Discover August & September 2017

Hydroponic Gardening • Rocket Man on Logan Martin Jenny Gauld Legacy • Send Me Meals • Workforce Development

August & September 2017

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Features and Articles Discover

The Essence of St. Clair

Farm to Table

St. Clair County Style

Exploring Hydroponic Gardening Page 8

Page 32

Traveling the Backroads Ashville’s old records

Jenny Gauld Her monumental legacy

Page 14

Page 26

Farm to Table Recipes Page 39

Moody, Alabama

Rocket Man on Logan Martin

Building a boomtown

Page 20

Margaret Medical Clinic Page 64 Workforce development Page 72 WKW and Jeff State Page 78 Northside CARE Team Page 82 Pell City Pediatrics

Great meals the Easy Way Page 60

Why they came here Legacy of Caring

Page 44 Page 54 Page 56

Business Review

Page 86

August & September 2017

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Carol Pappas

Writers AND Photographers

Carol Pappas is editor and publisher of Discover St. Clair Magazine. A retired newspaper executive, she served as editor and publisher of several newspapers and magazines during her career.

She won dozens of writing awards in features, news and commentary and was named Distinguished Alabama Community Journalist at Auburn University. After retiring, she launched her own multimedia company, Partners by Design Inc. In addition to marketing, design and web services for companies and nonprofits, Partners publishes Discover, various community magazines for chambers of commerce and Mosaic Magazine, a biannual publication of Alabama Humanities Foundation.

Jerry C. Smith Jerry C. Smith’s interest in photography and writing go back to his teen years. He has produced numerous articles, stories and photographs for local websites and regional newspapers and magazines, including the St. Clair County News, Sand Mountain Living, and Old Tennessee Valley. His photos have appeared in books, on national public television, in local art displays and have captured prizes in various contests.

Mike Callahan Mike Callahan is a freelance photographer who resides on Logan Martin Lake in Pell City. He specializes in commercial, nature and family photography. Mike’s work has been published in Outdoor Alabama Magazine, Alabama Trucking Association and Alabama Concrete Industries magazines. Publishing his work to the internet frequently, he has won many honors for pictures of the day and week.

Joe Whitten Joe Whitten was born in Bryant on Sand Mountain. When he arrived in Odenville in 1961 to teach at St. Clair County High School, he found a place to call home. He and his wife, Gail, taught across the hall from each other. He continues to live in Odenville in a 1904 house they called home for 36 years. Joe was active in the Alabama Writers’ Conclave and the Alabama State Poetry Society. The society named him Poet of the Year in 2000. Joe has also published a number of St. Clair County local history books.

Iva Jewel Tucker Iva Jewel Tucker has worked as a writer and editor more than 40 years. In addition to writing and editing, she enjoys reading, drawing, watching classic movies, listening to great music, and has traveled extensively for work and enjoyment. She lives in Vestavia Hills and is a member of the Vestavia Hills Baptist Church.

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Graham Hadley

Graham Hadley is the managing editor and designer for Discover The Essence of St. Clair Magazine and also manages the magazine website. Along with Carol Pappas, he left The Daily Home as managing editor to become vice president of the Creative Division of Partners by Design multimedia company. An Auburn journalism graduate, Hadley also served as the news editor for The Rome News Tribune in Rome,Ga.

Elaine Hobson Miller Elaine Hobson Miller is a freelance writer with a B.A. in Journalism from Samford University.

She was the first female to cover Birmingham City Hall for the Birmingham Post-Herald, where she worked as reporter, food editor and features writer. A former editor of Birmingham Home & Garden magazine and staff writer for Birmingham magazine, she has written for a variety of local, regional and national publications.

She is a member of Alabama Media Professionals and NFPW (the National Federation of Press Women). Follow her weekly blog about life with a dozen four-legged critters, life in the country and life in general at www.countrylife-elaine.blogspot.com.

Wallace Bromberg Jr. Wally graduated from Auburn University where he graduated in 1976 with his BA in History and minors in German and Education.

Wally’s skills in photography blossomed during college.After a 30-year career, he decided to dust off his camera skills and pursue photography full time.

Susan Wall Susan Wall moved to Logan Martin Lake from Birmingham, where she worked as a critical care nurse. Alongside the nursing career, she owned Dreamscapes Photography, a portrait and wedding studio. Winner of the 2010 August Moore award at the Bluff Park Art Show, with numerous publications in magazines and the Kodak Instructional Magazine, her passion now is digital painting and portraits.

Leigh Pritchett

Leigh Pritchett has been in the publishing field 30 years. Early in her career, she worked for a New York Times Regional Newspaper. Since the 1990s, she has been a freelance writer. Her work has appeared in local, state and national publications in print and digital form. Mrs. Pritchett received the Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Montevallo.

From the Editor

Angel among us She was my hero, my mentor and my friend.

Jenny Gauld – Dr. Virginia Gauld, to be exact – was all those things wrapped up in a tiny, unassuming package like a gift especially made, not just for me, but for us all.

Jenny passed away in March, notching another little hole in our hearts that can’t be filled.

She was UAB’s first female vice president, no small feat in her era.

When she tackled a project, it wasn’t just a success when she finished, it was the pinnacle of it.

She agreed to join the board with me at CEPA, Pell City Center for Education and Performing Arts, when she was early in her illness. At the time, she told me if it were for anyone else, she wouldn’t do it. I’d like to believe that. It made me feel special. Fact is, she did it for the community. That was the hallmark of Pell City’s former Citizen of the Year – community first – always.

Her short time on our board was testament to that. She helped us reorganize, set policies and work toward enhancing programming. We benefitted from her wise counsel constantly.

When her illness worsened, she was forced to resign. Doctor’s orders. It was typical Jenny. Her letter of resignation was as gracious and sincere as she was, her prose making you feel the painful reluctance she experienced to give something up, even a seat on the CEPA Board.

Community seemed to be at the heart of all she did. And that was plenty. She was a leader in the Pell City Rotary Club, in her Pell City First United Methodist Church and in countless good causes throughout the town she adopted when she retired to the lake.

In Birmingham, she was instrumental in starting the Purse and Passion Luncheon for the YWCA of Central Alabama for female victims of domestic violence. It has grown to more than

1,400 in attendance.

She chaired an $11 million capital campaign for YWCA, and she and Suzanne Durham, the organization’s CEO at the time, carved out $1 million to build Our Place, the domestic violence shelter in St. Clair County. The driving force behind it? That’s easy to guess. It’s even easier to understand that she declined the offer to name it Jenny’s Place. She wanted the sense of ownership to go to those who seek a safe haven there.

She brought Purse and Passion to Pell City, which regularly draws more than 500 attending and raising more than $80,000 that stay right here in St. Clair County.

The list of causes that bear her mark, of course, doesn’t end there. But you get the picture. St. Clair is better off today than when she found it. That is the mark of a hero, a mentor and the most special of friends. I’m glad she was mine.

Read about her work and her life in this issue of Discover.

And there’s plenty more. Come discover it all with us.

Carol Pappas Editor and Publisher

Discover The Essence of St. Clair

August & September 2017 • Vol. 37 • www.discoverstclair.com

Carol Pappas • Editor and Publisher Graham Hadley • Managing Editor and Designer Brandon Wynn • Vice President of Online Services Mike Callahan • Photography Wallace Bromberg Jr. • Photography Susan Wall • Photography Dale Halpin • Advertising Toni Franklin • Executive Assistant

A product of Partners by Design www.partnersmultimedia.com 1911 Cogswell Avenue Pell City, AL 35125 205-338-3466

Printed at Russell Printing, Alexander City, AL 7

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Hydroponics Taking root in St. Clair County Story and photos by Jerry C. Smith

Inspecting a cluster of tomatoes

Innovation is nothing new to Cropwell’s Tommy Thompson. He’s spent most of his adult life experimenting and exploring new and better ways to do ordinary things.

A building contractor by trade, Tommy’s works can be found throughout St Clair County and beyond. Just give him a rough sketch, and he can build whatever you want, with enough masterful touches of his own to make it a functional showpiece.

Born in 1948 in Emporia, Kansas, he’s lived in England, Washington state, and Texas before coming to St Clair County, where he’s resided for the past 50 years.

In addition to working with solar and wind energy, Tommy has built and personally flown three experimental airplanes. His 3/4 scale P51 Mustang was always a hit at local air shows.

Nowadays, he’s growing a garden without soil.

It’s called hydroponics, a system of using waterborne nutrients instead of dirt to feed the root systems of plants. It’s not a new concept, but he’s trying hard to find new ways of doing it.

In a specially designed greenhouse that he built himself, one hears the whir of several fans, blowers and pumps as his systems maintain an exact temperature, humidity and flow of nutrients to his plants. And those plants are loving it!

They’re growing like a rain forest, some with root systems more than a foot long. In just a few short months, they have crowded their cozy environs with thick, lush greenery, bearing huge clumps of peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers.

Tommy employs two different kinds of feeding vessels – a system of large diameter PVC pipes and “Dutch buckets.”

The PVC pipes run horizontally, with just enough slope for positive drainage. There are 2” holes every foot or so to receive the plants, whose roots dangle into a continuously flowing stream of water laced with special nutrients. As these plants mature, they climb string “ladders” of Tommy’s own design.

Dutch buckets are similar in function, except that

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Hydroponics

Root system is exposed in hydroponic farming.

10

plants are embedded in granules of an inert material called Perlite, which allows the nutrient fluid to slowly percolate downward through the roots before collecting in an overflow chamber in the bottom.

While the PVC pipe system runs continuously, the bucket system uses timed releases of nutrients, but both are fed from the same tank by separate pumps.

The nutrient fluid is endlessly recycled, with organic essentials added as needed. Various meters tell Tommy how to adjust the nutrient density and environment but, for the most part, it’s an automatic process.

Tommy and his wife, Belinda, became interested in hydroponics when their soil gardens kept failing year after year from drought, excess rain, bugs, hail, etc.

Moreover, they wanted a better, safer product.

“We got tired of all the problems and uncertainty and also worried about impurities and toxins in our soil,” Belinda explains. “We now use nothing but heirloom plants that we grow from seeds. No hybrids or engineered food. With this setup, we control everything that goes into our plants, and everything around them.”

The greenhouse is a modest 8’ x 16’ in size, hardly large enough to house a compact car, but hosts an abundance of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and other highly nutritious foods. Their stalks are thick and sturdy,

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

Tommy checks nutrient level on young plants.

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and the leaves are dark green, signs of a well-fed plant.

The Thompsons explain that some species are not really suitable for hydroponics. Root foods such as carrots, radishes and turnips, are best grown in other ways.

Hydroponics works best on plants that only feed through their roots, which can grow far in excess of what would happen in soil as they reach for even more nutrients.

The system also works well with lettuce, strawberries and other leafy plants, all of which will proliferate in a controlled, sheltered environment. Similar setups have been envisioned for future Mars or Moon colonies.

While the greenhouse appears vulnerable to high winds, Tommy points out that it sits on a foundation wall of concrete blocks, and its heavy vinyl cover is supported by a sturdy wooden framework that’s almost as strong as a house. “The vinyl will give way to spare the rest of the structure. Worst case, I have to spend 20 bucks for a new cover.”

The floor was dug to a depth of several inches to eliminate unwanted plant growth, treated with plant killer, then covered with heavy carpet which feels like a forest floor underfoot.

Since it’s an isolated environment with virtually no transient insects or birds, it becomes necessary to manually pollinate the blossoms, but Tommy says this is a simple procedure using nothing fancier than an electric toothbrush to loosen the pollen and make it drift from blossom to blossom.

Belinda says there’s a similar system called aquaponics that uses live fish in the holding tank, utilizing their digestive by-products as pumped nutrients, but they declined that scenario in favor of one with less variables.

They estimate a possible yield of as much as 50 pounds of fruit per plant, making the whole project economically feasible within the first year. And, it can be operated year-round, with staggered plantings to insure a constant flow of safe, delicious, non-GMO food.

The Thompsons’ hydroponics is truly a garden for all seasons. l

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

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Traveling the

BACKROADS

Ashville’s Old Records St. Clair’s first high school and much more preserved in treasure trove of history

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

Story by Joe Whitten Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr. A few months from now St. Clair County will celebrate its bicentennial year with planned events throughout 2018. As the county looks forward to this historic birthday, it is worth the trip to Ashville Museum and Archives to consider preserved records that document those 200 years of history.

In the Ashville courthouse, before the annex was built, there was a room called “The Records Room” adjacent to the Office of Probate Judge in the Ashville Courthouse. With permission, people could go into the room and read these records.

After the annex was completed, the probate judge’s office was moved from the courthouse to the new building. At that time, the Ashville Museum and Archives moved into the vacated probate office complex and became the custodian of the “The Records Room.” Most of these bound volumes are now housed in the Ashville Museum and Archives, which relocated on the square across the street from the courthouse.

Among these records, going back to 1818, are wills, deeds, court proceedings, marriage records, a 1907 Confederate Census, death books, estate ledgers and old county newspapers.

Researchers come here in steady streams to dig for St. Clair County roots.

The Circuit Court offices preserve the minutes from trials of long ago, and here one can read of court proceedings. However, sometimes those minutes are difficult to find. A local researcher some years ago searched for trial minutes of an unsavory event in the 1920s, but the minutes were not in the volume for the year of the trial. It is thought that perhaps a random volume well back from the trial year, with remaining blank pages, was used to record the minutes of the trial that embarrassed a community. A local paper had about three sentences about the trial and its outcome.

Estate records from pre-Civil War years are sobering pages to read. A researcher can be stopped in his research to find a living, breathing person named and valued along with household items or livestock — each with an estate value noted. However, slaves were listed by name with their deceased owner, and this is helpful to African-American genealogists.

There have been many newspapers published in St. Clair County. In Ashville, the Southern Aegis, started in 1873 by George R. Cather, stayed in publication the longest. It was sold at various times, but the name continues today in the St. Clair News-Aegis. These other early papers, now defunct, were published: The Springville Enterprise; Springville Item; Springville News; Pell City Times; Pell City Progress; Southern Alliance, Ashville; Coosa Valleyan, Pell City, St. Clair Herald, Pell City; The St. Clair County News, Odenville and later in Ragland; Pell City Echo; Odenville Advertiser; Ragland Advertiser; and The Advance Journal, Ashville. Nearly all of these antique papers are in bound volumes or on microfilm in the Ashville Museum and Archives, and to read them is to open doors and windows to the past.

In these papers, one may read of the last public hanging in the county, that of Jim Brown on Sept. 20, 1901, in Ashville. Or the murder of Jacob Lutes and his wife, reported on Feb. 7, 1912.

Recorded in the 1935 St. Clair Times is the union conflict in the mining industry that festered into a confrontation known as “The Battle of White’s Chapel.” The resulting trial proceedings in Pell City were reported in detail as well.

The 1908 papers published in Odenville and Pell City report the establishment of St. Clair County High School and Pell

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Traveling the

BACKROADS

Whitten browses through a bound copy of an old newspaper.

City High School that year. The Pell City News of Sept. 14, 1921, has a report of the Jury Commission of St. Clair County being charged with fraud. Interesting history survives in our newspapers.

Although it may sound a bit odd, the death notices from so long ago make interesting reading today, for in death there is more than just death. An obituary form these antique papers might yield the very piece of the family puzzle someone is looking for. There is a wealth of local and family history as well as social history contained in death accounts, obituaries and Resolutions of Respect.

Diseases that are mentioned over and over as causes of death show which illnesses undoubtedly sent daggers of dread into the hearts of family members. One is struck by the numbers of infants that died. A happy birth announcement would be printed in one issue, and two or three weeks later the little one’s death would be announced. Measles and fever took many lives year after year.

And death struck so quickly. In March 1890 Robert Willingham went on a trip to Tennessee, leaving his family all well. By March 13 his mother, his wife, and his daughter were dead, and the funeral was announced for “Wednesday at 10 o’clock provided Robert returns by that time.” Three other members of the family were “suffering from the scorching fever of pneumonia.”

After the Civil War and Reconstruction years, death notices of African-American citizens began to appear; and although the wording would not be “politically correct” today, for that time the wording showed these citizens were respected by the white population. One especially poignant obituary is that of Sam Byers who died Feb. 26, 1901. The announcement reads: “Old Uncle Sam Byers died here Feb. 26, 1901. He was nearly a centenarian, an ante-bellum slave well-known to whites and

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blacks of this community. He leaves a wife and a number of children, the latter born to freedom.” There is a biblical tone to “the latter born to freedom,” and the haunting words causes one to ponder freedom and what that freedom has cost.

An information-rich obituary of an ex-slave was published March 2, 1899, and was captioned “Oldest Man in the County Dead.” It reads in part: “Dock Collins, colored, age 106 years, died at his home near Riverside on the 12th day of Feb. 1899.

He was born in Lawrence District, South Carolina, in 1793, and was sold at public auction at Lawrence Court House when he was about 7 years of age, and bought by Jeremiah Collins….

He was brought to this county just after the sale, where he continued to reside up till the day of his death…. He was foreman of his old master’s plantation. He was also the first Negro to own land in the county and a peaceable law-abiding man all his life. He was owned by the same Jeremiah Collins when freedom was declared…. He was almost a life-long member of the Methodist church, and the good advice when he had always given to his race resulted in many of them securing homes around and near him. The influence exerted by this old man among his people was wonderful. … During his life, he was married twice, and was the father of 14 children, 5 of whom are now living. He died within a quarter of a mile from the old home of his master, and the cause assigned for his death was old age….”

Murder was a frequent part of our county’s history. Whiskey and robbery and assault were common reasons for the unlawful taking of life. However, in May of 1900, a Mr. Anderson was shot dead because he made fun of another man’s haircut. This happened in Pinkview, just west of Ashville.

One of the strangest deaths had to be that of Jim Philips in June 1900. The notice in the Ashville Locals read: “In less than 3 minutes after being baptized in the river at Memphis,

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

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Traveling the

BACKROADS

18

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

Tenn., June 3rd, Jim Philips was drowned in the same river by falling into it in a religious fervor.” So many thoughts arise. Were they all caught up in such ecstasy they didn’t realize he was in trouble? Was he in such a vigorous fervor that he could not be contained? Whatever it was, it undoubtedly was a horrifying experience to the congregation.

The dead were nearly always buried the day after death, but a person’s funeral might not be preached until the next regular preaching day at church, which could be a week or several weeks after burial. Often, the funeral sermon would be announced in the paper, as in this one: “On next Sunday at Low Gap church, Rev. J. W. Lawly will preach the funeral sermon of Bagliss Lovell. A large attendance is expected.”

The longest lapse of time between burial and funeral sermon was that of Rev. Peter Harden of Odenville. His death was announced Nov. 25, 1887, and his funeral sermon was preached nine months later on Aug. 12, 1888. The family postponed the service until an ordained cousin could journey from South Carolina to preach the funeral sermon.

There was St. Clair County geography to learn, too, as communities were named which seem no longer to exist: Slate, Hoods, Round Pond, Sulphur Springs (now St. Clair Springs), Oldtown, Etowahton, Helms Mill, Ferryville (later Seddon), Allula, Cottage Hill, Alverson, Neely’s School House, Partlow and Pinkview. Old maps from the 19th century show the locations of some of these communities, while others can be guessed at by the names of the deceased and the relatives mentioned.

These old newspapers and record books are a treasured source of St. Clair County history that will be celebrated as St. Clair turns 200 years old. Mattie Lou Teague Crow, in her History of St. Clair County, records this about our records: “It is remarkable that so many of the original records have been preserved, and today, though fragile with age, may be read in the record room at the Ashville courthouse.

These records were begun and kept in an orderly manner at Alexander Brown’s place at Old Town when Alabama was still a territory. They were next stored and kept in the first log courthouse built in Ashville in 1824. When the central part of the present brick structure was built in 1844, they were transferred there. During the last months of the Civil War, they were carried to Jacksonville, then the county seat of Benton (later Calhoun) County, for safekeeping. Judge Inzer was responsible for their safe return to Ashville when he became probate judge in 1865. These are valuable, rare documents and should be carefully guarded.”

Mattie Lou herself was a grand guarder of documents. It is recorded that as a young woman, seeing “trash” burning on the courthouse yard, she rushed to the fire and began pulling hand-written documents from the flames. Thanks, Mattie Lou, for your love of St. Clair County and her old records. May others follow the trail that you blazed and guard well the treasured records of St. Clair County. l

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Hydroflying comes to Logan Martin Jeremy Deason soars a good 40 feet in the air above Logan Martin Lake, and passersby can’t help but take notice. After all, his hydroflight is something to behold.

He is perfecting his hobby of hydroflying on a FlyBoard, which involves a personal watercraft he controls remotely with an 80-foot hose attached to it, propelling pressurized water through it to a pair of boots equipped with jet nozzles.

The nozzle provides the thrust. And Jeremy’s strong pair of ankles does the rest.

“Holding yourself up is all in the ankles,” he explained. “It’s all within a couple of inches,” he said. “You can either do it or you can’t. It’s not a middle kind of thing.”

Jeremy can definitely do it.

He moves through the water at first, with only head and shoulders showing as the jetted water propels him. “It pushes you through the water like a boat in front of the SeaDoo.” Then, it’s up, up and away, with the pressurized water streaking beneath him like an aircraft or rocket’s contrail.

Constantly in motion, he goes straight up, darts to the left and circles to the right while the unmanned personal watercraft

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ROCKET MAN Story by Carol Pappas Photos by Susan Wall

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

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Dolphin diving

weaves in the water below him.

The pressure is enough to propel him 40 feet in the air. It’s also enough to provide the “dolphin dive,” where Deason dives headlong through the water as much as eight feet, emerging seconds later with head up and then submerging once again. The series of moves looks exactly like the movement of … well, a dolphin.

“If there’s anything out there, he’s going to try it,” said his grandmother, Margaret Weatherby of Leeds.

It used to be motocross.

But as his buddies and he grew older, got married and “life got in the way,” he traded his dozen or so motorcycles in and “searched for something to do on my own.”

As she watched Jeremy 22

Jeremy readies to rocket.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

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Jeremy goes up with neighbor Carson Reynolds.

perform his moves, his Mrs. Weatherby remarked, “He’s always been adventurous.

That’s my boy,” she said, a hint of pride unmistakable in her voice.

And 30-year-old Jeremy, who owns and rents property as a career, doesn’t disappoint. He soars, he dives, he does a back flip. He even heads straight up like a rocket, thrusting both fists in the air as if he is on top of the world. From his vantage point, he probably is.

“When you’re up there, and you watch the sunset, that’s cool,” he said. It’s quite an experience to watch the fish from high above, too. Hydroflying “draws all the fish up, and you can see a bunch of fish on top of the water.”

But sunsets and fish aren’t the only things being watched. The sight of him jetting upward naturally draws onlookers from boats passing by. They tend to get a little too close, he warns, noting that the personal watercraft is unmanned, so there is no control except for his own going up and down and his speed.

He doesn’t mind the attention, but for safety’s sake, he urges boaters to keep their distance.

Jeremy has no plans to try the sport competitively. It’s world cup caliber in Dubai and a huge sensation overseas.

But here at home, he is content to use it simply as a stress reliever. “I work a lot,” he explained. “I have to have something to play, relax and have a good time. This is my something.”

For more photos and videos, check out discoverstclair.com

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

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Jenny Gauld

Her monumental legacy Story by Leigh Pritchett Submitted photos

Dr. Jenny Gauld stood 5 feet 3. Yet, those who knew her said her influence in everything she undertook was monumental.

From rearing children to helping those in need to establishing a new program at a university, she did it with vision and diligence, they say.

“She gave 110 percent at the very least,” said daughter Lee Franklin Shafer of Anniston.

Following a brief illness, 78-year-old Dr. Gauld – who had 6 children (one deceased), 11 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild – passed away on March 14, 2017.

The legacy she left is far reaching.

... as wife and mom Her husband of 40 years, Ernie Gauld of Pell City, described her as “a fun person.”

“She loved people and loved making people happy,” the Rev. Shafer said of her mom.

Denson Franklin III of Birmingham, Dr. Gauld’s son, said his mother was patient and supportive of her children. “We knew she loved us unconditionally.”

An “intense listener, ... she saw value and worth in everyone.”

Not only was she an avid Atlanta Braves fan, but she also was an excellent cook and gardener. “Whenever we would visit, she would send us home with a grocery sack full of tomatoes, pole beans, eggplant, squash and cucumbers,” Franklin recalled.

She was quite the knitter and seamstress too, Franklin continued. “I still have the corduroy Winnie the Pooh she made that was my full-time companion from about age 3 until somebody told me I was too old for dolls!”

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A sign at “Our Place” shelter

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

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Jenny Gauld

Her monumental legacy Jenny, shown with Board Member Sandra Murray, CEO Yolanda Sullivan and Board President Brenda Hackney. at Purse and Passion Luncheon.

Prom night for these girls made special because of Jenny and YWCA’s work.

Jenny and Ernie with her prized 1955 Jaguar

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She and her husband liked antique vehicles and had 10 of them.

Dr. Gauld’s favorite was a 1955 red Jaguar, which she made certain her husband handled with care.

Even in her husband’s hobby, Dr. Gauld was fully committed. As a result, she was named to the board of directors for the Library and Research Center of the Antique Automobile Club of America.

... as a leader For nearly 30 years, Dr. Gauld worked at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where in 1986 she became the institution’s first assistant vice president for enrollment management, said Cindy Roberts Holmes of Hoover. Ms. Holmes was Dr. Gauld’s executive assistant.

Ultimately, Dr. Gauld became vice president of student affairs, the first female to hold a vice presidential position at UAB. The Rev. Shafer credits her mother with being a trailblazer who wanted women to be “known for their brains and skills. ... Because of women like Mom, who broke down the barriers between men and women in the ‘70s, I have had a much easier time in my career as an Episcopal priest, another role that was historically reserved for men.”

Some UAB projects that bore Dr. Gauld’s fingerprint included the Campus Recreation Center, the Commons on the Green dining facility, and the transition from a “commuter school” to a fullservice institution, according to the UAB National Alumni Society and UAB News Archives. Early admission to UAB’s medical school was also one of her projects, states another source.

“She is credited with leading UAB in enrollment growth and was strongly committed to diversity,” said Stella Cocoris of Hoover, who retired from UAB as assistant vice president for enrollment services and university registrar. “Under her leadership, a pioneering program in minority recruitment and retention graduated hundreds of students who are now professionals in the fields of health, law, business and more.

“Jenny’s vision and drive helped change UAB from its wellestablished and long-standing image as a ‘commuter school’ to that of a vibrant residential campus with a full complement of student programs and activities – the UAB of today.” ... as a visionary Dr. Gauld’s time away from the office was no different.

In 1985, for example, she was a volunteer with Family Violence Project that later came to be a service of the YWCA Central Alabama, said Suzanne Durham of Cook Springs, YWCA’s chief executive officer for 34 years. YWCA Central Alabama is based in Birmingham.

A year later, Dr. Gauld was named to the YWCA board of directors. In four more years, she was president, a post she held five years, Ms. Durham said.

In 2000, Dr. Gauld helped to start the Purse & Passion Luncheon in Birmingham to raise funds for the YWCA emergency shelter and services.

After her time as president, “she co-chaired two capital campaigns that each raised close to $15 million,” Ms. Durham said. “The campaign in 2006-2008 raised funds to bring a domestic violence shelter to St. Clair County and build a new family homeless shelter and affordable housing in a neighborhood close to downtown Birmingham.”

The YWCA board planned to surprise Dr. Gauld by naming the St. Clair shelter “Jenny’s Place.” Dr. Gauld, however, wanted people to feel dignity in saying they live at “Our Place” instead of at “Jenny’s Place.” Thus, it is called “Our Place” at her request.

Nine years after Purse & Passion commenced in Birmingham, Dr. Gauld duplicated that annual fundraiser in Pell City. “Since

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

Jenny Gauld Tireless Advocate • Fearless Leader • Compassionate Neighbor • Devoted Friend We will forever be grateful for the impact she made on the lives of countless women, children and families in crisis.

Her legacy is as big as her heart.

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Jenny Gauld

Her monumental legacy then, Purse & Passion St. Clair County has raised nearly $500,000 in vital funding to support Our Place,” YWCA officials say. Dr. Gauld’s efforts were recognized in a special tribute at the 2016 event.

Before bringing Purse & Passion to St. Clair County, Dr. Gauld helped to establish the YWCA’s Prom Palooza locally. Through this endeavor, teen girls in need in St. Clair receive a free gown, accessories and shoes for their special night.

... as the achiever A native of Gadsden, Virginia Gauld earned her bachelor’s degree in education from Emory University. From the University of Alabama, she received both a master’s in rehabilitation counseling and a doctorate in higher education administration. She began her career in 1967 as a first-grade teacher and joined the staff of UAB in 1977.

The Virginia D. Gauld National Alumni Society Endowed Scholarship was established at UAB in her honor. She retired from UAB in 2006.

According to UAB News Archives, Birmingham News deemed her “one of Birmingham’s most influential women,” and Birmingham Business Journal named her “one of the top 10 Birmingham women.” She served with the National Conference for Community Justice and Cahaba Girl Scout Council.

In addition, she was a graduate of Leadership Alabama and Leadership Birmingham, and served on the Jefferson State Community College advisory board.

After moving to Pell City, she was “citizen of the year,” a member of the boards of directors for Rotary Club of Pell City, Pell City Housing Authority and Pell City Center for Education and Performing Arts (CEPA). She was active in many facets of Pell City First United Methodist Church.

Ms. Cocoris, who worked with Dr. Gauld 20 years, found her to be a woman of integrity. “She was compassionate, passionate about her work, and the epitome of commitment and dedication to UAB and her many community-based interests, especially the YWCA. ... She would never ask someone to do work she was unwilling to do herself. ... She had an innate ability to identify and value an individual’s unique skills and, in doing so, gave many people the gift of better knowing and valuing themselves.” ... as a friend During the challenging years of establishing a new program at UAB, a bond of trust developed between Ms. Holmes and Dr. Gauld that grew stronger and stronger.

They were known as the “dynamic duo.”

“We were best friends,” said Ms. Holmes, who became Dr. Gauld’s assistant in 1984. “She loved my family, and I loved hers.”

When Ms. Holmes’ husband suddenly became gravely ill in 2003, Dr. Gauld accomplished the near impossible, setting up in only two days a scholarship in his name before his passing.

“Jenny Gauld was the one person who made the most impact on who I am today,” Ms. Holmes continued. “She was my mentor, my best friend and my soul mate. She touched everyone she knew in a special way, but none more than me.”

She had a gift for making people feel special.

One day in 2008, Brenda Wyatt of Pell City answered her telephone to hear, “This is Jenny Gauld. I’ve been told you are someone I need to meet.”

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Ernie and Jenny Gauld; daughterin-law Ann Gauld and husband Jimmy Gauld Dr. Gauld had contacted Mrs. Wyatt because both of them shared a desire to help women and children in crisis or poverty.

Immediately, the two women connected. “There was something about Jenny that made me feel as if we had known each other all of our lives,” Mrs. Wyatt recounted.

During the many hours spent planning an emergency shelter for women and children, a precious friendship blossomed between Mrs. Wyatt and Dr. Gauld.

“My life is immensely richer for having known Dr. Virginia Gauld,” Mrs. Wyatt said. “To be called her friend will always be considered one of the great honors of my life. ... She did not need to know me. Quite the contrary, I needed to know her. And for that, I will be forever enriched and grateful.” l Purse & Passion is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 24, at 11:30 a.m. at the Beacon of Pell City First United Methodist Church. If anyone is interested in hosting a table or attending the fundraiser as a guest, they can contact Liz Major at lmajor@ywcabham.org or (205) 322-9922 ext. 350 for more information.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

Farm to Table

ST. CLAIR COUNTY STYLE

Story by Elaine Hobson Miller Photos by Susan Wall Styling by Renee Lilly Home-grown and home-cooked are as common as kudzu around St. Clair County. You don’t have to go far to pick blueberries, find fresh eggs, fresh produce or grass-fed beef and pork, or to satisfy your sweet tooth. When it comes to culinary delights, St. Clair can hold its own.

Drop by Wadsworth Blueberry Farm in Cropwell, owned and operated by Mike and Jeanette Wadsworth, and pick blueberries whenever you want them during berry season. That’s usually early June to mid-July, unless the rains wash away the crop like they did this year. “We closed earlier because there were no more blueberries,” Mike says. “You can check our Facebook page to know when we’ll be open for picking again.”

The farm operates on an honor system, with pickers filling their baskets and placing their money into a box provided.

“It used to be a You-Pick or We-Pick place, but we’re phasing out the ‘We-Pick’ side of the business,” Mike says.

Wadsworth’s blueberries are the star of many a recipe Jeanette whips up for family and friends, such as her locally famous Very Berry Salad and Blueberry Bars. A new star has just debuted at Wadsworth Farm – Blueberry Bread Pudding with a blueberry cream sauce.

At Red Hill Farms, also in Cropwell, Vaughan and Christa Bryant sell their pasture-fed cows and free-range pigs by the half or whole, and their packaged ground beef, sausage, pork roasts and chops, as well as various cuts of beef roasts, cubed steaks and stew meat, from their garage on Saturday mornings.

Their beef by the half will be ready soon, and they may still have some half or whole pigs left. The prices for their packaged pork range from $5 per pound for sausage and $7.50 per pound for bacon to $9 per pound for chops. Their beef prices range from $5.50 per pound for ground beef to $12 per pound for London broil and flank steak.

If you’re hankering for fresh fruits and vegetables, look no farther than the Mater Shack on U.S. 231 North between Ashville and the I-59 exit. Owned by Greg and Brandy Weston, the Shack sells fresh produce from their own Weston Farm during the summer, and imports from other places the remainder of the year.

“We start picking in July and go through mid-October,” says Brandy Weston. “We

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Farm to Table grow green beans, tomatoes, squash, okra, cantaloupes, watermelons, a big variety of peppers and zucchini.”

They also grow pears, which are available for about a month beginning late August or early September, and a variety of pumpkins. “Our fresh peaches and corn (at the Mater Shack) are local but come from Allman Farms, which is near ours,” Brandy says. “Our eggs come from Clarence Harris and Eddie McElroy, who also live in St. Clair County.”

Dayspring Dairy in Gallant, Alabama’s only sheep dairy, produces cheeses, dips and caramel spreads sold at farmers’ markets in Birmingham (Pepper Place), Atlanta (Piedmont Park) and Huntsville (Madison City). They also have a small farm store on their property.

Their products include aged cheeses such as gouda and manchego, fresh cheeses such as feta, halloumi and ricotta, a variety of cheese spreads, and a caramel sauce. Their Basil Peppercorn Fresca cheese spread makes a great base for a BLT or tomato sandwich.

You can pour their caramel sauces (vanilla bean or bourbon flavored) over brownies and ice cream, or dip apple slices into them.

When you’re ready for dessert, try the Pecan-Pie Bars at Canoe Creek Coffee on US 231 South, also between downtown Ashville and I-59. It’s just one of their many fresh-baked pastry items. They have branched out into breakfast and lunch panini sandwiches, too.

“The most popular is our turkey sandwich, and second would be our BLT, followed by our homemade pimento cheese with bacon and tomato on it,” says Sara Jane Bailey, daughter of owners Mike and Alison Bailey. The shop is noted for its coffees, smoothies, tea and bottled soft drinks, too.

“Come in every Saturday mornings from 9am-11am and hear piano hymns, Celtic, classic and bluegrass by Matthew Bailey,” Sarah Jane says, speaking about her brother. “If you would like to bring

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

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Homestyle veggies, mac & cheese, fried chicken, country-fried steak, pork chops, meatloaf, cornbread, rolls, desserts.

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Farm to Table

an instrument, we would love to have them.

All musicians get a free breakfast sandwich and coffee.”

When it comes to a dessert that gets rave reviews and a spotless plate when dessert is done, check out the Pell City Steakhouse. The local fixture famous for its steaks is just as well known for its pies, which are baked by Shirley Posey and Peggy Reynolds. “They bake sweet potato, pumpkin when people want it, pecan, apple, old-fashioned chocolate and, of course, lemon icebox pie,” says owner Joe Wheeler. “People can buy it by the slice or they can get a whole pie to go.”

They don’t have every variety every day, Wheeler says, and he suggests calling ahead (205-338-7714) if you want a whole pie.

Still haven’t satisfied that craving for something sweet? Try Frankie’s Fried Pies or Al Strickland’s fudge.

For 22 years, Pell City’s Frankie Underwood has been making fried pies for friends and former co-workers at two local banks. “I was working at Colonial Bank, and that’s when I started doing some, and all of a sudden, it just exploded,” she says. “I don’t know why I keep doing it.” But she does, at the rate of about 150 per week. She makes lemon, chocolate, apple and cherry pies in her home kitchen.

Al Strickland is known around Springville as The Fudge Man. He makes 14 varieties of the candy that people buy for gifts or for themselves. Although his cottage industry helps support the Christian mission work he does through OneEighty Church, he gives away as much as he sells. “My fudge is my ministry,” he says. Al makes fudge all year round, but his busy season is the fall. “I make 36 pounds a week then,” he says. “At Christmas, I sell some good-sized orders that people box up and give away.”

He prices his fudge for $10-$14 per pound, depending upon the variety and amount ordered. He keeps four or five pounds in his refrigerator all year, and delivers if the customer wants several pounds. He also ships some to people in other states whom he has met during his mission trips. To place an order, call Al at 205-999-5508.

Honey can be used to sweeten any recipe, and Jimmy Carmack of Odenville has been making some of the sweetest honey in the state since 1973. He has about 200 colonies of bees spread between Mobile and Huntsville, and primarily produces wildflower honey, cotton honey and occasionally kudzu honey.

His honeys have won numerous local, state and national ribbons. In 2007, Whole Foods Market, a national grocery chain, opened their first store in Alabama and contacted Carmack

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

Farm to Table

to be their local honey supplier after sampling a variety of honeys from this area. His honey is now in all their locations throughout the state.

In St. Clair County, you can buy his Pure Alabama Honey at C & R Feed Supply and Piggly Wiggly on U.S. 411 in Odenville, at BJ Produce on U.S. 231 in Pell City, at Moody Produce on U.S. 411 in Moody (behind the Chevron station), at Pioneer Hardware on Thornton Avenue in Leeds and at C & R Feed on U.S. 231 in Ragland and Piggly Wiggly in Ashville.

Nearby Birmingham may be growing a reputation as a “foodie” capital, but when it comes to setting that perfect farm to table fare, it’s hard to beat St. Clair County’s style. l Editor’s Note: To learn more about these locally grown, locally made products, check them out on Facebook for Red Hill Farms, Wadsworth Blueberry Farm, Dayspring Dairy and Canoe Creek Coffee.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO CREATE A COVER It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes a community of friends, farmers, bakers and good cooks to produce this issue’s cover of Discover.

Thank you to: • Renee Lilly for the food styling of our table • The Barn at Dry Creek Farms for providing the perfect backdrop • Jeanette and Mike Wadsworth of Wadsworth Blueberry Farm for blueberry dishes • Vaughan and Christa Bryant of Red Hill Farms for baby back ribs and burgers topped with bacon • Frankie Underwood for fried pies • Canoe Creek Coffee for pecan pie bars • Greg and Ana Kelly of Dayspring Dairy for sheep’s milk Feta cheese and True Ewe caramel sauces • Weston Farms and Mater Shack for fresh vegetables • Pell City Steakhouse for lemon icebox pie • Jack Fincher for fresh produce from his garden • Rita Fincher for home-canned vegetables, relishes and jam • Al Strickland for the fudge • Clarence Harris and Eddie McElroy for farm fresh eggs • All of the above for providing the most delicious photo shoot ever for our crew!

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

Farm to Table

When it comes to preparing a memorable menu, it’s hard to rival these. Here is a sampling of some of the recipes in dishes found on our cover this month as well as a few extras. Enjoy!

Jeanette Wadsworth’s Blueberry Bread Pudding 12 oz. loaf French bread, cubed 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature 5 eggs, beaten 2-1/2 cup half & half 1 c. sugar 1 c. blueberries Grease 9 x 13 dish. Arrange bread cubes in dish.

Combine all other ingredients, except blueberries.

Pour custard mixture over bread. Press bread down until covered by mixture, using a plate if necessary. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, remove wrap and any weights. Gently stir the blueberries into mixture. Bake at 350º. Bake for 30 minutes loosely covered, then another 30 minutes until browned and set.

Serve with blueberry sauce.

Special Recipes for your table Blueberry Sauce 1 c. sugar 2 Tbsps. cornstarch 1 c. water 1 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen 1 Tbsp. butter Hint: Blueberry Sauce can be made ahead of time. Refrigerate, then warm up before serving.

Stir together 1 cup sugar and 2 Tbls. cornstarch in a medium sauce pan. Add 1 cup water and stir until smooth. Stir well so cornstarch won’t be clumpy. Heat to boiling and stir 2-3 minutes until thickened. Add 1 cup blueberries, simmer 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until blueberries start to burst (leave some whole). Turn heat off the blueberry sauce and stir in 1 Tbls. butter. Store in plastic or glass container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Brandy Weston’s Squash Casserole 2 Tbs. butter or margarine 6 medium or large squash (from The Mater Shack) 1 Vidalia onion 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 1 cup cheddar cheese 1/2 cup sour cream Salt and pepper to taste 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers Preset oven to 350 degrees On stove top, sauté thinly-cut squash and onion with butter or margarine. When done set on paper towel to drain excess oil.

Combine squash and onion mixture with 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, 1 cup cheddar cheese, and 1/2 cup of sour cream.

Place in non-stick cooking pan. Top with crumbled Ritz crackers and bake until golden brown.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

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Christa Bryant’s Oven Baked BBQ Ribs 2 racks pork ribs (about 6 lbs.) from Red Hill Farms 1 jar barbecue sauce

Dry Rub

Christa Bryant’s Grass-fed Beef Burgers Makes 6 patties Prep time: 15 min Cook time: 10 min 2 1/2 pounds 80/20 ground chuck (from Red Hill Farms) 1 Tbs. garlic powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/2 Tbs. onion powder 1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 2 Tbs. butter Make the spice mixture by mixing the Worcestershire, olive oil, garlic and onion powders, salt and pepper together.

Add the spice mixture to the ground chuck.

Massage the mixture into the meat.

Create six tennis-sized balls with the meat.

Compress the meat with your thumbs to create patties.

Take a pinch of meat out of the center of each patty. Reserve the meat.

Add a cube of butter to each patty.

Replace the removed meat back to each patty, fully covering the butter.

Grill the patties on high heat, 6 minutes on the first side, then 4-5 minutes on the second side.

Let meat rest for 5 minutes.

Serve with your favorite veggies and condiments.

1/2 cup brown sugar 1 Tbs. garlic powder 1 Tbs. onion powder 1 tsp. salt 1 Tbs. chili powder 2 tsp. cumin 2 Tbs. smoked paprika 12 tsp. cayenne pepper, depending on the heat level you like Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

In a small bowl. mix dry rub ingredients until combined and set aside.

Rinse pork ribs and pat dry with paper towels.

Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs, directions in post (optional) Spread the dry rub all over the ribs, making sure to cover both sides.

Wrap ribs tightly in foil, place on baking sheet.

Bake for 3 hours for spare ribs, 2 hours for baby back ribs or until fork tender.

Open foil and drain the liquid from the ribs.

Brush your favorite barbecue sauce on the ribs, broil for 5 minutes.

Remove and let the ribs rest 5-10 minutes before cutting.

Above recipe by Bri McKoy at oursavorylife.com/the-best-burger-recipe-sogood-the-bun-gets-in-the-way 40

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

Jeanette Wadsworth’s Very Berry Salad 1/4 cup Honey 2 Tbs. orange liqueur 1 Tbs. lemon juice 4 cups fresh blueberries (from Wadsworth Farms), washed and dried 3 cups thinly sliced strawberries 1 cup fresh basil, finely slivered 1 1/2 cups chopped, toasted pecans Freshly cracked black pepper Baby salad greens Feta cheese (from Dayspring Dairy in Gallant), optional Combine honey, orange liqueur and lemon juice. One hour before serving, combine blueberries, strawberries and honey mixture. Refrigerate. To serve as a side salad, line eight salad plates with baby greens and divide berry mixture evenly between the plates. Top with basil, toasted pecans and black pepper.

This recipe serves two as a dinner salad when topped with crumbled feta cheese.

Apple & Manchego Tapas (tapas = small meal in Spain)

One medium-size Honey Crisp, Pink Lady or Granny Smith Apple Manchego cheese (from Dayspring Dairy in Gallant) Pure Alabama Honey (from Jimmy Carmack in Odenville) 10-12 walnut halves Slice apple in medium-sized wedges. Slice cheese into same-size wedges. Place apple slices on a plate, top with cheese wedges, drizzle with honey. Serve with walnut halves and glass of your favorite wine.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

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Toast bread, if desired. Sprinkle tomato slices with salt and pepper. Spread desired amount of cheese over slices of bread. Top with tomato slices and basil leaves. Makes 2 sandwiches.

Al Strickland’s Peanut Butter Fudge (Makes about 6 pounds)

2 sticks of margarine 12 ounces of evaporated milk 6 cups sugar 1 28-oz. jar smooth peanut butter 1 7-oz. jars marshmallow cream Melt margarine, add evaporated milk. Then add sugar and start stirring. Don’t stop. Slowly bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil 10 minutes, turn off heat. Add peanut butter, then marshmallow cream. Mix well. Beat with hand mixer on low speed for two to four minutes. Pour into two 9x12-inch pans that have been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Put in refrigerator for one hour. Cut into pieces, serve and enjoy!

Ana Kelly’s Tomato Sandwich

4 slices favorite bread 1 heirloom tomato, thinly sliced Salt and Freshly ground black pepper 1 tub Dayspring Dairy Sea Salt or Basil Fresca Fresh basil leaves or lettuce 42

Peggy Reynolds’ Lemon Icebox Pie

(Served at Pell City Steakhouse) Filling: 2 cans Eagle-brand sweetened, condensed milk 3 eggs yolks 1/2 cup commercial, real lemon juice Juice from 4 fresh lemons 1 9-inch graham cracker pie crust Topping: Whites of 3 eggs 1 tsp. sugar Combine filling ingredients and pour into the pie crust.

Beat egg whites until fluffy, then add sugar and beat 2 minutes more.

Spread topping over pie and bake in 350-degree oven until topping is brown.

Remove from oven and allow pie to cool.

Refrigerate for one hour.

Caramel Cinnamon Rolls

Bake your favorite cinnamon rolls and drizzle with True Ewe Vanilla Bean Caramel from Dayspring Dairy.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

Cool off this summer on your new boat!

From cattle crossing to boomtown Story by Paul South Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr. Moody Realtor Paula Krafft grew up in nearby Leeds and has a vivid, fond childhood memory of the city when it was literally a nostoplight town.

“We used to come through Moody on the way to the lake,” Krafft said, recalling family vacations on Logan Martin. “There was no stoplight, no stop sign. The only thing that stopped the traffic was a couple of times during the day, cattle would cross the road.”

The cows wouldn’t recognize their old stomping ground today.

Moody is one of the fastest growing cities in Alabama. According to 2016 population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau, Moody is the 14th fastest growing city in Alabama. Estimated growth – compared to 2010 census data – is 1,097, nearly 10 percent.

Average household income exceeds the national average.

At its heart, Moody’s growth can be attributed to the old real estate mantra: Location.

Location. Location. With Interstate 20 and US

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Moody

ALABAMA

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Moody

New Moody Civic Center a hit with citizens

Publix anchors renovated shopping center 411 bisecting the city, as well as proximity to Birmingham (15 minutes from downtown) and the Honda plant in Lincoln (20 minutes in the opposite direction), Moody’s geography is key.

Add to the equation, good schools, low crime, a mixed economy of industry, retail and agriculture, and available land and infrastructure for family-friendly residential development, and you have a formula for success.

Moody’s history also tells a story of a city with an independent streak. North Carolinians, led by Epps Moody, began settling in the area in 1820. During the Civil War, according to Mattie Lou Teague Crowe’s History of St. Clair County, the majority of citizens, nonslaveowners, were pro-Union. Some locals were forcibly conscripted into the Confederate army, but deserted and fought on the Union side.

In the post-war period, Moody rapidly grew and was home to a gristmill and other retail establishments, a harbinger of its present-day economy. Today, because of its proximity to Birmingham and Interstate 20, Moody has experienced population and rapid economic growth, St. Clair County Economic Development Authority Executive Director Don Smith said.

Retail has helped spark the boom. Well-known chains like Love’s Travel Stop and the regional grocer Publix, along with locally-owned concerns like Carpenetti’s Pizza, have made a difference in Moody’s bottom line.

“It absolutely makes a difference,” said Mayor Joe Lee. “The presence of one travel center here (Love’s) changed the way we do business.”

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Enjoying the splash pad

He added: “With the Love’s Travel Center coming here, we were able to tear down and revitalize a shopping center and bring Publix in; without the travel center, we wouldn’t have been able to lose that shopping center for a year while we rebuilt it.”

Growth came rapidly to Moody, Lee said, in part because of rezoning. Younger families have gravitated to the town, and the median household income is $59,000, Lee said.

Another economic driver is the proximity to the Talladega Superspeedway and Barber Motorsports Park.

Moody’s hotel rooms – some 200 – fill up quickly for race weekends at the two tracks, said Andrea Machen, executive director of the Moody Chamber of Commerce.

“We’re kind of unique because we’re sandwiched in between Barber Motorsports on one side and the Honda

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Moody

plant and Talladega Superspeedway on the other..

Barber generates a lot of tax revenue for the city.”

A comparison of the city budget from 1992, when Lee became mayor until today is jaw-dropping.

“When I became mayor, the budget was about $900,000,” Lee said. “Today, it’s close to $11 million. It goes back to location you know; everybody wants to locate close to I-20.”

The mayor sees the growth firsthand with every new day.

“When I first moved here in 1978, there were four acres and no one around me,” Lee said. “Now I have 600 neighbors.”

Safe City

First responders play important role in Moody.

Moody police an integral part of Safe City designation 48

That bottom-line population and revenue growth has meant improved infrastructure for the city, meaning better fire, police and EMS protection and better parks and recreation. But with seven new subdivisions online in Moody, keeping pace with that growth is hard work.”

“That’s the biggest challenge,” Lee said. “The biggest difficulty is providing the services and staying up with the growth.”

Moody leaders are paying attention not only to the numbers, but how the city grows, with ordinances governing signage, construction standards and the like.

Growth has also impacted emergency services.

The Moody Fire Department is in the process of buying a new fire truck and down the road, building a new fire station.

Chief Joe Nobles said that these improvements in the fire service may lead to a higher fire protection rating, which means lower insurance premiums for home and business owners. The size of the fire department was only two people on a shift only a decade ago. That number has doubled and there are 11 part-time firefighters available to serve. Medical response service has also grown.

“We’re trying to keep up with the growth,” Nobles said. “Hopefully, in the next couple of years we can add another station and increase personnel.”

The department offers CPR and first aid classes.

The department has also placed three AEDs (Automatic Electronic Defibrillators, two at the park and one at the civic center) to respond to cardiac episodes at those popular venues.

From a law enforcement perspective, Police Chief Thomas Hunt pointed to Moody’s ranking as one of Alabama’s 10 safest cities in each of the last three years. Though the growth has meant more calls, the actual crime remains unchanged. It all goes back to Moody, its values and its people, Hunt said.

“One thing I always tell our guys is to treat people the way you would want to be treated,” Hunt said.

Over the past three years, the police department has conducted a Citizens Police Academy, aimed at maintaining positive relationships between law enforcement and the community it serves.

The department is also active in developing relationships with Moody’s schools and their students

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Moody Miracle League shows city’s heart.

Recreation reigns

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In recreation, Moody was one of the first communities in Alabama to build a Miracle League field, opening the door to playing baseball to special needs children and adults of all ages. Parks and Recreation Director Mike Staggs said that while finding space is a concern, increased population means increased participation in recreation programs. That translates to opportunities to grow revenue. A new civic center opened last fall.

“We’re able to provide our citizens with more space and more opportunities,” Staggs said. Directly, some 1,200 residents participate in programs ranging from flag football to adult softball. During peak soccer and football seasons, some 3,200 people are in the park.

The new civic center has also boosted youth basketball from about 125 participants to more than 200. Fitness classes – yoga, jazzercise, etc. – anticipated 800 participants in the first year. But more than 1,200 have registered for classes. There’s also state of the art cardio facilities.

For the future, walking trails, bike trails, Frisbee golf and other sports may be part of recreation offerings, Staggs said.

“With the growth we’ve experienced in the last couple of years, we’re getting citizens that are expecting particular services we haven’t offered in the past,” Staggs said. “They look for those hiking trails and Frisbee golf, things we hadn’t considered several years ago. We always need more athletic fields, but we want to be sensitive to what everybody else wants.”

He added, “It’s not just little boys and little girls playing baseball and softball anymore. People want a variety of options. That’s something we’re sensitive to.”

A new library is also part of the landscape.

Moody’s allure: A town for all

Along with the draw from nearby auto racing, Moody also attracts big crowds for annual events, like Oktoberfest in the fall, fireworks in July, a spring car show and the Christmas parade each December.

When visitors come to Moody, Chamber Executive Director Andrea Machen said, she wants there to be a “wow factor,” as they arrive.

Another city leader who wants to see more people fall in love with the town is Mayor Pro Tempore Linda Crowe. She was elected to the council in 1996 and mayor pro tem in 2003.

“We try to accommodate the citizens of Moody,” she said.

“We strive to do that.”

A lifelong resident of Moody, Crowe has seen it move from an agricultural area to a multi-use municipality.

“My thing is planning and zoning,” she said. “We want to do that as best we can and then keep up with the growth.”

Widening US 411 is pivotal to managing the growth, Crowe said. The towns of Moody, Odenville and Margaret are like

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52

pearls on the asphalt strand on the roadway that can see traffic tie-ups, especially during the school year.

“I just don’t want to see it become another (US) 280,” she said. “But it’s going to be another five years before we can get that done. “She added, “You’ve got to get your traffic flowing. If people are stopped, they’re not going to be happy.”

Like Machen, she wants to see more retail and restaurants.

Family is the touchstone that kept Crowe in her hometown. She taught government and economics at Moody High. Except for a few years in Washington, D.C., while her husband was in the military, Moody has always been home.

“We’re growing, but it’s still that smalltown feel,” she said. “That’s what makes Moody click.”

When tragedy strikes, like when Moody Police Officer Keith Turner was killed in the line of duty, or when tornadoes struck in 2011, people come together.

“That’s what makes our town great.

People just came and said, ‘What can I do?’”

In the last century in neighboring Birmingham, four large buildings occupied the four corners at the intersection of First Avenue and 20th Street, earning it the nickname of “The Heaviest Corner in the World.”

Today, at the four corners that bound Moody Crossroads, there is a stoplight.

And while it may not be a ‘heavy” corner with impressive brick and mortar buildings, Moody’s main intersection speaks volumes about its heart and spirit.

Don Smith illustrated the point, using the old Moody Crossroads.

“At the heart of their community, they have city hall, fire and police protection, he said. “In another quadrant, they have an incredible sports park with baseball, football and soccer fields … and one of the first and only “Miracle League” fields in the state. You also have small business, Carpenetti’s and a hair salon (on another quadrant). Then on another quadrant you have a church, The Gathering Place.”

He added, “If you look at (Moody) just at those four corners, it really speaks about the strength and the heart of the community: Families and children, small business, city government, police and fire protection and the church.”

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Moody

Why they got here from there

Story by Paul South Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr. One of the established mom-and-pop businesses in Moody that has witnessed the city’s emergence as a thriving city is Carpenetti’s Pizza. After all, it has been a part of it.

The restaurant celebrates its 20th anniversary this month.

Frank Carpenetti, a master machinist by trade, came to Moody in 1993 from upstate New York to help run a company. When it didn’t work out, he opened the restaurant. Now in its third different spot, Carpenetti’s is now across the street from the ball park.

These days, folks flock for his homemade pizza, lasagna and cheesy calzones. Everything is made from scratch, except for the pasta, which is imported from Italy. And slowly but surely, Carpenetti’s family – parents and siblings – traveled south to join Carpenetti, his wife and children in Moody.

“I love Moody,” Carpenetti said. “It’s where I want to be. It’s hard to explain. But it’s the people. We’re close to everything, but we’re far enough away. I like the small-town feel. I’m not a

54

city guy. Moody is a great place.”

As for his restaurant, Carpenetti said, “I’ve got my fingers crossed, but after 20 years, it’s working out.”

Andrea Machen has seen a dozen new subdivisions come online in her 11 years as executive director of the Moody Chamber of Commerce. More people and more businesses are flocking to Moody.

Realtor Paula Krafft agreed. New rooftops are sprouting in the subdivisions, but the real estate landscape is changing from a buyer’s market to more seller friendly.

“Values are increasing. Building is increasing. We have strong demand, but really low inventory,” Krafft said. “I weathered the recession, and now we’re starting to see a stronger market.

Anytime you see rooftops going up and custom building going on, that’s a good sign.”

For Machen, a Sunday drive with her husband to Moody changed the Birmingham native’s life.

“We came out here, and three days later, we had a contract on a house,” she said. “We came out here and fell in love with it.” Shortly after moving to Moody, she went to work for the chamber.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

The one-time self-described “city girl,” now says, “I feel like I’m a hometown girl.”

Unlike other communities that experience an explosion in population, Moody’s story differs.

“We’ve done a really good job in that we’ve not experienced those growing pains,” Machen said. “The mayor and council try to look forward and see what could come with growth, so we are already in the process of widening US 411 to deal with the traffic. We have done a good job in preparing for growth.”

The Chamber’s emphasis has been on trying to attract more retail.

“We’d like to see more retail. We have a couple of boutiques that have opened, and that’s good. But we’d like to see some of the bigger box stores to be able to get the kids something when they need it, so you don’t have to run into (Birmingham). We’re looking for clothing retail, home retail. We’re hopeful we’re going to have something here soon.”

Larger industries are also part of the economic picture. Globally known Red Diamond is headquartered there. The industrial park and nearby properties boast names with far reaching reputations, too. JB Exotic Foods, Processor’s Choice, Vulcan Industries, SKF are among the leading industries that call Moody home. And Gardner Denver Nash, a subsidiary of Gardner Denver, a global provider of high quality industrial equipment, services, and technology is coming to a 52,000 square foot facility in Moody.

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A place for miracles

But Moody’s greatest allure is its heart. There is probably no greater example of that than the Miracle Field and the Moody Miracle League.

The first of its kind in the state, it serves players with mental and/or physical challenges in St. Clair, Etowah, Jefferson, Shelby, Talladega, Blount and Calhoun counties, offering them an opportunity and a place to play baseball. Because, as they say, “Every child deserves a chance to play baseball.”

With Moody as a trailblazer, other communities have followed suit, helping them reap the same inspiring rewards that Moody citizens know come hand in hand with the Miracle League.

“There is something about playing the game of baseball that lights up individuals, but for people facing mental and physical challenges, that opportunity can be often a difficult first test,” according to its website.

Moody overcame that challenge. The field has been a centerpiece of the city’s park for years now, and its sign appropriately proclaims: “Where Miracles Happen.”

Mayor Pro Tem Linda Crowe pointed to the Miracle League field that sits like a crown jewel in the center of the park as a beacon for the city.

“We’re just special. We could have put (the Miracle Field) anywhere, but it’s right there for people to see that our park is for everybody. That’s Moody. Moody is a town for everybody.”

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Moody

A Legacy of Caring

St. Clair native impacts lives through work as doctor

Story by Iva Jewel Tucker Photos by Carol Pappas Dr. James E. Moody doesn’t mind talking about his great-grandfather, Epps Moody, who founded the town that bears his name.

At first, the little village was known as Moody Crossroads, but that name was dropped after the town of Moody grew to become a thriving city in St. Clair County, one of the fastest growing in Alabama.

Epps Moody, a farmer in the productive land of St. Clair County, was the father of Jim Moody’s grandfather John Wiley Moody. And while his career took him away from St. Clair County, he never forgets his roots.

Dr. Jim Moody, now 89, served most of his 51-year professional career in Hartselle, Alabama, and is now retired in Vestavia Hills. He was born in Ashville, the son of Ellis Moody and Annie Lou Floyd Moody.

He comes from a long line of wellknown St. Clair Countians. Jim Moody’s dad was superintendent of Education in St. Clair County, always teaching or working in administration.

Jim remembers his early years in Ashville mostly playing active games. He loved most any activities as long as they involved running outdoors. He started to school in Ashville, continuing his education in North Alabama. He graduated from high school in Boaz when his father was dean at Snead State Community College.

A dormitory known as Sensation Hall was Jim Moody’s next home when he attended Howard College (now Samford University) in Birmingham. He nurtures positive memories of these college days, for it was at Howard he met his future wife, Jo Ann Burroughs of Fairfax. His college major was Science, but he had no plans to be a doctor at the time. After graduation, he served in the Navy where his principal assignment was at the National Navy Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Working as an electrocardiogram technician with interns, doctors, nurses and other medical professionals led to his determination to become a doctor.

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Dr. Jim Moody in retirement

Following his naval service Jim Moody married Jo Ann and entered the University of Alabama School of Medicine. His residency as a medical doctor was served at Carraway Hospital in Birmingham.

Dr. Moody, a versatile physician

More than 10,000 babies were born with Dr. Moody’s help – mostly in the hospital but also in homes and even in a car at the side of the road. House calls were still on his schedule long after they were passé. On one busy day, this dedicated doctor made eight house calls. He performed needed operations almost all day six days a week, including appendectomies, mastectomies, tonsillectomies, cesarean sections, thyroidectomies, and colonoscopies.

Illustrating how busy and dedicated this doctor was, Moody even gave blood while he was operating. Often Dr. Moody skipped lunch when he was needed in the operating room. Sometimes a nurse held up a cup of orange juice for the surgeon to sip from a straw as he continued an operation. One year, he performed 144 hysterectomies.

On one occasion when he was operating on a youth, more blood was needed. None

of the blood type was available, and the surgeon himself donated blood as he continued the operation.

In addition to his specialty of surgery, he treated patients who suffered many different maladies. A few of these were automobile accident injuries, traumatic orthopedics, broken arms, legs, hips, and many other medical emergencies.

On a weekend after an ice storm in Hartselle, he treated nine fractured hips.

Listener Par Excellence

Jim Moody’s hands were incredibly busy for half a century. Those skillful hands saved many lives in the operating room as they were guided by his superior intellect.

But there was more.

The tender-hearted doctor listened to countless children, youth and adults as they shared their disappointments, tears, and fears they did not want to tell anyone else.

He looked children straight in the eyes as they told him they were scared at school or mistreated at home.

This quiet doctor was a superior listener, showing concern when patients talked about their troubles. His devoted patients

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Moody knew he cared about them. As they talked with the doctor about their innermost feelings, pain and hurt, they knew he was not thinking of anything else. He listened with love, genuinely caring about his patients. He proved it for 51 years.

New hip for old man

Some might call it unbelievable. For Dr. Moody, it was giving a patient what he wanted.

Everyone said the man was too old for hip replacement. There might have been a few who told him to go for it, but how many 101-year-olds want surgery anyway? This man did, and Dr. Moody agreed. He did not use the customary general anesthesia, but deadened the affected area. After a time, the patient’s broken hip was removed and the new hip positioned and secured.

Dr. Moody was ready for transporters to move the patient back to his room. The patient spoke up, “No gurney or wheelchair needed. I want to walk back to my room.”

Again, he gave the patient what he wanted. Dr. Moody walked beside the patient down the hall to his room where nurses helped him into the bed. This brave man with a new hip courtesy of Dr. Moody walked around for several more years.

A storied career

Compelling stories of fighting the odds and winning abounded throughout Dr. Moody’s career. In particular, he recalled a young man as victim of a tragic accident.

When the teenaged football player agreed to help his dad with the backhoe one day, he had no idea his life would be changed forever. While the blades were in action, the youth lost his balance and fell into the backhoe. His defenseless body was mangled and slashed, and he was rushed to the hospital.

Dr. Moody made preparations for surgery before the gurney bearing the boy was rolled into the operating room. Family of the youth gathered in the waiting room to draw strength from one another as they cried and prayed together. Friends, neighbors and schoolmates joined them to wait for word from the surgeon after the operation.

The critical surgical emergency got under way with the doctor making sure the patient could breathe before working on the wounds. One leg was so severely mangled, it had to be amputated.

Not wanting the awaiting family and friends to be kept in suspense, Dr. Moody asked a nurse to go to the waiting room during the operation to update the boy’s family on his condition.

More than eight hours later, the weary surgeon pulled off his mask and gloves as he walked out to tell those waiting about their loved one. Dr. Moody comforted the family, assuring them that the patient could make a full recovery. He explained that their son was a good candidate for a prosthesis after his leg healed.

The following year, this high schooler had mastered the prosthesis and even kicked the game-winning field goal. Fans on both sides of the stadium were on their feet, cheering as the football sailed between the bars. A few days later, the doctor and his staff were surprised when the youth brought the game ball to the doctor’s office. Dr. Moody simply blushed and looked down.

“This is for you, Dr. Moody,” the young man told him. “Thank you for saving my life.”

A Quiet Hero

To this day, Dr. Moody remains a shy, self-effacing gentleman, a word that describes him well. He is indeed a gentle man. He loves classical music as much as a certain

58

Moody’s grandparents, John Wiley Moody, a farmer, and Martha Powell Moody. They had eight children, with Dr. Moody’s father being the oldest. rhythm and blues and George Beverly Shea singing, “Blessed Assurance.”

Few people know of his love for Shakespeare and his ability to quote lengthy passages from Macbeth, Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice and other classics.

His patients through the years found him to be more than a medical doctor. He went beyond stopping the bleeding, removing a tumor, diagnosing an illness or sewing up a wound.

His calling was more than medicine. He served a unique ministry to every patient as he comforted the grieving and encouraged the faltering. With care and patience, he counseled husbands and wives who were having problems. He just smiles when asked how many marriages he had saved, but he confesses counseling many couples.

Dr. Moody, now retired, likes living at Town Village Vestavia Hills, at least as much as he would enjoy living anywhere after the death of his wife, Jody. They had celebrated their 60th anniversary when she died in 2009.

He is proud of their children and their accomplishments: Jimmy (Cathy) Moody in Washington, D.C.; Jerry (Larry) White of Birmingham, and Jill (Craig Cillenberg) of Huntsville.

He has four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

He is considered a hero by many citizens of Alabama.

Frequently, he receives phone calls and mail from former nurses, secretaries and patients, all expressing gratitude to him.

A hero has been described as selfless and giving, one who cares deeply. Coincidentally, it is the same description one would use to define Dr. Moody.

Editor’s note: Dr. Moody is an unassuming hero. None of the above information was volunteered by the retired surgeon. A most humble man, he is so self-effacing, one would never even guess he was a doctor. Now at least a bit of the news is out about this heroic doctor and his role in helping save lives and improve lifestyles. l

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

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Getting great food the easy way Story by Elaine Miller Photos by Graham Hadley Contributed photos Like most people, Andrew Davis wants to eat healthy meals. Like most people, he leads a busy life.

Getting home at 8 o’clock each night leaves no time to do more than grab a fast-food burger on the run.

Necessity is the mother of all invention, so Davis invented SendMeMeals.com, a company that prepares and delivers healthy, pre-cooked, low-cost meals to individuals who sign up for the program on their website. The company launched in March in a Moody storefront on US 411, where meals are cooked in a commercial kitchen for home delivery or Monday pickups.

“I felt God was telling me to eat healthy,” says Davis, worship leader for The Gathering Place, employee of an educational technology company and a competitive table-tennis player. “I was eating too much fast food, I had no time to cook, and I could not find healthy, pre-cooked meals.”

Davis drew up a five-page business plan and took it to some friends. Audrey and Chris Webb, who attend Davis’s church, Jeff Worford, a “web guy” who works with Davis at the tech company, and Jonathan Adams, a childhood friend who lives in Nashville, came on board as major partners. Another friend, Nikki Pinson, is a minor partner and the chef among the group.

While the SendMeMeals.com website lists18 dishes that come in one-serving containers, only eight are available each week. The menu rotates, and customers can log in to their accounts and select the meals that are available.

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in the refrigerator, or 10-14 days if frozen immediately. The minimum purchase number is four meals at $7.99 each, or $7.50 each for 10 or more. A few of the dishes use premium ingredients and cost $1 more. Subscribers may have their meals delivered to their doorsteps for $2.99 if they live in Moody, Leeds, Odenville or Trussville. For other areas, the charge is $8. “We are committed to providing food that’s as healthy and clean as possible,” Davis says. “Our ground beef is grass fed and our chicken has no added steroids. We use as many organic vegetables as possible. We use no preservatives, no added sugar, and our average dish is around 450 calories with a oneto-one protein-to-carb ratio.”

According to the company website, its most popular dishes are the Beef Taco Bowl; Cajun Grilled Salmon; Chicken, Sweet Potato & Broccoli Casserole; Meatloaf with Green Beans & Mushrooms; Pomegranate Glazed Pork Tenderloin and Turkey Meatballs. Other choices include quinoa fried rice, quinoa fried rice with steak tips, plus steak, pork and poultry-based dishes SendMeMeals.com partners with a few local gyms by placing a pickup refrigerator bearing the company logo in the gyms and offering discounts to their members.

The company will soon begin shipping meals via MailMeMeals.com, and owns the web domain names TakeAndBake.com and CrockPotMeals.com. Coming soon, the latter will offer ingredients that can be stored in a freezer, then dumped into a crockpot unthawed to serve a family of four.

“Our company is very focused on giving back to our community,” says Davis. “In the first month that we opened, we made it a priority to donate any extra meals to police officers in the area and we have a long-term goal of starting a program called, “The Means,” which will fund short-term Christian foreign mission trips for individuals who otherwise would not have the opportunity to go on a mission trip. You can look us up on Facebook at SendMeMeals for more information.” l Check out Send Me Meals online at www.sendmemeals.com

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Business Review Louis

Mayor Isaac Howard does the honors, cutting the ribbon on the new medical clinic

64 DISCOVER Essence St. Clair ••August & September 2013 of St. ClairThe •The Business Review DISCOVER The Essence St. Clair •August February &July March 2016 64• DISCOVER The Essence & 2016 DISCOVER The Essence ofof St. Clair && September 2017 DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair June July 2017 DISCOVER DISCOVER Essence The Essence of of St. Clair of St. • Clair Clair December June 2016 & January 2015 2017 64 DISCOVER The Essence of St. •••April & May

Story by Paul South Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr.

New Medical Clinic in Margaret Pell City Internal & Family Medicine expanding Story by Paul South Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr. Lyman Lovejoy, a Realtor and developer in St. Clair County for more than half of his 75 years, may be the little boomtown of Margaret’s biggest cheerleader.

Back in late 2015, Lovejoy talked about his dreams for the community that coal baron Charles DeBardeleben founded near the turn of the past century: More retail. More restaurants. More residential were part of Lovejoy’s wish list.

And with the new Margaret Pharmacy opening its doors back then, Lovejoy also focused on health care.

“We could sure use a doctor’s office,” Lovejoy said at the time.

Some 18 months later, thanks to Dr. Barry Collins and his partners at Pell City Internal and Family Medicine, Margaret Medical Clinic is now a dream come true.

It’s an exciting time as well for Collins.

“We chose well,” Collins said. “Lyman kind of steered us into the area. I think things will go well. Everybody’s made us feel warm and welcome.”

A graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Alabama School of Medicine, Collins’ life began as a self-described “Air Force brat,” whose family travels took him to bases across the globe.

But when his Dad’s military career ended, the family returned to the Pell City area, and Collins grew up in Riverside. Life never seemed to take him more than 60 miles from there.

Collins also performed his residency at UAB and served as part of the internal medicine faculty. He has been in private practice since 2001 and has served on the medical school’s admissions committee.

For Collins, family medicine is his life’s calling. It began with his grandmother Iree Collins, who worked as an assistant for a pair of husband and wife physicians in Riverside, Drs. R.L. and Vera Stewart, who took a shine to the young Collins. He’s wanted to be a doctor for as long as he can remember. “(When I was) going with my grandmother

PCIFM, Margaret Medical staff

DISCOVER The Essence St. Clair ••August & September 2013 Business Review •July DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 65 DISCOVER The Essence St. Clair •August February &July March 2016 & 2016 65 DISCOVER The Essence ofof St. Clair && September 2017 DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair June 2017 DISCOVER DISCOVER The Essence The Essence of of St. Clair of St. • Clair Clair December June 2016 & January 2015 2017 DISCOVER The Essence of St. •••April & May 65

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PCIFM MARGARET

Margaret’s health fair draws vendors and a chance to see new medical clinic.

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when she went to work at their house, (the Stewarts) kind of took me under their wing and showed me the finer points of medicine, and I just fell in love with it,” Collins said. “Them showing me how to be a doctor just excited me. You get to help people, I love science, and as a doctor, I get to meet a lot of interesting people.”

For the Stewarts, it was about more than helping heal the sick, values he wants to bring to the new Margaret clinic.

“For them, it was about more than treating the illness,” Collins said. “They got involved knowing the families, just as they came to know our family. They extended their own family out into the community. It’s no longer just treating the illness.

It’s about watching the people grow.”

Tracy Ross, who along with her husband, pharmacist Mark Ross owns Margaret Pharmacy, said the community has been buzzing in anticipation of the new practice.

“Once they signed the lease, and we saw trucks out there and crews banging out walls and bringing in sheetrock, people really started getting excited,” Ross said. “They have been chomping at the bit, asking us ‘When are they opening? When are they opening?’”

That’s the mission for the new Margaret clinic, Collins said.

“There are other opportunities that any physician can follow,” he said. But for me, in the St. Clair area, medical care is the biggest need and everybody there is like family. That’s the way I treat my patients – like family.”

Initially, the practice will fill a health care gap in the Margaret area for urgent care —patients who need medical care quickly.

The new clinic means that Margaret residents who once had to drive to other larger locales for medical care can be helped close to home.

“They may not be sick enough to go to an emergency room, so we’re there to fill that void and that need, and to establish medical care all the way around so we can get to know them and the community and make their lives better so they can be healthy and be around for their loved ones,” Collins said.

Lovejoy believes the new Margaret Medical Clinic and Margaret Pharmacy will boost the chances for an even bigger healthcare presence in the town.

“When people see how the clinic turns out and how well Margaret Pharmacy has turned out, I believe it will be a catalyst to recruit and bring in other people,” Lovejoy said. “I really think this is going to open a lot of people’s eyes about what’s going on in Margaret and what the opportunities are for business over there.”

With his practice open and the pharmacy next door, Collins, like Lovejoy, would like to see an even greater health care presence in the immediate area, like a chiropractor or other areas of medicine.

“If we can build that area up, it’s going to help the neighborhood,” Collins said. “Medicine, police, fire – it’s essential if a community is going to succeed.”

While Collins hopes to create the feel of a hometown medical practice, cutting-edge technology will also play a key role.

For example, medical records and X rays can be transmitted digitally to specialists anywhere in the world from the Margaret office. Even physician notes can be sent with the touch of a button. The office will also have an EKG and an on-site lab.

And, because of the partnership with Pell City Internal and Family Medicine located at St. Vincent’s Hospital’s St. Clair campus, more advanced care is quickly available if needed.

“We’re old-school medicine with the new technologies and new learning,” he said. “That’s the best way to describe it.”

“It’s a close-knit community where everybody’s family, Collins said. “If we can bring old school medicine back into a community, we’ll be better off for it.”

For Collins, medicine is a deeply personal profession.

He watched physicians treat both his mother, Lucy, and grandmother, Iree, as they battled cancer. In fact, a small town doctor made the call to send his mother to Birmingham for treatments.

“That decision probably extended her life by two years,” Collins said. “I’m grateful for that.”

Collins’ goal for the practice is simple, but powerful.

“We want them to see that you have physicians and caregivers who actually care about you as a person,” Collins said. “It’s not about a bottom line or money. We want them to get the care that they need.”

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

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Manufacturing Technology at JSCC

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

A Unified Vision

Pell City schools setting example with workforce development

Story by Graham Hadley Photos courtesy of Pell City School System When it comes to preparing high school students for entry into the workforce, the Pell City School System is doing everything it can to stack the odds in its students’ favor.

Part of that process is the system’s continuing partnership with the St. Clair Economic Development Council, Jefferson State Community College and local businesses in a regional workforce development initiative, but a large part of it is the result of the system taking internal measures to embrace a broader view of the role of education in students’ lives.

“The key to it is having a team of people who can get information to the students because they hear about college and they hear about jobs, but they do not have a working knowledge of the steps they need to take to get a good job or a career,” said Pell City Schools Curriculum Coordinator Kim Williams.

“The second part of it is the training opportunities that go along with those jobs. Just having a team that can provide the knowledge to those students is essential.”

The efforts have paid off, not just for students and the school system, but for the community, especially for businesses and industries hungry for a well-trained workforce.

Danielle Pope, one of the Pell City High School teachers focusing on workforce training, said the success of the program did not happen overnight — it was a steady progression over the past few years.

“We went from what was originally called co-op classes to paid internships, and the process continues to progress,” she said. “The community has really gotten behind what we are trying to do. We have about 60 community partners between apprenticeships and internships.

“And we keep getting better quality internships that are more career-track based. It lets the students look at more long-term options.”

Many schools have some form of career prep, with a later focus on admission to a four-year college.

“Most schools do career prep in the eighth- and ninth-grade — but it is not very relevant to students at that age. Then for juniors, the focus is on college, looking at things like the ACT test and how to get their scores up,” Pope said.

And both Pope and Williams said college prep is still a very important part of the curriculum at Pell City, but they also are making career prep a priority to provide options for all students post graduation.

“We have AP and online classes – we have a strong core academic offering for that. The classes we have do a good job preparing students for four-year college. And we have a plethora of students following that path,” Williams said.

“But our data points to 40 to 45 percent of our students will finish their first year of college – that’s on track with data for the rest of the state. That leaves 55 percent of students who need a viable pathway to a career. They need to find a good career, and that happens through two-year colleges, career centers or workforce development.”

According to the other partners in the training programs, Pell City’s efforts have been an unqualified success, with students placed in every branch of the regional workforce, from medical offices to major construction and industrial companies.

Williams said their program worked because of the level of commitment from everyone involved as the system implemented and continues to implement more and more jobtraining options into the curriculum.

“Success comes from the top. Superintendent Dr. Michael Barber has been completely supportive in these programs. …

Dr. Barber and the school board have been very supportive in letting us explore ways students not going into formal postsecondary academic settings can get jobs,” she said.

“There was a big push in Alabama for workforce development, with big bond issues from the state focusing on

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

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Business Review

Workforce Development

Academy of Craft Training that. … Then, as far as the Pell City community goes, we have had business leaders all saying we need a skilled workforce, skilled training programs in our area to meet workforce demands.”

And those leaders have been more than willing to help put Pell City students to work.

“Then we have the EDC recognizing that need and working with David Felton, program coordinator and advisor at Jefferson State’s Manufacturing Center,” someone Williams and EDC Assistant Director Jason Roberts credit as being a key player in coordinating the community college’s role with all the other participants.

“We have all these entities in the community recognizing this need, and the school board and superintendent recognizing the need. If you don’t have key leadership positions buying in behind the program, it won’t be a success,” she said.

The other side of that are the hands-on educators and staff in the system like Williams and Pope who make the classes and programs work and continue to grow.

“We have a career coach this year, Shelley Kaler.

Our counselors have a lot on them administratively – testing, college applications and all the other essential ways they help our students every day. So, Shelley is devoted to helping students figure out what they want to do — especially students who do not know what they want to do,” Pope said.

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Fire Science Police Academy Simulation Training (van accident)

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

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Workforce Development

Fire science hazmat training

“She is singularly focused. I think having someone on board who can help students in that one way is very important,” Williams agreed.

Pope added that Kaler’s position is particularly helpful for students who may not be on a four-year college path.

“She has taken a lot of those kids and said, ‘Let’s get you in a place that has benefits and good pay, where they can start building a career.’ Those are often places that also have tuition assistance for students who may want to explore post-secondary education options while they work,” Pope said.

In addition to that guidance and classes that can help students graduate with certification in everything from welding to medical fields, the school system also goes the extra mile to put the students together with the people who will eventually be hiring and training them.

Pope has spent years attending meetings and conferences, making the connections with business leaders, getting their feedback on what they expect from graduates looking for work and also convincing those leaders to take a more hands-on role in the education process.

“This year we are trying to figure out a way for students to get in contact with people in different industries. We did do a traditional job fair for seniors, but we also had career discussions in the medical, construction, industrial, city government and public safety fields with those leaders, including the city manager, police and fire chiefs,” Pope said.

“Partners would come in and have a panel, tell how they got where they are. Students could ask questions — and our students did a really good job asking questions, and they could stay after and talk to the panel participants.”

The students also got the opportunity to do mock interviews

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with the employers who might be doing the real interview one day. That was so successful that the school actually had one student hired from a mock interview.

Pope said the response from the students has been positive.

But, just as important, the partners have also been impressed with the students and the efforts the school is making.

“The feedback from the representatives who came was positive. They kept saying, ‘I did not have anything like this when I was in high school,’” and they wished they did, she said.

“Between 20 to 30 business reps took part this year, with juniors and seniors taking part from the school. We got a lot of good feedback from people in the community — people who want to do this.”

The school system has been focusing in the highest demand areas: industry and manufacturing, construction and medicine.

But they are continually adding classes, with pharmacy tech, information technology and other areas becoming more in demand.

And because of partnerships with Jeff State and local businesses and a program initiated by the state that allows people like firefighters or accountants to become educators certified to teach their specific areas of expertise, many of the classes being taught can lead to some level of skills certification at graduation.

“We had six students pass their pharmacy tech certification at the end of the year this year,” Williams said.

“It has been a team effort,” Williams said. “Jeff State has the resources to supply the training. Businesses have the need. The EDC looks after the overall economic health of the community.

The superintendent and the board support our programs,” she said.

“Everyone is on the same page, sharing the same vision.”

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

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Business Review

Workforce Development

Jeff State, WKW partnership part of growing workforce development Story by Graham Hadley Jefferson State Community College and WKW Automotive have teamed up to provide skills training for students as part of a continuing regional initiative to boost workforce development.

This latest effort gives qualified students financial help with tuition and books, a paid internship and the possibility for employment.

According to the original press release from Jeff State, “The partnership will provide 12 Jefferson State manufacturing students an opportunity for a paid 24-houra-week internship at WKW Erbsloeh in Pell City. Students will work as an advanced machine operator apprentice while taking classes toward an associate in applied science degree.”

The classes are part of the community college’s manufacturing option.

“The WKW Automotive partnership not only helps students with their educational costs, but it provides a paid internship and equips them with real-world training for indemand employment,” said Jefferson State Interim President Keith Brown in the press release.

The project has two terms behind it now and is already part of the increasingly successful workforce development efforts going on in Pell City and St. Clair County.

“The WKW program went well this past school year.

Getting the word out is going to be key to the program. It’s all but a complete free ride – 24 hours a week, starting at $11 an hour. They pay 60 to 90 percent as they matriculate through the program. You can get one of these years done through high school. So, students would be ready for full work the year after high school,” said Jason Roberts, assistant director for the St. Clair County Economic Development Council.

And the WKW program is just the beginning.

For the past several years, the St. Clair Economic Development Council, the Pell City School System and local business and industries, like WKW, Goodgame Company, Garrison Steel, Ford Meter Box and others have been focusing on workforce development — a win-win situation that gives local students training and educational and employment opportunities while helping build up the skilled workforce needed for those businesses to remain competitive.

For years, the focus on secondary education was on test scores and acceptance to a four-year college. And, while that is still very much part of the plan, educators in Pell City

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WKW Automotive and St. Clair County are looking at a much broader picture now.

“Our overarching goal is to make k-12 education, workforce development and post-secondary education a seamless path, where students will be able to step off the path, find a job and step back on the education track at any point,” Roberts said.

Even the EDC is helping provide training in its office.

Chloe Howard, a Pell City High School graduate and Jeff State student, is working as an intern at the St. Clair EDC. She received the Judy Meritt Scholarship, which will cover her second year at Jeff State, and then plans to go on to Jacksonville State University for a degree in elementary

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

Jefferson State’s St. Clair Campus

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

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Workforce Development

Honda is the latest manufacturer to start an apprenticeship program.

education.

“She is the perfect example of a student taking advantage of the opportunities available,” Roberts said.

Because of the incentives she took advantage of, Howard’s first year at Jeff State cost $13 in textbooks. The scholarship will cover all of her expenses next year. And the transfer program to JSU covers up to 12 hours of class.

“My goal is to get a four-year degree for about $3,000, to graduate completely debt free,” she said.

“She has kept plenty of doors open for herself,” Roberts said. “She is a smart young lady.”

There is a lot happening in workforce development now: dual enrollment is up significantly, WKW and Jeff State paid apprenticeship continues to be a success, as is the Iron Worker training partnership between Garrison Steel and Jeff State, Roberts said. And Honda Manufacturing of Alabama is implementing its own apprenticeship program.

Roberts credits the collaborative effort between the participants as the key to the success of the various programs.

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“Jeff State has been a great partner, for us and the community. And I cannot say enough about Pell City Schools Curriculum Coordinator Kim Williams, the teachers and system officials, local businesses and industries, and the state, which has provided support for what we are doing.”

And though Pell City’s workforce development is a roadmap to success for other communities to follow, the business needs driving the training are always changing, and the educators and students are going to have to continually adapt.

“We have lots to look forward to, but we are certainly a work in progress,” Roberts said.

The past few years have seen workforce development in all fields, but the heavy focus has been on manufacturing, construction and medical training, where there has been the greatest need. With those programs firmly in place, Roberts says the next big thing will be information technology.

“There is no limit to what jobs we can fill, and we are seeing IT demand in the Birmingham area is really growing.”

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

Join us at Pell City Lakeside Park for a day of great food, family fun, live blues music and a barbecue cook-off!

Mark your calendars and bring your family and friends out for a day of non-stop fun!

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N Medical Associates CARE TEAM

Helping patients in need

CARE COORDINATION • HOME VISITS • TRANSITION CARE

Story by Carol Pappas Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr. Imagine health care tailored to fit your needs, even if it requires the medical team coming directly to you. That’s exactly what Pell City’s Northside Medical CARE Team is doing, and it is ushering in a new era in health care for the region. It’s the first of its kind in the state.

The CARE Team concept was launched at Northside in April with Dianna McCain as CARE Program Director. The team consists of a nurse practitioner and four medical assistants. The program began with four patients, and a short two months later, the roster is up to 189 and growing daily.

They plan to expand their team to include social workers, nutritionists and mental health workers as the program continues to grow.

Northside and all its clinics in St. Clair County and east Jefferson County are referring chronically-ill and at-risk patients to the team, but referrals can come from anywhere – a caregiver, a doctor, family member or friend. The aim is to reduce hospitalizations and enhance their quality of life. “We want them happy, healthy and out of the hospital. That’s our main goal,” McCain said.

An initial visit to the home usually involves a nurse practitioner, who assesses the patients’ medical and non-medical needs and initiates a plan of care for that patient. The patient’s history, blood pressure and other vital signs are taken.

Lab work is done, and if needed, X-rays can even be done in the home. Just as important, the patient’s social situation is assessed including caregiver stress or lack of caregivers, issues with isolation, transportation, lack of adequate nutrition, financial barriers to medical care and

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Dr. Teresa Hardy checks on patient Tim Alley.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

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Business Review medication compliance problems, just to name a few.

Based on the initial assessment, physical therapy and occupational therapy may also be ordered – “whatever we think is needed” – can be arranged. The CARE team works with the patients to develop a care plan for them, “and our team works with the patient to follow it,” McCain said.

Examples of patients who could benefit from the CARE program are patients with dementia or Parkinson’s disease who together with their caregivers are struggling. Patients with complex health issues such as congestive heart failure or lung disease with frequent doctor visits and hospital stays and multiple specialists need help. They need better care coordination amongst all the patient’s specialists and primary care and hospital stays to reduce hospitalizations and improve their quality of life Dr. Rock Helms and his partners at Northside say they realize the country’s health system often falls short in caring for the sickest and most vulnerable patients. The CARE team is Northside’s approach to tackling this issue. They feel that the primary-care relationship with their patients puts them in a unique situation to accurately identify barriers to the patients’ health and to put a plan into place to navigate around those barriers.

The CARE team serves three main functions. First, it ensures excellent coordination of medical care with patients’ primary-care doctors and the health system. Secondly, it functions as a navigator through the health system and as a central hub that connects patients and their family to whatever resource that they may benefit from in the community and elsewhere. And thirdly, it provides direct patient care by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week with phone calls every day if needed, as well as home visits when indicated.

Chronically ill patients, like those suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s or dementia, depression, chronic obesity, renal disease, congestive heart failure, and COPD, are the beneficiaries of this program.

Some of the services the CARE Team members provide include going to many of their patients’ homes and assisting with medications on a weekly basis, or they might call daily to remind patients to take their medications. The CARE Team finds resources and agencies to work with patients as well.

The CARE Team is the brainchild of Helms, Northside founder and CEO, who envisioned it as a bridge to a better quality of life for patients. Hospitalizations can become a “revolving door” for them, McCain explained, but “you have to find the root cause of the problem to provide an accurate solution, there is no other way to do this than building that personal relationship with our patients to provide them with the highest quality care possible.”

As an example, she talked about a man who has been a Northside patient for 15 years. After the his last hospitalization, he couldn’t walk and had no walker or wheelchair. “We found an agency to work with to help with the physical transition back to his house, by donating supplies, helping build a ramp and making other modifications,” McCain said. “Without these modifications, he would have had to find housing elsewhere.

He had nowhere else to go, so we helped.”

The CARE Team, along with other members of the Northside staff cleaned and painted the house themselves.

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Northside CARE team

CARE Program Manager Dianna McCain and Dr. Hardy visit with patient in home.

Dr. Rock Helms and McCain look over patient notes.

“Dr. Helms realizes that it’s not always a medical condition that has anything to do with medicine. It took love, compassion and help — a labor of love from the Northside team.”

As for patients in the program, “they’re amazed,” McCain said. “They say things like, ‘I can’t believe anybody cares anymore’ or ‘I can’t believe a doctor is going to come to my home.’ They’re sometimes skeptical at first, worried at how much it may cost, but they are always so thankful when they realize it’s just part of the care provided by Northside and their providers.”

Because of the growing shortage of primary care physicians, Helms envisioned a program that could take the best care of patients, whether it is in the office or at the patient’s home.

“That is one of the reasons why this program started.”

What they are learning through it is “there is an answer for everything. We can help people with anything, we just need to know the need. We don’t want people to feel that there is no hope. They have someone to turn for help.”

If you would like to donate, or volunteer with the CARE team, please contact Dianna McCain at Northside Medical.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

Partners by Design expanding LakeLife product line Stickers, clothing, websites and more Partners by Design Inc., a Pell City-based multimedia marketing company in historic downtown, has expanded its LakeLife brand with new products, an online store and retail outlets.

“It started out as a way to promote Logan Martin Lake, and we did so with our website, loganmartinlakelife.com, and social media accounts. That led to the sale of vinyl, die-cut stickers, T-shirts, caps, visors and boat totes bearing our registered logo designed by Graham Hadley, our vice president for the Creative Division,” said Partners President and CEO Carol Pappas. “And more products are planned,” she added.

“We quickly saw that LakeLife, in general, is a way of life to promote as well, and we continue to build that brand on our newly launched national site, thelakelife.net,” she said, which includes information on Alabama lakes and a blog written by Pappas called LakeLife 24/7. Coincidentally, the site’s Twitter handle is lakelife247, and its Facebook page is at LakeLife.

The national site also features LakeLife Cooking, an online store, photos and other lake-related information and links, and content continues to be a work in progress. “We invite the LakeLife community – no matter where it is – to submit photos to be featured on the site,” Pappas said.

“In the meantime, Logan Martin LakeLife, continues to grow with our stickers, apparel and accessories selling well,” Pappas said. Logan Martin LakeLife products may be found in St. Clair County at Magnolia’s Gift Shop in Cropwell, The Dam Store and Country Store at Dam Road near Logan Martin Dam. In Talladega County, find them at Griffin’s Laser Engraving and in Jefferson, stickers are being sold at Rocky Ridge Hardware in Vestavia.

Logan Martin LakeLife products also are on sale in our online store at loganmartinlakelife.com, where Neely Henry stickers are also for sale. “St. Clair is blessed with two lakes,” Pappas said, “and we are hoping to expand our footprint with more Neely Henry products as well.”

Partners by Design was founded in St. Clair County in 2009

by Pappas and began official operation in 2010. Her colleagues at the time, Hadley and Brandon Wynn, have since become shareholders and partners in the organization. Wynn is vice

president of Online Services for the company.

In addition to the LakeLife brand, Partners publishes Discover, The Essence of St. Clair Magazine, Chamber magazines for Leeds and Moody, Mosaic Magazine for Alabama Humanities Foundation, produces brochures, newletters, enewsletters, designs and rebuilds websites, and offers graphic design, advertising, communications consulting and photography services.

Find us online at loganmartinlakelife.com and thelakelife.net and on Facebook

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

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Business Review Pell City Pediatrics welcomes new doctor Story and photo

by Graham Hadley Contributed photo Dr. Farzana Malik has joined the staff of Pell City Pediatrics, bringing her decades of medical experience to the rapidly growing medical community in St. Clair County.

Malik officially came on board June 12, and says the choice to come to Pell City was an easy one.

“It seemed like such a wonderful community. I immediately liked the town and everyone I met here, everyone who works here, when I came to visit,” she said. “The community and the business gave me a very warm welcome.”

The feeling is mutual, according to Becky Martin, practice manager at Pell City Pediatrics.

“We are thrilled to have Dr. Malik come to Pell City. She has a tremendous reputation, and we are fortunate to have her here,” she said.

Pell City Pediatrics opened in 1995 and was the first stand-alone primary care facility operated by Children’s of Alabama. Because of its central location, the office serves children not just in Pell City and St. Clair County, but from surrounding counties as well — something Malik said she sees as an important role for the doctors and staff there.

“We have people coming from all different areas around here. We fill a very important need for the communities we serve,” she said.

Malik did her residency at Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago, and though she comes to Pell City from a private practice in Columbus, Ga., this is not her first time working as part of a larger medical operation.

Before the private practice in Georgia, “I worked in a federally funded community health center in Mississippi. We were helping a very under-served population there,” she said.

Because of that dedication to her patients, Malik says she does not see

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Pell City Pediatrics

this as just another job opportunity, but a long-term career decision.

She and her family have moved to the Birmingham area, where her daughters attend school.

“At this stage in my life, I want to work at a place where I can settle down and become part of the community, and this seems like that kind of place.”

Martin said this is just the latest step in the practice’s ongoing mission to serve its patients and communities across the region.

“We were the first pediatric practice in St. Clair County when we opened in 1995, and it has been our distinct pleasure to serve this community ever since that day when we first opened our doors,” she said.

“We are blessed to now be caring for, in some cases, the children of our first patients, and we are still growing, just like our community.”

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2017

Dr. Farzana Malik

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