Cullman County Good Life Magazine - Fall 22

CULLMAN COUNTY

Remember those odd-ball roadside attractions? Steve Maze does

The house of Richter ... part of the family for 124 years and counting FALL 2022 | COMPLIMENTARY

Yep, WildWater is the perfect name for Cullman’s newest park

Cosmetic and Family Dentistry Featuring: Porcelain Veneers, Dental Implants, Crowns, Bridges, Zoom Whitening, and Full Smile Rehabilitations.

Using the Art of Cutting Edge Technology At Dental Arts we have invested in cutting edge dental technology including 3D cone beam x-rays for precise implant placement, scanning and milling our own crowns in house allowing for faster case completion, and 3D printers for night guards and clear aligners. This investment in the latest dental technology and digital workflow gives us the ability to provide quicker service to our patients, while not sacrificing the quality you are used to from our office.

At Dental Arts we are striving daily to help our patients SMILE MORE!

Dental Arts is located in the new North Alabama Wellness Center on 4th Ave NE, across the street and a half block south of the Folsom Center.

Dr. Kari L. Bartlett, owner

Dr. Kaitlin Byerly

205 4th Ave NE Suite 101 Cullman, AL 35055

256-739-5533 www.dentalartscullman.com

MY DOCTOR KNOWS ME If you’re looking for a primary care doctor, you want someone who knows you. With Cullman Regional Medical Group, you’re more than just a patient – you’re the center of it all.

Visit CullmanRegionalMedicalGroup.com

SAME DAY APPOINTMENTS 256-297-8952

We’ll meet you there.

On-the-go banking is a snap with the Citizens Bank & Trust mobile app.

Community events, school ball games, shopping with friends… wherever life takes you, our mobile app* means banking convenience is right there, too. Need to check your balance? Check. Deposit that birthday check you just found in your wallet? Snap, click, done. With the mobile app from Citizens Bank & Trust there’s no need to miss anything. From the latest technology to friendly bankers, you can count on Citizens to be there in a big way.

Please stop in to say hello at our downtown Cullman location and watch for our new location coming soon on Hwy 157.

223 2nd Avenue SE, Cullman 256-841-6600 • citizensbanktrust.com

*Third party fees for data, messaging, Internet may apply.

Albertville 256-878-9893 4

Arab 256-931-4600

AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022

Cullman 256-841-6600

Elkmont 256-732-4602

Guntersville 256-505-4600

Hazel Green 256-828-1611

New Hope 256-723-4600

Rogersville 256-247-0203

Gotta love those seasonal dishes!

Seasons change, but food quality at Augusta’s remains consistently great. Some menu items, however, change with the seasons, which adds to the delight of eating there. Because “seasonal” means garden fresh.

Owner Deb Veres grew up in Cullman helping her parents – Al and Dot Christianson – and grandparents – Otto and Augusta – garden during the summer.

“Everybody gardened then,” she says. “And what you gardened, you ate that summer.

Or canned it to eat that winter or next spring.”

Beyond the freshness, Deb says, the vegetables and fruits on the table tasted all the better knowing she’d helped pick them.

She vividly recalls helping Augusta pick strawberries on one of those days when the moon is visible in the afternoon.

“I was picking them and eating some of them and said, ‘Grandma, look! There’s the moon!’”

“Debbie,” she said in her always calm, non-critical way, “people who see the moon during the day are lazy.”

“I knew from her tone that Seasonally fresh strawberry cheesecake. it was OK – I was young and she wasn’t mad at me. But she wanted me to know something valid – if you were looking up at the moon, you were not working. She was sharing her wisdom, and I listened. But she also pushed for wearing bonnets,” Deb grins, “and that did not fly.”

Deb says she would love to eat Augusta’s food today (so much so, she named the restaurant for her). It was always fresh. Which is why Deb and Josh, her son and coowner, make it a point to cook seasonally fresh dishes at Augusta’s.

Like her grandmother. Deb also cooks with love – that ingredient that can’t be quantitatively measured but which inexplicably comes through as goodness.

“Maybe,” she humbly adds, “my kids think that about me.”

Truth be known, her customers can taste the love, too.

Open Tues.-Thurs, 4-8:30 / Fri.-Sat. 11-10

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Baked fresh at the restaurant, Augusta’s always serves seasonal cheesecakes, such as the caramelized pecan delight above, which Deb just drizzled with caramel sauce.

Also fresh these days are squash, broccoli and cucumbers and Deb’s delicious squash casserole, left. |

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Welcome

This isn’t quite farewell yet ... we still have one more issue for you

W

hen Sheila McAnear and I started Good Life Magazine in 2013, we made it a point not to make it a newspaper. But we do have a bit of breaking news for you – this current fall cycle is the next to the last issues of the magazine we’ll publish.

We made the decision at the beginning of this year. Sheila’s a lot younger than I am, but previously worked 27 years at The

Arab Tribune then nine more with GLM. She’s ready for a different line of work.

I’d worked 35 years at papers in Alabama when we left the Trib in 2013 to start Good Life magazines both here and in Marshall County. I’ll be 71 when our final issues come out for Nov.-Dec.-Jan. There are other things I’d like to write, and I suppose I’ll always want to shoot pictures, but I’d also like to enjoy more

time with my very understanding wife, Diane, and, we hope, do some traveling.

Ad sales are going about as strong as ever, which also makes this a good time to retire. We think too much of the magazine to ever want to see it on life-support.

So, this isn’t farewell. Not quite yet. We still have a few non-news stories to share.

Contributors Deb Laslie, who owned a bookstore in Cullman until a few years ago, seems to have taken well to retirement. One of her goals was to read an entire book series in order. “Done!”she crows. Read about it in her reviews in this issue.

David Myers has had no problem keeping busy since retirement.

But in spite of deckbuilding, novel-writing and Rose’s honey-do list, he finds time to try out local eateries.

As he likes to say: “No matter how busy you may be, you still gotta eat!”

After writing in this issue about the national decline in roadside attractions, Steve Maze says his new bucket list is a trip in search of possible surviving examples.

“Used to be that the only thing on my bucket list,” he says, “was KFC”.

While writing an organ story for Cullman, Seth Terrell played in the Grant Ultimate Frisbee League. “I realized I still have a few athletic bursts of greatness,” he says proudly. Then confesses, “They just come a lot more seldom at age 37.”

Liz Smith enjoyed the fun at last year’s county fair where she shot photos for this issue. With an aerospace engineer dad who moved a lot, she’s been to fairs in seven states. Some funnel cakes, she observes, are better than others.

Jacquelyn Hall daydreams of a marginally less chaotic kitchen – with four kids, there’s always someone in there – so she can indulge not only her creative side but her “foody” side by cooking all the scrumptious recipes folks give her.

Renowned Guntersville photographer Monica Martin shot a home spread feature for the spring 2021 Marshall County issue of GLM. Called in clutch during July, she did a great job shooting the home of the Rev. Dr. John and Tiffany Richter.

Building the ad for Mitch Smith in this issue, Sheila McAnear realized she’s never visited Clarkson Covered Bridge. “As soon as we finish the fall issues,” she says, “I intend to explore it and maybe find a nearby walking trail to enjoy, too.”

Magazine deadlines invariably put David Moore in a time squeeze. So, after missing three weeks in pursuit of needed fun this summer, the publisher/editor was re-reminded of the downside of vacations – returning to work.

Mo Mc PUBLISHING LLC

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AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022

David F. Moore Publisher/editor | 256-293-0888 david.goodlifemagazine@gmail.com

Vol. 10 No. 1 Copyright 2022 Published quarterly

Sheila T. McAnear Advertising/art director | 256-640-3973 sheila.goodlifemagazine@gmail.com

MoMc Publishing LLC P.O. Box 28, Arab, Al 35016 www.good-life-magazine.net

Samuel Tucker

Erik Harris

Jim Cheatham

Adam Aker

Sales

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A Cullman County Landmark . . .

Sales

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Dylan Curvin

Billy Hulsey

Sales

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Tiffany Hulsey

Wayne Day

Sales

Cust. Exp. Amb.

Jesse Ramirez

Summer Calvert

Sales

Title Clerk

1655 Cherokee Avenue SW • Cullman, Alabama Oscar Ramirez

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www.MSCHEVY.com Shelley Stewart

Sales

Dustin Hembree Used Vehicle Mgr.

Office Manager

Randy Lamb

New Vehicle Mgr.

Tim Calvert

General Sales Mgr.

Sharon Smith Dealer

Paul Schaffer General Manager

Shelia Windsor F & I Manager

Wayne King F & I Manager

Christie Bright BDC Manager

Inside 11 | Good Fun

There’s a bountiful crop of events for your fall enjoyment

16 | Good People

Charlie Childers knows the county fair, inside and out

20 | Good Reads

A ‘chick-list’ book or a series, should you accept the mission

23 | Good Cooking

You can be glad Megan Bear chose baking over engineering

32 | Good Getaways

As the saying goes, ‘There ain’t no ham like a Birmingham”

36 | House of Richter

John and Tiffany are living in a 124-year-old family tradition

44 | Good Eats

Brothers on Smith Lake serves upscale food in a casual ambiance

46 | Remember these?

Travel with Steve Maze down a nostalgic roadside of attractions

51 | Palliative care

The Steils’ new clinic likely to change what you think you know

59 | WildWater

Grab your bathing suit and the kids and prepare to have a blast

64 | Missing pipe organ Musical void at Sacred Heart is expected to change beautifully

69 | Out ‘n’ About

Color, sights, sounds, exhibits, pageants among fair traditions On the cover | A quiet creek reflects fall-infused trees in the woods of Cullman County.

Photo by David Moore.

This page | A half-moon looks down on the Ferris wheel at Cullman County Fair. Photo by Liz Smith.

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Good Fun

The choices you have are plentiful this fall • Aug. 5-6 – Rock the South Alabama and Morgan Wallen will take the most famous stage in Cullman along with HARDY, Jamey Johnson, Koe Wetzel, Jimmie Allen, Colt Ford, Matt Stell and Dee Jay Silver at the 2022 Rock the South music festival.

Morgan Wallen has over 4 billion streams, multi-platinum certifications and four consecutive chart-toppers.

His “Dangerous: The Double Album,” debuted in January 2021 at #1 on the Billboard 200 Albums. It was the biggest ever streaming week for a country album; and in March set the all-time record for longest duration in that #1 spot.

Playing a homecoming concert in their home state, Alabama will show why their claim to fame includes 21 straight #1 hits – a record never equaled in any genre. The most successful country band of the 1980s, they developed an energetic crossover sound combining mainstream country with an electric Southern rock element.

As a quartet they accumulated 32 No. 1 singles, sold more than 73 million albums, are in the Country Music Hall of Fame and have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The festival will again be held at York Farms, 1872 County Road 469, just west of Cullman.

General admission tickets for

There’s always engaging entertainment at 2nd Fridays. File photo by David Moore. the weekend are $139.99 or $150 at the gate. VIP tickets – with airconditioned tent, lounge seating, tables, private bar and private restrooms – are $349.99. RV parking and car camping are available. For more info or to order tickets: www. rockthesouth.com.

• Aug. 12 – 2nd Friday Shop late, eat great and have a blast as this popular event wraps up for 2022.

Enjoy a diverse range of activities, including discounts and specials at area boutiques and restaurants, lots of live entertainment, an antique and

classic car cruise-in, extended hours at the Festhalle Farmers Market, inflatables and other kid fun and loads of food trucks and beverages.

It all happens 5-10 pm at in the Downtown Entertainment District along First Street from Depot Park to Busy Bee Café.

Second Fridays are sponsored by Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce, Cullman Downtown Merchants and Cullman Parks, Recreation, & Sports Tourism. For more info: see 2ndFridaysCullman on Facebook.

• Aug. 12 – Second Friday Bunco/ Bingo

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Sacred Heart of Jesus concludes its 2nd Fridays participation with bunco and bingo in its Family Life Center. The Women’s Altar Society and Knights of Columbus are hosting bingo starting at 4:30 pm (50 cents and $1 per card) and bunco from 6-8 pm in another room ($20 per person, $35 for two). Monetary prizes will be awarded to winning attendees.

Brisket sandwich plates, hot dogs and drinks will be available for purchase.

Games are open to all. Proceeds will benefit Sacred Heart School and the church’s organ fund campaign.

• Aug. 23 – Fall Vegetable Gardening Held at 6 pm, this Living Landscape Class is taught by Tony Glover and covers varieties that grow best here and when to plant and harvest.

All adult programs at the North Alabama Agriplex are $10.

Registration ends Aug. 22. For more programs, visit: agriplex.org.

• Sept. 4-5 – Sweet Tater Festival & Car Show

Get ready to love yourself some sweet taters … and fun. The 26th Annual Sweet Tater Festival returns to Smith Lake Park to extend Labor Day weekend for thousands of your closest friends. Hours are 9 am-6 pm Sunday; 9 am-4 pm Monday.

Admission is $5 for the weekend.

Vendors will be selling arts, crafts and food. There will be music both days, fun for the kiddies and the pool will be opened for its last splash of the season.

The Cruise Fest and Swap Meet will be held from 9 am-2 pm Monday.

Cruise Fest registration is 7-11 am and $15. Expect more than 100 vehicles. For more information, call: David Speegle, 256-385-1401. And of course there will be lots of sweet taters donated by the Cullman County Sweet Potato Growers.

Need more information? Call: Smith Lake Park, 256-739-2916; or visit: www.cullmancountyparks. com; or Smith Lake Park Sweet Tater Festival on FB. • Sept. 9 – Caterpillar to Butterfly

Explore the miracle of the butterfly life cycle with fluttering fun. The Little Farmers program for ages 3-5 is from 10-11 am at the North Alabama Agriplex. All Little Farmers programs are $5. For more children’s programs, visit: agriplex.org.

• Sept. 10 – Animals on the Farm Meet and greet your farmyard friends at the Agriplex, while learning about their different jobs on the farm. It’s one of the Agriplex’s Farm Kids Club programs conducted on Saturdays each month from 9-10:30 am at the Agriplex Heritage Center.

These programs are for children 5 and up accompanied by an adult.

Class fees are $10, per child. Adults are free, and there is a max program cost of $20. For more children’s programs, visit: agriplex.org.

• Sept. 28 – German dinner The annual Oktoberfest German Dinner will be held at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church’s Family Life Center from 4-7 pm Wednesday. The meal consists of bratwurst (meat by

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AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022

Brickyard Meats) and German-style kraut, German potato salad, green beans, applesauce, bread and dessert for $15. There are no children’s meals this year.

Sponsored by the Women’s Altar Society, the event this year is drivethru only; follow signs at church.

• Sept. 29-Oct. 1 – Oktoberfest Celebrate Cullman’s German heritage – and have a blast – at this big, annual event. Enjoy a pint of locally brewed beer, have a traditional German brat, and enjoy both modern and German music throughout the festival. Register now to run the big annual 5K/10K, or enter your dachshund in the popular wiener dog races.

Oktoberfest is a great place for the family, and the furry, four-legged family members are always welcome.

Be sure to grab a picture with our beloved Hay People before you leave.

It all happens in the area of Festhalle Farmer’s Market and the Warehouse/Entertainment District.

For a complete schedule, updates on

call: Doug Davenport, 256-590-2667; or Sara Morgan, 256-347-8334.

entertainment and registration, visit Cullman Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism’s office or website: www. cullmanrecreation.org; or Cullman Oktoberfest on FB. • Oct. 1 – Catch a $15K stringer Go fishin’ and festin’ at Smith Lake Park’s annual Bass Fest. Expect a crowd of anglers who think they’re better than you and who are out to catch the top prize of a guaranteed $15,000.

Big fish nets $500, as does the top parent-child team. Top 40 anglers qualify for a payout of $5,000 to $130, with $1,000 going to places 10, 20, 30 and 40.

During the day, from 9 am-6 pm, there’ll be music, vendors and other fun activities at the park beach area where weigh-in will be held.

Deadline for the $150 online/mailin registration fee is Sept. 23, and a mandatory meeting will be held at 6 pm Sept. 20 at the Agriculture Trade Center.

For details and registration visit: www.smithlakeparkbassfest.com; or

• Oct. 1 – Fair Parade The annual parade starts at 2 pm and runs along US 31 from Cullman First Baptist Church to McGriff Tire and Service. Cost to enter is $20.

Registration is from 9 am, Sept. 6, to noon Sept. 28 at the fair office at Sportsman Lake Park.

• Oct. 4 – Little Pink Dress Put on your adorable pink dress and enjoy a ladies night out to benefit the Cullman County Bosom Buddies Foundation.

Enjoy a night of fun with Chat and Chew, Active Adult Senior Kickers, the Wallace State Jazz Band, live and silents auctions, door prizes and more. Bid on silent auction items, receive a complimentary photo and a gift bag containing coupons provided by sponsors.

Cullman County Bosom Buddies Foundation is an all-volunteer, nonprofit that assists area men, women and children, in treatment programs

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for types of cancers with day-to-day living expenses.

Doors open at Loft 212 at 5:30 pm with dinner and program from 6-9 pm.

Tickets are $60 and available through Judy Grissom at Options (2201 2nd Ave. NW/256-3475993) and online at: www. cullmanbosombuddies.com.

• Oct. 6-15 – Cullman County Fair The gates open and the fun begins at 5 pm, Thursday. Before the fair closes, some 40,000 people on average will have attended.

Sponsored by the Cullman Lions Club, there will be pageants, entertainment and tons of exhibits, prizes and rides on the big midway.

Fairgrounds admission is free for kids 9 and under; $7 for all others.

Buy a mega-pass armband (starting after Labor Day at any branch of People’s Bank or at the fair office; price to be determined) for admission and unlimited rides.

Admission and individual ride tickets are available at the fair, as well

as arm bands for all-day, unlimited rides.

Gates are open for general admission to the fairgrounds, highflying trapeze and Globe of Death motorcycle shows 5-10 pm weeknights and 2 pm both Saturdays and Sunday, Oct. 9. For more info on rides, entertainment, exhibits and pageants call or visit: www.cullmanfair.org; or call: 256-734-0661.

Admission is free to Cullman public, private and home school students Oct. 10, noon-5 pm. Senior Citizens Day, free to seniors and offering special programs, is Oct. 13 from 10 am-12:30 pm. For more on the fair, see pages 1619 and 69-71. For complete info on fair entries and schedules and more, visit: cullmanfair.org.

• Oct. 17 – Caring for Cullman Concert Award-winning Triumphant Quartet and Christian comedian and author Mickey Bell will entertain again at the annual Caring for Cullman Concert.

Doors to Cullman’s Northbrook Baptist Church open at 5 pm and the show starts at 6.

As always, all proceeds and a love offering taken during the concert go to support Cullman’s non-profit Good Samaritan Health Clinic, which provides free medical care and mental health counseling to hundreds of qualified, uninsured, low-income residents of Cullman County.

Tickets at the door are $20; and can be purchased for $18 online: www. goodsamaritancullman.com. Starting in September, tickets will also be available at The Good Samaritan Health Clinic, Yates Chance Christian Bookstore and Borden Family Pharmacy.

Visit the website for more about the free clinic.

• Oct. 15-16 – Peinhardt Farm Day return Having shut down the past two years as a Covid saftey measure, Farm Day is back.

Third grade students from across Cullman County visit Peinhardt Farm on field trips leading up to this big Saturday and Sunday at the historic, family-owned farm. Experience handson demonstrations on the 40-acre

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spread where old and young can see and enjoy antique farm and home items in the well-stocked museums.

Learn how to make quilt samplers, how turpentine is made and watch cotton being ginned. Hear old-time music, plow with a mule, compete in a sack race and more.

Families come away with armloads of remembrances including pumpkins, cotton, sweet potatoes, blue bird houses, apple pigs, cotton boll ornaments, wooden pegs, crosscut saw rounds, and more.

The event – 9 am -3 pm both days – is free for ages 2 and under; $10 otherwise. The farm is located at 1711 Talley Ho St., Cullman. For more info: www.peinhardtfarm.org; or FB Peinhardt Living History Farm.

• Nov. 15 – Dulcimer Class Register now for this opportunity to learn more about this Appalachian instrument from Craig Mann. The Heritage Skills program is 6-8 p.m. at the North Alabama Agriplex. All adult programs are $10. For more programs, visit: agriplex.org.

About 1,300 people turned out for Farm Day 2019, the last event since Covid. Photo provided.

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SNAPSHOT: Charlie Childers

• EARLY LIFE: Born in Cullman on July 7, 1962, to Elton and Jeanette Childers, both deceased. Siblings are Kathy Childers, who works at the Walmart Supercenter in south Cullman; and Steve Childers, an Air Force veteran who’s the IT director for the Columbus, Ga., school system.

• EDUCATION: Graduated from Cullman High, 1980; then earned a technical degree from Herzing Institute, Birmingham.

• CAREER: Walmart since 1982. “I came there when they were pouring cement for the new distribution center and have remained ever since,” he says. Today he oversees the computer system for the logistics supply chain and inventory.

• PERSONAL LIFE: Married the former Cindy Pace, 1982; they’d known each other since middle school and started dating their senior year at CHS. Their daughter, Charis Childers, 21, graduated in May with a business management degree from Wallace State Community College.

• ACTIVITIES: Youth Sunday school at First Baptist and Northbrook Baptist for about 25 years; currently member of First Baptist. Cullman Lions Club member since 1990; served as president, 1998; along with his wife has directed the Cullman Fair Pageant for last six years.

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Good People

5questions Story by David Moore Photo by Cindy Childers

F

irst and foremost, the Cullman County Fair is fun and exciting. The rides, the clatter, the lights and smells. Winning ribbons and money for your apple pie or monster watermelon. Dressing up and competing in a beauty pageant. People watching.

The stuff from which memories are made.

From Joppa to Arkadelphia, Garden City to Battleground, going on 68 years, it’s probably safe to say most folks have memories of the Cullman County Fair.

As a member of the sponsoring Cullman County Lions Club since 2000, Charlie Childers has hands-on memories of volunteering annually at the long-running event, where he’s been president of the Lions’ fair association for the past five years and director of the various fair pageants for six years. But his earliest memories are of attending the fair as a youngster with his father, Elton, a Cullman milkman.

“I’d go to the fair with my dad as he delivered milk to the Lions Club concession stand. A memory I will never forget with my dad.

“After that, we’d play games and ride rides. Money was very tight so we probably didn’t go much other than that.”

Some people may associate the smells of popcorn and hot dogs with the fair, but Charlie recalls the smells of walking through the exhibits of prized farm

Cindy Childers shot this photo of her husband, Charlie, this summer while attending the Miss Alabama Gala at The Club in Birmingham. In addition to Miss Cullman County Fair, now a preliminary to Miss Alabama, the Childers are active in judging other beauty pageants.

Charlie Childers

Lions put pride, work, fun into making the county fair a big Cullman tradition animals and the wildlife that conservation officers put on display.

In later years, he exhibited photographs at the fair. For some reason, he laughs, he doesn’t recall winning any ribbons.

“Probably more than anything else, I remember the motorcycle ride that went round and round,” Charlies says. It was, perhaps, life changing. Today he loves few things more than taking weekend cruises on his Honda Goldwing with his wife, Cindy, on back.

Grown up and a member of the Lions, Charlie would take their daughter, Charis, when he worked at the fair, and she would sit and draw. Later, he and Cindy shared her excitement as she won awards at the fair for her artwork. Cindy, a painter, has also won awards for her art.

As a little girl Cindy fondly recalls riding the merry-go-round and the Ferris wheel. On other nights, her dad, Oscar Pace, a Lions member, brought her caramel apples and cotton candy after volunteering at the fair.

Cindy also holds a dazzling memory of the Cullman County Fair to which few others can lay claim. At night her dad, a pilot, sometimes flew her over the fairgrounds, ablaze in their electrically magical glow.

C

harlie had worked at Walmart Distribution Center in Cullman about eight years and taught Sunday school about five years at First Baptist when a friend from church, Chris Griggs, invited him to join the Lions Club.

He’d never really given any thought to joining a civic club, but “We Serve” is the motto of Lions Clubs International, and that appealed to Charlie.

“I have always felt I’ve been so blessed and wanted to give back because of that,” he says. So he joined.

The club meets Monday nights at the senior center at Sportsman’s Lake Park, where the fairgrounds are located. Charlie

likes the meals catered by Freddie Day. He soon learned about the comradery, about the Tail Twister, who’d start their meetings with a joke or two. He learned that Tail Twister can fine members 10¢ for bragging or if their phone goes off during a meeting. More than anything, he learned about that “serving” motto.

“Oh, we have some fun,” he says. But it is a serving civic organization. It’s not a good-time organization.”

The Lions are known for their efforts to provide eyecare. Diabetes is another project, as well as providing scholarships through Clubs at the schools. But, by and far, the Cullman County Fair is the club’s largest project, and putting on the huge, 10-day event requires all hands on deck.

All 110 members volunteer.

Last year, the fair drew some 40,000 people, which Charlie says makes it probably the fourth or fifth largest of the 20 fairs in Alabama.

Interestingly, he thinks that all of that “serving” – and the satisfaction club members get from it is one of the reasons the Cullman Lions have remained so strong and viable during a time that many civic clubs across the country are struggling.

“Ours has stayed very strong and is probably one of the largest Lions clubs in Alabama,” Charlie says. “The fair has a lot to do with it – that and just the way the Cullman community is so strong.”

T

hough it’s a lot of work, Charlie – joined by wife and others – enjoys organizing the five beauty pageants held during the fair for girls 3-15, and Miss Pageant Fair, whose participants, all juniors, are determined by the high schools across the county.

(Entry forms for the five pageants can be found on the Cullman County Fair website and must be turned in by Oct. 9.)

Winners receive trophies and cash. The top finalists in the high school pageant split $6,200 in cash scholarships to the

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school of their choice. Also, Charlie points out, the high school pageant is now a preliminary for the Miss Alabama competition, which is a preliminary for Miss America.

As president of the fair association, Charlie, pageant emcee Chris Robinson and board members visit other fairs and state fair meeting during the year.

“You get good ideas and steal what you can,” he laughs.

Like civic clubs, many county fairs have struggled or even folded in recent years.

“You’re seeing these fairs slowly going away,” Charlies says. “Morgan County lost their fairgrounds in Decatur about three years ago. They were probably one of our biggest competitors locally for attendance.

“The fair is an annual Cullman tradition. I would hate to see it go away for the families in this community,” Charlie continues. “I think I speak for all the Lions that want to continue the fair. And I know from the board of directors that we want to continue it as an agricultural fair. That’s real big for all of us.”

1.

How has the Cullman County Fair evolved over the years?

The look of the fair has changed from years ago. The large tent that housed the activities in the early years is now a permanent structure, the fair theater. There have been buildings added to house our arts and crafts and business booths to advertise.

The midway has also seen big changes.

We have used several companies over the years to provide rides. For the past few years we’ve used Kissel Entertainment out of Clanton. They most definitely have been our best midway partner.

Kissel maintains their equipment to like-new conditions at all times and have had the best employees of any. They have the latest and greatest rides available.

Our midways certainly have gotten bigger, but still have some of the most popular younger rides that I rode as a kid.

Our initial intent of the fair back in the ‘50s was to create a fundraiser so we had money we could give back to the community. The fair has achieved that and grown to be much more. It has become 18

a major, longstanding, communitywide event. I hope that never changes.

Another change is that we now have a couple of financial managers who are paid to audit our books annually. As a whole, we’ve always been good stewards of the funds we raise for the community, and that won’t change either.

Something that has not changed is that the fair has always been an agricultural fair, and I feel it will always will be. That’s what makes it a community event with the community involvement. We are still very much an agricultural community.

2.

How much does the fair give back, and who are the recipients?

The fair is still the Cullman Lions Club’s largest yearly fundraiser. Our bylaws require that the proceeds from the fair be given back to the community.

We only have two part-time paid employees that are the fair managers.

They maintain the property year round, plus they are responsible for the many different events the fairgrounds are used for during the year. All other Lion members volunteer their time with no compensation. That includes the fair board members.

Still, it is expensive to put on a fair.

The midway rides are a big expense.

Other expenses include $26,000 for utilities and $20,000 for insurance.

We make donations to groups such as the Peinhardt Farm, which brings their animals for show, the Cullman High School Leo Clubs, etc. Last year that was $9,800. We also award ribbons for entries of personal crafts, livestock, crops, along with prize money. That’s normally around $28,000 a year.

After all that plus maintaining and improving the fairgrounds, our proceeds go to the Cullman Lions Club and our Cullman Lioness Club extension. Over the past three years, we have donated $252,546.

Alabama Lions Sight is our largest recipient of money. It helps many individuals from Cullman County and our surrounding counties with eye exams and glasses. Just some of the other recipient agencies are: Cullman Caring for Kids, Good Samaritan Clinic, Distinguished Young Women, Grace Place, Cullman Farm City, Leader Dog for the Blind,

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North Alabama Agriplex, Foundry Farm, First Source for Women, Kids Expo and COPD shots for veterans.

Plus we pay out $6,200 for scholarships.

We are very proud that our 2021 Miss Cullman County Fair winner Abby Sosa finished in the top 12 in the Miss Alabama 2022 competition at Samford University in July. It was first time our fair winner participated in the preliminary for the Miss America program.

3.

How does the Lions Club manage to produce an annual county fair?

With over 100 members and the help and cooperation of the community, it has been a very successful community event I hope that my grandkids get to experience.

The Cullman Lions Club and the Cullman Fair Association are the same members. But they each operate individually with a separate board of directors. Each board member is responsible for a part of the fair. They have their committee members that complete and work the fair.

The board of directors work all year to ensure the fair is ready on opening day and to make sure their responsibilities are completed and ready.

Every Lions member is very passionate about giving back to this great community.

That passion drives each member to work hard. We all consider ourselves blessed to provide such a great community event that can be shared with family and friends.

And may I add there is no pay compensation for the members. The Lioness club and Lions wives also play a huge role in working gates, helping in the Lions’ and Lioness’ concession stands.

Taking in exhibits are just some of the roles of each member.

The fairgrounds belong to Cullman County, but the fair association has a longterm lease on the property and we have built all the structures on the property. We also rent out the buildings and grounds during the year to help compensate for the yearly care of the fair grounds.

4.

What’s been the key to the fair’s continuing success?

Like I said, the success of the fair falls on the members that are willing to give

back to the community through their willingness to work the fair as volunteers.

But it’s not all us.

Fortunately, the community turns out in throngs every year for the Cullman County Fair. And, if the community did not bring their art, pictures, sewing, livestock, crops, etc., it would not be an agricultural fair, and that would be a loss for all of our communities.

The city council allows us to shut down U.S. 31 through downtown and start the fair with a big parade with all the pageant winners, churches, businesses and youth sports leagues displaying floats.

The police do a great job making that happen and securing a safe passage for the parade.

The sheriff’s office sets up a command post at the fair and along with the city police provide a great safe place for the length of the fair. The schools let out for school day at the fair, which also is on the Columbus Day holiday.

Community help includes the Cullman Extension office, which really drives the livestock competitions from the youth entries to the adult entries.

A part of our success is our

commitment to keeping it agricultural centered. That’s what our community is. The fair is not just a carnival. It’s a community event with livestock, crops and plants, arts and crafts, sewing to woodworking.

So you can see the county, the city and our strong community are great partners in making our fair successful.

5.

What’s something most people don’t know about Charlie Childers?

I’m the son of a milk man. Growing up, a neighbor told Dad he should know that nearly every day after he leaves for work, a milk truck stops and stays at our home for a while. Dad explained he was the milk man. He started work every day at 2 a.m. then came home for breakfast.

He was the last home-delivery man in Cullman. Some people would leave him a key or leave the door unlocked, and he would actually go in and leave their milk in the refrigerator.

People are surprised to find out Cindy and I adopted our daughter, Charis, at birth. We have never thought of her as anything other than ours. She

graduated with her associates business degree this year from Wallace State – proud dad.

Lastly, my friends are surprised when I tell them I judge beauty pageants.

Cindy and I are the directors of the fair pageants and high school competition for Miss Cullman County Fair. Last year we had over 110 young ladies participate in the pageants.

But we judge other pageants. The last one I went to – it was in Greensboro – had 0-2-year-old category. We’ve also judged a college pageant at the University of North Alabama.

We actually get paid a little, but it’s not much. It’s more of a travel expense – and they feed you pretty well. I’m not sure it would work out to be minimum wage. I guess I could fall back on it, but where you make money is being a pageant coach. Maybe when I retire.

Good Life Magazine Editor’s note: For more on 2022 parade and fair see “Good Fun” events on pages 13 and 14 and Out ‘n’ About on page 69; for complete information visit: cullmanfair.org

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Good Reads

Your mission (and you should accept it) is to read this series

Rowell’s ‘Attachments’ is the perfect ‘chick-list’ book

hhh, late summer in Alabama. Hot, steamy air you can wear. So get those chores done in the morning and spend the rest of the day relaxing with a good book – or 15 books.

Your mission, should you decide to accept it (you really should), is to read Clive Cussler’s entire Oregon They say a ship is only as Files series, starting with “Golden Buddha.” good as her crew,” Juan Juan Cabrillo said. “I couldn’t agree is chairman of the more. I’m proud to say Corporation, a special that the Oregon has been, government-sponsored is, and always will be the group that operates out of finest ship afloat.” a ship called the Oregon; a marvel of scientific research equipment bristling with state-of-theart weaponry - but disguised as a heap of junk.

These books are perfect for adventure junkies of all ages (great for summer school – they’ll never know they’re learning world geography, science, and history). Whether it’s hunting for treasure, foiling the plots of terrorists, subverting the release of poison gas on untold millions or rescuing hostages – the crew of the Oregon is ready and supremely able to carry out the mission with daring, courage and a positive attitude.

You’ll come away feeling proud of the truly good and patriotic folks that make up our country. Read the series in order – or not – but it’s fun to follow the characters and exploits book by book. And #16 comes out in September!

– Deb Laslie

ainbow Rowell has written the perfect chick-list book – “Attachments.” It’s a tale of two people who long for each other, but don’t know who their “other” is.

Lincoln is the IT guy (information technology) for a newspaper. Beth is in the movie/book/lifestyle Love. Purpose. Those editorial area. She and Jennifer, her best friend are the things that you and a copy editor at can’t plan for. Those the paper, know that are the things that just their personal emails happen. And what if are being monitored by they don’t happen? newspaper security but Do you spend your whole don’t take it seriously.

They are fun, flirty and life pining for them? have a way with the Waiting to be happy? written word that gives us great insight into their quirky personalities and innermost thoughts.

Lincoln initially sends them a warning about the “personal nature” of their back and forth banter, but then cannot stop himself from continuing to monitor their conversations. He begins to care about them as individuals and realizes his own limitations with his life, job, friends and, ultimately, his love life. He is smitten. “Is it possible to fall in love with someone you’ve never met or seen?”

You know how it ends, but the ride is a breath of fresh cool air in these times of heaviness. Chill out with Rainbow Rowell and Attachments.”

– Deb Laslie

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She started out to be in engineering, you can be glad she found baking

Good Cooking

Story by Jacquelyn Hall Photos by David Moore

A

s a saying goes, “When God closes a door, He opens a window.” For Megan Bear, that window looks a lot like the one at her shop, Pumpkin Doodle Baked Goods.

Megan’s life journey was a typically winding one until a couple of years ago when it took a sudden turn.

Born in Birmingham, she lived in Florida from the first grade until 2015 when her family moved to the Hanceville area. Shortly after, she enrolled at Wallace State Community College in the male-dominated field of engineering technology.

But she was passionate and competitive, she worked hard at it – until life took that turn and the door slammed closed.

With one semester left, a mere two classes before graduation, Megan was diagnosed with a rare eye cancer. Most of her school work was on computers, and looking at a screen for even moderate amounts of time caused debilitating migraines, and she quickly realized she couldn’t continue in her chosen field.

“I didn’t know what direction to go, because the plan was turned on its ear,” she says. “It was a God-plan that the bakery took off like it did.”

It was her mother, Ursula Quick, who suggested opening a cottage bakery.

But Megan was unsure – so unsure that she laughed at first. She didn’t consider herself “artsy” enough, but decided to give it the same college try she applied at Wallace.

She and Ursula went to Hobby Lobby and purchased supplies. Jumping in with both feet, Megan shifted focus from schoolwork to the business.

“Going back to school as an adult helped me have the fundamental

Megan Bear shows off some of her popular cupcakes. She has a growing a fan base that’s glad she did not go into engineering technology. She is, too. She’s also glad that she, her partner/mom Ursula Quick and their Pumpkin Doodle bakery are a part of the revitalization efforts afoot in Hanceville. confidence in myself to branch out again,” she says, even though it was so principally different from what she had initially planned.

I

t was November 2020 that Megan took her first steps down this new path, working out of her and her mother’s combined home. After making a few sales, she drew inspiration from her youngest daughter’s nickname and she named her business Pumpkin Doodle Baked Goods.

She and Ursula started with simple, decorated sugar cookies, and Megan quickly realized that her doubts about her artistic abilities were wrong. She found she was, in fact, naturally talented at this

– not only with the decorative side but in creating recipes as well.

Behind the scenes she threw herself completely into their new endeavor, but outwardly she and Ursula kept things simple. Their only advertising was posting pictures of their “practice” cookies on their personal Facebook pages.

With that and word of mouth, orders quickly took off. They would need a dedicated space to continue growing their business. Within two months from the first orders, they signed a lease on a location in downtown Hanceville. Still baking at home, they spent over a year remodeling the shop to suit their needs.

Switching to a business Facebook page

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23

HELGA’S KIRSCH CHERRY STREUSEL (or apple, blueberry or peach streusel) Streusel 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar 1 egg 1 stick butter, softened Mix all together and refrigerate while making bottom layer.

Bottom layer 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking powder 2 Tbsp. sugar 1 egg Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients with mixer. Grease and flour a small baking sheet.

Spread mixture and pat down.

Middle layer 1 can cherry pie filling Spread cherry filling on top of bottom layer. Place streusel topping on top of cherry filling by dropping small amounts over the entire dessert.

Bake for 25 minutes or until top is golden. *Apple, blueberry or peach pie filling can be substituted. helped get the word out even more, and they had an overwhelming response to their grand opening on Valentine’s Day 2022.

“People were lined up long before we opened,” Megan says. “There was a line down the sidewalk and around the corner!”

O

nce in the shop, she and Ursula began offering a cake of the week and other specials. Between Megan’s maternal grandmother’s traditional German recipes and her own creativity, they are never short on new confections.

“I love coming up with new ideas for flavors. It’ll just hit me: ‘Ooh, that would make for a good cupcake!’ And then I figure out how to make it.”

One favorite is the banana split 24

cupcake, which has a banana cream center with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla icing.

“And a cherry on top,” she says.

The shop is a perfect balance for Megan and her family. With her mom by her side, she is able to gracefully manage being a mom to four daughters, an enthusiastic business owner and active member of the community.

Her daughters that still live at home – Ily, Skyla and Briar – along with other area children treat the shop as their home away from home, especially after school.

“The kids all love to run in, drop their backpacks and have a snack when school lets out.” Megan says of the after-school rush. “Sometimes they are a little too comfortable here, but we don’t mind, we love having them.

AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022

“I love having the bakery. I get to meet all sorts of different people. The people of the area have truly stepped up and supported us. If there is a need, word gets out and everyone helps fill it.”

T

he shop has become a little community hub. People stop in for breakfast and coffee on their way to work or school, and Megan frequently delivers lunch to other local businesses.

With her cancer in the clear now, she and her mother thoroughly enjoy working together as best friends and business partners, putting love into every aspect of what they do. While most of the menu varies from day to day, coffee, breakfast and lunch specials are always on the list along with fresh goodies baked with love.

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BLUEBERRY SCONES 2 cups all-purpose flour ⅓ cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling 2 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. salt ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen 1 lemon, zested ¾ cup heavy cream, plus more to brush on top before baking 1 egg, large

Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter and work into the flour mixture with a pastry blender. Blend until the pastry is the size of peas. Stir in blueberries, lemon zest.

In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and egg. Pour over the flour mixture. Mix together with your hands until mixture is moistened.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly

CHOCOLATE GRAVY ¼ cup cocoa 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour ¾ cup sugar 2 cups milk 1 Tbsp. butter, softened 2 Tbsp. vanilla extract Whisk the cocoa, flour and sugar together in a bowl until there are no lumps. Pour the milk into the mixture and whisk until well incorporated. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until its consistency is similar to gravy (7 to 10 minutes). Remove from heat and stir the butter and vanilla extract into the mixture until the butter is melted. Serve immediately. Yields three cups.

Pour over homemade, canned or frozen biscuits.

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AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022

floured surface. Knead it gently a few times to shape into a ball. Press the dough into an 8 inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges.

Place wedges on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze for at least 20 minutes.

Brush scones with additional heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Cool for at least 10 minutes.

TOMATO GRAVY

4 Tbsp. bacon drippings 4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 14-oz. can chopped tomatoes, do not drain 1½ to 2 cups water or milk Salt and pepper to taste In a skillet, preferably cast iron, heat bacon drippings over medium-low heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly until medium brown in color. Do not let flour burn. Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Add water or milk.

Cook stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened.

This will take about 25 to 35 minutes. Add more liquid as needed.

Pour over homemade, canned or frozen biscuits.

Yields two cups.

Cullman is … ... where we run our business “We’ve come a long way from a pushmower to a three-truck operation.

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The people are trustworthy, and the city has been really helpful. We’ve been really blessed. ” – son and father Hunter and Perry Griffin of Griffins’ Lawn Care

... where we serve “We both moved away and came back. We support our partner agencies and members to make us a stronger community.” – brother and sister Waid Harbison, executive director, United Way, and Paige Clabo, program administrator, Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce

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RED VELVET CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

Brownies ½ cup unsalted butter, melted 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1½ tsp. red food coloring 2 tsp. vanilla extract ½ tsp. salt ¾ cup all-purpose flour 3 Tbsp. baking cocoa powder Cream cheese swirl 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature 1 egg 1/3 cup sugar Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper. In medium bowl combine the melted butter and sugar. Whisk together until glossy.

Add the eggs and whisk until it emulsifies and is slightly foamy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and food coloring and stir to evenly distribute. Add the flour, cocoa powder and salt and mix until combined.

Pour into pan.

Next, make the cream cheese swirl. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth and creamy.

Drop the cream cheese mixture in large dollop on top of the red velvet brownie batter. Use a butter knife to make big swirls.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Allow to cool before slicing.

ORANGE MONKEY BREAD ¾ cup sugar ½ cup chopped pecans, optional 1 Tbsp. orange zest 2 11-oz. cans of refrigerated biscuits 3-oz. package cream cheese, cut into 20 cubes ½ cup butter, melted 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted 2 Tbsp. orange juice 28

Preheat oven to 350. Combine sugar, pecans and grated orange rind in a small bowl and set aside.

Pull apart biscuit dough and separate each biscuit in half. Place a cream cheese square between each half. Pinch each biscuit together to seal the edges. Dip in the melted butter and then in the sugar combination.

In a lightly greased Bundt pan,

AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022

stand up each cream cheese filled biscuit, spacing evenly. Drizzle with remaining butter and sugar mixture. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden. Invert onto a serving plate immediately.

Combine sifted powdered sugar and orange juice. Use a whisk until smooth.

Drizzle over the warm bread.

Best served when warm.

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LEMON CHESS BARS Bottom layer 1 stick butter, softened ¼ cup powdered sugar 1 cup all-purpose flour Preheat oven to 325.

Cream butter with mixer. Add flour and sugar, mix well. Place into a greased and floured 8 x 8 pan and pat

down. Bake for 20 minutes.

Top layer 2 eggs 1 cup sugar 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 3 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 lemon, zested

GERMAN FARMERS BREAKFAST 2 cups small diced potatoes or frozen hashbrowns 3 Tbsp. butter 1 cup chopped onions Salt and pepper, to taste 1 cup cubed cooked ham ¼ cup chopped parsley 6 eggs 2 Tbsp. milk ½ cup cheddar cheese, grated Preheat oven to 350. In a heavy skillet melt butter. Stir in potatoes, onion and salt. Cover and cook for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Add ham and parsley and cook for 2 minutes.

In a bowl, beat the eggs. Add milk, salt and pepper. Pour over potatoes and cover.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until eggs are set. Sprinkle cheese and bake uncovered for 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

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Beat all ingredients together. Pour over baked bottom layer.

Bake for 25 minutes or until center is set then allow to cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar once cooled. Cut into bars. *Lime can also be substituted for the lemon. **These freeze well.

PINEAPPLE CHERRY DUMP CAKE 1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple, do NOT drain 21-oz. can cherry pie filling 15.25-oz. yellow cake mix 1 stick butter Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Empty can of crushed pineapple into casserole dish. Then empty can of cherry pie filling on top of pineapple.

Make sure that it is evenly distributed in dish. Next sprinkle entire box of yellow cake mix over pineapple and cherry mixture. Cut the stick of butter into small pieces. Lay each piece individually over entire cake mix. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream for an even sweeter treat.

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Good Getaways

There ain’t no ham like a Birmingham Just ask the big guy on Red Mountain

Story and photos

by David Moore

I

am no stranger to Birmingham.

Broken up by four years at the University of Alabama and by living in the woods nine months while hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, I lived in the Birmingham suburb of Bluff Park and later in the city on the Southside for about 20 years. And over my years of newspapering around the state, Diane and I – later with our son, Hunter – often went home to visit family.

But this summer was the first time I ever went to Birmingham as a visitor on an overnight getaway. Honestly, I’ve been spoiled by small-town life, and Birmingham is way too big for me to want to actually live there. At the same time, I can unequivocally say I thoroughly enjoyed our short trip there.

The city is much changed and has a lot going for it.

We stayed at the historic Tutwiler Hotel – now a Hampton Inn – located downtown across Park Place from the old library and Linn Park. The rooms and halls are hung with hundreds of old photos of Birmingham, black and white accents to its history.

A must see on my list was my old buddy Vulcan, perched atop Red Mountain. In the old days, I was always taken by the cascade of singing water that tumbled down from the base of the statue’s pedestal. I’m old enough to remember when there was no elevator, climbing the 159 steps around and around up to the windswept balcony bolted around the top of the pedestal. The view is still amazing. Looking southwest I could make out the angled point of South Shades Mountain where Bluff Park nestles.

Birmingham is a foodie destination thanks almost single-handedly to nationally acclaimed

At 56 feet tall, Vulcan is the world’s largest cast iron statue and stands atop a 123-foot pedestal.

Vulcan Park and Museum is an iconic stop for visitors (admission is $6 adults, $5 seniors, $4 children). You can ride the elevator up or hike the stairs for a sprawling view of Birmingham, right. For more info: visitvulcan.com.

Along with the Civil Rights Institute, the Birmingham Civil Rights Heritage Trail walks visitors through an important part of Birmingham’s history. One stop is across from the 16th Street Baptist Church, site of the 1963 Klu Klux Klan bombing that killed four young girls. They are memorialized in the statue “Four Spirits” across from the church. Part of the statue, top left, depicts the youngest victim, Denise McNair, 11, releasing six doves. Far from perfect, as they are nationwide, race relations today stand in sharp contrast to 60 years ago. Likewise, Birmingham’s architecture can be viewed in sharp contrast, top right.

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33

I have always loved Albert Bierstadt’s “Looking Down the Yosemite Valley,” left, a stunning part of the permanent collection at the Birmingham Museum of Art (admission is free).

Below are scenes from Railroad Park and Five Points Public House and Oyster Bar, a casual place for dining. A must-see for fans, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame ($5 adults, $4 senior citizens, $3 students) downtown recently opened a new wing that holds some of the artwork of one of my brothers – The Daniel A. Moore Gallery. chef and Cullman native Frank Stitt.

Unfortunately, his flagship Highland Bar and Grill is still unopened following its Covid closure. His other two acclaimed restaurants are open, as are numerous other fine eateries, including Hot and Hot Fish Club at the Pepper Place development, several blocks east of historic Sloss Furnace National Historic Landmark.

Back Forty, one of Birmingham’s many breweries and distilleries, is also at Pepper Place.

A

lso new since my days in town is Railroad Park, a 10-acre green area adjacent to the train tracks. It’s surrounded by new apartments, which have boomed in Birmingham. The Barons play at Regions Field, adjacent to the park. The half-mile Rotary Trail connects Railroad Park to Sloss Furnace.

Speaking of sports, Protective Stadium, the newest addition to the BirminghamJefferson Civic Center, is home to the UAB

Blazers and Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League.

Diane and I only scraped off a few layers of the many levels of activities Birmingham has to offer these days – because, as the saying goes, “There ain’t no ham like a Birmingham.” Just ask my big iron buddy lording over the city from atop Red Mountain. But even with its many new attractions and activities, Birmingham still feels like home to me.

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Call it a storybook cottage, or maybe a mirror on the growth of a family and its community, but after 124 years it remains ...

THE HOUSE OF RICHTER

Story by David Moore Photos by Monica Martin

U

pon moving back to Cullman in 2005, it wasn’t long before John Richter took his new wife, Tiffany, to visit his grandmother, Evelyn Richter. She lived just west of town in a two-story, stone farmhouse her grandfather-in-law built in 1898.

Tiffany was taken with the house.

“I have always liked historic homes,” she says. “I thought it was a storybook cottage.”

After Evelyn died at age 93 in 2008, the house’s storybook quality was further enhanced for Tiffany.

She and John were able to buy the cottage. It became their home.

“We carried on the tradition of Richters owning the house.” With a laugh she adds, “We had a baby nine months later. It’s a good house.

We’re keeping it in the family.”

Her husband – the Rev. Dr. John Richter, senior pastor at St. John’s Evangelical Protestant Church since 2014 – doesn’t fully embrace Tiffany’s romanticized “storybook” description.

“We are similar, but we are very different people,” he grins. “I’d say the house is a part of the story of our family and part of the story of our community. It reflects, in some respect, the building and growth of Cullman.

And it reflects who we are as a family.

Where we spend our time shapes our view of the world, right?”

S

torybook, mirror or historic ledger, the house was built by John’s great-great grandfather, Wilhelm Friedrich Richter, born in 1837 in Militsch, Germany (now Milicz, Poland). Quite the character, family history shows Wilhelm to be the seventh son of a well-to-do seventh son, a rarity that earned him a gold coin from the state at his birth, the king as his godfather and, later, an educational exposure to theology, natural science and architecture.

Wilhelm was a farm inspector for a knight in Russia and volunteer in the German army before migrating to Buffalo, N.Y., in 1859 to find a fortune 38

among the bounties of the U.S. But with pre-Civil War tensions boiling, he returned to Germany and married in 1860.

After the blood and dust of war settled, Wilhelm moved with his wife and growing family back to the Buffalo

with his sisters, Lisa (married to Mike Mullaney of Goat Island Brewing) and Lori (married to Dr. Tom Oliver of Urgent Care Center).

“We spent our childhood in and around this house,” John says. “We have a table that folds down from the wall. I ate hotdogs there with my grandfather. You can have memories that run a lifetime in a place like this.”

I

Under the upstairs western window sill is the etched date “1898” and “W. Richter.” He built the house with 24-inch thick walls of stone gathered from the farm. area, went briefly into business in 1876 but soon joined the ranks of Germans lured to Cullman by its founder, Col. Johann Cullmann. Capitalizing in part on train travelers, Wilhelm built Richter’s Hotel and Saloon across from the fledging town’s L&N depot. Family lore credits him with helping Cullmann recruit wives for the town’s bachelors.

It was 1897 when Wilhelm bought land southwest of what’s now the U.S. 278 interchange at I-65. By the end of the next year he’d built his stone house there.

Wilhelm’s son added the front porch in the 1920s. Others made expansions in the 1930s and ’70s. Wilhelm’s grandson, John William Richter Sr., and his wife, Evelyn – known for decades for her authentic German strudel – lived there after they married in 1935. Johnny Richter grew up in the house and today lives on family property across the creek, where John – Tiffany’s husband – grew up, along

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t’s a widespread irony that people’s life courses are mapped more with non-intentions than intentions.

John never intended to live in an ancestral house full of early memories; never intended to pastor the church in which he grew up. He did, at least, initially intend to teach.

“I always felt I’d have a career in teaching and be involved on some serious level with the church,” he says. “That was the plan.”

Graduating from Cullman High in 1991, he attended Wallace State Community College. He loved studying history under Nancy Reichwein, who helped him land a scholarship to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. After earning a bachelor’s degree in history, John debated between a master’s in either religious studies or history, eventually splitting the difference and specializing in southern religious history at Ole Miss. But a 1996 mission trip to Poland proved pivotal.

“I was still thinking of a career in teaching, but after that I wanted a deeper engagement in the Bible and theology,” he says. God seemed to be calling, albeit rather subtly.

So he earned a second master’s, this one in divinity at Pepperdine University in Malibu while working for room and board as a beach bungalow handyman amidst the rich and famous. But after three years he knew he didn’t care to live in a place as big as LA. John’s meandering search led him to teach Bible and religion at a Christian prep school in Baton Rouge. The work was enjoyable, and he was ordained during that time, but by 2003 he knew teaching high school was not his calling. He needed to regroup. So at

While the house is filled with family-steeped old furniture, the Richters bought Tiffany’s baby grand piano, above, in more recent years.

Sitting on the living room sofa are John and Tiffany with Vella and John Isaac on the floor. Above them are photos of Wilhelm and Juliana and their family in front of the Richter house. The furniture dates to 1910 and belonged to grandmother Evelyn’s father, O.F. Richter, from another line of Richters in Cullman.

Photo by David Moore.

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Evelyn and John Richter added the den, top left, in the 1960s. The dining room, top right, was the kitchen when the house was built. Today’s kitchen was added in the 1920-30s. John and Tiffany installed new floors and counters, modern appliances and painted the existing cabinetry, above right. The kitchen includes a breakfast bar that opens into the den. The old pump organ, far right, belonged to Tiffany’s grandparents, while she and John found the old baby stroller upstairs in the house.

They are unsure whose it was, but it fits with house. Also upstairs, John enjoys painting in his studio, right.

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age 30 he did what many do – quit his job and moved back in with his parents.

S

hortly before returning to Cullman, John visited a sister church of St. John’s in New Braunfels, Texas, with a student from nearby Texas State University pursuing her master’s in choral. Talk about unintended.

“We were set up,” Tiffany laughs. “It was a blind date.”

Her father, Terry Stone, was an Assembly of God minister. Her mother, Debbie, who assisted with Terry’s ministry, was a musician. In fact, the entire family was musical. Tiffany played piano and sang. Her brother played drums.

Terry played piano and bass, while Debbie sang and taught piano.

The family traveled to play at revivals and singings. They also traveled because the Assembly of God reassigns its ministers.

Tiffany hails from Oklahoma but lived in nine cities in eight states from Colorado to Tennessee.

“You just don’t know what you’re going to get,” she says of their assignments. “And we had a variety!”

After graduating high school, Tiffany started Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, OK. Speaking of unfulfilled intentions …

“Funny thing,” she says, “I started college as mass comm major to do broadcasting.”

One thing that got in the way – and it was a positive – Tiffany was hired at age 18 by The Arnolds, a southern gospel group that performed across the Southeast. Besides touring heavily, she recorded a few records with the group. It was great but hindered college. After five years she was only a junior.

“I thought to myself, ‘What am I doing?

I sing.’” So she left the group, left mass communications, changed her major and earned a degree in music education.

She taught music a few years in Muskogee, OK., then moved to San Markus, Texas, and went to Texas State University where she mastered in choral. It was then, in 2003, that the unintended happened – that blind date with the guy from Cullman.

T

heir takes vary on how that date played out, but this is Tiffany’s: “It was great! He fell immediately in love with me.”

The catch was that John lived over six hours away in Baton Rouge. They emailed back and forth for a while and were about to call it quits when … “He came to visit me, and from then on, that was it.”

They married in 2005. Tiffany moved to

Cullman and soon visited John’s grandmother Evelyn at her storybook cottage.

“We’d come out every Sunday,” Tiffany says.

“That’s what everybody in the family did. She’d make desserts. We’d talk and read the paper.

There’d be 10 or 15 of us there.”

She was fascinated with the house, its character and eccentricities, such as the two holes cut long ago into the floors of the two upstairs bedrooms and covered with grates that, in the winter, at least theoretically, initially allowed heat from the fireplace in the parlor to rise and warm them.

Meanwhile, Tiffany had been hired as the vocal music director at Wallace State, where John has since become an adjunct professor of religion.

Shortly after John returned to Cullman, then senior pastor Robert “Bob” Kurtz invited him to join the staff on a part-time basis at the church where he’d grown up. A year later, John got a full-time position.

It was fall 2008 when Tiffany and John moved into the two-story, storybook farm cottage that had been in the family for 110 years.

John had started a four-year, doctorate of ministry program at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, studying mostly at home and spending several weeks annually on campus. When Pastor Bob retired in 2012, John was named interim senior pastor. The congregation voted in 2014 to make him senior pastor, and his unintended, meandering and subtle calling came into focus.

T

he Richters’ daughter, Vella, was born in 2009. John Isaac followed in 2012. Initially the kids slept downstairs because of the steep, narrow steps to the second floor bedrooms, but about five years ago, John and Tiffany installed an upstairs bathroom – as well as heat and air there – and moved them to the second floor.

The Richters enjoy entertaining family, friends and, even once, the church congregation. Fourth of Julys bring at least 16 folks over, while Christmas might draw a crowd of 25-30.

“It’s a great place for that,” Tiffany says. “We have plenty of room.”

Any funny stories about the house?

“It isn’t really funny,” she says, “but we were talking recently about all of the people who have died here.”

Sometimes, she continues, they hear things, too.

Nothing bad. Nothing scary … except for one night, dark and stormy.

Everyone was asleep when Tiffany awoke, thinking she heard something from the kids’ front bedroom, but she checked and all was quiet. She went to the kitchen, opened the door to the refrigerator … and that’s when she plainly heard: “Momma.”

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41

“I said ‘yes,’ closed the refrigerator door and looked over to see which one of the kids needed something – but no one was standing there,” Tiffany says.

“That’s the only time I’ve been like ... oooooh! I crawled back in bed and prayed a few minutes. It took me a while to go back to sleep.

“But we tend to think this is a happy home and lot of happy lives came through here. You can tell. There is just a good feeling here.”

N

ext year, the house turns 125 years old.

“We will probably have some kind of family gathering to commemorate it,” John says. “Maybe a weekend of parties to hit all the bases – family, friends, church, etc.”

Meanwhile, a few house projects rear vaguely on the horizon.

“We’re getting ready to paint the outside, where trim needs to be replaced,” says the practical one.

“And put up shutters!” adds Tiffany.

“John says we’re going to wait on that … I say, ‘No, we’re not.’”

Several sheds/barns on the property might someday get some attention. But that’s an intention that might or might not happen.

But, as it always has, the house will be home for a family of Richters. And also a place for gatherings.

“We do like to host people and share in the history of this place,” Tiffany says, “whether it’s the house or an old barn and farm equipment.”

Storybook, mirror or historic ledger, it is the house of Richter. And that’s by intention.

Good Life Magazine

The backyard includes a root cellar and smokehouse repurposed as a grilling and outdoor eating area, center. Beyond that is the pool. John says his uncle used to sell soft drinks to workers building I-65 in the 1960s. In appreciation, they dug a large swimming pool hole for him. The family initially lined the hole with unfinished cement. “It was literally a cement pond,” Tiffany laughs. A few years ago, she and John updated it with a liner.

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43

Good Eats

Brothers

Serving upscale food with all the laid-back feel of Smith Lake

Story by David Myers Photos by David Moore

B

rothers on Smith Lake is a combination marina and eatery. Dinnertime packs the parking lot and docks with folks hungry for upscale food and drinks in a place where they’re comfortable in swimsuits and shorts.

Rose and I made the trek one busy weekend. Plenty of tables inside and out on the deck plus seats at the bar give diners lots of choices. Having spent time in South Louisiana, I find myself enjoying the ambiance of a waterfront setting. It seems to be good for the digestion.

Our fellow diners included families, couples and small groups clustered around the bar. It was a jovial atmosphere with everyone talking and laughing with their neighbors, indicating Brothers is a regular hangout for locals. We got lucky with a server who must have been the best in the house. She pointed us in the right direction at every turn, starting with cocktails and continuing through a delicious meal.

We started with a couple of the house signature cocktails: The Cullman Stress and The Smith Lake Splash. Both were wonderful. Rose especially liked the Stress, with vodka and malibu. My favorite was the Splash, with Southern Comfort, Peachtree liqueur, pineapple and melon.

We also sampled a couple of margaritas: strawberry and regular. Outstanding.

Cocktails at Brothers are creative and tasty.

We find that recipe to suit our taste perfectly.

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I

t wasn’t long before food began rolling out of the kitchen. We started with Firecracker Shrimp from the “Share” section of the menu. It’s an excellent starter choice anytime, not just when celebrating Independence Day. Slightly crispy with a delicious, spicy sauce, they were a taste bud explosion. “They were some good, yeah,” as we like to say on the bayou.

Also from the Share section, the tuna dip with crackers was generous enough to

AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022

make a meal. This item provided features that both of us particularly enjoy in a dip: smoky flavor with enough spice to provide a modest kick.

We tried several items from the main menu, and all were outstanding. The fried shrimp were perfect and exactly how I like them. They were lightly battered and – more importantly – cooked spot-on. They were tender and lightly seasoned. Once again, perfect!

We stepped out a little bit and tried the

There are fish tacos and there are the blackened mahi-mahi tacos Brothers serves, upper left. Want to chow down on some good appetizers? Go for the smoked tuna dip or firecracker shrimp – or both, above. Go light with seared ahi tuna filets or go bigger with a half-order of shrimp boil, both at left. How about a Bushwacker, described by bartender Alana Edwards as an adult milkshake.

Brothers on Smith Lake is basically a weekend place. Summer hours from Memorial Day to Labor Day are 4-10 p.m. Thursday and Friday, noon – 10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. It’s closed Thursdays after Labor Day. ahi tuna filet. It was wonderfully prepared and beautifully presented. It was meaty and delicate at the same time. There was a small amount of wasabi on the side for dipping.

Rose says avoid it, but I say try it. Give your tuna a slight dip. Just have your drink handy.

Fish tacos are always an interesting selection. We ordered them and received a winner. The fish was blackened and the tacos were served with a spicy sauce and homemade slaw. We absolutely recommend this dish.

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aturally, even big eaters like Rose and me can’t sample everything. We have to keep something in mind for future visits.

Besides the fish tacos, the menu offers chicken and shrimp. I’m also a lover of crab cakes and that’s at or near the top of my list for next time. I’m also curious about the burgers, including the Bayou Burger. Our server raved about the shrimp and grits, so we put that one on our list also.

Will Dowdy, owner and chef, says his main goal is to give diners a lake vibe with the surprise of upscale food. That means he and crew prepare handmade dishes, hand-battered shrimp and hand-crafted sauces with a lot of creativity.

“There’s real work put into our recipes,” he says. “We offer a nice, laidback atmosphere without sacrificing the quality of the food. We give quick service and excellent food.”

Good Life Magazine

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Roadside attractions They just don’t make ‘em like they used to

Story by Steve A. Maze Photos from the author’s collection

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eople have traveled the land for centuries, but transportation was once limited to walking, horses, mules and oxen. Trains became a popular form of transportation during the 19th century, but it wasn’t until after the invention of the automobile that travel began to resemble what it is today.

By the 1920s, travel had taken another dramatic step forward. Not only were more people able to own automobiles, they could also afford the expensive 20-cent per gallon gasoline that powered them. The increase in road travel created opportunities for other industries to branch out. It wasn’t long before an influx of hotels, gas stations and cafes dotted America’s landscape.

Many early travelers, however, carried their own food and bedding with them on longer trips since few could afford to dine out or stay in a hotel. Small diners and boardinghouses were available for those who could afford to pay for a room or meal.

It wasn’t long before roadside attractions took on a life of their own, but not the theme park variety. The gas stations, restaurants, cafes and hotels themselves actually became attractions.

Unique advertising styles, giveaways and business slogans became a part of America’s roadways in the 1930s and ‘40s. Gas stations, constructed to catch the attention of drivers popped up across America.

Remember the green dinosaur outside the Sinclair stations?

Frank Redford, influenced by Indian 46

art and culture, built his first Wigwam Motel in 1933 near Horse City, Ky. The tepee-shaped buildings were large enough to accommodate a family in a comfortable fashion.

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he food industry was not about to be left out of the eye-catching construction

AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022

trend and created its own advertising themes and novelty architecture. Tail o’the Pup – a 17-foot long hotdog stand that appears as a mustard-dripping wiener – has been a tourist attraction in Los Angeles since 1946. (It finally closed in 2005, was stored in a warehouse and museum, but has been repurchased and

The unidentified service station in the 1920s photo at the left covered its gas pumps with a “parachute” canopy. Some readers will remember the “wigwam” constructions that once popped up as hotels. The one in the 1930s photo below left sold gas. Others, such as the one on the Old Bessemer Highway here in Alabama, offered a restaurant. Some Texaco stations in New York, mostly in areas with a heavy Dutch population, were built in the 1930s to resemble windmills, such as this pictured here. Some had rotating, illuminated blades, each advertising different items such as gas, oil, grease and service.

moved to Route 66 in LA for reopening this year.)

In 1953, Randy’s Donuts opened up for business in Inglewood, Calif. It prominently featured a giant donut mounted atop the structure to draw in customers. It worked!

The donut shop is still in business.

Other industries jumped on the band

wagon as well. In 1948, shoe magnate Mahlon N. Haines – aka “Shoe Wizard” – constructed a 25-foot tall stucco replica of a high-top work boot in Hallam, Penn. It was originally used as a guesthouse, but Haines later allowed honeymooners to stay in the structure for free. The tourist attraction later sold ice cream and today is a private home.

Interstate highways were constructed in the 1950s and many of the unique advertising themes were replaced with more modern buildings that sported neon signs. It seemed like a natural transition as technology made for better service (no more gravity flow gas pumps).

The brightly colored neon signs allowed motorists to more easily see their businesses from the highways at night. It was very helpful to know that a restaurant was “open” before pulling off the highway, or to be aware that there was “no vacancy” at a particular hotel.

Drive-up dining became popular since you could walk up to a window, place an order and eat in your car. Some eateries were even more convenient. An attractive teenage girl on roller skates would take your order and bring it to you while you sat in your car.

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few themed structures were still being built in the 1960s with one being the “Flying Saucer” gas station in Ashtabula, Ohio. The station’s canopy appeared to be a U.F.O. hovering over the gas pumps. The flying saucer, however, was dismantled in 1999 and is now in the Crawford Auto Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.

Bondurant’s Pharmacy in Lexington, Ky., was built in 1974. A themed-structured building resembles a giant mortar and pestle.

The pharmacy closed in 2011. The building still stands, but today it’s a liquor store, painted to resemble a cocktail.

A number of novel, theme-styled water tanks also exist.

The one in Collinsville, Ill., was built in 1949 to resemble a ketchup bottle to honor local ketchup maker, Brooks Brothers. An apple motif graces a big tank in Jackson, Ohio. A tank in Luling, Texas, appears as a giant watermelon, while a giant strawberry appears in the skyline of Poteet, Texas.

Stanton, Iowa, has a water tank resembling a coffee pot since the town’s claim to fame is hometown actress, Virginia Christine, who portrayed Mrs. Olsen in the old Folgers Coffee commercials.

And, of course, the peach tower in Clanton is appropriate since Chilton County is considered the Peach Capital of the South.

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hese roadside attractions began to disappear by the 1960s and ‘70s. The new interstate highway system of the ‘50s diverted much of the tourist traffic away from the old routes, and chain stores did in many unique small businesses.

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A store near Eva was known for the 1939 Beechcraft mounted out front. It closed some years ago, but the plane remained.

Now, says Eva city clerk Pat Hopkins, a local businessman bought the store and plans to reopen it. “He better keep the airplane,” she laughs. “It’s been there as long as I can remember.”

Unfortunately, only a fraction of these unique buildings are left standing today, including a couple of them in North Alabama.

One is the The Hangar, at the intersection of Ala. 67 and Ala. 69 in Cullman County, opened some years back as a restaurant. Housed in a Quonset hut

resembling an aircraft hangar, it is now closed.

It is encouraging, however, that the modern trend for some municipalities is to paint or fashion their water towers with local themes.

Will this trend continue? I hope so.

It sure would be nice to drive down the

road and see a green dinosaur looking back at you, or to spot a flying saucer hovering above some gas pumps as you make your way to a giant shoe in which to spend your honeymoon.

Ah … roadside memories. They just don’t make ‘em like they used to.

Good Life Magazine

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CEC22 CEC 86THANNUAL ANNUALMEETING

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AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022

#Powerfulconnections #BRIGHTERFUTURE

Dr. Neal Steil, left, and his wife, not pictured, will be long appreciated by Lynn Cason and his wife, April, right, for their palliative care. Thanks to the Steils, Lynn got a unique and meaningful band concert, below, while he was a critical Covid patient at Cullman Regional. Photos by David Moore and, below, Rachel Steil.

Palliative care Story by David Moore

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r. Neal Steil and Rachel, his nurse practitioner wife, have opened a palliative care clinic at Cullman Regional Medical Center, a service typically found only at large academic hospitals.

Palliative care … you may think you know what that is, but chances are you know only part of the story. It does not always equate with the comfort care hospices provide terminal patients. It can be administered along with curative intent to improve quality of life.

Here are two enlightening examples: • One of the Steils’ patients was bedridden with advanced cancer. Though he was terminal, their treatment did not focus solely on treating his medical problems and keeping his pain at bay.

Among other things, Neal asked what

So, you think you know what that really means?

his favorite hobby was. The man said he sorely missed taking his grandson target shooting. He’d accepted the loss of that joy. Still, it saddened him.

Thinking outside the medication chest, Neal devised a unique prescription.

“I got him a couple of Nerf guns and a target,” he chuckles. “He used those the rest of his life and went out Nerf guns a-blazing.”

• Lynn Cason is a former patient of the Steils. He was admitted to Cullman Regional with Covid just prior to the 2021 football season, sick enough to spend three months on a ventilator.

As booster president of the Vinemont High School Band, Lynn had been

keenly disappointed to miss every performance that season.

Thinking again outside the medicine chest, the Steils devised an elaborate plan to remedy that. Pulling together a team to help them – including respiratory and physical therapists, nurses and

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maintenance staff – they moved Lynn to a room overlooking the helipad then brought in members of the prep band to play on the landing site.

Thrilled, the number one band booster watched the one-of-akind performance from the opened window in his room.

“Neal was adjusting the ventilator the whole time,” Rachel says.

“That,” he says, “is palliative medicine.”

“That’s our job,” Rachel adds. “Isn’t that awesome? We get to wake up every day and try to make this world a little better place.”

level of independence to achieve what’s important to them.

“We spend time getting to know the patient and what’s important them,” Neal says. “Do you want to garden with your grandchild? OK. How do we get you out in the garden?”

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echnically, I-65 brought the Steils to Cullman Regional to open a palliative care clinic, but their actual route was not so direct.

Rachel Williams grew up in Dadeville wanting to be a nurse, even though her mom taught English and her father was a DJ and owned a local Christian alliative care radio station. clinics are a relatively She remembers new model of healthcare going hunting with for patients with Rachel Steil, left, talks with Taylor Aaron, a certified medical assistant with her father and initially advanced or lifethe clinic. Rachel earned her nursing degree and, in 2009, her master’s in being reluctant when he threatening diseases. nursing from the UAB School of Nursing. Seeking more knowledge, she asked her to help him “It’s really a different field dress a deer he’d approach to care,” went to Samford University in 2017-19 for her DNP – doctor of nursing shot.

Rachel says. “It looks practice. According to the National Library of Medicine, nearly 80 “OK,” he said. “But at the quality of life – percent of nurse practitioners hold master’s degrees, while only you can’t be a nurse if what is important to the 14 percent earn DNPs. Photo by Mary Beth Sellers. you don’t.” patient. We set goals on So she helped and how to achieve that.” was never bothered Much broader than health crisis,” Neal says. “It teaches them when something hospice care, palliative how to manage those symptoms, how squeamish arose during her nursing care can be provided at any stage of to treat them at home, without having to career. chronic illness. Palliative caregivers repeatedly go to the emergency room.”

Rachel started at the UAB School of collaborate with a patient’s physicians This entails helping patients Nursing in 2002, graduated with a BSN and care providers to improve outcomes understand what the body or disease is degree in 2006 then went on to earn and quality of life. doing, why certain medications were a master’s in nursing with a focus in For instance, older patients with prescribed and what to expect. healthcare administration in 2009. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – “It’s also a lot about listening,” Upon graduating with her BSN, COPD – might go to the ER because of Rachel says. “What is going on to she got her first nursing job at UAB’s acute respiratory problems. Traditional contribute to the situation? If you’re oncology unit. It was there she met Dr. emergency treatment is intended to get short of breath, use a symptom Neal Steil, an intern. They dated nine patients back home to follow up with management plan to help minimize months, got engaged and married nine their regular physician. anxiety. I like to say we treat the patient months later.

But healthcare providers know many and not the numbers.”

A German descendant whose family of those patients will return within In palliative care, medication isn’t came to the U.S. about 1900, Neal grew months, if not weeks, with the same utilized just to improve numbers. It up in Ashland, a Cullman-sized town in symptoms. focuses on achieving a quality of life northeast Kentucky on the Ohio River.

“Outpatient palliative care is a way The family moved to Birmingham in to keep patients from ending up in a between those points to allow patients a

P

52

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Dr. Neal Steil goes over patient charts with Stephannie Gaskin, a certified medical assistant for the clinic who lives in the Summit community in Blount County. Neal’s interest in palliative care led him to pursue a fellowship in that field in 2009-10. “It’s one of the rarer specialties,” he says. “Only about 200 fellowships in palliative care are given annually across the country, compared to several thousand for cardiovascular studies.”

1994 where his father, the late Condit Steil, was a pharmacy professor at Samford University and his mother, Rhonda, was a pharmacist. After graduating from a magnet school in 1998, Neal went to the University of Kentucky, earned a bachelor’s in biology in 2002 then graduated from medical school four years later.

“That was my plan all along,” he says. “I was always drawn to science.”

His passion for UK – Big Blue – was obvious when they married in 2008.

“Our wedding colors were blue and white,” Rachel laughs. “Our wedding cake was blue and white, as were the bridesmaids’ dresses. That’s how big a fan Neal is.”

After Neal completed his residency and internship at UAB, he did a fellowship in palliative care, a rare specialty. Rachel was the nurse manager at O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at Acton Road.

In 2010 the Steils moved to Lexington, Ky., where Neal worked at St. Joseph Hospital. Rachel quit nursing to be a stay-at-home mom to their first two children.

I

n fall 2013, the Steils returned to Birmingham where their third child was born and Rachel’s mother, Lynn Abrams, had advanced-stage ovarian cancer.

54

“We moved to be close to her,” Rachel says. “With my background in oncology, I knew the prognosis was pretty grim. But now she’s great. We’re super, super thankful for that. She’s been done with treatments seven years.”

Watching the positive impact Lynn’s nurses made on her mom inspired Rachel to return to nursing, something she never planned to do.

Neal focused on palliative care at his new job at the Birmingham VA Medical Center. After three years, however, he moved into the ER, partly burned out from the intensity of his work and partly because the schedule fit better with raising now three kids.

For her part, from 2017-19, Rachel attended Samford, earning not just a degree as a family nurse practitioner, but also a doctor of nursing practice. Then she worked for a Birmingham hospice.

“I really enjoyed that,” she says. “It’s a privilege to walk that journey with someone, to be able to help give them a beautiful death.”

In July 2020, Neal started working one day a week at Cullman Regional to relieve the load on a nurse practitioner who was providing limited palliative care there. As the workload increased, Rachel started driving to Cullman to help. She’d leave the kids with her mom, work five or six hours a few days

AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022

a week, then be home in Birmingham to fix supper. It was a good schedule – but short-lived.

In November 2020, direly sick Covid patients slammed Cullman Regional with a vengeance. Neal went full time in the critical care unit, designed with 11 beds but now running over capacity with up to 24 patients on ventilators.

Rachel’s limited hours exploded, and she and Neal – along with hundreds of others – worked 14-16 hours daily for weeks on end. There were days they got home at 3 a.m., woke at 7 a.m. and drove back to Cullman Regional.

R

ecalling the pandemic tsunami, Neal says it was surreal. But amidst all of the suffering, all of the hard, incredibly stressful work, the Steils felt a sense of growing amazement.

“A part of what made us fall in love with the hospital is that the quality of care in that critical time never fell off,” Rachel says. “If something needed to be done, someone was there to do it, even if that was not their job.”

“I remember people working on one floor while their family member was in the CCU as a patient,” Neal adds.

“We believe the quality of care was unimpeded,” Rachel says. “It was really incredible. It was surreal – but it was also inspirational.”

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They also realized something else.

Even before the surge hit, they found themselves brainstorming during their commutes to and from Birmingham – thinking that with their backgrounds and interests they could help a lot of people if they someday opened an actual palliative care clinic. And, after working through the surge in Cullman, wasn’t it obvious that Cullman Regional was the perfect place for it?

“Why shouldn’t Cullman have palliative care?” Neal asked. “We have the training to do it.”

The medical center and the Cullman Regional Medical Group, comprised of its employed physicians, agreed with the Steils.

“The hospital strives to recruit doctors and other providers who bring specialized services, talent and experience to enhance healthcare in our community,” says Jennifer 56

The Steil family in Cullman for Christmas 2021: top photo from left, Jack, 11, Neal, Miriam, 6, Rachel and Sarah Kate, 10. Above, Neal and Rachel took Jack with them on one of the medical mission trips they’ve made since 2018 to Honduras. Photos provided.

Malone, Cullman Regional’s director of marketing and PR. “This is certainly an example of that.”

S

ince the Covid surge, the Steils started working for Cullman Regional

AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022

Hospice, she as a nurse practitioner, he as its medical director.

A ribbon cutting for Cullman Regional Palliative and Supportive Care Clinic is planned for the near future.

Meanwhile, the Steils have started seeing patients in dedicated offices and exam rooms on the fourth floor of Professional Office Building No. 1, sharing a waiting room with an existing primary clinic.

Adding the palliative clinic to their existing positions with hospice, Neal grins and says, “We will be ‘fuller’ time.” But doing that much more good.

Good Life Magazine

Editor’s note: For information on Cullan Regional Palliative and Supportive Care Clinic, call: 256-735-5075.

It’s not a substitute for primary care, however a referral from a primary care physician is not necessary. Services are covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance companies.

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WildWater

RipTide is the name of WildWater’s big wave pool that features eight different wave patterns, including rolling breakers like these.

Yep ... new water park is making a big splash Story and photos

by David Moore

W

ildWater Cullman is aptly named.

Crown of the new 12-acre water park is a 55-foot towering tangle of seven water slides that looks like a huge, friendly octopus resting atop a heap of its long, colorfully coiled tentacles. Kids and teens clutching bright race pads and rafts line the steps near the top, awaiting their

turn to holler and yell in delight as they zip and zag their way down the slide tubes.

Next to them, a 22,000-square-foot wave pool generates rolling combers that break over heads and shoulders of kids and parents, their excited squeals rising over a roar like an ocean incessantly crashing on a beach. At the end of the pool a movie plays on a nearly 45-foot long LED wall.

Elsewhere, youngsters splish-splatter on four different splash pads as grownups and a few tuckered kids relax in the shade of

“funbrellas” that sprout from the concrete decking like unlikely giant, colorful mushrooms.

Elsewhere cabanas offer additional shade from the Alabama sun. Four concession stands churn out cold and frozen drinks to help counter the heat, along with food and snacks to curb the hunger that always comes when playing in the water.

Other slides – 18 total, with some suitable for little kids – are located at the

AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022

59

drift river and at the existing outdoor pool area at the adjacent Cullman Wellness and Aquatic Center (CWAC), which now ties into WildWater.

There’s a continuing buzz in the air 60

charged with laughter and fun. Yep. WildWater is aptly named.

B

uilt with support of the Cullman City Council, WildWater is a vision of Cullman

AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022

Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism, which has earned national accolades for the opportunities it’s opened to area residents over some 30 years.

Three years in the planning, WildWater

A person rides a raft around an open-banked curve down one of the tall slides, upper left. Behind her stretches RipTide and just below is Breakers and the patio where adult beverages are sold.

Above, kids on rafts zip down the 43-foot Rally Racer slide – with rally points, timing and scoring – before splashing to the finish line, far left. A youngster floats across the finish pool at another slide, while others play at one of four splash pads, left. was designed as a major expansion to CWAC outdoor swimming area. It opened June 17.

“Cullman is growing, with nearly 25 percent of our population under the age of

18,” says Mayor Woody Jacobs. “WildWater is a great addition to the overall plans we have for the families and youth within our community.”

Indeed, the water park, CWAC and

other existing facilities are key parts of the emerging Sports and Events District. Once completed, it will include 10 tournament basketball courts, 19 volleyball courts, nine baseball/softball

AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022

61

The new WildWater foreground, connects with existing water park section of the Cullman Wellness and Aquatic Center, background. The Gully, center, sells snacks, while the Oasis Bistro serves full lunch and dinner options. The Iceberg serves “chilly eats and frozen treats.” And at Breakers, below, those 21 and older can cool down with adult beverages and a patio. fields, five soccer fields and a large events center.

Nathan Anderson, CPR&ST executive director, is excited.

“WildWater will draw thousands of people to Cullman, and will also provide a great outlet for local residents to enjoy family fun without having to leave the area,” Nathan says. Historically, our families have had to travel outside the area to find attractions like WildWater.”

For years, residents and business leaders discussed the need for more outdoor and indoor recreational attractions within our community, Nathan says. Helping meet that need, CPR&ST prioritized updating parks and indoor facilities before taking on WildWater.

“We’ve also installed the largest inflatable aqua park in Alabama at Palomino RV Resort, designed and started the construction of a high-end skate park in the heart of our downtown area, and most recently planned a 130,000-square-foot indoor Sports and 62

I

Events Complex tentatively scheduled to open in 2024,” Nathan says.

WildWater will have lasting benefits for many area businesses. And already, he adds, a high volume of people from surrounding counties and states have visited Cullman for the first time, many staying overnight.

AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022

f you go to WildWater Cullman, it’s located and accessed at 1707 Main Avenue SW. Parking is free. Lifeguards are on duty. No outside food or drinks allowed.

Open through September, hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily except Sunday, which is 1-6 p.m. Regular day passes cost $29.95; $23.95 for kids under 42 inches, seniors 65+ and active and retired military; ages 2 and under get in free.

Limited access tickets for 4-6 p.m.

Twilight Tuesdays are discounted $8.

Tickets for groups of 20-35 are discounted $5; larger groups get $8 off. Tickets for the splash-in movie on Aug. 18 at the wave pool are $14.98.

Cabanas – which are 12x12 and hold up to eight people – rent for $125; $150 Friday-Sunday. Pool party packages at the luxury pavilion are also available.

Tickets can be bought at the gate on a first-come-first-served basis. Guaranteed entrance tickets and more info are available at: wildwatercullman.com.

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Story by Seth Terrell Photos provided

H

igh above the rear of the sanctuary of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, a white stained-glass dove descends from a stark, blue sky, gently through a golden sunburst. When the sun pours through the stained-glass window just right, the entire choir loft glows with an ambiance at once stunning and serene.

Local parishioner Keith Ellard and organist Jannie Ratliff stand beneath the glow in a void where a stalwart of church life at Sacred Heart once stood – a mammoth pipe organ, the Austin Opus 1029. It was an instrument that served the church well for 63 years, “a faithful servant” as parishioner Barbara Ragsdale puts it.

That organ’s role ended in a puff or two of smoke.

Originally constructed in 1921 by the Austin Organ Company of Hartford, Conn., the Opus 1029 was first purchased and used by Second Baptist Church in 64

AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022

When the organ died Atlanta before sojourning to the Ponce DeLeon Baptist Church across the city then finding its forever home in Cullman at Sacred Heart in 1958.

Now, in its place is a temporary void, but as members of Sacred Heart will tell you, here in the emptiness is a reminder of a rich past and hopeful look to the future.

The story of the 101-year-old organ is one of serendipity and renewal. If organs could talk, Opus 1029 would tell of thousands of Mass services, and Christmas liturgies, of concerts and choir performances and other spiritual remembrances. Of a journey from the forests of New England to the hills of Alabama. Of a church and its people and the countless ways that sacred music enlivens and moves a community.

Keith Ellard and organist Jannie Ratliff stand in the void in the back of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church where the organ and choir risers were located.

“It never looked so big back here before,” Keith jokes. The church was already looking at replacing its grand old organ when a minor fire rendered the instrument useless. While the organ – and its 2,038 pipes in rows beneath the window and large black chambers on the upper sides – were being pulled, the church decided to refurbish the choir seats, too. Like the old one, the new organ – with 2,018 pipes –will face away from the congregation. The organist uses a mirror to monitor the sanctuary. Photo at left by David Moore.

Sacred Heart parishioners and the community rally after pipe organ burns out to have a grand replacement built “We were reluctant to give the Austin up,” Jannie Ratliff says, standing in the vacant choir loft where she played the organ for more than a decade, along with the others who’ve put their fingers to the keys during the 63 years. “I miss it. I miss the greatness.”

She and Keith speak fondly of the organ’s history and the church’s involvement.

The history of the instrument began with still revered former choir director Dr. Max Richard, who as organist and musical director helped make Opus 1029 an awe-inspiring center of worship at Sacred Heart. Max was the one who, along with the help of Mary Ellen Schlosser and others, helped secure the funds for its purchase. And he remained the point

person for many decades as the Opus occasionally underwent repairs.

Through his efforts, the great pipe organ called and inspired people to worship for decades.

B

arry Stoner, the choir director today, was at the keys this past Palm Sunday, when Opus 1029 finally gave up the ghost.

He recalls playing for the eleven o’clock service when the smell of something burning began to fill the choir loft. During the Sanctus, he first thought the smell came from a candle downstairs.

Then he realized it was the organ.

Barry turned it on and off and for the rest of the mass, used a minimum of combination stops. He even pulled the side

AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022

65

panel off the organ when a puff of smoke came from it. Though the moment did not devolve into any kind of Jerry Lee Lewis experience, Barry was ready to seek out a fire extinguisher.

“I played only one verse of the last hymn,” he recalls, “and when mass was over, I immediately disconnected the power source to the organ and started looking for the source of the smoke.”

As luck, or perhaps providence would have it, representatives from the Austin Organ company, the instrument’s original makers, happened to be on hand the next day as they were already offering consultation to Sacred Heart for upcoming repairs and plans for a new organ.

When the smoke settled, the Austin representatives explained that the organ had played its final hymn and deemed it unusable.

“They told us that continual usage would increase the chance of a major fire,” Keith says.

beauty of the instrument as a focal point for the church.

Though the current, electric organ has certainly helped Sacred Heart not miss a beat on Sundays, there is a palpable excitement for what is to come with the new organ.

“I’m looking forward to placing my fingers on the keyboard and my feet on the pedals,” Jannie says, her voice tinged with a certain elation. “When you hit a thirty-two foot pedal, the seat rumbles. It’s glorious.”

She smiles looking out over the church, imagining the first Sunday she’ll get to sit at the new masterpiece. “Words can’t describe it; it’s a feeling that can only be felt.”

Jannie, a self-described ‘Metholic’ (a faith blend of Methodist and Catholic), recognizes not only the thrill of playing such a magnificent instrument but also its impact beyond the church family.

“I think I’m most looking forward to celebrating with the community,” she says.

K

eith, along with fellow parishioners, put together a team to begin seeking a replacement for the organ. As chair of the fundraising committee, he knew the organ’s final chapter would actually become a new chapter for the church and the community.

After securing several bids to replace the organ, he and the committee decided to stick with Austin.

“Austin has been phenomenal to work with,” he explains. “They gave us a loaner electric organ, but what is more, they’ve graciously offered their expertise and knowledge in helping us plan for what’s next.”

Prior to the fire, in September 2021 the Austin team had traveled from Connecticut to began the engineering groundwork for the planned new instrument. Now, ahead of schedule, they returned in early May to deconstruct the burned out Opus 1029 and ship the old parts back to Hartford.

There, in a workshop on Woodland Street, skilled artisans went to work designing the new organ that will fill the void the old one left. Designers and engineers hand-crafted the very keys, stops and a new arsenal of pipes that will one day sound throughout the Sacred Heart sanctuary.

Family-owned, Austin Organs has been hand-crafting organs since the turn of the previous century. Opus 1029 was one of 66

The old organ was packed with circuit boards. The burned out culprit, above, was relatively easy to spot.

Austin’s first line of organs commissioned, and those prototypes, with advanced improvements, are still making music from Hawaii to New York.

“Their craftsmanship is unbelievable,” Keith says, “It’s truly something to behold.”

M

ike Fazio, president of Austin Organs, along with the other designers have worked closely with Sacred Heart on the new instrument that will help shape the worship experience.

They have implemented the latest technologies, such as fully solid-state control systems, data cables, transposers, piston sequencers, multiple memory levels, and MIDI compatibility, which allows for the addition of digital voices. The additional stops and electrical capabilities will allow the new organ to sound identical to the pipe organs of world-famous cathedrals, such as St. Patrick’s in Ireland or St. Peter’s in Rome.

While the new organ will bring about a one-of-a-kind auditory experience, it will also bring about a visual aesthetic, too, with new casings around the pipes to enhance the

AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022

T

he new organ will eventually make its way from the cozy halls of New England with the target of beginning its new musical journey in Cullman by Mother’s Day 2023.

Funds have been raised for the project coming from private donors and business alike. Local restaurants – such as All-Steak, Augusta’s Sports Grill and Rumor’s Deli – have joined the effort, along with Sheriff Matt Gentry and Sen. Garlan Gudger, truly making the dream a communal one.

To date, over $800,000 has been raised to help make updates and repairs as well as bring the organ home as part of the church mission to, “Beautify the Liturgy, Elevate the Mind, Enrich the Soul.”

While the effort thus far has procured excitement and unity in the Cullman area, it is only a taste of what Sacred Heart hopes to create. Keith recalls the joint effort among Sacred Heart members of both the Englishspeaking and Spanish-speaking parishes.

Nuns in the Philippines have even made special rosaries to help with the fundraising process.

Keith’s voice cracks a little thinking about the bond and joy of so many people working together.

“Sorry, I get a little emotional about it,” he says. “Seeing people get excited about being able to do this together, especially after Covid, has been a lot of fun.”

Just as Barbara Ragsdale, Mary Jo Hovater and other members faithfully

At this point in the process, Austin has not started on Sacred Heart’s new organ.

The old parts remain crated. Austin Organ Company President Mike Fazio says some of the salvageable parts will be repurposed. The finished instrument will look similar to this three-manual console Austin built for St. Lawrence Church in Killingworth, Conn.

Below left, a craftsman works on a pipe base for a windchest. Also needed at Sacred Heart will be a blower room, like the one below. Photos provided

by Austin Organs.

documented the former journeys of the 101-year-old Opus 1029, Sacred Heart now turns to what the future will hold for their church and how the new organ will anchor that vision.

The church looks forward to again hosting regional choir competitions and taking part in the chamber of commerce’s plans to hold church tours in Cullman, which will allow the new organ to inspire visitors and future generations. The hope is to also make the organ available to people in the community so that the experience can be shared with all.

J

annie admits that organists

are somewhat of a dying breed, but Sacred Heart, through the generosity of its parishioners, has now set aside “scholarship” funds to sponsor young people who are interested in learning to play piano as a step toward playing the organ.

“We’re trying to make sure we have a next generation of organists,” Keith says.

“We’re looking forward to using the next one for a hundred years, and we’re thrilled over what the future may hold.”

The vision that Dr. Max Richard first held when Opus 1029 came to Sacred Heart is in many ways the same vision that sustains the Sacred Heart community

today. When the two-year process is complete, and the organ arrives, Barry Stoner will direct his choir once again in the swelling Sanctus, Holy, Holy, Holy.

Jannie Ratliff and her organist colleagues will once again feel the seat rumble. And Keith Ellard and his fellow parishioners will humbly bask in the overwhelming emotions of a unified mission now completed.

The stained-glass dove will light gently over the loft as the array of 1,100 pipes form a lustrous nest around it. And the future of a community will be enthralled in the thrum of timelessness.

Good Life Magazine AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022

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AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022

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Out ‘n’ About

When the fair comes to Cullman

If you’re out and about Oct. 6-15, visit the Cullman County Fair. See the High Flying Pages Circus of Thrills – “America’s Premiere Circus Family” – perform daily trapeze stunts and watch the Globe of Death, a daring motorcycle rampage in a ball-shaped cage. If you love pageants or know someone participating, they’re held at 7 p.m. at the Coca Cola Theatre. Tiny and Petite Fair Princess Pageants are Oct. 6; Little Fair Princess Pageant is Oct. 10; Miss Cullman County Fair Queen 2022 will be crowned Oct. 11; Junior Fair Princess Pageant is set for Oct. 12; and the Teen Fair Princess Pageant will be held Oct. 13. The youth livestock shows are Oct. 10-14. For a complete schedule, visit: cullmanfair.org. Liz Smith shot these fun fair photos last year.

AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022

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