Troy Life

troylife

July 2023

Troy beaming with AirBnBs

Local business making waves with custom hats

Convertibles mean fun and sun for local women

Fourth of July events

...and more inside!

JOSH BOUTWELL, WRITER

Josh Boutwell is the sports editor and a general news reporter at the Troy Messenger with more than a decade in the business. After attending Enterprise State Community College, he began working for the Andalusia Star-News and then Enterprise Ledger before becoming the sports editor at the Southeast Sun in 2016. He accepted the position of sports editor at the Troy Messenger in 2022.

SAVANAH WEED, LAYOUT DESIGN

Savanah Weed is a University Relations Coordinator at Troy University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in 2017. After nearly five years of working in newspapers in Monroeville, Enterprise and Eufaula, she joined the communications staff at her alma mater in 2021. Because of her love for community newspapers and the City of Troy, she soon became a freelance writer and layout designer for the Troy Messenger in 2022.

JAINE TREADWELL, WRITER

Jaine Treadwell is a longtime contributor to the Troy Messenger and resident of the Pike County area.

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Fourth of July activites offered around the area

With the 4th of July holiday quickly approaching, be sure to make plans to attend one of our area’s celebrations!

The Troy Fireworks Extravaganza will be held at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 4, with viewing at Veterans Memorial Stadium. However, there are many great areas in the city from which to view the fireworks display. The Troy City Fireworks Extravaganza is made possible by the City of Troy and Troy Parks and Recreation.

The Meeksville Independence Day Parade will be held at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 4. Lineup will be at the former Meeksville Volunteer Fire Department. The parade will end at Harmony Park where there will be barbecue, burgers and other festival foods. The playground will be open for kids. Music, food and fellowship will be at the pavilion. The parade is sponsored by the Meeksville Volunteer Fire Department.

Fireworks and a car and truck show will be held on Saturday, July 1 at the National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds in Dothan. Gates open at 5 p.m. and Broken Pines Band takes the stage at 6:30 p.m. Car show winners will be announced at 8 p.m. followed by samples of Blue Bell Ice Cream, and the fireworks display kicks off at 9 p.m. The day will feature vendors, free watermelon and peanuts, free inflatables, children’s train rides and photo booth photos, Uncle Sam on Stilts, Bobert the Balloon Guy, antique tractors, a fire truck and helicopter display and a dunking booth. Guests are asked to pay $10 per car to benefit Wiregrass United Way. Blankets and chairs are welcome.

Fort Novosel’s Freedom Fest will be held June 30 from 4-9 p.m. on the Fort Novosel Festival Fields. The headlining act for Freedom Fest will be Tag Team, an American hip hop/pop rap duo best known for their smash hit “Whoomp! (There It Is).” There will be family fun activities for kids such as bounce houses, obstacle courses, free ice cream, military static displays and a variety of craft vendors. Food vendors and food trucks will be on-site to provide various festival and traditional food items as well as refreshment options. Live entertainment will continue throughout the day, and the fireworks show begins promptly at 9 p.m. Visitors arriving between the hours of 4-9 p.m. will not need a visitor’s pass but will need a valid driver’s license or other form of ID. Visitors arriving outside of the festival hours will need to obtain a pass from one of the visitor centers during operating hours.

City of Troy beaming with AirBnBs

Feature by Josh Boutwell

While one might not think Troy, Ala., is a hotbed for AirBnBs – or short-term rentals – there are plenty to choose from, nonetheless.

With many of the Troy rental units being just minutes away from Troy University campus, AirBnBs have become a staple for out-of-towners during football season. Two units, known as Adkins House No. 1 and Adkins House No. 2, are located less than a mile from the university’s campus and are next door to one another. Adkins House No. 1 is a one-bedroom, one-bath apartment with a sofa, kitchenette, coffee maker, microwave and living room. Adkins House No. 2 features a full kitchen with stove, fridge and microwave,

along with one bedroom and one bathroom. It also hosts a living room with dual recliners and fireplace.

Troy native Rob Oliver hosts a town home in the old Bell South office building located downtown and features two bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. The beautiful town home features a full kitchen, washing machine, dryer and a huge dining room and living room.

Just outside of the downtown area is a four-bedroom, two-bath house that features a screened-in front porch, full kitchen, washing machine and dryer, as well.

The Grove Company owns and operates two AirBnBs in the City of Troy. The first, known as The Honee

Pot on Orion, is a renovated 1920 Victorian home with hardwood floors and ceilings. It also features an outside bar with a TV, full kitchen and poker table. The other unit, known as The Brooke on Orion, is a 1920 home with 13-foot ceilings. The home, located off U.S. Highway 231, has three bedrooms – each with a king size bed – and two full bathrooms. It also hosts a sunroom and a laundry room with a washer and dryer. The front porch features rocking chairs. It also has a covered gazebo outside with chairs and a fire pit.

All of the units featured in TroyLife can be found on the AirBnB app or website by searching the Troy area.

One of several full houses in Troy utilized as AirBnBs.

The Station: A staple to Downtown Troy

Feature by Josh Boutwell

Just off the square in downtown Troy sits what simply looks like an old filling station, but it has been brought back to life as one of the more unique AirBnBs in the area.

The rental unit, known simply as The Station, was built in 1920 as a Sinclair Gas Station. After sitting dormant for many years, it has been refurbished into an AirBnB. Troy natives Billie Ann and Kevin Flowers are the current owners of the unit.

AirBnB’s are short-term rentals that have overtaken hotels in many areas in recent years. The company allows for regular people in a community to rent out their own homes or rooms in their homes like a hostel or old-school Bed and Breakfast. It also allows for residents in a community to invest in real estate to turn into rentals, which is exactly what the Flowers did.

“I retired from Alfa and we went into real estate and were in it for a couple of years and just wanted to do

something with our own business,” Billie Ann Flowers recalled. “I had a vision of how I wanted to do AirBnBs. I had wanted to do it for awhile, and we had put some offers on a couple of houses (in Troy) but it just didn’t work out.”

Eventually, the couple found a building on E. Madison Street, about half a mile from where The Station sits, that became the home for Flowers Real Estate. The basement of the building, though, became more.

“When it came open, it needed a lot of work, but when I went into the basement, it had all the beautiful brick and everything – that was it,” Billie Ann said. “It was my dream to do AirBnBs.”

The Flowers turned the basement into two separate AirBnBs, transforming it into modern apartment-style units. Both units feature full kitchens, a living room, a full bathroom and a bedroom with a king-sized bed. They both have washing machines and dryers along with an exterior patio area with fire pits and grills.

When it comes to The Station, though, the Flowers fell in love with the 1920s style gas station that had been transformed into the equivalent of a modern apartment, right

off the square downtown.

“The more unique the better,” the Flowers said of The Station.

The Station features a kitchenette, a full bathroom, a half bath, a king-sized bed and living room area. The “Main Event” of The Station comes when you walk through the backdoor. The Station has a screened in back porch with a beautiful gas fire pit, a grill and lounging area. Once you step outside of the patio, The Station also has a grass backyard with a privacy fence. It’s also one of the few pet-friendly AirBnBs in the city.

While football season is a busy one for AirBnBs in Troy, the Flowers say they’re booked regularly year-round. The Flowers even have a map above the sink in The Kitchen with pins represented the areas that visitors come from.

“It doesn’t matter at all. Softball season, basketball season or people just coming through, we get people from everywhere that stop through,” Billie Ann emphasized. “We stay busy all the time.”

While it may be awhile before they rejuvenate another old building into an AirBnB, the Flowers say they don’t plan to stop hosting their current rentals any time soon either.

“We like it,” she said. “(The Station) is definitely a keeper for us and the other ones are under our offices. We really just enjoy this.”

The Station features a kitchenette and a king-sized bed.

The Station is located just off the square downtown.

Billie Ann and Kevin Flowers own ‘The Station’ in Troy.

The Taylors transform old warehouse into gorgeous AirBnBs

Feature by Josh Boutwell

Lyndsay (Cox) Taylor and her husband Jamie Taylor are longtime business owners in Troy and are also the owners of some unique AirBnB rentals in the downtown area.

The Taylors ran Sips on the Square for years before opening Sips Beer Garden and Food Court on Hanchey Street a few blocks over in 2020. During that time, the couple was looking for some extra storage for the restaurant and stumbled across an old gas station, which would be transformed into the AirBnB “The Station.”

“I really just needed something that had extra storage,” Lyndsay Taylor remembered. “We realized that (what would become) The Station was for sale and we held on to it for a bit, just as dry storage for the restaurant.”

Taylor said that her in-laws operate short-term rentals in Florida, and that’s when the couple decided to try their hand at it.

“We learned a lot more about short-term rentals , and we thought it would be a perfect idea to offer a short-term rental in Troy because of Troy Athletics and with people coming in and through town so often,” she said. “What better spot to put them in than an old, renovated gas station in Troy? It was kind of a novelty. We really fell in love with hosting people coming to Troy, though.

“We got to learn at lot about the people coming into Troy and to tell a lot of people about Troy and the different things they may not find on their own, which was really cool. We got to introduce them to a place we love.”

Eventually, the Taylors sold The Station as they looked to own property in Florida to use as rentals, but fate brought them right back to the short-term rental business in Troy.

“We had our eye on the building (next to Sips) for a little while but didn’t know if it was for sale or anything,” Taylor said. “Then, we drove by one day and saw a ‘For Sale’ sign in the window and just kind of giggled to ourselves.”

The building next to Sips on Love Street began as a warehouse for Whaley Pecans decades ago but was owned by the Johnson Labs at the time. The Taylors were excited about the possibility of bringing another old building to life.

“It was literally a warehouse,” said Taylor. “We knew we had a passion for these old buildings and seeing what we could do with them, while also holding on to the character and charm of what it once was. We fell in love with it and what we could do with it.”

Taylor said that they did renovations on the property in phases, creating three AirBnB units out of the old warehouse. The first,

known as The Warehouse at 401, is a spacious two-bedroom unit that transformed the front of the old warehouse into a modern-style unit. The Warehouse sleeps 1-6 people and even has its own private garage and private deck.

The next unit, known as The Flat, on the first floor, is under the third unit known as The Owner’s Loft upstairs. Both of these units even have their own entrances, while all three units have full kitchens, living rooms, bathrooms and king size beds. The Flat and The Loft each have one bed, while The Warehouse has two bedrooms. The Flat also has its own deck on the back of the unit, while The Loft features a giant skylight.

Taylor said that the first day that The Warehouse was placed online for rental the couple began getting bookings.

“It was reassurance that you’re doing the right thing,” she said. “It told us this AirBnB is a good gig to continue with.”

Troy Athletics plays a big part in the Taylors’ bookings, but it’s become a year-round success, as well.

“When the football schedule comes out, we’re fully booked about an hour later,” she said. “It’s really year round, though. Initially, when we first started, football season was definitely the peak. You could guarantee you would be booked for

football season, and that is true to this day, but Troy is a good stopping point for people traveling to the beach, especially if you have kids.

While the Taylors are busy with Sips Beer Garden and their rental units, she said that she hopes there is even more to come.

“I would love to have more. I laugh because I sometimes have frequent guests who will get a little upset if they can’t get one of our units because it’s

already booked,” Taylor said with a smile. “I feel like if I had three or five more they would stay booked, too. I think it’s definitely a niche and if you are a good host that makes a big difference.

“People want to come back to you if you’re a good host, they want a certain level of hospitality. Ultimately, it is their home away from home, so if you have a good property and you’re a good host it’s going to work.”

Troy native Lyndsay Taylor, left, and her husband own three AirBnBs in Troy.

The Troy food truck scene

Feature by Josh Windus

Many Troy residents enjoy getting meals at food trucks, especially during events like TroyFest. Several chefs have put their expertise to work maintaining this unique part of the Troy food scene.

Ashley Chaisson, an assistant at the Pike County Chamber of Commerce, said the Chamber has had two new members join in the last year who are new to the area and who run food trucks.

Jamelia Williams, the owner of Melia’s cupcakes, operates a food truck called It’s a Sweet Thing. Chef Ben Kay runs a food truck dubbed Bayou La Roux. Kay described the journey that led him to operate a Cajun Creole food truck in Troy.

“I had gotten a couple years into college under a business degree and I was working in kitchens to pay

my bills and I kind of discovered I liked working in kitchens,” he said. “So, I switched gears and went to culinary school. I attended Louisiana Culinary Institute in Baton Rouge. It was a super positive experience, and then from there I just started bouncing around these typically more high-end, fine dining restaurants.”

After working at restaurants for around 10 years, Kay came to Troy to be closer to his family.

“I moved here to be closer to my parents and there just wasn’t any Cajun Creole being done in this town,” Kay said. “I saw a hole in the market and I decided to go for it. I used to be the head chef here at Fuze and I took care of all of their pastries, and then I had an opportunity to open up my own thing and switched

back to Cajun Creole. We’ve been open since February and it just hasn’t slowed down.”

For those wanting to visit his food truck, it’s easy to find.

“I’m stationary at Sips Beer Garden, for standard operating hours,” he said.

When asked about how the location works for him, he responded positively.

“We get a good mix of college kids, plus the 20 to kind of 45 age range,” he said. “You can go have a beer, but you can also bring your kids with you.”

When asked whether he needs to move his truck frequently to get business, he said that’s never been an issue.

“Honestly we get so much traffic with downtown events I typically don’t move the truck. A lot of people park down there then walk up to the events. Or, there will be food trucks available up there, but some people want to sit down, they want to come here with their food. So typically, I stay there because its close enough for downtown events.”

Johnny Wilson is another local food truck operator who owns J Dubs BBQ. Friends would often call on his expertise when barbequing. Eventually, Wilson saw an opportunity to turn his hobby into a career.

“This older lady said she also was trying to start a food truck and she really wasn’t able to do it and she had it for sale, so I went and bought it thought I was just going to just jump into it,” Wilson recalled. “I had the Health

Department and the fire department come out and inspect it and they said, ‘Well if I were you I would just sell it. It’s going to take too much to get it started.’”

Wilson was determined to continue his passion. “I poured a lot of money and time into it and changed into a pretty successful business,” he said.

In addition to cooking barbeque, Wilson is also a full-time corrections officer. He said he has had great support for his barbeque from the Pike County area, especially Troy University. When asked what would help the food truck industry in Troy, Wilson mentioned food truck days, which are often regular occurrences in nearby towns. He said that Troy used to have one, but rain was an issue and it was discontinued.

For chefs Jamelia Williams, Ben Kay and Johnny Wilson, food trucks continue to provide an accessible way to share their unique culinary styles with the local community.

Home grown business provides unique product

Troy native Jessica Knighten is making waves in the local fashion scene with her unique, custom hat burning business, Dear Darlin’ Hat Customs.

After seeing a TikTok video for a hat bar business in Texas in March 2022, Knighten said she continued to see videos and posts about other hat bars that piqued her interest. Interested in anything crafty, she ordered a hat and a burning iron and decided to give it a shot.

“I sat down in the living room one night and I burned a design on it, and I showed it to my fiance, Zach, and he said, ‘Darlin, you might just be on to something,’” she said. “That’s where the name kind of sprung from. He always calls me darling, so I wanted to work that into the name.”

In November 2022, Knighten created her Facebook page and business took off. Shortly after, she began selling some of her designs inside Burlap & Silk on the square in addition to pop-up events across the Wiregrass, though she primarily works from her home studio.

“I do virtual hat design where we Facetime,” she said. “I think I’ve done over 500 hats since last March. I love all of the new designs that I get to make, people telling me things about themselves and the things they like.

“I do pop-ups at boutiques, and I

was at TroyFest. I’m going to be at Buck Masters in August as well as the Pike County Rodeo. I also do ladies’ nights at people’s homes where they can schedule a party and we just come set up and they get all their girlfriends together and we just do it in the house. These events are so fun!”

Wanting her business to be more than just a hat bar, Knighten decided to add custom design services in addition to hat burning. Most recently, she’s decided to offer hat shaping as well as headbands, ball caps and a line of trucker hats.

“There’s no one even remotely in our area

Feature and cover photos by Savanah Weed

that does hat shaping, and I’m able to do that for men and women,” she said. “I recently started a new trucker line as part of a brand expansion because eventually I do want to have my own custom brand and clothing line under me. That’s just my first step to try and get there.”

Knighten was born and raised in Troy and graduated from South Montgomery County Academy. After graduating high school, she went straight into a life-long dream of entrepreneurship.

“When I was small, we used to always go downtown and experience the square and see all the shops and businesses there, and I would always say, ‘I’m gonna have one of those one day,’” she said. “So actually

getting here and being able to have my own business and say that something is mine and that I’m potentially turning it into something that’ll be way bigger than what I have right now is really heartwarming to me.”

Right now, some of her most popular designs are cheetah print, sunflowers and anything western-themed. All of her designs are freehanded and custom drawn, not derived from Pinterest or any other creative outlets. Knighten said authenticity is a core value of her business, and her life.

“I’ve tried to base my brand on being authentic. I don’t want anything copied; I don’t want to be able to see my designs on Pinterest,” she said. “I want it to be completely custom. If you can think it, I can

Knighten’s designs are 100 percent custom and hand-drawn.

make it. My hats don’t just exist, they tell a story.”

She and her fiancé, who is the owner of Wood Lawn Service, have deep roots in Troy, and Knighten said they don’t have plans to live anywhere else.

“I love the City of Troy. I honestly don’t know if I could picture myself moving anywhere else just because of how much it feels like home,” she said. “I love being able to go out in public and see five or six people that I know just by walking through the grocery store and seeing people post about their kids or their grandkids, just what they’re doing in their life. This is home.”

Dolly Parton and western-themes have been popular.

Knighten’s tool kit features a torch, various sized needles and a burning pen.

Dr.

Dr.

Girls just wanna have fun

Feature by Jaine Treadwell

Tonya Williams

What’s he difference between an SUV and a convertible?

Tonya Williamson didn’t hesitate.

“One’s boring and the other one’s fun!” Tonya said. “And I just wanna have fun!”

Tonya’s “fun car” is a 2015 Volkswagen Beetle, and it’s her second Beetle bug convertible.

“I had wanted a convertible my whole life, and the first chance I had to buy one, I bought one,” Tonya said, and added, laughing, “that was when my kids got grown.”

And what did the kids think about mom driving a VW Beetle convertible?

“My first convertible was a Beetle, too, but it was a five speed,” Tonya said. “I liked driving the five speed. So I was having twice as much fun. My kids weren’t interested in shifting gears, but when I got the 2015 Volkswagen convertible, they liked driving the Beetle!”

When Tonya was going to trade her first VW con-

vertible for another, if a stick shift had been available, she would have opted for it.

“Shifting gears puts you more in control of your fun,” she said.

Tonya drives her convertible to work in Brundidge every workday, weather permitting, and having been blessed with curly hair, she doesn’t have to worry about being windblown or drenched by a sudden summer shower.

“I keep a water spray bottle handy, so I don’t mind getting windblown. I just spray my hair and get out and go,” she said. “And I do the same thing if the rain comes before I get the top up. Get out and go. I don’t worry about my hair getting messed up. I’m not the kind to worry about things like that.”

There’s just something about a lady breezing along in a convertible that prompts other drivers to honk and wave.

“I get a lot of smiles and waves,” Tonya said. “Most of my girlfriends, those who ride with me, would rath-

Tonya Williams, far right, with fellow convertible enthusiasts, from left, Ginny Hamm, Kay Franklin, Debbie Headley, Bennie Jinright, Elizabeth Burdick and Rhonda Turberville.

er have fun than worry about how they look. They just take the fun with whatever comes, wind or rain.”

Tonya said she enjoys the drive to work, around at the beach and in the mountains of North Carolina.

“Driving a convertible is different from driving a car. I don’t like being closed in,” she said. “I like the feeling of being outdoors, the sun and, yes, the rain.”

Tonya Williams with her 2015 Volkswagen Beetle.

Bennie Jinright

Bennie Jinright was not going through a midlife crisis when she bought a Mustang convertible. She was not fulfilling a childhood dream or even a teenage desire. She just wanted to have fun.

“I’ve never felt my age,” Bennie said. “I like to do fun things and be with friends who like to have fun, too.”

So, what better way to have fun than riding the roads in a Mustang convertible?

“I love the beach and love to go ride the beach roads with the top down and feel the sun and, even the salty air,” Jinright said. “Riding in a con- vertible is a different way to enjoy the outdoors whether you’re at the beach, in the country, in the mountains or just riding around town.”

And, being a country girl, Bennie said she enjoys riding the Alabama and Pike County countrysides just as much as she enjoys riding the beach roads.

“The county countryside is pretty, the farmland and the woodlands. It’s so peaceful and I love feeling the Alabama sunshine on my face,” Bennie said. “And, I just enjoy riding around home with friends with the top down. We don’t worry that our hair is blowing or that the weather is hot or

misty. We just have fun riding the roads.”

But, what Bennie said she enjoys the most about owning a Mustang convertible, is sharing it with others.

“I look forward to, and enjoy so much, driv- ing friends’ daughters and granddaughters in parades,” Bennie said. “I have driven Miss Troy University and the Little Misses from Troy and Brundidge and that is so much fun. I love sharing my convertible and I get a thrill out of being a part of these special times with these sweet girls.”

As much as she enjoys “driving queens in pa- rades,” Bennie said she enjoys even more being a parade watcher when the queens’ dads drive them in “the “SeeingMustang.” them together, seeing them enjoy this time together, the queen and her dad, is so very special,” Bennie said. “It’s special to me so I can only imagine how special it is to them.”

Bennie Jinright drives a Mustang convertible. She is not going through a midlife crisis. She’s just acting her age and having the time of her life.

Bennie Jinright drives her Ford Mustang convertible around Troy.

Virginia Hamm

Virginia “Ginny” Hamm’s enjoyment of con- vertibles began a long time ago when she saw the movie, “Never on Sunday.”

“The movie was filmed in Italy, or it was sup- posed to be,” Ginny said. “The main character was a lovely woman who drove a convertible. It was small, cute, and I loved the idea of the freedom and fun it seemed to imply.  So, my sweet husband bought me a yellow Chevy convertible.  It was indeed fun to drive with the top down...except in the South in August.”

Ginny’s convertible was a reality before the baby daughter came into the couple’s life.

“After my daughter was born, my yellow Chevy convertible sported a car seat too,” Ginny said, laughing. “But, I still drove with the top down when the weather was nice.”

Ginny’s current convertible is a classic model that is no longer in production.

“Due to the fact that I had two granddaughters when I bought it, it had to accommodate two in the backseat,” Ginny said. “While I prefer my larg- er SUV on the highway, driving a convertible is still the epitome of comfort and sportiness.  Nothing obstructs your view and everything just looks better!”

The mountains, the farmland, the rivers, the oceans, and, of course, the sunsets. And, Ginny said, there are some other fringe benefits to driving a convertible.

“I’ve had an occasion or two where I could not put something I purchased in the car unless I took the top down,” Ginny said. “Kids love to ride in a convertible, too.  I guess I’m just a kid at heart and still enjoy the experience of putting the top down and letting the wind blow.”

In exploring the question, why a convertible, Ginny said she has never spoken to others about their reasons for selecting a convertible and she wonders if they have another vehicle they drive.  Her reasons are practical but …

“An advantage of owning a small car should be gas mileage, but many convertibles are sport models and not very efficient,” Ginny said. “The engine in my car is the same size as the one in my previous Toyota 4 Runner.  I think efficiency is ir- relevant.  It is just a desire to drive something that permits the flexibility of allowing you to enjoy the fresh air and exhilaration of being unencumbered at least for a brief time.  Life is short!  Enjoy every day!”

Ginny Hamm, left, enjoys taking trips in her Toyota convertible.

Charles Henderson Child Health Center offers a full range of pediatric primary care and dental services:

• Well Child Checkups

• Dental Exams & Treatment

• School & Sports Physicals

• Immunizations

• Behavioral Health Services

• Various Child-related Therapeutic Services

Offered On-site

The Center is a 2020-2021 recipient of the Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention, Children’s Trust Fund Grant – Addressing ACEs and Toxic Stress in Youth & Families.

The Center utilizes the HealthySteps program, which offers an array of evidencebased, interdisciplinary pediatric primary care services designed to promote nurturing parenting and healthy development for babies and toddlers.

- 24-hour nursing care with compassion and dignity

Why I love Troy

Feature by Jaine Treadwell

Andrea Pack’s family has lived in Troy for almost eight years and, to a one, they love this community.

“I have spent most of my life in a small town in North Carolina called Cornelius, and 10 years in a town nearby called Mooresville as an adult,” Pack said. “I honestly expected North Carolina to be home forever, but a job opportunity came open in Troy. Although I couldn’t have told you where Troy was on a map, my husband flew down to interview on the same morning that I prematurely went into labor. I guess you could say that Troy as my home was born that day alongside my son in an unexpected way.”

Pack said those North Carolina (home)towns have grown by 500 percent over the 20 years she spent there.

“So, coming to Troy felt like my childhood,” she said. “Ties were formed as soon as I started lugging my three tots around to events like story time at the library in Brundidge and Bush Baptist playgroup and the Rec Center playground. People here are so friendly and kind.

“As my children have grown, I have realized that nowhere else would be as ideal a place to raise my family. The teachers have been excellent. The City of Troy has put so much thought into its public spaces to make them beautiful and available and offers many cultural and social enrichment opportunities for families.

“There is support for local business owners and schools. We can visit Pike County Lake for some nature time. In the fall when the weather is best, we are often found at the Rec Center soccer fields rotating three different fields,” Pack said. “There are job opportunities and job training available from top-notch companies. Troy University is a gem with opportunities for all; not only watching the athletes play, but dual enrollment, scholarships, music and theater performances, the Nall museum, Janice Hawkins Park, the Arboretum and public educational events from several departments.”

Pack said it is “truly amazing” to be in Troy and experience so much, and most of it free.

“The Johnson Center for the Arts, where I am privileged to work, is free to visit, and our programming is very accessible,” she said. “These things would either cost more or be overcrowded in my hometown community. I remember the good old days growing up where the local ice cream shop would bribe us for report cards and I’d ride my bike across town to cash in. They literally do that here, although kids on bikes has gone away, sadly.

“I’m raising my kids in the good old days right here and now. I’m so proud to be a Troy citizen and to have my children experience small town life. There is nowhere I would rather be.”