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In the Kitchen with the Grabanys

Creating every pizza combination you can think of

Story by Scottie Vickery
Photos by Mackenzie Free

There’s nothing quite like a warm summer day by the water, and as far as Terry and Cheri Grabany are concerned, the warmer the better. In fact, 900 degrees is just about perfect – for making dinner in their lakeside pizza oven, that is.

Terry built the wood-fired oven by the water’s edge of their Logan Martin Lake home about seven years ago, and since then, feeding family and friends has been as easy as (pizza) pie.

“Pizzas are just so quick and easy to do,” Terry said. “I buy all the stuff, and everyone makes their own,” Cheri added. They’ve tried just about every topping combination over the years, and whether it’s brisket and veggies, Canadian bacon and pineapple, or just lots of cheese (their grandchildren’s favorite), every version has offered a slice or two of heaven.

“There’s nothing better,” Cheri said. So, what exactly makes it so good? In addition to enjoying the mouthwatering meal, “you get to be out here and see all of this,” Terry said, gesturing at the sunlight bouncing off the water and the trees and flowers dotting the shoreline. “It’s just beautiful.”

Everything about their move to the lake in 2015 has been beautiful, in fact. Although they bought the lot and the single-wide mobile home that was on it at the time as a weekend retreat, it wasn’t long before the lure of full-time lake life became too strong to ignore. They made the move in 2021 before building their 3-bedroom, 2 bath cottage in 2022.

Since then, the lazy days of summer – and fall, winter and spring – have meant lots of time with family and friends. The focus is on food and fun, which is where Terry’s construction expertise has come in handy.

He’s worked in equipment maintenance for the City of Hoover for the past 24 years, and his building skills have served him well when it comes to the mechanics of making food for a crowd. He’s built everything from a 20-foot barbecue trailer used for Hoover’s Pig Iron BBQ Challenge and SEC baseball tournaments to a 12-foot oven used to make giant apple pies for the city’s annual Celebrate Hoover Day.

That’s why, when the Grabanys’ daughters asked Terry if he could make a pizza oven, his reply was a simple, “I guess.” He did his homework first, researching fireproof bricks and mortar and the best way to build the outdoor oven. “Most of the time when the girls ask, I make it happen,” he said.

The pizza oven gives Cheri and Terry one more option when entertaining. In addition to the kitchen, where Cheri handles the meal prep and sides, Terry built a barbecue trailer of his own. They’ve got two smokers, a grill big enough to cook 50 hamburgers at a time, and a boiler they use to make Cajun dishes.

“We feed people here,” Cheri said with a laugh. “It’s an all-day thing,” Terry added. “Whatever anyone wants, we’ll cook it. We’ll have barbecue for lunch and then fire up the pizza oven and put barbecue on pizzas that night.” S’mores, which they have discovered are even more ooey and gooey when cooked in the pizza oven, are the perfect end to lots of perfect lake days.

Meant to be

Owning a home on the water was always part of their future plans, but about 10 years ago, Terry decided he didn’t want to wait. Although the couple lived in Hayden, he started looking at properties on Logan Martin, where Cheri’s brother’s family and other friends and relatives live and where their daughter and son-in-law, Lindsey and William Weller, have since bought a home.

“It was always a retirement dream,” Terry said of buying a lake home. “I was raised on the Warrior River, and I always wanted to come back to the water.”

In 2015, Terry spotted a house near Stemley Bridge on Craigslist, but when he called about it, the owners said they already had an offer. The Grabanys asked to see it anyway, and they fell in love with the view. “I sat down in the swing (that is still on their pier) and looked out over the water and said, ‘I can do this,’” Cheri remembers.

The folks who had made an offer on the home missed the deadline, so the owners asked Terry and Cheri if they wanted it. “We wrote it up on a legal pad and a handshake,” he said.

“We just knew it was going to work out,” Cheri said. The house number was the same as their home in Hayden, where they’d raised Lindsey and her sister, Cory. And the cost of the house was just 97 cents more than the amount they had available from financing and the savings they planned to use.

In addition, when Cory told a friend from work about the house her parents bought, the friend realized that it used to be her family’s home. “We just knew God had his hand all over this,” Cheri said.

The Lord also provided a peaceful place for her to heal. Less than six months after buying their lakeside retreat, Cheri was diagnosed with colon cancer. A month later, she had a melanoma removed, and the next year doctors discovered she had a brain tumor.

Despite the three diagnoses, Cheri is cancer-free today and is grateful for all she survived. “Terry always says, ‘I wish it had been me,’ but I tell him I’m glad it wasn’t,’” she said. “He’s not a talker, and he wouldn’t go up and tell people everything that God did like I do.”

Details matter

The lake provided the perfect balm during the healing process and became a refuge during the COVID pandemic. In 2021, after Cheri retired from her bookkeeping job at Hayden Elementary School, they began thinking about moving to the lake full-time.

The decision got a lot easier to make in March of that year when “someone came and knocked on the door of our house in Hayden and asked if we were interested in selling,” Cheri said. “God had his hand in that, too.”

Terry’s prowess as sketch artist seen in Saban portrait

Not long after moving into the mobile home, “we had some pretty bad weather,” she said. “We had trees cracking all around us and I told him if I was going to stay here, I was going to need a house.”

Once they decided on a floorplan and some of the finishing touches, Terry, a pencil portrait artist, drew up the very detailed house plans. “I’ve drawn all my life,” he said, estimating that the portraits, which almost look like black and white photographs, take about 30 to 40 hours to complete. “I’ve just never had a designated space to draw.”

He does now, after recently finishing the attic space that includes a drawing nook by the window. The room, which has a ping pong table, television set and plenty of toys, gets lots of use when Cory and her husband, Caleb Townsend, and their children, Cora Jane and Case, head to the lake from their Gardendale home. “We’re trying to get them to move to the lake, too,” Cheri said.

Although Terry has created portraits of celebrities including Nick Saban, Lucille Ball and Adele, his favorite is the one he drew of Case. While Cheri loves that one, as well, she’ll always have a soft spot in her heart for the drawing of two puppies in a basket. “He gave that to me when we were dating. Actually, we had broken up, and he used that to woo me back,” she said with a laugh.

Special touches

While Cheri and Terry’s house is newly built, it’s filled with family memories and personal touches. Terry made the metal and wooden entry table that holds family photos and a 200-year-old vase that was Cheri great-great-grandmother’s.

A clock her great-grandmother received as a wedding present in 1906 has a prominent place in the guest room, and the images of two little girls that Cheri’s mother cross-stitched for Lindsey and Cory hang over twin beds in another.

Terry made the mantles for the fireplaces in the great room and on the screened porch, which both have an amazing view of the water. And the pizza oven and fireplace were made from stone that was at their Hayden home.

Although they both commute to work – Cheri now works at B&A Warehouse in Birmingham – they agree that making their retirement dream come true a little earlier than planned has been well worth it.

“I love being at the lake,” Terry said. “When you get home from work, it’s just so relaxing. It’s an instant calm when you walk out and see the water.”

Homemade Pizza

Ingredients

Pizza crust or dough
Pizza sauce
Cheese
Favorite toppings, including pepperoni, barbecue, Canadian bacon, mushrooms, bell pepper, onions, ham, pineapple, brisket, etc.

Directions:
After a lot of trial and error, and in keeping with their laid-back lake lifestyle, the Grabanys have learned to keep things simple and use pre-made pizza crust and sauce. They provide a variety of toppings and let guests go crazy while creating their own pies. The pizzas bake about 10 minutes, and Terry uses a paddle to lift the pizza to the top of the oven at the end to ensure the cheese is melted well.

Barbecue Ribs

Barbecue Rub Ingredients:

½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup paprika
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon cocoa
¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Barbecue Sauce Ingredients:

1/3 cup honey
¼ cup barbecue sauce
¼ cup apple juice
½ cup apple cider vinegar

Ribs:

French’s yellow mustard
Parkay Squeeze
Apple juice
Brown sugar

Directions:
Rub ribs on both sides with mustard and barbecue rub. Smoke for 3 hours on open smoke. (Terry uses peach wood, apple wood or pecan wood.) Put ribs in foil, add Parkay squeeze, sprinkle with brown sugar, and add a little honey and apple juice. Wrap ribs and smoke two more hours. Remove foil and smoke ribs an additional hour.
Brush on barbecue sauce and enjoy!

Siblings vs. Crappie

Brother and sister return to the scene of ‘big catch’ year after year

Story by Carol Pappas
Photos by Richard Rybka

Kentuckians Gloria Spangler and Richard Donoho don’t know much about sibling rivalry. Their only tussles since childhood have been with a fish – a battle they’ve enjoy fighting together for decades.

From an early age, they developed a love for fishing. Their grandfather taught them on rivers, ponds and creeks, and that passion for fishing sparked long ago is a shared bond that only strengthens now as they age well into their 70s and 80s.

It’s what brings them to Logan Martin Lake twice a year, where they catch a boatload of Crappie with the help of their fishing guide, Curt Simpson, who also lives in Kentucky.

Why Logan Martin, Alabama? The answer is easy on this sunny day in late March at University Marine, where their boat is docked. Just a glance at a nearby table reveals a spread of 60 Crappie – all over the 9-inch requirement – caught earlier in the day. “We caught 22 Crappie in two hours,” Richard said. “The Crappie here are bigger than Kentucky. If you caught one that big in Kentucky, we’d be screaming!”

By week’s end, they’ll have 100 plastic freezer bags chocked full of Crappie filets to bring back to family and friends and of course, to savor for themselves. “It’s more than we can eat,” Richard said.

They return to Logan Martin each Spring and early Fall on the same quest – catch as much Crappie as the law allows. “We enjoy being here,” said Gloria. “We love this place.”

They should. It’s paid them more than a whopper in dividends, judging by the catches they proudly display and disburse. “Curt provides everything – the bait, rods, reels. Deep, shallow, he knows where to fish,” Gloria said.

The boat is equipped with state-of-the-art electronics, including a live scope, and they head out each morning with Curt about 7 and return to the marina about 4 or 5. That’s the drill for their seven-day stay.

They have aunts in Gadsden and Lincoln, so they were already familiar with the area. They’ve fished the Coosa River chain of Weiss and Neely Henry, too, but they keep coming back to Logan Martin.

Curt’s the one who encouraged them to try Logan Martin. Since then, it has been a return engagement twice annually for years. Gloria worked at Franklin Bank & Trust for 50 years in Bowling Green, and that’s how she met Curt. He had retired from IBM but was working as a courier at the bank. “When he found out I liked to fish, every five minutes, he was in my office,” she said.

Curt’s own love of fishing led him to the fishing guide business in retirement and with Gloria and Richard’s zeal for the sport, it was a perfect match. “He’s a good guide and a good friend,” Richard said.

Curt was steered toward Logan Martin back in 2004 by a guide on Weiss Lake, Butch Young. “He introduced me to Logan Martin. I fell in love with it.” Now, he guides 30 to 40 trips a year.

He always liked his job at IBM, a job he held for 31 years, he said, “but IBM didn’t let me fish a lot.” Retirement did, and Young mentored him. “All my skills were honed through Butch Young.”

Curt’s enthusiasm for Crappie fishing is contagious and along with the day’s limit of Crappie, the siblings have definitely caught it. Richard and Gloria enjoy their time together out on the water with Curt leading the way. “The rest of the family thinks we’re crazy,” Gloria said. “We have fished when it’s been snowing and scraped the ice off the seats of the boat to fish.”

They’ve fished after a tornado. They’ve endured hail and lightning. “That’s the best day. After that, you can catch fish,” Gloria said.

The enjoyment of it all is evident from the smiles that never seem to leave their faces as they recall their angling adventures over the years and their close-knit kinship. “We’ve never had an unkind word in our whole life,” Gloria said.

She credits their upbringing with the closeness of their family. They have a sister and brother, too. “She’s the oldest,” Richard said, pointing toward Gloria. “So, I take care of all them,” Gloria retorted.

“Our mother was soft spoken,” she added. “She worked hard, and she always wanted the best for her children. She was proud of us, and she told us that. We’ve always tried to live up to that.”

As Richard and Gloria pull in another day’s limit of Crappie, it’s suspected it would be a sight their mother would be proud to claim.

Crappie tips from a successful guide

Ask what fishing guide Curt Simpson fishes for, and the reply is simple: “Just Crappie.” His website gives more than a hint of that laser focus – crappiecurt.com.

He “fell in love” with Logan Martin years ago, and the lake has been his getaway and his treasured ‘fishing hole’ ever since.

Curt shares his knowledge with clients and was willing to give a few tips to our readers.

On this week in March, where they caught the day’s limit every day for a week, these were the tools of the trade:

The lure: Black Chartreuse Charlie Brewer Sliders and fishing grubs
The rod: BnM 7.5-foot
The line: 4-pound K9 Clear Fluorescent

So, take a tip and try your luck when Crappie season hits February to May and early Fall, and your “Gone Fishin” should hold a lot more promise.

Catchin’ the Coosa March 2024

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

Logan Martin Lake

Logan Martin’s water levels will be changing during the months of May and June, and in turn, the patterns of bass will change during these months as well.

Early in the month of May, you can still see bass on beds and also catch fish out deep. Typically, in May, bass will be very spread out and in very different phases of the spawn. However, for the majority of the time in May, your better fish are still going to be shallow.

The water on Logan Martin is just starting to rise and get to summer pool. Typically the fish will follow this water up and stay shallow during May. There are a couple of key baits I like to use in order to catch fish while they’re in their post spawn funk.

First bait I’m going to reach for early, especially in the morning, is a swim jig. What I like about the swim jig is that it is very versatile. This bait is great around almost any kind of shallow structure, such as docks, trees and grass.

The swim jig allows me to cover water fast and efficiently in order to capitalize on the daylight bite. Once the sun finally starts to get up, I’ll start casting to isolated structure with a wacky rigged worm. This is a great way to just get bites and get those post spawn fish to bite.

I usually target really shallow docks with this bait, along with casting to what bedding fish might be left.

Once we start getting into the month of June, the water temps will begin to rise, and the shallows will begin to slowly lose oxygen, especially if there is lack of rain. The fish will start schooling up on the end of long points and humps – anywhere from 10 to 20 feet of water. I also like to target brush piles in this depth.

My favorite bait to target these fish are a deep-diving crankbait and drop shot rig. Some of the biggest offshore fish I catch all year will come on the crank bait most of the time. The crankbait is an awesome way to really fire up a school of bass and get more fish to bite in the school.

The drop shot seems to excel a lot more in brush piles because it is more of a reaction type bite if you drop it right in the brush pile. I feel like the drop shot is always my best chance to get bit in the brush pile no matter what size of fish might be in the pile. These fish are typically more lethargic since they’re usually pretty beat up from the spawn.

Give these techniques a try and you will find success during these months on Logan Martin.

Neely Henry Lake

Neely Henry is a shallow fisherman’s paradise during the months of May and June. On top of that, a few deep fish will start showing up as well.

Typically, during these months, you will still catch your better fish shallow. I love to fish around shallow grass in the mid-lake region with a swim jig and frog. I usually keep my eyes peeled for bream beds as well.

Another great way to catch fish on Neely Henry is super shallow docks. When I say shallow docks, I’m talking any docks five feet deep or less of water.

I let the weather tell me what I need to throw around them. If it’s in and out clouds I like to throw more of a moving bait like a bladed jig or squarebill crankbait. If it’s slick calm and sunny, I will pick up some type of Texas rigged worm and drag it on the bottom around the docks.

Now, moving into the month of June, some fish will make their move out to deeper water. Most of the time on Neely, I’ll find fish in that mid-range depth around the 10 to 15-foot mark.

Most of the time, you will find these fish off the end of long points or in brush piles. I will use my electronics in order to find these fish as well. I will keep my bait selection simple if I’m wanting to figure out fast if the fish are doing this pattern.

One of my favorite baits to pick up first is a football jig. The football jig is a very versatile bait for offshore angling. I like to either keep it close to the bottom or if I’m wanting to cover water fast, I’ll just swim it close to the bottom.

Another great option if things are tough is a drop shot. A drop shot will produce bites when nothing else will.

Keep an open mind this time of year and don’t be afraid to try something new. It might surprise you how good the fish can really bite on Neely Henry even when the fish might be in in their post spawn funk.

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

Coosa Riverkeeper: Looking after the lakes

Rivers have a head and a mouth, but don’t have a voice to speak for themselves. That’s why Coosa Riverkeeper exists – to be a voice for the river and the many communities that live, boat, swim, fish, recreate and rely on the Coosa River.

We do this in a variety of ways – through patrolling the waterways, educating the public and advocating for the Coosa River. We have many free services to the public to ensure everyone knows what’s going on across the Coosa basin and how it impacts you, your loved ones, your property and Alabama’s economy.

From May to September, we test the Coosa’s most popular places to swim to help provide people with information about water-quality conditions. That lets people make informed decisions about enjoying the Coosa during the peak season. Check out where we test by visiting our website at CoosaRiver.org/SwimGuide.

If you fish on the Coosa, our Angler Advocacy is your home for all things fishing. Our website features an interactive map showing popular fishing locations, marinas, waterside restaurants and more. We also offer recipes and educate residents about local fish species. Check it out at CoosaRiver.org/FishGuide.

If you’ve got kids or grandkids, our C.R.E.E.K. (Coosa River Environmental Education for Kids) program educates children about conservation and sustainability in fun formats like wildlife workshops, free fishing clinics and so much more.

Whether you are swimming, boating, fishing, driving over a creek or watching a sunset on the Coosa — if you see something fishy (pun intended), let us know. Coosa Riverkeeper’s staff patrol the water and address pollution reports from the public. We will follow up with investigation, testing and help you find the solution.

The Coosa River is so special, which is why we must protect and conserve this mighty river. To learn more and stay up to date on our Swim Guide results, swim on over to our website, coosariver.org.

We’ll see y’all on the water soon!

Riverfront Gadsden

City plans for more development
will continue to boost local economy

Story by Paul South
Photos by Graham Hadley
and contributed photos

Earlier in this century, this city on the Coosa River looked to be on its last legs.

Gadsden’s two largest employers – Republic Steel in 2000 and Goodyear in 2020 – closed their doors, taking with them thousands of jobs.

The city’s riverfront on the Coosa was an overgrown tangle of trees, weeds and brush. “We didn’t even know we had a waterfront,” Gadsden Director of Economic Development and Governmental Affairs John Moore said.

That was then.

This is now.

Spearheaded in large part by riverfront revitalization, Gadsden is seeing an economic resurrection. The riverfront is booming, thanks to a mix of hospitality, healthcare and recreation.

Gadsden City Council President Kent Back summed it up in two words: “Gadsden reimagined”

It all started with the cleanup of the waterfront.

“It’s been remarkable,” Back said. “Just the removal of the bushes and the trees that blocked the view has created a whole new vibe, if you will, that before you hardly knew was there.”

Another boost, Back said, will come from Mayor Craig Ford’s vision to move U.S. 411 in Gadsden off of the river, a herculean task involvinfg a snarl of federal and state bureaucracies.

“What it will do, it’ll open up development on the river. There’s a plan to create a really nice boardwalk that would stretch that whole stretch of road. And then you would have greenspace where you could have commercial development.”

Ford envisions a mix of upscale restaurants and bars connected by the boardwalk to a hotel, located on the current City Hall site. The city is also planning the development of the area near Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant and the Venue at Coosa Landing, transforming the area into an outdoor recreation area surrounded by outdoor dining.

On the recreation front, Gadsden has partnered with Gadsden State Community College to build the Gadsden Sports Park. The expected cost of the project is an estimated $25 million. Part of the park – made up of baseball, softball and soccer fields – includes a field for kids with disabilities, giving them opportunities to compete. Back spearheaded the idea.

“I see it all the time with these Challenger leagues, Field of Dreams and that concept. I really thought we needed to do that, and the mayor agreed with me,” Back said.

The completed and projected projects along the river are fueled by citizen demand, Ford said, not just among Gadsden residents, but also those in neighboring towns.

“I think the growth is just the demand of not just the people in the City of Gadsden, but surrounding communities that want to see Gadsden develop the river and give people something to do in Gadsden,” Ford said.

City officials have identified several parcels of city-owned property now targeted for future development. In turn, Gadsden is making its pitch to developers across the Southeast.

The relocation of Highway 411 will be critical to the development of the riverfront, Moore said.

“I see the City of Gadsden in a few years thriving off riverfront development in the way of tourism, once we relocate Highway 411 to create more greenspace along the river as well as restaurants, shops, bars and outdoor activity,” Moore said. “These developments will all be centrally focused around a four-star hotel with a rooftop bar, pools and spa.”

Moore sees the city as “the home of the three-day getaway, where people from 120 to 150 miles will want to come and play.”

Ford, who often envisions Gadsden reimagined as a “fun town,” says a city that not so long ago was given up for dead is today “growing and thriving in a post-COVID world, which can’t be said for a lot of cities.”

He added, “We are working aggressively to become an entertainment town that offers visitors a riverfront experience, natural waterfalls for hiking and multiple golf courses for leisure.”

The city, thanks to picturesque Noccalula Falls, is fast becoming a popular fly fishing and kayaking destination. The surrounding park is also home to arts and craft fairs and other events. The city has invested $16 million in that area.

Gadsden, home to two hospitals, is also growing its healthcare footprint near the Coosa. Tuscaloosa-based Alabama Cancer Care has invested $6.5 million to construct a new cancer treatment center. Serving a 10-county area, the new facility with its riverfront view means cancer-stricken residents of the region will not have to make the taxing trip to Birmingham for treatments as they battle the disease.

The facility is located at the old armory site in Gadsden, a deal closed shortly after Ford took office. Healthcare was among the targeted sectors by David Hooks when he became executive director of the Gadsden-Etowah Industrial Development Authority.

The new facility will mean some 16 good-paying jobs for city residents. Ford says the city is following Birmingham’s example as a health care hub in the state. After all, Birmingham transformed its once smokestack economy of iron and steel into a service-based economy.

“With two hospitals located inside the city, healthcare is a target for economic development,” he said. “We are constantly looking for ways to grow this industry in Gadsden and recruit companies that offer different types of services and treatments,” Ford said. “Look at Birmingham and what a great job they have done with UAB and how that complex has really grown that area in the city.”

The growth along the banks of the Coosa, fueled by the current administration’s vision, means a flood of optimism in the city.

“In reimagining ourselves, Gadsden is taking advantage of the natural gifts that we have in a river that comes right down the middle of our city and we’ve never really done that before. … Cities would kill to have a 90-foot waterfall and a riverfront in their city. We’ve got both.”

Ford sums up the beehive of activity along the river and across the city, an effort aimed at improving the quality of life across the board for locals and putting the economic setbacks of the past in Gadsden’s rearview mirror.

“Gadsden is back.”

Pier 59

After 31 years, a popular lake eatery where everybody knows your name

Story by Paul South
Photos by Richard Rybka
Contributed photos

Thirty-one years ago, Janet Swann and her partner, Dennis Reno, bought a place she describes as “a little concrete floor beer joint.”

Today, that joint is Pier 59, one of the iconic eateries on Logan Martin Lake. Other restaurants have come and gone, but Pier 59 remains a constant.

Open only three days a week in the offseason and four in Logan Martin’s summer high season, Pier 59, has the vibe that’s a combination of a waterfront place and a fictional Boston bar.

“We wanted to be like Cheers, a place where everybody knows your name,” Swann said.

And it has, as families flock there to feast on chef “Ziggy” Zigmund’s crab claws, chicken wings and tenders, Tilapia and other popular dishes.

Before coming into the restaurant business, Swann and Reno ran Birmingham International Raceway, the short track where NASCAR legends Donnie, Bobby and Davey Allison, Neil Bonnett and others cut their racing teeth.

“My mom was in the restaurant business,” Swann says. “She had a restaurant for a couple of years in Fultondale, and we had the snack bar at Pine Bowl.”

Now at Pier 59, Swann loves her customers.

“I love my people. I want to treat people when they walk into the pier like I want to be treated when I walk into somewhere,” Swann said. “I wanted to have a restaurant that was kid friendly up to a certain time. When I first started I wanted something that everyone could enjoy from the water.”

Pier 59 has come a long way from when Swann and Reno arrived. It gives diners the classic waterfront vibe, laid back and the epitome of “chill.”

“Yes, there is,” Swann said when asked about the waterfront effect. “Because when we came up here, all we had was like, two pool tables in front of the bar. But we put a big deck on it, and wanted to make it something nice on the lake.”

Like successful businesses, philosophy that drives Pier 59 hasn’t changed.

“I want my customers to be my top priority,” Swann said. “I want everyone to leave there happy. If there’s a complaint, I want them to come to me, and I’ll fix it.”

That happiness is seasoned with one of Swann’s hugs for customers. Little wonder it’s become a “place to be” on the lake.

“I hope it’s that way. That was my goal when we started,” Swann said.

Along with the food, what makes the restaurant so popular among the growing stream of lake residents and visitors?

“I think it’s because I try to treat people as individuals. I don’t treat them as just people coming in to spend money,” she said. “I don’t mind telling my customers, ‘I love y’all’ when they come in. That’s just me. I don’t mind huggin.’ And I do.”

Something that shouldn’t be lost in the Pier 59 story is that this is a restaurant with heart. For 15 years, Pier 59 has celebrated “Christmas in July,” a benefit for the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind. The restaurant has raised nearly $500,000 for the school. In 2023, Pier 59 raised $109,000 on a single Saturday.

“That is my heart,” Swann said of the school. AIDB has its main campus in Talladega and satellite facilities across the state to serve visually and hearing-impaired students that hold a special place in the hearts of all involved in the fundraiser.

Swann credits her customers and volunteers for the drive’s success.

“Without my customers and volunteers, this would not be possible,” she says.

St, Clair County is a big-hearted place with a boatload of charitable organizations to support veterans, the homeless and others in need. The students at AIDB, who Swann calls her “babies,” drew her to help the school.

“There are so many kids over there who would not have a Christmas it wasn’t for our Christmas drive,” Swann says. “That’s what makes me work all year and keeps me going.”

Now an endowment has been created to bring AIDB kids Christmas cheer, long after Swann and Reno are gone.

“I love those kids,” she said. “If you could see their faces when they open up (their presents) and have their toy party and everything, it’s just so emotional … You can just see the joy in their eyes.”

While the AIDB children have her heart, the restaurant claims her business acumen. Swann has learned more not only about business, but about herself.

“I can’t walk off and leave it,” she said. “I have to be there. A guy told me on the second day I was open that if I watched my pennies, I wouldn’t have to worry about my nickels and dimes. If the Pier’s open, unless I’m sick, I’m always there.”

But along with Zigmund, the chef known in the lake community as “Ziggy,” Swann and Reno have a team of dedicated staff. Some have been at Pier 59 for 15 years or longer, off and on. Her grandson Brody is her bartender. And Zigmund has been with her for 20 years.

“Everybody just knows him as Ziggy. He’s fabulous. He’s just one of these who’s not going to use little wings that are only as big as your little finger. He wants customers to feel full and that they got their money’s worth,” Swann says. “And trust me, they do when they leave here at night.”

As the lake population has grown, so has the restaurant’s schedule. Winter used to be the offseason, but no more.

“I do a little vegetable special on Thursdays that’s kickin’ it,” Swann says.

But while the business is still largely seasonal, offseason traffic has grown by some 50 percent, Swann says, because of the blossoming year-round population. When lake levels rise, Pier 59’s doors open Wednesday through Saturday, starting at 3 p.m. Closing time is when customers are heading home.

“From Point A to where we are right now, it’s picked up a lot,” Swann says.

For first time diners, Swann recommends her two favorite dishes.

“I love our grilled blackened Tilapia with vegetables, and I really love our Hawaiian chicken.”

During the summer, vegetables come from local growers.

As far as sandwiches, Swann is a fan of the French Dip. But the restaurant is perhaps best known for its chicken wings and its crab claws, both Ziggy specials. The claws – always fresh and battered in a secret recipe – are sold by the pound.

“Everybody says they’re better than what you get at the beach,” Swann says proudly. “We are really known for our claws. They’re really good.”

And while Cheers’ Sam Malone, Carla Tortelli, Cliff Clavin, Norm Peterson and Frasier Crane may not be found at Pier 59, Swann wants the spirit of the iconic TV show to fill the restaurant.

“I want a place where everybody’s going to know your name and everybody’s going to be friends.”

River’s Edge Marina reborn

New River’s Edge, Burgers & Breakfast, Tiki Hut ready for new season

Story by Carol Pappas
Photos by Mackenzie Free

In its 1960s and 70s’ heyday, Rabbit Branch Marina was THE place to go on the newly created Logan Martin Lake. Today’s River’s Edge, the Tiki Hut and Burgers & Breakfast, the modern-day edition, is quickly becoming that place once again.

General Manager Michael Emerick said longtime lake residents talk of “how great it used to be,” and Emerick and his father, Paul, have continually worked to transform the property. Over the years, they have vastly improved it, adding amenities hard to match anywhere else on Logan Martin.

The latest, set to open May 4, is the brand-new River’s Edge Burgers & Breakfast, marina office and so much more. Gone is the one-story block building that housed the kitchen, walk-up order windows and an office in the rear. “The old building was outdated and didn’t match the beach vibe we give to the lake. So, we ended up with this,” Emerick said, motioning toward the newly constructed River’s Edge. The two-story building itself is 2,600 square feet, excluding the porches.

Replacing the nondescript building is an impressive complex dressed in a Caribbean-style blue that welcomes one and all by water or land. Upstairs is a massive, covered deck overlooking the water, nearby beach with palm trees dotting the landscape, dozens of boat slips and docks, a family friendly playground and swimming area.

Take the stairs or the elevator and have a seat at one of the many picnic tables after placing your order at the window of a brand new, cutting-edge kitchen. Then, take in the view. There’s not a bad seat among them.

The menu includes its signature favorites: Freshly handmade ground chuck burgers and hand cut fries, Edge Rolls, Yum Yum, Cowboy and RYNO Cheeseburgers.

Head downstairs to the covered porch below and take your pick of open air “hangouts” – a line of aqua-colored lounge chairs nestled in the sand, conversational areas of sofas and chairs with upholstered seating, suspended swing chairs and Adirondacks.

Thirsty? Head just a few feet over to the popular Tiki Hut, a 30 x 30-foot open air bar with six specially designed machines turning out your favorite frozen libation. It has become the place to be on weekends from May to September. In two years, it has nearly doubled in size. “We’ve definitely blown all expectations out of it,” he said.

The nearby covered porch can handle overflow crowds and ease congestion under the Tiki Hut.

Tiny homes are among amenities at marina

River’s Edge, located off Rabbit Branch Road, is easily accessible by vehicle or boat. “We have the most boat parking on the lake,” Emerick said, noting that there are 30 to 35 open slips to allow traffic flow in and out. New state-of-the-art concrete piers and 24/7 gas on the dock are new amenities as well.

The full-service marina itself boasts the only fully enclosed dry storage and the first to offer luxury boat rentals. River’s Edge rents Bennington pontoon and tritoon boats, Emerick said. “It’s the nicest fleet of rental boats on the water.”

The marina also offers RV lots, limited wet slips and short-term tiny home rentals. Its sales include personal watercraft docks – EZ Docks – and Lake Eze ladders that are spring assisted and dog friendly. They also sell inflatable mats and box anchors.

Emerick’s philosophy is simple: “We just want to make it the spot to hang out on Logan Martin” – just like it used to be.

Editor’s Note: River’s Edge Burgers & Breakfast and Tiki Hut will be open Saturdays and Sundays from May 3 to Labor Day and then Saturday only through the end of September. Future plans include opening on Fridays, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Canines on the Coosa

Do’s and Don’ts for dogs on the water

Story by Roxann Edsall
Photos by Richard Rybka

The lakes are soon to be alive again with the sounds of summer. Safe light each morning brings waves of fishing boats headed to that perfect fishing spot.

After breakfast, more boats race by, pulling tubes with squealing children bouncing with each wave. Ski and wake boats slice through the water, pulling those whose bodies can still afford the effort of skiing or wakeboarding.

Pontoon boats ease by, headed to a favorite swimming or picnic spot. If you look closely, you’ll see a dog or two in many of these snapshots of summer life on the water.

Life on the lake is full of fun opportunities for pups, but there are some dangers that pet owners should be prepared for. Protecting our four-legged, lake-loving friends takes some thought and planning before letting them loose for a day on the water. These pets add enjoyment to our lives, but they need us to help them stay safe.

The first, and most often overlooked precaution, is putting a life jacket on your dog anytime it is in or around the water. “All dogs should have a life jacket,” says Dr. Margaret Heath, a veterinarian with Pell City Animal Hospital. “Just because they can swim does not mean they won’t get tired or that they swim well. They can become exhausted easily.” This is particularly true, she adds, for small dogs who cannot swim as far or as quickly as their larger counterparts.

Dr. Heath also stresses the importance of keeping your animals hydrated. “Bring fresh water for them to drink,” she emphasizes. “Bacteria, like leptospirosis, in the water can affect dogs, just as it would a human.

Another common intestinal parasite, Giardia, is found in stagnant water and can cause intestinal issues.” Additionally, she adds, if a dog has open wounds and swims, bacteria can enter the body and cause illness. If your dog spends a lot of time in the water, Dr. Heath recommends getting it vaccinated against leptospirosis.

Another important step to protect your pooch is to make sure it is wearing a collar or harness with an identification tag. Dr. Heath recommends changing out wet collars or harnesses to dry ones as soon as pets are safely contained. “Wet collars and wet harnesses keep the areas they cover moist and can rub against the skin, leading to hot spots and sores,” she explains.

When the boat gets to the shore, pet owners should check the temperature of the dock and the asphalt to make sure it is not too hot. Dr. Heath offers the following guideline:

“Pavement, concrete and docks can be 30-40 degrees hotter than the air temperature, so on a hot, summer day, that can be significant. If you cannot place the back of your hand down on the pavement for more than 10 seconds, your dog should not be walking there. Try walking in any available grass.”

Dr. Heath also recommends wiping your dog’s paws to remove any dirt, irritants and debris from their feet once they are back on the boat or safely at home.

Shaded resting spots are important considerations for your dog as you play in and around the water. Having a safe, shaded place for them to be contained and allowing them to rest is a great way to include pups in family lake time. If you really want to keep them close by in the water, pet-safe dog floats are an option.

Rosie and Jack on deck in their doggie safety gear

There are dog sunglasses and dog sunscreens available in many pet stores and online, if you want to be extra careful. Available in both spray-on and lotion applications, these sunscreens can be especially helpful for hairless or light-colored dogs, as they are particularly vulnerable to damaging ultraviolet rays. With sunscreens, Dr. Heath warns to make sure they are made for dogs and are PABA free and do not contain zinc oxide. “Sunglasses,” she adds, “could certainly benefit dogs with blue and other light-colored irises, as they don’t have the same protective pigment as do dogs with darker colored eyes.” The trick would likely be training your dog to leave them on.

Training your dog and restraining it while onboard your boat is critical to keeping your pup safe.

Allowing a pet to ride on the bow while the boat is moving is just not a good idea, stresses Dr. Heath. “Many years ago, we had a patient come into the clinic that had fallen from the bow and had a leg severed by the boat propeller,” she says, adding that, while he lived, many others have not been so lucky. “It’s unsafe not just because the dog may jump off, but because the lake conditions are unpredictable, as are other boats.”

As we welcome summer with all its fun, family moments, just remember to keep your best little furry buddy in mind. They’re a part of our families and count on us to keep them safe.

“Come on, buddy! Let’s go for a boat ride!”

Editor’s Note – Dogs on the lake can’t help but bring a smile to dog lovers everywhere. Join our new Facebook and Instagram group, Dogs Lovin’ LakeLife 24/7, and share your aquatic-loving canine with us!

Water’s up! What now?

This time of year, I have this inner urging to yell, “Surf’s Up!” It seems appropriate. The water’s up on Logan Martin and Neely Henry, and both lakes are abuzz with activities.

After months of colder weather forcing us inside, it’s almost as if the water beckons us to break the shackles of long-held captivity.

The 2024 lake season is no different. Outdoor festivals are happening. Fishing is on the upswing.

Boating is definitely the desired mode of transportation. And T-shirts, shorts and flip-flops seem to be required dress code.

Lake lovers count down to these days as if we were children waiting on jolly old St. Nick and all the wonders of the holiday season.

And why not? A new season of memories to be made are just around the next bend.

In this issue of the magazine, you’ll learn about all the new comings and goings this year plus meet a couple of siblings from Kentucky who make Logan Martin their destination point each year for Crappie fishing adventures.

We’ll take you into a Logan Martin favorite – Pier 59 – where everybody knows your name and if they don’t, they’ll know it by the time you leave.

Just up the water a bit, we’ll introduce you to the new River’s Edge, where good times, good food and good drinks await.

On the riverfront in Gadsden, there’s plenty of growth going on, and we’ll tell you about the latest developments.

Of course, pro angler Zeke Gossett has the latest tips and trends for catching bass on Logan Martin and Neely Henry this time of year, and a Talladega couple entertains us with an outdoor pizza oven as their culinary centerpiece.

And if you take your dog along for the (boat) ride, you may want to heed some advice from a local veterinarian to keep your pets safe and enjoying the cruise.

There’s more to see and do inside this issue of LakeLife 24/7 Magazine. Turn the page and discover it all along with us.

Carol Pappas
Editor and Publisher

Riverside Beautification

With a walking trail, mural, butterfly garden
and more, community looking better than ever

Story by Paul South
Photos by Richard Rybka
Submitted Photos

Imagine Riverside without its new playground or there was no colorful mural welcoming one and all to town. What if there were no annual community soup supper, Santa’s arrival or Poker Run?

For the 2,251 who call this lakeside town home or the thousands more who visit each year, the allure wouldn’t be quite so inviting; the quality of life so appealing.

That’s why Riverside Beautification Organization is key to Riverside’s everyday life, making it better – brighter.

RBO began as a grassroots effort to beautify the city. Its premise is two-tiered: Organize events, activities and projects to benefit and showcase Riverside. And hold fundraisers to achieve those goals.

More than a garden club, the seeds for RBO were planted in 2008, right after Mayor Rusty Jessup took office.

“I knew there was a need for a good civic group here in town,” Jessup said. He met with several women interested in making Riverside a better place to live.

“I just wanted an organization interested in making Riverside a more beautiful place,” Jessup said. “It took off, and they’ve just done so much for our town.”

The small group of five blossomed into a small, all-volunteer group of women. In its early days, the group focused on planting flowers at city buildings and promoting volunteer recycling.

A stroll or drive down Depot Street these days showcases the RBO’s work – flower beds, a welcome sign, Landing decorations for the holidays, city building signage, a new playground at Riverside Park and walking trails in the park. Jessup could make a list.

The 501 (c) 3 nonprofit has grown into a catalyst for the construction of walking trails at the city park, maintaining the Lotus Pond – home to the native American Lotus only found in three places in St. Clair County – and building sanctuaries for birds – bluebirds, osprey, purple martins and wood ducks.

“When we adopted Lotus Pond, we realized that it would be nice to have walking trails throughout the park,” said Laura Pounders, who serves as RBO president. “With several grants and fundraisers, we’ve just now been able to complete the walking trails that connect the playground area to the ballfield area to the ponds and to the back fishing pond.”

The RBO hopes that one day, the area will be part of the Alabama Birding Trail.

“You know, we’re a small town. We don’t have a lot of resources,” Jessup said. “What we do have, we have to spend on police officers, the fire department; we just don’t have a lot of frills. Riverside Beautification Organization has helped to provide these things.”

Grants, contributions from citizens, businesses and fundraising efforts finance the RBO’s efforts, and volunteer labor keeps the work more affordable.

It seems the RBO has done things great and small – from city hall landscaping to logo designs to signs pointing to city businesses and the new playground to lighted snowflakes and a nativity at Christmas.

Their work impacts the city’s ability to attract new businesses and new residents, Jessup said. It’s about quality of life

“It’s a tremendous help,” Jessup said. City parks and signs and the new playground are “things that add to the quality of life. That’s why a civic group (like RBO) is important. Everybody in town wants (these amenities). But they don’t want a tax increase. It’s great to have volunteers who step up and make these things happen.”

The RBO spent over three years writing grants and raising money for playground equipment and the park, Pounders said.

The organization is also trying to do more than beautify. It wants to build stronger ties between Riverside residents. A yearly, communitywide Soup Supper was held in late February and Santa’s arrival came in December.

A new community event to promote local crafters and artists, Spring Fling, is set for March 23. In 2023, 35 vendors sold their wares along with activities for children, including an egg hunt and the Easter bunny. More are expected this year, Pounders said.

Spring Fling turned out to be a fundraiser along with the Poker Run on the river in June, which has become an annual community event.

Future projects to be completed by the Poker Run in addition to the Riverside Post office mural is another mural behind the Landing designed and painted by Penny Arnold that will greet boaters as they prepare to dock or dine at nearby Buck’s Barbecue.

But the RBO is always looking for new ideas and new members in the growing city.

“The biggest thing that they do is that they create a sense of community, a sense of pride in the Riverside area,” Jessup said. “And it’s the kind of pride only citizens can provide. City leadership, we can do everything as far as making ends meet and meeting the basic needs of the community. But the citizens and volunteers of community are really what make quality of life. Without them, we would sorely miss the quality of life that Riverside offers.”

“We’ve clearly gone beyond planting flowers,” Pounders said. “We’ve all fallen in love with Riverside. The river and all the little tributaries that come off of it are beautiful.”

Riverside, she added, is “a pretty little town. Because it’s a small town, you get to know your neighbors. We’ve made so many friendships by opening up the RBO to anybody that’s interested in volunteering and being part of us.”

RBO has a wish five or 10 years down the road. “We could be more of an educational group,” Pounders said. “We could have school groups come into the park and learn about native plants and animals. Community education and participation are important.”

Just like its quality of life.

Editor’s Note: The Riverside Beautification Organization meets monthly and open to all residents. For more information, contact Pounders at juliepounders@yahoo.com