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Easy way to the water

Paddlers to get new access to Neely Henry through grant

Story by Paul South
Photos by Graham Hadley
Submitted photos

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

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

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

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

NHLA President Dave Tumlin shows where access will be installed

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

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

Alabama Power Company created the lake in 1966.

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

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

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

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

The grant is a first for the association.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What would his parents think of the new project?

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

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

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

Repurposed

Artist turns old into new again

Story by Elaine Hobson Miller
Photos by Mandy Baughn

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

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

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

A collection of bird feeders she has made

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

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

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

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

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

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

A necklace with cross holds special meaning

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the Kitchen and by the Lake with the McSweeneys

Dream kitchen, dream home on Logan Martin Lake

Story by Scottie Vickery
Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr.
and David Smith

When Rod and Robin McSweeney decided to build their dream home on Logan Martin Lake, Robin knew she wanted it to look like something out of a fairy tale. Her wish came true, and for the past five years, the McSweeneys have been enjoying their “happily ever after” at their house, which with its towers, cobbled stone, cypress shake roof and cupola, truly resembles a castle at the water’s edge.

Rod and Robin McSweeney welcome guests with her summer salad

It’s where the couple, who will celebrate their 49^th anniversary in January, spend as much time as possible creating magical moments with their children and grandchildren while enjoying everything that living on the lake has to offer. “We wanted this to be a fun place so they would want to come here,” Robin said of their family. “We both grew up loving lake life, and now our grandkids are river rats. We just love that.”

Nearly every detail of the house – from the bedrooms to the pool to the landscaping – was planned with their two sons, daughters-in-law and five grandchildren, who range in ages 5 to 18, in mind. “Our whole life centers around family,” Robin said.

Their family got its start not long after Rod and Robin graduated from high school. “We both went to Erwin (in Birmingham) but we never dated in high school,” Robin said. “We got together about a year later.”

Even then, they shared a love for the water. “Both of our parents had trailers on Smith Lake,” said Rod, who has long been an avid fisherman – perhaps a little too avid. “This is where I grew up fishing,” he said. “I had to repeat the seventh grade for fishing. I missed 30 days of school because I was fishing here.”

The McSweeneys lived in Trussville for most of their married life and raised their boys, Matt and Michael, there. Through the years, they owned two different houses on Logan Martin – one in Mays Bend and the other on the Talladega side of the lake – but they didn’t get to enjoy the lake as often as they wanted.

About seven years ago, Rod decided it was time to live at the lake full-time. After taking a year to design the house and another year to build it, the McSweeneys have enjoyed hosting friends and family and sharing meals on the patio, which is home to a full outdoor kitchen.

“This is where Rod lives when we have company,” Robin said, adding that both boys and their families live in Indian Springs near Birmingham. Chances are, he’ll throw something on the grill or the griddle while she handles the side dishes. “We cook easy here,” she said. “We work well together. He’s my right hand, and I’m his left.”

Homemade ice cream is a favorite whenever there’s a crowd, and Robin has discovered that Cocoa Krispies make one of the best toppings. “If you’ve never tried it, you should. And if you ever try it, you’ll never eat it another way again. Everyone loves it, including the grown-ups,” she said.

The path home

The story behind their fairy tale home actually began about 30 years ago when Rod was fishing in a bass tournament with one of his sons. He pointed out a wooded, overgrown lot in a then-undeveloped part of the lake, saw its potential and made a promise. “I’m going to build a house on that lot one day,” he told his son.

Decades later, Rod remembered the lot that had caught his eye all those years before and managed to track down the owner. It took a while to convince her to sell, however, and even then, they weren’t exactly sure what they were getting. “It wasn’t until we started clearing the lot that we realized how fabulous it is,” Robin said. “We didn’t even know what kind of house would fit on it,” Rod added.

Although Robin and Rod and been collecting pictures of houses and features they liked for years, they credit Chris Reebals and Ria Neill of Christopher Architects and Interiors, Trey Goldstein of Cotton Construction, and interior designer Joanna Goodman with making their dream come true.

“You can see every side of the house from the water, so I wanted each side of the house to have its own character, and they did such a great job. They were fabulous, every single one of them,” Robin said. “It was the most fun thing we’ve ever done,” Rod added.

The attention to detail is amazing. Each stone, inside the house and out, was hand-chiseled by masons. “I wanted them to have a castle look,” Robin said. The enormous, curved beams in the two-story great room were built onsite. The interior walls are made from white oak and the kitchen cabinets and dining room ceiling are pecky cypress. Everything works together to create a comfortable, welcoming space. “We want it to be inviting,” Robin said. “We want people to feel like they can come up and put their feet up and relax.”

Although they both shared ideas and had input, Rod said he focused more on the pier and outdoor areas and left a lot of the interior decisions to Robin and the architects. “I wanted it to be what she wanted, honestly, and I just enjoyed watching her do it,” he said.

The house, which is more than 8,000 square feet, boasts six bedrooms, a bunkroom that sleeps eight, five full bathrooms and two half-baths. Matt and his wife, Susie, and Michael and his wife, Bradi, each have their own rooms, and the McSweeneys designed special rooms for the grandkids: Moriah, Miriam, Marek, Christian and John Reagan.

There’s a stage just off the bunkroom with a collection of instruments, including drums and a keyboard, and karaoke nights have become a family favorite. The pool, by Shoemaker Pools, was designed with the kids in mind, as well. There are two waterfalls, a slide, diving board and hot tub. “We tried to think of everything – anything the kids would have fun doing,” Robin said.

The kids, who call the McSweeneys Nana and DaDeet, weren’t all they took into consideration, however. There’s an elevator in the house in case someone needs it later. “All of our parents needed an elevator before they passed away, but there was nowhere to add one in the house we lived in at the time. When we started the plans for this house, we decided to go on and put one in now,” Robin explained.

There’s also a safe room they can retreat to during tornado warnings that doubles as a dog washing station for their two dogs, Remington Steele and Stevie Nicks. The dogs also have a “Doodle Door” that leads from the kitchen to the patio. “It’s cute, and it’s unique, but they are terrified of it,” Robin said. “We have to hold it open with a bungee cord to get them to use it. Otherwise, you couldn’t offer them a T-bone steak to go through there.”

The personal touch

The personal touches don’t stop there. The McSweeneys planted trees in honor of each grandchild. There are bald cypresses for the oldest two boys, a weeping willow for each of the two girls, and they planted a Lacey oak in honor of their youngest grandson.

“They all have deep roots, they love the water, and they’re strong. We wanted them to remember those traits,” Robin said.

The graceful branches of the weeping willow remind them of the girls’ hair, and the “curly, wispy leaves” of the Lacey oak makes them think of their youngest grandchild. “He has curly, curly blonde hair,” she said.

They also have four large pots in honor of each of their parents, and they change the flowers each season as a way to honor them. “Every day we can look out at those pots and have a happy thought about our parents,” Robin said. “I’m very sentimental.”

She and Rod, who attend the Church of the Highlands, also have strong faith. One of Robin’s favorite pieces of furniture in the house is a prayer bench from the 1600s that came from a church in France. It holds a place of honor in the dining room.

“God is very important in our lives,” Robin said. “We’re a family of faith, and we’ve been very blessed, but we try to instill in our kids and grandkids that it’s not what you have on the outside that’s important. That can be gone in a minute. It’s what you have on the inside that can’t be taken away, and that’s what really matters.”

Robin, a registered X-ray technician, has filled the shelves in the office area just off the great room with personal mementos. One shelf holds a statue of a father and son, a gift from Rod’s mother when their youngest son left for college, and a clock that has been in Robin’s family for generations. “This is to remind us of how quickly time flies,” she said.

There are also a number of photographs taken throughout Rod’s career. He founded Southern Comfort Conversions, which was in business for 43 years and focused on customizing specialty vans, cars and trucks by adding everything from audio systems to custom seats and massage chairs to off-road suspension. Both boys eventually joined the family business and were active partners with Southern Comfort.

They opened McSweeney Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Pell City about seven years ago and recently added a dealership in Clanton, as well. The bookshelves hold photos of Rod with a number of his clients, including Nick Saban, General Norman Schwarzkopf, and former President George W. Bush.

No regrets

Although their dream home was years in the making, both Robin and Rod said they wouldn’t change a thing. They enjoy their house and all of its unique touches, and they agree that family, friends, community and the beauty around them is what truly makes lake life special.

“The lake, and even Pell City in general, are a little slower paced and remind me of what life was like a long time ago,” Robin said. “People here care about you and bring you supper when you’re sick. They call and check on you, they bring you a bag of tomatoes if they have extra. They’re just good, kind people.”

Rod especially enjoys watching the wildlife, listening to the birds, and watching the fish jump. “It’s just so peaceful here,” he said. “I get up early, a lot of times before it’s even daylight, and I just enjoy being able to watch God’s creation working in harmony. It’s really pretty amazing.”

Favorite Summer Salad

Ingredients:

Romaine lettuce
1 can of mandarin oranges, drained
Strawberries, sliced
Dried cranberries
Feta cheese
Candied pecans
Poppyseed dressing

Toss everything but the dressing together in a large salad bowl. Add dressing to taste just before serving so the lettuce doesn’t wilt.

Crawfish Alfredo Steak

Ingredients:

Filets
Coarse pepper
Salt
Chef Paul Prudhomme Blackened Steak Magic Seasoning
Tony Chachere’s Spice N’ Herbs Creole Seasoning
Salted butter
15 ounces of your favorite Alfredo sauce (he uses Bertolli Alfredo Sauce)
8 ounces of sliced white mushrooms
Red or white cooking wine
16 ounces of thawed, peeled and washed crawfish tails

Directions:

Take filets out of the refrigerator and let them sit for two hours so they’ll come to room temperature. About an hour before cooking, sprinkle steaks with coarse black pepper and salt. Coat them with Blackened Magic seasoning.

Crawfish Alfredo Sauce

Wash the crawfish tails in a colander to reduce the fishy taste. Use a small skillet and add 2 tablespoons of salted butter, a generous sprinkle of the Spice N’ Herbs Creole Seasoning and Alfredo sauce. Bring to a slow simmer and add white mushrooms and several tablespoons of red or white cooking wine and cover. Stir often.

About 10 minutes before serving, bring the heat up a bit and add crawfish tails.

Steaks

Melt ¼ stick of butter on the griddle (or a large iron skillet) and generously sprinkle the Spice N’ Herbs Creole Seasoning and Blackened Steak Magic on top of the butter prior to laying the steaks on it. Cook until your desired temperature and plate them. After adding other sides to your plate, cover the steaks with the Crawfish Alfredo Sauce and enjoy!

*The Crawfish Alfredo Sauce is delicious served over a baked potato or a baguette, as well.

Nana’s Homemade Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 can condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
2 cups sugar
½ pint whipping cream
2 full tablespoons vanilla
Whole milk
Ice
Rock Salt

Directions:

Add all of the ingredients to ice cream freezer and stir well. Add whole milk and fill to the “fill line” of the canister. Put paddle in the center of the canister and close the top. Fill bucket with ice and rock salt. Refill ice and salt as needed. Motor will stop when ice cream is ready. Remove paddle. Leave cannister in ice and cover with a towel until ready to eat. Ice cream will get firmer if it sits in packed ice a little longer. Add Cocoa Krispies or other cereal to the top, if desired.

Discover the treasures around us

It’s always amazing to me to see the many treasures all around us – if we just look. Some we take for granted. Others we simply overlook.

As I reviewed the story list for this month’s issue one last time before going into production, I couldn’t help but notice that treasures come in all kinds of forms. We just have to take the time to see them.

Such is the case with our cover. For days, I watched my neighbor, Joe, install, paint and perfect a giant slide on his pier for 8-year-old son, J.J. The ‘christening’ came with an inaugural slide and a great big smile as he whisked downward, followed by a great big splash. Dad got in on the action, too. And a new era of fun in the sun had begun.

It was then that I saw the treasure in the moment, one that needed to be shared. So J.J., Joe and wife, Rebekah, rounded up a couple of J.J.’s friends for us here at LakeLife 24/7, and they recaptured for us those special moments when you put children, water and a great big slide together.

The Neely Henry Lake Association has long been a treasure, but their latest venture is pure gold. They secured a grant to install a public access for paddlers. Kayakers, paddle boarders and canoers can now enjoy Neely Henry via Rainbow City Paddle Launch, which can lower to and raise these crafts from the water – giving paddlers greater access to the lake.

Lake living itself is a treasured way of life. But when special people like Rod and Robin McSweeney invite you to their palatial home on Logan Martin, it’s enriching to see and hear all about their attention to detail and how they make everyone feel ‘at home.’

The Coosa River, the center of it all, has been treasured for centuries. A single incident of its rich and storied history is what we share in this issue, and we think you’ll find it intriguing to discover what once took place in areas today that go by the names of Big Wills Creek, Frog Town and Turkey Town.

Yet another treasure is our farming community. Our farmers provide so much that sustain us, and we are thankful that the St. Clair County Extension Service partners to bring a growers’ market to Lakeside Park each season. Note the new location and make plans to shop local produce every Wednesday afternoon through Sept. 25.

We find more treasures in stories like the one on Maria Hull, who repurposes the old to make it new and meaningful again through jewelry, home and garden accents. Or step inside The Yak Shak to see what the many treasures awaiting paddlers.

And it’s hard not to find a treasure in Etowah County. Just ask new tourism director Tina Morrison. She tells us all about the places and events that need to be at the top of our ‘to do’ list.

It’s all here and more in this issue of LakeLife 24/7 Magazine. Turn the page and ‘treasure’ it all with us.

Carol Pappas
Editor and Publisher

Pell City’s Hometown Block Party

25 years and going stronger than ever

Story by Cherith Fluker
Submitted Photos

If you have plans scheduled for June 1, you might want to reconsider them. That date is reserved for Pell City’s largest event of the year – Hometown Block Party.

Taking place from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. in historic downtown Pell City, this annual event is expected to draw around 18,000 people from Pell City and surrounding areas.

Organized by the Greater Pell City Chamber of Commerce, the Hometown Block Party serves as a platform to showcase local businesses and highlight the talents of local artisans, musicians, craftsmen and more.

Crowds gather for live entertainment and fun for the whole family

According to Chamber Director Urainah Gladwell, the 2024 edition of the event will feature over 100 vendors offering an array of items, including T-shirts, candy, tumblers, local art, furniture, home decor, jewelry and more.

Local restaurants and chefs will have delicious food and drink items for sale, too.

Several nonprofit organizations will man booths at the event to share information, raise funds, and give away fun prizes. It is seen as an opportunity for the community to learn about the different nonprofits in the area and gain insight into the services they provide.

“The Pell City Hometown Block Party was actually started in 1999” as a class project of Leadership Pell City, the forerunner to Leadership St. Clair. “So, this is our 25th year hosting this event, and it has continued to grow over the years,” said Glidewell. “People of all ages can find something they enjoy at the block party.”

The block party’s mission is a basic one. “We simply want to bring people together for a great time,” she said. This free outdoor festival is an ideal setting for people to enjoy live music, connect with neighbors, and take pride in the community.

Downtown streets are closed to vehicle traffic, opening the entire area up for this year’s festivities, which boast four music stages featuring a variety of music: rock, country, R&B and a “Homegrown” stage featuring local schools and church groups. Bands play on stages strategically set at downtown intersections around the courthouse square, city hall and Cogswell Avenue.

There will also be a separate kids’ area complete with carnival rides and games. “Foam Zone Parties of Odenville was a big hit at last year’s event. All the kids, and the parents, had a blast,” Glidewell said. Reflecting on last year’s success, she added, “We are hoping they will come back again this year.”

Confirmed food vendors include The Main Squeeze, Q&A Concessions, Down South Catering and several others.

And don’t worry, the fun isn’t just reserved for the kids. There are plenty of entertaining activities lined up for adults, too. “This event is for everyone,” Glidewell noted.

Back by popular demand, the Hometown Block Party’s car show will make its grand return for this year’s festivities. It will feature an impressive lineup of over 80 vehicles.

“I love seeing how much joy this event brings to our community,” Glidewell said. “Everywhere you look, people are having fun, smiling, interacting, and in line to get some delicious treats. Everyone looks happy.”

Vendor applications are still being accepted until May 20. Those interested can visit www.pellcitychamber.com for a vendor application. The deadline for vendor applications for early bird pricing ($50) is May 12. May 13-20, the price will be $75 for a booth.

Gadsden’s new riverfront Cancer Care center opens

Community continues to expand medical services

Story by Paul South
Photos by Richard Rybka

With the opening in April of Alabama Cancer Care’s new 10,000-square-foot facility overlooking the Coosa River, Gadsden is expanding its healthcare footprint in northeast Alabama.

One of the things that makes Gadsden unique for a city its size, is that it’s home to two full-service hospitals – Gadsden Regional Medical Center and Riverview Regional Medical Center – as well as Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital. The city appears to be following the lead of neighboring Birmingham, transitioning in part from a “smokestack economy” to one propelled by the service sector.

It will still recruit manufacturing firms, but leaders are diversifying. “We’ve not abandoned continuing to recruit for manufacturing, we’ve just broadened our scope,” said David Hooks, director of the Gadsden-Etowah Industrial Development Authority.”

Hooks, former executive director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs under then-Gov. Jim Folsom, Jr., said Gadsden is becoming a major health care hub serving northeast Alabama and Northwest Georgia.

“I thought it was imperative that we capitalize, not only on keeping those hospitals open, but growing them and adding health care services with them. The cancer centers is one of the first indications of our doing that,” Hooks said.

The push to expand Gadsden’s health care offerings are part of an effort to build a diverse economy, driven by tourism, recreation, health care and industrial growth. The city is also fast becoming a sports and cultural center. City officials hope to transform one-day visits to three-day stays.

“The City of Gadsden has traditionally been viewed as an industrial city,” Hooks said. “As we now move into the 21^st century, we are looking to broaden our economic base and become a destination city.”

The $6.5 million center means that residents in a 10-county region won’t have to travel to Birmingham for treatment.

In fact, when he became the IDA director in 2019, he targeted the health care sector as a major component of the area’s economic development drive.

“One of the first things we did was look at the target markets that we had in place and looked at where we should be expanding, and we added two (sectors). We added food and farming, and we added health care.

“Health care has been the fastest growing industrial sector of the last 20 years, and it will continue to be the fastest growing industrial sector for the next 20 years,” Hooks said.

“We have a major health care community in the area; we’re a regional health hub, and there’s no reason for us not to continue to develop that growth,” Hooks said.

Mayor Craig Ford agreed.

“We are constantly looking for ways to grow (health care) 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 of the city.”

Gadsden City Council President Kent Back said that while Gadsden Regional offers cancer care, Alabama Cancer Center’s market research shows a need for another cancer care facility.

Back believes the natural beauty of the Coosa riverfront will lift the spirits of patients during their treatments.

“I think that’s going to be a game changer,” Back said. “Most cancer treatment facilities don’t have that kind of amenity. This company has a history. They’ve been successful.”

Studies in Europe and in the United States show that cancer patients who are treated closer to home can have more positive outcomes. Area residents won’t face the travel and parking hassles of a trek to Birmingham.

“If you live in Ider, for example, Birmingham can be pretty intimidating to travel and navigate and park,” Back said. “They’d rather come to Gadsden and get treatment.”

The new center is located on the old National Guard Armory site in an agreement forged during the administration of then-Mayor Sherman Guyton.

Kim Clebine, Bobbie Martin and Justin Steinman show off a stereotatic radiation therapy linear particle accelerator

Current Mayor Craig Ford said Gadsden was selected as the home for the new, full-service oncology center because of its location. Some 16 new jobs will be created.

The new facility will help the city and county maintain its health care presence to serve Gadsden and the surrounding counties, Hooks said.

“The particular services that this facility will render will allow people that are currently driving out of the county for these services to Birmingham and other areas, to be able to stay close to home and receive the appropriate care that they need here in Etowah County.”

With its proximity to a hospital and to the burgeoning riverfront entertainment district, the growing healthcare facility can fuel Gadsden’s economic growth, both on the Coosa and downtown.

“If you look at what happened in Birmingham with UAB and the resurrection of the southside of Birmingham, Birmingham’s growth has been driven by health care services. I think you can see Gadsden’s economy driven by the health care sector around that facility as well,” Hooks said.

“Gadsden has a similar economic base to what Birmingham used to be, just smaller,” he added. “I think there’s a lot to be learned from that. I think there’s an opportunity for us to redevelop downtown. I think Gadsden has an opportunity to be the gateway to all of northeast Alabama.”

The impact will not be just be felt in Alabama, but reach into Georgia as well. Gadsden has the impetus to improve its services and grow its opportunities, Hooks said.

“We, as a city, need to continue to improve our services, broaden our services and give people a reason to drive in this direction.”

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!