Walker Magazine | Winter 2018

A Publication of the Daily Mountain Eagle

volume 6 • issue 2 • winter 2018

FREE

What’s Inside Graphic designer Sarah O’Mary Meet the EASI herd On the field with the P-Town Wreckaz MmmMmm! Pecan Pie + MORE!

2018 Tournaments:

Grabow Outdoors Bass Tournament

FLW BFL Choo Choo Division

FLW Tour 2018 (Smith Lake)

Alabama High School Bass Tournament

The Anchor Holds Fishing Tournament, presented by Ryan’s Creek Baptist Church

Angling for Autism Bass Tournament

March 31, 2018

April 7. 2018

April 26–29. 2018

May 4–5, 2018

May 12, 2018

May 19, 2018

“Thank You, Chamber Investors, For Making These Events Possible.”

[ linda@walkerchamber.us ] • [ www.walkerchamber.us ]

204 19th Street East, Suite 101, Jasper, Alabama 35501 | (205) 384-4571

The strength of a team with a single focus – you.

Front Row: Leigh Ann Rotter, First Bank of Jasper, Retail Market Manager, NMLS #718264; Libba Elliott, Synovus Securities, Financial Consultant; Lisa Killingsworth, First Bank of Jasper, Commercial Banker Back Row: Kenny Allen, First Bank of Jasper, Retail Market Manager; Bert Hendrix, First Bank of Jasper, President; Toby Banks, Synovus Securities, Financial Consultant; Phillip Lee, Synovus Mortgage, Mortgage Loan Originator, NMLS #664139

In today’s busy world, your financial needs can be complex and ever-changing. It takes more than an individual to meet those needs.

It takes a team. At First Bank of Jasper, we have a team of professionals with the expertise and resources you need. We work together with a single focus – helping you reach your financial goals.

firstbankofjasper.com | 205.221.3121

Investment products and services provided by Synovus are offered through Synovus Securities, Inc. Synovus Trust Company, N.A. GLOBALT Investments, a separately identifiable division of STC and Creative Financial Group. The registered broker-dealer offering brokerage products for Synovus is Synovus Securities, Inc. member FINRA/SIPC. Synovus Securities, Inc. is a subsidiary of Synovus Financial Corp and an affiliate of Synovus Bank. Synovus Trust Company, N.A. is a subsidiary of Synovus Bank.

NOT FDIC INSURED

NO BANK GUARANTEE

MAY LOSE VALUE

Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank, Member FDIC. Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast. winter 2018 / 3

VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 2 • winter 2018

FromTheStaff... magazine Established October 2012

PUBLISHER James Phillips EDITOR Jennifer Cohron ART DIRECTOR Malarie Brakefield CONTRIBUTORS Scott Day, Elane Jones, Ron Harris, Lea Rizzo, Dale Short Advertising Jake Aaron, Brenda Anthony, Zach Baker, Renee Holly, Liz Steffan, Tammy Wood Business Manager Charlette Caterson Distribution Michael Keeton Walker Magazine is a publication of and distributed seasonally by the Daily Mountain Eagle, a division of Cleveland Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored for retrieval by any means without written consent from the publisher. Walker Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited materials and the publisher accepts no responsibility for the contents or accuracy of claims in any advertisement in any issue. Walker Magazine is not responsible for errors, omissions or changes in information.

The opinions of contributing writers do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the magazine and its publisher.

Our mission is to promote Walker County and to showcase its many attributes as a quality place in which to live, to work and to play. We welcome ideas and suggestions for future editions of the magazine. Just send us a brief note via email. © 2018 Daily Mountain Eagle Walker Magazine P.O. Box 1469 Jasper, AL 35502 (205) 221-2840 email: walkermagazine@mountaineagle.com 4 / Walker Magazine

Winter has come to Walker County.

If you’re a native of the area or have lived here for an extended period of time, you know that statement can mean anything from weather consisting of snow and ice to sunny afternoons wearing T-shirts and shorts.

Winter in Walker County can be a hodge podge, and this winter edition of Walker Magazine is that as well. The Daily Mountain Eagle staff has put together a mixed bag of positive and entertaining stories about the people and places who make Walker County the unique community that it is known to be.

Speaking of winter weather, our “From the Vault” section this time hearkens back to one of the more memorable snow events in the area, which took place in 1982.

Our recipe of the month is a pecan pie that is sure to warm the soul on a cold day.

While the EASI therapeutic riding program has received much publicity since its inception in 2005, the stars of that program, the horses, have never been put at the forefront. That has changed thanks to our photo essay in this edition.

Our people profiles for Winter 2018 include a story on Sarah O’Mary, a 23-year-old graphic designer who has successfully launched her own business, and Katrinka Uhles, a lady in Oakman who operates Granny’s Library, an antique shop unlike any other.

A Walker Magazine would not be complete without a focus on sports in our community. Highlighted inside this edition is the P-Town Wreckaz, a semi-pro football team that has brought gridiron fun back to Parrish.

Those features and many more are an assortment of the good things that our community has to offer, and that’s our focus for each edition of Walker Magazine.

Thanks for inviting us into your home or business through the reading of our magazine.

::: Subscribe to Walker Magazine! If you’re an out-of-towner, get a year of great stories right at your doorstep.

Call: (205) 221-2840 Email: editor@mountaineagle.com

::: Follow the Daily Mountain Eagle and Walker Magazine on Facebook for the latest community news!

::: submit an idea We are always eager to receive suggestions from our readers. Please email your ideas to walkermagazine@ mountaineagle.com.

::: advertise For any information needed on how to promote your products and services, call (205) 221-2840 or send an email to advertising@ mountaineagle.com.

James Phillips, Publisher

OnTheCover Taco, one of the many trained horses at the EASI (Equines Assisting Special Individuals) Ranch.

Photo by Scott Day

GetHooked!

For your entertainment we have placed this fishing hook (actual size) within the pages of Walker Magazine. This will be a permanent feature for our readers. We hope you enjoy searching for the fishing hook in each issue.

Happ y hunting!

Coming to Jasper in

2018!

Thanks to Jasper’s rock solid financial management, 2018 is looking incredibly promising.

ROAD IMPROVEMENTS: • Largest street paving project ever embarked upon in Jasper.

• Airport Road to be widened.

• Storm drainage repair for downtown area by the Jasper Civic Center.

• New street department equipment to support three repair teams.

• Streetscape downtown Jasper with new sidewalks and trees.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: • Many retailers interested in locating to Jasper.

• Poised for industrial recruitment.

• Spec building has business prospects.

OTHER: • New safety equipment for police and fire department employees.

• Prospective animal shelter.

• Any obstructions in Town Creek to be cleared.

• Possible annexation.

• New Revenue and Tax Compliance Department to go live.

“I’m as excited as I can be about 2018. I believe it’s going to be a really, really good year for the city in a lot of ways.”

- Mayor David O’Mary

Mayor David O’Mary District 1 Sonny Posey Inc. 1887

District 2 Danny Gambrell

District 3 Gary Cowen

District 4 Jennifer W. Smith

District 5 Willie Moore

(205) 221-2100 | 400 19th St. W, Jasper, AL 35501 | www.jaspercity.com

winter 2018 / 5

What’sInside 36 | The Good Stuff Upbeat curio shop finds home at historic library

08 | From The Vault Snow of ‘82 10 | Behind the Design Sarah O’Mary 18 | Parrish Proud P-Town Wreckaz 26 | The Superstars of EASI Getting to know each horse

8

10

36

26

18

44 | Community Calendar What’s going on in the county 46 | Snapshots Past events in Walker County 50 | We Are Walker County Jonathan Holladay

42 42 | Food for the Soul Pecan Pie

6 / Walker Magazine

50

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From The snow of

‘82

Compiled by Jennifer Cohron Photos courtesy of the Daily Mountain Eagle

Alan Parks of Jasper goes sledding after school is canceled for three days.

Walker County got its first measurable snowfall in four years on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 1982. Gov. Fob James called a state of emergency after what the Associated Press called “the worst winter storm in years.” A second winter storm followed on Jan. 14, adding one and a half inches of snow to the one inch that had already fallen. Schools and government offices in Walker County were closed for three days due to the snow, and over 3,000 residents lost power. County employees returned to work Jan. 18 on Robert E. Lee Day, a state holiday, to catch up on work from the previous week.

8 8 / / Walker Walker Magazine Magazine

6-year-old Stephanie Keeton poses with her Miss Piggy snow sculpture.

winter 2018 / 9

Behind the

Design

Sarah O’Mary’s first foray into having her own business came about when she was in high school.

“My sister and I had one of those vinyl cutting machines, kind of before everyone had one of their own. That’s where I started working for myself,” she said.

While in college at the University of Alabama, O’Mary started her own successful graphic design business, Sarah O’Mary Designs.

In the fall, O’Mary was hired to paint the backdrop for ABC 33/40’s Talk of Alabama set.

“Where they interview people on-set, they have this huge blank wall that moves so they can use both sides of it. On one of the sides, I painted a mural for them. I think it was 15 feet by 6 feet,” she said. “It was definitely the biggest thing I’ve ever painted. It was huge and took a long time and a lot of detail.”

She also recently painted a mural for Atlas Solutions, a business in downtown Birmingham.

“It was the same style of painting as Talk of Alabama, but it was just one in each room,” O’Mary said. “It was six conference rooms, and I painted one thing on each wall, like the Alabama Theatre sign, The Lyric sign, the Vulcan, Birmingham things like that.”

O’Mary has done several projects for R.U.F.F. (Rescuers United for Furbabies), a Walker County-based organization that works to promote animal welfare and educate the public on spay/neuter programs.

She designed R.U.F.F.’s logo, stationery and letterhead. She also designed a t-shirt for their 5K

Text by lea rizzo Art photos contributed by SARAH O’MARY Photography by scott day

10 / Walker Magazine

winter 2018 / 11

12 / Walker Magazine

Readers’

Choice Awards 2017

Changes Are Coming to

Jasper Mall!

Bath & Body Works • Belk • Carol’s • Cato • Cellairis • Deb & Co. • Factory Connection Fisher’s Men’s Shop • Garfield’s Restaurant & Pub • General Nutrition Center Hibbett Sports • Joe’s Shirt Shop • Lin Garden II • MasterCuts • Moon Day Spa • Nail Galaxy Prime Communications • Robin’s Nest • Shoe Dept. • Subway • Susan’s Hallmark The Children’s Place • The Jewelry Doctor • U.S. Military Career Center • Yogurt Street • Zales

Serving Walker And Surrounding Counties For 36 Years!

14 / Walker Magazine

Sarah O’Mary working on a commissioned illustration.

and helped put together a cookbook for the organization.

In addition, she donates 25 percent of her freelance proceeds to R.U.F.F. Her fiancé, Dr. Martin Roberts, serves as the nonprofit’s vice president as well as one of its veterinarians. The two became engaged shortly before Thanksgiving in 2017.

O’Mary decided on a career path midway through her junior year at UA. Since the university does not have a graphic design degree, she opted for an art degree with a focus on graphic design.

She was inspired by her graphic design teacher, who did freelance and contract work in addition to being an instructor.

Shortly thereafter, she started charging people for her graphic design work.

At Sarah O’Mary Designs, she creates logos and other branding for small businesses as well as watercolor, digital and acrylic paintings and contract work for a few t-shirt companies.

“I do invitations for weddings, birthdays, showers, any event you need an invitation for, basically,” O’Mary said. “That’s kind

of the main thing that I would really like to pursue. Invitations and logo designs, those are the things I love to do.”

Her focus on invitations started after she made save the date cards and invitations for her friend’s wedding.

“She let me do my thing for it and it ended up being fun,” O’Mary said.

Since graduating from UA in May 2016, O’Mary has worked for the University of Alabama as a graphic designer. She left that job in December 2017 to move back to Jasper and devote more time to working on her freelance business and other projects.

While in Tuscaloosa, she hosted classes in which she brought several of her own wreath designs and allowed attendees to pick and choose facets of each wreath to draw and create their own.

She plans to host similar classes in Walker County.

Since the beginning, O’Mary said she has experienced a great deal of support from the community.

“I would say 80 to 85 percent of all of my customers are from Jasper or have some kind of ties to Jasper,” she said. •

winter 2018 / 15

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Parrish, Alabama is the hometown base of the P-Town Wreckaz, a semi-pro football team which is a member of the Xtreme South Football League. Members of the team recently held a mini camp at Harland-Nelson Stadium in Parrish.

The P-Town Wreckaz are giving football fans in Parrish a reason to cheer again.

Since joining the Xtreme South Football League in 2016, the semi-professional football team has won two consecutive division championships and one conference championship.

The team went undefeated in 2017 before losing in the XSFL X-Bowl, which was played at Harland-Nelson Stadium in Parrish.

Team owner Nicholas Hammond, a former player and coach himself, said he couldn’t be prouder of his team and how well the players have performed over the past two years.

“Our players are all about their love for the game and their love of community,” Hammond said.

The P-Town Wreckaz is one of 1,600 teams in the United States categorized as semi-pro, minor league, professional development, senior amateur or adult amateur in over 60 different leagues.

The team hits the field each Saturday starting in late February and plays each weekend through the second week in June.

Most of the players, who range in age from 20 to over 40, have played football in high school or college and want to continue

Text and Photography

by Elane Jones

winter 2018 / 19

competing until their eligibility has been exhausted.

Team members do not get paid to play. They purchase their own equipment and pay for their transportation and lodging for games.

Hammond, a Parrish native, saw the need for a semi-pro team after returning to Walker County in 2007 and realizing that local men were traveling to Birmingham and as far away as south Alabama to continue playing the game they loved.

In 2014, the town suffered a blow when Parrish High School was closed, ending the tradition of Friday night football.

“The high school had just been closed, and folks were really down,” said Hammond, who currently serves as the director of the town’s Park and Recreation department. “Our town needed a boost back up, so I decided to talk with the guys about starting a semi-pro football team here. They were all excited about the idea, and several of them pointed me in the right direction.”

Hammond talked with a couple of other semi-pro owners who already had teams playing in the XSFL. “The XSFL has been around for seven years, and after talking with some of the owners, it just seemed like the perfect fit for us,” Hammond said. “So we went with it, and the success of our team has just been phenomenal.”

Hammond said he never thought things would get to the point they have so quickly.

“It has just been awesome. Our team started off with 54 players on a 55-man roster our first year,” Hammond said.

“That’s 54 players out of about 100 who tried out.”

Hammond said tryouts that first year were small in number at first. He estimated 25 players each week tried out the first couple of weeks. But after the third week, players were coming from everywhere.

“Things took hold, and our team literally took off running,” Hammond said.

The P-Town Wreckaz were ranked 82 out of the top 100 semi-pro teams in the United States in their first year of play and

Players of P-Town Wreckaz met at the Harland-Nelson Stadium in Parrish to better their skills at the team’s mini camp held in November 2017.

20 / Walker Magazine

winter 2018 / 21

cracked the top 20 in their second year, according to Hammond.

The head coach is 41-year-old Dion Oliver, who graduated from Parrish High School in 1995.

Oliver, who played a variety of sports in high school, coached football and basketball at Parrish in 2005 and 2006. He has been coaching semi-pro football since the P-Town Wreckaz was established.

“It’s exciting to be a part of this team and this program because I know this has the potential to be something big, especially for the high school football players in our community who may not get to go to college,” Oliver said. “We have scouts who come out to watch our players perform, and we’ve even had players who have gone through the NFL draft process, and I see this program continuing to grow. ” One of the team’s coaches, 25-year-old Stephen Sides, played 22 / Walker Magazine

football for Walker High School for three years before graduating in 2010.

He coached for the Alabama Sting, a semi-pro team in Tuscaloosa, before deciding he wanted to play rather than coach.

He has been with the P-Town Wreckaz for the past two seasons as an offensive lineman and special teams player.

“This year I decided my playing days were over, but I still wanted to be a part of this program. So when the position for the offensive lineman coach came open, I interviewed for the position and got it. So things have come full circle for me, and being a part of this team has been a real blessing,” Sides said.

Josh Walls, the team’s offensive coordinator, said being a part of the team is a blessing for him as well.

“I made a bad decision when I was younger that took me away from the game I love for a while,” Walls said. “But it was a blessing when Nick decided to start this football program here in Parrish. Now we have a way for the young guys in our community who might not make it to college to keep playing football.”

Walls says he has enjoyed watching the crowds at Wreckaz games every Saturday.

“When the team first started out, there were 25 or 30 people coming to our home games. Now we’re up to almost packing the stands on the home side of the field,” Walls said. “It has not only given us (the team) a sense of pride, it also gives our families and this community a sense of pride, which was Nick’s vision when he started the program.”

Walls said he hopes to be a part of the program for a long time to come.

“Having a semi-pro football team in Walker County not only gives the young high school players in our community a way to continue playing the game they love, it gives the football fans more football on the weekends,” Walls said.

The P-Town Wreckaz will open their 2018 season in early March ranked first in their division. •

Players gear up for their third season in the XSFL.

winter 2018 / 23

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The

Superstars of

easi

There was excitement at the EASI Ranch in July when Donka, a 5-year-old Gypsy Vanner, arrived from Tennessee.

Donka (shortened from Badonkadonk) is the youngest horse to join the therapeutic riding program since it was founded in Jasper in 2005. She is also the only mare in the EASI herd, a colorful cast of characters whose unique backstories and personalities make them the perfect companions for the range of special needs they encounter with riders.

Last spring, college students from Georgia Southern painted the names of each member of the EASI herd on the wooden fence across from the barn. The brightly-colored fence posts resemble a rustic version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a fitting tribute to the superstars of the EASI Ranch.

“Without them, we don’t have a program,” said EASI executive director Christie Stanley.

Text by jennifer cohron | Photos by scott day

26 / Walker Magazine

winter 2018 / 27

The Gentle Giant At 30, this American Quarter Horse is both the oldest and longest-serving member of the herd. He is also an introvert — a rare breed in the EASI barn. Before joining the program, Tank was owned by Kim Hall, EASI’s first executive director, and her husband.

“When he came, his name was Doc, but there was already a Doc here, so his name changed to Tank,” said Anna Redmill, one of EASI’s PATH International certified therapeutic riding instructors.

Tank, once the go-to horse for heavier riders, is now semi-retired and primarily used for young clients. While other horses require their riders to be assertive, Tank teaches them how to use a light touch while in the saddle. He needs little more than a whisper and a nudge to respond.

Wise and gentle, Tank is the Yoda of EASI. “He is the old soul of the barn. He knows his job, and he loves his job,” said Christie Stanley.

The Escape Artist Taco’s blue eyes make this 26-year-old American Paint Horse one of the most popular members of the EASI barn. Among the volunteers, Taco is known as a mischief-maker. His favorite trick is unlocking his stall, which came as a great surprise to Stanley the first time he poked his head inside the barn office. A second lock was quickly installed to prevent future escapes. However, Taco keeps in practice by making a show of opening the top lock when a group has gathered in the barn. He, along with Tank and Gonzo, are the core members of the EASI herd.

“He and his buddy Lance would much rather hang out with humans than the rest of the horses. I think they think they’re people,” Redmill said.

28 / Walker Magazine

winter 2018 / 29

The Comeback Kid Gonzo, a 23-year-old American Quarter Horse, is the ideal poster child for the program. He loves people, and he loves to travel. When it’s time to make a public appearance, Gonzo is ready to ride.

“He kind of gets bored here sometimes because he has been doing this for so long, but when you take him off-site, he brightens up,” Redmill said.

Gonzo’s many fans would never suspect that he suffered a great loss before coming to EASI. He was a witness to the death of his best friend, who was killed in an accident after the two escaped the pasture they shared.

After joining EASI, Gonzo overcame his grief and found his calling. He is ideal for any rider and also serves as the unofficial greeter at the barn.

“He is our number one therapy horse. He’s a superstar,” Redmill said.

The Sweetheart Lance, like Taco, is an American Paint Horse, though he is 12 years younger than his blue-eyed counterpart. Also like Taco, Lance has a favorite trick — knocking things off of his stall and swinging his rope when a school group is in the barn.

“I don’t think it’s an attention-getter. He’s just bored,” Stanley said.

In addition to being high-energy, Lance is known for his friendliness. Female visitors are drawn to him because they mistake his constant invasion of personal space as a sign of affection. He is often paired with independent riders because he was a lesson horse at Meridith Manor, an accredited equestrian career college in West Virginia, before coming to EASI. After spending 23 hours a day in a stall for his previous role, Lance’s sensitive skin has not yet adapted to life at EASI. “He has returned to the barn with a scratch or two so often that we think wrapping him in BubbleWrap may be the only way to protect him,” said Holly Crowe, another of EASI’s PATH International certified therapeutic riding instructors.

The Eager Greeter Before he was a therapy horse, this 12-year-old American Quarter Horse worked cattle. Learning patience was the only challenge Cowboy had in making the transition from the fastpace life of his past.

“The ones who work cattle have to be on high alert all the time. Here, we want them to be totally relaxed and tuned in to what you’re doing right there and not tuned out to trying to keep a cow in line,” Redmill said.

Cowboy loves when visitors come to the barn and is quick to make his presence known.

“When a group comes, he has his head out. He is so ready for them to come. He stares you down until you come and love on him,” Redmill said.

30 / Walker Magazine

The Hunk This 11-year-old Haflinger was brought in from Heflin about a year ago as Tank entered semi-retirement. His short, stocky frame makes him ideal for carrying heavier riders. Chunky, who has little tolerance for erratic riders, is also used to teach the importance of leg position and self-control.

“The idea is to teach them that if you act this way, there is a reaction. He’s very good for that,” said Sheray Chappell, one of EASI’s PATH International certified Equine Specialists in Mental Health and Learning (ESMHL) instructors.

If Tank is the Yoda of EASI, then Chunk is the program’s Fabio. Long, blond hair covers his eyes, and he is very expressive.

“He’s very vocal. If you hear a whinny or a neigh, it’s usually coming from him,” Redmill said.

The Relationship Builder At nearly 17 hands, or 5 feet, 8 inches, Woody is the tallest horse at EASI. The day before joining the program, Woody helped rescue a 1,500-pound bull from Smith Lake. The 10-year-old American Quarter Horse came to EASI with Cowboy.

Woody also previously worked cattle but has had a more difficult time adapting to being a therapy horse. Woody is slow to trust and always on alert for danger. He sizes up visitors with a glance and turns his broad backside on those who approach him with the wrong attitude.

“If you go into his stall to put a halter on him and you’ve had too much coffee or have been stressed out on a phone call, he senses that.

You’ve got to go self-regulate before he lets you interact with him,” Redmill said.

Woody works with veterans and troubled youth — clients who can identify with his struggles and feel a sense of accomplishment as they slowly earn the respect of such a powerful creature.

winter 2018 / 31

The Snack Lover Rebel, a 10-year-old American Quarter Horse, came out of retirement to join EASI. “The day he got here, we thought he was going to need work because he had been in a pasture for three years, but he went straight into lesson,” Stanley said.

Rebel’s relaxed nature makes him ideal for riders who struggle with self-control in the saddle, and his stubbornness is useful in teaching timid riders how to be more assertive.

Rebel is also known for his love of daily naps and mealtime.

“Rebel enjoys eating so much that you can often find him snacking on birdseed in the gazebo,” Crowe said.

The Pony Just as Rebel is sometimes mistaken for a pregnant horse, Chip is often mistaken for a foal.

The 8-year-old Paint Pony makes up for his small size by being overly assertive. He is the undisputed leader of larger horses like Woody.

Chip also shares something in common with many of his riders — a physical disability.

He has a locking stifle, which causes him to walk with a limp.

“He is a great learning tool because a person can see that the horse has a disability but still has a purpose,” Stanley said.

DONKA The New Kid

Donka was awarded to the EASI Ranch following an online contest hosted by the LexLin Gypsy Ranch.

EASI was one of 20 centers throughout the nation to receive a Gypsy Vanner after receiving more than 17,000 fan votes. Tim Appling, another certified ESMHL at EASI, spearheaded the campaign for EASI to win Donka. “He put in the hard work on Facebook,” Stanley said.

Donka spent only a short time in the barn before being relocated to No Bull Horsemanship in Tennessee for training. Thanks to her size and easygoing temperament, Donka is expected to take a lead role in EASI’s veterans program.

32 / Walker Magazine

winter 2018 / 33

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Upbeat curio shop finds home at historic library Text and Photos by dale short

Lots of grannies have libraries, but not many have a whole building devoted to them.

This granny’s fascination with the one-room stone structure in downtown Oakman that now bears the name “Granny’s Library: Vintage and Unique Finds” out front began in the 1960s. “I’d see it as a kid while riding the school bus. I didn’t realize until a lot later that it was actually built as a library,” says Katrinka Uhles [pronounced Yules].

The Workers Project Administration used rock from a nearby quarry to build the Oakman Library and several other buildings downtown in the 1930s, including the fire station (when it was city hall), a canal, and the school’s old gym and home economics building.

Nowadays Granny’s Library only traffics in books incidentally; it’s mainly a repository of interesting historic objects, from paintings to Polaroid cameras to turntables to hot water bottles to old-fashioned tabletop juke boxes from truck stops. Katrinka’s distinctive first name has its own complicated history: her mother thought she’d invented the name, only to find out later that it’s popular in Dutch, Swedish, and German. “Back when gift shops sold dolls with names on them, there were always just Katrinas. Then one year when

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Katrinka Uhles in the midst of the one-room curio shop “Granny’s Library.”

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my family was on vacation in Oklahoma, a store had a shelf called ‘Dolls from Around the World’ and I found a Katrinka from Germany.”

The building that’s now Granny’s Library remained merely a fascination with her until several years ago when she became a cancer survivor. “I thought, we’re not promised tomorrow,” she recalls, “so why not go for it?” Her first inventory came from closets and sheds (“My husband and I have always liked ‘stuff,’” she says, and adds with a grin, “Not junk.

There’s a difference.”) Gradually they added to their holdings with occasional items from yard sales, estate sales, and flea markets.

The ideal “stuff” for her shop, she says, is “something that two hundred people could see and not notice, but one person can look at it and immediately want it.”

Occasionally her favorite stuff gets away and she has second thoughts after selling it. The tabletop juke box fits that category (“We could have sold a dozen if we’d had them”), as does a vintage clothes washer/wringer that worked like new.

“Now, I wish I’d kept it as a conversation piece,” she says. An original Mickey Mouse Club LP now holds one of the maybe, maybe-not designations.

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Conversations, not sales, are how she measures the success of her shop, she says. “People come to see the building,” she says. “I’ve only met one person who remembers using it when it was actually a library. This place is not so much about selling stuff as it is talking about memories. In fact, she says she’s taken most of the price tags off over the years.

“People ask me if I sell on eBay, and I say ‘Lord, no.’ I’m less about the selling and more about the looking and talking. I don’t open when its too hot or too cold. I come when I feel like it. So it’s a hobby, more or less.” A semi-retired bookkeeper, she works in Birmingham.

Steamer trunks and glassware remain among her most popular items, she says, though the market has changed a great deal in recent years. “Five years ago you could afford to buy and resell lots of things, but that was before prices went up” with the “American Pickers” TV phenomenon. Which is why the word “antique” isn’t anywhere in her signage. “’Antique’ scares everybody to death” regarding prices, she says.

Still, some unusual items find their way in under the radar. One of her granddaughters noticed that a book on the shelf was a first-edition copy of Edgar Allan Poe and took it home for safekeeping. There’s a manual typewriter in mint

Previous page A sampling of the shop’s range of vintage ​merchandise.

This page The distinctive stonework of the building was obtained from nearby quarries in the 1930s.

condition that works like new but understandably could use a replacement ribbon which is probably not manufactured any more. One item conjures memories that seem to elevate it beyond pricing and selling: a child’s shirt, homemade from printed flour-sack fabric.

The book section of the store consists largely of John Grisham titles and 1960s encyclopedias. “I tell kids that the encyclopedias were my computer,” she says. Most of the sets were bought from Farmstead School when it closed.

The atmosphere of the place is so laid-back that some regular customers actually use the library for its original purpose: borrowing a fiction title and returning it when they’re done.

There’s a handful of other items that are not for sale, such as a small antique library table. “People have made offers for it, and I know they get aggravated when it’s not available,” she says.

Though she’s a bookkeeper by trade, the shop’s columns of red and black ink take a back seat to the experience itself. “Nobody would hire me to sell things for them,” she says. “I’m not any good at it.”

But somehow the process all works out — the clouds of items migrating perpetually, however the mood strikes, between house and garage and shop. And some of the pieces actually find a customer along the way. “If you’re not careful,” she says, “you can accumulate a lot of stuff real quick.” •

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The president of the Walker County Homemakers/Community Leaders Organization in Jasper, Linda Sprayberry of Jasper, shared this pecan pie recipe, which was handed down to her by her grandmother, Annice Zane Wynn, who lived in Cairo, GA, where Linda was born.

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42 / Walker Magazine

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january – march

CommunityCalendar To submit major community events for consideration in the next issue, send them to walkermagazine@mountaineagle.com.

january 12 walker county lake reopens The Walker County Public Fishing Lake in Jasper will be open six days a week from sunrise to sunset through December 11, 2018. The lake is closed on Wednesdays.

Fish species include largemouth and hybrid striped bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, channel catfish and crappie. The lake’s facilities include a boat ramp, fishing pier, restrooms, boat/canoe rentals, bait, tackle and snacks. For more information, contact the lake manager, Charlie Skalnik at (205) 221-1801. january 15 king day march for non-violence The King Day March for Non-Violence is held each year in Jasper to honor and remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, message and legacy. The march will begin at noon at A.P. Howell Coke Oven Park and end with a program at the Percy L. Goode Community Center. january 16 “waterways” smithsonian exhibit The “WaterWays” Smithsonian Exhibit will be open Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. through February 23 at the Bankhead House and Heritage Center in Jasper.

Admission is free. Visit during the exhibit and register to win a half day guided fly fishing trip for two at the Riverside Fly Shop.

january 28 Candlelight prayer service on the square The Pregnancy Test and Resource Center will host a candlelight prayer service from 7:30 p.m. until 8:15 p.m. for Sanctity of Human Life month on the Courthouse Square in Downtown Jasper. Candles will be provided. Attendees may bring their own candle and/or chair. february 2 ptrc celebrating the gift of life gala The Pregnancy Test and Resource Center’s annual gala will be held at the Jasper Civic Center. For more information, contact the PTRC at (205) 221-5860. february 10 “Waterways” heritage fun day The “WaterWays” Heritage Fun Day will be held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Bankhead House and Heritage Center in Jasper.

A “Give Back” Water Drive will also be held to benefit first responders. You can join in by giving back to the people who protect us every day by dropping off cases of water during the hours of operation listed above. (This event will be canceled in the event of inclement weather.) february 10 jasper freeze disc golf tournament Grip ‘N Rip will host the Jasper Freeze Disc Golf Tournament at the North Jasper disc golf course. You may pre-register online at discgolfscene.com. Late registration begins at 8:30 on February 10 for any available spots.

february 23 trivia night The Rotary Club of Jasper will host its annual Trivia Night fundraiser at the Jasper Civic Center. Teams compete over their knowledge of various topics for prizes and bragging rights. march 11 daylight saving time Remember to set your clocks forward one hour at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March. Also remember to change the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. march 17 color run 4 kids Beginning and ending at Gamble Park, the Children Services of the Arc of Walker County will host its first annual Color Run 4 Kids 5K. To register call (205) 387-0564 or go to active.com. The cost to run is $35.

Registration sign-in will begin at 8 a.m. and the run starts at 9 a.m. march 20 spring begins Spring officially begins with the spring equinox (also called the March or vernal equinox) at 12:15 p.m. This event marks the astronomical first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. So enjoy the increasing hours of daylight, from earlier sunrises to later sunsets.

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