FREE STAR · Christmas Ornament- The official Limestone County Historical Society Christmas ornament is now available for $15 at Osborne’s Jewelers in Athens. The 2014 ornament

SERVING ATHENS/LIMESTONE COUNTY & THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AREA www.thevalleystar.net

FREE December 12, 2014

THE VALLEY

STAR

Athens vaping store expands

Brother and sister, Sylvia andCurt Reynolds, had been va-ping for several months and

knew the benefit it was to them.They started working on the rest oftheir family. One by one, sisters,brothers, aunts, and uncles wereall encouraged to get off the

“stinkies.” With that task com-pleted (and it wasn’t an easy one),they decided to open an electroniccigarette “vape” store in Athens.They found a location and set it up(with help and support of familyand friends)! It’s hard to believethat it’s been a year since Leet

Vape, formerly known as BeyondVaping, opened its doors on BlackFriday 2013. The main objectivewas to help smokers find an alter-native to smoking cigarettes thatcontain so many unknown chemi-cals that we all know are bad.Both were excited to open the

store. The business was doing welland soon there was a need foradditional help.

In early 2014, Jeremiah Lewisjoined the family as a sales asso-ciate. He made a great addition tothe team.

continued on page 5

Merry Christmas from all of us at…

Dakota Phillips, Curt Reynolds and Sylvia Reynolds, inside the Leet Vaping store

at 809 Hwy. 72 W, Suite D, Athens. Their phone number is 256-444-1355.

Page 2 the valley star December 12, 2014

Christmas Ornament - The official LimestoneCounty Historical Society Christmas ornament isnow available for $15 at Osborne’s Jewelers inAthens. The 2014 ornament features the AthensLions Club Kiddie Carnival. Past ornaments from2006-2013 are also available. Call Ellie Frost at256-233-2878 for further information.

Dec 12th - 14th — Bethlehem Walk Mable HillBaptist Church 3778 Ready Section Road, Ard-more, AL Join Mable Hill Baptist Church as theyreenact the birth of Jesus in this annual walkthrough production. For more informationwww.mablehillbaptist.org/bethlehem.html

Dec 13th — Junior Class Fundraiser ChristmasExtravaganza Library and 9th Grade Hall, EastLimestone High School 15641 East LimestoneRoad, Athens, AL Come shop the vendors, silentauction and cake walk and let the kids enjoy pic-tures with Santa, face painting, ring toss and lotsmore from 10:00AM-2:00PM.

Dec 13th — Ardmore High School ChristmasConcert 30285 Ardmore Avenue, Ardmore, ALThe public is invited to come and enjoy theirChristmas favorites performed by the ArdmoreH.S. Band at 6:00PM

Dec 13th — Santa’s Coming to Nestle Nestle TollHouse Cafe 1260 U.S. Highway 72E, Suite 1, Athens,AL Grab the little one and makes some memoriesand a tasty treat too from 10:30AM-1:30PM. Costis $5.00 per child and includes decorating a cookieslice, small soda, coloring contest and a free picturewith Santa. For more information, 256-232-0900

Dec 13th — Historic Mooresville Holiday HomeTour and Progressive Dinner Mooresville, ALMooresville puts on its holiday finest and invitesyou to enjoy the season with them. Bright, freshgreenery and red bows decorate the street signs,Della Robbia wreaths colorfully deck the publicbuildings and homes are decorated in the tradi-tions of Christmas Past. Reserve your space onthis exclusive tour that will visit locations andhomes from 2:00PM-7:00PM. Cost is $65.00 perperson. For more information or make reserva-tions: www.mooresvilleal.com/progressive-dinner/

Dec 13th — Sippin’ Cider Downtown Athens, ALFrom 5:00PM to 8:00PM, participating mer-chants will offer sample tastings of their favoritecider recipe. Guests will vote by ballot for their fa-vorite, and the cider receiving the most voteswins bragging rights for the year. The ballots willalso serve as an entry to one of many door prizesto be given away.

Dec 13th — 39th Annual Parade of Lights JoeWheeler State Park 4403 McLean Drive, Rogersville,AL Grab your space along the shore as the deco-rated boats cruise Wheeler Lake. Holiday Buffet willbe served at Daniella’s in the Park starting at4:00PM. Boat Parade starts at 6:00PM. To partici-pate in the parade, call Denita at 256-247-6971 oremail [email protected]. Tobook your meal or room call 256-247-5461

Dec 14th — 10th Annual Hunter Bauer Memo-rial Blood Drive Beasley Center 200 West BryanStreet, Athens, AL Give the gift of life at12:00PM in this annual memorial blood drive.

Dec 14th — Athens State University CommunityBand Christmas Concert Carter Gymnasium,Pryor Street, Athens, AL The Livingston Concert-Lecture Series presents this free Christmas Con-cert featuring the ASU Community Band at3:00PM.

Dec 15th — Clements High School ChristmasConcert Clements Baptist Church 8690 U.S.Highway 72, Athens, AL The public is invited toenjoy the music of Christmas with the ClementsHigh School band at 7:00PM

Dec 18th — Senior Lunch Matinée YesterdaysEvent Center 15631 Brownsferry Road, Athens,AL Come enjoy a complete lunch including drinkand dessert for $10.00 and take in show with na-tionally renowned singer/impressionist, KevinAdams for free with paid meal. Groups welcome(please contact Yesterdays for special instruc-tions). Event begins at 11:00AM, show starts isNoon and last 60-75 minutes. All seating is re-served seating, reservation required. PleaseRSVP to: [email protected]

Dec 20th — Breakfast/Lunch with Santa Whis-tle Hollow Farm 701 Lofton Hall Road, Ardmore,TN Enjoy a meal with Santa! A fullbreakfast/lunch bar will be served. Bring yourcamera for photos with Santa and around thefarm. Lots of surprises during the event. Threetimes to choose from: 9:00AM, 11:00AM, 3:00PM.Session seating maximum is 75 persons. Reser-vations required. Cost is $15.00 per person. Formore information or to make reservations: 931-638-3501 or [email protected]

Dec 31st — Yesterday’s Rockin’ New Year’s EveVariety Show Yesterday’s Event Center 15631Brownsferry Road, Athens, AL Don your party-wear and come enjoy a night of your favoritemusic. Show admission TBA. Purchase a dinnerfor TBA. RSVP required, please specify if youplan to eat. RSVP to [email protected]

Dec 31st — New Year’s Eve Party Joe WheelerState Park 4403 McLean Drive, Rogersville, ALMake your plans to ring in the new year with JoeWheeler State Park. Packages begin at $160.00and includes room for two, prime rib buffet fortwo, New Year’s Eve party featuring DJ/CC MusicEntertainment & Breakfast Buff for two on NewYear’s Day. Cash bar will be available. For reser-vations or more information, please call 256-247-5461

TheFloor Gallery

25065 US HWY 72 Athens, AL 356133 miles East of I-65 in big tan building

256-216-9055

Owners, Steve & Wanda Clutts

For Friendly Service andTop Quality Flooring

Come by The Floor Gallery

For Friendly Service andTop Quality Flooring

Come by The Floor Gallery

On his birthday Dec. 4th, wetook daddy back to the homewhere he grew up as a kid.

Let’s see, that was 90 years ago.

Photographer, Danny Johnson, andmyself had been waiting for thisday because we wanted to get apicture of daddy at this old homeplace. Daddy had just turned 95,and we knew that if we were going

to get a picture of him at the oldhome place now is the time - notbecause he is in bad health - butbecause the old home is believedto be on its last leg. It is still stand-ing, but a puff of wind could bring itdown any time.

Daddy recalled that he was 5 yearsold when the family first moved tothe home in Happy Hollow north-

west of Elkmont. That would haveput it in the roaring 1920’s.

That is not the first time we havebeen there, though. We took a rideto Happy Hollow a while back, andhe showed me the old home wherehe was raised as a child. I wasamazed that it was still standing.

Daddy said he remembers livingthere just like it was yesterday. As amatter of fact, the owner told me afew years back that daddy’s initialsare still carved into an old beechtree on the farm.

Daddy tells a lot of interesting sto-ries about those times in HappyHollow, but one in particular got myattention. It was about the nightbefore Christmas when it snowed.

“When we got up that morningthere was snow on the kitchentable,” he said. “We had a few ap-ples and oranges to celebrateChristmas. But, the most amazing

thing to us kids that morning wasthe snow on the kitchen table.”

The old home back then had a fewcracks in the roof and ceiling andsnow came falling inside that night.That was the way it was back then,because I can remember living inhomes where you could see cracksin the walls all the way to the out-side.

The Happy Hollow home is morethan 100 years old today. The visitlast week brought back a lot ofgood memories for daddy.

December 12, 2014 the valley star Page 3

THE SONNY SIDE by Sonny Turnerby Sonny Turnerby Sonny Turner

Publisher/Editor in ChiefSonny Turner|[email protected]

256-431-5498Co-Publisher/Photography

Danny Johnson|[email protected]

Copy EditorDebra Johnson|[email protected]

OwnersChris Shindorf and Bob Teaven

Advertising staff:Sonny Turner@256-431-5498,Danny Johnson@256-874-7571Kathy Thornton@256-777-1425

THE VALLEY

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Another visit back in time

Harry Turner at old home place.


Those Christmas to-do lists arenot complete just yet.

Get out that list and add numbers12-14 for these items:

No. 12 – Shop

No. 13 – Sip

No. 14 – Smile

All three can be done at the annualSpirit of Athens Sippin’ Cider eventthat is coming up on 12-13-14.

“We have the perfect date thisyear for your last minute shoppingexperience with 12-13-14 becausethat’s easy to remember,” saidSOA Promotions Committee ChairHolly Hollman. “You can shop forgreat deals, sip cider made by ourmerchants and vote for your fa-vorite, and then smile while youwatch your children roast marsh-mallows and make art crafts.”

From 5-8 p.m., participating mer-chants will have various event re-lated activities from special deals todoor prizes to children’s projects.

The merchants also will be vyingfor the golden colored Cider Cup

given to the best cider recipe.Shoppers can get ballots and turnin ballots at any participating storeto vote for their favorite cider con-coction.

“Winning the Cider Cup is a com-petitive part of this event for ourmerchants,” said SOA Director Tr-isha Black. “The ones who havewon in the past keep the cup ondisplay. Each one wants to havethe best cider, and those of us whoget to try all the delicious recipesenjoy the results of this competi-tive spirit.”

Downtown restaurants will beopen, and the Our Little Kitchenfood truck will have gumbo, jam-balaya and fried pies. There will bea fire pit for roasting marshmal-lows on The Square. As shoppersare walking along the sidewalks,they will likely run into Santa andDickens characters.

The Athens-Limestone CommunityAssociation plans to sell copies ofCharlotte Fulton’s book, “Holdingthe Fort: A History of Trinity Schoolin Athens, Alabama.” The book

chronicles the Civil War site FortHenderson which is also the site ofthe former all-black Trinity School,which closed amid integration.

Here is a list of merchants andsome of their specials:● Bennett’s ClothingDoor Prize - Mountain Khakis hatvalued at $25

● Crawford’s GiftsDoor Prize - Two Christmas metalstakes

● Epiphany BoutiqueDoor Prize - $50 gift certificate

● The GrasshopperDoor Prize - Monogrammed sweat-shirt, $45 value

● Gray & HoltDoor Prize - $25 gift certificate

● Hendricks-Patton RanclAll furniture 10% offDoor Prize - Vinyl Beanbag exceptFootball themedChildren’s movie will be playing inthe store

● Luvici’sDoor Prize - Luvici’s gift box valuedover $60

● Pablo’s on MarketDoor Prizes - Two $25 gift certifi-cates

● Snapdragon Kids25% off clothes and shoesDoor Prize - Game Basket valuedat $50

● Trinity’s15% off all Karma merchandise, Spend $50 in Vera Bradley & re-ceive a free Vera Bradley giftDoor Prize - Karma shopping tote

● Village PizzaDoor Prize - 1 large one toppingpizza

● Wildwood DeliDoor Prize - Lunch for Two

● The Willow Cottage15% on all store items, excludingfurniture10% off furnitureDoor Prize - Large candle, roomspray and votive

Other participating merchants are:● Pimentos

● U.G. White General Mercantile

Make a Sippin’ Cider date with downtown Athens Dec. 13


The business continued to growand after several months, therewere thoughts of expanding andopening a second location.

In February 2014, Heidi Malone,another sister lost her full-timejob. Sylvia came to Heidi with theplan to open a second locationand asked if she wanted to be-come a partner and manage asecond location.

With Heidi onboard, the thoughtsturned into reality. A search for agood location was on.,The decisionwas made and a small shop inToney, Ala. was leased. The loca-tion was a good central point be-tween Huntsville and Ardmore.

In May 2014, the store openedand it was well received. Currently,Spencer Self, is working part-timeat this location.

A few short months later, Jeremiahproposed coming on as a partnerand opening a third location. Withall the partners in full agreement,Sylvia and Jeremiah set out to lo-cate a store front.

Jeremiah thought Lawrenceburg,Tenn. should be the home of thenewest store and so it came to bein October 2014.

Stephen Davis was brought on asa sales associate for Lawrence-

burg and since Jeremiah was nolonger in Athens, Dakota Phillipswas brought on for the Athens Lo-cation.

With this new addition, the part-ners decided to rebrand andchose a new name. Jeremiah andhis girlfriend owned an e-juicecompany called Leet Vape. Withtheir approval, the stores took onthe same name. Since the re-branding of the retail stores, LeetVape continues to see new facesand they enjoy helping peopleleave the analog cigarettes be-hind. It is their hope to serve asmany in these communities aspossible and be there to answerquestions as well as provide a re-laxed environment that all may feelwelcome in.

Leet Vape offers a multitude ofproducts. They have everythingfrom starter kits to advanced e-cigs (mods), tanks, batteries, drip-per setups, wick, wire, and ejuicefrom 16 USA vendors providingover 200 flavors- something foreveryone!

From all the staff at Leet Vape —-“This year is coming to a close andthere is no better time to switch tovaping. Come see us and we’llhelp you make the change.”

Vaping store continued from page 1

The Valley Star | cover feature

Spencer Self and Heidi Malone8218 Hwy 53 North, Toney, AL 35773 • 256-851-6070

Stephen Davis311 North Locust Avenue, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., 38464 • 931-244-6863

DEB’S Delights by Debra Johnsonby Debra Johnsonby Debra Johnsonby Debra Johnson

Crust1 1/4 c. graham cracker crumbs

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 stick melted butter

Filling2 pounds sweet potatoes

3 8oz cream cheese, room temp.

3/4 c. + 2 Tbsp sugar

1/4 c. whipping cream

3 large eggs, room temp.

Topping3/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1/4 c. whipping cream

1 c. toasted pecan pieces

For CrustPreheat oven to 350 degrees.Position rack in center of oven.Mix ingredients and press into 91/2 spring form pan. Bake 10minutes. Completely cool on rackand maintain oven temperature.

For FillingPlace potatoes in baking dish andbake until knife inserted in center

goes through easily.

About 1 hour. (Potatoes can bedone day ahead) Maintain oventemperature. cool potatoes com-pletely. Peel, place in blender orprocessor. Transfer 1 1/2 c. ofpotato puree to large bowl. (Re-serve remainder of potatoes foranother use.) Add cream cheese,sugar, sour cream and creamuntil smooth. Add eggs 1 at atime, blending well each time.Pour filling into crust. Bake untiltester inserted in center comesout clean, about 1 hour. Turnoven off and let cake stand inoven 1 hour with door ajar.

For ToppingStir butter and sugar in smallsaucepan over low heat untilsugar dissolves. Increase heatand bring to a boil. Mix in cream,then toasted nuts. Pour hot top-ping over cake. Refrigerate untilcheesecake is well chilled - 8hours or overnight. Remove frompan.

Sweet Potato Cheesecake

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Artist Michael Liu will presentPaper and Portraits, a showingof works on charcoal and paper

cuttings at the Alabama Center for theArts beginning on December 16 andlasting through February 25, 2015.

Liu, a native of Kweishan, Taiwanworked as an engineer but returnedto his early interest in art and openedgalleries in Taoyuan, Taiwan, andEvadon, Switzerland. His art is self-taught and reflects his personal inter-ests and his experiences in both the

culture in which he grew up and theWestern culture which he experi-enced as an adult. Since 2008 Liuhas explored an interest in paper cut-ting, an art form that has roots in bothChinese and Japanese art.

Today, Michael divides his time be-tween Taiwan and Alabama. His bi-cultural life is expressed in hissignature which overlaps his westernname with his Chinese personalstamp. Michael creates art as in-spired and by private commission.

A reception for Liu is planned to coin-cide with the show’s opening on De-cember 16 at 5:30 pm. The receptionand admission to the gallery are freeand open to the public.

The Alabama Center for the Arts lo-cated at 133 2nd Avenue in Decatur,Alabama. Exhibit hours are Mondaythrough Thursday, 8:00 am to 4:30pm, and Friday from 8:00 to noon.More information can be found at al-abamacenterforthearts.org.

Alabama Center for the Arts toHost Showing of Work by Michael Liu

Merry Christmas fromeveryone at The Valley Star

OUTDOORS with Danny Johnson

A morning hunting in the woods


By: Danny Johnson

Hunters are blessed living in theSoutheast with its liberal deerseason. The commitment to

rolling out of a warm bed at 4 amand sitting in a tree stand with tem-peratures below freezing is challeng-ing to say the least. My favorite timeto hunt is in the morning . One of theadvantages of morning hunting isusually no wind and more deermovement.

I sneak through the woods as quietlyas possible reaching my tree standjust before day break. This morningthere is a big frost on the groundand no wind. The temperature isaround 25 degrees. Sitting in thetree perch, I am thinking this is aperfect morning. The Eastern skybecomes colorful as the sun bringsfirst light to this day. The view I expe-rience this morning is breathtaking.As the rays of the sun illuminate thefrosty bottom below, I think how for-tunate a person is to experience thisbeautiful sight.

Soon after daylight, there is thesound of squirrels scampering in theleaves in search of their morningmeal. The squirrels search for

acorns and hickory nuts, which areabundant this year. Sounds travel formiles on a morning like this. The si-lence is disrupted by a bleating of adonkey on a neighboring farm. Yourhearing sense is keen listening forany sound in the woods around you.

I hear a soft walking sound comingfrom a ridge in front of me. Thismust be a deer coming out of athick, grown up holler. The adrena-line kicks in, and I raise my gun an-ticipating a shooter buck. The animalcomes into sight and it’s only a 4point buck. I lower the gun becausethis buck doesn’t make the grade.

I catch movement to my right, but nosound . There is a big bobcat grace-fully working through the thick un-dergrowth about 30 yards away. Thisanimal was easing across the forestfloor without a sound. The softplacement of each step made youthink the cat had sore feet. The bob-cat was in stealth mode looking for arodent for a breakfast feed. Seeingthis cat was well worth this morningouting.

About an hour after the bobcat dis-appears into a pine thicket, 6 does

feed near my tree stand. This groupof does are made up of mature andyearling deer. The alpha doe goesinto the caution mode when shecrosses the spot where the bobcatcrossed. Each deer took a smell ofthe bobcat’s travel route. A deer’ssense of smell is one of its best linesof defense. The does moved on andactivity soon slowed.

Not getting a shot at a big buck thismorning didn’t discourage my antici-pation of hunting. It’s a lot morethan harvesting an animal . Whilehunting this beautiful morning, I sawanimals co-exist in nature and expe-rienced the wonders of God’s cre-ations. Hunting provides a time ofquiet away from modern electronicsand provides an opportunity for aperson to become one with nature.

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Jackie Landers, of Athens, killed his firstdeer recently while hunting inLincoln County, Tenn. It was a nice ninepointer.

Hunter Jones with 8-point buck he harvested on Dec. 3 in Limestone County.

Robbie McDowell with anAlabama 10 point buck.

Robbie McDowell with a9 point Tenn. buck.


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The hustle and bustle of theholiday season is an excitingtime. But from the crowded

malls to the big online markdowns,a silent threat lurks - one with theability to wipe out your good finan-cial standing and make it a not-so-jolly holiday for you and yourfamily.

Just as you would assess your hol-iday gift budget, it’s equally impor-tant to understand and evaluatethe status of your identity, takingspecial precautions to help safe-guard your information.

Giving information is inevitable.

In the digital world, sharing youridentity to obtain credit, make on-line holiday purchases or even re-ceive coupons is commonplaceand necessary - but it opens thedoor to new risks. Today, databreaches are frequent and theycan put your personal informationin the wrong hands.

In fact, a new study of more than1,200 consumers conducted byMorpace on behalf of LifeLock, acomprehensive identity theft pro-tection service, found that almosttwo-thirds (64 percent) of databreach victims experienced itwithin the last 12 months1. Andwhile data breaches can certainlycause considerable damage tosomeone’s financial standing, thestakes in identity theft are expo-nentially higher.

The survey also found that abouthalf of respondents who experi-enced identity theft do not knowhow their information was ob-tained2. While most people as-sume these criminal acts occur toonly those with an online pres-ence, anyone can be a target. Evenunique, permanent credentials,such as Social Security numbersand birthdates, can live online re-gardless of an owner’s physicalpresence or real-world activity.

Identity theft can have uncontrol-lable and significant long-term fi-nancial implications, with thievesgoing as far as opening a bank

loan, or committing tax fraud inyour name.

Take protective measures.

The specialists at LifeLock offerthese tips to help protect you whileshopping this holiday season:

• Know where your info goes.Many online stores offer helpfulapps for quicker, more efficientholiday shopping. Before youdownload any app, make sure itcomes from a reputable source.Copycat apps exist which, oncedownloaded, may capture yourpersonal information and use it forfraudulent purchases. Overall, it isimportant to know where your in-formation is being stored - whetheron your device, the hard drive ofyour computer or in a file at home.

• Be vigilant on public Wi-Fi.Whether at your local coffee shopor while traveling, do not transact

on public Wi-Fi and be wary of anypasswords you enter. It’s alwayssafer if you can wait until you getto a secure or private network.

• Change passwords frequently.Make sure the passwords you usewhen setting up accounts with on-line merchants are complex anddifficult for a thief to figure out. It isalways a good idea to changepasswords to all your accounts ona regular basis - especially withbanks, email accounts and socialnetworking sites - to add an extralayer of protection to your personaldata.

• Consider using a credit card.When you choose your debit cardover your credit card, you may beexposing yourself to more risk. Themost you’d have to pay for unau-thorized use of your credit card is$50, no matter when you report it.

If you report your debit card lost orstolen more than two days afteryou learn about the loss or theft,but less than 60 days after yourstatement is sent, you could loseup to $500. And if you wait morethan 60 days after your statementis sent, you could be out all themoney taken from your account.

As a consumer educated on iden-tity theft, you’ll have some peaceof mind and be more able to focuson the fun of the shopping season.For more information, visit Life-Lock.com.

1 Based on the responses of 1,200+ U.S.consumers surveyed by Morpace, an in-dependent third-party research firm, Sep-tember 2014. Page 13.2 Based on the responses of 1,200+ U.S.consumers surveyed by Morpace, an in-dependent third-party research firm, Sep-tember 2014. Page 62

‘Tis the Season to Safeguard Your Identity

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

SEARCHING FOR TRUTH by Kevin Harrington, Marion Street Chuch of Christby Kevin Harrington, Marion Street Chuch of Christ


“Bah Humbug” ChristianityApopular play and movie this

time of year, and one of mypersonal favorites, is “A

Christmas Carol.” There is onescene that has always fascinatedme. The Ghost of Christmas Pasthas just paid a very discomfortingvisit to Ebenezer Scrooge. Clearlythe old miser is shaken by the en-tire ordeal. But when he awakensfrom his sleep, he doesn’t takethe message to heart. He simplydismisses it by saying, “Bah,humbug, it wasn’t real.”

I think it’s amazing how manytimes I come in contact with peo-ple who don’t take the word ofGod seriously. I have met a lot ofpeople who claim to love God andread their Bibles. I have met a lotof people who love Jesus and at-tend church services. However, I

am a firm believer that readingour Bibles and attending churchservices does not makes usstrong Christians. Sadly, too manypeople are like Scrooge, they willhear something, but they don’ttake it to heart. Unfortunately,there are too many “Bah Hum-bug” Christians.

Many people read their Bibles,but it doesn’t mean they applythe words in their lives. Manypeople attend church services,but it doesn’t mean they listen tothe sermon. Many people listen

to the sermon, but it doesn’tmean they apply the preacher’swords. Many people claim to loveJesus, but their actions suggestotherwise. Jesus predicted thatthere would be people like thiswhen he said, “Not everyone whosays to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shallenter the kingdom of heaven, buthe who does the will of My Fatherin heaven. Many will say to Me inthat day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we notprophesied in Your name, castout demons in Your name, anddone many wonders in Yourname?’ And then I will declare tothem, ‘I never knew you; departfrom Me, you who practice law-lessness!’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Take a moment today and reflecton your relationship with Jesus.Many people call themselves

Christians, but they aren’t willingto do what the Bible tells them todo. Many people call themselvesChristians who read the Bible andattend worships services, buttheir attitude has you questioningwhat they read or where theywent. Bah humbug Christianity isnot what Jesus wants. Instead,Jesus wants devoted servants tofollow God’s word. Jesus wantsour attitudes, thoughts, actions,and words to reflect His own.What Jesus really wants is for Hispeople to have hearts that want

to serve Him. Jesus said, “if youlove Me, you will keep my com-mandments” (John 14:15).

Fortunately, at the end of “AChristmas Carol,” Scrooge has achange of heart. He decides toget into the Christmas spirit andtreat everyone with respect.Wouldn’t it be great if everyonecould get into the Christian spirit?

Wouldn’t it be great if everyonewho read the word of God actu-ally applied it? Wouldn’t it begreat if everyone who attendedworship services actually took thesongs and sermon to heart? “Letyour light so shine among menthat they may see your goodworks and glorify your Father inheaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Kevin Harrington

MarionStreetchurch of Christ

124 N. Marion Street

256-232-1786

Website: www.marionstreet.org

Radio Program:

Sunday Mornings at 10:30 a.m.

on WKAC 1080

Services

Sunday - Manor Service 8:30 a.m.

Worship 9:30 a.m.

Bible Class 5:00 p.m.

Wednesday - Bible Class 6:30 p.m.

Evangelist - Kevin Harrington


YEARS AGO IN LIMESTONE COUNTYYEARS AGO IN LIMESTONE COUNTY by Rebekah DavisLimestone County Archivist

by Rebekah DavisLimestone County Archivist

by Rebekah DavisLimestone County Archivist

"No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performedis greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers."

205 West Washington Street • P.O. Box 1061

Athens, Alabama 35612

256.233.3377 Phone • 256.233.3232 Fax

[email protected]

It had only been a couple ofyears since downtown Athenswas under martial law by Union

troops, and the leaders of this lit-tle Southern town were still tryingto regain some civility after whathad been, for them, a decidedlyun-civil Civil War.

So with that in mind, on Feb. 21,1867, the Athens Weekly Postpublished a pretty comprehen-sive list of “Ordinances Governingthe Town of Athens,” coveringeverything from yelling in thestreet to exposing the “lowerpart” of a privy to public view.

Some of our favorites:

Dead Animals Downtown: If anyperson shall hereafter carry orplace any dead animal upon thepremises of another within thelimits of the corporation, or uponthe Public Square, or upon any ofthe public streets or about eitherof the public springs, he, she orthey so offending shall forfeit andpay for each and every offence notless than one or more than fivedollars, at the discretion of theMayor.

Singing in the Street: Any person

or persons whomay hallow, yell,sing or makeany other noisein or about thestreets of thetown of Athenscalculated todisturb thepeace and quietof any of the citizens of said town,shall on conviction thereof befined, at the discretion of theMayor, not less than one nor morethan forty dollars.

Cows on the Sidewalk: Any per-son or persons who shall ride,lead, or cause to follow them, anyhorse, mare, mule, jackass, oxen,bull, cow or calf, on or across thepavements or side-walks in thecorporation of Athens, shall befined not less than one nor morethan five dollars.

Shooting in the City: Any personor persons who shall shoot a gun,pistol or any other description offire-arms, or in any way explodegun powder, within the corporatelimits, except on the 25th Decem-ber, 4th of July and 22nd of Feb-ruary (George Washington’s

birthday –RD), shallbe fined not lessthan one nor morethan five dollars, atthe discretion of theMayor. Provided, thatnothing in the actcontained, shall pre-vent any person fromshooting pork hogs,

beef and cattle in said corpora-tion; and provided further, thatthe shooting in proviso above,shall not be within one block ofthe Public Square.

Selling on the Sabbath: Any per-son or persons who shall keepopen his, her or their door or win-dows for the purpose of vendingany goods, wares, or merchan-dise in the town of Athens on theSabbath day shall forfeit and paynot less than five nor more thanforty dollars, at the discretion ofthe Mayor.

Pitching Dollars: Any person orpersons, who shall pitch dollars,or quaits, or horseshoes, or rings,or any substitute whatever, on thesidewalks in the corporation ofAthens, shall, on conviction, befined for each and every offense

not less than one nor more thanfive dollars.

Procreating inside City Limits:Any person or persons who shalllet or put any stallion or jackassto any mare within the limits ofthe corporation shall forfeit andpay not less than five nor morethan forty dollars, at the discre-tion of the Mayor.

Trees on the Square: Person orpersons who shall cut down or in-jure in any manner any tree in thepublic streets or on the PublicSquare of the town of Athens,shall be fined not less one normore than forty dollars, at thediscretion of the Mayor.

Exposing the Privy: It shall be un-lawful for any privy, necessary orgarden-house to be placed or suf-fered to remain on any street inAthens the lower part of which isexposed to view, and any neces-sary, privy or garden-house so sit-uated, shall be deemed anuisance, and its owner or occu-pants shall be subjected to a fineof five dollars for each and everyweek it may so remain after hav-ing received due notice from theMayor or Town Marshall.

1867 Athens laws forbade singing onthe street, selling on the Sabbath


SCHOOL BELLS by Debra Johnsonby Debra Johnsonby Debra Johnson

The Athens IntermediateSchool Choir recently per-formed a Christmas Concert

for the residents at the AthensRehabilitation and Senior CareCenter, Partner in Education toAIS. The halls were filled with car-oling as they entered the buildingwith the finale being held in theactivity room where patients gath-ered to hear and join in singingthe Christmas songs. This was ajoyous occasion for the studentsas well as the residents. The resi-dents were given hand madeChristmas cards that had beencrafted by the 5th and 6th gradeart students from AIS.

The Choir is made up of approxi-mately 36 6th grade boys andgirls. Even though the Choir is inits infancy at AIS, they have beenbusy in appearances. They per-

formed at a recent PTO meetingand were asked to perform at theEvent Center the week of Ameri-can Education week to representtheir school. The Choir has alsobeen invited to sing the NationalAnthem at an Athens High Schoolbasketball game on Dec. 16th.There are also future engage-ments planned for the Spring.

Mrs. Cynthia Anglin, musicteacher and Choir director at AIS,has set goals for the Choir thisyear as follows: The goal of thechoral program is to develop in-dependent choral musicianship,to understand cultural diversity,to establish a program committedto choral excellence, and to instilla love for singing.

The Choir has been an excellentaddition to the programs atAthens Intermediate School.

Mrs. Anglin has developed thisprogram to be an asset that rep-resents our school well, along

with developing the skills of ourtalented students.

Athens Intermediate School ChoirSpreading Christmas Cheer

Mrs. Cynthia Anglin's Athens Intermediate School Choir performing for residents at Athens Rehabilitation and Senior Care.

More of the choir performing for the residents.

Christmas time was a specialtime of the year for childrenand grown ups alike. I re-

member one special Christmasfrom back in the late 40’s. All ourkinfolks who had been serving in

the armed forceswere finally home.Christmas timeduring WW2 wasnot a festive timebecause everyonewho had kinfolksfighting could not

put it out of their minds.

Gifts were exchanged by mail, butit wasn’t the same as havingeverybody home safe.

This year a big celebration wasplanned to recognize the boyswho made it back home alive.Dalton had found the perfectcedar tree to be decorated. Pop-corn had been strung and high-lighted the beautiful tree.

The smell of the fresh cut cedarfilled the air. Ornaments weremade out of what materials wereavailable. Spent shotgun shells,painted sweet gum balls, and tinfoil made for some nice decora-tions. Wild holly and mistletoewere through out the house. Theolder boys always tried to get thatspecial girl under the mistletoefor a little sugar.

Grandma had been making cake,candy, and pies for a week get-ting ready for the big event. Henand dressing was the maincourse and yes, fried countryham. After the gifts were ex-changed, it was time for Christ-mas breakfast. This meal was atreat in itself with country ham,red-eyed gravy, grits, and all theeggs you could eat. Due to the ra-tion of food during the war, coffeewas in short supply. This year wehad plenty of the hot drink. Tocomplete the breakfast, catheadbiscuits full of butter and wildhoney filled the bill.

The breakfast was so filling thatlunch wasn’t served until around3 in the afternoon. Each mealwas blessed before anyone couldstart eating. At the dinner table,the older men would tell talesfrom Christmas from the past. Wekids were all ears soaking ineveryone’s stories. Children wereserved last and got what was leftover. Chicken feet was often theonly part of the fowl left to eat.

Desserts were plentiful, and thekids got their fill of the sweetstuff. The men folks would retireto the front porch where theycould smoke a country gentle-man smoke. This little brown bagwould become very popular be-fore the nighttime crept up on theholler. We kids never got to seewhat was covered by the littlebrown bag. After a while, the menfolks would be laughing and talk-ing loud.

Soon everybody was tired andready for a good night’s sleep be-fore it was time to go back home.About 5 kids would occupy eachbed. Quilts were spread on thefloor for the grown ups to beddown on.

Next morning it was time to loadup the cars and head home. Youcould always count on having tojump start a couple of the carsbecause of dead batteries. Thecars were soon kicking up dust as

they drove away.

Papa would always say, “ It wasgood to see everybody, but it iseven better seeing them leave.”

Merry Christmas fromUncle Bondee!

UNCLE BONDEE’S ADVENTURES by Uncle Bondeeby Uncle Bondee

Uncle Bondee

A Bondee Country Christmas


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When it comes to recogniz-ing and responding to thesigns of a heart attack,

early action can make the differ-ence between life and death. Butaction even earlier to improvelifestyle and eating habits canmake a big difference, too.

The Centers for Disease Controland Prevention (CDC) reportsabout 25 percent of all deathseach year in the United States canbe attributed to heart disease,making it the single largest killer ofboth men and women. Taking apreventive approach and makinghealthy choices can help manageyour risk for a heart attack andother forms of heart disease.

Help protect your heart with thesehealthy lifestyle tips from the CDC:

Manage medical conditions. Cer-tain diseases and health condi-tions are known to put you atgreater risk for developing heartdisease, including diabetes, highblood pressure and high choles-terol. Follow your doctor’s guid-ance to gain control of any medicalissues early on.

Pay attention to what you eat. Thismeans not only eating plenty ofhealthy foods, like fruits and veg-etables, but also reducing or elim-

inating less healthy options. Foodslow in saturated fat and choles-terol and high in fiber can help pre-vent high blood cholesterol.

One good option to start your dayright is whole grain cereal. In fact,according to a recent survey, nineout of 10 doctors would recom-mend Post Shredded Wheat aspart of a low sodium, healthy dietto help maintain a healthy heart,reduce the risk of heart diseaseand support healthy blood pres-sure levels.

Maintain a healthy weight. Ex-ceeding your ideal weight range for

your height puts you at greater riskfor heart disease. Check with yourdoctor to determine whether yourweight is in a healthy range. Thiscan generally be determined bycalculating your body mass index(BMI). If you are in an overweightor obese range, seek help from nu-trition specialists to establish aneating plan that works best foryou.

Get moving. Exercise not onlyhelps with managing your weight,it can also help with other prob-lems, like high cholesterol andhigh blood pressure. While adultsshould aim for at least 30 minutes

of moderate-intensity exercise, atleast five days a week, you shouldconsult your doctor before startingany exercise plan.

Eliminate or reduce unhealthyhabits. Smoking raises your risk ofheart disease. If you are asmoker, a physician can assistyou in finding a smoking cessa-tion program for your needs, andmany insurance companies nowcover these treatments. Similarly,excessive alcohol consumptioncan raise your blood pressure,which in turn escalates yourchances of heart disease.

Living Smart to Protect Your HeartPhoto courtesy of Getty Images


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BRUNSWICK STEW IS BACK

The Athens State UniversityCommunity Band, under thedirection of Dan Havely, is

gearing up for their annual ChristmasConcert. The concert will be held in the Carter

Gymnasium on Pryor Street on the northernborder of campus.

The concert is scheduled for Sunday, Decem-ber 14th at 3:00 p.m. The concert is free andopen to the public courtesy of the Livingston

Concert Lecture Series with no reservationsrequired.

A reception hosted by theAthens State Alumni As-

sociation will be heldfollowing the afternoon

perfor mance in the gymna-sium. There will be surprise

visit from Santa at thereception. Parents areencouraged to bring theirchildren and may taketheir own photos.

Athens State Univer-sity’s Center forLifelong Learning

will host a Christmasconcert by solo hand-bell artist Danny Lyonswith guest ringers theBellissimo HandbellQuartet. The event isscheduled for Sunday,December 7 at 3:00p.m. in McCandless Hallon the Athens State cam-pus.

Lyons rings an entire 3 octaveset of handbells, 37 bells in all.He has toured across the UnitedStates, as well as Europe and The Ba-hamas playing solo handbell concerts andteaching the art of handbells.

This concert is free and open to the public through the Livingston Con-cert Lecture Series and the Athens State Center for Lifelong Learning.Seating is limited; please call 256-233-8262 for reservations.

ASU Christmasconcert coming

Sunday

Athens State Center forLifelong Learning hosting

Handbell Concert

by Flo Doughtyby Flo Doughtyby Flo Doughty

Page 18 the valley star December 12 2014

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We hear a lot about reduc-ing portion sizes to loseweight or maintain a

healthy weight. We know that“upsizing” a combo at the fastfood drive thru is not a great idea,but what is a healthy portionsize? How do I know what is toomuch? This article will providesome answers! Whether yourgoal is to help your child maintaina healthy weight or to lose someunhealthy pounds this is informa-tion we all need to know in orderto be successful!

When we hear 3 oz. of lean meat,what does that look like? How doI know, without dragging out thescale, how much that is? The listI am about to give makes thiseasy! It gives visual cues to helpus quickly determine what ahealthy portion is! This informa-tion comes from the AmericanCouncil on Exercise.

Here are some examples….• 1 oz. Cheese – is about thesize of your thumb or 4 dice

• 1 piece of fruit – about thesize of your fist

• 2 Tbsp. Peanut Butter - aboutthe size of a ping pong ball

• 1 cup of pasta or cereal –

about the size of a tennis ball

• ½ cup of rice –cupcake wrapper

• 1 cup of ice cream –size of a baseball

• Small potato – size of acomputer mouse

• 3 oz. of meat – about the sizeof a deck of cards or the palmof your hand

• 1 slice of bread – CD case

• 1 tsp. oil – fingertip

• 1Tbsp. oil – thump-tip

I hope this is helpful to you inyour quest for healthy living foryour family! More information, in-cluding interactive displays, isavailable at www.mypyramid.gov.They have several tools to helpyou determine individual needsand daily recommendations.Check out the “SuperTracker”; it’san online tool to help you track

what you or your child is currentlyeating and drinking, provides apersonalized plan for what you oryour child should eat and drinkand guides you to better choices.And, it’s free!!

If you are interested in a programthat teaches kids nutrition educa-tion and fitness, check out theSavvy Kids Fitness program atthe Athens-Limestone HospitalWellness Center or visit our web-site: www.savvykidsfitness.com!

What is a healthy portion size for your kids?


Iwill begin by saying, congratula-tions on getting your new friendif you are getting a horse for

Christmas or you have alreadygotten one. Horses can be ablessing and a great joy in ourlives. Now is the time to begin tounderstand them. Don’t do some-thing or get in a situation that maycause you to have a fear develop.

You just got your horse, now isthe time to beginthe learningprocess and jour-ney. Learn all youcan and it willnever be enough.But you will beginto understand.

There is no magic when learning.It takes discipline, perseverance,effort and desire.

You are now the owner of a reallive, breathing, eating animal that

cannot take care of itself. It isYOUR awesome responsibility,EVERYDAY. There will be no ex-cuses that will be great enoughfor your horse not to be cared forand no off days.

I ask you to do everything you canto care for your new friend. Makesure it has plenty of feed, cleanfresh water (very important)everyday. A horse can drink up to15 gallons of water per day. Theycan eat up to 28 pounds ofgrasses and hay per day.

Don’t think it is just an animal,think of it as your partner. Owninga horse can be a great and won-derful journey for you.

Here are a few things I will recom-mend for you to do. Go aheadand register with an equine vet-erinarian, so they will be familiarwith you and your horse and haverecords for you.

Ask around for re-ferrals for a goodFarrier and get

established withthem as well.

Also, somethingyou may or maynot have heard ofor seen before isan equine Chiro-practor. Yes, I saidequine Chiropractor.Horses sometimes need adjust-ing too.

To maintain a healthy horse, dosome reading and studying togain some knowledge of the careof a horse.

Everything I have mentioned pre-viously has to do with the physicalpart of the horse.

Here’s something more that isvery important for you to know.You need to understand how thehorse thinks. To understand whyhe acts the way he does, youhave to understand the secrets ofthe horse’s mind.

Horses have personalities likepeople have personalities, exceptin horses we call them horse-analities. It is good for us toknow how to interact with eachhorse-anality. All horses are NOTthe same and shouldn’t be han-dled the same.

Horses fit in 2 categories; Right

Brained behavior (the fear side)and Left Brained behavior (thethinking side). Knowing how tointeract with your horses’ par-ticular horse-anality is very im-portant. But first you need toknow which one your horse is.

With all things I have men-tioned, the most important is

safety for you and your horse.Know how to be safer aroundyour horse. Don’t put yourself in aposition to get hurt. Don’t as-sume anything with your horse.Your horse is not to be handledlike a dog. It’s not a pet. It is aprey animal that can hurt us veryquickly simply by just playing orbeing afraid. They use dominancegames we think are sometimescute, but they really aren’t andshouldn’t be allowed. When weget hurt around horses, it’s notthe horses fault. WE didn’t pre-pare the horse properly.

Yours and your horse’s safety isvery important. I would suggestyou get in a classroom setting(where it is offered) to begin yourlearning before you go and do tolearn what to do or what not to do.

If you would like more informationplease contact me, [email protected]. I have a 16 weekprogram called ‘Head to HoofPsychology. It begins with ‘this isa horse’ proper ground play withyour horse to riding dynamics.

HORSE SENSEHORSE SENSEHORSE SENSE by Jim Swannerby Jim Swannerby Jim Swanner


Jim Swanner

The Christmas Horse

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Yesterdays is now acceptingreservations for our Yester-days Rockin’ New Years Eve

Party on Dec. 31.

The evening starts with comfortfoods (included in ticket price) in-cluding pizza, hot dogs, chickentenders,barbecue sandwiches,baked beans, potato salad, chips,drinks, and dessert, then the vari-ety show concert featuring individ-ual performers including Conway

Twitty tribute artist Brad Caswelland female vocalist Lacey Snider.The finale of the concert segmentfeatures the region’s top show-band, “The Flashbacks” for your lis-tening pleasure.

At the end of the concert segmentthere will be an intermission, thedance floor will be made available,and “The Flashbacks” will againtake the stage for the year’s bestrockin dance party to bring in the

New Year. There will be party hatsand favors, a balloon drop and anon-alcoholic champagne toast atmidnight. Event tickets are $25each and includes food and drinks.

Show details include the following:

• Show admission is $25 each andincludes food and drinks, e-mailReservations are required.

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10:45-11 p.m., rockin dance party11-12:30 a.m.

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Athens • $129,900

MLS#1007718

18344 Foxford Lane

Athens • $137,700

MLS#1006787

5590 Bay Village Dr. #106, #107, #302, #B2 • Athens

$239,000, $249,900, $334,900, $259,000

MLS#582851, 724072, 554603, 526053

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Davis Street, Athens

$29,900 • MLS#453244

15388 Quinn Road., Athens

$365,000 • MLS#840145

20 County Road 70

$16,000 • MLS#908717

15 Bay Village Drive, Athens

$49,000 • MLS#796657

Huntsville Brownsferry Road, Tanner

$55,000 • MLS#654681

25 Bayshore Drive, Athens

$69,000 • MLS#658277

Mary Davis Hollow Road, Athens

$14,800 • MLS679178

Artic Lane, Athens

$15,000 • MLS#715274


Best WesternFairfield Inn & Suites

Holiday Inn Express & SuitesWe’re what you LOVE about the SOUTH!

Fairfield Inn & Suites21282 Athens Limestone Lane Athens, AL 35613

Contact Tyler Herrera – 256.233.4530 • Free Hot Breakfast • Free High Speed Fiber Internet• Fridge/Micro in all guestrooms• Fitness Room and Indoor Heated Pool• Guest Laundry • Board Room

Holiday Inn Express & Suites16074 Athens Limestone Blvd. Athens, AL 35613

Contact Christa Cole – 256.232.7931• Free Hot Breakfast • Free High Speed Fiber Internet• Fridge/Micro in all guestrooms• Fitness Room & Indoor heated pool & hot tub• Guest Laundry • Meeting Room

Best Western1329 Hwy 72 E Athens, AL 35611

Contact Lynn Horn – 256.233.4030• Free Breakfast • Free WI-FI• Fridge/Micro in all guestrooms• Fitness Room • Outdoor Pool

Holiday Inn Express & Suites8956 Madison Blvd. • Madison, AL 35758Contact – Pamela Graves – 256.258.3000

• Free Breakfast • Free WIFI* Fridge/Micro in all guestrooms • Guest Laundry• Indoor Heated Pool & Hot tub • Fitness Center• Banquet Space • Board Room • Airport Shuttle

Holiday Inn Express & Suites180 Etta Gray Street, Florence AL 35630Contact – Glenda Gilliam – 256.246.2200

• Free Breakfast • Free WIFI• Fridge/Micro in all guestrooms• Indoor Heated Pool & Hot tub• Fitness Center • Guest Laundry • Banquet Space

• Corporate Groups •• Funerals •

• Government •• Groups •

• High Schools •• Holidays •

• Sports Groups •• Weddings •

Omega Hotel Group Hotels embody the absolute apex of genuine hospitality—where unsurpassedservice meets modern accommodations for today's travelers. Our sole mission is to provide our guests withaccommodations they expect, features and amenities they need and service they deserve.Our Athens hotels are conveniently located at I-65 and Hwy 72, and are within walking distanceto many restaurants. Our Madison Holiday Inn Express is located near Huntsville International Airportand offers free airport shuttle. Both Florence and Madison Holiday Inn Express hotels are alsolocated within walking distance to several restaurants. Our hotels offer spacious accommodations with someone bedroom suites accommodating up to six people. Our hotel’s experienced Managers will set aside a roomblock for any group type you may have. Call for special Corporate Rates.

Documents

FREE STAR · Christmas Ornament- The official Limestone County Historical Society Christmas ornament is now available for $15 at Osborne’s Jewelers in Athens. The 2014 ornament