People around these parts tend to think of the lake as one big family, sharing a common bond. But on Dec. 30, that bond strengthened well beyond their love of water. As a tornado ripped through Coosa Island and other parts of the southern tip of Logan Martin, neighbors rushed out of their homes into the awaiting needs left in the storm’s wake.
Because it is a peninsula, downed trees, damaged roofs and homes blocked the roads and trapped the community until help could arrive. An army of neighbors, friends and first responders appeared within moments, chainsaws whirring and tarps quickly stretching across gaps where roofs once offered shelter.
Strangers joined neighbors with a singular focus – clearing the debris to help return the island to a sense of functionality as best they could.
That’s the kind of spirit we see up and down our lakes. It is more than water that draws us together, although that certainly was the starting point.
In the polarizing times in which we live, it was an inspiring story of people coming together with outstretched hands to offer help to those who needed it most. Simply put, they were Good Samaritans just doing their job.
Their story is featured in this issue of LakeLife 24/7 Magazine along with the people, places and events that make our lakes special places indeed.
Take a ride with pro angler Zeke Gossett for tips, tricks and trends in March and April on Logan Martin and Neely Henry to make the most of your fishing adventures.
Discover what’s in store on the banks of Neely Henry in Gadsden as officials enter the planning stages of a major development – Coosa Harbor.
Get ready for Logan Martin’s biggest event of the year – LakeFest. The Southeast’s largest in-water boat show and festival heads to Lakeside Park May 9-11.
In the case of this national event, where there’s smoke, there’s plenty of good food cooking. Smoke on the Falls is back for its 16th year April 11-12 at Noccalula Falls, a contest featuring pitmasters from all over the country. Kids man the grills, too, in this family-friendly event.
Head over to Talladega Superspeedway in March and see what’s cooking. It’s time for the Wild Game Cook-off from the Alabama Wildlife Federation. Sample the culinary concoctions featuring the state’s wild game and fish March 15.
And, of course, there’s plenty more in this issue of the magazine. Turn the page and discover it all with us!
Iconic cooking competition returns to Noccalula Falls
Story by Scottie Vickery Submitted Photos
The first time Tony Skiroock heard his name announced as Grand Champion of a national barbecue competition, the moment was as sweet as some of the sauces the judges undoubtedly licked from their fingers.
The fact that it happened in Gadsden at the annual Smoke on the Falls BBQ Competition, which will host its 16th contest April 11-12, made it an experience to savor even more. That’s because Skiroock’s mother, Frances Owens, grew up in Gadsden, and the grill master, who lives in Illinois, visited her hometown every summer as a child.
It’s where an aunt first introduced him to pit barbecue at the tender age of 6, and he was hooked after his first bite. Skiroock said he looked at his aunt and immediately asked her if he could move.
Lake life and barbecue is a perfect combination, and if you’re looking to see how some award-winning pitmasters do it, you won’t want to miss Smoke on the Falls, held at the Noccalula Falls Park Campground, this year.
Up to 72 teams from all over the country will compete in the backyard and professional divisions, and the event will also feature a Kidz-Q competition. On Saturday, there will be a variety of vendors offering unique goods and treats, and the Tim Roberts Band will provide live music starting at 2:30 p.m. before the 4:30 p.m. awards ceremony.
“It’s a lot of fun. We’re pretty proud of Smoke on the Falls,” said Janet Tarrance, special events director for the City of Gadsden. Known as the Barbecue Queen, Tarrance brought the competition to Gadsden and has spearheaded the event ever since.
Featured on the Food Network, the competition is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society, the world’s largest organization of barbecue and grilling enthusiasts. KCBS, which has some 16,000 members worldwide, sanctions more than 400 barbecue competitions.
Three years ago, Smoke on the Falls added the Kidz-Q contest, allowing young chefs in two age groups (5-9 and 10-15) to show off their skills, with a little help from their parents. This year, the younger crew will cook hamburgers while the older kids will strive to grill the perfect pork tenderloin.
In the adult competition, participants in the professional division must cook four meats: ribs, chicken, brisket and butts. The backyard competitors will focus on chicken and ribs. There’s also a sides competition for interested professional and backyard teams, who can offer up their best grilled pizza and desserts.
While there’s plenty of fun to be had and lots of vendors offering mouth-watering wares, don’t go to the event expecting to eat your fill of everything on the grills and in the smokers.
“Some do give out samples, but their ultimate goal is to chase the points and win the prize,” Tarrance said.
Skiroock, whose team We Will Rock ‘Que, was named the Grand Champion at the event the past two years. He has been competing since 2016, he said, noting, “I’ve only started figuring it out.”
He started out watching BBQ Pitmasters and “tried to mimic what I saw,” before taking some classes. After tweaking ingredients, trying out different grills and smokers, and experimenting with cooking times and temperatures, “I finally started hearing my name called,” he said. “It’s a serious hobby.”
Tony Skiroock and son Daniel with the winnings
It’s so serious, in fact, that KSBS hosts full-day classes before judges, who are from all over the country, can be certified, said Tarrance. Although they’re not paid, there are other benefits to the job.
“A judge can gain 5 to 10 pounds in a single barbecue competition,” she said.
The Noccalula event has earned high marks from the KSBS, which selected Gadsden to be the host city for the KCBS World Invitational Championship, its largest competition, in 2022.
The Gadsden competition was chosen after being one of five competitions that Michael Symon, chef and restauranteur, selected to be featured on his Food Network show, BBQ USA.
The judges and competitors may take things seriously, but there’s lots of fun to be had. That’s evident in some of the team names that have competed in Smoke on the Falls. There’s Smoke Me Silly, Cool Hand Cue, Rooters-n-Tooters and Kick ‘Em in the Butt BBQ, to name a few.
In addition to Wine Me, Dine Me, Swine Me, other competitors have included the Dixie Pigs & Chicks, Bar-B-Queterie, Big Fluffy, and Swinging Pig Meat.
Skiroock said he’s enjoyed being a part of the competition world and meeting the other barbecue enthusiasts. “They call it the barbecue family,” he said. “We’re watching each other on Facebook, and we’re all happy for each other when they win.”
To a point, anyway, “It’s just like an Alabama/Auburn game,” Tarrance said. “These people come to win.”nity,” Housh said, pointing to the early vision of Woods. True to that mission, LakeFest has generated more than $500,000 for over 30 different nonprofit organizations over the past 15 years.
Recipes from Tony Skiroock
Pork Ribs
Ingredients:
Pork ribs (St. Louis trimmed or Baby Backs)
Salt, pepper, and garlic barbecue rub
All-purpose barbecue rub for pork
Light brown sugar or turbinado sugar
Honey
Unsalted butter or squeeze “butter”
Pepper sauce
Apple juice
Kansas City style barbecue sauce
Directions:
To prepare the ribs, trim off any excessive fat on the meat side of the ribs. If the membrane is still on the bone side of the ribs, remove it by slipping a butter knife under the membrane, lift it away high enough to slip your fingers under and pull the membrane off. It can also be scored with a sharp knife and left in place.
Sprinkle a basic salt, pepper and garlic rub on both sides of the ribs, then sprinkle both sides with your favorite all-purpose barbecue rub. Press the rubs into the meat, then place in the refrigerator for an hour or until the rubs look damp having absorbed some of the moisture from the meat.
Prepare your grill or smoker to run at 275-300° using indirect heat. Place the ribs, meat side up, on the grill and cook for one hour. Spritz with apple juice every 20 minutes.
After an hour, roll the ribs meat side down and cook for another hour, at which time the rub should have set into a nice “bark” that doesn’t smear with your finger.
Prepare a wrap with two layers of aluminum foil, long enough to cover the rib length plus a few inches on each end. Spread onto the foil ¼ cup of sugar, a drizzle of honey, a stick of butter cut into five planks (or a hearty drizzle of squeeze butter), a line of pepper sauce, a shake of barbecue rub and ¼ cup of apple juice. Place the ribs on the foil, meat side down, and fold the foil tightly around the slab.
Return the rib packet to the smoker.
After about an hour, the rib packet should start to feel floppy when lifted. You can open it up and check for doneness. The bone tips should be exposed by about a half inch, and a toothpick should slide easily into the meat. The slab should be floppy but not fall apart, unless you want them fall-off-the-bone tender, which might need about 90 minutes wrapped.
Gently heat the sauce in a saucepan, stirring regularly. Add a few squeezes of honey and a splash of apple juice to thin the sauce. Carefully open the rib packet and place the ribs on a cutting board. Brush the top and bottom with sauce, add a final shake of barbecue rub and return the ribs to the smoker for ten minutes to set the sauce.
BBQ Chicken
Ingredients:
Chicken thighs, bone in and skin on
Chicken wings
All-purpose barbecue rub
Unsalted butter
Kansas City style barbecue sauce
Apple juice
Honey
Directions:
To prepare the thighs, trim off any dangling skin or meat. With the wings, cut off the wing tip and, if desired, separate the flat from the drumette. Sprinkle all sides of the chicken with your favorite BBQ rub.
Prepare your grill or smoker to run at 300° using indirect heat. Place the chicken on the grate. After about an hour, the skin should be slightly browned and the meat firm.
Typically, at this point, the internal temperature of the chicken will be around 145°. Prepare enough half-size foil pans large enough to contain chicken pieces in a single layer. Place a stick of butter, cut into planks, in the bottom of each pan. Place the chicken, in a single layer, in the pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil. The butter and heat creates a steam bath that renders the fat in the skin, yielding bite-through skin.
Return to the cooker for an hour, rotating the pan after 30 minutes.
Gently heat the sauce in a saucepan, stirring regularly. Add a few squeezes of honey and a splash of apple juice to thin the sauce. After an hour, the chicken’s internal temperature should be around 200-208°, super tender and juicy. Dunk each piece in the sauce and return to the smoker for about 10 minutes to set the sauce.
Eric Housh stepped away from his work desk for a few minutes, taking a short break from his regular consulting job in marketing and sales technology solutions to talk about his ‘other job.’
That alternate work has become a passion of his that has evolved over the years, much like the event itself. He’s been heading up organizing and promoting Logan Martin LakeFest, billed as the South’s largest in-water boat show, since it launched 15 years ago. But as Housh will quickly tell you, it has grown into so much more.
While the focus is on a show for boats, personal watercrafts and even cars and trucks, this outdoor festival at Pell City Lakeside Park boasts something for everybody. It features dozens of lake lifestyle vendors, nonstop entertainment, food trucks, kids’ attractions, a spectacular fireworks show and a host of other events, drawing upwards of 40,000 people each year.
It began as a vision of the late Jerry Woods of Woods Surfside Marina; Fred Casey, former owner of Tradesman Docks; Joe Paul Abbott, developer of Horizons, and Lee Holmes, owner of Sylacauga Marine. They wanted to create an event that would draw people to Logan Martin, not only to browse their boats but to discover how special the lake and lake life really are.
Lakeside Park is the perfect location for the boat show
Come May 9-11, LakeFest will celebrate its 15th birthday in a grand way. “We say every year that we are beyond blessed with a community that supports us so well,” Housh said. “All the support makes it easier to do this year in and year out.”
Each year seems to outdo the year that came before it, and the burgeoning crowds attending simply underscore that Housh and company continue to fine tune a winning formula.
This year’s fireworks show will be bigger this year, highlighting special events on Friday night. Veterans from Col. Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home are guests of honor for dinner and the fireworks show, escorted into the festival in a special ceremony saluting them. A record number of veterans attended in 2024.
Veterans, Housh said, always had a special place in Woods’ heart. His brother was killed in Vietnam, and veterans have been a focal point since the beginning of LakeFest.
This year’s version will bring a ‘first’ for LakeFest – an actual wedding will take place on Saturday. A couple had called and asked if it was possible to exchange their vows at LakeFest, and “we thought it was a crazy cool idea. All in attendance at LakeFest will be guests at the wedding,” Housh said. “We’ll have other fun stuff Saturday night. It will be a party atmosphere, something fun I think everybody will enjoy.”
Entertainment for the weekend will be centerstage and represent just about every genre possible. They are even looking to add bluegrass this year to its lineup of country, rock, folk and more. Prizes and giveaways will be awarded throughout the weekend.
Many hands are responsible for this unfolding success story. Justin Hogeland partners with Housh to oversee and plan this huge outdoor festival. Judy Carr and Kasey Flurry keep logistics running smoothly. And an army of volunteers – from golf cart shuttle drivers to traffic directors to helping hands wherever needed – report for duty early and stay late, ensuring the safety and enjoyment of the crowds that attend.
The sponsors make the whole event possible, and the vendors and entertainment help give it its wide-ranging appeal. The Splash Pad is sponsored free for kids Friday and Saturday, and for mothers, it’s Mimosas for Moms – free Mimosas and a rose on Sunday, honoring them on Mother’s Day.
LakeFest returns the favor, giving back to the community each year through its profits earmarked for charities as well as upgrades for Lakeside Park. The large Jerry Woods Memorial Pavilion, new docks and other improvements are courtesy of funding from LakeFest’s nonprofit, The Logan Martin Charity Foundation.
“We’re really proud of that. It’s been in our DNA to give back to the community,” Housh said, pointing to the early vision of Woods. True to that mission, LakeFest has generated more than $500,000 for over 30 different nonprofit organizations over the past 15 years.
Pro fishing tips on Logan Martin Lake and Neely Henry Lake with Zeke Gossett
Logan Martin
Warmer weather and longer days these two months have the fish on the move from their wintertime homes.
Typically, in March, I still believe the bass are in their pre-spawn mood. They are feeding up and fattening up, preparing to move into their bedding areas to get ready to spawn. Usually, I’ll target most of these fish in 10 feet of water or less this time of year.
Fish love to stage on points that lead into spawning bays. Also, brush and shallow docks are great places to look for fish making a pit stop before they spawn.
A few lures I reach for would be a bladed jig, square bill crank bait, or a topwater walking bait. If the water is still in the mid-50s, I’ll reach mainly for the bladed jig and squarebill and cover as much water as possible. I target creeks on the lower end of the lake. Generally, this is where the fish will try and spawn first.
I also like to target windy, if possible. Once the water temp reaches the 60-degree mark, that’s when I reach for the topwater walking bait. I do this especially on cloudy, windy days. The fish will usually be one to three feet deep on points.
Do not be afraid to throw it mid-day if the conditions are right. This is my favorite technique to catch these fish, especially in April. Usually, if we have our normal weather pattern, you will really start to see the largemouth bass lock on their beds. This is the time get the spinning rods out and get on the finesse gear.
The tried and true wacky rigged senko is an awesome way to get these bedding largemouth bass to commit. Now, I do switch gears when it comes to fishing for spotted bass. Spotted bass tend to spawn in shallow bays and flats in a little deeper water.
An effective way to cover water and efficiently pick these broader areas apart is with a Carolina Rig. I use about a 2-foot leader with a ½ oz. tungsten sinker. One of my favorite baits to use is a Menace Grub from Strike King Lure Company in green pumpkin or chartreuse pepper.
I generally want a smaller bait that way because once you drag it across their bed, they can easily just pick it up and hold on to it longer. This a great way to catch those big ole Coosa River Spotted Bass later on in the month once the fish really start to lock down on bed.
Neely Henry
These two months are when Neely Henry can really shine and produce some big fish. Just like Logan Martin, these fish are on the move once the days start getting longer and warmer.
Neely Henry bass love to live shallow this time of year. My approach is a little different, though, on this lake. I typically like to target mid-lake areas this time of year. My favorite places to find these fish are creeks mouths and small river pockets.
Neely has a lot of bank grass and wood to offer in these short pockets. These pockets also have a lot of shallow docks that fish like to stage on before they spawn. My three favorite baits to use are a frog, swim jig and stick bait.
In early March, I will fish with the swim jig a lot more than the other two baits because the water temperature is usually still on the cooler side. Another great way to find fish on Neely Henry this early in the spawn is on rip rap banks. These banks hold heat and tend to hold fish anytime of day.
A squarebill crankbait is usually what I will start with on the rip rap banks. I normally have to play with a number of colors to find the right one! If the bass do not seem to want the crankbait, I’ll slowly fish down the rip rap with a jig – especially if it’s a very slick, calm day.
Just like Logan Martin, you can also catch fish around shallow docks. Typically, the docks in five feet or less tend to be the best. If the fish seem to be active, I’ll start out with a bladed jig. The bladed jig allows me to make more cast in and in turn, I am able to present the bait to more fish.
Just like the rip rap I talked about earlier, sometimes on slick calm days, the jig will outperform any bait on the docks. Once the water temp reaches the 60-degree mark, that’s when I’ll pick up the frog. The frog and swim jig combo is something I can stick with all day.
Once we get into the month of April, that’s when I will start adding in the stick bait. And just like on Logan Martin, you can’t forget about the trusted senko-type bait. I generally Texas rig the senko on light 5/16 oz. weight. I really reach for this bait when I feel like the fish are in full blown spawning mood.
I’ll pitch this bait around stumps and docks or wherever I feel like a fish might be spawning. You might not be able to physically see the fish since Neely is generally pretty dirty water. Just fish slow inside pockets and really pick everything apart. This is the best way to get bit while the fish are really locked on beds.
The bass are in big time transition during these two months, but these months can offer up some of the most rewarding fish catches for the entire year.
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.
The Spawning Season is officially here, and we’re excited to provide you with some quick tips, information, and best practices to kickstart your fishing adventure on the Coosa this season!
Water temperature plays a key role in predicting the fish spawning cycle. Pre-spawn begins in late winter or early spring, with bass feeding aggressively to build up for the spawn. On the Coosa, bass typically spawn in the spring when the water temperature reaches around 60°F. Post-spawn fish tend to head back toward the main channel or deeper waters.
During mid to late spring, fish are commonly found in shallow bays at the backs of coves. Before you head out, be sure to check current weather conditions and forecasts—not only for your safety, but also because fish behavior can change with the weather.
To help sustain healthy fish populations, never underestimate the power of catch-and-release on the Coosa River! Minimize handling time and exposure to air. If you aren’t planning to take a photo, please consider releasing the fish without touching it or using a net.
Keep your livewell clean and ensure the water is circulating throughout your fishing trip. As a general guideline, aim for no more than 1 pound of bass per gallon of water. Understand your livewell’s capacity and fill it to about three-quarters full to start. Be sure to give it a good clean before you hit the water this season!
For more fishing tips, to find your next hot spot, and to learn about local fish consumption advisories, check out our website. It’s your go-to resource for everything you need to know about fishing the Coosa! Visit CoosaRiver.org/FishGuide or scan the QR code!
Also, we’re gearing up for Swim Guide 2025 and looking for sponsors to help offset the cost of this public program! Sponsorships start at just $250 and help your business be seen across the watershed over 2 million times! Swim Guide’s goal is to provide YOU with water quality updates at popular recreation sites along the river, so you can make informed decisions about where to spend your summer days on the Coosa. Ready to dive in? Email info@coosariver.org to learn more!
Follow Coosa Riverkeeper on Facebook & Instagram @CoosaRiverkeeper For more information, swim over to www.CoosaRiver.org.
Logan Martin Lake communities come together after December tornadoes
Story by Roxann Edsall Submitted Photos
Melinda Splawn got the call at about 7:00 in the morning on Sunday, Dec. 29. She needed to get to Lee Park in Cropwell right away to check on massive storm damage there. As owner and manager of the park off Coosa Island Road on which 14 mobile homes sit, Splawn immediately began calling to check on residents.
One of her first calls was to her friend, Matt Kronen, owner of Coosa Island Marina, who lives very near the park and knows most of the residents there. He had already been out checking on residents and property, and he told her to be prepared. “He told me it looks like a war zone. And it did. When I got there, I saw trees down everywhere on homes, porches and across the road.”
The storm, later evaluated by the National Weather Service as an EF-0 with peak winds of 85 miles per hour, was part of a weekend storm system that produced 18 tornadoes in four states. The Coosa Island tornado was one of two in St. Clair County. The second was an EF-1, which damaged property on Roberts Mill Pond Road.
The tornado spent just three minutes on the ground beginning at 12:25 a.m. In those three minutes, sections of the landscape of a two and one quarter mile stretch of land in Cropwell were completely changed. Thankfully, there were no injuries in either of the St. Clair County tornadoes. There were, instead, many stories of close calls, of neighbors helping neighbors, and of neighbors and strangers becoming heroes to those in need.
Kronen was one of those humble heroes who did what needed to be done to help those around him. He recounts having been in bed for 30 minutes, when he suddenly realized he’d left his Christmas inflatables up. He ran to the door and couldn’t open it. “The wind and pressure had it suctioned closed,” he explains.
Crews begin cleanup after December 29 Cropwell tornado
“So, I ran to the sunroom. There was so much rain blowing sideways, you couldn’t see across the lake. Then, as quick as it came, it was gone.”
Kronen headed outside and joined neighbors to survey the area. They discovered they were trapped on the island by debris and trees covering the causeway, so he and other neighbors loaded up chainsaws and started to work clearing a path.
With power lines completely tangled around trees, they couldn’t get far before having to stop and wait for Coosa Valley Electric Cooperative to turn the power off.
Taking his golf cart and carefully steering clear of power lines, Kronen made his way around the neighborhood and toward the causeway to check on friends. His concern was heightened at the sight of one trailer all but crushed under the weight of a downed tree. The home belonged to Tom and Candi Childers, who had told him they’d be at their Lee Park home over the weekend. The Childers are seasonal residents in the park.
When Kronen saw the giant oak tree lying on the Childers’ crushed residence, he was quick to call them and was relieved to hear they had not come due to the weather. The tree, now resting on their bed, made it difficult to get in to see what was left of their trailer. Before they could come to assess the damage and protect what was left of their belongings from the continuing rain, Kronen collected some of their photos and items of sentimental value.
Kronen later brought his skid steer from the marina to help move larger debris out of the way throughout the park. Doing for others, Kronen explains, is just what lake people do. “We come together when something like this happens.” Splawn agrees, adding, “You don’t feel like you’re in it by yourself.”
Those sentiments are echoed time and time again by those who described their experiences during the storm, including by Mark “Nacho” Hughes.
“It’s amazing how eight seconds can change your life,” says the corporate pilot who lives in Lee Park. “It sounded like a million hot air balloons released their air at the same time. The walls of the trailer were pulsating. My wife, Connie, asked if this was the night we die. I said, ‘no, ma’am.’”
In just moments, the tornado was over, and Hughes went outside to check on things. His home had lost much of the underpinning and had roof damage, along with minor damage to his boat house. He immediately walked across the street to check on a neighbor. “We started walking together and checking on damage,” says Hughes. “We went place to place checking on people who might be here.”
What they saw was shocking. “There were lots of trees down and metal and debris on the road,” Hughes recounts. “We didn’t know what to do, so we started calling people to let them know what was going on.”
A few minutes later, first responders started showing up, and we all started removing metal and debris off the road. We started cutting trees about 3:30 in the morning so we could get cars through here.” Hughes punctuates his story with extra gratitude for the first responders that morning and for the response by the St. Clair County road maintenance and debris removal teams.
Large trees bring down power lines during Coosa Island tornado
“There has been such a spirit of cooperation in all of this,” adds Hughes. “There were people you knew, people you didn’t know. They were up here picking things up, helping in the cold and wind. People brought drinks and food. We don’t even know them all, but they wanted to be a part of the healing. It’s amazing how some people’s big hearts make the day go better.”
It was a bad night for Don Urso, who awoke in the middle of the storm adrift on his 88-foot houseboat. “I was traveling sideways freely, going about 30 miles per hour. It was raining so hard I couldn’t see anything,” Urso recalls. “When I finally stopped, after about 20 minutes, I was parked between two piers against the shoreline.” It was a tricky ride for Urso, who was not able to maneuver himself well, having had a hip replacement surgery just two weeks earlier.
“When I stopped, I looked out the side window and I saw a house,” recalls Urso. “The tornado apparently had me spinning around out there. I thought I would have been in Riverside with as long and as fast as I’d been going.” The houseboat had, in fact, only traveled 600 yards across the water from its mooring on Coosa Island. It came to a stop against the seawall of the home of Scott and Lori Knepper.
The Kneppers, who were awakened from their sleep by the heavy winds and trees falling, discovered that water was coming into their house at the back door. Scott went upstairs to find a hole in the ceiling and realized that limbs from a tree had penetrated the roof. He and his son, Cam, grabbed flashlights to check on the pier. “That’s when I saw a very large white boat that was lodged against our pier and seawall,” said Scott. “Then I saw a flicker of light onboard and realized there was a person on the boat.
“We walked down there with another neighbor and talked to him and found out he was okay,” Scott continued. “We checked the boat, and it was not sinking. We asked if we could help him, but he was already on the phone calling for a friend to come get him.”
One friend, Keith Clemmons, came by pontoon boat and another, Kronen, came by land, but because of the wind and rain they decided to secure it there and retrieve it later in the day.
Back on Coosa Island, David and Angela Buzbee were assessing the damage their home had sustained. David, Angela and their daughter, Courtney, had been watching the weather on television. When it looked like the storm threat was diminished, Angela went to bed. Just a few minutes later, David noticed the wind had picked up and the doors started rattling.
“I flipped the blinds open and noticed how strong the wind was and how the rain was swirling,” said David. “Pretty much immediately, the wind got really strong. The cedar and beams that make up the roof to the porch came in toward the house. We got away from the windows and went to the bedroom to get my wife.”
That’s when they heard a loud crash. Later they found out that crash was a result of half their roof on the porch coming off and landing on the other side of the house. The neighbor next door met them outside to check on them.
The Buzbees, who had completely renovated the house just 2 and a half years ago, say they will rebuild. “This is our forever home,” says Angela, who serves as president of the Coosa Island Homeowners Association. “It’s a really close group of people on the island and in the neighborhood.”
Angela’s neighbor two doors down agrees wholeheartedly. Rebel Negley is so thankful for the people who reached out to help her and her husband following the storm.
St. Clair County Sheriff’s Deputy Lionel Calendar is one of her heroes. Knowing her husband had recently had surgery, Calendar sent Negley a message asking if they needed help and offering to get her anything she needed.
As it turned out, what they needed was power for their refrigerator and for the breathing machine. Calendar contacted his brother, Stevie Bentley, who came over and helped Negley put together their generator.
“Chief Paul Leger with New London Volunteer Fire Department was awesome, too. I can say that, like most folks, we don’t agree on everything,” Negley said. “But when something happens to one of us, we are all here to help each other.”
Kronen, Calendar, Leger, Hughes, Clemmons, the Kneppers – neighbors and friends who were all willing to help shoulder some of the weight of the loss created in the early hours of Dec. 29.
Hughes’ summary of the storm and its aftermath resonates among those in the lakeside community. “It’s just the people you don’t know who come in to lend a hand that gets you. These people didn’t have to spend their money, bring their chainsaws, bring food. They could be home with their families, but instead, they’re down here helping our families try to get back some part of normalcy.” l
The last time Coosa Island residents saw the Coosa Island Marina sign was 3 p.m. on Dec. 29. Coosa Valley Electric had Coosa Island Road closed while they worked on restoring power to the neighborhood following the tornado.
Residents remembered seeing the sign, damaged and loose from its pole, lying on the ground. “It’s an important piece of our history,” says marina owner Matt Kronen. “It was here when my family bought the marina in 1983.”
Kronen hopes that if anyone picked it up, thinking it was trash, they would get in touch with him and return it. He says they will get a new sign but would like to have the old sign to display as part of the history of the area.
Talladega is known the world over as a place where racecar drivers put the pedal to the metal.
But on March 15, hunters and anglers will put the metal – pots and pans to be exact – and meat to the flame, all part of the Alabama Wildlife Federation’s regional cook-off at the Talladega Superspeedway.
The winner advances to the state finals.
Proceeds from entry fees and ticket sales, where hungry patrons can feast on some wild game delights crafted by teams of backyard chefs, go to benefit AWF’s many wildlife education and conservation efforts.
Think grilled quail, flounder stuffed with shrimp and crab and covered with cream sauce, or a grilled venison roll. If your mouth isn’t watering now, check your pulse.
The cookoff attracts more than just chefs, there are vendors galore
The event marks the 19th AWF cook-off for Talladega. But the genesis for the competition began in 1996, according to Tim Gothard, now in his 26th year as the federation’s executive director.
“AWF was talking about the fact that sometimes hunters and hunting can be put in the wrong light,” Gothard said. “What we know is that hunters and anglers properly utilize the fish and game that they harvest. It’s not a wasteful thing … We thought the cook-off would be a great way to show that. And it makes great and healthy table fare.”
Like the first day of hunting or fishing season, the cook-off would also be a social event, bringing AWF members together and spotlighting its conservation and education efforts. And it will generate funds to support those efforts, Gothard said.
Mobile hosted the first cook-off in 1996. Now, the Talladega event is one of 14 regional cook-offs culminating in the state championship later this year.
Regional winners will compete for a $1,000 grand prize and bragging rights as AWF Wild Game Cook-off State Champion for 2025.
Like the popularity of TV cooking shows, these AWF events have exploded in popularity. For example, at that first event in Mobile, five or six teams competed and 100 to 125 folks attended. Now the competitions have become a major event on the calendar. Folks want to be there. And, in every competition town, corporate sponsors are hooked.
“Coming up, at the Talladega cook-off, we will have over 1,000 people at that cookoff and probably 30 to 35 cook teams,” Gothard said. “It has grown absolutely dramatically over the years. Probably in the last 10 years, we have doubled the amount of people that come to those events, the revenue that’s generated to support our conservation projects … It’s just been amazing.”
As for the corporate backing, they provide the largest revenue stream.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Gothard said. “If you’re a sponsor, you’re going to get a bunch of tickets that you can use to reward employees, clients, potential clients and friends to come and enjoy the same great food and the same great atmosphere and camaraderie that we see.”
AWF employees will be on hand to talk about the organization’s work and mission. But make no mistake, food – dishes featuring venison, feral hog, quail, and other varieties of game and fish – is the focus.
And this isn’t just a bunch of guys cooking on the truck tailgate, Gothard said.
“They take great pride in what they prepare,” he said. “And I will guarantee you this: There are restaurant quality dishes that you’ll find at every cookoff that we do. And when you come to that state cook-off, and the teams come to compete for the state championship, every one of those dishes are restaurant quality.”
The secret sauce in the cook-offs’ success? “The format that we do allows people to sample the food,” Gothard said. “We’re not providing them with a meal. But they have a wide selection of dishes that they can actually taste.”
While the boom in cooking shows and in turn, the growth in folks wanting to cook great food at home, have played a part in the cook-off success, there’s a dash of something else beyond great tasting food created from Alabama fish and game.
“More than anything else, we have a large membership across the state and it’s an opportunity for them to get together with likeminded people and really enjoy a night that’s really celebrating the hunting and angling outdoor pursuits that we are all involved with and we appreciate and enjoy,” Gothard said.
“ The social atmosphere, that camaraderie and that uniqueness are the things that in my mind have made the wild game cook-offs so popular and really fueled their growth over the last 10 years, in particular,” he said.
Statewide, more than 100,000 Alabama schoolchildren benefit from AWF’s efforts. And that’s a small part of the story.
Talladega Superspeedway has plenty of room for an event this size
AWF has done five oyster restoration projects in Mobile Bay. It’s been able to add scientists to the AWF staff to work on issues like restoring fish and game habitats. The wild game cook-offs provide a portion of private sector funding for what AWF calls its “on the ground and on the water projects. All told, AWF is making a $1 million investment in these projects and more.”
The Alabama Outdoor Classroom Program gives kids the opportunity to learn math, science, social studies and language arts outdoors in a wildlife habitat and against a wildlife backdrop. AWF has four outdoor education specialists crisscrossing the state to serve in schools.
Close to home, the program worked with Munford Elementary.
“They’ve accomplished a tremendous amount,” Gothard said. “And our wildlife biologists have collaborated with private landowners in that entire (Coosa) region for 20 years helping them develop plans for managing their property so they can have quality wildlife habitat and populatons.
“When you have that, the impact spills out beyond the landowners’ property. It helps ensure that we have good wildlife habitat and populations all across the state.”
It’s part of a scientific, systematic approach to game management, Gothard said. And funds from the cook-offs fuel the effort.
“(The cook-off) is a significant source of revenue to help us do conservation work in this state,” Gothard said. “It makes a big difference.”
The cookoffs reveal something about hunters and anglers, who may guard their favorite hunting and fishing spots like state secrets.
But they’ll brag about a recipe as they might a trophy buck or bass.
“They definitely enjoy sharing with other people how they prepare dishes and how good it tastes,” Gothard said. “That is something hunters and anglers love to do.”
Over the years, Gothard has sampled a slew of savory fish and game dishes. But one some 12 years ago at the Talladega cook-off hooked him.
“There was a team that won the Talladega cook-off with a bluegill fish taco,” Gothard recalled. “This was before fish tacos were a thing. I grew up, you caught bluegill, you fried them whole and picked them with a fork. It tasted great, but it was work.”
The taco chefs took a fresh approach.
“They had de-boned all the meat, cooked it up and then flaked it. That was the meat in the taco,” Gothard said. “It absolutely blew me away.”
For Gothard, every team makes an impression.
“The thing that really impresses me and captures my attention is how (teams) take (fish and game) and turn it into a dish that I hadn’t really thought about.”
The cook-off isn’t only a celebration of conservation, Alabama’s hunting and fishing heritage or culinary creativity. The competition is about pride, with teams coming from as far away as Texas.
“Those cook teams are going to take a lot of pride in telling you what their dish is, how they made that dish,” Gothard. “And you’re going to see them light up when on the spot, someone tastes it and says, ‘Man, this is awesome.’
According to its website, the Alabama Wildlife Federation is “a dynamic, citizen-based conservation organization with over 25,000 members and supporters dedicated to creating and promoting a balance between use, management and protection of Alabama’s wildlife and related natural resources through education, community involvement, and boots-on-the-ground assistance.”
The organization’s focus is in three major areas: conservation education, resource stewardship and celebrating the state’s hunting and fishing heritage. Founded in 1935, AWF is celebrating its 90th anniversary. l
Editor’s Note:For more information on the AWF and the cookoff, visit AlabamaWildlife.org.
A few years ago, when Kent Back ran for this Coosa River town’s governing council, his message was clear: “I told people that whoever wins this election will get the opportunity to reimagine Gadsden.”
Since taking office, Mayor Craig Ford, his administration and the city council – with Back as its chairman – have worked to reimagine the city. Improvements to Noccalula Falls, growth in the downtown business district and economic development on the Coosa have been big news.
Now, Guntersville developer Patrick Lawler is opening a new chapter on the blossoming waterfront – Coosa Harbor.
Architectural rendering of aerial view
of the complex
The mixed-use development, with an estimated value “north of $20 million” will include 20 condominiums, selling for $500,000 each, as well as retail shops and restaurants, another step toward recasting Gadsden as a destination city.
While the development in its final form may be larger, current plans have the development at 34,000 square feet, said Patrick Lawler, the CEO of P Lawler, LLC.
City officials reached out to Lawler and after a series of meetings with Ford and Director of Economic Development John Moore, the project got the green light.
Gadsden’s biggest attraction for Lawler? Not surprisingly, the Coosa River.
“They had water,” Lawler said. “I don’t build anything that’s not on the water.”
Lawler has one waterfront project up and running in his hometown of Guntersville – City Harbor. The $30 million development on Lake Guntersville has proven wildly popular.
In April 2024, the city of Decatur approved plans for a 75,000 square foot development at Ingalls Harbor.
Lawler and Gadsden officials hope for a repeat performance of Guntersville’s success when Coosa Harbor comes online in a few years. Lawler is currently in discussions with Alabama Power officials regarding electrical infrastructure for the project.
Lawler was attracted to Gadsden after an initial meeting with Ford. “He gave me their vision for the city and what they have in the works right now, I think the future for Gadsden is really going to upturn in a positive direction.”
Lawler has been approached by other cities, but turned them down. Gadsden was different.
“I liked the site, and the numbers made sense as far as what other restaurants were doing down there, gross (receipt) wise. It just checked all the boxes.”
He added, “I’m impressed with their vision for the whole waterfront area. I think we’re going to be the centerpiece of that and a catalyst for development of the whole waterfront area.”
Restaurant tenants confirmed for Coosa Harbor are Big Mike’s Steakhouse, Lost Pizza, Kilwin’s Ice Cream and Levi’s on the Lake, a live music venue.
Aesthetically, the architectural style and finishes are going to be similar to the Guntersville project.
Covered tables, walkways and green space are part of the plans
“Being on the water, it will be a high energy development,” Lawler said. “There will be the right lighting, video boards and outdoor live music. There’s a reason cities call us. We have a proven product.”
Back agreed. He’s visited City Harbor in Guntersville “three or four times. It’s been no secret as far as the phenomenal success that Patrick has had in Guntersville with his project on the lake up there,” Back said. “I think half of Gadsden has been to City Harbor and really enjoyed it.”
He had high praise for the finished product. “(City Harbor) is very clean. The architecture and everything is just really cool.”
For decades, Gadsden has wanted to take advantage of its most visible natural resource that flows through the heart of the city. But until now, that’s never really happened with the exception of riverwalks on both sides of the river.
With projects like Coosa Harbor, that’s changing. “After seeing what was going on in Guntersville, I think it was just, ‘How can we get that guy to come to Gadsden and do the same thing?’ I think he’s caught the vision of the mayor and the Council on how to grow Gadsden and be progressive and moving forward,” Back said.
The projects fits into plans to stretch the city’s entertainment district past Rainbow Drive (U.S. Highway 411) to the river.
“I think Patrick’s vision of how (Coosa Harbor) is laid out and just the quality of the craftsmanship and the workmanship … and the restaurants and the businesses there will give Gadsden something that we never had before on the river. It’ll bring new restaurants and retail that we’ve not had.”
The city is giving Lawler the site, as well as $1.5 million of in-kind services for site preparation.
To critics of that aspect of Coosa Harbor, Back said, “The reality of it is, every project that comes to any city receives those kinds of legal inducements. It’s part of how it works. The reality is you have to make that investment to get that development.”
Based on conservative estimates, the project will mean a boost to city revenues of $700,000 to $800,000 in sales taxes, along with new jobs, Back said.
“That’s a real win for the city,” Back said.
For Lawler, who has been a developer since his early 20s, Coosa Harbor is good news for Gadsden and its citizens, as well as for surrounding areas.
“It’ll be very positive for the community,” he said. “It will be enjoyed by all. It’ll be 100 percent positive for the city and for future development also. I’m excited about being in Gadsden. I’m excited about the forward thinking that Mayor Ford and the Council have. I have to give the mayor a lot of credit. He’s the one who sold me on it.”
It’s another chapter in the transformation in Gadsden. The city is no longer a tire and steel town.
Just as in his campaign, Back has another clear message about Gadsden, evidenced by projects like Coosa Harbor.
Historic Riverside home holds multitude of memories, stories
Story by Scottie Vickery Photos by Mackenzie Free
Roxanne Bukacek’s Riverside home overlooking the sparkling waters of Logan Martin Lake is a treasure trove of history, paying homage to the family, as well as the town that shaped her.
There are keepsakes and memories from four generations of family members who have shared meals, hopes, dreams, laughter and tears within the home’s walls. But there’s also a number of artifacts from bygone days that tell part of Riverside’s story.
“This house was built in 1872,” she said. “Riverside was a big logging town, and the sawmill needed a doctor for the employees, and the only way they could get one was to build him a house.”
After the sawmill closed, and the doctor moved away, her great-grandparents moved into the house. Except for a 13-year period, it has remained in the family ever since, and when Bukacek had the chance to buy it back in 1986, she jumped at it.
Bukacek and her husband, Tom Douyard, have a binder full of favorite recipes
“When it came up for sale, I knew I had to buy it,” she said. “Even though interest rates were 16 or 18 percent, I didn’t care.”
Since then, she’s done her best to honor the historical integrity of the house along with its outbuildings, including a smokehouse, on the 7-acre property. When a huge oak tree crashed onto the guest home next door during the April 2011 tornadoes, Bukacek rebuilt the house to look exactly the same from the outside, minus the chimney.
She and her husband, Tom Douyard, have also shared the house and surrounding property with family and friends. “I’ve lost track of how many weddings we’ve had here,” Bukacek said, adding that another one is scheduled for October. “Several of my students have gotten married here,” said the retired art teacher. “I added a gazebo for my best friend’s son’s wedding.”
Family treasure
Walking into the house, which is on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage, is in many ways like walking into a time capsule. Bukacek has saved, restored and repurposed relics from the past to preserve her family’s history. “My father was born in this house in one of the upstairs bedrooms,” she said. “It’s real special.”
To the left of the foyer are twin parlors, both with fireplaces as centerpieces. The second parlor features a china cabinet and a chess table built by her great-grandfather, Alois Bukacek. “He graduated from the University of Prague in woodworking and came through Ellis Island to Chicago,” she said. “They came from Czechoslovakia, trying to start a new life.”
Once in America, her great-grandfather designed and built the interior of Pullman trains. “They had a boy that was sickly, so to keep the baby alive, they moved south,” she said, adding that they settled in Riverside because they had friends nearby. “That’s how I got here.”
Her grandfather was Riverside’s postmaster, and the old post office counter separates the den from the kitchen
Although Bukacek never lived in the family home as a child – she grew up in a house at the end of the street – she spent a lot of time in it. Most of it, anyway. “I was such a tomboy, I wasn’t allowed in this part of the house,” she said of the parlors. “Once I bought it back, I came in here and just romped and ran around.”
When Bukacek’s great-grandparents passed away, the house went to her three great-uncles: Jerry, Emil and Frank. “Uncle Frank was dropped on his head when he was on the boat, so he wasn’t quite right,” she said. Bukacek named a metal scarecrow that graces the side yard Frank after her great-uncle, and he’s blamed for anything that goes wrong, she said with a laugh. “If there’s a leak in the bathroom, we say, ‘Frank did it.’”
The great-uncles added a den, dining room and kitchen, and they also made the front porch smaller. “It used to go all the way across the front of the house, but they said it was too much to sweep,” she said. “Doesn’t that sound just like a bunch of old bachelors?”
The den wall is home to a large collection of family photos, which surround the original map of Riverside that’s dated 1883. “My granddaddy was the postmaster,” she said. The old post office counter, complete with a Money Order sign hanging over the window and 14 mailboxes, separates the den from the kitchen.
A ball point pen is still attached to the counter with a chain, and a sign reads, “The ball point pens placed on this desk for your convenience are the property of the U.S. Post Office Department. Penalty for theft is $500 fine and/or one year in prison.”
“The pen’s still there,” Bukacek said with a laugh. “I’m not going to prison for a ball point pen.”
Dream kitchen
When Bukaceck renovated the kitchen in 2013, she married the old with the new. She kept the cast iron sink that’s original to the home but painted the cabinet blue to match the La Cornue stove that’s both gas and electric. “I ordered it from France; I’m crazy,” she said. “But it was my dream kitchen. I made everything on my wish list come true except I wanted a built-in coffee pot. I didn’t get that.”
Ceiling tins are framed by old wood she found in the barn, and an old “Riverside” sign that’s original to the train depot hangs over the windows. An antique scale that once hung in the post office now has a place of honor in the room.
The element that makes the room unique, however, comes in the form of 50 hand-painted and glazed tiles that Bukacek created, depicting places and details found on the property. The first tile she painted, the brick steps and entrance to the yard, took seven hours to complete.
“I thought, ‘I can’t spend seven hours on each tile,’ so we came to the word, ‘simplify,’” she said. There are tiles illustrating a weather vane, the boat house, the original guesthouse as well as the new one, and the gazebo.
The two-story boathouse is represented, along with an image of a sign that says, “The ‘Douyard Doc,’ ” a nod to Douyard’s career as a dentist. There’s a tile with two wagon wheels and one representing the old Buggy Barn she wasn’t able to save.
The walls are covered with artifacts of local history
Perhaps one of the most special tiles, though, is a painting of a swing that’s just steps away from the back door and reminds Bukacek of her great-grandmother. “That’s where she’d shell her peas,” Bukacek said. “My great-granddaddy put it in for her.”
When Bukacek bought the house back, she discovered the poles and the swing were still there, although they were hidden by decades of overgrowth. “It took me years to finally get the guts to start whacking away at it, but I’m so glad I did.”
That’s the kind of history Bukacek worried was gone forever when the house sold after her great-uncles died. “I was in college, my sister was in high school, and nobody else wanted it,” she said. “I wanted it all my life.”
The new owner operated a tea room for a while, and the home was also used as a recording studio, Bukacek said. “She also put in central air and heat, and I was glad about that. I wouldn’t have been able to afford it.”
Not just a house
Maintaining the home and restoring the property is a full-time job, especially when you consider all the structures and outbuildings. There’s a blacksmith shop and a washhouse where the clothes and vegetables were cleaned. “There’s a two-seater outhouse and a wine cellar is under the greenhouse,” she said.
Her great-uncles made wine, and the arbors still stand in the backyard. She and Douyard also built the “BBQ Shed,” a gazebo that houses all of the grills and smokers. “It was supposed to be a little lean-to, and then she got involved,” Douyard said and laughed. “I just love all the projects we do all the time.”
One project was building a little walkway to a fish pond where Douyard loves to sit. “All the bricks came from the old seawall when it collapsed,” she said. Another pathway leading to the guest cottage was made from bricks she salvaged from the chimney after the house was destroyed during the storm.
Bukacek now operates the guest house, where her Aunt Mary once lived, as an Airbnb, but she taught art lessons there for a while. Bukacek’s career as an art teacher included a stint in a Jefferson County school , 17 and a half years at St. Clair County High School in Odenville and nine and a half years at Pell City High School before she retired.
The cottage, as well as the main house, is filled with her artwork. “This is 18 years work of charcoals,” she said of a series of framed still lifes. “Every year I would teach charcoal and pen and ink, and I made one each time.”
The framed images hang over a console table she made that features tile and a mosaic pattern created from “20 years of broken dishes.” A silkscreen print that was once displayed at the Birmingham Museum of Art, is on the wall by the front door.
She’s also repurposed things she’s found in the outbuildings or salvaged from the original guest house. Two old doors became a headboard in one of the cottage’s bedrooms while old shutters hang behind the bed in another. A piece taken from an antique armoire hangs over a cast iron bathtub in the guest bath. “As an art teacher, I decorate with everything,” she said. “Sometimes, I wish I could stop thinking.”
Some of Douyard’s favorite art pieces of Bukacek’s are the ones hanging in the downstairs bathroom of the main house. “Every year for Valentine’s Day, she makes me a heart,” he said. On one, she cross-stitched the names of the many places they’ve visited together. There are hearts made from feathers, painted bottle caps, buttons and dried flowers. There’s a heart made from antique keys, one made from Easter Egg shells, and one that features dried clovers.
Another heart is filled with lipstick kisses, and the surrounding mat board is made from the foil wrappers from Hershey Kisses. “I really made the sacrifice for that one,” she joked.
Landscape art
Although visitors to Bukacek and Douyard’s home could spend hours looking at all of the architectural details, furniture, photos and artwork inside the house, the view from the front porch is a work of art, as well.
The 700 feet of waterfront, right near the historic Riverside Railroad Bridge, offers breathtaking views and a peaceful calm that that can soothe the soul of anyone fortunate enough to visit. There have been many celebrations down by the water, where Bukacek has spent so much of her life, but when she takes in the view, the scenes she sees are from years past.
“That slough over there is where we’d fly kites,” she said, pointing from her front yard. “And I’ve climbed every tree around here.”
It’s those kinds of memories that make her grateful for the opportunity to be the caretaker of her family’s house. “It’s home,” she said. “It’s home.”
See more photos after the recipes!
Soda Cracker Pie
Ingredients:
3 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
16 soda crackers, crumbled
1 cup chopped pecans
1 jar pineapple preserves (You may use apricot)
2 cartons whipping cream
1 package frozen coconut
Directions:
Beat egg whites, adding sugar, cream of tartar, and vanilla. Beat until thick. Fold in crumbled crackers and pecans. Spread into buttered 9×13 pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool. Spread with preserves, top with whipping cream (follow the directions on the carton and use their hints for the whipping cream). Sprinkle coconut on top and chill overnight.
Granny Nelson’s Beans and Peas
Ingredients:
1 can English peas, drained (She uses LeSueur Very Young Small Sweet Peas)
1 can lima beans, drained
1 can French cut green beans, drained
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 small, grated onion
2 hardboiled eggs, slightly chopped
1 can French fried onion rings
Directions:
Mix first nine ingredients together and put in a buttered casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes until bubbly.
Five Cup Salad
Ingredients:
1 cup orange juice
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated sharp cheese
1 cup Pet milk
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained well
1 3-ounce package lime Jell-O
Directions:
Bring orange juice to a boil, then add Jell-O, stirring until it is dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients. Pour into a slightly greased mold or casserole dish. Put in refrigerator to set.
