Did You Know

Did You Know : Greenbrier Honey

Thu, 31 May 2012 22:25:00 -0500

It's a sweet job, literally. Raising bees and harvesting honey.

" It's nothing unusual for me to get stung. I don't even pay any attention to it anymore. I couldn't tell you when I get stung. But, I still love working without a suit and can't tell you why."

John Horton runs the Greenbrier Honey Farm in Limestone County. He loves his bees and he loves his honey.

" One of the benefits is I get to partake of my sweet labor," said Mr. Horton.

Because of the early spring we had this year his sweet labor will produce somewhere around 20,000 pounds of honey.

" Unbelievable year. The bees have not swarmed. The honey flow has been,,,, I've run out of boxes. I've ordered boxes, I've run out of boxes again. I've never seen anything like it."

" I'll take the top box off, then I'll take it into my honey house and process it."

" What happens is we put the frame in to take the cappings off the wax so the honey can drip out."

" This is an extractor. What it is basically is a centrifuge. You put the frames in and the wheel starts spinning. That slings the honey against the wall of this stainless steel tank."

From there it's collected and bottled before heading out to local stores across the Tennessee Valley. They also make candles and lip balm.

" I think anything you can do to enhance nature to work with nature, where you feel like you are improving things, increasing the fruitfulness of things, it brings joy to my heart."

Did You Know : Greenmaid

Tue, 29 May 2012 22:10:00 -0500

Who doesn't like to have their house cleaned for them? Well, one local company is cleaning houses, but they're doing it in a way unlike any other in the area.

" Using micro-fiber clothes instead of paper towels, using micro-fiber pads instead of dirty cotton mops. Using triple filtered hepa filtration vacuum cleaners instead of the standard off the store shelf vacuum cleaners."

Maidgreen Clean of Madison offering an alternative to standard cleaning services. They are Green Clean certified, which means they follow very specific steps and procedures to make sure your house is free from chemicals, allergens and irritants.

" Probably twenty percent of our clients hire us because we're green. Because somebody in their family has allergies or asthma or cancer or something like that. We come in and eradicate those allergens and so on and so forth when we come in," said Tim Mardis of Maidgreen Clean in Madison.

Another unique aspect of this company is the products they use in your house were developed and our produced by and for this local business.

" We are actually the only cleaning service in the United States right now that manufactures its own cleaning products."

Did You Know : Mad County Winery

Mon, 28 May 2012 05:33:13 -0500

If I say winery, you think vineyards, grapes and bottles.

Not the case at the Mad County Winery.

" This is a suburban micro winery. Which means we are a bonded winery. We take fruit puree, we convert it into juice and then we ferment that to make the finest and strongest country wine available in the civilized world," said Cotton Williams of the Mad County Winery.

" Basically I was encouraged by the music video by Deana Carter, Strawberry Wine."

And, I couldn't find any quality strawberry wines that were not actually grape based. So I started making my own.

Strawberry, peach, bamarita, apple and strawberry rhubarb are flavors produced by this 2 person operation.

" I do sales, of course I also provide the eye candy and tell the funny stories. My sweet wife is basically stuck doing everything else. She's the hard work and the brains."

Each batch of this country wine takes about 3 weeks from start until it's sealed up in the mason jar. That's just a drop in the bucket compared to the year and a half it took to get through city, county, state and federal red tape to make this dream a reality.

Now- Cotton can proudly proclaim.

" We've only been open for about 2 months, but we are still Huntsvegas's oldest and finest winery..... By default.

Did You Know : RTJ 20th Celebration

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:18:00 -0500

For 20 years golfers have been flocking to Alabama to play the golf trail in the country. The Robert Trent Jones Golf trail is celebrating it's 20th anniversary this year. Many of the people that played a key role in putting this trail on the map gathered this week near Birmingham to celebrate and reminisce.

"This was an incredible dream that someone had. I didn't find out until we were pretty much done with the project, what Dr. Bronner was trying to describe. The word the Bobby used was were going to build golf that is outrageous," said Roger Rulewich lead designer for the trail after the death of Robert Trent Jones.

"I think you have to remember that there are no golf trails like the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, but for one attempt in Tennessee. That's where some Jack guy tried it and failed. Because, what he did was he basically put the courses in all state parks where nobody's at," said Dr. David G. Bronner, Robert Trent Jones Mastermind and CEO of the Retirement Systems of Alabama.

This Trail averages more than 500,000 vistitors per year and is expecting it's 10 millionth later this fall. 60 percent of the Trails golfers are from out of state each year.

"Golf construction for the foreseeable future is almost nill. So what you have is the ability to be really the leader in the country."
What started as 7 sites and 18 courses has turned into 11 sites and 26 courses across the state.

"We pushed the envelope here with golf."
And, by the way the Trail is saying thank you with 20 dollar green fees on the 20th of every month this year.

Did You Know : Child identity theft growing

Tue, 22 May 2012 22:20:00 -0500

Identity theft. It's a problem all of us have heard of, and many of us have dealt with first hand.

But, Did You Know according to the 2012 Child Identity Theft Report, KIDS are 35 times more likely to be victims of identity theft than adults.

Another recent study found that 1 in 10 kids will have their identity stolen by the age of 18. Crooks target kids because they have no credit history and a clean social security number.

You don't want to find out when your child applies for a college loan or tries to get into that first apartment. Imagine the issues you would face when the credit report for your child comes back saying that he or she is a middle age man who's defaulted on a car loan.

But, there is a way to protect your childs identity.

ALLCLEARID.COM is now offering a service called CHILDSCAN. The the best part, it's absolutely FREE.

That's right a free service that combs through credit records, employment records, criminal records and medical accounts to find out if a crook has been using your kids social security number.

Here's what you do. Just go to ALLCLEARID.COM. Click on the "get a free child scan icon."

That will take you to a one page form. There you will need to fill out your information and the information of your kids. This will get you the free child scan.

If you're like me you're wondering how the company makes its money. They do have other premium services that you can pay for, and they tell you about them on the website.

But, the childscan service is free and recommended.

Did You Know : Windmills still spinning in the South

Mon, 21 May 2012 04:58:07 -0500

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAAY) - One valley company is banking on windy weather.

They're keeping the traditions of the windmill alive and well across the southeast.

"They've been in business in constant production since 1868. They are made in San Angelo, Texas. All the parts are made in the United States, and the unique thing about a windmill is that it's not pumping water, it's lifting water," said George Woodruff, of GPW Hydro Service in Toney, Alabama.

George can tell you all about windmills. A plumber by trade, he's put together and put up windmills all over Alabama and the Southeast.

"We've been in Arkansas, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana."

"Most of our customers use the windmills for pumping water. Either, trying to keep water in a pond or for irrigation for their garden or a small landscape project or for watering livestock. We sell just as many though to people for aesthetic value or just to look at.

The windmills are assembled on the ground, then lifted by a crane. That task can be simple or rather difficult depending on size.

"The smallest size we make is a 6ft fan. We go all the way up to a 16ft diameter fan, that is a massive windmill. Tower heights vary from 14 to 60 feet.

Did You Know : Solar Park

Fri, 18 May 2012 05:25:41 -0500

Near the corner of Airport Road and South Memorial Parkway there's been some major changes. What used to be an empty field has turned into a place to harness the sun.

"The desired goal at the Redstone Energy Park is to demonstrate the different types of solar energy apparatus," said Greg Cox, of the Redstone Energy Group.

"This is a public space, we want people in this community and the surrounding area to know that this site is open to them to come and understand how solar works. What are the different products that are available, that are cost effective," said Lori Severin, of the Redstone Energy Group.

"These are dual axis trackers. They will follow the sun during the entire day. They will go back to a neutral position facing straight up at night. The reason we have dual axis trackers is to show that if you can focus on the sun all day long you can produce the maximum amount of electricity."

"This is called a parking area solar array. It's designed to sit in a parking lot, cars can park underneath it providing shade. We will also have electric car charging stations at one of these locations. This is also very unique system that's produced in Pulaske, Tennessee with one of our brother companies. We will have these all over Huntsville in the coming months."

That brother company is called Outpost Solar. Everything you see here at the demonstration site is manufactured in Pulaski, Tennessee.

Did You Know : Doody Calls

Wed, 16 May 2012 05:22:05 -0500

Environmental pollutants come in all shapes and sizes.

But, here's one you may have never considered.

We all love our pets. But, none of us likes cleaning up what our beloved friends leave behind.

Did You Know - there are close to 80 million dogs in the United States? Collectively, they deposit approximately 30,000 tons of waste a day. Over the course of a year that's roughly 10 million tons. To give you an even better idea, that would be the equivalent of 267,500 tractor trailers stuffed full of dog doo lined bumper to bumper from Seattle to Boston with a detour through Oklahoma. Some say doggie deposits are America's overlooked environmental pollutant.

Others say, dogs have been doing their business as long as they've been around.. why is it and issue now? According to the Environmental Protection Agency, dog waste is on par with insecticides, herbicides, oil, grease, and toxic chemicals from urban runoff and energy production. Dog waste also gives bacteria, worms and other parasites a place to live and thrive.

If you believe it's a problem, what to do, what to do? These facts brought to you by the folks at "Doody Calls" a national dog waste removal company.

Locally there's a business called the Pet Butler, they will be happy to help you get rid of your pet waste. Or you can do as I did, keep it in the family. Teenagers are great at cleaning up after fido.

Did You Know : Yellow Wolf Mining

Mon, 14 May 2012 04:44:00 -0500

MOULTON, Ala. (WAAY) - Imagine it - a day in the country mining for gemstones.A new business in Lawrence County offers a touch of the past combined with lots of good information about rocks.

The Yellow Wolf Gem Mine in Moulton, Alabama has only been open for a few months.

"The mining shack is where you can come out and do the mining experience. We have the gemstones in the dirt in the mine and you come out and take your bucket and shovel and you dig where you think you might find the prettiest stones at, said Stephen Flannagin, of Yellow Wolf Gem Mining.

Many schools in Lawrence County have found Yellow Wolf to be a great place for children to have fun and learn at the same time.

" When the children come we go over the gemstones that they find. We have everything set up for them to make it as easy as possible for the teachers. We identify the gemstones for them and give them a little history on how they form and that kind of thing," said Lana Flannagin, of Yellow Wolf Gem Mining.

" We take the screen, we put it into the flume and the water. You just want to work the material through your fingers. Push the material through the screen, you will feel stones.... Just let them roll," said John Louallen, of Yellow Wolf Gem Mining.

" A lot of people have never been anywhere mining and it's fun to explain to them something different that they can do. It's a hobby for some people, they're rock hounds they go everywhere and dig."

Yellow Wolf is open to the public on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and by reservation on other days of the week.

Did You Know : Over the Edge

Tue, 08 May 2012 22:25:00 -0500

Next month you will have a chance to rappel off the top of one of the tallest buildings in downtown Huntsville.

Have you ever wanted to toss your boss off of a tall building?

" Toss your boss, raise the money and send your boss over the edge," said Brenda Hennessee, of the Heart of the Valley YMCA.

Over the Edge, a fundraiser coming up in June for the Heart of Valley YMCA. Not only can you toss your boss, you can fling a family member or catapult a co-worker off the old Times building in downtown Huntsville.

" We are the first event in Alabama. So we are very excited to bring this to our area first."

The first 80 people or companies to raise the $1,500 will have the opportunity to rappel 12 stories, over 120 feet.
The money raised will help some of the heros who live here in the Valley.

" Some of the programs that this particular event will benefit are our military outreach programs. We offer free memberships to the family's of deployed soldiers and for the soldiers right before and after deployment. We are really trying to make sure these familys have a place to be and a community to support them."

Did You Know : The Basement Pub

Mon, 07 May 2012 04:49:51 -0500

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAAY) - You've heard of "Man Caves" or maybe a "Doll Room", but you have never seen a room in someone's house like this.

From the outside, it's just another beautiful home on a hillside in south Huntsville. But, there are some clues to give an indication that once you get inside there's something a little bit different in the basement. Hang a left before you get to the living room and go down the stairs. As you descend step by step the Irish music gets a little louder.

"I usually tell people I have a pub in the house and they don't really say much at first. Then I say NO, we really have a pub in the house and you will feel like you're in the middle of Ireland," said Lisa Bollinger of The Maggie McGuinness Pub.

"We've got several native Irish that come here and they tell us it's very authentic to what they experienced back in Dublin, Cork and the like," said Michael Bollinger of The Maggie McGuinness Pub.

The Bollingers get asked all the time about the Pubs hours, when it's open, when it's closed things like that. People easily forget when in the pub, that this is somebody's residence, it's not a bar and it's not open to the public."

" This is purely a private Irish Pub. We don't sell anything, it's all about family and community."

" Yes we have a name and it's fun and we call it the Maggie McGuinness Pub and a lot of people talk about it like it's one of the pubs in town, but really it's in our home and it's a hobby or ours."

Adult beverages are available at the pub, but they are not sold.

" People can bring their own drinks. People can also drink from the pub, they can put some money in the collection, but it's up to them. All we tell them is if we want to keep doing this, we have to be able to replace items."

Did You Know : Dipr

Thu, 03 May 2012 22:20:00 -0500

It's the age old problem.... The cookie and the milk. But, you can't get enough milk in the cookie or if you do it breaks off in the milk. If you too have experienced this problem, your prayers have been answered.

" Ultimately the product came out of necessity, I lost one too many cookies in the milk and I turned to my wife and said I'm going to make a utensil that prevents me from losing my cookies. She said I thought you lost your marbles, and I said no I'm not going to lose my cookies anymore," said Robert Haleluk, inventor of 'The Dipr."

He started with clay then moved to a silicone mold and after a few tweeks..... Voila!

" I came up with the hook design, which actually cradles the cookie right in the cream so it holds it perfectly. You get a perfect dunk everytime."

" The best part about it, we haven't met one person that looked at it and the first thing they didn't do is smile. No matter wether you're a big kid or a little kid it just makes you smile," said Julie Haleluk,

" So you just literally just hold it in the milk. Then I like to eat the whole thing in one bite because I'm a big kid. Works perfect every time."

The Dipr just hit the market this year,

Did You Know : Bundt Cakes

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 04:52:12 -0500

A new bakery in Huntsville is turning a traditional favorite into a scrumptous treat that will tantalize the taste buds of valley residents of all ages.

THESE are not your grandmas bundt cakes.

Nothing Bundt Cakes in Huntsville is creating 'bundts' for a new generation.

" Our product is all made from scratch in our bakery. We bake them every single day," said Shefali Patel, Manager of Nothing Bundt Cakes, in Huntsville.

10 different flavor to choose from and several different sizes including, the 10 inch, the 8 inch, the bundlet and the buntinis.

" The Bundtinis are little bite size bundt cakes that could be done in one or two bites depending on how hungry you are. The bundlets could be shared between one or two people."

Flavors include Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Red Velvet, Lemon and White Choclolate Rasberry. But, what really sets these cakes apart is the healthy dose of cream cheese butter frosting on every bundt.

" To die for, that's all I can say. I haven't had anybody ask me for a cake without the frosting."

Did You Know : Green Pea Press

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 04:51:47 -0500

in this digital age, ... when we want something done ... we want it done now.
but, there's a place in huntsville that's bringing back the "time-intensive" art..... of print making.

"I found that when I graduated I could no longer make work. My focus was in print making and I just didn't have access to the machinery," said Rachel Lackey of the Green Pea Press.

So with a little help from her friends Rachel started up the Green Pea Press at Lowe Mill Arts and Entertainment Center in Huntsville.

"We do entalio print making, relief, etching, letter press and screen print. We try to have workshops so that people who are interested can learn more about the processes," said Tyson Stinson of the Green Pea Press.

"Seeing other artists who walk in and go Oh My Gosh there's presses here, I can do work again. That's really fulfilling, but also having new people come in and watching them fall in love in the process."

Besides the weekly workshops, Green Pea Press takes T-shirt orders, does wedding invitations and cards of all types. You can hire them to do it or you can customize even more by getting involved in the design and production yourself.

"People are really wanting to go back to those hands on kind of things, like our forefathers and foremothers were doing."

Did You Know : Haul Helper

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 05:18:00 -0500

RAINSVILLE, Ala. (WAAY) - Recently Walmart had a nationwide contest to inspire inventors and hopefully make somebody's dreams come true. Rainsville native, Mark Huber, threw his hat in the ring with his invention.

" The Haul Helper "

"When I was hauling lumber and it was scaring me because it looked like it was about to shift and fall off the back of the utility trailer and I could just see other automobiles dodging stuff laying in the road that I had dropped. I thought, there's got to be a better way. I just came up with this concept and applied and got a patent for it," said Mark Huber, inventor of the Haul Helper.

"People don't understand getting a patent is an expensive adventure itself. Getting the patent is costly and then there's fees every three and a half years. It's a costly adventure just getting the patent, much less getting something into production."

Mark did not win the Walmart contest but he still wants to make it happen.

"If there's anybody out there that's got a lot of money and wants to go in and invest and go for it, we'll get it in mass production."

Did You Know : Senior Bee

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 05:47:59 -0500

If you didn't win the spelling be when you were in grade school there's still time.

The winner of the national spelling bee in 2011 correctly spelled 'cymotrichous'. She reigns over the younger generation of spellers, but did you know there's a National BEE for the older generation?

Cullman County hosting it's 6th Senior Bee on April 26th to find a winner for the National Competition in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

" I tried for the spelling bee in 6th grade and I failed. I missed the word kindergarten and I kicked myself ever since. I love words," said Bonnie Bjornstad, the 2007 Cullman County Senior Spelling Bee Champ.

" It's good fellowship and it just gets the people involved," said Rhonda Van Zandt, Community Service Chair for C-E-R-A.

" I think the Senior Spelling Bee is a lot more fun than those kids seem to be having. The intensity is palpable, that's p-a-l-p-a-b-l-e," said Jack Bray, senior speller.

Alright, time to get in the rotation. My word was laboratory.

Which I spelled l-a-b-o-r-t-o-r-y,,,,,,,,,,, wrong.

For more information you can call the Commission on Aging, walk in registrations are accepted on April 26th at the Cullman Senior Center.

Did You Know : Tax Day Freebies

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 04:54:38 -0500

Tax Day is almost here, are you ready? Not for the filing deadline, but for the deals.

For some of us tax day is a time that's dreaded.

For others, who have taken care of business Tuesday April 17th, 2012 is a day to celebrate.

Why celebrate tax day? Because of freebies, that's why!

Lots of businesses just giving stuff away, especially restaurants.

I'll start with my favorite Panda Express. A free single serving of Shanghai Angus Steak just for liking them on their Facebook page. I tried this dish last week, scrumptious. And, it will taste even better for free.

Who likes Curly Fries? Just print the coupon from Arby's and the curly fries are free.

Maggie Moos and Marble Slab, offering a free scoop of "New Yougurt" from 4pm to 7pm Tuesday night. No coupon necessary at Maggies while supplies last. Marble Slab does need a coupon printed off the website.

Sonic will have happy hour all day long. That means half price sodas, teas and slushes for any of you that worked up a thirst doing your taxes.

How about 2 free Cinnabon bites from from 6 to 8 Tuesday night, no coupon necessary.

Bruegger's, Office Depot, Hooters, Chili's and PF Changs also doing special giveaways or discounts on April 17th. So enjoy your tax day, I know I will.

Pass the Soy Sauce, I'm headed to the Panda.

Did You Know : Body for Life

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:13:00 -0500

Have you ever wanted to change your life, your health, your body? One Tennessee Valley man did that in just 12 short weeks.

"They confirmed that I did have a heart attack at some time. After consultation with a doctor, it was your tryglycerides are 350, which I didn't know what a tryglyceride was and you need to get into shape," said Madison resident Tim Mardis.

And, that's exactly what he did.

12 weeks after starting the EAS Body for Life program he had a new body.

"It's not difficult at all. In 12 weeks I went from 233lbs to 198lbs.

Anybody can do it. I've counseled people on the body for life website that had the same questions, is it really that easy? Nothing can be that simple."

For his efforts, Tim not only gained more energy for his work and family, but he was also named the EAS Body for Life Champion 2011 for men over the age of 46. And, now he just wants to spread the word.

"Many of my employees have looked at the before and after pictures, and when they saw the pictures they were like, ' we always thought that was fake', we never thought anybody could actually make that transformation in that period of time."

Did You Know : Bonnie and Clyde

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 05:20:02 -0500

Did You Know Bonnie and Clyde visited North Alabama?

Most of us have seen one of the movies or heard about the 1930's crime spree of Bonnie and Clyde.

" Bonnie and Clyde had just robbed a bank down south of Arab and they were trying to find a place to hide out, so they came into Arab and shopped. One of the men who was a young man at the time, who is part of our historical society, game us a first hand account of it. They did not know who these people were until their car was riddled with bullets a few months later and it was on the front of a magazine. After seeing the picture, they knew who had actually been at their store," said Janet Calhoun-Michael, of the Arab Historical Village.

This is just one of the interesting stories you can find at the Arab Historical Village.
Buildings with historical significance line the Village, including the Elvin Light Museum, where every room tells a story, in this case the story is told by Janet Calhoun-Michael of the Arab Historical Society.

" We have a stagecoach room. It was a real room where warehouse groceries is today. It began in 1824, that building burned, they built another one back and it stayed until 1939."

" We have a room that features two of our leading doctors from back in the day. The building was called an infirmary not a hospital because they couldn't perform major surgery. It was upstairs over the drugstore."

" This was a farming community. It took a lot of implements. The men had to know how to use these tools. They had to know where they where stored, they had to take take them to the blacksmith shop to keep them working. They had a lot to do, to grow cotton and corn the major crops in this area."

Tours of the Village are given on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, or you can call for an appointment and private tour.

Did You Know : Diving Monster

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:25:00 -0500

Most of us have seen something in a store and thought why didn't I think of that. Well, a local man acted on his inspiration and now his creation can be found in Toy R' US stores across the nation.

"Yeah, it was pretty exciting. It was really nice to see something I had made available. So of course I told everybody," said Dean Hawkins, Inventor of the the 'Diving Monster'.

Madison resident ,Dean Hawkins, telling us his reaction the first time he saw his invention the 'Diving Monster' on display at Toys R' Us.

"I took a suction cup I bought at Walmart, that actually had a hook so you could hang stuff on it. I just disassembled it. Then I went on line and found a place that sold a variety pack of different plastics to get the consistency right."

If you're wondering where he came up with the idea for the 'Diving Monster'... You guessed it, in the tub at the Hawkins family bathroom.

" My daughter loves to take baths. She was tired of all the toys that she had, so we just schemed about things you do in the swimming pool that you don't do in the bathtub. I sent a video to these guys and said don't you want to buy my toy, and a day later I had a contract in my hand. I was very lucky."