NEELY HENRY NEWS – Page 3 – LakeLife 24/7 Magazine

A moveable feast

September events offer a buffet for tastebuds, heart and eye

Story by Paul South
Submitted Photos

The American standard “September Song”, sung by the late, great Tony Bennett, Nat “King” Cole and countless crooners, reminds us that days grow short, dwindling to a precious few, when the calendar flips to the ninth month.

Three events in the month – the Alabama Wine Festival, Art on the Rocks and A Taste of Northeast Alabama – make the precious – and prayerfully, cooler – days more wonderful.

Here’s a brief look at three events set for the Neely Henry Lake region of the Coosa River:

The Alabama Wine Festival

Wine lovers will sip the traditions of Europe crafted here by Alabama vintners. The third annual Alabama Wine Festival, hosted on the grounds of Duck Springs’ Wills Creek Winery, celebrates the state’s growing winemaking industry.

The festival is set for Sept. 16 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets for the adults only event are $30 per person. Designated driver tickets are free. Designated drivers must be 21 or older. Identification is required.

Eats will be available from local food trucks, and wine will be available to sample and purchase. And festivalgoers will be serenaded by live music.

Jahn (cq) and Janie Coppey own Wills Creek Winery. Born in Switzerland and a former NASA engineer, Jahn is a dual Swiss-American citizen, as is his American-born bride, Jamie.

Fitting for the makers of wine, romance is at the heart of the Wills Creek story. When Jahn Coppey came to America in 1971 to work in the space program in Huntsville, he spoke four languages – French, German, Spanish and Italian. He moved to London to learn English, but by his own admission, his understanding was “very poor.”

When he came to Alabama, he was introduced to a teacher who spoke some French. She was tasked with growing the young mathematician’s English fluency. The language of love took over, and a year later, Jahn and Janie Coppey were married.

That was 51 years ago.

Jahn and Janie opened Wills Creek Winery in 1996. And while at first blush, the journey from working on the space program to owning a winery may seem a giant leap, Jahn is a third-generation vintner, with roots in Switzerland’s breathtaking Rhone River Valley. Wine has been made in the region since the time of the Romans.

There’s also some heritage in Janie Coppey’s family, which has called Duck Springs home since the 1830s

Since Wills Creek opened, the couple has worked tirelessly, not only to grow the state’s winemaking industry, but also to advocate for a change in Alabama’s antiquated liquor laws. The Alabama Wine Festival’s aim is to grow the industry and deliciously make visitors aware of the state’s wine business.

Interestingly, Alabama’s soil is one of two places in America perfect for growing exclusive Pinot Noir grapes. The sweltering, unpredictable Southern summers aren’t cooperative. Still, native Muscadine grapes and their more than 100 varieties thrive here, and the Coppeys craft wine from Alabama Muscadines and other fruits found across the globe.

When Wills Creek opened, there were only three wineries in the state. Now there are 37 federally permitted wineries in the state, but less than half are working wineries.

Last year, 11 Alabama wineries participated in the Alabama Wine Festival, attracting 300 people from 15 states.

Jahn Coppey sees vintage years ahead for the wine festival and the growth of the winemaking art in Alabama. But people still ask the same question.

“We’ve been in business 22 years, but people still ask if we’re legal,” Jahn says.

They also have to endure some skepticism from Jahn’s family across the Atlantic.

“They say I’m crazy,” he says. “But what I tell them is I can sell my wine. You can’t.”

And the Coppeys hope to take a page from a small Swiss village near Lake Geneva, that conducted its first wine festival 30 years ago. “They have grown so much,” Jahn says. “They have built some hotels. They’ve built some Air B&Bs all around. Now 30,000 people have been coming to that event.”

The festival benefits neighboring cities and towns, like Gadsden.

“Anytime somebody comes like the wine festival – even though it’s not located in Gadsden, typically they’ve got to stay in Gadsden, John Moore, the city’s director of commercial development, says. “So, it always helps us with our tourism dollars. Even though it’s not in Gadsden, we will help support it. No matter who comes to Etowah County, as long as it’s in Etowah County, Gadsden’s going to benefit.

And the Alabama Wine Festival is catching the public’s attention.

“It’s the thing to do. People want to come and drink wine and have a good time. We have a lot of property here. We can expand and do a lot of things.”

Tourists, including some in RVs are discovering Wills Creek and Alabama wines. The Alabama Wine Festival hopes attract more wine explorers. “We have people driving from New York to New Orleans, and when they’re on the way back, they stop again … It’s beautiful.”

For more information on the Alabama Wine Festival, go to willscreekwinery.com.

Art on the Rocks

Beauty is at the heart of one of Alabama’s great natural wonders, Noccalula Falls. On Sept. 16 and 17, the banks of falls and that part of the Coosa River will come alive with artists, craftspeople and artisans, with everything from paintings to homemade pottery, candles and farm-raised jars of sweet honey and homemade jellies and jams. Woodcarvers and homemade soap makers are among the cornucopia of craftspeople.

Art on the Rocks happens twice annually, this year in April and September. A mainstay on the Alabama festival calendar for nearly two decades, creative folks from across the Southeast come to Noccalula Falls to show their wares. And those items must pass muster, Moore says.

“The coolest thing about what we do is – that not everybody does – is that we vet every single vendor to ensure that their arts and crafts are all handmade,” Moore says. “I don’t think that every arts and crafts festival does that. We’re ensuring that every single vendor out there has homemade arts and crafts.”

The setting adds to the joy of Art on the Rocks, with cool breezes easing the summer heat. Vendors are spread throughout the park, giving visitors a real taste of the outdoors. And food vendors are also at work during Art on the Rocks.

“The setting of it is in Noccalula Falls and it is in the fall so you get a little bit of a taste of the whole area,” Moore says.

September events like Art on the Rocks mean hundreds of thousands of tourism dollars to the local economy, Moore says.

“You’re talking about 2,000 people that are coming into Etowah County to spend their money,” Moore says.

“I preach the fact that we always want to put out a good product,” Moore says. “Because if we put out a good product, we can build on that.”

For more on Art on the Rocks, visit noccalulafallspark.com.

A Taste of Northeast Alabama

One of the newer events on the Neely Henry Lake region’s festival calendar is a foodie’s Nirvana.

Now in its second year, A Taste of Northeast Alabama features restaurants and caterers from all over Northeast Alabama, clear to the Tennessee line.

The Venue at Coosa Landing in Gadsden is home to the culinary celebration, held this year on Sept. 21 from 5 to 8 p.m. Only 500 tickets are available at $20 each. Some 40 to 45 caterers and restaurants will be on hand, serving up their kitchen magic. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Altrusa of Gadsden, an international service organization made up of local clubs.

Visitors can leisurely stroll and taste the best the region has to offer.

The bounce of the festivals, whether for wine, or food, or arts and crafts is that people come to the region, stay in local accommodations, eat locally and shop in local stores.

“It’s huge for us,” Moore says.

And from Gadsden to Duck Springs and across Etowah County, local communities benefit from the natural beauty.

“Most communities would give their left arm to have a natural falls with a huge gorge that sits in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, or a city would give their left arm to have a Coosa River running through their town, or to have a thriving downtown Broad Street like we have, Moore says. “And to have all three of those, that’s what we capitalize on. That’s our strength here in Gadsden.”

The September festivals are part of a concerted effort to transform the region into a tourist destination, not a quick stop on the way to Atlanta. Think concerts at the Depression-era Mort Glosser Amphitheater, an entertainment district, more campgrounds, recreation and more.

“We want Gadsden to be known as ‘Fun Town,’” Moore said.

For more information, visit A Taste of Northeast Alabama at greatergadsden.com.

Kids Casting

Coosa Riverkeeper, LMLPA and community
team up to teach fishing, water safety

Story by Graham Hadley
Photos by Richard Rybka
and courtesy of Coosa Riverkeeper

Want to teach children to love the Coosa River and our local lakes and streams?

The Coosa Riverkeeper says one of the best ways to do that is to teach children all about not just how to enjoy the water, but to learn why this natural resource is so amazing.

To that end, the Riverkeeper teamed up with the Logan Martin Lake Protection Association and the Pell City Boys and Girls Club to hold a Kids Casting free fishing clinic at Pell City’s Lakeside Park on Logan Martin.

“We have seen fewer children over the past few years who know how to fish. That is a multi-generational activity in Alabama, something that is important for so many reasons,” said Abby Brown, director of Community Engagement for Coosa Riverkeeper. It is a hobby, a sport, even a way for some people to help provide for their families.

“We decided to start free fishing clinics this year, with the goal of teaching 100 kids how to fish. It is just over halfway through the year, and we have surpassed that number.”

The sessions focus on traditional fishing techniques with spincaster rods, how to tie knots and about lures and the tools they use to fish.

They also focus on how to be safe around water, and not just fishing.

“We teach kids about water safety and how to fish safely – check the weather, check people around you, use personal flotation devices if you are not a strong swimmer,” Brown said.

All fishing at the event is catch-and-release, and the Riverkeeper instructors take the opportunity to teach the young anglers about the different species of fish, where they live, what they eat and the ecology of their habitats.

“We talk about safe fish handling to reduce the chance of any injuries to the fish,” Brown said.

“Then we teach casting in the parking area. Once they are proficient there, the children are allowed to go ahead and fish in the water.”

At the end of the day, any child who does not have a fishing rod in their home to use is given one to keep.

“We would like, if we get more funding in the future, to be able to give every kid who attends one of these events a rod,” Brown said.

Every participant does, however, get to take home a tacklebox stocked with lures and other gear, along with all sorts of useful information on fishing and water safety.

The Pell City fishing clinic was one of several across the area, with other events on Choccolocco Creek in Anniston and Neely Henry in Gadsden and Rainbow City, and Brown is quick to point out how much of a collaborative effort these and similar classes are.

“The LMLPA did a great job securing the use of Lakeside Park for us,” she said.

Coosa Riverkeeper members help with donations to support the effort, as do other organizations similar to the LMLPA, groups like the Choccolocco Creek Watershed, which has played a big role in working with the Riverkeeper.

She also wanted to thank Bass Pro Shops for helping fund the projects with donations and grants.

“Our community groups, our cities, we all have to work together to get these done,” Brown said.

Because the programs are free, they often give children in underserved parts of the area a chance to learn to fish and about water safety, giving them access to one of Alabama’s greatest natural resources, its waterways.

“Alabama is the river state because we have so many of them” – over 130,000 miles of rivers and streams according to the Alabama Rivers Alliance – “Alabamians should have access to and be able to safely use those waterways. That is why we include water safety, even in a fishing class and provide families with swim guide information,” Brown said.

The fishing classes are just part of the Coosa Riverkeeper’s educational efforts. They sponsor a number of other classes under their Coosa River Environmental Education for Kids (CREEK) program. These cover a wide range of topics. In July, they partnered with Lovelight Farm from Wilsonville to teach children about biodynamic farming.

Organizations like the Coosa Riverkeeper, LMLPA, Choccolocco Creek Watershed, Neely Henry Lake Association and others all need support from local communities and businesses to keep programs like these free for local students. They post regular fundraising efforts on their social media pages and websites and are worth checking out.

Brown said they are a charity partner with the Kellypalooza festival coming up in Ohatchee, which is a great way to help support the Coosa Riverkeeper organization.

Easy steps at Noccalula Falls

Project improves hiking access to Gorge Loop

Story by Elaine Hobson Miller
Photos by Richard Rybka

Hikers at Noccalula Falls now have easier access to the Gorge Loop section of the Black Creek Trail system, thanks to a collaboration between the City of Gadsden, Friends of the Falls and the Gadsden Runners Club. A walkway consisting of 104 steps and seven landings has replaced the treacherous access that intrepid hikers endured for years.

“Formerly you would rock-climb your way down from the campground to the trail,” said John Moore, director of Economic Development and Governmental Affairs for the City of Gadsden. “The new steps are on the north side of the Gorge creek, and there are other steps next to the Falls on the south side.”

John Moore says the city is proud of the new trail access

The Gorge Loop is five miles long and connects to another 11-12 miles of trails in the park. The new access was made possible by a $250,000 Regional Trails Program (RTP) grant from the state through Friends of the Falls. “The new access is the result of a collaboration between Friends of the Falls, Gadsden Runners Club, the City of Gadsden, and Congressional Districts 28, 29, 30, via our state representatives,” Moore said.

Bob Smith Construction built the steps and landings, which opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in early July. “The job was put out for bids, but there were none,” Moore explained. “So we called BSC, which also did the suspension bridge over the Falls and remodeled the covered bridge and boardwalk.”

The campground-to-trail access is part of a larger, $8 million project that includes adding sewer and power to each camp site, although most of the 120 existing camp sites already have power. Eight tiny homes will be added to the campgrounds, too. All sites will be reworked as pull-throughs, which means some will have to be enlarged, reducing the overall number to 100.

“We’ll be re-paving the roads, building a new road to the cabins on the backside of the camp, adding more signage and a rock face at the park entrance,” Moore said. “We’ll shut down the park campground for nine months, beginning in January for the project, but the campground is always closed in January anyway. It’s the mayor’s goal to give the facility more of a city park feel.”

Gadsden Runners Club and Friends of the Falls have donated more than $50,000 to the Black Creek Trails, according to board member Glenn Ingram. “We helped apply for the RTP grant, helped raise matching funds and promoted the project through social media and within our membership,” Ingram said. “Both Friends of the Trails and Gadsden Runners raise money for local projects. We were able to help not only with Gorge Trail steps but with other projects, including trail expansion and a Mountain Bike Skills Course. The upcoming renovation is the city’s project, though.”

The new stairs give easier access to the park’s natural beauty

Several entrances throughout the park enable hikers to reach the trails, including one at the chapel next to the Falls. “There was a treacherous ravine to walk down to enter the Gorge Trail prior to the new campground steps,” Ingram said. “There’s a loop that goes around the creek down in the Gorge, so you can actually go underneath the Falls. That one will also bring you back to the new steps in the campground.”

Ingram said Friends of the Falls and Gadsden Runners highly recommend appropriate footwear for hiking any of the trails at Noccalula Falls. “The Gorge Loop in particular is a very technical trail, which means it has lots of rocks,” Ingram said. “It’s not a Sunday-after-church walk. Hikers need to be prepared with appropriate shoes and maybe a hiking stick. Most of the other trails within Black Creek Trails are not as technical.”

More collaborations may be on the horizon. The Gadsden Runners and Friends of the Falls look forward to partnering with the City of Gadsden on other projects at Noccalula Falls, he said.

Cooking on Palmetto Creek

In the Kitchen and by the Lake with Pam Beals and Misty Thomas

Story by Scottie Vickery
Photos by Richard Rybka

For the past 18 years, sisters-in-law Pam Beals and Misty Thomas have been in a weekly cooking school of sorts. They’re the teachers as well as the students, and most often they’re the only participants. As a result, though, their culinary skills have grown, their bond has deepened, and their binder of “keeper” recipes has continued to expand.

“We’ve pretty much had dinner together every Saturday night since 2005,” Pam said of the gatherings at her Neely Henry Lake home. “We call it our Saturday Night Supper Club.” Sometimes it’s just Pam and her husband, Tom, along with Misty, and her husband, Shane, who is Pam’s brother. Other times, the number grows to six, ten or even more.

The cottage on Neely Henry’s Palmetto Creek

The one constant, however, is that they prepare the meals together. “We have the most fun when we open a bottle of wine or bubbly, turn on the music and start cooking,” Pam said. “Sometimes I have to step in if there’s a little too much bubbly,” Tom joked.

Although Pam and Misty weren’t novices in the kitchen before they started their weekly get-togethers, they’ve both come a long way, as far as skill, confidence and mindset go. “Now I cook because I want to, not because I have to,” Pam said.

Misty and Pam have always been close, despite the 10-year age difference between them. They just haven’t always lived near each other. Pam and Shane were raised in Ashville, and Misty grew up in Steele but went to Ashville High School. By the time Misty and Shane met in the ninth grade, Pam was out of college and working.

In fact, she and Tom were living in Atlanta for the first three years of their Saturday Night Supper Club, but they all met on weekends at Pam and Shane’s mother’s cabin on Neely Henry. “In 2007, my brother and husband went to an Alabama Power auction ‘just to see how an auction works,’” Pam said with a laugh. “They both came back with property.”

Misty and Shane realized they prefer hills and farmland, so they sold their lake lot and bought a home nearby with 40 acres. They are in the process of turning it into a working farm, Moonlight Farm, where they plan to raise cattle. Pam and Tom built a 3-bedroom, 2 ½ bath cottage on their lake property lot and used it as a weekend home from 2008 until 2020 when COVID-19 hit, and they moved there permanently. “I was ready,” she said.

The cottage, which is on Neely Henry’s Palmetto Creek, was built from a Southern Living house plan. “I’ve always had a soft spot for Southern Living and all things Southern, really,” Pam said and grinned. “Anybody can copy out of Southern Living magazine.”

Dynamic duo

The magazine had a big influence on their Saturday night dinners as well. That’s where they found almost all of the recipes they tried when they first started their weekly gathering. “Southern Living got us started on this journey,” Pam said. “At first, we were intimidated by some recipes, and we didn’t even know what some of the spices were. We’d have to go buy every spice and every tool.”

It got easier, though, and they got better one dish at time. “We just got in the kitchen and started teaching ourselves,” Misty said. “Now we have all the right appliances and gadgets.”

For the most part, the meals have been successful, although there have been some bumps along the way. “We learned to read the recipe all the way through,” Pam said. “We’d get halfway through one and realize we were supposed to refrigerate it overnight. We’ve only had a catastrophe once or twice where we say, ‘I hope (the restaurant) Local Joe’s is still open.’”

Through the years they’ve tried hundreds of recipes they’ve gathered from magazines, Pinterest, and cookbooks. The first time, they follow the recipe exactly, and for some dishes, they think of how to make it better. “We’ll say, ‘Next time, let’s add this,’” Misty said.

They started keeping their favorites in a binder, which is now nearly four inches thick. “That’s where all of the ‘keepers’ go,” Pam said. “And a recipe doesn’t make the book just because we made it. Everyone has to agree that it’s a keeper.”

The fact that they try to use local ingredients whenever possible has helped the binder grow. The short ribs they use in their Short Rib Lasagna recipe, which was featured on The Today Show and grabbed Pam’s attention, come from Earnest Roots Farm in Ashville. They get tomatoes grown on Chandler Mountain from Smith Tomato in Steele to make their own tomato sauce, which they sometimes substitute for the marinara listed in the recipe.

“Every time we prepare this, we get more compliments on it,” Misty said of the Short Rib Lasagna, which has become a favorite. “You would think we’d have a lot of leftovers because it makes a lot, but there’s never anything left.”

Pam and Misty have learned over the years that their cooking styles are different. “If it’s a dessert, we’re handing that to Misty because she’s very precise,” Pam said. “I’m more of a follow the directions kind of cook and she’ll get in there and do her own thing.”

Misty agreed, adding that when she cooks on her own, “I very rarely follow a recipe. Pam will ask me what I did, and I’ll say, ‘I don’t know.’ My grandmother was an amazing cook, and that’s what she used to do, too. Pam gets mad at me, and I used to get mad at my grandmother.”

Although they are most often the ones in the kitchen, Pam and Misty sometimes turn things over to the guys. They’re in charge of the grilling, as well as low country boils, which they all love. “We do those a lot,” Misty said. “We prepare everything and hand it off to them. It’s always delicious.”

The folks enjoying the meals sometimes change as well. They are often joined by Tom’s brother, Joe, and his wife, Kathy, who live nearby on the lake. Other friends have joined in the fun, but one thing never changes. They always gather at Pam and Tom’s house to enjoy the glorious view of Neely Henry.

View for rent

When Pam and Tom built their home, they planned for it to be a peaceful weekend retreat from their busy lives in Atlanta, where they lived at the time. They were both working in the vending industry, although Tom has since retired, and were on the go a lot.

While they hired professionals to lay the foundation and handle the electricity, plumbing, framing and roofing, they did everything else themselves. The details that that make the house a home are all theirs. Tom put up the pine tongue and groove walls in the master bedroom and adjoining sun porch, and he and his brother, Mike, laid the oak tongue and groove floors throughout the home.

His brother, Joe, helped hang the kitchen cabinets while Pam handled the painting and decorating. She went to great lengths to get everything right. “We were in Destin, and I saw a house that was under construction and was painted the exact color I wanted,” she said. “No one was there so I climbed into the dumpster and found an old can of the paint. I took it to Sherwin Williams, and they matched it. It’s a dill green, and we just love it.”

After COVID hit, Pam and Tom moved in full-time. Although she continues to work from home, traveling a lot for her job with Flowers Baking Company, she started to think about what’s next. Tom retired and has begun dabbling in real estate, and Misty just retired after teaching 25 years at Albertville High School. Shane still works with Birmingham Pistol Wholesale, but he and Misty recently opened The Gun Exchange in Ashville. They also are busy working on the farm.

“Over the years, we all had conversations about what we’re going to do in retirement,” Pam said. “I decided I might give Airbnb a try. At the time, there were no Airbnbs in Ashville, so I got on the website and started playing around with a listing. I accidentally posted it, though, and the next day I woke up to a booking. I had to get myself together really quickly.”

Even though the house is their full-time home, they’ve rented it out many times since. They have an RV, and “as soon as someone books the house, we book a camping trip,” she said. “We didn’t have this in mind when we built, but it’s really turned out perfectly.”

Guests love fishing off the dock, drinking coffee on the wraparound porch, playing with the giant lawn chess set and watching outdoor movies on the screen and projector she provides. “We’ve really got it set up like a model home,” Pam said. “We pretty much just use the kitchen, master bedroom and the sunporch, and we live out of three closets” that they lock when guests come. The rest of the house is ready all the time, so they only have to get three rooms ready before guests arrive, and they head for the woods.

After traveling her whole career, she had lots of ideas about what guests need and want. All of her jobs have developed her customer service skills, and her attention to detail and love for hosting makes it the perfect fit. “It’s like I’ve been training for this my whole life,” she said.

She and Tom also own a commercial building in Gadsden and Airbnb the loft above it. They bought the lot next door to their lake cottage, and Pam said she would love to one day build another home there. “I have to keep reminding myself that I ‘m trying to retire, not build an empire,” Pam said.

Although all the changes – the cottage bookings and Misty and Shane’s work at the farm – cut into their Saturday Night Supper Club schedule, they know they’ll continue to find a way to make it work. N future recipes, they’ll soon be able to use beef raised at Moonlight Farm and vegetables from the garden Misty plans to plant.

“I’ve never had a major garden before,” Misty said, and she’s dreaming big. She plans to plant tomatoes, squash, corn, okra, beans, carrots, a variety of lettuces and strawberries. “As a child, I used to love to go out in my grandmother’s garden and pick strawberries.”

One thing is for certain, there’s still lots of cooking and Saturday night gatherings in their future. No matter what changes come, they’ll continue to do what they’ve been doing for nearly two decades. “We’ll all get in the kitchen and see how it turns out,” Pam said.

Short Rib Lasagna

Recipe of Giada de Laurentiis, shared on The Today Show

Ingredients:

Ribs

2 tablespoons olive oil
2½ pounds beef short ribs
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
1 onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 4-inch sprigs fresh rosemary
2 cups red wine, such as Pinot Noir
2 cups beef broth

Filling Mixture

1½ cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1½ cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese (6 ounces)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)
1 small bunch Tuscan kale, ribs removed and chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning

Additional Ingredients

12 uncooked lasagna noodles (about 10 ounces)
Butter for greasing the baking dish
1 25-ounce jar marinara sauce
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil for drizzling

Directions:

Cook the ribs: In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Add the ribs to the pan and cook for about 4 minutes each side until brown. Remove the ribs and set aside. Add the onion, garlic and rosemary. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and soft. Increase the heat to high. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the beef broth and ribs to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for 2½ to 3 hours until the meat is very tender. Remove the ribs and set aside until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes. Discard the bones and cooking liquid. Using two forks, shred the meat into 2-inch-long pieces (to yield approximately 2¼ cups shredded meat).

Make the filling: In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the milk and cream to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low. Add the cheeses and whisk until melted, and the sauce is smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the kale, basil and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Assemble: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°. Butter a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Lay 3 noodles over the marinara. Spread 1/3 of the Filling Mixture evenly over the noodles. Sprinkle with a 1/3 of the shredded short ribs. Repeat with the remaining noodles and filling, making three layers of filling and ending with pasta. Spoon the remaining marinara sauce on top and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until the lasagna is heated through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Easy Skillet Apple Pie

From Southern Living

Ingredients:

2 pounds Granny Smith apples
2 pounds Braeburn apples
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 (14.1-oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts
1 egg white
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Butter-pecan ice cream (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Peel apples and cut into ½-inch-thick wedges. Toss apples with cinnamon and ¾ cup granulated sugar. Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat; add brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and place 1 piecrust in skillet over brown sugar mixture. Spoon apple mixture over piecrust; top with remaining piecrust. Whisk egg white until foamy. Brush top of piecrust with egg white; sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar. Cut 4 or 5 slits in top for steam to escape.Bake at 350ºF for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Use aluminum foil to shield for last 10 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes before serving. Serve with butter-pecan ice cream, if desired.

Alabama Fishing Show & Expo

Whopper of a success at Gadsden’s Venue at Coosa Landing

You can imagine an ear-to-ear smile as Shelia Bunch recounts by telephone her first ever Alabama Fishing Show & Expo.

Held in March at The Venue at Coosa Landing, the show brought in vendors from across the Southeast with wares ranging from rods and reels to lures and lines to boats and everything else perfect for the water.

Bunch is a veteran of these shows, having presented the East Tennessee Fishing Show for the past 30 years. But the Alabama one was new.

In its Gadsden debut, it drew more than 100 vendors and a crowd attendance of over 6,500. “We ran out of space” for vendors before the show even began, which required “thinking outside the box,” she said. Tents were installed outside, making room for even more products.

“Everybody really worked together,” she said, noting that the city, her team and even the vendors joined the effort to make the inaugural show a success.

When a major storm threatened one day, vendors shared or gave away space to accommodate the move inside. “It was wonderful.”

The question she got most often throughout the weekend confirmed a success story in the making: “Are you coming back next year?” Of course, her answer was a quick, “yes.”

“It ended up being a really good thing. I was about as perfect as it possibly could go this year,” she said. “It ended up being great.”

As for next year, additional features are already under discussion, including Crappie vendors, a kids’ fishing tournament and more food vendors.

“We’re going to make it an even better event for next year for everybody,” she said. Save the date – March 8-10, 2024.

Coosa and Southside Landings

Access to Neely Henry Lake and so much more

Story by Paul South
Photos by Graham Hadley
Submitted photos

Unless you’re the whale-obsessed Captain Ahab, a soldier in the biblical Egyptian army chasing Moses and the Israelites, or a champagne-sipping passenger aboard the RMS Titanic, this one thing is true: On the water, there’s never a bad day.

For locals and visitors to the Coosa River towns of Southside and Gadsden, two new boat landings are making life on the river even better. And city officials see the landings as yet another economic engine countywide.

First stop: Coosa Landing

First-term Gadsden Mayor Craig Ford had just finished lunch at Harp and Clover, when he met a Mississippi family posing for pictures outside the restaurant.

“What brings y’all to Gadsden?,” he asked. Their answer surprised him.

“This is our vacation. We love mountains and the river, and you guys have got both.”

Ford’s reaction?

“Wow. And here I’ve taken it for granted all these years.”

Coosa Landing is a cornerstone of redevelopment of Gadsden’s stretch of the river. A new landing may not seem like much but consider this: The Coosa attracts 32 fishing tournaments annually.

“To have that river, Coosa Landing is one of the biggest economic drivers we’ve got,” Ford said. “The development of Coosa Landing is kind of that center point for us as we start to develop that area around Coosa Landing. We have The Venue that’s continually being developed. We still have about 15,000 square feet of working space that’s still available.”

The Venue at Coosa Landing, a massive meeting and event center, was built in 2018, the same year that Coosa Landing opened, and regularly draws thousands of visitors for its events.

Just across the way, Coosa Landing boasts a four-lane boat launch, piers, parking for 125 trucks/boat trailers, an overflow parking area, a bait shop and the nearby Riverwalk Trail, which connects the Landing to a nearby Buffalo Wild Wings and an ideal stroll by the river.

The city hopes to add gas pumps at the Landing for boaters to refuel.

The Landing has hosted and co-sponsored national fishing tournaments on the B.A.S.S., Women’s Bass Fishing Association, Crappie USA tours and local and state tournaments.

But the Landing is part of a larger vision for Gadsden.

The city hopes to relocate City Hall and is trying to attract a boutique hotel, condominiums and more retail to the Landing side of the river. The city also envisions connecting the Gadsden Convention Center and new hotel with a pedestrian bridge.

“That would attract visitors from Coosa Landing as well,” Ford predicted. “I think once we get that type of development going, we’re actually going to be looking at trying to push more down toward across from the (Gadsden) Mall to develop behind the Arby’s there with some land that we own to build a city harbor that will bring in entertainment, bars and restaurants.

He reasons that the effort will “get people like the fishermen who come into Coosa Landing and into Gadsden to make it more of a tourist-type thing. Not only are you coming in here to fish, but we’re going to give you things to do at night while you’re not fishing.”

For Ford, the effort is “sort of a growth package” that will not only drive tourism but will grow Gadsden’s population. We think it will bring more people to live in Gadsden, because people like to live where they play,” he says. “The river is a big economic driver for us,” Ford said.

He sees the landing as a cornerstone of Gadsden’s transformation. “The people elected us to create jobs, improve the (Noccalula) Falls and develop the river,” Ford said. “Those are the things they elected us to do. And that’s the focus for the next four years at least.”

And Ford’s long-term vision for Gadsden’s stretch of the Coosa?

“At the end of the day, you’re going to see a lot more greenspace. You’re going to see the banks of the Coosa be a lot more inviting, not just for boaters, but for anyone who wants to hang out by the river.”

The city is also working with the Birmingham-based Orchestra Partners to bring development that will attract downtown shoppers toward the Coosa.

The anticipated result? “You won’t recognize the city in eight to 10 years.”

All aboard for Southside

When Mayor Dana Snyder and the city council took office in 2020, one of their top priorities was further developing Southside Landing.

In May 2022, the Landing officially opened. It was the vision of Southside’s previous mayor, Wally Burns, and had been in the works since 2016.

Mayor Snyder and the City Council embraced this vision and worked to expand on his concept by including an all-inclusive park and playground, which has proven to be an important asset for the community.

Playground and Restaurant at Southside Landing

Southside Landing features a boardwalk, boat launches, playground, outside dining, picnic areas and some of the most stunning scenery/views anywhere. Southside Landing has truly been a community effort, the mayor said, noting that a significant number of local businesses and clubs have contributed to this growing success story.

“Although the original plans called for a bait shack to be located at Southside Landing, the City Council and I felt like a restaurant in that building would be a better fit for our community,” she says. “In October 2022, we were fortunate to have Blackstone Bait Shack, a popular locally-owned pizza restaurant, open for business in this location. Blackstone has provided both an economic development boost and an oasis for hungry locals and visitors.”

They provide outside dining, featuring beautiful views of the Coosa River and the surrounding landscape, and they are considering outside entertainment during the summer months. “It’s no surprise how popular Southside Landing has become,” Mayor Snyder said, “and we look forward to building on and expanding this beautiful recreational area.”

Various events have already taken place at Southside Landing with many more events in the planning stages. “In December 2020, prior to the official opening of Southside Landing, the Christmas Boat Parade was brought to our end of the Coosa River. We had over 200 vehicles parked there when it was just a gravel parking lot to enjoy the boat parade. So, it was easy to surmise that once the paving, playground and boardwalk were completed, this would be a favorite location for both our community and visitors.”

“Southside Landing has already hosted numerous fishing tournaments, Sunset Suppers, Dinner and a Movie and our annual Christmas Boat Parades with great success,” she said. “These have proven to be favorites of not only our local community but of people from outside our city and county.”

Kinsley Aulsbrook of Rainbow City on the swings at Southside (Photo courtesy of her mom)

And more events are expected to come. “Outdoor recreation is not only important for tourism, but it is a huge draw for both potential residents and businesses,” Snyder said.

“Recreation is one of the number one things that makes people want to move to the city because there are things outdoors that they can do,” Snyder says. “Number two, when businesses are looking to move into a city, they also look at recreational opportunities.”

Of all of Etowah County’s incorporated cities and towns, Southside boasts the most riverfront property on the Coosa – more than 31 miles, Snyder said.

“I believe we are ‘The Loveliest Village on the Coosa,’ Snyder says. “Just the Landing fitting into our long-range plan, I believe it is the gateway to our city. I believe when people come there, they see that. When we advertise for movie nights there, our Christmas Boat Parade, the fishing tournaments, just the different events that are planned there, I just believe we are drawing people from outside the city and the county.”

She adds, “They’re going to come here. They’re going to see what we’re like. They’re going to hopefully want to come back and visit.”

To make that happen, Southside has collaborated with its neighbors – Rainbow City and the Neely Henry Lake Association – for “Dinner and a Movie” nights on the riverfront. Imagine families cuddled on blankets watching classics like Jaws, while munching on Blackstone’s pizza or food truck fare.

Food trucks also come to the Landing for popular “Sunset Suppers.”

Southside Landing is seen as the “first step” in the city’s long-range plan. Those plans include items like new gateway signs for the city to long-range objectives, like a zoning overlay for the Alabama Highway 77 Corridor. Farther into the future, officials eye the development of a city center.

There also are long-range plans for new parks and sports facilities. Other riverfront possibilities include a new recreational vehicle park.

The future looks bright in terms of future development at the Landing. Restaurant/retail spaces, perhaps even an amphitheater may one day call Southside’s slice of the riverbank home. The city recently purchased the “land between the two bridges” – Little Bridge and the Coosa River span – in hopes of getting a new river bridge. If the state builds a new river bridge at the site of the current span, the parcel between the bridges could be linked to Southside Landing.

“Southside Landing is not only a valuable asset to our community, it is the gateway to our city. We see how busy it is and as word spreads and improvements are made, I believe that it will be an even greater marketing tool for our city,” said Mayor Snyder. “If you have witnessed the beauty of a sunset at Southside Landing, then you have experienced the serenity, beauty and pulse of our wonderful city.”

Snyder summed up the importance of Southside Landing to the city’s future. She views it not as the culmination of a plan, but ushering in a new era. “That’s the beginning of our story there.”

Ultimate pub crawl

Bringing the party to Downtown Gadsden

Story by Carol Pappas
Submitted Photos

One day a year, it seems everybody’s Irish.

So, pick out your best ‘green,’ gather a few friends and head to downtown Gadsden for the Second Annual St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl Saturday, March 18, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

It’s a giant party, stretching across block after block of downtown Gadsden where 18 bars and restaurants are hosting the party, inviting one and all to sample their fare and benefit from specials, discounts and prizes.

Gadsden’s only rooftop bar, a perch overlooking the river with a stunning view of the sunset at Jake’s Music Room, will be open and welcoming party goers as well.

The popular pub crawl Tshirts will be on sale on Court Street, and bands will be playing outside some of the bars and restaurants, giving all of downtown a festive atmosphere to revel in the celebration of Ireland’s patron saint.

The pub crawl is held each year on the closest Saturday to St. Patrick’s Day and is a Downtown Gadsden Inc.-sponsored event aimed at bringing people together downtown to experience what the restaurants, cafes, pizza places and bars have to offer.

Kay Moore, director of Downtown Gadsden Inc., anticipates a “big year” for the festivities, encouraging ‘crawlers’ to take advantage of what all these downtown businesses have in store for the celebration. It’s an evening to savor tasty meals and appetizers, enjoy your favorite libations, soft drinks, coffees, lattes and more. And it’s a time for camaraderie with old friends and new ones you’ll meet.

You don’t need a four-leaf clover to count yourself lucky to be a part of it – Irish or not.

First Fridays

Downtown Gadsden’s signature event returns, building bigger and better traditions

Story by Carol Pappas
Submitted Photos

Just like an old friend you haven’t seen in a bit, Downtown Gadsden’s First Friday is back and ready to pick up the conversation – and the fun – where it left off in October.

First Friday returns April 7 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., building on what began with one small business in 2006 to a full-blown tradition that attracts people from multiple states from April to October each year.

“We’re looking forward to another great year,” said Downtown Gadsden Director Kay Moore. From the classic car show to the entertainment, downtown Gadsden becomes a destination point each month for this free, family event.

Broad Street, downtown’s main street, is closed to automobile traffic on First Friday, and food vendors to handle the overflow crowds set up shop in the 400 block. On 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and possibly the 600 block, entertainment plays to diverse audiences. “We have jazz, R & B, rock ‘n roll, bluegrass, line dancing, the cowboy church band – a little bit of everything for everybody,” Moore said.

If one block doesn’t quite fit your musical tastes, “just keep walking,” she suggested. “You’ll hear something you like in the next block.”

As has been the custom with First Friday, the classic car show is a huge draw that attracts thousands of car enthusiasts from all points in Alabama and throughout the Southeast. And it just keeps getting bigger and better every year.

Organizations like Main Street Alabama and Main Street America have taken notice of Gadsden’s successful efforts to bring people back to downtown. Gadsden’s many honors include Top 10 awards for its promotional activities.

“We remind people we have a good downtown,” Moore said. “It’s the heartbeat of the community,” stressing that efforts reach well beyond First Friday. Promotions and events – from a chili cookoff to a St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl – ensure that downtown merchants benefit from the increased activity drawing prospective customers their way on a regular basis.

“They like coming to our downtown,” she said.

Downtown Gadsden Inc. efforts don’t stop there, though. The organization is involved in beautifying and revitalizing the downtown area. The Pittman Theatre stage is being expanded and the ceiling is being dropped to improve its ability to host concerts.

Downtown Gadsden has entered into a public-private partnership with Walnut Gallery and Gadsden Museum of Art, leveraging its own $10,000 grant into a larger pool of $25,000 to place an 18-foot kinetic wind sculpture on the corner of 1st and Broad Streets. Just a short distance from the river and recognizing the water’s roots in Gadsden’s history, the sculpture resembles a fish with parts moving with the breeze.

“We’re really, really excited” about the sculpture coming and what the future holds for downtown, Moore said. There is no shortage of “great ideas” from the new mayor and administration that can be part of the planning that lies ahead.

“There’s a lot going on in Gadsden this year,” she added. First Friday and all the rest have been “a huge success for our downtown merchants and everybody else.”

Water up in April

Alabama Power ready to boost water levels on Logan Martin, Neely Henry

Story by Paul South
Staff Photos

ForCarl Wallace, there are signs—both on and off the lake – telling him a change is coming and that the waters will rise.

The arrival of Daylight Savings Time – this year on March 12 – means longer afternoons and a break in cabin fever for folks longing to get out. Homeowners race to finish boathouse, dock and shoreline repairs.

And – like blossoming buds and sprouting trees – social media springs to life with chatter about the rising waters. Boat dealer and marina traffic heats up, as does the weather. Shorts and T-shirts replace sweaters and sweatshirts.

“All of a sudden, you have an extra hour in the evening – it has warmed up a bit – and people will long to get out,” Wallace says.

This year, the anticipation is even more heightened since residents got their first sampling of higher water when the winter pool was raised to 462 feet instead of the 460 feet since its beginnings in the mid-1960s.

Come April 16, the lake will begin its seasonal rise with only three feet to go to summer pool – expected by May 1. The drawdown is expected to begin Oct. 1.

And since Alabama weather is, well, Alabama weather, with shorts and Tshirts becoming appropriate apparel here and there throughout the winter months, the extra two feet has meant an increase in year-round boating. But unofficially, lake season seems to kick off in a big way around Memorial Day weekend.

There’s a flurry of activity up and down the lake between now and the water’s rise. Boat and seawall repairs, dock building and improvements and general sprucing up with landscaping projects are all part of the pre-lake season mix.

An important note: Property owners interested in performing shoreline maintenance projects must get a permit from Alabama Power through its Shoreline Management Office at 205-472-0481 before starting any project.

Increased debris may come with rising waters, so groups like the Logan Martin Lake Protection Association and Renew Our Rivers go to work, cleaning up the waters.

Why the fluctuation?

Twice a year – each Spring and Fall – Alabama Power Company adjusts water levels in Logan Martin and Neely Henry lakes to prepare for Alabama’s rainy seasons.

Full pool for Logan Martin is 465 feet and for Neely Henry, it’s 508 feet. Neely Henry’s level only fluctuates about a foot.

Neely Henry is a storage lake, and levels don’t fluctuate much

The electric utility operates two kinds of lakes – “Run of River” and “Storage.” Logan Martin and Neely Henry are storage reservoirs, which serve two purposes.

“Run of river projects discharge essentially the same amount of water that flows into them. This type of operation gives them a fairly consistent lake level year-round. These lakes were not designed with flood control as a specific project purpose,” according to Alabama Power Spokesperson Alyson Tucker.

“Alternatively, ‘storage’ projects like Neely Henry and Logan Martin provide seasonal storage, having different summer and winter pool levels and are drawn down late fall into the winter to provide a means of managing and storing winter/spring rains. These operations provide a measure of protection against downstream flooding during high flow events. These storage projects normally have their levels returned to summer pool levels during the spring timeframe. Water stored in these storage lakes can also help mitigate some impacts of drought by providing a limited source of water for use when it is scarce, such as during drought periods.”

The operating levels, managed by Alabama Power are determined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in what’s called the Guide

The Guide remains the same throughout the summer months. In fall and early winter, the Guide declines to make room for normal winter and spring flood flows. In general, the operating guide provides the guidance needed for both flood control operations and daily water management decisions.

Environmental impact on flora and fauna is “minimal,” Alabama Power officials say.

“Alabama Power works in concert with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to maintain stable or slightly rising water levels during the spring to support fish spawning when conditions allow. Due to higher and more stable water levels in the winter,” the company says, there has been an increase in aquatic vegetation on these lakes in recent years.

Lake levels vary depending on conditions.

And lakefront businesses and watercraft merchants will likely see their bottom lines rise along with the water levels.

For lake residents, the rising lake levels generate more than electricity. The lake will see a sizable increase in traffic from pontoons, fishing and ski boats and personal watercraft. Wallace, who writes the social media blog, Lake Ramblings, put it like this: “Lake lovers love toys.”

It won’t be too long before this is an every weekend scene at Pirate Island

A dammed good time

Logan Martin and Neely Henry lakes were part of a construction project to further develop the Coosa River in the late 1950s and early 60s. The area of the Logan Martin reservoir is 15,263 acres with 275 miles of shoreline.

Neely Henry Reservoir has an area of 11,200 acres and 339 miles of shoreline, according to Alabama Power.

Neely Henry Dam was built in 1966, and Logan Martin, in 1964.

Since that time, for water enthusiasts on both lakes, it has been (as a lake festival Tshirt once proclaimed) “a dammed good time.”

Alabama Fishing Show

Coming to the Venue at Coosa Landing this March

Shelia Bunch’s work revolves around all things fishing, but the Tennessee businesswoman doesn’t have time to enjoy the pastime herself. She’s too busy running the show – literally.

Now Bunch, who has organized the East Tennessee Fishing Show and Expo for the past 14 years, is bringing the inaugural Alabama Fishing Show and Expo to Gadsden March 10-12 at The Venue at Coosa Landing. She’s hoping the lure of hundreds of vendors from all over the country, prizes and pro angler seminars will reel in fishing enthusiasts from all over Alabama and beyond.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for the past two or three years, but then COVID struck,” she said. “There’s no fishing shows in Alabama, there’s only boat shows,” she said. “There’s a big difference between fishing shows and boat shows.”

From fishing poles to kayaks, everything is on display

When Bunch decided to take her show on the road, she considered Georgia and South Carolina before deciding Alabama was the perfect fit. “You guys have some of the greatest fishing talent in Alabama, you’ve got great lakes, and so many great fishing tournaments,” she said.

After taking over the show that had been held in the Knoxville area for 30 years but was struggling, Bunch vowed to make it bigger and better than ever before. Since then, the Tennessee event has grown to include more than 300 vendors from all over the country and Canada. Visitors from 12 states have attended, searching for gear for both salt and freshwater fishing.

“Our goal is to provide a family-friendly fishing event for everyone who has a passion for fishing,” she said. “We focus only on the fishing industry. You’re only going to see fishing boats here. We have tackle vendors with products you’ll never be able to see anywhere else. It’s exciting to pull all this together.”

So far, local vendors, as well as some from Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Indiana, Virginia, Arkansas, Florida, Arkansas and Louisiana have committed to Alabama’s show. Bunch said many more will register over the next few months, offering everything from boats, tackle, custom lures, rods, reels, clothing, electronics, fishing accessories and more.

Second Career

In her former life, Bunch owned a hair salon. “It’s a different type of work for sure,” she said before adding that she’s had plenty of experience helping out in her husband Curtis’ boat dealership. She also loves a challenge. “I’m great at planning events, I’m very organized, and I’m fair,” she said. “At first, the vendors did not like having some little short woman come in and tell everybody what to do. But over the years, I’ve been very open-minded, and they’ve really supported me.”

That’s because Bunch offers them a lot of support, as well. “I believe in small business,” she said. “We have everything from big-name vendors to small-name vendors, and some get their start at our show. I do my best to support their products because they need a chance to build their business like everybody else.”

One of Bunch’s favorite things about the show is that it gives families a chance to build memories. “We have so many people come in and say they remember when their grandfather took them to a fishing show,” she said. “If you want anything to do with fishing, this is where you come to. If you don’t fish, by the time you leave, you’ll wish you did, or you’ll have plans to start.” l