Architectural Eye Candy • Big Canoe Creek Preserve Top Bird Dogs • The Tavern • Famous Names • Nufab On Its Way
August - September 2012
A day at the rodeo Arena could be the next big attraction
Railroad history
The story behind the old Hardwick Tunnel and how the rails connected St. Clair to the country
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Features and Articles D iscover The Essence of St. Clair
August - September 2012
A day at the rodeo Arena project organizers hope to create a major regional attraction
Page 30 Cover and Index photos by Jerry Martin
The Tavern
A touch of international cooking comes to the South A taste of Italy: The Tavern shares its recipes
Saving for Our Future Page 8
Ashville land being preserved to help protect flower
Leading to Succeed Page 22
Owls on Logan Martin Page 14
A family of barn owls makes Logan Martin home About barn owls
Page 26
Page 38
BUSINESS NEWS
Nufab welcomed to Riverside
Traveling the Backroads
Historic railroads, including the Hardwick Tunnel, cross St. Clair Page 16
John Garrison’s story of professional triumph
Page 28
Architectural Eye Candy Designer home is like living in a work of art
Garrison Steel owner, staff paving career paths for next generation
Page 46 St. Vincents St. Clair expands services Page 54 EFI gaining global reputation Page 56
Page 58 Page 64
Top Dogs
Two St. Clair men in national chamionship hunt
Page 66
Forever Wild
Exploring the possiblity of a Big Canoe Creek Preserve
Page 74
Famous Names; Not-so-Famous Faces Page 80
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August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 5
Writers AND Photographers
Carol Pappas
Jerry C. Smith
Carol Pappas is editor and publisher of Discover The Essence of St. Clair Magazine. A newspaper veteran, she retired as editor and publisher of The Daily Home, St. Clair Times and Lakeside Magazine to start her own multimedia company. She has been published in various newspapers and magazines, won dozens of writing awards in features, news and commentary and was named Distinguished Alabama Community Journalist at Auburn University for 2011.
Jerry C. Smith’s interest in photography and writing go back to his teen years. He has produced numerous articles, stories and photographs for local websites and regional newspapers and magazines, including the St. Clair County News, Sand Mountain Living, and Old Tennessee Valley. His photos have appeared in books, on national public television, in local art displays and have captured prizes in various contests. A retired business machine technician and Birmingham native, Jerry now lives near Pell City. He recently published two books: Uniquely St. Clair and Growing Up In The Magic City.
Jerry Martin Jerry Martin is chief freelance photographer for Partners by Design, a multimedia group based in Pell City. He is a veteran newspaper photographer, whose work earned numerous state awards. His photographs have appeared in many magazines, publications and online.
Mike Bolton Mike Bolton was a senior reporter for the Birmingham News for 25 years covering mainly outdoors and NASCAR. He was an eight-time winner of the Associated Press Sweepstakes Award for best sports story of the year. He retired from the News in 2009 but still contributes stories. He has lived in St. Clair County for 22 years.
Loyd McIntosh Loyd McIntosh is a freelance writer and former news reporter and sports writer for several newspapers throughout the Southeast, including The Daily Home. In over 10 years as a freelance writer, he has published work in a variety of magazines. He is a native of Trussville and now lives in Pell City with his wife, Elizabeth, and daughters Emily Grace and Lily. Loyd is currently the marketing manager for the Birmingham YMCA.
Carolyn Stern Carolyn Stern is retired after a career in publishing. Her work has appeared in Progressive Farmer, Birmingham Home and Garden, Birmingham Parent, Birmingham Post-Herald and St. Clair News Aegis. She is author of Ponds: Building, Maintaining, Enjoying and has earned writing awards on a state and national scale. She lives in Beason Cove and is owner of Cove Cottage Bed and Breakfast.
Samantha Corona Samantha Corona works as a communications coordinator for O2 Ideas, a public relations and marketing firm in Birmingham. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Auburn University, where she served as associate sports editor of The Auburn Plainsman and freelance contributor for the Opelika-Auburn News. She began her professional career with The Daily Home, covering community news, events and local government, as well as contributing to Lakeside Magazine.
Elaine Miller Elaine Hobson Miller is a freelance writer with a B.A. in Journalism from Samford University. She was the first female to cover Birmingham City Hall for the Birmingham Post-Herald, where she worked as reporter, food editor and features writer. A former editor of Birmingham Home & Garden magazine and staff writer for Birmingham magazine, she has written for a variety of local, regional and national publications, including American Profile, Woman’s World, The Dallas Morning News and The Birmingham News. She is the author of two non-fiction books, Myths, Mysteries & Legends of Alabama and Nat King Cole: Unforgettable Musician.
GiGi Hood GiGi Hood, a Samford University graduate, lives in Birmingham. A Nashville Tenn., native and avid sports enthusiast, she was the first woman sportswriter for The Nashville Tennessean. She has also written for The Birmingham News as well as contributed to numerous publications as a freelance writer. Currently she is working on U-Turn, a non-fiction book.
6 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
Savoring summer in St. Clair From the Editor
I love St. Clair’s savory summers. It’s when former city dwellers like me get a taste of something special — like the tomatoes grown and shared by my neighbor Jack across the street or my friend across town, Rob. When it comes to tomatoes — heirlooms and all the rest — Jack’s and Rob’s gardens produce nothing but palate pleasers. The Gillilands up on Chandler Mountain do, too, and it is no small wonder that their booth at the Pell City Farmers Market each Wednesday during the summer usually attracts a line for their now famous tomatoes and produce they grow on the family farm. Dozens of roadside stands, like Eli’s Mater Shack in Ashville, Williams’ Orchard in Argo and the Fosters at the Pell City Civic Center, share St. Clair’s bounty — and a story or two — with all who stop by. And the crowds they draw show little sign of slowing. It’s typical of summer in the South, and while I’m not a fan of sizzling temperatures, I sure am a devotee of what warmer weather brings our way this time of year. Likewise, we hope you’ll be a fan of what August and September bring your way in Discover Magazine. Just like the smorgasbord of choices at our favorite roadside stands, there’s a little bit of everything in this issue. History, outdoors, business, a home tour, people with interesting stories to tell and much more await you. From national-champion bird dogs to white-tablecloth dining, turn the page and discover St. Clair’s essence along with us. Carol A. Pappas, Editor and Publisher
Discover The Essence of St. Clair
August - September 2012 • Vol. 7 • www.discoverstclair.com
Carol Pappas • Editor and Publisher Graham Hadley • Managing Editor and Designer Brandon Wynn • Director of Online Services Jerry Martin • Photography Arthur Phillips • Advertising
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August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 7
The
TAVERN A touch of international cooking comes to the South
Owners Doug and Jill Pope
Story by Carolyn Stern ducing area. On Sept. 6, at 4 p.m., they will share their knowlPhotos by Jerry Martin edge at a wine-tasting event. On a daily basis, the dinner menu Californians Doug and Jill Pope are the proprietors of the Tavern located in Pell City on US 78. The couple decided to move to Alabama after visiting the state when friends had moved here. They settled in Trussville before learning of the availability of the restaurant. Opening night was Feb. 14, 2011. “We had no idea how many people dined out on Valentine’s night,” says Jill. “We were packed to the door.” That experience spurred the Popes’ enthusiasm. “We want to have a place where people can enjoy themselves,” Doug says. “It’s all about the people and the community.” Doug and Jill are from Livermore, a California wine-pro-
features almost 30 varieties of wine. Michelle Aflague, Jill’s daughter, is often the first person you’ll see as you enter the dining room. Michelle was employed by The Club in Birmingham, a prestigious venue, for five years. This young professional trained staff at The Club and is sharing her experience with the Tavern team. “All of our wait-staff are friendly and helpful to our customers,” Michelle says. “Our intention is to treat our diners the way we would if they were in our own homes. I love the smalltown atmosphere where I can go into a shop downtown and recognize and be recognized by one of our regulars.” At The Club, Michelle also had the opportunity to learn about the varieties and qualities of wines, information she is
8 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
Missed your Italian vacation this summer? No worries. The Tavern of St. Clair has the cuisine, as well as the decor, to provide a taste of Italy.
August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 9
The
TAVERN An Italian mural graces a restaurant wall.
using to revamp the Tavern’s selection. Lunchtime brings employees from local businesses, as well as social diners and families. One company reserves space for 18 for lunch once a month. The menu is as varied as the diners. “The house capellini is my favorite,” says Jill, referring to a pasta dish with a sauce that includes tomatoes, garlic, basil, parmesan cheese and chili flakes sautéed in olive oil. Doug’s choice is somewhat different. “We have a combination sandwich that is our take on an old-time favorite. The Pastruben is smoked aertified Angus beef brisket, brined in-house, with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and California Louie dressing,” says Doug. “The sandwich comes with your choice of bistro fries, dressed with a jalapeno and honey drizzle or orange, tomato and basil orzo salad.” The combination is popular with diners also, he adds. Rigatoni gorgonzola is the dinner selection of many regular guests. Grilled chicken, toasted walnuts and gorgonzola cheese, tossed with pesto cream and served on a bed of rigatoni would certainly appeal to any palate. Making sure the regular diners, as well as firsttime ones, are pleased with their food is uppermost in the mind of Chef Clint Bullock. When he was 18, he bought a grill and cooked for his family. “That started
10 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
REAL ESTATE BUSINESS LAW COMMERCIAL LITIGATION GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS PERSONAL INJURY CRIMINAL LAW FAMILY LAW
The
TAVERN
The Tavern staff from left to right are: Brandi Woodard, Bob McGibbney, Clint Bullock and Michelle Aflague.
12 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
things rolling,” he says. “I like being around people and preparing food people enjoy.” Clint’s training at culinary school in West Palm Beach, Fla., provided the fundamentals of technique, he says, as well as the introduction to traditional foods of other cultures. When planning a menu, he considers a number of factors. “I think about the community I’m in and the ingredients that are available.” He puts together a memorable dining experience. “I don’t want to disappoint the diner.” Asked what item is essential in the Tavern kitchen, both Clint and sous-chef Rob McGibboney strongly agree. Appropriately, it is the chef’s knife. Rob is a veteran chef with 10 years’ experience in Birmingham restaurants. From the beginning, Jill wanted the restaurant to focus on exceptional pastry. “There seemed to be a shortage of pastry specialization in the area,” she says, “and we wanted to meet that need.” Pastry Chef Brandi Woodard has met and surpassed expectations. A graduate of Jefferson State’s Culinary School, Brandi has the creativity and skill to produce light and flaky or dense and delicious confections. Chocolate lovers particularly will be delighted with those selections that include tiramisu, frozen s’mores and chocolate mousse. Brandi’s personal favorite is the tiramisu: homemade lady fingers soaked in espresso, layered with thick vanilla cream custard and dusted with cocoa. At the top of the list for some diners is the chocolate dessert martini: Absolut Vanilla, Godiva and cream, laced with chocolate sauce and topped with a cherry. Innovation is key to the Tavern’s success. Tweaking recipes, refining wine offerings and offering sweet creations that are not universally available are trademarks. So are the informal gatherings that offer a chance for people to mingle. A series of “theme” festivals have drawn a variety of guests from all over St. Clair County. Examples are a Dixie Luau with roasted pig, and a cookout featuring the highest-quality ribeye steak, seasoned with a secret spice. These events begin in The Pub (a casual dining room in the rear) and flow outdoors. The Pub is available for seating at any time, but music by local musicians on Wednesday and Saturday nights adds entertainment value that keeps guests around. All in all, the Tavern is a place for formal dining, for birthday, anniversary and family celebrations or for hosting business clients. And it’s a spot where you can relax with friends and soak up the conversation and the music. Sounds a lot like home, doesn’t it?
Desserts prepared by Tavern Pastry Chef Brandi Woodard
August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 13
A taste of ITALY The Tavern shares two of its prized recipes with our readers Capellini 1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup chopped garlic 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes 1/2 cup canned San Marzano tomatoes 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese 1/8 cup fresh, chopped basil Salt and pepper to taste Heat oil in 9-inch sauté pan, add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds. Add tomato and heat through. Add cheese, basil, salt and pepper. Toss with your favorite pasta and enjoy. 1 serving
Steamed Mussels 1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/8 cup chopped garlic 1/2 cup dry white wine 15 fresh mussels 1/4 cup butter 1/8 cup fresh, chopped parsley Salt and pepper to taste Parmesan cheese Heat oil in 9-inch sauté pan and add garlic; cook for 30 seconds. Deglaze with wine and add mussels. Cover to steam until the mussels open. Add butter, parsley, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss with your favorite pasta and sprinkle with cheese. 1 serving 14 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
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August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 15
Traveling the
BACKROADS
A railroad runs through it
Tracks from a bygone era cross St. Clair Story by Jerry Smith Photos by Jerry Smith and Jerry Martin Submitted timetables from the Stanley Burnett Collection
Folks in Odenville, Alabama, often use the train trestle which crosses US 411 as a landmark for giving directions, but few except the very old are aware of the history of these tracks and of the tunnel at Hardwick Station, just a few miles east of town. Both were built as part of Seaboard Air Line Railroad’s new trackage running from Birmingham all the way to New York City. For some 20 years, this line hosted Seaboard’s elite streamliner passenger train, The Silver Comet. Pulled by sleek new diesel engines, the Comet had everything a cross-country rail passenger might desire, including day coaches, observation lounge cars, diners and Pullman sleepers. According to a 1947 Seaboard timetable, passengers who boarded the Comet in Birmingham at 2:35 p.m. could depend on being in New York exactly 25 hours later. The train passed through Trussville,
16 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
Odenville, Wattsville, Wellington, Anniston and Piedmont before leaving Alabama; next stops, Cedartown, Atlanta, D.C., and eventually the Big Apple. The Comet competed directly with Southern Railway’s prestigious Southerner streamliner service. Odenville resident Jack Stepp, a retired Southern engineer, said that even though it took a more circuitous route, Seaboard often beat Southern’s trains to common destinations. Like many civil engineering projects of the early 20th century, both Hardwick and its sister tunnel at Roper near Trussville were plagued by design errors from the beginning. E.L. Voyles was a Seaboard road superintendent at the Sanie Division from 1916 until the mid 1920s, and his journals give a detailed look at how Hardwick and Roper Tunnels came about: “As Seaboard construction crews traversed their way west of Broken Arrow, through the mountainous terrain, it became evident that two tunnels would be necessary to reach Irondale. “In early 1903, Hardwick and Roper Tunnels were bored. In an effort to save time and money, the big brass at Seaboard’s Richmond headquarters decided to build [both] tunnels to minimum standards. So the tunnels were supported by wooden frames cut from trees in the area. Keep in mind that in 1903, Seaboard
ABOVE: Hardwick Tunnel under construction LEFT: A timetable cover showing the Silver Comet coming and going
August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 17
Traveling the
BACKROADS The railroad under construction in Alabama
had no tunnels anywhere on their entire system, so tunneling through mountains was not their forte. And they didn’t consider the consequences of using wooden frames positioned within feet of steam engine smokestacks blowing out fiery cinders when an engine was pulling at speed.” Voyles continues, “Seaboard ran its first train into Birmingham on December 5, 1904. … In 1909, they realized their mistake concerning tunnel construction when an eastbound coal-burning freight highballing through Roper Tunnel … spewed an abnormal amount of fire and cinders. The huge wooden tunnel support system caught fire. Within minutes, the wooden supports were consumed by fire and collapsed onto the tracks.” The disaster proved a blessing of sorts. Seaboard hired a team of professional tunnel people to rebuild both tunnels, reinforcing them with concrete instead of wood. Historian Joe Whitten of Odenville writes that the re-lining of Hardwick Tunnel alone consumed some 38,000 sacks of concrete over a period of nearly a year. Because they had to excavate farther to clear the old structures, the rebuilt tunnels gained much-needed head and side clearance, which proved a godsend as trains eventually got taller and wider. Trussville resident Hurley Godwin relates that adventuresome folks often entered a ventilation airshaft beside his home on Roper Tunnel Road using ropes to rappel
down into the tunnel. The rail company finally fenced the area to protect these reckless climbers from themselves. As for Hardwick Tunnel’s problems, Voyles relates, “The section of track between Odenville and Wattsville gave us fits. … They used a rail construction method known as “follow the contour”, rather than merge the track with the terrain. This was great when they operated short trains, but when a 100-plus-car freight pulled by four or five diesels snaked through the 180-degree turn and the back-to-back high angle curve tangents of Backbone Mountain, a tremendous amount of tension was placed upon the tracks in both directions.” If one looks at this stretch of trackage on a satellite computer map such as Google Earth, it appears to be a long stretch of railway curled into two tight loops as it follows contour lines in the valley east of Hardwick Tunnel, a feature which train crews called the Rope. One major derailment resulted in several engines and railcars plummeting into a ravine. Especially prone to damage and derailments during extremely hot or cold weather, the Rope eventually forced an end to Seaboard’s passenger service on that line in 1967, although at one time they had been running four passenger trains and six to eight freights per day. The area was also prone to landslides, so elaborate cable networks were strung along rock cliffs to automati-
18 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
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Traveling the
BACKROADS cally trigger alert systems when rocks fell onto them. But Hardwick Tunnel’s woes were not limited to the tracks beyond. Approached on a curved track from the west, the tunnel itself is also curved inside. You cannot see light at the end of this tunnel (according to an anonymous observer). Voyles explains, “The track alignment through Hardwick was a tough section to maintain. … We constantly checked the rail for deterioration created by long periods of moisture that accumulated inside the tunnel. By the time an engineer could spot a broken rail inside the curved … tunnel, it was too late.” Voyles says Odenville was a flag stop for local passenger trains, whereas Wattsville was a regular mail stop. He also relates that the conductor would drop off lunch orders while stopped for mail in Wattsville, and they would be ready at a trackside cafe when the train reached Piedmont. In earlier days, a short line called the East & West Railroad connected Georgia Pacific’s line from Pell City to the Seaboard line at Coal City. Its wide roadbed, called Railroad Avenue on old maps, also hosted street traffic. Eventually this line was closed, the rails removed, and the street renamed Comer Avenue. It runs at an odd angle to every other street in town, passing by Pell City Steak House and the old Avondale Mills property before crossing I-20, and then toward Coal City. As years passed and rail traffic dwindled, Seaboard went through various business mergers, eventually becoming part of CSX Transportation. The Roper-Hardwick portion is now leased by the Alabama & Tennessee River Railway (ATN) as part of a 120-mile freight short line from Birmingham to Guntersville. Many segments of Seaboard’s old trackage have since been removed entirely, with some of their roadbeds eventually joining the Rails-To-Trails project. The well-known Chief Ladiga Trail is a fine example. It runs on the old Seaboard roadbed from Anniston through Piedmont to the Georgia state line, where it continues as the Silver Comet Trail, with a combined length of some 100 miles. Legislation is afoot to make it part of the Appalachian Trail. Those seeking physical fitness or outdoor recreation can get on the rail-trail at any crossing, and walk, run, jog, bike, rollerblade or whatever. It’s paved all the way, with no grades of more than 2 percent, so it’s also great for wheelchairs and baby strollers. Motorized vehicles are banned. Want to visit Hardwick or Roper Tunnel? DON’T! All railroad tracks are the property of rail companies. Walking on any tracks is considered trespassing on private property. Besides, it can be very dangerous. Hardwick, for instance, is approached through a long, narrow, curved gap with steep sides that allow little room for escape if a train is coming. Also, as mentioned before, you cannot see through the tunnel, so an oncoming train might not be detected until it’s too late. Best to explore railroad features on the printed page instead. l
20 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
Seaboard brochure for the Silver Comet
Timetable showing Odenville and Wattsville as “flag stops”
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Leather flower plant
Saving for our future
Ashville tract being preserved to protect flower
Button bush
Story by Samantha Corona Photos by Jerry Martin Submitted photos from Alabama Nature Conservancy Deep green trees, open air and rolling hills line the U.S. 231 drive from Pell City into Ashville. The scenic road is home to residents, businesses and wideopen spaces, including the Nature Conservancy’s Dry Creek Preserve in Ashville. “There is a tremendous wealth of beauty in Alabama for sure. In the northern areas with the mountains, the large lands and down to the coast, the state is full of beautiful areas,” said Keith Tassin, The Nature Conservancy’s director of Terrestrial Conservation. “The Nature Conservancy is dedicated to making sure those beautiful areas, including Dry Creek, and all statewide preserves, are protected.” The Nature Conservancy is a global organization that was formed to help preserve and protect ecologically vital lands, waters, plants and animals for future generations. Its chapters span 30 countries, all 50 states in the U.S. and a number of counties throughout Alabama, specializing in providing care and protection for individual areas and the world’s most endangered resources. The Alabama Chapter was formed in 1986 and currently manages 17 preserves across the state, from as far north as Fort Payne down to the coast of Mobile Bay. Dry Creek in St. Clair County was one of the first areas to be named as a preserve in Alabama – even before the state chapter launched.
22 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
Keith Tassin, left and Chuck Byrd
Dry Creek Preserve from the air
The Nature Conservancy is a global organization formed to help preserve and protect ecologically vital lands, waters, plants and animals for future generations. Conservancy chapters span across 30 countries, all 50 states in the U.S., and a number of counties throughout Alabama, specializing in providing care and protection for individual areas and the world’s endangered resources. The Alabama Chapter was formed in 1986 and manages 17 preserves across the state from as far north as Fort Payne down south to Mobile Bay. For more information, visit www.nature.org
August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 23
Saving for our future “The Nature Conservancy originally worked as a regional group across the Southeast. As more areas were being discovered and the organization developed, it became necessary for Alabama to have their own chapter,” Tassin said. Local resident Lyman Lovejoy, and joint owner, Guy Martin, donated the land now known as Dry Creek Preserve to the Conservancy’s regional chapter after learning that a rare flower had also made its home on the property. In 1980, Vanderbilt University botanist Dr. Robert Kral was traveling through St. Clair County when a purple bloom caught his eye from the roadside. After further inspection, Kral concluded the flower was Clematis socialis, otherwise known as the Alabama Leather Flower. According to Tassin, the Alabama Leather Flower is a light-loving plant that blooms in early April and May and flourishes abundantly as it grows. It is also extremely rare and listed as endangered plant-life. It is only known to grow in six areas around northeastern Alabama, including St. Clair, Cherokee and Etowah counties, as well as a small area in northwest Georgia. Lovejoy, owner of Lovejoy Realty in Branchville, said he was amazed when he received a phone call saying a new flower was discovered on his property. The Nature Conservancy asked if he would be interested in releasing the land to preserve it. “I’ve always been an outdoor enthusiast so it was great to be asked to get involved in a project like this,” Lovejoy said. “It was wonderful to be able to set something aside for our kids and grandkids and nice to know that it will be here for them for many years to come.” After some discussions, Lovejoy and Martin turned over the land, donating all rights and privileges to it as well. “It can never be developed and never be destroyed now. It is for the future,” Lovejoy said. The 26-acre land along the Dry Creek banks, a tributary of Big Canoe Creek, is also the home for many songbirds, beavers and free growing populations of plants and trees, like the upland rose gentian, prairie dock and upland oak. Still, as one of the smaller preserves in the state, the Nature Conservancy stays dedicated to the main attraction of the land. “Dry Creek’s specific focus is protecting the Alabama Leather Flower,” Tassin said. “If visitors come to the preserve, they are coming to see that rare plant, and we want to make sure it is there for them.” l
Keith Tassin holds a mussel shell found at the beaver dam on Dry Creek Preserve. They are usually not found this far upstream.
24 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
This preserve in St. Clair County protects one of only a handful of populations of the federally endangered Alabama leather flower (Clematis socialis).
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August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 25
Barn owls make home on pier
26 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
Not your usual lake residents Story by Carol Pappas Photos by Jerry Martin and Kathy Henry
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Hagan, the last of the barn owls to leave their roost in July, flew the coop from an unlikely perch — the rafters of a covered pier on Pell City’s Logan Martin Lake. He, his brothers and mother took up residence some weeks earlier. The mother first, of course, and brothers coming along later, hatching a few days apart. They didn’t seem to give a hoot about their unusual surroundings of water instead of land. In fact, barn owls don’t hoot at all. Their vocal repertoire is more like a blood-curdling scream, the kind Alfred Hitchcock might fancy to play a role in a terrifying scene. It seems only fitting that a ghoulish face and silent wings in flight, swooping toward their prey at night, would make this scene complete. Hitchcock would be proud. For Kathy Henry, owner of the last known address for Hagan and his older brothers, Aaron and Mit, her visitors haven’t been frightening at all. That is, unless you count the time one night when the mother silently swooped down behind Henry and friends, letting out that scream because she thought her young were in danger. The owl lunged toward the family boxer, “and he took off running like a sane person — as did we. She screamed four times until we got to the door,” Henry said. Other than that near miss, owl watching has been an entertaining pastime around the Henry property. She rigged a Wingscapes BirdCam she dubbed “owl cam” to a PVC pipe to watch as the family grew. She named them. “The first born was Aaron, after the friend that found them. The middle born was Mit, after a friend of ours who has overcome an extreme fear of birds and now loves birds. And the youngest was named after the 4-year-old grandson of our favorite neighbor. “Hagan, the owl, was hatched about five days after we found the first two, and Hagan, the human, climbed up and was the first to see it,” Henry said. Barn owls hatch their young in the order the eggs were laid, so when the youngster climbed the ladder to look and came down saying there were three, she tried to correct him. When he didn’t give up, she ascended the ladder to see for
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August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 27
Barn owls herself and discovered the trio staring back at her. Over the owls’ month-long stay, Henry, a pharmacist by trade, has learned all about her winged friends. “They nest in caves, hollowed trees and old buildings,” she said. But somehow, they took a turn across the water and ended up at Henry’s lakeside place. “I think it was because she (the mother) knew they would be safe. At least I like to tell myself that.” She has taken dozens of photos and hours of footage, studied their habits and shared her knowledge with other curious onlookers. But it never seemed to faze those being looked upon. Perhaps Henry’s right. They knew they were safe. “It’s been fun,” she said. “I really enjoyed it. I hope they come back.” l
More about barn owls
A spokeswoman for the Cornell Lab on Ornithology had this to say about Logan Martin’s barn owls: “The Barn Owl uses cavities of wide variety in trees, cliffs, rock outcrops, caves, and river and arroyo banks. Also many human structures: church steeples, barn lofts, crevices and cavities in houses and other buildings, drivein movie screens, nest boxes, and hay stacks. … They often are associated with wide-open country, but in fact, their nest site appears to have a lot to do with where they were actually “raised”. This information comes from Birds of North America (BNA) Online, the definitive source for scientific information about these birds, http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/BNA.” Here are a few facts about Barn Owls from Outdoor Alabama, a website of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: SCIENTIFIC NAME: Tyto alba OTHER NAMES: Monkey faced owl, ghost owl, church owl and death owl. DESCRIPTION: The barn owl (Tyto alba) is a medium-sized owl, 15 to 20 inches in height with long, feathered legs. The owl’s body is primarily white with buff, yellow, and tawny shading, delicately freckled with dark specks. This owl species has no ear tufts and the face is completely encircled by a heart-shaped tuft of white-colored feathers. The common barn owl makes a shrieking sound rather than a hoot call. Different sounding shrieks have unique communication meanings. HABITAT: The barn owl inhabits abandoned agricultural fields, grain fields, forest openings, and adjacent forest. The bird must have small mammals in abundant supply and feeding areas open enough for the owl to fly and apprehend prey species. Adequate nesting sites must be available for the barn owl to inhabit an area. FEEDING HABITS: Barn owls feed primarily on small mammals including rats, mice, voles, gophers and rabbits. Several species of birds, night-flying beetles, moths and amphibians are also found in the barn owls’ diet. Barn owls have keen night vision and special hearing adaptations that aid in locating and capturing their prey in nocturnal settings. The captured prey species are torn in pieces and eaten entirely – bones, hair, skull, and body. The indigestible parts are formed into pellets and disgorged at roosting or nesting sites. LIFE HISTORY AND ECOLOGY: The barn owl nests in hollow trees, church steeples, grain silos, barn lofts and on the ground. Nesting usually occurs in the spring, but the barn owl sometimes raises two broods per year. The female lays five to seven white, spotless eggs per clutch and begins to incubate the first egg immediately. Eggs hatch 30 to 35 days later. Eggs laid later subsequently hatch later, so young owlets in the same nest are of different ages and sizes. The younger owlets are often eaten, trampled or pushed out of the nest by older siblings. Both parents fervently feed the ravenous young owlets.
28 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
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August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 29
A day at the rodeo, an arena for generations Project organizers hope to ultimately create a major regional attraction Story by Loyd McIntosh Photos by Jerry Martin The sun beats down on a stretch of gravel road and grass near Odenville as two men sit on some wooden bleachers next to a structure they hope will become the best unkept secret in St. Clair County. Lude Mashburn, an agriculture teacher at Odenville High School, and Herschel Phillips, a retiree and Argo resident, are two of five members of the St. Clair Parks and Recreation Board, a body formed in 2011. They’re braving the early July heat to talk about the St. Clair Arena, originally built as a private horse arena that they are working to turn into an attraction for everything from rodeos to church revivals and everything in between. For Mashburn, the acquisition was a long time coming. “I teach ag out here, and I’ve been trying to get one for 40 years and never could get one,” he says. The 125,000-square-foot structure went on the market a couple of years ago, and Mashburn saw an opportunity and convinced county officials to purchase the facility and put it to public use. The purchase price was somewhere in the neighborhood of $500,000, but early demand for outside groups looking to rent the facility gives them hope that the St. Clair Arena will pay for itself.
30 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair
August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 31
A day at the rodeo
Rendering of arena on Blair Farm Road off Alabama 174 The arena already has hosted a semi-pro rodeo circuit as well as a junior rodeo, where close to 400 people came out to watch kids ages 2 to 16 ride sheep and goats for the crowd. A local church brought its horse ministry to the arena, attracting several hundred people as well. But before they can really begin marketing the arena, the Board needs to address the sparseness of the facility in order to meet the needs of groups interested in investing in rent. “Our mission right now is to get this up and running because we know people are wanting to rent the place,” says Phillips. “I really think this will provide. If we’re able to do our job the way we should, we will be able to provide a lot of activity for people to come from Birmingham or anywhere else around here,” Phillips adds. “I really believe that. People are starved for something to do.” “(The County) is going to give us some money where we can fix it up where we can have some bleachers, a concession stand and bathrooms,” adds Mashburn. “We’re going to get it going, and we can have car shows, anything we want to have.”
Plans have already been drawn for these, and other expansions and are expected to be bid soon. “The arena’s pavilion, which includes concession, restroom and showers, is designed to be octagonal rather than the typical rectangular park building,” according to Kelley Keeton Taft, whose company, the Kelley Group, drew the plans. “This design was chosen to reflect the octagonal era of barn construction from 1850 to 1900,” she says. “The pavilion, crested with a cupola, will set a theme for the arena.” Focusing on the Commission and the Board’s vision to attract a variety of events, Taft says the design “utilizes existing structures while incorporating the necessary improvements to take the venue to the next level of event capabilities. The design integrates connectivity and focuses on safety for spectators, trailered vehicles and animals.” Other features include entrance and exit roads, designated parking and pedestrian pathways, lighting, covered sidewalks, covered extensions of the arena with bleachers to seat approximately 600 and an area for vendors or exhibitors to set up
32 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
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February 23 Three On A String and Andy Meginniss An evening of fun with everybody’s favorite bluegrass show.
December 7 Magic City Choral Society This talented chorus returns to the Pell City Center for a free, Christmas concert.
October 19 Concert featuring Wingnuts and Cass Hunter Nashville Bluegrass meets old rock and roll for a night to remember. November 16, 17, 18 It’s a Wonderful Life Enjoy this unforgettable Christmas classic performed by our very own Pell City Players.
January 26 The Platters See and hear the unmistakable, internationally known Platters in an encore performance at the Pell City Center.
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A day at the rodeo
during events. The county is committed to making the arena a success and will set the budget based on what the payments will be for the planned upgrades, says Commission Chairman Stan Batemon. “As those upgrades become an attraction to that facility, then we’ll know more about what kind of events that the Park and Rec board can have there that will generate some revenue and operate the facility.” The goal is not necessarily for the arena to recoup the initial $500,000 spent to acquire the facility, the additional 18 acres and smaller buildings on the property. Nor is it expected to be a cash cow for the county. As long as the arena is being used, people are enjoying it and it’s paying its future expenses, that’s fine with him and the rest of the County Commission, Batemon says. “We’re still a small county, and this is our first venture,” he says. “The goal is that it will be self-sustaining, but not necessarily drive revenue back to the county. If it is self-sustaining, the County Commission will be completely satisfied with that. The main goal is that it will eventually operate itself.” Since the board’s inception, county leaders have been busy expanding outdoor recreational opportunities throughout unincorporated St. Clair County. And officials are investigating areas that might be accessed for multipurpose trails for horseback riding, hiking and mountain biking throughout the county. This could include areas along the 80 miles of river shoreline that may qualify for federal funds. How-
34 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
Got his goat
A day at the rodeo
Young roper tries his luck 36 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
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Children’s rodeo a star attraction ever, the jewel, so far, in the county’s crown is the St. Clair Arena. The end goal, say Phillips and Mashburn, is to bring people from Birmingham and beyond to St. Clair County to enjoy rural type entertainment and programs in one of the very few covered arenas in north Alabama. Mashburn’s additional hope is that the arena will help reignite interest and passion for farming and agriculture among the youths and future generations of St. Clair countians. Mashburn says it is important to get as many kids as possible interested in rural lifestyles, which he fears are being lost. He and Phillips agree there aren’t enough activities available for area kids who aren’t involved in mainstream sports but are hungry for activities in which to participate and thrive. “What do they have to do other than football games, baseball games and basketball games? What are their opportunities other than those three sports?” asks Mashburn. “I see kids that didn’t know anything about animals. Once you get them around a horse or a cow, they realize it’s not a bad animal, and they get excited about it.” Mashburn’s main concern is the future of farming. The number of people choosing agriculture as a career gets smaller every year and the amount of land used for farming is dwindling, too. He thinks the arena can be used to help introduce a new generation of kids to agriculture through recreational activities, like rodeo and horsemanship. “There’s not too many of them that are going to be everyday hog farmers or poultry farmers. You’ve got to have all that stuff, so you’ve got to bring new kids in. If we don’t, we’re going to be in trouble,” says Mashburn. The arena just may be that first step in bridging the gap. l
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August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 37
Ray and Jimmie Nell Miller handle their owns gardening at their Pell City home.
38 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
Architectural
Eye Candy Living in a work of art
Jimmie Nell painted her powder-room credenza in a jungle motif.
Story by Elaine Hobson Miller Photos by Jerry Martin Jimmie Nell Miller is an artist and former interior decorator who likes to go to open houses and read Architectural Digest for the eye candy. But the Pell City home she shares with husband, Ray, is like eye candy to visitors, because its wide hallways, huge bathrooms and very modern kitchen are filled with Jimmie Nell’s colorful artwork. From tulips to Tuscany, cornices to credenzas, every inch of the Country French chateau reflects Jimmie Nell’s personality and her love for entertaining family and friends. “It’s like an art gallery in here,” Jimmie Nell admits. Atlanta architect Frank Jova designed this “art gallery,” which the Millers first spotted as a Southern Living Idea House in Chateau Elan outside of Atlanta in 1994. Jimmie Nell fell in love with its French influence, while Ray liked the way it flowed. Both appreciated the roominess of its 5,000 square feet, which may seem superfluous for two people. But Jimmie Nell says they use every square foot of it. “We entertain lots of functions, and have lots of family visits,” she says. “We live in the whole house.” Built on a former dairy farm, the house is awash with European influences. Its wide hallways represent streets of old Europe, for example, and the extra depth of the tray ceiling in the entry hall is painted blue to keep the ghosts away. “It’s supposed to fool them into thinking it’s daytime,” Jimmie Nell explains. The gallery tour begins in this entrance hall, where Jimmie Nell’s acrylic painting of Glen Coe, Scotland, one of seven inspired by her trip to that country earlier this year, rests on a stand. Her oil paintings of lemon trees flank the front door, along with sculptured fruits made of composite materials resembling stone, which she purchased. Turning right, you come face-to-face with sunflowers and peppers in a red vase, done in oils, while the butler’s
The music room is a favorite spot for Jimmie Nell.
Jimmie Nell’s kitchen is the hub of the house.
August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 39
Architectural Jimmie Nell believes the motor court at her front entrance resembles that of her architect’s family home in Spain.
Eye Candy
pantry features another oil painting of a rooster in bright plumage of blue, gold and red. Kitchen cabinets are made of cherry, countertops are granite, and the appliances are Bosch and Kitchen Aid. The refrigerator is disguised as a tall cabinet, and an appliance garage hides the toaster, mixer and electric can opener. Bunnies nibble cabbage from a ceramic pot on the wall behind the gas range, thanks to Jimmie Nell’s ingenuity. She painted the tiles, then installed them herself because she didn’t trust the tile man to get the ears on the bunnies right. “I designed my kitchen because I wanted the cabinets to look like little pieces of furniture,” Jimmie Nell says. “My cabinet maker said he’d build them that way, but he didn’t think I would like them. When he finished, he liked them, too.” Pell City artist John Lonergan did the portrait of Ray, their son Adam when he was 12, and Adam’s dog that hangs over the fireplace in the den. That portrait and the 106-year-old watercolor duo by Ray’s great-grandmother that hang in the music room
are among the handful of artwork in the house that weren’t done by Jimmie Nell. She has a glass table with eight upholstered chairs in her formal dining room, which she uses a lot. Her china cabinet, housed behind mahogany doors, holds Noritake china, cut-glass and redneck wine glasses (small Mason jars on stems). Jimmie Nell’s favorite piece of furniture is in this dining room, and it, too, features some of her artwork. It’s a bar made of two separate pieces that probably weren’t originally meant to be together. The bottom portion is a mahogany cabinet, while the top is a pine hutch with stained-glass tulips and a center canvas on which Jimmie Nell painted more tulips before installing it between the glass panels. “We bought this from an antiques dealer who used to be in St. Clair Springs,” she says. “We had it in our house before we moved here.” Another painting of tulips, this one in acrylics, hangs between the dining room and music room, because “tulips are easy to paint,” says Jimmie Nell.
40 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
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Architectural
Eye Candy
The Millers’ den The kitchen and den combo is often the scene of entertaining.
She has had the room’s baby grand piano more than 40 years and believes it was built in the 1930s. While neither she nor Ray play piano, their two daughters, one son-in-law and a granddaughter do. Nevertheless, the music room happens to be her favorite, the place where she loves to curl up with a good book or take a nap. From the screened porch off the dining room, the sound of ceiling fans overhead and an Italian bronze garden fountain outside soothe the soul. The peaceful garden features knock-out roses, daylilies, limelight hydrangeas, magnolias and blue point juniper spirals. Both Ray and Jimmie Nell work in the garden, but Ray, a retired banker, trims the 10-year-old topiaries himself. Back indoors, the art tour continues down the hall from the entryway into the powder room, where Jimmie Nell has an old credenza on which she depicted parrots, monkeys and a leopard “back when jungle themes were so popular.” Nearby is the media room, where a 72-inch widescreen TV is set into a niche in one wall. Movie posters of John Wayne and Clint Eastwood adorn other walls and a bronze replica of Remington’s Mountain Man dominates the center. Two leather couches and four mission-style gliding rockers with fake-leather bottom cushions and Southwestern-print back cushions provide ample seating. Jimmie Nell made the glider’s back cushions and the room’s matching cornices herself. The media room happens to be Ray’s favorite in the house, a place where he keeps up with the news and email via television and computer. The master bedroom is near the media room and features another tray ceiling, a portrait of
42 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 43
Architectural Ceiling fans stir gentle breezes in this glassed-in sunroom, which overlooks the back yard garden.
Eye Candy
Dinner guests are frequent in the Miller dining room. 44 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
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Jimmie Nell done in 1986 by Pell City artist Evelyn Whatley, and a huge bathroom with his-and-hers sinks and vanities on opposite sides of the room. The vanities are separated by a glass-enclosed shower, and Ray and Jimmie Nell have separate closets, too. More of Jimmie Nell’s artwork is featured in a buffet from her old dining room suite that has panels she painted with shell designs. Upstairs are two guest bedrooms, one with a 100-year-old washstand on which Jimmie Nell painted a Colonial couple at a fence, and a doll house made from a kit one of her daughters gave her 20 years ago. An open balcony connects the two bedrooms and overlooks the dining room on one side, with a glass-less window overlooking the entry hall on the other. In the second upstairs bedroom Jimmie Nell used French toile for the bed’s coronet and a chair skirt, but a nauticallythemed fabric on the bed pillows and valance. After 12 years in the house, the Millers still find it very livable. “We like the way it flows,” says Ray. Jimmie Nell agrees. “I like the roominess of it, and the private areas where we can get away from each other,” she says, with a wink. “That has probably saved our marriage.” l
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August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 45
Business News
NUFAB
Riverside on map with new industry
Gov. Robert Bentley pinpoints Riverside for Manager Dennis Swinney, Company President Dave Carmozzi and Mayor Rusty Jessup. Story by Carol Pappas Photos by Jerry Martin Look to a formerly vacant piece of property nestled between Interstate 20 and US 78 in Riverside and see the future going up. It is the site of Nufab Rebar, a new industry that will become the city’s largest employer. “What a day for Riverside,” Mayor Rusty Jessup proclaimed in a groundbreaking ceremony in July with Gov. Robert Bentley attending to show its importance not only to
the city, but to the region and state as well. The concrete reinforcement manufacturer, a subsidiary of Nucor Steel, will add 80 jobs to the economy and represents a $7 million investment. It took two years for the project to come to fruition, but the city, the county and the St. Clair County Economic Development Council “worked so hard,” Jessup said. “We kept on and made it happen. It says a lot about us, and it says a lot about them.” It also says plenty about the future for Riverside and the teamwork involved in this deal.
46 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
Breaking new ground for Riverside’s future
County Commission Chairman Stan Batemon named key players like the Birmingham Business Alliance and the EDC and the cooperation it took to get that first shovelful of dirt moving. “We learned a lesson of keeping everybody together.” Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh touched on the cooperative effort in his remarks, noting that as he looked out over the audience assembled for the groundbreaking, he saw mayors from across the county and across the county line in attendance. “You don’t see that in other areas.” And Gov. Bentley put it in perspective in response to the notion that governors don’t attend groundbreakings for fewer than 100 jobs. “One hundred jobs in a town of 3,000 is just as significant as 5,000 in Mobile or Birmingham,” he said. “Jobs should be
August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 47
Business News NUFAB
Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh
48 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
the number-one goal. We work together in Alabama. We’re united.” Dennis Swinney, who is the manager of the new Riverside plant, said the decision to relocate “felt like home. The people we work with here have really been fantastic,” he said, singling out EDC Executive Director Don Smith, contractor Jason Goodgame and Mayor Jessup. “I’m happy we are going to make Riverside our home.” Company President Dave Camozzi echoed the sentiment. “We are dedicated to growing this business here.” That sentiment isn’t lost on Kelley Taft, owner of The Kelley Group, the City of Riverside’s engineering and grant-writing firm. “Riverside is a small, yet multifaceted community, a diamond in the rough if you will, with great leaders and the prime geographic location for development,” she said. “The Nufab project in Riverside is a
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Aerial view of Nufab solid example of how hard work and strong partnerships unite to create economic development for a small town.” Nor is the impact lost on Mayor Jessup. “Small towns across America are struggling financially because of the demands of the public and the costs of public safety and public roads. They just can’t match up. “The only way small towns of the future will survive is through economic development — getting an industry with the impact we think Nufab will have.” Nucor, the parent company, “has a great reputation of being a good corporate citizen. During this process, we discovered that to be the truth. They were very particular about the impact they would have on our town and area, and they went out of their way to make sure they did things right.” There was no cutting of corners when it came to safety, the mayor said, and every step of the way, company officials demonstrated “they wanted to be a part of this community, not just in it.” Because of Nufab’s decision, “this administration feels the future is much brighter for Riverside. We have had three years of gut-wrenching budget decisions, cutbacks, layoffs. In turn, that created problems with
50 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
EDC member Lyman Lovejoy shares a word with the governor.
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Mayor Rusty Jessup our citizens because we were unable to deliver all the services they wanted.” But Riverside is already seeing a turnaround Jessup attributes to Nufab and the construction process. Third quarter numbers are showing an increase in sales tax. “There’s a lot of commerce going in and out of town,” he said. “We’ve already hired more people in the water and street department and one in administration. These are the types of things a company like Nufab Rebar can do for a small town.” Nufab, which should open in March 2013, is the largest economic development project in the history of Riverside. The $1 million industry access grant it received is the highest in the city’s history and will go toward expanding US 78 to three lanes and giving greater accessibility to the plant. When the construction dust settles, Jessup said, the project will be a total investment in Riverside of $10 million by all entities. “Positive things happen when you inject that kind of money in a community the size of Riverside.” l
52 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
Senator, governor mingle with crowd
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August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 53
Business News
New services at St. Vincent’s St. Clair Story by Carol Pappas Photos by Jerry Martin It hasn’t even been a year yet since St. Vincent’s St. Clair opened its doors in a new, state-of-the-art hospital. But new services continue to be added, employee rosters are growing and use is up by double digit percentages. Interim President of Rural Hospital Operations Kidada Hawkins can’t conceal his satisfaction with the positives that are happening from one end of the hospital to the other. He took the reins four months ago after Sean Tinney’s promotion to president of St. Vincent’s East. He can’t help but smile as he outlines the progress being made and the opportunities that lie ahead. On July 31, the Advanced Wound Center opened. New specialists have joined a growing team of St. Clair-based physicians. A sleep diagnostic center opens this fall. At least 25 new, fulltime employees have been added since November, and the mammoth upswing in the numbers of patients being seen in the hospital effectively tell this success story. Over the same six-month period year over year, Emergency Department usage is up 38 percent. Admissions rose 14 percent; outpatient physical therapy, 28 percent; outpatients CT scans, 86 percent; and MRIs, up 49 percent. Those impressive numbers coupled with services and programs added or about to be added have St. Vincent’s officials confident in a bright future for the hospital and the community it serves. “I’m proud of the staff,” Hawkins said. He noted their efforts during 18 months of planning “to get down to moving patients” from the old hospital, the successful move and the days since have given officials ample reason to be optimistic about what has happened thus far and what lies ahead. Two hyperbaric oxygen chambers were delivered and installed in June, and the wound care center opened just days ago. “I’m really excited about that program,” Hawkins said. It is the first of its kind in the St. Vincent’s System and the only one in the county. What that means for patients with
54 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
ABOVE: Interim President of Rural Hospital Operations Kidada Hawkins stands in front of the mural that brightens the wound center, but tells hospital history, too. Flowers signify Sisters of Vigil. LEFT: Dr. Jotani and Dr. Collins.
Hyperbaric chamber in wound center
chronic and non-healing wounds is advanced treatment close to home that can help improve the quality of their lives. Vascular surgeon Dr. Robert Heidepriem, who will be certified in wound care, will have privileges at the new center. Long-time St. Clair County physician Dr. Barry Collins will be certified in wound care and be participating as well. Phillip Hadley Jr. is the program director for the Advanced Wound Center, and Dr. James West, who is also certified in wound care and is a general surgeon, is the medical director of the entire center. In the fall, the hospital’s sleep center opens to help diagnose disorders like sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome. Neurologist Dr. Fazal Rahim is board certified in sleep medicine and will be the medical director of the sleep center. “As opposed to traveling, you can get that care right here,” Hawkins said. Advanced, quality care close to home is the driving force behind what is happening at St. Vincent’s St. Clair, and it is attracting more and more specialists. The physician specialties list includes newly added nephrol-
ogy and vascular surgery, in addition to gastroenterology; obstetrics and gynecology; neurology; general surgery; and ear, nose and throat. New gastroenterologists on staff are Doctors William Lopez, Rohit Malik, Mukul Mehra and Mohit Mehra. New otolaryngology staff, commonly referred to as ENTs, are Dr. Peyton Colvin and Dr. Bruce Morgan. Through an outpatient time share, doctors from other areas of the St. Vincent’s System are able to establish “virtual practices” at the St. Clair hospital, saving local residents from traveling to Birmingham for specialty care. “We’re keeping health care at home,” Hawkins said, underscoring the point with the statistic that outpatient visits are up 17 percent at the new hospital. “Our patient satisfactions scores are through the roof,” Hawkins said. And he expects the hospital will earn accreditation by the Joint Commission, a new milestone for the facility. “The staff is dedicated to providing quality care, and I’m proud and appreciative.” l
August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 55
Business News Pell City fabricator gaining global reputation Story by Carol Pappas Photos by Jerry Martin “U.S. goods and services trade with Mexico totaled $341 billion in 2009 (latest data available for goods and services trade combined). Exports totaled $151 billion; Imports totaled $190 billion. The U.S. goods and services trade deficit with Mexico was $39 billion in 2009.” — Office of the United States Trade Representative While a gap exists in the trade of goods and services between the United States and Mexico, a company in Pell City no one knows much about is quietly putting together components for the largest water treatment plant in the world … in Mexico. “We’re a well-kept secret,” said Equipment Fabricators Inc. President John DuBose. His company has been building the parts in a global deal that involved a companies in Spain, Canada, Salt Lake City and Pell City, Alabama. The closest competitor on the EFI project was in Germany, but DuBose proudly points out, “They’re buying USA again. If we can stay ahead of Asian and Mexican vendors, we can do a lot to save American jobs. I can’t say we can keep doing it, but we’re going to try.” The project came to EFI as specifications and drawings, it is leaving in the form of sludge mixers, tanks and aerators that will be assembled into the world’s largest water treatment facility, DuBose said. “We sell strictly on quality,” DuBose said. “We build to buy — for them to come back again and again.” And come back they have. This same customer first bought from EFI in 1973. Now, it is back with a much larger order and even greater demands. EFI had to prove it could build parts that could handle vibration and flow at 30,000 gallons a minute — the equivalent of filling a swimming pool in less than 60 seconds. “We never had to test in liquid,” DuBose said. In the past, tests were done in dry conditions for vibration, oil leaks and heat. To accommodate the customer, EFI built its own water treatment facility on its site in the Pell City Industrial Park and simulated the actions that the parts it produced were expected to handle. “We built it to scale,” said DuBose, who noted it was a $50,000 investment that should pay off with this and future jobs since there appears not to be another like it to give that standard of test results. And, as DuBose predicted, it did pay off. “We have completed the job for Mexico, apparently successfully,” he said in mid-July. “A final recap would have to include relief but also pride in accomplishment. We were flattered to be chosen to build this equipment. We are proud to create jobs in Pell City for export to Mexico.” The San Jose Aculco project began March 20, taking four months to complete. “Building 30 prototype machines was a major undertaking that gave our guys a huge challenge. They met it and found ways to get the job done,” DuBose said. “We hope to continue to expand into the new undeveloped areas of the world for future business.” Not bad for a Pell City plant DuBose describes as one that “nobody knows much about.” l
John DuBose
Crane lowers EFI part in water treatment test facility
56 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
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Leading a new generation of Alabamians to
Succeed Garrison Steel owner hopes he and his workers can open career doors for others
Roman Chacon, Jerry Myers and John Garrison looking over drawings on the construction site at the Birmingham airport
58 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
Story by GiGi Hood Photos by Jerry Martin If you looked on a map for the road to success, the most prevalent highway would seem to be the one that leads to and goes through most institutions of higher learning. Attending college and earning a degree have long been touted as the “Main Street” to the world of success. But there are other maps, with other routes, that can lead to the same destination point. John Garrison, owner and founder of Pell City’s Garrison Steel, will quickly tell you that he has a PhD, but not in the traditional sense. His came from “the School of Hard Knocks.” “My grandfather lived through the depression, and the hardships he endured, along with the lessons he learned about living within your meager means, were passed along to my dad,” Garrison explained. “And as a result, they were passed on to me. When I got out of high school, my dad told me he had done all the raising of me he was going to do and that it was time for me to make my own way. So, when I graduated from Hewitt- Trussville High School in 1969, I entered the workforce.” While other friends went on to college, Garrison began cutting his teeth in the steel erection business and traveling the Southeast to do it. “I was just a kid, but I loved what I was doing,” he said. “I never stopped to think about this becoming my life’s work. I just showed up each day, was dependable, worked hard and thought it was great that daily, I was getting paid to exercise. When I started, I joined the union, and they taught and guided me as I worked my way up the ladder from an apprentice to a journeyman.” Today, 43 years later, Garrison marvels at how his first job evolved into his life career. He owns his own highly successful steel erection and fabrication business in Pell City with job sites all over the country, and he is sharing his own success story through Go Build Alabama in hopes of raising awareness and understanding among young people that skilled
James Turner welds a beam in place.
Carlos Chacon prepares to raise the boom on the construction site. August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 59
Succeed Go Build Alabama Robert Yarbrough stands where the next section of the construction will be installed.
60 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
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labor can be their ticket to success. At this point in his life and career, it would be easy to say it is complete. The fairy-tale version would say: “After Garrison attained such great success, he then retired and lived happily ever after.” But that is far from the truth. Today, Garrison is driven by a new initiative called Go Build Alabama. And it is his hope that this vision will produce results much greater than any other with which he has been involved. Just as he had made is mark on the steel end of the construction business, now he hopes to leave his mark on today’s younger generation. He hopes to help educate them, make them aware that there are plenty of opportunities to earn a good living while obtaining a great on-the-job educational experience. He wants them to know that skilled laborers like heavy equipment operators, carpenters and electricians start their earnings at an average of $18-$22 an hour. That’s up to $43,000 a year. In 2010, statistics showed that college graduates’ starting salary was in the same range and not significantly higher. Other skilled positions like boilermaker starts at an average of $27 an hour or $56,000 a year. A certified welder? Starting salary is at $22 an hour with the ability to go into six figures in some arenas, according to statistics provided by Go Build Alabama. “My interest in this was piqued as I looked back over the last 43 years and realized my employees were getting older just as I was, and there was no evidence of young, skilled workers applying for jobs. It dawned on me that while I had learned, grown and built a business by being a sweat of the brow tradesman, skilled worker positions were not being filled because skilled workers were no longer plentiful.” Realizing that the lack of skilled workers in today’s industry cannot only cause a slow down, but a complete collapse, he began to think about what could be done. Reflecting on his past, he thought about how he and many others in his generation would not
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Succeed Go Build Alabama
have made it in the workforce without a skilled trade. He reflected on unemployment levels in our country — especially among the young — and what could be done on that front. Research shows today’s generation Y is 92 million strong. So, just as he had built his own businesses by working, thinking, dreaming, he put his shoulder again to the wheel and is investing his energy into the Go Build Alabama program. He realized that he wanted to teach the Gen Y’ers that there is absolutely no harm or shame in going to work clean and coming home dirty. His dream is to help them see they can have a successful and bright future, just as he had as a Baby Boomer. “The time right now is a tough time, in many ways similar to the years during the Great Depression,” Garrison said. “Unemployment is high, and everyone is very aware of that. But the truth of the matter is high unemployment can and does now co-exist with a shortage of skilled tradesman. Currently there are more than 200,000 skilled labor jobs that are not just available right now but are in desperate need of being filled.” 62 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
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In his day, the job was considered to be hard and dangerous work. “Back then, blue-collar jobs were synonymous with dirty factories and back-breaking work. And while factory jobs are still considered blue-collar work, today’s modern and highly technical plants enable the worker to replace just plain, raw muscle with brain power added to just a little muscle.” Garrison knows he has worked hard, been successful and been filled with blessings galore. He knows he has built buildings that will outlive him by a very long time. But now he wants to give back a portion of what his industry has given him. He knows he left his mark on changed landscapes with high-rise buildings, and now he wants to work on leaving a legacy for a new generation of workers. His vision includes a public-awareness campaign that inspires and guides young adults to pick up a shovel and get busy — to seek a trade that is worthwhile and to build their futures as he did, one day at a time, one skill at a time, one dream at a time. He wants to get the word out and let Generation Y know that hope and prosperity are well within its grasp and that futures can be as bright as any past generation’s. Garrison believes that instead of giving up on another generation, community leaders and past and present business and trades people need to come together, offer a hand, and shine the light into the darkness as mentors. They need to prepare these young people to carry on the industrial future. “They are not just employable, but sorely needed building blocks in our world,” Garrison said. “My goal with Go Build Alabama is that the Gen Y’ers will come to the realization that their presence, their knowledge, their thoughts and their dreams are desperately needed in the today’s world. “They need to be taught the fact that they can be successful. They can face the future with the certainty of knowing that they have the skills they need to carry the industry today and that they will also be needed to teach the generation of tomorrow.”
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August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 63
Succeed Go Build Alabama
Getting there
Garrison’s success didn’t just happen; it took no small amount of work and dedication Story by GiGi Hood Photos by Jerry Martin Right out of high school, John Garrison went to work. He rose through the ranks of skilled labor to own a nationally known and successful steel business.
This is his story… “For the first 13 years, I traveled the country as a boilermaker, erecting large steel fuel oil storage tanks, welding, working with blueprints and operating cranes. Because of my work ethic and willingness to do any job that needed to be done, I was promoted to field superintendent at 28 years old. “The physical work was easier, but ‘easy’ was not necessarily what I was looking for. “I wanted to lead by example, so many times, I was willing to do whatever I asked of my crew. I noticed the workforce had a profound respect for a manager who was not too good to pitch in. Although the work was tough, we all tried to make it as rewarding as possible with some joking and laughter. I always believed that one must enjoy his work before he can be good at it. After trying to raise three kids from 500 miles away he set his sights on finding a place to work that was close to home. As a result, in 1982, he returned to his roots and took a job at M&J Materials in Trussville as a steel fabricator. “When they hired me, they asked me if I thought I could start up and build the steel erection phase of their
business, and since I had spent the previous 13 years honing the skills to erect steel, I said, ‘Of course I can!’ ” The company’s first big venture into the steel erection arena was the Riverchase Galleria. “I remember moving in on the site, and it was a field of weeds where now stands the huge shopping complex.” Other prominent local projects came shortly after, such as the 34-sto-
64 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
ry SouthTrust Tower and the AmSouth/Harbert tower, which was only a few feet higher than the SouthTrust. The company would go on to build such projects as Disney’s Norwegian Pavilion and Universal Studios’ Hard Rock Cafe as well as Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center. “It was very exciting and fun, and we became successful throughout the southeastern part of the country
Barons Stadium construction during those years,” he said. Garrison’s official title during that 10-year period was vice president and general manager of the business. Successful, comfortable, and confident, he was ready for yet another change, another challenge. In 1992, at 40 years of age and a member of the Baby Boomers, touted to be America’s most independent generation, he decided to declare his own independence and venture out into the world with a steel erection business that belonged to him. “For the first six months, I thought starvation would get me before a job
came along.” In this new game, past successes didn’t count. No one knew this new enterprise, and it would take proving his worth all over again. “Never give up,” Garrison told himself. “Finally we sold a small job, then another and yet another, and we were rolling. This bird was off the ground, and we have grown ever since.” In 2004, Garrison added steel fabrication to his already successful steel erection business when he was met with the opportunity to buy a steel fabrication company in Pell City. Today, Garrison Steel Erectors and
Garrison Steel Fabricators’ completed work can be seen at such places as Bryant Denny Stadium, the new Auburn Basketball Arena, Le Cirque du Soleil at Downtown Disney, even a Hyatt Hotel in Aruba. His company is working on the new Birmingham Airport terminal addition and soon, the new Baron’s Ball Stadium in downtown Birmingham. Of his greatest pleasures has been seeing his son Clay evolve into one of the best long-boom crane operators in the country as well as an accomplished ironworker. His son-in-law, Tony, who is one of his young superintendents, also shows the results of determination to get ahead. “The people who have become a part of this organization are the movers and shakers of the industry. I have the best of the best, and we get pride each day for what we can offer the industry. “Success breeds success.” In the early days of his career he had a seemingly simple but grandiose vision. “In my 20s, I dreamed of a crane boom standing among the tall buildings of downtown Birmingham with my name on the side. I used to think about that and say, ‘What a dreamer you are!’” Today, his company employs more than 100 people, and over the past few years, you might have seen a crane boom with that name on it above the landscape of most any southeastern U.S. city. l
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August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 65
TOP DOGS Two St. Clair men are in national championship hunt
Story by Mike Bolton Photos by Jerry Martin
To most it might seem an insignificant moment in the life of a young boy. For Bill Ellison, it was a moment that plotted his path in life. “My daddy bought me my first shotgun when I was 12,” the Pell City-based land developer remembers. “My daddy was a quail hunter. He took me quail hunting, and when a quail flushed, we both took a shot. He started congratulating me on getting that bird. I was tickled to death. I was hooked on quail hunting from that moment on. “Looking back now, I doubt seriously that I was the one that shot that bird. But that moment with my daddy affects my life even today.” Ellison is a passionate outdoorsman. Whether working his stable of bird dogs in field trial competitions across the United States or just crappie fishing on Lake Logan Martin, he oozes enthusiasm. Now 66, he has sadly watched quail hunting opportunities in this state all but disappear. He has filled the void by entering his pointers and setters in field trial competitions across the U.S. The competitions are fast-paced and bring out a competitive spirit in him 66 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
Bill Ellison poses Sarge in show form.
Scott Deuel with bird dogs Bella, left, and Mac.
August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 67
TOP DOGS Dixie at a full run
68 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
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Bill Ellison displays the grand champion plaque. that has always used the outdoors as a way to escape. Ellison, who has developed many well-known Pell City businesses, such as the Bankhead Crossing Shopping Center that houses Walmart and Home Depot, the Publix Shopping Center, Walgreens, and multiple restaurants and service stations, competes in the United Field Trial Association competitions across the South and Midwest. He and his dog, Dixie, currently lead the open division’s national standings. Ellison and his dog, Sarge, are also fourth in those standings, and he and his dog, Reb, are sixth. Ellison and his dogs also hold the first three places in the amateur dog division. The native Kentuckian moved from Lexington to Alabama in 1986 and found endless forests and lakes like he hadn’t seen since his youth. It wasn’t long before he knew that Pell City was right where he needed to be. “It was a dream come true,” Ellison said. “There were wild quail everywhere, and Lake Logan Martin is full of fish.” Ellison admits that once in Alabama, quail hunting became an obsession. “I literally went quail hunting every day of the season for 10 years,” he said with a laugh. “I didn’t miss a day. Back then you could get a Kimberly-Clark permit and hunt wherever they had land. I hunted quail all over St. Clair and Talladega counties.” Once the Alabama quail population began to dwindle
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August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 69
TOP DOGS Mac points
and it became more difficult to find a place to hunt, Ellison started going to Texas and Kansas to hunt quail. He did that from 2005 to 2009. All good things come to an end, and it was a sad day for Ellison when quail hunting opportunities in Texas and Kansas also played out. He didn’t stay inactive for long. He stumbled upon field trial competitions and suddenly, he found a new outlet for his love of dogs and quail hunting. “The UFTA is a walking field trial,” he explained. “You and your dog are put in a 7- to 10-acre field, and three quail are placed there, and you don’t know where they are. “You are put on a 15-minute clock with a judge observing. Your dog must point a bird, you must shoot the bird and your dog must retrieve the bird. The dog then looks
Scott Deuel with two of his trophies
70 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
Rex checks out his surroundings. for another bird and you repeat the process. Your score is based entirely on time. You get positive points for minutes not used. A competition will include runs on two different fields. “With so many dogs it is an all-day thing. ” Ellison competes out of the Bama Bird Dog club based in Lincoln. A Heart of Dixie club is based in Springville. The two clubs often train their dogs together, and they hold their own individual field trials several times a month. The trials are typically held from October through May with a break during the hotter summer months. Scott Deuel, a physical therapist who operates Back in Motion in Springville, won the open division of the UFTA last year with his dog Bella. The two beat teams from 27 states. “Wisconsin has strong competition. Missouri
does and Georgia does,” Deuel said. “Alabama is really strong, and most of it in this state is centered right here in St. Clair County. “Last year when my dog Bella won the national championship, my other dog, Mac, finished third and if not for a mistake by me would have finished second. “Kenny and Mitchell Armstrong – a father and son team – over in Moody have won a couple of national championships. “Bill Ellison is kicking everybody right now.” Kenny Armstrong has won the UFTA amateur national championship twice and the UFTA doubles championship twice. His father Mitchell has won the UFTA senior national championship three consecutive years, including 2012. “I think this area is so strong because people
August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 71
TOP DOGS
Bella and Mac here are so competitive,” Kenny Armstrong said. “The two clubs here compete against each other about twice a month during the season. We get a lot of people from up north that come down and enter our local club events. They know if they can do well in the events here they have a good chance of doing well in the nationals.” “You start getting ready for October in August,” Ellison says. “The dogs that compete are athletes that need to train just like other athletes. “We do Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday conditioning. “The dogs’ handlers must be in tip-top shape, too.
If you are covering a 10-acre field in 15 minutes that is a lot of brisk walking. It keeps me in the gym all the time. You and the dog both have to be fine-tuned. “You want to give your dog a chance to win every time it goes out there, and you can only do that by putting in a lot of effort and hard work.” Ellison’s goal this season is to win a national championship. This year’s UFTA national championship will be held at Doublehead Resort in Town Creek in February. “That is what drives me,” Ellison says. “I’m competitive. I’ve never won a national championship. That’s what I’m shooting for.” l
72 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
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High Falls is located in Dekalb County toward the head waters of Town Creek that empty into Lake Guntersville. Town Creek is known by kayakers who favor paddling in the mountain creek for its class 4 and 5 whitewater. Promoters of Big Canoe Creek Preserve hope to join Forever Wild properties like this to be protected, preserved and enjoyed.
74 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
Forever Wild
Story by Carol Pappas Photos by Michael McKenzie Submitted photos
Exploring the possibility of a Big Canoe Creek Preserve For Springville’s Laura McKenzie, Big Canoe Creek is more than just a picturesque stream that meanders lazily through St. Clair County. It’s her science classroom, her family’s recreation area and an environmental wonder all rolled into one. When she and her husband, Michael, moved to the area, she said she joked with him, “Now we can commence with raising a biologist.” As it turns out, it wasn’t much of a stretch. “Because of our creek, so far, we have two biologists and counting,” she said. Over the years, she has used the creek to teach groups of homeschoolers as well as her family about ecology and biology. She shares an attraction to the creek with people like Doug Morrison. He began his love of the creek through recreation but soon found an inner passion to save it, preserve it and share it for generations. Today, he is president of Friends of Big Canoe Creek, an environmental group dedicated to preserving this natural resource.
Photo: Bob Farley/F8photo
Forever Wild
Proposed public access to Big Canoe Creek as part of the preserve project plans. All across the state, there are people just like McKenzie and Morrison, who recognize the value of preserving Alabama treasures. In 2009, Big Canoe Creek was nominated to be a part of the Forever Wild program, which buys land all across Alabama to preserve it for the public’s enjoyment. Funding has been on hold while the program awaits its fate in the Nov. 6 election. On the ballot as Amendment 1, voters across Alabama will have an opportunity to vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on continuing to fund Forever Wild through interest earned on natural gas royalties, capped at $15 million each year. Those who question continuing it say they just aren’t sure how much longer or at what level the program should be funded. Since its creation in 1992, the Forever Wild Land Trust has bought more than 227,000 acres of land for public use. But even so, Alabama ranks last with the smallest
percentage of public conservation land in the Southeast, according to Forever Wild. “I think Forever Wild is a great program because it provides land available to the public for recreation,” Morrison said. “Every community needs green space for an opportunity to explore, experience and absorb nature. Outdoor activities are important physically and mentally for all ages, and the Friends of Big Canoe Creek has nominated land in Springville which adjoins Big Canoe Creek, for consideration by Forever Wild.” Morrison said the hope is for a Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve open to the public for hiking, biking, horseback riding and scouting. As part of the plan, they want public access to the creek for canoeing, kayaking and fishing. “It could be a recreational oasis, and is a great opportunity to preserve land adjacent to a state treasure that is Big Canoe Creek.” He’s not alone in that belief. “Big Canoe Creek is a
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Laura McKenzie’s two youngest children, Ben and Jill, clean up the creek.
beautiful stream, rich with unique and rare species of plant and animal life,” according to Wendy Jackson, executive director of the Alabama Freshwater Land Trust. Jackson, who also lives in St. Clair County, has been a vocal proponent of the Forever Wild program and has worked alongside countless groups to keep it going. “The property under consideration by Forever Wild will help preserve the integrity of the creek while providing outdoor recreation activities,” she said. But more than just recreation, she pointed out, “Forever Wild properties are proven economic engines for the communities where they are located because people from across Alabama and from out of state visit them, in turn generating tourism revenue for the local community.” Barnett Lawley, former commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, has worked tirelessly across the state during his tenure as commissioner and in the days since for Forever Wild. But his roots in the creation of Forever Wild go all the way back to the beginning. The St. Clair County native was vice president of the Wildlife Federation when the bill was passed. As commissioner, he automatically became chairman of the Forever Wild board. He shares McKenzie’s belief that the lands acquired are indeed outdoor classrooms. “It’s pristine land, and it needs to be protected” for generations to come. He points to the wetlands that are part of Forever Wild acquisitions, noting that they can teach about the natural filtration of groundwater. There are so many good things besides hunting and fishing.” Lawley, too, talked about the economic impact. At Paint Rock River, the parking lot for public access had to be expanded twice. In Hale County, just south of Greensboro, the national grand championship for field trial dogs is being held in September at the old state cattle ranch, which now bears the name of the man who had the vision behind it, M. Barnett Lawley Forever Wild Field Trial Area. That’s 750 dogs, their owners, their trainers and others associated August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 77
Forever Wild Enjoying the day at another popular Forever Wild spot, Turkey Creek.
with them staying in the area for two weeks. For the Black Belt, it is a much-needed injection of outside money, Lawley said. And natural resources like those across Alabama are economic drivers used to lure industrial prospects to the state. At Gov. Riley’s annual Turkey Hunt, 100 prospects from around the world stayed at different farms and lodges across the state. You might recognize names like Airbus and ThyssenKrupp among the guest list. Both now call Alabama home. They see the quality of life found here. “It’s an economic development tool using natural resources. Forever Wild adds to that program,” Lawley said. Recreation, education, economic development, tourism — it all sounds like a winning proposition for Alabama. Add to that, the use of money to fund it from a depleting resource — natural gas — and putting it into a permanent resource — land — and Lawley reasons that it is good for the people of Ala-
bama. The land becomes a permanent asset of the state, it doesn’t use a dime of taxpayer money, and it is a resource that can be used and enjoyed by the people from now on. While Forever Wild is a statewide political issue, McKenzie illustrates through the comments of a mother and a teacher how all politics are indeed local. “The creek has offered a place of sanctuary, peace, fun and renewal. I would love for other parents in our area to be able to share in these benefits. That is why I’m so excited about the possibility of Forever Wild buying the property along Big Canoe Creek. Kids are much more motivated to learn when they are actively engaged in their subject,” she said. “When they value the beauty of the creek, they begin to value the science behind it.” And when they value something, they want to protect and preserve it. As Lawley put it, “Forever Wild is a reinvestment into the state for the people.” l
• For more on Forever Wild, check out discoverstclair.com and watch the video • 78 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | August - September 2012
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August - September 2012 | DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • 79
Famous names; Not-so-famous faces Story by Mike Bolton Photos by Jerry Martin
Jim Nabors
With a hopped-up 1970 Chevelle, it was probably only natural that the Huffman High student might have a run-in or two or two with police during his teenage years. When police would check his driver’s license, they would always get that “you’ve got-to-be-kidding-me” look, Springville’s Richard Petty recalls with a laugh. “I remember one time the police pulled me over and asked if I thought I was Richard Petty or something,” Petty said. “My response was, ‘Well, actually I do.’ “He looked at my driver’s license. He told me he couldn’t give me a ticket because he couldn’t turn it in. He said nobody would believe it.” St. Clair County is full of people who share the same name as the rich and famous. A glance through phone books across the county might make you think that famous racecar drivers, politicians, Grammy-winning musicians, iconic actors and sitcom legends all live right here. Like most who share the same name as a famous person, Petty has a stock line when others learn his name and show surprise. “People do a double-take when they find out what my name is,” Petty said. “I always tell them that I look different when I’m not holding a pack of Goody Powders.” Having the same name as the NASCAR legend has not only been fun, he says, it has also been beneficial. Not only did it help him avoid a speeding ticket or two, it has also opened a lot of doors for him. “It helps with dinner and hotel reservations,” Petty says. “I get in and get good seats. My wife and I were at the Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi, and we wanted to see Stomp. There was a group from HarleyDavidson there that we met. One of the guys in the group told the hotel that he had Richard Petty with him. They got us right in.” Like others that share names with famous people, Petty is often dumbfounded that people actually believe that a famous person from another state would be listed in the phone book in Alabama.
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Richard Petty
Allen Jackson “We got called a lot when we lived in Birmingham,” he said. “When Davy Allison died, the calls were non-stop. People wanted to express their sorrow and wanted to know how I felt about it. “Don’t these folks know there is a difference between Alabama and North Carolina?” Petty says he isn’t above having a little fun with his name. For a present, Petty’s wife purchased him a trip to Atlanta International Raceway where he spent the day in the Richard Petty Driving Experience. There he got to drive a real NASCAR racecar at speed. “In the meeting before we went out, I sat in the back with my helmet on,” he said. “When they called the roll and called my name, everybody turned around and looked kind of startled. I just kind of waved to everybody.” Probably no one in St. Clair County with a famous name raises eyebrows quite like Pell City’s Richard M. Nixon. Better known as “Doughnut,” the former Grayson Valley Country Club golf pro gets a lot of questions about his given name and his nickname. “People always want to know why people call me ‘Doughnut,’” he said. “I tell them if your name was Richard M. Nixon, what would you call yourself?” Pell City’s Richard Milton Nixon, not Milhous like the former president, was born in 1961 when Nixon was vicepresident. The fifth of five boys, his late father once explained, “We ran out of names.” His parents never dreamed that their son’s namesake would later become the president of the United States. “When I was 8 or 9, the city went to see my parents and explained that they wanted to pull a prank,” he said. “They announced that Richard M. Nixon was going to be the grand marshal for the Christmas Parade. Only a few people really knew what was going on. “I think it was the biggest crowd they ever had for the parade. They put me in this big limousine and I remember I had to sit on the armrest so I could see. They had guys dressed like Secret Service that walked beside the limousine. “When everybody found out it was just me, they thought it
Richard Nixon was pretty funny.” Nixon’s father, A.E. (Dill) Nixon was actually in politics and passed away while mayor of Pell City. Son Richard ran for State Commissioner of Agriculture, and his name was both a help and a pitfall. “I had a few signs made and everybody stole them,” he said. “Everybody wanted a Richard M. Nixon sign. One of my signs was hanging in the Flora-Bama until the hurricane got it. Another one is hanging in the Hooters in Gulf Shores.” Nixon said his name almost kept him off the ballot in that statewide race. “The day I went to register, it was April Fool’s Day,” he said. “I gave them my check for something like $750, and they took it. I found out later that they just thought it was a joke. I had to go back and show them my driver’s license and everything to get on the ballot.” The national media had a field day with Richard M. Nixon running for commissioner of the State Department of Agriculture. “I was in Time and Newsweek and on CNN,” he said. “They pretty much made fun of me. I got something like 400,000
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Famous names votes statewide. They said it was a shame some guy like me could use my name to get that many votes.” Nixon said his name has been both a fun thing and a problem through the years. “A bunch of us guys from here went to Florida once, and we convinced everybody I was the president’s son,” he said with a laugh. “A restaurant sent a limo to pick us up. “There have been other times when I’ve called to make an airline reservation, and they just hang up on me when I tell them my name.” Doughnut Nixon says the strangest thing of all occurred when he was the golf pro at Grayson Valley Country Club. “I worked there, and then they had a member named Abraham Lincoln and another member named Grover Cleveland.” Having the same name as a famous person can be either a fun thing, as it has turned out for Petty, or a curse. Ashville’s Jim Nabors says having the same name as one of the goofiest people on television makes you the butt end of a lot of jokes. Sylacauga’s Jim Nabors, who played the part of Gomer Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show and later on Gomer Pyle USMC, was portrayed as a Southern buffoon on both shows. Ashville’s Jim Nabors, now 67, was a firefighter whose partners were cutups anyway. Naturally, they called him “Gomer.” “It was aggravating,” Nabors said. “I took a lot of kidding. I just pretty much had to ignore it. It really got old, but if I had ever let on that it bothered me it would have been worse. “I mean when every time you walked into a room somebody said, ‘Goll-ee,’ it got old.” Jim Nabors, the St. Clair County resident, might have lived a life of solitude had not Jim Nabors the actor not been so talented. Nabors was scheduled for a one-time appearance on The Andy Griffith Show but was so popular that he became a regular. He eventually got his own show – Gomer Pyle USMC – that ran for five seasons. Unfortunately for the retired firefighter, syndication has made it possible for The Andy Griffith Show and its re-runs to appear on television for more than 50 consecutive years. In St. Clair County, you can watch Andy Griffith reruns several times a day. “I watched the Andy Griffith Show and liked it,” Nabors said. “I just didn’t like Gomer.” For Springville’s, Allen Jackson life was pretty uneventful until 1990 when a worker in the Nashville Network mailroom named Alan Jackson burst upon the country music scene. His hits, like Chasin’ that Neon Rainbow and Don’t Rock the Jukebox, suddenly made life interesting for the man who drew the framework for structural steel buildings and had no interest in music at all. “When his songs first came out, I got kidded a lot,” said the 63 year old Jackson, who lives near Whitney Junction. “It was all kind of funny at first. “Then people started calling my house. They’d call at 2 a.m. wanting me to sing them a song or wanting to know how they could get into the business. They were serious. “I am not a big music fan. I am not an Alan Jackson fan or a fan of any music, really. I might turn on the radio for my children or grandchildren, but that’s about it.” When people hear Jackson’s name, the standard request is that people laughingly ask him to sing them a song. He has a standard reply. “I tell people that if they want to hear me sing, they have to
James Taylor go to church with me,” he says with a laugh. “They can hear me sing along with the choir from the pew at Ashville First Baptist.” Moody’s James Taylor didn’t think anything was unusual about his name until he reached the fourth-grade. James Taylor had been his grandfather’s name, too. “We had a substitute teacher, and she was asking everyone’s name,” he recalls. “I told her mine and she said, ‘No seriously, what’s your name?’ “Once I convinced her that was my real name, she couldn’t believe it. She was a huge James Taylor fan. She wanted to know if I was kin to him.” Taylor, a five-time Grammy winner, was already a huge star by the time Taylor of Moody was in elementary school. He said he was kidded a lot. “One guy would always say “Have you seen fire? Have you seen rain?” Taylor says he would love to have the same musical talents as his namesake. “Trust me,” he said. “I can’t sing.” Taylor, who works in the warehouse at Jones-Stevens Corporation, is accustomed to being surrounded by famous names, and he could be part of a pretty good trio. “I go to church with a George Jones and work with a Steve Martin,” he said with a laugh.
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