BUTTERFLYCELEBRATESBRIDGE10YEARS IN THIS ISSUE: 4 inspirednameRestaurantchangebyfamily 4 PeachturnsTower30 4Meet Miss Chilton County JANUARY 2022 • VOL. 12, NO. 1 • PEACHLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM Peachlivingjanuary.indd 1 12/21/21 5:00 PM
Emily Reed, freelance writer Scott Mims, freelance writer
Chris Love, production manager
he new year is often a time to look to the future and set new hopes and dreams. It can also be a good time to look back and reflect on progress made.Inthis edition, we celebrate the 30th an niversary of a Chilton County icon — the peach water tower. The design was in spired by another tower, but the Chilton Coun ty one has become a local landmark and beacon signaling to those on Interstate 65 that they have truly entered Alabama’s Peach Country. Another notable anniversary in the first part of 2022 is that of Butterfly Bridge Children’s
PRESSROOM & MAILROOM
Elisabeth Altamirano-Smith, freelance writer
PUBLISHER Tim Prince
T
2 peach living2 peach living
Zack Bates, marketing consultant
Michael Turner, assistant production manager
Joyanna Love, managing editor Zach Seifter, writer
MARKETING
Advocacy Center. This nonprofit focused on helping children who have experienced abuse has been serving Chilton County for 10 Staffyears.share how the organization has grown over the years and how they have helped children on the path to healing.Wealso highlight the history behind the new name of a local eatery Sandy’s Friends. The name holds special meaning to the owner as a way to honor those who gave him opportunities in life. We also check in with the reigning Miss Chilton County Emily Jones for what she has been up to.
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
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EDITORIAL
JoyannaLove
Malinda Nance, mailroom manager
On the cover: Jana Zuelzke speaks at the capital campaign kickoff for Butterfly Bridge Children's Advocacy Center.
CUSTOMER SERVICE Alexis Byrd
peach living 3 INSIDE 2925EDITIONTHISCHAMBERNEWSCHRISTMASINCHILTON4LOCALICON
the 30th Anniversary of Chilton’s Big Peach 8
Butterfly Bridge celebrates 10 years of advocacy 16 THANKFUL
BUTTERFLY EFFECT QUEEN
Celebrating
Miss Chilton County enjoys representing county 18 SOIL TESTING The first step in planting success 20 FAMILY HISTORY Friends becomesSteakhouseSandy’sFriends 4 8 1816 20 27 Peachlivingjanuary.indd 3 12/21/21 5:00 PM
Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Chilton’s Big Peach
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LOCAL Icon.3
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STORY BY ELISABETH ALTAMIRANO-SMITH PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY JIM GILL
ABOVE: An interior view of the peach water tower while under construction.
LEFT: The paint job on the water tower nears completion.
eople passing through Chilton County on Interstate 65 and Lay Dam Road have beheld a terrific sight for decades — the “Big Peach” water tower. This year marks the 30th anniversary of its construction that has helped place Clanton as a national landmark. Constructed in 1992 by Chicago Bridge and Iron, the peach tower was the second peach tower erected in the United States which was modeled after tower in Gaffney, South Carolina. Clanton’s now, well-known water tower almost never came into “Chicagoexistence.Bridgeand Iron also built the peach tower in Gaffney and as part of their city’s contract they requested that ‘no other water tower be built in the form of a peach’ so that their city could hold the unique claim to having the only one,” said Jim Gill, business development manager of Chicago Bridge and Iron. “When the City of Clanton was accepting bids for the tower’s construction, I went to the City of Gaffney and explained that if they did not release us from that part of the contract, that another company could build the peach tower, so the City of Gaffney allowed Chicago Bridge and Iron to build Clanton’s.”Although modeled after Gaffney’s peach, Clanton’s tower is much taller and holds a whopping 500,000 gallons of water. Before the tower could be built, HyCon Construction was hired to lay the foundation. Special attention to the foundation’s depth was made so that the tower would never fall over during a wind storm or tornado. The tower can withstand up to 100 mph winds and has the soil bearing of 3,000 pounds per square foot.
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In addition to the costly paint job, other defining features added to the cost as well.
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Two Chilton County residents, Jay Turner of Jemison and Robbie Autrey of Maplesville, worked for HyCon at the time and worked on the peach tower’s foundation.
“The water tower cost about two million dollars to build,” said Turner, former foundation superintendent for HyCon. “HyTech, a sub-company of HyCon, put on the base coat and then a special artist came in to give the peach its ‘peach fuzz’ paint detail to make it look real. That paint job doubled the cost.”
Chicago Bridge and Iron made a three-foot model of the Peach Tower that was taken to the location site and set up to give the engineers an idea of which direction the peach should face.
“It cost more for the leaf and the pointy pivot to be added to the peachoid,” Gill said. “Those costs were unprecedented for the time for building a water tower. Mayor Billy Joe Driver was the driving force behind the peach and the reason Clanton has the tower. When presented with the cost, he reached out to several areas in the community that would help fund the project of which included Alabama Power. If he thought that something might keep the tower from being built, he did the work himself to make sure it happened and that the project succeeded.”
RIGHT: Construction nears completion in 1992.
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The fabrication of the peach came from Chicago Bridge and Iron, which is a wellknown steel infrastructure company that has specialized in building bridges, water towers
ABOVE: Pieces of the peach tower come together.
and nuclear plants since 1889. CB&I also built landing ships, barges and Navy vessels during World War II. One of their most iconic creations includes the St. Louis Arch.
“Everybody loves it,” said Turner. “They see it on their way to the beach. It gives our area a great sense of pride. When someone asks where we are from, most of us say ‘we live near the Big Peach Tower exit.'”
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involved in its construction. Former laborer for HyCon Robbie Autrey signed his name on the inside of the foundation and artist Peter Freudenberg signed his name on the bottom of the peach.
Sheets of fabricated steel were cut and shaped to form the giant peach. The parts were shipped from Kankakee, Illinois to Clanton. Even though computer technology had not reached the general population in 1992, CB&I had state-of-the-art computers to digitize and map out the blueprints and construction of the giant peach.
The Peach Tower was and still is a great source of pride for all of those
The late Billy Joe Driver, center in the dark suit, was a driving force behind the peach water tower being completed.
Once complete, artist Peter Freudenberg of New Jersey was hired to complete the “peach fuzz” paint“Hedetail.wasconnected to the top of the Big Peach and just hung off the sides while he painted it,” said
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EFFECT Butterfly.4 Butterfly Bridge celebrates 10 years of advocacy
Butterfly Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center staff at Flutter.
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t is said that when a butterfly flaps its wings, it can have profound effects in the atmosphere — that saying rings true for Butterfly Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center, which for 10 years has worked to change lives in Chilton County. The center, which started as a satellite office for Child Protect of Montgomery in January 2012, has become a beacon for local families going through the unthinkable, albeit very present, reality of child abuse.
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STORY BY SCOTT MIMS PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED
Flutter is the largest fundraiser for Butterfly Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center each year.
How fitting is it that a decade later, Butterfly Bridge is expanding and has moved into a bigger office in Clanton in conjunction with its 10-yearExecutiveanniversary.Director
Jana Zuelzke has been there since the beginning. Zuelzke, a Chilton County native, previously worked for Child Protect
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I
before advocacy services were offered locally.
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In 2009, under the leadership of Zuelzke and Jannah Morgan Bailey, a satellite office of Child Protect was opened in Chilton County. Through the generosity of the family of Elizabeth Johnson and Mr. and Mrs. J. Sam Johnson, renovations were completed to turn a rented space into a facility suitable for interviewing children.
After two years in the first rented location, in October 2011, the Child
you can imagine, that was a lot for the family, as well as it took our multidisciplinary team partners like law enforcement and the Department of Human Resources out of the county for several hours, too.”
A ribbon cutting is held for a larger satellite office of Child Protect, which eventually became Butterfly Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center.
“As we continued to see the increase in those cases, it was alarming, but
also we just saw that the kids needed services right in their community,” Zuelzke said.
On top of that, families often did not return to receive the extended services that were needed to provide real healing for the survivors of child abuse cases. This was when the need for a local office became evident.
“As I worked there for many years, what we saw is that the amount of child abuse cases that were reported in Chilton County just continued to increase every year,” Zuelzke recalled. “So at that time when a child abuse case was reported to our local authorities, they would have to ask the family to drive all the way to Montgomery for the child to receive a forensic interview by a specially trained interviewer during the course of the investigation. As
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Protect office moved to a larger space in downtown Clanton under the guidance of Zuelzke Contracting and Tommy Glasscock. For this project, many local volunteers donated hours of their time renovating the space. It was here that Zuelzke and the other staff members realized that due to the increase in demand for services, the next logical step was for the Chilton County office to become an independent advocacy center. By 2012, the center had become a full-time office and gained nonprofit status under the name Butterfly Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center. The name change became official at the end of the 2012-2013 fiscal year, and
“Child abuse, if it goes untreated, if kids don’t have the ability to return for the therapy services and those andadvocacyextendedservices,theydon’tget better from it, bad things happen. They may be offenders themselves because they haven’t had intervention."any—Jana
Zuelzke
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The increase in services alone shows the organization’s success — from 2011 to 2019, Butterfly Bridge has seen a 300-percent increase in child therapy sessions, an 88-percent
those extended advocacy services, and they don’t get better from it, bad things happen,” she said. “They may be offenders themselves because they haven’t had any intervention. They may abuse alcohol and drugs, have depression or anxiety — all those bad mental health things that happen when kids don’t get treatment. I’m from Chilton County, and I want Chilton County to be a good county, a healthy county. If kids have been through bad things, I want them to get better and contribute to society when they get older.”
As of 2017, Butterfly Bridge has expanded beyond the borders of Chilton County to satellite offices in Autauga and Elmore counties, thanks to Child Protect Children’s Advocacy Center staff under the leadership of Emily Hutcheson. Now the organization is able to serve the entire 19th Judicial Circuit of Alabama thanks to their efforts.
since then the organization has onlyZuelzkegrown.wished to recognize the four founding board members — Angie Barnett, Hoyt Chastain, Mike Curry and Mike Schiermann — and expressed appreciation for all the volunteers, board members and staff members who have shared her passion for helping children and families navigate and survive the unthinkable.“Childabuse, if it goes untreated, if kids don’t have the ability to return for the therapy services and
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increase in forensic interviews, and a 703-percent increase in family advocacy services. Of the children seen, 67 percent were involved in sexual abuse cases compared to 16 percent physical abuse, and 98 percent of the child victims knew their alleged perpetrator. Also, 22 percent of the victims were under the age of 6.
When I think of stats, these are children we’re talking about. They aren’t just numbers,” Zuelzke said. “An increase in the services shows there’s such a need, and it makes my heart happy to see that they are receiving these services because the bad thing that happened does not have to define the rest of their life.”
Butterfly Children’sBridgeAdvocacy Center staff at the 2021 capital campaign kickoff.
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“We were glad earlier this year (2021) to have the opportunity to look at this house and decided this would be a great forever home for us,” Zuelzke said. “We could see a vision for what it could look like with these renovations. It’s really neat to think back about where
The city of Clanton purchased the home under the late Mayor Billy Joe Driver, and current Mayor Jeff Mims suggested that the property would make a good home for Butterfly Bridge.
ABOVE: Staff of Child Protect celebrate a ribbon cutting at the Chilton County satellite location in 2009.
As the organization’s 10-year anniversary approaches, Butterfly Bridge moved into its new location in a former home located at 502 Fifth Ave. N., Clanton. Zuelzke said the location will offer additional privacy with a separate waiting area, more rooms for services such as therapy, education and outreach, and even a forensic medical area.
BELOW: Butterfly Bridge Executive Director Jana Executive Director, left with Clanton Mayor Jeff Mims at the capital campaign kickoff in 2021.
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“By us being here and raising the awareness
Butterfly Bridge plans to incorporate its 10th anniversary into everything that happens in 2022, including its biggest fundraiser, Flutter, which is scheduled for the first
peach living 15 www.wrightdrugandgiftshop.com | Facebook/Instagram @wrightdrugandgift and
we’ve been and how generous the community hasBrittanibeen.” Ellison, the center’s event and coordinator,developmentagreed that the home’s spacious rooms and inviting yard would enhance the atmosphere Butterfly Bridge aims to create for the children and family members who enter its doors.“When a child comes to our center, we want them to feel at home and at ease. We don’t want them to feel like it’s just another office space,” Ellison said. “We just got that feeling in here that it felt good, and we could see that the children coming would feel that as well.”
Thursday in February at Sixth Street Warehouse from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The event will include a live and silent auction, heavy hors d’oeuvres, music and entertainment.
“It’s a beautiful venue. We are excited to have it there,” Ellison said. “Unfortunately, last year we had to do it virtual, so we’re excited to have it back bigger and better thisInyear.”addition, an open house is planned for the opening of the new office, most likely for mid-January but an exact date and time will be announced later, according to Zuelzke. As she continues to help lead the organization, Zuelzke said she often encounters adults in Chilton County who went through abuse as children and share that they wish they had had more resources available at the time.
Flutter is the largest fundraiser for Butterfly Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center each year.
in our county, I hope that we have opened the eyes of the people in our county that this is happening right here. It’s not just somewhere in big cities or across the nation,” she said.
M
Miss Chilton County enjoys representing county during reign
THANKFUL Queen.4
crowned earlier in 2021 as Miss Chilton County after winning the titles of Miss Congeniality and casual-wear winner.
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“Having the opportunity to represent this wonderful county has been a huge blessing, and I love every moment that I get to spend with my queen sisters,” Jones said. “I am thankful God chose them to embark on this journey with me. My time so far as Miss Chilton County has been nothing short of amazing, and I look forward to what the rest of my year willJonesbring.”was
Jones said some of her highlights so far in her new role have been decorating the Christmas trees at the Gardens of Clanton, taking donations to the Chilton County Humane Society and Hatley Health Care as well as sponsoring a DHR child for“GettingChristmas.togo shopping for the child’s list with my queen sisters was so
STORY BY EMILY REED PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED
iss Chilton County Emily Jones considers it a blessing to represent her county as one of the 2021 queens.
Jones said she hopes her time as Miss Chilton County will allow her to represent her county with a Christ-like attitude.
Jonessmall.”is the daughter of Lynn and Elizabeth Jones. She has a younger brother named Ryne Jones, and a chihuahua named, Mojo.
The 2021 Miss Chilton County Queens, from left, are Little Miss Avery Smitherman, Junior Miss Campbell Easterling, Miss Emily Jones and Young Miss Anna Claire Mims.
During the pageant, Jones described the feeling of shock when she heard she had won Miss Chilton County.
“I want God to shine through me, and I hope to bring glory to Him and His kingdom,” Jones said. “I hope to be a good example for young girls. I want to encourage them to pursue any goals that they have, no matter how big or
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Initially, Jones saw a registration post on Facebook regarding the pageant, prompting her to “Icompete.thought it was also a great scholarship opportunity,” Jones said. “I did not want to do it alone, so one day, I asked my friend Campbell Easterling if she would be interested in doing it with me. I am so thankful for her being there for me every step of the way, and helping me with anything and everything. I am so grateful God chose her to be my Junior Miss.”
Jones said has surprised her about serving in the role of Miss Chilton County is the responsibility that comes with the title. “Although it can be hectic at times, it has been so rewarding,” Jones said.
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fun,” Jones said. “They all have giving hearts, and it was amazing to see their willingness to giveOneback.”thing
“I was in a group with some of the most genuine girls who made the pageant so much fun,” Jones said. “With it being my first actual pageant, I was not very sure how I would do. I prayed and asked God to give me calm nerves, and to help me have fun, and that is just what He did. I had a wonderful support system there that made it so exciting and encouraged me every step of the way.”
A typical day for Jones includes her going to class, working at Home Printing Company after class and spending most afternoons doing homework or attending an event for Miss Chilton County.
Jones enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and plans to attend the University of Montevallo where she hopes to obtain a master’s degree in elementary education.
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The First Step in Planting Success
TESTINGSOIL
Begin by dividing the area you are testing so you can easily identify sampling points. You want to take samples from various places within the test site. It is best to use a zigzag approach when taking samples. This ensures that the entire sample area is included. For lawns, you will want to take samples at a depth of
The best time to take soil samples is when the plants are dormant. However, soil samples can be taken at any time during the year. Recommendations about how and when to apply fertilizer or lime are only as good as the samples you submit for analysis. To ensure you are submitting the best samples, make sure to identify the sample locations, and take the samples at the proper depth. You will also want to make sure the soil is free of debris such as grass or sticks, and that the soil is dry.
peach living 19 205-258-5600 513 7th St. South next door to Showtime Hour s: Monday - Friday 10-6 • Saturday 10-3 Voted ClothingCounty'sChiltonBestStore
ou have probably heard the expression, “the devil is in the details.” Soil testing is one of the details you don’t want to skip. The first step in planting a garden, flowerbed, lawn or food plot is soil testing. A soil test takes the guess work out of soil preparation. All plants need essential nutrients to grow, and many of those nutrients are found in your soil. Conducting a simple soil test can help you ensure your plants have the nutrients they need to grow. You may need to add fertilizer to provide your plants with nutrients or you may need to amend the soil with lime to reduce or neutralize soil acidy. A soil test will identify the fertilizer and lime requirements needed for the plant species you are planting. It’s not uncommon to see someone add fertilizer or lime to their garden, flowerbed or food plot without first testing the soil. Gardeners often add fertilizer without knowing what type or how much is needed. By testing your soil, you will know exactly what you need to add to the soil, and with this knowledge, you can save money and protect your plants from possible harm.
Y
STORY BY LYNN DICKINSON ALABAMA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SYSTEM
So, what exactly is a soil test? A soil test is an analysis of the soil that estimates its ability to supply the necessary nutrients for the plant species you will be planting. It allows you to identify any nutrient deficiencies in your soil and tells you exactly what you need to add to your soil to increase your odds for a successful planting. Test results are used to help you determine the type and amount of nutrients you will need to add for the best outcome.
Remember for the best results, soil sampling should be done well in advance of planting. This allows enough time to amend the soil with fertilizer or lime, and it ensures your plants have the nutrients they need to flourish.
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approximately four inches. If you are testing gardens, orchards or wildlife food plots, samples should be taken at a depth of six inches. You can collect your samples with shovels, spades, hand probes or hand augers. Make sure your tools are clean to avoid any risk of contamination. Once you have all your samples gathered, place them in a bucket and mix thoroughly. Place about one pint of the mixture into a soil sample box. Soil sample boxes and information sheets are available from your county Extension office. If you are collecting samples from various gardens or food plots, be sure to label each soil sample container appropriately, so you know which report goes with each sample area. When mailing your samples, enclose the soil boxes, the information sheet, and a check to cover the service charge in a shipping box and send it to the address on the information sheet.
Friends Steakhouse becomes Sandy’s Friends as tribute to owner’s parents
History.4 Peachlivingjanuary.indd 20 12/21/21 5:00 PM
20 peach living FAMILY
LEFT: This Coker family photo is from the time of performances with the Louisiana Hayride and at the Grand Ole Opry.
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5 YEARS IN A ROW!!!
ichael Mims grew up with extraordinary parents.Hisfather, Alvis Coker, also known as Sandy Coker, was a musician and an actor. He starred in old western movies, but was perhaps most known for opening for Elvis Presley on the Louisiana Hayride. He also performed at the Grand Ole Oprey.
M
STORY BY ZACHARY SEIFTER PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED
“She lived in a dumpster, ate out of trash cans, dirt poor... She ended up being a millionaire.”
Her past did not define her future though. Thomas and Mims went on to become very
— Michael Mims
His mother, Christine Thomas, who also went by the name Sandy Mims, was a Clanton native who moved to California at a young age and acted as Thomaswell. and Coker met in California. Together, they had Mims, who went back to Alabama with his mother after she and Coker split.
After that, the two went down a road that created one of Clanton’s longest-standing eateries. When Mims and Thomas came back from California, they did not immediately find their way back to Clanton. They spent some time in Montgomery. After a few years, Thomas returned to her roots, bringing her son to Chilton County. Growing up, Thomas was poor and did not have a home for some time.
ABOVE: Sandy Coker, Aunt Alvadean Coker and Al Coker Sr. performing at the Grand Ole Opry.
Small Town Big Taste
“She lived in a dumpster, ate out of trash cans, dirt poor,” Mims said.
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They opened it in the Southgate Mall in Clanton, and Thomas oversaw day-to-day operations.
Years later, after Mims came back from military service, he and Thomas decided to get into the bar/ restaurant business. In 2003, the two of them opened Friends Steakhouse.
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“Sometimes she had to cook, she had to bartend, she had to waitress, she had to do everything,” Mims said of his mother. “A lot of people hated that, but they would
After Thomas sold the convenience store, Mims worked in Clanton for a few more years and then joined theThomasmilitary.went on to open up a curtain business called Curtains Unlimited. It was one of her most successful
successful through different business endeavors, including opening the restaurant that is now Sandy’s Friends.“Sheended up being a millionaire,” Mims said.
business endeavors, as she sold curtains all over the state, and sold them to high-profile customers like the mother of Stevie Wonder.
It began with Thomas owning a convenience store in Clanton. She owned it for three years, and in those years when she owned it, Mims worked there as a child.
BELOW: Christine Thomas died in 2021.
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ABOVE: Sandy’s Friends owner Michael Mims renamed the restaurant and bar, formerly known as Friends Steak house, in honor of his parents. Both his father, Alvis Coker, and mother, Christine Thomas, went by the name Sandy at different points in their lives.
Only three years passed before Mims got the business back.
Now, Sandy’s Friends lives on in Clanton, and it is run by one of the two people who saw it come to life in 2003. While it may not have the second half of the mother-son duo that built it, it still has the spirit and legacy of the parents that paved the way for its success and the success of their son.
Sandy startedMimsgoing by ThomasChristineafter she Thomas.Lindellmarried
“She talked me into letting her sell it,” Mims said. “‘You don’t need the stress (she said). You’ve had a heart attack in 2012, tried to run for mayor against Billy Joe (Driver). So, let’s sell it.’”
Alvis Coker died in 2020.
“Everything was paid off,” Mims said. “I said ‘Well, I’ll try to get along.’ I don’t want to see this placeThisfail.”time
In 2017, the two said goodbye to the restaurant that they created, as they felt it was time to move on.
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look me in the face and tell me how much they loved her.”
though, Mims was looking to change some things up. He wanted a fresh start for the restaurant, and the first thing he wanted to do was change the name.
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“I thought about it for about January, February and March, and then I went to my lawyer… and said ‘Hey, can we make an LLC for Sandy’s Friends before I buy it?’” Mims said.
He purchased Friends Steakhouse following a tough year in 2020. His father, Coker, passed away just months before Thomas did in Nov. 2020. The people who originally took the restaurant off Mims’ hands wanted to sell it, and Mims felt it was time to bring it back to the family that created it.
The name was chosen to honor his parents. Sandy Coker (Alvis Coker) and Sandy Mims (Christine Thomas) paved the way for Mims’ extraordinary life. He felt it was only right to honor their legacy in the place he and his mother built together.
Joshua Inman 500 Second Avenue Clanton,South AL joshua@inmanlawfirm.com205-755-200435045
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peach living 25
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Chilton County Chamber Newsletter
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Paige Hutto, president and CEO Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama and the Business Council of Alabama; left, Connie Bainbridge, vice president Chilton Chamber of Commerce; Darrell Bone, owner Bone’s Backstreet BBQ; Nicole Bone, owner Bone’s Backstreet BBQ; and Dean Mitchell, chairman of the Board for CCAA. Bone’s Backstreet BBQ was a finalist in the “Emerging Small Business of the Year” category for companies operating less than 5 years.
Birmingham; Bone’s Backstreet BBQ, Clanton; Creations Galore and Moore, Calera; Monroeville;RunAgency,Insurance-PhilipFarmersHallGadsden;HuntersBarandGrill,McClendon
In the “Emerging Small Business of the Year” category – operating less than 5 years – the finalists in alphabetical order were Acclinate,
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recipient was Frozen Rooster located in Leeds.
26 peach living Chilton County Chamber Newsletter NOW OPEN & ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS Clanton ComeAssociates,PediatricPAgrowwithus! 1011 Lay Dam Road Clanton, AL 35045 (205) 280-4990 Come grow with us! B andAssociationof—IRMINGHAMTheChamberCommerceofAlabamatheBusinessCouncil of
In the Emerging category the Gold Award recipient was WheelhouseOpp located in Opp. The Shoppes at Coldwater located in Tuscumbia was recognized with the Silver Award. The Bronze Award
In the 1-10 employee category the Gold Award recipient was TVW Electrical Supplies, Inc. located in Decatur. The recipient of the Silver Award was Sawyer Solutions located in Pelham. Ellis Counseling, LLC located in Prattville was the recipient of the Bronze Award.
The 11-50 employee category the Gold Award recipient was Vivian Mora State Farm Agency located in Hoover. Recognized as the Silver Award recipient was Singin’ River Brewery Co. located in Florence. The Bronze Award recipient was Tug and Barge Solutions located in Daphne.
Winners were awarded at three levels, Gold Award, Silver Award and Bronze Award in four different categories, Emerging, 1-10 employees, 11-50 employees and 51-100 employees.
Bridals, Sylacauga; Mo’Bay Beignet, Auburn; Tankr, Tuscaloosa; The Southern Refinery, Prattville.
Alabama today announced the twelve “Alabama Small Business of the Year” and “Emerging Small Business of the Year” award winners during the CCAA-BCA annual meeting here.
CCAA-BCA partnership names business award winners
Waitr – Ribbon Cutting on October 21
Gaisha’s Place – Ribbon Cutting on November 18
Cornelius Farms – Ribbon Cutting on November 12
May May Made It – Ribbon Cutting on November 4
Ribbon cutting on December 8 Ribbon Cutting on October 14
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS
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HEATON PE
28 peach living Chilton County Chamber Newsletter СorporatePLATINUMsponsorsGOLDSILVERBRONZECOPPER
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Hull & Russell, PC
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The city of Jemison hosted its annual Christmas parade on Dec. 4. Floats and cars drove through downtown, celebrating the holiday season with the citizens of Jemison.
Photos by ZACHARY SEIFTER
JEMISON HOSTS CHRISTMAS PARADE
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Photos by BRANDON SUMRALL | SPECIAL
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The Thorsby Christmas Parade ushered in the holiday season on Dec. 4.
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THORSBY CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS
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CHRISTMAS IN CLANTON
Photos by JOYANNA LOVE | ADVERTISER
Community members enjoyed the Clanton Christmas parade and tree lighting on the same night for the first time on Dec. 3.
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Maplesville hosted Old Fashioned Christmas on Dec. 5.
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Photos by JOYANNA LOVE | ADVERTISER
OLD FASHIONED FUN
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