As we begin a new year and all the rush of busy holidays come to an end, the Coosa Riverkeeper team wants to extend a huge thank you to everyone who participated in events, volunteered during cleanups, or donated to protect the Coosa in 2025.
Our work is made possible by the folks like you, who live, work, and recreate on the river! We hope to continue inspiring your family and the next generation through educational programs like our workshops, free fishing clinics, and school visits, which reached over 675 kids in 2025. For some children in communities of greatest need, a free fishing clinic is their first time at the water’s edge. This first exposure to nature can be life-changing.
On that note, we also began the very first of our Angler Advocacy Focus Groups! In 2025, we hosted 4 of these groups, collecting information that will help our team better serve communities with fishing resources. Attendees shared honest feedback about their fishing priorities, the challenges they’re seeing on the water, and ways we can make our program even more useful.
Our field team has patrolled the watershed more than 85 times this year and released 15 weeks of Swim Guide data to the public, protecting 5,000 square miles of the river and the communities who rely on the river as the abundant resource that it is.
We also celebrated two exciting anniversaries in 2025: our 15th year as an organization, plus 10 years of our Swim Guide water quality testing program. (That’s 10 years of helping families recreate safely on the Coosa, all summer long.) Although this is just a glimpse of 2025’s achievements and events, we are excited to bring more opportunities to the folks of the Coosa in the new year!
Want to join us as we protect, restore, and promote the Coosa? Visit CoosaRiver.org/Events to sign up today or check us out on Facebook & Instagram!
Follow Coosa Riverkeeper on Facebook & Instagram @CoosaRiverkeeper For more information, swim over to www.CoosaRiver.org.
Returning to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame
A pair of boat dealers on Logan Martin Lake had an idea that grew from a simple open house. And as good ideas often do, it’s still growing.
Mark Hildebrant of Woods Surfside Marina and Rodney Humphries of Rodney’s Marine began their joint venture as an open house at their respective dealerships. From there, they moved to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame as a small boat show.
Indoor venue makes the perfect all-weather boat show location
It’s appropriately called Legends Boat Show because it brings legends in the boating world at the place where motorsports legends are built.
In contrast to other boat shows, “we wanted something people did not have to pay to get in or park,” Hildebrant said. “We will see how it grows over the coming years.”
By the looks of it so far, they have the makings of a thriving new year’s tradition as the first area boat show of the year – Jan. 16-18.
For 2026, the boat dealers will be Woods, Rodney’s and Woods and Water Powersports. Also featured will be Town & Country Ford, which will have vehicles onsite.
AmFirst federal credit union will be providing onsite financing for boats and vehicles.
Legends showcases pontoon boats from Bennington, Evotti, Starcraft and Manitou along with ATVs and 4-wheelers, golf carts and Waverunners. Dock companies and Realtors have joined the show as well, giving attendees an opportunity to see lake life and the outdoors up close from all angles.
Admission and parking aren’t the only perks free with this show. There will be a free concert Saturday night with Deputy 5.
If it’s a holiday or her father’s birthday, chances are Brooke Tollison is making a pie. An apple pie, to be precise, that’s baked in her grandparents’ cast-iron skillet.
Brooke shows off her cooking skills
They’ve developed quite a system. Once her dad has eaten his fill, “he gives the skillet back to me, all cleaned and seasoned and ready to go,” she said.
The fact that she and her parents, Gary and Lynn Williams, have houses next door to each other on Neely Henry Lake makes the process a little bit easier and a lot more fun. “I love that they are right there,” Brooke said. “Being next to my parents was a big selling point for me. My family has been on this part of the Coosa River for generations.”
That’s probably why, for Brooke, “lake” has always been synonymous with family.
As a child, it meant long summer days swimming with her cousins, learning to ski and kneeboard, and endless hours of boat rides and tubing. As an adult, it means drinking coffee or hot chocolate around the fire pit while watching the stars with her husband and kids on a crisp fall evening.
The one thing that has never changed is that “the lake” means Neely Henry. She and her husband, Jim, live and work in the Pell City area – she just opened The Brooke Tollison agency, an ALFA Independent Agency, and he is the regional manager for Alabama Farm Credit.
“Pell City has been so good to us,” she said. But in the 21 years they’ve lived there, Brooke said she’s only been to Logan Martin Lake three or four times.
“This is the lake I grew up on,” she said, standing at the water’s edge of the house they bought nearly two years ago. “I made so many wonderful memories here.”
Peaceful oasis
Brooke said she wasn’t actively looking for a lake house when the opportunity presented itself, but it had been in the back of her mind for a while, so she was keeping her eyes and ears open. “I knew I wanted a lake house for retirement,” she said. “I’ve still got 15 or 20 years to work, but I also had been watching prices appreciate.”
That’s why, when she learned that the 3-bedroom, 2-bath house on Palmetto Creek was hitting the market, she jumped at the chance. In addition to her parents, her uncle and several cousins have homes on Neely Henry, and she loved the idea of being close to her extended family. “I wanted my kids to have a similar experience to what I had growing up,” she said.
The perfect place to gather and watch the game
That means lazy days surrounded by family and friends. Brooke, who grew up in Hokes Bluff, gets nostalgic watching 16-year-old Claire and her friends having fun on the lily pad float because it reminds her of lake days with her own high school friends, who are frequent visitors to the lake house. Jim and their son, Jay, 19, love to fish, and Jay enjoys canoeing and kayaking, as well.
“This is the perfect spot for that,” she said, adding that the creek has smooth water and meanders about a mile past their house. Although there are several homes nearby, their area of the lake has a peaceful, secluded feel. “It’s private, but it’s not isolated,” she said.
Buying the lake house was kind of a full circle moment for Brooke. Her parents bought their house from her sister in the late ‘90s, and then they also bought the adjacent lot where her house now stands. Her father eventually sold the 3-acre lot to another family member, however, and it’s changed hands a couple of times since.
At some point, one of the owners built the house, and when Brooke bought it, the property became part of the family again. Since then, it’s been put to good use.
She’s helped her parents host a family reunion, and with two docks and two big yards, there was plenty of room for parking and for everyone to spread out. Last summer, she even hosted a wedding with 50 or 60 guests when a cousin exchanged vows by the water’s edge. “It was such a beautiful day,” Brooke said.
Let’s eat
Entertaining at the lake means lots of good food, so what’s on the menu when crowds gather?
“We live on a cattle farm, so we grill a lot,” Brooke said. “We’ll have steak or hamburgers, and my dad likes to smoke wings and briskets. When friends come, everybody brings sides, dips, cakes, potato salad and appetizers, and we all dig in. We love desserts, so there are always plenty of desserts.” Often, they include a tray of Brooke’s no-bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies.
When it’s just family, they usually take a more relaxed approach. “If we come up on a weekend, we go to Local Joe’s, get some food, eat on the pier, and then we go for a boat ride and watch the moon rise. And the stars – oh my gosh, the stars are fabulous,” Brooke said.
Relaxed getaway
Bedrooms let in plenty of natural light and are decorated in lakeside themes
Although the Tollisons escape to their getaway fairly often, Brooke has listed the home on Airbnb so that others can enjoy it when they can’t. So far, it’s been a great experience, she said, and she loves having the opportunity to help others fall in love with the lake that has meant so much to her and her family.
She wanted to create an inviting environment, so Brooke chose light colors and a mix of old and new furniture pieces to create the perfect oasis. There are some personal touches, as well. A family friend, Terry Lee, built the bed swing on the dock, and the artwork of two other friends, Jimmie Nell Miller and Shannon Abbott adorn the walls.
“I wanted it to feel like a lake house, a place that is comfy, welcoming and relaxing,” Brooke said. “Hopefully we achieved that.”
There’s plenty of things to entertain guests and friends who gather. Outdoor games like bocce ball and cornhole are favorites, and the Tollisons have a shed full of water toys like paddleboards, kayaks and a double canoe.
The area is a great spot for fishing, Brooke said, and the chances of spotting wildlife are pretty good. “We have ospreys here and the occasional bald eagle,” she said. “We’ve got bunny rabbits and deer. I grew up with creatures.”
It’s part of what makes lake life so special, she said. “This is my happy place, and I want everyone to love it as much as I do. Go kayaking, go paddleboarding, have a cup of coffee on the pier, sit in the sunshine, get some Vitamin D and just enjoy it. It’s a beautiful, beautiful spot.”
Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
½ cup cocoa
½ cup milk
½ cup butter
¼ teaspoon salt
3-4 cups quick cooking oatmeal
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup crunchy peanut butter
Directions
Combine sugar, cocoa, milk, butter and salt in a boiler and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter, vanilla and 3 cups of oatmeal. Mix thoroughly. Add more oatmeal for a thicker consistency. Drop onto wax paper and let cool.
Skillet Apple Pie
Ingredients
2 pounds Granny Smith apples
1 pound firm, red apples like Gala
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 pie crusts
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the brown sugar and ¾ of the stick of butter in a cast iron skillet (I use a 12-inch skillet) and melt them together. Peel and slice apples in ¼ inch pieces. Sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning. Add 1 cup of sugar minus 1 tablespoon to the peeled apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Add salt and vanilla to bowl. Mix to coat. Place one flat piece of crust in the skillet, on top of the brown sugar and butter mixture. Top with apple mixture. Put slices of remaining butter on top of apples. Top with second pie crust and slice vents in the crust. Brush milk across the top of the crust and sprinkle remaining sugar on top. Cover and bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes.
Ever seen creativity afloat? If you made it to Boo Bash on Logan Martin 2025, you couldn’t miss it.
From boats dressed as Pac Man, Creepy Castle and Ghostbusters, creative juices were flowing like Logan Martin Dam when the spillway gates are open.
After party at Tiki Hut
Not to be outdone, docks were in full Halloween regalia with the likes of Pine Harbor Urgent Care, a not-so comforting medical theme of saws, knives, blood and bones.
Little Dock of Horrors was a double deck of ghoulish goblins, ghosts, and grimacing ghouls. And Fear the Pier had boats and revelers approaching with trepidation.
Pac Man boat
And Boo Slough made sure everyone got to enjoy the day. No dock? No boat? No problem. Logan Martin Lake Protection Association and Pell City Parks and Recreation hosted fun, inflatables and giveaways at Lakeside Park, easily accessible by vehicle, boat or on foot.
Now in its fourth year, Boo Bash has grown into a full-scale movement, bringing the entire lake community together in a festive seasonal celebration. And its proceeds go to a worthy cause – LMLPA’s safety program.
Think dock-to-dock trick-or-treating is just for kids? Think again. It’s hard to tell which age group has the most fun. There’s plenty of treats for adults and pooches, too.
Capped off with an after party at presenting sponsor, The Tiki Hut, Boo Bash gets bigger and better every year thanks to the two simple words that began it all – “What if?” The brainchild of Kelli Lasseter and Sonya Hubbard and bolstered by a growing army of volunteers, Boo Bash has now become a Logan Martin tradition.
And the Logan Martin community thanks all involved on an idea well done. See you next year!
Parents, don’t panic. This is still a family-friendly magazine, safe for children. In fact, this story is about an Alabama Power initiative that makes the planet better for our kids and grandkids and brings colorful, fragrant beauty to Logan Martin and other Alabama lakes.
It takes a variety of flowers to serve the needs of pollinators
In 2018, the utility began its pollinator plot program at nine sites around Alabama. Two pollinator-friendly plots are located in Double Cove Park at Logan Martin near the dam. The program is part of The Preserves, 65 public recreational sites along the state’s shorelines.
Each half-acre plot was built in the wake of a decline in pollinator populations, notably bees. But a variety of wildlife, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, hummingbirds, lizards and bats are pollinators that plants depend on to survive and thrive.
That spread of pollen doesn’t just help flowers to blossom, it impacts the food supply. Each plot is seeded with a custom blend of native seeds specific to each site – a recipe of annuals, biannuals and perennials. Each plot commonly includes milkweed species, black-eyed Susans and goldenrod. The seed mix is created following a soil analysis at Auburn University.
The company partnered with the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service in developing the pollinator sites.
“Our goal was to establish pollinator friendly sites at each Alabama Power public recreation site capable of development,” said Garret Parker, Alabama Power team leader on Shoreline Recreation and Compliance.
Goals for the program include:
Enhancing existing recreation sites.
Protecting the scenic, recreational and environmental aspects of each site.
Encouraging stakeholders to enjoy, learn and grow a deeper appreciation of Alabama’s ecology and natural landscape.
The plots have to be redone every five years, Parker said. It generally takes about three months to re-do the plots.
“The wildflowers come back every year, but over time you get a lot of invasive weeds and grasses and sometimes even trees,” Parker said. “They slowly start to get into the plots and out-compete the native wildflowers.”
In late fall, employees plant a wildflower seed mixture that by next spring and summer will be a cornucopia of beauty, color and fragrance – bergamot, black-eyed Susans, blue false indigo, butterfly milkweed, purple cornflower and others.
Fighting off the threats
In the past quarter century, pollinator populations and their habitats have drastically declined, thanks to a number of factors, including pesticides, pollution, pests, pathogens and changes in land use, such as increasing human development, according to the Pollinator Partnership. It is an organization that collaborates with farmers, gardeners, land managers, scientists and industry to improve pollinator populations.
Double Cove Park is home to two Pollinator Plots
Climate change also plays a key role, according to the partnership. The increased temperatures have damaged habitat and the food supply for pollinators, as has extreme drought and an increase in the number of weather-related disasters.
Here are a few examples of how pollinator populations have declined:
Several species of native bumblebees, including the common bumblebee, the western bumblebee and the Rusty Patched bumblebee, have experienced a decline in population. Researchers have seen a decline in the geographic range of the species.
The number of managed beehives in the United States has declined from 5 million in the 1940s to 2.68 million in 2023, according to USDA statistics.
The monarch butterfly population loss has increased from between 35 to 49 percent to 58 percent.
Along with the pollinator plots, the utility has worked with universities like Auburn, researchers, state and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to grow the pollinator population, Parker said.
“Alabama Power coordinated with the Auburn University Bee Lab and the Electric Power Research Institute to conduct a multi-year research study on ways to protect pollinator friendly plant species when conducting required vegetation management on utility rights of way,” Parker said. We also work with state and federal partners and NGOs to protect specific species such as the white fringeless orchid.”
Among the NGOs partnering with Alabama Power is the Atlanta Botanical Garden. The company also supports the Alabama Wildlife Federation and Alabama Audubon Society and their efforts to establish wildlife and pollinator friendly vegetation.
An example of the partnerships is between the power company and Auburn University’s Bee Laboratory. The university uses “citizen science” by encouraging public participation in the National Colony Loss & Management Survey. It’s a “boots on the ground” effort to monitor bee population.
The utility is among a number of partners with Auburn, including the University of Maryland and the USDA.
This past summer, the utility worked with the Pollinator Partnership to sponsor its annual Pollinator Week, a celebration of the birds and bees, butterflies and other animals that go crazy over Alabama wildflowers. Humans like the picturesque plots too.
Why is the program important? “By prioritizing environmental stewardship,” Parker said, “we’re safeguarding resources and opportunities for future generations.”
Editor’s Note:Community members can find a pollinator plot to host a counting event near them by downloading the free Shorelines mobile app or visiting apcshorelines.com.
Coosa Riverkeeper is getting ready for a few events near Logan Martin Lake this November! Check out the events near you to participate in fun activities for kids, fishing groups, and more! Sign up and learn about Coosa Riverkeeper & our events by visiting our website below.
C.R.E.E.K. Birds & Wildlife of the Coosa – Join Coosa Riverkeeper & Anniston Museum & Gardens as we team up for a fun day of learning about native bird species on the Coosa, a chance to meet some special birds, crafts, and more! We can’t wait to soar the Coosa with you on Nov. 8, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Visit our website below to sign up and learn more! (Limited spaces available)
Coosa Riverkeeper Angler Focus Group – Calling all Logan Martin anglers! Join us Thursday, Nov. 13, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at St Simon Peter Episcopal Church, 3702 Mays Bend Road, Pell City, to talk all things fishing around the Coosa! We will provide dinner and a free gift for attending and participating in our focus group. RSVP sign up is required. Sign up today on our website!
Volunteer Cleanup at Highway 77 Boat Ramp – Keep the Coosa River clean with us! Jump it at Highway 77 boat ramp on Nov. 22, at 8 a.m. All materials are provided by Coosa Riverkeeper. We will have water, sports drinks, and snacks! An exact location will be sent to volunteers who have signed up!
Want to join us as we protect, restore, and promote the Coosa this Fall? Visit CoosaRiver.org/Events to sign up today!
Follow Coosa Riverkeeper on Facebook & Instagram @CoosaRiverkeeper For more information, swim over to www.CoosaRiver.org.
Oxford and Pell City Shine Bright for the Holidays
Two East Alabama communities are set to dazzle once again this holiday season, each offering its own take on the magic of Christmas lights — from snow tubing and Santa’s Village in Oxford to a community-driven wonderland along the shores of Pell City’s Lakeside Park.
Oxford Festival of Lights
The 2025 Oxford Festival of Lights returns for its sixth season with more sparkle, more snow, and an extended calendar that gives families extra time to take in the show.
New this year are two winter attractions inside Santa’s Village, the grand finale after visitors drive through more than 2.5 million lights arranged in glowing displays around Choccolocco Park.
Snow Mountain Tubing will deliver the thrill of a multi-lane, 20-foot slide built on a blanket of real snow, while Frosty’s Playground offers a hands-on winter experience where children can make snow angels, build snowmen or toss snowballs.
With more to do, organizers have extended the normal run of the festival which will now begin November 21, 2025, and run through January 4, 2026, with new select weekday daytime hours and 1 p.m. until 10 p.m. on weekends for Santa’s Village.
Tickets for the drive-through and Santa’s Village are available beginning Oct. 1 at oxfordlights.com. Passes purchased in October will be discounted to $20 and automatically entered into a “Golden Ticket” drawing, which includes full admission and extra amenities from Santa’s Village.
“Over the past five years, we have had almost 250,000 come through the show,” said special events coordinator Madison Gardner. “We are looking forward to being bigger and better this year with more to do and the opportunity to come multiple times. We look forward to seeing everyone there and making memories with this special holiday experience.”
First Bank of Alabama returns as the primary sponsor for the Oxford Festival of Lights, which takes place at Choccolocco Park, 954 Leon Smith Parkway.
Pell City Lights in the Park
About 40 miles west, the glow of holiday cheer will also illuminate Lakeside Park in Pell City, where the 2025 Lights in the Park event will showcase more than 70 holiday displays and thousands of twinkling bulbs.
This year’s event opens Saturday, Nov. 29, and runs nightly through Dec. 31, with lights on until 9 p.m. each evening. Admission is free, and community members are already registering to take part in the display.
According to the city’s website, “We are thrilled with the growing excitement and dedication of our participants, which is what makes Lights in the Park such a cherished holiday tradition. As the event continues to grow, we are introducing a new Sustainability Initiative. This change ensures a spectacular and reliable event that brings joy to our entire community for years to come.”
The Sustainability Initiative encourages participants to help maintain and expand the light displays in one of two ways. They can pay a $50 non-refundable contribution fee at registration – funds the Parks and Recreation Department will use to purchase new displays – or provide a receipt showing at least $50 in new lights or display materials purchased within the past six months.
“Participants think of this as a direct investment in the event’s longevity and quality,” the city’s statement read. “Your contribution increases the number of lights in the park, either through your own display or by supporting the Pell City Parks & Recreation display.”
The city hopes the initiative will keep the event growing without losing its community spirit. Lights in the Park is hosted at Lakeside Park, 2801 Stemley Bridge Road in Cropwell, with entry through the Civic Center parking lot. For details or registration, visit pellcity.recdesk.com or follow Pell City Parks & Recreation and the city on Facebook.
Economically speaking, this Coosa River town is hotter than free Taylor Swift tickets in a junior high lunchroom.
Kay Moore remembers not terribly long ago, when Gadsden, especially downtown, seemed to have practically given up the ghost. Back then, she worked at a local bank. The city’s two major employers, Goodyear and Republic Steel, closed. Retail mainstays like Ike Saks, Hagedorn’s and Rutenberg’s tried but did not survive.
But the script has flipped in Gadsden. From downtown to the Coosa riverfront and Noccalula Falls, the city is flourishing. And while others may bill their cities as “comeback towns,” few Alabama municipalities have experienced a resurgence like Gadsden.
Mural artist William Bebee poses with finished product
For the past 18 years, Kay Moore has served as the director of Downtown Gadsden, Inc., the local arm of the Alabama Main Street program, charged with promoting Alabama cities and towns.
DGI sponsors events, promotes downtown via social media, events and in collaboration with local merchants.
“We all work together to make things happen,” she said. “That’s the most positive part of this whole thing. We’ve got a lot of great people here, and we’re continuing to work together. We’ve come a long way in 18 years.”
She added, “My job is to promote what (merchants) do, both individually and as a group.”
And it’s attracting notice well beyond its borders. In August, Downtown Gadsden, Inc., received three Awards of Excellence from Main Street Alabama:
Excellence in Marketing for its banner project.
Excellence in Building Design in the non-historic division, for the renovation of the Mary G. Hardin Cultural Arts Center, and
Excellence in Public Art for the Pitman Hands mural.
Reimagining downtown
What’s now DGI began in 1972 as the Downtown Action Council. Shopping malls were springing up across the country, hurting downtown merchants.
“Back in that day I was just working a block down the street at what was then Central Bank, she recalled. “They got together a group of businessmen to save the downtown, because they could see what was going to happen.”
Despite best efforts, the larger downtown stores closed. Belk Hudson moved to the mall as did Budd’s Men’s Store, Ike Saks, Rutenbergs and Hagedorns.
There are more than 40 lofts in the downtown area
“Belk was the center of downtown. And when that huge store left, it left a big hole downtown.”
The building sat vacant for years until the Cultural Arts Center moved in.
“In the mid-1970s when the mall took off, and downtown became pretty much a ghost town, I was thinking, ‘If I didn’t work downtown, I wouldn’t come downtown. There was nothing. The occupancy rate was about 40 percent. Places were boarded up. It was not a fun thing.”
All that has changed. Gadsden’s downtown is on a roll. Moore, a lifelong resident of the city, says the city center is reminiscent of an earlier, prosperous time. Families are coming to Gadsden. While fathers fish for trout at Noccalula Falls or for crappie and bass on the Coosa, moms and their kids shop and eat, or visit Imagination Place or the Gadsden Museum of Art.
“People who grew up here say, it’s like it was a long time ago. And it kind of is … Retail stores are very, very vibrant, and we’ve got good restaurants downtown.”
Those once-empty storefronts are mostly filled with an occupancy rate of about 90 percent, she added. “The ones not occupied are just not ready to be occupied. It’s a cycle.”
A turning point came in 1998 when the city built a downtown streetscape and businesses began to return. First Friday – a mix of food, music and classic cars celebrated on the first Friday of every month – also sparked a return to the city center.
Sylvia Smith, owner of the Stone Market on Court Street, started First Friday in January 2006.
“I give First Friday a lot of credit in bringing businesses and people back to downtown,” Moore said. “(Smith) started it to bring people into her store. Then, the other people on Broad Street started noticing.”
In 2007, First Friday grew, and it took off in 2008.
People aren’t just working, dining or shopping downtown. There are more than 40 loft apartments downtown, with 27 planned in the old Sears building on Forrest Avenue that looks down on Broad Street. Completion of those lofts is expected early next year. An additional 15 apartments are in their early stages. That more than doubles the number of lofts.
“What I’d like to see in the next five years is a huge population of younger people who want to live downtown and bring their friends. They are going to shop, and they’ re going to eat. It’s just a positive impact,” she said. “Young people are wanting to come back. You just see a more vibrant personality downtown.”
Other changes are four-way stops downtown to improve traffic flow and make the downtown more pedestrian friendly. Other plans to improve traffic flow are being considered.
One of DGI’s major fundraisers – the 13th annual Sunset Sips – was Oct. 21. There are 300 tickets available at $50 each. Memorial Bridge is blocked off, allowing revelers to enjoy music, wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres as the sun sets on the water. They are encouraged to continue the celebration by dining downtown. The money raised is reinvested downtown.
“We’re just trying to do things that will bring a positive look to downtown,” Moore said.
Riverfront, Recreation and Rebranding
Meanwhile, Coosa Harbor, the multiuse residential/commercial and entertainment development on the banks of the Coosa River, continues to move forward. The city is completing its Federal Energy Regulatory Commission permit and grant applications, which when approved will allow construction of piers behind Coosa Harbor.
It’s hoped that the pier project will be completed by the late first quarter of 2027. Private sources have already invested some $20 million into the project that’s also being boosted by tax incentives from the city. Coosa Harbor is expected to break ground in 2026 and take two to three years to complete.
Vintage cars one of the many draws at Downtown Gadsden First Fridays
The city has also partnered with Gadsden State Community College to construct 10 tennis courts behind the Gadsden Sports Complex and a cross-country trail that in part, runs along the banks of the Coosa.
The city is also moving forward with its GROW Gadsden plan, and has invested in a $100 million RISE initiative, Reimagine, Invest, Strategic Planning and Economic Development. The initiative is expected to have a $190 million economic impact and create 2,400 jobs.
A gem of the plan is a new Gadsden Athletic Complex, featuring an aquatic center, 16 volleyball courts and 10 pickleball courts, eight basketball courts, four baseball/ softball diamonds and a walking track. The GAC is expected to be online in 2028-29.
A cobblestone hotel is located near the harbor site, but the city is looking for more hotels to meet the expected demand once the GAC comes online. “We don’t have enough hotels to meet the expected demand,” said John Moore, Gadsden’s director of Commercial Development and Community Affairs in Mayor Craig Ford’s office. “We’re three hotels short right now.”
For John Moore, all of this activity from downtown to the river comes down to one word –energy.
“It’s excitement,” he said. “People actually see the vision that the mayor has, that we are progressing, and that we’re a city on the move.”
That progress has even been noticed in America’s corridors of financial power. Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s provide credit ratings for companies, cities and countries.
“Gadsden is no longer classified as an older city (by Moody’s and S&P),” Moore said. “We’re now classified a new and up and coming city. I thought that was absolutely beautiful.”
Changing an image
Had someone told Kay Moore back in the 1970s how Gadsden and its downtown would be in 2025, they would’ve been met with skepticism and a laugh.
“I would have probably thought you were a little bit crazy. It was so dead. You had boarded up places. Now we have so many people downtown. It’s a great problem to have.”
With this beehive of activity from the river to downtown and seemingly everywhere in between, the bottom line is that the city is poised to improve its citizens’ quality of life, John Moore said, not just in Gadsden, but in Etowah County and in northeast Alabama.
“We are making Gadsden a destination place where people come and spend time with the entertainment we’ll be able to offer, whether its walkability of our downtown or sitting on the Coosa River at Coosa Harbor, or when you’re actually playing night golf over at Twin Bridges once we finish that up,” he said. “There are so many things the city has to offer that aren’t available anywhere else in a 120-mile radius.”
In 2023, the city revamped its seal and logo. Gone are the Emma Sansom Monument, farmland, and the Republic Steel plant, replaced by the Coosa River, Noccalula Falls and downtown. It’s all part of an ongoing effort to create a fresh brand for Gadsden.
“Not only are we changing the culture, but we’re changing the image of Gadsden,” John Moore said. “What I say to our staff is, ‘How do we make the City of Gadsden a cool brand?’ and ‘If the city were a clothing line, would it be a high-end clothing line?’ I don’t know if we’re there yet, but we’re getting there.”
Chapel in the Pines celebrates 60 years of worship on the banks of Logan Martin Lake
Story by Roxann Edsall Submitted Photos
The engine of the approaching personal watercraft quiets to idle speed, the unit plowing through the water headed for the pier. Arriving at the pier moments later, its driver allows it to spin and stop and begins to tie off.
Wearing T-shirts, shorts and visors, the driver and his passenger hop onto the pier, greeting passengers of another arriving boat. Walking past the parking lot, they follow the path into the woods. It’s Sunday on the lake, and they’re headed to church at Chapel in the Pines.
Pets are welcome at Chapel in the Pines
For 60 years now, residents of Logan Martin Lake, along with their guests and visitors to the area, have gathered at the river to worship at the outdoor chapel known as Chapel in the Pines. Since its inception, the plan has always been for the service to be short and informal, allowing both time to worship and time to play on Sunday mornings. Visitors are encouraged to come to the 30-minute non-denominational service in casual attire, then hit the water to continue lake-loving activities for the rest of the weekend. Services are held at 8:30 a.m. beginning the first Sunday in May and continuing through the September.
Weekly church services at Chapel in the Pines are a ministry of Pell City First United Methodist Church. “We are happy to be able to offer the community an opportunity to gather at a weekly ecumenical service,” said Pell City FUMC senior pastor Rachel Gonia. “People who are here visiting during the summer have a place to come when they’re away from their home church.”
The message is delivered by a different preacher each week, with a representation by each religious denomination in the local area. That was one of the unique things that drew Sue Pat DuBose and her late husband, John, to Chapel in the Pines in 1984, eventually serving on the chapel board for five years. “We lived across the street, and we’d hear people singing, but we couldn’t hear the speaker,” says DuBose. “So, we walked over, and we enjoyed it so much. It was exciting, because, at that time, you never knew who the preacher was going to be or who was going to do the music.”
These memories were among many shared at the end of this season of Chapel in the Pines during an anniversary celebration honoring the history of this Logan Martin tradition. Deanna Lawley, a former chapel board member, recounted events from its early years. “It was like a homecoming when the season began,” she remembers. “We’d go over there when it was still dark to sweep off and around the benches before the people arrived.”
That was when Chapel in the Pines was in its first location in Pine Harbor Marina, where University Marine at Pine Harbor Marina is now. Pine Harbor Resort developer Thomas Casaday set aside land there with an outdoor chapel in mind to encourage lakeside residents, particularly those in Pine Harbor, to make time to worship while enjoying the lake.
For 49 years, the 16-foot tall cross at the marina at Pine Harbor drew people to the outdoor worship space. When the long-team lease expired in 2014 and negotiations to renew the lease with the new owners failed, the search was on for a new home.
A cross marks the way to the outdoor chapel
Sam Huffstutler, Pell City FUMC pastor at the time, worked with the Chapel in the Pines Board and found a partnership with city leaders in Pell City. The resulting deal with Pell City gave the church authorization to build a 300-seat outdoor amphitheater at Lakeside Park. The traditional Christmas Eve service that year was the first service held at the new location.
Chapel in the Pines welcomes believers from all denominations at any stage of their faith journey. Creating a community of faith in the lake community and serving local and global partners through acts of faith and service is their mission. Any money collected above small operating costs goes back to the community through grants given out to local nonprofits, such as the St. Clair County Boys Ranch, Gateway Community Garden, The Gideons International and First Priority.
Celebrating community and common ground is an important reason that Carl Wallace, author of Lake Ramblings, attends Chapel regularly. “Love of the lake provides us a common ground for a diverse community,” says Wallace. “Chapel in the Pines is an extension of the common ground and provides a predictably safe place, a place of encouragement, a place of worship.”
When the world went sideways during the height of COVID-19 when many places of worship shut their doors for a time, Chapel in the Pines became a place of spiritual peace for many in the Logan Martin area. Organizers found a way to still gather for worship, allowing seating in every other pew and encouraging social distancing.
During that time, Wallace was still writing his Saturday morning “Lake Ramblings” on Facebook and posted about the precautions he and his wife, Mar, would make to allow them to participate in chapel.
“We’d take our lawn chairs and sit up on the hill across from the entrance to the amphitheater. We’ll be socially distanced, but we’ll be part of the service,” Wallace recalls. “We talked about that experience in ‘Lake Ramblings’ the next week and comedically called the hill ‘Scaredy Cat Hill.’ The next Sunday, we had nine more on the hill, then 12 more, then a bunch of us. Scaredy Cat Hill allowed us to gather in that common ground of Chapel in the Pines and gave us the encouragement we so desperately needed.”
Scaredy Cat Hill is no longer necessary, thankfully. Still, Chapel in the Pines continues to be the source of encouragement to many families, even as they say their final goodbyes to loved ones. DuBose chose to hold the memorial for her husband at Chapel after he passed away in April. “My husband loved Chapel so much and always told me when he passed, he wanted his service held to be held there,” said DuBose.
Suellen and Jim Dargan chose the chapel as their wedding venue and left by personal watercraft after tying the knot
Suellen and Jim Dargan rented the spot for their wedding in May of 2022. Both were serving and volunteering at Chapel in the Pines and consider it a very special place. “We both wanted something special and unique for our wedding,” said (Jim) Dargan. “And we wanted it there so we could travel on our Sea-Doo to and from the ceremony.”
Traveling to church by boat or personal watercraft, whether for church or for special occasions, gives Logan Martin Lake lovers another way to make memories with family and friends. “We’ve made lifelong friends who are more like family through Chapel in the Pines,” says Chapel Board member Amy Stinson.
Chapel in the Pines will hold a Christmas Eve service again this year at 3 p.m. You’ll want to drive the car to that one and maybe bring a blanket or two.
Editor’s note: The amphitheater at Lakeside Park where Chapel in the Pines is held can be rented for weddings, birthdays, or other special events by contacting Pell City Parks and Recreation.
They call it the world’s longest paddle race and at 650 miles across Alabama’s waterways, it is one of the world’s toughest endurance races, too.
Only 47 percent who start the race at Weiss Lake in Alabama’s north even make it to the finish line at Mobile Bay’s Fort Morgan, underscoring the resilience and sheer determination it takes to complete the grueling trek.
The Great Alabama 650 Race returns Oct. 4-14, embarking on yet another adventure that draws fans up and down Neely Henry and Logan Martin lakes as paddlers head further south.
It takes paddleboard, canoe and kayak paddlers along the core of the Alabama Scenic River Trail, which sets a couple of records on its own as the longest river trail in a single state and the longest national water trail.
Great Alabama 650 first-place finish
Traditionally, paddlers arrive in Gadsden on Neely Henry in the nighttime hours of Day 1 and reach Logan Martin on the morning of Day 2. From whatever vantage point fans can find with a view of main channels, a growing base of fans watch each year as paddlers make their way along the lakes.
Popular spots in Gadsden are along the riverwalk at Coosa Landing. Logan Martin tends to watch from lakeside homes or near the portage at Logan Martin Dam.
Or, they keep up with each racer’s progress on a live map on the race’s website, alabamascenicreivertrail.com/great-alabama-650. You can even volunteer for an even closer view and personal experience by registering on the website.
Racers have 10 days to complete the 650-mile course, but the 2024 male solo winner, Trey Reaves, finished in 7 days, 3 hours and 20 minutes. It was back-to-back wins for Reaves, who finished the 2023 edition in 6 days, 1 hour and 31 minutes. Record time was set by West Hansen in 2021 with 5 days, 19 hours and 9 minutes.
Ryan Gillikin was the female solo winner in 2024 in 8 days, 18 hours, 37 minutes. From the race’s inception in 2019 through 2023, Salli O’Donnell won all of them, setting the record in 2021 of 4 days, 22 hours, 39 minutes. O’Donnell has become a fan favorite on Logan Martin.
There’s also a two-person tandem team category, too, with Jessica Nance and Candi Hill capturing the 2024 title in 8 days, 22 hours, 35 minutes. The record is held by Paul Cox and Joe Mann at 4 days, 17 hours, 4 minutes in 2021.
They weather rain, wind, sun and fluctuating temperatures, from rushing whitewater to river deltas – all in hopes of completing this grueling race with prize purses worth $2,000 each. They’ll quickly tell you it’s not for the money, it’s the challenge.
So, grab your binoculars or find a closeup, waterfront perch and enjoy the race. It’s not just an adventure for the paddlers, it’s a lake life event you won’t want to miss.
