Elmore County Living by Price Publications

Elmore County

Living M A G A Z I N E

WINTER 2011 | COMPLIMENTARY

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011

publisher’s

message Season to be thankful has special meaning in 2011

e say it every year, as we’re sure you do, but it is hard to believe it is already Thanksgiving. That means Santa will be making his rounds in no time. The season of giving and Thanksgiving will be celebrated from Plymouth Rock to Pocatello and points beyond. It is the one season every year when there is no better time for our nation to acknowledge what we’re thankful for. I, too, am thankful for each of you who read our magazines and our newspapers each week. We enjoy bringing them to you and much of that credit goes to our staff – a top-notch bunch. This has been an extra trying time for each of them, and I want to personally thank them for their extra hard work during my absence from work due to my illness. I am thankful for God’s healing power and for all those who have paused to include me in their daily prayers. There is no greater strength an individual can find than from prayer. We at Price Publications pray you and yours have a joyful and bountiful Thanksgiving and a wonderful Christmas season that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The following is a story I always like to tell during the holidays about my father, who enjoyed Thanksgiving more than most. God bless. My daddy loved the holidays. It is probably why that legacy lives on so deeply in our family every year. There is just something about family gatherings that rejuvenate the soul. It makes you feel good to get that big ‘ol hug from Aunt Betty Jo, see all your cousins dealing with their young ones – now that yours are grown – and eating all that food. My grandfather Sumners enjoyed the holidays too. You never know in Alabama what the weather will be like during the holidays, but especially at Thanksgiving it can still be in the 80s. It might be like that this year, but we hope it is cooler. My grandfather loved his fireplace. I can remember that it took all the grandsons and his sons to cut firewood for him about every other weekend because he burned so much. He had central heat in his house, but he liked that roaring fireplace. We all did too, except when it was 80 outside on Thanksgiving.

I can remember my mother, my aunts and uncles fussing at him to stop putting wood on the fire – because my grandmother would already have the windows and the back door open. The more air that came through that house, the hotter that fire would burn. About the best thing that fire provided was a great setting for a nap after that big meal. There would be several of us fighting for couch space, especially when we got older. When we were younger, we would all head to the woods after lunch for a late afternoon deer hunt or some squirrel hunting. Holidays are also about eating. Lots. My grandmother Minnie was a good cook. No, THE cook of all cooks. She passed it on to my mother. She can cook with the best of them. My mawmaw’s speciality was the pecan pie she made for the holidays. I could eat a whole pie if she would let me, but when you have 20 or 23 folks fighting for a slice, you were lucky if you got one. She would start baking the week before Turkey Day and keep on doing it through Christmas. There were always plenty of sweets around, but she knew how to fix all those other delightful trimmings too. She could bake that turkey just right so that it was juicy and tender, and still brown on the outside. When my grandparents passed, it just seemed that our larger family quit gathering for the holidays and now each of our families gets together with our own children to celebrate the holidays. We encourage you to do that too. Spend the holidays with your family and friends. It is a special time that you will always remember. And if you will, take along a copy of this month’s Elmore County Living with you. Our folks have put together another award-winning publication for you, and it is filled with a variety of stories. Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas! Kim N. Price is the president of Price Publications, Inc.

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011

editor’s

note A

Christmas couldn’t come soon enough for schoolkids

nother year is drawing to a close and a new one is on the horizon. It seems that every year passes more and more quickly ... That’s a byproduct of getting older, I suppose. But across the span of those years, I can vividly remember being in grammar school at Hohenberg Memorial, and the eternity it seemed for all of us children between the day school started and the day we got out of class for the Christmas holidays. Back then, we truly meant it when we said something was “as slow as Christmas.” Of course we spent our school years wishing for first Christmas to arrive, then for “AEA,” and finally for school to be out for the summer. By the end of August we were ready for school again and the friends we hadn’t seen for three months. Along the way we began looking forward to getting in high school (for us that was seventh grade), to celebrating our 13th and then our 16th birthdays and then to graduating. I wonder if we would have

wished as fervently to achieve those milestones if we had known that life went into fast-forward mode after high school graduation? Since then we’ve found out that life does move at high speed and we need to cherish every moment possible. This time of year often brings that home to us. So I would like to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas surrounded by your families and friends. And I hope you each experience the very best in the coming New Year. Wow – 2012 – I don’t know what else to say about that. But enough from me ... Turn the page and read on. We’ve gathered a diverse selection of stories from across the county that we hope you will enjoy and share with others. Look for the spring issue to be on the stands in late February or early March with more from right here in Elmore County. Peggy Blackburn is managing editor of Price Publications, Inc.

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011

Inside

Volume 4

Out and About 14

Number 2

4 33 Outdoor Enthusiasts

Images of Elmore County residents and visitors captured at events around the area.

Trio brings Central Alabama to thousands of televisions sharing outside adventures.

Preserving History 8 Redland resident’s digging leads to extensive pottery collection.

40 Musical Ministry Kempters strike a chord of faith with audience.

You’re from where? 12 Baltimore native’s musical dream thrives in Eclectic.

Rare King 18

Holtville gin one of few operational gins left in the state.

Christmas Story 28 Eclectic shares story of Christ with live nativity.

Lake Martin home offers ultimate waterfront view.

48 Last of Vincentians

Whittling Wonders 24 Eclectic man turns blocks of wood into materpieces.

44 Feature Home

Lynch delivers final Mass at Tallassee’s St. Vincent de Paul Church.

52 Calendar A guide to local events from late November through late February.

Elmore County Living magazine is published by Price Publications, Inc. in conjunction with The Wetumpka Herald, The Eclectic Observer and The Tallassee Tribune. Copyright 2011 by Price Publications, Inc., all rights reserved. Any reproduction of this publication is strictly prohibited without the express written permission of the publisher. Kim N. Price - President/Publisher David Goodwin - Political Editor Tallassee Peggy Blackburn - Managing Editor Kevin Taylor - Copy Editor Ashley Vice - Managing Editor Jay Goodwin - Operations Manager Griffin Pritchard - Sports Editor Willie Moseley - News Editor Shannon Elliott - Ad Manager Christy Cooper - Ad Sales Lauren Newman - Staff Writer P.O. Box 99 • 300 Green Street • Wetumpka, AL 36092 • 334-567-7811 On the cover - The fourth year of “An Eclectic Christmas” begins Dec. 7 featuring a live natvity. Photo by David Goodwin.

Elmore County Living â&#x20AC;˘ Winter 2011

Out and about at ... Bark in the Park

Color the Town Pink

ECEDA Tailgate

Elmore County Living â&#x20AC;˘ Winter 2011

Titus Bluegrass Festival

Wetumpka Candy Walk

Night of Bands

Elmore County Living â&#x20AC;˘ Winter 2011

Preserving History

Margaret Ann Mulder-Kelley has an extensive pottery collection, a majority of which was found just beneath the earth at her residence on Jug Factory Road. PHOTOS BY DAVID GOODWIN

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011

Formerly Pottersville, Redland rich with folk art By David Goodwin

argaret Anne Mulder-Kelley was digging a new garden when she heard her shovel hit something. Just about 10 inches beneath the soil, she found a little earthen pitcher, barely 5 inches tall. She is pretty sure her great grandfather made it. Her family has recovered intact jugs, churns and pitchers, as well as a variety of shards and pieces.

“Whatever I dig up, I keep,” she said, pointing out “great-grandfather pitchers,” and “grandfather jugs” among her collection. Margaret’s pottery collection lines almost every shelf and tabletop in her home. She hits various antique shops and estate sales in the area looking for locally made pottery. The Redland area, which was known as Pottersville more than 100 years ago, is rich with folk art just below the surface. The chief remaining evidence of that heritage is in the curiously named Jug Factory Road off Alabama Highway 14. Few residents likely real-

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011

Margaret Ann Mulder-Kelley donated 15 pieces made in former Pottersville to the Alabama State Archives.

ize the slice of history that gave that dirt and gravel trail its moniker. But Margaret knows. She lives on the land where her family gave Jug Factory Road its name. The foundation of her home was laid around 1840 by her great-great-grandfather William Mulder. It’s been occupied by family members almost continuously since then. William arrived in Elmore County with his brother-inlaw James Williams. They first appear in U.S. Census records in 1840 as residents of the area, which then was a part of Macon County. Bits of the jugs, chamber pots and pitchers of Pottersville litter the soil of the Redland area. Margaret said she’s always looking, and frequently digs in her backyard and a few other sites looking for shards or, most exciting, intact pieces. She has donated 15 pieces made in Pottersville to the Alabama State Archives for a new exhibit of the state’s folk art. “I want people to know more about it in years to come,” she said. Beginning in the 1840s, there were six pottery-making sites known to have operated in the area that would become Elmore County. The area around present-day Jug Factory Road, Marshell Road and Redland Road was then known as Pottersville for the earthenware experts who migrated there in the early 19th Century. “The work of Alabama folk potters reflects the many

cultural influences that have come together in Alabama over the last 200 years,” said Joey Brackner of the Alabama Center for Traditional Culture. “During that time, the state developed several unique pottery regions and produced individual potters with enormous skill and creativity.” The Mulders were Margaret’s ancestors, owners of the family spread that once covered at least 100 acres. There was James Williams, who married William Mulder’s sister and migrated with them from Georgia. Other families in the area included the Ussery and Boggs families, and that of churn-makers Moses Rushton, John Presley, William Vancuren, Aaron Evans and John Enslen “Pie” Pylant. Another potter named Cogburn is known only by his signature on a shard unearthed in 1992. They chose to settle here because of the pure texture of the clay and river sand from the Coosa and Tallapoosa, which were “exceptional for producing wares for the new frontier,” according to an oral narrative of the Mulder family recorded this year. Mulder pottery has a distinctive color, with greenish speckles fading into browns. In the 1930s, renowned local artist John Kelly Fitzpatrick painted the jug factory’s Pottery Kiln in 1934 and Boggs Potter in 1936 as part of the New Deal-era Works Progress Administration. Since the kiln was long gone before she was old enough to remember, the Fitzpatrick rendering is the closest Margaret’s seen of

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011 the industry that supported her ancestors. Among the family stories about Margaret’s forebear, William Isaac Mulder, is his sales technique. She said he’d peddle earthen jugs from his wagon, ringing a bell as he went on his way. “A jug for a chicken,” he’d offer in an attempt to barter. The trade was valued at 50-cents per gallon capacity, so the standard 3-gallon jug cost $1.50. The largest jug the Mulders produced was a No. 6, or 6gallon jug. Most Pottersville jugs have no logo or signature to advertise their origin, Margaret said. Besides the color, most jugs can be identified by the number written near its rim giving the vessel’s volume, from one gallon to six. Margaret is always on the lookout for items she can connect to her family history, and documents that flesh out their lives in the area. She found a pension letter written to her great-grandmother, Mary Ann Jackson Mulder, promising her $7.50 per month for William Isaac’s Civil

Mulder-Kelley continues to add to her pottery collection.

War service making medicine containers for the Confederacy. The clay for those jugs was dug near the south side of Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl football stadium, she said. The Mulders continued their work through the 19th Century. In the early 1900s, as mass produced containers began forcing artisans out of business, Margaret said, the Mulders began “twig-art” where twigs were used to

adorn the pottery for more decorative purposes. She has a few planters and flower pots from that era. Last month, Margaret wasn’t around the house too much. She was continuing her search for local heritage, helping a Wetumpka family sort items for an estate sale. “You never know what you’ll find in someone’s collection, and I’m always looking for more,” she said.

Elmore County Living â&#x20AC;˘ Winter 2011

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011

You’re from Where? Communities garner names from the strangest things By Peggy Blackburn “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” – Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene II The meaning behind the Bard’s famous words – that the names of things do not matter, only that those things really are – is generally accepted as truth. But often names originate from history that has direct bearing on what those things are, not just what they are called. In Elmore County, many places weren’t simply named for a family or an important person. The names of some locations are tied to stories and occurrences that generated those monikers. Included here are a few of the more unusual city and community names.

Slapout Those referencing one close-knit community often use two names interchangeably for the area located west of Lake Jordan. To some it is Slapout, to others Holtville. It can even be both to the same person, with the community designated as Slapout and the local schools bearing the Holtville name. History shows that the name Holtville was in use first. In the late 1800s, sisters Nancy and Samantha Holt operated a post office from their home and the Holtville label originated there. Then in 1917, Oscar Peeples moved to Holtville and in 1918 he opened a store at the community’s main crossroad. The story, passed from generation to generation, says that sometimes when customers asked for an item, Peeples would tell them he was “slap out” of what they wanted. Eventually the area’s residents began to call the location Slapout.

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011

Flea Hop In 1892, a lumber mill operator (J.D. Nichols) selected a site near Tallassee for a new mill. He and his 10-year-old son went to look at the timberland in a small horse-drawn cart. There they found an old log cabin in the center of the forest. It was a hot humid day and the boy began to swat biting bugs from his face and arms; and he complained that the “place is hopping with fleas.” The father laughed and told his son he had named the town and it would be called Flea Hop.

Santuck There are several stories about the origin of Santuck’s name. One says the area was named Sand Tuck because the road into it was really nothing but deep sand beds. When someone’s yoke of oxen became stuck in the “sand, it was nip and tuck” as to whether or not the owner would be able to get them out. A second story claims the community was named after two of the earliest families inhabiting the area Sanford and Tucker. Yet another story says that because the area includes deep drifts of white sand, some people said that “the sand just tuck over.”

Kowaliga Today the name Kowaliga refers to an area on the shore of Lake Martin, but before the manmade reservoir was created a Creek Indian village named Kowaliga was located until 1836 on the banks of Kowaliga Creek. Indian lore claimed that a brave named Kowaliga fell in love with a beautiful maiden and he asked her to marry him. She rejected him because her father had already promised her to another, and she left to live out her days with her husband.

Kowaliga vowed to wait for her return, and stood in place so long he eventually turned to wood and he took root there. The area gained fame in 1952 when Hank Williams loosely based his song, “Kaw-liga,” on the Indian legend.

Wetumpka The name Wetumpka is derived from the Indian words “we-wau” (water) and “tum-cau” rumbling. We-wau-tum-cau, anglicized to Wetumpka was the Creek description of a prominent point in the Coosa River where the rapids roll and tumble over the rocks in the riverbed.

Coosada Coosada is another Indian-based name. The area has also been known as Coosauda, Coosawda and Koasati (referring to the Koasati Indians). The word means “white cane.”

Tallassee Tallassee’s name also derives from the Creek Indians. Some historical references indicate the name is based on the Indian word Talisi or “old town.” Others credit the name to the Creek word Talase or “town taken.”

Weoka Like many other local communities, sites and streets, Weoka takes its name from the Indians who dwelled in the area before settlers arrived. Weoka is a variant for Ouioukas and is named for the Creek Indian town of Wewoka, which translates as “water roaring.”

Red Hill While there is nothing unusual about the name Red Hill, the community’s previous names are. The Creeks called the area Chanahatchee, and at some point during its history pioneers labeled it as Tusslebug.

RARE KING

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011

Holtville Gin Co-Op Manager Charles Woodall checks some of the processed cotton to be sent to the USDA for grading. PHOTOS BY KEVIN TAYLOR

Holtville Co-Op one of few surviving gins in state By Kevin Taylor

harles Woodall hopes he’ll be working as late as mid-December. During the crisp late October and early November days, Woodall reports to work before 8 a.m. and leaves sometime

after dark. This is typically when the Holtville Gin Co-Op is at its busiest, and this season has not been a disappointment. The cotton crops across the state have been some of the best in almost a decade, according to area farmers. Not only has crop production been high, so too has the quality, which in turn means a more profitable year. And that’s good news not only for

the farmers, but those working at the Holtville gin, which has been operational for almost 40 years. Cotton gins are now becoming a rarity in some parts of the state. In the early to mid-1980s there were almost 80 gins throughout the state. Now, there are just 28 registered through the Alabama Farmers Federation. There are only two operational gins in Elmore County, including the one in Holtville. The number of gins in the state has decreased because of the growing decline of acres of cotton planted in the state, said Woodall, who has managed the Holtville Co-Op since 1982. “A majority of the cotton fields have gone to make way for housing developments,” he said. “In just the last 15 years, we’ve seen a greater decline in cotton coming in because there was not as much planted.” Producers have suffered in a declin-

ing economy as well, according to Woodall. “They have not earned as much in the last 10 to 15 years as they did, so they aren’t planting as much,” he said. And like any agricultural product, cotton gins and producers go through some hard times and some banner years. Reports indicate cotton farmers were earning about 70 cents per pound last year. But given such great harvests this season, farmers are earning up to $1 a pound. And with a higher yield from the field, that means the Holtville Co-Op is processing more. The roar from the gin shakes the windows next door where Woodall’s office is located, and where bookkeeper Sarah Geddie has worked since the gin opened in 1974. Hearing that roar is like music to Woodall and Geddie’s ears.

20 “The more cotton that is processed, means more tickets for me to input into the computer each day,” Geddie said. “But that’s OK; that means it’s been a good day.” A piece of paper is taped to the paneling behind Geddie’s computer. There on the piece of paper is the number of bales of cotton the Holtville Co-Op has processed next to corresponding years. In 1995 the gin saw one of its worst years with slightly more than 2,000 bales processed. The gin managed to process about 2,000 bales again in 2007. This year, Woodall said he hopes the gin will produce 6,000 bales. “I was being conservative with that number; I think we’ll do a little more than that,” he said with a grin. Given the present reports from area farmers, it could be another bumper crop. In 1992, the Holtville Co-Op processed more than 10,000 bales. Just as the Holtville Co-Op has become an institution in the Slapout community and Elmore County, so too have some of the workers there. Woodall began working for the Co-Op in 1982. The Holtville High graduate has been a cotton farmer all his life. “I remember picking cotton by hand when I was 10-12 years old,” he said. “I was raised on a farm, and I wouldn’t do

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011

anything else.” Geddie’s job as the gin’s bookkeeper hasn’t changed much in the 37 years she has been with the Holtville Co-Op. The numbers fluctuate every day from the number of bales processed to the number of tickets she has to record. The biggest difference in Geddie’s job has been how those numbers have been recorded and kept. When she left a chicken processing plant in Montgomery to work at the co-op in Holtville, all of the bookkeeping items in relationship to the gin were kept in ledgers. Now, those ledgers are a thing of the past and a majority of her recording is

done on a computer. “I’ve been using the computer since 1995,” she said. “I remember when they first brought it in – I was scared to death. I was so used to doing all the figuring manually. But when the computer works right, it’s great.” Geddie knew she was destined to be a bookkeeper. While in school, she took years of accounting and typing to train for her profession. “I’ve always liked working with numbers,” she said. “And I can keep these books pretty straight.” Geddie now works part time at the CoOp to handle the bookkeeping. While the gin is in operation, Geddie is the most busy doing reports for the gin, the farmers and the government. “It can be mentally stressful at times, but I wouldn’t want to do anything else,” she said. Inside the gin, Charlie Dennis keeps a keen eye on the huge panel of green lights, switches and dials in front of him. Like Geddie, Charlie Dennis has been working at the Co-Op since the day it opened, 37 years ago. Dennis worked his way up through the ranks of the gin from pressing the cotton into bales to his present job where he oversees a majority of the machinery, which processes the cotton into bales.

Woodall, top, stands in front of a block of raw cotton. In a matter of minutes that raw cotton is turned into processed bales, above, ready for delivery.

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011 Dennis knew right away he wanted to work at the cotton gin even when he was in school at Holtville High, which is just a mile down the road from the gin. “I came here while I was in school to see about a job, and they said for me to wait until the next year,” Dennis said. “After I graduated, I came here looking for work, and they took me on.” For 10 years Dennis worked on the cotton press then moved on through the gin before being put behind a huge con-

sole in the middle of the gin, where he has been for the last nine years. “Everything but the press works from this panel right here, and if I’m not here then the gin doesn’t run,” he said with a laugh. The gin has been running at a brisk pace since late September, which has been good news for everyone involved at the Co-Op. The gin is still running today. Woodall might just get his wish this year.

Charlie Dennis, far right, has been working at the Holtville Gin Co-Op since it opened in 1974.

Elmore County Living â&#x20AC;˘ Winter 2011

By Ashley Vice

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011

Chip off the ole block

hen Richard and Brenda Grey of Eclectic moved to the area from Houston, Texas, nearly a decade ago they already had hobbies: RVing and for Richard making stained glass. But that didn’t stop Richard from attending a wood carving class eight years ago and now, he said, they have a community of friends, a relaxing hobby and a continued love of learning to work new materials and new methods with their hands. From the Gourd Festival in Cullman to the Titus Bluegrass Festival and other local events like the Santuck Flea Market and the Alabama National Fair the Greys enjoy traveling, exhibiting, selling and entering their work in competition. Richard won a blue ribbon in the widdling contest at the fair this year. But the best part, he said is the community and camaraderie such events offer. “It’s just like sitting on the front porch and talking to the people passing by. You never know when you’ll meet a new friend or encourage someone to try something new,” he said. And carving, he added, is something

anyone can learn to do. “I won’t say it’s not hard, but anyone can learn or at least try,” he said. One thing he will say about carving, “It’s relaxing.” There’s nothing better to Grey than sitting outside the RV with a block of wood on a trip with his wife. Grey works mostly with Cottonwood bark of the Cottonwood tree, native to the northern regions of the U.S. and the Candian border. The bark is harvested two to three years after the tree dies and instead of being sloughed off of the tree the bark is compressed until it comprises many layers, each only a few thousands of an inch thick. These layers form the grain of the bark

and pieces are often between 150 and 200 years old. Grey said the original state of the bark he’s working with determines the type of carving he

Grey whittles masterpieces from wood

will make. “The piece just speaks to me, and when it stops speaking I set it aside and work on another piece until I’m ready to go back,” he said. Grey most often carves whimsical houses, hollow on the inside, featuring brick or wood patterns on the outside and finished with a varnish of shoe lotion that gives the wood a soft, satiny finish. Some of his carvings can even hold votives to give the house a warm glow. Brenda, Grey said, enjoys carving for friendship canes, where several carvers each craft a piece of the cane and then assemble it. She also paints and enjoys wood burning. The work he’s most proud of though, is larger and much more time consuming— deep relief. His most prized piece is an oval carving of a bald eagle in front of a waving American Flag. Grey said the time and effort involved in relief just increase the reward of the finished product. The Greys don’t consider themselves experts, Gray said. “Brenda calls herself a beginner and I feel like a beginner a lot of times too,” he said. But Grey said that shouldn’t stop anyone from trying something they might enjoy.

Elmore County Living â&#x20AC;˘ Winter 2011

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011

A Christmas Story Eclectic shares story of Christ with live nativity By David Goodwin

rom a Roman centurion on horseback informing a Hebrew couple of the coming census, to the angel and shepherds who gathered in a stable in Bethlehem, the Christmas story is lived by thousands at a horse farm outside Eclectic. An Eclectic Christmas, the walkthrough nativity story produced by local church members, is entering its fourth year at the farm of Don and Rita Falk near the Eclectic town limits on Claud Road. The Christmas story is told during a nighttime walk around the Falk’s pond. From the centurion’s announcement, through the dramatic appearance of the Heavenly Host, to shepherds keeping watch over their flock by night, the little town of Bethlehem and the manger scene where Christ was born, members of First Baptist Church of Eclectic and the wider community

fill hundreds of roles. Becky Webb, a First Baptist member entering her third year as a “cheese lady” in the streets of Bethlehem, was among about a dozen church members and other volunteers working to get ready for the Dec. 7 opening. “This is a way I can worship God while working,” she said, as she carried a 2-by-4 bound for a little shack that would be home to the dancing girls who populate the village’s outskirts. “I know lives are changed from this, and we’re all out here for that same purpose.”

They’ve been sprucing up the sets for An Eclectic Christmas since the first weekend of October, Falk said. The set includes a shepherd’s stable, scattered shanties and huts, the stable containing the manger and an ornate town of Bethlehem complete with city walls, a blacksmith shop, tabernacle and inn. First Baptist debuted the walkthrough drama three years ago hoping to make the little town of Eclectic a Christmas destination. In each of its three years of operation, more than 2,000 people from the River Region and beyond have

For the fourth year in a row, Don and Rita Falkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s farm on Claud Road has been host to the live nativity An Eclectic Christmas. PHOTOS BY DAVID GOODWIN

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011 come for a guided tour through the Biblical Christmas story. “We feel like this is a way to share the Gospel story with people, and it brings the community together in a common goal,” the Rev. Britt Green, pastor at First Baptist, said. The walk-through drama has its roots in a production run for years at the home of Ann Bearden. Thousands would make the trek to Mt. Hebron Road near Lake Martin for the drive-through drama for nearly a decade. Rita Falk said her son Tanner, who’s now 20 years old, played baby Jesus at Bearden’s Bethlehem Revisited. They’d originally planned to take it over when Bearden moved, but that didn’t work out. “We always knew what we wanted to do with it,” Falk said. “When we bought this property, it was never a question of if we’d do it, only when.” Falk said it is “very fulfilling” to host An Eclectic Christmas each year, despite the time and labor needed to “invite 3,500 people to show up at your house.” “It’s a lot of work, but when it’s over, you know it was the right thing to do,” Falk said.

The Falks donate the use of 20 acres of the 40-acre spread to the reenactment. Their barn is the behindthe-scenes base of operations, with characters getting into costume, coffee and other refreshments prepared, and volunteers getting other things arranged. There are always plenty of people around to help, and there have been since the beginning.

“It had a support base from before it even started, because so many people had great experiences up there,” she said. “That made it a really easy sell.” Much of the season’s involved polishing up and adding new elements to Bethlehem. This year they’re adding a tax collector to wander through town. The characters often interact with those on the tour, with the harlots outside the gates inviting folks over for a dance, or beggars asking for some spare change. This year’s An Eclectic Christmas will be Dec. 7, 9, 10 and 11, with tours beginning at 6 p.m. and the last group setting out at 9 p.m. Though walk-ins are fine, Falk said, reservations are encouraged, especially for larger groups. For more information or to make reservations for a tour, call the church office at 334-541-4444 or check online at www.fbceclectic.org/eclectic-christmas.

Elmore County Living â&#x20AC;˘ Winter 2011

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011

Outdoor enthusiasts

Trio brings Central Alabama to thousands of TVs By Griffin Pritchard hroughout the years, Rick Redmon and Don Day — with trusty camera man Curt Gantt there to film the adventure — have taken viewers down the Coosa River, along Swayback Trail and even 13,000 feet in the sky as part of their long-running television show, Venture Outdoors. “I can’t believe we jumped out of a semi-good airplane,” said Day with a chuckle. “We’re always looking for new stuff to do,” said Redmon. “We even did a show about paintball. You ever been hit with a paintball?” Gantt, playing the role of bystander chimed in: “Sounded like it stung.” Venture Outdoors is a 30-minute television show which airs weekly on Sunday mornings throughout central and south Alabama on WCOV-FOX 20. “Rick and Curt were doing a show called Central Alabama Outdoors,” said Day. “One of the last shows that they did, I was the guest. We went fishing on the Coosa, had a great day.” Central Alabama Outdoors eventually ended. Day and Redmon, however, stayed in contact. The two fished together and attended clay shoots together. “We kind of talked about the show and decided to start it up again,” said Day. “We talked to Curt and he was game so we were rolling again.” Venture Outdoors, the title of the new show, took a different approach than it’s earlier incarnation.

For the last five years Rick Redmon and Don Day have had camera man Curt Gantt chronicle many outdoor adventures throughout Central Alabama. Those adventures are shared by Redmon PHOTOS BY GRIFFIN PRITCHARD and Day on the weekly show “Venture Outdoors.”

Elmore County Living â&#x20AC;˘ Winter 2011

“When Curt and I were doing our show, it was a pretty straightforward hunting and fishing show,” said Redmon. “Our show now is more of entertainment than a how-to deal. We can show them how-not-to catch a fish.” According to Gantt, the show’s main objective is a simple one. “We want to promote central Alabama and all there is to do in the outdoors in this area,” said Gantt. To that end the trio has met their goal, attending multiple fishing tournaments, hunts and shoots held throughout the area. “That’s why we went into this thing thinking, ‘Let’s go do things two old guys our age can do on camera and show central Alabama families what there is to do,’” said Day. The show’s cast has firsthand knowledge of the outdoor goings on because this is their home. And it’s been sponsored by the City of Wetumpka since 2005, according to Redmon “when we started this Venture Outdoors deal.” “We’ve covered the Coosa River Challenge two or three times and the WhiteWater Festival and a lot with the kids,” said Redmon. And we’ve done stuff on Ironman Outdoor Ministries,

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011

which is disabled and disadvantaged kids. And we’ve done a good bit of stuff in the past couple of years with the Wounded Warriors.” The show is also frequented by Bassmaster Elite series pro Greg Vinson. “Whenever we need his help on stuff, he always lends a hand,” said Redmon. According to Gantt, a majority of the new shows are filmed during the spring and the fall - with new episodes appearing during those two seasons. “The two of us will be fishing and Curt will be filming,” said Day. “Curt will have untold amounts of film and he’s got to take that back and edit it. That’s the tedious part of the process.” “Then he’s got to find footage of us actually catching a fish,” Redmon interjected with a laugh. The editing process takes between 10 and 20 hours to complete. Day and Redmon added that it’s 52 shows a year. “Our show gets out to an 80-90 mile radius of Montgomery,” said Redmon. “It’s around 300,000 households.” The show can be seen from Demopolis to Eufuala to Alexander City and in Elmore County. It airs Sundays at 9 a.m. on WCOV-FOX 20; Fridays at 9 p.m. and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. on WFRZ

(The Frazer Channel). Redmon and Gantt added that the dream is to expand the show into larger markets or syndicate it throughout the South. “But I’m still working, those other two guys are retired and get up at the crack of noon,” said Redmon. “I’d love to expand, but I’ve got to be able to make money too.” Money for the show would also help. “If some wealthy donor came along and said ‘Hey, we really love your show. Here’s a pile of money. Run with it.’ That would be nice too,” said Day. When the group came together, one of the first tenets was that it couldn’t interfere with their real jobs. “I had a real job and Curt had a real job, Don worked in radio — even though it’s not a real job — he called it real job,” said Redmon. “Second, it had to still be fun. This is our hobby.” For Redmon, the show is an opportunity to do new things that normally would go unattempted. “When the postseason deal was in Montgomery and up here,” said Redmon. “One of the highlights I’ve had in the 10 or 11 years I’ve been doing this was having the chance to carry Kevin

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011 Van Dam out to this pond we have access to for him to bring some of his Toyota sponsors who were in town and entertain them.” Redmon said he, Day nor Gantt wet a hook the whole day. “It was watching the greatest Bass fisherman that ever lived fish on your place,” said Redmon. “That was cool.” Day said, from a fan perspective, the favorite show has been the one featuring the Snoopy Challenge. “There was no Snoopy involved,” said Day. “I took a child’s Batman fishing outfit and Rick had a Barbie fishing outfit and we had a competition. That was and still is - the most talked about show.” Redmon said another challenge show is in the planning stages. “One of the most heartfelt shows we did we had two young men fish for their respective universities and then we talked to their dads,” said Day. Redmon pointed out that of all the shows his involves someone falling in the water. “Personally, that was my favorite show of all,” said Redmon.

The show featured Ben Weldon and Shaye Baker fishing at the Waters. “The two parents and all of us were in the boat filming. Ben had a 9-pounder on, set the hook and jumped,” said Redmon. “He weighs 83 pounds soaking wet. He’s fooling with the trolling motor. He gets down on his knees trying to lip the fish but falls in. Cell phone, microphone, rod and reel all go in the water. And he’s a diabetic with a pump, so that goes in the water too. He had like a million dollars worth of stuff going into the lake.” Day said Weldon surfaced with rod and reel, sunglasses and pump in hand. “Shaye leaned over the boat, picked him up out of the water and put him back

in the boat,” said Redmon with a laugh. Redmon and Gantt said they are looking for new show topics. “You can only do something so many times,” said Redmon. The Coosa River Challenge going on its 10th year provided the best example. “One year, we actually tried some of the events - two old out of shape fat guys trying to do some of the stuff these younger fit guys were doing it was kind of ugly,” said Day. The CRC, like the Anglers for Kids fishing events, is a mainstay on the Coosa River. “You are bringing a new generation of bass guys up, we like to promote that,” said Redmon. “It’s a good thing for kids to do. The ones that do that, have done it for years, seem to turn out pretty good.” This year, the trio is eyeing Tallassee. “We are going to cover the Civil War Reenactment in Tallassee,” said Redmon. “We haven’t done that before. We aren’t sure how we are going to do it yet. But that’s something big for Elmore County.”

Elmore County Living â&#x20AC;˘ Winter 2011

Musical ministry

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011

The Kempter family has traveled throughout Alabama and now the country to deliver their message of faith through music. PHOTOS BY KEVIN TAYLOR

Kempters strike a chord of faith with audience By Kevin Taylor

he Kempters aren’t your typical musical family. The only member of the family who has any musical background is the father, Chaz. He was part of a band in his high school years and later left music for tennis and cabinetry. For four and a half years the Kempter family traveled throughout the United States playing in various tennis tournaments. The money to stay on the road so the children could play came from handmade cabinets Chaz, and later his sons and daughters, helped construct.

Business was good in cabinetry until the recession hit. Then there was little call for custommade cabinets, because there was no longer a housing boom. As the recession started to really deal a financial blow to the Kempter family, they took on a new calling – music. Now the Kempters are known throughout much of the state as a musical family which plays in churches and festivals performing what they call bluegrass gospel. “It’s a great gift that we’ve been given and an unexpected pleasure,” Chaz Kempter, the father of four girls and two boys said. “We feel like this is what God was leading to in this ministry.” Indeed the family looks at their performances as strictly a ministry and nothing more. They don’t try to come off as

the second coming of the Partridge family or any other famous musical family. Their objective is to give those who may not have a glimmer of hope in their heart or their soul, at least a few minutes of hope through their music. “We try to be light-hearted and be fun for everyone,” Chaz said. “People see these kids, and they have hope.” The idea of putting a band together came when the Kempters hosted a Brazilian family on a mission trip. “They noticed Danielle’s keyboard and they took to it and started playing and singing,” Chaz added. “They were our inspiration behind our music.” But the Kempters went at putting together their band in an abstract way. “We did it a bit backward,” Chaz said. “We picked instruments and then the

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011

Sara Kempter plays her great grandmother’s 150-year-old cello.

music to adapt to what we had chosen.” The oldest child, Nathan, decided he wanted to take up the violin. A few weeks later Nathan lost two of his fingers in an accident in the family shop. Now, he plays bass left-handed even though he’s a true right-hander. Danielle, the second oldest of the daughters, was taking classical music lessons earlier on and now plays the keyboard and the banjo. JoAnna, the second youngest of the daughters, took on the mandolin. Sara, the oldest of the girls, had not selected an instrument, but the instrument chose her. “My great uncle Danny wanted someone in the family to have my great grandmother’s (150-year-old) cello. I was the only one in the family who didn’t pick an instrument, and I said I would sing,” Sara said. “Then I saw the cello, tried it, and now I would not trade it for anything.” Charli, the youngest of the family at age 8, now plays a beautiful handmade harp which was given to the family. And Chris, the youngest of the two

boys, took to the violin. “I was 10 years old when I started to play,” said the 14-year-old. “I don’t like to read music, so I play by ear … I think we all have the gift of music, and mom has the gift for travel.” Teresa’s role with the band is on the mixing board to ensure everyone sounds good, and she’s the driver. If the family needs to make a 14-hour drive to a performance, it’s Teresa who gets behind the wheel to get her family where it needs to be. “I just enjoy driving,” she explained. “I love to be on the road.” Once the family found their musical niche, they began just to play for themselves. “Three months after we picked our instruments, we started just goofing around and began to play “Just As I Am,” and one of our customers heard us playing,” Chaz said. “She asked if we would perform at her church, and we finally agreed.” Since performing at a senior luncheon at First Baptist Church in Prattville, the Kempters have performed in churches throughout the state

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011 and recently in Tennessee, Colorado, Connecticut and Rhode Island. “Our goal is to try not to turn this into a business,” Chaz said. “We are putting our focus on the ministry end of it.” The Kempters go where they are invited. Most of the time, they perform in and around the River Region. So far The Kempters have concerts booked as far ahead as October of next year.

They never charge for their performances except one concert a year. The Kempters will perform their annual Christmas concert Dec. 15 at the Wetumpka Civic Center. Tickets are $10 per person and $15 at the door. “I think we are in it for the long haul,” Chaz said. “…If God wants us to do this then we will. We are for whatever He wants.”

Danielle, Nathan and JoAnna (from left) practice at home.

Soothing elegance

Elmore County Living â&#x20AC;˘ Winter 2011

The five bedroom, five and a half bath home at The Ridge has more than 500 feet of shoreline and has more than 1,000 feet of deck and porch space. PHOTOS BY SHERRY WATKINS

Lake Martin home offers ultimate waterfront view By Kevin Taylor

ark Laurent saw the lot and knew it was the perfect site for a dream home. A few years later that dream became reality when the 1,700 square foot, five bedroom, five and one-half bath home was constructed on a point overlooking the pristine waters of Lake Martin. The home takes full advantage of the terrific view of the lake with plenty of windows to give that panoramic view. The home, which is listed for $3.15 million, has an open floor plan to blend the family room into the kitchen and dining areas. In addition to the open space inside, the house has more than 1,000 square feet of covered and uncovered porch space. Some of the other features of the home include cathedral ceilings, a stone fireplace and exercise room, as well as a home theater. The lot itself has more than 500 feet of waterfront with a pier and boat lift which extend into water more than 30 feet deep. For more information on the home, contact Becky Haynie with ERA Lake Martin Realty at Willow Point. Call 334-312-0928.

The home was designed to have an open floor plan so that the residents and visitors could enjoy the breathtaking view of Lake Martin.

Elmore County Living â&#x20AC;˘ Winter 2011

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011

Last of the

Vincentians

Lynch delivers final Mass in Tallassee By Willie G. Moseley

astern Elmore County has a unique historical relationship with the Catholic Church. Franciscan priests, traveling with Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto, conducted the first Mass in Alabama in 1540, in an area that Creek Indians called “Talisi.” The community would later become known as Tallassee. Elmore County’s first Catholic church was built in Tallassee soon after the middle of the 20th Century

on Gilmer Avenue, the city’s main thoroughfare. Land for the church was donated by Mildred and Roberts Blount, an affluent local couple, and the new church was erected next door to their home, known as Seven Gables. Construction on the new church began in July 1954, and was overseen by members of the Vincentian order of priests, which has been the case for other churches in East Central Alabama. Named for the saint whose name is also the moniker of the Tallassee church, the Vincentians have a centuries-old history of working with the poor. The dedication ceremony for St. Vincent de Paul Church was held in October 1955. The first Mass at

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Tallassee was dedicated in October 1955.

PHOTOS BY WILLIE G. MOSELEY

Father Francis Lynch receives best wishes from parishoners of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Tallassee during a reception at Seven Gables following his final Mass on Oct. 9.

50 the Tallassee church was conducted by Bishop Fulton Sheen, host of a national religious program, “Life Is Worth Living,” broadcast on the Dupont Television Network. Sheen had befriended Mildred Blount and had promised that if she was instrumental in building a Catholic church in Tallassee, he would perform the first Mass there. The Vincentian order staffed the Tallassee church from the beginning, and the most recent Vincentian priest to

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011 helm the local parish was Father Francis Lynch, a native of Philadelphia, where the Vincentians are headquartered. Ordained as a priest in 1950, Lynch arrived at St. Vincent’s in 1982, and the small church’s membership grew under his guidance. At a celebration in 2010 to mark his 60th year in the priesthood, Lynch said he had no inclination to slow down, but more recently, at the age of 90, he decided to return to the St. Vincent’s Semi-

nary in Philadelphia. The Vincentians did not have a replacement for Lynch so discussions among the Vincentians and the Archdiocese of Mobile, which oversees other Catholic churches in Central Alabama, led to the appointment of Father Charles Troncale of Montgomery to serve at St. Vincent’s. Troncale is the first archdiocesan/nonVincentian priest to be assigned to the Tallassee parish.

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011 “His boss is the Bishop of the Mobile Archdiocese,” Lynch said with a chuckle. “My boss is in Philadelphia.” Troncale had previously served at Holy Spirit Church in the east Montgomery area. Lynch conducted his last Mass at St. Vincent’s on Oct. 9. The event was attended by Archbishop Thomas Rodi, who heads the Mobile Archdiocese. A reception following the Mass was held at Seven Gables, the former residence of the Blounts. Numerous parishioners and well-wishers gathered around Lynch to express their appreciation for his years of service to the church and the community. Troncale attended that event after preaching his own final Mass at Holy Spirit. Lynch was en route to Philadelphia the next day, leaving behind a considerable legacy to emulate in the eyes of many of his parishioners. However, the former local priest insisted that the future of St. Vincent de Paul is in good hands. “I’m sure it will be a good transition,” Lynch said of his status as the last Vincentian priest at the Tallassee church. “I’ve known (Fr. Troncale) for a long time; he’s a good man.”

Father Charles Troncale, right, took the place of retiring Catholic priest Father Francis Lynch at St. Vincent de Paul.

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011

Mark Your Calendar Wetumpka Tree Lighting and Illuminated Nativity Nov. 29, 5 p.m. Gold Star Park and Riverwalk Photos with Santa, seasonal music, introduction of Christmas on the Coosa pageant winners, announcement of parade grand marshal. Christmas on the Coosa shirts on sale and refreshments. The official tree lighting will be at 6:30 p.m. Following will be a new feature - nativity scenes will be lit along the riverwalk and church groups will provide refreshments and music, along with live nativity vignettes. The scenes will be illuminated throughout the season. Wetumpka Depot Players: “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” Dec. 1-3, 7 p.m.; Dec. 4, 2 p.m.

Wetumpka Depot Theatre Presented by the Wetumpka Depot Players. For information, call 334-868-1440, visit www.wetumpkadepot.com or email kmeanor@wetumpkadepot.com. Millbrook Tree Lighting Dec. 1, 6 p.m. Village Green Park Activities will include seasonal music and caroling and lighting of the tree. For information, call 334-285-0085 or visit www.cityofmillbrook.org. Tallassee Tree Lighting and Christmas Parade Dec. 2, 5:30 p.m. (tree lighting); Dec. 3 (parade) Tree lighting at Veterans Park; Parade begins at Tallassee Church of Christ and ends at J.E. “Hot” O’Brien Stadium The Tallassee Holiday Market

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011 will be held in conjunction with the two events. It will be open at Veterans Park Dec. 2, 12 to 6 p.m.; an d at Mt. Vernon Theatre Dec. 3, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. For information, call 334-283-6571 (tree lighting and parade) or 334-991-1001 (holiday market). Eclectic Christmas Parade, Festival and Tree Lighting Dec. 2, 4 p.m. Downtown Eclectic Activities include arts and crafts vendors, food and live seasonal entertainment. The parade will begin at 6 p.m., followed by lighting of the town’s Christmas tree at approximately 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 334-541-3581. Millbrook Christmas Parade and Arts and Crafts Dec. 3, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Downtown Millbrook Arts and crafts and concession vendors will be in Village Green Park all day. The annual parade will begin at 2 p.m. at Southgate Plaza Shopping Center, travel up Main Street, turn left onto Edgewood and end at the Village Green. Call 334285-0085 for information. Downtown Open House Dec. 6, 5:30 p.m. Downtown Wetumpka The Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual open house, and encourages all downtown businesses to host open houses the same evening. Wetumpka Pearl Harbor Remembrance Dec. 7, 10:55 a.m. Gold Star Park The annual observance will mark the 70th anniversary of the bombardment of Pearl Harbor, an event that precipitated U.S. involvement in World War II. Everyone is invited to attend. An Eclectic Christmas Dec. 7, 9-11, tours begin at 6 p.m. and continue every 10 minutes until 9 p.m. 1733 Claud Road, at Eclectic’s town limits “star” Local residents and youth will reenact the Christmas story, from the angels’ appearance to shepherds announcing Christ’s birth, through downtown Bethlehem and Jesus’ birth in a manger. For information or to make reservations, call 256-7947789 or visit www.fbc eclectic.org. Christmas on the Coosa Dec. 10, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Downtown Wetumpka The city’s 28th annual holiday festival will offer a children’s character breakfast, 12Ks of Christmas run, arts and crafts vendors, concessions, entertainment, antique car show, quilt show, motorcycle show, art shows, a street parade, Santa on skis, a boat parade, fireworks show and more. No admission fee to most activities. For information, call 334-567-1384, visit www.cityof wetumpka.com or find Wetumpka Christmas on the Coosa on Facebook.

Participants can dine with Santa during a special luncheon, make Christmas candy, create handmade Christmas decorations from native Alabama plants and enjoy a holiday hayride with Santa and his elves. Admission charged.

Christmas at the Alabama Nature Center Dec. 10, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Alabama Nature Center, Millbrook

“The Holiday Bug” Dec. 16, 6 p.m.; Dec. 17, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; Dec. 18, 2:30 p.m. Wetumpka Performing Arts Center

Luminaria Night Dec. 16, beginning at 5 p.m. Wetumpka Spectators are encouraged to drive through the city to see luminaries lighting the streets.

54 A puppet show suitable for all ages, which teaches the importance of selflessness and helping others. Admission $12, 12 and younger; $7, 13 and older. For information, email cros stitchinfo@gmail.com or visit crosstitchproductions.com. Christmas on the Coosa Ball Dec. 17, 7 to 11 p.m. Wetumpka Civic Center Dance music from the Still Cruzin’ Band of Nashville. Heavy hors d’oeuvres. Ice and setups (tonic water, Sprite, Coke) provided. Semi-formal. Tickets are $25 per person or $175 for a table for eight. For information, call 334-567-1384 or 334-567-5147. Christmas Camp Dec. 19-21 Camp Chandler For children 5-14. Activities include fishing, archery, riflery, canoes, broom hockey, field games, pedal boats, putt putt, campfire with s’mores, holiday crafts, Christmas goodies,

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011 Christmas tree trimming, a party and more. Fee charged, which includes T-shirt and visits to the camp store. Deadline to register is Dec. 16. For complete details, visit www.campchandler.org. New Year’s Eve Asteroid Drop and Fireworks Dec. 31 Plaza of old Elmore County Courthouse, Wetumpka Welcome in 2012 with a variety of activities including a countdown clock, live entertainment, an “asteroid drop” and fireworks. Free. New Year's Bash Dec. 31-Jan. 1 Camp Chandler For ages 5-14. Activities will include fishing, archery, riflery, broom hockey, field games, pedal boats, canoes, putt putt and more. Campers will bring in the New Year with a party, fireworks and a ball drop. Fee charged, which includes T-shirt a visit to the camp store. Deadline to register is Dec. 29. For

complete details, visit www.campchandler.org.

334-514-1286.

Millbrook Mardi Gras Festival and Parade Feb. 11, 9 a.m. Downtown Millbrook A family-oriented event celebrating Mardi Gras sponsored by the Millbrook Revelers. Offers live music, entertainment, food, vendors (from five states), inflatables and children’s rides in Village Green Park. Parade on Main Street at 12 p.m. No charge for parade entries. For information, call 334-799-1636 or visit www.millbrookrevelers.com.

Wetumpka Mardi Gras Parade Feb. 18, 12 p.m. Downtown Wetumpka Visitors can catch beads, moon pies and other “throws” at the family-friendly event coordinated by the Krewe of Toulouse. Vendors will be open before the parade. The parade will begin at the west end of the Bibb Graves Bridge, turn right onto S. Main Street and end at the parking lot beyond Faith Rescue Mission. No charge for parade entries. For information, visit kreweoftoulouse.com.

9th Annual IBO Rumbling Waters Challenge Feb. 17-19 Bennett’s Archery, Wetumpka Hundreds of archery enthusiasts, vendors and other participants will attend the first leg of the International Bowhunting Organization’s Southern Triple Crown of Bowhunting Championships. For information, call

16th Annual Elmore County NWTF Hunting and Heritage Banquet Feb. 24, 6 p.m. Wetumpka Civic Center Ticket cost includes admission, dinner and annual NWTF membership. For information, call Chet Matthews at 334-799-8885 or email elmorecountynwtf@yahoo.com.

Elmore County Living â&#x20AC;˘ Winter 2011

Elmore County Living • Winter 2011

A LAST LOOK The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” — Luke 2:10-11