NEELY HENRY NEWS – Page 2 – LakeLife 24/7 Magazine

Riverfront Gadsden

City plans for more development
will continue to boost local economy

Story by Paul South
Photos by Graham Hadley
and contributed photos

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

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

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

That was then.

This is now.

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

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

It all started with the cleanup of the waterfront.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Gadsden is back.”

In the Kitchen with Tracci Cordell

The perfect place to make a home on Neely Henry Lake

Story by Scottie Vickery
Photos by Mackenzie Free

Connections are a vital part of Tracci Cordell’s life. She treasures the links to her past as much as she loves introducing friends and co-workers to each other, enlarging her tribe as a result. That’s why her new home on Neely Henry Lake has become the perfect refuge, a place that anchors her to her roots and allows her to strengthen bonds with those she loves.

“I wanted to have a place where everyone could just come and hang out,” she said of the home she built last year on property her parents owned for decades in the Riddles Bend area of the lake. “I don’t have a lot of family here now, but my friends have become family. Every good memory I have growing up happened right here, and now I’m making more.”

Friends Rainbow City Mayor Joe Taylor (center) and Southside Mayor Dana Snyder get in on the kitchen action with Cordell

Connection has become even more important to Cordell in recent years. In a 13-month period from January 2019 to February 2020, she lost her husband, Ron; her sister, Terri Maddock; her mother, Gail Maddock; and Scott Reed, a cousin who was like a brother.

“You have two choices when something like that happens,” she said. “You don’t go on, or you can just choose to live. Before he died, my husband said, ‘I want you to be happy and let your light shine.’”

That’s why, when Cordell moved into her new home last June, one of the first things she displayed on the entry table by the front door were wooden blocks that read “Choose Joy Today.” A painting of her childhood home in Gadsden, a gift from her sister Tammi, is surrounded by pictures of her loved ones.

These days, Cordell finds joy gazing out her windows at the sunlight dancing off the water or gathering a crowd around the firepit. One of her favorite things, though, is hosting the yearly “sauce-a-thon” when she and a group of friends help make 100 quarts of her mom’s Italian Spaghetti Sauce, just like Cordell used to do with her mother and two sisters.

The recipe, in her mother’s handwriting, is so special to Cordell that she had it made into wallpaper for her kitchen pantry. “She’d been making it all her life, but after she started getting older and had had a stroke, I knew we needed to pay attention,” Cordell said. “After she died, friends started coming to help and then more friends came. It’s just a big fun time.”

Dana Snyder, the mayor of Southside, is one of Cordell’s longtime friends who has rolled her sleeves up for the big event. Their friendship, however, has yielded much more than just delicious Italian sauce. Cordell introduced Snyder to another friend, Joe Taylor, who is the mayor of Rainbow City.

“The first time I met Dana was when Tracci bummed money from me for her campaign,” Taylor said with a laugh. All three worked for the City of Gadsden at the time, and as their friendship has grown through the years, so has their commitment to the lake that is such a vital part of their lives and communities.

The vast majority – about 79 percent – of Neely Henry’s 339 miles of shoreline is within the city limits of Southside and Rainbow City. As a result, Snyder said that she and Taylor have become professional partners of sorts in addition to being friends.

“When we were both elected, we said we were going to work together,” Snyder said. “Early on, we said we were going to be partners.” Taylor agreed, adding that “everything we do is to help each city. This lake is critical to the life of this region. It has to be one of the paramount issues when it comes to planning.”

Establishing roots

When Cordell built her home on Neely Henry, one of t was the fulfillment of a dream her parents had more than 45 years ago. Richard and Gail Maddock bought the lot in 1978 and it became the family’s favorite escape. The property wasn’t cleared and there were trees and brush all the way down to the river, but that didn’t stop Cordell and her sisters.

“My mom would cut a place out so she could put her chair and we would play in the water,” she said. “We came here every weekend and had birthday parties here. Eventually my parents built a T-shaped dock for Tammi, Terri, and Tracci.”

Their father, Richard, died of colon cancer at 59, and after their mother and sister passed away, Cordell and Tammi began the process of cleaning out and making hard decisions. Tammi lives in Virginia and Cordell had a house in Southside at the time, but they couldn’t bear the thought of selling the lake lot.

“We were cleaning out and found some house plans that Dad had made,” Cordell recalled. “We looked at each other and Tammi said, ‘We can’t get rid of it.’”

They soon found another sign. “I was a spoiled Daddy’s girl, and he always told me he bought this lot for my birthday,” Cordell said. She didn’t really believe it until they found paperwork showing the purchase was made on February 28, 1978, Cordell’s 7^th birthday.

Once the decision was made, Cordell sold her house and stayed with some family friends during the building process. After moving in, she filled her home with specials memories from the past that she wanted to carry into her future. She refurbished her great-grandmother’s kitchen table and hung a picture of a maple tree in its full fall splendor nearby. “That was my dad’s favorite tree in Gadsden,” she said.

Just off the kitchen is a hallway to the laundry room, which features a collection of dozens of black and white photos of her family members and friends. Her husband is there, as is her daughter, Kelsi, a flight attendant who lives with Cordell when she’s not working. There are pictures of her parents, her sisters, her uncle Ronnie Reed, and other family members, as well as a host of friends and her boyfriend, Barry Ragsdale.

“These are my people,” she said. “They are my tribe. They’re family, and they’re friends who have come family.”

Cordell also cherishes the painting of her father that hangs in her bedroom. “He was over purchasing at Gulf State Steel for a long time and he was a suit and tie guy at work,” she said. “He was a wannabe farmer, though, so he would come home and put on his overalls and John Deere cap and head outside to his tractor.”

The three girls gave him the painting, which was created by Elaine Campbell, a family friend and artist, for Father’s Day one year. “It cost $600 and we each paid $200,” said Cordell, adding that it felt like a fortune since she was in high school at the time. Today, though, she considers the painting and the memories it evokes to be priceless treasures.

Large island gives plenty of room to help cook or dine

She feels the same way about the wallpaper in her pantry. After finding the index card with the handwritten recipe for Italian Spaghetti sauce that her mother got from a neighbor in 1979, Cordell had cutting boards featuring the recipe made for family members. After scouring Etsy, an online site featuring handmade and vintage items, she decided to have the recipe made into wallpaper.

“I thought about just doing one wall with the wallpaper but then I decided that if I could do a wall, why couldn’t I do a whole room,” Cordell said with a laugh. “It makes me smile every time I come in here.”

Chances are, the fact that Cordell continues to make the sauce makes her mother smile, as well. “I have such wonderful memories of making this sauce with my mom and my sisters,” she said. “There are no Italians in my family. Why my mother started making this sauce, I have no idea. But I think she would love that we’re still making it.”

Sauce-making day has steadily evolved over the years. “We used to make it outside, but it’s too hot,” Cordell said. “It’s usually the opening day of dove season. The men are in the woods and we’re in the kitchen, but we make them core the tomatoes before they leave.”

Cordell only uses tomatoes from Chandler Mountain, and she gets 10 half-bushel boxes. The first step is to lay them all out on blankets and tables and countertops “to look for any bad spots you might miss,” she said. “One may be getting mushy, so you’ve got to get it out of there.”

The day is as much fun as it is messy. “We have a really good time talking and laughing,” Cordell said. “It’s family, it’s making memories, and it’s just what we do.”

Lure of the lake

The fact that Cordell and her tribe have a beautiful view of the water makes the day even more wonderful. “It just means peace to me,” she said, adding that Taylor weighed in on her decision to build. “He said, ‘Whatever you do, don’t sell that lot,’” she said.

He and his wife Rachel have called Neely Henry home since 2016 and he said that lake property is much harder to come by because so many people keep it in the family for generations. Snyder knows that firsthand. “It took us several years to find a lot,” she said, adding that she and her husband Chris plan to start building within the next year.

The cherished painting of her father hangs in her bedroom, a gift to him on Father’s Day from the daughters

“I already say I’m a river rat, though,” she said. “My grandparents had a house in Whorton Bend and we’d go there every weekend. My grandfather would take us fishing and for rides on the pontoon boat. My aunt had a paddle boat, and we would just disappear.”

The passion Snyder, Taylor and Cordell share for the lake and the whole region has helped cement their friendship. In addition, all three have worked in different capacities for the City of Gadsden.

Cordell worked in the human resources department for more than 20 years before Mayor Craig Ford named her planning and zoning administrator last July. Part of her new duties include helping to guide and implement “GROW Gadsden,” the city’s new comprehensive plan. “The one driving force behind this plan has been the Coosa River that runs through Gadsden,” she said. “It is one of our most talked about assets.”

Snyder, who worked for a private law firm for 15 years before earning an accounting degree, transitioned from private practice to civil service when she joined the City of Gadsden’s legal department in 2009. She also served on the Southside City Council for four years before being elected mayor in 2020.

Although the mayoral position is officially part-time, Snyder left her full-time job with the city after she was elected to focus on her new duties. “I knew I couldn’t get anything done with a full-time job,” she said. “I’m one of those people who wants things done today and not tomorrow.”

Taylor joined the City of Gadsden in 1995 and served as a commander with the Fire Department after running a landscaping business and serving in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper and then in the Army National Guard. He also remodels houses and has refurbished and sold nearly 150.

“This job is is everything I had done before all rolled into one,” he said of his role as mayor, which he took on in 2020. “Dana and I have both been civil servants, and that has helped us in our role as mayors.”

Both mayors have also developed comprehensive plans for their cities, and they agree that finding ways for more people to enjoy Neely Henry needs to be a priority.

“As the cities grow, both of them, we’ve got to provide more public access (to the lake) for people who don’t live on the water,” Snyder said. “The fact that we are on this lake is the greatest asset we could ever have,” Taylor added.

As the owner of a new home on the water and her new role at work, Cordell understands that concept more than ever. “I have really come full circle from growing up on the river to helping make sure it is being showcased as the jewel it truly is. It’s home, and I can’t imagine ever living anywhere else.”

Italian Spaghetti

(Tracci Cordell)

1 pint Wesson oil
4 hot banana peppers, chopped
3 pounds onions, chopped
½ bushel tomatoes, unpeeled and quartered
2 whole heads garlic
1 cup sugar
½ cup salt
4 12-ounce cans of tomato past
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon sweet basil

Optional:
1 to 1 ½ pounds of ground beef, Italian sausage or ground turkey, cooked.

Simmer the tomatoes and garlic for about 1 ½ to 2 hours; more if necessary. Drain in a colander and return to pot. Saute banana peppers and onions in oil until soft and add to tomato mixture. Add sugar, salt, tomato paste, oregano, and basil and bring to a full boil. Put into jars and seal. Yields 12 quarts of sauce with meat or 9 quarts of sauce without meat.

Italian Salad and Dressing

(Dana Snyder, Mayor of Southside)

Salad:
Use a variety of greens, such as romaine, kale and spinach
1 medium red onion, sliced
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup pepperoncini peppers
Kalamata olives
Salt and pepper to taste
Croutons

Italian Dressing:
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
½ tsp salt
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

Mix all ingredients together in a jar with a lid.
Shake vigorously until all ingredients are combined. Shake again before each use.

Remember When: Legacies of Reich Hotel live on in Gadsden and Pell City

Story by Roxann Edsall
Photos by Mackenzie Free
Submitted Photos

In the heart of Gadsden, there stands an unassuming brick apartment building. It seems rather unremarkable for 2024, but if one were to step back in time just a few decades, to the year 1930, this same building was quite remarkable.

Eleanor Roosevelt reportedly visited the hotel

It was Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. when the doors officially opened for business at the swanky, 10-story brick Reich Hotel. Adolph Reich, the hotel’s owner, was commended by industry peers for the quality of the furnishings and décor. Dignitaries and guests celebrated Gadsden’s modern luxury hotel on into the early morning hours.

The hotel business had been a part of the Reich family since Adolph’s father, Hungarian-born David Reich, purchased Gadsden’s Printup Hotel in 1894. The Printup had been built by the Gadsden Hotel Company in 1888, in large part as a response to housing needs that resulted from the addition of the Rome-to-Gadsden branch of the Southern Railway. A train station was conveniently located across the street from the hotel’s lobby.

David and his wife, Lottie, owned and managed the Printup until David’s death in 1914. At that time, Adolph took over ownership and made major renovations to this property and began dreaming of building a more modern facility. The opening of the Reich Hotel 16 years later was the fulfilling of a promise made to his mother, that one day Adolph would build his dream hotel for Gadsden.

Gadsden, at the time, was an important port city. People and goods moved along the Coosa River, bringing much-needed supplies, guests and new citizens, many needing a temporary place to stay. The 1930 opening of the Reich Hotel was both perfect and challenging timing for Adolph’s new venture.

It was good in that the new Goodyear Tire Gadsden plant had just been built, and executives needed lodging. It was unfortunate timing in that the hotel opened just a few months into the start of the Great Depression. Despite the bleak times, the hotel thrived, and Adolph and the Reich Hotel became well known in the community. Reich’s hotel business continued to do well through World War II and into the early 1960s.

Wade’s father, Bobby, with a football ice sculpture

The Reich was the site of many social affairs over the years, ranging from weddings to high school proms. “I used to be a schoolteacher, and we had a lot of Christmas parties there at the Reich Hotel,” said Gary Garrett, president of the Etowah Historical Society. “It was beautiful. My mother was a hairdresser, and she used to have a lot of the beauty conventions there, too. I knew the son, Bobby, through my mother.”

Adolph’s son, Robert “Bobby” Reich had graduated from the University of Alabama and gotten into the hotel business himself, building the Guest House Hotel in Birmingham. Bobby eventually sold that hotel and returned to Gadsden to help manage the Reich Hotel.

By the mid 60s, the interstate highway systems made traveling by car more popular, and the hotel industry began to lean more toward “motel” type properties, downplaying the grand lobby style hotels. In response, Adolph took out a bank loan, and Bobby oversaw a major remodel of the Reich, beginning by tearing off the roof to build a patio and swimming pool and adding the additional comfort of air conditioning. Then a motel wing was added, and the name was changed to the Reich Motor Hotel. All rooms were refurnished with modern furniture. The old furniture was sent to the Printup Hotel, which Reich still owned.

Bobby’s son, Wade Reich, was in 7^th grade when they put in the pool at the Reich, and he remembers enjoying that. But, he admits, he had an even better time in the elevator. “I loved operating the Otis hand-crank elevator,” he says. “We’d crank it up to the 6^th floor and then let it drop to the lobby. Your stomach would be up in your throat. That was a lot of fun!”

The transition to the motor hotel model and the million-dollar renovation were the beginnings of the end for the Reich Hotel. Marketing the new motor hotel product did not go well. Bobby ended up selling his family’s Gadsden home and moving into the Reich Hotel to keep it afloat.

When that didn’t work, in 1972, the Reich Hotel was sold, and the family moved into the Printup. The hotel building is still standing, now renamed Daughette Towers and operates as a government-subsidized apartment building serving seniors and disabled adults.

With the Reich Hotel closed, Bobby and his wife, Jane, focused their efforts on the Printup Hotel. They converted a space where Mrs. Tarpley’s Flower Shop had been in the Printup Hotel and opened a small café they called the Whistle Stop. However, the new café wasn’t enough to revive the aging debt-ridden hotel, which was, by now, surrounded by vacant buildings. In December of 1973, the Printup checked out its final hotel guest.

The Reichs retained ownership of the building, offering spaces for ground leases, including a car repair shop, barber and beauty shops, a taxi service and a dress shop.

While Bobby and Jane focused on saving the Printup, their son, Wade Reich, completed his college degree in business administration and marketing. After graduation, in 1974, he and his parents painted the Printup lobby and opened a new restaurant called Poppo’s, the name paying homage to Wade’s grandfather, Adolph.

The restaurant stayed in business until 1978, when, Wade says, “it became apparent the future would be better for family if we sold the building.”

Having sold the building, Wade went to work for Dan Wallace, the inspiration for the movie Big Fish, whose company specialized in grocery store premiere promotions. That venture ended up sending him to London, which led to a new job with a similar business in Paris.

Wade and his wife, Jennifer, spent 14 years living in Paris. Although he loved Paris, Wade does have one regret. He never attended the famed Le Cordon Bleu culinary school. “I could have done Cordon Bleu, but I didn’t,” Wade laments. “It’s crazy! I’d spent countless hours taking customers to all the fine restaurants in Europe. I wish I’d done it.”

Wade and Jennifer returned to the Birmingham area in 2002 to be close to his aging mother. He worked in the grocery store promotions business again for a little while. Then a friend asked him to help run a gas station in Pell City. He came to run the Chevron station near downtown Pell City. Then, in 2008, he and his business partner bought the Texaco station across the street. In 2009, they started smoking butts and ribs there for holidays under the name Butts To Go.

In the 15 years since it opened, Butts To Go has been featured in several publications internationally, including The Toronto Star, USA Today, The Guardian (London), and in Southern Living magazine. They were also featured in the cookbook travelogue The South’s Best Butts by Matt Moore. In late 2021, Butts To Go left the Texaco, and after a brief partnership with The Kitchen, they landed in the old Dominos location on Mays Drive.

Wade has worked long hours all his life and admits to being a “tinkerer.” He started a new venture last year with his son, Eakin. By day, Wade works at Butts To Go, but at night, he’s busy helping wherever he is needed at The Grill at the Farm, a restaurant which opened just nine months ago off Logan Martin Dam Road.

Eakin returned to Cropwell from Key West, where he was food and beverage director at Jimmy Buffett’s famed Margaritaville Beach House Resort. Now he manages The Grill and is busy developing plans for the next stages of the property’s growth. “It owns me,” Eakin admits. “It’s been fun being here from the ground up. And it’s good to be near family.”

Plans for the future of the 62 acres the restaurant sits on are still in the development stages, Wade says. “We’re trying to figure it out,” he adds. “We have event space right now for 130 people. If we fixed up the barn and added a kitchen out there, we would be able to do bigger things. We’re still working on what it will be.” Whatever The Grill is or is to become, he says, “we wouldn’t be doing this if Eakin weren’t here.”

As busy as they are, the Reich family continues to give back to community that has supported their businesses. Recently, they helped with food for events for Dovetail Landing, a veteran transition and wellness facility being built in Lincoln, and for the Wellhouse, a home for female victims of human trafficking in St. Clair County.

Family, hospitality and community. The legacy now lives on through five generations of the Reich family.

Art on the Rocks

Iconic event returns to Noccalula Falls May 4-5

Story by Linda Long
Submitted Photos

Artisans throughout the Southeast, laden with wares ranging from handmade mustache cups to molasses, are heading to Gadsden this spring for a favorite, southern tradition – Art on the Rocks at Noccalula Falls May 4-5.

This semi-annual event is a celebration of beautifully created, handmade arts and crafts of pottery, paintings, jewelry, jams, jellies, candles, soaps, dream catchers, crochet, metal works, wood carvings, and, well, rocks.

Yes, actual art on actual rocks!

Crowds from all over keep returning to Art on the Rocks

“That’s right,” said Laura Gladden, park administrative assistant and event coordinator. “One of our vendors gets large rocks and paints very detailed delicate pictures on them. They’re beautiful. I have one in my house.”

According to Gladden, products offered during the two-day event are as individual as the vendors themselves. “We have a gentleman who paints really big pieces of artwork – so big, that people can actually put it on the side of a barn. Another one works in 3-D art.

When she talks about paintings, she notes that each artist has his or her own unique style. “One person will paint only animals. Beautiful paintings of animals. Another paints only landscapes with colors that pop out at you.”

Gladden has been with Art on the Rocks in its current incarnation since 2019. That’s the year the event returned to the park, after about a 25-year hiatus.

Long time vendor and event participant, Tina Pendley, who, along with her husband David, owns Sweet Tea Pottery, was instrumental in bringing Art on the Rocks back to Gadsden and Noccalula Falls.

Sweet Tea draws its name from its roots. “We wanted something that clearly said the South and what is more southern than sweet tea?,” she asked.

She recalls the historic roots of the festival as well. The event actually got its start back in 1958 as a project of the Gadsden Women’s Club and art-loving member, Mrs. Frank (Merci) Stowers.

Visitors browse the many vendor stalls at the Falls

“Mrs. Stowers, loved to travel,” said Pendley, “and she loved art. After attending an outdoor event in Texas, she brought the idea to the women’s club about having an outdoor art exhibit. The members loved the idea.”

So, she continued, “they started the planning in January, and held the first Art on the Rocks on May 18, 1958. It was a huge success and continued to be successful for 25 years. Eventually, it shut down for about 25 years.”

At some point during the event’s early history, it had come under sponsorship of the Gadsden Art Association, of which the Pendleys were members. She remembers it was at one of the organization’s 2018 meetings when the topic of Art on the Rocks resurfaced.

“We were talking about a fundraiser,” said Pendley, “and I asked the question had they ever considered bringing back Art on the Rocks, and they had not, but they said they would consider it if I would get some information.”

That go-ahead was all Pendley needed to get the ball rolling. She discovered that Noccalula Falls officials would “love” to have an arts and crafts show but didn’t know how to get vendors.

Noccalula Falls is the perfect setting for Art on the Rocks

It was a perfect match. The Pendleys knew how to get vendors because they worked these events with their pottery, but they didn’t know how to set up the park. It was the proverbial marriage made in heaven.

“I met with Christina Richardson (supervisor, Noccalula Falls),” said Pendley. “I knew if we worked together, we could make this happen. She said we’ve got a great crew here at the Falls, and we can make it work. So, I went back to the Art Association and brought back a lot of information about how we can work together with Noccalula Falls.”

And they voted to return Art on the Rocks to its former home at Noccalula.

“It’s just been a great success,” she added. “We’ve gone from having just one show a year to two shows. It’s been a great event to add to the community.”

Gladden agrees. “I love it. It’s my favorite event to work up here. It’s really got a great energy and vibe from not only the people attending but also from all our vendors. I’ve heard many of them say it’s their favorite show to work.

For Pendley, the biggest drawing card for folks to attend Art on the Rocks is the venue itself. “It’s beautiful here. We’ve got not only the waterfall but the green spaces as well. And there’s something for everybody from the train rides to the petting zoo.”

And yes, there will be plenty of food said Gladden. Vendors will serve everything from blooming onions to funnel cakes and everything in between.

Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for kids/seniors/military. Park season passes will be accepted. Pets are welcome everywhere but near the animal habitat. Vendors may register through April 15.

Return of Gadsden’s First Fridays

Coming in April

First Fridays are on their way back and not a moment too soon, for most. When Broad Street overflows with crowds, cars and choruses of entertainment, you’ll know it’s the place to be the first Friday in April and every first Friday thereafter until October.

Talk about a growing success story. First Friday is legendary, regularly drawing from multiple communities throughout the region and states all around the Southeast.

Presented by Downtown Gadsden Inc., it began in 2006 as an effort to bring more people to the heart of the city with the aim of promoting what downtown businesses have to offer.

Vendors, entertainment and of course, the car show – something for everyone

A classic car show was the nucleus in those early years, generating bigger and bigger crowds. Entertainment and a showcasing of downtown stores, restaurants, coffee shops and bars gradually combined for a perfect evening out for the whole family.

And that’s what is in store April 5 when First Friday gets underway once more. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” said Kay Moore, executive director of Downtown Gadsden. Just grow it.

Entertainment of all genres will be on 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th streets and possibly, the 600 block. The sounds of Jazz, R & B, Rock ’n Roll, Bluegrass, Line Dancing and the Cowboy Church Band will fill those streets and so will crowds gathering to hear their favorites.

While downtown, you might take a look at some new additions as part of the Main Street program that Downtown Gadsden is investing a great deal of effort. It is an 18-foot kinetic wood sculpture, which comes courtesy of a project envisioned by Moore and spearheaded by Mario Gallardo, Gadsden State art instructor and director of the Walnut Gallery along with Gadsden Museum of Art Director Ray Wetzel.

Titled “Up from the Depths”, was funded through a collaboration between DGI, Walnut Gallery, Gadsden Museum of Art, the Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts, The Chamber, Greater Gadsden Area Tourism, and the City of Gadsden with additional support from the Alabama State Council on the Arts.

It is fabricated in brushed aluminum and features abstract, fish-like forms that turn and shift as the wind blows. They chose the site due to its close proximity to the Coosa River, and Phillip Williams, the property owner, agreed to host the sculpture long-term. It’s all about returning downtown to its days of grandeur and from the looks of it, the investment by all involved is paying sizable dividends for downtown Gadsden.

Editor’s note: For more, go to downtowngadsden.com.

Alabama Fishing Show and Expo

Event returns to Venue at Coosa Landing

Story by Paul South
Submitted photos

On the Saturday of the 2023 inaugural Alabama Fishing Show at The Venue at Coosa Landing, Gadsden’s director of economic development, John Moore, decided to check things out.

What he saw was jaw dropping.

“The doors opened at 10. I pulled in about 9:45, and I swear to you, there were at least 400 to 500 people waiting to get in,” Moore says. “The thing stretched out from the Venue, and it just wrapped around in the parking lot.

“I was like, ‘What the heck?’ There’s something here on this. I was just amazed. People starve for stuff like this.”

Indeed, there was. An estimated 7,500 visitors streamed to the event, anglers shopping for everything from handmade rods and tackle to high tech electronic fish finders.

The Alabama Fishing Show returns to The Venue at Coosa Landing, March 8-10. Daily prices are $12 for adults, $8 for kids. Children under 5 get in free. Food and drinks are available for sale. Parking is free.

Hours are 10 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. on Friday; 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The Gadsden event was years in the making before its debut. Alabama Fishing Show organizer Shelia Bunch began discussions with the city several years ago about bringing the East Tennessee Fishing Show to Alabama. For Bunch, geography was the draw.

“You guys have some of the greatest lakes down there. You’ve got some of the best pro fishermen from that area. One thing that was missing was a true fishing show,” Bunch says.

A true fishing show is about more than watercraft, she adds. “I’m talking about bringing vendors from all over with products that you can’t even get anywhere else except for this show. You’ve got handmade fishing rods, you’ve got crankbaits. You’ve got jigs that you can’t buy anywhere else but this show. And a lot of these vendors are small business people. Their passion is all about fishing and about catching fish. They work day and night on their products.”

Along with featuring more than 100 vendors casting their wares upon the water to sell, Bunch hopes to reach a new, younger generation of anglers. The 2024 show will host a kids’ fishing tournament at the Venue on March 9.

Introducing kids to fishing is a goal of the show, Bunch, a mother of three, says. “We feel like kids are our future when it comes to fishing. Our goal is to give kids the opportunity to fish and make it a big deal, right there at the show.”

Pro anglers will appear at the show, and seminars are also slated to educate anglers on how to use the equipment and make their fishing experience more enjoyable.

“We try to make it a fisherman’s paradise,” Bunch says. But the show has something to hook the entire family.

“The mothers are really involved in the kids’ fishing tournament,” Bunch says. “We honor the women and give away hats to the wives who put up with the fishermen. The first 200 (women) through the door get a free hat. They really love that.”

She adds, “It’s a great place for families to connect.”

The show will highlight the hottest trends in fishing. Electronics lead the pack.

“Every year, Lowrance or Hummingbird or Power-Pole or any of them, they come out with something new every year,” Bunch says. Those will be on display at the show. A lot of people buy this equipment and don’t know how to use it, so we will have people who come and do seminars to show you how to use your electronics.”

Safety and environmentally friendly equipment are also trending, Bunch says.

“Safety and taking care of your lakes and taking care of your fish is a big thing. That’s why you have catch and release … When you catch fish, you need to save the fish.”

Like Moore, Bunch was “shocked” by the big turnout in the inaugural show, because it was a new event in unfamiliar waters, so to speak. This year, she expects an even bigger turnout.

“We’re wanting about 10,000 this year,” Bunch says. “That’s my goal.”

As an aside, one in six Americans are anglers. And, the sport is growing.

For Bunch, putting on the fishing show are measured in smiles.

“Truthfully, my favorite part is seeing my vendors do well – for them to walk away with smiles on their faces and me knowing that they did well at the show. My second favorite part is seeing the people leave there with smiles on their faces, knowing they got supplies they couldn’t get anywhere else.” Anglers – from offshore to fly fishermen – who attend the fishing show can up their game without breaking the bank, and they share a common mission with vendors.

“The goal is to catch a big fish,” Bunch says.

Moore believes the COVID-19 pandemic that kept folks shuttered for two years played a role in the huge turnout, and something more.

“I think (the pandemic) had something to do with it. Number two is that there’s nothing like it within a 60-mile radius. You have to go to Birmingham to the (Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center) or to Huntsville to Von Braun to see a show of this magnitude with this many vendors.”

And vendors were hooked on Gadsden.

“They signed up that day for (2024),” Moore says.

The show fits with Gadsden’s branding efforts as a tourist destination, Moore says.

“The mayor (Craig Ford) always says that not only do we have a responsibility to our citizens, but we have a responsibility to our merchants, too, bringing stuff like this in here.

“It actually helps grow our economy. Every hotel room in Etowah County is filled. The shops will be filled. It’s perfect. The wife may go and shop downtown, while the husband looks for fishing supplies. There were a lot of buddies going to the show in sort of a guys’ trip.”

At the end of the day, he adds, “what we’re looking for is to be ‘Fun Town’. We’re looking to be that city that people look to spend three, four, five days enjoying the river, the mountains, the downtown area, the shopping,” Moore says. “I think the fishing show plays into that.”

Along with a crowd, Bunch hopes to hook something else – for vendors and attendees alike. “I just want everyone to do well and be happy.”

Clearly an evangelist for fishing, Bunch captures the spirit of the show. “Fishing is a great time for families, and you can’t get those times back.”

On the Water: Docks and Shoreline

Creating wonders along the shoreline

Story by Paul South
Submitted and staff photos

One of the indescribable joys of lake life is beginning a day, or punctuating day’s end on the dock, boathouse or pier, sipping coffee, tea or something stronger as the sun slowly rises or sinks into a palate of colors, hues of red, orange or deep purple.

On the lake, these structures are as much a part of a home as screened porches, crackling fireplaces and picture windows. Docks are spots for relaxation, contemplation, fishing, laughter and sometimes tears. And they are often as breathtaking as their accompanying homes, as if they belong together.

And nearby seawalls of riprap, stone, concrete, rock or wood protect precious property from being eaten away by erosion.

On Logan Martin and Neely Henry, there are companies that make magic – crafting piers, docks, seawalls, boatlifts and the like. Their tools are engineering, art, architecture and the environment, state-of-the-art composite materials, treated wood, stone and more than a bit of vision, conjured up year ‘round by the companies and their customers.

Here’s a look at four of the area’s builders and the water from their perspectives:

Mackey Docks: Experience and faith

For the Mackey family, their dock business is a “generational company,” says Eric Mackey. His father, Sonny, and uncles, Kenneth and Jerry, began working the industry in the 1980s.

“My Uncle Kenneth started working in 1983, and started building barges on Weiss Lake, and we just started expanding after that,” Mackey says.

The company specializes in turnkey work.

“We build the complete boathouse and boatlift and all the bells and whistles,” Mackey says. “Sometimes we just do the dock. Sometimes, we do seawalls. Sometimes we do just the boatlift if someone already has a dock, or we replace an older boat lift. We also do simple repairs and maintenance on structures over the water.”

He adds, “I try to focus not on land, but focus on water. It kind of makes it a specialty for me. We do seawalls, but typically prefer boathouses and docks. That’s what we’re really good at.”

What makes Mackey Docks good at its work?

“Experience and the crews we work with,” Mackey replies. “I’ve got some guys who have worked with us over 20 years.”

One of the hot trends in the industry is crafting structures from composite materials that in the long run are more durable, less expensive and require less maintenance than traditional treated lumber docks and boathouses.

“Typically, we used to do 80 percent wood as decking material back in the day,” Mackey says. “Nowadays, we’re a PVC and composite specialist. We’re probably installing 60 to 80 percent composite and PVC material. Long term, the cost is a little bit higher, but the low maintenance is worth it.”

Along with experience, Mackey says a commitment to quality and a strong religious faith drive the business.

“It’s not about me. It’s about people and the team we’ve built, and we’re all sticking together,” Mackey says. “For me, not all the guys in my company are Christians, but my Christian faith sets the standard for me and for my company … I think that sets us apart.”

Unique Waterfronts: Capturing a customer’s vision

While Unique Waterfonts in the Pell City-Cropwell area focuses its work on Logan Martin, Neely Henry and Lay Lakes, the business will travel the length and breadth of Alabama to do its work.

Chelsea Isbell grew up in a family of homebuilders – her father, Greg, and uncles, Jeff and Mike Isbell, began its work 30 years ago. Following the housing crash 14 years ago, the Isbells began subcontracting for Tradesman Company. Unique Waterfronts opened its doors two years ago. The Isbells are now co-owners of Unique Waterfronts. They do work on land and water.

“We have our own barge and our own crew,” Isbell says. “That’s the good thing about us. We’re family owned. We handle everything ourselves.”

Chelsea began working in the construction industry while in college and was hooked. The company does everything – from houses to pool houses, docks and boathouses.

“I was intrigued by the different designs that you can do. The uniqueness that we can make your boathouse look like your house or your house look like your boathouse,” she says. “There are so many different things we can do. I can’t physically do it. But my dad and them can do it. I can have the vision for it and tell them, or the homeowners can have the vision, and we can make it happen.”

She pointed to a recent boathouse project in Alpine.

“We even went as far as to dull the metal roof so that the boathouse looked as old as the house,” she says. “I love that uniqueness. That’s what I love. You turn (customers’) vision into a product, and they love it.”

Unique Waterfronts is willing to tackle just about any job.

“We don’t care how big or small a job is, we’re willing to help get it done. We’ll do a 6-by-20 (square foot) boathouse, or a 2,500 square foot house. Whatever you want us to do, we can do it.”

Advantage Plus: Building docks and building relationships

Advantage Plus began building docks in 2020, but the company’s umbrella opened in 2014 with excavating and construction.

The Turner family also operates Turner Family Farms, a popular Christmas and wedding venue as well as a Halloween pumpkin patch destination.

As far as its water-based business, Advantage Plus, the company does dock building and repair and only does riprap for seawalls. Riprap is a stone that protects lake banks against erosion. The company also builds concrete walls.

“These are services that we already offered elsewhere. But with us living on the lake and so many people needing it … we continued to offer the services,” Victor Turner says.

With lake properties being hot real estate, docks are hot. And in keeping with trends, composite decks are in high demand because of their longevity of 20 years or more.

“Building a dock is not a one-time investment. It’s a relationship,” Turner says.

Of the composite decks, Turner says, “You’re going to get a more comfortable use out of it. You’re not going to have to stain it, or sand it, or replace boards, or have splintering when you walk on it. It’s definitely a desired product.”

Maintaining seawalls has a positive environmental impact. Unprotected land erodes at a rate of six inches a year. But riprap is not a one and done proposition, Turner says, and it must be maintained.

Every job is unique. “It’s not a cookie-cutter business. You’ve definitely got to go out on site and come up with a good schedule to make that job make sense.”

The companies that do the type of work on the lake have “a great vision,” to work with the natural environment and help the customer satisfy their vision, Turner says.

“It’s definitely some art and some vision and hard work, for sure.”

At the heart of Advantage Plus: building relationships and living a deep faith, Turner says.

“In everything under our umbrella and what we do at the farm, our values are to build relationships for the honor of Christ and to help our community while doing so.”

Shoreline Creations: Cutting edge building and consumer education

Shoreline Creations opened its doors in the spring of 2018, but Margaret Isom has been in the marine construction business for 16 years and has worked in commercial construction and in banking doing construction loans.

“I do have a lot of experience in the industry and understand the nuts and bolts about it,” Isom says.

She decided to open Shoreline Creations because “I wanted to take things further and do some of my own things with it,” she says. “I wanted to go in my own direction. It’s all been a giant learning experience.”

The firm offers a wide array of services and products and is the area’s exclusive dealer for SnapJacket.

“We pride ourselves on piers and boathouses and landings and boardwalks,” Isom says. “We’ve gotten into a lot of rock patios and firepits and dredging, seawalls of all types, stabilization of your bank, and boatlifts.”

The company carries Golden Boatlifts.

Lake residents are becoming more conscientious about maintenance, Isom says. The company also tries to bring its clients up to speed on cutting-edge construction methods and the options available to them on materials and maintenance.

“A large part of what we also do is education, because construction methods have changed,” Isom says. “It’s a wonderful time to explain to people the importance of maintenance for their future endeavors. We do pride ourselves on that. And because the economy is tight, cost is a concern.”

Meeting customer desires and safety are paramount, Isom says. Part of the company’s commitment is building Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant docks, walkways and the like for customers who want it.

“We want to provide what (customers) want, but we want them to be safe, and with good construction methods. Once you get that in place, you get that relationship in place to know what their needs and wants are and what they are anticipating.”

Weather and keeping crews are challenges.

At its heart, the business puts the customer first.

“We always do a site visit. We don’t just throw out numbers, or push generic boathouse plans, Isom says. “We do it with their specific needs in mind.”

Tradesman Company: New owners carry on proud tradition

For Tara and Danny Buchanan, the owners of Tradesman Dock Building Company, since buying it from founder Fred Casey in early 2022, the focus has been on carrying on the company’s commitment to excellence.

For them it’s not just about docks, boat lifts, composite materials, and pilings. Tradesman had built four docks for the Buchanans over the years and the couple – veterans of the homebuilding industry – told Casey if he ever wanted to sell, they were interested.

“It wasn’t a huge jump to go into the dock business,” Danny Buchanan says. “Although, it would be pretty intimidating if you didn’t have an extensive construction background as a licensed contractor.”

When the Buchanans bought their first Lake Logan Martin home, they inherited a “terrible” existing dock.

“We quickly realized the dock is your connection to the water,” Danny says. “We met with Tradesman, and it was a wonderful experience. Their longstanding reputation, dating back almost two decades, made choosing to work with them an easy decision.”

He adds, “Our dock actually changed our relationship with the lake. If you’ve got visitors and family and friends and the dock is terrible, you don’t feel safe and can’t have fun.”

Their new Tradesman dock transformed the lake experience, Tara says.

“It went from everybody spending time inside and bypassing the dock to get to the water to the new (Tradesman) dock becoming the central part of our entertaining. It made a huge difference. Everything was focused on the dock, instead of just being the walkway to the boat, it becomes your outdoor living area.

Tradesman does everything from minor dock repairs to full scale construction of docks and piers, demolition, boat lifts and seawalls. We are working toward building a team so everything can be completed in-house.

“We want to be a one-stop shop,” Tara says.

The company uses composite materials and PVC in its construction, providing a lower maintenance, environmentally friendlier option compared to traditional wood decking.

“We just have a commitment to quality,” Tara Buchanan says.

Danny agrees. “We weren’t looking to buy a dock company. But when Tradesman became available, it had such an excellent reputation as a market leader, it was like ‘Wow!’ Being a part of a company that had that history and reputation was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up.”

He adds, “There are other dock companies out there, but Tradesman has the reputation for being the best. We have a vision for growth and are excited to take the company to the next level.”

Historic Gadsden Carriage Tours

Seeing things from a very different view

Story by Linda Long
Contributed photos

Sounds of a different sort fill downtown Gadsden streets these days.

The clip clop, clip clop of horseshoes against pavement, lend a staccato hoofbeat keeping a brisk pace this winter’s day.

Wheels on the jaunty orange-fringed carriage provide tickety-tick clicks on the hard surface. An occasional neigh and a whinny are appropriate sounds to take this scene straight to what could be another era.

It’s a scene that brings a smile to Gadsden businessman and former state Rep. Mack Butler’s face. He is the mover and shaker behind Historic Gadsden Carriage Tours, an idea which he says came to him as he toured other cities.

“In our travels, we love to visit historic cities, and we always take carriage rides if they’re available because you get such a unique perspective of the city, the ambience and the history. It’s just a passion of mine.”

He figured Gadsden would be a “perfect” city to offer such an attraction. “Here, we’ve got this unique history. We live in this beautiful historical town.”

Gadsden began in the 1840s as a stagecoach stop called Double Springs.

“Life was along the river. So, I kept reaching out to other people to try to get them to start this,” said Butler. “I kept on trying to get somebody else to do it.”

When there were no takers, Butler decided to take on the project himself. He reached out to friends, Emery and Emily Williamson, who run an animal farm in Cherokee County called Feathered Friends Cockatoo and Horse Sanctuary.

He asked if they would be interested in partnering with him and according to Butler, “they jumped at the chance. They have about 50 or 60 horses and know how to handle them. So, that’s how we got rolling. “

Butler is renovating a downtown building which he says is a perfect place to park carriages. “The Williamsons can trailer their horses here, hook them up, and we’re ready to tour.”

Perhaps the stars of the show are the four-legged critters who are often the main attraction, especially when children are passengers — Mr. Smack and Miss Betty.

“Mr. Smack is a horse from Amish country and Miss Betty is a mule,” he said.

They alternate pulling the carriage though Mr. Smack goes on most tours.

The carriage tour follows a route along Chestnut, Broad and Locust streets.

“We’ve done history tours and the carriage tours (and most recently Christmas tours), but the thing we get the most requests for is the ghost tour,” said Butler. “We pick you up and take you to as many spots as we can in 30 minutes, and we tell you the haunted history of Gadsden. We take you to what was originally the county jail and of course, there was the first execution there. That gentleman is rumored to haunt the building.”

Butler said the site of a Confederate hospital and cemetery are also on the tour. “The cemetery is said to be very haunted.”

Another stop, the Phoenix Hotel, was supposed to have been the site of “a grisly murder. I’ve had people tell me about the ghost they see there. We have a number of stops like that.”

There’s one building on the tour, he continued, that back in the 1800s used to be a hotel. Another, a house of ill repute and across the street was the medical clinic where they took care of the ladies of the evening.

“We have a very colorful past,” he added, “which makes for a great ghost tour as we offer these rides.”

Ghost Tour of Downtown Gadsden on Historic Gadsden Carriage Tours

Butler says he personally has never actually seen a ghost, “but I have talked to a number of people here in town that are well respected. They tell me they have actually seen ghosts in some of these buildings.”

According to Butler, the carriage rides complement what is already going on in downtown Gadsden. “We’re in total transformation now as the new administration (Mayor Craig Ford) is focusing on all the positive attributes we have that have not been utilized. There’s talk of creating green space and a new river walk. I’ve never before seen the spirit of cooperation we have right now between city and county and state. Everybody is holding hands and pushing in the same direction.”

Gadsden Economic Development Director John Moore agrees, saying the city is moving toward becoming “a destination spot, where visitors come to stay for a long weekend. That’s what we’re working on. The Falls (Noccalula Falls) gets 350 to 400 thousand visitors a year. We want to bring those visitors downtown. So, when people leave the Falls, they come right to the downtown area. They grab a a drink. They go out to eat. They shop at downtown shops on Broad Street, and then they go out and utilize the riverfront development,” which he said will include a boutique hotel.

“We’ve got amazing hiking trails. We’ve got rock climbing. We’ve got mountain biking, pretty much anything you want when it comes to outdoor enthusiasts,” Moore said. “So, I think you’re going to be seeing more people coming to Gadsden to enjoy those types of things, and the carriage rides are just something that’s going to entice more people to come into downtown.

“The Mayor and I did the carriage ride for Halloween. To go through Gadsden and get told some ghost stories and some stories of the different buildings in the city was pretty cool. They also had a Headless Horseman that chased you down Chestnut Street. I thought that was great,” Moore said.

“We never did see a ghost,” he laughed, “but I think you might see one next year. They’ve got some plans coming up.”

Plans call not only for the ghost tour, but across the board. According to Butler, “Looking to the future, we’re thinking maybe about Valentine’s and Valentine tours. Or a tour where we shuttle you out to dinner. Or maybe tours associated with prom season.”

The number of carriages and horses they have “is still to be determined based on demand. Of course, we’ll be willing to step up our game if the demand is there. Right now, it’s just a community that’s been booking the tours but down the road, with the new hotel and its rooftop bar and all kinds of neat stuff, I see Gadsden becoming like a Franklin,Tennessee, a town where they have festivals all the time and a lot of trendy shops and eateries.”

Editor’s Note: Tours are all weather dependent. Cost is $25 per person for a 30-minute ride. The carriages hold four people.

On the Water: Boat Preview 2024

Though the weather is still cold outside, it is already time to start thinking about the lake season across Alabama. Boat manufacturers are already starting to promote their most popular models, and local marinas and dealers have stepped up to showcase exactly what we can expect to see for sale in the coming months.

Falcon F215 Bassboat

The F215 has been redesigned for the 2024 year with specific attention paid to the width of the bow area, and Buck’s Island will be the only dealer in the region selling the new model. The F215 is truly a dream to fish out of. Featuring some of the largest overall deck space in the industry, the F215 will allow you and a partner to fish in space and make your co-angler smile all day. Like their other models, the F215 features Falcon’s signature forward-opening front rod boxes with an ample front storage separated by two lids. The ride and overall comfort of this boat is second to none, with plenty of performance to get you there in comfort.

Barletta Lusso

One of the top-tier pontoon boats from Lusso, the Barletta brings it all to the water – luxury, speed, comfort and fun. Designed with you, and your on-water experience, in mind, the Barletta Lusso models offer something for everyone. A classic and stylish rail-set, ultra-soft and ultra-comfortable furniture, a sleek helm loaded with technology and leg room, pet-friendly amenities … the list goes on and on. And with a variety of deck layouts, you can find the perfect boat for you. Rambo Marine in Westover can help you pick out the Lusso model – and other Barletta boats – to fit your needs.

Bass Cat Caracal STS

In line with the growing trend in wide-body bass boats, Bass Cat has stepped up their game with the Caracal STS. They employed a wide-body flow of the existing Caracal while stretching the platform into the newest STS (Soft Touch Series) hull design. What you now have is a 96-inch-wide machine, redesigned inside and out, destined to overachieve in all aspects when compared to other 20-foot bass boats in this class. The model name stretches back decades, and this one in particular will leave a profound mark in the Caracal lineage. Like the Falcon, you can find the Bass Cat at Buck’s Island.

Excel Bay Pro Elite 220

In the fishing world, center-console boats hold a special place, and Excel Boats offers exceptional boats, especially in the Bay Pro lineup. The Pro Elite has the widest deck in their lineup. From top to bottom, customers pick Excel because they pay attention to detail. Every detail, from paint quality, welds, heavy-duty seat vinyl, fiberglass console, non-slip floor and more are what you would expect from an Excel. The all-new console has everything and it is where it should be. The dash will accommodate up to a 12-inch fish finder/nav unit. It has room for a 3-inch Bluetooth radio and extra accessory switches, and the new compact gauge set is arranged perfectly. Rodney’s Marine in Cropwell is the place to go to grab one of these fantastic fishing boats.

Nitro Z20 Pro

The NITRO Z20 Pro gives you a host of the most popular high-performance upgrade options at an incredible value. The brain of this fish-catching powerhouse is two new Lowrance HDS LIVE fishfinders networked together—and to a new Lowrance Ghost trolling motor, giving you the power to find fish and stay on them while the competition is still searching.

The basis of the Z20 is Nitro’s NVT hull—a design that uses a series of parabolic curves instead of traditional strakes, resulting in a hull that’s faster, gives more lift while on plane and improves handling. The Z-CORE seating system with Force Flex suspension and contoured frame, designed in collaboration with Kevin VanDam, gives you the most comfortable ride in Nitro’s history. To check out the Z20 Pro, visit Sylacauga Marine & ATV.

Tahoe T21

Another great boat at Sylacauga Marine is the Tahoe T21. A classic multi-use bowrider, this boat promises loads of fun on the lake. Step into the Tahoe T21 and be amazed. Feel the stability, the power, the smooth coursing of its POWERGLIDE hull with HYDROSTEP strakes as you and up to 10 companions fly across the waves. Note the operational ease and efficiency of its TAHOE CRUISE digital dashboard and switch panel; crank up the KICKER stereo with Bluetooth technology. Need some splash time? Tahoe has got you covered, with a removable ski tow pylon, anchor locker, aft swim platforms and telescoping boarding ladder. And of course, you’ll find smart storage galore.

Sylvan X3 CLZ DH

Combining comfort and handling, the Sylvan Mirage line of pontoon boats is a great option if flexibility is what you are looking for. Featured at Skier’s Marine in Westover, the X3 CLZ DH, this pontoon is a great buy. With its long list of standard features – including Sylvan’s exclusive SPX PR20/25 Performance Package, Performance Shield, low-profile sport console, black anodized rails and deck trim, hydraulic steering, docking lights, a third tube and more – the Mirage X Series is one of the most family-friendly options on the water.

Sunchaser Eclipse

Featuring some of the more affordable pontoons on the market, Sunchaser gives you a lot of bang for your buck. Its plush interior, upgraded upholstery and executive helm station elevated on a raised platform for an enhanced sightline are only the beginning of what set Eclipse apart. Premium standard features like extended stern platforms and full-height panels, high back helm chairs that swivel, slide and recline, X-Treme Performance Strakes and third tube technology put Eclipse in a class of its own. For the latest from Sunchaser, visit University Marine in Pell City.

Starcraft SLS

Another great pontoon boat for the value is the Starcraft SLS series. Starcraft pontoon boat innovation continues with the SLS, featuring HMX tubes. With strategically placed strakes, HMX tubes give you better lift, less surface drag, increased speed, faster planing and a tighter turning radius. In short, it’s one exciting ride. Like most of the pontoon platforms these days, the SLS comes in a number of different seating and floor plans. To find the perfect fit for you, check out the Starcraft SLS at Rodney’s Marine in Cropwell.

Yamaha AR Series

If you are looking for boats tailored to the wakeboarding and other tow-behind excitement, Yamaha put together some great packages with its AR series of boats. Available in several different lengths, the Yamaha AR’s have a distinctive styling that will stand out on the water and have a number of affordable setups that won’t break the bank. They come with additional storage and other features that make these wake boats much more versatile than many similar tow-oriented watercraft. Rambo Marine has a variety of AR series boats ready for customers to come see.

Mastercraft XT23

One of the biggest names in tow-behind boats, Mastercraft does not disappoint with its XT23. Another boat featured at Skier’s Marine, the Mastercraft XT23 is a 23’4”-long bowrider with a beam of 8.5 feet. It can seat 16 people and has a draft of 0.76 meters. The XT23 can reach speeds of up to 40 knots. MasterCraft’s SurfStar system truly shines on the XT23 as it can pump out the friendliest waves for kids or deliver waves for pros with maximum height, pop, and length. Inside the boat, the XT23 boasts unrivaled ergonomic comfort, ample storage, and the renowned MasterCraft fit-and-finish.

Avalon Catalina

With a focus on style and a huge range of premium features, Avalon has created some truly remarkable boats with its Catalina line. The Catalina is a stylish and sophisticated mid–range offering that turns heads and quickens pulses. Its DNA includes the same construction, quality and style found in Avalon’s master collection boats; this model is equipped with core features and then can be personalized with as few or as many additional features as you like. This amazing pontoon is available in eleven different layouts. Poor House Branch Marina on Stemley Road in Talladega has a number of Catalinas in stock ready for customers.

Coach RFC

Coach Pontoons’ top seller is its RFC line, and for good reason. Billed as the SUV of the Coach lineup, the RFC pontoons are a solid combination of flexibility and performance. RFC layout maximizes seating and lounging with its perimeter furniture layout. This open layout is perfect for small and large groups. No one gets stuck in a corner seat and ample room for all your toys with underseat storage. Extended rear swim platform and easy-access stainless steel retractable ladder provide great rear access to and from the water, and the ski tow bar is designed for added strength for your watersports needs. You can find your RFC at Poor House Branch Marina.

Bennington 22 SSR

Bennington continues its tradition of creating striking pontoons with the 2024 22 SSR line of tritoons. The line comes with a large variety of design styles, including narrow beam widths. The Quad Bench configuration maximizes storage, seating capacity and lounge space. Many floor plans feature a sleek Fastback stern with speakers that extend your entertainment space. Features include options like bamboo vinyl flooring, stainless-steel-rimmed cup holders and custom gauge cluster designs with zebrawood accents. Visit Woods Surfside Marina in Cropwell to check out the new model year.

Bennington 24 LXSBA

If you are looking for a premium tritoon, the Bennington 24 LXSBA, also available at Woods Surfside, should top your list. There’s a timeless charm found within the LX Model boats, a blending of superb craftmanship, rugged build quality and premium finishes that are familiar, yet distinctly a cut-above. When you step up to the LX Model of boats from Bennington, you’re automatically enrolled into their premium features club: extras like the voyager helm with locking glove box and 12v and USB charging station, vinyl-wrapped bench bases and larger, bolder side Bennington emblems. And the swingback design, introduced several years ago, allows users to face forward or backward depending on the position of the backrest.

Honda BF350 Outboard

Regardless of what kind of boat you have on the water, matching the right engine to your watercraft is a must. New for this year from Honda is the powerful V8 BF350. University Marine is one of several regional dealers that specializes in Honda motors and points to the BF350 as a top contender. The all-new Honda BF350 V8 is truly a landmark achievement: Honda’s first-ever production V8 engine for use on either land or water. Designed to meet the needs of today’s families who want larger boats and the ability to journey farther from shore, the Honda BF350 was created to deliver maximum power with impressive fuel efficiency.

EZ Dock

With all the different varieties of personal watercraft on the market, EZ Dock has PWC storage solutions to fit them all. River’s Edge Marina in Cropwell, which also specializes in boat rentals and is home to the Tiki Hut, is one of the top local EZ Dock dealers in the region. Designed both for saltwater and freshwater applications, their PWC ports’ self-adjusting designs make loading and unloading effortless, no matter what type of waterfront on which your home or business is located. EZ Ports are the perfect solution for those looking for an easy-to-access, drive-on port to keep their PWC high and dry.

Fly Fishing Expo

Bringing anglers and vendors to Gadsden

Story by Paul South
Staff and submitted photos

In a continuing effort to cast a wider net marketing the Coosa River and the waterway’s lakes and streams into a fly-fishing destination, Gadsden will host its inaugural Fly-Fishing Expo on Jan. 20 and 21, 2024, at The Venue at Coosa Landing.

“We would love for Gadsden to be known as a fly-fishing destination as well as for the other amenities we offer,” says Deborah Hawkins, administrative supervisor of The Venue.

Alabama Fishing Show and Expo drew vendors and a crowd

This free expo will host fly-fishing-related vendors and exhibitors of all kinds from the neighboring states and counties at the gleaming 55,000 square foot facility on the banks of the Coosa River.

The fly-fishing event comes on the heels of the successful Alabama Fishing Show at The Venue this past March.

The expo is the latest move by Gadsden to grow fly fishing in the region. The city invested $10,000 to stock the waters around Noccalula Falls with Rainbow trout.

Along with the success of the Alabama Fishing Show last spring, Hawkins credits one man – the owner of Rainbow City Auction and Fly Fishing – who lured the city with the idea for a fly-fishing focused event.

“It was the work and due diligence of Frank Roden that brought this event to Gadsden,” Hawkins says.

A sign of things to come

On the streams around these parts and beyond, Frank Roden is known as “the guy with the tie,” his homage to a more elegant time when fly anglers – clad in hats, shirts, boots, waders and Windsor-knotted neckties – took to the waters. For traditionalists like Roden, the tie seems as important as the right feathered fly or the perfect 10 o’clock-two o’clock cast, the perfect fly-casting motion.

Roden, one of area fly fishing’s most fervent evangelists and an instructor for the iconic fly-fishing merchant Orvis, saw the sport’s growth coming over 20 years ago.

Somewhere around 2001, Roden recalls, he and his wife, Tammy, couldn’t get the gear they wanted locally, even around the state. So, they opened their fly-fishing shop as part of their antique furniture business.

When the couple announced their first fly fishing seminar, locals predicted a sparse turnout, 20-25 people, tops. What occurred was something akin to a fly angling tent revival.

“When the instructors and manufacturers pulled up 15 minutes before we were supposed to start, they had 169 people waiting under the tent. That was just the tip of the iceberg.”

He sees the January event as a positive step for the city and the sport.

“Someone for a long time has needed to bring a fly-fishing expo to the state of Alabama,” Roden says. “Gadsden has that facility right there on the Coosa. They brought a general fishing show to The Venue last spring, and it was huge. They did a great job with it.”

Gadsden has the formula for a fly-fishing show that will mirror the success of last spring’s effort.

The Venue at Coosa Landing continues its success story

“They have the space available,” Roden says. “They have the stuff that can support it around The Venue there (restaurants, gas stations, shops and hotels). Now we just need the wholesalers and dealers.”

The expo is the latest evidence of Gadsden’s commitment to the sport.

“Boy has that been good,” Roden said in a past issue of LakeLife 24/7 Magazine®. “We should give them a lot of credit for putting the winter trout fishery in. Greater Gadsden Area Tourism has done a lot to promote the fly fishing here.”

And organizers hope that tackle, equipment, wholesalers and dealers from across the country come to Gadsden for the expo. After all, fly anglers travel from the streams of Maine to the big waters of Montana and points north, south, east and west.

“Don’t assume that (fly fishers) just fish locally,” Roden says. “They go to the Gulf Coast; they go to the mountains. They travel out west and to the Appalachian chain. We needed (to keep that in mind) when we started hunting new equipment.”

Roden adds, “The sport has grown, not just in the Gadsden area, but to the places people are going. The population of the Gadsden area can travel all over now that they know what they’re looking for.”

A study from Grand View Research quantifies the growth in the popularity of fly fishing through the sale of fly-fishing equipment and apparel, a $3.1 million business in 2022.

The industry is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 4.1 percent.

The increasing popularity of the sport isn’t the only driver. People are drawn to more environmentally friendly sports and sustainability efforts like the fishery stocking areas in Gadsden, as well as the diverse needs and preferences of the fly-fishing community, the study said.

The expo may lure more fly-fishing shops and merchants to the area. Surprisingly, Roden sees that as a positive.

“I think it’s great, Roden says. “Bring ‘em on. I’m not getting a lot of business off the trout fishing because most of the people who come here come here for tourism, and they already had their gear before coming to Gadsden.”

He said many who come to areas like Black Creek to fish move their homes and businesses to the area.

Roden says he doesn’t have to aggressively sell fly fishing in the region. “That’s the good thing. I don’t have to sell it. They come to me looking for it. My business is soft sell.”

While there are skeptics about the future of fly fishing in Etowah and St. Clair counties, Roden points to the Coosa and talks about streams like Black Creek, Big Canoe Creek and the Noccalula Falls area and others.

“Man, that’s a lot of water out there.”

For non-anglers who may be film buffs, the two-day expo will include the Fourth Annual Fly-Fishing Film Festival, beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday. And of course, there are shops and restaurants nearby.

Tickets for the expo are $25. Vendor booths, including tables chairs and power are $200 for the weekend.

Hours for the festival are 10-5 on Saturday with the film festival screening at 5. The festival continues on Sunday from 10-4.

While city officials have not projected the Fly-Fishing Expo’s economic impact, Hawkins is optimistic that local businesses will see a ripple effect – like a rainbow trout jumping in a cool, quiet stream – for the area economy.

“This absolutely will have a ripple effect such as lodging, restaurants, shopping, license fees for the city, gas and other necessities … Since this is our first fly fishing expo, we don’t have a projected economic impact. But we will work as hard as we do for anything else to bring income and awareness to our great city.”

Editor’s Note: For more information on the Fly-Fishing Expo, call 256-549-4587.