Discover St. Clair June and July 2019

ST. CLAIR COUNTY’S EDC SUCCESS STORY D-Day Plane Gets New Life • Anita Bice • Living a Century of History

June & July 2019

LEGACY FARMS

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Features and Articles Discover

The Essence of St. Clair

Weddings:

Uniquely St. Clair

Special Coverage

Page 42 Artist Anita Bice Page 8

A life in the skies John Donalson

Page 18

Traveling the Backroads

Almost a century of St. Clair life Page 24

Organizer Extraordinaire Doris Munkus

Wedding Section

Legacy Farm Page 32

Destinations

Amazing venues Shadow Wood Dressing for the big day Rings and more

Page 38 Page 42 Page 48 Page 54 Page 60 Page 64

Business EDC Coverage

St. Clair EDC Success

Workforce Development video Page 80 Ahead of the game Page 84

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June & July 2019

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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. She serves as president/CEO of Partners by Design, the multimedia group that publishes Discover.

Linda Long Linda Long has worked in communications for more than 25 years in print, broadcast, nonprofit promotion and special event planning and implementation. Her writing has appeared in Business Alabama Magazine, Technology Alabama, Mobile Bay Monthly, Birmingham News, Huntsville Times, Partners Magazine, Birmingham Magazine, Alabama Alive, Cahaba Talk, Hoover Outlook and Shelby Living. She served as news and special projects producer for NBC13 News, where her work won national, regional and state honors, including two Emmy Award nominations.

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.

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.

Elsie Hodnett Elsie Hodnett is a freelance writer with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, Texas.

She spent more than 10 years writing full-time for newspapers and magazines, winning several Alabama Press Association and Alabama Associated Press Managing Editors Awards.

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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.

Paul South Paul South, a native of Fairfield, is an Au¬burn graduate with a degree in journalism and a double minor in history. He also has a Juris Doctorate degree from the Birmingham School of Law. Although sports writing was always his first love, he had a versa¬tile career as reporter, columnist and first full-time sports information director at Samford University.

Jackie Romine Walburn Jackie Romine Walburn, a Birmingham native and freelance writer, is an Auburn journalism graduate who has worked as a reporter, editor and corporate communications manager. She’s had recent writing published in the Birmingham Arts Journal and Alalitcom. Jackie is currently seeking an agent and publisher for her first novel, Mojo Jones and the Black Cat Bone.

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.

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.

Scottie Vickery Scottie Vickery is a writer with a degree in journalism from the University of Alabama and was a reporter for The Birmingham News.

Her first assignment was covering St. Clair and Blount counties. She has more than 30 years of writing and editing experience and her work has appeared in a variety of publications. She also has worked in the nonprofit industry.

From the Editor

St. Clair beneficiary of great legacies It’s probably not coincidental that so many issues of Discover Magazine have legacies at their heart. After all, Discover’s very essence are legacies generations have given St. Clair County. They are like our favorite presents – unwrapped with great anticipation – revealed and revered despite the years in between.

That is especially true in this edition of Discover, where our stories run the gamut of legacies. One even has legacy in its name. Legacy Farms, voted by Discover readers in 2018 as St. Clair County’s Best Farm, is full of legacies.

A family farm, it is seen as a gift to their children of learning firsthand about life’s lessons learned on a farm, whether that’s their future course or not.

A stallion on the property, Inside Top Secret, has a legacy of his own. He’s one of only two living grandsons of Triple Crown legend, Secretariat.

Artist Anita Bice shares her legacy tales of encouragement from teachers who led her to a life filled with art, and Doris Munkus’ legacy of organizing and managing coupled with a giving heart leads us to her role in many a worthy cause throughout the county.

Ray Rogers shares his story of common folks doing extraordinary things, like service to country in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day, Battle of the Bulge and serving under a general by the name of Patton.

It’s fitting that this issue comes out on June 6, the 75th anniversary of D-Day, since we have another St. Clair connection – Lt. Col. John Donalson, who piloted the C-47, That’s All, Brother, the plane that led the main airborne invasion of Normandy.

The Fincher family simply called him “Papa.” He married their mother after both spouses passed away and lived several years in Pell City before his own passing. But his legacy lives

on in the restoration and commemorative flight of That’s All, Brother, flown to Normandy 75 years later in special tribute to the plane and that fateful day.

There are plenty more stories of legacies found in the pages that follow. We are hard-pressed to find a story that doesn’t contain one.

It’s not by accident or coincidence. Legacies are the very foundation on which families and communities are built, and they continue to be the centerpiece of our magazine.

Turn the page and discover them all with us.

Carol Pappas Editor and Publisher

Discover The Essence of St. Clair

June & July 2019 • Vol. 48 • www.discoverstclair.com

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Art • arch itecture & tech no lo gy

The foundations for Anita Bice’s success Story by Leigh Pritchett Photos by Graham Hadley

Architectural renderings have been a cornerstone of Anita’s career.

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Had she been born just a few years later, Anita Smith Bice feels certain that she would be a computer tech right now.

“I am a geek at heart,” she said.

But careers in computer technology were still off in the future when Mrs. Bice graduated from Pell City High School in 1978. As a result, she pursued an art degree that has blossomed manifold ... and, ironically, incorporates computer technology.

And she enjoys it immensely.

“How many people have 35 years of doing something they absolutely love?,” she asked.

Some of that ‘love’ is the very technical nature of architectural renderings – using an architect’s floor plans, elevations and material samples to draw the front view of homes.

Another part of the ‘love’ actually bloomed when an economic downturn decreased the demand for architectural renderings.

During that time, Mrs. Bice began creating fine art, which sprouted into a cottage industry that keeps her and two family members busy trying to meet demand.

When the economy rebounded, Mrs. Bice’s demand in the architectural field rose to a feverish level. So has the demand for her fine arts pieces.

By day, Mrs. Bice produces fine art selections. At night, she kicks back in a recliner with a laptop computer and does architectural renderings.

“I like the paintbrush,” she said, “but I like the stylus, too.”

Early in fluences The journey to this point got its start when, as a seventh grader, she took art from Jean Baker (Fortinberry).

Receiving instruction from artist John

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

9

Anita Bice

Towels, ornaments and cards are just a few of Anita’s artistic products.

Lonergan, who was the art teacher during her high school years, seemed to affirm Mrs. Bice’s direction. In order to have two classes of art each day at school, the cheerleader and valedictorian took her democracy class in summer school before her senior year.

At Samford University, Mrs. Bice earned an art and business degree, and then attended American Academy of Art in Chicago. There, she majored in architectural art ... and knew she had found her “place.”

“I felt I was where I was supposed to be,” Mrs. Bice said.

Project after project proved it. One assignment in particular was to draw a spiral staircase in perspective. She completed and submitted the project without delay, to be told by the instructor that she was not supposed to be able to get it right the first try.

After completing American Academy of Art, she worked a year as an architectural illustrator in Chicago, and then became an in-house illustrator for an architect in Birmingham.

“That’s where I really found my niche – the technical side of art,” Mrs. Bice said.

Thirty years ago, she become a freelance architectural artist.

That arrangement allowed her to stay home and be more available to daughters Erin and Dana, who were school age at the time.

Producing architectural renderings not only requires skill, knowledge and imagination, but also attention to minute detail. It requires understanding what the architect envisions and relaying that through art to the potential homeowner.

Everything must be precise.

Mrs. Bice must draw to scale, yet she adds her own touches,

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

such as landscape, color scheme and walkways as if they are her very own house.

She wants the drawings to depict a home that is loved, a home that invites the viewer to walk right through the front door.

The whole process fascinates her.

“It keeps me sharp. It’s right, or it’s wrong,” she said. “... I always look at it like, ‘This is my home.’ ... I’ve done thousands of them by now. I try to make each unique. I don’t look at past renderings because I don’t want to copy them.”

Forty to 50 of Mrs. Bice’s renderings appear in the March/ April 2019 issue of Designer Dream Homes magazine, a publication of Donald A. Gardner Architects, Inc., based in Greenville, S.C. “Anita is an amazingly talented artist,” said Jonathan B. Hyman, architectural department manager at Donald A. Gardner Architects, Inc. “She does an outstanding job bringing our homes to life through her renderings.”

Her work with Gardner caught the attention of representatives of another firm, America’s Home Place, Inc. Based in Gainesville, Ga., the firm has 38 locations in 11 states.

“America’s Home Place has been working with Anita for several years now,” said Bonnie White, director of marketing for America’s Home Place, Inc. “She provides artistic renderings of our house plans so customers can visualize what a house may look like when it is complete. Since we are a custom builder, we like to offer house plans that we may not have had the opportunity to build yet. Anita’s artwork on these renderings allow the customer’s imagination to explore what it might be like to live in a particular house. Her attention to detail of light, colors and shadows help our customers dream about the possibilities of building a new home of their own.”

Mrs. Bice has also done renderings for Southern Living house plans.

Ed Mizzell, executive vice president and managing director of Luckie & Company, was introduced to Mrs. Bice’s work when his wife commissioned a pen-and-ink rendering of the Mizzells’ 1920s home in Birmingham’s English Village.

“The house is constructed of limestone, and I was concerned an illustration could capture the feel and texture of the stone,” Mizzell said. “Anita’s work captured it beautifully, both the detail of the stone, the persona of the ancient material and the architectural lines of the structure.”

When he needed an artist for another project, he knew who to contact.

“Most recently, I was part of a team that engaged Anita to complete a series of renderings for a construction project at The Country Club of Birmingham,” Mizzell said. “Anita’s work clearly and precisely brought the project to life. However, for Anita, that is where the story begins: Anita is also an accomplished fine artist who works in multiple mediums across a range of subject matter, from florals to landscapes. She is a rare combination of fine artist and commercial artist.”

A reci pe for success Years ago, Bob Agnew of Mountain Brook surprised wife Margaret with notecards and a pen-and-ink drawing of their home.

Impressed by what she saw, Mrs. Agnew commissioned the artist – Mrs. Bice – to do a charcoal art piece of the Agnews’ dog.

Next, Mrs. Agnew asked Mrs. Bice for a two-foot by fourfoot art piece to hide a kitchen fuse box. For that, Mrs. Bice painted a canvas of copper pots and pans.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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Anita Bice “She did a fabulous painting,” Mrs. Agnew said.

That art piece not only propelled Mrs. Bice into the realm of fine arts, but also launched a series of paintings that have become wildly popular. Mrs. Bice is now on her 70th design in the “Pots N Pans” series.

“My husband commissioned a ‘Pots N Pans’ painting for my birthday a few years ago,” said cousin Janelle Smith of Marietta, Ga. “I had seen Anita demonstrating at the Brookwood Mall one Christmas. I absolutely fell in love with the ‘Pots N Pans’ (series). The subject was brilliant, and I thought her work was amazing. She told me I could choose items I wanted in my painting that would be important to me or reflect my personal kitchen.”

Listening to what a person wants is a crucial component in the work, Mrs. Bice said.

“I listen to everybody and make certain what I have in my head is what they’re seeing (in theirs),” she said.

In addition to the “Pots N Pans” series, Mrs. Bice is known for her paintings with varied subjects, such as cotton and florals; Christmas on canvas or burlap; digital portraits, and the very popular tea towels with transfer designs.

“I don’t know what made me paint the first cotton,” Mrs. Bice said. What she does know, however, is that those pieces sold out quickly the first time she made them available, which was at an arts and crafts show in Huntsville.

Her in-home art studio is actually a production studio. There, she, daughter Dana, and Mrs. Bice’s sister, Sharon Henderson, produce wood-panel artwork (each personally signed by Mrs. Bice), magnets and gift items.

Her pieces range in price from a few dollars for a magnet to thousands for a commission.

Mrs. Bice and Mrs. Henderson spend many weekends selling the artwork at events, such as Panoply in Huntsville, the Kentuck Festival in Northport and Mountain Brook Art Association shows.

Select pieces are marketed at The Cupboard in Decatur and will be available in an upcoming three-month solo show at Church Street Wine Shoppe in Huntsville. Future plans are for her studio – which is the handiwork of husband Steve Bice – to house a gift shop.

Mrs. Bice’s repertoire of artistic abilities is broad. A member of Mountain Brook Art Association, Mrs. Bice restores photographs and creates digital or painted portraits. She shoots photographs and hand-tints portraits. Her paintings of three-year-old grandson Jackson Salter have garnered quite a Facebook following for the little fellow.

A wall in the production area of her studio is blanketed with awards for airbrush, retouch, commercial illustration and technical illustration.

Art and design students at Samford, Bessemer State Technical College and Jefferson State Community College have benefited from her classroom instruction. She has also taught at Alabama Art Supply and in her studio.

Musically, her artistry is displayed each time she plays keyboards at Bethel Baptist Church in Odenville.

Mrs. Bice credits her sister with helping to launch and promote the fine art aspect of the business. “(Sharon) is the organization of our art shows,” Mrs. Bice said of her sister, who is a retired Pell City educator.

Dana Bice keeps her mother organized.

“She doesn’t forget an appointment,” Mrs. Bice said. “She

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Turning photos into painting masterpieces

Another favorite copper pot painting

reminds me of stuff I need to do. She keeps lists.”

Theirs is a hectic pace, yet Mrs. Bice and Mrs. Henderson have found that art enhances their life in a sweet way.

Because Mrs. Henderson is nine years older than Mrs. Bice, the two sisters have always been at different junctures in life. “(Working together) has really given us a chance to know each other, how we are alike and how we are different,” Mrs. Henderson said. “... And how our fortes complement each other,” Mrs. Bice added. “... We do have a good time!” l Follow anitabiceart on Facebook and Instagram or visit www.anitabiceart.com.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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With pilots, from left: Gabriel Heiliger, Anna Fincher Heiliger, Carsten Heiliger, Daniel Wood, Rowan Gentry (front), Evie Heiliger (front), Stella Fincher (front), Jack Fincher, Rita Fincher, James Wood, Dan Wood, Jonathan Fincher and Linda Wood.

A life in the skies

John Donalson Story by Carol Pappas Photos by Michael Callahan Submitted photos

When Jack Fincher and sister, Linda Wood, were growing up in Roebuck, John Donalson’s family lived across the street. Donalson was the first director of aviation for Alabama and after settling into the suburban Birmingham neighborhood, the family lived at the nearby airport in an apartment above his office.

That was before World War II. After the war, he commanded the Air National Guard for the state, was among the inaugural inductees to Alabama’s Aviation Hall of Fame, patented a steel casting process and became a steel company executive.

But what happened in between is the real story, said Fincher and Wood, both of whom now live in Pell City.

Fincher refers to the decorated war hero simply as “Papa.” In later years, Donalson’s wife and Fincher and Wood’s father passed away, and three years after Donalson’s wife died, “he came out here and proposed” to their mother, Almeda “Boots” Hines Fincher.

She had been a nurse and took care of Mrs. Donalson in her final days. Their spouses died a few months apart in the same year.

HUMBLE HERO Fincher and Woods’ story about ‘Papa’ is deeply rooted in those in-between years when Lt. Col. John Donalson led the main airborne invasion of Normandy – D-Day – 75 years ago. More than 800 C-47s dropped over 13,000 paratroopers into the epic battle that would change the course of World War II and history. And Donalson was the commander.

A photo in his hometown newspaper in Birmingham captured the moment back home, his wife, Blanche, his three children, Beverly, 16, and John Jr. and Eugenia – just toddlers – listening to the broadcast of the invasion on radio in the early morning hours of June 6, 1944. The youngest, John Jr., is seen clutching a photograph of his father.

They may not have been able to understand the events as they unfolded in real time, but Daddy would come home with a chest full of medals and would rise to the rank of Major General.

THAT’S ALL, BROTHER In the years that followed, the plane that took the lead in the invasion, That’s All, Brother, had gone from its pivotal role in D-Day to a post-war commercial stint to a scrap metal yard when it was salvaged, restored and began its journey anew to Normandy for the 75th Anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 2019.

As part of the Commemorative Air Force Central

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A life in the skies That’s All Brother airborne over Birmingham Airport

Texas Wing, That’s All Brother joined 15 other C-47/DC-3 airplanes to retrace the ferry path – United States to Canada to Greenland to Iceland to Scotland to England. In Duxford, England, That’s All Brother and three other planes headed to Normandy to commemorate the anniversary. Then it was on to Germany to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift.

In 1945, the historic aircraft was sold to the civilian market and over the next few decades and through multiple owners, it finally was sold to be scrapped in what the Commemorative Air Force described as “a boneyard in Wisconsin.”

As fate has a way of intervening, two historians from the United States Air Force discovered its whereabouts, the CAF acquired it, and through a Kickstarter program, donors and volunteers, That’s All Brother is flying once again.

Fincher was one of those donors and when That’s All Brother landed in Birmingham in May, Fincher and members of his family boarded for a trip of a lifetime. “I was stoked,” said Fincher. “Everybody sat on little tin seats and buckled up with the original equipment.”

He and members of his family were able to experience a step back into time when Papa flew the skies over Normandy.

Members of Donalson’s family did as well, aboard a later flight.

After takeoff, passengers could wander around the airplane and cockpit, which had been fully restored to its 1944 look and condition. “It was like brand new,” Fincher said, noting that not a detail was missed. The original paint scheme, even surplus parts from 1944 were used in the restoration project.

“Papa was the command pilot,” he noted. “There were 82 airplanes in his command.” He selected the name, That’s All Brother, “as a message to Hitler.” The actual pilot that day was

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David Daniels, also from Birmingham, with Donalson aboard in command of the entire operation. Also aboard that day was a Scottie dog, the pilot’s pet. A stuffed dog to commemorate him is on the present-day flights.

“Papa’s plane was Belle of Birmingham,” Fincher said, “but because a radar beacon was required to be installed underneath the lead aircraft, Papa was loathe to cut a hole in the belly of his beloved ‘Belle,’ so he made the switch.”

LOOKING BACK Wood and Fincher pore over old newspaper clippings and a scrapbook as tall as a three-layer cake. The sense of history and heroism, intertwined, is ever present as they turn each page.

They talk of Donalson’s flight with 80 more planes over the English Channel that fateful night with no lights, no radio.

Wood recently discovered his memoirs – 100 pages handwritten in pencil. In typical form of what has been called the Greatest Generation, “there was very little about D-Day,” she said.

IN HIS OWN WORDS But in the family scrapbook is the copy of an official report Col. Donalson filed on June 6, 1944, where he had this to say about the day’s mission: Our second mission consisted of fifty Gliders, thirty-six English Horsa and fourteen American CG-4A gliders.

All were marshalled, that is placed in a double row with tugs attached, so that they were able to take off starting from the front, one tug and glider every 25 to 30 seconds. We put the CG-4A in front because they could get off better. They were led

by Maj. Gates who was to form over the field at 1800 feet and

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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A life in the skies wait until all the Horsas were off and formed at 1200. Lt. Col. Daniel and myself were in the first tug with Horsa. Cawthon was all over the sky trying to keep it trailing. We formed up and got on course a little early in order to make our departure point on time. When we passed Cherbourg on our way in, it was quiet as a church-mouse. Guess they used up all their ammunition the night before. Off to our left, the surface convoy was stretched as far as you could see with boats going to the beaches.

There were a line of battleships and cruisers laying off the shore, all quiet at the moment, but waiting to silence any shore battery that was there and headed for our DZ. I had given all the preparatory light signals and was just ready to give the signal for cutting loose when Capt. Cawthon, the Glider Pilot, recognized his field and cut.

We pulled ahead, dropped our tow rope, and turned to head for our base when some Krauts with tommy guns started hitting us. One explosive shell came through and wounded our Radio Operator and Crew Chief. We hit the deck and started home.

On the way back, I was checking to see how many planes we had lost. I could account for all but two. One of those had to re-service before he could make it in. The other made a crash landing in France and the crew got back in a couple of days.

My hat is off to the Glider pilots for they did a marvelous job under fire. They landed right on top of the front line with snipers all over the place. As soon as they got on the ground, they were in crossfire from machine guns and the Krauts had their mortar zeroed on the fields. The Glider pilots started returning the following day and are still coming in. So far we have definite proof that three have been killed and feel sure that three more were killed but cannot confirm it yet. Half of our airplanes were hit with small arms fire with the majority of hits in the engine and gas tanks. They are not leak-proof either.

This was our second mission and they were both 100 percent perfect. Considering the number of people involved in the operation, it is almost beyond belief that everyone would do exactly as he should.

There is not much of a report to make on these missions except all went according to plan.

We were the third group in and when we got back to the DP we were still meeting groups on their way in.

The boys are all on the peg awaiting a chance to go back on another mission and getting ants in their pants.

THE MEMOIR Donalson’s memoir comes from a unique vantage point of the days leading up to the invasion as only he could tell it.

When I got to our field in central England, it frightened me that I would be responsible for everything on the field. They had fields all over England and if you became lost, you got on the radio and said Darkey, and a field would give you a course to fly to the field that you wanted to go to.

These were low output radios that you had to be near the field broadcasting to hear them. The first time the airplanes were out on familiarization flight, about twelve got lost over the North Sea. Maj. Gen. Ridgeway, in command of the 82nd Airborne Division, was pressing me for a practice jump for his men.

Brig. Gen. Gavin, his executive officer, was very impatient I made them wait 3 or 4 days while the pilots became familiar

20

Donalson with flying at night over England…

I went with Gen. Ridgeway in his car to the drop zone about 10 miles from the point of take off, and the formation arrived at the prescribed time. Just after daylight we stood on the drop zone and had to dodge helmets and equipment falling. One man broke his leg landing on a frozen river. This drop pleased Gen Ridgeway since the old units returned from North Africa had dropped his outfit in a bombing practice area. I believe that was when he picked the 438th to lead the invasion on France.

THE NIGHT BEFORE In his memoir, Donalson writes about the night before when a Baptist minister gave a pep talk. …he evidently thought everyone was afraid they would be killed…

I followed with my talk and told the men that they were going to attend the greatest show on earth, and they had earned their ring side seat.

D-DAY ARRIVES D-Day was scheduled for the 5th of June and had to be postponed on account of high wind over the channel. We painted three broad white stripes on each wing with three stripes around the fuselage on the night of June 4th. This was done to prevent a repeat of the invasion of Sicily, where the Navy shot some of the Allied airplanes down.

When Gen. Eisenhower cancelled the invasion on the 5th, no one thought to advise the men and women in the office.

Someone notified the American press that the invasion had started and with the difference in time, it hit the headlines in the U.S.A. on the 4th.

We had beefed up until we had 18 airplanes in each squadron…which gave us 81 airplanes. Actually two groups.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

Inside That’s All Brother, restored to its 1944 condition

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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A life in the skies We had enough brass to line up along the runway for half its length.

Gen Eisenhower had been shaking hands with all the paratroops. Lt. Gen. Brereton was in the lead airplane talking to the paratroops. When I was ready to taxi into position for takeoff, I had to ask him to get out as it was time to move out.

We took off and formed over the field waiting for the second half to get into position for takeoff. This was a little before dark. I had split the group in two.

I guess you could say 438th A and 438th B…We flew over the channel over a boat off the coast of Normandy. He flashed us an O.K. with his light in the shape of a cross. Also they had rolls of aluminum tape that could be picked up by the German radar to confuse into thinking the landing was to be made at some other place…

Our two sections dropped their paratroops about ½ mile from each other. Gen. Gavin wrote us up for not dropping his units in the same place. We cut our throttles and glided down to 400 ft. to let the paratroopers jump. As soon as the paratroops were all out, we gave the engines full throttle and climbed to 3000 ft. flying over incoming planes.

COMING HOME Donalson came home to Birmingham, returning to a life in the steel industry, Air National Guard and with his family, not talking much about the war except in interviews with media wanting to know more about this hometown hero.

In a television interview after returning to Birmingham, Wood said the colonel described the unprecedented air power that filled the sky that day in simple, but vivid terms: “You could damned near walk from one airplane wing to another.”

A newspaper account from Birmingham when he was home on leave paints a picture of Donalson, the man. “Calm in manner and voice, the Birmingham colonel has eyes that penetrate. Their grayness have the flash, the sharpness of tempered steel…

“He wears the distinguished flying cross with two oak leaf clusters, also the Presidential group citation. Three battle stars are on his ETO ribbon.”

“Your family were pretty glad to see you weren’t they?,” he was asked. “And the colonel—who made history on D-Day—answered as you or anyone else might have answered, ‘Yeah.’ ”

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Donalson’s flight hat and sunglasses

Commemorative photo of plane signed by those who restored it

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

Donalson family listens to radio as invasion unfolds.

ABOUT THE MAN An engineering graduate from Georgia Tech in the 1920s, he was an engineer for Connors Steel before and after the war. His diploma, Fincher said, “is on a real sheepskin.”

He later formed his own steel company, and he patented his continuous steel casting formula. He and “Boots” lived happily 10 years in Trussville and two years in Pell City until his death in 1987. “They were well suited for

each other,” said Fincher.

“Papa was very close to us,” added Wood. “He loved us dearly, and we loved him. He was the only grandfather my kids ever knew.”

“I think Papa’s modesty prevented our knowing more about his historic actions,” added Fincher. “A natural leader: courageous, capable. It makes me wish we had more like him around today. It’s my privilege to have known him and called him, Papa.”

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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Traveling the

BACKROADS

Ray Rogers

Almost a century of St. Clair history

Ray and Jack with a fish he caught

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

Story by Joe Whitten Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr. Submitted photos Ninety-eight-year-old Ray Rogers sits in the home he and his wife built and shares memories spanning almost a century. Outside, a row of early-blooming daffodils brightened the cold, overcast February afternoon as he reminisced about family, God and church, wife and family, World War II and Gen. George Patton.

When Ray was born on Nov. 6, 1920, his parents, Charlie and Kate Rogers, lived near Robinson Hill on Alabama Highway 23 between Cool Springs and Ashville. His mother died when he was about five years old, while they were living at the Sayreton Mining Camp in north Birmingham. His father continued working in the mine, but Ray and his sister went to live with grandfather, J.W. Rogers, at Caldwell above Springville.

Ray started first grade at Pleasant Hill School, located where today’s Big Oak Girl’s Ranch is on US Highway 11. “There was a big school up there,” he said, “and Hugh Toland was the principal. After the first year, or before the end of the first, my grandfather moved back to the old home place on Shoal Creek. Then in 1926, I attended school at Friendship School.

Of all his teachers, he spoke most highly of Ben Vandegrift, saying, “He taught me more history and math than any other teacher I ever had.”

While living with the grandfather in Shoal Creek Valley, Ray and his sister walked to Friendship School.

“Somebody got an old school bus through here,” he recalled, “but we lived too close to ride it. So, we walked across the trail that crossed over by my son’s house next door.”

Ray was nine years-old when his father married again, and they moved into a house on the land behind today’s Friendship Fire Station, next door to the wood-framed Friendship Baptist Church and the rock schoolhouse still standing today.

Church From the age of six, Ray has attended Friendship Baptist Church. He recalled that on Sunday mornings his grandfather never said, “We’re going to church,” but he would say, “We’re going to the Meeting House today.” The term “Meeting House” was used by many Baptist churches from the 18th century into the early 20th because they saw the “church” as the congregation of believers and the “meeting house” as the place where the congregation met to worship.

In 1936, when Ray accepted Christ and joined Friendship Baptist, Rev. R.B. Peace baptized him at Cool Springs. When asked about his service for God at the church, Ray said, “I was a deacon until I got too old to do it. …I was Sunday School superintendent for a while. I taught the boys in RAs (Royal Ambassadors) – did a little bit of everything, except preach.”

He reminisced about helping construct two Friendship sanctuaries. “I remember we pulled down that old building – big tall building – and built a new one. (Then) after they got it built, they decided they wanted to brick it. Well, there had to be a foundation dug. So, I dug it at night.”

Ray Rogers looking over an old photo.

Ray and Robbie in 1996

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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Traveling the

BACKROADS Ray recalled his friend, Don Walker, who worked alongside him in every church construction project. “Now, he was a good friend; me and him was really close. …When we worked on the building we are in now, Don would come over every day when I was working on the church. But he was already sick with cancer and couldn’t do much. I was putting up the ceiling in the upstairs, and he’d be sitting down and telling me how to do it.

Don was a good friend.”

Of the many pastors of Friendship Baptist that he’s known, Ray spoke most fondly of John Faulkner. “He’s my friend. I think a world of John Faulkner, and he does me, too, I think.”

In an interview, Faulkner affirmed Ray’s observation, saying, “In life, we are blessed to have a handful of friends that we feel close enough to share our inner thoughts and feelings. …Mr. Ray has been and remains that kind of a friend.”

Ray Rogers with Czechoslovakian child

Ray Rogers and family Thanksgiving 2018

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Marriage and Children Ray married Robbie Smith on December 28, 1940. It was a marriage based on love, devotion for one another, and devotion to God. It lasted for 70 plus years.

“We married in 1940,” Ray reminisced, “and moved to Odenville and lived in the old two-story house that’s still standing. Dike Hardin owned it then, but later George Scoggins bought it. We had two big rooms upstairs. We had a kitchen and a bedroom. And we had running everything. You’d run down downstairs and then run back upstairs. The bathroom was an outhouse. The water was from a well on the porch.”

Three children blessed their home: Denny, Ann, and Jack. “I was stationed in Kansas when my oldest son, Denny, was born.

My daughter was born after I was sent overseas; she was a year old before I got to see her.

“I had two children – a little less than two years difference in them – one born in 1943 and the other in 1944. Then Jack comes along 12 years later. The year my daughter started her senior year, Jack started to school. We wanted one more child.

Jack’s been with me all the time. Even when he was small, I carried him to work with me every day. Sure did. I’d carry him with me when I went fishing, and I’d carry him on my back when I went ‘coon hunting.”

WWII Years When he was drafted into the army, Ray was working at the Anniston Army Depot in Bynum. As a draftee, he went to Ft. McClellan, took an examination and was sworn into the army along with a group of other men. He ended up at Ft. Sill, Okla., for basic training.

Recalling Ft. Sill, Ray said, “We took three month’s basic training there. They said there were about 1,200 taking basic.

Well, they got 200 of us out and sent us to Kansas to form a new outfit – formed the 94th Division. …We left Kansas, and I though sure we’d go to the South Pacific, but they sent us to Mississippi, and we trained down there some more. I thought we ought to be fighting, but we just kept training. I didn’t know it, but we were training for the Normandy Invasion.

“I was one of the fortunate ones during the invasion,” Ray continues. “I was in the artillery outfit, and we crossed the Channel in a small LCT, Landing Craft Tank, to go in at Utah Beach at Normandy. I had a 105 Howitzer on my truck. And we couldn’t land till the tide come out and left us a place, and then

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

Traveling the

BACKROADS we just drove off. We didn’t wade no water.

“Now, the infantry boys went in on a bigger boat and went down rope ladders and in barges, and went in. They had it rough – the storm and rain and wind blowing. We were just out there waiting on a flat-bottomed boat with 25 and 30- foot waves taking us up. I never could figure out how it would carry us up so slow and then just quit, and here we’d come down – boom! Then right back up again. You’d do that 12 or 15 hours straight, and it was rough. Everybody was glad to get off that boat, I tell you!”

When asked about Gen. Patton, Ray responded: “We were in France after Normandy, I guess, two or three weeks, and they formed the Third Division, and the outfit I was in, they put it in there, and the rest of the time I was in Patton’s Army,” he said.

“I saw General Patton a couple or three times. He’d come out when we’d be bogged down—be at the same place three or four days—he’d come and make us a speech. He’d call all of the NCO’s – that’s from the corporals on up – and he gave us a talk. ‘Now, we’re going up tomorrow, and when you get ‘em moving don’t let ‘em stop,’ ” Ray said they were told.

“I liked Patton. Now, he believed in fighting. ‘If you was going to fight,’ he said, ‘when you took it, it was yours. If you get ‘em backing up, that’s when you give ‘em hell. When they stopped, they was hell to start again,’ Patton said.”

Ray spoke only briefly about the Battle of the Bulge when questioned. “Well, in December 1944, we went up there and relieved our men at Bastogne. We were in southern France at Metz, and we drove all night long. It was the next day before we got up there, to Bastogne, Belgium.” (See Editor’s Note) Many veterans of the Battle of the Bulge are reluctant to talk of it, and of the Bastogne rescue, Ray ended his comments by saying, “After that, Patton wanted to just drive on into Berlin.

He said, ‘We can go to Berlin and never stop.’ ‘No, you gotta go south,’ they told him. So, the Third Army ended up in Czechoslovakia. Patton was a good general. He went to fight. I liked him. All of the time the Third Army was in Europe, I was a part of it.”

On the back of a photograph of his WWII supply truck Ray has written, “I drove this truck 48,000 miles. I have been in 7 countries in it.”

Work after WWII When Ray returned home after the war, he and an army buddy built a service station and garage between Whitney and Steele. The buddy’s brother-in-law worked with them.

Before long, buddy and brother-in-law wanted to go back to their home state; however, Ray continued the business and eventually moved to a better location in Attalla. “Had the best equipped garage, I guess, in Etowah County at one time,” Ray said. “Then, we had an accidental fire and got burned out.

That’s how I got back to St. Clair County.”

Reflecting on that, Ray said, “Burned out and started back with nothing. I thought that was bad, but in the long-run, it was the best thing that happened to me, I believe.”

Looking for work, Ray talked with the new Chevrolet dealership in Pell City. When he told his friend J.D. Dollar he was thinking of Pell City, Dollar said, “We’ll build a garage right here at home, in Friendship, if you’ll run it.” That sounded good. Dollar constructed the building, and Ray opened his

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HardenScoggins house where Ray and Robbie had upstairs apartment

garage.

He had run the garage for about six years when another local friend, John Montgomery, asked Ray if he’d like to work for the gas company. Ray thought he would like that, and Montgomery told him to go apply. But when Ray went to apply, a man in the company looked at his age and told him, “They won’t hire you; you’re just wasting your time,” so Ray came home. A few days later Montgomery came by and asked if he’d applied. When Ray told him what had happened, he said, “They don’t know what they’re talking about!

“A few days later,” Ray continued, “I came home for lunch, and Robbie says, ‘The gas company called. They want you to come down there.’ So, I went down – and went to work for the gas company.”

Recalling those early days, he said, “To start with, I changed their fleet over so they could run dual fuel – propane or gasoline. We changed over to natural gas, and I did all the natural gas work on the vehicles. When I retired, I was putting it on the new trucks. At one time, they tried to turn the fleet over completely every three years and have a new fleet of trucks. When they’d get a new truck, I’d just put the natural gas kit on it. I could change one over in a shift. Eight hours, and I could change it completely.

He has fond memories of his career. “The gas company was good to me. They sent me all over the country, and I wouldn’t go unless my wife could go with me. They paid her expenses too – told me just to keep an account.”

Ray’s thoughts return to Robbie. He looks around the pinepaneled room and says, “Me and her built this house. We done all the inside work, put up all this paneling… That was more than 50 years ago now. God’s been good to me. Better than I deserve. He brought me back from overseas. I even asked Robbie a lot of times, ‘Did you ever think…?’” Leaving the question unfinished, his voice broke as he continued: “She knew I was coming back. She knew I was coming back. …

There’s never been a better woman ever lived. And everybody who knew her loved her.”

Indeed, Robbie Rogers’ popularity is legendary. She worked

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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Traveling the

BACKROADS in the St. Clair County High School lunchroom and loved the students. So, when Principal Dodd Cox needed a bus driver who could be an ambassador of peace on a bus route, he asked Robbie to drive a bus. She accepted and filled that position well, driving a bus for 22 years. In those years, she was a godly counselor to students and a liaison between the parents and school.

Ray recounted an incident with a parent whose home was on a side road. “There was a sharp turn and a big ditch, and Robbie wouldn’t go up there. And the lady got on her one day. The lady said, ‘The garbage truck goes up there.’ Robbie said, ‘I don’t haul garbage.’ Robbie told her, ‘I haul the most precious thing you have, and if they’ll fix that road, I’ll carry her to your door.’ The lady went to the county, and they fixed the road.”

During the afternoon, Ray talked most of his wife and family, even when talking of his work. He spoke only briefly about WWII, saying of war, “It’s bad. I don’t like to talk about it.”

But he enjoyed talking about the love of his life, Robbie, and giving testimony to her godliness.

“Robbie was a prayer warrior. I’ve seen things happen that just don’t happen any other way. I want to tell you one thing that happened. The company sent me to California. I told ‘em I wouldn’t go unless my wife went with me… They paid her airfare and all. Well, they rented me a car at the airport. I went to get my car, and they wouldn’t let me have it.

“Now, I’m peculiar. You can raise a family and never have a credit card. I’ve never owned a credit card. I don’t believe in it… They told me at the airport, ‘You won’t rent a car in California without a credit card.’ Well, I tried to. The first dealership I went to said, ‘I’m sorry.’ They wouldn’t even let me put up a deposit.

“I had been planning to buy a new pickup truck. I said, ‘We’ll buy a truck and drive it back. Be a day or two late, but I’m not worried about that.’ Robbie said, ‘We’d better pray about it.’ So help me, we sat down on the sidewalk and prayed about it. When she got up, she said, ‘Let’s go get that car.’ She didn’t say ‘Let’s go buy that car.’ She said, ‘Let’s go get that car.’ Well, we got up and we didn’t have to walk far, and there was a big sign, Car Rental. We went in, and I started to walk right back out. Behind the counter was a large lady, a black lady. Now this was a couple of weeks after the Watts riots. And here I was a man from Alabama wanting to rent a car from a black lady. But,I went up and spoke to her, and she said, ‘Can I help you?’ I said, ‘I hope so.’

“So, I just told her the whole story. What they’d said at the airport and where I was from and what I was doing in California. When I got through, she said, ‘Mr. Rogers.’ I said, ‘Yes, ma’am?’ She said, ‘I’ll rent you a car.’ I said, ‘I really appreciate it!’ I could a hugged her neck! I got a new Mercury, a Grand Marquis, and we came home and bought one just like it. She said, ‘I’ll rent you a car,’ and she put the papers up on the counter, ‘It’ll be so much (money) here, and when you bring it back with gas tank nearly full, and you haven’t wrecked it, there won’t be no more to pay.’

“Things like that don’t just happen. Don’t tell me prayer don’t help!,” he concluded.

“One time somebody asked me how to get along with your wife. I said, first thing, don’t argue with them. Just don’t, and

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Ray Rogers and Robbie, Ann and Denny you’ll get along a lot better. Most of the time you’re gonna lose, anyway! Just don’t argue with them. Now, you’re not gonna agree on everything, but you don’t have to discuss it… so everybody will know it. Our children never did know. We’d settle it before we went to bed.”

A life well-lived The short February day drew down to evening as the interview ended, and the words of an anonymous poet came to mind: A life well-lived is a precious gift Of hope and strength and grace, From someone who has made our world A brighter, better place.

However, John Faulkner’s observation of his friend says it best: “It’s not easy for Ray to share his thoughts and feelings, but when he does, you get to know a ‘humble hero.’ …He does not see himself that way, but his experiences in WWII and in everyday life reveal a man who has lived every day mindful that God has had his hand over his life for as long as he can remember.”

He is indeed a “humble hero” who has made our world a brighter and better place. l Editor’s note: As the writer of this story heard Rogers speak about Bostogne, Belgium, and the Battle of the Bulge, it evoked strong, personal emotions in him “because my Uncle Jesse Vann was one of the men under siege in December 1944. When I interviewed my uncle in 1984, he had told me, “Our supply line was cut off. We were surrounded there.” He said they killed and ate a few chickens. They killed a hog for food, but killed no more after they saw hogs eating corpses rooted from the snow.

They were starving. “Then that outfit came to relieve us,” Uncle Jesse said, “and they saved our hide.”

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An agriculture masterpiece Story by Scottie Vickery Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr. Every morning, Jackie Gleason sits on her back porch at Legacy Farms in Steele, gazes across the rolling pasture, takes in the spectacular view of Chandler Mountain, and just breathes.

The day, no matter which one it is, promises to be a full one. There are animals to feed and water, hay to bale, two full-time careers to juggle and the usual whirlwind of ball games, practices and school events that come with raising two teenage sons. For most, it would be overwhelming. For Jackie and her husband, Philip, it’s just another day in paradise.

“It’s time consuming and there’s a lot of sacrifices, but it’s worth it,” Philip said. “I don’t see myself doing anything else.”

Voted Best Farm by the readers of Discover, The Essence of St. Clair magazine, Legacy Farms has a little bit of everything. The Gleasons breed quarter horses, cattle, border collies and red heelers while also raising a menagerie that includes chickens, ducks, turkeys, a goat, a Great Pyrenees, an evergrowing collection of cats including one with six toes, and a pig named Trump who was born on Inauguration Day. While running a working farm is a full-time commitment for most, the Gleasons aren’t the type to put their feet up. Philip is a veterinarian at Argo

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The farm raises quarter horses and several breeds of dogs.

Legacy Farms

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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Legacy Farms

Great Pyrenees

Jackie and Philip Gleason

Animal Clinic and a member of the Steele City Council while Jackie works full-time as a pharmacist at CVS in Jacksonville. Just to make things really interesting, she recently started hosting weddings at Dayspring, her family’s farm in Springville, and has 21 events already booked for this year.

“I don’t think there’s a day we can just sit around and relax,” Jackie said. “It’s a lot of work, and at the end of the day you’re exhausted, but you feel like you got something accomplished.”

A WAY OF LIFE Farm life was an important part of both Philip’s and Jackie’s childhoods. Philip grew up on 25 acres across the street from where the couple’s home now stands. Although Jackie lived in Gadsden as a child, she spent most weekends at her grandparents’ Dayspring Farm and grew up showing horses and Simmental cattle. The couple, who married in 2002, tried living in a subdivision while their boys were young, life on the farm kept beckoning.

They eventually bought Philip’s family farm and some additional acreage and made themselves a home.

“It’s such a calming place,” Jackie said. “We tell the kids, ‘learn how to slow down.’ On your worst day, if you can’t go out in that pasture and walk around and feel a little bit better, I don’t know what else could help you.”

Today, the Gleasons work about 250 acres of land between the two farms. Philip breeds Angus cattle while Jackie’s domain is the quarter horses and dogs. Rece, 16, is leaning toward a career in poultry science while 13-year-old Cade can most often be found on a tractor.

“Everybody has their role out here,” Jackie said.

Her first love is the horses. “I started showing horses when I was 3 and started breeding them when I was 13,” said Jackie, adding that she has two stallions, 11 mares and 10 to 12 foals on the ground each year. These days, her pride and joy is Top Side Secret, the 17-year-old grandson of Triple Crown winner Secretariat. “He is one of three grandsons left in the U.S., and his dad is the last living son,” she said. “He’s got the best temperament, which is rare for a stallion. He’s been such a great boy, and he’ll always have a home here.”

Philip said his focus is on breeding the best Angus

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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Cows, goats and chickens are all part of the farm family.

In addition to his duties at the farm, Philip is a veterinarian at Argo Animal Clinic.

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Top Side Secret, the grandson of Triple Crown winner Secretariat, is one of the Gleasons’ breeding stallions and has more than 50 foals. “He’s got the best temperament,” Jackie says.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

Legacy Farms Trump, born on Inauguration Day, was a house pig at first. “He’s really smart,” Jackie said. “He could open all the doors, he could open the refrigerator, and he knew where all his food was.

Now he has to stay outside.” cattle. “We want to produce that great taste,” he said, adding that 50-60 calves are born each year. “We’re a seedstock producer; we’re producing the genetics. All of the animals have a DNA profile and everything is done by artificial insemination or embryo transfer.” While some are sold locally, Philip sends most of his bull calves – usually 25-30 at a time – to Gardiner Angus Ranch in Kansas, which markets them.

“I start at 5 a.m., then go to work and sometimes I’ve been breeding cows at midnight,” he said. “It’s a lot of work and at times it’s frustrating, but I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

Saying “I do” to weddings Late last year, Jackie decided to add another business venture to the mix. Although she and her father still raise cattle at Dayspring Farm and many of her horses are there, she knows the farm will be hers one day and she’ll need another source of income for it. Since its wide-open pastures nestled between two mountain ranges make for some spectacular scenery, she decided it would be the perfect place for a wedding venue.

She held her first wedding last November and hasn’t stopped since. “There’s no way I could ever sell this place, so I decided to figure out some way to make it pay for itself. I didn’t think it would take off as fast as it did. Most barn venues are barns built for weddings, but here the animals wander up to the fence and guests get to pet them. I think that’s what the draw is. We take it for granted because that’s how we grew up, but not everyone gets to enjoy that.”

Creating a Legacy That’s what the Gleasons wanted for Rece and Cade, and it’s the main reason they decided to move back to the farm. “It’s the best thing we could have done for the boys,” Jackie said. “They may never want to raise cattle and that’s one thing, but they’ve learned to appreciate the land, the scenery and animals.”

Not long after the move, the Gleasons were in church when the sermon focus was on creating a legacy. “We looked at each other and said, ‘That’s what we’re going to name the farm,’ ” Jackie said. “Our hope is that each of the kids will get one of the farms one day. If we are going to leave a legacy for them, we wanted it to be a different lifestyle, a peaceful lifestyle.” l

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Doris Munkus

Organizer extraordinaire puts skills, compassion to work for good causes

Doris looking through Dancing With our Stars photo books.

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

Story by Elaine Hobson Miller Photos by Michael Callahan Submitted Photos Doris Munkus likes to organize. When she’s not organizing line dancers, senior citizens and fundraisers, she turns to her own household.

“I color-code everything,” she confesses, not the least bit sheepishly. “I have five grandchildren, and I color-code their towels, their bedding, their chairs, even their toothbrushes and drink cups. They can’t change them, either. I don’t have to buy name tags at Christmas, I just wrap their gifts in their colors.”

Freud might call her anal about organizing, but folks around Pell City call her genius.

Over the past six years, her organizational skills have helped raise more than $150,000 for various charities and first responders in her community. Her main claim to fame is Dancing With Our Stars. This annual competition mimics television’s Dancing With The Stars, pairing experienced dancers with local bankers, professionals, business owners, elected and school officials, firefighters, police officers and others.

But Doris’ organizational skills go back much further than the 2014 debut of DWOS, however.

“I organized a float to represent Dallas County for former Gov. Guy Hunt’s inauguration parade,” says Doris, who taught art in that county’s school system when she lived in Selma.

“I staged an Invention Convention for the school children, too. I like to organize big things.”

In 2001 former Pell City Councilwoman and fellow church member Betty Turner picked up on Doris’ organizational abilities and asked her to start an exercise class at their church, Cropwell Baptist. “I couldn’t then because my mom lived with me and I was taking care of her,” Doris recounts. “She died in 2002, so in 2003 I started that class. It was free and open to anyone.”

After seven or eight years, the exercising hour got a little too long. Doris had taught line dancing as activities director at the Pell City Senior Citizen Center in the late 1990s, so she suggested adding that to the mix. Everyone involved agreed.

“We did a half hour of exercise, half hour of line dancing for several years, then we dropped the exercise portion and just did line dancing,” Doris explains. In 2009, the class moved to Celebrations, and Doris added a $4 charge per class to cover the expenses of renting Celebrations, buying the music, the signage, the DVD player and other incidentals. The rolls show 50 people, but the average attendance is about 30.

While the class was still at Cropwell, the late Kathy Patterson was on the board of the St. Clair County Relay for Life and asked whether

Pell City line Dancers at a dance competition

Pell City Line Dancers Dancing With Our Stars Committee: 1st row - Lavelle Willingham, Paulette Israel, Sue Nickens, Vickie Potter 2nd row - Martha Hill, Donna McAlister, Kathie Dunn, Kathy Hunter, Doris Munkus

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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Doris Munkus

Doris and her family

Doris also organized bus trips and cruises around the country.

Doris’ line dancers might want to raise money for cancer research. “That first year we raised $2,000, and dancing wasn’t even involved,” Doris says. True to form, she started thinking bigger, and the class held sock hops the next year. People responded well, so Melinda Williams, the American Cancer Society representative for St. Clair and several other counties, suggested the dancers hold a Dancing With Our Stars as another fundraiser.

“Our first was February 14, 2014,” Doris says.

“February seems to be best month, but we have done it in March and April. In February of this year, we raised $23,111 and those numbers are still climbing because we’re selling DVDs from the show.”

Deserved rave reviews Tim Kurzejeski is a battalion chief and one of four members of the Pell City Fire Department who linedanced to the 1977 Bee Gees hit, Stayin’ Alive, at the first DWOS – in full protective gear. He has nothing but praise for Doris and the DWOS event.

“The fire department here in Pell City has had a dance team at Dancing With Our Stars every year since that first year,” Kurzejeski says. “Doris is great. She’s very energetic, she just tries to do the best and most she can to give back to the community. She’s very easy to work with, and it’s actually fun.”

Dancing With Our Stars no longer raises funds for Relay for Life. Instead, the money goes to a different

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

organization each year. In 2016 it benefitted Children’s Hospital of Alabama, in 2017, it was the Pell City Fire Department, in 2018 the Pell City Police Department, and this year, it was for the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department.

Next year, DWOS will raise money for the St. Clair County Children’s Advocacy Center. “The dancers and people who buy tickets respond well to local charities,” Doris says. “People call us and ask us to raise money for their charity, and we put them on a list. We check them out, and the entire committee must agree on them. We’ll never do it for an individual, though.”

She has a committee of eight line dancers who do much of the planning for the event. “We already have the menu for next year,” she says. “Vickie Potter, who’s in charge of the food, already has next year’s food court and theme. It will be a hobo theme in 2020.”

Other committee members include Donna McAlister, photo and technical coordinator; Kathie Dunn; Kathy Hunter; Lavelle Willingham, treasurer; Martha Hill; Paulette Israel and Sue Nickens, Silent Auction coordinators. Jeremy Gossett has been emcee, and Jamison Taylor has been the disc jockey for the event since its inception. Griffin Harris is the tech guru who sets up the text line the audience uses to vote for favorites. “It’s all run by volunteers,” Doris says.

Recruiting dancers was hard the first year, but it’s much easier now. In fact, people often call Doris asking to participate.

“It’s amazing how much talent we have in this area,” she says.

This year, 600 people paid $25 each to eat dinner and watch the show at Celebrations, where all but one DWOS has been held.

Next year, it will move to the CEPA building, on the gym side, which holds 2,000 people. “There’s more parking space there, too,” Doris says.

St. Clair County Sheriff Billy J. Murray readily admits that Doris is one of two people he just can’t say “no” to. (The other is his wife.) “Doris has a tremendous work ethic, and she’s very organized,” he says. “There’s always a lot of stuff that comes up that someone has to handle in preparing for the show, and she steps up to the role of managing the chaos.”

Although dancing is out of his comfort zone, he has already signed up for next year because Doris makes it so much fun.

“I know how to be sheriff, but I don’t know how to dance,” Murray says. “We (the sheriff’s department) had nearly 30 people helping in some capacity this year, dancing, building props, helping with costumes and makeup. I wouldn’t hesitate to partner with Doris and her line dancers again.”

Joanna Murphree, the executive assistant to the administrator of St. Vincent’s St. Clair, has worked with Doris on DWOS for the past three years, and she, too, has high praise for this wonder woman. “The hospital has had a team in the group division, the Dance Fevers team,” she says. “Doris’s organizational skills are phenomenal. She’s pleasant to work with, too, and very thorough.”

Destination: Worthy cause When she’s not working on DWOS, Doris organizes short, one day or overnight trips for the St. Clair County Baptist Association as a volunteer, as well as cruises and one- and twoweek bus trips under the banner of her Pell City Cruisers. This sideline began in 1998, when she worked at the senior center.

She charters the buses, plans the itineraries and the meals, books the hotels, the whole shebang. “I did one 14-day bus trip where we flew into Las Vegas and toured 12-14 national parks in nine states,” she says. She has done tours to Canada, Colorado, Montana, Utah, the Ark in Kentucky and the Panama

Canal Zone. She makes photo books of each trip, just like she does with each DWOS event. “All of these trips and cruises are open to anyone of any age or denomination,” she says.

In addition, she and the Pell City Line Dancers perform at community events, such as the Halloween Festival at Old Baker’s Farm in Shelby County, Homestead Hollow in Springville and the Pell City Block Party. They dance monthly at the Colonel Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home in Pell City, at the Village at Cook Springs, and at Danbury in Inverness in Shelby County.

When she isn’t traveling or organizing something, she helps her husband, Victor, who is retired from National Cement in Ragland, with Munk’s Renovations. They remodel apartments, refurbish the cabinets they remove and resell them. The couple has been married for 22 years, and yes, she organizes his life, too. But he doesn’t mind at all.

“She’s a wonderful lady, she’s sweet, lovable, real thoughtful,” he gushes. Victor says she organizes his closet, too. “I have a section for work shirts, for dress shirts, for shoes, socks, pants and underwear,” he says. “She has tags, so I’ll know where everything’s supposed to go. She doesn’t like for me to leave my shoes or clothes lying around, and she’ll come behind me and pick them up. I’ve been living with her for almost 23 years, and I guess neither of us is going to change.”

Editor’s Note: For a video or DVD of still pictures of the 2019 Dancing With Our Stars, call Doris at 205-473-4063.

They are $10 each.

You may also call her for more information about her trips.

Line dancing classes meet at 9 a.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, with beginner classes following at 10 a.m. on the same days. Payment is on the honor system, with a box set out to collect the $4 per person charge. l

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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Weddings: Uniquely St. Clair

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Finding the ultimate wedding

Destination From New York to an island paradise, the sky is the limit when you are willing to travel Story by Linda Long Submitted photos

Tropical paradise islands are popular destination spots for weedings.

Planning on attending a wedding anytime soon? Then, you might want to don some traveling duds and pack a suitcase. Destination weddings are a hot item these days, according to Joanie Mardis owner of Seasons of Adventure Travel in Moody.

From Half Moon Bay, Calif., to Tucson, Ariz., adventurous couples are hitting the road for hot places to get hitched. Among the top 10 in the U.S., says Mardis is, “anywhere in Florida – from San Destin to the Keys. “The closest to us for a wonderful wedding is San Destin with beautiful green waters and sugar white sand beaches.”

Other can’t miss destinations include Cape Cod, Napa Valley, Newport, New York City, Aspen and even as far north as the state of Maine. “And, of course, Las Vegas, where almost anything goes,” says Mardis. “Although, I can honestly say, I’ve never booked the Elvis Presley Wedding Chapel for anybody,” she laughed.

According to Mardis, the Caribbean is also a popular place to go where an all-inclusive resort is a favorite choice. At some venues, the wedding package is actually free of charge. The most familiar is Sandals Resort with options in Jamaica, Antigua, Saint Lucia, Bahamas, Grenada and Barbados.

“They have a basic wedding package that includes the ceremony (on the beach, in a garden, in a gazebo, day or night),” said Mardis. Add a bouquet and boutonnière of orchids, reception, decor and wedding cake, all in a standard color scheme of fuchsia and yellow, and you’ve got all you need.”

Mardis says the bride and groom can customize these weddings with different styles, ideas, colors, flowers and decor. The couple can have a larger, more elaborate

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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Weddings: Uniquely St. Clair

Grand Canyon in Arizona

New York City 44

reception for as many guests as they choose to bring. The more guests to stay at the resort with them, the more perks the couple gets, such as a welcome celebration, spa themes bridal party and a room category upgrade.

Another great resort for the free wedding offer, according to Mardis, is the Couples Resort in Jamaica. “A couple can choose from three locations for a dream wedding, free for the bride, groom and four guests staying in the resort for three days or more.

These weddings can be customized for only the bride and groom, called the Runaway Bride Package for $350 all the way up to a Private Island wedding for up to 40 guests for $4,750.

Another popular wedding destination – a ship – from a private yacht to a cruise ship.

According to Mardis, cruise ship weddings take place, usually, before the ship sails. The wedding party boards the ship as soon as the ship is ready for passengers. A venue is already set up. The ceremony and reception take place. Then, those not sailing depart the ship before sailing time, and the bride and groom go on a honeymoon cruise.

But why are brides and grooms choosing

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

Dayspring Farm

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Located in St Clair County, Ashville/Springville area in the the gorgeous valley of Straight Mountain, on 187 acres of green pastures with woods, lakes, barns, huge hardwood trees, with mountain backgrounds.

We are much more than a venue. We offer multiple ceremony sites with any view you can imagine for you special day, fully decorated barns, a variety of wooden chairs, benches, tables, decorations, day of coordinating with complete set up and clean up all included.

We include our beautiful horses and cattle for photography and they are around for your wedding guests to enjoy.

We book week day, Saturday, and Sunday weddings and would love to talk with you and schedule a tour!

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Weddings: Uniquely St. Clair destination weddings instead of traditional church wedding at home among family and friends? There could be any number of reasons, says Mardis.

“It might be a second marriage for the bride and groom, or the couple may have families in different places.

Instead of one family traveling, everyone travels. You get a great family vacation along with the wedding. Many times, the family only stays about 3 days (before, day of and day after the ceremony), then the bride and groom remain for several days for the honeymoon.

Sometimes the bride and groom do not necessarily want a huge wedding, so they only invite a few people to join them in the destination of their choice.

Or maybe, it’s just the thing to do these days.”

Mardis has one bit of caution, however, for couples planning a wedding outside the country. Requirements can vary from location to location. As Mardis explained, “Some places require you to be on the island for a select number of days before you can apply for your marriage license, anywhere from one to seven days. Some islands charge you fees to get married or to obtain your license, which can be up to $450 or maybe less than $100 depending on the island you choose.”

Couples also will have to have proof of ID, divorce decrees or a spouse’s death certificate if previously married, or parental consent, if under age. l

Custom decorations should be part of the planning.

Beaches are very popular and accessible along the gulf coast.

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

Renting vintage automobiles for the first ride is also an option.

Weddings: Uniquely St. Clair

Amazing Venues No shortage of places to say, ‘I do’

Mountain View

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

Story by Elsie Hodnett Submitted photos

Cabin Bluff

The saying, “location, location, location,” takes on special meaning when it comes to planning a wedding. Indoors or outdoors, from fields to barns to historic locales and spectacular views, St. Clair County has options to suit every need.

Where to say, ‘I do’ Here’s a glimpse at some of the venues St. Clair County has to offer: Applewood Farm in Pell City converted from a horse and cattle farm to a venue in 2011. With 80 acres that include rolling hills, manicured pastures, ponds and a 4,000-square foot, converted authentic barn, there is room to accommodate up to 200 guests for both the ceremony and reception.

The “Crystal Chandelier Barn” features 12 imported chandeliers hanging from the 28-foot exposed trusses, creating an elegant atmosphere. An 1841 log cabin provides a place for the groom and groomsmen to get ready. The Farm House includes a large great room perfect for rehearsal dinners along with three bedrooms and two-anda-half baths for overnight stays.

All buildings feature heating and air-conditioning for year-round service. Couples can choose their own vendors for decorations, catering and photography; receive recommendations of vendors to fulfill those services or take advantage of the all-inclusive options that launched this year.

Celebrations in Pell City is one of the larger venues in this area. The 10,000 square feet on the ground floor includes three smaller rooms to the side and is split into two sections. One side is more popular as a wedding venue and can accommodate up to 375 guests. The opposite side is styled more for birthday parties and the like, but it can also be used for larger weddings with room for an additional 300 guests.

There is a private room upstairs for the bride to get ready for her big day. Couples can hire their own vendors for decorations,

The Livery Event Center

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Weddings: Uniquely St. Clair Dayspring Farm has several locations that make the perfect backdrop.

catering, photography and more, receive referrals for those services, or rent some of the decorations from Celebrations itself.

Dawson’s Honeysuckle Farm in Ashville offers 235 acres in the Slasham Valley near Canoe Creek. The couple is provided with both a picnic luncheon and golf cart to travel the farm and pick the perfect location, whether it is one of the two barns, one of the fields or in the grove of hardwood trees.

One of the barns is open-ended for ceremonies, and receptions that can accommodate 200-250 guests.

The second closed-in barn can host 250 guests. Both barns feature dance floors and stages.

There is also a special ceremony that couples can take advantage of. Thirty days before the wedding, at the time of the wedding, the couple brings a full bottle of the Bourbon of their choice and buries the bottle upside down to prevent rain on the wedding day.

According to Bart Dawson, the couples who engage in that tradition have had a 100-percent success rate of perfect wedding weather. “One day it will probably rain,” Dawson said.

“But it hasn’t yet.”

Dry Creek Farms in Pell City is a working cattle farm that was so successful as a location for friends and families to pick as their venue, that a second traditional American red barn was constructed. The American red barn can host up to 250 guests.

Stalls can be transformed to fit whatever need – from a children’s play area to a drink station or whatever the couple desires.

In addition to the American red barn, there are many outdoor locations perfect for a beautiful ceremony outdoors. Whether the couple prefers the “country” feel of the American red barn or a ceremony under the skies, Dry Creek Farms can make it happen.

Mountain View Farms in Ashville is considered a “Private Estate Wedding Venue,” with 110 acres full of towering oak trees and gorgeous vistas. Popular locations include the gazebo surrounded by water, in front of a giant oak tree on the edge of the lake or a large pavilion, complete with vintage chandeliers and oak farm

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

Wedding Venues and Services

Weddings: Uniquely St. Clair tables.

Couples can take advantage of inclusive wedding packages that bundle seating, decorations, flowers, catering, custom cakes and much more, allowing the happy couple to focus on enjoying their special day instead of worrying about the details.

The Livery Event Center in Leeds was built at the turn of the century. For couples who love the old worn look and feel, this venue is perfect. It can host 75-80 guests for a more intimate wedding ceremony and reception.

Tables and chairs can be arranged for a flat fee, with steamed tablecloths for an additional fee.

Couples can choose their own wedding planners, caterers, music, photographers and other related vendors, or The Livery can provide referrals from local vendors.

The Livery blends the historic feel of the venue, which once served as a livery stable, with modern conveniences. Old original concrete floors and old bead board with the original green patina gives the feel of stepping back through time, with an aura of charm.

Celebrations

Weddings at Cabin Bluff in Springville provides couples with stunning views of Canoe Creek Valley and on clear days, Mount Cheaha. A traditional red barn can seat up to 250 for the ceremony. The outdoor venue seating allows for an additional 50 guests to enjoy the wedding comfortably.

The barn and field are the two most popular sites and are mere steps away from each other. A full kitchen and suites provide areas for both bride and groom to prepare separately in comfort. A number of reliable wedding-related vendors can fulfill every need, from catering to decorations, flowers and photography.

Dayspring Farm Wedding and Special Event Venue is a family owned working farm located in the Ashville/Springville area in the gorgeous valley of Straight Mountain.

It is located on 187 acres of green pastures with woods, lakes, barns, huge hardwood trees, with mountain backgrounds.

Owner Jackie Gleason describes it as much more than a venue. “We offer multiple ceremony sites with any view you can imagine for you special day, fully decorated barns, a variety of wooden chairs, benches, tables, decorations, day of coordinating with complete set up and clean up all included.

“We include our beautiful horses and cattle for photography, and they are around for your wedding guests to enjoy.

Dayspring books weekday, Saturday and Sunday weddings. Tours may be scheduled. l

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

Couple buries bourbon a month before ceremony for ‘good weather’ ritual.

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Weddings: Uniquely St. Clair

Shadow Wood

FROM HORSE FARM TO AMAZING VENUE

The original horse barn has been repurposed for the perfect indoor venue.

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Story by Leigh Pritchett Photos by Graham Hadley When Brittanie Ulrich of Maylene started in July 2018 to plan her wedding, she envisioned a theme that would combine elegant and rustic.

Some told her that would be a daunting task.

Then, she saw information about Shadow Wood Manor that owner Joe Johnson and wife Karla had posted on The Knot, a wedding planner site. Very quickly, Ulrich went to Shadow Wood to see for herself.

At the time, the work to transform Shadow Wood from an Arabian horse farm into a venue for weddings and events was still under way. Outside the barn were piles of dirt; inside the barn, a chandelier was suspended from wires and a rope. Just the same, Ulrich could tell that Shadow Wood was “the place.”

“I completely fell in love at that moment. I could tell Karla’s vision (for Shadow Wood),” she said. “What she wanted is what I wanted.”

Ulrich was not alone in sharing Mrs. Johnson’s vision.

“We had 12 weddings booked before renovations were complete,” she said.

Ulrich got to see the finished product in March when she returned to finalize plans for her July 11 wedding to Joseph Lowery. What she saw was even better than she had imagined it would be.

“Oh my goodness,” she said. “(Karla) definitely did an amazing job. ... It is everything I ever dreamed of.”

The 4,400-square-foot barn with carriage house doors and Canadian log pillars features five chandeliers and Victorian furnishings. Adding warmth, sentiment and nostalgia into the midst are the barn doors, loft ladder and well pump from the Indiana farm of Johnson’s grandparents.

So natural is the setting that wildlife might stroll past the ceilingto-floor cathedral windows as a wild turkey did during Discover magazine’s visit to the manor.

The bride’s dressing area spans two horse stalls and is furnished with a beautiful chifforobe, five

Plenty of outdoor settings

The front of a vintage Mercedes is used as a bar.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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Weddings: Uniquely St. Clair

The combination of new wood and old makes the perfect backdrop.

vanity tables and an ornate, full-length mirror. Lending a manly flair to the groom’s area are a cavalry saddle and a bar whose base is the front portion of a Mercedes.

The half door of what is now the prep kitchen still sports the teeth prints of horses.

Even the antique buffets repurposed as conversion sinks in the restrooms intertwine the elegant and the rustic.

“Everything about it so unique,” said Madison Harper of Chelsea. She and husband Zach married at Shadow Wood Manor on March 16.

“It has such character,” she said. “It had so many cute and unique things about it that made it charming.”

The barn shares a 20-acre expanse with the Johnsons’ home, a garden house, shop, office, another barn and a parking area. Dotting the pastureland are many special touches, such as a covered bridge, ponds, riding arena, open-air shed that beckons visitors to walk inside, and a wide swing hanging from a tall tree limb.

Abundant are the locations for outdoor nuptials, events and photographic backdrops.

“You can decide where you want to get married,” Harper said of the expanse.

In fact, two photographers attending a fish fry the Johnsons hosted several years ago were so captivated by Shadow Wood that they suggested making it a wedding venue.

Within six months of that conversation, remodeling began.

At that time, the barn had a dirt floor and “was packed plum full” of this and that, Mrs. Johnson said. Until the barn was empty of its contents, she had no idea of the enormity of the interior.

Joe Johnson and his vintage Chevy

Karla Johnson 56

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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Weddings: Uniquely St. Clair Mr. Johnson has owned the farm about 40 years.

He and his late wife, Sirena, raised and trained Arabian horses there until Sirena’s passing. The farm is named for Shadow, which was one of Mr. Johnson’s award-winning Arabians.

The 18-month renovation project not only changed the personality of the barn, but also added an overflow patio with outdoor fireplace.

“It was all (Karla’s) idea,” Mr. Johnson said.

“She wanted another job, so this just kind of mushroomed. This place was just sitting here.”

Mrs. Johnson, a pharmacist for 40 years, and her husband, a long-time mechanical engineer, both gave up retirement for this new direction.

The final few weeks of the project were especially busy: Jean Mathis of Northport, Mr. Johnson’s sister, and Rose McGowan of Louisville, Ky., Mrs. Johnson’s friend, worked daily with the Johnsons to get everything completed on time. Also, two families took vacation days from work to ready Shadow Wood for the premier event, which was a wedding.

“Our first wedding was Aug. 31, 2018,” said Mrs. Johnson.

That was the wedding of Holli and Kyle Dorsett of Odenville.

Since then, Shadow Wood has been the site of coronation photos, baby reveal pictures, engagement photos, birthday parties, baby showers and Christmas gatherings.

By spring of this year, 22 weddings had been booked through September 2020.

Rental for the venue covers the entire day, which gives flexibility to the wedding party and event planners. The venue is handicap accessible, and a shuttle service is available.

Newlyweds can make an impressive “getaway” in one of the vintage vehicles that Mr. Johnson has restored. The bride and groom may rent either a 1928 Model A coupe, a 1957 Chevrolet Belair or a 1965 Ford Mustang.

There is, however, one amenity that will not be found in information about Shadow Wood.

Nevertheless, Mrs. Dorsett, Mrs. Harper and Miss Ulrich all mentioned it and expressed gratitude for it.

That amenity is Mr. and Mrs. Johnson themselves.

“They were fabulous,” Mrs. Dorsett said.

For her special day, she wanted certain items, such as wooden double doors through which to walk during her outdoor wedding, an arch or arbor under which to stand during the ceremony, wooden decor for the reception, and a ladder with L-O-V-E on it. “Everything I asked for, they made it happen,” Mrs. Dorsett said.

The wooden doors, which Mr. Johnson built himself, are still on site and have been used in other weddings as well.

“I couldn’t have asked for easier or better wedding planning,” Mrs. Dorsett said. “They made it easy.”

58

One of the Ford Model A cars at the farm.

Original horse stall doors, complete with horse chew marks, are part of the original charm.

Miss Ulrich has found the same in preparing for her wedding.

“Karla and Joe have done an absolutely outstanding job,” Miss Ulrich said. “They really, truly want their brides to have everything. They want it to be the best day. She has listened to me. It’s not just a business.”

Mrs. Harper said she had seen on Pinterest a wooden arch that she wanted for her wedding ceremony. She mentioned it, and Mr. Johnson built it for her. “(Karla) got her husband to build it and didn’t even charge us for it,” Mrs. Harper said. “... (Karla) wanted to do everything to make my wedding perfect. ... They felt like (our) friends.”

Though Mr. Johnson initially thought his wife was crazy for wanting to create a wedding and event venue, he now finds great contentment in making dreams come true.

“It really makes you feel good when people leave happy,” Mr. Johnson said. l

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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Weddings: Uniquely St. Clair

Dressing for the big day

By Elaine Hobson Miller Submitted photos Brides’ dresses and jewelry are getting simpler, grooms and groomsmen are sporting colored tuxedoes and funky socks, while bridesmaids don’t always wear cookie-cutter dresses anymore. These are the trends in St. Clair County and beyond, according to two shops that have been dressing wedding parties for a combined 30 years-plus.

“Styles for bridal dresses are a little bit plainer now, especially for barn or destination weddings, but even on cruise weddings,” says Pam Everidge, owner of Glitz & Glamour on Cogswell Avenue in Pell City. “This is especially so if it’s a second wedding.”

While many brides still go with the traditional white, others are opting for ivory or a muted tone like blush. Shimmering satin is a popular fabric, along with stretch jersey, which contours to the bride’s body. There are still those brides who go with the more traditional chiffon, too.

“Some dresses have layers of ruffles that shimmer because of the iridescent material they’re made from,” says Everidge. “Often brides will choose a long dress that has a removable bottom section, which gives them a short dress for after the wedding. Some are still wearing flared, tulle skirts, though, and you can still get a ball gown or lots of lace. But most are going for a sleeker look.”

Dresses with straps are more popular now because they make the brides feel more secure than the strapless kind. “The brides aren’t always pulling on their bodices when they have straps,” Everidge says. “In fall and winter, brides often want sleeves in their gowns, even though most of those sleeves are sheer.”

Their veils are getting simpler, too, and trains are disappearing. Tiaras are out, and most brides go for simple jewelry. “Most of the time the bride will wear a simple necklace of AB rhinestones with matching earrings, especially if they have the stones on their dress,” she says. AB, which stands for Aurora Borealis, or Northern lights, are clear rhinestones that have a special iridescent finish that shines with many colors. The iridescent surface is a result of a very thin layer of metallic atoms that have been deposited on the lower surface of the stone. “They’ll wear clear AB stones

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There is no limit to what you can find for the perfect dress.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

or pearls if they don’t want to add color,” Everidge says. “Most of these are costume jewelry, unless it’s an elaborate wedding where the bride is wearing her grandmother’s diamonds.”

She carries some bridesmaid’s dresses, but orders most of those.

Some are crossovers, meaning they can also be used as party or homecoming dresses. Silvers and grays have done really well recently, along with champagne colors and taupe. In the fall, jeweltones such as wine, burgundy and deep royal blue are popular.

“So many brides are going with different styles and colors for each of their bridesmaids,” Everidge says. “If a bridesmaid is busty, she can’t wear the same dress as one who has a small bust. Plus-size girls won’t look the same as thin girls in the same dress. You want everybody to look back at the wedding photos and say everyone looked great.”

Sometimes the brides will offer their attendants several choices, with halter or straps for the plussizes and strapless for others.

Some girls are more comfortable in a little sleeve or a bolero to go over the dress, according to Everidge.

“The bride will give them a color scheme, which can be from light to dark, and they can pick out the color,” she says. “If the bride chooses pink, for example, some can have it a little darker, others lighter, but all in that color range.

I think it shows up better in the photos, too.”

Many weddings last all day and into the night, starting early with the official photography and ending into late night with a reception. That makes for a long time in the same clothes and shoes, so many brides are opting to start in wedding shoes and change to something more comfortable after the ceremony.

“A lot of them are going with wedges, then changing to more decorative sandals toward the end of the day,” Everidge explains. “That way they can start off in beautiful shoes and when winding down can switch to strappy sandals.”

As for lengths, bridesmaids’

dresses are going all the way from short to long. “It’s more economical for girls if they go with short because it doesn’t have to be hemmed,” Everidge says. “Most of these dresses don’t come in petite sizes.” She has an alterations person on site to make any necessary adjustments, which she considers a real plus for her customers. “I’m not the alterations person, I just do the pinning,” she quips. Tight budgets may be why they’re getting away from traditional bridesmaid dresses that look so formal, she adds.

Barn weddings, which are very popular nowadays, lend

themselves toward less formal wear, although some are still fairly elaborate. “There are still those brides who are going with traditional dresses but with less lace or no train,” Everidge says.

“We put a lot of bustles with the bridal dresses now, too. They hook up to the back of the dress so the bride doesn’t have to carry it around while dancing or standing in the reception line.”

Dressing the groom Colors and styles for the groom and groomsmen continue to evolve right along with those of the bride and her maids.

Like those of their female

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Weddings: Uniquely St. Clair counterparts, the guys’ clothes are becoming less formal, often reflecting their individual personalities, according to Geneva Yerby, manager of Mr. Burch, a tuxedo rental shop in Trussville. While many still wear the traditional black tuxes, others are going for navy blue, gray, even burgundy.

“A lot of grooms will wear a solidcolored suit, and their groomsmen will have lighter colored suits,” says Yerby.

“For example, the groom might have a burgundy suit, while his groomsmen might have tan suits with burgundy vests and ties.”

Even footwear is changing for the groom and groomsmen. It’s becoming popular for them to wear brown shoes with gray suits, for example. She’s seeing a lot of loafers these days, along with themed socks that display super heroes, the American flag, animals or a favorite sports team’s logo. “They take pictures with their pants legs pulled up, showing their socks and shoes, the way brides show their shoes,” she says. “Lots of them also wear colored shoes or cowboy boots.

Alabama and Auburn socks are popular.

We even have Alabama and Auburn boxer shorts.”

The way the “process” works is that a bride and groom will go in and register their wedding, picking out the styles and colors they want. Later, the groomsmen will stop by and get fitted, then pick up their tuxes two days before the wedding.

“We make them try them on,” Yerby says. “We may have to hem the pants or shorten the sleeves. We want them to look their best. They represent us.”

Most of the staff at Mr. Burch are seasoned formal-wear consultants, and some have been with the company for 20-30 years. “As a consultant, you have to keep up with the trends and know how to fit someone,” Yerby says. “Fit has changed, too. The guys are no longer wearing big pants, but flat-front pants with a slim or ultra-slim fit.”

As if on cue, a man comes into the store for a fitting while Yerby is discussing trends. He comes out of the dressing room wearing brown shoes and a gray suit. Typical of guys, he raises his arms, flexes them across his chest, then raises them over his head. “This jacket is too tight for me,” he complains to Denise Landry, one of the bridal consultants who is helping him. “It’s actually a good fit,” says Landry, taking the shoulder

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The men’s attire is also important to the look of the wedding.

seam and pulling upward on it. “You’re supposed to look good, not feel good.”

She says the guys always want to raise their arms, then they want their jackets so big they fall off their shoulders. “We want them to look good, because the bridal couple has to look at those (wedding) photos the rest of their lives,” she says.

Established in downtown Birmingham in 1984, Mr. Burch has been in Trussville for 12 years and in its present location in the old K-Mart Shopping Center on Chalkville Mountain Road for six of those 12. The shop will be adding retail to its mix soon, with three-piece suits (matching coat, pants and vests) for sale along with the tux rentals. “We will be able to offer several colors, including tan, shades of gray, navy, the new super blue, which is lighter and more vibrant than navy, along with black,” Yerby says.

What sets Mr. Burch apart, she says, is having a local warehouse to draw upon. “If last-minute problems arise, they can always be fixed. We’ve even been known to show up at a wedding to fix something.” l

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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Weddings: Uniquely St. Clair

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

Newest trends in engagement and wedding rings include halo rings, colors and new options for the groom Story by Jackie Romine Walburn Submitted photos When it comes to finding the perfect engagement ring and wedding band, local jewelers say brides and grooms have more choices than ever.

Whether it’s traditional solitaires or the newest looks of diamonds surrounding diamonds, St. Clair’s professional jewelers agree that personal taste and the budget are key guidelines in a couple’s journey to finding the perfect rings for their lifetime commitment.

At Griffin’s Jewelers in Pell City, “our main goal is to help the couple get what they want,” says Michael Abernathy, who has worked 25 years at Griffin’s, which was founded in 1950 by a World War II veteran who set up shop originally in Talladega, then expanded to Pell City.

When shopping for the lifetime purchase of engagement and wedding bands, it’s important, Abernathy advises customers, to “find somebody you trust and get what you want.”

At Griffin’s and at other regional jewelers, Elite and Agnew in Trussville, what the bride and groom want may include in-stock rings and wedding bands or a custom ring, made to order by local jewelers.

“These days, it’s whatever the customer wants,” says Ann Mitchell, owner and manager of Elite Jewelers Inc. in Trussville. “You don’t have to go with what’s in the case.”

What’s in the case regarding today’s most popular engagement ring styles include halo, solitaire and composite cluster rings, plus choices in metal colors and gem colors, the jewelers say.

Current in-demand styles include the halo engagement ring, where accent

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

their engagement rings.

While Agnew carries stock engagement rings from popular lines, including Bridal Bells and Rhythm of Love, custom rings are options that allow for unique designs. Sometimes, a couple will have stones from family, and they pick a style, and the jeweler makes the ring, Ware said.

At Griffin’s Jewelers in Pell City, brides are selecting more pear and oval shaped center stones, with or without the surrounding stones. However, the round brilliant diamond is still most popular.

Some brides are choosing “composite cluster rings,” Abernathy says. “These are created in a new process that sets small stones together to look like a large stone. It’s a bigger look for less price; they are beautiful and popular throughout the industry.”

Other different looks in engagement rings include two-tone metals with accents and hand engraving, Abernathy says.

“Here we have a lot to choose from and can create most anything a couple wants. Our main goal is to get you what you want,” said Abernathy.

diamonds surround a larger center diamond. The diamond accents sometimes extend to the band on each side of the halo setting, says Mitchell at Elite Jewelers. “Halos are the most popular, but these days, it’s anything goes, from vintage to modern,” Mitchell says. “Most rings are still gold – white gold, yellow or rose gold and platinum.”

Time-honored solitaire rings are traditional ring styles that are back in style and in demand, says Sheryl Ware at Agnew Jewelers in Trussville. “Halos are popular, but some brides do not want stones on the band or around the solitaire. That is a change from recent trends.”

Regarding metals for engagement rings, 14-karat white gold is preferred by many brides, followed by yellow and rose gold, says Ware. “Because of the popularity of sterling silver jewelry, more young brides seem to want the white gold.”

The use of colored gems is another engagement ring trend. “Most of the time, an accent stone might be a colored gem. Less often, it’s the center stone,” Ware said. Blue sapphires work well as accent stones or center stones for brides who want color in

Who is the shopper?

Who shops for an engagement ring – the groom alone or with his intended or his mom or the sister or friend of the bride-to-be? Local jewelers say it’s as varied, almost, as the choices they have.

“Sometimes, mothers come with the groom or a sister,” said Ware at Agnew. “If a guy comes by himself, he usually brings somebody or comes with pictures from Pinterest or something like that. The couple sometimes shop together.”

“That has changed from when the man picks out the ring himself and surprises the bride,” Ware said.

“When my husband purchased mine, I had no idea.”

Mitchell at Elite says some couples shop together, then the groom returns to make the purchase, so there’s still some surprise.

At Griffin’s, Abernathy says who’s shopping varies, including the couple together or the groom with a mother, sister or friend to help. “It’s everything and no proper way. I tell ladies to be blunt. Say what you want,” he said.

The Story Learning about the couple’s story is part of the enjoyment for salespeople, says Abernathy at Griffin’s. “It’s always fun, and we love the excitement of hearing the story. We like to create an experience for the couple without sales pressure.

“Every couple has a story, and the ring and proposal are part of the story they’ll tell their children and grandchildren,” Abernathy says, noting that he and staff members have more than 50 years’ experience in the business. “That’s a lot of stories, and Griffin’s wants to be part of the story.”

The rings a couple select show what’s unique about the bride and groom and their relationship, Abernathy says. No matter if they want fancy, simple or in between, “There’s a ring for everybody.”

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Weddings: Uniquely St. Clair Don’t forget the wedding rings When it comes to wedding bands for the bride and groom, the days of “matchy matchy” are over, the jewelers say, adding that they routinely do not stock matching bride and groom weddings bands.

“Matching wedding bands are things of the past,” says Ware. “It’s hard to even find them.”

However, engagement rings do have matching bands, but they vary much more than in the past, when many bridal wedding bands were plain and straight.

Popular wedding bands today may have diamond or other gem accents or have curves to exactly match the engagement ring’s curves; some are two bands, one on each side of the engagement ring. “A lot more brides want diamonds on the band of the engagement ring and on the wedding band,” says Ware. “We custom make a lot of wedding bands.”

More choices for men An expanding selection of options for men’s wedding bands is one of the biggest changes in the wedding jewelry market. “The men’s wedding band market has exploded. There are many more options, including alternative metals,” Mitchell says.

“Gentlemen want alternative metals, like tungsten and cobalt, as often as they want gold,” says Ware.

Men are customizing their wedding bands now, Mitchell says, and often want the latest in alternative metals, including options for a gunmetal coating called Cerakote.

“Men have their own styles now,” Abernathy says.

Alternative metals like tungsten and cobalt are scratch resistant. Some of the alternative metal rings come with wood on the inside and a metal such as zirconium on the outside.

A list of alternative metals used in today’s wedding bands for men include meteorite, Damascus steel, Elysium and titanium. Some manufacturers offer titanium in black or silver inlayed with camo, wood and even dinosaur bone pieces. “Guys had been left out in the wedding band deal,” says Mitchell at Elite. “Now, they are really expanding the options and ways of using alternative metals.”

“From a safety standpoint for men who work with their hands in settings where metal rings are dangerous or forbidden, there are rings made of medical grade silicone,” Abernathy says. Silicon doesn’t conduct electricity like metals do, and if caught on something, it just tears. Silicone bands – which come in three metal-like colors and can include laser engraved patterns – are also available for women.

And, with the options, men are becoming more interested in design and getting what they want.

“We’ve had people design their own rings, Mitchell said. “We took a duck hunting design a groom liked and made it into a ring.”

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Constant changes The experienced jewelers at shops in the region say changes in the engagement and wedding ring markets include more options in designs, stones, metals, safety materials and personalization. With either in-stock or custom rings, couples can get what they want in their investment in wedding and engagement rings.

Now, alternative metal use is expanding into women’s rings in addition to men’s wedding bands. Colored stones are more widely used in engagement and wedding bands, including rubies, emerald, aquamarine and sapphires.

Another change since these jewelers started in the business is the price of gold and other materials.

The gold market has risen, says Mitchell. “Nineteen years ago when I started, gold was $250 an ounce; now it’s $1,300 an ounce.” She said this naturally makes rings more expensive -- and more valuable over time. “That’s why we are seeing more alternative metals being used.

“Still, there is something beautiful for every budget.” l

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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EDC Special Coverage In a sense, economic development is like growing a garden. Everything comes in season – tilling, planting, watering and fertilizing, waiting for the effort to blossom. For the past 20 years in St. Clair County, government, industry, small business and the citizenry, have come together like seed, soil, sun and rain to grow one of Alabama’s fastest-growing counties.

With a basketful of projects in progress or in prospect, plus a recent capital campaign meeting its fundraising goals, the St. Clair County Economic Development Council appears poised for another bountiful harvest.

The EDC has just completed raising its $500,000 goal in its annual capital campaign, Partnership for Tomorrow. The fundraising effort not only fuels the EDC’s regional, national and international recruitment reach that extends from Europe to the Pacific Rim, but also foots the bill for things as mundane as paying salaries for the EDC’s small staff and keeping the lights burning.

“We’ve always been very fortunate to have community support in these endeavors. We have a 20-year track record of being both good stewards of the funds given to us and being very productive in utilizing those funds,” said EDC Executive Director Don Smith.

The EDC is also about to embark on a new five-year plan, crafted after feedback from business, government and St. Clair County citizens. Education and workforce development, job recruitment and retention, marketing and leadership development remain as goals from previous plans.

Story by Paul South Photos by Graham Hadley and Jamie Collier

A Capital Idea Economic Development Council marks 20 years of collaboration and success

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

Red Diamond

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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Business Review: St. Clair EDC

Ribbon cut on long-awaited movie theater, bowling alley and entertainment center in Pell City The new plan includes a focus on developing tourism, an effort to trumpet the county’s rich history, attractions and natural resources. A slice of the capital campaign includes raising an extra $100,000 to hire an individual to promote and market tourism.

The practice of crafting and executing five-year plans began under former EDC Executive Director Ed Gardner Jr., who succeeded his father, Ed Gardner Sr., in the role. Gardner Sr. was the EDC’s first executive director. He laid the foundation for the EDC’s history of success.

And the five-year plans begun under Gardner Jr. have helped build the EDC into the success it is today. This will be the second five-year plan on Smith’s watch. It’s hoped the tourism push will, like a stone skipping across one of the county’s cherished waterways, have a ripple effect in all sectors of the county’s economy. The Coosa River, Neely Henry and Logan Martin lakes, Little and Big Canoe creeks, Chandler Mountain and Horse Pens 40 are the surface of the county’s tourism treasures. Through the efforts of the EDC’s push, the county has embraced the Forever Wild initiative, aimed at preserving the environment for future generations.

An important note, tourism-driven initiatives spark high return on investment “Tourism really does feed into the other areas on which we have previously been focused, Smith said. “This will help bring new residents into the area, which will increase our workforce pool.

It will also bring in new sales tax and tourism

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

Clearing land for Charity Steel in Riverside

Eissmann expands, making it county’s largest employer

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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Business Review: St. Clair EDC dollars, which will be beneficial to the funding of the municipalities, schools and also bring more sales to our small business owners in the county.”

In this, Alabama’s bicentennial year, the county’s history is also something to be celebrated through festivals around the county.

“I believe that what we want to do is really market our strengths. We are blessed in this county with beautiful lakes and streams, mountains and valleys, a variety of wildlife and foliage. We want to make sure we have opportunities for people who are here to spend time outside and enjoy what we have here. We want to pull people from the urban areas, to be able to enjoy outdoors activities as well.”

Tourism can also spark the county as attractive for retirees or for families seeking a second home.

“Our philosophy is the more people that come and visit St. Clair County will only create more believers that this is one of the best counties in the state,” Smith says.

Along with the tourism push, the county will continue its efforts in manufacturing and retail recruitment, workforce development, education and building future generations of leaders through Leadership St. Clair.

The EDC works closely with Jefferson State Community College and the St. Clair County, Leeds and Pell City Schools to train workers and connect them with recruiters.

“I believe with things like creating a new apprenticeship program, developing a siteready pad in the Cogswell Industrial Park in Pell City, and really engaging the public school systems in the importance of career readiness, allowed us to have success on a grander scale than we had initially thought possible,” Smith says.

Jason Goodgame, vice president of the Goodgame Company, has been involved in the construction and expansion of a number of local industries, including Eissmann. The long relationship has expanded business and created jobs. He has pitched the county’s assets to firms around the globe.

“We have a great source of employment. We have great people that are here. We have a great quality of life with the lakes and the school system and we work to make firms around the world a part of things here. … Relationship is what we do. … We always try to cultivate what we have in common.”

“Currently, our project and prospect level is extremely high,” Smith noted. “We have some 20 projects or prospects we’re managing right now. We’re trying to get a lot of the prospects into an announced project status and a lot of the projects into a ‘completed’ status.” The

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Allied Mineral Products undergoing major expansion

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

WKW, a leading industry, employer

Congratulations, St. Clair County EDC, on 20 amazing years of economic growth.

For two decades, the St. Clair County Economic Development Council has worked hard to create jobs, drive growth and improve the quality of life for St. Clair County residents.

Because of the council’s efforts, St. Clair is one of the five fastest growing counties in the state. Alabama Power is proud to support the EDC’s mission as part of our ongoing commitment to elevate Alabama. Together, we can create growth and opportunity and make Alabama amazing.

amazingalabama.com

© 2019 Alabama Power Company

Business Review: St. Clair EDC GOALS 2019-2024 Education and Workforce Development

1. Host an annual meeting to create partnerships between employers and educators to ensure that St. Clair County has a trained, skilled workforce to meet the job opportunities available in St. Clair County 2. Communicate to the community the growing career opportunities in our region including Advanced Manufacturing, Healthcare, Construction, Information Technology, and Transportation through print and electronic media, public appearances, and videos 3. Meet with Jefferson State Community College officials in St. Clair County annually to promote and encourage the addition of relevant courses of study for our growing career opportunities 4. Communicate the importance of a high quality educational system in order to have sustained economic growth though print and electronic media, public appearances, and news outlets 5. Conduct annual presentations to the Board of Education for St. Clair County Schools and Pell City Schools to update and encourage the addition of courses of study for our growing career opportunities 6. Assist in the attainment of funds to support the growth of Jefferson State Community College and K-12 programs in order to strengthen St. Clair County’s educational assets 7. Have an EDC staff member Chair the Regional Workforce Council – Central 6 Alabama Works 8. Host educators, administrators, and school counselors on an industry tour 9. Establish at least 5 OJT (on the job training contracts) between St. Clair County companies and the Career Service Centers using WIOA funding 10. Meet with educators to establish

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a marketing plan for promotion of Workforce Development programs 11. Honor an educational leader in workforce development annually Job Recruitment and Retention

12. Announce $ 150 million in new capital investments 13. Announce $ 50 million in new payroll from new jobs created 14. Announce $ 3 million in additional tax revenue for schools 15. Announce 1,500 new jobs throughout the county 16. Identify and market an additional 500 acres of sites suitable for specific users in cooperation with St. Clair County and its municipalities with at least 30% being located near the I-59 corridor 17. Survey 50 existing St. Clair County businesses annually to determine growth potential and business needs 18. Hold a biannual “Economic Development Summit” to educate industry representatives on the economic development process, i.e., available incentives, proper use of incentives, provide updates on new incentive programs 19. Publicize and recruit to St. Clair County’s healthcare and educational assets though print and electronic media, public appearances, and news outlets 20. Identify opportunities and coordinate successful grant requests for municipalities Marketing

21. Connect local real estate partners via media outlets to provide information about current nonresidential site availability 22. Interact with each local Chamber at least one time per month 23. Create a newsletter that will go to Partners and Leadership St. Clair County Alumni on a quarterly basis 24. Use Public Relations perceptionchanging messages from local

school districts in outgoing promotional materials 25. Create partnerships with each Chamber and Municipality to populate a countywide calendar and determine the means by which it can be effectively distributed 26. Host a meeting to discuss the creation of a regional marketing alliance for the I-59 Corridor Tourism

27. Develop a detailed tourism strategy for EDC Board approval 28. Catalog tourism assets countywide 29. Hire a tourism specialist 30. Create a countywide calendar of tourism activities and events 31. Meet annually with State and Regional tourism organizations 32. Visit other communities annually to determine best practices in tourism 33. Create a multi-media marketing platform to provide information of tourism events, activities, and sites throughout St. Clair County Leadership

34. Identify additional funding sources for Leadership St. Clair County and the EDC 35. Evaluate Main Street districts and apply for Main Street Network designation in communities that have the infrastructure required 36. Hold a Community Planning Summit for local elected officials to create awareness of planning strategies and monies available to municipalities 37. Provide annual list of Leadership St. Clair County Alumni to each municipality for consideration for municipal board appointments and strategic planning taskforces 38. Present to every city council at least twice a year on current EDC activities and efforts 39. Continue funding Leadership St. Clair County 40. Have at least one community in St. Clair County ACE certified

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

It takes a team to build a county For two decades, St. Clair Economic Development Council has been leading a team of business partners who have helped build our county into one of the most progressive in Alabama.

• New Jobs • New Investments • Expanding Industries • Enhancing Quality of Life

Lyman Lovejoy has been part of that team since the beginning, knowing that by working together St. Clair has become the model others want to emulate.

The Lovejoy Team salutes St. Clair EDC and its 20 years of service to our county and looks forward with great excitement to the next 20!

Together, We Can Do So Much…

The City of Pell City and St. Clair Economic Development Council work as a team to grow our business and industrial community, create jobs and enhance the quality of life for all our citizens.

Just since 2016, take a look at the impact on Pell City by the numbers: $12,571,000 – New Industrial Payroll $81,142,134 – New Capital Investments $4,850,000 – New Commercial Payroll

567 – New Jobs 3.1% – Unemployment Rate

City of Pell City, St. Clair EDC – Truly A Partnership for Tomorrow

Business Review: St. Clair EDC expansion in Steele at Unipres, Charity Steel’s new location in Riverside, TCI of Alabama, Impact Metals, and Allied Minerals’ new investment in Pell City as well as unannounced retail projects throughout the county are a testament to the economic vitality of all of our communities.”

On top of the new investments, Charity Steel pours a portion of its profits back into the community, Trinity Highway Safety Products was honored with one of Gov. Kay Ivey’s Trade Excellence Awards, and WKW was just named Supplier of the Year for the second straight year by the Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association.

The recent large expansion at Eissmann is another reason for optimism. All of this success highlights a high level of collaboration between the county, its municipalities and the business community with the EDC. “The leadership component is so important. One of the things that we stress is the ability to do great things when we’re all working together, Smith says.

One city, partnering with another city to share sewer and water, or police and fire protection is really not possible unless you have good cooperation.”

Joe Kelly, chairman of the EDC board of directors for the past three years, and a member of the board since its inception, credits local governments for allowing the EDC to do its job, sparking strong growth.

“One of the great things about our county and our county leadership is that they not only have allowed the EDC to do its work, they have been a tremendous source of encouragement as our staff goes out and slays the dragon, so to speak.

The future of that working relationship is bright, as St. Clair works with its northern neighbors to grow the Interstate 59 Corridor.

“We’re going to continue to focus on wealth creation, which is the continued recruitment of employers and making sure we have good quality companies coming into our community. We’re going to have population growth that’s going to take place,” Smith said.

“We’re going to continue to educate elected officials on the importance of community planning so we can eliminate the hodgepodge of development that takes place a lot of times, where you have incompatible neighbors. We’re going to continue to plan to address congestion and traffic issues. Those are things we’re going to try to have as part of our plan going forward.”

“Each time, we have exceeded the goals that were put forth for us,” Smith said. “This just adds on to the previous 10 years that the EDC has been in operation. The EDC has been active for 20 years and has an incredible track record of being fiscally responsible, very effective in achieving our goals and growing our county.”

No one could have foreseen the success of the

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EDC involved in veterans home project early on.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

Thank you to our Partners: St. Clair County Commission City of Springville Goodgame Company Metro Bank National Cement Red Diamond Town of Steele City of Ashville Bain & Company Walker Excavating Vulcan Industries Allied Minerals City of Argo Dean Goforth Exotic Foods Bill Hereford Honda Manufacturing of Alabama TCI of Alabama Alabama Power St. Clair County BOE

City of Pell City Ford Meter Box Kirkpatrick Concrete Spire St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital Sain Associates Rain Bird City of Riverside WKW Hill, Gossett, Kemp & Hufford, PC Garrison Steel Lovejoy Realty Andritz Processor’s Choice Environmental Inc. Leeds BOE Partners By Design Inc. City of Leeds Pell City BOE Eissmann Automotive

City of Moody City of Odenville Unipres Alabama Trinity Industries Raymond James Harris Foundation Brian Worley-State Farm Trussell, Funderburg, Rea & Bell, PC McSweeney Automotive Group, LLC Bill Ellison CMC Impact Metals Royal Foods Barnett, Jones, Wilson, LLC Kell Realty Barber Companies Town of Ragland City of Leeds City of Margaret

Business Review: St. Clair EDC Unipres in Steele expands

EDC when it began its work 20 years ago, Kelly said. The initial focus was on industrial recruitment and job creation but blossomed into much more.

“That was done, but it has transformed into many other aspects of improving the quality of life in St. Clair County,” Kelly said.

The secret to the EDC’s success in its 20 years? “One of the things that we’ve done best is not talking a lot but listening a lot,” he explained. “We actually solicit that kind of advice from our business community.”

As the EDC wraps up this capital campaign and embarks on the new five-year plan, Kelly reflected on the EDC and its history, seasoned with a basketball analogy. And he praised the staff and the board over the two decades of toil.

“I don’t think when we started, we had the vision that in 20 years we were going to be going and growing, but I do know . . . when we brought in Ed Gardner Sr., it was like when Auburn hired Bruce Pearl. We set a standard when we brought (Gardner Sr.) in, and so we couldn’t back away. And we haven’t,” he said.

“Everybody on the board – past and present – have focused on what’s best for St. Clair County. We’re often asked, ‘How do you do it?’, and it’s the quality of the people.”

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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TOGETHER

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EyeCare Associates Dr. Gregory A. Hively ERA King Edward Jones Steve Sink 1st Alabama Insurance Heather Franks Piper Jaffray Walter D. Lewis Public Finance Investment Banking LJR Financial Services J. Luis Rodriguez Metro Bank Moody Branch Future Home of Virtual Preparatory Academy St. Clair Schools

Business Review: St. Clair EDC Go Build Alabama filming on location at Garrison Steel

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Story and photos by Graham Hadley

Setting an Example Garrison Steel focus of workforce development video

Like a scene from an old photo of steel workers erecting skyscrapers in the major cities around the country a century ago, some 18 students from four different high schools in Pell City, Moody, Ashville and Lincoln gather around heavy construction equipment at Garrison Steel, carefully guiding massive I-beams into place.

And the entire process is being videoed by officials from Go Build Alabama, one of the key coordinating statewide workforce-development programs in Alabama.

For several years now, a massive cooperative effort has been under way across Alabama to revitalize the dwindling pool of skilled labor in the state, and St. Clair County has played a central role in that process. Business and industry leaders like Garrison Steel, Goodgame Company and Ford Meter Box, just to name a few, collaborating with school systems and post-secondary institutions like Jefferson State Community College, have been leading the way.

John Garrison has been a part of the process since the beginning, working to recruit students in high school and after graduation into various workforce development classes at Jeff State and now at a high-tech, hands-on training facility he has built at Garrison Steel. He has created a realworld work environment that covers all facets of the steel construction business, including a steelerection tower, complete with heavy-duty cranes and lifts that exactly simulate a construction site.

In an effort to help promote workforce development, not only to students and educators, but also to other construction companies in Alabama, Go Build Alabama visited Garrison’s outdoor classroom in February to shoot video footage.

“This is a new feature to our outreach effort to promote the program at both the state and community levels,” said Jason Phelps, executive director of the Alabama Construction Recruitment Institute – the state agency behind Go Build Alabama.

Phelps was on site for the video shoot and to see firsthand what Garrison has accomplished.

“Everyone who sees these videos we are making will get to see ‘where the rubber meets the road,’” he said. “Watching the constructiontraining process in action really brings it home to the viewers in the communities where we will be showing it.”

John Garrison working with trainees on the tower

Specific training on working with bolts

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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Business Review: St. Clair EDC This is just the latest step for St. Clair businesses – which include not only manufacturing, but everything from medical care to emergency responders – in the workforce development effort.

“This is just growing and growing,” Garrison said. The program has been wildly successful in St. Clair County, and he sees the video, one of several Go Build Alabama is shooting, as essential to spreading the word.

“We are reaching out to schools in other counties. We have got to get the word out,” he said.

Phelps said the plan is to distribute the video to schools across Alabama to show to students there and to get the idea across that a four-year professional degree is not the only road to success and financial security.

“We have a student who went through the program and is working in Texas now making $80,000 to $100,000 a year now,” said Patty Daigle, the program administrator for Ironworker Skills Institute housed at Garrison Steel. “He is able to support himself there and his family back home here.”

He told Daigle, “This program is the best thing I have ever done for myself.”

Phelps, Daigle and Garrison stressed the training center at Garrison Steel in Pell City is opening doors for their students in jobs all across the nation.

“There are jobs all over the U.S.,” Daigle said.

“The possibility to find work and travel is one of the coolest things about the program.

“This is a construction training tower, not just learning from a book. It is a hands-on classroom, set up outside. Students do all the work. By the time they graduate, they feel comfortable walking on to a job site.”

Garrison emphasized that the video shows the importance of this kind of training, especially when it comes to manufacturing and construction jobs.

Throughout history, people have trained as apprentices, journeymen and eventually to master craftsmen by learning from the most skilled people in their trades.

“What we are doing here is no different from what workers have been doing for thousands of years,” he said.

Garrison and the people organizing Go Build Alabama hope the video will drive that idea home, that it’s not just another class, but a training plan that will lead to jobs in the real world – jobs that industries desperately need skilled workers to fill.

The video will not only be distributed to schools and used as a presentation recruiting tool for students and employers, it will also be available on You Tube and the Go Build Alabama website, gobuildalabama.com.

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Students working on the tower with crane operators and a lift

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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Business Review: St. Clair EDC

Ahead of the game

Workforce development programs gives a head start to children and their mothers Story by Scottie Vickery Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr. When Kamitrice Woody registered her 5-year-old son for St. Clair County Head Start, she knew the school readiness program would give him a strong start to the rest of his life. She had no idea she would find the same thing for herself, but after enrolling in a workforce development program for single mothers, Woody is well on her way to a pretty bright future.

“I’m very proud of myself that I’ll be able to provide for him,” said Woody, who is training to become a certified computer technician. “They’re helping him get ready for school, but they’re also helping the parents become successful. They do really amazing things.”

A partnership among Head Start, Jefferson State Community College in Pell City and the Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham, the workforce development program is aimed at eliminating generational poverty by training low-income, single mothers for jobs in competitive fields. In its fifth year, the St. Clair County program has impacted the lives of more than 80 mothers and their children.

It also has garnered national attention. Dr. Raphael Bostic, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, recently visited the program to learn more about its impact. “It’s a very interesting program,” he said. “The mothers are able to get their training at the same place where their kids are being schooled.

That’s really important. It can help solve some of the logistical problems.”

That’s one of the keys to the program’s success, according to Kay Potter, director of Workforce Education for Jeff State. It addresses all of the common obstacles single mothers face when trying to find employment. Head Start provides free, quality child care for their children while the mothers are just down the hall learning to repair and maintain computers and work with hardware, software, networks and security issues. The students also receive free textbooks, supplies and a transportation stipend. In addition, First United Methodist Church in Pell City provides lunch for the mothers on class days.

“It really is a fine-tuned machine,” Latoya Orr Threatt, executive director of the county’s Head Start program, said. “This is a great opportunity for these ladies to improve themselves.”

Although the current group of students will be trained as computer technicians, past participants have been certified as pharmacy technicians, medical assistants, dental assistants and welders. “We created the model, and it’s gotten national attention,” Potter said. “We choose fields that are in demand because we want to make sure that when the students finish, they have the opportunity to find jobs.”

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Samantha Snow and Jateviyah Cole work on the computer’s motherboard.

Latoya Orr Threatt says she is proud of the strong foundation that Head Start provides so many children in St. Clair County.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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The jobs pay well above minimum wage, and the women have the potential to fairly quickly earn $40,000 to $45,000 a year. “If a mother is successful and working and making a living wage, not only do you change her life, but you change the lives of her children and future generations to come,� Potter said. “It’s incredible, really, and without a doubt, it’s the most rewarding work of my career.�

The women attend class three times a week for 16 weeks.

There are two days of instruction, and the third is devoted to job readiness. The students learn about time management, how to have a successful interview and dress professionally, and they also receive help writing resumes. “I came up here nervous, but after being here and doing all we’ve done, it’s easier than I thought it would be, and it’s actually kind of fun,� said 23-year-old Samantha Snow as her classmate, Jateviyah Cole, worked on a computer’s motherboard. “It’s an amazing program, especially for mothers,� said Snow, who has two children.

Cole, who recently got out of the military after serving six years and is looking to get back into the workforce, agreed. “You’re always going to grow in this field,� the 26-year-old mother of two said. “I’ll never be without a job.�

Threatt and her Head Start teachers help recruit parents for the program as they enroll their children. Head Start parents and former parents get priority, and then the program is offered to others in the community. Knowing that their kids will be well cared for allows them to focus on their studies and pour their energies into improving their lives.

The children, ages 3-5, are preparing for their own futures. In addition to receiving breakfast, lunch and snacks, the boys and girls receive health and dental screenings, and social workers help connect parents to community services for their kids. Most importantly, the children develop the basic skills they need for kindergarten. Before school starts, they know how to sit still for a story, walk in a line and follow directions, and they’ve also had exposure to technology, educational games and other learning opportunities. “If you really want to know the difference that Head Start or any quality pre-K program makes, ask a kindergarten teacher,�

Threatt said. “They are ready for school and it pays off in the long run. Children who go to Head Start are less likely to go to prison, more likely to graduate from high school and less likely to become teen parents.�

While Threatt has made a career of helping children reach their full potential, it’s gratifying to help improve the lives of the mothers, as well. She recently went to the drug store to pick up a prescription and was waited on by a past participant who is a pharmacy technician. “That’s when I truly realized the impact our program has and the difference these small opportunities make,� Threatt said.

That’s why Bostic wanted to see the program firsthand. The Pell City program is one of several workforce development programs he is visiting in order to get a better idea of “what’s happening on the ground� and what programs might work in other places. “The focus on careers and jobs that are likely to be around for a while, I think, is quite useful,� he said. “If you can get the funding together and you have talented workers and connections to employers, I think it’s a great program to get people into career paths that are going to be self-sustaining.�

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BEI Lighting and Warning

Retired policeman turns on “blue light” for business Story by Jackie Romine Walburn Photos by Graham Hadley Retired police officer Ed Brasher has found his ideal afterretirement avocation.

Brasher – a former police chief and regional drug task force officer – combined an innate mechanical ability and career-honed knowledge about emergency equipment with a passion for the adrenaline boost of fast, cool vehicles to create a growing electronics, lighting and warning equipment and installation business in Odenville.

BEI Lighting and Warning (BEILW), previously Brasher Electronics, outfits police, fire and emergency vehicles with lights and security features, produces graphics and detailing for business and public vehicles and, most recently, is marketing its own line of LED lighting and sirens.

Today, the business Brasher and son Trey started in 2003 in the family’s two-car garage is the largest supplier of emergency equipment in Alabama with 5,000 square feet of custom work space and three employees.

And, as they expand the business with a new line of lighting and sirens and a growing list of services and clients, the father and son are continuing a family tradition of owning a business – begun by Ed Brasher’s businessman father.

LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER

After a very short tenure training as a butcher apprentice (too cold and messy, he recalls), Brasher began his three-decade career in law enforcement as a policeman in the small St. Clair town of Whites Chapel, a community that’s now part of the town of Moody. Next, he moved to the Odenville police department and served as police chief for Odenville from 1987 to 1990.

Joining the Pell City police force in 1990, Brasher served as night shift patrolman, then sergeant. He spent the mid-90s as part of the 30th Judicial Circuit’s Drug Task Force. Eventually promoted to captain then assistant police chief with Pell City Police, Brasher officially retired in 2014.

While a police officer, Brasher continued to drive trucks for his father’s business. “Some days I’d park the patrol car at the end of a shift and get in the 18-wheeler for a long haul, then return to start over again,” says Brasher, who noted that many police officers and firefighters supplement their incomes with additional work. “You do what you have to do when you are raising a family.”

FAMILY TRADITION

Born in Birmingham, Brasher moved with his family to California and spent his childhood on the west coast where his father operated one of his businesses. Returning to Alabama with his family when he was 16, Brasher attended Hueytown High School for six months, then settled in at St. Clair High

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Trey and Ed Brasher School, where he would meet his future wife on his first day.

“I sat down behind her in homeroom. I saw this beautiful girl and fell in love,” he says of his wife of 38 years, Kathy Foreman Brasher. “I told my best friend then that I was going to marry Kathy one day.”

And, he did marry Kathy Foreman, who it turns out shares Brasher’s mechanical bend and “adrenaline junkie” passion.

They raised two sons, Trey, 33, and Shannon, 30.

Before becoming a police officer and as a sideline income since, Brasher drove long haul trucks for his father’s business, including delivering natural gas in 18-wheel rigs.

While Brasher worked as a police officer and sometimes truck driver, Kathy worked for the St. Clair sheriff’s department as a 911 dispatcher for 10 years and today manages the county’s pistol permit program.

FAST CARS, MOTORCYCLES AND AN AIRPLANE

Always an “adrenaline junkie,” Brasher first flirted with speed and daring as a drag racer in California as a teen. He’s since had fast cars – a favorite being a 1969 AMX hot rod – and motorcycles, enjoying both the rides and the tinkering with engines and anything mechanical.

When their sons were young, Ed and Kathy Brasher loaded the boys up on their his-and-her big motorcycles and traveled on vacations to the west coast and Canada. Trey recalls these trips with fondness and admits to inheriting the mechanical adventure spirit from his parents.

Brasher recalls with Trey, who is co-owner of BEILW and

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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the company’s graphic expert, the time his parents had a 350 Chevy V-8 engine up on blocks in the living room, rebuilding it.

Since then, there have been other fast cars, a Piper 235 airplane that he and Trey are both licensed to fly and a new Gold Wing motorcycle, purchased as Brasher’s retirement present to himself.

TRY THIS

The catalyst for what became BEILW was a friend who was selling police equipment but didn’t install the equipment. “He knew I had a background in electronics and asked if I was interested in the installation side of the business,” Brasher says. The friend knew the products would sell better if installation was part of the deal.

One day, Brasher came home to find a Crown Victoria in the driveway with equipment in the seat and a note, “Try this.”

Brasher and Trey installed the equipment on the Crown Vic. Then there were two or three more police cars in the driveway.

They soon set up shop in the family garage.

Four years later, in 2007, they built the lobby and first workspace at the current location on Oakley Avenue in Odenville. In 2015, a graphic workspace was added. Then, in 2017, the company added its giant warehouse addition designed to accommodate fire trucks and ladder trucks, even 18-wheelers, with a 12- by 16-foot door. Upstairs is a break room and Brasher’s office. There’s also a parts room. The most recent workspace addition is a converted garage outfitted for painting and powder coating equipment.

LIGHTS, SIRENS, GRAPHICS

Brasher’s company serves a specialty market, installing lights, sirens and other equipment on police, fire and emergency vehicles. The services and products include prisoner partitions, equipment consoles, radar, gun racks, laptop connections and push bumpers for police vehicles. They add towing bars and safety lifts on wreckers. The company creates graphics for the exteriors of emergency vehicles and for Realtors and others businesses. The graphics side of the business also produces signs and banners for the general public as well.

As each job on a vehicle begins, the business digitally records the VIN number and image of each vehicle they work on, before and after. This video databank helps with quality control, warranties and being able to reproduce exactly what the customer wants again.

In addition, video security cameras – and screens in Brasher’s office – work 24/7 patrolling the areas around the business to protect the expensive equipment and the customer’s vehicles.

SMART START

Another service offered by the company is installation, testing and removal of “Smart Start” ignition interlock systems in vehicles as part of court-ordered alcohol monitoring of drivers convicted of driving under the influence. The company is one of the state’s certified installers of the system that analyzes the driver’s breath and locks up if alcohol is detected.

The Smart Start program is operated by Alabama’s Department of Forensic Sciences.

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Installing and testing lights on a client’s vehicle

LED LIGHTS A GAME CHANGER

LED lights that last longer and shine brighter have changed the world of emergency lighting, Brasher says. “They are compact and more reliable and use less power.”

The company’s new line of lighting and siren products, called BEILW and for sale online at BEILW.com, include products designed by Brasher and son with installation and use in mind.

“They are more installer friendly, more functional and more aesthetically pleasing,” Brasher says. The line includes siren speakers, beacon lights, light bars and dash lights.

Emergency lighting on vehicles is color coded. Red is for firefighting vehicles; blue is for police, and amber is for emergency vehicles. “It’s always been against the law to have colored lights on civilian vehicles. The type of lights might change, but the color code is consistent, at least regionally. But, it’s the opposite “up north,” Brasher says, with fire being blue and police red.

INVESTING BACK IN THE BUSINESS

When Brasher still worked with the police department as the company ramped up, he made sure he met all ethics requirements to not do business with police department he’d work for, and he made sure to funnel company proceeds back into the young business. Today, he says, the company is debt free as it continues to grow and add services. Before he retired and went to work there full time, “we invested everything back into the business,” he says, noting there were many what seemed like “43-hour days and 23-day weeks.”

But now the retired police officer tries to hold his work days to five-day weeks, leaving him time for adrenaline-inducing fast cars, motorcycles and airplane rides.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • June & July 2019

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