The Foothills JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 CONNECTION
A SWEET RETREAT Ina B’s Inn welcomes guests to Oil Springs
ROMANTIC RENDEZVOUS RISE AND SHINE A vacation destination for The magic of baking Valentine’s Day biscuits from scratch INDUSTRY NEWS
Rural Connections
BY SHIRLEY BLOOMFIELD, CEO NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association Promoting rural entrepreneurship Stream on! More than half of U.S. homes use streaming ntrepreneurs, those brave indi- viduals willing to take a chance on for never-ending entertainment an idea to start a business, are an Eimportant part of any thriving economy. We’ve seen rural entrepreneurship in particular become a key to sparking development in downtowns and invigo- rating communities. egardless of location, high-speed WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT IT? Indeed, attitudes are changing about internet brings endless entertain- Variety: Whether you’re looking for where someone can be an entrepreneur. ment options. More so than ever reruns of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” When people think of startups, they Rbefore, viewers have options for high- or original streaming-only content like often envision cities like New York, quality programming through streaming Netflix’s “Stranger Things” and Amazon Austin or San Francisco. Big cities are no devices and services. Prime’s “All or Nothing,” it’s all online. longer the only locations where start- Streaming is an entertaining addition Simplicity: Streaming devices and ups can thrive thanks to low costs, an to traditional television services. Nearly streaming services are simple to set up eager workforce and the availability of 60 percent of U.S. TV homes have at least and require little to no technical know- broadband. one internet-enabled device capable of ledge. Networks like the one your local telco streaming to a TV set, according to a Affordability: Streaming devices like has built provide a critical link for new recent survey by The Nielsen Company. AppleTVs are typically less than $180, and existing businesses. Through the while some Roku models are about $40. power of broadband, any rural area is HOW POPULAR ARE STREAMING Streaming services like Netflix and Hulu a possible hotbed for entrepreneurial DEVICES? are about $10 per month or more. activity. Since June 2016, streaming devices New rural businesses can connect with have grown by 12 percent. STREAMING DEVICE EXAMPLES: suppliers, customers and peers in ways Apple TV, Google Chromecast, that were impossible just a few years ago. WHAT IS A STREAMING DEVICE/ Amazon Fire TV, Roku, a video game Robust fiber optic networks allow for STREAMING SERVICE? console or smart TV. companies to hire remote workers, share A streaming device is a gadget that STREAMING SERVICE EXAMPLES: big files with designers or engineers, and uses the internet and allows viewers to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, hold virtual meetings through videocon- connect to content online. A streaming YouTube and HBO Now. ferences. service is a downloadable app that lets Being an entrepreneur is not for every- users watch content online. 69.5 MILLION U.S. TV homes have at one. It takes patience, drive and energy, a least one internet-enabled stream- positive attitude, and a high tolerance for WHY DOES IT MATTER? ing device. risk. But I’m glad that today when those While traditional TV services are 39 MILLION U.S. TV homes have an type of people look at rural America, still crucial, at the touch of a button, internet-enabled game console. they now see opportunities thanks to streaming offers limitless entertainment. 6.5 MILLION U.S. homes have a hardworking NTCA members like your Streaming allows viewers to watch what- streaming device, game console and local telco. ever content they choose, when and how smart TV. they want. Source: The Nielsen Company
2 | January/February 2018 More Americans are getting their news to go
BY DREW WOOLLEY
n today’s world, everyone is connected all the time. That’s changed the way we communicate, WATCH OUT FOR FAKE NEWS shop and even get our news. A recent report Ifrom the Pew Research Center took a closer look at how people’s news habits are changing and the sur- One of the biggest drawbacks of online news is that prising groups driving the growth of mobile news. it can be difficult to tell which sources are reliable and which are not. Since the FBI announced Russia’s Online news is closing the gap with TV. Today, 43 percent of efforts to spread false stories during the 2016 Americans get their news online, just 7 percent fewer than those election, it’s more important than ever to protect who say they get it on TV. That’s less than half of the 19-point gap yourself against unreliable information. that existed in 2016, meaning the internet could soon become most people’s primary news source. »» Start with the facts. News on mobile is still growing. In 2017, 45 percent of adults in the A recent Buzzfeed analysis of CNN, ABC News and Politico U.S. regularly got news from a mobile device, a 9 percent increase found the vast majority of the news outlets’ reporting to be from 2016 and more than double the percentage in 2013. And while truthful. Subscribing to a reputable newspaper or magazine many of those people also turn to a desktop or a laptop computer for can be a good first step to inoculating yourself against fake news, nearly two-thirds prefer a mobile device. news.
Mobile news growth is being driven by older adults. About 85 »» Step outside your bubble. percent of adults get news from a mobile device, an increase of 13 People tend to consume media inside echo chambers that percent from 2016. That increase is mostly made up of those 65 and confirm their beliefs. Whether it’s a group of friends or your older whose mobile news consumption jumped 24 points to 67 per- social media feed, take some time to break out of your cent in 2017. For those aged 50 to 65, 79 percent of people get news normal news habits and challenge your views. from a mobile device, about twice as many as in 2013. »» Think like a fact-checker. The best way to get to the bottom of any subject is to dig Two-thirds of the country gets news from social media. A small deep. Read as many sources as you can and check sites like increase in the overall consumption of news on social media from Snopes or Politifact that specialize in verifying popular news 2016 to 2017 was spurred by a significant uptick among people 50 stories. and older. Now, more than half of Americans older than 50 get news on social media.
January/February 2018 | 3 FROM THE CEO The Foothills CONNECTION TV networks won’t stop JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 VOL. 5, NO. 1 The Foothills Connection is a bimonthly newsletter published by Foothills increasing their fees Communications, ©2018. It is distributed without charge to all customers of the company. magine you run a delivery company and you charge $100 to bring goods to a business in our region. Then, consider how a new toll booth would affect your business. I You already spend much of your $100 on gas, wages for your driver and maintenance for the truck. Imagine how it would affect your operation if a new toll booth charging $10 each way opened up directly on the route. Suddenly, instead of $100 to cover wages, fuel and maintenance, Foothills is a member-owned cooperative you now only have $80. A delivery company that spends more to that has been serving residents and businesses in eastern Kentucky since deliver something than it charges is not going to be in business very 1951. In the early days, we only offered long. You would have to charge customers more to cover the new telephone service over copper wires. Over costs. the years, we have expanded our network RUTH CONLEY This is the situation small rural telcos like Foothills find ourselves and now provide broadband Internet Chief Executive Officer in when it comes to the rates we have to pay television networks to and cable TV services over fiber-optic provide their programming. facilities to much of our service area. Our You see, if you are one of our many TV subscribers, Foothills has service area includes Magoffin County to pay a fee for virtually every channel in your TV package (except the shopping channels). and portions of Johnson County and While sports channels are by far the most expensive, even the less popular channels charge from Lawrence County. We love being part of a few nickels to a few dollars per subscriber to carry their programming. Some of the more the communities we serve; our customers expensive channels can be up to $8 per subscriber. If you multiply those fees by every channel are our families, friends and neighbors. in your package, you can see what we’re up against. Almost all of your monthly television bill goes directly to those networks. The days of commercial breaks covering the networks’ financial demands are long over. Foothills Communications This hasn’t always been the case. Only a few years ago, local channels did not require a fee P.O. Box 240 for Foothills to retransmit their programming. Now, however, not only are they requiring us to 1621 Kentucky Route 40 West pay a fee, but they are also increasing that fee every year or two. This year, for instance, many Staffordsville, KY 41256 www.foothills.net local stations are doubling the fees TV providers like Foothills have to pay for each television 606-297-3501 subscriber. In addition to fees, many popular cable channels require that providers carry — and pay for — less popular channels owned by their corporate parent companies. Foothills Mission Statement Like the delivery business in my story above, these new “tolls” keep popping up and have greatly affected what we have to charge for television service. Now, your first thought might be “To provide the latest in to have the driver go a different route in order to avoid the new toll, but in the analogy I’m mak- communications at affordable ing with Foothills and TV networks, there’s only one route to deliver the goods our customers prices with exceptional service.” want. Certain programming is only available on certain networks, and we have to carry that network to provide what our customers expect. This is why — despite the pretense of having negotiations — TV networks with the Produced for Foothills Communications by: unchecked power to charge whatever they want creates an unfair fight for Foothills and other small rural telcos working on behalf of our members. We know you are counting on us to deliver quality television programming at an afford- able price. Our staff works every day to control our overhead expense and to be as efficient as possible in everything we do. I hope this metaphor of the delivery company and the increasing On the Cover: toll road helps you understand why Foothills may be forced to raise the rates or fees we charge Dianna Rice and her members for television service. As your trusted local telco, we were able to absorb the cost of family converted the the first few retransmission rate increases. However, the board and I are charged with ensuring house of their late the long-term continued financial viability of the cooperative, and with that in mind we have to mother, Ina B, into a pass these costs along to our subscribers. rental property in Oil We appreciate the opportunity to be your trusted provider for broadband, video and phone Springs, Kentucky. service today — and well into the future. See story Page 13.
4 | January/February 2018 Leaving her legacy Holbrook retires after more than 41 years
rom ledgers and printing plates to letters, which went in a metal tray and into automatic billing and a fiber network, drawers. When we printed the addresses on Linda Holbrook has experienced it the bills, you took out a tray and put it in Fall in her more than 41 years at Foothills the trough that came down, and it printed Communications. Upon her retirement on the bill.” Feb. 1, she is looking forward to spending She then had to match the bill and toll more time with her family and being there to the ledger, which contained a customer’s for her 11-year-old granddaughter as she entire billing history. In fact, the ledger was grows up. the only place you could find a customer’s Holbrook was hired as a customer service billing history. representative at the front desk for Foothills She says that her favorite part of the job in 1976. From there, she moved into billing, is her “work family.” Her longest-standing where she stayed throughout her career. co-worker, Vivian Tackett, started just one granddaughter, she is going to miss work- She remembers that in the ’80s, just year after her and retired in 2011. They ing at Foothills Communications. “I’ve changing a billing address was time- spent 17 years hand-stuffing envelopes always liked what I do,” she says. “It’s the consuming. “We had the little metal plates together. people you work with and the work you do. that had to be stamped out with stamp While Holbrook is excited about retire- I have the best of both worlds. I’ve been machines,” she says. “You had to search out ment and spending more time with her blessed beyond belief.” Activate for FREE UPGRADE NOW! during January and February
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Foothills Communications January/February 2018 | 5 TRAVEL
A getaway to
The Main Inn at Beaumont Inn was built in 1845 and offers the perfect ambiance for a ROMANCE night of romance. Photo courtesy of Beaumont Inn.. of Beaumont courtesy Photo
omance can happen Beaumont Inn wherever you are. 638 Beaumont Inn Drive, Harrodsburg, Kentucky Named one of the South’s most charming inns, Beaumont, in the heart of horse But add a wonder- country, has drawn couples from around the region for 99 years. Harrodsburg, the Rful dinner and beautiful oldest town in Kentucky, offers history and charm. The inn follows suit, adding all the modern amenities you would expect, including comfortable linens, free Wi-Fi surroundings, and you’ve and cable TV in the 31 guest rooms and the suites located in Beaumont’s three upped the ante. Here are buildings — Goddard Hall, circa 1935; Greystone House, circa 1931; and the Main Inn, some suggestions for hotels, circa 1845. Breakfast is included in your stay and is served every morning. inns, lodges and resorts that gg Where to eat: The inn features two dining options. The Main Dining Room know what it takes to cre- received the prestigious America’s Classic Award from the James Beard Foun- dation in 2015 and serves classic dishes, including corn pudding, country ham ate a memorable getaway, and fried chicken. The Owls Nest Lounge serves wines and cocktails, along with whether it’s a Valentine’s appetizers and entrees. In town, step back in time for a burger or pot roast at Kentucky Fudge Company, 25 S. Main St. Or if you’re looking for a taste of Mexico, retreat or simply some reasonable prices and killer enchiladas, try La Fonda, 121 S. Main St. much-needed time away to gg Rates and reservations: $120-$196, weeknights; $133-$208, weekends. Contact 859-734-3381 or beaumontinn.com recharge.
6 | January/February 2018 Mountains. Cabins and cottages are most romantic inns by Travel and Leisure. equipped with wood-burning fireplaces Choose a guest room in the inn or a and kitchens stocked with fruits and private cottage, several of which are other treats. Many have hot tubs, too. pet-friendly and all of which offer views And all offer great porches with rocking of the surrounding pasture or mountains. chairs where you can relax and view the All accommodations have whirlpool tubs wooded hillside and other surroundings. or hot tubs. If weather permits, ask the front desk gg Where to eat: Breakfast is included to deliver a gourmet picnic basket, and in your stay at Red Horse. In nearby then find a quiet spot in the Smokies to Saluda, North Carolina, The Purple relax with that special someone. Onion, 16 E. Main St., offers live blue- gg Where to eat: You don’t have to leave grass on Thursdays and Saturdays and the property to find one of the best Mediterranean-inspired pizzas, seafood restaurants in the area, Dancing Bear and pastas nightly. Appalachian Bistro. Executive chef gg Rates and reservations: $175-$325 per Shelley Cooper brings gourmet dining night, depending on accommodations. to the mountains, with farm-to-table Contact 864-909-1575 or specialties such as cast-iron beef ten- www.theredhorseinn.com. derloin with loaded potato casserole, Overlook Pavilion at Gorham’s Bluff is a seasonal vegetables, wild mushrooms Stag Leap Country Cabins beautiful place to say “I do” or renew your and house-made steak sauce. Reserva- 2219 FM 2782, Nacogdoches, Texas vows with the one you love. tions are strongly suggested during Nestled deep into the woods of East popular times, such as Valentine’s Day. Texas, Stag Leap is the ideal secluded Gorham’s Bluff The resort’s Apple Valley Cafe offers place for a romantic getaway. There are A getaway to 100 Gorham Drive, Pisgah, Alabama casual dining, breakfast through din- seven cabins, ranging in size from one Choose a room with a fireplace, ner. In nearby Maryville, restaurants bedroom to three. All cabins have full antique furnishings and other beauti- run the gamut from fast food to white kitchens and charcoal grills, so you can ful trappings or a private cottage that tablecloth. bring your own food or dine in Nacogdo- offers all the amenities of home without ggRates and reservations: $160-$300 per ches just 2 miles away. Cabins also have all the distractions. Gather family on night. Contact 800-369-0111 or wireless internet and satellite televi- ROMANCE the bluff and say your vows for the first www.dancingbearlodge.com. sion. For some fresh air, step outside time, or renew your vows in the wedding and enjoy the 200 acres of woodlands pavilion overlooking the Tennessee River Red Horse Inn and waterways right outside your door. from atop Sand Mountain. Gorham’s 45 Winstons Chase Court, Landrum, South Most cabins have whirlpool tubs, inside Bluff is the go-to place in the mountains Carolina or out, and gas or electric log fireplaces of North Alabama to experience luxury, Plan your escape to Red Horse Inn in for romantic ambiance. Also, a private, privacy and romance. the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. centrally located hot tub for six, or just gg Where to eat: Most meals are served The inn was chosen as one of America’s the two of you, may be reserved. in The Lodge at Gorham’s Bluff. Break- gg Where to eat: Creekside Cafe at Pine fast is made to order, box lunches can Creek Lodge, 341 Pine Creek Road, be delivered to your room, and three- is next door to Stag Leap and offers or four-course dinners by candlelight gourmet dining in a casual atmo- are offered each evening. sphere. Try the rabbit Dijonnaise or gg Rates and reservations: 256-451-8439 grilled rib-eye. And it’s said that the or gorhamsbluff.com/the-lodge. Suites catfish at Clear Springs Restaurant, begin at $155 per night. 211 Old Tyler Road, is the best on the planet. Dancing Bear Lodge gg Rates and reservations: $140-$195 7140 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, per night (cash discounts offered). Townsend, Tennessee Contact www.stagleap.com or 936- You’d be hard-pressed to find a more 560-0766. scenic, romantic getaway in Tennessee The Red Horse Inn was named one of America’s than Dancing Bear near the Great Smoky most romantic inns by Travel and Leisure. Photo courtesy of Red Horse Inn. of Red Horse courtesy Photo
January/February 2018 | 7 Buck
Autumn, daughter of Foothills Service Manager Clayton Brown, Fever shows off an 8-point Foothills employees share love buck she killed while of hunting with their kids hunting with her father.
BY DREW WOOLLEY
hen Foothills Service Manager Clayton Brown takes his daughter, Autumn, hunting, she usually brings her phone along to text with friends. Some outdoorsmen might think Wthat means she’s less engaged, but Brown can’t object since she outdid him last year. “She’s killed several big deer because was one of the most exciting hunts I’ve his first turkey last spring, and he plans to she’s more patient than I am, so she gets a ever been on.” take Gunner, his youngest, out for the first little luckier sometimes,” Brown says. time this year. Looking back on his own Last deer season, the two of them were A CLEAN SHOT childhood, Cornwell is a strong believer sharing the same stand when they heard Those hunting trips give Brown and his that hunting kept him away from drugs the sounds of a couple of bucks fight- daughter some important time together and other trouble he might have gotten ing. A few minutes later, an 8-point buck each season. Each year, they look forward into with friends. came into view. Thinking this might be his to making plans for the trip, picking out “On the weekend, I couldn’t wait to get daughter’s only day to hunt with her busy their spot and setting up feeders and cam- out there,” he says. “Everyone would be schedule, Brown urged her to take the eras in hopes that the big one will pass. wanting to go here or there and I’d just say, shot. But she had other ideas. For Lineman Cody Cornwell, it’s also ‘No, I’m going hunting.’” “I said, ‘You probably won’t get a bigger an opportunity to instill in his sons the In addition to virtues like patience, one,’ and she said, ‘If I don’t kill one, that’s valuable lessons he learned hunting as a Cornwell wants to teach his boys to be alright,’” Brown says. young man. In his household, hunting is a ethical hunters. He has already taught Sure enough, 20 minutes later, a lifestyle he’s proud to share with his family. his oldest son the importance of only 13-point buck came within about 50 “I grew up doing it. I love eating wild killing an animal he plans to eat, and he yards of their position, giving Autumn the game and living off the land, and my wife has instilled in his sons a respect for gun opportunity she’d been waiting for. For and kids all love it,” he says. “Just being safety. Brown, the moment was just as exciting; it out there is peaceful. You get to see a lot But while he’s teaching his sons to shoot was as if he’d taken the shot himself. of things that people in everyday life don’t using a gun, and still hunts turkeys that “I was shaking so bad I’m surprised she get to see. I love waking up to the sunrise way, these days Cornwell prefers the chal- could even make the shot from that stand,” and then leaving the woods at dark.” lenge of bowhunting. In fact, every deer he says. “I was all torn up when it came Cornwell hopes to raise his boys the he’s killed in 18 years of hunting has been around, but she still took a good shot. It same way. His oldest son, Rylan, killed with a bow.
8 | January/February 2018 Foothills Communications Cody Cornwell and his son, Rylan, carry back the turkey Rylan killed during a hunting trip last spring.
Clayton Brown, and his daughter Autumn enjoy preparing for hunting season together by picking Cody Cornwell prefers the challenge of out spots and setting bowhunting over using a gun. Every deer up feeders and he has killed has been with a bow. cameras.
His favorite trophy is a buck that lived for more than six years on public land. Now, my kids are the future of Knowing the buck had outsmarted his share of hunters to survive that long, “ it. I like to see it passed down Cornwell counted himself fortunate to be able to take him down with a bow. “It’s more of a challenge. If you’re a through my family. Hopefully my good shot, anybody could shoot and kill a deer at 100 yards,” he says. “It takes skill kids will teach their kids.” to get set up and get a deer, especially a big buck, to come right beside you within 20 yards to be in range for a bow. It’s more -Foothills Lineman Cody Cornwell says of hunting rewarding to me.”
HUNTING A LEGACY hunting — everyone just getting together.” son killed his first turkey last year, it was This year, Cornwell is branching out by Even so, Brown and Cornwell agree that with a gun his grandfather had loaned to taking part in a big hunting trip with four their favorite hunts have been with their him with the promise that he could keep of his friends. The five of them will head kids. In particular, Cornwell enjoys being it if they had a successful hunt. It was the to Wyoming this fall to hunt antelope, a able to watch the tradition take hold in his same gun Cornwell himself learned on first for Cornwell. family, even though his father had to teach almost two decades before. For Brown, those gatherings are among himself. “It brings a tear to your eye just think- the highlights of hunting and one of the “When my dad started, none of his ing of those memories,” he says. “I thought aspects that attracted him to being an family hunted — mom, dad or grandpa,” about me sitting in the tree with my dad outdoorsman over sports as a child. Over Cornwell says. “So he taught himself, and when I killed my first turkey while I was the years, he has collected many fond then he passed it on to me. Now, my kids looking at my son holding the same gun in memories of setting up camp and sitting are the future of it. I’d like to see it passed almost the same tree. I’d give every hunt of by the fire with friends. down through my family. Hopefully, my my life to have that one again.” “Usually it’s storytelling time,” he says. kids will teach their kids.” “Maybe we cook some steaks and kick Cornwell has even been able to see that back. That’s probably as much fun as the spark turn to flame in person. When his
Foothills Communications January/February 2018 | 9 Spend
smart You can snap a picture of a printed offer and the app will capture the pertinent information so that you can use it at your favorite retailer. It also allows you to share coupons with your friends or find coupons other users have digitized. in 2018 Many retailers — including Target, Hobby Lobby, Michaels and Walgreens — also have their own apps that offer coupons.
Your guide to the latest ‘TEXTING CLUBS’ Hundreds of companies participate, so odds are that your apps for coupon clipping favorite retailer, convenience store or chain restaurant is ready to send you coupons or deal alerts through a text. Simply check BY LUIS CARRASCO their website or ask a representative the next time you visit. Standard texting rates apply, though, so be careful of signing up f one of your New Year’s resolutions is to finally for too many if you don’t have unlimited texting. start clipping coupons, or to just be smarter with Here are two to get you started: text SUB to 782929 for deals your shopping budget, don’t even bother taking at Subway; text JOIN to 527365 for discounts at JC Penney. Any Iout the scissors — take out your smartphone instead. service you sign up for may be canceled anytime by texting the Whether you like flipping through digital sales circu- word STOP. lars or getting cash back on your purchases, the path MONEY BACK to savings has never been smoother. Both Ibotta and Ebates give you cash back for shopping, but Here’s a quick look at some of the services and they each take a different approach. When you shop through apps available. All apps are compatible with iOS and the Ebates website or app, the company receives a commission Android devices. from the retailer and you get a part of that money, which you can then receive through a check or PayPal. COUPONS With Ibotta, you can either find cash-back rebates before Flipp allows you to browse through weekly sales ads from you shop or check the app after you come back from the store. your favorite retailers — including Home Depot, Toys R Us and Either way, you watch a brief commercial or answer a survey Walmart — or just search to see if an item you want is on sale. and then take a photo of your receipt. The app recognizes the You can also make a shopping list and the app will point you to products on sale and deposits the money into your account, any existing deals. It also notifies you about expiring coupons which you can then receive through PayPal, Venmo or a gift and nearby discounts. card. If you still enjoy searching for bargains in the newspaper, the Whichever app or service you choose, enjoy being a savvy SnipSnap coupon app lets your phone’s camera do the clipping. shopper in 2018!
10 | January/February 2018 TECHNOLOGY IN THE GOLDEN YEARS Learning the language of tech Enjoy a translator for today’s essential tools
hen people ask and I will introduce you to because they are raised in and so much knowledge that me what I do for a some of my favorite gadgets France is not smarter than many of us will never know or living, one of my that you might find helpful. someone who cannot speak understand. However, I want Wfavorite responses is that I am In the meantime, here are French. We all have knowl- you to have the same opportu- a translator. I translate between some tips to get you started edge, and kids today have nities to learn how to go online the technicians who build our on using technology in your a better understanding of safely and enjoy using technol- networks, fix our computers, golden years. technology because it is part ogy. There are things out there and sell us the latest in tech- gg Remember, it is not your of their everyday lives. that can help keep you safe and nology and those people who fault that you struggle to gg Start by picking technology make your life a little easier. I do not consider themselves understand the language that allows you to do what am looking forward to intro- “techie.” I think learning how of technology. The lingo is you love. If you enjoy playing ducing you to some of these to use technology is very much not your native language, cards or games, choose a things and teaching you about like learning a new language, and it takes time to learn it. tablet that allows you to play the language of technology. so having a translator is always However, it is up to you to games. If you love creating helpful. take the opportunity to learn crafts, sign up for sites such CARISSA In 2018, my plan is for this whenever you can. as Pinterest to look up ideas SWENSON column to be your transla- gg Ask questions. You may think for woodworking, quilting or IS A TRAINING tor, helping you gain a better your question is trivial, but scrapbooking. AND EDUCATION understanding of everyday you will never learn if you I have so much respect for CONSULTANT FOR CONSORTIA technology. I will cover some don’t ask. We all know that those of you in your golden CONSULTING. basic things you need to know, a child who speaks French years. You have so many skills
Do you want to learn the basics on how to use your smartphone or computer? Are you interested in signing up for a Facebook or Pinterest account? Check out www.gcflearnfree.com for free tutorials on how to do all this and more.
January/February 2018 | 11 Matthew Bailey, network operations manager, says the Find Me service can help busy families keep Getting in touch. the most out of your landline Foothills’ Find Me Service makes life easier BY JEN CALHOUN
n an increasingly mobile need and want, but they might not be world, landline phones aware it’s out there,” Bailey says. With Find Me, calls can be routed to offer users a peace of mind other numbers, like a spouse’s cellphone, Ithat cellphones simply can’t a work phone, or another family member match. Some like using them or friend’s phone. If there’s an important delivery or a repairman coming to the for their reliability during out- house, all numbers will be notified at ages and emergencies, while once. Or, the service can call one number others prefer them for their after the other until it reaches someone. superior sound and voice clar- LANDLINES: YEP, STILL RELEVANT ity. In 2004, more than 90 percent of You can’t take landline phones with households in the U.S. had an opera- Find Me service: you, however. That’s why Foothills Com- tional landline phone, according to the All pros, no cons munications offers the Find Me Service, Centers for Disease Control and Preven- a phone service that bridges the gap tion in its biannual National Health If you hate giving out your cellphone between the dependability of a landline Interview Survey. Today, that number is number but tend to forget your landline and the portability of a cellphone. well below 50 percent, the CDC says. exists, let Foothills’ Find Me Service work But having a landline is more of a for you. The system works by routing ONE NUMBER KEEPS IT SIMPLE benefit than a burden, Bailey says. Most calls through your landline phone num- With Find Me, a Foothills residential people have experienced a cellphone ber to your cellphone, so you never miss customer can set up their home phone snag at some point. Batteries die. Signals an important call.Here are a few of the service to deliver calls to their cellphone, fail. And storms can affect cell towers benefits: work phone or any other number they and service. But landline service is a reli- want without having to share another able alternative, especially for 911 calls or • Keep your cell number private with- number. getting in touch with family members in out missing calls. Matthew Bailey, network operations case of a disaster. • Compatible with Foothills’ voicemail manager at Foothills, says the Find Me For an additional $3 per month, resi- service. service has been in place for some time. dential customers with landline service The cooperative wants to raise awareness can add Find Me service to help manage • Only $3 per month. of the service so members can benefit. “I and organize their daily lives with the • Simple setup via web portal at think it’s one of those things that people reliability of a landline. myphone.foothills.net.
12 | January/February 2018 Foothills Communications The Pyles family aspire to make visitors feel like they are at home when visiting Ina B’s.
Ina B’s Inn Local family finds happy medium through online hospitality service
BY JEN CALHOUN
erle and Ina Blaine Pyles loved always known. They wanted visitors to the through Airbnb, taking inspiration from to bring guests into their home area to have a place that felt like home, too. Natasha, who rents a spare bedroom in her in Oil Springs for a big meal and “We are a very close family,” Natasha own home on the web-based service. She Ma homey chat. Whether they were inviting says of the group, which includes 11 previously used the home-rental services Merle’s auto body students or welcoming grandchildren and numerous great- in her own travels, and she liked the idea of family, the couple made sure their guests grandchildren. “We lost my grandmother meeting new people. left happy. unexpectedly last September, so this has So far, Natasha has hosted several Airbnb After they died, their five children and been a comfort to us. We cleared the house clients in her home and in her grandpar- multiple grandchildren continued that in the spring and redecorated. It’s a little bit ents’ home. A few came from Texas for a tradition by renting the house through more comforting to have a different look family reunion, and another, an architec- Airbnb, an online home rental service that inside the house.” tural photographer from Oregon, as well as lets homeowners become hoteliers, of a Visitors can receive the luxury of a home an author from Oregon. Others came for sort. consisting of two bedrooms. One bedroom the Kentucky Apple Festival. “We think Mamaw and Papaw would offers a king-sized bed, and the other has a The family hopes to continue bringing be happy to still be hosting people, even queen-size bed and a twin bed. The space people to the home. “Our family dreams though they’re gone,” says the couple’s includes a bathroom, a kitchen, pool table, of seeing the inn progress into something granddaughter, Natasha Pyles, who serves coffee bar, board games, books and a relax- from which everyone can benefit, whether as the rental manager of the home they ing front porch. The home is off Route 40, it is hosting one person or a group of now call Ina B’s Inn. so it’s easy to reach for newcomers to the people,” Natasha says. area. The family has plans for future events A FAMILY DECISION “It’s in a country-like setting, so it’s they hope will bring in a variety of visitors. Her four aunts — Gail Harmon, Deb- relaxing,” Natasha says. “We’re surrounded “My dad, aunts, cousins and myself all bie Wright, Bobbi Branham and Dianna by hills, and we’re only about six miles have a voice in the inn, to the ultimate Rice — and her father, Odell Pyles, made from Paintsville Lake.” benefit of the those we host,” she says. “We the decision as a way to hold on to the each voice our ideas in order to offer the home they grew up in while making sure it WELCOMING GUESTS very best to all our visitors.”” continued to be the warm homestead they’d The family decided to offer the home
Looking for a sweet retreat in Oil Springs? Ina B’s Inn is a country home retreat in the foothills just off Route 40 and about six miles from Paintsville Lake. You can rent it by going to Airbnb.com and searching for Oil Springs or Paintsville. The home features two bedrooms and one bathroom. You can rent the entire home for $135, or rent a single room in the home for $90. The kitchen is fully equipped, and extra parking space is available for boats and ATVs. You can also check out the Ina B’s Inn Facebook page for information on special events, promotions or to contact the manager.
Foothills Communications January/February 2018 | 13 SOUTHERN KITCHENS The Secret to perfect BISCUITS
ike a magician in with butter and jam, others are her lab or an art- made into the giant Cinnabarn cinnamon rolls — a house ist in her studio, favorite — crispy fried fruit LPhyllis Cabe stands in pies, crusts for chicken pot pie and other creations. Phyllis Cabe makes her kitchen at The Big 400 to 500 biscuits First and foremost, Cabe daily at The Big Biscuit Barn, where stresses the importance of not Biscuit Barn in Ft. she takes basic biscuit overworking the dough when Oglethorpe, Georgia. dough and turns it into making biscuits. Don’t knead it, she says. delicious masterpieces “Pick the dough up and lay A Biscuit Primer of culinary genius. it over itself six or seven times, Phyllis Cabe, owner Cabe opened her restau- incorporating layers in the of The Big Biscuit rant right outside one of dough, working in a little more Barn, teaches the North Georgia’s most his- flour if the dough feels too basics of biscuit toric towns, Fort Oglethorpe, wet,” she says. “This helps to locally known as the gateway create a fluffier biscuit.” making in classes to Chickamauga and Chatta- Before cutting the dough, let at her restaurant. nooga National Military Park. it proof for about 15 minutes. Winter classes are Because of its location, visitors Once the biscuits are cut and Jan. 13 and Feb. 10. from across the globe hap- on the baking sheet, let them Groups are wel- pen upon this eatery known proof again for another 15 come. For reser- for serving the biggest, best minutes. This, Cabe says, is her vations or more biscuits in town. secret to making good biscuits, information, call “I also have a solid group of and something she discovered 706-861-0000. regulars — people who come by accident. here every day, and some who “Nobody does that,” she says. eat here twice a day,” she says. “And recipes won’t tell you to. don’t need to spend a lot of The Big Biscuit Barn They come for eggs, sausage But I’ve thought this through money on fancy biscuit cut- Where: 1391 Lafayette Road, and biscuits with gravy for a million times, and it makes a ters. Cabe uses a pineapple Rossville, Georgia breakfast. Then, they return difference.” can that’s been cut in half. for fried chicken with garlic- Here are more tips for mak- • Your rolling pin is not a Phone: 706-861-0000 cheese biscuits for lunch, ing biscuits the way it’s done at bulldozer. Very lightly roll Hours: 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday- among other menu offerings. The Big Biscuit Barn: out the dough, sprinkle it Friday, 6 a.m.-noon Saturday Suffice it to say, Cabe knows • If you don’t have White Lily with flour and continue roll- a thing or two about making flour, go get some. Cabe ing lightly to your desired biscuits, an art she learned at swears by it. thickness. FOOD EDITOR her mama’s apron strings and • When using a biscuit cutter, • For tall biscuits with a crispy ANNE P. BRALY IS A NATIVE OF then further developed before go straight down through edge, place a biscuit on the CHATTANOOGA, opening The Big Biscuit Barn the dough without twist- baking sheet so that one side TENNESSEE. in 2007. Now, she makes 400- ing the cutter. “The less you lightly touches the biscuit 500 biscuits daily. While some mess with it, the prettier the next to it. Allow about an are served alongside entrees biscuit,” Cabe says. And you inch of space between rows.
14 | January/February 2018 WHITE LILY BISCUIT DOUGH This recipe is on the back of every bag of White Lily flour. Cabe tweaks it by upping the amount of liquid. “People always add too much flour, so upping the amount of buttermilk compensates for that,” she says.
2 cups White Lily all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup vegetable shortening 7/8 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup butter, melted
Heat oven to 475 F. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender, or two knives, until mixture has a cornmeal texture. Blend in buttermilk with fork. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. “STUFFED” BISCUITS Fold dough over itself 6-7 times, just until smooth. Roll dough into a 7-inch circle cutter, cut biscuits and place on baking sheet. 1 recipe White Lily biscuit that is 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick. Cut out 7 to Gently press an indention into each biscuit. dough 8 biscuits using a floured 2-inch biscuit Combine chicken and spinach. Place about Cooked meats, such as cutter. You may use larger cutter to make 1 tablespoon mixture into biscuit and bake crumbled sausage or fewer but bigger biscuits. Place on baking at 475 F until lightly browned. Remove from shredded ham sheet so that edges almost touch, leaving oven and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon dressing Mrs. Dash seasoning about an inch of space between rows. mix. Serve immediately with ranch dressing Shredded cheese (your Shape dough scraps into a ball. Pat out for dipping, or make a dip using the remaining choice) to desired thickness. Cut out additional dressing mix and following package directions. Melted butter biscuits. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with butter, if desired. CHICKEN CORDON BLEU BISCUITS Heat oven to 475 F. Roll out dough 1 recipe White Lily biscuit dough to 1/2-inch thickness and cut into Note: Cabe makes the first part of the Chopped chicken (fried, grilled or biscuits using a 2-inch biscuit cutter. recipe (through the shortening) and keeps boiled) Place biscuits on baking sheet and it on hand in the refrigerator. She says the Chopped ham lightly press down the center of each mixture will last three to four weeks. She Provolone cheese, shredded biscuit, making an indention. Place adds the buttermilk right before making Garlic salt meat in the indention and sprinkle her biscuits. Greek seasoning with Mrs. Dash. Bake at 475 F until biscuits are lightly browned. Remove SPINACH-ARTICHOKE BISCUITS Chill dough, then roll out to 1/2-inch thickness. from oven and sprinkle with cheese 1 recipe White Lily biscuit dough Using a 6-inch cutter, cut dough into circles. and drizzle with melted butter. Serve 1 package Hidden Valley spinach- Top each circle with meats, cheese and immediately as an appetizer. artichoke dressing mix seasonings. Fold dough over filling and crimp 2 cups chopped chicken (rotisserie edges of dough with a fork. Deep fry until Note: You can turn these into dessert or fried) golden brown. by stuffing the biscuits with Heath 2 cups chopped spinach, well Bits and drizzling them with your drained Note: Any combination of meats and cheeses favorite chocolate icing after baking. Ranch dressing works with this recipe. Ham and Swiss cheese Or stuff them with cinnamon-sugar- is a good choice. Or try corned beef, Swiss butter and drizzle with confectioner’s Make biscuit dough, adding 2 tablespoons cheese and well-drained sauerkraut for a sugar glaze after baking. dry dressing mix to the dough; roll out to biscuit Reuben served with some Thousand 1/2-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch biscuit Island dressing for dipping.
January/February 2018 | 15 Presort STD US Postage PAID Permit #21 Freeport OH
P.O. Box 240 1621 Kentucky Route 40 West Staffordsville, KY 41256