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NAEC Salutes Senior Trevor Houston

Trevor Houston

Trevor Houston is the son of Sam and Kelli Houston. Kelli works as a fiber billing clerk and administrative assistant at North Alabama Electric Cooperative, where she’s been a member of the staff for 17 years.

Trevor, 18, is a member of the North Jackson High School Class of 2025. He participates in several extracurricular activities, including playing football and baseball. He says 1 of his greatest accomplishments as a student-athlete was being part of the team that won the 2024 Class 4A Region 8 football championship.

Accolades during the Chiefs’ championship season included Trevor’s selection as an All-County and All-Region player. He was also chosen five times as the Defensive Player of the Week by the Mountain Valley News. But beyond his many awards as a student-athlete, his greatest accomplishment is being a childhood cancer survivor.

Upon graduation from NJHS, Trevor’s plans include attending Jacksonville State University to further his education and to be a part of the JSU football program.

NAEC Accepts Bank Drafts

Paying your electric bill has never been easier — or more rewarding. Members of North Alabama Electric Cooperative (NAEC) can make payments through bank drafts. And as a bonus, members who enroll for bank draft payments will get a one-time $10 credit toward their electric bill.

When members make payments by bank draft, the NAEC bill amount is automatically deducted from their bank account each month, at no extra charge. And members who also sign up for paperless billing can easily access their bills, which are sent to their email.

For more information about bank draft payments and paperless billing, contact NAEC at (256) 437-2281. To access, download, or print the online form to enroll in automatic payments, click on “Pay by Bank Draft” on the Pay Bill page. A voided check must accompany the enrollment form.

Photo courtesy of Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce

Hop Aboard for a Week of Festivities

Depot Days rolls back into Stevenson the first week in June, and for the 45th year, it’s just the ticket to celebrate what’s new while paying homage to the city’s colorful history.

An event-filled week follows a May 31 community yard sale on Main Street, picking up steam daily at sites across town before peaking with a full slate of activities on Saturday, June 7.

At the center of it all is the historic Stevenson Depot. Built in 1872 by the Nashville & Chattanooga and Memphis & Charleston railroads, the depot sits atop the ruins of their circa-1852 building destroyed after the Civil War. In their heyday, the depot and neighboring hotel were bustling hubs of the town. Both were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. But when the railroad office closed in 1976, the depot sat unused.

After hearing it was in danger of being torn down, a group of Stevenson residents worked out a way to lease the century-old landmark, renovate it and convert it into a museum, which opened in 1982. Now, instead of train passengers, the Stevenson Railroad Depot Museum is filled with hundreds of artifacts reflecting the history of the city and its surroundings.

The depot remains the heart of downtown, and nearby merchants welcome visitors with Depot Days activities all week.

“Depot Days is a cherished annual celebration of our rich history and the spirit of the community,” says Aimee Lambert, owner of the 302 West restaurant and The Vault, a speakeasy and cigar lounge, both on Main Street.

“This will be our first year participating in Depot Days as a fully operational business, and we are so excited to open our doors for this incredible event,” Lambert says. “Guests can unwind, enjoy the vibrant energy of the festival and participate in exclusive giveaways.”

Depot Days festivities, beginning June 1, run the gamut from midweek gospel singings and bingo contests to an ice cream social and auction. Then comes Saturday’s main event. A car show at the city park typically kicks off the day at 9 a.m., but downtown Main Street comes alive at 10:30 a.m. when the Depot Days Main Street parade passes sidewalks lined with vendors and people from near and far.

“There will be music going on throughout the day and events pretty much from morning until midnight,” Stevenson Railroad Depot Museum Director Andy Burnett says.

For the full events schedule and other details, look up Stevenson Depot Days on Facebook.

Making the Most of ‘The Dash’

Hunter McCrary, far right, is joined at the 2022 bed build by, from left, his brother, Jordan; father, Chad; and mother, Crystal.

The span between the dates of a person’s birth and death is sometimes described as “the dash” — a simple line that represents an entire lifetime. For some, the dash is long. For others, it is far too short. But for a life well-lived, that dash continues on in other ways.

A local nonprofit organization called McCrary’s Mission is carrying on the legacy of Hunter McCrary, a young man who made the most of his 16-year dash by being a helper, sharing his deep faith, and uniting a diverse range of people with little in common besides his friendship.

“What matters is your dash,” says Hunter’s mother, Crystal McCrary, who co-created and oversees McCrary’s Mission with her husband, Chad, and Hunter’s older brother, Jordan. “You don’t know what that in-between time is, so making the most of it and then helping others do the same is what we’re trying to do with McCrary’s Mission.”

Honoring Hunter’s Memory

McCrary’s Mission provides journaling kits in Hunter’s memory for children receiving grief counseling.

In June 2022, soon after his sophomore year at North Jackson High School, Hunter was working on a car when a tragic accident took his life. Just after the accident, a family friend started a scholarship fund in Hunter’s name. Since then, more than 2 dozen high school seniors from throughout the region have received a share of $16,500 in scholarship funds and book grants made possible by donations to the Hunter McCrary Memorial Scholarship Fund, his mother says.

Then, as the summer of 2022 wound down, the family initiated the Sleep in Heavenly Peace Hunter McCrary Memorial Bed Build. In January that year, Hunter participated in the bed build sponsored by his church to benefit the South Pittsburg, Tennessee, chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. The organization relies on volunteers to build twin beds that, along with essential bedding items, go to local children in need.

“He loved it and participated in every step of the process, and he said that he wanted to do it again,” McCrary says. “Of course, he couldn’t, but that’s how we started doing it, and he’s involved in all of it.” The past 3 memorial events, held in September in honor of Hunter’s birthday, have resulted in 130 beds built, plus donations of 80 mattresses, 147 sets of bedding and pillows, and $18,000.

McCrary says the community’s support in keeping Hunter’s legacy alive led the family to create McCrary’s Mission. “It was our wish to honor Hunter’s memory and continue to serve others for Christ as Hunter did,” she says. “Helping others through this nonprofit’s ministry helped us to find a purpose to this pain that we were feeling, to keep letting his light shine.”

‘A Servant’s Heart’

Hunter McCrary puts together a bed frame for the January 2022 Sleep in Heavenly Peace event sponsored by his church in Stevenson.

The family established McCrary’s Mission as a nonprofit in January 2024. “All the events we’ve had so far are things Hunter participated in and enjoyed helping with,” McCrary says. “Hunter was always willing to help anyone who needed it. You didn’t even have to ask, but he never wanted to be in the spotlight for doing so. When someone thanked him for his help, he would just smile that big grin, and those big brown eyes would sparkle. He had a servant’s heart, and his love language was serving others. He didn’t do it for recognition, he did it because that was a way he could share the love of Christ with others.”

The list of McCrary’s Mission outreach projects is long. The organization donated grief journaling kits to children who receive counseling at The Caring House in Huntsville. Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children received toys, games, and stuffed animals for young patients. Many bingo prizes have been provided and games played with local Cumberland Nursing Home residents, a place Hunter often visited growing up. More than 40 grief support books and resources for all ages were donated to the Stevenson Public Library. Hymnals were given to a new church built in Honduras.

Back-to-school clothing, shoes, and supplies are provided for local students. Cleaning and hygiene supplies are donated to families in need. Birthday blessing bags are given with supplies for making a birthday cake and other items children need throughout the year. Christmas cookie baskets are donated to foster families. Donations are made to Life Resource Center to help displaced individuals with meals and necessities.

c t iv i t i e s and more are made possible by donations and fundraisers, such as the recent drawing for a 2-night stay at the ReTreet Resort near Lake Guntersville and annual drawings for tickets to college football games. For information about upcoming events and ways to help, visit the McCrary’s Mission Facebook page or send by emailing McCrary’s Mission.

Take Time To Offer Thanks & Show Support

Alabama has many challenges affecting electric service, but our lineworkers are ready to tackle them all. They brave the elements at any time and under any circumstance to make sure power keeps flowing, and they deserve recognition.

Congress officially designated April 18 as National Lineworker Appreciation Day, and North Alabama Electric Cooperative celebrates its Lineman Appreciation Day on the first Tuesday in June. However, we urge members to join us in celebrating these skilled and selfless professionals all year long. Take time to thank lineworkers for taking on important — and often dangerous — tasks that keep everyone safe and ensure the integrity of our electric system.

Being a lineworker is a risky job. Besides the obvious hazards these skilled workers face handling high-voltage lines and scaling utility poles, they also confront all sorts of animals, difficult terrain, traffic and extreme weather.

When outages occur, even late at night and in the middle of a storm, they answer the call. Sometimes, an outage might simply turn out to be a member’s tripped breaker or a connector that needs replacing, but lineworkers are ready for anything, thanks to skills sharpened through years of intensive training.

Lineworkers undergo 6,000 to 8,000 hours of training over about 4 years. It’s a long journey, starting out with preapprentice study, followed by apprenticeship, on-thejob training and finally journeyman certification. While there are vocations with a similar training-time investment, few involve the level of potential danger lineworkers face. And before even getting started, lineworker candidates must meet an important basic requirement — no fear of heights.

Many calls electricity providers get are for power outages caused by wildlife — usually squirrels, birds or snakes. Other calls involve fallen limbs. But the calls received in April often involve storm damage. According to the National Weather Service, early March through May is peak tornado season in Alabama, with the largest number of these violent storms occurring in the month of April. The damage from tornadoes can be extensive, but lineworkers have the skills and determination to make repairs and restore service.

Thank you lineworkers!

Cathedral Caverns Wows Visitors

The ceiling soars up to 123 feet in places, offering a stunning view down toward the path.

Cathedral Caverns is a natural treasure. Everything about it is astonishing — from the 2-story-high entrance, listed as the largest cave opening on the planet by Guinness World Records, to the majestic formations within.

Visitors first gained access to the cavern in 1955, when it opened as a private attraction dubbed Bat Cave by owner Jacob Gurley. His wife talked him into changing its name to Cathedral Caverns because its soaring ceilings, stalactites, and stalagmites resembled the inside of a Gothic church. It was declared a National Natural Landmark in 1972, but just 2 years later it was sold at auction when the Gurleys reportedly ran into financial trouble.

In 1987, the state of Alabama bought the cave and surrounding property. In the summer of 2000, Cathedral Caverns State Park was opened.

So Much To See

Archaeological excavations near the entrance indicate the cavern’s connection with humans dates back 8,000 years. And while 11,000 feet of passages have been mapped, the total extent of the cave system is unknown. Some of the passages are subject to flooding by the cave’s Mystery River, and others are off-limits to protect fragile formations.

A paved public trail within takes visitors more than half a mile into the cavern, where the temperature stays steady at 60 degrees. Strategic lighting reveals stunning formations like the massive stalagmite Goliath, which at 243 feet around and 45 feet tall is 1 of the largest in the world. There’s a 135-foot-long flowstone wall that looks like a frozen waterfall, and a grouping of stalagmites resembles an enchanted forest.

The park has much more than the cavern to offer within its 493 acres. There are 5 separate hiking trails, 4 of which intersect to combine for more than 5.5 miles of beautiful wooded scenery. Near those trails and the cave are spots for camper parking, tent camping, or enjoying modern comforts within a rustic cabin.

Even visitors who live just down the road will find that Cathedral Caverns State Park is a vacation destination. There are 25 full-service sites for campers to choose from with power, water, and sewer hookups. The park also offers 11 basic sites with power and water, 10 primitive sites, 2 backcountry sites, and 2 primitive group sites. A bathhouse sits nearby.

For a more homey stay, the park’s 4 tiny cabins provide a host of conveniences wrapped in a rustic package. 3 of them are two-bedroom designs furnished to sleep 6 people. The accessible one-bedroom cabin sleeps 2.

Ready To Run

Cathedral Caverns has also become a mecca for runners, who show up in droves for races the park hosts each year. The first weekend of March, the park held its Race to the Cave events, a 5K and the Half Marathon + 5K Challenge on Saturday and a 10K and half marathon on Sunday. The races all are on paved roads and end with a run through the cave itself.

Fall brings 2 more annual epic races, the Conquer the Cave 5K and the Cathedral Caverns 5K and 15K Trail Run. For those who prefer a leisurely pace, there’s a Walk in the Park, a 1.5-mile guided hike scheduled for the first weekend of April. But whether a run or a walk, much of any route will involve challenging hills.

Cathedral Caverns Park also offers a full slate of activities to educate and entertain. April’s scheduled events range from an art class, Cave Art: Turning Stone Into Paint, to a study of Fossil Features and an ode to the start of Dark Sky Week with the program Looking Into the Dark.

Gem mining is a big draw at the park every day, for every age. Mining dirt purchased in bags and buckets yields rough-cut gemstones or fossils when sifted through flumes of running water, and there’s a handy chart to help identify each find.

Robotics Mixes Science With Creativity

Beside a pond across from Grant’s Kate Duncan Smith DAR School campus, 8 students gathered after class to launch a bright yellow Lego buoy. But this outing wasn’t just for fun. These middle schoolers were testing out Hitch Boat, an information-gathering robot they made together.

The students equipped their buoy to collect and evaluate water samples using sensors for testing pH, temperature and other water-quality indicators. They spent weeks creating and programming the floating robot, an innovation research project in line with the ocean theme of the 2024 and 2025 FIRST Lego League robotics competitions.

FLL is the robotics program of For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST). FIRST was created in 1989 by Dean Kamen, who later invented the Segway. FLL competitors use Lego parts and blocks-based programming, a simple interface of stacked commands.

The group’s higher-level programs are the FIRST Tech Challenge and the FIRST Robotics Competition, which was the inaugural FIRST event in 1992. To cover the cost of participating in FIRST contests and purchasing equipment, most teams hold fundraisers and collect sponsorships.

Hitch Boat finished 12th among the 57 FLL competitors from across Alabama at the Dec. 7 contest, hosted by Hampton Cove Middle School. It’s just 1 of the projects the DAR Middle School Robotics Team works on during the school year, under the guidance of teacher Jessica Putman and volunteer mentor David Barr, a retired engineer who has coached robotics teams for more than 20 years. While Hitch Boat did not qualify for FLL’s Feb. 1 state final, the DAR team still had a champion — they nominated Barr for the Coach/Mentor Award, and he won.

Programmed For Success

Robotics projects in area schools have won many awards over the years, but competitions are not the only measure of success. Gus Hembree, STEM coordinator for the Kevin Dukes Career & Innovation Academy, says the most rewarding aspect is being able “to watch these kids use actual communication skills and problem-solving” to make and program the robots. “You can just see the gears turn in their heads,” he says.

Hembree was retired from teaching but when asked to head the career academy’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math effort, he readily agreed. “It was a big enough deal that I came out of retirement to do it,” he says. “That’s how much I thought of the program.” Before his retirement, he spent many years at Pisgah High School, where he taught chemistry, physics and robotics, which he introduced to PHS in 2013. The robotics class received equipment kits at no cost from Northeast Alabama Community College and support from the office of its then-dean of workforce development, Mike Kennamer.

That November, the Pisgah High robotics team entered its first contest, the Boosting Engineering Science and Technology Robotics competition, also known as BEST, which NACC began hosting in 2012. Founded in 1993, the BEST Robotics competition is free to enter and, rather than using kits, it supplies teams with a random set of parts to make into a robot.

Some schools stopped offering robotics classes when the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the normal routine, while others — like DAR School, which began its robotics program in 2015 — continued to meet and compete via Zoom. At the Kevin Dukes academy, Hembree leads weeklong robotics STEM programs in the summer, which are free to students and so popular that spots fill up quickly.

Hembree stresses students have benefited from schools introducing them to computer programming in 7th and even 6th grade. “When we did our robotics STEM last summer, I had a lot of kids who were able to come in and do some pretty remarkable things with the robots they had because they already understood the basic logic of programming,” he says. “There were a couple of groups that I struggled in challenging. It didn’t matter what I gave them, they could figure it out.”

The benefits of robotics can go far beyond an award or a grade. Barr, who also assists with the Skyline High School robotics program, says he’s coached students who have gone on to prestigious colleges and careers in fields from technology to medicine. And Hembree points out robotics can build knowledge, creativity and problem-solving that can help students excel in many areas of life.

“On the last day of last summer’s second session, while we were on lunch break, the county did a hard reset on all the Chromebooks, where the kids had all these programs they’d completed,” Hembree says. “They lost about 90% capacity, but they had the ability to adapt and overcome.”

GTO Waterfront Bay owner Paul Ponder (left) welcomes Alabama native Triston Harper, a 2024 “American Idol” top 5 finalist and guest on Ponder’s YouTube fishing show.

The 76-mile stretch of the Tennessee River between Guntersville and Nickajack dams is an angler’s paradise in the spring for largemouth bass, crappie, bream, catfish, shellcracker, and more. But beyond being a destination for serious fishing and major tournaments, Lake Guntersville is the perfect place for families to enjoy an outdoor adventure and make some wonderful memories.

“Spring is a time that people look forward to because fishing is so good during this time,” says Paul Ponder, who along with his wife, Jana, owns and operates Waterfront Bay Grocery & Tackle. “Lake Guntersville is 1 of the top fishing destinations in the world, but family fishing is the best. You don’t have to catch anything. Family fishing is fun.”

Ponder recalls fishing from about age 4, “catching fish off of cricket in my granddaddy’s pond. And my daddy sat there fishing with me, and my momma sat there not fishing but just enjoying watching us fish. There’s a lot of fun to that.”

The Waterfront store is 1 among a trio of the Ponder family’s Guntersville Tackle & Outdoors shops, which also includes GTO Goose Pond and GTO’s original Guntersville location. Ponder says they have welcomed visitors from Australia, Spain, Portugal, Canada, and “probably every state in the U.S.”

Waterfront’s Midlake location is across from a public boat launch, its popular deli that starts serving before the sun comes up and the 10 cozy on-site rental cabins and cottages make it a popular spot, especially when spring fishing starts.

Bait and tackle supplies are available there for any skill level, along with fishing licenses, required for anyone 16 and older. But perhaps 1 of the most valuable things Waterfront offers is free — access to the fishing knowledge and advice of the store’s experienced staff. “We have great employees, second to none,” Ponder says. Some also offer their expertise on Ponder’s weekly YouTube talk show, “GTO Good Ole Boys.”

Easy Options

The parking lot at the boat ramp across Waterfront Bay Grocery & Tackle is typically busy year-round.

Being able to fish the shallows from the riverbank and public docks in the spring makes it easy for families to enjoy the experience together.

Fishing out on the lake in a boat is also an easy option thanks to full-service guides like Jackson County native Mike Carter, or “Captain Mike” to those who hire his services. “Having a good time, laughing and cutting up, enjoying the day, that’s the main objective from a guide — getting out there and running around the lake, not just pulling up to 1 spot and sitting there all day and getting bored,” Carter says. “Catching the fish is the bonus.”

The experience is tailored to the client. “If they’ve never fished before I’m gonna teach them the basics, use the baits that’ll help them catch fish, and show them as many things on the lake as I can,” says Carter, who’s been a fishing guide for more than 20 years. “If I’ve got weekend anglers, I’m gonna take them a lot of places and still teach them the basics, but we get more into the fishing part of it. The tournament anglers, I’ll take them to areas that I know hold a lot of good fish and help them as much as I can.

“When I get these families that have never really fished at all, I try to keep it simple,” he says. “I don’t get the bait casters out, but I try to use spinning rods. I take a lot of clients crappie fishing that have never fished before. But if they want to bass fish, I keep it simple for them. At the same time, I make sure that I’m using baits that are gonna get them some fish, so they have an enjoyable trip.”

Due to its diverse and robust fishery, there is a tournament somewhere on the lake almost every weekend. Ponder says often there are events he hasn’t heard about, “but then all of a sudden everybody calls to rent the Waterfront cabins and cottages and then we’ll know there’s a major tournament coming.”

And if you’ve got a bunch of stress in your life, just go by the water or somewhere that you think is beautiful, sit and don’t think about a darn thing other than what you’re looking at.” —Paul Ponder

Those tournaments draw experienced anglers, but a special annual event called BassCashBash is open to all. From March 1 through July 4, any registered angler who catches a tagged bass from Lake Guntersville will be awarded $1,000. For an extra “T-shirt fee,” entrants can land another $500 for a tagged bass. They can also register at an extra cost to win prizes for tagged bass at other lakes. Details are available on the Bass Cash Bash website.

“It’s a great thing because it’s like having a tournament every time you go fishing,” Ponder says. “You can go out and just fish off the bank or in a boat, live or artificial bait — it doesn’t matter.” The fish must be caught with a traditional rod and reel, according to the tournament rules, and its BassCashBash tag has to be presented to 1 of the official registration stations, which includes Waterfront.

But according to Ponder, fishing as a family can be enjoyed anywhere. “I’d advise families to just get them about a hundred crickets, find a place on a river or pond, and fish,” he says. “And if you’ve got a bunch of stress in your life, just go by the water or somewhere that you think is beautiful, sit, and don’t think about a darn thing other than what you’re looking at.”

As the ground thaws with the approach of spring, many homeowners are anxious to begin planting trees and yard ornamentals. But when deciding what to plant where, it’s crucial to keep in mind the proximity to utility lines, both above and below the ground.

The first step to take before doing any digging is to call 811. Utilities in Alabama, from power and water to gas and telecommunications providers, will respond to 811 calls by marking their underground lines that could be damaged by digging, trenching, boring, augering, or blasting.

Beyond determining where it is safe to dig, it’s vital to follow guidelines for planting anywhere near power lines to reduce the risk of damage and outages.

North Alabama Electric Cooperative (NAEC) operates and maintains about 2,000 miles of distribution lines in Jackson and Marshall counties, and all plants within an unsafe distance from power lines and within the right-of-way easement are subject to being trimmed or even cleared by electric crews.

Avoid wasting time and money by following these basic “safe zone” guidelines before planting any trees and shrubs:

• Tall Zone: Pine, maple, oak, spruce and other trees that can grow to 40 feet and beyond must be at least 50 feet from the maintenance zone.
• Medium Zone: Holly and ornamental cherry and other trees that will not exceed 40 feet tall should be at least 20 feet away from the maintenance zone.
• Low Zone: Dogwood, peach, redbud, Japanese maple and other trees that will not exceed 15 feet tall can be planted 10 feet from the maintenance zone.
• Maintenance Zone: Right-of-way easements extend a width of 30-40 feet depending on the type of utility line. No trees, vines, or shrubs should be planted within this zone.

Vendors at the Bridgeport Community Market/Yard Sale set up downtown to sell their wares. Photo courtesy of Bobby Seabolt

Every first Saturday, from April through September, downtown Bridgeport rolls out the welcome mat to host the Community Market/Yard Sale. Everyone is invited to the free monthly event, which kicks off April 5, whether to sell their wares or to shop for treasures.

Vendors can set up as early and stay as long as they like, and there is no cost or registration involved. Spaces are plentiful, and available on a first-come, first-served basis. And there is no limit to the type of items offered for sale — from produce to handmade crafts, tasty treats, and more.

“They can bring anything to sell,” says Bridgeport Councilman Bobby Seabolt, who led the effort to bring the yard sale, now in its third year, back to town. “Several years ago, when I first got on the council, I did this and we had the whole town full, from 1 end to the other. I’m trying to bring it back now and give the people something to do downtown.”

In the spirit of the old-time monthly flea markets known as First Monday, vendors can bring anything they like to sell. “If they want to bring stuff from home, they can bring that. If they want to bring arts and crafts, they can bring arts and crafts,” Seabolt says. “If they want to bring animals and sell them, great. And if local farmers want to bring stuff, that’s good, too.”

After a busy opening weekend last year — with popular products like honey from a Marion County, Tennessee, beekeeper selling out — rain put on damper on many of the yard sales. “This year, I’m just hoping we get this going and that any rain falls on a different day,” Seabolt says.

Regardless of the weather, the public is encouraged to go downtown to shop, both at the yard sale and at local merchants. “We want to bring people into town,” Seabolt says, “and the yard sale is a great way to do that.”