MEET THE ARDMORE TIGERS

Pre-game article tomorrow about Friday night opponent, the Ardmore Tigers.  Be sure to check the football blog about this week's spirit activities.  

THINKING ABOUT FALL PLANTING? BEST TIME IN THE SOUTH FOR BUSHES AND TREES

There are a couple reasons that one might like to plant a ground covering that is edible. The first is that you have a small yard or garden plot and want to increase the amount of produce that you grow. The second, and my reason, is that you are allergic to common grasses and wish to grow something beautiful that you are not allergic to. What ever your reason, we are going to discuss what plants you may use for a ground covering that are both edible and beautiful.

Plants to Consider

Bears garlic

Bears garlic, an allium which is called “ramps” in Appalachia and “l’ail des ours” in France, is native to both Europe and the U.S. and prefers shade. This allium densely covers the ground and gives off a delicious garlic aroma the minute you touch one of its leaves. Eat the leaves of this plant, and you will find it has a full flavor somewhere between garlic and leeks but not as strong as either. You can chop the leaves into a salad or use in place of leeks or sorrel in your favorite soup and quiche recipes. Bears garlic is high in Vitamins A and C and many minerals too.

Bears garlic mixes well with bluebells and celandine poppies, natives of America, which also prefer shady places with moist soil high in humus and other organic matter. Plus this edible covering bears beautiful blossoms of its own.

There is only one trick in growing bears garlic, and that is finding a source to purchase it from. If you know where a wild patch grows, harvest seeds from the existing plants and sow then in your yard. This would be easier than finding a nursery or other supplier.

Alpine strawberries

Low growing with small fruit, these plants are great for planting beneath tall flowers or in a front bed in your garden. This variety of berry doesn’t send runners, so your plants will be contained, for the most part. They are also day neutral, so they bear fruit throughout the summer until the first frost. The fruit are compact with a huge flavor. They enjoy full sun, well-drained soil, and well-fertilized soil. Space your plants twelve inches apart. As the plants will eventually make a solid mass, they will need to be broke up and separated every three to four years. Varieties to consider are Alexandria and Mignonette, which bear bright red fruit. Another option is the Yellow Wonder, a lighter-colored variety that doesn’t attract birds as easily.

Cranberries

Cranberries have beautiful green leaves and tart, bright red berries; also, the leaves turn red in fall, making it a great addition to a flowering border. This North American plant produces bright red, tangy berries that can be used for jams, jellies, and juice. Commercial cranberry growers flood the bogs to harvest the berries, but homegrown cranberries do not need all of this water. The key to successfully growing these berries is full sun in mild climates, partial sun in hot climates, and mildly acidic soil. Adding peat moss, sulfur, and compost to your soil will get these plants off to a good start.

Cranberries are hardy in zones three and four, but you may have some die off during cold, snowless winters. Be sure to keep your berry patch free of weeds, well watered, and fertilized in spring to keep them green and producing quality berries. You can keep these berries in the freezer and use them as desired through the winter months.

Creeping Oregon grapes

While this may not be among the favorite of edible ground covers, this sour fruit can be used for making jelly, pies, and homemade wine. This creeping evergreen grows about a foot tall, is hardy in zone five, can tolerate some shade, and makes a nice addition to your yard, even between the trees. It has beautiful yellow flowers in spring, and the blue berries are best harvested after a good frost (as this improves their flavor).

Low bush blueberries

This classic, wild blueberry grows on rocky crags and in open wooded areas. It grows eight to twelve inches tall and is hardy to zone three. They are tough plants and a good addition to partially sunny areas; the key is planting in well-drained, moist, acidic soil.

Unlike other blueberries, this variety has a two-year fruiting cycle. Plants that give fruit this year will have to put on more vegetative growth next year before they will bear fruit again. For this reason, some will mow them down in the fall to encourage new growth. When they are not mowed back, their fruit production will decline. These berries are harder to harvest than the high bush variety, but they have a more intense flavor, making them great for pies, jellies, and sauces. These plants send out underground runners and will fill in their growing area over time.

Herbs

If you need an edible ground cover for high-traffic areas, herbs may be your best choice. Specifically thyme and mint, as they will withstand some foot traffic and still produce flavorful leaves. Creeping, or wooly, thyme grows well between stepping-stones and other rock formations, and the aroma is very inviting. Mint is also refreshing to walk upon, and the Corsician variety grows about half an inch tall, making it a great plant to between your pavers or along your garden path. If you are growing the mint for culinary use too, you will want to use a larger leaved variety, such as English mint. (And a note: mint loves to send out runners. If it is not contained by pavers or a solid border, mint may well migrate into other areas; depending on where you have planted it, this could be a positive or a negative.)

If you are looking for a bright green border plant, try either curly or flat-leaved parsley, as they will contrast well with your colorful flowers and will withstand cold winter weather. And to grow over a wall or for a woodier, low-growing plant, try growing prostrate rosemary. It looks great in containers too.

Closing

Whatever your preference or climate zone, you will be able to find the perfect, edible ground cover for your yard. So choose, plant, harvest, and enjoy. Happy gardening!

Source:  Off the Grid News

ELKMONT BAND CAR SHOW - THIS SATURDAY

The Elkmont High School band is sponsoring an inaugural car show from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Car judging starts at 2 p.m.

The car show will take place on the band practice field and adjoining fields behind the new gym.

Admission for spectators is $2. Children under 10 are admitted free.

Car registration the day of the show is $20.

Vendors and concessions will be available and a 50/50 drawing will be held. Organizers said there would be lots of trophies and money prizes.

Proceeds from the show will benefit the Elkmont Band. Registration forms available at elkmonthigh.org or by contacting Mike Ikard at 256-431-0542 or Curtis Winders at 256-278-5909.CLICK ON PICTURE TO BE ABLE TO PRINT FLYER

ELKMONT FOOTBALL SHIRTS AND CAPS FOR SALE

ELKMONT FOOTBALL T-SHIRTS AND CAPS 

ORDER FORM

                                                   

As a special fundraiser Coach Holt and the Football Team are selling the Flex Fit ball caps  and T-Shirts to family, friends and fans.  The above is how the design will appear. Please return your orders ASAP. Coach Holt would like to have them back to you by the Ardmore Ballgame!!!!


Click on order form for full size printable version:

RED DEVILS WANT TO GET BACK TO GOOD TIMES

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL 2011 PREVIEW: ELKMONT
Seventeeth in a series   
By Michael Cummings

Elkmont High at a Glance:
Head Coach:  Sean Holt (first season as a varsity head coach).
2010 Record: 4-6, 3-4 in Class 3A, Region 8.  Did not make the playoffs.
Overview:  Elkmont started 3-0 in 2010, but the season went downhill from there.  The Red Devils finished 4-6 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006.  With several starters back on both sides of the ball, Holt and the players are hoping to use last year's tough experience as a springboard.

""Expectations have changed at Elkmont High.  Only three years ago, the Red Devils broke ground by hosting the program's first postseason game.  They won, beating J.B. Pennington in the first round of the 2008 Class 3A playoffs.  The following year proved equally fruitful, with an 8-4 record and a first-round home win over Vinemont under then coach Don Jacobs.


A the 2011 season begins under new coach Sean Holt, what once was groundbreaking now feels expected.  And last season's 4-6 record serves as a rallying point.  " We were the first to host a playoff game at Elkmont, and the first to win a playoff game at Elkmont, and a lot of the players on this team were ninth and tenth graders then," said Holt, who lead the middle school team and served as a varsity assistant in his seven previous seasons with the Red Devils.  "They've had success, and they know how hard it is and how hard they have to work.  And the fact is, we expect a lot out of them."


The success continued early in 2010.  Elkmont started 3-0 with wins over Limestone County rival Ardmore and Class 3A, Region 8 foes West Morgan and Rogers.  The season fell apart from there.  Due to their bad decisions, four seniors were expelled and the combination of lowered morale and a thinned roster took its toll.
Injuries mounted as Elkmont lost six of its final seven games, and the Red Devils finished the regular season under .500 for the first time since 2006.


"Our kids showed a lot of character and maturity, but that was tough," Holt said.  "And that's why I think our senior leadership is so strong this year.  They know how hard it's going to be and how hard they have to work."  One of those seniors, offensive guard/linebacker Daniel Logan, said the team is setting its goals high.  He called 2010's 4-6 record a disappointment and said making the playoffs is a necessity.  "We didn't make it last year, and it was a real downer," he said.


Holt, who served as Elkmont's defensive coordinator the last four seasons, will have several familiar faces to work with on defense.  In addition to Logan, senior Cody Martin and sophomore Hugo Hernandez return to the linebacker corps.  Logan and Martin each recorded more than 140 tackles in 2010.  Senior defensive ends Logan Murphy and Sloan Hawkins return to their starting jobs while Skyler Gant and Cole Glass reprise their roles in the secondary.


On offense, senior quarterback Hayden Huseth returns to run Elkmont's no-huddle offense.  He'll have familiar weapons in Gant, a running back and Glass, an 2009 all-state receiver.  Logan and Jake Marshall return to anchor the line.  Elkmont will have to replace the production of two-way lineman Josh Miller, but Holt said he expects contributions from  senior receiver/cornerback Austin McNatt and junior tight ends Bryant Wells and Ben Ferguson.


"We're older than we were last year," said Holt.  "We've got a lot of seniors, so I think we're going to be OK.  Time will tell this season."  Elkmont will again compete in Region 8 with West Morgan, Rogers, Lauderdale County, Sheffield, Danville, Colbert county and Clements.  The Red Devils open the season Friday at home against Ardmore.""


Source:  Decatur Daily

2011 VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE

PICK UP A DECATUR DAILY TODAY

The Elkmont Football team is the featured team today.

HERMAN E. THOMASON - OBITUARY

Dr. Herman E. Thomason, 85, of Madison passed away Thursday, Aug. 28, 2011. He was born Oct. 24, 1925.

Dr. Thomason was a veteran of the Merchant Marines, and the United States Army and Air Force.  He served in World War II with the Army and the Korean conflict with the Air Force. Dr. Thomason was a recipient of the Purple Heart for injuries sustained in World War II.

He received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech, a master’s degree in electrical engineering from UCLA and a Ph.D. from the University of Alabama.

He joined the Wernher von Braun team at NASA in 1957, where he worked on the Saturn V, Skylab and shuttle programs. He retired from NASA as deputy director of Science and Engineering.

After his retirement from NASA, Dr. Thomason served as executive vice president at Intergraph. Following retirement from Intergraph, he joined the team at John Blue Realty.

Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Donna Jo Thomason; daughter, Christie Swanner and husband Joey; son, Pat Thomason and wife Sheryl; grandchildren, Ashley Houston, Melinda Thomason, Patrick Thomason, Emily Thomason, Joseph Mitchell and Joel Swanner.

Visitation will be from 4-6 p.m. Sunday at Laughlin Service Funeral Home. The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Monday in the chapel with the Rev. Dr. Guy E. McCombs officiating. Burial will be in Huntsville Memory  Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Christian Church, 3209 Whitesburg Drive, Huntsville, AL 35802, where he was a longstanding member.

FIVE ELKMONT PLAYERS MAKE THE 2011 ALL COUNTY SOFTBALL TEAM

The Limestone County softball coaches released the 2011 All-County softball team Saturday.  All together, 27 girls received the honor with each school in Limestone County being represented.

Making the first team were: 


ARDMORE:  
Brittany Brown, Callie Bryant, Kelsey Gilbert,  Allison Hodges, ; Kelsey Turner,  Callie Steadman


CLEMENTS: Summer Kirk; Hannah Hebbe, 


EAST LIMESTONE:  Katie Webster,  Carly Rhodes,  Chyanne Brown,  


ELKMONT: Tiffany Adams,  Megan Honea,  Courtney Phillips,  Layne Smith,   Anna Grace Usery, 


WEST LIMESTONE:  Hannah Dildine,  Paige Browning,  Biranda Lauderdale, Abigale Gilbert,

Honorable mention selections were, Danielle Murphy, Clements; Marissa Barnes, Clements; Sydney Holder, East Limestone; Kasie Suttles, East Limestone; Stephanie Hogan, Elkmont; Brittney Bright, Tanner and Katie Bloodworth, Tanner


Source:  Athens News Courier

TIME TO TRAIN IF YOU WANT TO RUN IN THE RAILS TO TRAILS RUN, SEPTEMBER 24

Elkmont Lions Club Rails to Trails 10 K Race and Fun Run:

September 24 - Saturday 8AM

Rails to trails 10K

Elkmont, AL

for more information:  

*Whitney Hollingsworth,cactus2@charter.net

*Elkmont Lions Club Website

This is a Certified 10k run, it starts in the quiet little town of Elkmont just 4 mile off I65 exit 361, proceeds north on Veto Rd and turns west 3 miles out of town and turns south on the old L&N Railroad. The tracks are on longer there but in its place a beautiful and historic trail lined with flowers and some wildlife, then ends back in the town. This has been called one of the prettiest runs that they have been on by many of our runners. All money raised from this run goes to provide eye exams and glasses for students at Elkmont High School and help provide a senior with a $1000.00 scholarship each year. There is a 15.00 entrance fee for runners and all runners receive a tee shirt.

Click on graphic to print out application:


ONE RUNNER'S EXPERIENCE 


MAP OF ROUTE:

2010 Results: http://northalabamarunner.blogspot.com/2010/09/elkmont-lions-club-rails-to-trails-10k.html

2008 Results: http://northalabamarunner.blogspot.com