On its way to becoming resort destination point on Neely Henry
Story by Carol Pappas Photos by Graham Hadley and Carol Pappas
Tillison Bend’s roots run deep along Coosa riverbanks in Gadsden. Settled in the mid-1800s, generations have called this picturesque waterfront community home.
Today, a group of businessmen is breathing new life into a 16-acre section of the bend with three quarters of a mile of shoreline and its very own island, transforming it all into a destination point for RV campers. And plans are to share some of its amenities coming soon with the public.
Opened in June, Tillison Bend Marina and Campground accommodates 60 full-service camp sites. Twenty-four more are planned along with five piers, a boardwalk, boat ramp and 20 cabins.
Aerial view of the resort at sunset
The island is already becoming a destination point for all kinds of outdoor activities, including cornhole, volleyball and Gaga ball, where players compete in an octagonal pit in a form of dodge ball.
A pavilion on the island hosts live musical entertainment for special events and holidays, and is likely to grow into a year-round draw to the public.
Meanwhile, campers from around the world have already been settling in all summer and fall. They hailed from Canada, England and all over the country. They have home grown visitors as well. A couple from nearby Hokes Bluff camped there in recent months, noting that even though it was a close drive, they felt like they were away at a vacation resort. “They told us, ‘We’ll be back. We love it,’ ” said Joey Fortenberry, one of the partners in Tillison Bend.
The partners are no stranger to the business world and what it takes to mold success. Illustrating their entrepreneurial spirit, among them, they have five businesses. Together, in addition to Tillison Bend, they own Marine Worx, which builds docks, piers, seawalls and boat ramps – anything marine-related, they say. The Fortenberrys, who are cousins, also own JF Development, which builds barndominiums and custom homes, and Sadler owns S&H Waterproofing and Construction.
Together, they’re a team with a vision to create something special at Tillison Bend.
“That’s the goal – to be an RV resort,” said Sadler. “We want this to be a first-class experience.” At Tillison Bend, they can enjoy that kind of experience with plenty of activities and excellent service onsite “without having to pay a monster amount of money.”
Judging by the smiles of a family enjoying a day in the impressive, heated pool on an October afternoon or the laughter of a mother and child playing in the nearby hot tub, it’s easy to see Tillison Bend is well on its way.
Amenities continue to be added. A $27,000 sound system has just been installed. A projector is ready for “movie nights” at the pool. Eight big screen TVs will be strategically located at “Tilly’s Bar,” a sports bar with an island vibe.
Aerial view of the resort at sunset
The Rusty Hook Trading Post at Tillison Bend, a massive convenience store with all kinds of offerings await campers, and soon, it will be open to the public, serving food and drinks. Bait and tackle sales are available there as well as canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals. Future plans call for boat and personal watercraft rentals.
The Bend, only five minutes from downtown, is also a place where boaters can get gas on the water.
Jody Fortenberry talked of the Trading Post’s signature delight – a homemade ice cream bar made especially for them by a local creamery. And while it might seem a small amenity, it’s that attention to detail and quality that sets this venture apart. One taste of the Cookies ‘N Cream version surely underscores that notion.
So do plans for an indoor recreation center with basketball and pickleball courts, a game room, fitness center and indoor playground expected by next spring.
While Tillison Bend welcomes campers with all amenities offered at affordable prices in an RV resort, Sadler is quick to point out, “We don’t want to be the cheapest. We want to be the most desirable.”
From the foundation already laid, it looks like that goal is just around the bend.
Like a crack military unit, this patriotic Talladega County community and Dovetail Landing, the growing initiative to help veterans, unified on an October weekend with a single mission: to build community and awareness of veterans’ issues and Dovetail Landing’s resources as a place of resilience and recovery for veterans across Alabama.
Dovetail Landing celebrated its first Rockin for Recovery Fall Festival with barbecue, music, food, fun vendors and even a military touch – a “ruck march” that in this case was actually a walk, with the “ruckers” wearing rucksacks.
Dovetail Landing’s Combat Dining Out Dinner: Pipe Major Joseph R. Morrison (The Birmingham Bagpiper) plays rendition of Amazing Grace on the bagpipes.
The night before, some 200 camo-clad diners celebrated “Combat Dining Out.,” a donations-only feast far from K-rations or MREs (Meals Ready to Eat). The menu included smoked chicken, pulled pork, red and white sauce, baked beans, coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, ice cold drinks and dessert. It was patterned after formal regimental mess nights, in keeping with military tradition, but no black ties. It was striking to see and hear the toasts to the nation’s military, especially the toast to fallen and missing warriors accompanied by the bagpiper’s rendering of Amazing Grace.
The keynote speaker for the evening was retired Col. Chris Stricklin, former USAF fighter pilot, Thunderbird Solo Pilot, and combat veteran. The colonel riveted the audience with his reflection on being a combat veteran.
If the old military adage is true – that an army travels on its stomach – the Fall Festival crowd was fueled for a long march.
“The purpose is to bring civilians, both from their community organizations, family organizations and business organizations to meet =veterans and have fun that night in a traditional military environment,” Dovetail Landing Executive Director retired Brig. Gen. Robert Holmes said.
The ruck march was an untimed five-mile walk aimed at building community and awareness of Dovetail Landing, vets and their issues. The walk was a lead-up to the events of the day, featuring food, showcases for Veteran Support Opportunities, music and fun.
“It was exciting to see so many veterans and their families come together and meet each other,” Holmes said. “There were over 20 veteran support organizations there to showcase significant opportunities, ready to contribute to (veterans’) well-being … and their future.”
But beyond the weekend’s flavorful fun, the larger mission was to help Dovetail Landing, the facility founded by Alana and Pat Centilli in 2021 to honor their son, Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel Centilli, who died in 2019 from traumatic brain injuries suffered in an explosion Helmand province, Afghanistan in 2012. Daniel Centilli was remembered by his brothers in arms as a Marine’s Marine.
“All of this is to create awareness and to showcase the opportunities available to the veterans and their families,” Holmes said.
Dovetail Landing hopes to provide a variety of services to veterans, their families and caregivers – medical help, job training, counseling, food, housing and other services with a holistic focus.
The hope is to establish a Veteran Resilience and Recovery Center this fall to direct the ongoing veteran support opportunities and begin the multi-year buildout of the 57-acre farm campus in Lincoln to include a mental health therapy facility and a training center along with temporary lodging clusters.
Dovetail can be viewed as a “reverse boot camp,” according to Holmes. Just as military boot camp prepares new recruits for military life, this reverse boot camp helps now-veteran soldiers make a smooth return to civilian life.
Alabama Punishers LEMC Mt. Cheaha Chapter: supporters of Dovetail Landing, who led a patriotic motorcycle flag parade in honor of veterans
But more than that, Dovetail Landing is like a Recovery Zone, Holmes added. Just like in combat “we don’t leave a warrior behind, We bring them home.”
Dovetail has expanded since its founding, Alana Centilli said.
“We came out of the gate as hard as we could go, trying to do so many things,” she said.
Since bringing Holmes, a veteran of combat operations in Afghanistan and the Global War on Terror, in as executive director in late April 2024, there has been a shift in focus.
“It’s been such a good thing,” Centilli said of Holmes’ addition. “We started veteran support services. Previously, we had just been so focused on the construction. We’re still doing that. But we are actively helping veterans.”
There are estimates that between 44 and 72 percent of veterans are struggling with physical, mental and emotional issues during their transition back to civilian life.
The Dovetail expansion was driven by an increase in public, private and corporate support. Major contributors have been the City of Lincoln, Honda, Alabama Power, Norfolk-Southern Railroad, the Noble Foundation and the State of Alabama, including a line item in the state budget and a grant from the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs.
“We’re getting a lot of support, Holmes said. “The more people hear about us the more they want to know about what we’re doing.”
But Holmes says, support is a two-way street. Dovetail’s message to corporations and public and private donors? “We’re not just coming with our hand out,” he says. “We want to know what we can do to make your corporation better because if you’ve got veterans employed there, then we want to be available to your company, to your veterans if you have any kind of need.”
“Ruckin’ For Recovery” ruck march led by Dovetail Landing’s own Sgt. Ben Tomlinson, a Marine veteran who survived a sniper shot while in Afghanistan
Immediate help for vets is today’s priority.
“In my mind what was missing was we really had not gotten strategically where we wanted to be in terms of supporting veterans today,” Holmes said.
He added, “We’re going to need the buildings. We’re going to need the infrastructure. But quite frankly, more important are the people we want to serve and their families.”
Dovetail Landing has begun what Holmes calls “veteran support opportunities.”
One of those opportunities is with Central Alabama Community College and its Skills for Success program. There are currently three certificate programs open to vets, including hands on heavy equipment training and land surveying.
Dovetail has opened therapy to help veterans, which involves outdoor recreation (fishing) and music and art therapies to help veterans and family members who may find themselves in a dark place. All of Dovetail’s resources were on display on Fall Festival weekend, including the Veterans Administration-certified arts therapy program led by the Aspen, Colorado-based Challenge America.
The festival also highlighted Dovetail Landing’s programs for the community, corporations and businesses and for potential donors.
Holmes shared the story of one veteran who found himself hounded and haunted by the black dog of suicidal depression. Fishing saved him, giving the vet the clarity and sanity to be able to return to his family and drive thoughts of suicide out of his mind.
“When we hear stories like that,” Holmes said, “we know we’re on the right track.”
To be clear, these initiatives are for family members as well.
“This is not about the veteran alone,” Holmes said. “Most veterans, myself included, when we put on the uniform and we serve, our families are part of that.
“As veterans want to enter into recovery or into a growth experience, we also want to make that available to families. It’s important not to leave families behind,” Holmes said.
For Centilli, what began as a dream is becoming a reality.
“When all of this started, I envisioned a place where Daniel could have healed and just lived his life,” she said. “We knew he was never going to be on his own. He was never going to get married, would never have children … Seeing where we’ve come and how this has evolved and seeing the passion and the fire of the veterans when we talk about this, or they see what’s happening, it’s what we needed. It’s such a wonderful thing. This is going to help so many people.
“I just want to make sure people understand how important a resource like Dovetail Landing is for veterans and their families and why it is so needed,” she said.
The veteran support opportunities have exceeded expectations.
“We kept thinking we have to get this stuff built before we can help anybody,” she said. “We’ve changed that around and Gen. Holmes has helped us with that.”
She added, “The brick and mortar is going to come. But we are helping veterans today. I think it’s a win.”
That immediate help for veterans is important, Holmes said. The facilities follow.
“We’ve got to help veterans today if we’re going to have any credibility in continuing to ask for money to build buildings,” he said.
“When we go back to our mission: Veterans. Their families. It’s people, not buildings.”
Editor’s Note:For more information or to donate, visit dovetaillanding.com, or call (205) 907-7602.
Celebrating three years of success on Risers Mountain
Story by Roxann Edsall Photos by Mackenzie Free
The party on a hot fall day was to celebrate an anniversary. There was music, food and wine. The guests lifted glasses to toast a winery that has become an active part of their community in Alpine.
Lee and Lisa Moffett opened Novi Vineyards and Winery on the side of Risers Mountain three years ago, after spending nearly seven years in preparations. In those years, Lee says there were many lessons learned and blessings received. “We’ve learned somewhat on the fly,” said Lee. “I’ve hired various consultants to walk us through the process in the vineyard and in the making of the wine. I’ve learned a lot.”
“We started making wines for ourselves at first,” said Lisa. “Then Lee started taking classes online through the University of California Davis. He’s also gotten advice from many winemakers over the years.” The two have taken that advice to heart and built a winery with a family atmosphere and a menu of wines unlike most produced in Alabama.
One of the first lessons learned was that they didn’t need to grow muscadines. “That market is well covered in Alabama,” Lisa explains. “Most wineries in our state make sweet wines. We decided we wanted to be different. We chose to focus on growing French hybrid grapes and making dry wines.”
The French hybrid varieties they grow have been in the ground for nine years now and produce Norton, Lenoir, and Blanc duBois grapes. Since it takes roughly three pounds of grapes to produce a single bottle of wine, they work approximately 1,500 vines, which produced about 4,000 pounds of grapes this year.
Volunteers and family members did the harvesting in late August. “It was a good time, a little hot, but a good time,” Lisa recounts. “I love how supportive our community is. They heard it was harvesting time, and 25 people came to help.”
Pete and Michelle Bond are from Chelsea and say Novi is their favorite place to hang out. “It’s the best winery owned by the best people,” says Michelle. “I recently went through chemo, and throughout the process of losing my hair, Lisa still recognized me, even with different wigs.” Pete echoes the sentiment, saying the Moffetts take the time to get to know the names of their guests.
Brett Metcalf grew up in southern California but recently lived in Spain for four years. He moved to Hoover in 2022 and recently found out about Novi Vineyards and Winery through a friend. His travels have exposed him to many wine tasting opportunities, and he gives high praise to this local business.
Hoover resident Brett Metcalf (top left) enjoys wine and charcuterie with friends
“This is my second time here. Lee and Lisa are special,” he says. “They treated me like family even the first time I visited. And they have a great wine flight!”
A health crisis caused the Moffetts to reassess their family life and work situations. After making the decision to recenter their focus on health and family, they bought land and began the process of planting the 10 acres as a vineyard and developing plans for the winery. Lee had been sick for close to 15 years, fighting recurrent renal cell cancer.
“That’s actually how we got our name. Novi is the Latin prefix meaning new. Our family was weary,” Lisa recounts. “This place, and our family coming together to work it, gave us a new breath. It was therapy.”
Lee adds, “I’ve always enjoyed the land and being out in the woods. I have fond memories of my grandparents’ farm. I’ve since learned that it is hard work.” Lee is an engineer by trade and manages to find time for that work in addition to his tasks at the vineyard. Lisa is retired from a career in teaching.
The Moffetts have three children, all grown and married. When things get busy, it’s all hands on deck at the vineyard. Lee says July and August (before the grapes are harvested) are the slowest months, but the rest of the year there’s always something to do.
“We’ve just harvested and have the grapes fermenting in the vats,” explains son-in-law Ben Meadows. “Now is the busy season when it’s nice weather to hang out and visit the winery.”
Winter, he says, is filled with shipping gift and holiday party orders. Early spring involves pruning and preparing the plants and ground for new growth. Early summer involves managing the water intake, pest control and watching for mold and fungal issues. Summer is spent trimming the plants and mowing the property. Late summer brings the harvest back around and the cycle begins anew.
Much of the vinification is still manual. They do have a machine to de-stem the grapes and one to crush the grapes. They also have a bottle filler, which handles five bottles at a time. The corking, foiling, labeling and boxing is done one bottle at a time. Their output this year will be about 450 cases, and that, they hope, will help to push the business into the black this year.
Novi is also hosting dinners in the vineyard this fall and early winter. Local chefs cater the events and wine packages are offered to customers at their tables set up among the vines. “We discovered in the spring that people responded really well to dinners in the vineyard,” said Lisa. “We have several scheduled for November. If the weather is good in December, we may add more.”
They also have a unique event that is designed specifically for book lovers. It’s called “Pages and Pairings,” and is led by Nicole Conrad, an English Literature teacher. Conrad picks books to suggest to book club participants or avid readers and compares story elements and the character and nuances of the different Novi wines, ultimately pairing those books with specific wines made at the winery.
“A glass of Blanc du Bois, for instance, might pair perfectly with a light summer romance,” she explains. “We’ve done these three times already, and they’ve been very popular.”
Lee describes each of their wines as having its own unique characteristics. The Blanc du Bois, he describes as a very citrusy, fruity wine, comparable to a Sauvignon Blanc, but with a sweeter nose.
“The Norton is our driest on the palate,” he says. “It gives you an earthy, woodsy, smokey, fruity nose with hints of bourbon and leaf tobacco.” He describes the Lenoir, the third variety made exclusively with their grapes, as having a smokey, blackberry aroma. They also offer a red blend and a Cabernet Sauvignon.
Their wines are in two stores in the Birmingham area – Classic Wine Company in Homewood and Hop City in Birmingham. Thanks to a law passed in the State of Alabama three years ago which allows shipping of wine in the state, you can order from Novi online at www.novivineyards.com. Of course, you can also buy it in person at Novi Vineyards and Winery.
“There is a certain flavor profile that’s brought about by the minerals here in the soil that give it a characteristic flavor that you’re only going to find here,” Lisa says. “Terroir is a term that describes the influence of the terrain, the soil, climate and other factors where the fruit is grown.”
You can come check out the different wines at Novi every Friday and Saturday from noon until 5:00 p.m. They have a wine tasting room to help you decide your favorite or just get a flight and try them all. They also offer charcuterie boards to enjoy with a bottle of wine on the terrace overlooking the vineyards. Novi Vineyards and Winery is also available for weddings and other private events.
Come relax with friends and make new ones as you unwind in this relaxing homegrown, yet sophisticated winery. Lee and Lisa Moffett are building community and relationships one sip at a time. And they’re crushing it.
Among the VINES
Pottery, dinner & Wine under the stars
Story by Roxann Edsall Submitted photos
One of the most unusual events to happen near the lake community is happening this week in Alpine. It’s billed as three courses under the stars, but with a twist. Guests at the Nov. 9 event will be making a piece of pottery before enjoying a gourmet meal in the vineyards at Novi Vineyards and Winery.
Josh Miller, senior food editor for Southern Living magazine, is also a recipe developer and food stylist. He is serving as head chef for this special event, his first in collaboration with Novi Vineyards. He has done at least 20 similar events at the pottery studio and garden shop he runs with his partner, Lauren Scott.
“A friend and former intern at Southern Living, Nicole Conrad, was telling us about a book pairing event she did here with Lisa Moffett,” said Miller.
“She showed us pictures and we thought it was beautiful and were very interested in doing something with them.” Miller and Scott met with Moffett and connected immediately. The three talked through the idea and developed a plan.
The evening will start with a glass of wine and fellowship on the winery’s terrace. After everyone has arrived and had a few minutes to unwind, participants will move to the side patio for the pottery class and making the harvest bowl project.
Miller calls the project a “hand building” project, because it takes no special tools. “We have people who tell us they’re not creative, but we design these projects to be good for all levels,” says Miller.
“It’s a very forgiving project. If you make a mistake, we can help you smooth it out and fix it.”
The pottery students will simply mold a rolled-out sheet of clay with their hands to form a bowl, invert it onto a bowl shape, imprint the clay with a variety of items (lace, shells, herbs, leaves) and leave it to dry.
Miller and Scott will transport all the bowl projects to dry at WildGoose Garden & Pottery, their Trussville studio, after which they will paint and glaze them. Class participants will schedule a time and place to meet to pick up their finished pieces.
As participants finish their projects and set them aside to begin drying, Miller will lead them to the vineyard, where twinkling lights form a canopy above elegantly set tables.
The first course, a Roasted Shallot and Grape Focaccia and an Autumn Harvest Salad, will be served family style.
While guests enjoy the first course, Miller and his crew will slice and plate the main course – a Stuffed Pork Loin with Aged Sherry Gastrique Over Gouda Grits.
Dark Chocolate Pots de Crème with Crème Fraiche Whipped Cream and a Port Wine Reduction will finish off the meal.
Novi Vineyard and Winery’s Lisa Moffett will be handling the wine service for the dinner. Guests will be able to purchase wine by the bottle or wine packages to go along with dinner. Miller will suggest wine pairings with each course.
Giving a nod to the venue, Miller has included several grape components in the menu.
If you are late in finding out about the event, don’t worry. Miller and Scott plan to repeat this event later in the fall or in the spring.
Miller has graciously shared a recipe for Roasted Root Vegetables and Kale Salad, a dish similar to the harvest salad he will be serving at this event. He has also allowed us to reprint his Caramelized Stuffed Onions recipe.
Roasted Root Vegetables and Kale Salad
Photo by Shell Royster
Roasted Root Vegetables & Kale Salad
Serves 6 to 8
This vibrant fall salad can be made with any variety of hearty fall vegetables you like. Here we’ve chosen acorn squash, beets, sweet potatoes and shallots; butternut or delicata squash would also be welcome additions.
3 shallots, halved
2 red beets, peeled and quartered
2 golden beets, peeled and quartered
2 small sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 acorn squash, halved, seeded and cut into ½-inch-thick slices
1 head garlic, top sliced to expose cloves
¾ cup olive oil, divided
2½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus additional, to taste
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons maple syrup
8 cups torn kale
Chopped pecans, for garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place shallots, beets, sweet potatoes, squash and garlic on pan; drizzle evenly with ¼ cup oil; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt and paprika and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss to coat. Bake until vegetables are tender, 25 to 35 minutes.
Let vegetables cool slightly. Squeeze roasted garlic cloves into a small bowl; mash with a fork.
Stir in remaining ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper, vinegar and maple syrup until combined. Drizzle in remaining ½ cup olive oil, whisking constantly until smooth. Season with additional salt, if desired.
Place kale and half of vegetables in a large serving bowl; drizzle with half of dressing; gently toss to coat.
Top with remaining vegetables; drizzle with desired amount of remaining dressing.
Garnish with pecans, if desired.
Caramelized Stuffed Onions
Photo by Shell Royster
Caramelized Stuffed Onions
Makes 6 servings
Humble onions take center-stage in this fast-fix side dish. Stir the filling together a day ahead to make this recipe come together in a snap.
3 medium-sized red onions, peeled and halved
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ cup gorgonzola
½ cup panko
¼ cup softened unsalted butter
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, plus additional, for garnish
Honey, to serve
Preheat oven to 375°. Drizzle half of olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet, rubbing to coat. Using a small spoon, pry out 2 or 3 of the innermost layers from each onion to create a small well in the cut side of each onion.
If needed, trim opposite side of onions so they sit flat on baking sheet. Place onions on baking sheet, cut side up. Drizzle with remaining olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn onions cut side down, and place in oven. Bake 25 minutes until slightly tender. Turn onions cut side up; drizzle cut sides with vinegar.
Meanwhile, stir together gorgonzola, panko, butter and thyme. Remove onions from oven; spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon into each onion half. Return to oven, and bake until topping is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Drizzle with honey, and sprinkle with thyme, if desired. l
Recipes and images reprinted courtesy of Edible Charleston
On the banks of Neely Henry Lake, Greensport Marina and Campground transformed into a thrilling rodeo for two days of family fun people around these parts won’t soon forget.
Broken Arrow Rodeo Productions put on quite a show, wowing the crowds with non-stop action.
Sponsors and a host of community volunteers and organizations came together in support of a laudable cause, the Ashville High School Future Farmers of America.
Horses, lassos, cowboys and more against the backdrop of Neely Henry and the mountains formed a stunning scene that are now etched in memories.
Our own Mackenzie Free got in on the action, capturing in photos the moments that defined just how special this event was.
But don’t take our word for it. Check out these reviews from those who experienced it in the moment:
“This was a lot of fun! This is what we need on Neely Henry Lake. Fun by land or water!”
“Had a blast. Can’t believe how y’all pulled this together. Really professional event. Can’t wait till next year.”
“We loved it and rode our boat over for both nights. The food trucks were great, the rodeo was great and enjoyed listening to the music. Thank you for putting this event on. Also, a congratulations to my daughter placing 2nd place in the barrel racing.”
And that was just a sampling of firsthand accounts of Rodeo and Rhythm’s debut.
But perhaps the best quote of all comes from Greensport itself, announcing the rodeo’s expected return: “We hope you loved it just as much as we did, and that you’ll be back for next year’s action, too!”
Thank you, Dave and Stepanie Evans. Job well done!
Serving up compassion and confidence one plate at a time
Story by Roxann Edsall Photos by Richard Rybka
Tucked away inside the Gadsden City Library is a beautifully written story. It’s a tale of inspiration and impact, of dedication and determination, of encouragement and expectations.
And the authors of this unfolding story are a bunch of high school students who simply want to be productive citizens in their community.
Quesadilla ready to go
It’s still two hours before lunchtime, and a group of six students and their mentors quietly work in the kitchen prepping food and garnishes for the lunchtime crowd at Beautiful Rainbow Café in Gadsden. During the next hours, a handful of additional students hurry in, stashing backpacks and washing up to join in the preparations.
These are the stars of the Beautiful Rainbow project, a work-based learning program through Gadsden City Schools.
Offering an array of organic and vegetarian dishes, the café is staffed and run by students with significant cognitive disabilities. Menu favorites include the vegetarian crabcake on mixed greens, the grilled pimento cheese sandwich and the corn and poblano pepper quesadilla. All the ingredients are locally grown and sourced.
Inspired by his vision of a productive future for his students, Chip Rowan started the Beautiful Rainbow project out of his high school special education classroom housed at Litchfield Middle School. Combining his personal interests in food and gardening, Rowan guided his students in planting and nurturing a garden and used the experiences to teach his students graphing, reading, math and language skills.
Rowan had studied post-graduate employment levels for high school students who were graduates of the school’s Special Education program. He found that no graduate in the five-year study period had achieved employment or entry into a program that would lead to employment.
“I felt we were not getting good results in the program we were using, so I felt we needed to radically change our approach,” said Rowan. “We needed to teach them the things that the state required for graduation but needed to add things that would maximize their potential for independent living and community-based employment.”
The students learned to measure the plants in their garden, to graph specific variables like growth rates and to journal about them. “Several students who had been non-readers began to read functionally,” Rowan added. They used the vegetables they grew to start making and selling salads to teachers. The students later branched out into baking, offering sweet treats people could order online.
Talking to the customers
Encouraged by their success and armed with a grant from the Alabama Department of Education, Rowan developed a summer program for high school students with special needs, the only one of its kind in the area. They renovated space at the middle school to provide a commercial kitchen where high school students were taught culinary techniques. From that experience, they started offering lunches for community VIPs each Thursday.
Former Gadsden City Librarian Amanda Jackson was one of their VIP guests one Thursday, and she suggested the library clean out a space for the students to open a café. That was approved by the city, and in 2017, Beautiful Rainbow Café opened its doors.
In that time, the program and café have received countless awards, including one this past year from Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, who chose the café as the best work-based learning program in the state.
The awards are fine, Rowan says, but the real success lies in the successes he sees in his students. “We have 112 successes to be proud of,” says Rowan. “That’s how many students have been involved in the program so far. They can take the class for a semester, or they can stay in the program until we get them a job.”
Twenty one-year-old Candido Lucas, whose family is from Guatemala, has just graduated from the program and is now happy to be working at Publix. He says he learned a lot while studying and working at Beautiful Rainbow Café. “I like working with customers and cooking and greeting customers,” says Candido.
He loves to make the café’s grilled pimento cheese sandwiches. Nathan Melville lives just two blocks from the café and loves to eat them. Melville gives the food five stars and is equally impressed with how the business focuses on meeting the needs of the students. “I think it’s the way more businesses should be,” he adds. “Profit is important, but we need to be better to people.”
The program strives to meet the employment needs for each student who is graduating. “We try to match the student’s interests and abilities with employers who need those skills,” says Rowan. “We definitely court employers. The community is so important to this endeavor. They’re the potential employers who may be able to offer jobs to our students.”
To date, more than 50 students from the program have been paired with local employers. Two students have gone on to attend Auburn University and the University of Alabama.
Jamari Jelks, another of this year’s graduates, was extremely quiet and withdrawn when he started the program. “I didn’t know how to do anything then,” he says, then smiles. “Now I run the kitchen, and I can do anything.” He is about to start a job at Back Forty Beer Company.
Rowan says that giving these students work to do with expectations of quality and consistency meets an important human need – the need to be productive and to be independent. “They’re often segregated, and very little is expected of them. In this program, they have a whole new perspective and experience, which promotes a higher self-esteem,” he explains. “And we treat our students as adults, with respect.”
The students are paid minimum wage or above, depending on whether they have earned their ServSafe certification, with those salaries being administered by one of the program’s partners, the Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama. Additional financial support comes from the Daniel Foundation in Birmingham and from an anonymous donor.
The Beautiful Rainbow Café grosses about $70,000 per year in sales and boasts excellent reviews on Google and Happy Cow (a site for vegetarian and vegan restaurants). The café staff work to provide an upscale experience for patrons. Complementing the tasty offerings are beautiful fresh flowers or plants provided by the Etowah Garden Club. Members of the club bring flowers for the tables every Tuesday morning, even adding decorations for special occasions.
The success of Beautiful Rainbow program has inspired other organizations to work toward similar programs for their students. “Our program is pretty well known in the world of special education,” says Rowan. “The Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind is working on replicating the program there, as is Randolph County High School. Albertville High School has a similar program on a smaller scale. Today a group is here from Vestavia Hills to see if they could produce a similar program for their schools,” Rowan adds.
Katherine Gorham and Dr. Ammie Akin are part of that visiting Vestavia group. Akin is a former special education teacher and school principal and serves on the board of Unless U, a non-profit that supports adults with developmental disabilities.
Gorham is helping to start a special education parent advisory panel for their school system. “We would want to promote this type of program for Vestavia for vocational training,” she says. “We brought our administrators here because we wanted to show them an example of meaningful vocational training.”
Rowan is retiring from the program this year and moving to Spain. His interest in that country was piqued by his high school Spanish teacher. When his best friend from high school moved there, he began visiting and fell in love with the culture. He leaves the program in the hands of program veteran, Chef Chris Wood.
“There’s nothing like this anywhere else,” says Wood. “It’s both challenging and rewarding, and you just can’t put a price tag on the impact we make on the lives of our students.” Wood graduated from Culinard school in Birmingham with a degree in culinary arts but will be going back to school to add a degree in special education as he takes over leadership of the café late this summer.
The next chapter of this incredible story of determination and dedication is now being written, inspiring students and community alike. You can find them in the back of the library on South College Street in Gadsden. l
Editor’s Note:You can experience the cuisine at Beautiful Rainbow Café Tuesdays through Fridays 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
New twists on old-fashioned fun coming to Logan Martin this Halloween
Story by Paul South Submitted Photos
Boo Bash is back.
Pell City’s frightfully fun and festive fleet of Halloween happiness returns to Logan Martin Lake on Saturday, Oct. 12, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
And in 2024, for the first time in its three-year history, Boo Bash has partnered with a local non-profit, the Logan Martin Lake Protection Association. Proceeds from this year’s bash will help provide solar-powered buoys to the association. Those buoys will help make Logan Martin safer, by marking especially shallow water or dangerous hazards. It’s called “Boo Bash for BOO-ees.”
“These buoys, (or BOOees as we call them), mark dangerous areas on the lake that could harm people operating personal watercraft, skiing or tubing,” said Boo Bash co-founder Kelli Lasseter said. “Additionally, they are environmentally friendly since they run off solar power, not batteries. Batteries are not kind to the environment.”
The decision to partner with the association came from the Boo Bash committee in response to survey responses from the lake community after the event’s “astounding” success in 2023. Topping the survey: a nonprofit partnership to raise funds for a local nonprofit.
It’s important to note that Boo Bash is funded through monetary and in-kind donations and even with organizers investing out-of-pocket money.
“In thinking about how quickly Boo Bash is growing. We talked about it last spring and decided if we partner with a non-profit, it’s a win for everybody if it’s done well,” said Lasseter, a co-creator of Boo Bash along with Sonya Hubbard. “Hopefully, it will be around for generations of Boo Bashers to come.”
Logan Martin Lake Protection Association President Neal Stephenson was approached by Jeff Thompson of Pell City’s Center for Education and the Performing Arts (CEPA) about teaming with Boo Bash. Stephenson was familiar with the event and its impact.
“It sounded like a good opportunity for us,” Stephenson said. “Obviously, it’s lake-related, so we started having conversations with them, and we ended up doing a partnership.”
The solar buoys are one of the LMLPA’s standing initiatives.
“It’s a safety feature for the lake and the people who use the lake,” Stephenson said. “It’s probably one of our most popular projects.”
The association undertakes other initiatives, including lifts for people with disabilities to improve accessibility, water quality monitoring, youth education programs, such as “Learn to Cast,” and other work.
The buoy project is LMLPA’s “most notable” project,” Stephenson said.
Along with the buoys, purchased at an estimated cost of $800 each, Boo Bash hopes to raise enough money to honor sponsors, volunteers and participants with a post-event party, something it’s been unable to do since its inception.
And this year for the first time, Boo Bash will take place on a Saturday, where it will compete with the Alabama-South Carolina TV game in Tuscaloosa with its 11 a.m. kickoff.
“The weather and moving it to Saturday are probably going to present the biggest challenges,” Lasseter said. “Nobody wants to go up against an Alabama home game, but moving Boo to Saturday has been recommended by many people for the last two years. So, we are testing it out this year to see if it’s going to work. If not, we will go back to Sunday in 2025.
In the event of bad weather, the event will be moved to Sunday, Oct. 13.
By the numbers, Boo Bash is wildly popular. Consider:
In 2023, Boo Bash registered 1,000 dockside trick-or-treaters, an increase of more than 800 in a rain-soaked 2022. Fifty pets also joined the fun.
106 piers were decorated for the 2023 event to welcome the armada of trick or treaters.
125 volunteers contributed at least 40 hours each to the event, an estimated $160,000 in estimated labor.
Families who festooned their docks in 2023 spent an estimated $200 each on treats, costumes and decorations, meaning an estimated $21,200 boost for the local economy.
While Boo Bash is partnering with the LMLPA, the lake association is also partnering with Pell City Parks and Recreation to create the first-ever “Boo Stop in the Park,” featuring food trucks, a prize drawing and other community partners offering swag and of course, candy.
“This event is four hours long, so (the park) is a great spot to get out and stretch your legs before heading out for round two,” Lasseter said.
As for the LMLPA partnership, Lasseter said it was a seamless fit.
“The partnership wasn’t a challenge at all,” she said. “We knew immediately that Boo Bash and LMLPA would be the ideal partnership as we share each other’s commitment to safety and keeping our environment clean.”
Stephenson agreed, calling the Boo Bash-LMLPA teamwork “a natural fit. The LMLPA has an estimated 100 active members.
“Our mission statement is to advocate and promote the general welfare of Logan Martin Lake, and that of the homeowners and businesses in this area,” Stephenson said. “The Boo Bash event has grown to be a whole lake event. And the Logan Martin Lake Protection Association is here to serve all lake lovers, everyone, no matter which side of the lake they’re on, or which location on the lake they’re on. We’re here to do our best to advocate for the safety and welfare of the lake. We see Boo Bash as a great partnership going forward.”
Boo Bash 2024 is presented by Platinum sponsor, The Tiki Hut at Rivers Edge Marina. Boo Bash organizers are also seeking additional sponsors. Lasseter made the case.
“Given the amount of revenue and visibility Boo provides, it is my hope that people will want to sponsor the event,” she said. “The visibility and the financial impact this event has for our lake is beyond what we imagined.”
Boo Bash bottom line aside, the event that may be seen as the unofficial start of the holiday season on the lake, is at its heart, about fun and bringing the lake community together in creative ways.
Consider Steve and Lisa Young’s 2023 dock decoration, featuring a coffin with a life-sized faux dearly departed uncle. As Boo Bashers were invited to “pay their respects,” Steve, dressed as Betelgeuse, pushed a button and a hydraulic system made the “corpse” sit up.
“It was hysterical,” Lasseter recalled. “Every single person on the lake (who participates) goes out of their way to create a unique experience for the Boo Bashers.”
Stephenson and Lasseter say that Boo Bash says something about the nature of the Logan Martin community. Earlier this year, locals hosted “Christmas in July,” to benefit the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind.
As someone who has either visited or lived on the lake for decades, Stephenson believes Boo Bash says something about the community, giving it a family-friendly community event good for all ages.
“(Boo Bash) says a lot about the people who live on the lake and around this area that they really appreciate the opportunities that they have. They appreciate all the activities that are presented, Boo Bash being one of them. We hope that the LMLPA will be a point source for information about the lake and increase our membership so we can grow as Boo Bash has grown.”
Boo Bash and the LMLPA, like other organizations, are rooted in love for Logan Martin.
“The people on the lake care deeply about the lake community,” Lasseter said. “They go out of the way to support the resources that we have, the organizations that we have that provide valuable services to our most vulnerable lake residents.”
She added, “These people are some of the finest people I’ve ever met. People on Logan Martin Lake truly love the lake. They love everything about it, especially the people. Being able to do, not just for the lake, but the surrounding areas, is just something that is incredibly important. It’s probably the number one shared value on the lake.
“At the end of it, it all boils down to, ‘Do unto others. It really is.”
Story by Roxann Edsall Photos by Graham Hadley Submitted Photos
Unusual, exciting, bold … all positive terms for the adventurer. If you seek exciting escapades, exhilarating exploits or prodigious pursuits, the Gadsden area is a place you should check out.
With a renewed passion for sharing all the area has to offer, Greater Gadsden Area Tourism invites adventure-seekers of all levels to explore their expansive list of upcoming cultural, recreational and adventure-filled special events.
“Adventure Begins Here” is the new tourism slogan, one which is punctuated by events like the annual Barbarian Challenge. The six-mile race is scheduled for June 15 through rugged terrain, including 20 obstacles and through the gorge of the 90-foot waterfall at Noccalula Falls.
Noccalula Falls
If that’s not to your liking, then maybe the thrill of finding treasures in the World’s Longest Yard Sale is a better fit. Held the first weekend of August, this 690-mile odyssey offers six states worth of pre-owned plunder stretching from Gadsden to Hudson, Michigan.
The city’s most well-known treasure is the 500-acre Noccalula Falls Park, situated at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains. The park’s iconic falls are prominently featured in the new Greater Gadsden Area tourism logo.
Activities beyond viewing the falls include camping, mountain biking, mini golf, fly fishing, a petting zoo, a miniature train, botanical gardens, Veterans’ Park and a wedding chapel. They host an art event twice a year called “Art on the Rocks,” the next one scheduled for September. At this event you can view and purchase all types of art and craft items.
“Christmas at the Falls,” featuring over a million lights illuminating the park, drew over 80,000 visitors this past year, opening on Thanksgiving night and running through New Year’s Eve.
Attracting visitors to the greater Gadsden area to spend one or more nights is the goal of the tourism board, whose website touts the city’s offerings as “boundless opportunities for outdoor recreation.” Funded through the lodging tax, the tourism board is celebrating its 15th year of existence promoting the greater Gadsden area, which, in addition to Gadsden, includes Rainbow City, Southside, Attalla, Glencoe, Hokes Bluff, Sardis City, and Altoona.
Executive Director of the Greater Gadsden Area Tourism Tina Morrison came to the job less than a year ago from a similar position in Athens, Alabama. The nameplate on her desk reads, “Tina Morrison, Magic Maker,” and she makes it a priority to live up to that.
She traveled the world with an engineering and construction firm for 10 years before returning to the United States and taking a job in Perdido Key, Fla., as their chamber and visitor’s center executive director.
Downtown carriage tours
Six weeks after taking the Perdido job, she was mitigating a crisis caused by a huge oil spill, which seriously threatened the tourism industry. She secured a $1 million grant and led a campaign called “The Coast Is Clear,” which helped people see the conditions of the beach. “We would go across the street every single day and take video of the beach and post it on the website.” That effort was a major victory for tourism in the Perdido area.
Morrison brings that same enthusiasm and head-on problem solving to Etowah County. She got right to work in Gadsden, developing the new logo and branding following the ribbon cutting on their new location on Broad Street. They are in the downtown civic center, a building which also houses the City of Gadsden Parks and Recreation department and the city’s event rental office.
“We’re also working on a brand-new visitor’s guide,” says Morrison. “It will have less text, more pictures, and lots of QR codes. You’ll be able to click on the QR code and immediately get more information about that event or restaurant. Information to make a visitor’s stay more complete and enjoyable will be just a click away.”
The Alabama Department of Tourism has declared 2024 the Year of Alabama Food. “To promote that, we’ve produced an awesome print ad promoting area food establishments and are working on some special restaurant events in August,” adds Morrison. “We’re also working on producing some packaged itineraries for guests, so they can have a list of things for them to do to spend the day, the weekend, or longer.”
Morrison is quick to credit Administrative Assistant Cheryl Pate, the other half of the tourism staff, as her partner in progress. “She’s great. She’s been here for five years and is amazing.”
She also credits the mayor’s office with inspiring a new sense of excitement in the city. “He (Craig Ford) has been here about two years and is lighting a fire under the town,” says Morrison. “We’re working together as never before.” They also work closely with the Gadsden special events department and Downtown Gadsden, a member-based group that promotes the downtown area.
Communicating scheduled events to prospective visitors and to service providers within the area is a priority for Morrison and Pate. They host quarterly lodging meetings with hotel and campground operators to listen to their needs and to share information on upcoming events that could draw in visitors.
The tourism board has taken over the Etowah County Event Calendar, where visitors can see all the upcoming events in one comprehensive listing. “Since we started that in September, our visitor numbers on that site have increased from 6,000 to 10,000,” said Morrison. “People can scan the QR code in our new visitors guide or go to www.greatergadsden.com/events to view the whole list.”
Gadsden is home to both art festivals and museums
Morrison admits that when she moved to the area, she was shocked by the area’s diversity in cultural arts. “It’s the biggest secret,” she said, telling of the incredible collections currently housed at the Gadsden Museum of Art and its next-door neighbor, Mary G. Harden Cultural Arts Center. “There’s a pretty amazing cigar box guitar collection on permanent display there.” Twice a year, Noccalula Falls hosts an event called “Art on the Rocks.”
This summer, the Downtown Gadsden group will continue hosting First Fridays, with businesses staying open late, followed by free concerts at The Amp. Country group Nash County will perform July 5 and Rubik Groove (80s and 90s rock) is scheduled for Aug. 2. In October, you can enjoy wine and cheese overlooking the water at “Sunset Sips.” During this event, Memorial Bridge is temporarily closed and transformed into a pedestrian gathering spot.
Enjoy that wine. Hike that trail. Challenge your body to perform like a barbarian. Refine your artistic acuity. There are so many options for fun and adventure throughout the year. Go ahead and check out their calendar. You may want to add it to yours.
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.
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.”
City plans for more development will continue to boost local economy
Story by Paul South Photos by Graham Hadley and contributed photos
Earlier in this century, this city on the Coosa River looked to be on its last legs.
Gadsden’s two largest employers – Republic Steel in 2000 and Goodyear in 2020 – closed their doors, taking with them thousands of jobs.
The city’s riverfront on the Coosa was an overgrown tangle of trees, weeds and brush. “We didn’t even know we had a waterfront,” Gadsden Director of Economic Development and Governmental Affairs John Moore said.
That was then.
This is now.
Spearheaded in large part by riverfront revitalization, Gadsden is seeing an economic resurrection. The riverfront is booming, thanks to a mix of hospitality, healthcare and recreation.
Gadsden City Council President Kent Back summed it up in two words: “Gadsden reimagined”
Existing riverfront boardwalk
It all started with the cleanup of the waterfront.
“It’s been remarkable,” Back said. “Just the removal of the bushes and the trees that blocked the view has created a whole new vibe, if you will, that before you hardly knew was there.”
Another boost, Back said, will come from Mayor Craig Ford’s vision to move U.S. 411 in Gadsden off of the river, a herculean task involvinfg a snarl of federal and state bureaucracies.
“What it will do, it’ll open up development on the river. There’s a plan to create a really nice boardwalk that would stretch that whole stretch of road. And then you would have greenspace where you could have commercial development.”
Ford envisions a mix of upscale restaurants and bars connected by the boardwalk to a hotel, located on the current City Hall site. The city is also planning the development of the area near Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant and the Venue at Coosa Landing, transforming the area into an outdoor recreation area surrounded by outdoor dining.
On the recreation front, Gadsden has partnered with Gadsden State Community College to build the Gadsden Sports Park. The expected cost of the project is an estimated $25 million. Part of the park – made up of baseball, softball and soccer fields – includes a field for kids with disabilities, giving them opportunities to compete. Back spearheaded the idea.
“I see it all the time with these Challenger leagues, Field of Dreams and that concept. I really thought we needed to do that, and the mayor agreed with me,” Back said.
The completed and projected projects along the river are fueled by citizen demand, Ford said, not just among Gadsden residents, but also those in neighboring towns.
“I think the growth is just the demand of not just the people in the City of Gadsden, but surrounding communities that want to see Gadsden develop the river and give people something to do in Gadsden,” Ford said.
The Venue at Coosa Landing
City officials have identified several parcels of city-owned property now targeted for future development. In turn, Gadsden is making its pitch to developers across the Southeast.
The relocation of Highway 411 will be critical to the development of the riverfront, Moore said.
“I see the City of Gadsden in a few years thriving off riverfront development in the way of tourism, once we relocate Highway 411 to create more greenspace along the river as well as restaurants, shops, bars and outdoor activity,” Moore said. “These developments will all be centrally focused around a four-star hotel with a rooftop bar, pools and spa.”
Moore sees the city as “the home of the three-day getaway, where people from 120 to 150 miles will want to come and play.”
Ford, who often envisions Gadsden reimagined as a “fun town,” says a city that not so long ago was given up for dead is today “growing and thriving in a post-COVID world, which can’t be said for a lot of cities.”
He added, “We are working aggressively to become an entertainment town that offers visitors a riverfront experience, natural waterfalls for hiking and multiple golf courses for leisure.”
The city, thanks to picturesque Noccalula Falls, is fast becoming a popular fly fishing and kayaking destination. The surrounding park is also home to arts and craft fairs and other events. The city has invested $16 million in that area.
Gadsden, home to two hospitals, is also growing its healthcare footprint near the Coosa. Tuscaloosa-based Alabama Cancer Care has invested $6.5 million to construct a new cancer treatment center. Serving a 10-county area, the new facility with its riverfront view means cancer-stricken residents of the region will not have to make the taxing trip to Birmingham for treatments as they battle the disease.
The facility is located at the old armory site in Gadsden, a deal closed shortly after Ford took office. Healthcare was among the targeted sectors by David Hooks when he became executive director of the Gadsden-Etowah Industrial Development Authority.
The new facility will mean some 16 good-paying jobs for city residents. Ford says the city is following Birmingham’s example as a health care hub in the state. After all, Birmingham transformed its once smokestack economy of iron and steel into a service-based economy.
“With two hospitals located inside the city, healthcare is a target for economic development,” he said. “We are constantly looking for ways to grow this industry in Gadsden and recruit companies that offer different types of services and treatments,” Ford said. “Look at Birmingham and what a great job they have done with UAB and how that complex has really grown that area in the city.”
The growth along the banks of the Coosa, fueled by the current administration’s vision, means a flood of optimism in the city.
“In reimagining ourselves, Gadsden is taking advantage of the natural gifts that we have in a river that comes right down the middle of our city and we’ve never really done that before. … Cities would kill to have a 90-foot waterfall and a riverfront in their city. We’ve got both.”
Ford sums up the beehive of activity along the river and across the city, an effort aimed at improving the quality of life across the board for locals and putting the economic setbacks of the past in Gadsden’s rearview mirror.
