July 2024 – LakeLife 24/7 Magazine

Lakeside Live Musicfest returning to Logan Martin Lake

Story by Cherith Fluker
Submitted Photos

A simple idea to create an event that gives back to the community while giving families something fun to do has blossomed into the Lakeside Live Musicfest, which returns to Lakeside Park in September.

The Five16 Foundation hosts this annual music festival and car show at Pell City Lakeside Park. Event Director Casey Cambron says the foundation expects this year’s event to impact The Saint Clair Children’s Advocacy Center (The Children’s Place) in meaningful ways.

Now in its fourth year, Lakeside Live embodies the Five16 Foundation’s mission of “shining our light through fundraising, service, and good works.” Cambron expects thousands of people to flock to the park for a day of music and family fun. In turn, they will be helping others.

Since its inception, the festival has evolved significantly. Originally held in November, the event was moved to mid-September to avoid the cold weather, finding its sweet spot on the third Saturday of the month.

From muscle cars to VWs, the car show brings it all

Generously supported by sponsors like Buffalo Rock Pepsi, this year’s festival is slated for Sept. 21 with gates opening at 10 a.m. The event will go on until approximately 8 p.m. with a variety of activities planned throughout the day.

Lakeside Live exudes a friendly, family-oriented atmosphere. It attracts a diverse crowd, with smiling faces, kids playing games and families enjoying food from local vendors. As the name implies, music is the main ingredient.

Cambron announced that this year’s music headliner is The Spin Doctors, a popular American alternative rock band. “We’re excited to host The Spin Doctors this year, but we are also very excited about our opening band,” says Cambron. The festival opener will be Sand Rock, a band made up of Pell City High School students. Other notable acts are The Greg White Band, Deputy 5, The Leverton Brothers, The Wingnuts, and more.

Inspired by other local events, Lakeside Live stands out for its unique blend of activities. In addition to an entertaining musical lineup, the event also offers an impressive car show with hundreds of cars on display, most of which are from the St. Clair County area.

The car show itself is quite a draw, showcasing a wide range of vehicles from high-end cars to bicycles. Custom handmade awards are presented to winners, adding a personal touch to the event.

Over 100 vendors and food trucks and a variety of children’s activities will be available for attendees to enjoy. About 90% of the vendors are local. While there is no charge to browse the car show, items at vendor booths and food trucks are available for purchase.

One highlight of the event is the Battle of the Badges, a spirited competition between the fire and police departments. This competition features an obstacle course, tug-of-war and other challenges. Cambron described Battle of the Badges as an “entertaining interaction between local first responders that allows the community to engage with them in a fun way.”

Having won two of the three years of the Battle of the Badges, the Pell City Fire Department is eager to challenge the reigning champions, the Pell City Police Department.

In addition to benefitting the Children’s Advocacy Center, proceeds from Lakeside Live Musicfest also contribute to various local causes, such as the police and fire departments, the local school system, children’s organizations, and more.

“We are so thankful for our generous sponsors like Buffalo Rock Pepsi and Lakeside Boathouse, who have believed in our dream from day one,” said Cambron. He also credited fellow board members, Pell City High School Wrestling and other volunteers who give of their time throughout the year and on event day to make Lakeside Live Musicfest a success.

Looking ahead, the goal is to continue growing the festival, maintaining its community-focused spirit while expanding its reach and impact. By continuously improving and adapting to feedback, Cambron hopes to make each year’s event better than the last, ultimately creating a lasting legacy of community support and enjoyment.

Editor’s Note: For more information and to apply as a vendor, visit the festival’s website at lakesideliveshow.com. Vendor applications are accepted until Sept. 1, 2024.

The Yak Shak

New store brings kayaks, accessories
and more to Pell City

Story and photos
by Carol Pappas

Turn off U.S. 231 South at the colorful, largemouth bass mailbox, and it’s your first hint that something special awaits up ahead.

Just beyond is newly opened The Yak Shak, a stone’s throw from Logan Martin Lake. Inside, you’ll find something special indeed – and it’s not just the kayaks and accessories.

Meet Allen and Jessica Norris, owners of The Yak Shak, a business they started five years ago when they were dating. Kayak fishing was Allen’s hobby, and he soon introduced Jessica to it. When it became their passion together, they decided to build a business around it. The Yak Shak already has a franchise opening in Indiana soon.

Allen, Jessica and Madelyn Norris, not pictured, 2-year-old Coleman

They located their initial store in a strip mall in Pelham and experienced early successes when the COVID pandemic hit, and people began heading outdoors. “It’s been a wild ride,” Allen said. “We’ve only known pandemic retail,” added Jessica. “Interest exploded. We thought that was the way it was going to be.”

While other businesses closed their doors during the pandemic, The Yak Shak thrived. It wasn’t until the year after, when supply chain problems surfaced that their business plan headed in an adaptive direction. “We worked off pre-orders,” where customers could choose their exact color, style, and customization.

Much of their business is still centered on pre-orders today, but they have adapted and expanded when opportunities arose. They found a market in used kayaks generated by the new kayak market. They have trade-ins, they offer full customization of the kayaks, and they ship smaller items all over the country.

They define their business as a “destination” type – customers looking for a place to buy a kayak. They sell kayaks, paddleboards and inflatables not found in big box stores. They also offer well-known brands like AFTCO, Heybo, Big Bite Baits, YakAttack and Rapala. They sell Bending Branches paddles and NRS inflatable kayaks.

Average price range of kayaks and accessories is $500-$2,500. Now that kayak fishing tournaments allow motors, The Yak Shak has seen an influx of customers wanting to add trolling motors, outboards, live scope, and many more electronics to their kayaks. “We cater to tournament-focused brands,” Allen adds.

A tournament weigh-in held there a couple of weeks ago accommodated 17 vehicles with kayaks and trailers in the parking lot. “We had plenty of room,” said Allen, noting another plus of their move from Pelham to Pell City.

Of course, it’s not a weigh-in in the bass tournament sense of the phrase. Kayak fishing tournaments are ‘weighed’ with photos and a “bump board,” a ruler-like board with a hard end to measure the fish from nose to tail. A photo then captures the size for this catch-and-release method.

Every boat and accessory they offer, they tested themselves. “It’s our passion,” Allen said. He gives the nod to Jessica in the fishing, though. “Her personal best is a 7-pound largemouth.”

How they got here from there

The couple arrived at this moment in their lives from different directions, but there is no disguising the joy they have already found running a business in Pell City together.

He graduated from Kennesaw State College in Georgia in Management, Entrepreneurship and International Business. “I speak Chinese,” he said, referring to his International Business interest. He went to work at Hewlett Packard right out of college, and a promotion brought him to Birmingham.

She graduated in Communications at the University of Alabama, and her background is in marketing and franchising. In her spare time between their business, working remotely with a software company, tending to their 4-month-old and 2-year-old, she wrote a children’s book – Francine’s First Fish. She was already in Birmingham.

They met, fell in love, married and started a business. They found a home on Logan Martin Lake and moved a coupled of years ago. It just made sense to trade the long commute for a business near their home and the lake.

“We’re excited to be a part of the community,” Allen said, noting that The Yak Shak has already been involved in LakeFest and events at Lincoln’s Landing. “This is where we live and want to do business. It’s where we want to raise our kids.”

He points to the growth all around and said, “It is very encouraging to see that as a new business.” When the location on U.S. 231 opened up, they decided to close Pelham and move The Yak Shak to Pell City, Allen said. “It was the best move for our family and our business.”

Remember When: Parson’s whisky war on the Coosa River … almost

Story by Danny K. Crownover
Submitted Photos

Through today’s lens, it seems improbable that a parson could start a war over whiskey, but legend – and history – has it that Parson and Reverend Gideon Blackburn came close to sparking a war between the United States and the Creek Indians in 1809.

In sharp contrast to most religious circles today, it was perfectly acceptable for a man of the cloth to dabble in distilling.

Blackburn, a Presbyterian minister of Maryville, Tennessee, started the first Presbyterian mission among the Cherokee in 1803 and was successful in his work among the Indians.

However, the good parson had another side to him besides preaching. He was a proprietor of a whiskey distillery.

In those days, distilling and selling was a respectable home industry, conducted by laymen and sometimes by clergymen. Common as it was among the white people, it was against federal law to sell it to the Native Americans.

Let’s set the stage and the location. Fifty-nine years earlier, around 1750, Chief Chinnaby brought his people from Mississippi to the Coosa River. They settled at the south bank of Big Wills Creek. Originally, they were Natchez Indians trying to escape from the decimating French. They became allied and integrated into the Chickasaws of this area, and this new town became known as Natchez Village.

The Chickasaws had already established a trade route with the British from Charleston, S. C. through now Gadsden to near Memphis, Tennessee, called the High Town Path. The Chickasaws and English established posts along this route, including one that eventually became Turkeytown.

On the north side of Big Wills Creek was Cherokee land and a small village called Frogtown. It ran from the Coosa River to Black Creek and beyond. Frogtown was named for Cherokee Spring Frog who lived there, according to the Cherokee Phoenix, a Cherokee newspaper printed in both Cherokee and English.

This is the same Spring Frog, born in 1754 at Chickamaugua Creek near Chattanooga, Tennesse, who died July 31, 1859, in Oklahoma. Spring Frog was the grandson of the Raven of Chota, making him the last line of the Great Chiefs of Chota.

Spring Frog lived on the most southernmost border of the Cherokee Nation known as Turkey Town (sometimes known as Little Turkey’s Town, Sennecca, or Esenaca) near today’s Turkey Town in Etowah County. It was ruled by Principal Chief Pathkiller.

The 1809 incident all started when Blackburn was descending the Coosa River with two flatboats of 2,226 gallons (or 65 casks) of whiskey and other supplies when he arrived at Chief Pathkiller’s home.

Pathkiller informed Blackburn that there was a large camp of Creek Indians downstream at the Ten Islands and thought that if he went there, the Creeks would take his whiskey from him.

Upon hearing this news, Blackburn determined he would not go down the river any further. He had Pathkiller temporarily store his whiskey in one of the chief’s houses, where it could be locked up. Pathkiller and Blackburn then went home.

After Blackburn was gone, the Creeks, led by Chief Big Warrior, heard of the whiskey. They demanded Pathkiller hand it over and threatened to break down the door if he would not open it. Pathkiller was compelled to hand over his key, and upwards of 100 Creek Indians took Blackburn’s whiskey.

Two young men had been left to guard the house, but the Creeks broke open the door, rolled out three or four barrels, broke in the heads and commenced drinking. They filled two bottles and gave them to the young men and told them to leave as soon as possible or the Creeks would kill them when they got drunk.

The young men watched for some time at a great distance. The Creeks killed and butchered each other with knives and clubs and crowded around the house. They were all drunk. Somehow, the building caught fire and the whiskey exploded like a powder magazine.

Everyone in and near were killed, with many burned up. How much whiskey was destroyed was never ascertained, as Pathkiller’s land was located some 120 miles from a white settlement.

According to Blackburn’s brother Samuel, they had unloaded the cargo simply to await permission from the Creeks to sail on down the river to Mobile. There, they planned to dispose of the whiskey, powder and lead.

The Creeks, who seized what was left of Blackburn’s cargo were already disputing with the U.S. government about the right of trading parties crossing Creek territory.

The Cherokees were against the Creeks for sending 100 warriors into the Cherokee Nation to seize the cargo and the boats.

The Creeks claimed the cargo was left with the PathKiller “to sell the goods for the benefit of the owner,” so the Creeks had confiscated Blackburn’s whiskey on the grounds it was being illegally sold en route.

When the Cherokees were called upon for compensation, they excused themselves and said the Creeks owned the land beyond Wills Creek and could do as they pleased in their own country.

Because it was illegal for any white person to sell alcoholic beverages to the Indians within their territory, Chief Big Warrior felt justified in seizing this illegal cargo.

Many heated correspondences were made among the Creeks, the Indian agents and the United States, but nothing resulted from these communications.

Soon, but for other reasons, the U.S. did come to war with the Creek Indians during the Creek War of 1813.

But just four years earlier, Parson Blackburn came close to starting an actual war between the United States and the Creek Indians – over whiskey.

Ice cream and pedal boats on Neely Henry Lake

Story by Carol Pappas
Photos by Mackenzie Free,
Graham Hadley and submitted

Move over pontoons, bass boats and other lake and river-faring vessels. There’s a couple of new watercrafts navigating their way around these parts this summer.

On Neely Henry, that distant tune reminiscent of ice cream trucks and days gone by is actually coming from an ice cream boat, which launches and regularly ‘patrols’ Neely Henry Lake.

On the Coosa River in Gadsden, you’ll find a parade of dragons, ducks and swans floating by at Coosa Landing – a fleet of pedal boats the city has launched for renting this summer.

Greg and Peggie Watson offering tasty memories on the lake

The ice cream boat is the creation of Greg and Peggie Watson, Ashville residents who saw a need and filled it. Greg is a retired sheriff’s investigator, and Peggie works for the district attorney’s office.

“There really isn’t much on Henry Neely as far as food, etc., unless you go to Southside or Gadsden,” explained Greg. “We know it gets hot on the lake, and people need some relief. So, we decided to provide a unique and fun way to help them with ice cream. That’s where the ice cream boat idea came from.”

The boat’s 11-foot ice cream flag is hard to miss. So is the ice cream truck song that plays continuously. Boaters and those on dockside have been lining up for a tasty respite from the summer heat.

“People on the docks can hear us coming,” Greg said. “We have met some really great people. We had some people that actually messaged and asked for our location this last weekend. We were near Southside. They came from all the way from Ragland Dam and tracked us down.

“They said they wanted the ice cream and were looking for us all day. They also had a furry friend with them that devoured the pup cup ice cream from us.”

Hershey ice cream is the main provider for their ice cream. They use real cream. “So, the taste is by far the best out of all the ice cream in my opinion,” Greg noted. “We do have another vendor where we get some of the specialty ice cream like Batman, Tweety Bird, and Kung Fu panda. So, it’s the people’s choice on what they want. The funny part is that more adults than kids want the ice cream.”

Meanwhile, Coosa Landing’s new pedal boats are getting quite a workout as are the people who power them. Each boat fits up to five people, and they pedal their way to fun in the sun on the water.

“We are excited to offer families and friends something fun and safe to do together this summer while enjoying the great outdoors in Gadsden,” said Mayor Craig Ford.

You can rent the boats at Coosa Landing bait shop from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You must be at least 18 years old and provide identification. Life jackets are required, and the city has some available. The rental fee is $20 up to one hour. For more hours, it costs $15 after the initial $20.

For more information, call 256-549-4677.

Farmers Market at Logan Martin Lakeside Park

St. Clair County Farmers Market in Pell City is a growers’ market, meaning it is grown locally. The market itself has grown locally, too, necessitating a move to Lakeside Park this year.

The market moved from the Avondale Walking Track to Lakeside Park in the parking lot by the boat launch. The market got underway June 5 and will be open each Wednesday, weather permitting, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the summer.

Veggie Bucks for the kids are back thanks to community sponsors. Children ages 5-12 can come by the St. Clair County Extension tent to receive a $3 voucher to spend on the fruits or vegetables of their choice.

St. Clair County Farmers Market is an effort by the St. Clair County Extension Service.

Catchin’ the Coosa July 2024

Pro fishing tips on Logan Martin Lake and Neely Henry Lake with Zeke Gossett

Logan Martin Lake

Logan Martin can be a tricky lake during the months of July and August. However, these two months are still great times to fish if you know where to look.

Specifically talking about July, there are still plenty of offshore fish to be found. Fish may be in offshore brush piles or actual schools.

If you find schools of fish, they tend to move around a lot this time of year, so you may have to play chase with them! You must keep an open mind and use your electronics to stay on them.

The schools may move from where you previously found them, but they will usually stay within eyesight of where they were. Once I’ve found a school, I will typically try to catch the active ones first. Usually, the biggest in the school will eat first.

My first bait of choice always is a deep diving crankbait. The reason the crankbait is always a good first choice is it allows you to get back into a school more quickly if the fish choose to bite.

If the school doesn’t seem to want to bite, or maybe there’s a lack of current in the system, I will reach for either a flutter spoon or a hair jig. These two baits are a little more subtle than the crankbait and will trigger bites if the fish are not as active.

Transitioning into the month of August, for me, brush piles and docks start to play a major role in catching bass. Once the schools start to break up after being pressured all summer long from being fished on hard, these fish will usually branch off and start getting in brush more heavily.

My favorite depth to target these fish is in anywhere from 10 to 15 feet of water. A couple of baits you might want to try are a crankbait or a finesse jig. Traditionally, I let the fish tell me what they want.

If you have a low pressure day (during the week), usually they’ll be more in the mood to chase the crankbait down and eat. On the other hand, the jig is a lot better option if it is slick calm, sunny and a lot of boat traffic.

Give these tips a try during the hottest part of the year, and you might find the dog days of summer are not so bad after all.

Neely Henry Lake

Neely Henry has always been a good summertime lake in years past for me. Anglers can catch fish from a foot of water all the way out to 20 feet of water.

My better than average size fish will come shallow, especially early in the morning. I will usually target the area from the Highway 77 bridge section down.

Early in the morning, I will always start with either a hollow body frog or swim jig, trying to cover as much water as possible. This allows me to pick off those active fish in the lower light.

I will either look for willow grass or seawalls on the main river to start with. If there is plentiful cloud cover, I will stay shallow either a lot longer or all day if the fish are still showing activity.

If the sun does decide to show up, that’s when I’ll move a little deeper. Typically, in July, there will still be schools of fish to be found. These schools can be found on roadbeds, long points and ledges.

Generally, my first cast in these schools – just like Logan Martin – will be a crankbait. Once the school shuts down, I will play cleanup with either a jig or a drop shot.

Once August rolls around, I will still have the same morning routine as July. The only difference is that I will start mixing in a lot more dock fishing. The reason being, much like Logan Martin, the schools break up from either pressure or maybe even lack of oxygen out deep if there hasn’t been any rain.

I will keep my bait selection pretty simple. I start out with either a finesse jig or Texas rigged senko. These two baits will get a bite no matter what the conditions might be.

Zeke Gossett of Zeke Gossett Fishing grew up on the Coosa River and Logan Martin Lake. He is a former collegiate champion and is now a professional angler on the B.A.S.S. tour circuit and is a fishing guide. Learn more about Zeke at: zekegossettfishing.com.

Coosa Riverkeeper: Boating and swimming safety

KNOW

Alabama’s Boating Rules and Regulations
Required Boat Equipment
Follow boating navigation rules
These can be found at: www.alea.gov/resources/laws/boating-rules-and-regulations

SAFETY FIRST

Always be aware of other watercraft and persons in the water
Check all mechanical and electrical systems before heading out
Check that life jackets of all passengers are worn correctly
Check the weather forecast for local conditions

SWIMMING

Find the best places to dive in with Coosa Riverkeeper’s Swim Guide, where we answer the question – Is it safe to swim here?
We test 50 sites across the Coosa basin. Learn where we test near you at CoosaRiver.org/SwimGuide
Want alerts straight to your phone? Text SWIMGUIDE to 205-526-4819

Follow Coosa Riverkeeper on Facebook & Instagram @CoosaRiverkeeper
For more information, swim over to www.CoosaRiver.org.

Adventure begins here

Making magic in Gadsden, tourists’ paradise

Story by Roxann Edsall
Photos by Graham Hadley
Submitted Photos

Unusual, exciting, bold … all positive terms for the adventurer. If you seek exciting escapades, exhilarating exploits or prodigious pursuits, the Gadsden area is a place you should check out.

With a renewed passion for sharing all the area has to offer, Greater Gadsden Area Tourism invites adventure-seekers of all levels to explore their expansive list of upcoming cultural, recreational and adventure-filled special events.

“Adventure Begins Here” is the new tourism slogan, one which is punctuated by events like the annual Barbarian Challenge. The six-mile race is scheduled for June 15 through rugged terrain, including 20 obstacles and through the gorge of the 90-foot waterfall at Noccalula Falls.

If that’s not to your liking, then maybe the thrill of finding treasures in the World’s Longest Yard Sale is a better fit. Held the first weekend of August, this 690-mile odyssey offers six states worth of pre-owned plunder stretching from Gadsden to Hudson, Michigan.

The city’s most well-known treasure is the 500-acre Noccalula Falls Park, situated at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains. The park’s iconic falls are prominently featured in the new Greater Gadsden Area tourism logo.

Activities beyond viewing the falls include camping, mountain biking, mini golf, fly fishing, a petting zoo, a miniature train, botanical gardens, Veterans’ Park and a wedding chapel. They host an art event twice a year called “Art on the Rocks,” the next one scheduled for September. At this event you can view and purchase all types of art and craft items.

“Christmas at the Falls,” featuring over a million lights illuminating the park, drew over 80,000 visitors this past year, opening on Thanksgiving night and running through New Year’s Eve.

Attracting visitors to the greater Gadsden area to spend one or more nights is the goal of the tourism board, whose website touts the city’s offerings as “boundless opportunities for outdoor recreation.” Funded through the lodging tax, the tourism board is celebrating its 15^th year of existence promoting the greater Gadsden area, which, in addition to Gadsden, includes Rainbow City, Southside, Attalla, Glencoe, Hokes Bluff, Sardis City, and Altoona.

Executive Director of the Greater Gadsden Area Tourism Tina Morrison came to the job less than a year ago from a similar position in Athens, Alabama. The nameplate on her desk reads, “Tina Morrison, Magic Maker,” and she makes it a priority to live up to that.

She traveled the world with an engineering and construction firm for 10 years before returning to the United States and taking a job in Perdido Key, Fla., as their chamber and visitor’s center executive director.

Six weeks after taking the Perdido job, she was mitigating a crisis caused by a huge oil spill, which seriously threatened the tourism industry. She secured a $1 million grant and led a campaign called “The Coast Is Clear,” which helped people see the conditions of the beach. “We would go across the street every single day and take video of the beach and post it on the website.” That effort was a major victory for tourism in the Perdido area.

Morrison brings that same enthusiasm and head-on problem solving to Etowah County. She got right to work in Gadsden, developing the new logo and branding following the ribbon cutting on their new location on Broad Street. They are in the downtown civic center, a building which also houses the City of Gadsden Parks and Recreation department and the city’s event rental office.

“We’re also working on a brand-new visitor’s guide,” says Morrison. “It will have less text, more pictures, and lots of QR codes. You’ll be able to click on the QR code and immediately get more information about that event or restaurant. Information to make a visitor’s stay more complete and enjoyable will be just a click away.”

The Alabama Department of Tourism has declared 2024 the Year of Alabama Food. “To promote that, we’ve produced an awesome print ad promoting area food establishments and are working on some special restaurant events in August,” adds Morrison. “We’re also working on producing some packaged itineraries for guests, so they can have a list of things for them to do to spend the day, the weekend, or longer.”

Morrison is quick to credit Administrative Assistant Cheryl Pate, the other half of the tourism staff, as her partner in progress. “She’s great. She’s been here for five years and is amazing.”

She also credits the mayor’s office with inspiring a new sense of excitement in the city. “He (Craig Ford) has been here about two years and is lighting a fire under the town,” says Morrison. “We’re working together as never before.” They also work closely with the Gadsden special events department and Downtown Gadsden, a member-based group that promotes the downtown area.

Communicating scheduled events to prospective visitors and to service providers within the area is a priority for Morrison and Pate. They host quarterly lodging meetings with hotel and campground operators to listen to their needs and to share information on upcoming events that could draw in visitors.

The tourism board has taken over the Etowah County Event Calendar, where visitors can see all the upcoming events in one comprehensive listing. “Since we started that in September, our visitor numbers on that site have increased from 6,000 to 10,000,” said Morrison. “People can scan the QR code in our new visitors guide or go to www.greatergadsden.com/events to view the whole list.”

Gadsden is home to both art festivals and museums

Morrison admits that when she moved to the area, she was shocked by the area’s diversity in cultural arts. “It’s the biggest secret,” she said, telling of the incredible collections currently housed at the Gadsden Museum of Art and its next-door neighbor, Mary G. Harden Cultural Arts Center. “There’s a pretty amazing cigar box guitar collection on permanent display there.” Twice a year, Noccalula Falls hosts an event called “Art on the Rocks.”

This summer, the Downtown Gadsden group will continue hosting First Fridays, with businesses staying open late, followed by free concerts at The Amp. Country group Nash County will perform July 5 and Rubik Groove (80s and 90s rock) is scheduled for Aug. 2. In October, you can enjoy wine and cheese overlooking the water at “Sunset Sips.” During this event, Memorial Bridge is temporarily closed and transformed into a pedestrian gathering spot.

Enjoy that wine. Hike that trail. Challenge your body to perform like a barbarian. Refine your artistic acuity. There are so many options for fun and adventure throughout the year. Go ahead and check out their calendar. You may want to add it to yours.

Easy way to the water

Paddlers to get new access to Neely Henry through grant

Story by Paul South
Photos by Graham Hadley
Submitted photos

For Dave Tumlin, the memory is as vivid as summer sunsets on Neely Henry Lake.

As an Alabama kid transplanted to California, he and his family would travel from the West Coast to visit relatives and spend time on the Coosa River. His family eventually moved back to Alabama and built a rock and shake shingle house on the Coosa River in 1968. Dave still lives there today.

The trips – and his parents’ stories of family and the river – would linger in Tumlin’s head, heart and imagination long after returning to California.

“When we were kids in grade school, my brother and I would take the double mattress off my folks’ bed, throw it on the floor, and we would pretend like we were rafting down the river like Tom Sawyer,” Tumlin said. “That’s how long my love has been for this river and this lake.”

NHLA President Dave Tumlin shows where access will be installed

The Tumlins were one of the lake’s first families. He remembers when the area was dominated by the Coosa River and cow pastures.

“It was pretty close to the first house on the lake after the lake came up in the 1960s,” Tumlin said. “We’ve watched it evolve from a beautiful river and bottom land to a more beautiful lake.”

Alabama Power Company created the lake in 1966.

Now retired, Tumlin serves as president of the Neely Henry Lake Association. The organization, representing some 130 lake families working to protect and improve life on the lake, received a $2,200 grant from the Alabama Scenic River Trail Waterway Enhancement Program.

The funds will be used to construct the Rainbow City Paddle Launch. The project will provide the first assisted launch device on Neely Henry Lake, which will benefit paddleboarders, kayakers and canoeists, making water access easier and safer for them, particularly enthusiasts who don’t have their own dock.

NHLA was one of six recipients in the inaugural round of ASRT grants.

“The accessibility, if you don’t have your own dock, there is none, quite frankly,” Tumlin said. “That triggered the thought … What could we do with the popularity of paddleboarding and kayaking and so forth to give the public better access. So, it kind of evolved from there. We felt like it was a good thing to do.”

The grant is a first for the association.

Dave Tumlin explains to kayaker Shawn Craven of Ragland how the new system will work

Martha Grace Mize, Development and Outreach coordinator for the Alabama Scenic River Trail, praised the NHLA’s “really thought out” and thorough grant application. In its first year, the grant program attracted 10 applicants. The ASRT, best known for hosting the Great Alabama 650, the nation’s longest paddle race, awarded $25,000 in grants.

“They (the lake association) were very considerate of thinking about what it would take to bring the project to fruition and what the follow up would be,” Mize said. “They were very intentional about how this project would impact public use and how they could explore other projects in the future on Neely Henry.”

The ASRT was founded in 2008 to enhance recreation and tourism on Alabama’s more than 6,000 miles of rivers and streams, the longest historic river trail in the United States.

The accessibility devices can either be fixed or floating. The NHLA launch will float and be affixed to a dock. The new launch will be able to rise up and down with the lake levels.

NHLA, in conjunction with Rainbow City Parks and Recreation, expects to complete the project by summer’s end. The accessibility device will be located at Rainbow Landing near the Southside Bridge on Alabama 77.

“We wanted to be able to provide something that to our knowledge doesn’t exist for the public,” Tumlin said.

Currently, kayakers, paddleboarders and the like have to go to a public dock and lower themselves onto their vessels. Balance can be tricky. The project will change that.

“You can put your kayak, paddleboard or canoe on top of the floating device and ease yourself into the water using arms that are on there. And the reverse is true when you return. You can pull yourself out of the water.”

The project is in response to the increasing popularity of canoes, paddleboards and kayaks. The COVID-19 pandemic actually boosted the popularity of paddle sports. The global market was estimated at $2.4 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach $3.3 billion by 2027, according to the Great Outdoor Recreation Pages (gorp.com).

That increasing popularity underscores the need for the project, Tumlin said.

“With the really rapid growth in the use of kayaks, canoes and paddleboards, we need that accessibility on our lake,” Tumlin said.

“I think this will go a long way to help people who enjoy doing that and give them a safer way to access the lake. It seemed like a really neat thing to do to improve life on the lake because a lot of people are going to kayaks, canoes and paddleboards. It’s a great way to connect with the water,” Tumlin added.

While pontoons, ski and bass boats and personal watercrafts, even sailboats, are popular, paddle sports provide a more intimate experience.

“It’s just a whole different way to experience the lake,” Tumlin said. “The shoreline is closer and certainly the water is closer. But it gives you a connection you don’t get any other way.”

He added, “There’s nothing cooler than being on a paddleboard or a kayak and going up quietly into a slough. You really are one with the lake when you do that.”

Paddle sports also benefit the environment, propelled by human strength, not fossil fuels.

“It’s quiet. You get exercise when you’re out there, so that’s a good thing. But from an environmental standpoint, there’s absolutely no impact. So, it’s a very good thing.”

As for the future, NHLA is considering similar paddle sport projects on the lake and plans to pursue more grants, Tumlin said. The group is currently researching possible sites in Gadsden, Southside and in St. Clair County.

“We would like to put one up in Gadsden at Coosa Landing,” Tumlin said. “They’ve got a small inlet area there that I think would be [a good place] to launch before people got out into the river itself.”

Bottom line for Tumlin is, “I’d like to see one in Canoe Creek. I’d like to see one on Southside and one in Gadsden.”

The love affair that he and his family have had since even before his imaginary childhood Coosa River on a mattress has only deepened. The biodiversity and changing topography are only part of the lake’s variety. He’s explored much of it in a flat bottom boat.

North of Gadsden, the lake is riverine, narrow with high banks.

“That’s a whole different world, and it’s really cool to explore that. When you get down below Gadsden in the Southside area, the lake spreads out and the fishing changes. You’ve got mountains and the history of the area. I could talk forever about the beauty of this lake and the river.”

The initial Neely Henry access project is the latest in a series of projects by the association on the lake that improves the quality of life.

“Anything that can improve life on this river, that’s the most important thing,” Tumlin said. “We’ve seen the growth of boats and more families on the water and more kids experiencing what I experienced as a kid on the water. (Paddle sports are) a whole new way of experiencing the water. It’s just great to see that growth.”

For Tumlin, as certainly for other families and visitors, Neely Henry Lake is – to borrow a phrase from an old hymn – a fount of blessings.

“When I’m out there [on my patio looking at the lake], maybe having a glass of wine in the evening, I think how blessed I’ve been that my parents made the decision that they did. That decision – being on this lake – has affected my whole family. Just the joy over the years that my family has been able to experience because we live on this lake.”

What would his parents think of the new project?

“I think they would be really pleased that the lake association and the Alabama Scenic River Trail were able to expand to a whole other group of people the joy of being on this lake.”

Editor’s Notes: For more information on the Neely Henry Lake Association, visit neelyhenrylake.org or call Tumlin at (256)368-5200.

Learn more about the Alabama Scenic River Trail at alabamascenicrivertrail.com.

Repurposed

Artist turns old into new again

Story by Elaine Hobson Miller
Photos by Mandy Baughn

According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, to repurpose is to “adapt for use in a different purpose.” That’s the perfect description for what Maria Hull does with her art, not to mention what she has done with her life.

An MICU nurse at UAB Hospital for more than 30 years, Maria retired, trading that high stress environment for the beauty and tranquility of lake life. She and husband, Tommy, moved from Trussville area to Logan Martin Lake in Cropwell on Treasure Island.

Living on the water inspired her, and her creativity began to thrive. For years, she has put her skillful hand to transforming old into new – each piece a work of art. No two piece are alike.

A collection of bird feeders she has made

She takes vintage stone, metal beads and crystals to create her jewelry designs. Vintage beads and pendants may become a cross. A utility meter becomes a whimsical piece of yard art, using antique doorknobs for the eyes and a brass hose nozzle for the nose. In Maria’s realm of creativity, a bird cage becomes the housing for a vintage lamp, a piece she treasures because it belonged to her late sister, Demetra.

“When I was able to retire, I had more time to create and have fun with it,” she says. A collector of antiques and vintage jewelry, she took her mother’s costume pearl necklace and added one of her own wire art crosses to that piece. Later, she started making crosses from beads, too. “I inherited all my mom’s old costume jewelry. I love having crosses and being able to wear something of my mom’s. I like revitalizing what I have so I can enjoy it.”

Her crosses have complete symmetry, and the wire is tightly wound around each piece. She collects antique beads, copper, brass, natural stones and crystals from around the world, dating as far back as the Roaring 20s. “Some of my vintage beads came from a woman on the West Coast whose 90-year-old mother had collected them and from a local designer,” she says.

Sheformed Treasure Island Wire Art Designs LLC, and for several years had booths in antique malls around Birmingham and Talladega. Some of her pieces were sold in the gift shop at the Birmingham Museum of Art, too. She retired from that career, too.

At home on the lake,her art and creativity surround you. The beauty of her plants serve as accent pieces. “I love my gardens,” she said, referring to the colorful array of plants and flowers interspersing God’s handiwork with her own – a bottle tree, statues, birdhouses and benches – along the winding pathways she created.

“I don’t like destroying anything,” Maria says. One of Tommy’s old boots became a birdhouse, and she fashioned a bird feeder from a copper piece, metal, wire and glass that glistens in the sunlight.

A necklace with cross holds special meaning

Cedar boards from their home’s original 1960s boathouse serve as the top of a window treatment where a collection of vintage and antique teapots rest. Old wooden legs from a table salvaged from an old farmhouse form the sides of the window treatment. “I’ve learned not to ask, ‘What the heck are you going to do with that?’” says Tommy of her odd finds.

Her love of crosses led her to turn a hallway into a Cross Wall, where dozens of bejeweled crosses of various sizes hang along the top half. She painted the wall to look like natural bricks, adding flowers and planters to create an Old World appearance. “I used plaster and concrete, then mixed acrylics with other paints for the design,” she says.

Maria has always been fascinated with faces and hands and has incorporated them in art pieces throughout the house. She made “Treasure Island Girls” with faces made of flattened silverplated spoons, wire for the hair, painted bodies and studded beads for accents.

“My whole purpose in all of my art is to bring life back to forgotten objects,” she says. “Where most people see an elongated piece of wood, for example, I might see a fish made of driftwood from the lake.” She considers it a privilege to work from her wooden kitchen table or back porch, because they overlook their pier and the water.

She is passing her legacy on to her three granddaughters — Kate, 10, Reese, 12, and Maci, 15. They have taken an interest in jewelry making, and she hopes they might follow in her footsteps.

The philosophy that guides her? “Enjoy each day, repurpose, save the planet, create and most of all, have fun.”