,

set to high.

If using lower burners, set to medium.

lace the basket on spit and in the rotisserie and

start the motor. Cook until golden brown and crisp,

about 45 minutes to an hour.

If cooking directly on well oiled cooking grids,

turn heat to low, and cook, turning frequently until

golden brown and crisp, 30 - 45 minutes.

Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure that all

wings are cooked through and ready to eat.

Stir together all the dip ingredients.

May be made ahead of time and chilled until ready

to serve with chicken wings, celery and carrots.

33FRANKLIN LIVING

Texas Chili Soup

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cups chopped onion

4 teaspoons minced garlic

1 pound ground pork

1 pound ground beef or turkey

2 cans (29 ounces each) diced tomatoes

3 cans (15 to 16 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and

rinsed

1 quart beef or chicken stock

4 stalks celery, chopped

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, for gar-

nish

2 green onions, chopped

8 ounces sour cream

In a large pot, warm the butter over low heat and saute

the onion and garlic until golden. Add the ground pork

and beef and cook until browned.

Drain off half of the fat. Add the tomatoes, beans, stock,

celery, chili powder, pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt and

simmer until the flavors meld, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Serve in bowls sprinkled with cheese, chopped green

onions, and a dollop of sour cream.

Few foods fit a season as well as chili fits winter. As the dead of winter looms large, foodies know full well nothing can warmthe body up better than a bowl of chili.

Baked potato soup

3 bacon strips, diced

1 small onion, chopped


3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 cups chicken broth

2 large baked potatoes, peeled

and cubed

1 cup half-and-half cream

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Shredded Cheddar cheese

Minced fresh parsley

Directions

In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Set

bacon aside. Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil

and pepper; mix well. Gradually add broth. Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes.

Add the potatoes, cream and hot pepper sauce; heat through but do not boil. Garnish

with bacon, cheese and parsley.

34 FRANKLIN LIVING

Amaretto applestreusel cupcakes

6 3/4 ounces all-pur-

pose flour (about 1

1/2 cups)

1/2 teaspoon baking

powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking

soda

3/4 cup granulated

sugar

1/4 cup (2 ounces)

1/3-less-fat cream

cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, soft-

ened

2 tablespoons

amaretto (almond-flavored liqueur)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk

3/4 cup finely chopped Gala apple

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Streusel:

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter, chilled

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

4 teaspoons 2% reduced-fat milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°. Place muffin

cup liners in 12 muffin cups; coat with

cooking spray. Weigh or lightly spoon

6.75 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) flour

into dry measuring cups; level with a

knife. Combine 6.75 ounces flour,

baking powder, salt, and baking soda

in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Combine granulated sugar, cream

cheese, and 1/4 cup butter in a large

bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed

until well blended. Add amaretto,

vanilla, and egg to sugar mixture; beat

with a mixer at medium speed until

well blended. Combine sour cream

and 1/4 cup milk in a small bowl; stir

with a whisk until well blended.

Combine apple and 1 tablespoon flour

in a small bowl; toss well.

Add flour mixture and sour cream

mixture alternately to sugar mixture,

beginning and ending with flour mix-

ture. Beat just until blended. Fold in

apple mixture. Divide batter evenly

among muffin cups.

To prepare the streusel, combine 2

tablespoons flour, brown sugar, and

ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut

in 2 tablespoons butter with a pastry

blender or 2 knives until mixture

resembles coarse meal; stir in

almonds. Sprinkle streusel evenly over

cupcakes. Bake at 350° for 27 minutes

or until a wooden pick inserted in cen-

ter comes out clean. Cool in pan for

15 minutes on a wire rack, and

remove the cupcakes from pan.

To prepare glaze, combine powdered

sugar and 4 teaspoons milk in a small

bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle

glaze over cupcakes.

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37FRANKLIN LIVING

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38 FRANKLIN LIVING

artin Jackson of Russellville is not a hard man to find.Most days he is about eight miles down Highway 24from Russellville at his shop.He runs a business called Dixie Taxidermy, where he

does animal mounts and deer processing.“I’ve been in this location for four years,” Jackson said.“Beforethat I had a shop at my house in Russellville. It’s always been inRussellville. I was born and raised here.”When someone enters the shop, he or she will immediately besurrounded by past work. Two walls have competition ribbons.The wall on the left holds three ducks and an antique birdcage.An antique glass case sits near the left-side wall encasing threeEuropean skull mounts. A fox and a fox skin sit atop the case. Tothe right is a deer mount that Jackson won a first-place ribbonfor at a convention.The next wall over houses several deer heads, mostly bucks. The

STORY AND PHOTOS BYJ.R.TIDWELL

M

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Passionbecomes

profession

39FRANKLIN LIVING

This fox sits in the Dixie Taxidermy office in Russellville.

Martin Jackson, owner ofDixie Taxidermy, shows a

blue ribbon he was awardedfor his work.

shop counter houses a rare site even among hunters, apiebald doe. The mount has white spots across the skin,marking that this deer was part albino. The eyelashes oneither side of the face are even different colors.Behind the counter sits an antique telephone from 1905.When Jackson is not mounting, processing, or showingoff deer mounts, he enjoys collecting older things likethe case, the cage and the phone.Jackson said he has been a hunter and fisherman formost of his life. About a decade ago, he decided to turn ahobby into a profession.“I’ve been doing taxidermy for 10 years,” Jackson said.“Istarted out doing 15 or 20 deer heads a year. Now I doclose to 150.We do small mammals; bobcats, fox, birds. We also dofish, European skull mounts, camouflage European skullmounts, antler mounts, full-body mounts. Just anythingyou want really.”After doing taxidermy for several years, Jackson decidedto branch out in his business.“I just kind of wanted to venture out into the deer pro-cessing, too,” Jackson said.“I came up on this place forsale about four years ago. I bought it; well, the bankbought it for me. We’ve been doing processing for fouryears and I’ve been doing taxidermy for 10 years, and itjust keeps growing and growing. It’s turned into a full-time job.”Covering 150 orders for deer mounts is a time consum-

40 FRANKLIN LIVING

Jackson stretches the skin of an animal he was preparing.

ing process. Jackson said thatabout the only time he is not work-ing is on Sundays.“I try not to work on Sundays,” hesaid.Whenever he does find a littlespare time on his hands, he willtake a couple of examples of hiswork to a convention.“I go every now and then to a taxi-dermy competition,” Jackson said.“Southern Regional TaxidermyConvention [SRTC] is for all of thesoutheast. I carried this one to lastyear to Memphis, Tenn., and wonthe two ribbons here. They judgeyou on your habitat plus the deeritself. It’s hard to find time to com-pete because there’s just so manymounts to do.”Jackson has also been to a coupleof conventions held by theNational Taxidermy Association.“NTA has something every year,” hesaid.“Sometimes they have it inHuntsville; sometimes they have it

41FRANKLIN LIVING

Dixie Taxidermy has been awarded several ribbons for their taxidermy work.

“We’ve been doing processing for four years and I’vebeen doing taxidermy for 10 years, and it just keepsgrowing and growing. It’s turned into a full-time job.”

— Martin Jackson, Dixie Taxidermy

42 FRANKLIN LIVING

in South Dakota, just different places. The higher the competition, the harder itis to win first place. You have people from all across the United States in it. Istarted out in the amateur division and I won it for my very first entry ever,about 10 years ago.”Having a business like Jackson’s has some obvious benefits in the world of taxi-dermy competition.“By doing the processing, I get a lot of extra capes [the deer skin],” he said.“If Irun across a real pretty one I’ll keep it. When we do somebody’s mount we usetheir skin.”Jackson has seen his fair share of things in this world, but he said that he hashad some interesting requests from shop patrons.“The strangest thing I’ve ever mounted — and I’ve done two of them — wouldbe a doe with just the forehead skin and ears,” he said.“I called it a doe earmount. It was a person’s first deer that they had ever killed, I cut the top off andtanned it, then fixed the skin and the ears on a plaque.”Jackson has had some even stranger requests that he decided not to answer.“I’ve had some requests for pets, but I’ve never done one,” he said.“I don’t thinkI’d want to get into the pets.”

Steps in the mounting process

Jackson has a customer bring the deer carcass in. He splits the deer from end toend to remove the entrails and blood. He then removes the skin and has ittanned. He used fast-setting putty to put the ears in the correct position. Hemust also turn the cape out and sew up any holes. He uses the putty to recre-ate the bumps that were once present on the deer’s nose. He puts the cape onan ordered form, which must be obtained after taking careful measurements.He screws the rack onto the form. He glues the cape to the form, where it mustdry for two weeks. He puts on the finishing touches, like glass eyes.

43FRANKLIN LIVING

44 FRANKLIN LIVING

A winter wonderland:A winter wonderland:County residents have

braved many winter stormsthrough the years

Photos courtesy of the Franklin CountyArchives and Research Center

Top:The old Franklin County Courthouse that wasreplaced in 1954Below: Downtown Russellville in the 1940s.

LOOKING BACK

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45FRANKLIN LIVING

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Do you know theseDo you know thesefaces?faces?

46 FRANKLIN LIVING

PARTING SHOTS

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path andleave a trail” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

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48 FRANKLIN LIVING

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Hours of Operation:Mon - Fri: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

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