Even before the first light’s glow at the inaugural Lantern Festival at Noccolula Falls Park and Campground, one of the area’s youngest residents was already abuzz about the newest event on Gadsden’s calendar.
“After school, I took my nine-year-old daughter Lizzy by where they were unloading the lanterns and things when they were setting up,” said Noccalula Falls Park and Campground Director Brandson Stephens. Her first words when we pulled up were, ‘Gosh Dad, that’s so cool!’”
Dazzling lights cast in the spirit of Chinese legend and lore, as well as world-class Chinese acrobats are wowing visitors amid the natural wonders of Noccalula Falls Park on weekends – Friday through Sunday through April 5 from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. From the excitement already evident, prepare to be amazed.
“This enchanting night walk, inspired by traditional lantern festivals is the perfect adventure for friends and families,” according to event organizer Kaleido Entertainment (kaleido.com), and its ticketing platform, feverup.com. “Wander through hundreds of glowing lanterns, enjoy live acrobatic performances, grab tasty bites from local vendors and soak in a magical atmosphere surrounded by nature.”
Tickets for the family-friendly event range from $15.99-$21.99 per person. Children three and under are admitted free. Local vendors will have food and drink available for purchase.
The lights and entertainment are only part of the story. As the event weekends move deeper into spring, the magic of the park’s plant life – hyacinths, buttercups and daffodils, will blossom, dependent on the weather. The festival and the flowers make this the unofficial start of spring, Stephens said.
“We used to open later and that would give us time to get the Christmas lights down,” Stephens said. “But there was so much blooming in late February that would die out by the time we opened in late March and the first of April, so we decided to open earlier. The lantern festival (organizers) reached out to us and said they wanted to come, so it was a perfect fit.”
Live performers are on hand to entertain and amaze
Stephens added, “All those flowers are coming up and blooming and sprouting, and if the weather is warm enough, you might even see azaleas popping up about that time.”
Kaleido Entertainment operates the festival, which brings a combination of art, tradition, talent and technology together for an amazing experience.
Chinese lantern festivals date back to the Han Dynasty that began more than 200 years B.C. The festival grew during the Tang Dynasty (608-907 A.D.). The displays have grown through the years into widespread celebrations. The lanterns symbolize wishes for prosperity and brighter futures.
The acrobats will be a first for the park. “The acrobats, we’ve never had anything like that inside the park,” Stephens said. “That’s going to be pretty cool.”
Food trucks will be on hand and music will be piped in through the park.
The train, the animal habitat and the petting zoo, three park mainstays, will be on hand as always at the park. The petting zoo has some new arrivals – monkeys, sloths and Highland cattle, the long-haired bovines that are always popular. A small family of kangaroos and a toucan now call the park home.
“What’s cool about Noccalula Falls, too, is that when you come in, you’re still getting the train ride. You’re still getting to visit the animal habitat and the petting zoo and seeing everything that’s new there.”
The park also features 16 miles of hiking and biking trails.
Stephens and the crew at Noccalula Falls have been going full blast during the holiday season, first with its Christmas event and now with the Spring Lantern Festival.
“It’s been a chore, because we only had two weeks to remove a lot of our items that take us months to put up, so that (Kaleido) could come in and unload their stuff.”
The last trucks for the lantern event were unloaded in late January.
For Stephens, who began his love affair with the park as a kid, the Spring Lantern Festival is another magical chapter. “My Dad would bring me and my brother down here, and we would go underneath the falls and be walking the trails when people used to collect driftwood that would wash up,” Stephens recalled.
“There was a tennis court across the road and evidently, people were really horrible at tennis because they were hitting the ball over the fence and into the creek. My Dad would be getting driftwood, and my brother and I would take plastic bags and collect tennis balls, take them home and play home run derby.”
He added, “But when you’re here, you’re in nature. You get to clear your mind, relax and enjoy what’s around you. You’re in the city, but you’re out of the city. (Kaleido) reaching out to us is a testament to how big Noccalula has grown. The company reached out to us, I think because they see how much the park has grown.”
During the Christmas season alone, some 110,000 visitors came to the park.
Stephens gives high marks to his team at the park that works night and day to prepare for events like the Spring Lantern Festival.
“The team at Noccalula Falls is the best anywhere,” Stephens said. “They’re passionate about what they do. They’re passionate about the falls. These same guys are also cutting grass. They’re also landscaping. They also have to take care of everything inside and outside the park.
“A lot of people don’t know that they take care of 50-plus properties downtown. It’s a lot.”
But even when they’re weary, something changes when families come into the park at Christmas, or in February when the Lantern Festival gleams brightly, acrobats soar and joy abounds.
“We hear that kid, or we see those kids coming through … smiling and saying, ‘Look, Mom. Look, Dad.’ It gives you a second wind.”
Excitement was building weeks before opening weekend. “You can almost feel it,” Stephens said then, “because nothing around here has ever been done like this. There’s a buzz around it. I know when the kids see what they’re putting out there, they’re going to love it.”
Cooking event an annual draw for Central Alabama and beyond
With names like Kickin’ Quail Quesadillas, Gobblin’ Turkey Taco Soup and Venison Bang Bang Chili, you know culinary creativity is at the pinnacle and tastebuds are sure to be tantalized.
That’s just what you would expect from the Alabama Wildlife Federation Wild Game Cook-Off. The regional cook-off in Talladega is set for Saturday, March 14 at 4 p.m., at Talladega Superspeedway. Tickets are $50 for up to two adults.
The Talladega cook-off is part of a statewide effort to support Alabama Wildlife Federation. Local AWF chapters host annual Wild Game Cook-Offs across the state and “everyone is invited to participate,” according to AWF. “These competitions are excellent ways for backyard chefs to show off their culinary skills and enjoy some good ‘ol fashion fun, fellowship and fabulous food.
Whether it’s fish, fowl or game, this cook-off has it all. There’s even a youth division.
If you would rather eat than compete, you can sample some of the best wild game dishes around. Previous winning creations in the past have included “Grilled Dove Breast,” “Smoked Venison with Cajun Wild Rice,” and “Flounder stuffed with Shrimp and Crab topped with a Butter Cream Sauce.”
Other activities and entertainment are part of the day’s festivities. Music, door prizes, raffles, and a silent auction that includes outdoor themed art prints and ladies’ items.
For more information, contact AWF at (334) 285-4550. To register your team or purchase a ticket online, go to: AlabamaWildlife.org.
At most houses on Logan Martin Lake, the view of the water is the most mesmerizing feature.
Guests to Harold and Virna Settle’s Cropwell home, however, are often greeted with such a spectacular sight in the front yard that they often forget to even look past it to the lake. In the spring, summer and fall, some 400 rosebushes, with thousands of blooms in a dazzling array of colors, create such a splendor that it can be difficult to notice anything else. “It’s just breathtaking,” Harold said.
Virna is a master when it comes to pottery
And when the flowers put on their show, the Settles have been known to put out a spread. “We want to invite people when our flowers are blooming,” Virna explained. As a result, “we have a big party every spring, and almost every weekend during the summer there are people here,” Harold added.
Since they both enjoy cooking, guests are treated to all kinds of cuisine. Virna, originally from Manila, Philippines is an expert in Filipino dishes. And after years of managing two Birmingham restaurants – La Dolce Vita and Amore Ristorante Italiano – with her former partner, she’s mastered Italian meals, as well.
“She’s really been working at it and she’s almost as good a cook as I am,” joked Harold, a retired cardiologist. Although he especially enjoys Cajun and Creole cooking, one of his specialties is a Spanish paella that feeds a crowd.
“We used to have contests,” Harold said. “We’d start with the same cuts of meat. She’d prepare it her way and I’d do mine. For some reason, I never seemed to win.”
Food is actually what brought the couple together. Harold and his former wife, Jean, first met Virna when they frequented her restaurants. Jean passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2010, and Harold and Virna reconnected about a year later. They will celebrate their 14th anniversary next month.
In addition to cooking, they share a love of wine and travel, but that’s not all they have in common. They’re both artists, as well. While Harold’s canvas is the yard, Virna is a painter and potter.
Discovering talents
Virna discovered her passion for art about 12 years ago when she went to a painting party with friends. Perhaps it’s appropriate that she painted a fish, because after the experience she was hooked. She began taking classes and experimenting with texture and color, acrylics and oils, and her hobby soon became much more. Her bold, bright paintings – often abstract impressionistic renderings of flowers and ladies – were well-received, and she began showing and selling her work. “Her color palette is outstanding,” Harold said. “She mixes colors beautifully.”
Her true calling, Virna said, is pottery, which she took up about six years ago. Interestingly, that journey started with fish, as well. After talking with a friend about ways to prepare it, Virna decided to get a palayok, an earthenware pot used to prepare Filipino dishes.
“I just decided to make my own,” Virna said, so she started looking around for someone to teach her how. It didn’t take her long to find renowned potter Tena Payne of Earthborn Pottery in Leeds. Virna began taking classes and discovered how much she enjoyed working with clay and coaxing it into shapes on the pottery wheel.
“It’s challenging,” she said. In addition to unleashing more creativity, the process of manipulating the clay has helped her in other ways, too. “I used to have carpal tunnel but since I’ve started doing the pottery, I don’t have it anymore.”
Virna especially enjoys creating dinnerware – plates, bowls, and mugs – and she also makes serving pieces including trays, chip and dip sets, and vases. Once the pieces are shaped and dried, the next step is bisque firing at a low temperature in the kiln to harden the clay.
Next, she glazes the items – Virna is drawn to shades of blue, green and brown – and the pieces are fired again at a higher temperature to fuse the glaze to the pottery. “It makes me feel good when people buy it,” Virna said of her pottery. She also enjoys using the pieces at home and gifting them to friends. Although she doesn’t have a website, her pottery is currently available for sale at The Fish Market Restaurant in Birmingham and The LakeLife Store in historic downtown Pell City.
While clay quickly became her favorite medium, Virna’s kiln is currently in the garage, which got chilly in the cold, winter days. That’s why Virna said she feels fortunate to have two artistic outlets. “When it’s cold, I can do my painting inside,” she said.
Outdoor artistry
The Settle House on Logan Martin Lake is framed through rose bushes
Although it was the lake that lured Harold to St. Clair County, he discovered that the peninsula where he built his home 32 years ago was a “gardener’s paradise.”
The site is nearly surrounded by water, which keeps the temperature several degrees warmer for a longer portion of the year, he explained. “We don’t have a hard, killing frost until the first of December, so the growing season is nine months out of the year,” he said. Plus, “the water is free. You just pump it out of the lake.”
Harold said he’s been gardening most of his life, and as an adult, he became fascinated by floral gardens. He grew up in Virginia, which he calls “a floral garden paradise” and went to medical school at the University of Virginia, with its pavilion gardens tucked away behind serpentine walls.
While in med school, there was a vacant lot next door, and “I dug that up and planted tomatoes.” He planted his first roses in the 1970s while he was living in Cincinnati, where he completed his residency and fellowship and eventually became chief of cardiology at Cincinnati VA Hospital.
After moving to Birmingham in 1979 and going into private practice, he had a house with four acres that allowed him to have a large garden. Still, “I’ve never had the perfect setting like I have here to do it.”
He found it after Dr. John Haynes of Pell City asked him to do some cardiology consultations for him. “When I’d get finished in the afternoons, I’d drive down to the lake and see what I could see.”
By that time, a friend had invited Harold to an afternoon of sailing, and he soon found himself in the market for a boat. “It was bitter cold, the wind was brutal, but it was fun,” he said. He bought a 22-foot sailboat and kept it at Pine Harbor Marina before upgrading to a 27-foot vessel he bought in 2000.
It was the early 1990s when Settle noticed some homes being built in the River Oaks subdivision. He bought a lot, but he didn’t build on it for two years.
When construction started, Settle made sure the brick beds near the street were the first things built. “I planted roses in those before the house had been bricked,” he said. He planted beds alongside the driveway the next year and followed up with a circular garden directly in the front of the home’s entrance the next.
More or Virna Settle’s pottery on display
He needed more space, however, so he bought the lot next door in 1999. “There was nothing but trash trees on it,” he said, adding that he cleared it completely. “I figured it would take me the rest of my life to plant it the way I wanted it. It took me three or four years.”
In addition to roses, Harold has planted 125 named varieties of Japanese maples, which provide a spectacular display of color in the fall. He and Virna have also planted everything from fig, persimmon and plum trees to blueberry bushes, vegetables, peppers, day lilies, hydrangeas, irises, camellias, and ginkgoes. “There’s nothing that I won’t try to grow,” he said.
The planting is the easy part, though. He and Virna, who also has come to love gardening, spend countless hours tending to and caring for the plants. Every spring, the rose bushes have to be pruned back to about a foot high. “I’ll do about 30 and she does 370,” Harold said with a laugh.
They consider it a labor of love, though, and they have countless trophies and ribbons from the Birmingham Botanical Gardens Annual Rose Show that attest to the beauty their hard work created. Harold has entered the show every year for the past 30 years.
This may be the last, however, as the Settles are planning a move to Daphne at the end of the summer. Although they are looking forward to the next chapter, leaving their oasis on the lake and the gardens they have so carefully cultivated will be bittersweet.
“I really hope someone who loves gardening buys it,” Harold said.
Virna Settle’s Pork and Chicken Rice Noodles
Ingredients:
½ cup pork belly or shoulder (I use belly)
½ cup chicken, thinly sliced
1 cup chicken or pork broth
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 red onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 carrot cut into thin strips
2 cups cabbage, sliced into strips
½ cup green beans, cut into diagonal
¼ cup Chinese celery, roughly chopped
6 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons oyster sauce
For garnish:
½ cup roasted, chopped garlic
½ cup chopped spring onions
Directions: Boil pork and chicken for 10-15 minutes or until the meat is tender. Add oil to pan and saute the pork and chicken until the color turns brown. Add onion and garlic to the pan and saute until tender Add carrots, cabbage, green beans, and Chinese celery and saute for 1 minute. Add the broth, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Mix well and let broth simmer. Drain the meat and vegetables from the stock and transfer to a bowl. Set aside. Add noodles in simmering stock and cook until tender. Stir occasionally. Once the noodles are tender, transfer to a serving platter and top with cooked meat and vegetables. Garnish with roasted garlic and spring onions.
Harold Settle’s Paella
Ingredients
3.5 pounds yellow rice
8 cups chicken stock (I make my own, using chicken skin and bones)
2 large onions, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 large bell peppers, diced
1 cup Lima beans, cooked
1 cup English peas, cooked
8 plum tomatoes, diced
½ can (4 ounces) of tomato paste
1 ½ pounds large shrimp (feel free to add clams, calamari, prawns, or mussels)
2-3 pounds chicken thighs (Remove the skin and de-bone a few to make stock)
2 pounds chorizo sausage, sliced into 1-inch pieces
½ cup fresh parsley
2-3 tablespoons fresh thyme
½ tablespoons paprika
Rosemary
1 pinch fresh saffron
Olive oil
3 lemons, quartered
Directions
It’s best to have all of your ingredients prepared before you start cooking.
Microwave chicken thighs for about 10 minutes to make sure they are cooked throughout. Peel the shrimp, leaving only the tail, and salt them.
I always try to make my chicken stock from scratch (time permitting), using the skin and some bones from the chicken thighs. Add a bit of rosemary, a tiny pinch of saffron, and a bit of thyme. If you use bouillon, I’d recommend at least heating it up with these herbs and then straining before you start.
Keep your stock hot, but not boiling, as you cook. Coat the bottom of your paella pan with olive oil. Brown chorizo over high heat for 1-2 minutes. Do not fully cook, just get the outside well browned. Set aside. This will add a nice red color and flavor to your oil.
Brown the chicken for 2-3 minutes. It should not be fully cooked. Set aside. Brown garlic, onion, and bell pepper until softened, adding plum tomatoes shortly before mixture is finished.
Push the vegetables to one side of pan. On the other, add the half can of tomato paste. Caramelize it, flipping and spreading it until it begins to loosen (1-2 minutes over high heat).
Mix vegetables and meats together with the caramelized tomato paste, also adding the paprika, parsley and thyme. Add rice, mixing together and stirring as rice browns (1 to 1 ½ minutes). As rice browns, mix in the saffron. Make sure to break it between your fingers to release all those tasty oils.
When rice is slightly translucent, add enough chicken stock to cover the whole mixture. If it’s been kept warm, it will begin to boil almost immediately. Lower to a medium heat but keep it at a steady boil.
This is where paella is made and broken. I stir a few times in the first 5-10 minutes, adding broth as necessary to keep the rice fully covered. After this, you must let the paella SIT! Let it cook another 10-20 minutes (I find that this step takes longer on a stovetop), adding broth bit by bit to keep the rice submerged until the rice on the top is al dente. Don’t worry about the rice burning to the bottom. This part (called the soccarat) is a tasty delicacy.
Once you’ve stirred the paella for the last time and are letting it cook, when you have about 8 minutes left to cook, lay the cooked lima beans and peas and shrimp on top. Turn shrimp over after 2-4 minutes to cook on the other side.
When rice on top is still quite al dente, take paella off of heat and cover. Let sit for 15-20 minutes.
I’ve taken the lid off prematurely and ended up with a crunch mess. Patience is key.
Once you’re sure it’s ready, uncover, garnish with lemon wedges and enjoy!
Returning to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame
A pair of boat dealers on Logan Martin Lake had an idea that grew from a simple open house. And as good ideas often do, it’s still growing.
Mark Hildebrant of Woods Surfside Marina and Rodney Humphries of Rodney’s Marine began their joint venture as an open house at their respective dealerships. From there, they moved to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame as a small boat show.
Indoor venue makes the perfect all-weather boat show location
It’s appropriately called Legends Boat Show because it brings legends in the boating world at the place where motorsports legends are built.
In contrast to other boat shows, “we wanted something people did not have to pay to get in or park,” Hildebrant said. “We will see how it grows over the coming years.”
By the looks of it so far, they have the makings of a thriving new year’s tradition as the first area boat show of the year – Jan. 16-18.
For 2026, the boat dealers will be Woods, Rodney’s and Woods and Water Powersports. Also featured will be Town & Country Ford, which will have vehicles onsite.
AmFirst federal credit union will be providing onsite financing for boats and vehicles.
Legends showcases pontoon boats from Bennington, Evotti, Starcraft and Manitou along with ATVs and 4-wheelers, golf carts and Waverunners. Dock companies and Realtors have joined the show as well, giving attendees an opportunity to see lake life and the outdoors up close from all angles.
Admission and parking aren’t the only perks free with this show. There will be a free concert Saturday night with Deputy 5.
High school sweethearts find each other again, marry lakeside at 87
Story by Carol Pappas Photos by Stillwell Photography
Sixty-six years after they ate cotton candy, rode the Ferris wheel and had their picture taken as high school sweethearts at a carnival, love found its way back to them.
Those attending turn chairs around for a group photo of the final walk
Life, as it often does, had taken Tom Johnson and Linda Rayfield down different paths since his senior year at Sylacauga High School in 1958. When those paths crossed again six decades later, the romance began anew.
Tom recalled the original romance. “I saw Linda first at church and then later at school as a teen. My first impression was that she was a tall, skinny, very beautiful girl. We went to the movies. I took her to the church in Hollins that she had not seen before. We went to the teenage restaurant to see the cars and have a burger on the tray hanging from the car window. Memories never forgotten.”
Linda was in the band. Tom was in the Glee Club. They drifted apart when Tom left for college at Faulkner University.
“For over 60 years, we were actually not very far apart in miles, but our paths did not cross,” Tom said. He lived in Conyers, Ga. She lived in Sylacauga.
“I married Shirley from Eufaula, Alabama, and Linda married Sonny. We both raised wonderful Christian families. We both were caretakers for our mates for many years before they passed. We both have great respect for each other’s former mates.”
But as fate would have it, they met again when he was visiting his brother, Clay County Commissioner Roy Johnson, who spends a lot of time in Talladega County. “I didn’t know who he was. I hadn’t seen him in 65 years,” Linda said.
Couple sporting their cowboy hats after the big event
Tom asked Linda if he could take her out for a meal together. “I was assuming she would suggest one of the steak restaurants, but she suggested the Old Town Grill in Childersburg. We learned quickly that we had a lot in common. I love her very much.”
That rekindled love was mutual, and those different paths they forged years ago finally merged into a wedding aisle on the banks of Logan Martin Lake. Tom’s niece, Rhonda Zorn Fernandez, and husband, Halo, hosted the afternoon celebration at their home.
“It was precious to honor two worthy people that have served others their entire lives,” Rhonda said. About 65 friends and family gathered for the wedding with the lake as a stunning backdrop.
As the bride readied just before the service, she said the two were “real excited” to have found each other again and were getting married.
A bluegrass band played in the background as wedding guests arrived and found their seats. At the appointed time, Linda descended the outdoor staircase. She and Tom came together under a beautifully decorated arch, perfectly framing the couple and the water just beyond, shimmering in the afternoon sun.
Flower girls – bride’s great granddaughters – drop petals
Rhonda had reasoned a time as special as this was meant to be shared, and they opened their home and began planning a celebration fit for an epic love story.
Jordan Alker, a preacher and Linda’s grandson, married them. His two daughters, Jaidyn and Avery, served as flower girls.
The bride and groom exchanged vows and rings and sealed it with the traditional kiss. “We planned to have it simple,” Linda said, as she prepared to walk down the aisle. “It turned out not to be.”
And that was just fine with her and Tom. Even a health scare couldn’t keep them apart this time around.
“I found out I had breast cancer two months before the wedding,” Linda said. “I was scared. I didn’t want to be another caregiver burden for Tom. He told me right off the bat, ‘I’m not going anywhere, we’ll face it together,’ and we did. We trusted our faith in God to help us, and we are together strong.”
If it’s a holiday or her father’s birthday, chances are Brooke Tollison is making a pie. An apple pie, to be precise, that’s baked in her grandparents’ cast-iron skillet.
Brooke shows off her cooking skills
They’ve developed quite a system. Once her dad has eaten his fill, “he gives the skillet back to me, all cleaned and seasoned and ready to go,” she said.
The fact that she and her parents, Gary and Lynn Williams, have houses next door to each other on Neely Henry Lake makes the process a little bit easier and a lot more fun. “I love that they are right there,” Brooke said. “Being next to my parents was a big selling point for me. My family has been on this part of the Coosa River for generations.”
That’s probably why, for Brooke, “lake” has always been synonymous with family.
As a child, it meant long summer days swimming with her cousins, learning to ski and kneeboard, and endless hours of boat rides and tubing. As an adult, it means drinking coffee or hot chocolate around the fire pit while watching the stars with her husband and kids on a crisp fall evening.
The one thing that has never changed is that “the lake” means Neely Henry. She and her husband, Jim, live and work in the Pell City area – she just opened The Brooke Tollison agency, an ALFA Independent Agency, and he is the regional manager for Alabama Farm Credit.
“Pell City has been so good to us,” she said. But in the 21 years they’ve lived there, Brooke said she’s only been to Logan Martin Lake three or four times.
“This is the lake I grew up on,” she said, standing at the water’s edge of the house they bought nearly two years ago. “I made so many wonderful memories here.”
Peaceful oasis
Brooke said she wasn’t actively looking for a lake house when the opportunity presented itself, but it had been in the back of her mind for a while, so she was keeping her eyes and ears open. “I knew I wanted a lake house for retirement,” she said. “I’ve still got 15 or 20 years to work, but I also had been watching prices appreciate.”
That’s why, when she learned that the 3-bedroom, 2-bath house on Palmetto Creek was hitting the market, she jumped at the chance. In addition to her parents, her uncle and several cousins have homes on Neely Henry, and she loved the idea of being close to her extended family. “I wanted my kids to have a similar experience to what I had growing up,” she said.
The perfect place to gather and watch the game
That means lazy days surrounded by family and friends. Brooke, who grew up in Hokes Bluff, gets nostalgic watching 16-year-old Claire and her friends having fun on the lily pad float because it reminds her of lake days with her own high school friends, who are frequent visitors to the lake house. Jim and their son, Jay, 19, love to fish, and Jay enjoys canoeing and kayaking, as well.
“This is the perfect spot for that,” she said, adding that the creek has smooth water and meanders about a mile past their house. Although there are several homes nearby, their area of the lake has a peaceful, secluded feel. “It’s private, but it’s not isolated,” she said.
Buying the lake house was kind of a full circle moment for Brooke. Her parents bought their house from her sister in the late ‘90s, and then they also bought the adjacent lot where her house now stands. Her father eventually sold the 3-acre lot to another family member, however, and it’s changed hands a couple of times since.
At some point, one of the owners built the house, and when Brooke bought it, the property became part of the family again. Since then, it’s been put to good use.
She’s helped her parents host a family reunion, and with two docks and two big yards, there was plenty of room for parking and for everyone to spread out. Last summer, she even hosted a wedding with 50 or 60 guests when a cousin exchanged vows by the water’s edge. “It was such a beautiful day,” Brooke said.
Let’s eat
Entertaining at the lake means lots of good food, so what’s on the menu when crowds gather?
“We live on a cattle farm, so we grill a lot,” Brooke said. “We’ll have steak or hamburgers, and my dad likes to smoke wings and briskets. When friends come, everybody brings sides, dips, cakes, potato salad and appetizers, and we all dig in. We love desserts, so there are always plenty of desserts.” Often, they include a tray of Brooke’s no-bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies.
When it’s just family, they usually take a more relaxed approach. “If we come up on a weekend, we go to Local Joe’s, get some food, eat on the pier, and then we go for a boat ride and watch the moon rise. And the stars – oh my gosh, the stars are fabulous,” Brooke said.
Relaxed getaway
Bedrooms let in plenty of natural light and are decorated in lakeside themes
Although the Tollisons escape to their getaway fairly often, Brooke has listed the home on Airbnb so that others can enjoy it when they can’t. So far, it’s been a great experience, she said, and she loves having the opportunity to help others fall in love with the lake that has meant so much to her and her family.
She wanted to create an inviting environment, so Brooke chose light colors and a mix of old and new furniture pieces to create the perfect oasis. There are some personal touches, as well. A family friend, Terry Lee, built the bed swing on the dock, and the artwork of two other friends, Jimmie Nell Miller and Shannon Abbott adorn the walls.
“I wanted it to feel like a lake house, a place that is comfy, welcoming and relaxing,” Brooke said. “Hopefully we achieved that.”
There’s plenty of things to entertain guests and friends who gather. Outdoor games like bocce ball and cornhole are favorites, and the Tollisons have a shed full of water toys like paddleboards, kayaks and a double canoe.
The area is a great spot for fishing, Brooke said, and the chances of spotting wildlife are pretty good. “We have ospreys here and the occasional bald eagle,” she said. “We’ve got bunny rabbits and deer. I grew up with creatures.”
It’s part of what makes lake life so special, she said. “This is my happy place, and I want everyone to love it as much as I do. Go kayaking, go paddleboarding, have a cup of coffee on the pier, sit in the sunshine, get some Vitamin D and just enjoy it. It’s a beautiful, beautiful spot.”
Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
½ cup cocoa
½ cup milk
½ cup butter
¼ teaspoon salt
3-4 cups quick cooking oatmeal
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup crunchy peanut butter
Directions
Combine sugar, cocoa, milk, butter and salt in a boiler and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter, vanilla and 3 cups of oatmeal. Mix thoroughly. Add more oatmeal for a thicker consistency. Drop onto wax paper and let cool.
Skillet Apple Pie
Ingredients
2 pounds Granny Smith apples
1 pound firm, red apples like Gala
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 pie crusts
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the brown sugar and ¾ of the stick of butter in a cast iron skillet (I use a 12-inch skillet) and melt them together. Peel and slice apples in ¼ inch pieces. Sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning. Add 1 cup of sugar minus 1 tablespoon to the peeled apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Add salt and vanilla to bowl. Mix to coat. Place one flat piece of crust in the skillet, on top of the brown sugar and butter mixture. Top with apple mixture. Put slices of remaining butter on top of apples. Top with second pie crust and slice vents in the crust. Brush milk across the top of the crust and sprinkle remaining sugar on top. Cover and bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes.
The path Erik and Erica Grieve followed to make their dream of living on Logan Martin Lake a reality is really a tale of two countries.
Moving to Central Mexico for Erik’s job helped them sock away enough money to make it happen, but after they fell in love with the life they created there, leaving it all behind when they returned to the United States and Pell City was harder than they imagined.
The lure of the water, though, was still a strong one, and the tranquility they’ve found at the lake was exactly what they needed. In the six years they’ve lived there, they’ve been treated to glorious sunsets, magical wildlife encounters and the peaceful calm that only life on the water can bring.
“We love our life here,” said Erica. “When we’re at home, and we walk out on the deck, we can just relax. We can find that peace we need to find.”
The lake provides the perfect backdrop for entertaining family and friends, including some they met during the years they lived abroad. It’s even more perfect for enjoying quiet evenings at home with their 16-year-old daughter, Sadie. “We love our homemade pizza nights,” Erica said.
Long-distance house hunt
The Grieves first moved to Pell City in 2010. The Calhoun County natives, who were introduced by mutual friends, had been married for four years, and Sadie had just turned a year old. They lived in Twin Oaks, and they could hear the boats on the lake, but they couldn’t see them. “We knew that if we ever got the chance, we wanted to live on the water.”
Cathedral ceilings show off home’s mid-century lines and a painting from Mexico
They weren’t sure it would happen, but then Erik’s supply chain job with Honda Manufacturing of Alabama took them to Central Mexico for several years. Because they had a housing allowance and the cost of living was lower there, the Grieves were able to put some money away in anticipation of their move back home. That came in fits and starts, however, because the family moved back and forth between Mexico and Pell City several times over the next few years.
They first moved to Celaya, about three hours northwest of Mexico City, in 2015. About two years later, Erik returned to Pell City on a business trip and did a little house-hunting while he was there. Their time in Mexico was coming to an end, and they had been looking at homes on Logan Martin online, so he checked out a few of their favorites while he was in town. When he got to the Skyline house they eventually bought, “I FaceTimed her from here during the walk through,” he said.
Erica loved the house and after seeing it in person, she only had one concern. “I’m not a big gardener,” she said, adding that the house sits on nearly two acres. “I said, ‘That’s a lot of yard to keep up. As long as you’re game, I’m in.’”
He was, they bought the house, and they started coordinating renovations from Mexico a short while later. In addition to updating the kitchen and primary bathroom, the Grieves replaced the existing roof and added a new one over the deck, changed the siding, got new paint and floors throughout the home, and built a new dock and boathouse. “We slowly kind of re-did everything from there,” Erica said.
The family moved back to Pell City in the fall of 2017 but had to live in a hotel for three months until the renovations were complete. They finally moved in just before Christmas 2017. “I told Erik if we can live at the Holiday Inn for 90 days with two adults and a child, we can get through anything,” Erica said with a laugh.
They got a chance to prove that theory because after enjoying their new home for about four months, they got word they needed to go back to Mexico. This time, Erica and Sadie stayed about a year before moving back to the lake for good in 2019 while Erik was back and forth until June of 2022.
“We’ll always look back on our time over there as some of the best times of our life,” Erica said. “God was working in our lives for sure during that time. We made some wonderful friends.” One family, in particular, served as their tour guides. “We got to experience so much more than we would have,” Erica said.
Mission-style dining room table and chairs
Their 4-bedroom, 3-bath home is filled with handmade furniture and artwork they collected while living in Mexico. “Almost every room has pieces from Mexico that we brought back,” Erica said. “We love mixing it in with our other pieces. It’s all part of our story.”
Peaceful, easy feeling
As much as they enjoyed Mexico, the Grieves love this chapter of their lives on Logan Martin, as well. They cook most nights and love being in the kitchen together. “We try to cook really healthy and still make it taste delicious” Erica said.
Veggie turkey burgers are a go-to, and they earn rave reviews from anyone who tastes them. “My mom would never normally eat something like that, but she loves them,” Erica said.
They eat a lot of fish, including red snapper and salmon, and Erik enjoys making fajitas on the Blackstone or cooking wings or chicken breasts on the smoker. Everyone’s favorite, however, is their homemade pizza nights.
“We do that almost every single week,” Erica said. “We have a playlist we listen to, we have a glass of wine and talk about the week. We love our pizza nights. It’s such a nice time to talk and connect.”
Daughter Sadie joins her parents at the front door
With a busy teenager in the house, the Grieves love any chance they get to be at home together. A junior at The Donoho School and a member of the band and jazz band, Sadie plays the piano, flute, guitar and drums. In addition to music lessons, she is in theater and participates in two plays a year, enjoys painting and drawing, and also juggles a part-time job.
Their crazy schedules make the simple things, like afternoon boat rides or time spent kayaking and paddle boarding, even more special. They love sitting on the deck at the farmhouse table Erik built and enjoying the view of Bird Island.
“The sunsets are unbelievable,” Erik said. “We see purples, pinks, blues, oranges, reds, every color you can imagine,” Erica added.
They also enjoy watching the birds – everything from herons to hummingbirds, red birds and blue birds – and other wildlife. “We’ve got a family of foxes that lives here,” Erik said. “Just about every morning, they’re rolling and playing on the hill in the yard.”
And that’s why Erik and Erica said they are thrilled they were able to make their dream of living on the water come true. “We love it here,” Erik said. “It’s even better than we imagined.”
Veggie Turkey Burgers
Ingredients
2 lbs. lean ground turkey
1 small zucchini, grated and excess liquid squeezed out
3 baby portobello mushrooms, finely minced
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp Allegro Honey Garlic Marinade
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
⅕ tsp salt (or a scant ¼ tsp)
¼ tsp black pepper
Panko breadcrumbs, as needed
Brioche buns
Cheese slices of your choice
Directions
In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, zucchini, mushrooms, Worcestershire, marinade, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix gently with your hands until just combined – do not overmix.
If the mixture is too sticky to form patties, add 1-2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs. Continue adding a little at a time until the mixture holds together.
Shape into 8-12 patties, depending on desired size, and place them on a wax paper–lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
Preheat a Blackstone grill (or griddle) to medium-high heat (375–400°F). Lightly oil the surface with avocado oil to prevent sticking.
Place patties on the hot griddle and press lightly with a grill press for even cooking. Cook 4–5 minutes per side, flipping once, until golden brown.
Check doneness with a meat thermometer: the internal temperature should reach 165°F. (Tip: remove at 158°F; the burgers will rise to 165°F as they rest.)
During the last minute of cooking, top each burger with cheese if desired. Cover with a dome lid to melt.
Toast buns cut-side down on the griddle for 1–2 minutes until lightly golden.
Assemble burgers with your favorite toppings and serve hot.
The Grieve Signature White
Ingredients
1 Publix Parmesan pizza dough (bakery section)
6-7 Tbsp Alfredo sauce of your choice
1 Tbsp Epicurean Specialty Truffle Parmesan Black Garlic Seasoning
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
½ cup goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup sliced mushrooms
¾ cup roasted red bell pepper strips, chopped
⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Stretch or roll pizza dough to desired thickness and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Spread Alfredo sauce evenly over the dough.
Sprinkle seasoning over the sauce, then add 1½ cups shredded mozzarella as the base layer of cheese.
Layer on mushrooms, roasted red bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese and spinach. Top with the remaining ½ cup mozzarella.
Bake for about 15 minutes, rotating halfway through for even cooking, until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling.
Remove from oven, let rest 2-3 minutes, then slice and serve.
Oxford and Pell City Shine Bright for the Holidays
Two East Alabama communities are set to dazzle once again this holiday season, each offering its own take on the magic of Christmas lights — from snow tubing and Santa’s Village in Oxford to a community-driven wonderland along the shores of Pell City’s Lakeside Park.
Oxford Festival of Lights
The 2025 Oxford Festival of Lights returns for its sixth season with more sparkle, more snow, and an extended calendar that gives families extra time to take in the show.
New this year are two winter attractions inside Santa’s Village, the grand finale after visitors drive through more than 2.5 million lights arranged in glowing displays around Choccolocco Park.
Snow Mountain Tubing will deliver the thrill of a multi-lane, 20-foot slide built on a blanket of real snow, while Frosty’s Playground offers a hands-on winter experience where children can make snow angels, build snowmen or toss snowballs.
With more to do, organizers have extended the normal run of the festival which will now begin November 21, 2025, and run through January 4, 2026, with new select weekday daytime hours and 1 p.m. until 10 p.m. on weekends for Santa’s Village.
Tickets for the drive-through and Santa’s Village are available beginning Oct. 1 at oxfordlights.com. Passes purchased in October will be discounted to $20 and automatically entered into a “Golden Ticket” drawing, which includes full admission and extra amenities from Santa’s Village.
“Over the past five years, we have had almost 250,000 come through the show,” said special events coordinator Madison Gardner. “We are looking forward to being bigger and better this year with more to do and the opportunity to come multiple times. We look forward to seeing everyone there and making memories with this special holiday experience.”
First Bank of Alabama returns as the primary sponsor for the Oxford Festival of Lights, which takes place at Choccolocco Park, 954 Leon Smith Parkway.
Pell City Lights in the Park
About 40 miles west, the glow of holiday cheer will also illuminate Lakeside Park in Pell City, where the 2025 Lights in the Park event will showcase more than 70 holiday displays and thousands of twinkling bulbs.
This year’s event opens Saturday, Nov. 29, and runs nightly through Dec. 31, with lights on until 9 p.m. each evening. Admission is free, and community members are already registering to take part in the display.
According to the city’s website, “We are thrilled with the growing excitement and dedication of our participants, which is what makes Lights in the Park such a cherished holiday tradition. As the event continues to grow, we are introducing a new Sustainability Initiative. This change ensures a spectacular and reliable event that brings joy to our entire community for years to come.”
The Sustainability Initiative encourages participants to help maintain and expand the light displays in one of two ways. They can pay a $50 non-refundable contribution fee at registration – funds the Parks and Recreation Department will use to purchase new displays – or provide a receipt showing at least $50 in new lights or display materials purchased within the past six months.
“Participants think of this as a direct investment in the event’s longevity and quality,” the city’s statement read. “Your contribution increases the number of lights in the park, either through your own display or by supporting the Pell City Parks & Recreation display.”
The city hopes the initiative will keep the event growing without losing its community spirit. Lights in the Park is hosted at Lakeside Park, 2801 Stemley Bridge Road in Cropwell, with entry through the Civic Center parking lot. For details or registration, visit pellcity.recdesk.com or follow Pell City Parks & Recreation and the city on Facebook.
Economically speaking, this Coosa River town is hotter than free Taylor Swift tickets in a junior high lunchroom.
Kay Moore remembers not terribly long ago, when Gadsden, especially downtown, seemed to have practically given up the ghost. Back then, she worked at a local bank. The city’s two major employers, Goodyear and Republic Steel, closed. Retail mainstays like Ike Saks, Hagedorn’s and Rutenberg’s tried but did not survive.
But the script has flipped in Gadsden. From downtown to the Coosa riverfront and Noccalula Falls, the city is flourishing. And while others may bill their cities as “comeback towns,” few Alabama municipalities have experienced a resurgence like Gadsden.
Mural artist William Bebee poses with finished product
For the past 18 years, Kay Moore has served as the director of Downtown Gadsden, Inc., the local arm of the Alabama Main Street program, charged with promoting Alabama cities and towns.
DGI sponsors events, promotes downtown via social media, events and in collaboration with local merchants.
“We all work together to make things happen,” she said. “That’s the most positive part of this whole thing. We’ve got a lot of great people here, and we’re continuing to work together. We’ve come a long way in 18 years.”
She added, “My job is to promote what (merchants) do, both individually and as a group.”
And it’s attracting notice well beyond its borders. In August, Downtown Gadsden, Inc., received three Awards of Excellence from Main Street Alabama:
Excellence in Marketing for its banner project.
Excellence in Building Design in the non-historic division, for the renovation of the Mary G. Hardin Cultural Arts Center, and
Excellence in Public Art for the Pitman Hands mural.
Reimagining downtown
What’s now DGI began in 1972 as the Downtown Action Council. Shopping malls were springing up across the country, hurting downtown merchants.
“Back in that day I was just working a block down the street at what was then Central Bank, she recalled. “They got together a group of businessmen to save the downtown, because they could see what was going to happen.”
Despite best efforts, the larger downtown stores closed. Belk Hudson moved to the mall as did Budd’s Men’s Store, Ike Saks, Rutenbergs and Hagedorns.
There are more than 40 lofts in the downtown area
“Belk was the center of downtown. And when that huge store left, it left a big hole downtown.”
The building sat vacant for years until the Cultural Arts Center moved in.
“In the mid-1970s when the mall took off, and downtown became pretty much a ghost town, I was thinking, ‘If I didn’t work downtown, I wouldn’t come downtown. There was nothing. The occupancy rate was about 40 percent. Places were boarded up. It was not a fun thing.”
All that has changed. Gadsden’s downtown is on a roll. Moore, a lifelong resident of the city, says the city center is reminiscent of an earlier, prosperous time. Families are coming to Gadsden. While fathers fish for trout at Noccalula Falls or for crappie and bass on the Coosa, moms and their kids shop and eat, or visit Imagination Place or the Gadsden Museum of Art.
“People who grew up here say, it’s like it was a long time ago. And it kind of is … Retail stores are very, very vibrant, and we’ve got good restaurants downtown.”
Those once-empty storefronts are mostly filled with an occupancy rate of about 90 percent, she added. “The ones not occupied are just not ready to be occupied. It’s a cycle.”
A turning point came in 1998 when the city built a downtown streetscape and businesses began to return. First Friday – a mix of food, music and classic cars celebrated on the first Friday of every month – also sparked a return to the city center.
Sylvia Smith, owner of the Stone Market on Court Street, started First Friday in January 2006.
“I give First Friday a lot of credit in bringing businesses and people back to downtown,” Moore said. “(Smith) started it to bring people into her store. Then, the other people on Broad Street started noticing.”
In 2007, First Friday grew, and it took off in 2008.
People aren’t just working, dining or shopping downtown. There are more than 40 loft apartments downtown, with 27 planned in the old Sears building on Forrest Avenue that looks down on Broad Street. Completion of those lofts is expected early next year. An additional 15 apartments are in their early stages. That more than doubles the number of lofts.
“What I’d like to see in the next five years is a huge population of younger people who want to live downtown and bring their friends. They are going to shop, and they’ re going to eat. It’s just a positive impact,” she said. “Young people are wanting to come back. You just see a more vibrant personality downtown.”
Other changes are four-way stops downtown to improve traffic flow and make the downtown more pedestrian friendly. Other plans to improve traffic flow are being considered.
One of DGI’s major fundraisers – the 13th annual Sunset Sips – was Oct. 21. There are 300 tickets available at $50 each. Memorial Bridge is blocked off, allowing revelers to enjoy music, wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres as the sun sets on the water. They are encouraged to continue the celebration by dining downtown. The money raised is reinvested downtown.
“We’re just trying to do things that will bring a positive look to downtown,” Moore said.
Riverfront, Recreation and Rebranding
Meanwhile, Coosa Harbor, the multiuse residential/commercial and entertainment development on the banks of the Coosa River, continues to move forward. The city is completing its Federal Energy Regulatory Commission permit and grant applications, which when approved will allow construction of piers behind Coosa Harbor.
It’s hoped that the pier project will be completed by the late first quarter of 2027. Private sources have already invested some $20 million into the project that’s also being boosted by tax incentives from the city. Coosa Harbor is expected to break ground in 2026 and take two to three years to complete.
Vintage cars one of the many draws at Downtown Gadsden First Fridays
The city has also partnered with Gadsden State Community College to construct 10 tennis courts behind the Gadsden Sports Complex and a cross-country trail that in part, runs along the banks of the Coosa.
The city is also moving forward with its GROW Gadsden plan, and has invested in a $100 million RISE initiative, Reimagine, Invest, Strategic Planning and Economic Development. The initiative is expected to have a $190 million economic impact and create 2,400 jobs.
A gem of the plan is a new Gadsden Athletic Complex, featuring an aquatic center, 16 volleyball courts and 10 pickleball courts, eight basketball courts, four baseball/ softball diamonds and a walking track. The GAC is expected to be online in 2028-29.
A cobblestone hotel is located near the harbor site, but the city is looking for more hotels to meet the expected demand once the GAC comes online. “We don’t have enough hotels to meet the expected demand,” said John Moore, Gadsden’s director of Commercial Development and Community Affairs in Mayor Craig Ford’s office. “We’re three hotels short right now.”
For John Moore, all of this activity from downtown to the river comes down to one word –energy.
“It’s excitement,” he said. “People actually see the vision that the mayor has, that we are progressing, and that we’re a city on the move.”
That progress has even been noticed in America’s corridors of financial power. Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s provide credit ratings for companies, cities and countries.
“Gadsden is no longer classified as an older city (by Moody’s and S&P),” Moore said. “We’re now classified a new and up and coming city. I thought that was absolutely beautiful.”
Changing an image
Had someone told Kay Moore back in the 1970s how Gadsden and its downtown would be in 2025, they would’ve been met with skepticism and a laugh.
“I would have probably thought you were a little bit crazy. It was so dead. You had boarded up places. Now we have so many people downtown. It’s a great problem to have.”
With this beehive of activity from the river to downtown and seemingly everywhere in between, the bottom line is that the city is poised to improve its citizens’ quality of life, John Moore said, not just in Gadsden, but in Etowah County and in northeast Alabama.
“We are making Gadsden a destination place where people come and spend time with the entertainment we’ll be able to offer, whether its walkability of our downtown or sitting on the Coosa River at Coosa Harbor, or when you’re actually playing night golf over at Twin Bridges once we finish that up,” he said. “There are so many things the city has to offer that aren’t available anywhere else in a 120-mile radius.”
In 2023, the city revamped its seal and logo. Gone are the Emma Sansom Monument, farmland, and the Republic Steel plant, replaced by the Coosa River, Noccalula Falls and downtown. It’s all part of an ongoing effort to create a fresh brand for Gadsden.
“Not only are we changing the culture, but we’re changing the image of Gadsden,” John Moore said. “What I say to our staff is, ‘How do we make the City of Gadsden a cool brand?’ and ‘If the city were a clothing line, would it be a high-end clothing line?’ I don’t know if we’re there yet, but we’re getting there.”
Chapel in the Pines celebrates 60 years of worship on the banks of Logan Martin Lake
Story by Roxann Edsall Submitted Photos
The engine of the approaching personal watercraft quiets to idle speed, the unit plowing through the water headed for the pier. Arriving at the pier moments later, its driver allows it to spin and stop and begins to tie off.
Wearing T-shirts, shorts and visors, the driver and his passenger hop onto the pier, greeting passengers of another arriving boat. Walking past the parking lot, they follow the path into the woods. It’s Sunday on the lake, and they’re headed to church at Chapel in the Pines.
Pets are welcome at Chapel in the Pines
For 60 years now, residents of Logan Martin Lake, along with their guests and visitors to the area, have gathered at the river to worship at the outdoor chapel known as Chapel in the Pines. Since its inception, the plan has always been for the service to be short and informal, allowing both time to worship and time to play on Sunday mornings. Visitors are encouraged to come to the 30-minute non-denominational service in casual attire, then hit the water to continue lake-loving activities for the rest of the weekend. Services are held at 8:30 a.m. beginning the first Sunday in May and continuing through the September.
Weekly church services at Chapel in the Pines are a ministry of Pell City First United Methodist Church. “We are happy to be able to offer the community an opportunity to gather at a weekly ecumenical service,” said Pell City FUMC senior pastor Rachel Gonia. “People who are here visiting during the summer have a place to come when they’re away from their home church.”
The message is delivered by a different preacher each week, with a representation by each religious denomination in the local area. That was one of the unique things that drew Sue Pat DuBose and her late husband, John, to Chapel in the Pines in 1984, eventually serving on the chapel board for five years. “We lived across the street, and we’d hear people singing, but we couldn’t hear the speaker,” says DuBose. “So, we walked over, and we enjoyed it so much. It was exciting, because, at that time, you never knew who the preacher was going to be or who was going to do the music.”
These memories were among many shared at the end of this season of Chapel in the Pines during an anniversary celebration honoring the history of this Logan Martin tradition. Deanna Lawley, a former chapel board member, recounted events from its early years. “It was like a homecoming when the season began,” she remembers. “We’d go over there when it was still dark to sweep off and around the benches before the people arrived.”
That was when Chapel in the Pines was in its first location in Pine Harbor Marina, where University Marine at Pine Harbor Marina is now. Pine Harbor Resort developer Thomas Casaday set aside land there with an outdoor chapel in mind to encourage lakeside residents, particularly those in Pine Harbor, to make time to worship while enjoying the lake.
For 49 years, the 16-foot tall cross at the marina at Pine Harbor drew people to the outdoor worship space. When the long-team lease expired in 2014 and negotiations to renew the lease with the new owners failed, the search was on for a new home.
A cross marks the way to the outdoor chapel
Sam Huffstutler, Pell City FUMC pastor at the time, worked with the Chapel in the Pines Board and found a partnership with city leaders in Pell City. The resulting deal with Pell City gave the church authorization to build a 300-seat outdoor amphitheater at Lakeside Park. The traditional Christmas Eve service that year was the first service held at the new location.
Chapel in the Pines welcomes believers from all denominations at any stage of their faith journey. Creating a community of faith in the lake community and serving local and global partners through acts of faith and service is their mission. Any money collected above small operating costs goes back to the community through grants given out to local nonprofits, such as the St. Clair County Boys Ranch, Gateway Community Garden, The Gideons International and First Priority.
Celebrating community and common ground is an important reason that Carl Wallace, author of Lake Ramblings, attends Chapel regularly. “Love of the lake provides us a common ground for a diverse community,” says Wallace. “Chapel in the Pines is an extension of the common ground and provides a predictably safe place, a place of encouragement, a place of worship.”
When the world went sideways during the height of COVID-19 when many places of worship shut their doors for a time, Chapel in the Pines became a place of spiritual peace for many in the Logan Martin area. Organizers found a way to still gather for worship, allowing seating in every other pew and encouraging social distancing.
During that time, Wallace was still writing his Saturday morning “Lake Ramblings” on Facebook and posted about the precautions he and his wife, Mar, would make to allow them to participate in chapel.
“We’d take our lawn chairs and sit up on the hill across from the entrance to the amphitheater. We’ll be socially distanced, but we’ll be part of the service,” Wallace recalls. “We talked about that experience in ‘Lake Ramblings’ the next week and comedically called the hill ‘Scaredy Cat Hill.’ The next Sunday, we had nine more on the hill, then 12 more, then a bunch of us. Scaredy Cat Hill allowed us to gather in that common ground of Chapel in the Pines and gave us the encouragement we so desperately needed.”
Scaredy Cat Hill is no longer necessary, thankfully. Still, Chapel in the Pines continues to be the source of encouragement to many families, even as they say their final goodbyes to loved ones. DuBose chose to hold the memorial for her husband at Chapel after he passed away in April. “My husband loved Chapel so much and always told me when he passed, he wanted his service held to be held there,” said DuBose.
Suellen and Jim Dargan chose the chapel as their wedding venue and left by personal watercraft after tying the knot
Suellen and Jim Dargan rented the spot for their wedding in May of 2022. Both were serving and volunteering at Chapel in the Pines and consider it a very special place. “We both wanted something special and unique for our wedding,” said (Jim) Dargan. “And we wanted it there so we could travel on our Sea-Doo to and from the ceremony.”
Traveling to church by boat or personal watercraft, whether for church or for special occasions, gives Logan Martin Lake lovers another way to make memories with family and friends. “We’ve made lifelong friends who are more like family through Chapel in the Pines,” says Chapel Board member Amy Stinson.
Chapel in the Pines will hold a Christmas Eve service again this year at 3 p.m. You’ll want to drive the car to that one and maybe bring a blanket or two.
Editor’s note: The amphitheater at Lakeside Park where Chapel in the Pines is held can be rented for weddings, birthdays, or other special events by contacting Pell City Parks and Recreation.
