Discover St. Clair Lakelife April 2017

Sheep Shearing Dairy • Old Rock School • Bowlin Bluff Tour de Blue • Dancing With Our Stars • Martha and the Vandellas

April & May 2017

Let the Season Begin!

Special Logan Martin & Neely Henry Lakes Section

Features and Articles Discover

The Essence of St. Clair Let the Season Begin!

Logan Martin & Neely Henry Lakes Section Page 59 Dayspring Dairy Sheep Page 8 Saving the old Rock School Page 14 Bowlin Bluff House Page 22

Dancing with our Stars Fundraiser Success Story Page 32

Martha & the Vandellas Coming to CEPA

Page 34

Tour De Blue Cycling Through St. Clair Page 36

Steele, Alabama

Small Town, Big Growth Page 38 Mountain Love Story Page 46

Business Review

St. Vincents & Northside Page 48 Reli Opens in Pell City Page 54 Southern Pipe & Supply Page 56 Movie Theater Groundbreaking Page 58

April & May 2017

www.discoverstclair.com

Carol Pappas

Writers AND Photographers

Carol Pappas is editor and publisher of Discover St. Clair Magazine. A retired newspaper executive, she served as editor and publisher of several newspapers and magazines during her career. She won dozens of writing awards in features, news and commentary and was named Distinguished Alabama Community Journalist at Auburn University. After retiring, she launched her own multimedia company, Partners by Design Inc. In addition to marketing, design and web services for companies and nonprofits, Partners publishes Discover, various community magazines for chambers of commerce and Mosaic Magazine, a biannual publication of Alabama Humanities Foundation.

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

Elaine Hobson Miller

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

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

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

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

Mike Callahan

Wallace Bromberg Jr.

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.

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.

Jerry C. Smith

Jackie Romine Walburn Jackie Romine Walburn, a Birmingham native and freelance writer, is an Auburn University 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, a story set in the Alabama Black Belt and based on a kernel of a news story she covered as a reporter in Selma, Ala. She writes the blog jackierwalburnwrites.blogspot.com.

Bennett Fisher

Bennett Fisher is a lifelong resident of Pell City. Besides being a college student, he is a hiker, photographer and adventurer, who loves capturing and sharing life’s moments with others through his photography.

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Graham Hadley

Paul South Paul South, a native of Fairfield, Ala., is an Auburn 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, South had a remarkably versatile career as a reporter, columnist and editor.

Before transitioning to newspapers, South was the first full-time sports information director at Samford University in Birmingham

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

From the Editor

St. Clair’s Blessings

I’ve always loved the water. I guess you might say it’s in my genes. My Dad was born in a tiny village in Greece called Kastoria, a community built around a beautiful lake.

At 13, he immigrated to America with my grandfather and left his beautiful lake behind but not its memories. As a child, I remember his telling the stories of his life on the lake and always dreamed of one day going back there with him. It took a while, but I did.

My Dad never missed a chance to pass along that love for the water. I grew up fishing with him at places like East Lake, Lake Purdy and Lake Guntersville. I didn’t catch much – except my brother’s thumb one time as he strolled behind my errant cast – but just the presence of water made me giddy and calm all at the same time.

It’s hard to explain, but water has a way of doing that to people. It draws them in, bringing out their reflective side, inspiring them, getting them excited about the prospects of the day just begun. It delivers them a sense of calm when winding down at day’s end with some of the most spectacular sunsets around.

I have often said St. Clair County is doubly blessed. It has not one, but two lakes within its borders. And much like that little lake in Kastoria, cities and communities grew up around them and thrived.

In St. Clair’s case, Neely Henry and Logan Martin have been the catalyst for economic development, a climbing housing market, tourism and that refuge for thousands of people that evokes giddiness and calm all at the same time.

It’s no surprise to me that I spent the latter half of my life on Logan Martin Lake or that I spent so many precious days fishing off my own pier with my dad. Bream, Crappie, Catfish, Bass – they all wound up on Daddy’s hook sooner or later.

He didn’t seem to care much what he caught or if he caught anything at all. Just being there was his best catch of the day.

This time of year, I often think about all those days on the water. Even as I write this, I draw my inspiration from the shimmering water I can see just outside my windows’ gaze.

As the weather warms, it’s that excitement of a new beginning, a new season that seems to define the essence of lake life for me. It’s like that Christmas present under the tree your parents won’t let you open just yet. “Soon,” they say. But “soon” can’t come soon enough.

The same holds true for St. Clair’s lake season. While “soon” is indeed just around the corner, you can sense it just can’t come quickly enough.

At Discover, we posed a simple question, Why wait? In keeping with the anticipation of a new season, Discover is launching a new section this month called LakeLife, Let the Season Begin! It’s a boat load of stories and photographs centered around life on our lakes.

From new boats to houses to events on and around the lakes to best spots to see and enjoy, Discover will be taking you on quite an adventure. Set sail on Neely Henry and Logan Martin, and discover it all with us!

Carol Pappas Editor and Publisher

Discover The Essence of St. Clair

April & May 2017 • Vol. 35 • www.discoverstclair.com

Carol Pappas • Editor and Publisher Graham Hadley • Managing Editor and Designer Brandon Wynn • Director of Online Services Mike Callahan • Photography Wallace Bromberg Jr. • Photography Susan Wall • Photography Dale Halpin • Advertising

A product of Partners by Design www.partnersmultimedia.com 6204 Skippers Cove Pell City, AL 35128 205-335-0281

Printed at Russell Printing, Alexander City, AL 7

DAYSPRING DAIRY

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Sheep-shearing, cheese tasting at Alabama’s only sheep dairy DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

Story by Elaine Hobson Miller Photos by Susan Wall It was like a cross between a fiber-arts convention and a school field trip. Some came for the free fleece, some to see the sheep, others to taste the cheese.

Sheep-shearing is an annual January event at Dayspring Dairy in Gallant, but this year was the first time it was open to the general public.

“It gives us exposure and drives traffic to our products,” said Ana Kelly, who, along with husband Greg, opened Alabama’s only sheep dairy in 2013.

Their products are the cheeses, dips and caramel spreads that they sell at farmers’ markets in Birmingham (Pepper Place), Atlanta (Piedmont Park) and Huntsville (Madison City), and at their small farm store by appointment — or when someone drops by and tracks them down in the milking barn. Many people at this year’s event were regular customers from Birmingham who wanted the back story to the Dayspring products they buy. “Millennials want to know who makes their food and how the animals are treated,” Ana says. “About 150 people showed up. It was a great success.”

The Facebook “open house” invitation said 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., and by 9:30 cars and trucks were lined up on both sides of Dogwood Road to its intersection with Gallant Road. Both the barn and the small farm store quickly filled up with gawkers and tasters. Folks were wandering around the farm, some going into the pasture where the sheep, who were too young to be shorn, alternated between cuddling up to their visitors and cavorting like grade-school children at recess.

Folks had cameras around their necks and children in tow. The sounds of sheep bleating and chickens clucking mixed with the squeals of delighted children, while a shaggy white great Pyrenees strained on his chain in an effort to get some of the attention. Pecorino, Pec for short, has to be restrained around visitors until he learns some manners, such as not jumping up on people.

Two other great Pyrenees, Brie and Camembert, were friendly but not as rambunctious.

Visitors came from Birmingham, Leeds, Pell City, Jasper, Calera, Madison, Goodwater, Atlanta and who knows where else, many of them spinners, weavers, knitters and crocheters who volunteered to help so they could get a share of the wool. They had to make their way past the farm store via a dirt path, carefully stepping over the cattle grate left behind by the former farm owners.

In the barn, the unsheared sheep waited their turn in a holding pen, temporarily crammed together so tightly they looked like a sea of fleece with bobble-heads. From there, Alex Bowen, a 17-year-old home-schooled kid who works parttime at the dairy, pushed them into a line between

Stuart Mathews shears a sheep in a matter of minutes.

The sheep entertained visitors by running around the pasture en masse.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

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DAYSPRING DAIRY a wire fence and the back barn wall, then into a tip chute.

The latter is a wooden platform with a side that drops so the shearer can grab them. The ewes strained against the fence, confused by all the commotion.

Daddies hoisted their toddlers onto their shoulders for a better view of the shearing process that took place in a large stall. Nibbleton Fuzzy was one of the “victims,” and master shearer Stuart Mathews wrestled her to the ground on her back, using his legs to hold her in place. Once shorn, a brown spot was revealed on her back. Close examination convinced Greg Kelly it was lice. “I’ve never seen that before,” he said. He tossed out Nibbleton’s fleece, and that of several other sheep that turned up with lice. One of the volunteers said that sheep lice won’t affect humans, and will die when the wool is cleaned in hot water, but no one really wanted to deal with it.

Dayspring Dairy’s famous cheese

Volunteer Jimmy Mays tries to calm a sheep while she’s getting inoculated and has her hooves trimmed.

Dayspring’s caramel, True Ewe

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What’s in a name?

“I name them when I have a reason to,” Greg said, when asked whether he named each of the sheep. “Valentine was sickly when she was born, and we raised her at the house and she turned around on Valentine’s Day, so we named her Valentine.”

Eager volunteers hung on the door of the shearing stall, ready to grab their share of fleece. They laid it on a piece of wide-web pasture fencing stretched between two metal saw horses, where they picked out debris. A large pile accumulated beneath the makeshift “screen” as dirty pieces dropped through the holes. The good stuff was packed into garbage bags to be taken home, washed, carded and spun or woven.

“It’s not the best wool,” Greg said. “These are dairy sheep, they aren’t raised for their wool.” So, why shear them in the first place and why in the dead of winter instead of spring? “I should get a sign made,” he said, with a roll of his eyes that told you he’s answered that question umpteen times already.

“Almost all of these are pregnant, and it makes for an easier birth,” he explained. “By shearing them in January, it allows them to re-grow their wool before the biting insects appear in the spring. The winters here are very mild, but this is also done this time of year in the North. We leave about 1 inch of wool, which is enough to keep them warm.”

After shearing, Greg and Jimmy Mays, who helps out on shearing and lambing (birth) days, dragged each ewe into a hammock against the wall, where they trimmed their hooves and vaccinated them. Everett Kelly, 14, son of Ana and Greg, prepared the syringes. The immunization is passed on to lambs in colostrum.

The spotless milking parlor is in the barn, where milk is pumped from the ewes and flows through stainless-steel pipes into the cheese-making room. That’s where Ana shines, and where daughter Sofia, 10, often helps by putting labels on the packages.

There was no milking or cheese-making going on during shearing time, but there was plenty of tasting and buying.

Lilly Poehler, the Kellys’ goddaughter, helped out in the farm store, frying and browning tiny squares of the farm’s Halloumi, a Mediterranean-style cheese. Folks were leaving with sacks full of cheeses, dips, jellies and a caramel sauce that’s a lot like the milky-rich Dulce de Leche so popular in South America. Cheese with names such as Ewetopia, Shepherd’s Tomme and Angry Ram (a hot pimiento cheese) also jostled in their sacks, along with packs of Halloumi the Kellys gave away because their sell-by date was so close.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

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DAYSPRING DAIRY On the return visit, new tenants take up residence.

In another life Prior to buying their 33-acre farm in 2011, the Kellys knew no more about sheep or cheese-making than their visitors. The family lived in Birmingham, where Greg held a high-pressure IT job. Ana, a trained chef, had worked in the test kitchens at Southern Progress, then became a freelance food stylist after Everett was born. A few years later, they adopted Sofia from Colombia. They grew tired of suburban and corporate life and wanted something different. After visiting a goat farm in North Alabama to sample the cheese, the idea of becoming cheesemakers was born.

“We had a feeling we just wanted to start some type of cottage industry,” Ana said. “We had taken a little trip and stopped at a cheese-making plant in Elkmont. We discovered that they didn’t raise goats there, but bought the milk to make their cheese. We figured we could do it better by raising our own animals.”

There was already lots of good goat cheese being made here in Alabama, according to Ana, and cows were too big a leap.

“Sheep are docile creatures,” Greg said. “They don’t smell, either. Sheep produce less milk than goats or cows, but its milder and richer.”

Greg trained at the Sheep Dairy School in Wisconsin, while Ana studied with cheese makers in Kentucky and Vermont.

“He focused on the animals, and I focused on the cheese,” she said. Greg also went to shearing school in South Dakota. Why so far away? “Do you know of any shearing schools in the South?” he quipped.

Dayspring’s milk production resulted in 8,000 pounds of cheese last year, and the Kellys are shooting for 10,000 pounds in 2017. Their flock is a cross between East Friesian, the dominant dairy-sheep in the United States, and Gulf Coast Native, a breed that has adapted and thrived in Florida since the Spaniards brought their ancestors here in the 15th century.

Lambs breed between the age of one-and-a-half and two years,

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and have a five-month gestation period. All the babies are born within a very busy, one-month window from mid-February to mid-March. “We had about 150 lambs born last year, and will probably have 200 this year,” Ana said.

Most of the boys will be sold, and eventually, the girls that don’t produce much milk will go, too. “We keep a milking flock of 100-125, but we may end up with 80-100 this year,” Ana said. “We have three to four rams, and each can cover 25 ewes, which only come in season one time a year.”

Their sheep graze all seasons on pasture untouched by pesticides or commercial fertilizer. The sheep are never given hormones, and the Kelly’s believe this combination makes healthier cheese.

“We milk our ewes from February through September, which provides subtle flavor changes throughout the milking season depending on the grasses growing in our pastures,” Ana says.

“The rolling pastures of our land, along with our mild climate, give our cheeses a sense of place.” l

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

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Traveling the

BACKROADS

Saving the Rock School A valiant effort & noble cause

The Old Rock School has been a community icon in St. Clair for years.

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

Story and Photos by Jerry C. Smith Submitted Photos When Springville Preservation Society’s Frank Waid escorted me into the upper level of an old rock school building on Pine Street, I was immediately struck with its ambience of antiquity.

Even by flashlight, I could easily discern beautiful hardwood floors which were well-worn by thousands of young footsteps, as well as the aroma of stone, wood, blackboard chalk and paint, seasoned to a robust sensory patina by almost a hundred years of service.

Completed in 1921 by local stonemasons and a host of community workmen and volunteers, this fine structure replaced an even older one of wood that had burned to the ground.

Most of Springville’s core population has educational and emotional ties with the rock school. While its past was certainly illustrious, its present is in shambles. But if certain good residents have their way, it will arise from decrepitude and serve its people once again.

The school’s bones are of native rock, mostly immune to fire and other natural forces that easily erode and destroy lesser materials. Built upon a solid core of thousands of rounded chert “field stones” that make up its outer walls and foundation, it’s constructed in a manner that’s an art form unto itself.

It was an enormous job, even for master stonemasons like Jackson McFadden Riddle, who built most of the earlier fieldstone structures in St. Clair and its environs. He’s reputed to have supervised this job as well.

The usual method of building such walls is called “slipforming,” wherein a long wooden box form is built at ground level, to contain stacks of stones imbedded in mortar. Only the stones show, as mortar is kept to the backside of the form, where it creates a flat surface for interior walls.

As each layer of stones and mortar harden into a solid mass, the form is loosened, moved up the fresh wall, and the process is repeated until the wall reaches a desired height. It’s very labor-intensive, requiring special skills and training.

Farmers and other citizens brought in thousands of stones by the wagonload, with horses and oxen laboring mightily to haul their weighty burdens uphill to the school site. In fact, how that hillside location was chosen is a story in itself.

Springville native and historian Donna Cole Davis explains that city fathers wanted to place it there so drivers on US 11 and train passengers could get a grand look at their local prideand-joy – a fine new institution of education. Decades of tree growth has since blocked that viewpoint.

The early years At first, the rock school had no indoor restroom facilities, relying on an outhouse, nor did it have central heat, instead using Warm Morning coal heaters. A coal-fired furnace and rock chimney were later added. This furnace still resides in the basement, but is no longer operational, and its chimney has since been removed.

The facility opened in 1921 as a high school, whose curriculum was scheduled on a trimester system; i.e. Senior I, Senior II, Senior III. Their yearbook, mysteriously called The Rocket, was first published in 1928, long before a national involvement in rocket science. In fact, the only real rocketry interest in those days was represented by Dr. Robert Goddard’s pioneering work.

He launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket in 1926,

Frank Waid examines new windows

shortly before the Rocket yearbook was created. If this is the Rocket’s namesake, perhaps the folks in Springville were looking farther ahead than we realize.

For a small Alabama school in the Roaring 20s, Springville High was surprisingly urbane. Thumbing through the 1929 Rocket, you can find several academic and special-interest clubs, vocational courses, sports and a sizable faculty of welltrained teachers. The women’s basketball team was considered top-notch.

A 1971 St. Clair News Aegis photo of the Class of 1924 lists students and teachers whose surnames are still found in Springville and its environs: McGinnis, Futrell, Sterling, Jones, Gill, Davidson, Crow, Richardson, Perrin, Horton, Pearson, Martin, John, Moody, Wright, Taylor, Walker, McDuffie, Stevens, Meyers, Simmons, Woods, Vinyard, Robinson, Presley, O’Barr, Wilson and Box. It served as a high school from 1921 until 1932, when a larger facility was built a few hundred feet away, then became a grammar school until the 1960s, when that function was also taken over by a more modern building in its very shadow.

Until its eventual closing for safety reasons in the 1990s, the building served variously for civic groups, clubs, Boy Scouts, band room, and a work office in the basement for the local water board. It was even used for a few years as a Halloween haunted house, whose ghoulish graffiti can still be seen on walls.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

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Traveling the

BACKROADS

Mrs. Crandall

Miss Margaret 16

The next generation Sandra Sullivan DeBerry, who attended grammar school there, was especially fond of a certain first-grade teacher, Margaret Byers, affectionately known by her pupils as Miss Margaret.

She was a dynamic, petite woman who would be called a Little Person in today’s world, but she made a huge impression on her students and the people of Springville.

Sandy says, “You couldn’t ask for a sweeter person in the world than Miss Margaret.” But she wasn’t always a teacher.

Born 1901 and raised in Springville, Margaret attended Huntingdon College in Montgomery, where she developed a love of music that led her to perform in several Broadway shows, including Babes In Toyland.

After returning to Alabama, she studied teaching, thence to Springville Elementary.

Sandy mentions another teacher, Mrs. Crandall, whom practically every kid raised in Springville will remember because she was known as a strict disciplinarian who put up with no foolishness. Mrs. Crandall played piano for Sandy’s wedding.

Mrs. Crandall’s classroom was at the foot of the main staircase. Any footfalls or squeaks from the stairwell during class times would bring her running to check it out.

Other teachers remembered by Sandy, Donna and Frank were Mses. Marshall, Cash, Hayes, Walker and Wright, who’s the only one still among the living.

There was no lunchroom. Both Sandy and Frank recall walking about half a block down the hill on a well-worn dirt path, which Frank likened to a cattle trail, to use the dining hall at the newer school. He said that on really bad weather days a school bus would transport them, but most of the time they were expected to walk.

Sandy relates that during recess they played jump rope, jacks, used the swings, snuck off into nearby woods, even visited a cemetery close byS. There were no electric bells to signal class change or fire drills, only a hand-bell rung by the principal — easy to hear because of the building’s compact design.

Today The school’s present condition inspires mixed feelings.

For one, visitors cannot help but marvel at the solidity of the old structure and obvious quality of materials and skills used by its craftsmen. If there was ever a building with reconstruction potential, it’s Springville Rock School.

On the other hand, floors are littered with a veritable snowfall of white flakes of ceiling paint and decades’ worth of other detritus. In some secluded spots, there is bat guano. Leftovers from several former users are piled here and there. Reconstruction materials are stacked haphazardly among the chaos.

The Springville Preservation Society has already purchased a number of windows, almost identical to the originals, and is now in the process of priming, painting and installing them. Clearly, several dumpsters will be filled once work begins on a larger scale.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

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Traveling the

BACKROADS

Frank Waid at front door Among their goals is a room partly furnished in the appearance of a classroom. They also anticipate meeting rooms and assembly halls for everything from weddings to civic and club gatherings to reunions.

The old school fairly breathes nostalgia, from its main staircase with steps that show the wear and tear of many children’s feet to its ancient fixtures and random educational trappings.

You can almost imagine the kids’ respectful silence and quiet shuffle of feet between classes as well as the hum of teachers teaching and pupils responding, as all those muffled sounds of education in progress might have harmonized in common areas.

One is struck with rightful dread that such a finely crafted and historically important edifice would have ever been considered for demolition. This place deserves to live on, hopefully as a proud venue for an almost unlimited variety of future community service.

In short, this fine lady demands respect. The Springville Preservation Society is the key to making this happen.

Formed in 2009 for the purpose of saving several Springville heritage sites, the Society now owns or controls the rock school, the old Masonic Lodge that until recently served as the town’s library, and a small white house near the spring basin that was once part of a local hotel. Much work has already been done on the Lodge and house.

Donna Cole Davis only went to kindergarten there in 1966, but both her parents attended it as a grammar school. Donna explains her reason for getting involved: “One of my father’s (Don Cole) final wishes was that the old school be saved so

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Donna Cole Davis and Sandy Sullivan DeBerry with SPS banner.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

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Traveling the

BACKROADS

Lunch path from old to new school that others could enjoy its history. I knew this was something I really wanted to do in his honor. There needs to be a beautiful lady sitting up there on that hill once again.”

Building a future When asked how interested people could help this process, both Frank and Donna’s answers were virtually the same: Get involved.

The Springville Preservation Society is currently led by Frank Waid, president; Millicent Yeager, vice president; and Sean Andrews, secretary and treasurer. They meet the fourth Saturday of each month at the Springville Museum and Old Library and Masonic Hall.

The museum itself is open on first and third Saturdays. It’s one of the Society’s work projects that clearly showcases their expertise and dedication to purpose.

Any of these highly-dedicated folks can help you get into the school project at any level you choose. Even if you don’t elect to participate directly, simply telling others about it will help make more people aware of what’s going on.

Citizens are invited to join work parties whenever they can, even if only for a few hours. It’s a volunteer effort all the way, but the Society’s small cadre of dedicated workers can only do so much.

The restoration project is a perfect opportunity for civic groups, Scout troops, historians and anyone else who values heritage to the point of working up a bit of sweat. The Society hastens to add that monetary donations and fund raisers are a vital part of the effort and remind us that much of this kind of support is tax deductible.

Most of the stories I’ve brought to our readers over the years have had clearly defined endings, sometimes even catastrophic ones. It would be a special privilege for me to see this one take on new life as well as a dynamic future of community service.

Let’s work together for Springville’s old school and for St. Clair heritage in general. l

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Frank Waid in stairwell

Old blackboard

Frank Waid remembers the coat room

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

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Bowlin Bluff ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER

Story Elaine Hobson Miller Photos by Michael Callahan

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When Todd and Liz Wheeles went house-hunting, they looked for something off the beaten path. They found it in a small hunting cabin on 115 acres atop Bowlin Bluff, a place so remote even the mail carrier and the garbage man have trouble getting to it.

“We have a post office box, and we carry the garbage out as we leave,” Liz says. “We often have to keep friends on the phone and guide them in or meet them at the bottom of the hill and drive them up.”

The only way in or out is via a dirt road that’s best traveled by truck or an all-terrain vehicle. The drive is worth the effort, though. The view at the top is breathtaking.

The house sits 30 feet from a granite bluff that’s about 1,070 feet in elevation. From their deck, the Wheeleses can see Bald Rock Mountain eight miles away. As for the sunsets, “breathtaking” doesn’t come close to describing them.

“The sunsets up here are spectacular,” says Todd. “But we enjoy the deck any time of the day, whether it’s coffee in the morning, wine in the afternoon, or whiskey by the night fire.”

By knocking out a side wall and adding a 30-by-20-foot den, gutting the kitchen and both downstairs bathrooms, then extending the back porch to wrap around the new room, they turned a cabin with a view into a cozy home with ample space for a family of six.

The original cabin had a small living room and eat-in kitchen when the Wheeleses bought it a year ago. Floors throughout the house were covered in mismatched linoleum, there was a small chimney and window on the side wall, and a small deck off the kitchen. “There were deer heads hanging everywhere,” Liz says. They replaced all the flooring with natural hickory, added wainscoting upstairs and painted every room in the house.

Integrity Cabinets of Ashland built new kitchen cabinets and all the bathroom vanities out of solid hickory. The couple chose Integrity because Todd is from Ashland and went to school with its owner, David Williams. The countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms are made of granite. Removing the side

Todd and Liz Wheeles

Bowlin Bluff

A hand-made, 10-foot long dining table seats the entire Wheeles clan and then some. wall opened up the kitchen to the new den and created a large dining area between them. Edison lights hang over a 10-foot long dining table and matching benches made of salvaged pine by The Vintage Station of Bessemer. The table’s length allows plenty of seating for Todd, Liz and their four children. “Thanksgiving, there were 11 of us here, and we didn’t take up half the table,” Liz says.

Todd wanted a larger shower in the master bathroom, so they closed up a tiny laundry closet in the kitchen that adjoined the master suite to get some extra space. They used re-claimed tin tiles for the bathroom ceiling.

The side wall they removed had one small chimney, but the house now has two. They stand backto-back, in the den and on the deck behind it. Both are constructed of hand-laid, stacked stone. They share the same foundation, but the one in the Great Room is a wood-burning fireplace lined with firebrick, while the outside fireplace is a firebox with a stove-pipe chimney.

Although Liz got help with furniture selections and decorating from Cindi B. Jones of Savvy Shoestring Interiors, the two leather sofas in the den were Todd’s idea. The two mission-style arm chairs at the front window came from Liz’s father’s house in New Orleans, and an antique dining chair that belonged to her great-grandmother is placed next to the fireplace.

The fox skin hanging over the chair was Todd’s

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The stackedstone fireplace is the focal point in the new den.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

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Solid-hickory cabinets and granite countertops add warmth to the new kitchen.

These chairs came from Liz’s dad’s house in New Orleans.

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whimsical purchase from a shop near Gulf Shores. Jones helped Liz find the wing chair placed at another window, some lamps, side tables and art work. The den has a tongue-in-groove pine ceiling with cedar beams.

The stairs to the second floor were rebuilt using hickory treads and pine kick plates.

Upstairs, the Wheeleses added pine tongue-in-groove wainscoting, stained the same color as the woodwork throughout the house. All of the beds there, as well as the king-size bed in the master bedroom downstairs, were made out of reclaimed wood by The Vintage Station of Bessemer and have solid wood frames.

One child’s bed has a horizontal headboard made with random-length wood planks, some stained to match the woodwork, others painted white. In another child’s room, the headboard is made with a wood frame and tin inserts from an old church ceiling and is painted white. A third headboard is a reclaimed door turned horizontally. The upstairs bathroom ceiling is made from more reclaimed tin tiles, and its shower curtain has a deer motif.

“We wanted the look of a log house without having to build one – a house with a

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Bowlin Bluff

The den is visible from the hallway above.

Sunlight bathes this upstairs bedroom, showing off the headboard that was formerly a door and the camouflage bedding chosen by 18-year-old Ethan Wheeles.

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woodsy feeling inside,” says Liz. Sentimental family heirlooms add to the charm of the upstairs, too. Liz used a table that belonged to her dad in one child’s bedroom, and another of her great-grandmother’s dining chairs in another. A metronome that used to sit atop her grandmother’s piano rests silently on a window sill. Despite the fact that the sun comes up at the front of the house, it bathes the back of the house in a soft glow that penetrates the upstairs window panes. “The kids love it,” Liz says.

Because of the children, Todd and Liz did not want the upstairs shut off from the downstairs. So, their contractor, Rick Layfield of Rick Layfield Construction in Ashville, solved that problem by leaving the end of the hallway open to the Great Room. Layfield framed heavy-gauged wire with pine so the kids can see into the room below, without falling over or through the railing. He repeated that same type of structure as an extension of the stair rail at its bottom end, and again around the deck.

“We wanted the house to blend with its surroundings, so we painted the outside a mossy green,” says Todd. Layfield matched the cementboard siding outside and the metal roofing that was

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

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Bowlin Bluff

The sunsets are awesome at Bowlin Bluff.

The exterior of the home.

30

on the original house to extend around and over the room addition. He also built a small step porch in front and another, gated set of steps off the front of the deck.

Plastic chairs adorn the deck until the Wheeleses can decide what they want permanently. Meanwhile, they have to stack the chairs and place them against the house when not in use because the wind is so strong on the bluff that it will carry loose, lightweight furniture down the mountain.

“We are on a ridge, almost like a peninsula,” Todd says. “I’m a map guy, and in my topographical map book, the mountain we’re on is called Backbone Mountain.”

Todd used that same map to chart the winding paths of the two trails he had bulldozed through the property, which come in handy when he and his son and their friends want to hunt.

Unfortunately, the trails don’t connect.

“It’s so steep and rocky, we’d have to cut through someone else’s property to connect them,” he says. l

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

Dancing With Our Stars Success story continues for fundraising extravaganza

Darlings of the Decades, L to R, Leslie Day, Whitney Hollis, Briana Burgess, Tracey Wilson, Leslie Kendrick, Blair Goodgame, Samantha Hambright

What began as a way for a dance group to give back to the community has grown into a major event and dancing extravanza. The Pell City Line Dancers have been fundraising for various causes since 2003, and they found a No. 1 hit four years ago with Dancing With Our Stars. The 2017 event drew 422 in attendance, featured 64 dancers and raised about $12,000 for the Pell City Fire Department. An oversized check presented that night set the amount at $11,000, but donations keep pouring in and are expected to top the $12,000-mark.

Maliha Alzyat & Stephonn Ammons

Winners were:

Couples 1st – Celebrity Maliha Alzyat with instructor

Stephonn Ammons 2nd – Celebrity Lori Junkins with instructor Brian Hutton 3rd – Haley Phillips with instructor Josh Hudson Peoples Choice Award – Randell Pickering with

instructor Carrie Leland Groups 1st – Special Ops 2nd – The Dance Fevers of St. Vincent’s St. Clair 3rd – The Smoke Walkers (PCFD) Peoples Choice Award – Special Ops

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

Clad Warrior with Fire Baton Twirler – Feenix Fyre

Lori Junkins and Brian Hutton

The Smoke Walkers (PCFD) with L to R Firefighter Joey Vaughn, instructor Barbara Miller, firefighters Randy Hall, Andrew Minyard, Caleb Andrews

The Pell City Football Players – Instructor Retha Goode, Coach Keith Etheredge DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

Carrie Leland & Randell Pickering Dance Fevers of St. Vincent St. Clair, Front row: Jimmy Vaughn and Arthur Baldridge Back row: Shiloh Swiney, Kara Chandler, Lisa Nichols, and Richard Crocker 33

MUSIC ICONS COMING TO CEPA IN APRIL 34

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

Today’s Martha Reeves & the Vandellas When the curtain goes up April 29 at Center for Education and Performing Arts in Pell City, it will showcase another legendary act from the Motown era of music – Martha Reeves and the Vandellas.

Performing such memorable hits hits from the 1960s and 1970s as (Love Is Like a) Heat Wave, Jimmy Mack, Nowhere to Run and their signature hit, Dancing in the Streets, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas have been delighting audiences around the world for decades.

And now, St. Clair County has the chance to see this spectacular show in person.

“Certainly, this is the direction the CEPA Board of Directors wants to take the facility,” said Jeff Thompson, executive director. “We built tremendous momentum in our 2016 Fall Season, and adding a legendary artist like Martha Reeves proves our commitment to bringing cultural entertainment of the highest quality to the people of St. Clair County.”

“Martha Reeves and The Vandellas have seen some of the biggest stages around the world. They celebrate a catalogue of hits that spans decades. Their music helped define a generation.

To have them in Pell City is an incredible chance that I know our local residents will appreciate for years to come.”

“Martha Reeves and the Vandellas on our stage in our city is truly an honor,” said CEPA President Carol Pappas. “I suspect they’ll have our audience dancing in the aisles by night’s end.

The unmistakable Motown sound seems to bring back that golden age of music that brings out the dancing beat in all of us.”

It is not the first Motown group to visit Pell City. In the past, The Platters, The Drifters and The Temptations have all taken center stage at CEPA and have been among its most popular shows over the years. l The performance is at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 for general admission. A $45 VIP package includes a catered reception with hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer and soft drinks and an opportunity to mingle with the group one hour prior to the performance. To reserve your seats, go to: http://www. pellcitycenter.com/tickets/ or phone 205-338-1974.

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Tour de Blue ready to roll through St. Clair

When April 29 rolls around, the 10 annual edition of Tour de Blue will get rolling through scenic St. Clair County with cyclists from multiple states participating.

St. Clair has been the top pick for the event over the years because of its vistas, rolling terrain and natural challenges.

And you can’t beat the cause.

Tour de Blue began 10 years ago by the Urology Health Foundation as a way to raise awareness about prostate cancer. It has now grown into one of the top “century rides” in the state as part of the Alabama Backroads Century Series.

Century gets its name from the more than 100 miles Centurion cyclists will pedal as part of the Tour de Blue.

There are 76-mile and 50-mile route options as well.

It will begin at 8 a.m. at Moody High School/Moody Middle School Complex and will end there, too.

“Those on the century ride will be in for a real treat,” organizers predict. “After ascending Blount Mountain and passing McClendon Gap, they will enjoy a magnificent view of nearby mountains and the valley below while cycling along a 12-mile stretch of ridge top. Heading further, they will circle around Chandler Mountain, an unusual mesa-like formation of pre-Cambrian origins.

It will be an opportunity few have seen from this vantage point. Chandler Mountain is also renowned for Horse Pens 40, where world class bouldering draws climbers from all over the world to its gigantic rock formations. The longer rides then wind through the historic town of Ashville, which is home to the 1820 John Looney House, one of the few remaining examples of pioneer architecture featuring a dog trot style.

Participating in the Tour de Blue is an opportunity to help educate men and their families about the importance of early detection for prostate cancer and help men at greatest risk in Alabama get access to free prostate cancer screenings.

Because the Urology Health Foundation is a locally-based non-profit, the dollars raised from this event will stay in Alabama.

Since 2007, the Urology Health Foundation has screened thousands of men for prostate cancer for free in many Alabama counties. If an abnormality is found and the patient is unable to afford treatment, the Urology Health Foundation will assist in helping to find treatment at no cost to the patient. l For more information, go to: tourdeblue.com or contact Sherry Wilson at swilson@urologyal.com or 205-445-0117.

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Small town, big growth Story by Paul South Photos by Susan Wall Folks across America and across the Atlantic may not know it, but when the English fire up their sprinklers to water parched country gardens, or when Biff turns the key on his Acura to cruise to the beach, they have folks in Steele to thank.

Though one of the county’s smallest incorporated towns, Steele – population 1,043 and tucked in the northwest corner of the county – may have St. Clair’s most diverse economy.

The irrigation company, RainBird, chose Steele for its East Coast distribution center that ships the popular product around the United States and to Western Europe, as well as a manufacturing site.

Unipres, a Japanese firm, crafts components for high-end Hondas like the Acura, built in nearby Lincoln. And there are many other companies manufacturing goods with a national and international reach.

There are mom-and-pop businesses, too, like Jason Dodd’s restaurant, Breaking Bread.

A classic Alabama “meat-and-three” eatery, Dodd serves farm-to-table meals featuring locally produced meats, poultry, dairy, fruits and vegetables. After only three years, Dodd is expanding, opening a second location in Gulf

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Horse Pens 40

Steele

ALABAMA

39

Steele

Rain Bird is one of a number of manufacturers in the area.

Shores, hoping to fill a home-cooking void on an Alabama coast flooded with seafood joints.

Then there are Chandler Mountain tomatoes. Like oysters from Bon Secour on the Alabama coast to Chilton County peaches, the scarlet summer fruit of the vine is like no other tomato on the planet, perfect in a pie, on a sandwich, or simply sliced, salted and peppered on a plate. It’s one of Alabama’s signature products; a big part of Steele’s agriculture story, where family farms still toil in the soil to earn a living from God’s good earth, raising cattle, chickens, eggs, vegetables and hay.

And about Chandler Mountain: One of Alabama’s 10 tallest peaks rises from the earth as one of the state’s beautiful natural landmarks. In the fall, the view is like the Biblical Joseph’s technicolor dreamcoat, with dazzling leaves of fiery scarlet, deep browns and golds. In summer, the mountain is like an elegant old dowager, dressed in emerald green. And in spring, as the mountain revives after a long winter’s nap, blossoms seen nowhere else adorn the mountainside. It’s a magic mountain, the crown of an overachieving little town.

Then again, Steele has been a hard-working placeS almost since the beginning.

“Perhaps no town pays more attention to literary matters than Steele” —The Southern Aegis, Nov.7, 1889

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The railroad provided the spark for what became Steele.

The town was founded by a pastor, the Rev. Quilian Steele, in the 1850s. A relative, Toliver Steele, owned large tracts of land near where the Alabama and Chattanooga – later the Great Southern Railroad – was constructed through the town in 1870-71. It’s fair to say that Steele was built by steel, sweat and spirit as families worked and prayed together.

In the fall of 1889, members of the Southern Aegis newspaper staff traveled from Ashville to Steele to hawk newspaper subscriptions. A Nov. 7 story seemed to predict the economic development that would come some 150 years later. The visitors found a flourishing sawmill and learned of plans for a cotton gin, a compress and a grist mill, as well as some thriving retail businesses.

“The site of the town on the (Alabama Great Southern) is excellent for building purposes, there ought to be several additional industries started at that point,” the paper reported.

The Southern Aegis headlined Steele, praising its ties to the railroad and praising its “intelligent” residents.

“Its people are refined and foster whatever tends to mental and moral improvement,” the paper reported, saying that residents snapped up subscriptions.

These days, few know the history of Steele like Sharon Ingle. Her father, Buel Plemons, was a longtime mayor of the town. Too, Ingle inherited an array of photographs and other materials from the late local historian and author of a history

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

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Steele

of Steele, Vivian Qualls.

“My Dad talks to me a lot about (the history),” Ingle said.

Just as coal fired the growth of Margaret in the county, the railway did the same for Steele, Ingle said. Tolliver Steele donated the land for the train depot. The existing Steele Station Road is an homage to that history.

“Until the railroad came, there were very few people living there,” she said. “With the coming of the railroad, a little bit of industry grew up and more people moved in.”

The city incorporated in 1952.

The advent of new churches and schools also played a role in growing Steele. So important were matters of faith that Qualls wrote histories of the Baptist and Methodist churches in the heart of town.

“The churches in town have always had a cooperative spirit and have been really good about meeting together for things.

They’ve been a big part of the life of the town,” she said.

“While industry from elsewhere boosts Steele’s economic outlook, industry has always been a part of the workaday life of the town,” Ingle said.

“They’ve had some industry over the years, and most of the industry was started by people who lived in the town. There was a Pope and Free Lumber Company. There was a tannery. But these were started by people who lived in the town and started businesses.”

She added, “The industry that’s here now has come in because of proximity to the interstate (I-59).”

“It is a small place and everybody knows each other. When I was growing up there and went to the school there, the teachers knew everybody there. You couldn’t get in trouble without your parents knowing about it.”

The Steele of her growing-up years, she said, was “a very secure and very loving kind of place.”

“I think it’s changed from that a little bit because times have changed,” she said. “But it’s still a loving place.”

An industrious point of pride

Love’s is a big source of revenue for city services.

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While in its early years, local families boosted Steele’s industrial landscape, the increased presence of major global industries like Unipres, Trinity-Meyer Utility Structures and RainBird helps folks in Steele walk a little taller. Ingle feels that pride.

Unipres, that does stamping of metal parts for the automotive industry, replaced another Japanese auto parts manufacturer in Steele. Unipres, a Tokyo-based firm, produces metal parts and serves the Honda plant in nearby Lincoln.

As for RainBird, Steele had been home to distribution, but they wanted a manufacturing, as well as a distribution presence in Alabama. The company chose a former Saks Fifth Avenue/Belk’s distribution center. The building has since been expanded and employs about 200 people.

“It is really special. I’m an engineer, and I do a lot of training for companies,” Ingle said. “I’ve been to some of those companies, and I take a lot of pride in being able to go there and help ... because I feel such a connection, and I want them to do well. That’s exciting for me.”

The industrial growth of the town in recent decades is also exciting for Don Smith, executive director of the St. Clair County Economic Development Council. He put the growth, as well as the boost near the I-59 corridor, in a unique perspective.

“Steele is very unique because there are as many jobs in Steele as there are people of working age,” Smith said. “If someone wants to work, they could just ride a bicycle for a couple of minutes and be at an employer.”

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

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Steele offers a lesson on economic development to other small towns. Don’t be afraid to partner with larger neighbors, Smith said. Or in the parlance of kindergarten, “Play well with others.”

“They have partnered with Gadsden to get the original building that RainBird is in,” Smith said. “Gadsden helped incentivize that initial Saks project. Because of its size, Steele has always been willing to partner with others. That willingness and that experience in working well with others and having flat available land has been a great benefit.”

Steele Breaking Bread is a farmto-table restaurant that has seen success in Steele.

Open for business

Veteran St. Clair real estate developer Lyman Lovejoy praised Steele officials for a business-friendly climate.

“Steele is a little far out for rooftops right now,” Lovejoy said. “But they’ve got the most business-friendly mayor and Council of anywhere around.”

Smith agreed, saying, “They’re very grateful for any investment made there. They’ve been thankful for all of the investment in their community.”

From a retail perspective, the presence of a Love’s truck plaza was a shot in the arm to the retail tax base since it opened in 2010. This year, Steele will realize the full benefit to retail. Since then, Dollar General has opened nearby.

“We’re very grateful that Love’s chose Steele to open one of their Travel Stops,” Mayor Roger Adams said. “Without them, we would be hurting. But we’re grateful for all our businesses and industry.”

“Steele is as economically healthy as any community on that corridor,” Smith said.

Then, there are Mom-and-Pop businesses, like Breaking Bread. Hungry workers from the local factories flock there to eat farm-to-table meals featuring locally produced vegetables, meat and poultry. The restaurant offers food for the body and the soul, as Christian music provides a musical backdrop for diners and scripture adorns the walls. Dodd has owned the business for 18 years, starting in catering and moving to Steele three years ago. “Everybody supports everybody,” he said.

“It’s a good community.”

The flourishing agriculture scene has been a boost to his restaurant.

“Being farm-to-table and being able to get local produce is really a big deal, because it lets people know they’re getting a fresh product,” Dodd said. Knowing where the food is coming from makes it more homey. It’s a great atmosphere.”

Steele’s family farms give customers like Dodd a chance to personally choose what he’ll serve at his restaurant.

“I get to touch it, see it and feel it,” Dodd said. “So many restaurants just get it off a truck and you don’t know what you’re getting.”

Beyond proximity to I-59, the heart of the people of Steele – indeed all of St. Clair County – has meant economic growth.

“We’re easy to work with,” Adams said. “It’s not all this red tape that some of these companies have to go through with bigger cities. We’re just proud to have them here.”

Unlike other towns in St. Clair County, residential growth has not been a factor in Steele. The other side of the coin is that there is a strong rental market. Rentals move quickly. But at this point in its history, residential infrastructure does not exist in Steele – sewerage and available land.

“We’re about 25-30 minutes from Gadsden with a lot of jobs over there, and 30 minutes from Trussville. One spouse may work in Gadsden, another in Trussville, so we’re centrally located,” Town Councilman Richard Reynolds said.

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Steele’s mantra

“It’s a great place to live and to raise a family,” Adams said.

“We’re proud of our school. We all pretty much care for each other. We have our disagreements, but overall, I think we all care for one another in our small town.”

Reynolds compared Steele to the way Springville was 20 years ago. Now, there are no zoning regulations, not even a stoplight. But as growth moves up the I-59 corridor, these things may come.

“If the economy keeps on expanding, within 10-15 years, the growth might start coming here. Our biggest challenge right now is to find some younger people for our Council. They’re going to have to make some really important decisions in the next 10, 15, 20 years.”

One young newcomer to the Town Council, Brent Dunn, helped spearhead a ministry in town, UFOS (United Fellowship and Outreach of Steele), a cooperative effort by seven local churches to meet the needs of hurting people in the community.

The all-volunteer organization welcomes anyone to help it, and will help anyone, regardless of faith affiliation.

The ministry has helped families who suffer tragedies like house fires, honored first responders with a dinner and provided nearly 200 stuffed stockings for Steele Junior High kids at Christmas.

“There is a deep community love for the town,” Dunn said.

“There is a desire for the town to improve and grow closer and closer together. We’re all willing to jump out there and work together to show that we all care about them.”

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

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A Mountain Love Story Feelings run deep on Chandler Mountain, for family, nature and of course, tomatoes Story by Paul South Photos by Susan Wall Jamie and Marlene Burton, both 83, have been married for 67 years and farmed tomatoes on the mountaintop for years before they retired, growing the kind of tomatoes that make diners close their eyes and smile with delight.

Jamie Burton, like his father before him and his children after, knows Chandler Mountain tomatoes as well as anybody does.

The Burton family farmed the mountain for more than a half-century. The weather is the secret, he says.

“In the summertime, it’s 3 to 6 degrees cooler than it is off the mountain,” Burton says. The sandy soil makes a difference too, draining the water and protecting the fragile plants from rotting. At its peak, the Burton family farmed 200 acres.

It’s hard work. Pests and the weather are constant worries for the families that grow the treasured tomatoes. But the final product is worth the worry. For generations, the Burton, Smith and Bearden families – and others – have delighted generations who adore the Chandler Mountain tomato, says unofficial Steele historian Sharon Ingle.

“I am a tomato connoisseur,” Ingle said.

“No tomato from (a fast-food burger place) will ever match up to me. They don’t ever put good tomatoes on my cheeseburger.”

She added: “It’s just the right amount of acidity. They have a great taste. The tomatoes

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you get everywhere else … are just kind of bland, nothing.”

Josh Dodd, owner of Breaking Bread, a Steele farm-to-table restaurant, has tomatoes as a staple on his menu when they’re in season. The flavor, sweet with just the right touch of tangy, makes all the difference.

“Whatever they’re doing, they’re doing it perfect. It’s just right. From the cherry tomatoes we use to the slicing tomatoes we use, they’re perfect every time,” he said.

Jamie and Marlene Burton also seem to be navigating the challenge of marriage well, too. It was “love at first sight. We were real young,” she added with a laugh.

The secret to longevity?

“We’re Christians, and we went to church, and I think that has something to do with it,” Jamie Burton said.

“We just loved one another and loved our family,” Marlene Burton added. That family includes three sons and their wives, five grandchildren and more than two dozen great-grandchildren.”

After nearly 70 years of marriage, there’s clearly been a lot of agreement in the Burton household. But one area of disagreement comes in the best way to eat their tomatoes.

“A tomato sandwich,” Jamie Burton said.

“Slice ‘em up, put ‘em on loaf bread, salt and pepper. Especially salt. I don’t know what it is, but salt brings out the flavor in them.”

Now and again, he adds a slice of sharp cheddar cheese.

Marlene has simpler taste when it comes to tomatoes.

“Fresh. Slice ‘em. Put them on the table,” she says. “I love them with vegetables.”

Jamie Burton’s advice for anyone considering tomato farming on the mountain?

“Be willing to work long hours.”

One of the big changes in the tomato business across nearly 60 years was finding help at harvest time. In the last quarter century, Burton said, the labor pool shifted from locals to migrant workers.

Marlene Burton cooked for the family, serving up big lunches and babysitting grandkids.

The Burton family, like others on the mountain took pride in their produce.

“It was a living to be made at it,” Jamie Burton said. “We worked hard.”

Marlene Burton agreed.

“We were proud of it.”

Mountain more than tomatoes

Lower on the mountain, at Horse Pens 40, Mike Schultz and his family volunteers to tend to the property, which with its natural amphitheater and picturesque grounds became a popular venue for country and bluegrass music, arts and craft fairs and outdoor activities decades ago. Legends like Emmylou Harris, Ralph Stanley, Ricky Skaggs and others performed there. Harris, a Birmingham native, made one of her first appearances at Horse Pens as a teenager.

What would become Three on a String got its start there.

Time was not kind to Horse Pens 40, and it fell into disrepair.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

But when Schultz became a co-owner of the land in 2002, the new Horse Pens family toiled to return the park to its former glory.

Just as tomatoes from the top of the mountain seem to melt in your mouth, problems seem to disappear for visitors to Horse Pens 40.

“When you’re here, troubles just fall off your back,” Schultz said.

“That’s the way it seems. When people come here, they feel a special spirituality. They feel the sacredness of the land. It’s not just walking in the woods. It’s special woods. When I’m there, it’s like I’m wrapped in a warm blanket. This is a different world.”

The world of Horse Pens 40 welcomes small craft shows, and other events, but has become a major venue for the sport of bouldering. The pre-Cambrian rock on Chandler Mountain doesn’t slicken when rains come, making it perfect for the hot new outdoor sport. It’s a major stop for the Triple Crown Bouldering Series. The series has helped win Steele a designation as one of Alabama’s Seven Best Adventure Towns by rootsrated.com, a site that bills itself as “connecting users to the best outdoor experiences,” based on local recommendations.

“It would probably be considered one of the top spots in the world for bouldering,” Schultz said of the park. “Our rock is unique. Chandler Mountain is a geologic anomaly, different than the mountains around us. It has less calcium. It doesn’t hold the water.

When it rains, the rock dries quickly and becomes very frictional.

That helps them climb.”

Ancient iron deposits in the rock also protect the mountain from erosion, Schultz said.

Horse pens’ motto is “Leave No Trace,” a commitment to leave the land undisturbed. Unlike decades ago, Horse Pens now is interested only in smaller events – no more than 1,000 people – operated by groups and organizations who know their business, like the bouldering series. They share Schultz’s commitment to leave the ancient land undisturbed after the event ends.

The park attracts an international clientele and opens another economic avenue for Steele and St. Clair County.

“We bring people from every state, every country in the world. If you look at our guest register you see Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Australia, Ireland. They spend money in our community here. They spend money in St. Clair. They give money to us, and we distribute it back out. We buy from local businesses, and we support local charities, 100 cents on the dollar. It has to go directly to people in need,” Schultz said.

The park requires that every event have a link to a charity, and groups are allowed to come in to do benefits for individuals in need.

Love is at the heart of life on the mountain. People have always loved one another and helped one another there. The whole mountain is that way and has been for the generations that have called this magical mountain home. Marlene Burton estimates that 150 folks live on Chandler Mountain “That goes a long way,” she said.

As with the Burtons, love is a big part of the story for the Schultz family at Horse Pens 40. Mike Schultz’s children operate the park, and he supervises, all without a salary. It’s about love for the land – and each other. One word gives that away, when you ask his formal title there. “Dad,” he said. l

The Mayor and Council of

The City of Steele

Cordially invite the public to

The Fourth of July Festival At the City Park July 4, 2017 Festivities begin at 3 p.m. and will include inflatables for all ages, a live band, food vendor and a spectacular fireworks show at 9 p.m.

Tomato field atop Chandler Mountain DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

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St. Clair Alabama

Business Review Louis

St. Vincent’s and Northside Medical are entering into a collaborative partnership

48 DISCOVER Essence St. Clair • August & September 2013 of St. ClairThe •The Business Review DISCOVER The Essence St. Clair • February March 2016 48• DISCOVER The Essence DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair June &&July July 2016 2017 DISCOVER DISCOVER Essence The Essence of of St.of Clair of St. • Clair Clair December June 2016 & & January 2015 2017 48 DISCOVER The Essence of St. •••April & May

Story by Graham Hadley Photos by Michael Callahan

St. Vincent’s & Northside Partnership on collaborative health care In a new and innovative approach to primary care, St. Vincent’s Health System and Northside Medical Associates are partnering in a venture that includes clinics in Trussville, Springville and Ashville.

Opened Feb. 1, the clinics are located at 3536 Vann Road, Trussville; 480 Walker Road, Springville; and 35717 US Highway 231, Ashville. Dr. George Harris is seeing patients in Springville and Ashville, and Dr. Scott Boyken, is providing care in Trussville.

Both are assisted by nurse practitioners.

Celeste Richardson, CRNP, is assisting Trussville; Sue Payne, CRNP, in Springville; and Mary Beth Martin, CRNP, in Ashville.

“We are really pleased to have this opportunity to partner with Northside Medical Associates and expand our primary care network,” said Kevin Flynn, St. Vincent’s Health Systems Medical Group administrator. “It allows us to leverage the strengths and reputations of two great organizations to deliver compassionate, personal care with quality, patient-centered services.”

Northside CEO and founder Dr. Rock Helms agreed. “The more coordination we can have amongst all the players, we can use that collaborative effort to deliver a better product to the patient.” Helms called it a “necessary step to expand our services and continue to thrive in the present situation, and St. Vincent’s is a wonderful partner.”

Flynn noted the advantages for both entities to expand their primary care reach.

Over the next eight years, it is projected that there will be significant shortages in primary care physicians. One third of the present primary care doctors will be over 65 in the next decade. “It takes a long time to train new doctors,” Flynn said. The problem becomes more acute in rural communities, where it is challenging to recruit primary care physicians. “The supply is not matching the growth and aging of the population.”

The Alabama Rural Health Association has classified 60 of the state’s 67 counties as having a shortage of primary care physicians.

Fifty one of those 60 counties are considered rural.

An alliance like that of St. Vincent’s

Dr. George Harris

Dr. Scott Boyken

DISCOVER The Essence St. Clair • August & September 2013 Business Review •July DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 49 DISCOVER The Essence St. Clair • February March 2016 DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair June &&July 2016 49 2017 DISCOVER DISCOVER The Essence The Essence of of St.of Clair of St. • Clair Clair December June 2016 & & January 2015 2017 DISCOVER The Essence of St. •••April & May 49

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

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Business Review

St. Vincent’s & Northside

Along with the new partnership, construction continues on the expansion at Northside in Pell City. and Northside provides an opportunity for both to expand their services while drawing on each other’s resources and collaborating with one another to achieve the best outcomes for their patients.

It further allows them to expand into markets that can benefit from access to health care closer to home.

“The primary care relationship is critical between patient and physician,” Flynn said, noting that in a patientcentered medical home like Northside and St. Vincent’s can provide together, the physician “knows you personally,

sees your regularly, knows your habits and can be the point person to coordinate care.”

Services like routine screenings and wellness measures to keep patients healthy are more likely in this kind of system, where the patient benefits from the primary care physician coordinating a health care plan and drawing from a larger network of services when needed.

“It lowers the overall cost of care,” Flynn said, and enables St. Vincent’s and Northside to work together to deliver quality health care within a community.

Northside gains “access to our health system’s regional network and facilities,” and St. Vincent’s benefits from Northside’s primary care relationship to meet patient’s needs in a “very proactive way,” Flynn said.

“The clinics are going strong,” Helms said. “St. Clair and Jefferson are dynamic counties and growing. We are glad to be a part of it.”

Editor’s note: The clinics are accepting new patients at all locations.

Appointment line for all three clinics is 205-814-9284.

STATE’S LARGEST TITLE COMPANY EXPANDS IN PELL CITY Reli, a title company with locations throughout Alabama, Florida and Tennessee, has opened in downtown Pell City.

The 2,000 square foot office, located in the PT Orthodontics building, was renovated to make way for the additional tenant, and it features a full service suite of offices and a glass-enclosed conference room.

CEO Kent Stewart said the 60+ employee company now has 14 locations with the 12th Alabama location making its way into Pell City in late January. Mechelle Neighbors is serving as office manager, and Mia Bentley is an assistant.

“All we do is focus on real estate closings and title insurance,” Stewart said, noting that Reli is the largest title and closing company in the state. “We have seven full time attorneys on staff,” giving clients the ability to get answers to their questions.

“We want the closing to be stress free and an enjoyable experience. It’s a celebration. We want to make it as pleasant as we can,” he said.

Stewart added that he believes in the newest technology, and the company has the highest designation possible to guard against cyber fraud and theft of confidential records. Data security is its highest priority, and “we do all we can to protect it.”

Stewart said he welcomed the opportunity to expand into the Pell City market.

He was already familiar with the area, having had relatives living on nearby Logan Martin Lake, and he was able to bring on Pell City natives as employees.

“I love the area,” he said. “It is perfect for us.”

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

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Southern Pipe & Supply opens in Odenville One of the largest plumbing supply businesses in the Southeast has opened its newest store in Odenville.

Southern Pipe & Supply, which has more than 90 locations, moved into the old Central Supply location in Odenville and started doing business Feb. 1.

And official grand opening with corporate officials and representatives from the City of Odenville, St. Clair County Economic Development Council and the Odenville Area Business Association was held Feb. 23.

Branch Manager Casey Jones said the grand opening was a great way to let people in Odenville and St. Clair County know they were open for business.

“It means a lot for the company to grow the business and locate here and be a part of the Odenville community,” he said.

“We have other shops in the region, and this ties in as a centralized location near Birmingham.”

The growth along the interstate corridors in St. Clair was a key element in the decision to open another store here.

“All the new construction will help drive our business,” Jones said. “There is lots of growth here, and we hope to target all of it, commercial and residential.”

Southern Pipe and Supply was founded in 1938 and has grown to be one of the largest independent distributors of plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, industrial, mechanical and water works supplies in the South, with locations in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, Arkansas, Florida and Tennessee.

“Odenville is always proud to see new businesses come into our community,” Mayor Buck Christian said. “As a growing community, we are seeing new businesses pop up almost monthly, and we are excited to see this new business in particular to help supply the construction needs of our community.”

Trese Mashburn, director of the Odenville Area Business Association, agreed.

“We are always excited to see new businesses come to Odenville, both to serve the community and become part of our network of businesses.

“All of our experience, community participation and interaction with one another make us a stronger community as a whole. We are glad to have Southern Pipe And Supply officially open as a part of the Odenville Business Community,” she said.

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Southern Pipe & Supply management and staff join city and county officials in the ribbon cutting.

One of the South’s largest plumbing supply businesses just opened in Odenville.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

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Business Review

News in Brief From left, Mayor Bill Pruitt, Councilmen Blaine Henderson and Jay Jenkins, Premiere Cinema CEO Gary Moore, Council President James McGowan, Councilmen Jud Alverson and Jason Mitcham.

From left, commercial developer Bill Ellison, City Manager Brian Muenger, Chamber Executive Director Kelsey Bain, Premiere Cinema CEO Gary Moore, Mayor Bill Pruitt, Council President James McGowan, St. Clair Economic Development Council Executive Director Don Smith, St. Clair Commission Chairman Paul Manning.

Chamber members get in on the act.

MOVIE THEATER BREAKS GROUND ON ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX Story by Carol Pappas Photos by Michael Callahan A capacity crowd gathered in late February in an empty lot next to the site where Premiere Cinemas is building a multi-screen movie theater and entertainment complex. They were there to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new 50,000 square foot facility.

Located on Vaughan Drive near Home Depot in Pell City, the state-of-the-art theater has luxury amenities, complete with all electric leather reclining seating with pillow head rests, according to Premiere CEO Gary Moore.

An accompanying bowling alley features 12 Brunswick lanes and a large family amusement arcade center with an overhead rope course with a zip ride all around it. “The kids absolutely love it. I’ve done it myself,” Moore told the crowd.

It also will have a pizza kitchen, an adult bar and a Starbuck’s Coffee will be housed in the lobby.

As public officials readied to hoist shovels full of dirt in the air, Moore talked of the cooperation and business friendly climate that got Premiere to this point so quickly. He talked of the persistence of Pell City commercial developer Bill Ellison, president of I-20 Development, who pushed the project initially.

And he talked of the governmental cooperation that made a city’s longtime dream a reality. “It really does embody the whole concept of business working with city and county government together to make it happen. You hear a lot of talk about that, but you don’t always see it come to fruition,” Moore said.

“We’re ready to start going vertical,” he added, motioning to the cleared site where Premiere will be located. “We couldn’t be more thrilled and excited to be here. This will be a great draw and a great attraction for many years to come.” l

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From left, front row: City Manager Brian Muenger, Mayor Bill Pruitt, Councilmen Blaine Henderson and Jay Jenkins, Premiere CEO Gary Moore, Council President James McGowan, former Mayor Joe Funderburg, former council members Terry Templin and Sharon Thomas; back row: Council President James McGowan, Councilmen Jud Alverson and Jason Mitcham. The project has spanned two administrations.

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

Architectural rendering of the new entertainment complex in Pell City.

Let the Season Begin!

Discover The essence of St. Clair

Special Magazine Section April & May 2017 l NEW WATER TOYS: Page 60 l TRENDING: Page 70 l CANOE CREEK PARK: Page 72 l DAM TO DAM & BETWEEN: Page 76 l LIVING ON THE LAKES: Page 86 l HOOKED ON FISHING: Page 90 l BIG HEAD’S BAIT SHOP: Page 92 l EVENTS CALENDAR & MORE: Page 96

Special cover photo credits: Bennett Fisher

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

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W ater Toys 2017 From pontoons to fishing boats, there is something for everyone Story by Graham Hadley Submitted Photos There was a time when fiberglass bow-rider cruisers ruled the lakes, but those days are rapidly fading into memory as pontoon boats are becoming the watercraft of choice for many people.

Because of their versatility and wide price range, pontoon boats offer something for everyone. That does not mean they are, by any stretch, the only boats on the water. For people with particular needs, there is no shortage of high-quality fishing boats and ski boats available from local marine dealerships.

Logan Martin and Neely Henry lakes boast some of the best fishing in the South and are home to a number of tournaments every year, so there is always a high demand for fast, stable fishing boats. Likewise, because of the large expanses of smooth, open water and several competition courses, boats that specialize in pulling skiers, wakeboarders and the like are also highly sought after.

And if sales so far are any indication, 2017 is going to be a very good year for boat dealers around Logan Martin and Neely Henry. Because of the almost infinite variety of boating options and prices ranging from the low $20,000s to more than $150,000, sales are through the roof.

“This is becoming a unique year for boat sales,” said Mark Hildebrant, general manager at Woods Surfside Marina in Pell City, which specializes in Bennington pontoon boats.

“Typically, we sell a lot of boats in the $3040,000 range. But after the boat show in January, we were way out ahead, selling significantly more upper-end boats.”

He and other regional marine dealers said sales are up as much as 54 percent over last year, not just here, but around the country.

Center-console fishing boats are finding their way onto the lakes.

Many people still prefer the classic bow-rider motor boat.

The age of the pontoon

“Excluding wakeboard, ski and fishing boats, sales of old-style bow-rider fiberglass boats are declining and being replaced by pontoon boats,” Hildebrant said.

Years ago, pontoon boats only had two pontoons and were generally designed as

60

DISCOVER LakeLife • LET THE 2017 SEASON BEGIN

More and more, pontoon boats are the go-to choice for families because of their versatility.

DISCOVER LakeLife • LET THE 2017 SEASON BEGIN

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Water Toys 2017

Custom electronics and premium sound are almost standard for 2017.

The Swim Bar

62

motorized entertainment decks to slowly cruise around the lake or to drop anchor and use as a movable swim platform.

As often as not, a 40 hp motor would do the job nicely for a leisurely afternoon cruise along the Coosa.

And they are still great for that, but because of advances in design and a desire by boat owners to get the most out of their investment, modern pontoon boats can do so much more. With the addition of a third pontoon and the jump in horsepower from 40 to 50 to hundreds pushed with multiple outboards, pontoon boats have almost no limits.

“The technology is changing. You never would have had multiple engines before,” Hildebrant said, patting the boat next to him. “This boat has a 350 V8 and will do 55 mph.”

Rodney Humphries, owner of Rodney’s Marine in Cropwell, agreed. Rodney’s sells SilverWave pontoon boats and “the tritoons are our biggest sellers. You can put the bigger engines on them, 175, 250 hp. They have become the alternative to deck boats because they are flexible — you can still cruise around, but you can also ski.”

That addition in power and engine configuration makes the boats fast and maneuverable enough for things like skiing and wakeboarding — it all depends on what you want out of your boat, what you want it to do … and how much you are willing to spend.

And then there are the amenities, premium sound systems, GPS, wet-bars, grills, refrigerated cup holders, and one of the most popular, multi-colored RGB LED lighting systems covering everything from speakers to trim. Kicker stereos are the brand seen in just about every new pontoon boat in 2017.

Several boats even sport a special wet-bar and cooler at the waterline so that you can drop anchor off places like Pirate Island and get sodas for the kids and drinks for the adults as you stand or float around the boat in the water.

“Our models with the swim-up access bar are popular. We call it a ‘swim bar,’” Humphries said.

Another popular addition for 2017 is special seating on the back of the boat that folds flat, what Bennington brands as a “swingback bed”, so people can lay out and bask in the warm Southern sun and enjoy the cool lake breeze.

“The swingback is one of the most common features requested,” Hildebrant said.

All of these additions have taken the original pontoon concept and elevated it for 2017 to the perfect floating entertainment platform. Picture your ideal backyard deck area, now put it on the water and give it the ability to go anywhere on the lake – fast if you want — and that is what a pontoon boat in 2017 looks like.

“Pontoons are still perfect for entertaining. There is room for the whole family, friends, even the family dog,” said Katie Trell, with sales and marketing at Buck’s Island in Gadsden.

Buck’s Island sells G3 SunCatcher pontoon boats. “It’s like a floating living room or back deck.”

Starla Andrews from University Marine in Pell City, which sells Manitou pontoon boats, took the comparison a step further. “With the Kicker premium sound and the RGB lights, this is way better than your back porch or deck for entertaining.”

Something that nobody thought would be in high demand on pontoon boats is becoming a must-have option for many people – wake towers or tow arches designed to attach ropes

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Water Toys 2017 Three pontoons changed the whole dynamic for pontoon boats.

Multiple motors are also popular on pontoon boats for 2017.

for skiers, wakeboarders and other tow-behind water toys.

“The wake towers have been growing in popularity the last few seasons. They are definitely becoming a bigger thing on the pontoon boats,” Humphries said.

While performance and comfort are key selling points, modern pontoon boats also are more durable and easy to care for.

“Carpet has gone by the wayside, replaced by padded vinyl that is easy to clean and does not mildew,” Hildebrant said.

Likewise, the vinyl material used for the seats is more durable, resistant to sunlight damage and does not stick to your skin. And the old snaps for covers have been replaced by clips that are much easier to attach.

Overall, the boats are more durable, stand up to wear and tear better and are easier to maintain, meaning you are getting more bang for your buck when it comes to the lifespan of your purchase.

People in the market to buy a new pontoon boat can expect entry prices to be just over $20,000 to the sky is the limit.

Though the top model at Woods Surfside sells for more than $150,000, Hildebrant is quick to point out Bennington has five trim levels and someone on a budget can get a very nice pontoon boat and trailer for less than $30,000.

Other dealers said their prices were in similar ranges and were quick to point out they can help customers find the boat to fit their needs and their budget.

Fishing, ski boats and cruisers

Swingback seating

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Logan Martin and Neely Henry lakes have long been known as go-to lakes for recreational fishing, but more and more, they are also becoming key stops for competitive professional fishing tournaments.

And when it comes to fishing boats – speed and functionality are king — with the focus being on speed.

Buck’s Island sells Skeeter fishing boats, which Trell says are some of the best bass boats on the market. She has seen professional fishermen trade a boat or upgrade an engine just to get an extra 1 or 2 mph out of it. “Fast is a big deal to a lot of professional fishermen.”

For fishing boats, the amenities are trending toward high-tech gear, such as digital GPS, depth and fish finders, and similar gear.

Something that is new in the fishing world for 2017 are center-console boats. The classic fiberglass fishing boats have long been a staple of ocean and intercoastal fishing enthusiasts.

But now, dealers like Rodney’s Marine are selling them more and more for use on the Coosa.

Some traditional bass-boat owners are making the switch, citing the ease of accessibility all the way around the edge of the boat because of the center control console. That console also gives the boat operator better visibility when driving the boat.

“We are selling BlueWave center console boats. We are seeing some of our customers looking to these to replace their traditional bass boats,” Humphries said. “You can use them on the lake or trailer them to the coast.”

For ski boats, what type of tow-behind boating you are doing will be the big determining factor. Not much is changing for 2017, with inboard motors and V-style planing hulls still being the go-to for most enthusiasts.

Still, cabin luxuries, much like the pontoon boats, are popular

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DISCOVER LakeLife • LET THE 2017 SEASON BEGIN

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Water Toys 2017 Tow-behind capabilities are a new must-have for many pontoon boat owners.

options, particularly premium sound systems.

At the very high end, options like controllable ballast systems to change the shape of the wake, are on the table.

And though the pontoon boat is leading the market right now, many people still prefer more traditional fiberglass boats. Luckily, there are a number of marine dealers, like Sylacauga Marine and ATV, that sell brands like Tahoe and other motor boats, traditional bow-riders and day cruisers to fit this still populous sector of the boating market.

Top-end electronics are also popular options in fishing boats.

Customization is key

For all the new performance and luxury enhancements available in 2017, the biggest change comes in how customers choose what boat they want. Just about every major boat manufacturer, from Bennington to Manitou, lets customers go online and custom design the boat they want and that fits their budget. Companies like Bennington, Silverwave, Crest and others each have hundreds of options to choose from.

Customers go online, pick the base design they want to build on – traditional dual pontoons or a tritoon configuration, seating arrangements, length and width, number and size of engines, then they move on to adding the extras.

Buck’s Island has more than 200 boats on their lot, “and if we don’t have want you want now, let us order exactly what you want,” Trell said.

Whether it is a custom light job, wake tower, premium sound system or specialty amenities like

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This Tahoe cruiser sports special storage under the back seats.

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DISCOVER LakeLife • LET THE 2017 SEASON BEGIN

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Water Toys 2017

Speed is king for competitive fishermen.

chilled cup holders or swim bars, it is all right there at their fingertips.

“The online system is great,” Andrews said.

“It even educates the boat buyer so they know exactly what they are getting.”

Then the manufacturer calls up or emails a local dealer, like University Marine or Woods Surfside, and coordinates the build and delivery with the customer.

It lets the boat buyer get exactly the watercraft they want.

“Don’t skimp on the things you can afford just because it is your fist boat. Get what you want now so there is not buyer’s remorse,” Hildebrant recommended.

An affordable alternative

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All the new boats hitting the water in 2017 means good things for people looking to buy a used boat. Most of the marine dealers accept trade-ins, and with so many people trading up this year, there is plenty of good-quality used inventory to go around.

Those dealers that sell used boats go over them bow to transom to make sure they are in good condition mechanically and are fully seaworthy.

So for someone looking to buy a higher-end boat with some extra bells and whistles, a used boat may be just the way to go and still meet your budget requirements.

And for existing boat owners, you can save a bunch by upgrading your existing watercraft. And nothing will do that better than replacing an older, smaller engine.

Businesses like Brown’s Outboard Marine in Glencoe and Walker Marine in Ashville specialize in doing just that, and more.

Brown’s can service just about any boat motor, giving new kick to your old engine.

Walker sells Tohatsu boat motors, everything from 2.5 hp all the way up to 250 hp. But they also can service any boat engine built after 1990 and do fiberglass and transom repairs.

That means you can bring them your old boat and have them revitalize it with a new engine and rework everything, even the electrical and lights.

For a fraction of the cost of a new boat, you get something very comparable.

Though they often sell new motors for new boat purchases, “we have a lot of people who come in with older boats. Breathing new life into older boats is a more affordable alternative to buying new ones,” said Brittany Kleinatland, office manager at Walker. l

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TRENDING 2017

What to look for

It doesn’t take long to figure out what’s hot and what’s not on Logan Martin and Neely Henry lakes these days. Hop in the boat, rev up the motor and spend a day out on the open water.

That’s what we do … and we talk to businesses up and down the lake.

What’s trending for the season of 2017? Just take a look around.

Concrete seawall

by Tradesman

Bull minnows for Big Stripe from Big Head’s Bait Shop on Neely Henry

Hammer Rod and Lew’s Custom Speed Spool at Lucky’s Sporting Goods on Logan Martin 70

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Boathouse and sun deck by Tradesman in Pell City

One of the hottest ‘big bass’ lures – Live Target Swim Bait Series at Lucky’s

Lillypad floats

Paddleboards for exploring the lake

Outdoor cooking area from River Rat in Pell City and Cropwell DISCOVER LakeLife • LET THE 2017 SEASON BEGIN

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Canoe Creek Park Giving public better access to Neely Henry

Story by Carol Pappas Photo by Wallace Bromberg Jr. Rendering by The Kelley Group Despite some setbacks along the way, something special is headed Neely Henry’s way this summer. It’s already under construction, and the anticipation of its opening has officials and lake enthusiasts alike understandably excited about the prospect.

The St. Clair County Commission is transforming the county marina on Canoe Creek into an impressive park that will give the public greater access to the lake.

Engineer Kelley Keeton Taft, who designed the project, talked of the history behind it.

“I met Harold Hoyle with St. Clair County for the first time at a conference in 2008.

Howard told me about his desire to assist Commissioner Jeff Brown with the idea to expand the local favorite boat launch to a county marina on Canoe Creek. The Kelley Group prepared a master plan for the site and began searching for grant funds to make the county’s dream a reality.”

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There are many ways to participate in the BBQ Feeding Frenzy Event to feed seniors in need in St. Clair County: Purchase tickets and attend the event.

Register as a Vendor/Exhibitor.

Be a MAJOR sponsor.

Contribute food or supplies for the event.

Dedicate a percentage of your business earnings for a day or week.

Raise awareness in your local community.

Share the event information on your Facebook page, newsletter, and email list.

For more information Please contact M4A at 205-670-5770 or www.M4A.org

Sponsored By:

Construction at Canoe Creek Park

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DISCOVER LakeLife • LET THE 2017 SEASON BEGIN

Canoe Creek Park

A financially supporting partner was found with Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries in 2009. But, with a few projects ahead of Canoe Creek, the county was put on the waiting list for development. In 2011, devastating, deadly tornadoes ripped through Alabama, and funding was diverted to repair existing boat ramp facilities over the subsequent years that were damaged.

The long-awaited construction began in 2016, and to maximize the development, Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries has combined two fiscal years of funding for the project, which is the first time in Alabama, Taft said. “Once complete in the summer of 2017, this special partnership project will be an asset to St. Clair County and the state of Alabama. The site will have spacious make ready lanes, four lane boat launch, parking for 100 rigs, two 100-foot floating piers, fixed shore perimeter boardwalk piers and lighting.”

Looking to the future, she added, “These amenities will provide a targeted venue for large fishing tournaments and events. Commissioner Brown’s ideas and leadership have been instrumental in making sure this project not only meets the needs of the local area, but the county’s overall strategy for recreation and economic development.”

St. Clair County Commission Chairman Paul Manning noted that the amount of time it took was concerning to the entire commission, but it was out of their hands. Recognizing its value when completed, Manning said, “It will be a great project when it is finished and will provide a service to so many.”

“This will be a great thing for the community,” said Brown. “It’s well located on the lake. It has easy access.”

The public access will be a huge draw. It will even have bank fishing.

Its location will help local stores and businesses in the area.

“It’s something I’m proud of. I am an outdoor person, and it is near and dear to my heart.”

Brown talked of the “great crappie fishing,” and how anglers from Kentucy, Illinois, Ohio and all around are drawn to Neely Henry. Now that it will have a park of this magnitude, major, national tournaments will be heading its way. l

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Dam to Dam ...

And everything in between It’s not an easy trip, but you can do it. Many have. And the adventure of it is a memory they won’t soon forget.

By boat, you can travel from Logan Martin Dam to Neely Henry Dam or vice versa. The lakes are easily recognizable. They’re the ones with the traffic. But between Riverside on Logan Martin and Ragland on Neely Henry, it’s seems like it’s just you and the Coosa River.

The wildlife, the pristine waters, the wooded landscape – it is all a sight to behold. Pell City’s Randy Royster calls it “the survival trip,” a trek he and a group of friends used to take annually in the fall.

But it’s worth it, he says. “The scenery is spectacular, and it just gives you a feeling of the great outdoors. We always went in late September or early October while the water is still up, and it is just so beautiful that time of year.”

By road, it’s more than 30 miles from one dam to the other through St. Clair County. That’s about a 30-minute drive. By water? Better pack a lunch ... and a depth-finder. Alabama Outdoor News reports it as a 50-mile stretch, and there are plenty of shallow spots along the way. Come May 1 or before mid-October, when Logan Martin is full pool of 465 feet above sea level, the trip is a lot easier than a time of winter pool.

It’s not an easy trip in terms of time. “It takes us all day to get to Neely Henry, turn around and come back to our home in Pine Harbor,” which is about 20 minutes from Logan Martin Dam,” Royster said. “We have had a great time along the way with good friends, beautiful scenery and a boat load of memories.”

You can find a handy guide of the river between the two dams in the Maps and Guides section of loganmartinlakelife.com.

Skiing on Neely Henry Randy Howell (left), former BASSMaster champion, at Logan Martin tourney

Neely Henry by the numbers

H. Neely Henry Dam was the first Alabama Power Co. dam on the Coosa River, which also saw the construction of Weiss, Logan Martin and Bouldin and the redevelopment of Lay Dam. It was put into service June 2, 1966, and its concrete is 605 feet long and 104 feet at its highest point.

The lake’s elevation is 508 feet above sea level.

It has 11,200 acres of water. The shoreline is 339 miles, and its maximum depth of water is 53 feet. It is 77.6 miles long, heading toward Weiss Lake.

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Finley and Tucker Koswoski of Madison enjoy day at Logan Martin.

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Dam to Dam Logan Martin by the numbers

Logan Martin Dam was the second dam built along the Coosa River. During its planning stages, its name was Kelly Creek, a familiar name around these parts.

Logan Martin went into service Aug. 10, 1964. Measured in concrete, its length is 612 feet. Its maximum height is 97 feet.

The lake’s elevation at summer pool is 465 feet above seas level. It has 15,263 acres of water. Winter level is 460 feet, although the US Corps of Engineers granted a variance Winter 2017 to keep the level two feet higher because of effects from the drought. It is 48.5 miles long heading to Neely Henry Dam.

The Coosa Queen

Points of interest along the way

Starting out at Logan Martin Dam, heading north, don’t miss the public park just to your right of the dam. Built by Alabama Power on the Talladega County side of the lake, Logan Martin Dam Picnic Area offers a covered pavilion and places to swim and fish.

Birmingham Sailing Club Up next is Birmingham Sailing Club. Founded in 1963, the year before the lake opened, it sits atop a hillside with a panoramic view of the lake on nine acres of land. On Sunday afternoons, you’ll find boaters and porch dwellers alike watching as the main channel fills with sails for regular regattas all year long. Monthly, one-day regattas are held during spring and summer, and invitational regattas attract sail clubs from all over the southeast.

Pell City Lakeside Park Lakeside Park is a destination point for residents and tourists alike and is a recreational bonanza, whether your come by boat or by vehicle. It is located on 65 acres next to the Pell City Civic Center and Sports Complex. Picnic areas under the trees are available at not charge, and a pved 1.1 mile non-motorized nature trail is a walkers and runners’ favorite.

Kids Kastle is a playground the community built in a single weekend. The newest addition is a massive splash pad, which opened in 2016 and drew thousands of squealing kids during the season.

While at Lakeside Park, don’t forget to check out the Wetlands observation platform to get an up close view of dozens of indigenous species botanical experts have identified in Logan Martin’s wetlands. And the native plant walking trail nearby is a real outdoor classroom courtesy of the Pell City Garden Club.

Come back July 4 just after dark and enjoy one of the most spectacular fireworks displays in the state. Come by boat, by car or by foot to the park or to the channel leading to it to get the best views of fireworks lighting up the nighttime sky over the water.

The Rocks at Logan Martin

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Did you see what I saw?

Goat Island is a boating favorite for landmarks and usually gets double takes from new boaters passing by. The island sits near the main channel in an inlet with a semicircle of homes in the Riviere Estates area of Pell City. Years ago, owners of the homes placed goats on the island to keep things nice and trim and open up the view. It’s worked! And it is an enjoyable stopoff to see the goats on a day out on the lake.

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But, of course, the most coveted spot on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, is anchored near Pirate Island. With a chest full of coins, beads and other ‘treasures’ for the kids, Pirate’s Island – complete with towering pirate flag – is a must see, must stop, must stay kind of place. The shallow waters around it make it perfect for standing in the water on hot summer days, taking to newfound friends while your kids swim and play on the specially placed ‘lily pad.’ Owned by private citizens, they open the island up for boaters to enjoy.

Splish, Splash The Rocks, or The Quarry, is a hundred foot rock formation, and the deep waters below make it a great place to gather in boats and on personal watercrafts to enjoy the sun and an impromptu show. It is not unusual to see people jumping off the rocks as they would a diving board or demonstrating their Tarzan-like moves with a swing from a rope and a drop into the water, drawing a round of applause from those gathered below.

Lakelife icon You may not be able to see the building from the water, but the historic Ark Restaurant, known virtually around the world for its catfish and Gulf Shrimp sits atop US 78 near the bridge.

You can access it by boat from a small pier located on the main channel.

Open during prohibition, The Ark has a storied history on how it got its name. Its original home was on a barge, anchored some 30 feet from shore, making it neither Talladega County nor St. Clair County’s jurisdiction. Patrons accessed it by boat or long gangplank, and coincidentally, it was immune from prohibition because of its locale. It still sells libations today … legally.

Riverside Landing On the other side of the bridge, Riverside Landing is a fairly new addition to the lake. The city built it a few years back in a slough that fronts the main street running through town and widens to the main channel on the other side. You can get gas on the water 24/7, launch your boat and pick up some supplies there.

Bridge over beloved water As you come out of Riverside Landing, look to your right and spot the old railroad bridge. You can still see the hinges where it used to lift for barge traffic. Just across the way, check out what remains of Lock 4, when the Coosa River was a series of locks and dams and open to ferry traffic.

Skiing, anyone?

Riverside has a slalom water ski course that is a permitted ski course by City of Riverside, Alabama Power and Alabama Marine Police. It is removed in the fall and returns in the spring.

What’s biting?

Don’t forget some of the creeks running through that area, like Broken Arrow and Blue Eye. They are some of the best fishing around because of freshwater springs.

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Pirate Island

Ten Islands Park ‘Twixt and ‘tween’ As the lake begins to narrow, it’s like entering a new dimension. Racing bass boats, large homes and plenty of traffic give way to a peaceful ride through woods, occasional wildlife and beautiful scenery, especially in the spring and fall.

When it opens up, you can see an imposing Neely Henry Dam, but there’s plenty more to see around this lake.

Civil War roots Ten Islands Park has been called one of the most historic sites in St. Clair County. Discover Magazine once wrote: “The intriguing name is that of an Indian village that existed before the settlers moved in. It was called Otipalin, a Creek word meaning Ten Islands. The islands may no longer be visible, but the location and the story of the 1864 (Civil War) battle live on.” You can read all about it here: discoverstclair.com/ traveling-the-backroads/ten-islands/ No planes, just birds Today, Ten Islands is listed on Alabama Birding Trails as a top site for bird watching. In the winter, you may find “gulls and rafts of diving ducks, some loons (look for Pacific), grebes (watch for Eared or Red-necked), geese, and the occasional soaring Bald Eagle. Swallows, Chimney Swifts, and Purple Martins zip over the water in the warmer months,” according to alabamabirdingtrails.com.

Spotted on or near the islands are: Field Sparrows, Eastern Towhees, White-eyed Vireos, Gray Catbirds, Prairie Warblers, Yellowbreasted Chats, Indigo Buntings, Common Yellowthroats, Orange-crowned, Chuck-will’s-widows, Whip-poor-wills. Eastern Screech-Owls, Blue-winged Warblers, Prairie Warblers, White-eyed Vireos, Brown-headed

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Dam to Dam Nuthatches, Pine Warblers, Worm-eating Warblers, Eastern Bluebirds, American Goldfinches, Cedar Waxwings, Barred and Great Horned Owls.

If birding isn’t your thing, the park offers parking, trail, picnic area, boat launch and fishing.

Greensport Marina Opened in 1967, and it holds many a story and childhood memories just at the mention of its name.

It is open all year long for fishing and boating, and it is open May 1 – Oct. 1 for swimming, picnicking and island parties.

It has a marina with launching, covered boat storage, swimming, picnicking and a covered pavilion on the island for large parties.

Next big thing Canoe Creek Park is ‘the next big thing’ on Neely Henry.

Located in the Ashville area, it is being built by the St. Clair County Commission at the old Canoe Creek Park site.

Engineer Kelley Keeton Taft of the Kelley Group outlined what will be in the park when it opens this summer.

The site will have spacious make ready lanes, four lane boat launch, parking for 100 rigs, two 100 foot floating piers, fixed shore perimeter boardwalk piers and lighting.

These amenities will provide a targeted venue for large fishing tournaments and events.

Catch of the day … or night … or weekend Logan Martin and Neely Henry boast some of the best fishing around. On St. Clair County’s lakes, you can cast for Bluegill Bream, Largemouth Bass, Striped Bass, Crappie and Catfish.

Dave McKinney of Dave’s Guide Service knows fishing.

He rattles off Logan Martin and Neely Henry’s creek names like others might list the alphabet.

You’ll find crappie and bass at Canoe Creek and crappie, bass and bream at Palmetto Creek on Neely Henry. Shoal Creek on Neely Henry is a good spot all year long as is Greensport.

Choccolocco Creek on Logan Martin is a favorite fishing hole any time of year for bass and crappie.

And catfish? They’re in deep water most of the time. You can find them in the creeks, McKinney said, but usually, they’re in deeper waters. These can be monster fish. Just how big? McKinney’s largest was about 75 pounds.

If you don’t want to try it on your own, just ask Dave. He has trips of four, six and eight hours, guaranteed to get you some action.

His trips include pushing, shooting docks, tight lining and short pole. Don’t know the lingo? Here’s the abbreviated version: Pushing and Pulling—pushing minnows and jigs against ledges or trolling by pulling jigs in deep water.

Shooting Docks—technique used for crappie fishing where you use a short pole, pull it back and let it go and shoot up under the dock.

Tight Lining—Throw your line out and then reel it as if it is a pendulum swinging back and forth back toward the boat.

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Coosa Kayak Fishing tourney on Neely Henry

Old train bridge at Riverside

What’s that up ahead?

Last stop on this trek is Neely Henry Dam. Fishing is good below and above it. Its mere presence has meant much to many.

Alabama Power says it, like Logan Martin, began as a story of energy. “It continues today as a story of flood control, recreation and economic opportunity, irrigation and drinking water, and fish and wildlife habitats. Power was just the beginning.” l More photos online at LakeLife gallery on discoverstclair.com

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

NEELY HENRY

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

85

HOUSING MARKET 2017

Living on the Lakes There’s a saying around these parts: “You never know how many friends you have until you own a lake house.” It’s true. The water seems to have a way of drawing people in, and Realtors on Logan Martin and Neely Henry know why.

Story by Carol Pappas Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr. and Michael Callahan There’s a saying around these parts: “You never know how many friends you have until you own a lake house.” It’s true. The water seems to have a way of drawing people in, and Realtors on Logan Martin and Neely Henry know why.

With thousands of acres of water forming their back yard, both lakes are hot properties for housing. From cabins to mansions to everything in between, Logan Martin and Neely Henry Realtors say they have just the right spot to fit any lake lover’s budget.

The best amenities, of course, are of the natural kind.

“The crappie fishing is great on Neely Henry,” said Realtor Lyman Lovejoy of Lovejoy Realty. “And it’s a scenic lake. There are some places with high rock cliffs that are more than 100 feet high. It’s absolutely gorgeous.

He noted that Neely Henry is not a flood control lake like Logan Martin, so levels stay the same all year long. “It never floods. You can build right next to the water.”

If he had to rate it, Lovejoy said buyers can find a “pretty good lot” at $65,000 and a “good lot” at $100,000. Lovejoy Realty has just opened a new subdivision on Neely Henry in the Canoe Creek area, Canoe Harbour. Located on the grounds of an old Baptist camp, it has 40 lots for sale – 10 off water and 30 waterfront. They are level lots with deep water, and part is on a peninsula with water views from both sides.

While Neely Henry is not as developed as Logan Martin, it does have its advantages – less crowded, being one of them. “You can be at Publix in Rainbow City in 10 minutes. You can go by boat to restaurants like Top of the River and have dinner.” He also noted that the new Canoe Creek Park opening this summer will be an asset, which will give more public access to the lake, will be state-of-the-art and will bring more major fishing tournaments to Neely Henry.

“Neely Henry’s the best kept secret in Alabama, and that’s the truth,” Lovejoy said.

Logan Martin isn’t as much of a secret, according to

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Logan Martin Homes in River Oaks

Neely Henry home under construction

Main channel view on Logan Martin

Living on the Lakes

Willow Point on Neely Henry

Canoe Harbour on Neely Henry

A spacious home on Neely Henry

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Realtor Dana Ellison with LAH. Development has been ongoing over the years.

Ellison has been selling real estate on the lake for nine years and knows the value in the investment there. “I’ve helped buyers, listed homes, helped stage, I’ve done it all. I love working with buyers,” she said. Many of her lake buyers are retirees who have moved out of Jefferson County who want to “live where they play, that’s what they tell me.”

She sees more and more Georgia buyers, who find Logan Martin closer and more easily accessible than lakes in metro Atlanta. “Logan Martin is that happy medium between Georgia the mountains and the beach, and it’s more affordable than Lake Martin, Smith Lake and Lay Lake,” she said. “You get more bang for your buck.”

She noted that interest rates are still relatively stable, and this is a good time for those looking to buy a home on the lake.

The bestselling price range she is seeing is in the $375,000 to $500,000 range, she said.

Ellison encouraged would-be homebuyers to get preapproved. “It speeds up the process much more quickly. In 45 days, you can close and enjoy the summer.”

Broker and owner of ReMax Hometown Properties in Pell City, Sharon Thomas, agreed. “If financing is needed, get pre-qualified by a lender before starting the search. Do your homework. Decide what part of the lake you want to live on and what amenities are important.” Her advice can apply to both lakes. “Try to use local sources that are experts on lake property. Choose a local Realtor and use them as your resource for all your lake home purchasing needs.”

Thomas has seen her share of markets during her 17 years as a Realtor. “As recovery continues from the recession, not only lake homes but residential homes as well, are steadily increasing in value. We are seeing the market normalize,” she said.

Pricing can go from $170,000 to more than $1 million on Logan Martin. “In the past six months, I have more and more homes in the $400,000 range.”

But, she added, “There are still homes on the lake available in the $250,000 to $350,000 range.”

Lot prices vary according to location and size and whether or not there is year-round water. “I have seen them as high as $350,000+ on Lake Logan Martin.”

If you’re selling a lake house, Thomas offers this advice: “Declutter your home. Pack away things you don’t use. Spruce up flower beds and give it curb appeal. Touch up paint or repaint, whichever is needed. To get top market price for the home, the home has to be move in ready.

“Spruce up the waterfront and make it appealing. Many people see their dream home while riding in a boat!”

Josh Kell, a 12-year veteran Realtor at Kell Realty, knows the value in a lake home. His company is developing a subdivision on Neely Henry called Willow Point as well as maintaining a number of listings. Willow Point is a lakeside neighborhood of garden homes – smaller lots, less to manage. But even though they are smaller, they are approved for boathouses, he said.

Willow Point originally had 30 lots but only a handful remain.

A new construction house in Willow Point is listed at $269,900.

What draws would-be lakeowners to Neely Henry? Kell said one of the main benefits is the consistency of the water level.

He also noted that the southern end of the lake in St. Clair offers large, open water that particularly benefits recreation.

And, of course, “there’s very good fishing.”

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FISHING TOURNAMENTS 2017

Hooked on Logan Martin & Neely Henry

Story by Carol Pappas Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr. and Michael Callahan

It should come as no surprise that Neely Henry and Logan Martin have gained national reputations in fishing. From the BASSMaster Classic to Crappie USA to the Alabama Bass Trail and collegiate championships, St. Clair County’s lakes have become household names to serious competitors over the years.

National, regional and state tournaments have been held on both lakes, and the interest for the future shows no signs of slowing.

In 2017, just take a look at the major tournaments that have invested or are investing in Neely Henry, Logan Martin and the region: • Alabama Bass Trail May 13—Neely Henry—Northern Division championship

Oct. 6-7—Logan Martin-Overall championship • Crappie USA Feb. 18—Logan Martin Local Event at Riverside March 3—Neely Henry 2017 Super Event • Alabama Bass Federation Feb. 11—Logan Martin—Riverside In the past, Logan Martin and Neely Henry have seen their share of major fishing tourneys.

The BASSMaster Classic held its worldrenowned fishing championship at Logan Martin not once, but three times.

The Classic came to Lake of a Thousand Coves in 1992, 1993 and 1997. Winners were: Robert Hamilton, 1992; David Fritts, 1993; and Dion Hibdon, 1997.

For 22 years, Marks Outdoor Sports held its southeastern regional tournament in Alabama, the final two years at Logan Martin.

Logan Martin and Neely Henry also have been home to the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. l

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Big Head’s Bait Shop

A special store on the shore of Neely Henry

Boss, AKA “Big Head”

Story by Carol Pappas Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr.

Amy Jean Pruett casts for bait fish – shad.

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The front door of a nondescript building fronting US 411 near Ashville on one side and Canoe Creek on Neely Henry Lake on the other doesn’t prepare you for what you’ll find on the other side. The door swings open, and “Boss, AKA Big Head,” sits patiently waiting for your response.

It may be a gasp at just how big his head is – he’s a mastiff – or if you’re a dog lover, the natural instinct kicks in, and petting is surely on its way. At least, Boss seems to hope so.

Welcome to Big Head’s Bait Shop. Amy Jean Pruett owns it. But make no mistake about it, Big Head is the Boss. He’s everywhere. He swaggers around on four legs, checking out the customers. His face (the shop’s logo) can be spotted in any direction on anything that advertises the business.

But the real story stands behind the counter, Boss just plays a role in it.

In another life, Amy was operations manager for an investment company for 18 years. “I loved my job and the people I worked with. That was the hardest thing about doing this,” she said, motioning around the cozy bait shop full of mementos – signs and fish-themed knick-knacks people have given her.

She had a dream to follow, though, and when the bait shop went up for sale, she couldn’t resist the lure.

“I have been dreaming about this since I was 4 years old,” she said. “I was in

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Big Head’s Bait Shop an out of bait shops as a young girl with my dad. I loved the bait shop atmosphere … the stories … they were right up my alley.”

To the little girl, the fishermen were “laid back. I loved talking to all those old fellas,” she said.

She caught her first fish on Neely Henry, said her father, Paul Pruett, who helps out around the shop and acts as a fishing guide. And now she’s back where she started, barely over the toddler stage.

Originally, she thought she would open a bait shop on the coast, but “this place in particular tugged at me.” She had promised herself that before she was 40, she would have a bait shop to call her own. “Forty came and went, and I made peace with it,” Amy said.

Then, she was going to work one day and stopped to get gas across the street from the bait shop and noticed the ‘for sale’ sign. “I worked out a month and a half notice at the investment company,” and she headed toward living out her dream.

“I signed the papers on my 44th birthday. I laughed thinking about my 4-year-old self” and the promise she made about age 40. “I thought, she wasn’t too far off.”

That was a year ago. Now, Amy said, “I feel like I’m aging in reverse. I still wake up looking for my business clothes. I can wear a bathing suit now if I want to.”

She spent the early days figuring everything out and getting used to a newfound calm that has overtaken her, the slow pace of just selling bait over the demands of the investment world. Her greatest challenge in her new life was figuring out how to keep the bait alive.

“I felt like the mad scientist.” She rounded up old deep freezers people had thrown out, rigged up a thermostat for each, and the minnows seemed quite content swimming in the chill of winter in their balmy, 70-degree water. Her friend, Scott, helped with the thermostats for the tanks.

That’s not the only bait she sells. Check out the chalk board out front, advertising everything from the usuals – Shiners, Toughies, Night Crawlers, Crickets – to Rooster Livers and Live Shad. Don’t be fooled by her petite look. She casts for and catches the shad herself.

And don’t be surprised that a ‘girl’ in a typically man’s world knows her fishing. She encounters a few male skeptics at first. But it doesn’t take them long to discover “I know what I’m talking about.

I tell them what to fish for, where to go, what to use, and they come back over and over again. My nephews think I’m the coolest now.

They think it’s the most awesome place in the world.”

Her advice for others living their dream? “Don’t let it consume you.

Set hours and stick by them. Get your plan together and stick by it.

Listen to your customers’ suggestions, but don’t feel like you have to have everything all at once. Every day is a learning experience— learn.

She’s quick to point out that she hasn’t done it all on her own. She talks about the help and encouragement from her dad who works with her, her friends – Shelby Little and Shane Moland — who help out on weekends – and then, there’s Boss.

“He really saved me,” she said. A friend had texted her the photo of this giant rescue who had been in a crate for six months, and she set out to Bardstown, Kentucky, to claim him. “When I saw his face, I just knew I had to have him.” She was going through a difficult time in her life, and “he motivated me. He got me out of my funk.”

Together, they run quite a booming bait business and seem to savor every minute of it.

What’s the next dream? “By 50, I want to catch an alligator with The Swamp People,” she said, noticing an episode flash across the TV. “I’ll be 45 this month. I guess I better get on the ball, huh?” l

Amy Jean and Paul Pruett

Food truck, Country Case Grill, will be familiar fixture for season’s weekends.

More photos online at discoverstclair.com

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Leader in real estate. Involved in community.

Knowing your community can be as important as knowing the scope of the real estate market. With Realtor Dana Ellison and LAH, you get both!

• St. Clair Realtors Association, Board of Directors, Officer • Pell City Garden Club • Board member of the ASPCI • Member, Birmingham, Alabama, National Association of Realtors • Top sales awards at the largest locally owned real estate company in Alabama • Representing buyers and sellers across Alabama and beyond

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Whether you are buying or selling a lake home or beach house, a piece of commercial property, a home or a condo, Dana can draw on a network of co-agents and offices across Alabama and beyond. From Huntsville to 30A and Santa Rosa Beach, Dana and LAH can fill all of your real estate needs!

But best of all, she knows community.

Logan Martin, Neely Henry, St. Clair County …

Dana Ellison (205)369-1413 | danaellison@lahrealestate.com DISCOVER LakeLife • LET THE 2017 SEASON BEGIN

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2017 Lake Season Events in and around Logan Martin and Neely Henry

Compiled by Jackie Romine Walburn Photos by Michael Callahan and Wallace Bromberg Jr. Neely Henry and Logan Martin Lakes — the first and second lakes developed on the Coosa River by Alabama Power Company — combine for more than 600 acres of shoreline, 28,000 acres of recreational waterway and scores of opportunities to enjoy activities from fishing tournaments to lakeside runs, campouts, festivals and live music.

The lakes span multiple counties, so events on and around them are in communities throughout the region.

Events at and near to Logan Martin Lake and Neely Henry Lake from April to October 2017 are listed below and include the 18th annual Renew Our Rivers Lake Cleanup on Logan Martin Lake, one of 31 cleanups planned through November on Alabama rivers and lakes. Since the program started, about 100,000 volunteers have been involved in keeping waterways clean across the Southeast.

Other activities at or near LOGAN MARTIN LAKE are, by month:

APRIL: • Renew Our Rivers Annual Lake Clean-up, March 25-April 1, sponsored by the Logan Martin Lake Protection Association and Alabama Power Co. More information at: http://www.lmlpa.org/ lake-cleanup/.

• Zack Mason “Chicken Head” 5K and Fun Run, April 8, Lakeside Park in Pell City.

• Corn Hole Tournament, April 15, Lakeside Park.

• Lady Bass Anglers Fishing Tournament, April 28 and 29, Caribe Club and Marina in Lincoln.

• Alabama Open Fishing League Worldwide High School Fishing Tournament, April 22, 6 a.m. Lakeside Park.

• Golden Construction Fishing Tournament, April 28, Large Pavilion at Lakeside Park.

MAY: • Blue Eye Creek Festival in Randolph Park in Old Town Lincoln, May 13, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., youth fishing derby, music, kid zone, corn hole tournament and Showdown in Old Town Car Show.

• Logan Martin Lakefest Boat Show, May 19 and 20, Lakeside Park.

Begins at noon on May 19 and 9 a.m. on May 20, with fireworks set for 8 p.m. May 20, honoring veterans at the Colonel Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home.

• Movies in the Park, second Saturdays May through August at 8 p.m., Randolph Park/Blue Eye Creek Pavilion in Lincoln.

JUNE: • Benjamin Moore Fishing Tournament and company picnic, June 3, Lakeside Park.

• Logan Martin Lake Protection Association’s Police Boat Regatta, June 10, Lakeside Park.

• Summer Lights on Logan Martin, June 17 at dusk, lighted boats parade and compete, Lakeside Park.

• American Bass Anglers Ram Truck Open Series, June 23 and 24, Lakeside Park.

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Pell City Fireworks

JULY • July 4, Lakeside Park, Fireworks Display after sunset by City of Pell City. Other fireworks shows are at various marinas. Check loganmartinlakelife.com closer to July for dates, locations.

AUGUST: • Logan Martin Blues & BBQ Bash, August 19,

Lakeside Park.

SEPTEMBER: • Majestic Outdoors Fishing Tournament, Sept. 16, Lakeside Park.

Benefitting Majestic Outdoors’ youth ministry.

OCTOBER: • Fall Frenzy 5K and Fun Run/Walk, Oct. 14, races start at 8 a.m., Lakeside Park. Annual event benefits classrooms and student organizations of the Pell City School System. After the race, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., there will be live music, craft and food vendors.

NEELY HENRY LAKE events by month are:

APRIL: • Coosa Landing Super Tournament Fishing Tournament, April 1, 6 a.m., Coosa Landing in Gadsden.

• Fishers of Men Fishing Tournament, April 1, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Coosa Landing.

• Alabama Chocolate Festival, April 1, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Rainbow Plaza Shopping Center, Rainbow City. Features chocolate taste-off, egg drop, a chocolate fountain and music.

• Smoke on the Falls, April 7 and 8, Noccalula Falls Campground.

• Smoke Your Buns 5K Trail Run, April 8, 7 a.m. to noon, Noccalula Fall Campground in conjunction the barbecue competition.

• American Bass Anglers, American Fishing Tour, April 29, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Coosa Landing.

• Casting for Cancer Super Bass Tournament, April 29, 6 a.m., Coosa Landing. All proceeds go toward assistance to cancer patients through the Etowah County Cancer Foundation.

• Music/Shrimp Fest, April 29, noon to 10 p.m., Convention Hall.

First annual music/shrimp festival for cancer and spinal muscular atrophy. Food available from noon to 8 p.m. Entertainment 3 to 10 p.m.

• Downtown Music Festival, April 29, 6:30 p.m., Coosa Landing. The free concert features Ana Popovic with special guests Lefty Collins, Albert Simpson and Four in the Fire.

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2017 Lake Season MAY: • Nitro Big Bucks Buddy Bass Trail fishing tournament, May 7, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., Coosa Landing.

• Alabama Bass Trail Tournament, May 12 and 13, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Coosa Landing.

• EastabogaBC Bass Tournament, May 13 at Riverside Landing in Riverside, Ala. • Hwy 11/Antique Alley Yard Sale, all day May 18-21. A 502mile road-side sale along US Hwy 11 from Meridian, Mississippi to Bristol, Virginia. This sale runs through Attalla, Reece City and Keener in Etowah County.

• Fishers of Men Bass Tournament, May 20, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., Coosa Landing.

• The Bass Federation High School State Championship, May 21, 6 a.m., Coosa Landing.

JUNE: • Airport Marine Tournament, June 3 and 10, 6 a.m., Coosa Landing.

• Rockin’ On the River 5K and 10K, June 3, 7:30 a.m., YMCA of Coosa Valley.

• Wheels on the Hill Car Show and Swap Meet, June 9-11, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Noccalula Falls Campground.

• American Bass Anglers American Fishing Tournament, June 10, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Coosa Landing.

• Riverside Beautification Organization’s Poker Run, June 17, Riverside, Ala. For more information on the by-boat treasure hunt for poker cards and prizes, contact riversidebeautification@gmail. com.

• Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation Fishing Tournament, June 17, 6 a.m., Coosa Landing.

• Barbarian Challenge, June 17, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Noccalula Falls Campground. Register with Gadsden Parks and Recreation 256549-4662 for the 5.5-mile race with 20 to 25 obstacles.

• Imagination Place’s Family Expo and Kid’s Fair, June 17, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 210 at the Tracks. Free admission.

• Coosa River Team Trail Fishing Tournament, June 24, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Coosa Landing.

JULY: • July 4th Celebration Fireworks over the Coosa, July 4, 9 p.m. Prime viewing spots are Convention Hall, Amphitheater and Coosa Landing parking lots and the new Riverwalk at Coosa Landing.

• Bass Fishing League Bama Tournament, July 18, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., Coosa Landing.

• Rock The River, July 14, 7 to 9 p.m., Coosa Landing • American Bass Anglers American Fishing Tournament, July 15, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Coosa Landing.

• Southside City Fest, July 15, 2 to 10 p.m., Southside High School grounds.

AUGUST: • World’s Longest Yard Sale, August 3-6, beginning at 7 a.m., Noccalula Falls Campground.

• Tyn Tymes Reunion Concert, Aug. 5, 8 to 11:30 p.m., Gadsden Convention Hall. Ten college students from Gadsden attending Auburn University, the University of Alabama, and Jacksonville State University formed the TYN TYMES in 1966.

• Habitat for Humanity’s Dragon Boat Festival, August 19, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Coosa River Boardwalk. Watch the spectacle of 46-foot Dragon Boats powered by 20 paddlers, rowing to the beat of the drummer, as they race on a course on the Coosa River.

SEPTEMBER: • 4th Annual Noccalula Falls Powwow, Sept. 2 and 3, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Noccalula Falls Campground. Presented by the Turtle Island

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Hold an island party of your own at Greensport.

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Native American Association.

Charity Pig Roast, Sept. 16 and 17, 9 a.m., Noccalula Falls Campground. Barbecue, entertainment and charity motorcycle ride.

Coosa River Team Trail Fishing Tournament, Sept. 16, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Coosa Landing.

OCTOBER: • Highway 411 Yard Sale, all day Oct. 4-7. Held annually since 2003, the Hwy 411 Yard Sale spans three states and more than 250 miles, including Rainbow City and Gadsden.

• CukoRakko Music and Arts Festival, all day Oct. 6-8, Horse Pens 40 at Steele, Ala. More information at http://cukorakko.com/.

• Gadsden Rock n Run 5K-15K, Oct. 7 at 7 a.m., Convention Hall.

• Allis-Chalmers “G” Round-up Tractor Show, Oct. 13 and 14, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Noccalula Falls Campground. Celebrates the history of the Allis-Chalmers “G” tractor, which once was built in Gadsden and sponsored by the Weiss Lake Power Association and the city of Gadsden.

• Halloween Super Bash, Oct. 14, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Noccalula Falls Park.

• A Walk Through Time, Oct. 15, 2 to 5 p.m., Forrest Cemetery, Gadsden. More info at: www.forrestcemetery.com • Sunset Sips, Oct. 17, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Memorial Bridge over the Coosa River is closed for sunset viewing at this fundraising event.

• The Great Pumpkin Run 5K, Oct. 28, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Riverbend Baptist Church, Gadsden.

• Howl-O-Weenie Pawty, Oct. 28, 9 a.m. to noon, downtown Gadsden. Benefits the humane society and rescue center.

LakeFest, Southeast’s largest in-water boat show

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508 MARTIN STREET SOUTH PELL CITY, AL 35128

(205) 884-2300

Front, left to right: Bill Gossett, Lawrence Fields, Brenda Fields and Blair Fields 2nd Row, left to right: Tina Stallings, Mary Ellis, Karen Bain, Nan Morris, Carey Monistere and Michelle Shoemaker 3rd Row, left to right: Carl Howard, Scott Fields, Gary Smith, Joel Jones, Adam Bain and Tony Gossett

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HILL, HILL & GOSSETT, P.C. ATTORNEYS AT LAW

205.640.2000 205.338.2295

Proudly serving the citizens of St. Clair County for more than 25 years

Providing a broad range of legal services to individual, business and local governmental clients including:

· Governmental Affairs · Estate Planning · Personal Injury and Administration · Domestic Relations · Civil Litigation · Real Estate · Corporate · Criminal Defense James E. Hill Matthew E. Gossett Candace B. Crenshaw Joel P. Watson Brandi C. Williams Judge James E. Hill, Jr. of Counsel

www.HHGlawg roup.com 2603 Moody Parkway, Suite 200 . Moody Alabama 35004 . Tel. (205) 640-2000 . Fax (205) 640-2010 No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the qualtiy of legal services performed by other lawyers.