America’s longest paddle race navigates Neely Henry, Logan Martin en route to finish
In the quiet of a Saturday evening and Sunday morning in September on Neely Henry and Logan Martin lakes, you just might have heard the sound of a boat paddle slapping the water in staccato precision, propelling the paddler toward the finish line.
It would be a week before the first of the group reached that goal as they made their way across lakes, rivers and creeks on a 650-mile trek that takes stamina, will and determination. Lots of determination.
First to arrive at Logan Martin portage near the dam
It’s America’s longest paddle race, and it’s right here in Alabama – along the state’s Scenic River Trail. It began at Weiss Lake near the border with Georgia and ended in the Alabama Gulf at Fort Morgan as the final racer crossed the finish line Oct. 1.
The first leg of the race took paddlers through Gadsden and Neely Henry, arriving there during the night of the first day. The next morning residents up and down the shores of Logan Martin caught glimpses of paddlers all day long as they headed to the portage at Logan Martin Dam.
Watch party at Buffalo Wild Wings in Gadsden
One of the first to pass through the local area was Trey Reaves, who went on to win the race in seven days, three hours and 20 minutes. The first-place finish was familiar territory to Reaves. He was Alabama 650’s first back-to-back solo winner.
Also coming in quickly at Logan Martin’s portage was Lindsey Tilton, the first female to complete the course exclusively on a paddleboard. She finished in 9 days, 19 hours and 35 minutes.
To underscore the grueling challenge of the race, only 47 percent actually finish. At the end this year, there were only 10 claiming that achievement. l
Editor’s Note: The Great Alabama 650 is part of the Alabama Scenic River Trail, a network of more than 6,500 miles of river trails throughout Alabama, spanning from mountain streams and whitewater rapids in North Alabama to the river deltas in the South. It is one of the most diverse in the country. For more, go to: ASRT.me.
Lindsey Tilton in historic paddle board finish at Fort Morgan
Innovative LMLPA program gives kids up-close look at Logan Martin Lake’ diverse turtle population
Story by Loyd McIntosh Photos by Richard Rybka
It’s Friday night in early June, and a group of parents and their children are wandering through the boggy marsh on the banks of Logan Martin. With flashlights guiding their way, the group follows the lead of Grover Brown, an assistant professor from the Department of Biology at Jacksonville State University.
A specialist in herpetology, the study of reptiles and amphibians, he waves his flashlight around, shining the light into the treeline until he finds what he is looking for, a pink ribbon tied to a low-hanging branch indicating the general area he set a turtle trap in the shallow water below.
A couple of girls catching turtles
Brown feels around in the murky water until he finds the rope and starts tugging the trap toward the shore. Brown pulls the trap out of the water to a chorus of “Cool!” and “Wow!” The trap is filled with turtles. “We did pretty good,” Brown says as he clears the trap of debris. “What we use as bait is a can of sardines. Apparently, I put two in here because I wasn’t paying attention,” Brown says.
As the kids gather around, shining their flashlights around frantically as they attempt to get a glimpse of the haul, Brown removes the turtles from the trap and explains to the excited children what they caught.
“We have two species in here. We’ve got what we call a pond slider,” he explains as he holds up a small turtle, about the size of a hockey puck.
“This is a male, and I know it’s a male because of his feet,” Brown explains, as he points out the turtle’s long “wolverine” like toes. He asks the assembled children what they think the turtle uses his long claw for and after a few moments of the children shouting out an array of good to goofy answers, he finally gives them the truth.
“The ladies find them very attractive,” Brown says as the group, adults and children, burst out into laughter.
Next, Brown shows the group another catch, a small female turtle commonly known as a stinkpot, inviting everyone to smell the reptile before sharing the smelly truth behind its name.
“They’re very small and need to come up with a form of protection, and they basically act like the turtle equivalent of a skunk,” Brown says. “When they get scared, they release a really foul, smelly musk.”
After a few more minutes of discussion, Brown allows the kids to handle the turtles and release them back into the water before making their way down the path to the next trap.
The scene is part of Frog Night WithTurtles, an annual event organized by the Logan Martin Lake Protection Association (LMLPA) honoring the late Dr. George Cline, a beloved professor of biology at Jacksonville State who passed away in February 2022. Known affectionately as Dr. Frog, Cline taught biology, ecology, conservation, animal behavior, herpetology and vertebrate anatomy for close to 30 years and also volunteered his time at the Anniston of Natural History, where he founded Herpfest, an annual celebration of reptiles and amphibians.
Brown, who, with good humor, suggests Dr. Turtle as a suitable nickname for himself, is now in his third year leading Frog Night With Turtles. As he prepares for the event underneath a pavilion at Pell City Lakeside Park, he can barely contain his enthusiasm to showcase the unique biodiversity of Logan Martin Lake and the state as a whole.
Hunting turtles
“It’s a great opportunity for these kids to get to see the wildlife that occurs in their own backyard,” Brown says.
“Alabama is really lucky to have a warm climate, and we have topography, so we have species that only occur in the mountains and species that may only occur along the coast,” he adds. “So with that gradient, we get incredible biodiversity.”
For the first half of the event, Brown and his colleague Bethany Adams, an instructor of Biology with a special interest in Alabama’s snake population, talk to the group about the reptiles and amphibians they are likely to encounter in the area.
He and Adams also have a little show-and-tell, bringing out some exotic turtles and even a rat snake, allowing the kids – and their parents – to see and touch these animals. Brown said their goal is to help the group appreciate their natural surroundings in an interactive and fun way.
“They’re going to learn about their ecology without knowing they’re learning about their ecology,” says Brown. “We’re going to say what these turtles do, why they’re important to the environment, and why we should care about them and protect them because we know if the environment is healthy for them, then the environment is also healthy for us.
“We try to weave in a few lessons of why they should care about these species and why these species, in my opinion, make Alabama so special,” Brown adds. “We have more total species in our state than most countries do around the world.”
An evening of wonder
As the sun sets and the moon shines its silvery light on the surface of the lake, the kids show no signs of slowing down as Brown pulls yet another trap from the murky water. Excitedly, they gather around the biologist and wait for their turn to hold a turtle, gently drop it back into the water, and watch it swim away, before hustling back for another turn.
“It was amazing!” said Layon Nixon, an 11-year-old student at Williams Intermediate School in Pell City. “I’ve never gotten to hold a turtle before!”
Layon’s mother, Lisa Nixon, said she brought her daughters, Layon and Adalle, to Frog & Turtle Night to support their interests but also to emphasize the importance of the area’s wildlife and caring for the health of the lake.
“First of all, they love this sort of thing,” says Nixon. “We’ve always known about the association (LMLPA) and support the association, and just knowing the science behind it and knowing the animals that are part of the lake and the need to take care of them is huge.”
Just when you thought Logan Martin’s Pirate Island couldn’t get any better, along comes a new resident.
It’s a giant wooden pirate, in full pirate regalia, complete with a peg leg and a photo cutout for capturing memories.
It was a gift to Jim and Laurie Regan, owners of the island, handcrafted by Jim’s friend, Randall Rigsby, president and CEO of Altex Packaging in Anniston. He created it from a photo of Jim in costume and then “cut my mug out,” says Jim.
It all began with Jim’s appearance at Bucaneer Camp at the Anniston Museum, where Jim talked to the would-be pirates about the perks of being a seafaring adventurer. Randall made the form with marine-grade wood, and now it stands sentry over the island. Jim built a platform behind it for the kids to climb up and have their picture made.
So, step on up, put your face in place and just say, Arrrrrgh, Matey! l
Editor’s Note: Oh, yeah, the pirate needs a name. Won’t you help? Send your nominations to: happenings@loganmartinlakelife.com. The best moniker wins a LakeLife 24/7 Pirate Island T-shirt and a prize pack of treasures!
When Erin and Brian Mooney opened Tre Luna Catering and later Tre Luna Bar & Kitchen, their motto became “bringing our table to yours.” That’s exactly what they plan to do when they cater the Evening at Harman Castle event on Nov. 8.
Tre Luna will be making this event an affair to remember as they cater a progressive, three-course dinner crafted by Mooney, “while enjoying complimentary valet service and immersive live music on every floor,” the invitation says. The dinner features an open bar with wine and signature cocktails and an opportunity to explore the castle’s exclusive amenities. RSVP required.
The Mooneys opened Tre Luna Catering in 2014 and as their customer and fan base grew, they opened Tre Luna Bar & Kitchen in Hoover in 2019. The focus is on providing simple, fresh, and house-made food for all of their customers, whether at the restaurant or at weddings, parties, fundraisers and other events.
Brian, the executive chef, was born in New York but got his start in the hospitality industry while working the grill in the summers at his father’s poolside bar in Boca Raton, Florida. His father sold the bar to two Italian brothers, and Brian’s passion for food and Italian cooking grew under their tutelage.
Erin, who has a passion for serving others, comes by it naturally. Born in Selma, she was raised in Birmingham and grew up in the food and beverage industry. Her mom’s side of the family owned an Italian restaurant while her father’s side had a butcher shop and grocery store.
The two met when Brian was working at a restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, and they moved to Birmingham so he could work for Frank Stitt at Bottega. That’s when he fell in love with Southern cooking and food.
When we asked the Mooneys to share one of their favorite recipes, one “simple and delicious” dish that they enjoy at home as well as serving to others immediately came to mind.
“We picked the Baked Oysters because they represent how much Brian and I love to entertain and share food,” Erin said, adding that the dish was inspired by her love of oysters and Brian’s love for Italian-inspired cooking and fresh seafood.
“When we entertain at our home, baked oysters are always a staple,” she said.
“We also order them with friends at the restaurant.”
Baked Oysters
Ingredients
¼ cup pancetta
1 cup blanched, squeezed spinach, chopped
2 Tbsp. finely chopped shallots
½ cup parmesan
1 pint heavy cream
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. pepper
6 fresh oyster
¼ cup bread crumbs, toasted
3 Tbsp. butter
1 lemon
Directions:
Place pancetta in a small skillet and cook over medium heat until browned and crisp, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer pancetta and drippings to a medium mixing bowl.
In a small pot, simmer the heavy cream and reduce until the cream starts to thicken, about 5-8 min on medium high heat.
Stir in spinach, shallots, and parmesan into the cream and season with salt and pepper. Set aside and let cool.
Use an oyster knife to shuck the oysters, sliding the knife under connective muscle to loosen the oyster from the shell. Top oysters with pancetta-spinach mixture, Cook in oven on broil on the lowest rack until golden brown and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately. Use lemon garnish and to finish.
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.”
Before you even cross the medieval drawbridge entering Hartman Castle, it stirs the imagination. Step inside and step back in time to a place where fairy tales and history reside side by side.
Once you enter, one thing you can’t imagine – surrounded by armored knights, medieval craftsmanship and all the makings of a castle – is that you are standing in Alpine, Alabama, on Logan Martin Lake.
But that’s precisely where you have arrived at what has to be one of the most unusual Air BnBs on the rental market.
It is pure imagination all wrapped up in 4,300 square feet, five buildings and 12 levels overlooking the lake in Clear Creek. Only, this is not a fairy tale, it’s a true story of one man fulfilling his wife’s dream decades ago and another man decades later, intrigued by the story – and the challenge – bringing it back to life.
In the beginning
The castle itself is the creation of the late Donald Dewayne Hartman, who designed and built it for his wife, Royldene, who always dreamed of living in a castle. Hartman is described as a writer, an educator, world traveler and a lifelong learner.
Putt-putt golf course with a medieval touch
Books he wrote adorn shelves in alcoves off the main foyer. They are filled with mystery and intrigue in faraway places, much like the life of the creator himself. He died in 2022 at the age of 86.
His obituary states he was recognized nationally for developing one of the top foreign language programs in the country. He holds bachelor’s and advanced degrees from 10 different universities around the world.
He was known as an avid painter and a carpenter, the latter of which is evident throughout the castle.
Modern renaissance
In 2023, Blake Shultz, a Realtor from Birmingham, enters the picture. His in-laws live just down the road from the castle, and one day he saw there was to be an auction. “I followed the signs.”
Bidders had a single day to inspect and make an offer on this castle closed years before and showing signs of neglect. But adding to this unfolding story of intrigue was a clue – a hint about its hidden rooms. “Win the bid or never know,” Shultz recalled.
Intricate detail, unusual features, regal look features of castle
He made his offer and when the bidding was over, he walked away as owner of the keys to the castle and the secrets to the hidden rooms found within.
“A year later and lots of work,” and Hartman Castle is now open, renting this elaborate, whimsical and historic lakeside retreat to the wide-ranging interests of vacationers. It has been ideal for groups – bachelor and bachelorette parties, corporate retreats, church and youth groups or those who just want to be immersed in medieval surroundings.
“It took 12 months to renovate,” Shultz said, who shouldered much of the work himself. First, there were nine 40-yard dumpsters to dispose of what was not needed. A shipping container resided outside for eight months, where Shultz placed whatever would end up in the finished product as the ‘keeper’ area.
Interior design was a “family affair,” Shultz said, crediting his wife and mother-in-law with the intricate, complementary details that makes this castle a home. Knights in armor stand sentry with wood carvings, art and furniture placement all coming together to make this a special place indeed.
“There was no going back” on this project, Shultz said, noting that in his experience flipping properties, there was always an exit plan just in case. Fail early and fail cheaply. In this project, “once we were in, we were in,” he said. “It was more of a risk.”
No risk, no reward
Shultz made a few structural changes to the original, but most of it is preserved intact as Hartman envisioned it.
There are cosmetic and functional changes, like a closet added with a half bath complete with dragon motif. A piano that took eight people to get down the staircase is new. So is the flooring, replacing the carpet that was there before.
The drawbridge was manual. Now it’s automatic, and the mechanics are hidden behind panels in the wall.
Concrete platforms in different rooms have been turned into sleeping quarters. A scavenger hunt designed especially for the guests help them find hidden rooms and a special prize if they solve the mystery.
Blake Shultz on the drawbridge
Adorning a wall in one of the rooms is ‘wall of thrones’ – wallpaper designed from Game of Thrones artwork, but superimposing the face of his father-in-law as a surprise to him. Hartman once found 300 headboards with an unusual design. He was very creative and used headboards in his own design of the castle. He built all the doors and the trim himself.
Shultz employed his own creativity, building the 12-foot, red oak table that centers a dining room in Building 3, which houses a second kitchen. The fireplace is original. So are the chairs and chandeliers and lights from Bulgaria. The Hartmans loved dinner parties, and their gold goblets and dinnerware have remained.
The views from various areas of the castle overlook Clear Creek near Alpine Bay, and the kitchen, open to a sitting area with sleeper sofas, overlooks the lake as well.
Hartman’s basement workshop now has an added bar area and a concrete loft and fireplace.
It has two party deck areas with lake views. The middle deck features a gathering spot with a Blackstone grill. Just off that area is an 18-hole putt-putt golf course. Miniature castles, dragons and armored knights make up the obstacles at various holes.
A game room features an arcade machine, playing card table and table tennis. Outside, at the top of the property, you’ll find a regulation pickleball court. On the lake side, a double decked covered pier and a fire pit at the water’s edge are highlights.
Shultz said the question during the whole process became, “What other things can we add that really say, you don’t have to leave the property? We wanted it to be unique and fun. This is what we came up with.”
Rave reviews
What Shultz really came up with is a hit, garnering 5-star reviews and making the prestigious lists of “Super Hosts” and “Guest Favorites” on Air BnB.
“The history of the property is fascinating,” said one reviewer. “The restoration of the property to its original state is unreal. There is a working drawbridge! Artifacts, newspaper articles, documents and photos from the past are displayed throughout.
“The detached library has been transformed into extra bedrooms. Every sofa is a sleeper sofa. The baby grand piano and the working organ were a big hit. Putt-putt, ping-pong, pickle ball, the game room, firepit and double decker dock provided hours of fun for everyone. We never ran out of things to do or explore.”
Another described it as “quirky and fun, the view was amazing, and the putt-putt course put it over the top.”
“The castle is definitely one-of-a-kind location,” said one review.
“What a unique experience!,” exclaimed another. “We loved staying at Hartman Castle, it felt just like being in a medieval castle. Our group brought costumes, cosplays, and princess dresses for a royal photoshoot and found so many amazing backdrops around the castle.”
And at the end of the stay, what this guest had to say is what it is all about: “It’s a trip full of memories that we will never forget” – just like the castle Hartman created years ago, and Shultz brought back to life.
A simple idea to create an event that gives back to the community while giving families something fun to do has blossomed into the Lakeside Live Musicfest, which returns to Lakeside Park in September.
The Five16 Foundation hosts this annual music festival and car show at Pell City Lakeside Park. Event Director Casey Cambron says the foundation expects this year’s event to impact The Saint Clair Children’s Advocacy Center (The Children’s Place) in meaningful ways.
Now in its fourth year, Lakeside Live embodies the Five16 Foundation’s mission of “shining our light through fundraising, service, and good works.” Cambron expects thousands of people to flock to the park for a day of music and family fun. In turn, they will be helping others.
Since its inception, the festival has evolved significantly. Originally held in November, the event was moved to mid-September to avoid the cold weather, finding its sweet spot on the third Saturday of the month.
From muscle cars to VWs, the car show brings it all
Generously supported by sponsors like Buffalo Rock Pepsi, this year’s festival is slated for Sept. 21 with gates opening at 10 a.m. The event will go on until approximately 8 p.m. with a variety of activities planned throughout the day.
Lakeside Live exudes a friendly, family-oriented atmosphere. It attracts a diverse crowd, with smiling faces, kids playing games and families enjoying food from local vendors. As the name implies, music is the main ingredient.
Cambron announced that this year’s music headliner is The Spin Doctors, a popular American alternative rock band. “We’re excited to host The Spin Doctors this year, but we are also very excited about our opening band,” says Cambron. The festival opener will be Sand Rock, a band made up of Pell City High School students. Other notable acts are The Greg White Band, Deputy 5, The Leverton Brothers, The Wingnuts, and more.
Inspired by other local events, Lakeside Live stands out for its unique blend of activities. In addition to an entertaining musical lineup, the event also offers an impressive car show with hundreds of cars on display, most of which are from the St. Clair County area.
The car show itself is quite a draw, showcasing a wide range of vehicles from high-end cars to bicycles. Custom handmade awards are presented to winners, adding a personal touch to the event.
Over 100 vendors and food trucks and a variety of children’s activities will be available for attendees to enjoy. About 90% of the vendors are local. While there is no charge to browse the car show, items at vendor booths and food trucks are available for purchase.
Rides and more
One highlight of the event is the Battle of the Badges, a spirited competition between the fire and police departments. This competition features an obstacle course, tug-of-war and other challenges. Cambron described Battle of the Badges as an “entertaining interaction between local first responders that allows the community to engage with them in a fun way.”
Having won two of the three years of the Battle of the Badges, the Pell City Fire Department is eager to challenge the reigning champions, the Pell City Police Department.
In addition to benefitting the Children’s Advocacy Center, proceeds from Lakeside Live Musicfest also contribute to various local causes, such as the police and fire departments, the local school system, children’s organizations, and more.
“We are so thankful for our generous sponsors like Buffalo Rock Pepsi and Lakeside Boathouse, who have believed in our dream from day one,” said Cambron. He also credited fellow board members, Pell City High School Wrestling and other volunteers who give of their time throughout the year and on event day to make Lakeside Live Musicfest a success.
Looking ahead, the goal is to continue growing the festival, maintaining its community-focused spirit while expanding its reach and impact. By continuously improving and adapting to feedback, Cambron hopes to make each year’s event better than the last, ultimately creating a lasting legacy of community support and enjoyment.
Editor’s Note: For more information and to apply as a vendor, visit the festival’s website at lakesideliveshow.com. Vendor applications are accepted until Sept. 1, 2024.
New store brings kayaks, accessories and more to Pell City
Story and photos by Carol Pappas
Turn off U.S. 231 South at the colorful, largemouth bass mailbox, and it’s your first hint that something special awaits up ahead.
Just beyond is newly opened The Yak Shak, a stone’s throw from Logan Martin Lake. Inside, you’ll find something special indeed – and it’s not just the kayaks and accessories.
Meet Allen and Jessica Norris, owners of The Yak Shak, a business they started five years ago when they were dating. Kayak fishing was Allen’s hobby, and he soon introduced Jessica to it. When it became their passion together, they decided to build a business around it. The Yak Shak already has a franchise opening in Indiana soon.
Allen, Jessica and Madelyn Norris, not pictured, 2-year-old Coleman
They located their initial store in a strip mall in Pelham and experienced early successes when the COVID pandemic hit, and people began heading outdoors. “It’s been a wild ride,” Allen said. “We’ve only known pandemic retail,” added Jessica. “Interest exploded. We thought that was the way it was going to be.”
While other businesses closed their doors during the pandemic, The Yak Shak thrived. It wasn’t until the year after, when supply chain problems surfaced that their business plan headed in an adaptive direction. “We worked off pre-orders,” where customers could choose their exact color, style, and customization.
Much of their business is still centered on pre-orders today, but they have adapted and expanded when opportunities arose. They found a market in used kayaks generated by the new kayak market. They have trade-ins, they offer full customization of the kayaks, and they ship smaller items all over the country.
They define their business as a “destination” type – customers looking for a place to buy a kayak. They sell kayaks, paddleboards and inflatables not found in big box stores. They also offer well-known brands like AFTCO, Heybo, Big Bite Baits, YakAttack and Rapala. They sell Bending Branches paddles and NRS inflatable kayaks.
Average price range of kayaks and accessories is $500-$2,500. Now that kayak fishing tournaments allow motors, The Yak Shak has seen an influx of customers wanting to add trolling motors, outboards, live scope, and many more electronics to their kayaks. “We cater to tournament-focused brands,” Allen adds.
A tournament weigh-in held there a couple of weeks ago accommodated 17 vehicles with kayaks and trailers in the parking lot. “We had plenty of room,” said Allen, noting another plus of their move from Pelham to Pell City.
Of course, it’s not a weigh-in in the bass tournament sense of the phrase. Kayak fishing tournaments are ‘weighed’ with photos and a “bump board,” a ruler-like board with a hard end to measure the fish from nose to tail. A photo then captures the size for this catch-and-release method.
Every boat and accessory they offer, they tested themselves. “It’s our passion,” Allen said. He gives the nod to Jessica in the fishing, though. “Her personal best is a 7-pound largemouth.”
How they got here from there
The couple arrived at this moment in their lives from different directions, but there is no disguising the joy they have already found running a business in Pell City together.
Kayaks on display in showroom
He graduated from Kennesaw State College in Georgia in Management, Entrepreneurship and International Business. “I speak Chinese,” he said, referring to his International Business interest. He went to work at Hewlett Packard right out of college, and a promotion brought him to Birmingham.
She graduated in Communications at the University of Alabama, and her background is in marketing and franchising. In her spare time between their business, working remotely with a software company, tending to their 4-month-old and 2-year-old, she wrote a children’s book – Francine’s First Fish. She was already in Birmingham.
They met, fell in love, married and started a business. They found a home on Logan Martin Lake and moved a coupled of years ago. It just made sense to trade the long commute for a business near their home and the lake.
“We’re excited to be a part of the community,” Allen said, noting that The Yak Shak has already been involved in LakeFest and events at Lincoln’s Landing. “This is where we live and want to do business. It’s where we want to raise our kids.”
He points to the growth all around and said, “It is very encouraging to see that as a new business.” When the location on U.S. 231 opened up, they decided to close Pelham and move The Yak Shak to Pell City, Allen said. “It was the best move for our family and our business.”
St. Clair County Farmers Market in Pell City is a growers’ market, meaning it is grown locally. The market itself has grown locally, too, necessitating a move to Lakeside Park this year.
The market moved from the Avondale Walking Track to Lakeside Park in the parking lot by the boat launch. The market got underway June 5 and will be open each Wednesday, weather permitting, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the summer.
Veggie Bucks for the kids are back thanks to community sponsors. Children ages 5-12 can come by the St. Clair County Extension tent to receive a $3 voucher to spend on the fruits or vegetables of their choice.
St. Clair County Farmers Market is an effort by the St. Clair County Extension Service.
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.”
