It’s hard to say what Casey Cambron loved best about Lakeside Live 2022. When he talks about the latest version of the music festival and car show he debuted a year ago, his list of favorite memories is as wide and varied as the features of the event itself.
It had everything one could imagine in a fall festival – bands, Combat Park kids’ area, vendors galore, 170 show cars, food trucks, Battle of the Badges, an army of dedicated volunteers and a VIP pavilion catering to sponsors who helped make it happen.
Firefighters give it their all
As he recounts the day, Cambron finally settles on a common thread throughout as his true favorite – “the smiles.” Whether it was a child atop a military tank, a vendor meeting and greeting hundreds of passersby, a couple dancing to their favorite band’s tune or the prideful look of a car show entrant, smiles were as abundant as that day’s sunshine – not a cloud in the sky.
“It was overwhelming,” Cambron said. “The music was outstanding. All around, it was fantastic.”
Growing up, Cambron always loved outdoor music festivals. Over the years, he developed a passion for car shows, too. So, it was only natural that he would combine the two, add more features and present it in his new hometown, Pell City.
He founded the nonprofit, Five 16 Foundation, whose mission is “shining our light through fundraising, service and good works in our community,” derived from Matthew 5:16. The money raised from the event goes back into the community for worthy causes.
Police officers holding the line
This year’s Lakeside Live raised over $8,000 for the police and fire departments, who played a starring role in “Battle of the Badges” – a three-event challenge. They each won a challenge, and a tug-of-war determined the champion. A hard-fought contest to the end, firefighters finally emerged as winners and keepers of the championship belt for another year. They won the inaugural challenge in 2021.
“I’ve never seen a tug-of-war challenge better than that one,” Cambron said. Pulling and tugging nearly to a draw at one point, the competition was fierce, but the enjoyment was outstanding. “It was pure fun and laughter. That’s what it is all about.”
Normally, you think of police officers and firefighters in intense situations. This was a chance to see them from a new perspective – “in a different light and having fun,” said Cambron. “It was the most amazing feeling.”
A crowd favorite was the centerpiece, the music featival. Tunes boomed from a nearby stage throughout the day and into the evening with seven bands playing their brands to suit just about any musical taste. Headliners were: Leverton Brothers, Still Broke, Bolee 3, Kudzu, The WingNuts, Deputy 5 and Sweet Tea Trio.
Favorites for the kids were Combat Park’s military vehicles, inflatable obstacle course, shooting jelly ball and inflatable axe throwing. Hundreds of kids had their picture taken atop a military tank. Looking ahead to next year already, Cambron noted that plans call for an expansion of children’s activities.
170 cars on display during show
Car enthusiasts had their pick of favorites with 170 cars and trucks on display. Vendors – food trucks and other businesses – had a steady stream of customers throughout the event.
The cornhole tournament was a hit as well.
But behind the scenes, another success story unfolded, Cambron noted. Staff, volunteers and sponsors all made the event one to remember. The staff and volunteers “worked extra hard” to make sure all needs were filled and the event ran smoothly – from directing parking to assisting vendors and attendees. Sponsors, he said, were the real heroes with financial and in-kind support to ensure the event was bigger and better than ever and that it was kept free of charge. “All the sponsors and vendors were the sweetest, genuine, nicest people to meet. That’s what makes these events fun to do.”
Ancient tradition helps Gadsden families build a brighter future
Story by Paul South Photos by Mackenzie Free
On a short, sun-soaked stretch of the Coosa, folks celebrated an ancient Chinese tradition to help solve a present-day problem and give some Etowah County families a brighter future.
The Gadsden-Etowah affiliate of Habitat for Humanity’s annual Dragon Boat Festival resumed after a two-year, pandemic-related hiatus, raising money to help low-income families realize the dream of home ownership.
Gadsden City Parks & Rec ‘Noccalu-oars’
Colorful watercraft, powered by dedicated rowers, driven by a drumbeat – including one pacesetter bearing a striking resemblance to Elvis – raced to boost the local Habitat effort.
In its 26-year history, Gadsden-Etowah Habitat has built 57 homes, with more to come. A 58th home is fittingly expected to be completed by Thanksgiving.
The idea for a dragon boat race came from a brainstorming session among the organization’s local board searching for fundraising ideas. The races are popular in Florida.
And while participation this year was down – only nine boats competed in 2022 – the dragon boat race has made a splash in Gadsden. Business, civic and school groups are involved. And it’s not just the race, but music, food and fun.
“The city loves it,” Habitat Executive Director Sarah Meehan said. “Even though participation was down, enthusiasm was up. I think when there’s not as many teams competing, people get very excited, because they think they have a better chance.”
The race is on a short course, but rowers paddle at a furious pace.
“A minute, 15 (seconds), and you’re done,” she said.
The races featured multiple heats, and boats compete in two classes – recreational and competitive.
And while the races may seemingly sprint by in a blink, they pay big dividends for Habitat and for the families it will help. This year’s race raised more than $38,000 to go toward building future Habitat homes. Sponsorships generate the funding.
Founded in 1976 by the late Millard Fuller and his wife, Linda, the national Habitat organization has local chapters. In Gadsden, it was founded by Steve and Suzanne Scharfenberg.
How does Habitat work?
There are misconceptions about Habitat homeowners, chosen after a rigorous application process. They must make a down payment to cover the first year of insurance and a $600 deposit. They also must repay a 20-year, no-interest mortgage and accompanying insurance and property taxes. Plus, they have to invest 300 hours of “sweat equity” – physical labor put toward their own or other Habitat homes.
“A lot of people think Habitat homes are free,” Meehan said. “They’re not.” She added, “We enter into that partnership with that family. We are partners for the next 20-plus years and beyond.”
She added, “Families are invested. They’re paying a mortgage. They have to buy in.”
Habitat “budget coaches” help Habitat families craft and maintain a budget.
And as for the sweat equity, Meehan said, “Three-hundred hours seems like a lot. But we’ve never had anybody not get their sweat equity hours.”
Sometimes, before the roof is raised on a Habitat home, the organization has to knock down an invisible wall. “There is an aspect of cynicism,” Meehan said. “When you’re buying into a mission, when you’re buying into a goal, it’s hard. These are people that are very low income. They have not had help. They have not had chances. So, you have to break down that wall to get them to fully buy in. And when they do, it’s amazing.”
There wasn’t a drop of cynicism on the Coosa at this year’s Dragon Boat Festival. Powering the all-volunteer effort were two groups of high school students. The Titan Ambassadors from Gadsden City High School and a team of local homeschoolers.
Teams set up colorfully themed tents and provided music and food. The drummer that sets the rowing pace like something you’d see in an old Kirk Douglas movie, dresses in costume compatible with the theme.
The Alley’s ‘Gutter Gang’
The winning team with their Elvis drummer – The Alley, a local bowling alley – featured a tent with girls dressed as 1950s waitresses, who served root beer floats to competitors, volunteers and spectators. “They were so awesome,” Meehan said.
The City of Gadsden sponsored two teams, the Parks and Recreation Department and the Special Programming for Achievement Network (SPAN) program that works to improve the lives of at-risk youths and families in Etowah County.
Kim Back, a longtime Gadsden City school teacher, is the sponsor of the Titan Ambassadors. She tries to impress upon her students the importance of making a difference in their hometown. When getting her kids involved, she looks for organizations that help Gadsden, and that are instantly recognizable on a college application or resumé.
“The concept when they started the dragon boat race, I knew high school kids were really going to be psyched about that. It’s something that excites them.”
In ancient China, dragon boat races sought to appease the gods, beseeching them to soak parched farmlands with rain. On the Coosa, teams want to “make it rain” for Habitat and bring a flood of hope to take a step toward ending substandard housing in Gadsden.
For Meehan, a former banker, events like the Dragon Boat Festival and work for Habitat are, “what I was called by God to do.” And this mix of hope and happiness is what Gadsden is about.
“(Habitat and the Dragon Boat Festival) say everything about Gadsden …. Ultimately, this community wants to build houses to help families.”
She recalled a recent groundbreaking for a Habitat home that is etched in her memory and signifies what the whole program is about. She mingled with people as a concrete truck prepared to lay the foundation. The home’s footings in the red clay muck and the truck were the only signs that a house would soon be there.
“The truck was so much more than a symbol,” she said. “It was the story of this amazing woman. Seeing her and seeing her family there, and they’re just looking. This is going to be her house. Her mom was crying. It was witnessing them and her moment. Her land. It’s her house. They weren’t talking. It was a moment.”
GET INVOLVED
The Gadsden-Etowah Habitat for Humanity affiliate is always looking for volunteers. The learn more about Habitat or to volunteer, call 256-543-1898 or visit gadsdenhabitat.com.
When I got ready to write this column, I couldn’t resist the allure of an ideal October day on the lake – or at least in view of it. So, I gathered up my notes, tucked my laptop under my arm, headed out to my porch and pulled up an Adirondack chair.
“Ahh, the lake is my muse,” I told myself. And you know what? I was right. I cannot begin to count the number of stories and columns inspired over the years from this very spot.
Carol A. Pappas, Editor and Publisher
The distinctive sound of the leaves rustling, set in motion by a gentle breeze signals the arrival of autumn’s falling temperatures on the heels of a hot – really hot – Alabama summer. A clear, blue sky overhead is interrupted only by a sphere of sunlight casting a shimmering reflection in the water below as if the sun were gazing into its own mirror. It’s a work of art suitable for framing.
The scenery and the surroundings never tire me, but of course, I’m not alone. Ask any lake dweller, and they’ll likely tell you the same story. It’s their “happy place,” as the popular saying goes. I just get to write about it.
I have lived on the lake for decades now, and the one constant I found is that it really doesn’t matter what lake, river, stream, creek, ocean or sea that happens to be within that frame, it’s the water that draws you in like a good novel.
Put simply, it’s my happy place, too. Just like for thousands of others on Logan Martin and Neely Henry lakes, it never gets old. It’s a place where memories are born, no doubt spurred by special events, occasions, people and community – the perfect ingredients.
When we created LakeLife 24/7 Magazine®, it was with the notion that we wanted to capture those memories in the making. That’s our aim in every issue.
Helping us reach that target are those who share their stories, allowing us to discover or rediscover the people, places and events that make our lakes so special.
One such event is Gadsden Habitat for Humanity’s Dragon Boat Races. The Coosa becomes the habitat for an ancient Chinese sport tracing its roots back 2,000 years. The community comes together, supplying intrepid teams of more than a dozen rowers who power each dragon boat in the spirit of competition and raise needed funds for the mission.
The dragon boat teams working in sync are a reminder of Habitat’s own teams who swing a hammer, spackle a wall or handle a paintbrush en route to providing affordable housing in the community.
Other events worthy of note are of the musical kind – Live at Logan Martin, Lakeside Live and Riverfest at River Rocks – guaranteed to draw the crowds for days and evenings of great music and boatloads of fun.
In our Remember When regular feature, step back in time for these memories – when Buck’s Island was merely a dream, a vision young Buck had to create a special place for people to enjoy the water.
What sets our lakes apart from others, I think, is community, how people come together to rally around good causes, large and small – how they connect with one another around these places we call home.
And while social media has brought about so many changes in our society, not always for good, it’s reassuring to see platforms like Love Logan Martin Lake on Facebook bringing people together in a positive way around this bond that connects us all.
Those are some of the people, places and events you’ll find in this issue of LakeLife 24/7. There’s more! Turn the page and discover them all with us.
Music festival returns to Logan Martin Lakeside Park
Story by Eryn Ellard Submitted photos
The Second Annual Lakeside Live music festival will be headed to Lakeside Park on Saturday, Sept. 24, at 10 a.m., bringing something for all ages – everything from cornhole to arts and crafts, and of course, enough live music for all the family to enjoy.
And admission is free courtesy of Lakeside Live’s sponsors.
Visit the car show at the festival.
Lakeside Live will be hosting seven bands, all playing something for everyone’s taste – country to rock to oldies and everything in between. There will also be a classic car show for much of the day. Food trucks, serving everything from loaded nachos to sweet treats will also be taking care of those in attendance.
Event organizer Casey Cambron, said the proceeds from the event will go to local fire and police departments, as well as other local charities. He had high praise for the sponsors of Lakeside Live without whom this free, family event would not be possible. They, in turn, make it possible for proceeds to be reinvested in the community.
Cambron’s passion for the festival dates back to childhood. His first music festival he attended as a child in Georgia, he fell in love with. “I loved the event, loved the atmosphere, and loved that these events give back to their communities. I could not wait to bring that here.”
Other events happening at the show will include children’s axe throwing (with plastic equipment, of course), a maze for children and a cornhole tournament which is set to have $2,000 in winnings.
Plenty of games, competition and fun for all ages
Another event Cambron said will be fun to see is a race called, “Battle of the Badges.” This is a competition between local policemen and firefighters to include a Tug-of-War contest, a Ski Walk challenge and a relay race, including sprints and wall climbing.
“Lakeside Live is all about bringing people together. There will be something for everyone, young to old, and everything in between,” Cambron said.
The main headliner of the show is Sweet Tea Trio, who will be performing at 6:30 that evening. This band plays mostly country music. Other bands that will be showcased are St. Clair County’s own – the WingNuts, Kudzu, Deputy 5, Stillbroke and the Leverton Brothers.
“Everyone loves Sweet Tea Trio,” Cambron said. “They have an amazing sound and are always a great crowd pleaser, but all of our bands are extraordinarily talented and will bring a great atmosphere to the show.”
Alicia Bowers, a local resident who attended the festival last year said that she and her children really enjoyed it and cannot wait to see it again. “It is hard to find things sometimes that the entire family enjoys. Most of the time it is only my big kids, or my smaller children that enjoy something I plan for us to do as a family,” Bowers said. “But the event is safe, and fun for all. We just really enjoyed ourselves.”
Rebuilt playground opens at Pell City’s Logan Martin Lakeside Park
Story by Eryn Ellard Photos by Graham Hadley
As an early August sun set on Lakeside Park, a new beginning officially rose for a 20-year-old landmark – the grand reopening of Kids Kastle.
The project was first put into motion at the beginning of the year, and through months of collaboration and design work, along with long days in the triple digits by city employees, the new playground was ready – and so were hundreds of local children.
One of the new slides just the right size for young children
Pell City Mayor Bill Pruitt gave the inaugural speech, saying that there were many in attendance who were kids back when the original Kids Kastle was built in the early 2000s. Now, those same children are all grown up and were there with their children.
Seven-year-old Cam Williams cut the ribbon along with the mayor, and it was officially time to play. Several new features have been added to the park, including many new swings and rubber mulch walkways throughout, swings and features for disabled visitors, plus new slides.
The layout and the “face” of the park remain the same. Pell City Parks and Recreation Director Bubba Edge said the city’s vision was to keep the original face of the park the same. “We wanted to keep the face of Kids Kastle the same as it has always been all these years,” Edge said. “It is something that all people recognize when they come to our city.” Edge noted that it was also important to keep elements of the old park the same because when people are looking to come to our city, one of the first things they look at is the city parks and things that are available for kids.
Impressive welcome to new Kids Kastle, with kiosk listing donors and supporters out front
After an hour or more of running, climbing, bouncing and spinning, the kids and parents were ready for some refreshments. Southern Snow Shaved Ice passed out over 300 snow cones, and the city prepared hundreds of hotdogs, pounds of popcorn and cold drinks for those in attendance with the police chief and fire chief manning the grill.
Pell City resident Rachel White said it was such a special occasion for her and her 4-year-old twins. “I can remember coming here when I would summer with my grandparents,” White said. “Now we live here, and my girls will get to have great childhood memories here, too.”
Pell City Councilman Jay Jenkins thanked all the employees who spent hours of their time, during inclement weather and in the blistering heat to get the project done on time. “Many of our employees were out here, often times when they probably shouldn’t have been, to make sure this thing came together,” Jenkins said.
With ceremonial duties out of the way, speeches made and the ribbon cut, children rushed into their new playground, already making new memories at the new Kids Kastle.
Much like an armed force swiftly swooping in to save the day, this army of volunteers – 2,000 of them – descended on a 3-acre patch of ground at Pell City Lakeside Park 21 years ago, building an entire playground in less than a week.
Lawyers, judges, bankers, clerks, factory workers, construction crewmen, hourly wage earners, parents, single people – they were all there, even the kids themselves. They were part of the force, armed with tools of the trade under the command of experienced contractors. Shift after shift all week long, they rolled up their sleeves and toiled until it was all done by Sunday afternoon.
What rose from that patch of dirt was nothing short of a wonderland, a kid’s dream come true. There was a pirate ship, a swinging bridge, slides, swings, just about everything imaginable. And for 21 years, imaginations of generations of children ran unfettered in this magical place called Kids Kastle.
It all started months before when Elizabeth Bit Thomaston asked the pivotal question, ‘What if?’ She had visited Madison in north Alabama and saw a playground built by the community. She was so enamored with it, she wondered if it could happen in Pell City.
It could. And it did.
She was executive assistant to then Metro Bank vice president, the late Don Perry, at the time. She went to then President Ray Cox, who also passed away several years ago, seeking his support. He told her if she would do the research and determine if the community would support, he would back her 100 percent.
“I did about a year’s worth of research,” she recalled. She discussed prospects and plans with Leathers and Associates, a company out of New York that specialized in these projects. “I felt like we could do it in Pell City. It’s the kind of community that would support it, that cared about kids.”
She described that year of planning, strategizing, organizing and unleashing an army of volunteers marching toward a single goal as nearly a full-time – all with the backing of Cox and Perry.
The kids really designed it, she said. She and others went into every school asking students what they wanted. As the kids talked about their dream playground – pirate ships and castles – Leathers’ representatives were present to translate their imagination into a design.
Thomaston, with key help from now retired Circuit Judge Bill Hereford, Michele Seay and Kay Adams, organized ‘the troops’ into committees – Public Relations, Tools, Food – about a dozen in all. There were captains commanding each. “To my mind, it was easily the best civic project I’ve ever been involved in,” said Hereford, a former mayor himself.
“There were 2,000 volunteers. It was phenomenal,” Thomaston said.
Businesses, individuals and organizations stepped forward with funding for various pieces of play equipment. Sponsored wooden pickets, bearing the names of families and children – even those who weren’t quite here yet, bordered the playground, significantly helping shoulder the cost. One picket bore the name “Baby Minor.” That would now be Abby Minor, the daughter of District Judge Robert and Christy Minor, a student at Auburn University. Christy was pregnant with her when the playground was being planned.
Thomaston can relate. She was pregnant with Andrew, now 22, when she visited that Madison playground that sparked it all.
Time for work!
All walks of life working side-by-side, reported for work on Tuesday, Oct. 16, with only one common purpose in mind – the kids. By Sunday, Oct. 21, they were holding an historic opening ceremony for the about to be christened, Kids Kastle.
It had been barely a month since terrorists crashed airplanes into the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania, a time of great tragedy for the country as a whole. Hope was a precious commodity in the days that followed the attack.
But Pell City’s band of volunteers were determined hope would not be lost here at home. “The country was in turmoil,” Thomaston said. “Everybody was scared. We said let’s do this for the kids and show them all is not lost, that we see a future for our kids, hope for the future, and they don’t have to be afraid.”
It was a legacy of love that lived on for more than two decades and now has new life thanks to the city and good corporate citizens making sure Kids Kastle remains central to countless childhood memories.
Many of those who played integral roles in its creation have since passed away, but Thomaston wanted to make sure they, too, are remembered. The money left in original Kids Kastle account was donated in their memory to the city to help rebuild the park: Ray Cox, Don Perry, Ann Day and Bob Day, Curtis and Deanna Capps, Leo Lynch, Gene Morris, Judy Potter, Tim Sweezey, Faye Bivens, Doug Walker and Lance Stella.
They, like so many others, gave of themselves because it was all about the kids. “It took us all – all of our families supporting us,” she said.
Former Mayor Guin Robinson couldn’t agree more. “I have worked on a lot of community projects in my adult life, and I was proud to be a part of them. But this one had a special place all by itself,” he said, emotion evident in his voice as he recounted it. “It was a seminal moment in the history of our community. It was a coming together and becoming a part of something bigger than all of us. I’ve never seen anything like it anywhere.”
He talked of Thomaston’s vision and a community’s will to make it happen. “It’s part of Pell City’s DNA,” Robinson said. “Pell City really is a ‘can do’ place. Everybody had their job, and no job was more important than any other job. I really can’t describe how special it was.”
To Robinson, the memory of it brings to mind an adage that suits the occasion like well-tailored clothing. It just fits. “Volunteers don’t get paid because they’re worthless but because they’re priceless.” At the heart of the entire project was the people, the volunteers.
The late Faye Bivens, in her Kids Kastle t-shirt, worked the food tent
When officials and organizers worried whether enough workers would show up, “It grew each day,” he said. “Nothing ever wavered.” Inmates worked alongside bankers and lawyers – “there was pride on everyone’s face.”
Calling it a “generational project,” Robinson spoke of its evolution over the years. First was letting the kids design it. “Who better to tell you what they want than kids? Artist Ann Day painted murals. Families with their own kids now would come back to the place they played as a kid. The community built Kids Kastle. When hands touch that, it becomes very personal.”
And a community coming together around a playground became the perfect pairing. “A playground is one of your first and lasting memories,” Robinson said. “The pickets the families purchased were so meaningful. The concept was brilliant. Everyone had a place at Kids Kastle. It was everyone’s equally.”
Robinson likened it to the early days of barn raising, where the whole community comes out to build their neighbor a barn. “The neighbor gets the barn, but what do you get?” It’s that community spirit of neighbor helping neighbor, expecting nothing in return. “It’s a reminder of why we lived there.”
“It was pretty amazing” – 2,000 volunteers, a $150,000+ playground, generations of kids just being kids, letting their imaginations guide them in play, Thomaston said. “There’s never been a project like that in our community. I don’t think there ever will be again.”
The first visitor arrives and pulls his vehicle straight up to the lake. For the next 25 minutes, they parade in, each vehicle slowly pulling up and easing in next to the one before.
They’re here for church, but no one gets out of their vehicles. At this church, there are no pews. Members participate in church from the golf carts that brought them here. There are no walls, no building to this church. There is something more – a solidarity of spirit and community that serves as their cornerstone.
Their mission is simple: Love God and love people. Members at Lake Church at Logan Landing Cabin and RV Resort in Alpine are living out this mission in their community by staying connected and looking for ways to love their neighbors.
Faith in action
Just before Labor Day one year ago, they had the opportunity to do that in a big way. It was in the early morning, way before dawn on Sept. 3 when resident Brenda Sanders was awakened. She thought she was dreaming, but it turns out the nightmare was real. The home she shared with her husband, Newt, was on fire.
Pastors Tommy Hebert and David Eason gather at the river.
He had fallen asleep in his recliner, so she ran to wake him. Her eyes confessing the terror of that moment, she tells the story. “He told me to get my purse with the car keys so we could move the car. He said it was too late for the house. About that time, the fire came into the living room from the outside wall. We got outside, and I ran to my neighbor’s house and yelled for her to call 911.”
Meanwhile, Lake Church pastor Tommy Hebert, who lives just across the lake, also awoke unexpectedly that morning. He heard something and walked outside and along his deck. When he reached the outside corner, he saw the fire across the lake.
He called 911, then grabbed his boots and shirt and jumped in his golf cart, racing toward the burning home. Seeing the Sanders family safely outside, he and another resident, a retired firefighter from Illinois, battled the flames with hoses until the fire department arrived.
Love thy neighbor
Neighbor Bob Thornton lives next door to the Sanders. He woke up that morning to the sound of an explosion. He got outside in time to see another neighbor going into the burning structure to get the Sanders’ dog.
The 12-year-old dachshund, officially named Oreo, was an owner surrender they rescued a decade earlier. “Boss,” as they most often call him, was rescued that night for the second time.
By daybreak, the Sanders’ had lost their home and everything in it. Immediately, Newt started calling for estimates to remove the mess. “I had checked to get prices on the clean-up, and it was over $10,000. Insurance wasn’t even going to cover half of that,” Newt explained. “Before I knew it, there were people everywhere picking things up and putting them in the dumpster. They were like ants everywhere.”
Hebert, who works in construction, had called some contacts and gotten dumpsters and debris-removal equipment brought in. He and co-pastor, David Eason, rallied the neighbors. “We had probably 20-25 people out here who came to help with demo,” says Tommy. “But it wasn’t just demo labor. Lake Church members brought food and cards. They listened and prayed.”
“As soon as we got outside, we saw neighbors coming to help,” says Brenda. “They were all there for us, holding us, crying with us and praying with us.” This wasn’t the first time the church had been there to help them through tragedy. They’d just buried their grown son one week earlier.
Pastor David and his wife, Deborah, know that pain all too well. They lost their son in a car accident just over a year ago. The Lake Church covered them with meals and support. “Tommy had asked me if he could pray for us that Sunday in church. He was going up to pray, but got really quiet, then asked me to come up and lead us in prayer,” said pastor David.
“Tommy apologized for putting me on the spot, but from that point on, we got even closer. Then one day a few weeks later, Tommy told me I’d be giving the message in a few weeks. I still get pretty nervous every time. I have this cross in my pocket that I’ve almost rubbed the words off.” The two now share preaching duties.
On this Sunday, the prayer concerns take 10 minutes, as David lists out each family who has had hard times this week or continues to need prayers. “It’s not about us or anything that we’re doing,” he says. “It’s about what God can do through us.”
“The church is not about the building; it’s about the people,” echoes pastor Tommy. “Most of the people in this community are over 50 and on a fixed income. So, we just try to help people and lessen their financial burdens.” We want to be the hands and feet of God.”
The church has no staff and no bills to pay. “No one takes a dime. Every dime goes back to help people,” says Tommy. “We pay medical bills, groceries, funeral expenses, utility bills. We’ve even replaced water heaters.”
Fostering fellowship
They like to have fun together, too. The board plans activities outside of Sunday morning church to help build relationships within the community. They do barbeques, potlucks, holiday gatherings and dinners at local restaurants.
Church services are held every other Sunday at Lake Church. Many residents are members of other churches, many a fair distance away. Newt and Brenda Sanders drive 37 miles to Newsite Baptist Church in Stewartville on the Sundays that Lake Church is not open.
Sandra and Mike Dupree moved here four months ago. They are members of a church in Sycamore, but love going to Lake Church in their golf cart.
Mike and Brenda Gardner are seasonal residents and live in Trussville when not on the lake. “We’re out on the lake pretty much the whole summer, and we didn’t have a church out here,” says Brenda. “I was excited when they started having services out here. It’s so nice to be able to come as you are. You don’t have to be fancy or look a certain way. We’re all on the same level. It’s more of a family.”
“We just love people where they’re at,” emphasizes pastor Tommy. “Life is just messy.” He admits his own path to the pulpit took a rocky route.
Having given his life to Christ at seven years old, he says life’s challenges led him to run from God when he was 26. He moved to Florida and fully embraced the surfer life, referring to himself as a “real beach dude, complete with earrings and ankle bracelet.”
When he came back to Alabama, he met pastor Danny Duvall at Christian Life Church and rededicated his life. Danny mentored him then and continues to encourage him today.
“They’ve just shared the teaching and the leadership in such a humble way,” says pastor Danny. “It’s not about personality or brand building. It’s about the Lord and the community. It’s a model that I wish most churches could see.”
Having church within a residential community is a different model, explains Tommy. “We live with our congregation. We don’t go home from our church. We live it. But we get blessed more than we bless others.”
Tommy and David hope to inspire other lakeside communities to start their own lake churches. “There are groups of people out at the lake enjoying it and partying pretty hard. Maybe they don’t have a church,” said Tommy. “Many times, people are at the lake on the weekends in the summer and miss church,” adds David. “They could get together and worship in their own community.”
The Lake Church family has continued to lift up and help the Sanders family in their rebuilding efforts. They don’t have an answer to what started the fire, but Newt was able to purchase a new cabin and have it moved to the old home’s location.
Final work on the deck and interior painting has just been completed. Newt still has the invoice he received after the demolition was completed. Eyes welling up with tears, he proudly recites it from memory. “Paid in full by God.”
A sign at the water’s edge of Donna and Lee Hartley’s Logan Martin Lake home offers a greeting to visitors, as well as the couple’s only rules. “Welcome to our Cottage,” the sign reads. “Relax, Unwind, Enjoy.”
It’s a simple philosophy, but it’s one that the Hartleys have embraced in the four years they’ve lived in the cozy three-story retreat. They’ve renovated the home and created an outdoor wonderland where the retirees enjoy the peace and quiet, in addition to their brand-new hobbies. “It’s perfect for us,” said Donna, who has taken up gardening while Lee has become an avid kayaker. “It’s so peaceful, and we love just being still and being appreciative.”
The Hartleys, who were high school sweethearts in Mobile and dated for a decade, have been married for 38 years. They lived in Moody for most of that time and had their eye on the Clear Creek home for years before making it their own. They first discovered it during the 15 years they had a camper at Powell’s Hideaway before deciding to downsize and make lake life a permanent state of mind during retirement.
“We rode all through these sloughs,” Donna said. “I kept telling Lee, ‘I want that house.’ ” Lee promised to make it a reality. “I kept telling her, ‘One of these days, I’m going to knock on their door, and I’m going to buy that house for you,’” he said.
When they finally got serious about looking, the house had come on the market, and he took her there one day. This time, however, they went by car, so Donna didn’t realize where they were. “Go down to the water,” Lee told her, and that’s when the realization that they were at her dream home finally dawned.
Reflecting their style
Although she’d loved the house from afar for years, Donna and Lee both realized some changes were in store. “The inside was set up like a lodge, and I told Lee, “We’ve bought a Holiday Inn,’” Donna said with a laugh. “Everything was very vanilla, but we’d redone two houses and knew we could eventually make it ours.”
One major focus was the kitchen. “It had to go,” said Lee, who is the cook in the family. “I like Cajun food the best. I love to cook it, and I love to eat it. One of my favorite dishes is to put crawfish etouffee over a grilled steak.”
Lee and Donna Hartley with their dogs Tiny Princess and Pancho
He comes by it honestly. Lee, who followed in his father’s footsteps, worked offshore as chief engineer on supply boats and as a commercial fisherman for most of his career. As a result, “I lived in Louisiana off and on for most of my life. Dad worked over there, and we moved there during the summer to be closer to him. I learned to cook when I was 13,” he said.
In order to work his magic, “the whole kitchen had to be reconfigured,” Lee said. The original design had a small peninsula with the sink under the kitchen window. “You couldn’t open the cabinets in the peninsula unless the oven door was open,” he said.
Now, the peninsula is gone, making way for a table that Donna loves to set with china that’s been handed down in Lee’s family for generations. The sink is in a large island, and the cabinets across the back of the kitchen have been extended. A quartz countertop and a subway tile backsplash have been added, and the result is a cheery, sunny space that’s perfect for gatherings.
“It’s more convenient now and much more usable now,” Lee said. The only thing missing is about 40 cabinets. “We had 60 cabinets in the kitchen in our old home, and we’re down to about 20,” said Donna, adding that the home where they raised their daughter, Victoria, was about 3,700 square feet while this house is about 1,800. “When I say we downsized, I mean we downsized.”
Even their furniture was larger at their previous home – too large, in fact, to fit in their new space. “This house has all 8-foot ceilings and our other house had 10-foot ceilings,” Donna said. “We couldn’t even get some of my armoires in the house because the doors were so small. We had to enlarge the door just to get the appliances in.”
One thing they made sure they had room for was a collection of old mirrors that hold sentimental value for the couple. “Between his family and mine, we had a lot,” she said. “I just love old mirrors.” Their daughter gave the collection new life with chalk paint and wax, and Donna said the result is an even better reflection of their more casual, relaxed lifestyle.
Although the cottage has three floors, the lower level is home for Lee’s 98-year-old mother. His parents moved in with the Hartleys about 18 years ago, and Lee’s father passed away three years ago at 95. “Dad lived offshore all those years. He never lived on the water and always wanted to,” Lee said. “He enjoyed it a year or so before he passed away.” Now, the arrangement gives Lee’s mom her privacy, a separate patio and a beautiful view of the lake.
The great outdoors
The view is something they never get tired of, Donna said. While the water is the main attraction, the outdoor oasis the Hartleys have created has taken things to a whole new level.
“When I retired, I took on planting flowers,” said Donna, who worked for AT&T for 30 years before leaving the corporate world a year and a half ago. “I’d never planted anything before, but Lee bought me two landscaping books.” Donna loves color, and she has since created beautiful beds filled with lantana, dwarf crape myrtles, Mexican heather, daylilies and other flowering plants.
Lee set the stage for her gardens with all the yard work he did the first year they were in the home. He leveled the yard, laid sod and removed bushes that were hiding the house. “He dug up 28 holly bushes,” Donna said. “You couldn’t even see the bottom porch or the railing.
Although the yard is a focal point, there’s one feature in the water that catches the attention of boaters, especially boats filled with children. A whimsical cement dragon, which has been in the water for decades, came with the house and has become a favorite of the Hartleys. “I bet it weights three tons,” Lee said. A neighbor, who is an artist, is going to paint the dragon when the water level is lowered this fall, he said.
Covered porch overlooks lake.
Now that the hard work of creating their own little piece of paradise is done, the Hartleys are able to enjoy what they’ve created together. “We love to sit on the porch, even when it’s raining, and we eat dinner out here a lot,” Donna said.
They’ve also recently created an outdoor living room under the carport, complete with comfortable seating and a fountain, which Lee’s mother particularly enjoys. They’re planning on adding a television and creating a fun ceiling from either tin or old, colorful shutters, Donna said.
“We sit out here in the mornings,” she said. “I’ve got my Diet Coke, and he’s out here with his coffee.” Although they toyed with the idea of turning the space into an outdoor kitchen, they quickly decided they’d enjoy the extra living area more. “We didn’t want to have another kitchen to clean,” Donna said.
That’s not to say they don’t enjoy cooking out; Lee grills three or four times a week, cooking everything from steaks to marinated chicken or pork chops. “I grill a lot of vegetables,” he said, adding that he loves a good charcoal fire. “There’s more flavor when you use charcoal.”
Although they enjoy their outdoor living spaces, some of their favorite times are down by the water. Lee used to love fly fishing, but now he’s spending much more time on his new hobby: kayaking. “I’m in the water at 5:30 every morning,” he said. “I’ve been from here to the dam and back,” a total of about 8 miles.
Donna, especially, loves listening to the birds – a sound she compares to a symphony. “It’s just delightful to sit out early in the morning before anyone is up and outside,” she said. “The water is so still and peaceful, and you can sit and listen to the birds and appreciate the be beautiful work of God. We feel so blessed and thankful.”
Etouffee served over steak, a favorite pairing.
Crawfish Etouffee
3 pounds crawfish tail, peeled
2 bell peppers, chopped
½ cup crawfish fat
2 onions, chopped
1 cup parsley, chopped
1 bunch of celery, chopped
2 cups green onion, chopped
1 cup flour
3 tbsp roasted mashed garlic
1 cup oil
Cajun seasoning to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp paprika
Water, as needed
Slowly stirring flour and oil over a medium flame, make a light, golden-brown roux. Add all of the chopped onion, garlic, peppers, celery and parsley; cook until onions are tender. Add crawfish and fat. Cook for 20 minutes. Add very little water, stirring slowly and adding just a little at a time. Etouffee should begin to thicken up. Once it’s thick, add salt, pepper, paprika and seasoning to taste. Serve over white rice and garnish with green onions. NOTE: Shrimp, lump crab or chicken can be used as a substitute for crawfish tails and fat.
From Chef Jeff Warner, St. Francisville, La.
Cajun Seafood Gumbo
1 cup flour
1 cup oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 large bell peppers, chopped
1 bunch of celery, chopped
1 pound pork tasso
Mashed roasted garlic
1 bunch green onions, sliced
15 cloves
½ gallon water
Cayenne pepper and salt to taste
1 cup dried shrimp
1 bay leaf
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Louisiana hot sauce to taste
½ cup chopped parsley
2 pounds small shrimp
1 pound lump crab meat
1 pound crawfish tails
Cajun seasoning to taste
In a gumbo pot, mix oil and flour on high to medium heat to make a chocolate-colored roux. Add onions, peppers, celery and garlic and sauté well. Stir in tasso and cook for 2 minutes, then add water. Stir well and cook for 1 hour, seasoning occasionally to taste. Add parsley and dried shrimp during this procedure as well. Add shrimp after gumbo cooks for an hour, then cook an additional 20 minutes. Add crawfish tails and lump crabmeat. Cook for an additional 30 minutes. Add green onions, season, and serve over fluffy, white rice.
As we move into the fall of year, there will be a lot of changes taking place day to day on the Coosa River. As the days shorten, and those cool, autumn nights start to roll in, the fish begin to make their moves.
A couple of things start to happen. First, the shad begin migrating into creeks and fish will follow them. Second, a lot of schooling action is set in motion during these two months due to the shad being up near the surface most of the time.
Moreover, another phenomenon will begin. The fall turnover will usually finish during this time period. With all of these factors to consider, this is how I approach fishing on Logan Martin.
Zeke gets what he goes after.
Topwater baits become a staple in my arsenal this time of year. Whether it’s a buzzbait, walking style topwater bait or frog – I use them all at some point throughout a day of fishing Logan Martin.
Typically, topwater baits work best in low light conditions, such as cloudy days or early in the morning. I also look for schooling fish pushing bait. When I locate schooling fish, I will use a walking style topwater bait to get these fish to bite. This style of topwater fishing is awesome to use in these conditions because it allows me to fish fast and make long casts in case fish start schooling far away from me.
I also like to fish seawalls and grass this time of year especially if there is a little wind blowing on it. One factor that we need to consider is the crazy Alabama weather. It can still be scorching hot and muggy.
My favorite way to approach these kinds of days is to fish deeper and main river docks. I feel like the fish feel more comfortable with this type of cover due to the fact they can move up and down the water column easier.
If the fish are shallow, they will hang closer to the back of the docks, but some days they tend to be out on the end docks. It just varies day to day.
My favorite bait to fish during these conditions is a finesse jig in any crawfish color. When I fish the back of a dock, I focus on fishing my bait on the bottom. When I fish the end of a dock in the deeper water, I really like to let the jig freefall right beside the post of the docks and the fish usually will bite before it ever hits the bottom.
Try these tips for some early fall-time fishing on Logan Martin.
Neely Henry
Bass fishing at Neely Henry can become strange during these two months. After the first few cool nights, the fish will start feeding up for the winter.
I really like to focus on the backs of creeks when this happens. First, you want to make sure there are baitfish that have moved into these areas. Most of the time the baitfish will be up near the surface of the water column, and you can see them flickering on top. Make sure you keep an eye open for schooling fish in this scenario as well.
The fall turnover is usually right around the corner or is already happening at this point. What that means is the oxygen levels in deeper water are beginning to get depleted. These two factors cause the shallow water areas to become more active with baitfish, which in turn draws the bass in to feed on them.
The main types of cover I focus on in the creeks are grass, wood and rocks. I normally focus on channel swing banks as well. This allows fish to use every bit of the water column if they choose to. They can either stay shallow or move deeper if they want to do so.
A few baits I like to try in these areas are a buzzbait, finesse jig or squarebill crankbait. These three baits give me options throughout the water column.
If it is cloudy and windy, I tend to reach for the buzzbait and cover a lot of water. If it’s more of a slick, calm, sunny day, I like to pitch and flip the jig around wood and grass. The squarebill crankbait allows me to cover a ton of water in order to find some active fish.
Give these tips a try on Neely Henry and hopefully, you’ll have some successful early fall fishing.
The Great Alabama 650 is the Iron Bowl, Talladega 500 and marathons all rolled into one 10-day event, the world’s longest annual paddle race
Alabama’s most grueling sporting event is longer than the big races at Talladega and takes more time to win than the Iron Bowl.
Its competitors toil, sometimes night and day, in all kinds of weather, from waters coursing through the Appalachian foothills to Mobile Bay. In some stretches, the only spectators may be a leaping largemouth bass, a great blue heron or the occasional trail angel, good Samaritan volunteers along the course who offer help, water, food and cheers.
While boos and razzing may be college football and NASCAR cultural commonalities, a discouraging word is never heard in this under-the radar-but-growing competition.
So it is for The Great Alabama 650. It is the world’s longest annual paddle race at 650 miles over 10 days, attracting an international field of 20. It is a celebration of Alabama’s waterways and the wonder of the human spirit.
The word, “annual,” is key. The Yukon 1,000 may be longer, but it occurs every other year.
The Coosa River, along with its companion Logan Martin and Neely Henry lakes, is a key stretch of the course. This year’s race is set for Oct. 1-11.
Birmingham native Greg Wingo has been race director of the blossoming event since its inception in 2019. The event may have been one of the few international sporting events not hampered by the pandemic. In its brief history, paddlers have come from the United States, Canada and Europe.
The small field – and the built-in social distancing of the event – allowed the race to carry on in the dark days of the coronavirus and its variants, Wingo says.
“Immediately, once the race starts, no one is really able to see each other, so we were able to put it on when all the other races were having to postpone or cancel completely.”
There are 20 paddle races across the globe that are designated as qualifying races for the Great Alabama 650. Racers have to compete in one of those events in the past five years in order to take on Alabama’s rivers. The ability to complete those races is an indicator of a paddler’s ability to finish in Alabama.
“I always feel really confident that once they finish one of these qualifiers, they have a decent idea of what they’re going to experience in this race,” Wingo says.
The event showcases the Alabama Scenic River Trail, the latest chapter in the state’s love affair with its rivers, from the Tennessee to the Tensaw, the Coosa to the Cahaba. As every Alabamian of a certain age might recall, Alabama’s rivers played a key role in the state song written by social reformer Julia Tutwiler.
As for The Great Alabama 650, the race course runs from Weiss Lake in Northeast Alabama to Fort Morgan on the Gulf Coast.
Keeping up momentum
Last year the team of Paul Cox and Joe Mann shattered event records, finishing the race in four days, 17 hours and eight minutes. Salli (cq) O’Donnell won the women’s solo competition with a time of four days, 22 hours and 39 minutes.
Paddlers compete in three divisions: male solo, female solo and two-person team. Racers can use kayaks, canoes or stand-up paddleboards interchangeably.
There are intangibles that have made the race so popular for paddle fans. Each year, spectator numbers grow.
“No. 1, people in this state are always supportive of people that come into their state to experience it, whether they are coming here to support the World Games … or whether they’re coming here for Talladega, or coming here for a football game,” Wingo says. “Whatever it is – I guess the easy answer is Southern hospitality – there’s just something about the people who get excited when people visit this state and are here to enjoy it.”
He adds, “In the last few years, once people started to realize it was happening, it did start to snowball and grow, especially in the first third of the race when you’re going through some major population bases on the Coosa. There’s just a huge turnout year after year along the different lakes.”
On the Coosa, Gadsden’s Riverwalk near Buffalo Wild Wings is a great spot for spectators, and the Alabama Power-built park near Logan Martin Dam is a portage, also a great spot. Area portages are at mile 88 of the race on Neely Henry and mile 135 on Logan Martin.
Fans can also follow the race – and racers – on its website, that has drawn more than a million hits, many of them from schoolchildren who follow their favorites through tracking devices on the racers, Alabama Scenic River Trail Board President Sam Howell says.
“From Northport, Ala., to Norway, you can be involved in The Great Alabama 650,” Howell says.
The race itself – as it relates to the competitors – is unique, and not only because of the distance.
“There are elements of this race that don’t exist anywhere else. And so, the racers themselves will talk very positively about the experience of being in Alabama, and I think the more that people who live here hear that, they get more excited about it … That has really helped it grow and grow.”
Another feature: Paddlers encounter every type of water, from calm Coosa waters to whitewater near Wetumpka. There’s tidal water on the coast and bay water. Competitors are allowed to change boats depending on the water. Like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates, they never know what they’re going to get,
“About 85 % of this race is flat water, with essentially no flow whatsoever. When the racers come to do this race, they’re not getting the assistance of the river flowing at four or five mph to give them a break and allow them to be able to move. If they stop paddling, they stop moving. And in a race that lasts up to 10 days, no movement means lost time. Very few races in the world are of such duration.
So, racers that come to do this race find out pretty quickly … there’s no easy gimme to this race … It’s a vastly more different race than any in the world. No other race can give you all the things this race has.”
But The Great Alabama 650, like every other endurance race, has more than its share of grit and goodness.
“Trail angels” pitch in to help competitors at portages along the route, fans cheer and paddlers push through the changing waters, often going days without sleep.
“We have an amazing group of people along the river that want to be out there throwing competitors a banana or a beer or whatever … That’s another thing that truly makes us unique,” Wingo says.
And as for grit, consider Texan Martha Avila Adame. She is a breast cancer survivor who competed in last year’s race, even without a lateral muscle in her back, a pivotal body part for any paddler.
Cox and Mann slept a total of six hours on the way to their 2021 tandem win.
And Alabama Scenic River Trail Communications Director Laura Gaddy remembered her post-race encounter with Floridian Salli O’Donnell, the women’s solo winner who has developed a bit of a fan base at the 650.
Where the thumb met the palm of one of O’ Donnell’s hands, Gaddy noticed a battle scar – a blister the size of a half-dollar.
Wingo sums up the race and its athletes. “There is a section of endurance athletes that thrive on events like this.”
