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Progress Centers of Community

Supermarket creates town memories Meet the Citizen of the Year

2022

Industrial Development Authority

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PUBLISHER Tim Prince EDITORIAL Joyanna Love, editor Zachary Seifter, writer Elisabeth Altamirano-Smith, freelance writer MARKETING Zack Bates, marketing consultant CUSTOMER SERVICE Jade Dotson PRESSROOM & MAILROOM Chris Love, production manager Michael Turner, asst. production manager Malinda Nance, mailroom manager Progress is a special publication of The Clanton Advertiser P.O. Box 1379, Clanton, AL 35046 205.755.5747 clantonadvertiser.com

Editor’s Note Progress: Centers of Community highlights stories of the people and places that make their section of Chilton County what it is. Some stories focus on the geographic centers of town, while others highlight groups that may go unnoticed. Each has an important role in creating a community. Even as advancements are made in business and infrastructure relationships are central to community. We highlight some fun memories in a few of these stories. As always, this edition also unveils The Clanton Advertiser’s citizen of the year. Thanks for reading, Joyanna Love

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CITIZEN OF THE YEAR SERVING FAMILY & FRIENDS Maplesville Supermarket center of small-town memories

HISTORY

Lions Club prepares for 75th Peach Festival

20 BRINGING NEW LIFE 26 WELCOMING RENOVATION 33 LEGACY OF IMPROVEMENT 39 FAMILY RUN 44 RENEWED ACTIVITY 50 FIRST RESPONSE

Rural volunteer fire departments dedicated to community

Couple establishes businesses on Main Street

Verbena Annex library gets an upgrade

New Convert Baptist members focused on community

Dari Delite continues to provide welcoming atmosphere

Clanton downtown gets business focus

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CITIZEN

of the

YEAR Lori Patterson recognized for work in the community

STORY BY JOYANNA LOVE

ori Patterson has contributed to the Chilton County community in a number of ways. Many know her as the CEO of the YMCA of Chilton County, a position she started in 2016. Some know her from her work in Chilton County Schools and serving on the Board of Education. However, she is also involved at First United Methodist Church of Clanton, where she started the Helen Parrish Circle women’s group and has volunteered as a part of a number of community fundraisers. She often works behind the scenes to ensure things go smoothly. “She likes to stay in the background, so it is nice to see it recognized,” Lori’s husband Jimbo said of the award. “… She does everything with excellence. She doesn’t want it to be halfway. She doesn’t want it to be average.” The person chosen as the Citizen of the Year is kept a secret until publication, so Lori Patterson was not told. Citizen of the Year committee member Vanessa McKinney said she and Patterson have been a part of the local Arthritis Fundraiser for several years. “I feel that Lori has gone above and beyond in this community,” McKinney said. Michell Perrin and Tisha Woodham-Creel both work with Patterson at the Y and described her as “compassionate” and committed to caring about the children of the community.

FILE

Lori Patterson was the keynote speaker at the campaign kickoff for United Way of Central Alabama.

“She is always putting children first. She is always looking ahead to the next thing that she can do to help the Y.” Progress 5

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“Lori is always looking for new ways to encourage others to keep healthy habits,” they said. At the Y, Patterson has done this through expanding the exercise classes and activities for adults and children that are offered. Nutrition and combating hunger have also been a focus through the Lunch Box Rocks initiative she started at the Y, which provides meals to children on the weekends and other times when schools are closed. She also spearheaded the establishment of before school and after-school program at the Y. “She is always putting children first,” Jimbo said. “… She is always looking ahead to the next thing that she can do to help the Y.” A Chilton County native, Patterson graduated from Chilton County High School and attended Auburn University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in environmental science. This is also where she met her husband Jimbo. After graduation, the couple married and moved to Georgia for a few years before moving to Chilton County. Patterson later completed her master’s degree in education at the University of Montevallo. She taught science in Chilton County Schools from 1998-2001. The Pattersons’ twins Lawson and Lydia were born in 2001. Their daughter Lydia had a health issue with her neck that required regular visits to Children’s of Alabama and later Angel Flights to Atlanta for treatment. During this time, Lori Patterson took a year off from teaching and then became fitness director at Cornerstone in 2002. Lawson and Lydia are in college now. The couple has also served as foster parents to nine children.

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Serving

family & friends Maplesville Supermarket center of small-town memories

Maplesville Supermarket has served the community since 1995.

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STORY BY ELISABETH ALTAMIRANO-SMITH PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY

Hayden Carden talks to a customer as they check out.

Community members shop at Maplesville Supermarket.

mall town experiences are a precious jewel slowly fading away in time. Factors like new construction and development and a rise in population can quickly change a community. Maplesville still has every sweetness of a close-knit community and can easily remind visitors of “Mayberry” from “The Andy Griffith Show.” One of Maplesville’s main small town jewels is the Maplesville Supermarket. The building was built in the 1980s and purchased by Hershel Edwards and Wayne Cleckler in 1995. Since then, the grocery has given locals a place to shop, work and even find love. Office Manager Janette Smith has worked at Maplesville Supermarket since 2000, and began when her children were in the first and seventh grade. “I came in one day and asked if they were hiring,” Smith said. “They asked me if I could run a cash register. They had someone that didn’t show up that day, and I started right then. Since that day both of my kids have worked here, and I even met my husband James Earl here.” James Earl and Janette’s love story is not unique to the grocery store.

Sayer Elliott works in the meat department.

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Lou Wallace with manager Janette Smith.

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Prior to Maplesville Supermarket opening, both Hershel Edwards and Wayne Cleckler had previous work experience at grocery stores. Hershel’s wife, Sybil, worked in office management for Maplesville Supermarket and recommended her sister, Bonnie to work in managing produce for the store. When Wayne, (who worked as the grocery’s butcher) met Bonnie it was “a match made in Heaven” and the couple married in 2000. Since the store’s initial opening, Hershel passed away in 2015. Wayne Cleckler purchased the entirety of the store, and it continues to be family-owned and operated. Wayne’s son-in-law Joseph Howell and brother O’Neil Cleckler came in to help run the family business, and Janette Smith moved to office management. “I love that (our grocery store) has a small-town feel,” Smith said. “It is one of the only places in Maplesville that high school and college kids can get work experience. We know all of the customers. They are my favorite part. We know their name and what they are going to buy when they come into the store. Everyone is like family. If someone leaves, we are happy for them that they are moving on to their dreams, but we are sad to see them go.” One of Maplesville Supermarket’s unique specialty services is their meat department, where everything is freshly cut on location. The supermarket also serves as the lifeline for the community’s food source. “We are the only grocery store in Maplesville, so when the local eateries like Heard’s BBQ or the bakery need ingredients they can get them here,” said Smith. “If they need something special that we don’t usually carry, we can order it for them. The local school concession’s ingredients come from our store as well. ” Besides providing ingredients, the grocery also gives back and acts as a family member to the

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Jordan Caudle works in the produce section.

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Joey Littleton slices meat for packaging. All meat is cut fresh on site.

Morgan Davis reaches for a can on a Maplesville Supermarket shelf. community. Maplesville Grocery has feed the local football team at various times. Last football season, the local cheerleaders decorated the storefront windows to show support for the Maplesville Red Devils going to the playoffs. “It is a ‘Ma & Pa Country Store’

that allows us to know our customers,” Howell said. “They are great people. We are a big family here.” The store recently honored Bonnie Cleckler on 20 years of working in the grocery’s produce department and her retirement.

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History

Lions Club prepares for 75th Peach Festival

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STORY BY ZACHARY SEIFTER PHOTOS KEITH MCCOY AND CONTRIBUTED

Richard Beard, left, Horace Easterting, Pat Ferlise and Albert Brewer hold a winning basket of peaches at a past Peach Festival.

he Peach Festival in Chilton County is an annual time of celebration in Chilton County. This year, there is even more to celebrate as this beloved festival turns 75. Each summer, people make their way to Clanton to partake in pageants, auctions, parades and fun, celebrating the fruit and the farmers that put Chilton County on the map. For over two decades, it has been the responsibility of the Clanton Lions Club to make sure that everything is ready to go for the festival. The first ever Peach Festival took place in 1947 as a fundraiser of the Clanton Jaycees. Since that time, it has grown into an event that most circle on their calendar each year. In 2022, with the 75th annual Peach Festival on the horizon, the Lions Club is ready to go above and beyond to make this Peach Festival memorable. “It’s such a big part of the culture of this county, the peach industry and the Peach Festival, to recognize the farmers,” Lions Club member David McCary said. As a part of this momentous celebration, Former Peach Queen Julie Bentley created the Forever Queens as a sorority type of group for former Peach Queens. Each Miss Peach Queen will now also become a part of this group.

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ABOVE: M&M Farms won first place with PF24007 peaches that sold to the Chilton County Farmers Federation for $4,100 in the 2021 Peach Auction. BELOW: Former Peach Queens came to the Peach Festival for the 50th Anniversary celebration.

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The 2021 Miss Peach Queen with her court at the Peach Auction. This year, the Forever Queens will be recognized for the first time at the festival. They will be given pins that show that they are Forever Queens as well as a float in the parade. “It is a rich tradition,” McCary said. “We felt like we owed them some type of acknowledgement with this being the 75th.” The group will also be giving a scholarship to whoever is named Miss Peach Queen. The Peach Pageant has been a large part of the festival for years. Young ladies from around the county participate every year, looking to be crowned the Peach Queen for their age group. What sets this pageant apart is that participants are not only competing to be part of an exclusive club of women that have been named

a Peach Queen, but those that go for the crown in the Junior Miss and Miss categories are also competing for scholarships. “There’s a lot of beauty pageants around,” Clanton Lions Club President Alan Childress said. “But we try to truly run this as a scholarship pageant. Of course, our ladies are beautiful, but we had a young lady that didn’t place last year, and I think she might have won the most scholarship money.” Along with competing for money that goes a long way to help participants in their future educational endeavors, becoming the Peach Queen has other perks, such as participating in the long-standing tradition of taking a basket of peaches to the governor. Along with the pageant, one of the most

significant parts of the Peach Festival is the Peach Auction. Every year, peach farmers from around the county bring a basket of their best peaches to be sold in an auction. Judges are brought in to rank the baskets, and the farmers receive prize money based off what place their basket is ranked. Then, the peaches are sold, and all the money paid for the peaches goes to charity. “I remember two years, 1995 and 1996, the first basket went for $5,000 and the next year the first basket went for $8,000,” Peach Auction Chairman Glenn McGriff said. “Those were the two biggest, and later on, a couple years ago we did sell the number one basket to Marion Bank for $4,600. Last year’s went for $4,200

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… The first basket of peaches is going to dictate what kind of auction you’re going to have.” In 2021, the Peach Auction was a huge success after it was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19. The members of the Lions Club hope to see even more people come out in 2022 to buy peaches and support the community. “Last year was the biggest money raising auction that I’ve ever been a part of in 40 years,” McGriff said. “We raised … almost $23,000.” While the Peach Auction was a big hit in 2021, there is hope that the whole festival sees even more success in 2022. The world is continuing to try to get back to a sense of normalcy since the COVID-19 pandemic started. It affected several things in the last two years, including the Peach Festival. However, the Lions Club is pulling out all the stops for the 75th Peach Festival, and the hope is that everyone is going to attend what should be a very special event. Not only will the event be special for Chilton County residents, but also for out-of-county visitors who come out to enjoy Chilton County’s premier fruit. “The county is known for the peach industry,” McGriff said. “So, we don’t have to promote it. We do promote it, but we don’t have to because the crop promotes itself.” Between the pageant, auction and all the other special events that will make up the Peach Festival, summer 2022 will be an amazing time in Chilton County. Just as it was 75 years ago.

The 2021 Young Miss Peach Queen on her float during the annual Peach Festival parade.

A Family Tradition For 100 Years 1921-2021

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FIRST RESPONSE Rural volunteer fire departments dedicated to community

Fairview Volunteer Fire and Rescue is just one of the 12 rural fire departments that serve Chilton County.

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STORY BY JOYANNA LOVE PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED AND BY JOYANNA LOVE

Isabella Volunteer Fire and Rescue personnel demonstrate putting on their gear.

he call came at 2:30 a.m. Emergency response was needed to a structure fire in the Fairview community. Chief Joe Cole and other volunteer firefighters got out of bed and rushed to the scene. After two hours, Cole went home long enough to take a shower and get ready for work before heading out again to his paying job. This could be a typical day for any of the 100 or so volunteer firemen in Chilton County. Volunteers in 12 rural volunteer fire and rescue departments serve as the closest emergency response stations for many in the county. “It’s extremely important,” Cole said. “Life without your rural fire departments would be much more grim.” He said volunteers with emergency medical training are often closer to someone than an ambulance in emergency situations. “We carry most of the same equipment your ambulances carry,” Cole said. “… For me, it’s something I am very proud of, I hope the citizens feel the same way.” Residents join because they want to help the community, and they receive zero monetary compensation. “The only thing they ever get paid is if they get a ‘Thank you, we appreciate you helping us,’” Butch Billingsley, chair of the Chilton County Volunteer

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Firefighters Association, said. He became a volunteer in 1979 at the Enterprise station as a way to give back to his community. Billingsley said he knows some who have started volunteering after volunteers responded to a fire at their house. In addition to having trained emergency personnel on call who respond to medical or fire emergencies as available, having the rural fire departments also helps residents on home owners insurance costs because of Insurance Services Office ratings. Lower is better when it comes to an ISO rating. Many of the rural departments have been able to get to a five, while all of the departments are eight or lower, Billingsley said. The rating system is one to 10. Billingsley said the lower ISO ratings can save insured homeowners hundreds of dollars. Cole said getting a five was a “huge achievement” for stations like Fairview.

BEYOND EMERGENCIES

Many of the fire departments serve as places for residents in the rural areas to come together for events. “One year, we had pancakes with The Grinch, which was free to the community … some years we just do an open house where we invite the community to come stop in,” Cole said of Fairview. “We generally offer some kind of food and entertainment for them. Throughout the year, we offer different types of training for the community.” CPR classes are offered on a regular basis. Other rural fire stations do open house events and Halloween candy giveaways.

TOP: Fairview Volunteer Fire and Rescue as it looked in the late 80s/ early 90s. ABOVE: This is a truck the Fairview Volunteer Fire and Rescue used in the late 80s or early 90s.

RURAL VOLUNTEER FIRE STATION FUNDING

Volunteer stations still have expenses. Funding for this is given through a property ad valorem tax outside municipal boundaries. Some additional funding is received from an Emergency Medical Service related tax. Billingsley said each department receives about $50,000. “Out of that $50,000, they have to pay for their trucks, upkeep of their trucks, their gas, their fuel, their equipment, their building, their insurance, their water, their power,” Billingsley said. These funds often do not cover everything. To make up the difference, fire departments hold fundraisers and accept donations.

UPGRADING SERVICES HOURS: MONDAY-FRIDAY 5:30 A.M. - 2:00 P.M. CLOSED SATURDAY SUNDAY 11:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M.

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In recent years, many of the rural volunteer fire departments in Chilton County have made improvements through grants. Union Grove was able to purchase a ladder truck. East Chilton and Gap of the Mountain secured funding for P25 radios that will be required as a part of the countywide emergency communications updates. Cedar Grove secured this funding

Several chiefs for the rural volunteer fire departments and other Chilton County Volunteer Firefighters Association members meet on a regular basis to discuss emergency response issues.

as well as funds for a LUCAS chest compression system that will continue to administer CPR to a patient while the paramedic gives other aid. Fairview secured funding for a LUCAS device and updated rescue equipment with new extrication tools and a heart monitor. Training opportunities have also expanded over the years, including the opportunity to take online courses through the Alabama Fire College. There are also different levels of rescue training. Volunteers have to complete continuing education courses to stay certified at their own cost.

Cole said improving service and equipment is an ongoing process, but the department has come a long way in its 49 years of serving the community. “Back in the beginning, most of our equipment was obtained through the state surplus items, we had help from the Alabama Forestry Commission on obtaining trucks and things of that nature — which meant a lot of the equipment was already worn out when we got it, so there was tons of maintenance involved … Today, we have fairly new equipment,” Cole said. “All of our six trucks are fairly new and do not

require near as much maintenance.” Tanker trucks can also hold more now. One project for the Chilton County Volunteer Firefighters Association has been upgrading its system from communicating with Chilton County 911, other departments and other firefighters when responding to a scene. “We have come together and organized, and we have worked on getting our VHF radio system updated,” Billingsley said. “For years, we operated with like four repeaters.” The system now has 10 repeaters. Four of the repeaters for the radio system

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Verbena Volunteer Fire and Rescue shows off a truck purchased in 2018.

have backup generators. This system will continue to be important to the fire departments even after the conversion to the countywide P25 system, which is still under construction, because a backup system is required for a good ISO rating.

BECOME A PART

Rural fire departments are always looking for volunteers. Qualifications are simple — be able to pass a background check and a drug test. “There is always something that you can do in the volunteer fire department,” Billingsley said. Those needed to respond to the scene include firefighters, rescue personnel and drivers for the emergency response vehicle. Training is required to be a firefighter or to be rescue personnel. However, volunteer opportunities go beyond being able to respond to fires or medical emergencies. Volunteers are also needed to complete paperwork, do lawn care at the fire station as well as cleaning the stations and the vehicles. “There is something for anyone who wants to be involved in the volunteer fire department,” Billingsley said. Billingsley said having younger adults who want to help

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Enterprise Volunteer Fire and Rescue show extrication equipment purchased with a grant in 2019. Many of the rural fire departments have received grants in recent years.

Fairview Volunteer Fire and Rescue has multiple trucks to serve the community. Grants help the rural volunteer fire departments in Chilton County purchase needed equipment.

is needed also. Some who have started in volunteer departments have gone on to a career at a paid fire department as a firefighter. Cole said he has continued volunteering because “I really enjoy serving the community.” “We live in an area we serve, most of the calls we run, we either know the people, went to school with them or their children or another relative,” Cole said. Anyone interested in joining a department can contact the department they are wanting to join to ask about getting involved.

Cole first became a volunteer after high school. “I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do in life,” Cole said. “I thought being a fireman would be cool before I actually went and applied to a department, I decided I would join the local volunteer fire department, see what it was like, get a taste of and just see if I had the guts to do it.” While volunteering, Cole found he enjoyed the work and later developed an interest in becoming an EMT.

“I used my EMT license to work and pay my way through college,” Cole said. He has been the chief at Fairview Fire Department for the past 10 years Matt Rollan, chief for the Gap of the Mountain station, said being a part of the department is important to him to help his community. He has been with the department for 23 years. Each time his department is able to save someone’s property from a fire it is a reminder of how important being a volunteer is.

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Bringing new life to

OLD TOWN Couple establishes businesses on Main Street

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STORY BY ELISABETH ALTAMIRANO-SMITH PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY

nce a bustling town center, Old Town Jemison had lost much of its liveliness. Since initially constructed some 120 years ago, the town square has featured many store varieties through the generations, some of which include a barber shop, dry goods and grocery stores, hat shop, pharmacist, hotel, video rental, an embroidery store, antique and collectible glassware and ice cream shops. Jemison’s first jail and police station were also part of Old Town, as well as the train station, post office and a meeting place for the Independent Order of the Odd Fellows which was an organization whose stated purpose was to “visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead and educate the orphan.” Over time, generations have passed, store fronts have sold and moved on to Highway 31, leaving Old Town to sit quietly and reminisce of yesteryear. However, in 2019, Johnathan and Tiffany Gaines of Jemison had the idea to open up a boutique in the former city center. “I had been working for a medical gastro office and had the idea to open up a boutique to sell some of my vinyl projects,” Tiffany said. “We didn’t really have an exact location of where we wanted our store to be, but once we visited the store (now known as Olde Town Scoops), I knew that we had found the perfect place. There was so much stuff stacked up and so much work that needed to be done, but I could still see that the old

Olde Town Scoops features a variety of flavors and ice cream creations.

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Tiffany Gaines in the new location of Olde Town Boutique.

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character of the building was charming.” Some of the coveted features that the couple fell in love with were the old bricks, big storefront windows and arched alcove doorway that once permitted shoppers to go from store to store without ever going outside. “I saw that one of the original bricks in the wall was stamped 1906, the year it was made,” Tiffany said. “I loved the store-front windows that would allow me to decorate mannequins, and there is so much parking here!” The couple purchased the store and another store that adjoined it. First opening Olde Town Boutique and Gifts, and later opening the Olde Town Scoops ice-cream shop next store. As part of their entrepreneurial journey, they had to remodel and renovate the buildings. “We had to clean and cover parts of the walls and ceiling to bring them up to date for the health department since people are eating here,” Tiffany said. “We also had to completely

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“I am open to ideas that the community wants to use this extra space for.” — Tiffany Gaines re-do the plumbing and bring the building upto-date.” After celebrating their one-year anniversary of the new businesses, the Gaines saw room for an expansion, purchasing two more spots in Old Town, bringing the number of their owned storefronts to four. The original boutique location will now be extra seating for the ice-cream parlor and sandwich shop. The Gaines will also rent the seated space to the community for events such

as a baby shower, birthday party or a small wedding reception. “I am open to ideas that the community wants to use this extra space for,” Tiffany said. “We have thought about having a bingo night and asking local businesses if they want to donate prizes for bingo. It would also be a great space to have a painting party or host something different once a month. There isn’t anything for young people to do in this town, and we want to offer something. The possibilities are endless.”

Display areas were a part of the renovation to the new boutique location.

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“We want to thank the community. You see signs everywhere that say ‘Shop Local,’ and we are experiencing that first hand. We have individuals and families who come in once a week. We get to know them. We love and enjoy it.” — Tiffany Gaines

The newest store front is located a few doors down, beside Old Town Eatery, and is the new home to Olde Town Boutique and Gifts. The Gaines updated the inside of the third store in a barnwood-style motif. “We have updated it, but there are still many parts of the building that are reminiscent to years past,” Tiffany said. “Olde Town Boutique and Gifts was once a hotel, and the upstairs still has six fireplaces. We are working to restore the floor up there, and it will eventually be our office. There is also an old dumbwaiter in the back of the building, and we aren’t sure if we want to restore it or get rid of it right now. We are still working on what to do with it.” The move doubled their square footage for Olde Town Boutique and Gifts which now allows them to double their merchandise, including a wide selection of vinyl shirts, accessories, men’s gifts, home decor and clothing. The Gaines fourth store is an electrical company. “My husband, Jonathan is an electrician, which has been a huge benefit and blessing to us in this journey of restoring these old buildings,” Tiffany said. “Gaines Electrical will be the newest addition. It is the backside of the boutique and gift shop. (In years prior) the backside of the building was torn off to repair a water issue. We have rebuilt and enclosed it.” The Gaines said that since initially starting the boutique and ice cream shop, they have felt welcomed and supported by the community and are grateful. “We want to thank the community,” Tiffany said. “You see signs everywhere that say ‘Shop Local,’ and we are experiencing that first hand. We have individuals and families who come in once a week. We get to know them. We love and enjoy it. It is great to see that people are coming and bringing life back to Old Town instead of letting it sit and deteriorate.” The Gaines say they have also had many people come in their stores and reminisce of yesteryear, share old photos and stories of Old Town Jemison and what the stores once were and they love it.

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WELCOMING RENOVATION Verbena Annex library gets an upgrade

Verbena High School librarian Shelly Bice holds her favorite children’s book, “The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything.”

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STORY AND PHOTOS BY JOYANNA LOVE

heerful and kid-friendly. That is what Verbena High School librarian Shelly Bice wanted to make the Verbena Annex library when she became the school librarian for the 20212022 school year. The room had not been used much in the previous year because of the COVID-19 pandemic and looked more like a storage area than an elementary school library. Bice began the conversion back to a functional library by sorting through everything in the room and cleaning with the help of some school staff and friends. Now, two large chalkboards with drawings by Shannon Maddox are centerpieces of the décor. The chalkboards had been covered up by pieces of corkboard. Maddox and Bice stripped off the corkboard to restore the chalkboard and painted them with chalk paint. There were also multiple markerboards in the room that Bice reconfigured. A structural improvement to fix a hole in the ceiling was also needed before the room could be fully functional. New shelves have been installed and the books are being organized. “I am trying to make it more kid-friendly,” Bice said. The improvements were important to Bice, so her students would “see what a library looks like.” “Kids can’t be good readers, if they don’t get exposed to good books,” Bice said. The improvements seem to be appealing to students as several third-grade students enjoy coming by multiple times a week. Zaiden said he stops by the library almost every day. His favorite series is Dog Man. He said he likes it because it is a chapter book. Jimison, who is in the same class, also enjoys the Dog Man series. He said he usually comes multiple times during the week to check out books. He likes the selection in the library and the atmosphere.

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Sheets of corkboard were removed to reveal the chalkboard underneath.

A coat of black chalk paint made the chalkboard good as new and a focal design piece for the room.

Improvements added a check out desk and colorful, organized shelves for the books.

He also likes talking to Bice about the book he is reading. To Zaiden, the school library is “very, very big and has a lot of books,” and that is why he likes it. Coming to the library has increased his enjoyment of reading. Antonio said he enjoys coming to the library to read books. His favorites are by Dr. Seuss, especially “The Cat in the Hat.” As a school librarian, Bice also has a favorite children’s book. “I think my favorite book is ‘The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything,’ and I read it around Halloween,” Bice said. The story is about a woman who finds articles of clothing that are trying to scare her, but she is not afraid. The story is one that can be interactive when Bice reads it. “I love acting out my stories,” Bice said. “I am very dramatic, especially if it’s a story that I really love. I like to do different voices. I like to make funny faces. I like to dress up in costumes, just to make it fun.” Coming to the library gives students more opportunities for things to read.

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Librarian Shelly Bice checks in books.

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Students look at a book during their time at the library.

“They love coming in here,” Bice said. She said she wants to do everything she can to have students wanting to come to the library, and, more importantly, reading. “I try to make it a very exciting welcoming place, and try to get a lot of different kinds of books, so that I can find some that are just right for everybody,” Bice said. Much of the fiction section is organized by character with a picture of the main character in front of the plastic book holder housing the books. “The shelves are so deep that the books just kind of disappear if they aren’t inside those,” Bice said. Funding the school receives from the state for the library and funds from previous year’s book fairs paid for the improvements. In addition to running the library at the annex, Bice is also the librarian for the high school. Making the funds stretch to accommodate both libraries can be a challenge. “I am trying to be wise with how I spend it,” Bice said. In addition to the cosmetic upgrades, Bice has also upgraded the books available to students. Library Enhancement funding from the state was used to purchase $6,000 worth of new books. To determine what titles to add, Bice started by looking at what the school already had and compiled a list of what students might like. “I tried to focus on the nonfiction first because those choices were so very few,” Bice said. She also gained inspiration from what students had liked at the previous school she worked at. Bice was the Clanton Elementary School librarian for seven years. Before

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“Kids can’t be good readers, if they don’t get exposed to good books.” — Shelly Bice

205-755-4195 •

that, she had taught first and second grade at Clanton Elementary. “I thought about what the kids there really liked to read, and I tried to order some stuff like that,” Bice said. She also purchased more books that were written for boys. “To me, there were just more girly books than boy books,” Bice said. Each class has a designated time to come to the library. “Typically, when they come in I read a story first,” Bice said. “Sometimes depending on how long the story is I will have an activity that goes along with that story that they can work on while they are waiting on their turn to get a book.” Students select a book from the shelf then find their card on Bice’s desk, so she can scan it and check the book out for them, just like at the public library. Fun colors, a reading rug and tables to sit at help make the Verbena Annex library a welcoming place to discover a good book.

Zoey holds a book she is interested in reading.

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Legacy

OF IMPROVEMENTS New Convert Baptist members focused on community

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STORY AND PHOTOS BY JOYANNA LOVE

t was a day at least five years in the making as Terry Wilson stepped to the microphone to address the assembled crowd on a sunny day in 2021. Behind him was the storm shelter that he and others at New Convert Baptist Church had worked so hard to see built. “We appreciate it. We really do,” he said. “… The first night we were out in the shelter it was packed.” The structure represented a victory, a moment of completion, but it was also just one of the goals of the New Convert community leaders. The congregation of New Convert Baptist Church has been working to bring improvement to the community for several years. In the 1980s, a group got together at the church trying to get the area incorporated as a town and have its own post office. Terry Wilson said the paperwork had made it as far as the Chilton County Probate Judge’s Office, but key members of the committee passed away before the project could be completed.

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Terry Wilson speaks at the dedication of the storm shelter with Pastor Curtis McCary.

Five years ago, current church members looked into what would still need to be done. There are some fees that would need to be sent to the state and additional paperwork. Terry Wilson said becoming incorporated had been explored as a way to become eligible for grant money. Improving the roads in the community was a concern then and continues to be something that New Convert leaders are working toward. Getting a storm shelter built in the area became the group’s focus to meet a major need in the community. It was completed just in time for the spring 2021 tornado season. “It was so exciting,” Amidah Davis said of seeing the completed project. “We are just so grateful … it was such a relief.” Inclement weather necessitated its use even before the official dedication ceremony. Terry Wilson and other members of the group went to Chilton County Commission meetings multiple times to request the shelter over the span of five years. “We kept after them,” Maurice Davis said. Amidah Davis said the severity of storms in 2015 meant those in the community who lived in mobile homes did not have time to get to the closest storm shelter in Maplesville. “Around that time, we started advocating for the storm shelter,” Amidah Davis said. While the Commission had repeatedly said the money was not available, the group earned a reputation for being persistent, yet respectful. The perseverance paid off when Industrial Development Authority Executive Director Whitney Barlow helped secure a Cawaco Resource Conservation and Development Council grant and Derrick Wright of Chilton County Emergency Management Agency helped secure additional grant funding for the project. The commission contributed required matching funds. The storm shelter sits on the New Convert Baptist property.

Having a storm shelter for the community was a major focus for New Convert leaders from 2015 to its completion in 2021. New Convert Baptist has been in the community for 143 years. James Wilson said the church’s first location was near where the cemetery is now. The church’s second location burned to the ground, requiring the church to relocate in the early 1980s. The church bought the former New Convert Junior High School. “We bought this school from the state after the church had burned on the hill, then we put the sanctuary onto the school house,” James Wilson said. A plaque listing the board of education members at the time of construction in 1965 can still be seen in a hallway. Church member Shelia Sullivan had attended the school for

second grade. Sullivan also grew up attending New Covert Baptist. The former school classrooms are now used by the church for its classes. The New Convert school was closed when the school system was desegregated in the early 1970s. Terry Wilson said the building was auctioned off, and he was bidding on it. “Uncle David came up to my store wanting me to back off on buying, let them buy it for the church,” Terry Wilson said. James Wilson, who is 85 years old, said he has been a part of the church his entire life. “I have always lived in New Convert … I love it out here in the woods, and I do anything I can to help the New Convert Community, help

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NEW CONVERT MISSION STATEMENT: To be a people who provide living proof of a loving God to a watching world.

This pavilion was built by the church as a place for family gatherings. the church, people in the church,” James Wilson said. He said his parents emphasized the importance of helping others. It was his parents and others of their generation that pulled the money together to purchase a building and 40 acres of land for the original site of the church. “They took up dues then, not tithes, but … if we wanted something done (for the church) we would tell the ladies, and they would go to selling stuff,” James Wilson said. He said the women of the church were successful in their fundraising efforts. James Wilson said the community had been one of farmers, each helping the other when in need. The church had donations of money and land to make the current campus a reality. A park with a picnic pavilion and walking area was established. A monument to the donors for the park sits on the property. Pastor Curtis McCary has been the pastor of New Convert for the past five years. Now that the storm shelter is complete, the New Convert Baptist group is moving their attention to the condition of the roads. “It’s a slow process, but God has been good to us here,” Terry Sullivan said. The group of leaders had community roads on their mind when they supported the approval of alcohol sales in the county. “We pushed it,” Terry Wilson said. “We went out there and made it because they were saying that the tax from the liquor sale would go for the roads and bridges only.” He said they would like to see a return on this effort. Amidah Davis, who has been in the community for 30 years, said the condition of County Road 393 became a focus in 2013 because of potholes. She took pictures of the road and sent them to the county road department to make them aware of the issue. The holes were filled multiple times over the years, and a portion was paved in 2021. County Road 331 is a dirt road that the community members would like to see paved. There are children of those who have lived in the community that want to come back and build on the family property, “but they don’t want to live on a dirt road,” Terry Wilson said. Shelia Sullivan recounted how when she was a student, if it rained sometimes the school bus would get stuck on the dirt roads. Maurice Davis said the last time the community had a road paved it was the road that the church is on. The group knows more houses are crucial to bringing a store to the area. Three homes were built on County Road 331 last year.

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The population size thwarted Terry Wilson’s efforts to get a Dollar General to come to the area. He said he would like to make getting necessities “more convenient for people because we have a lot of elderly people in this community.” The roads are also a concern to the group because there is a portion of the unpaved road that is hilly and can present a challenge to ambulances. James Wilson and Terry Sullivan said there are paved roads that need to be resurfaced. Even some who have moved out of the community still have strong ties to it through the church, including Shelia Sullivan. She has moved to Throsby, but still attends New Convert Baptist. She said the church’s “top of the line choir” was a fond memory from growing up. Now, she and her husband Terry Sullivan both attend the church. “I have seen a lot of growth (in the community), a lot of things we need more, a lot of things we want more,” Terry Sullivan said. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, summer programs were offered by the church. “We have plenty of kids in the community, but they don’t have anything to do,” Shelia Sullivan said. “Usually when you don’t have anything to do, you are out doing something you don’t need to be doing, but if we can get it straight, we can have everything they need right here for them.” Shelia Sullivan said her goal as a part of the

New Convert Baptist has a number of members dedicated to helping the community. A few of them are, from left, James Wilson, Maurice Davis, Terry Wilson, Pastor Curtis McCary, Shelia Sullivan and Terry Sullivan. group focused on community improvement is to see the church provide activities and a recreation center for the youth. Concern for the community also includes keeping everything looking nice and free of debris. The church sponsors annual clean up

days to pick up trash with the county providing litter pick up sticks. With one goal accomplished, the New Convert community leaders will use the same perseverance toward the remaining things they want to accomplish.

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Family RUN

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Dari Delite continues to provide welcoming atmosphere

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STORY AND PHOTOS BY ZACHARY SEIFTER

or 34 years, Dari Delite in Thorsby has belonged to the same family. The year was 1987 when Karen Reeser purchased the business from Wayne Ellison, and she was determined to make the place her own. Dari Delite had been in Thorsby for nearly 40 years already, but Reeser and her mother, Dot Porter, began operations that helped turn it into the staple of the community that it is today. Turn the clock forward to 1998, and Reeser had a new partner in marriage and in business. Larry Reeser joined the family, and he would soon become another familiar face to Dari Delite customers for years to come.

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Dari Delite provides multiple ways for customers to order. They provide indoor counter service, or they serve customers through an outside window.

Much has changed since the Reeser couple joined forces in the late 1990s. Dari Delite has seen a number of renovations, the Reesers have seen their four daughters grow up and have children of their own and a global pandemic has taken hold and changed the world. Through all those changes, Dari Delite still stands, serving customers that come from all over. What is Dari Delite’s secret? Making sure they provide a comfortable family atmosphere every day, as well as good food. The Reesers have made it a point over the years to make sure that every person who walks through Dari Delite’s doors is made welcome. The Reesers get to know their customers, and they treat them like family. “Being able to know people on a first name basis (is important),” Larry Reeser said. Much of Dari Delite’s success can be attributed to that value of getting to know people and treating them well.

“Being able to know people on a first name basis (is important).” — Larry Reeser 46 Progress

Dari Delite initially opened its doors in 1950 when Luther Mims built it. The restaurant was later owned by Lyndel and Wayne Ellison, who then sold it to Karen Reeser in 1987.

Many of the customers have such a good experience at the local eatery that they have no choice but to come back. The Reesers have seen customers from outof-state make annual trips to Dari Delite, just because of how wonderful their experience was the first time. They also have a ton of local customers that are regulars at the restaurant. In fact, Andy Weeks eats at Dari Delite nearly every day. “Probably seven or eight (times),” Weeks said of how often per week he eats at Dari Delite. Weeks has been a regular customer at the restaurant for close to 14 years, and he has no plans to stop going anytime soon. Not only is it important for the Reesers to create a great atmosphere for their customers, but they do the same for their employees. The Reesers are willing to work alongside their employees on a daily basis. They know that they set the bar, and that creating a good atmosphere and culture starts with them. “For them to actually be in there, slamming those burgers, slamming that food down, (it’s) comforting,” Dari Delite employee Bernice Konarik said of the Reesers. “To know that your bosses are in there, and they’re doing everything to help us … they’re a joy.” Not only do the Reesers set an example

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One of the most popular dishes among Dari Delite customers is the hot hamburger.

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Dari Delite’s owners, Larry and Karen Reeser, help their employees every day, whether it’s taking orders or cooking food.

in the kitchen and at the cash register each day, they also show a great deal of care for their employees, treating them as they would any family member. “They told me how much they appreciate me, and it floored me,” Konarik said. “… That right there was the most important thing in my job history, that they appreciate me, they’re glad that I work here. It was really nice. I’m valued. People like to hear that, because we do work hard here. We work extremely hard here. So, it’s really good to have a boss say ‘We really value you.’” For many years, treating their employees like family was easy for the Reesers because their employees literally were family. Porter worked with the Reesers for many years, and she would make her homemade biscuits that became a hit among customers. The Reesers’ daughters all grew up helping at Dari Delite, and now their grandchildren are working there as well. “It’s family-owned and operated,” Karen Reeser said. The Reeser family continues to operate a restaurant that brings people back over and over again. From the fabulous customer service, to their famous hot hamburgers, Dari Delite is a small treasure in the Thorsby community, thanks to the hard work of its owners. “People that know us, they know that we care about it and care about them, the community,” Larry Reeser said. “It’s just a pleasure, and it’s a lot of hard work. I think it goes without saying, but if we didn’t love it, then we wouldn’t be here.”

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RENEWED ACTIVITY Clanton downtown gets business focus

This section of downtown has seen a lot of activity in the past few years. Marion Bank opened this location in 2020. Leader One and The Jacks Family Dinner Bell opened in 2021.

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STORY BY JOYANNA LOVE PHOTOS BY JOYANNA LOVE AND ZACHARY SEIFTER

Sherrie Jacks serves customers at The Jacks Family Dinner Bell restaurant.

hroughout history cities and towns have grown from the development of just a few streets. Cities grow from these first few businesses, but these original downtown areas can get forgotten as new opportunities present themselves. Revitalization efforts are often needed to bring the focus back to the downtown areas. In recent years, local business owners have had a renewed interest in downtown Clanton, bringing activity to previously empty buildings. City leadership has also focused on downtown as a part of its improvement projects. Mayor Jeff Mims said it “feels good” to see the business interest in the area. “Having these businesses downtown, it’s exciting to me,” Mims said. Rachel Martin, executive director for the Chilton County Chamber of Commerce, said that when any city’s downtown is thriving it brings benefits to the whole city and even those who live outside its limits. “You are giving everyone something to do where you can stay in the county,” Martin said. Locally-owned restaurants The Jacks Family Dinner Bell and The Frozen Goat chose downtown locations in 2021. The Jacks Family Dinner Bell moved into a location that had recently become empty when another restaurant closed.

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Pictured from Left to Right: Allen Williams, Joseph Parnell, Randell Kelley, Joe Headley, Matthew Mims, Jimmie Hardee & Darrell Bone

Corner Park received improvements to the stage in 2021. Holiday displays were added for Christmas and then for Valentine’s Day in 2022. “We’ve had the idea for about 10 years, and we’ve been saving for it,” Sherrie Jacks, who owns the restaurant with her husband Donathon, said in an interview about the opening. “We’re not getting any younger, and we decided, with not a lot of sit-down restaurants in town … now is the best time to do it.” The Frozen Goat was named in memory of co-owner Nicole Fuller’s son who loved goats. Nicole owns the restaurant with her husband Nate. When retail store Sew Charming moved out of its Seventh Street location downtown, it was just a few months before another local retailer Apple & Lo chose the location for its new home. “We are just really excited for the growth and the progress that has been made,” Martin said. In addition to new restaurants and retail in the past year, entertainment-oriented businesses have also located downtown. This is something that had been missing from the downtown district in the past. The Bearded Peach has begun having live music, while Peach City Billiards provides something to do in the afternoon and evening. “I love the location right here on Second Avenue, being right down the road from The Bearded Peach,” Austin Dennis of Peach City Billiards said. We send people to them, and they send people to us all the time.” The Chilton County Chamber of Commerce also moved its office to downtown Clanton in 2021. “This location has been perfect for the Chamber because people just walk in,” Martin said. Some people have walked in not really knowing what was in the building and have learned about the Chamber and the county as a result. “It’s just made a big difference, it has made us more relevant more known about being here in downtown,” Martin said.

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Having higher visibility has helped the organization to better serve the entire county. The city focused on infrastructure improvements downtown in 2021. Several downtown streets were paved, including Sixth Street from the Sixth Street Warehouse to Park Drive, Second Avenue from Fifth Street to the top of the hill, Third Avenue from Fifth Street to Highway 31 and First Avenue from Fifth Street across Highway 31 to the railroad tracks. Adding lighting to alleyways was also made a priority. “I am trying to get it to where if we are having something in town at night people can park at River Bank, and we have that parking lot that we own behind the Frozen Goat … they can park back there … We will light that alleyway and this one up here,” Mims said. “Then, if these businesses want to stay open at night, they will have somewhere for people to park and feel safe when they are walking through those alleys.” These infrastructure improvements are important to promoting the area. “Once your downtown is a place that you want to visit that you want to walk around, then the businesses within that — they are going to do well,” Martin said. New things to do attract new visitors to the city and increase interest in people moving to the area, she said. Part of the Chamber’s focus is “to keep these small businesses thriving, have people shopping local, but also out-of-towners coming here to shop.” The mayor hopes to create a district with regulations specifically crafted toward promoting entertainment opportunities six days a week. (Sunday would be excluded.) Renovations to Corner Park were a first step for this. Being able to have regular live entertainment at Corner Park where customers of nearby establishments can enjoy craft beer from The Bearded Peach and enjoy the music

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Ownership team John and Sonya Stewart and Adreane and Jerome Barrington opened The Bearded Peach as Clanton’s first craft beer establishment in November 2021.

is one of the goals. Opportunities for food trucks in the district are also being explored. Pursuing membership in MainStreet Alabama is another future goal for the city and the Chamber. Martin said it is a competitive program with a detailed application process. Being a MainStreet Alabama member opens new resources for downtowns to develop plans for development and revitalization as well as grant applications and statewide promotion. “It is really just a guide and a help to get you where you need to be,” Martin said. Only a select number of new members are approved each year. The city of Clanton saw a large jump in revenue generated from business licenses in 2021. In 2021, $61,355 was generated from business li-

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censes for the year, compared to $17,817 in 2020. Mims said part of this jump was better record keeping to ensure that businesses operating out of people’s houses are getting the necessary business license. A business license review board has been created to help new businesses determine what licenses are needed and where the business can locate based on zoning regulations. Everyone can contribute to the city’s success by taking care of their part of it, the mayor said. “If people will do that, you will see a whole lot more stuff, people wanting to do stuff in town,” Mims said. “The excitement is there.” Improvements to the city’s parks have also begun and will continue to be a focus in the coming year as a master plan is developed and grants are applied for.

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