Appalachian Hike • Drive-In Returns • Sawmill Wrestler Pell City Flowers • Rachel Baribeau • The Mandolin Maker
April & May 2016
Terresa Horn A song to sing; A story to tell
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Features and Articles Discover
The Essence of St. Clair
Terresa Horn A song to sing; A story to tell
Father, son hike Applachian for ‘Julie’ Page 8 Art & creativity way of life for Vickey Wheeler
Page 46 Old South Firearms
Unique Store Opens in Argo Page 18
Cecil’s Music The Mandolin Man Page 22
Coyote Drive-In American Tradition Returns Page 26
Traveling the Backroads
Page 38
Pell City Flowers 70 Years in the Family
Page 54
Sawmill Wrestler Dad
Page 32
Meet the Amazing Cliff Horsley Page 58
St. Clair Events
Pell City’s Rachel Baribeau making mark Page 62
Business Review
Page 66
Warren Family Garden Center Page 68 Workout Anytime Page 76
April & May 2016
www.discoverstclair.com
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Writers AND Photographers Carol Pappas
Linda Long
Carol Pappas is editor and publisher of Discover St. Clair Magazine. A retired newspaper executive, she served as editor and publisher of several newspapers and magazines during her career. She won dozens of writing awards in features, news and commentary and was named Distinguished Alabama Community Journalist at Auburn University. After retiring, she launched her own multimedia company, Partners by Design Inc. In addition to marketing, design and web services for companies and nonprofits, Partners publishes Discover, various community magazines for chambers of commerce and Mosaic Magazine, a biannual publication of Alabama Humanities Foundation.
Linda Long has worked in communications for more than 25 years in print, broadcast, nonprofit promotion and special event planning and implementation. Her writing has appeared in Business Alabama Magazine, Technology Alabama, Mobile Bay Monthly, Birmingham News, Huntsville Times, Partners Magazine, Birmingham Magazine, Alabama Alive, Cahaba Talk, Hoover Outlook and Shelby Living. She served as news and special projects producer for NBC13 News, where her work won national, regional and state honors, including two Emmy Award nominations.
Elaine Hobson 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.
Jerry C. Smith 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.
Wallace Bromberg Jr. Wally graduated from Auburn University where he graduated in 1976 with his BA in History and minors in German and Education. Wally’s skills in photography blossomed during college.After a 30-year career, he decided to dust off his camera skills and pursue photography full time.
Susan Wall
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Susan Wall moved to Logan Martin Lake from Birmingham, where she worked as a critical care nurse. Alongside the nursing career, she owned Dreamscapes Photography, a portrait and wedding studio. Winner of the 2010 August Moore award at the Bluff Park Art Show, with numerous publications in magazines and the Kodak Instructional Magazine, her passion now is digital painting and portraits.
Leigh Pritchett
For almost 30 years, Leigh Pritchett has been involved in the publishing industry. She was employed for 11 years by The Gadsden Times, ultimately becoming Lifestyle editor. Since 1994, she has been a freelance writer. Her work has appeared in online and print venues. She holds the Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Montevallo.
Mike Callahan Mike Callahan is a freelance photographer who resides on Logan Martin Lake in Pell City. He specializes in commercial, nature and family photography. Mike’s work has been published in Outdoor Alabama Magazine, Alabama Trucking Association and Alabama Concrete Industries magazines. Publishing his work to the internet frequently, he has won many honors for pictures of the day and week.
Jim Smothers Jim Smothers had his first work published in The Gadsden Times in the late 1960s when his father, sports editor Jimmy Smothers, had him take games called in from youth sports coaches and put a camera in his hands at Jacksonville State basketball games. For more than 40 years he has been a writer, photographer, graphic artist and editor at publications in central Alabama for which he has won dozens of Associated Press awards. He has degrees from Jacksonville State University and the University of Montevallo and also studied at the Winona School of Professional Photography.
Paul South Paul South, a native of Fairfield, Ala., is an Auburn graduate with a degree in journalism and a double minor in history. He also has a Juris Doctorate degree from the Birmingham School of Law. Although sports writing was always his first love, South had a remarkably versatile career as a reporter, columnist and editor. Before transitioning to newspapers, South was the first full-time sports information director at Samford University in Birmingham
From the Editor
The Art of the Story
The other morning, I was out walking my dog, Millie, – much too early for most folks except my neighbor, Sandra, and her equally insistent dog, Trace. Millie and Trace make a habit of convincing their ‘masters’ it is indeed time to walk and handle a bit of business, no matter that a mere hint of sunlight is barely peaking over the horizon. We do as their dogged determination guides us. I don’t begrudge it much. It gives me a chance to think before the day’s demands begin their tug in different directions all at the same time, much like Millie on the end of her leash, trailing a squirrel or picking up the scent of another who has come before her. At first light, brilliant in its hues of orange and yellow and pink, you tend to see things that aren’t as evident in full sun. I thought how lucky I was to be living in a place as beautiful as this, the dawn reflection on mirror-like water against the silhouette of a distant mountain beckoned me to reflect as well, if only for a few moments. I don’t really know how it popped into my head, but it was right then, with Millie tugging away, that I realized I now had lived more than half my life in this place I now call home. When I first moved to Pell City and Logan Martin Lake, I remember friends and relatives I would see only occasionally from my native Birmingham, inevitably asking if I still lived ‘out in the country.’ To them, the 45-minute drive from the big city and its amenities was out in the country. To me, it’s hard to envision living anywhere else. And those amenities? They are simply different. Better, I think. I do miss the five-star restaurants, I must admit. But, there’s something about living on the water that brings you a peaceful moment in a harried routine that is otherwise everyday life. Perhaps it is the picture-perfect sight of rolling hills paired with deep green pastures as you travel the backroads of St. Clair County that add to that peace. It could even be the simplicity of a crooked creek in the midst of a walk in the woods. And I have to say, the catfish and barbecue around these parts aren’t bad either. My point is, amenities are in the eyes of the beholder and in this
case, storyteller. And that’s precisely the idea behind Discover, The Essence of St. Clair. We feel blessed to be able to share our stories, our home-grown array of amenities, with you. It is all about appreciating the world that surrounds us. We see the value in the history of an old mill that once thrived in Ashville. We like taking you on a sixmonth hike of the Appalachian Trail with a St. Clair County father and son. And we relish in the ability to tell you all about the woman you might know as a receptionist at an animal clinic in Cropwell who once sang with country greats, like Tanya Tucker. You will see those amenities and more in this issue of Discover in the pages that follow. Come along and discover them with us. Carol Pappas Editor and Publisher
Discover The Essence of St. Clair
April and May 2016 • Vol. 29 • www.discoverstclair.com
Carol Pappas • Editor and Publisher Graham Hadley • Managing Editor and Designer Brandon Wynn • Director of Online Services Mike Callahan • Photography Wallace Bromberg Jr. • Photography Susan Wall • Photography Dale Halpin • Advertising
A product of Partners by Design www.partnersmultimedia.com 6204 Skippers Cove Pell City, AL 35128 205-335-0281
Printed at Russell Printing, Alexander City, AL 7
ADVENTURE O F A LIFE T IME Father, son hike Appalachian Trail for ‘Julie’ It is said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. For Pell City’s Henry and Bennett Fisher, the journey of more than 2,000 miles began with a bucket list, a keen sense of adventure and an inspirational 5-year-old. Then, they took that first step. Henry, now a retired environmental engineer, began talking about hiking the Appalachian Trail a couple of years ago. His son, Bennett, said he talked about it all the time, and on birthdays and Christmases, the family would give him Appalachian Trail-related gifts – maps, books, whatever they could find. It was at a trip to the beach that Henry began his usual ‘what ifs’ about the hike, and Bennett said, “I wish my parents were cool,” sparking Bennett to pause and imagine his dad’s adventure and his own as one and the same. Henry realized it, too, and asked a question that would become a pivotal moment in both their lives. “Do you want to hike the trail with me?,” Henry asked. It didn’t take long for the answer, and the deal was done. They settled on the hike beginning after Bennett graduated high school in May 2015, and he would delay entering college that fall. With the potential for bucket list and adventure satisfied, enter their inspiration: Julie Grace Carroll, the 5-year-old daughter of friend David
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Story by Carol Pappas Photos by Bennett and Henry Fisher
McAfee Knob, Va.
9
ADVENTURE
Bridge along the way and Melanie Carroll. She suffers from Rett syndrome, a genetic mutation that causes muscular regression, and the Fishers had wished they could do something to help the family. They decided they would hike for Julie, raising money for Rett research. And that, they did – for 2,189 miles over nearly six months from Maine to Georgia and raising $25,000 for the tragic disease.
On the trail
The journey had an auspicious start, beginning on June 30 at Mt. Katahdin, Maine, with a hike into the 100 Mile Wilderness. At 56 miles, Henry became badly dehydrated. He had pushed too hard too early. A cousin picked him up in New Hampshire and after a few days to recuperate, he found his will and his way again, averaging 14 to 15 miles a day with several days of more than 20 miles. “Once you get used to it, you can really go,” Henry said. “By the end, I weighed less with my backpack on than I did without it when I started.” He lost 43 pounds and grew a beard that many likened
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Their inspiration, Julie, meets them at end of hike, Amicalola Fall State Park, Ga.
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
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Nightfall in North Carolina
Climbing peak in Maine
Early morning, Franklin, N.C.
Trail wasn’t always a trail
ADVENTURE
Last day on trail with Rockfish and Solar Body
to ‘Santa Claus.’ They made friendships on the trail that will last a lifetime, and memories they will never forget. As Henry and Bennett recount the steps of their journey, it is as if they share an inside joke where only the two of them know the punch line. They smile, they chuckle, they even finish each other’s sentences. The bonding is evident; the recollections vivid. They rattle off a list of animals they saw – grey fox, squirrels, weasel, chipmunks, eagles, a tiny snapping turtle and “a lot of snakes.” They saw “tons of deer,” heard lots of coyotes but didn’t see any, and they were intrigued by loons, orange salamanders and woodchucks. Mice were a large part of the trail hike, but it seems a fact they would just as soon forget. They even saw 14 black bears, one of which walked up behind Henry – within 15 feet – while he was taking a break in Shenandoah National Park. What they remember most is that the scenery was magnificent, whether it was atop a mountain peak, fording a stream, watching the sunset across a valley or the moon and stars rising above their campsites. Bennett talked of the day before they finished the hike. They were camping with friends they made along the trail – Rockfish and Solar Body, who had been with them the last 400 miles. Wondering about the unusual names? Everybody on the trail has a nickname. For Henry, it was Powerslide, stemming from Henry’s occasional inability to keep his footing on slick spots, and for Bennett, it was Jolly, because he was always smiling. When they finally got the fire started that night, they began reminiscing about their 2,000 miles of rugged adventure. “We were eating dinner and looked up, and there was a meteor shower. It was something special.” Just like the hike. “We were there, sitting in silence, and I thought, ‘Wow, we’re finally here.’ ” It wasn’t always easy, of course, but there usually seemed to be something special that followed, making the hardships worthwhile. Soaking, rainy days took their toll. “You never get dry,” said Henry. But as they scaled Clingman’s Dome in Tennessee, having not seen the sun in days, a spectacular sunset descended. “It was so cold and windy up there, my pants froze,” added Bennett, but no one seemed to care. “It was the most beautiful, spectacular sunset I had ever seen,” Henry concluded. Then there was the climb up Big Bald, north of Hot Springs,
When you can’t be there. Always ere is…
Helping with the little things.
On the road to recovery.
Assisting with everyday life.
Making sure Dad’s OK.
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
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ADVENTURE
N.C., covered in ice and snow. “It was absolutely stunning,” Henry said. “As we went up, it was better and better.” Henry’s wife, Vicki, met them when they reached Hot Springs for Thanksgiving Day. “Eight hikers came and had Thanksgiving lunch with us,” he said. Neither could conceal their amusement at what they termed, “Time Share Tuesday” or “Doughnut Gap Day,” signifying moments of celebrating simple things others might take for granted. Time Share Tuesday was a rare night in a condominium with a fireplace in Gatlinburg, Tennessee that David Carroll had secured for them. They had gone 12 days without a shower. They invited fellow hikers from the shelter to come along, and a dozen eagerly accepted the offer. They all piled into two, one-bedroom condominiums with them. “There were two rows of shoes lined up in front of the fireplace to dry out,” Bennett said. “Time Share Tuesday was just great!” “It gave me a whole new appreciation for plumbing, clean beds and fresh water,” Henry added. “I’m not a hotel snob anymore.” Doughnut Gap Day was a treat from in-laws who had met them along the way in a gap, bringing doughnuts and chocolate milk. When hiking in those conditions, you need as many calories as you can get, Henry noted. For six months, they “grazed” on Little Debbies, peanut butter crackers, an estimated 400 Snicker Bars, Almond Joys and Tasty Cakes. Pop Tarts and Honey Buns were in the mix as were meal time staples like tuna or salmon, Ramen noodles, pasta and mashed potatoes. It’s easy to see why Doughnut Gap Day is etched in their memory. Hiking hunger led to doughnuts devoured, and they were on the trail again. Oh, and they couldn’t forget “Lovely Day.” That was the day they spotted a bear and an eagle, and a hiker’s music could be heard, playing the song, Lovely Day. They all walked down the trail singing along with the lyrics – and the sentiment. “Trail Magic” was anything someone leaves behind on the trail for you. One day, it was a bag of Oreos, but mice and ants had partaken. “We said, that’s a shame,” according to Henry. “But it didn’t stop Bennett or the other guys.” It’s the code of the trail, Bennett explained. “You can’t turn down food.” To underscore the notion, he added that he had accidentally dropped some Cheezits on the ground along the way one day, and the hiker coming up behind told him, “ ‘Thanks for leaving them for me, man.’ ”
Fire tower in Vermont
Meanwhile, back in Pell City
Typical shelter 14
Back home, friends, family and anyone who heard about the hike were rooting for Henry and Bennett. They kept track on Facebook and the radio. “We are grateful for all the support,” Henry said, noting that Adam Stocks and John Simpson of River 94.1 radio in Pell City would air live reports when Henry and Bennett could call in. They were dubbed, “Tales from the Trail,” and the intro music was appropriately, These Boots Were Made for Walking.
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
ADVENTURE
Henry and Bennett with Eden Elementary Principal Laurie Funderburg. They are inspiring young people with talks about the hike. Businesses were supportive, with their windows proclaiming, “Hike for Julie.” Care packages of food came in. Some sent money to buy a cheeseburger. Facebook was full of thoughts, prayers and words of support for the cause. “It meant a tremendous amount to us. We couldn’t have done it without the support of everyone,” Henry said. Their own encouragement to others who imagine themselves hiking the Appalachian Trail are these sage bits of advice: 1. “Find your motivation. You’re going to want to quit. For us, it was Julie, knowing she can’t do it. It was knowing that the family can’t quit. Julie can’t quit. Her parents can’t quit.” 2. “Never quit in town. You are going to be warm and dry in a hotel room or hostel, and it is going to be very tempting to go home instead of back to the trail.” 3. “Never quit on a rainy day. Rain is temporary, and there will be many more bright, sunny days.” 4. “You can’t really prepare so be prepared to not be prepared. Don’t set unrealistic goals.” 5. “Have people meet you (along the way) rather than hiking faster to meet people at a certain point. It puts more pressure on your body to make those miles. It’s easier for them to drive to a spot where they will be waiting.” 6. “Listen to your body. Take care of yourself.” But perhaps the best advice came from a New York marathon runner Bennett met on Instagram who picked them up one day and treated them to a cheeseburger. She raises money for causes through her runs, and Henry described her as “the most positive person I have ever met in my life.” Her message was simple: “Never Give Up.” And they certainly took heed. The pensive smile father and son share tell it all. “The longer I’m away from it,” Henry said, “I think I could do it again.” l
Crossing a fence in New York
About the hike Henry and Bennett Fisher covered a lot of ground in their Hike for Julie:
• • • • • • • •
2,189 miles, north to south Mt. Katahdin, Maine, starting point Springer Mountain, Ga., ending point 14 to 15 miles a day, average hike with a high of 25 in one day 14, total number of states hiked 165 days, time it took to complete Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, halfway point juliesarmyofhope.org/hike-for-julie.html, where you can read Henry and Bennett’s blogs
About the Hike for Julie: • To donate, go to: juliesarmyofhope.org/donatenow.html
• Rett Syndrome occurs in 1 of every 10,000 to 23,000 female births • Julie Grace is a twin. Her sister, Jerri Noel, does not have Rett Syndrome. • To learn more about Rett Syndrome, go to: juliesarmyofhope.org/rett-syndrome.html • Meet Julie Grace at: juliesarmyofhope.org/juliegrace.html
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Ken and Lee Weyrich 18
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
Old South Firearms Unique shop opens its doors in Argo
Story and photos by Jim Smothers What began as an interesting hobby has become a fulltime business for father and son entrepreneurs Ken and Lee Weyrich, who opened a retail location for Old South Firearms in Argo in December. This is not a typical gun store, but a specialty shop with a heavy emphasis on reproductions of the types of firearms used in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and in the winning of the Wild West. They also carry modern black powder rifles favored by hunters, especially during days set aside for hunting with them before the regular hunting season begins. “Every gun we carry has its own history,” Ken said, and he and son Lee are happy to talk about the development of firearms over the years and the impact they have had on military tactics and history. Lee takes the credit — or the blame — for getting family into the old-style guns. “We used to get a gun catalog, and I kept leaving it open to the page with the 1858 Remington revolver on it,” he said. His dad took the hint and got him one, and their enthusiasm and knowledge about historical guns has continued to grow. Ken’s wife, Glenda, also contributed to the new store by designing the rooms, counters and display areas, using her experience as an interior designer. Developing the business hasn’t been an overnight process. About 10 years ago, Ken and Lee were regulars at some of the busier flea markets and trade days in central Alabama. They started getting calls about parts, maintenance and supplies, and things started to take off. The Weyrichs secured a distributorship with Traditions Performance Firearms, and about seven years ago they set up an online business, oldsouthfirearms.com, and the business has continued to grow steadily. Looking around the shop is like a nostalgic visit to a museum, or a prop room for historic movies. In addition to the guns, there are holsters, powder horns, bullet molds, kits for hobbyists to assemble their own guns, and other accessories. There are also plans for the future to start carrying vintage weapons of the 20th century in the store, including firearms issued to soldiers who fought in World War I, World War II and the Korean Conflict. Like the reproduction weapons, those types of firearms typically appeal to collectors with an appreciation for the history they represent. “ I just like the old guns and the craftsmanship that went into producing them,” Lee said. “Everything we sell has a historical aspect to it, and we enjoy telling the history.” “We just like to share what we know,” Ken said. “That’s one of the things that caused us to go online — we know our
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
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Old South Firearms
Cutting the ribbon
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guns, and they’re a lot of fun to shoot.” Some of their customers are into cowboy action shooting competitions, events where people use guns of the Wild West period to see who is the best shot. Ken is a badge-carrying member of the Single Action Shooting Society that focuses on those guns. Some customers are only interested in the hunting rifles and scopes that will help them put some meat in the freezer. The Weyrichs also supply Civil War reenactors as well as people who just like to collect guns. “We have one customer in California who has bought one of each of the revolvers Traditions makes,” Lee said. The Weyrichs also build and engrave custom display boxes for guns, and they have done quite a few that were used for presentations at military retirement ceremonies. They also create their own designs for presentation cases and package items in interesting ways. One special set they produce is a gambler’s gun display. The package includes a small pistol that a gambler might have carried in a pocket, a set of dice, and a deck of playing cards — all are reproductions of those that would have been used in the 1800s. “That was trickier than we thought it would be,” Ken said. “We had to get state and county tax stamps and get a license to sell playing cards.” When they decided to open a retail store, they knew they wanted to be reasonably close to the interstate, and they knew what size store they wanted to have. They found a lot for sale on Argo-Margaret Road, took measurements and drew up a plan before they ever contacted Lyman Lovejoy, the Realtor who had the property listed. “He said we were the first buyers he ever had who knew exactly what they wanted to do with a piece of property before they bought it,” Ken said. The Weyrichs also had kind words for Argo municipal officials and St. Clair County officials who helped with the process of setting up the business. “With the people over here, it was like working with old friends who were glad to see you coming,” he said. Quite a few officials from the Town of Argo and St. Clair County attended the store’s grand opening and got a first-hand look at the nostalgic items on display. County Commission Chairman Paul Manning was among them. “It’s great to see this business locating here. It will add a lot to the community and the county.” Also at the grand opening were representatives of the Sons of Confederate Veterans chapter based in Trussville. “We have a lot of gun stores around, but not anyone else really catering to the black powder shooters,” said Chapter Commander Brent Goodwin. “There are a lot of us out there.” l
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
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Cecil’s Music MANDOLIN MAKER’S SPECIAL CREATIONS
Story by Jerry C. Smith Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr.
Breakfast time at Jack’s Family Restaurant in Pell City is a busy, noisy affair, as dozens of loquacious locals begin their day with tater tots, sausage biscuits, cinnamon buns, and currently relevant chitchat. But 85-year-old Cecil Blount of New London can easily squelch the din with a few strokes of his fingertips. Recently, he sat down among friends at one of the large center round tables, which are notoriously noisy, and unobtrusively began picking out a simple tune he calls “Spanish Two-Step,” on a mandolin he’d made for himself. At first, only those around his table piped down to listen, but by the time he was halfway through his number, the quietness had spread in expanding circles until the whole room was mostly silent save for Cecil’s music. When the number ended, he was treated to a round of applause as various folks marveled at Cecil’s skills, as both musician and craftsman. He’s made at least a dozen instruments, including several mandolins, a dobro, fiddle, steel guitar, and will occasionally build one to order. Cecil doesn’t work in an elaborate shop like some of those craftsmen you see on TV, but rather uses simple hand and power tools and homemade wood-bending forms while working in fresh air under an outdoor lean-to shed he built himself. Rather than relying upon complex formulas and a fancy shop full of exotic tools, his emphasis is on skill, a feel for carefullyselected materials and a natural ear for music. All his instruments have that certain home-crafted look about them, but also a precision that’s readily apparent to the eyes of other craftsmen. Each piece is unique, as only Cecil can make them. A lifelong native of Delta, Mississippi, he moved to St. Clair County about two years ago to be near his kinfolks. Cecil lives in a house he and his son, Mike, designed and built on a lot near Coosa Island Marina. Mike lives next door. It’s the perfect man cave, built for the needs and pleasures of a single man who claims that, “five wives was enough.” The decor is simple and easy to maintain, with certain masculine touches many women would not tolerate, such as a corrugated steel ceiling and polished concrete floor. The walls are hung with stringed instruments, many of which he made. Cecil admits his home is a bit on the small side, but adds with a wink, “there’s always room for an occasional visitor.” A painter by trade but musician by avocation since age 15, he’s played with several local and regional bands and stars, including Big River and Jack Curtis in Mississippi. He also plays in monthly sessions at a local senior center, the State
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Hand-made mandolin and wood-bending form Veterans Home, various nursing facilities and his church, Friendship Freewill Baptist in Pell City, where he sometimes jams with Mayor Joe Funderburg, Judge Alan Furr and the church’s pastor, Dr. Michael Barber. Cecil’s most prized possession is a dobro he made that bears Merle Haggard’s autograph. Merle was playing a concert in Sturgis, Mississippi, when Cecil handed his dobro over the fence to a secretary, who asked the country and western superstar to autograph it during a session break. If confused by all the various stringed instruments, and what makes each one unique to its type, Cecil helped cut the fog. For instance, a dobro and a regular guitar have the same number and size of strings, but they are tuned to different scale notes. Also, a dobro has a special sound box, usually a circular affair of metal or wood, that produces the twangy, shrill notes peculiar to that instrument, whereas an acoustic guitar relies on the body of the instrument itself to develop its deeper, richer sound. Mandolins have four pairs of strings, with both strings of each pair tuned to precisely the same note. The pick hits both strings in a pair with every stroke, giving a characteristic mandolin “pli-plink” sound. What’s the difference between a fiddle and a violin? Cecil said that a violin might be a bit larger than a fiddle, but if
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
Cecil Blount with one of his mandolins DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
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Cecil’s Music
Cecil Blount with his resonator signed by Merle Haggard
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someone asked him to make either, his product would be the same. Discover photographer Wally Bromberg, who is no slouch on stringed instruments himself and jammed a bit with Cecil during the interview session, added, “You carry a violin in a case, and tote a fiddle in a sack.” Cecil loves fishing, and lives within rockthrowing distance of Logan Martin Lake. In fact, he discovered his bit of heaven while visiting his son, liked the lake and neighborhood, and quickly settled in. If one word could describe Cecil, it’s “imaginative.” His keen perception and active mind is reflected in everything around him. He has a small metal fishing boat that he converted to inboard style by mounting a five-horsepower lawn mower engine amidships, connected through a go-kart clutch and waterproof housing to a propeller underneath. It also has a yard tractor seat and steering wheel. It’s a poor man’s Chris-Craft. Additionally, he’s built and sold several bicycles which he had converted to gasoline engine power, almost identical to the old Whizzer bikes familiar to any boy over 70. Everything in sight is absolutely Cecil Blount. l
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Coming attractions: Drive-in, miniature golf heading to Leeds area
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
Coyote
DRIVE-IN
Story by Graham Hadley and Carol Pappas Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr. Artwork from Coyote Drive-In If you’re old enough to remember movie nights under the stars with plenty of popcorn devoured in the backseat of your parents’ car, prepare to reimagine those times as the Shops of Grand River in Leeds recreates the classic drive-in with plenty of new twists. The four-screen theater complex aims its sights on being a recreational experience the entire family can enjoy — from the moment the gates open to the end credits of the last double-feature movie. “We have been working with Christine Szalay, general manager for the Shops of Grand River, for about a year and a half — all the stars aligned and we are going to make it happen,” said Steve Wynn, chief operating officer for Coyote Drive-Ins. Wynn notes the company already has a successful, five-screen version in Forth Worth, Texas, which has been in operation since 2013. The Leeds edition will have a restaurant with a full kitchen, a pizza bar where patrons can watch the pizzamaking process from beginning to end, and a bar that serves beer, wine and margaritas. The restaurant will have airconditioned indoor and outdoor seating and sits next to a controlled-entry, fenced playground. Parents can keep an eye on kids playing while dining with family and friends. The restaurant’s pavilion will occupy about a 10,000 square-foot building that was part of the original Shops of Grand River complex but had never been occupied. “It will be directly adjacent to the north end of the Shops,” Szalay said. Along with the restaurant and playground, there will also be an 18-hole miniature golf course in the theater area. As for the drive-in, there are four screens, with movies shown in high definition from top-of-the-line special projectors that are brighter and designed to throw highquality images farther onto bigger screens. And, Coyote Drive-In shows are double features. “There is a 30 minute intermission, then you can watch a second movie,” Wynn said. Directly in front of the screens is a no-car, grassy park-like green space where families can have picnics, play football with friends or even walk with their dog. The drive-in is a pet-friendly theater. There is also outdoor seating for those who want to sit outside their cars and enjoy the movies out
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Coyote
Outside pavilion
in the open. “A lot of it is about the freedom. You can walk your dog, throw a Frisbee, and nobody is going to tell you to turn off your smart phone,” Wynn said. Also planned on Fridays and Saturdays are musicians performing live music. In Fort Worth, “people are coming about 90 minutes before the shows start,” Wynn said. “You can sit out in a lawn chair and watch the movie on a giant screen. It feels like an event – like movies in the park. “I think it is a social element. This is what we see in Ft. Worth: People are reaching out on social media, saying, ‘We are all going out to a movie at Coyote.’ They come in large groups, bring the dog, move some picnic tables together, run and play, eat, then watch the movies. People like the social aspect,” Wynn said. “The family crowd is our biggest pizza business. When a family film opens, it always outperforms our other genres, like more adult action-themed movies,” Wynn said. The drive-in is more open than a multiplex theater, but screens are set up to prevent line of sight from one viewing area to another. Even so, some movies will not be shown or will be shown later in the night.
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Four-screen drive-in site plan
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
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“Some of the movies that are too risqué we will not play because a 5-year-old watching movies on one screen might see a movie on another screen. … In Ft. Worth, we did not play 50 Shades of Grey. It was a very popular movie, but the family-friendly environment is paramount,” Wynn said. The theater will have room for a total of 1,100 cars. The $6 million-plus project is expected to draw people to the Leeds area from possibly as far away as other states like Georgia and Tennessee, not to mention the surrounding Leeds community, Birmingham, Trussville, Pell City, Talladega, Anniston and the rest of north and central Alabama. With the Shops of Grand River right next door, with stores generally open until 9 p.m., already drawing large crowds daily, the two ventures expect there to be lots of crossover business. “Coyote Drive-Ins have thought of everything. It was one of the reasons when the discussions started we were enamored with their plan. It made such good sense for the Shops of Grand River,” Szalay said. For the region, it means a recreation and tourism destination point, generating 100 new jobs. “This makes the Shops of Grand River and Leeds more of a regional destination. People come from a large distance to shop here, and this works on a number of different levels, Szalay said. “We want that close connection to our customers from within the community, and this adds another reason for people who live farther away to come, shop and stay longer.” l
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Construction under way
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
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Vickey Wheeler
Vickey Wheeler works on an art piece at her pottery wheel.
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
Art & creativity become way of life for St. Clair woman Story by Leigh Pritchett Photos by Michael Callahan Each summer, Barbara Wheeler encouraged her young daughter, Vickey, to explore a new activity. She obliged, spending summers learning to ice skate, ride a horse, sew, compete on a swim team, bowl, play piano, perform gymnastics and fly a plane. When she was 12 years old, she took painting lessons, and it was there, she found her niche. That summer determined Wheeler’s college and career path and her life devotion. Ultimately, she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in ceramics and sculpture from the University of Alabama, as well as a master’s in early childhood education and an educational specialist degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has taught children’s and adult classes through Birmingham Museum of Art, served as studio program director at Space One Eleven in Birmingham and was involved in Birmingham Art Association. She was artist in residence at Epic Alternative Elementary School in Birmingham, in addition to Zora Ellis Junior High School and the former Northside Hal Henderson Elementary School in the Talladega City School System. Also, she illustrated a booklet of lyrics for the children’s CD, A Little Heart Like You. While on a mission trip in the 1990s, she left her mark in the Caribbean. With the assistance of a group of orphans, she painted a mural onto a Salvation Army orphanage building in Jamaica.
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A creative drive
Even before taking art classes as an adolescent, Wheeler was sewing clothes for her dolls. “I’ve always felt the need to create and express myself,” Wheeler said. “... I’ve always kept sketchbooks and drawn and painted, designed clothes.” Once, she fashioned a Halloween costume to make her look like a drive-in movie. “The imagination is a wonderful thing,” she said with a smile. Wheeler lives in the largest of her artistic conceptions -- her home. She said she designed it with openness before that kind of floor plan was readily available. Various features in the home – such as a colorful stained-glass door she designed – show Wheeler’s artistic flair. Art in its various forms surrounds her each and every day. “Art is everywhere in my home,” said Wheeler. Among the paintings in her home are the very first one and the very last one she did that 12th summer. One piece in her art collection is from her single experience of working with cast iron. “It was a one-time thing. I like to try different things,” Wheeler said.
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
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Vickey Wheeler
Masks are a frequent theme in Vickey Wheeler’s art.
Masks, hearts, stars, hands and angels are frequent subjects in her works. “It just felt natural, very natural,” Wheeler said of crafting masks. “(Masks are) a very ancient expression of who we are. I started making them the size of my palm. ... The theme of hands and hearts can be seen in my artwork. I’ve been making angels since high school.” Wheeler settled in St. Clair County after having lived in the Alabama cities of Huntsville, Dothan, Center Point and Birmingham, as well as Chicago, Ill.; Seattle, Wash.; and Mississippi. She said her father, the late James Wheeler, was an engineer whose job required the family to move often. For a time, “he worked on the Apollo program,” she said. Wheeler chose St. Clair and her property because of the proximity to water. “It was important for me to be near water,” she said. Bordering her land and flowing only 200 yards from her back porch is Big Canoe Creek. “That’s what drew me,” she said. Living along this waterway, in turn, became her catalyst for another project, which was to help establish the advocacy group, Friends of Big Canoe Creek.
Art in all directions
Vickey Wheeler taught herself to make jewelry.
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Every day, Wheeler is creating – maybe a work of art, maybe a recipe. “Sometimes, my creative activity is what I cooked that day,” she said. Art touches almost every facet of her life. She decorates with it, eats from it, and wears it. In her kitchen is an array of her creations. One is a blue candelabrum that was pictured in a Southern Living cookbook. Others are what she calls “functional art” – bowls, plates, platters and cups. Each is as unique as the one next to it. “Even though it is a bowl, it can be a piece of art,” Wheeler said. “... I really enjoy making mugs and bowls and making each one of them unique.” In addition to sculpting, drawing, painting and sketching, Wheeler expresses her creativity by making fabric wall hangings, writing and shooting photographs. “I’m a little nonconventional. I like to not limit myself,” she said. Almost constantly, she is visually and mentally creating from fragments of this and that. She likes to mix media to produce distinctive textures and appearances. For an art piece depicting a kitchen window, she pressed lace into clay to make a frilly valance. Even dried okra pods gain new purpose through Wheeler’s innovation. If a final product is not what she had originally envisioned, she may resurrect the object in a different form. When some dishes she had made were not what she had intended, her creativity kicked in. Wheeler promptly broke them and used
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
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Vickey Wheeler expresses her creativity in numerous ways.
These winged sculptures are porcelain.
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
Vickey Wheeler
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Many features in Vickey Wheeler’s home — such as this stained-glass door she designed — show her artistic flair. the pieces in a mosaic. Clay and metals are Wheeler’s media of preference. “I enjoyed clay the first time I put my hands in it.” She produces hand-built and wheel-thrown pottery, having studied the latter at Penland School of Crafts in Spruce Pine, N.C. For Wheeler, working in clay naturally led to working with metals and then into making jewelry. “I always thought jewelry was beautiful. I decided I wanted to make it, so I taught myself,” said Wheeler, who was wearing some of her handiwork. In fact, she and Birmingham artist Kay Moates have teamed for a project that melds their talents. This venture combines Wheeler’s metal work and Moates’ creations in fiber to produce wearable art. The bracelets and necklaces are made of metals and beads from the earth and natural fibers. When their two art forms come together, “there’s just an extra spark in the work,” said Moates. She said they will begin marketing the items this spring. Moates is excited about the collaboration and has much praise for Wheeler’s ingenuity. “You’re talking about a consummate artist who does everything superbly,” Moates said. “She is extremely talented.” l
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
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Traveling the
BACKROADS
O’Donnell’s mill, not its memories, disappears
Mill before flood of 1919
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
Story and photos by Jerry C. Smith Submitted Photos Down in Shoal Creek Valley, between two mountains of green Stands an old grist mill in a clear bubbling stream. The dam is built of cement and blocks, And it holds back the water that turns the rocks. These words were penned decades ago by young Charles McKee, grandson of the owner of the mill that bore his name, Daniel J. O’Donnell, better known as Dan’l. Sited on Shoal Creek between two stony ridges, O’Donnell’s was one of five grist mills constructed along this major Coosa tributary, and the last to shut down operations. According to a treatise by Roy C. O’Donnell, PhD, professor emeritus of the University of Georgia, all five were built by Larry Gibson, who was a county sheriff in the 1840s, on lands bought from the government in the mid-1800s by his father, Jeremiah Gibson. The mill has a long history. In 1864, ownership passed from the Gibson family to an in-law, Foster Freeman, thence to another in-law, Barton Crump. Subsequent owners were Malinda Phillips, James Greene and partners, M.L. Byers and E.J. Robinson. In 1896, it was acquired by a Confederate veteran, Henry Palmer, Dan’l O’Donnell’s grandfather. The mill had a wooden dam, which eventually deteriorated so badly that, in 1919, Palmer and Dan’l built a new millhouse and concrete dam about 200 yards downstream of the original structure. At first, the millhouse stood on the north creek bank, but years of erosion eventually forced construction of a dam extension which put the millhouse squarely in the middle of the creek. The new position made access to the mill a bit hazardous, over a plank walkway less than a yard wide. Realtor Lyman Lovejoy tells of mill helper Buford Sanders, who sweated many an anxious trip across these boards while shouldering 50-pound sacks of corn. Lovejoy has special feelings for this mill. He once owned property on the other side of the creek, and recalls going there as a young man to fish. He spoke kind words about the mill’s last owner, Ronald Seldon O’Donnell: “Seldon was a dear friend, and a very good businessman. He was a decorated (Bronze Star) hero from World War II. Seldon made the best peanut brittle you ever tasted.” Sammy Freeman, husband of Seldon and Doris’ daughter, Pam, boasts that Seldon passed on to him his technique for making peanut brittle before Seldon’s demise in 2013. But that is not the only legacy of O’Donnell that lives on. Tori Camp, daughter of Tanya (Lovejoy) and Brian Camp, chose O’Donnell’s as her project in the annual St. Clair History Fair and brought it back to life. All county fourth graders research local heritage and build projects to illustrate their chosen themes, and her father and grandfather beam with
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Traveling the
BACKROADS pride over photographs of Tori’s recreation of the mill, which took top honors on all levels. Unlike those classic northern mills seen in Currier and Ives prints, with large vertical waterwheels turning under a flume, O’Donnell’s used an enclosed horizontal turbine wheel designed for shallower mill ponds. The first O’Donnell wheel was made of wood, later replaced by two metal wheels developed by E.G. Morris of Ashville, who had also assisted in building the Ashville county courthouse. According to Dr. O’Donnell, Morris went on to create an ironworks in Calhoun County that later provided armor for the Confederate Navy’s famed ironclad, Merrimac/Virginia. Dan’l’s grandfather is said to have worked at Morris’ foundry, making water turbines which measured from 12 inches to 54 inches. The factory also made furniture, ginned cotton, and milled lumber.
How it worked
Young Dan’l O’Donnell
Upper (driven) stone of O’Donnell Mill 40
Water mills are one of mankind’s oldest machines, and quite simple in theory, although the equipment that utilizes their energy may become very complex. Basically, a dam creates a reserve of water called a mill pond, whose surface is higher than the normal waterway. Water is delivered to the turbine wheel from a gated structure called a waterhouse. As it passes through the wheel, the water’s weight and pressure upon slanted vanes causes the wheel to turn, an effect augmented by suction created beneath the wheel as the water passes out an exit chute into the dam’s tailwaters. Essentially, the water both pushes and pulls the wheel around. The O’Donnell turbine’s weight was supported by a bearing called an “ankh,” made from a single, rosin-rich pine knot, whose hardness and imperviousness to water allowed it to endure for the entire lifespan of the mill. The wheel’s spinning axle extended vertically through the floor and into the millhouse, passing through the center of a lower fixed millstone made of granite, called a “nether” stone, thence to an upper moving stone made of flint or other hard rock, driven by the axle. The upper wheel had a pattern of cross-hatches carved into its surface, to catch the grain and channel it across the entire radius of the nether stone before exiting into a special circular catch basin. Both stones were extremely heavy, but easily adjusted by the miller for an optimum gap between them for the grain fineness specified by the customer.
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
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Traveling the
BACKROADS
O’Donnell Mill during restoration
According to Mrs. Doris Machen O’Donnell, 87 year-old widow of the mill’s last owner, Ronald Seldon O’Donnell, their mill ground corn almost exclusively, making it into everything from coarse animal feed, to corn meal for bread or mush, to grits. She also states that, although all eight of the O’Donnell boys who worked at their mill did things exactly the same way, many customers were adamant that only one knew exactly how they wanted their corn ground.
Grits or grist?
Speaking of grits, grist mills are often wrongly called grits mills. While a grist mill frequently grinds grits, the word grist is an old Germanic-English word that refers to both the grain brought to the mill and the actual ground product. Most people in those days had little or no cash, so each customer gave a portion of un-ground grain to the miller as payment for grinding, which was sometimes also referred to as grist. The miller accumulated large batches of these shares, then usually ground them himself to sell either at the mill site or to merchants for store stock. Mrs. O’Donnell owns a special wooden box, known as a toll dish, which holds about a gallon of raw corn, the amount usually paid to the miller for each bushel he ground. All eight of the O’Donnell boys who learned the miller’s trade, including Seldon, were often exhorted by the mill’s former owner, Henry Palmer, “Don’t forget to toll it.” Another verse of Master Charles’ poem sums it up: He measures the grain and takes his toll, Then he puts the rest in the hopper so old, He raises the gate that seems so odd And it turns the rocks that does the job. The water wheel starts whirling round and round, And that is the way grain is ground. St. Clair County was mainly an agrarian economy, with corn and cotton being the chief crops, so there was plenty of work for millers. But Dr. O’Donnell’s treatise adds: “The amount of meal required by his customers made it seem unlikely that all of it was used for bread; some of it likely became mash for St. Clair County moonshine.” He also tells that the mill was not operated constantly, even during harvest season. Dan’l rigged a cowbell beside the millhouse door, which customers rang loudly when they arrived with a “turn” of grain. Dan’l would answer with a loud shout from whatever field he was working, then park his plow and return to the mill. Dan’l was also a lay preacher who worked at any available
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task to support his family. It’s said that he would get up at 4 a.m., grind corn for two hours or so, then go home for breakfast. The balance of the morning might be spent working his farm. He usually returned to the mill after lunch, worked some more in the fields, then again ground grain until dark, cheerfully singing all the while. This intermittent schedule let the mill pond refill with water between grinding sessions, as it was rather shallow by mill standards, particularly during dry seasons. Customers would often leave large batches of grain and pick them up later. The mill site was a natural gathering place for the community, whether for socializing, fishing, or playing games while waiting for their grain to be ground or, more solemnly, during baptisms in the mill pond for Shoal Creek Freewill and Greensport Baptist churches. The fishing was excellent, even decades after the mill’s demise. Your writer fished there with grandson, Stephin Smith, catching large stringers of bream and crappie. Lovejoy recalls hooking lots of red-eyed bass below the mill dam. Dr. O’Donnell relates that when the mill pond was drained for dam repairs, hundreds of fish would be left flopping in shallow pools. Local folks would come and take them out by the bucketful, sometimes hosting community fish fries on the grounds. At one time, the mill site also sported a sawmill, but it was later removed because there was not enough reserve water to operate both. In its stead, a woodwork shop was built
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
䰀漀最愀渀 䴀愀爀琀椀渀
瀀爀攀猀攀渀琀攀搀 戀礀
䈀伀䄀吀 匀䠀伀圀
䴀愀礀 ㈀ ㈀ 愀琀 倀攀氀氀 䌀椀琀礀 䰀愀欀攀猀椀搀攀 倀愀爀欀
昀爀攀攀 瀀甀戀氀椀挀 愀搀洀椀猀猀椀漀渀 洀愀搀攀 瀀漀猀猀椀戀氀攀 戀礀 琀栀攀猀攀 猀瀀漀渀猀漀爀猀㨀
愀氀愀戀愀洀愀 瀀漀眀攀爀 縀 挀漀挀愀ⴀ挀漀氀愀 縀 攀爀愀 欀椀渀最 縀 攀砀琀爀攀洀攀 瀀爀椀渀琀椀渀最 最漀氀搀攀渀 爀甀氀攀 戀戀焀 縀 栀椀ⴀ琀椀搀攀 縀 椀渀琀攀爀猀琀愀琀攀 戀愀琀琀攀爀椀攀猀 縀 欀漀猀 戀漀搀礀 猀栀漀瀀 氀愀欀攀猀椀搀攀 瀀愀挀欀愀最攀 縀 洀攀琀爀漀 戀愀渀欀 縀 瀀爀甀椀琀琀 ☀ 爀椀挀栀愀爀搀猀漀渀 縀 爀椀瘀攀爀 爀愀琀 猀漀甀琀栀氀愀渀搀 最漀氀昀 挀愀爀琀猀 縀 甀渀椀瘀攀爀猀椀琀礀 洀愀爀椀渀攀
眀眀眀⸀氀漀最愀渀洀愀爀琀椀渀氀愀欀攀昀攀猀琀⸀挀漀洀
Traveling the
BACKROADS
Wayne Spradley painting of O’Donnell Mill
Doris O’Donnell holds toll dish
Tori Camp and Seldon O’Donnell with Tori’s award-winning exhibit by Seldon’s brother, Clarence, using mill power for making furniture, porch swings, baseball bats and other durable goods. Mrs. O’Donnell told of a black man with a cane mill and syrup cooking vat mounted on a mule-drawn wagon, who came to the mill site during harvest season to press the juice from sorghum and ribbon cane. Once begun, he would run 24 hours a day until everyone’s cane had been processed and made into syrup. It is not known whether he used hydro or mule power to operate his rig. Pam and Sammy Freeman live across the road from Mrs. O’Donnell, on an idyllic hillside overlooking Shoal Creek, where it widens as it enters Lake Neely Henry. They salvaged one of the mill’s grindstones, a finely crafted disc of flinty conglomerate that measures about a yard in diameter, its carved channels still plainly visible. The Freemans also preserved a large, hand-hewn timber from the millhouse foundation. The mill ceased operations in the mid-1960s, after Dan’l’s wife, Irma, passed away. In 1978, the entire site was donated to the St. Clair Historical Society, with the provision that they
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restore and develop the site as a heritage attraction. Its condition at that time required extensive (and expensive) restoration. Following an interview with Dan’l, local author Carolynne Scott wrote in her book, Country Roads: A Journey Through Rustic Alabama: “O’Donnell’s Mill sits in a sequestered valley on Shoal Creek in St. Clair County – its millhouse silent, its wheels motionless, its miller retired and gone. Yet the beautiful spot is timbered with memories, the equipment intact, and the water rushes on.” The Society and others did an admirable job of it, but before the project could be completed and turned into a protected tourist attraction, vandals attacked it on several occasions and brought it to such a ruinous state that it had to be abandoned, with ownership reverting to the O’Donnell family. All that remains today of O’Donnell’s Mill is a concrete dam and mill pond, on land since devastated by a killer tornado. Wisely, it’s been gated by its present owners against further intrusions by those of poor raising who wantonly destroy precious heritage. l
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
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Terresa Horn A song to sing, a story to tell
Terresa Horn was born to sing. No doubt about that on this Saturday night at the Dega Brewhouse in Talladega. The cowboy-booted, country music singing grandma belts out a rousing rendition of Ode to Billy Joe, a crowd favorite. Other requests come fast and furious, and Horn is happy to comply. She knows them all. 46
Story by Linda Long Photos by Susan Wall Submitted photos
Terresa Horn
Just Two with Gary Blalock
Horn stays busy singing at local clubs and special events in and around St. Clair County these days, but there was a time when her voice took her to the brink of the big time, a journey that started years ago from her from her home high atop Sand Mountain. “I guess if there is any such thing as a music gene, I came by it honest,” she laughs. “My daddy could play just about anything there was – from the fiddle to the mandolin – and he had his own band. My brothers played bass and the drums and my mom? Well, she yodeled. Somebody was always making music at our house. It got pretty loud,” Horn recalled. “People would ask my Mom how can you take this? She would just smile and say, ‘I know where my kids are.’ ” One of Horn’s fondest memories growing up was Charlie B.’s Hootenanny, named for her father, Charlie B. Lang, and held every summer on a flatbed truck in her backyard. “People came from all over the county,” said Horn. “It was an annual tradition. Campers rolled in and stayed the whole weekend. My band would play and other musicians that we knew. We always had gospel quartets, and oh, my gosh, the food! Mom would cook dish pans full of chicken and dumplings and banana pudding. I remember one time daddy and them fried 300 pounds of catfish, not counting all the other food. Police officers would drop by and fix a plate, and politicians came to ask for votes. Everybody brought their lounge chairs and just had a real good time.” As Horn recalls, her singing got its start in the family church. She was just four years old, but already familiar with gospel favorites. “I was nine when my Daddy put a microphone in my hand and got me up on stage for the first time,” she said. “We were at a square dance. I sang Silver Threads and Golden Needles, and I was hooked.” That microphone was in her hand to stay. By the time she was 12, Horn and her brother had a weekly radio show. “It was live music, and we were on every Saturday morning,” she remembered. By the time she was 16, Horn was playing nightclubs from Birmingham to Atlanta.
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In the Nashville studio
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
Pastor Chris Crain: ““Our church has grown from sixteen people to hundreds on Sundays and 200 students in our weekday children's learning center.”
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Terresa Horn Posing for a promo shot
At her “day job”
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“I remember I even sang in one in Pell City back then.” After a few years of life ‘on the road,’ Horn made her way to the mecca of country music, Nashville and historic Printer’s Alley, where country music stars are born. “Everything was going real good for me,” said Horn. “I did all the clubs along there (Printer’s Alley), including Tootsies. I sang with some really good people – Mickey Gilley, Marty Stuart. Tanya Tucker used to come by and sing with us, and I did one outdoor show that had some really big names. Willie Nelson played that one. I shared a tent with him, and that was pretty cool.” Folks in Nashville began to sit up and take notice. As one promotional flier read, “Terresa Jhene (her stage name at the time), country gal, with super talent, debuts.” She signed a recording contract with C.B.F. Records and cut her first album, If This is Dreaming, which made the charts. For Horn, it was “a dream come true...like a storybook. It just didn’t seem real. I went to the studio to cut a single, but when the producer heard me, he said, ‘Oh, no. This girl’s too good.’ He got the musicians in there, and we cut an album right there on the spot.” In the meantime, another single, Sooner or Later, had climbed to number three on charts in Europe. “We were all set to do a European tour – radio shows, TV shows. They were all scheduled, and tour dates had been set.” That’s when fate dealt a cruel blow with a phone call that put an abrupt halt to the tour and almost derailed her career. Her beloved Dad had suffered a heart attack and died a few days later. “I came back home and thought I would just postpone the tour, but I kept putting it off,” said Horn, and just never went back. Instead, I stayed home to take care of my mother. I would do it over again because it was the right thing to do. My mom and dad were my
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
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Her band, Niteshift
biggest inspiration and my biggest fans. I don’t know. It seems like when my parents died, the music went out of me. It was a long time before I could sing again.” Today, the music’s back. Horn says she is “really enjoying singing without all the pressures associated with the entertainment business. It was demanding, but I wouldn’t trade any of the memories. I did get to do a lot of fun things that other people don’t get to do. Still,” she said, somewhat wistfully, “you do look back, sometimes, and wonder what if, but I have no regrets.” Horn sings with the Memories Band and as one half of the Just Two duo partnered with local entertainer Gary Blalock. When Horn isn’t singing, she can be found at her second career as secretary at Cropwell Small Animal Hospital. These days, family means husband Bobby Horn and their blended family of four children and eight grandchildren. Their log cabin home by Logan Martin Lake sees a lot of music and a lot of parties – maybe not as big as Charlie B.’s Hootenanny, she said, but “we’re getting there.” l
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
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All in the family for 70 years Inside the shop
Story by Carol Pappas Photos by Michael Callahan Submitted photos It was the summer of 1945 when Mildred Bradshaw Adkins opened a flower shop in her new hometown of Pell City. She and her family had just moved there from Trussville. Across the sea, the Japanese were about to surrender, ending World War II, and Mildred had her sights set on a tiny shop that would sell flowers in downtown Pell City in what is now the Fambrough Building, her daughter, Jeri Hollis said. Mrs. Hollis was 12 at the time, and it would mark the beginning of her lifelong vocation, the same vocation handed down from generation to generation. “Mother bought the shop. Daddy (Fred Adkins) worked at Stockham Valve, but the business did so well, he quit his job and worked here,” she said, motioning around the shop that still bears the same name, Pell City Flowers & Gift Shop, and is still in the hands of the same family. Nearby, the original sign – showing its age a bit – hangs over a front desk in the shop. Behind it, workers – including Hollis’ son-in-law, Eric Luby, and their great grandson, Ethan, busy themselves with arrangements, taking phone orders and greeting walk-in customers. It’s a scene reminiscent of those days from 1945 on. Mrs. Hollis worked in the shop with her parents. “Daddy was a good designer,” she said. “He taught Bob,” Mrs. Hollis’ husband, and
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
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they bought the shop 26 years after it opened. Citing the continuing lineage of the shop’s owners, Mrs. Hollis said, “Bob and I bought it from mother in 1972.” In 2013, Cindy and Eric Luby, their daughter and son-in-law, bought it from them. “Eric is good with numbers, and I’m the artsy one. Together, we make a great team,” Cindy said. Cindy planted her roots at the shop and made a career as a full-time florist. Her sister, Karen, also has a knack for designing and worked at the shop intermittently throughout the years. Cindy’s grandson, Ethan, represents the fifth generation. He works there in between college classes. “All the kids know how to do it. They know they have to,” Mrs. Hollis said. She speaks from experience. Valentine’s Day is always a vacation day away from other jobs to help with the family business.
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
www.villageatcooksprings.com 55
Standing in front of the original sign, from left, Eric, Cindy, Ethan, Jeri and Bob—a family affair
Another signature creation. 56
“We have enjoyed working together. It’s a good business, and Pell City has been good to us,” she said. Husband Bob agreed, noting that working together made them stronger as a family. “If someone in the family has a headache, we all take an aspirin,” he mused. “That’s the key to it.” “I think of the business as a family member,” Cindy said. It is a place where they not only learn a trade and the principles of business and customer service, but also they learn an unparalleled work ethic. As an added bonus, Ethan said, “It taught me how to woo the women. It has had a big impact on my social skills.” The ability to pick out just the right flowers and to remember flowers go with any occasion probably doesn’t hurt either. Through the years, when times changed, Pell City Flower and Gift Shop rolled with the changes. Gone is the handwritten ledger that showed who owed what. “We used to handwrite statements,” Mrs. Hollis said. Now, they’re done by computer. In the ledger book, a double line under a person’s name meant their bill was paid. Today, that, too, is a task for computer software. Before, Cindy noted, if someone paid with a credit card, the flowers were long gone before the payment came to them. Now, it is done in an instant. “We do a lot of weddings,” Cindy said, noting that their reputation extends far beyond the city limits. They have built a regional following for their creations, and they have traveled to make special occasions that much more special. “Puterto Vallarta, Mexico, is the farthest we have traveled for a destination wedding. “We have more and more brides from out of town,” Cindy said. “It’s amazing, really.” Over the years, their clientele has been long distance, close to home, serving friends and neighbors and even a star or two. “We have wired flowers to Elvis Presley’s funeral, to the Ukraine and Japan. We even delivered to Loretta Lynn at the Best Western when she stopped in Pell City,” added Cindy. Whether it was an Adkins, a Hollis or a Luby, the principle behind their business has never wavered. “We strive for 100 percent customer satisfaction,” Cindy said. They are at ease in serving their customers in the best of times – a wedding, a birth, a gift – as they are in those sad times where someone has lost a loved one. And the secret to their longevity has been family. “The bottom line is it took the whole family to hold it together,” Mrs. Hollis said. “They’re the only ones you can call on when you’re in a tight, you know what I mean?” l
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
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Wrestling lumber can be as challenging as wrestling ring opponents. 58
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
Wrestler, sawmill operator, Dad –
Answering the call Story by Elaine Hobson Miller Photos by Michael Callahan
Cliff Horsley waits behind the curtain while the ring announcer pumps up the audience. He thinks about the wrestling matches he watched on television and at Birmingham’s Boutwell Auditorium when he was growing up. He thinks about his Mohawk/Cherokee heritage, and starts slipping into character as Chief Thunderhorse, the Silent Giant with the Hands of Stone, who stands for what’s right and good. Wearing a headdress, arm bands and coordinating black-andyellow tights, he listens to the fans chanting, “Chief! Chief! Chief!” and hears their whoops and war cries. He holds his head up high, stiffens his back, and slips into the role he will play tonight. Once the introductory music starts, and Horsley walks into the spotlight and crawls under the ring ropes, the transformation is complete. He is no longer Cliff Horsley, Springville resident, sawmill operator, single father of four. He is Chief Thunderhorse, Oklahoma native, representative of the Cherokee Nation, the Real American. “In the ring, you get to step out and be the character you dreamed of being as a kid,” says Horsley. “It’s the satisfaction of knowing you’ve accomplished what you’ve always dreamed about growing up and watching it, saying, ‘One day I’ll do that.’ It’s knowing you’ve accomplished that, with a lot of hard work and perseverance.” Being a wrestler was all Cliff Horsley ever wanted. He wrestled at Pinson High School, where he also played football, then turned professional at the age of 22. For the first few years, he used his own name as he wrestled for various entities at the Pell City Civic Center and other Southeastern venues. One day, the head of Global Championship Wrestling told him he needed an Indian and dubbed him Chief Thunderhorse, a part ready-made for Horsley, who fashions arrowhead necklaces for friends. So for the next 10 years, he played the part, while living a gypsy life in a motorhome that he could move any time he wanted to. He pushed through his injuries, like the wrist that was broken twice and never healed, the ribs he popped out of his sternum, and the hernia he developed in his lower belly. “The match has to go on,” he says. But it wasn’t the body slams, the scorpion leg locks, the bad-guy punches or the cross-body drops as his opponents fell on him that finally took their toll and pulled him away from the wrestling ring. It was the kids he had never really known. “In 1996, when they were one-and-a-half years old and newborn, their mom left with them,” he says of his oldest son and daughter. “For 15 years, I did not know their whereabouts. I had no money for a private detective.” To add insult to injury, the man their mother married took on Cliff’s identity, with the aid of one of Cliff’s old driver’s licenses that she had kept. Then one day, out of the blue, the Chilton County Department of Human Resources (DHR) called. “They said
Chief Thunderhorse
here’s your kids, now you need a stable income,” Horsley says. “They started demanding structure and order.” He didn’t have to think twice. “My kids were teenagers, they demanded my time,” he says. He was already supplementing his income with a portable sawmill, but he had to sell it to keep his head above water for a while. “I had to make child support payments, which went to DHR because the kids had been in their custody for two years.” His grandfather had been a sawyer and cabinet maker, so working with wood was in his blood. It was something he knew he could do without his children having “a broke-up daddy and no paycheck,” he explains. He admits that it was tough making the transition from his bachelor lifestyle and the role of Chief Thunderhorse to the role of Daddy and the restrictions that came with it. “But I knew what it was gonna take, me walking away from that business to focus on them, that’d I’d have to give my children the 110% I was giving to wrestling.” For the past five years, Cliff has spent his time cutting lumber and raising four children — he adopted his biological
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
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Wrestler, sawmill operator, Dad Horsley and Odom at the newer mill.
Roy Odom prepares a log for the mill.
Horsley shows off one of the Indian headdresses he wears as Chief Thunderhorse.
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offsprings’ half-brother and later, a friend’s daughter. He started Cliff’s Mill, buying a 100-year-old sawmill from a retired teacher whose husband had built it, then died before using it. He moved it from Wattsville to its present site in Pell City one piece at a time. It took him about a year. The engine and other parts had rusted out, so he converted a 1968 Ford engine and gas tank to power the mill. “I hand-built everything down to the drive shaft,” he says. “I always was a jack-ofall-trades.” It was a gasoline-powered mill, and as fuel costs rose, it became too expensive to operate. So he bought a more modern mill. “It got to the point that $20 would not have cut five logs, and the belts were expensive, too,” he says of the antique mill. “But $40 will last a week on the newer one.” He still uses the old mill when someone wants a time-period cut, because it makes old-fashioned kerfs in the wood. People who are restoring an old house, for example, might prefer those circular grooves to the straight-line kerfs of modern saws. He turns pine and hardwood trees into 2x4s, 2x6s, framing lumber, siding, wood shingles, trailer blocks for mobile homes and occasionally flooring. In the winter, when business is normally slow, he sells firewood. He will cut to any size, but believes in a true cut. “My 2x4s are 2x4s and not 1-5/8 x 3-1/2s,” he says. He charges by the board foot, averages 200,000 feet a year, and no job is too big or too small. “It’s a small, entry-level sawmill,” he says. “But it’s not a hobby mill. There’s lots of maintenance involved, too.” It’s a physically demanding job, wrestling 1,300-pound trees onto the mill’s conveyor belt. He has one helper, a man named Roy Odom. Raising teenagers hasn’t been easy either, but Cliff doesn’t regret a minute of it. For the first few years after he got his kids back, he would take a match four or five times a year. That’s a far cry from the two or three per weekend he was accustomed to. His two oldest children grew up and moved out, but he still has a daughter and son at home. While he enjoys being a dad, he also looks forward to getting back into the ring on a regular basis. “I miss the lifestyle, the physicality of it,” he says. “There’s more to it than just jumping out there and wrestling. You have to watch what you eat, work out between matches. I don’t watch what I eat as much and don’t get the cardio I used to, but I still work out.” It has been two years since he last heard that intro music and the chanting of the crowds. He recently started eating right again, trying to lose some of the weight he gained during his time out of the ring, itching to get back to the business. But it’s tough. Yet when asked what he finds tougher, wrestling 300-pound men, 1,300-pound logs or 100-pound teenagers, Cliff doesn’t miss a beat. “Wrestling children,” he shoots back. The smile in his voice says they’re worth it. l
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
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A legendary, lasting legacy Pell City’s Rachel Baribeau making mark on air, world Rachel Baribeau and Nashville skyline
Story by Paul South Photos by Eric Adkins Submitted photos NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Not so long ago, Rachel Baribeau connected with a long-time friend from St. Clair County, the place Baribeau has called home since sixth grade. “You’re a legend around here, you know,” the friend said. “I was like, ‘Whaaat?,” Baribeau said. “It blew my mind.” The 36-year-old broadcast journalist’s reaction may come as a bit of a surprise. After all, Baribeau hosts a sports talk show and has a regular gig on Sirius XM radio’s College Sports Nation and a weekly column on GridironNow.com, covering big-time college football for a national audience. She’s a Heisman voter. She was the first woman to fully participate in a professional football training camp, suiting up for the Columbus (Ga.) Lions
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of the American Indoor Football Association. She has a clothing line. She’s a life coach and a motivational speaker. In the temporal world, that’s heady stuff indeed. But in the tapestry that is Baribeau’s life, the real currency, the anchors of her life, are grounded in timeless values – a devout faith, hard work, putting others first and serving them and measuring life by the hearts she’s touched. As she tells it, she’s just “a grain in the hourglass. “As I’ve gotten older, it’s really come full circle for me that people are my currency, and people are my richness,” the Auburn University alumnus said. “In that sense, I’m a millionaire because I’ve come to know so many wonderful people.” To understand why Rachel Baribeau sees people, not material fame and fortune, as her source of wealth, it helps to know her family, especially her grandmother, Ophelia Maria Sifuentes Snow. For 60 years, “Opie” Snow served up cocktails and cold
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2016
beer to unknown enlisted men and women and the world famous, like John Wayne, Paul “Bear” Bryant and Truman Capote at a watering hole on Victory Drive in Columbus, Ga. Ophelia was a mix of humanity – a wondrous cocktail of Spanish, Mexican, Jewish and Mayan blood flowed through her veins. Today, that diverse DNA is visible in Baribeau’s dark hair and eyes and olive complexion. “She really loved people and loved all sorts of people. She loved the soldier in Columbus and the politician and the movie star and the prostitute all the same. She just taught me that people matter and that life is about people.” In Baribeau’s professional life, she sees stories of people that the herd of journalists may miss. “I had a writing instructor tell me, ‘Rachel, when other people are looking one way, you look the other,’ ” Baribeau recalled. One of her earliest broadcast partners, Max Howell, knows well Baribeau’s knack at finding stories off the beaten path. Howell has been a fixture in sports talk in the South, working in Atlanta, Memphis, Birmingham and other major markets. He recalled Baribeau’s concern over football-related concussions long before the NFL and the rest of the world took notice. Baribeau offers a “unique voice” in covering the college football landscape, Howell said. “She’s very compassionate and has a lot of empathy for the kids,” he added. “She was more concerned about the long-range people problems that evolved. To me, that was her strength. That’s what sets her apart from the other co-hosts I had.” Lyn Scarbrough, a columnist and marketing director for Lindy’s Sports Annuals, has been a guest on Baribeau’s show over the years. Versatility is one of Baribeau’s strengths, Scarbrough said, both in her professional life and in her faith and charitable work. “She can do radio. She can do television. She can do print. She is knowledgeable. She’s made journalism a passion. She’s willing to take a risk. She cares that it be right, and that it be professional,” he said. “In today’s culture, it’s not an everyday thing to find someone who has that combination of traits and beliefs and experiences. Not everyone has that combination.” Baribeau, who has a deep religious faith, believes sweat, preparation and divine intervention help her find the stories she reports. “My penchant for people has made people open up to me and to tell me these stories. I think there is a measure of divine intervention in that. The dots had to connect in a supernatural way,” she said. One of those supernatural connections occurred two football seasons back, when Baribeau convinced her editors at Bleacher Report that Mississippi State University and its quarterback, Dak Prescott, were forces to watch in the 2014 season. She traveled to Starkville a week after losing her father to cancer. Dak Prescott’s mother was waging her own battle with the disease. Before the interview, as Prescott opened up about his Mom’s condition, Baribeau began to cry, sharing her own story of her Dad’s passing. The two bonded, and Baribeau crafted a story larger than sport. In January, Prescott was the MVP of the Senior Bowl. And Baribeau works with Prescott’s family to promote a foundation that helps cancer-stricken family members of student athletes travel to see their loved ones play, covering travel and medical costs associated with the trips “Other than with Tom Rinaldi (of ESPN), Dak had never opened up like that before,” Baribeau said. “God really worked to orchestrate this meeting.” There are so many layers to the Rachel Baribeau story. She was
In the studio with Coach Nick Saban
On the air
Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro
A legendary, lasting legacy
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adopted at 18 months old by David Baribeau, a veteran of the first Gulf War. With her platform as a sports journalist, she is an advocate for adoption. She works with numerous charities, raising $90,000 for ALS research in the wake of her story on former University of Alabama great Kevin Turner, who now battles the disease. She climbed Mount Kilimanjaro for ALS research. The climb is the subject of a documentary, narrated by NFL Hall of Fame player and coach Mike Ditka. And along with her work as a journalist, she and her mother partnered in early 2016 to form a clothing business. The Joyful Fashionista is crafting fashions for women, ages pre-teen to 85 and of every body type, sizes two to 26. A bricks and mortar shop – Pine Mountain Loft and Gallery in Pine Mountain, Ga., — and websites on Facebook and Instagram, feature the fashion line. “What better thing than to be a partner with your Mom — your best friend — and help women feel beautiful and do it at a very reasonable cost. We’re not trying to break the bank for women who want to feel good about themselves.” What shines through in Baribeau’s life is a boundless energy. Spencer Tillman, an analyst for Fox Sports, said Baribeau is “hardwired” for journalism. “She pursues ‘the story’ because of her raw passion to win,” Tillman wrote on Baribeau’s web page. “She gets it right because she cares. She’s like that proverbial drip that can wear a hole in a rock. I’d want her on my team.” That water of life has been passed across the years, from her grandmother to her Mom and adopted Dad. Powered by faith, the water is constantly flowing, methodically wearing away at the challenges of work and life. And in an industry often driven by massive egos and major money, Baribeau’s life is defined by a desire to help others, a fire stoked by those who shaped her life from its earliest days. Female sportscasters like Phyllis George, Jayne Kennedy, Linda Cohn and Lesley Visser may have shattered the glass ceiling. A new generation, including Baribeau, have followed in their path. And while like a gifted architect on a Starbucks bender, Baribeau has crafted a diverse portfolio in journalism, fashion and life coaching. And it appears she’s just getting warmed up. But mileposts of accomplishment are secondary. Baribeau’s faith-based priorities are different. “To move to act, to love, to forgive and to give. That’s what it’s all about,” Baribeau said. “You can have all the money in the world, all the accomplishments in the world. But at the end of the day, my eulogy is not going to be about the things I accomplished, but about the people I touched.” l
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St. Clair Events Literally ‘literary week’ in Pell City It might well have been billed as Literary Week in Pell City. In a four day period, Feb. 26-28, Pell City hosted a nationally syndicated columnist, author and playwright, a country singer turned author of a book about her iconic father, another playwright and a host of writers, authors, lecturers and a poet laureate. At Pell City Center for Education and the Performing Arts, which was about to present the world premiere of Hiram: Becoming Hank Williams, its co-playwright, Rheta Grimsley Johnson, and Jett Williams, the daughter of Hank Williams, appeared on stage in a special program Feb. 26 presented by CEPA and the Pell City Library. A luncheon reception was courtesy of Town & Country Ford to welcome the guests to the city. Johnson, a syndicated newspaper columnist for King Features, the author of eight books, including a biography of Peanuts cartoonist Charles Shultz, and cowrote Hiram with John M. Williams. She signed a collection of her books for the crowd. Jett Williams, whose nine-year court battle to be recognized as Hank Williams’ daughter became a national story, was signing her book, Lost & Found, The Story of Hank Williams’ Daughter. Johnson and Williams took questions from the audience at the book signing event, mostly about Williams’ quest to be recognized as Hank’s daughter. He had died five days before she was born. An interview with Williams on the CEPA stage will air on Fred Hunter’s Absolutely Alabama on WBRC-Fox 6 on April 22 at 10:35 p.m. and April 24 at 11:05 p.m. Hiram, starring the Pell City Players, had a successful three-day run at the CEPA theater, playing to a sold-out audience on opening night with Williams and the playwrights in attendance. Meanwhile, the Third Annual Mid-Winter Writer’s Conference was taking place at 66
Rheta Grimsley Johnson (left) and Jett Williams on stage at CEPA.
An array of speakers highlights writer’s conference
Seddon Baptist Church, drawing writers from multiple states and helping novices learn more about their craft. David Bennett, editor of HomeLife Magazine, and Alabama Poet Laureate Emeritus Sue Brannan Walker were among keynote speakers.
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2670 Old B’ham Hwy. Sylacauga, AL 35150
Phone: 256-245-8920 Toll Free: 866-354-BOAT (2628)
See Us at LAKEFEST MAY 20-21
LakeFest makes splash May 20-21 Thousands will be heading to Pell City Lakeside Park May 20-21 for the annual Logan Martin LakeFest and Boat Show. As the Southeast’s largest in-water boat show, crowds come from all around to browse the latest models and take a test drive out on the lake. But that’s not all, live music, food and children’s activities as well as lake-related vendors are all a part of LakeFest, an outdoor festival that celebrates lake life. And there are plenty of prizes being given away, including water toys for young and young at heart. On Friday, May 20, gates open at noon and close at 9 p.m., but not before spectacular fireworks light up the nighttime sky over Logan Martin. The fireworks show is in honor of the veterans of the Colonel Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home. On Saturday, May 21, festivities get under way again at 9 a.m. and will last until 9 p.m. Musical entertainment for both days will be announced. This year’s LakeFest marks the sixth annual event. A portion of the proceeds go to local causes, and its aims are to celebrate and promote the lake while providing its partners with an audience to showcase their products and services. Admission is free.
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68 Essence of of St.of • August && September 2013 of St. Clair •The Business Review 68• DISCOVER The EssenceDISCOVER DISCOVER The Essence St. Clair • February &July March 2016 DISCOVER The Essence ofClair St. Clair June 2015 68 DISCOVER The Essence St. Clair •• April May 2016
Story by Paul South Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr.
Warren Family Garden Center growing business in Moody For 25 years, Wirt Warren III has been in the tire business. But six years ago, he returned to a first love – plants and gardening. It’s a passion cultivated by his grandmother, Ruth Moore, when he was a boy growing up in Mobile. To this day, he remembers a rabbit’s foot fern she babied in an iron tea kettle on her back porch. “My grandmother gave me a love for plants and for cooking,” Warren said. “Before I was in the tire business, I was actually a chef in Mobile. My grandmother influenced me greatly. She created a love of plants in me that made me want to dig in the dirt.” Now that grandmother’s influence can be felt at Warren Family Garden Center in Moody near US 411 and Interstate 20. The business opened in mid-September 2015. It’s a new location. The retail gardening business moved after six years in Clay. “We try to provide quality plant products for the do-it-yourselfer around their home,” Warren said. “We grow our own annuals – about 75 percent of them. We have a wide selection of houseplants.” Tropical plants will be an inventory mainstay in the spring. Warren’s Family Garden Center will also carry rock for use in landscaping and other projects. In central Alabama and throughout the South, vegetable gardening is a passion. As part of Warren Family Garden Center’s full gift shop, seasonal vegetable seeds and plants, including some heirloom varieties will be available for purchase. Warren plans to develop a 22-acre site in Moody. The retail shop is “about 80 percent finished,” Warren said. “It’s probably encompassing about four acres on the property.” Warren’s goal for his business is simple. “We have a sincere desire to bring quality plant material to people at the right price and to bring in a wide range of plant material, from the west coast to the east coast and to bring as much stuff grown in our state as possible.” DISCOVER The Essence of of St.of • August && September 2013 The Essence of St. Clair • 69 Business Review • March DISCOVER DISCOVER The Essence St. Clair • February &July 2016 69 DISCOVER The Essence ofClair St. Clair June 2015 DISCOVER The Essence St. Clair •• April May 2016 69
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Piers
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Business Review
Warren Family Garden Center
The Warren Family Garden Center team
Azaleas, camellias and fruit trees are especially popular among his customers, he said. “They love roses and fruit trees,” Warren said. It’s clear, even after a short conversation, that Warren loves the gardening business. “It’s kind of neat to work with the creation,” Warren said. “You know, I know the Creator and boy, He was truly creative. The Lord made a whole lot of plants that are really cool when you take time to look at them.” He added, “You know, when you really take time to look at flowers, Crayola doesn’t have anything on the Lord.” Warren said he learns from his customers every day. He has a staffer who has worked at various plant nurseries for 41 years, O.Z. Cooper. “Without him, I’d be sunk,” Warren said. “Every day is an exciting day to learn something new.” 74
Greenhouses galore
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Business Review Workout Anytime flexes muscle as new members flock for fitness
Story by Paul South Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr. History knows Leeds as the first city in America to sell bagged cement. So it’s somehow fitting that apparently, a good many area residents are interested in having rock-hard abs, at least if the recently-opened Workout Anytime fitness center is any indication. In the three months since its December “soft” opening at Leeds Plaza, 1,000 area residents have joined the club. Even with its growing membership, being open 24/7 means no overcrowding. Manager Dylan Murray attributes Workout Anytime’s early success to word of mouth. “We had a lot of people waiting to see the equipment and to make sure we were really opening up, and as soon as we did, word of mouth just spread, and it just fired,” Murray said. “It’s been non-stop.” Workout Anytime features Matrix fitness equipment, considered top of the line in the fitness industry. Tanning and hydro-massage beds are available for premium
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members, Murray said. The facility also carries react training equipment, perfect for individuals seeking to rehab after an injury. A functional trainer helps with sport specific training, like golf, baseball or softball, Murray said. And hydromassage beds offer a new take on massage. “You’re fully clothed. It massages you with warm water. There’s a sheet and a cover over it and you get in it and it massages you with different pressures and speeds you choose. It’s great,” Murray said. The 6,100 square-foot facility also offers personal training. Personal trainers also conduct ‘boot camps” for customers. Workout Anytime is also exploring the possibility of yoga and other classes as space permits. Workout Anytime’s vision is success for each individual member, Murray said. “For each person who walks through the door, we talk to them and get their goals,” Murray said. “Our vision is to make sure you succeed in your goals.” He added, “The main reason people quit is because they’re not seeing results. If we set you on a path to see your results, you will achieve them with us, and you will be a member throughout your fitness career. That’s our goal.
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We don’t want people quitting because they don’t see results.” Fitness centers can be intimidating for newcomers. But at Workout Anytime, Murray said, there are members across the fitness spectrum. “We don’t have any kind of intimidation factor here,” Murray said. “We have a very broad group of fitness expertise, from beginners who have never touched a piece of fitness equipment to body builders who have been training for years. Everybody’s a big family here, and we love it.” Workout Anytime wants to provide its members with quality equipment and the feeling they’d get as part of a corporate gym at an affordable cost, without having to go to a big city to get it, Murray said. There are two plans available. The basic plan gives members access to all equipment on the gym floor and locker rooms. The premium membership includes equipment and locker room access, unlimited tanning and hydro massage, monthly personal training evaluations and guest privileges. Various hourly rates apply for a personal trainer, Murray said. In its early days, Workout Anytime gets high marks from the community, Murray said. “People are absolutely loving the equipment. They’re loving the cost. They’re loving how clean the facility is and the atmosphere we have created. I just want people to know we are here to help them achieve their fitness goals, and we’ll do what it takes to help them get there.”
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